Category: English

I ran into my husband Howard’s mistress, Scarlett, at my prenatal appointment for our second child. I was expressionless, but she looked absolutely terrified. Scarlett was overthinking it, though. Howard had three or four mistresses before her, and she wouldn’t be the last. If I got mad every time, I’d probably die young. But when I got home, Howard was the one who confronted me. He demanded: “I told you, everything Howard’s family owns will be for you and the kids. Don’t go looking for trouble with Scarlett. Why don’t you ever listen?” I lowered my head, clutching my belly, and didn’t argue back. Howard smashed some furniture and threw a huge tantrum. Then he packed his bags and left for Scarlett’s place. My housekeeper asked, “What are we going to do now?” I picked up my phone, snapped a picture, and sent it to my mother-in-law, Rosalind. “Look at this mess…” I typed. Soon after, a nine-figure compensation hit my account. Actually, in the beginning, when Howard first cheated, Rosalind didn’t have to step in with money. I’d fight with him constantly, cursing him out right to his face, reminding him we were each other’s first loves. We’d only been married ten years; how could he have changed so much? When did I stop fighting? It was around the time Scarlett first appeared. She wore a white dress, sweet and demure. Just standing there, she was strikingly similar to me. Then I saw Howard with his arm around her, attending parties where everyone knew us. In that moment, I didn’t even have the energy to be angry. All I could think was, Maybe I should just divorce him. Rosalind was the one who talked me out of it. She said even though she didn’t particularly like me, I came from a good family, and our backgrounds were perfectly matched. Besides, ever since my mom died, my stepmother had been running our house. A divorce would just give her more to gloat about. Howard might be terrible in relationships, but he was good at making money. His stock dividends alone brought in a nine-figure sum every year. Divorce would mean breaking up the assets. Bad for Howard Group, worse for me. “So, a woman should be realistic,” she advised, “not just filled with dreams of love.” My stubborn brain couldn’t grasp it. I bottled it up for over half a year and ended up with depression. After catching a high fever from being out in the rain, something clicked. From then on, I started listening to Rosalind and adjusted my perspective on Howard. She also promised me that if Howard ever hurt me again, she’d compensate me accordingly. So, this time, I was inexplicably blamed and got a nine-figure payout. I transferred the money to my investment account, then went to the bathroom to wash up, calling for the butler to find someone to clean the living room. When I came out, I found my son, Marcus, was home. He ignored the mess in the house, his eyes fixed on his homework. I held my lower back as I walked downstairs. “Marcus, you’re back.” He barely glanced up at me. “Yes, Mom,” he said, politely yet distantly, just like his dad. I didn’t say anything else, just made myself a cup of milk and prepared to go upstairs. Marcus spoke up. “Mom, there’s a parent-teacher conference tomorrow. Do you have time to go?” “I’m pregnant, so it’s not convenient,” I replied. “Ask your dad to arrange someone.” The person Howard arranged would only be his personal secretary. Sure enough, the next morning, Scarlett, heavily pregnant, showed up at my doorstep. She flinched but tried to hold her ground when she saw me. “Mrs. Howard.” “Mm-hmm,” I acknowledged. “Scarlett, thanks for helping out.” Scarlett offered an awkward smile. “Of course, Mrs. Howard, don’t worry. I’ve been many times.” I knew, actually. I knew all of this ever since Scarlett and Howard got together. But I was too lazy to ask, too lazy to listen. I wanted to go to the yoga studio to stretch. Marcus walked past me, looking unusually hesitant. “Mom. Why don’t you come with me? Scarlett is pregnant, and she can go.” I looked at him calmly. “Because I’m delicate, and I don’t want to deal with the hassle. Besides, you’re the one who said Scarlett is gentle and kind, and you prefer her to accompany you to parent-teacher conferences. So, your mom just wants you to be happy.” Marcus’s mouth opened, but no words came out. He watched my retreating back, and his eyes darkened.

I stayed home, resting and nurturing my pregnancy. The doctor said it was twins, likely girls, and I needed to take good care of myself. I ordered a year’s supply of luxury prenatal supplements and bought a few new maternity outfits. After a beauty treatment, I made plans to have lunch with my best friend, Emily. At the restaurant, her eyes were a little red as she looked at me. “Joshua, we haven’t seen each other since you were sick last time.” I looked at her calmly. “Yeah, it’s been about half a year, hasn’t it?” That illness kept coming back, bothering me until recently. Emily asked, “You and Howard?” “We’re fine. He’s good to me.” “Good to you?” She looked like she wanted to say more. “I heard he’s even bringing her to parties now.” I smiled. “But Rosalind gave me a nine-figure compensation.” “…That’s pretty good, I guess.” “Emily, I actually think I’ve been wrong all along. When I married Howard, I shouldn’t have only thought about love.” Emily’s expression was odd. “You two knew each other since middle school, got together in high school. You were madly in love back then, got married and stayed together. Isn’t that normal?” “But people change.” I took a sip of hot milk. “It’s like how I used to only drink soda, but now, I can actually drink milk.” She looked a bit sad. Just like other old classmates who’d visited me when I was sick. They all felt losing an epic love should be tragic. I used to think that way too, but then I figured it out. Eighteen-year-old Howard said he’d love eighteen-year-old Joshua forever. Twenty-eight-year-old Howard never said that. So, there’s no point in dwelling on the past. I patted my belly. “See? There are babies in here now.” Emily looked disbelieving. “You’re having more kids?” “Why not? Rosalind said for every child I bore, she’d give me another nine-figure sum and 5% of Howard Group shares.” Howard was incredibly good at making money, and Marcus took after his dad, with a very high IQ. My mom had only left me an eight-figure inheritance, which I’d invested entirely in Howard Group. In just a few years, my net worth had surpassed a billion. Where else would I find a husband and child who made money like that if I divorced him? Emily didn’t say anything. “But Scarlett has a child too. When her baby is born, it’ll definitely split Howard’s attention. If he writes a will, you might lose out on a lot.” I’d thought about that too, which is why I wanted two more kids. With more kids, Scarlett wouldn’t be able to get too much.

When I got home that evening, the broken items had been restored to their original state. That’s the upside of having money. As long as you have it, you can replace even the rarest things with identical ones. I held my hot milk, wearing a face mask, sitting in the spacious living room, listening to the lonely wind. Howard wasn’t back, and neither was Marcus. My private investigator told me that the three of them—Howard, Scarlett, and Marcus—were out having dinner at a romantic restaurant. In the photos sent to my phone, Howard wore a gentle smile, and Marcus’s eyes were sparkling. It was strange, how much they, father and son, liked Scarlett. That girl, besides looking a bit like me, had a completely different personality. She came from a poor background, wasn’t academically brilliant. Her only real virtue was her gentle patience. Unlike me, who’d been fiery since childhood. Howard and I actually met because of a misunderstanding that led to a fight. Back then, my friend got bullied after confessing her feelings. She tearfully mumbled a name, and I just assumed it was Howard, the hottest guy in school. Only after I’d finished my rant did my friend clarify it was someone from the class next door. Howard glared at me, a cold smirk on his face. “You just said some pretty awful things. How are you going to make it up to me?” On a whim, I puffed out my chest and leaned in. “How about I offer myself as compensation?” His face immediately flushed. We went from friends to lovers, like something out of a romantic teen movie. Everyone knew Howard was head-over-heels for me. At our wedding, he almost cried himself unconscious. My mom had just passed away then. He held me, sobbing, “Joshua, I’ll treat you well for the rest of our lives.” But the shelf life of our love was so short. In just five years, he had his first affair. Then a second, a third, until Scarlett. When I saw them together, I often felt a strange sense of déjà vu. It was like seeing eighteen-year-old Joshua and twenty-eight-year-old Howard falling in love all over again. Howard dropped Marcus off around ten that night. He was already calm, and even offered a few words of concern when he saw me. “How are the babies?” “They’re fine,” I said. “And your prenatal appointments?” “Normal.” Howard fell silent, turning his head away. I didn’t say anything either, just picked up my phone and continued looking at photos. He waited for a while, seeing I wasn’t speaking. “I just dropped Marcus off. Should I go now?” I didn’t even lift my eyelids. “Fine. No need to see you out.” After a long moment, I didn’t hear his footsteps. I looked up. Howard was still standing there. “Something wrong?” He pressed his lips together. “You… look pretty good.” What was wrong with him? “Thanks,” I said.

I thought Howard wouldn’t be back for a while, but then I saw him again the next morning. Howard and I hadn’t had a peaceful interaction in ages. Except for a few months ago, on our anniversary, we’d both had too much to drink and ended up in a strange, passionate entanglement all night. Most other times we met, we barely spoke. And if we did, we’d argue the moment we opened our mouths. This time, he came back on his own, which usually meant trouble. Sure enough, I heard Howard say, “Scarlett is due to give birth soon.” “So?” I asked. “I wanted to ask you, which postpartum recovery center is the best? You’re quite experienced in this area.” His expression was calm, as if he was genuinely asking for advice. If he wasn’t my husband, I might even praise him. But I was still pregnant myself. My own husband asking me for recommendations for his mistress’s recovery? Was he trying to kill me? I couldn’t help but sneer. “Is your company secretary underpaid? Can’t he handle this?” Howard gave an uncomfortable laugh. “Secretary Brown is doing the work of two people, he’s a bit overwhelmed. Plus, he’s a man, he doesn’t understand these things.” “Scarlett said you have experience; it’s her first baby, and she’s really scared. That’s why she asked me to come to you. She really didn’t want to bother you, I’ve seen her crying and crying. It reminds me of when you were pregnant with Marcus, how terrified you were. You’ve been through it, so you must understand how she feels.” I didn’t understand, and I didn’t want to. No matter how generous I was, I wasn’t going to help my husband deal with this garbage. “Go ask around yourself. If all else fails, just book the most expensive one.” Howard frowned, annoyed. “Joshua, there you go again. The moment things don’t go your way, you get sarcastic.” “It’s always this terrible temper. Who else but me could put up with you?” He sighed. “Forget it, I shouldn’t have even asked.” “I’ve already looked at the postpartum recovery center information you booked on your tablet. Scarlett can just use that one. You vetted it, so it must be good.” “You’re only three months along, you have time to find another one. If not, you can just use it after Scarlett finishes, there’s still plenty of time.”

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My classmate, Sarah, saw me and happily pointed at my engagement ring. “You and Ethan are getting married, congrats!” Then, she gave a sly smile: “You know what? Olivia, who bullied you in high school, is now someone’s side piece.” Out of curiosity, I checked Olivia’s social media and found a post. 【Hate lasts longer than love. Take down your arch-nemesis.】 【He hated that I didn’t even glance at him in high school. He hated that I bullied his girlfriend, sending a report to the school board that got me expelled, making me miss out on my diploma.】 【Later, he got into an Ivy League school and landed a job at a prestigious firm right after graduation. Me? I was jobless, ended up working as a hostess.】 【But on the night of his engagement, one call from me brought him out, and we slept together 7 times that night.】 The comments under the post were all cursing her, but she brazenly posted a few joint photos. My hands trembled as I clicked to open them. The man kneeling beside her, putting on her high heels, showed half of his face. It was my fiancé, Ethan.

I felt almost dizzy, my fingertips zooming in and out. No matter how many times I looked, stubbornly refusing to believe it. That half-face, that matching couple’s ring on his right middle finger, it was exactly as I remembered. How could it be him? Just last week, before his business trip, Ethan had gently hugged me, his voice tender: “Chloe, the new apartment is almost ready. On moving day, we’ll head to city hall to get our marriage license.” Moving day was the day after tomorrow. The comments on that post kept scrolling, some questioning: “A bully actually found love? Who’d believe that?” “She’s probably just jealous of someone else’s true love and deliberately Photoshopped it to be disgusting.” My heart skipped a beat. My suffocating chest finally caught a breath. Olivia hated my guts. Knowing our wedding was close, it was possible she was just spreading rumors. After all, Ethan had more than once held my scarred hand, his eyes red with tears: “Every time you have a nightmare, I wish I could kill her.” Olivia replied to that one comment directly: “How ridiculous. Who’s true love isn’t set in stone. Here, take a closer look.” She uploaded another series of pictures. The screen was filled with screenshots of bank transfers and receipts, each specifically noted “voluntary gift.” Monthly short trips, with hundreds of flight tickets alone. “He’s madly in love with me. At least three boxes of condoms every month.” “The most thrilling time was when he pretended to work overtime.” “That bitch called to check up on him. I deliberately screamed a little louder, and he punished me all night. My back was killing me.” “Office desks aren’t exactly comfortable, though. I heard his couch was custom-made for her overseas.” “So tonight, the hostess of the new house will be me, I guess?” In the newly loaded selfie, she smiled, tilting her head, looking innocent. That door in the background was the entrance to the apartment complex Ethan and I had seen countless times but hadn’t moved into yet. The car reached its stop. I followed the crowd out of the car. The cold wind poured into my collar, chilling my face pale. While waiting for a cab, I stared down, dialing Ethan’s number again and again. Until I got into the car, there was no answer. On the eighth call, Ethan picked up. The distance to the new apartment was less than two miles. “Chloe, wha—” “Where are you?” I interrupted him, trying with all my might to steady my voice. Ethan’s voice was soft and tender: “I’m at work, overtime. Miss me already?” “Video call.” He paused, a hint of helplessness in his voice: “Baby, I have a meeting. Can I call you back later?” “I’ve got a lot of projects this month. I want to earn more so you won’t have to work so hard after we get married.” One mile. I was silent for a moment, then asked in a hoarse voice: “Ethan, have you ever lied to me?” He answered without hesitation: “Of course not, Chloe. Why the sudden question?” A faint scoff, almost imperceptible, reached my ears. It was Olivia. My heart slowly grew cold. Three hundred feet left. “Is someone next to you? Who is it?” Ethan coughed, trying to cover it up: “Just a colleague, Chloe. How about we talk later, when you’re back from your business trip—?” He suddenly stopped. “Chloe, are you… crying?” The car slowly pulled over. With just one glance, I saw them in the distance. Under the dim streetlights, Olivia, in a short skirt, was leaning softly against Ethan, half her body draped on him. She was listening to the phone, her face mocking. Everything she said was true. Ethan. You could cheat with anyone, but how could it be her? Tears splattered on the ground, but I stubbornly looked up, my voice hoarse: “Turn around.”

“What?” Ethan turned around, startled. The moment our eyes met, his face abruptly went pale. “Chloe…” He swayed, walked closer, his fingertips trembling as he wiped away my tears. “Don’t cry,” his voice softened. “It breaks my heart to see you cry.” I looked up blankly. Ethan looked at me with the exact same gaze as seven years ago. In our junior year of high school, Ethan and I became classmates. He was quiet, I was introverted; our only interaction was a “thank you” when papers were handed out. The night before the school sports day, we played truth or dare in the dorm. The sexy, outgoing Olivia blushed and said, “I have a crush on someone.” “Tomorrow at the sports day, once he takes my water, you’ll know who it is.” I happened to be absent that day. The next day, when I returned to school, I was called to help with logistics. Ethan, after finishing his 1000-meter race, glanced at the electrolyte drink Olivia offered him. Then he looked at the bottled water I had just set down. He walked past Olivia, picked up my water, and asked casually: “Why weren’t you here yesterday? Sick?” I forgot what I said. I only remembered that from that day on. Olivia spread rumors that I was a prude trying to seduce the baseball team captain, and then led the charge to ostracize me. During our late-night dorm chats, the moment I spoke, the air would fill with deliberate silence. I was chosen as the biology class rep. Olivia grinned and came closer. Her hand provocatively reached for my chest. “Wow, top in biology, and such big breasts! From now on, we’ll just call you ‘Beaker’.” From then on, the name “Beaker” became my nightmare. Summer school uniforms were quite sheer. During gym class, she deliberately splashed water all over me, then snickered: “Beaker, nice bra today, it’s pink!” “So many guys in class, who are you trying to hook up with? Tell us, I’ll help you out!” The first reaction of someone being bullied is always to self-reflect. Why me? Did I do something wrong? Seventeen-year-old Chloe didn’t understand. I was terrified, trying to negotiate, even to appease her. Explaining repeatedly, bringing her milk, helping her with difficult math problems. Olivia finally accepted, her attitude suddenly softening. During class, she slipped me a note: “I need to talk to you after school.” Ethan, sharp-eyed, spotted it and his expression tightened. “Don’t go.” I didn’t hear clearly. “What?” He turned his head away, no longer speaking. Years later, in countless midnight dreams, I would always remember that day. Olivia brought her ‘sisters’ from outside school to corner me. No matter how hysterically I fought back, they still stripped off my clothes, and with a utility knife, they cut my arms, one slash after another, until blood flowed freely. Olivia’s eyes were full of disgust: “Chloe, what are you pretending to be, a good girl? You’re such a bitch.” Later, Ethan arrived with the police. His jacket was draped over me as he kept calling out, “Chloe, Chloe, Chloe…” Suddenly, a warm drop fell on my face. My blurry vision slowly focused, and I saw clearly. It was Ethan’s tears. He said, “I’m sorry, it’s all my fault.” “If only I had arrived sooner…” How could I blame him? It was his report to the school board that got Olivia expelled and dropped out. It was he who took time off to accompany me to therapy, helping me catch up on my missed studies little by little. We applied to the same college. The day our college acceptance letters came out, as Ethan and I walked side-by-side, he quietly took my hand. Four years of college, three years of work. From campus to wedding dress, our journey was almost entirely smooth. When we bought our apartment with our combined savings, Ethan pointed to every corner, planning what to put where. After he finished, he smiled, his eyes curving: “Chloe, what do you think?” People often feel a sense of unreality when they’re closest to happiness. Could fate really be this kind? Could the future really be so smooth? I didn’t know. But at that moment, I believed I was happy. How did it turn out like this? “Chloe, just listen to me calmly. It’s not what you think between me and her.” Ethan’s mouth opened and closed. But I couldn’t hear anything anymore.

Ethan poured a glass of warm water and placed it in my hand. He knelt down, face-to-face, his forehead against mine, his eyes pleading: “Chloe, please say something, don’t scare me.” “We’re home now. Look, it’s our new apartment.” Home? I vaguely came back to my senses. Olivia was already gone. Ethan’s glare had made her leave. Before she left, Olivia shrugged indifferently, then mouthed two words with a playful smirk: “Beaker.” So disgusting. So incredibly disgusting. I trembled all over and pushed him away forcefully. “Get lost.” Ethan’s lower back hit the table leg. He grunted and sighed: “Chloe, you can vent your anger however you want, but at least give me a chance to explain, right?” “Olivia just heard we were getting married and wanted to offer her congratulations.” Ethan’s tone was helpless: “I was afraid you’d misunderstand, and since you were on a business trip, I didn’t tell you.” “I didn’t know you’d come back early. This is my fault.” “That’s it?” I asked him. Ethan nodded. “Chloe, when have I ever lied to you?” My smile was uglier than any cry. Why? It was the same familiar face. The same familiar tone. Seven years. When did he learn to lie so flawlessly, without even a flicker in his eyes? Ethan was startled, thinking I was only upset because I’d seen Olivia. He patiently wiped away my tears. “We were just kids back in high school. Everyone makes mistakes.” “Besides, she already paid the price for it.” “No diploma, divorced parents. She entered the world early as a young woman, even getting enough to eat was a struggle. She was truly pitiful.” “Yes, she wronged you. But it’s been seven years. Why can’t you just get over it?” For seven years, every damp, rainy season, I would have nightmares. In my dreams, countless smooth hands, like vines, would cling stickily to me. Olivia’s cruel smiling face was always there. A cold blade would slide down my cheek, leaving a bloody trail. “Chloe, I was the first one to see your whole body. Doesn’t that make me half your man?” “Sweetie, don’t you dare forget me.” I’d wake up screaming, my face already drenched with tears, soaking the pillowcase. Ethan would quietly comfort me again and again: “Don’t be scared. It’s okay if you can’t forget. I’ll always be with you.” And now. He’s asking me, on behalf of my bully, why I can’t just get over it? My chest felt like it was being churned by a dull knife. One cut after another, deep and heavy. I lifted my pale face and asked the last question: “Why?” Ethan’s tone softened slightly, his gaze lowered: “Chloe, I don’t want to see you have nightmares.” “Let go of the past. We have a better future ahead. Let’s get our marriage license tomorrow, okay?” I was tired of his evasiveness. I asked hoarsely: “Ethan, tell me, did you sleep with her…” The urgent ringing of his phone suddenly broke the silence. He quickly answered. In less than three seconds, his expression became anxious. “I’m going out for a bit. Don’t wait up for me.” At the same time, an unfamiliar text message popped up on my phone. “Chloe, do you believe me? In five minutes, he’ll be in my bed.” The familiar malice confronted me directly. I instinctively grabbed Ethan’s sleeve: “Don’t go…” He paused, turned around, and slowly pulled his hand away. “Chloe, I have to go.” The door closed. I stood frozen, tears streaming down my face uncontrollably. I couldn’t stop him. Seven years ago, Chloe insisted on going to that meeting out of foolishness. Ethan wasn’t stupid. He was enjoying every minute of it. The screen lit up again. “Chloe, you still don’t know, do you?” “He slept with me on the night you got engaged.”

Naked provocation. Should I laugh? I was so broken that the words just registered as numbly. The next message appeared, like a death knell. The moment I saw it clearly, a sharp, sudden pain pierced my chest, almost stealing my breath. “Chloe, did you really think he hated me?” “The day I was expelled from school, he slipped me a phone number and an address.” “Chloe, Chloe, the truth is, you lost a long time ago.” My hands trembled uncontrollably. It wasn’t a coincidence at all. Not a drunken mistake, not a chance encounter at a bar. It was one call from Olivia, and he went. Ethan. When you kept comforting me not to be scared, when your eyes reddened touching the scars on my hand. When you cried with excitement celebrating buying this new apartment. Were you crying for the woman you claimed to love, or were you worried about how the bully from years ago was doing? A wave of nausea washed over me. I rushed to the bathroom and threw up until I saw stars. Along with my shattered heart, it all went down the drain. Forget it. This was all too disgusting. Wiping my face, I opened my laptop and, underneath that expatriate job offer I’d never even considered, I checked ‘agree’. After shutting down, I booked a ticket for the next day. I had rushed back overnight, not even opening my suitcase. It was fine. No need to pack anymore. That post was updated again. Amidst a flurry of curses, Olivia posted a photo of them holding hands. “The line between hate and love is so fine, after all.” “Even as he hated me for bullying, wasn’t it a kind of attention?” “See? Seven years, and I still won, didn’t I?” I didn’t sleep all night. I saved and recorded every one of her words, every undeniable piece of evidence of their affair. Early the next morning, I dragged my suitcase out the door. I ran right into Ethan, who was rushing back. Seeing the suitcase, his gaze stopped, and his expression became anxious. “Chloe, I was just called in last night for an urgent project. You don’t need to make a scene over this, do you?” Ethan rubbed his tired brows, his tone softening slightly: “I didn’t sleep all night, just quickly rinsed off, sorry.” He curved his lips and took my suitcase: “We agreed to get our marriage license today, Chloe. All our relatives and friends are waiting for us to post it on Ins for likes.” “I’ve already booked the makeup artist; she’ll be here soon, we…” I sidestepped, avoiding his hand. Ethan’s outstretched hand froze in mid-air. A strange feeling flashed through his heart. “What’s wrong?” I quietly looked at him, suddenly curious: “Ethan, how much sincerity was there in your smooth words?” “What…?” “Olivia’s perfume from last night hadn’t faded yet, and there was a lipstick stain on the back of your collar.” Ethan’s face abruptly went pale. I managed a mocking smile: “Most importantly, the wedding ring on your right hand? You took it off.”

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My fiancé, Ethan, won a raffle for a couple’s trip to an island resort. The host asked, “Dr. Ethan, who will you be taking?” Everyone’s gaze turned to me, and murmurs of my name filled the room: “Chloe! Chloe!” My heart pounded faster. I looked at him with a smile. But he pointed to Mia, his assistant, who was sitting below: “Give it to her. She’s been working incredibly hard lately.” Mia’s face flushed instantly. My best friend, Cassie, leaned into my ear, fuming. “Didn’t we all agree to have our weddings on the island this year? How could your fiancé do this?” I smiled, forcing back the sting in my eyes. “Don’t worry. The plan’s still on.” I would wear my wedding dress and get married on that island. If Ethan didn’t want to go, then he wouldn’t. Ethan walked down from the stage with an unhurried grace. As he passed his assistant’s seat, he naturally paused. He handed over the envelope containing the travel voucher, a hint of indulgence in his smile: “Here.” Mia’s eyes instantly lit up, a mix of surprise and delight. She pressed her pretty lips together, taking the envelope with both hands. As if she wasn’t just receiving a raffle ticket, but a weighty, significant honor. The next second, she stood up gracefully, her voice clear, her tone cheerful and rather loud: “Thank you for always thinking of me! I don’t know how I’ll ever repay you!” With that, she even performed a lively, playful curtsy towards Ethan. Straightening up, she paused, her eyes twinkling mischievously as she glanced at Ethan, a mix of youthful playfulness and subtle testing. “But… I don’t really have anyone to travel with. Why don’t you come with me?” The air around us seemed to freeze for a moment, then broke into a few suggestive snickers. Cassie, beside me, shot up, ready to confront him. I gripped her wrist tightly, pulling her back into her seat, forcing a deliberately casual smile. “Why are you still so impulsive? Ethan won’t agree.” No sooner had I spoken than I heard Ethan’s voice, laced with amusement. “Well, that depends on your work performance.” “Yes, sir!” Mia exaggeratedly stood at attention and saluted, drawing laughter from the crowd. Ethan couldn’t help but chuckle. He patted her shoulder and walked towards me. “What the hell is going on?!” Cassie was barely held back by me, gritting her teeth as she whispered fiercely in my ear. “Is she playing innocent because she’s young? Is she genuinely clueless, or is this deliberate?” “We’ve been together, the four of us, for eight years! Back in college, we made a pact to have a double wedding on the island!” “Liam and I have already set everything! Is Ethan truly clueless, or did he just forget?” “This raffle was practically set up for him! Why else would he even be here? And to top it off, he brought his assistant!” She grew angrier as she spoke, her chest heaving. I placed my hand over hers, patting it gently. “Sit still. Don’t get worked up.” She didn’t say anything more, but the sheen of tears in her eyes refused to dry, and she huffily turned her head away. Ethan sat back down beside me. He seemed to sense something, glancing at my face and Cassie’s, then smiled. It was that familiar, gentle charm that always made it impossible to stay angry at him. He took my hand, his thumb caressing my knuckles, and said in a low voice: “The beach isn’t that fun anyway; it’s always packed with people. When I take my annual leave at the end of the year, I’ll take you for a quiet getaway in the mountains.” I gently withdrew my hand, my gaze not meeting his. “No need. You just focus on your work.” He paused, then smiled and withdrew his hand. To my left, Cassie, not giving up, pulled out her phone and quickly typed a few words, then leaned over: “Liam’s giving a speech soon; I’ll get him to help us out.” I offered her a grateful smile, not objecting.

Cassie, Liam, and Ethan, and I. The four of us were the best of friends in college. Liam and Cassie started this company together, and they really busted their butts getting it off the ground during the early days. Once the company was finally on track, Cassie relentlessly convinced me to join as the VP of Public Relations. It was a perfect fit for my major, and we could hang out all the time, just like in college. Not long after, Liam, as a founder, was invited onto the stage. Then the host asked about his personal plans for the second half of the year. Liam played coy, stroking his chin and pausing for a few seconds before grinning. “Next month! I’m getting married on the island!” The audience erupted in cheers and playful jeers. He turned and looked at our table, his gaze settling on Cassie, his voice suddenly softening: “I hope to spend my life with my wife. Even with all the playful bickering we’re bound to have!” Laughter and applause blended enthusiastically. Cassie’s eyes welled up, but she muttered, “You’re crazy.” Liam’s tone shifted, and his gaze moved to Ethan. He sincerely and expectantly extended a hand, asking loudly and with full vigor: “Brother, want to join us?!” My eyes suddenly welled up. All the spotlights seemed to be focused on our table. Everyone’s eyes were on Ethan. Our friends had their hands clasped in front of them, ready to erupt in applause. The sound tech quietly flipped a switch, ready to cue the music. Perhaps the atmosphere was truly moving, as I turned to look at Ethan, a faint, fragile hope flickering in my heart once more. But Ethan, under everyone’s watchful eyes, just smiled, waved his hand, and replied with a playful tone: “You go first. I’m not really into crowded weddings.” We were all adults; Liam didn’t press the issue, just awkwardly rubbed his nose and continued his speech. The surging tide in my heart finally receded, leaving behind only a dead calm and an endless, salty emptiness. Nicole, from not far away, turned her head, a faint, almost imperceptible smile playing on her lips. Her gaze slid past Ethan and quietly assessed me. Her eyes held curiosity, triumph, and a hint of indefinable pity. I calmly nodded at her, curving my lips into a polite, distant smile. That entire day, Cassie didn’t speak another word to Ethan. Whenever their eyes met, she looked at him as if he were her worst enemy. In the end, Liam awkwardly saw us out by himself. Ethan and I emerged from the parking lot, and from a distance, we saw Mia standing alone at the company entrance. The night breeze pressed her skirt against her calves as she hugged her arms, looking around expectantly. Ethan’s car window rolled down. Mia’s eyes lit up, and she scurried over, calling out Ethan’s name with a pitiful whimper: “Ethan—” “Why haven’t you left yet?” “Can’t get a ride-share… it’s impossible to book one this late,” she said, her voice laced with a hint of grievance. Ethan glanced at the backseat, then at me, his tone neutral: “I can give you a lift.” “Oh, I don’t know… Chloe’s here,” Mia said, pressing her lips together, though her feet remained firmly planted. “It’s on the way,” Ethan said, then turned to me. “Our place is on the way. I’ll drop you off first, then take her home.” I nodded. There was nothing more to say. All the way, Mia chattered like a magpie, rattling off amusing anecdotes from the hospital. Listening to those unfamiliar names, I suddenly felt like an awkward outsider. After I got out, Ethan leaned out the window, his voice soft as he cautioned: “You go on up. I’ll be back as soon as I drop her off.” I acknowledged him and turned to leave. As I reached the building, my steps involuntarily slowed. Driven by an inexplicable impulse, I couldn’t help but glance back. Under the streetlamp, the black sedan hadn’t turned off its engine. Through the windshield, I saw that Mia had, at some point, moved to the passenger seat. She was leaning slightly forward, excitedly tugging on Ethan’s arm, pointing at the road ahead and saying something. Ethan had his head turned, seemingly listening to her, his profile, bathed in the play of light and shadow, looked exceptionally gentle. The next second, the car did a U-turn and drove off in the opposite direction.

Back home, I started packing. There wasn’t much to pack, really. I just mechanically folded clothes from my closet, one by one, and put them into a box. Until my fingers brushed against the velvet box hidden deep in the closet. I opened it. Inside lay a silver bracelet, with a small, irregularly shaped starfish charm. Ethan had given it to me during our junior year, when he confessed his feelings. That day, he was so nervous his forehead was slick with sweat, and he could barely string a sentence together. As he pressed the box into my hand, he said: “Chloe, I don’t have much money now, but I want to give you this piece of the ocean first.” “I promise you, very soon, I’ll take you to see the real thing.” In his eyes, I saw my own reflection shimmering, like a constellation filling the entire sea. I ran my fingers over the starfish, which had already oxidized a bit. A cold touch spread through my fingertips. At the very bottom of the drawer was a photograph. It was a group photo of the four of us, with a Gothic cathedral from a college trip in the background. In the picture, Cassie and Liam were laughing carefree, Ethan had his arm around my shoulder, and I leaned into his embrace. All four of us, in the prime of our youth. I remembered that day, sunlight streaming through the cathedral’s tall stained-glass windows, falling on us. Liam had exclaimed, “This church is so sacred; I’m going to get married here someday, how grand!” But I had frowned, murmuring softly: “It’s too ornate and oppressive. I don’t like it.” “If I get married, I’d still prefer it by the sea.” “Blue skies, white clouds, and the sound of waves as the best background music.” Ethan had then squeezed my cheek, smiling indulgently: “Okay, whatever you want.” “Later, the four of us will have a wedding on the island together. You and I as one couple, Liam and Cassie as the other, how about it?” “It’s a deal!” “Pinky promise!” Four pinky fingers hooked together, making that vow. It seems laughable now, but to preserve that sense of sacredness, I had yearned for the ocean countless times, yet never once gone. I stubbornly held onto the hope that the first time I saw the sea, it would be with him. Dressed in a white wedding gown, embarking on the next chapter of my life. But now, he casually said the beach was full of people and not much fun. The sound of a key turning in the lock came from the living room. Ethan was back. I quickly wiped my eyes, stuffing the bracelet and photo back into their places. I walked to the living room sofa and sat down, starting to flip through the bridal boutique brochures on the coffee table. As he changed his shoes, he said in a relaxed tone: “What happened with Mia today was an accident. There was an emergency patient who needed surgery at noon, and she stood with me in the operating room for five or six hours. Plus, she had some family issues and didn’t want to go back to face them, so I brought her along to lighten her mood.” His explanation was perfectly logical, completely watertight. I calmly nodded: “Mmm, I understand.” Ethan seemed to relax, then turned with a satisfied expression to take a shower. My phone rang. It was the bridal boutique consultant. “Ms. Chloe, hello. The wedding gowns you and Mrs. King liked yesterday have arrived in your sizes.” “When would be a good time for you to come for a fitting? Will Mr. Ethan be able to join you?”

Her voice was loud, exceptionally clear in the quiet living room. The bathroom door opened, and Ethan walked out, wrapped in a towel, water still dripping from his hair. He had clearly heard the phone call. The smile on his face vanished instantly, replaced by suppressed anger. He frowned, walking over to me. “Chloe, why are you always so immature?” I hung up the phone and looked up at him. “Is getting married something one person can decide? Have you ever considered my feelings?” I said softly, “But I don’t want to break our promise.” Ethan stared at me, seemingly unable to believe I could be so stubborn. He shook his head, finally speaking harsh words: “Unreasonable.” “I’ve indulged you for so many years; I’ve spoiled you rotten.” “I don’t have time to go to the island. If you don’t want to make a fool of yourself, go return that dress tomorrow!” The next day. Ethan told me he was attending a month-long medical symposium in New York and would be performing a few consulting surgeries while he was there. I knew in my heart he was avoiding me. A month later would be Liam and Cassie’s wedding on the island. By the time he returned, the wedding would already be a done deal. This outcome, in fact, had long been anticipated. But I never imagined that, to avoid marrying me, he would even choose to skip his best friend’s wedding. I silently saw him off at the airport. At the security checkpoint, Mia was already waiting, hauling two enormous suitcases. Seeing me, a brilliant smile bloomed on her face, and she said to me with a knowing look: “Don’t worry, Chloe. Ethan’s all mine this month. I promise to take good care of him, make sure he’s well-fed and taken care of.” I smiled and nodded: “Then I’ll leave him in your capable hands.” Watching Ethan turn to enter the security lane, driven by an inexplicable impulse, I couldn’t help but call out to him: “Ethan!” He stopped, looking at me across the bustling crowd. Sunlight streamed through the airport’s massive glass atrium, dappling his face with light and shadow. It was still his face, but when did the boy I loved truly leave me? Tears welled in my eyes. I tried to force a smile and softly said: “Goodbye forever.” The air was thick with the din of people, the drone of announcements, the rumble of suitcase wheels, and the cries of children—a massive, interwoven cacophony. He didn’t hear me clearly. He waved a confused hand and called out, “What?” I didn’t answer again, just waved vigorously at him. He frowned, seeming to sense something, a flicker of hesitation in his eyes, as he wavered, wanting to turn back. Mia tugged his arm from behind, her voice a playful whine: “Ethan, hurry up! We’re going to miss it!” He followed her, walking on. He kept turning back to look at me as he walked. I smiled, watching them, until they were completely out of sight. Leaving the airport, I went to the amusement park alone. The carousel spun on, tirelessly. The first time Ethan took me out, we rode the carousel. It was one of the few rides that didn’t require an extra ticket, but we were ecstatic. He picked two horses side-by-side, one white, one brown. The music started, and the carousel began to turn. “Chloe. I love the feeling of riding side-by-side.” He reached out, and in the rhythm of the rising and falling horses, he took my hand. “On our path forward, all I’d have to do is turn my head to see you.” “That’s my ultimate happiness.” Ding-dong—the music stopped. The carousel slowly ground to a halt. I sat alone on the white horse, the brown one beside me empty. I stepped out of the railing. I looked back. Only seven or eight rotations, and I was back at the starting point. My phone vibrated in my pocket. A message from Cassie: “Tomorrow we’re going to the island to finalize the venue and arrangements. Are you really sure about this?” I looked up. A seam split open in the overcast sky, revealing a sliver of clean blue. Tomorrow, I was going to see the ocean.

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My boyfriend Ethan makes forty thousand dollars a month, and every month he puts thirty thousand dollars into an account for me. Everyone says I found a great guy. But only I knew he never gave me the card’s PIN. He said it was for our future, but our present? I paid for everything. Dinners out, rent, even his clothes and new phone — he always asked me for money. I was a college student who hadn’t even graduated yet, working four part-time jobs, to the point my period stopped being regular. All he said was: “I’m putting thirty thousand aside for you every month, and you’re still quibbling over these small amounts?” Then came my graduation presentation. My mom had a heart attack. I rushed to the bank with that card, only for the teller to tell me— “Ma’am, this card was canceled three years ago. There was never a single cent in it.” At that moment, standing in the bank lobby, looking at that useless piece of plastic in my hand, I suddenly burst out laughing. On our third anniversary, my boyfriend Ethan updated his Ins. The post featured a retouched photo of us at a fancy restaurant, with a close-up of a bank card and a bouquet of flowers beside it. The caption read: “Three-year anniversary. The 36th deposit of $30,000 for her is in. That $30,000 I put aside for her every month is her security.” His comments section was full of praise: A friend commented: “Ethan is so good to her, thirty thousand a month? Who could resist that?” A colleague commented: “Hazel must’ve saved the galaxy in a past life.” His mom commented: “My son is so reliable. Hazel is lucky to be with him.” I looked at that beautifully crafted post and could only think that I paid $880 for that dinner, and even the flowers on the table were bought by me. Before I could even process it, Ethan sent me a few links: “Hazel, can you pay for these shoes for me? And this shirt, I need some new clothes.” I glanced at the prices: the shoes were one thousand eight hundred, the shirt one thousand two hundred. That was three thousand total. I was currently working four part-time jobs, and only making seven thousand a month altogether. A bitter feeling rose in my chest. I carefully worded my reply: “Things are a bit tight lately. Maybe next month?” Ethan replied instantly: “I put thirty thousand aside for you every month, and you can’t even buy me a pair of shoes? Hazel, you’re not going to be that stingy, are you?” “If I wasn’t putting thirty thousand aside for you every month, would I even have to ask you for clothes?” My throat tightened. I opened my banking app; my balance was only four hundred twenty dollars. “I… I don’t have enough money this month. Can I buy them for you next month?” Ethan replied instantly: “Not enough again? Hazel, I put thirty thousand aside for you as security for our future, not for you to be so wasteful!” “Where did all your money go?!” Where did my money go? Last week, he said his company was organizing an outdoor team-building event, so I bought him a full outdoor outfit, a thousand dollars. The week before, I just paid the rent, six thousand. I used to share an apartment, and it only cost me seven hundred a month. After I started dating Ethan, he said the bank’s dorms were too crowded, and he worried about me living alone as a girl. He insisted on moving in with me. My shared apartment became a full rental, and my seven hundred dollar monthly rent became two thousand dollars. In three years, Ethan hadn’t paid a single cent of rent. If I dared to question it, he’d scold me: “Hazel, if I wasn’t putting thirty thousand aside for you every month, would I be so broke? Can’t even afford rent? Don’t I have any dignity?” “You’re holding a card with over a million of my dollars, and you’re still being so cheap about buying me clothes? Do you have a heart?” “You’re just a college student; how would you understand the hardships of working life? You should do more part-time jobs and experience life!” Thinking of this, I closed my eyes, opened a job search app, and started looking for a fifth part-time job.

My roommate Lucy asked me, “Hazel, you mentioned your period hadn’t come for several months last time. Did you go get it checked?” I froze, a bitter taste in my mouth, unsure how to answer. My classmates all envied me, saying my boyfriend put thirty thousand dollars aside for me every month, the kind of boyfriend they couldn’t find even if they searched high and low. But who knew that my period hadn’t come for four months, and I couldn’t even afford a hospital visit? That so-called thirty thousand dollars every month? I hadn’t touched a single cent. The card was in my hand, but the PIN wasn’t. I asked for the PIN a few times, and Ethan would always say, “I’ll tell you the PIN later. Anyway, the card is with you; the money isn’t going anywhere.” This empty promise became Ethan’s leverage over me. I found it hard to refuse him anything he asked for. I had to buy him clothes and shoes, pay his car insurance, and even top up his phone. His phone was the latest iPhone, while mine was an old $100 phone my mom bought me before I started college. When we went out for dinner or movies, I always paid. Household essentials, groceries, utility bills — he never bothered with any of it. If I showed even a hint of hesitation, he would immediately throw out that line: “I put thirty thousand aside for you every month, and you’re quibbling over these small amounts with me?” This sentence was like a lock that cut off all my escape routes. For three out of my four years in college, I dated him. For those three years, besides classes, I was always working part-time jobs, doing four jobs, to the point my period was irregular. What was the point of this relationship? That weekend, Ethan took me to a restaurant for dinner. Soon after we sat down, we ran into two of Ethan’s colleagues. We just joined tables. Ethan was very generous, grabbing the menu and adding several dishes. We all ate happily. When we were almost done, the waiter placed the bill on the table: “Your table’s total is six hundred thirty dollars.” A colleague was about to grab his phone to pay when Ethan stopped him. He pushed the bill towards me, “This one’s on me.” He said it was on him, but I was the one who paid. His two colleagues didn’t find anything wrong with this, because all of Ethan’s colleagues knew that as soon as Ethan got paid each month, he’d transfer thirty thousand dollars to his girlfriend. But my phone balance was only four hundred twenty dollars total right now, nowhere near enough. Under the table, I tugged on Ethan’s sleeve and whispered, “I don’t have enough money…” Ethan didn’t even look up. “Stop it.” I didn’t know what to do; my face slowly began to burn. The waiter asked again, “Who will be paying?” Ethan didn’t answer. One colleague chuckled, teasing me, “Come on, Hazel! Ethan’s total salary is forty thousand, and thirty thousand goes to you. This meal is just pocket change for you, right?” Another colleague chimed in, “Exactly, Hazel! Thirty thousand dollars! We’re so envious. This meal is just pocket change for you!” Everyone was waiting for me to pay. I felt like I was being roasted alive, my face beet red. But I really had no money. I stood there, phone in hand, stiff and unsure what to do. The waiter had waited too long, and his expression started to show impatience. He directly prompted me: “Ma’am, the total is six hundred thirty. SnapChat or PayPal?” The two colleagues’ gazes turned unfriendly, and even customers at the next table started looking our way.

“Why isn’t that girl paying yet? What’s she waiting for?” “Didn’t they just say her boyfriend puts thirty thousand aside for her every month? I’m so envious.” “She’s not paying even this? Is she just being cheap?” “Maybe she spent it all.” “Oh my god, she spent thirty thousand already? She’s so extravagant! Girls these days really…” Ethan finally realized I genuinely couldn’t pay this time. He shook his head, smiling as he pulled out his phone, “Alright, alright, I’ll get it.” As he paid, he explained to his colleagues, “Girls can be a bit stingy. I put thirty thousand aside for her every month, and she’s used to spending lavishly. It’s gone before the month is out. She’s still a student, you know, a bit thoughtless.” The colleagues’ looks towards me weren’t friendly either. “Ethan, you spoil Hazel too much. Thirty thousand isn’t enough for her? That’s not right. Hazel, Ethan works hard for his money; you need to be considerate and not squander it.” Another agreed, “Exactly, girls spend without thinking; you can’t spoil them. Ethan, you really need to rein Hazel in. She’s so generous with herself but cheap when it comes to treating you.” I sat there, frozen with indignation. Again, thirty thousand! Everyone knew he put thirty thousand aside for me every month! But who knew I was now working five jobs? Who knew I couldn’t even afford to visit a hospital when I was sick? Who knew my card balance had never exceeded three digits? I swallowed back my tears, refusing to cry in public. That evening, I saw a post from Ethan’s mom on Ins: “My son bought me a new phone. I told him not to get such an expensive one, but he insisted this one was good.” The accompanying photo was of the latest iPhone, seven thousand eight hundred dollars. I stared at that picture, and tears streamed down my face. Ethan bought his mom a seven-thousand-eight-hundred-dollar phone without batting an eye, yet in three years, he had never bought me a single cup of coffee. I scrolled further back through Ethan’s mom’s Ins. Ethan gave his mom eight thousand dollars every month, either in cash or by buying things, and his mom would post about it monthly. Clothes and skincare products worth thousands of dollars were common. I clenched my phone and opened my SnapChat conversation with Ethan. Scrolling up, the screen was filled with messages from him asking me to buy things. “Pay for these shoes for me.” “Car insurance is due; can you cover it first?” “My phone needs an upgrade.” From small items like socks and underwear to big ones like phones and cameras. Over three years, the cost of these things added up to over two hundred thousand dollars, crushing my entire college life. And I, myself, had never bought clothes or skincare products costing over a hundred dollars. I stared at my phone, my heart growing colder by the second. He always said he gave me thirty thousand of his forty-thousand-dollar salary, leaving him not enough to spend. Turns out, his “not enough to spend” just meant not enough to spend on *me*. His money was always enough. But he knew exactly who it was spent on. A ringtone interrupted my thoughts. It was my mom calling. “Mom, how’s your health lately?” “Hazel, I’m fine. Just a bit of tightness in my chest, and I can’t catch my breath.” My heart clenched. “Mom, you need to go to the hospital and get checked out.” “It’s nothing major, just tired. I’ll rest for a couple of days and be fine.” “What if something serious happens?” I got anxious. “Just do it for my peace of mind.” My mom was silent for a moment before speaking. “A hospital check-up costs at least a few hundred dollars. If there’s nothing wrong, wouldn’t that be a waste?” “I’m not capable. Other people’s kids have an easy time in college, but my daughter has to work part-time to earn her living expenses. I can’t drag my daughter down anymore.” My eyes welled up, and my throat felt tight. Ethan and his mom used the latest phones and wore clothes worth thousands. Meanwhile, my mom and I couldn’t even afford a hospital visit.

On the day of my graduation presentation, I had just stepped down from the podium, pulled out my phone, and saw over a dozen missed calls. All from my mom. My heart sank, and I quickly called her back. But it wasn’t my mom who answered; it was our neighbor, Mr. Davis. “Hazel, come home quickly! Your mom fainted right downstairs after buying groceries. A few neighbors and I took her to the hospital!” My head started spinning. “The doctor said it’s a heart condition and she needs immediate surgery! They’re asking family to pay up quickly! One hundred thousand dollars!” I didn’t wait for my presentation results. I grabbed my bag and ran out. On the way, I messaged Ethan: “What’s the card PIN? Urgent.” After a while, he replied: “I’ll tell you later. You have enough from your part-time jobs; don’t spend carelessly.” My hands were shaking too much to type, so I called him directly. “Ethan, my mom is sick! Heart attack! She needs one hundred thousand dollars for surgery! Please tell me the PIN now!” The other end of the phone was silent for two seconds, then he said unhurriedly: “Hazel, you’re cursing your own mom just to trick me into giving you money? That’s going too far.” He hung up immediately, not listening to another word I had to say. My hands trembling, I scrolled through all my accounts on my phone. SnapChat balance, PayPal, bank cards—all combined, I only had just over seven hundred dollars. Not even a fraction of what was needed. I called Ethan’s number again. It was off. I sent a message, and an auto-reply popped up: “In a closed-door meeting, please do not disturb.” For four years, I had worked part-time jobs continuously, saved diligently, and most of the money I earned went to Ethan. I hadn’t saved a single cent for myself. He claimed every month he put thirty thousand aside for me, over a million dollars in three years, yet I couldn’t even afford my mom’s one-hundred-thousand-dollar surgery fee. My tears streamed down uncontrollably. With no other choice, I rushed into the nearest bank, went straight to the counter, and handed the bank card to the teller. “Hi, I need to withdraw money, but I forgot the PIN. Can I use my ID?” The teller took the card and checked it: “Ma’am, this card is in a canceled state.” My heart lurched violently. “How is that possible? My boyfriend deposits thirty thousand every month; there should be over a million dollars in it now!” The teller looked at me with some pity: “This card was canceled three years ago. From its opening to its cancellation, there was never a single deposit recorded.” I stood there, completely frozen, feeling like my world crashed down. Three years, and not a single deposit. What about his monthly Ins posts then? What about the transfer screenshots of that bank card? What about that line, “That $30,000 I put aside for her every month is her security”? All of it was fake. He had been lying to me from beginning to end! My phone rang again. It was Mr. Davis. “Hazel, the doctor is pressing for the payment again! Your mom can’t wait; you need to hurry!” I looked down at the card in my hand and suddenly burst out laughing. I was a college student, working four jobs to support him, scrimping and saving, only to pour it all into him. And he used a fake card to trick me for three years, making me willingly be his ATM. Fine. Ethan, you’re really something else. I fiercely rubbed my face, hailed a cab back to our rental apartment, and dug out all of Ethan’s documents: his ID, vehicle registration, bank professional qualification, fund manager license, academic certificates, etc. I photographed each one. Ethan worked at the bank and was well-connected. He always appeared outwardly generous, and his Ins posts monthly boasted about putting thirty thousand aside for his girlfriend. Everyone thought he had a legitimate job, stable income, and was a reliable good guy. Well, perfect. I started calling Ethan’s classmates, friends, colleagues, and clients, one by one. “Hi, I’m Ethan’s girlfriend. He’s having some cash flow issues lately. Could you lend him fifty thousand? You can use his documents as collateral.” “Ethan urgently needs some money; would it be okay to lend him one hundred thousand?” In two hours, I made almost a hundred calls. The ‘money received’ notifications on my bank app chimed non-stop. I checked my account: seven hundred eighty thousand dollars had arrived.

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For the sake of avoiding any appearance of favoritism, or perhaps just to avoid my “dirty” touch, Dr. Eleanor Vance, my mom, left me, severely injured from a car accident, in her office. She turned to check on the other students, who only had minor scrapes but kept crying about how much it hurt. The other doctors were urging her to check on me. With my blood-soaked hand, I grabbed her arm, almost begging. “Eleanor, I’m in so much pain. Please, don’t go, okay?” But Eleanor didn’t even glance at me. She just flung my hand away. “Lily Vance, don’t touch me with your dirty hands. Don’t you know I’m a germophobe?” “Don’t think you’re getting special treatment just because you’re my daughter!” “Besides a little blood on your hand, you look fine. The others need me more than you do. Stop being dramatic and wait here!” I watched Eleanor’s retreating back in despair. Suddenly, my throat tightened, my vision went black, and I spat out a pool of dark, clotted blood into the trash can. Was I… dying? I’m so sorry, Eleanor. I don’t think I can wait for you.

I floated out of my body and drifted towards Eleanor. The piercing pain, like a truck had just run over my insides, was completely gone. Before I could even feel relieved, I heard the voice of a little boy who had been on the school bus with me. “Dr. Vance, if Lily says she’s in pain, don’t believe her. She’s the biggest liar!” Recognizing the boy’s face, I immediately knew something was wrong. After all, at school, he always bullied me and spread rumors about me. Eleanor’s expression grew serious. She crouched down, asking patiently. “Little one, what do you mean by that? Has Lily been misbehaving at school, doing something bad?” “Dr. Vance, she likes my best friend, but she lied to the teacher, saying my best friend bullied her! Oh, and she cheated on her tests!” Eleanor’s frown deepened. “Lily Vance, you’ve really grown some nerve! Not only are you chasing after boys, but you dare to cheat and slander others!” “I worked so hard raising you all these years, only to raise such an ungrateful wretch!” No. Eleanor, I didn’t! I never did any of those things. Eleanor, please don’t believe him! He’s the one who’s always bullying me! I panicked instantly, rushing over, trying to grab Eleanor’s hand to explain. But I forgot I was dead. My hand just passed through empty air. Eleanor looked furious. She quickly checked on the other students. After seeing they had no major issues, she angrily took off her examination tools and stormed towards her office. “You guys take care of these kids’ injuries. I’m going to personally teach that disrespectful, ungrateful wretch a lesson. All she does is embarrass me!” Leo’s eyes lit up when he heard that. He immediately jumped off the hospital bed, yelling, and followed Eleanor. “Time to watch the clown girl cry again! Clown girl, clown girl!” The other kids heard him and, ignoring the nurses’ protests, also jumped off their beds to join the commotion. “Wait for us, I want to see too… I want to see the clown girl too!” I’d been hearing “clown girl” for almost two years. On my first day of elementary school, Eleanor had publicly announced her position as the hospital director. She even left her private number so people could contact her directly for appointments. And to avoid any appearance of favoritism, no matter what illness I had, she made me buy medicine myself. Only when I was very seriously ill would she take me to the hospital. All the kids in class knew that my mom didn’t seem to love me. Because even though I had a director for a mother, I was always sick, looking frail and sickly all the time. “Clown girl” was the nickname Leo gave me. He started bullying me every day after that.

Eleanor stormed into the office shortly after, kicking the door open with her foot. Her face was dark as she shouted my name. “Lily Vance! Get over here!” “I’ve been busy saving lives, and I forgot to discipline you. Now you’ve really become bold!” But I, who was always timid and obedient in front of Eleanor, surprisingly didn’t respond. I was still sitting on that cold chair, my head tilted to one side, my whole body hanging precariously, as if about to fall. When Eleanor saw me like this, the anger in her eyes intensified. She rushed over and shoved me hard. My body, from the inertia, slammed onto the nearby desk like a rag doll. “Lily Vance, I’m talking to you! Are you deaf?!” “You just bled a few drops, don’t pretend to be dead here! Get up right now!” Crying, I quickly floated to Eleanor, shedding non-existent tears, desperately waving my ghostly hands at her. “Eleanor, I’m here, look at me…” “That’s my body. I’m already dead…” Just then, Leo rushed in. Seeing my blood-covered hands, he shouted. “Dr. Vance, Lily’s blood must be fake! We didn’t bleed at all, why is she the only one?” “She must have put it on herself!” “No, Eleanor, don’t believe him!” “That’s all the blood I coughed up…” But Eleanor believed him. She glared at me fiercely. “Lily Vance, do you think doing this will make me give you special treatment?!” “How can your mind be so twisted? Do you know how much effort I put in to stand in this position?” “Are you trying to ruin me? Are you? Answer me! Are you mute?!” “No! Eleanor, I never thought that!” “I really wanted to talk to you!” “But I was too useless…” “I couldn’t hold on until you came.” “Fine! Lily Vance, you’re just great!” “I see you’re determined to…” Eleanor’s words were cut short by Nurse Chloe, who rushed over. “Dr. Vance, your daughter’s complexion doesn’t look right. You can discipline your child anytime, but why don’t you check on her first? What if something serious happened…” “Check what? She has perfectly good arms and legs. Did you see her bump or bruise anywhere?” “She’s just throwing a tantrum because I didn’t see her first. That’s why she’s deliberately ignoring me!” “Even a child can see through it, why can’t you?” Nurse Chloe took half a step back after Eleanor yelled at her and didn’t say anything more. “Lily Vance, someone just stood up for you. Are you happy? Go ahead and smile! Why are you still pretending to be dead?” Eleanor, I’m not happy at all. I want to cry so badly. But I’m already dead. I don’t even have the right to shed tears. Eleanor’s patience quickly ran out. She lunged forward and grabbed my collar, only to find my body soft like a sheet of paper. She paused for a moment, then sneered. “Heh. You’re quite good at pretending. You love to act, don’t you? Then I’ll beat you until you stop!” Eleanor said, raising her hand and giving me a harsh slap. She let go. My body fell straight onto the cold floor like a dead fish. *Thud*, the sound was not small. I lay face down on the ground, still motionless. “Hahahaha… Look everyone, the clown girl looks so ugly like this!” “Ugh, even her mom hates her! I told you I was right, she’s just a clown girl!” “That’s not true!” I rushed to them, trying to argue. “Eleanor doesn’t hate me. She just doesn’t want me to affect her work. She loves me…” But as I spoke, my voice faded. I just realized. Ever since Eleanor became the hospital director two years ago, she hadn’t taken me to the amusement park in a long time, nor did she tell me bedtime stories anymore. Every time I held her hand, wanting to spend more time with her, she would find all sorts of excuses to refuse me. “I said we need to avoid favoritism, so we have to be thorough. It’s the same at home; don’t let anyone see!” “I told you not to call me Mom at the hospital. I’m not your mom here; I’m the hospital director, do you understand, the director?” … Those painful memories flooded back. Even though I was dead. My heart, which no longer beat, felt like it had been brutally stabbed, bleeding with pain.

“Lily Vance, this is a hospital, not a place for your antics!” “I have many more appointments scheduled later. Can’t you be more sensible? How long are you going to keep faking death?!” Eleanor crouched down, yanked my hair, and pulled me up. But she saw dark blood mixed with my saliva flowing from my mouth. It dripped onto her clean hand. During the car accident, I was thrown out of the window, my body caught under the vehicle and actually run over by the wheels. My internal organs were severely damaged. I had been spitting blood the entire way to the hospital. Eleanor had germophobia, and I was afraid she would say I was dirty if she saw it, so I caught it all with my hands. Even though I was dead now, after such a huge impact, the blood accumulated in my chest still slowly flowed out of my mouth. “Ah—so gross, Lily Vance is so big, how is she still drooling? So shameful!” “She looks so ugly, so scary, like a monster!” Many children who saw me like this ran away in fright. Some family members passing by outside the door squeezed in to take a look. “Oh my God, what happened to this kid? She looks like she’s dying. What are these doctors even doing…” “What kind of shady hospital is this? Who just stands there and abuses someone who’s spitting blood instead of rushing to save them?” “I heard that woman is the director of this hospital. I can’t believe how she got the job.” “Shut up, all of you, shut up!” “She’s clearly faking it! Don’t spread rumors before you know the facts!” Eleanor listened to those voices, so angry she shoved me again. She didn’t notice at all that I had no breath left. “Lily Vance, are you happy now? You’ve ruined my reputation, are you satisfied?!” “Don’t think I don’t know you had a blood packet in your mouth!” “Besides, there were 18 people in that car, all of you riding together. Everyone else is fine, so why are you the only one looking half-dead?!” “Eleanor, I didn’t…” “Look at me carefully again, Eleanor, I’m dead! I’m really dead!” I never wanted to affect your work. These past few years, I’ve quietly persevered, even when my throat hurt so much I couldn’t speak, even when I was so dizzy I couldn’t walk. I never complained to you once. But this time, I really couldn’t hold on anymore. I was in so much pain. Even though I’m dead now, I still clearly remember. How much it hurt when those big wheels ran over me. “Lily Vance, you’re truly disgusting.” Eleanor pulled a few tissues from the desk and wiped her hands. “Why didn’t you just get run over and die like your animal of a father?” “Why do you have to keep tormenting me?” Eleanor was talking about my father, whom I had never met. He died in a car accident before I was born. Eleanor hated him so much because he had an affair with another woman while she was pregnant. Afterward, whenever she mentioned Dad, she would say it was his just deserts. But Eleanor, I really did die in this car accident. Only, unlike Dad, I never called another woman “Mom.” I didn’t betray you.

Leo still hadn’t left. Seeing that I remained unresponsive even after being hit, he approached me with curiosity. After all, every time he bullied me at school or badmouthed me, I would always stand up and fight back. Though the outcome was always the same. “Clown girl, stop faking it! I know you’re fine!” He said, reaching out to push me, but my head suddenly tilted, and all that blood smeared onto his hand. “Ah—Lily Vance, how could you be so gross? You did that on purpose!” Eleanor heard the noise and quickly turned around. “What’s wrong? What happened?” “Dr. Vance, Lily bit me! Look at my hand, she bit me until it bled!” “What?” Eleanor lunged forward again, grabbing my collar tightly, and delivered another slap. “Lily Vance, you finally couldn’t keep up the act! And you dare to bite people? I’ll beat you to death!” Eleanor, please stop hitting me. I didn’t! He’s lying! I didn’t bite him at all. I’m already dead! Half a minute later, a woman burst in. She picked up Leo, saying with concern. “Son, I finally found you! Are you okay?” “What happened? There’s so much blood on your hand!” Leo, red-eyed, choked with sobs, said. “Mom, she bullied me. She bit me just now…” The woman saw me and was instantly furious. She walked over and savagely kicked my body. My body rolled a few times inwards before stopping. After doing all this, she immediately pulled out her phone. “I’m calling the police right now! How dare you hurt my son? I’ll make sure you pay for this!” Eleanor, meanwhile, looked at me like I was trash, not saying a word. “Oh my God, this child, at such a young age, has such a malicious mind. I thought… I thought she was dead just now.” “I’ve truly lived long enough to see everything. Faking death? I’ve never seen anyone in such a hurry to die!” “I didn’t… I really didn’t…” That little boy is a liar! He’s lying! But no matter how I tried to explain, no one believed me. There were many police stations near the hospital. Within a few minutes, the police arrived. Seeing the police, the woman lifted Leo’s arm and began to accuse me of my supposed crimes. “Officer, this little monster just bit my son!” “Quickly check her! See if she has rabies or some kind of madness! What if she’s ruined my son?!” The officer understood the situation and, thinking I was a special patient, even put on gloves. He crouched down and, after finding no response from me despite calling out, his expression grew solemn. The woman behind him continued to complain. “Officer, have you confirmed it? If she really has some disease, you need to contact her family quickly and make them pay for my son’s medical expenses!” But the officer just asked coldly. “You just said, this little girl bit your son?” “Yes,” the woman grew agitated, “Just a few minutes ago! What kind of police are you? Don’t you know how to do your job?” “This is ridiculous!” “This little girl looks like she’s been dead for almost an hour! How could she possibly bite your son?!” “Don’t you know making a false report is a crime?!”

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On my best friend’s 22nd birthday, she was harassed by a drunkard. As a Taekwondo black belt, I stepped in to protect her and accidentally killed the man. But in court, she refused to testify on my behalf. I was convicted of involuntary manslaughter and sentenced to three years in prison. When I was finally released, I discovered that my best friend had married my boyfriend—and they already had a two-year-old daughter. They even conspired to marry me off to her abusive, divorced older brother. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the exact day of my best friend’s 22nd birthday. 1 One second I was getting into a fatal car crash due to my deteriorating mental state, and the next, I opened my eyes to find myself sitting in my own bedroom. Looking at the date on my phone, I confirmed that I had indeed traveled back three years in time. I was back on the day of Mia’s 22nd birthday. I stared at my reflection in the mirror. To attend the birthday dinner of the girl who had been my best friend since middle school, I had spent hours meticulously dressing up. There were two unread messages on my phone. One was from Mia. She sent a location pin, followed by a voice memo. I tapped it, and her sickeningly sweet voice played. “Hey bestie, I booked this restaurant. Don’t go to the wrong place!” The other message was from my boyfriend, Caleb. [Harper, are you ready? I’m almost at your place.] I rolled my eyes internally. In my past life, I thought they just didn’t interact much. Hearing people joke that a girl’s best friend is like a second mother-in-law, I had even pitched in my own money to buy Mia an expensive designer necklace under Caleb’s name, hoping they would get along well. Who knew that by the time I got out of my three-year prison sentence, their child would already be two years old? Doing the math, she was already pregnant with his baby right now. Fighting the urge to curse them both out, I texted Mia back. [Bestie, I accidentally sprained my ankle and need to go to the urgent care. I’m so sorry I have to miss your birthday. I’ll make it up to you later!] My family was much wealthier than Mia’s, and she had milked me for countless perks over the years, which was why she always acted so obedient and sweet to my face. She quickly sent back a barrage of concerned voice memos. I didn’t click on them. I was afraid hearing her sugary voice would literally make me throw up. I then texted Caleb: [I’m not feeling well. Just go without me.] Before he could reply, I put his notifications on Do Not Disturb. I looked back at the gifts on my bed. The necklace was supposed to be from Caleb, and the designer bag was my gift to her. Neither of them were styles I actually liked. So, I grabbed both bags and went straight to the boutiques to return them. 2 After returning the luxury goods, I casually opened Instagram. I immediately saw Mia’s new post. She was wearing a white princess dress, holding a massive bouquet, and surrounded by gifts, looking like absolute royalty. And my boyfriend, Caleb, was standing right next to her. He was leaning in toward her slightly. To anyone else, at first glance, they looked exactly like a couple. “Absolute trash!” I met Mia back in middle school. She came from an ordinary background. While the rest of us were still in our awkward, unpolished phases, she was delicate, fair, and soft-spoken. She captured the hearts of countless teenage boys. But with admiration comes envy. One day after school, she was cornered in an alley by a group of mean girls because the guy their leader liked had a crush on Mia. I was sickly as a kid, so my parents enrolled me in martial arts to build my strength. I only meant to get some exercise, but it turned out I was a natural. Even at a young age, I rarely lost a spar. Seeing Mia getting bullied, I jumped in and chased the mean girls off with a few quick moves. Before running away, they yelled at me, “Harper Hayes, you’ll pay for this!” I put my hands on my hips and yelled back, “Bring it on! My brother is Asher Sterling from the high school section!” I turned around and pulled a tearful, trembling Mia up from the ground. After that, despite our completely opposite personalities, we became best friends. Later, she asked me why my brother and I had different last names. I chewed on my yogurt straw, looking up at Asher’s photo at the top of the school’s honor roll, unsure how to explain that Asher lived with us because his parents had passed away. Seeing my hesitation, Mia gave me a playful smile. “I won’t pry into rich family secrets. But,” she paused, pointing at Asher’s photo, “you wouldn’t mind if I tried to date your brother, right?” 3 I didn’t understand it back then. Only after being reborn did I realize that from that very moment, Mia had been consciously trying to steal what was mine. If I bought new clothes, she’d borrow them. If I had a new book, she’d take it to read. She’d go out of her way to network with my friends. She even tried to pursue my brother… I was too young and naive to tell a real friend from a snake. Knowing Mia wanted to date Asher, I specifically ran to tell him. Asher listened, then glanced up at me. “Harper, where’s your ID?” I was confused but pulled it out of my bag. “Right here.” He scoffed lightly. “Do me a favor and look at your age. For the next three years, even looking at a boy counts as underage dating.” Asher was three years older than me. I was a freshman, he was a senior. He had lived with us since he was ten. At first, I loved hanging out with him. Having a ridiculously handsome older brother was a huge flex for a middle school girl. But as we grew older, I started to feel like he was made of stone. He was calm, rational, and as cold as a frozen lake. Even as a teenager, he was incredibly mature and rarely showed emotion. My dad always praised him, saying he was destined for greatness. Yet, this always-calm Asher was the one who, in my past life, cried with red-rimmed eyes countless times after I was sent to prison. 4 Maybe I was just an idiot in my past life, always letting Mia have her way. Now that her personal ATM hadn’t shown up to her birthday, the gifts she posted online looked significantly less impressive than the ones from previous years. Not long after her post went up, she tried to FaceTime me. I ignored it. I checked the time. By now, they should be done with dinner and moving on to the second part of the night at the downtown VIP lounge. In my past life, I was the one who footed that massive lounge bill. By the time we left the club, it was very late. The other friends left in their Ubers, and Mia was standing on the curb waiting for her ride when a drunk man lunged at her, hugging her and groping her inappropriately. Caleb and I had just pulled our car around. We saw Mia being dragged around, her clothes getting torn. It was a secluded spot, out of sight of the bouncers. The drunk man had a few buddies with him, all laughing lewdly. Seeing my friend being assaulted, I jumped out of the car and sprinted over. I pulled Mia behind me, and the drunk tried to swing at me. I used my martial arts training to throw him over my shoulder. Seeing this, his drunk friends swarmed me. Fighting off three or four grown men was a struggle, but Caleb acted like he was completely blind, hiding in the car and refusing to come out. In the chaos, desperate to break free, I couldn’t control my strength and kicked one of the men. He fell backward, his head slamming into the concrete, and passed out. A passerby called 911, and we were all taken to the police station. We later learned that the man died from severe cranial trauma. My family hired the best defense lawyers in the city, but there were no security cameras in that alley. The only witnesses were us and the drunkards. It was clear-cut self-defense. But in court, the girl I had treated with my whole heart, Mia, stood on the stand and said: “The man had already stopped harassing me. Harper misread the situation and thought I was still being attacked…” Even though my family spent a fortune, I was still sentenced to three years in prison. My parents aged decades overnight. Asher, usually so composed, looked at me with bloodshot eyes. “Harper, don’t be afraid. I’ll be right here with you.” 5 Later, when I was locked behind bars, Mia came to visit me. She cried beautifully, looking so pitiful, as if she were the one who had suffered a massive injustice. “I’m so sorry, Harper. I was just too scared…” Just like she had done countless times before when she made a mistake, she put on her helpless, innocent act. “You’ll forgive me, right?” Forgive? I wanted to tear her to pieces. I spent three years in that cell. It took three whole years for my hatred to simmer down to a dull ache. But the moment I was released, I was hit with the news: my best friend Mia had married my boyfriend, Caleb, and they had a two-year-old child. Did I hate them? Yes! Did I resent them? Yes! So, being reborn, I was going to stand safely on the sidelines and watch them get ripped apart by fate. I sat quietly at home, waiting for that moment to arrive. At 1:30 AM, my phone rang. It was Caleb. I knew exactly what this was about. I answered the call. Caleb was panting heavily, the background noise loud and chaotic. He sounded frantic: “Harper… you need to come to the police station right now. Mia is in trouble.” The show was about to begin. 6 When I arrived, the police station was pure chaos. Crying, cursing, officers yelling, and the wail of sirens outside all blended together. Normally, I would find this kind of noise grating. But right now, it sounded like an absolute symphony. This background noise was the final proof that I had entirely rewritten my life. I had completely escaped the tragedy of my past life and started a brand new chapter. Wearing cute leather boots and holding my designer purse, I bypassed the crowd and walked right up to Caleb. He looked like a mess. His lip was busted, and his shirt was torn. He was sitting with his head down. Hearing my footsteps, he looked up. The very first thing out of his mouth was: “Why didn’t you come to Mia’s birthday party tonight?!” I paused. Since when did Caleb have the guts to interrogate me like this? I tilted my head and looked at him. “Would my being there have changed anything?” In my past life, seeing Mia assaulted, my first instinct was to risk my life to save her. Meanwhile, Caleb—my boyfriend and the guy who was secretly sleeping with her—hid in the car and refused to come out. His excuse later was that he was busy calling 911 from the car. But the truth was, a random bystander had called the police. Perhaps provoked by my calm tone, he stood up abruptly, glaring at me fiercely. “You’re a black belt! When we went out before and ran into creeps, you fought them off! If you were there this time…” “So if I was there this time, I would be the one getting harassed, assaulted, and potentially catching a manslaughter charge, and you wouldn’t have to be sad right now? Is that it?” Caleb froze, his arrogant anger deflating instantly. He looked at me in utter disbelief. “You… you know about us, don’t you?” 7 I offered a sweet smile. “What do you think?” I didn’t want to waste another breath on him. I turned and followed a female officer to see Mia. She looked infinitely worse than Caleb. Her clothes were shredded, and the officer had to give her a jacket to cover herself. She sat on a cot, curled into a ball. Her expensive salon curls were a tangled mess. Her eyes were red. Because she was so pale, any bruises or scratches on her skin looked horrifyingly vivid. She sat there crying, looking like the epitome of a fragile victim. The female officer explained the situation to me. After Mia and her friends left the club, they were cornered by drunk men who dragged Mia into an alley. Caleb only rushed over to help after he had called the police and found security. Caleb had picked up a brick and smashed it into a guy’s head. The drunk man was currently lying in the ICU, fighting for his life. When the officer finished, Mia looked up at me, her voice incredibly weak. “Harper…” Instead of rushing forward to hug her like I would have in the past, I stayed rooted to my spot. She looked confused. The female officer, sensing the tension and assuming we needed to talk, quietly stepped out of the room. “Why are you standing so far away?” Mia asked. My expression remained neutral. “I just came to check on you. There’s nothing I can actually do to help. Now that I know you’re alive, I’m going home. It’s late.” I was being polite. The truth was, I just came to enjoy the show. Mia’s face changed. Her disbelief was laced with a hint of accusation. “Harper, what is that supposed to mean? Aren’t we friends? I’m sitting here traumatized, and you’re acting this cold? I never thought you were this kind of person.” “And I never thought you were your kind of person either,” I cut her off directly. “I treated you like a real friend. But you? Have you ever, even for a second, treated me like one?” Mia froze. “What… what do you mean?” “Exactly what it sounds like.” 8 I had no desire to argue with them. I said it already: I was just here to watch them burn. In my past life, this night was the beginning of my nightmare. After I accidentally pushed that man, my parents rushed to the station. My mother, who had lived her entire life with grace and elegance, collapsed on the floor sobbing at the news that I might go to prison. Both my parents aged overnight. While I was in custody and my parents were crying outside, Mia—the girl I had saved—stood quietly in a corner and didn’t offer my parents a single word of comfort. Caleb stayed by Mia’s side, gave my parents a half-hearted generic apology, and then left the station with Mia. Looking back, they probably didn’t even go back to their dorms that night. They probably went to a hotel. And I became the ultimate sacrificial lamb. But tonight, in this reborn life, I looked at my phone. In the family group chat with my mom, dad, and Asher, my parents had posted photos of their romantic dinner date before going to sleep. Their faces were radiant with happiness. In this life, I was going to hold onto my happiness with an iron grip. As I turned to walk out of the police station, Mia and Caleb’s parents were just rushing in. We brushed past each other. They looked back at me, probably wanting to ask me something, but the police ushered them inside. I stood outside the station and looked back at the chaotic building. Every ounce of pain I suffered in my past life, I was going to make them repay it a thousand times over in this one. 9 The news that Mia was dragged into an alley by drunkards spread through the entire college campus by the next evening. When I went to class the next day, a group of girls nearby were whispering frantically. I turned around curiously. “What are you guys looking at?” The girls exchanged nervous glances, hesitant to speak. I thought for a second. “Is it about Mia?” Their faces shifted, and they nodded. One girl who I was decently close with brought her phone over and sat next to me. “Harper, we know you’re close with Mia. We were afraid this video would upset you, so we didn’t want to show you.” “What video?” She held her phone out. It was a video shot secretly from a window above the alley next to the club. It showed Mia being dragged into the dark by a group of men, her white princess dress torn and tossed into the street. The video was blurry, so you couldn’t see exactly what was happening. But the girl’s screams and the men’s lewd laughter were enough to imply exactly what was going on. I frowned after watching it. Yes, I wanted revenge on Mia and Caleb, but I was deeply disgusted by anyone who would leak a video of a woman being assaulted. Seeing my displeased expression, the girl quickly paused the video. “We don’t know who posted it. It started spreading everywhere last night. Yesterday was Mia’s birthday, you were there, right?” Everyone knew Mia and I were best friends. Mia was the gorgeous star of the art department. With her perfect looks, she was famous across campus. A lot of rich kids pursued her, and she cycled through boyfriends constantly. Because of her arrogant attitude, she had offended a lot of people. Now that this video was out, all the people who secretly hated her were kicking her while she was down. I lowered my eyes. “I wasn’t there. I don’t know the exact details of what happened.” Even though I despised the person who leaked the video, I would never forget what Mia’s actions cost me in my past life. I would never forgive her. After a pause, I told the girls, “Going forward, if you have gossip about Mia, you don’t need to censor yourselves around me. We are no longer associated with each other.” Former best friends suddenly severing ties—the drama of it would give them something to gossip about for a long time. 10 Neither Caleb nor Mia showed up to classes that day. After sending Caleb a breakup text, I immediately blocked both of their numbers and social media accounts. Knowing them, they would definitely try to harass me later. I guess I had been way too naive and generous to them over the years. After my afternoon classes, I went straight home. In my past life, while I was in prison, my parents cried every day. Our family business plummeted, and everything was held together solely by Asher. Even though I texted them saying I was coming home for dinner, my heart still pounded as I stood at the front door. After giving myself a pep talk, I rang the doorbell. Our penthouse had a gorgeous view of the river. The door opened. Our housekeeper was setting the table, my dad was watching the news on the sofa, and my mom opened the door. Her eyes curved into a brilliant smile when she saw me. “There’s our Harper!” I thought I had mentally prepared myself not to show too much emotion. But seeing this warm, domestic scene, and looking at my gentle, radiant mother standing right in front of me, I couldn’t hold it back. Huge tears rolled down my cheeks. My mom panicked immediately when she saw me cry. “Oh honey, what’s wrong? Did someone bully you at school?” To them, I had just been away at college for a few days. But to me, it had been three agonizing years since I last felt the warmth of my family. 11 At the dinner table, my parents kept piling food onto my plate. As we chatted, they suddenly brought up Asher. “By the way, your brother should be coming back soon.” My chopsticks paused. After high school, Asher chose to study abroad at Stanford. He co-founded a tech startup with some classmates, and according to my dad, it was incredibly successful. In my past life, he was originally scheduled to come back around this time too. But because I got arrested, he dropped everything and rushed back, only making it in time to see me sentenced in court. This time, I didn’t get arrested. According to his original plan, he should be back within a week or two. Honestly, in my past life, my relationship with Asher had gotten a little strained. During my sophomore year of college, Caleb started pursuing me, and we started dating. We were holding hands at the mall one day when Asher bumped into us. He pulled me aside with a dark expression and told me I wasn’t allowed to date. I thought he was just trying to pull a strict-parent routine on me, and I got annoyed. “You said dating before eighteen was off-limits! I’m almost twenty now, why do you care?!” “I’m your older brother!” “You’re not even my real brother!” Because of that argument, I started avoiding him. By then, he had already gotten his acceptance letter to Stanford. He was busy leaving early and coming home late. Even if we crossed paths, I would puff out my cheeks and walk the other way. Right up until the day he flew out, I was still giving him the cold shoulder over the Caleb incident. The next time we saw each other, I was on my way to prison. Thinking back to my past life, he ran himself ragged trying to help my case. The usually impeccably clean and polished Asher had grown a messy stubble, and his beautiful eyes were completely bloodshot. Not blood-related, but better than blood. After dinner, I went to my room and pulled out my phone. My chat history with him stopped over two years ago, right around the time he left the country. I stared at the screen, trying to figure out how to apologize and break the ice. But my finger slipped and accidentally tapped the voice call button. I panicked and dropped the phone. I scrambled to pick it up, only to realize he had already answered. A crisp, cool male voice came through the speaker: “Hello?” I froze, completely terrified to speak. Asher called out again: “Harper Hayes.” Hearing that familiar voice, my nose stung, and when I finally spoke, my voice cracked. “I’m here.” He seemed to catch the tears in my voice. His tone lost its icy edge, rippling like a calm lake disturbed by a stone. “What’s wrong? What happened?” I sniffled. I looked at my desk, where a framed photo of us from childhood sat. I was looking at the camera, and the young teenage boy was looking at me. So, I opened my mouth, and across the Pacific Ocean, crossing multiple time zones, I delivered the truest words in my heart: “Asher, I miss you.” 12 As soon as I said it, I was so embarrassed I practically threw my phone across the room. Asher’s parents and my parents were close family friends. When my parents’ business went under years ago and all our relatives shut their doors on us, Asher’s parents were the only ones who helped. When Asher was ten, his parents’ business ran into trouble, and they died in a tragic car accident. My parents rushed to the Sterling estate and took Asher away from the aggressive debt collectors. When he first moved into our house, Asher refused to speak and refused to eat. My parents were at their wits’ end. I was the one who followed him around constantly, coaxing him and bothering him until he finally opened his mouth. And the very first thing he ever said to me was: “Can you be quiet for five minutes?” When I was little, I called him brother. As I grew up and realized we didn’t share the same parents, I called him “brother” when I was happy, and his full name when I was mad. During puberty, when all the other girls were swooning over boys at school, I shamefully realized I was blushing over Asher. But once I realized it, I mentally slapped myself. Harper Hayes, have some shame! He was forced to live under your roof due to a tragedy, and you’re having dirty thoughts about him?! Later, as I learned more about biology, I realized it was completely normal to develop crushes on the opposite sex during puberty. I slowly got over it, though sometimes I would still stare at him and randomly blurt out, “Wow, you’re really good-looking.” Anyway, if it wasn’t for Caleb, Asher and I would have always had a great relationship. 13 For several days, Mia and Caleb didn’t show up to classes. But their scandal had already become campus legend. Mia used to be so flashy and arrogant. Now that she had fallen, everyone she ever bullied was having a field day. When I walked into the lecture hall, people were whispering. When they saw me, they exchanged looks and quieted down. I sat down. A guy sitting in front of me, who I usually got along with, turned around. “Harper, I heard you and Mia had a falling out?” I hummed in confirmation. He asked, “What happened?” I couldn’t exactly tell him that Mia ruined my life and sent me to prison in a past life. While I hesitated, a girl next to me chimed in: “What else? She finally saw Mia’s true colors.” That one sentence opened the floodgates. Everyone started chiming in with their own grievances about Mia. “I lived in the same dorm as Harper, so I know best. Every time Mia had a date, she would come take Harper’s clothes and bags. I never saw her return them properly. If she did, they smelled like hotpot or had stains on them.” “Not just clothes and bags, but expensive skincare too! Harper is too nice, she’d buy two of everything and just give Mia one. Mia took it like she was entitled to it, but I never once saw her buy Harper anything.” “I could tell Mia was manipulative from day one. Smiling to your face, playing the gentle angel with everyone, but who knows what she’s doing behind your back.” “Also, I don’t know if you guys noticed, but Mia loved stealing people’s things…” … Everyone eagerly listed out all the little toxic things Mia had done over the years. Human nature is like that. The tiny, annoying details you previously brushed off suddenly compound into an avalanche at a specific tipping point. Since I met Mia in middle school, I had always viewed her as an underdog who needed help. I accommodated her. Her family wasn’t wealthy, but she was vain, so whenever I bought luxury skincare, I bought her a set too. When we went shopping, I always paid. I had gotten so used to it over the years, but hearing everyone say it out loud made me realize how grotesquely unequal our relationship was. In my friendship with Mia, I was always giving, and she was always taking. Give an inch and they take a mile. At some point, Mia must have developed a twisted resentment toward me and decided she wanted to steal my life. At first, she said she wanted to date Asher. When that failed, she pivoted and said she “wished she had an older brother like him.” So, on weekends, I would invite her over to play. Asher would be reading in his study, and she would constantly go in to bother him. She would call him “Asher-gege” in this breathy, sweet voice. At the time, Asher had just finished his high school exams and was studying college-level material. Hearing Mia call him that, he coldly looked up from his book. “I only have one sister.” Then, ignoring the incredibly awkward Mia standing there, he grabbed his backpack and left the house. I actually yelled at Asher for being rude and cold back then. Looking back now, Asher was a master at detecting toxic girls from a very young age. 14 On the fifth day after the incident, I ran into Caleb outside my dorm building. He was wearing a baseball cap and a mask, clearly aware that he was at the center of a massive scandal. I didn’t notice him at first until I walked right past him. He grabbed my arm out of nowhere, scaring the life out of me. He put a finger to his lips. “It’s me.” My lip twitched. “I yelled because it’s you.” A passerby glanced over at us. Caleb quickly lowered his head, terrified of being recognized. “Can we go somewhere private to talk?” Having learned my lesson in my past life, I was genuinely afraid he was going to drag me to a secluded spot and hit me over the head with a pipe. I laughed dryly and pushed his hand off. “No need.” Before blocking him, I had sent a clear breakup text to ensure he got the message. I figured he’d be smart enough to understand, but I underestimated how shameless he was to actually show up at my dorm. Seeing me try to leave, he grabbed me again. “Harper, you can’t just dump me like this! I know what happened with Mia looks bad to you, but you can’t put all the blame on me. Back then, when we had a fight, Mia texted me every single day to comfort me. That’s why it happened. Now that I’m in serious trouble, you can’t just abandon me…” Classic cheater logic. His first instinct wasn’t to admit he was wrong, but to blame everyone else. I laughed out of pure anger, turning to look at him with absolute disgust. “Caleb, I never realized how utterly pathetic you are until today!” I struggled to pull away, but Caleb, realizing he had nothing left to lose, physically tried to drag me away. People were staring, but no one stepped in to help. Just as I was about to unleash my martial arts, a tall, lean silhouette stepped in. He grabbed my hand, then locked his fingers around Caleb’s wrist. With a slight squeeze, Caleb grimaced in pain and let go of me. He pulled me behind him. I looked up and saw his profile. It was Asher! He glared fiercely at Caleb. “I warned you to stay away from her over two years ago, didn’t I?” Asher’s aura was entirely too intimidating, and with the crowd forming around us, Caleb tucked his tail between his legs and ran away like a coward. Asher turned around and met my awestruck gaze. It was getting chilly. He was wearing a long black trench coat, looking devastatingly handsome. I was still completely mesmerized by how good he looked when, the next second, he flicked my forehead hard with his knuckles. “Is dating fun?” I covered my forehead, glaring at him. This guy held grudges for way too long.

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The boyfriend I had been dating for a year turned out to be a married father! When his actual wife came crashing into my life, the realization hit me like a slap to the face, leaving me completely stunned. If you deceive me, you have to pay the ultimate price. 01 I had been dating Carter for a year. He traveled out of town for work frequently, but when he was around, he treated me like gold. Even my parents said he was a reliable man I could trust my future with. But lately, I noticed something was off. His “business trips” were getting longer and more frequent. He’d only come to see me every two or three days, and whenever we did meet, all he wanted to do was sleep. At first, I didn’t think much of it. I just assumed work was stressful and wanted to be an understanding girlfriend. But tonight, I accidentally spotted a scratch on his arm. A woman’s intuition told me it wasn’t just a normal scratch. Carter didn’t notice my suspicion. The moment he walked through the door, he wrapped his arm around my shoulders. “Mia, I missed you so much these past few days.” I played the part of the sweet girlfriend, massaging his shoulders while casually asking, “How did your arm get scratched?” He clearly hadn’t expected the question. His eyes darted away for a second before he quickly pulled me toward the bedroom. “Oh, it’s nothing. Accidentally scraped it on a pen at the office. Let’s go to bed.” He practically lunged at me. I put a hand to his chest to stop him. “It’s my time of the month. I’m not feeling well.” I thought he would be concerned, but instead, a flash of annoyance crossed his face. “Then when can we? Mia, we’ve been dating for over a year.” “When we get married, of course,” I answered with a playful smile. It was true. Despite dating for a year, I was very traditional. Carter and I hadn’t actually crossed that final physical line yet. But Carter always seemed incredibly impatient about it. Today, it looked like he had reached his limit. A dark cloud of anger settled over his features. “Mia, I respect you, but you need to be a little considerate of me too, right?” I was appalled. He had been disappearing on “business trips” constantly, yet no matter how late he came back, I would force myself to stay awake and cook for him. Whatever he needed, I provided. Wasn’t that considerate enough? Seeing he was genuinely upset, I tried to lighten the mood. “Then how about you take me to meet your parents in a few days? Let’s make things official.” Carter’s expression instantly shifted. His anger vanished, and he just put his arm around me and lay down to sleep. But my gut was screaming that something was terribly wrong. 02 Carter and I met through work. His office was close to mine. One night, after a brutal shift of overtime and a harsh scolding from my boss, I walked out of my building feeling miserable, only to be met with a torrential downpour. That was when Carter appeared with an umbrella, a warm smile on his face. “Careful, miss. You don’t want to catch a cold.” Later, as we walked toward the subway, I twisted my ankle in my heels. He actually offered to carry me all the way home. I was fresh out of college, struggling alone in a big city. Working late every night was draining, and Carter was one of the few people who genuinely seemed to care about me. Maybe that was the moment my heart fluttered. Later, he got my number, asked me out, and we naturally fell into a relationship. His monthly income was pretty low, so I basically paid for all of our living expenses. But throughout the year, he took such meticulous care of me that he even won my parents’ approval. I still remembered what Carter said to me early on, looking a bit embarrassed. “Mia, don’t worry. I promise I’ll give you a great life in the future.” He told me his job was demanding and that we might not have much time together. I told him I understood. But lately, that time was shrinking to almost nothing. And every time we met, all he wanted was to get into my pants. Ding. My phone lit up with a message from my best friend, Chloe. It was a photo. In the picture, Carter was holding hands with a strange woman at a shopping mall. They were laughing and chatting intimately. Chloe: “Mia, I just took this at the mall. I think Carter is seeing someone else. You’re being played!” Fighting the sickening feeling in my chest, I texted her back, trying to comfort myself. “Carter told me he has an older sister. Maybe it’s just her.” 03 The next day, Chloe dragged me out for tacos and margaritas. The restaurant was right near that same shopping mall. As soon as we ordered, Chloe activated her inner detective. “Seriously, Mia, aren’t you worried he’s scamming you? That woman looked absolutely nothing like him.” Meaning, it definitely wasn’t his sister. I took a bite of my taco, the spicy salsa hitting my tongue as I mumbled, “Don’t worry. Carter treats me so well. He doesn’t seem like the type to cheat.” Chloe sighed heavily. “Tsk. Women in love are blind.” But I was slapped with reality very quickly. Maybe the salsa was too spicy, because my stomach suddenly cramped. “Chloe, my stomach is killing me. I’m gonna run to the restroom.” I grabbed my phone and hurried out. About fifteen minutes later, I washed my hands and walked out of the restroom. Suddenly, I felt a slight bump against my leg. I looked down. A toddler, maybe two or three years old, had fallen onto his bottom and was staring up at me with tearful, pouty eyes. He was wearing an adorable cartoon onesie, looking like a little dumpling. I squatted down to help him up. “Auntie, I can’t find my daddy,” he sniffled, getting ready to burst into tears. I quickly patted his back. “Don’t cry, sweetie. I’ll help you find your daddy.” The little boy stopped crying and looked up at me blankly. In that split second, I froze. There was something incredibly familiar about this kid’s face, but I couldn’t put my finger on who he looked like. I mentally scrolled through everyone I knew, but drew a blank. Just as I took two steps with him, a woman blocked my path. “Excuse me, miss. This is my son.” Even though the woman was wearing heavy makeup, it couldn’t hide the exhaustion and the toll life had taken on her face. But I recognized her instantly. She was the exact same woman from the photo Chloe sent me yesterday. “Miss?” The woman waved a hand in front of my face. I swallowed the strange, sinking feeling in my chest and forced a smile. “Your son wandered off. We were just talking about going to find his dad.” Hearing that, the little boy threw himself into the woman’s arms and started whining again. “Mommy, why isn’t Daddy here yet?” The woman hastily thanked me and hurried away with her son in her arms. Driven by a gut instinct I couldn’t explain, I followed them. I watched the woman strap the child into a family SUV, but I couldn’t catch any other clues. Two days later, Carter returned from his “business trip.” 04 He had clearly been drinking. The stench of alcohol hit me the moment he opened the door. I walked over to help him onto the couch. He immediately started complaining, “Mia, you’re the best. You never lose your temper with me.” It was true. Carter and I rarely fought because I always tried to be understanding about his work stress. I paid for our rent and daily expenses, and I even gave him cash gifts on holidays. But as I leaned in to adjust his collar, I noticed something damning. There was a very faint trace of perfume on his collar. It was the exact same scent the mother at the mall had been wearing yesterday. Faint, but undeniable. Chloe’s warning echoed in my mind, and my heart sank to the floor. Even with all my patience, I couldn’t ignore this. I linked my arm through his and asked as casually as I could, “Carter, do you have any sisters or anything?” He frowned and answered without hesitation. “No. I’m an only child. You know that.” My suspicions locked into place. Thanks to the alcohol, Carter quickly passed out on the couch. Suddenly, his phone screen lit up with a notification. Curiosity drove me to grab his phone. Client A: “Hubby, why aren’t you home yet?” My heart slammed against my ribs. Hubby? Wasn’t Carter my boyfriend? My hand froze around the phone. Carter was sleeping heavily. My first instinct was to unlock the phone and dig deeper, but I didn’t know his passcode. Throughout our relationship, Carter rarely got this drunk, and because he had always been so attentive, I never had a reason to suspect him of cheating. Could it just be a crazy client harassing him? Another message popped up from Client A: “Leo says he misses you.” It was followed by a photo. The truth was screaming at me. Trembling, I quietly crept closer to Carter, took his thumb, and pressed it against the phone’s sensor. It unlocked instantly. The chat with Client A opened right up. I stared at the photo. It was the exact same little boy I had helped at the mall yesterday. In that instant, my blood turned to ice. With shaking fingers, I clicked on Client A’s social media profile. Her last post was from yesterday. Client A: “Out shopping with hubby and the baby today~” My brain exploded. The white noise was so loud I couldn’t hear anything else in the room. The man in the photo was my boyfriend, Carter. The location was the same mall I was at yesterday. The comment section was filled with friends congratulating their happy family. So yesterday, while I was eating tacos with Chloe, Carter was out playing house with his wife and child. I felt like someone had dumped a bucket of ice water over my head. I was paralyzed. So Carter was really married? With a kid? Then why the hell was he with me? Staring at that picture-perfect family portrait, a dull, agonizing ache spread through my chest. Suddenly, the phone buzzed again. It was a text from Derek, a buddy from his office. Derek: “How’s it going, man? Your wife came to me asking questions again today. Did she find out you’re sneaking around with your mistress?” I started shaking uncontrollably. I couldn’t breathe. If I was looking for excuses for him a minute ago, now I had absolute, irrefutable proof. I was the other woman! What was the last year of my life even for? I had spent all my savings on Carter, covering all his living expenses. And now I find out he’s a married man, and I’m the home-wrecking mistress! Everything Chloe said was true. Carter had been playing me from day one. My fists clenched involuntarily. Anger washed over me like a tidal wave. I was going to make him pay. Maybe sensing the cold phone, Carter shifted on the couch. His eyes fluttered open groggily. I quickly backed out to the home screen and turned the display off. “Mia, what are you doing?” My heart was pure ice, but I forced a sweet smile onto my face. “I was just about to help you into bed.” Carter nodded and sluggishly pushed himself up. In the bedroom, he habitually wrapped his arm around me and fell fast asleep. I wanted to vomit. Every fiber of my being was repulsed by his touch. All I could see was that photo. Even in his drunken sleep, Carter was mumbling, “Mia, working is so hard… I had to take clients out to dinner, and now I’m broke for the rest of the month…” Normally, I would have made him a hangover remedy and handed over my paycheck with an aching heart. But right now, the man lying next to me was the most repulsive thing on earth. My skin crawled. From the day we met to now, Carter claimed he was constantly traveling to build a better future for us. Looking back, there was no future. He was just a married cheat living a double life. It was incomprehensible to me. My loving, attentive boyfriend of one year was legally bound to another woman, with a kid old enough to run around. The thought made me physically sick. But I wasn’t going to just roll over and take it. A flawless revenge plan was already taking shape in my mind. 05 The next day, I spilled everything to Chloe. She was absolutely furious. “That is so disgusting! Wait right there, I’m grabbing my bat and we’re going to break his legs!” I quickly stopped her. “No. I have a better way to teach him a lesson. Can you get me his wife’s phone number?” “You’re asking the right person. I know everyone in this city.” Thanks to Chloe’s wealthy background and massive network, getting the number was a breeze. Contacting Sarah, the wife, was a bit rockier. I called three times. The first two were rejected. On the third try, it took her a few minutes to answer. She sounded exhausted and annoyed. “Who is this?” Before I could speak, I heard screaming in the background. My gut told me it was Carter. “Do you have any proof?! Why do you always accuse me of cheating? Can you stop being so damn paranoid?!” A child’s crying mixed into the background noise. It was definitely the kid from the mall. Carter’s voice was getting closer to the phone. A flash of panic hit me. Thankfully, I had used a burner app to make the call. But to be safe, I hung up. I waited three hours before calling Sarah again. This time, she answered quickly. “Who is this?” I kept my voice as calm as possible. “Sarah, your husband is definitely cheating on you. And I have the proof.” I could hear Sarah’s breath hitch. Her voice trembled with suppressed emotion. “Don’t lie to me. How do you…” “Sarah, it’s hard to explain over the phone. We need to talk in person. I’ll be at the Starbucks on 5th Avenue tomorrow at 3:00 PM.” I hung up without giving her a chance to argue. I knew with absolute certainty she would show up. The next afternoon, I arrived at the cafe right on time. From a distance, I spotted Sarah sitting in a corner booth, staring anxiously at her phone. She was desperate for the truth. I walked over. “Hi, Sarah.” She looked up sharply. Recognition flashed across her face. “Aren’t you the woman from the mall the other day?” I nodded and got straight to the point. “The other day, you left your perfume on Carter’s clothes. The next day, I sprayed a different perfume on him. And the night after that, a new lipstick mysteriously appeared in his laundry.” “Obviously, you were trying to mark your territory.” Smack! Sarah finally processed what I was saying. A dark cloud of fury overtook her, and she slammed her coffee cup onto the table. “So you’re the tramp who’s been seducing my husband?!” I grabbed a napkin to wipe the splashed coffee off my shirt. “Sarah, I only just found out Carter has a wife and kid. When he pursued me, he swore he was single.” Sarah wasn’t buying it. Her anger escalated. “Is that your excuse for being a homewrecker?! Do you have any idea how miserable my kid and I have been? It’s all because of you!” The word “homewrecker” stung, but I looked at the hysterical woman in front of me. Knowing her husband was cheating had taken a massive toll. She didn’t have the polished makeup from the mall; she just looked deeply, painfully exhausted. This broken marriage was driving her insane. I waited for her to finish venting before sliding a glass of warm water toward her. “Sarah, I genuinely didn’t know he was married. He told me he was single and had never even been in a serious relationship before.” Sarah stared at me blankly. Suddenly, she let out a bitter laugh. “Right. You’re young and gorgeous. You wouldn’t knowingly throw yourself at a married man with no money. I was the blind idiot who married him.” “How long have you been together?” she asked. “A year,” I replied. Sarah laughed again, a harsh, self-deprecating sound, but the fire in her eyes burned brighter. “When we got together, he was dead broke. I gave him a child, and he’s out there telling people he’s single!” I offered a sad smile. “For the past year, I’ve paid his rent and his living expenses. He always claimed he was working hard and traveling to build a better future for us. Now I know he was just juggling multiple women.” The revelation pushed Sarah past her breaking point. “I’m going to go home and kill him right now!” I quickly grabbed her arm. “Sarah, I hate Carter just as much as you do. That’s why we need to make him pay. Just exposing him isn’t enough.” My words seemed to ground her. She took a deep breath. “Tell me, Mia. What’s your plan?” I hesitated for a second. “Are you planning on staying married to him?” She had a child with him, after all. I couldn’t blindly push her into a trap. But Sarah answered without skipping a beat. “I kept telling myself he wasn’t cheating, living in denial until you told me the truth today. I’d rather have a clean divorce than live every day fighting with a man who doesn’t love me, terrifying our child in the process.” She sighed. “My family actually has a lot of money. But I stubbornly insisted on marrying Carter. My parents were so furious they didn’t even come to the wedding. After we got married, his attitude toward me completely changed. It’s been four years, and I regret it every single day.” I stayed quiet. Carter really was a parasitic gold-digger, preying on women for their money. Thank God I saw his true colors early. “Sarah, is it possible Carter is hiding other secrets?” She frowned. “What secrets?” “We just have to push him a little to find out,” I said slowly. “You’re an only child, right? You haven’t seen your parents in years. They must miss you terribly.” Sarah looked confused, so I explained. “You can’t just divorce him now. We have to make sure he leaves with absolutely nothing. Especially since you want full custody.” “How do we do that?” “Make him sign a postnuptial agreement. Doesn’t he constantly deny cheating? Now that we have proof, you just need him to sign a legally binding document stating that if he’s ever caught cheating, you get full custody and all the assets, and he leaves penniless.” Sarah frowned. “But you know how he is. We’re fighting constantly. Getting him to sign something like that will be almost impossible.” “That’s why we have to offer him a little bait first,” I smirked. 06 Three days later, Sarah texted me: “It’s done.” She attached a photo of the signed and thumb-printed postnuptial agreement. The terms were clear: if he was caught committing infidelity, he would leave the marriage with nothing, and all assets and custody would go to the wife. Soon after, my phone rang. It was Sarah. She called while Carter was out. “Mia, I did exactly what you said. I reconnected with my parents and borrowed $80,000 from them. I told Carter my parents gave it to us to help out. You should have seen him—his attitude did a complete 180! He immediately started sweet-talking me into transferring the money to his account. “I used the opportunity to say I was feeling insecure lately and wanted him to sign an agreement for my peace of mind. He agreed instantly!” I laughed. He took the bait hook, line, and sinker. Sarah snorted coldly. “Men like him are absolute garbage.” I gave her some reassurance. “Don’t worry, he won’t get to keep a dime of that money. He’s going to pay for what he’s done very soon.” Sure enough, probably high on his newly signed contract and Sarah’s lingering suspicions, Carter ghosted me for three straight days. I played dumb and texted him: “Carter, where are you?” It took him half a day to reply. “Baby, I had to fly out for another work trip. I’m so exhausted.” I sneered at my screen. Exhausted my ass. You’re just terrified of getting caught cheating, and you’re probably rolling around in that $80,000 right now. Fighting back my nausea, I replied: “Make sure you get lots of rest. Come back to me soon.” He didn’t text back. Meanwhile, Sarah pressed Derek about Carter’s whereabouts. At first, Derek tried to cover for him. But when I told Sarah about Derek sexually harassing female colleagues at work, Sarah used it to blackmail him. Derek folded instantly. My guess was right. Carter did have another secret. On top of a long-suffering wife and a one-year girlfriend, Carter was tangled up with Lexi, a girl who worked at a sketchy massage parlor. According to Derek, Carter had been visiting that spa for the last six months, hooking up with Lexi. After he got his hands on that $80,000, he started acting like a high-roller, visiting the spa every day to get pampered. Lexi threw herself at him, and Carter happily soaked it all up. A trash bag will always be a trash bag. Give him ten thousand choices, and he’ll still choose the garbage. But this actually made Sarah and my plan much easier to execute. A week later, Carter showed up at my apartment. As soon as he walked in, he looked exhausted and reeked of alcohol. I put on my best act and went to support him. “What’s wrong? Why was the trip so long this time?” Carter immediately started spinning lies. “Mia, I’m just so tired. But it’s all for our future, right? Oh, by the way, how much was your paycheck this month? Did you get your commission bonus?” I sneered internally. This leech always came to me for money. I used to be so blinded by love that I handed it over, thinking we were saving for a house. In reality, he was using my money to play around behind my back. “Don’t even mention it. Not only did I not get a bonus, but my base pay got docked,” I lied smoothly. “Since your trip was so long, your boss must have given you a raise, right? Hand over your debit card, let me check.” Hearing the words “debit card,” Carter’s drunken haze vanished, replaced by instant panic. “No way. You know how my boss is. I’m totally broke right now…” Heh. The second I mention money, he dodges like I’m the plague. And to think I was the one paying for his dinners out! I nodded understandingly. “Okay, sit down and relax. I’ll go heat up some hangover soup for you.” After he slumped onto the couch, I went into the kitchen, heated the soup, and played the perfect, dutiful girlfriend as I handed it to him. Under the dim living room lights, Carter took the bowl, looking incredibly satisfied. “Mia, you really are the best to me.” “Drink up before it gets cold,” I reminded him with a smile. Did he think he was an emperor choosing concubines? ‘You’re the best to me’? Oh, buddy, the best is yet to come. He must have been incredibly thirsty because he gulped down every last drop. I smiled to myself. Soon enough, the drugs took effect. Carter passed out cold. Yes, I had crushed up sleeping pills and mixed them into the soup. Given how “exhausted” he had been lately, the pills knocked him out effortlessly. As his loud snores filled the living room, I frowned in disgust, pulled his phone out of his pocket, and expertly pressed his thumb against the sensor. I opened his texts. Sure enough, there was a new contact: Client C. The messages were incredibly explicit. This had to be Lexi. And my contact name? Client B. He really was running a whole harem out here. I scoffed, using a tool I prepared earlier to pry open his phone case. I slipped a microscopic GPS tracker and listening device inside, snapped the case back on, and slid the phone back into his pocket. Everything was in place. Now, all we needed was a little spark. 07 The next evening, Sarah and I met at a cafe. I pulled out the receiver and handed Sarah an earbud. According to Derek, Carter was hyper-excited lately because of his frequent dates with Lexi. But to play it safe, they always chose different locations to hook up. I planted the bug specifically for this moment. Soon, we heard Carter and Lexi talking on the phone. “Daddy, I miss you so much. When can we see each other again?” A sickly sweet, high-pitched voice pierced our eardrums. Carter sighed, sounding burdened. “Ugh, I miss you too, baby. But you know the old hag at home has been keeping a tight leash on me lately. Otherwise, do you really think I wouldn’t come see you?” Lexi whined in response. “Boo hoo, you don’t love me anymore! How am I worse than your wife? Waahhh…” Sarah and I exchanged looks of pure disgust. Carter, however, seemed to be loving it. “Pfft, what are you talking about? After that hag had a kid, I don’t even want to touch her. She’s nothing compared to how sweet and gentle you are.” Lexi sniffled. “Really? Then when are you going to divorce her? You promised you’d marry me…” “Okay, okay! She’s still got some money left, right? Give me two months. I’ll drain her accounts, divorce her, and marry you!” Lexi stopped crying instantly, her voice bubbling with excitement. “Really?! Then where should I meet you tonight?” “It’s a promise. Alright, meet me tonight at 9 PM at The Grand Monarch Hotel. Couples Suite 1039. Make sure no one sees you.” Carter’s voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper. I chuckled darkly. Carter sure knew how to live it up. The Grand Monarch was the most expensive luxury hotel in the city. A little bit of cash and he was living like a king. He chose that hotel because it was luxurious, but also because they had ironclad privacy policies. But what he didn’t know was that my best friend’s family owned it. Lexi got the hint, letting out a shy “Mhm.” “Make sure you get there early and wait for me.” The call ended, and Sarah and I pulled out our earbuds. Sarah looked at me, worried. “Mia, what do we do now?” “We go catch them in the act, obviously,” I replied like it was the most natural thing in the world. “But The Grand Monarch won’t just let us waltz into a guest’s room.” I smiled confidently. “I have my ways. You go home and watch the kid. Wait for the good news.” Sarah’s imagination ran wild. “Mia, you aren’t going to do anything crazy, are you? I know you hate him as much as I do, but you can’t murder him! Murder is illegal…” I almost died laughing. I patted her shoulder. “Relax. I’m not throwing my life away for a piece of trash.” After finally convincing Sarah to go home, I immediately called Chloe. Hearing that it was time to destroy the scumbag, Chloe was vibrating with excitement, swearing she was going to chop him into a million pieces. We met up at The Grand Monarch. Chloe marched right up to the manager, claiming she needed to perform a surprise VIP inspection on behalf of her father. The manager happily escorted us straight to Room 1039. Chloe waved a hand dismissively. “You can wait out here. We’ll go inside and check the standards.” The manager happily obliged. After all, Chloe was the sole heiress to the hotel empire. Once inside, Chloe and I locked the door. The hotel security was top-notch, and the privacy was absolute. Aside from the hallways and elevators, there were no cameras. So whatever we did in this room, Carter would never know. I walked swiftly toward the bedside table. It was a Couples Suite. Translation: a romantic fantasy room. It was stocked with all the “essentials.” And that was exactly what I was counting on. Chloe watched in absolute shock as I picked up the bottle of premium personal lubricant. “Holy sh*t! Mia, you’re not going to tamper with that, are you?” I nodded. Under Chloe’s horrified gaze, I unscrewed the cap and dumped my special-grade, time-delayed industrial superglue inside. I had visited multiple specialty hardware stores to find this exact glue. When freshly unsealed, it looked and felt exactly like water. The adhesive properties only activated after an hour of exposure to air and friction. Once it set, ten bulls couldn’t pull it apart. It was currently 8:05 PM. Carter told Lexi to meet him at 9 PM. To be absolutely foolproof, I also swapped out the bedside condoms. I replaced them with a batch I had specially prepped at home—laced with the same industrial glue. They looked identical to the hotel’s standard issue. The whole process took barely three minutes. Chloe and I walked out of the room with pleasant smiles. The manager was waiting outside. Chloe played her part perfectly. “Alright, we’ve finished inspecting this room. Hygiene standards are perfect.” The manager breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank you, Miss Chloe.” Step one complete. Chloe and I went to a restaurant across the street, put our earbuds in, and started monitoring Carter’s movements. It was 8:17 PM. Lexi was probably on her way. About forty minutes later, the bug picked up a woman’s flirty voice. “Daddy, what took you so long? I’ve been waiting for you forever.” A loud thud followed. Carter had probably thrown Lexi onto the bed. “Little vixen, I’m here now, aren’t I? Let me teach you a lesson! Tsk, this hotel has great service. They’ve got everything we need right here.” Hearing that, I leaned forward in anticipation. Sure enough, Carter’s frustrated voice muttered, “Hold on, let me put some of this on. Why is this cap so hard to unscrew?” A brief wave of panic hit me. Did the glue set too early? Thankfully, Lexi urged him on. “Hurry up, Daddy.” Caught up in the heat of the moment, neither of them stopped to question if there was something wrong with the “lubricant.” Carter quickly poured the liquid out. “Ah! It hurts!” Lexi suddenly shrieked. Carter was still excited at first. “Don’t be scared!” The next second, his entire body must have frozen. “What the f*ck?! What’s happening?!” “AH! HOLY SH*T! MY JUNK!” Carter suddenly started screaming in pure agony. “Stop moving, Carter! It hurts so much!” Lexi started sobbing. “What did you do?!” Panic erupted. The earbuds were instantly filled with chaotic crying and screaming. “You bitch! What did you do to this?! What the hell is going on?!” Carter started screaming profanities. Lexi was furious. “What do you mean what did I do?! You’re the one who put it on! What the hell did you use?! You psycho! What do we do now?!” “How the fck should I know?! Fck my life!” “Call 911! I’m dying!” Lexi sobbed. Her delicate, flirty persona was completely gone. Carter snapped back, “We can’t call! If the old hag at home finds out, I’m dead!” “Waahhh, then what do we do?!” “I don’t f*cking know! It hurts like hell!” Lexi cried even harder. “No, I can’t take it anymore!” The next second, a loud, shrill alarm started blaring. Ding-dong! Ding-dong! It was a special feature of The Grand Monarch. Every bed had an emergency panic button installed on the headboard in case guests experienced medical emergencies. “Don’t press it!” Carter tried to stop her, but it was too late. He could only curse under his breath. Seconds later, the door to Room 1039 was violently kicked open, followed by a chorus of shocked screams from the hotel staff. Because Carter and Lexi had been so focused on arguing about how to hide the situation, they completely forgot they were still stark naked. I took out my earbuds and dialed a number. “You guys can head to the lobby of The Grand Monarch now. There’s about to be some massive breaking news.” I had arranged for a swarm of paparazzi to wait near the hotel specifically for this moment. I hung up. Chloe looked at me, bewildered. “What are you doing?” I smiled. “Sending them to the front page.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “421032”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

With exactly thirty minutes left until the wedding ceremony, I found Tristan fooling around with his little side piece in the dressing room. Amidst the raucous, enabling laughter of his groomsmen, he exchanged a deep, passionate kiss with the girl, his expression utterly indifferent. “It’ll be quick. The wedding goes on as planned. Don’t make a scene.” I didn’t make a scene. I quietly ran away from my own wedding. Three years later, we crossed paths again. I was just walking out of a cathedral after lighting a candle to fulfill a promise, when Tristan grabbed my arm. “What did you pray for? A good marriage?” he sneered through gritted teeth. His brows were drawn tight, his gaze fierce. The window of the Maybach parked outside the cathedral rolled down. The man inside had a cold, aristocratic profile. Just as he was about to speak, a little kid popped her head out from the backseat first. “Nope, Mister,” the kid answered earnestly. “Mommy prayed for me.” 01 With thirty minutes left before the wedding march, I finally found Tristan in the VIP dressing room. Separated only by a slightly ajar door, I could hear the filthy, roaring laughter inside. “The bride’s side is almost ready to start, why is Tristan still in here messing around with his little sweetheart?” His frat-boy groomsmen chimed in one after another: “You think Tristan cares about that? Our guy gets a new bride every day and acts the groom every night!” “True, but Tristan still has that ironclad engagement with the Bennett girl—” “Come on, you think anyone is actually afraid of Chloe Bennett? Her family went bankrupt ages ago. A fallen socialite is worse than a street rat.” Tristan seemed to chuckle. “Alright, enough,” he said. “If my family wasn’t pushing so hard, I wouldn’t bother. But Chloe is obedient enough.” “Get out, all of you. I have some business to finish with your little sister-in-law here.” The guys laughed rowdily as they pushed the door open to leave. And bumped right into me. “Hiss—Ch-Chloe.” In the dead silence, someone sucked in a sharp breath. I stared silently at the chaotic mess of the dressing room. And at the girl sitting on Tristan’s lap, her face buried in his chest. “You heard all of that?” Tristan looked completely unbothered. “Don’t make a scene. The wedding goes on as planned. I’ll be out in a minute.” My fingers dug so hard into the white tulle of my dress it nearly ripped. I tried desperately to suppress the tremor in my voice. “You—” Just one word, and I choked on the rest. “Chloe, be good.” He coaxed me absentmindedly, his fingers still twirling the other girl’s long hair. Seeing that I hadn’t moved, he finally frowned in genuine confusion. “Come on, Chloe.” He noticed the tear stains on my cheeks, suddenly realized something, and bent over laughing. “No way. Did you actually think I was marrying you because I loved you?” Tristan looked as if he found this to be the funniest joke in the world, repeating it with a twisted sense of amusement. “Chloe, did you seriously take it to heart?” 02 Was I not supposed to? I stared blankly at Tristan, who was practically laughing to tears. Tristan and I were childhood sweethearts. We grew up together on the same wealthy estate. Later, my family went bankrupt, and we moved away. When we met again, over a decade had passed. The little boy who used to swear he’d marry me had grown up. He lit up the entire city skyline with fireworks to propose to me. Beneath that brilliant, exploding night sky, his eyes were deep and full of affection. “When you were little, you said you’d marry me, Chloe.” “Does that still count?” My nails dug sharply into my palms, the sharp pain pulling me back to reality. Thank god I found out in time, I thought. It can still not count. The gazes of Tristan’s groomsmen were all locked onto me. Mocking. Amused. I took a deep breath and walked right up to Tristan. Under his astonished gaze, I reached out and pulled the custom engagement ring—the one I had personally designed—off his left ring finger. “Chloe, what are you do—” His words cut off abruptly. I cleanly slid the matching ring off my own finger, and tossed them both straight out the open window, down into the estate’s sprawling swimming pool. “It’s fine. You can keep going.” I explained earnestly, “I just didn’t want the sight of those rings to ruin your mood.” 03 I ran. I started off walking out of the dressing room at a normal pace. Then I ripped the restrictive mermaid hem of my wedding dress, and my steps grew faster and faster. The wedding venue was simply too massive. I had barely sprinted past the grand banquet hall and turned down an unfamiliar corridor when a “wanted” announcement echoed over the PA system. “Chloe is throwing a little tantrum with me, and I don’t know where she’s hiding.” Tristan’s low, raspy voice echoed through the speakers. “If any of our guests see her, please do me a favor and bring her back to the dressing room area. The Vance family will reward you handsomely.” He was determined to drag me back to finish acting out his little play. A female guest passing by nearby sighed in admiration, “I’m so jealous of the bride. Mr. Vance spoils her so much!” “I know, right! You’d have to save a country in your past life to get that kind of luck!” If you love this luck so much, why don’t you take it? From far away, I could feel people closing in on this direction. They had probably spotted me on the security cameras. In a panic, I ducked down the corridor of the VIP guest suites. The Vance family had prepared luxury suites for all the prominent guests attending the wedding. But this hallway was too long; I couldn’t even see the end of it. Behind me, the sporadic, heavy footsteps of bodyguards were approaching. Fighting the sharp pain in my twisted ankle, I ducked into the closest unlocked room. Separated by a single heavy door, I could clearly hear the bodyguards muttering. “Weird, where did she go…” I covered my mouth, desperately stifling the heavy pants escaping my throat. A long time passed. The footsteps outside finally faded into silence. I let out a heavy sigh of relief, but when I looked up, I realized there was someone else in the room. It was a man in an immaculate, tailored suit. His long legs were crossed, his posture lazy and relaxed. Right now, he was resting his chin on his hand, watching me with quiet amusement. Seeing me look up, he let out a very soft chuckle. “Ah. Look what I found.” “A runaway bride?” 04 It was the look of a predator locking onto its prey. I instinctively stepped back. My stiletto heel gave way, and I forgot about my twisted ankle. “Ah!” With a gasp, I crashed straight into a chest that smelled faintly of cedarwood. It was an elegant, crisp scent. Inexplicably familiar. I looked up in a daze, tears involuntarily spilling from the corners of my eyes. “Have I—” Have I met you somewhere before? Before I could finish my sentence, the man effortlessly scooped me up and placed me on the edge of the king-sized bed. “Are you that scared of me?” He frowned slightly, his long fingers gently probing my badly swollen ankle. Being stared at so intensely made my face burn. I was thoroughly embarrassed, trying to scrape together some shred of dignity. “I’m not.” I defended myself quietly. “I just ran for too long, that’s why I twisted it.” The man kept his face neutral and didn’t reply. I couldn’t tell if he believed me or not. “Hey,” I tugged gently at his suit sleeve. “Could you… please not hand me over to them?” He lowered his eyes to look at me. “The Vance and Bennett families have an ironclad contract. I can’t help you.” I let go of his sleeve, closing my eyes in near despair. “However, I am a Vance, too.” The man let out a very light chuckle. “Miss Bennett, would you consider swapping your fiancé?” Over the PA system, Tristan’s “wanted” broadcast played on an endless loop. I figured this man, much like Tristan, needed a marriage of convenience to get the family elders off his back. Even so. I gathered my courage and asked softly, “Are you going to have a bunch of other women tangled up with you, too?” “Don’t worry, I’m not like those impulsive boys,” the man shook his head. A faint, almost imperceptible smile danced in his eyes. “Older men are much better at keeping their vows.” 05 The start of the wedding was delayed over and over. Tristan locked down the entire estate, searching for me with massive fanfare. It carried a terrifying vibe of I won’t stop until I find you. As if he was dead set on marrying me today, no matter what. Unknowingly, night fell. “Tristan is going to lose his mind,” Sebastian Vance remarked, glancing at me curled up on the bed nursing my injury. He sighed. “Looks like we’re not getting out of here today.” I swung my uninjured leg, messing around on my phone half-heartedly. Why do I feel like it’s getting hotter in here? “Mr. Vance,” I poked my head out of the duvet. “Can you turn the AC down? It’s hot.” The moment the words left my mouth, they sounded soft and completely breathless. Like a whimper. Sebastian frowned, walking over to feel my forehead. “What’s going on with you?” My brain felt like a puddle of melted wax. I mumbled incoherently, “…Hot.” Did I eat something bad and get a fever? I tried desperately to think back, and suddenly remembered— Right before I walked into the dressing room this afternoon, Tristan had handed me a glass of milk. It tasted a little strange. But he just smiled and said that’s how imported fresh milk tastes. “Chloe will love it.” That’s what Tristan had said. The hand pressing against my forehead was long, elegant, and cool as jade. The unnatural fire burning in my chest eradicated whatever reason I had left. I leaned into it, burying my flushed face into Sebastian’s palm, letting out a soft sigh of relief. So cool. In my mind, a voice kept screaming— Not enough. It’s still not enough. By the time my sanity returned to me slightly… My wedding dress and Sebastian’s suit jacket were scattered in a chaotic mess across the floor. Sebastian watched me lazily, his posture completely indulgent. From beginning to end, he hadn’t struggled at all. He acted like a tolerant elder indulging an unruly junior. But when I saw the messy array of kiss marks across his chest, I couldn’t help but flinch. “Mr. Vance… I-I’m so sorry…” What the hell did I just do! I scrambled in a panic, trying to hide back under the duvet. But Sebastian caught me easily with one hand. “You light the fire and try to run?” He laughed, a dark, amused sound. “No, I—Mmph!” Giving me no chance to explain, Sebastian forcefully parted my lips. …It was too deep. When the kiss finally broke, I covered my mouth, coughing until my face turned completely crimson. “I’m quite annoyed by your ‘tease and run’ tactic.” Sebastian’s voice was low and laced with a smile. His thumb gently, deliberately traced my wet, swollen lower lip. “I’ll teach you how to take responsibility, my little runaway bride.” 06 I was woken up by frantic knocking on the door. My head pounded. Everything hurt. I felt like I had been hit by a truck. Older men keeping their vows, my ass. I thought groggily, but when I clearly heard the voice outside the door, I completely froze. It was Tristan’s voice. “!” I looked around frantically for Sebastian. He had just stepped out of the shower. He was shirtless, droplets of water tracing the lines of his abs and disappearing into the towel wrapped low around his waist. I silently swallowed hard. My right ankle was swollen like a balloon. I lifted my left foot and kicked him resentfully. Sebastian caught my foot and laughed. “You’re awake?” He casually tossed the unlit cigarette in his mouth into the trash can. I pointed frantically at the door. —Tristan is outside. What do we do?! Sebastian just strolled unhurriedly over to the door. “Tristan, what is it?” The violent knocking outside came to a sudden halt. “Uncle Sebastian,” Tristan mumbled reluctantly. “You’re here too.” Sebastian hummed with a smile. “Still haven’t found your little bride?” At the mention of it, Tristan grew even more agitated. “No. We’re searching the rooms. The last security footage shows she might have run toward the VIP guest wing.” As he spoke, he caught sight of the red marks on Sebastian’s shoulder and asked suspiciously, “Uncle Sebastian, is there a woman in your room?” Listening from the bed, I went rigid, silently pulling the duvet all the way over my head. “It’s your new aunt. I’ll formally introduce you next time.” Sebastian smiled casually. “Not right now, though. She was exhausted from last night and she’s still sleeping.” 07 I followed Sebastian back to his private penthouse. His reasoning was simple: Tristan had definitely stationed people around my apartment. If I went back, I’d walk right into a trap. I thoroughly agreed. Sebastian was incredibly busy. The very next day, he had to fly overseas for a business trip. Before he left, he kissed my forehead. A brief, fleeting touch. Very restrained. Very gentlemanly. “Wait for me to come back. I’ll bring you a gift.” He added a warning: “Try not to go out too much. Tristan is still looking for you.” I nodded. Tristan’s frantic city-wide search for his missing wife was the top headline in New York. The clueless public was buzzing about how “the billionaire heir was going crazy for love.” Lately, though, the news had gradually died down. One afternoon, I was painting in the private studio Sebastian had renovated for me. Just as I set my brush down, I received a call from Tristan’s mother. I stared at the caller ID, hesitating for a few seconds. My mother and Mrs. Vance had been best friends; that was the entire foundation of my childhood engagement to Tristan. On the day I ran away, my phone had been turned off. When I turned it back on, I was flooded with missed calls—many of them from her. Not giving her an explanation didn’t sit right with me. I pressed answer. “Chloe.” The older woman’s exhausted voice came through the receiver. “Come back to the main estate for a bit. Tristan is refusing to take his medicine. He’s throwing a fit and demanding to see you.” She said that when Tristan couldn’t find me, he had literally jumped into the estate’s pool in the middle of the night to search for the engagement rings I threw away. He searched all night. He didn’t find them, but he caught severe pneumonia and fell into a feverish coma. “…” I was trying to formulate a polite way to decline. Noticing my silence, Mrs. Vance sighed. “I still have a few of your late mother’s belongings here.” “I was planning to give them to you on your wedding day. Come over this time and take them with you.” 08 Taking two of the bodyguards Sebastian left for me, I headed to the Vance family’s main estate. Tristan was indeed terribly sick. In just a few days, he had lost so much weight he looked gaunt. “Chloe is here.” Mrs. Vance shoved the bowl of liquid medicine into my hands and walked out of the room. The two bodyguards had been stopped at the door by the Vance family’s security, leaving only me and a delirious Tristan in the bedroom. For a moment, the air was deathly quiet. I stirred the dark medicine in the bowl. The porcelain spoon clinked against the bowl, a crisp, sharp sound. Tristan weakly opened his eyes. Seeing it was me, he suddenly grabbed my wrist. “…Chloe.” His voice was hoarse. “Don’t go.” I looked at him calmly, pressing the porcelain spoon against his lips. “Drink.” Tristan stared at me for a long time before obediently opening his mouth. It wasn’t until the bowl was empty that I set it down and turned to leave. “Wait!” I don’t know where the sick man found the strength, but he gripped my arm like a vice. His trembling hand fumbled under his pillow and pulled something out, holding it up to me. It was the engagement ring. “I found it.” Tristan spoke softly. “Forgive me, okay, Chloe?” “It’s true that Vanessa crossed the line, acting up in front of you—” I didn’t even look at the ring. I forcefully yanked my sleeve out of his grip. “Wow, you really are a fragile little victim, aren’t you? Being forced by Vanessa to hook up in the dressing room.” I mocked him lightly. “I get it. What are you, the delicate damsel in distress in some twisted romance novel?” Tristan’s face instantly darkened. “Chloe Bennett! Watch your mouth!” He tried to say more, but I cut him off smoothly. “I don’t care what you have to say. I came here today to officially break off the engagement.” Before I walked out, I heard Tristan’s cold sneer. “Chloe, walk out that door, and sooner or later, you’ll come crawling back begging me.” 09 A Vance family maid led me through the front reception hall, winding through several corridors into the inner courtyard. I frowned. “Where are we going?” The older maid smiled warmly. “Madam is in the back courtyard paying respects at the shrine. Please, Miss Bennett, just a few more steps.” She then blocked my bodyguards. “My apologies. This is the inner residence. Uninvited guests are not permitted.” We were at a standoff. I hesitated, but remembering my mother’s belongings, I decided to compromise. “If I’m not out in two hours, contact Mr. Vance immediately,” I whispered to the bodyguards before stepping into the Vance family’s backyard. Ten minutes later, I stopped in front of an ornate, antique-style building. The Vance family chapel. My stomach sank. Then, I heard Mrs. Vance’s voice. “Come in. I’ve been waiting for you.” The maid next to me was staring daggers at me, looking ready to physically drag me inside if I didn’t move. I crossed the threshold in silence. Mrs. Vance was sitting in a high-backed mahogany chair, staring at me coldly. “Kneel.” “Excuse me?” I looked at her in total confusion, wondering if I was hallucinating. Before I could react, the maid who had led the way forced me onto my knees on the hard floor. Furious, I snapped, “Mrs. Vance, what is the meaning of this?!” “Where are my mother’s things?” Mrs. Vance sneered. “Maria, slap her.” In the next second, the maid raised her hand, and my cheek exploded in stinging, burning pain. Seeing me shocked into silence, Mrs. Vance took a slow, elegant sip of her tea. “Before our ancestors, today I will discipline my son’s bride in his place.” “You clearly had a contract with Tristan, yet you ran away in front of everyone, bringing total humiliation to the Vance family!” “The Vance family has helped the Bennetts so much over the years, both openly and in secret—and this is how you repay us?” My heart turned to ice. Mrs. Vance never had my mother’s belongings. She had deliberately set a trap to lure me out here. The maid was still pressing heavily against my back. I could only stay silent. Mrs. Vance grew more agitated as she spoke. “Evelyn died early. I’m doing her a favor by disciplining her wild daughter.” “If she knew her daughter grew up to be such an ungrateful, backstabbing wretch, Evelyn wouldn’t be able to rest in peace!” How she spoke to me. How dare she… how dare she bring up my mother?! I could no longer suppress my rage. Like a madwoman, I lunged at Mrs. Vance. She jumped back in fright, dropping her teacup, which shattered into pieces on the floor. I grabbed a fistful of her hair, just about to unleash a threat, when the bodyguards stationed outside the chapel rushed in and pinned me down. Mrs. Vance was hyperventilating, her finger trembling as she pointed at me. “Treason… this is absolute treason!” “You lunatic!” She gritted her teeth, looking ready to order a public flogging. “Mrs. Vance,” I said coldly. “Get this through your head. I am not married to Tristan. We didn’t even sign a marriage license.” “What you’re doing right now constitutes kidnapping and false imprisonment.” I pointed to my swollen cheek. “Add assault and battery to the list.” Mrs. Vance’s face turned pale with rage. Her lips trembled, and finally, she spat, “Then you can kneel right here!” “You don’t come out until you’ve thought long and hard about your mistakes!” 10 The heavy wooden doors slammed shut, plunging the chapel back into darkness. I found a comfortable corner to lie down in, waiting for Sebastian to come save me. He… he would definitely come save me, right? I was starved for an entire day. That night, a knock came from outside the chapel. I rushed to the window, but the face on the other side belonged to Tristan. “I didn’t know my mom locked you in here.” He looked slightly angry. “Chloe, just apologize to her.” “If you just surrender and apologize, you’ll still be the daughter-in-law my family values—” I couldn’t help but interrupt him. “Am I the only woman left on Earth? If your mom is so unhappy with me, just switch to someone else!” Tristan’s eyes darted away. “I can’t.” His next words were barely a whisper. “My mom had a psychic read our astrology charts. We’re a perfect match. You’re my good luck charm.” Utterly disgusted, I shrank back into my corner, curling into a tight ball. Outside the window, Tristan’s furious voice echoed. “Chloe Bennett, stop acting so high and mighty!” “You think you can play the saint after acting like a whore? It’s pathetic!” It’ll be fine once the sun comes up. I covered my ears, thinking quietly. When the bodyguards realized I hadn’t come out, they would report back. Sebastian should know by now that I was locked up in the Vance estate. Thinking about that, my mind started to wander again. Did Sebastian only marry me because of my astrology chart, too? I was jolted awake by the deafening sound of something smashing against the door. Outside the chapel, it was pure chaos. “Sir—you, you can’t do this!” Sebastian’s cold, detached voice cut through the noise: “I said, open it. If you don’t, I’ll smash it to pieces.” When the chapel doors were finally broken open, the sudden flood of daylight blinded me, making my eyes water uncontrollably. A tall, elegant silhouette walked in against the light. I felt myself being lifted effortlessly into his arms. He gently touched my cheek. I gasped in pain and instinctively flinched away. As if terrified of frightening me, Sebastian softened his tone as much as humanly possible. “She hit you?” I nodded pitifully, dramatically recounting yesterday’s events with a bit of extra flair. “…And that’s what happened.” I carefully tugged at his sleeve. “You’ll back me up, right—” “Uncle Sebastian?” Sebastian’s footsteps paused. He reached up and stroked my hair. “I will. I’ll make them pay for every single thing they did to you.”

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Silas Vance was the son of my father’s bodyguard. I spent ten years of my life hopelessly in love with him. When high school ended, I went to him, my heart overflowing with joy, and confessed: “Silas, marry me. I’ll give you the family you’ve never had.” He narrowed his eyes in pure disgust. “Get lost. Stay the hell away from me.” Later, my world crumbled. I, the princess of a golden empire, was dragged into the mud. I did exactly what he wanted. I got lost. I vanished without a sound. But now, he’s the one panicking. He looks at me with desperation in his eyes. “I’ll give you my body, my soul, my everything. Just stay.” I look back at him, my voice colder than ice. “Don’t you think you’re being a bit pathetic?” 01 Ten years. That’s how long it’s been since I’ve set foot in this city. The moment I stepped off the plane, my phone was bombarded with messages from Chloe. She was insisting that I attend the high school reunion organized by our old class president tonight. Ten years ago, my father’s company collapsed overnight. Scams, scandals, and debt collectors were all anyone could talk about. My father loved me. In the final, desperate moments, he managed to ship me off to London. I stayed there for a decade. Walking out of the airport, I pulled my sunglasses down. The crowd moved around me like a tide. On a massive billboard nearby, a man stood tall. His features were sharp, his gaze lethal. He was Silas Vance—now a world-renowned billionaire. Ten years. Everything has changed. I felt a bitter smile touch my lips. The proud red rose of the past had withered in the dirt, while the silent, lone wolf had fought his way to the highest peak. At 8:00 PM, I changed into a simple, modest outfit and headed to the reunion. I hadn’t wanted to go, but Chloe wouldn’t take no for an answer. In high school, I was the “it-girl.” I was the crown jewel of the Thorne family. I had been wealthy, well-educated, and genuinely kind to my classmates. Because of that, even when I showed up in my plain clothes, no one sneered at me. They were as warm as ever. “Oh my god, Elena! You’re finally back! We missed you so much!” “Exactly! As soon as Chloe said you were back, I must have called her twenty times to make sure she brought you!…” I was ushered to a seat in the center of the group. I took a sip of red wine and just smiled. I scanned the large private room several times, but I didn’t see him. Just then, someone in the crowd blurted out, “Hey, is Silas Vance skipping again this year?” The table went dead silent. A few people glanced at me, then quickly shifted the conversation back to other topics, pretending they hadn’t heard a thing. The question was drowned out like a pebble thrown into the ocean. 02 Twenty years ago, my father hired a new bodyguard. That bodyguard brought along a young boy with a fierce, handsome face that mirrored his father’s intensity. They moved into our guest house. That boy, Silas, went to the same private school as I did. I was only eight then. Spoiled by my father’s affection, I was bossy and arrogant. I demanded that Silas be my personal bodyguard at school. It was a status symbol. I walked through those hallways feeling like royalty because I had Silas trailing behind me. I don’t know exactly when my feelings for him shifted into something more. Maybe it was middle school. By then, Silas had grown into a strikingly handsome, rugged young man. He was already much taller than me. I was 5’6″, barely reaching his shoulder. Walking home together after school, I would watch our shadows in the sunset—sometimes close, sometimes drifting apart. I always found myself subconsciously leaning closer to him. … “Elena.” Chloe tapped my shoulder. I snapped out of it. “What?” “Silas hasn’t attended a single reunion since our high school graduation party,” Chloe whispered in my ear. I gave a soft “mhm” and stood up. “I’m going to the restroom.” I knew Silas hated me. He probably hated everything about high school. After all, I had used my family’s wealth and his tragic background to treat him like a servant for a decade. From age eight to eighteen, Silas never once refused me. Except for that one time. And if I hadn’t heard him say, “Get lost. Stay the hell away from me,” I might have forgotten that Silas had pride, too. The guilt weighed heavy on me as I walked toward the door. Just as I reached for the handle, it was pushed open with force. I gasped, my eyes widening as I looked straight into a pair of cold, dark eyes. Ten years. It really was long enough to change a person. The fierce boy had become a mature, imposing man. He was taller now. He wore a black suit that emphasized his broad shoulders and lean waist. His long legs stood firm, and his deep gaze was locked onto me. 03 “Elena Thorne? It really is you!” Another man at the door shouted in surprise. “Yeah.” I nodded and offered a small smile. “Liam, it’s been a long time.” I didn’t acknowledge the heavy, dark stare Silas was leveling at me. I stepped aside to let them pass. As I walked out, I heard Liam’s boisterous voice behind me. “Silas, Elena is back. Why are you acting like you’ve seen a ghost?” I gripped my napkin tightly, my lips curving into a hollow smile. What reaction was he supposed to have? I was just a reminder of a humiliating past when he was “lesser.” Seeing me probably only deepened his resentment. Silas’s arrival turned the lively reunion into a stiff, quiet affair. He sat directly across from me. People at the table kept sneaking glances at him, then at me, before returning to their food in silence. The power dynamic had completely flipped, and no one knew how to handle it. After all, I used to be the one on the pedestal. Liam, being the social butterfly he is, noticed the tension and smirked. “Hey, let’s play Truth or Dare.” The idea was met with immediate approval from everyone desperate to break the awkwardness. Even away from the table, Silas sat directly across from me. His long legs were stretched out lazily. He leaned back against the sofa, his eyes half-closed, his gaze flickering over me as if I weren’t even there. But every time I looked up, he was looking elsewhere. It made me feel like I was hallucinating. After a few rounds, the atmosphere finally lightened. Until… The beer bottle on the table spun and pointed its neck at me and its base at Silas. I looked up. Our eyes met. 04 “I’m first! I’m first!” Liam rubbed his hands together, grinning like a shark. “How many relationships have you both had?” The rules were that both people the bottle pointed to had to answer or take a penalty. The room went quiet again. The vibe turned weirdly electric. Chloe sat beside me, her grip on my arm tightening. I patted her hand and said softly, “It’s fine. Go grab me a glass of wine.” “Come on, what’s with the hesitation?” Liam prodded. “You either have or you haven’t. It’s not that deep.” He looked at me and added pointedly, “Unless the answer is ‘none’.” I tilted my head, feeling a sudden urge to laugh. I glanced at Silas. He had always been a masterpiece, but ten years had refined him into something dangerous. Under the dim lights, his jawline was a sharp blade, his features flawlessly carved. Once Chloe returned with my wine, Liam realized he couldn’t bully Silas into answering, so he turned his focus to me. “Are we continuing the game or what? You’re stalling the whole party!” “Three,” I said flatly. The man on the sofa snapped his eyes to mine. His gaze was heavy. I took a sip of wine and smiled at him. “One in high school, two abroad.” The room went silent. Liam looked like a stunned bird. I kept the smile on my face even though my palms were sweating. Silas’s eyes were a storm of emotions before they turned into a black abyss. He stared at me with a terrifying intensity. After a long pause, he rasped, “None.” Heh. I sneered inwardly. Keeping yourself pure for your secret lover? 05 Ten years ago, right after graduation, our class had a party. I was wearing an expensive gown my father had bought me for my 18th birthday. I was holding 99 deep red roses, and I ran to Silas with a heart full of hope. My smile was brighter than the flowers I was holding. “Silas, marry me. I’ll give you a real home.” A cool breeze swept through the evening air. Everyone was cheering and watching, even our teachers. The world had given me all the status I needed. And Silas gave me exactly what I deserved. He narrowed his eyes in disgust, his voice cold and hard. “Get lost. Stay the hell away from me.” The wind messed up my hair. It blew the petals off the roses. That night was the first time I didn’t go home with Silas. I stayed out late, wandering the streets in a daze. In the early hours of the morning, under the pale moonlight, I kicked off my heels and quietly pushed open the front door. A familiar voice drifted from a dark corner of the foyer. “Don’t worry. I’ll take you to New York with me later.” A girl’s voice chirped in surprise. “Really?!” The man’s voice was still cold, but softer. “Mhm.” I stood barefoot on the cold tile, feeling completely lost. My heart felt like it was drowning in a vast, dark sea. I couldn’t catch my breath. No wonder he told me to get lost. He already had Maya. I laughed a bitter, internal laugh. … The reunion ended as a heavy rain started to fall. People were calling Ubers or hopping into cars. Chloe pulled at me. “Elena, do you want a ride? My boyfriend can drop you off.” “No thanks,” I said with a smile. Silas walked out behind me, stopping about six feet away. Chloe asked, “Did you drive here?” I shook my head and waved my phone. “No, someone is picking me up.” “Oh…” Just then, a black Maybach pulled up through the rain. 06 A tall, elegant man carrying a black umbrella stepped out of the car. He walked over to me and complained in slightly broken English, “This weather is absolutely insane!” Something about his tone made me giggle. I naturally looped my arm through his. “You’ll get used to it.” A gaze as sharp as a cold blade swept over us from six feet away. I looked over, confused. Silas’s lips were pressed into a hard, thin line. Chloe gasped. “Elena, is this your billionaire boyfriend from abroad?” Silas’s eyes darkened, his jaw tightening visibly. I looked at Joe and smiled, ignoring the question. “We’re heading out. Bye, everyone.” The walk from the door to the car was short, but I felt like a cold sword was pressing against my back, ready to run me through. “You’re using me as a shield again,” Joe grumbled once we were inside the car. I pressed my palms together. “Big thanks. Just one last time.” “Sure, sure,” Joe rolled his eyes and shrugged. I laughed. Joe was my business partner from London. The reason we were back was that the headquarters wanted us to scout some talent for the company’s upcoming global campaign. Maya was on that list. The rain got heavier. Exhausted from the flight and the reunion, I leaned against the window and slowly fell asleep. 07 Maya and I were nothing alike. Chloe once said I looked like a silver fox in a snowstorm—cold and beautiful. Maya was the opposite. She was pure, cute, and full of energy. She was the daughter of our old housekeeper, Mrs. Miller. Mrs. Miller had worked for my family since I was five. After her husband died in a drunk driving accident, my father brought her and her two-year-old daughter into our home and gave her a job. My mother passed away early, so Mrs. Miller practically raised me. We were very close, and I always treated Maya like a sister. Two years later, my father played matchmaker for Silas’s father and Mrs. Miller. They got married. Maya became Silas’s stepsister. When Silas and I were in middle school, Maya was in elementary. When we were in high school, Maya was just starting middle school. Back then, I blamed my own denseness. I never realized when something started happening between Silas and Maya… I remembered that suffocating morning again. The morning the Reaper arrived. Five hours after I got home, my father’s company was hit by a massive financial crisis. Three days later, they filed for bankruptcy. A week later, the scandals broke. I was on a plane leaving the country that raised me. My father was driven to his death. I saw the photos of his final jump on the news. “Elena!!” I woke up sobbing, seeing Joe’s worried face. I wiped my eyes with a tissue, my voice raspy. “I’m okay.” Joe handed me a bottle of water. I took a sip. “Joe, you should go to Skyline Entertainment alone tomorrow.” Skyline was the biggest agency in the country. Silas Vance had acquired it five years ago. Joe was confused. “Why?” I smiled faintly as I pushed the car door open. The rain muffled my voice. “Because I have a reputation to maintain.” 08 It turns out, even the proudest person has to bow for a paycheck. I was at the hotel researching talent when I found a promising young actor, and Joe called me. “Elena, you have to come down here.” I was a mess, huddled in my computer chair. “What happened?” “The people at Skyline said that if you aren’t here, our company isn’t showing enough ‘sincerity’.” Sincerity my foot! I rushed to the bathroom to get ready. “Give me thirty minutes.” Thirty minutes later, Joe and I were waiting in the CEO’s office at Skyline. The mission was simple: sign Maya. Ten minutes later, the CEO walked in. He was tall, confident, and moved with a purpose. I stood up and walked over, extending my hand with a professional smile. “Hello, Mr. Vance.” “Mhm.” The man’s dark eyes swept over me. “Sit.” “Mr. Vance, our company has already sent an invitation to your agency. We’re looking to—” Before Joe could finish, the man on the sofa crossed his legs and glanced at the files. He looked up at us and interrupted, “Business partners?” “Uh, yes…” Joe was completely baffled by the question. I frowned slightly. “Mr. Vance, we’re here because we want to collaborate with Ms. Maya on our upcoming campaign. If it’s convenient…” “It’s not.” His voice was cold and hard. “If your company wants to shoot a campaign, my agency has plenty of other talented stars. But Maya is off-limits.” “Then forget it.” I cut him off, my voice turning icy. I stood up to leave. “We look forward to a potential future collaboration with Ms. Maya.” I said it through gritted teeth as I dragged Joe out of the office. Anyone but Maya. Silas, you really are a devoted lover, aren’t you? I was so angry I could barely breathe. 09 A week later. I was wearing an expensive evening gown, attending a star-studded gala. Skyline wasn’t the only agency in town. I took a glass of champagne and walked toward a promising young actor I’d scouted—the one I’d found while researching at the hotel. Hollywood can be a shark tank. Before I could reach him, a greasy, balding man in a cheap suit blocked my path. His fleshy hand landed on my waist, his smile making my skin crawl. “Hey gorgeous, I haven’t seen you around before.” My expression went cold. “Let go.” “Oh, don’t be like that. Every girl here is looking for a sugar daddy, right?” “Didn’t you hear her? She said let go!” A perfectly tailored leg swung out with lethal precision. The greasy man slammed onto the floor on his ass. Silas stood there, his presence overwhelming, his eyes full of murderous intent. He walked forward slowly and stepped his polished dress shoe onto the man’s right hand. “I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” “Mr. Vance, please! Have mercy! I didn’t know!” The man was pinned to the floor, his face contorted in agony, begging for his life. Silas looked down at him with an icy stare. “Which hand touched her? This one? Or both?” He pressed down with his heel. A sickening crack echoed through the room. The man’s bones shattered. “AHHHH!!!” The man’s scream was blood-curdling. Silas looked exactly like the fierce, unyielding boy from ten years ago. I stared at him, dazed. A wave of conflicting emotions hit me. I felt bad for him, and I felt bad for myself. If it weren’t for me, he might have had a better life. And I… I was the one who had made his life a living hell. … While I was lost in thought, security dragged the man away. Silas turned to look at me. I snapped back to reality. I offered a polite, professional “Thank you.” Then I turned and started walking toward the young actor. “Elena Thorne.” A large hand suddenly clamped around my arm. 10 “You want him?” I turned back to find Silas’s gaze heavy and deep. I looked at his hand on my arm and smiled sarcastically. “Why? Mr. Vance, surely he isn’t one of your actors?” After a long silence, Silas’s Adam’s apple bobbed. His voice was hoarse. “Anyone at Skyline. If you want them, they’re yours. Except Maya.” “Let go!” I wrenched my arm away, my face flushed with anger. Maya, Maya. If I heard that name one more time, I was going to lose it! Silas’s eyes were a swirling vortex of emotion. He narrowed them, then finally compromised and let go. “Fine.” I gave him a dismissive look and walked away. The next second, the world spun. I was thrown over Silas’s broad shoulder. “Silas! What the hell are you doing?!” I was screaming and hitting his back, but it was like hitting a brick wall. Silas didn’t miss a beat. He carried me out, threw me into his car, and drove me to his house. As expected of the richest man in the city, his mansion was even more luxurious than the one I grew up in. “What do you want?” I was furious at being forced. I turned to confront him. But the moment I looked at him, I saw his face was deathly pale. I panicked. “Hey, what’s wrong?” He looked at me, cold sweat beading on his forehead. He didn’t say a word. The next second, his massive frame collapsed. I lunged forward and caught him just before he hit the floor. By the time I managed to drag him onto the sofa, I was panting for breath. Silas was slumped against the cushions, his brow furrowed in pain. Seeing him like this for the first time, a pang of worry hit me. My voice softened. “Silas, what is it?” He was in too much pain to speak. Just then, his phone started ringing. It rang for ten seconds, but he didn’t move. I didn’t care about his privacy anymore. I reached into his pocket and pulled it out. I swiped to answer. “Hello?” 11 “Holy shit!” That familiar, annoying voice. “Elena?” I felt a headache coming on. “Yeah.” “How do you have Silas’s phone? Are you guys together? Wait, since when are you two a thing? Also…” I cut him off. “Stop. I have one question: does Silas have a medical condition? He’s… not doing well right now.” I looked down at the man on the sofa. He was pale and shivering. It looked bad. “Oh crap, did he drink again?” Liam yelled. “That idiot has a severe stomach ulcer!” “Is it serious?” “Yeah! At the reunion last week, I looked away for one second and he drank until he had a stomach bleed. He had to be rushed to the ER.” I hung up. Liam’s words were echoing in my head. Joe’s FaceTime call came through while I was in the kitchen making honey water. Silas’s fridge wasn’t empty, which was a good sign. “Elena, where are you?” I walked out of the kitchen with the glass. “What’s up?” “Come to the club! I found a great guy for you!” Joe’s end of the call was a mess of flashing lights and loud music. He was clearly at a bar. I put the phone on speaker and set it on the coffee table. I sat down and helped the “fragile” man sit up. “Go have fun. I’m busy.” “Why?” Joe looked horrified. “Don’t tell me you’re using me as a shield again? My girlfriend is going to kill me!” I was confused. “Since when do you have a girlfriend?” After a few minutes of rest, Silas seemed to be feeling a bit better. He lazily opened his eyes, staring at me, then at the honey water in my hand. He didn’t say anything. “I just met her! She’s so cute, so beautiful…” Joe was rambling when his face suddenly changed. “Elena, don’t interrupt. Seriously, this guy I found for you… he’s very handsome!” I handed the honey water to the man on the sofa and reached for my phone. “Fine, just send me his contact info. I don’t have time today—” Crash! A sudden sound of breaking glass. I turned around, stunned. 12 In an instant, the man with the bloodshot eyes knocked the honey water out of my hand. He grabbed my wrists, flipped us over, and pinned me beneath him. He leaned down and bit my lip hard. It happened so fast I couldn’t move. I turned my face away and yelled, “Silas, you’re crazy!” “Yes, I’m crazy.” He grabbed my face and forced me to look at him. His voice was raw. “I’m crazy for you. I’m driving myself insane with jealousy over those men.” I froze. He took the opportunity to kiss me desperately. A few seconds later, my eyes were burning. I used every ounce of strength to push him away. “Silas, what are you doing? What about Maya?! Aren’t you afraid she’ll see this?!” “What does this have to do with Maya?” The man stopped. He stayed pinned above me, his brow furrowed as he stared into my eyes. “You’re literally with her…” I turned my head away, trying to hide the tears in my eyes. Silas didn’t let me. He forced my head back, his voice demanding. “Elena Thorne, look at me.” My voice was trembling. “What? You dog! You want your cake and you want to eat it too!” Silas let out a frustrated laugh. “Which idiot told you I was with Maya?” “…” I stayed silent. He pinched my chin and kissed me again, hard. “Who I love… you still haven’t figured it out?” I felt a mix of awkwardness and a strange, sour sweetness. I pushed him away in a panic and ran for the door. He caught my wrist, sat up, and pulled me back into his lap. “Where do you think you’re going?” I felt a bit ridiculous. Maya was the one he’d been hiding and protecting. And he was the one who told me to stay away from him. Even if he wasn’t with Maya, the damage was already done. I looked at him, my eyes clearing. “But Silas, I don’t love you anymore.” The man’s grip on my wrist tightened. I tried to pull away. Surprisingly, he let go easily this time. He sat there for a long time, his broad shoulders slumped, looking defeated. Finally, his voice came out raspy. “It’s late. You can stay in the guest room. I’ll take you back tomorrow.” 13 The next day was another rainy day. Silas drove me back to the hotel in total silence. When I tried to open the car door, it was locked. I looked at him, confused. The man’s sharp features were hidden in the shadows. His eyes were like a dark vortex, ready to swallow me whole. “Elena Thorne.” His voice was terrifyingly raspy. “Are you leaving again?” My heart skipped a beat. After a long silence, I listened to the rain and whispered, “Yeah.” “Two weeks,” Silas said suddenly. I looked up. “What?” “In two weeks, I’ll take you to see Maya. Just stay away from that prick Lucas until then.” Off-limits Maya. He really was keeping her hidden. I wiped my mouth aggressively, feeling a wave of disgust. Lucas was the young actor I’d scouted. Noticing my confusion and annoyance, Silas pressed the door unlock button. “He’s dirty,” he explained. I suppressed the discomfort in my chest, nodded, and opened the door. “Elena.” Silas frowned and called out to me again. “Did you hear me? Stay away from him.” I stepped into the rain with my umbrella. “I heard you.” Silas was a mature, stable man. If he said Lucas was dirty, I believed him. Joe had been sent by the company to find another star who was filming in another state. He left, and I was alone at the hotel. Since that day, Joe’s old room had been taken over by Silas. He was right across from me. Knowing that, I rarely went out. I didn’t want to run into him. One rainy day, I had a sudden craving for a bowl of spicy noodles. Even though I had no family here, I still missed home. I missed everything about this place. It was only 5:00 PM. Silas should still be at the office. I grabbed my umbrella and cautiously left my room. 14 As soon as I stepped into the elevator, a pair of long, elegant legs followed me in. I instinctively gripped the handle of my umbrella tighter… Silas followed me for a long time. To get my noodles, I had to cross a wide road. At the pedestrian crossing, the light turned green. Ignoring the person behind me, I started walking across. The rain got heavier, pounding against my umbrella. The road was flooding, and my sandals were soaked. Suddenly, a massive truck barreled toward me. It kicked up a huge spray of water in the torrential rain. I stood frozen under my umbrella. In the next second, a powerful force swept me up. A broad, warm body slammed into me, and we tumbled toward the curb. The rain soaked through our intertwined bodies. Rainwater mixed with bright red blood. I lay on the ground, my head ringing. I pushed myself up, feeling weak. Silas was lying in the street, blood pouring from his body. I frantically pushed my wet hair out of my face, my body shaking with cold. I fumbled for my phone in the water and dialed 911. “Elena, why are you crying?” the man on the ground opened one eye and offered a weak smile. “I’m not dead yet.” Rain mixed with my tears as I pulled him into my lap. “I’m not crying!” Silas smiled and tried to close his eyes. I was terrified he would drift off. I kept talking to him. “Silas, why did you run out there?” He let out a soft laugh, blood bubbling from his mouth. “Because… I’m your bodyguard.” I tasted the rain. It was salty.

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My sister was adopted by a wealthy family, leaving me behind to rot in the orphanage. Years later, her adoptive family went bankrupt. Stripped of her pampered lifestyle, she was forced to marry a crippled man just to survive. Meanwhile, after graduating from a top university, I returned to my roots, built a startup from the ground up, and became a highly successful, renowned entrepreneur. When I opened my eyes again, I had traveled back in time to the very day the adoption took place. Before I could utter a single word, my sister, standing right beside me, pointed a trembling finger at me and cried out to the wealthy couple, “Take my little sister instead! Please, take her!” 1 I was adopted. While the paperwork was being processed, my sister, Stella, held my hand tightly, her voice thick with earnest instructions. “Hazel, you’re going to have a new mom and dad now. Be a good girl, and please, whatever you do, don’t forget your big sister.” As she spoke, she wiped tears from her eyes with her free hand, looking entirely heartbroken to see me go. Her acting was impeccable. If I hadn’t lived through this once before, I almost would have believed her. 2 In my previous life, the Foster family had chosen my sister. And I was the one left behind at the group home. A few years after my sister left, the land the orphanage sat on was auctioned off to developers, and the rest of us were shipped to a facility in a neighboring city. The director of that new home was a hypocritical monster. Back then, oversight for private charities wasn’t very strict. This director used the orphanage as a front, colluding with wealthy, depraved businessmen in a sickening underground trade. I only escaped that nightmare because I was chronically malnourished—sallow-skinned, scrawny, and small for my age. But my sister… She had fair, soft skin and chubby cheeks, looking like a porcelain doll. She was exactly the type those old men preyed upon. I wondered if she would be as “lucky” as I was this time around. 3 Stepping out of the orphanage, my adoptive mother, Evelyn, held my hand. “Don’t be scared, Hazel. From now on, you’re our real daughter. We’re going to give you a wonderful life.” My adoptive father, Richard, who was driving, turned around and gave me a warm, goofy smile. “Finally, we have a daughter in the house!” I had never known the warmth of a family. Their words made my eyes sting with unshed tears. I had seen them in my previous life. By then, their business had collapsed, and I had become a successful entrepreneur. The two elderly people, dressed in threadbare clothes, had knelt before me, begging me to save my sister. That was when I learned that after they went bankrupt, my sister despised my adoptive father for his failure and took out a high-interest loan from some shady lenders. The loan sharks took explicit photos of her to use for blackmail. I agreed to pay off her debt, but my condition was that we had to go to the police. “If you go to the police, my whole life will be ruined!” My sister glared at me as if I had murdered our parents. “You’re just holding a grudge because they adopted me back then instead of you.” “You should be thanking me! If it weren’t for me leaving you at the orphanage, do you think you’d have achieved all this today?” “And look at my luck! Stuck with a useless father and a pathetic mother, suffering for years for no reason while you get to be rich!” Her words filled the two elderly people with overwhelming shame. They apologized to me and left. Not long after, I heard the news of my adoptive father’s death. They had begged everyone they knew to scrape together enough money to pay off my sister’s debt, but she continued to run with a bad crowd. Terrified she would fall back into the same trap, Richard suffered a fatal heart attack while out searching for her at a local dive bar. From that point on, Evelyn fell into a deep depression and passed away shortly after. At their funerals, my sister didn’t even bother to show up. Now, her parents had become mine. I squeezed Evelyn’s hand back. “Yeah, I have a family now too.” 4 On the first day of the new semester, my adoptive parents drove me to high school themselves. Mom helped adjust the hem of my skirt. “Hazel is a high schooler now. Make sure you get along with your classmates, and if anyone bullies you, you must tell Mom and Dad.” It had been six years since I came to live with them. As I had expected, they were wonderful people. Over these past few years, they had treated me as if I were their own flesh and blood. But the better they treated me, the less I could accept the tragic end they suffered in my past life. I swore I would protect them this time around. Lost in thought, someone suddenly slammed into my shoulder. “Sorry about that, freshman. I didn’t hurt you, did I?” The person speaking was an upperclassman. His jacket was worn loose and sloppy, and a smirk played on his lips as he looked at me. He looked a bit familiar. I stared at his features for a moment before realizing who he was. Lucas Hayes. My future brother-in-law—the one with the limp! What was he doing here? I glanced at his legs. He wasn’t limping yet. He stood before me exuding a rebellious, arrogant aura. He was like a completely different person from the gloomy, crippled man I had met in my past life. I didn’t want any involvement with my sister’s “ex-husband.” I was about to walk away when he grabbed my hand. “Don’t just walk away, leave me your number. I’m a responsible guy; if I actually hurt you, I’ll need a way to compensate you.” I didn’t stop walking, simply brushing past him. “We’re even now.” With that, I hurried back to my classroom. Behind me, Lucas let out a scoffing laugh. “Interesting.” After that day, Lucas had his eye on me. Whenever it was break time, Lucas and a few other upperclassmen would stand outside our classroom door. At night, I always felt like someone was secretly following me. If I asked, his excuse was always “I’m just going the same way.” He never explicitly said he was trying to pursue me, so I couldn’t exactly confront him about it. I just treated him like he was invisible. After all, compared to getting tangled up with this teenage boy right now, there were far more important things to worry about. The land the orphanage sat on was about to be auctioned off. 5 “Hazel, what was that investment project you mentioned to me the other day?” When I got home, Dad walked in wearing his reading glasses and asked. Mom looked at him with sheer exasperation. “You’re the businessman, make your own decisions. Why are you bothering our daughter every day? She’s been at school all day, let her have some peace and quiet when she gets home.” “You don’t understand, Hazel is our family’s little lucky charm.” Dad patted his belly. “Every project Hazel casually pointed out over the last few years has made money. My girl was born with a talent for the market.” In my past life, my career was in venture capital. Compared to others, I had a much deeper understanding of industrial development in the region. This time around, my only goal was to use the information gap between my two lives to help my dad make money and alter the fate of their company going bankrupt. Of course, beyond that, I had another, deeper objective. “Dad, are you interested in buying land?” “Buying land?” “I accidentally overheard today that the land where the old orphanage is located is going to be auctioned off.” I blinked innocently. “Then won’t the kids there have no home? Dad, can we participate in the auction and buy the land? That way, we can save their home.” I tried my best to communicate with my father using language appropriate for my age. Hearing this, however, my father shook his head. “That’s…” Different industries are like different worlds. A land auction is no small matter, and my father had no prior experience in that field. I could tell he was hesitant. My mother, however, was a bit surprised. “The orphanage is being sold? How come we haven’t heard anything about this?” She patted my father. “Why don’t you find someone to ask about the situation first? Isn’t Hazel’s sister still at that orphanage?” My father hesitated for a moment, then nodded. “I don’t know much about this industry. I’ll go ask a friend in real estate about the situation first.” I knew he would support it. “Thanks, Dad.” “Don’t thank me so early. I won’t do a deal that loses money. I’m not a foolish king throwing away a fortune just to make his daughter smile.” I laughed. “Don’t worry, this land will definitely make money in the future!” Although the orphanage’s land was currently in the suburbs, in a few years, that area would develop into a new commercial district, and the price would skyrocket. Since my father said he would look into it, I was confident he would participate in the bidding. While my father was investigating the orphanage and hadn’t gotten concrete news yet, Lucas sought me out in my classroom and told me something. “A new transfer student just joined our class. She looks a lot like you. Her name is pretty similar too. You’re Hazel Foster, she’s Stella Bennett. It’s quite a coincidence!” I stood up abruptly. “What did you say her name was?” “Stella Bennett. What, do you actually know her?” My mind went blank for a second. When I was at the orphanage, my name was Hazel Bennett. It was only after I was adopted that I took my adoptive father’s surname, Foster. Stella Bennett. That sister of mine… What was she doing here?! 6 A few days later, sure enough, I heard people talking about this transfer student in the sophomore class again. Beautiful, approachable, she had become the new goddess of her grade in just a few days. I didn’t actually see her until a week later. After morning gym class, we ran into each other in the stairwell. She was surrounded by a circle of people. This couldn’t help but remind me of our time at the orphanage. Back then, she was clever and charismatic, and everyone liked her. In contrast, I was the quiet, unlikable one. So when I mustered the courage to tell the staff that my sister had poured water on my bed or stolen my lunch, no one believed me. “Lying at such a young age. If you spilled it yourself, admit it. Why try to blame your sister?” They would always add a sigh, “You’re sisters, how can your personalities be so different?” Stella saw me and proactively came over to say hi, “Hazel, do you still remember your big sister?” Hearing her, some students asked in surprise, “Stella, is she your sister?” Stella nodded frankly, “Yes, but later my sister was adopted, and I grew up at the orphanage.” With that one sentence, the way everyone looked at me gained a few layers of intriguing scrutiny, while their looks toward Stella gained a bit of sympathy. “Why are you looking at me like that? Actually, I was the one who voluntarily gave up the opportunity.” Stella smiled and waved her hand, “You guys don’t know, Hazel was so thin and small when she was little. I was worried that if I was adopted, my sister would be bullied at the orphanage, so I gave the opportunity to my sister.” In just a few words, she established her image as the perfect older sister. Seeing I didn’t speak, Stella covered her mouth as if she had misspoken, “Hazel, they… did they not know you were adopted? I’m sorry, I didn’t know…” She had managed to say everything, good and bad, all by herself. I smiled. “How could that be? Being in an orphanage isn’t something to be ashamed of. Besides, I’m very happy to see you, sister.” “That’s good.” Stella seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, then said properly, “If you ever have any problems, come find me. We’re at the same school now, so we can look out for each other. No matter where you go, you’re always my sister.” I lowered my eyes to hide my overwhelming hatred, smiled, and replied, “Okay.” No matter where I go, I’m her sister. I chewed on that sentence, finding it laughable. In my past life, I had begged Stella. I knelt on the ground and begged my sister to save the children at the orphanage. But what did she say? “Hazel, people have to accept their fate. You were born with this kind of cheap life. If you want to blame someone, blame your bad luck.” “Your last name is Foster, my last name is Bennett. We’re not family anymore. Don’t come looking for me in the future, and I won’t acknowledge you as my sister.” A cheap life from birth. But I refused to believe in fate. Within a day, the whole school knew I was Stella’s sister, and they also knew I was adopted. People whispered behind my back. “She’s Stella’s sister? They don’t look alike at all. She’s way uglier than Stella.” “I heard the family originally wanted to adopt Stella, but Hazel threw a fit, so Stella gave up the chance to leave the orphanage for her.” “Stella is so genuine. Even though she came from an orphanage, she never tries to hide it. Unlike Hazel. I asked her classmates, and none of them even knew she was adopted.” “Just insecure and vain. What’s the point of having good grades if you have a terrible personality?” And so, overnight, I became the foil to Stella’s strong, kind persona. But to my surprise, just when the whole school was looking down on me, Lucas started coming to our floor even more frequently. Like a dedicated security guard, he stood in the hallway looking at the view every time there was a break. When he heard people whispering about me, the senior would walk over, “What are you little gossips talking about today? Tell me, let me hear it too.” Lucas was a tough guy you didn’t want to mess with, and he was an upperclassman. No one wanted to ask for trouble. Slowly, people became quite hesitant to discuss me. At least around our classroom, I never heard anyone talking about me again. “Don’t take those words to heart.” Lucas shoved a box of something into my arms. I looked down; it was a bag of Skittles. Was he comforting me? I closed my palm, “Thank you.” 7 Honestly, I didn’t care about the public opinion at all, just continuing to do my own thing. Studying hard, plus helping my dad evaluate some investment projects. One day after school, I came out and noticed a luxury car parked at the school gate. I hadn’t paid it any mind, but after taking two steps, a man got out of the car and blocked my path. “Excuse me, miss, do you know where the sophomore classrooms are?” The familiar face and voice sent a shudder through my entire body. The dark room, the heavy shackles, and the terrifying heavy breathing all felt like invisible hands gripping my throat. In that instant, I couldn’t even make a sound. Seeing me not speak, the man spoke again, “I’m looking for Stella Bennett from your school. Do you know her?” “I don’t know her.” I lowered my head and tried to walk forward, but my right hand was grabbed. Every hair on my body stood on end. I swung my arm, broke free from him, and desperately backed away. The man took a half step forward, “Sorry, I was too abrupt. I just thought you looked a bit like Stella…” “She said she doesn’t know her, are you deaf?” Lucas rushed over, pulled me behind him, his eyes fierce. “Sorry, I mistook her for someone else.” Vincent Caldwell glared at him and got back into his car. Lucas pulled me away. That night, I had a nightmare. I dreamed again of the days in my past life when the kids from the orphanage and I were locked in the basement. Vincent Caldwell was a VIP. He came several times a week. I was small and weak, failing to catch this VIP’s eye, so I became a prop locked in the corner to watch them perform, meant to add to the entertainment. If Vincent was in a bad mood, then I was the tool used to vent his frustration. There, we kids with no one to rely on were pets, toys—anything but human. I thought that in this life, as long as I could buy the orphanage’s land, I could save it and change the fate of those children. But Vincent had appeared early, and he had even gotten involved with Stella. What exactly happened during this time? The next morning, I arrived at class and saw Stella waiting outside for me. “What did you say to him yesterday?” I was baffled, “Who?” “Vincent Caldwell, the one who came looking for me.” The corners of my mouth turned down, “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” “Stop pretending. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, would he send me to bring you something for no reason?” Saying that, Stella slammed something in her hand onto my desk. The Chanel logo was right on top. One look and you knew it was expensive. “He asked me to apologize to you on his behalf.” Stella’s eyes were red, and she raised her voice, “I know the Foster family’s business hasn’t been doing well the past few years, and your financial situation has gotten worse. You want money, but you shouldn’t, you shouldn’t think of these shady methods.” It was right during the morning rush. People coming and going in the hallway all stopped when they heard Stella’s words. Stella looked heartbroken, “You’re my sister. I don’t want you to go down the wrong path.” The people around started whispering. And the Chanel on my desk seemed to become ironclad proof. I looked at Stella’s one-woman show and let out a cold laugh, “You better watch yourself.” Daring to get involved with Vincent Caldwell. It seems she still doesn’t know what kind of person she’s messed with. This incident blew up so big that even the teachers were alarmed and called me into the office to understand the situation. “Hazel, your grades have always been good. Why did you suddenly change like this? Tell the teacher the truth, did you really get involved with an older man from outside for money?” “Haven’t you already made up your mind? Why are you asking me now?” “What kind of attitude is this! At such a young age, doing this kind of thing for money, and now the necklace has been delivered, and you still want to argue!” Stella stood by, playing the good guy, “Teacher, please don’t be angry. Hazel is still young and doesn’t know any better. It’s probably because she’s so scared of being poor that she saw someone driving a luxury car and went to talk to him.” Stella now seemed convinced my father had gone bankrupt. She kept bringing up money. Just as she finished speaking, a rough voice shouted from the doorway, “Who is ruining my daughter’s reputation?” It was my dad. The moment he arrived, all the accumulated grievances spilled over. The teacher explained the situation to my dad. “What did you say? Over a thirty-thousand-dollar trinket, he has the nerve to give it away? I’d be worried my daughter would get an allergic reaction wearing it!” He looked at the teacher, “You’re questioning my daughter’s involvement with older men outside, saying it has a bad influence on other students. I’d like to ask you, a luxury car parked at the school gate, with a middle-aged, greasy man harassing high school girls—why didn’t anyone stop him? What are the school security guards doing? If my only daughter gets hurt, can you take responsibility for that!” Then he looked at Stella, “You must be my daughter’s sister. You’re quite an interesting little girl. I heard that man was looking for you? The one involved with men outside is clearly you, so why are you blaming our Hazel?” “Taking a step back, even if our Hazel had an interaction with him, it was because of you.” My father unleashed a barrage of rapid-fire retorts, and everyone present panicked. Especially my so-called sister, who seemed surprised by my father’s change in demeanor. She looked at me, then at my dad, and couldn’t manage to say a word. In the end, this incident concluded with a personal apology from the school administration. My dad was still cursing as he took me home, “What a garbage school. I’m transferring you tomorrow!” I curled my lips into a smile. In this life, having my dad protect me… feels really good. 8 After that day, my classmates’ attitudes toward me changed. They came to ask me, “Hazel, is your adoptive father really Richard Foster?” “Yes.” “The one who does venture capital? He’s super famous domestically, known as the undefeated god of investing!” I hadn’t expected high schoolers to actually pay attention to business news. That person defended me, “I knew you weren’t that kind of person. Why would Richard Foster’s daughter try to suck up to an old man for a little bit of money? There’s absolutely no need.” Of course, there were also people making snide remarks behind my back, “Actually, Stella should have been Richard Foster’s daughter. What is she so smug about now?” When comments like that reached Stella’s ears, she felt even worse. A few days later, Stella proactively apologized to me, “It was my fault before. I was just too worried about you.” Then she tentatively asked me, “Is the Foster family really as powerful as they say? But I heard…” “My dad’s company did go bankrupt.” I smiled, “So he switched industries. Now he earns even more. Don’t worry, sister, I’m not short on money. I don’t need your financial help.” After I finished speaking, I turned and left. Leaving Stella standing there in a daze. After that, I saw Vincent a few more times, always driving different cars to pick up Stella. If Stella wanted to court death herself, I wasn’t going to stop her. I only cared about the well-being of the other children at the orphanage now. A while later, there was finally news about the orphanage’s land. My father had someone do a background check, “That land definitely has potential for appreciation in the future. I’m discussing with a friend to partner up and buy the land. As you requested, we’ll keep the orphanage project running for the next few years, and when the land value goes up, we’ll figure out a way to relocate the kids.” “Thank you, Dad!” My mother teased him, “Who was it that said he wouldn’t be a ‘foolish king’ for his daughter?” My dad glared, “This isn’t just for my daughter. I can make money and do charity at the same time. I’m spreading love to the world!” I watched my parents’ usual bickering, feeling an unprecedented sense of fulfillment. I originally came from the orphanage, and my father never shied away from that fact. He constantly taught me to be grateful. When handing over the land paperwork with the orphanage, my father brought me along. However, when I arrived at the orphanage and went looking for Lily to play, the director told me, “Lily is no longer at the orphanage.” “What do you mean she’s no longer at the orphanage? Was she adopted?” I immediately dismissed that answer myself. When I visited last year, Lily was still there. Kids our age are long past the conditions for adoption. “She left with your sister,” the director told me with a smile. “An entrepreneur started a sponsorship program. Stella and Lily were taken away to study outside.” “That entrepreneur… is his name Vincent Caldwell?” “How did you know?” My heart sank completely.

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