Category: English

Walking out of the police station after handling the accident, I got into Arthur’s passenger seat and broke up with him. “Chloe, I’m tired. Can you stop causing a scene?” Looking at Arthur’s profile as he gripped the steering wheel, I suddenly laughed. “I’m not causing a scene.” “Arthur,” I turned my head, my gaze falling on the neon lights outside the window, “we’re done here.” … The Tesla slammed on its brakes in the middle of the river-crossing bridge. The air in the car froze solid, like a frozen lake. “Give me a reason.” Arthur tapped his fingers on the steering wheel, his voice cold enough to form frost. “Give me a decent reason for whatever crazy fit you’re throwing now.” I looked in the rearview mirror at the white Audi that had been tailing us for three intersections. I rolled down the window, letting the night wind rush in. “I bet… thirty seconds tops.” “The person in that car is going to come looking for you.” I started counting down. “Thirty.” “Twenty-nine.” “Twenty-eight.” By the time I reached twenty-five, the white Audi had already pulled over. The door opened, and a girl in a beige trench coat ran over and tapped on Arthur’s window. Arthur frowned and rolled down the window. “Arthur, I’m so, so sorry!” The girl’s eyes were red, her voice carrying a sob. “I really didn’t mean to rear-end you. I just saw you driving so fast, and I was worried you’d get into an accident, so I followed…” She looked at me, a tear falling with perfect timing. “Chloe, please don’t be mad. I didn’t mean to interrupt you guys. I was just… just too worried.” She reached out to grab my sleeve, but I avoided her. “Hit me,” the girl offered her face. “If it makes you feel better, hit me.” Arthur firmly grabbed the girl’s shoulder. “Mia, what are you doing?” Then he turned to me, his eyes full of disappointment. “Chloe, where are your manners? Did a dog eat them?” I laughed out loud. See? I did absolutely nothing, just sat here, and somehow I became the unreasonable, petty one. I pushed Mia’s hand away and looked straight at Arthur. “Understand now?” “Arthur,” the area where my heart was felt completely numb. I unbuckled my seatbelt. “This is the reason.” “Let’s break up.” I pushed open the car door, and under Mia’s shocked yet faintly gleeful gaze, I smiled at Arthur. “Congratulations. All those little tricks you played over the years to wedge yourself between me and Arthur have finally paid off.” “I don’t want Arthur anymore.” I turned and started walking away. Arthur rushed out of the car and grabbed my wrist. “Chloe Vance! Do you have any idea how important the signing I missed today was because of this accident? Just because you called and said your car got hit, I ditched my client and rushed to the police station! And what do I find? The person who rear-ended you was Mia! The intern from my company!” “She’s already apologized, the insurance is handling it. What more do you want?” “I’ve tolerated you for a long time, Chloe. Mia constantly speaks well of you in front of me, telling me to be more considerate of you, telling me not to fight with you. Can you stop being so ungrateful?” He gripped my wrist so tightly it hurt, pulling at an old injury and sending sharp pain shooting up my arm. I looked down at the ring of skin. “Let go!” I forcefully shook him off, rubbing my aching wrist, and roared. “Arthur Sterling!” “I’ve tolerated you for a long time too!” Arthur and I had been together for eight years. From college to our startup, from a basement rental to a luxury penthouse with a river view. We fought, we made a scene, we gave each other the silent treatment, but I had never, ever humiliated him in front of an outsider like this. But I didn’t want to tolerate it anymore. “When I had a 104-degree fever, you accompanied her to the animal shelter to find homes for stray cats. When my project presentation was heavily criticized by a client, you watched a meteor shower with her on the roof. Every time I needed you, you were by her side!” I stared into Arthur’s eyes. “You gave her the passcode to my apartment so she could come get documents for you while I was on a business trip. You gave her my collectible figurines as a birthday present, saying, ‘Chloe doesn’t play with these anyway.’ Today, when my car gets rear-ended, your first words are, ‘Is Mia okay?’—” “Arthur!” “We are over!” My emotions were like a broken dam. The dignity I had maintained all night completely collapsed. Arthur’s face changed, and he instinctively explained, “I had Mia get the documents because I had a meeting right away! I asked about Mia because her car was damaged worse! Why do you always cling to these trivial things?” “Chloe!” He looked at me, his eyes filled with exhaustion and disappointment. “When did you become so petty? Clinging to every little clue and refusing to let go.” “Chloe, a pathetic woman looks exactly like you do right now!” I thought I wouldn’t hurt anymore. From giving my statement at the traffic police to getting into his car, I had been very calm. Even in the car, I reviewed our past eight years—from meeting to falling in love, from having nothing to having everything. And I reached a conclusion: it was time to end it. I wanted to leave with dignity. But my heart still ached because of his words, like the softest piece of flesh being repeatedly beaten with a blunt instrument. “Yeah. In your eyes, I’m the most pathetic one.” I let out a low laugh. “So, I don’t care about your love anymore either.” I turned to leave, but Mia lunged forward and grabbed my hand. I hadn’t even cried, but she started crying first, tears falling pat pat pat. “Chloe, I’m sorry, it’s all my fault… I’ll resign tomorrow, I’ll leave the company, I’ll disappear… Arthur really loves you, please don’t throw a tantrum at him, okay?” I hated this act of Mia’s the most. Watching her cry a river of tears, I forcefully shook her off. “Get lost!” Mia stumbled a few steps from my shove, looking at me in shock. “Chloe!” Arthur rushed over to support Mia. Seeing that she scraped her elbow, he turned and yelled at me, “Are you crazy?! Apologize to Mia!” “In your dreams.” I looked at Arthur, caught the fleeting look of triumph in Mia’s eyes, and dropped one last sentence: “Either we part amicably, or I move out. You choose.” I didn’t look back, nor did I care about Mia’s sobbing or Arthur’s coaxing behind me. I hailed a cab directly and went to my best friend, Elena’s, house. When Elena opened the door and saw me, she didn’t ask anything, just stepped aside to let me in. She brought out two twelve-packs of beer from the fridge, placed them on the coffee table, and asked only one question: “Is this enough?” Looking at the beer, my eyes suddenly welled up with tears. I was holding it together just fine a second ago. Elena didn’t say a word, just opened her arms. “Cry if you want to cry. You don’t have to pretend in front of me.” I completely broke down, burying my face in her shoulder and sobbing loudly. I cried until my voice was hoarse, until I was shaking all over, until I rushed into the bathroom and threw up violently. Finally, with a raspy voice, I said: “I want to break up.” What is the end of love? It’s going from people who promised to fight the whole world together, to becoming opponents stabbing each other in the back. It’s going from believing that marriage can make flowers bloom in a graveyard, to finally admitting that flowers fade and love withers. I stayed at Elena’s place for half a month. During this half month, I saw thirty-seven updates from Mia on her social media. Every single one had traces of Arthur. 【Late nights at the office are only not lonely when someone keeps you company.】 Attached was a selfie of Mia, with Arthur’s silhouette working at his computer in the background. 【You said you would always be my light.】 Attached was a picture of two hands—Mia’s wrist wearing the watch I gave Arthur for his birthday last year, and another hand resting on her wrist. Arthur’s hand. 【Going somewhere important with someone important.】 Attached was a photo in an airport VIP lounge. Mia smiling brightly, with Arthur resting his eyes beside her. One after another. It made Elena bounce off the sofa, pointing at the phone and cursing loudly: “Holy shit! This bitch! Is Arthur blind? Can’t he see what she’s after? A dog could see it!” Elena was jumping mad. I, on the other hand, was very calm. It seemed like I was getting through the withdrawal period. Regarding Elena’s fury, I merely said flatly: “Arthur knows exactly what’s going on.” “Knows?” Elena sat next to me. “If he knows, why is he pretending to be innocent?” “In his eyes, as long as they haven’t slept together, he’s innocent.” I twitched the corner of my mouth. “After all, he always says that he and Mia are completely clean, and it’s my mind that’s dirty.” Arthur always guarded that bottom line. So every time I caused a scene, he could always use that line, “Your mind is dirty, so everything you see is dirty,” to leave me speechless. Looking at these things now, I didn’t feel much anymore. I reminded Elena: “The moving company is booked for ten.” Since I wanted a clean break, I had to move out of that house. I didn’t have much stuff, but there were some things I couldn’t leave behind—like the box of out-of-print design drafts my dad left me. “As long as you’ve really thought it through.” Elena patted my shoulder. When we arrived downstairs at the apartment building, I glanced at my phone—Mia had posted an update half an hour ago. The location was a resort hotel in a neighboring city, and a photo collage entirely filled with Arthur. I thought I wouldn’t run into her today. But the moment I pushed the door open, I smelled food. Walking into the living room, I saw Mia wearing my loungewear, sitting cross-legged at the dining table eating shrimp. Seeing me, she jumped up like a frightened rabbit. “Chloe…” I looked at her clothes, then at Arthur’s frozen expression as he came out of the kitchen carrying soup. “You’re back?” Arthur asked stiffly. “Have you eaten?” I ignored him and walked straight toward the study. Then I stopped dead in my tracks. The design books that were originally neatly arranged on the bookshelf were scattered everywhere. The blueprints on the work desk were all over the floor. But what made my heart clench the most was— The door to the safe in the corner was open. “Chloe…” Mia followed me to the door, her voice as faint as a mosquito. “I’m sorry… Arthur and I just got back from the hotel, and I left my suitcase there… Arthur let me wear your clothes first…” “I accidentally… bumped into the safe…” My brain buzzed. I turned my head and saw the stack of yellowing blueprints in Mia’s hand—a large section of the edge was stained with coffee. “I really didn’t mean to!” Mia suddenly threw herself at me, kneeling in front of me and grabbing my arm. “Hit me! Please! Hit me to vent your anger!” “I didn’t know these were your father’s belongings! I really didn’t know!” Mia grabbed my hand and pulled it toward her own face. “Hit me! Hit me hard! It’ll make me feel better!” She made a motion to kowtow. Just as her forehead was about to touch the ground, a hand reached over and caught her. Arthur pulled her up, looked at me, and spoke with a tone as calm as if he were remarking on the nice weather today. “He’s already gone; these are just inanimate objects in the end. Mia knows she made a mistake. Don’t make things difficult for her.” His tone was so self-righteous. As if I were the one making a big deal out of nothing, the narrow-minded one. He stood in front of Mia in a protective stance, telling me: “She feels guilty enough already. Don’t harp on it.” I couldn’t utter a single word. As long as Mia played the victim, I was always in the wrong. From Mia “accidentally” losing my award certificates, to “unintentionally” deleting the design proposals on my computer, to “not noticing” and breaking the custom couple mugs Arthur and I had, and now, ruining the last manuscripts my dad left me— Arthur always told me to be magnanimous, to forgive. The buzzing in my ears grew louder. My fingertips trembled. I walked up to Mia, and before Arthur could react— I grabbed Mia’s hair and smashed her head violently against the bookcase door. Then, amidst Mia’s screams, I kicked the back of her knee, forcing her to truly kneel before me. “That’s not how you kowtow.” I stepped on her calf, grabbed her hair, and slammed her head heavily against the floor. A dull thud. Mia’s forehead instantly drew blood. “This is how you admit your mistakes.” My eyes burned. I grabbed her, ready to slam her head again, when Arthur rushed over and grabbed my wrist. “Let go!” “In your dreams!” Arthur’s other hand came down, forcefully prying my fingers open. The agonizing pain of my fingernail being ripped back made me frown deeply, but he didn’t seem to notice and kept applying force. “Chloe Vance! That’s enough!” Enough? I looked at Arthur, laughing out of sheer fury: “Arthur, the difference between humans and animals is that humans can think and have a bottom line! We don’t just blindly show favoritism based on instinct!” “Since you insist on protecting her—” Ignoring the agonizing pain of my torn fingernail, in the moment Arthur was stunned, I slapped Mia fiercely across the face. Along with the pain of my split nail, a few bloody scratches appeared on the face that showed up on my feed every day. Mia broke down and screamed. I laughed out loud. “Karma.” I looked at Arthur’s disbelieving expression, then at Mia, who was covering her face and howling. I enunciated every word clearly: “I was never a pushover, you should have known that.” “Arthur, you’ve thoroughly pissed me off.” “If I don’t ruin you both, my last name isn’t Vance!” When Elena rushed in with the movers, her first reaction was a “Holy shit,” followed by a cold look as she saw my bloody fingers: “Animal!” She swung her hand and slapped the back of Arthur’s head, leaving him bewildered. Arthur looked at Elena, then at the movers, and demanded of me: “What exactly are you trying to do!” “Making room for your precious sweetheart,” I said coldly. “But looking at things now—” I glanced at Mia, who was sitting on the floor covering her face, and the furious Arthur. “There’s no need.” I grabbed a crowbar from one of the movers and walked toward the abstract painting on the living room wall—a piece we painted together when we first moved in here. I smashed the crowbar down. The canvas tore; the frame shattered. Just like our eight years, shattered beyond repair. “Guys,” I handed the crowbar back, “I’ve transferred the money. Sorry for making you come all the way out here today.” “The stuff here,” I swept my gaze around the room, “is too dirty. I don’t want it anymore.” The mover, startled by the scene, asked quietly: “Do you need… to call the police?” Mia jumped up from the floor: “Call the police for what! She hit me! If anyone’s calling the police, it’s me!” Elena finally noticed the scratches on Mia’s face and let out an “Oh”: “Isn’t this our little white lotus? Not pretending to be delicate anymore?” Mia glared at her viciously, enduring the pain, and said: “Chloe, I never wanted to steal Arthur! Why are you doing this to me!” “Don’t you know how important a reputation is?” “Of course you do!” she suddenly raised her voice. “Arthur told me everything!” “You were sexually harassed by a professor in college! You’re not clean yourself, so you think everyone else is dirty too!” “Mia!” Arthur shouted sternly. “Shut up!” This was the first time I had ever seen Arthur yell at Mia like that. In my memory, Mia was always right, and I was always wrong. Even breathing was a mistake. I used to think that Arthur might just be momentarily confused. That maybe when he calmed down, he’d turn back and apologize. Maybe I should wait. Maybe I should give him another chance. But I never thought that my painful past would be spoken from Mia’s mouth. I never expected Arthur to expose my scars to others, giving them a knife to stab me with. “Yeah.” I suddenly smiled. “I am pretty dirty.” In my senior year, to help Arthur secure a guaranteed spot in a graduate program, I offended a well-connected professor in my department. Later, I was called to his office for a “talk” and almost got assaulted. Although he didn’t succeed, rumors spread. They said I slept my way to the top, that I won awards through illicit means. Back then, I thought Arthur believed me, that he was on my side. My heart still hurt. It hurt so much I couldn’t breathe, yet I still had to look at Arthur, who was now panicking: “So, don’t make me look down on you.” I grabbed Elena and walked out. Elena cursed as we walked: “Bastards! A whole family of bastards!” “You motherfucking, cursed bastards!” The bastard chased after us. The bastard used the soft, yielding tone I had waited half a year for to stop me: “I didn’t!” “Chloe, believe me! I never thought you were dirty! Never!” Arthur’s eyes were red with anxiety. “Those things… I didn’t mean to tell Mia. She kept asking, and I had too much to drink, so I…” He tried to grab my hand, but I violently shook him off. “Wait for the letter from my lawyer.” As Arthur tried to pursue us again, Elena turned around and slapped him across the face. “Get lost!” In the car, Elena didn’t ask where I was going, and I didn’t give a destination. We just drove around the city for over three hours. Watching the familiar streets, the light from the streetlamps flowing across the car windows… I remembered the year my dad was in the late stages of liver cancer, lying in his hospital bed, holding my hand and saying: “Chloe, you’re the one I’m most worried about leaving behind.” I remembered that rainy night, squatting in the hospital corridor crying until I was dehydrated. Arthur found me, looked at me tenderly, and swore: “Chloe, from now on, I am your family.” “I will love you in your dad’s place.” “I will love you forever.”

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At the most critical moment of my grad school admission interview, my mother suddenly burst into my room, a glass of milk in hand. Instantly, a bold system prompt popped up on my computer screen. [Interview interrupted. Score invalidated.] I slammed my hand onto the keyboard, my voice hoarse: “Mom, let’s cut all ties!” The room was silent for a few seconds. She looked at the black screen, then down at the half-spilled milk. “Just for this?” I closed my eyes, physically and mentally exhausted. “Yes, just for this.” My mother placed the milk heavily on the desk, looking flustered and at a loss. “Chloe… quickly turn on your computer, Mom will apologize to the examiner…” “Mom didn’t know you were interviewing, I just felt bad you were staying up late and wanted to bring you a glass of milk.” My father, hearing the commotion, hurried in, rubbing his hands together to smooth things over. “Yes! It’s all a misunderstanding! Quickly contact the examiner, Mom and Dad will help you explain.” I stood up, the chair legs making a harsh screeching sound. “That was the last question of the interview. I spent a whole semester preparing for this.” “I missed out on Stanford during undergrad, and now my chance for grad school there is ruined too!” My mother covered her face and sobbed. “Mom didn’t know… you didn’t tell me either…” My father put his arm around her: “Your mom is wrong, but her intentions are good. We’re a family, we need to be understanding.” It was always this routine. One admits a fault, the other plays peacemaker. And I, bound by the word “understanding,” was nailed in place. I hadn’t eaten dinner that night. Waking up half-starved in the middle of the night, I got up to find something in the kitchen. Passing the master bedroom, I heard hushed conversation from behind the slightly ajar door. “You overacted. What if she really hates us now?” It was my father. “Hate what? I apologized.” My mother’s tone was light. “I saw the notification on the tablet synced to her phone ages ago.” “This is great, the interview is ruined. Now she can take the civil service exam here in the city…” “You are smart.” My father laughed, sounding approving. I stood outside the door, my body turning ice cold. I suddenly remembered middle school, when she had picked the lock on my door just like this. Always saying, ‘You’re my daughter, Mom is just caring about you.’ I resisted countless times, but all I got was her breaking into my room again and again, controlling my life. It wasn’t until I took a knife and cut my wrist that she, with a livid face, finally put the lock back on. I thought that was in the past. It turns out, over all these years, the lock was never truly replaced. I violently pushed the door open. The two of them jumped. “I heard everything.” My voice was terrifyingly calm. “Mom, you did it on purpose.” The panic on my mother’s face lasted only a second before she immediately plastered on a smile. “Chloe, you misheard, Mom just accidentally…” “Accidentally?” I cut her off: “Accidentally looked at my tablet?” Her smile froze. Then her eyes reddened, and her voice softened. “I really am doing this for your own good, I’m your mother… how could I watch you go down the wrong path?” “What’s the point of going to grad school out of state? Staying near your parents, getting a stable government job, and getting married, that’s the right path!” She reached out to grab me, but I stepped back. “For my own good? Are you paving the way for me?” I stared at her. “Or are you just terrified of me slipping out of your control?” That fragile facade instantly fell away. “I am your mother, would I harm you?!” She stopped hiding it. “I gave birth to you, so your life belongs to me!” My father quickly interjected: “Say less! Your mom has a quick temper, but her intentions are good…” “Her intentions are good.” I repeated softly: “I’ve heard that for twenty years. One of you slaps me, the other gives me a piece of candy. I’ve played along for twenty years.” I looked around at them: “But today, I’m done playing your game!” I turned back to my room and quickly packed my backpack. “Don’t you dare leave!” My mother lunged at me. I threw her off and walked to the door. “Chloe Smith! Apologize right now!” My father’s face darkened. Holding the cold door handle, I looked back one last time. “From today on, we are cutting all ties!” The door closed behind me, cutting off all sound. The hot, humid summer night wind hit my face, but I felt freezing cold. Standing under a streetlight, I checked my phone. Balance: $23.50. 2. In elementary school, I loved to draw, so she tore up my sketchbooks. “What future is there in drawing?” In middle school, I wanted to build model airplanes, so she cut off my allowance. “Will this nonsense get you into a top high school?” For college applications, I put down a top out-of-state university, and she changed it to a local community college. “The outside world is too dangerous, you can’t handle it.” Unable to bear it any longer, I trashed my room. She sat in the ruins, crying heart-wrenchingly. “Mom worked like a dog for you her whole life, and this is how you repay me?” My father chimed in from the side: “Chloe! Would your mom harm you?” Right! I used to tell myself that when I felt suffocated: She’s doing it for my own good. After walking aimlessly for a long time, my phone rang. It was my good friend, Sarah. After hearing me out, she only replied: “Send me your location, I’m coming to get you.” Half an hour later, I was at her house. Her parents asked nothing, just silently set an extra place at the table. That night I slept on the floor in her room, and relying on this shelter, I slowly caught my breath. Since I was little, my mother strictly forbade me from interacting with other students. She said they would be a bad influence and affect my studies. Especially boys. In her eyes, boys were all up to no good, cheap, and only got close to me to seduce me. Once, a male classmate asked me for directions. After she saw it, she went straight to the school that day and hung a banner. Pointing at that boy, telling him to stay away from me. Later, she spread rumors about him everywhere until he was forced to transfer schools. From then on, I was completely isolated by my classmates. Only Sarah was the one person brave enough to approach me during those dark teenage years. Early the next morning, I was jolted awake by a call from the class president, Kevin. “Chloe! Control your mother! If she spreads rumors in the group chat again, I’m calling the police!” I opened WhatsApp. At the top of my chat with Kevin was his message from last night. “We’re just waiting on your part for the group project.” Attached was a smiling emoji. Below that, were over a dozen voice messages from my mother. “You little animal! How dare you try to seduce my daughter?” “I’ll let the whole school see what kind of trash you are!” I suddenly remembered, the WhatsApp on the tablet at home wasn’t logged out. Trembling, I opened our grade’s group chat. At the very top was a post from my account: a photo of Kevin at the beach. Caption: “Who are you dressing like this for?” Followed by a mini-essay, every word vicious. “Dressing like a male prostitute, and you’re trying to sell yourself to my daughter?” “My daughter is destined for great things, stay away from her, you filthy piece of trash!” Below that was Kevin’s counterattack. He posted full screenshots of our chat, proving he was just asking for the assignment, and requested the school handle this seriously. The group chat exploded. Classmates were calling her a “crazy bitch” and saying she “needs to get her head checked.” My mother was actually fighting with dozens of people: “Your parents are the failures! Raising a bunch of little animals!” Until the academic advisor intervened: “Chloe’s parent, please stop immediately and apologize!” She retorted directly: “Who the hell are you? Is it your place to interfere with how I discipline my daughter?” The advisor was furious: “Chloe! Bring your parent to my office immediately! Otherwise, you will face severe consequences!” I gripped my phone tightly and walked out of the room. My parents were having breakfast with Sarah’s parents. “Chloe, let’s go home after you eat these dumplings.” My mother smiled and handed me a pair of chopsticks. “Why did you spread sexual rumors about Kevin in the group chat?” Her smile froze: “Mom was just afraid you’d be taken advantage of by that kind of boy…” “What right do you have to casually spread rumors about others just because you’re ‘afraid’?” I roared, cutting her off. My father slammed the table: “There are outsiders here! Have some decency!” “Since I was little, your way of dealing with ‘fear’ is to destroy the person who makes you afraid.” I looked at my mother, feeling the sheer absurdity of it all. “Just because you’re neurotic, you’re going to ruin someone else’s reputation again?!” Slap! A loud slap rang out. Her hand was shaking: “I gave birth to you and raised you, not for you to disobey me!” I covered my face and laughed. “Right, you gave birth to me and raised me.” I looked at them. “So I deserve to be an object, held tightly in the palm of your hand?” “I am your daughter.” I said softly: “Not a dog you keep, forever chained by the neck, slapped when I’m disobedient.” I got up and rushed out the door. Sarah grabbed my bag and chased after me, her voice dry. “It was my parents… who told yours.” Under the blazing sun, I suddenly stopped. “Sarah, three years ago when you helped my mom change my college application… how did you feel?” The breathing behind me stopped. “The password.” I turned around to look at her. “I only ever showed it to you.” She turned deathly pale, and after a long time, squeezed out a sentence. “Your mom… took a picture of me coming out of a motel with my high school boyfriend.” “She threatened me, saying if I didn’t help her, she’d plaster the photo and our chat logs all over the school!” “Mark was innocent, and his parents were government workers…” “What about me?” My throat tightened, my face full of bitterness. “Three years ago it was Stanford, now it’s grad school, it’s all ruined! You were my only friend!” “What choice did I have?!” She jerked her head up, her eyes red. “Ruin me or ruin you? Your mom had us both by the throat!” “Who told you to have a mom like that!” I felt a violent jolt, a powerless, suffocating feeling making me dizzy. “Sorry, I understand.” I turned and walked away. Her calls were quickly drowned out by the traffic. 3 Before I even walked out of the street, my phone rang. It was the academic advisor. “Chloe!” She sounded troubled: “The school reviewed the final exams and determined you cheated. Your graduate school recommendation is canceled.” “You should really communicate well with your parents about this…” As soon as the advisor hung up, a text message popped up. Mom: [Your Uncle Zhang said the school reviewed the final exams and determined you cheated.] [Be good and come home, only Uncle Zhang can handle this.] Zhang Jianye, a distant relative working in the school’s academic affairs office. I studied so hard for those finals and answered the questions so smoothly, how could I be accused of cheating? I leaned my back against the scorching hot wall. Are they going to strip away my very last chance? After calming down, I used money from a loan app for the first time and checked into a cheap motel. I collapsed on the bed, physically and mentally exhausted. When I was woken up by a call from my older sister, Rachel, it wasn’t even fully light out yet. She was my only buffer in that house. When we were kids, every time I was being scolded harshly, she was the one who pulled me out of the room, giving me a moment to breathe. But the irony is, she herself was my mother’s most successful “creation.” She was accepted into a teaching college out of state, but our mother burned her acceptance letter. “Why does a girl need to run so far away?” She cried all night, and the next day went to the local college our mother had arranged. She went on thirty-six blind dates and finally married after our mother nodded her approval. On her wedding day, she didn’t cry, her eyes were just empty. On the phone, my sister’s voice was as soft as always. “It’s not safe for you to live outside alone, come stay at my place.” I remembered the last time I saw her, the bruises on her wrists, and the phrase: “Your brother-in-law… Mom chose him too.” “No,” I said. “Then… three days from now is the baby’s first birthday party, can you come?” I squeezed the silver bracelet in my bag, bought with my scholarship money, and the toothless smile of my little nephew flashed before my eyes. “…I’ll be there.” On the day of the birthday party, I sneaked into the nursery. Only to see the baby wearing that tacky gold locket my mom kept hidden at the bottom of her chest. She always said she would pass it down to “the most obedient child.” My fingers tightened. The door was pushed open violently, my mother rushed in, and snatched the silver bracelet right out of my hand. “Where did you get the money for this?!” My sister hurried in and picked up the crying baby who had been startled awake. She didn’t dare look at me, just kept her head down, rocking him gently. My arm was grabbed tightly by my mother and I was dragged into the main hall. “Everyone, judge for yourselves!” My mother’s voice was shrill. “She cheated on her exams, she might not even graduate! And now she wants to cut ties with the family!” The gazes of the relatives stabbed into me. I tried to pull my hand back, but she pinched me extremely hard. At that moment, I felt like I had been stripped naked and thrown into a crowd. My mother put on a smiling face and looked towards the main table. “Good thing her Uncle Zhang is here.” “Mr. Zhang, tell us, is there any hope for this child’s exam situation?” The distant relative from the academic affairs office pushed his glasses up his nose. “The expert panel determined she cheated, I’m afraid even her degree is in jeopardy.” He turned to me, his tone “earnest”: “Chloe, listen to your uncle’s advice, go home first and solve the problem.” The room erupted in uproar. “She always looked like such an honest kid.” “This is it, she’s going to lose her degree.” My father pulled at me: “Did you hear that! Uncle Zhang is trying to save you!” My sister stood at the edge of the crowd holding her baby, avoiding my gaze. I looked at the smugness in my mother’s eyes, Zhang Jianye’s hypocritical face, and the disdainful looks from the whole room. “Uncle Zhang, is this expert panel permanent or temporary? When was the review process initiated? What exactly constitutes the cheating?” His Adam’s apple bobbed, but he couldn’t answer. I turned to my mother: “So, you guys arranged this… using ‘cheating’ to force me home?” My mother’s face changed drastically. Zhang Jianye slammed the table: “Nonsense! The procedures are compliant!” “Then make the procedures public!” I scanned the room full of people, finally looking at my sister holding her child. Her fingers were white from gripping so hard. “This isn’t over.” I looked at Zhang Jianye, enunciating every word. “You know exactly how clean the procedures in the academic affairs office really are.” “If this really blows up,” I paused, glaring at him viciously. “I don’t mind flipping the table and letting everyone see what’s hidden underneath.” As I turned to leave, I heard my sister’s trembling voice. “Chloe… please, I’m begging you…” I didn’t look back. The summer night wind hit my face, my palms were ice cold. That gold locket swung in my memory, heavy as shackles. And my sister had already put on her share. 4. I finally waited until the start of the semester in the small motel. On the first day back, I headed straight for the academic advisor’s office. “I want to see all the evidence the expert panel used to determine I cheated. The review records, anomaly markings, signed documents.” The advisor frowned: “Chloe, the result is final…” “If the procedures are compliant, why are you afraid to show me?” I stared at her: “Or is it that those materials don’t even exist?” The commotion drew the department head and Zhang Jianye. Students started gathering in the hallway. “You’re being provocative!” The department head’s face was livid. “Since you’re too afraid to show me the evidence,” I raised my voice: “Then let me retake the exam right here, right now.” Uncle Zhang frowned: “Chloe, stop being unreasonable!” “Whether I’m being unreasonable or not, taking the test will prove it.” I stared at them: “Test, or no test?” The department head and Uncle Zhang exchanged glances. The crowd of students outside was growing. “Fine!” The department head gritted his teeth: “If you want to take it, take it! But this is the last time!” Two days later, a temporary testing room was set up in a small conference room. Four teachers proctored, and the hallway outside was packed with students. The questions were drawn randomly, even harder than the original exam, but I answered them smoothly. I handed in my paper in forty minutes. “Grade it right here.” The department head said to Professor Lee, who was observing. Professor Lee picked up a red pen, the conference room so quiet you could hear people breathing. When she finished grading, Professor Lee was silent for two seconds: “Fifty-nine points.” Dead silence fell over the conference room. A student outside loudly questioned: “Missed it by one point?!” The department head looked relieved: “Chloe, what else do you have to say?” I looked at the test paper, my mind a blank. “I want to see the grading details.” “Haven’t you embarrassed yourself enough?” The department head exploded. Just then, my parents squeezed their way in. My mother rushed up to grab me: “Chloe! Stop this! Come home with Mom!” “Wait.” I suddenly raised my voice. “Professor Lee, you graded very carefully! Especially that last question.” “The solution steps I wrote, the derivation from step three to step four, are you sure you read them clearly?” Professor Lee’s expression changed slightly. “And Director Zhang, what a coincidence you’re here today too… even more coincidental is that Professor Lee, who graded the paper, was your college classmate, right?” The air in the conference room instantly froze. “What nonsense are you talking about!” Professor Lee stood up abruptly. “I demand to see my original exam paper right now!” I didn’t back down an inch. “If the paper stands up to scrutiny, I will apologize and drop out immediately! But if you don’t dare show it to me…” I stared at Zhang Jianye. “Then you have a guilty conscience!” Zhang Jianye’s face turned blue and white. Under the mounting pressure, he suddenly smiled. “Fine, show it to her.” The envelope holding the test paper was torn open and handed to me. I took it, my hands shaking slightly. Looking down, the handwriting actually was mine. Even the specific little hook I make when writing the word “Solve,” and the slight curve when I write the number “7,” were exactly the same. The key derivation in the last question was crossed out with red pen, annotated: “Jump in logic, insufficient basis.” It was my handwriting. “See clearly?” Zhang Jianye’s voice sounded. “It’s your handwriting, right? You wrote it, right?” I opened my mouth, but no sound came out. Uproar outside the door: “She really did write it herself…” “Then what is she making a fuss about…” “What do you have to say for yourself now?” The department head said tiredly: “Chloe, it’s time you apologize!” Professor Lee also stood up, her face full of anger. The accusations from the watching crowd grew louder. My parents came from either side to grab my arms. I violently shoved them away: “Don’t touch me!” In the dead silence, they stepped forward again, shoving me more roughly towards the door. I braced myself against the doorframe, looking back at everyone: “I didn’t cheat!” Everyone froze. I panted heavily, staring dead at Zhang Jianye, staring at Professor Lee, staring at that test paper with the perfect handwriting. Suddenly, I let out a cold laugh: “I know what happened.” My voice wasn’t loud. But it made the entire hallway instantly fall dead silent.

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After paying a small fortune to add the campus bad boy and the campus golden boy on Snapchat. Other people think about how to date them. I’m different. I wanted to set them up. Through my hard work… The bad boy and the golden boy actually started dating. When they met up in person, I watched the good show from the sidelines. Only to find it was a total disaster, and I was dragged out by the two of them. The golden boy roared, “This is the Southern sweet girl you found me?” The bad boy cried out in anger, “Give me back my six-foot tall dominant girlfriend!” 01 Someone in a club was selling the Snapchat handles of the campus bad boy and the campus golden boy. The guy was shouting that it was fifty bucks for the two of them. But no one believed him. Only I walked up and asked, “Really?” The guy pulled out his Snapchat code and let me scan it on the spot, “Guaranteed real, girl!” I added the two accounts without a second thought. “Added!” “Quick and easy, girl!” The guy took the money and immediately ran off. I stared at the two accounts I just added. Did I just get scammed? The campus golden boy, Liam’s profile picture was an abstract smiley face, and the bad boy, Jax’s profile picture was a cute kitten. Are these… real people? 02 After returning to the dorm, I told my roommates about this. None of them believed me. “You definitely got scammed.” “I even added Liam’s Snapchat before, his profile picture is clearly an aloof, cool guy picture.” “Exactly, Jax’s profile picture is an anime guy. How could he use such a cute profile picture?” “Feeling sorry for you for a second, how could you be scammed out of your money like this!” I stared at the two profile pictures and sighed, “So annoying.” My allowance wasn’t much to begin with, and I got scammed out of fifty bucks. What a total sucker! Just as I plunged into endless regret. The kitten profile picture sent me a message, [Who is this?] I hesitated for a good while before replying. [An alumnus.] Since I already added him. I might as well treat him as the bad boy and project that handsome face onto him. Kitten, [Oh.] So aloof? I jiggled my foot, wracked my brain, and finally squeezed out a question, [Are you from A University too?] Kitten, [Yes, you too?] [Yeah.] After asking, there was another silence. I really didn’t know how to chat. If only there was an AI auto-reply. 03 The second day after adding them on Snapchat, those two accounts just lay there in my app. As quiet as the dead. When I was bored in class, I clicked into Liam’s chat box and poked him. Smiley, [?] [Hello.] Smiley, [Need something?] Asking so directly? How is someone supposed to reply to that? [Are you Liam?] Smiley, [Yeah, need something?] So it is real. He actually admitted it. Then I’ll mess with him a bit, [Do you want to date?] Smiley, [Not considering it at the moment.] [Do you have someone you like?] Smiley, [Have a little crush, wouldn’t call it like.] Has someone he likes, huh. I immediately typed and asked, [Who is it?] He hesitated for a while, [Who are you?] “…” Why are they all asking who I am? What should I say. I got it! I typed a string of words, closed my eyes, and sent it over, [I’m here to introduce you to someone, want one?] Smiley, [Introduce what?] [You know, a girlfriend.] There was no reply from the other side for a long time. Why is he just like the kitten profile picture? So fond of playing disappearing acts!? I directly tossed the bad boy’s Snapchat handle over. With a note, [Southern sweet girl, plays games, pretty, and has a sweet voice!] Let these two be locked together. I turned off my phone and listened to the lecture. 04 Smiley, [?] To prevent Smiley from not taking the initiative, I tossed the golden boy’s Snapchat to the bad boy. With a note, [Six-foot tall dominant girl, plays games, good grades!] Kitten, [?] What do these question marks mean? Not interested? I sent to Kitten, [The girl I’m introducing you to, if she’s not good, come to me for a refund.] [Guaranteed real?] Watching Kitten gradually step into the trap. I couldn’t hide the excitement in my heart anymore. [Guaranteed real!] Indeed, people never get tired when doing bad things. I sent to Smiley again, [Southern sweet girl, if she’s not sweet, you can get a refund.] Smiley, [What kind of routine is this?] [The routine to lead you to success in both career and love!] […] Ah, this should work out now. 05 Two days later, the whole school was gossiping that the golden boy was dating. As soon as class started, he stared at his phone and giggled. Except for me, everyone in the dorm was holding their heads and crying. “I’m heartbroken!” “Who did the golden boy fall for?” “There’s no news on the forum at all! I’m so anxious! Is he dating or not?” “His roommates all say he is, so he definitely is!” They were chatting passionately. I quietly listened from the side, and was suddenly noticed. “Chloe, why aren’t you sad?” “Yeah, didn’t you like Liam the most?” Indeed, telling one lie requires a thousand lies to cover it up. When I first moved into this dorm, in order to get along with them. I had to say I liked Liam. Only then did we have something to talk about. I had to pretend to squeeze out two tears, “I’m sad inside, I’m going to rest first.” “We know you’re the saddest, go rest.” After getting into bed, I finally let out a sigh of relief. My phone blew up at this moment. Smiley: [Thank you for introducing someone to me, this is a little token of my appreciation.] Followed by a red envelope. Kitten: [This dominant girl is really too good! This is a little token of my appreciation!] Followed by a red envelope. I sat up in shock. Holy crap! This actually worked! Did I just become a matchmaker? 06 “Chloe, are you okay?” I made too much noise, and my roommate asked with concern. I coughed, pretending to be calm, “I’m fine.” Then silently accepted both red envelopes. Smiley sent a big red envelope of $388. Kitten sent $1000. I earned back the fifty bucks I was scammed out of! Great! I really do have the potential to be a matchmaker! I sent to both sides, [Wishing you eternal happiness.] After I logged into the game, I saw that both of their accounts were in a game. Just as I was about to start a match to relax, the two of them pulled me into the room at the same time. [You come too, we happen to be short a support.] No wait. What is this situation. Before I could decline and leave, the game immediately started. Snapchat message popped up. Kitten, [He’s too good! I’m playing a bit poorly, it’s not so awkward with you here!] Am I part of your play too? [What do you mean?] Kitten, [You’re worse than me, distract her attention.] My blood pressure went up from anger. But thinking of that thousand bucks, I still forced it down. [Okay.] Smiley, [She plays very cutely, but seems very shy, she might not be so reserved with you here.] Me, […] $388 is still money, I have to endure it. 07 Once the game started, Smiley played the jungler. Kitten played the mid lane. And I, because I was replying to their messages, was forced to choose a support character!? Early game Kitten: [You go follow the marksman.] Mid game Smiley: [You go protect the mid lane.] Late game Kitten: [You go protect the jungler.] After one game, I ran so much my shoes were falling apart. After playing, I immediately left the room. Just planning to play a game by myself to relax. Kitten, [Are you her friend? What does Liam like? I plan to buy her a gift.] Smiley, [Is Jax your friend? I want to know what she likes, I want to send her a gift.] No wait! Are you two really playing a golden boy and bad boy romance play? Still the same old saying. Money is hard to earn, shit is hard to eat. What else can I do? I have a plan. I asked Kitten, [Do you have anything you particularly like?] Tossed the same question to Smiley. Kitten, [I like sneakers, I like sports a lot.] Smiley, [Nothing I particularly like, just like cute things.] Isn’t this settled? What exactly are they shy about? Do they have to act so realistically? I copied and pasted their exact words and sent them to the other party. Not long after having some free time. Kitten sent two pictures, [Which one do you think I should choose?] Aren’t these the same? Choose your… Polite words. I randomly picked one, [The second one.] Kitten, [Just what I thought.] Hehe! Twelve o’clock, just about to sleep. Smiley, [Are you asleep?] Not asleep, but about to break. [What’s up, dear?] Smiley, [I want to ask her, what size shoe she wears.] I tossed the question to Kitten. Kitten, [Size 10.] I replied to Smiley, [Size 10.] Smiley, [Is… is it that big?] I typed sleepily with my eyes closed, [How about you ask her yourself?] […No need.] So freaking annoying! 08 In the morning, I opened Snapchat. Almost fainted. 99+ messages. Did I break some heavenly law? These two psychos! Go date somewhere else! I scanned through, and basically they had a fight. Smiley thinks Kitten lacks ambition, Kitten thinks Smiley is too serious. The two of them debated right and wrong all night, and even created a group chat specifically for this. They kept tagging me in the group. Who’s right, who’s wrong. I’m really begging you guys! If it wasn’t for the after-sales service, I’d block these two right now. “Chloe, are you awake?” “Yeah, what’s wrong?” “Nothing, we were afraid our crying would wake you.” My mouth twitched, “What happened now?” “You actually don’t know? Liam posted on the forum, it basically means an official announcement!” “I still don’t know who that girl is, who exactly could win over that aloof golden boy?” “Fuck! I don’t want to live anymore!” I looked at my roommate jumping down from her bed, “What’s wrong with you now?” “The bad boy is dating too! I’m crying to death!” Oh crap, almost forgot, there are bad boy fangirls in this dorm too. “What’s going on? Are all the handsome guys dating collectively recently?” “They’re all dating, what handsome guys am I going to look at in the future?” “As the psychology committee member, I don’t feel good!” The whole dorm wailed like ghosts and howled like wolves before going to our 8 AM class. 09 During class, while I was dozing off, my phone suddenly vibrated. Kitten, [Forgot to ask you, what’s your name?] I typed and sent it over with my eyes covered, [Chloe Smith.] Two minutes later, I suddenly opened my eyes and picked up my phone. Dead hand, quickly unsend it! It’s over, how did I reveal my own name? It’s over, it’s over! My roommate asked me, “What’s wrong with you?” “I’m feeling a bit like dying.” “Then hurry up, class is almost over.” Kitten, [The name sounds very nice, I’ll call you Chloe from now on.] To—tal—ly—over. 10 After playing dead for two days. I saw the Moments posted by both of them at the same time. Real. Liam. Golden Boy posted a selfie. Holding the doll sent by Jax in his hand. [Seeing this is like seeing you.] And Real. Jax. Bad Boy took a mirror selfie wearing the shoes sent by Liam. [Didn’t expect to meet true love on my first online dating experience.] You sister! How are they real people!? I’ve really caused trouble this time! My head spun. I felt like the rest of my life was doomed. Right right, try to persuade them to break up first. I sent a message to Kitten, [Forgot to tell you, I introduced the wrong person to you, I don’t even know this Liam.] The same words, in a panic, I actually forwarded directly to Smiley. Smiley, [?] [What does this mean? Sowing discord?] Fuck! How can a person make continuous mistakes? I’m innocent, [Also forgot to tell you, I introduced the wrong person, I don’t know any Jax.] Smiley, [It’s fine, we get along well, and we’re going to meet up soon.] Meet… meet up!? Holy crap, are two grown men dating on fast forward? Meeting up so quickly! No no no, if I get exposed. The bad boy Jax won’t let me off. I can’t get into Harvard, and I don’t want to get beaten up either! 11 So, I harassed the two of them from morning till night. I became the person I used to hate the most. [Even as an outsider, I can tell you two aren’t suitable! If you stay together for a long time, you’ll definitely fight often!] Liam, [It’s fine, I’ll give in.] Give in my ass! In a previous debate competition, I was pushed by the club to fill in, and got shot full of holes by Liam. I didn’t manage to say a single word. Liam’s mouth is like it’s smeared with poison. Licking it once could poison yourself to death. Jax, [I have a good temper.] Good temper my ass! I still remember when college first started, Jax got into a conflict on the basketball court, threw the ball out in anger, and hit me. Because of that, I have a phobia of the basketball court now. Seeing that I couldn’t argue with them. I could only, [Log on! Let’s play a game!] They all say games make feelings fade. I don’t believe my sabotage can’t make them break down! Liam, [What are we playing?] Me, [Ranked!] [Okay.] As soon as the game started, I set traps for Jax. Making him so angry he immediately typed to scold me, [What’s wrong with you? Why didn’t you block the skill for me just now?] Me, [I didn’t buy boots, couldn’t walk fast enough, didn’t you die because you suck?] Jax, [You were clearly just standing there not moving! The opponent’s damage all landed on me!] Me, [Say what you want, anyway I think I’m playing pretty well.] I went to follow Liam. After a few kills, Liam, [She’s playing pretty well.] Jax, [Why are you speaking up for her?] Liam, [I observed her operation, there’s really no problem.] Jax, [So it’s my problem then!] Liam, [No no, it has nothing to do with you.] Jax [Right right right, it has nothing to do with me!] Liam, [I didn’t mean… that.] My mouth was almost splitting from smiling. Fight, fight, make it more intense! I don’t believe they won’t break up over this! 12 With just one game, these two went offline to fight. Just as I was beautifully thinking about sleeping. Jax, [By the way, we plan to meet up the day after tomorrow, you come along too.] I sat up in shock. No way… [What did you say? Meeting up?] Jax, [Yeah, we’re at the same school anyway, it’s not hard to meet.] [You can’t! You don’t even know who the other person is and you’re meeting up, what if it’s…] Jax, [Aren’t you there? You were the matchmaker back then, you have to help me check things out.] Is it too late for me to issue a refund now? [I’m not going, I have something to do the day after tomorrow.] Jax, [What is it, more important than us meeting? By the way, I also brought you a gift.] Then he sent a picture. Tiffany!? Holy crap! [I’m going, I’m going! You put too much thought into the gift, I’ll treat you guys to a meal depending on the situation.] I don’t know if this meal will still happen after the two of them meet. Anyway, I feel like I can save some money. At most I’ll just get beaten up, I’ve been resistant to beatings since I was a kid. It’s fine!

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The moment my adopted sister pushed me off the roof of that 99-story building, I watched my family rush to protect her, and a sudden, profound realization hit me. All the love and expectations I craved were just chains I used to deceive myself. When those chains shattered, I found myself reborn from a pool of blood, back to when I was fifteen. In this life, watching my parents bring Chloe into our home again, I didn’t throw a hysterical fit fighting for their affection. My parents’ blatant favoritism, my brother’s exclusive indulgence toward her, and the gentle affection of my childhood sweetheart—I didn’t care about any of it anymore. But why, this time, were they the ones crying and begging me to just look at them? 1 I stood at the top of the stairs, running my fingers over the cold handrail. In the living room, my parents were leading a timid-looking girl. She wore a faded, washed-out jacket and anxiously surveyed this unfamiliar, luxurious home. “Don’t be afraid, Chloe. This is your home from now on.” My mother’s voice was gentle and cautious as she lightly stroked the girl’s hair. In the past, that kind of careful, tender affection would have made me crazy with jealousy. Right now, my heart was empty; I felt absolutely nothing. “This is your brother. He specifically took time off from college to come back and meet you.” My father introduced him with a beaming smile. My brother, Liam, who had rushed back from out of town, pulled a beautifully wrapped gift box from his backpack: “Welcome to our family. This is a little something for you.” Those usually aloof eyes were now brimming with an indulgent, doting smile. I watched this scene expressionlessly, like watching a play that had nothing to do with me. No anger, no jealousy, not even a ripple of emotion. Chloe timidly accepted the gift. Looking up, her still slightly chubby face was written with gratitude and nervousness. She was such a good actress. If I didn’t know that ten years later, she would use these very hands to violently push me off the roof of a 99-story building. But even recalling that moment, my heartbeat remained steady. Hatred? I didn’t really feel that either. It was all just an objective fact. “Nora, come down and meet your sister.” My mother finally noticed me standing at the top of the stairs, her tone carrying a hint of expectation. I silently walked down the stairs. Four pairs of eyes instantly turned to me. “Hello.” I spoke, my voice as calm as a pool of stagnant water. There were no hysterical demands of “Why did you bring her back?” like in my past life, nor sharp, crying screams of “This is my house!” Those emotions that once tore me apart felt as if they had never existed. Or rather—they truly didn’t exist anymore. Chloe seemed frightened by my coldness; she shrank back behind my mother. “Nora.” My mother sighed. “It’s Chloe’s first time here. Can’t you say a few more words?” “Nothing much to say.” I turned to walk back upstairs. Behind me, I heard my mother’s awkward explanation: “Don’t mind her. Nora has always been afraid of strangers since she was little. That’s just how her personality is…” I didn’t even have the interest to turn back for a glance. Whatever they said, whatever they explained, it had nothing to do with me anymore. I pushed open my bedroom door, shutting those voices out. The room looked just as I remembered. Everything was paused in the summer I was fifteen, as if the bloody plunge from the high-rise was just an absurd dream. I calmly surveyed the room. There was no warmth of coming home, nor the joy of regaining what was lost. I just felt this was merely a temporary place to stay. In a week, my sophomore year of high school would begin. I planned to board at the school. Knock, knock. Someone knocked on the door. It was Liam. 2 He saw my open suitcase, a look of surprise flashing across his face: “Nora, where are you going?” “Boarding at school.” I kept folding my clothes without looking up, my tone flat. My brother frowned, confused. “Just because of Chloe?” I shoved my last T-shirt into the suitcase. “Freshman year is important for building a foundation. I want to focus on my studies.” I paused, then added: “You can give this room to Chloe from now on.” In my past life, Chloe used all sorts of lame excuses to try and steal my room. First, she said she was afraid of the dark and the guest room was too isolated. Then, she said she wanted to be closer to Mom and Dad to bond with them. Later, she straight-up cried, saying my room had good natural light and she needed the sunlight to regulate her mood. And every time I refused, my parents would call me “petty,” “immature,” and “selfish.” Since the outcome is already predetermined, why waste the effort? Where I live makes no difference to me. My brother was silent for a few seconds. “Nora, do you dislike Chloe?” I stopped what I was doing and looked up at him. “I don’t like or dislike her.” “I just think this will be easier.” My brother stared at me for a good while, finally patting my head. “Nora, I know having someone new in the house suddenly might take some time to get used to. But you have to believe that even with a new sister here, Mom, Dad, and my love for you will never change.” Never change? I zoned out for a second. When I ranked first in my grade, my dad just said, “Not bad, keep it up.” When Chloe went from fifth from the bottom to tenth from the bottom, the whole family celebrated like it was a holiday, praising her “rapid progress.” When I was injured and hospitalized, my parents sent the nanny to take care of me, saying they were too busy with work to get away. When Chloe got a fever from a cold, my parents took turns taking time off to sit by her bed. My mom even said with red eyes, “Chloe has suffered so much since she was little. We need to double our efforts to treat her well from now on.” I pulled myself back from my thoughts, a faint smile curling the corner of my mouth. “Mhm, I know.” After Liam left, I pulled an exquisite wooden box from deep inside my closet. It was a music box, hand-made for me by my grandfather before he passed away. Sadly, in my past life, Chloe smashed it to pieces. It was the first time I got so angry I hit her. She ran crying to Mom and Dad to complain about how wronged she felt. “I… I just had never seen such a pretty music box and wanted to pick it up to play with it. But sister yelled at me and wouldn’t let me touch it. I got scared and accidentally dropped it.” “Mom, I really didn’t mean to, wuuu wuuu wuuu.” My mom didn’t even ask me a single question before tearing into me. “Nora, how could you treat your sister like that! It’s just a music box, couldn’t you just let her have her way a little?” Right. Just a music box. But they forgot, I treasured it like my own life, because it was the last memento my grandfather left me. I closed the lid and gently placed it at the very bottom of my suitcase. Taking away my last keepsake. 3 At 6 PM, my mom knocked on my door. “Nora, come down for dinner.” Her tone carried a forced cheerfulness, as if trying hard to create a warm atmosphere. “It’s Chloe’s first meal here. Let’s have a family dinner together.” I closed my book and went downstairs. The dining table was filled to the brim with expensive dishes. But when I reached the table, my footsteps halted. My usual seat—the one between my mom and brother—was currently occupied by Chloe. She was wearing a newly bought floral dress, sitting there obediently, like a carefully tended flower. Almost all the food on the table was piled in front of her. My dad was looking down, peeling crab meat for her. My brother was serving her soup, and my mom was constantly putting food in her bowl. “Eat more, Chloe. Look how skinny you are.” “This steamed bass was made especially for you. You said you liked fish.” “Eat slowly, don’t burn yourself.” Under the warm yellow light, they sat around the table, their faces covered in smiles. That picture was so warm it stung my eyes. They looked like the perfect, happy family of four. While my appearance was like an untimely intruder, breaking this harmony. Seeing me standing there, my mom paused for a moment. “Nora, hurry and sit down. What are you doing just standing there?” I didn’t speak, just quietly stared at that seat. Sensing my gaze, Chloe looked up, gave me a timid glance, and then lowered her head again. She knew perfectly well that was my seat. But she sat there, motionless, as if she couldn’t understand what I meant. I let out a soft chuckle. Then I walked to the table, put a few pieces of food in my bowl, and turned to head back upstairs. “Stop right there!” My dad called out in a deep voice, his face full of displeasure. “What are you doing?” “There’s no room for me at this table anyway, so there’s no need to add another chair.” “You child, how can you speak like that!” My mom frowned. “It’s Chloe’s first day here. Can’t you be a little more sensible?” “I am very sensible, which is why I’m tactfully leaving.” Chloe’s eyes instantly turned red. She bit her lip, her voice laced with tears: “I’m sorry… Should I not have come? I made Sister unhappy…” “It’s not your fault, Chloe!” My mom quickly hugged her, her tone full of heartache. “It’s your sister being immature. Don’t take it to heart.” My brother also put down his chopsticks, looking at me with disappointment in his eyes: “Nora, what is wrong with you today?” I didn’t say another word. Holding my bowl, I turned and went upstairs. 4 After dinner, my mom brought a bowl of soup to my room. “Nora, you didn’t eat well at dinner. I specifically had the chef make this for you.” She placed the soup on my desk, her tone carrying a fawning gentleness. It was my favorite lotus root and pork rib soup. But looking at that bowl of soup, I couldn’t feel any warmth inside. Because I could see it—the hesitant, conflicted expression on my mom’s face clearly meant she had a favor to ask. “Mom, if you have something to say, just say it.” I cut to the chase to save her the long preamble. My mom paused, smiling a bit awkwardly: “It’s nothing major, really, just…” She hesitated, seemingly weighing her words. “Mom wants to discuss something with you. Could you drop out of the honors class and move to the regular class?” My hand, holding the soup bowl, stopped mid-air. “Chloe came from a small town. She’s new here and doesn’t know anything.” My mom’s tone took on a pleading edge. “You’re her older sister. It would be great if you could look after her at school. Your grades are already good, so it’s the same no matter which class you’re in, right?” I looked down at the soup in the bowl. The steam rose, blurring my vision. In that moment, I suddenly felt that swallowing this mouthful of soup would be a burden. I put down the bowl and looked up at my mom: “No.” My mom frowned. “Just help Mom this one time, okay? Chloe is introverted. If no one looks after her, she’ll be very lonely at school.” “So I have to be sacrificed?” My tone remained calm, but every word was clear. “I worked hard to get into the honors class because I’m aiming for an Ivy League school.” My mom got anxious. “Chloe is different. Her foundation is weak, and she needs someone to help her adjust…” “That’s her problem.” I interrupted her. “I will not pay for her future with my own.” I stood up, cutting off my mom’s desire to continue persuading me. “I’m going to sleep. Please leave.” In my past life, I moved to the regular class so I wouldn’t disappoint my parents. But what did I get in return? She used her pathetic, weak act to gain the sympathy of the entire class, isolating and bullying me. My grades plummeted, and “vicious, scheming bitch” became my terrible label for those three years. Every time I tried to explain or clarify, she would just say, “I knew it, Sister still hates me,” completely dismissing my words. So this time, I will absolutely not let my future be destroyed by her scheming. 5 On the first day of school, I stepped into the honors classroom. The walls were covered with honor rolls of past alumni who had gotten into top universities. Everything here was exactly the same as my past life. Only this time, I wasn’t going to leave. “Nora?” A familiar voice rang in my ear. I looked up and saw Ethan standing in front of me, his face full of pleasant surprise. “It really is you! We get to be in the same class again.” He casually pulled out the chair next to me and sat down, just as close and inseparable as we had been growing up. In my past life, my face would blush and my heart would race when he got close. But in this life, what surfaced in my mind were the words he said in that hospital corridor. “Nora, Chloe really needs me. Please, just let us be together.” “I know this is unfair to you, but I truly love her.” Those words were like knives, cutting into my heart one by one. I suppressed the churning emotions inside me and smiled politely. “Yeah, what a coincidence.” Ethan sensed my distant attitude and clearly froze for a second. “Nora, what’s wrong?” I started organizing my textbooks one by one, not looking up. “Class is about to start. Hurry back to your seat.” “I…” The bell rang, cutting him off. High school studies are intense, especially in the honors class. During the lunch break, a roar of laughter came from the hallway. “Hahaha, I’m dying!” “Oh my god, she actually didn’t know that was an automatic door!” “She thought you had to push it, and ended up walking right into it.” My heart jumped. I walked to the door and looked out. Chloe was standing right in front of the classroom next door, her face flushed bright red, a conspicuous red mark on her forehead. Her backpack was unzipped, and her things were scattered all over the floor. A few worn-out notebooks, a nearly empty ballpoint pen, and a pencil case that had been patched up several times. A crowd of students surrounded her, some covering their mouths to hide their laughter, others whispering. “She doesn’t even know how to use an automatic door…” “I heard she transferred from a mountain region. Her parents are gone.” “No wonder she’s so country.” Chloe crouched down, clumsily gathering her things, tears swirling in her eyes. Right at that moment, Ethan walked over. He crouched down, helping her pick up her scattered books, and said gently: “It’s okay. I walked into it too when I first got here.” His voice was gentle and considerate, like the warm winter sun. Chloe looked up, her tears falling right on cue. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know. I thought you had to push it.” Ethan handed her a tissue. “Don’t cry. Everyone has a first time.” As he spoke, he even glared at the students who were watching the show. “Break it up!” But instead of leaving, those people laughed even harder. Because they saw that when Chloe took the tissue, she accidentally knocked off Ethan’s watch. It was a limited-edition mechanical watch, worth six figures. The air instantly went quiet. Chloe froze completely. She looked at the watch on the ground, her face white as a sheet. “I’m s-sorry, I didn’t mean to!” Her voice was shaking, and she looked like she was about to cry again. Ethan paused for a moment, but still said gently: “It’s fine. It’s just a watch.” But the people around them had already exploded. “That’s a limited edition! There are only three in the whole country!” “Can she even afford to pay for it?” “She’s from the country, she’s probably never even seen a watch like that before.” Whispers rose and fell, every sentence like a needle piercing Chloe. I stood outside the crowd, watching this scene coldly. My mind was completely clear. This was a script she had meticulously designed. 6 I remember it vividly. My mom bought her a whole set of imported stationery. A Staedtler mechanical pencil, a Pilot fountain pen, Muji notebooks, and a limited-edition canvas pencil case. Those things combined cost at least a thousand dollars. Yet she deliberately hid them all. Just so on the first day, everyone could see how “pitiful” she looked. She calculated that Ethan would pass by here and play the hero saving the damsel in distress. Ethan carefully helped Chloe up, comforting her gently. She accurately caught my eye in the crowd, a flash of satisfaction crossing her gaze. I just didn’t expect her revenge to come so quickly. Right after evening self-study, I was called into the principal’s office. My parents were actually there too, their faces dark. And Chloe, eyes red and swollen, standing with her head down in the corner. My heart sank. I walked in, and before I could speak, my mom said coldly: “Nora, how can you be so insensible?” Her tone was heavy, carrying obvious dissatisfaction. “Chloe had an incident at school. You, as her older sister, saw it but didn’t go help her?” I froze for a moment: “I…” My dad also looked awful: “Chloe is new to the school, everything is unfamiliar to her. You are her only family here.” “People were mocking her, and you just stood by and watched?” “Do you have any sense of being an older sister at all!” Looking at their accusations, I only felt annoyed. Annoyed that they were wasting my time to do practice exams. In my past life, it was like this too. Every time something happened to Chloe, the first person they blamed wasn’t the one bullying her, but me. Because in their eyes, I was the older sister, so I should unconditionally take care of her. Even if she was faking it. Even if she was scheming against others. “Dad, Mom, don’t blame Sister…” Chloe spoke up then, her eyes red. “It’s my own fault for being too stupid to even know how to use an automatic door.” The more understanding she sounded, the uglier my parents’ expressions became. My dad, with a dark face, looked at the principal, then at Chloe’s red, swollen eyes, and suddenly spoke: “Principal Lee, I’d like to…” My heart jumped. Oh no! In my past life, after I was transferred, not only did my learning environment deteriorate, but I also became a joke to the entire school. And Chloe logically inherited my spot and resources in the honors class. “I’m sorry!” My voice suddenly rang out, interrupting my dad. Everyone froze. The next second, I turned to face Chloe, bowed ninety degrees, and said loudly: “I failed in my duty as an older sister!”

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Outside the pantry, two new interns were showing off their pay stubs. “Mr. Carter is so generous! He gave us a twelve-thousand-dollar sign-on bonus!” “I got ten thousand too! Sticking with Mr. Carter means eating well.” My hand, holding my coffee mug, froze in mid-air. I had been married to Arthur Carter for seven years, and I had been his primary portfolio manager for those same seven years. In the first year, I helped him earn back his family inheritance. My monthly salary was five hundred dollars. In the second year, the company went public. He claimed cash flow was tight, so my salary was bumped to six hundred. From the third to the sixth year, the funds I managed multiplied ten times over. My salary didn’t increase by a single cent. This year, the seventh year, he claimed the market was sluggish and wanted to cut my salary to three hundred. Yet he turned around and handed out massive sign-on bonuses to two interns who only knew how to fetch coffee and water. I pushed open the door, threw my employee ID into the trash can, and dialed that mysterious phone number: “I agree to come home.” 1 Outside the pantry, two new interns were showing off their pay stubs. “Mr. Carter is so generous! He gave us a twelve-thousand-dollar sign-on bonus!” “I got ten thousand too! Sticking with Mr. Carter means eating well.” My hand, holding my coffee mug, froze in mid-air. I had been married to Arthur Carter for seven years, and I had been his primary portfolio manager for those same seven years. In the first year, I helped him earn back his family inheritance. My monthly salary was five hundred dollars. In the second year, the company went public. He claimed cash flow was tight, so my salary was bumped to six hundred. From the third to the sixth year, the funds I managed multiplied ten times over. My salary didn’t increase by a single cent. This year, the seventh year, he claimed the market was sluggish and wanted to cut my salary to three hundred. Yet he turned around and handed out massive sign-on bonuses to two interns who only knew how to fetch coffee and water. I pushed open the door, threw my employee ID into the trash can, and dialed that mysterious phone number: “I agree to come home.” … After hanging up, I pushed open the door to Arthur’s office. Laughter echoed inside. Arthur was sitting in his executive chair. That intern, Chloe Davis, was playing with his tie, half her body practically glued to his. “Oh! Sis, what are you doing here?” Chloe, like a startled rabbit, sprang away, her hand “accidentally” pulling the tie and choking Arthur slightly. Arthur patted the back of her hand indulgently. When he looked up at me, the smile instantly vanished from his face, replaced by an impatient scowl. “Don’t you know how to knock? Have you forgotten company rules?” I slapped the salary reduction notice onto his desk. “Three hundred dollars? Arthur, are you paying off a beggar?” Arthur frowned, picked up the notice, glanced at it, and casually tossed it into the trash can. “Chloe Vance, are you done? The economy is bad, the whole company is tightening their belts. You’re the boss’s wife; you should lead by example.” “Lead by example?” I laughed out of sheer anger, pointing out the door. “Just now in the pantry, Chloe Davis said she got a twelve-thousand-dollar sign-on bonus. Is this what you call tightening belts?” Chloe’s eyes immediately reddened. She hid behind Arthur, her voice laced with tears: “Sister-in-law, don’t blame Mr. Carter. My family is having a hard time, and Mr. Carter felt sorry for me, so he gave me an advance… If you’re upset, I’ll just give it back.” Saying that, she made a show of reaching for her phone to transfer the money, tears falling pit-a-pat. Arthur’s heart ached for her. He grabbed her hand and turned to yell at me: “Chloe Vance! What are you picking on a recent grad for? It’s not easy for her to make a living alone in New York. How can she compare to you? You eat my food, live in my house, have a car to drive, and a maid at home. That three hundred dollars is just for you to buy snacks! What more do you want?” “Eat your food, live in your house?” I looked at this man, suddenly feeling like my seven years of youth had been fed to the dogs. “Arthur, every single core trading strategy at Carter Capital for the past seven years… which one wasn’t created by me? Shorting Luckin Coffee last year, targeting Teda the year before… which time didn’t I pull all-nighters to help you turn the tables?” Arthur stood up abruptly, his gaze dark and sinister. “Enough!” He walked up to me, looking down from his height, his finger almost poking my nose. “Chloe, know your place. I am the one who makes the final call on those strategies! The traders are the ones executing the orders! You just do some data analysis and organize reports. Without the platform I gave you, your stupid charts are worthless!” He took a deep breath, as if granting a massive favor: “Alright, stop throwing a tantrum. There’s an investor cocktail party tonight. Go home, change your clothes, and don’t embarrass me by dressing like some middle-aged housewife. Chloe Davis is going too, so teach her how to toast with the clients.” Chloe smiled through her tears, giving me a provocative look. “Thank you, Mr. Carter! Sister-in-law, I’ll be troubling you to teach me.” I watched their little performance, the last trace of warmth in my heart completely freezing over. “Okay,” I said flatly. “I’ll teach her very well.” 2 The evening cocktail party was held at the most upscale Marriott in New York. I wore the black evening gown I bought seven years ago, looking a bit outdated. Chloe, however, wore a white tulle dress from the current season’s haute couture collection, and around her neck was the diamond necklace that had been sitting in my shopping cart for three years because I couldn’t bring myself to buy it. Arthur, with Chloe on his arm, chatted and laughed with the crowd. “Mr. Carter, who is this?” An investor, Mr. Wang, looked at Chloe with an ambiguous gaze. “Oh, this is our company’s new Operations Director, Chloe Davis. A very bright young lady.” Arthur introduced her, looking incredibly proud. “Operations Director?” Mr. Wang paused, his gaze sweeping over to me standing in the corner. “Then Mrs. Carter…” The smile on Arthur’s face stiffened for a moment before he waved it off casually: “Oh, Chloe. She mostly handles logistics now. She’s getting older, can’t keep up with the market’s pace, so she just enjoys a peaceful life at home.” My fingers gripping the champagne flute turned slightly white. Logistics. So my seven years of non-stop, day-and-night trading was just “logistics” in his mouth. Chloe walked over with her wine glass, laughing uncontrollably. “Sister-in-law, Mr. Carter just feels bad for you. Look at you, you already have fine lines around your eyes. It’s better to leave this exhausting, public-facing work to us young people.” She deliberately emphasized the words “fine lines,” causing a few wealthy wives nearby to let out low chuckles. “Yes, Chloe, it’s time for you to step back to the second line.” Arthur walked over, adjusted his tie, and spoke with a commanding tone: “Mr. Wang wants a freshly brewed Blue Mountain coffee. Go buy him a cup. Remember, half sugar, add milk, and the temperature must be exactly 150 degrees Fahrenheit.” This was a cocktail party. Where was I supposed to get freshly brewed coffee? The nearest coffee shop was a mile away. I looked at him: “I’m your wife, not your secretary.” Arthur’s face darkened, and he lowered his voice: “Chloe, don’t be ungrateful. Mr. Wang is a key figure in our next round of financing. Chloe Davis is negotiating a multi-million-dollar project with him right now. What’s the big deal about asking you to buy a cup of coffee? If you can’t even handle this small task, what are you good for?” Chloe chimed in, fanning the flames: “Mr. Carter, let it go. Sister-in-law might be tired. I’ll go buy it, even though it’s a bit inconvenient in my high heels…” She bit her lip, looking wronged, playing the part of someone enduring humiliation for the greater good perfectly. Arthur grabbed her arm and glared fiercely at me: “Let her go! If you’re going to be a freeloader, you need to act like one! Go!” The gazes around me pricked me like needles. There was mockery, sympathy, but mostly, people just watching the show. I took a deep breath and set down my wine glass. “Fine, I’ll go.” I turned and walked out of the banquet hall, the laughter behind me growing even more piercing. Arthur, this is the last time you ever order me around. 3 I didn’t go buy coffee. I sat on the sofa in the hotel lobby for half an hour, looked at the text message reading “Come home,” and replied with one word: 【Okay.】 When I returned to the banquet hall, the atmosphere was lively. Arthur stood on the stage, holding the microphone, looking triumphant. “Thank you all for your support. The achievements of Carter Capital over the past seven years are inseparable from the team’s efforts. Especially this year, we successfully secured the management rights for the billion-dollar ‘Smart City’ fund!” Thunderous applause erupted from the audience. I froze. The core algorithm model for the ‘Smart City’ project was something I had spent three full months building, losing handfuls of hair in the process. I had just sent the final version of the proposal to Arthur last night. Arthur continued: “Here, I want to give special thanks to a key contributor. It was she who conquered the algorithm challenges with her unique perspective and astounding talent!” My heart skipped a beat. Did he finally find his conscience and decide to publicly acknowledge my contributions? I instinctively smoothed my skirt, getting ready to go on stage. “Let’s welcome with warm applause—Carter Capital’s youngest Operations Director, Ms. Chloe Davis!” The spotlight violently hit Chloe. She lifted the hem of her skirt and walked gracefully onto the stage like a princess, a shy yet triumphant smile on her face. My feet were nailed to the floor, my blood running cold. The audience gasped, followed by even more enthusiastic applause and whistles. “What a genius!” “So young and so capable, Mr. Carter has a great eye!” Chloe took the microphone, tears in her eyes: “Thank you to Mr. Carter for his guidance. Actually, I only provided a little bit of inspiration for this proposal; the main credit goes to Mr. Carter’s excellent leadership…” Arthur looked at her with eyes full of adoration, their hands overlapping on the microphone. I stood in the shadows, looking at the glamorous couple on stage, feeling like a complete joke. That algorithm model had a fundamental logic loophole known only to me, a backdoor left to handle extreme market risks. Chloe couldn’t even read a candlestick chart. What the hell kind of “inspiration” did she provide?! After the cocktail party ended, in the underground parking garage. I blocked Arthur’s path. “Why is the ‘Smart City’ proposal credited to Chloe Davis?” Arthur impatiently loosened his tie, reeking of alcohol. “Does it matter whose name is on it? It’s a company project anyway. Chloe is the company’s main focus for promotion right now; she needs this halo. We’re an old married couple; why do you care about these empty titles?” “Empty titles?” I stared at him dead in the eye. “That was three months of my blood, sweat, and tears! You took my hard work to impress your little mistress?” Slap! A resounding slap landed on my face. Arthur pulled his hand back, pointing at me and yelling: “Chloe Vance, watch your mouth! What little mistress? Chloe is a talent! A dirty-minded housewife like you knows nothing about business strategy! Let me tell you, don’t cause trouble for me, or you won’t even get that three-hundred-dollar salary!” Chloe sat in the passenger seat, rolled down the window, and looked at me with an innocent expression: “Sister-in-law, please don’t be angry. I really just wanted to help the company. If it bothers you, I’ll go tell Mr. Carter to change the name back…” “Change what back!” Arthur roared. “Get in the car! Let her reflect on her behavior alone!” The Maybach sped away, leaving me coughing in a cloud of exhaust. 4 The next day was the company’s seventh anniversary, and also the day Arthur promised to make up for our wedding. Seven years ago, we got married with nothing. He promised that when the company went public, he would definitely give me a grand wedding. In the company group chat, HR sent a notification: 【Everyone must attend in formal attire. Mr. Carter has a major announcement!】 I looked at the wedding dress sealed in my closet for seven years, laughed self-deprecatingly, and shoved it into a garbage bag. I changed into a sharp white pantsuit, put on full makeup, stepped into four-inch stilettos, and headed to the company. The anniversary venue was decorated exactly like a wedding, with flowers, balloons, and a champagne tower. Arthur stood in the center of the stage, dressed in a white suit, looking like Prince Charming. Chloe stood next to him, wearing that… My pupils contracted violently. She was wearing the exact wedding dress I had just thrown away! Although the size was altered, I recognized it at a glance. I had hand-stitched the lace trim myself. “Everyone!” Arthur’s face was flushed with excitement. “Today is a double celebration. First, we are celebrating the company’s seventh anniversary. Second, I am announcing that Carter Capital will award 5% of its founder’s shares to the company’s most outstanding employee!” The entire room held its breath. 5% of the founder’s shares was worth at least five million dollars at current market value. Everyone looked at me. After all, I was the veteran who built this company from scratch with Arthur, the undisputed boss’s wife. Even my own heart harbored a sliver of ridiculous hope. Maybe… this was the surprise he had for me? Arthur’s gaze swept over the crowd, finally resting on… Chloe Davis. “She is—Chloe Davis!” Gasps. The entire room was in an uproar. Chloe covered her mouth, looking completely shocked, tears streaming from her eyes. Arthur affectionately took her hand: “Although Chloe hasn’t been with us long, the vitality and innovation she brings are the company’s most valuable assets. This 5% share is exactly what she deserves!” He turned to look at me in the audience, his eyes as cold as ice: “As for Chloe Vance, given her recent negative work attitude and repeated insubordination toward her superiors, not only will she receive no reward, but her performance bonus for this month will be docked. She is demoted to Administrative Assistant, responsible for cleaning and ordering lunches.” The room erupted in laughter. Those employees who used to respectfully call me “Ms. Vance” were now whispering to each other, their eyes full of mockery. “I knew it. An old hag can’t compare to a young girl.” “Administrative Assistant? Isn’t that just a janitor? Hahahaha!” Chloe lifted the hem of her wedding dress, walked up to me, and condescendingly handed me a glass of wine. “Sister-in-law… oh, no, Assistant Vance. The cleanliness of my office will be your responsibility from now on. I toast you with this glass. Thank you for taking such good care of Mr. Carter. From now on, I’ll take over taking care of him.” She deliberately lowered her voice, speaking so only the two of us could hear: “This wedding dress is a bit tight. Sister-in-law, your waist really is thick. And that 5% share? Mr. Carter said it’s the dowry for the future boss’s wife.” She tilted her wine glass, and the red wine poured down my white suit, like an ugly scar. “Oh my! My hand slipped! I’m so sorry, Assistant Vance. You won’t hold it against me, will you?” Chloe cried out exaggeratedly. Arthur frowned: “You can’t even hold a glass of wine. What a piece of trash! Go clean yourself up, stop embarrassing us here!” I looked down at the wine stain spreading across my chest, then up at the “perfect couple” on stage. The mocking laughter around me submerged me like a tsunami. All my grievances, resentment, and anger peaked in this moment, and then— Instantly reset to zero. I raised my hand, wiped the wine from my face, and slowly broke into a brilliant, dazzling smile. I walked onto the stage and snatched the microphone from the MC. “Arthur, weren’t you going to announce some good news? As it happens, I have some too.” Arthur looked at me warily: “What are you doing? Get off the stage!” I pulled a document from inside my jacket and threw it hard against his face. The papers scattered, like confetti floating in the air. “This is the divorce agreement, and—my resignation letter.” I stared into his shocked eyes and articulated every word clearly: “Arthur, keep that 5% share. Use it to buy your coffin.”

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“Wife, you bite so tight…” While doing the deed with my fiancé, I suddenly froze: “What brand are you wearing today? It’s so thin.” The man on top of me worked even harder, speaking faintly: “I’m not wearing one today. Let me stay in a bit longer. Deals have been hard to close lately, and I’m under a lot of stress.” Watching him act so needy, probably no one would believe this was the ruthless, terrifying arms dealer of South America. The only way he relieved stress was by indulging in endless intimacy with me, his childhood sweetheart and fiancée. But tonight might be our last time. It’s all because of the Vance family’s ancestral rule: the heir must personally seek a lucky omen from the ancestral shrine before marrying. However, over the past five years, Arthur Vance has drawn a bad omen 98 times in a row, receiving 98 lashings as punishment. For the 99th time, I decided that if he drew a bad omen again, I would take the punishment with him and beg the Vance family to make an exception and let us marry. When I rushed to the Vance family shrine, Arthur had just drawn a lucky omen—one divining block face up, one face down. But before I could cry out in joy, I saw Arthur flip the face-up block over, turning it into a bad omen! Then, he spoke to his uncle beside him: “Announce to the outside that the omen drawn this time is still a bad one.” I froze in place, my mind going completely blank. The uncle picked up the blocks, looking at Arthur with a complex expression: “Arthur, when you were a kid, you always said that when you became the biggest arms dealer in South America, you’d use ninety-nine arms deals as a dowry for Chloe. Now that you have the power, why do you keep putting it off?” “This is the 99th time you’ve changed a lucky omen to a bad one.” It turns out that the previous 98 times, he had drawn lucky omens! Inside the shrine, Arthur’s voice held a hint of helplessness: “My desire to marry Chloe has never changed. But during the three years Chloe went to Eastern Europe to open up the market, it was Mia who went through life and death with me.” “Mia said the day I got married, she would leave the organization and go to the most dangerous arms circles in Africa. Although I don’t love her, I’m human. After eight years of sharing life and death, I really can’t bear to let her take that risk.” “And what about Chloe Hastings? You change the omen time and time again to delay the wedding. Aren’t you afraid she’ll lose heart and leave?” the uncle pressed. Arthur fell silent for a moment, picked up the whip from the corner, and handed it to his uncle: “That’s why I can never let Chloe know about this. Let the lashing each time be my compensation to her. This time, according to family law, give me ninety-nine lashes.” Outside the door, I covered my mouth tightly to keep from crying out loud. Just then, the phone in my pocket vibrated. It was my mother calling: “Chloe, what was the result of the divination this time? Can you and Arthur get married?” I felt like I had swallowed a dud firecracker; I couldn’t speak. My mother instantly understood and advised me earnestly: “If you haven’t managed to get married in five years, it’s clear he doesn’t truly want to marry you. Listen to Mom, marry into the Thorne family in Europe. The Thornes are no less than the Vances. You definitely won’t suffer any grievances if you marry there. Mom just wants you to be stable and happy.” My eyes fell on the lonely figure dressed in black inside the shrine, and a dense, stabbing pain spread through my heart: “Okay, I agree to marry into the Thorne family.” Chapter 2 Hanging up the phone, Arthur, having just finished his lashing, happened to be helped out of the shrine by his uncle. Seeing me, a flash of panic crossed his eyes: “Chloe, when did you get here?” I forcefully suppressed my surging emotions: “Just as you were receiving the family punishment.” Arthur let out a barely perceptible sigh of relief, grabbed my hand, his face full of guilt: “I’m sorry, it’s a bad omen again this time. Can you wait for me a little longer? Next time, I will definitely draw a lucky omen and marry you.” My nails almost dug into my palms, and I said nothing. The wounds on Arthur’s back were bleeding profusely and needed to be treated at the hospital. In the hospital room, I had just finished applying medication to him and was about to get up when the door was pushed open with a “bang.” It was Mia—clutching an arms inventory list, her eyes red. As soon as she saw the bandages on Arthur’s back, she rushed over, pointed at me, and shrieked: “A bad omen 99 times! It proves the Vance ancestors don’t acknowledge her at all! Why do you insist on marrying her?” Arthur’s face instantly darkened, his voice as cold as ice: “Mia, you are just my second-in-command. Who gave you the authority to meddle in my private affairs?” Mia turned pale and ran out crying. My throat felt sour, and I tried hard to keep my voice steady: “Mia is your second-in-command? Since when?” Arthur’s expression stiffened, then he said with an annoyed tone: “I promised before that whoever secured the arms deal in the Middle East would be my second-in-command. I didn’t expect Mia to be the one to get it.” “It was a public promise; I couldn’t go back on my word and refuse her.” Sensing my silence, he quickly promised: “Don’t worry, as soon as she makes a mistake, I’ll fire her immediately. From the creation of the organization until now, I am truly, truly sick of her.” He says he only loves me, yet he changes the omen time and time again; He says he’s sick of Mia, yet he keeps her by his side as his second-in-command. “I have things to do these next few days. Have the nurse take care of you.” I was afraid I would lose control if I stayed any longer. After saying that, ignoring the disappointment in his eyes, I hurried out of the hospital room. For the next few days, I was busy processing my visa for Europe and handing over the arms deals I was managing. Just as I finished, Arthur called, saying he had a surprise for me. As soon as I got in the car, he covered my eyes with his hands. When we arrived at the destination, I pulled his hands away. Only then did I realize this was the yacht where he had secured his first arms deal and confessed his feelings to me when we were eighteen. A banner hung in the yacht’s restaurant reading, “Celebrating Arthur and Chloe’s 10th Anniversary.” It’s fitting. This relationship started here, and it will end here. Arthur didn’t notice my unusual behavior and put his arm around me as we walked in. He had rented the entire yacht. In the center of the restaurant sat an old-fashioned record player, playing a love song he had recorded himself for me. I looked around: The theme color of the decorations was yellow, a color I dislike. Half of the photos on the photo wall had fallen off. Although it was supposed to be dinner for two, there was only one set of cutlery on the table. Arthur frowned, called the captain over, and demanded: “Why is the setup so terrible?” The captain broke into a cold sweat: “Mr. Vance, it was all done according to Deputy Mia’s instructions. We warned her it was inappropriate, but she said we must do exactly as she ordered…” Arthur looked awful, but his anger quickly subsided. He leaned close to me, trying to coax me: “I’ll punish Mia by making her sweep the armory. Don’t be mad, okay? Today is our anniversary; let’s not let irrelevant people ruin the mood.” I didn’t say anything and sat down silently. When the cake was brought out, I let out a bitter laugh. It was actually a nut and almond cake. It seemed Mia was determined not to let us enjoy this anniversary. “I’m allergic to almonds.” Arthur’s anger finally erupted: “I’m going to find Mia and get this straight!” He stormed out, and I followed him. On the deck, he grabbed Mia’s wrist: “I explained the restaurant setup to you countless times, and I specifically told you Chloe is allergic to almonds. Did you do this on purpose?” Mia shook off his hand, shouting with red eyes: “Yes! I did it on purpose! You wanted me to personally set up your anniversary with her? I couldn’t do it!” Arthur’s eyes softened, but he turned his head away to avoid her gaze: “Chloe and I are childhood sweethearts. I only love her.” Mia gave a miserable smile, her tears hitting the deck: “I really envy her, being able to have your love.” “While I have to watch you two celebrate your anniversary on my birthday. It hurts more than taking a bullet!” Looking at her pained expression, Arthur spoke stiffly: “How about this? I can grant you one wish. After all, you are my subordinate.” “I want to give you my first time, can I?” Mia stood on her tiptoes, kissed his thin lips, and tentatively reached to unbuckle his belt. The moment the belt was about to be unfastened, Arthur abruptly spun Mia around and pinned her against the deck railing. With a rip, fabric tore. The tent that had long been pitched forcefully forced its way in. Even though I had already decided to let go, the scene before me still felt like a bullet piercing my heart. Arthur didn’t return to the restaurant until an hour later, with Mia following behind him. He put his arm around me like nothing had happened: “Chloe, I just punished her severely. Now I’ve brought her to apologize to you in person.” Mia readily admitted her fault: “I’m sorry, Miss Hastings. It was my negligence at work. I hope you can forgive me, considering Mr. Vance has already ‘punished’ me.” With that, she gave me a somewhat smug look, turned, and left. I closed my eyes and forced a faint smile. “Arthur, let’s break up. My mom has arranged a marriage for me in Europe.” Chapter 3 But he didn’t hear me. Because from outside the yacht came the panicked cry of Mia falling into the water. Arthur dropped me and rushed out wildly. Not long after, my phone dinged—it was a message from Mia: [Did you think Arthur making me apologize meant he hated me?] [Let me tell you, he just took my virginity and said he was making it up to me.] [Now I just accidentally fell into the water, and he abandoned your anniversary to take me to the hospital.] [I’ve been more important to him than you for a long time now!] I stood on the deck, watching the familiar Maybach slowly disappear, and laughed self-deprecatingly. Back at my place, I started packing for Europe. Meanwhile, Arthur, who had said he would be “right back,” was completely MIA the entire afternoon. It wasn’t until late at night that he sent a message: [Chloe, Mia got a terrible fright from falling in the water. The doctor says she could spike a high fever at any moment and needs someone with her. This happened because of me, so I can’t just leave her. We’ll celebrate our anniversary in a few days, don’t be mad, okay?] I didn’t reply. Early the next morning, there was a frantic knocking at the door. I opened it to an anxious Arthur: “Why didn’t you reply to my messages last night? Are you still mad?” “I was too tired from packing and fell asleep,” I brushed him off casually. He saw the black suitcase in the living room and grabbed me in a panic: “Where are you going?” “To Europe.” I broke free from his grip. Hearing this, he sighed in relief: “Going to see your parents? When do you leave? I’ll have someone prepare some gifts for you to take. Say hello to them for me.” “Tonight’s flight.” “Okay, I’ll take you to the airport. But come back soon, I’ll miss you.” He added a touch of neediness to that last sentence. Arthur didn’t think much of it and closed the door for me. “There happens to be a gathering of old organization members today. Let’s go together.” I didn’t refuse. Once I went to Europe, I’d probably never see these people again. When getting in the car, I saw Mia sitting in the passenger seat, her leg wrapped in bandages. Arthur immediately explained: “Her leg is injured, she can’t move around easily, so she’s riding with us.” I nodded calmly: “I understand.” The car quickly arrived at the private club. In the private room, we became the center of attention as soon as we entered. “I can’t believe after all these years, our cartel IT couple is still inseparable. Your relationship is as good as ever.” “Yeah, yeah! You guys must be married by now, right? Any kids?” Before we could speak, Mia jumped in: “Don’t talk nonsense, they aren’t married! Mr. Vance’s marriage has to follow the ancestral rules, it’s not set yet!” Arthur’s face darkened. He put his arm around my shoulder, his thumb rubbing the bullet casing ring on my ring finger, which he had polished himself: “I just haven’t drawn a lucky omen yet. Once I do, I’ll invite everyone to my private island for the wedding.” Just then, someone brought out an iron box: “Everyone’s here! Let’s see if the ‘Arms Oaths’ we wrote back then have come true!” As soon as he spoke, everyone became lively. “Come on, come on! Let’s pour them out one by one and read them aloud in front of everyone. That’s the fun part!” The first was Arthur’s: [After taking control of the Vance arms empire, I will immediately use 99 arms deals as a dowry to marry Chloe Hastings and make her my Cartel Queen.] The second was mine: [Be Arthur’s most trusted support, marry him, and have his children.] The third was Mia’s: [Stay by Arthur’s side forever.] Mia smiled smugly: “I’m the only one whose wish came true. I’m his second-in-command now, and I can stay with him forever.” The crowd looked at her with disdain, looking down on her for being a homewrecker. But a drunk arms dealer stumbled over and joined the commotion: “How about this? Since Mr. Vance doesn’t want you, why don’t you get with me? I guarantee you’ll live a life of luxury in the arms circle!” Saying this, he opened his reeking mouth and leaned in. Arthur abruptly stood up, shoved the man away, shielded Mia behind him, and said coldly: “Who says I don’t want her? She is my woman now. Who dares touch her?” Chapter 4 I felt a little breathless and turned to leave the private room. Behind me came Arthur’s panicked voice: “Chloe, listen to me explain! I was just helping Mia out of a tough spot. She’s my subordinate; I couldn’t just watch her get bullied!” I pulled my hand back and smiled calmly: “No need to explain, I understand.” I understood that those were his true feelings. Despite getting the answer he wanted, Arthur didn’t feel relieved. That sense of panic surged within him again, and he reached for my wrist. “Chloe, why are you…” Before he could finish, Mia ran after him, crying: “Arthur, my leg still hurts. Can you take me home…” Arthur hesitated for a second, and the taxi I had called arrived just in time. I didn’t look at them again and got straight into the car. Back home, I shipped my luggage to Europe, keeping only a backpack. The knocking sounded again. Arthur grabbed my wrist and roared: “Why did you bribe Mia’s family to come to the organization and make a scene, forcing her to quit and go back to her hometown to marry some senile old man?!” Behind him, Mia was crying a river of tears: “Chloe, I just wanted to stay by Arthur’s side. Why are you so vicious?” “Do you know how hard it was for me to escape my family and join the organization? I don’t want to leave! I don’t want to go back to the countryside and marry an old man!” I was completely confused: “Bribe her family? I don’t know anything about that!” Arthur was convinced I was lying: “Her family personally said a woman named Hastings gave them money to make a scene! If I hadn’t stopped them, she would have been tied up and taken away!” He suddenly let go, and I fell to the ground, scraping my palms. He looked at my wounds, his hands unconsciously tightening. Back when I got scraped during training, he used to be this nervous too. But seeing Mia’s tears, he hardened his heart: “Apologize to Mia.” I chuckled: “I didn’t do anything wrong, why should I apologize?” Seeing my refusal to bow my head, Arthur’s face grew even colder: “When it comes to the divination, the Vance ancestors won’t let a woman with wicked intentions become my wife. Chloe, you need to think carefully.” With that, he pulled Mia away. The sound of his leather boots clicking against the floor felt like a death sentence for our relationship. My phone chimed—a message from my mother: [Chloe, the marriage alliance is all set up. The other party offered a city as a dowry. You just need to come back and be a beautiful, happy bride.] Turning off the screen, I grabbed my backpack and headed to the airport. From now on, I will walk toward a new, happy life that belongs to me. And in this happy life, there will be no Arthur Vance. … Meanwhile, Arthur stayed by Mia’s side, guarding against her family returning to cause trouble. Suddenly, the cartel group chat exploded with messages: [Did you hear? The mafia godfather in Europe is getting married. I even got an invitation.] [I thought that guy was never going to marry. I want to see who finally managed to tie him down.] Arthur was also curious and scrolled through the messages. Suddenly, his eyes widened as if he had seen something utterly terrifying. The next instant, the names of the groom and bride blazed into his eyes— Groom: Silas Thorne Bride: Chloe Hastings

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My daughter and my husband’s godson were diagnosed with acute leukemia at the same time. The doctor said cord blood could save their lives. His adopted sister, Mia, knelt before me holding her child, kowtowing over a hundred times. “Chloe, please give the cord blood to me. Leo’s father died right after he was born, and I didn’t save any cord blood. Just have pity on us, mother and son.” “Leo is my only child, please save him.” I firmly rejected her pleas, unwilling to gamble with my daughter’s life. However, on the day of my daughter’s surgery, Arthur ran me over with his car, leaving me severely injured. The tires rolled back and forth over my thigh bones; the pain was so intense I nearly lost consciousness. He looked at me struggling in a pool of blood, his eyes full of complex emotions. “Chloe, I’m sorry. I had to do this for Leo.” “You shouldn’t have fought Mia for the cord blood. Leo’s condition is much worse than our daughter’s; if we have to save someone, it has to be him first.” I was rushed to the hospital for emergency treatment, while he turned around and took the cord blood to save Mia’s son. It wasn’t until I woke up in the hospital room that all I received was my daughter’s death certificate. 1 [Death caused by asphyxiation resulting from intracranial hemorrhage.] These stark words were printed on Joy’s death certificate. My hands trembled, and my vision gradually blurred. Boisterous noise drifted in from outside the hospital room. Many people had gathered to celebrate the successful surgery of Mia’s son. Arthur was especially radiant; holding Leo in his arms, he gently squeezed his little hand. “I knew Leo had a great destiny. The surgery was very successful, and now our Leo can grow up healthy just like other kids!” This sentence pierced my chest like a sharp blade. My daughter Joy, just over a month old, could have grown up healthy too. But now, she was dead in this hospital. Large teardrops instantly fell onto that piece of paper. When Arthur stepped into the hospital room, Mother Vance and Mia were right behind him. Seeing I was awake, his face beamed with joy, and he held Leo out for me to see. “Chloe, look! Leo’s treatment was very successful! I can hardly believe it; the doctor originally said the chances of success were very low.” “Leo truly is a lucky star…” Before he could finish, he looked up and met my bloodshot eyes. For a moment, all his words choked in his throat. Arthur also remembered what he had done to me to save Leo, a flash of guilt passing through his eyes. At that moment, Mia walked to my bedside and, without a word, knelt down before me. “Chloe, thank you. If it weren’t for you, Leo’s surgery wouldn’t have been successful!” Seeing her kneel, Arthur and Mother Vance were overwhelmed with heartache. Mother Vance looked at me with extreme impatience and pulled Mia up. “Alright, the gesture is enough. Her daughter was so sick, she should have given the cord blood to Leo anyway.” They were still immersed in the joy of Mia’s son recovering his health. But no one knew that my daughter was already dead. Seeing my dazed expression, Arthur sighed. “The most important thing for you now is to rest and heal. I had no choice. No matter what, Leo is my godson, and my mom loves him so much.” “Whether you hate me or resent me, don’t go looking for trouble with Mia. I will figure out another way for Joy’s illness.” He admitted to what he did, but there wasn’t a hint of regret in his eyes. For an outsider’s son, he could even abandon his own biological daughter! My heart plummeted, and with bloodshot eyes, I met his gaze. “Joy just passed her one-month mark. Did you even think about her? She is your biological daughter!” “You are all so selfish. Did you ever think about what would happen to my daughter?!” Chapter 2 My emotions were near collapse as I questioned them like a madwoman. Leo was scared by my shouting and started crying loudly. Arthur’s face turned pale, and Mother Vance trembled with anger. She pointed at my nose and scolded. “My son staying with someone like you is just wasting the rest of his life!” “My old bones just want to hold a grandson. If you hadn’t given birth to that sickly, worthless girl, I would have had a grandson long ago!” Mother Vance was typically biased towards boys. Since I gave birth to Joy, She had been spreading rumors everywhere that it was all my fault. That if my genes weren’t bad, I wouldn’t have given birth to a daughter with congenital deficiencies. Mother Vance left after throwing a tantrum. Arthur continuously comforted Leo in his arms, his eyes looking at me with extreme complexity. After they left, the hospital room returned to silence. It wasn’t until a nurse came in to give me an IV that I spoke hoarsely. “Do you know where my daughter’s body is? I want to see her.” As my words fell, the nurse looked at me in surprise. “Hasn’t your daughter already been donated to our hospital? The child’s father has already signed the papers.” “She’s now in the specimen room…” 2 My head buzzed, not understanding what the nurse meant. “What specimen? Where is my daughter?” My eyes widened, my lips trembling, as I tried to drag my broken leg to leave the room. The nurse was scared by my drastic reaction. She stopped me while trying to calm me down. “Mrs. Vance, you just had surgery, you can’t get out of bed yet.” “Your husband signed the body donation agreement, which will contribute to the entire medical field. Please calm down first.” The moment my freshly operated leg touched the ground, the severe pain made my vision go black. Blood spilled all over the floor as the wound tore open. The nurse kept trying to dissuade me, but I tightly grabbed her hand. “I want to see my daughter! I never agreed! She was just a month old, what right does your hospital have to take her for research!” Seeing my frantic state, the nurse had no choice but to take me to the specimen room. I saw Joy at a glance. I stood rooted to the spot, my trembling fingertips pressed against the glass. She was soaked in formalin, her face a dark, bruised color. She would never open her eyes again. “Your hospital is breaking the law! I never agreed to donate her body!” I roared silently, my fists continuously pounding against the glass. The nurse tried to stop me but couldn’t. The commotion quickly attracted security guards, who forcefully dragged me out of the specimen room. The nurse looked at me with deep sympathy. She showed me the body donation agreement, and Arthur’s signature was indeed on it. “Please accept my condolences.” I stared blankly at Arthur’s name, a metallic taste of blood suddenly rising in my throat. A long while later, I staggered to my feet and looked up, only to see Arthur not far down the corridor. Beside him, Mia was teasing the child lying in his arms. Anyone who didn’t know better would think they were a family of three. I stumbled over to him and fiercely grabbed his collar. “Why did you do this?! Why did you treat Joy like this? She was your daughter! She was the child I carried for ten months and barely survived bringing into this world!” My roar echoed through the hospital corridor, and people passing by stopped to look. Faced with my questioning, Arthur’s face was as dark as ink. He held the child in his arms tightly and forcefully swatted my hand away. “What crazy fit are you throwing? You’re injured, shouldn’t you be resting in bed instead of causing a scene in front of me?” “Didn’t I tell you? I’ll figure something else out for Joy. Medical care is better abroad. I won’t let our daughter suffer.” Chapter 3 I sneered, my eyes red. The image of Joy’s body in the specimen room lingered in my mind, refusing to fade. She was still so small, her organs hollowed out, turned into a specimen. Forever submerged in a tank of formalin. Even so, Arthur was still playing dumb. Mia shielded the child behind her, looking at me nervously. “Chloe, if you have any grievances, take them out on me. Don’t blame Arthur; he did it all for me.” “Don’t let me ruin the relationship between you two…” Although Mia was speaking words of apology, I caught the glint of triumph flashing in her eyes. I instantly understood. If it weren’t for Arthur’s indulgence, my daughter wouldn’t have died, nor would she have been turned into a specimen. My hands hung limply at my sides, tears shimmering in my eyes. Looking at my blood-soaked state, Arthur’s tone softened involuntarily. “Don’t worry, I do what I say. There’s no need for you to make a scene here.” “I already promised to give our daughter the best treatment. With leukemia, she could only live for three years at most. You might as well let her go early…” “We are still young. We can have another healthy child.” He had said this to me countless times since Joy was born. “Arthur, you really don’t deserve to be a father.” Rather than having Joy spend her whole life in a hospital, it was better to take her away. And never return. 3 I stayed in the hospital for a full month before being allowed to be discharged. During this time, Arthur tried multiple times to mend our relationship, but I ignored him every time. Gradually, he lost patience too. He seemed to have forgotten he even had a daughter, pouring all his energy into Leo. It wasn’t until I was discharged that Arthur came looking for me. “Leo has recovered very well. Mom wants us to go back to the old house for dinner to celebrate.” Seeing I remained silent, he sat beside me and squeezed my hand. “I know you’re still angry about that. Don’t worry, I’ve already contacted doctors abroad. In a little while, we’ll send Joy abroad for treatment…” “How long has it been since you went to see Joy?” I suddenly interrupted him. He still didn’t know Joy had passed away, and I no longer cared to correct him. Arthur’s face stiffened. He seemed to recall that he indeed hadn’t checked on his daughter for a long time. Just as he was about to say something else, I stood up first, creating distance between us. “Didn’t you say we’re going back to the old house for dinner? Let’s go.” Arthur agreed and followed closely behind me, his gaze frequently landing on me. When we arrived at the old house, Mia was there too. She smiled politely at me. The child in her arms had already been nourished to a fair and plump state. I felt a bit dazed. If Joy were still alive, I would definitely have raised her even better. “Chloe, you don’t mind me being here, do you?” Catching my gaze, Mia became even more protective of her son. “It’s just that Mom specially asked me to come over today too…” “I don’t mind.” I dropped that casual remark and walked past her. The dinner was anything but harmonious. Arthur sat close to Mia, looking at Leo with eyes full of fatherly love. Mother Vance also couldn’t get enough of this grandson. I sat silently in the corner. Until Mother Vance’s attention finally landed on me. She let out a cold snort and suddenly spoke. “Chloe, you carrying that burden Joy around is already dragging our Arthur down.” “So I want you two to divorce, and let Arthur marry Mia.” “Leo’s father passed away, and he needs a new father. Don’t worry, whatever amount of money you want, I can give it to you.” Chapter 4 As soon as Mother Vance finished speaking, the chopsticks in Arthur’s hand fell to the floor. He stared at Mother Vance with wide eyes in disbelief. “Mom! Didn’t I tell you not to bring this up again!” “Besides, Chloe and I, and Joy…” He instinctively looked at me as he spoke. “Mia grew up with you, and Leo is your godson. He’s still so young, and his condition just stabilized. If you become his father, there’ll be someone to take care of him.” Hearing this, Arthur pressed his lips tightly together and didn’t argue back. I knew he was hesitating. His eyes showed a lack of resolve. Beside him, Mia spoke understandingly. “Arthur, it’s okay if you don’t want to. I will take good care of Leo. Don’t feel put on the spot because of me.” Mother Vance kept urging him from the side. His gaze lingered on me constantly, and after a long while, he finally sighed. “Chloe, you heard it too. I really have no choice.” “How about we divorce first, and when Leo grows up, we remarry.” This sentence made my clenched fists slowly open, and the hope at the bottom of my heart completely dissipated. He truly always chose someone else. I didn’t refuse, just nodded and put down my chopsticks. “Alright, when are we going to the courthouse? Now?” 4 Arthur didn’t expect me to agree so readily. For a moment, the expressions on his face shifted constantly. Seeing they weren’t speaking, and unwilling to stay there any longer, I prepared to leave. But Arthur called out to me. “I promise, as soon as Leo doesn’t need me anymore, we’ll remarry.” “During this time, I will support you and our daughter, and I’ll be a responsible father.” I didn’t respond to his promise. After leaving the Vance family mansion, I went straight to the hospital. I was going to take my daughter away. Even if she had become a specimen, she was still my daughter. Ignoring the hospital staff’s attempts to stop me, I charged straight into the specimen room. The doctors chased after me. “Mrs. Vance, your daughter’s body donation was consented to by her father. We followed legal procedures.” “I understand your feelings right now, but you can’t just take her away like this.” Deaf to their protests, I grabbed a fire extinguisher and repeatedly smashed the formalin container. The glass shattered with a crash, the sharp shards cutting my palms. I tightly hugged my daughter’s shriveled corpse, glaring resentfully at those doctors. “I am the child’s mother. Without my consent, you have no right to take my daughter away.” The doctors were frightened by my manic state. Unable to stop me, they contacted Arthur and Mia. By the time they arrived, I was still entangled with several doctors. Mia shouted loudly. “Chloe, stop making a scene, okay? It’s one thing if you’re unhappy with us, but why cause a ruckus at the hospital? These specimens are very helpful for the hospital’s research!” On the surface, Mia was trying to stop me, but her words were entirely meant to remind me that it was Arthur who signed the body donation form, which led to Joy becoming a specimen. Joy had a chance to be saved; it was all because of them. Meeting my bloodshot eyes and seeing the mess on the floor, Arthur instinctively frowned. “You say you don’t care, but now you’re making a huge scene at the hospital. Have you ever considered my face?” I held Joy tightly in my arms, tears shimmering in my eyes. “Didn’t you want to marry Mia? I’m stepping aside for you.” I took large strides past him. He had never seen me like this before and yelled after me. “Chloe! If you leave, don’t ever come back.” I didn’t pause for a moment. My daughter and I would, as he wished, never come back.

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Married for seven years, Arthur’s scandals never ceased. So, when he heard that I wanted a divorce over a rumor, he raised an eyebrow, surprised and contemptuous: “It’s just playing along for the occasion. Is it really worth making a fuss over?” My voice trembled: “And the child? Is that playing along too?” The man froze slightly, then after a long moment, gave a soft laugh: “You saw it?” The pregnancy test report in his pocket was so blatant it stung the eyes. My gaze was stubborn, demanding an explanation. The man stubbed out his cigarette, his tone chilling: “The Sterling family has had only one heir for three generations. It can’t end with me. You can’t have children, but she can. Is there a problem with that?” 1 The night was heavy, the living room terrifyingly quiet. A servant was head down, sweeping up the shattered porcelain on the floor. My face was pale, my palms clenched so tight they bled. The man caught sight of the pregnancy test report in my hand, lowered his eyes, and casually lit a cigarette, showing no intention of explaining. My voice trembled: “I can’t give birth, so you find someone else to do it for me?” He bit the cigarette, his expression brazen: “Isn’t this great? You don’t have to suffer through pregnancy, and you get to keep your position as Mrs. Sterling.” “But two years ago, you clearly said it didn’t matter whether we had kids or not!” The man blew a smoke ring: “Our family has had only one heir for three generations. It can’t end with me.” “After being married for so many years, my mom just wants a grandson. Is there a problem with that?” His self-righteous tone and indifferent attitude challenged my sanity at every turn. How could he have the nerve to spout such high-sounding, bastardly nonsense? A wave of nausea violently surged up my throat. I bent over, dry heaving intensely. He waited for me to recover before looking up, saying airily: “If you’re not satisfied, we can divorce. However, according to the prenuptial agreement, your house, your car, your jewelry… even the cemetery plot I paid to move your mother to, I will take back every single piece.” “The question is, can you bear to let it all go, Chloe?” My eyelashes fluttered violently, and I clenched my bleeding palms tight. The man’s arrogant posture and the disdain seeping from his bones seemed completely unchanged from years ago. I laughed softly, sounding like self-mockery. I asked an incredibly stupid question: “Arthur, do you still love me?” The cigarette at his fingertips burned to the end. He looked up, somewhat impatient: “I gave you the position of Mrs. Sterling. Is that not enough?” During the silent standoff. He answered a call from his assistant, saying the flight to London was about to take off. Before leaving, he left me with one sentence: “Choose for yourself. Walk away with nothing, or continue being the glamorous Mrs. Sterling.” My smile was probably a pathetic sight, and tears fell: “Arthur, you really are incredibly stingy.” Stingy from beginning to end, never changing. His Adam’s apple bobbed lightly, but he said nothing more. After all, back then at the club. He was the most difficult client to serve. A new girl only had to act a little cute, and he’d open bottles of Lafite worth thousands for her. But I stood in front of him holding wine for half the night, and he would only slowly raise his eyes, asking knowingly: “What? You want some too?” Others said he was laid-back and easy to talk to, but I found him malicious and stingy. Not only did he have many demands, but he frequently went back on his word. It wasn’t until he tormented me to the point of passing out. That he would snap his fingers, signaling the bartender to open a few bottles of champagne. I should have seen it earlier. He was a man incorrigibly unruly to his very core. It’s just that no one expected he would later risk breaking with his family to marry me. 2 Four years ago, late at night when I jumped into the river, it was Arthur who fished me out of the water. The river wind was piercing. I hugged my mother’s urn, just wanting to sink. He and his buddies were driving by in a sports car and caught a glimpse of a figure in the water. He hadn’t planned on getting involved. Until he unexpectedly saw the white jade bracelet left on the railing—the first gift he gave me when I agreed to be with him. His buddy joked: “Haven’t heard from your little mistress in a week, right? Did she see you kissing another girl, get depressed, and jump into the river?” Tires screeched harshly against the pavement. Before his buddy could even finish his sentence, Arthur had already jumped off the bridge. I never thought I would be saved. No gratitude, only numbness. This usually laid-back, relaxed young master was soaked to the bone, furious to the extreme at this moment, scolding me harshly. But water was in my ears; I couldn’t hear a word he was saying. I only instinctively tried to break free from him. The result was him pressing me tightly into his chest. “If you fucking dare try to jump again, see what happens!” I closed my eyes, thinking to myself. So unlucky. Didn’t die this time. But it’s fine, there’s always a next time. But the second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth time… I was stopped by Arthur every single time. He was clearly the stingiest person in the club, the one who loved to make things difficult for me the most, yet he repeatedly risked his life to save me. Until the seventh time. Arthur finally realized that I truly didn’t want to live. He gritted his teeth and said: “Can’t you survive alone? Chloe, can you fucking have some spine!” Choking on water, my eyes red, I broke free from his embrace without a word and walked toward the riverbank without looking back. The man forcefully yanked me back: “Don’t forget you still owe me hundreds of thousands! If you die, who am I supposed to collect the debt from?!” “Look at how you’ve tortured yourself over a dead person!” I finally screamed hysterically: “You don’t understand at all! What do you mean ‘a dead person’?! That was my mom! My biological mother! The only person in the world who would ever love me!” My voice trembled violently: “You have no idea what my mom meant to me! You only mock her, laughing that she’s an unpresentable hostess, laughing that I’m as lowly as her, following in her footsteps, relying on men for money!” “Do you think I enjoy clinging to you? Enjoy looking at your arrogant face?” “I just… just wanted her to live a few more years…” All my obedience was calculated, just to squeeze out a little more money. Arthur’s face gradually darkened. That time, he didn’t say another word. I wiped the tears from the corners of my eyes and turned to walk toward the river. If nothing unexpected happened, I would die in the coldest winter New York had ever seen. But as I was about to jump, footsteps sounded behind me again. Cold knuckles suddenly wrapped around my waist. The man pressed my head tightly against his chest. His breathing heaved violently, our wet heartbeats pressed together. He rested his chin on my head, speaking slowly and with difficulty: “Then let me love you. Don’t die, okay?” “From now on, I will be your closest, closest family. We’ll get married. I’ll stay with you for the rest of my life. Don’t die, Chloe, please?” A lifetime, huh. That really is a very, very long time. I bit down hard on his shoulder. Tears rolled down my cheeks. Why did he have to say such nonsense when I was at my most fragile and helpless? 3 But life is not a fairytale. Moreover, the class divide between him and me was massive. His mother’s words were sharp; she absolutely refused to allow me into the family. At that time, the Sterling family had just emerged from the shadow of bankruptcy. If they married an unpresentable woman, they would be laughed to death in their circle. But Arthur didn’t care. For the first time, he reined in his cynical, laid-back attitude and declared in front of all the media that he would marry no one but me. Later, the day I wore a million-dollar wedding dress and walked down the aisle, I naively thought that God finally took pity on me. It had stripped away my only familial love, but bestowed upon me a steadfast, unwavering romantic love. To prove myself worthy of the title Mrs. Sterling, I forced myself to learn etiquette, how to advance and retreat gracefully. I even repeatedly practiced the exact angle to lift my skirt hem. But that past in the club was still dug up by the media. They laughed at me for being a clumsy clown, their words full of mockery regarding my background. Even Arthur occasionally took pleasure in tearing off my mask. The dignified, proper evening gown was impatiently torn open. The man watched with amusement as my eyes grew red from holding back, pinching my cheek and saying: “It’s fine to pretend with others, but what are you pretending with me for? Like I don’t know what you used to be like?” His nature was inherently unruly. So most of the time, he preferred to lean close to my ear, panting, deliberately bringing up my most humiliating past. Hearing my voice tremble, he would slowly trace the curve of my waist: “What, the games we played at the club before, we can’t play now that you’re Mrs. Sterling?” The reliance a drowning person has on a piece of driftwood is too easily mistaken for love. In the face of the massive class disparity. Only by constantly hypnotizing myself that it was love could I endure those degradations. 4 Late at night, the living room returned to silence. In the early hours, holding my mother’s photo, I controlled my trembling hands and wiped it over and over again. I think I regret lying to her. Before she passed, to give her some peace of mind, I lied and said I had a boyfriend. His name is Arthur. He buys me dresses, bags, and necklaces. He would stay up all night with me when I fainted from a fever. I lied and told her Arthur loves me very, very much. My mom truly believed I had found someone good to rely on. The day she left, she was very peaceful. Tears hit the picture frame, falling faster the more I wiped. It wasn’t until the blood from my palm blurred that gently smiling face that I finally admitted it to myself. There will never be another person in this world who loves me unreservedly and asks for nothing in return like she did. Never. I had asked Arthur countless times before going to sleep— Do you love me? He would only reply perfunctorily that he loved me, very much, and could I please let him sleep. Later, when he got annoyed with the question, he would say: “We’ve been married for so many years, isn’t this childish? Is love really that important?” Important. Of course, it’s important. It was the spiritual pillar keeping me alive. But now, this fake affection had been thoroughly ripped apart by Arthur. He slept with another woman and had a child. A sudden phone ring broke the silence at this moment. It took me a long time to sluggishly realize. It was already broad daylight outside. When the call connected, Mother Sterling’s voice was as cold as ever: “You already know about the child, right?” I clenched my palm, the blood now dried. My voice was so hoarse I couldn’t speak. She paused, her tone softening slightly: “I heard you and Arthur had a fight. It’s fine for a couple to bicker, but that child is the root of the Sterling family. Arthur and I have discussed it, this child must be born.” “I know you’re unhappy about it, but the Sterling family’s rules are laid out here. With such high status, how can we not have a child?” The cold moonlight flowed through the window onto my feet. Listening to her, I felt as if I had returned to the freezing river water. Suddenly, I felt a wave of nausea and dry heaved a few times. But nothing came up. I hadn’t touched a bite of the fish last night. When she finished speaking, I spoke numbly: “Since he is the father of the child, he should be by the child’s side. Why run back and forth?” Mother Sterling immediately became alert: “What do you mean?” My voice was heavy with fatigue. I squeezed my fingers; the blood had dried, so I couldn’t feel the pain anymore. “Nothing. You voluntarily gift me eighty million in your personal capacity. I will divorce him, step aside, go abroad, and never come back.” The prenuptial agreement that ensured I would leave with nothing was painstakingly crafted by over a dozen lawyers she had hired. To ensure I couldn’t exploit any legal loopholes. Her stinginess and calculation were inherited in the same vein; she and Arthur truly were mother and son. Now that I asked for the money directly, it bypassed the agreement entirely. Mother Sterling sneered: “Chloe, I really wasn’t wrong about you.” A selfish, greedy, shameless woman. Anyway, that’s what she had thought of me from beginning to end. The call ended. I slid down the cold wall and sat on the floor. A continuous dull ache from my lower abdomen made the ominous premonition grow heavier. My period was already nearly twenty days late.

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In the fifth year of my relationship with Julian, we had another explosive argument. He grabbed his keys and stormed out the door, choosing the silent treatment once again. I sat quietly on the sofa. After holding it in for a while, I started scrolling through TikTok, giggling at the videos. At 2 AM, I was woken up by a phone call. Julian’s voice on the other end was cold enough to freeze water: “I’ve been outside until now, and you haven’t called me once?” Only then did I awkwardly remember he was still wandering around in the freezing snow. I said, embarrassed, “Uh, how about… you just don’t come back, and we call it quits?” 1 After I said that, the other end of the line fell into a brief silence. Then, with a click, the call disconnected. I was so sleepy I couldn’t keep my eyes open. I rolled over and comfortably fell back asleep in my warm bed. When I woke up the next day, I heard rustling noises in the living room. I went out and saw Julian packing his bags. He acted as if he didn’t see me, just keeping his head down and shoving everything into his suitcase. I stood there frowning, watching him for a while, terrified he might accidentally pack my things. When he finally finished packing and zipped up the suitcase, he said flatly: “You should calm down for a bit. Let’s not contact each other for a while.” That sentence sounded familiar. It seemed like this happened last year too. We had a huge fight, and he grabbed his keys to leave. I broke down, pulling on him: “Why are you doing this again? Why do you always leave me alone? Can’t we just talk things out face-to-face? Why are you always running away?!” He really didn’t leave that time. He turned around and locked himself in the bedroom. But when my emotions had slightly calmed down, I saw him come out carrying a suitcase. His voice was detached and calm, completely unlike my hysteria. “Take a few days to calm down. We’ll talk later.” For over half a month after that, he really didn’t contact me. All the messages I sent and the calls I made sank like stones in the ocean, receiving no response. I was completely overwhelmed back then, crying so much every day I couldn’t sleep. In the end, I actually swallowed my pride and sent a message begging for forgiveness. Once it happens once, it happens again. Julian realized the silent treatment worked exceptionally well. I would get over it without him needing to coax me, so he started engaging in frequent cold wars with me. From my initial desperate craving for a response, I gradually learned to digest it all on my own. The process in between… only I know how I endured it. Right now, he was standing in front of me with his suitcase, just like last year. His expression was flat, seemingly devoid of any emotion, and he even generously advised me: “Don’t overthink things. Eat well, work hard. It’s not like you have nothing else to do besides clinging to me.” I rubbed my sleep-filled eyes and agreed casually: “Mhm. Be careful on the road.” Julian’s originally detached expression stiffened slightly. He clearly hadn’t expected me to not offer a single word asking him to stay. I took two steps toward the bathroom, remembered something, and turned back to remind him: “You packed your summer clothes too, right? If you can carry them, take them all today so you don’t have to make another trip.” His face looked awful. Without a word, he slammed the door and left. My heart instantly relaxed. It was great. All of this was finally over. 2 Today is Saturday. In the past, I would always pester Julian to spend the weekend with me. Later, Julian found the perfect strategy to deal with me. As soon as we argued, he would pack his bags and leave. And he would be gone for at least half a month. I was forced to get used to spending holiday after holiday alone. From initially sending paragraph after paragraph of hysterical text messages, to gradually becoming numb and detached, and finally returning to my single self—happily spending my days off with friends. That entire process took just one year. I cooked myself a steaming bowl of pork and century egg congee. After eating, I curled up on the sofa, petting my cat and watching a horror movie. The weather outside was gloomy, with a cold winter rain drizzling down. I had the heater on, enjoying a cozy, solitary moment. After the movie ended, I made a hot drink and casually scrolled through Instagram. I didn’t expect the very first post to be from Julian. 【On a business trip with Ms. Hayes.】 The attached photo was a selfie of him and Elena at the airport, their arms around each other’s shoulders. Elena was his college classmate and business partner. They had a very close relationship. Every time Julian and I had a cold war, the two of them would go on a long business trip alone together. The first time I found out, I agonized over it for a long time. I didn’t know if they were just colleagues, or if there was really something going on. Until the second cold war, and the third… Julian invariably dragged Elena along on out-of-town business trips, leaving me alone at home. I started frantically messaging and calling Julian, demanding to know what he was playing at, why he went on a business trip every time we fought, and why he brought Elena every single time. He usually brought his assistant on business trips, so why, when he traveled with Elena, did he not even bring an assistant? Three days later, Julian finally replied with a few detached words: 【Think whatever you want.】 Then he went radio silent again, not replying with a single word. I knew right then there was no point in continuing the relationship. Wiping my tears, with trembling hands, I typed a few words: 【Then let’s break up.】 I then turned off my phone, forbidding myself from acting crazy or making a fool of myself, and threw myself into work to distract myself. A few minutes later, my phone buzzed. I couldn’t even last three minutes before picking it up to check. It was messages from work group chats. It was ad notifications from various apps. It was a text from the bank wishing me a happy birthday. It wasn’t until 9 PM that a message with Julian’s name finally popped up. Two short, cold words. 【Suit yourself.】 I completely broke down, burying myself in my bed and sobbing loudly. While crying, I sent messages accusing him of never loving me, detailing every disappointment and instance of neglect I had felt from him, trying to awaken a shred of guilt in him, trying to make him realize he failed in this relationship. But everything sank like a stone in the ocean, as usual. It was as if there was no one on the other end. Or rather, he couldn’t even be bothered to read a single sentence. Scrolling through his Instagram, I saw a photo of him and Elena having dinner with clients. The atmosphere was joyful, and everyone was smiling happily. It was like a bucket of cold water poured over my head. I clearly saw myself as a clown, jumping around desperately but only making a fool of myself. My rationality clearly told me he was not a good man. I finally stopped sending messages. But my life became a blur. I tried hard to act like everyone else, but everything became mechanical and numb. Only when I dragged my exhausted body home and looked at the empty apartment could I not help but squat down and cry. I knew there was a high probability he was a piece of trash. But I missed him terribly. I knew I was incompetent and fragile, but pretending to be normal had exhausted all my strength. In the dark of the night, I allowed myself to agonizingly miss him. I didn’t know when the end would come. It wasn’t until thirty-six days later that he finally contacted me again. 【Have you calmed down?】 【Are we still breaking up?】 I stared numbly at that message. A message that arrived far too late could no longer spark my anticipation or excitement. I slowly typed two words: 【Whatever.】 He sent a voice memo. “I got you a birthday present. I’m heading back now.” His voice was light and carried a smile. There seemed to be another woman’s laughter beside him. That laugh was very distinct; it was Elena’s voice. Even through the phone screen, I could imagine the two of them getting off the plane, travel-worn but in high spirits. Unlike me. I was like a filthy, trapped beast locked in a cage. All my agonizing internal struggles hadn’t affected Julian in the slightest. Everything I felt in this relationship seemed to be just my own paranoid, self-directed drama. While Julian was magnanimous and stable; he tolerated me. 3 My thoughts returned to the Instagram post in front of me. There were already several comments underneath. A: 【A match made in heaven, Mr. Julian.】 B: 【Nonsense, our Elena clearly has both brains and beauty!】 Julian: 【Good eye.】 C: 【A one-month business trip? Leaving the sister-in-law alone at home again, is that okay? #doge】 Julian: 【We’re all adults, does she need me to accompany her all day long?】 C: 【True, you can’t spoil women too much.】 Amidst all the random comments, a glaring one suddenly appeared. Chloe: 【No need to accompany the girlfriend, but the female partner must accompany you on business trips~】 The “~” was dripping with sarcasm. This was the girlfriend of another male partner at Julian’s firm, Mark. I heard they were originally planning to get married this year, but it’s already the end of the year and there’s still no news. Her boyfriend, Mark, went on solo business trips with Elena just as often as Julian did. I heard that last time Chloe’s mother was hospitalized and she was incredibly busy at the hospital alone, Elena posted a cheek-to-cheek selfie with Mark under the Eiffel Tower. They said it was a business trip, but anyone who didn’t know better would think they were on their honeymoon. Chloe had a huge fight with Mark over this. Although they made up, their relationship wasn’t the same as before, and they haven’t mentioned marriage since. After her comment, the originally lively post seemed to be put on pause. There were no new comments for a while. Just as I was about to scroll away, a new comment popped up. Elena: 【Little girl, don’t be so dramatic. What’s more important, business or your petty romantic squabbles?】 Elena: 【If you want to marry a rich guy and reap the rewards without doing any work, then just obediently be a trophy wife. Don’t ruin your own chances.】 Chloe replied quickly. 【Compared to someone who can’t even take an assistant on a business trip and insists a male partner accompany her every time, I’m much more independent in my work. Who’s the trophy wife here?】 After a ten-minute pause, Elena finally replied with a few words. 【You don’t know what you’re talking about.】 Ever since Chloe found out Mark was always going on solo business trips with Elena, they hadn’t gotten along. They would argue anywhere they could. I was used to it. I closed Instagram. Just as I was about to start making dinner, my landlord called: “Hey Sarah, your lease is up next month. You’re renewing, right?” I looked around the apartment. A spacious, brightly lit penthouse. Outside the window was the most bustling night view of the city. Back then, Julian constantly asked me to move into his place. But I always worried that living in someone else’s house came with the risk of being kicked out, so I stubbornly insisted on living alone. He was very clingy back then, showing up at my door the next day with his suitcase, looking pitiful. I had just started working and didn’t have much money. I was living tightly in a 300-square-foot apartment, far from the city center. I knew Julian was used to the good life, and I always felt it was unfair to make him live in such a small place with me. So, as soon as I became a full-time employee and got a raise, I bit the bullet and moved here. It ate up almost half my monthly salary. “No,” I told the landlord. “I plan to move to the East Side.” It was closer to where I worked. I wouldn’t have to leave the house at 6 AM every day to catch the subway. The landlord was a bit surprised: “What’s wrong? Didn’t you say before that this place was convenient because it was close to your boyfriend’s company?” “Yeah,” I replied softly, kicking my slippers while looking down. I smiled. “We broke up.” The landlord sighed heavily. After comforting me for a bit, she kindly recommended a moving company before hanging up. 4 My company was planning a livestream event at a mall recently. I took the new junior colleagues to the mall to handle the coordination. The junior colleagues were two recently graduated male college students, bursting with energy and enthusiasm, which even brought some life back to us seasoned corporate veterans. After we finished coordinating that day, the two of them insisted on dragging me out for barbecue, saying we needed to relax after working so hard for so many days. At a street-side barbecue stall, under the dim yellow lights, I took a picture of the table piled high with food. The two college boys tilted their heads into the frame, smiling cleanly and brightly. I snapped the photo and posted it on Instagram with a smile: 【Coordination complete! Tomorrow I can finally enjoy the weekend!】 When I got home, it was past midnight. A message from Julian unexpectedly popped up on my phone. He sent a picture of himself having dinner with clients, seemingly reporting his whereabouts to me: 【I’ll be back in another week.】 【I brought you a gift.】 I pretended not to see it, sanitized my phone, plugged it in to charge, and placed it on my nightstand. In the past, when he first started giving me the silent treatment, I panicked and frantically sent him messages, begging for even the slightest response. Later, I forced myself to try getting used to the single life after every time he left. Gradually, I stopped messaging him. He, in turn, softened his cold war strategy and became less indifferent. From sending me a message once a month, to calling me every half month, to a week, to three days. What a blessing. Whoever wants this kind of blessing can have it. After showering and getting into bed, I saw Julian had sent a few more messages. 【What did you do today?】 【Was work tiring?】 【Are you asleep?】 I muted his notifications. I didn’t delete him, I didn’t block him, and I didn’t respond. I learned that perfectly from him. 5 There were still over twenty days left until my lease expired. I started packing my things early. Packing a little bit every day actually made it quite easy. When Julian’s mother came over, she saw my apartment filled with cardboard boxes of various sizes. When I opened the door, I thought it was food delivery, so I had my guard down and she barged right in. She was carrying a thermal lunchbox, her pointed leather shoes kicking the cardboard boxes I had stacked in the hallway. Her voice was as affectionately overbearing as ever. “Sweetie, Julian is out of town on a business trip right now. What’s the matter with you two that you can’t just let go? He’s so distracted at work now, so he asked me to come check on you.” As she spoke, she walked straight into the apartment, sat down on the sofa, crossed her legs, and acted like she owned the place: “Julian even specifically asked me to bring you food. I told him he’s being ridiculous. You’re twenty-six or twenty-seven years old, not a three or four-year-old child. Do I really need to watch you eat?” I took a deep breath, turned around, and was just about to speak when she suddenly looked around the room and frowned: “I hear Julian praise you every day for being so clean, but look at yourself. How can a girl make her house look like this?” “Even though our Julian has some money and won’t be unable to afford a maid or nanny in the future, you can’t be this sloppy, right?” My face darkened. Julian was a local of this city. The exclusivity of this city’s locals is well-known. Julian’s mother was a very typical local older woman. She always assumed that girls from out of town all had ulterior motives towards her son, wanting to use marriage to steal his property and residency status. “Auntie, Julian and I have already broken up,” I said, trying to keep my voice as calm as possible. She acted as if she didn’t hear me, even letting out a light scoff. But she quickly put on a smiling face again, looking up at me: “You just have too much of a temper. I always tell our Julian, he might not be able to handle the temper of an out-of-town girl, but he just won’t listen. Young people, they don’t know pain until they hit a brick wall themselves.” Seeing my face getting uglier, she laughed: “Don’t overthink it, I’m not talking about you. Come, come, come, eat your food first.” She opened the thermal lunchbox, laid out the dishes one by one on the table, then took pictures from every angle and sent them to Julian. “I have to report back to him, tell him I delivered your food.” “Auntie isn’t trying to lecture you, but you’re not a child anymore. There needs to be a limit to your tantrums. Julian is a businessman. If you keep affecting his mood like this, isn’t that affecting his career? What good does that do you?” “You should also settle down. You two are getting married next year. It’s best if you have a baby before the end of the year. That job of yours doesn’t make much money anyway; you should quit sooner rather than later.” I laughed out of sheer annoyance: “Auntie, didn’t you hear me? Julian and I have broken up. I’m not marrying him.” She curled her lip: “Alright, alright, I don’t want to hear you talk like this. You’ve just watched too many TikToks and rotted your brain. Thinking about remaining single and childless all day, talking about female independence. All this talk about independence, but aren’t you still spending my son’s money?” This wasn’t the first time she had said this. But every time she said it, Julian never contradicted her, nor did he ever say a word in my defense. He would only calmly advise me afterward: “My mom is getting old, her thinking is just like that. Don’t take it to heart.” Thinking about it now, perhaps he fundamentally agreed with those words. He was just using his mother’s mouth to let her play the villain, subtly keeping me in line. I repacked the lunchbox she had laid out on the table, shoved it back into her hands, and directly pushed her out the door. Julian’s mother looked shocked, cursing as she went: “What is wrong with you, little girl?! How can you treat an elder like this?! With behavior like yours, you still want to marry my son…” SLAM! With the door violently shut, the apartment finally returned to peace.

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A big concert was being held at the local arena. I asked my husband to save two VIP tickets for me. He readily agreed, but later handed me two nosebleed seats. I asked him, “No VIP tickets this time?” Without even looking up, he replied, “I gave them to a friend. She’s pregnant and needs special care.” Curious, I asked, “Which friend of yours is pregnant? Why haven’t I heard of her?” My husband immediately got defensive: “Chloe, are you seriously jealous of a pregnant woman?” 1 If my coworker hadn’t asked me about the tickets, I wouldn’t have even known a concert was coming to our town. My husband, Arthur, owns a liquor store. Whenever the liquor brand he sells sponsors a concert, the company always gives its distributors some tickets for networking and building relationships. A big event like this is rare in our small, overlooked town, so everyone was excited. Thinking of our nanny, who not only helps me take care of our newborn but also cooks for my older daughter in elementary school and my mom with a broken collarbone, I felt she deserved a treat. I figured, if others are getting tickets, my nanny must have them too! And they have to be the good ones! In previous years, when coworkers asked me for tickets, I’d just tally up the number and send it to Arthur. This year, I specifically emphasized that he must save two VIP tickets for me, even if we had to pay for them. So when Arthur said he gave the tickets to someone else, I immediately knew something was off. I wouldn’t say I was angry, but I definitely felt uncomfortable. Concerts are loud, crowded, and chaotic. Would a pregnant woman really be comfortable there? If she’s really worried about her health, she just shouldn’t go. Why does she need VIP seats? Besides, I often told Arthur how hard the nanny works. Leaving our second child in her care means we should show her some appreciation. I racked my brain. Arthur usually just shuffles between his mom’s house and his store. Plus, at our age, very few people are having a second child, let alone a third. I hadn’t heard of any of his friends planning for one. I thought he was joking and asked teasingly: “All your friends just want to drink and party. Which one of them is pregnant? How come I didn’t know?” Arthur, who was looking down at his phone, suddenly snapped his head up, glaring at me: “Chloe, what’s your problem? Are you seriously jealous of a pregnant woman?” I was just asking a question; his extreme reaction was suspicious. Anyone with eyes could see this wasn’t normal… “I’m just curious. Whose pregnant wife needs your special care? Where’s her husband? Also, the nanny takes such good care of our baby, shouldn’t we save two tickets for her?” “Furthermore, I told you about this in advance, and you agreed. Now you’ve gone back on your word. Did you even ask me before giving them to someone else?” Arthur’s eyes darted away slightly, but he still spoke with self-righteousness: “It’s just a multi-artist concert with a bunch of D-list singers. What does it matter where you sit? With Mrs. Lee’s age, can she even understand what she’s watching?” I didn’t back down: “Yeah, it’s just a multi-artist concert, what does it matter where you sit? So why can the pregnant woman go, but the nanny can’t? Arthur, I never realized you were so good at playing favorites!” Arthur was so choked up by my words he looked ready to burst: “Chloe, you! You’re being completely unreasonable!” 2 The tickets for the multi-artist concert, originally priced at two or three thousand dollars, were completely ignored by regular buyers and mostly ended up in the hands of scalpers. I got lucky and happened to see a post on Reddit from someone selling their tickets. I bought two VIP tickets for $299. When I handed the tickets to Mrs. Lee, she was thrilled and accepted them happily: “My daughter was just saying she wanted to go to the concert a couple of days ago. Now we have tickets! Thank you, Ms. Chloe!” Not wanting to waste the nosebleed tickets, I took my daughter, Lily, to the concert. Nosebleed seats are truly nosebleed seats—almost the farthest point from the stage in the whole arena. Usually, sitting high up means you can at least make do and see the stage. Unfortunately, our seats were right in the first row of the nosebleed section. A railing covered in banners directly blocked the view of everyone in the first row. I secretly rejoiced. Thank goodness I didn’t give these tickets to Mrs. Lee; they were too embarrassing to hand over! People in the row in front of us kept walking back and forth. Lily got annoyed and restless. While I was trying to calm her down, Mrs. Lee sent a message: “Ms. Chloe, my daughter just told me she got floor tickets. Hurry and take Lily to sit in the VIP seats!” Hating to waste them, I took Lily on another “long trek,” and we finally sat in the VIP section. Almost the instant we sat down, a familiar figure, with his arm around a woman wearing a low-cut coat, walked into my line of sight. Arthur held the woman tightly, carefully guiding her through the chaotic crowd. Occasionally, a child who couldn’t sit still ran up and down the aisle and accidentally bumped into the woman. Arthur immediately flared up: “Where are your parents? The concert is about to start and you’re still running around here! Didn’t your teacher teach you to follow the rules?” The child was so startled they turned their head and almost cried. The woman wrapped in the coat frowned and shook Arthur’s hand. It was too noisy; I couldn’t hear what she said. I only saw Arthur look at her belly affectionately, pull a small packet of tissues from his pocket, spread them on the seat, and smile as he helped her sit down. The scene was so glaring that my vision quickly blurred as tears welled up. The husband who used “being busy at the store” as an excuse every day to comfortably leave both kids for me to take care of was now accompanying another woman to a concert. I can’t describe the feeling in my heart; I just hoped Lily wouldn’t see it. But of course, what I feared most happened. Lily innocently pointed ahead and yelled in my ear: “Hey! Mommy, look! Isn’t that Daddy? Why does he have his arm around that auntie’s waist?!” Lily’s pure voice struck me like thunder. For a moment, I didn’t know how to answer. If a first-grader knows boundaries between men and women, how could Arthur not know? “Daddy’s so shameless! Teacher said boys and girls should keep their distance. Daddy already has Mommy, but he’s holding someone else’s hand!” The lights flashed. Lily held my hand, her eyes bright: “Mommy, why don’t you divorce Daddy? If Daddy doesn’t love you, Lily will love you!” My forcibly maintained defenses completely collapsed. I pulled Lily into my arms, unable to stop shaking. 3 Actually, Arthur’s changes didn’t start just a couple of days ago. I work in the city center. When I was pregnant with our second child, I commuted back and forth alone on the bus every day. Even in my third trimester, Arthur never once offered to drive me to work. To spend more time with the baby after birth, I gritted my teeth and pushed through, working until the very last moment before taking maternity leave. During my final checkup before giving birth, the baby’s heart rate was consistently too high. I was panicked and anxious, so I called Arthur. I had hoped to get some comfort from the baby’s father, but he dismissively said: “Doctors just like to scare people. You’re so healthy, how could anything be wrong with the baby?” I asked him to drive over and stay with me that night. He let out a heavy sigh: “Chloe, I’m very busy. You can’t demand both my money and my time.” So from that point on, no matter how big or small the matter, I stopped going to him. I had intended to take Lily home first, but her small face was filled with anger, threatening to take revenge right then and there. I touched her little cheek. Since my daughter supported me so much, what did I have to worry about? Halfway through the concert, many VIP seats were still empty. I took Lily and quietly moved to the seats directly behind Arthur and that woman. Arthur was running around, looking exactly like a fawning lapdog. The woman pulled her coat tighter, and Arthur immediately asked: “What’s wrong? Are you cold? I told you to wear more when we left, but you wouldn’t listen. Now you know it’s cold, huh? Good thing I brought a blanket for you!” There was a hint of mild reproach in his tone, sounding just like a married couple flirting. As he spoke, Arthur pulled a bag from under his seat, took out a blanket, and draped it over her. The woman didn’t say anything. Arthur then pulled out a thermos from under the seat, opened it, took a sip himself, and then held it to her lips: “The temperature is just right. It’s cold, hurry and drink a few more sips!” The woman leaned her head back and drank from his hand. Under the stage’s blue lights, the thermos in Arthur’s hand was clearly visible to me. Isn’t that my thermos??? It even has the StellaLou sticker Lily put on it for me. I was wondering why I couldn’t find my thermos when I left the house. Turns out this bastard took it for someone else to use. How disgusting! The woman took one sip and stopped: “I don’t want hot water. I want a Sprite!” “You’re a grown adult, why are you acting like a child!” Arthur scolded her verbally, but his body was already standing up, ready to go: “Since you passed your prenatal checkup today, I’ll buy you a Sprite as a reward!” Arthur returned shortly. Again, he took a sip himself first before holding the spot he drank from to the woman’s lips. He affectionately rubbed her head: “How’s that? Feel better after drinking this?” A pair of small hands gently patted Arthur’s shoulder: “Daddy, I don’t feel good either. Can you buy me a Sprite too?” The hand Arthur was holding the Sprite with trembled. “Ah—” Accompanied by a piercing scream, the Sprite spilled all over the woman’s coat, and many ice cubes slid down her low neckline. “Cold! So cold! I’m freezing to death!” The woman jumped up on the spot from the freezing ice, stomping her feet. Now, I finally saw her face clearly. Mia, the owner of the clothing store next to Arthur’s shop. I remember, she has a husband… 4 Arthur didn’t even keep his eyes on his daughter for a second before his attention was drawn away by the other woman. The VIP section already had fewer people, and with the loud commotion, many people’s eyes were drawn to us. Arthur spun around anxiously. In front of everyone, he actually reached his hand straight down Mia’s collar, then knelt on the ground, lifted her skirt, and shook it. A few ice cubes fell from under Mia’s skirt onto the floor. Arthur was full of concern: “How is it? Are there any more?” Saying that, he pulled Mia’s collar open, ready to reach in again. Mia blushed and shoved Arthur away: “Are you crazy?!” She wrapped her coat tightly around herself, naturally took the thermos, and chugged some hot water. Arthur was at a loss after being scolded. He finally realized that my daughter and I were still sitting in the row behind him. “You… Why aren’t you at home taking care of the baby? What are you doing here? “And you brought Lily too. The concert is so chaotic, what if she gets lost?” I slapped him across the face: “If I didn’t come, how would I have run into you two adulterers? No matter how chaotic the concert is, can it be as chaotic as your relationship?” The audience around us, who were originally holding up their phones to film the stage, turned their cameras towards us. Mia’s face flushed red with embarrassment as she shouted back: “What nonsense are you talking about? Arthur and I are completely innocent. We’re just ordinary friends! Nobody ever said it’s illegal to go to a concert with a friend! Besides, I have a husband too!” Arthur looked at Mia with disbelief, muttering: “Ordinary friends…” I raised an eyebrow and demanded: “Ordinary friends? What kind of ordinary friends dote on each other and reach into a woman’s collar in public without her objecting?” “You… Arthur was just anxious in the moment and didn’t think straight!” “Didn’t think straight? Even my six-year-old daughter knows boundaries. Your subconscious reaction as ‘ordinary friends’ is to grope each other? Since when can ordinary friends do that?” “You… I can’t be bothered to argue with a shrew like you!” Mia was in the wrong and couldn’t win an argument against me. She trembled with anger, her chest heaving, and gritted her teeth as she enunciated every word to Arthur: “Arthur, control your wife. From today on, we have nothing to do with each other!” With that, she bumped past Arthur, trying to get to the aisle. Arthur’s outstretched hand hung in mid-air: “Mia, slow down, be careful of your baby!” The more I looked at his desperate, fawning behavior, the more disgusted I felt. “Wait! Don’t leave just yet!” I yelled. Mia turned around, her eyes full of defiance: “What else do you want?” I pointed at the cup in her hand: “That thermos is mine. It even has my daughter’s sticker on it. Give it back to me!” Mia looked at the cup in her hand, then looked at Arthur in disbelief. Then, she glared at me resentfully and threw the thermos at me. The cup was quite heavy. Seeing it flying straight at my face, I instinctively ducked. The cup smashed directly into Arthur’s forehead. Mia tried to turn around but accidentally stepped on the ice cubes that had fallen on the floor earlier. With an “Ah—”, she fell from the row she was standing in onto the seats in the row in front, landing flat on her face. Arthur grabbed his forehead and scrambled down to her in two steps, nervously hugging Mia. “Mia? Mia? How are you? Are you okay?” Mia clutched her stomach, her face twisted in pain: “My stomach… my stomach hurts so much…” The scene turned into a chaotic mess. The police providing security for the event arrived. Arthur sat on the floor holding Mia, yelling to call 911, as if the child Mia was carrying was his. When he saw the police, it was as if he’d seen his saviors. He eagerly pointed his finger at me: “Officers, it’s her! She made Mia fall. Arrest her quickly!” I stared dead at the man in front of me, my heart turning to ice. 5 At the hospital, Mia had just come out of the emergency room and was lying on the bed with her eyes closed. Back at the arena, I first called Mrs. Lee to come and take Lily away before following them to the hospital. Arthur sat by the bed, looking entirely like a family member. He nervously touched Mia’s head one moment, then used a cotton swab dipped in water to wet her lips the next. Two police officers, a man and a woman, entered. The female officer looked around: “What exactly happened? Who wants to explain?” “It’s her! Officers, it’s all because of her that Mia fell!” Arthur stood up agitatedly once again to falsely accuse me. The female officer turned to look at me: “Is it what he says? What is your relationship?” I laughed self-deprecatingly: “This man is my legal husband, and the woman lying in bed is his mistress.” Hearing this, Mia, who had been pretending to be asleep, immediately bolted upright from the bed: “Who’s a mistress? Don’t you slander me!” Arthur also defended her: “How can you just make things up? Is that how you slander people? Mia would never be a mistress!” I completely ignored them, treating them like two barking dogs, and played the video I recorded on my phone: “Officers, please take a look. When it happened, I was far away from Mia. She threw the thermos to attack me, threw it too hard, lost her balance, and fell. If she could make herself fall like that, imagine how much it would hurt if that thermos had hit me!” The female officer looked shocked, clearly not understanding this mess of a situation either. The male officer pulled out his phone: “We checked the security footage of the area. It shows the two women were indeed at a distance and had no direct physical contact, so there is no suspicion of intentional assault.” Arthur was relentless: “If she hadn’t shown up, would Mia have fallen? You must hold her responsible!” That left me speechless. So, I shouldn’t have been at the arena at all? My own husband wanted to stick a false charge on me for an outsider. Seeing him being so unreasonable, the police also wanted to close the case quickly. But Arthur refused to let it go, grabbing onto them, insisting on putting me in jail. I cleared my throat: “How about this! Since the law can’t handle this, let’s look at it from a moral standpoint. Since many people in the audience and I took videos, why don’t I post them online and let the internet judge? It’ll also give your customers a good look at what kind of people you really are!” Mia immediately panicked, half-propping herself up and digging her nails into Arthur’s arm: “Arthur, do you want to ruin me? If that video gets posted online, how will I ever have the face to live?” Oh, so she knows what she did was wrong. With Arthur, her loyal lapdog, charging ahead to take the bullets for her, she could naturally accept all this with peace of mind. People like her never give up until they hit a dead end. Arthur grabbed her hand affectionately: “Mia, it’s okay, let her post it! We have nothing to hide!” If I were Mia, I definitely would have rolled my eyes on the spot. But she had different tactics. She cried beautifully, looking fragile and pitiful: “Arthur, do you want to see me die?” With Mia threatening her life, Arthur finally backed down. The two police officers looked relieved and left the hospital room feeling much lighter. Arthur had just lowered Mia’s bed when a bald man covered in tattoos walked in. Seeing him, Mia jumped out of bed barefoot and threw herself at him: “Hubby, boohoo, we almost lost our baby!” Arthur was anxious: “Mia, your shoes…” The bald man displayed immense husbandly strength, lifting Mia princess-style on the spot and tucking her back into bed: “Wifey, what happened? What’s going on? Is our baby okay?” He looked at me, then at Arthur: “And who are these two?” Mia averted her gaze: “This is the owner of the liquor store next door and his wife. Thanks to them, I got to the hospital in time.” The bald man patted Arthur’s arm and exchanged some pleasantries, then turned his attention to caring for his wife. I left the hospital room first. Seeing he was no longer needed, Arthur awkwardly followed suit.

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