Category: English

I was on my engagement day with mafia boss Jackson Wade when my first love crashed the ceremony. I didn’t hesitate to run away with him, but he let go of my hand outside the door and turned to his friends: “Told you she’d follow me. Pay up, guys!” In an instant, I became the laughingstock of the entire city. That night, Jackson chopped off my ex’s right hand. “Anyone who dares gossip behind her back, I’ll cut out their tongue.” After that, everyone said this ruthless mafia boss was madly in love with me—he could even forgive my betrayal. Until our wedding night, when a woman showed up at the door with a child: “If it weren’t for Jackson’s grandfather saying he’d only get his inheritance if he married you, why would he ever marry you?” “We got married three years ago. As for you, get lost!” But did they all forget? I’m the heir to New York’s biggest mafia family. 0I had them both kidnapped immediately. When I pressed my gun against the woman’s temple, Jackson rushed over. “She dies, or you die. Choose.” “Phoenix, if you’re angry, take it out on me. Felicity and the child are innocent!” Jackson stared at me intently, while the black-suited bodyguards behind him surrounded me. Felicity cried with terror written all over her face: “Jackson, save me! This crazy woman Phoenix wants to kill me and the child!” Her shrill voice grated on my nerves. I tapped Felicity’s temple with my gun barrel and threw the marriage certificate in Jackson’s face. “Innocent? Then explain this to me.” I laughed coldly: “Making the head of the Graves family the mistress! Jackson, you’ve got some nerve! Doing what even your parents didn’t dare to do!” Guilt flashed in Jackson’s eyes as he explained helplessly: “You were conservative before marriage and wouldn’t let me touch you. I only found her to satisfy my needs. The child was an accident. I promise she won’t bother you anymore.” “You want me to coexist peacefully with her?” I smiled bloodthirstily and pulled back the safety with a click: “Those who insult the Graves family must pay in blood!” “So, do you die, or do she and this bastard die together?” Watching Jackson’s hard face unconsciously reveal heartache and anxiety, I knew the scales in his heart had already tipped toward that mother and child. Felicity suddenly broke free from her ropes and shouted angrily: “Don’t you dare hurt Jackson!” Years of vigilance made me instantly pull out my dagger. I kicked Felicity’s knee, and as her body tilted, she crashed into the blade. She screamed in agony as a bloody mark appeared on her face. “Felicity!” Jackson’s eyes instantly turned red. Without hesitation, he shot at me. I dodged, covering my grazed arm as I watched Jackson carry Felicity away. The pain in my arm stimulated my nerves. In my mind, I heard sixteen-year-old Jackson earnestly swearing to me: “Phoenix, my gun will never be aimed at you. It will only obey your orders and target your enemies!” “Miss Graves? Should I chase them down?” My most trusted assistant, Hannah Brown, asked me quietly. Chase? My eyes were cold, my voice like ice: “Tell the executives—withdraw Graves Group from that massive joint project with the Wade family!” The next day, the company issued an announcement that Graves Group was withdrawing from its collaboration with the Wade family. Without Graves’s technical support, Wade family stocks crashed that very day. Jackson called furiously, his voice full of anger: “Phoenix Graves, suddenly terminating our partnership will affect both families. Are you really going to be this reckless?” I scattered some fish food and watched the koi in the pond compete for it, smiling dangerously: “I already told you—those who insult the Graves family must die.” “For Grandfather Wade’s sake, I’ll give you two choices: divorce that woman or the Wade family goes bankrupt. Pick one.” His breathing on the other end grew heavy. A moment later, he hung up abruptly. Half an hour later, Jackson sent me a photo of a divorce certificate. I notified the company to resume cooperation with the Wade family. Hannah handed me a towel to wipe my hands, saying quietly: “Miss Graves, you’re still being soft on him.” I slowly withdrew my hand, my tone somewhat desolate: “I don’t have many family members left.” 0

Jackson placed Felicity and her child in the Wade family’s private hospital for treatment, afraid I’d go after them. I had no interest in bothering with her, but I never expected her to dare provoke me! She added me on SnapChat and sent me a picture to show off: [Phoenix, Jackson never loved you!] [All those rumors about him loving you to death—that was just to placate your parents! Now that your father’s dead, he doesn’t need to act anymore!] [To restore my health, Jackson specially found the best herbs and a therapist for me. But this therapist was a snob and refused to serve me!] [Jackson said he’d cut off both her hands!] I looked at the photo—my beloved friend Julia White, covered in wounds, pressed to the ground, her hands soaked in blood. Raging fury erupted. My eyes blazed with hatred. I didn’t have many loved ones, and I cherished every single one! Jackson knew this was my weak spot. How dare he touch it! Madness flickered in my eyes. It seemed I’d been too reasonable these past few years, making him forget I was a lunatic to begin with. I brought people to break down the private hospital’s doors. Under Felicity’s terrified gaze, I grabbed her hair and slammed her head against the wall, my tone vicious: “Don’t you know how to spell ‘death’? Do you really think Jackson can protect you?” Felicity’s face was covered in blood. She screamed at me, her eyes triumphant: “So what if you’re Miss Graves? You still can’t have children!” “Do you really think Jackson would divorce me to marry you? Dream on!” “You’re just a pathetic creature nobody wants!” My mind went blank. I staggered back two steps, as if returning to that filthy night when I was sixteen. Jackson had invited me out, but we were both kidnapped and held in a warehouse. In the darkness, we tried to escape. To cover for him so he could get help, I deliberately drew the kidnappers away! After they caught me, they beat me until I was covered in wounds. Five or six men surrounded me. Their filthy hands stripped off my clothes, blindfolded me, and violated me at will. I endured the darkest night of my life. When I woke up in the hospital, the doctor gently told me I could never get pregnant again. Jackson looked haggard. With reddened eyes, he knelt before me and swore: “I’m sorry! Phoenix! My life belongs to you from now on!!” “I’ll protect you forever!” “If I break this vow, may I die a terrible death!” That night, the still-youthful Jackson completely transformed. He dealt with those thugs using ruthless methods and silenced everyone. He frantically built his power and expanded the company with only one goal: Become strong enough to protect me so I’d never be hurt again! But now he’d told an outsider about my deepest wound—the one I couldn’t bear to touch! My eyes turned blood-red. I gripped Felicity’s throat tightly, smiling savagely: “You want to die so badly? I’ll grant your wish!” Felicity’s face turned purple-blue from choking. Fear finally appeared in her eyes. “Stop!” A sharp gust came from behind. I punched backward, landing it on Jackson’s eye. He grunted but ignored his injury, anxiously picking up Felicity. I watched his heartbroken expression, and for a moment it overlapped with sixteen-year-old Jackson’s eyes. Sixteen-year-old Jackson felt heartache for me. Twenty-eight-year-old Jackson only had eyes for Felicity. I laughed quietly, then suddenly shot Jackson, demanding coldly: “That secret—did you tell her?” Jackson covered his arm and fell silent before explaining: “I got drunk and accidentally let it slip.” “Felicity’s young and speaks without thinking. She doesn’t mean any harm.” “You already shot me, so let’s call it even.” I smiled mockingly, enunciating each word: “Call it even?” “Jackson, what made you think I could keep backing down?” “Last time, Grandfather Wade’s kindness toward me—you’ve already used it up!” Felicity watched me raise my gun and screamed in terror: “Jackson, this bitch is crazy! Kill her quickly!” Jackson watched my unyielding stance. Irritation flashed in his eyes as he spoke coldly: “Phoenix, you need to consider my position. You can’t have children. The Wade family has such a vast fortune—I need an heir!” Each word pierced my heart, making me bleed. Silence permeated the air. Before my eyes appeared the image of sixteen-year-old Jackson, covered in blood, carrying me and running, crying in despair: “Phoenix, please, just hold on a little longer. We promised to spend our whole lives together!” “You can’t leave me!” “Phoenix, if you dare hurt Felicity and the child again, don’t blame me for being ruthless.” Jackson’s cold voice brought me back to reality. I watched Jackson’s retreating figure as he carried Felicity away. The boy who swore to protect me for life shattered completely in my memory. “True feelings really are the most fickle thing in this world.” I kept my back straight and spoke indifferently: “Spread the word—the arranged marriage is canceled. From today, the Graves family and Wade family are completely severed!” “The two families have no relationship anymore!” 0

As soon as news of the complete break between our families spread, the company’s stock price fluctuated dramatically. I stayed at the company headquarters every day. Two weeks later, the CEO’s office door was kicked open. My mother, who should have been recovering at the nursing home, was thrown in covered in blood. My pupils contracted. I panicked as I lifted my mother onto the sofa, shouting hoarsely: “Hannah, call a doctor!” Hannah rushed out with a cold face but was shot in the left leg by Jackson, her kneecap shattered. Other bodyguards were forced to kneel on the ground. I quickly checked my mother’s condition and found her entire body covered in whip marks, her breathing weak, as if she might die at any moment. Bloodshot vessels spread across my eyeballs. I grabbed the heavy office chair and hurled it at Jackson: “Jackson, you dared touch my mother—go to hell!” Jackson dodged gracefully. Wearing a black suit, he sat down calmly and lit a cigarette. Through the curling smoke, his eyes were indifferent: “Felicity’s face has permanent scarring. I couldn’t bear to hurt you, so I had your mother pay the price instead.” “Don’t worry, I was very measured. Just ninety-nine lashes. Your mother won’t die.” “Measured?” My hands were trembling. In extreme rage, I instead became calm: “Jackson, from now on, the Graves family and Wade family fight to the death!” Jackson laughed. He stood up, caressing my cheek, murmuring: “Phoenix, don’t say such angry words!” “You’re still too inexperienced. You can’t handle the business world.” He pulled out a stack of documents and gently placed them in my hands: “Take a look?” I flipped through the documents, my eyes growing deep. These were all share transfer agreements. Over the years, Jackson had secretly bought off many shareholders and transferred their shares to him. Now he was the company’s second-largest shareholder. If he sold his shares, the company would immediately collapse. I threw the documents on the desk and sneered: “No wonder you dared produce a bastard child, dared brazenly hurt those I care about.” “So you’d been making moves on Graves Corporation all along! When did you start scheming?” Jackson admitted frankly: “Seven years ago.” He embraced me from behind, very gently: “Phoenix, the business world is ever-changing—it’s not something you can handle.” His tone shifted, becoming forceful: “I love you. The arranged marriage between Graves and Wade families remains unchanged. The position of Mrs. Wade has always been yours.” “The promise I made is still valid—I’ll protect you for life, as long as you’re obedient.” “Don’t go after Felicity and her child anymore.” 0

Jackson left with his people. I sent my mother to the hospital for treatment. After confirming she was safe, I sat alone in the wrecked office all night. At daybreak, I slowly stood up, looking at the fierce eyes reflected in the transparent glass: “Hannah, I remember my father started divesting company assets before he died?” Hannah answered respectfully: “The old master understood men’s base nature, so he’d been guarding against the Wade family all along.” “Before he died, he not only transferred most of the company’s assets abroad, but also bought ten percent of Wade family shares through offshore companies.” “If Jackson thinks he can threaten you, Miss Graves, he’s badly miscalculated!” I lowered my eyes, looking at the ring I’d always worn on my left ring finger. Sweet memories with Jackson surfaced one by one, then dimmed and faded. I removed the ring and threw it in the trash without hesitation, issuing my command: “The Graves family’s dignity cannot be trampled. Take action!” Over the following days, undercurrents surged. I stayed at the hospital with my mother while Jackson took Felicity to Norway for a vacation. Felicity was like a dog with her master’s backing, sending me photos and taunts every day: [Jackson proposed to me under the Northern Lights. He said after marriage he’d let me live in the wedding house.] [He’ll raise my child as his heir, while you’re just a figurehead Mrs. Wade!] She sent intimate videos with Jackson, deliberately showing ambiguous marks, saying triumphantly: [Phoenix, guess why Jackson never touched you? Because he has psychological issues!] [You’re so pitiful, living your whole life being manipulated!] Then she sent several blurry photos and quickly retracted them. I stared at the photos, bloodshot vessels spreading across my eyeballs, my body trembling violently. Hannah noticed my abnormality and shook me, shouting: “Miss Graves, breathe!” I suddenly gasped out a big breath. In just a few seconds, my clothes were soaked with cold sweat. I closed my eyes and spoke hoarsely: “The incident when I was sixteen—use all our resources to reinvestigate it!” Three days later, Jackson was dragged by Felicity to the largest auction house. Almost every precious treasure at the auction was bought by her. For a time, she was in the spotlight. Others whispered: “A mistress acting so arrogant!” “Who told her to have Jackson’s favor? I heard he’s already made her son the heir. Even Miss Graves has to avoid her!” On the auction stage, the host began auctioning the final showpiece. Felicity, intoxicated by everyone’s flattery, said without hesitation: “Double the price! I’ll take the finale treasure!” The host smiled strangely and shouted loudly: “Miss Felicity has won the finale treasure!” “Now let’s see what this priceless treasure actually is!” The box slowly opened, revealing a kill order with Jackson’s name appearing before everyone’s eyes. In the silence, I entered the auction house with my people. I raised my gun at Jackson from across the room, my lips curling into a bloody smile: “Jackson, for scheming against me and the Graves family, today is your death day!”

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At my engagement party with my fiancé, my ex-boyfriend Damien Smith suddenly appeared. He clapped his hands mockingly as he walked toward us: “Serena Locke, I wondered how you dared to leave me. Turns out you found yourself a richer backer—my cousin.” The guests erupted in shock. The once lively banquet hall fell into dead silence. All eyes turned to me, filled with shock and scrutiny. But I simply gazed calmly at the face I’d once loved deeply for three years: “What? You used to despise me as a gold digger. Now that I’m with someone else, you still have a problem with it?” Damien and I met in college. In our third year together, my dad suddenly fell seriously ill and needed expensive treatment. I was desperately trying to figure out where to get the money when my roommate suddenly asked: “Why don’t you ask Damien for help?” I didn’t understand what she meant at first. “You don’t know? Damien’s family is loaded.” “I only found out recently when I went to a party at the Smith estate with my dad.” “Your dad’s medical bills would be like pocket change to him—the cost of one meal.” I froze, not knowing what to say. I could only remain silent. That night, I secretly followed Damien. I watched him smoothly open the door of a luxury car. I watched him drive into a gated mansion community. My emotions swirled—a confusing mix of feelings. I didn’t understand why Damien had been pretending to be poor. But the next moment, I felt a glimmer of hope. Hope that maybe Damien could really help me solve this urgent crisis. So without overthinking it, I pressed the doorbell of the mansion. In less than thirty seconds, the door opened. Seeing me, Damien was visibly startled. “Serena? What are you doing here? Who gave you this address?” He didn’t invite me in. He just stood sideways in the doorway, brow furrowed, looking at me. The suspicion and interrogation in his tone made me inexplicably nervous. I clutched the hem of my clothes, standing at the door like a child who’d done something wrong. All the opening lines I’d prepared on the way vanished from my mind. “Damien!” I spoke softly: “Could you please help me with something?” “My dad’s in the hospital. I urgently need money for his treatment…” Before I could finish, laughter erupted from inside. It was Fiona Ashford, Damien’s childhood friend. I’d heard Damien mention her before. “Damien, is this the new girlfriend you told me about?” “Didn’t you say last time that she wasn’t with you for money?” “No, it’s because my dad—” I tried to explain. But Fiona cut me off: “I know!” “You just have a seriously ill relative who needs money to be saved, right?” She placed her hand on Damien’s shoulder with a light laugh: “Looks like your new girlfriend is pretty clever—she’s even learned to use roundabout tactics to ask for money.” “Though this excuse is pretty old and not very original!” Fiona looked at me with contempt. “That’s not true, I’m not lying!” I quickly explained to Damien: “My dad really is sick and hospitalized.” I pulled out the crumpled diagnosis certificate from my pocket and held it up to him. But Fiona snatched it away: “Wow, you’re quite professional—even made fake medical records that look so authentic?” “Clearly an expert. You’ve probably scammed plenty of guys besides Damien, haven’t you?” One sentence branded me a con artist. Damien, who’d been half-skeptical, suddenly turned dark with anger: “And here I thought you were different from those gold-digging women.” “Turns out you’re all the same.” “I never wanted your money!” My voice cracked with tears, and I couldn’t control them as they streamed down my face. Damien froze. But Fiona beside him suddenly clicked her tongue twice: “They say tears are a woman’s best weapon.” “With acting skills like yours—crying on command—it’s a real shame you’re not in Hollywood.” Two sentences of manipulation successfully made Damien’s gaze turn cold again: “So what exactly are you doing right now?” My body stiffened. I felt petrified. Damien’s ice-cold questioning was like a frozen blade stabbing straight into my heart. I opened my mouth. But my throat felt blocked, and ultimately no sound came out. Three years of our relationship couldn’t withstand Fiona’s two sentences of instigation. I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. I didn’t say anything more. I just forced myself to wipe away my tears and turned to leave. But the next day, a hundred thousand dollars suddenly appeared in my bank account. It was transferred from Damien. Below it was a message: “Didn’t you want money? Well, here’s your chance to earn it.”

From that day on, Damien changed. He was no longer gentle or considerate. He no longer treated me like his girlfriend. Instead, he treated me like a plaything to summon and dismiss at will. When he was thirsty, I had to deliver coffee under the scorching sun. When he was hungry, I had to bring him meals I’d cooked myself. When I finally managed to deliver them, he’d dump everything in front of me. Then casually say: “I suddenly lost my appetite.” Like a game he never tired of playing. Toying with me again and again. He even made me wear revealing dresses to accompany him to cocktail parties. “So this is Damien’s girlfriend?” “You’ve kept her hidden so long and finally decided to show her off?” His friends came over with drinks, teasing him. But Damien denied it outright. “No!” “Why would I bring my girlfriend to this kind of occasion?” When his eyes swept over me, they held a trace of contempt: “She’s just a toy I bought with money!” A casual remark, yet it stabbed into my heart like a knife. The pain made it impossible to breathe. For my father’s medical bills, I couldn’t defend myself. I could only stand there stiffly. The air around me instantly solidified. The previously curious and scrutinizing gazes all turned to mockery and ridicule. “A toy? Interesting!” Damien’s friend looked me up and down lecherously. “When will you let me play with her too?” “You like this type?” Damien asked casually. “I’ll send her to you when I’m done with her!” My head snapped up, eyes wide with disbelief. I couldn’t imagine Damien would give me away like an object to someone I’d just met. “Feeling upset?” Damien watched my embarrassed and humiliated expression with interest, wrapping his arm around my waist. The corner of his mouth even held a faint smile. “Serena Locke, since you’re after money, why pretend to be so wronged?” “I didn’t lie to you.” I forced out each word through gritted teeth: “You can just investigate at the hospital.” “I really just wanted to borrow money for my dad’s medical expenses…” Before I could finish, Damien pulled me into a small room next to the hall. “You think I didn’t investigate?” “I did look into this patient.” “It’s just a pity…” With a tearing sound, Damien roughly ripped my dress. “Fiona told me it’s all fake—a fake patient.” “That’s impossible—she’s lying!” Before I could protect my clothes, a tearing pain shot through my entire body. “Damien!” My eyes widened in terror. “You can’t do this here…” This room was separated from the main hall by only a glass door. Anyone could see with just a glance. Damien’s head expertly rested on my shoulder: “Afraid your new target will see?” He pressed my head against the glass: “Serena Locke, I never realized you were so capable.” “How many men have you hooked in such a short time?” “Who’s your next target? Mr. Morrison or the Mr. Bennett?” “I didn’t—I’m not that kind of woman!” I tried to struggle free, but Damien held me firmly in place. Pain crashed over me. My whole body shuddered uncontrollably. Damien ignored my words completely. Instead, he playfully lifted a strand of my hair: “I can stop.” “But… you can forget about getting another cent from me.” Thinking of the remaining medical bills for my dad, I fell silent. “See!” Damien’s husky voice sounded: “You’re no different from those other women.” Tears rolled down the glass drop by drop. I bit my lower lip hard, trying not to make a sound.

I don’t know how long this humiliation lasted before Damien finally finished with lingering satisfaction. He straightened his perfectly unwrinkled clothes and walked straight toward the cocktail party. Leaving only one sentence: “You can leave now.” Not caring at all that my dress was torn to shreds. I understood. This was also part of Damien’s twisted pleasure. He wanted me to leave looking disheveled like this. I bit my lip. I tried to gather the remaining fabric together and limped toward the exit, enduring the pain. Despite being extremely careful, I still attracted attention from those around me. Seeing my appearance, they instantly understood: “Oh my God, to do such shameless things at this kind of occasion? I’ve seen it all now.” “Young girls these days will do anything to climb the social ladder!” “That dress is wasted on her—such a beautiful dress ruined.” Damien stood in the crowd with a faint smile, as if he had nothing to do with it, enjoying the show. I ignored them. I just lowered my head and escaped this suffocating place as quickly as possible. My phone dinged. Another hundred thousand deposited. I don’t know when it started, but my relationship with Damien had completely become a financial transaction. I thought this would be the end of it. But a few days later, someone anonymously posted compromising photos of me on the campus website. They even gave it an eye-catching title: “Female College Student Allegedly Rejected After Offering Herself to Wealthy Elite” The photo was of me at the party entrance trying desperately to cover myself. The angle was calculated to maximize my embarrassment and humiliation. Hateful comments instantly flooded the entire comment section: “This kind of girl is a disgrace to our school—she should just leave!” “Clearly desperate for money, thinking taking off her clothes will get her into a wealthy family?” “I heard she’s an honors student in her department. Who knew her private life was this messy!” “Looks decent on the outside but so disgusting inside!” “Expel her immediately, or she’ll ruin our school’s reputation!” My fingers turned white from gripping my phone so hard. My entire body trembled uncontrollably. Before I could process it all, my advisor called to inform me of the decision to expel me. “No, Ms. Parker, please let me explain!” I gripped my phone tightly, trying to stay calm: “This isn’t what it looks like online.” “This is all a misunderstanding.” After I explained desperately, Ms. Parker finally agreed to give me one more chance to prove myself. I immediately called Damien, hoping he would clarify things with the school. But he just laughed dismissively: “Aren’t you though?” One sentence left me frozen in place. “However… I’m in a good mood today!” “I can give you a chance to beg me.” So an hour later, I rushed breathlessly to the bar Damien mentioned. The room was packed with people, and Damien sat right in the center. He smiled and pointed to the table full of alcohol: “These are all gifts prepared for you.” “Drink them all, and I’ll have the dean cancel your expulsion.” He knew I was allergic to alcohol. Yet he still chose to humiliate me this way. “Fine!” But I couldn’t be expelled. I had no choice but to agree. Glass after glass. My stomach burned painfully. My face and body swelled more and more from the allergic reaction. Seeing my movements slow down, Fiona, sitting next to Damien, suddenly spoke: “Drinking so slowly? Can you afford to waste our time?” Looking at her smug, instigating expression, a realization dawned on me: Fiona liked Damien. That’s why she’d framed me repeatedly. Unfortunately, I realized this too late. Fiona had already ordered people to pin me to the ground. First, they pried open my mouth and poured alcohol in. Then they simply dumped the rest all over me. Damien just sat there watching without saying a word. My vision gradually blurred. My stomach churned with wave after wave of pain. I felt something flowing out of my body. I suddenly thought maybe it would be better to just end it all like this. Something was flowing from my body. “Blood! She’s bleeding!”

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I went missing when I was eight years old. The trauma was so severe that my mother suffered a complete mental breakdown, living her days in madness. To make her forget me, my father secretly mixed antipsychotic drugs into her meals every single day. He burned all my photos and all my clothes. “Just forget it, Claire.” “I’m doing this for your own good. We’re still young, we can have another one. If you keep acting crazy like this, it’s going to ruin my career.” My mother desperately tried to claw the pills out of her mouth, but he had her tied to the bed and injected the drugs by force. “If you keep this up, I’ll lock you in a sanitarium, and you’ll never see the light of day again.” Tears streamed down my mother’s face. She stopped speaking and was locked away by him as a lunatic for ten long years. Until the day I showed up at their door, pretending to apply for a job. My father waved me away impatiently, telling me to get lost. But my mother suddenly broke free from her restraints and ran barefoot to the front door. She gently smoothed my messy bangs: “Baby, you’re playing hide-and-seek with Mommy, and Mommy didn’t cheat.” “Mommy has been in the house, waiting for you this whole time.” … 1 Arthur’s fingers froze. Mrs. Higgins from next door was peering in, holding a grocery bag. He pulled his foot back, the look of disgust on his face instantly morphing into a bitter, helpless smile. “I’m so sorry you had to see this. Claire, she…” “Her condition has gotten worse lately. She’s even mistaking strangers for family.” As he spoke, Arthur smoothly moved in to pry my mother’s hands off me. His knuckles turned white from the force, leaving an angry red mark on the back of my mother’s hand. But my mother held onto me with a death grip. Her tangled, matted hair hid her face, revealing only a pair of wide, terrified eyes. “No… don’t go! She’s my baby! She’s my baby!” My mother shrieked, her entire body trembling violently. Arthur leaned in close, lowering his voice to a menacing whisper right in her ear. “Claire, do you want to be locked in the dark room again? Let go.” My mother’s body went completely rigid. Her fingers trembled, and she slowly released her grip. I immediately reached out and grabbed my mother’s thin, skeletal hand. “Mr. Sterling, since your wife seems to like me so much, why don’t you let me give it a try?” I looked up, flashing a bright, professional smile, and casually smoothed my mother’s disheveled bangs. “I’m a certified senior caregiver, specializing in patients with psychiatric disorders. Here are my credentials.” Without waiting for his approval, I pulled out my forged ID badge and shoved it right in his face. Mrs. Higgins chimed in from the doorway. “Oh, Arthur, since Claire doesn’t seem to reject the girl, why not let her stay and give it a try!” “Dealing with her crazy episodes day in and day out, it can’t be easy for you.” Cornered and unable to refuse without looking suspicious, a flash of dark hostility crossed Arthur’s face. “Alright then. I’ll be counting on you.” He stepped aside. The front door clicked shut, plunging the house into gloom. Arthur instantly dropped his facade, kicking the shoe cabinet with all his might. The loud crash terrified my mother; she let out a whimpering cry and shrank into the corner. “Drag her inside and scrub her clean! Don’t let that sour stench of hers near me!” Arthur loosened his tie, casting a contemptuous look at my mother before turning his gaze to me. “New girl. I don’t care who you are. In this house, there is only one rule.” He took a step closer, towering over me intimidatingly. “Obedience. I don’t like people who talk too much, and I despise people who think they’re smart. Do you understand?” I lowered my head and nodded submissively. “I understand, Mr. Sterling. I will make sure the Mrs. is ‘obedient’.” Arthur scoffed and walked into his study. I helped my mother up from the corner. Her hands were ice cold, dirt packed deep beneath her fingernails. Her wrists were encircled with dark, overlapping bruises. I guided her to the dining table. On the table sat a bowl of cold oatmeal, alongside a few white pills. Arthur walked out holding a glass of warm water. “Crush the pills, mix them into the oatmeal, and feed it to her.” He leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, watching us intently. I picked up the pills. Chlorpromazine. A heavy-duty antipsychotic. “Mr. Sterling, this dosage… isn’t it a bit high?” Arthur’s eyes turned icy. He walked over, took the spoon, and stirred the oatmeal. The spoon clinked sharply against the bowl. “Claire is very sick. How can she get better if she doesn’t take her medication? I’m doing this for her own good. For the good of this family.” He shoved the spoon into my hand. “Feed her. Don’t let her spit it out. Every single drop.” My mother stared at the bowl of oatmeal, her lips clamped tightly shut, a low, guttural moan escaping her throat. “No… poison… it’s poison…” Arthur sighed heavily, reached out, and pinched my mother’s jaw. I watched as her jawbone turned white under his crushing grip. “Claire, be a good girl. Once you eat this, you won’t feel so miserable anymore. Why do you never understand my good intentions?” Smiling, he applied more pressure, forcing her mouth open. Using my body to block his view, I quickly pinched my mother’s palm. Her eyes flickered, and she looked up at me. As I went to feed her, I used my thumb to swiftly slide the pills into my sleeve, scooping up only plain oatmeal and putting it into her mouth. “Swallow it.” Arthur commanded. My mother swallowed with obvious difficulty. Arthur stared at her throat for a few seconds. Only when he was absolutely certain she had swallowed did he let go. He wiped his fingers meticulously with a napkin. “See? That’s a good girl.” He glanced at the wall clock and adjusted his suit jacket. “I have to attend the city’s ‘Model Husband’ award ceremony tonight.” “Keep a close eye on her. Don’t let her wander around, and absolutely do not let her make those weird noises.” Arthur walked to the door, then turned back to give me one last look. “Do a good job, and your salary doubles. Screw this up… and I’ll lock you in that room right alongside her.” The front door slammed shut. My mother slumped in her chair, her eyes vacant and empty. I dropped to my knees in front of her, gently cupping her gaunt, hollowed-out face. “Mom… It’s me, Lily. I’m your Lily…” 2 My mother acted as if she hadn’t heard me, curling herself into a tight, trembling ball. “No poison… this time there’s no poison…” I buried my face in her lap and wept uncontrollably. I got lost when I was eight. I survived in an orphanage, and all these years, my only goal was to find my way back home. The TV in the living room suddenly flared to life. Arthur stood on an illuminated stage, holding a gleaming trophy, his eyes shining with unshed tears. “Truthfully, I haven’t done enough. My wife, Claire, has suffered from severe mental health issues ever since we lost our daughter.” “But I swear, no matter what happens to her, I will never, ever give up on her.” Thunderous applause erupted from the audience, and countless camera flashes illuminated his earnest face. My mother’s body convulsed violently. She grabbed the empty oatmeal bowl and hurled it at the TV screen. “Liar! Demon! He’s a demon!” I threw my arms around her, holding her tight as she thrashed wildly. I pushed up her sleeves. Her arms were covered in needle marks. Old scars layered over new ones; some of the puncture sites were oozing pus. “Mom, I’m going to kill him. I swear to you, I’m going to kill him…” I gritted my teeth, forcing the words out one by one. The sound of a key turning in the lock. I quickly wiped my tears and half-carried my mother back into her room. Arthur was home. Clinging to his arm was a heavily made-up woman, leading a little boy who looked to be about six or seven. The moment the woman stepped inside, she pinched her nose and fanned the air disgustedly. “Ugh, Arthur, this is your house? Why does it smell like a crazy person? How can anyone live in this dump?” Arthur picked up the little boy and planted a kiss on his cheek. “Buddy, this is Daddy’s… oh, I mean, this is your cousin’s house. This will be our home from now on.” The little boy, “Buddy,” held a soccer ball, his eyes darting around the room mischievously. “Cousin Arthur, where’s the crazy lady? I wanna see the crazy lady!” Buddy wriggled out of Arthur’s arms and viciously kicked a piece of the shattered porcelain bowl across the floor. I stood at the end of the hallway, watching this twisted “family of three.” Arthur looked slightly uncomfortable for a split second, but his expression quickly smoothed out. “Caregiver, this is my cousin, Maya. She’s here specifically to help me take care of Claire. And this is her son, Buddy.” He pointed at the broken porcelain on the floor. “What happened here? Did Claire throw another tantrum? Clean this up immediately, don’t let the kid cut himself.” Maya plopped down on the sofa, kicking off her high heels. “Hey, you there. Get me a glass of water first. Warm. Not too hot, not too cold. And make sure it’s fresh.” I gripped the broom handle tight, turned around, and went to get the water. Suddenly, Buddy took his soccer ball and kicked it with all his might right at the crack in the door where my mother was hiding. Smack. The heavy ball hit my mother square in the face. She let out a tortured scream and collapsed, blood gushing from her nose. “Hahaha! Bullseye! The crazy lady is bleeding!” Buddy clapped his hands, howling with laughter. I dropped the water glass and lunged forward. “Mom!” I helped her up. Her face was covered in blood, and she was shaking uncontrollably, clutching her face. “Mr. Sterling! Is this what you call taking care of her?!” I whipped my head around and glared at Arthur. Arthur frowned, walking over to look down at us imperiously. “He’s just a kid, he doesn’t know any better. They were just playing. What are you yelling for? Don’t scare the boy.” He sighed, crouched down, picked up the soccer ball, and casually dusted it off. “Claire, really now. You knew we had guests over, and you still hide there trying to scare people.” “Look, you got Buddy’s ball all dirty.” My mother’s dignity was worth less than a bastard child’s soccer ball. Maya strolled over as well. “Ew, Arthur, look how filthy she is. All covered in blood. Get her out of here before she traumatizes Buddy.” “Did you hear her? Take her inside and stop the bleeding. Stop making a scene.” Arthur handed the ball back to Buddy. I helped my mother to her feet. As we walked past the kid, I shot him a glare so cold it could freeze water. Buddy recoiled in terror and burst into loud wails. “Daddy! She glared at me! The servant glared at me!” Arthur turned around, his eyes narrowing dangerously. “Caregiver, that look in your eyes… I don’t like it.” He slowly walked right up to me. “In this house, your eyes don’t need to be too sharp. You just need to see clearly who the master is.” “If you can’t even manage that basic level of awareness, I have no problem finding a replacement for you.” 3 Late at night. The sound of Maya’s giggles and Arthur’s heavy breathing echoed from the master bedroom. The sounds bled right through the walls and into the storage closet. Ever since Maya and her brat moved in, Arthur had banished my mother to this closet. It was barely fifty square feet, windowless, and reeked of mold. My mother lay curled up on a rigid cot, groaning in agony as a high fever wracked her body. “Water… water…” I was just about to get up and pour her a glass when the door swung open. Arthur stood in the doorway, wearing a silk robe and holding a medical kit. Backlit by the hallway lights, his face was cast in shadow. “You’re being too damn loud.” He closed the door behind him. “It’s the middle of the night. What the hell are you wailing for? Are you trying to let all the neighbors know I’m abusing you?” Arthur opened the medical kit, pulled out a syringe, and drew a thick, yellow liquid into the vial. My mother stared in sheer terror, desperately trying to scramble under the cot. “No! No needles! Arthur, I’m sorry! I won’t do it again! Please!” Arthur stepped over me impatiently, grabbed her by the hair, and forcefully dragged her back onto the bed. “Claire, why can’t you just be a good girl and listen?” “This is an imported nutritional injection. It costs thousands of dollars a pop. I treat you so well, and you’re still not satisfied?” He drove his knee into my mother’s stomach, pinning her down. I huddled in the shadows behind the door, gripping my hidden voice recorder tight. I can’t move. I need to make sure he burns in hell for this. Arthur raised the syringe, gently stroking my mother’s face. “Claire, go to sleep. Once you’re asleep, it won’t hurt anymore, and you won’t remember any of those sad things.” “If you don’t go to sleep like a good girl and keep making a racket in my house, I’ll have no choice but to send you to that place.” My mother’s eyes widened in sheer panic, her body going completely rigid. The needle pierced her skin. As the liquid was pushed into her veins, my mother’s frantic struggles faded into weak, shallow pants. Arthur pulled out the needle, tossed the empty vial into the trash can, and patted my mother’s cheek in satisfaction. “Such a good girl.” He stood up and walked out, humming a cheerful little tune. The next morning, I was jolted awake by a piercing scream. In the kitchen, Maya was clutching the back of her hand, screaming bloody murder. A pot of scalding soup was splashed all over the floor. My mother stood nearby, holding an empty bowl, looking completely dazed. “Murder! The crazy bitch is trying to kill me! Arthur, help!” Only a tiny patch of skin on Maya’s hand was actually red, but she was screaming as if she were being burned alive. Arthur rushed into the kitchen. “What the hell is going on?!” Maya threw herself into Arthur’s arms and started sobbing theatrically. “Arthur, I just wanted to be nice and serve her a bowl of soup, and she threw it right at me! She’s trying to burn me alive!” My mother waved her hands frantically in panic. “No… it wasn’t… she did it…” Smack! Arthur delivered a brutal backhand across my mother’s face. “Claire, I am so incredibly disappointed in you.” He pointed a shaking finger at my mother. “Maya goes out of her way to take care of you out of the goodness of her heart. If you don’t appreciate it, fine, but to resort to such vicious violence? Have you completely lost every shred of human decency?” I stepped in front of my mother, shielding her. “Mr. Sterling, there’s something not right here. The Mrs. was standing perfectly still the entire time. It was Miss Maya who intentionally…” “Do you think you have the right to speak here?!” Arthur cut me off with icy venom. “Since this house can no longer tolerate your presence, for everyone’s safety, and so you can receive better psychiatric care…” Arthur turned back to my mother, his eyes completely devoid of warmth. “I’ll have you sent to the Serenity Grove Sanitarium tomorrow.” Arthur straightened his cuffs. “Oh, right. Tomorrow, I’ll be hosting a small, charitable farewell gathering right here. I’m inviting the media, our friends, and our family to witness it.” The corner of his mouth curled into a chilling smirk. “I want everyone to know exactly how heartbroken I am to part with you, and how I had absolutely no other choice but to send you away.” “Claire, you’ll cooperate with me… won’t you?” 4 The farewell gathering was a massive, extravagant affair. Arthur had invited local news crews. The garden was overflowing with extravagant floral arrangements and towers of champagne. The guests mingled, clinking glasses. “Arthur really is a saint. Dealing with a wife like that and still never abandoning her.” “If it were me, I would have lost it ages ago. The fact that he’s still willing to pay to send her to a private sanitarium… he’s done more than his fair share.” I stood on the fringes of the crowd, the voice recorder in my pocket practically burning a hole in my uniform. Maya strutted around playing the perfect hostess, weaving through the guests wearing my mother’s designer gown. Buddy, dressed in a tiny tailored suit, stood obediently by Arthur’s side. Arthur wheeled my mother out. The woman in the wheelchair had been dressed in a floral sundress and wore heavy makeup. Heavily sedated, my mother sat slumped in the chair like a lifeless marionette. A thick strip of medical tape was plastered over her mouth. A spotlight hit Arthur. Tears pooled in his eyes as he rested a hand gently on the handles of the wheelchair. “Friends, family… thank you all so much for coming today.” “For the past ten years, I’ve prayed every single day for a miracle. Prayed that Claire would get better. Prayed that our little girl, who was taken from us, would find her way back home…” Several guests in the audience discreetly wiped away tears. “But reality is cruel. Claire’s condition has only deteriorated, to the point where she has become violent toward the people who love her.” “To protect her from hurting herself, and to bring some peace back to our home, I am forced to make this agonizing decision.” Arthur took a deep, shaky breath. “I have decided to send Claire to a fully enclosed, intensive treatment facility. I never wanted to give up on her, but for her own safety… I have to let her go…” Thunderous applause erupted across the garden. “Arthur is an absolute saint!” “So moving! This is what true love looks like!” Soaking in the adoration, Arthur bowed deeply, then turned to push the wheelchair toward the white van stamped with “Serenity Grove Sanitarium.” Maya shot me a highly provocative, triumphant smirk. I adjusted the collar of my caregiver uniform, took a deep breath, and began walking up the steps, one by one. The exact moment Arthur’s hand reached for the wheelchair, I stepped in front of him, blocking his path. The applause died instantly. Every single pair of eyes in the garden turned to stare at me, the lowly caregiver. Arthur frowned, annoyance flashing in his eyes. “Miss, I know you’ve grown attached to Claire, and I appreciate your hard work these past few days. Please step aside. We can’t afford to miss the admission window.” He shot a subtle look, and two massive bodyguards immediately moved in. “Miss, please step back. Do you want to go to jail for causing a disturbance? Don’t force our hand.” I stared right into Arthur’s perfectly manicured face. “Mr. Sterling, an admission window?” I let out a cold, mocking laugh. My voice, amplified by the microphone near the podium, boomed across the entire estate. “Are you sending her to get treatment, or are you sending her to be slaughtered?” The crowd gasped in shock. Arthur’s face turned black with rage. “Drag her out of here! The woman has lost her mind!” The bodyguards lunged forward to grab me. I spun around swiftly and violently ripped the medical tape right off my mother’s mouth. The loud rrrip was sickeningly sharp. My mother gasped for air, looking around in sheer terror. “Mom, don’t be afraid.” I patted her hand reassuringly, then turned to face Arthur and the wall of cameras. I raised my right arm and shoved my long sleeve up past my elbow. On the inside of my wrist, a bright red, butterfly-shaped birthmark was glaringly obvious in the sunlight. The exact moment Arthur saw that birthmark, his entire body froze solid. The mask of the dignified, grieving husband completely shattered. I took a slow, deliberate step toward him, making sure I could see my own reflection in his widening eyes. I stared dead into his pupils and enunciated every single word perfectly: “Dad. It’s been ten years. Do you really not recognize your own biological daughter anymore?”

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Blood, it wouldn’t stop. I lay on the delivery bed, the overhead lights blindingly white. Someone shouted “More pressure,” people were running, the sound of shoes against the floor frantic and chaotic. My consciousness was sinking. I couldn’t feel the pain anymore. Just cold. A coldness starting from the soles of my feet. The delivery room door wasn’t shut completely. Voices drifted in from the hallway. It was my mother-in-law, Martha’s voice. She was on the phone. “…Five hundred thousand dollars, that was the agreed-upon dowry. If she doesn’t make it, can we get that money back?” I heard it perfectly clearly. Every single word. Oh, wait. That was another lifetime. The first time I met my stepmother, I slashed her arm with a knife. People told me it was this wicked woman, Nora Hayes, who stole my father and drove my mother away. I swore I would drive her out. But when I poured out the chicken soup she made, she replaced it with beef stew. When I cut up the dresses she bought me, she bought me pants instead. I thought I would never be able to get rid of her, until my fourteenth birthday, when she came to pick me up from school with a cake, and died pushing me out of the way of a speeding semi-truck. At her funeral, her mother pointed at her portrait and cursed: “You useless disappointment! Your husband gets stolen, and you still take care of the mistress’s daughter, and now she’s gotten you killed!” It turned out my mother was the mistress all along. I stumbled home, stared at the smashed cake, and belatedly made my birthday wish: “Nora Hayes, please come back to life.” When I opened my eyes again, I had returned to three days before the accident. Standing amidst the crowd of students leaving school, I saw Nora looking around for me from across the street. A middle-aged woman shoved past her, causing her to stumble and nearly fall. The woman glared at her aggressively, “Stop blocking the way!” Nora stepped back, apologizing profusely. This was Nora. Born into a family that heavily favored boys over girls, she developed a chronic people-pleasing personality. Even when her husband cheated, she helped raise the mistress’s daughter, and the result was being killed by me, the jinx. Given a second chance, my biggest wish was to stop Nora from being a pushover that anyone could bully. I walked straight over and stepped hard on the woman’s foot. “Say you’re sorry.” “Are you crazy? You stepped on me and you want me to say sorry?” “If the person who gets bumped into has to apologize to the one who bumped them, then why doesn’t the person who got stepped on have to apologize to the one who stepped on them?” Seeing that I wasn’t someone to mess with, the woman resentfully muttered a “sorry” and walked away. Nora’s eyes widened in surprise, mixed with a hint of quiet joy. “Chloe, thank you.” I kept a sullen expression and said, “Anyone can bully you. You’re so dumb, you might as well just die.” Nora smiled good-naturedly and took me home. At our front door, we found an uninvited guest—Nora’s younger brother, Kevin. “Sis, lend me a hundred grand, I want to open a small convenience store. I’m just short a hundred grand to get it started. I’m your closest brother, you can’t just ignore me.” I mentally spat in disgust. In my previous life, Nora lent him the money, and he turned around and blew it all gambling. After Nora died, Kevin and their mother signed a settlement agreement with the driver, split the million-dollar compensation, and sold off all her belongings. They even sold Nora’s organs on the black market. A guy with dollar signs in his eyes playing the loving brother? Nora sighed and let him inside. While she went to pour water, I narrowed my eyes and said to Kevin: “You degenerate gambler, you deserve to be beaten to death by loan sharks!” Kevin never expected a little brat like me to speak to him like that. Furious, he slapped me to the floor. “So what if I gamble? You little bastard, you dare stick your nose in my family’s business?” He raised his foot to kick me. Hearing the commotion, Nora rushed over and dropped the water glass in shock. “What are you doing?!” I quickly scrambled to her side, lifted my red, swollen face, and cried out: “I just asked Uncle what he was borrowing the money for, and he suddenly hit me! He even said he was borrowing it to gamble! Not to open a store at all!” Kevin cursed: “Bullshit!” Nora touched my cheek, her brow furrowed tightly, showing a rare flash of anger: “Kevin! You really haven’t changed at all! Now you’re not only gambling, but you’ve learned to hit people too! Get out!” Kevin gritted his teeth and said: “Sis, don’t listen to her. I’ve changed, I won’t gamble anymore! I really want to open a store!” “I’ll get on my knees, okay?!” Kevin dropped to his knees in front of Nora and started crying and slapping himself. “It was all my fault before! Sis, forgive me, there won’t be a next time!” I watched the shifting expressions on Nora’s face. In the past, every time Kevin came to borrow money, after a routine of crying, throwing a tantrum, and begging on his knees, Nora would always give in. This time, with my little performance, would she change? I nervously grabbed her hand. She shuddered, gripped my hand tightly, and said: “Leave. I’m not lending you the money.” “What?” Kevin couldn’t believe his ears. He suddenly exploded: “Nora, I gave you an inch and you took a mile!” “Even if you’re married, you’re still a Hayes! Your money is my money! So what if I use it to gamble?” “Nora, even if you have to go sell yourself on the street, you better scrape together that hundred grand. If you’re short even one dollar, watch out, I’ll find a few guys to—” Before he could finish, I kicked him hard in the groin. “Go sell yourself!” Kevin let out an agonizing scream and collapsed. He recovered after a moment, stood up, and reached for me with a twisted, furious face. “I’m going to rape you, then kill you!” I was about to kick him again when Nora, having grabbed a paring knife from somewhere, stepped in front of me. “If you dare touch Chloe again, I’ll kill you right now!” I looked at Nora in shock. She was trembling all over, but her eyes shot out a terrifying light, like a mother wolf protecting her cub. The paring knife I used to hurt her the first time we met was now being used to protect me. Kevin looked at Nora as if seeing her for the first time and backed away two steps. “Whoa, chill, sis, let’s just talk.” “Get the hell out!” “Fine, I’m leaving right now.” He left with a resentful look on his face. Just as he reached the door, he looked back and sneered: “Playing happy family with the mistress’s daughter, how pathetic. Does she know about all the filthy things you’ve done?” Nora’s face instantly went deathly pale. I frowned. What filthy things could Nora possibly have done? After Kevin left, Nora dropped the knife and used a cold towel to compress my face. Not long after, her mother called, launching into a tirade of curses. Usually, to keep Nora acting as their ATM, her mother would pretend to care about her. This time, with just one refusal, she showed her true colors. “If you don’t give him the money, I’m going to your office tomorrow and causing a scene!” She hung up the phone. Nora stood frozen like a stone statue. I hesitated for a moment, then went to the kitchen, made a bowl of noodles, brought it to her, and looking away, said: “Hurry up and eat, the noodles will get mushy.” “Oh, right, my face looks like this, so I can’t go to school. Take me to your company tomorrow.” “If they come causing trouble, I can be your bodyguard.” Nora paused, then suddenly pulled me into a hug. “Chloe, thank goodness I still have you.” I blushed and pulled away forcefully. The next day, Nora’s mother predictably knelt at the entrance of Nora’s company, throwing a massive fit. She wailed loudly: “Nora Hayes! You heartless, ungrateful wretch! Your brother just needs a hundred grand to save his life, and you won’t even lend it to him!” “All these years, I favored you over him, terrified you’d feel slighted! You ate better, dressed better, and had better things than your brother!” “Your brother dropped out of school early to work and pay for your master’s degree! He didn’t even finish high school, so nobody wants to hire him! Now he’s asking to borrow a hundred grand to open a small store, and you chase him out with a knife!” “Now that you’re an executive at Zenith Corp, you don’t care about your own mother and brother!” The crowd of onlookers grew larger. Nora and her boss, Vice President Chen, had also come down. People in the crowd whispered among themselves: “To have such a good mother and brother and not appreciate them!” “How did someone like her get into Zenith? They should fire her!” Nora’s mother crawled forward and hugged VP Chen’s leg. “Zenith is such a big company, you can’t let your employees abandon their own flesh and blood!” I stepped forward, held up my phone, and played a video. “So what you’re saying is, Zenith employees should just let their relatives gamble their lives away?” Nora’s mother’s face changed. Kevin’s voice came from the phone: “Your money is my money! So what if I use it to gamble?” “Nora, even if you have to go sell yourself on the street, you better scrape together that hundred grand. If you’re short even one dollar, watch out, I’ll find a few guys to—” The crowd immediately changed their tune: “Oh, so the brother was using it to gamble. No wonder the sister wouldn’t lend it.” “Threatening his sister like that for money, how vicious!” But some still said: “Even so, that sister isn’t a good person either!” Nora’s mother grasped at straws and cried: “Exactly! She’s a bitch! If he hadn’t sacrificed his education and couldn’t find a job, why would my son have turned to gambling? She owes me!” Hearing those words, the last glimmer of light in Nora’s eyes died out. She gave a miserable smile. “I’ve been working part-time since high school, and I got full scholarships every year. When did Kevin ever pay for my education? He dropped out because he couldn’t get into high school! He got addicted to gambling, and I gave up my Ph.D. to work and pay off his debts! You’re just like him, full of lies!” She pulled out her phone and opened her bank transfer history. “Over the years, you and Kevin have borrowed money from me countless times. It adds up to over a million dollars! You say I owe you? Yes, I do. I owe you a severance agreement!” Her mother’s eyes widened. “What did you say? You want to cut ties with me?” “How was I ever bad to you all these years? When you took your college entrance exams, I fed you meat and shrimp every meal. Because I favored you so much, your brother was always neglected, which is why his grades were bad, and you still feel wronged?” I feigned surprise. “Meat and shrimp? The last time she took me out to eat, I accidentally had a bite of shrimp and ended up in the ER. You treat your daughter so well, how did you not know she’s severely allergic to seafood?” Her mother was stunned. “What did you say? She’s allergic to seafood?” Nora squeezed her eyes shut in pain. “The ‘good meals’ you’re talking about were all things Kevin liked. He loves seafood, so you made seafood every day. During the period leading up to my college entrance exams, I survived on instant noodles and bread.” “On the morning of the exam, my alarm woke Kevin up, and you screamed at me, making me almost late.” “This is what you call treating me well, this is what you call favoring me!” Nora took a notebook from her bag, quickly wrote out a formal severance agreement, and threw it in her mother’s face. “From today on, we have nothing to do with each other!” Her mother looked around in a panic and turned to VP Chen. “Boss, you have to do something about her!” But VP Chen said, “Nora is an outstanding employee, and Zenith needs talent like her! As for you, you reaped what you sowed. You deserve this!” Her mother slumped to the ground, looking completely defeated. “Oh no—my daughter has disowned me, and my son is useless. Who’s going to take care of me when I’m old!” As the crowd dispersed and Nora and I were about to leave, her mother’s scream rang out from behind us: “Nora Hayes! Aren’t you afraid I’ll scorch the earth and expose your true colors?” “All those filthy things you’ve done, Richard sent them all to me!” Nora’s steps faltered. I glanced back at her mother. Richard was my father’s name. It seemed he had something on Nora and had sent it to her mother and brother. But what dirt could anyone possibly have on Nora? As I was wondering, my phone buzzed. I opened it to see a message from Richard. “Your birthday is the day after tomorrow. Your dad and his new girlfriend are taking you out to dinner.” Attached was a photo of him hugging a glamorous, young woman.

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Chapter 1 After my fifth miscarriage, my uterus was so severely damaged that I had to undergo a full hysterectomy. It felt like a death sentence. I was told I would never be a mother in this lifetime. On the day I was discharged from the hospital, I was scrolling through Reddit when I stumbled upon a thread: [What’s the best acting performance you’ve ever seen from a real person?] One of the top comments, sitting at over a million upvotes, caught my eye. [To sleep with my boss, I pretended to be his cousin. While his wife was in the hospital getting a hysterectomy, we did it seven times on their marital bed in one night. His wife didn’t suspect a thing.] [The next day, when she saw a trash bag full of used tissues, she actually thought her husband had been crying over her condition.] The replies under that comment were an absolute war zone. People were ripping her to shreds, calling her shameless and asking why she was acting like being a homewrecker was a badge of honor. But the original poster was completely unapologetic and arrogant in her responses. [What era are you people living in? What do you mean ‘homewrecker’? The one who isn’t loved is the real third wheel, okay?] [My boss told me himself: he lost feelings for his wife a long time ago. I am his only true soulmate and physical match.] I was just about to scroll past it, disgusted, when I noticed the woman’s profile picture. It was a close-up of two hands, fingers intertwined. Wasn’t that the custom wedding band I had designed for my husband? …… Staring at the photo on the glowing screen, my entire body went rigid. I had been with Mark for five years. We never raised our voices at each other, let alone had a real fight. In the eyes of our friends, we were the perfect, enviable couple. Mark did have a cousin. Her name was Chloe. She was beautiful, sweet, and an Ivy League graduate. After I suffered my fifth consecutive miscarriage, she seemed even more devastated than I was. She came over every few days to bring me homemade, nutrient-rich bone broth, insisting she was going to help me nurse my body back to health. One was the husband I trusted with my life. The other was a kind, caring, sweet “cousin.” How could they possibly betray me? I tried to click on the user’s profile to read more, but the comment had already been reported and deleted. So, I created a burner account, pretended to be a fan of her “boldness,” and requested to join the private Discord server linked in her bio. Inside the chat, someone asked her what she was really after with her boss. She posted a mirror selfie of a man’s chiseled, eight-pack abs, her text dripping with smugness. [My boss is handsome, loaded, and amazing in bed. How could anyone not fall for a man like that?] Immediately after, she sent the message that shattered my world. [Do you want to know why his wife got pregnant five times and miscarried five times?] [Because he was terrified that if she actually had a kid, she wouldn’t have any time left to spend with me. So, he started slipping saffron and other abortifacients into her prenatal vitamins.] [Who knew her body was so weak this time? She bled so much she ended up losing her entire uterus.] I stared at those glowing lines of text. My body began to shake uncontrollably. I was absolutely, horrifyingly certain now. The woman she was talking about was me. And Mark… he didn’t just cheat on me. He had personally, meticulously poisoned the prenatal supplements I took every single day. Five pregnancies. Five miscarriages. Every single time, he had been the one to carefully brew my teas, hand me my pills, and look at me with eyes full of deep, agonizing heartbreak. I thought he cherished those babies as much as I did. I had no idea that what he was truly terrified of was me actually bringing one into the world. I remembered the countless times I had leaned against his chest, looking up at him with eyes full of hope and longing. “Honey, do you want a boy or a girl?” He would always rest his chin softly on the top of my head, his voice so gentle it could melt ice. “Either is perfect. As long as it’s a piece of you, I’ll love them with all my heart.” But as it turned out, every single one of those sweet, tender words was a calculated, venomous lie. I bit down on my lip so hard I tasted blood, but I couldn’t feel the pain. Some people in the chat thought she was just making up a sick story for clout and attention. To prove them wrong, she simply unlocked her private Instagram profile, telling everyone in the Discord to go look for themselves. Chapter 2 I immediately opened her Instagram. Every single post I scrolled past felt like a knife twisting in my lungs, suffocating me. [July 15th: The lingerie my boss bought me is way too conservative. It doesn’t show off my figure at all. He should just give it to his boring wife.] That day was my birthday. He had surprised me by uncharacteristically buying me a gift. When I opened it, it was a set of black, sheer lace lingerie. Even though the sizing was completely wrong, I didn’t think much of it. I just assumed he was clueless about women’s sizing. I even put it on that night and tried my best to put on a show for him. I never realized… it was never meant for me in the first place. [August 30th: I have to go on a business trip to Chicago soon. My boss is supposed to be taking his wife on a vacation to Aspen. We won’t be able to see each other for days! But it’s okay, because my boss specifically changed his itinerary just so he could be with me.] That Aspen trip was a vacation we had been planning for over a year. I had made endless spreadsheets and itineraries. But right before we were supposed to leave, he suddenly changed the destination. He swapped our tickets to Aspen for flights to Chicago. At the time, he looked me in the eye and swore with absolute sincerity. “Babe, the altitude in Aspen is too high. Your body is still recovering, and I’m worried you won’t be able to handle it.” I had just suffered a miscarriage. I genuinely believed he was just being protective of my health. I even felt guilty for a long time, blaming my weak body for ruining his chance to visit Aspen—a place I knew he had always dreamed of going. But now, I realized just how laughably pathetic and wrong I had been. My trembling finger kept scrolling. There were so many stories. So many betrayals. Until I stopped on this one. [November 5th: The boss’s mother-in-law passed away. He missed me so much he sent me the location. We went a few rounds right behind the casket in the funeral home! We almost knocked a candle over and burned the whole place down. It was such a rush!] A violent wave of nausea hit me, and I violently dry-heaved over the side of my bed. So the fire that broke out in the back room of my mother’s funeral home wasn’t an accident. It was the result of them desperately screwing each other just feet away from my mother’s casket. The Mark I knew… was the man who, when I casually mentioned I was craving a specific pastry from a bakery across town, would drive a hundred miles in the middle of the night just to get it for me. He remembered my menstrual cycle more accurately than my own calendar app, always having a hot water bottle and pain meds ready. Whenever he brought me to company events, he would proudly introduce me to his colleagues. “This is my wife. The absolute love of my life.” I didn’t understand. How could the man who held me on such a high pedestal deceive me so flawlessly, so cruelly? Hearing my agonizing retching, Mark, who had just returned to the hospital room with breakfast, rushed over. “Babe, what’s wrong?! Are you feeling nauseous again?” He carefully rubbed my back, his voice incredibly soft and soothing. “It’s okay. You just had major surgery, the doctors said you’d feel sick for a few days. Just hold on a little longer, it’ll pass soon.” I squeezed my eyes shut, gathering every last ounce of strength I had left in my shattered body. With extreme difficulty, I raised my head and stared directly into his seemingly worried, affectionate eyes. “Mark. I know everything about you and Chloe.” Chapter 3 Mark’s cell phone suddenly started ringing in his pocket. He hastily silenced the call, turned back to me, and that mask of gentle perfection slid flawlessly back into place. “Babe, what did you just say? I didn’t quite catch that.” I pulled my gaze away from his phone and instinctively replied. “Was that Chloe calling?” The corners of his mouth twitched upward into a practiced, perfectly polite smile. “Yeah, it was. That silly girl… she’s not feeling well right now, I really need to go check on her. Can you take an Uber home by yourself today, sweetie? Is that okay?” What a flawless, impenetrable excuse. If I hadn’t seen that Reddit post, I probably would still be completely in the dark, nodding understandingly. Before I could even respond, he had already turned and practically sprinted out the door. I sat frozen on the edge of the hospital bed. My phone screen suddenly lit up. A new notification from the Discord chat popped up: [Just bought some fun new toys, I really want to try them out with him. His wife is literally in a hospital bed right now, but do you guys bet I can get him over here with a single text?] And just like that, he went. He went so eagerly, so desperately. Acting entirely on instinct, I threw on my clothes and followed him. I tracked his location app until I saw his familiar black Audi parked in an empty lot. Chloe was leaning seductively against the passenger side door. Mark power-walked over to her. They didn’t even exchange a single word before smoothly sliding into the backseat together. The heavy doors slammed shut. Less than a minute later, the SUV’s suspension began to rhythmically rock back and forth. I pulled out my phone and accessed the live feed from the hidden dashcam I had installed months ago for insurance purposes. The explicit, filthy sounds of their heavy breathing blasted into my ear through my AirPods. “Boss… tell me the truth. Between me and your wife… who do you like fucking more?” Mark’s voice lacked any of the warmth he showed me, replaced instead by a dark, degrading lust. “You, of course, you little slut! You know all the best positions, you’re always eager, and you’re younger than her. In bed, she just lays there like a dead fish.” He paused for a second before adding: “But she is the only one who can hold the title of Mrs. Davis. After all, she comes from old money, she’s an Ivy League grad, and her family’s connections are the only reason my company is still afloat.” “Besides, don’t you think sleeping with a married man is more of a rush? I have endless money to spend on you, and I know exactly how to spoil you.” My nails dug so deeply into my palms they drew blood. If I hadn’t heard the audio with my own two ears… I never would have believed that these words came from the mouth of the man I had loved and been married to for five years. In my mind, he had always been a quiet, stoic man who wasn’t great with words. But he was brilliant, reliable, and incredibly organized—which was exactly what drew me to him in the first place. When we first started dating, my parents were vehemently opposed to it. He grew up in a dirt-poor, rural farming town and was the sole financial provider for his entire extended family. The crushing financial burden of his family was entirely on his shoulders. Back then, there were countless wealthy, successful men pursuing me, but I was completely moved by his relentless, devoted pursuit. I leveraged my parents’ connections and emptied my entire trust fund to help him start his tech company. Once the company took off, we got married. Even when she brought Chloe into the company to be her “secretary,” and I found out she was his “cousin”… I personally instructed HR to pay her a salary significantly higher than standard market rate to help out his family. I never imagined it was all a meticulously crafted lie. A massive, suffocating agony crushed my heart. I lost all rational thought and sprinted blindly toward the rocking SUV. But the very next second, the engine roared to life! The heavy SUV suddenly, without any warning, accelerated and slammed directly into me. The sickening sound of bones shattering was the last thing I registered before the pain dragged me into absolute, suffocating darkness. Chapter 4 When I woke up again, Mark was sitting by my hospital bed, clutching my hand in a death grip. “Babe! You’re awake! How are you feeling?!” “Are you thirsty? I’ll go get you some water right now.” He stood up, acting as if absolutely nothing horrific had happened. I couldn’t hold it back anymore. My voice was a raw, hoarse rasp. “What exactly were you two doing in that car today?” Mark’s hand visibly stiffened. His brow furrowed. “You… you saw us?” I didn’t expose the dashcam audio. I wanted to see how far he would go to lie to my face. “No.” Hearing my denial, his facial muscles instantly relaxed, and he let out a heavy sigh of relief. “Babe, what could Chloe and I possibly be doing in a car? She’s my cousin! Did the impact from the crash scramble your brain?” “But honestly, it’s all my fault. If I hadn’t accidentally hit the gas instead of the brake, I never would have hit you. It’s all your husband’s fault.” He hit me? But right before the impact, I clearly saw through the windshield that the person who suddenly threw the car into drive and stomped on the gas was Chloe. I had even seen her flashing me a malicious, provocative smirk from the driver’s seat. To protect her, he was actually willing to take the blame for attempted vehicular manslaughter. I couldn’t help but let out a weak, chilling laugh. His cell phone suddenly rang. Using it as an excuse, he told me he had to step out to take an important work call. I slowly sat up, intending to find a nurse to change my bandages. But as I walked past the hospital stairwell… The sound of muffled, suppressed sobbing echoed clearly through the heavy fire door. Chloe had her face buried in Mark’s chest, her shoulders shaking violently. “Boss… do you think your wife knows? If she finds out, does that mean I can’t stay by your side anymore?” Mark wrapped his arms tightly around her, comforting her in a low, hushed whisper. “Stop overthinking it. I tested the waters; she didn’t suspect a thing. But moving forward, we have to be much more careful…” “How are we supposed to be careful…” Chloe’s tearful, whining voice suddenly turned seductive. I saw her hand slide suggestively under his shirt. “I need you to comfort me right now.” “You little slut. I’ll give you exactly what you need.” Mark let out a dark chuckle. Immediately following it, the sickening, wet sounds of kissing and the rustle of clothing echoed through the stairwell. I whipped around and stumbled blindly back to my hospital room, locking myself in the attached bathroom. I hovered over the toilet, dry-heaving violently until my throat burned. I thought that after seeing the true, horrific face of this man, my heart would be numb. But witnessing it with my own eyes again… the agonizing grief was still unbearable. After I finished throwing up, I splashed freezing water on my face. Then, I pulled out my phone and dialed my lawyer’s number. “Hello. I need you to draft a divorce agreement. I want Mark Davis to walk away with absolutely nothing.” Just as I hung up the phone, Mark pushed open the bathroom door. “Babe, who were you just on the phone with?” He asked with practiced, casual ease. “A coworker from the firm. Asking about a project timeline.” I lowered my eyes, offering a flat, dismissive lie. He sat down next to me, instinctively reaching out to put his arm around my shoulder. “Oh, by the way. Our wedding anniversary is in three days. I promised you I would make every anniversary unforgettable. Let’s celebrate properly this year, okay?” I slowly raised my head, staring deep into the eyes that were filled with nothing but fabricated, sickening devotion, and nodded. “Okay.” If that was the case… then on our anniversary, I would give him a gift he would truly never forget.

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To celebrate Stella Montgomery’s promotion and raise, Ethan Wright took the two of us high-altitude skydiving. I never expected our parachutes to get tangled in mid-air. Without a second of hesitation, Ethan cut my parachute strap. It caused me to descend entirely too fast, and the brutal impact of the landing shattered my heel ligaments, forcing me to say goodbye to my figure skating career forever. I asked Ethan why he didn’t save me. He held a terrified, crying Stella in his arms, comforting her flawlessly, before replying to me with chilling coldness: “It was Stella’s first time skydiving. She has no experience. Of course I had to save her first. Besides, you’re fine. Why are you throwing such a massive tantrum?” I didn’t cry. I didn’t scream. I simply went home and wrote the incident down in my blue leather journal. This was the thirtieth time I had forgiven Ethan Wright. 1 “Maya Caldwell, right? I heard you practically free-fell from fifty feet up.” “I don’t know whether to call you incredibly lucky or just insanely tough. You actually walked into the hospital by yourself. Thank God it’s just torn ligaments.” The ER doctor shook his head in disbelief, muttering as he applied the cooling ointment to my foot. I offered a bitter smile. Stella had started crying before her feet even touched the grass. Ethan had been by her side the entire time, speaking in soft, gentle whispers. From beginning to end, he hadn’t looked at me once. My right ankle was swollen to twice its normal size, but I couldn’t feel the pain. “Doctor, how long will it take to heal?” His expression turned serious. “It won’t take too long to recover, but even when it’s completely healed, there will be lingering joint weakness. You likely won’t be able to perform any high-impact, flexible movements ever again.” “It’s a real shame. You’re so young.” With a look of deep pity, the doctor sighed heavily and left the room. The World Figure Skating Championships were just around the corner. I had been preparing for this for three years. I trained relentlessly every single day, accumulating countless bruises on my body, all just to secure a top spot on the podium. But the doctor’s words were a death sentence for my career. Years of blood, sweat, and tears vanished into thin air. I sat frozen on the hospital bed, my body instantly drained of all its strength. Right then, Ethan walked into the room, with Stella following closely behind him. He looked at me with a face full of manufactured worry. “Maya, why didn’t you tell me you were coming to the hospital? You had me looking everywhere for you.” I unconsciously gripped the metal bedrail. My knuckles turned white. Ethan was the skydiving club’s ace instructor. He was fully capable of perfectly resolving any mid-air entanglement. But he chose his “white moonlight” without a second thought. Even now, his words from the drop zone echoed in my mind. “It was Stella’s first time skydiving. She has no experience. Of course I had to save her first. Besides, you’re fine. Why are you throwing such a massive tantrum?” But the truth was, he could have saved both me and Stella. And I wouldn’t have been injured at all. Seeing my lack of response, Ethan stepped closer and reached for my hand. I dodged his touch. He froze, his face instantly darkening. “I said I was sorry, okay? I’m apologizing to you. Are you satisfied now?” “Every time something minor happens, you give me the silent treatment and throw a fit. It gets exhausting for me too, you know.” Ethan’s words were like a needle, violently stabbing into my heart. He had no idea that the consequences of his “minor thing” meant I could never be an athlete again. Stella put on a pitiful, teary-eyed expression. “I’m so sorry, Maya. This is all my fault. You can ask me for any compensation you want, just please don’t blame Ethan.” Before I could even open my mouth. Ethan immediately shifted back to comforting her. “Stella, you’re too kind. It’s not your fault, you don’t need to apologize to her.” Watching their sickeningly intimate display, a heavy wave of grievance washed over me. Somehow, I was the one in the wrong. My face remained perfectly calm. “Can you two leave? I’m tired and I want to rest.” Stella looked awkward, then suddenly clutched her chest, her face twisting in pain. “Ethan… my chest hurts so much.” Ethan panicked. He quickly supported her weight and practically carried her out of the room, shouting loudly for a nurse. His frantic anxiety was a stark contrast to the cold annoyance he had just shown me. It was like looking at two completely different people. The next day, I went back to our apartment and opened the blue journal. Every time Ethan did something that profoundly disappointed me, I wrote it down. Then, I would forgive him and pretend nothing happened. The day the journal was full would be the day I finally left him. There were only three pages left. Not long after, the sound of a key turning in the lock echoed from the front door. It was Ethan. Seeing me sitting in the living room, his tone was slightly panicked. “Why didn’t you call me when you were discharged?” He unnaturally adjusted his jacket collar, as if trying to hide something. But I had already seen the faint smear of red lipstick on his shirt. “I figured you were busy,” I said flatly. At that moment, my best friend Harper texted me. Ethan’s eyes fell on my glowing phone screen. He looked confused. “Maya, when did you change your lock screen? Hasn’t it always been that photo of us?” Every time I forgave Ethan… I stripped a little piece of him out of my life. That way, when the time came to leave, it wouldn’t feel like I was losing everything all at once. “I’d used that photo for too long,” I said expressionlessly. “I just wanted a change of mood.” Ethan sensed that something was off. His face softened. He reached out and grabbed my hand, his voice dipping into an intimate, gentle tone. “Maya, I know what I said yesterday was harsh. It won’t happen again. Forgive me, please?” He was always like this. He genuinely believed that the moment he apologized, everything was magically fixed. I pulled my hand back and gave a detached nod. “Okay.” Ethan frowned slightly, clearly unsatisfied with my lukewarm reaction. If this were any other day, he would have lost his patience. But this time, he actually tried to flatter me. “Haven’t you always wanted to drive up to the historic St. Jude’s Mission in the mountains to light a candle? I’ll take a day off work and drive you up there.” Harper had once told me that whoever lights a candle at that historic mission with a sincere heart gets their wishes granted. I used to beg Ethan to take me. But he would just look at me with intense annoyance. “That stuff is a complete tourist trap. Only idiots believe in it. You’re a grown woman, why are you so childish?” But then, his white moonlight, Stella, returned from out of state. I never brought the mission up again. “My foot is injured, it’s not convenient,” I replied. “Maybe next time.” Ethan looked disappointed, but he didn’t push it. He tossed his jacket onto the sofa and walked into the bathroom to shower. A few minutes later, his phone buzzed with a text notification. Curious, I picked it up. It was from Stella. “Ethan, I’m all ready! When are you coming to pick me up?” I swiped the screen, wanting to see what they had talked about earlier. But I hit a lock screen. The passcode had been changed. It was no longer my birthday. I let out a self-deprecating laugh and placed the phone exactly where I found it. Ethan walked out wrapped in a towel, water droplets still clinging to his hair. He checked his phone, then frantically started throwing on his clothes. “Maya, there’s an emergency at the club. I’ll be back as soon as I handle it.” He tossed the excuse over his shoulder and rushed out the door without looking back. I sat there in a daze for a long time. It wasn’t until the clinic called to remind me about my bandage change that I finally snapped out of it. I had no appetite. I called an Uber and went to the clinic alone. Before changing the dressing, I had to undergo a painful physical therapy massage. Seeing that I was alone again, the doctor didn’t ask any questions. Right then, Stella sent me a photo. She was linking arms intimately with Ethan. The background was the iconic bell tower of St. Jude’s Mission. A minute later, the photo was un-sent. I pretended I never saw it, but my entire body felt like it had been plunged into an ice bath. As soon as I got home, Stella posted on her Instagram story. It was a photo of Ethan kneeling in front of the altar, hands clasped together, looking like he was praying deeply for something. The caption read: “I never believed in fate, but right now, you are my god.” I knew Stella did it on purpose. I thought I was completely numb to it by now, but my mind was still a chaotic mess. I leaned back against the sofa and fell into a groggy sleep. In my haze, I felt someone gently stroking my cheek. I opened my eyes to see Ethan. He was pulling a warm blanket over my shoulders. “Maya, why are you sleeping out here? You’ll catch a cold.” “Are you done with the club emergency?” I asked flatly. He didn’t answer. He just looked at me with deep, manufactured affection. “Guess what I did today?” I forced a tight smile, pretending I didn’t know, and shook my head. Ethan pulled a small, golden Saint Christopher medal from his pocket, looking incredibly proud of himself. “I drove all the way up to the mission to get you a blessed protection charm. The priest said that whoever wears this is guaranteed a safe, long, and healthy life.” “This way, we can grow old together.” I stared at the trinket in his hand. It looked incredibly familiar. Harper had once complained to me about a similar situation. Her ex had come back from a “business trip” and gifted her a blessed charm from a famous church. Later, she found out he had bought it for three dollars at a gas station souvenir stand on his way home. She fought with him for days over it. I had been the one to comfort her, telling her it was the thought that counted. I never expected something so utterly ridiculous to happen to me. Thinking about Stella’s Instagram post, I lowered my eyes, my fingers gripping the fabric of my dress tightly. Ethan didn’t notice my silence. He pressed a soft kiss to my forehead. “Tomorrow is our three-year anniversary. I managed to get a reservation at that French restaurant you’ve been dying to go to. Are you happy?” I thought he had forgotten. If this were the past, I would have been thrilled. I would have thrown my arms around his neck and acted like a giddy little girl. But now, my heart felt absolutely nothing. After dinner, Ethan seemed exhausted. He collapsed into bed and fell into a deep sleep within minutes. I pulled out the blue journal. I stared at the second-to-last page for a long time, but ultimately decided not to write today’s events down. The next day, I made a point to wear the sapphire blue dress Ethan had bought me. He smiled like a lovesick fool as he helped me into the passenger seat. But when we arrived at the restaurant doors, I saw Stella standing there. “Ethan! You took so long.” Stella pouted, treating me like I was invisible as she immediately grabbed Ethan’s wrist and swung it playfully. Seeing my face drop, Ethan looked incredibly guilty and scrambled to explain. “Maya, Stella has always wanted to try this place. When she heard we got a table, she begged to tag along. I didn’t have a chance to tell you.” Stella smiled, but her eyes were full of mockery. “Maya is so generous. I’m sure she doesn’t mind, right?” I knew arguing was pointless. It would only end with me getting hurt. I just nodded in agreement. We sat down at our reserved table. The waiter handed the menus to Ethan and Stella, asking, “What can I get for you two this evening?” Stella was dressed to the nines, dripping in expensive, flashy jewelry. Compared to her, I looked like a plain, simple assistant tagging along with a wealthy couple. It was no wonder the waiter mistook them for the couple celebrating. Stella looked incredibly smug. She started ordering dishes without asking me, and Ethan just watched her, his eyes full of absolute indulgence. I sat there expressionless. My soul was already dead. The dinner was suffocatingly awkward. I completely lost my appetite. I just sat there, waiting for the torture to end. Suddenly, my mom called. I reached to answer it, but Stella snatched my phone out of my hand. “The restaurant has a strict no-phone policy. You’re going to ruin the ambiance for the other guests.” I was instantly furious. My mom would never call me during dinner unless it was an absolute emergency. As I reached to snatch it back, Stella purposely loosened her grip. The phone slipped from her fingers and splashed directly into her bowl of hot bisque, splattering soup onto her face. Ethan shot up from his chair, glaring at me furiously. “Stella was just trying to give you a polite reminder! Do you have no basic manners?! If you burned her face, I swear to God I would never forgive you!” I desperately reached into the bowl to grab my phone, but the screen was already completely black. It was dead. Seeing that I was ignoring him, Ethan’s rage flared even hotter. “Apologize to Stella right now!” I slowly raised my head, looking at him in a daze. Meeting his chilling, ruthlessly cold eyes, I felt like I was looking at a complete stranger. Once upon a time, he protected me so fiercely he wouldn’t even let me wash dishes with cold water. Stella immediately played the innocent victim. “Ethan, please don’t fight with Maya over me. It makes me feel so guilty.” They looked deeply, tragically in love. It was like watching a cheap soap opera. Unable to stomach another second of it, I stood up and walked out of the restaurant. By the time I found an AT&T store and bought a new phone, several hours had passed. I hurriedly called my mom back. But the news on the other end of the line left me paralyzed on the sidewalk. “Sweetheart… Grandma is gone.” I walked home like a lifeless puppet. Staring at the framed photo of me and my grandma on the windowsill, the tears finally broke through the dam. Because Stella had ruined my phone, and Ethan had delayed me. I missed my very last chance to say goodbye to my grandmother. A while later, Ethan rushed through the front door. “Maya, I’m so sorry, I had no idea that was going to happen—” A deep, visceral disgust flared in my chest. I cut him off. “Get out. I don’t want to see your face right now.” He froze, then quietly closed the bedroom door and left. Once my emotions finally settled, I opened the blue journal and completely filled out the second-to-last page. For the next few days, I didn’t say a single word to Ethan. He was tactful enough to stay quiet, just silently keeping me company in the apartment. He didn’t even go to the skydiving club. Then, out of nowhere, Ethan spoke up. “Maya, Stella is hosting a celebration party at a lounge this weekend. She said she wants you to come so she can personally apologize for what happened.” It seemed they had coordinated their story. I didn’t want to go, but Ethan kept relentlessly nagging me about it. Annoyed by his constant buzzing, and thinking it over, I decided to go just to make things clear once and for all. That night, Ethan took me to a VIP room at an upscale lounge. When he pushed the door open, Stella was sitting there with several of her friends. “Ethan! Finally! We were all waiting for you.” Stella completely ignored my existence, grabbed Ethan’s arm, and pulled him inside. There was absolutely zero intention of apologizing. I didn’t want to cause a massive scene and embarrass Ethan in public, so I gritted my teeth and followed them in. After a few drinks and some karaoke, people started getting bored. Someone suggested playing a game of Dares with a deck of cards. Everyone agreed enthusiastically, and Ethan and I were pulled into the circle. For the first round, one of Stella’s friends acted as the “Dealer.” He looked around the room and commanded that whoever held the Ace of Spades and the 3 of Hearts had to make out for thirty seconds. The two cards just happened to be in Ethan and Stella’s hands. My heart skipped a beat. The dare wasn’t strictly mandatory. If you absolutely couldn’t do it, you could just drink the penalty shots and move on to the next round. Stella looked at me with a perfectly crafted, awkward smile. Just as she reached for the penalty shots, Ethan stopped her hand. “You’re allergic to alcohol, remember? You can’t drink that.” “But Maya will be so angry…” Ethan brushed it off casually. “It’s just a stupid party game. Maya isn’t that petty.” They locked eyes, and then they kissed. They didn’t stop at thirty seconds. They kissed for a full minute before reluctantly pulling apart. The room erupted in cheers and catcalls, acting as if I wasn’t sitting right there. Stella shot me a triumphant look, a mocking smirk playing on her lips. She was showing off her ultimate victory. My heart sank to the bottom of the ocean. All I wanted to do was escape. A few rounds later, it was my turn to be the Dealer. Coincidentally, Stella was drawn again, but this time her kissing partner was another guy in the room. Without a second of hesitation, Ethan stepped in and slammed back the penalty shots on her behalf. He had a terrible alcohol tolerance, and after a few heavy pours, he was completely drunk. I made a quick excuse, supported his weight, and left the lounge early. When we got back to the apartment, Ethan held my hand tightly on the bed, mumbling incoherently. I leaned in closer to hear him. “I miss you… I miss you so much every single day… I love you…” “Stella.” In that instant, my entire body turned to stone. I trembled uncontrollably. The tears fell silently down my cheeks before I even realized I was crying. I couldn’t wrap my head around it. Even when Ethan was black-out drunk, his subconscious was entirely consumed by Stella.

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Chapter 1 My husband’s new favorite pet was a “strong, independent woman.” After getting into yet another argument with her, Arthur Sterling came home drunk and suddenly grabbed my calloused hands. “You’re both women, but Chloe just campaigned for and won the CFO position. Look at you. All you know how to do is fight the maid for chores.” From then on, his catchphrase became, “Look at Chloe.” But I continued to tirelessly serve my in-laws, playing the role of the perfect, dutiful wife both in public and in private. That is, until Chloe was exposed online for rejecting seven or eight sugar daddies who tried to keep her, and posted a lengthy manifesto about female independence. Arthur liked the post and left a thinly veiled, sarcastic comment: “You’re still the most pragmatic one in our circle.” “How is it that back then, you were willing to strip naked and climb into my bed for just a few thousand bucks?” He thought I would accept his degradation just like I always did. Instead, I took off my wedding ring and said calmly: “Since she’s better than me in every way, you should marry her and make her Mrs. Sterling.” … I paused for a moment. “I’m serious. Let’s get a divorce.” When those words left my mouth with absolute clarity, the smile on Arthur’s face completely froze. Then, a knowing smirk replaced it. “There’s another thing you can’t compare to her in.” “Chloe has ambition and capital. But you? You’ve relied on me to support you your entire life. You don’t even have the backbone to ask for a divorce.” My fingers trembled violently. To this day, I still remember how my father, desperate to plug a massive hole in his business finances, drugged me and delivered me to Arthur’s bed. At the time, Arthur and I were deeply in love; we were in that beautiful, ambiguous stage, and he had even prepared an engagement ring for me. But when we woke up the next morning, my father burst into the room, forced Arthur to take responsibility, and walked away completely satisfied with a fifty-thousand-dollar payoff. The pure, enduring love Arthur and I shared in our youth was destroyed right then and there. On the day he was forced to marry me, Arthur publicly mocked me, calling me a gold digger worth exactly fifty thousand dollars. Later, when my mother fell critically ill, he had his men deliver three entire safes filled entirely with discount coupons. “It’s time you learned to support yourself. The wife of Arthur Sterling shouldn’t be a useless parasite who only knows how to hold her hand out for money.” That was when I finally understood that my genuine feelings were worthless. My expression was uncharacteristically stoic. Arthur hesitated, about to step forward, when the doorbell rang abruptly. When Chloe Hayes appeared at the door, Arthur visibly panicked for a split second. Because he had promised me that no matter who he was with, he would never bring his mess to my doorstep. Clearly, Chloe was the exception to that rule. The young woman held a thick stack of receipts, speaking with an exasperated sigh: “Mrs. Sterling, your expenses through the company account lately have been far too high, and many of them are completely unnecessary.” “It’s incredibly difficult for Mr. Sterling to run this company. The least you could do is be a little more considerate of him. Am I right?” My face flushed with humiliation, my chest feeling like it was stuffed with cotton. Ever since Chloe joined the company, every single one of my expenses had to go through her for approval. The medical and nursing care bills for my in-laws often sat pending for half a month with no response. When I went to Arthur to complain, he would just compare me to her, saying I wasn’t as frugal and thrifty as Chloe. He said all I knew how to do was ask for money. But the amount spent on me personally was microscopic. The dress I was wearing right now was from three years ago. Arthur flipped through the stack of receipts, obvious disgust written all over his face. “Chloe is right. Go to the office tomorrow and return the luxury items. You really don’t need things of that quality.” My fingernails dug deep into my palms. “Those receipts aren’t mine.” As soon as the words left my mouth, Chloe, acting as if I was giving her attitude, turned and ran off, looking incredibly wronged. Arthur stared in the direction she disappeared, completely oblivious to the fact that he had knocked over a carafe of freshly boiled water right onto my leg. “From now on, Chloe is the manager of this household. I’ll thank my lucky stars if you manage to learn even a fraction of what she knows!” With that, Arthur slammed the door and left. I pulled the fabric away from my leg; the skin was blistered and raw, a horrifying sight. But he couldn’t see it at all. I quickly treated the burn, then called a lawyer: “Help me draft a divorce agreement.” Chapter 2 When I went to the hospital to get my burn dressed, I stared at the $263 medical bill, at a loss. “I’m so sorry, I’ll be right back with the money,” I said, embarrassed. The billing clerk’s jaw dropped. The wife of Arthur Sterling, a woman who could buy the entire hospital with pocket change, actually needed to borrow money to pay a tiny medical bill. I had to contact an old friend from the past just to cover the fee. The moment I walked out of the hospital, I received a text from Arthur urging me to return the items. When I arrived at the company carrying the “luxury items” I had bought over the years, the employees around me began whispering. “They say you can tell where a man’s heart is by where he spends his money. I didn’t expect Mrs. Sterling to look so pathetic.” “If she had even half of Assistant Chloe’s ambition, she wouldn’t have sunk so low.” “Her virginity was only worth fifty grand, anyway. This pile of junk is probably worth more than she is, hahaha!” … I forced myself to stay calm and didn’t lash out. Chloe marched over, leading a large group of employees from her department. She glanced into the bag in my hand and fanned the air in front of her nose in disgust. “Mrs. Sterling, you spent all that money and only bought this? I don’t believe it.” The black trash bag held a few pieces of jewelry worth less than a thousand dollars total—bought solely to play the part of the dutiful wife when accompanying Arthur to banquets. The rest was just faded, overworn clothes and a few pairs of high heels with broken stilettos. Everything else in the bag was adult diapers and empty prescription bottles for my in-laws. My entire life over the past few years amounted to nothing more than this. I handed over the keys to the house along with the bag. “If you don’t believe me, you can go search the house.” Chloe excitedly snatched the keys, tucking them into her designer bag as if they were a priceless treasure. Then, she looked me up and down, examining the clothes I was wearing. “These were bought with Mr. Sterling’s money too, right? They’re designer, after all. Please take them off, Mrs. Sterling.” Instantly, the employees erupted into mocking laughter. I tried my best to steady my emotions. “I am not going to…” “If Chloe tells you to take them off, take them off. It’s not like you haven’t stripped for money before.” I snapped my head up in shock. When I realized the voice belonged to Arthur, the blood in my veins turned to ice. Back in college, I had accidentally wandered into the wrong nightclub. Three or four drunk men threatened me with knives, demanding I strip or they wouldn’t let me leave. I had barely exposed one shoulder when Arthur rushed in, armed with broken beer bottles, and permanently blinded them right then and there. “If you dare look at her again, I’ll make sure you never see tomorrow!” And now, he was telling me to strip naked in front of all his employees. I smiled, closed my eyes, gritted my teeth, and took off my scarf. Then, I unbuttoned my coat, revealing my bra underneath. The crowd gasped sharply. But my movements didn’t stop. Until I was down to my very last piece of clothing. “Enough!” Arthur frowned, his expression complicated, and roughly threw his jacket at me. “If you don’t have any shame, I do!” Ignoring the mocking stares around me, I handed him the divorce agreement I had prepared in advance. “I’ve returned everything I owe. Let’s get a divorce.” Arthur’s body stiffened for a second, then he grabbed a pen and signed his name with a flourish. “Don’t think these little tricks will scare me. I’m giving you three days. I’ll be waiting for you to crawl back and beg me!” Dropping that threat, he turned and marched back into his office, slamming the door behind him. Chloe used the pointed toe of her stiletto to kick all the clothes I had taken off into the trash can. Barely covered, I picked up the divorce agreement and stepped into the elevator under the malicious gazes of everyone present. The moment I stepped out of the company building, my mother called me, sounding frantic: “Stella! Arthur auctioned off my ancestral home!” Chapter 3 Immediately following that, my mother’s agonizing sobs were abruptly cut off, sounding as if she had been crushed by something heavy. By the time I rushed to the scene, my mother had been pinned under a massive solid wood cabinet, barely clinging to life. “Stella, don’t go begging him.” My numb face was covered in tears. Holding the gold bangle Arthur had given me on our wedding day, I begged the demolition crew to stop. But the bangle was ruthlessly smacked out of my hand. “Do you think we’re idiots? This is cheap metal plated with a thin layer of gold! Do I look like a scrap metal collector to you?!” My brain was buzzing. The crisp clink of the bangle hitting the ground smashed directly into my heart. So, in Arthur’s heart, I was only worth cheap, gold-plated scrap metal. After getting my mother into the emergency room, I broke down and called Arthur. “What right do you have to touch my mother’s ancestral home?! Your people crushed her and put her in the hospital!” Arthur’s slow, deliberate voice carried an air of absolute self-righteousness: “Who told your mother to go online and spread rumors that Chloe is a homewrecker? Chloe works tirelessly for the good of this company. What right does a woman who sold her own daughter have to slander her?” “And besides, there’s no need to curse your own mother just to scare me. I don’t buy it.” “If you really want the ancestral home back, you can come to the auction and get it yourself.” With that, he hung up. A doctor walked over to inform me: “Due to massive internal crushing injuries, the patient has just passed away.” I collapsed to the floor, drained of all strength. I couldn’t even cry anymore. When I arrived at the auction, Chloe was dripping in gold and diamonds, clinging to Arthur’s arm like she was the true Mrs. Sterling. Any random gemstone necklace she pointed at would have easily covered the cost of my mother’s surgery. The surrounding crowd cast disdainful looks my way. “She’s really Mrs. Sterling? I didn’t expect her to look so pathetic!” “Her hands are rougher than my maid’s. If you didn’t know better, you’d think she was the help who wandered in by mistake, hahaha.” “Mr. Sterling obviously knows she’s an embarrassment, which is why he brought Miss Hayes here to play. He just bought her three million dollars’ worth of jewelry!” … These mocking words meant absolutely nothing to me now compared to my mother’s only remaining possession. I stumbled over to Arthur in a daze, my voice dead and monotone: “My mom passed away. Give the ancestral home back to me.” He slowly put out his cigarette, his face twisting in disgust. “You really can’t stop spewing lies, can you?” “Too bad I can’t give it back anyway. Chloe already sold it to a homeless man a few minutes ago.” I snapped my head up in shock. He knew perfectly well that my mother had protected that ancestral home with her life so my father wouldn’t sell it off. Chloe walked over, putting on an act of immense generosity. “The homeless man at the door was just so pitiful. I was just trying to do a good deed in Mrs. Sterling’s name, otherwise…” Then, she leaned in close and whispered in my ear: “Otherwise, your mother wouldn’t have been crushed to death.” The woman’s vicious, twisted face magnified in my vision. Suddenly, I remembered the single earring I had found in the rubble of the house earlier—it perfectly matched the one missing from her ear right now! In that instant, pure fury completely incinerated my rationality. Gritting my teeth, I swung my hand and slapped her right down the stairs. Chapter 4 As Chloe screamed and tumbled down the steps, the crowd gasped in shock. “Stella, are you a fucking psycho?!” Arthur sped past me, rushing down the stairs to help the woman up, his gaze bone-chillingly cold. Chloe collapsed weakly into his arms, coughing non-stop: “I don’t even know how I offended Mrs. Sterling. Whenever she disciplines me in private, I never tell anyone, but she shouldn’t embarrass you like this, Mr. Sterling, sob…” As she spoke, she casually exposed the bruises on her arms and thighs, looking like the ultimate victim. The onlookers cast judgmental stares at me. Arthur stood up and, without warning, slapped me hard across the face, his eyes nearly popping out of his head with rage: “Have you forgotten every rule the Sterling family taught you?! Get down there and apologize right now!” My eyes were bloodshot: “Never! She killed my mother, are you blind?!” Acting as if he hadn’t heard me, Arthur pulled out his phone right in front of me and dialed the demolition crew. Gritting his teeth, he threatened: “Apologize!” I shook my head in terror, easily imagining the ancestral home being reduced to absolute rubble. “No, don’t!” Under Arthur’s threatening glare, I stumbled to my feet and walked over to Chloe. “I! Am! Sorry!” She smiled smugly, striking the pose of a victor. Arthur wrapped his arm around her waist, looking down at me from his high horse. “Here’s five bucks. Go find the homeless man and get the deed.” With that, Arthur carefully scooped the woman up and carried her toward the medical bay. I humiliatingly picked up the crumpled five-dollar bill from the floor. The guests were laughing so hard they were bent over. “Hahahaha!” “First she stripped and climbed into his bed for fifty grand, and now she’s going to beg a homeless man for five bucks. How pathetic.” I stumbled away, listening to their insults. Arthur, I no longer care for the fake love you doled out like charity. Just as I turned to leave, Chloe’s supposedly dropped phone lit up with a notification: “Understood, we are beginning demolition immediately!” My heart plummeted. I shoved everyone out of my way and sprinted out of the auction house. Arthur stared deeply at my retreating back. He was about to call out to me when Chloe interrupted him. “My ankle hurts so much.” He withdrew his gaze and sped up his pace toward the medical bay. By the time I reached the ancestral home, the workers were already operating excavators, leveling the perimeter walls. “Stop! I said stop!” The deafening roar of the machinery completely drowned out my pleas. Just then, a pair of greasy, filthy hands grabbed me and threw me aside. “I bought this house with my own money! Who told you to demolish it?! Give me my money back!” The deranged homeless man began smashing a rock against my head, each blow harder than the last. My agonizing screams grew weaker and weaker until blood completely blinded my eyes. With one final, brutal strike, my strength gave out and I collapsed to the ground. Arthur had refused Chloe’s request to have dinner with her, instead driving straight to the ancestral home. The moment he stepped out of his car, a passing homeless man, fiddling with a blood-stained five-dollar bill, muttered to himself: “That chick had some serious fight in her. Maybe she’ll give me a big, fat son!” Arthur froze in his tracks. He violently grabbed the man by the collar, his eyes practically bulging out of his skull: “Who the fuck are you talking about?!” The homeless man trembled violently, unable to form a complete sentence: “I… I don’t know her! She just ran in earlier, so I knocked her out and…” Arthur’s eyes widened in horror. He threw the man to the ground and sprinted into the alleyway. But the sprawling ancestral home had already been reduced to a pile of rubble. The workers were still wantonly destroying what was left. Arthur roared at the top of his lungs: “Stop! All of you, stop right now!” The foreman saw him and ran over, bowing and scraping: “Mr. Sterling, are you satisfied? We followed your orders exactly; not a single brick will be left standing.” Arthur frowned deeply. “What are you talking about?” “When did I ever tell you to demolish it?” The foreman immediately pulled out his phone, showing a recent call log. “Your secretary called us just a little while ago and told us to start working. Doesn’t her order represent your order?” Hearing this, Arthur’s breath hitched. Just as he was about to verify the call, he accidentally noticed the ground completely covered in blood. “What… what is this? Right, my wife was just here. Where is she?” The workers scratched their heads in confusion. “We were working too hard, we didn’t see what happened.” But the purse on the ground, and the pair of blood-stained high heels… those belonged to Stella. Connecting this with what the homeless man had just said, his brain completely short-circuited. He had only wanted to use this opportunity to punish Stella and her mother. But he had never intended to actually demolish the ancestral home, nor had he ever imagined a homeless man would hurt Stella. Arthur erupted in a violent rage: “Restore this house to exactly how it was immediately, or I’ll end all of you!” Dropping that threat, he gathered the scattered belongings from the ground and rushed home. On the way, he called Stella’s phone over and over again, but it remained unanswered. He slammed his fists against the steering wheel, furious, having nowhere to vent his guilt. Ever since Stella’s father delivered her to his bed, he had started to hate her. Could it be that the two of them, who had originally loved each other so deeply, only came together because of money? So he constantly tested her, constantly pushed her limits. He wanted to prove that Stella loved him unconditionally. But he never anticipated that it would lead to a situation like this. Stella’s most cherished ancestral home, and even her purity, had been destroyed. When he arrived home, the nanny rushed up to him, sweating profusely. “Mr. Sterling, someone came by earlier and took the Madam’s belongings, and they left a message for you.” “What message?!” “The Madam said she has already divorced you, and she will never return to the Sterling household again.” Hearing this, Arthur nearly lost his footing. Only then did he remember that he had already signed the divorce agreement today. It turned out Stella wasn’t just throwing a tantrum; she really wanted a divorce. “That… that’s impossible.” Looking at the empty room, he couldn’t believe Stella would never come back. “She must just be mad at me. How dare Chloe act on her own?!” The man’s eyes were bloodshot, his anger surging, as he sped towards the company. But as he passed the breakroom, he heard Chloe laughing uproariously: “It was just a rundown old house, nothing special. Turning it into a garbage dump was doing her a favor.” “You guys should have seen it! When I told her her mother had been crushed to death, the look on her face was priceless, hahaha!” “Right now, she’s probably having the time of her life with that crazy homeless guy. It’s exactly what someone of her status deserves!” As soon as the words left her mouth, she followed her colleagues’ shocked gazes and turned her head. “Mr… Mr. Sterling!” Chloe spun around in a panic, so terrified she was babbling: “You… didn’t you say you had work to handle? Why are you back so soon?” The woman offered a stiff, awkward smile. Arthur stepped closer, his gaze as cold as ice. “Everything you just said… is it true?” Chloe had killed Stella’s mother, ordered the demolition crew to destroy the house, and even arranged for the homeless man. Looking at the terror on the woman’s face, he couldn’t believe it. He had always thought Chloe was a hard worker at the company, climbing the ladder through her own efforts. He had even frequently compared her to Stella, putting Stella down at every turn. He never imagined Chloe could be so vicious and ruthless. Smack! Unable to hold back any longer, Arthur slapped her hard across the face. The surrounding employees gasped in shock. They had all believed Chloe was the most promising of Arthur’s many mistresses. They had even seen her as the future Mrs. Sterling. Seeing the situation now, they lowered their heads and tried to slip out of the breakroom. “Stop right there!” Arthur barked at them. “Come here, and each of you slap her ten times. If you don’t finish, pack up your desks and get out of my company!”

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“Your brother needs a down payment for his new house. As his older sister, you need to chip in fifty thousand dollars.” My mother said it over the phone, sounding as if it were the most natural thing in the world. I looked at the banking app on my phone. The balance was exactly fifty thousand—the money I had scraped together over five years of grueling overtime, meant for my own first home. “And what about when I get married?” I asked. “You getting married? Aren’t you capable of fending for yourself?” My mom laughed. “Your brother is different. He’s a boy.” I laughed, too. I laughed until my tears fell, landing heavily on my phone screen. 01 My name is Chloe Miller. I am thirty years old. For as long as I can remember, there have only been two types of people in my family: my brother, and the people who took care of my brother. My brother, Tyler, is five years younger than me. When my mother gave birth to me, she had a difficult labor, suffered massive blood loss, and nearly died. “It’s all your fault.” I heard that phrase for thirty years. My dad always said that if having me hadn’t ruined her health, they could have had a son right away. Instead, they had to wait five long years before Tyler finally came along. The day Tyler was born, my dad popped a bottle of champagne in the hospital parking lot. “The Miller family finally has an heir!” That day was my fifth birthday. My mom was in the hospital with my new brother. My dad was outside celebrating. I sat alone at the kitchen table and ate half a cold, day-old birthday cake by myself. As Tyler grew up, the entire universe revolved around him. He drank fresh milk; I drank tap water. He wore brand new clothes; I wore faded hand-me-downs from older cousins. He got an allowance for school; I had to earn my own money just to buy lunch. “You’re the older sister. You need to let your brother have his way.” I heard that phrase for twenty-five years. When I turned sixteen, I wanted to take prep courses so I could apply to a good college. My dad said, “Why does a girl need so much education? Just graduate high school and get a job.” My mom chimed in, “Your brother is going to need a college fund. We have to save the money for him.” So, I spent my summer washing dishes at a local diner. I saved enough to pay for my own SAT prep and college application fees. I filled out the forms myself. I applied myself. When my guidance counselor asked why my parents never came to the parent-teacher meetings, I just said they were busy. During my senior year, I slept maybe five hours a night. I woke up at 4 AM to study, and I stayed at the library until it closed at 11 PM. Finally, I got an acceptance letter from a top-tier state university. The day my acceptance letter arrived in the mail was the same day Tyler brought home a failing report card. My mom held him and cried. “Oh, my poor boy, why is life so hard on you?” My dad just chain-smoked in silence. I quietly hid my acceptance letter in my room. That night, my mom pushed open my bedroom door. “I heard you got into that university?” I nodded. “How much is tuition?” “Twelve thousand a year.” My mom went silent. “Your brother needs to go to an expensive private tutoring academy to get his grades up. It’s twenty thousand a year,” she said. “We don’t have enough money for both.” I understood. “I won’t go,” I said. Her eyes lit up. “Really?” “Yeah.” “That’s the right choice.” She patted my shoulder. “You’re the older sister. You should be thinking about the family.” The next day, I packed my bags and moved to the city. Using the money I’d saved from washing dishes, I rented a tiny basement apartment. I worked as a cashier at a grocery store during the day, and I waited tables at night. Three months later, I had saved enough for my first year’s tuition. When I walked into the university’s orientation center, my hands were shaking. The advisor asked, “Where are your parents?” I said, “They couldn’t make it.” During my four years of college, I juggled four jobs. Tutoring, retail, handing out flyers, and waiting tables. Every month, I sent two hundred dollars back home. Every time my mom called, she’d say, “Your brother needs new textbooks.” “Your brother needs to pay for a school trip.” “Your brother wants a new iPhone.” I would eat instant ramen in my dorm while wiring them my hard-earned cash. When I graduated, I landed a job at a multinational tech firm. My starting salary was six thousand a month. My mom was thrilled. “This is great. Now you can help out the family even more.” Tyler barely scraped by and ended up at a local community college. Tuition was fifteen thousand a year. My dad said, “You have a stable job now. You’re in charge of your brother’s tuition.” I paid for it for three years. I also sent him a thousand dollars a month for living expenses. He bought two new iPhones and three pairs of limited-edition Jordans. I wore ten-dollar clearance t-shirts from Target. When I was twenty-five, Tyler decided to get married. He met a girl online, and her family demanded they buy a house in the suburbs. My dad called me. “The down payment is eighty thousand. We can only scrounge up thirty.” “What about the rest?” I asked. “You’ve been working for five years now. You must have savings.” I did have savings. Exactly fifty thousand dollars. It was the money I had saved, dollar by dollar, by working overtime until 10 PM every night and never taking a weekend off. I wanted to buy a tiny studio apartment in the city. Even if it was only four hundred square feet. A home that belonged solely to me. “Dad, that’s my house fund,” I said. The line went dead silent for a long time. Then, I heard my mom snatch the phone. “Chloe Miller, do you have no conscience?! That is your flesh-and-blood brother!” “He’s getting married, he needs a house. Aren’t you supposed to help him as his older sister?” “We raised you, and this is how you repay us?!” I stood by the window of my cramped rental apartment. I looked out at the thousands of glowing windows in the city skyline. Not a single one of those lights was shining for me. “Fine,” I said. “I’ll give you the fifty thousand.” My mom’s voice instantly softened. “That’s the right choice. Such a good daughter.” “But I have one condition.” “What is it?” “From now on, I am never sending money back home again.” “What kind of nonsense are you—” “That is the condition,” I interrupted her. “Agree to it, and I’ll wire the money tomorrow.” My mom hesitated. I could hear her whispering with my dad. Finally, she said, “Fine. Once your brother is married, we won’t need you to worry about him anyway.” The moment the fifty thousand dollars left my account. My dream of buying a home shattered. But for some reason, I felt lighter. Like I had finally paid off a massive, lifelong debt. I took time off work to attend Tyler’s wedding. The reception was extravagant—over a hundred guests. The bride wore a beautiful gown and smiled sweetly. When Tyler came around to my table for toasts, he patted my shoulder. “Thanks, Sis.” Then he moved on to the next table. My mom, wearing an expensive new dress, was busy entertaining relatives. “Oh, my boy is finally settling down!” “The house? We paid for it in cash! Oh, I mean, the down payment, the down payment…” “My daughter? Oh, she works in the big city. Very busy!” No one asked how I was doing. No one asked why I was thirty and still single. I sat in the corner, finished my meal. And then I quietly slipped away. 02 Back in the city, I started saving money all over again. This time, not for a house. For myself. On my thirtieth birthday, I met Ethan Davis. He was a project manager at a partner company. We met while collaborating on an account. He was steady, didn’t talk much, but was incredibly reliable. Once, when we were working late into the night, he brought me a hot coffee. “I noticed you didn’t eat dinner.” I was surprised. “How did you know?” “You press your hand against your stomach when it hurts,” he said. “You’ve done it three times today.” My nose stung. In thirty years, it was the first time anyone had ever noticed my stomach hurting. We started dating. He learned my whole story. He offered no pity, no judgment. He just said, “Tell me when your stomach hurts from now on.” After a year of dating, he proposed. There was no grand, extravagant setup. Just outside my apartment building. His hands were shaking a little as he held the ring. “I know you’ve been through a lot of hardship.” “I can’t promise I can make you forget all that pain.” “But I promise that from now on, your days will be sweet.” I said yes. I cried like a baby. The day I brought him home to meet my parents, my mom sized him up critically. “What do your parents do?” “They’re both retired teachers.” “Do you own a house?” “I have a place. Still paying off the mortgage.” My mom gave a disinterested “Oh,” and her expression cooled. During dinner, she kept piling food onto Tyler’s plate. “Eat up. Your wife is pregnant, you need to keep your strength up to take care of her.” Tyler’s wife was indeed three months pregnant. The entire family revolved around her now. Ethan quietly placed a piece of steak on my plate. My mom saw it and offered a tight smile. “So, Ethan, when are you two planning to host the reception?” “Next year,” I answered. “And the wedding funds…” my mom paused. “You young people in the city don’t really care about tradition, do you?” I set my fork down. “Mom. When Tyler got married, I gave him fifty thousand dollars.” The table went dead silent. Tyler kept his head down, eating. Sarah looked at me, then at my mom. My dad coughed awkwardly. “You helped your brother voluntarily,” my mom said, her voice turning cold. “Are you trying to settle scores with us now?” “I’m not settling scores,” I said. “I’m just making it clear that when I get married, I don’t expect a single dime from this family.” “That’s for the best,” my mom said immediately. “You young folks don’t care about these formalities anyway.” Ethan squeezed my hand under the table. His hand was very warm. When we were leaving, my mom walked us to the door. She shoved a small plastic grocery bag into my hands. “Here. Wedding candy.” I took it. Inside the bag was a single, cheap box of drugstore chocolates. The kind that costs maybe five dollars. “Eat it on the way back,” she said, and slammed the door shut. As we walked down the stairs, Ethan took the plastic bag from me. He looked at it but didn’t say a word. When we reached the apartment complex gate, he tossed the bag straight into the trash can. Then he turned around and pulled me into a tight embrace. “For our wedding, I’m going to give you a gift.” “What?” “A home,” he said. “A home that is entirely, completely yours.” I buried my face in his chest, my tears soaking his shirt. That cheap box of chocolates was sitting in the trash. The bright red packaging was glaringly painful to look at. It looked exactly like the open, bleeding wound I’d carried in my heart all these years. 03 The wedding was set for May. Ethan and I decided to keep things simple. No wedding planner, no expensive photoshoot, just a nice dinner with a few close friends. Ethan’s parents flew in from out of state. The moment his mother saw me, she grabbed my hands. “You sweet girl, this is your home now.” Her eyes were red. She said Ethan had told them everything. “We don’t ask for anything, we just want you two to be happy.” I nodded, unable to speak. Thirty years. It was the first time anyone had ever told me they wanted to give me a home. When my mom found out the wedding date, she called me three times. The first call was to ask if I needed help. I said no. The second call was to ask where the reception was being held. “We haven’t booked it yet,” I said. On the third call, she finally got to the point. “For your wedding, your father and I have put together a thousand dollars.” A thousand dollars. When my brother got married, I gave fifty thousand. When I get married, they offer a thousand. “Keep it,” I said. “Save it for Tyler.” “What kind of attitude is that?” my mom’s voice spiked. “I offer you money and you throw it back in my face?” “I really don’t need it.” “Chloe Miller, don’t be an ungrateful brat!” I hung up the phone. Ethan looked at me. “Does it hurt?” “No,” I said. “I’m used to it.” I was used to the endless double standards. Used to being the disposable weight on the lighter end of the scale. But this time, I didn’t want to get used to it anymore. A month before the wedding, Tyler suddenly reached out to me. He rarely contacted me on his own. Unless he needed money. “Sis, heard you’re getting married?” “Yeah.” “Mom said you refused to take any wedding money from them?” “Correct.” Silence hung on the line. “Sis, are you still mad at me?” I froze. From the day he was born until now, Tyler had never once asked if I was mad. He always just assumed his older sister was supposed to give him everything. “No,” I said. “That’s good,” he breathed a sigh of relief. “Honestly, it’s hard on Mom too, there’s only so much money to go around…” “I know,” I cut him off. “Was there something else? I’m at work.” “Oh, no, nothing else. Actually, Sis, Sarah wants to get a new iPhone, and I was wondering if…” I hung up the phone. And blocked his number. That night, I had a dream. I dreamt about my fifth birthday, eating that cold cake all by myself. The cake was sweet, but as I ate it, I started crying. I woke up to find my pillow soaked in tears. Ethan held me close. “Nightmare?” “No,” I said. “Just remembered something from when I was little.” He gently patted my back. Like he was comforting a small child. “From now on, I’m buying you a cake for every single birthday.” “I want a warm one.” “Okay. A warm one, covered in fresh fruit.” I fell asleep in his arms again. This time, there were no dreams. 04 There was a slight hiccup with the wedding plans. Ethan’s mother insisted on hosting a proper reception. “A girl only gets married once. We can’t let you feel slighted.” She pulled out ten thousand dollars, calling it her contribution to my wedding fund. I tried to refuse it. She held my hands, tears in her eyes. “Child, no one took care of you before. From now on, we will take care of you.” Ultimately, we booked a banquet hall at a nice, intimate hotel. Ten tables. We only invited our closest friends and colleagues. From my side of the family, I didn’t invite a single person. The day before the wedding, Aunt Susan suddenly added me on Facebook. I hesitated, but eventually accepted the request. “Chloe, heard you’re getting married?” “Yes, Aunt Susan.” “Why didn’t you tell the family?” “We’re keeping it small, I didn’t want to bother everyone.” Aunt Susan sent a voice memo. Her voice was hushed. “Your mom was crying to me yesterday, saying you’ve disowned her.” I typed back: “I haven’t disowned her.” “Then why didn’t you invite us?” “Aunt Susan, when Tyler got married, how much did you give him as a wedding gift?” Silence on her end. After a while, she texted back. “Fifty dollars.” “And how much were you planning to give for my wedding?” The silence this time lasted even longer. “Chloe, that’s a hurtful thing to say… We’re family, bringing money into it ruins the relationship.” I laughed. Yeah, talking about money ruins the relationship. But since when did they ever have a relationship with me? They only ever remembered I was family when it was time to talk about money. “Aunt Susan, I’m really busy right now. Talk later.” I closed the app. Ethan walked over, holding the wedding itinerary. “Just got a call. Your mom says she’s coming.” I looked up. “How did she find out?” “No idea.” Ethan shook his head. “But she said she’s definitely coming tomorrow, and she’s bringing relatives.” I stood up. “I’m calling her.” She answered almost immediately. “Mom, I heard you’re coming to the wedding?” “What, am I not allowed to come?” she snapped aggressively. “You can come. But the venue is small. There are no extra seats.” “Chloe Miller!” my mom screamed. “I am your mother! It’s bad enough you didn’t invite me, but now I’m coming myself and you’re turning me away?!” “I’m not turning you away. There literally are no seats.” “Just add another table! Do you think I’m an embarrassment to you?!” I took a deep breath. “Mom, Tyler had twenty tables at his wedding. I’m having ten. It’s not that I think you’re an embarrassment. It’s that you’ve always thought I was an embarrassment.” The line went quiet. After a long pause, her voice dropped lower. “Do you really have to be like this?” “It’s not that I want to be like this,” I said. “You forced me into this.” “How did we force you?! We raised you, put you through school…” “I paid for my own college tuition,” I cut her off. “Since I started working, I sent fifteen thousand dollars back home. When Tyler got married, I gave him fifty thousand. Mom, I don’t owe this family anything anymore.” “Are you settling scores with me right now?” “Yes,” I said. “It’s better to have clear accounts. Once the accounts are clear, nobody owes anybody anything.” My mom started crying. It wasn’t a fake, manipulative cry. It was real crying. She was sobbing, struggling to catch her breath. “What sin did I commit in my past life… to give birth to such a heartless monster…” I held the phone, listening to her cry. I just felt completely hollow inside. Thirty years of resentment and injustice suddenly vanished in that moment. All that was left was exhaustion. “Mom,” I said softly. “You can come tomorrow. But there are only seats for you and Dad. No one else.” “Not even your brother?” “No.” The call ended. Ethan walked over and wrapped his arms around me. “If you want to cry, just cry.” I shook my head. “I’ve cried enough. From today on, I’m never crying over this again.”

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In my fifth month of pregnancy, I walked in on Oliver Vance pinning our young nanny to the bed. I trembled violently with rage, but before I could utter a single word, he frowned and covered my eyes. “Stella, don’t look. It’s dirty.” He unhurriedly put his clothes back on, pulled the blanket over the disheveled nanny, and then walked over to gently kiss my forehead. “She’s just a toy to relieve my urges. How could she ever compare to you?” “A wife is a wife, and a nanny is a nanny. The respect and love I have for you are things she could never attain in her entire lifetime.” I was so disgusted I threw up right then and there. Yet, as he patted my back, he said casually, “For the sake of the baby, you need to be more magnanimous. After all, the only reason I’m not touching you is that I’m afraid of hurting you.” My heart went ice-cold. “What if I refuse to be magnanimous?” He sighed softly. “I don’t want a divorce. But look at you, heavily pregnant. Who else would want you?” … I shoved Oliver away and collapsed by the edge of the bed, vomiting stomach acid all over the floor. He glanced at the mess, his brow furrowing in distaste. “Call someone up here to clean this up, and have the mattress in the master bedroom replaced.” He pressed the intercom button on the nightstand, then turned his gaze back to Lily, who was huddled under the covers, shivering. She peeked out with red, teary eyes, her shoulders shaking with silent sobs. That pathetic, victimized look was blindingly obnoxious. “Mr. Vance, I’m so sorry… I didn’t know Mrs. Vance would suddenly come in… Did I make her angry?” Oliver walked over and patted her shoulder through the blanket. “It’s not your fault.” He pointed at me as I struggled to catch my breath. “Stella, go rinse your mouth.” He put on a mask of concern. “Don’t scare Lily. She’s easily frightened.” I gripped the headboard and forced myself to stand up. “Oliver,” I stared at him blankly, “this is our marital bed.” Oliver picked up a pack of cigarettes from the nightstand. He pulled one out, but upon seeing my swollen belly, he paused and shoved it back in. “I know.” He walked up to me and reached out to tuck a stray lock of hair behind my ear. I stubbornly turned my head away. His hand hovered in mid-air for a second before he casually pulled it back. “Stella, you’re five months pregnant. The doctor said no intercourse.” Oliver looked at me with absolute self-righteousness. “I’m a healthy man. Naturally, I have physical needs.” “So you go after the nanny living in our house?” “Finding someone outside is dirty. Lily is right here under my nose, I know her background.” His tone was so casual, as if he were doing me a favor by being considerate. Lily wrapped the bedsheet around herself and slipped out of bed. Barefoot, she walked up behind Oliver and timidly reached out to tug at the hem of his shirt. “Mrs. Vance, please don’t blame Mr. Vance. I was willing… My family is poor, and Mr. Vance pays very well. I just want to give my family a better life.” As she spoke, huge tears began rolling down her cheeks. Oliver reached back, grabbed her hand, and pulled her in front of him. “Did you hear that? I’m just trying to help her out.” Oliver looked at me. “Stella, you are Mrs. Vance. It’s beneath your dignity to make a fuss over something so trivial.” Looking at their intertwined hands, tears blurred my vision. That was the hand that had once sworn to the heavens to protect me for the rest of his life. Yet now, he was holding another woman’s hand, flaunting their “tenderness” right in front of me. “Tell her to leave,” I said. The expression on Oliver’s face cooled. “Lily’s cooking suits my taste, and she takes good care of you. She’s staying.” “Oliver, looking at her makes me sick.” “That’s just morning sickness. It’s physiological. Don’t blame it on someone else.” Oliver was getting impatient. He let go of Lily and pointed to the door. “Go get some fresh air. Don’t come back in until the maids have cleaned the room.” I didn’t move. I just stood there, staring at him blankly. How did this face, one I had lived with for five years, become so terrifyingly unfamiliar? Oliver took a step closer and grabbed my hand anyway. “Stella, stop making a scene. For the sake of the baby in your belly, turn the page on this. We’ll go back to living our lives exactly like before.” I was about to argue, but he sighed. “If you insist on making a scene, and it ends in divorce…” He looked at my stomach. “You’re five months pregnant. If you leave me, who would dare take you in? Who would take care of you?” My fingernails dug deeply into my palms. A piercing pain. But it couldn’t compete with the chilling cold in my heart. Satisfied with my pale, defeated expression, he turned to Lily. “Go change your clothes. I want the soup you make for dinner tonight.” Lily’s tears vanished into a bright smile as she answered crisply, “Yes, Mr. Vance.” As she walked past me, her footsteps faltered for a fraction of a second. With her back to Oliver, she stuck her tongue out at me and silently mouthed two words: “Old hag.” Dinner consisted of four dishes and a soup. Every single dish was loaded with spicy peppers. The glaring red color immediately triggered that familiar wave of nausea. Ever since I got pregnant, I couldn’t stomach the slightest hint of spice. He knew this perfectly well. Lily sat next to Oliver, wearing a brand-new white sundress. It was maternity wear I had just bought yesterday; I hadn’t even had time to cut the tags off. On her, it fit loosely, making the neckline dip dangerously low. “Oh my,” Lily covered her mouth, looking at me with feigned surprise. “Mrs. Vance, I’m so sorry! I completely forgot you can’t eat spicy food. Back in my hometown, we put spice in everything, it’s just a habit…” She turned to look at Oliver, her eyes welling up with tears again. “Mr. Vance, did I mess up again?” Oliver picked up a piece of spicy chicken and chewed it slowly. “It’s fine. I actually really like the flavor.” He set his chopsticks down, putting on a placating tone. “Stella, you used to love spicy food too. Don’t be so delicate. The baby needs a variety of nutrients; you should at least eat a little.” I stared at the bowl of rice in front of me, soaked in chili oil. “I’m not eating that.” I pushed the bowl away and stood up, ready to head back to my room. “Sit down.” Oliver’s tone shifted back to an authoritative command. “We’re eating as a family. Since when does the lady of the house leave the table first? What will the staff think?” I took a deep breath and sat back down. “I’m not hungry. I’ll just watch you two eat.” Oliver didn’t bother replying. He picked up a piece of spare rib, meticulously removed the bone, and placed it in Lily’s bowl. “Eat up. You’re too thin.” Lily smiled sweetly. “Thank you, Mr. Vance.” She took a bite of the rib, the grease shining brightly on her lips. “This dress of Mrs. Vance’s is so comfortable. The fabric is so soft.” Lily smoothed her hands over the dress. “I saw it thrown on the sofa earlier, and I thought she didn’t want it anymore, so I put it on. You don’t mind, do you, Mrs. Vance?” My hands, resting on my lap, clenched into tight fists. “I literally just bought that. Why would you assume I didn’t want it?” I asked. “It’s just a piece of clothing,” Oliver interrupted. “Lily is young, she looks good in white. If you like it, I’ll have my assistant buy you ten more tomorrow.” Lily shot me a triumphant look and lowered her head to continue eating her rib. After dinner, I returned to the bedroom. The mattress had been replaced, but the air still seemed to hold the lingering scent of what had happened. I opened the closet, looking for some pajamas. What used to be a meticulously organized closet was now a complete disaster. My silk nightgowns were balled up and shoved into a corner. Several of my more expensive lingerie sets were missing. I turned around, walked out of the room, and went down to the maid’s quarters on the first floor. The door wasn’t fully closed; it was left slightly ajar. Lily was standing in front of a mirror, holding my missing lingerie up against her body, humming a little tune. I pushed the door open and walked in. Lily jumped in shock, dropping the lingerie onto the floor. “Mrs. Vance…” Without a word, I bent down, picked up the lingerie, and marched straight to the kitchen. Lily chased after me. “Mrs. Vance, what are you doing?” I grabbed a pair of heavy shears from the kitchen counter and started ruthlessly cutting the lingerie to shreds. Lily shrieked and lunged at me, trying to snatch them back. I violently swung the shears toward her. “Get back! Don’t touch me!” Terrified, Lily screamed and collapsed onto the floor. “Mrs. Vance… are… are you trying to kill me?” Looking at her pathetic, trembling act, I felt my stomach heave again. “Kill you? I wouldn’t want to dirty my hands.” I didn’t stop until those expensive pieces of lingerie were nothing but a pile of shredded fabric on the floor. “Pick them up. You said you liked them.” I slammed the shears down on the marble counter with a resounding clack. “Now they’re garbage. A perfect match for you.” “Stella!” Oliver’s voice suddenly boomed from behind me. He strode over and snatched the shears from my hand. “Have you lost your mind?!” Lily immediately cowered behind Oliver, sobbing uncontrollably. “Mr. Vance, save me…” “Mrs. Vance had the shears… she… she was trying to kill me.” I was trembling with rage. “Save the performance.” “She’s a thief. She stole my lingerie to wear.” Oliver glared at me darkly and pulled Lily closer to his side. “So what?” “Because of a few pieces of clothing, you pull a knife on someone?” “Lily is young and curious, she just wanted to try them on.” “Did you really have to humiliate her so viciously?” “Try them on?” I sneered. “Oliver, did you forget who the lady of this house is? What right does she have to ‘try on’ my things?” “Maybe you won’t be for much longer,” Lily mumbled softly. Oliver didn’t contradict her. “Stella, you’ve been entirely too emotionally unstable lately. For the good of the baby, starting tomorrow, you are to stay in your room and rest. You are not to go anywhere.” Oliver kept his word. I was locked in my bedroom for three whole days. The door was only unlocked on the day of my scheduled prenatal checkup. I sat on the living room sofa, staring blankly at the wall clock. Oliver walked downstairs in a custom-tailored suit, with Lily trailing behind him. She had changed into a Chanel suit and was wearing a bracelet I had never seen before. Oliver shot me a quick glance. “An emergency meeting came up at the company. I can’t get away.” “Go to the checkup by yourself,” Oliver said as he adjusted his cuffs. “I’ll come find you after the meeting.” Lily stepped forward, dutifully helping him straighten his tie. Her body subtly leaned into his, her chest brushing suggestively against his arm. Instead of stepping back, Oliver smirked, allowing her to playfully tease him. The look of sheer enjoyment on his face was nauseating. “Mr. Vance, why don’t I go with Mrs. Vance?” Lily looked up at him, her eyes wide and innocent. “I want to see what the baby looks like, and I can take care of Mrs. Vance.” Oliver patted her head. “Such a good girl, Lily. Alright, go together.” I didn’t want to be in the same car as Lily, but Oliver didn’t give me a chance to refuse. In the car, Lily pressed herself right up against Oliver. While Oliver was reviewing documents, Lily peeled a grape and held it up to his lips. Oliver naturally opened his mouth and ate it, even playfully licking her fingertips. I was his legal wife, yet in that moment, I felt like a completely redundant third wheel, forced to sit there and spectate their flirtation. When we arrived at the hospital, Lily shot me a triumphant smirk. “Mrs. Vance, let’s go.” There was a long line outside the ultrasound room. Lily insisted on supporting me, but her acrylic nails were secretly digging deep into my arm. I gasped in pain. She just gave me a sickeningly sweet smile. “Mrs. Vance, your belly is so big. Do you think there’s a monster inside?” “I heard people back in my hometown say that if you don’t accumulate good karma, the baby you give birth to won’t make it.” My chest heaved with fury. I forcefully yanked my arm away from her grip and raised my hand to slap that foul mouth of hers. But Lily purposely threw herself to the floor. “Ow!” she shrieked, clutching her ankle. “Mrs. Vance, if you didn’t want me to help you, you could have just said so! Why did you push me?” People in the hallway immediately turned to look, pointing and whispering. “Why is that pregnant woman so aggressive?” “Is that her nanny? The poor girl looks terrified.” I looked at Lily, putting on her little show on the floor, and felt nothing but disdain. “Get up. Stop playing dead,” I ordered coldly. Lily squeezed out a few crocodile tears. “Mrs. Vance, I twisted my ankle. It hurts so much, I can’t walk.” Right on cue, Oliver called Lily’s phone. A glint of malicious joy flashed in Lily’s eyes as she quickly answered. “Lily, are the checkups done?” Oliver’s voice came through the speaker. “Mr. Vance…” Lily wailed tearfully, “Mrs. Vance pushed me on purpose and yelled at me. My ankle hurts so bad, I can’t even walk.” The line went silent for two seconds. “Stella, are you out of your goddamn mind?!” Oliver’s roar echoed through the entire hallway. “Stay right there. I’m sending the driver back to pick up Lily. When your checkup is done, get an Uber home yourself.” Beep—beep—beep— Oliver hung up. The looks from the bystanders grew even more judgmental. “That woman has a rotten heart, bullying a young girl like that.” “She looks so innocent, who knew she was such a psycho?” “No wonder her husband doesn’t care about her. She deserves it.” Standing in the crowded hospital hallway, I felt as if I had been stripped naked and thrown into a blizzard. It was freezing. So incredibly freezing. The baby in my belly seemed to sense something and shifted restlessly. In that moment, my eyes burned painfully, yet they were so dry I couldn’t shed a single tear. Perhaps, to a man, five years of loyalty will never compare to the thrill of a new toy. I finished all the checkups by myself. Holding the ultrasound printout, staring at that tiny silhouette, my hands shook. The doctor had said, “The fetus is measuring small. The mother needs to ensure proper nutrition and avoid extreme emotional stress.” I walked out of the hospital. It had started to drizzle. I stood on the curb trying to hail a cab, but during rush hour in the rain, it was nearly impossible. The rain soaked through my hair and clothes, the chill seeping into my very bones. It was late into the night by the time I finally got home. As soon as I opened the door, I saw Lily resting her foot on Oliver’s lap, whining delicately. “It hurts… Mr. Vance, be gentle.” Oliver reached out and held her foot. “Bear with it for a minute. I’m almost done applying the ointment.” “You’re so good to me, Mr. Vance,” Lily cooed. “If only Mrs. Vance had even half of your gentleness.” A look of nostalgia crossed Oliver’s face as he uncharacteristically revealed his true feelings to someone else. “She didn’t use to be like this.” Ten years ago. We lived in a cramped, dingy basement apartment in a sketchy part of town. For a startup pitch that existed only as a PowerPoint presentation, Oliver drank with potential investors until he got a bleeding ulcer. He was tossed onto the curb like a dead dog. I had to carry him all the way home on my back. I weighed barely ninety pounds. Carrying his six-foot frame, I had to stop and gasp for air with every single step. The streetlights stretched our shadows out long and thin. “Stella, put me down,” he mumbled against my back. “No.” I gritted my teeth, forcing my steps to remain steady. “If I put you down, someone else is going to pick you up and take you away.” He laughed, tears mingling with his laughter. “When I make it big, I swear to God I’ll make you the happiest woman in the world.” That night, I wiped him down, fed him broth, and stayed by his side the entire night. He didn’t think he was suffering. In fact, he thought those were the most hopeful days of his life. Because he knew that all he had to do was turn around, and I would be right there. Oliver’s gaze darkened. “But ever since Stella got pregnant, it’s like she’s a different person. She’s become completely unreasonable.” “I’ve sacrificed so much for this family, suffered for so many years. What’s wrong with me wanting to enjoy myself a little now?” Lily curled up against his chest like a kitten. “Don’t be mad, Mr. Vance. After all, Mrs. Vance isn’t feeling well physically, so it’s normal for her to be a bit moody. We just have to be understanding.” Oliver let out a cold snort, grabbed her hand, and brought it to his lips for a kiss. “She really doesn’t know how good she has it.” I stood in the entryway, soaking wet, the rainwater dripping from the hem of my coat onto the hardwood floor. I was shivering from the cold. Oliver finally seemed to notice me. “You’re back?” “Oliver,” I looked at him with entirely different eyes for the first time, “let’s get a divorce.” The room instantly fell silent. Oliver stared at me intensely. “What did you just say?” “I said, divorce.” “Stella, my patience has a limit.” Oliver’s voice was laced with ice. “Throwing around the word ‘divorce’ over some trivial misunderstanding again. Do you have any idea what will happen to you if we actually divorce?” “I do.” “You know, and you still have the nerve to bring it up?” Because the thing that made me absolutely certain about the divorce is that you truly have changed. “You don’t know shit!” Oliver slammed his fist onto the coffee table. “Without me, you wouldn’t even have money for groceries! That kid in your belly will be born a fatherless bastard!” Lily shrank back into the corner of the sofa, looking terrified, but her eyes were gleaming with sick excitement. I looked at the furious man in front of me with total calm. “That’s my business. It has nothing to do with you.” Oliver laughed out of sheer anger and violently yanked off his tie. “Fine. Perfect. Stella, you’ve got some nerve. I’d love to see if you can survive three days out there without Oliver Vance.” He spun on his heel and stormed into his study. Ten minutes later, he emerged with a document and threw it directly in my face. “Sign it.”

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My husband’s “one of the guys” female best friend micromanaged everything. Every purchase I made had to go through her for “budget logging.” She dragged all my private matters out into the open, leaving me exposed to ridicule. When I bought lingerie, she would shriek in surprise. “Wow, Olivia, you’re only an A-cup? I always thought you were a C. You must stuff your bra a lot before you go out.” When I bought tampons, she made it a joke. “That’s a massively heavy flow, buying so much at once. A bit wasteful, don’t you think? But the quality you buy is decent. I rarely see you leak, so I guess I can recommend it.” She even kept a strict tally on the condoms we bought. “This brand is garbage, and it doesn’t even have Declan’s size.” Whispers erupted around the office. The strange, judgmental looks forced my head down in shame, but my husband just laughed out loud. He’d say she was just speaking nonsense and had no filter, but when his eyes met my aggrieved, angry stare, he’d just pat my shoulder. “That’s just how she is, completely unfiltered and loud. She wants to learn about household budgeting, so just let her play around with it.” This time, facing their interrogation over a $3,000 expense, I calmly pulled out a medical receipt. I waited for his female bestie to read it out loud, just like always. “Hymenoplasty? Olivia, do you and your husband have some freaky new roleplay going on? I didn’t realize you were so open-minded behind closed doors.” I smiled, shaking my head and then nodding. “We sure do. It’s just with someone else.” … Chapter 1 Declan’s face instantly went black as thunder. He shot up from his chair. “Olivia, what the hell are you talking about? What do you mean ‘someone else’? You better explain yourself right now.” His best friend, Vanessa, quickly shifted her expression and tried to smooth things over. “It’s just to spice things up. Probably some roleplay dynamic we basic folks wouldn’t understand. Declan, you’ll find out tonight. Make sure to give us a full debrief tomorrow.” Declan’s face finally started to relax. But I gripped my fingers tightly. Declan would always tell Vanessa about our intimate life, no matter how private. I had thrown tantrums, warning him to keep his mouth shut. But he would just coax me and go right back to doing it. “What’s the big deal? She asked. I’m just satisfying a tomboy’s curiosity, don’t be so petty.” Thinking about this, I fought to suppress my rage until I was perfectly calm. I pulled out a document and told him to sign it. He assumed it was for some luxury item that required both spouses’ signatures, and casually tossed it to Vanessa. “You sign it, it’s all the same.” I let out a cold laugh. After all these years of our relationship, he couldn’t even spare a few minutes to look at a divorce agreement. I stubbornly pushed the document back toward Declan. “Can her signature make a divorce filing legally binding? I suggest you sign it yourself. I don’t want any messy disputes later.” Declan’s previously relaxed face twisted into a deep scowl. “Olivia, you’re intentionally picking a fight, aren’t you? Tossing the word ‘divorce’ around at the drop of a hat. How many tantrums do you have to throw, how many fights do we need to have before you grow up?” Perhaps my freezing gaze struck a nerve. He took the document, intending to look at it, but Vanessa caused a scene again. She stood up in a panicked rush, urging him. “Declan, hurry up and sign so you can come with me to the OB/GYN. I’ve been feeling off. Don’t you dare refuse; I went with you to the urologist last time.” Declan didn’t hesitate anymore. Without even glancing at the page, he quickly signed his name. I stared blankly at that signature. I had originally planned to have an amicable split… Forget it. To me, as long as he signed it and it was legally binding without disputes, that was all that mattered. I took the document and turned to leave. Declan turned his head and called out to me. “Olivia, I’m coming home tonight.” I casually replied, “Oh.” What did it matter to me? I wasn’t going back there anyway. Chapter 2 Evening arrived as expected. My phone chimed with a notification. I picked it up. Declan had sent me a text. [Something came up tonight. Won’t make it back. Wait until tomorrow for your surprise.] I scoffed and didn’t reply. It was exactly as I had expected. On a past wedding anniversary, I was swamped with work but specifically flew ten hours back to celebrate with him. Yet, the moment I walked through the door, he was heading out. “Something happened with Vanessa. A pipe burst at her place; I’ll be right back.” All my expectations vanished into thin air. The exhaustion from the long journey magnified tenfold, and a sour sense of grievance flooded my heart. “Do you even know how to fix a broken pipe? If there’s an issue, call a plumber. Your being there is useless. Did you forget what day it is today?” He anxiously pushed past me. “I know, it’s our anniversary. It happens every year, no big deal. I’ll be right back. You don’t get it; Vanessa looks tough on the outside, but she’s absolutely terrified when things actually go wrong.” He left in a frantic rush, leaving the anniversary gift burning like hot coals in my hands. Gradually, I had stopped expecting anything from him at all. I reined in my emotions and made a trip back to his family’s estate. After all, I had promised to attend the family dinner. Breaking my word would only give them more ammunition to gossip about me. Right at the front door, I ran into Declan. For once, he actually offered an explanation and an apology. “I originally planned to go home, but Vanessa was having bad stomach cramps. I felt like leaving her alone at the hospital would make her scared.” I gave a slight nod and brushed him off with a few perfunctory words. Declan wanted to say more, but I had already stepped inside the house. At the dinner table, after a few brief pleasantries, the conversation inevitably shifted to me. My mother-in-law had long been dissatisfied with me. “You’ve been married for so long, and still not a single child. Are you refusing to conceive, or are you physically incapable? Have you been drinking the fertility teas I gave you?” Every time I visited, my mother-in-law would lecture me and force countless bitter herbal supplements on me. Even that one time I drank them and got severe food poisoning, she didn’t stop. “We’ll just switch the prescription. Not being able to have kids is the real emergency.” And Declan, who knew the entire inside story, just sat there, watching everything unfold as a bystander. He let me endure the endless harassment or brushed it off by saying we would “keep trying.” This time, I didn’t apologize like I used to, nor did I promise to dutifully drink the supplements and try to get pregnant. I put down my fork and unceremoniously fired back. “Declan doesn’t want one himself. How am I supposed to get pregnant?” My mother-in-law jumped up in a panic to refute me. “Liar! How could my son not want children? It’s obviously because you have an issue and can’t conceive.” All these years, I was the only one who took the brunt of this topic, as if I were the ultimate sinner. I pulled out my phone and played an audio recording. Immediately, the sound of our argument filled the room. It was the night I discovered he had been slipping me birth control pills. “The reason I can’t get pregnant is because of your sabotage? Just because Vanessa doesn’t want you to have a child right now? Can you get it through your head that having a baby is an issue between the two of us?!” Such an absurd reason naturally enraged me. In the recording, Declan frowned and scolded me. “Are you really that desperate for a kid? It’s not like you’re too old to conceive. What’s the harm in waiting a few more years? As for my mom’s nagging, just take the scolding and it’ll pass.” The argument hadn’t resulted in any compromise from Declan. He simply stopped sleeping with me altogether. “We’ll have one in a few years. Vanessa needs some time to accept it. Any child I have, she’s going to be the godmother. You wouldn’t want the kid to miss out on their godmother’s love, would you?” In the past, considering the harmony of the family, I had chosen not to expose this. But now, since they didn’t care about dignity, why should I? My mother-in-law’s face instantly turned beet red. She stammered, unable to utter a single word. After the family dinner ended, Declan found me. He was somewhat angry, but his demeanor softened when he met my icy gaze. “There was no need for you to do that. But fine, it is about time we had a child.” Chapter 3 I felt my entire good mood for the day sink. Just as I was about to retort, my phone rang. Seeing the caller ID, an unconscious smile spread across my face. I stepped to the side to answer it. Our wedding was currently in the planning stages. When I looked back up, I didn’t expect Declan to still be standing there, a flash of deep displeasure on his face. He stared at my phone and demanded: “Whose call was that? You were smiling so happily.” I curled my lips into a smirk. It was my new husband, of course I was happy. But I didn’t answer him, I just turned to walk away. Declan relentlessly persisted. “I asked whose call it was.” As our eyes met, I felt like I was looking at the old him. We had been together since college, falling in love during the prime of our youth. He used to get jealous over a single smile I gave someone else, grabbing my hand and pouting, demanding I only look at him. Back then, it was a sweet enhancer to our romance. But seeing him act like this now was nothing short of laughable. I coldly shook his hand off. “It has nothing to do with you. Also, your precious Vanessa is here looking for you.” Hearing Vanessa’s name, Declan finally retracted his hand with a look of reluctance, watching the person approaching from the doorway as he slowly regained his composure. That afternoon, my best friend Zoe took me out to clear my head and celebrate my divorce. After downing two bottles of wine in our private booth, I stepped out to use the restroom. On my way, I caught the sound of a very familiar voice. The door to their VIP booth hadn’t been closed all the way. A group of people was surrounding Declan, urging him to share his biggest regret in life. “What’s the big deal? Tell us! We’re all bros here.” I was just about to walk away when Declan spoke up. “My biggest regret in this life was taking Olivia’s grandmother to the hospital. At the time, seeing Olivia crying so miserably, I rushed to get her medical attention. It bought her an extra three years of life, but honestly, I felt like her grandmother had already lived long enough. It really wasn’t worth me wasting my time.” I froze, completely stunned. Before I could even process it, I heard Declan add: “It was only afterward that I realized tickets for Vanessa’s favorite artist’s concert had gone on sale. But because I was delayed by that incident, I missed out on buying them.” The crowd sighed in sympathy, while Vanessa looked utterly blissful. “But didn’t you still accompany me to see it later? You spent a massive fortune buying those tickets from a scalper.” Standing outside the door, I broke out in a cold sweat. The smell of alcohol in my stomach surged violently upward, forcing me to sprint to the restroom to vomit. The moment I threw up the acidic bile, tears cascaded down my face. My grandmother had treated him incredibly well. She loved him like her own flesh and blood. Every holiday, she was anxious to cook him nourishing meals, reminding me daily to bring him food to help nurse his severe gastritis back to health. I never imagined that in his eyes, all of that amounted to this. My grandmother’s life couldn’t compare to a single concert ticket. It was absolutely sickening. Zoe, noticing I had been gone for a long time, frantically texted me. “Babe, where did you go? Are you feeling sick?” Not wanting to make them worry, I quickly wiped away my tears, composed my thoughts, and headed back to our booth. But the exact second I reached out to touch the booth door, someone violently grabbed my hair and threw me heavily to the floor. “You homewrecking slut! All you do all day is figure out ways to seduce other women’s husbands!” Chapter 4 I was completely stunned. Before I could even react, I was slapped hard across the face. “You look so young and pretty, why are you so damn cheap?” Zoe, hearing the commotion, rushed out and immediately shielded me. I slowly snapped out of my daze. “What does this mean?” Several middle-aged women threw a stack of printed chat logs directly into my face. “What do you have to say for yourself? Leaking such incredibly private details to the public, you’re absolutely disgusting.” I caught a glimpse of those private details, yet the tone and phrasing of the messages sounded exactly like Vanessa. A blinding fury instantly engulfed me. I promised the women I would give them an explanation, and then I stormed directly into Declan’s booth. Seeing me, a flicker of panic crossed Declan’s face, but it vanished completely amidst my ensuing interrogation. I grabbed Vanessa by the collar. “You did this, didn’t you? You used my name online to have explicit chats! Let me tell you, that is illegal! I can call the cops and have you arrested right now.” Vanessa’s eyes instantly turned red with fake grievance. “It wasn’t me! Olivia, those little details about you… it’s not like I’m the only one who knows them.” I was so furious I reached for my phone to dial 911, but Declan violently snatched it out of my hand. “Stop throwing dirty water onto everyone else. How do we know you didn’t do this yourself? You were probably lonely and desperate and just found random guys online.” I stared at him in absolute disbelief. After all our years together, is this really how he viewed me? He actually believed the “female bro” he met years later over his own wife. A sharp, agonizing pain seized my chest, so intensely that when the middle-aged women started hitting me again, I forgot to even react. “What else do you have to say?! I am so furious I could die! At my age, I still have to deal with my husband getting seduced. What are you trying to do to our families?!” Someone edited the video of the confrontation and uploaded it. In the footage, my “sins” were magnified a hundredfold. I was brutally cyberbullied. People dug up my address and phone number. No matter where I hid, an endless stream of curses and insults pushed me to the absolute brink of insanity. And Zoe was dragged into it too. Everyone assumed that since we hung out together, we were both worthless trash. We were both suspended from our jobs because of this incident. I gritted my teeth, meticulously organizing the evidence. Just as I was about to go to the police station, Declan showed up with Vanessa. Avoiding my gaze, Declan said: “Let this end here. Vanessa knows she was wrong. She proactively admitted her mistake to me, and she told me she wanted to come apologize to you. The internet mob will move on soon. Don’t ruin a person’s life over this.” My suppressed emotions completely erupted. I slapped him across the face with everything I had. “You want me to live the rest of my life carrying this infamy?! Declan, you have incredible nerve! What makes you think I will listen to a word you say? Let me tell you, I am going to the police.” Declan’s face instantly turned ugly. “Then what do you want?! Vanessa was just being playful. Do you absolutely have to destroy her?” I curled my lips into a cold sneer. She hid in a safe zone, yet she wanted to sacrifice half of my life and my best friend’s life. What a beautiful delusion. I didn’t want to engage with him anymore. I just wanted to go file the police report, but Declan physically blocked me. “The IP address and account Vanessa used were registered under your name. If you insist on calling the cops, I will personally testify that you were the one using it. This is finally about to blow over. If you do this, your situation will only get worse. You should know perfectly well that you don’t have enough solid evidence to prove Vanessa did it.” I dug my nails fiercely into my palms, my voice thick with unshed tears. “You love her that much? You are willing to ruthlessly destroy me like this?” Declan frowned in displeasure. “Where is your mind going again? I just don’t want anyone else getting hurt. The damage is already done, let’s just turn the page as fast as possible. You still have me. She has nothing. Real cyberbullying will cause serious mental health issues for her.” Vanessa made a dramatic show of apologizing to me. “Olivia, I really didn’t do it on purpose. I just thought it would be fun at the time.” In that fraction of a second, I truly, deeply regretted ever meeting Declan, regretted ever being with him. I tried to take a deep breath, but my legs gave out and I slumped weakly to the floor. The door was unlocked. A strong, sturdy body caught me and lifted me up. “Don’t worry. I have plenty of ways to prove she did it.” My heart inexplicably settled, but I was also confused. “Weren’t you on a business trip? You’re back so early.” Declan stared at the man in front of him in absolute disbelief. Because years ago, they used to be best friends, brothers. But they mysteriously had a massive falling out, and Sebastian eventually moved abroad. They hadn’t seen each other since. I had asked Declan about the reason multiple times, but he never told me, only giving vague, evasive answers. “Just stay away from him, that’s all.” Back then, I loved him too much, so naturally, I obeyed. Sebastian glared coldly at the two of them. “See yourselves out. You two are not welcome in this house.” Declan let out a harsh laugh. “Sebastian, you’re the one who needs to leave. This is Olivia’s house. I am her legal husband. Who the hell are you?” Sebastian didn’t get angry. He just offered a slight smile. “Not for much longer.” Ever since I decided to get a divorce, I hadn’t returned to my old apartment. I had been staying at Sebastian’s place. He looked at me, his eyes filled with unwavering certainty. “Olivia, kick him out. We’ll discuss our matters behind closed doors. We don’t need an outsider interfering.” To Declan’s utter shock, I intertwined my fingers with Sebastian’s hand. “He’s not an outsider anymore. I accepted his proposal. This will be our marital home from now on.” Declan listened in disbelief, then laughed again. “Olivia, you’re just messing with me on purpose, right? Trying to make me jealous? Look at the pathetic excuse you came up with. I told you a long time ago to stay away from Sebastian.” If I hadn’t held him back, Sebastian looked like he wanted to plant a fist right into Declan’s face. I sighed. I had long since found my peace. “Declan, we are divorced. That document I had you sign the other day was the divorce agreement. Black and white. Even if you hadn’t agreed, I would have filed a lawsuit. Either way, it’s impossible for us in this lifetime.” “Oh, and my hymenoplasty? That was for him too. He didn’t care, but I wanted to give him the best of me.” Declan still refused to believe it. “Olivia, stop joking around. You’re just mad that I took Vanessa’s side in this incident. I can explain everything, and I know I wronged you. But you still have me. She has no one backing her up. Why can’t you understand this simple logic?” As he chattered on endlessly, my patience completely ran out. “Declan, you are truly shameless. The moment you chose to protect her at the cost of destroying my life, I felt nothing but hatred and profound disgust for you.” Declan stood there, stunned. He finally started to reflect. Maybe he had realized something, or maybe he truly understood how far he had crossed the line. In the past, it wasn’t like I hadn’t used divorce as a threat, throwing a massive, hysterical fit. But every single time, Declan couldn’t be bothered to care. It was always me who softened first and actively repaired the relationship. But now, that was never going to happen again. Declan stared into my icy eyes, his tone softening. “Forget it. If you don’t agree to this, fine. Once I send Vanessa away safely, you can clear your name. Just stop talking about divorce.” He tried to quickly flip the page on this massive betrayal. This made Vanessa unhappy. She pulled at Declan’s sleeve. “How can you do that? How am I supposed to face the internet then? I can already imagine how brutal it will be.” Declan didn’t comply with her like he usually did. He just brushed her off dismissively. “Just endure it and it will pass. Besides, I’ll send you somewhere isolated. Just stay off the internet for a while.”

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