Category: English

During the fan sing-along segment of the concert, the roving camera suddenly stopped on me. I quickly got up, waving my hands. “Excuse me, I don’t really know your songs. I’m just here with a friend.” The fans in the crowd immediately booed. “Not even an Asher fan and sitting front row?! What a waste of good seats!” He, however, just stared at me blankly, his eyes visibly reddening on the close-up shot. “There’s one song, I’m sure you’ll know.” That night, the hashtag “Pop Ballad King Asher Vance’s First Love” trended on social media… 1 Just moments before, my best friend, Riley, had been sobbing hysterically over not getting front-row tickets to Pop Ballad King Asher Vance’s concert. The next minute, someone in a fan group added her on a messaging app and offered two tickets for free. She leaped up, hugging me, laughing and crying as she invited me along. Hearing that familiar name, I stiffened slightly. “No thanks, Riley, I’m not really into pop stars.” She pulled my hand, her face beaming. “Trust me, Skylar! You just need to see one show, you’ll fall in love with him, I swear!” Now, I sat less than five yards from the stage, hiding behind Riley’s enormous fan light stick, covertly watching the guy on stage, strumming his guitar and singing ballads. His eyes held a gentle smile, seemingly gazing off into the distance, yet his focus felt as intense as if he were looking only at me. Lost in thought, Riley suddenly grabbed my shoulder, shaking me wildly. “Ah!! Skylar, what are you spacing out for?! You got picked to sing on stage! Go, go!” Only then did I realize the camera had somehow landed on me. The girl on the giant screen snapped back to reality, staring blankly, waving her hands. “Sorry, I don’t really know your songs. I’m just here with a friend.” The surrounding fans immediately erupted. “Seriously, sis! If you’re not an Ash fan, why are you in the front row? What a waste of a spot!” “Don’t waste our time! Pick another fan!” Then, rabid fans like Riley shrieked, “Ah!! I’m her friend! Can I go up instead?!” Amidst the fan commotion, they didn’t notice the man on stage drop his guitar, only staring blankly at me, his eyes visibly reddening on the close-up shot. “You’re fine, miss. Don’t worry, there’s one song you’ll definitely know.” Riley pushed me onto the stage, my legs moving towards him before my mind caught up. The camera zoomed in on us. I stood there, stiff, nervously twisting the hem of my dress, but his smile was as warm as a spring breeze. “May I ask your name?” I took a deep breath, calming my hammering heart. “Skylar Hayes.” “Can you play the piano?” “Yes.” He led me to the piano and sat down. “For the next song, I’d like to play my breakthrough hit, ‘That Summer.’ ” Then he leaned in, his voice low. “Just follow my melody with simple chords.” The stage lights dimmed suddenly, leaving only a single spotlight on us. Silence enveloped the arena. It felt like the entire world had faded away, leaving only the two of us. The faint, elusive scent of lavender from Asher clung to the air, and my scattered thoughts slowly calmed. The opening notes began, and the chords, etched deep in my memory, flowed naturally from my fingertips. Every harmony, every duet, his voice rich and deep, mine clear and bright—we were so in sync, it was as if we’d sung it a thousand times before. Until the last lyric faded, and the song’s lingering notes died down. The quiet crowd erupted in cheers. “That song! It’s the title track from Asher’s first album! They say it’s about his high school sweetheart, but he’s never sung it at a concert before! Talk about a throwback!” “The male-female duet version is so beautiful! Good thing I recorded it! Love it, love it!” “A total stranger can sing that well?! My ears have ascended! I swear you guys were lip-syncing, boo hoo!” Before I stepped off the stage, he suddenly hugged me, whispering in a voice only I could hear: “Skylar, long time no see.” The embrace was fleeting. He smoothly slipped a signed poster into my arms. “Thanks for your amazing performance, Skylar.” I stumbled off the stage, still a bit dazed. Riley threw her arms around me, practically rubbing herself on me. “You hugged my idol, and I hugged you. By extension, I hugged my idol!” Then she eyed me suspiciously. “That song’s from his early album. It’s not very well-known, only old fans would know it. Skylar, you’ve got hidden depths! And you said you weren’t an Asher fan.” I didn’t explain—I wasn’t Asher Vance’s fan. I knew that song because we wrote it together in high school. 2 Back home, the faint, familiar scent of lavender still clung to me. I abandoned the idea of a shower, collapsing onto the couch instead. With practiced ease, I opened my social media search history and clicked on Asher Vance’s profile. It had been my nightly ritual for years. The irony wasn’t lost on me: I didn’t even have the courage to follow him. Ten minutes earlier, he’d posted an update: “She came to my concert.” The caption was accompanied by a photo. In the picture, a girl in an Evergreen High uniform—a simple white uniform, neatly pressed—stood with a high ponytail falling to her shoulders. Though her face wasn’t visible, her silhouette alone hinted at a graceful, blossoming figure. A pang shot through me. She? Was he talking about me? Just then, my phone rang. “My heart is shattered, Skylar! My Ash just went public! I’m dying!” Riley’s wails poured from the phone. “Huh? Where did you see him ‘go public’?” I was confused, but a flush crept onto my cheeks. That post, while a little suggestive, wasn’t that clear, was it? Riley abruptly hung up, leaving a hurried, “Check the trending topics!” Only then did I see it: a female singer named Cassidy Bell had retweeted Asher’s post. “From junior to fellow artist, finally waited for this day.” I clicked on her attached photos. One showed her holding a bouquet of flowers, standing beside Asher on a stage, both smiling brightly. Coincidentally, she was wearing an Evergreen High uniform, her long hair tied in a high ponytail, perfectly matching the silhouette in Asher’s post. The other was a selfie taken from the audience at today’s concert, where she wore a baseball cap, skillfully angled to look like she was kissing Asher’s cheek. The fans exploded. “What a perfect couple! I just went to a concert, and ended up with a mouthful of dog food!” “The golden couple of the music industry, they’re made for each other!” “Raising the ‘AshCid’ banner high! My ship has finally sailed!” A slow, sickening realization dawned on me. She in Asher’s post, was Cassidy Bell. The red heart emoji after her text seemed to burn into my eyes. I rubbed my aching eyes and drifted off to sleep, fully dressed. In my dream, I was back in high school. I encouraged Asher to join the school singing competition with me. But on the day of the finals, I lost my voice due to a cold and cough, forced to withdraw. It was his first time winning. As I took pictures to commemorate the moment, the girl who took second place, her face flushed, handed him a bouquet. “Hello, senior. I’m Cassidy Bell from freshman class 3. Your singing is beautiful. Can I take a picture with you?” When I woke, my eyes were damp. So, Cassidy Bell was that freshman girl who used to constantly trail after us in school. That photo of her holding flowers on her social media? I was the one who took it. But what right did I have to be upset? I once thought I was a golden girl, destined for greatness, and that Asher and I were inseparable. Even though Asher, after my “makeover,” was always surrounded by girls, I still believed our feelings for each other simply remained unspoken. Turns out, I was the clown all along. I hadn’t slept well, and by the time I dragged my luggage onto the school bus, swaying all the way to Willow Creek Elementary in the rural county, I thought I was hallucinating. I saw Asher Vance. I rubbed my eyes three times, finally confirming I wasn’t mistaken. Despite the surge of wild joy, my face remained calm as still water. “What are you doing here?” He offered a cautious, placating smile. “I was afraid you might misunderstand what’s trending, so I came specifically to explain.” 3 My face remained cold, unyielding. He followed me docilely, trailing behind as I taught the children, ate meals with them. In the evening, we lay side-by-side on the hillside, watching the sunset. He told a few exaggerated jokes, making the children burst into peals of laughter. Finally, I let out a soft chuckle too. “Alright, kids, head back to school. I have something to discuss with your Ms. Hayes.” Whether it was the glow of the sunset or something else, his face was a little flushed. The children giggled, scampering down the hill, leaving me alone on the grass. Sigh. These innocent kids, bought over by this seemingly harmless, handsome guy in just one day. We lay shoulder to shoulder, neither of us speaking. The silence stretched, a little awkward. I broke it first. “You’ve changed a lot. You used to be so brooding and quiet. In all the years I’ve known you, this is the first time I’ve heard you tell jokes. It’s good.” But he wouldn’t let me change the subject. “Skylar, the person I was referring to on my social media was you. I don’t know why Cassidy would post something so misleading, but I don’t want you to misunderstand my relationship with her.” “If you didn’t give her the wrong idea, why would she be so desperate to go public with you?” I was a firm believer that it takes two to tango. Remembering the fans’ unearthed “sweet interactions” between them from yesterday, my heart felt like it was being pricked by needles, a sharp, insistent ache. “Skylar, do you know how much effort I put into finding you? You just vanished for so many years without a word. If I hadn’t secretly followed your car home right after the concert last night and sat outside your apartment building all night, then followed you to this charity school early this morning, I don’t know how long you would have kept hiding from me. All these years, do you have any idea what I’ve been through?!” I looked at his bloodshot eyes, and my heart, despite everything, ached for him. I raised my hand, intending to gently caress his cheek, but his phone rang at an inconvenient moment. Seeing “Cassidy” on the screen, my hand froze, then slid down his shoulder as I pretended to brush off some grass. “Go on, answer it. If you’re not guilty, why won’t you?” The incessant ringing was grating on my nerves. He patted my head reassuringly and answered. “Asher, please don’t be mad, okay? I was wrong last night. I shouldn’t have posted that without your permission. But… that was my dad’s idea too!” “You posted such a suggestive message without the company’s approval, not only violating your contract, but did you even consider how your fans would react?!” The voice through the earpiece was tearful, but soft and pleading, almost like a whine. After hanging up, he rubbed his temples, explaining helplessly. “Cassidy and I are both artists under Starbound Entertainment. Starbound Entertainment’s boss is her father. Skylar, please give me some time to sort all this out. One month, I just need one month…” “No need, Asher. We’re not that kind of relationship anyway. You don’t owe me an explanation.” I cut him off, my words cold and detached. “The wind’s picking up. Let’s go.” Asher left. He was a busy man; it was already a miracle he’d spent this day with me. Listening to the rumble of his car engine fading away, I hid in my room, biting my pillow to muffle my sobs. The once confident Skylar, who never truly saw other girls as a threat, had finally been worn down by years of successive upheavals, consumed by anxiety and fear of loss. Perhaps it was because I’d cried for Asher for so long, that his figure filled my dreams. 4 Freshman year, I was obsessed with music, spending every spare moment in the school’s piano room. There was always someone hiding outside the door, secretly listening to me play. One day, I played a recording on my phone, then quietly opened the door and caught the lurking figure red-handed. He wore a pair of comically oversized, nerdy glasses. His washed-out uniform looked ancient, and his sneakers were even coming unglued. I eyed him curiously, watching his face redden until he was bright scarlet, before I finally chuckled. “Hey, if you like piano, why don’t you join me every day? Don’t just listen from outside.” “I… I really like listening to you play, but I’ve never learned piano…” he stammered in explanation. That was my first meeting with Asher Vance. He was in my grade but a different class, even a different building, because I was in the Honors Program, and he was in the lowest-ranked regular class. But at my earnest invitation, he started coming to the piano room with me every day. I also learned from him that his parents sold vegetables at the farmers’ market near the school; he was one of the few low-income students. “I love music so much. I want to study performing arts and audition for college, but my family can’t afford it,” he confessed once we grew closer. He was sixteen, just like me, should have been carefree, but instead he was meek and quiet due to his insecurity. “That’s easy! I’ll find you a music teacher right now!” I slapped his shoulder, declaring grandly. I led him to the office. “Mr. Hayes, I found an incredibly talented student for you. Would you give him some free lessons?” That’s when he realized my father was the school’s music teacher. My dad, true to his word, began giving Asher free vocal lessons and teaching him guitar. He progressed rapidly. Even my dad, who rarely praised anyone, raved about Asher’s talent and diligence. In sophomore year, Asher won the school singing competition. I excitedly grabbed my dad’s hand, jumping up and down. “I told you he’d be your best student!” My dad just gave me a knowing, teasing glance that instantly made my face flush. I tutored him in academics, my dad taught him music. Three years later, he successfully auditioned and got into the best music conservatory in the country… After a night filled with dreams, I woke up with two massive dark circles under my eyes. As I shuffled to the bathroom to brush my teeth, Asher Vance stood in front of me, dragging a suitcase. “Skylar, I went back yesterday and sorted out my work. I plan to stay by your side from today onwards.” He grinned at me. After that, no matter how cold I was, he clung to me, refusing to leave. With his sunny, energetic personality, he quickly replaced me as the children’s favorite teacher. We seemed to have returned to our high school days. Though we hadn’t seen each other for years, our interactions were so familiar, it felt as if we’d been living together for a lifetime. When I uploaded the demo I’d spent half a year perfecting, I immediately received countless messages from fans: “Echo is finally back! A once-in-a-millennium event!” Even famous singers reached out: “What about that song you promised? This one should be mine, right?” Below, fans immediately jumped in to tease: “Don’t even think about it! Echo never writes a song that isn’t tailor-made for Pop King Asher! I strongly suspect she’s his ultimate fangirl!” Then, a sharp-eared fan asked, “Could Echo be in love? The entire track has such a joyful vibe, pink bubbles practically overflowing from the screen. This isn’t the usual Echo style!” When I saw that comment, I choked on a mouthful of water, coughing uncontrollably. Was it that obvious? Though I had to admit, ever since Asher started staying by my side, that tight string in my mind, stretched for years, had finally relaxed. 5 One morning, the youngest child in our class, who should have been at school, didn’t show up. A frantic panic seized me. The child was a day student, leaving home before dawn every morning, crossing a mountain to get to school. I was terrified she might have met with some danger on her way. I immediately asked the principal to watch the other children, then ran out of the school gates to look for her. Asher followed close behind me. We walked, calling her name. Finally, halfway up the mountain, we heard a faint cry. The girl had fallen into a ravine, soaked through, having been there for an unknown amount of time. My eyes welled up, and I started to rush down, but Asher pulled me back. “There’s no stable footing here, it’s too easy to slip. I’ll go. You wait for me on the slope.” Then, without a moment’s hesitation, he ran down. He carefully checked the girl’s oddly twisted foot, then wrapped her in his jacket and carried her on his back. He climbed back up, drenched in sweat. “The ambulance can’t get here. Her leg is broken. We need to drive her to the hospital now.” We rushed the girl to the nearest hospital. Thankfully, the treatment was prompt. Aside from a broken right leg, the girl was otherwise fine. After the surgery, the doctor immediately recognized Asher, his face lighting up with excitement. “Asher, hi! I’m a huge fan! Can I get your autograph?” I instinctively tried to pull away, afraid the fans would misunderstand our relationship. But he grabbed my hand, lacing his fingers through mine. “Of course!” The girl’s parents were migrant workers in the city, so she lived with her elderly grandmother. To spare the grandmother worry, we hired a nurse for the girl, then drove back to the village and found her home. As I watched Asher, kneeling on the ground, gently holding the trembling old woman’s hand, reassuring her: “It’s alright, ma’am, the child is doing very well. You don’t need to worry about the surgery or hospital fees; I’ve already taken care of it…” A sudden warmth spread through my heart. I thought, this, just being together every day like this, feels really good. Walking back to the school dormitory, side-by-side, I took a deep breath, took his hand, and said, “Asher, how about we…” “Senior, long time no see.” A cold voice cut off my confession.

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1 I got accepted into Juilliard, the world’s number one music conservatory. But my father burned my acceptance letter to ashes. My eyes wide with disbelief, I asked him in a trembling voice why he’d done it. He clamped his hands around my throat, veins bulging on his forehead. “You damned wretch don’t deserve to go to such a good school!” Mom rushed over, not to help me, but to bind me with a thick rope. Tears streamed down my face as I looked at her. “Mom, didn’t you always dream of me getting into a good school?” Mom didn’t respond. She took a pair of scissors and stabbed me repeatedly. Blood painted my pants crimson. I was in agony beyond measure. When I was barely clinging to life, Dad dragged me to the edge of a septic tank. He threw me in, discarding me like refuse. The blackness consumed me, stealing my last breath. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day I received my acceptance letter. … Dad’s gaze was fixed on the letter in my hand. “Hand over that acceptance letter, now!” he demanded. “What if you go abroad and never come back? What about your mother and me, if we miss you?” His urgent voice pulled me back to reality. I glanced at the calendar on my phone, confirming it: I had truly been reborn. And it was the very day I’d received that acceptance letter. In my previous life, from the moment I’d set my mind on getting into Juilliard, Dad had begun to dote on me, meticulously taking care of my every need. From dawn till dusk, he’d prepare four nutritious meals for me. No matter how busy he was at work, he’d personally drive me to and from school. For Dad, my acceptance into Juilliard was more important than his own life. But after I was accepted, Dad’s demeanor abruptly shifted. He snatched my acceptance letter, holding a lighter to it until it turned to ash. My eyes, wide with disbelief, locked onto his. My voice trembled uncontrollably. “Why?!” “This is a top-tier institution with an acceptance rate of only 6.0%!” Dad’s hands clamped around my throat, veins bulging on his forehead. He roared, his voice laced with fury. “You damned wretch don’t deserve to go to such a good school!” “The biggest regret of my life is spending money on your music lessons!” I gasped for air, my face growing paler and paler. Just then, Mom returned from buying groceries. I cast a desperate glance her way, pleading silently, “Mom…” To my horror, she didn’t help. Instead, she retrieved a thick rope from the cabinet. Mom bound me tightly, leaving me unable to move. Tears of despair fell, one by one. I couldn’t help but ask her, “Mom, didn’t you always hope I’d get into a good school?” “Now that I’ve been accepted, why would you…” Before I could finish, Mom plunged a pair of scissors towards my private parts. I screamed in agony. Mom only pressed harder, continuing until a crimson tide stained my entire pants. Only then did she stop. By now, I was barely clinging to life. Mom turned to Dad, her voice chillingly calm. “Throw her in the septic tank!” “That way, the police won’t be able to trace it back to us!” My body went numb with terror. Mom knew about my claustrophobia, how I’d been locked in an elevator as a child and was terrified of the dark. Yet, she chose to use the very thing I feared most to end my life. I mustered every ounce of strength, clutching at the hem of Mom’s clothes. “I’m the child you carried for nine months!” Mom flung my hand away, her face contorted in a grotesque, triumphant smile. Dad dragged me to a septic tank on the outskirts of town. It was a secluded spot, far from any prying eyes. Indeed, a perfect place for someone to vanish without a trace. Dad’s eyes held a chilling, sinister gleam. “After you’re gone, I’ll visit your grave and offer prayers.” With that, he lifted me with both hands and threw me into the septic tank. I thrashed desperately in the suffocating darkness. Soon, my breath gave out. To my dying moment, I couldn’t comprehend why my parents, who had always urged me to study hard, would want me dead after I got into the most prestigious music conservatory. The suffocating sensation from my previous life swept over me again. I clenched my fists, my gaze resolute. This time, I had to uncover the full truth! 2 Seeing me hesitate, unwilling to hand over the acceptance letter, Dad’s tone softened. “Nora, if you go to school so far away, Mom and I will miss you too much!” he said, trying to sound genuinely concerned. “I was thoughtless before, pushing you to pursue music. I overlooked the fact that even if you’re good, you might not become a star.” “Everyone online says only the children of the rich and powerful become celebrities. We ordinary folks shouldn’t dream of such things!” “You should be more practical. Just find a community college nearby, learn a trade. You won’t have trouble finding a job after graduation!” I nearly scoffed. While our family wasn’t incredibly wealthy, we certainly had enough money to send me to school abroad. Dad was an executive at a publicly traded company, earning hundreds of thousands a year. Mom ran a bustling café, with hundreds of customers daily. Besides, Dad had repeatedly told me that I should just pursue my dreams and not worry about anything else. Why was he now so earnestly pushing me to attend a community college? His sudden change was utterly wrong. I clutched the acceptance letter tightly, glaring at Dad with simmering resentment. “Fine. You can have it.” The gloom on Dad’s face instantly transformed into excitement, his eyes gleaming with anticipation. Just as he let his guard down, I grabbed the vase beside me and smashed it over his head. Blood flowed freely as Dad screamed in agony. I turned and ran. I ran towards Ashley’s apartment, planning to ask her for help. In my previous life, after I died, my soul lingered, unwilling to leave the mortal realm due to the overwhelming resentment in my heart. My spirit watched as Mom and Dad went about their daily lives, their faces calm, devoid of any sadness. Only Ashley cried for me every night, holding my photo, and even put up missing person posters all over the city. Just as I was about to reach the entrance to Ashley’s building, a slender hand grabbed me. “You ungrateful wretch! How dare you hit your father!” It was Mom. Her eyes blazed with hatred, her breathing ragged. “Come with me to the hospital, now, to see your dad!” I forcefully pulled my hand away. “No! I can’t go with you!” “Because you’ll try to kill me!” Mom slapped me across the face. “We are your parents, who gave birth to you and raised you! How could we possibly try to kill you?” “You made your father’s head bleed, and you show no remorse. Instead, you slander us!” “Even a wild animal isn’t as malicious as you are!” If she wanted a scene, I’d give her a spectacle. I plopped down on the ground, wailing uncontrollably. “Waaah, I’m so miserable!” “I got into the best music conservatory in the world, but my parents don’t want me to go there!” “They even destroyed my acceptance letter, waaah!” Instantly, passersby gathered, taking my side. “Are they crazy? Their child worked so hard to get into a top school, and they won’t let her go!” “My daughter got into community college, and I threw her a celebration party! This girl got into such a good school, and her mother looks utterly miserable!” “Her mother’s diamond ring is worth tens of thousands, yet she won’t spend money to send her daughter to school. How cheap!” Mom was a businesswoman, always meticulous about her public image. Seeing everyone criticize her, she didn’t dare retort. But she shot me a chilling smile, then quickly sent a message to Ashley. Soon, Ashley arrived. She embraced me, her face beaming. “My little Nora, you haven’t come to see me in ages!” I leaned in and whispered everything Mom and Dad had done to me. Ashley turned to Mom, her face alight with anger. “Nora getting into a prestigious university isn’t a good thing? How could you and Dad—” “But she got into Juilliard!” Ashley’s face instantly went ashen. She moved to snatch the acceptance letter from my hand. “Give it to me!” My eyes wide with shock, I quickly hid the letter behind my back. Ashley slapped me hard across the face, her eyes bulging with rage. “Tear up that letter!” “Otherwise, our sisterly bond is over!” 3 In my previous life, Ashley didn’t know I got into Juilliard. Mom and Dad told her I had run off with some random guy. They even forged a letter from me for her to read. In the letter, I said I would never come back. Ashley wept uncontrollably, vowing to find me. That’s why she put up missing person posters all over the city. This time, Ashley knew I got into Juilliard. And just like Mom and Dad, she hated me to the bone. My eyes filled with despair, I looked at Ashley. “Sis, you used to love hearing me sing!” “You even said that if I worked hard on my vocals, I’d be the next Taylor Swift!” Ashley’s face contorted into a grimace. “Wake up! You’re not even fit to tie Taylor Swift’s shoelaces!” “I never liked hearing you sing. Your singing was awful!” Mom grabbed my hand, urging Ashley. “Stop wasting time with her!” “Let’s drag her back home and teach her a lesson!” Ashley immediately grabbed my other hand. Both Mom and Ashley used all their strength, pulling me towards our house. “Don’t you dare take her!” The voice belonged to a tall, burly middle-aged man. He stopped Mom and Ashley with one hand. “It’s a rare and wonderful thing for a young woman to bravely pursue her dreams! Yet you two want to destroy her dreams!” Mom looked at him with disdain. “I’m handling my own child, what business is it of yours?!” “Get out of my way, now!” “Otherwise, I’ll call my people to come and deal with you!” Mom wasn’t just bluffing. Because she ran a hair salon, she had connections in the shadier parts of town, with all sorts of dubious characters. Indeed, she had friends in the underworld. The middle-aged man, however, wasn’t afraid of Mom’s threats. He clenched his fists, gritting his teeth. “You scum don’t deserve to be a mother!” “If you dare take this young woman today, I’ll call the police!” Others also began to criticize Mom. “You’re not short on money, and you’re not suffering from a serious illness. Supporting your daughter’s music education should be no problem at all!” “If a family is so poor they can’t afford food, I could understand not letting their daughter go to an art school! But you’re draped in gold and silver, all your clothes are designer brands, clearly a middle-class family!” “Your older daughter lives in a mansion and drives a sports car worth millions. Even if you can’t afford to send your daughter to music school, you could ask your older daughter to help out!” Mom was speechless again. Ashley, however, looked even more furious. She glared at the crowd with simmering hatred. “You’re just jealous of what we have!” “Our money doesn’t grow on trees! Why should this brat waste it away overseas?” The middle-aged man retorted angrily, “My nephew tried to get into Juilliard three times and failed! That shows how incredibly difficult that school is to get into!” “But your sister got in on her first try, which proves how dedicated she is to her vocal training!” “Such a disciplined child, I don’t believe she would recklessly squander her tuition money!” Many people nodded in agreement with the man. Faced with the surrounding crowd, Mom and Ashley were momentarily at a loss. But just as I thought they wouldn’t be able to take me, Dad arrived. “You brute! Get home, now!” Dad’s eyes burned with fury, his expression one of wanting to tear me apart. Behind him stood Mom’s shady contacts. They wielded machetes, their presence menacing. 4 Ashley flashed Dad a smirk. “Good thing Mom’s so sharp; she messaged you right away.” So, Mom had called Dad to bring these men. Mom walked up to a burly man, her face full of feigned grievance. “Big Tony, he was blocking my way just now.” Mom pointed at the middle-aged man who had helped me. Big Tony swung his machete at the man’s throat. “Dare to mess with Boss Lana! You got a death wish?!” My entire body went limp with fear. But I still rushed forward, blocking Big Tony. “Don’t touch him!” “I’ll go back with my parents!” The crowd dared not utter a sound. They could only watch as my family led me away. But we hadn’t walked more than a few steps when several police officers arrived. “In broad daylight, you dare to commit assault? All of you want to do time, huh?!” Big Tony immediately released the middle-aged man. Underworld figures feared the police most of all. In less than a second, they all vanished. Mom and Dad instantly became docile, standing motionless. Ashley, however, wouldn’t give up. She quickly explained, “Officer, my sister here is stubborn; she insists on going to school abroad!” “We were at our wits’ end, that’s why we resorted to finding people to help!” I immediately countered, “Officer, I got into Juilliard, the world’s number one music conservatory! It’s a dream school for anyone who loves music!” “But my parents and my sister not only won’t let me go, they want to destroy my acceptance letter!” The crowd also chimed in, supporting me. “She’s right! Her family is acting as if they’re possessed, forcing her to tear up the letter!” “They even wanted to drag the young woman back home and torture her severely!” “Her mother and sister both hit her, and they were quite violent!” “There’s a surveillance camera right here on the street, Officer. You can check the video to see how ugly their family’s true faces are!” The police immediately retrieved the surveillance footage. After watching the video, the officer sternly said to Dad, “You, as the head of the household, how could you lead such a reckless act?” “By any sane person’s logic, if their own daughter gets into a good school, they’d happily throw a celebration!” “But your family is desperately trying to ruin your child’s future. This is completely abnormal!” Dad remained silent. His eyes, however, were fixed on the acceptance letter in my hand, filled with resentment. “If you don’t explain the situation, I won’t let you take the young woman away.” Faced with the officer’s renewed interrogation, Dad frowned deeply and let out a long sigh. He pulled out his phone and searched online for a photo. Dad handed the photo to the officer. I secretly glanced at the picture, and a sharp intake of breath escaped me. I finally understood why they wouldn’t let me go to Juilliard!

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During the final exams, while proctoring, I suddenly went blind. I was rushed to the hospital, but doctors couldn’t find any cause. Losing my sight cost me my teaching job, forcing me to learn blind massage. Until one day, a conversation between two clients pierced my ears— “That female teacher went blind at just the right time! I managed to copy a multiple-choice answer while she couldn’t see, barely getting two extra points to pass the top university threshold. It’s been over twenty years, wonder how she’s doing… High School A, Exam Room 28 in 2025—that was my youth.” The man beside him spoke, his voice hoarse: “I know the truth behind her blindness. The culprit was right there in that exam room that year.” I held my breath, listening intently. A few minutes later, an ice-cold dagger pressed against my neck. When I opened my eyes again, I was back in that very exam room, twenty years in the past. Looking around, I seemed to have already pinpointed the killer… 1 I stared at the exam room in disbelief—my vision astonishingly clear. Recalling the man’s words before my death, I repeated silently to myself: Who is the killer? And who killed me before I went blind? Before I could figure it out, the familiar exam bell rang. The sharp click of the other proctor’s heels echoed like drumbeats, making my heart pound—ten more minutes. In my past life, that was the exact moment I went blind! No, I absolutely couldn’t let history repeat itself! But if I feigned illness and left, what if the other teachers suffered the same fate? Ignoring the consequences of disrupting order, I suddenly shouted, “Don’t proctor in this exam room! Any teacher proctoring here might be harmed into blindness by a student!” The words had barely left my lips when I was escorted away by the police for disturbing the exam. As I sat in the police car, I actually felt a sense of relief: Let fate decide. At the temporary school review point, a police officer slammed his hand on the table, demanding, “We’ve searched every student; we found no suspicious items! What kind of malicious intent do you have to accuse students like this?” I responded calmly, “Before entering the exam room, I heard a student say, ‘I wish the teacher would go blind.’ It’s not worth going blind because of a student.” “You believe that kind of joke? You’re a teacher!” The police officer clearly didn’t believe me. “Consider yourself lucky the exam hasn’t started. If you had caused trouble after it began, you’d be looking at jail time!” Ultimately, I was put on the proctor blacklist, and my job was in jeopardy, but this was far better than going blind. As I was escorted out of the school gates, I couldn’t help but insist, “Officer, what if what they said is true? How serious would it be if a teacher went blind? You must investigate thoroughly!” “Say another word, and I’ll arrest you for disturbing the peace!” I headed straight to the eye clinic, only to receive the same diagnosis as in my previous life: “Your retinal health is perfect. You don’t even have nearsightedness or astigmatism. Sudden blindness is absolutely impossible.” Sitting in the bustling hospital, watching blind people with canes, I remembered how I lost my stable job after going blind, how my fiancé abandoned me, how I was forced to make a living through blind massage, and even endured lecherous clients… Thank goodness I was reborn, and I can still see this world clearly! But the next second, a cry from the eye clinic entrance caught my attention—the female teacher from the same exam room was being helped in, her voice trembling as she told the doctor, “I was proctoring perfectly fine, and then I suddenly couldn’t see anything. My eyes have never had problems before…” 2 After the doctor examined her, he sighed, “Your corneas and retina are all normal. We can’t find any reason.” I froze, my hands trembling uncontrollably—the teacher from the same exam room had also gone blind! I had warned them; how did the culprit still dare to strike? The doctor suddenly looked at me. “That’s strange. Just now, another lady came asking if she could suddenly go blind even if her eyes were fine… And you are?” The blind teacher recognized me, questioning me agitatedly, “You’re the teacher from the same exam room, aren’t you? Are you here to check if you’ve also gone blind? You warned me in the exam room earlier. Did you know who was going to harm me?” What could I say? That I was reborn? She certainly wouldn’t believe it. I used the same excuse I’d used to deal with the police: “Before the exam started, I think I heard a student at the door saying they wished the teacher would go blind. But there were too many students at the door, and I only knew they all entered this exam room, not which specific one it was.” “I’m a bit timid, so I believed it. But now, looking at this…” The blind female teacher was highly agitated. “Investigate! We must investigate! Who on earth used such underhanded methods on me?!” I breathed a sigh of relief. If this made enough noise, there would be a chance for a thorough investigation. Unfortunately, in my previous life, I never even got the chance to investigate. When I demanded an investigation, the parents collectively opposed me: “You’re ruining our children’s reputation! If you investigate this, how will our kids get into college?” “Besides, you yourself can’t find a reason. Who knows if it’s a physical defect of your own? It’s too dirty to push it onto the children.” But in this life, with me and this teacher protesting together, it would definitely draw the attention of the police. Most importantly, I remembered the person’s voice. As long as he spoke in front of me, I could find the culprit. I accompanied the female teacher to the police station to explain the situation. But the police’s re-examination already had the students very dissatisfied, and again, no abnormalities were found. “Let’s wait until the exams officially end in three days before investigating further. We can’t disrupt the exams now.” But because the investigative team suddenly launched a thorough search of students, rumors flew everywhere. “Why are they only checking students from our exam room? Who exactly is suspected of cheating?” “What cheating? It has something to do with that blind female teacher. They’re probably suspecting one of us poisoned the teacher.” I had feigned illness and withdrawn from proctoring this exam. For the next three days, my eyes remained perfectly normal. Unfortunately, I learned that the other teacher was close to collapse due to her blindness. She was an art teacher, but now, forget painting, she could barely manage her own life. Just like me in my previous life, she underwent various examinations for three days, but visiting major hospitals only yielded the same response: “No reason found.” Thankfully, the exams finally ended. As the students gradually dispersed, I nervously opened the door to a room. Thirty students were gathered inside. The police and the blind female teacher were already waiting for me. “So, you said you heard a student say something like, ‘I wish the teacher would go blind,’ that day, right?” I nodded. “I remember his voice; it was a boy.” All the boys in the room stirred with commotion. “All boys, line up. Take this printed paper and read it aloud to this teacher.” “Don’t be nervous, everyone, and don’t try to change your voice.” As the students lined up, one by one, read, and left, I held my breath, trying to pinpoint the voice that had haunted me in the final moments before my death. But as the last boy finished reading the last word on the paper, my heart sank. I hadn’t heard the voices of those two men from my previous life at all. Even after twenty years, even if their voices changed, their intonation and speaking style would have similarities. Having been blind for so many years, I had long developed the ability to recognize people by their voices. As I closed my eyes and listened for a second round, I indeed found a flaw. One boy deliberately altered his voice – it was the boy who copied the multiple-choice answer. Following that lead, I could also find the other boy. “I remember you seemed to be talking to that boy at the time.” Hearing me say this, the blind female teacher grew agitated. “Good! How exactly did you cause my blindness? You must tell the police clearly!” But after questioning him, the conclusion was that this child didn’t know anyone else in the exam room. “Teacher, I really didn’t do anything. I didn’t talk to anyone. I just copied a multiple-choice answer when that teacher went blind.” As he explained, he was immediately taken away by the investigative team. According to what he said in my previous life, he really wasn’t the killer. It’s also possible that he and the other person didn’t know each other yet. The most critical thing right now was, where was that person? 3 “Who is this person? Why would they make me blind? We have no grudges, no animosity. Even if I went blind, a new teacher would replace me, and they still wouldn’t be able to cheat.” On the other end, the blind teacher was on the verge of another breakdown. She actually knelt down. “I beg you, tell me how you made me blind! As long as you tell me the reason and cure me, I won’t hold you responsible at all. I have a child; please, let me live!” I could feel this emotion deeply. Suddenly, I remembered, when I was massaging that person, I had felt a small fleshy lump on the back of his neck. Next, ignoring everyone’s gazes, I quickly patted every boy, checking everyone’s neck. And with a jolt in my chest, I closed my eyes, carefully stroking the fleshy lump exposed to my touch. It was indeed identical to the one I felt in my previous life. Facing the police, I immediately snapped, “It’s this boy! You were the one speaking at the time, weren’t you?” “Tell me, what did you do? How did you poison the teacher?” I questioned loudly, my hand gripping his shoulder trembling, my face flushed, eyes brimming with tears. No one understood why I was reacting so strongly at this moment. But just as the police were about to interrogate him, he gave me an evil smile and mouthed, “You’ll never know who the killer is.” Then, ignoring everyone’s shocked gazes, he rushed out of the room, through the door, and then leapt out of the fifth-floor window with all his might. With a thud, he landed headfirst, dying instantly. A student’s suicide caused an uproar. The police began a thorough investigation. But visiting the deceased’s home, his parents were humble farmers, honest and straightforward. Most crucially, apart from studying, Ben Carter had no friends, his social life was clean. There was no motive for harming anyone, no clues whatsoever. To consider Ben Carter the perpetrator who harmed the female teacher, they couldn’t even write down a motive. But due to Ben Carter’s abnormal behavior, the police still listed him as the primary suspect. Losing their only son, Ben Carter’s parents cried and wailed, demanding that I give them an explanation. “Ben studied so hard for so many years, finally waiting for the final exams. Our whole family was waiting for him to get into a good university. And because of one sentence from you, you drove my son to his death.” “Tell us, how did my son poison her? In the exam room surveillance, my son had no abnormal behavior from start to finish. What exactly did he do to get in your way?” The parents stormed my house, but I remembered the name Ben Carter – he was the top scorer in the previous life’s final exams. What was a top scorer hiding that he would jump to his death? But if he wasn’t the killer, then who was it that killed me in that room? I suddenly thought of something. I couldn’t rely on what I heard to determine the truth. What if the child who said he only copied a multiple-choice answer was lying? At this point, the police contacted me. The review of the other student, Jayden Chen, was concluded. “The investigation these past few days showed that apart from him briefly glancing at someone else’s paper, there were no other rule-breaking behaviors in the exam room. That subject’s score has been voided.” “But if Ben Carter was indeed the culprit who blinded the teacher, we’re still baffled. There was no conflict between them, they hadn’t even met. Why would a student who studied so hard for years, finally seeing success, do such a thing?” I tried my best to prevent the tragedy, but it still came to this. My heart was uncontrollably heavy. I once again went to the blind female teacher’s residence. Her husband opened the door. As soon as I entered the house, she was sitting on the sofa, her hair disheveled. She was clearly completely broken by her blindness. Hearing my voice, she initially became emotional. “Why did he have to harm me? What did I do? I can’t see anything now; what’s the difference between me and a useless person?” Her child tried to comfort his mother but was pushed away. “Get out.” The child cried uncontrollably, frightened. My heart ached uncontrollably. This feeling had haunted me like a shadow. If I hadn’t been reborn, I would still be living in that agony now. Once again, I hated the killer. Why would someone do this? After comforting Sarah White for a while, I prepared to go home. But as I reached the building entrance, I thought I saw a familiar figure. After blinking, it was gone. Not thinking much of it, once I got home, I unpacked all the piled-up deliveries, throwing the cardboard boxes directly into the hallway trash bin. The weather was a bit warm, and the sun was strong outside. As I unpacked the deliveries and washed my hands, I also washed my face. But after grabbing a tissue to dry my face, when I opened my eyes again, everything was dark.

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1 For three years of marriage, we’d longed for a child. After a year of grueling IVF treatments, my wife and I finally succeeded, expecting quadruplets. Her pregnancy had been a brutal journey, months of relentless morning sickness, her belly swelling round as a pumpkin. Doctors had suggested a reduction surgery, but she’d refused, her voice firm. “Caleb,” she’d said, her eyes pleading, “these are all our babies. I couldn’t bear to lose a single one.” Seeing her gaunt face, my heart had ached, and I’d silently sworn to protect her and our children for the rest of my life. Six months into her pregnancy, Sarah had started a betting pool with her friends, wagering on the babies’ genders. The final tally had been three boys and one girl, and she’d won the bet, raking in ten million dollars. It was shortly after, by pure accident, that I overheard Sarah Bellwether talking to her friends. “Sarah, your plan was brilliant, truly. Getting Caleb to raise four babies for four different men, all at once.” Sarah’s voice had been cool, dismissive. “Since I couldn’t give them the Bellwether name, I could at least give them a child. Caleb took his place, so this is simply what he owes.” My entire body had gone rigid, every hair on my arms standing on end. It hit me then—not a single one of the four babies in my wife’s womb was mine. “Sarah, you’re just incredible. You dealt with the problem of four children in one go.” Liz chimed in, her voice dripping with admiration. “Isn’t that the truth? And every single one of those fathers is handsome as hell. Their kids are bound to be stunning.” She sighed. “It’s a real shame about Jack. He was the school’s heartthrob back then, who’d have thought he’d get that awful disease and die so young? Good thing Sarah’s got such a kind heart, she saved a piece of him. Just waiting for the baby to be born now.” “Mark’s been obsessed with Sarah for almost twenty years, totally devoted, and never got what he wanted. He just wanted a baby with her, no matter what.” Another voice cut in. “Too bad Sarah’s heart only beats for Ryan. That’s why she came up with this IVF plan. That way, it’s not really cheating on Ryan, and everyone gets a kid.” “Wonder how Caleb will react when he finds out? All four babies in Sarah’s belly aren’t his. He’s probably going to lose it, right?” Sarah’s voice was cool, distant. “What can he do if he finds out? He has no one to blame but himself for taking a place he didn’t deserve.” Their laughter, sharp and ugly, filled the air, laced with undisguised malice and mockery. I stood frozen behind the door, a cold dread seeping from my feet and crawling straight up to the crown of my head. What… what did it all mean? The babies in my wife’s womb… they weren’t mine? For months, she’d struggled through this pregnancy. Every night, I’d pressed my ear to her belly, whispering to our children. Her legs had swollen, making it hard to walk, so I’d spent an hour massaging them daily. Her morning sickness had been relentless, her appetite gone, so I’d cooked and stewed, trying endless recipes just to get her to eat. My heart had ached for her hardship, and I’d cared for her day and night, even quitting my job. And now, I was being told that the children she carried had no blood ties to me? The voices from the living room continued their cruel discussion, but I couldn’t hear a thing past the roaring in my ears. Jack, they’d mentioned… I remembered him. He’d been in the same high school, Sarah’s first love, I think. I’d even felt a pang of sadness recently when I heard he’d died from a terrible illness. 2 I never imagined. He was gone, dead, and yet my wife carried his child in her womb. It was an absurdity beyond belief, a nameless horror that made my entire back prickle with dread. It took every ounce of my strength to hold myself back, to keep from bursting out of that door. From the living room, the betting pool continued, their voices rising and falling. Sarah’s laugh, every now and then, sent shivers through me. Four years of marriage, and I hadn’t known the woman sleeping beside me at all. I looked at my wife’s impossibly swollen belly, stretched taut, as if it might burst at any moment. Inside, four babies. One was Jack’s. One was Mark’s. Who were the other two? Mark, I knew too. He and Sarah were childhood friends, he’d adored her for years, a desperate, unrequited love. So, Sarah was truly “kind”—if she couldn’t give her heart, she’d give a child as compensation. A laugh tore from my throat, a sound more ragged than a sob. If Sarah wanted to give them children, why did she have to make me the “father”? What was even more grotesque was that not a single one of those four children was mine. How could she be so cruel? My fists clenched, my teeth digging into my lip until I tasted blood. I had believed Sarah’s willingness to endure the hardships of pregnancy was a testament to her love for me. Now I knew. It was all a lie. All a brutal, empty lie. Outside, the raucous chatter continued, a vibrant cacophony of voices. “I’m betting two boys, two girls.” “I’m putting my money on all four being boys.” Then, a clear, resonant male voice cut through the noise. “Why does everyone prefer boys? I think girls are wonderful. I’ll bet on three girls and one boy.” He turned, asking, “Sarah, do you prefer boys or girls?” The voice was familiar, Sarah’s personal assistant, I realized. Sarah’s tone was indifferent. “Boys or girls, I like them both. Boys are a bit better, though. Girls are just too delicate.” Liz pressed her. “So, Sarah, what’s your bet?” “Since Ryan likes girls, I’ll bet on three boys and one girl.” Ryan? It was him. A bitter, broken laugh escaped me. They had been carrying on, right under my nose, and I hadn’t even known. I didn’t know if they were simply brilliant actors, or if I had been utterly, tragically blind. Ryan’s voice floated back. “Girls should be raised delicately, it’s true.” Sarah chuckled, taking his hand. “You’re more delicate than a girl, Ryan. You burn your hand cooking, and you tear up.” “But… it really hurt, you know?” Ryan replied, then paused, a thought striking him. “Oh, right, Caleb never seems to cry. Last time, when he fell down the stairs protecting you, he broke his leg and didn’t even shed a tear. Has he really never cried, not once?” Sarah’s tone was casual, dismissive. “Caleb’s tough as nails, of course he doesn’t feel pain. He’s never cried, it’s true. Not like you, you scrape your knee and start tearing up.” Liz chimed in, sucking up. “That’s because Ryan has Sarah to comfort him. You can be vulnerable when someone cares. If no one cares, you just have to tough it out, like Caleb.” “Yeah, isn’t that why Sarah felt so bad for Ryan, dealing with the stress of raising a baby and losing sleep, that she cooked up this whole plan to make Caleb think they were his kids, so he’d be the unsuspecting dad?” “Caleb looks like he’s aged ten years already. Geez, when Sarah finally pops out those quadruplets, who knows what he’ll look like then.” 3 “She wouldn’t even look at him if he was naked and lying in bed, but now…” Their words grew crude, accompanied by vulgar laughter that made my stomach churn. I staggered back two steps, my face ashen. I was human too. How could I not feel pain? But I’d believed Sarah was carrying my children, that her pregnancy was a difficult journey for our sake. So even when she hit me, when she lashed out, I’d held it all in, never uttering a sound, no matter how much it hurt. All that endurance, all that silent suffering, only earned me a dismissive jab about being “tough as nails.” I could still recall the day the IVF was successful, the worry etched on my face as I gripped her hand. “You’ve suffered so much for our children, Sarah.” I would spoon-feed her, bite by painstaking bite, when morning sickness left her unable to eat. “Behave, little ones. Don’t torment your mother.” Turns out, all my worry, all my care, had been for the wrong people. I was nothing but a tool to raise these children. “I heard that during pregnancy, the desire gets even stronger, like a beast unleashed, more so than when not pregnant. Sarah, is that true?” Ryan turned to Sarah, a shy grin on his face. “It’s true. Sarah’s practically drained me dry.” “Well, that’s just because Sarah likes you, Ryan. See, even when she’s so uncomfortable, she still won’t touch Caleb, will she?” “Hahaha, exactly. You don’t know how good you have it.” I clamped my jaw, forcing down the surge of nausea. I closed my eyes, wiping away the tears that streamed down my face. Sarah Bellwether, this time, I’m the one who’s done with you. And the babies in your belly? I won’t raise them either. By the time I stepped out, Liz and the others were gone. Only Sarah and Ryan remained in the living room. I deliberately made noise, giving them time to compose themselves. It wasn’t time to confront them yet. Ryan’s face still held a faint, dazed flush, but he pretended to be professionally briefing Sarah on work matters. “Ms. Bellwether, there’s an urgent meeting tonight that requires your personal attendance. The car’s already waiting outside.” He turned to me, his expression perfectly amiable. “Mr. Thompson.” His gaze then dropped to my wife’s belly, a knowing, deeply significant smile playing on his lips. “Ms. Bellwether’s belly looks even bigger, Mr. Thompson. You’re truly blessed, for Ms. Bellwether to be carrying quadruplets.” Looking at his hypocritical face, I couldn’t muster the energy to respond. Ryan, seeing my unresponsiveness, suggested he leave. But before stepping out the door, he turned back, casting another glance at Sarah. It was a secret signal, I realized, a silent, knowing look. Sarah saw me emerge from the downstairs guest room and frowned slightly, her tone laced with a subtle probe. “When did you get back? Why didn’t you say anything?” I looked at the residual moisture on her lips, and my eyes stung with a sudden, sharp pain. It was so obvious, yet I had been blind, utterly blind, all this time. I gave a self-deprecating curl of my lips, lowering my gaze. “I was exhausted when I got back, so I just crashed in the guest room. Just woke up.” Sarah seemed to relax, her face returning to normal. “Today’s prenatal checkup went smoothly. I was supposed to take you with me, but something came up at the office.” “The doctor said all the babies are healthy.” Sarah recounted the details carefully, because in the past, I’d always wanted to know everything. 4 Fearing her suspicion, I walked over, reaching out to gently touch her belly, and spoke a few tender words to the babies inside. In the past, this would have been my happiest moment. Now, all I felt was my heart bleeding, drop by agonizing drop. I clenched my fists so tightly my nails dug into my palms, just to maintain my composure. Yet, I couldn’t control the burning sting at the corners of my eyes. Sarah didn’t notice my distress; she didn’t care enough to. “There’s an urgent meeting tonight. I might be back late.” I forced a tight smile. “Okay.” Sarah left. I slowly, carefully, climbed the stairs to the second floor. After she reached five months of pregnancy, I had moved to the guest room on the first floor, afraid of hurting the babies. I hadn’t been in our second-floor bedroom in ages. Pushing the door open, I saw the undeniable, intimate traces left on the bed. And on the wall behind it, our wedding photo still hung. The irony… a sharp, twisting pain in my chest, and tears streamed down my face. But I forced my emotions down, wiped away the tears, and pulled out all my important documents. Before heading downstairs, I found myself, by some morbid impulse, walking to the window. I looked down. The car parked at the curb hadn’t left. It was shaking rhythmically, unmistakably. I watched, a perverse form of self-torture, my stomach churning, wanting to vomit, tears running down my face. In the dead of night, Sarah returned. The scent of Ryan still clung to her. She reached out, placing my hand on her belly. I could even feel the lingering stickiness on her skin. But a moment later, she slowly began to move my hand upwards. The realization of what she intended sent a chilling wave through me, the echoes of her words echoing in my mind. A sudden, intense wave of disgust surged, and I abruptly sat up. She had just been with Ryan. His scent, his touch, was all over her. And now, she… Didn’t she find me repulsive? Didn’t she prefer to endure rather than be with me? I closed my eyes, feigning concern for her health, and Sarah withdrew her hand. I turned onto my side, my mind replaying countless memories, my chest aching. All night, I couldn’t make sense of it. But it didn’t matter anymore. First thing the next morning, I went to the hospital. When I returned home with the reports, I was utterly drained. I had made my decision. I would leave in three days. And in those three days, I would prepare everything. I would also deliver Sarah Bellwether a magnificent gift. When Sarah returned home, I was in the nursery I’d prepared on the first floor. Everything in it, I had chosen myself. Four tiny cribs, four different colored baby bottles, rows of little shoes, socks, and baby clothes… The room was decorated so warmly, every detail a testament to my effort and overflowing expectation. I had once yearned for the arrival of the babies in her belly, believing them to be the culmination of Sarah’s and my love. But now, looking at it all, I felt as though a knife were carving bloody wounds into my heart. After a long moment, I stood, letting go of these children who were never truly mine. “Caleb? Why are you crying?” Sarah entered, her brow furrowing as she saw my tear-streaked face. I wiped my face. “It’s nothing. Just… suddenly thinking about how I’ll see them in three months. I’m happy.” 5 Sarah didn’t doubt me. “I’m really looking forward to our babies being born too.” A moment later, she casually mentioned, “Liz says she’s throwing a yacht party the day after tomorrow. Do you want to go?” “How many days will you be gone?” “Three days.” I looked at her, knowing she didn’t actually want me there. Perfect. I had my own plans. I forced a smile. “I won’t go. You’re pregnant, it’ll be too much. Just take care of yourself, and have fun with them.” The next evening, Sarah and Liz, along with the others, boarded the yacht. Before she left, Sarah suddenly turned back, casting a look at me, as if sensing something. I stood rooted to the spot, my gaze calm as I watched her walk away. Many people went on the trip. I saw photos and updates shared in their group chats and on social media. That night, someone posted a video in the chat. They had started another betting pool. This time, they were betting on whose baby would be born first. “I’m betting ten million. I bet Jack’s baby comes first. He was the school heartthrob, after all.” “Then I’ll bet ten million on Mark’s.” “I’m betting fifty million. It’s my baby.” The speaker then turned to someone beside him. “Sis, I’m not letting you win this time. Your and Ryan’s baby can be younger siblings to mine.” The lighting in the video was dim, figures indistinct, but I recognized him instantly. I stared at him, a metallic taste of rust filling my mouth. Sam. Sarah Bellwether’s cousin. The fourth child was his. After we married, Sam had given me no end of trouble. We barely tolerated each other. And now, Sarah was carrying his child too? Sarah Bellwether, how could you be so utterly ruthless… In the video, Sarah let out a soft laugh. “I’m betting a hundred million. It’ll definitely be Ryan’s and my baby born first.” “I’ll put fifty million with Sarah.” “And I’ll put fifty million…” The shouts of bets rose and fell, a cacophony of voices. They all knew the truth. Only I had been kept in the dark. “I really want to see Caleb’s face when he finds out you spent nine months pregnant, carrying my and Natalie’s baby. It’ll be priceless.” Sam’s voice cut through the noisy background. Though I couldn’t see him clearly, I could almost picture his smug expression. He must have been so proud of himself. My eyes, bloodshot and burning, slowly curved into a smile. Then I’ll bet too. I bet every single one of you will lose this time. Because the babies in Sarah Bellwether’s womb were already stillborn. I picked up my phone and made a call. “Is everything ready?” A day later, the yacht docked. Sarah, Ryan, Sam, and a large group of people disembarked. Many were laughing, still basking in the glow of the spectacular yacht party. Amidst the crowd, someone casually mentioned, “I just saw on social media, someone was in a car accident today. Looked a bit like Caleb Thompson.” At that, Sarah’s brow immediately furrowed, and she shot an irritated glance at the speaker. Sam laughed. “Sis, why are you getting upset? It can’t possibly be Caleb.” Just then, a delivery driver approached. “Ms. Bellwether? This is a package for you. Signature required, please.” “Also for Mr. Smith, Mr. Jones, and a Mr. Bellwether.”

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At three years old, my brain was flooded with a wave of memories. My overbearing older brother, Leo, was one of the female protagonist’s simps. Ever since he met her, he’d completely neglected me, his little sister. After the nanny locked me in the dark closet for the nineteenth time, I squeezed through a doggy door and crawled to my next-door neighbor’s house. I deliberately showed him the bruises on my wrist, looking pitifully up at him. “Damien, my brother doesn’t want me anymore. Can you take me in?” My neighbor coughed, then the next day, he went to a parent-teacher conference. I narrowed my eyes, thinking, Now, my brother won’t be beyond saving. Because Damien, the villain, was a professional dog trainer, specializing in simps! 1 To avoid the future where my brother would empty his pockets for the female lead and drag me into a cramped, cheap apartment, I, with my limited three-year-old intellect, attempted a series of efforts. These included, but were not limited to, wailing uncontrollably when the female lead called him late at night, claiming she was scared alone, trying to keep him home. When the female lead had her period and stomach cramps, I deliberately spit up milk to make him change my clothes. When the female lead had her graduation performance, I practiced singing “My Brother is the Best” to move him… But I forgot. My family had nannies, while the female lead was an orphan. My brother just dumped me on the nanny to pacify me. Watching him become more and more utterly brainwashed, I made a solemn decision: I needed a new brother. So I chose the little brother from the mansion next door. He was a villain, and my brother’s sworn enemy. He would trip up the female lead’s simps. Cunning and devious. Just like a dog trainer! And he even had a Border Collie. Once, my brother bought fruit for the female lead and forgot me at the grocery store. Damien happened to be there. I pulled an apple from a nearby shelf and offered it to his Border Collie. In return, his dog carried me home. I wanted him to punish my brother. Yesterday was my third birthday. The nanny had specially dressed me in a princess dress, waiting for my brother to come home. But he went to watch a movie with the female lead instead. The nanny tried to comfort me, saying that once Olivia became my sister-in-law, I’d have two people to dote on me. But I knew she wouldn’t become my sister-in-law. The female lead was destined for the male lead! So, I decided to run away! To put some pressure on my simp brother. After nightfall, I successfully dodged the nanny, who was engrossed in a phone call in the bathroom, and squeezed through a dog hole in the garden wall. I clutched my little blanket, walking barefoot towards the neighboring mansion. Twenty minutes later, I stood at Damien’s doorstep. This mansion was even bigger than ours, but the lights were dim, giving it a cold, stark appearance. I took a deep breath, spread my little blanket on the front steps, and curled up to lie down. Just as I was about to drift off to sleep, I suddenly heard a dog barking and footsteps from inside. The door opened, and a slipper nearly hit my face. “What the?!” Damien’s voice cut off abruptly. I rubbed my eyes and sat up, meeting a pair of startled eyes. In the moonlight, his tall figure loomed over me. He was wearing a bathrobe, its collar slightly open, revealing his sculpted collarbones. “What are you doing here?” Damien asked, frowning. Before I could answer, a black and white blur shot out from beside his legs, leaping enthusiastically towards me. Pudding’s wet nose sniffed my face, his tail wagging so hard it looked like it might fly off. “Pudding!” Damien barked. “She’s not a kitten; you can’t keep her!” Pudding whimpered pitifully, but stubbornly rested his front paws on my shoulder, starting to lick my face clean. I giggled, seizing the opportunity to scramble up, directly hugging Damien’s leg. “Brother, carry me!” He stiffened, as if a pause button had been pressed. Pudding, seizing his chance, grabbed my collar with his teeth and started dragging me inside. “Hey! Stupid dog! Stop it!” Damien tried to intervene, but Pudding had already successfully dragged me into the entryway. I took the chance to release my collar, scrambling onto Damien’s body with both hands and feet. “Get down,” he said coldly. I shook my head, burying my face in his neck. “Autumn’s cold…” 2 Damien’s body stiffened even further, but he didn’t try to pull me off. Pudding excitedly circled him, occasionally nudging my feet with his head, as if saying, “Look at me! Look at me!” “Does Leo know you’re here?” he asked. I pouted, tears instantly welling up. “Brother doesn’t want Autumn anymore…” My sleeve slid down, inadvertently revealing the bruise on my wrist. Damien’s gaze immediately sharpened. He grabbed my wrist. “What is this?” I timidly shrank my neck. “Autumn hurts… Brother got angry…” In truth, I had gotten that bruise myself, crawling under a table to retrieve a ball. My brother had been furious when he returned, blaming the nanny for not watching me. The nanny had been neglectful; she was busy watching short videos. Damien’s face was terrifyingly grim. “Leo did this?” I didn’t answer. I just lowered my head, acting out the picture of utter grievance. Damien took a deep breath, seemingly trying to suppress his anger. Just then, Pudding came running, carrying his food bowl, placing it in front of me, then looking at Damien with expectant eyes. Damien looked at his dog, exasperated. “It’s 2 AM.” Pudding stubbornly stood still. I rubbed my stomach. “Autumn’s hungry.” Pudding immediately grabbed a piece of kibble, spit it by our feet, and wagged his tail even more enthusiastically. Damien rubbed his temples. “I’ll go warm some milk for you.” He pointed a warning finger at Pudding. “Don’t hide her in your dog bed.” Pudding tilted his head, wearing an innocent expression that clearly said, I have no idea what you’re talking about. Ten minutes later, Damien returned to the living room with two bowls of milk. Pudding immediately perked up, his tail thumping a cheerful rhythm on the floor. “Sit,” Damien commanded. Pudding instantly sat ramrod straight, front paws together, like a well-trained soldier. I blinked, then mimicked him, giving a tiny “Woof!” and sitting up straight. Damien’s hand froze mid-air, milk nearly spilling. “What are you doing?” “Eating etiquette, of course.” I tilted my head, mimicking Pudding’s expectant expression. “At home, Aunt Lisa always taught me this.” Damien’s brows furrowed. “She made you bark like a dog?” I nodded, recalling. “She said it was noble etiquette. One time, I didn’t bark, and she told my brother I was eating with my hands.” As I said this, I suddenly became sad. My brother had been so angry that day. At dinner, he deliberately put down his chopsticks, then grabbed a chicken leg and fed it to me with his oily hands. “My Autumn can eat however she wants.” My brother was kind to me, but he never had time to get me a new nanny. Only because Olivia said I was attached to this nanny, and I’d be shy with a new one. And later, he became busier and busier, never eating with me again. Damien placed the milk in front of Pudding and me, his face still grim. “That nanny is still working at your house?” “Mhm,” I sipped my milk. “Aunt Lisa also taught me how a pony drinks water. Do you want to see, brother?” His thumb gently traced the bruise on my wrist, his voice barely audible. “Leo, that bastard…” I finished my milk, then hesitated, raising my face. “Brother, my brother doesn’t want me anymore. Can you take me in? I eat very little.” In my dreams, Damien also had a little sister, but she was born with a congenital heart condition and later died prematurely due to neglect. He never had the chance to dote on her. After that, his parents divorced. Coincidentally, my parents also divorced. Theirs was a business marriage; after the divorce, neither wanted children, and they both went off to find true love. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have been left with my brother. 3 Damien’s brows knitted together. He looked down at me, clinging tightly to his leg, then at Pudding, who was excitedly circling. A vein throbbed faintly on his temple. “I’m usually very busy,” he rubbed his forehead. “I don’t have time to look after a child.” I immediately held up three tiny fingers. “Autumn will be very good! She can eat by herself, sleep by herself, and play by herself!” Pudding seemed to understand our conversation. He suddenly trotted into the living room, grunting as he dragged his massive dog bed to my feet, then let out a proud “Woof!” his tail wagging like a propeller. Damien looked at him expressionlessly. “She’s not a kitten. She can’t sleep with you. You’ll crush her.” Pudding whimpered defiantly, nudging my hand with his wet nose, as if to say, No, I won’t. Finally, Damien let out a long sigh. “…If you don’t cause trouble, I can reluctantly keep you for a few days.” “Thank you, brother, thank you, Pudding~” I hugged Pudding and gave him a big kiss. Pudding was even more excited than me, grabbing my little blanket and running all over the house, until Damien’s gaze froze him in place. “Sleep.” Damien picked me up by the back of my nightgown, like a kitten, and carried me into the guest room. I obediently burrowed into the covers, watching him turn off the light and leave. The moment the door closed, the room plunged into darkness. The wall clock ticked, and outside the window, tree shadows swayed, casting monstrous shapes on the wall. I clutched the blanket tightly, finally unable to resist climbing out of bed. At the end of the hallway, a sliver of light peeked out from under Damien’s bedroom door. I gently pushed it open, seeing Damien leaning against the headboard, reading documents. The bedside lamp cast a warm shadow on his chiseled profile. Pudding immediately spotted me, wagging his tail happily as he ran over. “What now?” he asked without looking up. I fidgeted with the corner of the blanket, whispering, “…Autumn’s scared of the dark.” Damien finally looked up, seeing me trembling in the doorway. His expression softened slightly in the lamplight, but his tone was still firm. “Three years old and still scared of the dark?” “Aunt Lisa said if I don’t sleep, monsters will come and snatch me away at night!” I said, terrified. Damien stared at me for a full ten seconds, then frustratingly closed his file. “Come here.” My eyes lit up, and I scurried over, hugging my blanket. Pudding was even faster, already jumping onto the bed and claiming the best spot. “Not here.” Damien pointed to the long sofa in the corner. “You sleep there.” I obediently climbed onto the sofa, wrapping myself in the blanket like a silkworm cocoon. Pudding whimpered in dissatisfaction, but still jumped off the bed and lay on the carpet beside me, guarding me. Damien turned off the main light, leaving only a small nightlight on. I wanted to put some pressure on my brother, to make him care about me again. But I didn’t expect that after a whole day of running away, he hadn’t even realized I was gone! He had gone on a business trip with Olivia. Damien sent someone to check, and Aunt Lisa, upon realizing I was missing, didn’t tell my brother first. Instead, she panicked about being held responsible and fled! “Excellent,” Damien scoffed, looking utterly villainous like a character from a cartoon. “Is Sterling Group currently negotiating the Eastside real estate project?” Assistant Ben pushed up his glasses. “Signing tomorrow.” “By midnight tonight, I want that project to belong to the Reed family,” Damien said, throwing the broken pen into the trash. “I’ll pay double the penalty fee.” I was mentally counting on my fingers how much double would be when he suddenly picked me up and placed me on his desk. 4 His hands braced on either side of me, his eyes dangerously narrowed. “Little one, does your brother usually treat you like this?” Pudding eagerly pawed at the desk, barking. I seized the opportunity to use his paw as a handrail. “Brother is just… busy?” In truth, before he met Olivia, he used to take me to Disneyland and ride the Ferris wheel with me. On my second birthday, he even dressed up as a cartoon character to celebrate with me. Damien’s expression grew even more frightening. Three days later, a new card suddenly appeared in my small backpack. Damien was braiding my hair, his skills admittedly not the best, and casually said, “Leo’s lost a third project. The profits from it are in here.” “Wow!” I held up the shiny bank card. “How many cheese sticks can I buy?!” His hand froze. “…That’s the main point?” “Otherwise?” I tilted my head, looking at him. “Then… can I buy a Peppa Pig watch?” Damien choked. “At market price, you could buy the cheese stick factory directly and eat them for the rest of your life!” My mouth dropped open into an ‘O’! This was a dream come true! Damien wasn’t a big villain at all! He was Santa Claus! “Keep it safe.” Damien tucked the card back into my dinosaur-print backpack. “This is yours…” “My dowry!” I interjected, having just learned the phrase from a TV show. “Can I buy Pudding some chew toys?” Damien’s lips twitched. “…Suit yourself.” I suddenly pounced on him, giving him a big kiss. Damien instantly froze. He didn’t even react to me pulling his six-figure tie crooked. “Damien is the best brother!” I hung around his neck, swaying. “Better than my own brother!” The tips of his ears visibly reddened. He stiffly peeled me off, but then reached out and ruffled my hair. I spent three days playing wildly with Pudding at home, almost forgetting about kindergarten. It wasn’t until Damien came home from work and saw the neighbor picking up their son that he realized I had been skipping school for several days. He planned to take me to kindergarten. But I didn’t want to go. Early in the morning, Damien’s voice drifted from outside my bed. “Autumn, come out!” I burrowed further under the bed. From this angle, I could see his shiny leather shoes pacing irritably by the bed, having already turned seventeen times. “If you don’t come out in three minutes, today’s cheese sticks are canceled.” I covered my mouth. Despicable! Threatening a three-year-old with snacks! Pudding’s tail swept across my face. He tilted his head, his black, grape-like eyes conveying, “I told you hiding here was useless.” “Five, four, three…” As I scrambled out on all fours, I met Damien’s eyes as he knelt down. He was wearing a black shirt today, collar slightly open, looking exactly like the big bad wolf from a cartoon who eats children. “Reason,” he said, picking me up by the back of my pajamas. “Why aren’t you going to kindergarten?” I dangled in mid-air, kicking my legs. “…Tummy ache.” “Liar.” Damien narrowed his eyes. “Yesterday, you said you loved the plush bunny at kindergarten the most.” I pouted, and my nose suddenly stung. That plush bunny, named Snowball, had been cut to shreds by Ms. Harris, just because I said it was my only friend. Damien’s expression suddenly changed. He placed me on the bed, kneeling on one knee to meet my gaze. “Did someone bully you?” Pudding seized the chance to crawl out, his wet nose nudging my palm.

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Midnight. Raucous shouts ripped through the silence from the dorm room above. I jolted awake, the sounds of chairs scraping across the floor mingling with bursts of laughter and piercing screams. “Lunatics!” I muttered, stuffing earplugs in before rolling over and drifting back to sleep. The next morning, yellow police tape barred the staircase leading to the upper floor. It was only then I learned the truth: the dorm room upstairs had been a slaughterhouse. All four residents, gone. 1 To piece together what happened that night, all four of us from the downstairs dorm suite were brought in for questioning at the precinct. The grisly discovery of the four victims in Room 414 had been made by the girls in Room 427, right next door. It was still dark, as winter mornings broke late, when the 427 girls, rushing for their 8 AM class, noticed 414’s door was still shut tight, no lights on. Then, looking down, they saw it: a thick, dark liquid seeping from beneath the door, a pool of black dread. Though the scene was quickly cordoned off by the police, some ghoulish onlookers had already managed to snap photos, circulating them in group chats. The images were sickening: a room awash in crimson, bodies shattered and strewn… Lily had puked on the spot. Nora, Julie, and I sat in the precinct’s waiting room, Lily currently inside, being questioned. The air in that room was suffocating, thick with unspoken guilt. What if, just one of us, annoyed by the noise last night, had bothered to check? Could we have stopped a massacre? Even if not, could we have at least caught a glimpse of the killer, offered some vital clue? But no. Nothing. I had even cursed them, calling them lunatics as they died, then rolled over and slept through till dawn. Now, I couldn’t even close my eyes. The moment my head hit the pillow, I saw crimson bleeding through the ceiling, a phantom stain. Understanding our fragile mental state, the police had specially brought in a professional therapist, not for “interrogation,” but to help us cope. The interrogation room door creaked open, and Lily emerged, supported by a woman with long, dark hair – the therapist. 2 Dr. Evelyn Stone, a renowned criminal psychologist, had always been the precinct’s go-to partner for cracking major cases. Her secret weapon? An uncanny mastery of hypnosis. While suspects could easily control their words when awake, under her hypnotic spell, every detail, every memory, would spill forth, laid bare for the therapist. Evelyn gently guided Lily to sit beside me, her voice a soothing murmur. “Alright, kids. Thank you for all the information you’ve given the officers. They said you’ve been pretty shaken up, but don’t worry. I’m going to talk to each of you individually, help you process everything. Sound good?” This therapist… she was talking to us like we were little kids. Her ID badge showed she was only about four years older than us. But at that moment, I couldn’t care less. I was desperate for that “psychological guidance.” 3 We entered the therapy room one by one. During the twenty minutes of my hypnotic session, I had no idea what transpired. All I knew was that when I woke, my mind felt lighter, my body relaxed, and for a blissful moment, the blood-soaked horror of Room 414 vanished from my thoughts. As I left the room, Evelyn gave me a warm smile. “Nice Doc Martens, kiddo.” I waited in the lounge while the others took their turns. A kind young officer, sensing my boredom, even brought me a tablet to watch videos. Lily was the last one. This time, she walked out on her own, no need for assistance. “Congratulations, kids. You’ll all sleep soundly tonight,” Evelyn announced, clapping her hands softly. Her gaze swept over the group, then settled on me. I offered a reflexive smile, but the moment our eyes met, a shiver of ice crawled up my spine. Her red lips parted, a whisper that shattered the calm. “My apologies, Anna White, but you’ll be staying.” Nora, Julie, and Lily froze simultaneously. Lily was the first to speak, her voice trembling. “Why?” Evelyn’s long strides carried her swiftly toward me. My wrist suddenly felt heavy, then the cold, unyielding weight of handcuffs snapped shut around it. She was still smiling, but her eyes held no warmth, no joy, only an unsettling detachment. “You,” she said, her voice dropping, “are the one who murdered everyone in Room 414.” 4 “What did you say?!” Nora surged forward, planting herself protectively between me and Evelyn. “Anna’s been with us this whole time! There’s no way she could have killed anyone!” Julie and Lily quickly chimed in, “Yeah, I even heard her toss and turn that night!” Evelyn simply crossed her arms, a knowing look on her face. “You’ve all been fooled by her.” Nora’s anger flared. “That’s a lie! I thought you were one of the good guys, but you’re just twisting everything! Officer! Get over here!” Her voice, loud and clear, echoed through the precinct as she yelled at the patrol officers standing nearby. “Come quick! Someone’s trying to illegally detain her!” A handful of officers quickly gathered, their gazes shifting between my terrified face and Evelyn’s composed one, confusion etching their features. “Dr. Stone, are you saying this young woman killed four people?” Evelyn just smiled, offering no verbal reply. “But… that’s impossible. The killer was a ruthless brute. She’s just a 22-year-old girl.” Evelyn looked at me, her smile unwavering. “Then let’s review the footage.” 5 I hadn’t killed anyone. But when the hypnosis video played, my jaw dropped. On screen, I lay back on the soft recliner, Evelyn’s voice a gentle current, guiding me through questions. From simple things like my name and college, to intimate details like the time I’d used a cheat sheet on a test, even the deep, buried history of my bitterness towards my family — it all spilled out, unconsciously, without hesitation. I clapped a hand over my mouth, a gasp caught in my throat. So many of those little things, details I barely remembered myself, yet I’d answered with chilling fluency when she’d probed. Hypnosis, I knew, could unearth long-buried memories. And then, at the end, she had asked: “What were you doing at 1 AM on April 12th?” “I killed them.” Evelyn’s voice had been soft, a mere whisper. “Who?” “The four in Room 414.” 6 A cold shiver ran down my spine. Nora, Julie, and Lily stared, their faces etched with disbelief. I shook my head frantically. “It wasn’t me! I was woken up by the noise upstairs at that exact time – I looked at my clock, it was 1 AM! I swore, called them lunatics, then put in my earplugs and went back to sleep!” Lily quickly vouched for me. “I swear it! I’m a light sleeper, and I heard her toss and turn!” Nora nodded, “I sleep head-to-head with her, I heard her swear! How could it be her?” Julie also came to my defense. “Even though I was half-asleep, there’s no way it was Anna! She has a history of depression, and after she got better, she became incredibly sensitive to screaming. That night, I heard screams coming from upstairs; Anna would never go anywhere near that!” At the long table, the four of us from Room 314 sat on one side, Evelyn and the officers on the other. The police, though allied with their consultant, still cast uncertain glances at me. One officer murmured to Evelyn, “The girl has a history of depression, confirmed by hospital records. She has an adverse reaction to screaming. Could there be a mistake?” Evelyn offered a faint smile. “Detective Miller, when has my hypnosis ever been wrong?” Miller fell silent. I knew her reputation. In the four years since she graduated, Evelyn Stone had helped solve over a hundred major cases, including twelve cold cases from the last century. And remarkably, she had never once been proven wrong. 7 Given Evelyn’s unparalleled accuracy, her superiors had granted her special authorization: any suspect she identified through her methods could be directly detained. That’s how I ended up stuck at the precinct. Still, to actually prosecute me, they’d need solid, undeniable evidence. Evelyn was giving me a lot of personal attention these days, a direct consequence of the limited detention period. If they couldn’t find concrete evidence within five days, I’d be released, and her special authorization would be revoked. I wasn’t worried. I knew I’d been in my bed all night. In five days, I’d become the first blemish on her perfect record. Then, on the fourth night, the police found my footprint in the bloodstains of Room 414. 8 Faced with irrefutable evidence, I was formally taken into custody. Evelyn sat across from me in the interrogation room, a smug, confident smile playing on her lips. “So, Anna White, how are we doing?” I clenched my fists. “I never went into Room 414!” Detective Miller’s gaze was complex, laced with pity and confusion. “Then how do you explain your footprint being there?” I had no words. He was right. How could my footprint be there? I hadn’t even gotten out of bed that night! How was this possible? Had I sleepwalked and committed murder? But I’d heard the noise upstairs before I fell asleep, hadn’t I? Those screams mixed with laughter, sounds that made me think they were just having a wild party… My breathing hitched, becoming visibly rapid, a knot of suffocating panic tightening in my chest. Overwhelmed, I clutched my head, curling into a tight ball on the chair. “I… I don’t know… I didn’t… Gasp! Gasp!…” “Hey! Kid, are you alright? Dr. Stone! Help her!” 9 When I finally came to, Lily was sitting across from me. Apparently, while I was blacking out, I’d been frantically demanding to see one of my roommates. I just desperately needed to know if I had truly left my bed or the dorm that night. Lily was the only one free, with no classes at that hour, so the police had called her in. Gazing at my long-unseen friend, I parted my lips, my voice raspy. “Lily, I…” Lily raised a hand, cutting me off. “I know what you’re going to ask. No need.” I blinked, confused. Lily, still across the long table, shifted her eyes to the side. “I looked into it…” I didn’t understand. She pulled her gaze back to me, giving a conspiratorial wink. “Just keep denying everything.” “But that night, I…” “Relax,” Lily interrupted, her voice firm. “I barely slept that night. You never left your bed. Don’t doubt yourself.” The meeting ended just like that. After Lily left, I remained seated, unable to process what had just happened. It wasn’t until Detective Miller gently pulled on my arm that I managed to stand. Turning, I saw Evelyn standing at the doorway, her gaze fixed on me, strangely knowing. Wait! I snapped my head back to where Lily had been sitting. Lily’s eyes had been looking… slowly, I lifted my gaze. Lily had been looking into… Evelyn?

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Our family was so poor, we often went without proper meals. Yet, a random lottery ticket I bought struck for five million dollars. My brother, eyes blazing with a wild fury, lunged, snatching the ticket, intent on tearing it. My father, who had always doted on me, raised a kitchen knife, its blade pressed cold against my throat. “If you don’t shred that worthless paper, I’ll hack off your hand right here and now.” Even my mother, confined to her sickbed, dependent on funds for her very life, struggled to rise, her frail body trembling as she cried out in terror, “My daughter, you cannot claim that prize!” To stop me, my family bound me in the basement, then released a ravenous wolf-hybrid into the darkness. Ultimately, I was torn apart and killed by that savage beast. Then, I opened my eyes. I was back on the very day I won the lottery. 1 My brother, holding two plain buns, offered them to me with a wide smile. “Starlight, once our family has coin, I’ll take you to the best steakhouse for your favorite prime rib.” He paused, his gaze bright. “By the way, did your lottery ticket win anything?” Hearing my brother’s eager voice, I jolted back to reality. The familiar lottery ticket, clutched in my hand, confirmed it. I had been reborn. Back to the day I won the lottery. In my past life. I occasionally bought lottery tickets, and my entire family hoped one day I would win big, and we could finally know comfort. Our family was destitute. I had already dropped out of school because we couldn’t afford the tuition. My brother was on the verge of marriage, but if we didn’t scrape together enough for a down payment soon, his sweetheart would abandon him. My father, during his security guard shift, accidentally damaged a wealthy client’s luxury coach, and now owed a colossal sum in damages. And my mother was suffering from kidney failure, waiting for money to extend her fragile life. Basic sustenance was a daily struggle. Every meal, we counted each grain of rice before it went into the pot. Yesterday, I had dreamt of a set of lottery numbers. The moment I woke, I rushed to the corner store to buy a ticket. After the drawing, I double-checked, then triple-checked, confirming I had won the grand prize. Thrilled, I raced to the kitchen, where my brother was boiling water for plain gruel, and blurted out the news. He took the ticket, his eyes fixing on the numbers. His smile froze, replaced by an expression of pure terror. Without a word, he lunged to tear the ticket. I snatched it back swiftly, urgently pleading: “Brother, once we claim the prize, our family will be rich! You can buy a house and wed your sweetheart, Mother will have money for her treatments, and I can finally return to the academy! This is a lifeline the heavens have sent us!” But my brother seemed deaf to my words, wrestling with me, his eyes wild. In the struggle, desperate, I bit his hand. He cried out in pain, staggering back a few steps. His eyes were bloodshot, his face contorted, as he roared at me, his voice raw. “Starlight, you cannot claim that prize! Tear it up now!” His terrifying demeanor left me frozen, trembling. Just then, my father returned. He saw me cornered by my brother, and without a word, slapped the back of my brother’s head. “You scoundrel! How dare you bully your sister!” My brother’s hand trembled as he pointed at me, his voice a desperate, desperate whisper. “She dreamt of a set of numbers, and the ticket she bought won five million!” My father’s face, etched with fury moments before, instantly contorted into pure terror. His eyes widened. Like a madman, he lunged into the kitchen, seized a meat cleaver, and charged at me. “Shred that winning ticket now, or I’ll hack you to pieces!” The cleaver was poised to fall. Thankfully, Mother rushed in, shielding me. “Have you gone mad? To threaten our precious daughter with a cleaver!” Father scoffed, a chilling sound. “Starlight won the lottery.” “So what? Starlight has always been lucky, often winning five or ten dollars.” “It’s the grand prize. Five million.” Mother, who had been shielding me moments before, turned deathly pale, as if she had seen a specter. She shoved me from her embrace, shaking her head frantically. “No, you cannot.” It was then I realized my entire family wished to prevent me from claiming the prize. I frantically waved my hands, trying to explain. “Father, Mother, this money isn’t just mine! With this, Brother can start his life, Father won’t have to hide from creditors, Mother can receive her treatments and surgery, and I can return to the academy! This is a lifeline from the heavens!” But my parents ignored me, their brows furrowed as they exchanged panicked glances. Then, Father spoke. “We cannot let this girl leave the house again.” Mother’s face darkened. “I have a solution. We’ll lock her in the cellar, with the wolf-hybrid.” I stood stunned, my limbs numb, unable to believe what I had just heard. I could not fathom why they had transformed so utterly upon learning of my five-million-dollar win. We were desperate for money; this heaven-sent fortune should have been the greatest joy. Why had it turned into this nightmare? Before I could grasp it, my parents dragged me towards the cellar. In a panic, I twisted, trying to escape, but my brother seized me. I wept, pleading for them to release me, even offering to give them the ticket, to let them claim the prize themselves, if they did not trust me. Yet, they were deaf to my pleas, forcing me into the dark, foul-smelling cellar. They denied me food and water, then released a starving wolf-hybrid into the darkness. My entire family knew I had been bitten by a stray dog as a child and was terrified of them. The moment I saw the wolf-hybrid, I was so petrified I nearly collapsed. I hammered frantically on the door, screaming, begging them to let me out. But no matter how I cried, there was no response. The wolf-hybrid lunged at me, tearing a chunk of flesh from my thigh. The metallic tang of blood filled my nostrils, and I succumbed to the pain, falling into unconsciousness. After a night of terror, my parents and brother came to the cellar to see me. My mother smiled, asking, “Starlight, are you hungry? Mother has steamed some buns for you.” I scoffed, unable to comprehend how she could act as if nothing had happened. I screamed, mad with grief and rage, “Why? Why are you doing this to me?” The smile vanished from my mother’s face, replaced by a cold, impassive expression. My father’s face darkened too, his eyes filled with disgust. Then, he kicked me hard in the chest. “Ungrateful mongrel.” The pain made it difficult to even breathe. My mother’s eyes swirled with a chilling malice, a sinister smile twisting her lips. “Since Starlight doesn’t wish for buns, let’s bring in a few more wolf-hybrids to play with her.” “These beasts are specially trained; they know how to ‘entertain’ disobedient brats.” Then, they released several more wolf-hybrids, trapping me. They tore at me savagely. Both my arms were ripped from my body. In less than a day, I drew my last breath amidst unimaginable agony. To my dying moment, I did not understand why they all wished to kill me upon learning of my five-million-dollar win. The terror of my past life surged, and I gripped the lottery ticket tightly, taking a deep, shuddering breath. This time, I vowed, I would uncover the truth. This time, I did not tell my brother about the win. I thought, as long as my brother didn’t know about the five million, nothing bad would happen. But to my surprise, my brother smiled, asking, “Starlight, I saw you bought a lottery ticket yesterday. Did it win?” My heart clenched. I forced a smile. “No, of course not. It’s not that easy to win.” “You’re always so careless. Give the ticket to your brother, I’ll check it for you. Maybe you misread it.” “No need, really. I just checked it number by number. It really didn’t win. Don’t you believe me, brother?” “No, it’s just, what if it did win, and you made a mistake? Then our family would lose a huge opportunity, wouldn’t we? There’s no harm in me taking another look.” I deliberately put the ticket into my pocket. “Brother, you just don’t believe me. I’m not going to show you.” My brother, thinking I was merely pouting playfully, laughed and patted my head, then handed me the bun. “Alright, if you don’t want to show me, don’t. Are you hungry? Eat up.” I took the bun and walked out, casually saying, “The weather’s nice, I’m going out for some fresh air.” I decided to leave the house first, to calm my panicked heart. But as I turned into the alleyway, my heart suddenly constricted, and the lottery ticket in my pocket was gone! My blood ran cold. I immediately spun around and sprinted back. As I caught sight of our front door in the distance, I saw my brother, his face ashen, frozen in the doorway. The lottery ticket, which should have been in my pocket, was now in his hand. He raised his hand, poised to tear it. I charged forward, snatched the ticket, and bolted. I heard him roar behind me, “Starlight, you cannot claim that prize!” Until my death in my last life, I never understood why my brother, who had doted on me since childhood, would instantly transform into a stranger, filled with such malice, upon learning of my great win. His eyes held a malevolence I had never witnessed. My brother chased me desperately. I was no match for his stamina, and he soon caught up. I trembled, screaming for help. “Help! My brother is trying to kill me!” The alley was filled with familiar neighbors. Hearing my cries, they emerged to watch the commotion. My brother clearly hadn’t expected me to react this way. Seeing no escape, I turned and knelt before him, weeping as I asked, “Brother, we were about to live a good life. Why would you try to tear up that ticket?” My brother gritted his teeth, muttering lowly, “Shut up, you wretched brat!” He tried to drag me away, but just then, onlookers from the neighborhood swiftly approached. Old Man Miller from next door forcefully pulled him away from me. “Why are you hitting your own sister?” Other neighbors also began to murmur, “We heard you shouting about a lottery win. That’s wonderful news! Why resort to violence?” “Even if she’s your own sister, you can’t hit her! Assault is against the law! If you try that again, we’ll call the Constabulary!” My brother’s breathing was ragged, veins bulging in his neck, as he glared at me, his eyes full of fury. But with everyone watching, he could do nothing. Suddenly, he smiled, looking behind me. I turned, confused, and saw Father approaching. Father had seen my brother and me surrounded by the crowd from afar, his brow furrowed. No doubt, he knew something was amiss. As Father drew closer, my body tensed, and my nails dug deep into my palms. The neighbors began to complain to Father, telling him my brother had laid hands on me. Father, immediately enraged, raised his hand to strike my brother’s face. Just as the blow was about to land, my brother yelled, “Starlight won a five-million-dollar grand prize!” “That’s not true! Brother is mistaken!” My eyes welled up, my voice trembling with urgency. “It’s the absolute truth! I even took a picture of the ticket!” My brother’s voice was agitated as he eagerly shoved his scrying device in front of Father. Father’s gaze fell upon the screen, his eyes trembling slightly, then he stared fixedly at the image, frozen in place. I nervously called out, “Father…” When he looked at me again, Father’s eyes were bloodshot. He raised his hand and slapped me hard across the face. “You beast! Your brother told you to tear up the ticket, why did you not obey!” My heart shattered, yet I gritted my teeth and argued, “Our family desperately needs the money! Mother’s illness needs treatment, you need money to repay your debts, brother wants to marry, and I want to return to the academy!” “You ungrateful, worthless wretch! Still dare to talk back to me!” Father charged at me, pressing my head violently against the wall with one hand, while the other reached for my pocket. Just then, Mother rushed over, shoving Father away and shielding me. “What are you doing? Starlight’s forehead is bleeding!” Mother roared at Father. But Father wasn’t angry, merely sneering, “You care for her, but this ungrateful wretch doesn’t deserve to be our child.” At Father’s words, the neighbors were shocked. Everyone knew that Father doted on me, his daughter, more than anyone else – holding me in his mouth for fear of melting, in his palm for fear of dropping. No one could believe he would speak of his own daughter in such a way. Mother, clutching her chest in anger, demanded, “What exactly happened?” Brother handed her his scrying device. I frantically blocked Mother, looking at her with pleading eyes. “Mother, don’t look. Don’t believe Father and Brother.” I knew that if Mother saw the device, and learned of my grand prize, she would immediately disown me. Mother pulled me into her embrace, gently soothing me. “Don’t worry, it must be some misunderstanding from your father and brother, these two brutes. Once Mother clarifies it, everything will be fine.” I shook my head desperately. “No, Mother, don’t believe them. If you believe what they say, you won’t love me anymore.” “Starlight, rest assured, no matter what happens, I will stand by you. Mother is the one who loves you most in this world.” She looked at me gently, trying to reassure me. Just then, Father, impatient, shouted at Mother, “She won a five-million-dollar grand prize! The ticket is in her pocket!” Hearing Father’s words, Mother’s face suddenly changed. Her once gentle features twisted into a grimace, a chilling malice flickering in her eyes, making me tremble uncontrollably. Her face pale, she forced a stiff, bitter smile as she looked at me. Unlike Father and Brother’s agitation, Mother’s unnatural calm sent shivers down my spine, chilling me to the bone. Her voice was cold. “This is good news, Starlight. Come, let’s go home and celebrate.” But there was no joy in her words, no smile on her face, and the hand she extended towards me trembled slightly. She was clearly struggling, desperately suppressing her emotions. “No, I don’t want to go home.” I hastily stood, stumbling backward into the crowd. Mother’s brow furrowed into a dark cloud, her eyes filled with malice and cruelty, as she coldly demanded, “Starlight, what are you doing? It’s almost dark, where are you going if not home?” Seeing Father and Mother about to grab me, I quickly seized a neighbor, begging, my voice choked with tears. “Please, save me! I cannot go back with them, they will kill me!” The neighbors exchanged bewildered glances, their faces full of confusion. Everyone knew that our family had always doted on me, their daughter. Even if I had made a mistake, parental discipline was understandable, and outsiders truly could not interfere. Just as everyone hesitated, Old Grannie Liu stepped forward. “This child seems to have something troubling her. Don’t force her.” “Yes, Starlight is usually such a sensible child. Speak calmly, don’t use force. Look how terrified the child is.” But Father and Mother seemed blinded by rage, completely deaf to any dissuasion. Their faces contorted, they advanced on me. “Starlight, are you ill? Don’t speak nonsense here!” “Hurry and come home with us! Don’t shame us here!” Before they finished speaking, Father and Brother forcibly grabbed me. Seeing this, Old Grannie Liu quickly stepped in front of me. “Don’t be so rough with the child! What if you terrify her beyond repair!” “I’m disciplining my own daughter, it’s none of your business!” Father roared at Old Grannie Liu, his eyes red. Old Grannie Liu, being elderly, could not stop my young and strong brother. I felt my wrist gripped tightly, and I was forcibly dragged away, the rough ground scraping my knees, a burning pain. Even the kindest neighbors would not rashly contend with my parents for me. Just then, a pair of hands blocked my brother’s path. “Who gave you the right to drag a young girl like this!” Hearing the sharp rebuke, my brother released his grip. It was the Constabulary. A neighbor had summoned them. Seeing the officers, Mother quickly explained, “Officers, this is our daughter. It’s getting late, and she refuses to come home. We were worried for her safety, so we were trying to bring her back.” The officers looked at me. I immediately retorted loudly, “That’s not true! I won a grand prize, and they want to take me back and imprison me!” The three figures behind me froze, their expressions indescribably eerie. “If you don’t believe me, you can ask the neighbors how abnormally my family reacted upon learning of my win.” The officers questioned the crowd, and the neighbors corroborated, confirming my family’s strange behavior. Upon receiving confirmation, an officer, his expression stern, questioned my family. “Why are you preventing the child from claiming her prize? Are you worried she’ll keep the winnings for herself? But the child has already said the money is for the whole family.” My parents, hearing this, scoffed disdainfully. “We don’t care about any winnings, we just want to take our daughter home.” “Unlawful detention of another’s person is a crime,” the officer’s voice grew increasingly serious. Yet, they maintained an air of indifference. My heart racing, I tugged at the officer’s sleeve. “I just want to know why they would rather break the law than let me claim the prize, why they insist on locking me up?” Under the officers’ stern questioning, Father reluctantly handed over his scrying device, his movements full of resistance. When I saw the content on the screen, I finally understood why they wouldn’t let me claim the prize.

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The elevator doors closed behind me. When I reached the first floor, I rushed to my car and drove straight home. I ignored my mom’s texts about wedding venues, just staring at the clock. Time passed. Mia came back with lavender and takeout – shrimp tortellini soup, forgetting my allergy. “Eat up,” she said. I ate every shrimp. The rash spread up my arms. “Oh no! Are you allergic?” Mia gasped. I didn’t care. “Come celebrate your birthday with me tomorrow,” I said. Mia hesitated, then nodded. I went to get my allergy meds. I’m a terrible cook. The only thing I can make is birthday pasta. But tonight, I kept messing up. Bowl after bowl ruined. I ate them all anyway. I’d planned to leave after celebrating her birthday. She never came. Just called. “Alex, that clumsy idiot, burned his finger cooking. I have to take him to the ER first. You go ahead and eat.” Mia’s lies were always so transparent. My main social media account was blocked from seeing her posts, but my burner account lit up with a new update. The photo showed them, side-by-side, in front of a cake, streamers fluttering. It was a frozen moment: them, laughing, holding hands. “Hello? Hello?” Mia hadn’t hung up yet. I let out a slow breath. “No worries. Take your time.” My burner account ‘liked’ her post. The birthday pasta, uneaten, went straight into the trash. Mia had no love left for me. And if I let go, she’d probably be thrilled. I dragged my suitcase out of the house, leaving it all behind. On the way, I organized all the private, incriminating photos of Alex and Mia from years of their ‘ambiguous’ relationship. Then I posted them to my social media feed, where all their mutual friends would see. I was leaving, and I wasn’t going to make it easy for them. Just before the plane took off, I sent Mia a text: “Happy Birthday. Goodbye forever.” I didn’t say ‘we’re breaking up.’ After seven years, she’d never once publicly acknowledged me as her boyfriend. Maybe I deserved to be cuckolded. Maybe I was just blind, stubbornly fixated on her. The second before I powered down my phone, it exploded with calls. I accidentally swiped to answer one. “Ryan, what the hell did you post on your social media? Delete it now! Where are you going? Get back here and apologize to Alex!” I forced the phone off. It was laughable, really. She never bothered to reply to my messages. I used to think she was too busy. Now I knew: she saw everything, she just chose not to respond to anything concerning me. It was Mom, whom I hadn’t seen in years, who picked me up. She wore a vibrant red dress, looking dazzling, but even through the brightness, I could see the subtle lines of age around her eyes. Mom pulled me into a hug, murmuring about all I’d suffered. Even though I’d been estranged for years, Mom and I had never truly lost touch. She knew all about the messy entanglement with Mia, had seen it with chilling clarity from the start, declaring we’d never last. I’d never believed her then. I did now. All the way home, Mom talked about the changes in the family. I already knew most of it, but I listened intently anyway. The moment I powered on my phone, it began to vibrate wildly. I ignored every call, just put it on silent. To Mom’s questioning glance, I simply said, “Spam calls.” She seemed to understand, though she didn’t press the issue. With the wedding date fast approaching, my schedule was packed. I followed Mom to coordinate venues and meet Lily for the wedding photo shoot. Looking at my reflection in the mirror, I felt like a stranger. Mom’s eyes were rimmed with red; she dabbed at the corner. “Ryan, Lily is a million times better than that Mia.” I nodded, uncaring. I’d already met the worst kind of person; there was nothing left I couldn’t endure. To my surprise, Lily arrived right on time. The woman from the photos suddenly materialized, and I felt a strange flicker of unreality. “Well, hello there,” Lily chirped, her eyes dancing as she took me in, a playful smile curving her lips. It softened her generally cool demeanor, making her seem almost approachable. “Thank you,” I murmured, looking down, adjusting my clothes, a prickle of awkwardness rising. Mom quickly chimed in, “Lily’s here! Why don’t you two take a picture together, for posterity?” Lily glanced at me, seeking my approval. I nodded. Mom, beaming, snapped a photo of us. She loved social media, so she immediately posted it: “My son, handsomest of them all! /Image/” I never expected Mom’s casual post to go viral. Suddenly, hashtags were trending: #SterlingHeiressGettingMarried #LilyAndRyanWeddingShoot. Mom was thrilled, even screenshotting some of the congratulatory comments for me. “Let that Mia see this! See if she thinks she’s good enough for you now!” I was past caring, though. She never loved me; how could she hurt me? But then, she messaged me. I’d blocked her main number long ago, but she found my burner phone. She sent the photo of Lily and me, then called me, a voice call. The wind howled on the other end of the line. “You packed up and went home because of that woman? Is it just because her family has money? Ryan, I never thought you’d be such a gold-digger! I know you’re just jealous. You come back now, and I’ll marry you immediately.” I looked up at the moon outside my window. A cold, stark silver disc. “Yes. Exactly. Because she’s rich, beautiful, and knows how to be charming. A hundred times better than you. No man wants to be a cuckold, Mia!” Mia’s breathing grew ragged, as if she were restraining a wild beast within. Her voice turned vicious. “Ha, she doesn’t know, does she? That you and I slept together? That I was pregnant with your child? Those high-society girls, they’re so squeaky clean. Who would want damaged goods like you, Ryan? I forbid you from breaking up with me!” A dull ache spread through my chest, my eyes burning. The first time she was pregnant, I wanted to get married, make it official. But she refused, accused me of being a misogynist, of treating her like a broodmare. So I had no choice but to agree when she decided to terminate the pregnancy. Mia never held back, always going for the deepest wounds. For a long moment, I couldn’t utter a single word. Mia must have sensed my silence, because her tone softened. “Ryan, all those years we had… can you just say you don’t love me anymore?” She seemed about to say more. But then, a man’s voice, clear as a bell, drifted from her end of the line: “Mia, you’d look amazing in this lace lingerie. Come on, try it on…” I couldn’t help but laugh, a bitter, hollow sound, and hung up. Then I deleted the burner account completely. Still furious, I slapped myself across the face.

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Vivian Brown, the new junior associate at the law firm, had an uncanny ability to anticipate my every move. When our client, Mr. Li—an avid connoisseur of Big Red Robe tea—visited, I was moments away from ordering an $88,000 tin as a gesture of goodwill. But Vivian was already there, presenting the exact same vintage with a polished smile. After we secured a multi-million-dollar case thanks to her timely tea offering, the managing partner assigned us to draft a comprehensive proposal. I spent nights preparing two distinct approaches: one conservative, one aggressive. Yet at the presentation, Vivian produced identical documents, down to the footnotes. I dismissed it as coincidence—until the annual bar exam competition. Vivian, tears streaking her cheeks, pointed at me before the partners. “You copied my answers!” she cried. When our papers were compared, they matched word for word. Because she’d submitted first, I was branded a cheater. The managing partner declared me ethically compromised and terminated me on the spot. Even Ethan Xu, my colleague and boyfriend, turned away in disgust. Ruined, I succumbed to despair and ended my life. But with my final breath, one question burned: How? How had she mirrored my work? How did she always know? Then—I woke up. Back to the morning before Mr. Li’s arrival. Back to the moment before I reached for the phone to order that cursed tea. 1 “Excuse me, regarding the collaboration with your firm, we need to take some more time to consider. After all, your firm’s experience is rather… junior. We…” Inside the law firm, I listened to the big client, Mr. Li, about to reject our multi-million-dollar contract. My vision blurred for a moment, and then a shocking realization hit me: I had been reborn. Just then, Vivian Brown, the firm’s new junior associate, stepped forward with a gentle smile. She produced a box of Big Red Robe tea, valued at eighty-eight thousand dollars, and pushed it courteously towards Mr. Li. “Mr. Li, I heard you’re a connoisseur of Big Red Robe. I made a special effort to have some sourced directly from the origin for you to sample. Please, try it?” Mr. Li was a passionate lover of Big Red Robe. Hearing Vivian’s words, he beamed, unable to contain his delight. He accepted the tea, and immediately agreed to sign the contract. Vivian had successfully secured the multi-million-dollar deal, becoming the firm’s top contributor. Watching it all unfold, I felt a bone-deep chill. The exact same scene, identical to my previous life, had just played out again! It was like this in my past life too. Mr. Li had been hesitant to sign the contract. In desperation, I had called upon many friends, owed countless favors, just to discover he loved Big Red Robe tea. I immediately went to buy some. But Vivian had already gotten there first, presenting it and effortlessly closing the deal. At first, I thought it was just a coincidence and swallowed my frustration. But then, after that multi-million-dollar contract was secured with the tea, our managing partner was ecstatic. He urgently demanded that Vivian and I prepare a cooperation proposal that would impress the client. I approached it from a practical perspective, developing two distinct proposals tailored to the client’s needs. The next day, however, Vivian presented two proposals identical to mine to the managing partner. He was thoroughly impressed and immediately decided to use her plan. I grew increasingly uneasy, yet I couldn’t pinpoint exactly what felt wrong. Then came the firm’s annual bar exam competition. Vivian, tears streaming down her face, accused me. “Cassidy, I know whoever gets first place in this competition will be recommended for overseas training. But even if you want to go abroad, you can’t just copy my answers!” I tried to protest, but when the managing partner compared our exam papers, my answers were, impossibly, identical to Vivian’s. Because she submitted her paper first, I was deemed to have cheated. The managing partner, convinced I had a serious character flaw, fired me. My colleague and boyfriend, Ethan Xu, also concluded I was morally bankrupt and broke up with me. Ultimately, I lost my job, succumbed to depression, and chose to end my life. To my dying breath, I couldn’t comprehend it. Why were my bar exam answers identical to Vivian’s? Why could she anticipate my every move, no matter what I intended to do? This time, I was determined to find out what was happening. I would not die confused again! 2 Soon, just like in my previous life, the managing partner called a meeting, instructing each of us to prepare a proposal for the contract. Whoever’s proposal was chosen would become the direct attorney for this multi-million-dollar deal. I meticulously recalled my previous life. I had drafted the proposal at the law firm, and I’d gone out for lunch and dinner. It must have been during those breaks that Vivian copied it. This time, to be absolutely safe, I completed the entire proposal on my personal laptop, never letting it out of my sight until I left work. After clocking out, I went straight home and pulled an all-nighter, refining both proposals. The logic and theoretical depth were far superior to what I’d produced in my past life. The next morning, armed with my polished proposals, I arrived at the firm. The moment I saw the managing partner, I handed them over. “Sir, I’ve prepared two different proposals from a practical standpoint, tailored to the client’s needs. Whether they prefer a conservative or aggressive approach, these will meet their requirements.” The managing partner frowned, a flicker of displeasure crossing his face. He opened the proposals, and his expression quickly soured. “Cassidy, I understand you’re eager for this contract, but you can’t just copy Vivian’s proposal!” I froze, disbelief washing over me. How was that even possible? Before I could react, Vivian approached, her tone feigning thoughtfulness, yet laced with thinly veiled arrogance. “Sir, please don’t be upset. Yesterday, I heard that Cassidy was watching my computer while I was out for dinner. And today, she brings in proposals identical to mine. While her actions are rather… low, she was only trying to gain your approval, after all.” Then she turned to me. “Cassidy, if you were interested in my ideas regarding conservative and aggressive strategies, you could have just discussed them with me directly. Isn’t it a bit too shameful to just copy them in secret?” I listened to Vivian’s words in utter disbelief. I strode forward and snatched the proposals from her hand. Sure enough, her proposals weren’t just identical in their core ideas; even the subheadings and paragraph formatting were exactly the same as mine! I couldn’t hold back any longer. My gaze turned icy as I looked at Vivian. “You claim these are your proposals. Then tell me, what was your thought process? How did you analyze the conservative and aggressive approaches?” This part of the content, I hadn’t even written down. Vivian couldn’t possibly know! Regarding the conservative approach, I had based my analysis on the opposing company’s overall reaction to lawsuits over the past five years— “Regarding the conservative approach, I based it on the opposing company’s overall reaction to lawsuits over the past five years. I believe this reflects their traditional, entrenched attitude when facing litigation.” My thought process hadn’t even fully formed in my mind before Vivian had already spoken it all aloud. Her fluent delivery was uncannily identical to my own thoughts, not a single word astray! I was stunned! How was this possible?! The managing partner’s eyes lit up. After all, this was truly an advanced concept. He quickly pressed her. “Vivian, what about the aggressive strategy analysis?” “The aggressive strategy includes relatively bolder clauses. This is to make the opposing company clearly see their own risks and opportunities, which will make them more receptive.” Vivian spoke again. My eyes widened, as if I’d seen a ghost. I couldn’t believe anything I was hearing. She had said exactly what I was thinking, even the logical phrasing was identical! A cold sweat broke out over my entire body. I felt as if Vivian was an actual mind-reader, lurking inside my head. It was terrifying! 3 “Vivian! You are truly outstanding! With you here, this contract will be absolutely seamless!” The managing partner was effusive with praise. My colleagues around me looked on with envy, murmuring amongst themselves: “Vivian is amazing! She came up with such an excellent proposal in such a short time. No wonder Cassidy was jealous and copied her!” “How shameful! She’s supposed to be a seasoned lawyer, a senior employee, yet she had the nerve to copy a new junior associate’s proposal. I’m truly embarrassed for Cassidy!” “Last time, when Vivian bought that expensive tea for the client, I saw Cassidy about to order it online. And now she’s copied her proposals again. Is she just targeting Vivian and trying to imitate everything she does? That’s disgusting!” “Fire her! I’d be disgusted to have someone like that in our firm. Fire her immediately!” My boyfriend and colleague, Ethan Xu, approached me, his face filled with impatience and embarrassment. “Cassidy, do you have any sense of shame?! I told you long ago not to compete with Vivian, but you just had to do something so shameless. It’s mortifying!” Everyone watched as Ethan, my own boyfriend, came forward to condemn me, further cementing their belief that I was a plagiarist. A torrent of vile insults assailed me, some even spitting in my direction! I stood frozen, my face pale, unable to believe any of this! How could this be happening? Was it truly just a profound connection between Vivian and me, our minds thinking so alike that our proposals turned out identical? But even if that were the case, why did she anticipate my every word, speaking it just before me? My thoughts grew increasingly chaotic. Vivian, however, chose that moment to speak, feigning magnanimity. “Alright, everyone, please don’t talk about Cassidy like that. I believe she was just a bit vain and made a mistake. I don’t think we need to fire her, do we? After all, it’s not easy for her to keep this job.” Ethan looked at her with even more tenderness. “Vivian, you are truly both brilliant and kind. Cassidy copied you, and yet you’re still defending her. Just for your kindness alone, Cassidy should kneel and apologize to you!” He then glared fiercely at me. Vivian chuckled softly. “Ethan, you’re being too serious. It’s just a small matter. There’s no need for her to kneel. I just hope Cassidy doesn’t hold a grudge and seek revenge on me because of this.” “Pfft! What right does she have to take revenge on you?!” Ethan scoffed. “Next week is our firm’s annual law exam. Once you get first place and go abroad for training, Cassidy probably won’t even be worthy of seeing you again for the rest of her life!” Ethan’s gaze at me was filled with disgust, just like in my previous life, as if he was afraid of being associated with me. I remembered when Ethan used to look at me with such admiration, saying I was the most brilliant lawyer, and the thought now was utterly laughable. I clenched my fists tightly. “I did not copy anyone, never!” Ethan, hearing this, didn’t believe a word. He scoffed, mocked me further, then joined the other colleagues, all surrounding Vivian as if she were a star, going over the two proposals I had just presented. Vivian reveled in the attention. She gave me a provocative look, her eyes brimming with triumph. In that one look, I instantly knew: this was absolutely no coincidence! Vivian had definitely used some method I didn’t know about to copy my work! I had to find out!

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In my past life, my elder sister, Naomi, whom I trusted implicitly, plunged me into ruin. When her lover’s financial fraud was exposed, she meticulously laid every piece of blame at my feet. I became a pariah, a public enemy vilified by all, even abandoned by my own father. “We have no son who would betray our company like this!” he had bellowed. That rainy night, with despair as my only companion, I chose to end it all. Now, reborn, I awaken to find myself back on the eve of a major project launch. This time, I will not let anyone dictate my life again! In the office, I stared at the computer screen, deaf to my colleagues’ sneers, and drafted my resignation letter. 1 The business proposal trembled slightly in my hands. This seemingly golden opportunity, in my previous life, had been the very document that plunged me into an abyss from which there was no return. “My capabilities are limited; I fear I’m not up to such a significant task,” I said, my voice calm, as I pushed the proposal back across the desk to my sister, Naomi. The smile on her face instantly froze. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, Ethan. Do you know how much effort I put into securing it for you?” I looked at my sister, her expression feigning concern, with a cold, assessing gaze. In my past life, it was she who had neatly placed every single piece of blame onto me, transforming me from a Wall Street golden boy into a reviled pariah. “Ethan, when did you become such a coward?” My fiancée, Sophia, immediately reprimanded me. “How can you expect to make any progress in your career if you’re so timid and hesitant?” A cold laugh bubbled in my chest. These two women, outwardly pretending to have my best interests at heart, were in reality only concerned with Marcus. “Marcus is an Ivy League graduate; he’s stronger than me in every aspect. This project would be a much better fit for him,” I stated, looking directly at them. In my previous life, when Marcus and I co-managed the project, he fabricated financial records for performance. Ultimately, it was I who bore all the legal accusations. This time, I swore I wouldn’t repeat that mistake. “You really should take Marcus as your role model,” Sophia suddenly cooed, her eyes shimmering with adoration when she spoke his name. The irony wasn’t lost on me. This woman, who claimed to love me deeply, carried another man in her heart. I suppressed the rising annoyance and continued my refusal. “I’ve already committed to attending the Silicon Valley Venture Summit. I simply can’t free up my schedule this month.” Their relentless push for me to partner with Marcus on this project was driven by a single, stark reality: without the extensive financial network I’d cultivated on Wall Street, Marcus wouldn’t be able to pull off this billion-dollar multinational acquisition. If this M&A deal succeeded, it would be Marcus’s express ticket directly to the board of directors. I opened my laptop and pulled up my email. “Would you like me to forward you the invitation from the organizers?” 2 Sophia stared at the screen, her expression instantly sharpening. “You didn’t breathe a single word of this international summit to Marcus? What, do you think you finally have a chance to show off?” My sister Naomi’s voice also turned cold. “In business, it’s about sharing resources. Your autocratic style is truly eye-opening.” I scoffed. “The investment banking world is a small place. Marcus usually can’t even be bothered to say hello. And now it’s my fault?” Although we both worked at headquarters, Marcus had never shown me anything but disdain since I joined. In the past six months, aside from mandatory meetings, we hadn’t exchanged more than three words privately. Sophia grew even more agitated. “Do you have any idea how busy Marcus is? As his subordinate, shouldn’t you have proactively reported this?” As she spoke, she already had her phone out, dialing the summit organizing committee. My sister Naomi, meanwhile, simply rose and left the conference room, clearly off to find Marcus. Watching them, a wave of bitter sarcasm washed over me. In their eyes, I was nothing more than a pawn to be sacrificed at will. Before long, Sophia hung up, her face grim. The summit’s attendance list was full; the committee had politely declined her request. “This is a direct opportunity to meet top global investors. If Marcus misses it…” She bit her lip anxiously, then her eyes suddenly lit up. “Ethan, how about this? You transfer your spot to Marcus. I promise, the next good opportunity, you’ll be the first person I think of.” Hearing her words, I clenched my fists, my nails digging deep into my palms. “Just because he’s Marcus, I should sacrifice my own opportunity?” For years, I had considered her the most important person in my life, yet in her heart, I was less than Marcus’s substitute. Sophia suddenly adopted a wheedling tone. “You’re so much younger than Marcus. What’s wrong with letting a senior go first? You have plenty of other opportunities. Don’t be so petty!” Looking at her sickeningly sweet act, a wave of disgust washed over me. This woman, usually a fierce and decisive force in the investment banking world, could demean herself like this for Marcus. Unfortunately, after being reborn, I had long since seen through her true colors. No longer would I be fooled by such pretense. 3 “Ethan, you’re being utterly unreasonable! This opportunity should be given to Marcus!” As I pondered, Naomi had already ushered Marcus into the conference room. My gaze met Marcus’s, and the undisguised contempt in his eyes was palpable. I gave a cold chuckle. “Business is a battlefield. Everyone relies on their own abilities. No one has the right to make decisions for others.” I stood up, not even bothering to glance at them again as I left. Surprisingly, the summit proceeded without incident. It wasn’t until I opened the company’s internal network that I saw Marcus had fully taken over the M&A project. I thought the matter was closed, but no sooner had I returned from the conference than Naomi and Sophia burst into my office. Their faces were ashen, their expressions panicked. “It’s a disaster! The SEC is investigating the acquisition! Marcus is truly finished this time, you have to help!” I scoffed. “What does the SEC investigation have to do with me? I’ve been in the U.S. this whole time. How do you plan to frame me?” Naomi’s next words, however, left me dumbfounded. “I’ve prepared all the materials. You just need to sign a few documents. You’ve only been with the company for a short while, so even if they find problems, it won’t be too serious.” Hearing this, a chill ran through me. A vice president, my own elder sister, was willing to condemn her younger brother to fraud charges just to protect an outsider. If I took this fall, my career would be ruined, and I would even face jail time. The nightmare of my past life flashed before my eyes. Without a second thought, I refused: “Corporate fraud is a serious crime. Since he was the one leading the project, he should bear the consequences himself.” Sophia was frantic, stomping her foot. “Wall Street is all about connections and favors! If you help with this, the entire industry will remember your good deed!” Listening to this blatant emotional blackmail, I could no longer suppress my fury: “You two only see Marcus! Have you ever considered my situation? One is my own sister, the other my fiancée—you two are pushing me into a fiery pit!” My voice was trembling; the tragedy of my past life made it impossible to stay calm. Naomi, however, was unwavering. “This isn’t a discussion, it’s a notification. The materials are ready. You have to take the fall for this.” She slammed a folder heavily onto my desk. I opened it and gasped – they had actually forged an entire chain of evidence implicating me in the fraud. Such a meticulous setup; if I weren’t the insider, anyone would believe these fabricated proofs. It seemed I had still underestimated their obsession with Marcus. But a mocking smile spread across my face. “Forging evidence, manipulating the market – those are serious felonies. Aren’t you afraid I’ll hand the evidence over to the FBI?” 4 “Are you threatening me? Don’t forget, I’m your sister. If you dare to make a fuss, Mom and Dad will be the first ones to disown you.” Naomi stared at me coldly, attempting to use our family ties to suppress me. In her mind, I had always been the meek, compliant younger brother who never dared to defy her. I scoffed dismissively. “Now you remember I’m your brother? For Marcus, you’re willing to destroy your own brother’s life. What right do you have to talk about family affection? From today on, we’re cutting all ties. You two had better not bother me again.” In that moment, I was utterly, completely disappointed in them. Sophia, seeing the turn of events, hastily tried to smooth things over. “Why are you being so difficult? This could be good for you too! JPMorgan Chase has promised that if you help us, they’ll give you a Vice President position immediately. That’s an executive role at a top Wall Street investment bank. You wouldn’t be able to get it on your own for at least a decade.” I couldn’t help but burst into laughter. JPMorgan Chase? Ludicrous. Marcus’s reputation in the industry was already in tatters; even mid-tier investment banks wouldn’t touch him, let alone a top-tier one. This was clearly another one of their fabricated lies. And the consequences of this matter were far more severe than just a job title. I looked at them coldly. “You expect me to take on such a massive crime just for an empty promise? The SEC investigation is no joke.” With that, I lowered my head to my documents, no longer bothering to acknowledge them. Sophia and Naomi’s eyes instantly turned venomous. I glanced at them dismissively. Long before our conversation began, I had already activated a voice recorder. If they dared to make a move, this evidence would be more than enough to completely ruin their reputations. Suddenly, the office door was violently pushed open. Marcus stormed in, grabbing my collar. “Where the hell did you get those internal files?” A cold smirk played on my lips. “Guilty conscience? These files were all obtained through legal channels.” Reborn into this life, how could I not leave myself a way out? Long before any of this began, I had arranged for someone to collect all the evidence of Marcus’s illicit dealings. Naomi, seeing Marcus’s fury, snapped, “Destroy those files immediately, or I’ll fire you right now!” I merely smiled wider. “Perfectly fine by me.” At the summit, I had already received offers from several top hedge funds, with salaries three times my current one. I pulled a document from my drawer and tossed it onto Naomi’s desk. “Here’s my resignation letter. Please approve it quickly.”

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