Category: English

Sharon, my husband’s mother, had always looked down on me, despising me for being poor and unsophisticated, unworthy of her son. I thought that if I just worked hard enough, I could eventually earn her approval. Until I returned from a business trip to find my house had been completely emptied by Sharon. My home had been sold by my husband, Ethan. Just as I was sinking into despair, I received a call from my dad: “Sweetheart, I’ve got amazing news—your mom and I won the $300 million lottery!” I hung up the phone and suddenly laughed. I couldn’t wait to see Ethan’s expression when he realized that for a few hundred thousand dollars, he’d thrown away a wife worth hundreds of millions. The metal wheels of the high-speed train scraped against the tracks, emitting a long, reassuring rumble. I dragged my 24-inch suitcase and stood at the familiar door of my home. After half a month of intense business travel, every part of my body screamed with exhaustion. But thinking of Ethan, who always smiled so warmly, a wave of comfort rose in my heart. The commission I’d earned from this project was substantial—enough for us to pay off a full year of mortgage ahead of schedule. I’d even used my project bonus to buy him that watch he’d been talking about for so long. Imagining his delighted expression when he saw the gift, all my exhaustion from the journey melted away. I took out my key, ready to give him a surprise hug. I inserted the key into the lock. It wouldn’t turn. Metal scraped against metal with an incompatible, grating sound. I froze. What’s going on? I tried again, applying more force. The lock cylinder didn’t budge. A faint unease crept up from my heart like a vine. I pulled out my phone and called Ethan. “Hello, the number you have dialed is currently on another call. Please try again later.” The cold mechanical female voice repeated over and over. On another call? At this hour, he should be home playing video games. I called Sharon. “Hello, the number you have dialed is currently switched off.” The unease instantly magnified, like ink dropped into clear water, rapidly staining my entire heart black. I leaned against the cold security door, my fingers trembling through my contacts. Finally, I found the locksmith’s number. Half an hour later, a middle-aged man in blue overalls appeared before me. “The lock’s been changed,” the master said after examining the lock cylinder, his tone certain. “You must’ve pissed someone off. Whoever did this was pretty ruthless.” My heart sank sharply. Amid the piercing sound of the electric drill, the door I’d walked through every day finally cracked open. I handed over three hundred dollars, forgot to even say thank you, and impatiently pushed the door open. Empty. Everything was empty. No familiar sofa, no TV cabinet we’d picked out together, no dining table I’d wiped clean every day. Only a few lonely cardboard boxes sat in the center of the living room, filled with worthless odds and ends. Sunlight streamed through the curtainless windows, casting large swaths of dust particles on the floor. This didn’t look like a home—it looked like an abandoned warehouse. I rushed into the bedroom. Empty. Our king-size bed had vanished, along with the jewelry box I’d kept in the nightstand. The closet stood wide open, containing only a few old clothes I’d changed out of before my trip, thrown carelessly in the corner like rags. I frantically dialed Ethan’s number, again and again. Always that same message: “currently on another call.” I’d been blocked. This realization poured over me like a bucket of ice water from head to toe. I tried calling Sharon again. Switched off. No. Impossible. They couldn’t have just left like this. There must be some misunderstanding. I collapsed onto the cold floor, my body trembling uncontrollably. Just then, Mrs. Walker from across the hall opened her door and poked her head out. “Oh my, Emily’s back?” Her face wore a complex expression mixing sympathy and gossip. “You’re finally home! Your husband and his mom moved out a week ago.” “Moved out?” My voice was as dry as sandpaper. “Yeah, they were all cheerful about it. Said your husband made it big somewhere and was taking his mom to live the good life in another city!” Mrs. Walker’s voice continued. “I asked why you weren’t with them, and he said you were busy with work, that he’d go ahead and get everything set up, then come back for you later. You’re so lucky, Emily, finding such a successful husband.” Live the good life. Made it big. Each word was like a knife, stabbing viciously into my chest. I finally understood. This wasn’t a misunderstanding. This was a premeditated abandonment. I’d given everything to this family. To save money for the mortgage, I hadn’t bought myself a single new piece of clothing in three years. To care for his demanding mother, I’d learned to cook her favorite dishes. I’d handled all the housework, getting up early and staying up late, serving him and Sharon like they were royalty. I thought my devotion would earn their genuine care. Turns out, in their eyes, I was just trash they could discard at any moment. All my social media accounts, every way to contact them—deleted completely. I was like someone who’d appeared out of thin air and disappeared the same way. They’d erased every trace of my existence. The sky gradually darkened. Cold darkness swallowed the entire room, and swallowed me too. “Knock, knock, knock.” A knocking sound. I numbly lifted my head to see two people in security uniforms standing at the door. “Excuse me, we received a complaint from the property owner about a suspicious person staying here for an extended period.” One of the young security guards looked at me warily. “This is my home,” I spoke, my voice hoarse beyond recognition. “Your home? This house was sold a week ago. The new owner asked us to watch the property and not let anyone in.” The older security guard sized me up, his eyes full of suspicion. “Please leave immediately.” They “escorted” me out of the place I’d once called home, one on each side. The wheels of my suitcase rolled across the concrete, making hollow, grating sounds. I stood at the entrance to the residential complex, watching the coming and going of vehicles and pedestrians, feeling humiliated and wretched for the first time. I’d become a joke. A homeless joke.

The city’s neon lights stung my eyes. I dragged my suitcase, wandering the streets like a ghost. My phone battery was down to five percent. I didn’t dare tell my parents. They were both honest, hardworking people who’d scrimped and saved their whole lives. I didn’t want them worrying about me. I walked into a 24-hour fast food restaurant and found a seat in the farthest corner. The place reeked of fried chicken and burgers, greasy enough to turn my stomach. I laid my head on the cold table, looking at the high-rises outside the window. Every window glowed with warm light. Behind those lights were complete families. And I had been abandoned by mine. Tears fell without warning, drop by drop hitting the tabletop, spreading into small wet spots. I bit my lip hard, not letting myself cry out loud. My phone vibrated once in my pocket, its faint glow a final struggle. It was my dad calling. I took a deep breath, using every ounce of strength to suppress the sob in my throat, and pressed answer. “Hello, Dad.” “Sweetheart!” On the other end, my dad’s voice was unusually excited and trembling. “I’ve got amazing news! Incredible news!” I listened numbly. What good news could compare to the catastrophe I was experiencing? “The lottery ticket your mom and I bought—we won! We hit the jackpot!” My brain went completely blank, like someone had hit me hard with a sledgehammer. “How… how much?” “Three hundred million!” My dad’s voice cracked with excitement. “That’s right, $300 million! Sweetheart!” I gripped the phone, feeling like I was dreaming. Auditory hallucination. I must be so desperate I was hearing things. “Dad, don’t joke around.” “Who’s joking with you! It’s already on the news—we’re the anonymous lottery winners from our city! The money’s already in our account! I just transferred a million to you. Use it for now! Sweetheart, come home right away! Our family needs to celebrate properly! Dad’s going to buy you a mansion and a sports car! From now on, no one will ever bully you again!” No one will ever bully you again. Those words were like a key, instantly opening the floodgates of my emotions. I hung up and opened my mobile banking app. A new transfer record appeared prominently on the screen. Amount received: One million dollars. That long string of zeros glowed with blinding light in the dim fast food restaurant. Tears surged out again, blurring my vision. But this time, it wasn’t because of despair and humiliation. I wiped away my tears, stood up, and dragged my suitcase out of the fast food restaurant. Across the street stood a magnificent five-star hotel. I walked in. “Hello, I’d like to book a presidential suite.” The receptionist’s professional smile froze for a moment, then returned to normal. I swiped my card, took the room key, and walked into the elevator. The room was on the top floor. Beyond the huge floor-to-ceiling windows lay the glittering night view of the entire city. I stood before the window, looking down at the endless stream of traffic below. They flowed like golden rivers, rushing ceaselessly. Ethan. Sharon. You abandoned me for a few hundred thousand dollars. You thought you’d kicked me into hell. Little did you know, you’d personally delivered me to heaven. I suddenly laughed. In this brilliant night scene, my laughter sounded especially clear. The laughter carried tears, carried hate, and even more, an unprecedented resolve. The flames of revenge burned fiercely in my chest. The game was only just beginning.

I slept in the soft bed until I woke naturally. Sunlight poured through the floor-to-ceiling windows, filling the entire room with warmth and brightness. I ordered the hotel’s most expensive room service. Exquisite silver tableware, fresh ingredients—everything proclaimed the taste of money. After breakfast, I walked into the bathroom and looked at myself in the mirror—haggard, with dull eyes. This face was written all over with pleasing others and humility. It was time to say goodbye to the old Emily. I took a taxi to the city’s most upscale luxury shopping mall. This was a paradise for the rich, and a place where I’d once needed courage just to step inside. I walked into a top luxury brand store. “Welcome.” The sales associate wore a standard smile, but when her eyes swept over my faded T-shirt, a flash of contempt crossed them. I ignored her. I walked straight to a row of new season items, pointing at a sleek black dress. “This one, and this one, and this one—wrap up everything I point to.” My voice wasn’t loud, but it was clear enough. The sales associate froze, seemingly not processing this. “Miss, are you… sure?” Her tone carried doubt. I pulled a black card from my wallet and gently placed it on the glass counter. “Do I look like I’m joking?” When the sales associate saw that unlimited black card, her expression changed instantly. The contempt and doubt vanished without a trace, replaced by extreme deference and flattery. “Yes, yes, please wait a moment. I’ll wrap these up right away!” Her waist bent almost ninety degrees. Over the next few hours, I became the queen of the entire mall. Without batting an eye, I bought all the designer clothes, bags, and jewelry I’d once been reluctant to buy or even look at. The sales associates who’d once treated me with indifference now followed behind me, competing to introduce products, their faces full of ingratiating smiles. For the first time, I clearly felt the power that money brings. It could make proud heads bow, could make hypocritical faces seem sincere. After my shopping spree, I went to the city’s top styling salon. “Cut it off,” I told the style director, pointing at my long hair I’d kept for years. In the crisp sound of scissors, all that past docility and humility, along with those split ends, were cut away and scattered on the floor. An hour later, a brand new me appeared in the mirror. Sharp, stylish shoulder-length hair, exquisite yet cool makeup, eyes that no longer held any trace of timidity—only calm and detachment. Strange, yet familiar. This was the real me. Leaving the salon, I went straight to the Porsche dealership. “I want that red 911. Full payment.” The sales manager almost thought he’d misheard, but after confirming my bank account balance, he immediately processed everything with the most enthusiastic service. Driving the brand new red sports car, I returned to my parents’ home. They’d already moved to a high-end gated community in the suburbs. When I appeared before them in the car, my mom’s tears immediately flowed. She rushed over and hugged me tightly, her palm repeatedly stroking my short hair. “My poor daughter, from now on Mom will never let you suffer again.” My dad stood to the side, his eyes red, repeatedly saying, “It’s good you’re back, it’s good you’re back.” Seeing their heartbroken yet relieved expressions, the emotions I’d been holding in all day finally threatened to break through. In front of family, I could always let down all my defenses. That evening, our family seriously discussed the future. We established a family trust fund, with me in full management. My parents knew nothing about business. They just wanted to live peacefully. And I had to use this money to build an impregnable fortress for our family. Never again would anyone have the chance to hurt us. Outside, the night was deep. Inside the villa, lights blazed. A new era for Emily was beginning.

To handle some old documents and certificates, I drove that flashy red Porsche back to the city center. I parked the car in front of a coffee shop I used to frequent. I was about to get out when the corner of my eye caught a familiar figure. Sharon. She sat by the window in the coffee shop, across from a bejeweled rich lady. Even through the glass, I could see her smug, animated expression. “Oh, you have no idea—my Ethan is so successful now!” Her voice was shrill, piercing through the glass and faintly reaching my ears. “He sold that tiny apartment and brought me to the big city to enjoy life! He says he’s going to buy me a big mansion! There was even some rich girl chasing after him recently, driving a BMW, from a family that owns a company!” The rich lady elegantly sipped her coffee, but her eyes held disdain. “Is that so? Well, congratulations then.” Her tone was perfunctory at best. I watched Sharon’s face flush red from bragging, the corner of my mouth curling into a cold smile. I pushed open the car door, put on my sunglasses, and stepped out. The red sports car, combined with my haute couture outfit, instantly attracted everyone’s attention. I could feel almost every gaze in the coffee shop focusing on me. Including, of course, Sharon’s. I walked into the coffee shop in my high heels, heading straight inside. Sharon’s gaze was like poisoned nails, pinning onto me. Those eyes were full of jealousy and contempt, as if looking at a gold-digging vixen. She hadn’t recognized me yet. Makes sense—in her mind, her daughter-in-law Emily was always disheveled, always in cheap T-shirts and jeans. How could she possibly be this woman with a commanding presence? I walked to the counter, my voice just loud enough for everyone in the coffee shop to hear. “One cup of Kopi Luwak, please.” As I ordered, I deliberately raised my wrist and adjusted my cuff. The diamond-encrusted watch worth a million dollars refracted dazzling light under the lamps. I heard a faint gasp from behind me. I turned around with my coffee, ready to find a seat. My gaze swept across Sharon’s face, seemingly by accident. In that moment, her pupils contracted sharply. The smugness and boasting on her face instantly froze, replaced by extreme shock and disbelief. She’d recognized me. Her mouth dropped open, jaw nearly hitting the floor, and the coffee cup in her hand trembled, spilling brown liquid all over her knockoff designer outfit. Everyone around her cast strange looks her way. The rich lady frowned and quietly shifted away from her. And I just gave her a light glance. Like looking at a complete stranger. My eyes held no hate, no resentment, not even a ripple. Just pure indifference. In her shocked, dazed, humiliated gaze, I elegantly turned and walked out of the coffee shop. Getting into the sports car, I saw through the rearview mirror her stumbling out of the coffee shop, staring blankly at the direction my car disappeared. I knew that from today on, her peaceful “good days” were over. A good show was about to begin.

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I dated Adrian Hunt for four years. The moment I discovered he had cheated, I broke up with him without hesitation. But Adrian, in an attempt to win me back, knelt outside my apartment building for a full day and night, regardless of his status. After that, He even publicly announced that he would transfer all his shares into my name. He said that if he ever betrayed me again, he would be left with nothing. A year later, I was finally moved by him and agreed to get back together. On our wedding day, under the fireworks, he kissed me and said, “Seraphina, you are my life. From now on, I will never let you go again.” I believed him. Until this charity gala night, when he brought me as his wife—and during the auction segment, I saw a girl in a white dress. She was brought onto the stage by the host as a “special item,” being sold for her virginity. At just one glance, Adrian’s expression changed. Without hesitation, he immediately spent a sky-high price to buy her first night. Seraphina POV I’d been dating Adrian Hunt for four years. The moment I discovered his affair, I broke up with him without hesitation. On the first day after our breakup fight, Adrian knelt outside my apartment building for a full day and night trying to win me back, regardless of his status. I turned a blind eye. One week after the breakup, Adrian personally made my favorite strawberry mousse. I didn’t even look at it before feeding it to the dog. One month after the breakup, Adrian won the bid for my favorite antique piano at auction. I immediately donated it to an orphanage. After that, Adrian even publicly announced he was transferring all his shares to my name. He said if he ever let me down again, he’d be left with nothing. A year later, I was finally moved by him and agreed to get back together. On our wedding day, Adrian rented out every billboard in the city, displaying our photos on a loop and announcing our wedding of the century in the most high-profile way possible. He kissed me under the fireworks and said, “Everything I have is yours now, Seraphina. You’re my life. From now on, I’ll never let you go.” In that moment, I truly believed he would love me like his own life and never betray me again. Until the charity gala that evening. Adrian brought me as his date, but during the auction segment, he spotted a girl in a white dress with a pale face. She was invited on stage by the host as a “special auction item”—dinner with the highest bidder. With just one glance, Adrian’s expression changed completely. “Ten million.” “Twenty million.” “Fifty million.” The gavel rose and fell. Adrian’s bids grew more insane with each raise. Every time he lifted his paddle, it was with absolute determination to win. The numbers climbed to absurd heights. Even the auctioneer started sweating. “One hundred million! Sold!” With the final strike of the gavel, Adrian won the “dinner date” at an astronomical price. The entire venue was shocked. Before the applause even died down, Adrian had already strode onto the stage. Under everyone’s gaze, he removed his suit jacket and draped it over the girl’s trembling shoulders. “Mr. Hunt?” The host approached in surprise. Adrian ignored him, grabbing the girl’s wrist. His voice was low. “What are you doing here? Do you know what this dinner date really means?” “I…” Tears immediately filled the girl’s eyes. She looked pitiful. “I need money. They said if someone bid on my dinner date, they’d give me ten percent of the auction price. My mom is sick and hospitalized. I need a lot of money. I had no choice…” Adrian’s thumb gently wiped away her tears. The gesture was so tender it was blinding. “How much do you need?” The girl named a figure. Without a word, Adrian signed a check and handed it to her. The host was sharp. He immediately approached Adrian. “Mr. Hunt, what’s your relationship with this young lady…?” “She’s my… friend.” Adrian said, his eyes never leaving the girl. “Her father saved my life.” I stood frozen in place. The pearl clutch in my hand was about to shatter from my grip. I recognized this girl. A year ago, Adrian and I broke up because of her. Her name was Vivian. Under the host’s subtly changing expression, Adrian finally remembered my existence. “Seraphina, don’t misunderstand.” He quickly turned and came down from the stage to my side. “Her father died saving me after all. Now her mother is sick and hospitalized and needs money. I can’t let her go down the wrong path for money. You know what this dinner date really means.” Those words were like a key, unlocking the floodgates of memory. A year ago, when I discovered those ambiguous texts on Adrian’s phone, he said the exact same thing. “Seraphina, let me explain. Her father died saving me. I’m only taking care of her to repay that debt.” But later, when I caught them in bed together, he explained again. “Seraphina, listen to me. Someone drugged me last night. I thought she was you.” And now, hearing his explanation that was barely different from a year ago, I couldn’t help but laugh. “A year ago, you took meticulous care of her, saying it was to repay a debt. Later, when you were sleeping in the same bed, you said you were drugged and mistook her for me. Now you’ve spent one hundred million on a dinner date with her, saying you don’t want her to go down the wrong path for money.” My heart was breaking. My voice trembled. “Adrian, how many more excuses do you have?” Adrian hadn’t expected me to confront him publicly. His face darkened immediately. “Seraphina, that’s enough. Don’t make a scene here.” “A scene?” I laughed, but my eyes grew redder. “Adrian, am I the one making a scene?” Vivian tugged at his sleeve from behind him. Her voice was small. “Mr. Hunt, please don’t fight with Seraphina because of me…” Adrian stepped forward, shielding her behind him. His gaze fell on me. “Whatever you want to say, we’ll discuss it at home.” I watched Adrian protect another woman and found the whole situation absurdly laughable. “Adrian, do you remember what you said to me before?” He said he would completely cut ties with Vivian and never betray me for another woman again. Adrian’s expression flickered. He was about to speak, but I had already turned to leave. “Seraphina!” He called after me. I didn’t turn back. I just walked quickly away from the suffocating gala.

Seraphina POV After leaving the charity auction, I drove aimlessly. By the time I came to my senses, I’d stopped by a lake near a university. The lake surface rippled with fragmented silver light under the moon. This was where Adrian and I had our first date, our first time holding hands, our first kiss. Adrian and I first met at a party. At the time, I’d refused the persistent advances of a wealthy man in our circle. He’d publicly thrown a drink on me and verbally humiliated me. Everyone knew I was the adopted daughter of the Palmer family. With the return of their biological daughter, I was no longer favored. When no one would speak up for me, Adrian stepped forward. He punched the wealthy man to the ground and forcefully made him apologize to me. From that moment on, I couldn’t control my feelings for him. Adrian liked me too. He pursued me actively. After we got together, he treated me so well. All my friends envied me. If only there hadn’t been Vivian… Vivian appeared two years ago. Adrian said that when he was a teenager, he was targeted by his family’s enemies. Vivian’s father had taken a fatal knife wound for him. He owed the Whitmore family a life, so he had to take responsibility for caring for her. At the time, I thought repaying kindness was the right thing to do. But later, Adrian started frequently taking Vivian’s calls, even during our dates. He remembered all of Vivian’s preferences. He knew she was allergic to mangoes, knew she was afraid of the dark, would take meticulous care of her during her period. “Her father died for me,” Adrian would explain whenever I showed the slightest unease. “Seraphina, I have to repay this debt.” Back then, I was foolish enough to believe that Adrian’s special treatment of Vivian was purely because she was his savior’s daughter. Despite my discomfort, I endured it. Until a year ago, when I saw Vivian wearing my pajamas, running out of Adrian’s bedroom. Adrian still made excuses, saying he’d been drugged and mistook Vivian for me. I thought that after that, I’d never cry for Adrian again. But now, the tears still wouldn’t stop. My phone vibrated repeatedly in my bag. All calls from Adrian. I didn’t answer. Finally, I just turned it off. At one in the morning, I finally returned to the villa. The enormous house was empty. The festive wedding decorations hadn’t been removed yet. The bright flowers now looked particularly harsh. I showered, buried myself under the covers, and fell into an exhausted sleep. The next morning, I was woken by my phone ringing. I groggily answered. Before I could speak, my friend Lillian’s urgent voice exploded through the line. “Seraphina! Have you seen the news? Look now! Right now!” “What news…” My voice was hoarse. “Adrian and that Vivian! Their story is all over social media!” I was instantly awake. I hung up and opened Twitter. I didn’t need to search. The top trending topic was #Hunt Corporation CEO Pays Fortune For Mysterious Woman’s Dinner Date#. I clicked in. There were nine photos. The first three were from last night’s charity auction. The rest were candid shots from various angles. In the photos, Adrian and Vivian were having dinner at an upscale restaurant. Afterward, they left the restaurant together and got into Adrian’s car. The car stopped in front of a five-star hotel. Adrian and Vivian walked in side by side, eventually entering a hotel suite together. The caption was ambiguous and detailed. [Hunt Corporation CEO Adrian Hunt paid one hundred million for mysterious woman Vivian Whitmore’s “dinner date.” After a romantic dinner, the two entered a hotel together and haven’t left as of this morning. Sources say Adrian recently married his wife Seraphina Palmer in a high-profile wedding of the century…] The comments had exploded. “Holy shit! One hundred million! Just for dinner? Who believes that! This obviously has deeper meaning!” “This Vivian is really something. She can make Mr. Hunt spend that much money and abandon his newlywed wife on the spot.” “Adrian is so handsome. Spending so much money just for Vivian’s smile. Their relationship is so touching!” “Am I the only one who feels sorry for the wife? She was there last night, right? Watching her husband bid insanely for another woman—what kind of hellish scene is that? Their wedding billboards are still up…”

Seraphina POV When Adrian came home, I was sitting in the dining room eating breakfast. My expression was blank. On the tablet to my left was the entertainment news about him and Vivian. “Seraphina, this is all false reporting. Don’t believe what these journalists make up.” A flash of panic crossed his eyes. He stepped forward quickly. “Last night, Vivian was too upset about her mother’s illness. I took her out to eat. She got drunk, so I had to send her to a hotel.” I forced down my nausea, eating my fried egg while smiling coldly. “You sent her to the hotel, but forgot to leave yourself? You spent the night at the hotel with her?” Adrian’s expression stiffened. I saw guilt flash across his face. “She kept crying last night. Crying and vomiting. I had no choice but to stay and take care of her. But I really didn’t touch her. Nothing happened between us.” My gaze fell on the fresh hickey barely visible beneath his collar. I felt sick. “Adrian,” I put down my fork and closed my eyes. “Send her away. Send her back to her own home, or to another city, or abroad—anywhere. I don’t want to see her again.” He was silent for a few seconds. Impatience flickered across his features. “Her mother is her only family. Her mother is seriously ill and needs surgery. Sending her away now—how is that different from forcing her to her death?” “Then let’s divorce.” I looked up. “Since you can’t bear to send her away, let’s divorce.” “Seraphina, the same trick doesn’t work twice.” Adrian’s eyes grew darker. “The first time you threatened to break up, I was willing to humor you and let you throw your tantrum. But we’re married now. Do you think the position of Mrs. Hunt is something you can take or leave as you please?” His tall figure loomed over me with oppressive pressure. His tone was ice cold. “The Palmer family raised you for years. They won’t hesitate to seek returns. Without me, you’re nothing but a bargaining chip for the Palmers to trade for benefits. They can marry you off to anyone at any time.” Those words were like blades, stabbing straight into my heart. “Wake up. Stop threatening divorce at every turn. Because this time, I might not humor you.” After saying that, he announced, “Vivian needs money. She needs a job. Starting tomorrow, she’ll join the company as my personal assistant.” My last shred of rationality completely collapsed. I raised my hand and slapped him hard across the face. “Adrian, you’re disgusting.” He turned his face to the side, running his tongue over his cheek. When he turned back, his eyes were frozen. “Looks like we both need to cool down. I’ll stay at the office for the next few days. I won’t be coming back.” With those words, he turned and left without hesitation. My chest felt like someone had brutally carved out a gaping wound. I suddenly laughed softly, my laughter full of mockery. After a moment, I picked up my phone from the dining table and dialed a number. “Prepare a divorce agreement for me. I want a divorce.” For several days straight, Adrian didn’t come home. But an unfamiliar number I didn’t recognize sent me various photos almost daily. In the photos, Adrian brought Vivian to yacht parties, accompanied Vivian to the hospital to visit her seriously ill mother, and at business receptions, wrapped his arm around her waist while introducing her to everyone. Unable to bear it any longer, I drove directly to Hunt Corporation. Ignoring the receptionist’s attempts to stop me, I swiped my card and entered the CEO’s private elevator. In the office area, Vivian was talking with someone. Hearing footsteps, she looked up. “Mrs. Hunt?” I didn’t pause. I walked up to her and slapped her across the face. The crisp sound exploded in the silent air. “Miss Whitmore, if Adrian wants to repay his debt and keep you by his side, I have nothing to say.” My voice was cold. “But we both know what you’re really after. As long as I haven’t signed divorce papers, you’re nothing but a mistress.” Vivian covered her rapidly swelling cheek. Tears welled in her eyes. “Mrs. Hunt, you’ve misunderstood me. I really haven’t…” “Seraphina!”

Seraphina POV Adrian’s voice came from the end of the corridor. He strode over quickly, pulled Vivian behind him, completely shielding her with his body. His gaze shot toward me like a sword. “Seraphina, you’ve been Mrs. Hunt for what, a few days, and you’re already bullying people?” His eyes were full of suppressed fury. “Do I need to remind you what happened at that party years ago? How someone publicly threw a drink on you and said those terrible things?” My face went deathly pale. Something gripped my heart violently. That party—he’d been the one who stepped up for me, forcing that wealthy man to apologize by stepping on him. But now, this same person who’d pulled me out of humiliation was personally dredging up my most shameful past and spreading it out in front of everyone. Adrian’s tone was harsh. “It seems I’ve spoiled you too much all these years, making you forget that you’re just the Palmer family’s adopted daughter who’s fallen out of favor. You’ve experienced plenty of bullying and humiliation yourself.” “Go home.” His command was absolute. “I’ll deal with you when we get home.” I couldn’t believe it. I pointed at Vivian behind him. “You’re going to make me suffer for this woman?” “I just want you to understand—don’t forget what you’ve been through. Don’t think that just because you’re Mrs. Hunt now, you can abuse your power.” Beside us, Vivian tugged at his sleeve, her voice weak and uncertain. “Mr. Hunt, forget it. The punishment you’re giving her is too severe. Please don’t fight with Mrs. Hunt because of me. I’m fine now… see, my face doesn’t even hurt anymore.” On her pale face, the five-finger mark was vivid. Adrian must already be heartbroken. “She must receive this punishment.” He looked back at me with dark, sinister eyes. “As Mrs. Hunt, you should be magnanimous and gracious, not running to the office like a madwoman to hit people.” I’m like a madwoman? I was so shocked I almost laughed. I pressed my lips together coldly. “What if I refuse this punishment?” His voice was harsh. “Seraphina, I’m not asking you. I’m telling you.” The atmosphere froze. Just as we were at an impasse, suddenly Vivian let out a weak moan. Her body swayed and she collapsed backward. “Vivian!” Adrian’s expression changed. He reached out to catch her. Vivian lay unconscious in his arms. Adrian lifted her in his arms. When he looked at me again, his eyes were filled with uncontrollable fury. “You’d better pray nothing’s wrong with her. Otherwise, I won’t forgive you.” He didn’t spare me another glance. Carrying Vivian, he strode quickly toward the elevator. I stood there, feeling everyone’s stares. My heart felt like someone had twisted a knife in it several times. The last bit of light in my eyes went out. I took the elevator down. The moment I walked out of the company entrance, two bodyguards in black suits grabbed me from both sides. “Mrs. Hunt, we apologize. Mr. Hunt has instructed us to take you home for punishment.” I struggled, but it was useless. I was shoved into a car. The car drove toward the suburbs, finally stopping in front of the Hunt family villa. The bodyguards pulled me out of the car and dragged me to the gravel area in front of the villa. “Kneel, Mrs. Hunt.” I straightened my spine stubbornly. “I did nothing wrong. I won’t kneel!” The two bodyguards exchanged glances. Then one of them kicked directly at the back of my knee. Caught off guard, my legs gave way and I fell heavily onto the gravel-covered ground. Excruciating pain immediately shot through my knees. I screamed, gasping. Cold sweat instantly beaded on my forehead. I struggled to get up, but the two bodyguards pressed firmly on my shoulders, forcing me back down. “Mr. Hunt has ordered that you must kneel for a full twenty-four hours. You’re not allowed to get up.” His punishment for me was to kneel on the villa’s gravel for a full twenty-four hours of repentance before it would be over. But on our wedding night, Adrian had held me in his arms and said he’d never let me suffer in this lifetime. Adrian, your words truly can’t be trusted at all. But I’d been too foolish before. I’d believed him again and again.

Seraphina POV After dark, Adrian came to the villa. His tall figure stood before me, looking down at me from above. “Vivian woke up.” His face was cold as a frozen pond. “The doctor diagnosed her with a mild concussion and post-traumatic stress disorder.” I’d been kneeling until both my knees hurt terribly. Blood had seeped through my knees, staining the gravel beneath them red. My vision kept going black. Cold sweat had long since soaked my hair. But he showed no sympathy. He just looked at me. “I know you’re very dissatisfied with her, but no matter how dissatisfied you are, you shouldn’t have gone to the office to hit her.” I finally raised my eyelids. “Don’t you know exactly why I hit her?” If he hadn’t brought Vivian to those places, if Vivian hadn’t used an unknown number to send me those provocative photos, if they hadn’t treated me—his wife—with such disregard, would I have struck her? My eyes reddened. My throat felt tight and choked. “Adrian, I have no problem with you repaying your debt. But you slept with her. Don’t you find that laughable? If you want to repay your debt, why does it have to be by trampling on my feelings and our marriage?” “I told you, a year ago with her—we were drugged. It was an accident. I didn’t lie to you.” “What about now? Her mother is seriously ill and needs money. You’ve already given her a check. Why do you still need to keep her by your side?” His voice was low and hoarse. “Because that night a year ago, she got pregnant with my child.” My breathing stopped for an instant. “Back then, you were threatening to break up with me. To get you back, I had no choice but to cut ties with her.” Adrian’s voice carried a pain I’d never heard before. He said, “While I was kneeling to beg you to come back, while I was personally making the cake you love, while I was announcing to reporters that I was transferring my shares to you and publicly winning you back—during all that time, she was alone, caring for her sick mother while constantly working to earn money. Eventually, from overwork, she miscarried the baby and fell into depression for a long time.” In this moment, he felt like a complete stranger. I moved my lips. My voice was hoarse. “What are you trying to say—that her miscarriage and depression are my fault?” “If you hadn’t insisted on breaking up, I wouldn’t have ignored her and cut ties with her. She wouldn’t have…” He stopped, looking at me deeply. “I owe the Whitmore family a life. And you caused her to lose a child.” He said, “Seraphina, you’re the one who wronged her.” Absurd. This was the most absurd, laughable thing I’d ever heard. “Kneel here properly. After you complete the full twenty-four hours, I’ll come pick you up.” Before Adrian turned to leave, he coldly instructed the bodyguards nearby. “Watch her.” “Yes, sir.” In that moment, I couldn’t tell which hurt more—my knees or my heart. I was forced to kneel in front of the villa for a long time, the bodyguards pressing down on my shoulders. Around midnight, thunder suddenly crashed and lightning flashed. Strong winds rose and a torrential downpour fell. The two bodyguards opened umbrellas, but didn’t shield me. I knelt on the gravel. The blood from my knees wouldn’t stop flowing. I was forced to endure the rainstorm all night. Whenever I was about to collapse and my body swayed, the bodyguards would press firmly on my shoulders, forcing me to correct my posture. At dawn, the alternating sensations of cold and heat throughout my body finally became unbearable. I lost consciousness and collapsed to the side. When I woke again, it was to the smell of disinfectant. I opened my heavy eyelids to the white ceiling of a hospital. An IV drip was attached to the back of my hand. “You’re awake.” Adrian’s voice came from beside the bed. I turned my head and saw him sitting there. His eyes were bloodshot, a shadow of stubble on his chin. “You had a fever of 104 degrees. Why didn’t you tell the bodyguards you were sick? The doctor said if you’d come any later…” He reached out to touch my face, but I avoided it. “Don’t touch me.” Adrian froze. He withdrew his hand and pinched the bridge of his nose wearily. “Seraphina, stop making trouble from now on, okay? We already owe Vivian too much.” His appearance made me feel sick. My throat was dry and hoarse. My laugh was desolate. “Adrian, you’re the one who owes her. Not me.”

Seraphina POV I continued mockingly, “Since you feel you owe Vivian so much, let’s divorce and you can marry her.” Adrian’s expression instantly darkened. “Must you keep causing trouble like this? Vivian just wants a job to live properly and earn money to care for her sick mother. I simply gave her a job. Why do you hate her so much?” “I don’t hate her,” I said expressionlessly. “As long as you sign divorce papers with me right now, I don’t care what you do with her. It doesn’t matter to me.” Adrian’s pupils contracted sharply, as if this statement had struck a nerve. He suddenly leaned forward, hands braced on either side of my body, trapping me between the hospital bed and his chest. “Seraphina, between us, it’s always breaking up or divorce. Have you ever actually loved me?” This question almost made me laugh out loud. He was actually asking if I’d ever loved him? “Let me tell you, Seraphina—divorce? Don’t even think about it.” Adrian gritted his teeth. “In this lifetime, even in death, you can only be Mrs. Hunt!” As soon as he finished speaking, his phone rang in his pocket. Adrian frowned, pulled out his phone and glanced at the screen. It was Vivian calling. He hesitated, but still answered in front of me. The moment the call connected, Vivian’s panicked voice came through. “Is this the police? I’m… I’m being harassed. I’m so scared…” “Vivian?” Adrian’s expression darkened. “It’s me. Who’s harassing you?” The other end went quiet for a second. Then came Vivian’s tearful, startled voice. “Mr. Hunt? I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I was too scared. I called the wrong number…” “Tell me, who’s harassing you? Where are you now?” Adrian’s tone grew urgent. “I’m… I’m at Golden Moon Club… for the company’s South District project… but Mr. Watson was touching me inappropriately…” Vivian’s voice was broken and intermittent, mixed with sobs. “Don’t be afraid. I’m on my way!” Before Vivian could finish, Adrian had already hung up. He didn’t even look at me again. He turned and strode quickly out of the hospital room, his entire body tense with anxiety. I watched his retreating back. The warmth in my eyes disappeared completely. This marriage—no matter what, I had to end it. I stayed in the hospital for several days. During that time, Adrian didn’t appear again. But that unknown number kept persistently sending messages. [Do you know? Ever since I told him a client harassed me that day, he not only taught that person a lesson but also canceled the cooperation with them. He’s even worried I’ll be harassed again, so now he personally drives me to and from work every day.] After my fever completely broke and the wounds on my knees began to scab over, I checked myself out of the hospital and finally replied to that unknown number. [If you want what you’re after, meet me at the café near Hunt Corporation in one hour.] One hour later, at the café. When I arrived, Vivian was already sitting there. I sat across from her, ordered a glass of water, then pushed a thick manila envelope across the table toward her. Vivian looked at me. “What’s this…?” “My divorce agreement with Adrian.” At those words, surprise mixed with a hint of secret joy flashed in Vivian’s eyes. But then she looked confused. “What do you mean by this?” I said coldly, “Don’t you want to be Mrs. Hunt? I’m divorcing Adrian. I’m giving you a chance.” Vivian hastily put on an aggrieved expression. “Mrs. Hunt, you’ve really misunderstood me. Mr. Hunt and I…” “Enough, Vivian. There are only the two of us here. You don’t need to perform for me.” My eyes were cold. “You’ve found every way to cling to Adrian’s side. We both know what you’re really after.” Vivian looked me over, suspicious. “How do I know you’re not recording this?” Worthy of being the woman who’d manipulated Adrian—her vigilance was strong enough. “Don’t worry. If I wanted to do that, I wouldn’t have waited until now.” My expression was blank. “A man who’s been physically and emotionally unfaithful isn’t worth me exhausting myself to keep by my side.” Vivian studied me skeptically, saying nothing. I continued, “I’ve mentioned divorce to him. He refuses. If you want what you’re after, make him sign this divorce agreement.” I’d prepared this divorce agreement long ago, but I could never find an opportunity to get Adrian to sign it. Adrian wouldn’t agree to divorce me. I had no choice but to come to Vivian. I’d thought Vivian would readily agree. Vivian scoffed mockingly. “Don’t be ridiculous. He transferred most of his shares to you. If you divorce, he’d essentially be leaving with nothing. I’m not that stupid. I won’t make him sign something like this.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “391347”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster

I’d been secretly dating Nathan for five years. In our fifth year together, he publicly announced his engagement. But his fiancée wasn’t me. On TV, he was on one knee, proposing to his first love with a diamond ring. In the real world, I stood up from the cake I’d made for our fifth anniversary. I calmly dialed my grandfather’s number. “Grandfather, I accept the arranged marriage to the Foster family.” Five years as a substitute. It was time to end it. This time, I would be the one marrying someone else. Lily’s POV In the fifth year of my secret relationship with Nathan, the billionaire heir, he publicly announced his engagement. The fiancée wasn’t me. I sat in a dim private room, staring at the melted remains of our fifth anniversary cake. On the wall screen, a charity gala played live. Nathan Sterling had hidden me away for five years. He refused to even hold my hand in public. Now he was gently placing a five-million-dollar diamond tiara on Susan’s head. “Welcome back, my princess.” His voice came through the microphone, deep and tender. Then the camera panned to the audience below, accidentally picking up his friends’ teasing voices. “Nathan, the love of your life is finally back. What about that woman you’ve been keeping at home? After five years, you two should break up, right?” My entire body went rigid, as if someone had dumped a bucket of ice water over me. Even breathing hurt. Through the screen, I couldn’t see Nathan’s expression clearly, but I heard his casual laugh perfectly. “She’s just a little toy. I’ll write her a check later and be done with it. Don’t mention this in front of Susan. She’s soft-hearted and can’t handle hearing about these things.” Five years. We’d been together for five years. He pampered me, spoiled me, bought me the most expensive bags, let me live in the best house. But he never introduced me to anyone. At first, he’d hold me and coax me. “Lily, just wait a little longer. The Sterling family’s situation is unstable right now. I’m afraid making us public would put you in danger.” Later, I gave up my position as the family heir and became his company’s chief designer. Then he said, “Office romances attract too much gossip. I don’t want to put you through that.” I bought every excuse. I buried my pride and ambition. I became the understanding, obedient woman behind him. Invisible. But now, I’d heard it with my own ears. The reason he wouldn’t make us public wasn’t to protect me at all. It was simply because he didn’t love me. It was because from the very beginning, I’d been nothing more than a substitute for Susan! I stared at the screen showing the two of them embracing, my eyes burning red. After a long moment, I let out a soft, self-mocking laugh. I was laughing at my own stupidity, my own foolishness. I was laughing at how these five years of my youth had become a pathetic joke. Just then, my phone on the table rang abruptly. It was my grandfather calling. “Lily, the Foster boy has returned to the country. Have you thought about the arranged marriage? You haven’t come home for five years because of that Nathan, but he hasn’t even given you a proper status! I know Damien Foster well. He’s an excellent young man…” My grandfather tried to persuade me as always, but this time, before he could finish, I cut him off calmly. “Grandfather, I accept the marriage.” The other end of the line went dead silent. After a long pause, my grandfather asked in disbelief.”Really?” “Really.” I looked at the screen where Nathan was kissing Susan’s cheek, my voice completely devoid of emotion. “When I come back, I’m staying in New York. I’m never leaving again.” After hanging up, I threw the carefully prepared gift box from the table into the trash and walked out of the private room. I’d just finished taking down the fifth anniversary decorations when the front door swung open. Nathan walked in, carrying the faint scent of rose perfume. Susan’s favorite. He saw me on the sofa, walked over, and casually handed me a luxury jewelry box. His tone was gentle, like nothing had happened. “The company was too busy today. I couldn’t be with you. You saw the news? It’s just for show, to build momentum for a collaboration between our companies. We’re just acting. I’m not going to marry Susan.” My gaze met his deep eyes, but he felt like a complete stranger. I already knew the truth, so naturally I knew how fake his affection was in this moment. I didn’t take the jewelry box. I simply nodded calmly. “I understand.” Whether he married Susan or not, I didn’t care anymore. After all, I was going to marry someone else.

Lily’s POV Nathan probably hadn’t expected me to be so calm. After all, I was so calm that I didn’t even question him once. He pulled me into his arms, his large hand caressing my waist. He lowered his head, trying to find my lips. “Lily, you’re not angry?” “Didn’t you say it was fake? Why would I be angry?” I turned my head, avoiding his kiss, and used the momentum to slip out of his embrace. “I’m not feeling well today. I’m going to bed early.” Nathan’s hand froze in mid-air. He watched my retreating figure without any trace of reluctance, his brows furrowing slightly. But in the end, he didn’t press the issue. “Alright. Rest well then.” The next morning, when I woke up, the space beside me was already empty. I didn’t pay it any mind. After washing up, I took a cab to the office myself. When I arrived, I didn’t go to the design department. Instead, I went straight to HR and got a resignation form. After filling it out, I tucked the resignation form into a stack of design drafts that needed signing, went upstairs, and pushed open the CEO’s office door. My steps faltered slightly when I saw the scene before me. Nathan, who was always cold and decisive in front of others, was now half-kneeling on the floor with an ice pack in his hand, carefully tending to the ankle of Susan, who sat on the sofa. “Why wear such high heels? You don’t need to look perfect for me. I just want you to be comfortable.” His voice was so gentle it could drip honey. Hearing the sound, they both turned around. When they saw it was me, Nathan’s expression instantly shifted. He unconsciously stood up and cleared his throat to mask his embarrassment. Before he could speak, Susan on the sofa frowned, her voice coquettish yet condescending. “Nathan, how can your director have such poor manners? She didn’t even knock before entering.” I opened my mouth, finding it somewhat laughable. Not knocking was a privilege Nathan had once given me. He’d said his office was always open to me. But now, this privilege had become a crime in front of his true love. I turned to look at Nathan. His gaze shifted away, not daring to meet my eyes. He just said coldly.”What is it?” “Mr. Sterling, there are some documents that need your signature.” I walked forward and handed him the papers. Nathan took them, looking through them as he signed his name. When he got to the last page, I held my breath slightly. It was my resignation form. “Ah!” Just as Nathan’s gaze was about to fall on that page, Susan suddenly cried out. The coffee cup in front of her tipped over, the scalding liquid splashing onto the back of her hand. It instantly turned red. Nathan’s expression changed dramatically. He couldn’t care less about the documents in his hand. He hastily signed the last page, threw down the pen, scooped Susan up in his arms, and rushed out the door. “Hold on, I’ll take you to the hospital right away!” Watching their figures disappear beyond the door, I stood there, my heart completely calm. I pulled out the signed resignation form, carefully tucked it away, and headed to HR. “Since Mr. Sterling approved it, you can resign once the one-month handover process is complete.” The HR manager looked at the signature and stamped it. I nodded. When I returned to the design department, the group chat on my phone was already exploding. “Mr. Sterling is so good to Miss Susan! She just got scalded a little and he literally carried her out!” “I heard Miss Susan is entering the jewelry business. Mr. Sterling is planning to put her in full charge of our core project next quarter.” “Now that’s true love. Our company is about to have a first lady.” Looking at the messages in the group, I turned off my phone screen. Nathan really did love Susan. As soon as she returned to the country, he couldn’t wait to lay everything at her feet. And as for me, the substitute. It was finally time to exit the stage.

Lily’s POV During lunch break, just as I was about to go downstairs to eat, my colleagues gathered around me. “Lily, I heard you submitted your resignation? Why? You’re a key member of our department!” I smiled, not hiding anything.”I’m going home to get married.” “Married?! So sudden? Who are you marrying? We never heard you had a boyfriend!” “Congratulations! You have to invite us to your wedding!” I smiled and agreed. After work that evening, I’d just walked out of the company building when a familiar black Maybach stopped in front of me. The window rolled down, revealing Nathan’s handsome but somewhat gloomy face. “Get in.” I didn’t move, acting as if I hadn’t seen him, and walked straight toward the curb to hail a cab. Nathan’s expression darkened. He pushed open the car door, strode over, grabbed my wrist, and half-forced me into the passenger seat. “Lily, have you made enough of a scene?” After the door locked, Nathan’s voice, suppressing his anger, echoed in the cramped car. “I told you Susan and I are just acting. Why were you throwing a tantrum in the office today? Who was that for?” I stared straight ahead, my tone flat without any fluctuation.”I didn’t throw a tantrum.” “Then why’d you resign?” Nathan rubbed his forehead, his voice softening. “Lily, Susan just came back. She needs to make a name for herself. That jewelry exhibition next quarter is her big chance. I need you to help her. Stick it out, and I’ll take you to Iceland for the Northern Lights. Deal?” I turned my head to look at this face I’d loved for five years, and suddenly felt somewhat nauseous. He wanted me, the substitute, to work for the woman he truly loved? “Nathan, you already signed the resignation form.” A mocking smile appeared at the corner of my mouth. “Also, I’m not throwing a tantrum. I really am going home to get married.” Nathan froze for a moment, then burst out laughing as if he’d heard a joke. “Married? To who? That distant arranged marriage partner of yours?” He grabbed my chin, his eyes confident and contemptuous. “Lily, don’t use such clumsy excuses to test my limits. You can’t leave me.” He was too confident. So confident he didn’t believe I would actually leave him. I slapped his hand away and didn’t bother explaining further. The next day, to punish my “disobedience,” Nathan issued a CEO directive requiring me to serve as Susan’s personal assistant and accompany her to a snowy mountain to shoot a jewelry promotional video. The snowy mountain was below freezing, with biting winds. Susan sat in a windproof tent wearing a thick down jacket, drinking hot coffee. Meanwhile, I was required to take off my coat and stand in the snow wearing only a thin sweater, holding a heavy reflector for Susan. “Miss Lily, hold it higher. The lighting isn’t right.” Susan held her coffee, smiling innocently. My hands were already frozen red and stiff, almost losing all feeling. Nathan stood not far away, watching this scene with slightly furrowed brows, but he said nothing. He just walked over, draped his coat over Susan’s shoulders, and asked if she was cold. I watched them embrace in the snow. The cold wind cut into my bones, but it wasn’t even one ten-thousandth as cold as my heart. I gritted my teeth and held the reflector until the shoot was over. “Nathan, Lily looks really cold.” Susan leaned against Nathan and spoke mockingly. Nathan walked over. Looking at my purple lips, a trace of reluctance flashed in his eyes, but his tone remained firm.”Have you realized your mistake? Just withdraw your resignation and you can continue as my chief designer.” I lifted my head and looked at him, my frozen lips pulling into a cold arc. “Mr. Sterling, there are twenty-eight days left in the handover period.”

Lily’s POV On the second day of the mountain shoot, Susan’s harassment escalated. In the break room, Susan’s gaze suddenly landed on the vintage pocket watch hanging around my neck. It was the only memento from my late father. I never took it off. “Miss Lily, that pocket watch of yours has quite a vintage feel. Let me borrow it as a prop for the shoot.” Without waiting for permission, Susan reached out to grab it. My expression changed drastically. I quickly stepped back, protecting the watch.”No. This is my father’s memento. I can’t lend it.” “So what if it’s a memento? Nathan put me in charge of the entire project. You’re about to resign anyway. You still won’t cooperate with me?” Susan’s face darkened, and she came forward to snatch it forcefully. During our struggle, the watch’s chain snapped with a “crack.” Susan held the watch, a malicious smile curling at her lips. Then she let go. The watch fell onto the hard rocks. The glass face shattered instantly, gears scattering across the ground. My mind went blank. I stared at the broken watch on the ground, all the blood in my body seeming to freeze. The next second, I raised my hand and slapped Susan hard across the face. “Smack!” The crisp sound of the slap echoed through the break room. Susan clutched her face, screaming in disbelief.”You dare hit me?!” Hearing the commotion, Nathan rushed in. Seeing the red handprint on Susan’s face, his expression instantly turned dark as a storm cloud. “Lily, have you lost your mind?!” He shoved me hard. Already weak, I was thrown backward by his force, falling heavily onto the rocky ground covered in debris. My palm scraped across a sharp stone, immediately opening a long gash. Blood poured out, staining the white snow red. But Nathan didn’t even glance at me. He just anxiously pulled Susan into his arms. “Nathan, I just wanted to borrow her watch as a prop. Not only did she refuse, she hit me…” Susan leaned against him, crying pitifully. Nathan glared at me on the ground, his eyes cold and cutting.”It’s just a broken watch! It’s not even worth anything! I’ll compensate you one million dollars! How dare you hit someone? Apologize to Susan right now!” A broken watch? I sat collapsed on the ground, watching my blood drip into the snow, suddenly finding it all absurdly laughable. He knew perfectly well it was the last keepsake my father had left me. Once, when I accidentally lost this watch, he frantically mobilized everyone to find it. When it was recovered, he held me, heartbroken, and said.”Lily’s things are my life.” But now, when my life had been shattered, he called it just a broken watch. I didn’t cry. I didn’t apologize. I just silently knelt on the ground, using my bleeding hand to pick up the shattered gears and glass pieces one by one, clutching them tightly in my palm. The sharp glass cut into my palm, but I seemed to feel no pain. Nathan didn’t look at me. He carried Susan and left. I took leave and went to the hospital alone to bandage my wound. Coming out of the hospital, I received a call from my good friend Sophia. Sophia was Nathan’s younger sister and the only person who knew about our relationship. At the café, Sophia looked at my bandaged hand, her eyes immediately reddening. “Lily, did my brother bully you again? Since Susan came back, he’s been completely bewitched!” I calmly stirred my coffee, saying softly.”Sophia, I’m getting married.” Sophia froze, then tears spilled from her eyes.”Married? To my brother? Is he finally willing to make your relationship public?” “Not him.” I shook my head. “It’s the arranged marriage from my family. I’m going home.” Sophia stared at me blankly, then suddenly threw her arms around me, sobbing uncontrollably.”Good! My brother is trash. He doesn’t deserve you! Lily, you have to be happy…” Suddenly, someone appeared beside us. It was Nathan. He frowned slightly.”Sophia, why are you crying?” Sophia looked up, glaring at him with red eyes.”Lily is going back to New York to get married, why shouldn’t I cry?!”

Lily’s POV Hearing Sophia’s words, Nathan’s steps halted abruptly, his expression instantly darkening. He stared at me intently, his voice seeming to squeeze through clenched teeth.”Say that again. What are you planning to do?” “I’m getting married.” I met his gaze without backing down. “Mr. Sterling, if you have time, you’re welcome to attend my wedding.” Nathan laughed coldly in anger, stepped forward, and grabbed my wrist, using so much force it felt like he might crush my bones. “Lily, to force me to make us public, you’d even tell such lies? You think a random excuse will make me give in?” Ignoring Sophia’s attempts to stop him, he forcibly dragged me out of the café and shoved me into his car. The car doors locked. Nathan pressed me against the seat back, his eyes fierce yet with a trace of imperceptible panic. “I told you, Susan and I are just acting! What exactly are you making a fuss about? I’ll get the best craftsman to fix that watch for you. Stop using marriage to challenge my limits!” Looking at his enraged appearance, I just felt pathetic. “Nathan, does acting require you to treasure her like that? Does acting require you to push me into the snow for her sake?” My voice was very quiet. He was speechless. After a long while, he irritably loosened his tie.”She just returned to the country. She’s emotionally unstable. I’m just taking extra care of her. You used to be so understanding. Why have you become so annoying?” “Yes, I was too understanding before.” I laughed self-mockingly. “So now, I don’t want to be understanding anymore. I really am getting married. My fiancé is Damien Foster.” At the name Damien Foster, Nathan’s eyes narrowed. The Fosters were New York’s most elite family. And Damien Foster was famously unapproachable in their circle. “At least find a believable lie.” Nathan sneered, not believing me at all. “Just stay home and reflect these next few days. When you realize your mistake, then you can come back to the office.” He slammed the door and left, leaving me alone in the villa. That evening, I sat on the sofa. My phone kept receiving photos from my grandfather. Wedding dresses and wedding venues. “Lily, Damien says you can choose any wedding venue. Which one do you like?” I carefully looked through the photos and selected the simplest wedding dress. Nathan came out after showering. Seeing me focused on my phone screen, he walked over and glanced at it. His expression immediately turned livid. “Still acting?” He snatched my phone away. Seeing the wedding dress photos on the screen, he roared.”Lily, are you determined to make me angry?” I didn’t try to grab the phone back. I just looked at him calmly.”Nathan, you already signed the resignation form. And I’m not throwing a tantrum. I really am going home to get married.” Nathan stared blankly for a moment, then burst out laughing as if he’d heard a joke. “Married? To who? That distant arranged marriage partner?” He grabbed my chin, his eyes confident and contemptuous. “Lily, don’t use such pathetic excuses to test my limits. You can’t leave me.” He was too confident. So confident he didn’t believe I would actually leave. I knocked his hand away and didn’t explain further. The next morning, I received a string of numbers from my grandfather. “Lily, this is Damien’s private number. You young people should chat and develop your relationship.” I saved the number to my contacts. When entering the label, I paused, then typed in a name. “Future Husband.” Since I’d decided to marry, I would completely sever all ties with the past.

Lily’s POV With half a month left in the handover period, the company held a team-building event to celebrate the launch of a new project. I didn’t want to go, but as the soon-to-depart chief designer, my colleagues enthusiastically invited me, so I agreed. It was supposed to be just a design department dinner, but when I arrived at the private room, I discovered that Nathan had brought Susan along. “Nathan said everyone has been working hard, so he specially brought me to show appreciation.” Susan held Nathan’s arm, completely acting like the lady of the house. The atmosphere in the room instantly became somewhat awkward. Everyone knew Nathan and I used to be close. Now that Nathan had a girlfriend, no one dared say a word. Halfway through the dinner, someone suggested playing “Truth or Dare” to liven things up. In the first round, the bottle landed in front of Nathan. Given his position, no one dared make too outrageous demands. Someone said.”Mr. Sterling, choose Dare! Show everyone the first photo in your phone’s gallery!” Nathan didn’t refuse. He took out his phone and opened the gallery. On the projection screen, a solo photo of Susan at the snowy mountain appeared. In the photo, she was smiling happily, the shooting angle full of affection. “Wow! Mr. Sterling and Miss Susan have such a great relationship!” “This is truly enviable love!” Amid everyone’s praise, Susan shyly leaned on Nathan’s shoulder. Nathan’s gaze, however, passed over the crowd and landed directly on me in the corner. He expected to see jealousy and heartbreak on my face. But I just gave him a cold glance, then lowered my head to drink my juice, never making eye contact with him again. Suddenly, I received a text from Nathan. “Just acting. Don’t take it seriously.” I looked at the message on the screen, a mocking smile appearing at the corner of my lips. I flipped the phone face-down on the table. In the second round, the bottle stopped squarely in front of me. “Miss Lily, what do you choose?” “Dare.” I said lightly. My colleagues exchanged glances, then boldly said.”Then please call the first contact in your phone, and put it on speaker!” I didn’t hesitate. I picked up my phone and opened my contacts. On the big screen, the first name at the top of my contact list was clearly displayed. “Future Husband.” The room instantly fell silent. Everyone’s eyes secretly glanced toward Nathan. Nathan’s expression darkened the moment he saw the screen. He stared at me intently, both hands clenched into fists, veins bulging on the backs of his hands. The phone rang twice before it picked up. A deep, magnetic voice came through the speaker, with a hint of authority. “Lily?” My heart skipped. I answered softly. “It’s me.” “Calling this late? You miss me?” There was a faint, almost hidden warmth in his voice. Everyone in the room gasped. Nathan shot up, his chair scraping the floor with a screech. His eyes were bloodshot as he stared at me, like he wanted to tear me apart. “Ridiculous!” He spat the word, kicked the chair aside, and stormed out, dragging Susan along. And that was how the party ended. I hung up, said goodbye to my colleagues, and walked out alone. Just as I reached the intersection, a black Maybach stopped in front of me. The door opened, a hand reached out, and I was pulled inside.

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My husband Andrew and my best friend Andy went to the mountains to find inspiration for his new art exhibition, and they both went missing. The rescue team was conducting a carpet search through the forest, and I had cried while running from one end of the mountain to the other. Suddenly, a sparrow landed on a branch by my shoulder, tilting its head and chirping: [Oh my! My eyes! Two humans naked and kissing each other, don’t even know the cave is about to collapse.] I froze. So this is what they meant by “finding inspiration”? I immediately wiped away my tears, rushed to the rescue captain, and clutched my ankle with a pained expression: “Captain! I twisted my ankle.” “Captain, my ankle… it hurts so much…” The rescue captain was a dark-skinned middle-aged man. Seeing me collapse to the ground, he hurried over to help me up. “Kristen, don’t panic. Let me check your injury first.” He crouched down and gently touched my ankle. I immediately exaggerated with a sharp hiss, scrunching up my face. “No, I can’t move it at all. It feels like needles stabbing me when I move!” The captain frowned deeply. “If it hurts this badly, it might be a serious soft tissue injury. You can’t walk anymore.” He turned to his team member and ordered, “Paul, escort Kristen down the mountain first and find her a place to rest.” My heart sank. Go down the mountain? How could that work? I needed to stay here to make sure that cheating pair got buried good and deep. I grabbed the captain’s arm and shook my head, crying. “No! I won’t go down the mountain! Andrew hasn’t been found yet. How can I leave!” “I’ll wait right here! I’m not going anywhere!” My sincere appearance moved all the rescue team members and several kind-hearted villagers present. “What a devoted wife. She’s injured but still worried about her husband.” “Yeah, such a loving girl.” The captain couldn’t persuade me otherwise, so he had someone find me a flat rock to sit on and brought over a first aid kit for simple treatment. While pretending to groan in pain, I used the corner of my eye to survey my surroundings. Perfect. This position gave me a clear view of the main route leading to that dangerous mountain area. The forest here was dense and rarely visited by people. From earlier until now, apart from our group, we hadn’t seen a single soul. As long as I delayed long enough, once the cave collapsed… A sharp sound of brakes screeched through the air. A brand new Maybach roughly stopped by the mountain road. The car door opened, and Andrew’s brother Tobias jumped out. Andrew had bought him this car with my money. We’d even fought about it. Tobias had posted on Twitter subtly accusing me of being stingy. Tobias immediately spotted me surrounded by the crowd and rushed over in a few strides. “Kristen! Why are you sitting here? Where’s Andrew? Have you found him?” I lifted my red, swollen eyes and pointed at my ankle. “I twisted my ankle…” He raised his voice in disgust. “What’s the big deal about a twisted ankle?” “Andrew’s life or death is uncertain, and you can’t even put in more effort? All these people are searching, and here you are, taking a break!” Everyone around was stunned. The rescue captain’s face darkened. Tobias completely ignored everyone’s stares and barked orders at the rescue captain. “What the hell are you all doing? It’s been so long and you still haven’t found anyone!” “Let me tell you, Andrew is the breadwinner of our family! If anything happens to him, can you afford the responsibility?” Seeing no one paying attention to him, he started with the moral blackmail. “Now that Andrew is missing, I’m his only family member!” “I’m ordering you, right now, immediately, increase the search and rescue efforts! No one is allowed to rest!” That self-righteous look on his face made my stomach churn. However, his timing was perfect. I needed someone to take the blame.

On the branch by my shoulder, the sparrow started chirping again. [Oh! That cave is dropping dirt! They’re scared and hugging each other, still kissing!] [The man says even if they die, they’ll die together. So romantic!] Romantic? I lowered my eyelids, hiding the hatred in my eyes. Then I’ll grant your wish to become a pair of dead lovebirds. Tobias was still over there verbally attacking the rescue team, spitting as he spoke. “Are you even professional? It’s been hours and you haven’t found a single ghost!” “Andrew is a renowned artist! His time is precious! Can you afford to compensate?” I knew what he was anxious about. Tobias hadn’t held a proper job since graduating from college. He loafed around all day, relying entirely on Andrew’s support. The car was bought with my money, the apartment he lived in had its mortgage paid by Andrew, and even his dating expenses came from asking Andrew every few days. His eagerness to find Andrew was simply to perform his “brotherly love” in front of relatives, so he could continue to leech money from Andrew in the future. The rescue captain’s face turned iron-blue from his yelling, but he still patiently explained, “Sir, we are professionals. Please don’t interfere with our work.” Tobias snorted coldly. “Professional? Professional means running around like headless chickens?” His eyes rolled, and seeing me sitting on the rock crying, he immediately redirected his attack. “Kristen! Stop just crying! You know best where Andrew likes to go. Quickly give the captain a direction!” The opportunity had come. I lifted my tearful face, putting on an effort to recall, deliberately hesitating for a long time. After a while, I extended my trembling hand and pointed in the completely opposite direction from the dangerous mountain. “I… I remember now. Andrew mentioned once that… that the scenery at Lover’s Valley to the south is especially beautiful, and it could inspire his creativity.” “He said… he said he wanted to go see it with Andy…” I choked up at the right moment. Lover’s Valley was a famous scenic spot in this mountain area. The scenery was beautiful, but the terrain was flat. It had no adventure value whatsoever, and it was impossible for anyone to go missing there. The rescue captain was somewhat skeptical. “Lover’s Valley? We already checked that area. The signal is good, the roads are easy to walk. It’s unlikely…” Hearing a lead, Tobias’s eager, opportunistic brain immediately ignited. “What do you mean unlikely! Kristen already said Andrew was going there for inspiration!” “It must be that Andrew, to be with… cough, for the sake of art, deliberately found a secluded corner, and his phone just died!” He snatched the map from the captain’s hands, pointing at the direction of Lover’s Valley with a grand wave. “Stop wasting time! Everyone, follow me to Lover’s Valley! Hurry!” The captain frowned. “But the mountain roads there aren’t accessible by vehicle, and…” “And what!” Tobias shouted impatiently. “Is Andrew’s life important or your rules? Main force, everyone follow me! Just leave a few people to watch Kristen!” Watching Tobias lead most of the rescue team and the media reporters who caught wind of the story marching magnificently in the wrong direction, I sneered inwardly. Go ahead, go as far as you can. Best if you can’t make it back until nightfall. That way, no one could disturb Andrew and Andy’s “private time together.”

The weather changed in an instant. Just moments ago there were only dark clouds. In the blink of an eye, rain the size of beans came pouring down. No wonder the sparrow said there would be a collapse. Turns out there’s a rainstorm today. The few rescue team members who stayed behind and I quickly found a temporary shelter. The wind grew stronger, carrying the rain and beating against us at an angle. It was actually getting cold. The sparrow also flew to the beam at the top of the shelter, shaking its wet feathers. [It’s raining hard! The cave entrance is starting to gush water!] [The woman is crying out, saying she’s cold and wants to leave.] [The man is holding her tighter, saying it’s raining heavily outside and she’ll get sick if they go out. Wait a bit longer.] Ha, how considerate. The rain grew heavier, and the mountain roads quickly became muddy. The squad leader who stayed behind looked at the dark sky in the distance, deeply worried. “With such heavy rain, the mountains are very dangerous. Landslides and mudslides could happen at any time.” “I’ve already notified Mr. Tobias and his group, suggesting they immediately stop the rescue and take shelter nearby.” As soon as he finished speaking, Tobias’s roar came through the walkie-talkie. “Take shelter from what rain! Scared of a little rain, and you call yourselves a rescue team!” “Andrew is still waiting for us to rescue him. Anyone who dares to stop, try it!” “It’s just getting a little wet. No one’s going to die! Everyone keep searching!” The squad leader’s face changed. He shouted into the walkie-talkie: “Mr. Tobias! This is no joke! The mountain could collapse at any time. Everyone will be in danger!” “I’m in danger, my ass!” Tobias cursed on the other end. “If you don’t find Andrew, I’ll make sure none of you get away with it!” The walkie-talkie transmitted some commotion, as if other team members were trying to persuade him. I suppressed the smile on my lips. Tobias, you truly are my good helper. Less than half an hour later, Tobias returned with his team in a sorry state. He and the search and rescue members behind him were all soaked through, covered in mud. Obviously, they found nothing at Lover’s Valley and had been drenched by the rainstorm, looking like drowned rats. Tobias’s face was darker than the bottom of a pot. As soon as he saw me sitting leisurely in the shelter, he flew into a rage. “Didn’t you say they were at Lover’s Valley? Where are they!” He rushed over in a few strides, pointing his finger at my nose and cursing: “Now it’s raining so hard, we’ve wasted the golden rescue time. If anything happens to Andrew, I won’t let you off!” I timidly shrank back, tears flowing at just the right moment. “I… I only said maybe… I didn’t know it would be like this…” “You didn’t know?” Tobias was shivering from the cold. “I think you did it on purpose!” He looked at me, dry and comfortable, then at his soaked self. Suddenly he grabbed my arm. “Stop pretending! You must know other clues! Get up! Take us to find him!” My ankle “timely” sent a sharp pain. I screamed and my whole body went limp. “Ah! My ankle! It hurts so much!” “Let her go!” The rescue captain, who had been silent all along, finally couldn’t bear it anymore. He knocked Tobias’s hand away. “Mr. Tobias! Please calm down! Kristen is injured!” Several young team members also gathered around, glaring at Tobias. “How can you put your hands on a woman?” “Exactly! Her husband is missing, she’s injured herself. She’s miserable enough. What more do you want?” The villagers also started pointing and whispering. “What’s wrong with you? How can you treat her like this?” “Looks decent on the outside, but has such a cruel heart.” Tobias, accused by everyone, turned red and white, but still stubbornly retorted. “What do you all know! This is our family business!” I huddled to the side, watching the people about to break into a fight, with only one thought in my mind. Fight. Fight even louder.

The heavy rain grew fiercer. Seeing it was getting dark soon. The captain feared that rescue would be even more difficult after dark, so he gritted his teeth and decided to risk going up the mountain. Tobias followed the rescue team with a dark face, full of resentment. The search dog led the way, sniffing around with its head down. Soon, it stopped and barked in front of a cluster of bushes. A team member pushed aside the wet branches and picked up a foil wrapper from the muddy ground. “Captain, we found something!” Everyone immediately gathered around. It was a wrapper dirtied by muddy water, but the brand logo on it could still be vaguely seen. It was an expensive imported condom brand. Before I could react, Tobias excitedly called out. “This is Andrew’s!” He snatched the wrapper and examined it from all angles. “That’s right! It’s this brand! Damn, so expensive. I asked him to buy me some and he refused, but he’s generous when it comes to using them himself!” As soon as the words left his mouth, he realized what he had said and quickly shut up. But it was too late. Everyone’s eyes became meaningful. Missing, adventure, deep mountains, Lover’s Valley, condoms… When these words were combined together, even an idiot would know what had happened. The rescue captain’s face became extremely ugly. He glared at Tobias and said in a low voice, “Keep searching!” The search dog pulled the rescue personnel step by step in one direction, and at the end of that direction was a pile of dirt and stones. Could this be the cave the sparrow mentioned? Were they about to be rescued? At this critical moment, the sparrow suddenly flew over and let out a sharp screech. [Collapse! Water is flooding in! Half the cave entrance is blocked by mud and rocks!] [They can’t get out! Oh! The man is using a rock to smash at the crack, but it’s useless!] My heart jumped violently. No, I couldn’t let them be discovered now! Half blocked meant there was still a chance to rescue them! Tobias also saw where the search dog was pointing. Like he’d been injected with adrenaline, he excitedly shouted. “Found them! They must be down there!” He yelled at the rescue team, “Quick! Andrew must be inside!” I watched as several team members with shovels had already rushed over.

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On the day the black market organ trafficker stood trial, the judge asked if he felt any remorse. He laughed shamelessly: “Not only do I have no regrets, I’m actually proud.” “If I hadn’t provided that heart, Grant Thornton wouldn’t have been able to save his student Lily Wade, and he never would have won the Medical Progress Award to benefit humanity.” When the judge accused him of killing an innocent person for money, he interrupted: “But that heart came from Grant Thornton’s ex-wife. If he hadn’t destroyed her reputation years ago and driven her out, how could she have ended up in my hands?” “If we’re really talking about murder, he’s the killer! I’m just the delivery man at most!” In an instant, reporters swarmed. Grant Thornton laughed coldly in anger, warning sternly into the camera: “Stella Johnson, wasn’t it enough that you caused Lily’s condition to flare up back then? Now you’re bribing black market dealers to spread lies?” Soon, Grant Thornton brought police and cameras, kicking down the door of our rental apartment. In the dim room, there was no malicious ex-wife as he’d expected, only a little girl huddled in the corner, thin as a skeleton: “Who are you? Where’s Stella Johnson? Got the guts to slander but not the guts to face me?” The girl slowly lifted her head. When she saw Lily casually chewing gum, huge tears fell from her eyes. “Are you looking for my mommy? But her heart—didn’t you already dig it out and give it to that lady?” …

From the mouths of babes, yet it set off a storm in the livestream. Grant Thornton’s expression instantly darkened to the extreme as he laughed coldly. “Stella Johnson, you’re even using a child to lie? Get out here right now and apologize, clear Lily’s name!” I floated in midair, watching the undisguised disgust in his eyes, and laughed bitterly. In his heart, Lily had never been a despicable homewrecker, but a student who needed his protection. As his wife, wanting to get rid of her was deliberate harm. Five years ago, I obtained evidence that Lily had tampered with my thesis and tried to interfere in our marriage. I laid the evidence before Grant Thornton. Right in front of me, he threw all those documents into the shredder. “Stella Johnson, Lily is just a young student. How could you forge these things to destroy her future?” When I couldn’t take it anymore and posted it online, to protect Lily, he shoved me hard onto broken glass. He forced me to issue a public statement admitting I was mentally unstable and had maliciously slandered Lily. I refused through gritted teeth. The next day, he brought people to smash my mother’s tombstone and dig up her ashes. He even threatened to destroy the urn, demanding: “Will you apologize or not?” I trembled all over, and could only kneel in the cold mud and compromise. To let my mother rest in peace, I bowed and apologized at the hospital-wide meeting, admitting I was insane. Grant Thornton piled all the blame on me, then threw down divorce papers, forcing me to leave with nothing. My reputation was destroyed, everyone accused me of being jealous and crazy. I was forced to flee to this remote city, barely scraping by. Until seven days ago, to save enough for my daughter’s medical bills. I chose to work an extra night shift. But I was kidnapped and sold by a gambling client who needed money. After some packaging, I became a kind-hearted donor, forced to give up my heart. I permanently closed my eyes on the operating table. My soul followed the heart back to the country. What I never expected was that the recipient of this heart would be Lily. Not only did Grant Thornton personally perform her surgery, he held my heart and pressed a tender kiss on Lily’s forehead. “From now on, you’ll be whole.” I broke down, I felt hatred. Until I followed Lily and arrived precisely at this rental apartment. I watched her point to her own chest in front of my daughter, revealing a malicious smile. “Your daddy said he’d find me the cleanest heart, but I think only your mommy’s heart is worthy of me.” “So I recommended a trafficking channel to a thug at your mom’s workplace. Then I successfully got this heart.” “You don’t know yet, do you? The one who installed this heart for me was your daddy.” I went crazy trying to strangle her. My hands passed through her neck again and again. But I couldn’t kill her. I was powerless. At this moment, in the living room, Annie clutched the black box tightly in her arms, her small knuckles turning white. “Mommy was taken away by that bad lady, burned to ashes, all here.” Grant Thornton walked back to the living room, his eyes full of contempt. “Even bought an urn as a prop, how unlucky!” He suddenly waved his hand, snatching the black box from Annie’s hands and smashing it hard on the floor. The wooden box shattered into pieces, powder instantly scattered everywhere. “Don’t throw my mommy!” Annie let out a scream, falling to the ground, desperately trying to gather the ashes with her small hands. Those were my ashes. I wanted to rush over and hold my child. My outstretched hands passed straight through her thin shoulders. I had no tears, only felt that empty, bloody hole in my chest beginning to fill with bone-chilling cold wind again. Grant Thornton watched the child’s frantic movements, his brow twitching imperceptibly. If it were fake, would it be necessary to go this far? Lily walked out from behind Grant Thornton, her toes stepping on the pile of ashes, grinding hard. “Don’t be angry. Stella can’t stand you being good to me, so it’s normal for her to use pet dog ashes to disgust people.” She pulled out a photo showing a golden retriever with Annie. Three years ago, Annie was diagnosed with a severe genetic disease. Her immune system was weak, she couldn’t be exposed to furry pets at all. That photo was just randomly taken by a nurse when she was getting tested at the hospital. “Stella must hate me to death now. I’d rather not have this heart than have you become like this because of me.” Grant Thornton grasped her wrist in return, his voice softening. “This heart came from an overseas medical assistance program, it has nothing to do with Stella Johnson. Stella Johnson truly hasn’t changed, full of schemes!” The livestream comments were scrolling frantically, Grant Thornton’s eyes swept over them. [Wait, those aren’t pet dog ashes, right? That angel dog in the photo was still sunbathing on the city hospital lawn this morning!] His gaze froze for a moment.

[If it’s not the dog’s, then the kid is crying like that, could it really be her mother’s?] Staring at the pile of gray-white powder on the ground, a trace of irritation crept across Grant Thornton’s brow. He looked away. “Stella Johnson got dead person’s ashes from somewhere to make it realistic. That’s the kind of person she is, capable of anything.” Annie lifted her head, her eyes locked on the foot Lily had planted in the ashes. She suddenly lunged forward, biting down hard on Lily’s calf. “Don’t step on my mommy! You’re all bad people! Give my mommy’s heart back!” Lily cried out in pain, kicking Annie away with one foot. The four-year-old’s body was light as a feather, slamming hard into the corner of the coffee table. Her forehead instantly split open in a long gash, blood covering her face. “My daughter!” I rushed to shield Annie like a madwoman, but could only watch as the crimson blood dripped onto the floor, soaking into the carpet. Grant Thornton didn’t even glance at his daughter. He crouched down, rolling up Lily’s pant leg to examine the bite mark. “Is this little bastard a dog? Is this how Stella Johnson normally raises her?” “Grant, I’m fine, it just hurts a little…” Lily leaned into his arms. “Did Stella teach her a lot of things to make her hate me? I’m a little scared…” “I’m here. I’d like to see who dares touch you.” Grant Thornton’s eyes were fierce as he looked up at the camera and said coldly. “Stella Johnson, I will pursue this despicable behavior of using a child to hurt people to the end!” Watching him make threats, I remembered when I was sixteen, when several upperclassmen cornered me in an alley. Grant Thornton rushed out with half a brick, blocking them in front of me. His face was covered in blood, grabbing my hand and trembling. “Stella, I’ll protect you forever.” Now, he was indeed protecting someone. Only the person being protected was no longer me. I felt such hatred. Why make a promise of forever, then fail to keep it and harm my child? The police outside rushed in directly. The lead female officer’s face was ashen as she scooped up Annie, blood covering her face. “Call an ambulance!” Another officer walked up to Grant Thornton. “Mr. Thornton, regarding the black market organ trafficking case, please come with us to the station for questioning.” “Fine. But my fiancée just had heart transplant surgery and has been frightened. I need to settle her first.” He took Lily’s hand and walked out of the messy rental apartment. Police station interrogation room. Grant Thornton sat in the chair, looking calm. “My donor was a kind person found through an overseas assistance program. Everything was legal, nothing to do with the black market. Stella Johnson’s report is just her venting personal grievances.” Before the officer across from him could speak, the interrogation room door was pushed open forcefully. The female officer who had taken Annie to the hospital called. “That little girl has a very deep forehead wound, now she’s in critical condition from excessive blood loss.” “She has RH negative AB blood type, a very rare type. The hospital blood bank has no supply!” “We checked the system and found that Mr. Thornton has this rare blood type.” Grant Thornton’s movements froze. He lifted his eyelids. a very rare type? An extremely rare hereditary blood type—how could she have the same blood type as him?

“Have him come to the hospital immediately for a transfusion!” I floated in midair, nodding desperately. Go! That’s your flesh and blood! Your daughter! But Grant Thornton suddenly laughed coldly, refusing without hesitation. “Officer, whatever bastard Stella Johnson found somewhere just happens to have my blood type.” “I’ve been cooperating with the investigation. I’m tired now. I’m not going.” The female officer became anxious. “That’s a human life!” Grant Thornton leaned back in his chair. “Her life has nothing to do with me.” The female officer’s expression changed, her voice tinged with anger. “Mr. Thornton, a life is at stake. If you’re willing to donate blood, we can send you there by car, and you can continue the investigation after the transfusion. I’m begging you.” Grant Thornton covered his chest and took a deep breath. “Let’s go.” The police car raced toward the city center hospital with sirens blaring. I stood in the vehicle, watching the scenery flying past the window. Annie, wait, just wait a little longer. Mommy’s bringing someone to save you. The car screeched to a halt at the emergency building entrance. Grant Thornton pushed open the door and strode inside. Lily suddenly emerged from the hallway. She wore an oversized hospital gown, her face deathly pale, throwing herself into Grant Thornton’s arms. “Grant! My chest hurts so much! Am I having a rejection reaction?” Grant Thornton’s footsteps stopped dead. He immediately held Lily, urgently shouting at the nurses’ station: “Get a gurney! Call the cardiothoracic director down here now!” The female officer ran out of the emergency room. “Where’s Mr. Thornton? The child can’t hold on! Her blood pressure has dropped to thirty!” Grant Thornton held Lily, not looking back. “Can’t you see she’s having heart rejection!” “Stella Johnson created this karma, let her repay it herself! If she hadn’t deliberately framed us, how could Lily have ended up like this?” The female officer rushed forward and grabbed his arm. “Save that child first!” Grant Thornton forcefully shook off the female officer’s hand. “Fuck off!” In the livestream that had never been turned off, the comments had completely exploded. [Is this guy insane? The mistress kicked the child and caused such a huge gash, and now he’s protecting the perpetrator?] [This couple is truly disgusting. He really thinks he’s protecting some innocent patient.] Grant Thornton glanced at the dense stream of curses on the screen, his face darkening to the extreme. He continued to protectively hold Lily, righteously warning the camera: “You don’t understand anything! Lily is the victim of Stella Johnson’s schemes!” At that moment, several officers arrived. The lead officer pulled out handcuffs, directly restraining Lily on the gurney. “Lily Wade, you’re under arrest for intentionally causing serious injury to a child!” Lily trembled all over, screaming in terror: “Grant! Save me! I didn’t hurt her, the kid ran into me herself!” Grant Thornton flew into a rage, shielding Lily behind him. “Are you crazy! She’s a patient who just had a heart transplant! This is all Stella Johnson’s conspiracy, she deliberately had that bastard stage this to frame Lily!” The police showed no compromise. “The suspect must come with us immediately! Mr. Thornton, please don’t obstruct official business!” Grant Thornton watched helplessly as Lily was forcibly taken into the elevator, unable to stop it, his chest heaving violently in anger. He turned and ran right into the female officer. “I’ll give her the transfusion. I hope when she’s fine, you’ll release Lily!” But the female officer glared at him. “No need for a transfusion! The child is dead!”

My legs gave out, and I collapsed to the ground. In that instant, my soul felt torn into countless fragments. My Annie was dead. She was only four years old. She hadn’t even worn the new dress I bought her yet. He twisted the corners of his mouth, letting out a short, cold snort. “Dead?” “Good riddance. Stella Johnson has one less bargaining chip for her frame-up.” The next second, I lunged at Grant Thornton in a frenzy. My hands clamped around his neck, wanting to tear him apart on the spot. But my hands passed through his body again and again, unable to touch him at all. Hearing the news of death over the radio, the officer’s face changed dramatically, immediately issuing an order: “The victim is dead. Change suspect Lily Wade’s charge to intentional homicide. Take her into custody immediately!” Hearing the words “intentional homicide,” Grant Thornton’s eyes filled with viciousness. He stared deadly at the emergency room, cursing through gritted teeth. “Stella Johnson, you’re ruthless enough. To frame Lily, you’d even kill the bargaining chip you found yourself.” “You think hiding behind the scenes pulling these stunts will succeed?” He pulled out his phone and made a call on the spot. “Investigate! Check that black market dealer’s account transactions! Track down Stella Johnson!” “I’m going to personally drag out this mastermind and make her kneel before the police and admit that all of this was her scheme to harm people!” He pulled out his phone and opened a conversation window that hadn’t been touched in five years. His fingertips pounded the screen forcefully. “Stella Johnson, your bastard is dead.” “This is what you get for causing trouble.” “Come back right now and apologize to Lily, issue a settlement agreement, or I won’t even let you take that bastard’s corpse.” Message sent. A red exclamation mark popped up. Five years ago, I had blocked him. Irritated, he switched to the text message interface and resent it. I stood right in front of him, watching him type these words. Watching him use the cruelest vocabulary to announce the death of his own flesh and blood. Grant Thornton returned to the police station. The underground black market dealer was restrained in the interrogation chair. Seeing Grant Thornton enter, the dealer whistled. “Dr. Thornton, back from playing nurse to your mistress?” Grant Thornton’s eyes were icy as he braced both hands on the table. “Cut the crap. How much did Stella Johnson pay you to recite this testimony?” The dealer leaned back his head and laughed. “Dr. Thornton, do you really think that was an overseas donor?” “When we tied that woman to the operating table, she kept crying and begging.” “She begged us to give her some anesthesia. She said she had a sick daughter, she couldn’t die.” The dealer leaned close to the table, lowering his voice. “She begged us to give her anesthesia. But the client ordered that anesthesia would affect the heart’s vitality, bad for the recipient.” “So we held her down hard on the table. Four people holding down her limbs. We split her chest open alive.” “That woman’s vocal cords were torn, the pain made her whole body convulse. Blood sprayed everywhere in the room.” The moment the dealer spoke, the pain seemed to cross the boundary of life and death, sweeping over me again. I clutched my empty chest, curling into a ball in midair, screaming. But no one could hear me. “Oh, right.” The dealer tilted his head thoughtfully, his smile widening. “Below her left ribs, there was a very deep burn scar. When we made the incision, we just happened to avoid that spot.” That scar was from when I was twenty, when the rental house caught fire. I was burned by a red-hot iron frame protecting his experimental data. The dealer looked at Grant Thornton and continued twisting the knife. “With her last breath, she was calling a name.” “She kept calling: Grant, save me.” In the moment of dying, I did call for Grant. That nickname that no one in this world except eighteen-year-old Stella Johnson would use. At that time, the pain left me mentally confused. I thought the boy who vowed at eighteen to protect me forever would take me home like before. But my Grant had died five years ago. Grant Thornton seemed to hear the most absurd joke, scoffing as if he’d seen through everything. “Stop your nonsense!” “Even knowing about that burn scar—to drag Lily down, she really planned out every detail!” The interrogation room door was suddenly pushed open. The female officer from before walked in. She walked up to Grant Thornton and slammed the report in her hand heavily on the table. One was a heart source DNA comparison report. One was a paternity test certificate between the deceased and Grant Thornton. The female officer looked at him, her eyes full of anger and disgust. “Grant Thornton.” “The heart beating in Lily Wade’s chest is indeed your ex-wife Stella Johnson’s heart.” “And the girl who just died in the hospital because you refused to donate blood. She was your biological daughter.”

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The night before my wedding, I was kidnapped and tortured for three days. When I was finally rescued, my fiancé had already married someone else. In my despair, Vincent stayed by my side and married me. For three years of marriage, I thought he was my salvation. But on our anniversary, I overheard his conversation with friends. “Vincent, are you really never going to tell Elara the truth?” “Why would I? Isn’t everything fine as it is? Sienna likes Elara’s fiancé, so I had to help Sienna get him. As for Elara, I’ll treat her well.” “You’re really something, Vincent! Three years ago, you had her kidnapped, made her infertile, and now she’s still grateful to you!” The cake in my hands fell to the floor. So the person who ruined my life had been by my side all along… “What was that sound? Is someone outside?” Footsteps from inside the private room drew closer. I instinctively retreated several steps and hid behind a pillar. The person who opened the door looked left and right but didn’t notice the cake on the floor before retreating back inside. The surroundings were noisy, yet all I could hear was my heart pounding violently in my chest. My ears rang as Vincent’s voice echoed endlessly in my mind. My phone vibrated in my pocket. It was a message from Vincent. [Sorry Elara, I’m still in a meeting. I’ll have to come home late today.] [Don’t wait up for me, just get some rest. When things settle down, I’ll take you on a trip to make up for it, okay?] Vincent’s tone was as gentle as always. He was busy with work and often missed our anniversaries and Valentine’s Day. But he always compensated me afterward. He complied with almost all my requests. I had reflected more than once that fate had been somewhat merciful to me. Although I experienced that terrible incident before my wedding, at least I met Vincent. I met someone in this world who truly cared about me. He picked up my broken pieces one by one, carefully protecting me, using tenderness and love to open my heart. But only now did I realize how laughable everything I believed had been. Before I could reply to Vincent’s message, I caught sight of a familiar figure approaching from the corner of my eye. Instinctively, I turned my head and let my long hair cover my face, but I could still see who it was. Sienna, my own sister. She got lost as a child and only returned home at eighteen, deeply cherished by our parents. Three years ago, the night before my wedding, I was kidnapped and humiliated. After being rescued, the first news I learned was that she had married my fiancé, Ethan. Those were the darkest days of my life. Sienna knelt by my hospital bed, crying and begging me to forgive her. Ethan held my hand, begging me to fulfill their love. Mom and Dad frowned at me, blaming me for everything that happened. Ethan and I grew up together. For over twenty years, I had dreamed of becoming his wife. But in just three days, everything changed. “Hey, Sienna’s here! Beautiful as always.” The man’s compliment snapped me back to attention. I walked to the door again and listened carefully to what was happening inside. Sienna laughed. “Still so smooth-tongued after just a few days.” “No wonder so many young women fall for you.” Sienna’s tone sounded very familiar. I couldn’t help but think that in the three years we’d been married, I still knew nothing about Vincent’s friends. He always said his friends weren’t easy to get along with. That he worried I might remember the past. I thought he was thinking of me. But I forgot—if Vincent truly loved me, how could he allow his friends to slander me? My nails dug into my palms as I listened to the laughter inside the private room. I caught Vincent’s voice among them. “Coming out this late, won’t Ethan worry?” “Don’t worry, he’s been busy with work lately. He hasn’t even left the office yet.” “Vincent, I’m here because of something else…” Through the gap, I saw Sienna sitting next to Vincent, her hand resting on his thigh. Vincent had mild germaphobia. Even at home, he only let me handle his personal clothing. But now, facing Sienna’s intimacy, he showed no sign of displeasure. “What is it? Whatever you ask, I’ll agree to it.” “Ethan and I have been married for three years, but I still haven’t gotten pregnant… He’s been much colder to me lately. Vincent, I want a child. Can you give me one?”

Sienna’s words nearly made me cry out. But I covered my mouth and stared intently at Vincent’s face. Even at this moment, I still hoped he would refuse. That he would maintain one last shred of decency for the sake of our three-year relationship. But on Vincent’s face, I saw shock and panic, but no anger or condemnation. In that instant, I already understood Vincent’s choice. My heart, which had been raised high, fell back to its place. I turned and walked outside. Like a soulless corpse. What kept appearing in my mind were only scenes from three years ago. Actually, I had forgotten most of the memories from those three days of captivity. The doctor said my body had abandoned some memories for self-protection. But what I dreamed of every night was only the scene of Vincent kicking open the iron door and rescuing me. Behind him was the sunlight I hadn’t seen in three days. Vincent in his suit walked toward me step by step, his eyes full of worry and heartache. Then he knelt down and held me in his arms. The last words I heard before losing consciousness were his trembling voice. “It’s okay now, Elara.” “It’s okay now…” Later, when Vincent proposed to me, videos of my abuse were all over the internet. Everyone avoided me. Only he walked against the crowd and knelt before me. He said, Elara, marry me. I will never let you suffer for the rest of your life. He said, Elara, trust me. I’ll take good care of you forever. But in the end. Ethan lied to me. And so did he. By the time I got home, it was already dawn. Vincent still hadn’t returned. My unanswered messages had no follow-up. I sat on the bed, staring blankly at the wedding photo hanging on the wall. In the photo, I was skin and bones with vacant eyes, but Vincent looked at me as if I were a rare treasure. These three years, Vincent had indeed taken good care of me. He helped me, someone who only dared hide at home, to willingly go out and see people. But what I thought was salvation was actually an even deeper abyss… My phone vibrated again. Another message from Vincent. [Elara, I’m sorry, I can’t make it back tonight. When you wake up tomorrow, I promise I’ll make it up to you.] Before I could react, another message appeared. From Sienna. [Elara, I know you were outside just now. I saw you.] [How does it feel watching your husband sitting with me, laughing and talking?] [I could steal one person from you, and I can steal the last one too.] [Elara, in the end, everything you have belongs to me.] Along with Sienna’s message came a photo. A hotel’s pure white bed. On the floor beside it was Vincent’s jacket. My heart suddenly seized with sharp pain. Sienna hated me. I didn’t know the reason before. But now, I didn’t want to know anymore. I closed my eyes as tears slid down from the corners. I pulled at the corners of my mouth in a bitter smile. Three years ago, Mom and Dad abandoned me because of my reputation. I didn’t cling to them and left. Three years later, Vincent cheated with someone else. I wouldn’t cling to him either. Things that don’t belong to me—I don’t want them anymore. I got up, took down the wedding photo from the wall, viciously cut it to pieces with scissors, then threw it in the trash can by the door. I carefully took screenshots of all the messages Sienna sent me and saved them to my photo album. Leaving was certain. But I couldn’t just leave like this.

Vincent didn’t come home until noon the next day. When he saw me, he immediately walked forward to hold me in his arms. “Sorry, Elara. Yesterday was my fault.” Up close, I could even smell the strong perfume on him. And the obvious kiss marks on his neck. I turned away, avoiding Vincent’s gesture, and said softly, “You smell like alcohol. Go take a shower.” Vincent paused, then laughed. “Okay, okay, I’m bothering Elara. My fault.” “Here, this is your anniversary gift. See if you like it.” Vincent pulled out a box from his pocket containing a ruby ring. Since we got married, he often gave me gifts. I often told him he was wasteful. But Vincent said giving his wife gifts was his duty as a husband. Looking back now, perhaps it wasn’t just duty, but also an element of atonement. I forced a smile and accepted the gift. “Thank you. I love it.” “No need to thank me.” “Oh, Elara, today… Mr. Hartwell is hosting a charity gala. Will you come with me?” Vincent looked at me with some concern, worried that this would remind me of bad memories. In my memory, Mom and Dad used to love me dearly. Until the kidnapping three years ago, which made me see the truth. What they loved was the praised Miss Hartwell. Not the flawed Elara. “Okay.” Hearing my answer, Vincent let out a long breath and patted my head. “I knew it. My Elara is the strongest person.” While Vincent was showering, I secretly took his phone from the table. Vincent told me his phone password on our first day of marriage. But in these three years, I trusted him too much and never looked at it once. I didn’t know that for these three years, he had never stopped contacting Sienna. I scrolled through their chat records page by page, not missing a single sentence, and photographed them all. Due to time constraints, I didn’t examine the meaning of each sentence. Just before the water stopped, I put the phone back. Vincent noticed the missing wedding photo, but I brushed it off saying the photo accidentally fell. He didn’t ask further, only saying we’d take better photos together later. I looked at Vincent’s smile, but my heart couldn’t help feeling sour. Later? How much time did we have left? I hadn’t attended such a gala in three years. The moment I appeared on Vincent’s arm, I felt many eyes on me. Some pitying, some curious, some gossiping and mocking. Vincent patted the back of my hand and said softly: “Don’t be afraid, Elara. I’m here.” I looked at his profile, wondering at that moment what he was thinking when he, as the mastermind, said such things. “Elara, Vincent, you’re finally here.” “Elara, I haven’t seen you in so long.” Sienna walked over holding Ethan’s hand. Ethan looked at me with some embarrassment, but I only glanced at him once before looking away. Sienna smiled. “Since getting married, you rarely go out.” “Are you still worried about what happened three years ago?” “After all, what happened wasn’t your fault. You were the victim too. You don’t need to be so cautious.” With seemingly innocent words, Sienna instantly tore through the protective membrane I had wrapped around myself. Vincent’s body stiffened for a moment. Ethan tugged at Sienna’s arm, signaling her to stop. But Sienna continued softly: “Or are you still bothered by the fact that Ethan and I got married three years ago?”

Sienna’s words dropped like a bomb into the crowd. “Is that the eldest Hartwell daughter from three years ago? How does she have the nerve to come to a gala?” “Exactly! If I were her, I would’ve been crying at home!” “I heard after that incident, not only did her fiancé not want her, even her parents cut ties with her.” “I think in the end Mr. Sawyer married her. Tsk tsk, what a sucker.” “Mr. Sawyer is just too nice. Not only did he rescue her, but he was willing to take on this hot potato. Unbelievable.” The surrounding gossip came one sentence after another. The smugness in Sienna’s eyes grew more obvious, as if waiting to see me unable to accept this and cry in breakdown. But she was destined not to see it. I had broken down many times over this matter. But I wasn’t the one in the wrong. The person who should break down, who should suffer, wasn’t me either. Why should all the mistakes, all the pain, be borne by me? “I stopped caring a long time ago.” “Someone who can easily abandon his fiancée will probably abandon his wife just as easily in the future.” “I should thank you for being generous enough to take on secondhand goods.” The moment my words fell, the noise instantly disappeared. Sienna and the other two looked at me in shock. After all, this was the first time I had said something so sharp. From a distance came a cold snort. “Married to a rich man, and now you’ve got the confidence to talk back. Elara, you’re really heartless. Three years and you haven’t come home to see us once.” Mom and Dad walked over shoulder to shoulder, standing beside Sienna. Father frowned at me and said coldly: “Is this how we taught you to speak to your sister?” “Apologize to Sienna right now!” Sienna raised her chin slightly to look at me, her eyes full of smugness. Vincent blocked me, saying softly: “Elara hasn’t attended a gala in a long time. She just misspoke. I apologize on her behalf.” Vincent’s action seemed kind. But it firmly nailed me to the position of being in the wrong. Frankly speaking, he never thought I was innocent. Whether three years ago or now, it was all the same. This farce ended with Vincent’s apology. He followed behind Mom and Dad with Ethan, chatting with guests about work. I found it boring and got up to go to the restroom on the second floor. But when I came out, Sienna blocked my way. Half her face was hidden in darkness, unclear. But I could hear the mockery and contempt in her tone. “Elara, I didn’t expect that after three years, you’re still so pitiful.” “Mom and Dad didn’t want you back then, and now even your husband doesn’t stand by your side.” I pressed my lips together and said coldly: “Sienna, I never offended you.” “So what? I’m going to take everything that belongs to you.” “Elara, everything you have belongs to me.” “Ethan is mine, and Vincent can only belong to me.” After dropping this final sentence, Sienna leaned against the railing. A crisp sound rang out as her body flew out like a butterfly. A second later, she fell heavily to the ground. Amid screams, I locked eyes with Vincent downstairs…

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Elena’s first love, Marcus Blackwood, came back. I heard he was a ruthless gang member who killed without batting an eye. Terrified of being silenced, I fled overnight with my daughter. Over the past eight years, Elena was busy holding a grand wedding with Marcus, traveling the world together, and attending various events. They became the enviable power couple everyone admired. But they never had children. Meanwhile, I struggled to make ends meet, working seven jobs a day, scrimping and saving every penny for my daughter’s medical expenses. I became the laughingstock everyone mocked—a cheapskate. In the ninth year, I was working as a server at an important event. While pouring wine for a guest, I accidentally bumped right into Elena. She stared at me in shock, her voice trembling. “Nathan. Where have you been all these years? Our daughter—is she still alive?” Eight years had passed. Elena remained as coldly beautiful as ever, while I stood frozen in place, momentarily speechless. “You blind bastard! How dare you bump into Miss Winters! You must have a death wish! Get on your knees and apologize!” The event manager rushed over and slapped me across the face. “I’m sorry, Miss Winters. I didn’t mean to dirty your clothes.” I quickly apologized. Just as I was about to kneel, Elena suddenly spoke. “Forget it.” She frowned and glanced at me, then added, “If someone tells you to kneel, you just kneel? Don’t you have any dignity left? Living this pathetically—you might as well be dead.” Dignity? I’d stopped caring about that long ago. I still remembered the first time I knelt—when my daughter Piper had a fever and I had no money. I knelt at the clinic entrance. Later, I knelt to beg for jobs, to demand unpaid wages, when bullied by thugs… I’d knelt so many times I’d become numb to it. As long as I could stay alive and Piper was doing well, that was enough. But I didn’t tell Elena any of this. I forced an ugly smile, thanked her, and turned to leave. “Mr. Blackwood is here!” At that moment, the crowd suddenly stirred with excitement. I turned to look, my pupils constricting slightly. I deeply regretted accepting this event gig. From the scar on his face, I could confirm it was Elena’s first love, Marcus Blackwood. When he’d returned to the country years ago, he’d threatened to chop me into mincemeat and feed me to the dogs, to strangle my daughter. Afraid of being discovered, I quickly ducked into the crowd and headed straight for the break room to hide. Buzz buzz! Just then, my phone vibrated. The private hospital was calling. “Mr. Anderson.” “We currently have a donor whose heart matches your daughter, but there’s another competing recipient.” “The other party has money and influence. I can stall for one hour at most. If you can’t get here and pay within that time, you’ll have to wait for the next opportunity.” I was ecstatic. “Within one hour, I’ll definitely come pay and sign the papers!” After hanging up, I immediately called a loan shark to borrow money at high interest. The entire heart transplant surgery would cost at least two million dollars. I didn’t have enough money, but if I waited for next time, who knew when that would be—or if my daughter could even hold on that long. So I’d rather sell my body, sell my blood… anything to seize this chance. Once the loan came through, I was about to leave when the event manager blocked me at the door. “Mr. Blackwood’s wedding ring is missing.” “All employees must go to the main hall for inspection.” I said I’d been at least thirty feet away from Marcus when I saw him earlier, so it definitely wasn’t me. Plus, I urgently needed to get to the hospital. But the manager wouldn’t listen at all. He had security drag me to the main hall. I hid in the back row, trying hard to keep my head down, terrified Marcus would recognize me. “Whoever stole my wedding ring, step forward now! I’ll spare your life. Otherwise, don’t blame me for throwing you in the river to feed the fish!” Marcus’s cold eyes swept over everyone. “Last row, fifth from the right—lift your head!”

My heart sank. I broke out in a cold sweat all over, still refusing to lift my head. “He’s talking to you, idiot!” The manager forcibly lifted my chin, and I found myself staring directly at Marcus. “It’s you.” Marcus narrowed his eyes slightly and walked toward me step by step. “You stole my wedding ring, didn’t you?” He questioned coldly. “No!” I shook my head frantically. “Today’s the first time I’ve seen you.” Everyone knew Marcus was ruthless and didn’t value human life. To eliminate rivals, he’d use any means necessary. From his demeanor, was he trying to make me the scapegoat? “Marcus.” “It probably isn’t him, right?” Elena glanced at me, a mocking smile on her lips. “When you came back, he fled overnight. How would he dare steal your ring?” She seemed to be blaming me for being a coward. I didn’t understand how she had the nerve. The whole room erupted. Countless people cast contemptuous looks my way. “From what she’s saying, is he Mr. Blackwood’s former stand-in?” “A stand-in is just a stand-in. Miles away from the real deal. Look how pathetic he is now—can only work as a server.” “If he didn’t have a face that looked like Mr. Blackwood’s, he wouldn’t have enjoyed those few good years. He should be grateful.” Mocking voices poured down like a torrential rain. I thought this might help me escape punishment. But Marcus clearly had no intention of letting me go. With a playful smile, he said, “But this morning when I was changing and showering upstairs, I clearly saw him delivering clothes.” “Though at the time I thought I’d seen wrong, so I didn’t pay attention.” Hearing this, Elena’s delicate brows immediately furrowed. She said coldly, “Nathan Anderson, I didn’t expect it really was you. Hurry up and hand over the wedding ring.” Eight years ago, I’d fled with my daughter not just because I feared Marcus, but because I was afraid Elena would be biased and believe only him. I hadn’t expected it to play out exactly as I’d feared. “You’re lying! I didn’t arrive at the event until noon!” I argued my case, casting pleading looks at the manager and my coworkers. “Please help clear my name. I need to get to the hospital. I’ll come thank you properly later.” But everyone remained uniformly silent. Marcus coughed lightly. “Speak up. Why are you all standing there? Anyone who dares lie, I’ll sew their mouth shut with a needle!” Everyone shuddered. The manager’s eyes darted around, then he pointed at me. “Don’t drag us down with you. You clearly came this morning.” “That’s right!” One coworker also stepped forward. “I saw Nathan Anderson enter Mr. Blackwood’s room with my own eyes this morning.” “You people…” I was utterly desperate, my eyes nearly red with anger. Clearly. They were deliberately framing me, wanting to use me as a stepping stone to curry favor with Marcus. “Someone!” “Search him! Strip off all his clothes!” The manager waved his hand, then flashed a fawning smile at Marcus. “Mr. Blackwood, rest assured, I’ll get to the bottom of this. No mercy.” Two security guards pinned me to the ground. I tried to resist but was held down by my head. Several more guards arrived and began tearing at my clothes in front of everyone. Though I’d knelt plenty over these years and taken many beatings, I’d never been humiliated like this. Shame flooded my heart. The key issue was that this entanglement would waste so much time. Who knew when it would be resolved. It would delay me getting to the hospital to pay! That concerned my daughter’s life! Forced into a corner, I looked at Elena. “It really wasn’t me!” “You have to believe me!” “In the eight years we were together, when did I ever take anything from the Winters family? When did I ever ask you for a single dollar?”

I believed Elena understood my character. But she said, “People change. You no longer have the backbone you once had. When told to kneel, you just kneel.” I was so angry I wanted to laugh. Did she really think I’d changed, or was she simply believing her first love Marcus’s words? Within a few breaths, my clothes were stripped off, my skeletal frame exposed to everyone’s view. “Hahaha, this is hilarious. Look at him—skinny as a monkey and ugly too.” “So disgusting. So revolting.” “How did someone like this ever qualify to be Mr. Blackwood’s stand-in? I really don’t know what Miss Winters was thinking.” Mocking laughter continued. Elena’s face showed her discomfort. She frowned even more deeply, looking at me with disappointment and disgust. After all, back then I’d worked out every day, extremely disciplined! Elena used to touch my eight-pack abs every day. When she was unhappy, she’d rest against my chest muscles to relax. She said I was so masculine. She said no matter what, she wouldn’t allow anyone to hurt me or slander me. Compared to this moment, how ironic. Marcus took my phone and used facial recognition to unlock it, then rummaged through it carelessly. “Oh?” “You actually borrowed a million dollars from loan sharks? Looks like you’re desperate for money. That’s another reason to steal the ring.” “Besides revenge against me, you could also sell it for money, right?” Marcus displayed the loan message for everyone at the scene to see. This prompted another round of mockery. Elena’s eyes filled with more disappointment. She shook her head and sighed, “I actually still held onto a shred of hope, thinking that under your care, our daughter might still be alive.” “How foolish of me.” “Someone as depraved as you—how could you care whether our daughter lives or dies?” Seeing her act this way. I couldn’t help but say, “Then let me ask you—when our daughter was first diagnosed, where were you?” “Shut up! Say another word and I’ll knock your teeth out!” Marcus glared at me, then turned to comfort Elena. “Honey, don’t be sad. As long as we keep trying IVF, we’ll definitely have our own child.” Elena didn’t respond, just looked at me with complex emotions, as if recalling scenes from eight years ago. But I only wanted to say two words: karma! Eight years ago. Piper was seriously ill and hospitalized, and Marcus was returning to the country. So Elena devoted all her attention to Marcus, personally arranging welcome banquets and various events. I hoped she’d use her resources to find a heart donor for Piper and complete the surgery before Marcus returned. But I called her a hundred times. She only answered once, dropping three words: “Stop bothering me!” That’s when I finally made up my mind to run away with Piper. “Anyway, I didn’t steal the wedding ring. If you don’t believe me, let’s call the police.” I gritted my teeth. “Call the police? Absolutely not!” Marcus’s expression turned cold. “Why would I need the police for such a small matter? I’d lose face. If you don’t hand over the wedding ring today, you’re not leaving. I’ll cripple one of your hands first for fun.” He pulled out a knife and aimed it at my right hand. “Marcus!” Elena frowned. “That’s enough. Don’t go too far. It won’t look good if word gets out.” Marcus shrugged reluctantly and put away the knife. “Someone! Tie him to that pillar!” At his command. The manager personally dragged me toward a pillar. “You have no solid evidence, and no right to restrict my freedom.” “Let me go!” I struggled desperately, but I was outnumbered and couldn’t break free. I could only look at Elena again. “For the sake of our past relationship.” “Help me this once. Trust me just this once, okay?” “There’s only half an hour left. If I can’t get there in time, you’ll definitely regret it!”

Elena froze, confusion flashing in her eyes. “Why do you need to go to the hospital? Who’s sick?” “Hmph, who else? His girlfriend, of course.” Marcus sneered. “Elena, don’t listen to his emotional manipulation. He just wants to run away with his girlfriend.” Hearing the word “girlfriend,” Elena’s face instantly turned cold, resentment surging in her eyes. Seeing this, I knew I had to tell the truth. “Elena.” “Listen carefully. The sick person is your own daughter, Piper!” “If I don’t pay within half an hour, the heart donor will go to someone else!” What? Elena’s eyes widened. She pushed Marcus aside and ran to me in three quick steps. “Piper’s still alive?” “You’re not lying to me?” Her face was full of excitement. “I’m not lying.” I took a deep breath. “If you don’t believe me, my phone has photos of Piper and me, plus photos of her medical records.” Elena quickly turned and snatched the phone from Marcus, frantically scrolling through the screen. But the light in her eyes gradually changed from hopeful excitement to disappointment. “There’s not a single photo on the phone. You’re lying to me!” She clenched her fists in anger. “That’s impossible. There were definitely…” I frowned, about to explain, when I caught the mocking smile on Marcus’s lips. I immediately understood. Marcus must have just formatted my photo gallery. That’s why Elena couldn’t find anything. This Marcus was truly cunning and vicious, stopping at nothing to achieve his goals. “Honey.” “I told you, this Nathan Anderson is full of lies and can’t be trusted.” Marcus patted Elena’s shoulder. “I’m not lying!” “Piper really is still alive!” I shouted loudly. Marcus frowned and gave the event manager a look. The manager understood. He raised his hand and slapped me. “Still making excuses?” “Hand over the wedding ring now! Or don’t blame us for not holding back.” The security guards behind me laughed menacingly. “I didn’t steal the ring. How can I hand it over? Let me go…” “Stubborn fool. Beat him!” The manager led the assault, raining punches and kicks on me. Tied to the pillar, I couldn’t protect myself, couldn’t fight back, couldn’t dodge. Fists fell on my face like a rainstorm. After several rounds. I was beaten bloody, my ears ringing, excruciating pain spreading throughout my body. “I’m not a thief, I’m not…” I weakly looked at Elena through blurred vision. “Piper really is still alive. You don’t have to let me go, but you must go to the hospital and pay.” “I’m begging you… she’s our daughter. Please…” As I spoke, I began crying in desperation. Elena’s expression showed a flicker of emotion. Before she could speak, Marcus pointed at my nose and cursed, “You’re such a bastard! To escape punishment, you’d even exploit your dead daughter.” Hearing this, Elena’s expression turned cold again, as if she wished I were dead. “I didn’t! I really didn’t! I can swear… there’s only fifteen minutes left! We’re really running out of time!” My whole body trembled as I choked out the words. “Still acting?” Marcus narrowed his eyes, raised the knife again, and slowly walked toward me. “I’ll pry out two of your front teeth. Let’s see if you tell the truth then!” I kept staring at Elena. But this time she chose silence. Marcus raised the knife toward my mouth.

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The heavy thud of the car door was still echoing in my ears when the ride-share driver floored it. I hadn’t even reached the trunk for my suitcase before his taillights were shrinking into the distance. Panic flared in my chest. I fumbled for my phone and hit the call button immediately, offering to pay him extra just to turn around and bring my bag back. I expected a simple “on my way.” Instead, I got a cold, calculated silence, followed by a demand that made my blood run cold. “A thousand bucks,” he said. No hesitation. No shame. I scoffed, my voice rising in disbelief. “Are you joking? I’m not paying a thousand dollars for a three-mile return trip.” “Suit yourself,” he replied with a dry, jagged chuckle. “It’s not my life in this suitcase, is it? You’re the one in a rush. Not me.” The realization hit me like a physical blow. He knew he had me. I looked at my colleague, who was staring at me with wide, terrified eyes. We had a career-defining presentation tomorrow—files, hard drives, and sensitive documents were all in that trunk. I gritted my teeth and forced the words out. “Fine. A thousand. Just get back here.” He didn’t even drive a hundred yards before his voice crackled over the speaker again, dripping with newfound greed. “Actually, I changed my mind. It’s ten thousand now.” I didn’t answer. I couldn’t. My throat felt like it was closing up. Sensing my hesitation, his tone shifted from smug to predatory. “What, no cash? Fine. Don’t believe me? I’ll find the nearest dumpster and toss this thing right now. You can go treasure hunting for your precious files yourself.” Ten thousand dollars. It was a ransom. But the thought of losing those documents—of failing the vetting process we were here to conduct—left me no choice. “Fine,” I hissed through clenched teeth. “Ten thousand. I’ll pay.” Five minutes passed. The phone buzzed again. “You know what? I’m thinking twenty thousand sounds more like a fair convenience fee.” Rage, hot and blinding, surged through me. My thumb hovered over the ride-share app, ready to hit the report button and call the police. But then, I caught a glimpse of his profile picture in the corner of the screen. I froze. Slowly, a different kind of smile spread across my face. It wasn’t one of joy, but of a cold, sharp irony. “Go ahead, Ray,” I whispered to the silent screen. “Take every cent. You’re going to regret this more than you can possibly imagine.” 1 “Twenty thousand?” I repeated the number, my fingers tightening around the phone until my knuckles turned white. “You’ve got to be kidding me.” The driver, a man named Ray Garrity, didn’t miss a beat. His voice boomed through the receiver, devoid of any empathy. “I don’t play games, lady. Hurry up.” “Either you wire twenty thousand to my account right now, or I’m dumping this suitcase in the trash. Your call.” The sheer audacity of it was staggering. I navigated to the app’s ‘Help’ interface, my finger trembling over the ‘Report Driver’ button. He must have sensed the shift in the silence because he let out a sharp, mocking laugh. “Listen to me carefully,” Ray warned. “Don’t even think about reporting me. The second I get a notification from the app, your suitcase hits the bottom of a grease-filled dumpster. Try me.” I froze. The threat hung in the air, thick and suffocating. My finger hovered, paralyzed, before I slowly backed out of the screen. Macy, my junior associate, grabbed my arm. Her voice was high and thin with panic. “Joanna, what are we going to do? Those files… if they’re lost, we’re finished. We can’t show up at the District Office tomorrow empty-handed.” She leaned toward the phone, her voice pleading. “Please, sir. Those documents are incredibly important. Can’t you have a heart? We’ll give you a five-star rating, a huge tip, anything—just bring it back?” Clearly, to a man like Ray, a five-star review was a joke compared to a twenty-thousand-dollar payday. “Five stars?” he spat. “What do I look like, a charity? I’m not some kid working for pocket change.” Then came the ultimatum. “Two minutes. That’s all you get to decide. Send the money, or say goodbye to your gear. I don’t have all night to waste on you.” Click. The line went dead. Macy’s eyes were rimmed with red, her face pale. “Joanna, what do we do? We can’t actually give him twenty thousand dollars, can we?” A dull ache started behind my eyes. I hesitated for only a second before the phone vibrated again. Ray was whistling a cheerful, jaunty tune on the other end. “Time’s up. You paying, or am I dumping?” 2 I stood there for a long moment, the cool night air biting at my skin. Tomorrow’s mission was too important to jeopardize. Twenty thousand dollars was a fortune, but the cost of failure was higher. “Fine,” I said, my voice sounding like gravel. “We’ll pay. Bring the suitcase back. Now.” He chuckled, a sound like sandpaper on wood. “Good girl. I’m on my way.” Macy and I shared a look of guarded relief. But that relief lasted exactly two minutes. The phone rang again, and Ray’s voice had lost its jovial edge, replaced by a calculating, slimy tone. “Actually… I was just thinking. Twenty thousand is a bit low for the risk I’m taking. Let’s make it twenty-five. Add another five grand and I’ll put the car in gear.” The anger I had been trying to suppress exploded. I gritted my teeth, my voice a low, dangerous hiss. “Ray Garrity! Don’t push your luck! We agreed on twenty. What is wrong with you?” He didn’t care. He was a bottom-feeder who had found a gold mine. “Think fast,” he urged, sounding like a bored telemarketer. “I’ve got other passengers waiting. Every minute you stall is money out of my pocket.” “If you keep wasting my time, the price is only going to go up. Do the math, lady. It’s cheaper to just pay me now.” I was shaking, my body vibrating with a cocktail of fury and helplessness. This man wasn’t just a thief; he was a vulture. If I gave him the extra five thousand now, what was to stop him from asking for ten more when he was a block away? I took a deep breath, forcing my voice to remain steady. “No. Absolutely not. If you don’t turn around right now, I’m calling the police.” Ray let out a derisive snort, completely unimpressed. “The cops? Go ahead. Call ’em. My daughter is a high-ranking official in the city. You think some beat cop is going to touch me? One word from her and any report you file disappears.” “Sounds to me like you don’t really want that suitcase,” he added, his voice dripping with arrogance. He knew he had us over a barrel. He knew those files were our leverage, and he was using them to squeeze us dry. I opened my mouth to negotiate, but he cut me off. “Tell you what. I’m done haggling. One price. Fifty thousand dollars. Total. You agree, and I’ll drive straight to you. You say no, and I handle this suitcase my way. Let’s stop wasting each other’s time.” Fifty thousand. Macy gasped, her hand over her mouth. We were both trembling now. “Fifty thousand? You’re insane!” I shouted. “Maybe,” he replied breezily. “But you were willing to pay twenty. Fifty shouldn’t be that much of a stretch for someone with your… credentials. I’ll give you five minutes to pull the funds together. Call me back when you’re ready to be serious.” Beep. The silence that followed was heavy. I rubbed my temples, feeling the pulse thrumming in my veins. Macy looked at me, her voice breaking. “Joanna, what are we going to do? The department will never reimburse fifty thousand dollars. We’ll be paying this out of our own pockets. I’ve only been on the job a year—I don’t have that kind of money.” Before I could answer, my phone buzzed. It was a photo from Ray. 3 The image was grainy but clear. Our suitcase was sitting precariously on the edge of a filthy, overflowing commercial dumpster. There were scuff marks on the leather—footprints—and a dusting of cigarette ash. It was a visual hostage note. I looked at the clock. Three minutes left. I took a long, shaky breath and looked at Macy. The time for panic was over; the time for strategy had begun. “Macy, call 911. Now.” Macy blinked, her face a mask of confusion. “But… didn’t he say his daughter was—?” “I don’t care what he said!” I interrupted, my voice sharp. “Call them. Now. Give them our location and tell them it’s an active extortion. Just do it.” With trembling fingers, Macy dialed. She spoke in a hushed, frantic whisper, relaying the details to the dispatcher. When she hung up, her eyes were still wide with fear. “They’re sending a cruiser, but Joanna… if he finds out, he’ll destroy everything.” “He won’t find out,” I said, though I wasn’t entirely sure. “We just need to keep him on the hook.” Exactly five minutes after he hung up, Ray called back. He was punctual, I’ll give him that. “Well? You got my fifty grand?” he demanded. “My patience is wearing thin. If you don’t want the bag, I’m taking it to a scrap yard. Maybe I can get twenty bucks for the electronics inside.” Then came a video. The suitcase was dangling over the dumpster, swaying slightly. My heart plummeted. “Stop! Fine!” I yelled into the phone. “You want the fifty thousand? You’ve got it!” I could hear the smirk in his voice. “See? Was that so hard? Why do people always have to make things difficult? I’ll text you my account info. Wire the money, and the bag stays safe.” “No,” I countered, trying to sound desperate but firm. “I’m not wiring a cent until I see the bag. You bring it here, we do the exchange in person. Cash or wire, but only when it’s in my hands.” The line went silent for a beat. Ray let out a cold snort. “And what if you change your mind once I’m there? I’m the one with the leverage here, lady. You don’t get to set the terms.” “But,” he continued, his tone shifting to a mock-conciliatory drawl, “I’m a man of my word. Tell you what. Send half now as a deposit. Twenty-five thousand. Once I get the confirmation, I’ll head your way. You pay the rest when I drop off the bag.” “I’m only three miles away,” he added. “I can be there in ten minutes. I promise, I won’t flake on you.” We were running out of time. The police weren’t here yet, and the files were too precious to lose. “Fine,” I rasped. “I’ll send the twenty-five. Just get here.” I initiated the transfer. It felt like tearing off a limb, watching that amount leave my account. “It’s sent,” I said two minutes later. “Got it,” Ray said, sounding genuinely delighted. “I’m on my way, sweetheart. Don’t go anywhere.” I hung up and prayed—prayed he wouldn’t vanish, and prayed the police would be faster than he was. 4 The minutes dragged by like hours. Macy was pacing a tight circle on the sidewalk, her anxiety radiating off her in waves. “Joanna, twenty-five thousand dollars… that’s so much money,” she whispered. “Are we really going to have to pay the rest? I can’t afford my half. I’m still paying off student loans. The department is going to kill us.” She was spiraling, her voice thick with resentment and fear. I couldn’t blame her, but I didn’t have the energy to coddle her. “Just stay calm,” I said, trying to keep my own voice from shaking. “The police are coming. We just have to get the bag back first. We minimize the damage, okay?” Macy nodded weakly, but she didn’t look convinced. We stood there in the deepening shadows, the streetlights flickering to life as the sun dipped below the horizon. The street was quiet, eerily so. “He’s not coming, is he?” Macy asked, her voice small. I didn’t answer. I couldn’t. Instead, I pulled up Ray’s profile on the app again. I stared at his face—the weathered skin, the arrogant tilt of his head. And then, something caught my eye. A detail in the background of his profile picture. My breath hitched. Before I could process the thought, a pair of headlights cut through the darkness. A white sedan pulled smoothly to the curb in front of us. The license plate matched. It was him. Ray rolled down the window, a smug, greasy grin plastered across his face. “Sorry for the wait, ladies. All that haggling made me hungry. Had to stop for a quick bite. But hey, I’m here now. Drop the other twenty-five into my account, and I’ll hand over the goods.” I stared at him, my eyes narrowing as I committed every detail of his face to memory. I didn’t say a word. Macy, however, was trembling with rage. She stepped forward, her mouth opening to scream at him, but as she got a clear look at Ray’s face, she froze. A gasp escaped her lips. Ray didn’t notice. He was too busy checking his phone. “Well? What’s the holdup? You having second thoughts? Because I can still leave. The dumpster is still waiting.” I looked past him. A block away, I saw the faint, blue flicker of a police cruiser’s lights, though they hadn’t turned on the siren yet. Ray saw my eyes shift. He looked in the rearview mirror, and his expression transformed instantly from smugness to pure, unadulterated terror. “What the—? You called the cops? You stupid—!” He scrambled to start the ignition, his hands fumbling with the keys. Even in his panic, the greed didn’t leave him. “Give me the money! Give it to me now and I’ll throw the bag out!” The cruiser roared closer, sirens finally wailing. Ray realized he was out of time. He didn’t wait for the money. He grabbed the suitcase from the backseat and shoved it out the passenger door, the heavy bag thudding onto the pavement. Then, he slammed the car into gear and floored it. But the bag wasn’t latched properly. When it hit the ground, the zippers gave way. Documents, folders, and files exploded across the asphalt like a burst of confetti. Ray looked back for a split second, his eyes catching on a specific sheet of paper that had landed face-up under the streetlamp. He slammed on the brakes, his car skidding to a halt as he stared at the document in sheer, paralyzed shock.

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When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day that cleaved my life in two. It was our Ruby Anniversary—forty years of marriage. And yet, Richard slid a divorce agreement across the dining table, the paperwork stark white against the marble table. He told me the one that got away had returned. He said the great regret of his youth could no longer go unresolved. In my past life, I had refused to believe it. I had screamed, shattered glasses, and even held a blade to my own throat, threatening to end my life if he left. Because of my hysterics, his long-lost first love finally gave up and married someone else. Richard, utterly consumed by grief, stepped off a second-story balcony. He didn’t die, but the fall shattered his legs. I forgave the cruelty. I swallowed the humiliation. I spent the next eighteen years quietly, meticulously caring for a bitter, disabled man. Yet, on his deathbed, he gripped my wrist with bony, trembling fingers, his eyes blazing with a lifetime of resentment. He told me he hated me. He cursed me for ruining his one true epic romance. Even our children believed I was the villain who had slowly killed their father’s spirit. Once he was gone, they shipped me off to a moldering, abandoned family cabin upstate, leaving me to rot in isolation. I died there, utterly alone, during a brutal August heatwave. It took days for the neighbors to notice the smell. Forty years of devotion, of bending myself until I broke, and that was the ending I earned. 1 Richard, a man who had never once cared for sentimentality, suddenly demanded we celebrate our fortieth anniversary. He insisted I cook an elaborate feast and summon the children home. Our daughter, Nicola, arrived first. She walked through the front door, tossed her designer clutch onto the sofa, and collapsed beside it with an exhausted sigh. “Mom, is this really necessary?” she groaned. “At your age, putting on this whole dog-and-pony show? It’s a waste of everyone’s weekend.” “It was your father’s idea,” I said, my voice eerily calm. “He’s the one who asked you both to come.” Nicola rolled her eyes, clearly not buying a word of it. “Please. Stop using Dad as your shield. Since when does he remember things like anniversaries?” I didn’t answer. I just quietly set the chilled appetizers on the table. Our son, Jason, walked in right as dinner was ready. The moment he saw me, he sighed. “Mom, look, Nicola and I are busy people. You can’t just guilt-trip us into coming over for every little milestone.” “Exactly. It’s so dramatic,” Nicola chimed in, picking at her nails. “Honestly, I don’t know how Dad has put up with it for so long.” I opened my mouth, the instinct to defend myself rising in my throat, but I forced it back down. My daughter found me annoying. My son found me burdensome. It was exactly how they had treated me in my past life. Death had changed nothing. The front door clicked open. Richard walked in, holding a manila folder. There was a strange, tight energy radiating from him. Jason didn’t notice the tension. He immediately lit up and jogged over to his father. “Dad! That contact you gave me at the firm worked miracles. I’m getting the promotion,” Jason beamed, guiding Richard toward the armchair. “Sit down, look what I got you.” Jason pulled out a stunning, vintage crystal decanter set with a rare bottle of scotch. A gift that easily cost a few thousand dollars. Nicola immediately bounced up, pulling a navy cashmere jacket from a high-end boutique bag. “Dad, the mornings are getting cold. You need to dress warmer. I swear,” she shot a pointed look at me, “I don’t know what Mom is thinking half the time. She obsesses over this useless ceremonial stuff but completely neglects actually taking care of you.” I stood by the dining table, watching my children crowd around their father. In that quiet, breathing space of the room, a heavy truth settled over me. To them, I was nothing more than an unpaid maid. A fixture in the house with no inherent value, regardless of how much of my own soul I had poured into the foundation of this family. Richard was the sun they orbited. I was just the gravity holding the house together, invisible and unappreciated. Richard took a deep breath and gently set the expensive gifts aside. He looked at me, a grave, heavy stare, and then turned to our children. “I’m the one who asked you here today,” he said. Both Nicola and Jason froze, exchanging bewildered looks. “There is something very important I need to say.” Richard unclasped the manila folder. He turned his back on the kids and walked toward me. “I’ve thought about this for a long time.” He placed the documents on the table, right next to the roast I had spent hours preparing. “Alice, I want a divorce.” The words hung in the air. “Carol came to see me,” he continued, his voice softening just a fraction at her name. “You know how it is. We missed our chance when we were young. I don’t want to lose her again…” Carol. His high school sweetheart. The same woman who had ruthlessly dumped him when he was a nobody. The woman he wept over while I picked up the pieces. I was the one who stood by him through the darkest, lowest valleys of his life. But four decades of a living, breathing marriage couldn’t compete with the phantom of a first love. In my previous life, it played out exactly like this. The bombshell dropped right as I was about to pour the champagne. Back then, I refused to sign. I couldn’t comprehend how a man could be so cold. I sobbed. I screamed. I grabbed the carving knife from the counter and pressed it against my throat. “If you walk out that door, I will end it right here!” I had shrieked. And Nicola had scoffed, “Mom, what century are you living in? Stop being so toxic. Dad is getting older, he wants to be happy! Why can’t you just let him go?” Jason hadn’t spoken, but his silence was a roaring endorsement of his father. I hadn’t listened to anyone. “Richard! As long as I am breathing, you are a married man. You want out? You’ll have to be a widower!” The blade had bitten into my skin, drawing a thin line of blood. It terrified Richard enough to back down. We stayed married. But the anniversary was permanently ruined. When Carol realized he wasn’t leaving, she swiftly married a wealthy, retired executive. Richard lost his mind. He stopped eating. He locked himself in his study, staring at her old photographs in the dark. And then, one humid night, he stepped off the balcony. He didn’t die, but his legs shattered. A comminuted fracture that required multiple surgeries. Carol never visited him once. Not even a phone call. It was me. I slept on a hard plastic chair in his hospital room for three months. I emptied his bedpans. I bathed him with a sponge. I spoon-fed him. I pushed his wheelchair to physical therapy, never missing a single day. I massaged his atrophied muscles. I soaked his feet. For eighteen agonizing years. And yet, as he took his dying breath, he looked at me with pure, unadulterated hatred. At his funeral, Nicola turned her red, tear-streaked face to me and hissed, “Mom, this is all your fault! You ruined his life. If you hadn’t trapped him with that knife, he never would have jumped!” Jason didn’t yell. But the look of absolute disgust in his eyes hurt worse than any insult. Finally, he whispered, “I hate you for what you did to him, Mom.” Three days after the burial, they packed my bags and dumped me at the dilapidated cabin. Out of sight, out of mind. The suffocating memory of dying in that sweltering, airless room washed over me, heavy and foul. It took me a long moment to fully open my eyes and ground myself in the present. I looked down at the bold letters on the paper: MARITAL SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT. My heart, which had once felt like it was being ripped through my ribs, was entirely still. I picked up the paperwork. I reached for the silver pen lying by the good china. Before any of them could process what was happening, I signed my name on the dotted line. I slid it back across the table. “Alright. I release you. I wish you both the best.” Richard flinched. He stared at the signature, utterly stunned. “You… you agree?” 2 I ignored the flicker of something complicated—maybe guilt, maybe disbelief—in Richard’s eyes. I simply pressed the folder into his chest. Nicola gasped, her eyes lighting up. “Oh my god, Mom! You’re finally being reasonable! You should have done this ages ago!” Jason let out a bark of relieved laughter. “Seriously. If you had just been this chill from the start, Dad wouldn’t have had to carry this around for so long.” Richard finally exhaled, a profound look of relief washing over his aging face. “Dad, since Mom’s on board,” Nicola said, linking her arm through his, “why don’t we just have Carol move in right away? I mean, she’s practically family now.” “Yeah, absolutely,” Jason chimed in eagerly. “It’s a crime leaving her all alone in that hotel.” I stood there, listening to the children I had carried in my body, the children I had sacrificed my youth to raise. They already knew. They had known about their father’s affair with Carol for a long time. They had actively helped him hide it from me. “This house,” I began, my voice slicing through their celebration like a cold blade, “was purchased using my money for the down payment. Until my name is off the deed and I have packed my bags, she does not step foot inside.” Nicola’s face hardened. “Mom, what is your problem?” I didn’t even look at her. I turned directly to Richard. “Since we have a mandatory waiting period, we should get the lawyers to draft the asset division immediately.” The living room plunged into dead silence. Nicola exploded first. “Mom! What are you talking about? You’ve been married your whole lives, and you’re going to penny-pinch him now?” Jason quickly backed her up. “Yeah, exactly! It’s not like the money won’t eventually come to me and Nico anyway. Why do you need to be so petty and calculate every cent?” I looked right past them. “Richard, the seed money you used to start your firm came from my trust fund. From my family.” “I want my share back.” Richard’s jaw tightened. His lips pressed into a thin, pale line. “Mom, you’re a senior citizen! What do you even need that much money for?” Nicola demanded, her voice rising in panic. “And you haven’t spoken to your family in decades! Why are you bringing them up now?” It was true. When my wealthy, old-money parents found out I was draining my accounts to fund Richard’s startup, they drew a hard line. They warned me he was a leech. They told me to break it off, or they would cut me out. Drunk on the illusion of true love, I chose Richard. I walked away from my family. Looking at him now, I realized my parents had been entirely right. Jason practically threw himself between me and his father, terrified I was about to drain his inheritance. He started begging Richard not to listen to me. I looked at my son and let out a soft, dry laugh. “Jason. You bought an eighty-thousand-dollar SUV last month. Where did the cash come from?” Jason choked on his words, his face flushing crimson. I turned my gaze to Nicola. “And you. You spent a month touring the Amalfi Coast this summer. Racked up nearly twenty grand. Who paid the credit card bill?” Nicola looked away, her mouth snapping shut. “That money came from our joint accounts. Half of everything in those accounts belongs to me.” I took a step closer to Richard, my voice dropping to a deadly calm. “Furthermore, if it weren’t for my startup capital, your father wouldn’t have a dime to his name today.” Richard stared at the floor for a long, agonizing minute. Finally, a muscle feathered in his jaw. “Fine,” he muttered. “Whatever you want. We’ll do it your way.” “Dad!” Jason and Nicola screamed in unison. Richard held up a hand, silencing them. “Stop. As long as I can be with Carol, the money doesn’t matter.” Over the next few days, Richard was remarkably compliant. The transfers, the deed modifications, the legal paperwork—it was handled with brutal efficiency. Jason and Nicola, on the other hand, spent the week sending passive-aggressive texts to the extended family group chat. The general consensus was that I had lost my mind with greed, violently skinning their poor father alive on my way out the door. I didn’t care. For the first time in forty years, I started investing in myself. I went online and bought things on impulse. A heavy, pure silk nightgown for three hundred dollars. A jar of La Mer face cream for four hundred. A pair of handmade Italian leather loafers I had wanted for a decade but never dared to buy, nearly a thousand dollars. I had never spent money like this on myself. When Richard was building his business, we lived on pennies. I clipped coupons. I mended clothes. Even when the money started rolling in, the scarcity mindset was permanently etched into my bones. I always saved the best cuts of meat, the nicest things, for him and the kids. Now, I had absolutely no one to save for but myself. 3 For the next week, I slept in until noon. Usually, by that time, I would have already vacuumed the entire house, done the laundry, and had a hot lunch waiting on the stove. I woke up to the sound of Nicola yelling from the hallway. “Mom! Are you seriously not cooking again today?” “You’ve been on strike all week! What is your problem?” I walked right past her, heading toward the master bathroom to wash my face. “I spent my whole life serving you people. I’m done.” Nicola stood frozen in the hallway, her mouth opening and closing like a suffocating fish. Jason stumbled out of his room, aggressively rubbing his eyes. “Mom, did you iron my blue button-down? I have a massive pitch today.” I didn’t even turn around. “Iron it yourself.” “I don’t know how to iron!” Jason panicked, his voice cracking. “You always do it—” I shut the bathroom door, cutting off his whining. I got dressed and left the house. I went straight to a high-end medical spa downtown. I had driven past it a hundred times over the years. Whenever I had thought about going in, I would picture Richard staying up until 2 A.M. to finish a proposal, and the guilt would stop me. It’s too expensive, I would tell myself. Save the money. Not anymore. After a facial and a massage, I went to a boutique and bought an entirely new wardrobe. My days fell into a luxurious rhythm. I left early and came home late. I walked through the botanical gardens in the mornings. I spent my afternoons reading in a sunlit corner of the public library. I went to the cinema and watched whatever I wanted, without having to accommodate anyone else’s schedule. Back at the house, the complaints grew louder. First it was the lack of hot meals. Then the overflowing laundry baskets. Finally, they couldn’t even figure out how to reset the breaker when the hot water heater tripped. One afternoon, I walked through the front door after a lovely day of shopping, only to freeze in the entryway. Carol was sitting in the middle of my living room. Jason and Nicola were hovering over her like attendants, pouring her tea and fluffing her pillows. When I walked in, Carol didn’t even bother to stand. She just looked at me from beneath her perfectly styled eyelashes, acting for all the world like the lady of the manor. “Long time no see, Alice,” she purred. “The kids were just telling me how you’ve completely abandoned them. No cooking, no cleaning. It breaks my heart.” She pressed a hand to her chest. “Whatever issues we adults have, we shouldn’t punish the children, should we?” She elegantly rose from the sofa and stepped toward me, dropping her voice so the kids couldn’t hear. “Honestly, if you hate it here so much, you should just pack your bags and leave. Stop dragging this out out of spite.” She smirked, a vicious gleam in her eyes. “Your husband doesn’t want you. Your kids despise you. Your whole life is a pathetic failure. If I were you, I would have thrown myself off a bridge by now.” A white-hot wave of fury crashed over me. Without thinking, I raised my hand to slap the smug look off her face. Before my hand could connect, someone grabbed my wrist and violently shoved me back. It was Richard. “Don’t you dare!” he bellowed, his face red with rage. “Carol is a guest in this house!” 4 Before I could even defend myself, Carol’s demeanor shifted instantly. She stumbled backward, clutching her chest, her eyes welling with crocodile tears. “Richard, please, it’s okay,” she whimpered. “I was only trying to stick up for the kids. I didn’t think Alice would get physical.” Richard turned to me, his eyes colder and more hateful than I had ever seen them. “Apologize to her. Now.” I let out a harsh, bitter laugh. “You want me to apologize to the woman you’re sleeping with? You’re out of your mind.” Suddenly, Jason and Nicola rushed forward, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Carol as if forming a human shield. “You are so out of line, Mom!” Jason snarled. “Carol is nothing but sweet to us, and you think that gives you the right to abuse her?” I stared at my son in sheer disbelief. He was defending the woman who was destroying our family. Nicola looked me up and down, her lip curling in disgust. “Seriously, I don’t know how I ended up with a mother like you.” Her eyes landed on my throat—specifically, the new gold pendant necklace and the matching drop earrings I had bought myself that morning. “Are those new?” Nicola sneered. “You know what? Give them to Carol. That can be your apology. It’s a waste of money putting jewelry on someone your age anyway.” Before I could react, Nicola lunged forward and yanked the gold chain right off my neck. She spun around, offering it to Carol. “Here. I’m sure it’ll look so much better on you.” Carol put a hand over her mouth, feigning shock while her eyes danced with triumph. “Oh, sweetie, you shouldn’t have… but it is lovely. Thank you.” My entire body trembled. A primal, protective rage possessed me. “Give that back! It’s mine!” I lunged for Carol, but Jason caught me by the shoulders and roughly shoved me back. “Are you really doing this over a piece of metal? God, you’re embarrassing.” “Exactly!” Nicola yelled, lunging at me again. “Take the earrings off too!” “Nicola, stop!” I screamed, struggling against Jason’s grip. “I am your mother! How can you treat me like this for a total stranger?!” Nicola rolled her eyes. “Jason, hold her still.” My own son pinned me against the wall. Nicola reached for my ear and pulled. She didn’t unhook the clasp. She just yanked. A sharp, searing pain ripped through my earlobe as the metal tore right through the flesh. Warm blood instantly spilled down my neck. “Ah!” Carol shrieked, backing away. “She’s bleeding!” Nicola looked at the torn flesh and the blood dripping onto my collar. Her expression remained completely flat. “It’s her own fault for fighting back.” Richard frowned, his eyes flicking to the blood on my neck, but he didn’t say a single word. He didn’t step forward. I pressed my trembling hand to my torn, throbbing ear. The physical pain was nothing compared to the violent rupture in my chest. Tears finally spilled over my eyelashes. I looked at the four faces staring back at me. “I gave birth to you,” my voice was barely a whisper, fracturing under the weight of the betrayal. “I gave up my life for you… and this is what I am to you?”

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The gray haze that had clouded my vision for months finally fractured, dissolving into sharp, brilliant focus. My eyesight was back. Joy surged in my chest, a bright, sudden thing, and I spun around to share the news with my husband. But as I reached the heavy oak door of our bedroom, the sound of a voice—not his, but his brother’s—stopped me dead in my tracks. “Come on, man,” his brother was pleading, his tone low and urgent. “I know you lost your memories, but Celeste is still your fated mate. Your fiancée.” There was a heavy pause. “She’s badly hurt,” the brother pressed on. “Your S-rank healing ability is the only thing that can pull her back from the edge. Are you really going to just stand by and watch her die?” Silence. The kind of silence that suffocates. “Look,” his brother sighed, a sound full of misguided nobility. “If you’re that worried about the little blind girl you’ve been keeping around… she can’t see anyway. I’ll stay here. I’ll take your place beside her for a while.” And then, my husband—Callan, the man whose chest I had slept against every night—finally spoke. “Alright,” he said. Just like that. Alright. At that exact moment, the holographic live-feed—a bizarre, persistent glitch of the universe I had transmigrated into—exploded across my peripheral vision. [The ruthless founding father of the fan-club has arrived! Who else understands the tragic, self-sacrificing nobility of the grumpy younger brother offering his own body to the cannon fodder so his brother can go be with his true love?!] [Brother of the Year: If I don’t hold this fake marriage together, who will?] I slowly lifted my gaze and looked through the crack in the door. My heart skipped a violent, jagged beat. Standing there was a shifter who was taller, broader, and more imposing than Callan. His face was a touch more youthful but undeniably more striking, with a sharper jawline and a straighter nose. He was, essentially, Callan 2.0. After Callan slipped out the back door, I waited a beat. Then, blinking my eyes into a vacant, unfocused stare, I groped my way blindly into the room and wrapped my arms around the new man’s waist from behind. “Honey?” I murmured, pressing my cheek to his spine. “You feel distant today. Why are you suddenly standing on the left side of the room? Is something on your mind?” 1 Jace went entirely rigid. Two golden, velvet-furred tiger ears popped out from the crown of his head, twitching frantically. His long tail snapped out, stiff as a board. Callan was a Snow Tiger. Jace, I noted with quiet amusement, was a Golden Bengal. Feigning ignorance, I let my arms slide fully around his waist, my fingertips subtly measuring him. His waist is actually a bit narrower, I thought. With deliberate slowness, I let my hands trail upward, my palms flattening against the firm, heavy swells of his chest muscles. Beneath my touch, Jace tightened like a drawn bowstring. The tips of his golden ears flushed a deep, frantic crimson. My mind quietly calculated the differences: Chest broader by an inch. Waist leaner by half an inch. Hips a fraction wider. “Honey,” I purred softly, trailing a thumb over his collarbone. “Your body feels so tempting today.” The blush violently crawled from Jace’s ears down to the base of his neck. He bit down hard on his lower lip, audibly struggling to hold back a sharp intake of breath. “You’re awfully quiet,” I said, poking his pectoral muscle. “Don’t…” he choked out. “Don’t grope me like that.” He had obviously downed a vocal-altering potion before coming in. His voice was an eighty-percent match to Callan’s, but the remaining twenty percent betrayed the raw, slightly raspy cadence of a young man in his prime. “Your voice sounds a little strange today,” I whispered. I circled around to his front, reaching up blindly until my fingers grazed the prominent bump of his throat. “But…” I rose up on my tiptoes and brushed my warm lips softly against his Adam’s apple. “It sounds incredibly sexy.” Jace reacted like a deer caught in the headlights. He jolted backward, nearly tripping over his own boots, and practically hurled himself out the door, diving headfirst into the snowbank outside. I stood there for a second, blinking at the empty doorway, before a wicked, quiet smile curved my lips. [LMAO the younger brother just spawned in the starter village and immediately ran into a wicked villainess. His poor virgin brain is short-circuiting!] [There’s no way Jace catches feelings for the cannon fodder. Can the president of the rival fan-club really fall for the enemy?] [Jace absolutely loathes this woman for getting between his brother and Celeste. If he ever catches feelings for her, I will eat my own shoe.] [Comment above: Start chewing, babe. No need to wait.] It took Jace several aggressive rolls in the freezing snow before he managed to cool his blood enough to step back inside. “Honey, draw me a basin of water. I want to wash my feet,” I ordered, my tone perfectly even. If he was going to collude with his brother to deceive me, he could pay off his brother’s debts in manual labor. “Fine,” he muttered. To his credit, he was obedient. He returned quickly, carrying a wooden basin steaming with hot water. I sat on the edge of the bed, slipped off my socks, and extended my feet toward him. Jace’s hands were noticeably larger than Callan’s. My feet looked incredibly small resting in the wide expanse of his palms. The thick, rough calluses lining his fingers—the undeniable mark of a man who spent his life wielding weapons—scraped pleasantly against my skin. His face was an unreadable mask of cold indifference as he knelt on the floor, easing my feet into the warm water, but his touch was surprisingly meticulous as he began to wash them. “My toenail polish is chipping,” I directed, completely unapologetic. “Repaint them for me.” His brow furrowed in deep irritation. “You can’t even see. What’s the point of painting your nails?” I feigned a flare of temper, shifting my foot and pressing it down hard against his chest. “You never used to talk to me like that!” A breathless “Um…” tumbled from his lips. Tigers possessed an inherently yang constitution—they ran incredibly hot and were impervious to the winter chill. Because he thought I was blind, Jace hadn’t bothered to put on a shirt. My foot had missed the center of his chest. My toes were currently pressed directly, and rather firmly, against his bare nipple. Jace scrambled backward so fast he nearly kicked the water basin over, his face blazing. “I’ll… I’ll go find the polish…” I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing. Okay, that one actually was an accident. That night, we lay on the same bed. I rolled over, pretending to reach for the glass of water on his nightstand, and caught a perfect glimpse of his illuminated phone screen. He was texting his brother: [Callan, how do you live like this? I feel so sorry for you.] 2 Late in the night, shivering against the chill, I demanded he shift into his beast form to keep me warm. “Absolutely not!” Jace hissed into the dark. “My beast form is a combat state meant only for the battlefield. It is not a personal space heater!” I let my voice go cold, lacing it with hurt. “Is that so? Have you had a change of heart, or are you an entirely different person? You used to let me sleep holding your tail every single night. Why is tonight any different?” “I am exactly who I’ve always been!” he snapped, his voice tight with the fear of being exposed. There was a heavy rustle of blankets before he finally compromised with an aggrieved sigh. “You can hold the tail. Only the tail.” A thick, plush, golden tail slipped under the covers and curled against my chest. Compared to Callan’s fur, Jace’s was undeniably softer, smelling faintly of crushed pine needles and fresh snow. It was incredibly comforting. Wrapping my arms around it, I easily drifted into a deep sleep. The next morning, I slept in, waking only when the sun was high. Through the window, I spotted Jace in the yard, fiercely chopping firewood. He was a portrait of raw, untamed energy, but when he turned, I noticed the heavy, bruised shadows beneath his eyes. [Of course he has dark circles! The cannon fodder is a restless sleeper. Halfway through the night, she stopped holding his tail and accidentally grabbed his other “tail.” The poor boy had to go roll in the snow three times before dawn.] [Wait, what are you guys talking about? Does the tiger have a mutation? Two tails?] [Sweet summer child, please log off and go watch cartoons.] I took a slow look around the cabin. The floors were swept spotless. The chickens had been fed. Even the crumbling robin’s nest on the rafters had been carefully replaced with a sturdy, handcrafted wooden box. I had to admit, the kid had an eye for detail and the domestic diligence of a seasoned househusband. When he came inside and saw I was awake, however, his face snapped back into that familiar, frosty scowl. He practically shoved a mug of hot milk and a slice of toast into my hands. I took a sip of the milk and let my brow crease in displeasure. “What now?” he demanded. “What’s wrong with it?” “It’s too bland. I need two sugar cubes.” Jace groaned, rolling his eyes. “You are impossible to please.” Without another word, he snatched the mug from my hands, chugged the entire thing in three gulps, marched to the sink, washed the cup, and began pouring a brand-new glass of milk. I stared at him in quiet disbelief. …Couldn’t you have just dropped the sugar into the first cup? Once he finished the firewood, he sat by the hearth, glaring at his phone. Based on the aggressive typing, he was updating his friends: [She’s a total nightmare. But don’t worry, I haven’t given her a single warm look while doing the chores.] The stream lit up instantly. [Bro, it’s been twenty-four hours and you’re already washing her laundry with a grumpy face?] [Bestie, has it occurred to you that she’s blind and literally cannot see your ‘cold, intimidating glares’?] [Jace: Mind your business! I have my own pacing!] 3 Clearly fed up with me using his tail as a security blanket, Jace went online and ordered an industrial space heater for the cabin. In his mind, if the room was boiling hot, I wouldn’t need to cuddle with him. Unfortunately for him, a massive blizzard had grounded all the delivery crews. The heater was delayed indefinitely. For nearly two weeks, my only comfort was a single, golden tail. It was starting to annoy me. When Callan was here, I used to bury my icy hands and feet deep into the thick, warm fur of his stomach. It made me feel incredibly safe. [She’s probably missing Callan right now. While Callan is currently wrapped up in the female lead’s soft embrace, Jace is guarding his purity like a monk. No matter how much she flirts, he remains an unmovable mountain.] [Callan is destined for the female lead anyway. Jace only recognizes Celeste as his true sister-in-law. The sooner this cannon fodder accepts reality, the better.] That night, after yet another strategic roll in the snow to cool his perpetually running blood, Jace finally climbed cautiously into bed. “The temperature dropped again today,” he muttered, shifting awkwardly. “If you want, I can shift…” I rolled over, turning my back to him, and pulled my worn tiger plushie tight against my chest. “Let’s just sleep. I don’t need your tail tonight.” If I had to force it, I didn’t want it. Even if I was genuinely craving the heat of his body. Behind me, I felt his entire massive frame lock up. He sat frozen at my back for a very long time, his gaze practically burning a hole through my spine. Eventually, in absolute silence, he retracted his ears and tail. He pulled his blankets tight to his side. The bed was now divided by an invisible, icy wall. Jace had likely assumed that without my constant touching, he’d sleep like the dead. But the truth was, he lay awake, staring at the ceiling, completely consumed by insomnia. On my side of the bed, my breathing remained even and deep. Somewhere around three in the morning, I felt the heavy, plush weight of a tail slither around my waist, gently trying to drag me backward toward the heat of his chest. Deep in sleep and irritated by the disturbance, I blindly swatted a hand backward. A solid smack echoed in the dark. The pulling stopped instantly. When I woke the next morning, my tiger plushie was missing, and our separate blankets had mysteriously tangled into one shared nest. Jace wasn’t in bed. I looked out the frost-rimmed window and saw him standing in the middle of a howling snowstorm, furiously scrubbing my plushie in a bucket of soapy water. He wrung it out, pinned it to the clothesline, and watched with profound satisfaction as the freezing wind instantly encased it in a solid shell of ice. He turned around, a triumphant smirk on his face, only to lock eyes with me staring at him from the window. “Haha, great weather today!” he yelled over the wind, rubbing the back of his neck. “Just thought I’d wash your toy and let it… get some sun…” I just slowly closed the curtains. 4 Jace hadn’t just washed the plushie; he’d washed the clothes I’d discarded yesterday. Unfortunately, his brute strength had ripped two massive holes right through my underwear, forcing him to trek down to the local market to buy replacements. He hadn’t been gone long when a frantic knock rattled the door. I opened it to find Kieran. He was leaning heavily against the doorframe, his face flushed a feverish pink, two long, white rabbit ears drooping weakly against his damp silver hair. His mating heat had hit him early. He swayed on his feet, his words slurring together. “Faye… please. Help me…” Despite the freezing temperatures, Kieran was wearing only a thin white dress shirt, the top buttons torn open to reveal skin as pale as fresh snow. Snowflakes clung to his thick, dark eyelashes, his nose was painted a delicate, icy red, and his deep blue eyes looked up at me like fractured sapphires. I had always known my neighbor—who doubled as my pro-bono physician—was beautiful, but right now, he was breathtaking. His knees buckled, and he collapsed forward, burying his face in the crook of my neck. His breath was scorching hot against my skin. “The new Federal law passed,” he rasped, his voice trembling. “Humans can officially bind with two shifter mates at once…” “When he gets back… he can be the primary mate. I’ll be the secondary. I swear, I’ll never cause drama or make things hard for you.” “Please, Faye. Just let me be yours.” He pulled back slightly, his eyes shining with unshed tears. “But if it’s too much… if it puts you in a bad spot… just pretend I was never here. I’ll go home. I’ll soak in the ice bath…” He made a pathetic, shaky attempt to pull away. I reached out, grabbed the lapels of his shirt, dragged him back into the house, and kissed him to shut him up. “Stop talking,” I murmured against his lips. Honestly, the math was simple. Callan had his fated female lead. Jace was guarding his virtue like a medieval knight. I was a practical woman living in the freezing wilderness. A bed without a warm body in it was just a waste. Besides, rabbit fur was incredibly soft. That was the conclusion I reached as I ran my hands up and squeezed the base of one of his velvet ears. Kieran violently shuddered at the touch, burying his face against my collarbone, letting out a soft, broken sound that was half-sob, half-sigh. Since the day I had crossed over into this world, my vision had been severely compromised. Kieran had been the one coming over every day, patiently treating my eyes free of charge. [Whoa, what’s going on? Why is the screen suddenly a blur of censorship mosaics?] [Are we not allowed to watch? Don’t be stingy, Doctor Rabbit!] [Honestly, I feel bad for the cannon fodder. Callan’s S-rank healing only works on the female lead, so Faye’s been stuck relying on conventional medicine. The rabbit doctor really stepped up and took care of her when no one else did.] Once Kieran’s fever had stabilized somewhat, he sat back against the pillows, pulling me securely against his chest. “Don’t worry,” he whispered softly, kissing my hair. “When Callan gets back, I’ll explain everything. I’ll tell him I seduced you. I’ll take all the blame.” The words had barely left his mouth when the front door banged open. “Honey! I bought the new clothes, come feel the fabric—” Jace froze. Kieran and I looked toward the doorway. Jace, broad and imposing, was standing there wearing a sheer, loosely knit chainmail-style top. It technically counted as clothing, but left absolutely nothing to the imagination. Clack. The cardboard box containing my new underwear slipped from Jace’s fingers and hit the wooden floor. 5 Jace snapped out of his shock, his eyes turning a ferocious, bloodshot red. With an earth-shattering roar, his beast form erupted from his skin. A massive Golden Bengal tiger filled the room, shaking the floorboards. “You dare crawl into my bed?! With my wife?!” he bellowed, his voice vibrating in my chest. “Don’t be afraid, honey! I’m going to rip this filthy rabbit’s throat out!” I panicked, terrified Kieran was about to get slaughtered, and lunged forward to stop it. But Kieran didn’t flinch. In a flash of blinding light, he summoned his spiritual beast form. The creature that materialized was a monstrous, pure white rabbit—bizarrely, it was even more massive than Jace’s tiger. Its jaw was lined with thick, jagged fangs, and its usually serene blue eyes burned a demonic crimson. “Both of you—” Before I could finish, Kieran launched himself forward, locking his jaws around the scruff of Jace’s neck and dragging the massive tiger backward out the door and into the blizzard. The two alpha males were terrifyingly matched in combat power. In the vast, blinding expanse of white snow, it was a brutal clash of fangs and claws. Kieran specifically targeted Jace’s face, slashing wildly at his handsome features. In retaliation, Jace ruthlessly aimed every strike directly beneath Kieran’s belt, determined to end the rabbit’s bloodline permanently. The chat overlay was absolutely losing its mind over the sudden action sequence. [Tsk tsk tsk, who says male leads aren’t scheming? The rabbit wants to cure her eyes, use his beauty to secure a permanent place, and ruin the competition’s face. Meanwhile, the tiger thinks the rabbit only won her over with his bedroom skills, so he’s trying to castrate him!] [Doctor Rabbit is a total manipulative green-tea bitch, but god, he’s gorgeous.] [Brother Tiger has zero brain cells, but absolute brute strength.] [Cannon Fodder Faye: Wow, such a hard choice. (Not)] It was the first time I fully agreed with the comments. I leaned against the doorframe, yelling into the wind, “Guys, stop fighting!” But they were too far away, entirely consumed by bloodlust. Kieran shifted back to his human form, licking a smear of blood from his sharpened claws. “I’ve seen her actual mate. You aren’t him! So where the hell did you come from, you home-wrecking stray?” Jace, bleeding from his cheek, shifted back, his chest heaving as he glared at the doctor. “I’m the home-wrecker? You’re the cheap whore who crawled into a married woman’s bed the second her husband was out of town! You’re the absolute lowest of the low!” Kieran threw his head back and laughed, a cold, mocking sound. “I looked up the registry. Faye is bonded to Callan, but they never signed the official marriage certificate. Which means she legally only has one partner. She doesn’t have a husband.” He tilted his head, his blue eyes narrowing. “Let me guess. You’re a Golden Bengal. Her mate is a Snow Tiger. You took advantage of the fact that she’s blind and swapped places with him, didn’t you?” Jace’s face twisted in violent, defensive rage. “So what?! I’m the one washing her feet! I’m the one massaging her! I’m the one warming her bed! Which means when the certificate is signed, it’ll be my name on it!” He summoned his claws again. “And once I kill you, you filthy rat, she’ll never know.” “Your math is a little off,” Kieran purred softly. “Because… I think she might already be able to see.” A flicker of absolute terror crossed Jace’s face. “Impossible!” “She can see,” Kieran repeated, his voice laced with venomous triumph. “You aren’t her original mate. She has no emotional attachment to you. You aren’t as strong as me, and you certainly aren’t as beautiful as me. Tell me, why would she ever pick you?” “You’re dead!” Jace roared. He launched himself into the air, bringing all his weight down to deliver a fatal blow to the arrogant herbivore. Kieran was an S-rank mutated beast; he had more than enough speed to easily dodge the attack. Yet, inexplicably, at the absolute last microsecond, he shifted his stance, deliberately allowing Jace’s spiritual energy to severely scorch his arm. From the doorway, I watched in stunned silence as Kieran was thrown backward by the impact, soaring gracefully through the air until he landed directly at my feet, collapsing weakly into my arms. “Faye,” Kieran gasped, coughing weakly against my shoulder. “Don’t be mad at Callan. It’s hard for him to accept our new dynamic, I understand that. But he’s lost his mind… It’s okay if he hurts me, but I couldn’t let him hurt you. Why don’t you come stay at my house? Let him cool off for a few days.” Jace, having just landed from his attack, heard the entire speech. His jaw dropped. His golden ears lay flat against his skull as he stared at the bleeding rabbit in my arms, his entire body trembling with rage. “You manipulative little bastard!” Jace screamed. “That is not what you were just saying!” Kieran let out a fragile, wounded sigh, sinking deeper into my embrace, while the massive, terrifying tiger roared in the snow. I gently stroked Kieran’s hair, looking up at Jace with deadpan eyes. “I think I’m perfectly capable of telling which one of you actually needs my protection.”

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