Category: English

For as long as I can remember, my dad was the undisputed Hide-and-Seek Champion of our neighborhood. He always found the most impossible spots. He’d vanish completely, only to pop out grinning the second I finally yelled, “I surrender!” I got used to not being able to find him. I knew the rules. As long as I gave up, he’d appear. Then came that day. The day patrol cars lined the streets, and sirens wailed through the night. It felt like the whole city was looking for him. Everyone’s face was set in grim exhaustion. Everyone except me. I was buzzing with excitement. I remember proudly thinking, Daddy’s too good at this. Even the cops can’t find him. But when a detective in a suit handed my mom his badge and ID, she collapsed onto the floor. She screamed, a raw, soul-shattering sound that echoed through the house. I pulled on her sleeve, confusing gnawing at my stomach. “Mommy, is the game over? Did Daddy win?” She grabbed me, sobbing into my shoulder, barely able to choke out the words. “Maya, Daddy’s not coming back. Not ever.” I squeezed the old, marked-up map in my pocket and shook my head. You’re wrong, I thought. He told me. Only I can find the final treasure. But nobody believed me. They said I was just trauma-stricken, that I missed him too much to accept the truth. Later, Mom started throwing Dad’s things away. She told me I had to forget. They all gave up. But I didn’t. Dad is still waiting for me, and I’m going to find him. 1 “Maya, say hello to Mr. Miller.” I looked up, staring at the man in front of me. He had a tight smile that crinkled the skin around his eyes. His name was Robert Miller. He was my mom’s new boyfriend. “I got you the new Barbie, the dreamhouse edition,” he said, pushing a beautifully wrapped box toward me. His smile widened, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Do you like it?” I didn’t look at the box. My gaze shifted to the boy hiding behind Robert’s leg. He was half a head shorter than me, gripping Robert’s jacket. He shot me a look of pure provocation. I lowered my head, my fingers tracing the edges of the old map in my pocket. It was the last thing Dad gave me. The only clue to where he was hiding. My mom’s face went stiff. “Maya, Robert is talking to you.” Robert quickly waved it off. “It’s fine, Liz. Kids take time to adjust.” He squatted down, trying to meet my eye level. “Maya, I know you miss your dad. But we have to move forward, sweetheart.” “Liz and I, and Leo here—we’re all going to be here for you, okay? Like a family.” I snapped my head up, glaring at him with icy intensity. “My dad is just playing a game,” I said, my voice shaking but firm. “He’s coming back.” Robert’s fake smile froze. Mom sighed, pulling me aside. “Maya, stop this. Dad is—” “He’s not dead!” I screamed, cutting her off. “He’s waiting for me to find him!” Robert’s son, Leo, suddenly pointed at me and bust out laughing. “Stupid! Your dad’s dead and buried! My dad is your dad now!” Something inside me snapped. I was like a wild animal pushed into a corner. I lunged at him. The living room dissolved into chaos. Screaming, crying, and the sounds of breaking glass. It ended with Mom locking me in my room. Through the door, I could hear Leo sobbing, Mom trying to soothe him, and Robert playing the peacemaker. “She’s just a kid, Liz. Don’t be too hard on her.” “I shouldn’t have let Leo say that. It’s my fault for not teaching him better.” “We’re going to be a family soon. We have to learn to get along.” I leaned against the door, slowly sliding down to the floor. I pulled out the map and unfolded it. Dad, they all say you’re dead. They’ve all given up. But I know the truth. This is just the biggest, hardest game of hide-and-seek we’ve ever played. You’re waiting for me. And I’m coming to find you. Soon. 2 Robert and Leo. They were like two nails, hammered forcefully into the life Mom and I had built. Dad’s old home office was gutted and turned into Leo’s playroom. The picture of Dad in his dress blues on the wall was taken down, replaced by a “family portrait” of the four of us. In the photo, Mom and Robert were leaning into each other, smiling widely. Leo was next to me, flashing a peace sign, looking utterly smug. And there I was, stone-faced, staring at the camera like a total outsider. “Look, Maya,” Mom said, her voice hopeful. “Now it actually looks like a real home.” I said nothing. I just turned and went back to my room. I was becoming a ghost in my own house. All I did was study Dad’s map. It was a map of the old downtown area, covered in strange symbols he’d drawn over the years. Stars, crescent moons, random strings of numbers and letters. They were our secret code. “Maya, dinner! Stop wasting your time in there with that garbage!” Mom’s voice banged against the door, tight with exasperation. I hid the map under my mattress and walked out. At the table, Robert kept piling food onto Mom’s plate. Leo was buzzing around, bragging about his new school certificate like a fly that wouldn’t go away. “Mom, Liz, the teacher said I have the best imagination in class!” Leo slammed a drawing down on the table, looking proud. It was a crayon drawing of a police officer getting crushed under the foot of a giant monster. The officer’s face had been aggressively crossed out with a thick red marker. My stomach dropped. My vision blurred. “Leo!” Mom’s voice actually cracked with severity. Leo jumped, but immediately pouted. “What? It’s true. He’s just a useless, dead cop.” “Shut up!” I grabbed my glass of milk and threw it directly in his face. Leo froze for two full seconds, stunned by the cold liquid, before exploding into ear-piercing shrieks. “You ruined my drawing! I’m gonna tear up your stupid map!” He screamed, scrambling off his chair and sprinting toward my room like a maniac. My heart nearly stopped. I tried to run after him, but Robert caught me by the arm, his grip bruising. “Maya, how could you do that to your brother!” Through the apartment, I heard the sickening sound of paper tearing. I ripped my arm away from Robert and ran to my room. My map. It was torn in half. I stared at the pieces on the floor. I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t move. “Maya Anne Quinn! Look at what you’ve done! Apologize to Leo right now!” Mom’s angry roar came from behind me. I slowly lifted my head, looking at the three of them standing in the doorway. They looked like a family. And I was just an intruder. “Get out.” “Get the hell out of my room.” 3 After that night, I effectively became the “Invisible Girl” of the house. I used clear tape to carefully piece the map back together, inch by inch. Every symbol felt like Dad was whispering clues directly to me. I couldn’t wait any longer. I had to activate the “treasure map.” The first marker was a star, drawn over the downtown public library. Dad used to take me there every weekend. He told me knowledge was the brightest star in the night sky. I lied to Mom, saying I was going to a friend’s house, and slipped away to the library. I followed his handwritten code: “A13-7.” I found the section, then the aisle. Row 13, shelf 7. It was an old, beaten-up copy of The Complete Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. Our absolute favorite. My heart was banging against my ribs. I opened the book, flipping through the pages, careful not to attract attention. On page 137, I found it. Scrawled in the margin in extremely faint pencil, was a locker number and a combination code. I swallowed a gasp of pure joy. I broke into a run, heading straight for the Greyhound bus terminal in the city center. I stood in front of the locker. I took a deep breath, my hands shaking as I dialed in the code. Click. The metal door swung open. There was no Barbie doll. No secret stash of my favorite candy. Just a small, black metal box. I clutched the box to my chest and ran all the way back to the old apartment. We hadn’t sold it yet, and I still had my key. It was the only safe place I could think of. I locked myself in. The box had a tiny combination lock. The combination was Dad’s badge number. I dialed it in, easy. The lock opened. Inside was a key and a small USB drive. Underneath the drive, there was a sticky note. It was Dad’s handwriting. Fast, messy, energetic. To my little detective: Congratulations on passing Level One. The real game starts now. Remember, Game Rule #1: Trust no one. I clutched the sticky note, and the tears finally came. Dad. I knew it. I knew you were playing a game. I wiped my face and plugged the USB drive into my laptop. It held a single, encrypted file. The password prompt was: “My favorite song.” I didn’t even have to think about it. I typed in “The Downeaster ‘Alexa’” by Billy Joel. It was the song he always sang in the car, full volume. He said being a cop was like being a fisherman on a stormy sea—you had to be brave, or the waves would swallow you whole. The file decrypted. It was an audio file. I put on headphones and clicked play. It wasn’t Dad’s voice. It was a raspy, unfamiliar voice. “…The shipment is in. We do the deal at the old spot.” “Is the situation with Detective Quinn handled?” “Don’t worry. It’s tight. Internal Affairs is ruling it accidental line-of-duty. Nobody is looking closer.” “What about the kid?” “She’s a brat, fifteen. She’s not going to make waves. That map, though… we need to find it before she realizes what it is.” Everything went white. It felt like a bomb had gone off in my head. This wasn’t a game. 4 “Maya, what are you doing in there? Come out and eat dinner!” Mom’s voice banged against the door of the old apartment. I jumped violently, my heart leaping into my throat. I yanked the USB drive out of the port. I ran to the mirror, staring at the ghost staring back at me. My face was completely drained of color. Calm down. Maya Quinn, you have to be calm. Dad always said, The more dangerous the situation, the calmer you have to be. I took a shaky breath, forced my face into a neutral expression, and opened the door. “Coming, Mom.” At the dinner table back at the new house, Robert was playing the loving stepfather, loading food onto my plate. “Maya, honey, you need to eat more. You’re getting too thin.” He gave me that crinkled-eye smile. The same face that, just moments ago on the audio file, had sounded like a raw-throated monster. The raspy voice on the recording… it was distorted, but that unique, patronizing rhythm… it was Robert. It was definitely Robert. “Thanks, Robert.” I lowered my head, staring at the pasta on my plate, pretending to eat. “So, Maya,” Robert said, his voice casual, almost bored. “Your dad used to be into puzzles, right? I heard rumors he might have left you some kind of crazy scavenger hunt or something?” My hand jerked. My fork fell onto the floor, the metal clattering loudly in the sudden silence. Mom frowned, her mouth tight. ” Scavenger hunt? What are you talking about, Robert? It was just a stupid marked-up downtown map that she scribbles on. I told her to throw it away weeks ago.” “Threw it away? Oh, that’s a shame. I love a good puzzle.” I bent down to pick up my fork, my mind racing. He knows. He’s looking for the map. Later that night, I lay awake in bed, staring at the ceiling. The key I found in the metal box… what did it open? The “old spot” mentioned on the audio… where was that? Dad’s note said: Game Rule #1: Trust no one. But what was Rule #2? I sat up, pushing the covers off. I sat at my desk, turned on the small lamp, and unfolded the taped-up map. I stared at it, symbol by symbol. I couldn’t miss a single detail. In the bottom right corner, there was a tiny moon drawn in two different colors. Half was blue, half was red. I’d always assumed Dad had just grabbed the wrong marker when he drew it. But now… I remembered something. I opened my school bag and pulled out my student ID. The school logo on the back was a red and blue half-moon crescent shape. It represented “The moon reflecting on the bay.” Dad had hidden the next clue at my high school! My whole body started to shake with adrenaline. But the high school was massive. Where would I even begin to look? I stared at the map again, my brain working overtime. Next to the moon symbol, there was a string of numbers: “20100901.” September 1st, 2010. That was my birthday. Dad was using my birthday as a code. Birthday… The day the school was built? No. I suddenly remembered a huge assembly we had. Dad had been honored as a distinguished alumnus and had donated a massive collection of books to the school library. They even held a dedication ceremony. Right on the wall of the Alumni Hall of Fame. Under Dad’s photo, there was a small brass plaque. The dedication date carved into the brass was September 1st, 2010! Dad deliberately chose my birthday for the dedication date! The clue was in the Hall of Fame! 5 The next day, I lied again, saying I was going to an after-school study group. I knew the school’s blind spots. I avoided the cameras and slipped into the Hall of Fame. It didn’t take long to find Dad’s photo. He was in his dress blues, looking powerful and resolute. Dad. I’m here. I said it silently to myself. I carefully checked the brass plaque below the photo. It was held by security screws. It looked perfectly normal. I tapped on it with my knuckle. A solid thud. The clue wasn’t on the plaque. Then where? My gaze shifted back to the photo itself. Dad was holding his right hand over his chest. His index and middle fingers were positioned strangely, forming a shape. It wasn’t a peace sign. It looked more like… a number “7.” Seven? What does that mean? I backed up, looking around the entire hall. There were displays of school history everywhere. Trophies, old uniforms, original textbooks… My eyes finally landed on a row of display cases along the side wall. The seventh case. Inside, there were items from ” distinguished past students.” Models, artwork, old newspaper clippings… In the far corner of that case, I saw a small drawing. The signature in the corner: A. Quinn. My dad’s initials! Anthony Quinn. The drawing was of a night sky, but the symbols—stars, moons—they were the exact same style as on my map. In the bottom right corner of the drawing, there was a barely visible comet streaking across the paper. The comet’s tail pointed straight toward the edge of the frame. My heart hammered. I carefully lifted the glass edge of the display—it wasn’t locked. Nobody ever touched this stuff. I picked up the drawing and turned it over. On the back of the cheap frame, someone had used a blade to carve a tiny, deep groove. And inside that groove was a folded-up sticky note. I opened it, my hands trembling. There was just one line of text: Safe deposit box at State St. Bank. The key in your hand is the key to the treasure. The key from the metal box! I quickly put the drawing back and closed the display case. Just as I turned to leave, the heavy doors of the Hall of Fame pushed open. My soul nearly left my body. I dove behind a massive display board. It was Robert. He looked hurried. He walked directly up to Dad’s photo. He mimicked my actions from earlier—he knocked on the plaque, looked at the photo, his brows furrowed in intense confusion. He obviously didn’t understand Dad’s finger signal. He paced around irritably, then pulled out his phone and made a call. “…I haven’t found it yet.” “Yeah, the brat came to school today. I followed her here.” “She’s definitely smart, she knows something.” Whatever the person on the other end said made Robert’s expression turn ugly. “Don’t worry, I’ll get it out of her.” “She’s just a fifteen-year-old kid. You think she can outsmart me?” He hung up, cursed under his breath, and marched out. I leaned back against the display board, cold sweat running down my back. He really was tracking me. This wasn’t a game. It was a race against a murderer. And I had to get to that safe deposit box before he found me. I gripped the key tightly in my pocket. Dad, I got this. I’m not going to let them win. This game… we’re going to be the Hide-and-Seek Champions, together. 6 I couldn’t go home. Not to that house. It wasn’t my home anymore. It was just a prison guarded by a monster. I needed help. Dad’s note in the library had said, “A-13-7,” pointing to page 137 of Sherlock Holmes. I suddenly remembered—there was more scrawled in faint pencil in the margin of that page. Below the locker combo, it had said: “IA. Detective Davies.” Davies. I recognized that name. The night Dad was “killed,” Detective Davies had been the one who handed Mom Dad’s badge. He had patted my head and said, “Maya, your father was a hero. Be strong, okay?” IA. Internal Affairs. Dad was trying to tell me who I could trust. But I didn’t have his number. And I couldn’t use my phone—Robert was definitely tracking it. My only hope was the USB drive. Wait. What if the USB drive was a trap? What if Robert left it for me to find, to lead me to the police, where I’d be forced to hand it over? Game Rule #1: Trust no one. That was the first rule of the game. Could I even trust Detective Davies? I sat on a park bench, the sun setting, casting long shadows across the grass. I was hungry, my stomach growling, but I didn’t have any money. I had to figure this out. I couldn’t make a single mistake. The park lights hummed to life. A city maintenance worker pushed a trash cart past me. She had an old radio clipped to her belt, and a news bulletin was playing. “…Police are issuing an Amber Alert for Maya Quinn, age 15. She was last seen leaving high school yesterday afternoon. Her mother, Liz Miller, is begging for her return…” Mom had called the cops. Or rather, Robert had. It was a tactic to flush me out. I pulled my baseball cap lower and got up to leave. Suddenly, another news story on the radio made me stop dead in my tracks. “…City Police Captain David Rodriguez is holding a press conference today on the ‘Community Policing Initiative’ at the Central Police Station downtown…” Rodriguez! I remembered. IA, and Rodriguez… they worked on the same floor. If I could get to Central Station and find Davies, maybe I could get to Rodriguez too! I didn’t have a car, I didn’t have money for a cab, so I ran. I ran until my lungs burned. Halfway there, a terrifying thought hit me. Even if I meet Detective Davies, how do I prove any of this is real? Robert has contacts in Internal Affairs—that was on the audio! If Davies isn’t who Dad thinks he is, he’ll just hand me right over to Robert… I stopped running, leaning against a lamp post, gasping for air. No. I can’t be reckless. Davies might not believe me. I need something that will make him believe me instantly, something that shows him how dangerous this really is. My eyes fell on the old map in my pocket. Dad always said, The map is the heart of the mystery. On the map, besides the stars and moons, there was one symbol that was different from all the others. A shield. Dad told me a shield represented protection and trust. That symbol was drawn over an old, abandoned warehouse down by the docks. The audio recording had mentioned “the spot.” What if that shield symbol was the key to proving everything? A dangerous plan started to take shape in my mind. I was going to that warehouse. And I was going to find the real evidence.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “395055”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

I was the charity case, the poor student sponsored by the wealthy Sterling family. At twenty-two, I married Carter Sterling because I was pregnant. Carter was a notoriously severe germaphobe. He used separate serving spoons at dinner and refused to kiss me on the lips in bed. He even found it repulsive to drink from a glass I had used. But at a party recently, I watched him intercept a drink for his childhood sweetheart, his “one who got away,” downing the very glass she had just sipped from to save her from drinking too much. In that moment, I knew our marriage was over. 01 Carter stumbled through the front door, leaning heavily against me. He had intercepted far too many drinks for Serena Hayes, and by now, he was barely coherent. Before we left the party, Serena had looked at me, her face the picture of innocent guilt. “I’m so sorry, Ms. Miller. It’s all my fault Carter drank so much.” “It’s just that… I got a little too drunk once and almost kissed another guy. Ever since then, Carter absolutely refuses to let me drink too much.” Her hand had continuously stroked Carter’s chest, smoothing his shirt. She even had the nerve to remind me to make him honey water when we got home. I thought to myself, if it were any other woman, she would have slapped Serena across the face right then and there. But I just calmly took Carter’s weight and said absolutely nothing. It wasn’t that I was a saint who could endure anything; it was just that I knew I had no right to act like a jealous wife. Eventually, I poured Carter a glass of plain water. Even in his drunken stupor, as he took the glass, he instinctively asked: “Whose glass is this?” “Yours.” I replied flatly. Only then did he relax and drink it down. I knew about Carter’s germaphobia from the very beginning. Shortly after we got married, he had a sudden, severe stomach ache and was looking for his medication. In my panic, I grabbed my own water glass, filled it, and handed it to him. When Carter realized what I’d done, he was furious. He threw the glass, shattering it against the wall. “Haven’t I told you I don’t use other people’s glasses?!” That was the first time I had ever seen him so angry. I was terrified, standing off to the side, not daring to make a sound. Seeing my reaction, his tone involuntarily softened: “It’s not you. I just have a habit of not sharing things. Just be careful from now on.” But in that VIP booth tonight, sharing with Serena came so naturally to him. It turned out he didn’t have a habit of not sharing things; he just only shared with Serena. That realization made the tip of my nose sting. It wasn’t that I didn’t know Serena existed. She had just been living overseas for years. And Carter never brought her up on his own. He treated everyone, including me, with polite, detached courtesy. I figured I could live the rest of my life like that. But now, I had seen what he looked like when he actually loved someone. All the grievances I had convinced myself didn’t matter suddenly crashed over me like a tidal wave. They nearly drowned me. I suddenly felt so incredibly tired. Maybe… I didn’t have to endure this anymore. Maybe leaving would be better for both of us. 02 After helping Carter to his room, I went back to my own room to wash up. We normally slept in separate bedrooms. He only came to my room on the first and fifteenth of every month. Under the guise of fulfilling his “marital duties.” But whenever he got drunk, he would throw a childish tantrum, demanding to sleep with me, wrapping his arms around me and refusing to let go. Just like he was doing right now. I have no idea how he even managed to stumble into my room. I had barely laid down when a pair of large arms suddenly clamped around me. By the time I reacted, I was already locked tightly against his chest. He let out a satisfied sigh and fell asleep. In the past, even though I hated the smell of alcohol, I would have convinced myself to just let it go and sleep like this. After all, the debt of gratitude I owed the Sterling family was too massive. But tonight, I didn’t want to endure it. I struggled and wrenched myself out of his grip. Since he liked this bed so much, I’d go sleep in another room. The Sterling mansion had plenty of them, anyway. But as soon as I stepped out, I saw Leo standing in the hallway. He was peering anxiously into the room, clearly worried about Carter. I smiled, crouching down to rub his head: “Leo, why are you still awake? Don’t you have kindergarten tomorrow? Go to bed, sweetie.” But Leo violently slapped my hand away. He glared at me with eyes identical to Carter’s, full of disgust. “Chloe, you have no right to tell me what to do.” That’s right, Chloe. Not Mom. Ever since someone at school called him a bastard child. And he found out I only got to marry into the Sterling family because I got pregnant with him, Leo had hated me. He forgot how I stayed awake night after night sitting by his bed when he was sick. He forgot how he used to curl up in my arms, whining that he loved Mommy the most. Now, his greatest wish was that I wasn’t his mother at all. Watching his small back disappear into his room, I let out a quiet sigh, stood up, and headed to the guest room down the hall. As soon as I closed the door, I called my old boss, Valerie. “Valerie, I’ve made up my mind. I want to go to Paris with you.” 03 Valerie paused for a second on the other end of the line, then her voice pitched up in surprise: “Really? That’s amazing, Chloe! Get your visa sorted this month, and once I wrap things up here, we’ll fly out.” My college major was actually fashion design. I had worked under Valerie for years. Even after getting married, I freelanced, submitting design sketches for her label. Recently, she was preparing to take her core team and jump ship to a major international fashion house. She really wanted me to go with her. At first, I hesitated. For someone who grew up as an orphan, having a family was everything. I didn’t want my child to lose his mother at such a young age. But looking at things now… Leo didn’t want a mother like me anyway. And I finally realized, the definition of family was never about the number of people. Sometimes, you can be your own family. After hanging up, I scrolled through my saved files and opened a PDF. It was the divorce agreement Carter’s mother had drafted for me four years ago. 04 The next morning, the moment I opened the guest room door, I bumped into Carter coming out of my bedroom. He looked exhausted. His eyes silently demanded to know why he had woken up in my bed. I didn’t even hesitate: “You stumbled into my room last night, grabbed me, and wouldn’t let go. I had no choice, so I just gave you the room.” Hearing this, a rare look of embarrassment washed over his face. He coughed softly: “Sorry. It won’t happen again.” I nodded, not looking at him again. I turned and walked downstairs to help the housekeeper with breakfast. Carter stood frozen. In the past, whenever we talked about things like this, my face would always flush with shyness. But today, I was completely nonchalant, even a little impatient. This sudden shift made Carter stand there, staring at my back for a long time. During breakfast, I announced I had errands to run today. I couldn’t drop Leo off at kindergarten, and I wouldn’t have time to deliver Carter’s lunch to the office. They would have to figure it out themselves. “Where are you going?” Father and son spoke almost simultaneously. Two pairs of eyes stared right at me. I was a little surprised they suddenly cared about my whereabouts. “I haven’t been back to the main estate in a while. I’m going to see your mother.” Carter’s brow relaxed, and the corner of his mouth seemed to twitch up slightly: “Wait until I get off work. I’ll go with you.” I shook my head: “No need. I can go by myself.” Carter’s eyes narrowed. He looked up at me again, but didn’t push it. Just as he was heading out the door, he suddenly stopped and said: “I hope you don’t go back there and say anything unpleasant.” I blinked, then let out a knowing smile. So he didn’t want to go with me because he cared; he was afraid I was going to tattle on him. He was really overthinking it. His scandal with Serena was practically plastered all over the tabloids. Why would I need to tattle? Leo stood at the top of the stairs for a long time, watching me. I didn’t know if I was imagining it, but I thought I saw a flicker of anger and hurt in his eyes. Finally, he let out a loud hmph and stomped off with the driver, Mr. Clark. I shook my head, amused. I really must not have slept well last night to be hallucinating. Leo couldn’t wait to get rid of me. Why would he be upset that I wasn’t dropping him off? When I arrived at the main estate and saw Carter’s mother, Eleanor, my first sentence was: “I want a divorce.” 05 I was adopted by the Sterling family from an orphanage. That year, Carter’s father and grandparents all died in a tragic accident. A psychic told Eleanor that adopting an orphan would build good karma and ward off further disaster. Otherwise, she wouldn’t even be able to keep Carter, the sole heir. So, Eleanor picked me. She paid for my living expenses and put me through college. I was always incredibly grateful to them. Until a gala a few years ago. One of Carter’s obsessive admirers managed to slip a date-rape drug into his drink. I just happened to be walking by. And just like that, we spent the night together. Afterward, everyone assumed I was the one who drugged him. They said the Sterling family had raised a backstabbing snake. Carter knew the truth, but he never said a single word in my defense. Then, I found out I was pregnant. Eleanor begged me to keep the baby. At that time, Carter had been broken up with Serena for a year and flat-out refused to get married. Everyone said it was because he couldn’t get over her. Eleanor put all her hopes on me. She promised that as long as I had the child, I could divorce him whenever I wanted. Thinking of everything the Sterling family had done for me, and seeing Eleanor’s tearful pleas… I agreed. After Leo was born, I couldn’t bear to leave him. I comforted myself by thinking that even a loveless marriage was better than freezing and starving like I did when I was a kid. I ultimately overestimated my tolerance for a marriage devoid of affection. Eleanor kept her word. She never made things difficult for me. She didn’t beg me to stay, and she didn’t insult me. She simply called her lawyer and sat down with me to go over the divorce agreement line by line. She acted less like a mother-in-law and more like a mother. I never thought I’d become a multi-millionaire just by getting a divorce. As I was leaving, Eleanor suddenly spoke: “Chloe, thank you.” My eyes welled up with tears. Honestly, Eleanor had always been good to me. Whether it was paying for my upbringing, or intentionally giving Carter and me our space after we got married… She did things most mothers-in-law would never do. 06 When I got home, I received a call from Carter’s secretary. She said Carter refused to eat lunch because I hadn’t delivered it. She was worried his stomach issues would flare up in the afternoon, and asked if I had time to whip something simple up and bring it over. My instinct was to refuse, but then I thought of Eleanor. I hesitated, then agreed. Just as I reached the door to Carter’s office, I heard him talking to a friend inside. “I hear you and Serena have been getting awfully close lately?” Carter’s pen stopped. He looked up at his friend. “Stop reading the tabloids. Keep talking garbage and I don’t mind having your old man drag you back home.” The friend brushed it off: “Oh, save it.” “You’re really keeping secrets from your best friend? If it’s fake, why haven’t you suppressed the trending articles?” “Listen to me. If you can’t get over her, just get a divorce. Marry Serena and finally get your happy ending, wouldn’t that be better?” “No.” Carter rejected the idea instantly this time. He was silent for a moment before continuing: “Serena has her own dreams. I can’t hold her back.” “Chloe… she’s taken really good care of me and Leo these past few years.” His friend laughed: “So you’re treating Chloe like a glorified nanny?” Carter didn’t answer. Hearing this, my heart still stung. So he didn’t want to divorce me just because I took good care of him. And Serena was the woman he actually loved. So he’d rather stay apart, hoping she could achieve her dreams. And what about me? What was I in his eyes? It seems if you want something, you have to fight for it yourself. If you eat scraps for long enough, people will start to think scraps are all you deserve. I didn’t go in. I handed the lunchbox to the janitor cleaning the hallway downstairs. That night at home, Carter and I barely spoke. But when it was time to go to bed, he stood outside my door and refused to leave. “What is it?” I asked him. He pressed his lips together: “Today is the fifteenth.” 07 I suddenly remembered. Today was our designated day to sleep together. On the surface, Carter seemed like a monk with no earthly desires. But in bed, he was always fierce and relentless. He wouldn’t stop until dawn. He claimed he hated kissing, but in the heat of the moment, he was always the one grabbing the back of my head and kissing me like he was starving. He would constantly demand I say his name. If I didn’t, he wouldn’t stop. Since I had already decided to divorce him, I had absolutely no desire to be intimate with him ever again. “Not tonight. It’s my time of the month.” I turned to go into my room, but he suddenly grabbed my wrist. “I remember your cycle. It isn’t now.” I didn’t expect him to be so stubborn. I wrenched my hand out of his grip, annoyed: “It came early, okay?” I didn’t care if he believed me or not. I walked quickly into my room and slammed the door shut. Carter seemed to stand outside my door for a long time before finally walking away. In the middle of the night, I suddenly felt the mattress dip behind me. The next second, a pair of large, burning hands pulled me into a tight embrace. Carter’s familiar voice whispered in my ear: “Just because it’s your time of the month doesn’t mean we can’t sleep in the same bed.” I tried to struggle, but his grip was like iron. Eventually, I was just too exhausted. I gave up and let him hold me. When I woke up the next morning, Carter was already gone. Leo had been taken to kindergarten by Mr. Clark. I decided to head out and get my visa sorted. On the way home, I was debating whether I should tell Carter and Leo about the divorce. After all, this wasn’t just my business. But the moment I walked through the door, I saw the two of them and Serena in the living room, laughing and playing like a perfect, happy family. The second Leo saw me, he threw his arms around Serena and yelled: “Dad and Ms. Hayes came to pick me up from school today! I was so happy! I wish Ms. Hayes could pick me up every day!” He shot me a smug, triumphant look. 08 Serena affectionately stroked his little head. “If you like it, I’ll pick you up whenever I have time.” Carter was sitting on the couch. Seeing me, he offered a brief explanation: “Serena said she wanted to see Leo, so I brought her over.” I nodded, not looking at Leo again, and walked straight up to Carter. “Do you have a minute? I need to speak to you privately.” Carter frowned: “Chloe, are you throwing a tantrum again?” “I know you don’t like Serena, but she is a guest here right now. She deserves your basic respect.” “Whatever you need to say can wait until tonight. Serena said she wanted to eat the sweet and sour ribs you make. Go help the chef prep dinner.” Serena immediately chimed in: “Carter, what are you saying? Ms. Miller isn’t a maid, how could you ask her to do that?” “I don’t do any cooking at my own house.” “It’s fine. She’s not like you. She does this kind of stuff all the time,” Carter said dismissively. “Really? Then I guess we’ll be bothering Ms. Miller tonight.” Serena looked at me, her eyes smiling, full of both smugness and mockery. I took a deep breath. Only now did I realize that the lunches I had painstakingly made and delivered to him… he had given them to Serena. Suddenly, I didn’t want to say anything at all. What was the point? I was truly pathetic. They didn’t care about me at all. “I’m not feeling well. If you want to eat, make it yourselves.” With that, I turned toward the stairs. Suddenly, Carter’s secretary walked in. She was holding several documents for him to sign. She looked extremely hesitant. Finally, she glanced at me and stammered: “There’s… there’s one more document.” “It’s… it’s the divorce agreement… sent over by the Chairman’s office this afternoon.” The moment she said those words, Carter and Leo’s heads snapped toward me. Even Serena’s eyes widened in shock. Scanning the contents of the agreement, the pen in Carter’s hand snapped with a loud crack. The veins on the back of his hand bulged. His tone carried a forced, terrifying calmness. “You want a divorce?”

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On the final day to submit college applications, my childhood sweetheart suddenly changed his top choice to the same university as the prom queen. His friends teased him: “What about your little shadow?” “Didn’t you two promise six years ago to go to MIT together?” My childhood sweetheart seemed to just remember this. He paused, then answered carelessly: “Oh, Maya? It’s fine. She has my account login.” “When she realizes I changed my application, she’ll just change hers to follow me. It’s not like she can live without me anyway.” I stood in silence for a long time. Then I quietly walked away, pretending I hadn’t heard a thing. That day, I never logged back into the application portal to check, and I didn’t change my top choice to follow him. What he didn’t know was… He could cross mountains and seas for the prom queen, but I also had a sky I wanted to fly towards. Even that dream I had desperately tried to achieve through countless days and nights—it was never just for him. 01 Liam’s words froze me in place, making me almost forget to breathe. Working hard together to get into MIT—that was a promise we made back in seventh grade. During the two days the application portal was open, our families even sat down together and spent a long time discussing it before solemnly finalizing our choices. But now, he had suddenly changed his. And he didn’t even say a word to me about it. Inside the private room of the restaurant, his friend asked curiously: “How do you know Maya will log back into your account to check?” “What if she doesn’t even notice…” Liam acted like he had just heard a joke, casually scoffing: “More than just check. I know her too well.” “She’d log in eight hundred times a day to double-check if she could, terrified of putting in the wrong info and ending up in a different major than me.” He sounded a bit exasperated as he said this. “You wouldn’t understand. If you had a little shadow clinging to you every day since childhood that you couldn’t shake off, you’d get it.” A wave of laughter erupted around him. His friends seemed to understand, but one still argued: “Even if she finds out, are you that sure Maya will change her application at the last minute just to follow you?” Liam looked up from the game on his phone, letting out a short, derisive laugh. “Get out of here.” “Maya hasn’t been apart from me for more than a week since the day she was born. If she doesn’t go to college with me, who else is she going to go with?” Another friend couldn’t help but interject: “Liam, not gonna lie, what you did was a bit messed up.” “Couldn’t you have just told her directly that you changed your application?” Liam’s finger paused on his screen, a look of annoyance crossing his face: “I honestly forgot. It’s annoying, and I couldn’t be bothered to explain everything to her.” “If she knew I changed it for Chloe, she’d throw another fit.” “And it’s not like I changed it for no reason. Chloe said she was scared to go to college down South all by herself, and that having a familiar friend there would make her feel safer.” The friends all paused, then sighed in unspoken agreement: “True. Chloe is so gorgeous, and with her family situation… it really makes you want to protect her.” “Unlike your little lapdog, Maya. Always looking like a mess, only caring about studying. Compared to the prom queen, she’s definitely lacking.” “Tsk, tsk. To think you’d give up the aerospace engineering major you loved so much just to play the white knight for her, Liam.” … The joking and gaming sounds continued inside. Outside the door, I felt like I had plunged into an icy cavern. I clenched my fists tight. I wanted so badly to burst through that door, grab Liam, and scream at him. But my feet felt like lead; I couldn’t take a single step. I stood there in silence for who knows how long. In the end, I couldn’t muster the courage. I just turned around wordlessly. And walked away from the restaurant in a daze. 02 It was only when I locked myself in my room that the tears I had been holding back finally broke the dam. In my mind, Liam’s words echoed, word for word. I still couldn’t understand it. How could he change the aerospace major he had loved since he was a kid at the very last minute? We had clearly promised to work hard together for so many years, and we had finally gotten the scores we needed for our dream program. Even a second before I walked toward that private room, I was still foolishly happy that we were going to achieve our dreams together. But I never would have imagined… That the future for the two of us, which I had fought tooth and nail for… He would casually throw it away just because of one sentence from someone else. But even if he was going to change it, why couldn’t he even manage to tell me? Was he really that afraid I would cling to him? If he was so afraid of me clinging to him, then under the starry sky on his eighteenth birthday… That proactive yet careful kiss from him, that heart-pounding moment for both of us—what was that? Was it just a spur-of-the-moment thing when he was tipsy, which I foolishly misinterpreted as something serious? A string in my heart seemed to suddenly snap. Actually, I didn’t have to follow him. Since kindergarten, I had attended the same elementary, middle, and high schools as Liam. Everyone, even Liam himself, assumed I would always be with him and that we would never separate. But no one knew that, aside from relying on him, I had another reason for wanting to go to that university. And it had nothing to do with Liam. Even if he didn’t go, I would go by myself. I closed the laptop I had unconsciously opened earlier. I didn’t want to look at that application portal for another second. And I had absolutely no desire to change my own application for him. He could cross mountains and seas for the prom queen, but I also had a sky I wanted to fly towards. Since we had different paths ahead, there was no need to dwell on the past. 03 Once I thought it through, everything suddenly felt clear. It wasn’t a big deal. My mom was right; people always have to learn to grow up on their own. As for that kiss… I’ll just pretend I got bitten by a stray dog on the street. Just as I splashed cold water on my face and calmed down, Liam sent me a FaceTime request. My brain was still hesitating, but my finger reflexively hit accept. “Maya, why aren’t you here yet? “Everyone is here, we’re just waiting for you to start eating. Why are you getting slower and slower, princess?” After high school graduation, Liam and his close group of friends agreed to take turns hosting a dinner every day to relax. Today it was Liam’s turn to treat. But I didn’t want to go anymore. “I’m not going, you guys eat without…” Before I could finish, I heard a deliberately lowered, whiny voice coming from next to Liam. “Liam, Maya won’t come. Is she unhappy that I came to your little friend group’s dinner?” Before Liam could reply, several male voices nearby rushed to reassure her. “No way! We’re thrilled the prom queen graced us with her presence.” “Maya is just a bit petty. She throws a fit whenever any girl gets too close to Liam. We’re used to it.” A small portion of Chloe’s profile casually appeared in Liam’s camera frame, leaning extremely close to him. She used a breathy voice to explain to him, playing the understanding victim: “Liam, maybe I should just go. I don’t want to make things difficult for you…” Liam’s expression changed instantly. He turned and reached out to grab her: “Chloe, you don’t need to go. “I don’t know what’s wrong with Maya today. If she doesn’t want to come, then she shouldn’t. “We’re not waiting for her anymore. Let’s eat.” After snapping at me coldly, Liam ended the FaceTime call before I could respond. My anger flared, and I immediately blocked Liam’s number. From childhood until now, this was the first time we had fought and I had blocked him. And it was over Chloe again. 04 Ever since Chloe transferred to our school in junior year. I’ve lost count of how many times Liam broke his own rules for her. Maybe boys just like pure, pretty girls like that. During the days when I looked my worst, burying my head in my studies… Chloe seemed to never settle for less. She always woke up early to do her perfect “no-makeup” makeup, always looking so exquisite and beautiful. Because of Chloe, we fought countless times and had countless cold wars. I even thought he liked Chloe and decided to give up on him, intentionally distancing myself from him a few times in silence. But every time, Liam would find me and repeatedly assure me. “What are you imagining? Chloe and I are just normal classmates. I don’t have any other intentions, don’t overthink it. “I just think she has it rough and want to help her out. Her family situation is complicated. The other students praise her looks to her face, but behind her back, they judge her.” I believed Liam’s words. Chloe did have a complicated family, so I didn’t make too much of a fuss about her getting closer and closer to him. Besides, growing up, Liam had never lied to me. He personally said he didn’t like her, so I believed him. But later, without me realizing it, Liam gradually started doing many, many things with her that I didn’t know about. And now. He had even casually changed his college application for Chloe. It made me look even more ridiculous. I thought about a lot of messy things until my thoughts were gathered by a text notification. [Maya, you’ve got some nerve, blocking me? You better be waiting for me when I get home.] (Angry Emoji) Liam used his friend’s phone to text me. I immediately blocked his friend’s number too. I checked the time, quickly got ready, and headed to school. It was the last day for college applications, and our homeroom teacher had called us in for one final meeting with some instructions. Traffic was a bit heavy. By the time I arrived, Liam and Chloe were already in the classroom. Chloe was sitting firmly in the seat next to Liam—my seat. Seeing me approach, she made no move to get up and let me in, her eyes full of smugness. Liam acted like he didn’t notice. His expression was cold, and he deliberately turned his head away to avoid looking at me. He seemed to be waiting for me to lower my head and beg. But I wouldn’t. Perfect. I didn’t want to sit next to Liam anymore anyway. I looked around and sat in an empty seat next to my best friend, Lily. Far, far away from them. “Class, there’s only half a day left for the college applications. Please be cautious and double-check everything carefully. “For those who still haven’t finalized their choices, you can come to me individually for advice.” The teacher gave a few brief instructions and let us have free time. I was listening to Lily share some celebrity gossip when I felt a tap on the top of my head. “Maya, come outside for a second.” I turned my head and met Liam’s eyes. I looked away, not wanting to engage with him. I turned back to continue chatting with Lily. Liam grabbed my shoulders and forcibly turned me to face him. “Maya, what are you throwing a fit about this time? “I’m really tired of this. Every time we fight and give each other the silent treatment like this. We’re about to go to college, isn’t this childish?” Forced to look at him, I snapped back in annoyance: “It is childish, and it’s boring. So stop coming to me and begging.” After staring each other down for a moment, Liam lost his patience. “Whatever, I’m too lazy to argue with someone so petty. “Keep acting if you want, just don’t cry about it alone in your room tonight.” I kept my face cold and refused to look at him. A moment later, I thought he had left. But Liam grabbed my face with both hands again, looked me straight in the eyes, and said seriously: “Today is the last day for applications. Check it over carefully again, don’t make any mistakes…” He wanted to say more, but Chloe suddenly appeared in front of him, holding a laptop. “Liam, I have a little problem with my application here. Could you help me look at it?” Liam nodded. Before leaving, he pinched my cheek like he always used to, and gave me one last reminder. “Why didn’t you bring your laptop? Remember to go to the school computer lab later and check your application one last time. “You can’t be careless with something this important.” 05 I sneered internally. Liam probably thought that since he reminded me, I would definitely go check, and once I found the discrepancy, I would immediately change my choice to NYU to follow him. But he was being awkward about it, refusing to just tell me clearly and directly. And yeah, if he told me directly that he changed his application, he’d have to spend a lot of effort explaining it to a “difficult” person like me. That would be too exhausting. It’s a good thing I had already made up my mind and would never turn back. Glancing at Liam, who was busy helping Chloe with her application, I pulled Lily out of the classroom. I was about to order an Uber home, but Lily saw I was unhappy and insisted on dragging me to a birthday party for one of her sorority sisters. Unable to say no, I had to tag along. After dinner, they dragged me to a newly opened club. It was only when we got there that I realized Liam’s group was having their party here tonight too. Since there were a lot of people who knew each other between the two groups, we naturally ended up hanging out in the same large VIP booth. Liam looked a bit awkward when he saw me. But he didn’t say anything, and he didn’t greet me. I treated him like he was invisible too. When I was heading to the restroom, I overheard Liam and his friend talking around the corner. The friend was advising him. “You should just be straight with her. It’s pretty tough for a young girl like her to go all the way to Boston [MIT] alone.” Liam still didn’t seem to care. “Don’t worry, I specifically reminded her multiple times. “She definitely already changed it. She’s probably just mad at me right now because I didn’t discuss it with her beforehand.” While I was spacing out, the two of them stepped out from around the corner. Seeing me, Liam signaled his friend to go ahead with his eyes, then turned around and cornered me in the hallway. “Maya, we need to talk.” I rolled my eyes at him and turned to leave. I barely took a step before he pulled me back, trapping me in the corner against the wall. The smell of alcohol, slightly tipsy, hit my face. I couldn’t help but turn my head away. After staring at me for a moment, Liam couldn’t hold it in and laughed softly first: “Still mad? I originally wanted to text you to come to the club together this afternoon. But you blocked me, so the message didn’t go through. “And then I was so mad at you in the classroom that I forgot to tell you. “Alright, be good. Stop being mad. I don’t even know what you’re so angry about today. “By the way, you checked your application, right?” I remained expressionless and didn’t want to talk to him. I kept my head down without saying a word. While we were in this standoff and he was about to say something else, Chloe’s voice suddenly echoed behind him. “Liam, Brad is looking for you to do a shot. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, are you guys…” Sometimes I wonder if Chloe installed a tracking device on him. Every time Liam and I talk, she immediately appears. But I didn’t want to chat with them. Taking advantage of Liam turning his head, I ducked out from under his arm. But as I passed Chloe, she grabbed me tight. 06 “I’m really sorry, Maya. I didn’t mean to interrupt you guys. Liam has been in a bad mood all day because you’ve been giving him the cold shoulder. “Can I apologize to you? Please don’t fight over me anymore.” Chloe said, posturing to stand in front of me and bow. I didn’t want to deal with her. Her grip on my hand hurt, so I forcefully shook it off. Chloe stumbled, and tears instantly welled up in her eyes. “Liam, is Maya still mad that I went to your little friend group’s dinner? “I can apologize to her. Please don’t be awkward with each other because of me anymore.” Liam instantly got angry and immediately turned around to block Chloe. “It’s her own princess temper. Why are you apologizing to her? “Maya, why did you push her? You should apologize to Chloe. “We’re all going to be at the same university in the future, we need to look out for each other.” “Since you love taking care of people so much, you guys can take care of each other.” I threw that sentence at them and stormed off. I didn’t care about Liam’s dissatisfied warning from behind. “Maya, you’re crossing the line.” It was a good while before Liam and Chloe came back. Liam’s face was stiff, but Chloe seemed fine, looking all shy and blushing. Except for Lily, everyone else started teasing them about being gone so long and definitely having a secret, using Truth or Dare to deliberately create romantic moments for them. Even Liam’s closest friends joined in on the teasing, not caring at all if I would feel embarrassed or bothered. Makes sense. In their eyes, I was just Liam’s pathetic lapdog. Chloe ended up drawing a dare to do a sexy dance with a guy in the room, and she immediately locked pleading eyes on Liam. Liam subtly glanced at me, as if provoking me, and gladly agreed to cooperate with her. If it had been in the past, I would definitely have jumped out in anger and stopped it. But now, I had no reaction. Chloe had joined the hip-hop dance club at school, and she had a really hot body, so she was great to watch. I quietly downed a can of beer. I calmly watched Chloe, accompanied by a sexy K-pop track, grinding and dancing closely around Liam. Liam had a faint smile playing on his lips. At first, he kept glancing over at me, seemingly waiting for me to call it off at any moment. As Chloe got closer and more intimate, he stopped caring about his surroundings. He sat up straight, his gaze entirely focused on Chloe’s figure. Sparks were practically flying between the two of them. As the song ended, Chloe ‘accidentally’ fell into Liam’s lap. She was wearing a tight pencil skirt tonight, and she fell face-first into Liam’s lap. They hugged tightly, their seating position undeniably intimate. The crowd’s cheers were deafening, almost blowing the roof off. Chloe’s face instantly turned bright red, looking like she wanted to find a place to hide. Liam cursed at everyone, telling them not to take the joke too far. But his hand firmly pressed Chloe’s face into his chest, shielding her from the crowd’s gaze. That kind of natural intimacy and familiarity used to be exclusive to me. Even though I had already decided to give up, actually seeing it still made my heart ache uncontrollably. I couldn’t watch it anymore. I finished the last sip of my drink and silently left the booth. Lily couldn’t take it either. She followed me out and accompanied me as I cursed him out on the sidewalk for a long time. She had held it in all night, almost snapping at them right then and there several times, but I had stopped her. Why ruin the mood? From now on, we were just strangers anyway. I didn’t know how things ended up inside; I just felt exhausted and didn’t care about anything anymore. When I got home, it was exactly 11:55 PM. There were only five minutes left until the college application deadline. I was completely drained. I closed my eyes and lay on my bed. It would be a lie to say I wasn’t disappointed in my heart. Over a decade of feelings, you can’t just let them go. While I was feeling sad, my phone suddenly rang. Unknown number. When I answered, it was a drunk Liam. His tone carried a rare, coaxing quality: “Maya, stop being stubborn, be good. Remember to change your application. “NYU is pretty great too. We can go to the Hamptons on the weekends, I’ll take photos of you by the ocean.” 07 Maybe it was the alcohol, but Liam’s attitude was unusually gentle. In the past, when I threw tantrums, even when he was the first to apologize, it was always with a half-threatening tone— “Maya, stop it. If you keep this up, don’t expect me to take you to Disneyland.” And then I would obediently take the out and forgive him. When you truly like someone, how can you bear to really fall out with them? But this time. The more out of character he was, the worse I felt inside. “Say something, Maya… Maya papaya… how about it? “Haven’t you always been whining about wanting to go on a beach vacation… I heard the new campus is right by the water, you’ll definitely love it. “Honestly, Boston is a bit too far, and the winters are so freezing. You hate the cold so much, you’d definitely cry… Or if you really want to go, I can take you to ski in Vermont during winter break, okay…” Liam rambled on and on, as if trying to convince himself, or maybe trying to convince me. As if changing to go to NYU was all for my sake. I listened in silence for a while, and finally couldn’t help but ask him: “Liam, isn’t there something you need to tell me?” My tone carried a sob that even I hadn’t noticed. I thought, if he could just be honest about his own issues right now, then maybe in the future… we could still be normal friends. If he still chose not to address it clearly now, then really, there was no need to stay in touch anymore. He paused for a few seconds on the other end, then mumbled evasively: “…You already know, what’s there to ask. “You’ve been mad at me all day over this, you’re such a petty princess. “Alright, alright, they’re both good schools anyway. You chose the major you liked, as long as we’re together, it’s the same no matter what college we go to…” Liam went on and on about a lot of things, but he just wouldn’t address the core issue. I couldn’t be bothered to listen anymore. The last chance. Was gone. I didn’t wait for him to finish; I just hung up and turned off my phone. I glanced at the clock. The second hand had just crossed midnight. There was no room for regret anymore. That’s fine. I chose this path myself. We both got what we wanted. I turned off the light, lay flat, and forced myself to sleep. But when I closed my eyes, my mind was full of Liam. Happy, sad, funny, angry—all the different versions of Liam. We grew up together from kids to adults, keeping each other company. Every memory I had held his shadow. I never thought it would end like this. People are always especially fragile late at night. Even though I told myself to be strong during the day, my tears unknowingly soaked my pillowcase. In my haze, I didn’t know when I finally fell asleep. When I woke up, it was already noon the next day. I turned on my phone and found a bunch of missed calls and messages from an unknown number. All from Liam. I ignored them. WeChat was also blowing up. In a group chat with my close girlfriends that Lily had added me to, people were constantly tagging everyone to “spill the tea.”

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The morning after my high school reunion, before I even opened my eyes, my hand brushed against a long, hairy leg. Driven by sheer curiosity, I couldn’t help but reach out and feel it a few more times… The next second—Bang! The door burst open, and a group of guys flooded into the room. Terrified, I immediately snatched my hand back, snapped my eyes open, and hugged the blanket tight against my chest. “Dr. Carter, the Chief of Surgery is looking for you…” The group of men suddenly froze, letting out a collective gasp of shock. Me: ??? What Dr. Carter? I followed their wide-eyed stares and peeked beside me. A man was lying right next to me. He had long, straight, muscular legs completely covered in a wildly masculine amount of hair. And further up… I practically blinded myself. “We… we didn’t mean to intrude!” The group of guys immediately squeezed their eyes shut, scrambling to apologize. I didn’t know these guys, and I certainly didn’t know the man lying next to me. Just as I was panicking, completely at a loss for what to do— The man beside me reached out and gave the blanket a slight tug. He cracked his eyes open just a sliver, shot me a glance, and said in a gravelly, morning voice, “Care to share a little?” It took me a full second to process his words. Then, I released the blanket like it had caught fire. The fabric barely covered his vital areas before he closed his eyes again and drawled lazily at the doorway, “Are you guys still here?” Whoa… I was already terrified of him. I was about to scramble out of bed when he let out a heavy sigh. “I wasn’t talking to you,” he muttered helplessly. At his words, the peanut gallery at the door finally snapped out of their trance. “The Chief is waiting for you at the morning briefing! Hurry down!” one of them yelled before they practically tripped over each other running out of the hotel room. The world suddenly went dead silent. I sat there, clutching the corner of the blanket, shivering like a leaf. 2 “What are you so scared of?” My shivering must have chased away the rest of his sleep. He opened his eyes, gave me a helpless look, but couldn’t keep them open and let them fall shut again. “I… I think… it kinda hurts.” Traumatized and panicking, I started babbling nonsense. The second the words left my mouth, I wanted to slap myself. This time, his eyes snapped open and stayed that way. He stared at me for a few seconds, reached up to massage his temples, and then slung a long arm around me, effortlessly pulling my waist toward him. “It’s your first time. That’s how it is. You’ll be fine in a minute.” He was probably trying to comfort me. But I was absolutely not comforted. Instead, a cold sweat broke out all over my body. Then I looked down and saw a tiny spot of blood on the white hotel sheets… My scalp went numb. He stared at the spot of blood too. He froze for a moment, then reached out, ruffled my hair, and let out a breathless laugh. “I’m sorry. I lost control a bit.” Lost control?! Another wave of cold sweat washed over me. “Who even are you?” I asked, agonizing over my life choices. My question actually made him laugh. “You don’t even know who I am, and you still broke in here and forced yourself on me?” “I… I can’t remember…” I had never dealt with anything like this before. I was covered in goosebumps. “I won’t get pregnant from this, right?” Honestly, I applaud myself. In the midst of all that chaos, I managed to push aside every other question and hit the absolute most critical one. I’m a genius. “…” He opened his eyes and gave me a long look. He looked incredibly exhausted—so weak that if I pushed him, he might just stop breathing. Just how wild was I last night to wear a grown man out like this? I was dying of shame. “No,” he summarized simply. I had zero experience, and I couldn’t remember a single detail of last night, so I didn’t dare ask for specifics. If he said I wouldn’t get pregnant, I believed him. After all, those guys had called him a doctor. Maybe he used protection? I could only hope. “Well then. Goodbye?” To avoid the inevitable awkwardness of him fully waking up, I chose the cowards’ way out: fleeing. “…” He gave me one last look and suddenly smiled. “Alright.” 3 I honestly thought I would never see him again in my life. Yet, exactly two weeks later, I was sitting outside his department, clutching a pregnancy test in my pocket, shivering like a leaf. “Hey, Mrs. Carter!” A young guy in scrubs bounded over to me. I jumped out of my skin, nearly having a heart attack. “Are you waiting for Dr. Carter?” He was grinning, acting like we were old friends. In reality, our only interaction had been that hurried, mortifying morning in the hotel room. The morning I wanted to scrub from my brain forever. Two weeks ago, I attended my high school reunion, drank way too much, and stumbled into the wrong hotel room. I only found out later that Dr. Carter and a bunch of surgeons from the hospital were attending a medical conference at that exact hotel. Coincidentally, his room was right next to mine. He had been sick with a fever, and his colleague had forgotten to make sure the door clicked shut when leaving. And I just… stumbled right in. Then his colleagues came to get him for a meeting the next morning… And the rest is history. “Uh, yeah,” I brushed him off, my entire face burning up. “Come wait in the break room with me.” Before I could protest, he dragged me inside. As we walked past Dr. Carter in the hallway, he glanced at me with an expression that said he had absolutely no idea who I was. To be fair, I barely recognized him either. I had never seen him out of bed and fully dressed in a crisp white coat before. I waited anxiously for two hours. From the nameplate on his desk, I learned his name was Liam Carter. Attending Cardiologist. I sneakily Googled his credentials on my phone and discovered he was already… 29 years old? I silently calculated the massive generational gap between us. A while later, Liam finally came into the room to change his coat. He gave me a suspicious look. “Are you waiting for Ben?” Me: ??? “Dr. Carter, I’m waiting for you.” I stood up, gripping my purse tight, my voice as small as a mosquito’s. “You are?” Me: ??? Does he seriously not recognize people once he’s out of bed? “Two weeks ago. At the hotel. We…” I braced myself and tried to explain, losing confidence with every word. Finally, I just pulled the pregnancy test out of my purse and timidly held it out to him. “I think… I’m pregnant…” “Dr. Carter, it’s time for lunch.” Right at that moment, a beautiful female doctor pushed the door open. I panicked and tried to hide the test, but it slipped from my fingers and fell right into the trash can next to the desk. I stared at the trash can, terrified he hadn’t gotten a good look at it, debating whether I should fish it out. “…” Liam didn’t say a word. He just stared at me, a highly amused look crossing his face. “Is this a patient?” The female doctor clearly had no intention of leaving, turning her scrutinizing gaze on me. I opened my mouth, but the awkwardness was suffocating. “Just taking care of something. You guys go ahead,” he said, making zero effort to introduce me. I felt like a thief caught red-handed. The female doctor looked reluctant to leave. Before stepping out, she deliberately tugged on his sleeve, a subtle display of ownership. He has a girlfriend. I felt like I had just been struck by lightning. 4 He acted as if absolutely nothing out of the ordinary had happened. He sat down at his desk, started filling out patient charts, and casually joked, “Feeling better?” Wow. My heart started racing. “I’m fine,” I replied automatically. He shot me an airy glance and smiled again. “Want me to take responsibility?” I honestly admired him. How could he calmly write charts at a time like this, treating me like I was just here for a routine checkup? “I just don’t know what to do.” I had never expected him to take responsibility; I was just completely lost facing this result and wanted a medical opinion. I tested the waters, “I can get an abortion, right?” On the outside, I was holding it together, but my palms were dripping with sweat. He kept writing his charts, acting like I was talking about something that had nothing to do with him. What a jerk. His absolute calm was driving me insane. “It’s up to you.” He suddenly looked up, his gaze locking straight onto mine, completely devoid of emotion. “If you decide you don’t want it, then you don’t want it.” “Okay.” Could I really do it? Given the circumstances… “Scared?” His tone held a hint of teasing mockery. “Yeah.” I was at a loss for words. “Now you know how to be scared…” He gave me a look I couldn’t quite decipher, flipped to a new page in his charts, and laughed. “You certainly weren’t acting like this that night.” Me: ??? Thinking back to how half-dead he looked that morning, I really, really wanted to know what exactly I did to him that night. But his words made it sound like this was 100% my fault. I was getting annoyed. “It wasn’t entirely my fault either,” I muttered, so quietly I could barely hear myself. He stopped writing. He raised an eyebrow at me, and a sudden smile broke through his stern face. “I was running a 103-degree fever that night. Do you really think I had the energy to fight you off?” Well… He had me boxed into a corner. I thought to myself: If you didn’t have the energy to fight me off, how did you have the energy to wear me out like that? A jerk is a jerk. The fact that he could talk about something this shameful so casually proved he was way too experienced at handling these situations. I couldn’t play his game. “If you’ve thought it through…” He went quiet, finished his chart, and sighed as he looked up. “Let’s do it next week.” “Next week?” “I don’t have an opening in my schedule until next week,” he explained. “Okay.” Adults have to pay the price for their actions. I didn’t argue, but my heart was a tangled mess of anxiety. 5 A week later, I found myself sitting in his office again. My resolve to go through with the surgery had cracked. It started because my mom had invited me over for dinner that week. My stepdad, my little stepbrother, my mom—it was a loud, warm, bustling family dinner. When I returned to my tiny, empty apartment, I looked around and thought of the cozy scene I had just left. I sighed, feeling a crushing, unprecedented wave of loneliness. My parents divorced when I was very young. I lived with my mom, but since middle school, I had been sent to boarding schools. My mom had met my stepdad when I was in junior high and started a new family. She was happy. I should have been happy for her. But coming back to my empty apartment, I felt exhausted down to my bones. Suddenly, I wanted to keep this baby. I was just so lonely. I knew Liam would never agree. No guy in his right mind would. Especially since he probably had a girlfriend. So even as I sat in his office, I was agonizing over whether to go through with it. “Hey, Mrs. Carter, looking for Dr. Carter again?” It was Ben, the guy from before. “Yeah.” I sat there, stiff and uncomfortable. “Please don’t call me that!” I reminded him quietly. “Don’t be shy!” Ben leaned in close, checking to make sure the coast was clear before lowering his voice. “We used to place bets on who would eventually tame the ice-cold Dr. Carter… I never expected it would be you. We seriously bow down to you.” “Huh?” I was completely lost. I whispered back, “You’re misunderstanding… He and I aren’t…” Finally, I gave up trying to explain and just threw out, “Doesn’t he have a girlfriend? Don’t start rumors.” “Who?” Ben suddenly looked deadly serious. “How do I not know about this?” “…” I was stunned. Liam didn’t have a girlfriend? Had I misunderstood? “Are you saying Dr. Carter is sneaking around behind your back with another woman?” “?” I didn’t know how to explain that I was the “other woman.” “Do you have too much free time on your hands?” A voice floated down from above us. A tall figure appeared right in front of us. Liam! I shot up from my chair, feeling the exact same embarrassment as getting caught talking in class by a teacher. “I…” I tried to say something. Ben got so scared he immediately pretended to study a medical chart and bolted out the door. “I wasn’t talking to you.” Once Ben was gone, Liam’s tone softened. He ruffled my hair, gestured for me to sit back down, and took a seat behind his desk. I felt so awkward. Why did he always touch my hair? Didn’t he know that gesture was way too intimate and totally embarrassing? “Why are you always so scared of me?” He gave me a curious look. “Do I look that terrifying?” I sat down nervously. “No, it’s just that you’re older… you seem like…” “Like what?” He suddenly looked highly entertained. “Like an elder,” I answered honestly. “An elder?” He let out a sharp laugh of disbelief. “How old are you?” “I turn 22 next month.” His laugh made me feel totally inadequate. When a usually stern guy suddenly laughs, it’s lethal. Especially when he has a face that belongs on a billboard. “That is a little young.” He dropped the smile, lost in thought for a second. “Wait here a minute.” He stood up and went into the attached locker room to change his scrubs. Those few minutes were pure torture. I kept debating how I should bring it up. Because Ben had said Liam didn’t have a girlfriend, my resolve was shaking even more. I was almost 22. I had never been in a relationship. And Liam—whether it was his looks, the way he carried himself, his career… he checked every single box I had ever imagined for a partner. Except for the fact that he was a bit of a jerk, of course. I thought to myself: Maybe I could actually date him. Finally, I gathered my courage, stood up, walked to the locker room door, and gave it a soft knock. “Dr. Carter, I have a question for you.” I clenched my fists. I didn’t have the guts to say this to his face, so talking through the door was much easier. He didn’t answer. I hesitated, but pushed forward. “Do you have a girlfriend? If you don’t, could we maybe give this a try? I want to keep the baby.” That single sentence drained every ounce of energy in my body. I stood at the door, awaiting his final judgment. Then the door swung open. But instead of his judgment, I was greeted by the booming judgment of a cell phone on speaker… “Keep it! Of course you’re going to keep it! If you dare touch a hair on her head, I will disown you! You bring my granddaughter-in-law home to me safe and sound!” Liam leaned casually against the doorframe, handing the phone right to my face while he continued buttoning his shirt. The sheer volume of the voice on the other end was enough to prove just how furious the man was. “Who is this?” I took the blazing-hot phone, my heart about to beat out of my chest. “My grandpa.” He massaged his temples and gave a helpless smile. “Ah… Granddaughter-in-law, is that you? Don’t you worry, when that brat Liam gets home, I’ll break his legs! If he dares to bully you… you have to keep the baby…” Liam’s grandpa went on a massive tangent over the phone. I was so mortified I wanted to curl up and die. All I could do was nod continuously and say, “Yes, sir.” Meanwhile, Liam listened to the whole thing with an attitude that screamed “not my problem,” casually sitting back at his desk to write more charts. Was he even human? I was dying inside. 6 By the time the call ended, my brain was buzzing. I walked over, handed the phone back, and couldn’t even look him in the eye. “You really know how to cause trouble…” He looked at me and let out a heavy sigh. “I didn’t know you were on the phone.” I looked incredibly apologetic. “Anyway, don’t listen to him.” He stood up and gave his final conclusion. “Dr. Carter, what I asked earlier… did you hear me?” I cut straight to the chase. “My grandpa heard you, what do you think?” he countered. “Oh.” I waited for his actual answer. “Take some more time to think about it.” I took that as a flat-out rejection. I stood frozen in place, my hands and feet turning to ice. “Why?” I honestly applaud myself for having the sheer audacity to ask that question in a moment like this. “…” He paused, letting out another sigh. “You’re too young, and you’re too innocent. I’m not exactly a good guy.” He shot me another look and muttered, “Way too young.” For a second, I didn’t know if he meant my age or… something else. Regardless, my face flushed crimson. I don’t even know how I managed to walk out of that office. But the only thing repeating on a loop in my head was his final sentence— “The best way to fix a mistake is to cut your losses immediately, not use another mistake to cover up the first one.” I told him I was holding off on the surgery for today, and fled the hospital like my life depended on it. 7 Two days later. Just as I had completely given up hope on the whole situation, I was suddenly contacted by Liam’s family. And by family, I mean his grandpa, grandma, maternal grandparents, mom, dad, uncles, aunts… In a single day, I received so many phone calls I was on the verge of a mental breakdown. Basically, they all had one central message: The baby must be kept, and they would handle Liam. As for how they were going to handle him? I figured no one on earth could withstand that kind of coordinated artillery fire from an entire extended family. Sure enough, the very next day, Liam showed up at the door of my apartment. “What are you doing here?” I was shocked to see him when I opened the door. He was leaning against the wall outside my apartment, a cigarette between his fingers, looking deathly pale. The floor around him was littered with cigarette butts. “Fixing your little mess.” He reached out, ruffled my hair, gently nudged me out of the way, and walked straight into my apartment. “I’m sorry. I have no idea how your grandpa got my number.” It was obvious he was incredibly annoyed by this whole ordeal. “…” He stubbed out his cigarette, ignoring my apology. He slouched down onto the corner of my sofa and offered a tired smile. “I pulled an overnight shift. I’m dead on my feet. Can I borrow this spot to sleep for two hours?” “Ah, yeah, of course.” I quickly moved the throw pillows off the couch so he’d have room to lie down. No wonder he looked so utterly exhausted. Once he laid down, I realized that compared to his height, my couch was practically miniature. He looked totally cramped sleeping like that; it couldn’t be comfortable. Yet, he fell asleep the exact second his eyes closed. He said he needed to sleep for two hours and asked me to wake him up. But when the time came, his face was still buried deep in the cushions, and he looked so drained I honestly didn’t have the heart to wake him. Even though I didn’t wake him, he snapped awake exactly on the hour. He checked the mechanical watch on his wrist. “8:30. They’re open.” With that, he sat up, suddenly looking sharp and wide awake again. “What’s open?” I asked. Truthfully, those two hours had been nerve-wracking. I had no idea what he was doing here. Since he rejected me last time, I hadn’t wanted to see him again. It was too awkward. “Do you have your birth certificate and ID?” He looked me dead in the eye. “No.” My heart skipped a beat. “They’re at my mom’s.” “…” He stared at me for a long moment, then laughed and sighed. “Looks like we’re taking a trip.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “395076”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

I always thought that choosing him as my first love meant I’d never have any regrets, even if we eventually broke up. So, I chased after Felix Vance with everything I had. Eventually, I won him over. He agreed to date me, but with three strict rules: We only date, we never marry, and the day we graduate college, we break up. I happily agreed. We were together for three years, living out the absolute pinnacle of a college romance. But on graduation day, when I initiated the breakup… He backed out. I was shocked and horrified. “Didn’t we have a deal? We break up at graduation!” I remember clearly how that conversation ended. We crashed and burned. Felix, a man who had always kept his head held high in arrogant pride, lowered it. He gave a self-deprecating laugh. “Harper Quinn, you better pray our paths never cross again.” From that day on, I avoided him like the plague. But unfortunately, God loves a good joke. The world is too small, and eventually, people are bound to run into each other again. 01 Felix and I tacitly adhered to an unspoken rule throughout our relationship. We were strictly a campus couple. The moment we stepped off campus—like during holidays or breaks—we went our separate ways and zero contact was made. During those days of silence, he was the famous heir of the Vance empire in New York City, and I was just nobody Harper Quinn from Columbus, Ohio. We didn’t text, we didn’t call, and we didn’t ask about each other’s whereabouts. It was as if we were both entirely single. I always thought this weird, niche relationship dynamic would last right up until our graduation breakup. However, the summer after our sophomore year was unusually long—a full eighty days. Before leaving campus, Felix asked me, “Will you miss me?” I hugged him and pouted playfully. “Mhm. I’ll miss you so, so much.” He pulled me into his chest, kissed the top of my head, and didn’t say anything stupid like, “Call me if you miss me.” I always appreciated that rational, pragmatic side of Felix. He came from a powerful, elite family. His future wife would undoubtedly be chosen from the same high-society circles. We both knew perfectly well that we had no future together. The reason he dated me was probably just to experience a pure, uncomplicated college romance. And I just happened to fit his exact taste in girlfriends. On campus, Felix was my boyfriend. Off campus, when he became the untouchable Mr. Vance, he didn’t want my existence interfering with his real life. I respected his boundaries, played along perfectly, and never once crossed the line. At the time, I never expected that Felix would be the one to break his own rules. That summer break was too long. He text me saying he was heading back to campus early—a full month ahead of our agreed-upon return date. I was surprised when I got the message. I teased him, “Why are you going back so early? Did you miss me?” He didn’t reply to that message. But after that, whenever there was a long break, Felix would ask, “Want to go on a trip together?” Most of the time, I happily agreed. We visited many cities together. We watched the stars in the desert and the sunset on tropical islands. Whenever I was admiring the scenery, I was usually very focused, so I’d always get startled by Felix suddenly kissing me out of nowhere. He loved cupping my face and kissing me from a dominant, downward angle. It was a very aggressive posture. When it came to physical intimacy, Felix liked to take control; he liked me to be the one forced to endure it. However, every time we reached the critical moment, I would kill the mood and tell him to stop. Felix’s eyes would be dark with lust, his Adam’s apple bobbing with suppressed need. He wouldn’t argue. He would just raise an eyebrow and ask, “What’s wrong?” My answer was always the same: “I don’t want to.” Even when desire was clawing at him and he was covered in a thin layer of sweat, as long as I said stop, he would always control himself. He would go into the bathroom, take a freezing cold shower, come back out, hold me, and just sleep. As my rejections piled up, Felix seemed to catch on to what I was thinking. Whenever things started to get too heated, he didn’t even wait for me to say no. He would consciously get up and go take a cold shower. There was only one exception. That day, he saw a text message from a guy friend pop up on my phone. He asked, “Who is this?” I didn’t hide it from him. “He’s a friend from back home in Ohio.” He didn’t say anything else at the time. But that night, his attitude became forceful. I pushed him away. He pinned my wrists above my head against the headboard and kept going. I dodged his kisses, emphasizing, “Felix, I don’t want to!” “Why don’t you want to?” he demanded. “Is it because of that ‘friend’ from Ohio?” He was normally such a proud, composed guy, but when he got jealous, he was as unreasonable and impossible to soothe as a rabid dog. I never explicitly spelled it out, but Felix probably knew the truth. The reason I didn’t want to take that final step with him was because I knew he wouldn’t be the man standing beside me in the end. I didn’t want the bond between us to become too deep. Felix was a gentleman. He understood my boundaries and never forced me to do anything against my will. It was just that, every time we got intimately tangled up after that, it felt like he was competing with an invisible rival, dragging the tension out to agonizing lengths. 02 The spring semester of our senior year arrived. The day we had agreed to break up was rapidly approaching. The thought of ending the relationship made me feel a genuine pang of reluctance. To spare myself future pain, I started mentally preparing for the separation early, practicing detachment. For our trip that year, Felix planned a trip to the UK. On our second day in Kent, while I was still jet-lagged and half-asleep, a group of people burst into my hotel room. I was forcibly wrestled into a wedding dress, given flawless bridal makeup, and ushered out of the hotel and into a waiting horse-drawn carriage. I have no idea when Felix managed to arrange all of this. He and I held a wedding ceremony at Canterbury Cathedral, officiated personally by a priest. There were no guests. Just him and me. It was an unacknowledged, secret wedding. It wasn’t until the moment we exchanged rings that I finally understood why he had inexplicably demanded a ring from me for his birthday that year. It turned out it was only so that, in this very moment of exchanging vows, I would actually have a ring to give him. It was a legally invalid wedding. We both knew that perfectly well. But that night, as Felix, breathing heavily, started to pull away to take his customary cold shower, I grabbed him. I pulled him down onto the bed and kissed him fiercely. His entire body shuddered. His voice cracked as he gasped, “Harper Quinn.” I playfully scolded, “It’s our wedding night, Felix. Don’t be such a buzzkill.” Whatever. I thought to myself, I don’t care where his future takes him. For today, and today only, I, Harper Quinn, am Felix Vance’s bride. I allowed myself this one indulgence. Just this once. But I thought it would be just once. It ended up being many, many times. Some boundaries, once crossed, leave you with no solid ground to stand on. You just keep breaking them, retreating step by step until you surrender completely. Felix and I both lost control. The brakes completely failed. I told myself, Just treat it as a final, reckless indulgence before the countdown ends. Leave some crazy memories behind. At least I made the most of my time with Felix Vance. I wasn’t sure exactly when Felix was going to initiate the breakup. After all, our original agreement was just: date, don’t marry, break up at graduation. It didn’t specify an exact date. I lived in a state of agonizing suspense for a while, but he never brought it up. My flight back to Ohio was already booked. I couldn’t drag it out any longer. Felix and I needed a formal goodbye. I proactively asked him out to a quiet restaurant near campus and initiated the breakup. I had imagined how Felix would react. I figured he would maintain his usual style—accept it with breezy indifference, and then, like a perfect gentleman, say a polite goodbye. I never expected that he would look at me quietly and say, “No.” My brain didn’t process it fast enough. I stared at him blankly. “What do you mean, ‘no’?” He stared deeply into my eyes. “Harper Quinn, I don’t want to break up.” 03 My mind suddenly dissolved into chaos. Felix was absolutely not the type to go back on his word. He always honored his promises; his word was gold. So, I had been firmly convinced that our breakup was set in stone. I never, in my wildest dreams, expected him to back out. When did he change his mind? I hadn’t noticed a single clue. Panic started to set in. Because I had genuinely never considered continuing a future with Felix. Breaking up at graduation—to me, that agreement was a win-win scenario. Felix’s last-minute change of heart caught me completely off guard. I couldn’t speak. I could only stare at him in stunned disbelief. My reaction was probably drastically different from what he had anticipated. A rare note of urgency bled into his voice. “I know what you’re worried about.” “Harper, give me five years.” “In five years, I promise, the Vance family will never interfere with my marriage.” “When that time comes, we’ll hold a new wedding. We’ll invite all our friends and family to witness it. We’ll get the official, legally binding marriage certificate from City Hall, and we’ll proudly announce to the world that we belong only to each other.” “Harper,” he asked me, “What do you say?” Faced with his earnest, desperate plea, I felt incredibly guilty. My eyes darted around the room, avoiding his gaze. I braced myself and stammered out, “Didn’t… didn’t we have an agreement? We break up at graduation.” Felix was visibly stunned. He asked, almost unconsciously, “What?” Things had escalated to this point. If I didn’t make myself crystal clear, it would only lead to more misunderstandings. I took a deep breath and said bluntly, “I want to break up.” Felix’s gaze snapped to mine like a physical weapon, sharp enough to cause actual pain. He rested his arms casually on the dining table, staring straight at me, his entire body radiating a terrifying, suffocating aura. “Why?” That single word carried a faint trace of deadness. It felt like, rather than seeking an answer to his confusion, he wanted to hear the brutal truth straight from my mouth. I had never felt this kind of oppressive pressure from Felix before. Adopting a ‘rip the band-aid off’ mentality, I spilled every single thought I had been holding back. “Because we don’t match.” “I don’t have grand ambitions. I just want to eat well, sleep well, and live a comfortable, easy life.” “I don’t want to be bullied and scrutinized because of a massive class divide.” “And I definitely don’t want to exhaust myself trying to navigate complex, high-society family politics.” “Once I marry you, all of that is inevitable.” “So, the truth is, I never actually planned on continuing this relationship with you in the future.” By the end of my speech, my voice had dropped to a whisper. I suddenly realized that, compared to Felix, I was actually the cruel one. He had been meticulously plotting out our future, while I had been carefully calculating my own gains and losses. It was as if… on our shared battlefield, he was determined to fight to the death for us. While I had packed my bags and prepared my escape route ages ago. And I had absolutely no intention of looking back. “I’ve made myself clear,” I said, scrambling to my feet. Like a coward fleeing the scene, I hastily threw out one last sentence: “I’m leaving. Take care of yourself.” I turned around. My arm was grabbed. His grip was like iron, stubbornly refusing to let go. My heart pounding with panic, I looked back. Felix remained seated at the table, looking up at me. A man so incredibly proud, yet right now he looked like he had been left out in the freezing rain, radiating a bone-chilling cold. He asked, “If you never intended to have a future with me, why did you give yourself to me?” My breath hitched. I ripped my arm out of his grasp and faked a breezy tone. “Wow, I can’t believe you actually care about that? I really don’t care that much.” He looked like he had been stung. The light in his eyes shattered and wavered. Then, he twitched the corner of his mouth, letting out a self-deprecating laugh. He let go of me and slowly stood up from his chair. His towering frame instantly engulfed me in shadow. He stood perfectly straight, refusing to bend, only lowering his eyelids to look down at me. “Harper Quinn, you better pray our paths never cross again. Because if they do, I don’t know what I might do to you.” My face remained blank, but my palms were drenched in sweat. I felt a pang of regret. I never should have provoked him. That day, I fled the restaurant like a complete mess, running back to Ohio without ever looking back. From then on, even when traveling, I deliberately avoided New York City. I thought I would never see Felix Vance again in this lifetime. But in the end, human plans are no match for fate… 04 My cousin married into a wealthy family and invited me to her wedding. The wedding was in New York City. When I saw the location, I flat-out declined the invitation. However, when the groom’s family was vetting the guest list for the bride’s side, they circled only one name—mine—deeming me the only one “qualified” to make an appearance. In other words, the bride’s own parents weren’t even allowed to attend their daughter’s wedding. My cousin’s mother, my aunt, came to my house personally to beg me. She pleaded with me to act as the sole representative of the bride’s family, to “hold up appearances” for my cousin. I was forced to accept this absurd mission. We were put up in a luxury hotel. My cousin was to be married out of the hotel the next day. The night before the wedding, a young girl added my cousin on social media and sent her over a dozen intimate photos of herself with the groom-to-be, along with a video clip. At a mansion thirty miles outside the city, a “Final Bachelor Party” was in full swing. Men and women, scantily clad and easy on the eyes, were partying hard. In the video, the seductive young girl was sweetly making out with the groom. My cousin calmly locked her phone screen, called me and the other six bridesmaids over, and said, “Let’s go. We’re going to a party.” I never expected to see Felix again. New York City was massive, after all. I thought, What are the chances? It had been four years, and the very first time I set foot in New York, I would bump right into him? But God really loves a good joke. My cousin went there to establish dominance. Without a moment of hesitation, she slapped the young girl across the face. The girl, furious and refusing to back down, tried to look to the groom for backup. She quickly realized he was just standing there, grinning, with zero intention of stepping in. The groom’s name was Nathan Thorne. What the girl didn’t know was that my cousin and Nathan had set three ground rules before getting married. No matter how much Nathan screwed around outside, my cousin had to turn a blind eye. The only exception was if his side pieces dared to provoke her to her face. If she disciplined them, Nathan was not allowed to interfere. The girl had severely miscalculated her importance in Nathan’s heart. My cousin grabbed her by the hair and literally threw her out the door. Nathan acted like nothing had happened. He casually closed the door, happily wrapped his arm around my cousin’s waist, and told her, “Don’t cause a scene. Since you’re here, come say hi to Felix.” My cousin had just finished a brawl. Her collar was torn open, her hair a tangled mess. She calmly smoothed herself out and said, “Alright. Let me freshen up, I’ll be right there.” Nathan left her and headed over first. Over in that area sat a table of people. Handsome men and beautiful women, all incredibly polished. I couldn’t tell if they were playing a board game or just chatting. Overall, compared to the raucous noise by the pool, that area seemed quiet. My cousin glanced in that direction, then sneakily gathered the bridesmaids close, whispering conspiratorially, “See that table? Aside from the guy sitting dead center, the rest of them are pretty decent targets.” Curious, I looked over at the guy sitting in the center. With one glance, I froze. It took me a long time to pull my gaze away. I saw him. He didn’t see me. It was Felix Vance. The Felix Vance who was four years older than my memory of him. He had shed the raw youth of his college days. His features were deeper, more composed, and he radiated an aura of overwhelming, distinguished elegance. Among the bridesmaids, the most strikingly beautiful girl immediately felt a pang of indignation when her eyes landed on him. She asked my cousin, “Why not him?” My cousin tugged on the girl’s arm, her tone unusually serious and stern. “Him? We can’t reach that high. Don’t even harbor delusional fantasies, unless you want to bring disaster upon yourself.” The girl’s name was Chloe. She had a haughty personality, but hearing this, she gave a quiet “Oh,” seemingly taking the advice to heart. 05 I used my lack of social skills as an excuse to avoid going over to say hello. “Are you crazy?” My cousin grabbed me and dragged me forward. “With your looks, you need to be meeting more elite bachelors!” She acted like a thug. Terrified of making a scene, I hastily compromised. I followed behind her, trying to remain invisible as we approached the table. My cousin called Felix “Mr. Vance,” greeting him with perfect, respectful etiquette. Felix was, as always, the picture of a perfect gentleman. Though… it wasn’t exactly the same. There was a heavy sense of detachment about him now. It made people feel like he was easygoing, but in reality, incredibly unapproachable. My cousin smiled radiantly. “If I had known you were here, Mr. Vance, I would have brought my girls over to hang out much earlier.” Chloe flawlessly caught the cue. She greeted Felix with poised confidence, following my cousin’s lead. “Hello, Mr. Vance~” Felix lifted his eyes and gave her a passing glance. His smile was razor-thin. A young man sitting nearby chimed in to smooth things over. “Not many people get to call him that so casually, sweetheart. You better stick with calling him Mr. Vance like the rest of us.” Chloe playfully stuck her tongue out and gracefully apologized, “My apologies, Mr. Vance.” I silently praised her high emotional intelligence in my head. She effortlessly diffused the awkwardness, but then my cousin suddenly spoke up: “Mr. Vance, this is my cousin, Harper Quinn.” As she spoke, she stepped to the side, fully exposing me hiding behind her. The space in front of me suddenly cleared, and several pairs of eyes landed on me. The gaze shooting straight at me from the front was exceptionally sharp. Almost the instant he looked over, I felt a suffocating, aggressive pressure wash over me. Knowing I couldn’t hide, I slowly raised my eyes and looked back, meeting that familiar yet strangely foreign face. I clenched my fists, forcing a calm demeanor, and smiled. “Hello, Mr. Vance~” Felix’s lips pressed into a tight, strained line. He stared at me, not saying a single word. His entire demeanor became terrifyingly cold and severe. The atmosphere wasn’t terrible, actually. We were both just hiding it very well. No one noticed that anything was wrong between us. My cousin continued introducing her other friends. The bridesmaids were actively trying to blend into the table’s conversation. Felix’s friends were quite friendly, giving my cousin face, and the vibe remained lively. Until Felix suddenly called out, “Harper Quinn.” He called my name out of nowhere. His voice wasn’t loud. But it instantly silenced the entire area. My heart gave a violent, uncontrollable jolt, and I instinctively looked at him. He sat on the sofa, leaning his head back to look up at me. His face was devoid of any emotion. From his throat, he slowly spat out four words. He said, “Long time no see.” Then, there was a pin-drop silence. It felt like seconds ticked by before my cousin, shocked, found her voice. “Harper, you and Mr. Vance… you know each other?” The question was finally laid bare in front of me in public. I was speechless. I meticulously filtered through my thoughts before giving an answer: “We went to the same college.” Felix hadn’t taken his eyes off me. Hearing my response, his body visibly stiffened. He stood up from the sofa and walked slowly toward me, step by step. He didn’t move fast, but he carried a heavy, suffocating aura, like a dark thundercloud crackling with lightning. He stopped right in front of me and asked, his voice dripping with self-mockery: “So, I don’t even qualify as an ex-boyfriend?”

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I was trembling so hard I could barely hold my phone. [This streamer’s breathing doesn’t sound faked at all.] [What is he eating? It sounds so real.] [Wow, this is a new kind of ASMR. Those whimpers are so sweet.] [Did the streamer fall asleep? Why’d it go quiet?] When I woke up the next day, I was the biggest gossip topic in the entire school. 1 I’m a broke college student. Because I literally couldn’t afford my tuition, I had to turn to doing ASMR streams. Even though I have a nice voice. The “clean,” regular ASMR streams are way too competitive; nobody was watching. So, taking advantage of the times my dorm was empty… I started trying to transition from just ear-cleaning sounds to ear-licking sounds. At first, I was pretty embarrassed. My movements were very amateurish. But watching the viewer count tick up. My eyes lit up. Gathering my courage, I started doing mouth sounds, breathing ASMR, and kissing sounds. Only to unexpectedly get pelted by the guy in the top bunk. “You’re being loud as hell. Get out.” He only threw a pillow down, so it didn’t hurt, but it scared the crap out of me. Liam Vance is a rich kid with a terrible temper who constantly bullied me. There was this one time he grabbed me by the collar and pinned me against the door, threatening me. Just because I got our laundry mixed up and ruined one of his expensive designer shirts. I offered to buy him a new one, but he refused, complaining that my apology wasn’t sincere enough. In the end, he pressed his knee into me, grinding against me until my eyes went red. “Looking this soft, let me kiss you once and I’ll let you off.” I thought he was joking. I kept my head down and didn’t react. But Liam took that as a yes. “Mmph… stop, it hurts…” Like a feral puppy, he liked to bite. Liam looked like he hadn’t had enough. He clearly had an expression like he wanted to eat me alive, yet his words were venomous. “Tastes terrible. Stay away from me.” I was left completely flustered by his words. But I remembered I couldn’t afford to cross him, so I quietly kept my distance. 2 Watching the viewer count rise, I didn’t want to miss the opportunity. I dove under my covers and pulled them over my head. I kept my voice as low as possible so Liam wouldn’t hear me. [Is the streamer a college student? The IP address is super close to me.] I clicked on that comment. Looking at the similar location. I guessed they were probably from my university. So I gave a soft “Mhm.” It was really stuffy under the covers. My response, coupled with slightly hurried breathing, caused the viewer count to instantly double. [Is the streamer doing ASMR in a dorm room?] The space under the blanket was tiny. The audio quality for the stream was surprisingly good. I kept my voice low, carefully replying to the chat. Hearing Liam shift in the bunk above me, I swallowed nervously. [Can the streamer do more mouth sounds? They sound so good.] I replied softly, feeling a bit embarrassed. “What do you want to hear, baby? Send a small gift to request something.” This kind of script… I learned it all from those other streamers. Even though I wasn’t showing my face, I felt my cheeks burning up. My living and learning environment has always been very sheltered. I am the complete opposite of Liam’s frivolous personality. This was the first time I had ever said such an intimate term of endearment out loud. Because I was a new streamer, I barely got any gifts for requests. But this new fan was incredibly generous. They dropped a sports car gift right away. My heart raced, and I swallowed nervously. A row of emojis floated across the screen. Having only transitioned a few days ago, I was still very clumsy with my routine. Occasionally I’d bite my own tongue and let out an involuntary whimper of pain. [Sounds so good, so good.] [User xx shared the stream.] [User xx shared the stream.] I didn’t know who shared the stream link. But the viewer count multiplied instantly. In my month of doing ASMR, I had never seen this many people. I was so excited my palms were sweating. My voice got a little louder when replying to the chat. The top bunk groaned in annoyance. The whole bed frame shook. I pulled the covers even tighter around myself. When I felt like Liam had quieted down, I gathered the courage to continue. But after a few more routines, the chat started getting more and more out of hand. [Streamer, if you know how to pant, pant a few more times.] I gripped the edge of my blanket. That wasn’t on my list of routines. I didn’t even know how to intentionally make sounds that would make people misunderstand. [Can you do kissing sounds?] Kissing sounds x6 Kissing sounds were the easiest, and they weren’t loud, so they wouldn’t wake Liam. I brought the mic close, held my breath, and after making a few kissing sounds, the top donator sent a bunch more gifts. [Streamer, can you do kissing sounds plus ear licking? That would feel amazing.] My budget was extremely limited; I couldn’t afford specialized equipment. So I had always used a lollipop as a substitute. I unwrapped the candy, cleared my throat, and continued the routine. The candy I bought today was a bit too sweet. After licking it a few extra times, my throat felt coated and uncomfortable. There was no air under the blanket, and the stuffiness brought tears to my eyes. I had to breathe through my mouth to relieve the discomfort of lacking oxygen. [The streamer is so good at panting.] [What is the streamer eating? It sounds so sticky and wet.] “It’s a lollipop.” I explained briefly. When I finished the lollipop, I bit down and crunched it to make some chewing sounds. In less than half an hour, I had made enough for today’s living expenses. My family doesn’t send me any money, so I’ve been living on a very tight budget. It was finals week, so I didn’t have time to go out and work a part-time job. Plus, it had been freezing lately. I caught a bad fever and had to go to the clinic for IV drips a few times, leaving me with very little money. I’ve been eating nothing but plain bagels for a straight week. With traffic this good, I wished I could stream right through till morning. Originally, this was supposed to be a clean, mouth-sound ASMR stream, but the chat was getting more and more inappropriate. [Can the streamer call me baby a few more times?] [So sultry, sounds so good.] My face was red, but I tried my best to satisfy the requests. [Call me daddy, sports car x1] My heart skipped a beat. It was the top donator again. This request was a bit much. But… that was a sports car! It was enough to buy a warm sweater. “D… Daddy…” [Sounds so good, so good.] With that opening the floodgates, a lot of weird requests started popping up in the chat. [Can you kiss and call me daddy at the same time?] Before I could even finish all the requests. The bed curtain was violently yanked open with a loud rip. 3 [Streamer, I just managed to fall asleep and you scared the crap out of me.] People in the chat started complaining. Before I had a chance to explain, the blanket was also ripped away. I looked up in a panic and met a pair of intensely predatory eyes. It was Liam. I mouthed the words. “Wh… what are you doing?” I had no idea when he woke up. In the cramped space. He knelt with one leg on the edge of the bed. His hand, veins popping, suddenly grabbed my jaw, and without a word of explanation, he leaned down and kissed me. “Mmph… mm…” [What is the streamer eating now? Is it still a lollipop?] [What kind of prop are they using? It sounds like they’re sucking on a tongue.] My palms were sweating profusely. I tried to push Liam away with one hand. He worked out constantly; he was incredibly strong. I couldn’t budge him. I panicked and tried to press my phone screen, my hand slipping several times. Every time I tried to turn my head to look, he would force my face back and continue taking from me. [Are they actually…] [Tsk tsk, what’s with the wet sounds? Streamer, explain yourself (doge emoji)] The chat was rolling furiously. There was a mix of alcohol on his breath. Liam had actually been drinking. No wonder he was acting so weird. I couldn’t breathe properly from lack of oxygen and let out a few whimpers. I hoped this would wake Liam up and bring him to his senses. Instead, he seemed to go crazier, pressing his entire weight down on me. His eyes were hazy, but his hands were already expertly wandering. [Did I just hear a belt unbuckling?] [Roleplay?… interesting, hitting the follow button.] Watching the chat, I wanted to explain but was powerless. Liam only gave me a moment to catch my breath before burying his face in my neck, speaking through gritted teeth. “Who are you calling daddy? Doing bad things secretly under the covers, huh?” I shook my head, whimpering “Mmph, mmph.” But it only earned me worse liberties being taken. Liam was out of his mind. He had no idea I was streaming. [Is there someone else there? Is this a voice acting stream?] [Is the streamer doing two voices at once?] I pushed Liam’s head down and hurriedly checked the chat. Thank god, the chat just thought it was roleplay. Just as I opened my mouth to say I was ending the stream. I didn’t realize that Liam, who I had pushed down, seemed to have misunderstood something. His actions became even stranger. So, the moment I opened my mouth, the hums and whines changed pitch. It stimulated Liam so much his eyes turned red. “To make me serve someone, you’re the first.” “Nolan, did you ever think about the consequences of seducing me?” [What a cheesy line hahaha] [But how does the streamer switch between top and bottom so flawlessly?] [Nolan… that name sounds familiar.] My mind was a chaotic mess. I stared blankly down at Liam. Growing up, this was the first time I’d ever experienced anything like this. My sanity completely snapped. “Don’t look at me like that.” Liam’s voice tightened. “Looking so sltty, makes me want to… fck you to death.” What seduction? What was Liam even talking about? I just assumed he had the wrong person. After all, rumors said Liam had a lot of partners. He was a certified playboy. Besides going to class, I was always busy with part-time jobs trying to make money. I could count the number of times I’d spoken to him on one hand. But if he had the wrong person, why was he calling my name? Realizing things were spiraling out of control. I didn’t even want to do an outro; I just went to end the stream. But the moment I raised my phone. He grabbed my wrist again, forcefully pinning my arms to my sides, our fingers interlaced. “Mmph, mmph, mm (Psycho!)” [This streamer’s breathing doesn’t sound faked at all.] [What is he eating? It sounds so real. This time it definitely can’t be a lollipop, right?] [Why does the person above keep asking? If you’re hungry, go watch a mukbang.] [Wow, this is a new kind of ASMR. Those whimpers are so sweet.] [Isn’t the streamer afraid his roommates will murder him doing this?] My fingers trembled so much I couldn’t hold onto my phone. I could only silently beg him, mouthing the words. “Liam, let me… let me end the stream…” I don’t know if he heard me or not. His movements only grew more vicious, entirely focused on his own release. I couldn’t handle it. My vision went black, and I cried until I passed out. 4 When I woke up the next day. My first instinct was to reach for my phone. But the sensation next to me scared me half to death. Liam was actually still holding me. I didn’t know if our other roommates had come back yet. If they saw us like this, they would definitely get the wrong idea. Right, the stream! I grabbed my phone, my heart pounding. But my phone had long since died and shut off. If the stream hadn’t been ended… Then didn’t all the noise from last night get broadcasted live? I wanted to die right then and there. Ignoring my aching lower back and heavy arms, I plugged it in and turned it on, burning with anxiety. I accidentally woke Liam up. He had a terrible morning temper, and it was no small thing. He grabbed me and yanked me back into his arms, even throwing a leg over me. I had no choice but to push him. “Liam… wake up.” Liam couldn’t even open his eyes, frowning in annoyance. “Nolan, I told you not to bother me when I’m sleeping. I’ll beat the crap out of you, believe it or not!” After he said that, he finally seemed to realize something was wrong. He slowly opened his eyes and met my gaze. The air was silent for a long time. He swallowed hard. I had to speak first. “Liam, last night, you had the wrong person.” He seemed to want to verify something. His hand moved under the covers. “What are… ugh… what are you doing? It hurts.” He hadn’t been gentle with me. I was completely drained of energy, and I still had to endure his “inspection.” “Holy shit… Nolan, did I…” My face went pale, and I didn’t dare meet his eyes. Liam practically scrambled out of the bottom bunk. I was afraid things would be too awkward between us. Seeing how panicked he was, I forced a smile. “It’s fine… I know you definitely mistook me for whoever you’re dating.” “Huh? Yeah, yeah…” He nodded randomly, who knows if he even processed what I said. “Then… I… I’m sorry. I didn’t make you too uncomfortable, did I?” “No.” Liar. I just wanted to quickly turn the page and forget the memories of last night. After all, we still had to live in the same dorm. We’d see each other every day. If I held onto something like this, I’d be the only one suffering. It’s just a shame that the money I made last night would probably all go towards a hospital visit. Holding my lower back, I thought to myself that with Liam’s build, it was a waste he wasn’t a sports major. Watching the phone boot up, I shivered as I got dressed, getting ready for my morning class. I remembered my phone battery was pretty low last night. I just hoped that before those embarrassing sounds started, it had already died and ended the stream. My account had gained a massive amount of followers overnight. My DMs were blowing up. I looked at the little red notification dots suspiciously. Just as I was about to click on them. My movement was interrupted by another roommate who had just finished washing up and walked in. “Well well, Nolan. When did you and Liam get so close?” “Yeah, weren’t you two at each other’s throats before? The RA even had to talk to us to help mediate between you two.” I was a bit confused. “We’re close?” “You slept in the same bed! If that’s not close, what is?” My heart thumped wildly. But looking at the two of them, their expressions seemed normal. It seemed like they were just casually teasing. After all, this kind of joking around is pretty common in college dorms. I let out a sigh of relief. It seems when they came back, Liam was already done. “Liam… he was drunk yesterday, I…” I was trying to think of an excuse to make up. But my roommate was very understanding. “Hey, I get it. With that rich boy temper of his, he’s even worse when he’s drunk. He was probably just too lazy to climb up to his top bunk and stole your bed instead.” I nodded quickly. When I turned around, Liam’s face was completely dark. He grabbed a few textbooks and walked right past me without even a glance. But this was for the best. We could just pretend it never happened, and I wouldn’t be under so much pressure. 5 In the past, I would always save a seat for Liam for our morning classes. Today I woke up late, it hurt to walk, and I was almost late. When I walked into the classroom, the seats were mostly full. I don’t know if it was just my imagination playing tricks on me. But I felt like the whole class was giving me weird looks. I sat in the very back row. Liam arrived even later than I did. Seeing no seat next to me, he irritably sat a few rows away and put his head down on the desk to sleep. I was practically invisible in this class. No one ever paid attention to me. But today, while taking notes, I could feel malicious stares lingering on me. I tried to scoot over to the side. But suddenly, I felt a strange touch on my knee. “Hey… what… what are you doing…” I jumped, looking at the unfamiliar face next to me. I only vaguely remembered his name was Jason. He was sizing me up with amusement, making me extremely uncomfortable. “Nolan, how come I never noticed you were this pretty before?” He rested his face on his hand, his gaze moving downward, his hand getting more and more inappropriate. This feeling made me involuntarily recall what Liam did last night. My whole body trembled, and my tone turned icy. “Hey, we’re in class. Stop doing weird stuff.” Jason let out a low chuckle from his throat. “Weird? Weren’t you calling someone daddy just last night?” My eyes widened. “You… you’re…” I couldn’t get the words “top donator” out of my mouth. I didn’t know how he figured out my identity. Even though I used a sound card for my stream, and my voice was intentionally altered. He couldn’t have recognized it. Even if the location was close, with so many people in the school, how could he possibly guess it was me? Could it be… that Liam called out my name? I felt my vision go dark. “Nolan, I heard you’re broke. You really need money?” His breath was right in my face, intentionally blowing on me. “Come hang out with me. However much you want, I’ll give it to you. How about it?” “Don’t… don’t say things like that.” I was so humiliated my eyes went red. My body was stiff, my fingers clenched tight. “Stop acting.” Jason’s tone was sleazy. “You were screaming so enthusiastically yesterday. Everyone knows what you want.” “Or what, are you afraid I can’t afford you?” “Everyone…?” “Uh-huh.” Jason gave a mocking laugh. A terrible premonition rose in my chest. “Nolan, I shared your stream to the class group chat.” “You…” No wonder so many people suddenly flooded in yesterday. I panicked instantly. If it was just a normal stream. Even if my classmates found out, it wouldn’t be a big deal. But last night, when Liam was tormenting me. How much did they actually hear? My whole body went cold, my face pale as a ghost. A few classmates sitting nearby heard what he said. They kept looking over and snickering. I couldn’t stand the atmosphere anymore. Before the lecture even finished, I hurriedly rushed out of the classroom. 6 After getting my meds from the hospital. By the time I got back, I was so hungry I was dizzy. Remembering today was my birthday. I dragged my weak feet to the dining hall, wanting to eat something good. During class, after hearing what Jason said. I hadn’t dared to open my DMs. The thought of receiving so much filthy abuse made my eyes sting. But wanting to withdraw the money I earned, I had to open the account. I tried my best to calm down. While waiting in line at the dining hall, I clicked on the first DM. Inside was a blurred-out photo of a certain body part. Even though it was blurry, one look was enough to know what this person meant. I was terrified and frantically exited the app. Before I could even calm down, someone shoved past me again. At first, I thought they were just cutting in line. I didn’t want conflict, so I quietly stepped aside. But then I realized something was wrong. Groups of two or three people kept walking past me, deliberately bumping into me. One guy was pretty big; he bumped me so hard I stumbled and crashed into someone else’s chest. I looked up and heard a teasing voice. “Well well, isn’t it Nolan?” “You… you know me?” The guy looked down, intentionally getting very close to me, his fingers lightly brushing the hair by my ear. “What are you doing… it tickles.” I tried to swat his hand away, but he grabbed it firmly. “Just like your voice, soft enough to squeeze water out of.” That was the same sentence Liam had said to me. But Liam’s tone was full of mockery, meant to anger me. After all, describing a guy like that isn’t exactly a compliment. But the guy in front of me had an oily, sleazy tone that made my skin crawl. First Jason. Now this guy. What is wrong with everyone? I tried to break free, but he used the crowded dining hall as an excuse to deliberately wrap his arm around my waist. “Let go of me… creep…” “Be good. With me around, no one else will dare cut in front of you.” I struggled, but because I had starved for too long, I had no strength. “Stop moving. The more you move, the more excited I get.” His heavy breathing was right by my ear. His hand was already sliding down my jacket toward my stomach. In near panic, I struggled with all my might to break free. The people in line behind us were pushing forward. The guy glared at me in annoyance. He seemed unwilling to let go, but didn’t dare to go too far in broad daylight. He could only watch helplessly as I ran away. I went to the very back of the line again. Looking at the beef noodle soup stall that still had a long wait, I swallowed hard, then quietly walked away, heading to a quiet food stall. “A side of greens, and… two chicken legs.” If I couldn’t have beef noodle soup, chicken legs seemed pretty good too. The chicken legs here were huge; usually, one was enough. But I hadn’t eaten anything good for half a month, and I was craving meat so badly. I extravagantly ordered two. In my eyes, there was only the glistening, oily food. “And… a little extra rice, please.” “You look so skinny, young man, can you really eat all that?” The lunch lady serving the food joked with me. I felt a bit embarrassed but answered seriously. “Today is my birthday. I wanted to treat myself to some chicken legs.” When she handed me my lunch box, she added a braised egg. With a beaming smile and a thick accent, she wished me a happy birthday. Tears welled up in my eyes as I thanked her, carefully holding my lunch box. Because I didn’t know how many people had watched that stream last night. I was afraid someone else would come looking for trouble. I kept my head down the whole way, found a secluded corner, and buried my head in my food. After eating half a bowl of rice, I still couldn’t bear to touch the chicken legs. Just as I picked one up to eat, a figure forcefully squeezed into the narrow seat next to me.

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My boss’s girlfriend decided I was her arch-nemesis. During a company dinner, she walked right up to me in front of everyone. “I hear you’re the queen of kissing the boss’s ass,” she sneered. “Tell you what. Bark like a dog for me, right now, and I’ll give you a hundred bucks.” The room went dead silent. I just smiled, raised my glass, and addressed the table. “Here’s to Liam! May the company be prosperous, may his health be prosperous, and may his future be prosperous. Cheers to prosperity, prosperity, prosperity!” I turned back to her, my smile widening. “That’s six cheers for prosperity. Since you went with the dog theme, I’ll take that cash via Venmo.” The team burst out laughing. Even Liam had a slight smirk on his face. Only the girlfriend’s face instantly dropped. 1 “Unbelievable. A true salesperson. Always on script,” Hailey said, her smile not reaching her cold eyes as she dragged out the words. “No wonder Liam is always bragging about how many deals you close. You really know how to work a man. Not like me—I’m just too simple to think of such… creative toasts.” The atmosphere turned awkward again. Anyone with a brain could hear the venom dripping from her tone. Yet my boss, Liam Hayes, seemed completely oblivious. He just gave her nose a playful, adoring pinch. “Babe, you don’t need to worry about that corporate speak,” he cooed. “Just stay right here by my side and let me take care of you.” “But…” Hailey lowered her gaze, her voice suddenly trembling, on the verge of tears. “People online always say bosses are so easily seduced by the female employees close to them. Liam, you promoted Sarah to VP so fast… I… I just feel so insecure.” As she spoke, she actually managed to squeeze out two tears, giving me a pathetic, resentful look. “And… she was so disrespectful just now. I just wanted to do something funny with the dog thing, but she used that ‘prosperity’ joke to mock me. She completely disregarded me.” I almost laughed out loud. She publicly insulted me, asking me to bark like an animal, and somehow I was in the wrong? I knew better than to engage with a woman like this. Trying to prove my innocence would be a waste of breath. I put down my glass and looked directly at Liam. “Liam, your girlfriend has gone in a huge circle, moving from questioning my professional ability to attacking my character. Is this all just… some elaborate excuse to bail on the six hundred dollars she owes me?” “Pfft—” In the corner, a coworker couldn’t hold it in. A mouthful of wine almost sprayed out. Hailey’s face instantly turned bright red, like a cat whose tail had been stomped on. “Liam, see! She’s always targeting me! Just because I’m your girlfriend and she’s not, she’s miserable. She tries to humiliate me every chance she gets!” Liam immediately went into damage control, holding her and shushing her, then glared at me with a frown. “Sarah!” His voice was stern. “Hailey is young. She says what she thinks; she doesn’t mean any harm. You’re a veteran in this company. Couldn’t you have just spoken to her nicely? Did you have to make her look bad?” He impatiently pulled out his phone. “It’s just six hundred bucks, right? I’ll cover it for her.” He quickly processed the transfer. Hailey tried to stop him but failed, a flash of annoyance and stinginess washing over her face. My phone vibrated right on cue. The screen lit up: [Venmo: You received $600.00 from Liam Hayes.] Six hundred dollars for a single sentence to calm her down? What a deal. I raised my glass to Hailey, locking in a perfect, professional smile, my voice airy and cheerful. “Don’t worry, Hailey. I keep my business and personal life strictly separate. When I’m on the clock, I’m only looking for one thing: money. After all…” I paused, letting the smile hit my eyes. “…sleeping with the boss sounds like it would really slow down my earning potential.” A few colleagues couldn’t hold back their laughter anymore. Hailey froze in Liam’s arms, her face turning a ghastly shade of white, then red. The look she gave me said she wanted to skin me alive right then and there. 2 Hailey painting a target on my back wasn’t a new development. She was a micro-influencer with a tiny, dwindling following. Ever since she hooked up with Liam, she had acted like she owned the place. In the office, any female employee who dared to speak more than a few words to Liam received Hailey’s signature “death stare.” And I was her prime suspect. Simply because I was the Chief Revenue Officer and reported directly to Liam. And because I had been with the company since day one, building it up alongside him. That history of shared struggle was, in Hailey’s eyes, a massive thorn in her side. That’s why she pushed me to bark like a dog in front of everyone. It was the most primal, crude way to assert her dominance as his woman. I had assumed tonight’s drama ended there. I was wrong. As we broke up to leave, a single sentence from Liam put me right back in the line of fire. “Sarah, the client just emailed about the new pitch. There are a few major issues, and it’s urgent.” He glanced at his phone. “Get in. I’m heading in your direction; I’ll drop you off and we can talk on the way.” The words had barely left his mouth. Hailey, standing beside him, instantly went pale. She clutched Liam’s sleeve, her voice trembling slightly. “Liam, you… you even know where she lives? How far has this…” “Where is your head going?” Liam immediately softened his voice, frantically trying to soothe her. “We shared a car after a business meeting last time and the driver dropped her off first. That’s how I know. Hailey, this is strictly business.” Hailey bit her lip, putting on a show of a deeply wronged woman forcing herself to trust him. She nodded “forgivingly.” I felt my temples throbbing. I wanted absolutely no part of this mess. “Liam, I’ll just call an Uber. We can talk about work tomorrow at the office.” “No, the client is pushing hard. We need to get a head start tonight.” I had no choice but to follow them to the parking garage. As we reached the car, Act Two began. Hailey rushed forward like an Olympic sprinter to claim the front passenger seat, sitting down like she was occupying a throne. Then, she shot a victorious smirk at me through the window. “Sorry, Sarah,” she said, her voice dripping with fake innocence. “This is Liam’s ‘designated girlfriend seat.’ I can’t let you have it. You know how some women are… always trying to steal the front seat, thinking sitting here actually means something.” She paused, sighing dramatically to emphasize her point. “Honestly, what’s the point? Trying to squeeze into a position that isn’t yours… it’s just so desperate and sad, isn’t it?” Looking at her playing the oblivious “mean girl” act, my annoyance finally settled into cold clarity. It seemed she hadn’t learned her lesson at dinner. I pulled open the back door, my voice flat and deadpan. “You’re overthinking it, Hailey. I actually hate riding shotgun.” I sat down in the seat directly behind the driver, waiting a beat before I added: “You probably don’t know this, Hailey, but functionally, the front passenger seat is known as the ‘suicide seat’ in car accidents. It has the highest fatality rate. In a crisis, a driver’s instinct is to jerk the wheel to the left to protect themselves, exposing the passenger to the impact.” I looked up, meeting her gaze in the rearview mirror as her face instantly locked up in horror. I gave her a tiny smile. “So, I prefer this spot. The safest. Even if we crash, I have the highest survival rate. Unlike the front seat…啧. Quickest to die.” Hailey’s face went dead white. Instinctively, she fumbled frantically for her seatbelt, her movements panicked and clumsy. “Sarah!” Liam snapped, starting the car, his tone accusatory. “What is wrong with you? Hailey scares easily. Stop trying to freak her out.” He started cooing at his terrified little rabbit again. I leaned back against the seat, closing my eyes to rest. I listened to their nauseating sweet-talk until I couldn’t take it anymore. “Liam, are we talking business or not?” I asked coldly. “If you two are going to keep making out, just drop me at my place. I’ll handle it over email, assuming Hailey doesn’t decide that’s ‘evidence’ of something untoward.” That statement was like a bucket of ice water, putting an instant stop to their cuddling. Hailey was silent for a few seconds. Then, she suddenly turned around, forcing a broad, “gracious” smile. “Sarah, don’t be mad. Earlier… I was probably just too sensitive. I misunderstood you.” She pulled out her phone and held it out to me, her eyes commanding rather than requesting. “To avoid any misunderstandings in the future, we should exchange contact info. In case… you have an ‘urgent business matter’ with Liam after hours, you can just contact me first. I can pass the message along. That way, everyone is comfortable.” I almost laughed at the sheer absurdity. I have an urgent work issue, and instead of contacting my boss, I have to go through his clueless, micro-influencer girlfriend? I looked at Liam in sheer disbelief, expecting him to say something sensible. Instead, he patted Hailey’s hand approvingly, nodding with a smile. “That’s a great idea. Hailey just wants to understand my work more, to feel more secure. Sarah, just add her. I want my girlfriend and my top CRO to get along.” In that moment, a wave of cold disappointment washed over me. To appease his little girlfriend, he was willing to make a mockery of professionalism. Under his watchful eye, I suppressed my disgust and scanned Hailey’s QR code. The friend request went through. A nickname popped up on my screen: [Hailey ❤️’s Liam] Her profile picture was a shot of them passionately kissing. Before I could even process the annoyance of that, my phone vibrated with a ding. Hailey had sent her first message. [Designated Girlfriend seat: Sarah, if anything happens with Liam’s work in the future, remember to tell me first! ~ [Cute Emoji]] 3 That night, I worked on the client pitch until the early hours of the morning. Yet, at six a.m. sharp, my phone began vibrating like crazy. I slid the screen open. A long string of unread messages, all from [Hailey ❤️’s Liam]. [Sarah, are you awake?] [I hear Liam is going to see Mr. Vance today. Are you going too?] [Is Mr. Vance a man or a woman? How old are they?] [Since you claim you and Liam are strictly professional, you better tell me if you see any women trying to hit on him! I’m trusting you as a sister!] [Also, remember to remind Liam to say ‘I love you’ to me at least twenty times today! If he doesn’t hit his quota, I’m going to be very unhappy!] My head was pounding. I threw the phone to the side, reclaiming some peace. I figured not replying would be statement enough. I was wrong. Ten minutes later, my phone began ringing with a relentless call. Caller ID: [Hailey ❤️’s Liam]. I took a deep breath, eventually picking it up. I had to force the tension out of my voice. “Hailey, it is six-ten in the morning. Is there some kind of national emergency?” “You finally picked up!” Her voice was angrier than mine. “Why didn’t you reply to my messages? Do you have a guilty conscience?” “I was sleeping.” Every word I spoke felt like it was being squeezed through my teeth. “Sleeping?” She sounded like I had just told her a fairy tale. Her voice spiked. “You might be able to sleep, but I can’t! Every time Liam goes to see a client, I worry myself to death. You have to keep an eye on him for me!” “Hailey,” my voice went cold. “You are an adult. If you want to talk to your boyfriend, contact him yourself. I am not your assistant, and I am certainly not your spy.” With that, I hung up. The world was quiet again, but my sleep was gone. I got up, showered, and re-checked all the materials for the Vance meeting. At nine a.m., Liam and I arrived at Mr. Vance’s company. As we stepped into the conference room, my phone vibrated. [Hailey ❤️’s Liam: Sarah, did you see Mr. Vance yet? Snap a picture for me! ~] I glanced at it and ignored it. Messages came flooding in: [Are you ignoring me because of last night?] [I know you’re mad I doubted you, but it’s just because I love Liam so much.] [If you don’t have something to hide, you should help me.] [Think about it, if I start a fight with Liam and it affects his work, the company loses money. Can you take responsibility for that?!] I couldn’t handle the psychotic logic. I quickly typed four words: “In a meeting. busy.” I put the phone on silent and shoved it into the deepest pocket of my briefcase. 4 Mr. Vance was an industry veteran, known for being strict and efficient. Over years of working with him, I had learned exactly how he operated. Off the clock, I had put in a lot of effort with his wife and daughter, too. From limited-edition scarves to concert tickets. When the relationship is solid, the business follows naturally. So, the negotiation, while intense, was going smoothly. As expected, after discussing a few key points, Mr. Vance suggested a short break so his team could do a final internal review. That was the signal. We were about to close. I relaxed my tense shoulders, grabbed my bag, and headed for the restroom. Locking myself in a stall, I pulled out my phone to check for work messages. The moment the screen lit up, my stomach dropped. Over ninety-nine unread messages. Forty-seven missed calls. All from Hailey. Before I could even process the deluge, a video call request slammed onto the screen. Hailey. Again. I instinctively declined it. Within a second, another request popped up, carrying a frantic “I will not stop until you answer” energy. I took a deep breath and accepted the call. On the screen, Hailey’s perfectly made-up face was distorted with rage. “Sarah! You dared to decline my call! You have a guilty conscience!” She was practically screaming, her eyes scanning like radar over me and the background behind me. When she realized the background was the standard white tile of a public restroom, her eyes went wide. “You… you’re in a bathroom?!” Her voice spiked to a shriek, pure fury and disbelief radiating from the screen. “You bitch! You shameless whore! You actually seduced Liam… right there in a public bathroom…” “Are you insane?” I was bewildered. “We are at Mr. Vance’s company for a negotiation. We’re on a break. I came out to use the restroom. Liam is still in the conference room!” She ignored me. “I don’t believe you! You’re lying! Turn the camera around! Let me see!” This was absurd. I had had enough. I hung up and immediately blocked her. The face in the mirror looked exhausted. I splashed cold water on it, forcing myself to compose my expression, and walked back to the conference room. The second half of the negotiation was much more relaxed. Mr. Vance didn’t haggle much more on the profit sharing. He smiled at Liam. “Liam, to be honest, a lot of companies wanted this project, and some offered better terms. But in business, I trust people. Working with you over the last few years has been seamless. Especially with Sarah. She’s professional, reliable, and addresses any issue immediately. That kind of dedication is rare.” This was high praise in the business world. Liam beamed. Just as we were about to shake hands on the final deal and send it to the legal teams—the conference room door burst open. Mr. Vance’s secretary looked panicked. “Mr. Vance, Mr. Hayes, there is a Ms. Hailey Thorne outside claiming to be your ‘Chief Brand Officer,’ insisting she should be in this meeting. We couldn’t stop her…” Before she finished, Hailey barged in. Her eyes were red, her face streaked with tears, the picture of a profoundly wronged woman. 5 “Hailey? What are you doing here?!” Liam dropped his pen, standing up instantly. Hailey didn’t answer immediately. Instead, she scanned the room like a hostile radar—taking in the fifty-something Mr. Vance, the table full of serious documents, and the presentation slides still projected on the screen. Every sign pointed to this being exactly what I said: a serious business meeting. The manic look on her face vanished in an instant, replaced by a trembling lip and a fragile, pathetic expression. “Liam…” Her voice was a wail, full of calculated vulnerability. “I was just so worried about you… I sent Sarah so many messages asking about you. But she ignored me, and then she was mean to me, and… and she maliciously misled me, saying… saying you were with her in the bathroom…” She let the implication hang there, burying her face in her hands and sobbing dramatically. “I was worried to death, and then she拉黑 [blocked] me, so I had to come see for myself if you were okay… I didn’t mean to interrupt, I’m so sorry…” Total silence. Mr. Vance and his team went from polite smiles to expressions of shock, disgust, and “is this for real?” Liam, seeing her crying so pitifully, immediately softened. His anger at the interruption vanished, replaced by a desperate need to soothe her. “Babe, don’t cry, we really are talking business… Sarah just went to the bathroom for a minute, I was in the conference room the whole time, don’t imagine things…” He comforted his girlfriend, but as he turned to look at me, his face hardened with blame. “Sarah! What is wrong with you?” He frowned deeply, his tone harsh. “You know Hailey is sensitive. Would it have killed you to just reply to her message? Answer her call? 拉黑 [blocking] her… were you trying to provoke her?” I looked at him, feeling like I was seeing a total stranger. “Liam,” I said, my voice dead calm. “We were just about to sign a deal worth millions of dollars, and you’re telling me I should have lost my focus to manage your girlfriend’s emotions?” “A contract is important, but are Hailey’s feelings not important?” He waved his hand dismissively, irritated. “She just cares about me too much! You’re a veteran of this company, my top executive. Couldn’t you have helped me out? Calm her down so this didn’t happen?” He was actually putting the entire blame on me. Looking at him, hearing this absurd accusation, the last ounce of loyalty I had for him evaporated. I pulled out my phone and held it up for everyone to see. I unlocked it and tapped into her message thread. The screen displayed the avalanche of texts and video calls. “Liam, please tell me,” I said, my voice cutting through the room. “How, exactly, was I supposed to ‘calm down’ over a hundred harassing messages and forty-seven calls? Was I supposed to accept the video call on the negotiation table and livestream our meeting to her? Or was I supposed to give her a three-hundred-and-sixty-degree view of the restroom stall while I was using it, to prove my ‘innocence’?” Every word I spoke felt like a slap to his face. Liam went pale, then red, unable to find words. Hailey, seeing the tide turning, immediately clutched her chest, her voice weak and reedy. “Liam, she’s so mean… she’s targeting me on purpose, she hates seeing us happy… I’m getting so dizzy from being attacked…” She rolled her eyes back, her body going limp. “Hailey!” Liam gasped, forgetting everything else. He rushed forward, sweeping the “unconscious” Hailey into his arms. He held her, hurrying toward the exit. As he passed me, he didn’t even look at me. He just spat out a single command: “I have to take her to the hospital. Fix this with Mr. Vance.” The conference room was dead quiet. Mr. Vance’s expression had moved past amusement to genuine irritation. “Sarah,” he said quietly. “It seems your company’s ‘family drama’ is much more important than this multi-million dollar contract.” The warmth was gone from his voice, replaced by cold business calculation. “Do you even have the authority to sign this? To be honest, Sarah, if it weren’t for your professionalism in the past, today’s circus would have been enough to put your company on my blacklist.” A wave of cold exhaustion swept over me. All the blood, sweat, and tears I had put into this project, all the relationships I had nurtured, were currently in freefall. And it was all because of a stupid woman and an even stupider man. I took a deep breath. But when I exhaled, the anger and disappointment didn’t come out. Instead, they were replaced by a startling, icy clarity. I looked Mr. Vance in the eye. A professional, confident smile returned to my face. I reached out and gently pushed the near-final contract to the side of the table. The air seemed to freeze. I spoke, my voice steady and clear. “We are absolutely going to sign this, Mr. Vance.” “However… we are going to sign a slightly different version.” 6 By the time I left Mr. Vance’s office, three hours had passed. I took a cab straight back to the company. The moment I walked out of the elevator, I knew something was wrong. My team was huddled together, whispering furiously, their expressions a mix of anger and worry. Seeing me, they instantly went silent. “What’s up?” I asked. My protégée, Maya, rushed to my side. Her face was flushed with suppressed rage. She shoved her phone into my hand. “Sarah, look. Hailey just posted this. She’s talking about you, isn’t she?” I took the phone. It was Hailey’s Instagram. A new post, from an hour ago. The picture was of Liam sitting by a hospital bed, gently peeling an apple for her. The caption was a masterclass in passive-aggressive “mean girl” style: [Some people are so desperate, trying to steal my man under the guise of ‘work.’ Too bad for them, his heart only belongs to me ~ ❤️ Today, just to rush me to the hospital, he walked away from a multi-million dollar contract. What a hero! ❤️] [It’s just sad, really. Does she not have any shame? Claiming she was ‘messing around’ with my man in a public bathroom… Good thing I know how to trust my man. Look, he’s right here by my side, right where he belongs. ❤️] [I just want to give her some advice: no matter how hard you work, what’s the point? In the end, your boss still loves me. ❤️ Love you, babe! ❤️] The post already had hundreds of comments, and the engagement was skyrocketing. Hailey had manually liked every single comment calling me a “home-wrecking bitch” or a “slut.” I scrolled up and saw her post from yesterday, too. [Had to teach a lesson to a delusional employee who thought she could seduce my man today. Asked her to bark like a dog, and she did it. What can I say? I am the boss’s girlfriend, after all. Employees need to know their place and respect the hierarchy.] [Then she tried to steal a ride in the ‘designated girlfriend seat.’ So pathetic. Good thing I’m smart and sent her to the back seat where she belongs. ❤️ Shotgun is forever mine! ❤️] It seemed she had tasted the blood of viral engagement and was hooked. She was rewriting reality into a “girlfriend defeats the side piece” fantasy, and she was winning the internet. And I was the pathetic villain getting crushed. “Sarah, this is total bullshit!” Maya snap. “We all know who you are! Every woman in this office has been targeted by her. She’s the one acting like a psycho, and now she’s flipping the script!” The rest of my core team gathered around, nodding. “We’re on your side, Sarah!” “Do you want us to spam her comment section?” “This company is turning into a total joke…” I looked at their angry, supportive faces. The chill in my heart thawed slightly. “Don’t spam her comments,” I said, shaking my head. “You spam, she blocks, and it just gives her more engagement.” “Then what? We just let her drag your name through the dirt?” Maya was desperate. “Everyone一私下 [privately] hates her guts! Liam has truly… I thought he was decent, but he is totally under her spell.” One of my braver team members whispered: “Sarah… have you considered… leaving? If you go, we all go with you.” The rest of the team looked at me with expectation. My heart warmed, but I just smiled. “Don’t be silly. I have a job to do. Let’s focus on the work we have.” They exchanged looks. It seemed they read something else in my calm demeanor. Hope, perhaps. Just then, my phone rang. Caller ID: Liam Hayes. He must have finally cooed his “little rabbit” to sleep.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “395058”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

When the new CEO arrived to take office, a group of young female employees waited in the hallway to greet him. He stopped right in front of me and murmured in a low voice: “I want to come in.” My face instantly burned. Once, on a narrow, cramped mattress, his breath had been scalding hot as he held me, whispering his hoarse pleas over and over again. And that was his favorite thing to ask. 1 Everyone’s eyes darted toward me. I froze. The tall, broad-shouldered man standing before me looked past me with a flat gaze, gesturing to the space behind my back. “Excuse me, could you step aside?” It was only then I realized I was blocking half the doorway. My face flushed, and I quickly took two steps back. Asher Vance gave me a polite nod and walked into the executive office, his expression completely unreadable. I went to the breakroom to make a cup of coffee. Did he recognize me? Or did he not? That phrase… Was it intentional? Or just a coincidence? I turned my head and looked at my reflection in the glass cabinet doors. It reflected a vague, unremarkable 33-year-old woman. A short, practical bob. Dull makeup. Thick, black-rimmed glasses. Because I had been called away while digging through dusty archive boxes, I was still wearing a ratty, oversized gray cardigan that was pilling at the sleeves. Compared to the wild, radiant girl from that crazy road trip a few years ago… I looked like a completely different person. … It was a coincidence. I finalized my conclusion. 2 When I returned to the office, two of my young subordinates were chattering excitedly about the new boss. “He is way too gorgeous! If you didn’t know better, you’d think he was an A-list actor! If we knew the new boss was this hot, we wouldn’t have fought the corporate buyout at all!” “I heard he’s only 28. He built a successful startup and then took over his family’s empire. He is literally a billionaire romance novel brought to life! Oh my god, I have to post about this!” “Stop drooling, it’s embarrassing…” “Even Claire, our strict, uptight Finance Director, was so starstruck she literally blocked the door! Why can’t I drool? Hey, why did you kick me—” I walked toward my desk, my face expressionless. “No gossiping on company time.” The two girls instantly went dead silent, practically burying their heads in their desks. The sharp click-clack of high heels approached from down the hall. Chloe Harper walked in. As always, her makeup was flawless, her designer skirt suit perfectly tailored. She slammed a stack of receipts down on one of the junior accountants’ desks. “Why were the Marketing Department’s expense reports rejected?” The recent grad shrank back, stammering out an explanation: “Ch-Chloe, these don’t comply with the new expense policy. Anything exceeding the budget by 50% needs the General Manager’s signature—” Chloe interrupted her impatiently. “We in Marketing are out there on the front lines busting our asses for this company, and you guys just sit comfortably in the office all day trying to figure out how to drag us down, is that it?” I looked up and spoke in a cold, even tone: “Chloe, the new financial reimbursement policy was issued weeks ago, and we held a dedicated training session for it. If you don’t understand it, go back and review the handbook. If you have a problem with it, take it to upper management. Do you think raising your voice in my department makes you right?” Chloe turned to look at me, blinked, and put on an exaggerated look of sudden realization. “Claire, you’re not… using your position to settle a personal vendetta, are you?” I pushed up my glasses, meeting her gaze dead-on. “What personal vendetta could we possibly have?” She let out a light, airy laugh. “I guess I’ll just have to let Mark come down and tell you himself. After all, you two used to be married.” 3 Mark Preston showed up very quickly. Chloe softly called out, “Mark,” before biting her lower lip and staring down at her shoes, playing the part of the poor, bullied victim perfectly. “There’s no need to make things so difficult for a young girl.” Mark frowned slightly, looking at me. His tone was as casual as if he were discussing the weather. Yeah, I was very familiar with this scene. Before Mark and I divorced. He had said similar things to me many times. We were married for three years. After he was promoted to Marketing Director, his relationship with his assistant, Chloe, became highly ambiguous. I asked him to transfer her. He thought I was being archaic and ridiculous. “You sit in an office all day doing nothing. In Marketing, we have to socialize and look out for each other. It’s totally normal. You don’t have to be so threatened by a young girl!” Once, he got drunk at a networking event. I drove to pick him up, and Chloe eagerly hopped into the backseat to “take care” of him. While I was driving, she let out a sudden, short gasp. When I got out to check, her short skirt was flipped halfway up her thighs, exposing a blinding amount of skin. I am a person with a very low tolerance for drama. I was too lazy to catch them in the act, and too tired to argue. I just filed for divorce. Mark had been full of sarcasm. “Claire, if you’re trying to use this little threat to keep me on a leash, you picked the wrong strategy. I don’t respond to ultimatums.” “You’re a divorced woman in her thirties, boring and completely rigid. You think you can find a man with even half my qualifications? If you do, I’ll get on my knees right in front of the office building!” We finalized the divorce papers quickly. Unfortunately, we still worked at the same company. We saw each other every single day. He and Chloe were practically attached at the hip. He often intentionally coddled her right in front of me, always stepping up to defend her. His excuse was always: “She’s in my department, of course I have to protect her.” I knew my colleagues whispered about me behind my back, marveling at how much I could tolerate. Why didn’t I just quit? If it had been the me from a few years ago, I definitely would have felt too humiliated and disgusted to stay. I would have packed my bags and left. But I was 33 now. Age had given me a certain grounded strength. I had worked my ass off to become the Director of Finance. Why should I be the one to quit? Besides, they were the ones who should be embarrassed. Not me. Right now. Mark tilted his head slightly, looking at me with that familiar, mocking smile. “Constantly dragging a young girl into our personal issues is pretty pathetic, don’t you think?” I kept my face entirely blank. “Following company policy is making things difficult for her? Did I write the company’s financial policy specifically to target her? Mark, is your brain starting to rot?” He stared at me for a few seconds, then suddenly laughed. “Fine. We’ll let the new CEO make the call at the executive meeting tomorrow. But Claire…” He lowered his voice, his tone laced with a smug, victorious delight. “Using these cheap tricks to try and get my attention and win me back… honestly, it’s a little pathetic.” 4 The next day, at the executive meeting. When Asher Vance walked into the conference room, everyone unconsciously sat up a little straighter. I studied him from behind the thick lenses of my glasses. He had a tall, commanding posture and sharp, striking features. As he took his seat, the unbuttoned edge of his suit jacket brushed the table, revealing the crisp folds of a white dress shirt tucked into his waist. The wild, broken boy I once knew had grown into a formidable, inscrutable man. He listened to Mark’s presentation for the Marketing Department. His hands rested casually on the table. He nodded occasionally, his expression completely neutral. Without any warning. He suddenly turned his head and looked right at me. I didn’t have time to look away. My heart instantly skipped a beat. But it seemed like just a casual glance, and he quickly looked away. “About this expense report from the Marketing Department.” His voice wasn’t loud, but the conference room immediately fell dead silent. “Make an exception. I’m approving it.” Chloe immediately shot me a triumphant, mocking look. After the meeting, Mark stopped me, a lukewarm smile playing on his lips. “Rules are dead, people are alive. You’ve lived to this age and you’re still so rigid and inflexible. Haven’t you suffered enough for it?” I clutched my files and looked at him. “Mark, you getting rejected by me is the standard process. The CEO making a special exception is also the standard process. You’re a department director; is that concept really so hard for you to grasp?” He scoffed. “Claire, between us…” “Director Davis.” A voice cut in from behind. Asher Vance stood in the middle of the hallway, hands in his pockets, his face devoid of any extra emotion. “Come to my office.” My chest tightened. In the CEO’s office. Asher and I were separated by a massive, imposing mahogany desk. “The Finance Department bears the brunt of the pressure when implementing new policies. Friction during the transition period is inevitable. You need to manage the boundaries well.” His tone was flat and strictly professional. It was purely a superior addressing a subordinate. He gave me a few more directives. His pace was steady, his logic flawless. He gave off an aura of mature, unapproachable distance that was completely different from the young man in my memory who always spoke to me with a hint of reckless desperation. The knot in my chest loosened. “Understood, Mr. Vance.” His secretary came in to deliver tea. He looked down, opened a drawer, took out a blue velvet box, and slid it across the desk toward me. I didn’t move. The secretary smiled and said, “Director Davis, this is the welcome gift the CEO is giving to all the department heads. It’s a luxury fountain pen. Everyone else has received theirs; you’re the last one.” Asher took a sip of his tea, his long, pale fingers tapping lightly against the top of the box. “Want it?” He murmured those two words softly. Maybe it was because he had just taken a sip of hot tea, but the words sounded almost breathless, slipping through his lips wrapped in a damp heat. A familiar shiver swept down my spine. My mouth suddenly felt very dry. 5 Want it? Stella, want it? Five years ago, on a scorching desert highway in the Mojave. My memories with Asher Vance spanned a brief, intense six months. It was a complete physical entanglement. Growing up, I was the perfect, rule-following good girl. My dad was a middle school teacher, my mom an elementary school teacher. In everyone’s eyes, I was obedient, quiet, and low-maintenance. The classic “perfect daughter.” But only I knew the truth. I was cowardly, timid, and completely lacked a backbone. I just echoed whatever other people said. I was terrified of conflict, terrified of disappointing anyone, terrified of taking a single wrong step. It was suffocating. I hated myself more and more. So, at 28, I made the most rebellious decision of my life. I quit the job that was slowly killing me. I permed my boring, straight hair into wild, voluminous waves. I ditched my thick glasses for contacts, and bought a suitcase full of floral sundresses and crop tops… I rented an RV and hit Route 66 by myself. And on that endless stretch of desert highway, I picked up Asher Vance. He was 23 at the time. He had crashed his motorcycle and was sitting alone by the side of an empty, desolate road. He looked defeated and reckless, a dark, heavy gloom clouding his eyes. Like a trapped, wounded animal. I pulled over, pulled my sunglasses down with my index finger, and yelled out with a bright smile: “Hey! Need a ride? I can give you a lift!” He gave me a silent, hard stare of rejection. He stood up, limping, and started pushing his wrecked bike down the road. I hit the gas and drove off. But not long after, I turned around and drove back. He still ignored me. I drove at a crawl right behind him, teasing and warning him: “Kid, I’m really not a bad person. Just trying to do my good deed for the day.” “It’s gonna storm soon. You wanna get soaked out here?” “I heard this stretch of the highway is haunted…” He suddenly stopped. He turned to look at me, his face deadpan. “You talk way too much.” “So are you getting in or not?” I smiled, my eyes crinkling. He got in. I knew he was going through the absolute darkest moment of his life, but I didn’t ask a single question. Who goes out into the desert alone if they aren’t running from something? I drove with the windows down, screaming into the wind with my arms wide open. I pulled him to lay side-by-side with me under a blanket of stars, talking absolute nonsense. We spent an entire day helping a local rancher look for a lost sheep. I made him undercooked campfire stew in the cramped kitchen of the RV. Under an open sky where nothing had to be defined, I naturally morphed into the exact opposite of the “Claire” persona. I was free, passionate, and fearless. I was a fun, slightly feral woman who went by the name “Stella”. My smile was always bright; my voice was always loud. I was saving him. And I was saving myself. Slowly, the light returned to Asher’s eyes. His smiles became clearer. When he looked at me, his initial cold distance morphed into a burning, intense focus. I discovered that beneath his gloomy exterior was a defiant, brave, and resilient young man. Asher was the person I wished I could be. On a night illuminated by endless stars, in the dead silence of the desert, we squeezed onto the RV’s tiny, narrow bed. It happened so naturally. Like sleeping when you’re tired, or drinking when you’re thirsty. The most primal desires melted into the raw wilderness. There was no age, no status, no past. Only scorching skin and heavy breathing. All the rules were crushed. Desire was infinitely magnified. Joy was infinitely magnified. We were addicted, completely unable to pull ourselves out. Like two kids who had tasted sugar for the very first time, we desperately consumed it, constantly begging for more. He loved using his index and middle fingers to trace a slow path up my body, stopping at specific spots, his voice impossibly hoarse. “Stella, I want to come in.” “Can I?” “Can you take one more?” “Let’s try…” On that road trip, we drove and stopped, wandering together for six months. One evening, the sun was setting, and the world was bathed in a soft, golden glow. I sat by the window with him, sharing a slightly burnt grilled cheese. “Stella, wait for me for one year. Once I handle my family’s mess, I’ll move to your city to find you. Okay?” His expression was incredibly serious. “Absolutely not,” I laughed it off. “Why not?” “I’m five years older than you. I can’t afford to wait. Plus, huge age-gap romances never end well. By the time I have gray hair, you’ll still be in your prime. I’ll turn into a paranoid, jealous housewife. I’ll pass!” I spouted absolute nonsense, just like I always did. He froze. He looked stunned. I couldn’t help but laugh. “Fine, tell me what you even like about me first.” He thought about it, then answered solemnly: “I like that you’re so wild and free. You’re fearless. You live exactly like yourself.” I looked down and took a bite of the sandwich. A few days later. In a small border town, I left a note on the counter. And I ran away. The person in his eyes. It wasn’t me. We were just two gusts of wind colliding on a journey, tangling together for a brief moment in a specific environment, at a specific temperature. Eventually, we had to blow in opposite directions. I went back to my home city. I put my glasses back on, cut off my wild curls, and zipped myself back into safe, sensible suits. I went back to being the Claire everyone expected me to be. 6 I thought about it for a long time. Trying to judge whether or not he had recognized me. Five years of zero contact. A brief six months together. On the very first day of that trip, when I decided to completely cut ties with my old self, I had used a fake name. When renting the RV, the rental guy said he had an employee discount. He told me to just pay him directly and rent it under his name. I agreed just to save time. Two years ago, I slipped on the stairs and broke my nose. I had some minor reconstructive surgery. Even my old college friends barely recognized me afterward. In short. Whether it was my appearance, my vibe, my identity, or my name… I was completely, fundamentally different from the “Stella” he knew five years ago. There was no way he recognized me. As for those vague, double-meaning phrases? If I thought about it logically in the context of a corporate office, it was totally normal dialogue. I was just projecting. … My judgment was correct. For the next stretch of time, everything was perfectly normal. I reported financials to Asher regularly. He would occasionally call me into his office to discuss operations or question a budget detail. My interactions with him… Were completely restricted to the appropriate boundaries of a CEO and a Finance Director. Professional, polite, and distant. I slowly got used to it. During meetings, I could confidently argue with him over data without any emotional baggage. When someone made a joke, I could laugh along comfortably. I told myself that that hot, fleeting road trip was just a brief exception where we both escaped our normal lives. Like a tornado. When it hits, sand flies and rocks tumble, filled with intense passion. But when it passes, it dissipates instantly, fading until it’s like it never existed at all. One day. I walked into the office and saw a young girl standing there. Long, straight black hair, a white sundress. Pure and pretty. She introduced herself politely: “Hello, Director Davis. My name is Lily Shaw. I’ll be interning at the company for a while, so I wanted to come say hi.” I nodded politely. She gave a shy smile and left. Two of my subordinates immediately rushed over to gossip. “Claire, whatever you do, do not offend her! We just asked her who referred her for the internship. She said it was the CEO’s brother! Turns out, she’s an orphan the CEO’s family adopted. She grew up with him.” “I finally get why the CEO is in the Seattle branch instead of the New York headquarters! He’s here to pave the way and protect his little sister!” “Oh my god, I am such a sucker for the adopted-sibling romance trope! And they look so good together!” “Right?! I ship them so hard…” The two girls kept whispering, their voices dropping lower. I looked down at my brand-new blazer. Somehow, a smear of red ink had gotten on the elbow. I thought about it for a second. I dug out that pair of baggy, oversized gray cardigans and slipped it on. That afternoon, Asher called me to his office. I saw Lily again. She was sitting on the sofa drinking juice, chatting softly with Asher. The sunlight from the window hit her, highlighting her youthful, vibrant beauty. Asher waved me over. After briefly introducing Lily’s background, he said, “She currently has two options. One is the Marketing Department, the other is Finance. Given that Marketing involves a lot of networking and drinking, I want her in your department.” I listened carefully. Trying to figure out if he wanted me to genuinely mentor her, or just let her coast through the internship. “What do you think?” He paused, then suddenly looked up, his eyes locking onto mine: “Can you take one more in?” I froze. That familiar, electric shiver washed over me again. His expression was totally normal, as if he were just having a standard operational discussion. I suppressed the violent pounding of my heart and answered quietly. “…I can.” “Good. Let’s try it out.” His gaze drifted away, calm and unreadable. 7 Lily started working in the Finance Department. She was pretty, generous, and, combined with her status as the CEO’s sister, she quickly became a favorite around the office. She greeted everyone wherever she went. When my subordinates asked if the CEO came to the Seattle branch just for her, she gave a bashful, girlish smile. “I don’t know. My brother is the type of person who never says anything, even when he does a lot. I had mentioned to him before that I wanted to intern here in Seattle, but I didn’t expect him to move here first.” The two juniors swooned, letting out excited squeals. It startled me. One day, I went to Asher’s office to report on operations. As soon as I walked in, I stopped dead in my tracks. He had dyed his hair platinum blonde. Throughout the meeting, he spoke with his usual calm demeanor. But I couldn’t stop my eyes from darting to his hair, wondering if I was hallucinating. When I returned to my office, the three girls were huddled together, buzzing with excitement. Lily looked particularly thrilled, her cheeks flushed. “The other day, I was having dinner with my brother, and I told him I’ve been playing this new video game, and I really, really liked the male lead who has white hair…” The two juniors dramatically gasped and looked at the ceiling. “The plot is advancing exactly as predicted!” “Honestly, the CEO dyed his hair like that, and he actually pulls it off perfectly!” I didn’t know what they were so excited about. Basically, as long as they didn’t screw up the actual work, I didn’t really restrict what they did. Work days are always long and boring. Seeing them laugh and chat so freely… to me, it felt like something from a distant lifetime. Because of a new company initiative, I had to interact with the Marketing Department a lot more. Mark and Chloe had been shameless before, but now they were blatant. They deliberately touched each other, whispered intimately, their eyes full of heavy flirtation. I reacted with complete apathy. Oddly, Mark seemed to get angry about it. I didn’t understand what his problem was. I didn’t care when we were married, why would I care now? Mark and I had originally met on a blind date. Later, we realized we actually worked for different branches of the same corporate umbrella. He proactively confessed that he had been in four serious relationships before me. He said we were all adults, and everyone had a past. He asked me how many times I had been in love. I said once. He was shocked. “You’re 30, and you look this good, and you’ve only dated once?” Actually, for the first two years of our marriage, he was very good to me. It made me think that agreeing to my parents’ pressure to go on that blind date wasn’t the worst thing in the world. He used to boldly promise that he would work hard to become the Marketing Director so he could be my shield. He said that when the time came, no one in the company would dare target me. Who would have thought that today, he became someone else’s shield. And the person he was targeting, was me. To ensure my department’s work proceeded smoothly, I started cultivating a strict, cold demeanor. I wore drab, aging clothes, lowered the pitch of my voice, and kept my tone devoid of emotion. The younger colleagues gradually started keeping their distance. I became the person they whispered about. The rigid, humorless “old finance lady.” … Bright, cheerful laughter echoed through the room. I touched my own face. Thank god Asher didn’t recognize me.

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Just after I posted travel photos with my boyfriend on social media, a “relationship expert” messaged me. “Sweetie, your boyfriend doesn’t look like a quiet type. Send me his WhatsApp; I’ll give you a free relationship assessment, how about it?” “Are professional homewreckers this brazen these days?” After I refused, she immediately posted our private messages online, crying victim. A flood of netizens messaged me, hurling insults. I softened, publicly apologized to her, and stated I just wanted a peaceful life. But she and the netizens decided I was guilty and insisted on helping with the “assessment.” Days later, the expert triumphantly posted a screenshot of her successfully adding my boyfriend on WhatsApp, captioning it: “Easily handled; your boyfriend isn’t well-behaved~” But looking at her, I felt only pity. 1. The relationship expert’s new post hit ten thousand likes within an hour. I looked at the two screenshots in the post: the first was a friend request, with just nine words, “Hey handsome, I’m the person in the picture, add me~”. The second was a WhatsApp chat interface, with the expert’s contact name “Relationship Expert 12,” no username visible. But the profile picture opposite was mine—a photo taken a few days ago during our trip, where I was smiling radiantly. The comment section had exploded, with a flood of netizens rushing to mock me. “@her out to see! What does your man look like in someone else’s chat box? Look familiar?” “Where’s that clown now? No wonder she cursed even for a free assessment; turns out her dearest boyfriend, whom she’d been hiding, was cheap goods.” “Some people shouldn’t hide; come out and apologize to everyone.” As the netizens wished, I was @-mentioned in the top comment, followed by a mischievous emoji from the expert. Watching the online comments grow increasingly unbearable, I couldn’t help but post a response: “Thank you, netizens, for your concern about my relationship. However, my boyfriend and I have known each other since high school and have weathered many storms. I know the kind of person he is and I have confidence in our relationship. If our relationship truly breaks down in the future, I will not hesitate to break up, but before that, I do not wish to put him through any ‘character tests,’ nor do I want anyone to intervene in our relationship.” Seeing many netizens agree, I breathed a sigh of relief, praying that everyone would disperse. But the expert immediately jumped in, wailing: “Sweetie, I don’t want to ruin your relationship, I just want to help you test him because I’m afraid girls might encounter bad men.” The moment she spoke, her loyal followers poured in, and the tide of public opinion instantly shifted. They became convinced that I was just reluctant to leave a scumbag, and they started mimicking my words, posting various sarcastic parodies, attaching my post below, gleefully calling it “reference material.” Even the comments that wished us “99” (forever love) were replaced. I looked at the stinging words, my chest tightening, and finally just turned off my phone. That evening, I returned home after a day’s work. As I walked in, I saw Adam leaning on the sofa, looking at his phone, a faint smile on his handsome face. Hearing me, he instinctively flinched, flipping his phone screen down. He said dryly, “Zoe, you’re home early today?” “Yeah, were you chatting with someone?” “A buddy.” My heart sank. He was lying; Adam always blinked when he lied. I reassured myself that we were adults, everyone had their private matters. I pretended not to know, complaining to him about work as usual. Adam listened quietly, as always, but his eyes kept darting to his phone. After talking for a long time, he didn’t respond once. For some reason, I felt a surge of weariness. Remembering the day’s turmoil, I couldn’t help but probe, “Adam, did anyone strange add you today?” He smiled faintly, “No, why?” But my heart sank further because of his words. I instinctively clutched the hem of my clothes, quickly shaking off those strange thoughts. Adam and I had been through so much over the years; there were always others around – schoolgirls who had crushes on him, colleagues who liked him – but he had rejected them all. How could he now let someone who suddenly appeared online ruin our relationship? Besides, I knew what kind of person Adam was. Thinking this, I breathed a sigh of relief and went to my room to rest. However, when I opened my phone’s social media, I saw the relationship expert had just posted a new update. “My poor sweetie, my heart aches for you.” 2. I was involuntarily drawn to her cover image: a screenshot of her chat history with Adam. At first, she awkwardly tried various topics, but once she discovered Adam loved gaming, the two immediately clicked. He even took her on a duo-queue, and afterward, kept marveling at how skilled she was as a girl, much better than his girlfriend who couldn’t play games. My grip on the phone tightened. Indeed, Adam was very good at games. In contrast, I was terrible. Every time we duo-queued, I only dragged him down, and he would save me while assuring me it was okay. Realizing I was just a hindrance, over time, I stopped playing with him. Netizens quickly flooded the comments below. “My God, is she seriously not breaking up with him?” followed by frantic @-mentions of me. “She’s such a doting wife, what can she break up with? She’s destined to eat scraps for life.” “Hard work for the blogger, how can you even chat with such a disgusting man?” The relationship expert gently replied: “Sweetie, it’s not hard work. Mainly, I want to help sisters see men clearly.” The netizens were in an uproar, rushing to hug her: “The blogger is too kind, too bad the doting wife doesn’t appreciate it.” “It’s okay, some girls are smarter, some are a bit slower. We need to be patient. I’ll keep working hard to make her realize.” Below was a cute heart-hand emoji. Netizens were moved by her warm words, praising her extensively, and her followers surged overnight. I also clicked on her avatar to her profile, which was filled with posts exposing other people’s boyfriends. Each post’s main image had “Identified as Scum” in large characters, followed by a chorus of praise in the comments, and even people thanking her. So, was it my turn now? Just then, the door opened. I looked at Adam walking into the room, my expression darkening. I asked again, “Adam, I can trust you, right?” Adam tilted his head, seemingly confused, then smiled, walked over, and pulled me into his embrace, nuzzling his forehead against mine: “Of course.” “Okay, I trust you.” I put down my phone, turned off the lights, and went to rest. After that, I didn’t go online again, and Adam showed no unusual behavior. I thought that in a few days, once a new scandal appeared, they would simply move on. But a few days later, while resting after meeting a client, I saw Adam’s back in a nearby pedestrian street. He stood tall, in a black jacket, striking in the crowd. Equally striking was the beautiful woman beside him, in a black fitted dress, smiling as she held his hand—it was the online relationship expert. I clutched my handbag, quickened my pace. Just as I was about to reach them, the expert loosened her grip, running off as if to avoid suspicion. Leaving Adam to turn around, looking surprised and flustered at me: “Zoe, what are you doing here?” My gaze swept over him, then to the person who had run off, my tone cold: “Who was that person?” He avoided my gaze, saying, “A salesperson, insisting on pitching products to me.” “Then what are you doing here?” Adam was the owner of a large club, usually at his store. Today, he had come all the way out here. He smiled: “I heard you were here for a business meeting, and I planned to pick you up for dinner after you finished.” He even pulled out his phone to show me, a reservation at a couples’ restaurant. Although I didn’t like the overly flashy decor, thinking of his good intentions, I readily agreed. The food was quite palatable. After eating, I was in a good mood and idly played with my phone, wanting to see if the online fuss had died down. No sooner had I opened it than I saw the expert’s new post: “Sweetie, you ate my dinner.” The picture showed me happily chatting with Adam as I ate. Adam happened to be looking down, not at me, his back seeming somewhat lonely and distracted at that moment. I instantly looked towards where the photo was taken, but the spot was already empty. My good mood vanished. Annoyance swelled within me. I accidentally glanced at the sarcastic comments in the comment section, and a lump formed in my throat, impossible to swallow. Just then, the expert messaged me, her tone still full of feigned sympathy: “Sweetie, I’m sure you’ve seen it. That scumbag probably still told you I was a salesperson, right?” A surge of nameless anger churned in my chest, and my tone grew irritable: “Let me remind you again, I don’t need your so-called assessment. Please stay away from me and my boyfriend!” The expert remained calm and collected: “Every woman reacts like this when facing reality. But it’s okay; I believe you’ll come to thank me soon enough.” “Enough. One last thing: deliberately interfering in other people’s relationships, no matter the reason, is being a homewrecker.” She sighed helplessly: “Alright, I’ll help you assess him a bit longer.” 3. After she said that, she disappeared. I was so annoyed I wanted to throw my phone. Looking up, I saw Adam, who had just received a message from someone, saying, “Zoe, I might be busy for a while. I’m heading out.” With that, he left in a hurry. I watched him get into his car downstairs. A woman, whose face was hidden by Adam’s body, got into the passenger seat. She was also wearing a fitted black dress. I sat in my original spot for a long time before remembering to go back to the office. When I returned, I saw the proposal that was due that afternoon still spread out on the table, unfinished. “What’s going on with this proposal? I assigned it this morning; it’s still not done?” I slammed the document on the table. Several subordinates bowed their heads, saying nothing. In the corner, a new intern was scrolling on her phone and chuckled. “What are you laughing at?” She looked up and turned her phone to show me. The screen displayed the relationship expert’s newly posted update. The post was gaining momentum, and everyone around had seen it. “Manager Miranda, your own face has been utterly shredded by others, and you still come here to scold us?” The few people next to her showed no sign of injustice; their eyes gleamed with barely contained amusement. Just then, the door pushed open, and the boss walked in. Seeing the messy scene inside and the untouched proposal, he started yelling at me too. I lowered my head, accepting the reprimand, not daring to utter a word. The intern behind me was still secretly taking photos, giggling. Finally, after the scolding, the boss pointed at me and roared, “Zoe Miranda, I’m warning you, your messy affairs have seriously damaged the company’s image. If you don’t clean it up within a week, you’re fired!” He slammed the door shut. I began to reassign tasks. The subordinates, distracted, listened, then returned to their workstations. But during a break, I discovered they had already posted photos of me being scolded online, gathering in groups to mock me below. When I finished work that evening, I dragged my tired body home, only to find the house plunged into darkness. When I finished work that evening, I dragged my tired body home. I opened the door, and the room was completely dark. I switched on the light and saw a note pressed under a teacup on the coffee table. “Zoe, I’m out on urgent business. Take good care of yourself. I’ll bring you a gift when I return.” I pulled out my phone and called him, but it kept showing “temporarily unavailable.” WhatsApp messages went unread. I sat on the sofa for a while, instinctively opening social media. Sure enough, the relationship expert’s homepage featured a new pinned post. “Invited by a certain gentleman for a few days’ travel, I will live-stream the assessment results to all my sisters then.” Above was her selfie and a plane ticket. Below, netizens went wild upon hearing about the live stream, and even after seeing that payment was required, a crowd still expressed willingness to pay to watch the drama unfold. A group of people stormed my account, asking if I was breaking up. I reaffirmed my stance and sternly told the expert, “I know what kind of person my boyfriend is. I hope you stop bothering us; this is for your own good.” But this time, unlike the usual mockery, many people started sympathizing with me, digging up all my posts and comments to analyze my psychological state. Some said I was love-starved since childhood, which was why I was so desperate for male attention, urging everyone to cherish their daughters. Others said I was just stubborn, putting on a brave face, too proud to admit defeat. I couldn’t be bothered to argue with them, so I exited the app. Just then, I received a friend request from a stranger. As soon as I accepted, she immediately sent me a photo of Adam and a location. “He’s here.”

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“I’m coming back. Are you still waiting for me?” The text from my first love came with a picture of a flight ticket from London. Just ten seconds earlier, I had typed and sent my own reply: “I’m married.” My husband, Griffin, walked out of the bathroom, fresh from a shower. He saw the screen, and in one swift motion, he snatched the phone from my hands. “Is your jealousy really this out of control? I’ve told you, Isabelle is the only one for me.” His voice was laced with contempt. “I promised I wouldn’t divorce you. What gives you the right to grab my phone and stake your claim like this?” I was silent for a few seconds before I said, “That’s my phone.” He had his ghost, the one he could never let go of. But as it happened, I had my own untouchable memory. 1 My mind went blank for a moment, staring at the message that had arrived just two days ago. After all these years, I still knew his number by heart, but I never imagined I’d actually hear from him. A wave of indescribable emotion washed over me. Just then, the sound of footsteps approached from behind, stopping right at my back. The phone was ripped from my grasp. Griffin glared at the screen, at the message I had sent ten seconds before. “I’m married.” His head snapped up, his eyes filled with disgust. “When did you start snooping through my phone? Are you really that insecure? I’ve already told you, Isabelle is the only one who has my heart.” He continued, his tone sharp and accusatory, “I gave you my word that I wouldn’t divorce you. You’ll always be Mrs. Vance. So what gives you the right to reply on my behalf, to mark your territory?” He was even trying to un-send the message I had sent. Looking at him, I felt a bitter irony. It was his constant trips abroad after our wedding that had forced him to confess about the idealized love he couldn’t forget. He had promised me he wouldn’t divorce me, as if it were a favor. Now, the way he spoke made it all sound like my fault. As his brow furrowed deeper in frustration, I finally broke the silence. “The phone you’re holding… it’s mine.” “What did you say?” He paused, stunned. This time, he looked down and examined the chat window properly. When he saw the name on the plane ticket, he realized his mistake. His expression became unreadable. “Who is Noah Scott?” he asked. His fingers tapped a light rhythm on the tabletop, but his eyes were locked on me. I met his gaze, feeling a prickle of discomfort but refusing to show it. “My ex-boyfriend.” More than just my ex. He was my first love. We were together for four years. Griffin’s eyes narrowed slightly. “When did he go abroad?” “Three years ago,” I answered without thinking. The tapping on the table stopped. He nodded slowly, a thoughtful look on his face. “So, less than a year before we got married.” I nodded. The thought of Noah, no matter when, still left a dull ache in my chest. “So what’s your plan?” I looked at him, surprised by the question. My plan? Since when did he care about my affairs? He continued, “He’s obviously coming back for you. You need to remember you’re a married woman. If this gets messy, you know what my parents will say.” His words were a veiled threat, and it made me want to laugh. Was there anyone better at making things messy than him? He’d shown up late to our own wedding because of Isabelle. He’d flown across the world at a moment’s notice for her. He’d even plastered her face on every billboard in the city for her birthday. Who could possibly be more scandalous than him? Everyone in our circle knew my title as Mrs. Vance was just for show. They all knew his heart belonged to someone else. But what they didn’t know was that I also had a memory I couldn’t let go of. I shrugged. “I know what I’m doing. Weren’t you the one who told me not to waste all my energy on you?” 2 Griffin was clearly not expecting that response. He just stood there, momentarily speechless. I’ll admit, I couldn’t let go of Noah. But Griffin and I were married, and I had genuinely wanted to make it work. I tried everything—bringing him lunch at his office, picking him up from late nights out with his friends. All it earned me was a frustrated sigh and his cutting words: “Can’t you find something to do with your life? No matter how hard you try to please me, I’ll never have feelings for you. Why don’t you just find someone on the side? We can do our own thing, stay out of each other’s way. Wouldn’t that be easier?” His words had left me burning with humiliation. “You have someone else, and so do I,” I said now, my voice even. “I want to see him again. You said it yourself, right? We stay out of each other’s way. So let’s do that.” His brow tightened instinctively before smoothing out again. “Fine. Do what you want.” He paused. “If I remember correctly, Noah Scott is with Apex Industries, right?” I nodded. A short, sharp laugh escaped him. “And you really think he’s coming back for you?” I looked at him, confused. He was being unusually talkative tonight. I never thought Noah was coming back just for me. Our breakup hadn’t been clean; it had been ugly and painful. I never imagined I would see him again in this lifetime. He was probably just returning to take over the family business. But the condescending smirk on Griffin’s face was so pronounced it silenced me. “Apex is on a major upswing. He’s coming back to take the reins. You don’t actually believe he’s making a special trip for you, do you? It’s been years, Audrey. Just because you can’t forget him doesn’t mean he feels the same. For all you know, he’s just looking for a little fun, and you’re taking it seriously.” My jaw tightened. I kept my voice neutral. “You don’t need to worry about that.” “Whether he’s looking for me or not, that’s between him and me. You don’t have to talk about him like that.” I had never used this tone with Griffin before. But I couldn’t stand it. He could belittle me, look down on me all he wanted, but I would never let him say a single bad word about Noah. I had already hurt him enough when we broke up. Griffin finally looked at me, his expression serious. “You love him that much?” “Yes.” Our eyes met and held. After a long moment, he looked away. “Fine. It’s your business.” With that, he walked out of the room. As his back disappeared, I let out a long, slow breath. Noah still hadn’t replied. A knot of anxiety tightened in my stomach. I typed another message. “Noah, is it really you?” Still no response. My mind started racing. Did he send the first message to the wrong person? Or was he angry at my reply? The more I thought, the more my heart sank. Finally, I gave up, put my phone aside, and got into bed. 3 The phone remained silent all through the night. I lay in the darkness, my eyes fixed on the nightstand where my phone rested. Just as a hint of drowsiness began to take over, the bedroom door creaked open. Griffin lifted the covers and slid into bed. I was stunned. Since our wedding day, we had always slept in separate rooms. We only put on a show when we visited the family estate, and even then, he’d sleep on the floor. I could feel his breath on my back, and my spine went rigid. I had no idea what he was thinking anymore. The next morning, he was already gone to work when I woke up. I picked up my phone and saw a message from my father. “Come home this morning.” I frowned, wondering what was going on. I switched to my texts, but there was nothing from Noah. Not a single word all night. A bitter laugh escaped me. Of course. I’d told him I was married; why would he waste his time? Shaking the foolish thoughts from my head, I got up and drove to my parents’ house. As I stepped into the living room, I heard voices. My parents were laughing, chatting warmly with someone. And the other voice… It was so familiar. My heart began to pound in my chest. I walked further in, and our eyes met. Noah. Our gaze held for only a second before he looked away. My mother rushed over, beaming, and pulled me in. “You just woke up, sweetheart? Have you had breakfast?” Seeing her and my father fawning over him, I understood everything. Years ago, they had looked down on Noah, forcing us to break up. Now, with Apex Industries soaring, far surpassing our own family’s company, they had invited him here. Their motive was painfully obvious. I pulled my hand from her grasp, a wave of nausea washing over me. She pretended not to notice, dragging me in front of him. “Noah, you remember Audrey, don’t you? It’s been a few years!” My father chimed in with a grin. “That’s right! You two old friends should catch up. We’ll leave you to it.” With that, my mother gave me a little push toward Noah and a meaningful look. The message was clear. They turned and walked away. The silence in the room was deafening. He was sitting, I was standing. Finally, looking at his face, more mature and defined than I remembered, a familiar ache settled in my heart. I was the one to break the silence. “How have you been these past few years?” “Fine.” “Yesterday… I saw your message…” My voice was strained. He cut me off, his tone casual. “And you replied, didn’t you? You’re married.” He paused. “So what else is there to say?” I stared at him, a thousand words trapped in my throat, but I didn’t know where to begin. “Our… our marriage isn’t like that… It’s just a business arrangement, I had no choice. He doesn’t love me, and I don’t love him.” Noah’s dark eyes stared straight at me. He began to speak, his voice low. “You know, a part of me really hates your parents. The things they said to me back then… they looked down on me, thought my family’s company was a dead end that would never amount to anything.” “But look at us now. My company did alright for itself, didn’t it? So well that even though you’re married, they still call me over, hoping to use you to get something from me.” 4 He let out another short laugh. “You’re a smart girl, Audrey. You knew that, didn’t you?” My hands clenched into fists, my teeth digging into my lip. I felt stripped bare, exposed and humiliated. He had every right to hate me. But it was only in this moment that I realized how much I couldn’t bear it. Tears I couldn’t control began to fall, hot and shameful. I tried to wipe them away, but I didn’t know what to say. The years of pent-up frustration and sorrow erupted all at once. He watched me in silence as I cried, the tears flowing endlessly. Finally, he sighed, a hint of helplessness in his voice. “What are you crying for? You have everything now, don’t you?” “No… it’s not like that…” I choked out, the words broken and incoherent. Why did everything have to be so complicated? What was I supposed to do? Just then, a low rumble of thunder sounded outside. Rain began to pour down, a sudden, violent downpour that mirrored the storm in my heart. “I’m sorry… If my parents contact you again, just ignore them…” He stood up, straightening his clothes. “You don’t have to apologize to me. I won’t be coming here again.” He turned to leave. In a panic, I grabbed his arm. He looked down at me, his eyes cold and distant. The look was enough to make me let go as if I’d been burned. “I’m sorry.” My parents, who had just started down the stairs, saw him about to leave and hurried to intercept him. “Noah, leaving so soon? It’s pouring out. Why don’t you wait a little longer?” my mother pleaded. “We asked Audrey to chat with you. That girl doesn’t know how to talk. If she said something to upset you, please don’t hold it against her,” my father added, shooting a harsh glare in my direction. A chill ran through me, and I felt so weak I could barely stand. Noah looked from my parents back to me, a faint, cynical smile on his lips. “I have work to do. I should get going.” I quickly followed him out, my parents’ eyes boring into my back. Once the front door closed behind us, I faced him. “Can you give me a ride home? I took a cab here.” The rain was a torrential downpour. His car was parked in the driveway. He gave me a curious look. “What, you’re Mrs. Vance now and he doesn’t even get you a driver?” I bit my lip, unsure of what to say. The wind blew raindrops onto my hair, blurring my vision. We stood there in silence, our eyes locked. Finally, he spoke. “Get in.” A flicker of relief went through me. I nodded quickly and followed him. As we stepped out from under the porch, Noah suddenly took off his jacket and draped it over my head before walking unflinchingly into the rain. The jacket still held his warmth, his scent. For a moment, I let myself indulge in the feeling. Once we were in the car, he asked, “Where to?” I snapped back to reality and typed the address into the GPS. I stared out the window at the rain streaming down the glass. “Your husband won’t have a problem with me dropping you off?” he asked. His question felt like a twist of a knife. He always knew how to get under my skin, how to pull at every one of my emotions.

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