Category: English

The next time I opened my eyes, I was back on the day I got the pregnancy test results. My sister had just broken up with her childhood sweetheart in a fit of anger. That same night, he got drunk, and we slept together. When I found out I was pregnant, my sister chose to step aside for us. She went abroad, leaving us to build a life. He locked himself in his room for a full day. When he emerged, he told me he would marry me, that he would give me and our child a home. Our marriage was one of polite distance, but we managed a semblance of happiness. But our child was born with a cruel, congenital disease. After three years of agonizing treatments, we still couldn’t save him. The grief shattered me, and I wasted away, dying of a broken heart not long after. He spent the rest of his life tending to our graves. Only on the day he died did he whisper to our headstones that he had paid his debt to us. If there was a next life, he said, all he wanted was to find my sister. This time, I tore the pregnancy report to shreds and immediately scheduled an abortion. 1 In my past life, our child was born with a genetic defect. Every day was a struggle, filled with pain. No matter what treatments we tried, we were only delaying the inevitable. This time, I refused to let my child suffer like that again. And I refused to trap myself in a loveless marriage, a slow and agonizing torture. I had just gotten home when a warm hand grabbed my arm. “Lena!” I turned to see my sister, Seraphina, her eyes wide with worry. She pulled me quickly to a small wisteria-covered gazebo in our community garden and gently pushed me to sit down. This gazebo was once our sanctuary. When she and her childhood sweetheart, Asher, were on dates, I would always tag along like a little shadow. While they sat and talked, I would lean over the railing, watching the koi fish swim in the pond below. Sometimes, Asher would get annoyed and try to bribe me with snacks to go play somewhere else. But Sera would always protect me. “Lena can stay right here if she wants. If you have a problem with it, you can leave.” Now, in this new life, everything had changed. “Sera, what’s wrong?” I asked, trying my best to sound natural. She stared into my eyes, her voice low and urgent. “Did Asher hurt you?” She knelt in front of me, her hands gripping mine. “Tell me the truth, Lena. Did he do something to you?” Unlike my past life, where I had desperately tried to explain, this time I remained silent. I was the adopted daughter of the Jiang family. They took me in when I was seven. Sera was three years older than me, but she never once treated me like an outsider. She shared everything with me, from her favorite snacks to her most treasured toys. If someone bullied me, she was the first to jump to my defense. When I was sick, she would stay up all night by my side. My adoptive parents treated me as their own, providing for my education and giving me the best life they could. They even made it clear that their inheritance would be split equally between me and Sera. In my past life, I was so consumed by my love for Asher that I took their warmth for granted. It wasn’t until I was on my deathbed that I realized they were the ones I had wronged the most. This time, I would not let history repeat itself. I forced a lighthearted smile and patted her hand. “Sera, what are you talking about? I’m his future sister-in-law. Asher wouldn’t dare mess with me. He’s too scared I’ll say something bad about him to Mom and Dad and they won’t let you two get married.” Her frown deepened. “Lena, don’t lie to me… That night a month ago, when I told him we were breaking up… he got completely wasted. Were you with him?” Her voice trembled slightly. “Did he do something to you? If he dared to hurt you, I’ll kill him!” My fingers curled into a fist. This was exactly how it had happened before. Her relentless questioning, my flimsy excuses. It had all come out in a tearful confession in front of our parents. After that, Sera locked herself in her room for three days. Then she calmly packed her bags, applied for a master’s program abroad, and never looked back. She would only send gifts on my birthday and holidays, with a simple, detached note. Our parents sighed with sorrow, but they always put on a brave face for me, telling me not to worry. But the atmosphere in our home was never the same again. And Asher and I, we lived in a hollow marriage, sleeping in separate rooms, two polite strangers, until our family was torn apart by tragedy. I dug my nails into my palm, the sharp pain keeping me grounded in the present. I looked up, my expression open and innocent. “Sera, who’ve you been listening to? I was asleep early that night. I didn’t see him at all.” I tilted my head and gestured behind her with my chin. “If you don’t believe me, why don’t you just ask Asher? The man himself wouldn’t lie, would he?” 2 As if on cue, a soft footstep sounded from behind the gazebo. Sera turned. Asher stood under the wisteria trellis, holding a bouquet of fresh white roses. He was tall and handsome, with sharp, intelligent eyes. His gaze flickered over me for a split second before quickly moving to Sera, his expression instantly softening into a look of pure adoration. That look was always reserved for her. He walked over and offered her the flowers, his voice uncharacteristically hesitant. “Sera, I’m sorry. I was an idiot that night. I never should have said we were breaking up.” She turned her head away with a sniff but didn’t push the flowers away. “I haven’t forgiven you yet.” “I know,” he said, his voice gentle, his eyes full of affection. “You can punish me however you want. Just… don’t ignore me.” I sat there, watching them, a familiar ache in my chest. This was how they were supposed to be. The perfect couple, deeply in love. All the tragedy had stemmed from that one drunken mistake. Suddenly, Sera turned back to Asher, her tone serious. “Asher, I have to ask you something. Have you ever, in any way, hurt Lena?” Asher’s body went rigid. His eyes found mine again, and this time, he didn’t look away. I could clearly see a storm of emotions in them: panic, a flicker of blame, and something else I couldn’t quite decipher. He was blaming me for bringing this up, for ruining his apology. And perhaps there was a sliver of guilt, but it vanished as quickly as it appeared. “Of course not,” he said, his voice steady, but with an undercurrent of tension. “Lena is your sister. I would never do anything to hurt her.” I quickly took Sera’s hand, trying to smooth things over. “See, Sera? I told you. Stop worrying. You two just made up. Go on your date, don’t waste your time with me.” But Sera held onto my hand, her eyes twinkling. “Actually, you said you wanted to see that new sci-fi movie, right? Let’s all go together. The three of us.” We used to be inseparable. Asher doted on Sera, and by extension, he was always kind to me. Dinners, movies, it was always the three of us. But now, the words flew out of his mouth before he could stop them. “Let’s not take her this time.” The air went still. Sera looked at him, confused. “Why not? We always go together.” A mischievous glint appeared in her eyes. “Besides, we haven’t officially made up yet. I can go with whoever I want.” Asher’s face paled. He was at a loss for words. How could he possibly bring me along, with such a huge secret hanging between us? I quickly pulled Sera aside, whispering, “Sera, you know how he is. He’s all talk. He was just saying that because he was angry. He secretly asked me to put in a good word for you a few days ago.” “You two just made up,” I pushed. “You need some time alone. I’d just be a third wheel. You go on your date, and I’ll go home and catch up on sleep.” My words seemed to soften her, and she was about to agree. But in that exact moment, I clapped a hand over my mouth, a wave of nausea washing over me as I retched violently. My face went white, and a cold sweat broke out on my forehead. “Lena!” Sera cried, grabbing me to steady me. Behind her, Asher’s face contorted in alarm, his pupils constricting. His voice was a strangled whisper. “You’re not…?” 3 My heart hammered against my ribs. I waved a hand dismissively, my voice strained. “I’m fine! I ate some leftovers from the fridge last night, must have been something bad. My stomach’s just upset.” I didn’t dare look at Asher, terrified he would see the panic in my eyes. “You two go, don’t worry about me. I’ll just go home and lie down for a bit.” I pushed Sera toward Asher, my steps hurried. “You’ll be late for the movie. I’m really okay.” “No!” Sera grabbed my arm, her face etched with worry. “You look terrible. We’re going to the hospital right now. I’m taking you.” “You don’t have to!” I pleaded, my eyes welling with tears. “Sera, I know my own body. It’s just a little stomach bug. A hot cup of water and some rest, and I’ll be fine. If you don’t go now, you’ll miss the movie for sure!” Asher stood by, his expression a chaotic mix of guilt, panic, and a deep-seated fear he wouldn’t even admit to himself. Sera was about to argue, but Asher gently took her arm. He shook his head, his voice low. “Let her go home and rest. She really doesn’t look well. I’ll buy some medicine and drop it off at the house later.” Sera looked from me to Asher, and finally relented. “Alright, you go home and get some rest. Call me immediately if you feel worse.” “I will, Sera.” I watched them walk away, side by side, and let out a long, shuddering breath. My back was soaked with cold sweat. Without a moment’s delay, I pulled out my phone, called a car, and headed straight for the hospital. In the car, my phone vibrated. A message from Asher. [You’re not pregnant, are you?] The short sentence landed like a ton of bricks on my chest. My fingertips were ice-cold as I typed back: [No.] The indicator showed that he was typing a reply. The cursor blinked for a long time, but no new message appeared. Seeing his hesitation, I typed another line. [There is nothing between you and me. Never was.] [Just focus on your date with my sister. Treat her right. You don’t need to worry about anything else.] After hitting send, I put my phone on silent. I opened a group chat with my classmates. The class president was organizing a trip to see a meteor shower in a few days. I opened the sign-up sheet and added my name to the list. The car pulled up to the hospital. I walked straight to the gynecology department and scheduled the soonest available abortion procedure. The procedure was quick. It didn’t hurt as much as I had imagined. It just felt, for a brief moment, like something had been untethered from my body. After a short rest, I took the post-op diagnosis sheet and walked out of the hospital. The moment I stepped outside, a large hand clamped down on my wrist. Asher stood before me, his face a thunderous mask of anger and panic. His eyes were glued to the paper in my hand. “Lena, what are you doing at the hospital?” “You’re pregnant, aren’t you? Are you going to take that report to Sera?” His voice was a harsh, ragged whisper. “What are you trying to do? Ruin us?” His grip was painfully tight. I looked up and saw the raw fear in his eyes. He really was terrified of losing Sera over what happened between us. I held the diagnosis sheet up to his face, my voice calm and devoid of emotion. “Asher, read it carefully.” He looked down, his eyes scanning the text. His pupils contracted violently.

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At a high school reunion, my ex-boyfriend held his fiancée and announced their engagement. I snapped a photo and texted it to his mother. “They look like a perfect match. Congratulations on getting exactly what you wanted.” Just as I was about to hit send, my wrist was gripped viciously. “Oh? Still keeping in touch with my mother?” He glared at me, his face dark and menacing. “What, haven’t squeezed enough money out of her yet?” The room went dead silent. I looked up at him, my face draining of color. I didn’t even notice when the music stopped. I had become the center of everyone’s attention. 1 Everyone knew I had dumped Caleb Thorne for money. During the year he loved me the most, I accepted two million dollars from his mother, Evelyn Thorne. And then I walked out of his life without a backward glance. Furious with his mother’s interference, he went on a hunger strike, starving himself until he was barely recognizable. His friends, unable to watch him destroy himself, swallowed their disgust for me and showed up at my door, begging on his behalf. I refused to see a single one of them. Later, when he was on the brink of death, his mother, “out of options,” called and begged me to be a “mediator.” When I appeared in his hospital room, he clung to me like a drowning man and refused to let go. Even though he was emaciated, the sheer force of his grip made my bones ache. “Maya, you came. You still love me, don’t you? I knew it—” The joy in his voice was unmistakable. I pushed him away coldly. I played an audio clip for him and showed him a text message. The audio was a recording of me demanding three hundred thousand dollars from his mother in exchange for visiting him. The text was the bank notification confirming the transfer. He stared at me, his eyes wide and blank. When it finally registered, he shoved me away violently. But because he used too much force, he fell out of bed, coughing until it sounded like his lungs would tear. “Maya, get the hell out of here!” He lay pathetically on the floor, grinding out each word through clenched teeth. I did exactly as he asked. I walked out cleanly, without ever looking back. I don’t know whose mouth leaked the story. From that day on, I became a massive joke in New York high society. Anyone who knew the story said that my greed was only matched by my cruelty. Others claimed I never loved Caleb to begin with; I was only with him for the money. As for the truth? No one cared… Later, when Caleb recovered, he agreed to a corporate marriage with Serena Vance, the treasured daughter of the Vance Group’s CEO. I received over a dozen invitations to his engagement party. Sent by none other than his loyal friends. Honoring my “agreement” with his mother, I completely vanished from his world. But over the years, I knew his every move like the back of my hand. I knew he and Serena went to the US for grad school, living together the whole time. I knew that in just two years, he completed a grueling JD/MBA joint program at Harvard. I knew that the moment he entered his family’s company, he ruthlessly handled several massive crises, forcing the veteran executives who doubted him to bow in respect. I knew that even though he and Serena hadn’t officially held a wedding, they were already calling each other’s parents “Mom and Dad”… It wasn’t that I was intentionally seeking this information; his friends were practically tripping over themselves to report back to me. A good ex should be as quiet as the dead, but they constantly wanted to dig me up and parade my “corpse.” It was as if proving how exceptional Caleb was somehow proved how incredibly stupid I had been. Today was our high school reunion. It was the first time I had seen Caleb in three years. Tomorrow, I would be leaving for a completely different life. From then on, he would remain high up in the clouds, enjoying his wealth and power. And I would be down in the dirt, enduring the harsh realities of the world. Before coming here, I had called his mother with a request. “You can go, but remember what you shouldn’t say and what you shouldn’t do.” That was her exact phrasing. I agreed. And my official reason for being here was simply to accompany an old friend, Julian. My actual reason was to find an old classmate who specialized in nephrology, to verify some medical records. There were things I had to know before I could finally let go… I had anticipated Caleb’s humiliation and coldness. I had anticipated the mockery and bullying from my old classmates. What I hadn’t anticipated was that Caleb would turn this reunion into a pre-wedding celebration. As the undisputed center of attention, he navigated the drinking games with Serena with effortless grace, putting on a sickening display of affection. The atmosphere was electric. No one was tactless enough to bring up the past. I also got the answers I needed from my old classmate. Because Julian got tied up chatting, I ended up staying a bit longer. I never expected that in the brief moment it took to snap a photo and type out a text, Caleb would materialize in front of me like a ghost. Dragging me out to be scrutinized by everyone. 2 “So what if I’ve squeezed enough, and what if I haven’t?” I met his gaze provocatively. “Is Mr. Thorne offering to pay the difference?” “Maya, three years later, and you’re still as cheap as ever!” He looked down at me from his towering height, those beautiful eyes freezing over with hostility. His words were like a sword, twisting in my gut until my organs ached. I scrutinized him through the hazy club lighting. The man he used to be was like a beam of light—real, stubborn, standing firm in this unpredictable world. Now, he was impeccably dressed in a tailored suit, his striking looks undiminished, but his eyes were like a bottomless abyss. Looking at me now, there wasn’t a single trace of the gentle affection he once had. I twisted my wrist, forcing him to lean in closer. “Flirting with another woman right in front of your fiancée… tell me, who’s really cheaper?” I fought him, “tooth and nail,” just like I always used to. Only, we used to whisper sweet nothings. Now, we were spitting razor blades. Caleb seemed to snap back to reality. He violently shoved my hand away, grabbed a wet wipe from the table, and meticulously, repeatedly scrubbed his hands. The humiliation was deafeningly clear. I didn’t want to stay a second longer. I exchanged a look with Julian, stood up, and prepared to leave. But Caleb stepped into my path, blocking my exit. “Serena, come here. I want to introduce you to someone.” He reined in his hostility and waved Serena over. “Caleb, is there something special about this lady?” Serena trotted over, taking small, delicate steps. She intimately linked her arm through Caleb’s, leaning softly against him as if she had no bones. Just as her name suggested, she looked sweet and adorable, clearly a girl who had been pampered her whole life. “She’s very special.” Caleb directed his words to Serena, but his eyes were locked on me. “This is the ex-girlfriend who dumped me for two million dollars. Maya.” His voice wasn’t loud, but it was loud enough for everyone to hear. The atmosphere in the room shifted instantly. A massive wave of shame threatened to swallow me whole. I kept my face perfectly neutral, quietly hiding my trembling hands behind my back. Because tonight, I could hurt, I could laugh, but I absolutely could not show a single ounce of vulnerability. “Is two million a lot? The jewelry set Caleb gave me cost ten million.” Serena’s pale, manicured fingers lightly brushed the dazzling diamond necklace around her throat. Matching earrings swung from her delicate earlobes. “Ten million?! Eight figures!” A chorus of gasps rippled through the crowd. Followed closely by jeers and mockery. Mocking me for giving up a handsome, billionaire boyfriend for a mere two million. Crack— From the crowd, came the sharp sound of an aluminum can being crushed. Startled, I turned toward the noise. Julian was casually tossing a mangled beer can between his hands, a dark, unreadable smirk playing on his lips. I shook my head slightly at him, signaling him to stay calm. Caleb suddenly let out a low, dark chuckle. He pulled a thick stack of hundred-dollar bills from his jacket and casually tossed them into the air. “Maya, I have plenty of money.” “But you. Don’t. Deserve. It!” The bills fluttered down like snow, landing on my face, my shoulders. And scattering around my feet. “With a boyfriend this amazing, you better hold on tight, little sister.” I forced a smile, enduring the onslaught of judgmental stares. “Of course I will.” Serena looked up at Caleb. Her gaze met his, perfectly perfectly matching his look of adoration. “Wow, so sweet, so romantic~” “If you guys don’t kiss right now, it’s a crime against nature!” I don’t know who started it, but the chants of “Kiss! Kiss!” grew louder and louder. Caleb suddenly hooked an arm around Serena’s waist, dipped her back onto the sofa, leaned down, and kissed her. The atmosphere hit a fever pitch. Under the flashing lights, barely an arm’s length away from me, they kissed passionately. Around me, the crowd roared. But in my ears, there was nothing but dead silence. 3 I threw up in the bathroom until I felt like I was going to pass out. When I stumbled out, the first thing I saw was a tall, blurry figure standing in the shadows. People were walking in and out of the nearby private rooms. The strobe lights flashed across his face, illuminating a storm of pure fury. It was Caleb. My body reacted before my brain. I turned on my heel and power-walked in the opposite direction. I was fast, but Caleb was faster. Just as my foot hit the floor, he grabbed me hard by the back of my shoulder. “Running the second you see me? Feeling guilty?” He used all his strength, his grip making my shoulder throb with pain. I tried to break free, but it was useless. “Guilty about what?” I laughed, my voice raw. “I just don’t think we have anything left to catch up on.” “Maya, you’ve been strutting around right under my nose all night, and now you say that? Isn’t it a bit late?” His voice was chillingly cold. “What do you mean, strutting around right under your nose? Just because we broke up doesn’t mean I can’t come to a high school reunion.” I straightened my spine, turned around, and swatted his hand away. “If that’s true, then why were you hiding in the bathroom puking?” He reached out and pinched my chin. “Did you get knocked up by some random guy, or did I just make you sick?” The memory of him kissing another woman flashed through my mind, and my stomach violently churned again. To avoid blowing my cover, I bit down hard on the inside of my cheek. “I didn’t eat much, so it was mostly just dry heaving,” I gave him my assessment, ignoring his question. My words made his eyes burn with anger. “Caleb, we’ve been over for a long time. What exactly do you want?!” I shoved him hard, but he pinned my wrists against the wall. “I should be asking you that.” He leaned in close. “Since you disappeared, why did you show up again?” The disgust and loathing in his eyes were completely undisguised. The blood in my veins turned to ice. I suddenly smiled brightly. “What answer do you want to hear? That I can’t forget you and want to get back together? Or that I regret everything and want to beg for your forgiveness?” He didn’t say anything. He probably really wanted to hear an excuse. “Of course it’s because—” “She came with me.” Before I could finish, a teasing male voice cut in. A few feet away, Julian was leaning against the wall, hands casually stuffed in his pockets. I had no idea how long he’d been watching from the corner. “Bro code dictates you don’t touch your buddy’s girl. Caleb, you’re crossing a line.” He added calmly. “What… what do you mean?” Caleb’s voice suddenly trembled slightly. “It means Maya is my girlfriend now.” “I’m a year older than you. What, are you the only one allowed to have a fiancée, but I can’t date?” Julian lazily rolled up his sleeves. It was obvious that if Caleb didn’t let go, he was ready to throw down. “Are you two really… together?” Caleb’s gaze shifted back to me. Even in the dim light, his stare felt incredibly heavy. “Do you need a French kiss as proof?” I lowered my eyes and sneered. “Be my guest…” Caleb let go of me, turned, and walked away. Julian let out a sharp whistle, a sly, victorious smirk spreading across his lips. With my facade entirely shattered, I slumped weakly against the wall, closing my eyes in exhaustion. “I told you not to come, but you wouldn’t listen. Do you consider this a self-inflicted wound?” Julian’s exasperated huff sounded in my ear. I opened my eyes and looked at him. “There are some things that no one else can do for me.” Knowing I was going to see our old classmate who was a doctor, he had offered to ask on my behalf, but I refused. Because I needed to hear the truth with my own ears. “But you can fool yourself; you can’t fool anyone else when it comes to feelings.” Julian stepped closer, placed one hand on the wall behind me, and looked down at me. “Maya, I’ve watched over you for seven years, and you never gave me the time of day.” “Just now, when he was publicly humiliating you, I wanted to punch him, and you wouldn’t even let me.” “Is he really that great? Is he really worth you agonizing over for three years after you broke up?” Even though he was saying hurtful things, the underlying heartache in his voice was impossible to hide. I raised my arms, wrapped them around his waist, and buried my face in his chest. He visibly stiffened. “Julian, some forms of protection have nothing to do with love, and life doesn’t offer many chances to turn back.” “Back then, when he begged to see me, I refused. So of course my presence today is an eyesore to him.” “If he needs to curse me out to feel better, I’ll take it. After all, I’m the one who needed a favor today.” I patiently explained it to him. “Did you get the answers you wanted?” Julian sighed. I nodded slightly. “Then let’s head back.” He ruffled my hair. “I’ll go get the car. Wait for me at the entrance.” “Okay.” I slowly let go. In the periphery of my vision, a figure quietly walked away… 4 On the drive home, Julian was unnervingly quiet. He didn’t speak, and I definitely didn’t have the urge to say anything. “Remember what you promised me. I’m driving you tomorrow.” When I went to get out of the car, he suddenly hit the central lock. I was about to refuse, but when I saw his stubborn expression, I changed my tune. “Don’t worry, I haven’t forgotten.” I gave him a reassuring smile and flashed an “OK” sign. Only then did he unlock the doors. As Julian’s car sped away, I stood on the sidewalk, lost in thought. He and Caleb used to be best friends. They grew up together, as close as brothers. Before Caleb and I got together, Julian had publicly given me a love letter. When I rejected him, he shamelessly declared he wouldn’t give up “until the bitter end.” After Caleb and I started dating, he started dating too, but he cycled through girlfriends quickly, never staying with one for long. I thought his interest in me had just been a passing phase. But he gradually faded out of Caleb’s and my life, eventually becoming entirely estranged from Caleb. I once thought I would never cross paths with him again in this lifetime. But after my family’s tragedy, he was the one who spent countless agonizing days and nights with me at the hospital. He even acted as my smokescreen, successfully making Evelyn drop her guard around me. Besides my parents, I have two great regrets in the first half of my life. One is failing Caleb, and the other is being unable to return Julian’s love… The cold night wind started to pick up, biting into my exposed skin like needles. I wrapped my scarf tightly around my face and turned to walk toward my apartment building. Not far away, a car’s hazard lights suddenly flashed twice. By the light of the streetlamp, I recognized the person in the driver’s seat. It was Carter, the trusted driver of Caleb’s mother. I couldn’t help but sneer. Talk about lingering like a ghost. I quickened my pace, pulled open the passenger door, and slid inside. “What is it?” “Please pack your things, Ms. Sterling. We’re leaving tonight.” His voice was as stiff and uncompromising as ever. “Isn’t my train ticket for 6 AM tomorrow?” I turned to look at him. “Can’t Mrs. Thorne even wait one night?” He didn’t answer. Instead, he placed his phone on the center console. It was mid-call, on speaker. “Does Ms. Sterling have a problem with that?” Serena’s voice came through the speaker. It was arrogant and domineering, a far cry from her demure and gentle daytime persona. “I wouldn’t dare.” I frowned and chuckled. “I just wanted to know if this is Mrs. Thorne’s order or Ms. Vance’s?” “Does it make a difference?” A scoff came from the other end. “It doesn’t matter whose order it is. Ms. Sterling just needs to know that only when you’re gone can Mrs. Thorne have peace of mind.” She paused. “Only then can I have peace of mind.” Remembering the figure I saw leaving the KTV earlier, I laughed out loud. We only met once, and she was already guarding against me. And I, what power did I have to command such fear? “I’ll go.” I was too tired to argue, and moved to get out of the car. My things had been packed for a while; all that was left were a few everyday items. When I finished packing, I zipped up my suitcase and took one last look around. My parents bought this apartment. We lived here for over twenty years, and every corner held traces of our family. But now, everything was different, and even the property deed had changed names. I placed the keys on the shoe cabinet by the entrance, locked the door, and carried my suitcase downstairs. As the car headed toward the highway, I opened my phone to send a goodbye message to my new employer. I immediately noticed an unsent message. The urge to antagonize Evelyn was long gone. I put my phone away and stared out the window, silently bidding farewell to this bustling city. The city lights illuminated the pitch-black sky; towering skyscrapers stood everywhere, and the neon lights were blinding. This city held countless lonely souls, countless joys, angers, sorrows, and tragedies. But it no longer held a place for me… 5 The car drove further and further from the city center. It wasn’t until I saw a familiar courtyard that I realized with a shock that Carter had driven to the Thorne estate. “Mrs. Thorne wanted to say goodbye to you in person.” Carter parked the car and politely opened the door. “Is that really necessary?” I remained seated. I could count on one hand the number of times I had been here, but each visit was unforgettable. I didn’t want to add another. “I’m just following orders,” he said, looking straight at me. “I hope Ms. Sterling won’t make this difficult for me.” I sat in the car, locked in a stalemate with him. “The young master hasn’t lived here for a long time.” After a long pause, he added. Only then did I step out of the car. Walking boldly into the house, I saw Evelyn sitting in the parlor, watching financial news. A woman nearing fifty, her skin was still porcelain smooth. Under the sparkling light of the crystal chandelier, she seemed to glow. “Here is your ID. Carter will see you to the station.” After I sat across from her, she turned down the TV volume and handed me an ID card. The woman in the photo looked a bit like me. “Mrs. Thorne certainly went through a lot of trouble to hide my tracks.” I smiled. “Where are my actual documents? When are you giving them back?” “After Caleb and Ms. Vance are married.” She pushed a brand-new smartphone toward me. “Until then, I expect Ms. Sterling to know her place.” I instantly understood her intent: she was confiscating my phone. My throat suddenly felt tight. Wasn’t it enough that she took my residency and ID? Now she wanted to cut off my social network too? “And if I refuse?” I pressed my hand against the pocket holding my phone. Caleb gave me this phone five years ago; it was a matching set with his. I had used it all these years, and it was already lagging and crashing. Because it held so much, I couldn’t bear to replace it. I even winced if it got bumped… “I don’t want outsiders coveting my chosen daughter-in-law’s husband.” She pushed the new phone closer again. “Ms. Sterling, don’t force my hand.” Her single sentence clarified the power dynamics and her stance. Knowing I had no way out, I reluctantly pulled out my phone and placed it on the table. “Carter, handle it.” She gestured. Carter picked up the phone, removed the SIM tray, snapped the card in half, and then broke the phone in two with his bare hands. I watched helplessly as my phone was reduced to a mangled mess. “Thank you for your cooperation, Ms. Sterling.” Evelyn nodded in satisfaction. “If that’s gratitude for my obedience these past three years, I accept.” My gaze drifted over the ruined metal and plastic. “If it’s for my inability to fight back today, then keep it.” “The road ahead is long. Ms. Sterling is still young; you need to look forward.” She raised her chin and ordered Carter, “It’s getting late. Take Ms. Sterling to the station.” “Yes, ma’am,” Carter replied. I stood up silently, lowering my head as I walked toward the door. Carter took two quick steps and shoved the new phone into my hand. I took it numbly. “Maya—” Just as Carter was about to open the parlor door, Evelyn spoke again. I turned around like a marionette. “Live well. Nobody wants to compete with a dead woman.” She crossed her arms, exuding an aura of absolute authority. I let out a bitter, silent laugh. All these years, she guarded against me like I was a thief. She even destroyed my phone before I left to prevent me from contacting Caleb again. But Caleb was such a proud man; after I had hurt him so many times, how could he ever look back? The most ridiculous part was that after doing so many unspeakable things, she still hypocritically wished me a long life… “Understood.” I answered coldly, brushing past Carter to open the door. The moment the door opened, I froze in my tracks. Caleb stood right outside. His posture was rigid, his breathing steady. But those dark eyes burned with a dark, smoldering fire. 6 “Caleb, what are you doing here?” Evelyn’s voice couldn’t hide her shock. “You told me to come home if I missed it, didn’t you, Mother?” “Now that I’m back, Mother seems so surprised—” The corner of his mouth twitched up, as if he was smiling, but not really. “Is it because I’m not welcome here, or is Mother up to some shady business again?” Every sentence used the formal “Mother,” but every word was coated in venom. I frowned as I listened. Even though Caleb’s relationship with his mother used to be tense, he at least called her “Mom.” Now he couldn’t even be bothered to say “Mom,” yet he called Serena’s parents “Mom and Dad.” What exactly had happened these past few years… “Ma’am—” Carter suddenly rushed toward the area behind me. My thoughts abruptly cut off, and I turned around in confusion. Evelyn lay stiffly on the mahogany sofa, her breathing ragged, her usually composed face a sickly shade of grey-blue. I couldn’t help but feel anxious. Because with Carter moving away, the space around me felt suffocating. I could even smell the faint scent of alcohol on Caleb. For me, this proximity was far too dangerous. In any other setting, I might have just lashed out. But here, in the Thorne estate, right in front of Evelyn, I couldn’t bring myself to scream or curse. It would only make me look like a cheap clown. I casually took two steps to the side, trying to distance myself from Caleb. But he took a large stride forward, hooked an arm around my waist, and dragged me straight toward his mother. His arm felt like an iron bar. I wanted to glue my feet to the floor, but I lacked the strength, forced to let him drag me forward. “It’s so late, and my dear Mother is still hosting guests. Working so hard.” Caleb forcefully pushed me down onto the sofa. “What kind of deal did you strike? Let me hear it too.” “Carter, take Ms. Sterling home.” Evelyn caught her breath, but she radiated a dark, oppressive energy. I obediently stood up. But Caleb pushed me back down again. “I’m basically half the master of this house now. If Mother acts like this, isn’t it a bit disrespectful to me?” He adjusted his watch, his expression lazy, but every word was a warning. With Evelyn glaring like a hawk in front of me and Caleb aggressively cornering me, I was trapped. I touched the cold, new phone in my hand, caught in a dilemma. After three years away, I had absolutely no desire to meddle in their family drama. I wanted to just walk away, but all I had was a fake ID. Without Carter’s help, even if I knew where to go, I wouldn’t pass the facial recognition at the station. As the three of us remained locked in a standoff, Evelyn spoke again. “Don’t you want to know what happened three years ago? Let her leave, and I’ll tell you.” “God knows what kind of lies you’ll spin. Compared to you, I’d rather hear it from her.” Caleb’s tone was flat. Evelyn sneered. “If you want to hear it from her, you have to see if she’s willing to tell you.” Everyone’s eyes immediately fell on me. “I don’t have a fetish for catching up with my ex.” The corners of my lips curled up. “I’m afraid my boyfriend, Julian, would get jealous.” Caleb kicked the coffee table, sending it crashing over. He clenched his fists, the veins on his neck bulging, looking like lightning hidden in thick, dark clouds, ready to destroy everything. I knew he was absolutely furious. But I felt zero sense of accomplishment. As someone who once loved him deeply, I always knew exactly where to stab him so it hurt the most. When we were together, I never thought a day would come where I’d use my knowledge of him as a weapon against him. Over these three years, I had ruthlessly poured all that knowledge out to wound him… “Let’s go.” I stood up and signaled Carter. He looked at Evelyn. Evelyn gave a stiff nod. As we walked out, Carter kept looking back, clearly worried about Evelyn’s safety. “If you don’t leave now, you might regret it.” I offered a subtle warning. Carter flinched, and his steps instantly quickened. This time, Caleb didn’t try to stop me.

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My fifth miscarriage happened in my thirty-fifth year. Our marriage, worn thin by mutual exhaustion, finally reached its end. We signed the divorce papers quietly, without a fight. It wasn’t long before my ex-husband, William, was with a college girl in her early twenties. She got pregnant almost immediately. When I moved out of the mansion that was once a symbol of our happiness, only his assistant was there to help. He was a handsome young man, sharp and fit in tailored trousers, hauling heavy boxes back and forth, his brow glistening with a light sweat. I felt the weight of the bank card in my purse, the one with the nine-figure settlement, and a wild, reckless thought sparked in my mind. “Lucas,” I called out to him. “Have you ever considered working for me instead?” “I’ll pay you fifty thousand a month.” The moment the words left my mouth, I regretted them. He was an educated, respectable young man. Why would he ever agree to something like this? But to my utter shock, Lucas took a step closer, his expression perfectly serious. “Yes, Audrey,” he said without hesitation. “I’d love to.” 1 A sheen of sweat still clung to Lucas’s face, making his fair skin seem almost luminous. A strange pang of guilt hit me. “I’m sorry, Lucas. That was out of line. Please, just forget I said anything.” He was only twenty-six. What in the world was I doing? The divorce from William must have scrambled my brain more than I thought. I let out a quiet sigh, missing the flicker of disappointment in Lucas’s eyes. After the last box was loaded into the moving truck, I took one final look at the house behind me. I had poured my soul into this place after William and I married. From the interior design to the landscaping, every inch was a testament to my love for him. I truly believed we would spend the rest of our lives here. I never imagined it would all be over in just fifteen years. Unlike other wealthy men, it was I who had asked for the divorce. In fifteen years of marriage, he had been good to me, for the most part. Every three years, like clockwork, I would get pregnant. And every time, around the fourth or fifth month, I would lose the baby. This last time, we were pathologically careful. He even washed my underwear for me. But despite all the painstaking effort, all it took was a single sneeze, and the baby was gone. In that moment, something inside me died. My heart was a landscape of ash, incapable of producing even the faintest spark. I told William we should just get a divorce. He was still under forty; he could find another woman, have all the children he wanted. That night, his eyes were red-rimmed and sleepless. The next day, he handed me a prepared divorce agreement. He gave me a third of his five-billion-dollar fortune. On top of that, two estates upstate and a five-story commercial building downtown were transferred to my name. To be fair, he didn’t cheat me. We went through the proceedings peacefully. After signing the final document, he pulled me into a hug. “Audrey,” he whispered, “if there’s a next life, let’s be together again.” His words felt like a thousand tiny needles piercing my heart. I almost broke, almost begged him to take it all back, to forget the divorce, to adopt a child instead. But the very next day, I brought a thermos of homemade chicken soup to his office, only to see him walking into the building with his arm wrapped protectively around a young woman in her early twenties. She had a small, rounded belly, already further along than I had ever been. I couldn’t name the feeling that washed over me. It was a bitter cocktail of dark humor and sharp pain. I sat on a bench across the street for the entire morning, lost in a daze, until Lucas found me and gently called my name. I fled, humiliated. After I moved out, I couldn’t resist hiring a private investigator. I learned the girl’s name was Jessica, a new intern at William’s company. Her fluent French had landed her a few translation gigs for him. A few business trips together, and one thing had led to another. But Jessica had standards. Even pregnant, she made it clear she would never be his mistress. William, utterly besotted, set her up in a luxury downtown apartment. The moment our divorce was finalized, he moved her into our old home. He hired a butler, a chauffeur, two nannies, and two maids, all to ensure she had the most comfortable pregnancy possible. I sat in my new, empty apartment, staring at the investigator’s report and drinking bottle after bottle of wine. I drank until my stomach seized in protest, until I was finally forced to admit the truth. I had lost. I had lost a game I never even knew I was playing, in a relationship that was rotten to the core. And I had been completely, utterly blind to it all. 2 Divorced. But life had to go on. My entire adult life had been dedicated to being the perfect Mrs. Knight. I’d mastered the arts of social grace and catering to a man’s every need. Now, suddenly flush with cash and stripped of my husband, I had no idea what to do with myself. Out of habit, I went to the grocery store and filled a cart with all of William’s favorite foods. It was only at the checkout that I remembered we were divorced. I went home and numbly made a pot of soup, then poured it all down the drain. Then I sat by the window and stared into space. What were William and Jessica doing now? With a baby on the way, they were probably reading to her belly, playing classical music for the child. William would be a good father. He deserved to be. When I first met him, he was just a sophomore in college. He wasn’t old, but he carried himself with an incredible intensity. We were on competing teams in a business plan competition. He annihilated my team. It was brutal. And it was that day I fell for the brilliant, driven young man with the gold-rimmed glasses who always came in first. Our first year together was a blur of youthful passion. One night, we were careless. We had our first child. But he had nothing back then, and my parents would never let me marry a man with no prospects. After a night spent crying in each other’s arms, we made the heartbreaking decision to terminate the pregnancy. After that, my body changed. I became prone to miscarriages. Every pregnancy ended in loss. William poured immense effort into fixing it. He took me to traditional healers and top specialists, all in an attempt to heal my body. We tried for fifteen years. In the end, we were left with nothing. Staring at the gloomy sky outside, I couldn’t help but wonder if this was my punishment. A curse from our first child, because I didn’t fight hard enough to keep him. Was that why I was no longer worthy of being a mother? An unbearable sorrow washed over me. I pressed my forehead against the cold glass, and the tears finally came. 3 From that day on, my mental state deteriorated. I grew so disoriented that I’d slip back into the past, thinking William and I were still married. One afternoon, I drove to his office on autopilot. The security guard at the front desk stopped me. I just stood there, confused, not fully processing the situation. “You say you’re Mrs. Knight?” the guard scoffed. “Don’t make me laugh. The real Mrs. Knight just went inside.” He gestured toward Jessica’s retreating back. “See that? The boss’s wife is young and beautiful. Not… whatever you are.” His voice wasn’t loud, but it was enough to draw stares from passersby. Their sharp, curious glances felt like tiny daggers on my skin, making my cheeks burn with shame. I overheard employees who recognized me whispering. “Isn’t that his first wife? The one he kicked out because she couldn’t have kids.” “I saw her not too long ago, she didn’t look this rough. What happened? She looks like she’s aged twenty years.” I scrambled to a reflective surface and stared at my reflection. They were right. The woman staring back was a ghost, a hollowed-out horror. I fled, my heart pounding in my chest. Before I could even make sense of it all, my phone rang. It was William. His tone was colder and sharper than I had ever heard it. “Audrey, I heard you came by the office today.” My thoughts were a tangled mess. A wave of pathetic self-pity washed over me. “Yes,” I mumbled. “I… I just missed you.” “William, I regret it. I shouldn’t have…” Divorced you. He cut me off before I could finish. “Audrey, I gave you everything you were owed. Do you have any idea what you’re doing?” His voice was laced with ice. “My wife is pregnant. She’s only six months along. You’ve been pregnant. You know how important it is for her to be stress-free right now.” “And what do you do? You show up at my office, making a scene. What is it? Just because you couldn’t carry a baby to term, you want to make her lose hers too?” Before I could even form a defense, he hung up. A moment later, a text message buzzed on my phone. [I’ve sent you another fifty million. Take the money and get the hell out of my life.] The number in my bank account was a string of cold, meaningless zeros. I covered my face with my hands, unable to make a sound. The apartment felt like a cage. William’s cruel words echoed in my head. I grabbed my car keys and drove, ending up at the first bar I saw. And that’s where I found Lucas. Off the clock, he was dressed in a casual shirt and jeans, a lock of hair falling across his forehead, making him look even younger. He was with a group of guys who looked about his age. They were all chattering away, but he sat in the middle of it all, silent and still. I don’t know what possessed me, but my feet started moving on their own. I had barely reached their table when one of his friends spoke up, his eyes glinting with amusement. “Ma’am, can we help you?” 4 His tone was mocking. In a place like this, pulsing with music and desire, what else could a woman approaching a group of young men want? I ignored him and met Lucas’s gaze. “Lucas,” I said, my voice steadier than I felt. “About my offer the other day. Is it still on the table?” This time, Lucas didn’t respond with the same instant eagerness. His dark eyes studied my face for a long moment. “Are you sure this time, Audrey? This isn’t just another impulse?” I nodded. “I’m sure.” “And one more thing. I’m divorced. It’s Ms. Thorne now.” A slow smile spread across his face as he pushed his tongue against the inside of his cheek. In one fluid motion, he reached out, grabbed my arm, and pulled me into his lap. I was instantly enveloped in his scent, a clean, masculine energy that was both overwhelming and intoxicating. His body was firm and well-defined, the muscles of his chest solid beneath my palm. He took my hand, his voice a low murmur against my ear. “You have to be sure, Audrey. Because this time, once you buy, there are no returns.” He leaned in closer, his presence suddenly powerful, almost predatory. And for the first time in what felt like an eternity, my dead, silent heart gave a strange, fluttery beat. On pure instinct, my hand went up, my fingers curling around the back of his neck. I kissed him. His lips were warm and soft. After more than a decade as a housewife, I had almost forgotten what this felt like. A single kiss was enough to ignite a fire I thought had long since burned out. If we hadn’t been in a crowded bar, surrounded by people, things would have escalated very, very quickly. Lucas cupped the back of my head, his thumb stroking my cheek as he gently licked the corner of my mouth. “Wow, Audrey,” he whispered, his breath hot against my skin. “You’re good. I almost lost control.” His friends stared, their jaws on the floor. The one who had mocked me earlier just stammered, unable to form a single word. I tossed a wad of cash on the table for them to enjoy their night. Then I took Lucas by the hand and led him straight to a hotel. 5 That night was a blur of frenzied passion. We were so wrapped up in each other that Lucas was late for work the next morning. There was a crucial meeting at Knight Industries that he was supposed to lead. William’s call came while Lucas was still in my bed. “Hello, Mr. Knight.” “Where the hell are you? The meeting starts in thirty minutes!” Lucas shot me a chagrined look. “My apologies, sir. I’m on my way.” He hung up, threw on his clothes, and rushed out the door. I got up and took a long, slow shower, feeling my senses gradually return. I had just slept with a man nine years my junior. The feeling was strange… and exhilarating. It was the delicious, terrifying thrill of a good girl trying on a corset for the first time. As promised, I transferred a million dollars to Lucas’s account. A moment later, a message from him appeared on my phone. [?] I typed back: [Your allowance.] He replied: […Thank you, boss.] It was followed by a smiling puppy emoji. I looked at it, and a slow smile spread across my own face. As I was checking out of the hotel, I found myself drawn to the boutique next door. I bought a pile of lingerie I never would have dared to wear before. As I passed the dress section, the sales associate saw the look in my eye. “Are you looking for something special? We just got our new collection in. It has a very chic, effortless vibe. Absolutely perfect for a woman with your… sophistication.” She was good. Before I knew it, I had bought several more dresses. When I tried on a long, pink slip dress, I hesitated. “Isn’t this… a little too young for me? I’m thirty-five.” The associate shook her head emphatically. “Not at all! It looks stunning on you. And listen, this isn’t a girly, bubblegum pink. It’s a sophisticated dogwood blush, perfect for a woman with your experience. It suits you perfectly.” “It might feel a little off right now because you don’t have your makeup or hair done,” she continued, her voice full of encouragement. “But if you got some long, soft curls? With your features, you could be a movie star.” Her words worked their magic. After buying the clothes, I went straight to a salon and had my hair done. Back home, I spread all my new purchases out on the bed. After a long moment, I made a decision. I packed up all my old, “appropriate” clothes, the ones that screamed “sensible wife.” Every single one went into a donation bag. My drab, matronly pajamas and underwear? Thrown in the trash. As I looked around, even the apartment started to feel wrong. I picked up my phone and called a real estate agent. “Hello? I’m looking for a villa.” A few days later, I moved into a house even bigger than the one I had shared with William. 6 I hired a new design firm and redecorated the entire house from top to bottom. I was so busy that I didn’t have time to see Lucas. He had tried to give me some space, but after a few days of silence, he sent me a message. “Hey, boss. What are you up to?” I replied: “Gardening.” It was a hobby I’d had for over a decade, a hard habit to break. So when Lucas finally tracked me down, he found me in a flowing new dress, on my hands and knees, pulling weeds in the garden. He couldn’t help but laugh. “Audrey, what is this?” I realized, with a start, that it probably looked a little strange. After changing my clothes, I took him out to dinner. It was my first time eating out with a man who wasn’t William, and it felt a little awkward. Lucas placed a hand on the small of my back to guide me. Seeing my discomfort, a smile played on his lips. “Audrey, you’re the rich one here,” he whispered. “You’re the one paying my bills. Act like it. Own it.” “…Right,” I said. I had absolutely no experience in this whole “sugar mama” thing. My instincts were to take care of him, to pay attention to what he liked to eat. Lucas watched me, then suddenly chuckled. “You’ve got the money, but you don’t have the attitude,” he observed. “Why is that? Isn’t a nine-figure bank account enough to give you a little swagger?” I’d forgotten he was the one who handled the divorce papers. He knew exactly how much I was worth. I touched my nose, feeling a little self-conscious. “Honestly, Lucas… I got together with your old boss when I was twenty-one. He’s the only man I’ve ever been with.” “Before we were married, my parents’ world revolved around my younger brother. They were never really satisfied with me. After I got with William, everywhere we went, people only ever praised him. I was invisible. Plus, I’ve never been that interested in money. It’s just… hard to switch gears and act like a big shot overnight.” Lucas rested his chin on his hand, studying me for a long time. Then he leaned in close, his eyes narrowed with mock seriousness. “Oh no, Audrey. We have a problem.” Thinking something was wrong, I leaned in too, my voice hushed. “What is it?” He quickly pecked me on the lips. “You’re just too damn beautiful.” A hot blush instantly spread across my face. 7 Younger men really know what they’re doing. Lucas showered me with sweet nothings day in and day out, and over time, he actually managed to coax a bit of a pampered, playful side out of me. That, combined with a very fulfilling nightlife, brought a healthy glow back to my cheeks. Sometimes, I’d catch my reflection and even I had to admit, I looked pretty good. The high-society circle in this city is small. Even after the divorce, some invitations were unavoidable. Case in point: the wife of one of William’s business partners was having a birthday party, and she invited both of us. I didn’t want to go, but she called me repeatedly, insisting. So, I decided to make a brief appearance. I put on some light makeup, slipped into the pink dress I’d bought, and took a cab to the Gables’ estate. As soon as I walked in, I saw a familiar group of society wives clustered around Jessica, fawning over her. “Oh, you must be due any day now! And I can just tell, it’s a boy.” Jessica smiled shyly. “Yes, we had it checked. It’s a boy.” One of the women, Mrs. Chen, was particularly sycophantic. “See? You’re the lucky one. Not like William’s last wife. Old, plain, and couldn’t even keep a baby. If you ask me, William was too kind. I would have kicked her out years ago.” I hadn’t realized so many people were eager to kick me when I was down, even after a “peaceful” divorce. What shocked me more was that William was standing right there, listening to it all, and didn’t say a single word to defend me. It was Mrs. Gable, the hostess, who finally intervened, smoothly changing the subject. Just as they were discussing what kind of baby bottles to buy for William’s son, someone finally noticed me. The woman’s eyes widened in surprise. “Are you… Mrs. Knight?” I offered a gentle smile. “William and I are divorced. You can just call me Audrey.” A wave of disbelief washed over the group. Everyone stared at me. Even William. A flicker of stunned admiration crossed his face. “Audrey?” “Yes,” I nodded, handing my gift to the hostess. “Mrs. Gable, happy birthday. I have another engagement, so I won’t be staying long.” After a polite nod to the group, I turned and walked out of the party. I had just reached the end of the driveway when I heard someone call my name from behind. I turned. It was William.

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Liam Miller died in a high-speed crash while vacationing on a private island with his assistant. By the time the police notified me and I arrived at the scene, his assistant was still kneeling by his body, screaming his name and sobbing hysterically. But I saw him. I saw Liam’s soul, floating right there in the air. I guess the devil doesn’t have a vacancy for traitors yet. 01 The detective standing next to me cleared his throat awkwardly when I didn’t say a word. “Mrs. Sterling?” That one sentence cut right through Elena Vance’s wailing. She was Liam’s “assistant,” currently draped over his body. It seemed Liam really did love her. In that violent wreck, he had taken the brunt of the impact. He was dead, while Elena walked away with nothing more than a few scrapes and bruises. But Liam’s love… I glanced at the translucent shimmering figure of the man hovering above us and scoffed internally. Liam’s heart changed colors faster than a chameleon in a neon light district. When Elena looked up and saw me, her expression shifted from grief to pure shock. Then, she lunged at me, her face flushed with a manic energy. Liam’s spirit reacted instantly, just like he would have when he was alive. He tried to step between us, desperate to shield Elena from any imaginary harm I might inflict. But he had no physical form. He had to watch, helpless, as Elena passed right through his chest and grabbed my shoulders. “Elena, be careful!” he barked, his brow furrowing. Then he turned his venomous gaze toward me, trying to intimidate me with a look. “Vanessa, I’m warning you. Don’t you dare touch her.” It was a scene we had played out a thousand times before. Except now, I was the only one who could hear his hollow threats. Elena’s grip tightened on my jacket, her face contorted with malice. She wasn’t here for a sisterly chat. I stepped back, pulling away from her. The detective stepped in, steadying her before she could fall. “Ms. Vance, you need to compose yourself,” the officer said firmly. “The arrangements for Mr. Miller are the responsibility of his legal wife, Mrs. Sterling.” The detective wasn’t an idiot. He had clearly clocked the dynamic between the CEO and his “assistant.” He put a heavy emphasis on the word wife. Elena froze. Her face twisted into something grotesque—like a demon out of a horror movie. “Officer, I want to report a crime!” Elena shrieked. “This wasn’t an accident! She did this! She killed him!” The detective sighed heavily. I looked at her, watching her lose all control, and tucked myself behind the officer. I didn’t want this lunatic scratching my face. Liam was standing right beside her now, his eyes cold as he stared at me. I couldn’t read his ghostly expression perfectly, but I knew him. He was probably suspecting me, too. 02 The detective looked exhausted. As he opened his mouth to speak, I cut him off, looking directly at Elena. “If you don’t have proof, that’s defamation,” I said calmly. “And I will sue you for every cent you don’t have.” Elena gnashed her teeth, her rage bubbling just under the surface. I found the whole thing tedious. I decided to offer her some “friendly” advice. “I suggest you go home and start cataloging everything Liam ever bought you.” I paused, letting the silence hang. “Since we were legally married, everything he spent on you is technically marital property. My son, Leo, and I are the sole heirs to Liam’s estate. I wonder how fast I can get a court order to claw back every dollar he wasted on you.” Elena, who had been sobbing just seconds ago, went deathly silent. Seeing her finally quiet down, the detective signaled a female officer to escort her out. As Elena left the room, Liam tried to follow her. To his horror, the moment he reached the doorway, an invisible force yanked him back. I smirked. Serves you right. “Mrs. Sterling, we’ll handle the paperwork from here,” the detective said. They had already investigated. The crash was a textbook accident—blown tire at high speed. They had only asked me some routine questions on the way over. I had no interest in looking at Liam’s face, especially not the post-crash version. I didn’t want nightmares. I called my assistant and my lawyer to handle the logistics, then turned to leave. Everything had been so rushed. I had sent the nanny to pick up Leo from preschool, but I was still anxious. Leo had grown up without his father’s presence. He was clingy, and I was worried he wouldn’t go to sleep if I wasn’t there. I finished the formalities, confirmed my assistant was on the way, and headed straight to the airport for the first flight home. 03 It was confirmed. Liam couldn’t leave my side. I looked up at the ceiling of the plane, knowing he was tethered to the roof or the seat next to me. I squinted into the air. This was going to be fun. The moment I landed, the nanny sent me a video. There was Leo, in his cute pajamas, his big dark eyes blinking at the camera. He refused to go to sleep, constantly calling for “Mommy.” It wasn’t until the nanny told him I was watching that he sat up and gave the lens a weak, tired smile. “Mommy, I want to cuddle. Please come home soon.” Leo was five. He was starting kindergarten next year, but he still had that sweet, high-pitched toddler voice that could melt stone. I hurried home. My driver was waiting, and I was through my front door in less than an hour. The nanny was showing Leo a picture book. When he heard me, Leo sprinted to the door and dove into my arms. I held him tight, carried him to his room, and tucked him in. I read him three stories before he finally drifted off. While I was occupied with Leo, I caught Liam out of the corner of my eye. He was sitting on the padded window seat in Leo’s room. When he was alive, he never bothered with the boy. He claimed he didn’t like “kids,” but the truth was he just didn’t like me. He almost never spent time with his son. That was why, during the whole bedtime routine, Leo never once mentioned his father. I heard Liam’s ghostly murmur. He was asking himself why Leo wasn’t asking for “Daddy.” I almost laughed. I kissed Leo’s forehead and went to the master bedroom. 04 I wasn’t in the mood for games. I sat at the edge of the bed and spoke into the empty air. “Leo is five years old. In those five years, how many times did you actually play with him?” “Did you ever take him to the park? Did you ever tuck him in? What reason does he have to miss you?” “Leo is closer to our driver than he is to you.” I looked at the spot where I felt his presence. We had been married for ten years. He had been cheating with his assistant for three. The semi-transparent soul suddenly met my eyes. The room went cold. His face was a mask of pure shock. He didn’t look like the powerful “Mr. Miller” anymore. “You can see me.” I didn’t answer. I just looked at him like he was an idiot. Liam sighed and sat at my vanity. When he realized he didn’t have a reflection in the mirror, he sat there dazed for a few seconds. I let out a short, dry laugh and crossed my arms. “So, Mr. Miller, even in death, you can’t seem to quit me?” The moment I discovered his affair with Elena, I had asked for a divorce. He refused. He claimed he couldn’t live without me, that Leo needed a father—every excuse in the book to block the filing. I even tried to take it to court. But I lacked the “smoking gun” evidence. Elena was his assistant; they were expected to be together around the clock. After enough fighting, I gave up. I looked at it from a different perspective. A billionaire husband who is never home but provides a limitless credit card? That’s just a high-end ATM. So I started buying real estate in Leo’s name. I focused on my own career. I was always prepared for him to eventually force a divorce on his terms. I never expected he’d drop dead first. Liam had no siblings. His parents passed away years ago. That meant Leo and I were the sole beneficiaries of his entire empire. The legal wife and the biological son. What a generous man. 05 We didn’t talk much that night. I went to sleep quickly. Early the next morning, my assistant emailed me the cremation certificate and a video of the coffin entering the furnace. Liam drifted over to see what I was looking at. He watched his own body turn to ash. “You aren’t even a little sad?” His voice was muffled, hollow. I took a sip of my coffee, feeling quite refreshed. I didn’t bother answering. I went to Leo’s room to wake him up. He had preschool. Furious at my silence, Liam started pacing around me, his voice rising in a ghostly roar. “Vanessa!” Leo couldn’t hear him. He just woke up, rubbed his eyes, and giggled as he crawled into my lap. “Mommy, can I take extra snacks to share with my friends today?” While he brushed his teeth, Leo was dancing with excitement. I smiled, helped him pack his favorite treats into his backpack, and sent him off. 06 After dropping Leo off and confirming a few things with my lawyer, I went to Miller Group HQ. Liam was still in a foul mood, so he didn’t say anything. He just sat in the passenger seat, arms crossed. I knew he was probably hoping to see Elena. He was going to be disappointed. Men are notoriously slow at figuring certain things out. Like the true nature of the women they keep. When we reached the office, Elena was nowhere to be found. Liam’s other assistant, Ms. Gable, already knew the news. My lawyer had called her. She knew exactly why I was there. She had already scheduled a board meeting for 2:00 PM. Ms. Gable led me into Liam’s private office. “Mrs. Sterling, please make yourself comfortable. I’ll bring the files over.” She hesitated for a second, then opened a concealed door in the wood-paneled wall, revealing a hidden suite. “If you’re tired, you can rest in here.” The room had a king-sized bed, a walk-in closet, and a designer tub. I frowned. Thinking about what Liam and Elena might have done in there made my skin crawl. Actually, the whole office felt tainted. “It’s filthy in here,” I said, avoiding Liam’s gaze and stepping back. I wiped the tip of my nose. “I’ll wait in your office, Ms. Gable.” Liam, who had been silent, was now glaring at me with pure rage. I ignored his fury and followed Ms. Gable out. 07 I spent the morning reviewing files and consulting with a specialist my assistant had hired. By noon, Liam realized what my plan was. As I followed Ms. Gable to the executive cafeteria, Liam was screaming in my ear the whole way. I had known him since we were seventeen. We started dating at eighteen and married at twenty-three. This was the first time I’d seen the “Great Liam Miller” lose his mind. “Vanessa, how dare you sell my shares!” “You bitch!” “That’s mine! You have no right!” Liam came from a comfortable middle-class background. Everything he had, he built himself. He was the golden boy of his generation. He had proposed at twenty and waited until twenty-three to marry me, promising he’d give me the world. But seven years into the marriage, he cheated. I waited until Ms. Gable went to grab our trays before I finally looked at his ghost. “It’s mine now.” I didn’t offer any further explanation. Liam froze, his ghostly eyes turning a deep, angry red. “Vanessa! I hope you rot in hell!” After lunch and a quick nap, the board meeting started. Before I even reached the conference room, I heard a familiar voice. It was Elena. I leaned against the doorframe and looked back at Liam. The look of desperate expectation in his eyes was pathetic. Men are so predictable. “Members of the board…” Elena’s voice wavered through the door. Liam tried to rush inside, his gaze darting to me repeatedly. But he was tethered. He couldn’t go in unless I did. He had to stand there and listen with me. “Mr. Miller has passed away…” Elena’s voice was shaky, acting the part of the grieving, loyal employee. I didn’t want her ruining my play, so I pushed the door open. “Ms. Vance. What a surprise.” 08 At the sound of my voice, Elena, dressed in a modest white chiffon dress, visibly flinched. “Good afternoon, everyone,” I said, ignoring her as I addressed the board members. Elena was still standing in front of my designated seat. I casually tossed my designer bag onto the table and raised an eyebrow at her. “Do you have a reason for being here, Ms. Vance?” Elena wasn’t smart. She couldn’t hide her tells. I saw the calculation in her eyes. It was the same look she gave me three years ago when she first slept with Liam and came to flaunt it to my face. She was trying to align herself with the board, hoping to leverage Liam’s “bequest” for her own gain. But Liam was a fool. He missed the greed in her eyes entirely. Instead, he only saw the “timid” look she gave Mr. Davenport, the senior board member sitting next to her. Seeing that look, Liam’s ghostly heart broke for her. He hovered next to me, trying to look through me with his murderous glare. “Vanessa, you treat her well, or I swear I’ll drag you to the grave with me!” Tch. The grave? I ignored him and glanced at Mr. Davenport’s balding head. Elena’s taste in men was really going downhill. I knew exactly what Elena was up to. Every person in this room knew about the affair. Elena was a toxic asset now; anyone with a brain would stay far away from her. But Mr. Davenport was famously horny and incredibly rich. I nudged Elena aside and pulled out my chair. “I’m here to discuss the future of the company.” I signaled Ms. Gable to give the board a summary of the transition. As she spoke about the “accident,” the board members began looking at Elena with varying degrees of suspicion. In the early days, Liam didn’t have a driver. If there was a crash with Elena in the car, nobody believed she was entirely innocent of distraction. But since she was the only witness and she claimed it was an accident, the police couldn’t do much. Even Mr. Davenport’s gaze toward her lost its warmth. Elena bit her lip, her eyes red, her eyelashes fluttering. She looked like a wounded bird. I tapped the table. “I’m not familiar with the inner workings of Miller Group. After consulting with my team, I’ve decided to liquidate Liam’s majority stake.” “I value the contributions you’ve all made, so I’m giving the board right of first refusal.” I pulled a stack of my assistant’s business cards from my bag, handed them to Elena, and smirked. “Ms. Vance, would you be so kind as to hand these out to the board members?” When she first started with Liam, she was careful. But after two months of realizing Liam and I were strangers, she stopped hiding. She used to walk past me wearing the jewelry Liam bought her just to see my reaction. Now, suddenly being treated like a low-level clerk, Elena’s eyes welled with tears. The perfect damsel in distress. Liam was fuming, but he couldn’t touch me. Mr. Davenport, however, stepped up. He waved a hand, a greasy smile on his face. “Mrs. Sterling, let’s not be hard on Ms. Vance.” He reached out and took the cards from her hand himself. I shrugged. “You have three days to consider the offer. After that, I’m opening the floor to outside buyers. All fifty-five percent.” I stood up to leave, then paused at the door, looking back at Elena. “Ms. Vance, remember what I said at the station? I’m coming for my money. You might want to start packing.” Then I walked out on my four-inch heels. 09 The tether snapped tight, forcing Liam to follow me out of the building. In the car, Liam sat next to me. Seeing that I was dead serious about selling his life’s work and ruining Elena, he finally stopped fighting. His voice softened. “Vanessa, I know I messed up. But I was good to you in my own way. I’m begging you… sell the shares to Graham. And please, stop targeting Elena.” Graham was Liam’s co-founder. He had been the best man at our wedding. I hadn’t seen him in the meeting. He’d sent a proxy. I kept my head down, watching a video the nanny had sent from the preschool. In the video, Leo was handing out snacks to his classmates. The kids were cheering, surrounding him in a circle. Leo was in the middle, his eyes crinkled into little crescents, laughing with pure joy. Liam hadn’t gotten a response, so he leaned over to look at the screen. When he saw Leo’s happy face, his voice caught. He stopped talking. He just stared at the image of his son’s smile, over and over. The car pulled up to the estate. My assistant was waiting for me. Ever since the island, he had been working around the clock. He looked exhausted. Thinking about the cards I’d just handed out, I felt a slight pang of guilt. “Your year-end bonus is doubled,” I told him as I walked inside. His face instantly lit up with energy. He followed me in, handing me the formal death and cremation certificates. “I’ve already forwarded these to the legal team. They’re finalizing the asset transfer to you and Leo.” I took the papers and tossed them casually onto the armchair where Liam was sitting. “Good work.” Just as I said that, the assistant’s phone rang. He looked at me, I nodded, and he put it on speaker. A man’s voice, slightly breathless, came through. “Tell Mrs. Sterling I’ll take the shares. All of them.” The voice sounded a bit old. It was Mr. Davenport. I took a sip of water. The timing. The tone. Tch. Elena sure moves fast.

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To dodge overtime, I’d cultivated a reputation as a “wife-obsessed madman.” Every day, rain or shine, I clocked out on the dot to go home and cook for my wife and kid. If I didn’t, my wife would “discipline” me. My colleagues all thought my life was a living hell. I never imagined the tables would turn so spectacularly. My ex-girlfriend, Victoria Borstein, just bought our company. She was flipping through everyone’s attendance records when her eyes landed on me. A smile that didn’t reach her eyes played on her lips. “The entire company, and you’re the only one who never works overtime. The reason being… you have to go home and cook for your wife and kid?” A coworker next to me immediately jumped to my defense. “Please, Ms. Borstein, you have to understand. His wife’s temper is… notoriously bad.” He then pulled up my sleeve, revealing a fresh scrape on my arm. Victoria’s face instantly darkened. Without a word, she grabbed me and dragged me into the CEO’s office, slamming me against the back of the door. Her eyes were rimmed with red, and she growled through clenched teeth, “Asher Sterling, we only broke up two years ago. Were you in that much of a hurry to marry a woman like that?” 1 Out in the world, your identity is what you make it. My persona at the office was simple: The ultimate simp. Married, with a kid. Every other sentence was about my wife and child. Because of this, I was the only person in the entire company who could leave on time every single day. Everyone knew the score—if I was late getting home, dinner would be delayed, and my wife would beat me. I didn’t care about overtime pay or comp days. I had zero ambition, a perfectly chill, non-competitive employee. My colleagues loved having someone so utterly non-threatening around. My real happiness began after I clocked out. A few drinks with the guys, checking out some hot girls, enjoying life. Life was peaceful, uncomplicated. Until our company was acquired. And the new CEO was my… ex-girlfriend. 2 Honestly, the day Victoria Borstein descended upon our office, my brain short-circuited. Perfectly styled curls, an expensive designer suit, and a gaze that could freeze hell over. She was no longer the girl from two years ago; she radiated the powerful, sophisticated aura of a queen. A flock of assistants trailed behind her. She walked like she had her own personal soundtrack. I run this town, I do as I please, the world is at my feet. I run this town, I never, ever look back. Every eye was on her. The next second, I let out a massive sneeze. Was she trying to fumigate the office with that perfume? Every head swiveled in my direction. To maintain my “married dad” persona, I was currently sporting a puffy black down jacket with a pair of tacky, floral-print oversleeves. Victoria’s gaze landed on me, and she let out a small, contemptuous scoff. “If I recall correctly, this is the only employee in the entire company who never works overtime.” She made a show of flipping through the work logs in her hand. “What’s the problem? Is the overtime pay not good enough? We offer a bonus, comp time, and we even reimburse your cab fare. Mr. Sterling, do you have a problem with the company?” “No, Ms. Borstein,” I replied, my face a blank mask. An older colleague, seeing the new boss was singling me out, rushed over to smooth things over. “Ms. Borstein, you don’t understand, Asher has it really rough.” My stomach dropped. Oh no. But it was too late. My colleague grabbed my sleeve and yanked it up. A prominent scrape was on full display. …The truth was, I got wasted with my buddies at a bar last night and took a spill on my way out. “You see, Ms. Borstein? Asher has to be home on time every single day to cook for his wife and kid. If he’s late… well.” She trailed off, looking at me with profound pity. The implication hung heavy in the air. My toes curled in embarrassment. But I’d made my bed, and now I had to lie in it. I closed my eyes, resigned to my fate, and nodded. “That’s right. If I don’t get home on time to make dinner, my wife beats me.” I looked up and met Victoria’s incredulous gaze. “And that, Ms. Borstein, is why I don’t work overtime.” 3 The papers in Victoria’s hand crumpled, her knuckles turning white. A vein pulsed at her temple. She stared at me, her fury barely contained. “Say that again. Who beats you?” “His wife! Ms. Borstein, you have no idea, the woman is a monster!” another colleague chimed in, and suddenly the whole office was buzzing with sympathy for me. My older colleague was a notorious gossip. Most of the “evil deeds” of my fictional wife were a product of office rumor-mongering. But I couldn’t deny it now. I just lowered my head and picked at my fingers, feeling the burn of their collective pity. I felt like a tragic hero from a soap opera. Victoria’s jaw was clenched tight, her expression growing darker with every whispered comment. Finally, she’d had enough. “That’s enough,” she snapped, her voice cutting through the chatter. “I understand the situation. Everyone, get back to work.” I felt a wave of relief wash over me and tried to slip away, but a hand suddenly clamped down on the back of my neck, grabbing the hood of my jacket. “You,” she said, her voice like ice. “Come with me.” 4 Victoria dragged me by the arm, the air around her crackling with murderous intent. “Ms. Borstein, where are you taking me? Couldn’t we have talked back there?” “What? Does the boss need your permission on where to conduct a meeting now?” “…Right. You’re the boss. You’re the biggest.” The second we were inside her office, the door slammed shut with a deafening bang. The next thing I knew, I was pinned against it. Her eyes were dark, burning into me, her chest heaving. I slowly turned my head away. “Ms. Borstein, this is highly inappropriate.” “Hah. Ms. Borstein?” she scoffed, a bitter laugh escaping her. “When things were good, you called me ‘baby.’ Now that you’ve got someone new, it’s ‘Ms. Borstein.’” Okay, I take back what I said about her being mature. She was just as childish as ever. “Should I call you ‘boss’ then?” I tried to create some space between us. “Boss, I’m a married man. I have a wife and a child. What you’re doing right now constitutes workplace harassment.” Victoria froze for a second, then let out a cold, humorless laugh and released me. “Asher, you dump me, and two years later, you’re in such a rush that you marry a piece of trash like that?” I had no response. I just offered a polite smile. She slumped into her office chair, tugging at the collar of her blouse, looking utterly defeated. “Who was it that swore they would never, ever get married?” “You know what they say. You don’t know what you’re missing ’til you meet the one,” I spouted, pulling the cliché out of thin air. “And your ‘one’ beats you?” “…” I was speechless. She continued, her voice rising. “Everyone in your office knows your wife hits you. Every day you practically sprint out of there, terrified of being late with dinner. You said that, didn’t you?” “…Yes, that’s what I said.” “Then why are you still defending her?” “…She’s nice to me when she’s not hitting me.” Victoria stared at me, her eyes a mixture of pain and anger. “What happened to you? The old you wouldn’t have blinked while kicking me to the curb. And since when do you cook? I used to thank God you didn’t burn the kitchen down. It’s only been two years. Where did that ruthless bastard I knew go? You told me you were against marriage, but you managed to have a kid with this psycho in two years? What, was I just the wrong season for you?” I silently retracted my earlier thought about being a tragic hero. Clearly, she was the one auditioning for the part. “Ms. Borstein,” I interrupted. She looked up at me, her expression pitiful, as if she were waiting for an explanation. Unfortunately, I had none to give. I curved my lips into a small smile. “It’s quitting time. I should get home and start dinner.” “Asher Sterling!” she seethed, her voice shaking with rage. “I hate you.” “Hate away. Just don’t dock my pay.” “Goodbye, Ms. Borstein.” I closed the office door gently behind me and walked away without looking back. 5 The next few days were quiet. Victoria didn’t bother me again. I was secretly pleased. It seemed the “married dad” persona was also an effective ex-girlfriend repellent. Until one rainy afternoon, when I was stranded on a street corner, unable to hail a cab. A Porsche pulled up beside me. The window rolled down. Victoria was leaning back in the driver’s seat, her tone dripping with sarcasm. “Pouring rain, and your dear wife didn’t come to pick you up?” “She’s busy with work,” I said dismissively. “Hah, how busy can she be?” she sneered. “A happy wife means a happy life, haven’t you heard? A miserable wife brings a miserable life.” “Right, right. Not everyone can be as enlightened as you. You must have taken a masterclass in wifely duties.” My retort seemed to hit a nerve. She frowned. “Asher, with that sharp tongue of yours, how could anyone possibly bully you?” I was in no mood to argue. I just opened the door and slid in. “Let’s go. South Orchid Apartments.” “Who said I was giving you a ride?” Still playing tough. She’d already circled the block three times. And I’d already spotted two large boxes in the back seat: a limited-edition giant Gundam model and a complete Barbie doll set. “You’ve already bought presents for my kid. Still want to pretend you weren’t going to give me a lift?” Caught, the tips of her ears turned red. She looked away, clearing her throat. “I did the math. The kid isn’t yours, is it?” she asked, her voice full of false confidence. “You married a divorcée? Is the little freeloader a boy or a girl?” “He’s mine,” I said, my voice serious. “My son.” I paused, then delivered the final, crushing blow. “He’s only a little over a year old, though. Too young for a Gundam.” Victoria’s hands tightened on the steering wheel. She took a sharp breath, and when she spoke again, her voice trembled. “Asher, we broke up two years ago… and your son is over a year old. Are you telling me you got with her the second we broke up?” Her eyes were already starting to glisten. I sighed. “Maybe we should drop it. I’m afraid you’re going to start crying.” She slammed her foot on the gas, and the car shot forward. The rest of the drive was silent. By the time we reached my apartment building, she looked like an angry, puffed-up blowfish. Before I got out, I said, “Let’s just let the past be the past. I’m happy to see you’re a big-shot CEO now. Goodbye.” 6 The first thing I saw when I got home was the overturned cat food bowl. And lying next to it, my fat cat, giving me the dirtiest look imaginable. “Alright, alright, I’m sorry. The rain was bad, I was only a little late. Don’t be mad, Your Majesty.” I opened a can of wet food and mixed it into his kibble, then placed it reverently on his little dining stand. A few minutes later, my phone rang. It was Victoria, her voice cold. “You forgot the presents for your kid.” I glanced at my cat, who was busy inhaling his dinner. “It’s fine. He’d probably just break them anyway.” “Asher,” she said, her voice suddenly serious. “Yeah?” “Divorce your wife. I’ll be your wife instead.” I was stunned for a few seconds, then laughed. “Ms. Borstein, you’re harassing me again.” “Then sue me! I’m going crazy!” Her voice suddenly shot up, filled with a raw, desperate frustration. “I’m downstairs right now, looking at the light in your window, thinking about you living with another woman… and I just want to come up there and shoot her.” Such a drama queen. Always with the threats. “You seem to be forgetting, your highness,” I said drily, “You’re back from the States. We have gun control here.” “…Can you be serious for one second?” “Fine, go ahead. The sooner you’re done, the sooner you can go home.” “Divorce her. I’ll raise the kid. I promise I’ll treat him like my own. If you don’t believe me, I’ll go get sterilized right now.” Silence from my end. She grew more agitated. “The kid can have your last name, and I’ll take the kid’s last name. How about that?” “Impressive,” I finally said, wanting to applaud. “Why don’t you just take my wife’s last name?” The other end of the line went silent. A few seconds later, I heard a sniffle, then her voice, laced with venom. “Asher Sterling, you don’t even treat me like a human being.” The line went dead with a sharp click. I let out a long breath. They say you’ll be haunted for a lifetime by the thing you couldn’t have when you were young. But sometimes, a single moment can set you free from that obsession. It’s true for things, and it’s true for people. A memory is just a memory. It has no power. 7 When Victoria and I were at our best, we were both fresh out of college. We were young, broke, and running on love alone. We were crammed into a tiny rental, inseparable the moment we got home from work. From the living room to the bedroom, from the bedroom to the bathroom. We were disgustingly, intoxicatingly in love. By the time we finally collapsed into bed, I was too exhausted to even move. She would lie beside me, twirling a strand of my hair, her eyes sparkling. “Baby, I have to be honest with you. I’m actually a down-and-out heiress. I ran away because I hated the life my father planned for me. You’re so amazing, you don’t mind that I’m poor.” “And even though I love being crammed in this tiny apartment with you, when we get married, we’ll have to get a big mansion, right? Do you like sports cars? Oh, no, that’s a bad idea, they’re too fast. We’ll get you a chauffeur instead.” I was so tired my head was spinning. I just assumed she was delirious, murmuring “uh-huh, sure” to whatever she said. After all, I was with her for her looks. For a beautiful woman, being poor was a plus. So I never took her words seriously. Until she started acting strange. She was always frowning, lost in thought. She started taking calls in secret, hiding her phone. My conclusion was immediate: she was cheating on me. I could handle a poor, beautiful woman. I could not handle a dirty, unfaithful one. One night, while she was asleep, I secretly jotted down the number that had been calling her so frequently. Worried the other guy was being played, I even sent him a message, telling him Victoria had a boyfriend. To my surprise, he asked to meet. The person who showed up was Victoria’s father.

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This was the tenth time I had faked my death to scare my husband. But this time, it was his secretary who I ended up terrifying as she walked him home. For the first time, Caleb exploded at me. “Are you ever going to stop this pathetic acting? If you really want to die so badly, then just go do it!” He didn’t know that I actually was dying. Every “prank” was just a desperate attempt to desensitize him, so he wouldn’t be so devastated when the real day came. But as I watched him tenderly comfort his secretary, a cold curiosity gripped me. When the truth finally comes out… will he actually feel a single shred of regret? 1 When I heard the electronic lock click, I put down my makeup sponge and glanced in the mirror. Even the palest foundation could barely hide the gray, sallow tint of my skin. The blood on my T-shirt was real—I’d coughed it up earlier—and it looked more convincing than anything in a slasher movie. I slumped onto the floor. A second later, the door swung open. The sound that followed wasn’t Caleb’s voice, but a woman’s sharp, terrified scream. It took a moment for me to “recover” and open my eyes. I saw a woman huddled in Caleb Sterling’s arms. She was sobbing pitifully. “Mr. Sterling, I’m so scared.” It was his secretary, Heather Miller. Caleb stiffened, but he didn’t push her away. When he turned to look at me, his eyes were overflowing with nothing but irritation. “How much ketchup did you use this time? Jade, are you actually addicted to this drama?” Heather clutched his arm, letting go only when she saw me sit up. “Mrs. Sterling, that was horrifying. I’m okay, but Mr. Sterling is exhausted and had a few drinks. What if something had actually happened to him because of the shock?” I stared at their proximity. Caleb didn’t look even slightly guilty. “Aren’t you getting up?” he snapped. I whispered, “I don’t have the strength.” He didn’t believe me. He reached down and roughly hauled me to my feet. It was the first time I’d ever seen him this angry with me, and it was for the sake of another woman. “Jade, aren’t you tired of this?” “I spend all day at the office grinding for this family. I don’t expect you to be grateful, but stop making my life a living hell with these stunts!” Heather poured a glass of water and handed it to him. “Mr. Sterling, I’m sure she didn’t mean it. She didn’t know you were stressed today.” Caleb’s knuckles turned white. He grabbed the glass and hurled it at the floor. Smash. The shards flew everywhere. A jagged piece sliced across my wrist. Bright red blood began to bead and drip. “There’s a lot she doesn’t know,” Caleb said, his gaze cold and disgusted. “Since you love playing dead so much, why don’t you just go ahead and do it for real?” 2 Caleb was wrong. I knew a lot of things. I knew he was “busy” at the office, so I spent my days brewing nutritious soups to keep him healthy. I knew he worked late, so I stayed up every single night waiting for him to come home. I also knew his alcohol tolerance was high. So why did he need Heather to “walk him home” because he was supposedly drunk? To foster a more “intimate” connection between a boss and his subordinate? I sat in the hallway outside our apartment all night thinking about it, until I eventually started laughing at myself. A neighbor passed by, startled by the sight of me, and muttered, “Freak,” under their breath. I hugged my knees. The hallway was freezing. Caleb really must have been “out of it.” After Heather left, he’d shoved me out the door to “sober up” and told me to stop looking for trouble. I was locked out. I knocked, but there was no sound from inside. Caleb had fallen asleep. I checked my wrist. The bleeding had stopped. It stung, but compared to the gnawing agony of stage four stomach cancer, it was a paper cut. I didn’t have my phone. I had nowhere to go. I suddenly remembered the first time I faked my death. Caleb had turned ghost-white. His hands shook as he held me. As if the world were ending, he whispered my name over and over. “Jade? Jade, please!” Then I’d popped my eyes open and grinned. “Gotcha!” Caleb had stared at me for a long time before frantically wiping away his tears. He couldn’t even find the words; he just held me so tight I could barely breathe. His eyes told me everything: He was terrified of losing me. That was the method I’d chosen. I wanted to make him so used to the idea of me dying that when it finally happened, it would just feel like another one of my jokes. I thought I was being kind. 3 The next morning, Caleb opened the door and pulled me back inside. He had those beautiful, drooping eyes that made him look innocent when he was apologetic. “I’m sorry, Jade. I can’t believe I left you out there all night.” He patted my stomach and coaxed me, “You must be starving. It’s all my fault.” You see, even when he was “apologizing,” he hadn’t called me by my nickname in months. I acted angry, blaming him for letting me freeze. It was a Saturday. I told him he had to give me the whole day. First, I made him watch a movie with me. In the film, a husband comes home every day to find his wife “dead” in various creative ways. Caleb’s brow furrowed. “Is this where you got it from?” He paused the TV. “Are you really that bored? You’re basing your life on a movie to torture me?” I didn’t look at him. I just stared at the frozen screen. “But her husband thought it was cute…” Caleb let out a cold laugh. “Movies are movies. In real life, it’s exhausting. It’s annoying as hell.” “I admit I was a jerk yesterday because of the drinks, but you need to hear this.” “Real life isn’t cute. It’s irritating. Do you understand that?” His voice wasn’t loud. His tone was calm. But it felt like a tiny, poisoned needle stabbing directly into my heart. I was glad the room was dark, lit only by the faint glow of the television. He couldn’t see my smile cracking. I understood. Maybe the wife in the movie understood, too. “The movie is halfway done. Just finish it with me.” Suddenly, his phone shrieked. The name Heather Miller flashed on the screen. Heather’s panicked voice came through clearly: “Mr. Sterling, I think I ruined the Harrison account.” “The CEO tried to… touch me. I said no, and then he…” Caleb bolted upright, grabbing his coat. I reached for his hand, but I hit the wall of his heavy, darkened eyes. “Stop making a scene,” he said. He brushed my hand away. The front door slammed shut. The movie kept playing: The truth is revealed. The wife had a terminal illness. She faked her death over and over so her husband wouldn’t be so sad when she truly left. The husband in the movie thought his wife was cute. But when the credits rolled, my phone buzzed. It was a call from Heather. I heard Caleb’s voice in the background, soft and comforting. “Don’t cry. If we lose the account, we lose it. It doesn’t matter.” “You must be hungry. Let’s go get dinner. There’s a new place near the office.” Heather chirped happily, “Okay, I’m going to make you pay for the most expensive thing on the menu—” I suddenly spoke into the phone: “Which restaurant? Maybe I should join you?” 4 The silence lasted for a second before the line went dead. Heather clearly didn’t expect me to be listening. But it didn’t matter. I knew where they were going. Because I was the one who had suggested that restaurant to Caleb months ago. It was a famous romantic spot—The Glass House. I’d begged him to take me. What had he said? He’d said he was too busy. Busy making money. Busy building our future. On our last anniversary, he’d pushed me away and said, “Jade, can you just give me some space?” That night, he’d stayed at the office. Later, I saw Heather’s Instagram post. They were the only two left in the building. Caleb looked relaxed without his glasses, a cup of tea by his side. He looked nothing like the irritable man he was at home. Heather had captioned it: Late nights at the office. Boss is working so hard! That was when I first started noticing her. And now, he was taking her to the restaurant he refused to take me to. When I arrived, Caleb was alone by the car. He was leaning against the door, smoking. He didn’t look surprised to see me. He just took a long drag and exhaled. “Finished already?” I asked. “I’m not eating,” Caleb said, blowing a cloud of smoke toward me. “Jade, you’re becoming really pathetic.” Through the haze, his eyes held nothing but weary exhaustion. My heart twisted. I looked away, my voice trembling. “Where’s your jacket?” The car window slid down, revealing Heather’s flushed face. She was in the passenger seat, draped in Caleb’s blazer. She smiled at me. “Mrs. Sterling, I’m so sorry. I accidentally hit the call button on my phone earlier.” Caleb crushed his cigarette. “Get in. She’s shaken up. I need to drop her home.” Seeing me stare at Heather, he offered a brief explanation. “She gets car sick. The front seat is better for her.” “So, I’m supposed to just move to the back for her?” It was absurd. She was just a secretary. Why was she so precious? She “accidentally” calls the wife after a crisis, and then “rightfully” takes the wife’s seat. Seeing my displeasure, Heather bit her lip. “Is Mrs. Sterling upset? Maybe I should just take an Uber.” “Mr. Sterling, don’t worry about tonight. It was my own fault for not being careful. I shouldn’t have bothered you.” She made a move to get out, but Caleb stopped her. He turned to me, scowling. “Jade, do you have any humanity left?” “She went through that because of me. You’re both women—can’t you show some empathy?!” I looked at his self-righteous anger. “She says she was harassed, and you just believe her?” “No woman would lie about her dignity like that.” “She says she called me by accident, and you believe that too?” Caleb paused. “She’s not that kind of person.” I wanted to laugh. What was I even doing here? He had unconditional trust in his secretary, but none for his wife. A searing, suffocating feeling rose in my throat. I doubled over. “I’m not getting in the car.” Caleb’s voice dropped an octave. “What are you doing now?” He grabbed my arm, opened the back door, and tried to shove me inside. The pain was explosive. It felt like my entire body was breaking. “I’m not getting in!” I screamed. I used every ounce of my remaining strength to tear my arm away from him. Caleb froze. He had always had things his way. Even when we started dating, I was the one who pursued him. I was always the one who lowered my posture in this relationship. This was the first time I’d ever defied him. When he recovered, he let out a cold sneer. “Fine, Jade. You’re really something today.” “You don’t want to get in? Fine.” He climbed into the driver’s seat and slammed the door. “Then stay here!” The car sped away. Through the rear window, I saw Heather tilt her head toward me, adjusting Caleb’s jacket on her shoulders. I stood there for a long time, completely lost. I tried calling him, but he didn’t pick up. I opened my messages and typed, deleted, and retyped. Finally, I sent one sentence: “Caleb, I want a divorce.” 5 I ended up eating at that restaurant alone. A romantic spot where even the dish names were themed around love. The waiter looked at me, confused. “Table for one?” He muttered under his breath, “Who eats alone at a place like this?” I just smiled. The food didn’t taste as good as I’d imagined. I couldn’t even remember why I’d been so obsessed with coming here with him. It started raining outside. When Caleb said he was leaving me there, he meant it. The waiter suddenly ran over and handed me an umbrella. “You look really pale. You should get home.” “Whatever is bothering you, don’t neglect your health.” My nose stung. It was strange. No matter how much it hurt before, I didn’t want to cry. But this small act of kindness from a stranger almost broke me. When I got home, Caleb was waiting with a face like stone. He looked me up and down. “Do you regret it now?” Regret not getting in the car? Regret talking back? A stranger could see how sick I looked, but my own husband was only concerned with whether I had “yielded.” I looked at the man who was my husband and slowly shook my head. Caleb’s face darkened. Before he could speak, I asked, “Did you see my text?” “What text?” He glanced at his phone, and as he realized what I meant, his voice turned sharp. “What are you trying to pull now?” “Jade, you’re crossing a line. I let your little games slide before, but now you’re bringing up divorce?” “You think you can threaten me with a divorce?” In his eyes, everything I did was just a performance. I wiped my eyes. I wasn’t crying, but they were burning. I looked at him as if seeing him for the first time. “I don’t want anything. I just want a divorce.” Seeing that I wasn’t joking, Caleb calmed down. “I know we’ve been fighting lately, but that doesn’t give you the right to be impulsive.” He rubbed his temples. “Jade, you can’t live without me.” “Don’t call me Jade.” I took a deep breath, trying to keep my voice steady. I didn’t want to look like a hysterical woman. Now he was using my name softly. He always did that—he’d use a gentle tone only when he thought I was being difficult. What did he take me for? Even a child wouldn’t fall for such cheap tactics. “The divorce papers are being drafted. Please sleep in the guest room tonight.” Caleb was shaking with rage at my defiance. “I’m moving out. I’m giving you time to clear your head.” He sneered. “Jade, I’ll be waiting for the moment you come crawling back, begging for me to come home.” 6 But why would I beg him? I was practically dead already. With Caleb gone, I had the deepest sleep of my life. I slept so hard I thought I might never wake up. But I was jolted awake by someone pounding on the door. I opened it to find my mother. She grabbed my hands, her face etched with anxiety. “What happened? Why are you fighting with Caleb?” When I didn’t answer, she grew frantic. “Caleb is a catch! Where are you going to find another man like him?!” I wanted to tell her I didn’t have a “future” to worry about. But her next words turned my blood to ice. “Your brother is about to graduate from his Ivy League school. We were counting on Caleb to pull some strings for his career. You stupid girl, why are you causing trouble now?!” She looked at me with pure resentment. “Listen to me. Go to Caleb and apologize. Now.” Then she grabbed my wrist and tried to drag me toward the door. My wrist was skeletal from my illness. She didn’t notice. Her nails dug into my skin, all for the sake of her son’s “future.” I thought she might at least ask why I wanted a divorce. She didn’t. I was her child, too. Or so I thought. “I’m not going,” I said. She glared at me. “You heartless brat. I raised you, and now you won’t even help your own brother!” A violent surge of nausea hit me. I wrenched my hand away and used the last of my strength to push her out of the apartment. I collapsed onto the floor, the world spinning around me. Sometime later, my phone rang. It was Caleb. His voice was cold and detached. “Jade, your mother came to my office.” “She’s begging me not to divorce you.” 7 By the time I reached his office, a crowd had gathered outside the door. Caleb was standing there, while my mother was on her knees, sobbing hysterically. Heather handed me a glass of water. “Mrs. Sterling, you should really talk some sense into her.” She glanced inside and smirked. “This isn’t exactly a good look, is it?” I met Caleb’s eyes. They were filled with cold mockery. They said: See? I told you you’d be the one begging. Now your mother is doing it for you. The sight made my heart lurch. It felt like a physical blow to the face. I couldn’t find a single second of peace. I walked slowly into the room and tried to pull my mother up. She refused to move, her nails digging into my arm. “You ungrateful bitch! I’m not leaving!” It hurt. It hurt so much. Was there anyone who would save me? I looked at the faces around me. They were all enjoying the show. No one was coming. The last thing I saw was Caleb’s expression suddenly shifting. I couldn’t hold on anymore. I coughed, and a spray of blood hit the floor. 8 I woke up in a familiar hospital room. Caleb was sitting by my bed, his expression unreadable. I thought he finally knew. Seeing me awake, he tucked the blanket around me. “The doctor said it was an emotional collapse.” Oh. He still didn’t know. I had told the doctors here to hide my condition from him. Originally, it was so he wouldn’t be sad. But now, I’d changed my mind. “Let’s stop fighting, okay?” he said. “I was wrong. I shouldn’t have been so hard on you.” “We won’t get a divorce.” He kept rambling. It was strange; I hadn’t seen him this concerned about me in a long time. I stared at him for a while, then said: “Okay.” Caleb choked on his next words. He looked up, a flash of genuine surprise and joy on his face. “You promised. No taking it back.” I nodded. “I won’t.” He seemed truly happy. He personally handled my hospital paperwork. He stopped going to the office, moving a small desk into my room so he could work by my side. Heather came by occasionally to drop off files. Each time, she would stand there biting her lip, but Caleb wouldn’t even look at her. “Just leave the files and go. There are too many people in here; the air is getting stale.” Heather’s eyes turned red instantly. She turned on her heels and left. Once I was “asleep,” Caleb whispered my name. “Jade?” When I didn’t respond, he stepped out of the room. I stood by the door, watching through the crack as Heather threw herself into his arms. “Mr. Sterling, I love you.” Caleb’s back was to me. I couldn’t see his face. Was he happy? Was he hesitating? The sunlight through the window hit them both, making them look like a perfect couple. If only I wasn’t his legal wife. I let out a soft cough. I don’t know if it was my imagination, but Caleb’s entire body went rigid. He turned around and looked directly at me. “Jade—” He pushed Heather away and strode toward me. “It’s not what it looks like.” He looked genuinely distressed. His perfectly styled hair was a mess. “She confessed to me. I was just about to turn her down.” I watched his feigned regret for a moment, then reached out and slowly smoothed his hair. “I know. She’s the one who initiated it. I don’t blame you.” Caleb’s expression finally relaxed. I looked into his eyes. “But I don’t like her. Can you find a new secretary?” Our gazes met. Caleb lowered his eyes. “Okay,” he promised.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “437450”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

1 The moment I stepped through the front door, the house was already buzzing. My older sister was practically vibrating with excitement, ready to parade her wealthy fiancé in front of our parents. In the living room, my future brother-in-law was enthusiastically handing over expensive gift baskets to my mom and dad. When it was my turn, he shoved a pair of cheap rubber gloves into my hands. “For your cleaning lady to use. Just a little something,” he said with a charming smile. Before I could even process what was happening, my sister jumped in and thanked him profusely. Mom suddenly grabbed my arm, her nails digging into my skin, and dragged me into the kitchen. She lowered her voice to a frantic whisper. “Carter comes from old money. He’s an only child. We told his family that Stella is our only daughter too.” She shoved a greasy dish towel against my chest. “Tonight, you are the housekeeper. Start prepping dinner right now. We have a VIP guest, and the food better be perfect.” I looked down at the dish towel in my hands and actually let out a laugh. This was literally my house. I bought it. But suddenly, it was the “housekeeper’s” quarters. From the living room, Carter’s arrogant voice drifted in. He was definitely kicking his feet up. “Your maid doesn’t really seem to know her place. You guys need to train her better.” I stood in the doorway of my own kitchen, listening to this absolute circus. Suddenly, the people sitting in that living room felt like total strangers. I dropped the towel on the counter and looked at my mother with pure amusement. “Mom, you’ve got to be kidding me.” Her face dropped the second the words left my mouth. “Start cooking right now, do you hear me? If you don’t cook, how are we supposed to explain a maid who doesn’t do her job? The whole lie will fall apart!” I just stared at her, dead silent. Mom took a deep breath. Her tone shifted from a harsh command to a pathetic, soft plea. “Riley, please. I promise I’ll find a way to explain everything to him later. I swear.” She patted my arm, her eyes darting nervously toward the living room. “But right now, the most important thing is helping your sister keep this story together. Just swallow your pride for one night, okay? Be a good girl.” Without waiting for my answer, she turned on her heel and scurried back out to entertain Carter. I stood alone in a kitchen piled high with raw vegetables and frozen meat. I calmly pulled out my phone, opened a delivery app, and found the most expensive upscale steakhouse nearby. I ordered a massive premium catering package. Ribeyes, lobsters, the works. Payment method: Cash on delivery. Name on the order: Arthur, my dad. If they were going to erase my existence, I definitely wasn’t going to be their unpaid private chef. After placing the order, I walked straight to my bedroom and shut the door. Through the thin walls, I could still hear Carter complaining about the “maid’s terrible attitude.” An hour later, the doorbell rang. Dad opened the door and just stood there, staring at the mountain of food. “I didn’t order any of this.” The delivery guy held up the receipt. “The name on the slip is Arthur. The address matches. Please just check the bill, sir.” “Why would I order four hundred dollars worth of takeout?” Dad sputtered. “We have a maid to cook for us!” Carter’s voice chimed in from the couch. “I bet your lazy maid ordered it. She refused to cook, hid in her room, and now she’s ordering takeout on your dime.” Footsteps stomped down the hall, and my bedroom door flew open. Dad stood in the doorway, his face purple with rage. “Riley, get out here right now! Did you order four hundred dollars worth of food?” I sat up on my bed. “Yep. Sure did.” Dad panicked, realizing I wasn’t even going to deny it. “There is a fridge full of groceries in there! What is wrong with you?” Carter strolled up behind him, leaning against the doorframe. “See? What did I tell you? I’ve never seen such a lazy, entitled housekeeper in my life. You guys really hired a nightmare.” Stella finally spoke up, crossing her arms. “Riley, we pay you a great salary and treat you like family. Have you gotten so comfortable that you think you own the place?” She glared at me, her eyes flashing with a warning. “Fine. Since you didn’t cook, you can pay the four hundred bucks yourself.” She turned to Dad, laying the guilt trip on thick. “Dad, see? This is what happens when you and Mom are too nice to the help. You give them an inch, and they walk all over you.” Carter nodded in total agreement. “My family employs staff too. If I were you, I’d fire her tonight. Young girls working as maids… honestly, they’re mostly just lazy freeloaders.” Stella stepped closer. “Riley, Venmo me the four hundred dollars right now, and I’ll go pay the delivery guy. Otherwise, I’m having my parents fire you on the spot.” I looked right past her, locking eyes with Mom, who had just promised to “explain everything.” “Are you going to say something?” I asked her. “Or are you just waiting for me to pull out my wallet like she is?” 2 Carter looked completely baffled by my question. “Wait, why does your maid talk to you like that? And why is she calling you sister?” Stella’s face went pale. She quickly grabbed Carter’s arm and pressed herself against him. “Oh, babe, she’s just been with us for so long. We treat her like family, so sometimes she forgets her boundaries and gets a little overly familiar.” Mom forced out a nervous, awkward laugh. “Yes, exactly! This… this poor girl is the daughter of a very distant relative from the countryside. We took her in to help her out. She just calls Stella her sister out of habit.” Mom looked at Carter with wide, innocent eyes. “Don’t you worry, Carter. Stella is our one and only child.” I stared at Mom, letting her words sink in. My sister wasn’t always the “one and only.” Her name used to be Sarah. But five years ago, she threw a massive tantrum, screaming that my existence ruined her dream of being a pampered only child. To shut her up, my parents literally let her legally change her name to Stella, treating her like she was the center of the universe. Carter raised an eyebrow, his gaze sweeping back and forth between me and Stella. “A distant relative. Right. That makes sense.” He smirked. “I was actually thinking she looked a little bit like you, babe.” Dad rubbed his hands together, sweating slightly. “Yeah, well, Riley doesn’t have much of an education. She couldn’t find a real job out there, so we figured we’d throw her a bone. Room and board in exchange for some light chores. Better than letting her rot on the streets.” Carter nodded slowly, totally buying the lie. “Ah, I get it now. No wonder she has such a nasty attitude. She thinks because she’s blood, she doesn’t actually have to work. That explains a lot.” He turned to my parents, looking incredibly smug. “But a maid is a maid, and family is family. You have to draw a hard line. You’ve definitely spoiled her.” Stella’s face was flushed with embarrassment. she pointed a shaking finger at me. “Riley, I don’t have time for your games! Pay the delivery guy right now!” I ignored her completely and kept my eyes on Mom. “Mom. Are you going to tell him the truth or not?” Carter froze. “What did she just call you?” All the blood drained from Mom’s face. Stella lost her mind. “Riley, that is enough! Who the hell are you calling Mom? Are you psychotic? That is my mother!” Mom looked at me, then at Stella, and finally let out a heavy sigh, playing the victim perfectly. “I’m sorry, Carter. This girl has always been a little mentally unstable. Ever since she came to live with us, she’s been obsessed with calling me Mom. I never agreed to it, but she just won’t stop. It’s been years, and we just can’t fix her delusions.” Carter let out a long “Ohhh,” shaking his head with a condescending laugh. “Wow. I have never met someone with such thick skin.” He took a step toward me, looking down his nose. “Listen, little girl. If you just put your head down, did your job, and showed some respect, your aunt and uncle here would take good care of you. But with this lazy, greedy attitude? Nobody in the real world is going to want you. Got it?” Right at that moment, the delivery guy yelled from the front door. “Hello? Is anyone going to pay for this? I have other deliveries to make!” Dad grabbed my arm, his grip painfully tight. “You ordered the food, you pay for it. Cut the crap.” He yanked me toward the door, positioning his body so Carter couldn’t see his face, and glared at me with absolute venom. “Riley, I’m warning you. I don’t have your mother’s patience. If you don’t pay this bill right now, I am going to make your life a living hell the second he leaves.” I opened my mouth to fire back, but Mom suddenly stepped in and peeled Dad’s fingers off my arm. She let out a dramatic sigh. “Alright, alright, stop fighting. This is embarrassing.” She pulled out her phone, scanned the delivery guy’s card reader, and paid the four hundred dollars herself. She put her phone away, turned to me, and looked at me with a face full of sheer exhaustion. “Riley, when are you going to grow up?” She leaned in close, her voice breaking. “Riley, I am begging you. Just for the length of this dinner. Can you please just help your sister? Just swallow it down this one last time.” Her eyes were entirely filled with desperation, pleading with me to let them humiliate me just a little bit longer. I swallowed the bitter lump in my throat. Seeing Mom pay the bill, Stella crossed her arms, looking deeply annoyed. Carter puffed out his chest, stepping up like the man of the house. “Stella, since your parents are too soft to put her in her place, let me handle it. I’ll teach her some manners.” 3 Carter confidently walked over to the head of the dining table and took a seat. “Come here, maid. Serve the food.” I almost laughed out loud at the sheer audacity. But Mom was standing right next to me. She reached out and gave my sleeve a gentle, desperate tug. I looked back at her. Her eyes were begging me. I remembered the tremor in her voice when she said, Just swallow it down this one last time. I let out a slow breath. Fine. This would be the absolute last time I ever let my heart soften for these people. I walked over to the dining table, opened the expensive takeout boxes one by one, laid out the silverware, and arranged the plates perfectly. Carter leaned back in his chair, totally satisfied. “See? That’s more like it. A maid needs to act like a maid. Stop walking around with a sour face like everyone owes you money.” Stella sat down next to him, flashing a sickeningly sweet smile. “Don’t let her get to you, babe. She’s just an uneducated hick who doesn’t know any better.” I completely tuned them out. Once the last plate was set, I turned on my heel to go back to my room. I obviously wasn’t going to eat with them. Nobody had invited me anyway. But the second I turned around, Stella’s voice snapped like a whip. “Maid! Where do you think you’re going? Come back here and peel my shrimp.” She leaned back in her chair, pointing a perfectly manicured finger at the platter of garlic butter shrimp. She lifted her chin. “What are you staring at? Peel the shells. My fiancé loves seafood.” Carter sat there, watching me with a smug, highly entertained look on his face. “Oh, and while you’re at it, carve the meat off that prime rib. Keep it in nice, whole slices. Don’t hack it up.” Listening to them confidently bark orders at me in my own dining room, a cold laugh escaped my throat. “Do you want me to chew it for you too? That way you won’t even have to use your jaws. Think of the calories you’ll save.” The entire house fell dead silent. A second later, Stella slammed her hand on the table. Her face turned beet red. “Riley! What the hell is your problem? We ask you to do your basic job and you give us this sarcastic attitude? Are you purposely trying to ruin my night?” I looked at her, my voice eerily calm. “I served the food out of respect for Mom. That does not mean you get to treat me like a dog.” “You could have just let me go to my room so you two could enjoy your dinner. But you just had to call me back here to flex. So tell me, Stella, who is actually trying to ruin whose night?” Stella shot up from her chair. “Who gave you the right to use my first name? A maid thinking she’s on my level? You are out of your mind!” I stared at her face. We looked incredibly similar. The resemblance was undeniable, and the whole situation suddenly felt hilarious to me. “Stella, are you done acting? You are my biological sister. Did you seriously brainwash yourself into believing I’m actually your maid and you’re my boss?” Carter’s smug smile vanished. He frowned deeply. “What? Biological sister? What is she talking about?” He looked at Stella, his voice dropping an octave. “Stella, what did she just say? She’s your sister?” Before Stella could even stutter out a lie, Carter turned his sharp gaze onto my parents. “Arthur. Martha. What is going on here? You explicitly told my family that Stella was an only child. Where did a biological sister come from?” When my parents just stood there stammering, Carter raised his voice. “What is the truth? Has this entire family been lying to me since day one?” He slammed his napkin down. “Because if you have, this wedding is off!” I didn’t even have a chance to react. Suddenly, Mom lunged at me. She closed the distance in a second and swung her arm. Whack. The slap echoed through the room. I was completely blindsided. My ear rang violently. Mom pointed a shaking finger right at my nose, screaming at the top of her lungs. “What kind of insane garbage are you spewing?! Who is your sister?! If you say one more crazy word, I will throw you out on the street!” The skin on my cheek burned like fire. “Insane garbage?” I asked quietly. I reached up and touched my stinging face. “Fine. You want to prove I’m crazy? Go get the official Family Trust documents. Bring out the legal paperwork and show your precious future son-in-law exactly how many daughters you have.” I locked eyes with Carter. “You want the truth? Make them pull out the legal records. See for yourself.” Carter’s face was made of stone. “She’s right. Go get the documents. I want to see if I’m marrying into a family of pathological liars.” 4 Stella panicked. She grabbed Carter’s arm, her nails digging into his shirt. “Babe, please, don’t listen to her, she’s literally having a psychotic break, she’s—” Carter ripped his arm away. “Bring me the papers!” Dad stood up slowly. I honestly thought he would hesitate. I thought he would make up an excuse about losing the paperwork. But he didn’t. Without a single word, Dad turned around and marched into the master bedroom. Less than a minute later, he walked back out holding a heavy, official-looking leather folder. It was their notarized Family Trust and Beneficiary dossier. He slammed it down on the dining table right in front of Carter. “Look for yourself.” Carter eyed it suspiciously. He opened the folder, flipped past the legal jargon, and checked the primary beneficiary pages. Slowly, the tension left his shoulders. A look of total relief washed over his face. He let out a short laugh. “Wow. I almost let this little maid play me.” He tossed the folder back onto the table. “Arthur, Martha, your housekeeper is severely unhinged. She doesn’t just refuse to work, she’s a compulsive liar.” I froze. My heart dropped into my stomach. I lunged forward and snatched the folder off the table. There were only three names listed under the primary family unit. Grantor: Arthur. Grantor: Martha. Sole Beneficiary and Child: Stella. The rest of the space was blank. There was no second daughter. There was no Riley. Any record of my existence in this family’s legal framework had been completely scrubbed. My hands started to shake. I looked up at Mom and Dad. Neither of them would meet my eyes. They just awkwardly smiled and tried to usher Carter back into his seat to eat. Under Stella’s profile, it listed her former name: Sarah. She changed her name five years ago. And the date stamped on this trust document was exactly five years ago. It hit me like a freight train. I thought she just threw a tantrum and changed her name. I had absolutely no idea they used that opportunity to legally erase me from the family entirely. An overwhelming, suffocating wave of grief washed through my chest. Stella, feeling victorious, sneered at me. Her voice dripped with malice. “Do you finally understand now? Read the room. Know your place.” She dropped back into her chair and tilted her chin toward the garlic shrimp. “Alright, enough drama. Stop standing there like an idiot and peel my food.” The side of my face still throbbed fiercely from the slap. My mind was spinning. Dad glared at me, his eyes dead and cold. “Let me make this perfectly clear, Riley. You are the help. There is no place for you in this family. You aren’t in the paperwork, which means you do not exist.” He pointed a stiff finger at Stella. “Whatever your sister tells you to do, you do it. Stop being so ungrateful.” Stella laughed, highly amused. “Exactly, Dad. Look at her standing there. A maid trying to play the tragic victim.” Carter, completely relaxed now, picked up his fork. “Alright, enough wasting time. Peel the shrimp, carve the meat, and then go wait in your little maid’s room. I’m tired of looking at you.” I looked at the three of them sitting around the table, a perfectly happy little family. And I smiled. I smiled so hard tears actually pricked the corners of my eyes. I was laughing at my own stupidity. I was so stupid to think that if I just endured it, things would get better. So stupid to think they actually loved me deep down. So stupid to let my heart soften over and over again. I literally just got slapped across the face, and a part of my brain was still trying to call them mom and dad. I tilted my head back and wiped the tear away. Then, I looked dead at the three people waiting for me to serve them. Stella rolled her eyes. “Are you psycho? What are you smiling at? Hurry up, the seafood is getting cold and gross.” I took a very deep breath. I reached out, grabbed the heavy fabric of the tablecloth with both hands, and yanked it backward with everything I had. Plates, bowls, and glasses launched into the air. Stella screamed, scrambling backward as hot garlic butter and cocktail sauce splashed all over her designer dress. Carter leaped up, cursing loudly as dark gravy ruined the front of his expensive trousers. Mom and Dad sat frozen in absolute shock. I grinned at them. “You guys like legal documents? Perfect. I have some too.” I turned around, walked calmly into my bedroom, and pulled a thick manila envelope from my safe. I walked back into the dining room, stepped over the shattered porcelain, and tossed the official Title Deed to the house onto the bare table. “Take a good look. The sole owner of this property is Riley. The girl who doesn’t exist.” I crossed my arms. “So right now, the girl who doesn’t exist is telling all of you to get the hell out of my house.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “437435”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

After awakening to the fact that I was the cannon fodder true heiress in a novel, my entire family suddenly started hearing my inner voice. I complained internally about my dad’s right-hand man, and he immediately fired him. I complained about my mom’s best friend, and she cut ties with her instantly. I roasted my brother, and he rushed to the hospital for a full-body scan. My family, who originally only doted on the fake heiress, were now fighting tooth and nail to treat me well. The fake heiress was clueless until the very end. She hadn’t changed, so why was everyone growing to despise her? 1 “Sister, do you like it? Here, you can have it.” “Everything in this house belongs to you anyway. I’m just grateful Mom and Dad let me stay.” “As long as you like it, Sister, I’ll give you anything.” Serena’s delicate face wore a faint smile, her eyes slightly red, as she offered me a diamond watch. Watching her theatrical performance, I couldn’t help but roll my eyes. If I hadn’t awakened to the truth, I would have fallen for her trap again. It was only after my awakening that I realized I was a cannon fodder supporting character in a “True and Fake Heiress” novel. Serena, the fake heiress, was the female lead. I was her foil. We were switched at birth. She grew up surrounded by luxury and wealth in the Sterling family. I was thrown into a remote countryside, surviving like a stray dog. Not long ago, the Sterlings found me and brought me back. I was dark and scrawny, my hair was dry and yellow, and my face and hands were rough like an old woman’s. My biological father, Arthur Sterling, said I had “no table manners and no proper posture,” and my academic grades were even more unwatchable. Meanwhile, their adopted daughter, Serena, was beautiful, elegant, played the piano, spoke foreign languages, and excelled academically. Comparing the two of us, my biological parents really couldn’t bring themselves to love me. Even the name they gave me was lazy: Maya Sterling. 2 Right now, the diamond watch Serena wanted to give me was the limited-edition reward her mother, Eleanor, had given her for placing third in her class on the practice exams. I, on the other hand, got no reward because I bombed the test. I had just glanced at the watch twice, and Serena asked if it was pretty. I casually said yes, and the very next day she was trying to give it to me. But this was actually a trap she set. According to the plot, I was supposed to happily accept the watch. Then, the watch would suddenly snap into several pieces in my hands. She would cry and say that if I didn’t like it, I didn’t have to accept it, but why did I have to destroy it? This was a custom piece her mother had ordered way in advance, a treasure she protected with her life, and I had ruined it. This manipulative speech would successfully make Eleanor despise me even more. Fearing I would harm Serena again, she would banish me to the servants’ quarters in the back. “Serena, if it was given to you, keep it. It’s your reward! Maya, if you like it, I’ll naturally buy you one when you get good grades. In this house, no matter who it is, rewards and punishments are clearly separated.” Hearing Serena’s “magnanimous” words, Eleanor felt a pang of sympathy and spoke up, frowning. Serena acted even more considerate and humble: “As long as Sister is happy, I don’t need a reward. Sister, take this watch.” Saying that, she forcefully tried to shove the watch into my hands. I stepped back several paces: “I don’t want it, use it yourself.” I sneered inwardly: [Give it to me? You’ve already smashed the watch band and barely pieced it back together just to force it on me. The moment I touch it, the watch will shatter into pieces, and then you’ll frame me for being malicious.] [If I touch it, even if I had a hundred mouths, I wouldn’t be able to explain myself.] Ever since I returned, Serena had been especially keen on setting traps for me, desperate for the family to despise me and kick me out as soon as possible. At first, I tried hard to explain. But as soon as she cried, the family took her side. No one listened to a word I said. So now, I couldn’t even be bothered to explain. I knew Eleanor wouldn’t believe me anyway. I no longer cared about parental love or family affection. I planned to avoid the female lead as much as possible, save up some money, and leave the Sterling family the moment I turned eighteen. It wasn’t that far away anyway. 3 Seeing that I didn’t fall for it, Serena froze. After all, I had been naive and easy to trap since I came back. She tried to insist, but Eleanor suddenly reached out and grabbed the watch. “Mom—” Serena didn’t even have time to snatch it back. Eleanor took the watch in her hand and gave it a slight twist. Snap. The watch broke into several pieces, two of them falling to the floor. One look and it was obvious someone had intentionally broken it. Eleanor froze. I was also taken aback: [What’s going on? This isn’t following the plot.] [Could it be that Eleanor has awakened too? Does she know Serena intentionally broke the watch to frame me, so she could drive me out to the servants’ quarters, making it easier for her to torment me?] Serena’s face went completely pale. Because the watch band was extremely sturdy; it couldn’t have shattered into pieces with just a gentle twist. But she reacted quickly, putting on a face of complete ignorance: “How did this happen? This watch was perfectly fine when Mom gave it to me yesterday, right—” She turned to look at me, her face turning terrified: “Maya, what did you do in my room early this morning? It was you, wasn’t it—” “Enough!” Eleanor sternly cut her off. Serena, who had never been scolded by Eleanor before, was stunned. But what followed shocked her even more. Eleanor called the butler over and ordered him to pack Serena’s luggage and move her to an empty room in the servants’ quarters in the back. The butler and Serena were both dumbfounded. Then, Eleanor looked at me, her expression somewhat unnatural: “Maya, you move into Serena’s old room. I’ll have someone replace everything in there with things you like.” Serena’s room was right next to the master bedroom, decorated lavishly and dreamily. Even the bed alone was worth the price of a normal person’s house. I was also a bit stunned, couldn’t help but think: [Could it be that Eleanor really has awakened? Then she should know who her precious adopted daughter’s biological mother is—] At that moment, Serena’s agitated questioning interrupted my thoughts. Hearing that she was being sent to the servants’ quarters, Serena panicked, asking pitifully: “Mom, did I do something wrong?” Eleanor sneered: “The custom gift I got you, if you didn’t like it, you didn’t have to accept it. Why did you have to destroy it?” “I really didn’t expect that while I treated you as my biological daughter, your heart was so dark.” “Since you despise me as a mother, go live in the servants’ quarters and stay far away from me, so you don’t offend my eyes!” “Butler, hurry up and move her!” “Yes, ma’am!” The butler was startled, not daring to hesitate any longer, and led the staff to start moving her things. I felt a rush of secret satisfaction; thankfully I hadn’t taken that watch. Serena: “…” Serena burst into panicked tears, trying hard to make excuses: “It’s not like that, I really didn’t break it. I treasured it so much, how could I bear to ruin it…” Just then, the eldest son of the Sterling family, Lucas, arrived. Serena immediately ran to him, throwing herself into his arms: “Lucas, help me, help me explain to Mom. Mom told me to give my room to Maya and wants me to live in the servants’ quarters. I’m willing to give it to her, but I don’t want to live in the servants’ quarters, I’m scared, boohoo~” Lucas doted on this sister the most. Seeing her crying her eyes out, he immediately hugged her. He turned to look at me, scolding me without a second thought: “Maya, if you’re not satisfied with your room, just say so. We’ll change it for you. Whatever you need, we’ll buy it. Why did you have to steal Serena’s room?” I hadn’t even spoken yet. Eleanor anxiously shouted at him: “Get out of here, stop sticking your nose where it doesn’t belong, and get back to work!” Serena hugged Lucas’s neck, pressing her whole chest tightly against him, crying even more pitifully: “Lucas, boohoo~” Lucas naturally hugged her back: “Mom, are you confused? Serena grew up in our family. She’s pure and kind-hearted by nature, and doesn’t like to fight with others. How can you bear to let her be wronged? Butler, stop moving!” I scoffed inwardly: [Tsk tsk, what a fiercely protective brother. I hope in a few days, on the night of her eighteenth birthday, after she drugs you and climbs into your bed, you’ll still think she’s pure and kind-hearted by nature?] [But he probably won’t even live to see that day, because his health is already terrible right now. He suffers from insomnia every night, and has heart palpitations and headaches during the day, but never takes the time to go to the hospital.] [By that day, when he’s drugged with those powerful aphrodisiacs and tormented by Serena all night, a perfectly capable young man will be turned into a drooling idiot at the sight of a woman.] Smack. The other half of the watch slipped from Eleanor’s hand and fell to the floor. And Lucas, who was always stubbornly protective of Serena, actually had a stiff expression as he reached out and pushed away his precious sister. [Looking at the timeline, the tumor in Lucas’s brain is probably about to turn malignant, right? I should tell him to get a checkup at the hospital.] [Forget it, last time I just handed him a bowl of soup, and he told me to mind my own business, not to be overly affectionate, and not to fight over everything. If I try to advise him now, he’ll probably think I’m just jealous of his dear sister again.] Serena never expected to be pushed away by the brother who loved her the most. Caught off guard, she almost face-planted onto the floor. After steadying herself, she moved towards Lucas again. But Lucas took two sudden steps back. He suddenly looked at me, his expression complex. After a long while, his voice sounded uncertain as he said: “Sorry, I have something to do. I need to go out for a bit.” He left in a hurry. “Lucas!” Serena cried out tragically. But Lucas didn’t even look back. Serena’s expression shattered. 4 Serena didn’t go live in the servants’ quarters. She packed a simple, small bag. She only packed a few changes of clothes. She intended to move out of this house. She bowed deeply to Eleanor, tears falling like pearls, her voice hoarse: “Thank you for taking care of me all these years. I’m leaving. When I graduate, I’ll work hard to earn money and repay your kindness in raising me.” Eleanor frowned: “You made a mistake, I scolded you, and you’re feeling wronged? Is this you threatening to run away from home?” Serena cried and shook her head: “I’m not throwing a tantrum, I genuinely want to leave. Maya has suffered a lot outside these past few years, so please dote on her. You don’t need me anymore.” “Eleanor, there was a shipment of fresh fruit at Whole Foods today. I picked out a few for you, come have a taste.” Bursting in like a whirlwind was Eleanor’s best friend, Brenda. Eleanor was always overbearing, so she had very few friends. Brenda was the only one who accommodated her in everything. Because of this, the two were very close. Seeing Brenda, the cold Eleanor’s expression softened a bit: “Thank you.” I laughed inwardly: [What’s there to thank her for? She’s buying you fruit with your own money.] [You loaded her membership card with ten thousand, and eight thousand of it was spent by Brenda.] Eleanor’s face, which had just relaxed, froze again. Brenda, oblivious to this, ran over to comfort Serena: “Oh my, what’s going on? Who upset our Princess Serena? Your pretty little face is all smeared with tears like a messy kitten.” Serena held her bag, crying even harder: “Aunt Brenda, boohoo, I’m moving out. I’ll come visit you when I have time.” Brenda looked surprised: “What happened?” Serena: “The watch Mom gave me broke. I don’t know how it broke, but it made Mom mad, and Maya felt wronged, so it’s best if I move out.” Brenda laughed it off: “Is that all? Serena, just apologize and it’ll be fine. You’re so pretty, if you go out there alone you’ll be kidnapped by traffickers. Your parents and brother would be heartbroken. Right, Eleanor? You wouldn’t bear to let this beautiful girl wander the streets alone, would you?” [Hmph, with her biological mother right here, how could Serena ever wander the streets? The luxury condo you borrowed from Eleanor, the princess room you meticulously decorated, wasn’t that all prepared for Serena?] As soon as I finished my internal rant, Eleanor suddenly asked: “What did you say?” Her eyes were wide open, her voice trembling slightly. Seeing her staring at me, I was taken aback and shook my head: “Nothing, I didn’t say anything.” I continued complaining in my head: [It’s a pity we can’t choose our origins. Otherwise, I definitely wouldn’t have chosen to be born into the Sterling family.] [Eleanor is blind, completely oblivious to the fact that Brenda swapped their two daughters.] [While I was in the countryside fighting dogs for food, my own biological mother was raising someone else’s daughter like a princess, and even letting her leech off the Sterling family, paying for all her food, clothes, housing, and expenses.] [Later, when Serena turned the Sterling family upside down and seized all their assets, she moved Brenda into the Sterling family’s mansion. Do you remember what Brenda did to Eleanor?] [She called Eleanor a moron and an idiot, saying Eleanor must be blind to fall so low. She even said she never treated Eleanor as a best friend, but rather as a servant, and that now she was the master.] [When Arthur fell ill, Eleanor went to Brenda to borrow money. As a result, Brenda forced Eleanor to kneel and lick her shoes clean.] [Even though Brenda and her daughter are barely human, specializing in inhumane acts, and Serena never said a word even when she knew about her true parentage early on. Even if I told Eleanor these things, she probably wouldn’t believe me. Better not be overly affectionate again. I’ll just watch how things unfold for them. Anyway, I must get out of this house as soon as possible.] [Speaking of which, this isn’t my home at all. I’m just a pitiful ghost temporarily lodging here. No one considers me family anyway.] At this time, Brenda pushed Serena in front of Eleanor: “Eleanor, it’s not a big deal. Why kick the child out? Everyone envies you for having such a daughter—beautiful, smart, and elegant. You couldn’t find another like her in all of New York. If she runs out and something happens, wouldn’t you cry yourself to death?” Brenda urged Serena: “Go on, apologize to your mom.” Serena looked softly at Eleanor: “Mom—” Before she could say another word, Eleanor abruptly interrupted her: “Serena, since you want to leave, then move out.” Both Serena and Brenda were dumbfounded. Eleanor stepped aside to make a phone call, then took my hand: “Come with Mom to the hospital to see your brother.” I was confused and bewildered. This was the first time she had held my hand, and the first time she used the words “Mom” and “Brother” in front of me. I was led away by her in a daze. Eleanor drove, and I sat in the passenger seat. She fastened my seatbelt for me with unprecedented gentleness. As we drove out of the garage, Brenda pulled a sobbing, stumbling Serena to block the car: “Eleanor, is Lucas at the hospital? What’s wrong with him? Serena is very worried about her brother too. Let us ride with you—” Eleanor locked the car doors immediately and said coldly: “No need. Lucas isn’t her biological brother, so there’s no need for her concern.” With that, she maneuvered the car around the stunned Brenda and Serena, hit the gas, and sped away. In the rearview mirror, Serena’s cries grew even louder. 5 Lucas said he wasn’t feeling well and went to the hospital for a checkup, where they found a tumor. Thankfully, it was caught early and wasn’t a major issue. After surgery, he would be fine. We had just arrived when Serena and Brenda followed right behind us. “Lucas, are you okay?” Serena’s eyes were red and swollen again, her face full of concern. She handed an exquisitely packaged bag to Lucas and said considerately: “This is chicken soup from your favorite deli, Lucas. It’s still hot. Drink some, and you’ll get better faster.” Hearing “chicken soup,” I instinctively glanced at the packaging box a few more times: [The drug Serena slipped to Lucas on his birthday was mixed into this chicken soup. Turns out it’s his favorite. No wonder he was completely oblivious to being drugged.] [With a fake sister this attentive, it’s no surprise Lucas likes her.] [Too bad this affection won’t last. Later, when Lucas turns into a fool, his dear fake sister will immediately send him to a mental asylum with the worst conditions.] [He tried everything to make a phone call to her, but this fake sister found it annoying and had the asylum orderlies electrocute him to death with stun batons.] Crash. The soup fell to the floor, splashing everywhere. It turned out that when Serena handed it to Lucas, he outright refused it. Because he pushed it away too fast, it fell to the ground. Not only did he refuse it, but he also looked terrified, backing up continuously on his hospital bed. If there wasn’t a wall behind him, he would have retreated even further. Serena froze, tears “whooshing” out again, looking on the verge of a breakdown: “Lucas, am I a ghost? Why are you hiding so far away from me?” Lucas had a “you’re scarier than a ghost” expression and said coldly: “Leave. I’m fine. I don’t need your concern.” Serena looked pitifully at Eleanor again. Eleanor looked away and also said coldly: “Hurry up and leave.” Serena was even more heartbroken. “Then get some rest, Lucas.” Brenda gave Eleanor and Lucas a deep look and pulled Serena away. As she passed by me, Serena glared coldly and drove me away: “My brother needs to rest, and he doesn’t want to be disturbed. Stop being so full of yourself and lingering around here. Get out.” Just as she finished trying to kick me out. Lucas called out: “Maya, you don’t need to go.” I originally didn’t want to stay, but with Serena right there, I intentionally stayed and smiled slightly at her: “He insists on me disturbing him.” Serena: “…” Serena’s face turned green with anger. 6 After Brenda pulled Serena away. Lucas grabbed a carton of milk from the bedside table—delivered by his assistant—opened it, and handed it to me, saying somewhat unnaturally: “Maya, want to drink this?” I refused without a second thought: “No thanks.” [What are you pretending for? Eleanor already knows you find me annoying and hate me, so what’s the point of playing the loving sibling act in front of her? Besides, she hates me to death herself; why would she care how you look at me?] Lucas froze, his face inexplicably turning red, looking guilty. And Eleanor’s eyes inexplicably turned red too. She took my hand and choked back a sob: “I’m sorry, Maya. Since you came back, Mom hasn’t properly cared for you…” Lucas suddenly apologized to me as well: “Maya, it’s my fault too. I don’t even know what you like to eat. Tell me, and I’ll buy it all for you from now on.” His eyes were also red: “Maya, I don’t hate you. We’re biological siblings. You’re my biological sister.” He deliberately emphasized the words “biological sister,” as if afraid I wouldn’t believe him. Me: “?” This drastically different attitude before and after made me suspect they had both been possessed. I gave an awkward smile and played along: “Haha, right, we’re siblings.” [Whatever, I’m only staying for a few days anyway. Once I turn eighteen, I’ll have saved up some money. Then I’ll move out and stop hoping for some supposed blood relation.] I didn’t say anything overly harsh. For some reason, Eleanor and Lucas looked even sadder and more guilty. 7 Serena actually started trying hard. She didn’t return to the Sterling family for several days in a row. Without her causing trouble at home. My treatment in this house instantly skyrocketed. The biggest room was now mine. Every day, the chefs prepared food tailored to my preferences. A Rolls-Royce was assigned to pick me up and drop me off. Seniors barely had any days off, let alone time to go shopping, yet Eleanor bought me heaps of clothes, shoes, and bags. Eleanor gave me a card, and Lucas gave me a card too. They both said it was my allowance. I checked; both cards had over a million dollars each. And they both said they would transfer money to the cards every month, telling me to spend it freely. Actually, when they brought me back, they didn’t give me any pocket money. Like Serena, they probably felt that since we were kids, giving us large sums without restriction wasn’t a good idea, so they never gave me such huge amounts before. Earlier, when I first returned, seeing my poor grades, my parents originally planned to hire private tutors for me. But Serena volunteered to tutor me. Mom and Dad were very pleased and agreed. But when she tutored me, she intentionally threw in foreign languages that I couldn’t understand at all. Naturally, I didn’t improve one bit. Serena would then show my tests, covered in red ‘X’s, to our parents, smiling helplessly and saying I gave her headaches. Her expression practically etched the words “naturally stupid” on my forehead. My parents probably assumed my academics were beyond saving. After that, they never mentioned hiring tutors for me again, only asking Serena to continue paying closer attention to my studies. But these past few days, Eleanor hired several private tutors for me in a row, all of them top-tier professors. Before, problems that sounded like gibberish to me became understandable once these professors broke them down into simple terms. Although the Sterling family was treating me very well right now, I still didn’t dare let my guard down. I studied desperately with the professors while continuing my master plan to save money. Except for essential expenses, I didn’t dare spend a single extra penny of the money the Sterling family gave me, carefully saving it all. 8 Serena returned a week later. Brought back by Mr. Sterling, Arthur. He had returned from a business trip and, because he hadn’t eaten for a day and a night, he went to a restaurant near the airport with his trusted assistant to eat. There, he ran into Serena and brought her back. Serena was still wearing the same outfit she had worn when she left. She had dark circles under her eyes, and her complexion was sallow. Her hands were covered in band-aids. Arthur held Serena’s hand tightly, his heart clearly aching for her. As soon as he got back, he confronted Eleanor, demanding to know why she let a high school senior move out alone over such a trivial matter. He angrily accused Eleanor: “Do you have any idea what she was doing out there? She was washing dishes in a restaurant! Going to school during the day, washing dishes at night, and washing dishes on holidays too! If I hadn’t run into her, her whole life would have been ruined by your hands!” Surprisingly, Eleanor didn’t feel sorry for the miserable-looking Serena. Instead, she asked skeptically: “What a coincidence? Out of all the restaurants, she happened to be washing dishes at the exact one you went to eat at after your business trip?” [Is it really a coincidence? They planned it all out beforehand.] [Brenda and her husband, Kevin, are relying on this daughter to leach off the Sterling family. How could they let her suffer?] Kevin was Arthur’s trusted assistant, and also Brenda’s husband—Serena’s biological father. [Looking at Serena’s dark circles, she probably went through several palettes of eyeshadow.] [Tsk, and her hands. To play the victim, how many band-aids did she waste?] I was just complaining internally when Eleanor suddenly picked up a pot of tea and splashed it right at Serena’s face and hands. Splash. The makeup on Serena’s face was ruined. Serena screamed, raising her hands to cover her face. Because she had applied it so thickly, the eyeshadow started running down. And the band-aids on her hands, soaked through, fell off. Revealing smooth, completely unblemished fingers underneath. The air instantly went dead silent. Eleanor sneered: “Act! Keep acting! I’m the one who failed as a mother. I meticulously raised you for eighteen years, only to raise a deceitful liar!” Arthur was stunned. Serena, completely caught off guard, was also dumbfounded. I was in awe of Eleanor. She actually recognized that Serena’s “pitiful look” was just makeup. 9 Arthur stared at Serena in disbelief, speaking with disappointment: “So, you even lied to me? The dark circles, the band-aids on your hands—it was all an act?” Seeing she had been exposed, Serena dropped to her knees with a thud: “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, Dad. I didn’t mean it. Mom was very angry with me, and I was afraid… I was afraid you guys really didn’t want me anymore. Dad, you love me the most, you definitely won’t stay mad at me, right?” [What Dad? She already reunited with her biological parents five years ago. She intentionally kept it from you because you’re rich and she wanted to use you as an ATM.] [I also don’t know why Arthur chose Kevin as his confidant. Kevin is even more disgusting than his wife, Brenda. He secretly runs a small company, embezzles company funds to gamble, and loses millions in a single game. And that’s not even the worst of it.] [He also uses his position as the CEO’s confidant to hook up with countless mistresses at the company. The employees below hate him to the core. With him causing so much trouble, Arthur is completely clueless. Truly impressive.] [No wonder the company was later seized by Serena and her biological father, Kevin. At his age, Arthur is too easy to fool.] “What?” Just as I was ranting, Arthur suddenly seemed unwell. His face and lips turned pale, and he collapsed onto the sofa. Eleanor quickly had someone call the family doctor. When the doctor arrived, the examination revealed a blood pressure issue. They gave Arthur some blood pressure medication. Once he stabilized, Arthur stared at me for a long time, his eyes full of complex emotions. [Why is he staring at me like that? Does he still think I’m bullying his precious adopted daughter?] Arthur’s expression froze. Serena tried to move closer to Arthur again. But he pushed her away. He slowly stood up, looked at me, and spoke with unprecedented gentleness: “Maya, there’s no school today. Do you want to come play at Dad’s company?” Before I could answer, Serena eagerly interrupted: “Dad, I want to go! I’ll go with you right now.” There was an unspoken rule in the Sterling family: if the children were chosen by the head of the family to be taken to the company, it meant they were intentionally being groomed to pave the way for their future entry into the business. And Serena had been waiting for this day. She thought she would only have a chance after she officially turned eighteen. She didn’t expect the opportunity to present itself now, and she was eager to seize it. However, Arthur ruthlessly rejected her: “You don’t need to.” He turned back to me, his expression softening: “Maya, can you accompany Dad to the company? Think of it as an internship. Dad will pay you an hourly wage, is that okay?” I couldn’t figure out what he was up to, but hearing I could earn money, I agreed. “Dad!” Serena’s face contorted with anger, her voice trembling. “How could you treat me like this too? Are you trying to force me to die? Boohoo~” [You won’t die. Your biological parents are waiting right outside the mansion.] As soon as I finished my internal commentary, Eleanor, who had regained her composure, picked up her phone, dialed a number, and said coldly: “Brenda, come pick up your goddaughter.” Brenda had become Eleanor’s best friend in order to stay close to Serena, and had even acknowledged Serena as her goddaughter. Brenda quickly ran in, out of breath. Seeing Serena’s ruined makeup and the removed band-aids, she tried to smooth things over: “Eleanor, is Arthur home too? You all know? Well, I couldn’t bear to let the child wander outside, so I let her stay at my place for a few days. She cried every day because she missed you all.” “I couldn’t stand it anymore, so I came up with this bad idea. Don’t blame her. If you want to blame someone, blame me, okay?” “You see, you guys were such a happy, perfect family before. You were the envy of everyone. Now you’re arguing like this. Aren’t you just letting people laugh at you for no reason?” After Brenda finished, she glared at me, her eyes filled with such resentment that they almost shot daggers: “Maya, you caused all this, didn’t you? You intentionally drove a wedge between Serena and her parents, trying to drive Serena out?” I scoffed in anger: “Are you crazy? What does this have to do with me?” Brenda’s voice grew louder: “Heh, look at your manners. Is that how you talk to your elders? Country bumpkins truly can’t present themselves in public! Do you think you can win just by being loud and throwing tantrums?” “Let me tell you, Serena is the meticulously groomed heiress of this family. You have no grades, no grace, you can’t compare to her in any way. Just because you’re lazy, you stir up trouble in the Sterling family, driving a wedge between Serena and the family. You’ve completely disgraced the Sterling family—” Before she could finish her sentence. Smack! Eleanor slapped her hard across the face. Eleanor trembled with anger: “Who do you think you are? What gives you the right to dictate matters in my family? Get the hell out!” “Eleanor, you hit me?” Brenda stared at Eleanor in disbelief, clutching her cheek as tears welled up. “I hit you! If you say one more word about my daughter, I’ll hit you again!” Eleanor roared even louder, “Get out!”

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On my thirty-fifth birthday, a girl crashed into my living room. She rocked bright pink hair and heavy smoky eyeliner. It was me at twenty. Bold, arrogant, and radiating a wild energy that absolutely refused to be tamed. My heart skipped a beat. Terrified she would scare my supposedly straight-laced husband, I immediately ordered this rebellious kid to get the hell out. But his eyes were completely glued to her. Like a man possessed, he became instantly infatuated with my younger self right then and there. It was a bitter irony. I had spent the last seven years playing the perfect housewife for him. I quit smoking, stopped drinking, and erased every single one of my bad habits just to be a good partner and mother. The former serial dater had completely retired her playbook. I genuinely thought I had found a man I could trust for the rest of my life. And the result? After that birthday party, he stopped coming home at night. He spent every waking hour hitting up dive bars and clubs with the twenty-year-old me. When I couldn’t take it anymore and told him to keep his distance, he actually laughed in my face. “Are you seriously jealous of yourself?” He even tried to justify his behavior. “Even if something happens between us, you’re the one I truly love in my heart. What is there to worry about?” Wow. Men really were all the same. He would probably never realize one simple truth. The twenty-year-old me wouldn’t be caught dead settling for a guy like him. … 1 The clock in the living room ticked away. The hands pointed straight to one in the morning. I sat on the sofa, locked in a silent standoff with my husband who had just come home. Simon broke the silence first. “Isn’t the twenty-year-old Stella also you?” “I’m going to her gigs to support her because I love you.” “Stella, I really don’t get it. Why are you eating yourself alive with jealousy over your own past? Is it really necessary?” Simon adjusted his rimless glasses, looking every bit the refined, respectable university professor he always claimed to be. Except for the half-smeared red lipstick print sitting right on his shirt collar. Supporting her… from that close? My mind wandered. Just a month ago, he was busy commissioning a custom oil portrait as a surprise for my thirty-fifth birthday. A month later, he had completely tossed me aside, calling me unreasonable and paranoid. And all of this happened because the twenty-year-old me fell out of the sky. She had bright pink hair, bold red lips, and heavy smoky eyes. She was the absolute polar opposite of the gentle, submissive wife I had become. She oozed rock and roll. The moment she opened her mouth, she mocked me for looking like a pathetic housewife. I watched her cause absolute chaos at my birthday dinner. I was terrified. A former maneater hanging up her boots to find a decent guy to marry was no easy feat. I wasn’t going to let this brat ruin my marriage, so I immediately told her to get out. But Simon was surprisingly protective of her. “That’s enough, Stella. Be mature.” “Even if you aren’t that person anymore, you should gracefully embrace your past.” He sounded so incredibly righteous. I actually thought I had married the right man. I was just about to sit him down and confess the wild, complicated truth of my past, but he was already completely mesmerized by her. It turned out he was utterly captivated by that vibrant, unfiltered version of me. For the past month, I watched it all happen right in front of my eyes. My Mr. Perfect husband, who had never once been late for dinner, suddenly mastered the art of staying out all night, drinking, and clubbing. Typical man. I originally planned to make him the only man I would love for the next few decades. I swallowed my wild side, happily cooked his meals, and prepared to start a family with him. But he didn’t want that. He wanted to be just one of the dozen guys I flirted with back in my twenties. Fine. I would grant his wish. There was a strand of bright pink hair tangled around one of Simon’s buttons. I reached out, plucked it off, and dropped it right into his palm. “Why would I be jealous?” “From this second on, I’m done managing you. Do whatever you want.” He looked confused, assuming I was just throwing a petty tantrum. His expression grew colder. “At the end of the day, you’re the one I want. You should be grateful for that.” I knew exactly what he was implying. Since she was technically me, I was supposed to count my blessings that he wasn’t out cheating with a complete stranger. I wasn’t going to play that game. Simon walked upstairs. The bathroom door slammed shut. I sat back on the sofa, crossing my legs, and pulled out my phone. A few rings later, my old lawyer friend, who had harbored a massive crush on me for years, picked up immediately. “Well, well, Stella. I’ve been waiting for this call.” “You want a divorce, right? Send me the asset spreadsheet. I’ll draft the papers tonight.” I gave a faint smile and just said two words. “Thank you.” By eight o’clock the next morning, the divorce agreement was sitting perfectly in my inbox. 2 While I was reviewing the fine print of the divorce papers, Simon was standing right next to me, picking out clothes and styling his hair. A deep V-neck shirt, a silver skull necklace, and his hair curled to look like some seasoned bad boy. The whole reason I wanted to marry him in the first place was because he was a respectable academic. He had this untouchable, saintly aura, completely different from the sleazy players I used to date. Who knew that when men finally let their true colors show, they were all exactly the same. He thought he was radiating pure testosterone, but in reality… “Stella, you should really take some notes from young Stella. Stop dressing so depressingly all the time.” Young Stella was what he called the twenty-year-old me. She wore heavy makeup every single day. If her back wasn’t exposed, her shoulders were, and her jeans were always ripped to shreds. After getting married, I was terrified of embarrassing Simon in front of his colleagues. I didn’t keep a single piece of my old wardrobe, swapping it all out for modest, knee-length skirts. Now that his brain was completely fried by lust, he actually wanted me to put those ripped clothes back on. Psycho. I rolled my eyes and picked up my phone. Without him noticing, I snapped a picture of him posing in the mirror and texted it to Bennett, my lawyer. “Find a way to squeeze him for more alimony. He is completely at fault.” Bennett replied with a thumbs up, telling me to gather more evidence. No problem. At nine o’clock that night, I walked into the dive bar young Stella practically lived at. It was the exact same spot I loved hanging out at a decade ago. Sure enough, Simon was there too. The man I once thought had an ethereal, classy presence now just looked pathetic. His facial features were still handsome and refined, but his entire vibe was completely off. He sat in a VIP booth, his eyes glued to young Stella the entire time. Too bad she wasn’t even giving him the time of day. After all, a fossil in his thirties had absolutely zero competitive edge against the hot college guys swarming the place. The bass from the speakers made my heart pound against my ribs. I really was getting too old for this. “Hey! Listen to me!” “What?!” Even under the heavy makeup, those identical facial features still carried a trace of youth. Young Stella held a beer bottle, screaming directly into my ear. “Why did you ever settle for him?!” “Look how old he is, trying to rock a deep V-neck like a frat boy! It’s hilarious!” As she said that, young Stella finally tossed Simon a glance. She raised her beer bottle, giving him a toast from across the room. I watched his lips twitch as he tried to hide a massive, glowing smile. What a pathetic loser. So embarrassing. I cursed him in my head. “Yeah, why the hell did I settle for him?!” I couldn’t figure it out anymore either. I grabbed young Stella’s hand and downed half her beer in one go. Seeing my reaction, she leaned in close, her voice dripping with disgust. “If he hadn’t promised to fund my new band, I wouldn’t even look in his direction.” Made perfect sense. Simon wasn’t even close to my type when I was twenty. The only reason she was entertaining him this long had to be the band. Even as a maneater, I had standards. Back in my prime, I had plenty of guys chasing me, but nobody was allowed to get in the way of my music. Even after I married Simon, whose traditional family hated the idea of a wife being in the public eye, I secretly kept writing songs. I never told him just to avoid the headache. The hidden camera pinned to my chest blinked a tiny red light. Young Stella caught on immediately and gave me a wicked smile. “Not bad.” “You got married, but at least your brain didn’t completely rot.” Just then, Simon got up and walked over to us. His Adam’s apple bobbed. In front of me, he was always the composed, gentle husband. But talking to young Stella, he acted like a nervous teenage boy. “Looking good! The bad boy aesthetic suits you, old man!” The younger me beat him to the punch. She was a master at playing the crowd. Tell them exactly what they want to hear. She patted Simon’s shoulder twice before heading backstage to prep. She was the resident singer for the late-night set. Simon clearly ate up every second of her attention. He stood frozen in place, taking a long moment to snap back to reality, seemingly savoring the lingering scent of her heavy perfume. I wasn’t jealous. I was just pure, violently disgusted. Married for seven years, and he still had the nerve to act like a lovestruck puppy. I let out a cold scoff, making absolutely no effort to hide the disgust on my face. Simon finally realized I had been standing there the whole time. His brow furrowed instantly. “What are you doing here?” 3 “If you’re still upset about the Stella… I mean, the young Stella situation, I don’t think we have anything to talk about.” He slipped right back into his righteous, academic persona. It was as if we were debating a philosophical thesis. I used to adore that serious, intellectual side of him. Now, every single thing he did just made my skin crawl. Even arguing with him felt like a massive waste of oxygen. But we had been married for seven years. I gave him one final piece of friendly advice. “Don’t fall too deep.” “This girl is way out of your league. A pretentious academic like you will get eaten alive.” I crossed my arms, watching the wild, untamed girl owning the stage. It was true, when the younger me sang, it was impossible to look away. Simon just scoffed coldly. “Give it a rest.” “I know what this is. You’re just jealous of her.” I turned my head, genuinely confused. What met my gaze was a pair of ice-cold eyes. “You’re jealous that she’s vibrant and alive! You’re jealous that she has more charm in her pinky finger than you do!” He looked me up and down. A casual blouse, mom jeans, canvas sneakers, and my hair tied back in a messy bun. “Unlike you. You’re dull, boring, and completely lifeless!” “Instead of being jealous, you should really take some notes from her!” With that, he refused to look at me again. He even took a few steps away from me. As if standing next to a housewife was beneath him. In that split second, the manners and class of the man I once loved completely evaporated into thin air. My heart turned to absolute ice. Even the last shred of pity I had for him died on the spot. “Fine,” I replied calmly. “Then go to her. I won’t stop you.” I waved my hand, pointing straight at the stage. He froze, hesitating for a moment. “Are you really… not going to hold this against me?” “Did you genuinely accept her, or are you just trying to trick me?” Deep down, he knew exactly how deranged this whole thing was. He desperately needed me to validate his twisted logic so he wouldn’t feel guilty, so he wouldn’t violate his own high moral standards. I didn’t say another word. I just gestured for him to go. It was as if a chain had been broken. Simon practically sprinted toward the stage, catching young Stella as she finished her set and pulling her into a tight hug. “That was incredible, Stella!” “I’ll fund everything. Let me help you build your dream band, okay?!” He looked as sincere as the day we got married. “You are so amazing, Stella!” “Marrying you was the greatest honor of my life!” Without missing a beat, I aimed my lens right at his face and hit the shutter. Click. Click. A few hours later, every single one of those photos was sitting in Bennett’s inbox. He sent back a voice memo trying to comfort me. I didn’t even have the patience to listen to the whole thing. I just chose the wrong man and ended up in a failed marriage. Make a mistake, fix it, and move on. It wasn’t the end of the world. The only thing I cared about now was making sure the final settlement tipped heavily in my favor. 4 After that night, Simon started contacting young Stella relentlessly. Scouting venues, meeting investors, he was always there. Writing tracks, rehearsing, picking out stage outfits, he was there for all of it. He made absolutely no effort to hide his obsession. We were literally the exact same person, but whenever he talked about the twenty-year-old Stella, his eyes dripped with sickening sweetness. On the rare occasions he actually came home, he only looked at me with flat indifference and annoyance. And me? I watched him sink deeper and deeper into the quicksand, and I didn’t utter a single word of warning. He genuinely believed I had bought into his “you’re both the same person” delusion. He stopped making excuses entirely, slipping into her life as if it was his absolute right. Meanwhile, I used all my free time to dive deep into our marital assets. The deeper I dug, the more shocked I was. Simon’s academic research was highly successful. The royalties from the books he published over the last few years had easily crossed the million-dollar mark. He had more than enough cash to bankroll a rock band. A few days before the band’s premiere showcase, he completely stopped pretending. He handed me a VIP pass and ordered the thirty-five-year-old me to be there. I only realized his true intentions after I arrived. He was actually shameless enough to plan a massive, public romantic confession to the twenty-year-old Stella right after the curtain closed. Simon was dressed in a tailored suit, looking as if this concert was his second wedding. “Stella, I really hope I have your blessing today.” “I have to admit, right now, my heart only has room for the twenty-year-old Stella. There is no space left for anyone else.” “But don’t worry, I won’t divorce you. After all, you and her are the same person. You’re both my wife.” He stood at the very front of the VIP section, his eyes locked on the girl rehearsing on stage. He didn’t even look at me when he spoke. I let out a soft laugh. “Is that so.” “Well, I highly suggest you check your email first.” Sitting right in his inbox was the finalized divorce agreement. He wanted to have his cake and eat it too? Over my dead body. But he clearly couldn’t care less. “We’ll talk about it after the show.” “I am not letting anything ruin this night.” Was it the show he was worried about, or his grand confession? I nodded, deciding to keep my mouth shut. Because right at that exact moment, if my memory served me right, the twenty-year-old me was busy making intense eye contact with the bassist. That was just the reality of being a player. If you wanted to claim her officially, you had to get in line. As for Simon… I stood calmly beside him, waiting for the show to start. The amps blasted, the stage lights flared, and the crowd surged forward. The final chord rang out into the stadium. Every single person in the room screamed for the musical prodigy on stage. Suddenly, a strange feeling blossomed in my chest. A wave of inexplicable satisfaction and immense pride washed over me. In that specific moment, I finally felt the absolute truth that we were the exact same person. The twenty-year-old me was Stella. The thirty-five-year-old me was Stella. The sheer impact of that massive achievement would echo through my life forever. Seeing the show end in total triumph, Simon jumped up in pure ecstasy. He pushed his way through the screaming crowd, shouting Stella’s name at the top of his lungs. But the very next second, everything stopped. The ecstatic girl on stage grabbed the handsome bassist by the collar and kissed him passionately in front of everyone. I crossed my arms, a massive smile spreading across my face as I watched them make out. One second. Five seconds. Ten seconds. Every drop of color drained from Simon’s face. He was shaking from head to toe, staring at the stage in absolute disbelief. Then, he slowly turned his head to look at me. I gave him a cold, mocking smirk, waving the digital divorce papers on my phone screen right in his face. “What are you looking at?” “She doesn’t want you, and neither do I.”

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It had been three years since I ended things with Noah Slavin, three years since I’d left this city behind. Now, I was back. Everyone was whispering, speculating that I’d returned because I couldn’t stand being away from him any longer, that I was here to beg him to take me back. Noah himself seemed to think so, too. His buddies were already sucking up to him, their voices dripping with envy. “Damn, Noah, you’ve got some serious game. After all this time, the great Sienna Windsor is still wrapped around your finger.” Another one chimed in, “Who can compete with our man Noah? She stormed out of here like she was never coming back, and now look at her, crawling back like a lost puppy, ready to beg.” A mocking smile touched Noah’s lips as he listened. He let out a soft, arrogant laugh. “Don’t be ridiculous. Even if she did come back begging, it all depends on whether I’m still interested.” But none of them knew the truth. I wasn’t the same girl I was three years ago. Six months ago, I got engaged to Grayson Holt. I was back to plan my own wedding. 01 My friends were all there to meet me at the airport. My best friend, Bella, threw her arms around my waist. “Sienna, you jerk! You’re finally back. I missed you like crazy.” Familiar faces surrounded me, warm and welcoming. But I never expected Noah to be there. Three years hadn’t changed him much. He still had those roguish, charming eyes, a lazy swagger, and that same untamable arrogance. “I told you not to wear stuff that’s so tight,” he said, his voice a low drawl. “Don’t come crying to me when people make fun of your body again. I’m just looking out for you.” Right. Still the same silver-tongued devil. I used to be so insecure about my large chest. A comment like that would have made me hunch my shoulders, instinctively looking down to see if something was out of place. But I was long past the age of letting someone else’s words define me. Besides, I was wearing a high-necked, knee-length dress. If anyone had a problem with it, that was a reflection of their own dirty mind, not my fault. So, I just gave him a cool, detached glance and a polite, distant smile, saying nothing. Bella, however, shot him a glare. “What do you know? Sienna has the kind of killer body other girls would die for. All the curves are in the right places.” Noah seemed to notice the change in me. His expression faltered for a second, his eyes fixed on me. To celebrate my return, my friends booked a private room at a bar. When it was time to sit, I deliberately chose a seat as far away from Noah as possible. The man’s sharp brows twitched, but he stayed silent, merely shrugging off the other girls who tried to slide in next to him. At one point, a couple of girls from the next room came over, using a game of “truth or dare” as an excuse to ask for Noah’s number. He turned them all down politely. That surprised me. The Noah I remembered was never one to refuse a pretty face, as long as she was decent-looking. Just then, a friend leaned in and whispered to me. “Noah’s changed a lot since you left. He barely talks to girls anymore. You hardly ever see him with another woman.” 02 I had no idea what he was trying to achieve by telling me that. Was I supposed to be touched? A little late for that, wasn’t it? This worthless, self-serving gesture? He was only trying to make himself feel better. Uninterested, I got up and headed to the restroom. On my way back, I saw Noah and a few of his friends smoking on the balcony just off the hallway. Their voices drifted over to me. “Seriously, Noah, you’re the man. All these years, and Sienna Windsor still can’t get over you.” “Yeah, teach us your secrets, bro. I wanna know what it’s like to have a rich heiress completely hung up on me.” “Who can compare to Noah? Remember how final she was when she left? And now she’s back, tail between her legs, ready to play nice.” A smirk played on Noah’s lips. He chuckled. “You guys are talking nonsense. Even if she begged me to take her back, it’s not a given I’d say yes.” A round of laughter followed. Then, one of them spoke up, a little more thoughtfully. “I don’t know, man. Sienna seems… different this time. She’s barely even looked at you.” Noah flicked the ash from his cigarette, the ember glowing faintly. He exhaled a cloud of smoke, completely unconcerned. “Different how? She’s just throwing a tantrum. It’s not the first time.” So that’s what they thought. That I’d come back to beg Noah for a second chance. A three-year-long tantrum. What a creative way to see it. I was afraid they were in for a major disappointment. Because six months ago, I had gotten engaged to Grayson Holt, the man at the helm of the Holt Corporation. I was back to get married. Still, I couldn’t entirely blame them. The old me really had been head-over-heels for Noah. 03 Noah and I were childhood sweethearts. It all started when he told me, “Stick with me, and I’ll have your back.” And so, I trailed after him for over a decade. After high school graduation, he said, “Sienna, I know you like me. Let’s give this a shot.” And just like that, we were a couple. I used to think I was special to him. He was the one who, when other guys would catcall me or make crude jokes about my figure, would complain about me being too flashy, then corner those jerks in an alley and beat the crap out of them. He was the one who, when I got injured during a track meet, set aside his germaphobia to have someone carry me to the nurse’s office on a stretcher. He’d grumble about me being a pain while carefully tending to my wounds. I always told myself that Noah just wasn’t good at expressing his feelings. That if I just loved him enough, one day, he would show me his gentle side. That fantasy shattered the day Lily, a transfer student on a scholarship, showed up. That’s when I learned that Noah’s kindness didn’t have to come packaged with insults and belittlement. That he could be genuinely warm and considerate. At first, Noah just said he felt sorry for Lily. She was all alone, struggling to pay tuition with student loans, and he just wanted to help her out. I believed him. I even went out of my way to buy Lily clothes and toiletries. I forgot that so many relationships begin with pity. But the moment that truly killed every last bit of hope was the campus “Prom Queen” election. 04 At our university, the elected Prom King and Queen got to share the first dance at the Freshman Ball. Noah was, without a doubt, voted Prom King. I, on the other hand, worked my ass off to become Prom Queen. I campaigned relentlessly, stayed up all night helping classmates with their group projects, and spent my entire monthly allowance buying them lunches and gifts. But when the final vote came down to a tie between me and Lily, Noah cast the deciding vote. For her. In that instant, my world went silent. The cheers, the whispers, the laughter around me all faded into a dull roar. All I could see was Noah on the stage and Lily in the crowd, sharing a triumphant smile. A bitter, acidic feeling churned in my stomach. For the first time, I wondered if Noah had ever liked me at all. He tried to smooth things over afterward, a rare attempt at placating me. He explained that the Prom King and Queen got a paid gig to shoot promotional posters for the university. I didn’t need the money, but Lily, with her difficult family situation, desperately did. He asked me not to fight her for it. But that night, outside the pool hall, I overheard the real reason from him and his friends. “Nice one, Noah. Getting Lily crowned was all your doing, wasn’t it? Sacrificing your own girlfriend for the cause. Cold-blooded, man.” Noah just laughed, not denying it. “A Prom Queen should be… you know, the pure type. Sienna’s not exactly the right fit.” “True,” another one added. “If Sienna wore the gown, all the freshmen would probably get nosebleeds just looking at her.” The whole group erupted in laughter, Noah included. The same boy who used to get into fights because someone made fun of me had become one of them, laughing right along. “But isn’t Sienna your girlfriend? We thought you were into her type.” Noah’s demeanor shifted, as if they’d hit a nerve. “No way,” he denied instantly. “If my parents hadn’t pushed me to be nice to her, I wouldn’t have given her a second look. A girl who’s that clingy? It’s such a turn-off.” The others glanced toward the entrance of the pool hall, their knowing smirks saying it all. One of his friends did push back a little. “I don’t know, I think Sienna’s great. If I were voting, I’d pick her. She’s a total bombshell. Hottest girl in school, built like a goddess.” The conversation grew cruder, and Noah’s face finally hardened. “That’s enough,” he snapped, his eyes landing on Lily, who was sitting nearby, blushing furiously. “There’s a lady present. Watch your mouths.” 05 I don’t remember how I got home. It felt like the world had been ripped out from under me. My heart was a block of ice, the cold so sharp it was agonizing. A lump of years’ worth of hurt lodged in my throat, and I couldn’t even find the courage to storm in there and confront him. It was hard to even breathe. If Noah’s love had been like sugarcane—too fibrous to swallow but too sweet to spit out—now, even that last hint of sweetness was gone. I didn’t sleep a wink. The next day, I dragged my exhausted body to class, only to see Lily showing off the dress Noah had bought her for the ball. “Wow, Lily, that dress is gorgeous!” someone gushed. Lily shot a triumphant look in my direction, but her tone was feignedly helpless. “I told Noah he shouldn’t have, but he just wouldn’t listen. He said that as his dance partner, I’d be by his side all night, representing him.” I was already past the point of caring, but Lily made a point to walk over to me. “Sienna, what do you think? Does this dress suit me?” She held it up against herself, giving a little, not-so-accidental twirl. I ignored her. She leaned in closer, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. “You know, Sienna, I’ve always wanted to ask… are they real?” She gestured toward my chest. “I mean, a lot of rich girls get implants to… you know, hook the guy they want.” “What did you just say?” I shot up from my chair and shoved her, hard. Lily stumbled backward, crashing into a desk. A cup of water tipped over, soaking the front of her shirt. “Sienna, what the hell are you doing?” Noah’s furious voice boomed from the doorway. He rushed to Lily’s side, pulling her into his arms and glaring at me with eyes as cold as ice. I told him what Lily had said, what she had insinuated. “So what? It’s a normal question,” Noah cut me off, his voice laced with impatience. “The way you look, anyone would wonder. You don’t have to be so sensitive about it.” With that, he draped his own jacket over Lily’s shoulders and carried her out of the room, presumably to the nurse’s office. Watching his arms wrapped so tightly around her, my eyes filled with tears. So, his germaphobia was selective. The one thing I had always longed for was something she could have so effortlessly. A broken laugh escaped my lips. Tears finally streamed down my face. I had been such a fool for so many years. His words were the final bucket of ice water, extinguishing the last flicker of hope in my heart. I broke up with Noah. I called my mom and told her I wanted to study abroad. The withdrawal papers were processed in two days. On the third day, I was on a flight to New York. Other than the generic holiday greetings he mass-texted every year, we had no contact. 06 “Hey, did you guys hear? I think Grayson Holt, the head of the Holt Corporation, is getting married.” Someone in our private room suddenly dropped the gossip bomb. “For real? That’s like seeing a pig fly. That guy is a total workaholic. He’s 32, and his parents have been on his case for years, but he never budged. They were starting to lose hope.” “I wonder who the lucky girl is. She must be something special to land him. I heard she’s young, still in college in New York.” “Sienna, you were in New York. Do you know who it is?” Bella nudged my arm. I managed a small smile, taking a sip of my drink to hide my unease. “No idea. I was totally focused on my studies. I didn’t really follow that stuff.” My thumb traced the rim of my glass, a nervous habit whenever I lied. Bella nodded, buying it completely. Only Noah noticed my small gesture. He gave me a long, searching look. When the party ended, we all started heading out. Suddenly, a jacket was draped over my shoulders. Noah was standing beside me. “I’ll take you home. If my parents find out I let you go home alone after drinking, they’ll kill me.” His tone was so familiar, so intimate. As if I’d been gone for three days, not three years. The old me would have been floating on a cloud of pink bubbles. But now, I just stepped back and handed the jacket back to him. “That’s okay. My boyfriend is coming to pick me up.” The word “fiancé” felt too intimate, too much to say out loud just yet. Noah’s smile froze on his face. Everyone else turned to stare, their expressions a mix of shock and confusion. The guys who’d been talking smack on the balcony looked particularly flustered, their eyes darting between me and Noah. “You brat! You kept something this big from me?” Bella slung an arm around my neck, feigning offense. I laughed, apologizing. “I’ll tell you everything later, I promise.” One by one, everyone else left. I stood by the curb, waiting for Grayson, with a scowling Noah lingering behind me. After about ten minutes, the scowl on his face slowly melted into a smug grin. “Sienna, you don’t have to resort to childish games just because you don’t have a boyfriend. I know I was harsh before. If you’re still mad, I can…” Before he could finish, a black Bentley pulled up silently in front of us. 07 Arthur, the driver, got out. “Miss Windsor, Mr. Holt’s flight was delayed. He asked me to come and get you.” I nodded and slid into the back seat, not sparing Noah a final glance. A moment later, my phone buzzed with a message from him. Don’t tell me that old guy you hired is your ‘boyfriend.’ I get that you’re trying to make me jealous, but don’t lie like that again. It actually pisses me off. My brow furrowed in disgust. I blocked his number. I hadn’t bothered before because it seemed pointless. But now that he was actively nauseating me, there was no reason to put up with it. Sensing my discomfort, Arthur spoke from the driver’s seat. “Miss Windsor, there’s some soup for you. Mr. Holt anticipated you might be drinking tonight and had us prepare it.” He continued, “Also, Mr. Holt knows you prefer not to stay at your family’s home. He’s had the villa at Crescent Bay prepared for you. We’ve already replaced the bedding and toiletries with your preferred brands. If there’s anything else you need, please don’t hesitate to let me know.” I nodded, picking up the thermos beside me and taking a sip. A warm, comforting feeling spread through my stomach. My mom had told me during the matchmaking process that older men were better because they knew how to take care of you. Turns out, she was right. It was nice. I didn’t have to worry about a thing; he had already arranged everything. After a shower, I sank into the plush bed, surrounded by the calming scent of my favorite aromatherapy diffuser, and fell asleep almost instantly. The next morning, I walked out of my room to find Grayson, just returned from his trip. He stood there in a black overcoat, tall and imposing. The moment his eyes met mine, a wave of raw, masculine energy washed over me. “You’re staying here too?” I asked, my brain still foggy with sleep. I’d completely forgotten this was his house. He raised an eyebrow. “Should I leave?” “No, that’s not what I meant!” I backpedaled quickly. “I just meant… there are a lot of rooms here. If you wanted to stay… it wouldn’t be a problem.” A hint of a smile touched his eyes. He handed his coat to the butler and strode toward me. Before I could say another word, he cupped my face in his hands, leaned down, and kissed me.

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