Category: English

My Aunt Eleanor left a will, granting her entire million-dollar estate to me. My father, Robert, snatched the will and ripped it to shreds. “What does a dying person need so much money for?” he sneered. “Without a will, the three of us siblings will split it equally, as per the law.” I felt all the color drain from my face. “That’s Aunt Eleanor’s money, left specifically for me! I need it for my leukemia treatment.” My uncle, Gary, stomped hard on the shredded pieces of paper on the floor. “Even with the money, your illness might not be cured anyway,” he said, callous. “We’re Aunt Eleanor’s closest relatives. The adults decide how it’s divided.” Everyone else looked gleeful. “Your father is right, we completely agree.” A cold dread washed over me. They clearly had no idea that Aunt Eleanor’s will also existed digitally. If you don’t care that I’m critically ill, then don’t blame me for abandoning all family ties. Seeing me frozen in place, speechless, my father, Robert, calmly tried to console me. “Ava, I know you’re upset. But the living are important too. Gary’s son, Daniel, is getting married soon, and Richard’s daughter, Chloe, is preparing to study abroad. Everyone is short on cash right now. Splitting it equally among our three families, as the law dictates, is the fairest way.” It felt like I was being brutally dragged to hell; the pain was excruciating. “Even without this money, Daniel would still get married as planned, and Richard and Sharon could still afford to send Chloe to study abroad. But I’ll die if I don’t get enough money for treatment! Besides, Aunt Eleanor clearly stated in black and white that this money was for me. What right do you have to take it?” Robert was furious at my “immaturity,” the flesh on his face trembling. “Ava, how can you be so selfish! This money might not even cure your illness, but it would make everyone else’s lives much more comfortable.” Brenda started to tear up dramatically. “Don’t be silly, talking about dying. Would we, your family, ever abandon you?” Sharon quickly chimed in. “Exactly! We’d definitely work hard to find you the best doctors and hospitals. Blood is thicker than water; we’d never treat you badly.” I found it laughable. Ever since my diagnosis, they had been avoiding me like the plague. Afraid I’d infect them, or worse, ask them to get tested for bone marrow donation. “Oh no, we’re too old for surgery.” “Daniel and Chloe aren’t even married yet. What if something goes wrong with the bone marrow donation? I won’t allow it.” Where was their “blood is thicker than water” concern back then? I countered their pretense. “The doctors already said they found a suitable bone marrow donor. The cost is exactly one million. If I inherit Aunt Eleanor’s full estate, I’ll live.” They exchanged glances, their eyes filled with cunning. Richard was the first to speak. “Doctors aren’t saints. Is everything they say absolutely true? Maybe they’re just after your surgery fees.” At Richard’s words, everyone nodded in silent agreement. “We’re family. Would we really harm you?” My expression remained unmoved. “In short, Aunt Eleanor’s money was promised to me. I won’t give a dime to anyone.” Robert was the first to accuse me. “Ava! If I get the inheritance, wouldn’t I still give you money for treatment? You wouldn’t be losing anything. Splitting the money equally would make everyone happy. Do you really have to upset everyone because of your illness?” Robert’s words emboldened the others. Brenda began to earnestly lecture me. “Ava, don’t blame me for being blunt. With your illness, even if you survive, you’ll burden the family with your care. Just take pity on Robert, who worked so hard to raise you alone. Don’t put him through any more trouble.” Sharon nodded vigorously. “Besides, Eleanor’s money should belong to the Sterling family. It’s only right and legally supported for us to split it equally.” I gasped in anger, loudly refuting them. “No! The law won’t support that!” Sharon looked at me as if I were a clown. “If the law doesn’t support an equal split, does it support you taking everything? Now that the will is gone, the law will certainly not support you.” I pointed at the fragments on the floor, arguing passionately. “The will clearly stated in black and white that all of Aunt Eleanor’s estate was for me alone!” The Sterling family had never truly cared for Aunt Eleanor. Early on, my grandparents had wanted to marry Eleanor off for financial gain. After a huge argument with the family, Eleanor ran off to make her own way. Robert felt Eleanor’s actions betrayed the Sterling family, and he was furious. “Let’s just pretend Eleanor was never part of our family!” I knelt on the floor, trying to pick up the fragments of the will. “You didn’t respect Aunt Eleanor when she was alive. What right do you have to divvy up her money now that she’s dead!”

Gary’s son, Daniel, stood idly by, watching me. “Robert, Brenda, Gary, don’t you remember? Ava always loved going to Aunt Eleanor’s house as a child. Aunt Eleanor doted on Ava, and she’d given her a lot of money privately over the years. See? Now she’s left her entire estate to Ava.” Gary and Brenda understood Daniel’s insinuation. Brenda quickly squatted down and used her sturdy body to shove me to the floor. “So you’re a conniving little thing! So young, and you already manipulated Aunt Eleanor into leaving her entire estate to you. The Sterling family’s inheritance should rightfully go to the men of the family! What business does a dying woman like you have with it!” I lay sprawled on the floor, my body aching all over, but I still defended Aunt Eleanor. “You’re the ones who abandoned Aunt Eleanor first! Her death isn’t even unrelated to you! You have no right to take a single penny of Aunt Eleanor’s money.” Aunt Eleanor was never married and had no children, so she poured a lot of her affection into me. She’d always give me pocket money, delicious snacks, and pretty clothes and bags. Later, when Daniel and Chloe found out, they came to Aunt Eleanor’s house demanding things. “My parents said that since you don’t have kids, everything you own will go to Daniel after you die.” Aunt Eleanor was furious and kicked them out on the spot. “You can forget about taking my money!” But Daniel’s words gave her a sense of urgency. Aunt Eleanor pulled me aside and made her will in advance. “Ava, Aunt Eleanor loves you the most. You must guard her money carefully and don’t give a single penny to anyone from the Sterling family.” For double assurance, Aunt Eleanor specifically tucked another legally binding copy of the will into her diary. That was the will we had just found while going through Aunt Eleanor’s belongings. Later, when I was diagnosed with leukemia, Aunt Eleanor, heartbroken for me, wired me fifty thousand dollars. “Don’t worry, Ava. Aunt Eleanor has money, and she’ll pay for whatever treatment you need.” When Brenda found out Aunt Eleanor had given me money, she went to Aunt Eleanor’s place and caused a scene. “What are you doing? Why are you giving Daniel’s money to Ava? Give us back the money!” During the argument, Aunt Eleanor fell, and not long after, she passed away in bed. Brenda suddenly remembered the money Aunt Eleanor had given me before she died, walked over, and kicked me. “Eleanor’s fifty thousand dollars to you also belongs to Daniel! Cough it up, now!” Helpless, I looked up at Robert. Robert stood there, not showing a hint of sympathy. Instead, he just looked annoyed by my “immaturity.” “Ava, this is where you’re wrong. Quickly hand over that fifty thousand dollars to be part of Aunt Eleanor’s estate, and then our three families can split it equally. That’s the only proper way. Aren’t you afraid of divine retribution for keeping that fifty thousand dollars?” I reached out, struggling to grasp the fragments on the floor, my eyes burning with hatred. “You wish. Aunt Eleanor’s will clearly states all her money goes to me. You won’t get a single cent!” Daniel stomped heavily on my hand. “Stop struggling. You’re half-dead already. Why not give up on treatment sooner, die sooner, and be free? At least leave some money for your dad.” Brenda was practically spitting as she spoke. “Exactly! We spoiled you for nothing! How can you be so cold-blooded and petty? What if you win this inheritance fight, what if you get cured? You’ll be hated by everyone, completely alienated, and no one will want anything to do with you.” I bit back the pain and reached for the fragments. Robert grabbed a handful of fragments and, pulling out a lighter, burned them to ashes. “Give up. Now there’s no will, so the inheritance has to be split equally.” Tears streamed down my face from the pain. “Dad, why are you so cruel? I’m your own daughter! Can you really just stand by and watch me die from lack of surgery money?” I didn’t wait for Robert’s answer; the pain simply overwhelmed me, and I passed out.

When I woke up, I found myself in a hospital bed. The nurse saw I was awake and couldn’t help but complain to me. “You’re finally awake! You wouldn’t believe how ‘exciting’ it was while you were unconscious. A group of people brought you here, demanding we wake you up by any means necessary so you’d ‘cough up’ that fifty thousand dollars. The hospital staff thought they were causing a disturbance and kicked them out. Who exactly are those people, to treat you like that?” My heart felt like it was being pricked by countless needles, yet I replied calmly. “They’re my family.” The nurse gasped in shock. “No way! They looked like they wanted you dead.” Realizing she’d spoken out of turn, she quickly covered her mouth, watching my reaction. I didn’t say anything, just quietly made a call. “Hello, Mr. Evans? I’d like to claim Aunt Eleanor’s inheritance according to her will, to be used entirely for my leukemia treatment.” I arrived at Mr. Evans’s law firm, only to find Robert, Gary, and Brenda already there. Brenda was the first to look at me with disdain. “Well, look who’s got good intel, knowing we’re here today to discuss Aunt Eleanor’s estate. Too late, though. We asked a lawyer. Without a will, the estate is split equally among her siblings. Your share? Go ask Robert for it.” Robert’s tone was dismissive. “Ava, out of a million, our family would only get a little over three hundred thousand. It’s barely enough for your initial surgery, and after that, we’d be out of resources. Don’t bother with this anymore. Consider the fifty thousand Eleanor gave you before she died as a goodwill gesture from our three families. Live well, eat well, and consider your life complete.” Seeing me silent, Brenda walked up to me and handed me a bright red invitation. “Oh, by the way, Daniel is getting married. You should really try to stay alive to attend the wedding, you know.” I opened it and saw it was for a famous five-star hotel in town. Daniel’s fiancée was a rich girl. To ensure Daniel married well, Gary and Brenda were pulling out all the stops, sparing no expense for the wedding, just to keep up appearances. I didn’t expect them to lend me money for my treatment. But why were they still trying to steal my life-saving money? Angrily, I tore the invitation to shreds and threw it on the floor. Brenda cursed loudly. “Ava, don’t be so ungrateful!” I shrugged. “Just following your lead. Didn’t you rip up the will too?” Mr. Evans came out to greet me. “Ms. Sterling, hello.” I stated my purpose. “Hello, Mr. Evans. I’m here to inherit Aunt Eleanor’s entire estate according to her last wishes.” The moment I finished speaking, they burst into laughter. Sharon laughed, calling me presumptuous. “Are you crazy from your illness? What will?” Robert, clearly embarrassed by me, explained to Mr. Evans. “I apologize. My daughter is ill, and her mind isn’t quite right. Please don’t listen to her nonsense. And don’t accept any money from her; she has no income and can’t afford legal fees.” I still didn’t understand why Robert was so determined to prevent me from inheriting Aunt Eleanor’s entire estate. “Dad, Aunt Eleanor’s will clearly states all her money is mine. If I don’t get cured, my money would eventually be yours. Why did you still tear up the will to split it with the others? Wouldn’t you get less that way?” Robert stammered for a long time, finally retorting with a flushed face. “I’m doing this for the good of the family! You can’t be so selfish.” Since Robert wouldn’t tell me the truth, I had no desire to engage with him. I pulled out the paper copy of Aunt Eleanor’s will and scanned the room. “I have Aunt Eleanor’s will, and all the money belongs to me.”

At first, they didn’t believe me. “Impossible! How could you have a will?” “It must be fake! You’re lying!” Sharon grabbed Mr. Evans’s arm. “Don’t believe her! Her will is definitely a fake! Quickly, tell her what the consequences are for forging a will!” Robert, without bothering to distinguish right from wrong, started yelling at me. “Ava! I know you’re desperate for money for treatment! But you can’t forge a fake will just for money! You’re completely shaming the Sterling family name!” Mr. Evans calmly addressed everyone. “Everyone, please calm down. The will Ms. Ava Sterling holds is indeed the will created by Ms. Eleanor Sterling during her lifetime, and it is legally binding.” Their panic was palpable. “How is that possible? The will was clearly torn up that day!” “Yes, it was torn up. If it’s torn, it has no legal validity.” The moment he spoke, Robert rushed forward, snatched the paper will from my hand, and, repeating his previous act, tore it into tiny pieces. He let out a long breath and looked at Mr. Evans. “Now the will is gone. Eleanor Sterling’s estate can be split equally among us three brothers, as the law dictates, right?” I stared wide-eyed in disbelief. “Dad, why? Why would you tear up the will, even in front of a lawyer? Are you really so desperate for that three hundred thousand dollars that you’d abandon your daughter’s dignity and even her life?” Overwhelmed with anger and grief, I suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood. Robert didn’t answer my question or show any concern for my pain. Instead, he muttered regretfully. “If only I’d known she’d die so soon, I wouldn’t have torn up the will then. All her estate would have been mine after she died.” A knot of anger formed in my chest, making me so choked up I wanted to cry. Mr. Evans quickly supported me, concern etched on his face. “Are you alright?” I gritted my teeth and forced out a sentence. “Continue with the legal proceedings. I want to inherit Aunt Eleanor’s entire estate.” Robert was still scoffing at my audacity. “Ava, you don’t have a will. The law states that the money is to be split equally among us three brothers.” Mr. Evans adjusted his glasses. “Ms. Eleanor Sterling’s will has a digital copy. Even if you tear up the paper version countless times, it still holds legal effect. Ms. Ava Sterling possesses the lawful right of inheritance; you will receive absolutely nothing. Furthermore, Ms. Sterling has formally petitioned the court to rule that you intentionally destroyed the will. This action is suspected of misappropriating another’s property, and we reserve the right to prosecute.” Gary was the first to react, immediately throwing Robert under the bus. “It was him! He was the one who tore up the will, from start to finish. It has nothing to do with us.” The others quickly formed a united front, blaming Robert. “Counselor, he was the one who instructed us to go along with splitting the money. We knew nothing!” Robert stared in disbelief at the people who had just turned against him. “When we were talking about splitting the money, you called me a hero! Now there’s trouble, and you’re throwing me out? We’re family, aren’t we?” Robert turned to me, whining. “Ava, are you really going to force your own father to his death?” Just then, a man suddenly burst into the law firm and threatened me. “Ava, you must split Eleanor Sterling’s estate equally today, or I will take Robert to court.” Looking at the man’s familiar face, I finally understood why Robert was willing to take such risks just to split my money with his relatives. I fought through my physical pain and asked the man. “Fine, let’s both sue. We’ll see whose priority is higher. I’m suing him for destroying a will with intent to infringe upon my lawful property. What about you? What are you suing him for?” The man was clearly prepared. “I’m suing him for…”

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1 When my boyfriend, whose year-end bonus was a measly $4,000, found out I had bought a $12,000 mink coat for the holidays, he went completely ballistic. “Chloe, are you insane?” “Is this coat plated in gold or encrusted with diamonds? It costs three times my bonus!” He grabbed me and aggressively tried to drag me toward the door. “While the tags are still on, hurry up and come with me to the mall to return it. We can use the refund money to buy holiday gifts for my family.” “My mom’s back is acting up; I want to buy her a massage chair. You aren’t even married into the family yet. If you don’t bleed a little now to show your sincerity, how can you expect my mom to dote on you later?” “And my sister, she might be talking marriage after she graduates next year. As her sister-in-law, shouldn’t you pitch in for her dowry?” Listening to his self-righteous calculations, I impatiently shook off his hand and seriously scanned the already emptied-out rental apartment. After winning the $10 million grand prize, I threw away all my old stuff. It seems the only thing left to toss was this incredibly low-class boyfriend. … Seeing me stand still, Arthur got anxious. “Don’t think you can stall by staying silent. What I say goes.” As he spoke, he reached out, trying to yank the mink coat right off my back. I took a large step backward and smacked his hand away hard. “Why should I return it?” “Do I need to submit an application to you to spend my own money on a holiday outfit?” “What kind of attitude is that!” Arthur clutched his stinging hand, spit flying from his mouth. “We are going to get married. There is no ‘your money’ or ‘my money’, it’s our money!” “Since it’s our money, and you’re spending it wrong, why shouldn’t I say something?” “Tell me, what kind of woman is as extravagant as you, spending twelve thousand on a single piece of clothing?!” The more he spoke, the angrier he got, his finger nearly poking my nose. “Do you have any idea what that twelve thousand could do?” “My mom is complaining about back pain; five thousand could buy a very nice massage chair. Another five thousand could buy a gold necklace for my sister, and the remaining two thousand could be used for holiday groceries!” “And you actually used it to buy clothes. You are truly a spendthrift!” Hearing the word “spendthrift,” I couldn’t hold back anymore and slapped him across the face. Over the past three years, he and his family had thrown that word around countless times. I wasn’t allowed to eat premium jumbo cherries. If I did, I was a “gluttonous spendthrift” in his mother’s mouth. Yet she’d turn around and demand I buy her imported Musang King durians costing hundreds of dollars each, under the guise of “nourishing her body.” I wasn’t allowed to drink a $9.90 coffee from Luckin. If I did, I was a “vain spendthrift” in his sister’s mouth. Yet she would use the Starbucks gift card I gave her to post pictures of her “elegant afternoon tea” on social media every day. I wasn’t allowed to take a cab when it rained; I had to squeeze onto the bus or subway. He said a good relationship means sharing hardships, otherwise, I was an ignorant spendthrift! Yet he’d turn around and demand I withdraw my housing provident fund to pay the down payment on his car. Not to mention Disney, a place I had always wanted to go. Every year on my birthday, when I brought it up, Arthur would criticize me for being too old to play with children’s things, not knowing how to live practically, and being a spendthrift! In this first love of mine, I always believed that giving was the only way to show true feelings, constantly wronging myself. I thought my sacrifices would be seen, that sincerity would be met with sincerity. But what was the result? His family’s life kept getting better and better. Meanwhile, I, who had been consistently promoted and gotten raises over the past three years, earning $20,000 a month—a high earner among my peers—was wearing cheap clearance clothes from discount sites and eating at street stalls. Last month, my dad got sick and desperately needed money. I suddenly discovered that my savings were a mere $5,000! When I asked Arthur for money, he claimed he had put it in a fixed-term deposit and absolutely refused to give me any. In the end, I had to borrow from my best friend. Holding the $30,000 I borrowed, I cried like an idiot in the hospital corridor. After three years of dating, what did I get! I got absolutely nothing. And he still had the nerve to call me a spendthrift! It was utterly ridiculous! Arthur was stunned by the slap. It took him a good while to recover. When he did, he saw that I had already taken a pair of scissors and snipped the tag off the mink coat. As the tag hit the floor. Arthur, ignoring the handprint on his face, shrieked with a contorted expression. “Chloe, are you fucking crazy? Who told you to cut the tag? You can’t return it now!” “How am I supposed to buy gifts for my mom and sister now!” I ignored his ugly demeanor, my tone calm. “If I can’t return it, I can’t return it!” “Besides, I never intended to!” 2 He was completely bewildered by my attitude, slightly dumbfounded. For three years of dating, he had always held the upper hand in our relationship. Ever since he saved me from some thugs, the suspension bridge effect made me think I was desperately in love with him. Before, to save two dollars on bus fare, I would walk three stops with him under the scorching sun. To protect his fragile ego, I scrambled to pay the bill at gatherings with friends, only to eat instant noodles for a week afterward. Even when I first started working and barely had any money myself, if he wanted an iPhone, I would get it for him, even if it meant a 24-month payment plan. It seemed that whenever he frowned, I would reflect on what I had done wrong. He probably thought I was still that soft touch who would obediently fork over money as long as he coaxed me a little or threw a tantrum. But I wasn’t anymore. I didn’t love him anymore. I didn’t even bother looking at him. Instead, I admired myself in the mirror wearing the mink coat, humming a tune. Looking completely disinterested in engaging with him. Arthur couldn’t stand it! He slammed his hand hard on the coffee table. “Chloe, I am very unhappy right now. I don’t like this version of you!” “You used to be sensible, you used to know how to live practically. How did you become so vain and materialistic?” “Acting like this will only make me hate you!” Seeing I didn’t respond, he took a deep breath, pointed at the mink coat I was wearing, and spoke as if he were bestowing a favor. “Since you cut the tag and can’t return it, we’ll let this slide. I won’t hold it against you. But you have to make up for this loss.” “You definitely still have a lot of your year-end bonus left, right?” “Hurry up and transfer twenty thousand to me; I need to go buy the massage chair first. I’ve already talked a big game to my mom. If I don’t produce the goods for the New Year, we’ll both lose face!” “Lose both our faces?” I covered my mouth and burst out laughing. “We aren’t even married; we’re just boyfriend and girlfriend. Your mom is your mom, not mine. Why should I honor her? Besides, have I bought few things for your mom and sister over the past three years?” “Have you ever bought anything for my parents, even once?” Arthur guiltily avoided my gaze. I still refused to let him off, sneering: “Furthermore, you didn’t work hard yourself and only got a $4,000 bonus. You can’t even afford a $5,000 massage chair. What the hell does that have to do with me!” Arthur’s ego was bruised, his face turning the color of pig liver. “Chloe, what do you mean? Are you saying I’m poor, a loser, and not good enough for you?” He thought I would deny it, but unexpectedly, I nodded. “Yes, a man who needs his girlfriend to pay for gifts for his own family is really nothing special.” “These past three years, you truly haven’t been good enough for me.” Arthur went crazy, gasping for air. “Apologize, Chloe, apologize immediately!” “Otherwise, I’ll break up with you right now!” “Break up?” Hearing me murmur these two words, Arthur straightened his back. He thought I couldn’t bear to let him go, waiting for me to compromise like before. After all, he had used this excuse flawlessly over the years. When I refused to buy his sister an iPad, he threatened to break up, and I compromised. When I refused to transfer an $8,888 birthday red envelope to his mom, he threatened to break up, and I apologized and agreed. But this time, I didn’t want to compromise. With $8 million hitting my bank account after winning the prize, my wallet was full, and I felt confident and smart. I thought, being so young and so rich, What kind of man couldn’t I find? I carefully examined Arthur. For the first time, I judged him without the filter of being his girlfriend. 28 years old, no house, and the car was bought with my money. Currently working as a low-level sales rep at a real estate company. Because of all the business dinners, his belly was bigger than a 5-month pregnant woman’s. And because he didn’t maintain a healthy lifestyle, his face was severely bloated. He wasn’t tall, about 5’8″. So average, so greasy. Tsk tsk. How did I ever fall for him? I can’t even remember! Thinking of the photos of college boys my best friend sent me—all 6’1″, sweet-talking, with abs. I despised Arthur even more. He was just like the trash I had cleared out of the apartment before. Needed to be thrown out immediately. 3 Seeing me staring at him, Arthur felt confident and stood even straighter. Little did he know, this made his belly stick out even more, looking hideous. I really couldn’t bear to look anymore, feeling it was an eyesore, and slightly averted my gaze. Arthur thought I was softening, that I was compromising. Just as he was about to reveal a victorious smile, he heard me say. “Okay, let’s break up.” Afraid he would regret it, I had already walked to the door and pulled it open. “Since we’re breaking up, hurry up and leave.” Arthur was dumbfounded. Thinking he was hallucinating, he asked uncertainly again. “You really want to break up with me?” I repeated it very firmly. “Yes, break up.” He became exasperated, “Fine, fine, fine, break up then!” “But Chloe, don’t regret this. Don’t come begging me to take you back like before!” He made a show of leaving, but actually slowed his pace, waiting for me to ask him to stay. When my plea didn’t come, he stopped and started insulting me. “You’re a thirty-year-old woman. Do you think any other man will want you if you leave me?” “Stop dreaming, Chloe. A woman’s prime is shorter than a man’s. You’re worthless at your age!” “As for me, a man at thirty is in his golden years. Without you, a whole bunch of women will be throwing themselves at me.” He coughed lightly, as if giving me a final ultimatum. “I’ll give you one last chance. Either give me twenty thousand and we’ll forget this ever happened, or don’t ever expect to see me again.” Looking at his punchable face, any thought of an amicable breakup vanished. Since we’re breaking up, he needs to spit out all the money I spent on him over the past three years. I wasn’t going to let him off easy! “You’re right!” Hearing this, Arthur thought I was going to get the money and reached out his hand with a smirk. “A woman’s youth is indeed valuable!” “So, as a grown man, you can’t take advantage of me. You have to pay back everything I spent on you!” To his shock, I threw a stack of printed A4 billing statements into his hands. “These are all the expenses I covered for you and your family over the past three years. It totals $405,000. I’ll wave the five thousand; just pay me back $400,000.” “And don’t even think about not paying. I will hire a lawyer, and you won’t escape a single cent.” Before he could react, I yanked him out the door. Before closing it, I deliberately reminded him. “I’m only giving you one week for this money. Otherwise, don’t blame me for getting nasty.” The door slammed shut. Outside, Arthur snapped out of his daze and exploded, pounding on the door. “Chloe, what the fuck do you mean! What right do you have to ask me for money!” “Doesn’t it cost money to hire a gigolo? You took up three years of my life. Isn’t my youth worth anything? Haven’t you heard that men are boys until they die?” “Let me tell you, don’t even dream about me paying this back!” The neighbors, unable to stand the noise, opened their doors and cursed at him. Arthur, tough on the outside but weak on the inside, slinked away. Looking through the peephole and confirming he had really left, I quickly called a moving company. Last week, after cashing in the $10 million prize, I immediately spent a $2 million down payment on a fully furnished luxury penthouse in a high-end complex in the city. Over the past few days, I had bought all the basic soft furnishings, so it was ready for immediate move-in. Now, there were only a few things left in my rental apartment. I would move them all over today. In a few days, I would be able to celebrate the New Year with my parents in a 2,500-square-foot penthouse. 4 Three days later, lying on the $30,000 genuine leather sofa in my new home, my mom was feeding me giant strawberries that cost $40 a pound. I was incredibly comfortable when a call from the contact saved as “Arthur’s Mom” came in. My mom asked if I was going to answer it. I decisively rejected it, my tone filled with disgust. “Mom, your daughter has over five million in cash in her pocket now. I’m a millionaire. Arthur is nowhere near good enough for me.” “Since we started dating, his mother has always treated me with contempt. Why should I offer my face for her to slap?” My mom flicked my nose. “You, oh you. You’ve finally woken up.” “Your dad and I told you Arthur was no good, but you insisted he saved you, that his character was good, and that we were prejudiced.” My dad chimed in, mimicking my righteous tone from back then. “Mom, Dad, I just love Arthur.” “Even though he has no money now, I believe he’ll give me a home for my sake!” Hearing these words, I got goosebumps all over. I really must have had water on the brain! “Dad, stop it.” I transferred $10,000 to my dad. “This is hush money. Didn’t you have your eye on a fishing rod recently? Hurry up, buy it, and go fishing.” My dad swiftly collected the money, laughing heartily. Meanwhile, after discovering her number was blocked, Arthur’s mother panicked and called Arthur. “Son, that wretched girl Chloe, she hasn’t really broken up with you, has she? She’s not even answering my calls!” “Girls these days aren’t easy to fool. It’s rare to find one like Chloe who is obedient, frugal, and willing to spend money on our family. Don’t let her run away.” Arthur’s sister, Mia, quickly leaned in to speak. “Yeah, bro. Last month you promised me you’d make Chloe buy me gold jewelry. The New Year is almost here, and many of my roommates have been showing off their gold jewelry. You can’t let me lose face.” Arthur’s expression was grim, but his tone remained confident. “No rush. Give her the cold shoulder for a few days, let her sweat a bit, and set some rules for her while we’re at it.” “When she regrets it, it won’t just be twenty thousand; it’ll be forty thousand!” Arthur’s mother and Mia started fantasizing. “Right, she has to pay us forty thousand.” “When we get the money, bro, I want a ten-thousand-dollar bracelet.” Arthur’s mother chimed in. “Son, Mom wants a massage chair and a gold necklace.” Arthur agreed to everything. After hanging up, he took the initiative to message me for the first time since our fight. [Chloe, my patience has a limit!] He expected an apology, but only saw a red exclamation mark. I had deleted him! He tried calling me, but I had blocked his number! He started to panic. Could I really want to break up? I knew nothing about this. I was picking out clothes for our family to wear tomorrow. We were picking up the $800,000 Porsche tomorrow, so we definitely had to dress well. Early the next morning, we headed straight to the Porsche dealership. My cousin, the store manager, was waiting at the door early to receive us. Arthur, on the other hand, went back to my rented apartment. When he learned from a neighbor that I had moved out, he was dumbfounded. “Bro, do you know where she moved to?” The neighbor shook his head and added. “Didn’t you two break up? Since you’ve broken up, let it end peacefully. Don’t pester her, it’s undignified.” Arthur was stubborn. “I’m not trying to pester her. I can easily live without her.” The neighbor sneered and closed the door. Just as Arthur was feeling utterly lost, Mia sent him a photo. It was a picture of me hugging my cousin intimately in front of the Porsche. “Bro, I know why Chloe wanted to break up with you!” “She hooked up with a sugar daddy, and he even bought her a Porsche!” “Bro, she must have been messing around with this guy and cheating on you for a long time!” Arthur was furious, yelling uncontrollably. “Fuck, actually cheating on me. I won’t let her get away with this!” He zoomed in and out on the photo a few times, then angrily hailed a taxi. “Driver, to the Southridge Porsche dealership!” After taking photos, the salesperson drove the car outside the store. My cousin, grateful for my parents’ past care, politely insisted on walking our family of three out, saying he wanted to see us off. I enthusiastically waved goodbye to my cousin, and he patted my head. After saying goodbye, just as I was opening the car door to get in, a familiar furious voice exploded from a distance. “Chloe, you shameless bitch! We just broke up, and you’ve already hooked up with a sugar daddy, haven’t you!” Arthur, looking like an angry groundhog, pointed at us and yelled furiously. His voice was so loud it instantly drew the attention of everyone around. In a flash, all eyes were on our family. My cousin, who had served in the military when he was younger and doted on me the most, Immediately stepped in front of me, staring coldly at Arthur. “Watch your mouth!” Arthur was intimidated by his aura and shuddered. But noticing the stares from others and not wanting to lose face, he roared stubbornly. “What’s wrong with my mouth!” He pointed at me. “She just broke up with me yesterday, still living in a rental apartment. Today she’s picking up a Porsche. Doesn’t that prove something?” “Prove what?” My cousin demanded. Arthur felt he was being provoked and became furious. “What else could it mean!” “You adulterous couple. You were messing around behind my back, putting a green hat on me. You are the scum of the modern era!” As he spoke, he caught a glimpse of the gleaming Porsche, and the jealousy and anger in his eyes deepened. To vent his feelings of inadequacy, he turned his crosshairs on me. “Chloe, you really make me sick. Selling yourself for a car!” “Three years of our relationship, and it can’t compare to a car, can’t compare to the money this adulterer gives you. You truly disappoint me.” He pulled a $66 blind box toy from his pocket. “To think I was going to try and get you back today. I specifically went to your favorite blind box store to buy the one you wanted most. I didn’t expect this is how you’d repay me!” Perhaps his acting was too good, because the people around were already pointing and whispering about me. Some people who couldn’t stand it actually spoke up for Arthur. “Young lady, you shouldn’t be so mercenary. He was with you for three years; doing this is too uncool.” “Yeah, money can be earned again, but true feelings are rare. Be careful you don’t regret it when you’re older.” “Exactly. A man’s money isn’t that easy to get. If he’s just playing with you, he can just take the car back!” There was also an influencer at the scene who had just picked up her car. Sensing this would get views, she immediately started live-streaming us. My mom couldn’t bear it anymore and wanted to retort, but I beat her to it. I crossed my arms and looked at Arthur. “Do you have evidence that I cheated?” I looked around at the crowd again. “Is the cost of spreading rumors this low now? Just by yelling that I’m cheating and playing the part of a deeply devoted lover, he can nail me to the pillar of shame?” As they met my gaze one by one, they suddenly realized that from start to finish, it was all just Arthur talking; there was absolutely no evidence! “Yeah, young man, you can’t just make things up without evidence.” “Right, didn’t you say she cheated? Hurry up and show us the evidence. Otherwise, this is spreading rumors, and you’ll be legally responsible!” Arthur seemed to have anticipated my question. He confidently held up his phone. The photo was exactly the one of me hugging my cousin. “Chloe, you’re hugging him right here in the store. What else is there to deny?” Seeing the photo, the crowd’s expressions changed again. But I burst out laughing. I even opened my arms in front of everyone and deliberately said to my cousin. “Cousin, I didn’t get enough of a hug just now. Let’s hug again.” My cousin instantly understood my intention. After hugging me, he specially ruffled my hair, saying dotingly: “Alright, whatever you want.” Arthur jumped up and down in anger. “Look at this! This adulterous couple isn’t hiding it anymore. They’re actually being affectionate right in front of me. So shameless.” The people around also cursed us, including those on the influencer’s live-stream chat. [Despicable. Scumbag and bitch. So shameless.] [Exactly. Feeling sorry for the guy for three seconds. Why can’t good men be matched with good women?] [I can tell from a glance that this woman has a bad face. Looks like a slut.] I wasn’t angry at all. Instead, I blinked and asked the crowd. “Can cousins hug?” The crowd was confused. But someone still answered. “Of course.” I spread my hands innocently. “Well, there you go.” “He’s my cousin. Why can’t we hug?” “And,” I held up my phone, swiping through photos. “My cousin hugged everyone in our family, not just me.” “But you.” I glared coldly at Arthur. “You only showed the photo of me and my cousin. What’s your intention!” Arthur was momentarily stunned but didn’t believe it. “Just because you say he’s a cousin doesn’t make it true. What if he’s a ‘sugar daddy’ brother? Don’t try to brush me off with this.” Our two families took a big family portrait every year we had time. I directly pulled out the photos from over the years. Seeing us together in a photo at 5 or 6 years old. Now the onlookers believed it. “You know, their facial features do look quite similar.” “Indeed, the more you look, the more they look alike.” The bystanders started looking at Arthur with disapproval. “Young man, you’re in the wrong here.” “Yeah, how can you spread rumors wildly without figuring out their relationship first.” “Exactly, you have to apologize for this.” “Right, hurry up and apologize.” As more and more people condemned him, Arthur’s face turned red, and he said stiffly: “Sorry, Chloe, I misunderstood you.” He quickly took out the blind box again. “Please accept my apology gift and let’s get back together.” “I really don’t want to separate from you; I love you very much.” His confession made our whole family physically sick. My dad, who had been holding back for a long time, was the first to step forward. “Don’t mention love. Our Chloe can’t bear your love.” My mom took over. “Dating you for three years, our Chloe lost a layer of skin, her money drained by your family. You latched onto her like leeches. Don’t even think about pulling the same trick again.” Arthur didn’t expect the boomerang to hit him, and the crowd actually started attacking him. Looking at the scrutinizing gazes around him, terrified that I would spill everything, he quickly said he wanted to talk to me alone. Onlookers generally encourage reconciliation, so they suggested we settle our issues ourselves. Arthur thought I would agree quickly to save his face. But I shook my head. “We have no feelings to discuss privately.” “Instead of wasting time cornering me, you’d be better off gathering the money you owe me…” “Chloe, enough!” Terrified I would reveal the $400,000 issue, Arthur raised his voice to stop me, the threat in his eyes becoming increasingly obvious. This scene was captured by the influencer. The netizens were frightened. [Wow, this guy’s eyes are terrifying. It looks like he wants to kill someone.] [Exactly, just like an abusive man. Living with someone like that must be terrifying.] [Am I the only one curious about what can’t be said?] I ignored his threat, enunciating every word: “Don’t interrupt me!” “Did you think that would shut me up?” I looked at the crowd, pointing at Arthur. “Dating for three years, this man gaslit me, making me spend $400,000 on him and his family.” Seeing I was about to blurt it out again, Arthur panicked. He clenched his fist and aimed it at my face. My cousin caught his fist and encouraged me to keep talking. I nodded, raising my voice again and pointing at Arthur. “The man in front of you is poor and stingy. In three years of dating, he played the victim and made me spend $400,000 on him.” “Meanwhile, he spent less than $10,000 on me in three years. I spent my own money, and he still gaslit me!” With that, I played the recording of Arthur demanding I return the mink coat and use the money to buy things for his family. “What kind of woman is as extravagant as you, spending twelve thousand on a single piece of clothing?!” “Do you have any idea what that twelve thousand could do?” “My mom is complaining about back pain; five thousand could buy a very nice massage chair. Another five thousand could buy a gold necklace for my sister, and the remaining two thousand could be used for holiday groceries!” “And you actually used it to buy clothes. You are truly a spendthrift!” As the recording ended, the crowd’s gaze on Arthur shifted from neutral to contemptuous and disdainful. “Disgusting. A grown man not working hard to earn his own money, but staring at the money in a woman’s hands!” “I have to say, this girl is too kind. Faced with such trash, she didn’t even beat him up, just broke up with him directly.” “Exactly, letting him live off her for three years, he got off way too easy.” Someone demanded Arthur return the $400,000 he spent right now. “Right, hurry up and return it, or we’ll report you to your company!” “Exactly, pay up, or we’ll make you trend online!” Seeing the angry crowd about to lose control, Arthur was scared. After scanning the Porsche, he suddenly got an idea and abruptly raised his voice, pointing at me. “Chloe, you say I lived off you, but how much better are you?” “Since this man is just your cousin, the person who bought you the Porsche must be someone else.” “Are you still trying to hide it?” He spoke with absolute certainty, looking as if he had personally seen me being kept by a sugar daddy. He clearly forgot the punishment for speaking carelessly just a moment ago. Hearing his same old rhetoric, many people in the crowd couldn’t sit still. I don’t know who picked up a small pebble and threw it at him first, but more and more people joined in. “This guy has a filthy mouth, hit him!” “Yeah, if we don’t teach him a lesson, he won’t know how to speak in the future.” Arthur yelled in pain, covering his face and exasperatedly trying to run away. Seeing him like this, I covered my mouth and snickered. When he was slandering me, why didn’t he think about the consequences? But it was too late now. As soon as he started throwing mud at me, I had already called the police. And now, two police officers were standing right behind Arthur. Sure enough, when Arthur turned to run, he was dumbfounded to see the police. In the few seconds he was stunned, the police stepped in front of him and showed their badges. “You are suspected of slander, defamation, and picking quarrels and provoking trouble. Please come with us to assist with the investigation.” Arthur frantically shook his head in denial. “No, I didn’t. I didn’t mean to. This is all a misunderstanding.” He turned to look at me, his eyes full of pleading. “Chloe, I was wrong. I shouldn’t have misunderstood you, nor should I have treated you poorly. Please, give me one more chance.” “I swear I’ll turn over a new leaf this time and will never treat you poorly again.” I raised my middle finger and shook it left and right. “No, your character has no guarantee with me. I don’t believe you!” He hastily added: “What about the money? Then I’ll return the four hundred thousand, is that okay!” “Even if I have to borrow it, I’ll give it to you immediately!” Getting him to return the money was the best outcome. Without hesitation, I pulled up my QR code for receiving money and held it in front of him. “Transfer it. Not a cent less of what you owe me!” “If I’m in a good mood, I might just forgive you!” Arthur, acting like he was grabbing a lifeline, desperately scanned the code and transferred the money. First transaction: $50,000 from Chase hit the account. Second transaction: $100,000 from Citibank hit the account. Third transaction: $50,000 from Bank of America hit the account. In 10 minutes, he coughed up all the money in his left and right cards. But it was still short by $200,000! “What are you standing there for? Didn’t you say you’d borrow to pay it back? If you don’t have enough, ask your mom, ask your sister!” Ultimately, after much pleading and pestering, he squeezed the final $200,000 he owed from his mother. As the $400,000 arrived, I no longer wanted to waste time with Arthur. After making him write a letter of guarantee in front of the police, promising not to pester me again, our family of three got into the Porsche and left. In the rearview mirror, Arthur stared at my car, his fists clenched tight.

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In the fifth year of my marriage to Liam Hayes, his unattainable first love, Mia Sullivan, returned. Cracks slowly began to appear in our marriage. Liam started standing me up from time to time. The first time was the day I won a design award. Liam said he wanted to celebrate with me. But Mia had just returned, and one phone call from her pulled him away. The second time was my birthday. The candles were lit, but before I could make a wish, Mia called and pulled him away again. The third time was Valentine’s Day evening. I sat in a reserved private room and waited for Liam for four hours. He never showed up. Later, I saw a post on Mia’s social media. Liam was accompanying Mia, looking at the stars on a bridge. The fourth time was our wedding anniversary. This time, my humiliation was earth-shattering; everyone in River City knew about it. That night, sitting alone in a nursing home, I received a message from Mia. After reading that message, I walked into the operating room without hesitation and aborted our child. And took back the heart that loved Liam Hayes. Liam, because I love you, you can hurt me without restraint. If I don’t love you, you are nothing. 1 The painless abortion didn’t cause me the slightest physical suffering. After lying on the operating table and receiving the anesthesia, I fell into a brief slumber. Before losing consciousness, I heard the doctor performing the surgery sigh. “She looks so glamorous on the surface, but she’s actually so pitiful!” The nurse sneered, “What’s there to pity? The unloved one in a marriage is the true mistress. Chloe stole Mia’s love; she brought this upon herself.” Brought this upon myself? Perhaps. After all, following last night’s spectacle, Everyone knows that I, Chloe, am a woman unloved by my husband. Everyone knows that I am the stumbling block in the love story of Mia and Liam. Last night, Liam slapped me hard in public in the most ruthless way possible! Last night was our fifth wedding anniversary, and also the ninetieth day of my pregnancy. Liam had someone prepare the venue in advance for a grand celebration. In our five years of marriage, this was the first time he had thrown such a lavish party for me. Many prominent figures in River City were invited to the banquet. I appeared at the banquet arm-in-arm with the dashing Liam, wearing a custom-made dress. A custom ten-tier cake was wheeled in, and champagne glasses were filled. Just as we were about to cut the cake, Mia appeared. Mia is my cousin. Her past with my husband, Liam, was common knowledge five years ago. Back then, Liam and Mia were the university’s “it couple”—the campus king and queen. They were high-profile, always together, and their romance was public knowledge. Liam had done many sensational things for Mia: a light show confession on River City’s tallest building, a drone firework display for her birthday, and he even caught a thousand fireflies by hand just to make her smile… In short, Liam and Mia’s romance was passionate and earth-shattering. Everyone thought Liam would marry his beloved Mia. But the outcome shocked everyone. They broke up without any warning five years ago. Then Mia went abroad, and Liam married me, the ugly duckling. The moment I saw Mia appear, I knew tonight’s banquet was doomed. 2 Mia, wearing eight-inch stilettos and a dress identical to mine, walked gracefully toward Liam and me. Holding a glass of wine, a smile played on her exceptionally beautiful face: “Wishing Mr. Hayes and Chloe a happy fifth wedding anniversary! And congratulations on expecting a child!” As she offered her blessings, Liam’s grip on my arm noticeably tightened. Mia smiled charmingly and raised her glass. As the rim was about to touch her lips, My husband, Liam, let go of my hand and reached out to stop her. “Mia! You’re not in good health, you can’t drink!” Liam forcefully took the wine glass from Mia’s hand. Taking advantage of the momentum, Mia lost her balance and fell into Liam’s arms. Like a bystander, I stood next to the ten-tier cake, watching their blatant display of affection. The eyes of all the banquet guests were on us. In front of everyone, Liam doted on Mia, coaxing her in a low voice. Mia pouted and whispered intimately with Liam. After exchanging some words, Liam released her and walked towards me. “Chloe, I’m taking Mia home! I’ll be right back!” I smiled silently. Refusing or agreeing no longer mattered. The intimacy between Mia and Liam had already dealt me a resounding public slap. Tonight’s banquet was over. Liam supported Mia as they walked towards the exit. At the door, she suddenly stopped, turned around, and walked back towards me. “Chloe! I’m so sorry for interrupting your banquet! I’m sorry!” When apologizing, her expression was sincere, and her voice was loud. Everyone around heard her clearly. But the next second, She stumbled, leaned close to me, and said venomously in a voice only I could hear: “I’m pregnant too! Chloe, you know Liam’s feelings for me. There’s only one end for the child in your belly, and that’s death without an intact corpse!” As Mia’s words fell, I raised my hand and slapped her across the face. 3 Smack! The slap was crisp. I didn’t hold back; I hit her with all my might. I knew Mia came to provoke me deliberately to make me lose my temper. I knew she was definitely planning something. But none of it mattered anymore! No mother can tolerate someone cursing her child so viciously! Mia’s fragile body fell backward after taking my slap. Liam rushed over quickly, but he was still a step too late. Mia fell to the ground. Her expression was agonized. She reached out to hold her stomach, crying out shrilly: “It hurts! My baby!” Liam, his face contorted, roared at me: “Chloe, are you crazy? If anything happens to the child in her belly, I won’t let you off!” He publicly acknowledged Mia’s pregnancy, and his fierce defense of her left no doubt that it was his child. Under the shocked gazes of everyone, Liam picked up the groaning Mia from the ground. His eyes were full of anxiety and heartache, making no secret of his concern at that moment. Mia leaned weakly into his arms, her hand resting on his neck, and gave me a provocative smile. As Liam turned with Mia in his arms, her foot kicked the cake placed in front of me. The ten-tier cake collapsed with a crash. I was standing right under it, and the cake fell, covering me completely. It didn’t hurt, but the frosting all over my face and body left me in an extremely pathetic state. I wiped a handful of frosting from my face and saw Liam rushing out of the hall with Mia in his arms. The banquet naturally ended because of this incident. I left the club covered in a mess. I didn’t go home. I told the taxi driver to take me to the nursing home. The doctor at the nursing home was surprised by my late-night visit: “I was planning to call you tomorrow. Your father’s condition is not very good.” 4 My dad has been lying unconscious in the nursing home for ten years. If it weren’t for the massive expenses, I wouldn’t have become a pawn of the Sullivan family, nor would I have married Liam so humiliatingly. I looked calmly at my dad’s aged and emaciated face: “I can accept it, just tell me the outcome straight.” “His organs are failing, and no medicine can reverse it. It might be within these few days, you need to be prepared.” After the doctor left, I sat by my dad’s bed and reached out to hold his skin-and-bones hand. Maintained by IV fluids for ten years, my dad was essentially the walking dead. But I was unwilling to accept it. I always believed he would wake up, always believed he would open his eyes and call me Chloe. I think if my dad were conscious, he wouldn’t want to live like this, but I selfishly wanted to keep him. After all, he is my only relative in this world! I was born with weak family ties. My mom died during a difficult childbirth, and my dad had an accident when I was sixteen. In this world, my dad is my only relative. I stroked my belly. Now there’s another person related to me by blood in there. I’m not alone! Even if Liam doesn’t love me, I still have my child. But the next second, everything shattered my illusion. Mia sent me a photo. She was lying in a hospital bed, and Liam was gently peeling an apple for her. “Chloe, doesn’t seeing this make you sad? You followed him without complaint or regret for five years. Has he ever done a single thing to please you? No, right?” Indeed, he hasn’t. A tearing pain ripped through my heart. I clutched my chest, gasping for air. Seeing I didn’t respond, Mia sent another message: “My baby and your baby were conceived on the same day. Actually, my baby was conceived two hours earlier than yours.” The malice in her message was no longer disguised. My child was conceived on Valentine’s Day. Liam disappeared that night to watch the stars with Mia, returning only in the early hours of the morning. He reeked of Mia’s perfume. I was already asleep, but he roughly woke me up. He tossed and turned with me all night like he had lost his mind, and then I got pregnant. Mia’s meaning now was clear: Liam came off her bed and then got together with me again. The truth made me sick to the core; I wanted to vomit! 5 I stayed quietly with my dad in the nursing home until dawn. When morning came, I got up and left the hospital, having made a decision in my heart. My dad is leaving! I have no more attachments. I don’t want Liam anymore! I don’t want his child either! The surgery was quick. Just an anesthesia injection and a short nap, and the child I had longed for over five years was gone. After all, having loved Liam for so many years, and having longed for this child for so many years, to say my heart didn’t ache would be deceiving myself. But compared to being heartbroken day and night, being mocked and abandoned, I felt this was better for both the child and me. When I woke up, my phone was flooded with news about my public humiliation. A husband leaving a wedding anniversary banquet with his beloved woman in his arms. Leaving behind photos of me, covered in cake and looking pathetic, which went viral across major websites. Simultaneously, news about the love triangle between me, Liam, and Mia was brewing. Mia is a goddess, while I, Chloe, am the ugly duckling. The news that Liam and Mia, the campus king and queen, had loved each other for so many years, only to break up because I, the ugly duckling, intervened, was everywhere. Everyone was laughing at me, speaking up for Mia. I, Liam’s lawful wife, had become the mistress who stole another’s love. But I’m not a mistress, am I? Mia and Liam’s breakup had absolutely nothing to do with me. From five years ago to now, from beginning to end, I have been Liam’s designated fiancée. Mia is the true mistress. 6 Knowing full well that Liam and I were engaged, she spared no effort in using her beauty to seduce him. In the end, facing strong opposition from both the Sullivan and Hayes families, she had no choice but to leave in despair. Five years ago, I didn’t bother explaining, and five years later, I have even less desire to explain. I just didn’t expect Liam to let it go unchecked. As the CEO of Hayes Corporation, a man who could make all of River City tremble with a stomp of his foot, he actually ignored these fake news stories slandering his own wife. Allowing the fake news to spread, allowing me to be cursed and lose all face. I think Liam is thoroughly disappointed in me. After all, the dignified CEO’s wife acting crazy at a banquet filled with VIPs really made him lose face. Crucially, the target of my crazy outburst was his unattainable first love, Mia. How could Liam bear to let me slap Mia in public? I know they were deeply in love back then. But I didn’t force him to marry me; he could have chosen to leave with Mia. But in the end, he chose power, chose the alliance between the Hayes and Sullivan families. In the end, he could only choose me. For the past five years, we’ve maintained a harmonious facade in public. I dutifully performed the roles a wife should, and Liam also fulfilled his obligations as a husband. Except for not loving me, he was impeccable for five years. And from the day I learned Liam was my fiancé, I was infatuated with him, loved him dead set. Even when he cheated on me with Mia so sensationally behind my back. Even though he always had Mia in his heart, I tolerated it because I loved him. I thought that with utmost sincerity, even a heart of stone could be moved. No matter what, Liam would eventually have some feelings for me. But I was completely wrong. Some people’s hearts are made of iron and stone. Even if you use all your strength to warm it, it will quickly turn cold again. Five years of marriage, over ten years of love, I am thoroughly dead to Liam! My heart will no longer reserve a place for him; he doesn’t deserve it! 7 After the surgery, I lay alone in the hospital for five hours. During this time, Liam didn’t contact me. Of course, he wouldn’t. In these five years of marriage, I’ve always been the proactive one. Proactively making soup for him, proactively caring about his health. Beside Liam, I am less like a wife and more like a servant or assistant. In a marriage, the one who loves more always has to give more. Liam is already used to my solicitude, used to my fawning. I know that if I don’t call, he will never call me. And this time, I will never be so pathetic again! Later, it was Auntie Wang, the housekeeper, who called. She asked carefully: “Madam, are you alright?” Even Auntie Wang saw the news. It’s clear how much face I lost this time. I replied calmly: “I’m fine, I’ll be back shortly. Auntie Wang, please stew some chicken soup.” Liam came back while I was drinking the chicken soup. He looked exhausted. I lifted my eyelids, glanced at him, and quickly lowered my head to continue drinking. Footsteps approached. Liam sat across from me, looking at me quietly. We didn’t speak until I finished a bowl of chicken soup, pushed the bowl and chopsticks away, and stood up. Liam finally spoke: “Chloe, you went too far this time! Do you know Mia almost had an accident? How could you disappoint me like this?” I stared intently at Liam’s haggard face. Mia almost had an accident, so he stayed at the hospital until now. While his heart was full of Mia and the child in her belly, my child with him was gone. From beginning to end, Liam didn’t ask a single question about the child. It’s evident he never actually looked forward to this child. Knowing the truth is like this, my heart still aches terribly. Five years of living together day and night, even a heart of stone should be warmed. How can Liam be so cold-blooded? Is it really just because he doesn’t love me? I withdrew my gaze and apologized calmly: “I’m very sorry about last night! It was all my fault. Do you want me to go apologize to Mia?” 8 I didn’t defend myself, and my submissive offer to apologize to Mia clearly took Liam aback. He knows I don’t have such a good temper. Since Mia came back, Liam and I have had several arguments. The first time was when I won the design award, and Liam said he wanted to celebrate with me. The second time was my birthday; the candles were lit, and I hadn’t made a wish yet. I sat in the reserved private room waiting for him for four hours. He never showed up, and I saw Mia’s social media post. The first three times I was stood up, I swallowed the bitter pill alone, sad and upset. Each time I was angry and ignored him for days. Proactively offering to apologize this time is uncharacteristic of me. After all, being neglected and stood up the first three times was only known to Mia, Liam, and me. But last night was different. Being abandoned and humiliated in front of so many people, and then facing cyberbullying. I shouldn’t be this good-tempered. Liam looked at me for a good while but ultimately saw no clues. He frowned: “If you truly know you’re wrong, don’t go looking for trouble with Mia again.” “Okay!” I nodded. “I promise I won’t go looking for trouble with Mia again. Do you have any other requests?” My obedience left Liam with no grounds to lash out. He finally remembered I was pregnant. He reached out to touch my belly: “No morning sickness today?” I avoided his hand: “No! Can I go upstairs to rest? I’m very tired!” “I’ll help you!” He reached out again, and I avoided it again: “I’m not that fragile.” I’ve never rejected his touch; this was the first time. Liam rubbed his forehead again: “Last night… Chloe… I’m sorry! I’ll make it up to you next time.” I said “Oh” and went upstairs without looking back. He has said the same thing to me four times. I will never believe him again!

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Right after marrying into a wealthy family, my sugar-daddy husband dragged me into bed and we consummated our marriage for seven days and seven nights straight. He didn’t leave until the pregnancy test showed two bright red lines. Throughout my entire pregnancy, he never came back to see me once. But everyone in our circle envied me. After all, a living allowance of ten million a month isn’t something every rich wife gets. Especially after I was diagnosed with twin boys, my prospects looked even brighter. I eagerly looked forward to the future too. But after actually giving birth, I refused to let Arthur see the children, no matter what. He frowned: “What? Did you give birth to two bastards?” Heh, bastards would be preferable. I gave birth to two snakes. Is this something I can even say out loud? 1 As soon as I got pregnant, Arthur went abroad to continue his multinational business. During the ten months of my pregnancy, he didn’t see me once. He only finally agreed to come back and see the children around my due date. But unexpectedly, I went into labor early. The day I gave birth, the private medical team responsible for the delivery was completely dumbfounded. No one even went to hold the babies. My mind was full of terrible guesses: “Are they stillborn? Deformed? Or something else?” I didn’t dare look between my legs. The lead doctor, pale-faced, looked at me and shook his head. It wasn’t until a sticky, wet sensation touched my inner thigh that I finally realized something was wrong. Seeing a black and a white snake coiled between my legs, I screamed and fell right out of bed. The thing I fear most in this life is snakes. “Where are my babies!” I grabbed the doctor’s sleeve like a madwoman. The doctor looked like he was about to cry: “We… we watched you give birth to them with our own eyes, Madam! It’s absolutely true! The security cameras can prove it!” Looking at the clear footage from the monitor, my eyes rolled back, and I fainted. Thank goodness I delivered early. Otherwise, if Arthur returned as scheduled and found out I gave birth to two snakes, he might have just strangled me to death. I would rather have given birth to two bastards, even if they had completely different skin colors. But it absolutely couldn’t be a black and a white snake! If they were human, Arthur would at most kick me out and wouldn’t bother asking for the money he spent on me back. But snakes… this isn’t just wearing a green hat (being cuckolded). This is a blatant slap in the face! I gave the medical team a huge sum of hush money and had all the audio and video records deleted. I stared at the two baby snakes sleeping in the glass tank, deep in thought. No, I can’t keep them. Although I don’t know how I, a human, gave birth to egg-laying animals like snakes. But right now, the most important thing is to protect Arthur’s reputation. Which means protecting my money! Anyway, I bought off those private doctors. I’ll just say it was a difficult labor and both children unfortunately died. No sooner said than done. Carrying the tank, I went out under the cover of night, found a spot with good Feng Shui, and released the two snakes into the wild. After finishing all this, I lay in bed and completely passed out. In a daze, a cold sensation touched my fingertips. I thought the AC was set too low. I reached for the remote. But I touched a large, cold mass. “Ah!!” I sat up abruptly. Frantically shrinking back. The back of my head slammed into the wall with a loud “Bang!” 2 A black and a white baby snake. One coiled on the table, one coiled on the bed. The white snake was right next to the remote. That’s what I just touched. “Who… who told you to come back? Didn’t I release you?! How did you find your way back!” Bang! Bang! The white snake lowered its head and firmly bumped the temperature control button on the remote twice. The room temperature went up two degrees. My freezing hands and feet warmed up a bit. I was dumbfounded. The next second, the white snake sprang up. “Ah!!” I covered my head. Thinking he was coming for me. After waiting a while and feeling nothing, I opened my eyes to find him and his brother coiled side-by-side right in front of my face. Next to them was a pair of thick socks. The two brothers tapped their snake heads together with a smack! As if saying, “Snuggle!” My mouth fell open a bit wider. I tentatively reached for the thick socks. The two baby snakes wagged their tails excitedly. Scaring me into pulling my hand back. I remember someone saying that a snake wagging its tail is a signal for hunting. Seeing me pull my hand back, the two brothers immediately stopped wagging their tails. When I tentatively reached out again, the two brothers just looked at me eagerly. It wasn’t until I put the socks on my feet that the two brothers started wagging their tails like crazy again. Did I actually see happiness on the faces of two snakes? Wait… this behavior is a lot like a dog’s. With a trembling hand, I carefully reached out. If I get bitten, I get bitten. The two brothers haven’t even grown teeth yet anyway. Unexpectedly, Little White rubbed against my wrist. Seeing I didn’t hide. He coiled directly around my wrist. Like I was wearing a white jade bracelet. Little Black started wagging his tail furiously. I held out my other hand. He quickly wrapped around it too. Hmm, very good. I have two bracelets now. Looking at the two brothers swaying their heads, I swallowed hard. I tapped my fingers on their dog heads… uh, snake heads. The two snakes happily narrowed their eyes. I sighed with tears in my eyes— Forget it, I gave birth to them after all. I’ll raise them. It’s not like I can throw them away again. I started flipping through reptile care guides. But I found the two little ones weren’t that fussy at all. They ate sea cucumber and abalone, but they also ate fried chicken and Jianbing (Chinese crepes). And they were tough, very resilient. Gradually, I started raising them like dogs. However, I forgot. Arthur was coming back to see the children. One day, while I was leisurely twisting the two little ones together into a Chinese knot, I suddenly heard the butler yell: “Madam! Sir has an 8 AM flight tomorrow, he’ll be here in the afternoon!” I literally fell out of my chair. 3 Outside the maternity ward, right after a mother gave birth to twin boys. I slid to her bedside on my knees: “A blank check, fill in whatever amount you want. Let me adopt your two children!” Looking at the blank check, the mother swallowed hard. And agreed. The day Arthur returned, I hid Little Black and Little White in a room, held the two human babies, and sat in bed pretending I had just given birth. He was still as aloof and aristocratic as ever. His eyes saw nothing but financial reports and expanding the family line. But seeing my pale face, covered in white foundation, he still handed me a black card: “You’ve worked hard.” The two children actually looked a bit like him and me. Arthur held the two children in his arms. My mother-in-law was thrilled, her eyes full of tears: “Wonderful… The Sterling family finally has an heir. You are our great hero!” I looked embarrassed: “Haha… not really…” Silently praying in my heart that she wouldn’t see the two puppy-snakes in the basement. “Chloe.” Arthur spoke in a deep voice: “Are you sure these are my children?” My breath caught. My mother-in-law was wiping her tears. Looking at the children in Arthur’s arms, the tears froze on her face. “Chloe, are these… Arthur’s children?” 4 I was absolutely certain. My spies in the maternity wards of all the major hospitals had personally confirmed it. The children born to this mother were, among all the eligible candidates, The ones who looked the most like Arthur and me. I braced myself: “Of course!” “Are you sure?” Arthur’s voice grew colder. I swallowed hard. Although I had heard about his coldness and ruthlessness before marrying him. My interactions with him after marriage Were limited to those seven days and seven nights. And him transferring money to me every month. I had never truly experienced his oppressive aura. Now, my scalp was tingling. “O-of course.” “Good.” He put the children down and looked at his watch: “Schedule a paternity test.” “What?!” 5 In the hallway of the testing facility, I sat on a chair, pretending to be calm. But my hands were almost tearing the hem of my dress apart. I couldn’t figure it out. I chose the children so well. Their eyes looked like mine, their face shapes like his. How could he immediately suspect the children I gave birth to weren’t his? Could it be he actually wanted non-human children? I carefully glanced at him. He was clearly just leaning back casually. His face clearly showed no joy or anger. Yet the oppressive aura around him still made it hard for me to breathe. If he found out the children weren’t his. I’d probably die without even knowing how. My phone vibrated. It was the private medical team I had bought off earlier. 【It’s done, Madam.】 I breathed a slight sigh of relief. And deleted the message. The paternity test results came out. Sure enough, they were Arthur’s. I breathed a complete sigh of relief. Arthur looked at the test results. I pretended to be hurt and wiped the corner of my eye: “Hubby, I didn’t lie to you, did I?” He glanced at me. Tore up the paternity test. Threw it in the trash can right in front of me. Turned and walked away. I stood frozen in place. Wait… you suspected the wrong person, and you don’t even say sorry? But I didn’t have time to argue. My two children were still waiting in the basement for me to feed them. I packed up my bag and quickly walked out of the testing facility. Arthur’s car was parked right at the entrance. As soon as I came out, he had already opened the passenger door. But before I could take a step, a beautiful woman in a blue cheongsam got into the car before me. He leaned in, saying something to the beauty in the passenger seat. His brow, always cold and hard when facing me, wasn’t so icy now. I stood rooted to the spot. I suddenly remembered the rumors in our circle before I married Arthur. Arthur had a first love. But she wasn’t accepted by his mother. Arthur’s mother, my mother-in-law, wanted a woman who could expand the Sterling family line. Arthur’s first love looked like she would have trouble bearing children. The two had argued many times over this. Finally, Arthur couldn’t hold out against his mother constantly threatening suicide, and compromised. And I was the wife he married after compromising. I didn’t care about these rumors at the time. After all, I was only in it for the money. But now I understood. Arthur didn’t actually care if the children were biologically his or not. As long as I gave birth to them, he had to make things difficult. But this also showed that, in his eyes, I was a promiscuous woman to begin with. That’s why he could so easily demand a paternity test. Just to deliver a factual slap in the face to his mother. Thinking about how he wouldn’t let me go for seven days and seven nights after we got married, I found it ironic. Regardless, this feeling of not being trusted was still pretty uncomfortable. Even though… I really couldn’t explain giving birth to two snakes. I shook my head— Whatever, I have four kids waiting for me at home. I hailed a cab and quickly went home. As soon as I walked in, the four children in front of me gave me a huge shock. I pointed at the two extra children: “Who are you?!”

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On her eighteenth birthday, my sister received company shares, a luxury car, a villa… And I received a paternity test proving we shared no blood relation. My mom smiled coldly. “Chloe, since you aren’t our biological daughter, you’ll have to pay us back for the cost of raising you these past seventeen years.” My dad sneered. “Starting today, you’re the maid in this house. We’ll credit you a hundred bucks a month to pay off your debt. Room and board are not included.” I didn’t ask them how it was possible that my twin sister—who looked practically identical to me—could be their daughter while I wasn’t. Instead, I calmly nodded. Because last night, standing outside their door, I heard: My sister, holding our parents’ hands, whined, “Mom, Dad, my birthday wish is to be the only child of the Jenkins family. I want to enjoy your exclusive love. Let my sister be a maid for a year, please?” My dad’s face was full of doting affection. “Alright, whatever you want.” My mom agreed with a smile. “For this year, Mom and Dad will belong only to our precious Mia.” After everyone had dispersed, I looked at the leftover cake on the table, stuck a candle in it, and made a wish: I want to leave the Jenkins family. Not for a year, but for a lifetime. … My sister, Mia, covered her mouth and gasped. “Sister, no wonder you’re so ugly! You don’t look like Dad or Mom. Turns out you really are a fake.” Her shout was loud and exaggerated. As if she had completely forgotten we were twins and looked at least seventy percent alike. “Oh no, you’re not my sister at all. You’re just a wild bird from who knows where.” My mom’s expression was distant and cold. “Chloe, since the truth is out and you aren’t a child of the Jenkins family, this birthday banquet is solely for our precious daughter, Mia. You have no right to attend.” I looked up at Mia, whose face was full of smug satisfaction. She wore a custom-made princess gown and a tiara that cost as much as a house. Then I looked down at myself, wearing a faded, washed-out shirt and jeans, the cuffs frayed. I smiled bitterly. Right. I never possessed that right since I was a child. So how could I lose it? My dad raised his voice. “Starting today, you will move into the maid’s quarters. For the sake of our past relationship, until you find your biological parents, you’ll work as a maid here. I’ll credit you a hundred bucks a month—no room and board—to pay back the seventeen years of child-rearing costs we spent on you.” Whispers rippled through the crowd. Like a pathetic clown, amidst the mocking and derisive gazes, I bent down and picked up my backpack. Mia rushed over with blinding speed and yanked my backpack hard. The broken zipper, held together only by safety pins, burst open instantly, spilling my belongings all over the floor. Mia shrieked. “Aha! I knew it! You actually stole things from our house!” Among the scattered books on the floor lay a single, pink sanitary pad. My mom looked a bit uncomfortable. “Mia, forget it. It’s just a pad.” Mia immediately refused to let it go. “Mom, I am the only daughter of the Jenkins family now. What is she? She’s freeloaded off our family for years, and now she’s stealing our stuff! If I say she doesn’t deserve it, she doesn’t deserve it.” Seeing her angry, my mom immediately began coaxing her softly. “Okay, okay, don’t be mad, sweetie. You’re right. You are Mom’s one and only darling now. You can do whatever you want.” Satisfied, Mia stomped on the pad, grinding her heel into it. “Alright, I don’t want it anymore. It’s yours.” I stared at the sanitary pad, covered in footprints. My throat felt like it was stuffed with wet cotton—heavy and suffocating. Chapter 2 In the end, I bent down and only picked up my books. After the banquet ended, I was led to the storage room by the nanny, Martha. It was a space of about fifty square feet, containing only a wooden plank bed piled with junk and a rusted iron window. Martha stood at the door, hesitating before speaking. “Young Miss… Chloe. The Master and Madam remember your good deeds. When they come to their senses, you’ll still be the eldest daughter of the Jenkins family…” Before she could finish, two cockroaches scurried out from a corner and disappeared quickly. I pretended not to see the embarrassment on her face. “Thank you. I know.” Martha shook her head and left. I heard her mutter softly, “Looking so much alike, how could she not be… sigh…” I sat on the plank bed, staring blankly into the pitch-black night outside the window. It’s okay. Just wait one more year, and I can leave forever. That night, my stomach cramped terribly. Without any pads, I had to use wadded-up toilet paper. Coming out of the bathroom, I heard my parents talking in hushed tones. “Honey, do you think treating Chloe like this will make her hate us? She is our biological daughter after all.” My dad scoffed coldly. “It’s her own fault for always bullying Mia. As the older sister, she never knows how to yield. Making her suffer a bit is for her own good.” “In a year, when Mia has had her fun, we’ll just find an excuse and say the paternity test was a mistake. When she regains her status as the eldest daughter of the Jenkins family, she’ll be too happy to complain.” My fingertips went cold. It felt absurd and laughable. What makes them think that after trampling me into the dirt, I would just obediently stand there and wait for them? The next day, I went out to buy sanitary pads. At checkout, I was told my balance was insufficient. But I clearly had forty dollars saved up on my card. Returning to the villa, I pushed open the door. The three of them were laughing and chatting at the dining table. A gift bag sat on the table. My mom fondly stroked a silk scarf in her hands. “Our Mia is such a sweet, caring girl. She even bought Mom a gift. Mom is so happy.” My dad spun a plastic water bottle in his hands, unable to stop smiling. “Dad loves his too. That’s my precious daughter.” Mia pouted and leaned her head on Mom’s shoulder. “But these two gifts only cost forty dollars. You won’t blame me for buying something so cheap, will you?” My mom immediately shook her head. “Of course not! As long as my darling bought it for me, even if it cost two cents, it’s a treasure to Mom.” My dad didn’t forget to put me down while comforting her. “Exactly. Not like your sister, who only knows how to spend the family’s money. She’s never bought us a single gift. Just an ungrateful wretch. How could she compare to my Mia…” Noticing my return, they immediately stopped talking. Mia tilted her head to look at me. Her smile was full of malice. That forty dollars. Was the living expenses I had saved up over two months. It was all the money I had. My entire body went cold. Something in my brain exploded with a massive bang. By the time I realized what was happening, I had already grabbed Mia and raised my hand to slap her. But before the slap could land. My dad kicked me hard. My spine slammed into the sharp corner of the coffee table. The pain was so intense my vision went black. Mia held up an arm with a tiny red mark. Crying as if the sky was falling. “Mom! Dad! It hurts so much! Is my arm broken?” My mom yelled anxiously, “Quick, call an ambulance!” My dad hastily replied, “Forget the ambulance, there’s no time. I’ll drive Mia to the hospital.” Mia pointed at me, sprawled on the floor. “I don’t want to ride in the car. This bastard hurt me. I want her to carry me all the way to the hospital on her back.” Chapter 3 The nearest hospital from the villa was over twelve miles away. My mom looked at me with icy eyes. “You fatherless, motherless thing. We gave you the best food and a good life for over a decade, and you dare lay a hand on my biological daughter? Do as Mia says.” Seeing that I couldn’t get up for a long time, my dad simply grabbed me and yanked me up. “Stop faking it. You just bumped into it lightly. Hurry up and carry Mia to the hospital. If you delay my daughter’s treatment, I’ll throw you out of the Jenkins house.” I believed him. But I couldn’t leave just yet. I had no choice but to carry Mia on my back, stumbling my way toward the hospital on foot. My dad drove slowly, trailing right behind me. He kept yelling out the window, “Chloe, you better hold her tight. If you drop my precious daughter, I’ll skin you alive.” My mom complained from the passenger seat, “Walk faster, haven’t you eaten? Don’t delay my darling’s treatment.” Mia lay on my back, smiling smugly. “See? Nobody in this house loves you! You’re just an unwanted, mangy dog.” Words like that used to easily sting me. But now, perhaps because so much pain had accumulated, I was completely numb. Seeing I didn’t react, Mia stopped talking too. But just as we were nearing the hospital. She pulled a safety pin from her pocket and stabbed it deeply into my back. I stumbled in pain and pitched forward, crashing onto the ground. My parents immediately pulled the car over, ran over frantically, picked up Mia, who had fallen on top of me, and ran toward the hospital. My mom, following behind my dad, turned back to look at my deathly pale face. She threw down an impatient remark: “We’re already at the hospital. Go find a doctor yourself. We don’t have time to deal with you.” I never ended up going into the hospital. Because I didn’t have any money. Having no strength left to walk back. I sat on the hospital steps until dark before finally returning to the villa. They had already returned. Standing in the living room were a middle-aged man and woman, looking cowering and disheveled. “You’re back just in time.” My dad pointed at the couple. “These are your biological parents. Go with them now.” The air was dead silent. My mom walked over and took my hand, though she didn’t dare meet my eyes. “Chloe, we were mother and daughter for a time, and I’m very sad too. But since your biological parents have been found, there’s no reason for you to hang around the Jenkins family anymore.” I had thought I wouldn’t cry anymore. But tears still uncontrollably soaked my face. These were the parents I had placed above everything else in my heart for over a decade. Yet they weren’t willing to let me stay in this house, even if just in a tiny corner. My mom felt guilty looking at my tears. She reached out to wipe them away, but Mia grabbed her arm. “Sister, congratulations! You’re finally not a bastard without parents anymore.” The middle-aged woman standing nearby immediately grabbed my hand upon seeing this. Her dirt-encrusted fingernails dug into my flesh as she began to wail dramatically. “Oh, my daughter! Mommy finally found you! Come home with Mommy!” The man claiming to be my biological father dragged me toward the door. “Yes, yes, let’s hurry home. You’ve troubled Mr. and Mrs. Jenkins for so many years. You absolutely can’t be shameless and refuse to leave.” “Wait.” Mia rolled her eyes, smiling mischievously. “Sister, finding your real parents is a huge event. It doesn’t make sense not to kneel and kowtow to acknowledge them. Or are you disgusted because they’re poor? Do you look down on them?” I froze and turned to look at my parents. “Do you also think I should kneel and kowtow to acknowledge them?” Chapter 4 They instinctively avoided my gaze. Mia kept urging, “Hurry up and kneel. We’re all watching.” I laughed. Something inside me, in that moment, shattered completely. I knelt down, but I kowtowed deeply toward my parents. “Our relationship as parents and child ends here. From this moment on, the Jenkins family and I have no further connection.” My parents exchanged a look, both catching a glimpse of unease in the other’s eyes. But I had already stood up and left with my ‘biological parents’. My mom chased after us, shouting with false bravado, “It’s not settled! Unless… unless you pay back all the money we spent on you over the past decade!” I stopped walking but didn’t turn around. I replied softly, “Okay.” They thought they had spent a lot of money on me over the years. But they forgot. The daughter who was favored, the one who had lots and lots of money spent on her to be raised in luxury, was Mia. And me? I had an allowance of sixty dollars a month. And I was constantly extorted by Mia, who received six thousand a month. If I didn’t give it to her. She would go home and cry. Saying I rallied classmates at school to isolate and bully her. I was locked in solitary confinement countless times and forbidden from eating. Once, on a night with torrential rain. Because Mia said I was pushing her to the point where she couldn’t go on living. I stood in the freezing rain all night. I ran a fever of 104 degrees, and no one cared. Since I was little. It had always been like this. A single word from Mia could determine my right and wrong, my happiness, my life, Even my dignity. My explanations, my tears, my grievances, Were utterly worthless in this house. Just like me as a person. Very cheap. That night, I moved into my ‘biological parents” rented room in the slums. Because there were no extra rooms or blankets. I had to curl up in the only bathroom for the night. The windows, patched with newspaper, were falling apart, constantly letting in cold drafts. The next day, I fell into a groggy, high fever. In my delirium, I heard the woman talking anxiously on the phone. “Mr. Jenkins, Mrs. Jenkins, the… the young miss has a high fever. It’s already 104 degrees.” “Then what are you waiting for? Get her to a hospital!” The phone was on speaker, and Mia’s voice came through clearly. “Mom, Dad. My sister just left last night and she has a high fever today? There’s no such coincidence. It must be a trick to test you. If you believe it, you’re falling for it.” After a long silence, my dad’s cold voice rang out. “Don’t bother with her. She said it herself: she has no further connection with us. Let this ungrateful wretch learn her lesson.” My mom was full of impatience. “She’s your daughter now. Don’t call us if there’s no real issue. We still have to take our precious daughter on a trip around the world. Hanging up.” No one cared about me anymore. I was left in that forgotten, rented room. Fighting with my last breath to pry open the front door and crawl into the stairwell, I couldn’t hold on any longer and passed out. When I opened my eyes again, there was only a nurse by the bed. “Little girl, you’re finally awake. 107.6 degrees. If a kind passerby hadn’t brought you to the hospital, ten minutes later, and you’d be in critical condition.” “Alright, hurry up and contact your family to come over. And settle the medical bills while you’re at it.” I was silent for a long time. My voice was very faint. “I don’t have any money. And I don’t have any family.” The nurse was stunned. I stared at the IV tube in the back of my hand and pursed my dry lips. “But, I have blood to sell.” After the new semester started, I entered my senior year of high school. I started running errands for my classmates—buying their meals, delivering their packages. One run, twenty cents. I could save up four dollars a day. Chapter 5 One day, I had just gotten my food and was walking out of the cafeteria when I bumped into Mia halfway. She just crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. Her little followers snatched my lunchbox and smashed it. The food mixed with muddy water, scattering everywhere. “Sister, seeing how pathetic you are, this meal is on me.” They pressed my head down, trying to force me to eat the food they had stepped on. My homeroom teacher, Ms. Summers, happened to pass by and harshly scolded them. She pulled me up and wiped my face clean. She had heard bits and pieces about what happened at the birthday party and knew I was short on money. She didn’t ask any questions and found me a tutoring job. But the condition was only half a day on weekends, and it absolutely couldn’t affect my grades. I thanked her profusely. But I never expected that just because of one act of kindness from Ms. Summers. She would be reported and fired under the accusation of accepting bribes from a student’s parent. And I was put up on the school bulletin board. Because of a photo of the parent of the student I was tutoring picking me up and dropping me off. I was labeled as having a sugar daddy. My ‘biological mother’, Brenda, rushed to the school. Without a word, she slapped me twice across the face. She viciously grabbed my hair, twisting and pinching it. “You little slut, you’re barely of age and you’re already spreading your legs for men? You might not have any shame, but I do!” My face was smacked to the side. In my peripheral vision, I happened to lock eyes with my parents, who were standing with the school administrators, looking at me like I was trash. And behind them, Mia, whose face was practically splitting from smiling so hard. My hair fell loose, blocking my vision, and also blocking the tears I couldn’t hold back in time. I lowered my head and said calmly, “I’m sorry. I know I was wrong.” That night, just after I took a shower at home, I was violently dragged into a room by a pair of large hands. My ‘biological father’, Dave, shirtless and with bloodshot eyes, lunged at me. “Instead of giving it away to some man outside for cheap, you might as well give it to me.” The utility knife hidden in my sleeve slashed fiercely across his face. He was forced back two steps, panting heavily like a starving animal. “I’m still a student, and I don’t want to spend my life in prison, so get out!” Living in the slums, I couldn’t possibly be unprepared. Dave spat, wiped the blood from his face, bared his yellow teeth, and smiled. “You fucking wait. Your parents sold you to me. Sooner or later, I’ll get what I want.” The door closed. I slumped to the floor, drained of energy, trembling uncontrollably. Tears poured out. I bit down hard on the back of my hand to keep my sobs from escaping. My phone dinged. A message popped up in the family group chat. Mom: “Chloe, you willingly degraded yourself at such a young age. Just thinking about having been mother and daughter with someone as dirty and lacking in self-respect as you makes me sick.” The next second, I was removed from the group chat by my dad. My mom stared at the group that now only had three people. A sudden sense of unease rose in her chest. “Honey, did we go too far? Didn’t we investigate and find out Chloe was just tutoring?” My dad said angrily, “If she hadn’t forced Mia to eat food off the floor, Mia wouldn’t have cried until her eyes were swollen. Her only request was to kick her out of the group chat; that’s letting her off easy.” Thinking about it, his tone softened. “It’s just for a year anyway. I’ve already transferred enough money to Dave. Chloe won’t be mistreated. Once the time is up, we’ll go pick her up immediately.” One year later. On Mia and my birthday. My parents left the house early. My dad drove very fast. “You brought the real paternity test, right?” My mom nodded repeatedly. “I brought it. We haven’t seen Chloe for a whole year. When she comes back, we must compensate her properly.”

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In my tenth year working at a top-secret agency, my high school group chat suddenly blew up with people frantically tagging me. “Chloe, what’s your problem? Are you really not coming to Mia’s wedding?” Scrolling through the messages, I realized that Mia, the former high school beauty queen, was getting married today. Every single one of our old classmates was attending. “Sorry, I can’t get time off work.” I explained formally, only to be met with a barrage of attacks from the group. “What kind of garbage job doesn’t even give you a day off?” “Isn’t it obvious? She’s probably working in some sketchy sweatshop, too embarrassed to show her face.” Mia tagged me as well: “Remember our bet back then? I said I’d definitely be doing better than you in the future.” I replied honestly: “I don’t remember.” Seeing this, the others immediately chimed in: “Mia is marrying the richest man in Capitol City! She’s literally a billionaire’s wife now!” “What, are you pretending to have amnesia because you’re doing so badly and afraid of the comparison?” “Could it be you’re so broke you can’t even afford a wedding gift? How about you set up a GoFundMe and beg us to chip in a little?” Amidst everyone’s bombardment, Mia tagged me again, pretending to smooth things over: “I hope you can come to my wedding and witness my moment of happiness!” “For old times’ sake, I can even set you up with a job as a nanny later.” After saying that, she sent a wedding photo of her and her husband. Looking at the photo of her husband, I was stunned. Isn’t this Arthur, the husband who begged to marry me three years ago for a strategic alliance? “Alright, I’ll definitely be there to witness your moment of happiness!” 1 Right after replying to Mia, I received a message from Arthur: “Honey, don’t work too hard. Remember to come home and see me after your vacation.” “I miss you so much.” Due to the special nature of my work, I rarely had contact with the outside world. So even after getting married, Arthur and I spent little time together. But he frequently sent me messages expressing how much he missed me. I always thought he loved me very much. Thinking about it now, it just seems ridiculous. After getting approval for leave from my superior, I followed the location Mia posted in the group and drove the special vehicle my boss had assigned me to her hometown. From a distance, I could see a huge red banner hanging above the entrance to Mia’s house. “Warmly Welcoming Mr. Arthur Vance, CEO of Zenith Group, to Pick Up the Bride!” Beneath the banner, Mia, wearing a snow-white haute couture wedding dress, eagerly awaited the groom’s arrival. She was surrounded by a group of our old high school classmates. “Mia, you hid this so well! We didn’t know your man was a billionaire until you got married!” “Yeah! I heard Mr. Vance isn’t just incredibly wealthy, but his power is unmatched. No one dares to mess with him. You’re amazing for marrying such a top-tier man!” “Mia, you’re about to be a billionaire’s wife! Don’t forget about us old classmates in the future!” Even our high school homeroom teacher was trying to curry favor with Mia: “Mia, the first time I saw you, I knew you were destined for great things.” “That’s why I never criticized your poor grades in high school. I knew you were born for a life of wealth and didn’t need to rely on grades to speak for you!” Amidst the flattery, the corners of Mia’s mouth tilted high, her eyes full of smugness and enjoyment. Arthur’s abilities were actually quite lacking. If it weren’t for his marriage alliance with me, which made his rivals wary, He would have been chewed up and spit out by them long ago. He wouldn’t have even come close to becoming a billionaire. I didn’t expect this to become the capital for Mia’s bragging and others’ flattery. Seeing my arrival, the classmates who had just been eagerly brown-nosing instantly frowned, looking at me with disgust. One of Mia’s little followers saw the car behind me and immediately scoffed: “Chloe, you’ve worked for ten years and you drive this domestic piece of trash?” The others burst into loud laughter: “Hilarious. I’d rather die than be seen driving such a cheap garbage car!” “But why does her license plate have so many zeros? That’s a special plate you can’t buy with any amount of money!” “It’s obviously a fake plate! How could she possibly have such a good license plate on that junker?” “No wonder she had the nerve to show up. She slapped on a fake plate to show off! How laughable!” Faced with everyone’s belittlement, I kept a straight face: “This license plate is real.” “And this isn’t a garbage car. It’s a national state vehicle.” As soon as the words left my mouth, Mia suddenly stepped in front of me. She slapped me hard across the face: “Of course this license plate is real, because this is my husband’s car!” “I suspected my husband was keeping a mistress on the side, but I didn’t expect it to be you, you bitch!” “You shameless little slut, you actually dared to drive my husband’s car to my wedding to provoke me, his rightful wife?” 2 Mia’s words made the surrounding classmates widen their eyes in shock: “Mia, this car is your husband’s? Are you serious?” Mia looked haughty: “Could it be fake?” “My husband used to drive this car to pick me up. I noticed the license plate was very special, so I took a few photos!” Saying that, she took out her phone and pulled up several photos of her and Arthur. There were intimate photos of them pressing their faces together inside the car, and photos of them snuggling on the hood. In the photos, the interior details of the car and the license plate were captured clearly. It was exactly the same as my car. Seeing this, the crowd instantly sneered: “It really is Mia’s husband’s car! No wonder she could use such an awesome license plate!” “So it looks like Chloe is definitely a mistress!” Mia was so angry her eyebrows shot up, and she said sharply: “No wonder you haven’t posted anything on social media all these years. Turns out you’ve been busy being a professional mistress.” Hearing this, the others also glared at me and said: “Who would have thought? Chloe looks decent on the outside, but she’s actually acting as a mistress.” “Exactly! I even thought she was a cool, aloof academic overachiever in high school and wrote her a love letter. Now that I think about it, it’s disgusting!” “Some people look cool and innocent on the surface, but who knows how slutty they are behind closed doors. The moment they see a rich man, they act like they’re in heat, wishing they could walk with their legs spread!” “And she dared to drive her sugar daddy’s car in front of his legal wife to provoke her. I think she just can’t stand seeing Mia marry well and came here deliberately to ruin the wedding!” Even the homeroom teacher looked at me with contempt and said with disgust: “Chloe, when you go out in the future, never say you were my student.” “I’ve never taught such a morally corrupt student!” The crowd’s discussion and condemnation attracted many onlookers, each pointing their fingers at me. Some even took out their phones to take pictures and record me, spitting on me. I took off my outer jacket and threw it in the trash can. Then I faced Mia directly: “You hit someone in public without even understanding the situation. You really are lawless!” Mia was arrogant and bossy: “So what if I hit you? So what if I’m lawless?” “I’m a billionaire’s wife now. In Capitol City, I can do whatever I want!” Saying that, she looked at the car behind me: “Just thinking about my husband’s car being driven by a vixen like you makes me sick!” “I’d rather destroy something that’s dirty than let a cheap slut like you use it!” With that, she picked up a brick from the side of the road and started smashing my car wildly. The windows, the headlights, the hood—she didn’t spare anything. “Mia is the future billionaire’s wife. We can’t let her be bullied by a cheap mistress like Chloe!” Someone in the crowd of classmates yelled out. Everyone then picked up whatever handy tools they could find and started smashing my car with all their might. However, my car was bulletproof. They smashed it for a long time, only managing to leave some scratches; there was no other damage. This made them extremely angry: “What kind of car is this? Why is it so tough?” I looked at them and warned them seriously: “I advise you to stop while you can. This is no ordinary car. Damaging it cannot be solved simply by paying money.” Hearing this, Mia got even angrier: “This is my husband’s car. I can smash it if I want to. What’s the big deal?” The next second, she led everyone to pull open the car doors, got inside, and started slashing wildly at the car seats and interior. The originally neat and clean car interior was instantly torn to shreds. Looking at this group of lawless lunatics, I silently took out my phone and dialed my boss’s number: “Sir, the special vehicle assigned to me by the agency has been smashed.” 3 Before the person on the other end could speak, Mia’s little follower suddenly snatched my phone and smashed it hard on the ground: “Still trying to tattle? You’re just a mistress who only knows how to seduce men. Where do you get the nerve?” “Are you planning to call a bunch of your sugar daddies to crush us? Hahaha!” “You’re really addicted to showing off. We’re all old classmates here. Who doesn’t know exactly what you’re worth?” “Exactly. Were you reincarnated from a trash can? Why are you so full of garbage?” The old classmates started laughing arrogantly again, mocking me recklessly. I looked at my shattered phone on the ground and said coldly: “I hope you can all still laugh this happily later.” Hearing this, Mia grabbed me by the collar: “You bitch, you still dare to threaten us?” While speaking, Mia suddenly noticed the jade pendant necklace at my collar. Her eyes lit up, and she reached out and snatched it off quickly: “This necklace looks expensive. You bought it with my husband’s money too, right?” Seeing this, my expression changed drastically: “Give me the necklace back!” Seeing me suddenly tense up, Mia sneered and looked at me: “So nervous? Looks like this necklace is worth a lot, huh?” I was anxious and said quickly: “It’s not worth much money, but it’s very important to me. Give it back to me quickly!” As I spoke, I reached out to grab it. This jade pendant necklace was the only relic left to me by my parents. They were martyrs, and also my role models. I remember the last time I saw them was the day before my eighteenth birthday. They said that after finishing this mission, They would come back to celebrate my birthday. But I waited and waited at home. I didn’t wait for them, only for two boxes of ashes and this necklace. My boss said that before my parents died, they asked him to give this necklace to me. My parents gave their lives to the country. And they left this necklace to me. It was their belated birthday gift. It was also my most cherished possession. I would absolutely not allow anyone to destroy it! “The more you want it, the more I want to destroy it!” Before I could touch it, Mia forcefully threw the necklace onto the ground. Accompanied by a crisp sound, the jade shattered into pieces. Fragments scattered all over the ground. 4 “No!” Watching the only relic left by my parents shatter just like that. My heart felt like it was being twisted by a knife, making it hard to breathe. “You animal!” I instinctively raised my hand, wanting to teach Mia a severe lesson. But ultimately, I stopped my hand in mid-air. Because my boss had repeatedly warned me, saying I didn’t know my own strength. It was fine to use it on enemies. But if used on ordinary citizens, it could easily be fatal. He told me not to strike easily. Seeing me stop, Mia smiled triumphantly, pointed at her own face, and provoked: “Hit me! Let’s see if you have the guts to hit the wife of a billionaire?” I ignored her provocation, crouched down, and silently picked up the fragments of the necklace from the ground. “Coward!” “You don’t dare hit me, but I dare to teach you a lesson!” Mia shouted angrily, turning to look at the classmates: “Teach this bitch a harsh lesson for me!” “Whoever teaches her the lesson that satisfies me the most, I’ll give them a hundred thousand dollars!” Hearing this, the old classmates who already found me an eyesore immediately started punching and kicking me. “Still trying to lay a hand on Mia? She’s a billionaire’s wife now, do you think you’re worthy?!” “Exactly. It’s just a broken necklace. You earned it by sleeping around anyway. Can’t you just service a few more men later? Is there a need to be so dramatic?” “Shameless mistress! Seducing someone else’s husband is bad enough, but you still want to fight the legal wife? Do you really think old classmates are easy to bully?” Even the homeroom teacher couldn’t help but sneak in a couple of kicks. I endured their punches and kicks while picking up the necklace, saying: “You will regret this!” Hearing this, the old classmates reacted as if they had heard the biggest joke in the world and tilted their heads back in laughter. “Hilarious. Do you still think this is high school? Do you think being a top student makes you superior?” “Exactly. You’re nothing but garbage discarded by society now! You’re already making money by selling your body, and you still dare to threaten us?” “A mistress should know her place. If you get beaten, stand at attention!” “You shameless slut. Being a mistress and stealing someone’s man right under your old classmate’s nose, aren’t you embarrassed? If I were you, I would have bashed my head against a wall and died long ago!” These people all showed contempt, unscrupulously mocking and humiliating me. The onlookers also criticized me, saying I didn’t know my place. Supported by the crowd, Mia grabbed my hair and said arrogantly: “Regret? I’ve grown this big and I’ve never regretted anything. I’m waiting to see how a piece of bottom-feeder trash like you can make me regret it!” As soon as her voice fell, hundreds of military off-road vehicles sped over and stopped in front of everyone…

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In the sixth year of our marriage, I calmly said to my husband: “If you still won’t let me join your family for New Year’s Eve dinner this year, let’s just get a divorce.” Liam froze for a moment, frowning: “You want a divorce just over a New Year’s Eve dinner?” I rubbed the wedding ring on my finger. It was sterling silver, unbranded, and barely worth anything. Unlike the one he gave his ex-wife—a designer diamond ring worth over ten thousand dollars, which she still wore to this day. In our six years of marriage, my mother-in-law had never once allowed me to attend their New Year’s Eve dinner. Simply because she felt sorry for her former daughter-in-law being all alone in the city, and worried my presence would make her feel awkward. But they seemed to have forgotten that my own hometown was a thousand miles away in the Midwest. I get lonely eating New Year’s Eve dinner by myself, too. I looked up and nodded slightly: “Yes, just over this.” The next second, his phone screen lit up. Right in front of me, Liam “liked” a post his ex-wife had just uploaded, showing a happy family reunion. “How long are you going to drag this out this time?” “You know Leo’s condition, he can’t be left alone.” A thousand miles from home, estranged from my parents. He was certain I had nowhere to go, And even more certain I couldn’t bear to leave the little family I had painstakingly built over six years. I suddenly remembered the year I decided to marry Liam and move far away. My parents were so furious they publicly disowned me. “He’s a divorced man with an autistic son! Marrying him means becoming a free nanny!” I was dead set on it back then, diving headfirst into this highly disapproved marriage. Over the next six years, I stayed by his side as he went from a nobody to a top lawyer worth millions. I taught that stepson, who was entirely trapped in his own world, how to acknowledge people, bit by bit. He learned to call for his grandpa, grandma, dad, and his biological mother. I was the only one who remained a nameless entity without a title. I smiled bitterly, looking down to book a flight back to my hometown. This time, my mind was truly made up. 1. Liam glanced up at the clock. “Twelve minutes left until Leo wakes up.” “We have to go to my mom’s place to pay our New Year’s respects later. Even if the sky falls, it has to wait.” His tone showed he didn’t take my mention of divorce seriously at all. It wasn’t until I placed the pre-prepared divorce agreement in front of him, That Liam finally deigned to look at me. He scanned the clauses and said coldly: “Taking half my assets? Chloe, you have quite an appetite.” “You should know I’m the only one bringing in money for this family!” No explanation, no asking me to stay. Only icy interrogation. I felt an inexplicable urge to cry. For the unworthiness of my past six years. “Liam, these past years I’ve managed the household and taken care of the child.” “I gave you all my youth. Is that not even worth half a million to you?” He irritably tore the divorce agreement to pieces. “Did I force you to marry me?” “Besides, we’re an old married couple now. What exactly are you throwing a tantrum about?” I opened my mouth, but my throat felt blocked by wet cotton. Just last night, in Mia’s social media posts, The stepson, Leo, whom I had raised for six years but who still only called me “Auntie,” Was affectionately calling her “Mom,” over and over again in her video. People around them chimed in, asking what I was, then. Leo paused for a moment and simply said I was just the nanny who cooked. The room erupted in laughter, yet no one spoke a word in my defense. Even my husband didn’t offer a half-sentence of rebuttal. Just as Liam said, no one forced me to marry him. But it was clearly him who promised me, amidst a heavy snowfall, that for the rest of his life, there would only be me. When we first met, I was a newly minted psychology intern at the hospital. Seeing him bring his child in alone for autism treatment always stirred extra sympathy in me. As we got to know each other, I learned that his ex-wife had chosen to divorce him precisely because she couldn’t handle the child’s illness. My heart ached for this father and son from the city, and I took extra care of them. Eventually, my heart landed entirely on Liam. While we were dating, he would remember my period every month, prepare pads in advance, and personally make me brown sugar ginger tea. He would also thoughtfully renew my various app subscriptions. So when he proposed, I agreed without hesitation. Even if it meant marrying far away from home, even if it meant being his second wife, even if it meant becoming a stepmother, I accepted it all. But just as my mother said, dating and marriage are two different things. After moving to the city, because I had to take care of autistic Leo, I chose to become a stay-at-home mom. From then on, my life was consumed by daily chores. When Liam excitedly talked about his latest won case, I was busy apologizing to the parents of a child Leo had hurt. When he wanted to take me out for a romantic candlelight dinner, I chose to refuse because Leo was terrified of strangers. Every time this happened, Liam would hold my hand, visibly moved. “Chloe, thank goodness you are in this family.” For six years, I poured all my energy into a child who shared no blood with me. I hoped he would one day call me “Mom,” Hoped he could live like a normal person. In the end, all I got in return was an “Auntie.” Even my husband tacitly accepted that I was just the family’s nanny. Since that was the case, I wasn’t staying in this family anymore. 2. The flight was booked for tomorrow. It was the first day of the Lunar New Year, and I didn’t want to ruin the mood. After Leo woke up, the whole family headed to my in-laws’ place together. Mia, wearing a red woolen coat, was standing at the door. Seeing her, Liam immediately got out of the car. “Your health isn’t good, and it’s freezing outside. You could have just waited inside.” The woman shot him a flirtatious, scolding look. “I just wanted to see you sooner…” She deliberately paused, mischievously watching Liam’s earlobes turn bright red. Mia added: “I hadn’t finished. I did it all to see Leo.” Liam’s disappointment was visible to the naked eye. With just a few words, she sent the usually composed man on an emotional rollercoaster. Liam was always cool and collected around me. Even on our wedding day, his expression only softened slightly. It turned out all his joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness, Had long been reserved for Mia. A sudden, indescribable feeling surged in my heart. Funny enough, this was my very first time meeting Mia in person. Before this, I had only ever peeked at her life through social media. Just as depicted in her posts, Even in her thirties, she remained vibrantly and fiercely beautiful. Just like her irreplaceable position in Liam’s heart. And what about me? I turned to look at my reflection in the car window. No makeup, eyes swollen like walnuts. The wrinkles around my eyes looking exceptionally haggard. Leo, who had been silent, immediately let go of my hand and threw himself into Mia’s arms. Those repeated cries of “Mom” cut into my heart like a knife. Mia kissed his cheek, leaving a lipstick mark. Leo didn’t show a hint of disgust, his eyes full of adoration. A few years ago, I had merely sprayed a little perfume on myself. Leo, sensitive to the smell, covered his nose and started sneezing non-stop. Noticing this, Liam specifically told me to be more mindful. He told me not to wear makeup or dress up anymore, saying it was all for the child’s good. But when it came to Mia, Leo showed absolutely no signs of an allergic reaction. Even Liam looked at me with disdain. “It’s the New Year, why didn’t you dress up a bit? You look so plain.” Mia covered her mouth, hiding a smirk. “I remember when you got married, you showed me her ID photo.” “It’s only been a few years, I thought you had married some middle-aged woman just to gross me out.” Having said that, she feigned guilt and covered her mouth. “I have a habit of speaking my mind. Your current wife won’t be angry, will she?” Liam tickled my palm. “Don’t mind her, that’s just how she is.” “Before we divorced, she used to always call me a stubborn mule.” His tone seemed like a complaint, but it was actually full of nostalgia. I pulled my hand back and walked into the house ahead of them. I could still hear their laughter behind me. “Uh-oh, the wife is mad. Looks like someone’s sleeping in the study tonight.” “Mia, can’t you say something nice for once!” I pretended not to hear, but couldn’t help quickening my pace. As soon as I entered, I saw my mother-in-law getting up enthusiastically from the sofa. But when she realized it was me, her face instantly turned cold. Since we got married, she had never given me a single pleasant look. My mother-in-law felt that because I came from a small town, Marrying Liam, who already had a child, was nothing more than a ploy to get a city residency. For the first time, I didn’t try to warm up to her coldness. I sat on the sofa and started cracking sunflower seeds. In the past, to please this mother-in-law, Even though I wasn’t allowed to attend the New Year’s Eve dinner, I would still show up on New Year’s Day with all sorts of expensive supplements. Clearly, I bought them with my own private savings, But from her mouth, it became me recklessly spending her son’s money. 3. Lunch was exceptionally lavish. Amidst the uniform array of sweet dishes, there were surprisingly a few spicy ones. Mia winked playfully at my mother-in-law. “Mom really loves me the most, knowing I like spicy food.” Liam, however, frowned. “You just said yesterday your stomach was hurting. Eat less of that.” He smoothly passed over a peeled shrimp. Realizing I was still there, Liam smiled awkwardly. “I remembered you’re allergic to seafood, so I didn’t peel any for you.” To placate me, he put a piece of braised pork in my bowl. I forced a smile, feeling incredibly bitter. I had never liked sweet food. Liam used to joke that I didn’t even like the sweet and sour pork from my own hometown. But now, he had completely forgotten my preferences. Or rather, he no longer kept them in mind. After the meal, the table was a mess. My mother-in-law instructively commanded me, as usual. “Hey, you, remember to wash these by hand.” “Don’t use the dishwasher, it wastes water.” I looked up at her. The mother-in-law I always used to find intimidating, Was really just a mean, nitpicking little old lady. She always used that condescending tone, calling me “hey, you.” She refused to call me by my name, refused to acknowledge my position. Yet I still wanted to please her. Simply because I wanted to be a good wife to Liam, a good daughter-in-law to the Vance family. But now. I didn’t even want Liam anymore. And I certainly wouldn’t back down anymore. I stood up, “Mom, this is the last time I’ll call you that.” “Your son and I are getting a divorce.” Without waiting for my mother-in-law’s reaction, I turned and left. Walking past the living room, I happened to see the two of them on the balcony. They seemed to be arguing. Mia bit her lip, staying silent, then simply stood on her tiptoes and kissed Liam. The man’s hands, resting on her shoulders and meant to push her away, gradually slid down. Finally, he gripped the woman’s waist tightly. I stood frozen, feeling like I had swallowed a fishbone. My throat was slashed raw, even my breathing carried the metallic taste of blood. Liam once told me he hated his heartless ex-wife. Hated her for being so selfish that she abandoned her husband and child for her so-called freedom. He got dead drunk, crying as he recounted that failed marriage. But I forgot, where there is no love, how can there be hate? My mother-in-law, standing behind me, suddenly said coldly: “I never welcomed you marrying into this family in the first place.” “My son and Mia merely got divorced, it’s not like they can’t remarry.” “As for you, you’d better find someone else while you’re still young.” She paused, looking at me with pity. “Though you aren’t that young anymore, almost thirty, right?” While we were talking, Liam had walked over to me. He grabbed my hand and headed straight for the front door. Mia’s sorrowful voice trailed behind us. “Liam, what happened back then was my fault.” “But it’s been six years, can’t you forgive me?” I turned to look at the man beside me. And caught a glimpse of a smear of red on his lips. Bitten by Mia. It wasn’t until we were back in the car that Liam regained his composure. “Don’t listen to her nonsense. I’m not going to divorce you.” “As for that kiss, I was forced.” But I witnessed the whole thing. Saw the love and reluctance in Liam’s eyes. “Do you really not love her anymore?” The car fell into silence. Mia caught up to us right at that moment. Seeing me sitting in the back, a look of realization dawned in her eyes. “Liam, is this what you mean by not having me in your heart?” “Yet your passenger seat has always been reserved for me.” I looked at the man who didn’t dare turn around, and asked softly: “Didn’t you tell me someone in your family had a car accident while sitting in the passenger seat, And out of concern for my safety, you didn’t let me sit there?” Mia’s eyes crinkled with laughter. “Silly sister, you actually believed that?” “After we got married, I got jealous that he gave a female colleague a ride home and let her sit in the passenger seat.” “Later, I taught him to make up an excuse, and that’s how the passenger seat became my exclusive spot.” Liam slammed on the gas, gradually leaving Mia behind. Only when the woman’s figure completely vanished from the rearview mirror, Did he finally speak to promise me. “I’ll keep my distance from her from now on.” “I’ve never thought about remarrying her, really.” As soon as the words left his mouth, his phone rang. 4. Liam didn’t answer, putting the phone on silent. If he really wanted to cut contact. He could have just blocked her. The flashing screen was like vines that couldn’t be shaken off. Binding both Liam and me. Finally, I spoke, “You should answer it.” To show his determination, Liam put the call on speaker. “If you dare leave today, I’ll jump off a building right now.” Liam’s hand trembled, almost dropping the phone. He turned to look at me, his eyes full of anxiety. “Chloe, I swear, this is the last time.” Before I even nodded, the car doors automatically unlocked. On New Year’s Day, I was kicked out of the car by my husband. In the dead of winter, without even giving me time to put on my coat. During peak holiday traffic, I couldn’t get a cab. I walked back for two hours braving the freezing wind. After tossing a few cold pills into my mouth, I fell into a deep sleep. When I woke up again, it was already 3 AM. A strange pain started in my lower abdomen. I thought my period was coming, so I drank some hot water and started packing my bags. There wasn’t really much to pack. Not many of my things were in the house. Instead, books on treating autistic children filled the entire bookshelf. And the various legal statutes and case files Liam needed. After packing my important documents, I was completely awake. I simply started scrolling through my social media feed. The newest post was a photo of Mia at an amusement park. The caption read: [The real family of three reunited again~] The man who, just this morning, promised me it was the last time, Was accompanying his ex-wife and taking his autistic child to the most crowded amusement park. The in-laws who were always active in the family group chat were liking the post. The comments section was full of people asking when they were getting remarried. Some relatives, finding it inappropriate, told Mia, the ex-wife, to know her boundaries. Before she could reply, Liam’s uncle commented directly. “Even if they are divorced, she is still the child’s biological mother. That can’t be changed.” “Besides, just because they can’t be husband and wife, doesn’t mean they can’t be friends, right?” I didn’t dare scroll down any further. Afraid those words would turn into blades, stabbing into my organs one by one. But my fingers seemed to have a mind of their own. And left one final, fresh reply: [No need to be friends, you can go back to being husband and wife.] I curled up in my blankets, waiting until dawn before I felt a hint of sleepiness. A loud bang on the door scared my heart into a frantic rhythm. Liam walked into the bedroom, his face dark. He angrily yanked me up from the bed. I instinctively tried to struggle, but he furiously slapped me. “Do you know that comment you left made Mia cry all night long!” “Will you only be satisfied when you’ve torn this entire family apart?” “Go apologize to Mia right now!” My crumbling emotions could no longer be suppressed. “Why should I apologize to a woman who destroyed my family?” Liam raised his hand, but eventually lowered it mid-air. He said through gritted teeth, “If we’re talking about who came first, aren’t you the other woman?” I looked up in shock. The burning pain on my left cheek turned into a sharp sting. Even my heart began to ache. I started crying uncontrollably, even breathing became difficult. Liam’s face turned deathly pale, and he explained in frustration. “That’s not what I meant, I just…” Before he could finish, the phone in his pocket started vibrating. It was Mia again. “Liam, I’m pregnant.” “It’s probably from that time you came to see me in River City last month.” “If I don’t see you in an hour, I’m going to the hospital to get an abortion.” Last time she threatened to jump off a building, this time she added a new life. Liam gripped his phone tightly, his fingertips turning white. After a long time, he spoke with difficulty. “I drank too much that time, but the child is innocent.” Without waiting for my answer, Liam grabbed his car keys and left. Right then, a sharp pain struck my lower abdomen. Pulling back the covers, I realized the bedsheets were already stained red. I called Liam’s name in a panic. But only heard the sound of the door slamming shut. My irregular periods had kept me from ever suspecting I was pregnant. And as for now? I no longer had to agonize over whether to keep the child. My phone lit up, reminding me I had two hours until boarding. Six years ago, clutching a plane ticket, I accompanied him to the unfamiliar city of Shanghai; Six years later, all alone, it was time for me to go home too. Three days later, a physically and mentally exhausted Liam pushed open the bedroom door. The scene before him, however, made his entire body tremble. 5 The important documents I needed to take were already packed. I changed my clothes, left the signed divorce agreement on the nightstand, and took a cab to leave. But when the plane landed at Harbin Airport, looking at the vast expanse of white outside the window, I suddenly felt like I was running away. But where else could I run to? In love, I lost so completely that I didn’t even leave myself a way out. Carrying my luggage, I eventually returned to the familiar alley. When my mom saw me, she was startled at first, then glanced behind me, “Where is he? It’s the dead of winter, why didn’t he come back with you?” Without waiting for my answer, she took my suitcase. As soon as I stepped inside, the heat hit my face. Dad handed me a cup of hot tea. I bit my lip awkwardly, “Mom, I…” I couldn’t get the rest of the words out. Mom snorted coldly, “Did you guys have a fight?” “I told you not to insist on marrying so far away!” “Now you’ve been wronged, and you have nowhere to go to reason with anyone.” Mom scolded me while turning back to the kitchen. In no time, seven or eight dishes were ready. “Is the Vance family so poor? They can’t even give you a full meal?” “Look how thin you are! People would think you’re a refugee.” She naturally put a chicken drumstick in my bowl. Dad cleared his throat and looked at me: “Your mom has been hoping you’d come back.” “A few years ago, when she couldn’t reach you by phone and you didn’t reply to her messages,” “She even went to Shanghai herself. Seeing that you were doing okay, she finally felt relieved.” “Every year on the second day of the New Year, she buys groceries in advance, just waiting for you to come back.”

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On the day my fiancé was supposed to get engaged to the real heiress, I had a fleeting, manic thought of driving my car straight into the venue and perishing together with them. But right at that moment of madness, my phone started ringing off the hook. I answered. It was the hospital. “Ms. Hayes, you’re pregnant…” I turned off the engine and sat there, frozen. Half an hour later, joyful music drifted from the banquet hall. I started the car, turned around, and headed to the airport. From then on, the “fake heiress” of the Hayes family vanished from New York, just as everyone wished. I went to Miami, thousands of miles away, narrowly escaping death to give birth to my daughter—my only true blood relative. I never contacted those people again. Until four years later, when they, one by one, reappeared in front of me. 1 Seeing Arthur again after four years was at the kindergarten entrance. I had just picked up Lily when a mother next to me suddenly leaned in: “Lily’s mom, look at the guy across the street. He looks just like that famous singer… what’s his name again…” I followed her gaze and saw him. “Arthur Vance!” the mother tapped her head. “Yes, Arthur Vance!” I looked away. “I don’t know him.” She looked surprised. “Do you not listen to music? Arthur Vance! The hottest original singer-songwriter these past few years! He’s won so many awards! “Oh wow, honestly, his face looks a bit like yours… you’re both so good-looking…” I smiled, shook my head, took Lily’s hand, and kept walking. “Chloe Hayes.” Unexpectedly, his voice came from behind. I ignored him and kept walking. “Chloe!” Lily looked up. “Mom, is that uncle behind us calling you? Why did he call you Chloe Hayes?” I smiled and shook my head. “He got the wrong person.” Who would have thought, as we reached the parking lot and I was about to open the car door, someone grabbed my arm. I turned around. It was a panting Arthur. “Chloe, you… you’re actually still alive?!” His words were as sharp and mean as always. But perhaps because he ran too fast, his eyes were faintly red. 2 I left Lily at a neighbor’s house. Walking downstairs, Arthur stood with his hands in his pockets: “Why do you live in such a dump? Where’s your apartment? I’ll go up and take a look.” I shook my head. “There’s no need for that.” Four years ago, he was the one who said his only sister was Mia. He was also the one who said calling someone like me his sister made him sick. When I was kicked out of the Hayes family by Liam, dumped by Ethan, and completely out of options, I had thought of turning to him, my biological brother. On a heavily snowing day, I stood outside his office building all night, nearly freezing to death. But all I got in return was him saying his biggest wish was that he never had me as a sister. “If you hadn’t been born, Mia wouldn’t have been switched at birth and wouldn’t have suffered so much. “Sister? What a joke. The Hayes family threw you out, and now you’re trying to leech off me using blood ties? “I will never recognize someone like you as my sister.” That was when I realized, no matter how well I treated him, he hated me because of Mia. Right now, he still looked at me with that scrutinizing, frowning gaze. “That kid… is Ethan’s? You ran away just to have his baby?” I was silent for a moment. “She’s my child alone.” He scoffed. “Chloe, that kid is a spitting image of him. Do you think I’m blind? “Don’t tell me you thought secretly having his kid would win his heart back? Are you that desperate for love? “How ridiculous. How stupid…” “I said, she is my child alone,” I interrupted him. “I never thought of returning to New York, nor did I ever think of using a child to steal Ethan from your sister. You can rest easy. There’s no need to be so aggressive. “Just like you said back then, apart from blood, we are essentially strangers. I have no interest in your life now, so please don’t dictate mine.” He froze. “If you have nothing else to say, then leave.” I turned around. “Wait.” He suddenly grabbed me. He opened his mouth, then closed it. “You, you…” I frowned. “What?” “Why… why did you leave back then…” I looked at him quietly. “You were a spoiled rich girl who couldn’t do anything. Just because people said a few bad things, you played the ‘run away pregnant’ trope? “If I hadn’t run into you, how much longer were you planning to live this miserable life? And these past four years…” He paused. “How… how did you survive?” 3 I looked at the reddening corners of his eyes. Probably from anger. He was probably shocked I was still alive, and my being alive was a threat to Mia’s happy life. How did I survive? Someone traded their life so I could live. But I had no obligation to tell him that. The old Chloe Hayes, who never had to lift a finger, was like a beautiful, dependent dodder plant. But the current Chloe Vance had long stopped crying and begging others for support. Seeing me stay silent, he grew anxious. “No, why are you being so evasive now? Did that massive earthquake in Miami a few years ago break your brain? “Running off to this middle of nowhere, encountering an earthquake is what you get.” Just then, a neighbor walked by and greeted me, “Hey Chloe, haven’t started cooking yet?” I smiled. “Just about to.” Arthur was stunned. “You should go,” I said. But he grabbed onto me tightly. “Why did you change your last name?! Vance?! Did you get married? No, whose last name is this?” “Whose last name it is is none of your business.” I brushed his hand away, speaking clearly. “What my last name is, how I’m doing… Arthur, it has absolutely nothing to do with you.” 4 Arthur is a celebrity. He couldn’t afford to be seen tussling with me in public. I went upstairs, brought Lily back, and through the hallway window, saw him still standing blankly downstairs. He had never cared about me before. His melancholy now was probably just him not being used to my cold attitude. After all, four years ago, when I learned about this poor prodigy’s musical dreams, I exhausted almost all my connections in New York’s high society just to get him a chance to perform on stage. Even his current management agency—I found the best one for him. He was my biological brother. He had suffered a lot, and I wanted the best for him. But all my efforts were ultimately twisted by him. He thought I was calculating, trying to use him to isolate Mia and make her miserable. “Mom, was that uncle today your family?” I was slightly taken aback, then smiled and patted Lily’s head. “No, why would you think that?” “I just guessed. You guys look alike.” Family. Liam’s face suddenly flashed in my mind. I used to think that regardless of blood, Liam would always be my older brother. But four years ago, holding Mia who had fallen down the stairs, he looked at me with a gaze full of pure fury. “Chloe, you are such a disappointment. “From today on, the Hayes family doesn’t know you, and I don’t have you as a sister. “My only sister is Mia.” I cried and clung to his pant leg, swearing I didn’t push Mia, begging him not to abandon me, but he kicked me away and walked off holding Mia without a single look back. I shook my head. “That person is not Mom’s family.” She looked a bit disappointed. “I thought besides Uncle, Mom had other family.” I smiled and tapped her nose. “For Mom, having you and Uncle is enough.” “But Uncle isn’t here anymore…” She pouted. “I miss him so much.” I understood how she felt. But mere disappointment is better than the agonizing pain of gaining and losing, of relying on someone only to be ripped away from them. I had been through it, so I wouldn’t let my daughter go through it again. But I didn’t expect… The very next day, I saw Liam. 5 Lily got a fever in the middle of the night. I took her to the hospital. The viral infection was quite aggressive, requiring hospitalization and an IV drip. I stayed up all night. The next morning, her fever finally broke, but she was listless and weak. I carried her on my back to head home, stopping by street vendors to buy some meat and vegetables. After I paid, the bags were taken from my hands by a pair of long, well-defined fingers. I froze, looked up, and in the misty morning fog, I saw Liam’s face. Sleep deprivation made my mind go blank. I blankly called out “Brother,” before realizing he had forbidden me from calling him that a long time ago. I couldn’t afford to offend the Hayes family. After all, to punish me for “bullying” Mia, Liam just needed to say one word to have me blacklisted by all of New York high society. “Mr. Hayes,” I immediately corrected myself. I was trying to figure out why he suddenly appeared in Miami, naturally missing his momentarily ugly expression. “I’ll carry this for you,” he said softly. “No need.” I hurriedly reached for the bags in his hand, losing my balance. Lily whimpered on my back. “Don’t push yourself, Chloe.” He grabbed my arm, stopping me from taking the bags back. “I’ll take you and the child home.” 6 Chloe. Liam hadn’t called me that in a very long time. The Hayes parents were abroad year-round. In the past, I was practically raised single-handedly by Liam. When he treated me as his biological sister, Liam truly spoiled me. Someone once asked him, wasn’t he afraid I’d cause trouble if he spoiled me this much? He just half-squinted. “So what if she causes trouble? If she wants to cause trouble, let her. Even if the sky falls, I’ll cover for her.” But later, Mia returned to the Hayes family. At first, he still told me I would always be his sister. But faced with Mia’s repeated provocations, he always told me to endure it. “She’s suffered a lot, Chloe. Let her have her way.” He said we had to compensate her. I didn’t want to make things difficult for him. He had been my brother for over twenty years; I wanted him to be happy. So I yielded, I endured, time and time again. It wasn’t until he ultimately believed Mia’s framing of me unconditionally that I understood: I saw him as a brother, but he had long stopped seeing me as a sister. And when he withdrew all his kindness toward me, when I fell into the mud and was condemned by everyone, I finally realized how foolish I was to have always relied on him. The drive was silent. I hadn’t sat in a luxury car like a Maybach in a long time and wasn’t used to it. I just held Lily and shrank into the corner, thinking about why Liam was here. Did Arthur tell him? Was he afraid I’d hurt Mia, so he rushed over overnight to make sure? What would he do to me? Would he punish me for secretly having Ethan’s child? I didn’t know, and I couldn’t figure it out. My head just hurt so much. I held Lily tighter, completely missing the deep longing in his eyes as he looked at me. “Chloe…” I looked up. He had many more wrinkles around his eyes. “Four years ago, we all thought… you…” “Thought I died, I know,” I finished his sentence. “Actually, you can just pretend I died. I lost the desire to compete with Mia a long time ago. Everything belonged to her anyway. Returning things to their rightful owner is fine. You don’t need to be nervous, you don’t need to be on guard, and you certainly don’t need to come confirm it. I just want to live a quiet life with my daughter now.” “Oh, and my daughter will only stay with me. She will absolutely not look for Ethan. I swear on my life, I will definitely not proactively use my daughter to ruin Mia and Ethan’s relationship. You can rest easy.” I looked at him and repeated: “You really can rest easy.” He froze. “I’m not…” “Are you afraid I’ll use the Hayes identity to do something bad? Don’t worry, I absolutely won’t. I changed my last name ages ago…” “Chloe!” he suddenly interrupted me. His eyes were red. “Brother wants… wants to take you back…” 7 I didn’t understand what Liam was thinking. I haven’t been a Hayes for a long time. He was the one who announced it to the world four years ago. And what would I go back for? To continue being Mia’s punching bag? I also didn’t understand why a man of his status insisted on following me back to a 500-square-foot, one-bedroom apartment. I put Lily on the bed in the bedroom, walked to the cabinet, and took out a box of tea leaves. But then I realized he probably wouldn’t drink this cheap stuff. After thinking about it, I handed him a bottle of mineral water. His gaze fell on my right hand, a look of incomprehensible bitterness crossing his face. “Your fingers… are they better?” I looked down. The pinky and ring fingers on my right hand couldn’t move. This stemmed from after Mia returned to the Hayes family. Once, I accompanied her to visit a Hayes factory. She was curious and discussing a mechanical design with an engineer. To test her theory, she pressed the start button on a test machine. And at that moment, my hand was resting right there. Before the accident, I was a rising star in piano performance. It was the only area where I outshone Mia. I wasn’t as smart or as capable as her; playing the piano was my only talent. When Mia first returned to the Hayes family, whenever I practiced, she would look at me with deep regret: “I’ve loved music since I was little. If I hadn’t been switched at birth, I would be playing the piano right now too.” But I could never play the piano on stage again. I found it hard to accept for a while, causing scenes and throwing fits for a long time. I always felt she did it on purpose, so I couldn’t help but hate her for stealing my only source of light. Until she suddenly attempted suicide. After she was saved, I instantly went from victim to perpetrator. I still remember that day. Liam came back from visiting Mia, pinching the bridge of his nose, and said to me: “It’s just that you can’t play the piano. It’s just two fingers. Do you really have to have her life? Even if you’re a useless piece of trash, even if you aren’t my biological sister, didn’t I tell you the Hayes family would provide for you for the rest of your life? Do you really have to act like this?” Arthur coldly added: “If it weren’t for the mix-up, Mia would be the one playing the piano anyway. You’re just giving back what you stole. What right do you have to throw a tantrum?” They both told me my fingers would never fully heal and that throwing a fit wouldn’t change anything. But later, at the celebration party where Mia secured a patent using the mechanical design that crushed my fingers, I overheard a doctor telling Liam: “I told you back then, if Ms. Hayes went abroad for rehabilitation immediately, she could definitely recover over 90% of her function. But you never took her? Now it’s going to be very hard to recover.” Liam replied indifferently: “It’s fine if Chloe doesn’t play the piano anymore. Mia has wanted to learn the piano since she was little. Seeing Chloe unable to play might help balance her out mentally.” “Besides, no matter how useless Chloe is, I’ll take care of her. Whether she can play the piano or not doesn’t matter.” So my dreams, my future—in his heart, they were merely weights used to balance Mia’s mind. When did I start being afraid of him? Probably starting from that moment. “I heard you’re teaching music at an institute,” he suddenly said now. I froze, eyes wide as I looked at him. “I’m just teaching introductory music to toddlers. It’s simple music, so I don’t need my ring or pinky finger to play it. “I have no intention of returning to the stage to play the piano. I absolutely will not affect Mia’s mood because of me. I just need this job to raise my child. And the doctor said my fingers have permanent nerve damage. I’ll never be able to play the piano well in this lifetime. Even so, are you still not going to allow this?” He froze: “Chloe, I didn’t…” But whatever he said, I couldn’t hear it anymore. The fear of my life being ruined struck me again. I couldn’t lose this hard-won job just because it might upset Mia. So I desperately showed him my immobile fingers. “Really! I can’t play, I really can’t play. I gave back everything the Hayes family gave me!” “If you don’t believe me, you can try bending them. They don’t move!” “I was your sister for many years, can’t you at least leave me a way out?” He stood up in a panic, taking quick strides forward to hold my constantly trembling shoulders. “Chloe, don’t be afraid! Don’t be afraid! “This time I will protect you! Believe your brother!” How could I not be afraid? This life I finally managed to restart. The life Noah traded his own to give Lily and me. “No!” I shoved him hard. But the more I struggled, the tighter he held me. Having not slept all night, I ultimately couldn’t match his strength. And in the struggle, my vision suddenly went black… And I fainted.

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On the day I was diagnosed with nerve necrosis in my hand, I sat alone outside the clinic, waiting for the final verdict. Arthur, who was supposed to accompany me for the follow-up, sent a text: [Mia fainted from nervousness at her stage debut. I have to stay with her at the hospital. Go see the doctor yourself first.] Right after, I saw Mia’s social media post. In the photo, Arthur was carefully massaging her wrist with those hands of his that were always considered precious, his eyes filled with a level of anxiety I had never seen before. The caption read: [So glad you’re here. My hands are your life.] Right. She is a pianist; her hands are her life. I am a surgeon; my hand was ruined to save Arthur, so it’s worthless. I calmly turned off my phone. Instead of having a hysterical breakdown like I used to, I pushed open the department head’s door and signed my name on the already prepared Doctors Without Borders Agreement. This journey meant life or death was uncertain, and there was no return date. As I walked out of the hospital, Arthur called, his tone carrying a guilt-ridden attempt to please: “Chloe, when you get home tonight, I’ll stew your favorite soup to nourish you.” I looked at the withered yellow leaves falling by the roadside and replied flatly: “No need.” Because there would be no ‘after’ anymore. 1 Arthur didn’t come home until early the next morning. When he walked in, I was in the living room sorting out discarded surgical scalpels. Those were the tools I once relied on to make a living, but now they could only be disposed of as scrap metal. He saw me, frowned, and spoke with a hint of exhaustion and impatience from staying up all night: “Why didn’t you answer my calls yesterday? Still mad about what happened with Mia?” I didn’t even look up, tossing a delicate scalpel into the trash can. “Not mad. Just fell asleep.” Arthur clearly didn’t believe me. In the past, whenever he abandoned me for Mia, I would have trashed the house and cried, forcing him to choose between the two of us. But today, the house was excessively clean. Even the medical trophies I usually cared about the most were packed away. He paused for a moment, then seemed relieved and walked over to take my hand. “It’s good you’re not mad. Yesterday Mia had a stress-induced syncope. The doctor said she has poor psychological resilience and needs someone by her side. You’re a doctor, you should understand, right?” I turned sideways to avoid his touch. My right hand trembled slightly. That was the lingering effect of the car accident three years ago, when glass pierced my wrist as I protected his head. “Yeah, I understand.” Arthur’s hand hovered mid-air, and his face darkened. “Chloe, that’s enough. I’ve already explained it, and I brought you a gift.” He pulled a delicate velvet box from his pocket and handed it to me. Opening it, I saw a bracelet. It was beautiful, but I immediately recognized it as the brand Mia endorsed—it was a complimentary gift the brand had sent yesterday. “Thank you.” I closed the lid and casually placed it on the corner of the coffee table. A flash of irritation crossed Arthur’s eyes: “What kind of attitude is that? Didn’t you want jewelry from this brand the most before? I brought it back for you now, and you’re giving me an attitude?” Looking at his self-righteous demeanor, I suddenly found it funny. I wanted it before because I thought it was proof of his love for me. I don’t want it now because I know that in his heart, I am not even worth as much as Mia’s freebie. “Arthur,” I looked at him calmly, “my hand hurts, I don’t want to fight.” Hearing the words “my hand hurts,” Arthur’s arrogance instantly deflated by half. Probably remembering that this hand was ruined because of him. He took a deep breath, his tone softening a bit: “Is your old injury acting up because of the rainy weather? It just so happens Mia gave me some special medicated patches, saying they’re good for joints. I’ll go get them for you.” You see, this is Arthur. His “compensation” to me always carries Mia’s shadow. I stood up, not looking at him. “No need, I have things to do and need to go back to the hospital.” Arthur grabbed me, his brow furrowing: “It’s the weekend, why are you going back to the hospital? Can’t your hand not perform surgery anymore?” “To process my resignation.” Arthur paused, then sneered: “Resigning is good too. Since your hand can’t hold a scalpel steady anyway, just stay home and focus on preparing for pregnancy. I’ll support you.” He thinks I’m returning to domestic life because I’m incapable. He doesn’t know I’m preparing to leave him for good. I didn’t explain. I grabbed my bag and pushed the door open to leave. 2 Arthur never liked my job. He thought being a surgeon was dirty, tiring, involved night shifts, and left no time for family. Especially after my hand was injured, he publicly stated on multiple occasions: “My Chloe will be a rich housewife from now on, no need to go serve patients anymore.” Everyone praised him for his deep devotion, for not minding that I was a cripple. Only I knew that he just found my scar-covered hands disgusting and embarrassing to take out in public. Arriving at the hospital, I handed the signed agreement to the department head. The department head looked at me and sighed: “Chloe, have you thought this through? The environment over there is very harsh, with wars and plagues constantly. Even though you can’t be the primary surgeon, you’re more than qualified to be a medical consultant here. There’s no need to risk your life.” I smiled and nodded. “I’ve thought it through. There’s nothing left for me here, and I also want to go find the meaning of life.” Coming out of the department head’s office, I ran into Arthur’s assistant. He was holding a thick stack of documents, and when he saw me, he looked a bit flustered, instinctively trying to hide the documents behind his back. “Dr. Hastings… what a coincidence.” I glanced at the corner of the document peeking out from behind him; it was a proposal for establishing the “Mia Sullivan Arts Foundation.” So, Arthur had been so incredibly busy recently, not even having time to accompany me for my checkup, because he was busy throwing money at paving the way for Mia. I smiled: “It is a coincidence. Did Mr. Vance send you?” The assistant stammered: “Mr. Vance said… Miss Sullivan’s hands need top-tier care, and asked me to inquire if the hospital has that imported physiotherapy machine.” A pang hit my heart. I had begged Arthur for half a year to help contact foreign manufacturers to import that physiotherapy machine. With my nerve damage, only that machine could alleviate the pain of atrophy. What did Arthur say back then? He said: “Chloe, that machine is too expensive, and the process is too complicated. With your hand the way it is, using it won’t make much of a difference. Just endure it and it’ll pass.” It turns out it wasn’t too complicated; it was just that my hand wasn’t worthy. Now, just for Mia to maintain her skin, he eagerly sends someone to buy it. “Dr. Hastings, please don’t overthink it, Mr. Vance is also doing this for…” The assistant tried to explain. “For his life, I know.” I cut him off. “Go about your business.” I turned and walked away. My phone buzzed. It was a message from Arthur: [There’s a charity gala tonight. Come with me. Remember to wear that long-sleeved dress to cover the scars on your hand.] Even through the screen, I could feel his disgust. I replied with one word: [Okay.] This would be my last time playing along with his act. 3 The gala was filled with glamorous people. Arthur held my arm, a polite smile on his face, playing the role of the perfect fiancé. But his grip on my arm was very tight, seemingly terrified I would accidentally expose the hideous scars on my wrist. “Tonight is Mia’s night. Talk less and don’t embarrass me,” he warned me in a low voice. I nodded submissively. Halfway through the banquet, Mia went on stage to perform. Under the spotlight, she wore a pure white gown, looking like an otherworldly fairy. Her hands danced across the black and white piano keys; it was indeed beautiful. As the song ended, thunderous applause erupted. Arthur watched the stage with a burning passion in his eyes I had never seen before. “Tonight, there is a special segment. To celebrate Miss Sullivan’s successful debut, Mr. Vance has prepared a mysterious grand prize!” With that, a hostess wheeled out a display case. When the red cloth was lifted, the crowd gasped. It was one of only three sets of top-tier microsurgical instruments left in the world, priceless and unavailable on the open market. My heart skipped a violent beat. This was something I had always dreamed of. I had shown pictures of it to Arthur countless times, telling him that if I had these instruments, my hand might still be saved, and I could return to the operating table. He had only told me I was dreaming then. Now, he had bought it. Arthur turned his head, looked at me with a hint of credit-seeking smile in his eyes: “Do you like it?” I froze. Did he buy it for me? In that moment, my dead heart actually experienced a shameful waver. Maybe he did remember my dream? Maybe his previous coldness was just because he was too busy? With trembling hands, I reached out to touch the display case. “Everyone!” Arthur’s voice boomed through the microphone across the hall. “These instruments represent the limit of human hands. I bought them hoping they can protect the most precious thing.” He paused, looking deeply at Mia. “Mia, your hands are God’s masterpiece. I am donating these instruments to your Arts Foundation to be the cornerstone collection, to forever remind the world that the value of art is above all else!” The hall erupted in thunderous applause. My hand froze mid-air, like a joke. It turns out, the scalpel meant to save lives was, in his eyes, merely an ornament to be displayed to showcase that woman’s nobility. Mia gathered her skirts and ran off the stage, throwing herself into Arthur’s arms, saying coquettishly: “Arthur, you are so good to me! But Chloe seems to really like this, how about…” She looked at me, her eyes full of provocation. Arthur wrapped his arm around her waist, not even sparing me a glance. “Her hands have been ruined for a long time; giving it to her would be a waste of a treasure. Such top-tier items only have value when placed with you.” I felt the blood in my veins reverse course. A waste of a treasure. So the hands I risked my life to save him with were nothing but trash in his heart. I took a deep breath, forcing back the burning sensation in my eyes. “Mr. Vance is right,” I spoke, my voice so calm it scared even me. “Trash indeed does not deserve to possess such things.” Arthur frowned, seeming surprised by my compliance, and yet feeling my words were somewhat jarring. But I didn’t give him time to think, turning and walking toward the restroom. In the stall, I received a confirmation email from the medical aid team to Africa: [Dr. Chloe Hastings, your flight is booked. Departure in three days. Please maintain confidentiality.] Looking at the flight information on the screen, I finally smiled. Three days. Just three more days, and I would be completely free. 4 After the gala, unusually, Arthur didn’t take Mia home but returned to the villa with me instead. In the car, he frequently looked at me through the rearview mirror. “You’re very quiet tonight,” he broke the silence. “Usually at occasions like this, if you saw me being good to Mia, you’d be throwing a fit.” I looked at the night scenery flashing by outside the window. “Tired of fighting. It’s pointless.” Arthur seemed very satisfied with this answer. “It’s good you’ve figured it out. Mia is a pure girl; she and I are just confidants. As long as you’re obedient, the position of Mrs. Vance is always yours.” Mrs. Vance? Who cares. Back home, Arthur was in a good mood and uncharacteristically poured me a glass of water. “By the way, next month is your birthday. I had my assistant book flights to the Maldives. We’ll go relax.” He probably felt he had embarrassed me publicly tonight and wanted to throw me a bone. In the past, I would have been so happy I wouldn’t have been able to sleep. But now, I only found it ironic. Next month, I would already be on the war-torn African continent. “No need,” I took the water but didn’t drink it. “I have plans next month.” Arthur’s face darkened: “What plans do you have? Just staying at home, right? Chloe, I’m giving you an out, take it. Don’t be ungrateful.” “The company arranged a continuing education course for me,” I lied. “It’s closed-door; no phones allowed.” Arthur paused, then sneered dismissively. “Continuing education? In your current state, what can you even study? Learning how to do logistics?” “I suppose so.” “Fine, do whatever you want.” He loosened his tie, looking indifferent. “You won’t achieve anything anyway. Going just to pass the time is fine too, saves you from sitting at home overthinking.” He didn’t care at all where I went or what I did. To him, a Chloe who had left him was just a cripple incapable of making any waves. He might even think me being away for a while was better, making it more convenient for him and Mia to spend time together. “Then pack your bags yourself these next few days. I have to accompany Mia to the recording studio for the next two days, so I won’t be coming back.” After Arthur finished, he grabbed his jacket and headed for the bathroom. I looked at his back and said softly: “Arthur.” He paused and looked back at me: “What now?” “If one day I disappeared, would you look for me?” Arthur acted like he had heard a joke: “Chloe, how old are you to still be playing this running-away-from-home game? Where could you go? Without me, you couldn’t even pay your medical bills.” He was certain I couldn’t leave him. Certain that with my crippled hands, I could only rely on him to survive. “True.” I nodded. “After all, I am a cripple.” Arthur ignored me and closed the bathroom door. The sound of running water started. I took out my phone, blocked Arthur’s name in my contacts, and started packing. I didn’t have much luggage. Aside from a few changes of clothes and necessary documents, I didn’t plan on taking anything from this house. Including that engagement ring I once treated as a treasure. I took it off, placed it on the nightstand, and pressed it under the VIP ticket to Mia’s concert he had just given me. Early the next morning, Arthur was still fast asleep. I took one last look at the place I had lived in for three years, feeling no attachment, and dragging my suitcase, walked into the thin morning mist. Goodbye, Arthur. 5 I left decisively, without looking back. In the bustling airport terminal, looking at the one-way ticket in my hand, I felt no reluctance in my heart, only a sense of settled relief. While waiting for my flight, my phone buzzed. It was a message in the hospital colleagues’ group chat. Someone tagged me: “Dr. Hastings, I heard you’re going for further studies? Wishing you a bright future!” Following that were rows of likes and well-wishes. Arthur was also in this group, but he never spoke, and I had long been accustomed to his silence. It wasn’t until the moment before boarding that I took out my SIM card and threw it in the trash can. As the plane soared into the sky, this city, along with the man named Arthur, was completely left behind. Life in Africa was much harsher than I had imagined. Sandstorms, extreme heat, the occasional sound of gunfire and artillery… Everything here reminded me of how fragile life was. Yet, I found a long-lost peace here. Although my right hand couldn’t be the primary surgeon, I could use my left hand for simple suturing and use my extensive experience to guide younger doctors. Here, no one knew I was the crippled Chloe despised by her fiancé; they only knew I was Dr. Hastings from the States, a life-saving angel. Meanwhile, back home. Arthur didn’t realize I was missing until three days later. After accompanying Mia to finish recording and returning home, seeing the empty rooms, his first reaction was to call me. “The number you dialed is powered off.” The mechanical female voice irritated him. “Chloe, you’d better hope I don’t catch you. Is this disappearing act fun?” He cursed while calling his assistant. “Go find out where Chloe’s continuing education course is and tell her to get back here immediately!” The assistant stammered on the other end: “Mr. Vance, I checked with all the hospitals in the city, and there’s no record of Dr. Hastings taking any courses…” Arthur froze. He hung up, rushed into the bedroom, and pulled open the closet. My clothes were there, my jewelry was there, only a few commonly worn T-shirts and jeans were missing. His gaze fell on the nightstand. There was a concert ticket, under which was pressed a diamond ring. It was our engagement ring. Arthur’s heart contracted violently, a sense of foreboding washing over him. He picked up the ring and found a note pressed underneath it. It only had three simple words: “Let’s break up.” “Break up? Heh, Chloe, what right do you have to ask for a breakup?” Arthur sneered, crumpled the note, and threw it into the trash can. He was convinced this was just me playing hard to get. After all, I loved him so much, loving him enough to sacrifice a hand for him. How could I just leave like that? He was certain that within three days, I would come crying back, begging for his forgiveness. However, three days passed, a week passed, a month passed. I seemed to have vanished from the face of the earth, without any news. Arthur finally started to panic. He mobilized all his connections to find me, but only got one result: No such person found. It was as if I had never existed, completely disappearing from his world.

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I was terrible at foreign languages, yet I ended up dating a diplomat who was fluent in eight. On my birthday, I arrived at the foreign restaurant Arthur had booked, brimming with excitement. Only when the waiter smiled and asked for the seventh time did I finally receive a message from him: [Stuck at work. Go ahead and order without me, don’t wait up.] Right after that, I saw a new post from his “the one that got away,” Mia, on her social media. In the photo, Arthur was holding a menu, ordering food, while handing a disposable bib to the person behind the camera. The caption read: [Haven’t been back in the country for so long, someone was afraid I’d starve reading the Chinese menu and specially treated me to a meal~] I suddenly felt entirely bored. I handed the “hieroglyphic” menu I couldn’t read back to the waiter: “I’ll have one of everything.” By the time I finished eating, packed up the leftovers, and got home, I found dozens of missed calls from Arthur. His last message was a voice note. “Babe, don’t overthink it. Mia is new in town and doesn’t know her way around. I was just helping her.” “Next time, next time I promise to make it up to you with an even better dinner!” I didn’t reply. Is a relationship that constantly relies on “next time” to make amends really worth anticipating anymore? 1 I never expected to run into Arthur at a bar. I had just sat down with my best friend when a pair of large hands grabbed my arm. Confirming it was me, Arthur’s face filled with disbelief: “Chloe? You didn’t reply to my messages, and you’re out drinking here in the middle of the night?” Before I could say anything, my best friend pulled my hand back and looked at the woman behind Arthur: “What? You can come here alone with another woman, but we can’t come here for a girls’ night out?” Arthur pinched the bridge of his nose: “Don’t talk nonsense. Mia brought clients to the bar to relax. I was afraid they might encounter some danger if they got drunk, so I tagged along.” “And I did tell Chloe. She just never replied…” Saying this, Arthur sounded somewhat helpless. I then realized he had indeed sent a few more messages trying to coax me and report his whereabouts. I was quite surprised that Arthur would proactively report to me. In the past, if I just asked how many days his business trip would take, he would dismiss me with annoyance. “Chloe, everyone needs their own space. Can you stop hovering over me all day?” Only after I promised him repeatedly did he reluctantly forgive me, lecturing me not to ask about his affairs anymore. Turning off my phone screen, I casually brushed it off: “Sorry, I didn’t see it.” Arthur choked. Mia stepped forward right then. “Arthur? If Chloe minds, you should take her home. I can manage to call a cab.” I clinked glasses with my best friend, not even looking up: “I don’t mind. Suit yourselves.” Arthur frowned, looking me up and down: “Chloe!” “Be good and go back first. If you want to drink, after I drop Mia off, I’ll buy a few pounds of your favorite crawfish and drink with you at home, okay?” Arthur was a germaphobe and didn’t allow anything with a strong smell in the house. So after getting together with him, I gave up my favorite BBQ, hot pot, and crawfish. Assuming he was in a hurry to get Mia to a hotel to rest and making such a big concession, I nodded perfunctorily: “Got it. Go on then.” Arthur didn’t expect me to agree so easily. He rubbed my head like a reward: “Good girl. Wait for me at home. I’ve already called a car for you.” He left too quickly to notice my subtle flinch. By the time I got home, it was already 3 AM. Pushing the door open, I bumped right into Arthur, who was about to go out looking for me. Seeing me, he demanded coldly: “Chloe, look at the time. How old are you? Still acting like a little girl, coming home late when you’re mad.” I was so tired I could pass out if I closed my eyes. Too lazy to deal with him, I tried to bypass him to go to my room. He blocked my path: “Stop being so jealous. If there was really something between me and Mia, would I have ever gotten with you?” Saying that, he pulled a jewelry box from his pocket: “Here, birthday present. You’re a year older now, you can’t be as petty and childish as you were today.” I was too tired to speak. Without even looking, I took the jewelry box and headed toward the bedroom. “Fine. Thanks for the gift.” I casually tossed the gift on the table. Whatever. I crawled under the covers and closed my eyes. I didn’t even have time to think about who slammed the front door so loudly before I completely fell asleep. 2 The next morning, I woke up and scrolled through my social media to wake up properly, only to realize Arthur had slammed the door and left last night. Mia had updated her status again: [Wish time could stop at this moment.] The accompanying photo was of her and Arthur standing on a mountaintop, watching the sunrise from behind. I casually liked the post and sighed: Sigh, you two are having a great time, but poor me had to deal with an innocent door suffering for no reason last night. After a simple breakfast, I took a cab to the company. The manager was pleasantly surprised when she heard I was willing to accept the overseas assignment. After all, she had truly felt sorry for me when I previously rejected the assignment because I didn’t want a long-distance relationship with Arthur. “You’ve finally figured it out. Transportation is so advanced now. If you two want to meet, it’s just a two-hour high-speed train ride. Isn’t there a saying, ‘Absence makes the heart grow fonder’?” I smiled, accepting her teasing, and finally said: “I’m planning to break up with him.” After finishing the transfer paperwork, it was just in time for lunch. My close colleagues insisted on taking me out for a farewell meal. I smiled and walked into the elevator with them. But as soon as I stepped out of the company building, Arthur suddenly appeared and shoved a bouquet of flowers into my arms. “An apology gift.” My colleagues immediately started hooting: “Wow~ What did Arthur do to make our sweet Chloe so mad that he’s waiting at the door with flowers!” “Hahaha, Arthur, you’re late today. Chloe’s lunch schedule is booked by us.” Arthur pulled me toward his car while apologizing: “Sorry everyone, Chloe and I have an urgent matter. I’ll treat you all to a meal next week to make up for it.” Thinking something happened at home, I said goodbye to my colleagues and got into the passenger seat Arthur opened for me. The first thing I did was put the bouquet in the back seat before buckling my seatbelt. Arthur got in and saw this. He pursed his lips. Finally, while waiting at a red light, he couldn’t help but ask: “Don’t you like them?” I was still handing over my work on my phone and looked up after a while: “What?” His words finally started processing in my brain. I realized: “Oh, you mean the flowers? Did you forget again that I’m allergic to pollen?” Arthur froze, then looked very frustrated: “Sorry, I’ll definitely remember next time.” My eyes were already back on my phone: “It’s fine.” It wasn’t the first time anyway. How could a brilliant diplomat who fluently spoke various obscure languages forget such a small detail? It was simply because he didn’t care. Fortunately, I didn’t need him to care anymore. “We’re here.” When Arthur reminded me to get out, I had just finished arranging my onboarding date with the branch office. When I saw the airport parking lot instead of our familiar neighborhood, I was confused. But before I could ask, Arthur had already opened my door. He pulled me and ran wildly through the departure hall. I was a bit stunned. In my eyes, Arthur had always seemed steady and mature. I had only seen this boyish side of him in Mia’s social media posts. “Chloe, hurry up. They’ve already started boarding our flight.” Only after sitting down, out of breath, did I have time to ask Arthur: “What’s wrong? Did something happen to your family?” Arthur’s family lived abroad year-round, so until now, I thought something had happened to them. Arthur was still catching his breath. He put away our IDs and passports and said: “I know you haven’t used your annual leave yet this year.” “Haven’t you always wanted to see the Eiffel Tower in Paris? I’m taking this vacation to show you around properly. Stop being mad at me, okay?” I realized then that in our three years of dating, this was our first trip together. Because all his previous vacations had been monopolized by Mia. Or rather, Arthur’s vacations were taken solely for Mia. He would accompany Mia to Africa to see lions, Iceland to see the aurora, and America to see kangaroos. Yet, when I just wanted him to go with me to a local café, he excused himself saying he was too busy with work. Forget it. Let’s just treat this as a breakup trip and part on good terms. I pushed down the urge to break up with him. “Right, if we board like this, what about our luggage?” Arthur patted my head: “Don’t worry, little manager. I was afraid we wouldn’t make the flight, so I had a friend who is also going to Paris take them to our hotel.” I nodded, thinking to myself that it was a good thing I was in the middle of transferring jobs. Otherwise, who knows if the company would have approved such a sudden leave request. 3 It was late at night when we got off the plane. Just as we arrived at the hotel entrance, Arthur’s phone rang abruptly. Arthur answered: “Don’t cry. Wait right there. I’m coming right now.” Looking anxious, he snatched the car keys back from the bellboy: “Chloe, Mia secretly followed us to Paris.” “Security here isn’t great, and I’m worried she might have an accident. Go to the room and rest. I’ll be back as soon as I pick her up.” With that, he floored the gas pedal and sped off into the distance. Completely forgetting that not only was I unable to communicate with the locals, but my ID and passport were also with him. The trip was so sudden that I didn’t even have a chance to set up international roaming. Unable to reach Arthur, I tried to communicate with the hotel receptionist using a translation app. But since I couldn’t provide identification, I had no choice but to sit in the lobby and wait. The long flight, combined with the fact that it was the time of day when people are most sleepy, made me drowsy sitting on the lobby sofa. The drive from the airport to the hotel was only half an hour. But the hour hand turned twice, and Arthur still hadn’t shown up. Too tired to guess what he and Mia were doing, I closed my eyes, ready to go back to sleep. A deep voice suddenly sounded by my ear: “Chloe?” My sleepiness vanished instantly. I turned around in shock: “Liam! What are you doing here?” I jumped up in joy. Running into an old friend in a foreign land, and my high school deskmate for three years at that—who wouldn’t be happy? Liam walked over smiling: “Here on a business trip. Closed the deal a few days earlier than expected.” His gaze swept across the lobby, and he narrowed his eyes: “Did Arthur bring you here? Where is he?” He directly ruled out the possibility of me traveling alone. Anyone who knew me knew my foreign language talent was zero. I pulled him toward the front desk, waving it off nonchalantly: “He went to pick up a friend.” “Hurry up and book a room for me to lie down. I really can’t stay awake any longer.” Before we parted, Liam specifically reminded me: “I couldn’t get a room next to mine on such short notice. I’m upstairs in 1312. Come find me if you need anything.” I nodded: “Got it, got it. You’re just as naggy as you used to be.” “Go sleep. Good morning.” 4 Not long after I closed my eyes, I was woken up by a loud “bang bang” on the door. Thinking it was Liam, I blindly fumbled to the door and opened it. The person pulled me into a tight hug. “Chloe, you really have a big heart! You’d sleep in a room booked by a strange man? Do you know how long I’ve been looking for you!” I finally woke up and pushed Arthur away. “What else was I supposed to do? Sit foolishly in the lobby waiting for you until dawn?” Arthur lost his momentum. Even forgetting his initial shock at me pushing him away, he opened his mouth: “I’m sorry, it’s my fault. Mia lost her passport, and I helped her look for it at the airport for a while.” Saying that, he reached for my hand: “Chloe, come back with me. This room is perfect for Mia to stay in.” I dodged his hand, my tone completely flat: “No need. I trust you guys. After all, if there was something between you two, you would’ve been together a long time ago. I wouldn’t have even been in the picture.” Arthur froze. This was the excuse he often used on me. Like the year before last, when Mia came back to the country, forgot her pajamas, and wore his T-shirt. Last year, when Mia got a mosquito bite and insisted on jumping into his arms for a princess carry. And this year, when Mia borrowed his razor to shave her legs. Whenever I thought they were too close and wanted them to keep their distance, Arthur would always use this excuse to brush me off. I yawned, too lazy to care anymore, and slammed the door shut. Falling back onto the bed, I went back to sleep. 5 In my sleep, I think I heard more “bang bang” sounds. It wasn’t until I woke up and saw the note, cash, and passport slipped under the door that I realized it wasn’t a dream. [Chloe, I’m going with Mia to get her a replacement passport and will be back soon. Don’t be afraid to spend the money. Tomorrow I’ll take you on a boat ride on the Seine.] I pocketed the cash and passport and tossed the note into the trash as I passed by. After washing up and leaving the room, I bumped into Liam just as he was about to knock. I was pleasantly surprised: “Liam, what a coincidence!” Liam smiled: “It is.” “Is Arthur here? I went down for breakfast this morning and think I saw him go out with someone else.” “He’s probably not back yet.” Not wanting a perfectly good vacation ruined by irrelevant people, I answered simply. Liam took my bag: “Then do you want to go see the Eiffel Tower this afternoon? I chartered a boat.” “Really?” I couldn’t wait: “Then let’s go. I also want to see if the coffee by the Seine is really that good!” The sun in Paris was exceptionally bright today. Liam and I walked through the Arc de Triomphe, took a boat on the Seine, listened to a violinist play on the riverbank, and finally had dinner at the Eiffel Tower. After returning to the hotel, I didn’t close my door because Liam still needed to bring his camera down to transfer the photos to me. Liam sent a message: [Chloe, there’s no hot water on the 13th floor. Do you mind if I come take a shower in your room?] I replied: [Sure, just bring the camera down too.] Liam handed me the camera and took his clothes into the shower. I was busy admiring the beautiful photos on the camera. When someone knocked on the door, I instinctively yelled “Hold on a second” in Chinese. Liam happened to come out and went to open the door for me. Immediately following was the word “animal.” I looked up just in time to see Arthur throw a punch at Liam. Arthur pointed at Liam, who was bare-chested with only a towel wrapped around his waist. With red eyes, he demanded of me: “Who is he?”

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