Category: English

Eight years ago, I lost the hearing in my right ear at a music festival. The person behind the “accident” was Chloe, my best friend. She was also the childhood sweetheart Ethan had protected since they were toddlers. After the accident, Ethan deleted all of Chloe’s contact info. He locked his piano and swore he would never play again. He never opened a single apology letter she sent. When she was banned from the music industry and fled the country, he didn’t say a single word to defend her. Since then, Ethan stayed by my side. He helped me learn lip-reading and supported me as I adapted to a world with only half its sound. I always thought he did it out of love. I thought he truly cherished me. Until the year Chloe made her comeback. She wanted to hold a solo piano concert and begged Ethan to be her special guest. I declined on Ethan’s behalf. I told her, “He hasn’t played in years. There’s no need for him to get back on stage just for you.” But Ethan suddenly laughed. As he laughed, his eyes grew red. “It’s been eight years, Summer.” “I haven’t seen her, I haven’t comforted her, and I haven’t spent a single birthday with her.” “Because of you, she’s been hiding abroad for eight years, too scared to even come home.” “You only lost the hearing in one ear.” “But she lost me.” The hearing aid in my hand slipped and crashed onto the floor. But he didn’t even blink. “I’m about to marry you. Why can’t you just let her go?” “Do you really need her to die alone in some foreign country to be satisfied?” My world was already missing half of its sound. At that moment, even the remaining half went completely dead silent. It turned out that all these years, he didn’t avoid the piano because he cared about my ears. It was because every time he touched the keys, he would think of Chloe. That night, I signed the concert contract and mailed it to Chloe’s studio. Then, I booked a one-way flight out of the country. From now on.His music, his childhood sweetheart, and his belated pity had nothing to do with me anymore.

After mailing the contract, I didn’t go home. Instead, I went to the old recording studio registered under Ethan’s name. That was the place where he had proposed to me. Eight years ago, after I lost my hearing at that music festival, he locked this place up himself and said he would never touch the piano again. He said he was afraid that the sound of music would trigger my trauma. I believed him for eight years. But when the studio manager saw me, he didn’t look surprised at all. He familiarly greeted me, “Mrs. Miller.” My fingertips froze. The manager smiled and opened the door for me. “Mr. Miller hasn’t arrived yet. Would you like to wait inside? He comes here on the fifteenth of every month and records for the whole night.” The fifteenth of every month. The hearing aid behind my ear suddenly buzzed. The tiny static electricity made my right ear throb with pain. I pushed open the innermost music room. The piano was dusted and polished perfectly. The walls were covered with the setlist for Chloe’s comeback concert. The opening piece was titled The Return. I stared at those words for a long time. That was the piece Ethan had promised to play for me at our wedding eight years ago. He had said that once my ear recovered, he would play it for me. But my ear never recovered. And that song was never played. Yet now, it was the opening song for Chloe’s comeback concert. On the table sat a pair of custom in-ear monitors. Next to them was a tuning log. Chloe’s right ear is sensitive to high frequencies. Needs individual adjustment. Looking at those words, I suddenly wanted to laugh. My right ear had been deaf for eight years. My cheap, old hearing aid had been malfunctioning and leaking static shock for three years. I had asked Ethan if we could replace it with a better one. He told me that weddings were expensive, and asked me to just bear with it a little longer. But he remembered that Chloe’s right ear was sensitive. He remembered she hated high frequencies. He remembered to customize the most comfortable ear monitor for her. The computer next to it was still on. A folder was open on the screen. It contained hundreds of audio files. The file names were simple. For Chloe’s Insomnia. Slow Tempo for Chloe’s Birthday. Don’t Be Scared for Chloe’s Comeback. I clicked on one of the files. The moment the piano music flowed out, my right ear felt like it was being pierced by a needle. I instinctively turned down the volume of my hearing aid. At the end of the recording, Ethan’s voice was incredibly soft and low. “Don’t be scared, Chloe. I’m always here.” I glanced at the recording date. It was my birthday. That day, my ear canal had become severely inflamed from the old hearing aid. The pain kept me awake all night. I called Ethan. He told me he was in an important board meeting and told me to just take some painkillers. So, he wasn’t in a meeting. He was here, recording a soothing birthday song for Chloe. Suddenly, footsteps came from the doorway. Ethan rushed in. Seeing me standing in the cold room, his face instantly paled. He took off his coat and draped it over my shoulders. When his hand brushed against my red, inflamed ear, he visibly stiffened. At that moment, I ridiculously thought he was feeling sorry for me. The next second, his eyes fell on the recording list on the screen. He immediately pushed past me and slammed the laptop shut. I stared at his back. “I thought you said you hadn’t touched a piano in eight years?” Ethan remained silent for a long time. “I just didn’t want you to hear it.” “Were you trying to save me from feeling sad,” I asked, “or were you just trying to hide the fact that you’ve been playing for her this entire time?” His Adam’s apple bobbed, but he said nothing. I asked again, “On my birthday, you told me you were in a meeting. Were you?” His eyes grew red. “Chloe had a mental breakdown that day. She said she couldn’t take it anymore.” I nodded slowly. “So my pain is something I can just ‘bear with.’” “But her crying is an absolute emergency.” He panicked, “Summer, it’s not like that.” Just then, his phone rang. Chloe’s voice leaked through the speaker. “Ethan, there’s something wrong with the speakers in the rehearsal hall. I can’t hear my own piano.” Ethan’s hand was still on my shoulder. He gripped me tightly for a split second. But in the end, he let go. “Summer, I need to check on this first. I’ll explain everything when I get back.” He grabbed the custom ear monitors. And he took the sheet music for The Return. I stood alone in the empty, silent room. Suddenly, I understood. The thing he had locked away wasn’t the piano. It was the door for me to enter his world.

After packing my bags, I went to the hospital where I used to do my hearing rehabilitation. The doctor recognized me. His first words were, “Why did you never come back for the second-stage cochlear implant surgery?” I froze. “Ethan said the risk was too high. The success rate was less than thirty percent.” The doctor frowned. He pulled up my old medical records. The lines of text popped up on the screen. Auditory nerve damage is not completely dead. Surgery within three months offers a seventy percent chance of recovery. The surgery cost was $70,000. The person who authorized the payment: Ethan Miller. Looking at the receipt, my heart squeezed painfully. He really did want to save my hearing once. But that warmth only lasted for a few seconds. On the next page was the cancellation form. The signature at the bottom: Ethan Miller. The date of cancellation was the exact day before Chloe was about to be sued by the Music Association. The reason for cancellation read: Patient is emotionally unstable and has chosen to give up the surgery. I stared at the words “chosen to give up.” The static noise in my right ear suddenly became incredibly sharp and piercing. I had never even known this surgery existed. That year, Ethan had held me in his arms, crying and telling me his company’s cash flow had dried up. He said if I insisted on the treatment, it might ruin his startup project. I didn’t want to be a burden to him. So I comforted him instead. I told him I didn’t need it. I told him having one working ear was enough. The doctor sighed. “The hospital tried to contact your family multiple times back then. Mr. Miller kept telling us that you refused to go through with it because you couldn’t take any more stress.” I left the hospital with a copy of the records. My phone buzzed with an Instagram notification about Chloe’s comeback press conference. The headline was eye-catching: Returning After Eight Years, Still Ready to Embrace the Music. I suddenly wanted to know. Where did my $70,000 actually go? I rushed to the backstage of the press conference. Before I could even enter the dressing room, I heard Chloe’s sobbing voice from inside. “Ethan, if you hadn’t paid that $70,000 penalty fee for me back then, would I have been sued and forced out of the industry forever?” Ethan’s voice was low and quiet. “It’s in the past.” Chloe asked again, “But that money… was supposed to be for her ear surgery, wasn’t it?” The room fell dead silent. Ethan didn’t deny it. He said, “She had already lost hearing in that ear anyway. But if you were sued, your entire life would have been ruined.” “I can make it up to her slowly.” “But back then, Chloe, you only had me.” Standing outside the door, even my breathing felt heavy. So he wasn’t broke. He had just taken my surgery money to buy Chloe a fresh start. I pushed the door open. Chloe’s eyes were bright red, looking as though I had just violated her sacred peace. When Ethan saw me, the color completely drained from his face. I threw the medical bills and the cancellation form right in front of him. “$70,000.” “You didn’t lack the money back then.” “You gave me hope, and then you personally snatched it away.” Ethan opened his mouth, but not a single word came out. Chloe cried out, “I didn’t know that was her surgery money!” Ethan immediately turned to look at her, his eyes filled with reassurance. Looking at his reaction, the last spark of warmth in my chest died. I looked at him and asked, “What about me, Ethan?” “What does my ear mean to you?” Ethan’s voice was hoarse. “I’m sorry, Summer.” “I will find you the best doctor in the world. I promise.” I laughed. “The golden window for recovery passed years ago.” “Just like my love for you. It expired long ago.” Chloe suddenly clutched her chest, claiming she couldn’t breathe. Ethan instinctively reached out to support her. The hand he had extended toward me froze mid-air. Ultimately, it landed on Chloe’s shoulder. I didn’t wait for his explanation. I walked out of the backstage, opened my phone, and rescheduled my flight to three days later.

On the day of Chloe’s comeback showcase, I received an address from Ethan’s assistant. He said my original copy of the concert contract was at the venue and needed to be signed in person. But when I arrived, I realized the entrance was swarming with media. On the sign-in board, my name was printed under the “Special Reconciliation Guest” section. I turned to leave. But a staff member blocked my way. “Miss Summer, Mr. Miller has already approved the schedule.” I looked at the schedule sheet. Summer takes the stage to sign the reconciliation agreement regarding the accident eight years ago. So, he had even planned my silence in advance. Backstage, Chloe was wearing a beautiful white dress, crying in front of the cameras. She claimed she had carried an unjust reputation for eight years and had finally waited for this day of justice. Ethan stood right behind her. He whispered, “Don’t be scared.” Chloe was wearing those custom ear monitors. But my cheap, old hearing aid was buzzing painfully in the chaotic noise of the venue. When Ethan spotted me, panic flashed in his eyes, and he walked over. But Chloe spoke first. “Summer, do you still refuse to forgive me?” In an instant, all the cameras turned to me. The host handed a document to me. It read: The accident eight years ago was due to equipment malfunction and had nothing to do with Chloe. I looked at Ethan. He avoided my gaze. “It’s just a formality, Summer.” “She worked so hard to come back. We can’t let the past ruin her again.” I asked him, “Then what about my ruined right ear?” He went silent. The loud murmurs of the crowd and the flashing cameras made my ear throb with intense pain. I suddenly remembered the security footage I had retrieved last night. The day before the festival eight years ago, my custom ear monitor had mysteriously gone missing. Ethan had customized it for me. He said my ears were sensitive and standard monitors would hurt me. I had been frantically searching for it backstage. Then, Chloe had walked over with a backup ear monitor. She had smiled and said, “Use this one first, otherwise Ethan’s performance will be wasted.” I had hesitated. But when Ethan rushed over, he only glanced at it briefly. He said, “Chloe is just trying to help. Get on stage first.” So, I wore it. Before I could even sing the first line, a deafening explosion of sound blasted directly into my right ear. High pitches, static feedback, and distorted noise tore through my eardrum all at once. I fell straight off the rising stage. Blood poured from my ear. I grabbed Ethan’s hand, telling him something was wrong with the monitor. His face changed. Because he saw Chloe standing in the corner. Clutched in her hand was my original custom ear monitor. She was crying, saying, “I just wanted to see what your custom monitor felt like. I didn’t know this would happen.” Ethan had clearly seen it. He knew exactly who had handed me that dangerous backup monitor. But he had turned around and shielded Chloe anyway. He said, “Let’s not make a scene out of this first.” The staff wanted to call the police. But Ethan stopped them. “She didn’t do it on purpose. A criminal record would destroy a young girl’s life.” Later, he stayed by my hospital bed. He cleaned my wounds, brought me water, and helped me practice lip-reading. I thought he finally cherished me. Until I saw that footage. In the video, Chloe had hidden my monitor in her bag. Right after the accident, Ethan had immediately taken her bag away. He told the media he was just protecting her from reporters. He didn’t miss the truth. He had simply decided, earlier than anyone else, to bury the truth for her. And now, he was pushing this reconciliation agreement in front of my face. I didn’t take the pen. Instead, right in front of all the cameras, I tore the agreement in half. The entire venue fell into dead silence. Chloe’s face turned paper-white. Tears streamed down her face. She claimed that if we didn’t reconcile today, her solo concert tomorrow would be canceled. She said she had waited eight years and couldn’t lose her stage. Ethan finally panicked. He grabbed my wrist, his voice dropping to a low, desperate whisper. “Summer, don’t make a scene here.” “You can hit me or yell at me all you want once we get home.” “Just help her this once, and I will do whatever you want in the future.” I looked at him and asked, “Is that what you thought eight years ago too?” “Protect her first, and comfort me later.” His eyes turned red instantly. But his grip on my wrist didn’t loosen. Right at that moment, a technician near the stage screamed in panic. The sound system briefly went out of control. A sharp, deafening high-frequency squeal blasted through the speakers. My right ear was hit with an explosive, agonizing pain. It felt as though the wound from eight years ago had been violently ripped open again. My vision went black, and I had to grab the microphone stand to keep from falling. When my fingers touched my ear, they came away wet with hot, fresh blood. Ethan saw it. His face turned instantly pale. He took a step toward me. For a brief, ridiculous second, a tiny spark of hope flickered in my chest. Would he choose me first this time? But Chloe screamed. “Ethan, my hand!” She had knocked over a music stand near the piano, cutting a line of blood onto her right hand. She sobbed hysterically, “Ethan, my hand is bleeding!” Ethan’s steps froze.

The high-frequency noise hadn’t completely stopped. I leaned heavily against the microphone stand as blood trickled down my neck. Ethan stared at me. For the first time, true terror flashed in his eyes. He took another step toward me. But Chloe’s cries rang out again. “Ethan, it hurts so much! Tomorrow is my concert, I can’t be ruined!” The venue fell into complete chaos. Reporters pushed forward frantically, flashing their cameras. People called for doctors; others called for security. Someone shoved a microphone right in front of my face, asking if I had intentionally caused this chaos to ruin Chloe’s comeback. I couldn’t hear them. My right ear was filled with nothing but a sharp, endless ringing. The venue’s first-aid doctor rushed over. He looked at Ethan and asked urgently, “Who do I treat first?” Ethan stood right between Chloe and me. I looked at him. Chloe clutched his sleeve, trembling and crying. “Ethan, I’m a pianist. My hands are my life.” Ethan’s Adam’s apple bobbed. Finally, he spoke. “Check her hand first.” The moment those words left his mouth. The last thread of hope in my heart snapped. The doctor immediately turned to Chloe. Ethan pulled her into his arms, applying pressure to the cut on her wrist. I couldn’t hold myself up anymore. I collapsed onto the floor. My old hearing aid slipped off and was instantly crushed under the shoes of the rushing reporters. The agonizing squeal in my head abruptly died. My world became completely, utterly silent. Someone stepped on the back of my hand. Someone was shouting, accusing me of driving Chloe to self-harm. Someone said I was a monster for not letting her go after eight years. Ethan turned and saw me covered in blood. His face was white as a ghost. He tried to come over. But Chloe held onto his collar tightly. “Ethan, my fingers are numb. Will I never be able to play again?” Ethan froze. In the end, he didn’t let go of her. As he passed by me, his footsteps paused for a fraction of a second. “I’ll have my assistant take you to the hospital.” I looked up at him. He avoided my eyes. Chloe buried her face in his chest. He added, “She’s a pianist. Her hands can’t have any scars.” I suddenly smiled. Eight years ago, my ear was on the line. But he chose to protect her reputation. Eight years later, my ear was bleeding again. But he chose to protect her hand. When the ambulance arrived, they took Chloe first. Ethan got in with her. Before the door closed, he turned and called my name. I didn’t answer. I couldn’t hear him anyway. And I didn’t want to. Another ambulance brought me to the hospital. When I woke up, the room smelled heavily of disinfectant. My right ear was wrapped in thick gauze. On the bedside table lay the crushed pieces of my hearing aid. The nurse told me my ear canal was bleeding and I needed to stay for observation. She also mentioned that a Mr. Miller had called dozens of times, asking if I was awake. I didn’t call back. I reached for my phone and emailed the digital copy of our separation agreement to my lawyer. Then, I called the airline and changed my flight from tomorrow morning to tonight. I changed out of the hospital gown. I slipped off the engagement ring. I put the ring and the broken pieces of the hearing aid into an envelope. On the front, I wrote: To Ethan. Half an hour later, Ethan rushed to the hospital. He ran to the nurse’s station. “Where is Summer’s room?” The nurse handed him the envelope. “Miss Summer has already checked out.” “She said… not to look for her.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “436170”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster

My roommate, Chloe, was completely obsessed with cheesy romance novels. On our very first day as roommates, she curled up on the couch, clutching her phone with glowing eyes, and said, “Look! In all the trending stories now, the female lead leaves her front door unlocked at night, and the hot male lead accidentally wanders in. It’s love at first sight!” So, she decided to leave our apartment door unlocked every single night. I warned her multiple times, but she just waved her hand and laughed. “You don’t get it, Harper. Real love always starts with a beautiful accident.” In my past life, I stopped trying to argue with her. But the “accident” did come. A man wearing a black baseball cap pushed our unlocked door open and walked right in. Chloe was working overtime and wasn’t home that night. The man couldn’t find her, but he found the fresh cash and the laptop on my desk. I woke up in terror only to feel a cold blade pressed against my neck, forcing me to give him my PayPal password. I gave it to him. But he slit my throat anyway. The last thing I heard before I died was his muttered curse: “What kind of idiot leaves their front door wide open these days?” Then, I opened my eyes again. I was back to our first day of renting the apartment. Chloe was holding her phone right in front of my face, pointing at a paragraph. “Look, Harper! The female lead only found her thrilling, dangerous romance because she left her door open!”

Chloe shook my hand, her face full of starry-eyed delusion. “Harper, we should stop locking the door from now on! Just leave it on a crack every night!” “I’m definitely going to find my own thrilling, break-in kind of love!” The sudden shaking snapped me out of my trance. I gasped, quickly pulling my hand back and touching my neck. In my past life, Chloe was brainwashed by those trashy romance books. She constantly fantasized about some gorgeous stranger breaking in and starting a passionate, life-changing love story with her. I had tried to tell her it was all fiction. The person breaking in wouldn’t be a charming prince; he would be a predator. But she wouldn’t listen. Every night after I locked up, she would sneak out and unlock the door, leaving it slightly open. Every morning when I found the door unlocked, I would confront her. But the next night, she would do it again. Then came that horrific night. A man broke in. He ransacked the place. I woke up, got held at knifepoint, gave him my passwords, and was murdered in cold blood. Chloe didn’t return until the next morning. Seeing my lifeless body, she cried and called the police. But in front of the neighbors and the cops, she sobbed, “I just wanted to find love. Harper knew I was working overtime, yet she didn’t lock the door properly. She only has herself to blame!” Thinking of this, I rubbed my neck again. I could almost still feel the phantom pain of the blade slicing through my flesh. Seeing the grim expression on my face, Chloe pouted, looking annoyed. “What’s with the attitude, Harper? I just want to find love. What’s wrong with that?” I didn’t waste my breath on her. I stood up, walked to the front door, shut it hard, and turned the deadbolt. Chloe instantly flipped out and jumped off the couch. “Why did you lock it?! How is my soulmate supposed to get in if you lock the door?!” “How can you be so heartless? You’re literally ruining my chance at true love!” I stared at her, my face completely expressionless. “Your fantasy love shouldn’t be built on my safety.” “If you want to put your life on the line, go ahead. But don’t drag me down with you.” With that, I grabbed my keys, walked into my bedroom, and locked the door behind me. Lying on my bed, I ignored her loud banging on my door. I immediately unlocked my phone and started searching for new apartments. I needed to move out. Fast. Outside, Chloe’s whining continued. “Harper, you have no right to stop me from finding my destiny! Just because you’re single and lonely doesn’t mean you can ruin things for me!” “Besides, you have no looks and no money. Even if a bad guy did break in, he wouldn’t even look at you!” I was speechless. Did this girl have nothing but romance in her brain? Did she have zero concept of basic safety for women living alone? The real estate agent replied quickly on WhatsApp: “Hi Miss Harper, I’ve found a great place for you. We can do a viewing tomorrow.” I texted back: “No roommates. I want to rent the whole place. How’s the security?” The agent replied instantly: “Guaranteed. The building has 24/7 security guards. It’s a smart lock—only your fingerprint will be registered. Plus, there’s a police precinct right across the street.” Relieved, I started packing my bags. The next morning, I dragged my suitcase out of my room and ran into Chloe, who was about to head out. Seeing my heavy bags, her eyes instantly turned red. “What is this, Harper? Are you abandoning me?” I looked at her coldly. “Where I live is my business. It has nothing to do with you.” She blocked the doorway, refusing to let me pass. Then she pulled out her phone and called our landlord, Mason. “Mason! Harper is trying to move out early and break the lease! You need to come over right now!”

Mason arrived quickly, clutching a spare set of keys, sweating slightly. He looked at my suitcase, then at the tearful Chloe. He frowned. “Harper, you signed a one-year lease. You paid a security deposit and the first month’s rent.” “If you leave so suddenly, how am I supposed to find a tenant to replace you? Chloe is just a young girl. Do you expect her to pay the entire rent by herself?” I opened the digital contract on my phone and showed him the clause. “According to the lease, if I terminate early, I forfeit my security deposit as a penalty. I am willing to pay that, Mason.” Mason paced around the living room with his hands behind his back and sighed. “Why are young people always so impulsive? Sure, Chloe’s ideas are a bit naive, but you guys are roommates. Can’t you just talk it out? She didn’t mean any harm…” My voice went ice-cold. “She didn’t mean any harm? She’s waiting for a literal burglar to walk in!” “Mason, someone tried to pry open the security door of this building last night. The property management posted a warning in the WhatsApp group. If she keeps leaving the door unlocked, she’s not going to get a boyfriend. She’s going to get us killed!” Hearing this, Chloe’s tears flowed even faster, looking like the ultimate victim. “Stop cursing me! I looked up safety tips online! If I only leave the door open a crack, bad guys can’t get in!” I laughed out of sheer frustration. “So you’re saying only ‘good guys’ can fit through a cracked door? Are you insane?” “Stop reading those trashy novels. They’ve rotted your brain.” Just then, the front door of the apartment next door opened. Our neighbor, Rachel, poked her head out, looking curious. “What’s all the noise so early in the morning? Is Chloe upset again?” Seeing Rachel, Chloe ran toward the door like she had found a savior. “Rachel! Harper is moving out, and she’s mocking my dreams!” Rachel let herself in, patting Chloe’s back to comfort her while giving me a disapproving look. “Harper, Chloe is just a sweet, naive girl. She hasn’t done anything wrong. Her parents aren’t around, so as her roommate, you should be a bit more understanding.” “Rachel, she leaves the front door unlocked every single night. If a criminal comes in and robs or assaults us, will she take responsibility?” “What is wrong with me wanting to protect my own life?” Rachel choked on her words, looking embarrassed. “Well… nothing has happened yet. Our neighborhood has been pretty safe for years, hasn’t it?” I let out a cold laugh. “Once something happens, it’ll be too late.” Chloe sobbed louder, her tears dripping onto the hardwood floor. She grabbed her phone, opened our building’s Snapchat group chat, and started typing furiously. A few seconds later, my phone buzzed repeatedly. Over a dozen notifications popped up. Chloe had posted a picture of me standing by the door with my suitcase, along with a message: “My roommate Harper is moving out just because I don’t lock the door at night. She’s even cursing me, saying our place will get robbed! She says I’m delusional and don’t deserve love. Am I really the bad guy here?” The group chat immediately exploded with replies. “I know Chloe. She’s a sweet girl, just a bit of a romantic.” “Leaving the door unlocked isn’t great, but moving out over it? That’s a bit dramatic.” “Young people have no tolerance these days. Roommates need to compromise.” “Harper is overreacting. She made Chloe cry. How heartless.” I stared at the screen, my fingers turning cold. In my past life, they saw my brutalized corpse, yet they only pitied Chloe for being “traumatized.” A few tears from her, and she became everyone’s darling.

Rachel stood in the center of the living room, acting like a self-appointed mediator. “See, Harper? Everyone in the group chat thinks you’re overreacting. Chloe is just a young girl with romantic fantasies. You’re older, you should be the bigger person.” Mason tossed his keys onto the coffee table, his tone turning stern. “Harper, if you want to leave, I won’t stop you. You’ll pay the penalty. But do you really have to paint Chloe as some kind of accomplice to murder before you go?” “A bad guy? I’ve lived in this building for ten years. It’s perfectly safe.” I looked at Mason, dead serious. “So because the odds are low, you think I should gamble my life with her?” “If someone actually breaks in, you guys will be sleeping soundly while I’m the one bleeding out on the floor.” Chloe snapped her head up, her eyes red. “Who are you calling dead? How can you be so vicious, Harper? I told you a hundred times, I only leave it open a crack! Bad guys can’t get in through that! Why do you keep cursing me?” She grabbed a throw pillow from the couch and threw it at me. It missed and hit the wall. Rachel quickly held her back. “Okay, okay, calm down.” I bent down, picked up the pillow, and placed it back on the couch. I didn’t even look at her. “I just want to stay safe. Is that a crime?” “Chase your ridiculous break-in fantasy all you want. But do not leave the door open so a predator can walk right past my bedroom.” Mason frowned, silent for a long moment before pulling out a cigarette. After a minute, he seemed to make a decision. “Alright, Harper. Don’t rush to move out. Let’s handle this contract properly.” “Give me one week. Once I find a new tenant, we’ll sign the lease termination, and I’ll refund your deposit in full. If I can’t find anyone, you stay for one more month while I keep looking. Deal?” Hearing this, Chloe immediately started crying again. “Mason! You’re not taking my side either? You’re going to make me change too?” Mason waved his hand dismissively. “I’m not taking sides. I just want some peace! Chloe, you do need to stop this door-unlocking nonsense. If someone actually gets in, crying won’t save you.” Chloe bit her lip and stayed silent, tears trembling on her eyelashes. Rachel chimed in: “Harper, Mason made a huge compromise. If you still refuse, you’re just being difficult. Everyone has roommate conflicts. You can’t just ruin someone’s life over one minor disagreement.” I looked at Mason. His expression made it clear that this wasn’t a request; it was an ultimatum. I knew exactly what they were thinking. Deep down, they didn’t think Chloe was doing anything dangerous. They just thought the drama was annoying. I thought about it. Finding a place and moving takes time. I could wait a week. I let go of my suitcase and nodded. “Fine. Seven days.” “But I have one condition.” “I am installing a deadbolt lock on my bedroom door, and I will lock it from the inside every night.” “If the front door is left unlocked or open again, I won’t warn anyone. I will call the police immediately. If anything happens during these seven days, it is not my responsibility.” Mason frowned. “Do you have to be so cold? You guys live together. Calling the police?” “Yes.” Rachel scoffed, pulling Chloe toward the kitchen. She whispered, “Whatever, let her lock herself in. A few days and she’ll get over herself.” That night, I installed a heavy-duty chain lock on the inside of my bedroom door. I tested it three times to ensure it couldn’t be forced open from the outside. I also locked my laptop and cash inside my desk drawer and set up an emergency speed-dial on my phone’s home screen. Sitting on the edge of my bed, I rubbed my neck, feeling the phantom blade. A cold shiver ran down my spine.

The next few days were strangely quiet. Chloe went to work during the day and spent her evenings glued to her phone on the couch, completely ignoring me. I didn’t speak to her either. We coexisted like ghosts. Mason did come by every night around nine. He would knock on the door, check the lock on the front door, and leave only after making sure it was secure. Meanwhile, the building’s Snapchat group chat was full of gossip about me. “That Harper in 702 is such a drama queen. She’s making sweet Chloe’s life a living hell.” Someone even tagged me, telling me to “stop bullying a young girl.” I ignored every single message. On the fifth day, Mason called to tell me he had found a new tenant who would move in over the weekend. On the sixth day, I breathed a sigh of relief. I scheduled the movers for Saturday morning. Friday night. I packed all my important documents and cash into my backpack and placed it under my pillow. I plugged my phone in, fully charged, right next to me. Before going to sleep, I double-checked my bedroom door, making sure the lock was turned all the way. At 2:00 AM, I woke up. A sliver of light was coming through my bedroom door. It was open. The moonlight from the living room was spilling onto my floor. A cold sweat broke out across my back. I had locked the door. I had installed a new lock. The only key was supposed to be under my pillow. I reached under my pillow. The key was gone. Then it hit me. I had left my jacket in the living room this afternoon, and my keys were in the pocket. Chloe had taken them. I held my breath and grabbed my phone. Just as the screen lit up, the door was pushed wide open. A man in a black baseball cap stepped into my room, a folding knife open in his hand. Seeing that I was awake, he paused for a second, then let out a low chuckle. “You’re awake.” I gripped my phone tightly, my thumb frantically tapping the emergency speed-dial without looking. The phantom pain on my neck flared up violently. “Where’s the money?” He pointed the blade at me. I took a deep breath, trying to keep my voice steady. “The backpack under my pillow. There’s about two thousand dollars in cash. My laptop is in the desk drawer. You can take it all.” He walked over, grabbed the backpack, and quickly checked the cash. He stuffed it into his pockets, then pulled the laptop from the drawer, tucking it under his arm. Everything was going so smoothly that he let his guard down. But as he turned to leave, my phone suddenly rang. He looked down at my screen. It was an incoming FaceTime call from Chloe. He looked at me, a sadistic grin spreading across his face. “Answer it. Put it on speaker.” I swiped the screen. “Chloe? What are you doing?” “Hey, Harper! Is there a guy in your room right now?” My face went cold. “Did you do this? Are you insane?!” Chloe’s voice came through the speaker, dripping with twisted excitement. “Hey, handsome! My roommate isn’t bad-looking, and she’s got a great body!” “Don’t be picky! She’s always lecturing me about how real romance doesn’t exist. Why don’t you show her what ‘destiny’ feels like tonight?” The intruder froze for a second, then burst into a crude laugh. He turned back to me. “Wow. Your roommate is pretty generous.” “Chloe!” I screamed, my voice shaking. “You unlocked the door just so a robber could ‘gift’ me a fantasy?” The line went quiet for two seconds before Chloe spoke up, completely self-righteous: “Harper, don’t be ungrateful! I wanted this destiny for myself, but since you’ve been so mean to me lately, I decided to let you have him! You don’t have to thank me!” The man laughed out loud, shoved my phone into his pocket, and stepped toward my bed. “Well, since your roommate put in a good word for you, it would be rude of me to leave without having some fun, wouldn’t it?” My fingers finally managed to hit the emergency SOS button on my smartwatch. The moment the call connected, I screamed the address at the top of my lungs: “7 Oak Street, Apartment 702! Armed robbery! Help me!” The man’s expression changed instantly. He lunged at me to grab my wrist. I rolled off the bed, pulling the heavy duvet over myself to block him. He grabbed my ankle and dragged me back, my knee slamming hard against the bed frame. “You bitch! You called the cops?! Now you’re dead!” “I was gonna let you live, but you asked for this!” The cold blade pressed against my neck, just like in my past life, cutting a thin line into my skin. I felt a warm trickle of blood. I fought with everything I had, but my strength was nothing against a grown man. My muscles began to give out. Was it going to end the same way again? I closed my eyes, ready to accept the inevitable. Suddenly, the bedroom door was kicked off its hinges. Three police officers stormed in, their flashlights and firearms aimed directly at him. “Police! Drop the knife! Get on the ground now!”

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I have a habit. Whenever I eat, watch a movie, or take a cab, I always leave an empty seat next to me. I used to believe that Austin would suddenly show up in my city and give me a surprise. But during our three years of long-distance relationship, he never came. Not once. So, I ended up doing everything alone—trying on wedding dresses, booking the venue, running myself ragged until my body finally broke down. With trembling hands, I sent him a Snapchat message. [I have a fever. It’s 102°F, and I don’t have any medicine at home.] He didn’t reply until half an hour later. [And?] [What do you want me to do, grow wings and fly over to drop off some Tylenol?] [I’m still reviewing a project proposal. Just order something on UberEats.] My fever was so high that I couldn’t even lift my fingers. I drifted into unconsciousness. When I woke up, my best friend, Chloe, was sitting by my bed with red eyes, holding a glass of warm water and medicine. “He’s only taking advantage of how understanding you are,” she said softly. “If it were me, I would have thrown a tantrum long ago.” Two weeks later, Chloe also came down with a high fever. I wanted to rush over to take care of her. But then, she posted a photo on Ins. It was a close-up of a man’s hand holding a spoon. [Sick during the season change. Thank God my knight in shining armor flew across three time zones overnight just to make me dinner.] I couldn’t have mistaken that hand. On Austin’s wrist was the luxury watch I had saved up half a year’s salary to buy him. At that moment, it hit me. The empty seat beside me wasn’t vacant because he couldn’t make it. It was because he simply didn’t want to. Since that was the case, keeping that seat open for him would just be foolish.

Holding a bag of medicine, I stood outside the door of Chloe’s apartment. The door wasn’t fully closed. Inside, Chloe’s nasal, congested laughter drifted out. “You flew back overnight? What about the NYC project? Are you really planning to stay in L.A. for good?” Austin replied without a second of hesitation. “I don’t care about the project anymore.” “I couldn’t focus knowing you were here having a fever alone. I’ve already applied for a transfer back to the L.A. branch. No more long-distance for us.” Chloe’s tone was playful. “If Elena finds out, won’t she be thrilled to death?” “I only care about your happiness.” My fingernails dug into the plastic handles of the bag, leaving bloodless white marks on my skin. Three years ago, holding my mother’s critical illness notice, I had grabbed his sleeve and begged him to stay. I asked him if we could not do long-distance. He had packed his suitcase and walked out without looking back. “Elena, you know how crucial this promotion is for my career. I’m doing this for our future. Be mature.” The night he chased his bright future, my mother passed away. I shook and cried alone in an empty house. Over the past three years, I had suggested ending the long distance countless times. I was even willing to compromise, to give up my career in L.A. just to move to NYC for him. But he rejected me every single time. “The cost of living in New York is too high. If you move here, you’ll only drag down my progress.” “Stop trying to hold back my career with your emotional insecurity.” But his precious career and future suddenly became worthless when Chloe got a common cold. I took a deep breath and pushed the door open. Austin was sitting by the bed, holding a bowl of warm soup. The moment he saw me, his brows knitted together. “What are you doing here?” I placed the bag of medicine on the nightstand. “I came to see Chloe. And, of course, to see the knight who flew across three time zones.” Chloe quickly waved her hands in panic. “Elena, please don’t blame Austin. My fever was just so high last night, and I complained to him on Snapchat.” “I didn’t expect him to leave his work and fly back. If it bothers you, I can tell him to leave right now.” Austin’s face darkened. “You’re this sick. Why should I leave?” He set the bowl down, his expression completely unapologetic. “Elena, stop being so passive-aggressive.” “Chloe is your best friend. She had a 102-degree fever. Did you expect me to just let her rot in this apartment alone?” I looked at the seafood chowder in the bowl. It was a recipe I had spent half a month perfecting, writing down every single step on a sticky note to teach him. He had complained that takeout chowder never tasted right. And now, he was using the recipe I taught him to nurture another woman. “I also had a 102-degree fever two weeks ago,” I said quietly. “You told me to use UberEats.” Austin’s eyes flickered with a brief moment of guilt. “But you got through it fine on your own, didn’t you?” “Chloe is different from you. She isn’t as independent as you are. Are you seriously getting jealous of your own best friend?” Suddenly, I found my past self—the girl who had desperately messaged him for help—utterly pathetic. A self-mocking smile crept onto my lips. Seeing me smile, his expression relaxed, looking relieved. “Good, now that you’ve smiled, let’s put this behind us. Don’t bring it up again.” “I’ve already applied to transfer back to L.A., so we won’t be apart anymore. You got what you wanted. Chloe just said she wanted some macarons from the boutique bakery downtown. Go grab some for her.” I turned and walked out. My phone vibrated in my pocket. [Hi Ms. Elena, the wedding dress you fell in love with has arrived in our boutique. When would you like to come in for a fitting?] [No need. Please cancel the order and process a refund.] I used to think long-distance relationship was just a long queue. As long as I kept the seat next to me empty and waited patiently, he would eventually sit down. Now I realized that a flight from NYC to L.A. only took six hours. It wasn’t that he couldn’t come back. He had just changed his destination long ago. There was no point in waiting anymore.

I didn’t go buy the macarons. Instead, I went straight back to my apartment and started packing. I threw the toothbrush, the dark grey towel, and the rinsing cup on the vanity straight into the trash can. No matter which apartment I moved to, I always kept a double set of daily essentials. I had always hoped he would suddenly show up in L.A. and surprise me. So I stubbornly left half of my space empty for him. Now he was back, but the surprise wasn’t for me. Austin didn’t come home that night. Chloe posted another update on Ins. [The best perk of being sick is having someone watch a 2 A.M. movie with you.] The picture showed a projector screen, with the side profile of a man looking focused and gentle. The movie was the one I had wanted to watch for a long time. I had mentioned it to Austin a thousand times, but he always dismissed it as boring. I gave her post a “like.” Three minutes later, a message from Austin popped up. [Get ready and come downstairs. Today is Grandma’s 80th birthday gala. I’ll pick you up on the way to the estate.] According to our original plan, today was also the day we were supposed to officially announce our engagement to his family. When I walked down, Chloe was already sitting in the passenger seat. She was holding a steaming latte, while her other hand played with a spare key to Austin’s apartment. On the keychain was a lucky charm I had personally woven for him. It was now stained with coffee. She turned to me with a sweet smile. “Hey El, you don’t mind me hitching a ride, do you?” Austin played a French song Chloe liked on the car stereo. “Chloe just got over her fever, and I didn’t feel safe leaving her alone. I figured taking her to the family estate would help her get some fresh air.” “Besides, she’s still weak from being sick.” “You sit in the back.” Half an hour later, we arrived at the estate. Chloe couldn’t wait to unbuckle her seatbelt. “Oh my god, I can already smell the delicious food!” She naturally walked up to Austin’s side, and they walked in shoulder to shoulder. I walked behind them like an irrelevant assistant. In the living room, the matriarch of the family was sitting on the sofa. “Austin, bring your girl over to let Grandma have a look.” Chloe walked up gracefully. “Happy birthday, Grandma.” The old lady smiled and patted her hand. “This must be the sweet girl Austin brought home last Christmas, right?” “So beautiful. No wonder Austin loves you so much.” Several relatives who actually knew me looked at each other, their eyes turning toward me in unison. I picked up my teacup and took a sip of warm water. Last Christmas, I was alone in L.A., staring at a table of cold Christmas dinner. Austin had told me over FaceTime that there was a massive issue with his project, and the entire team had to pull an all-nighter at the office. It turned out his “all-nighter” was bringing Chloe back to meet his family. The old lady slipped a stunning sapphire bracelet off her wrist and put it directly onto Chloe’s. “This is a gift from Grandma.” “Grandma… I couldn’t possibly accept this. You’ve mistaken me for someone else,” Chloe said, but her hand didn’t make any move to take the bracelet off. Austin leaned in and whispered in my ear, “Elena, let Chloe wear the bracelet for now. I’ll ask her to give it back to you after the party.” “Be mature. Don’t throw a fit today.” I shook my head. “No need to return it.” Austin froze, a flash of approval in his eyes. “I’m glad you see it that way. It actually looks quite nice on Chloe. I’ll buy you a new one some other day.” I put down my teacup. The tea was Earl Grey, Chloe’s favorite. Even Austin’s grandmother remembered her preference. While this was my first time entering the family estate, Chloe had already been here countless times. “Since you’ve given her the bracelet, let her keep it.” I looked at him calmly. “Austin, let’s break up.”

The smile on Austin’s face vanished instantly. “Just because of a bracelet? Elena, when did you become so incredibly petty?” “Yes, just because of a bracelet.” Chloe immediately started frantically trying to pull the bracelet off. “Elena, please don’t be mad. I’m taking it off right now. You two have been together for nine years, you can’t let it ruin your relationship because of me.” She pulled so hard that her wrist turned bright red, and tears welled up in her eyes. Austin grabbed her hand to stop her. “Why are you taking it off? You did nothing wrong.” “Chloe is still recovering. Do you have to humiliate her in front of everyone, Elena?” I couldn’t stand being there for another second. I turned and walked out. Behind me, whispers echoed through the hall. “She has such a terrible temper.” “Exactly. Men sometimes play around, she should just turn a blind eye.” Chloe spoke in a worried voice, “Austin, go after her. Elena is acting out of anger, what if something happens to her?” Austin sneered. “We’ve been together for nine years. She’s a thirty-year-old woman. Who else is going to take her in if not me?” He raised his voice so I could hear him. “If some people want to play hard to get, then our wedding date will just have to be pushed back even further.” The wedding boutique manager sent me a photo of the dress to confirm. [Ms. Elena, the deposit is non-refundable. You came in so many times for this. Are you sure you don’t want it anymore?] I stared at the screen for a long time. I had tried on seventeen wedding dresses in that shop all by myself. Every single photo I sent to Austin was met with a cold, automated reply: [Busy. You decide.] It turned out that one person’s expectation could never carry a future meant for two. [Cancel it,] I replied. The next morning, I went to work. A transfer notice was sitting on my desk. [Given Elena’s recent poor performance, she is being transferred to the administrative support team.] Right after, an announcement was posted in the company group chat: Chloe had been promoted to Senior Account Manager. Along with that, the project proposal I had spent seven sleepless nights and fifteen drafts perfecting now bore Chloe’s name as the lead. At the very bottom of the document, the approver’s signature was Austin’s. I called Austin immediately. “Saw the notice? I was just about to call you,” he said. “Austin, why is Chloe’s name on my proposal?” He chuckled softly. “You embarrassed Chloe at Grandma’s birthday party yesterday. She cried all night because of you.” “Giving her this project is to comfort her, and also to give you a little lesson.” Chloe’s congested voice came through the speaker. “Elena, if you’re unhappy about this, I can give the promotion back to you.” Austin cut her off. “Why would you give it back? She brought this on herself.” “Elena, as long as you behave and apologize to Chloe, the wedding is still on.” “I’ll make sure you get the next promotion slot.” I found it incredibly absurd. He was using my hard work to please another woman. I simply said, “Okay.” After hanging up, I submitted my resignation and clicked “accept” on an international job offer in Paris.

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I had just transferred the hard-earned money from my fifth side hustle to my boyfriend, Ethan, when a viral video popped up on my Instagram feed. It was a grand proposal that was breaking the internet. The sheer luxury of the setup was breathtaking. On screen, a man knelt on one knee, tears glistening in his eyes. “I regret so much that I didn’t confess my feelings to you before we went to study abroad. We let other people get in our way for so many years.” I sighed, thinking it was just another beautiful love story, and was about to swipe away. But then the camera panned. The man’s face came into full view. It was Ethan. And the girl crying tears of joy opposite him was my younger sister, Chloe. The only difference was that they both looked a bit more mature, a bit older. My eyes darted to the background banner. It read: “July 2030.” This was Ethan… four years into the future. Suddenly, a cold realization washed over me. Ethan’s stubborn insistence on going to London to study with Chloe wasn’t for my sake. It was never about me. Just then, two calls came in simultaneously—one from my supervisor at my next gig, and another from Chloe demanding her monthly allowance. I declined both. If they were meant to be, it would be extremely impolite of me to keep getting in their way.

On screen, Chloe sobbed out a tearful “Yes,” and the crowd erupted into cheers. Live streamers rushed forward, shoving microphones into their faces. I clicked into the most popular live stream. “Mr. Miller, it seems your journey with your fiancé wasn’t easy. Would you mind sharing your story with our viewers?” “Yes, please! Everyone in the chat is dying to know!” Ethan offered a gentle, practiced smile and wrapped his arm around Chloe’s waist. “Chloe, her older sister Nora, and I… we grew up in the foster care system together,” Ethan began softly. “Actually, I’ve always loved Chloe. But I never expected Nora to confess to me first. To protect the sisters’ relationship, I had to bottle up my feelings.” “I wanted to tell Nora so many times that I didn’t love her. But during our years studying abroad, she wouldn’t let go. She kept obsessively transferring money to us, trying to use financial guilt to keep us apart.” I stared at the screen, my breath catching in my throat. I couldn’t believe these words were coming from Ethan’s mouth. When Chloe graduated high school and wanted to go to a top-tier college in London, I didn’t hesitate. I told her to focus entirely on her studies, promising I would handle the money. Ethan had held my hands back then, begging me, “Nora, you know my degree won’t get me a good job here. I need to go to London with Chloe to build a better future. I’m doing this for our future family.” Since then, I had been working three regular jobs and countless side hustles, barely sleeping. I was terrified they would starve or feel less than their peers abroad. Ethan had promised he would marry me the moment he graduated. And now, all my sacrifices were reduced to “obsessive harassment” in his narrative. The live chat was absolutely ruthless. “What a toxic psychopath! She didn’t even try to improve her own life, but wanted to drag down two successful people.” “Thank God true love won in the end.” Ethan glanced at the rolling chat, a satisfied smirk flashing across his face before he turned to the crowd. “Alright, everyone. I have a special surprise for Chloe.” With a wave of his hand, the giant LED screen behind them began playing a video compilation. “Ethan Miller will definitely marry Chloe Evans one day.” In the video, a teenage Ethan wore his high school jacket, the silver necklace I had bought him with my first summer job check still hanging around his neck. The scene cut to a beaming Ethan. “We graduated! Chloe and I got into the same college program. We’re going to be together every single day!” My chest felt hollow, like my heart had been ripped out. When we were applying for colleges, my grades were good enough for a top university in a major city. But Ethan had begged me to choose a local community college to study nursing so I could get a job quickly. “You need to start earning ASAP to fund Chloe’s grad school,” he had argued. “After all, you’re her only family. Don’t worry, I’ll apply to a school in the same city as you.” But when the admission letters came, he and Chloe were accepted to a university in a completely different state. He told me it was a computer system error. The video kept playing. “Today is Chloe’s 23rd birthday. I can’t wait to give her this gift. I don’t have much money right now, so I could only get her this simple thing. But once I make it big, I’ll give her the world.” In his hand was a Chanel handbag—the exact luxury bag I had stared at through the glass display window during my shifts, never daring to touch. Her 23rd birthday was the day after tomorrow. I had just worked five grueling shifts back-to-back, sending him $5,000 to cover his “rent crisis,” only for him to spend it instantly on a “simple” designer bag for my sister. My body shook uncontrollably. Tears hot as fire rolled down my cheeks and splattered onto the back of my hand. I opened Snapchat and pulled up my chat with Ethan. “Ethan, are you really going to marry me?” After what felt like an eternity, a bubble popped up. “Don’t overthink things, babe.” Before I could type a reply, another message flashed on my screen. “When are you transferring Chloe’s allowance for this month?”

Of course. The only reason he even replied to me was because Chloe needed money. “I won’t be sending any more money for your living expenses. Ever.” After I sent that, the chat went dead silent. Suddenly, my phone rang. I answered, and the faint, whiny voice of a girl in the background grated on my nerves. I was about to hang up when Ethan’s voice came through the receiver. “You’ve been working really hard lately, haven’t you?” “Thank you for everything.” “Actually, I bought you a gift. It should be arriving today.” My hardened heart softened just a tiny bit. After hanging up, I went down to the lobby with a flicker of hope to retrieve the package. It was a cheap, poorly crocheted bag. The kind you could buy on eBay for five dollars. Holding the cheap yarn in my hands, I couldn’t even bring myself to be angry anymore. Right at this moment, he was probably using my hard-earned cash at a high-end boutique, picking out a luxury designer purse for Chloe. In the past, I would have immediately snap-chatted him a picture, telling him how much I loved it. But I was done acting. I dialed my manager’s number. “Hey, Mr. Davies. I’m accepting the transfer to the London branch. I’m ready to relocate permanently.” Within an hour, I signed the digital contract on the company portal and booked a one-way flight. Once everything was set, I couldn’t help but look back at the live stream to see how my “future” played out. The screen showed them in different outfits now. The venue had shifted to a stunning historic castle, with a massive multi-tiered cake standing in the center. “On July 5th, 2026, you finally became mine,” Ethan said into the microphone, looking passionately at Chloe. “From that very moment, I swore to myself that I would work myself to the bone to make sure you’d never suffer again.” I let out a bitter laugh. July 5th. That was my birthday. “So, I did everything I could to make money. And thank God, I can finally give you the home of your dreams.” My mind flashed back to the summer after high school graduation. I had gotten tipsy on cheap beer, crying about how exhausted I was and how much I just wanted a place to belong. Ethan had held me tight, whispering, “I’m going to build a home for us, Nora. I promise.” I had only ever seen him as a supportive friend from foster care, but from that night on, I fell hopelessly in love with him. “Ding.” A text popped up on my phone. “Nora, you really need to transfer Chloe’s allowance soon.” “I know it’s tough on you, but she’s your only sister.” “She’s literally starving here, surviving on cheap burgers because we have no cash.” The texts kept rolling in, one after another. My chest felt suffocated. They were complaining to me about being broke? When they first moved, Ethan complained that the dorms were too noisy and cramped, demanding to rent a luxury apartment off-campus. I spent my nights doing Uber Eats deliveries in torrential downpours just to pay his security deposit. Even when a car clipped my bike and left me with a hairline fracture, I didn’t complain once. When Chloe whined that walking to class made her legs hurt and begged for a Vespa, I washed dishes until my hands cracked and bled, never saying a word. I had only one thought back then: “My sister and my boyfriend love me. They are my family. I have to take care of them.” “Why aren’t you replying? Are you sick?” “Should I order some medicine to your place through DoorDash?” Ethan’s messages flooded my screen. I didn’t reply to a single one. On the live stream, the romantic speech reached its climax. “Fortunately, after Nora went completely delusional, claiming we betrayed her, she had a massive psychological breakdown and had to be committed to a mental facility.” “Even God was on our side.” Hearing those words, a sharp, stabbing pain shot through my chest. I could barely breathe. Ethan’s messages were still flashing on my phone. I opened the chat. “Ethan, you don’t have to marry me anymore.” “And I don’t want to marry you, either.”

He didn’t reply. On the screen, the host was asking Ethan about my commitment to the mental facility. The viewers in the chat seemed thrilled to see the “villain” who tried to ruin true love finally get her karma. Ethan cleared his throat, speaking with a sigh of mock pity. “After graduation, Chloe and I tried to distance ourselves from her.” “Normally, anyone with an ounce of self-respect would have taken the hint. But instead, she kept calling, demanding to know when we were coming home.” Chloe took the microphone, putting on a victim act. “Yeah, she was shameless. She wouldn’t leave Ethan alone. We didn’t want to humiliate her publicly, so we just stopped visiting.” “But then she actually tracked us down near our campus. She started telling our classmates that she had been funding our lives for years and that we had abandoned her.” “She made us look like ungrateful monsters. For a long time, we couldn’t even hold our heads up in front of our friends.” Chloe wiped away a stray tear. Ethan wrapped an arm around her, patting her shoulder reassuringly. “She wanted to use financial leverage to make us feel guilty, but I didn’t give her the chance. I flat out told her that Chloe and I were together.” “I told her that we had already crossed that line, and we were officially a couple.” “I guess her fragile mind couldn’t take it. She just… snapped.” Someone in the crowd yelled, “She went crazy because she couldn’t have you!” Ethan remained silent, but a faint, mocking smirk played at the corner of his lips. I knew that smirk. Back in high school, when he fought off three bullies at the school gate for me, wiping blood from his lip, he had warned them: “Touch Nora again, and I’ll end you.” He had that exact same arrogant smirk on his face. But back then, I thought he was my protector. Tears were streaming down my face now. In my memory, he had always been a good guy. In foster care, when other kids tried to take our food, he would always stand in front of Chloe and me, holding his arms out. “Don’t be scared, Nora. I’ll protect you guys forever.” But now, his protection only extended to Chloe. The grand proposal live stream finally ended. I sat in the dark apartment for a long time, unable to move. The two people I loved most in the world were going to betray me, gaslight me, and drive me into an asylum. I refused to accept that ending. I spent the rest of the night packing my bags. I needed to leave for London as soon as possible. Around 3:00 AM, a frantic knocking echoed from my front door. I crept up and looked through the peephole. Ethan was standing outside, looking completely panicked. The moment I opened the door, he practically threw himself inside, wrapping his arms tightly around me. “Nora! Oh my god, I was so worried about you!” I raised my hands and pushed him away. His face froze. “What… what’s wrong?” I shook my head, keeping my voice flat. “Nothing. Why are you here?” Ethan stammered, looking uneasy. “I was so worried after your last message. I literally booked the earliest flight back.” “I’m just glad you’re okay.” Before I could even process his sudden arrival, he added, “Since you’re fine… could you please transfer Chloe’s allowance? She’s really stressed out.” I let out a cold, sharp laugh. “When I got hit by a car and was hospitalized, you knew about it, but you didn’t even bother to call, let alone fly back.” “But for her…” The words choked in my throat. I swallowed down the bitterness. “Never mind.” Ethan’s brow furrowed, and he grabbed my shoulders. “Nora, I didn’t have the money for a plane ticket back then! You know that!” I didn’t answer. I turned around and walked toward my bedroom. His eyes scanned the apartment and fell on my packed suitcases. “Nora? Where are you going?” I kept my head down, wiping away my last tear. “I’m leaving. I’m getting out of your and Chloe’s way.”

Ethan stared at me in shock, then let out his signature gentle chuckle. “Silly girl, what are you talking about?” “Have you been overthinking things because we’ve been apart for too long?” Looking at him now, I finally realized what an incredible actor he was. “Chloe is just my sister-in-law, Nora. I only care about her because of you. I don’t have any feelings for her.” “Come on, stop being dramatic.” He reached out to ruffle my hair. “I’m going to run to the 7-Eleven down the street to grab some food. I’ll stay here and keep you company for a few days.” He turned and left the apartment. Like a possessed woman, I opened Instagram and searched for the account that had streamed the proposal. Their “epic love story” had already gone viral. I had been branded as the toxic, obsessed ex-girlfriend. The comments were flooded with hate directed at me. As I scrolled, one comment caught my eye: “No need to waste your energy hating her. Karma got her. Word is that Nora Evans actually passed away last night.” My heart stopped. I quickly replied with a burner account: “Do you have any details?” The user replied almost instantly. “Ethan hated her. After they put her in the psych ward, he refused to pay for her care or even visit. Her mental health deteriorated rapidly. My friend who works at the facility said she watched the proposal video, went to sleep, and never woke up. The nurses heard her crying and whispering about how unfair it all was before she passed.” Reading this, my breath hitched. Pure, icy terror gripped my throat. I forced myself to take deep breaths to stop my hands from shaking. Once I calmed down, I opened my airline app and rescheduled my flight to London for the very next morning. I had to run. I had to rewrite this ending. Just as I put my phone down, Ethan returned with a bag of snacks. He sat down next to me on the couch, and I instinctively flinched away. His eyes flashed with confusion, but he quickly opened a bag of chips. “Here, Nora. These are your favorite. I bought a bunch and put them in the pantry.” “Don’t be mad at me anymore, okay? I promise to spend more time with you from now on.” Right then, his phone vibrated. He tried to turn away, but in the quiet room, I could clearly hear Chloe’s sobbing voice from the speaker. “Ethan… I’m so scared here by myself…” Ethan stood up quickly and locked himself in the bathroom. Five minutes later, he came out with a helpless expression. “Nora, I’m so sorry. My advisor just called. There’s an emergency with my thesis, and I have to fly back immediately.” “I can’t stay with you right now.” “But I promise, I’ll make it up to you during the holidays.” In the past, I would have begged him to stay, tears streaming down my face. But now, I simply nodded. “Go ahead.” A flash of doubt crossed Ethan’s face, but he brushed it off. Before sunrise, he was ready to leave. At the door, he suddenly stopped, turned around, and pulled me into a tight embrace. “Don’t worry, Nora. I will marry you. I promise.” His eyes were slightly red. For a split second, I couldn’t tell if he was acting or if there was a shred of sincerity left in him. I just nodded to get him to leave. Before boarding my flight, I checked Instagram again and found Ethan’s personal account. Someone had left a comment on his post: “I heard Nora passed away.” His reply was a simple: “Thank you.” The plane took off, and I switched my phone to airplane mode. When we finally landed in London, I nervously turned my phone back on. I let out a massive sigh of relief. The video, the account, the comments… they were all gone. The timeline had shifted.

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On my wedding day to Julian, his Shibari artist ex-girlfriend and “first love,” Chloe, quietly returned to the country. Since then, Julian was always out of reach. He was either finding people for her to practice her rope rigging on, or busy cleaning up her messy accidents. It went on until Chloe tied me up in those tight, brutal ropes, forcing a miscarriage that took the baby in my womb. As I was being rushed to the hospital, slipping in and out of consciousness, Julian gently touched my lower abdomen. “Chloe said real art requires sacrifice. Don’t worry, you’re incredibly fertile anyway. We can always have another baby.” “I’ve already spoken to the doctors. They’ll do everything they can to keep you healthy.” Before I was even wheeled into the operating room, his assistant rushed over, saying Chloe had tripped in a pool of blood and scraped her knee. Without hesitation, Julian left with him. He had no idea that the baby was the very last one I had risked my life to keep for him, defying my System’s warnings. It was also the sole condition for me to give up my mission and return to my original world.

Julian’s hurried footsteps faded at the end of the long hallway. I lay all alone on the cold metal gurney. The freezing metal frame pressed against my back, and the IV fluid slowly dripped down the tube. The nurse wheeled me toward the operating room in silence. The medical staff around us looked at my pale face, their eyes filled with pity. The fully-formed baby inside me had already stopped moving. The lead surgeon put on sterile gloves, his brows furrowed in deep sympathy. “Evelyn, your uterus was already severely damaged from previous miscarriages.” “Having to induce labor at this stage… the chances of you conceiving again are almost zero. You most likely won’t be able to have children ever again.” As his voice fell, a cold, mechanical sound suddenly rang in my mind. But this time, the usually emotionless electronic voice carried a hint of pity. “Host, you risked your soul and defied the System’s rules to have this baby. I can make an exception and save the fetus for you.” “After all, you were so stubborn about completing your mission with Julian, risking your life to get pregnant multiple times, only to end up with miscarriages. I don’t want you to leave with absolutely nothing.” I stared at the harsh, bright surgical lights above me and let out a dry, bitter laugh. “No need. You can’t force someone to love you.” The System was silent for a moment, as if wanting to persuade me further. But seeing the utter deadness in my eyes, its voice returned to its usual icy tone. “Understood. Proceeding with Host’s choice. However, the anesthesia will be blocked immediately.” “All pain during the surgery will be multiplied. This will serve as your final trial to leave this world.” The moment the anesthesia wore off, painful, shattered memories rushed into my mind. I remembered Chloe binding me with those thick ropes, pulling them brutally tight across my abdomen. The pain was so agonizing that I had curled up on the floor, screaming. “Julian, it hurts so bad! Please, untie me!” But he had only shaken his head. “Chloe’s rope art requires sacrifice. Just bear with it, Evelyn. Stop making a scene.” As I struggled in agony, my foot had accidentally brushed against Chloe. It was barely a touch, but Julian had immediately panicked, pulling her into his arms to check if she was hurt. Then, he turned around and personally tightened the ropes around me. That heartbreak had already carved itself into my bones. Compared to that, what was a little physical pain now? I slowly nodded. In the darkness, I felt the sharp scalpel slice through my skin. The sensation of cold surgical instruments stirring inside my abdomen was sharp and agonizing. Warm blood poured out of my body continuously. Wave after wave of excruciating pain washed over me, threatening to swallow me whole. When the long surgery finally ended, all my strength was gone. I felt like an empty shell that had lost its soul as the nurses wheeled me out. The System’s voice chimed in right on time. “Congratulations, Host, on successfully passing the departure trial. You will be transported back to your original world in forty-eight hours.”

I was taken back to a regular recovery room. Just as I leaned back against the pillows to rest, the door was pushed open. Julian walked in, holding a thermal flask. His eyes fell on my suddenly flat stomach. A fleeting look of guilt crossed his face, and he stepped forward, reaching out to pull me into his arms. I turned my head slightly, coldly dodging his touch. My hand instinctively protected my empty stomach. Julian froze, a look of shock flashing in his eyes. But he quickly masked it, his voice softening. “I know you’re still angry. I know you suffered this time. To make it up to you, I’ll stay here and take care of you.” He opened the flask and poured out a bowl of rich, thick herbal soup, holding it out to me. The heavy, greasy smell hit me, making my stomach churn. I frowned. Seeing my reaction, Julian’s brow furrowed, his tone turning annoyed. “Chloe made this herself and asked me to bring it to you. I’m even feeding you personally. What more do you want, Evelyn?” In the past, whenever he mentioned Chloe, I would lose control and scream at him. Because of those fights, he had stopped bringing her up, but he had also grown colder and more distant. But now, as I touched my empty belly, I felt absolutely nothing. I replied flatly, “I’m not ungrateful. I just don’t have an appetite after the surgery.” My calm reaction caught Julian off guard. He set the bowl down and grabbed my wrist, wanting to say something. But the door opened again, and Chloe walked in, wearing a delicate, elegant dress. She kept her eyes down, looking incredibly hurt. “Why won’t you drink the soup, Evelyn? Do you hate me that much?” “I know I’m clumsy. I even cut my hand while making it. It’s only natural you’d look down on it.” Julian immediately let go of my hand. He rushed over to grab Chloe’s hand, examining her tiny cut before calling for a doctor. Chloe giggled, gently tapping his chest. “It’s just a scratch. It’s already treated. As long as Evelyn finishes the soup, my hard work won’t be wasted.” Julian turned back, picking up the bowl and pushing it toward me again. I looked at the two of them acting so intimate. Since I only had two days left, there was no point in fighting anymore. I took the bowl, forced down the nausea rising in my throat, and drank the greasy soup in one gulp. Seeing me finish it, Julian’s face softened a bit. “Good girl. Get some rest. I’ll stay here with you.” The moment he said that, Chloe chimed in. “Oh, don’t stay here. Our rope experiment got interrupted because of Evelyn earlier. You have to make it up to me.” “Let’s just use the empty private room next door. That way, we won’t disturb Evelyn’s rest.” Soon, my room became dead quiet. My heart still ached for my unborn child. I wanted to ask Julian for a proper burial place for the baby, so I forced myself up and slowly walked to the room next door. The door wasn’t fully closed. I could see everything inside. Julian was lying on the bed, bound in layers of intricate ropes. Chloe’s fingers slowly traced his skin, her eyes full of desire. “Since I came back, I’ve wanted a baby that belongs to just the two of us. Will you give me that, Julian?” Their intimate whispers drifted into my ears clearly. I stood outside the door quietly. The very last shred of hope I had for this man completely shattered and turned to ash.

I turned around to go back to my room. But my body was too weak after the surgery, and the greasy soup made my stomach churn again. I gasped, my shoulder heavily bumping against the doorframe. Julian quickly untied himself and rushed out of the room. He patted my back to help me catch my breath. The scent of Chloe’s expensive perfume clung to his shirt. The strong fragrance triggered my nausea again. I pushed him away with all the strength I had left, leaning against the wall. Chloe walked out leisurely behind him. The passion in her eyes had completely vanished, replaced by her usual innocent, fragile act. She spoke softly, “I don’t have much time left to live, and I don’t want to get married. I just want a child of my own.” “Julian only agreed to help me because he saw how lonely and miserable I was. While you’re recovering from losing your baby, you can help us take care of our child to fill the void.” I knew she was mocking me, but my face remained completely blank. “None of my business. I was just passing by.” Chloe wouldn’t let it go. She stepped closer. “Evelyn, I know you think I’m disgusting. But I had no choice. You can understand me, right?” I looked up at her. “You are indeed disgusting.” My blunt words took her by surprise. Tears instantly filled her eyes, and she made a move to drop to her knees to apologize, sobbing. “Then I’ll just disappear. I won’t ruin your life anymore.” Julian immediately caught her, pulling her up. He glared at me with absolute disgust. “Evelyn! This is Chloe’s only wish. Why do you have to be so cruel and push her to the edge?” I wanted to laugh. Julian had always been so stingy with his warmth and tenderness when it came to me during our marriage. For him, I had gotten pregnant multiple times and suffered miscarriages, facing the pain of losing my babies all by myself every single time. A million emotions choked my chest, but I was too tired to argue. I turned to leave. But Julian suddenly picked me up in his arms and carried me back to my hospital bed. “The one I love has always been you. I’m only helping Chloe to fulfill her dying wish.” “Since you care so much about this, I’ll give you another baby. Will you stop throwing these tantrums then?” Before he could lean down any closer, I struggled with all my might, crying out in terror, “No!” But Julian ignored me, tightly grabbing my wrists. Driven to a corner, I gathered every ounce of strength I had left and slapped him across the face. The loud slap echoed in the room. Julian froze. Then, his eyes flared with rage. “Evelyn! You are getting completely out of hand.” “Since you don’t want it, I promise you will never have a child of mine again. Don’t you dare regret this!” With that threat, Julian slammed the door. Not long after, the playful, suggestive giggles from the room next door drifted into my ears. I lay on the bed quietly with my eyes closed. I only had one day left before I could leave this world. Nothing mattered anymore. The next morning, ignoring the doctor’s warnings, I checked myself out of the hospital. I went back to our penthouse, took off my diamond wedding ring, and threw it into the trash chute. I didn’t take a single thing that Julian had bought me. I only packed a small suitcase with my own belongings. Just as I finished, the front door was pushed open. Julian stood there, his brows furrowed as he looked at my suitcase. “Where do you think you’re going with that?”

The scent of Chloe’s perfume on Julian was even stronger now. Before I could speak, he stepped forward and snatched my suitcase away. His eyes were filled with impatience, assuming I was still playing hard to get. “Stop acting out. Chloe just came up with a new rope design. Go over and help her practice.” “If you behave well and make her happy, I might reconsider the baby thing.” I used to desperately want his baby because I loved him to death. But now, I looked him dead in the eye and said calmly, “I don’t want your baby anymore. And I will never be her guinea pig again.” “Since you love helping her so much, why don’t you go keep her company for the rest of her short life?” Right then, the System’s voice chimed in my head. “The twelve-hour countdown to departure has begun.” My rejection completely infuriated Julian. He violently kicked my suitcase, sending it sliding across the floor. His face was ice-cold. “I knew you wouldn’t listen. I’ve already sent men to pick up your mother.” Hearing the word “mother,” my heart seized. In this strange world, my mother, Sarah, was my only comfort. During the countless nights Julian had left me alone, she was the one who stayed by my side. She gently healed my loneliness and anxiety. She was the only person I cared about in this world. I rushed forward to stop him. “Don’t you dare touch my mom!” Julian grabbed my arm. His grip was like iron, his voice cold and commanding. “You don’t get a say in this.” He dragged me out of the penthouse and threw me into his car. The car sped through the city and finally stopped at the underground warehouse of Chloe’s private estate. The warehouse was dimly lit. When I looked up, I saw my mother hanging from the ceiling by ropes. Her limbs were tied tightly, and her face was deathly pale. I screamed, trying to run over to untie her, but Julian held me back firmly. “Chloe has no interest in hurting an old lady. If you want to save your mother, take her place.” Looking at my mother’s agonizing state, I bit my lip and nodded. A smug smile spread across Chloe’s face. “Smart girl. Once I’m pregnant with Julian’s baby, I’ll need to rest. This will probably be my last session.” With that, she began tying my limbs. Julian quickly pushed her aside, telling her not to exhaust herself and that he would handle the rest. Rough ropes were wrapped tightly around my skin, squeezing my waist and chest. My blood flow was cut off, and a suffocating feeling washed over me. My limbs gradually went numb and freezing cold. The torture went on for what felt like eternity. My face turned paper-white, and my body shook uncontrollably. Seeing this, Julian was about to call it off, but Chloe held his arm to stop him. “The time isn’t up yet.” Then, she pressed her hand to her forehead, looking weak. “Julian, I feel so dizzy and hot… Do you think it’s because of my illness?” All of Julian’s attention immediately shifted to her. Filled with worry, he carefully scooped Chloe into his arms and rushed out of the warehouse. He didn’t even look back at me. I was left hanging in the middle of the dark, silent warehouse. Just as the agonizing pain was about to make me pass out, the System’s voice suddenly rang in my head. “Warning: Host’s life is in extreme danger. Emergency departure can be activated immediately. Do you wish to return to your original world now?” I looked at my unconscious mother on the floor. “Yes,” I whispered in my mind. The next second, a powerful force pulled my soul out of my body. … Julian was too worried about Chloe’s dizziness. He drove her straight to the nearest hospital. But shortly after they arrived, his phone rang. It was his assistant. The voice on the other end was frantic. “Mr. Julian, the other volunteers who practiced Chloe’s rope art before are all having severe medical emergencies!” “The authorities are investigating. They need Chloe to come down and explain her techniques immediately.” Julian frowned. He was confident in Chloe’s skills, so he answered carelessly, “Don’t bother Chloe. Go to the warehouse and bring Evelyn to testify.” “She has always been obedient. She will tell them the technique is perfectly safe.” He was certain he had me wrapped around his finger. But a few minutes later, the assistant called back, his voice trembling. “Mr. Julian… we just went to the warehouse. We took Mrs. Evelyn down from the ropes… but she’s not breathing…”

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My husband was taking me out to dinner. The moment we got into his new car, he casually gave a voice command to the console: “Navigate to our usual spot.” The screen flashed, and the GPS immediately pinned a famous, high-end organic bistro known exclusively for its curated maternity menu. I looked at him, completely confused. “I thought we were going to that Omakase place downtown?” Julian’s face stiffened for a microsecond. Then, he let out a casual laugh and swiped the screen to cancel the route. “This stupid system. It’s been full of bugs since the last software update. I need to take it to the dealership tomorrow. Did it scare you, babe?” My heart sank, but I chose to stay silent. A few days later, I drove to his office to drop off some urgent tax documents. Just as I parked, I saw his gorgeous new assistant, Tiffany. She walked straight up to Julian’s brand-new car, completely at ease, and unlocked it with a quick voice command. “Adjust the passenger seat to maternity lounge mode. Use my personalized profile, please.” The documents in my hands scattered all over the concrete. Julian had told me that this car only registered one woman’s voice—mine. Now, it was obeying someone else.

“Mrs. Vance? What are you doing here?” Tiffany’s sweet, high-pitched voice snapped me back to reality. Panic flashed across her face. She quickly knelt down to help me gather the scattered papers. Right then, Julian came rushing out of the office building. Seeing the mess on the ground, he frowned. But instead of walking toward me, he went straight to Tiffany. “What happened?” He grabbed Tiffany’s arm, his voice laced with a tense panic I had never heard before. Tiffany’s eyes instantly welled up with tears. She shook her head. “It’s nothing, really. Mrs. Vance just…” Only then did Julian turn his annoyed gaze to me. “Fiona, what is wrong with you? Why are you being so clumsy?” “Why does she have voice access to this car?” I asked, pointing directly at the brand-new SUV. Julian froze. He let go of Tiffany and stepped closer to me. The annoyance on his face melted into his signature gentle smile. He lowered his voice. “Tiffany had a family emergency, and I had to let her borrow the car. I just set up a temporary profile for her.” “It was just for convenience, Fiona. It’s a temporary guest setting. Don’t overthink it.” “A temporary setting?” I squeezed the papers in my hand, repeating his words. “But she literally said ‘passenger maternity lounge mode’ and ‘personalized profile.’ You call that temporary?” Julian choked on his words. A flash of irritation crossed his eyes, but he quickly covered it up. “Fiona, you must have misheard her. She said ‘cloud-saved driving mode.’ The voice recognition system in this car has been acting up lately.” “She’s just a young girl fresh out of college. How could she possibly be pregnant?” He said it so confidently, so righteously. He was treating me like an idiot. Did he really think I was hallucinating? “Julian, do you honestly think I’m that stupid?” Tiffany chimed in from the side, looking utterly helpless. “Mrs. Vance, I have a bit of an accent, so maybe that caused the mix-up. Mr. Vance was just being kind enough to help me when I was in a rush.” She called him “Mr. Vance,” but they were practically finishing each other’s sentences. Watching them play their little roles made my chest tighten with a suffocating anger. When we got home, Julian went back to his usual doting self, acting as if nothing had happened. He even voluntarily did all the chores. That night, he wrapped his arms around me from behind, kissing my neck. “Babe, don’t be mad anymore. I promise I won’t set up temporary profiles for anyone else ever again, okay?” I didn’t say a word. While he was in the shower, I grabbed the car keys and went downstairs alone. I sat in the driver’s seat. The faint, sweet scent of another woman’s perfume had not yet faded. I took a deep breath, mimicked Tiffany’s soft tone, and spoke to the console. “Hello.” The car’s system responded with a cold, robotic voice: “Identity unrecognized. Please use a registered voice profile or key fob to operate.” It felt like a knife had plunged straight into my heart.

The next morning, Julian brought breakfast to my bed, looking incredibly eager to please. “Babe, it really was a system bug. I called the dealership first thing this morning.” “They said the latest software update has messed up some user data, especially the voice profiles. They told me to bring it in for a factory reset when I have time.” “I’ve already deleted Tiffany’s temporary profile. You can rest easy now, okay?” His eyes were filled with nothing but sincerity. I stared at him, unable to say a word. If I hadn’t heard that “Identity unrecognized” prompt with my own ears last night, I probably would have believed him. For the next few days, he treated me like we were back in the honeymoon phase. He came home straight after work and spent the weekend taking me out to movies and shopping. He even suggested we finally go on that luxury trip to Hawaii we had delayed for years. His sudden wave of tenderness began to slowly wear down my defenses. I almost let myself fall back into his beautiful illusion. On Wednesday, I took Julian’s car to the grocery store. I casually said to the console, “Play some music.” The system paused for a few seconds. “Sure. Playing Tiffany’s Favorite Playlist.” A cold shiver ran down my spine, and my blood froze instantly. I began tapping the screen frantically like a madwoman, trying to turn it off. But no matter what I pressed, the words “Tiffany’s Favorite Playlist” remained locked in the center of the screen. I pulled over to the curb, my heart hammering against my ribs. Didn’t he say he deleted her? Why was this still here? When Julian came home that night, I confronted him immediately. “What is ‘Tiffany’s Favorite Playlist’ doing in your car?” He gasped, then quickly put on a look of sheer frustration. “This piece of junk! I told you the system is completely messed up!” He pulled out his phone, put it on speaker, and called the dealership representative right in front of me. “What is wrong with my car? Didn’t you guys say it was reset? Why is another user’s playlist still popping up when my wife drives it?” The representative on the phone apologized profusely, claiming it might be a cloud cache issue and asking him to bring it in again. Julian hung up and pinched the bridge of his nose, looking exhausted. “Babe, please don’t overthink this. It’s genuinely just a technical glitch.” “I’ll take a day off tomorrow to get this sorted out once and for all.” He took my hand and kissed it gently. “And to give you peace of mind, I’ve already transferred Tiffany to another department. Is that enough?” I looked into his eyes. “Really?” “Really. Have I ever lied to you?” His gaze was steady, without a hint of guilt. The heavy stone in my heart finally felt a little lighter. But the next day, while doing the laundry, I found a crumpled piece of paper in his suit pocket. It was a billing receipt from an elite private maternity clinic. The date on the receipt was the exact day he had sworn to me that he had deleted her profile. Under the patient name, it read: “Fiona Miller.” That was my name.

Clutching the receipt, I stormed into Julian’s home office. “What is this?” I slammed the paper onto his desk. He was reviewing some reports, but when he saw the receipt, he remained surprisingly calm. “Fiona, your health hasn’t been great lately, right? I asked a friend to book a top specialist for you. I wanted to surprise you.” “Tiffany happened to feel unwell that day too, so I just gave her a ride and got her a basic checkup first.” “I used your name for her registration because I didn’t want you to worry and get the wrong idea.” The explanation sounded absolutely seamless. “A surprise?” My voice was trembling. “Julian, do you honestly think I am brain-dead?” “An early pregnancy confirmation test. Is that your surprise for me?” The air in the office instantly turned freezing cold. Julian’s face darkened, his gentle facade completely vanishing. He stood up and walked toward me, step by step. “Fiona, what are you trying to say? Are you accusing me of cheating?” He raised his voice, sounding deeply offended. “Is that who I am to you? A man who would just betray you like that?” “We’ve been married for three years. How I’ve treated you… do you have no heart?” With every sentence, he took another step closer. The sheer pressure of his imposing figure forced me backward until my spine hit the cold wall. “Then what about Tiffany? Where did you transfer her?” I gritted my teeth and asked. “I told you, another department! Why can’t you just trust me!” he roared. Suddenly, his phone buzzed. He glanced at the screen and immediately silenced it. “Fiona, can you please be rational? Are you really going to destroy our marriage over some petty suspicion about an outsider?” Even as he tried to soothe me with his words, his fingers were rapidly typing a text. I saw it clearly on his screen: “Don’t worry, I’m handling her.” My heart plummeted into a dark, bottomless abyss. There was nothing left to deny. The person on the other end of that phone was Tiffany. While his mouth was promising me the world, his fingers were busy comforting his pregnant mistress. I suddenly felt a wave of mocking laughter bubble up in my throat. “Julian, let’s get a divorce.” I said those words with absolute, chilling calm. He froze. “What did you say?” “I said, I want a divorce.” I looked him dead in the eye. “I can’t live like this anymore. Go spend the rest of your life with your little assistant.” His face turned a terrible shade of gray. “Fiona! Have you lost your mind?!” He grabbed my wrist with terrifying force. “Over this? Over some stupid software glitch in a car? You want to throw away our marriage?!” Suddenly, a sharp, agonizing pain ripped through my lower abdomen. I let out a weak groan, and cold sweat instantly drenched my forehead.

The pain was so blinding that my vision went black. My knees buckled, and I slid down the wall onto the floor. “Julian… my stomach… it hurts so bad…” I curled into a ball on the floor, my voice barely a whisper. Julian squatted down, looking down at me with cold, skeptical eyes. “What now? You were perfectly fine a second ago. What kind of sick game are you playing, Fiona?” “I’m not playing… it hurts…” I felt a sudden, warm gush of liquid between my thighs. I looked down. The fabric of my pants was rapidly staining bright red. Blood. Julian saw it too, and his pupils dilated in sheer shock. “How… why are you bleeding?” He finally realized I wasn’t acting. He tried to lift me up but panicked, his hands shaking violently. The pain was causing me to black out. I used the last ounce of my strength to grab his hem. “Call 911… please…” As if waking from a nightmare, he fumbled for his phone. The moment the call connected, he stammered: “My… my wife has severe abdominal pain. She’s bleeding a lot… but she was just arguing with me a second ago…” Hearing his words, I nearly choked on my own breath. Even at a moment like this, he was trying to paint me as the hysterical, difficult wife to the dispatcher. Thankfully, the operator was highly professional. She cut him off and demanded our address immediately. On the way to the hospital, the agonizing pain kept dragging me in and out of consciousness. Julian’s phone rang again. It was Tiffany. He answered it, whispering in a low, hushed tone. “I have an emergency here… don’t worry, just find a place to sit down and rest. I’ll come over as soon as I’m done here.” I was lying on a gurney, practically dying, while my husband was using his gentlest voice to soothe another woman. The moment we arrived at the hospital, I was rushed straight into the emergency room. After a quick examination behind the curtain, the doctor’s face turned incredibly grave. “It’s an ectopic pregnancy. The fallopian tube has ruptured, causing severe internal bleeding. We need to perform emergency surgery right now!” Julian stood there, completely dumbfounded. “Ectopic pregnancy? How… we always use protection…” Just then, Tiffany actually showed up at the hospital. She looked pale and fragile, practically trembling. The moment she saw Julian, her tears began to stream down her face. “Julian, I’m so scared…” Then, she noticed me on the gurney and the critical consent form in the doctor’s hand. She walked over to my bedside, her voice dripping with sweet poison. “Fiona, how could you be so careless… Did you stress the baby out during your argument with Julian this afternoon?” “Do you have any idea how much Julian was looking forward to having a baby? If this is because of me…” Hearing this, Julian suddenly snapped. He rushed over, grabbed my shoulders, and began shaking me violently. The agonizing pain in my abdomen coupled with his rough shaking made my vision spin into darkness. “Fiona! What does this have to do with Tiffany? Did you do this on purpose to get rid of the baby?!” “Do you hate me that much?! To the point of using our own child to punish me?!” The doctor immediately slammed him back. “What are you doing?! The patient is in critical condition!” The doctor shoved the surgical consent form and the critical condition notice into Julian’s shaking hands. “This is an emergency! We need to remove the ruptured fallopian tube, and we might even have to perform a hysterectomy to save her life! Sign it now!” Julian held the pen, but his hand was shaking uncontrollably. Tiffany whispered from behind him, her voice filled with mock concern. “Julian… a hysterectomy… does that mean… Fiona will never be able to have children again?” Julian’s hand froze. He looked at me, and in his eyes, there was not a single shred of pity or love. I felt my life slowly draining away. The pain in my abdomen was consuming me entirely. Looking at this hesitating man—the man who had sworn to love and protect me for the rest of his life, yet hesitated to save me when I was dying—my heart finally died. With the very last of my strength, I dragged myself up and reached for my bag. I pulled out a document and a pen I had prepared beforehand. I signed my own name on the surgical consent form. Then, I flipped to the last page of the “Divorce Agreement” I had drafted days ago, and signed my name there too, smearing a drop of my own blood onto the paper. I weakly shoved both documents into his face. “Sign it, and I’ll go into the operating room myself.” Julian stared at the blood-stained divorce papers, completely paralyzed. His mouth opened, but no sound came out. The nurse beside us stamped her foot in frustration. “What are you waiting for?! If we delay any longer, she’s going to die!” My consciousness was fading fast, and my vision began to double. Without looking at him again, I turned to the doctor. “Doctor, I signed it myself. I take full responsibility.” With those final words, I plummeted into absolute darkness.

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“Babe, you need to clear your weekend schedule right now. You’re taking me to that new French restaurant that just opened downtown.” The moment I walked into my husband’s office, my jaw dropped. Benjamin, the man who always prided himself on keeping a strict professional distance from the opposite sex, was holding the hand of our new intern, Nora. Fury flared in my chest. I stormed over, my hand automatically raising to slap this homewrecker across the face. But right before my hand made contact, a strange, robotic voice echoed in my head: 【Slap me! Come on, hit me hard!】 【The stream chat said that if she hits me, Benjamin will hate her even more!】 【What a brainless heiress. A cheap trick, and she totally fell for it.】 【Keep throwing your tantrum, honey. I’m the main character here.】 【Your ending is a one-way ticket to a mental asylum. Mine is a fairy-tale wedding with Benjamin.】 My hand froze mid-air. I looked at Nora. Her eyes were wide with eager anticipation, practically begging for the slap. Instead of hitting her, I lowered my hand, reached out, and gently patted her soft cheek. “Nora, your skin is absolutely glowing,” I said, my voice dripping with honey. “No wonder Benjamin likes you so much. He just can’t seem to let go of your hand, can he?”

Nora froze. A flicker of absolute confusion crossed her innocent little face. This was clearly not how her script was supposed to go. 【Why didn’t she hit me?!】 【The stream chat explicitly said she’d slap me the moment she saw us holding hands!】 【If she doesn’t hit me, how is Benjamin supposed to feel sorry for me and start hating her?!】 I sneered inwardly. Hit you? In your dreams, sweetie. Benjamin quickly let go of Nora’s hand, stepping forward to wrap his arm around my waist. “Atalanta, don’t get the wrong idea. She almost tripped, and I was just catching her.” “Oh, I believe you.” I looked up at him, flashing him my sweetest, most dazzling smile. “Babe, I have a quick question for you.” “What is it?” “I really like this girl.” I slid my arm through his, leaning in with my usual pampered, spoiled attitude. “Transfer her to my office. I want her as my personal assistant.” I needed to keep this girl right under my nose to see what other “plots” she was cooking up. Benjamin frowned slightly, hesitating. “She’s doing incredibly well in the Mergers and Acquisitions department. The M&A director specifically requested to keep her.” Nora’s mental voice immediately erupted with joy. 【The M&A director never said that!】 【The chat was right! Benjamin definitely has feelings for me, his destined heroine. He’s already making up excuses to keep me close!】 【Atalanta is such a clueless idiot.】 The fire in my chest flared up again. I pushed Benjamin away. “What’s that supposed to mean? I can’t even have one intern?” “Atalanta, that’s not what I meant…” “Then what do you mean?” I stared him down. Benjamin was taken aback by my sharp tone. He subconsciously glanced at Nora. Nora stood behind him, looking terrified and fragile on the outside. In her mind, though, she was throwing a party. 【Yes! Atalanta is throwing a fit! The chat is so right—the more she throws tantrums, the more annoyed Benjamin gets!】 【Benjamin just looked at me! He’s worried about my feelings! His affection points just went up again!】 I took a deep breath, suppressing the violent urge to slap them both. “Benjamin, I’m only asking you once.” I crossed my arms, tilting my chin toward Nora. “Are you giving her to me, or not?” I had been pampered by my parents my entire life, and since marrying Benjamin, I had never faced a single “no” from him. And now, he was hesitating over a mere intern? He had to be joking. Looking at my cold expression, Benjamin finally sighed. “Of course. Whatever makes you happy, babe.” Nora’s mind instantly went into overdrive— 【What?! He’s actually transferring me to her?】 【No way! How am I supposed to romance Benjamin if I’m stuck working for her!】 【Wait… the chat says it’s fine. A transfer will actually make Benjamin feel guilty.】 【He’ll start seeing Atalanta as selfish and unreasonable.】 【Yes, yes! As long as I play the victim, he’ll only pity me more!】 For the next few days, I kept Nora right under my eyes. But every single morning, the first thing she did wasn’t reporting to me. She would sneak straight into Benjamin’s office. 【Benjamin complimented my financial report today. He said it was better than the senior analysts’ work.】 【The chat says: Affection points +10.】 At lunchtime, she would “coincidentally” run into Benjamin in the corporate cafeteria. 【He actually asked if I was eating alone and sat at my table!】 【He said I have a great personality and a strong work ethic—unlike some rich girls who only know how to spend money~】 In the afternoon, when Benjamin came to my office to discuss business and saw Nora working overtime, he’d casually say, “Thanks for your hard work. Don’t stay too late.” 【He cares about me!】 【The chat is so right. The more useless Atalanta is, the more my hard work stands out.】 Sitting at my desk, my grip on the fashion magazine tightened until the pages wrinkled. Technically, Benjamin hadn’t crossed any lines. No hugs, no kisses, no suggestive texts. He probably genuinely believed he was just mentoring a capable, hardworking intern. But I had to sit there and listen to those mental updates, over and over again. Until one afternoon, when I went to his office to drop off some files. That was when I noticed something that made my blood run cold. The way Benjamin looked at Nora… it contained something unfamiliar to me. Admiration. And worse—tenderness.

I decided to test him. The next day, Nora brought me a contract. The formatting was a total disaster, and she had used three different fonts. I snatched the folder, marched into Benjamin’s office, and slammed it onto his desk. “Look at this. Is this the ‘capable’ intern you talked about? She can’t even format a basic document. How did she even pass her internship review?” Benjamin flipped through the pages, frowning slightly. But then he sighed. “She’s fresh out of college, Atalanta. There’s no need to be so harsh.” “It’s a basic document, Benjamin.” “She’ll get better with practice.” He dismissed it gently. 【He defended me again!】 【The chat says Benjamin is officially getting sick of this spoiled heiress!】 Later that afternoon, I asked Nora to bring me a cup of coffee. When she brought it, it was barely warm, choked with milk, and sickeningly sweet. I took a sip right in front of her and spat it back into the cup. “What is this garbage? Are you here to work, or are you on vacation?” Nora’s eyes instantly welled with tears. She lowered her head, her voice trembling. “I’m so sorry, Mrs. Jefferson. I’ll make a fresh cup right away…” 【Just endure it. The chat says the more she bullies me, the more cruel she looks to Benjamin.】 Right on cue, Benjamin walked in. Seeing Nora’s red, tear-filled eyes, his frown deepened. “Atalanta, it’s just a cup of coffee. Is it really worth throwing a tantrum over?” I looked up at him. “She can’t even remember my basic coffee order. You call that capable?” “She’s only been here for a few days. Give her some time to adjust.” Benjamin’s voice carried a distinct edge of annoyance. “Can you stop being so…” He cut himself off, but I knew exactly what he wanted to say. Stop being so unreasonable. I let out a bitter laugh. I leaned back in my chair and waved my hand. “Nora, get out.” Nora glanced at Benjamin, then at me, and scurried out with her head low. Benjamin walked over, pulled up a chair, and sat beside me, softening his tone. “Babe, what’s wrong with you today?” “Nothing.” “You’re clearly angry.” He reached out to hold my hand, squeezing my fingers. “Is this still about the other day? I already transferred Nora to you, didn’t I?” I stared at him. Did he truly not know what he was doing, or was he just playing dumb? “Let me ask you something.” I looked straight into his eyes. “Do you honestly think she’s better than me?” Benjamin blinked, then chuckled. “How can you even compare yourself to her? You’re my wife. She’s just an employee.” “I’m only helping her because she actually has potential.” Outside the door, Nora was eavesdropping, her mind gloating triumphantly: 【He’s definitely comparing us in his head! The chat says his affection points just went up again~】 I ignored the voice and kept my eyes locked on him. “Then why don’t you take Nora to our weekend date?” I asked coldly. “You two can talk about work the entire time.” Benjamin sighed, pinching my cheek gently. “What are you talking about? Of course I wouldn’t go with her. My weekend belongs to you.” A flicker of hope ignited in my chest. 【Atalanta is so gullible. She believes everything he says.】 【But the chat already revealed the truth. Benjamin is going to cancel on her, claiming he’s too busy, and then he’s taking me out for my favorite Mexican food~】 The smile on my face froze. No, I told myself. Those voices might not be real. Nora’s “system” could just be a delusion. On Friday afternoon, I put on my makeup and a brand-new dress, waiting for Benjamin to finish work. At 5:30 PM, my phone buzzed. Benjamin: 「An urgent business dinner came up tonight, babe. I can’t make it. I’m so sorry. I promise I’ll make it up to you next time.」 I stared at the screen, the bright light burning my eyes. I typed out a long reply, then deleted it all. In the end, I only sent: 「Okay.」 The next day, I was scrolling through Instagram when I saw Nora’s new post. There was no caption. Just a single photo. A table full of Mexican food, and a man’s hands sitting across from her. On his ring finger was the wedding band I had personally chosen for him.

After that weekend, Benjamin seemed to realize I was being unusually cold. For the next few days, he came home strictly on time for dinner and brought me expensive gifts. On Wednesday night, as we lay in bed, Benjamin wrapped his arms around me from behind. “Babe, I have a three-day business trip this weekend. It’s a major project, very important.” I nodded slowly. “Okay.” He leaned down to kiss the back of my neck. “Be good. I’ll bring you back something nice.” The next morning, the moment I approached my office door, Nora’s mental voice drifted out— 【The chat says Benjamin is taking me to Santorini!】 【A luxury cliffside hotel! A sunset suite!】 【That’s the exact trip Atalanta has been begging him for five years!】 【The chat is right. I am his true love. Atalanta is just a stepping stone on her way to the asylum!】 The coffee cup in my hand almost slipped. Santorini. That was the honeymoon trip Benjamin and I had promised each other when we got married. I had brought it up for five years. And for five years, he had always said he was too busy, to wait, next time. And now, he was taking someone else. The moment I shut my office door, my hands began to tremble. At noon, I went into Benjamin’s office. He was reviewing some documents. When he saw me, he smiled. “What’s up, babe? Miss me already?” I sat down across from him, quietly observing the face I had loved for over a decade. “Benjamin.” My voice was barely a whisper. “Do you remember you still owe me a trip?” Benjamin paused, then smiled. “Of course I do. Santorini, right?” “When are we going?” “Babe, I’m drowned in work right now.” He walked over, gently stroking my hair. “Once things quiet down, I’ll take you. I promise, okay?” Once things quiet down. Always the same excuse. I forced a smile and said nothing. I was done waiting. On Thursday, they departed. Standing by the floor-to-ceiling window, I watched Benjamin’s car pull out of the parking garage. Then, I unlocked my phone and texted my best friend, Audrey: 「Can you recommend a divorce lawyer? The absolute best in the city.」 She replied instantly: 「??? Are you insane?」 「I’ve never been more sane. Just send me the name.」 After a long silence, she sent over a contact card. 「Jonathan Vance. He’s a shark of a divorce attorney. And… he was our college classmate, remember?」 I stared at the name. Jonathan. The tall, quiet guy from college who used to buy me yogurt every single day. The next morning, I walked into his law firm. He was dressed in a sharp, tailored charcoal suit. He looked much more mature and grounded than he had in college. He was handsome, but in a completely different way from Benjamin. After listening to my story, Jonathan didn’t ask unnecessary questions. He simply said: “I’ll draft the paperwork. We will take him for everything he’s worth.” He paused, then added, “It’s on the house.” “Jonathan, I can pay—” “Back in college, when those street thugs cornered me to steal my money, you swung your skateboard and chased them off. I’ve remembered that for ten years.” He looked at me, tilting his head with a soft smile. “You also told me back then that if it weren’t for him, you would have chosen me.” “Are you still making me wait?” I couldn’t find the words to answer. On the night the paperwork was finalized, I saw Nora’s Instagram update. Pictures of the blue-domed churches of Santorini, the stunning Aegean sunset, and the infinity pool of a cliffside hotel. And the last photo was a shot of Benjamin from behind. He was standing on a white balcony, overlooking the deep blue sea. Her caption read: 「Thank you for taking me to the most beautiful place in the world.」 I stared at the photo for a long time. Then, I opened my chat with Benjamin, sent him a PDF of the divorce papers, and added two words: 「We’re divorcing.」 Then, I blocked his number.

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My father was stiffed by his contractor, so he had to come to the city to find a lawyer to sue him. He didn’t know how to use the elevator. He actually climbed 20 flights of stairs, clutching a crumpled contract in his hand, before walking into the law firm. “Wilson, can you please take a look at this… He owes me $120,000. What should I do?” As the founder of the firm, Wilson used to represent pro-bono cases for animal rescues. But right now, he was busy editing a graduation thesis for Grace, the firm’s new intern. “A $120,000 dispute isn’t even enough to cover my retainer fee. I’m sorry, Donald, but I can’t take this case.” His cold words made my father’s back, already bent from years of hard labor, sink even lower. “Oh… then… I won’t trouble you anymore…” He slowly packed his papers back into his canvas bag. When he turned around, even his footsteps were heavy with apology. My nose stung. Tears welled up in my eyes, and I stood up to confront Wilson. But my father grabbed my hand. “Selena, I’m fine. Wilson has his professional rules. Don’t blame him.” The tears I had held back for so long finally spilled over. I stood there, watching my father’s hunched back disappear through the door. From the moment that door closed, I suddenly didn’t want to be Wilson’s family anymore.

Watching my father walk away so dejectedly felt like a fire had been lit in my chest, burning away all my sanity. I rushed back into Wilson’s office, grabbed the thesis papers on his desk, and ripped them to shreds. “Are you crazy?!” Wilson stood up abruptly. “Why won’t you take my dad’s case? Do you have any idea how long he waited out there?” “I’m busy, Selena. I don’t have time for your drama.” “Busy? Busy editing Grace’s thesis? But you don’t have five minutes to look at my dad’s contract?” I let out a cold laugh, the irony suffocating me. “I run a law firm, not a charity,” Wilson said, his voice dropping to a freezing temperature. “Do you know what my hourly billable rate is? Taking your dad’s case is a waste of my billable hours.” “But he is your father-in-law!” I screamed. “So what?” Wilson’s voice darkened. “Everyone is equal before the law. Am I supposed to break industry standards just because he’s a relative? If I take this case today, what will my partners think of me? How will I maintain my reputation in this city?” “Wilson, do you even remember why you went to law school in the first place?” Wilson froze. I took a step back, looking at him as if he were a complete stranger. I didn’t know when it happened, but the man who used to stay up all night researching labor laws for underpaid immigrants, the man I fell in love with, was completely gone. “People have to be realistic, Selena. We can’t live in the past forever.” Ignoring his coldness, I asked stubbornly, “So realistic that you’d abandon your own father-in-law?” “Would you be reasonable for once?” He pulled at his tie, frustrated. “I have too many high-profile corporate cases on my desk right now. I don’t have time for your dad’s petty drama.” No time? I stared at the thesis on his desk, covered in his detailed, handwritten notes. Suddenly, I lost all desire to argue. “Let’s get a divorce, Wilson.” Wilson froze. The tie in his hand dropped to the floor. “Selena… what did you say?” “I said, let’s get a divorce.” When the words came out, my heart didn’t hurt as much as I thought it would. Instead, I felt a massive weight lift off my shoulders. I turned and walked out of the office. Downstairs, my father hadn’t gone far. He wasn’t giving up. He was walking along the office plaza, asking door-to-door: “Excuse me, do you take breach of contract cases?” But the moment the receptionists heard the defendant was Wood—a notoriously shady, wealthy general contractor—they shook their heads and ushered him out. The 100-degree Florida heat made my father look so small and helpless. I wiped my tears and ran to catch up with him. “Dad, don’t worry. I’ll find a way.” My father was surprised to see me. He quickly shielded his eyes from the sun. “It’s so hot out here, sweetie, why did you run out? I was just trying my luck. It’s fine.” Trying his luck. He took a six-hour Greyhound bus and climbed twenty flights of stairs just to “try his luck”? I opened my mouth, about to tell him about the divorce. Then, his phone rang. “Hello? Is this Mr. Donald? I’m Peter. Mr. Wilson asked me to handle your case.” When the call ended, my father’s weathered face erupted into a bright smile. “Did you hear that, Selena? Wilson sent someone to help me! I knew it. He has a good heart, he’s just too busy!” Right after he spoke, my phone buzzed with a Snapchat message from Wilson. I sent Peter to handle your dad’s case. Stop talking about divorce so easily. I stared at the screen, stunned. When I looked up, my father was smiling warmly, pulling two large bunches of bananas from his canvas bag. “Your mom cut these from our backyard farm this morning. She picked the thickest ones. Thin skin, very sweet. Take them home to Wilson. Please, don’t fight with him…” My eyes welled up again as I held the bananas tight. “Dad, don’t worry. Once this lawsuit is over…” Once I divorce Wilson. “…I will never let anyone look down on you guys again.”

Three days later, I took a day off from the school to accompany my dad to court. “Once I get my hard-earned money back, I can buy your mom some new clothes,” he chatted happily on the way. “And we can help your cousin Charis buy a laptop for college.” Thinking about getting his money back made my dad’s mood visibly brighter. But when we arrived at the courthouse, Peter, the lawyer who had called my dad, was nowhere to be found. His phone went straight to voicemail. “Did Peter get the time wrong?” My dad sat in the plaintiff’s box, nervously rubbing his calloused hands. “Selena, Wilson set this up. Should you call him and ask?” Before I could dial Wilson’s number, the courtroom door pushed open. It wasn’t Peter who walked in. It was Wood’s new lawyer. It was Grace—the intern whose thesis Wilson had been obsessively editing. At the same time, my phone buzzed. It was a call from Peter. “I’m so sorry, Mrs. Wilson. Mr. Wilson suddenly reassigned me to an out-of-state corporate case. I can’t represent your father anymore.” The call cut off. Then, Grace’s voice rang through the courtroom. “Your Honor, I am representing the defendant, Mr. Wood, from Wilson Law Group. We are ready to proceed.” Wilson Law Group, representing the defendant. My father’s face went completely pale. “Selena… Wilson Law Group… isn’t that Wilson’s firm? What… what does this mean?” My heart felt like it had been struck by a hammer. I didn’t expect Wilson to break his promise, let alone have Grace turn my father from the plaintiff into the defendant. “Your Honor, on behalf of the defendant, we are filing a counterclaim against Donald,” Grace announced coldly. “First, during Donald’s employment, he led his crew in violating safety codes, resulting in substandard construction and causing direct financial losses to my client.” She continued ruthlessly: “Second, Donald used cheap, defective materials to cut corners, violating the contract.” “Third…” “Fourth…” “Therefore, the defendant requests that the court order Donald to pay $500,000 in damages to my client.” The hearing lasted for two hours. Without a lawyer, and with no witnesses daring to speak up for my dad against a powerful contractor, my father stood there alone. Even my attempts to speak were shut down by the judge. My dad stammered, his anxiety making his English worse, unable to explain the complex technical terms. The judge’s expression shifted from sympathy to impatience. We lost. The $120,000 we were owed turned into a judgment ordering my father to pay Wood $500,000 in damages. When we walked out of the courthouse, my father’s hands were shaking violently as he held the judgment paper. “It’s okay, Dad… I’ll find a way.” I held his hand, tears burning my eyes. Just then, a black Mercedes pulled up in front of the steps. Wilson stepped out of the car. My father’s dull eyes lit up, and he rushed forward, clutching the paper. “Wilson! You’re here. Are you here to help me…” But Wilson walked right past him, and right past me. He opened an umbrella and held it over Grace’s head. “Great job today. Are you tired? I booked a table at that French restaurant you like to celebrate your victory.” Grace smiled and took his arm. “It’s all thanks to the prep work you did for me. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have been so confident about the counterclaim.” “You’re already excellent. I just gave you a little push.” They laughed and walked down the steps, completely ignoring us. My nails dug into my palms. I yelled, “Wilson! Are you deaf? Can’t you hear my dad calling you?” The air froze. Wood, who was walking out of the court, looked between Wilson and my father. “Mr. Wilson, is this old man your father-in-law?” Wilson didn’t even look up. “I don’t know him.” Wood’s face relaxed instantly, and he turned to glare at my father. “You old fraud, did you hear that? The big-shot lawyer doesn’t even know you. How dare you claim to be his family? Look at yourself in the mirror.” My father’s face flushed bright red, his lips trembling, unable to utter a single word. “Wilson, you bastard!” I screamed. But the man only paused for a second before Grace said, “I’m hungry, Wilson.” He got into the Mercedes without hesitation and drove away. My father stood on the steps, his body swaying. “Dad?” I ran to support him. “Dad, are you okay?” He looked at me, his eyes glassy with unshed tears. “Selena… did I embarrass you?” My tears finally poured down. “No, Dad, never…” “Then why… why did Wilson pretend he didn’t know me?” I couldn’t answer him. I took him back to his small house in the countryside. For the first time in my life, I hated myself for being so powerless, and I hated myself for marrying the wrong man.

“Wilson, what the hell was that today?” When I got home, I thought Wilson would feel some guilt. I thought he would apologize. But instead, he threw a ridiculous question back at me: “What was your problem today? Why did you let some dirty blue-collar worker scream my name in public? Do you know how embarrassing that was for me?” “So you lied to me, set up my dad, and let him lose a lawsuit that now costs him half a million dollars?!” I laughed, my eyes burning. Wilson’s expression flickered, but he quickly recovered his composure. “I did assign Peter,” he said. “But I didn’t expect Grace to take Wood’s case. Some partners in the firm already have issues with her. If she lost this high-profile case, her chance of getting hired full-time would be ruined.” Even though I knew how much Grace meant to him, hearing it out loud still broke my heart. “So you let her fabricate evidence and frame my dad?” “My job is to win cases,” Wilson said, standing up and looking down at me. “Wood is a major client for our firm. He pays millions in retainer fees every year. What can your dad give me?” He kicked the trash can in frustration. Inside were the fresh bananas my father had brought. They were bruised now, sitting among the trash. “Is he going to pay me with this garbage?” Garbage? He called the bananas my father lovingly grew “garbage”? I realized then how fast a human heart could change. When we first came to Florida to build our life, my parents worked tirelessly, cutting crops and carrying bricks, sending us every penny of their savings so we could buy our first townhouse. But the man in front of me was no longer my husband. He was a monster. “Don’t look at me like that,” he said, pulling off his tie. “Fine, I’ll talk to the bank and help your dad set up a payment plan for the $500,000. It’s not that much. I can help him pay it in installments…” Slap! I couldn’t hold back anymore. I slapped him hard across the face. The living room went dead silent for three seconds. Wilson held his cheek, staring at me in disbelief. “You slapped me?” My body shook with rage. “Get out.” “Fine, Selena. Stay here and think about what you’ve done.” With a swollen cheek, Wilson slammed the door and left. I collapsed onto the floor and cried all night. The next morning, my mom called, her voice hysterical. “Selena! Oh my god, Wood’s debt collectors came to the house and threatened your father. He had a heart attack! He’s in the ICU!” My mind went completely blank. Shaking, I dialed Wilson’s number. “Wilson, my dad had a heart attack. He’s in critical condition. Can you please ask your cardiologist friend, Dr. James, to come to the county hospital for an emergency surgery?” “Hold on a second,” his voice was calm, almost detached. “Did you hear me, Wilson?! This is the last time I will ever ask you for anything. Please save my dad!” “I heard you, but Dr. James is busy right now.” “Busy? With what?! What could be more important than my father’s life? Do you have a soul, Wilson?!” There was a brief silence on the other end, and then I heard Grace’s voice in the background: “Wilson, come help me chop the veggies!” “I’ll ask Dr. James for you tomorrow. I have things to do here. Bye.” Wilson hung up. Sitting in the Uber on my way to the hospital, I stared at the “Call Ended” screen, my blood running cold. Wilson, you are truly heartless. Half an hour later, a notification popped up on my Snapchat. Grace had posted an update: [Accidentally cut my finger while cooking, and Wilson immediately called his cardiologist friend to bring over first-aid supplies. ] [He even gave my parents a free medical check-up! Wilson is literally the best mentor in the world! ] So, the “busy” thing he had to do was cooking with Grace and her family. I held the phone and laughed until tears streamed down my face. Finally, I opened my contacts and dialed a number I hadn’t called in years. “Mrs. Hathaway… can I please ask you for a favor?”

That night, two teams of surgeons rotated in the operating room. My mother cried until she fainted multiple times. It wasn’t until dawn that my father was finally out of danger. And Wilson never once showed up at the hospital. “Where is Wilson? Didn’t he come with you?” my father asked weakly when he finally woke up on the third day. Seeing my exhausted face, his eyes filled with worry. “It’s okay, Dad,” I forced a smile. “I won’t let this happen again. I won’t let anyone hurt us anymore.” My parents stayed silent for a long time. Finally, my dad patted my shoulder. “Do what you have to do, sweetheart. We support you.” Once I stepped out of the ward, I called Wilson again. “What is it?” “My parents want to see you. We need to talk.” His voice sounded raspy on the phone, as if he hadn’t slept: “Not tomorrow. Grace has her thesis defense tomorrow. I need to help her prep and run mock presentations. I don’t have time for your family’s drama.” I clenched my phone, my voice trembling. “What did you say?” “We’ll talk after tomorrow. I have to edit her slides now. Bye.” Since Grace appeared, I couldn’t count how many times this had happened. His excuses and broken promises had completely eroded our ten-year relationship. This was the final straw. I blinked back my tears and said to the phone, “Fine. You said it. We will talk tomorrow.” The next morning, I took the earliest flight back to the city. Carrying a flash drive with slides I had worked on all night, I went straight to the law school auditorium. On stage, Grace was presenting her thesis confidently, using the slides Wilson had polished for her. In the audience, Wilson’s eyes never left her. I let out a cold, mocking laugh, pushed the heavy double doors open, and walked inside. “I heard Grace is the star graduate of the law school this year,” I announced loudly. “So, can someone help me with a legal question? My husband is having an affair, and I want him to leave with absolutely nothing. How should I build this case?”

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The very night Ethan proposed to me, my company sent me on a business trip. Halfway there, I got a call saying it had been canceled. I dragged my suitcase home and pushed open the front door. Ethan’s hand rested on my best friend Chloe’s bare back as he gently slipped the strap off her shoulder. My fingers instinctively brushed the diamond ring on my left hand. I stared at the two people I trusted most, unable to believe what I was seeing. Sensing my presence, Ethan didn’t look guilty at all. “Maya,” he said calmly, “I don’t want to hurt either of you. Let’s just have an open relationship.” Chloe stepped in front of him as if to protect him. “Maya, if you need to hit someone, hit me. Ethan didn’t do anything wrong.” I laughed. Ten years ago, when she stood between me and my school bullies, she had said those exact same words. Now, she was using them again—after destroying everything I had. Maya’s POV The very night Ethan successfully proposed to me, my company sent me on an urgent out-of-town business trip. But halfway there, I got a text saying the trip was canceled. When I dragged my suitcase back home and pushed the door open, Ethan’s hand was on my best friend Chloe’s back, gently sliding her dress strap down her shoulder. I touched the diamond ring on my ring finger, staring in utter disbelief at the two people I trusted most in the world. They had betrayed me. Sensing my presence, Ethan turned around. His face was shockingly calm. “Maya, I don’t want to hurt either of you. Why don’t we just try an open relationship?” The moment those words left his mouth, my mind went completely blank. The blood in my veins ran ice-cold. Ethan stepped in front of Chloe, shielding her. “Maya, let me explain. We didn’t mean to lie to you. Honestly, so many people are in open relationships these days. Chloe is totally fine with it.” I let out a cold laugh. Chloe was the home-wrecker here. What right did she have to be “fine” or “not fine” with anything? I raised my hand, pointing the diamond ring right at his face. “Then what the hell are we? If you’re in love with Chloe, why did you propose to me today?” Why give me the happiest moment of my life just to crush me with the ultimate nightmare? “Maya…” Biting back my tears, I raised my hand to slap his face. But Chloe suddenly lunged forward, throwing herself between us and taking the blow for him. I stared at Chloe’s face in shock. A bright red mark bloomed on her pale skin. Her eyes welled with tears. “Maya, if you want to hit someone, hit me. Ethan did nothing wrong.” My lips trembled. Suddenly, my mind flashed back to six years ago, when Chloe had stood in front of me to block the bullies at school. That was my freshman year at our elite private prep school. My mom worked as a housekeeper for Chloe’s family, which was the only reason I got in on a tuition waiver. I was the only girl in the entire school who couldn’t afford designer clothes. Many kids called me Chloe’s pet dog. Some girls even ripped up my homework, looking at me with pure disgust. “Everyone in this school is just passing time until we inherit our family businesses. You’re the only one studying like crazy. Don’t you feel out of place?” “What’s the point of getting good grades? When you apply for a job at my dad’s company, you’ll still have to beg me.” “Shut up! If you mess with Maya, you mess with me!” Back then, Chloe had stood in front of me, glaring at them until they all backed down. She had turned to me with a warm smile. “We’re best friends, Maya. If anyone bothers you in the future, just come to me.” After that, Chloe always stood up for me, even getting into fights for my sake. I finally let my guard down and took her as my sister… I never imagined that one day, Chloe would be standing on the opposite side, defending the man who broke my heart. I watched as Ethan pulled Chloe into his arms, his eyes filled with tender worry. He glared at me, his voice sharp. “That’s enough, Maya! Chloe has been spoiled her whole life. She’s never faced this kind of abuse. Now that she took a slap for you, are you finally satisfied?” Staring at his angry face, a sharp, stabbing pain pierced my chest. He was the second person at that prep school who had ever protected me. Our first meeting was in an alleyway near the school. Ethan, sitting in his family’s luxury car, had spotted me being followed by a group of sketchy guys. He had immediately jumped out of the car, calling his driver and bodyguards to chase the guys away. I still remembered the look in his eyes back then. It wasn’t condescending. He looked at me with the same equality that Chloe did. “If you’re ever in danger again, just call me.” After that, everyone at school knew I had two powerful protectors. We ate lunch together, took classes together, and I even tutored them. On graduation day, Ethan confessed his love to me. He promised he would never let me feel hurt or abandoned. Now, he had broken every single promise. I squeezed my fingers tight, the diamond ring cutting into my skin until it went numb. “How long have you two been seeing each other behind my back?” “Six months ago, our parents set us up on a blind date. We started talking more after that.” “Our families want us to get married. It’s for the family business merger.” My grip on the ring tightened, and my confidence crumbled bit by bit. There was a massive wealth gap between Ethan and me. After graduation, I worked myself to the bone, hoping to close that gap. But some gaps can never be bridged. Just like my self-esteem, there was always a piece missing. For the past six months, I had been working overtime and traveling constantly just to get a promotion. I didn’t want anyone to say I wasn’t good enough for Ethan. But I never realized my dedication to work would give them the perfect opportunity to hook up. “But you don’t have to worry. Chloe and I won’t get married. We would never hurt you like that,” Ethan added quickly. “Maya, if you just agree to this, we can keep the open relationship going. Just the three of us. I promise I’ll treat you exactly the same as before.” “I don’t agree.” I turned around, trying to leave. Ethan grabbed my arm. “Don’t be stupid, Maya. Staying with us gives you endless perks. It’s been years. How are you even going to survive without us?” I found myself unable to say a single word of rebuttal. Because my current job was recommended by Chloe, and many of my high-paying clients were introduced to me by Ethan. Just like he said, it seemed I really couldn’t survive without them. But was I really going to endure this humiliation forever just for a career? No. I do not tolerate betrayal.

Maya’s POV My phone suddenly buzzed with a notification from work. I walked straight past Ethan into my room to grab my laptop, refusing to give him an answer. After quickly resolving the work issue, I opened my email and dragged a message out of my trash folder. It was a job offer from a top firm in Seattle. In the past, for the sake of stability and to stay by Ethan’s side, I had rejected countless offers from amazing companies. But now, I decided it was time to leave this city. Suddenly, Chloe pushed the door open. She grabbed my hand, her voice soft. “Maya, we’re still friends, right?” Her tone was exactly the same as it was ten years ago when she first asked me to be her friend. That was the day my mother and I first moved into Chloe’s family mansion. It was the first time I saw Chloe’s bedroom, which was literally larger than my mom’s entire apartment. My self-esteem had shattered into a million pieces at that moment. After that, I tried my best to avoid her and never spoke to her. But one rainy night, my mom asked me to wait at the gate with an umbrella to welcome Chloe home. I went out reluctantly. Chloe had just returned from a high school gala, wearing a designer dress that cost more than my mother’s yearly salary. I held the umbrella over her, letting the cold rain soak half of my own shoulder. Suddenly, Chloe wrapped her arm around my shoulder. “Maya, can I call you that? I hear your mom call you that all the time. I heard you’re a genius at school. Can we do our homework together? I really want to be your friend.” Her eyes had been so bright and genuine. I had nodded. But just five minutes ago, that ten-year friendship had completely shattered. Seeing my silence, Chloe began to cry. “Maya, I’m so sorry. I never planned to steal Ethan from you. But when our parents forced us to go on dates six months ago, I suddenly developed feelings for him. You know how love is… it’s just so unpredictable.” “Chloe, we can’t be friends anymore.” Suddenly, the bedroom door was pushed open. Ethan stood there, looking panicked. “Quick, hide! Our parents are here!” He was speaking to me. Our relationship had always been a secret. Whenever Ethan’s wealthy parents visited, I had to hide. I was already used to it. Ethan looked at me apologetically. “Both of our parents are pushing us to move in together to fast-track the engagement. I told them Chloe was moving in tonight, and they wanted to drop by and see the place.” Without a word, I headed toward the door to leave. But a sudden knock at the front door stopped me in my tracks. Ethan quickly grabbed my arm and dragged me back into the bedroom, shutting the door. In the rush, my leg slammed hard against the sharp corner of the bed frame, slicing a deep gash into my calf. I struggled to stand up. The wound throbbed with pain. I looked around for some disinfectant or a bandage, but there was nothing in the room. I could only sit there and watch the blood flow down my leg. As the physical pain peaked, the sound of laughter from the living room felt like a slap in the face. “I’ve wanted to bring these two together for ages! Our families are a perfect match!” “We should definitely move up the wedding date. I can’t wait to hold my grandbabies!” Sitting behind the closed door, I let out a mocking laugh at myself. I felt like a clown, hiding in the dark, watching other people celebrate their perfect life. The pain from my leg spread throughout my entire body, but the place that hurt the most was my heart. Living around them for so long, I had almost forgotten the gap between us. But now, the pride that had been crushed ten years ago was being ground into dust once again. We were never from the same world. Once the voices outside finally faded, I slowly stood up. Looking at the dried blood on my leg, I pushed the door open to find some medicine. But the moment the door swung open, the scene in the living room froze me in my tracks. Chloe was completely naked, and Ethan was holding her legs, pressing her against the couch. Their clothes were scattered all over the hardwood floor, and on the coffee table sat a violently ripped-open box of condoms… They gasped in shock, turning their heads to look at me. “Oh… I’m so sorry, Maya. I forgot you were still in the bedroom,” Chloe squeaked, barely trying to cover herself. My chest felt incredibly tight, as if a thick rope was wrapping around my heart and squeezing the life out of me. I dragged my injured leg and walked straight toward the front door. The moment I pushed the door open, tears finally streamed down my face. I had tried to rationalize their betrayal. I had told myself to just let go of this relationship and move on. But seeing them intimately wrapped around each other with my own eyes still ripped my heart to shreds. Ethan rushed out after me, grabbing my arm in the hallway. “Maya, it was just a heat-of-the-moment thing. We couldn’t control ourselves. I promise it won’t happen again!” I slid the diamond ring off my ring finger and dropped it into his palm. “We’re done.” He violently pulled me into his arms, wrapping his hands tight around my back. I felt nothing but intense disgust. “Maya, I can’t lose you! I just happen to love two people at the same time. What did I do that was so wrong?” I shoved him away with all my strength. “There’s an emergency at the office. I have to go.” Ethan tried to say something else, but his phone buzzed. He glanced at the screen and let go of me. “Fine, if you have work, go. But I don’t accept this breakup.” Watching his retreating figure, I couldn’t help but recall an incident from two years ago. I had found out that a gorgeous, incredibly wealthy socialite had confessed her feelings to Ethan. That night, I had lied about working overtime and went to the park by the lake to cry my eyes out. Ethan had actually walked along my usual commute route for hours until he found me. “Maya, in my eyes, there is no one in this world better than you. You are the only one for me.” Now, even the flimsiest excuse was enough for him to let go of my hand. Everything between us had changed. I stayed at a hotel near my office that night. The next morning, I received a text from Ethan. “Chloe and I are getting married. Will you be her maid of honor?”

Maya’s POV My mind was completely clear now. Before I could even process the disgust, another text popped up. “Where are you? Let’s talk in person.” I didn’t reply. But an hour later, I saw Ethan’s luxury sports car parked right outside my office building. Before I could walk past, I was dragged into the back seat. Chloe sat there, handing me a piece of paper. It was an ultrasound photo. “Maya, Ethan and I are having a baby. You’re my best friend. Surely you don’t want my baby to grow up without a father, right?” I stared at the medical report, calculating the dates. Conception had happened exactly one month ago, the night of my car accident. That night, the rain was pouring. Ethan had told me he had an incredibly important business dinner and asked me to drive across town to deliver a file to his office. On the highway, my car was T-boned by a drunk driver. I was thrown ten yards and lost consciousness immediately. When the ambulance brought me to the ER, the doctors called my two emergency contacts, Ethan and Chloe, over twenty times. Not a single call was answered. So, while I was fighting for my life in a pool of blood, they were busy celebrating their passion in bed. “Maya, will you please be my maid of honor?” Chloe asked, her voice dripping with fake sweetness. “I will not be your maid of honor, and I never agreed to join your sick open relationship!” I reached for the door handle, but Ethan grabbed me back roughly. “What right do you have to throw a tantrum at us? Have you forgotten how much you’ve benefited from being with us all these years? Chloe is pregnant. You shouldn’t speak to her like that.” Chloe’s eyes welled with tears. “It’s okay, Ethan. I won’t force Maya. But… we promised each other in high school that we’d be each other’s maid of honor.” Her crying made my ears ring with annoyance. “You ruined my relationship, and now you’re trying to guilt-trip me?” Ethan shoved me hard. My back slammed violently against the car door, and a sharp pain shot up my spine. “Maya! Are you really trying to cut ties with us?” Ethan sneered, his voice dropping to a threatening whisper. “Have you forgotten about the photos and videos we took in bed? Do you really want those leaked online?” “Do you want the whole world to see your face and hear your voice on those tapes?” I clenched my fists so hard my nails dug into my palms, drawing blood. I looked at Ethan, utterly unable to recognize the sweet boy I had loved for years. He had turned into an absolute monster. “So, Maya, do we have a deal?” Ethan asked with a smirk. I bit my lip, forcing a single word out of my throat. “Fine.” I got out of the car, a chilling breeze washing over me. That night, I submitted my resignation letter. The next day, I spent the entire afternoon handing over my projects at work. I was exhausted. When I finally walked out of the office lobby, Ethan was standing by his car, waiting. “Get in. The wedding rehearsal is starting.” “A wedding rehearsal in the middle of the night?” I asked coldly. “Isn’t this to accommodate your precious schedule? You should really thank Chloe. She’s pregnant, yet she’s staying up late just to make sure you can make it. And look at you. You do nothing but snap at us.” “I didn’t ask her to get knocked up.” The moment the words left my mouth, a loud, stinging slap landed across my face. It was Chloe. She had rushed out of the passenger seat, her eyes flashing with rage and tears. “Maya, I’ve had enough of your attitude! Who do you think you are? Do you honestly think that being my friend and dating Ethan for a few years makes you one of us? You’re just trash! Dirt under our feet!” I clenched my fists, biting my lower lip to keep from crying. Her words hurt far more than the slap. They pierced straight into my most fragile insecurity. I raised my hand and slapped Chloe back, hard. “Chloe, what makes you so proud? Both of you are disgusting cheaters. The child you’re carrying is nothing but a product of betrayal!” Ethan rushed over, shoving me aside to hold Chloe. He glared at me, his eyes spitting fire. “Maya! My child with Chloe will be born with a silver spoon. He will never suffer a day in his life, and he sure as hell will never have to live in the maid’s quarters of a mansion like you did. His future is bright, unlike yours!” Breathing heavily, I turned to walk away. But Ethan grabbed my arm. “The rehearsal is still happening. Chloe is pregnant, and you’re her best friend. Even if you’re mad, you’ve thrown your tantrum. Now, get in the car and do your job.” “Why? Why should I always accommodate her? She’s the one who…” Before I could finish, he dragged me forcefully into the back seat.

Maya’s POV The car pulled up to a luxury hotel in downtown Manhattan. The interior was lavishly decorated in the over-the-top, extravagant style Chloe loved. Chloe threw a bridesmaid dress at me. “Go put it on.” In the fitting room, I looked at my swollen cheek in the mirror. A raging fire burned in my chest. My tears touched the raw skin, stinging like crazy. I lowered my head, feeling utterly suffocated. When would I finally be free of this nightmare? Suddenly, a knock rattled the door. “Maya! How long does it take to change a dress? Everyone is waiting for you!” I quickly threw the dress on and walked out. Chloe was standing right outside. The wedding gown she wore looked incredibly familiar. She looked down her nose at me. “Do you remember this dress? Three years ago, you pointed at this exact gown in the boutique window and said you wanted to wear it when you married Ethan. I bought it just to remind you. From the moment you started dating him, you were never destined to be his bride.” Staring into Chloe’s smug eyes, my heart broke into a million pieces. Chloe reached out, her fingers brushing against the red mark on my cheek. Her laugh was chilling. “I think I’ve been too nice to you for too long, Maya. You’ve forgotten who is the master and who is the servant. I’ll let your words slip tonight, but don’t ever raise your voice at me again.” Just then, my phone vibrated in my pocket. It was a confirmation email. The flight tickets for my mother and me were booked for tomorrow afternoon. Suddenly, a bridesmaid coordinator shoved a velvet box into my hand. “Carry this. Hand them to the bride and groom during the ring exchange.” I popped the box open. Inside were custom-designed diamond rings. The rock on Chloe’s ring was several times larger than the one Ethan had used to propose to me. The wedding march began to play. I stood there, watching Ethan hold Chloe’s hand at the altar. Their smiles were radiant. This was the scene I had dreamed of for years. I let out a self-deprecating laugh. How did I end up so pathetic? Why was I standing here witnessing the union of the two people who ruined my life? I threw the ring box onto a nearby table and turned to walk out. But as I reached the corridor, several familiar faces blocked my path. My blood ran cold instantly, and my heart hammered against my ribs. Standing before me were Ethan’s groomsmen. They were the very same guys who had bullied and harassed me in the dark alleys during high school. Terror threatened to swallow me whole. Suddenly, a hand clapped onto my shoulder. “The ring exchange is about to start. Where do you think you’re going?” It was Ethan. My whole body trembled as I pointed at the men in front of me. “You know who they are. Why the hell are they here?” Ethan shrugged indifferently. “Chloe was worried you’d make a scene at the wedding, so she invited them to keep an eye on you.” My chest felt suffocated, and my legs went completely numb. “Stop standing there like an idiot. Get up on stage and hand us the rings.” I bypassed the groomsmen and walked toward the stage, trying to stay as far away from them as possible. But after only a few steps, my long dress caught under my shoe, and I tripped, crashing hard onto the floor. The sound of laughter echoed from all corners of the room. My legs refused to move. Ethan walked over, pulling me up roughly by my arm. “What is wrong with you? What are you doing?” When I didn’t answer, he dragged me into the VIP bridal suite. Before I could even catch my breath, his phone rang. Chloe was calling him, and he left immediately. I sat alone in the quiet room, shivering from the cold. Five minutes later, the door clicked open, and Chloe’s voice echoed through the room. “Maya, do you really think playing the victim is going to work? Ethan and I are getting married. This fake-limping drama is so outdated.” I stared at her. “Did you invite those bullies on purpose?” “Those guys are my friends. What’s wrong with inviting them to my wedding?” My jaw dropped. “Your… friends?” Chloe giggled, a malicious glint in her eyes. “I was the one who paid them to bully you in high school, Maya. I just wanted to see what it felt like to play savior to a charity case like you.” I snapped. The ten-year friendship I had nurtured and protected was a lie from the very beginning. I lunged forward and shoved Chloe with all my strength. “You monster! How could you do that to me?!” “From the moment I was born, everyone kissed my feet. You were the only one who tried to act all proud and independent. I just wanted to break you.” “Chloe!” For ten years, she was my only friend. Blind with rage, I shoved her again as she tried to get up. Chloe fell backward, crashing heavily against the corner of a heavy wooden cabinet. She let out a sharp scream and collapsed, clutching her stomach. Within seconds, a pool of crimson blood began to seep through her white gown. Panic seized me. I quickly dialed 911 as I ran out of the room. “Chloe… she’s bleeding. I think she’s having a miscarriage!” The moment the words left my mouth, Ethan came rushing down the hall. He pushed past me into the room, lifting Chloe into his arms. His voice was shaking. “It was Maya! She pushed me, Ethan! She killed our baby! She wants us dead!” Chloe wailed. The paramedics rushed in, pushing me aside. I stood frozen by the door, feeling like I had been plunged into an arctic abyss. Ethan glared at me, his eyes filled with pure hatred. “If anything happens to Chloe or the baby, I will make you pay.” My mind was a chaotic mess. I tried to ask about Chloe’s condition, but Ethan completely ignored me. Half an hour later, I tried to leave the hotel. But as I reached the exit of the lower lobby, those same groomsmen blocked my path. Seeing them close in on me, panic set in. “What do you want?” The leader smirked, cracking his knuckles. “Ethan told us to teach you a lesson. You know what we do to girls who cause trouble, right?” Bang. They grabbed me, throwing me hard against the floor of a secluded holding room. “He told us to ‘entertain’ you so you wouldn’t have the energy to ruin their wedding.” I curled into a ball, my entire body shaking violently. “So, is it true that this trash was actually dating Ethan for years?” “Please, a charity case like her? She probably made it all up in her head. If Ethan actually cared about her, would he have handed her over to us?” One of them slapped me across the face. “Tell us the truth. Was Ethan really your boyfriend? If you confess, maybe we’ll go easy on you.” My voice was raw and broken. “Yes… he was…” Their laughter grew louder. “Well, we’re about to rip your pretty dress off, and where is your prince charming to save you?” The sound of fabric tearing filled the room. I fought with everything I had, but I couldn’t stop them. “Please! I beg you, stop! Please!” The struggle was loud, but the heavy doors were locked from the outside. An hour later, the ordeal was cut short by a phone call. I heard Ethan’s voice coming through the speaker of one of the men’s phones. “Chloe is awake. Stop whatever you’re doing. You didn’t go too far, did you?” One of the guys kicked a used condom wrapper under the couch and smirked. “Don’t worry, man. Just gave her a little warning.” “Good.” I closed my eyes, completely numb. Once the men finally walked out, I lay on the cold floor for another half hour before I found the strength to stand up. By the time I dragged myself back to my apartment, it was past midnight. I showered ten times, scrubbing my skin until it bled, but I couldn’t wash away the feeling of filth. I curled up on the bathroom floor, sobbing hysterically. The soap stung the raw cuts on my body, but the pain in my heart was far worse. I didn’t sleep a wink. The next morning, I grabbed my packed suitcases and headed straight for the airport. My mom was waiting for me at the gate. I wore a heavy coat and a scarf to hide every single bruise on my body. “We’re going to Seattle, Mom. We’re starting over.” We held hands tightly. Three hours later, the plane touched down in Seattle.

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Five years of marriage, and Alaina never let me turn on the lights in the bedroom. Whenever I asked her why, she always gave me the same cold excuse: she hated feeling exposed, and she didn’t like anyone staring at her body. I believed her. Until today. She was taking a shower in her office bathroom and realized she’d forgotten her clothes. Instead of calling me, she called her assistant, Tristan Cole, and told him to bring them inside. Through the heavy wooden door, I heard Tristan slip. The next thing I knew, his entire weight was pressed against Alaina on the wet tile floor. There was no scream. There was no outrage from my wife. Instead, all I heard was Alaina’s soft, breathless giggle and a shower of compliments aimed at Tristan. “Alaina, you’re just as breathtaking as you were three years ago. If anything, your body has only gotten sweeter.” I stood right outside the door, freezing as the ugly truth washed over me. I hoped I was hallucinating. But Alaina didn’t push Tristan off. Instead, she pulled him down for a deep, passionate kiss. At that exact second, my blood boiled. I lost all control, threw the door open, and stepped inside. “Should I leave so you two can finish putting on a live show on the floor?”

The two of them froze, their lips still practically glued together, panic flashing instantly across their faces. “Marcus? Aren’t you supposed to be on a business trip?” “Why didn’t you tell me you were coming back?” Alaina stared at me in shock, but she didn’t even bother to push Tristan off her. They were still tangled up in a ridiculously intimate position. I knew right then—if I hadn’t walked in, she would have officially made me a cuckold today. But more importantly, my mind was spinning over what I’d just heard. Three years ago. Tristan was too terrified to move. He stammered, trying to find his tongue, but made no effort to get up. I let out a harsh, dry laugh and kicked him right in the ribs, sending him flying across the floor. “What’s the matter, Tristan? Still addicted to whatever she gave you three years ago?” As Tristan crashed into the wall, Alaina gasped in worry. Then, she turned her head and glared at me with pure venom. “Marcus Pierce, have you lost your freaking mind?” “Why did you kick Tristan? And what the hell are you talking about, three years ago?” Without even grabbing a towel to cover herself, she ran over in her underwear to help Tristan up. “Tristan, are you okay?” Tristan looked at me, trembling like a wet dog, and quickly scrambled to his feet to apologize. “I’m so sorry, Mr. Pierce!” “It’s not what you think! Alaina forgot her bathrobe, and since I was the only one in the office, I was just trying to help. I slipped, I swear!” I didn’t even look at him. My face was dead cold, my voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. “I thought you hated people looking at your body, Alaina.” “So why are you standing basically naked in front of another man right now?” Faced with my sharp question, Alaina finally realized she was barely wearing anything. She bent down, grabbed a coat from the floor, and wrapped it around herself. But there was no shame in her eyes. No real panic. My heart wrenched. This wasn’t her first time being naked around him. Not by a long shot. The devastating truth finally hit me: she didn’t hate being seen. She just hated being seen by me. At that moment, the love I had carried for her for five years began to die. The silence in the room was suffocating. Tristan quickly bowed, trying to play the martyr. “Mr. Pierce, blame me if you have to! Please don’t be mad at Alaina!” “I’ll be more careful next time…” “Did I ask you to speak, you parasite? Shut up!” I snapped. Tristan winced, looking incredibly victimized. Seeing that I was genuinely furious, Alaina finally reached out and grabbed my arm. “Okay, Marcus, stop making a scene!” “This was just an accident. I swear, nothing like this has ever happened before!” I turned my head slowly and stared at the face of the woman I had loved for half a decade. For the first time in my life, I felt nothing but utter disgust.

“Don’t treat me like an idiot.” “He literally just said your body is as breathtaking as it was three years ago!” “If he hadn’t seen it before, how would he know?” “If you don’t give me a real explanation right now, we are done.” Before she could answer, the sound of something dropping echoed from the doorway. The three of us turned our heads. A crowd of gossiping employees was standing in the hallway, staring wide-eyed. Alaina glared at them, and they immediately scattered like rats. But their whispered words carried perfectly back into the room. “Oh my god, Mr. Pierce finally caught them.” “Right? What kind of assistant carries clothes into his female boss’s bathroom anyway? I’ve seen him giving her shoulder rubs in there before…” With every word, Alaina’s face grew darker and more hostile. If they hadn’t done it, people wouldn’t be describing it in such vivid detail. She had been caught red-handed, and there was no lying her way out of this. I looked at Alaina, giving her a straight choice. “I don’t care what trash you two pulled in the past. I won’t dig into it.” “But as of today, Tristan is fired. You need to clear the rumors. The Smith Group’s stock price is tied to our public image, and I won’t let you ruin it.” I expected Alaina to be reasonable and weigh the business risks. Instead, she just clenched her fists and remained stubbornly silent. Seeing this, Tristan’s eyes welled with tears, and he literally fell to his knees in front of me. “Mr. Pierce, Alaina and I are innocent.” “Please don’t believe those lies and ruin our lives.” “I can’t lose this job. My family took out massive loans from relatives just to send me to college. I swore to my parents that once I graduated and got a real job, I’d pay off their debts and give them a good retirement. Please…” Tristan sobbed dramatically, playing the role of the poor, struggling college grad being crushed by a heartless boss. And Alaina bought every second of it. Her heart practically melted for him. She bent down to pull him up. “Tristan, get up. Don’t kneel to him.” “I am not firing you. Get up.” “No, Alaina!” Tristan cried, staying on his knees. “Let me kneel. If Mr. Pierce doesn’t forgive me, I won’t get up. Everyone in this company knows he’s the one who actually runs things around here anyway.” I narrowed my eyes at Tristan. I had underestimated this little rat. His words were a calculated poison, designed to spark Alaina’s pride. Sure enough, Alaina snapped, her head whipping up to glare at me. “The Smith Group is my family’s company, Marcus! Since when do you run things?” She let out a mocking laugh. “Marcus Pierce, you seem to have forgotten your place.” I stared at her coldly, waiting for the rest of her speech. She sneered, “Aren’t you from a poor family, too? What right do you have to look down on Tristan?” “I still don’t know why my grandfather forced me to marry you. You were just a charity case who married into my family. A trophy husband.” “I only gave you some respect because you managed the company well. But make no mistake—the Smith Group belongs to me. Understood?” Beside her, Tristan secretly smirked. Alaina had just completely humiliated me in front of her assistant, tearing down my dignity to protect her little pet. “Alaina Smith… so in your heart, I’m just a worthless gold-digger?” Alaina met my gaze, her eyes cold as ice. “Yes!” She had no idea how deeply her words had pierced my heart. But then again, she didn’t care.

Tristan kept playing the terrified victim. “Alaina, please don’t speak to Mr. Pierce like that.” “He’s still your husband, and he’s the COO of the company.” “Even if you don’t fire me, I’m afraid Mr. Pierce will make my life a living hell…” He trailed off, letting Alaina’s imagination fill in the blanks. “Let him try,” Alaina spat, giving me a warning glare. “If he tries to abuse his power to get back at you, I’ll show him who really holds the cards.” Looking at them, I suddenly laughed. It was a hollow, empty sound. I had wasted five years of my life protecting and building up a woman who wasn’t worth a single second of my time. How pathetic was I? I turned my back on her and walked toward the door. Before leaving, I said coldly, “You’re wrong, Alaina. If things go sideways between us, I’ll be the one replacing you. Not the other way around.” Alaina didn’t take my warning seriously. To her, I was just a penniless nobody who got lucky by marrying her. In her eyes, getting into the Smith family was like hitting the jackpot for me. “Marcus, let me tell you something!” she yelled after me. “Just to make sure you don’t bully Tristan, I’m giving him 5% of the Smith Group’s shares!” “Tomorrow is his birthday. This will be my gift to him.” Tristan looked up at her, utterly ecstatic. “Alaina… is this real? You’re giving me 5% of the company?” Alaina smiled warmly at him and nodded. “You’ve been with me for three years. You’ve worked hard, and you’ve taken so much abuse. Once you have those shares, nobody in this company will ever look down on you again.” Standing in the hallway, my heart turned to stone. Three years of hard work. What about my five years? I had poured my blood, sweat, and tears into turning her family’s struggling regional business into a multi-billion-dollar empire. Where was my reward? Who was going to give me justice? I didn’t say another word. I walked out of the building. I went straight to a high-end lounge downtown and started drinking. Halfway through my third glass of whiskey, my phone rang. “Marcus, you lied to me.” “Five years ago, the day I left for my master’s in London, you promised you’d wait for me.” “I’m finally back… but I hear you married some mediocre woman in this city.” I sobered up instantly, looking at the caller ID. It was Melanie Vance. She was my childhood friend. Five years ago, her father had sent her abroad to prepare her to take over the Vance conglomerate. Before she left, to comfort her, I had indeed promised her I’d wait. I shook my head and smiled bitterly. Destiny really loved playing jokes. “Melanie, I’m actually getting a divorce…” “Wait, really?!” her voice lit up instantly. “I mean… as long as you’re single, that’s all that matters! But what happened?” I laughed softly, chatted with her for a few more minutes, and hung up. By the time I left the lounge, it was past midnight. I obviously wasn’t going back to the apartment I shared with Alaina. Instead, I drove to the oceanfront mansion I had recently purchased. But when I reached the front door and entered the passcode, the lock beeped red. Incorrect password. I frowned and tried again. Incorrect. A sudden, sickening realization hit me. Alaina had changed the passcode. Rage flared in my chest. I forced myself to calm down and typed in her birthday. Incorrect.

I typed in our wedding anniversary. Incorrect. Just as I was about to lose my temper and kick the door down, a disgusting thought crossed my mind. I typed in Tristan’s birthday. Click. The door unlocked. My fists clenched so hard my knuckles popped. I threw the door open and stormed inside. Tristan was loungeing on my custom sofa, wearing my silk pajamas, drinking a vintage Bordeaux from my private cellar, and hum-singing to a song on his phone. My sudden entrance didn’t even startle him. He just smiled, looking at me like he was the king of the castle. “Oh, hey, Marcus! Glad you could make it.” “Come on in. You want some of this XO, or…” “Who gave you permission to be in my house?” I roared. This was my house. I bought it. Who the hell did this little parasite think he was, flaunting himself in my face? He had already finished half of a $50,000 bottle of wine. My face turned dangerously dark. But Tristan didn’t care about my anger. Now that there were no employees around, he dropped his innocent act completely. “Your wife told me I could stay here… oh, actually, scratch that.” “She said she’s gifting this mansion to me.” I knew it. It was Alaina’s doing. But this mansion’s deed was solely under my name. I bought it with my own money. “She gave it to you? Who the hell does she think she is?” “Get the fuck out of my house before I call the cops and have you arrested for trespassing!” Tristan laughed, completely unfazed. He stood up, walked over, and splashed the red wine right into my face. He tapped a finger hard against my chest. “Marcus, who the fuck do you think you are?” “You’re just a kept man. A dog the Smith family decided to feed.” “Every penny you spend on food, clothes, and housing comes from the Smiths. And you have the nerve to claim this house is yours?” “You’re the one who needs to get out!” The wet, sticky wine dripped down my face. The last of my patience snapped. I reached out, grabbed his finger, and twisted it backward until the bone cracked. Tristan screamed, dropping to his knees. “You piece of trash, let go!” “Oh, I’ll let go,” I whispered. I grabbed his arm, pivoted, and slammed his body onto the marble floor. I had been trained by elite private security instructors since I was five years old to be the heir of the Pierce family. A fragile, pampered kid like Tristan stood absolutely zero chance against me. The loud crash drew Alaina running down the stairs. She was wearing a silk nightgown, her neck covered in fresh hickeys. I froze for a second. I hadn’t expected her to be here. They must have had a wild night before I arrived. Even though I was completely done with her, seeing the physical proof of her betrayal still stung a little. I had resisted my family’s arranged marriage for years, until I saw Alaina’s picture. I remembered her from years ago—the brave girl who had risked her life to save my pet dog. I thought she was pure, kind, and different. But people change. Time rots everything. “Marcus!!” Alaina screamed, rushing down. She grabbed a heavy wooden chair and swung it directly at my head. I easily stepped aside, dodging the blow. Missing me made her even more furious. Since the gloves were off, I didn’t hold back. “Alaina Smith, you ignored my warning.” “You’re going to pay a heavy price for your arrogance.” “Make me pay? Fine! Let’s see who dies first!” Alaina shrieked. “I’m divorcing you. I’m going to ruin you until you have absolutely nothing left!” She moved fast. Within twenty minutes, she had summoned a team of her family’s private bodyguards and lawyers to the mansion. She slapped a pre-drafted divorce agreement onto my chest. “Sign it. You leave with nothing.”

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