Category: English

I was handling documents in my boyfriend River’s office. When I stood up, my pants were torn apart by super glue on the seat, exposing my underwear. River’s secretary, Vivian, took a photo and held up her phone, taunting me: “Who would’ve thought—you look so cold on the outside, but you wear something this slutty underneath! No wonder River always leaves work so early!” Furious, I grabbed the files from the desk and hurled them at her. River instantly rushed in, blocking her and shielding her protectively behind him. He looked at me coldly: “Vivian was just joking around with you. Do you really have to act like some crazy woman?” Vivian peeked out from behind him, looking at me with innocent-seeming eyes: “I just wanted to film an April Fool’s prank video. River already approved it. I heard you have a good temper—you’re not actually mad, are you?” River looked at Vivian with adoration, and my heart ached. “River, you said you’d be in London negotiating a deal all week. Why are you at the office?” My voice trembled as I questioned him. A flash of discomfort crossed River’s face. He opened his mouth to speak, but Vivian interrupted: “I’m the one who called River back!” Vivian’s voice carried a coquettish tone: “Those old men kept nitpicking everything—it was too much trouble! So I told River to cut off their partnership and come back.” “Madelyn, I was thinking of River’s best interests. Our company should work with younger people instead!” River’s face showed indulgent helplessness, his voice especially gentle: “You’re too impulsive. You can’t serve clients kids’ meals in the future.” I stared at River in disbelief. River used to be extremely strict about work, always treating every client with utmost courtesy. But now he actually severed the partnership I’d introduced to him—all for Vivian? Just then, the door opened. Several employees walked straight in with documents. “Miss Smith, we—” Their words caught in their throats. Their gazes at my torn pants turned stiff and awkward. “Miss Smith, your… your pants, how did they—” Humiliation and embarrassment made my face flush red. But Vivian giggled: “Aren’t Miss Smith’s panties sexy? You should all learn from her—otherwise, how else can you attract excellent men like River?!” Only then did River notice my torn pants. His expression changed, and he grabbed Vivian: “Vivian, you went too far this time. There are so many people in the company—what if someone photographed Madelyn? Apologize to Madelyn!” Tears instantly filled Vivian’s eyes, her face full of misery: “Why? You said the company needed to be more youthful and fun. That’s why I specially designed this April Fool’s prank.” “And you said Madelyn has a good temper and is very open-minded. Now you’re making me apologize because of her?” “River, you’re bullying me!” Tears streamed down Vivian’s face, looking utterly devastated. “I knew it—you never treated me as an equal from the start.” “You think I’m poor, think I’m just an assistant, so you can manipulate and humiliate me however you want!” She wiped her tears, raising her head proudly: “If that’s the case, I should’ve just let my depression take over and slit my wrists back then. Better than having you all bully me!” After saying this, Vivian shoved past me to leave, but River rushed forward and grabbed her. “Enough!” River’s tone softened almost instantly. His face showed heartache as he wiped away Vivian’s tears. “Enough. I was impulsive—I shouldn’t have lost my temper. But you can’t keep using your depression to scare me, understand?” Then River looked at me, his tone gentle but brooking no argument: “Madelyn, Vivian’s joke went too far because she misjudged the boundaries. I’ll remind her to avoid this next time.” “But you made mistakes too, so both of you take a step back and let it go!” I stood frozen, my throat dry. So in River’s eyes, the humiliation I suffered was just a trivial joke? I stepped forward, trying to confront River: “River, you—” I’d barely started when Vivian interrupted: “Fine, I’ll forgive you both this time!” She looked at me, triumph and provocation in her eyes: “But I guess Madelyn’s in no condition to handle the next contract now. I’ll make the trip for you!” With that, she pulled River toward the office door. “Madelyn, there’s nothing else at the company for now. You can go home!” “River! Have you ever cared about my feelings at all?!” I broke down screaming, but he left with Vivian without looking back. And Vivian turned her head to look at me, her face lifting in an innocent yet provocative smile. My face suddenly felt wet. I touched it and realized I was already crying.

“Madelyn, you and I are about the same size. These are spare pants I keep at the office. Please take them.” An employee handed me a bag with sympathetic eyes, speaking softly. I forced an awkward smile to show my gratitude, but my chest felt like it was tearing apart. I should have noticed River’s change of heart long ago. I’d paid fifty thousand dollars to buy Vivian’s life from her parents. If I hadn’t saved her back then, she would’ve been sold to a crippled, blind man who’d beaten three wives to death. I bathed her, bought her clothes, hired tutors for her studies. After college graduation, I arranged for her to join the company directly. At first, River was very resistant, finding her stupid, childish, and incapable of doing anything. He even fired her behind my back once. I was the one who convinced River to gradually accept her. But in the end, this is how Vivian repaid me. And I never expected River would trample on me together with her. Too dispirited to work anymore, I hurried home. During this time, I kept trying to contact River, but he never responded. I sat numbly on the sofa until ten at night, when Vivian finally posted on social media: [Thanks to my boss for canceling another partnership to take me out for a beautiful dinner. Today’s another day of being pampered by the boss~] Below the caption was her affected photo. In the bottom left corner of the photo was River’s hand, serving her food. I stared quietly at this photo until my eyes slowly started burning. Then a call from a partner manager interrupted me: “Madelyn, why can’t today’s partnership or the previous one proceed?” “Also, what’s the deal with that woman next to River?” The group chat? While on the phone, the manager sent me chat records. In the chat history, The photo of my exposed underwear after my pants were torn had been posted in the group by Vivian, Without any censorship at all! And Vivian was also posting mocking emojis while saying: [The color of her panties is so tacky? My mom wouldn’t even wear this color~] [Sigh, as expected, old women have no advantages to keep a man. You still have to look at us young people!] “Madelyn, one of my employees has access to this group. He sent it to me because Mr. River’s photo looked familiar.” “But before that, this photo had already spread. In our operations circle, this is a major taboo!” My palms were already bleeding from where I’d dug my nails in. My throat tasted metallic. But I still forced myself to chat with the manager for a few moments before hanging up. Just then, the front door finally opened. River had come home. His face still carried a trace of satisfaction he never had when with me. On his collarbone was an ambiguous red mark. “Madelyn, you’re still awake?” River’s face looked relaxed, as if nothing had happened. I threw my phone on the table, staring at him expressionlessly. He frowned slightly, picked up the phone, and looked at it for a moment. After a long pause, he sighed. “Madelyn, I understand how you feel right now, but Vivian actually did this for your own good!” I was stunned, unable to believe my ears for a moment. What was he saying? River smiled lightly. “In the past, our company’s operations concept was very old-fashioned and official. But after Vivian took over operations management, the account’s followers gradually increased.” “This fully proves that her entertainment-oriented, influencer-style approach is very innovative. That’s what people online love to see now.” “You’re usually too calm and cold. Having some energy and liveliness is good. Just stop holding grudges against Vivian!” I laughed bitterly. River must have forgotten— The previous operations concept was something he’d consulted with me for a long time before carefully deciding on. Now, for Vivian’s sake, he’d even abandoned the work attitude he used to value most. Turns out people really can rot in an instant. A person’s sincerity can also change in an instant… I took a deep breath, looking steadily at River. “River, if this is the excuse you’re making for Vivian’s mistakes, I don’t accept it.” “Your unprofessional attitude toward work, standing up partners, your terrible behavior, and trampling on my sincerity—” “River, let’s break up. The person you are now is no longer worthy of standing by my side!” But River just laughed, shaking his head. “Stop being dramatic, Madelyn. Right now I hold the most shares. If you break up with me, what will you have left?” “You haven’t worked hands-on in a long time. Isn’t it nice to let Vivian handle things while you relax at home?” He dismissed it, walking straight into the bedroom without looking back. A smile tugged at my lips. River, I warned you. You’re the one who didn’t cherish this last chance.

The next morning when I woke up, River was already gone from the house. Calmly, I first changed the door code, then made breakfast as usual. And I called my mom. Half an hour later, Vivian—with her mouth covered—was brought in by my mom’s butler, Bob, and his men. “Mmph! Mmph!” Vivian was thrown on the floor. She looked up at me, her eyes full of venom and resentment. I nodded to Bob. He removed the cloth from her mouth. Once freed, Vivian immediately started cursing: “Madelyn, what the hell gives you the right to kidnap me here? Believe it or not, I’ll have River call the cops on you?!” “You’re old, ugly, totally useless, and you shamelessly spend River’s money—no wonder River stopped loving you long ago!” “Let me tell you, Madelyn—the one who isn’t loved is the real third party. River loves me now. No matter how jealous you are, it’s useless!” I sat leisurely on the sofa, drinking milk while speaking indifferently: “Vivian, I think I’ve been very good to you. Why would you take revenge on me like this?” Vivian sneered. “We’re all human. Why do you get to have so much? Why should I be forced to marry an old man?” “So what if you sponsored me? I won River over myself. You need to accept your loss!” I smiled gently. “Vivian, when I sponsored you, did you fail to investigate my background?” Vivian looked completely puzzled. “I am Madelyn Smith, of the New York Smith family.” The Smith family of New York—if Vivian hadn’t done anything wrong, Just by carrying my name, Madelyn Smith, she could move freely anywhere in New York. “I don’t care whose family you’re from. I’m warning you—let me go now! Otherwise, I’ll have River sue you!” I shook my head gently. I’d given her one last chance to admit her mistake. “Bob, strip her!” Bob nodded. Ignoring Vivian’s screams, he had his men roughly tear off all her clothes. They photographed her, posting nearly a hundred photos in all the group chats in the operations circle. After all this was done, Vivian had already cried herself hoarse. I stretched lazily, my tone still indifferent: “You pranked me before. Now I’ve returned the favor.” “I heard young people like you don’t get angry even when pranked, right?” “Madelyn, you bastard! You violated my privacy rights! I’m going to sue you!” “I’ll make River cut ties with you completely. You won’t get a single penny from the company!” Bob didn’t give her much chance to speak, waving his hand to have his men throw her out. Vivian’s photos spread rapidly through the circle. In less than three hours. River had called me over a hundred times and sent countless messages. Just then, the sound of someone trying the door code rang out, failing repeatedly. After several attempts, the door was pounded violently. Along with it came River’s angry roar: “Madelyn, open the door!” Only then did I go over and open the door. Once opened, River grabbed my hand and dragged me outside. “Madelyn, Vivian slit her wrists because of you! She’s being resuscitated at the hospital right now!” “You must come with me to the hospital to donate blood. This is what you owe Vivian!” “Madelyn, I never realized how vicious you were! Vivian just played a little joke on you—was this really necessary?” “All that happened to you was your panty color being exposed, but Vivian could lose her life!” I laughed bitterly, violently shaking off his hand. “River, so in your eyes, Vivian is more important than me?” “Important enough that you disregard your identity as my boyfriend to protect her?” River sneered, his face full of disgust: “I only regret not seeing through what kind of woman you are sooner.” “Madelyn, you wanted to break up? I agree. From now on, you have no right to interfere in company matters!” “Now, please come with me to the hospital immediately to give Vivian blood, then kneel and apologize to her!” He opened the car door, trying to pull me in. But before he could touch my hand, someone slapped it away. “Mr. River, may I ask where you intend to take Miss Madelyn?” River looked at the person behind me in shock. It was Uncle Bob. Bob smiled and handed River an agreement. “Mr. River, this is the relationship contract our young miss signed with you previously.” “Since you violated it first, our side has the right to demand you return all the funds our young miss invested in your business!” “Please review it. If there are no issues, sign here!” River was stunned.

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【Chapter 1】 In the fifth year of my secret relationship with Hollywood A-lister Caleb Thorne, he still refused to acknowledge my existence. Even when my wealthy family pressured me to settle down and marry, he didn’t care in the slightest. Even when I nearly died in a horrific car crash trying to dodge the paparazzi for him, all I got was a flippant text. “Be careful, babe. We were almost caught.” Until the day we were secretly photographed, and the pictures rocketed to the top of TMZ and Twitter. I thought he was finally going to explain something. Instead, I got a public declaration of his relationship with someone else. “My girl is crying her eyes out, so I have to clear the air. I don’t really know the woman in those photos. Please leave us alone.” His tweet caused a massive earthquake online. Instantly, I was shoved into the eye of a brutal storm. “Forcing the actual girlfriend to come out and defend her territory? Have some shame!” “Where did this desperate groupie come from trying to steal our man’s spotlight? Go rot!” On that day, I was firmly nailed to the pillar of public humiliation. And I finally understood. Going public was never the hard part. I just wasn’t worthy of it. …… It was a brilliant, sunny day outside, but my body shivered with cold. The vicious comments kept refreshing on my screen in an endless stream. “You can tell she just threw herself at him for money. Looks like a cheap escort straight out of a VIP club.” “Exactly. It’s not like Caleb is blind. Why would he ever like trash like her?” “Caleb is vacationing in Europe with Valerie right now. This woman must be dying of jealousy!” Looking at the paparazzi photos of the two of them strolling hand-in-hand down a street in Milan, a sarcastic laugh escaped my lips. Just one minute ago, Caleb was still lying to me. “I’m on set shooting right now. Wait until I get back, and we’ll talk.” For a fleeting second, a spark of foolish hope had flared in my chest. I thought maybe he really had his reasons. But now, this photo felt like a physical slap across the face. It woke me up completely. I was the one degrading myself. By the time Caleb finally returned, it was the evening of the third day. Without a single word of explanation, he tossed his luggage aside and leaned down, trying to kiss me. My lungs instantly caught fire. He was always like this. Coming and going exactly as he pleased. I was just a convenient rest stop for when he was tired or bored. And who knew how many rest stops he had scattered around? Smack. I raised my hand and slapped him hard across the face. The sharp sound echoed through the quiet apartment. Caleb froze. A flicker of deep impatience finally surfaced on his devastatingly handsome face. He couldn’t help but scoff. “I always thought you understood.” His tone was so nonchalant it made my chest physically ache. My mind buzzed. “Understood what?” I asked, my voice trembling. Caleb looked up at me, a trace of pity in his eyes. “I can’t be with just one person, Madeline. And I can never openly claim you. You’re so smart… how do you not get that?” Seeing my deathly pale face, he paused for a second, but kept going anyway. “Besides, isn’t this fine? We’re still young. Why do we have to be tied down? I really haven’t played enough yet.” In an instant, a deafening ringing filled my ears. Tears blurred my vision. Even though I had already decided to end things, hearing his shameless, unapologetic confession still made me feel like I was losing my mind. Caleb watched me quietly for two seconds, growing visibly annoyed. Just as he reached out to touch me, I suddenly calmed down. My voice was dead and completely detached. “You’re young. I’m not young anymore.” Caleb’s hand froze in mid-air. A fracture appeared on his flawless face. “What… what do you mean?” I nudged his luggage back toward him with my foot. “I think you understand,” I said with absolute clarity. Staring into Caleb’s violently trembling pupils, I enunciated every word. “I am ending this relationship.” This sickening, desperate, ugly relationship. Caleb stormed out in a furious rage, but he still didn’t take his luggage. 【Chapter 2】 I didn’t know what kind of power play he thought that was, but my stance was clear. No one could change my mind. Just like all those years ago, when I brought him home without a moment’s hesitation. I was three years older than Caleb. When I was twelve, I followed my grandfather to a poverty-stricken town in rural Appalachia for a charity outreach program. Caleb crashed right in front of our SUV. He had been beaten by his foster father until he was rolling in the dirt. His back was covered in bloody welts, his skin torn. But he didn’t shed a single tear. He just looked up at me, his eyes momentarily dazed. Then, finding strength from somewhere deep inside, he broke free from the man, scrambled into our car, and clung to me like a wounded, terrified animal. “Sister, please take me away. I’ll do anything. Please save me.” Maybe it was the desperate, stubborn fire in the boy’s eyes. Or maybe it was the way his hands shook violently as he held onto me. But I, the notoriously obedient daughter, fought off the pressure from every adult in the room and brought him back to Los Angeles. From that day on, he became a drowning vine, tightly and desperately wrapped around me. Just as I was sinking into the past, my phone rang, pulling me back to reality. I knew it was my family, calling to pressure me about marriage again. Only this time, I didn’t hang up. I answered and said directly: “Mom, I agree to the family merger. You can start the arrangements.” The world finally fell quiet. Early the next morning, I drove to Caleb’s entertainment agency to hand in my resignation. But when I pushed open his office door, a woman was sitting on his lap. It was his public girlfriend, Valerie Sinclair. The room went dead silent. Everyone inside turned to look at me simultaneously. Every member of Caleb’s inner circle knew exactly what our relationship was. I felt a flash of humiliation—not out of jealousy, but because I had been reduced to the role of “the other woman.” I took a deep breath, dropped my resignation letter onto his desk, and turned to leave. Behind me, I heard the sharp crack of shattering porcelain, as if someone had crushed a coffee mug with their bare hands. I didn’t stop walking. But just as I reached the door, a figure darted out and grabbed my arm. Valerie crossed her arms and looked me up and down for a few seconds. Suddenly, she smiled. “Why do you insist on making him unhappy? What good does it do you?” When I didn’t answer, she leaned in close, giggling maliciously. “Honestly, I’m totally fine with a threesome… It’s not like he hasn’t done it before…” Ignoring my rapidly paling face, she pulled out her phone and hit play on a video. Instantly, a tangle of naked limbs pierced my eyes like a cluster of needles. They were rolling around in my bed. The graphic, uninhibited moans pierced through the silence of the room. Bang! Caleb kicked his office door open and charged out. His usually composed face was twisted in absolute fury. He snatched the phone from Valerie’s hand and smashed it violently into the floorboards. “Why the fuck would you show her that?!” Valerie froze, and when she finally snapped out of it, her eyes turned red. “I was doing this for you! Besides, she needs a reality check! Look at her! Who does she think she is trying to monopolize you? She doesn’t even deserve you!” “Shut up!” Caleb shoved her roughly aside, grabbed my wrist, and dragged me into his private office. He stared down at me, a flicker of panic hiding in his dark eyes. “It was just that one time. I was drunk.” “What does that have to do with me?” Caleb’s head snapped up. A hint of hateful resentment bled into his voice. “Do you really have to treat me like this? I just explained it to you! What more do you want?!” What more did I want? My eyes instantly went bloodshot. The images from that video were still flashing in my brain, twisting like a serrated knife. This wasn’t the first time. The very first time a woman had sent me photos of them in bed together, Caleb had been terrified. “Sister, I was asleep! She crawled under the covers herself, and I thought it was you! I swear!” Terrified that I would abandon him, he followed me around with red eyes for days. I was so deeply nauseated I couldn’t eat for three days. To prove his absolute loyalty, he went out and tattooed my name right on his V-line. “Sister, I will always be your loyal dog.” Looking at his devoted, desperate eyes back then, I eventually chose to forgive him. His suppressed emotions had broken like a dam. He hugged me, kissing me frantically, making endless promises. I was so naive back then. I actually believed he would change. But reality slapped me in the face, over and over again. Tolerate it once, and there will be a next time. The bottom line gets pushed lower and lower, until you look in the mirror and feel nothing but disgust for yourself. Maybe my undisguised revulsion stung him. Panic, helplessness, and finally, rage flashed through Caleb’s eyes. He stalked toward me, moving fast. “Madeline, you are really starting to piss me off.” He tried to force a kiss on me—his go-to rogue tactic after countless fights in the past. Only this time, I didn’t let him have his way. Crash. Caleb slumped to the floor, clutching his forehead as dark red blood seeped through his fingers. He looked at me in absolute disbelief. “You actually hit me!” My hand, still gripping the heavy glass paperweight, was trembling slightly. I ignored his words, turned around, and walked out the door. Behind me, I heard a low, wounded whimper. Half-rage, half-sob. 【Chapter 3】 I thought it was finally over. But that same paparazzo released even more photos of us. Holding hands, hugging, kissing—close-ups from every possible angle. Instantly, #CalebThorneLiar rocketed to the top of the trending charts. His haters and casual onlookers swarmed his social media accounts, raining down an avalanche of insults and vitriol. I only found out about the fallout while I was being driven home by my arranged match, Nathaniel Reed. My apartment was pitch black. The exact second I flipped the light switch, a hand clamped around my throat and slammed me against the wall. The glaring lights and the blunt force trauma left me dazed for a few seconds. When I finally opened my eyes, Caleb was staring at me, his eyes bloodshot and unhinged. “Madeline. You paid the paparazzi to release those photos just to force me to claim you?” My brain stalled. When I finally processed his words, a cold laugh escaped my throat. “What kind of garbage are you spewing? I would never do something like that.” “Drop the act! Valerie saw you meeting with the paparazzi!” Caleb’s face was a mask of iron, the grip around my throat tightening. He watched me wince in pain, yet didn’t show a single ounce of remorse. “What do you get out of destroying me?! Valerie was right. You are incredibly selfish and heartless! You don’t care about me at all. Everything you do is just to satisfy your own twisted—” Mid-sentence, Caleb’s face froze. His eyes locked onto the oversized men’s jacket draped over my shoulders. Pure, unadulterated hatred flared in his eyes. “Whose jacket is this?! Who were you out with?! You found a new sugar daddy that fast?! Madeline, you’re a fucking whore!” His voice shook violently. He ripped the jacket off my shoulders, threw it onto the floor, and started violently stomping on it. Like the jacket had murdered his family. I watched him with ice-cold eyes, utterly disgusted by his pathetic display. “Caleb, who I spend my time with has nothing to do with you. And whoever you date has nothing to do with me. Now get the hell out of my house!” Caleb’s pupils shook, his cheek twitching as if he was vibrating with sheer rage. “Madeline, you’re doing this to punish me, aren’t you?! Just because I wouldn’t take you public?!” I was sick to my stomach. I didn’t want to hear another word of his delusional ranting, and I wanted zero ties to him. I bypassed him and immediately called the building’s security. Caleb smiled, but his eyes were filled with venom. “You’re really something.” That very night, Caleb logged onto X and posted an official response. “That woman is an older sister who sponsored me when I was young. I apologize for lying to everyone. We did have a brief history, but it’s entirely in the past. Certain things happened, and I really don’t want to dig up old wounds. I apologize again and have no intention of taking up public resources.” His wording was masterful, leaving just enough to the imagination while directing all the crosshairs directly at me. His fans instantly flooded the comments with pity. “What does he mean? Did this psycho bitch use her money to blackmail him into dating her? That is disgusting!” “Omg, I have a wild theory. Is this woman some rich sugar mommy who preys on young actors to satisfy her sick fantasies?” “Ahhhh, poor Caleb! My god, that woman deserves to rot. Has anyone doxxed her yet?” In the blink of an eye, I was thrown right back into the center of a raging inferno. A few hours later, my personal information, address, and phone number were plastered all over the internet. My mother almost had a heart attack from the stress. My father was frantically calling in favors to scrub the internet while ordering me to come back to the family estate immediately. My head was spinning. I couldn’t believe Caleb was capable of something this ruthless. I was so dizzy and overwhelmed that when I stepped out of my apartment building, I completely failed to notice the metal bat swinging toward my head. Crack! An explosion of white-hot pain erupted in the back of my skull. I hit the pavement hard. A young woman stood over me, her eyes burning with manic hatred. “You bitch! You ruined my idol’s life! Go to hell!” She raised the baseball bat high above her head, aiming straight for my skull again. My heart hammered against my ribs. I couldn’t move a muscle. Just as a wave of absolute despair washed over me… Thud. Nathaniel Reed materialized out of nowhere, grabbing the bat mid-swing and violently tackling the crazed fan to the concrete. The girl let out a shrill scream. She scrambled to her feet, shot me one last murderous glare, and sprinted off into the night. Nathaniel’s face was terrifyingly grim. He quickly assessed my bleeding head wound and immediately dialed 911.

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After I accidentally fell asleep during our third movie date, my boyfriend finally got angry. “Chloe, what is going on with you lately? Why are you always so checked out?” “I told you, once Mia’s baby is born, I will marry you.” “When the time comes, I’ll give you the grandest wedding. We’ll invite all our friends and family. What more could you possibly want?!” Hearing these worn-out lines, I thought I would turn hysterical like I used to. But surprisingly, my heart felt completely calm. I gently bit down on the popping boba in my drink. On one hand, I realized my therapist was right—sweets really do improve your mood. On the other hand, I spoke softly, choosing my words carefully: “Ethan, the movie I wanted you to watch with me is over.” “And us… we’re over, too.” 1. Ethan’s rising impatience and anger dissipated in an instant. He seemed unable to comprehend the meaning of my words, asking blankly: “What did you say?” “I said, let’s break up.” “You can finally marry Mia like you’ve always wanted.” I curled my lips into a smile, wanting to make this goodbye somewhat dignified. But Ethan’s voice suddenly darkened. “Chloe, stop making a scene.” “Mia is my best friend’s woman. She and the baby in her belly are the last things he left behind in this world. How could I possibly betray my brother like that?” “As long as Mia’s baby is born safely, my mission is complete. After that, I’ll take you anywhere you want for our honeymoon.” “Didn’t you want to go to Aspen to see the snow? I’ll take you… Just do it for me, can you compromise this one last time?” His voice softened. “Chloe, don’t you love me the most?” Because of that one line—”Don’t you love me the most?”—I had compromised countless times. Because of Mia, our wedding date had been continuously postponed. Because of her body image anxiety, I was forced to throw away all my makeup and smash all my mirrors. Even during her first pregnancy, she had the nerve to call my mother, provocatively asking her for parenting advice. Yet, when he first confessed his feelings to me, he clearly said: “Chloe, be with me. You are the person I love most, and I will never let you suffer any grievances.” Just like right now, a call from Mia came in. “Ethan! The baby says he wants something sweet! Hurry up and buy a small cake from that bakery on the West Side and bring it over!” Seeing Ethan’s brow furrow again, I knew he was trying to come up with a new excuse to persuade me. But I had heard too many; I didn’t want to hear anymore. Behind every unique excuse was actually the exact same reason: Mia was more important than me. I tossed the popcorn bucket into the trash can and said: “Go. Don’t keep her waiting.” As soon as I stepped into the elevator, Mia’s messages started popping up one after another. Even through the text, I could feel her malice. [Sister, I’m so sorry! Did I interrupt your date? ~] [It’s just that I haven’t had a little cake in so long. Besides, Ethan has already kept you company for two whole hours, that’s enough, right? His most important job right now is to take good care of me so I can deliver this baby safely!] She knew I could never withstand this kind of provocation. Every time she sent me a message like this, I would fight hysterically with Ethan. I would curse at him without a filter, yelling until he was exhausted, until he lost any desire to communicate with me. Cursing him until he went to Mia to complain. Then she could justifiably be “understanding” of Ethan’s hardships. But now, looking at that text, I felt very calm. I even had the mood to reply to her: [Have the baby safely, so it can call Ethan ‘Daddy.’] Less than a minute after the message was sent, Ethan’s call came through. “What nonsense are you saying to Mia?!” Ethan sounded furious. “I promised I’d bring her dessert on my way back. If you have a problem, take it out on me! Mia is pregnant. If you say things like that to provoke her, what if she does something drastic?” “Can’t you just be a little more understanding?” After saying that, he seemed to realize he had lost control and quickly softened his tone. “Chloe, I’m not taking my anger out on you. It’s just that Mia has depression. After her husband died, she can’t stand to hear the word ‘Daddy.’” “I’m begging you, call Mia and apologize. Let’s stabilize the pregnant woman’s emotions first, and we can discuss the rest later, okay?” He thought my words were too harsh, but he never scrolled up to see what Mia had said to me. Without a shred of hesitation, I said: “I won’t apologize.” Perhaps noticing that my tone was different from usual, Ethan sighed. “I know you felt wronged today. How about I take you to try on wedding dresses tonight? I’ve already booked the whole boutique. You can try them on for as long as you want, and I’ll stay with you the whole time, okay?” Listening to his increasingly confident tone, It was as if he was certain I would compromise yet again for this long-awaited wedding. I finally laughed out loud. “Ethan, do you have amnesia?” “I just said, we are already broken up.” It wasn’t spoken out of anger, nor was it sarcasm. I genuinely felt that he was no longer worth it. 2. I stayed outside by myself for a long time. I went to the psychiatrist and picked up some medication. Before I left, the doctor asked me: “Have you still been dreaming about your mother lately?” I lowered my eyes and nodded slightly. The doctor understood and said comfortingly: “Take it slowly. At least now, you won’t be tortured by the past so painfully anymore.” “Congratulations on successfully walking away from a relationship.” I smiled and went home with my medication. But all along the way, I couldn’t stop thinking about what my mother looked like. Her eyes that were always smiling, her heart that always thought of others, the agony of a healer who couldn’t heal herself. When I pushed open the door to my house, I saw Ethan sitting on the sofa. I was a bit surprised. After all, Ethan and I had been separated for a long time, and he never visited me here without a reason. In Ethan’s own words: “It’s good that you want to move out. Your condition lately has been terrible, causing the whole house to be on edge, especially Mia.” “Go out and reflect on yourself. Once you’ve thought things through and figured it out, you can move back in.” Ethan took a few quick steps towards me, his voice laced with lingering fear. “I called you so many times, but you never answered. I went out looking for you for a long time. I thought…” I knew what he wanted to say. He probably thought I would do something desperate like I did a month ago, trying to jump into the river to end my life. I turned, bypassed him, and walked straight inside. Ethan followed behind me, his tone somewhat downcast. “Why didn’t you answer the phone? Chloe, you never used to be like this.” “Do you know how anxious I was when I suddenly couldn’t reach you? I was really worried about you.” I didn’t answer, treating his words like empty air. When I got up to head back to the bedroom, the long-ignored Ethan finally couldn’t take it anymore. He grabbed my hand. “Chloe, you know I’m caught in the middle and it’s hard for me too. Why won’t you be a little more understanding?” “When Auntie passed away… you know what it feels like to lose someone important. How could you ask me to just abandon a mother and her child?!” Hearing this, I couldn’t stand it any longer and fiercely swatted his hand away. I looked at him, my voice freezing cold. “Ethan, what right do you have to say that?” “What right do you have to bring up my mom?” If it weren’t for my mother’s kind-heartedness in taking him in, he would have frozen to death in the bitter snow years ago. Back then, he promised he would definitely repay my mother’s kindness, promised he would definitely take good care of me. But his so-called repayment was helping Mia book an appointment with my mother, who was a top specialist. It was letting Mia smugly say right in front of her: “The baby’s father passed away early, but luckily he has a good buddy who has been helping us out during this time.” At that time, my mom didn’t know anything. When she recounted this to me, she was even lamenting how hard it must be for Mia. “But that buddy of his is truly decent. To treat this girl so well, he must have some genuine feelings for her.” The apple I was halfway through peeling suddenly dropped to the floor, and after that, I couldn’t hear anything clearly. That night, Ethan and I had a massive fight. “Chloe, I just felt that Auntie is the most authoritative OB-GYN in the whole hospital. You can’t strip Mia of her right to seek medical care, can you?!” Fighting the urge to cry, I said sternly: “Do you know what she told my mom?! If my mom knew that ‘buddy’ was you, what would she think?!” Ethan’s body stiffened, and he fell silent. The next day, he transferred Mia to another specialist’s roster and intentionally kept his distance from her. We silently agreed never to bring this up again. Later, when my mom fell ill and was hospitalized, he would also come over to help take care of her. Looking at Ethan then, her eyes were full of pride. “Ethan is a good kid. Handing you over to him, I feel at peace…” As she spoke, tears fell. I knew what the words she left unsaid were. She had handed me over to the person she trusted most. That way, I wouldn’t follow in her footsteps. I wouldn’t be betrayed by a man like she was, abandoned and left to raise a child alone and helpless. I gave a bitter smile, tucked her in, and said nothing. The next day, a sobbing sound came from my mom’s hospital room. I pushed the door open and saw Mia kneeling on the floor, begging my mom to give her blessing to her and Ethan. “My husband is dead, I only have him left!” “You’ve been a doctor your whole life, do you have the heart to watch me and my child be left with no one to rely on?…” Tears slid from the corners of my mom’s eyes. She couldn’t say a single word; only the monitor beeped incessantly. Ethan rushed in and quickly called the doctors to resuscitate my mom. Mia was also locked away in a psychiatric hospital by him. He held me as I cried my eyes out, apologizing endlessly, slapping himself. But my mother could never be resuscitated again. The day I went to the hospital to collect my mom’s belongings. I passed by a hospital room and saw a beaming Mia inside. And sitting next to her, meticulously peeling fruit for her, was Ethan. In that instant, I felt like I had been struck by lightning. It turned out Mia had never been committed to a psychiatric hospital. In fact, under Ethan’s protection, she was living even more comfortably and happily. A sharp pain tore through my abdomen, and unable to bear it any longer, I fainted at the door of the hospital room. When I woke up, Ethan was holding my hands in a death grip, crying like a child: “Chloe, the doctor said… you have a threatened miscarriage…” I stared blankly at the ceiling. In that moment, I realized that the gamble I had placed entirely on Ethan was a complete loss. Between him and me, there was absolutely no possibility anymore. 3. The air seemed to freeze. Ethan and I stood in silence, neither of us speaking. After a long time, he slapped himself hard across the face. “I’m sorry, Chloe. I… I got too emotional… It’s just that I’m so tired too. I thought you could understand me…” I twitched the corners of my mouth coldly. “Splitting your heart in two, of course you’d be tired.” Ethan froze in place, his expression awkward and helpless. “Chloe, listen to me explain…” I didn’t wait for him to finish. I shoved a box packed with all the things related to him into his arms and kicked him right out the door. The next day, I went to the hospital to pick up my medical report and happened to run into Ethan, who was there to pick up Mia’s prenatal checkup results. He blocked my path, insisting on giving me a ride. I looked at the dreary, rainy weather outside and didn’t refuse. But when I arrived at my doorstep, I found the front door open. A bad feeling surged up, and I immediately pushed the door and went in. It was Mia! She was standing in front of my mother’s shrine, holding my mother’s portrait in her hands. Before I could even scream “No,” the portrait was smashed to pieces right in front of me. I forgot about everything else, shoved Mia aside, and fell to my knees amidst the shattered glass. A massive scratch marred the kind smile on the photo, slicing my mother’s face right down the middle. Mia spat in my direction, pointing at me and screaming: “Stop pretending! You already initiated the breakup but you’re still stringing Ethan along. Playing the victim while acting like a slut, aren’t you a cheap bitch!” “Mia, shut up!” Ethan rushed over. Seeing the scene, he slapped Mia across the face without asking any questions. “Who told you to come here! How dare you touch this photo!” Mia looked at him in disbelief, tears welling up in her eyes. “Ethan, you dare hit me?!” Ethan ignored her and hurried over to help me up. “Chloe, you’re bleeding! Be a good girl, don’t touch these…” I ignored the pain of the glass piercing my skin. All my grievances and resentment erupted in this instant, and I started hitting Ethan like a madwoman. “You bastards! Why don’t you just go to hell!” With my bloodied fingers, I carefully scooped up the torn and battered photo. That was the last photo of my mother left in this world… Tears poured down my face, and I screamed hoarsely at Ethan: “I already agreed to break up with you! What more do you want?!” “Why! Why won’t you even spare my mother?!” “Ethan, do you really have to torture me like this?!” With red-rimmed eyes, Ethan helped me pick the shards of glass out of my flesh. “Chloe, it’s not like that… Please, don’t say things like that…” Finally, my vision went black, and I lost all consciousness. 4. I had a very long dream. In the dream, my mom never brought Ethan home. It was just the two of us, supporting each other. Our life was ordinary but happy. But gradually, all the images started flipping and twisting, eventually freezing on the floor covered in shattered glass, and the torn portrait. I cried out “Mom,” and woke up to find only a cold hospital bed. And by the bed, holding my hand but afraid to look at me, was Ethan. “Chloe, how are you feeling?…” I didn’t have a shred of energy to answer. I just asked hoarsely: “Where is my mom’s photo? Give it back to me.” Ethan pressed his lips together, looking even guiltier than before. “Chloe, Auntie’s photo… I’ll figure out a way to restore a copy…” Looking at his face, I vaguely guessed what had happened. “What did Mia do to my mom’s photo?” Ethan squeezed my hand: “Chloe…” “Tell me!” Ethan’s voice was very quiet: “Chloe, Mia was just triggered. She didn’t mean to destroy the photo on purpose…” “I promise you, I’ll try every possible way to restore it…” “Ethan,” I interrupted him. “Do you remember where this portrait came from?” Ethan’s body trembled. He lowered his head, and besides endless “I’m sorry”s, he couldn’t say another word. “My mom guessed the relationship between you and Mia, fell seriously ill, and was hospitalized.” “That day, keeping it a secret from everyone, she left me a letter and a portrait. That was the last thing she gave me.” “That letter was filled with how sorry she was to me, how she shouldn’t have blindly entrusted me to you.” “But Ethan, what did my mom do wrong?” “She just wanted her daughter to be happy…” Holding me, Ethan practically begged: “Chloe, don’t be like this… I’m begging you…” The next second, the door to the hospital room suddenly burst open. A young nurse panicked: “This is bad! The pregnant woman in bed 23 ran up to the roof! She said if she doesn’t see her boyfriend, she’s going to jump!” Ethan’s body jolted violently. He instinctively stood up, then seemed to realize something and looked back at me. “Chloe…” I completely lost the energy to respond to him. I closed my eyes and completely ignored him. Ethan froze for a moment, then gritted his teeth. “Chloe, wait for me. I’ll be right back!” He turned and rushed out without looking back. I picked up my phone and called my psychiatrist. “Do me one last favor.” … By the time Ethan managed to calm Mia down, it was completely dark outside. He pushed open the door to my hospital room, but it was empty. A bad premonition washed over him, and he uncontrollably called out my name. Just then, a message from an unknown number popped up on his phone. Ethan quickly opened it. It was a medical diagnosis certificate. Seeing clearly what was written on it, Ethan could no longer maintain his composure and let out a devastating, anguished roar.

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Six months ago, I found a little girl who blinked up at me and said, “So this was what you were like back when you were full of life.” Before I could understand what she meant, she dropped to her knees in front of me. “Please take me in. I don’t have parents. I’m starving to death…” Looking at her face that resembled mine in some ways, my heart softened and I brought her home. Strangely enough, she seemed to know all my habits, like she was my shadow. “Serena, I love you more than anyone in this world… No, I only love you.” She always looked at me with bright eyes, but looked at my husband with eyes full of poison. Until the day I got pregnant, she suddenly became a different person… During the time my husband and I were trying to conceive, I found a girl downstairs. She blinked at me cutely. I was still hesitating about whether to take her to the police station when she suddenly dropped to her knees in front of me. “Please take me in. I don’t have parents. I’m starving to death…” Looking at her face that resembled mine in some ways, my heart softened and I brought her home. My husband Marcus woke up and came out of the bedroom rubbing his eyes. When he saw the girl I was supporting, he froze for a moment, then showed a gentle smile. “Is this your sister? You two look so alike.” I laughed. Taking a closer look at the girl, we really did look similar. “Found her downstairs. She has a high fever,” I said. Marcus immediately came over to help. The moment his hand touched the girl’s shoulder, she jerked away like she’d been shocked, staring at Marcus with eyes that made my back go cold. “She’s probably scared,” Marcus said, withdrawing his hand. His smile looked a bit stiff. “I’ll go get fever medicine.” I changed the girl into dry clothes. She was very thin, with protruding collarbones and wrists so slender they looked like they might snap. While drying her hair, I noticed a scar behind her ear that looked like an old wound. For some reason, this made my heart clench, and I unconsciously softened my movements. Marcus brought warm water and medicine, but the girl refused to drink. I took the cup, and only then did she open her mouth, her eyes never leaving me. “What’s your name?” I asked gently. “…Lily.” “And your last name?” She was silent for a long time, then glanced up at me before quickly lowering her eyes again. Her voice was so soft I could barely hear it. “Whitmore.” Same as mine. What a coincidence. That night I slept in the guest room with her. I don’t know why, but facing this child of unknown origin, I couldn’t muster much wariness. Instead, I felt a strange sense of closeness. I woke up in the middle of the night to find her staring at me with eyes too complex for a child. “Go to sleep.” I tucked the blanket around her. “You shouldn’t have brought me back,” she suddenly said. “Why?” “You’ll regret it.” I didn’t take it seriously, thinking she was delirious. By morning, her fever had broken, but she insisted on not contacting family or going to the police station. “I don’t have any family,” she said. Marcus suggested at breakfast, “We should still contact the police. What if she ran away from home…” “I’m not leaving.” Lily cut him off, her voice cold. The atmosphere became awkwardly tense. I tried to smooth things over. “Let her stay a few days. We can talk about it when she’s better.” Marcus glanced at me with a look that made me uncomfortable. But he quickly smiled. “Whatever you say.” He was always like this—gentle, considerate, always putting me first. My colleagues all said I was lucky to marry such a perfect husband. I thought so too, but Lily didn’t seem to agree. Lily settled into my home. She was very quiet, so quiet she was almost like a shadow. But I could feel her gaze always following me, watching me make coffee, watching me answer the phone, watching me stand on the balcony lost in thought. On the third day, she did something that surprised me. My migraine flared up and I was searching everywhere for medicine. Lily silently walked over and handed me a box of ibuprofen and a glass of warm water. “You usually keep it in the left second drawer,” she said. “But you ran out last time. This is newly bought.” I froze. The medicine was indeed in the left drawer, and I had indeed run out. I hadn’t had time to buy more yet. “How did you know…” “I guessed.” She looked away. Later I discovered she knew too many things. She knew I only drank water at 131 degrees Fahrenheit, knew I had a back injury and couldn’t sit for long, knew I bit my nails when stressed. Once when I was cutting fruit and cut my hand, she rushed over with abnormal speed, grabbed my wrist to check the wound, her face frighteningly pale. “It’s fine, just a small cut.” I tried to comfort her. Her expression looked so fragile. But Lily stared at the blood mark, her eyes vacant for a moment. “…It was like this before too.” “What?”

“Nothing.” She let go and walked away. She was very good to me. Too good, even. I had just moved my laptop to the dining table, preparing to handle a difficult work report. Sunlight streamed through the window, making my eyes water. I instinctively squinted and raised my hand to shield them. As I focused intently on the data on the screen, a figure approached silently. Lily brought over a cup of freshly brewed green tea and gently set it by my hand—exactly the strength I preferred. What made me freeze was that she reached out and smoothly adjusted the angle of the blinds behind me. “This way, it won’t be so bright.” She said softly, then retreated to the kitchen counter, picking up a book she was reading, as if she’d just done the most ordinary thing. Looking at her, my heart suddenly felt so soft. I didn’t know why she was homeless, but at that moment, I really considered adopting her. But toward Marcus, she was completely different. When Marcus served her food, she wouldn’t eat it. When Marcus spoke, she kept her head down and stayed silent. When Marcus tried to chat with her, she went straight to her room. “Does that child hate me?” Marcus asked me one night, his tone aggrieved. “She’s just shy around strangers.” “It’s not just that.” Marcus hugged me from behind, resting his chin on my shoulder. “Serena, I know you’re kindhearted, but letting a child of unknown origin live in our house really isn’t safe, and…” He paused. “And what?” “The way she looks at me is wrong.” Marcus’s voice lowered. “I can’t explain it, but… it’s creepy.” I turned to look at him. Under the lights, his face remained gentle, his brow slightly furrowed. He was genuinely worried. At that moment I wavered. Maybe Lily really did have problems? Maybe I should listen to Marcus? But this thought was quickly dismissed. Because the next day, I found Lily going through the trash. She was squatting by the kitchen trash can, holding Marcus’s vitamin bottle, examining it carefully against the light. Hearing my footsteps, she whipped around, a flash of panic in her eyes. “What are you doing?” She didn’t answer, hiding the bottle behind her back. I walked over and held out my hand. “Give it to me.” After a few seconds of standoff, she handed over the bottle. It was ordinary multivitamins. I watched Marcus take them every day. “What’s wrong with this?” I asked. Lily bit her lip and only spoke after a long while. “Don’t let him take these.” “Why?” “There’s… more than just vitamins inside.” I thought it was absurd. “Lily, these are from the hospital—” “Then get them tested.” She looked up at me, her eyes stubbornly intense. “Find a trustworthy lab. Don’t tell him. Test them secretly. If there’s nothing wrong, I’ll leave immediately and never bother you again.” Her tone was so serious, so serious that my heart trembled. I didn’t get them tested. But I put the bottle away and didn’t let Marcus continue taking them. When Marcus asked about it, I said I accidentally knocked it over. He smiled and said it was fine, then opened a new bottle. That night, I couldn’t sleep. In the darkness, I kept replaying Lily’s expression. I turned to look at Marcus sleeping beside me. His breathing was steady, his lashes casting faint shadows beneath his eyes. I’d looked at this face for seven years, kissed it countless times, once thought it was the most reassuring place in the world. Now, I felt an inexplicable chill. Two more weeks passed, and life seemingly returned to calm. Lily remained silent but started helping with housework, even learning to cook dishes I liked. Marcus kept his distance from her, but remained polite on the surface. I thought things would continue peacefully like this. Until I discovered I was pregnant. Two clear lines on the pregnancy test. I stared at it for a full minute, then rushed out to hug Marcus, crying and laughing. “Really?!” Marcus’s eyes lit up as he picked me up and spun me around. “I’m going to be a dad? Serena, we’re having a baby!” He immediately called his parents, then booked the best restaurant to celebrate. All evening, he held my hand without letting go, his eyes full of light. I was glowing too. I felt like I had the whole world—a husband who loved me, a baby we’d been hoping for, a perfect life. In the car on the way home, I touched my still-flat belly and suddenly thought of Lily. “We should tell her,” I said to Marcus. “She’ll definitely be happy.” Marcus’s smile faded slightly, but he quickly nodded. “Right, we should tell her.” I imagined Lily’s surprised expression. She was so good to me. She’d definitely be happy for me. I was wrong. When I handed Lily the ultrasound photo, she didn’t take it. The photo fluttered to the floor. She stared at the black and white image, her face visibly paling, her lips beginning to tremble. “You…” Her voice sounded forced. “You’re pregnant with his child?” “Yes,” I picked up the photo, still immersed in joy. “Look, even though it’s still small, the doctor said it’s very healthy—” “Get rid of it. Get rid of this baby right now!”

I froze. “What?” “Get rid of this baby.” Lily raised her head, her eyes frighteningly red. “Then leave him. Now. Immediately!” I thought I’d heard wrong. “Lily, do you know what you’re saying—” “I know!” She suddenly raised her voice, grabbing my wrist with painful force. “Serena, listen to me. You can’t have this baby. He’ll destroy you. He’ll—” “Enough!” I shook off her hand, angry at her for the first time. “I don’t know what you’ve been through or why you hate Marcus so much, but we’re complete strangers. He’s my husband. I love him. This is our child. How can you say such things?!” Lily took a step back, looking at me. Something shattered in her eyes. “…You love him.” She repeated, her voice as soft as a sigh. “Right, of course you love him. You always have…” “Lily, I understand you might have issues with marriage because of family problems, but Marcus isn’t like that. He’s good to me. We—” “It’s all fake!” She cut me off, tears falling, but her expression was cold. “He’s good to you now because you’re still useful. Once you have the baby, once you can’t run away, he’ll change. He’ll control you, monitor you, hit you, and finally—” “Shut up!” I was shaking with anger. Marcus heard the noise and rushed in. Seeing me crying, he immediately pulled me behind him. “Lily, I understand you’re upset, but you can’t talk to Serena like this. She’s pregnant and needs to stay emotionally stable.” He held me tightly, warmth spreading through my whole body. Looking at Lily’s face, I doubted for the first time whether I’d made a mistake. I should have taken her to the police station from the start. “Emotionally stable?” Lily laughed, the sound uglier than crying. “When he torments her to death, she’ll be stable forever.” Marcus’s face darkened. “You’re still living here because Serena is kindhearted, but you keep cursing her!” “You’re no longer welcome here. Leave this house immediately!” “You’re the one who should leave,” Lily stared at him, enunciating each word. “You don’t deserve her. You’ll only get her killed!” “Enough!” My voice came out shrill, startling even myself. I pulled away from Marcus’s embrace and stepped forward, my fingertip almost touching her nose. “What exactly do you want? Since you appeared, you’ve done nothing but slander my husband, curse my marriage, and now you won’t even spare my unborn child!” “This is my home, this is my husband, this is my child!” “Get out of my house right now!”

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On my wedding day, my rival kidnapped my fiancé and my first love. She poured a bottle of poison down each of their throats and even live-streamed the whole thing to millions. “I hear Dr. Hayes is the best toxicologist in the world, with medical skills that can bring the dead back to life!” “But there’s only one dose of the antidote! Faced with her old flame and her new love, will the great Dr. Hayes save her ex, or her husband-to-be?” Everyone held their breath, waiting for this cruel choice. No matter who I saved, I would lose someone I loved. Under the watchful eyes of millions, I maintained a blank expression and poured the single bottle of antidote straight down the drain. “Adults don’t make choices. I don’t want either of them!” …… Chapter 1 The two men tied to the chairs were staring at me with wide, disbelieving eyes. On the left was my fiancé, Arthur Sterling, the heir to the Sterling Group. His custom-tailored suit was now covered in dust. On the right was my first love, Leo Vance, a currently trending pop idol. His face—the one that made thousands of teenage girls scream—was twisted in agony. Chloe, holding the empty poison vials, was trembling all over. “Stella! You cold-blooded monster! Arthur is your fiancé, and Leo is the man you loved for seven years!” She lunged forward, trying to grab me by the collar. I took a step to the side, avoiding her with obvious disgust. “Correction.” I slowly peeled off my white latex gloves and tossed them into the nearby trash can. “Former fiancé, and ex-boyfriend.” “Also, whether it’s recyclable trash or hazardous waste, I’m only responsible for throwing it out. Not fixing it.” Arthur struggled violently, muffled grunts escaping his gagged mouth. His eyes were filled with shock and rage. As if to say: How dare you? How could you? Leo, on the other hand, had tears pooling in his eyes, trying to use those signature puppy-dog eyes to awaken my old feelings for him. If it were the old Stella Hayes, I probably would have dropped to my knees, crying and begging Chloe for the antidote. I might have even handed the antidote to Arthur without hesitation, then chosen to die alongside Leo. Or, I might have given the antidote to Leo, only to be blacklisted and destroyed by the powerful Sterling family. What a moving, tragic, and profound love story that would have been. What a pity. Today’s Stella Hayes had finally drained the water from her brain. I glanced at the Patek Philippe on my wrist. “Ms. Chloe, three minutes until the poison takes effect.” I leisurely pulled out a chair and sat down, even feeling tempted to cross my legs. “As a doctor, I’ll offer a friendly warning.” “When this type of neurotoxin sets in, the paralysis starts at the fingertips, moves to the limbs, and finally hits the respiratory muscles.” “The process is excruciating. There will be incontinence, convulsions, and foaming at the mouth.” I pointed at Arthur, who was writhing frantically. “If a dignified man like Mr. Sterling here soils his pants in front of tens of millions of viewers…” Arthur’s face instantly went from red to white, then from white to a sickly green. He clamped his legs tightly together. The comments in the live stream immediately shifted tone. [Holy shit, is Dr. Hayes pulling a reverse Uno card?] [That’s ruthless, but why do I find it kind of satisfying?] [Where are your morals?! Those are two human lives!] Chloe was completely panicked. This wasn’t how her script was supposed to play out. She was supposed to be the queen holding the power of life and death, watching me agonize between two men, knowing that no matter who I chose, my reputation would be ruined. But right now, I looked like an outside spectator watching a show. “Stella! Aren’t you afraid of going to jail?! This is murder!” Chloe pointed at me, her finger trembling. I let out a soft laugh, my eyes as cold as a scalpel. “You’re the one who kidnapped them. You’re the one who fed them poison. You’re the one live-streaming this.” “I’m just a passing victim who accidentally slipped and dropped a bottle.” “What is a judge going to charge me with? Destruction of property?” “How much did that vial cost? I’ll compensate you ten times over.” Just then, Arthur suddenly convulsed violently. Leo also started rolling his eyes back into his head. Time was up. Chapter 2 It wasn’t a real toxic reaction. I’m a doctor. I could tell at a glance that they were acting. The frequency of the convulsions and the degree of muscle rigidity were absurdly fake. But I didn’t expose them. I just watched quietly. I watched Arthur writhe on the floor like a maggot. Sure enough, a large wet patch appeared on his expensive suit pants. I couldn’t tell if he actually wet himself out of fear or if it was just for realistic effect. Leo was even better, directly starting to foam at the mouth. I saw it clearly; it was an effervescent tablet hidden under his tongue. Good acting. Truly worthy of his “Razzie Award-winning” actor status. Chloe threw herself onto Arthur, crying beautifully. “Arthur! Arthur, don’t scare me! Stella, you murderer!” “Someone call an ambulance! Call 911!” I calmly pulled out my phone. “No need to call.” “The police arrived downstairs three minutes ago.” “As for an ambulance…” I pointed to the ID badge on my chest. “The best surgeon in the city is right here. Who else do you need to call?” The moment the words left my mouth, the warehouse doors were violently busted open. Fully armed SWAT officers stormed in. “Freeze! Police!” As Chloe was pinned to the floor, she was still screaming hoarsely: “It’s her! Stella killed them! She poured out the antidote!” The police quickly secured the scene and checked on the two “victims.” The lead detective glanced at me, his expression complicated. “Dr. Hayes, we meet again.” I hadn’t expected the team leader to be an old acquaintance, Detective Lee from the Major Crimes Division. “Detective Lee, sorry for the trouble.” My tone was calm, completely lacking the panic of a “murder suspect.” “Are they poisoned?” Detective Lee frowned, looking at the two men still twitching on the floor. “Maybe.” I shrugged. “I recommend getting their stomachs pumped. Thoroughly.” Arthur and Leo were loaded onto stretchers. As he passed by me, Arthur suddenly stopped twitching. He stared at me intently. There was no fear of impending death in his eyes, only the furious rage of being humiliated. He gritted his teeth and whispered in a voice only I could hear: “Stella, you’re dead.” “When I get out, I’m going to make you wish you were dead.” I leaned down and whispered softly in his ear: “Mr. Sterling, if you’ve peed your pants, maybe hold off on the tough guy act.” “The smell is quite strong.” Arthur almost passed away from sheer anger right then and there. Leo, meanwhile, weakly opened his eyes and looked at me with those affectionate, soulful eyes: “Stella, I don’t blame you…” “I know you were forced…” I laughed. I laughed so hard I doubled over. “Leo, save it.” “Your effervescent tablet foam got on my shoes.” Leo’s expression froze instantly. The ambulances sped away with sirens wailing. As a “person of interest,” I was politely escorted into a police cruiser. Although the live stream had been cut, public opinion online had completely exploded. #StellaHayesToxicWoman# #ArthurSterlingLeoVanceCriticalCondition# #StellaHayesThrowsAwayAntidote# The top three trending topics were all my name. Everyone was calling me cold-blooded, calling me a psychopath. Inside the police car, Detective Lee handed me a bottle of water. “Stella, what exactly is going on here?” “Were those two really poisoned?” I unscrewed the cap and took a sip. “Detective Lee, if I told you this whole thing was a play directed and acted out by them, would you believe me?” Detective Lee paused. I looked out the window at the passing city streets, my eyes growing colder by the second. “It wasn’t just a play.” “It was a carefully designed ‘compliance test’ meant to force my submission.” Chapter 3 The lights in the interrogation room were blinding. But I was used to it. The surgical lights in the OR were ten times brighter than this. “Ms. Hayes, according to the scene investigation and Chloe’s statement, she did provide you with a vial of antidote.” “And you did, in fact, pour it down the drain.” The young rookie taking my statement looked incredibly serious, even carrying a hint of disdain. In his eyes, I was probably just a crazy woman driven mad by love and jealousy. “That was glucose.” I stated plainly. The rookie paused. “What?” “The ‘poison’ Chloe forced down their throats was blueberry-flavored sports drink.” “The so-called ‘antidote’ was a 5% glucose solution.” “As for the white foam in Leo’s mouth, that was from a vitamin C effervescent tablet.” I leaned back in my chair and crossed my arms. “Officer, if you don’t believe me, you can check their stomach contents at the hospital.” “Or just ask Chloe directly. She probably still has the unused props in her bag.” The rookie was clearly thrown off by my composure and turned to look at Detective Lee through the two-way mirror. Half an hour later, Detective Lee pushed the door open. His expression was a bit strange. “Stella, you guessed right.” “The hospital just sent word. The stomach pumping results show absolutely no toxins, only sports drink and effervescent tablet residue.” “Chloe confessed too. She said this was a ‘prank live stream’ orchestrated by Arthur and Leo.” Detective Lee sighed and slammed the statement file onto the table. “Are these rich people out of their damn minds?” “Filing a false police report, wasting police resources, disturbing the peace!” “What were they trying to accomplish?” I lowered my eyes, hiding the coldness within. “They wanted to domesticate me.” Detective Lee frowned. “What do you mean?” I didn’t explain. Because it was too sickening. Arthur Sterling: CEO of the Sterling Group, a control freak psychopath. Leo Vance: A washed-up idol desperate for attention, a classic moocher. Chloe: Arthur’s “adopted” younger sister, Leo’s rumored girlfriend, and my sworn enemy. These three got together and staged this entire “kidnapping” farce. With only one goal in mind: To force me to choose between my “new love” and my “old flame” in front of the entire internet. No matter who I chose, I would carry a moral burden for the rest of my life. If I chose Arthur, Leo would “die,” and I would feel guilty forever, submitting entirely to Arthur as a form of atonement. If I chose Leo, Arthur would “die,” and I would be branded a traitor to my fiancé. The Sterling family would hold that over me, and I would be entirely at their mercy just to keep Leo safe. It was a meticulously designed scam. They were betting on my so-called “healer’s compassion” and my reputation for being blindly devoted to love. What a pity. They didn’t know that the Stella Hayes who was blinded by love had died last night. “Am I free to go?” I stood up and smoothed out my skirt. Detective Lee nodded, his expression complex. “Although no actual harm was done, your action of pouring out the ‘antidote’ is morally…” “Detective Lee.” I cut him off. “Morals are meant to constrain human beings.” “When dealing with animals, there’s no need for morals.” Stepping out of the precinct’s front doors. Countless camera flashes instantly engulfed me. The reporters were like sharks smelling blood. “Ms. Hayes! We heard Mr. Sterling and Mr. Vance are out of danger. Do you have anything to say?” “Ms. Hayes, what were you thinking when you poured out the antidote?” “Ms. Hayes, did you know all along that it was a prank?” I stopped in my tracks. I took off my sunglasses and stared directly into the lens of the camera right in front of me. It belonged to a media outlet owned by the Sterling Group. I knew that Arthur was definitely lying in a VIP hospital bed right now, watching this live broadcast. I looked at the camera and flashed the brightest, most radiant smile. “Want to know why I poured out the antidote?” The entire crowd instantly fell silent. I parted my red lips: “Because I found them disgusting.” Chapter 4 Returning to the hospital, I didn’t go to the patient ward; I went straight back to my office. On my desk lay a report printed just yesterday. Six Weeks Pregnant. I had found this in Arthur’s suit pocket yesterday. The name on it was Chloe. And underneath that report was a Share Transfer Agreement. The beneficiary was Leo Vance. So that was it. It turned out Arthur had knocked Chloe up a long time ago, and the upcoming wedding was just a smokescreen. He needed the Hayes family’s medical resources and connections to solidify his position within his company. And Leo, the first love who kept saying he still loved me and regretted the past, had actually been bought off by Arthur long ago. They partnered up to stage this play, not just to psychologically break me. But to completely destroy my reputation on the eve of the wedding. What right would a “cold-blooded,” “heartless” female doctor who “refused to save a dying man” have to run the Hayes family’s private hospital? When that time came, Arthur could legitimately take over everything I owned, claiming I was “mentally unstable.” He might even lock me up in a psychiatric ward. What a brilliant calculation. If it weren’t for an accidental “eavesdropping” session yesterday, I might have actually fallen for it. Yesterday afternoon, I was taking a nap in the lounge outside Arthur’s office. The soundproofing wasn’t great. I overheard his conversation with Leo. “Tomorrow’s live stream has to look real. Make sure Chloe goes hard.” “As long as Stella makes a choice—it doesn’t matter who she chooses—she’ll never be able to bounce back for the rest of her life.” “Once it’s done, I’ll give you five percent of the shares in the Hayes family hospital.” In that moment. My world collapsed. The fiancé I had loved for three years, and the first love I had pined for for seven years. Were discussing how to eat my flesh and drink my blood. I lay in the lounge, my body freezing cold, my fingernails digging into my palms until they bled. But I didn’t storm out to confront them. I simply got up quietly, wiped my tears, and left the Sterling Group building. I knew that crying and screaming were useless. In the adult world, it’s only about winning and losing. Since you want to put on a play, I’ll act right along with you. Since you want to see me make a choice, I’ll just flip the whole table. The office door was shoved violently open. Arthur stood in the doorway in a hospital gown, his face dark as a thundercloud. Behind him trailed a very guilty-looking Leo. “Stella! What kind of nonsense were you spouting to the media just now?!” Arthur strode over, raising his hand to strike me. I didn’t flinch. But a scalpel suddenly appeared in my hand. A flash of cold steel. Arthur’s hand froze in mid-air, the tip of the blade a mere centimeter away. “Mr. Sterling, if you don’t want that hand anymore, you can donate it to someone in need.” I twirled the scalpel, my eyes cold and indifferent. Arthur’s chest heaved with rage. “You knew all along, didn’t you? You knew it was fake!” “If you knew it was fake, why did you pour out the antidote?! You wanted to make us look like fools in front of the entire internet!” Leo chimed in too, looking utterly heartbroken. “Stella, even if it was a joke, you were too ruthless. Arthur and I were genuinely terrified at the time. What if Chloe had grabbed the wrong bottles?” Listen to this. This is men for you. They clearly set a trap to destroy me, but now they’re blaming me for being too ruthless. “A joke?” I let out a soft laugh, stood up, and advanced on them step by step. “Arthur, Chloe being six weeks pregnant… is that a joke?” Arthur’s pupils contracted sharply. “Leo, that fifty-million-dollar share transfer agreement… is that a joke?” Leo’s face instantly went ashen. The room fell into dead silence. I looked at their terrified expressions, feeling an unspeakable sense of vindication. “Did you think I poured out the antidote just to make you look bad?” I shook my head, pulling a cold smirk. “No.” “I poured out the antidote because…” “I added a little something extra to that glucose solution.” Arthur and Leo’s eyes widened simultaneously. “What did you say?” I pointed to the trash can. “The real antidote—I really did pour it out.” “But the stuff Chloe forced down your throats wasn’t just a sports drink.” “It was a slow-acting neurotoxin that I specially prepared for you.” “This time, it’s real.” Chapter 5 “You’re lying!” Arthur stumbled backward, slamming into the doorframe. “The police said it was just a sports drink! The stomach pumping report came back totally normal!” Despite his tough talk, fine beads of cold sweat were already forming on his forehead. As a doctor, I knew exactly how to shatter someone’s psychological defenses. “Mr. Sterling, did you forget who runs the pathology lab at the Hayes family hospital?” I casually sat back down in my chair, twirling a pen in my fingers. “Besides, standard toxicology screens can’t detect this specific toxin.” “It stays dormant in your nervous system and only begins to take effect after twenty-four hours.” “The initial symptoms are… auditory hallucinations, paranoia, and irritability.” I looked at Arthur with a half-smile. “Right now, do you feel a faint buzzing sound in your ears?” Arthur instinctively clapped his hands over his ears, his face deathly pale. There was no buzzing. It was just the physiological response of a person under extreme stress. Also known as paranoia creating its own demons. Leo, meanwhile, was so terrified his legs gave out, and he dropped to his knees with a thud. “Stella! Stella, I was wrong! Arthur forced me to do it!” “I love you! I really just did it for the money… no, I did it for our future!” “Please, give me the antidote! I don’t want to die!” Watching the man I once loved begging like a dog. I felt absolutely nothing. Only disgust. “Leo, your acting skills have really gone downhill.” I looked at him coldly. “Back when you played the devoted lover, at least you managed to fool me. Now, playing the terrified coward? Too over the top.” Arthur kicked Leo aside and pointed at me, roaring: “Stella! This is a crime! I’m calling the police! I’m going to have you thrown in jail!” “Go ahead.” I spread my hands. “The police just left. Do you want me to call Detective Lee back for you?” “When he gets here, I’ll just say I’m suffering from delusions and was talking nonsense.” “After all, the lab reports are clean, and you have no proof I poisoned you.” “However…” I shifted my tone, my eyes turning dark. “When the toxin takes effect, I’m the only one with the antidote.” “Arthur, are you willing to bet your life on that?” Arthur froze. He wasn’t. The richer people are, the more terrified they are of dying. Especially a crown prince like him, about to inherit a massive empire, with an illegitimate child on the way. He stared at me, the fury in his eyes slowly morphing into raw fear. “What exactly do you want?” He asked through gritted teeth. I pulled a document from my drawer and tossed it onto the desk. “It’s simple.” “Sign it.” Arthur picked up the document, took one look, and his eyes widened. “A share transfer agreement? You want ten percent of the Sterling Group?!” “You’re insane! That’s impossible!” “Then wait to die.” I lowered my head and started reviewing patient charts, ignoring him. “Show them out.” Arthur’s hand shook as he held the document. Ten percent of the shares—that was half his life. But if he didn’t sign, it would be his whole life. “Stella, you’ll regret this.” Arthur spat the threat viciously, turned on his heel, and stormed out. Leo scrambled to his feet and stumbled after him. “Arthur! Arthur, wait for me! What about me?” Watching their pathetic retreat. I picked up my phone and made a call. “Hello, Dr. Wang in Pathology?” “The stomach fluid samples from Arthur Sterling and Leo Vance… have they been destroyed?” “Excellent. Make sure there’s no trace left.” I hung up the phone. I looked out the window at the setting sun, the sky a bloody crimson. Actually, I hadn’t poisoned them at all. The liquid in Chloe’s bottles really was just a sports drink. And what I poured down the drain really was just glucose. The so-called “slow-acting neurotoxin” was just a story I made up to scare them. But for these two men, who already had guilty consciences. Fear was the most lethal poison of all. For the next twenty-four hours. I was going to let them experience what “a fate worse than death” truly meant.

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My parents took me to the city to buy a house. I walked up to a dilapidated, tiny old house and refused to leave. No matter how much my parents tried to persuade me, I stood my ground. Helpless, my parents had no choice but to buy it. Three days later, a “Condemned for Demolition” notice appeared on the wall of our newly purchased house. My parents were shocked. 1. Right after dinner, my cousin and I were running around the yard. “Chloe, come here and let me wipe your sweat. Look at your little face, it’s as dirty as a little kitten,” my mom said, smiling as she walked over, hugged me, and wiped my face. Our neighbor, Mrs. Smith, walked by and smiled. “Chloe is such a lucky charm! It’s rare for a little girl to be loved this much.” “But, Sarah,” she continued, “a woman still needs a son to secure her future. It would be great if you and Chloe’s dad had another baby and gave Chloe a little brother.” Hearing Mrs. Smith’s words, my mom looked a bit displeased. While tickling me with one hand, she replied politely, “We are perfectly happy with just Chloe. You don’t need to worry about us.” Seeing me laughing heartily as my mom tickled me, Mrs. Smith shook her head and walked away. My grandmother came out of the house. “Don’t listen to that old busybody. Having Chloe is perfectly fine for our family.” My mom smiled too. “Mom, Chloe’s dad and I are planning to go to the city tomorrow to look at houses. We’ve saved up quite a bit these past two years, and for the sake of Chloe’s future education, we want to move to the city as soon as possible.” Grandma smiled warmly and patted my head. “Alright, as long as you find something you like. I’ve saved up a little bit too; if it’s not enough, I can chip in!” My parents wouldn’t actually take my grandmother’s money. After all, I still had an uncle, and she needed to be fair to both her sons. In rural areas, favoring boys over girls wasn’t uncommon, and my grandmother originally held those views too. When I was first born and she heard I was a girl, she showed obvious disappointment on her face. But from the moment I was born, I loved to smile. Seeing me swaddled like a little white dumpling, grinning widely at everyone, my parents and grandmother couldn’t help but smile too. They held me in their arms, unable to put me down. Add to that my sweet talk, and with this skill, I gained a lot of love in the family. But what truly elevated my status was another incident. When I was a year old, my parents had something to attend to, and my grandmother was watching me at home. After feeding me lunch, my grandmother was working in the yard while I played on the bed by myself. Not long after, I suddenly started crying loudly. My grandmother held me, trying everything to soothe me, but it didn’t work. My cries grew louder and louder, my voice becoming increasingly hoarse. For someone like me, who naturally loved to smile, this was extremely unusual. My grandmother didn’t dare delay and hurriedly carried me to the local clinic. The doctor at the clinic couldn’t find anything wrong with me and just told her to take me home and observe me. My grandmother carried me home, and on the way, she saw black smoke billowing from the direction of our house. “Fire… there’s a fire…” When my grandmother finally ran back carrying me, she found that several nearby houses, including ours, were on fire. The fire was quite large, and the volunteer firefighters were all helping to put it out. My parents also rushed back, and seeing that my grandmother and I were safe, they finally breathed a sigh of relief. It took the whole afternoon to put out the fire; it wasn’t extinguished until nightfall. Later, we heard that people in several of the nearby houses were severely injured, and even after being saved, they were left disabled. Our family was the only one that didn’t suffer much loss, and no one was hurt. Hearing this news, my parents were silent for a long time. My grandmother held me tightly, her eyes still showing lingering fear. “Thanks to Chloe! Our Chloe is a little lucky charm, Grandma’s sweetheart.” 2. Since that incident, everyone in the family favored me even more. My grandmother and mother even fought over who got to take care of me, making my aunt, who had two sons, green with envy. My parents also gave up the idea of having a son; they only wanted to take good care of me. When I was two, my dad was laid off and started his own business. Unexpectedly, his first venture didn’t lose money; instead, he paid off all the money he borrowed to start the business in just one year. Not long after, my mom also quit her job to help my dad, and a year later, they made a neat little profit. As our family’s life improved day by day, my parents started thinking about moving to the city. After all, the educational and medical facilities in the city were relatively much better. Early the next morning, my mom picked me up from bed. “Chloe, are we going to the city to look at houses with Mommy and Daddy today? Does that sound good?” With my eyes closed, I let my mom dress me and groggily washed my face. After eating the breakfast my grandmother prepared, my parents and I set off. My parents had been making frequent trips to the city for their business over the past few years, so they had some knowledge of the well-known neighborhoods. When my parents brought me to a sales office, I instinctively disliked the place. The houses sold here were considered upper-middle-class in the city, and many people were buying them. While my parents were listening to the real estate agent’s introduction, I sat in my mom’s lap, looking around. Just then, I saw an elegantly dressed couple walk in through the door with a little girl. The couple looked very kind; the man was tall and handsome, and the woman was gentle and beautiful. However, the woman looked pale, as if her health wasn’t very good. The little girl with them was wearing a princess dress and delicate white leather shoes, but she looked unhappy. Seeing them, the sales manager hurried out to greet them. “Mr. Sterling, Mrs. Sterling, what brings you here personally today? And this must be your daughter?” The little girl glanced at the sales manager expressionlessly. The man referred to as Mr. Sterling spoke: “Today we want to pick out another house for ourselves. My wife isn’t used to living in the one we bought previously.” Seeing Mrs. Sterling coughing softly, the sales manager nodded in understanding and personally began showing them around. But the little girl didn’t seem very close to the couple; she just sat impatiently on the side by herself. My parents picked me up, ready to go look at the houses in the neighborhood. As my mom picked me up, the family next to us also noticed us. The woman called Mrs. Sterling froze for a moment when she saw me. Noticing her gaze, the man also looked at us. Seeing my face, the man, like the woman, was stunned for a moment, but soon returned to normal. Both of their gazes lingered on us. It wasn’t until my parents and I left that their line of sight vanished. My parents were very satisfied with the house they viewed. But ever since I walked in, I didn’t like it. I shook my mom’s hand: “I don’t like it here, Mommy. Let’s look somewhere else.” “Chloe, be good. Look how big this bedroom is! You can have your own room from now on.” But I still shook my head, my face showing my reluctance. My parents looked awkwardly at the salesperson and said they would think about it. After going outside, my dad picked me up: “Does Chloe really not like it there?” “I don’t like it!” I immediately replied. “Then we’ll keep looking. There are plenty of houses anyway.” “You just spoil her,” my mom said, smiling and shaking her head. My parents decided to take me to get something to eat first. We came to an alley where the road was full of potholes and very difficult to walk on. My dad, holding me, looked up. There weren’t many houses here, and the layout was scattered. When we reached a certain house, I struggled to be put down. After my dad set me down, I scurried over to the house and took a look. I didn’t know why, but I really liked it here. “Mommy, Daddy, I want to live here!” My parents were shocked by my words: “Chloe, it’s too run-down here. It’s not even as good as our house in the country. Let’s live in a new house, okay?” “No, no, I want to live here!” A “For Sale” sign was posted on the mottled gate of the house. My mom tried to coax me for a long time, but I refused to leave. Having no choice, my dad called the “For Sale” number posted on the gate. Hearing that we wanted to view the house, the owner excitedly said he would be right there. When the gate opened, we could see the yard wasn’t small, but it was piled high with junk. Upon entering the house, the overall appearance was even more dilapidated. My parents really didn’t think much of the place, but since coming in, I found myself liking the house more and more. I hugged my mom’s thigh. “I want to live here. I like it here.” My mom looked at my dad, conflicted. After all, I had been very sensible since I was little and rarely stubbornly demanded anything. My dad looked at my hopeful little face. “Buy it! If my daughter likes it, we’ll buy it! Worst case, we save up and buy another one later!” My dad made the final decision. Hearing this, my mom didn’t object either. Afraid we might change our minds, the owner offered an at-cost price and rushed the transfer of ownership. Looking at the property deed in our hands, our family of three stared at each other in disbelief. 3. There was too much junk here, making it a hassle to clean up. My parents decided to pack up our things from the country and move them over little by little. After returning home, the neighbors heard that my parents had bought an old house and gossiped while snacking on sunflower seeds. “The Davis family must have lost their minds! Listening to a little girl!” “They finally saved up enough money, and they go to the city just to buy a house like that? I wouldn’t live there even if they gave it to me for free!” “Tell me about it! Last time I suggested Chloe’s mom have another boy, she gave me such a dirty look!” Mrs. Smith said, spit flying. “No matter how lucky this girl is, she’s still not a son! Just wait and see! There will come a day when the Davis family regrets it!” My grandmother also disapproved a bit when she heard, but her attitude completely changed when she heard I liked it. “Since Chloe likes it, then we bought it! Don’t listen to their nonsense. At least we own a house in the city now!” My parents felt the same way and started packing up the things at home. The next day, my dad received a phone call and walked home looking like he was sleepwalking. “Richard? What’s wrong with you? Did you lose your soul?” My mom waved her hand in front of my dad’s face. My dad recovered after a while and said, “Sarah, the old house we just bought is condemned for demolition.” “What… what nonsense are you talking about?!” My mom looked doubtful. “It’s true, that call just now was from the city planning office!” My mom and grandmother still couldn’t quite believe it, afraid they had encountered a scammer. The family rushed to the city in a panic. It wasn’t until they negotiated with the city officials, signed the contract, and saw the “Condemned” notice posted on our newly purchased house that it finally felt real. “Oh my, I told you our Chloe is a little lucky charm!” My grandmother hugged me and happily kissed my cheek. My parents were also smiling, looking at me with absolute adoration. After all, trading the price of a dilapidated house for a massive eminent domain payout was something they wouldn’t have even dared to dream of. Since the house was going to be demolished, it couldn’t be lived in. Striking while the iron was hot, my parents took the fresh payout, gritted their teeth, and bought a nice house in the suburbs. Soon, our whole family moved. The houses here were divided into two main areas. One area was for families with a little bit of money, like ours. The other area consisted of gated estates; only the wealthiest and most prestigious people in the city lived there. On our very first day moving in, we ran into the family from the sales office. It turned out their family had also moved here, but they lived in the gated community. Mr. Sterling wasn’t there. Mrs. Sterling still looked pale, but it didn’t detract from her beauty. Mrs. Sterling was holding the hand of the little girl from last time. The little girl was dressed like a little princess, even wearing a small tiara on her head. When she saw our family, she didn’t look friendly and muttered “hicks” under her breath. My parents didn’t notice, and I turned my head away, ignoring her. We found out later that they were the Sterling family. The Sterling family enterprise was a leading corporation in the city. Mr. Sterling was famous for doting on his wife, and they only had this one daughter, Lily Sterling. Lily had been spoiled since childhood; calling her a princess wouldn’t be an overstatement. I thought this was just a minor interlude, never expecting our two families’ fates to be intertwined forever. Not long after moving, I was getting ready to start elementary school. I adapted to the new school pretty well, but I saw Lily Sterling here too. She and I didn’t know each other, so I didn’t approach her. But Lily wasn’t happy about that. Since she was little, wherever she went, she was always the center of attention. Her peers would try their best to please her. And yet I, someone she had disliked from the very first glance, hadn’t taken the initiative to approach her. So, during recess one day, Lily and her little followers came looking for me. “Hey, Chloe Davis, who told you to wear this hairstyle?” I touched the half-up princess style my mom had just done for me that morning, looking confused. Lily stared at me unkindly, as if trying to burn a hole in my face. Seeing that I didn’t speak, another follower next to her spoke up. “We’re talking to you! Are you mute? Who told you to wear this hairstyle?” “Why do I need your permission?” I asked seriously. “Don’t you know Lily is the little princess of our school? Are you trying to steal her thunder by dressing up so elaborately?” Listening to this illogical nonsense, I didn’t want to talk to them anymore and put on a cold expression: “Sorry, I don’t know you guys.” I didn’t expect this sentence to completely infuriate Lily. She ordered her followers to lunge at me and mess up my hair. But having grown up playing rough outside, I wasn’t someone to mess with either. Seeing this, how could I just take it? I nimbly dodged their attacks, grabbed firmly, and yanked the hair clip right off Lily’s head. A strand of Lily’s hair was still clinging to the fallen clip. They were completely enraged by me and were preparing to all jump me to teach me a lesson. The farce only ended when the teacher walked into the classroom. After school, both my mom and Mrs. Sterling appeared at the school. Mrs. Sterling recognized me and was clearly surprised to see me. My mom put her arm around me and looked angrily at Lily. I was actually fine, my hair was just a bit messy. But Lily’s hands had several red scratch marks from me. After Mrs. Sterling heard the whole story, she pulled Lily forward to apologize to us. Lily looked incredibly resistant, glaring at me with anger in her eyes. “I’m not apologizing to her, that hick!” Lily refused to cooperate. “Lily Sterling!” Mrs. Sterling gave her a warning look. Lily turned and ran, completely disregarding Mrs. Sterling’s presence. “I’m so sorry, Lily has been spoiled since she was little. How about this, you leave me your address, and we’ll come to your house another day to formally apologize?” My mom didn’t care for her apology and led me away, turning her back on them. 4. I don’t know what method they used, but the three members of the Sterling family actually came to our house that night, saying they wanted to apologize. Lily was clearly much more obedient and offered a half-hearted apology. You don’t smack a smiling face, so my parents didn’t want to hold a grudge against a child, and they politely chatted with them. During the conversation, Mrs. Sterling noticed a childhood photo of me in the living room and froze. She gently tugged Mr. Sterling, signaling him to look up. Following her gaze, Mr. Sterling saw the photo and also froze, lost in thought. Mrs. Sterling casually asked where my parents’ hometown was. My parents told her honestly. The two of them looked even more pensive. “I felt an affinity with Chloe the moment I saw her. What year and day is Chloe’s birthday?” Mrs. Sterling looked up and inquired. My mom also told her honestly. Hearing my birthday, Mrs. Sterling shot up from her seat, staring straight at me. Mr. Sterling quickly put his arm around her, claimed it was getting late, said goodbye, and they left. My parents thought the family was very strange and decided it would be best to minimize contact with them. Unexpectedly, the very next day, Mr. and Mrs. Sterling came to our house again. As soon as they entered, Mrs. Sterling looked at me with eager eyes. My mom told me to go back to my room and play. When I was called down again, everyone’s eyes were on me. My mom looked awful, and Mrs. Sterling wanted to approach me but didn’t dare. Everyone hesitated to speak. Finally, Mr. Sterling bent down and touched my cheek: “Chloe, we are your biological parents.” It turned out that Mrs. Sterling and my mom had given birth at the same hospital at the exact same time. Back then, the Sterling couple had gone to my family’s hometown for a charity event, but unexpectedly, a pregnant Mrs. Sterling suddenly went into labor. She was taken to the nearest hospital and gave birth to a daughter. Due to the chaos, Mr. Sterling had to handle everything himself. Unexpectedly, in the blink of an eye, the baby was gone. The hospital back then didn’t have any surveillance equipment, and the Sterling family searched for a long time but couldn’t find her. Because of this, Mrs. Sterling suffered a severe mental blow and fell bedridden ever since. It wasn’t until Mr. Sterling adopted a little girl of the same age from an orphanage and renamed her “Lily Sterling” that Mrs. Sterling slowly began to regain some vitality. And I was the biological daughter of the Sterling couple. But Lily wasn’t my parents’ biological daughter either. My mom had actually given birth to a boy back then. However, my aunt, afraid that a boy would steal attention and resources from her own son, managed to swap him for a girl, sending my parents’ real son to an orphanage in a neighboring city. At first, my parents refused to believe any of this. But looking at the evidence brought by the Sterling couple, they had to believe it. My mom stood frozen in place for a moment, then muttered blankly: “How could this be? How could Chloe not be our daughter?” Actually, just looking at our appearances, I really didn’t look like my parents. My mom was conventionally pretty, but my features were strikingly bright and vibrant. When I was little, people in the village used to joke that I was switched at birth. I didn’t expect it to become a self-fulfilling prophecy. “How could Aunt Mary be so malicious? I’m going to call the police and have her arrested!” Just as my mom finished speaking with red eyes, Mr. Sterling immediately followed: “We have already called the police.” After all, this was ultimately done by a member of the Davis family, and the Sterling family had suffered an unprovoked disaster. Mr. Sterling calling the police was understandable. Only then did everyone notice me standing there looking crestfallen. The Sterling couple and my parents looked at me with heartache. Before anyone could speak, Lily suddenly rushed in and yelled at the Sterling couple: “Dad, Mom, I am your daughter!” “I don’t want someone else coming into our house!” Lily had clearly eavesdropped on their conversation, and the look she gave me now was full of jealousy and hatred. “Dad, Mom, I want to go home, I want to go home!” Lily shook Mrs. Sterling’s hand and pleaded. Seeing their adopted daughter pulling at them, Mr. and Mrs. Sterling also wanted to give me time to accept all this. Although Mrs. Sterling looked at me with deep reluctance, she didn’t force the issue and left with Lily first. That night, I heard my mom secretly crying in the bedroom: “How could Chloe not be our daughter?”

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On April Fool’s Day, my sister and I moved into our new apartment. Mr. Johnson Mr. Johnson’s fridge was covered with notes containing bizarre rules. One of them read: Never eat anything from the neighbor in 404—she’ll consume parts of your memory. I dismissed it as Mr. Johnson’s holiday prank. That afternoon, the neighbor from 404 knocked on our door and brought over a freshly baked tiramisu. I thanked her with a smile and immediately put it in the fridge. The next morning when I woke up, my sister pointed at me in terror and asked, “Who are you?” “Chloe, what are you talking about? I’m your sister.” I stepped forward to take her hand, but Chloe backed away, grabbing a throw pillow and clutching it tightly to her chest. “I don’t know you! Who are you! How did you get into my home!” I froze in place. The fear and resistance in Chloe’s eyes didn’t look like an act. I took a deep breath, trying to keep my voice steady. “Chloe, calm down. We just moved in together yesterday, don’t you remember?” Chloe shook her head frantically, tears welling up in her eyes. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I don’t remember having a sister!” I pulled out my phone, opened my photo album, and handed it to her. “Look, this is us at the beach last month. You forgot?” In the photo, we were smiling brightly, her arm linked intimately with mine. A flash of confusion crossed Chloe’s eyes, but it was quickly replaced by wariness. “Photos don’t mean anything—they can be AI-generated!” “Then look at our chat history.” I opened SnapChat, hundreds of messages, scrolling up endlessly. Chloe glanced at it and pushed the phone back. “My phone was stolen. How do I know you didn’t fake this?” I was stunned. She was right—her phone had been stolen a few days before we moved. It was precisely because our old rental had such a chaotic environment that we’d decided to move. I looked at Chloe, my mind in turmoil. Could memories just vanish like that? She knew her name was Chloe, knew her phone had been stolen, but she’d forgotten me entirely. I suddenly remembered yesterday’s note on the fridge. I spun around and rushed into the kitchen, yanking open the fridge door. The tiramisu was gone. My hands were shaking. How could something so coincidental and bizarre happen in this world? I suppressed the panic rising in my chest and called Mr. Johnson. The phone rang for a long time before someone answered. A drowsy voice came through. “Hello?” “Sir, this is Aria, I just moved into your place yesterday.” “I want to ask about the rules you posted on the fridge. My sister ate something from the 404 neighbor, and now she doesn’t recognize me!” The voice on the other end paused for two seconds, then burst into laughter. “Young lady, don’t you know what day yesterday was? April Fool’s Day! I just wrote those notes for fun. Is your sister upset with you about something?” “She’s not upset. She genuinely doesn’t recognize me.” My voice cracked with urgency. But Mr. Johnson still treated it as a joke. “Come on, nobody loses their memory after one night’s sleep. You young folks just love pranking each other.” The call ended. I rushed to door 404 and pressed the doorbell. The door opened quickly. Mrs. Patterson was wearing an apron, holding a spatula, looking at me with confusion. “Young lady, it’s so early. Is something wrong?” “Ma’am, what did you put in that tiramisu box you gave us yesterday?” “My sister doesn’t recognize me after eating it!” Mrs. Patterson looked stunned, then showed an innocent, amused expression. “How is that possible? It’s just regular cake. I ate some myself.” She stepped aside slightly. “I still have some left from yesterday. Why don’t you come in and try it?” “Maybe your sister hasn’t been sleeping well lately. Sometimes poor sleep can cause hallucinations. Should I help you schedule a doctor’s appointment?”

When I returned to the apartment, Chloe was standing in the living room. Two police officers sat on the sofa, taking notes. Chloe looked up at me, her eyes filled with unfamiliar wariness. I stood at the door without moving. The officer spoke first. “Are you Aria?” “Yes, I’m her sister, Aria.” The officers spread photocopies of our IDs and household registration on the coffee table, exchanging glances. “Ladies, is there some misunderstanding? You are indeed biological sisters. It’s written clearly here.” The younger officer tried to mediate. But Chloe wouldn’t listen. She stubbornly insisted I was a stranger who’d broken into her home. “There’s no misunderstanding. I just don’t know her. Take her away!” The officers had no choice. They quietly told me, “Why don’t you stay somewhere else tonight? Wait until her emotions stabilize, and if that doesn’t work, contact your parents.” I sat on the stairwell steps, my mind in chaos. I didn’t dare go far. I found a budget hotel nearby. I called my mom. She seemed to be playing cards. I kept it brief, not mentioning the prank notes, just saying Chloe didn’t seem to recognize me. Mom sighed. She said, “Aria, is your sister still angry with you?” I didn’t understand. “Angry about what?” Mom said, “About Zachary.” “You forced her to break up with him, made her block him. Chloe hasn’t been quite right since then.” Zachary was Chloe’s boyfriend of three years. Three months ago, Chloe caught him with another girl. They were being intimate. Chloe called me, crying so hard she couldn’t form a complete sentence. I told her to break up immediately, block him, leave no way back. “She might have mentally linked you to that painful period, so she doesn’t want to remember you at all.” I hung up, my mind a tangled mess. Was this really a psychological issue? I searched online for a well-reviewed counseling center. The doctor listened and nodded. “Your sister has amnesia specifically about you, correct?” “Yes.” “This is called dissociative amnesia, a form of selective memory suppression.” “Her brain isn’t damaged, and the memories exist intact. Her psychological defense mechanism has simply sealed off that part, preventing her from accessing it. She hasn’t truly forgotten.” I was silent for a moment. “Can she remember again?” “Yes.” The doctor spoke with certainty, no hesitation. “But she needs a trigger point, something to give that sealed memory an outlet.” He paused. “Was the starting point of your sister’s amnesia the trauma within that relationship, or how it was handled after the breakup?” “I don’t know.” “Then you need to find out.” He picked up his pen again. “You could try finding her ex-boyfriend. If that relationship can reach true closure in a meaningful sense, it might be a breakthrough.” “If your sister is willing, she could also come here so we can talk.”

The one who tied the bell must untie it. But could that bastard Zachary really untie this knot? I found Zachary’s number and called. No answer. I sent a message on SnapChat: [This is Aria. I need to talk to you. 3 PM, Countryside Café on South Street.] I arrived half an hour early. I chose a window seat with a view of the street corner. Three o’clock. Zachary didn’t show. Three-thirty. Zachary didn’t show. Four o’clock. The coffee had gone completely cold, and Zachary still hadn’t appeared. I tried calling him again. The line wouldn’t connect. Then my phone buzzed on the table—an unknown number. “Hello, is this Ms. Aria?” “Yes.” “This is the Criminal Investigation Unit of the City Police Department.” I thought something had happened to Chloe. My hand shook, nearly knocking over the coffee cup. “Do you know Zachary? We received a report that he was found in an alley in the west district with severe head trauma. He’s in the hospital now, unconscious.” I didn’t catch the next few words. My ears were ringing. “We checked his recent communications. Both you and Chloe contacted him recently. Please return to your apartment now to assist with the investigation.” I left the café. The cold wind outside jolted me awake. Back at the apartment, Chloe was curled up on the sofa, arms wrapped around her knees, making herself as small as possible. The officers said there was no surveillance at the crime scene, no witnesses, and no weapon found. Zachary’s phone was also missing. Chloe shook her head to every question. “Zachary? Who’s that? I don’t know him.” “I don’t remember him contacting me. I don’t remember meeting him.” “I’ve been home these past few days. I haven’t gone anywhere.” Her answers were airtight. Naturally, the police couldn’t get anything from me either. After all, Zachary hadn’t answered my call—I’d only sent a SnapChat message and never met him. The officers told us to keep our phones available for further assistance with the investigation. After the police left, I pulled Chloe onto the sofa. “Chloe, tell me the truth. Did you go see Zachary these past two days?” Chloe looked up, her eyes red and full of confusion. “I don’t remember. I really don’t remember who Zachary is.” But I knew her too well. When she was nervous, she’d unconsciously wring her fingers. From the moment the police entered until now, her hands hadn’t stopped that small gesture. My doubts grew stronger. But I didn’t press further. After she fell asleep, I quietly entered her room. In her nightstand drawer was a diary with a combination lock. I tried several of her common passwords. None worked. I hesitated, then entered my birthday. The lock opened. I flipped it open. The first few pages were in her usual handwriting. Further in, the writing became messy. The last few pages made a chill run down my spine. “Zachary says he owes a lot of debt. The creditors will kill him.” “He says he wronged me and wants to see me one last time before he leaves.” “I don’t know if I should agree.” “If Aria finds out I’m still in contact with him, she’ll definitely yell at me. I can’t let her know.” I closed the diary and sat in the darkness for a long time without moving. My mind was even more chaotic. Had Chloe gone to see Zachary? Did Zachary’s injury have anything to do with Chloe? I didn’t dare think further. Each question pressed down on me until I could barely breathe.

I looked up and found Chloe already awake, watching me quietly. I walked over and placed the diary in front of her. “Chloe, do you really not remember at all?” Tears silently fell from Chloe’s eyes. She didn’t wipe them, just let them drop onto the blanket. “You went to see him, didn’t you?” But she bit her lip and said nothing. “You were there, weren’t you?” Still no response. I shouted sternly, “Chloe!” She jerked her head up, crying. “I don’t remember. I really don’t remember anything.” “I read what I wrote, but I don’t remember what I did that night. My mind is blank. I’m not lying. I don’t even remember you.” “When I heard he was hurt, I thought maybe I did something, which is why I forgot. I’m so scared.” “Don’t cry yet. Listen to me. There’s only one thing you need to do now.” She looked up, eyes blurred with tears. “We’re going to the police station. You need to tell them everything you know.” Her body stiffened. “I…” “Chloe, we still don’t know who hurt Zachary, but I believe you wouldn’t do something like that.” I gripped her hand. “If you keep hiding and saying nothing, that’s when there’ll be real trouble.” “Trust the police. Let them find the truth.” Chloe bit her lip, silent for a long time, then nodded. I accompanied Chloe to the Criminal Investigation Unit. Chloe handed over her diary. She explained everything from start to finish, including Zachary contacting her and the gap in her memory. The officers’ expressions changed after hearing it all. Police further retrieved all surveillance footage from our apartment complex that night. The footage clearly showed that Aria had indeed never left the apartment that night. But after I fell asleep, Mrs. Patterson had visited our apartment. She stayed in our apartment for a while, then hurriedly left the complex and took a taxi. After a considerable amount of time, she returned looking anxious. The officer looked at me and Chloe. “We’ve made another major discovery. Zachary’s ex-girlfriend—besides Ms. Chloe—there’s also a woman named Rachel.” “Her mother is someone you know—this Mrs. Patterson.” I gasped. “Mrs. Patterson?” From the prank notes, to Mrs. Patterson from 404 bringing cake, to Chloe’s amnesia after eating the cake, to Zachary’s injury—didn’t everything start after the cake was delivered? My mind raced through all the recent details. These fragmented details were like scattered beads suddenly strung together on a thread, and the other end of that thread seemed to point to the same person. The moment this thought emerged, I felt cold all over.

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On the day of my wedding, I knew perfectly well that the cup of chamomile tea my half-sister handed me was laced with sedatives. Still, I smiled and drank every last drop. I watched her eagerly slip into my custom bridal gown and climb into the wedding limousine belonging to Tristan Vance, the golden boy of Manhattan’s elite. In my previous life, I woke up hysterical. I tore apart her innocent facade, ruined her reputation, and had her banished from New York. Meanwhile, I married Tristan. Using my father’s authority as a Four-Star General at the Pentagon, I helped Tristan wash his family’s dirty money clean and pushed him to the absolute pinnacle of power. It wasn’t until I was lying on my deathbed after a critical surgery that the truth came out. Tristan dismissed my doctors, wrapped his arm around my sister, and held their one-month-old son. He looked down at me with cold, calculating eyes. “Chloe, if it weren’t for the Sterling family’s military connections, I would have sent you to your grave years ago for the way you treated Harper. Now that your father is under federal investigation and can’t even save himself, it’s time you give up your seat.” My sister ground the heel of her stiletto into my fingers, her smile twisted and cruel. “Sister, the empire you built? My baby and I will enjoy it to the fullest. From now on, the title and glory of Mrs. Vance are finally returning to their rightful owner.” Amidst the agonizing pain and soul-crushing betrayal, I took my last breath. Then, I opened my eyes. I was reborn, right back on the morning of my wedding. …… Outside the window, the faint, melodic notes of the wedding march drifted into the room. I sat up, waited in the silence for about fifteen minutes, and then massaged my temples before pushing the door open. My mother was just turning to walk down the hall, the unshed tears still glistening in the corners of her eyes. She looked up, freezing when she saw me leaning against the doorframe. A loud gasp escaped her lips. Hearing the noise, my father turned around and froze. “Chloe? Didn’t you just get in the car?” He pointed a shaking finger toward the front gates in absolute shock. “Then who the hell was wearing the wedding dress and just got driven away?” I placed a hand over my chest, feigning panic and confusion. “No way… Last night, Harper told me how much she was going to miss me. She brought me a cup of warm chamomile tea. After I drank it, my head felt so heavy, and I slept right through until just now…” The joyous, celebratory atmosphere of the estate instantly plummeted to freezing. The gathered high-society guests exchanged subtle, knowing glances. My mother’s chest heaved violently. She nearly collapsed before her voice rang out like a whip, “Bring Ruby to me right now!” Ruby, the mistress, was dragged out of the crowd by my father’s military aides. She was clutching a designer suitcase, clearly having tried to slip away in the chaos. “No wonder you were crying harder than me earlier,” my mother sneered. “I thought you were actually heartbroken to see my daughter leave. Turns out, you were crying tears of joy because you personally sent your own daughter into the Vance family’s limousine!” Ruby’s eyes darted around nervously, but she forced a brazen look onto her face. “What do you mean, Madam? The eldest Miss overslept and missed her own wedding. How can you pin this on my poor Harper?” Before she could finish her sentence, the estate butler hurried over, his voice hushed but urgent. “General, Madam, the motorcade from the Hayes family has arrived at the gates for the Second Miss.” My mother’s face was covered in frost. “Which car did Harper get into? Chase her down and bring her back!” A cold smirk ghosted across my lips. It had been almost half an hour. By now, she was definitely already inside Tristan Vance’s Upper East Side penthouse. And knowing Tristan, he had probably been unable to keep his hands off her the second the doors closed. My eyes swept over the poorly concealed triumph at the corners of Ruby’s mouth. Everything clicked into place. This mother and daughter had played a brilliant hand. Years ago, Ruby was planted by my father’s political rivals. She drugged him, got pregnant with Harper, and my father—to protect his military reputation—had no choice but to let them into the estate. Now, Harper was using the exact same playbook. She drugged me, swapped our places, and stole my groom. Even if I realized it now, the damage was done. The rice was already cooked. There were only two choices laid out before me: swallow this ultimate humiliation, or take her place and marry into the Hayes family. The Hayes family wasn’t old money or a massive political dynasty, but Carter Hayes was young, fiercely capable, and already my father’s most trusted Colonel. His military record was decorated with honors, and his future in Washington was limitless. My father had personally arranged Harper’s marriage to him because he admired Carter’s steadfast and resilient character. But Harper had stolen the sky and swapped the sun. She took the billionaire heir she coveted and tossed the military arrangement she despised right into my lap. If I accepted this, within half a day, the news would spread across all of New York: the eldest Sterling daughter was tossed aside like garbage by the Vance family, forcing her to marry the Hayes boy instead. I would become the laughingstock of the entire elite social circle. 【Chapter 2】 In my past life, Harper had relied on Tristan’s backing to brazenly steal my marriage. At the time, with my parents’ furious support, I led our security detail to crash the lavish Hamptons wedding venue. Tristan, terrified of my father’s authority in the Armed Forces, flat-out denied knowing about the bride swap. He stood by and watched as my father’s men dragged Harper away in tears. Naturally, I proceeded with the ceremony. After the wedding, Tristan treated me like a queen. I had been naive enough to believe he was genuinely kept in the dark that day. Little did I know, he and Harper had been sleeping together for months. He was simply waiting for the perfect moment, using my family’s military influence to expand his illicit empire, before mercilessly throwing us into an abyss of despair. “The Second Miss isn’t in her room!” the butler reported urgently. “The wedding dress sent by the Hayes family was left on her bed, but all of her personal belongings and passports are gone!” He handed over a sealed manila envelope. “We found this hidden in a false bottom of the Second Miss’s drawer.” My father’s face was stormy as he tore it open. Inside were several passionate, sickeningly sweet love letters written in Tristan’s own handwriting, along with pieces of breathtakingly expensive jewelry. The veins on my father’s forehead throbbed. He violently slammed the envelope right into Ruby’s face. “This is your precious daughter! Seducing her own brother-in-law! You and your spawn have dragged the Sterling family name through the mud!” Harper had obviously treasured those tokens of affection. But the moment I woke up, I knew exactly where to find them and expose them to the light of day. I wanted everyone to see clearly that they had been carrying on an illicit affair long before today. Just as expected, whispers instantly erupted among the high-society guests, their voices dripping with disdain. “The daughter of a homewrecker. The General showing them mercy and letting them stay was already a massive favor, and she repays it by drugging the rightful heiress? Stealing a marriage to climb the Vance social ladder? She’s begging for death!” “That Vance boy is a piece of trash, too. He was engaged to the eldest Miss Sterling, yet he still messed around with that unpresentable side-piece. Shows exactly what kind of character he has!” Ruby calculated the time in her head. Assuming the deed was already done and the wedding finalized, she actually straightened her spine and looked my father in the eye. “General, Harper is still the Second Miss of the Sterling family! Why not just give them your blessing? It would make things much easier to explain to the Vance family…” My mother trembled with rage. She raised her hand and delivered a sharp, echoing slap across Ruby’s face. “Give them my blessing?! You and your bastard daughter use vile, disgusting tricks to steal my daughter’s marriage, and you have the audacity to ask for my blessing?!” “Guards! Lock this woman up. We are handing her over to the NYPD later today!” Ruby collapsed onto the floor, screeching at the top of her lungs, “You wouldn’t dare touch me! I am Tristan Vance’s mother-in-law now! When my son-in-law finds out, he won’t let any of you get away with this!” “I only have one daughter, and her name is Chloe,” my father said, his voice dropping to a glacial chill. “Taking you in all these years was the absolute limit of my mercy. Since you dared to plot against my real daughter, don’t blame me for what happens next.” He waved his hand. Two military aides immediately dragged Ruby away without an ounce of hesitation. 【Chapter 3】 The butler looked conflicted. “General, the Hayes motorcade is still waiting at the gates. They are asking what time they can come in to receive the bride.” My father’s face was dark as iron. He spoke with absolute finality. “Gather the men. We are heading to the Vance estate! We will tie that wretched girl up, drag her back here, and force her to marry into the Hayes family immediately!” “Dad, don’t.” I took a step forward, calmly placing a hand on his arm. “If Tristan Vance’s heart belongs to Harper, then I, Chloe Sterling, have zero interest in fighting over a two-timing, unfaithful piece of trash.” My eyes were steady and resolute. “Carter Hayes is a man you mentored yourself. He is brilliant, capable, and fiercely loyal. If we reject his motorcade today because of this mess, how will he and the Hayes family ever show their faces in society again? I am willing to marry him.” My mother grabbed my hand in shock. “Chloe, don’t speak out of anger. How could you possibly…” “Mom, I’m not acting out of spite.” I squeezed her hand back. “Carter is young and promising. He’s climbed the ranks through his own military merit, and his future is bright. I trust my father’s judgment, and I trust Carter’s future.” Hearing this, the surrounding guests looked at me with deep admiration and respect. “The eldest Miss Sterling truly has an incredible grace and vision. So rare to see!” “Compared to her, that illegitimate daughter who uses dirty tricks is like mud next to a diamond.” My mother pulled me into a heartbroken embrace, her voice choking with sobs. “I just don’t want you to be wronged…” My father took a deep, shuddering breath. “That Vance boy dared to humiliate my daughter like this. From this day forward, he can forget about getting even a shred of protection from me! Those gray-area businesses he runs on the coasts? Let’s see how well they do without my cover!” His tone was ruthless. “But right now, I must go to the Vance family and demand an explanation. Otherwise, that arrogant punk will really think the Sterling family is weak and easy to manipulate!” By the time our convoy arrived at the Vance family’s breathtaking Upper East Side penthouse, the wedding reception was in full swing. The elite guests paused, turning their heads and whispering furiously as our imposing group stormed into the ballroom. “Isn’t that the eldest Miss Sterling? Wasn’t she supposed to be today’s bride? Why is she just walking in now?” “Wait, then who was the woman who exchanged rings with Mr. Vance and was just taken upstairs?” An uncle who had accompanied us let out a cold scoff. “Just a bastard daughter born from a mistress. She used underhanded drugs to steal her older sister’s wedding!” The ballroom erupted into a tidal wave of shocked gasps and gossip. As the commotion grew louder, Tristan finally descended the grand staircase. Seeing me, he immediately took the offensive, scolding me before I could speak: “Chloe, haven’t you made enough of a scene? You can’t blame Harper for all of this!” “If you want to blame someone, blame the fact that your family scheduled your weddings on the exact same day. She simply got confused and got into the wrong limousine. And I,” he paused, his eyes completely devoid of guilt, “had a few too many drinks earlier. I was caught up in the moment and mistook her for you. What’s done is done. I have to take responsibility for her now.” He looked down at me from the stairs. “But don’t worry. With my status in New York, I won’t just toss you aside. I’ll make sure there’s always a place for you by my side.” 【Chapter 4】 I almost wanted to clap and cheer for his shameless, breathtaking audacity. Leave a place for me by his side? What century did he think we were living in? Did he really think he was some king who could have a wife and a harem? If it weren’t for the massive shadow of the Sterling family protecting him, his shady, borderline-illegal empire would have been eradicated by the feds ages ago. He wouldn’t even have the platform to stand here and spew this garbage. Did he seriously believe the daughter of a high-ranking General would settle for being his side-piece? My father was so furious he actually laughed. “Tristan Vance, say that one more time? You want my daughter to be your mistress? Who the hell gave you the nerve?! Have you forgotten who keeps you out of federal prison?!” Just then, Mr. Vance—Tristan’s father—hurried out of the VIP lounge. “General, what’s all this…” He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw me. “Chloe? What are you doing down here?” My mother violently threw the stack of love letters directly at his chest. “Read them yourself, Richard Vance! Your precious son has been sleeping with that illegitimate wretch behind our backs. They conspired to drug my daughter and steal her wedding! Today, your family owes the Sterlings an explanation!” Mr. Vance’s face turned a sickening shade of purple. He raised his heavy walking cane and cracked it viciously across Tristan’s back. “You ungrateful bastard! Explain yourself! What is the meaning of this?!” Before Tristan could defend himself, Harper stumbled out of the elevator. She was clutching a silk bathrobe that wasn’t even fully buttoned, tears streaming down her face as she threw herself in front of Tristan to shield him. “Mr. Vance, it’s not Tristan’s fault! It’s all my fault. I just couldn’t control my feelings for him. If you have to hit someone, hit me!” She then turned her tear-streaked face to my father. Her voice was trembling, but every word was a calculated trap. “Dad, it’s already done. If you make a massive scene, the Sterling family’s military reputation will be ruined. Think of the press. You’ll lose face…” My mother’s fingertips shook with rage. “You didn’t care about the Sterling family’s face when you drugged my daughter and stole her groom! And now that we are demanding justice, we are the ones ruining the reputation?! You shameless little bitch!” I stepped forward, my voice eerily calm. “Harper, if you had just been honest with me from the beginning, I might have simply let you have him. Why did you have to use such dirty, underhanded tactics on the morning of my wedding? Did you want to humiliate me, or did you want to turn the entire Sterling family into a joke across New York?” Her face went stark white as I hit the nail on the head. “Tristan and I are truly in love…” she whimpered, looking up at Tristan like a helpless doe. The elite crowd wasn’t stupid. They saw right through the theatrics and began whispering loudly: “Like mother, like daughter! Her mother climbed into the General’s bed using dirty tricks, and the daughter is even better at it!” “If she were my daughter, I’d break her legs!” Someone even called out sarcastically to Mr. Vance: “Richard, if your son pulls a stunt like this and your family doesn’t make it right today, you’re going to have a very hard time doing business in this city.” 【Chapter 5】 Mr. Vance looked ready to die of humiliation. He threw his cane to the marble floor with a loud clatter and delivered two stinging, back-to-back slaps right across Tristan’s face. “You piece of trash! Get on your knees and apologize to your father-in-law, your mother-in-law, and to Chloe! Then we are re-doing this ceremony, and you are marrying Chloe today!” Tristan took the blows without flinching. When he looked at me, his eyes were dripping with raw, undisguised malice—the exact same look he gave me right before I died in my past life. In his twisted mind, I was the villain of this story, not the victim. He let out a dark sneer. “Dad, the only woman in my heart is Harper. Chloe is a stuck-up, arrogant princess. I’m sick of just looking at her, and I will never marry her!” “If she’s willing to lower her head and be obedient, maybe I’ll take her out to social events once in a while. Otherwise, let me make this clear right now: I will never give her the title of my wife! I’d love to see who in New York would dare take a woman that I, Tristan Vance, have publicly discarded!” The sheer audacity of his words left even the hardened socialites in the room gasping in horror. No one could comprehend where this man—who relied entirely on the Sterling family’s military umbrella to survive the criminal underworld—was getting the courage to act so arrogant. Ever since Mr. Vance retired, Tristan had become increasingly reckless. He stole territory from rival syndicates and offended countless dangerous men. It was me who begged my father to deploy resources to save his life when the cartels came for him. Tristan had literally dropped to his knees in front of my father, swearing on his life that he would never betray me. But now, with his wings slightly hardened and a little bit of street cred to his name, he dared to trample on the very people who built him! Seeing my silence, Tristan thought I was intimidated. He pushed his luck even further: “Since you clearly can’t let me go, I’ll give you one last chance. We can do it the old-fashioned way. You can move in as my mistress.” “Pour a drink for Harper, apologize properly to the true Mrs. Vance, and if you behave yourself, I might consider letting you bear one of my children.” The ballroom erupted into sheer pandemonium. Even the elders of the Vance family looked away in absolute disgust at his shamelessness. My father’s rage had reached its absolute peak, and it suddenly settled into a terrifying, dead calm. He spoke slowly, his voice echoing in the massive room: “Mr. Vance, you certainly think highly of yourself. The Sterling family cannot reach your lofty heights. And my daughter will certainly not accept your generous offer of being a mistress.” He turned his piercing gaze onto Harper. “As for this wretch, as of today, I, Arthur Sterling, have no second daughter! From this second onward, Harper is completely severed from the Sterling family! Whatever she does, whether it brings glory or ruin, it is solely the Vance family’s burden to bear!” 【Chapter 6】 Harper forced a few fake tears to fall. “Dad, you always favored my sister anyway. Now you finally get what you want.” “But Tristan and I are truly in love. Sister is the real third party here.” She turned her chin up to look at me. “I’m going to post on Instagram and let all of New York know that Tristan dumped you! Don’t come crawling back begging for him later.” I raised a hand to stop my father, who looked ready to explode. “Don’t worry,” I said smoothly. “Only you would treat a piece of garbage like a prized treasure. Oh, and by the way, the three trucks of dowry sitting in the motorcade outside? I’m taking every single box back.” Harper instantly lost her mind, shrieking, “That’s my dowry! You have no right to take it!” I let out a cold laugh. “Your pitiful share is still sitting at the estate. I can be generous and have a servant drop it off for you later. But my belongings? Don’t even think about touching a single thread.” She lunged at me, screaming and trying to tear at my clothes. “You bitch, those are mine!” My mother moved lightning fast, shoving her hard in the chest. My father immediately signaled his military aides to go start the trucks. Tristan snapped his fingers. Instantly, dozens of burly, suited bodyguards swarmed forward, forming a massive wall around my family. “Nobody moves,” Tristan sneered. “I gave you an out, and you threw it in my face. Since that dowry followed Harper’s car here, it belongs to her. If you try to take it today, you’re declaring war on me!” Faced with this mafia-style intimidation, my father didn’t even blink. “Tristan Vance, touch me and see what happens.” Tristan laughed like a maniac. “Old man, don’t think those stars on your shoulder mean everything! If I didn’t keep the underground in check, those cartel psychos would have bombed your Pentagon office by now! If you know what’s good for you, leave your oldest daughter here for my bed. Otherwise, none of you are walking out of those doors!” My father’s chest heaved violently at the disrespect, his face draining of color. My mother quickly held onto him, rubbing his back to calm his breathing. Harper leaned into Tristan’s chest, giggling mockingly. “See? Your family is so stubborn and blind to reality!” “Leave the dowry here for me. Who knows, maybe when you inevitably get in trouble later, I’ll put in a good word for you with Tristan.” My mother was so furious she tried to lunge forward to slap her, but Harper actually raised her foot and kicked my mother in the shin. “Back off, you old hag! I’m sick of looking at your miserable face!” I immediately stepped in front, shielding my parents with my body. But Tristan shot his hand out, gripping my jaw painfully and forcing my face up to look at him. “Chloe, it’s not too late to regret it. For the sake of our past, I can let you stay here tonight.” “As for these two old fossils, since they disrespected me, they can drop to their knees, kowtow to apologize, and I’ll let them leave.” He gestured. Two of his thugs grabbed my parents by the arms, twisting them painfully, while two massive bodyguards stepped toward me, preparing to drag me upstairs by force. My father’s military aides were hopelessly outnumbered and blocked by Tristan’s mob of men. They couldn’t break through. Just as the situation was about to turn violently ugly, a booming, authoritative voice echoed from the grand entrance: “NYPD! Nobody move!”

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“Who gave you permission to use Operating Room 7?” I had just pulled down my mask, my hands barely out of the sterile field, when the question hit me like a slap to the face. I looked up. Liam Carter stood in the center of the hallway, his lab coat crisp, his ID badge glaring under the fluorescent lights. “As of right now, you are suspended.” The surrounding area instantly fell silent. The lights at the nurses’ station were on, and several doctors stopped dead in their tracks, all eyes turning toward us. I let out a short laugh. “Excuse me?” Liam took a step forward, his voice louder. “I said, you are suspended. Operating Room 7 is no longer open to you.” “On whose authority?” Right in front of everyone, he reached out and ripped the printed schedule off the wall at the nurses’ station. The paper tore with a sharp rip. “The Chief of Medicine.” I nodded slowly and didn’t say another word. In that moment, I knew this wasn’t a spur-of-the-moment decision. I pulled out my phone and sent a quick text to the Mayor. “I’m sorry, my surgical privileges have been revoked. I’m afraid I won’t be able to perform your wife’s liver transplant.” 01 The OR doors slid shut behind me, and the moment the “In Use” light flicked off, the tension in my shoulders finally released. For ten straight hours, I had stood at that operating table, performing a highly complex organ transplant. I had personally verified every single suture. When the patient was wheeled out, the lines on the monitor were clean and stable. I pulled down my surgical mask, the sharp scent of antiseptic still clinging to my breath. Just as I rounded the corner of the hallway, a figure stepped directly into my path, blocking me. “Dr. Hayes.” The tone was abrasive, the volume intentionally dialed up. I looked up and saw Liam Carter. He wore a pristine white lab coat, his ID badge so new it reflected the overhead lights. He was a surgical intern, personally mentored by Julian—no, excuse me, by Arthur Sterling. He stood ramrod straight, looking as if he’d been waiting there for a while. At the nurses’ station and in the waiting area, several doctors paused what they were doing, drawn by his loud voice. “Who gave you permission to use Operating Room 7?” Liam raised his chin, making sure everyone could hear him. “As of right now, you are suspended.” The air instantly tightened. I froze for a split second. It wasn’t that I hadn’t dealt with arrogant people before, but I hadn’t expected it at a moment like this. I gave a small smile, tossed my gloves into the biohazard bin, and kept my voice light. “Oh? And on whose authority?” He sneered, as if he’d been waiting for me to ask that very question. Right in front of me, he reached out and yanked the printed schedule off the wall. The sound of tearing paper echoed unnaturally loud in the quiet corridor. “The Chief of Medicine.” After delivering the line, he tossed the torn schedule aside, the edge of the paper grazing a nurse’s hand. Nobody made a sound. I watched a few young residents lower their heads, pretending to be deeply engrossed in charting. The charge nurse’s lips parted, but she ultimately said nothing. I nodded. “Understood.” My tone was so calm it surprised even me. Liam was visibly taken aback. It clearly wasn’t the reaction he’d been hoping for. He took another step forward, lowering his voice but still ensuring those nearby could hear every word. “Chloe Hayes, know your place. You should know perfectly well who runs Surgery now.” I didn’t dignify that with a response. The light above OR 7 was still illuminated. Through the observation window, I could see the scrub techs breaking down the sterile field. That surgery was my first since returning to the States. It was also my first time truly standing in a core position at this hospital since coming back from my fellowship abroad. I sidestepped him and headed toward the locker room. A scoff sounded behind me. “Stop acting tough.” In the locker room, I washed my hands for a long time. The sound of running water drowned out the noise from the hallway. The woman staring back at me in the mirror had dark circles under her eyes and a red indentation across her forehead from the surgical mask. Chloe Hayes, forty-two years old, attending surgeon. I had completed numerous complex transplant surgeries during my time abroad. According to protocol, I was supposed to be the hospital’s key asset for their next phase of development. And now, I had just been publicly suspended by an intern. My phone buzzed in my scrub pocket. I pulled it out. The caller ID read: Arthur Sterling. He was the Chief of Medicine at this hospital. He was also my husband. The message was brief. “Don’t cause a scene. Let me handle it.” I stared at that line of text for a few seconds before the screen went dark. He hadn’t shown up. No explanation, no denial. That scene in the hallway—if he hadn’t green-lit it, it never would have happened. Suddenly, it became crystal clear: this wasn’t a misunderstanding. When I got back to my office, the door was slightly ajar. On my desk, my nameplate had already been removed, leaving only a faint, sticky residue behind. Administration moved fast. I stood there for a moment before I started packing my personal belongings into my bag. I didn’t rush, meticulously organizing even my files, paper by paper. Someone knocked. It was a veteran attending from the surgical department, his voice hushed. “Chloe… maybe you should just head home and take a few days off?” I nodded. “Alright.” He hesitated, looking like he wanted to say more, but eventually just let out a heavy sigh. By the time I walked out of the administrative building, the sky had already grown dark. I stood on the steps and lit a cigarette for myself. As the smoke curled upward, my mind drifted back three years to when Mayor Davis came to inspect the hospital. Mayor Richard Davis was a man of few words. He stood in the patient room, looking people dead in the eye when he spoke. At the time, he asked me a direct question: “If the risks become uncontrollable, will you stop the procedure?” I answered, “Yes.” He simply said, “Good.” Later, the Mayor’s wife, Eleanor Davis, was diagnosed as needing an organ transplant. After multiple rounds of evaluation, it was finally decided that I would be the lead surgeon. It was a surgery with absolutely zero margin for error. My phone lit up again. Without a second thought, I opened my contacts and sent a message. It wasn’t long, but every word was clear. “I’m sorry, my surgical privileges have been revoked. I’m afraid I won’t be able to perform your wife’s liver transplant.” Message Sent. The cigarette burned down to the filter. I crushed it out in the receptacle on top of the trash can. In the distance, the lights in the inpatient tower flicked on one by one. At the end of the corridor, Liam Carter stood amidst a group of people, talking animatedly. He looked thrilled, as if he were already accustomed to being the center of attention. No one noticed me. At this moment, everyone assumed I was just a suspended doctor. But I knew that things were only just beginning to shift. 02 Early the next morning, I arrived at the hospital as usual. When I swiped my ID badge at the main entrance, the scanner flashed red for a second before the turnstile opened. The security guard glanced at me, said nothing, and quickly looked away. I entered the inpatient tower. The elevator was packed with white coats. Usually, people would nod and say hello, but today, everyone suddenly seemed incredibly fascinated by the digital floor display, staring intently as the numbers ticked up. The elevator chimed at the sixth floor. The sign for the Department of Surgery was still there, but the atmosphere inside had noticeably shifted. The printed schedule at the nurses’ station had been replaced with a fresh sheet. The handwriting was neat and clean. Under the “Lead Surgeon” column for several upcoming procedures, the name “Chloe Hayes” was completely absent. I set my bag down, pulled out my phone, and opened the hospital’s internal portal. The login screen popped up an error message: Insufficient Privileges. I tried my backup account. Still nothing. I clicked over to the surgical schedule. It looked as if the screen had been wiped clean. All the surgeries originally assigned to me were now blank, reading only “Pending Assignment.” I looked up and saw the charge nurse standing behind the counter, clutching a clipboard so tightly her knuckles were white, her lips pressed into a thin, pale line. “Who changed the schedule?” I asked. Her voice was barely a whisper. “Administration sent down a memo… said you were suspended from all surgical and clinical duties, pending further assignment from the board.” “Where’s the memo?” She hesitated, then slid open a drawer and handed me a stamped document. The header was bold: Decision Regarding the Suspension of Surgical Privileges and Clinical Duties of Dr. Chloe Hayes. It was issued by the Executive Office. In the approval signature box was Arthur Sterling’s name. I set the paper back down without so much as a frown. A young nurse nearby softly called out, “Dr. Hayes…” Before she could finish, someone coughed lightly from behind. She immediately swallowed the rest of her sentence, lowered her head, and went back to sorting medication orders, though her fingers were visibly trembling. The cough came from Liam Carter. He strolled down from the end of the hallway, his pace leisurely, almost like he was on patrol. Two interns trailed closely behind him. “Morning, Dr. Hayes.” He smiled politely, but his eyes were taking roll call. “Having trouble logging into the system? That’s normal. The Chief had it disabled last night.” I looked at him. “Are you in charge of surgical scheduling now?” “Temporarily assisting.” He emphasized the word ‘temporarily’. “The Chief asked me to keep an eye on things, to make sure no one goes rogue. Don’t blame me, rules are rules.” The area around the nurses’ station grew even quieter. I didn’t waste my breath arguing with him. I turned and walked toward the Department Head’s office. The door was unlocked. I pushed it open. Two people were sitting inside: the Deputy Director of Administration and a coordinator from Medical Affairs. There were file folders laid out on the desk, clearly waiting for me. The Deputy Director spoke first, his tone strictly business. “Dr. Hayes, we’re just executing the board’s decision here. Please hand over your OR access card, your authorization for anesthesia consult sign-offs, and your ER green-channel clearance.” “My ER green-channel clearance is suspended too?” I asked. The coordinator rushed to explain. “You’re not barred from the ER; you just can’t act as the final authorizing signatory. The board has designated a replacement.” “And who is the replacement?” The Deputy Director shot the coordinator a look and didn’t answer, instead sliding a sign-off sheet toward me. “Please sign this.” I didn’t pick up the pen. His smile turned stiff. “Dr. Hayes, don’t make this harder for us.” I flipped the sign-off sheet to the last page. In the box labeled “Designated Replacement,” I saw a name: Liam Carter. I looked up. “An intern is acting as the final authorizing signatory?” The coordinator’s face drained of color, and he hurriedly backpedaled. “It’s not the final signature! He’s just assisting… the actual approval still goes through the Chief.” I snapped the clipboard shut. “I’m not signing this.” The Deputy Director’s voice grew colder. “Dr. Hayes, you are currently suspended from clinical duties. Per hospital policy, you must cooperate with the handover. If you refuse, we will have to report this up the chain.” “Then report it.” I stood up. “Have the Chief of Medicine tell me himself.” Coming out of the office, I ran head-on into an old med school classmate from Anesthesiology. When she saw me, her steps faltered, like she wanted to say something but was terrified of being overheard. “Chloe…” she whispered, dropping her voice. “Don’t fight this head-on. The political winds in the hospital are blowing the wrong way right now.” I nodded. “I know.” She sighed and hurried away. I went back to the locker room to change out of my scrubs. Just as I hung up my white coat, my phone rang. Caller ID: Arthur Sterling. I answered. He skipped the pleasantries and cut straight to the chase. “Why are you causing trouble in Administration? They’re just doing their jobs.” “I was asking for clarification on the name on the sign-off sheet,” I said. He paused for two seconds, his tone shifting into that familiar “voice of reason.” “Stop getting hung up on details. The hospital needs order right now. You just got back; there are a lot of protocols you aren’t accustomed to yet. Taking a step back to breathe is a good thing for you.” “Suspending my surgical privileges is ‘taking a step back’?” “Chloe, stop twisting my words.” His voice grew tighter. “You’re too emotionally invested right now. If you keep operating, you’re going to make a mistake.” I didn’t give him an inch. “Last night’s surgery was a success. If you want to talk about risk, let’s look at the data.” Silence on the other end of the line. Then, he switched to a more blunt approach. “I’m not going to beat around the bush. The hospital needs to move forward, and that requires people who follow orders. You’re too aggressive, and it’s making a lot of people uncomfortable.” “Who are ‘a lot of people’?” “Don’t push me.” Arthur’s tone was clearly irritated now. “You’ve been out of the country too long. You don’t understand how the game is played here. The Department of Surgery isn’t your personal stage.” I heard footsteps and knocking on his end, like he was in the middle of a meeting. He lowered his voice, almost like a warning. “Don’t go running to Mayor Davis again, and don’t try to use his wife’s case as leverage. She is a patient, not a bargaining chip.” I didn’t argue, nor did I explain. He took my silence as a concession. His tone softened slightly. “I’m doing this for your own good. Go home, take a few days off. Don’t wander around the hospital. Once this blows over, I’ll figure out a new arrangement for you.” “What kind of arrangement?” I asked. “You can focus on academia, mentor the young doctors, write grant proposals.” He said it so casually. “Clinical work is high-pressure. You don’t have to be the one on the front lines all the time.” I hung up. The locker room was silent except for the dull, annoying hum of the exhaust fan. I grabbed my bag and walked out of the surgical wing. Just as I reached the elevator banks, Liam Carter appeared again. It was like he was intentionally guarding the chokepoint. His eyes flashed when he saw me, and then he smiled even more brightly. “Dr. Hayes, the Chief spoke to you, didn’t he? You should head home and rest. The hospital has a lot of inspections coming up; don’t go looking for trouble.” “Inspections?” I stopped in my tracks. Liam feigned casualness. “The city is sending people down to review our protocols. Word is they’re focusing on OR management. Someone like you, who just got back, should definitely stay out of it. Don’t worry, I’ll keep an eye on Surgery for the Chief.” He said “for the Chief” very loudly, seemingly making sure the passing nurses heard. The elevator doors slid open. I didn’t get in. I turned and headed toward the other wing of the inpatient tower. That was where the ward consultation rooms were. I had post-op follow-ups scheduled for two transplant patients today, and I needed to check on them. When I pushed open the door to the consult room, the attending physician inside practically leaped out of her chair. She moved so fast the legs of the chair screeched against the floor. “Dr. Hayes… this consultation has been rescheduled,” she said. “Rescheduled for when?” “Medical Affairs sent down a notice… another team is taking over.” She refused to meet my eyes. “You shouldn’t show your face right now. The patients’ families are highly emotional; if they cause a scene, it’ll be hard to manage.” “Who’s taking over?” She hesitated before saying, “Liam Carter is shadowing… it was arranged by the Chief’s office.” I stared at her. She couldn’t hold my gaze and muttered defensively, “There’s nothing I can do. The paperwork is already filed.” I didn’t press the issue and turned to leave. At the end of the hallway, the patients’ families were waiting. When they saw me, their eyes visibly lit up. “Dr. Hayes, how is the patient from last night doing?” someone asked anxiously. “We heard you were back, we wanted you to look at my mother’s labs.” I stopped, keeping my tone as even as possible. “You can give me the reports, and I’ll review them. But the hospital is reorganizing all surgical schedules right now. Medical Affairs will contact you with specific updates.” The family members were stunned. “You’re not doing the surgery anymore? Weren’t you the one in charge?” I offered no emotional response, only saying, “It’s a hospital decision.” As I said that, I could feel the stares around me intensifying. Several nurses standing nearby seemed to suddenly find their charting clipboards very heavy. I flipped through the lab reports, highlighted two key metrics, and handed them back. “Keep her on this regimen for a week, then re-test.” They thanked me profusely, but their frustration was evident. “Dr. Hayes, you’re the only one we trust.” I didn’t acknowledge the comment. I just nodded and walked away. I didn’t need anyone to cry foul on my behalf. Every move I made here was being watched. When I reached the main lobby on the first floor, I saw a new notice tacked to the bulletin board. During the specialized standardization review of the surgical operating rooms, all OR usage, authorization sign-offs, and personnel deployments will be centrally managed by the Executive Office. The official hospital seal was stamped at the bottom. People were whispering nearby, but scattered immediately as I approached. I stood in front of the notice board for a moment before heading to the parking garage. Just as I started the car, my phone buzzed again. It wasn’t Arthur, nor was it anyone from the hospital. It was a reply from the Mayor’s Office. It contained only two words. “Hold on.” 03 I didn’t go back to the hospital. By the time I drove up to my neighborhood gate, it was pitch black. The guard saw my car, raised the barrier as usual, and didn’t give me a second glance. The lights were on inside the house. I changed my shoes in the entryway. The living room was quiet; the TV was off. On the dining table sat two plates of food that had already gone cold. Arthur was sitting on the sofa holding a tablet, looking like he was reviewing documents. He heard me come in, glanced up, and his tone was flat. “You’re back.” I set my keys in the tray by the door, didn’t reply, and walked over to the dining table to pour a glass of water. “You don’t need to go back to the hospital anymore,” he said, closing the tablet and standing up. “I’ve already made it clear to Administration. I told them to stop bothering you.” “Made what clear?” I asked. “That you’re not in the right emotional state, and you need to take a break.” He walked over, picking up the cold plates to take them into the kitchen. “You acting like this will only make things more difficult.” I followed him into the kitchen and watched him dump the food into the trash. “Did you sign off on Liam Carter’s authorization form?” His hands paused for a second, but he didn’t turn around immediately. “He’s just a proxy,” he said. “The final approval still comes to me.” “He’s an intern,” I stated. “So what?” He turned around, his tone edging into impatience. “Stop bringing up titles all the time. Young doctors need to be trained; someone has to be ready to step up. What’s the point of fixating on a name?” I leaned against the doorframe, watching him. “That transplant patient… I was the one responsible for her.” “I know,” he frowned. “But the hospital doesn’t revolve entirely around you. How long have you been back in the country? Can you even keep up with the changes in the surgical department over the past few years?” “You think I can’t keep up?” He didn’t answer directly, merely sighing. “Chloe, you’re too stubborn. The way things are done overseas… it doesn’t work everywhere.” I offered a half-smile. “So what works here? Putting an intern on the front lines?” His face finally darkened completely. “Do you have to speak like that?” He tied a knot in the trash bag. “You just can’t accept change. Do you think you’re still the only option available?” My smile vanished. “You’ve already made up your mind,” I said. He stared at me, as if weighing the impact of my words. The living room fell silent, save for the low hum of the refrigerator compressor. After a few seconds, his tone softened slightly. “I won’t deny it. Right now, I have to think about the entire hospital. The Chief of Surgery position can’t remain vacant, and someone has to be able to hold the fort. You wanting to drag everything back to how it was the second you returned… it’s just not realistic.” “So you chose him,” I said. He didn’t deny it. “Liam is at least obedient, and he’s willing to do the work,” he said. “He knows which side to stand on.” The implication hung heavy in the air, clearer than any direct accusation. I nodded. “Understood.” He seemed surprised I agreed so quickly, taken aback for a moment. “What do you understand?” “You don’t want successful surgeries,” I said. “You want positions filled by people who fall in line with your agenda.” His temple twitched, and his voice dropped. “Don’t make this sound so malicious.” “Then be honest with me.” I met his gaze squarely. “If someone else had been suspended today, would you have been this decisive?” He avoided my eyes and turned to pour himself a glass of water. “You’re being too sensitive,” he said. “We’re married. Stop trying to turn this into an adversarial situation.” “But you’ve already taken a side.” He set the glass down on the counter with a soft clink. He looked up at me, and for the first time, his eyes showed clear annoyance. “Chloe, this attitude of yours isn’t doing anyone any favors.” “I’m not sure if it benefits you,” I said. “But it definitely doesn’t benefit me.” He was silent for a moment before speaking more directly. “You currently have zero privileges and no say in this matter. Continuing to make a fuss will only make it harder to wrap this up.” “Is that a warning?” “It’s a fact.” I didn’t continue the conversation, turning instead toward the study. The study door was ajar, the room exactly as I had left it. A stack of medical journals sat on the desk; my suitcase, still half-unpacked from my return trip, rested in the corner. I pulled the suitcase out and started throwing clothes inside. He followed me in, standing at the doorway. “What are you doing?” “I’m moving out for a while,” I said. “Is that really necessary?” His voice rose slightly. “Your home is right here.” “Here, my voice means nothing.” I zipped up a compartment. “A change of scenery will give me some peace and quiet.” He stared at me like he was looking at a complete stranger. “Are you trying to pick a fight with me now?” he asked. “No.” I stood the suitcase upright. “I just don’t want to be involved in your decisions anymore.” He let out a cold laugh. “Do you think taking a step back absolves you of everything?” “At least I won’t be used as an excuse anymore,” I said. His expression turned ice cold. “Chloe, don’t forget—right now, you have nothing.” I paused and looked at him. “I have my expertise,” I stated. The word seemed to hit a nerve, his tone suddenly sharp. “Expertise? Who cares only about that nowadays? You’re too naive.” I didn’t argue back. Some things only need to be said once. I pushed the suitcase to the door and casually grabbed a stack of documents from the study. They were case analyses I’d compiled over the past few years, intending to slowly review them after returning to the States. He stood in the middle of the living room, watching me, as if waiting for me to say something more. I changed into my shoes and grabbed my coat. “You’re going to regret this,” he suddenly said. I paused for a second but didn’t turn around. “You always think you’re in control of everything,” I said. “But you can’t even manage patient triage correctly.” As the door clicked shut, his voice was sealed inside. 04 I checked into a hotel nearby. The room wasn’t large, but it was quiet. After unpacking, I opened my laptop and reviewed several transplant cases I’d worked on over the past few years. The data was solid; the protocols were flawless. The issue wasn’t the surgeries themselves. The next morning, I received a call from an unknown number. The caller identified himself as a staffer from the Mayor’s Office. His tone was restrained, asking only one question: “Dr. Hayes, is this a good time to talk?” I said yes. He didn’t elaborate, merely confirming one fact: “You were responsible for the pre-op evaluation for the Mayor’s wife, correct?” “That’s correct.” A brief pause on the other end. “Understood. If we need your further cooperation, we will contact you.” The call ended. I didn’t return to the hospital, and no one reached out to me. That afternoon, I visited an imaging center I frequently collaborated with and requested a follow-up report from an outside facility. It was Eleanor Davis’s most recent scan, taken just two days ago. The numbers weren’t promising. Her liver function was highly erratic, with some markers approaching critical levels. According to the original plan, if the transplant wasn’t expedited, post-op management would become significantly more difficult. I slipped the report back into its folder without doing anything else. For a VIP patient of this caliber, any delay would leave a paper trail. By the third day, things at the hospital began to shift. First, a brief text from my old med school friend in Anesthesiology: “They swapped the surgeon for your transplant case.” I replied, “I know.” Shortly after, another text: “It’s Liam Carter. The Chief handpicked him.” I stared at the screen for a few seconds before placing the phone face down on the desk. I knew Liam’s resume. His fundamentals were okay, but he had never been the primary surgeon for a transplant of this magnitude. At best, he had stood in as second assist, handing instruments and keeping time. Pushing him to the front line wasn’t bold; it was reckless. That evening, I received a third phone call. This time, it was the Deputy Director of Administration from the hospital. “Dr. Hayes, just giving you a heads-up,” he said vaguely. “The city might inquire about the scheduling of that upcoming surgery. If anyone contacts you, just stick to the facts.” “Who’s inquiring?” “The Mayor,” he lowered his voice. “Richard Davis.” The call ended abruptly, as if he feared being overheard. The following morning, the hospital convened an emergency coordination meeting. I wasn’t there, but the details of the meeting quickly leaked out. Eleanor Davis’s latest test results were placed squarely on the conference table. Representatives from Medical Affairs, Surgery, and Anesthesiology were all present. The original surgical plan was pulled out, and comparative data was laid out page by page. Someone suggested changing the lead surgeon. The justifications were perfectly bureaucratic: young, energetic, capable of handling pressure. Liam Carter volunteered. “I can do it,” he stated firmly. “I’ve been involved in all the prep work. I know the patient’s condition inside and out.” No one openly objected. But no one nodded in agreement either. Midway through the meeting, a secretary slipped in and whispered something into Arthur’s ear. His expression shifted momentarily before returning to a neutral mask. The meeting continued. Not long after, Richard Davis himself arrived. There were no pleasantries, no superfluous expressions. Upon sitting down, his first question wasn’t about the surgical plan. He looked directly at the head of Medical Affairs. “Who was the original lead surgeon?” A brief silence settled over the conference room. The head of Medical Affairs stood up. “The original plan was Dr. Chloe Hayes.” “Then why the change?” This time, no one answered immediately. Arthur spoke up, his tone measured. “Dr. Hayes’s recent condition makes her unsuitable to handle such a high-intensity surgery right now. The hospital made an adjustment based on risk assessment.” Davis nodded, then asked, “Who conducted this assessment?” “It was a comprehensive internal review by the hospital board.” “Where is the assessment report?” The air in the room noticeably tightened. Administration handed over a file. It wasn’t thick, mostly consisting of procedural outlines rather than clinical data. Davis flipped through two pages without commenting. He then turned to Liam Carter. “You are the replacement?” Liam stood up straight. “Yes, sir. I will give it my absolute best.” “How many procedures of this specific type have you been the primary surgeon for?” “As the sole primary surgeon… none yet.” “How many have you participated in?” “Seven.” Davis closed the file. “Seven participations, and you are prepared to take ultimate responsibility?” His tone wasn’t loud, but the weight of his words was undeniable. “Who gave the final approval for this?” Arthur answered, “I did.” Davis looked at him but didn’t press the issue further. He pivoted. “Have you reviewed Eleanor’s latest lab reports?” “Yes.” “With the markers fluctuating this wildly, why are we still debating personnel changes?” This time, no one rushed to answer. The only sound in the room was the rustling of paper. Davis pushed the reports back to the center of the table. “I don’t interfere with hospital personnel decisions. But when it comes to patients, there is no room for trial and error.” He stood up. “Compile the entire approval process for this surgery—from initial proposal to current status, including all personnel change logs and risk assessments—and submit it to the Mayor’s Office.” “By the end of today.” With that, he left the conference room. The door closing wasn’t loud, but it left everyone shifting uneasily in their seats. After that day, the rhythm of the hospital drastically changed. The surgical department found itself under constant scrutiny. Protocols were double-checked line by line. Approvals that usually sailed through were suddenly put on hold. Liam Carter’s name was, for the first time, being debated, rather than accepted as a foregone conclusion. I was notified that evening. Someone from the Mayor’s Office contacted me, requesting a written statement covering only one topic. “Explain exactly why your surgical privileges were revoked.” I agreed. After hanging up, I sat quietly for a moment. The situation was pivoting in a new direction, but a conclusion was still far off. Some people had already sensed the shifting winds, but no one dared make the first move. Early the next morning, I submitted the compiled materials. When the “Sent Successfully” notification popped up, dawn was just breaking outside my window. The real problems were now laid bare on the table.

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My fiancé, Marcus Grayson, died trying to save me. After his death, his parents knelt before me, begging me—someone blessed with exceptional fertility—to bear a child for the notorious mafia boss Xavier Cross to settle their debts. Overwhelmed with guilt, I tearfully agreed. Everyone assumed that becoming the gang leader’s woman would bring me endless luxury and privilege. But these past three years, I’ve been nothing more than his breeding tool, subjected to endless humiliation. Three months into my pregnancy, Marcus came to visit me. As I gazed at that face I’d longed for day and night, I felt like I’d fallen into an icy abyss. I never imagined the man I’d loved for years had been deceiving me for three whole years. With trembling hands, I scheduled an abortion and sent Xavier a delayed message. “The child we worked so hard to conceive has been killed by Marcus.” Now I’d just sit back and watch them tear each other apart. During the three years Marcus faked his death, I lived every day consumed by heartache and guilt. I was even willing to stay by Xavier’s side, never fighting back no matter how he beat or cursed me, just hoping to get pregnant soon and clear the debt. “Wendy, my son and I have wronged you so deeply. If Marcus hadn’t died so young, we would never have let you suffer like this…” Every time my depression flared up and I wanted to end it all, my father-in-law would blame himself. Seeing his graying hair and his anguished expression, I could only endure. Only in the dead of night, alone with Marcus’s photo, could I pour out my grief and longing. Who could have imagined that this very man had sent me to Xavier just so he could run away with another woman? My phone suddenly rang. I frantically pressed the power button to turn it off. But Marcus’s voice continued. “Dad, Vivian rejected an arranged marriage for my sake. I have to make her happy.” “Besides, Wendy’s pregnant with Xavier’s child now. She already has a good life. Even if she knew I was alive, she’d only be able to wish us well. Now is the perfect time to plan the wedding.” My chest felt like it had been filled with concrete. I couldn’t breathe, and everything went dark. I stumbled back to the living room. Before I could even sit down, a slap struck my face. “How dare you hang up on me? Were you sneaking around with some guy just now!” Xavier’s eyes were bloodshot as his hands clamped around my throat. Stomach acid surged up, and I vomited all over him. Xavier froze for a moment. When he came to his senses, he yanked off his belt and began beating me viciously. “You disgusting bitch! I’ll beat you to death!” I curled into a ball, letting my tears fall silently. Marcus, is this the happy life you promised me? Glass suddenly shattered. Marcus jumped through the window. “What gives you the right to hit Wendy!” Before Xavier could explode in rage, my father-in-law rushed over and held the pregnancy test result up to his face. “Mr. Cross, please calm down. She’s carrying your child now.” When he turned to look at me, a flash of impatience crossed his face. “Wendy, why can’t you behave now that you’re pregnant? What if something happens to the baby? How would you face Marcus?” Marcus frowned and pulled me behind him, using his body to shield me from my father-in-law’s accusing gaze. Xavier stared at the pregnancy test with wild joy, examining it over and over, completely ignoring me. “So the useless woman finally did something right. My money wasn’t wasted! But you’d better know your place. Don’t think being pregnant makes you special.” My father-in-law’s eyes lit up as he leaned close to Marcus’s ear and whispered. “Judging by that lunatic’s reaction, we’ll definitely get the final payment in the next few days! Once the money comes through, we’ll hold your wedding with Vivian right away!” I clenched my fists hard against my abdomen, my heart aching so badly I could barely breathe. Since I owe him nothing, then this ends here. Xavier didn’t leave until he’d laughed maniacally for what felt like forever. Only then did Marcus breathe a sigh of relief. He turned to help me sit down, then quickly brought me a glass of milk. “Wendy, you need to learn to protect yourself. Even for the baby’s sake, you can’t let that maniac abuse you like this.” “If Marcus knew about this, how heartbroken would he be?” He knelt on one knee, holding my ice-cold hands, his eyes full of concern that seemed completely genuine. His gentleness made me feel disoriented again, as if everything had returned to three years ago. A bitter, self-mocking smile tugged at my lips. I asked him softly. “Marcus, would you really be heartbroken?”

Marcus froze for a moment, then affectionately ruffled my hair. “Wendy, you’re Xavier’s woman now. Don’t bring up the past anymore. If Xavier found out…” I closed my eyes, unwilling to see his false concern any longer. “I want to rest. Please leave.” Seeing that I didn’t press further, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief. “I heard you have a prenatal checkup tomorrow? Let me take you.” I laughed softly and tilted my head back, refusing to let my tears fall. I’d only agreed to this pregnancy out of guilt. Now that I knew it was all a lie, what reason was there to keep going to checkups? “We’ll see tomorrow.” After he left, I furiously wiped away my tears. Ten years ago, we had a brief encounter. He protected me throughout my senior year of high school. He still has a scar on his ribs from when he fought off street thugs for me. At the freshman welcome party, he stood on the stage and confessed his love for me through a passionate guitar solo. Once our jobs stabilized, he proposed to me without hesitation. “Wendy, give me two years. I’ll make you the happiest bride.” I was completely intoxicated by the vision of our future together. I even told him my secret—that I had exceptional fertility—right before our wedding. Who knew it would become the beginning of this nightmare? My father-in-law walked in from outside, contentedly playing with his bank card. When he saw me, his eyes shifted, and he sat down beside me with a smile. “Wendy, Marcus came all this way to see you. Now that he’s getting married, it wouldn’t be right if you didn’t send some money as a gift, would it? We’re all family, so you don’t need to give much—thirty thousand should do.” I just wanted to escape as quickly as possible, so I went along with what he said. “Fine. I’ll definitely attend the wedding. I’ll prepare a big gift.” My father-in-law’s face creased with his smile. I stood up and went straight to my room. He had no idea that day would never come. The next day, I wanted to return to the place Marcus and I used to live together to retrieve my belongings. The moment I pushed open the door, the blood in my veins began to freeze. Torn clothes were scattered across the floor. The trash can was filled with used condoms. My eyes instinctively scanned the room. The guitar he’d used to confess his love to me was now covered in childish stickers. Three words were crudely carved into the body: “Vivian Fletcher.” A faint burning smell drifted from the balcony. I walked closer and looked down. Only scattered ashes remained, with a few fragments of paper showing the words “Love Wendy Forever.” The last thread in my mind finally snapped. These were the love letters Marcus had written to me. They’d been my spiritual anchor, read countless times over these three years. A scream suddenly came from outside the door. “Who are you? How dare you break into my house?” I turned around to find a girl in a tank top and short skirt standing in my line of sight. Before I could speak, she began crying and shouting loudly. “Marcus, where are you? Someone broke into my room!” Marcus ran over and embraced her, his voice carrying a tenderness I’d never heard before. “Vivian, don’t cry. I’m here!” His sharp gaze stabbed toward me, but softened when it touched me. “Why is it you? Vivian’s been sick. Don’t upset her like this—her body can’t take it.” “Wait, I should be questioning you. Why are you crying like that?” I stood there in a daze, wiping my face only to realize tears were already streaming down my cheeks. “My letters were all burned. Even this room has been defiled!” Marcus frowned impatiently, his expression darkening. “Is that all? You’re dredging up ancient history? Wendy Turner, I’d advise you not to make a scene with me.” I glanced at Vivian making faces at me, unable to say another word. Forget it. It was all fake anyway. What’s there to miss? I turned and left the estate, heading to the hospital for the procedure.

I walked alone for a long time through the drizzling rain. At some point, a trail of blood began streaking across the wet ground behind me. The cramping in my lower abdomen grew more and more obvious. My whole body felt increasingly heavy. Marcus’s villa was in a remote location. There was no way to catch a cab nearby. In my daze, the screech of brakes pierced the air. Muddy water from the roadside splashed all over me. A Cayenne stopped not far away. The window rolled down, revealing Marcus’s panicked voice. “Wendy, what are you doing?” I turned to look at him and called out for help. “Help… help me…” After I spoke, everything went black and I collapsed toward the ground, struggling to breathe. Marcus’s face went deathly pale with alarm. He pushed the car door open, about to come help me. Vivian’s sweet voice complained from inside. “Wendy, even if you’re mad at me, you can’t take it out on your baby. If something happens to your child, that maniac Xavier will never let the Grayson family off.” Marcus’s movement to exit the car stopped. When he looked at me again, only disgust remained in his eyes. “Wendy, I never realized you were such an actress. What’s that on the ground? Ketchup, right? You almost fooled me!” With that, he slammed the door shut forcefully. I weakly shook my head desperately, using every ounce of strength to try to explain. But in the end, I didn’t even have the energy to speak. Vivian laughed mockingly. “Wendy, you don’t actually think you look like some fragile beauty right now, do you? You just look dirty and pathetic, like an idiot.” “Marcus, I’d advise you to control her better, so she doesn’t keep acting stupid. If she really does something extreme someday, it’ll be too late…” I couldn’t hear the rest. A ringing filled my ears. I couldn’t hold on any longer and collapsed completely. Marcus observed me with furrowed brows, a hint of internal struggle occasionally flashing in his eyes, but ultimately replaced by coldness. “Stop pretending even now!” Blood flowed more and more freely, gradually staining the ground beneath me into a red puddle. I kept praying in my heart, hoping he would change his mind and take me to the hospital. But all I got in return was choking exhaust fumes. “Vivian’s in a hurry to get to her concert, so I’ll let you off today!” “Since you love acting so much, go ahead and put on a show for yourself!” The Cayenne’s departing taillights became the last image I saw before losing consciousness. The pungent smell of disinfectant filled my nostrils as I frowned and slowly opened my eyes. My hand instinctively moved to my lower abdomen. The cramping pain had completely disappeared. “You’re still young. You can have children again in the future.” The doctor shook her head sympathetically. “Thank goodness a kind person got you to the hospital in time. A few minutes later, and not even a miracle could have saved you.” I weakly thanked her. Even though I’d already decided to terminate this pregnancy, my heart still ached uncontrollably. “Baby, I’m sorry. But I absolutely cannot let that maniac Xavier be your father. You’ll understand Mommy, won’t you?” The moment I closed my eyes, tears seemed to break free from all restraint, pouring out recklessly. My phone suddenly rang. Seeing “Marcus” displayed on the screen, I didn’t hesitate to hang up. Now that the deception was exposed, I would settle accounts with him one by one.

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