Category: English

After eight years together, Ethan Pierce promised me his company’s IPO would be my wedding gift. But on the night the Lancaster family went bankrupt, he wanted to extract our daughter’s bone marrow to save his mistress’s son. When I signed the divorce papers, I finally learned the truth, this marriage had been his way of tearing down the Lancaster family from the very start. It wasn’t until Adrian Cooper appeared in my life, the man who had waited twelve years for me, that Ethan finally knelt in the rain, banging on my door. “Autumn, I regret everything!” I deleted his number and whispered to my daughter. “From now on, Adrian is your father.” Autumn Lancaster POV Eighth year together, fifth year of marriage. Lancaster Industries went bankrupt. That same night, the tallest building in downtown Manhattan lit up with massive LED displays announcing Ethan Pierce’s company going public. And he was at Mount Sinai Hospital’s VIP ward, keeping his childhood sweetheart Sylvia Sterling company. Sylvia updated her social media with a new post. The photo showed Ethan leaning back on a couch, his profile exhausted in sleep, still wearing the custom suit I’d ironed for him that morning. The caption read: “The one who shelters me from every storm has always been you. Even if the whole world misunderstands me, I only need you.” I stared at those words for a long time. Eight years ago, when Ethan first introduced me to his friends, he’d said something similar. It was at a college reunion after graduation. He protected me from behind, smiling at those teasing him. “Cut it out, she’s shy.” Someone asked him. “When did you finally win over Autumn?” He’d had a few drinks and smiled with pride. “I didn’t chase her.” He said, “I finally waited until she came back to me. For this lifetime, she’s the only one I want.” I calmly saved the image, then placed the signed divorce agreement on the coffee table in the living room. Ethan returned early the next morning. Seeing me sitting by the couch, he froze for a moment. Then he loosened his tie, his tone carrying a victor’s condescension. “Autumn, what happened to the Lancaster family can’t be reversed. That’s just business. If I hadn’t swallowed Lancaster Industries, someone else would have.” He walked over, habitually reaching to touch my face. “But don’t worry. I promised your father I’d take care of you for life. Even without the Lancaster family, you’re still the glamorous Mrs. Pierce.” He called me the glamorous Mrs. Pierce, but when I married him, there was no such thing as Mrs. Pierce yet. Ethan proposed to me in a small restaurant in New York. His hands trembled with nerves as he handed me the ring box and said. “Autumn, I have nothing right now.” “But I’ll work myself to death to make money.” “I’ll make sure everyone knows that marrying me isn’t marrying down.” That day, everyone in the restaurant watched us. He knelt on one knee, looking up at me, his eyes shining frighteningly bright. “Autumn Lancaster.” “Will you take a chance on me?” I smiled and nodded. I bet on him for life. Turns out he only bet eight years. I turned my head away, avoiding his hand, and pushed the agreement in front of him. “Ethan, sign it.” Ethan’s hand froze mid-air. He glanced down at the title, his expression darkening instantly. “Autumn, what are you pulling now?” He grabbed the agreement, crumpled it into a ball, and threw it on the floor. “The Lancaster family just went bankrupt and you’re already asking for divorce? What will people think of me? That I’m burning bridges?” “Isn’t that exactly what you’re doing?” I asked back. “I said I’d take care of you!” Ethan’s voice rose, anger seeping through. “Besides losing the title of Lancaster heir, you haven’t lost anything! What more do you want from me?” I looked up, quietly studying this man I’d loved for eight years. “I want a divorce. I don’t want anything except our daughter. Whatever’s left of the Lancaster mess, along with my shares in Pierce Corporation-I’m giving it all up.” “Impossible.” Ethan rejected it flatly. “Maya Pierce is Pierce family blood. I will never hand her over to you.” “Pierce family blood?” I suddenly felt like laughing. “Ethan, do you really love Maya?” “What do you mean by that?” “Sylvia’s son has leukemia, and Maya just happens to be a match. You think I don’t know what you’ve been doing for the past two weeks, running Maya through every medical test imaginable?” Ethan jerked back half a step. “You don’t want a divorce?” I stood up, pulling my suitcase. “Fine. Then we’ll drag this out. But as long as I have breath in my body, neither you nor Sylvia will lay a finger on my daughter.” “Autumn!” Ethan grabbed my wrist. “Let me explain. It’s not what you think. Sylvia is just…” “Just a poor single mother?” I interrupted, prying his fingers off one by one. “Ethan, you’ve been playing the devoted husband for eight years. Aren’t you tired? I’m exhausted just watching.”

Autumn Lancaster POV Ethan and I used to be the model couple in our circle. He doted on me endlessly. I couldn’t eat onions, so no matter how late his business dinners ran, he’d always detour to downtown to buy me cream pasta without onions. When I had complications delivering Maya, he cried like a child outside the delivery room, swearing in front of all his friends that he’d never let me suffer again. The year Maya was born, he posted photos of our daughter on social media almost every day. The first photo he took after Maya was born was of a tiny wrinkled foot. The caption read: “My life’s greatest masterpiece.” Back then, Ethan’s company hadn’t gone public yet. He was so busy his feet barely touched the ground. But whenever he came home, the first thing he did was hold Maya. Once when Maya ran a fever in the middle of the night, I panicked and cried. He carried our child and paced the living room all night long. By dawn his eyes were red, but he still smiled at me. “It’s okay. I’m here.” When Maya turned two, Ethan’s company hit a crisis. To help him, I dragged myself to entertain investors despite just having had appendix surgery, drinking until I developed a stomach ulcer and ended up in emergency care. When I woke up, Ethan was kneeling by my hospital bed, slapping himself twice across the face. “Autumn, I swear to God, once I get through this, I’ll give you my life.” He did manage to take his company public. But he gave his life to Sylvia instead. I discovered Sylvia’s existence six months ago. Ethan’s old phone was charging in a drawer when the screen lit up. A text from an unsaved number: “Ethan, Noah asked about you again today. He says he misses your cheese baked shrimp.” I unlocked the phone using Ethan’s birthday. Inside was just one hidden social media account. He’d transfer money to Sylvia late at night, noting it as “Noah’s medical expenses.” He’d help Sylvia pick out necklaces. When she complained about the hardship of raising a child alone, he’d reply: “Wait for me. Soon.” What pierced me most was a photo Sylvia sent of Maya. It was from the day Ethan took Maya to the amusement park. Sylvia commented below: “I wish Noah could be as healthy as Maya.” Ethan replied: “He will be. Noah will get better. Whatever Maya has, Noah will have too.” In that moment, the blood in my veins ran cold. I finally understood why he’d suddenly become so concerned about Maya’s health. I finally understood why when Lancaster Industries’ cash flow broke, not only didn’t he help, but he pushed things along. He wanted to drain the Lancaster family of its last drop of blood to pave his road to marrying Sylvia. He wanted to use my daughter’s bone and blood to save his beloved’s son. “Mommy?” From the second-floor stairway came Maya’s childish voice. She hugged an old stuffed rabbit, rubbing her sleepy eyes, timidly watching us in our standoff. Ethan’s expression changed. He immediately put on a gentle smile, reaching out to her. “Maya, did we wake you? Come here, Daddy will hold you.” Maya didn’t move. She looked at Ethan, then at the suitcase in my hand. Then she ran downstairs and hugged my leg tightly. “Mommy, where are we going?” Ethan’s hand froze in mid-air. “Maya, I’m just discussing something with Mommy.” Ethan tried to pull her. “Mommy isn’t going anywhere.” “We’re leaving.” I touched Maya’s head, not sparing Ethan another glance. “Autumn!” Ethan blocked the doorway, eyes red. “If you dare step out this door today, I’ll immediately stop dealing with the Lancaster mess! And your brother Lucas won’t have it easy either!” I stopped, turned around, looked at his face twisted with anger, and smiled slightly. “Fine, Ethan.” I pulled out my phone, opened a pre-drafted report email, my finger hovering over the send button. “Want to guess what happens if I send this internal ledger documenting Pierce Corporation’s tax evasion, double bookkeeping, and illegal seizure of Lancaster assets to the federal authorities? Will the position of Mrs. Pierce that Sylvia’s been dreaming about still be secure?” Ethan stood frozen, staring at my phone screen in disbelief. “Did you think these eight years I was really just some foolish woman who only revolved around you?” I put away my phone and pushed past his rigid body. “Ethan, game over.”

Autumn Lancaster POV The moment the car started, I saw through the rearview mirror that Ethan was still standing in the doorway. I didn’t return to the Lancaster estate. The Lancaster mansion had long been seized by the bank. I took Maya to an old apartment in Brooklyn-a small place I’d bought after college graduation. Ethan had always found it too remote and desolate. He said. “You’re Mrs. Pierce now. You don’t need to live in a place like this.” So in the eight years we were together, I never came back here. Maya sat on the couch, hugging her stuffed rabbit, asking me quietly. “Mommy, are we not keeping Daddy anymore?” I crouched down to look at her. “Does Maya want Daddy?” She lowered her head and thought for a long time, then shook her head. “Daddy’s been really mean lately.” My chest tightened. Even a three-year-old could see it. But it took me eight years. The next day, Ethan called. “Autumn.” Ethan’s voice was terribly hoarse. “Where are you?” “Does it concern you?” “Stop being stubborn, okay?” His voice was pressed low, as if he was holding back. “I can explain about Sylvia. Just come home first. Maya is still young. She can’t be running around with you.” “Ethan.” I interrupted him. “What’s Sylvia’s son’s name again? Noah?” Silence for several seconds on the other end. “I checked. Five years old, leukemia, acute type. Over the past six months, you’ve taken him to every blood disease hospital across America, right?” “Autumn…” “You love him so much, why didn’t you say so earlier?” I asked calmly. “If you’d told me five years ago you had this illegitimate child, I wouldn’t have married you.” “He’s not my son!” Ethan nearly shouted. “Noah isn’t my child. He’s Sylvia’s with her ex-husband! I’m just helping her!” I laughed. “Ethan, do you even believe that yourself?” He went silent. “Do you know what I saw in that hidden social media account?” I said slowly. “Every message you sent Sylvia, every photo, every transfer.” “That necklace you picked for her? I looked at it three times in the boutique but couldn’t bring myself to buy it.” “The day you celebrated her birthday, you told me the company had a business dinner.” “The day you took Noah to the aquarium, you told me you were on a business trip.” “Those were just…” “You said whatever Maya has, Noah will have too.” I asked softly. “Ethan, what does Noah want? Does he want my daughter’s blood?” A heavy breath came from the other end. “I didn’t mean it that way.” Ethan’s voice dropped. “The match was just a coincidence. I never thought about it.” “You never thought about it?” I stood up and walked to the door. “Then what were you doing these past two weeks, putting Maya through every medical test?” “Forcing her to eat those blood-building supplements every day-what was that for?” “You wouldn’t even let her touch her favorite strawberries, saying it might affect her test results-what was that about?” He didn’t answer. “Ethan,” I said, “were you waiting for her to be well-nourished, fattened up, before taking her to extract her bone marrow?” “Autumn!” Ethan roared. “What do you take me for? An animal?” “Then tell me,” I said, word by word, “what are you?” Only heavy breathing remained on the other end. I hung up.

Autumn Lancaster POV That afternoon, I took Maya grocery shopping. Pushing the cart through the aisles, I suddenly realized it had been years since I’d shopped for myself. At the Pierce house, the housekeepers did these things. All I had to do was attend galas I didn’t want to go to and deal with people I didn’t know. Maya sat in the cart, holding a bag of chips. “Mommy, can we buy this?” “Yes.” “Mommy, can we buy that?” “Yes.” She blinked, hardly believing it. At the Pierce house, the high-priced parenting expert Ethan hired had rules: Maya could only have sweets once a day, no snacks, limited tablet time, couldn’t do this, couldn’t do that. Ethan never said anything. Whatever the expert said, he followed. “Mommy, will the parenting expert be angry?” I pushed the cart forward. “Maya, from now on, whatever you want to eat or play with, just tell Mommy.” “Really?” “Really.” She cheered, almost jumping out of the cart. At checkout, my phone rang again. This time it was a message, from Sylvia. She sent a photo. In it, Ethan sat in a hospital corridor, hands covering his face, shoulders slightly trembling. Beside him was Sylvia’s hand, gently resting on his shoulder. “He’s really hurting.” “For you, and for Noah. Autumn, don’t blame him. If you want to blame someone, blame me.” “If you have any conscience at all, come back and talk to him properly. Maya is a Pierce child. You can’t take her away.” I stared at the photo for a long time. Then I took a screenshot and saved it. After checking out, I pushed Maya out of the supermarket. “Mommy, aren’t we going home?” “We are going home.” I said. “To our home.” Passing a law office, I stopped. A business card was posted on the glass door: Adrian Cooper, Partner Attorney. Maya tugged my hand. “Mommy?” “It’s nothing.” I pushed her forward. “Mommy’s just thinking about something.” That evening, after putting Maya to bed, I sat alone on the balcony. The old apartment’s balcony was tiny, barely fitting one chair. I sat there, watching the lights in the apartment complexes across the way, listening to the sounds from downstairs, feeling strangely calm. For the first time in eight years, I felt this calm. At 2 a.m., Maya woke up again. I held her, pacing in the small room, gently patting her back. “Mommy, I’m scared.” “Scared of what?” “Scared Daddy will come find me.” My heart clenched. “Why would Daddy come find you?” She buried herself in my embrace, not speaking. I gently stroked her hair. Two weeks ago, when Ethan took Maya for a checkup, her mood had been off when they returned. I asked what was wrong. She said the blood draw hurt a little. Looking back now, that was probably the first time. Then came the second, the third. Ethan said the company arranged annual checkups for employees’ families, and Maya’s was just routine. I didn’t think much of it. Who would think in that direction? Who would imagine a father would scheme against his own daughter? But he wasn’t an ordinary father. He was a father who kept saying Noah would have everything too. That child had leukemia and urgently needed a bone marrow transplant. The odds of a successful match were extremely low, yet Maya matched. There are no such coincidences in this world. I held Maya until dawn.

Autumn Lancaster POV Three days later, I met Adrian Cooper. He was my high school classmate. We’d sat at the same desk for two days. Back then he was the poorest student in class, wearing faded old clothes, eating only the cheapest bread for lunch. I was the Lancaster heir, with chauffeurs picking me up, imported snacks in my backpack. We shouldn’t have had any connection. In sophomore year, Adrian’s mother fell critically ill and needed a large sum for surgery. He worked at a coffee shop near school until the early morning hours every day. I learned about this when I passed the coffee shop after school one day and saw him. His first reaction upon seeing me was to turn his head away. I said nothing. The next day I slipped a check for fifty thousand dollars-my saved allowance-into his desk drawer. He chased after me, cornering me in the hallway. “Autumn, what’s the meaning of this?” “No meaning.” I said. “It’s a loan. Just pay it back later.” He stared at me for a long time, his eyes reddening. Later he got into Harvard Law School and after graduating joined New York’s top firm. His mother’s surgery was successful. She’s still alive. The fifty thousand dollars. He paid it back his first year after graduation, with interest. I refused the interest, so he said. “If you ever need help with anything, just ask.” Over a decade passed. We’d never been in contact. But now, I needed a lawyer. Adrian Cooper’s law office was in Manhattan’s most expensive office tower. When I brought Maya upstairs, the receptionist warmly greeted us. “Are you Autumn? Adrian is waiting for you.” The office was large, with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the entire city skyline. Adrian stood by the window. Hearing us, he turned around. He was much taller than in high school, wearing a charcoal suit and gold-rimmed glasses, exuding an air of steady composure. But when he saw me, he smiled, the curve of his mouth exactly the same as a dozen years ago. “Autumn.” He walked over. “Long time no see.” “Long time no see.” He looked down at Maya and crouched. “Little one, what’s your name?” Maya hid behind me, peeking out. “Maya.” “Maya, that’s a beautiful name.” He took a candy from the desk. “Want some candy?” Maya looked at me. I nodded. She accepted it, saying softly. “Thank you.” Adrian arranged for an intern to take Maya to the lounge, then invited me to sit and personally poured water. “So, what’s the matter?” I placed the divorce agreement and the photo Sylvia sent in front of him. He read carefully, his brow gradually furrowing. “This Sylvia Sterling. Who is she?” “Ethan’s childhood sweetheart.” I said. “They grew up together. Later Sylvia married someone else and went abroad. Five years ago she came back with her child, saying she’d divorced.” “When did you find out?” “Six months ago.” Adrian took off his glasses, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “Autumn,” he looked up at me, “do you want to leave, or do you want to fight?” “Both.” I said, “But most importantly, Maya. I absolutely cannot let Ethan get custody of her.” “Reason?” I explained about Ethan’s medical tests on Maya these past two weeks. Adrian’s frown deepened. “Do you have evidence? Proof that he wants Maya to donate bone marrow to that child?” “No.” I said. “But he has the motive.” “Motive isn’t evidence.” Adrian leaned back. “And legally speaking, bone marrow donation requires guardian consent. You’re the child’s mother. As long as you don’t agree, he can’t make that decision.” “What if he gets custody?” Adrian fell silent. “He’ll find a way.” I said. “Sylvia’s child can’t wait much longer.” “Did Ethan love me? Perhaps, once.” “But he loves Sylvia more.” “For Sylvia, he’s capable of anything.” Adrian looked at me, something in his gaze I couldn’t read. “Autumn,” he asked, “do you love him?” I froze. Love him? I did once. Loved him for eight years. From twenty to twenty-eight, a woman’s best eight years. I accompanied him from having nothing to a net worth of hundreds of millions, through the hardest startup period, entertaining clients until I developed a stomach ulcer, living in cramped basement apartments and then penthouse suites, giving birth to his daughter. I once thought that was love. I once thought we’d be together forever. But that night, when Manhattan’s tallest building lit up with displays celebrating his company going public, when the entire city celebrated his success, he was in a hospital VIP ward keeping his childhood sweetheart company. Standing on the ruins of my family name. He wore the suit I’d ironed, leaning on a couch beside her, asleep. She photographed it, posted it online with the caption: “The one who shelters me has always been you.” In that moment I understood. The Ethan I loved never existed. What I loved was someone I’d imagined. What I loved was a dream I’d woven through eight years of youth. “I don’t love him anymore.” I said. “Haven’t for a long time.”

Autumn Lancaster POV Adrian looked at me and suddenly smiled. “That’s good.” He said. “I’ll take this case.” When we left the law office, it was already dark. Maya held my hand, walking and asking. “Mommy, is that man your friend?” “Mm, he’s Mommy’s old classmate.” “He’s a good person. He gave me candy.” I smiled, saying nothing. Waiting at a crosswalk for the light, a black Mercedes slowly stopped beside us. The window rolled down, and Ethan’s face appeared. He’d lost a lot of weight, eyes sunken, unshaven, his suit wrinkled-a far cry from his high spirits three days ago. “Autumn.” His voice was hoarse. “Get in.” Maya shrank behind me. I stood still. “You want to talk here?” He glanced around. “Fine by me, as long as you don’t care about being seen.” “I don’t care.” I answered. “I have nothing left. What is there to care about?” Ethan pushed open the car door and stepped out, standing before me. “Come back with me.” “No.” “Autumn!” His voice rose. “What exactly do you want? I said I’d take care of you, I said I’d look after you for life. What more do you want?” I looked up at him. That face. I used to know it so well. I’d watched it countless mornings when I woke up, secretly kissing his brow while he slept. I once thought we’d grow old together, watch our daughter grow up, become elderly together. But now, I only felt he was a stranger. “Ethan,” I said, “do you remember what you said the day we went to City Hall to register our marriage?” He froze. “You said that for this lifetime, you’d protect me completely, never let me suffer even the slightest grievance.” I smiled slightly. “Do you remember?” He didn’t speak. “And in fact, that night you were at Sylvia’s.” I stared at him intently. “The night we celebrated our wedding, I waited for you in our room while you were out drinking with friends.” I said. “I sat on the bed waiting all night. You didn’t come back. The next day you explained it was a company emergency. I believed you.” “Autumn…” “Later I learned that night Sylvia had returned to New York.” “She called you, said she was at the airport with her child, alone with nowhere to go. You went immediately, then stayed at her place all night.” Ethan’s face went white. “You’ve been lying to me ever since.” I said. “Five years. A full five years.” “That’s not true.” He grabbed my wrist. “Autumn, let me explain. There’s really nothing between Sylvia and me. She’s just… she’s just a friend I grew up with. When she’s in trouble I can’t ignore it. I don’t have those kinds of feelings for her…” “Don’t have those feelings?” I shook off his hand. “Then tell me, why was the necklace you bought her the exact one I looked at three times in the boutique but couldn’t bring myself to buy? Why did you tell me you had a business dinner on her birthday? Why did you tell me you were on a business trip when you took her son to the aquarium?” He didn’t answer. “Speak.” “Autumn, those were all things she requested. She’s raising a child alone, it’s not easy. Sometimes she complains to me and I just soften for a moment…” “Soften?” I laughed. “Ethan, who have you ever softened for? Me? The day Lancaster Industries went bankrupt, where were you? You were with her. The day your company went public, where were you? Still with her. When I had complications delivering Maya, where were you? You were at the airport picking her up.” “That day she’d just gotten off the plane with Noah. No one was there to meet her. She didn’t know anyone…” “So?” I interrupted. “So her convenience is worth more than my life?” Ethan stood stunned. “Ethan,” I said, “let’s get divorced.” Ethan stood motionless. I took Maya’s hand and walked around him, continuing forward. “Autumn!” He called from behind. “If you leave, the Lancaster family is truly finished! Lucas is still in there. Who’ll pay for your father’s medical bills? You…” I stopped, turned around, and looked at him. “Ethan,” I said, “do you think I’m still that Autumn you could manipulate at will?” I pulled out my phone, opening that report email. “I’ve already sent this material to Adrian Cooper. You should still remember him, right? Harvard Law graduate, now one of the top lawyers.” “If anything happens to me, he’ll send this email immediately. Want to guess whether the federal authorities would be interested in your public company after seeing this?” Ethan’s face went completely white. “You… you’ve been prepared all along?” “I told you,” I smiled slightly, “these eight years, I wasn’t just some foolish woman revolving around you.” “Everything you’ve done, I’ve kept track of. Including evidence of you seizing Lancaster assets, including all your transfer records with Sylvia, including those materials you forged when finding bone marrow matches for Noah.” He stepped back. “Autumn…” “Ethan,” I looked at him, “game over. You won against Lancaster Industries, but you haven’t won against me yet.” With that, I turned and left. This time, he didn’t chase after me.

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Since I was a little girl, I harbored a deep, secret crush on my best friend’s twin brother. I kept that admiration buried deep in my heart. In my previous life, on the first night of the fall semester, Nolan—our class president—decided to set off fireworks on the roof of our dorm building to celebrate his girlfriend Aria’s birthday. Terrified that the Resident Advisor (RA) would catch them, he actually took a padlock and locked the main double doors of the dorm before heading back up to haul the rest of the fireworks. No one could have predicted what happened next. The intense summer heat caused the stockpiled fireworks on the roof to spontaneously ignite and detonate. Because the doors were locked, my best friend was trampled and coughed up blood while trying to shield me from the panicked crowd. Other classmates, unable to bear the agony of being burned alive, threw themselves from the windows to their deaths. I frantically called everyone I could think of to come open the doors. Hearing the news, Nolan abandoned Aria and rushed back to campus, which barely helped minimize further casualties. Afterward, he dropped to his knees in front of everyone, begging for forgiveness. “It’s all my fault. I killed our classmates. I deserve to die.” But the very next day, he received news that Aria, drunk and distraught over being abandoned, had stumbled into a lake and drowned. Nolan was expelled from the university and faced the cold, hard bars of a prison cell. On the day his trial began, I went to the courthouse to support him. Instead, he pulled a knife and stabbed me repeatedly. As I lay in a pool of my own blood, his eyes were filled with pure, unhinged madness. “It’s because you forced me to come back that Aria died! I’m sending you to hell to keep her company!” When I opened my eyes again, an earth-shattering explosion ripped through the air. I had been reborn. Back to the exact day the fireworks blew up the dorm. 01 My roommates were screaming in sheer terror, their cries echoing over one another. Realizing I had respawned, I immediately grabbed my violently trembling best friend, Nora, and dragged her into the en-suite bathroom. I yelled at the other girls to get in here and soak their clothes in water. Nora was crying, looking at me in utter confusion. “Harper, the whole building is going to collapse! We need to run downstairs! What are we doing in the bathroom?!” The other roommates who had crowded into the bathroom stared at me too. “Yeah, Harper! If we just run out of the building, we’ll be fine. Why are we wetting our clothes?” Looking at their panicked eyes, a surge of complex emotions overwhelmed me. They didn’t know yet. To set off fireworks for Aria, Nolan had chained and locked both the front and back exits on the ground floor. If we went down there now, not only would we be trapped, but we would also be caught in a deadly, horrific stampede. “Nora, your brother locked the front and back doors of the dorm. We can’t get out right now.” The other girls’ eyes widened to the size of saucers. They couldn’t fathom how Nolan, the responsible Class President, could do something so insane. The keys to the women’s dorm were kept by the RA. How did he get them, and why would he lock the doors? The fire was spreading faster than I had anticipated. In the blink of an eye, the flames licked toward our room, and the window curtains instantly caught fire. “Then what do we do?! We can’t just sit here and wait to die!” “Sob… I just got into college. I don’t want to die!” My heart sank. I ran out of the bathroom and started shoving the heavy twin beds together with all my might, trying to create a barricade. Seeing my deadly serious expression, Nora couldn’t help but trust me. “My phone is dead! Quick, call my brother and tell him to come back and unlock the doors!” With that, Nora and the other girls grabbed buckets of water and started throwing them at the burning curtains. Absolute terror was written across everyone’s face. This time, I didn’t bother contacting Nolan. I dialed 911 immediately. I gave the dispatcher the exact address and the dire situation of the dorm, begging them to send the fire department instantly. In my previous life, Nolan had hung up on my desperate calls multiple times, completely wasting our window of survival. It wasn’t until he was casually driving back from his romantic dinner that he realized the entire dorm building had been blasted into a partial collapse by the fireworks. Half the residents were dead or injured, and countless students had jumped to escape the flames. Nora had been trampled so severely that, after emergency surgery, she was left in a permanent vegetative state. Holding his severely injured sister, he had screamed and cursed himself for being a monster. The dorm building gave a violent shudder. Outside the window, a classmate, completely engulfed in flames, plummeted past our floor. My roommates turned pale as sheets. A few of them pulled out their phones, weeping as they started recording their final goodbyes to their families. Nora hurriedly grabbed a roommate’s phone and dialed Nolan. After a long, agonizing ring, Nolan answered with a lazy, nasal tone. “Hello?” Nora’s voice was shaking, tears streaming down her face. “Nolan! The fireworks exploded in the dorm! You have to bring the keys back and open the doors right now!” “People are dying and getting hurt! I am not joking!” On the other end of the line, Nolan merely frowned, completely dismissing her. “Nora, I know you don’t like Aria. You’re just throwing a tantrum because I didn’t help you move your luggage into your dorm today.” Nora’s ex-boyfriend was the Student Body President, but Aria had effortlessly stolen him away. Unable to accept the emotional betrayal, Nora had ended the relationship in a highly public, messy breakup. Because of that, Nolan assumed she was deliberately targeting Aria out of spite. “I need to celebrate Aria’s birthday right now. I made her mad a few days ago, and I need to make it up to her. I don’t have time to coddle you.” “Did Harper tell you to make this call? Tell her I’ve known about her little crush on me for years, but my heart only belongs to Aria! The fireworks might get me a warning at worst. Tell her to stop trying to intervene. She’s just the Vice President; she needs to mind her own business.” Nora was shocked and frantic, burning with anxiety. “No, Nolan! The building is literally collapsing! If you don’t come back, the entire dorm—including me—is going to burn to the ground!” Nolan let out a cold scoff. “You’re just my sister. Aria is my future wife.” “So, can you grow up and act your age for once?” With that, he hung up. Nora dialed again. It went straight to voicemail. She was hyperventilating, her face covered in tears. Part of it was fear for everyone’s safety, but the other part was profound heartbreak over her brother’s horrific priorities. Listening to his words, I secretly clenched my fists. The overlapping trajectories of two lifetimes had finally allowed me to see Nolan’s true colors. He was never worth my love. 02 The power to the dorm’s AC was cut. The temperature in the room skyrocketed until everyone’s skin was flushed red and sweating profusely. The building gave a sudden lurch. Everyone screamed, grabbing onto the heavy, shifting bed frames. I pulled Nora under the bed and screamed at the others. “Everyone, get under the beds!” The roommates scrambled underneath, their bodies shaking violently. But hiding underneath wasn’t a long-term solution. We were on the fourth floor. If the building collapsed, we were dead anyway. “Right now! Take your clothes and the bedsheets and tie them all into knots! We’re going to rappel down! It might be our only chance!” I ripped the bedsheets off. Nora found a pair of scissors, cut them into strips, and we frantically began tying everything together into a makeshift rope. But a new problem emerged. There was absolutely nothing sturdy enough in the room to anchor the sheets to. That meant two people had to stay behind to act as the human counterweight so the others could climb down. Which meant… at least one person wouldn’t be able to escape. I took a deep breath, looking at Nora, who had just realized the same grim truth. In my past life, Nora protected me. In this life, I would sacrifice myself to save her. She was my childhood best friend, the most precious person in my life. “Once everyone else is down, I’ll hold the rope, and you climb down.” Nora shook her head vehemently. “Harper, if we leave, we leave together. If we stay, we stay together. I am not leaving you behind!” I grabbed her shoulders, shaking her hard, trying to force some sense into her. “Nora! I only have my grandmother! But you have a happy, complete family! If you die, what will happen to your parents?!” “The building is tilting. When I hold you, you have to brace your feet against the wall as you go down. Do you understand me?!” The roommates had finished tying the knots. The hallway outside was dead empty. Everyone had panicked and rushed down to the first floor. Now, a fatal stampede was happening down there. We could hear the muffled, desperate screams for help. Nora and I anchored the sheet rope. The other roommates, shaking like leaves, gripped it tightly and began to climb down. The scene felt like a living hell. The last roommate looked at Nora and me, sobbing, before reluctantly grabbing the rope. “You both have to survive.” Then, it was just me and Nora. Another explosion rocked the building. The shockwave instantly shattered the windows of the academic building across the street. Nora and I lost our footing and fell hard to the floor. Her eyes were filled with sorrow as she looked at me, refusing to leave. She scrambled back from the window. “Harper, if you aren’t leaving, I’m not leaving either!” I gagged on the thick smoke and shoved her toward the window, urging her to go. Nora refused. In her panic, she slapped my arm, her voice thick with despair. “Harper! You have to know someone else who has a spare key to the dorm! Think! Think hard! Find someone to save us!” 03 I knew that if we kept arguing, we would both die here. My mind raced frantically. Through the chaotic fog, a name flashed in my mind: Tristan. The Student Body President had used the dorm lobby for an event a few days ago and had borrowed the spare keys from the RA. He hadn’t returned them yet! “I know! I know!” Hearing this, Nora wept tears of joy. “Thank God! We’re saved!” I quickly pulled out my phone. After nearly forty seconds of agonizing ringing, the line finally connected. “Tristan! The dorm is on fire! I remember the Student Council has the spare keys! Hurry up and get someone to open the doors!” Tristan answered the phone in the middle of the night, clearly half-asleep. I didn’t have time to explain everything. I just held the phone out so he could hear the horrific screams coming from the lower floors. But Tristan didn’t react. Instead, a dismissive scoff came through the speaker. “Harper, you’ve really gone all out just to help Nora put on a show. Making this huge of a scene? You actually dragged the whole dorm into this little carnival?” Hearing Nora’s name made the guy on the other end even more irritated. “Nora, we are broken up. Stop obsessing over me.” Tristan’s tone was entirely absolute. He genuinely believed I was just orchestrating a massive prank to help Nora throw a tantrum. Tears of pure frustration spilled down my face. Faced with life and death, I couldn’t keep my emotions in check. Tristan’s voice grew colder. “Whatever. You’re just doing this because you think I’m ignoring you and paying attention to other girls, right? Using a stunt like this to get my attention is incredibly pathetic.” Nora frantically grabbed the phone. “This isn’t a prank!” Right as she spoke, another classmate, engulfed in flames, threw herself from the window above us. Nora gripped the phone, sweating profusely. “Please, save us.” “Please, just bring the keys and open the main doors! Save everyone!” Tristan, annoyed by her screaming, lost his patience entirely and cursed at her. “Nora, if Nolan hadn’t called me beforehand, I might have actually fallen for your bullshit! I can’t believe you made up a lie about the dorm exploding from fireworks to trick me!” “Let me tell you, it’s late. Don’t disturb my sleep.” I was burning with fury. I quickly switched the call to FaceTime and pointed the camera down at the ground below. “Look at this! The bodies on the ground are our classmates! I already called 911! The situation is critical, and you’re the only one I can reach!” “I’m begging you, come save us!” Tristan looked annoyed. The video feed was pitch black, only showing a few sparks of fire, which wasn’t enough to convince him. “Nice disaster movie setup. Looks just like it does on my 120-inch TV at home. Let me tell you, filing a false police report is a crime! I know you’re tight with Nora, but there has to be a limit to this nonsense!” Nora couldn’t listen anymore. She screamed through her tears. “We aren’t faking this! Why won’t you believe us?!” “Stop yelling. You’re so annoying.” Tristan remained entirely unmoved. “I’m hanging up.” I screamed in desperation: “Don’t trust Nolan! He snuck those fireworks onto the roof to surprise Aria! He locked the front and back doors so the RA wouldn’t catch him!” “Don’t hang up! Don’t! You live in the campus dorms too! Just step outside and look, you’ll see it!” I thought this might finally make him realize the truth. But instead, his words grew even sharper. “Harper, the Student Council members all went home after our meeting. None of us are sleeping in the dorms tonight. Whatever petty drama you girls have going on, figure it out yourselves. Don’t drag the rest of the school into it!” “Aria is innocent and pure. She isn’t jealous and vindictive like you two. No wonder Nolan chose her over you.” My heart plummeted into an abyss. Nora looked at me, paralyzed, her eyes turning ice-cold. No wonder. No wonder Tristan couldn’t hear the massive explosions. He wasn’t on campus. I tried to comfort Nora. “Don’t be scared, we’ll find a way.” I continued to beg Tristan. “Then please, call Nolan! He won’t believe us, but tell him to come back and open the doors!” “This is life or death, I wouldn’t lie about this!” 04 Tristan’s finger hovered over the ‘end call’ button, hesitating. He knew I wasn’t the type to joke around, especially not about the lives of our entire dorm. Just then, a gentle voice filtered through the speaker. It was Tristan’s mother. “Son, it’s late. A classmate wouldn’t bother you unless it was something serious. And if it’s life or death… what if it’s true?” Hearing this, I felt a glimmer of hope and pleaded with him even more desperately. “Please, save them!” Tristan let out a breath and said, “Fine. I’ll be generous and believe you this once.” “I’ll call Nolan from my other phone to see what’s going on. Don’t hang up.” “But let me warn you, if the situation isn’t exactly as you described, I will report you to the Dean.” Nora and I wept with relief, as if we could already see the dorm doors being thrown open. Tristan put his other phone on speaker so we could hear. The moment Nolan answered, his voice carried the arrogant confidence of someone who thought he had everything under control. “Did Harper contact you? Don’t let her trick you. Her roommates called me earlier saying my sister was going to burn to death in the dorm. Honestly, they lie so poorly.” “I saw those girls perfectly fine and energetic today. Why wouldn’t Nora just walk downstairs with them instead of sitting there waiting to burn? “Don’t listen to those dramatic women. When they get jealous, they really commit to the act!” Nora was so furious she almost passed out. She couldn’t hold back and screamed at the phone. “Nolan, you bastard! We are family! What do we have to do to make you believe us?!” She couldn’t fathom how the twin brother who had treated her like a princess her whole life had morphed into this unrecognizable monster for another girl. He didn’t just disregard her life; he disregarded the entire building. Nolan scoffed, and I finally learned the truth behind his unwavering confidence. No wonder he had strolled back so casually in my previous life. “We’re at the beach getting ready to set off the rest of the fireworks. I already called the RA, and she said everything was absolutely fine.” Nolan’s attitude was icy, and I was momentarily stunned into silence. But I couldn’t understand it. The RA lived on the ground floor of the dorm. How could she possibly say everything was fine? Before I could speak, Nolan abruptly hung up the phone. Tristan, who had momentarily believed me, turned his tone to pure ice. “You guys really are just putting on a show. Disturbing my sleep in the middle of the night. Tomorrow morning, I’m going straight to the Dean. We’ll see how the university handles you!” The intense heat from my wet clothes was basically boiling me alive. My head was spinning, and Nora had already passed out. We wouldn’t last much longer. Despair washed over me. I screamed into the phone. “Tristan! If we wait until morning, it will be too late! The ones getting expelled won’t be us, it’ll be you and Nolan!” Tristan was about to hang up, but his mother’s voice stopped him again. He took all his anger out on me. “Still committing to the bit? You might have actually fooled someone else. Let’s see who gets expelled when the Dean finds out you’re just throwing a tantrum!” “Let me tell you, when morning comes, the school will notify your families. I’ll tell your grandmother exactly what you did. You’ll be crying then!” 05 I cried tears of pure despair and helplessness. He thought I was shedding tears of regret. “Harper, what are you crying for in the middle of the night? Save your energy for when you get suspended. You’re the Vice President. You’re supposed to be a good student, but you’re just a two-faced troublemaker.” Even if I died, it didn’t matter. But Nora had a happy family waiting for her. Tristan listened to my pathetic sobs without a shred of sympathy. “You’re destroying your own future by playing these games with Nora. Did you ever think about your grandmother, who scraped together every penny just to send you to college?” The building tilted even further. The sound of snapping rebar felt like a death sentence. But Tristan couldn’t see any of it. To him, we were just watching a disaster movie on a projector and putting on a performance for his phone camera. Suddenly, a phone dropped by one of our fleeing roommates started ringing wildly. It was an unknown number. I joyfully answered it and put it on speaker. An urgent, professional voice came through. “Is this Harper and Nora? This is the Fire Department. We have arrived at your dorm building. Our crews are currently fighting the blaze, and we are deploying aerial ladder trucks to rescue any survivors. Can you confirm your exact location?” “Let me brief you on the situation. Your dorm building is on the verge of collapse. Most of the load-bearing walls have been warped by the intense heat. You don’t have much time left!” It was only then that I realized the chaotic, agonizing screams for help from the lower floors had fallen silent at some point. I yelled into my own phone desperately. “Send your men to break open the main doors on the first floor immediately! Everyone from the entire building is crushed against those doors waiting to be saved! You still have time to save them!” Hearing this, Tristan’s shocked voice echoed from his phone. His stubbornness finally cracked. “The dorm is really on fire?! Harper, how are you and Nora doing?!” I had inhaled a lot of thick smoke. I choked out a response. “Nora is unconscious. The fire is spreading incredibly fast. The walls on our floor are scorching hot.” The firefighter urgently reminded me. “Harper, please give me your exact location! We’ve already sent crews to the first floor! I need to pinpoint your room!” “We are on the 4th floor, on the balcony facing the track field! Please, hurry!” “Also, the main doors on the first floor are padlocked. You’ll need…” It was getting hard to breathe. Tears and mucus streamed down my face. Nora’s face was noticeably turning blue. I frantically patted her cheeks. “Nora, wake up! We’re saved! The firefighters are here, just hold on…” 06 Tristan’s voice trembled with panic as he blamed himself over the phone. “Harper, I should have believed you. If I had been sleeping in the dorms today, if I had just listened and opened the doors, everyone would have been saved. If anything happens to you, it’s my fault…” A profound sadness washed over me. I fought through the pain to reply. “It’s too late for ‘ifs’! Nora’s life is hanging by a thread, stop playing the hindsight hero!” Just then, I heard someone calling out. “Are you Harper?! We’re here to get you out!” Through the thick smoke, I saw a firefighter ascending toward us in the bucket of a ladder truck. “I found them! One victim is unconscious and requires immediate medical attention!” He jumped onto the balcony and helped me toward the bucket. “I’ll get you down first, then come back for your friend!” Holding my wet clothes, I knew I could hold out a little longer. I insisted he take Nora first. Time was critical, so he strapped Nora onto his back and began the descent. Soon after, the firefighter returned and carried me down to the track field. Breathing in the fresh, cool air, listening to the approaching sirens of the ambulances, I felt like I had been given a second chance at life. This was my second life. On the still-connected phone, Tristan had heard everything. “Harper, are you and Nora safe?” I sneered internally, letting my anger seep into my voice. “We are perfectly safe. So we won’t be disturbing your precious sleep in the middle of the night anymore.” I moved to hang up. Tristan seemed to sense my intent. His tone was urgent. “Don’t hang up yet! My driver sped me over here. I am giving you my most sincere apology. I’m sorry, Harper. As Student Body President, I failed to act responsibly when you sought my help.” “It’s a sin that I allowed you and all our classmates to suffer this tragedy.” I didn’t hide my absolute disgust. “Thank God the fire department arrived. Otherwise, when the sun came up, you wouldn’t be petitioning the Dean to suspend us—you’d be watching over our corpses while you got expelled!” “After tonight, I finally understand. In your eyes, poor college students like me who bust our asses to succeed are just brainless idiots who would joke about the lives of our entire dorm and destroy our own futures just to play petty jealousy games!” “Thank God Nora broke up with you. If she hadn’t, I would have forced her to!” Tristan hurriedly tried to do damage control, but his tone still carried its usual arrogant weight. “I already apologized! Your attitude right now is completely uncalled for. Do you have any manners at all?” “I know you went through something traumatic and you have a grudge against me, but even so, you need to control your emotions!” I stared blankly at Nora being loaded into an ambulance, and my consciousness finally faded. The curse word that was sitting on the tip of my tongue never made it out. “We have a student collapsed! Get her in the ambulance, quick!”

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I’d been dating my boyfriend Matthew for three years, but he still refused to Mark me. He was the illegitimate son of an Alpha and a human woman, raised by his human mother from childhood. He endured relentless bullying and humiliation from purebred werewolves. So he hated werewolf customs and rituals. But he promised me that if I proposed to him 9 times, he would marry me. The first time, his human assistant Tiffany made a mistake at work. He rushed back to handle it, leaving me alone at the proposal venue. The second time, Tiffany knocked over the champagne tower. Glass shards cut my arm, but he rushed to take the terrified Tiffany to the hospital instead. He left me with just one sentence: “You can heal yourself anyway.” After that, no matter when I proposed, Tiffany always had some kind of trouble that needed him. By the ninth time, he still hadn’t accepted my proposal. My heart turned cold, and I finally decided to leave. After I left him, he went crazy searching for me everywhere. 0

Today was my ninth proposal to Matthew Blackwood. All our friends knew that Matthew had promised me that if I proposed to him 9 times, he would officially become my mate. My boyfriend had told me he was a werewolf raised by humans, so he deeply valued human ceremonies. So I carefully arranged the wedding venue time after time. I hoped to become his true mate and start a new family together. But the first 8 times, he left at the last minute. This was the ninth time, and also the last. Matthew assured me that this time he would definitely arrive on time. But as the ceremony time approached, Matthew, who should have been on stage, broke his promise once again. He called to tell me. “Tiffany hurt her leg. I need to take her to the hospital. Human bodies are fragile, unlike yours. Let’s cancel this proposal. Next time, I’ll definitely be there next time.” In three years of dating, this was the ninth time he’d cancelled our proposal ceremony because of Tiffany. If it had been before, I would have made a scene at this moment, demanding to know why he had to leave right now. But this time, I smiled softly. “It’s okay. Humans are indeed fragile. It would be bad if something happened.” Matthew paused slightly, seeming surprised by how agreeable I was being. “It’s good you can think that way. I’ll bring you that mango cake you like tonight.” I hummed in acknowledgment. The moment he hung up, I dropped the smile. He’d forgotten that I hated mangoes and despised eating cake. The person who loved mango cake wasn’t me. He’d bought one before to cheer me up. Not wanting to disappoint him, I forced myself to take a bite despite the nausea, only telling him afterward that I really hated mangoes and cake. When he found out, he immediately opened his phone and added it to his notes, saying he would never forget. Just one year later, “never” had passed. The scorching sun overhead made my whole body burn, but my heart remained ice cold. I laughed coldly and went back to announce the ceremony was cancelled. I knew that these three years of feelings should be cancelled along with it. I called my parents directly. My father was the Alpha of a powerful Pack in New York, and I was the Alpha’s daughter. With my status, Matthew wasn’t worthy of being my mate. It’s just that after turning 18, I never found my own mate. Until I met Matthew in college and was deeply attracted to him, coming here with him against my parents’ objections. He was the illegitimate son of the Shadowfen Pack’s Alpha and a human, raised by a human woman. Even after being brought back to the Shadowfen Pack, he was constantly mocked for never being able to shift. Because he hated when people flaunted their privileged families most of all. So for three years, I never told him my true background. Plus I told him I was mocked for never finding a mate. He always thought I was an ordinary werewolf who suffered bullying just like him. To prove himself, he worked desperately hard to gain the recognition of Alpha Silas of the Shadowfen Pack. Over three years, I worked with him at Alpha Silas’s company, helping him rise from the bottom to manager. Finally earning Alpha Silas’s recognition, who acknowledged his status as the Alpha’s son. He also promised me he would marry me soon. Everyone knew I was his girlfriend. So much so that everyone joked that fate must have made a mistake. Matthew and I should have been destined mates. Our lives got better and better. I thought Matthew wouldn’t mind my background anymore, but I never had the chance to tell him. Until he met that fragile human girl. He told me that girl reminded him of his own mother. So despite everyone’s objections, he broke protocol to hire her at the company and made her his assistant. Thinking about it, I sighed. In the end, I wouldn’t need to tell him after all. “Mom, Dad, I accept the arranged marriage. I’ll come home in three days.” My parents immediately replied. “Good girl, Mom and Dad will book your plane ticket right now!” 0

After handling everything, I returned home. As soon as I pushed open the door, I smelled sickly sweet perfume in the air, and the musky scent of sex. The living room lights were off. Only warm yellow light leaked from under the bedroom door that was left slightly ajar, along with… some scattered, sticky sounds. My heartbeat skipped. I walked over quietly. Two intertwined figures rose and fell on my bed. Tiffany’s long hair was messily scattered across Matthew’s pillow, her nails digging deep into his sweat-slicked back. Matthew was panting low, with an obsession I’d never heard before. No screaming. No questioning. I gently closed the door, shutting that sordid scene behind me. Then I took what few personal belongings I had and moved into a hotel. Fortunately, Matthew had always refused to Mark me all these years. Now I didn’t need to worry about how to break a mate bond. Early the next morning, I went to the company with my packed luggage to resign. Beta Thompson knew my identity and my relationship with Matthew. He was still trying to convince me to stay. Just then, Matthew walked in carrying documents. My eyes caught sight of the kiss marks on his neck and Tiffany’s perfume scent all over him. Clearly he’d been very satisfied last night. He used to hate when I left marks on him, saying it affected his work. So when we were intimate, I tried hard to control myself, or just gripped the sheets instead. He didn’t dislike being marked—he just didn’t want it to be by me. As soon as he walked in, the supervisor immediately spoke up. “Beta Thompson, your girlfriend wants to resign. Did you two have a fight?” “It has nothing to do with him.” “You want to resign?” Two voices rang out simultaneously. In the corner of my eye, I saw his gaze fixed tightly on me, lips pressed together. “Sure enough, you’re angry I cancelled the proposal ceremony yesterday, aren’t you?” Beta Thompson tactfully left to give us space. The moment the door closed, he stepped forward to question me. “I already told you yesterday Tiffany hurt her leg, that’s why I cancelled. How can you be so petty?” I tried to stay calm, looking up to lie. “I’m not angry. I’m resigning because I’m tired and want to take a vacation and rest.” He crossed his arms, frowning in confusion. “If you want a vacation, just take paid leave. If you suddenly resign like this, people will think you have a problem with Tiffany. How can she stay at the company then?” He’d forgotten. This year I’d already used up all my paid leave on every cancelled proposal ceremony of his. And people’s alienation of Tiffany was largely because she lacked ability but was hired through special treatment. Just because Tiffany reminded him of his own fragile human mother. I shifted my gaze back to the lipstick mark on his neck, saying nothing. He noticed and instinctively covered his neck. “I accidentally scratched myself. Don’t overthink it.” I laughed coldly inside. This excuse was too clumsy. Werewolves had extremely strong healing abilities. How could such a mark remain? But I nodded, not exposing his lie. Matthew breathed a sigh of relief. Thinking I’d calmed down, he smiled and put his arm around my shoulders. “That’s more like it. Being generous is what qualifies you to stand by my side. Stop making a fuss about resigning. Tonight I’ll take you to Moonlight Restaurant for French food, okay? Consider it compensation.” I still didn’t speak. He took it as agreement. The thought of saying a proper goodbye was pushed down inside me. Now I didn’t want to tell him about going to New York. “Matthew!” Just then, Tiffany pushed the door open without knocking. Matthew was startled and immediately let go of me. Tiffany smiled apologetically. “Sorry to interrupt your date with Lily, but I had no choice. I don’t quite understand this project…” Hearing this, Matthew walked toward her without looking back, taking the documents from Tiffany’s hands and asking patiently what she didn’t understand. Tiffany deliberately stood very close. The two of them whispered in front of me, forming a barrier. Then Tiffany pulled Matthew outside. The moment the door closed, she turned back with a provocative smile. In that instant, I saw the clear bite mark on her neck. No wonder he didn’t want to Mark me. He’d already fallen in love with that human. In the empty room, only my breathing could be heard. The next second, the gemstone necklace around my neck fell and shattered on the floor. Without reason. That was the anniversary gift Matthew gave me on our first year together. He’d said he hoped our relationship would be like that gemstone—forever beautiful and solid. I was silent for a long time, finally calmly cleaning up the fragments, along with what remained of my reluctance to let go, throwing it all in the trash. After getting Alpha Silas’s approval, I returned to my workstation to hand over my remaining work. Chris, the colleague taking over from me, usually got along well with me. Learning I was leaving, she seemed reluctant to part. “Lily, are you really leaving?” “Then won’t I have to watch those two showing off in front of me every day!” Following her gaze, Matthew was explaining the project to Tiffany. Tiffany seemed unhappy after being mildly scolded by Matthew. Matthew sighed and suddenly pulled out a sparkling platinum diamond bracelet from his suit pocket. She immediately broke into a smile, putting it on right there, even holding it up to the light to look at it. Then she met my eyes and stood up in apparent panic. “Lily, Matthew and I have no relationship. It’s just an ordinary bracelet!” As soon as she said this, everyone’s eyes immediately wandered between her and me. In three years of dating, the most expensive gift Matthew ever gave me was probably that necklace that just shattered. And Tiffany, who’d only been here less than a year, had already received bags, shoes, and now a diamond bracelet. Everyone thought I was pitiful. Even Chris standing beside me was indignant on my behalf. “You’re still boyfriend and girlfriend, and they’re playing you for a fool!” I pressed down on her hand, shaking my head repeatedly, signaling her not to impulsively start a fight, then continued looking at Tiffany. “The bracelet is very sparkly. It suits you.” Tiffany, not seeing me lose my temper, seemed unwilling and continued. “Lily, it’s really not expensive. Please don’t be angry at Matthew…” I just found it baffling. Angry? No need. My mother’s jewelry box had countless bracelets like this. I just never wore them to the company. 0

Hearing Tiffany’s words, Matthew stood up, looking at me with displeasure. “Lily, mind the setting. Don’t make a scene.” I sighed and shook my head. “I’m not making a scene. You two are being too sensitive.” My calmness surprised him. He snorted coldly. “You’d better really think that way.” He pulled Tiffany to sit down, comforting her in a low voice. Chris couldn’t help asking me, “You’re just letting it go like this?” I continued organizing documents, shrugging. “What else? In my heart, the relationship is already over.” At closing time, Matthew unusually came to my workstation. “Let’s go. I made a reservation at Moonlight Restaurant for seven-thirty.” His gaze swept over my bare neck and he suddenly froze, asking somewhat urgently, “Where’s the necklace I gave you?” “Put it away. Afraid of losing it.” He clearly relaxed, smiling. “You wore it every day before. Now you know to treasure it?” I didn’t answer, because Tiffany had already fluttered over like a butterfly, dangling car keys in her hand. “Matthew, I brought your car up from the garage for you! It’s downstairs.” Matthew was immediately drawn to her, nodding. “Wait for me in the car.” I watched Tiffany skip lightly toward his sports car, smoothly opening the passenger door and getting in. In three years of dating, I’d never sat in that seat. He said it was reserved exclusively for his future wife. At this moment, through the car window, Tiffany cast me a look mixing pity and provocation. I calmly looked away, my heart a numb silence. In the private room at Moonlight Restaurant, Matthew pulled out a chair for Tiffany. Then the two of them huddled together discussing the menu, but no one asked my opinion. After the main course, Tiffany suggested going to the terrace to see the night view. I didn’t want to follow, but Matthew forcibly brought me along. Tiffany, wearing stiletto heels, walked beside me. “Can you take a photo of Matthew and me?” She suddenly came over and grabbed my hand. I was about to shake her off. Just then, Tiffany let out a short cry and fell to the ground with a thud. “Tiffany!” Matthew’s face changed drastically. He rushed forward in one stride, holding her tightly in his arms, his voice carrying a panic I’d never heard before. “Are you okay? Where are you hurt?” Tiffany leaned in his arms, her eyes instantly reddening. “I’m… I’m fine… I was careless, didn’t stand steady… It’s not Lily’s fault. She might just… just not like me very much…” “She’s like this and you’re still speaking for her!” Matthew suddenly looked up, his gaze like a blade stabbing at me. “Lily! I didn’t think you could be so vicious! Pushing her? How could you do that!” “I didn’t push her.” I stood there, my voice so calm it surprised even myself. “Still lying?!” Matthew strode up to me. His figure appeared especially tall in the night and lamplight, carrying an intimidating pressure. I clearly saw the veins bulging at his temples. “I was just standing here. She herself…” “Enough!” The sound of a loud slap cut off all my unspoken words. A burning sting spread across my cheek, my ears ringing. I turned my head, tasting a faint rusty flavor on my tongue. “That slap was to pay you back on Tiffany’s behalf.” Matthew’s voice was ice cold and piercing. “Apologize to her. Now. Immediately.” Tiffany’s sobbing rose at just the right moment, full of helplessness and grievance. I slowly turned my face back, looking directly at Matthew. “Apologize?” I stepped forward. Under Matthew’s slightly stunned gaze, I picked up my purse that I’d left on the chair. Then I said: “I’m sorry for wasting your time watching such a boring show.” With that, without waiting for his reaction, I turned and left. I walked straight to the waiting taxi by the roadside. My phone vibrated in my bag. I didn’t need to look to know who it was. I got in the car, told the driver the airport location, then took out my phone. Matthew’s messages filled the screen: “Where are you going? Come back and make things clear!” “Tiffany sprained her wrist. I’m very disappointed.” “It’s just a slap. You’ll heal quickly. Don’t throw a tantrum over such a small thing!” “Answer the phone! Or don’t expect me to marry you.” The last one said: “Fine. If you have the guts, don’t come back!” I replied expressionlessly. “Okay.” By the time I was about to board, he sent another message. “I have to take care of Tiffany tonight, so I won’t come home. Take care of yourself at home.” I laughed coldly, already understanding everything. “It’s fine. You can even live at her place. I’ve already moved my luggage and left. We won’t have any relationship from now on.” “Matthew, goodbye forever.” After sending him the last message, I immediately blocked and deleted him.

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I took my mom cherry picking, and out of nowhere, she blurted out: “You know, you’re actually pretty cheap.” I looked up, a bit stunned, staring at her in confusion. “Why would you say that?” “Even though you make good money, sometimes you really don’t measure up to your sister.” “To put it bluntly, you’re just cheap.” My mom emphasized the word, repeating it with lingering resentment. “Sure, sometimes when we see you, you give us cash, and you buy the household essentials, but you’ve never once treated us to a nice dinner out. Your sister isn’t like that. She’s always treating us.” Suddenly, it all made sense. I finally understood. That dinner my sister paid for two weeks ago had become a knot in my mother’s heart, one she simply couldn’t get past. 1 Two weeks ago, my dad was unexpectedly in a car accident and broke his arm. I rushed him to the hospital, running up and down the floors to handle the billing, fill out the paperwork, and hire a private nurse. By the time my sister finally arrived, I had basically done all the heavy lifting. So, my sister took us out to the fast-food place right across the street from the hospital to grab a bite to eat. At that moment, my mom’s face visibly soured. She hinted to me, hesitating before finally saying: “You are the older sister.” I sighed, accepting my fate, and pulled out my phone to pay. The whole meal was maybe thirty or forty bucks, not even fifty. It wasn’t that I was unwilling to pay; I just didn’t want my mom to sit there with a long face, projecting her dissatisfaction onto me over a few dollars. But my sister was faster. She playfully waved her phone in the air. “I already paid!” My mom instantly looked horrified and asked my sister: “Where did you get the money? Your Uber here must have cost over a hundred dollars! I’m here, and your sister is here, why on earth would we let you pay?” My sister, clearly afraid I would get mad, shot me a quick, covert look and offered a helpless, bitter smile. Then, she linked arms with my mom, acting sweet and coaxing. “Mom, what does it matter who pays? Didn’t my sister just pay the massive hospital deposit and cover the private nurse? There’s no reason I shouldn’t be the one to cover this tiny little expense.” “Once they find the driver who hit Dad, all this money will be reimbursed by their insurance anyway. My sister is just fronting the money for now, it’s not like she won’t get it back.” My mom muttered something under her breath, clearly still unconvinced. But in reality, when my mom finally received the insurance settlement, she didn’t pay me back a single dime. That didn’t really matter to me. My dad was hurt; it was my duty to step up and help cover the costs. I wasn’t bitter about that part. What hurt me was this: My mom would repeatedly bring up the fact that my sister paid for that one specific meal. “We shouldn’t have let your sister pay. Her income is so unstable. She works one month and is unemployed for two. It’s a struggle for her just to support herself.” “Your sister treated us to lunch today. You really got to ride her coattails, huh?” I had just spent thousands of dollars, and my sister had spent thirty, but somehow, I was the one riding her coattails? I had reached my limit and was just opening my mouth to snap back. But I saw my dad frantically shaking his head at me from the hospital bed. For the sake of my poor, injured dad, I swallowed my anger and didn’t start a screaming match with my mom right there in the hospital room. But in just one short afternoon… Through phone calls, face-to-face chats with visitors, and FaceTime sessions, my mom managed to tell every single person she could get ahold of. My sister treated us to a fast-food meal, and now the whole world knew about it. And what about me? I stretched my neck to listen, only to hear my mom whispering sympathetically: “The youngest is always the most thoughtful, you know? She knew we hadn’t eaten all day and had nowhere to go, so she immediately took us out for food.” “The older one sat here with us all morning, didn’t even notice I was starving, didn’t even think to go to the vending machine and grab me a muffin or something.” I couldn’t listen to another word. I made a flimsy excuse, turned around, and walked out. The tears fell freely down my face. It wasn’t that I hadn’t thought about her being hungry; it was that I was so overwhelmed I literally didn’t have a second to think. I was handling the admission paperwork, coordinating the X-rays, paying the massive bills, tracking down the police to ask if the hit-and-run driver had been caught, and vetting private nurses. When did I even have a moment to catch my breath? I had always known my mom played favorites. When we were in college, the agreement was that my sister and I would each get a thousand dollars a month for living expenses. But between buying school supplies, textbooks, groceries, and basic necessities, my thousand was never enough. Yet, my sister always seemed to have money left over. My mom would constantly scold me, saying I wasn’t as sensible as my sister, that I didn’t care how hard my parents worked, that I didn’t know how to budget. Every time I had to ask for money, I had to endure a brutal lecture. Occasionally, there would be a month where I pinched every penny and miraculously didn’t go over budget. But then, my mom wouldn’t send my allowance on time. She would intentionally delay it by a few days, claiming she was “teaching me financial discipline.” 2 I was always living in a state of anxiety. Every month, I prayed my mom wouldn’t delay the transfer. But I never dared to actually ask her for it. Because my mom would always shut me down with the exact same sentence: “Why is your sister’s allowance always enough? Why does she never have to hound me for money?” Yeah, I didn’t understand it either. I was already being so incredibly frugal, literally calculating how many tampons I could afford to use. Why was it still never enough? It wasn’t until a few years after graduation, during a casual chat with my sister, that I finally found out the truth. Her monthly cash allowance was indeed a thousand dollars. But every other expense? My mom bought it for her and shipped it directly to her dorm. Whether it was textbooks, makeup, or snacks. Even her campus dining card was topped up every single semester, and it was always loaded with a thousand dollars right off the bat. My sister’s thousand-dollar cash allowance? She literally didn’t even know what to spend it on. And me? I got nothing. Every single one of my expenses had to come out of that flat one thousand dollars. During the holidays, my mom would bring out the smoked salmon she had made from scratch to serve guests. Both my sister and I loved it. When we were getting ready to leave, my mom packed a massive shopping bag full of it for my sister. She didn’t even offer me a single piece. My dad, watching from the side, felt the awkwardness and quickly chimed in: “Pack a bag of the salmon for Avery, too.” My mom scoffed disdainfully. “What salmon?” “That’s for guests.” She spoke slowly, drawing out the words. Her eyes landed squarely on me. Then, with feigned hesitation, she asked: “Do you want some?” I fought back the tears threatening to spill and shook my head aggressively. “No. I don’t really like it.” She let out a massive sigh of relief, as if she had just dodged a bullet, and smiled at my dad. “See? I told you she didn’t want any. She’s so picky, she wouldn’t even look twice at this simple food.” It hurt so much. I quickly ran outside, started my car, and prepared to leave. But my mom chased after me. Her reluctance from a moment ago had completely vanished, replaced by a beaming smile as she shoved a bag of smoked fish through my car window. “Just take it, your dad insisted.” “If you don’t take it, he’s going to start a fight with me again.” I let out a low sigh and took the bag. When I got home and opened it, I realized it wasn’t the batch she had made herself. Her recipe was slightly spicy, flavorful, and incredibly delicious. The batch she gave me was plain and bland. It was the batch my aunt had given her—the batch my mom had openly complained she hated. I remembered her taking it out of the fridge to heat up a few days ago, muttering: “This tastes awful. I really didn’t want to take it. I’ll just give it away to someone later.” Oh. So the “someone” she deemed worthy of her garbage leftovers was me. And now, as my mom brought up that fast-food dinner my sister paid for yet again, I finally couldn’t hold it in anymore. “Mom. The bedsheets in your house, the fruit and snacks in your fridge, the paper towels, even the AC unit and the TV—which one of those didn’t I buy? Every holiday and birthday, I hand you cash envelopes with thousands of dollars. Have you ever bothered to calculate how much all of that adds up to? My sister pays for a thirty-dollar meal, and you obsess over it, repeating over and over that I took advantage of her. So how about this: from now on, she can pay for all the appliances and cash gifts, and I’ll Venmo her a hundred bucks right now to cover that meal. Will that finally buy your silence?” “If this is how you calculate who is taking a loss and who is taking advantage, then fine! Let my sister take all the ‘advantage,’ and I’ll gladly take the ‘loss.’ Is that what you want?!” I was so angry my throat was hoarse, choking on a sob. My mom was startled by my outburst, her eyes widening in shock. “Why are you so emotionally unstable? We’re just having a casual chat, what are you throwing such a massive tantrum for?” “I’m uneducated, I didn’t go to college. How am I supposed to know what I should and shouldn’t say? Do you really need to nitpick every single word your own mother says? I never said you didn’t spend money on me, did I? I said it right from the start: you give me money and buy me things. I’m just saying that when it comes to taking people out to eat, you aren’t as thoughtful as your sister, you aren’t as sophisticated. Was I wrong to point that out?” 3 “Honestly, you can’t even say a word around you anymore.” “Don’t ever invite me out again. It’s blazing hot outside, and apparently, letting me tag along is some kind of crime to you? You’re like a landmine, exploding without warning. Do I owe you something?” “I was in such a good mood, and your yelling completely ruined it.” She put on an expression of utter disgust and victimhood. She grabbed the baskets of cherries we had just picked and started walking out of the orchard. From a distance, I could hear her telling the fruit stand owner, “My daughter is paying,” before she walked out to the side of the road and hailed an Uber. Leaving me standing there, my heart overflowing with frustration and humiliation. I deeply regretted ever inviting her out. Actually, it wasn’t even my idea to invite her. She called me yesterday saying she was craving cherries. I offered to buy some from the grocery store and bring them over, but she insisted she wanted “freshly picked” ones. So, I specifically rescheduled my own plans, booked a spot at this U-Pick orchard, and drove her all the way out here before I even had time to eat breakfast. I never expected that after one minor disagreement, she would throw a fit and literally abandon me here. In the past, I would always rationalize it to myself. She’s getting older, she’s stuck in her ways, I shouldn’t hold it against her. But this time, it was probably because this string of incidents had happened so close together, and she was being so incredibly unreasonable, that it left me absolutely zero room to lie to myself anymore. I decided to let my emotions run their course. I was never going to bow my head to her again. There was only one thing still weighing on my mind. About a month ago, my mom kept dropping hints that she wanted me to take her to buy a robot vacuum. She constantly complained that sweeping hurt her back and that she would eventually develop chronic back pain. But because it had been so hot lately, we kept pushing it off, saying we’d go when the weather cooled down in the fall. Even though she didn’t explicitly say it, based on every past experience, if I was the one taking her to the store, I was the one paying for it. It’s not like I hadn’t had arguments with my mom before. But every single time, the person who initiated the thaw, or even swallowed their pride to beg for peace, was always me. But this time, I suddenly wanted to know. If I never contacted her again, and never mentioned taking her to buy that vacuum, what would she do? Even if I knew that her reaching out to me wouldn’t prove she actually cared about me. I was still curious. Would she initiate contact, even if it was just for a piece of electronics? The answer arrived very quickly. Three months later, she proactively sent me a text. But the content was something I genuinely didn’t expect. “You don’t need to take me to buy that robot vacuum anymore.” [What happened?] “I just asked around. That thing uses way too much electricity. It’ll add sixty or seventy dollars a month to the electric bill. That’s almost eight or nine hundred dollars a year. It’s too expensive. I don’t deserve to use something like that.” My fingers hovered over the keyboard, frozen. I paused, then pretended I didn’t see the guilt trip and replied: [Actually, they aren’t that expensive to run. The newer models are very energy-efficient, it definitely won’t cost that much.] “Whatever you say. But if you don’t want to buy it anymore, then let’s not waste a trip.” Her chat status showed “Typing…” continuously. But two hours passed, and she hadn’t sent another word. When I tried to send her another message, I discovered I had been blocked. I understood. She couldn’t bring herself to just ask directly. What she really wanted was to wait for me to volunteer to pay her future electric bills too. If I did that, she would happily go with me to buy it. I understood perfectly, but I was feeling stubborn too. I absolutely refused to say it. Even though my heart was broken and disillusioned by my mom’s blatant favoritism, a tiny part of me still hadn’t completely given up hope. It wasn’t that I never wanted to spend money on her again. It was that I could no longer allow her to play deaf and blind to my sacrifices. Every dollar I spent, every ounce of thought I put in—I needed her to acknowledge that she saw it, felt it, and received it. The day we originally planned to go look at the vacuum arrived. Early in the morning, my dad called me. He asked casually what time I was getting there and if he needed to make breakfast for me. I feigned surprise. “Dad, I’m at work today. What’s going on?” 4 “Weren’t we scheduled to go look at that robot vacuum with your mom today? Why are you at work?” “I was going to ask for PTO, but Mom said she didn’t want to go anymore, so I didn’t ask for the day off.” “Well, just ask for it now. We’ll wait for you at home.” My dad sounded a bit exasperated. But I still refused. “I can’t, Dad. PTO has to be requested a day in advance. It’s too late for me to ask now. We’ll have to do it another time.” My mom must have been listening nearby, and she finally couldn’t hold it back. “I told you not to call her, not to call her! She just talks a big game, making pretty promises. And you actually believed her? You thought she really wanted to take me? Unbelievable. I’m embarrassed for you. Just hang up. Stop bothering her while she’s at work.” She projected her voice, laying the sarcasm on thick. After the call ended, my dad texted me. His tone carried a distinct hint of accusation. “You really are something else. It’s not like you don’t know your mother’s temper. When she said she didn’t want to go, she was just throwing a tantrum. Why didn’t you just come over and coax her? Why do you have to be so stubborn and take her words literally?” “Dad, Mom blocked me on iMessage. How am I supposed to coax her? Besides, she’s a grown adult. She said she didn’t want to go. Am I supposed to physically drag her to the store?” At the same time, my mom posted a TikTok video to our four-person family group chat. The title was: “When old people are unlikable and don’t know how to speak properly, do they just deserve to die?” My sister hadn’t realized the severity of the situation yet. She was the first to jump in, joking around: “Who has the guts to make Mom unhappy again? Tell me, I’ll beat them up for you.” “Was it Dad? Hurry up and apologize, Dad, or else your two favorite daughters are going to turn on you.” “It wasn’t your dad.” “Thank God I still have you, Chloe. If I didn’t, your mother would really die of a broken heart.” The moment my mom sent those two messages, the target was painfully obvious. My dad immediately tagged me in the group: “Avery, regardless of whether you’re right or wrong, you’re the child. Bowing your head first won’t kill you. Just apologize to your mom, okay?” He then tagged my mom: “And you too. Why are you holding a grudge against your own kid? Stop being so stubborn. We’ll go tomorrow. Avery will take the day off, and she’ll go with us.” “Right, Avery?” My sister finally realized something was wrong and messaged me privately: “What’s going on, Avery? Did you and Mom get into a fight?” “No. Just a misunderstanding.” After replying to my sister, I explained in the group chat. “Mom, it’s not that I’m breaking a promise. You explicitly said you weren’t going, which is why I didn’t ask for PTO today.” “You blocked me for no reason a while ago, and I have no idea how I offended you. Now you’re doing this again. I genuinely don’t know what I did wrong. If it’s because you still want to buy the vacuum, you could have just told me directly. I would have taken tomorrow off. But I really can’t guess what’s on your mind anymore, and I don’t want to try.” “Dad, can our family please change how we communicate? If you need something, or if us kids are doing something wrong, just say it directly. We are a family; there shouldn’t be anything we can’t say to each other, right? Relying on us to constantly guess… we aren’t mind readers. Who can guess right every single time and keep you perfectly satisfied?” My dad replied instantly: “Yes, yes, yes, Avery is absolutely right. You come home tomorrow, and we’ll sit your mother down and educate her together.” “You just focus on getting the day off. I’ll handle your mother on this end. Even if I have to tie her up, I’ll get her there.” Then, my dad sent me a private message, suddenly dropping this line. I felt a profound sense of exhaustion. But I forced myself to reply in the group chat: “Dad, it doesn’t matter what you say. I need Mom to say it herself. Does she want me to come home tomorrow? I don’t want to be blamed for doing the wrong thing again.” 5 I brought up the incident where I took her to the cherry orchard, and how she ended up blaming me for dragging her out in the heat, right in the group chat. “It’s my fault for oversimplifying things. Mom said she was craving cherries. I offered to buy them from the store, but she said no, she wanted to eat them fresh. So I took her to the orchard. But then she turned around and complained that I dragged her out in the blazing heat. I figured that was because I failed to guess her true intentions correctly. So from now on, I won’t guess. I will only accept explicit, direct instructions.” “If you want to go, I will request PTO tomorrow. So, do you want to go? Mom.” I tagged my mom again in the group. I admit I was using this issue to make a larger point. My mom is an incredibly convoluted person. When she wants something, even if you place it directly into her hands, she will push it away three or four times. She forces you to come up with every excuse in the book to make her accept it. And after she finally accepts it, she still has to look at it with disgust, claiming how much she dislikes it, how she never wanted it, and how you forced it on her. So getting her to explicitly say “I want this”—how could that be possible? Almost exactly as I predicted, she refused. Except this refusal was fueled by rage, or rather, the humiliation of being exposed. “I already said I’m not buying it! Why would we go?” “Don’t you dare take PTO tomorrow and try to blame it on me, saying I told you to. From start to finish, I never said I wanted to go. If you guys want to go, go by yourselves.” I took screenshots of the entire chat history and saved them, securing my evidence. Just as I finished doing that, I noticed that my mom had removed me from the family group chat. My sister immediately slid into my DMs: “Avery, you should still take PTO and come home tomorrow. I think Mom is genuinely really angry this time.” “I only said a couple of things defending you in the group, and she almost kicked me out too.” “You know how Mom’s personality is. Deep down, she just wants the vacuum.” “If you don’t go back and buy it for her, I’m afraid she’ll make an even bigger scene.” I knew my sister meant well. But right now, I simply refused to be accommodating. So I just replied to her: “Mom already said she doesn’t want to go. I don’t want to provoke her further. Let’s just do what she says.” The days after being kicked out of the group chat were incredibly peaceful. I was no longer suddenly tagged by my mom while working overtime, demanded to buy this or that. I was no longer scolded for buying things that were “poor quality,” or interrogated if I was just being cheap and didn’t want to buy the good stuff. My feed was no longer spammed every few days with those obnoxious, preachy “how to be a good daughter” TikToks. I also didn’t have to act as the judge between my mom and her friends and relatives, listening to her endlessly vent her toxic emotional garbage. This life… I was actually starting to enjoy it. Until Thanksgiving rolled around. Instead of stuffing my trunk full of big and small boxes like I used to in the past. I simply brought a standard, polite holiday gift basket and went home. In the most conspicuous spot in the living room, right where everyone would see it, sat a brand-new robot vacuum. I was a bit surprised. But before I even crossed the threshold, I heard my mom loudly and sarcastically announcing that my sister had bought it for her. “At least one of my children actually loves me.” “My poor baby, she doesn’t even own her own home yet, but she still knows to buy a robot vacuum for her old mother. Tell me, how could you not love a child like that?” I wasn’t angry in the slightest; I just played along. “You’re right, Mom. You should definitely dote on her more. It’s not easy for her to make money, working so hard out there all by herself.” Seeing her punch land on cotton, she felt completely deflated and turned to walk away. But within an hour, she had called over a whole flock of relatives. My sister also arrived a bit later. The topic of conversation never strayed from the robot vacuum my sister had bought. My mom rambled on and on, detailing every little thing about the day they bought it, using me as a stepping stone to praise my sister. “Actually, at first, Avery said she was going to buy it for me. I never expected that in the end, the one who actually pulled out her wallet would be Chloe.” 6 “That’s why I say Avery is sneaky. The second she saw she might actually have to pay, she ran for the hills. Thank God I never really counted on her, otherwise I would have died of a broken heart.” My mom seemed to be just joking around. As she reached the climax of her story, she threw her head back and let out a booming, exaggerated laugh. My sister looked at me with deep unease. She opened her mouth, wanting to explain something, but she was afraid of dragging her mother—who loved her so much and was currently showing her off—into the mud. She could only silently keep her mouth shut. The looks the relatives were giving me had already changed. They were filled with suspicion, incomprehension, and even condemnation. My aunt, who was always outspoken and fiercely protective of her older sister, blurted out: “Avery, I’m not trying to criticize you, but sometimes… people shouldn’t value money so heavily. Family is more important than money, don’t you agree?” “You’re absolutely right, Auntie. You hit the nail on the head.” I replied with a beaming smile. But my hands didn’t stop moving on my phone. My mom was furious that my attention wasn’t entirely focused on her public shaming. She immediately lunged over and snatched my phone out of my hands. “What are you so busy doing? The room is full of your elders trying to talk to you, and you’re just staring at your phone? How can you be so disrespectful?” “Can’t you just listen for one minute?” “Mom, just leave her alone. Avery is busy with work, it’s totally understandable.” My sister couldn’t help but interrupt. I smiled. I took my phone back from my mom’s hand. “I’m actually not busy with work.” “I’m busy restoring the truth.” That was when everyone realized I had just forwarded all the screenshots of our previous group chats into the extended family group chat. Someone gasped: “Oh wow, is this real?” “Wait, Avery didn’t refuse to buy it for you, you told her not to! Then why are you blaming her?” My mom’s face went from red to white, cycling through colors like a traffic light. It was spectacular. “She never genuinely wanted to buy it for me! If she was sincere, she would have just bought it. Why would she keep asking over and over? Why didn’t Chloe have to ask over and over? She was just waiting for me to say yes so she could force me to owe her a favor and be grateful! She’s full of malicious intentions! Was I wrong not to fall for her trap?” My mom looked completely self-righteous, convinced of her own logic. And I continued to ignore her bait. I just took a few steps forward, stopping in front of the TV. “This TV. Back then, my mom also said she didn’t want it, over and over again. I didn’t listen to her, and I bought it anyway. Then she constantly complained to me that I bought one that was too small, saying it strained her eyes. I told her I would take her to exchange it, but she refused to go.” I took a few more steps and stopped under the air conditioning unit. “Last summer, Mom said it was too hot and she wanted an AC unit. When I actually bought it for her, she said the cold air made her back and knees ache, that she couldn’t handle the breeze. From that day on, she never turned it on again.” “The bedsheets, the toilet paper, almost everything you see in this house—I bought them. Aunts, uncles, elders… have any of you ever heard my mom say a single word of praise or appreciation about me?” Everyone was stunned. The atmosphere descended into a bizarre, oppressive silence. An intense awkwardness seemed to spread from person to person. My sister rushed forward and grabbed my arm. “Avery, please, just stop talking. Leave Mom some dignity. No matter how flawed she is, she’s still our mother.” My mom glared at me, her eyes wide and bulging. Her red-rimmed eyes were filled with absolute fury. Her nostrils flared with agitation. She suddenly pointed a finger right at my face: “So what if you spent some money on me? Don’t think just because you threw a few stinking dollars around that you’re better than everyone else! Do you think I care about the money? I care about the thought! The attitude!” “You’re standing here demonizing me in front of everyone, maliciously dragging my name through the mud! Even if you spent a million dollars on me, I wouldn’t appreciate it!” “I never expected you to appreciate it, Mom. I just wanted everyone to know what an incredibly convoluted, impossible person you are. I’ve spent my entire life trying to please you, but you can never be pleased.” “And Chloe doesn’t have to do a single thing, and she will always be your precious darling.”

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I’m a professional bridesmaid. At a wedding, the bride asked me to share a love story. I immediately said: “My husband and I got married after knowing each other for only six months. Besides my parents, he’s the person who loves and cherishes me most in this world.” “He makes all my birthday wishes come true. He cooks me breakfast every day. When it rains, he always tilts the umbrella toward me.” Amid envious blessings, a girl suddenly stood up from the audience, looked at me with a smile and said: “Really? But Jace told me he loves me the most. If you don’t believe me, ask him yourself.” Gripping the microphone tightly, I recognized the girl immediately. She was my husband’s phone wallpaper. His niece from abroad, no blood relation. I suppressed my emotions, forcing a smile as I tried to lead her away. But she shook off my hand, looked me up and down, her disgust and disdain unconcealed. “Six months ago, if I hadn’t made Jace angry and left the country, how could I have left him behind?” “Why else would he settle for a woman like you?” “You’re only with Jace for money, aren’t you? It’s absolutely disgusting.” Vivian’s tone and manner were exactly like a wronged wife confronting a mistress. Yet I held the marriage certificate with Jace, but felt like discount merchandise, despised by her from head to toe. I’d always known that Jace’s brother had adopted the daughter of a fallen comrade. Jace doted on her to the bone. But I never imagined they had this kind of relationship. My nails dug into my palms as I forced myself to stay calm, holding back from slapping Vivian at a client’s wedding. Guests were already pointing at us and gossiping. “What’s going on? This woman’s husband is involved with his niece?” “And the niece is openly competing for him right in front of her? What kind of family is this!” “Just now this bridesmaid was saying how much her husband cherishes her. Sigh, looks like she’s just another foolish woman.” The bride was already displeased, signaling me with her eyes to control the situation. I pinched my palm hard, forcing a smile. “What are you saying, Viv? If you’ve had too much to drink, go home. Jace is waiting for us.” Vivian laughed mockingly and without hesitation raised her hand and slapped me. “You’re not worthy of mentioning Jace in front of me. Jace loves me most. If you don’t believe it, ask him yourself.” My struck ear was still ringing when I numbly turned my head. I saw Vivian’s feet give way as she fell sideways. And Jace appeared just in time, catching Vivian in his arms. Vivian buried herself in his embrace. “Jace, I missed you so much.” Jace stroked her head, responding indulgently. “Mm, I know.” In that instant, my heart felt like it had been completely carved out, leaving me frozen in place, unable to move. Eight years. I’d pursued Jace for eight whole years. Later, when Mom was diagnosed with cancer, I was busy earning money and lost contact with him. Until six months ago, when Jace suddenly found me and proposed. I thought he’d finally seen my worth, or had grown accustomed to my devotion. Whatever the reason, as long as it was him, I was willing. After marriage, Jace did the laundry and cooking, showing favoritism in every aspect of life. I became even more certain he truly loved me. But now I was being told all of this was just because Vivian had left the country in a fit of anger, and Jace was settling out of spite? “Sorry, my kid is a bit willful. I’ll take her away. Compensation will be transferred to your account shortly.” Jace carried Vivian princess-style and left. The Maybach’s exhaust quickly disappeared. I couldn’t help but laugh, tears streaming down simultaneously. To pay for Mom’s treatment, I worked desperately to earn money. Professional bridesmaid, pet funeral director, dog walker, hourly worker… Wherever people were needed, I went, working almost 24 hours without rest. How ridiculous that only now did I discover my pillow partner who earned three thousand a month and occasionally needed my financial support actually drove luxury cars and wore custom clothes. The most laughable part wasn’t even that. It was what Jace whispered as he brushed past me. “Say one wrong word, and you’ll be collecting your mother’s corpse.”

After the wedding ended, I swiped my card to compensate the bride. Only to find my bank card had been frozen. I immediately understood Jace had manipulated it. I was reported by the bride and kicked out of the ceremony. When I messaged my boss to explain, all I saw was a glaring red exclamation mark. I took a deep breath, forced to face reality. I’d lost this job. Mom’s life-saving money had decreased by another source. On the way home, I leaned against the car window, pupils dilated, eyes unable to focus. I couldn’t understand how days that should have gotten better and better had turned out like this. That winter, Dad was hit by a car and became a vegetable. The driver fled the scene. Mom couldn’t handle the shock and fainted. Leaving only sixteen-year-old me to take charge. During that time, I often stared blankly at the 17th-floor window. That’s when Jace appeared like a ray of light. He helped me raise money, took care of Mom, comforted my emotions. And arranged Dad’s funeral when he passed away. Jace was the deity heaven sent to me. I couldn’t believe he’d never loved me. When the car reached its destination, I pulled myself from my memories. I needed to ask Jace for answers. Pushing open the door, inappropriate sounds came from the bedroom. “Jace, I’ve always loved you. I don’t want to leave you. Please break up with that old woman, okay?” “Just thinking about you kissing her, having children with her—I’m going crazy.” “Jace, don’t you love me?” I froze in place, legs as if filled with cement, unable to move a step. The next second, Jace’s low voice came through. “I won’t allow her to give birth to a child.” A thunderous crash—my mind went completely blank. We’d had a child. It was the night he proposed six months ago. I was overjoyed, thinking it was heaven’s gift to us lovers finally united. Later I lost the baby from overwork and blamed myself painfully for a long time. Could it be… I burst through the door, voice trembling with tears. “The baby—what really happened with the baby!” Vivian shrieked, followed by a glass being thrown at my forehead. “Get out!” Tears welled in my eyes as I wanted to curse these shameless pair. But when I opened my mouth, I choked, unable to say anything. Ten minutes ago, Jace had backed Vivian, not giving me a single glance from start to finish. And now they were intimate on my bed while I stood there bleeding. Jace was startled for a moment and immediately got up to walk toward me. Before he could take half a step, Vivian grabbed him tightly. She said petulantly, “Jace, if you make me angry again, I’ll never speak to you again!” He looked so helpless as he bent down to kiss her forehead. I held back my tears, fixated on one question. “Was the baby really…” “Yes. I didn’t want to make Vivian unhappy.” Jace said it so casually, as if discussing something as trivial as taking out the trash. I smiled bitterly. At this moment, I was a joke. A joke played for a fool. “Jace, let’s get divorced.” Jace responded indifferently, “Fine.” I was truly exhausted and turned to leave. My phone suddenly rang. “Ms. Shaw? Your mother’s condition isn’t good. Please prepare two hundred thousand for surgery immediately.” My mind exploded with a boom, blood taste filling my mouth. I lowered my head to Jace. “Please, save my mother.”

“What? Jace, you’re still spending money on her?” “Didn’t I say your money can only be spent on me!” Vivian’s tears came instantly, leaving Jace flustered like a clueless boy. He could only turn and threaten me. “Help me explain. I’ll unfreeze your bank card.” I didn’t hesitate for a second. “Vivian, you’ve misunderstood. He’s never spent a penny on me.” “I even thought his monthly salary was only three thousand, and I gave him an extra thousand for household expenses every month.” Vivian smiled satisfactorily, hugging Jace’s waist coquettishly. The two flirted while my mother couldn’t wait. “Jace, the bank card!” After watching him unfreeze it, I immediately rushed to the hospital. Mom had already fallen into a coma. I transferred all one hundred thousand from the card to the bank, but still needed another hundred thousand. I begged bosses from various jobs but only scraped together thirty thousand. My last hope could only rest with Jace. “Jace, I’m still seventy thousand short. Consider it a loan. I’ll definitely pay you back later. Please let my mother get treatment, okay?” Before Jace could speak, Vivian panicked. “No way! I’ve seen plenty of materialistic women like you who’ll do anything for money, even using your mother’s illness as an excuse. How shameless!” “I’m not lying…” I was about to confront her when I turned and saw broken pieces in the corner. I immediately lunged over. Tears fell uncontrollably as I roared, “Who did this! Who did this!” Vivian giggled. “Hehe, my hand slipped accidentally. You won’t blame me, will you?” The pain in my heart nearly made me pass out. Jace stood protectively in front of Vivian. “Vivian hasn’t seen this kind of camera before. She was just curious and took a closer look. It was an accident.” I slowly stood up, staring hard at his face. “Jace, you know this is the only thing my father left me. You know how much I treasure it normally. And now you’re treating me like an idiot with simple words like ‘accident’ and ‘didn’t mean to’?” Jace’s initially reluctant expression showed a hint of impatience. “What more do you want?” Vivian leaned close to my ear. “I know why you fell hopelessly in love with Jace.” “There’s something you don’t know. The hit-and-run driver who killed your father was me.” “I was a minor then. Jace didn’t want me to go to prison, so he ran away with me.” “Helping you later was just to clean up my mess. Did you really think anyone would help you that selflessly?” My eyes turned red as I slapped Vivian hard across the face. Vivian screamed as I was pushed to the ground. “Vivian, are you okay?” Vivian said nothing, just looked at Jace with red, pitiful eyes. Jace immediately grabbed me and shoved me into a small room. The door locked from outside. I crawled over using my hands and feet, but was already locked inside. “Jace, let me out!” “My mother is still waiting for me. I can’t waste time here.” I screamed hoarsely, nearly desperate. “Jace, if anything happens to my mother, I’ll hate you forever!” Jace’s cold voice came through. “What could happen to your mom? She’s been on medication for three years and hasn’t died yet.” “I think I’ve been too good to you. You need to be taught a lesson.” I slumped powerlessly to the floor. Was this his idea of being good to me? Even our first meeting was a lie. Now I felt like I was standing in fog, seeing Jace less and less clearly. Then my phone rang. “Ms. Shaw, your mother couldn’t be resuscitated. Please accept our condolences.”

When the door opened, I took a long time to finally relearn how to walk, moving my steps. Jace reached out to support me, anxiously explaining, “Summer, I didn’t know Mom was really critically ill. If I’d known, how could I possibly…” I didn’t give him a single glance, walking straight past. What’s the point of saying these things now? The plot beside Dad’s grave was one Mom had bought for herself long ago. Now I came to see her off on her final journey. Tears fell like broken beads, one after another. My heart felt like it was being ground in a meat grinder. I couldn’t feel a single beat. I didn’t know if I was alive or dead. I numbly wiped the dust from my parents’ faces when suddenly a bouquet of chrysanthemums was placed beside me. “Mom, rest in peace. I’ll take good care of Summer.” My stomach churned violently. I almost vomited right there. “Don’t say such disgusting things in front of my mother. You’re polluting her ears.” I took a deep breath, wiped away my tears, keeping my tone as calm as possible. “Jace, let’s get divorced.” I thought he’d be happy I was voluntarily stepping aside. But his eyes remained indifferent. “After the divorce, where do you want to go?” “Riverport?” I looked up sharply. He remained calm and cold. “I’ve already declined Riverport University’s invitation on your behalf and recommended Vivian instead.” “Vivian will go in your place to advance her photography skills. I’ll stay with you and fulfill my duties as a husband.” I pushed him away and roared. “What gives you the right to make decisions for me!” “You know my life’s faith is to become a deep-sea photographer and fulfill my father’s last wish. I finally got this training opportunity, and you gave it to your mistress! What gives you the right!” “Who do you think you are? Who wants you to stay with them?” I raised my fists and pounded on him, but Jace just looked at me coldly. He was certain I couldn’t do anything about it. Just like when Dad’s camera was smashed to pieces—besides heartache, I could do nothing. “Jace, so you’re here! I found you!” Vivian skipped over and jumped into Jace’s arms. Pointing at Mom’s portrait, she yelled, “What is this thing!” “Jace, I had my eye on this plot long ago! The dog we raised together for nine years is buried here. How can we let some dirty thing disturb its peace!” Jace hesitated slightly. “But…” Vivian cried and made a scene. “I don’t care! I want Summer to dig out that old woman’s ashes and kneel to apologize to my dog!” “Otherwise I’ll never speak to you again!” Whenever Vivian used this tactic, Jace would absolutely obey. Sure enough, Jace looked at me. “Vivian is young. Just give in to her.” “Slap!” I used all my strength to deliver that slap. Staring coldly at Jace. “Are those even human words?” Vivian kept making a scene. Jace personally held me down. Just as my knees were about to hit the ground, a group of people holding cameras swarmed forward, practically shoving them in Vivian’s and Jace’s faces. “You’re the girl who disrupted the wedding a few days ago, right? What was your psychology when you publicly provoked your aunt?” “Miss Pool, rumors say you have an inappropriate relationship with Mr. Lambert. Is this true?” “Miss Pool, we heard you were adopted. You entered the wealthy Pool family at age five. Have you maintained this inappropriate relationship with Mr. Lambert since you were five?” “Mr. Lambert, we heard Miss Pool aborted a child. Was the child yours?”

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While on a business trip, I couldn’t sleep. I was scrolling through Reddit in my hotel room when I stumbled upon a bizarre post on a true-crime forum: [Billionaire Secrets Exposed: On July 30, 2025, at 10:30 PM, the sole heiress of W Enterprises was brutally decapitated while on a business trip in Chicago. Her head was hidden in the mini-fridge. The killer was the late billionaire’s illegitimate son, who disguised himself as a delivery driver to infiltrate her room.] I stared at the title, slightly stunned. I am the sole daughter of W Enterprises. I am currently on a business trip in Chicago. But my dad doesn’t have an illegitimate son. And more importantly, today is July 30th, but it’s only 10:00 PM right now. Why was the algorithm feeding me breaking news about a murder that wouldn’t happen for another half hour? I brushed it off as a sick prank by some internet troll. But then, feeling thirsty, I walked over to the mini-fridge to grab a sparkling water. I froze. The interior of this hotel fridge was completely identical to the crime scene photo attached to the post. And the exact spot where the severed head was placed in the photo… was perfectly empty in my fridge right now. At that exact moment, the doorbell rang. “Hello, UberEats delivery.” 01 My heart skipped a beat. The very next second, I dialed my private security detail. First of all, I haven’t ordered food delivery in years. For privacy during business trips, I exclusively book Presidential Suites and only eat the meals prepared by the hotel’s private chef. Even if I did order room service, it would be brought up by the hotel staff. A random delivery driver would never be allowed up here. My mind flashed back to that Reddit post. As absurd as it seemed, the people, the events, and the objects in that thread matched my current reality flawlessly. Was this a genuine premonition of my death? When I didn’t open the door, the person outside started pounding on it heavily. Bang! Bang! Bang! “Hello, delivery! Please come out and get your food!” The voice was raspy and rough, sounding like a middle-aged man. Recalling the post—which stated the heiress was killed by her father’s illegitimate son—I let out a tiny sigh of relief. The guy outside sounded like he was practically my dad’s age. How could he be his son? Thankfully, my security team was stationed in standard suites just a few floors below. It would only take them a couple of minutes to get up here. Thinking of this, my tense nerves relaxed slightly. Listening to the incessant knocking, a morbid curiosity crept into my mind. I softened my footsteps and moved silently toward the heavy security door. But the second I got close, the knocking abruptly stopped. The hallway was dead silent. I held my breath and carefully pressed my eye against the peephole. There was no one there. Just an empty, dimly lit corridor. But the next second— BANG! BANG! Two deafening strikes hit the door! And then! A face shot up from below, instantly filling the entire field of vision of the peephole! The face was wrinkled, the skin gleaming with a greasy sheen. A thick double chin squeezed against the high collar of a delivery uniform. A pair of cloudy, bloodshot eyes stared dead at me through the glass. His mouth curled upward, agonizingly slow and stiff, stretching into a grotesque, exaggerated smile. Bang! Bang! Two more heavy knocks. It was as if he knew I was standing right behind the door. He slammed his thick, meaty palm against the wood with all his might! The sound was so terrifyingly close that I stumbled backward, nearly collapsing onto the floor. Just as I thought he was going to break the door down, a completely different voice came from outside. Unlike the violent banging, this voice was deliberately lowered and soft: “Hello, delivery… I’ll just leave it at the door for you.” Soon after, the sound of footsteps echoed. Step, step, step… Moving further away until they completely disappeared at the end of the hall. Did he really just leave? Not long after the footsteps faded, my security team finally arrived. Seeing the row of muscular men in black suits lining the hotel corridor, I finally let out a massive breath of relief. But I was still furious. How could the security of a five-star hotel’s Presidential Suite be this garbage? Any random creep could just wander up here. I immediately called the front desk to demand answers. After checking the security footage, the receptionist sounded baffled. “Ma’am… first, I am so incredibly sorry for this experience. But we have thoroughly reviewed the footage from the past thirty minutes. The elevators, the hallway corridors, the fire escapes… there is no record of anyone wearing a delivery uniform entering the Presidential floor! The only people captured by the cameras were your bodyguards arriving just now. The corridor cameras didn’t catch anyone suspicious going up or down…” The receptionist paused, a slight tremor in her voice. “And… there’s no footage of the ‘delivery driver’ you described leaving the floor, either.” Buzz— A rush of ice-cold dread shot from the soles of my feet straight to my brain. No footage? No one went up, and no one went down? That meant the “delivery driver” had been hiding on this floor from the very beginning! A deep sense of unease settled in my gut, and without hesitation, I called the police. Looking at the group of bodyguards standing outside my door, I felt slightly reassured. I had handpicked every single one of them. They were all decorated martial arts and combat champions. At the very least, until the police arrived, I was absolutely safe. After all that panic, I was covered in a thin layer of cold sweat, so I went into the bathroom to wash up again. When I finished, I sat on the sofa to wait for the cops. Out of habit, I unlocked my phone. That bizarre Reddit post was sitting at the very top of my feed again. This time, I didn’t treat it like a prank. I began to read it meticulously. But when I saw the timestamp of the post, my mind went blank. July 30, 2035. 10:45 PM. Ten years from now?! How is that possible?! I quickly backed out and checked the other posts on my feed. Everything else had today’s normal date. But when I refreshed the page for that specific post, the timestamp remained 2035. Which meant, exactly ten years from today, this post was analyzing a murder that was going to happen tonight at 10:30 PM. I read through the entire true-crime breakdown and discovered that the murder wasn’t solved until a decade later. For ten years, no one knew the billionaire heiress was killed by her illegitimate half-brother. During that decade, the illegitimate son inherited the corporate empire, liquidated the company and all its assets for cash, and quietly fled the country. The police still hadn’t found his hiding spot. As for my mother, the billionaire’s legal wife—after losing her only child, the illegitimate son gaslit her into a psychiatric hospital, claiming she had gone insane from grief. She committed suicide six months later. A sickening, overwhelming sense of dread rose in my chest. My thumb instinctively scrolled down to the comment section. When I read the top comments, my heart seized: “OP got it wrong. The illegitimate son didn’t disguise himself as a delivery driver to kill her. He hired a guy to be the delivery driver, but when the cops finally solved the case years later, they realized the driver was just a decoy.” “Yeah, the victim was a billionaire heiress in a Presidential Suite with her own security team. A random delivery guy couldn’t have pulled that off.” “Exactly. The real killer was hiding inside her hotel room the whole time.” “Hiding inside her hotel room…” Hiding inside her hotel room! Those words drained every ounce of warmth and strength from my body. An unprecedented, bone-chilling terror swept over me, soaking my silk pajamas in a cold sweat. Acting on pure instinct, my eyes darted to the clock in the top right corner of my phone screen— 10:29 PM. The murder in the post happened at 10:30 PM. The moment that thought crossed my mind, before I could even react— THUD! A heavy, sickeningly blunt impact struck the back of my skull without warning! Warm, thick liquid carrying the heavy stench of iron burst forth, blurring my vision and running wildly down my cheeks and neck. Then, I felt the icy edge of a blade slicing into my throat. I used the last remaining shred of my consciousness and strength to turn my head, desperate to see the face behind me. But a hand, gripping like an iron vice, clamped down on my head, covering my nose and mouth. So the post was real. The person in the thread really was me. I collapsed into a pool of my own blood. Despite my overwhelming unwillingness to die, I could only helplessly close my eyes. 02 When I opened my eyes again, I found myself lying perfectly fine on the hotel bed. The phantom pain lingered on my head and neck, but when I reached up to touch them, there wasn’t a single drop of blood. My eyes fell on the phone clutched in my hand. The screen was still stuck on that bizarre Reddit post. The title was identical: [Billionaire Secrets Exposed: On July 30, 2025, at 10:30 PM, the sole heiress of W Enterprises was brutally decapitated while on a business trip in Chicago. Her head was hidden in the mini-fridge. The killer was the late billionaire’s illegitimate son, who disguised himself as a delivery driver.] The time on my phone read exactly 10:00 PM. I had looped! I went back to half an hour before my murder! I looked around the room nervously. The killer was hiding in my room right now. I forced myself to stay calm. Knowing the killer was inside, I chose a less conspicuous method this time. I texted my security team to come up, and then I texted 911. Almost exactly as I sent the texts, the doorbell rang. “Hello, UberEats delivery,” the raspy male voice echoed. Knowing the guy outside was just a decoy, my first instinct was to ignore him. But to keep up the act for the person hiding inside my room, I couldn’t appear too calm. I put on an annoyed voice and yelled toward the door, “Sorry, I didn’t order anything! You have the wrong room!” Then, I put in my AirPods, pretending I couldn’t hear the knocking, while my eyes frantically scanned every corner of the room—the curtains, the wardrobe, the bathroom… Where the hell was he hiding? Soon, the pounding stopped, and the footsteps faded away. My bodyguards arrived at my door right on schedule. Everything was playing out exactly like the previous timeline. I practically lunged to open the door, quickly inserting myself into the wall of muscle made up of my men in black. As I rushed out into the hallway, I thought I heard a faint rustling sound coming from inside my room. I whipped my head around. In a dark corner of the living area, I felt an intense, burning gaze locked onto me. “Go! Move out, now!” I ordered, not daring to look any longer. My team instantly formed a protective circle around me, ushering me toward the elevators. We rode down to the basement garage. I didn’t let myself breathe until I was sitting inside my stretch limousine and the heavy door slammed shut. The car sped away from the hotel. Was I safe? My frayed nerves relaxed slightly. As the car drove off, I glanced at my phone. Driven by some morbid compulsion, I opened the Reddit app again. To my horror, that post was hanging at the very top of my feed again! A bad feeling gnawed at my stomach. I quickly scrolled down to the comments. When I read them, my heart nearly stopped. The comment section this time had new replies that weren’t there in the first timeline. And their contents were suffocating: “Man, this heiress was actually pretty smart, but alas… she still died.” “She thought she was safe once she got in the car, but…” “It’s a pity she still died…” “She really thought she escaped…” A freezing chill instantly turned my blood to ice! Fighting back my terror, I slowly turned my head to look at the people inside the limousine. I silently started counting heads. One, two, three… six, seven. A cold sweat broke out on my back. Seven people. Why were there seven people? My security detail only consisted of six men. Everyone was wearing identical black suits and sunglasses. I stared hard, desperately trying to find the unfamiliar face among them. But strangely… I recognized all seven faces. How was this possible? I forced myself to think rationally and quickly made a decision. “Stop the car,” I said, keeping my voice as steady as possible. “Except for Marcus, everyone else get out and head back to the hotel. Wait for the police and help them catch the decoy delivery driver on the Presidential floor.” Marcus was a bodyguard assigned to me when my parents were still alive. He had been with me for ten years and was fiercely loyal. In a situation like this, he was the only one I dared to trust. The doors opened, and the other six bodyguards hurriedly got out, forming a line and jogging back toward the hotel. None of them looked suspicious, except… one of them glanced back at the car while running. That look was bizarre. He wasn’t looking at me. He was looking at the vehicle. I didn’t have time to dwell on it. I told Marcus to get in the driver’s seat and floor it to the nearest police precinct. I slumped into the back seat, drenched in cold sweat. It was just me and Marcus now. The car drove smoothly down the road. Was I… temporarily safe? I checked the time on my phone: 10:28 PM. Two minutes left! I leaned back against the leather seat, trying to steady my racing heartbeat. The interior of the car seemed completely normal. Marcus’s focused profile in the driver’s seat, the pale reflection on the window… Just as my guard dropped for a fraction of a second— A freezing breath of air brushed against the back of my right ear! My pupils dilated! There was someone else in the car!! Before I could even process the thought, a hand covered in rough fabric, cold and hard as a vice, shot out from behind the seat and locked onto my throat! Another hand, holding a gleaming hunting knife, struck with cold precision, plunging deep into the left side of my neck! Squelch! Agony exploded! Warm blood sprayed everywhere! His movements were so incredibly fast that even Marcus, my most skilled bodyguard, didn’t have time to react. My vision instantly turned red and blurry. I saw Marcus whip his head around, his face contorted in absolute horror. The phone slipped from my paralyzed hand. The screen was still lit. The time read: 10:30 PM. 10:30. It was always 10:30. Besides me, there was clearly only one other person in the car. Marcus didn’t attack me. So who was the second person, and how did they get inside my car? The freezing cold completely swallowed my consciousness. Everything faded to black. 03 The icy grip of suffocation vanished, and I opened my eyes again. I was back in the hotel room. I quickly checked the phone in my hand. The time had reset to 10:00 PM exactly. The browser was still parked on that thread. But when I looked closely, the title had changed: [Billionaire Secrets Exposed: On July 30, 2025, at 10:30 PM, the sole heiress of W Enterprises was brutally decapitated while on a business trip in Chicago. Her head was discarded under the east pillar of the Riverwalk Bridge. The killer was the late billionaire’s illegitimate son.] It changed. The Riverwalk Bridge. I quickly recalled my last timeline and realized that was exactly where we were driving when I was murdered in the car. So, my actions were changing things! There was hope! This time, I still texted the police and my bodyguards. But I only told Marcus to come up. Because in the last timeline, I saw with my own eyes that he definitely didn’t attack me. Right now, he was the only variable I knew was safe. Just like before, I ignored the fake delivery driver at the door. When Marcus arrived, I quickly slipped out of the room, making absolutely sure no one followed me out. Then, I grabbed his arm and sprinted for the private elevator. When we reached the underground garage, just to be safe, I didn’t take the stretch limo from the previous loop. I chose a compact sedan instead. I had Marcus circle the car, using a high-powered flashlight to meticulously inspect the undercarriage, the tires, the door seams, and even the hood and trunk locks. We made sure there was nowhere a person could hide. “Ms. Vanderbilt, the exterior is secure. No tracking devices, no signs of tampering,” he said, pulling open the car doors. He thoroughly checked under the seats, the trunk partition, the glove box, and even scanned the ceiling. “Interior is clear! No one is hiding here! We’re safe!” My tense nerves finally relaxed. The space in this sedan was limited; you could count the hiding spots on one hand. “Drive! Head to the nearest police station,” I commanded, getting into the passenger seat. Marcus immediately jumped into the driver’s seat and started the engine. We pulled out of the garage and merged into the late-night traffic, speeding toward the precinct. The car was dead silent. Only the low hum of the engine could be heard. I stared intensely at the backs of our seats, the gaps between them, the roof, the doors… Marcus focused on driving, occasionally casting a vigilant glance in the rearview mirror. Suddenly remembering something, I quickly pulled out my phone. When I opened Reddit, I found that the post was finally gone. It hadn’t reappeared. My heart leaped with joy. Had I finally escaped? Phone time: 10:28 PM. 10:29 PM. The silhouette of the police precinct appeared at the intersection ahead! Red light! The car slowly came to a halt. Just as the red light counted down to ‘3’, and Marcus prepared to step on the gas— A hot, damp breath brushed against the back of my neck from directly behind me. Without any warning whatsoever. Then, I heard a low, raspy male chuckle from right behind my seat. Every hair on my body stood on end! My heart stopped! Impossible! It was only me and Marcus in this car! And Marcus was driving! The very next second, a pair of ice-cold hands violently thrust through the narrow gap between my seat’s headrest and the backrest! They locked onto my throat in a death grip! “Ghk—!” The sensation of suffocation overwhelmed me instantly! I saw Marcus react immediately. He looked behind me in sheer terror, unbuckled his seatbelt, and lunged toward the back seat. But it was too late. The sharp blade had already plunged into my neck. In the final second before losing consciousness, I saw my phone screen light up. The browser had automatically redirected back to that bizarre post. I saw the comment section constantly refreshing: “Man, the heiress was so vigilant this time, but she still died.” “So tragic. The killer originally just wanted to behead her, but her running away pissed him off, so he ended up dismembering her and tossing her in a thousand pieces.” … 04 I opened my eyes again. Still in the hotel room. The time was 10:00 PM. I instinctively looked down at my phone. The page was still on the death premonition thread. But upon closer inspection, the title had changed again. Originally, the killer’s method was decapitation. Now, it had become “Billionaire Heiress Dismembered into a Thousand Pieces.” Just like the comments said, my attempts to escape had enraged the killer, making his methods even more brutal. A dull ache radiated through my body, and my eyelids felt incredibly heavy. For some reason, after respawning this time, I felt profoundly exhausted. Despair almost swallowed me whole. I had exhausted almost every option, yet I still couldn’t escape this loop. I even began to wonder if the thing killing me was human or a ghost. But the post explicitly stated the killer was my dad’s “illegitimate son.” That meant it was a living, breathing human being. But how the hell was he doing it? Forget it! Since I can infinitely loop, let’s go big this time! I sent the emergency texts again. Once all my bodyguards arrived, I took the entire squad down to the hotel’s grand lobby. I had the front desk call every single guest staying at the hotel who was still awake to come down to the lobby. I offered them a deal: Anyone who went live on Instagram or TikTok and kept their camera pointed at me for the rest of the night would receive an immediate wire transfer of $10,000. Soon, the lobby was packed. A cleaning lady looked at me in disbelief. “A little girl like you, handing out ten grand? I don’t buy it!” I immediately asked for her Venmo and transferred her $5,000 on the spot. “Whoa—!” The crowd erupted! Countless phones were raised high, lenses aimed right at me, flashes blending into a continuous strobe light. I casually started giving a makeshift seminar on corporate business strategies, while my eyes scanned the room like radar. Time ticked away. 10:15… 10:28… 10:30! My heart pounded wildly! I survived past 10:30! Just as I suspected, the killer had absolutely no way to commit the murder under the watchful eyes of a hundred live-streaming cameras. Soon, the police arrived. Though I had looped several times and called the cops each time, this was the first loop where I actually lived long enough to see them. Since the real killer hadn’t made a move, I only informed the police about the decoy delivery driver hiding on the Presidential floor. It didn’t take long for the cops to escort the greasy, middle-aged fake delivery driver out of the elevator. The crowd naturally parted to make way. But as the driver walked past me, his cloudy eyes suddenly darted up. His lips twisted into an icy, grotesque smirk as he stared at me, full of mockery. It was the look you give a dead person. A deep sense of unease settled in my chest. I didn’t dare relax. Even though 10:30 had passed, I insisted on sitting in the lobby, keeping myself exposed to the live-stream cameras. The streams lasted until dawn. I transferred the promised money to everyone present without hesitation. I was exhausted beyond belief, but I couldn’t stay here. “To the police precinct,” I told Marcus. Because the trauma from the previous two loops was too intense, I was terrified to take a private car. So, I opted to take the early morning public bus. The first bus of the day was mostly empty. Marcus and I sat in the back row. Watching the steam rise from the breakfast carts out the window, my frayed nerves finally eased a bit. The bus came to a halt at the precinct stop. I stood up and walked toward the back doors with Marcus. The police station was in a slightly secluded area, and the streets were dead quiet. The exact moment I stepped out of the bus doors and my feet hit the pavement— Squelch! That familiar, agonizing pain! A cold blade precisely sliced my throat open! My vision instantly turned red and tilted sideways. Belated screams erupted around me. Using my last ounce of strength, I desperately twisted my nearly severed neck to look behind me— All I saw was a hand bearing a crescent-moon-shaped scar. Marcus stood right next to me, staring in sheer terror at the space behind me. As he lunged backward to catch the attacker, I lost consciousness and collapsed heavily. 05 The icy grip of suffocation faded. I opened my eyes. It was 10:00 PM again. With trembling hands, I opened my phone to check the title of the post. Sure enough, it had changed again. This time it read: [Billionaire Heiress Brutally Murdered Years Ago; Killer Remains at Large, Case Unsolved!] Because the time, location, and method of the murder kept changing, it was drastically altering the police’s ability to investigate the case in the future. This time, they never even found out who killed me. My heart plummeted. I forced myself to calm down and think. At least from the previous loop, I learned that the killer had a crescent-moon scar on their arm. In the loop where I gathered the crowd to live-stream, I managed to survive past 10:30 and even made it to dawn. But even so… as long as I didn’t drag the killer out into the light, I would always be a fish on a chopping block. I could survive the night, but I couldn’t survive a lifetime! I couldn’t live my entire life in front of a camera. I would inevitably die by this person’s hands. I took a ragged, heavy breath and tried to lift my arm, only to realize my entire body felt like lead. I could distinctly feel that my physical condition was significantly worse this loop than the last. Perhaps my chances to loop were running out. If I failed again, I might never wake up. So even if the odds of survival were slim, I had to catch the killer with my own hands. … This time, after sending the emergency texts, I decided to follow the exact path I had taken in the second loop: fleeing in the stretch limo with my entire security detail. Because that was the only time the killer had exposed a flaw. When the number of bodyguards in the car went from six to seven, the killer was absolutely hiding among them. Once all six bodyguards arrived, I casually scanned their exposed forearms. No crescent-moon scars! “Everyone, follow me. We’re going to the precinct!” I ordered sharply. The garage. The stretch limousine. I sat in the middle of the back row, with Marcus sitting close to my left. The other four men sat on the side benches and individual seats, with one driving. Once the car started, I stared intensely at the rearview mirror. Still only six men. And the spacious, brightly lit interior left absolutely nowhere for an extra person to hide. Time slipped away: 10:25… 10:28… A deep sense of unease filled the car. I swept my gaze to the rearview mirror again—and this time, I locked eyes with someone in the reflection! It was the bodyguard sitting in the independent seat across from me! He was staring straight at me! His eyes were complex—there was no loyalty in them, only suppressed… struggle? And pity? I remembered now! In the second loop, when I ordered everyone out of the car, he was the one who cast that bizarre, lingering look back at the vehicle! This guy was definitely the problem! My heart hammered in my chest! I was just about to scream at him— At that exact millisecond— An indescribable, agonizing pain exploded from deep within my throat! “Ghk!” My throat convulsed as if flash-frozen. A blade was violently driven through the back of my neck, piercing straight through! “Squelch—!” Blood mixed with shattered tissue sprayed from my mouth! My vision went instantly red! The bodyguard in the independent seat looked at me with sheer terror. I stared dead into his eyes. He wasn’t the killer. But I finally knew exactly how to catch the monster. My consciousness sank into the dark once more.

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After my billionaire parents brought me and my twin brother Mueller back home, my brother, who had always matched my grades, threw away his books and started living a life of extravagance. Seeing that I still studied diligently, he mocked me with disdain: “I’ve got it all planned out. Once the SATs are over, I’m going to study abroad in Europe. Our parents are billionaires—what’s the point of being a bookworm? You need to learn how to network with high society.” He constantly bragged to me about which heiress he’d met today, which heir he’d made plans to hit the bar with. Seeing me clutching my books, Mueller laughed contemptuously: “Can’t help it—after all, I’m the boy. I’ll be the heir in the future. You’re a girl, so all you can do is study hard to please our parents.” How laughable. What era does he think this is, that he can still claim an advantage based on gender? Doesn’t he realize that both Mom and Dad graduated from top global universities? The Franklin family’s first rule is clear: only those who get into Harvard are qualified to be the heir.

I didn’t take Mueller’s words to heart and continued attending classes attentively and working hard on practice problems after school. Say what you will, the faculty at this elite private school was genuinely exceptional. Until the day we had to submit our competition registration forms, I couldn’t find mine anywhere. I remembered the last time I saw my registration form, Mueller happened to be right beside me. “Competition registration form?” Mueller said casually. “I didn’t see it.” I grew anxious. “Think harder. Tomorrow’s the final deadline—if I don’t submit it, I’ll lose my eligibility!” He snorted. “Why bother with that thing? I already told you last time, learning all this stuff is useless. You’re a girl—no matter how good your grades are, you’ll still end up getting married.” “Come with me after school to Rivers’s birthday party. Learn how to deal with people. It’ll help you manage business for me in the future.” I looked up at him and asked calmly, “Mueller, I’m asking you one more time. Did you take my registration form?” Students around us noticed the tension between us and turned to look. I knew it. He’d hidden it. I held out my hand. “Give it back.” He suddenly laughed derisively. “Can’t give it back. I burned it. It’s in the trash can—go look for it yourself.” My hand involuntarily tightened into a fist, anger surging through me. “Why?” Mueller said indifferently, “Who told you not to listen to me? You kept going against me, so I had to make you understand who’s in charge of this family!” I froze. I never imagined that my brother, who’d grown up with me since childhood, would turn into this. I looked at him deeply, then turned to go to the office to ask the teacher for another form. But the teacher told me, “No one from our school has ever participated in this competition. I had to pull strings just to get that one form.” Even though I was confident I could place well, without a registration form, I didn’t even have the qualification to compete. I laughed coldly. If Mueller could only pull these petty tricks, he wasn’t worth worrying about. I’d only signed up for this competition to see what the Washington competition was like anyway. As I left the office, Mueller blocked my way. “Well, since you can’t participate anyway, you can finally come with me to Rivers’s birthday party, right?” Only then did I realize why he’d burned my registration form. I looked at him coldly. “I’m not going. I’m going home to study.” He scoffed. “How many times do I have to tell you? Why do you only know how to study like a bookworm?”

“Don’t tell me you haven’t noticed that Rivers likes you. His family owns one of Washington’s top tech companies. If you just keep him happy, isn’t that better than participating in some stupid competition?” Rivers walked over, putting his hand on Mueller’s shoulder with a smile. “Olivia, don’t listen to Mueller. I don’t think studying is useless.” “It’s just that today’s my birthday. Do me a favor, okay? Plus, I invited a lot of classmates.” Mueller wasn’t wrong about one thing—Rivers’s family company did have business relations with mine. I didn’t want to make things too awkward, so I glanced at the time and reluctantly agreed. “I need to be home by nine-thirty.” But unexpectedly, Rivers took our group to a bar. The bar was chaotic and noisy. Mueller raised his glass and shouted, “Come on, let’s toast to Rivers’s eighteenth birthday!” I didn’t drink alcohol. What I raised was juice. Mueller’s face turned cold. “Olivia, what’s your problem? Everyone’s drinking, and you’re the only one with juice. What are you trying to prove?” I took a deep breath and looked at this brother who was only born minutes after me, saying calmly, “You forgot—I’m allergic to alcohol.” Mueller was about to say something when Rivers stepped in. “Come on, I’m the birthday boy and I haven’t said anything. Why are you getting worked up?” I stood up to go outside for some fresh air. But suddenly Rivers blocked me at the door of the private room. “It’s my birthday. How about you give me a gift?” A bad feeling crept over me. I forcefully pushed away his face as it came closer. “I’m going home.” But the next second, Rivers suddenly grabbed my wrist, pressing his whole body against mine, his breath inches away. Every hair on my body stood on end. I turned my head and yelled, “Mueller!” At that moment, I still instinctively relied on Mueller. But whether it was because the bar was too noisy or not, Mueller didn’t hear me. He didn’t come out. I desperately tried to avoid Rivers’s touch, my voice urgent and rapid. “Rivers, both our families are respectable. Aren’t you afraid I’ll tell my parents what you’re doing?” I could only hope my words would intimidate him. But unexpectedly, Rivers scoffed. “Come on, have you had enough of this playing-hard-to-get act?” He blew smoke in my face. “Mueller already agreed to let you keep me company. Even if you complain, he can testify that you seduced me.” My scalp went numb instantly. Gritting my teeth, I shouted fiercely, “Mueller, get out here right now!” “I’m your sister! How dare you do this to me? Has your conscience been eaten by dogs?” My voice was so loud there was no way he couldn’t hear me. But there was no response. The door behind me remained closed. Just as Rivers’s hand touched my shoulder and he forcefully tried to tear my clothes, I gathered all my strength and suddenly lifted my leg, kicking him hard in the groin. Rivers let out a piercing shriek. His whole body collapsed to the ground, his face deathly pale. The door behind me burst open with a bang. Mueller rushed in. “What happened?” Seeing Rivers’s miserable state, he froze for a moment. He frantically helped Rivers up, and seeing Rivers clutching his groin, he angrily questioned me, “Olivia, what did you do to Rivers!” I stood up, straightened my clothes, and walked over to Mueller. Furious beyond measure, I raised my hand and slapped him hard across the face.

I was too angry—one slap wasn’t enough. I raised my hand to slap him a second time. Mueller suddenly grabbed my hand. “Are you crazy?” My eyes locked onto Mueller’s. “Do you know what Rivers was just doing to me?” “My life was almost ruined!” Mueller lost his patience, frowning at me. “Olivia, stop being so ungrateful!” “It’s only because you’re my sister that I’m thinking about your future. You’re a girl—what other path do you have besides marriage?” “If you keep Rivers happy and marry him in the future, you can be a comfortable rich wife. Isn’t that good?” “All this talk about studying hard—you just want to fight me for the inheritance. Well, let me tell you, no way!” I looked at Mueller, who stood half a head taller than me. For the first time, I felt this brother I’d grown up with was a complete stranger. Before today, I’d always thought he was just a bit narrow-minded. But I never imagined he could be both stupid and vicious. I laughed coldly. “Mueller, this isn’t over between us.” “You’d better pray the Franklin heir is me. Otherwise, I have ten thousand ways to make you bankrupt and homeless.” “And you, Rivers,” I looked at him with icy eyes, “a good-for-nothing punk like you probably doesn’t know that attempted rape is also a crime, right?” “This time, I’ll let you off for the sake of our families’ business relationship.” My voice grew increasingly oppressive. “I suggest you stay away from me from now on. If you piss me off again, I won’t mind sending you to prison to experience life there.” Rivers’s face darkened, but he couldn’t utter a single word of rebuttal. He could only watch helplessly as I picked up my backpack from the floor. Mueller looked at me mockingly. “You’re a girl, and you think you can compete with me for the heir position? As if you’re qualified.” “Make me bankrupt and homeless? Ha!” I knew he didn’t take me seriously at all. I looked at him quietly, my eyes frighteningly calm. “Mueller,” I said mockingly, “so you want to be the Franklin heir?” I paused, my gaze sweeping over everyone who was watching the drama unfold. Finally, my eyes landed on Mueller’s face, full of mockery and contempt. “Then let’s each rely on our own abilities.” From that day on, I started treating Mueller like air. I continued studying hard every day, working through practice problems. Every exam, I held steady in first place in the entire school. But after the brief attention I received when I first ranked first in school, I practically disappeared from view. I didn’t care whether anyone paid attention to me. I only wanted to work hard toward my goal. While I studied, Mueller thrived in the elite school. He used his identity as the billionaire’s son to form cliques. Until just before the SATs, Mom and Dad specially held a grand recognition banquet. They formally introduced us to society as the children of the Franklin family. I looked at the important figures before me—people I’d only seen on TV and in magazines—and felt involuntarily nervous. But Mueller was completely different. He moved through the crowd with ease, wine glass in hand. As the banquet ended, Mueller stopped me, his tone smug. “Did you see that?” “Many of the people who came today are parents and relatives of our schoolmates. They don’t even recognize you, but they praised me highly.” “Mom and Dad were so happy just now. I brought them so much honor.” His eyes showed contempt and disdain as he said matter-of-factly, “What’s the use of you being first in your class every day?” “In society, it’s all about who has the wider network and knows how to deal with people, right?” “Look at those big bosses and rich people—how many of them were first in their class? Understanding how to navigate social relationships is more important than anything.” I looked at him calmly. “So?”

Seeing that I remained unmoved, Mueller’s face showed a trace of annoyance. “Olivia, apologize to me properly right now.” “In the future, when I take over Mom and Dad’s fortune, I can give you a little more.” I smiled mockingly. “No need.” Mueller glared at me. “Fine, fine, fine. Don’t you dare regret it. Even if you kneel and beg me in the future, I won’t show you any mercy!” I shrugged, not taking it seriously. But unexpectedly, on SAT day, Mueller locked me in the house. I pounded on the door. “Mueller, let me out!” His careless voice came through. “Olivia, I told you studying was useless, but you never listened to me. I had no choice but to lock you at home.” I shouted the housekeeper’s name. Mueller scoffed. “Stop shouting. I sent everyone away. I hid your phone a long time ago too.” I was both shocked and furious, asking in disbelief, “Why won’t you let me take the SAT?” His voice was cold. “Sorry, Olivia. I need to eliminate every opportunity you have to compete with me for the heir position.” “Since my grades aren’t good, you shouldn’t get to win against me through exams.” I took a deep breath. “Mueller, if you don’t open the door right now, we’re done being siblings!” Mueller fell silent for a moment. When he spoke again, his voice was resolute. “Then let’s be done. I’ll make you understand the consequences of going against me!” I closed my eyes, completely disappointed in Mueller. I wasn’t released until the first day of testing was over. He was triumphant. “Even if you do well, it’s useless. I’m the one qualified to inherit the Franklin family. I’m helping you accept your fate sooner!” I didn’t cry or make a scene. Instead, I lowered my eyes and laughed mockingly. Mueller probably didn’t know that my target was never the SAT—it was Harvard. And among the conditions for Harvard admission, the SAT was never mandatory. I’d only wanted to take the SAT to give myself closure after twelve years of hard study. I just never imagined Mueller would go to such lengths for his own selfish desires. If I hadn’t applied to Harvard early, Mueller would have really succeeded. I didn’t attend the remaining two days of testing. Mueller thought I’d truly accepted my fate. He came to persuade me again. “Rivers said what happened last time was a misunderstanding. As long as you’re willing to be with him, after I take my position, he’ll help me maintain my place as the richest.” “After you two get married, just focus on being a good wife and mother.” I looked up and coldly spat out one word: “Scram.” Mueller held a grudge. He picked a time when both Mom and Dad were home and deliberately apologized to me. “Olivia, I’m sorry. I was just thinking that since you didn’t take the SAT, you can’t even get into community college. Rivers is a well-known young master in Washington.” “His family’s situation isn’t much worse than ours. Since he likes you, you should seize the opportunity. I didn’t expect you to be so resistant. It’s all my fault.” The more he spoke, the more aggrieved his voice became, as if everything were my fault. Mom and Dad’s expressions grew increasingly surprised as he spoke. Mueller looked determined to succeed. “Olivia, Rivers really likes you. Why don’t you give him a try?” Dad put down his fork, frowning as he interrupted Mueller. “Who told you Olivia can’t even get into community college?” “Don’t you know she’s already been accepted to Harvard?” I smiled slightly at Mueller. “Mueller, you didn’t know, did you? In our Franklin family, we don’t support freeloaders. Only those who get into Harvard are qualified to be the heir.” All color drained from Mueller’s face instantly.

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On the eve of our long-awaited graduation trip to the Pacific Northwest, a trip we had planned for three years, he secretly changed everyone’s flights to a hot spring resort that the popular girl at school wanted to visit. A friend teased him: “What about your little trip planner? You’re just going to leave her to go to the PNW all alone?” “She clings to me so tightly, she’d probably cry if we were apart.” My childhood friend paused for a moment before answering carelessly: “It’s fine. She has the password to my itinerary doc. She checks it nervously every day. Once she realizes I changed the plans, she’ll just buy a ticket and follow us.” I didn’t question him, and I didn’t argue. I just quietly left. I didn’t change his itinerary document, and I didn’t change my intended destination. I only changed one thing—I changed my college commitment to a university 2,000 miles away from him. He wanted to enjoy the comfort of the hot springs with the popular girl, and I had my own mountains I wanted to conquer. That adventure map, revised through countless days and nights, was no longer just for him. 1 On the night before our trip to the Pacific Northwest, I noticed an edit history on Liam’s itinerary document. When I opened it, I realized the destination had been changed to a hot spring resort in a nearby state. Based on the profile picture of the person who made the edit, it was Chloe. Holding my tablet, I walked to the door of Liam’s room to confirm with him, but the conversation I overheard stopped me dead in my tracks. He knew perfectly well how much I wanted to hike the PNW trails. During our freshman year of high school, I told Liam my dream was to see the towering mountains and conquer the rugged, dirt trails before I turned eighteen. Back then, Liam firmly promised me that the day we graduated high school, he would help me fulfill that wish. For this trip, he watched me stay up countless nights, creating numerous versions of the route map, yet now, the day before we were supposed to leave, he had changed his mind at the last minute. The conversation in the room continued: “Aren’t you worried Maya will be mad?” “It’s just a trip. We’ll have plenty of opportunities in the future. It’s rare for Chloe to ask for something; how could I say no to her?” Rare to ask for something? Liam and I grew up together. During freshman year, he secretly kissed my cheek and told me he had a surprise for me after graduation. But ever since Chloe transferred to our school in sophomore year, everything changed. On my birthday, Chloe said she wanted to go to the beach, so Liam missed my birthday party. During the week of my birthday, I bought myself a small cake. Chloe saw it and said she wanted to eat it, and Liam gave it to her without even asking me. Right before our finals, Chloe said she forgot her pencil case. Liam forcefully took my backpack, leaving me to scramble and beg for help from a teacher on the other side of the school just thirty minutes before the exam started. Afterward, he brushed it off, saying it was no big deal and that he would make it up to me later. “…I guess you’re right. A girl as pretty as Chloe, from such a good family, who could resist when she acts cute? Of course you’d agree to anything.” “Only a tomboy like Maya, dark and plain, would want to go hiking from dawn to dusk.” Finally, Liam let out a mocking laugh, summarizing their entire conversation: “She’s just a clingy follower. No matter how much she cries, she’ll always chase after me. I can’t shake her off; it’s so annoying.” Laughter echoed from the room. I touched the wall, my heart feeling like it had plunged into an ice box. 2 In a daze, I returned to my room. The computer still displayed the itinerary document I had just opened. My roommate, Harper, noticed my pale face and immediately asked what was wrong. Fighting back tears, I didn’t mention eavesdropping. I just casually said the itinerary might change tomorrow. Harper, unaware of the backstory, leaned over to look at the computer. She realized that, except for me, even her flight had been changed. She immediately got angry: “Who told them to touch our itinerary! If they want to go to the hot springs, they can go themselves! Why drag me into it? I don’t even want to go!” She was about to go yell at Liam, but I pulled her hand, and the tears I’d been holding back finally fell. Harper then realized that my itinerary hadn’t been changed. To make it easier to catch our flight tomorrow, we were all staying at a hotel near the airport. After they changed their tickets, their departure time was nearly two hours earlier than what I had originally booked. If I hadn’t discovered this now, I would have woken up tomorrow to find everyone gone, leaving me alone in the hotel. They might not have even answered my calls. Thinking of this, my heart ached fiercely. “Damn Liam, what a complete idiot!” Harper grew even angrier. “Who took him in when he had nowhere to go! What an ungrateful jerk!” Liam and I had been neighbors since childhood. His mother passed away early, and his father worked incredibly hard to raise him, but was diagnosed with cancer during our freshman year of high school. During that time, Liam was busy with finals and taking care of his dad at the hospital every day. I couldn’t bear to see him struggle, so I went to the hospital with him every day, hoping to help even a little. Later, when Liam’s dad was gravely ill, he took my hand while Liam was out of the room and begged me to take care of Liam. Because my heart ached for Liam, and out of a vague sense of affection, I hastily agreed. After Liam’s dad passed away, I explained the situation to my parents. After begging them for days, they agreed to let Liam live with us, treating him like half a son. I had always been timid and lacked initiative. After Liam moved in, I stuck close to him, like a little shadow. My parents even joked that I had found myself a good older brother. Tears streamed down my face. I couldn’t understand how the Liam who had held me and cried after his father’s death had changed so much. After moving into my house, he held my hand, blushing as he thanked me, earnestly telling me, “Maya, you are the best person in the world to me. As long as you’re here, I feel safe.” How did that Liam turn into this? How could he mock me so expressionlessly in front of others, as if simply mentioning me was a form of humiliation? After closing the itinerary document, my hands trembled as I reopened my college commitment form. Because of the promise I made to Liam’s dying father, I agreed that as long as Liam needed me, I would always be there for him. Because of this, even though my grades were significantly higher than Liam’s, I voluntarily chose to attend the same in-state university as him. But perhaps I was wrong. Liam actually didn’t need me anymore. Since that was the case, why should I keep clinging to him? After confirming three times, I clicked ‘submit’, changing my commitment to a university 2,000 miles away on the East Coast. Harper watched my actions, slowly sighed, and then patted my head. I didn’t book a new flight, nor did I go knock on the door to confront them about the itinerary. Hiking in the PNW was my dream; my persistence regarding this trip was never for Liam. I wanted to challenge myself, to see the magnificent scenery with my own eyes, to complete an adventure independently, to break free from the timid and cowardly person I used to be. Liam could give up our promise for Chloe, and I could choose to move forward on my own, relying on no one. This time, I wouldn’t compromise for Liam anymore. 3 The next day, I purposely woke up early. Before Liam and the others were up, I stood at the hotel entrance with my luggage, along with Harper. Liam was initially looking around the hotel entrance with a hint of nervousness. When he saw me come out early, his nervous expression was instantly replaced by smugness. Liam cleared his throat and said seriously: “Just to let everyone know, Chloe hasn’t been feeling well these past few days, and the weather forecast says there might be light rain, making hiking risky. So, for this graduation trip, we’re changing our route to a hot spring resort to relax for a couple of days.” Chloe stood behind Liam, tugged at his sleeve, and said somewhat sheepishly: “Sorry, Maya, for making you give up your plans to come to the hot springs with me. I just coughed a couple of times; Liam is just being too anxious.” Chris immediately chimed in: “Chloe, you’re too nice. The point of a trip is to have fun. Why should everyone have to accommodate one person? That would be too dictatorial.” I spent so much effort planning the itinerary, coordinating everyone’s schedules, spending both money and energy, and in the end, without saying a word, I became the one with a bad temper and dictatorial tendencies? I laughed in exasperation, looked Liam straight in the eye, tried to keep my voice calm, and said: “The itinerary was set long ago, and you’re changing the core part just like that? Sorry, my plans aren’t changing. I’m going hiking and camping.” Perhaps this was the first time in all these years I had held a dissenting opinion against Liam. He frowned at me, looking visibly displeased: “You alone? Are you kidding? It’s too dangerous! We changed the tickets, and you saw the itinerary doc. It’s not hard to adjust. Besides, we can go to the PNW anytime. At worst, I’ll go with you next time…” I interrupted him, my tone unusually calm: “I made the itinerary; even if I go alone, it won’t be dangerous. You can give up the adventure for your friends, but I won’t. I have scenery I want to see for myself. Chris, Harper, you choose: go to the PNW with me, or go to the hot springs with them.” Seeing my rare cold expression, Harper immediately stood by my side. Chris snorted, slowly moved over to their side, and shot me a provocative look. Only Liam’s face turned livid: “Maya, do you have to be so stubborn? Are you trying to make everyone unhappy?” I smiled, stopped looking at him, took Harper’s hand, and turned to leave: “Unhappy? I’m quite happy. Worry about yourself.” Behind me, Liam’s look of disbelief followed, as if he hadn’t expected me to just turn and walk away. He shouted: “Maya, don’t regret this! When the time comes and you beg me, I won’t care!” Harper, being pulled along by me, couldn’t help but complain: “Is he a child?” 4 On the plane, Harper and I reviewed the plan again. After landing, we contacted the hiking group we had booked earlier, informing them that our group of five had been reduced to two. After arriving at the trailhead and renting our gear, Harper and I officially set off. Although the sun was strong and the wind was fierce, because we had prepared well, neither of us was defeated by the journey. Instead, the further we walked, the more excited we became. Under the reflection of the landscape, I suddenly realized how insignificant my personal troubles were. The thoughts that weren’t firm in the past now became increasingly resolute. Looking at the beautiful scenery along the way, I began to feel grateful. Thank goodness I didn’t compromise and go to the hot spring village this time, but firmly chose the place I wanted to go. Harper and I tacitly avoided mentioning Liam and his group. We excitedly looked at the travel guide together, checking off every scenic spot we passed. During the trip, Liam called me several times. I calculated the time; he probably called after his flight landed and they had settled in. It was highly likely he was going to try to reconcile. Liam was always like this: a slap in the face followed by a piece of candy. Although he was very impatient with me internally, he always expressed care and gentleness afterward. I often found myself in endless internal conflict because of his soft words and concern afterward. I kept wondering if he was just acting tough, if he actually liked me deep down but didn’t know how to say it. But at this moment, I suddenly understood. There’s no such thing as acting tough while being soft-hearted. From the moment he acted tough, I should have drawn a clear line with him. As for why Liam treated me this way, perhaps he just didn’t want to lose a “clingy follower” like me, someone who would always follow him. The phone ringing annoyed me. Thinking that I had already called my parents in the morning and there was no one else I needed to contact, I simply put my phone in airplane mode, focusing entirely on taking photos and videos with Harper. By evening, Harper and I reached the entrance of the gorge, took out the supplies from our backpacks, and set up a simple camp. As night fell, the temperature dropped rapidly. After putting on the thick jackets we brought, the stars began to appear one by one. In no time, the night sky was a continuous expanse, majestic yet solitary. Unable to reach me, Liam called Harper instead. Harper was changing clothes and just put him on speakerphone. Liam’s voice came clearly through the phone: “Where’s Maya? Why isn’t her phone connecting? Where are you guys, have you settled in? Tell her to stop being petty. The environment here at the hot springs is great. Hurry up and buy a ticket to come over; we saved a room for you.” Harper scoffed, said “Screw off,” and decisively hung up the phone. We looked at each other and smiled. Looking at the beautiful starry sky, a surge of unprecedented strength welled up from the bottom of my heart. 5 The first day of hiking was tough but surprisingly smooth. As the sky grew darker, we met many other hikers at the campsite. After exchanging experiences, Harper and I replanned our itinerary for tomorrow. After Harper hung up, Liam kept calling persistently. After interrupting our conversation with the other hikers several times, Harper finally answered the phone with a dark expression: “What do you want? Are you done yet?” Liam’s tone was anxious as he asked: “Where exactly are you guys? Maya’s phone still isn’t connecting. Are you safe right now?” Sure enough, it was just as I thought. This was Liam’s usual tactic. If it were the old me, no matter how bad my temper was, I would have felt incredibly guilty after hearing those two sentences. Then, without any bottom line, I would go beg Liam for peace. I took Harper’s phone and pressed the speakerphone button: “We’re traveling. Your constant calls are very annoying.” Liam choked for a moment, but laughed after hearing my words: “Still angry? I wanted to tell you about going to the hot springs yesterday. Wasn’t I trying to give you a surprise? What’s so fun about a bare desert? We can soak in hot springs here and eat lots of delicious food.” “I forgot to tell you yesterday. Stop being angry. Be good. If you keep this up, no one will want to deal with you.” I listened expressionlessly to Liam’s words. He probably thought I was angry just because he decided to go to the hot springs without telling me. He thought that since he was groveling to coax me, this matter should just be dropped. I was just about to sarcastically reply when Chloe’s voice suddenly came through: “Yeah, Maya, don’t be mad. You’ve been mad all day, and Liam’s mood has been terrible.” Hearing her deliberately sweet voice, I frowned. I suddenly felt that answering the phone wasn’t a good idea; it ruined my good mood. “It’s all my fault… Maya, if you’re mad, be mad at me, don’t be mad at Liam anymore. Hurry up and buy a ticket to come over; at worst, I’ll apologize to you.” “Maya, didn’t you hear Chloe is about to cry? You need to change that terrible temper of yours; besides me, who else can stand you? I don’t care, you book a ticket to come over tomorrow, and then properly apologize to Chloe. Don’t ruin everyone’s fun just because of yourself.” “Shut your mouths, both of you. I can smell the stench through the phone.” I sneered: “I’ll play my way, you play yours. You still want me to apologize to you? How shameless.” Liam was silent for a long time, then warned dissatisfiedly: “Maya, don’t push it too far.” I hung up the phone without hesitation. 6 A campfire was lit in the camp, and Harper and I shared our dry rations, occasionally receiving some snacks from other tents. Harper chewed on beef jerky next to me, cursing Liam for being a jerk. I was originally angry, but suddenly slowly calmed down. “That bastard, you were so good to him for nothing, he’s just an ungrateful jerk! A wicked guy!” I was amused by Harper’s indignant appearance, and a wave of warmth flowed through my heart. Looking at the dancing campfire in front of me, I said softly: “It’s because I always stayed in the [comfort zone] he drew for me, making Liam feel that I couldn’t leave him and would always follow him.” I sighed, the galaxy above my head becoming even more beautiful. “Only after taking this trip today did I realize that even without Liam, the sky won’t fall. What I liked was the Liam who worked hard with me and looked forward to the future and adventure… perhaps not anymore.” Harper looked at me with some confusion. “What I liked might have just been that beautiful emotion representing youth.” Harper smiled, patted my back, and shouted: “Then today, let’s make a clean break with our youth!” I smiled too, and shouted loudly: “Yes! A clean break with youth!” 7 After successfully completing the hike and camping, Harper and I safely returned to the town and received our “Gorge Hiking Certification” certificates. Both Harper and I had tanned quite a bit, but we looked radiant, as if we had been completely transformed, without the lifeless fatigue from school. The moment we got the certificates, we immediately posted photos holding them on our social media, with the caption: Our own adventure, priceless! Before long, friends started leaving comments under the post. “Maya is so cool!” “Weren’t you going on a trip with Liam? Why is it just you and Harper?” “Stop talking nonsense, Liam went to the hot springs with the school beauty, he just posted on his story.” When I exited those comments, I happened to see the story Chloe had just posted. An exquisite nine-grid photo of hot spring beauties and high-end Japanese dinners. In the corner of a photo, Liam looked to be smiling somewhat forcedly. I had no heart to care about these things anymore, and casually closed the social media app. It was then that I realized that during the days my phone was in airplane mode, I had received many missed calls from Liam. In my messages, there were also many messages from him. I glanced at them casually. The last message he wrote was still a plea for reconciliation: Maya, when school starts, let’s go to campus together. I didn’t reply; my mood was complex but calm. The journey was over, and some relationships should also come to an end. 8 After resting at home for two days, Harper sent me the photos and videos she had taken before. I added my own experiences and guides from this trip, carefully edited the video, and posted it on a social media platform. I didn’t expect this video to actually gain some traction. Countless people asked for travel guides in the comments, so I simply created a small group and detailed all the guides, maps, and unexpected pitfalls from this trip, hoping to help people who wanted to hike in the PNW like me. After finishing all this, Harper sent me a screenshot of Chloe’s social media post. Since returning, I had deleted both her and Liam. In the post, there was a clearly intimate photo in a hot spring hotel room. Liam’s back in a bathrobe was in the front, and Chloe was holding his hand from behind. The caption: “The hand I grabbed when I was lost is exceptionally warm. Thank you for being there. /Love.” Below were many comments from mutual friends. “The school beauty is making it official, congratulations.” “Look at this background, a hot spring hotel suite, tsk tsk.” Chris was also jumping around in the comments: “Oh my, going out with the young couple, almost blinded my eyes.” Chloe replied to Chris with a shy emoji. Seeing this post, my heart, which I thought had already calmed down, still ached uncontrollably. Until the last ripple also returned to calm, I finally thought self-deprecatingly in my heart: so he was “worrying” about me on one hand, and could “warm” someone else on the other. After turning off the screen, I forced myself not to look at social media anymore, nor to think about the matters between the two of them. Such self-suggestion was indeed quite effective. I was just spacing out when the phone suddenly rang. It was the tour leader of the travel group we met during the gorge hike. As soon as he answered the phone, he said happily: “Maya, do you still remember me? I saw your video a couple of days ago. Our outdoor club is currently recruiting summer youth explorers, responsible for short-route guide assistance and logistics planning. I saw your guides were solid and your adaptability is good. Are you interested in giving it a try?” He added: “Room and board included, there’s a subsidy, and you can travel with the group for free.” My heart instantly pounded; this was simply a pie falling from the sky! It was a direct affirmation of my abilities! I agreed without hesitation. 9 The next day, as I was packing my luggage preparing to leave, the doorbell suddenly rang. Liam stood outside the door holding my formerly favorite dessert from a bakery, dark circles under his eyes, his tone carrying a deliberate ingratiation: “Maya, you came back and didn’t even tell me? Over at the hot springs… actually, I wanted you to relax. The trip, I didn’t think it through. There’s still more than half of the summer break left. How about I go with you again?” He tried to come over and ruffle my hair like before. I calmly dodged him and said: “No need.” “Or do you want to go to the beach? I’ve checked the flights and hotels, and I’ve prepared for you…” “Not going.” I interrupted him directly. Liam’s face darkened again: “Maya, I’ve given you enough of a way out. How long are you going to be angry? How did you become so petty!” I answered calmly: “I’m not angry, and I don’t want to go out and play with you.” Liam slammed the cake onto the table next to him and said angrily: “Go or don’t go! When you get to college, I won’t help you move your luggage. Crying and begging me then won’t help!” Liam slammed the door and left. I threw the dessert he brought into the trash and continued organizing my luggage. After joining the outdoor club in the mountains, my daily life became busy and fulfilling. Learning wilderness skills, planning routes, assisting in leading groups… Working in magnificent and diverse landscapes wearing professional gear. When I had free time, I posted photos and videos of leading groups on social platforms, which smoothly gained me a batch of followers. Harper, never one to shy away from excitement, would follow me to lead groups when she had nothing to do, conveniently getting a free short trip out of it. Then she would post photos of me working side-by-side with the mountain scenery on social media, adding the photos we took in the PNW before, and intentionally captioning it: “The continuation of fate, the goddess just has chemistry with everyone~/eating popcorn.” That night, Liam used a new number to bombard my phone again. After connecting, his voice was hoarse, sounding with a hint of hidden rage: “Maya, what do you mean? We’ve only been apart for a few days? Who is that guy! Are you so eager to find a replacement? The hike was also planned by you and him long ago, wasn’t it? You just deliberately ditched me!” I was so angered by his absurd accusations that I laughed, saying coldly: “Liam, put away your filthy thoughts. I’m working normally. Furthermore, even if something happened between me and someone else, it’s none of your business. My life has had nothing to do with you for a long time.” After speaking, I hung up the phone directly and blocked this new number of his as well.

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I ran into my wife Judy and her assistant Liam having sex in a BMW downstairs from the company. Watching the shaking, heaving car body, I sneered and floored the gas pedal, ramming straight into it. They were so scared they didn’t even have time to put their clothes on before they scrambled out and ran. When Judy realized it was me about to hit them, she stormed over furiously, pointing at my nose and cursing. “Charlie, Liam and I were just playing games in the car, and you dare ram into me?!” Her assistant also fanned the flames beside her: “If Judy hadn’t taken you in, you would have starved to death on the streets long ago. You’re nothing but a dog Judy keeps!” I looked at Judy, who had already cheated a hundred times, smiled slightly and said: “You just wait to go bankrupt!” “What? You’re going to make me go bankrupt? Who the hell do you think you are! What ability do you have to bankrupt me?” Liam wrapped his arm around Judy’s waist right in front of me, lowering his head to kiss her sexy red lips. “This waste must have been driven crazy by the two of us to dare threaten you like this. Just treat his words like a fart—let it go and forget about it.” They thought I was just bluffing them, that I couldn’t stir up any real trouble. If it weren’t for the fact that Judy’s grandfather once saved my grandfather, I never would have accepted their forced arranged marriage and married Judy. During these three years, I’d done enough for Judy’s family. I’d repaid the debt of gratitude. What I wanted now was the attitude of Judy’s father. I called six times before her father answered. “Thiago, your daughter has cheated a hundred times. Today I caught her in the act, and she still won’t change her ways. I just want to ask you—what punishment does she deserve!” To my surprise, Thiago scoffed: “Only a hundred times, so what? If she likes it, she can cheat ten thousand times and it’s not your place to comment, you waste.” “I really don’t understand what my father was thinking, actually making my precious daughter marry garbage like you with your unknown origins.” After hearing Thiago’s dissatisfaction with me, I finally understood a principle. What they call the evil of human hearts. I’d risked life and limb for Judy’s family, helping Thiago Group step by step reach today’s glory. Even without merit, there was hard work. How had I become a waste in their eyes? They even denied the contributions I’d made for them. I wanted Thiago’s attitude, and now he felt that Judy’s family had grown strong wings and no longer needed me as their guide. Fine. The day after tomorrow was when Thiago Group would announce going public. I decided to send them a generous gift. The debt of gratitude—I’d already repaid it for my grandfather long ago. After doing so much for Judy’s family, it was actually Judy’s family that owed me. “You hear that, waste? Even my dad agrees with me, which proves I did nothing wrong.” “Everything you have now was given by our family.” “Not only are you ungrateful, you even fantasize about bankrupting our family.” “If you dare interfere with me again, watch out—I’ll kick you out of my house, and you’ll end up as a beggar on the streets.” After saying this, she stopped hiding and instead openly threw her arms around Liam in return, going in for a French kiss. Around us, many colleagues who had just finished overtime had unknowingly gathered. Various voices humiliating me reached my ears. Not a single person could stand on my side and consider things from my perspective. These people clearly all knew I’d done many things for the company, didn’t they? Yet now they all surrounded me to watch the spectacle of my humiliation. Only then did I realize that when they called me Mr. Charlie, it was just a surface greeting. Deep down, they looked down on me entirely. “Hey, waste, what are you standing there stupidly for? Hurry up and go buy us condoms.”

“Don’t you want me to wear one?” “I’m just trying to leave you some dignity. After all, being a man to this extent, you’ve really lost all face for men.” As soon as he finished speaking, he released Judy, walked to the front of the car, pulled out the keys and threw them at me. “This car is a supercar Judy gave me. Now that you’ve damaged it, shouldn’t you compensate?” I smiled slightly: “This car is mine. If I’m not mistaken, Judy drove it over to give you as a birthday present, right!” As soon as the words fell, Judy’s expression instantly darkened: “Your car? How shameless.” “Every cent you spend, doesn’t it come from my family?” “Since you’re spending my family’s money, I have the right to decide the car’s fate.” Hearing this, I shook my head and laughed voicelessly. “You damn waste, what are you laughing at?” What Judy and Liam hated most about me was that no matter the situation, I could remain calm in danger and instead mock my opponents. They felt I was humiliating them now. “Judy, whether I’ve spent your family’s money or not, you and your father know best.” “I’ve never been a waste living off others, and I’ve never spent a single cent of your family’s money.” But Judy didn’t believe it at all, insisting I was lying. “Just because you say you haven’t doesn’t mean you haven’t. Who would believe that?” “I used to think you were just useless, but now! I’ve discovered you’re not only a waste but also full of lies.” “Come with me to city hall tomorrow. Let’s get this divorce done quickly.” When she said this, her eyes were full of disdain and weariness toward me. And I felt a sense of desolation. Husband and wife for several years, yet I couldn’t enter her heart, couldn’t warm her up, and she cheated time after time. And my colleagues’ words made me even more disappointed. “See that? Trash should recognize its own position. Go back to wherever you came from.” “We all graduated from prestigious universities. Our work abilities aren’t worse than his. Why should he get to enjoy benefits by relying on a woman, always lording it over us?” “The company goes public the day after tomorrow, and there’s no place for him anymore. What great news.” Facing a dozen pairs of eyes condemning me and waiting to see my humiliation, I didn’t feel sad but instead felt a cold laugh rising within. I was very strict in management, especially cautious when responsible for projects and following up on contract signings. If the company was to go public, certain rules and agreements had to be established. I never expected my dedication would be seen by them as me lording it over them. And getting Thiago Group to the point of going public, creating new benefits for them—wasn’t that something I fought for them? If it weren’t for me, those who should resign would resign, those who should be fired would be fired. Because Thiago is a cunning fox who only exploits employees—how would he give them benefits! Now one by one they act like this, as if afraid I’m not hurt enough, calling Liam “Mr. Liam” right in front of me. “Ms. Judy, I think Liam’s abilities are quite good. You could promote him to a higher position.” “Right, the Market Director position would be perfect.” The Market Director position—wasn’t that the position I currently held? This was blatantly pulling me down, and also a bargaining chip to please Liam. I clenched my fists tightly. They were going too far. I wanted to see how, in the end, they would be treated by the very person they were working so hard to please. They want me to get lost, right? Then don’t cry later. “Charlie, did you hear everyone’s opinion?” “It’s not that I want to pull you down, but everyone wants to pull you down.” “You’re such a failure, and you also disgust me—to think I was husband and wife with you for so long.”

She was the one who disgusted me, okay? If it weren’t for repaying my grandfather’s debt of gratitude, how could I possibly have married her? Talking to a dog was simply a waste of time. Fine, I’ll leave. But just as I was about to leave, Liam blocked my path again. “You want to leave without compensating me for the car?” Facing such a shameless person, I couldn’t help but get angry. “I told you, the car is mine. I can ram it if I want.” Because I had plenty of cars—I didn’t lack this one at all. “Big words. This was clearly bought with Judy’s money. How can you say it’s yours?” “I have evidence to…” “Enough, I don’t want to hear your nonsense anymore. If you don’t compensate Liam, then I’ll use my own methods to make you willingly pay.” I narrowed my eyes and stared at Judy: “What do you mean?” She just smiled coldly. I clearly saw calculation in her cold smile. Just then, my phone rang. “Mr. Charlie, come home quickly!” “Your dog has been tied up and hung in mid-air.” My heart couldn’t help but tighten. Even I, who was usually so calm, showed panic. Seeing that I’d finally shown a change in expression, Judy became even more certain of how much I cared about that golden retriever. She immediately laughed with delight, determined to use the golden retriever to force me to apologize to Liam. I had no time to think about their schemes, my only thought was to rush home and save my golden retriever. The golden retriever was a relic my mother left me, also my emotional support. Through countless lonely times, it was the golden retriever that accompanied me. Judy knew how much I cared about this pet, yet she dared to use it to threaten me. When I rushed back, I found it tied by its feet and hung upside down, four meters above the ground. If they let go, it would definitely fall to its death. My breathing became rapid, my heart panicked beyond control. I kicked open the courtyard gate. The violent impact made a huge noise. I sprinted over quickly: “You’re looking for death, daring to treat my pet like this.” “Lower it down slowly, or I won’t spare you.” I never liked joking around, but when they heard my words, they didn’t care at all. “What waves can a waste like you stir up? Hahaha, and you dare speak so boldly in front of me.” Thiago, surrounded by bodyguards, swaggered out. The moment our eyes met, he truly wanted me dead, felt that my identity lowered Judy’s family’s dignity. “So it seems the idea to tie up my pet was yours.” Thiago nodded without thinking: “Yes. What can you do to me?” “It’s just a beast. Killing it is as easy as turning my hand.” He looked at the entrance. Judy was bringing Liam, walking over step by step. Thiago suddenly smiled coldly: “Judy, see that!” “For those who resist, you must reach out and grab them by the throat, making them unable to resist.” “Then he’ll obediently submit and let you dispose of him as you wish.” Judy nodded obediently: “Got it!” As soon as she finished, she turned back to look at me with a smile, but her words weren’t directed at me. “Someone, throw this disobedient biting dog to its death.”

“No! Stop right now.” Judy knew how important the golden retriever was to me. No matter how cold and ruthless she was toward me, she couldn’t kill the innocent! My eyes turned red as I stared at her viciously: “What do you want me to do before you’ll let it go!” Seeing me finally willing to lower my head to her, Judy, Liam and the others smiled with satisfaction and mockery. Looking at the three people working in collusion before me, I really wanted to rush up and beat them. Liam laughed loudly and walked in front of me, punching me in the face. “I want to see if this coward dares to resist!” Unprecedented rage surged to my head. I couldn’t help but reach out and grab Liam’s neck. But he wasn’t scared at all—instead, he smiled arrogantly. “You really dare to resist!” “But… your resistance will only result in it being smashed to pulp.” After speaking, Liam raised his hand in a gesture, and the bodyguard on the roof let go. My breathing became rapid as I roared in desperation: “Stop!” Just as it was about to hit the ground, Liam shouted “Stop,” and the bodyguard pulled the rope back. This frightened the golden retriever into howling and barking in mid-air, apparently receiving an unprecedented shock. No matter how much I wanted to kill Liam, I had to swallow this anger first. I slowly released my hand, making Liam even more unbridled. After gaining his freedom, he patted his neck, then viciously raised his foot and kicked me down. I was forced to kneel before him, like fish on a cutting board, at the mercy of others. “It seems this dog is very important to you. Judy told me it’s a relic your mother left you.” “Then I’m sorry, but it might die here tonight.” I raised my head and glared at him angrily: “If you dare kill it, I’ll definitely castrate you.” “Castrate me? I’m afraid you don’t have that ability.” “Because I want you to bark like a dog first.” He stepped on my head, and then Judy brought over a divorce agreement for me to sign, leaving with nothing. “Just worried you wouldn’t leave with nothing. If you don’t want it to fall to its death, sign the contract unconditionally.” I wanted to resist and push away Liam’s foot, but suddenly thought of something and swallowed this anger. “If you want me to sign, then take your foot off!” Liam lowered his head, patting my face with vicious arrogance. “Before signing, bark a few times for me to hear!” “You… don’t go too far.” “I’m going too far—what can you do to me!” “You damn waste, can’t even satisfy your wife. I have to help you out.” “Are you going to bark or not?” For my pet, I had to bark. “Woof woof!” “No, your barking has no emotion. You need to sound as sorrowful as if a family member died, understand?” Liam hooked one arm around Judy’s waist while giving me orders. My face turned blue with bulging veins, but I had to do as they demanded. The two burst into laughter, treating me like a dog. Suppressing my unquenchable rage, I picked up the pen and quickly signed my name. “Not bad. This is what a good dog does.” “Can you let the golden retriever go now?” Liam clicked his tongue: “What are you all standing around for? Throw this beast to its death!” “Liam! You’re going back on your word!” He twisted his waist, doing his self-created dance moves and winked at me: “To a waste like you, what promise is there to speak of?” “Drop it!” “No…” As soon as the words fell, my golden retriever was thrown alive to the ground. I punched Liam again and urgently ran over to hold it. Its mouth was full of blood that couldn’t be stopped at all. Since my mother’s death, I hadn’t shed a single tear, but tonight, at this moment, I cried again. Liam was still there laughing, and Thiago also left satisfied with a wave of his sleeve. I quickly picked up the golden retriever and ran out. If I couldn’t save it, I would definitely destroy Judy’s family and castrate Liam. After leaving Judy’s house, I took out my phone and contacted my subordinates. “Bankrupt Judy’s family! Whoever dares help them dies together with them.”

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When I found out my childhood sweetheart broke up with me because my family was too poor, I breathed a massive sigh of relief. Thank goodness I was only acting poor. I wasn’t actually poor at all. He had no idea. For years, my mom had made me pretend to be broke because she was worried he would feel insecure. It was exhausting playing pretend. But now, I finally don’t have to fake it anymore. 1 When we were kids playing on the street, my mom made a pact with Liam’s mom that we would get married someday. She thought this little boy was so devastatingly handsome that he absolutely had to be her son-in-law. To make sure I could capture Liam’s heart from a young age… My entire family purposefully moved out of our luxury downtown penthouse and into a rundown apartment complex right next to his house. And naturally, Liam and I grew up as childhood sweethearts. After befriending Liam’s family, my mom gave up her spa days. She stopped playing golf and mahjong. Instead, she spent her days hunting for discounted eggs and clearance vegetables at the local supermarket with Liam’s mom. For the sake of this future son-in-law, she abandoned her glamorous life as a wealthy socialite. I told my dad, “If the internet finds out what a weirdo Mom is being, she’ll get roasted alive.” My dad didn’t say a word. He just silently put away the keys to his Rolls-Royce. He pulled out the keys to his electric scooter to drop me off at school. Whatever. My dad is just like me. He has zero say in this household. I asked my mom once: When could we finally be our true selves in front of Liam? She said puberty is when a person’s ego is the most fragile. If Liam found out how rich we were, what if he developed an inferiority complex? I don’t know if Liam would get an inferiority complex, but I was definitely getting depressed. One night, I couldn’t take it anymore. I burst into their bedroom. And demanded answers: “Is Liam your illegitimate child from an affair?!” “Even if he is, it doesn’t matter! Just let Dad and me move back downtown!” “We are willing to accept this secret child.” As a result, I was treated to a tag-team lecture from both my parents. My butt still hurts. Fine, whatever. I’ll just endure it a little longer. 2 Thankfully, my suffering finally came to an end. The day Liam fell for someone else finally arrived. Today, after school, Liam refused to take the bus home with me. “You know, Chloe, my family’s old property just got bought out by developers.” “Do you know how much the buyout was?” He held up some fingers. “Thirty million dollars.” “From now on, I won’t be taking the bus after school.” “You get what I’m saying, right?” To be honest, I didn’t get it. I replied bluntly: “Okay, then we’ll just take an Uber together from now on!” Liam clicked his tongue in annoyance. “This isn’t about taking an Uber.” “Then what is it about?” Liam’s tone suddenly felt incredibly foreign. “My mom said we’re moving out of the old apartment complex in a few days.” “I’m technically an eight-figure heir now. And you?” “What about me?” Liam sighed. “I originally didn’t want to spell it out for you, but you’re being so dense.” “I think everyone has the right to pursue something better. You can’t stop me from moving toward someone better, right?” “So, Chloe, you understand what I’m saying now?” After all that, I finally understood what Liam meant. He felt that because his family had just come into a massive fortune… I, his girlfriend, was no longer good enough for him. He wanted to break up. To chase after the school’s “It Girl.” “Sure.” He probably thought I would cling to him, but I agreed instantly. Liam looked a bit surprised. I prodded for the gossip: “So, who is this ‘better someone’?” “Sarah Sterling.” “I think right now, she’s the only one whose background matches mine.” Ah, the beautiful, wealthy, and popular queen bee of the school. “Okay.” I pulled out my phone. “I agree to break up with you, but you have to tell my mom yourself.” Liam frowned. “Chloe, we’re practically adults. Is that really necessary?” I was adamant. “If you don’t tell her, she won’t believe it.” He clicked his tongue again. “Fine.” “Breaking up with poor people is such a hassle.” Excuse me?! Poor people? Is he talking about me? When the call connected, my mom sounded thrilled the moment she heard Liam’s voice. “Liam, honey! Do you want to come over for dinner tonight?” “Your mom hasn’t been answering my calls or texts for days. I don’t know what she’s so busy with.” Liam fell silent for two seconds, seemingly feeling a twinge of guilt. “Mrs. Miller, I’m calling today to let you know…” “I think at this stage, we should focus on our studies. We shouldn’t get caught up in romance.” “So Chloe and I have decided to have an amicable breakup.” “What amicable breakup?!” I yelled from the side: “Liam, why aren’t you telling the truth!” “Mom! His family got a buyout! He thinks I’m not good enough for him!” “He wants to break up to chase the school queen bee!” Liam hung up the phone right then and there. “Chloe!” This seemed to be the first time he had ever lost his temper with me. “Couldn’t you just let us keep our dignity?” “Did you really have to leave such a bad impression with your mom?” Me: ???? Are you kidding me? “Whatever. At least it’s all out in the open now.” “Starting tomorrow, I’m officially going to pursue Sarah. Please make it clear to our classmates that we are broken up.” Watching Liam walk away. I suddenly felt a surge of gratitude that my mom made me act poor. Otherwise, how would I have ever seen his true colors? But more importantly… I finally didn’t have to act poor anymore. And I didn’t have to take the bus anymore. 3 Today I splurged and ordered an Uber Black to go home. The moment I walked through the door, my mom frantically interrogated me. “What happened with you and Liam? Did you have a fight?” I sighed, throwing my hands up: “Are you still not getting it? His family got a buyout. He thinks we’re too poor for him now.” My mom refused to believe it: “Impossible. Liam is not that kind of boy.” “Do you think he might have a terminal illness, and he doesn’t want to burden you, so he made up an excuse to break up?” I rolled my eyes: “Read less romance novels, Mom. They’re rotting your brain.” She insisted: “Even if it bankrupts us, we have to pay for his treatment!” Saying that, my mom dragged me out the door. Liam’s house was right across the hall, but we knocked for a long time before they answered. When the door opened, the person standing there was me and my mom. Liam’s mom looked a bit awkward. “Oh, you’re home.” “We agreed to go grab those discounted eggs this afternoon, why didn’t you reply to my texts?” My mom possessed an incredibly thick skull. She completely failed to notice that the other party clearly wanted nothing to do with her. She continued: “Liam called today and said he wants to break up with Chloe.” “I wanted to ask, did something happen?” I don’t know why, but Liam’s mom suddenly turned incredibly mean. “What could have happened? Are you trying to curse my Liam?” “If they broke up, it just means he doesn’t like her anymore. What’s the problem?” She prepared to shut the door, but added one last thing. “By the way, Mrs. Miller.” “I forgot to tell you, our old property was bought out. Thirty million dollars.” “We just bought a brand new Porsche today, and next week we’re moving to the luxury condos next door, the ones that cost five grand a square foot.” “So, whatever happened here, stays here. You don’t need to contact us anymore in the future.” The moment the door slammed shut. I swear I could hear my mom’s heart shatter. She still couldn’t believe she had misjudged them so badly. Until she opened her chat with Liam’s mom… And saw the dreaded red exclamation mark indicating she’d been blocked. That night, she woke me up from a deep sleep. “Chloe, let’s move back downtown.” “The penthouse, the private concierge, the high-end spas… I miss them.” I sprang up from the bed, nodding with profound relief. It wasn’t easy, but my mom had finally woken up. My dad and I had waited for this day for far too long. We drove our Rolls-Royce back to the penthouse that very night. Finally, I don’t have to act poor anymore. My couture clothes, luxury bags, and limited-edition collectibles… You must have missed me. I’m back! 4 The next day, I walked into class wearing a pair of limited-edition designer sneakers. The school’s “It Girl,” Sarah, let out a loud scoff. Everyone around us looked over. “Chloe and Sarah are wearing the same shoes.” “It took me exactly one second to guess who’s wearing the fakes.” “Chloe buys knockoffs? No wonder Liam dumped her. So thirsty for status.” “I heard that when she found out Liam’s family got rich, she clung to him and refused to let go.” “Yesterday she was wearing twenty-dollar canvas shoes, and today she’s wearing two-thousand-dollar sneakers? Who buys that?” Sarah decided to speak up at this point. She put on a fake, understanding smile. “It’s okay. Chloe probably just doesn’t know any better about these things.” I swatted her hand away: “Who the hell doesn’t know better?” Embarrassed by my rejection, Sarah’s expression darkened. But she couldn’t show it, so she just pretended to be a victim. “Why are you being so aggressive?” “If you’re mad because Liam is pursuing me…” “I just won’t say yes to him, okay?” ??? Who was mad about that? Liam swooped in like a superhero protecting his damsel in distress. “Chloe, we’ve known each other for years. Don’t you think I know exactly who you are?” “The only things you know are two-dollar donuts from the street cart and cheap spicy noodles. Since when do you know anything about designer shoes?” Hearing this, the class erupted in laughter. “Last time I saw Chloe arguing with an old lady over fifty cents! Talk about desperate!” “Does she think wearing the same shoes as Sarah makes her a queen bee? Or is she trying to use this trick to win her man back?” “Even if she copies Sarah’s outfits, she’s still just a low-budget knockoff.” Perhaps the thirty million dollars gave him courage. Liam declared he was going to test me. “Since you claim you know shoes…” “What’s the name of the founder of this brand? What month and day is his birthday?” The actual name and model of the shoe got stuck in my throat. You’re not going to ask about the brand or model? You’re asking me for the founder’s birthday?! My face flushed bright red with anger, and before I could even figure out how to curse him out… Liam took my silence as embarrassment from being exposed. “Enough. I know breaking up with me hit you hard.” He pulled a prepaid cafeteria card out of his pocket. “There’s five hundred dollars on this card. It should be enough to cover your meals for the semester.” When I refused to take it, he forced it into my hand. “Don’t pretend. I know you need it.” “Consider it my breakup compensation to you.” I rolled my eyes and threw the card right back at him. When I sat down at my desk, I realized Liam had already switched seats. He moved to sit next to Sarah, using the excuse of helping her study. But his true intentions were obvious to everyone. After Liam moved, no one wanted to sit next to me. But there was a scholarship student in our class. Seeing me looking pathetic, she quietly moved to sit next to me. As she moved, Sarah leaned against her desk and chuckled: “The whole class hates her now. You know exactly what it means to move next to her.” The scholarship student, Maya, still moved next to me. I asked her why. She said she couldn’t stand seeing Liam and Sarah using their money to bully people. Honestly, I felt a little insulted. Because it was still up for debate who was actually using money to bully people. 5 At noon, Maya led me through a maze of hallways to the back kitchen of the cafeteria. When the cafeteria lady saw me, her expression soured. “Maya, I only set aside enough food for one person. Why did you bring someone else?” Maya quickly took the tray from the lady’s hands. “Mom, I don’t eat much. This is enough for the both of us.” “She’s just as pitiful as I am, getting bullied by people. We have to save whatever we can.” Sitting at the table, I looked into Maya’s expectant eyes as she invited me to eat with her. I couldn’t bear to ruin the moment, so I hid the cafeteria card I had just loaded with $10,000 yesterday back into my sleeve. I picked up my chopsticks, convincing myself this was the last time I’d endure this “hardship.” Tomorrow, I’m announcing the $10,000 on my card to the whole world! I had barely taken one bite of food. When a familiar voice rang out. “Chloe, give the card back.” I looked up and saw Sarah’s icy, arrogant face. “What card?” “The cafeteria card Liam gave you today. Don’t be greedy and take things that don’t belong to you.” I had thrown that card right back at him. I never took it. “I didn’t take it.” One of Sarah’s minions knocked over my tray. The chicken leg Maya had just given me fell right onto the floor. “Stop lying. I saw Liam shove the card into your desk with my own eyes.” I was absolutely furious. I stood up, ready to fight them. But the card hidden in my sleeve accidentally slipped out. Sarah’s minion snatched it up immediately. “I told you she took it, and she wouldn’t admit it!” “That’s MY card.” The minion wasn’t listening to a word I said. She took the card and marched straight to the card reader at the window. “Holy sh*t!” Before I had time to stop her, a piercing scream echoed from the window. “Why is there so much money on this card?” The minion looked at Sarah. “Didn’t Liam say he only gave her $500?” “Why does this say… $10,000?” The expression on Sarah’s face was a sight to behold. She seemed unable to believe Liam would be so generous to me. She snatched the card back and stormed off, fuming. I didn’t chase after her. Because with $10,000, I could easily file a police report. After the two of them left, Maya was still sighing over the chicken leg on the floor. I pulled her up from the floor, went to the window, bought two massive chicken legs with cash, and shoved them into her mouth. “Eat up, drink up, and don’t let this bother you.” Maya chewed happily. While asking me: “Your ex-boyfriend put $10,000 on that card for you. He’s actually pretty generous.” Me: … Oh, you sweet summer child. 6 When my dad pulled up in the Rolls-Royce to pick me up after school. Liam blocked my path. “What did you say to Sarah in the cafeteria?” “When she got back, she threw the cafeteria card at me and hasn’t spoken to me since.” “She just accepted my confession yesterday, and today you’re trying to ruin things between us?” I was busy texting my dad, telling him I had some personal business to handle. And to wait for me at the gate. “Chloe, I’m talking to you.” “Please show some respect.” Annoyed, I put my phone away, pulled my cafeteria card out of my pocket, and swapped it with him. “The card Sarah gave you is mine.” “I told you I didn’t want your card, but you forced it on me.” Liam clicked his tongue. “I’m asking you why Sarah is mad at me.” “I’m not here to discuss cafeteria cards with you.” ??? How the hell would I know why Sarah is mad at him? Your girlfriend is mad at you, and instead of asking her, you come ask your ex? Does that make any sense? What a coincidence. His moody girlfriend happened to walk right past us. She purposefully bumped her shoulder hard against mine. “You little b…” The curse word was right on the tip of my tongue. But Sarah apologized first. “Sorry, didn’t see you there.” She tried to walk away, but Liam grabbed her. “Baby, please don’t be mad.” “I really have absolutely no lingering feelings for Chloe.” “Actually, I never felt anything for her at all.” “When we were together before, it was entirely her mom being relentless. I didn’t like her one bit.” “Plus, my family got a buyout now. Families like ours are a perfect match.” Finally, he said what was really on his mind. I really wanted to record his pathetic face and show it to my mom. Sarah was still throwing a fit: “If you dislike her so much, why did you give her a $10,000 breakup fee?” “What $10,000 breakup fee?” Liam looked completely bewildered. My dad started rushing me via text. He said his car was too flashy, and a huge crowd had already gathered at the school gates. He has social anxiety, so he told me to hurry up and get in the car. Too lazy to watch their soapy teen drama. I cursed Liam out, then ran out the gate and got into the car. On the way home, my dad was asking me which high-end restaurant I wanted to eat at. When I received a message from Maya with a link to a forum post. “Chloe, someone posted on the school confession board saying you have a sugar daddy.” I don’t know who was paying so much attention to me. It hadn’t even been five minutes since I got in the car. But photos of me getting into the Rolls-Royce were already posted online. A lot of people were commenting below. “The guy in the car looks pretty old. Chloe really has no standards, huh?” “Her ex-boyfriend got rich and dumped her, so her ego couldn’t handle it, and she found a rich old sugar daddy.” “And she had him pick her up in a Rolls-Royce at the school gates so deliberately. Is being a sugar baby something to be proud of?” “Liam and Sarah are such a perfect match. Chloe’s sugar daddy probably smells like mothballs.” Maya asked me: “Chloe, is this really your boyfriend?” “THAT IS MY DAD!!!” After finding out it was my dad, Maya immediately started defending me in the comments. “Stop spreading rumors. That is Chloe’s dad’s car.” Many people started attacking her too. “Two broke losers lying through their teeth.” “I’ve seen Chloe’s dad before. He always drops her off on an electric scooter. How could he possibly drive a Rolls?” “Maybe her dad became a chauffeur and took his boss’s car out to show off.” Hearing my sigh, my dad turned and asked what was wrong. I held up my phone to show him: “Dad, they’re saying you’re my sugar daddy.” My dad: ???? “Kid, are they speaking English?” 7 After I told my mom what happened at school today… She was absolutely furious. She hated herself for being blind, for taking over a decade to realize what kind of trash her future son-in-law really was. My dad chimed in from the side, commenting that her taste in men was terrible. I poked him. “Dad, are you saying you’re terrible?” My dad gave me a look that said you talk too much. Our whole family gathered around, discussing how to exact sweet, sweet revenge. My mom said: “Yesterday, I completely revamped my Facebook profile.” “I tried to add Liam’s mom back as a friend so I could show off.” “And guess what?” “She still hasn’t accepted my request.” “I’m so pissed!” My dad said: “Why don’t we donate a new building to the school? It’s low-key but still flexes our wealth.” I shot down his idea: “By the time the building is finished, I’ll have graduated.” “Revenge needs to happen right now. We can’t wait!” They both looked at me: “So, how are you planning to handle this?” I hadn’t actually figured it out yet. As the three of us sank into deep thought… A message popped up in the class group chat. It was sent by Sarah. “This Saturday is my birthday. I’m inviting everyone to my house to celebrate!” She dropped her home address. I looked closely at it, my eyes suddenly widening. Isn’t that my apartment complex? Does Sarah live there too? Oh. It makes sense that I’ve never run into her. Since I was a kid, my mom stripped me of my right to live there. I had been living in that rundown apartment next to Liam’s this whole time. Sarah posted another picture of her living room. I stared at the picture, looking at it over and over again. Huh? Why does it look so familiar? I looked up. Isn’t this MY house? I looked up and asked my dad: “Is Sarah your illegitimate daughter?” My dad looked completely lost. “Who is Sarah?” My mom almost slapped him across the face. “Did you have an affair?” I explained it to them: “Sarah is Liam’s new girlfriend.” I showed them the message she sent. “Why does her house look exactly like ours?” My brain fought with itself for a moment, then I pointed at my parents. “Which one of you had the affair?!” My mom suddenly remembered something and pulled us close, lowering her voice. “I just noticed a weird coincidence.” “What?” “Today, our housekeeper, Maria, told me she booked a deep cleaning service for this Saturday.” “She told us to go out and have fun for the whole day.” I asked my mom: “And you agreed?” She nodded. The truth was practically screaming at us. No wonder when I was living in that rundown apartment… I always thought the clothes Sarah wore and the jewelry she had looked somewhat familiar. But since my family moved back yesterday… She stopped wearing designer brands and switched back to her school uniform. Except for those limited-edition sneakers. “Mom,” I pointed at the shoes I wore today sitting by the door. “How many pairs of this shoe did you have your personal shopper buy for me?” My mom thought for a moment. “Two pairs.” “One is autographed, the other isn’t.” I immediately asked my mom to verify this with the housekeeping agency. The results confirmed our suspicions. Therefore. Sarah is not a rich girl. She is the daughter of our housekeeper, Maria. Maria was the housekeeper my mom hired right after I was born. During the dozen years my mom followed Liam’s family away… She was the one managing the penthouse. I had only seen her when I was very little. When we occasionally visited for the holidays, I had never run into her daughter. I never expected that during the time we were away… Maria and her daughter, Sarah, had actually moved into our home. No wonder Sarah and Liam hit it off so well. They’re exactly the same type of people. You wanted to kick our family out so you could host a birthday party in our penthouse, right? Well, let’s see how you manage the fallout from this one. After finalizing a plan with my parents. I started sucking up to Sarah in the group chat. “I’ve never seen such a huge house in my life~ Can I come?” Some classmates mocked me: “Didn’t you say the guy driving the Rolls-Royce was your dad? How have you never seen a big house downtown?” “Maya was defending her today, saying that old man wasn’t a sugar daddy. If you did it, just admit it!” “Like this kind of vain girl, Liam broke up with her, they’re over.” “If you’re coming to the birthday party, you have to bring a gift. Don’t show up empty-handed.” … Sarah ignored me for a long time. It wasn’t until everyone finished insulting me and no new messages appeared in the chat. She @’d me: “Sure. It’s fine if Chloe doesn’t bring a gift.” Still expecting me to bring a gift. I’ll bring her two massive slaps across the face. One for the left cheek, one for the right.

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