Category: English

From the first day I was brought home, The girl who’d been living my life wanted me gone, maybe even dead. Even my own mother treated me with a chilling indifference. Then, one day, when my life hung by a thread, that girl’s boyfriend dove in front of me, taking a bullet meant for me. And that was when my mother finally broke down. 1 When my biological parents came to get me, Dad was beaming, but Mom looked miserable, depressed even. The way she looked at me… it felt like disgust. I couldn’t figure it out. Okay, so I wasn’t exactly living some main character fantasy. My grades sucked, I was painfully shy, but I knew I wasn’t hard on the eyes. Especially because— I looked exactly like Mom did when she was young. So why would she hate me? The moment I stepped into the Ashton house, a giant wedding portrait hung in the foyer. It was Mom and Dad, twenty years ago. Faded, sure, but you could still see how bright her eyes were, how dazzling her smile. Beautiful, vibrant. … “Splash—!” The instant I crossed the threshold into my new bedroom. A bucket of rank, stinking water drenched me. Behind the door, a shrill laugh erupted. “Welcome home, Ava! Like your little sister’s housewarming gift?” Brooke stood there, wearing a face mask and holding a big, now empty, bucket, smirking at me. I picked off the slimy bits clinging to me. Looked like old shrimp shells, fish bones… stuff left to rot. You know the saying, garbage in, garbage out. Brooke, yeah, the ‘imposter daughter,’ must have been brewing this welcoming committee stink bomb for days just to make a point. Real classy. Brooke looked nothing like Mom or Dad. She did, however, bear a striking resemblance to the family’s former driver, the one who’d just gotten locked up. Simple reason: she was his daughter. I’d been born two weeks premature, whisked straight into an incubator. The driver’s wife gave birth a few days later. He saw his chance and swapped me with his own baby girl. He wasn’t about to raise me with kindness. When I was just a month old, he dumped me by the side of the road. Lucky for me, a kind old woman, my Gran, who scraped by collecting cans and bottles, found me and took me in. Until… well, until I grew up looking so much like my mother. Someone, I still don’t know who, snapped a picture of me working at the coffee shop and sent it to Dad. Dad looked at me, then looked at Brooke, who looked more and more like the driver every day. Next thing I knew, the driver was in prison, and I was ‘home.’ 2 I stared at Brooke’s smug face, didn’t say a word. Just bent down and silently picked up a couple of chunks of putrid fish that hadn’t fully dissolved into slime yet. Even through her mask, she pinched her nose, looking down at me with utter contempt. “Tsk, figures. Grew up digging through trash, didn’t you? This stuff suits you perfectly, Miss Stinky Fish.” “Yeah, well, I never keep the good stuff all to myself.” With that, I walked towards her, grabbed her chin, and yanked off her mask. Brooke started to say something, her mouth forming a perfect ‘O’. I seized the moment and stuffed the handful of rotten fish from my other hand right into it. Then, like force-feeding a duck, I clamped her jaw shut. Her throat worked, an involuntary swallow. … Brooke froze for a few seconds, then let out a bloodcurdling scream and burst into tears. Forgetting the stinking puddle on the floor, she dropped to her knees, retching violently. Her shrieking was ear-splitting. Seconds later, Mom and Dad rushed in, looking panicked. “What’s going on… What are you two doing?!” Both Mom and Dad instinctively covered their noses. Brooke saw them like they were cavalry charging to her rescue. She howled even louder, practically leaping into Mom’s arms. “She attacked me! She forced my mouth open and made me eat rotten fish! Dad, Mom, do something! Ugh…” I glanced at her. “She was hiding in my room. She dumped this on me the second I walked in.” Dad saw me, soaked and reeking. His face darkened. He turned and snapped at Brooke. “What is the meaning of this? I told you yesterday, don’t bully your sister.” Brooke, pale-faced and looking utterly wronged, sniffled. “Dad… I wasn’t bullying her. My teacher told us… there’s this old custom, when long-lost relatives return, you splash them with dirty water… it represents washing away past misfortunes. I… I just wanted Ava to have a happy future… sob…” “Is that so? Well, thanks ever so much.” I nodded at her, my face blank. 3 Dad’s brow furrowed even deeper, just as I expected. “What kind of nonsense is that? What garbage have you been listening to? You have no manners at all! You get to your—” “Richard.” Dad was mid-sentence when Mom cut him off. Her voice was soft, but held an undeniable edge, a tone that didn’t invite argument. “Brooke’s been very emotional lately, Richard. As her father, you should be more mindful of her feelings. She was just a baby back then, and Miller never acknowledged her all these years. Why take it out on her?” With that, Mom gently pulled Brooke closer, wiping away the vomit residue from the corner of her mouth. Then she looked at me, her eyes still empty of any real warmth. “Go take a shower. I’ll have the housekeeper clean up the room. Your sister meant well, perhaps she just went about it the wrong way. Let’s not dwell on such minor things.” I looked at Mom’s face, so uncannily like my own. I opened my mouth, then closed it, saying nothing. Instead, I turned to look at Dad. Anger still simmered in his eyes, but when he glanced at Mom beside him, his expression softened considerably. He was silent for a moment, then nodded at me, forcing a gentle smile. “You just got home, let’s not fight. Be good, go get cleaned up. Dinner will be ready soon.” I didn’t argue further. I just nodded obediently. “Okay… I understand.” Dad. He was completely wrapped around her finger. I’d noticed it the moment I met them, and now I was certain. No matter how upset he was with Brooke, if Mom stepped in, he’d always play peacemaker. With Mom backing her up, Brooke seemed to instantly forget the humiliation of eating rotten fish. She peeked out from behind Mom, shooting me a look dripping with scorn. “Get. Out. Of. My. House.” I saw her mouth the words silently. I discreetly flipped her the bird and turned towards the bathroom. 4 “Tsk, struck out, didn’t you, princess?” I’d just reached the bathroom door when an unfamiliar voice popped up behind me. I turned around. It was a boy, looked about my age. He was good-looking, dressed well, leaning casually against the wall, watching me. “Who are you?” I looked up at him. The boy walked right up to me, leaning in close. “What, you seriously don’t recognize me?” I shook my head. I honestly couldn’t recall ever seeing him before. He let out a few disdainful snorts, then pinched his nose and backed away a few steps. “I’m Brooke’s boyfriend. You better be nice to me, or your life here won’t be easy.” “Oh…” I nodded. “You stink. Go get cleaned up, now.” The boy seemed seriously annoyed and walked off quickly. This house… there was something really strange, almost suffocating, about it. “Oh— I’m so sorry, Miss Ava! I should have shown you the way. You just got here, you don’t know where anything is yet.” A voice, getting closer, broke my thoughts. A young woman hurried over, clearly one of the household staff. “That guy—” I pointed in the direction the boy had gone. “Oh, oh, you must mean Miss Brooke’s boyfriend? His name is Liam. Mrs. Ashton and Miss Brooke both adore him.” The maid hesitated, then added in a lower voice, “You should probably keep your distance from him. Last time, two girls who tend the garden just chatted with him for a minute, and Miss Brooke threw a fit and had them fired. Besides, his personality is… weird. Kind of unpredictable, moody.” I nodded. “Got it. Thanks for the heads-up.” 5 Dad was often away on business. Mom treated me with cool indifference. And Brooke? Don’t even ask. So, bored out of my mind, I started chatting with the housekeeper and the other staff. After a few months, we actually got pretty friendly. I was holding onto the two dogs, keeping them from bothering the young woman cleaning out their kennel. Her name was Lily. She looked after the family pets – two dogs, three cats. She wiped sweat from her brow, then glanced at me, looking hesitant. My interest piqued, I leaned closer. “What’s up? You can tell me.” Lily wrestled with it for a moment, then finally whispered: “Miss Ava, please don’t tell anyone I told you this… I just thought it was really strange…” “A couple of days ago, Duchess refused to take her bath and ran off into Mrs. Ashton’s bedroom. I was afraid she’d make a mess, so I chased after her.” Right, Duchess was one of the family’s Ragdoll cats. “Turns out, Mrs. Ashton was in there… and I accidentally saw her looking really intently at a photo album. The pictures in it… they were all of Miss Brooke’s boyfriend, Liam.” “What?” My eyes widened involuntarily. “Shh…” Lily looked conflicted, unsure if she should say more, probably already imagining some kind of high-society soap opera drama. “What are you two whispering about over there?” A voice suddenly called out from nearby, making both of us jump. Liam waved dramatically, raising an eyebrow, drawing out his words, like he’d caught us red-handed. I silently clutched the dogs and backed up a step. Liam strolled closer, giving Lily a long, meaningful look. “Jobs aren’t easy to come by these days, you know. If you don’t mind losing yours, feel free to keep gossiping.” Lily flushed bright red, suddenly flustered. “No… I wasn’t! I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have been chatting on the job. Please don’t tell Mrs. Ashton or Miss Brooke.” Liam shot me a sly look. “But you’ve got the new princess here, haven’t you? She’ll protect you. What are you afraid of?” I frowned, but before I could say anything, the dog in my arms suddenly started barking frantically at something in the distance. 6 Both Lily and Liam’s faces changed. We saw Brooke charging towards us, furious. She yanked off one of her high heels as she ran and hurled it straight at my face. I didn’t have time to dodge. The heel hit my forehead with a sickening thud. I stumbled back several steps, clamping a hand to my head. It came away warm and wet. The world started to spin. “Miss Ava!” Lily rushed to help me, but Brooke shoved her hard, sending her staggering. Brooke pointed a finger right at my face, sneering. “Everyone in this house knows Liam is mine! Who gave you permission to talk to him? You trashy little slut, trying to seduce him? If you’re that desperate for a man, just tell me! I can pick up a few bums off the street for you!” Liam’s face turned ugly. He looked like he wanted to say something but stopped himself. I’d pretty much figured out his situation lately. Liam’s family had no money. In fact, they were dirt poor. His parents died when he was in elementary school. He’d scraped together money for college through part-time jobs and financial aid. Getting together with Brooke was clearly his fast track out of poverty. My head was swimming, my forehead throbbing like crazy. I just collapsed onto the grass, weakly reaching out to Lily. “Ah… I’m so dizzy… my head hurts so bad… I think I’m dying…” “Miss Ava, hang on! I’ll call 911 right now!” Lily was terrified, fumbling for her phone with trembling hands, only for Brooke to slap it out of her grasp. Brooke was clearly shaken by the sight of my bloody face too. Her voice trembled as she yelled, “Are you trying to scam me? You think I, Brooke Ashton, scare that easily? Get up! Get off the ground right now!” My hand trembled even more violently. My voice grew weaker. “So dizzy… feel sick…” Liam, probably fearing he’d be accessory to actual bodily harm, turned white as a sheet and finally stepped in, grabbing Brooke’s arm. “That’s enough! Even if you wanted to kill her, there are security cameras all over this backyard. Today’s not the day.” Liam bent down, picked up the phone, brushed off the dirt, and handed it back to Lily. Brooke was still furious, but Liam’s words seemed to douse her impulsive rage. She stomped her foot angrily, hastily put her shoe back on, grabbed Liam’s arm, and they both turned and ran. 7 Dad, terrified by Lily’s description over the phone, immediately had the driver rush me to the hospital. He dropped everything at work and hurried over himself. Okay, maybe I hammed it up a little, but my head genuinely hurt, I was dizzy, and the amount of blood streaming down my face meant I ended up needing a few stitches on my forehead. Thankfully, apart from the cut, there was no serious damage. Dad held my hand, his face etched with relief and fear. “Thank God you’re okay… What if this leaves a scar on your face?” He gritted his teeth, his brow furrowed in anger. “That animal, Brooke… Like father, like daughter, I swear. Cut from the same cloth as Miller. If your mother wasn’t so attached after all these years, I’d have thrown her out long ago.” “Mom…” I whispered the word, my expression darkening slightly. When the driver and the housekeeper had rushed in to carry me out, the commotion had brought Mom out to see what was happening. But she just glanced at me, told the housekeeper to take care of me, and went back into her room. Even the housekeeper and the driver looked stunned. Was this really my mother? Dad looked awkward at the mention of Mom. He patted the back of my hand comfortingly. “Don’t be angry with your mother… You don’t know, Ava. When you were little, after… after everything happened, she got sick. She suffered from severe depression for a long time, even spent quite a while at a private clinic upstate before she recovered.” “The doctors said the illness changed her personality. It’s not that she doesn’t love you. Don’t blame her.” I was surprised. I hadn’t known any of that. Pushing down my questions, I nodded obediently. “Okay, I won’t blame Mom. Dad, you’ve worried enough. You should go back to work.” Dad sighed, gently stroking my hair. “My daughter gets hurt like this, how can I possibly focus on work? You just rest. Don’t worry about me.” I felt a flicker of warmth, a bit touched. I didn’t say more, just nodded and closed my eyes. I knew perfectly well that right now, in this house, Dad was my only real ally, the only one who genuinely cared about me. I had to hold onto that. 8 I was in a private room at the hospital. In the dead of night, aside from the chirping crickets outside, it was almost silent. Suddenly, the door handle turned softly. Footsteps, deliberately slow and quiet, still sounded loud in the stillness. The footsteps stopped beside my bed for a long moment, likely checking if I was asleep. I lay still, eyes closed, hooked up to a breathing mask, not moving a muscle. Suddenly, the person beside the bed acted fast, ripping off my breathing mask. She let out a suppressed giggle, then smothered my face with the blanket. “You idiot… My dad didn’t have the guts to finish you off back then, so let me do it for him! You want to steal my parents, steal my Liam, steal my inheritance? Go to hell!” She leaned close to my ear, her voice dripping with venomous hatred. Her perfume filled my nostrils, and I almost sneezed. Then, I reached up and pulled the blanket off my face. My wide-open eyes stared right into hers. “Ah!” Brooke shrieked in terror. Simultaneously, the room lights flipped on. She froze, completely stunned. “You… you were supposed to be dying! How are you okay?” Behind her, Dad, unable to contain his fury, stormed over and slapped Brooke so hard she crumpled to the floor. “Ava told me! You wouldn’t let Lily call 911, you wanted her dead! I didn’t want to believe it! How could I, Richard Ashton, have raised such a vicious monster! Mrs. Davis, call the police!” Dad was shaking with rage. He waved his hand, signaling the housekeeper, who had been hiding in the adjoining bathroom with him, to call the authorities. I’d only meant to bluff Brooke. I’d asked Dad to tell everyone I was seriously injured, unconscious even. Knowing Brooke’s cruel, impulsive, and impatient nature, I figured she might try to sneak in at night and finish the job, eliminate me for good. Turns out, my gamble paid off.

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My daughter was trapped in the fire, but I calmly lit a cigarette. Listening to the screams from inside, my wife and her parents were wailing, kneeling in front of me, but I didn’t flinch. “Honey, please, I’m begging you, save Lily!” My wife, Sarah, tears streaming down her face, banged her head on the pavement, quickly drawing blood. Another colleague also off-duty, Jake, kept urging me: “Captain, you’re the most experienced. If you don’t go, what happens to the kid?” The crowd stared at me like I was a lunatic, shouting accusations. Remembering how it ended last time, I gave a cold smirk and replied: “Twisted my ankle. Can’t help.” Going in now would just be suicide. … “Ethan! You just don’t want to save her, do you?! You want her dead! That’s your own daughter! You… you monster!” After my repeated refusals, my mother-in-law’s face finally contorted with rage, pointing a finger right at me, spitting accusations. Her finger nearly poked my eye, spittle flying. I instinctively stepped back, frowning slightly. “You’re a seasoned firefighter, how could you just twist your ankle like that?! What are you playing at?! If you don’t want to save her, just say it!” My father-in-law looked at me, deeply disappointed. Hearing this, I scoffed inwardly, then yanked up my pant leg, revealing an ankle swollen like a grapefruit. “You think I didn’t twist it? Didn’t I fall down the stairs at the mall earlier today when you guys were loading up bags?” Hearing that, they were momentarily speechless. Beside them, Sarah knelt on the ground, teary eyes fixed on me, seemingly unable to comprehend how the husband she’d known for years could suddenly be so cold-blooded. She gritted her teeth and threw herself at me again, sobbing, “Ethan! I’m begging you! Go save our baby! Our… our Lily is still in there!” Sarah cried desperately, the gash on her forehead from earlier still bleeding. She was clearly at her breaking point, but I remained unmoved, offering a flimsy excuse. “I don’t have my gear, and my ankle’s busted. If I go in, who knows if I’ll be saving her or if she’ll end up saving me.” The bystanders, drawn by the argument, had gathered around. Seeing my attitude, they started pointing fingers and muttering. “What kind of thing is that to say! Aren’t you her father?!” “How can you talk like that? You’re scum! Even a tiger wouldn’t eat its own cub!” “Are you… are you even human?! As her father, you should be going in!” As they spoke, some looked ready to punch me but were held back by others saying hitting trash like me would dirty their hands. I ignored all their condemnations. Just then, another small explosion erupted from the building, causing the crowd to gasp and step back. I looked down at the fear and worry in Sarah’s eyes, realizing that after all these years of marriage, I’d never truly seen through her. Even reborn, it was still the same. This scene felt chillingly familiar. After that last explosion, in my previous life, I ignored everyone’s warnings and rushed into the inferno, only to die in the next, much larger blast. I don’t remember the sensation of being consumed by flames, but the bone-deep chill of that final moment is etched into my memory. Having been reborn, I was determined to change my fate. At that moment, Jake, my off-duty colleague, approached again. Seeing my resolute refusal, he sighed deeply, his own tension palpable. “Captain, you’re the most experienced. If you don’t go, what about the kid? If you need backup, I’ll go in with you!” I looked up at his anxious face, remembering he had the same expression last time. Back then, I’d pushed him away firmly, telling him not to risk it. Now, I wondered if Jake’s nervousness was purely about entering the fire or something else. But I didn’t have time to dwell on it. I just shook my head. “Sorry, twisted ankle. Can’t help.” “We rush in without gear? Is that how we were trained?” Seeing my continued refusal, the onlookers grew even angrier, yelling at me: “Are you even human?! That’s your daughter! Your daughter is in there!” “Your wife’s practically bleeding from banging her head! Are you even a man?! How can you face your duty as a firefighter?!” “You’re just going to let your own child burn to death?!” Jake froze for a second, about to say something more, but my father-in-law walked up to me and suddenly dropped to his knees, tears streaming down his face as he choked out: “Ethan! For the sake of all these years! Please help! I’m begging you… my granddaughter is still inside… Ethan! Even just trying is better than hiding back here! Are… are you even a man?!” I looked at him, my eyes filled with complex emotions. 2 Sarah and I met in college, dated for years, and finally got married. We’d been together five years, married for three. I remember when I first went to her parents’ house right after graduation, I was so nervous I didn’t know what to do. Graduation meant real life, adult responsibilities, and my own background wasn’t exactly stellar. I was terrified they wouldn’t approve of Sarah and me being together. So I braced myself for the worst. But the moment I walked in, her mother greeted me with a warm smile, took the gift I brought, and showered me with concern. “Ethan, dear, must have been cold coming over, right? Hurry inside.” Her father, standing behind her, clapped me on the shoulder, looking incredibly pleased, and immediately wanted me to join him for a drink. Feeling completely overwhelmed, I met Sarah’s smiling eyes and felt nothing but happiness. After that day, not only did her parents not look down on me, but they treated me exceptionally well. They just said Sarah was their only daughter, and as long as I treated her well, nothing else mattered. They didn’t care that I had no parents; they promised to treat me like their own son. I didn’t have much money after graduating, so the wedding had to be simple. Her parents didn’t mind. No house, no car – they didn’t mind that either. At the wedding, though, they cried, asking me to take good care of their daughter, which made me feel incredibly guilty. But I couldn’t bear for Sarah to struggle with me, so I gritted my teeth and bought a house. We definitely went through some tough times financially, but later, as my career took off, the pressure eased. Sarah was incredibly supportive and understanding. She didn’t mind the demanding nature of my job, the long hours away from home. She just told me to focus on work, be extra careful during missions, and assured me she’d handle everything at home so I could go save more lives. A year ago, she got pregnant. Two months ago, she gave birth to our daughter. Our whole family adored the baby. They say good things come in pairs. On the day Lily was born, I bought a lottery ticket and actually won a decent prize. Enough to pay off the mortgage with some left over. Back then, I truly thought both the baby and the lottery win were gifts from heaven. I believed Sarah, the baby, and I would live a quiet, happy life together. Who knew this disaster was waiting? Thinking about this, I looked into my father-in-law’s eyes, remembering all the times they’d been kind to me. Now, even those memories felt cold. I still shook my head. “Don’t say any more, Dad. I can’t go. Don’t put yourself through this, it’s pointless. We just have to wait for the fire trucks.” Hearing this, my mother-in-law and Sarah burst into uncontrollable sobs. By now, anyone who might have initially thought I was being rational had changed their tune, seeing my utter lack of action. They all started cursing me. “He’s just a coward, afraid to die!” “Whoever married him really drew the short straw!” “Not even saving his own daughter! So heartless!” The scene was chaotic. It was as if someone threw dry wood onto the fire inside; it suddenly blazed higher, accompanied by a series of small popping sounds. A tongue of flame shot towards the sky, drawing gasps from the crowd. With this sudden flare-up, the faint sound of a baby crying from within the building grew weaker, almost inaudible. 3 “My baby… my baby…” Seeing this, Sarah collapsed onto the ground, crying even harder. My father-in-law, seeing I wouldn’t move, gritted his teeth, rolled up his sleeves, and prepared to go in himself. “Ethan! I never thought you were this kind of person. Fine! I won’t count on you, old man! I’ll save my own granddaughter!” “Mr. Peterson! I’ll go too!” Jake, seeing this, rushed forward. He grabbed some basic tools, starting to put them on while pointedly trying to shame me. “Ethan, I can’t believe you’re such a coward, too scared to save your own daughter. You’re worse than an old man like Mr. Peterson! It was a misfortune for him to let his daughter marry you!” Before I could respond, Sarah looked up and slapped me hard across the face, tears streaming down her face, looking utterly helpless. “Look at the situation! The fire has died down a lot! I really don’t know what you’re so afraid of! Ethan, after today, I am absolutely done with you! You killed our child! You deliberately let our daughter die in there!” I took the slap without flinching, turning my head slightly, my tongue pressing against the inside of my cheek. She was finally losing control. That slap had real force behind it. Sarah’s eyes were red and swollen, making her look incredibly pitiful. Onlookers, especially women around her age, started wiping their own tears, feeling sorry for Sarah’s plight and even more for our daughter trapped in the flames. I frowned deeply, looking at Jake and my father-in-law, then addressed the crowd. “Didn’t someone already volunteer to go? They want to go, let them. Why are you still yelling at me? If you think I’m so cold-blooded, why don’t you all go in? One more person in there now is just another casualty. What’s the point of this moral grandstanding?” “I really misjudged you! Treating you so well all these years! It was all wasted on an ungrateful snake! I never should have let my daughter marry you!” My mother-in-law sobbed and cursed beside me, lamenting to others about the misfortune of having a son-in-law like me. I remained indifferent, stubbing out the finished cigarette and lighting another. Watching my hesitant father-in-law and Jake, I took a drag from my cigarette, tilted my chin slightly towards them, and urged them on: “Go on in, what are you waiting for? What if the fire gets worse?” “You!” Jake shot me a look, then turned back to the fire, his face tense. It was unclear if he was genuinely nervous about going in without gear for the first time, or nervous about taking an old man like my father-in-law with him. My father-in-law coughed heavily several times, making one wonder how such an elderly man, already struggling outside, could possibly manage inside a burning building. The two of them hesitated for a long time, never taking that first step inside. The bystanders couldn’t watch anymore. “Are you heartless?! Fine, don’t go yourself! But stop making sarcastic remarks!” Just then, the wail of sirens approached from the distance. Finally, fire trucks. Seeing them, Jake’s eyes lit up. As soon as the trucks stopped, he immediately moved to gear up, shooting me a seemingly casual glance. “No need to rush me. As soon as I have my gear on, I’ll go in and save her!” A cheer went up from the crowd at his words. My mother-in-law quickly pulled my father-in-law back, clutching her chest in relief. “Honey, don’t go! The firefighters are here! They’ll definitely save our granddaughter!” As the well-trained firefighters rushed out of the trucks, Jake joined their ranks. Just as they were preparing hoses to start fighting the fire and enter the building, a massive explosion, accompanied by a towering pillar of fire, ripped through the inferno. The faint crying from inside finally fell silent. The stunned faces of the crowd were illuminated by the huge blaze. They froze. Sarah let out a bloodcurdling scream and tried to rush into the fire, only to be held back by firefighters. “Lily! Mommy’s so sorry… Lily!” My father-in-law and mother-in-law collapsed onto the ground, sobbing uncontrollably, beating their chests. Seeing this, however, I felt a wave of relief wash over me, the immense pressure suddenly lifting. I fainted on the spot. 4 The smell of antiseptic filled my nostrils. Still groggy, I realized I was in the hospital. A cacophony of voices surrounded me, incredibly noisy, making sleep impossible. I slowly opened my eyes, immediately met by flashing camera shutters and a swarm of people closing in. “Mr. Hayes! I’m a reporter from the Western Gazette. Can you please tell us why you let your own daughter burn to death?” “Mr. Hayes! Please answer the question directly! The child’s remains haven’t even been found yet. Could this be considered murder?” “Were you always this emotionless towards your daughter, or is there something else going on?” … Looking at the horde of reporters, my temples throbbed with a dull ache. I cleared my throat, and under their expectant gazes, slowly spoke. “…Is the fire out?” No one expected that to be my first question. Disappointment flickered across their faces. Someone muttered from the side that yes, it was extinguished. Hearing the fire was out, I breathed a sigh of relief, then asked the reporters with a cold smile. “You’ve all been here a while, right? Waiting for me to wake up, eager for the first scoop. Right now, every single one of you is accusing me of standing by, of being inhuman. Since the fire is out, let me ask you first: have any infant remains been found at the scene?” The reporters were taken aback by my question, exchanging confused glances, murmuring amongst themselves that they hadn’t heard anything like that. The police hadn’t released many details about the fire’s specifics or casualties yet, but there was definitely no news about finding a baby’s remains. While the incident was causing a huge stir online, no actual evidence of infant remains had surfaced. “Ethan! I’ll kill you! Give me back my daughter! You deserve to die!” While the reporters were still uncertain, Sarah burst through the crowd, lunging at my hospital bed, hitting and scratching. She had cried all night; her eyes were red and swollen, and she looked utterly crazed. “My daughter was blown to pieces! There’s nothing left, not even ashes! Where would they find remains?! I won’t forgive you, Ethan! Pay for what you did! Pay for Lily’s life! I want a divorce!” The reporters didn’t miss this scene, cameras flashing, capturing everything. I watched Sarah impassively. I hadn’t expected her to be this persistent, even skipping washing up for a day just to appear pale and distraught for everyone. Seeing her raise her hand to slap me again, I frowned and grabbed her wrist tightly. “Sarah! Have you had enough?!” “Ethan! Have you had enough?! You don’t deserve to be a father!” Just then, Jake rushed in, pulling Sarah’s wrist from my grasp with a look of righteous fury. Sarah clutched her wrist where I’d squeezed it, sobbing beside him. “I… I just want my daughter back. Ethan, please give me my daughter back, okay? I’m begging you, just give her back…” “Sarah! Please, try to stay strong…” Seeing her like this, Jake’s eyes also reddened as he tried to comfort her. Their synchronized performance immediately swayed many onlookers. The reporters voiced their outrage at me. “Never seen someone act like nothing happened after their daughter died…” “This has to be murder! Watching his own daughter die!” “Wait till we expose this monster in human skin!” I saw some reporters were even live-streaming. The viewer count was probably high, which suited my plan perfectly. So, I asked Jake softly. “I don’t deserve to be a father? So you should be?” “What… what are you talking about?! Are you crazy, Ethan?!”

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My daughter was basically born bad. A real bad seed. Skipping school, fighting, bullying classmates – she did it all. She even started sexting with a guy ten years older than her and planned to run off with him. I rushed to the train station, got into an argument with the guy, and fell onto the tracks. I died instantly. But my daughter told everyone I jumped on purpose. Then I opened my eyes. I was back six months earlier. My daughter was standing there, eyes red, accusing me of being too strict. I looked at her coldly. “Fine. From now on, I’m done managing you.” 1 Senior year, first major exams, and my daughter, Ashley, skipped them again. Her homeroom teacher called just as I was leaving work. “Sarah, if Ashley keeps this up, she’s likely going to be expelled before graduation.” I gave a calm, small laugh. After a moment’s thought, I said, “It’s okay, Mrs. Davison. If she gets expelled, she gets expelled. As long as it doesn’t cause problems for you or the school.” In my previous life, I got this same call. Back then, I immediately rushed to the school, begging and pleading with everyone to give her another chance. Then I caught her skipping school, playing online games with friends. In front of everyone, I swore up and down she’d never skip again, that she’d make it to graduation. But the truth was, her life was ruined before the second semester even started. Smoking, drinking, dating… that was nothing. The day I received the wedding invitation from my husband, explicit videos and photos of her were already going viral online. When I found out and confronted her, she just shrugged it off. “Mom, what do you know? What’s the point of having a good body if you don’t show it off?” “Besides,” she added, “bad press is still press. Maybe I’ll become an influencer or something.” Thinking back on that, I repeated firmly to the teacher, “From now on, please don’t call me about Ashley’s issues. I can’t control her anymore. I’m done trying.” With that, I hung up and walked away. 2 That evening, I was lounging on the sofa watching TV when the front door flew open and slammed shut. Ashley stood before me, face like thunder. She was wearing a skimpy black outfit, way too mature for her age, complete with fishnets. A cigarette dangled from her left hand, a bottle of liquor in her right. She glared at me, furious. “Old woman, did you cancel my credit card? You trying to force me home with cheap tricks like that? Are you asking for it?” “Go reactivate the card right now, or I’m running away from home, and you’ll never find me.” “No need,” I said calmly. “Go wherever you want. I won’t try to manage you anymore.” “Are you kidding me?” Seeing her just standing there, I kindly opened the front door for her, practically gesturing for her to leave. My change in attitude clearly stunned her. Her eyes darted around, then she awkwardly tried to save face. “Whatever. I know you can’t bear to let me go. Dad already ditched you. So you won’t end up a lonely old woman, I guess I can consider staying. But…” She plopped down on the sofa, grabbing an apple and taking a bite. “First, reactivate the credit card. Then, transfer the house and car titles to my name. And up my allowance to five thousand dollars a month.” … I shook my head wearily. “I’m serious, Ashley. Didn’t you say I was too controlling? That I made you anxious and depressed?” “From now on, skipping school, dating, whatever – those are your choices.” I sighed. “You’re almost eighteen. I can’t control you anymore.” I wasn’t saying this out of spite or trying to be tough. From the moment she became my daughter, I gave her everything, catered to her every whim. Bought her the prettiest dresses, the best Barbie dolls. Because my own childhood was poor, I was terrified of her suffering, so I planned out her entire future. Top schools, study abroad programs, even lining up a respectable job for after graduation. But all my careful planning, in her eyes, was just my manipulative tactics to trap and control her. And in the end? I met a violent end, and she actually lied for the real culprit, letting him escape justice. If that’s how it is, then I don’t need to knock myself out planning for her anymore. “You’re wrong.” I shook my head again, feeling exhausted. “Mom is just really tired. I can’t manage you anymore.” “Bullshit! You’re plotting something. I’m warning you, don’t try anything funny, or I’ll make your life hell!” Furious, Ashley swept everything off the coffee table, sending mugs and clutter crashing to the floor, then slammed the door and stormed out. She still thought I was just bluffing. 3 Not long after Ashley left, my husband, Mark, showed up. Well, “husband” – we’d been separated for six months, just needing the final divorce papers. In my past life, I endured everything for Ashley’s sake, even turning a blind eye to Mark’s cheating. But this time around, I just wanted this scumbag as far away from me as possible. “Ashley called me. What kind of mother are you?” He started right in with the accusations, perfectly fitting his “doting father” persona he’d maintained for years. “It’s normal for teenagers to be rebellious. Yelling at her is one thing, but kicking her out? Poor Ashley, having a mother like you.” I let out a cold laugh, resisting the urge to applaud him sarcastically. “Don’t worry, it’s not too late. Haven’t you already found her a new mom?” A flicker of embarrassment crossed Mark’s face. Before he could counter, I pulled out the divorce agreement I’d already prepared. “Let’s cut the crap. Sign this.” Mark’s eyes widened in surprise, then a flash of delight. “You’ve finally come to your senses?” “What’s there to ‘come to senses’ about? The deal is, you get the kid, I get the house and car.” His joyful expression lasted about two seconds before his face fell. “What? Sarah, don’t push it.” “Me, push it?” This house was bought with my family’s money, and the car payments always came out of my account. Mark contributed less to this household than the cleaning lady I hired. “You don’t contribute a dime, you run around with other women, you’re the party at fault. I should be suing you. And you dare argue about assets? Fine. You want to make this ugly? Bring it on.” Mark clearly didn’t expect such firmness from me. His mouth opened and closed, but no words came out. Then, he pulled out his phone. “Ashley, honey, Dad tried his best. Your mom’s gone completely crazy, there’s nothing I can do. You need to come home right away.” Ashley’s hysterical yelling came through the phone. “What? That bitch won’t give us money? Dad, don’t worry. Just watch how I handle her.” 4 Ashley rushed home and, ignoring her father’s half-hearted attempts to “stop” her, proceeded to smash everything she could get her hands on. I watched it all happen. Initial anger faded into a strange calm. It didn’t hurt nearly as much as I thought it would. Compared to the last life, when she pushed me out of the car and fractured my spine, this was nothing. “Done smashing things? If not, feel free. Your computer and tablet in your room are still intact. Why not destroy them all at once?” Ashley spun around, glaring at me, the hatred in her eyes practically lethal. “You bitch. Say that again, I dare you.” Mark knew his daughter’s temper. He made a show of trying to calm her down but conveniently stepped aside. “I won’t repeat myself. Go ahead, smash everything you want. Just don’t disturb my rest.” I yawned and, under the stunned gazes of the father and daughter, calmly walked back to my bedroom and locked the door. Just as I expected… without me as an audience, the commotion in the living room quickly died down. A moment later, I heard the front door slam shut hard. I couldn’t help but smirk. I lay back on the bed and drifted off to sleep. The next morning, just after I woke up, I got a frantic phone call from a coworker. “Sarah, you need to get down to the office, quick!” 5 Downstairs from the Apex Corp office building, Ashley stood at the main entrance in some outlandish outfit, handing out flyers to the arriving office workers. Even from a distance, I could vaguely hear what she was saying. “Yeah, she’s an executive upstairs at Apex Corp! Not just cheating, she’s fooling around with multiple clients – men and women!” “What? Seriously?” It wasn’t quite time for work yet, so a small crowd had gathered, munching on bagels and listening to her performance while looking at the flyer featuring a blown-up photo of me. “Of course, it’s true! Look at these bruises!” she cried, showing imaginary marks. “She comes home after hooking up and takes it out on me! Shoved my head in the toilet, drugged my dad with sleeping pills, almost killed him!” She told her story vividly, and some onlookers grew outraged, looking like they wanted to drag me out for public shaming. “What kind of mother is that? So vicious!” “Seriously, if you can’t raise them right, don’t have them. She’s just hurting everyone.” “Glad she’s not my boss. Who knows what you’d have to do working under someone like that.” I stood there, unmoving, calmly listening to all her slander. Ashley saw me, but there wasn’t a hint of guilt in her eyes. “There she is! That’s my mom!” All eyes snapped towards me. I spoke immediately, my voice carrying. “Don’t you all have work to do? It’s almost nine o’clock!” No office worker truly has time for someone else’s family drama. The crowd quickly dispersed, leaving just Ashley and me. Looking at this young, defiant girl before me, I sighed. “Ashley, this is my final warning, and my advice: stop digging your own grave. Go back to school. It’s not too late to turn things around. I can give you one more chance.” But Ashley just sneered, completely missing the warning in my tone. She practically spat at my feet. “Tsk! I don’t need chances from you. I’m your only daughter, you really gonna abandon me? I’ll give you one last chance. Give me money, and sign over a house to me. I promised Rick we’d get married after graduation.” Any last shred of affection I had for her died with those words. She acts this way because she thinks she can get away with anything, being my only flesh and blood, right? What would happen if she found out she wasn’t actually my biological daughter? The thought was… quite intriguing. 6 Back in the office, curious glances darted away the moment they saw me. Throughout the morning, I remained calm and composed, handling my work and meeting with clients as if nothing had happened. It wasn’t until the lunch break that I finally got a moment to breathe. “So, do you think Sarah’s really like that?” “Hard to say. Seems pretty straight-laced, but maybe she’s wild behind closed doors.” “Yeah, well, how else does a woman get to be a general manager? Probably slept her way up.” I stood outside the break room door, my hand tightening on the handle, my blood running cold for a second. Not because of those few whispered words. But because it hit me again how, even now, sexism is so deeply ingrained in the workplace. Any woman who achieves even moderate success is suspected of sleeping her way there. No one considers her actual abilities, and no one knows she likely had to work ten times harder than a man to get there. And the root of all this suspicion is simply her gender. It’s ridiculous. Just as I was about to push the door open, a clear female voice spoke up. “You shouldn’t talk like that. I know Sarah isn’t that kind of person.” I recognized the voice. It was Maria, who’d started working here a few months ago. “Mind your own business, cleaner. Who do you think you are, butting in?” a male voice grumbled. “I just know! Sarah works incredibly hard. I’ve seen her working late lots of times when everyone else has gone home. Stop spreading rumors. It’s disgusting to slander women like that.” “What did you say? You wanna say that again…” Before the man could retort, I pushed the door open, a polite smile fixed on my face. “Quite lively in here. Not resting during your break? Guess the morning wasn’t busy enough.”

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My dad hid my acceptance letter. He kept it hidden for seventeen years. Growing up, I tried so hard to be the good daughter. Even though I figured out pretty early on that he favored my brother, just because he was a boy. But when I finally saw that acceptance letter to the good high school, the one I earned, I just couldn’t hold it together anymore. “Dad,” I cried, “I’m your daughter. Don’t I deserve even a tiny piece of a dream?” 1. My mom died when I was one year old. She bled out giving birth to my little brother, Mike. After Mom was gone, Dad raised me and Mike by himself. We lived out in the country, didn’t have much money. The weird thing was, in our house, Mike and I were treated completely differently. From the time we were little, if there was anything good to eat or drink, Mike always got it first. I used to be jealous of him, but back then, I didn’t understand about sexism, about him thinking boys were just better. When it was time for school, I went like normal, but after school, I never got a break. I had to do all the chores around the house, and during planting or harvest season, I had to find ways to help the neighbors, try to earn a little cash on the side. Any money I made, Dad took it right away. Said it was for school fees. But every single time I handed him money, Mike suddenly had cash for candy. He’d eat it right in front of me, just to rub it in. One time he let it slip – Dad was giving all the money I earned to Mike for pocket money. School didn’t even charge extra fees back then; we even got subsidized lunches, didn’t cost a dime. I asked Dad why he gave my money to Mike. He just said, “You’re a girl. Isn’t the money you earn supposed to go to your brother?” “Besides,” he’d add, “I raised you all this time. Don’t you owe me?” “Girls need to be obedient. Stop thinking about all this nonsense, or what’ll happen when you get married and go live with your husband’s family?” His words always shut down any complaints I had. Made me feel like maybe I was wrong for thinking about it. After that, Dad took every single cent I ever got my hands on. It went on like that until I finished middle school. When I graduated 8th grade, I wanted to keep studying, so I went into town to work over the summer. My grades had always been good; I was sure I could get into a decent high school. Near the end of the summer, I took the money I’d worked so hard for and went to find Dad. That’s when he told me I hadn’t gotten into high school at all. He said we didn’t have the money to send both me and Mike to school anyway. “Better to use that money for your brother,” he said. “Mike’s starting high school soon, he needs it.” Just like that, all the money I’d busted my butt for was gone, handed over. Back then, I was naive. I actually believed we were just that poor. Reality was about to slap me hard in the face. 2 Since I couldn’t go to high school, I had to go find work. But with just an 8th-grade education, finding a decent job was impossible. I ended up washing dishes in town, making only a thousand bucks a month. Every payday, Dad would use the excuse that we were poor and Mike needed money for school, and he’d take most of my wages. Pretty soon, Mike finished middle school too. He was never a good student, and he completely bombed his final exams. Forget high school, he didn’t even qualify for trade school. I remember thinking back then, if I couldn’t go to high school, maybe I could go to trade school. But Dad shut that down immediately, saying it cost too much. When it came to Mike, though? Dad spent twenty thousand dollars a semester to buy him a spot in a private high school in the city. When I heard that, it broke my heart. I went to Dad and asked him why it was so unfair. He told me the money came from Grandma and Grandpa – left specifically for Mike. He also said, “What’s the point of a girl getting so much education? Better you start working early.” I knew Dad favored Mike, always had. But… I never thought he could dislike me that much. I was furious about how unfair he was, but I felt powerless to change anything. All I could think back then was how unlucky I was not to be born a boy. For a while, I was really mad at Dad. When I got paid, for the first time, I thought about not giving him the money. Big mistake. Dad absolutely blew up at me. He called me ungrateful, a snake in the grass. Said he raised us kids all by himself, practically breaking his back, and now that I was older and earning money, I wasn’t even thinking about helping the family. I felt so wronged. I was making a thousand a month and giving him eight hundred! But still, because I didn’t get into high school, it was “girls don’t need that much schooling.” Mike, who was a terrible student, got thousands spent on him for a private school spot. I asked Dad again, why the unfairness? He said, “Your brother’s the one who’s going to take care of me when I’m old. Shouldn’t I treat him better? Who else am I going to count on, you?” “Besides,” he went on, “look around this town. Isn’t it the same in every family? Daughters help out at home until they get married, right?” “You need to understand, if your brother does well, your life will be better too. When he makes it big someday, he won’t forget his big sister!” I didn’t realize it then, but he was totally manipulating me, gaslighting me. Later, Mrs. Henderson from next door came over to talk to me. She’d always been pretty nice to me; when I was little and didn’t have enough food, she’d often give me something to eat. Maybe because I grew up without a mom, I always remembered her kindness. So, when she told me not to fight with my dad, I actually listened. She helped smooth things over. I stopped arguing with Dad, but I did start giving him less money. Because I couldn’t stand being around Dad and Mike, I moved away, out of state, to find work. Back then, I had no idea that my own father was the one who had actively ruined my future. I always thought, you know, even a wolf doesn’t eat its own cubs. I couldn’t imagine him being that cruel. But reality is harsh. 3 Those years working far from home, I worked like crazy. Day and night, often only getting five or six hours of sleep. Sometimes I didn’t even have time to eat properly. Eventually, I developed stomach problems. Every time my stomach hurt, I’d just pop some pills. Partly because I was too busy with work, and partly because I didn’t have money for doctors. So, I just toughed it out. Even though I wasn’t making much, I still sent money home to Dad every month. Like Mrs. Henderson had said, Dad was getting older, couldn’t earn much anymore. I didn’t want my money going to Mike, but I felt I still had to support Dad. So, I wired him cash every month. After drifting around for so many years, sometimes I felt incredibly tired. During holidays, I’d think about going back home to see Dad. But he always told me, “You’re already working so hard out there, it’s tiring enough. Traveling back and forth, you won’t rest well, won’t eat well, and it’s not safe. No need to come back.” I believed him. I even started to think maybe Dad’s attitude towards me had changed, that he was starting to care about me. Until I went to the hospital for a check-up. The doctor told me I had cancer. Late stage. In that moment, my world collapsed. I didn’t want to die. I was still young. I wanted to live. I called Dad right away, told him I wanted to come home. He agreed immediately. I was actually happy then, convinced that Dad finally felt sorry for me after all these years working away from home. But when I got back, there were no welcoming smiles waiting for me. Just Mike. He rushed over and started digging through my bag. When he couldn’t find any cash after searching, his face just fell. “You didn’t bring any money? What did you come back for?” “Don’t you know I’m getting married soon? We need money for everything!” Dad chimed in too, “What’s wrong with you? You’ve been working out there for years, haven’t you saved anything? If you didn’t save any money, what’s the point of coming back?” “It’s hard enough to find a job these days. You come back empty-handed, expecting me to support you?” Hearing those words felt like a bucket of ice water dumped over my head. I was chilled to the bone. “Dad, that’s not it,” I choked out. “I’m sick. I came back this time to rest and recover.” “Recover? What’s there to recover from with a little ache or pain? Just take some medicine, you’ll be fine. But your brother’s wedding, that’s a big deal. Did you put your money in the bank? Hurry up and give the card to your brother.” At that moment, I truly broke down. I sobbed, asking Dad, “Dad, I have cancer. Can you please help me? Can you save me?” “Cancer? How could you suddenly get cancer? Are you sure you got checked properly? Lots of quack doctors out there these days.” “Besides,” he continued, “you see the situation. Your brother’s getting married soon. You’ll have to figure something out yourself.” This time, Dad didn’t keep asking me for money, but I wasn’t happy at all. Because I really didn’t have any money left. I couldn’t believe he didn’t know how hard my life had been. All these years, I’d been trying to please him, doing everything he said, being the obedient daughter. And what was the result? I was riddled with illness, and all I got was “figure something out yourself.” Dragging this sick body around, what could I possibly figure out? I stumbled out of the house, feeling completely lost. Outside, I ran into Mrs. Henderson again. Seeing me, she took me into her house. “Sarah, honey, don’t be upset. You know how your dad is.” “Actually,” she said, lowering her voice, “he does care about you. When you’re not here, he talks about you all the time.” “He’s just got a lot on his mind right now. Mike’s fiancée’s family is playing hardball, demanding ten thousand dollars or they’ll call off the wedding. Your dad’s really stuck.” “You’re capable, working out there. That’s why he was hoping you could help figure something out.” “Mrs. Henderson,” I said, my voice trembling, “if I had money, I could try to help. But… do you know? I have cancer. I’m dying.” “I just wanted to beg him to save me…” “But… he told me to figure it out myself…” Mrs. Henderson froze. “Oh, Sarah, honey, I’m so sorry. I had no idea it was like this.” “Are you sure about the diagnosis? Maybe you should try another hospital? Maybe the doctor made a mistake?” “There are so many greedy clinics these days. You should really get checked out at a couple of major hospitals.” As she spoke, Mrs. Henderson tried to press a few hundred dollars into my hand. “I don’t have much myself, Sarah, but take this. Go get another check-up at a big hospital.” I couldn’t believe it. Mrs. Henderson, who wasn’t even related to me, was showing me more kindness than my own father. But in the end, I didn’t take her money. I decided to go back to the city, find some kind of work first, and then figure out the medical stuff. Before leaving, I went back home one last time to grab a few clothes. As I was rummaging through the closet, an envelope fell out. It was an acceptance letter from County Central High. The

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I’d been away on a business trip for half a month. The second my plane touched down, I rushed straight home. On the way, I tried calling my fiancé, Brandon , a bunch of times, but he didn’t pick up. I figured I’d stop trying and just surprise him when I got home. But when I used my key to open the door, for a second, I thought I’d walked into the wrong apartment. Why was there a woman inside? And a baby? 1. I stood there in the doorway, luggage handle still in my grip, completely stunned. “Hey, Lynn, you’re back?” Brandon greeted me like nothing was weird. “Pam Tong had a fight with her husband, and she just had the baby, so she’s crashing here for a few days.” He looked totally casual. “Actually, since you haven’t even taken your shoes off yet, could you run out and grab some stuff? The baby still needs a lot.” I couldn’t catch my breath and snapped at him. “What do you mean? Did you even talk to me about this?” “Look, we can talk after you get back with the stuff,” Brandon said, trying to nudge me out the door. Just then, the baby started wailing. It looked so tiny, like it was just born. I bit back my anger. Fine. I’d go get the stuff first, then deal with this. He handed me a long list – formula, diapers, changing pads, everything. There’s a baby supply store just down the block from our building. Walking there, I got angrier and angrier. Pam Tong was Brandon’s childhood friend, the one he grew up with. When we first started dating, we fought about her constantly. She always seemed to tag along on our dates. Brandon bought her gifts for holidays, same as me. Whenever we hung out with his friends, they’d always tease Brandon and Pam about being a couple. The worst time was during a game of Truth or Dare. Pam was dared to kiss a guy in the room, and she went straight for Brandon. Right after, she turned to me and said, “Lynn, sorry, couldn’t help it, Bran and I are just that close, you know? You’re not mad, right?” Whenever I brought her up during arguments, Brandon would brush it off. “If we were going to get together, we would have ages ago. We’re just buddies. You’re being way too sensitive.” Luckily, she got a boyfriend not long after and moved out of state with him. Things quieted down for a while after that. So why was she back now?! And staying at my place postpartum?! When I got back with the bags, I swallowed my rage and planned to go see her. But Brandon stopped me. “Don’t go in there yet. You just came in from outside, you’ll bring a chill in. She’s still recovering, you know.” That was it. I yanked my arm away. “Are you insane? How could you let her stay here to recover?” “Come on, she’s a friend, just helping her out, what’s the big deal? She fought with her husband, had nowhere else to go.” Brandon looked completely unbothered. “We’ll sleep in the spare room. Let her have the master bedroom. She’ll leave after she’s recovered.” “And now that you’re back,” he continued, “she just gave birth, dealing with all that postpartum stuff… messy. And I’m clumsy with babies, not like you women. You can help take care of her and the kid.” I was so furious I actually calmed down. “You want me, an unmarried woman with no kids, to take care of someone I barely know, who just had a baby? Are you out of your mind?” I grabbed my suitcase handle again. “Good thing I haven’t unpacked. I’m staying somewhere else tonight. Tomorrow, I don’t want to see her in this apartment.” With that, I slammed the door behind me. 2 I was exhausted from the flight anyway. So, I checked into a hotel nearby. I’d stay the night, get some rest, and figure out my next move tomorrow with a clear head. I scrolled through Pam’s social media. Turns out, she’d been here for ten days. “Feeling safe enough to rest before the baby comes, surrounded by the people I trust most.” The picture? Brandon carrying her suitcase, his arm around her. Five days ago, when the baby was born, she posted a photo of Brandon holding the newborn. “Bran is always my rock.” There were other baby pics too, the background clearly my bedroom, the baby nestled in the expensive bedding I picked out. Seeing those posts made my blood boil. I texted my best friend, Maya. “Guess who just won the lottery for ‘most likely to get cheated on’? Me. Lynn Han.” Maya called me immediately. I spilled everything. She was furious, telling me she’d bring over two guys from her boxing gym tomorrow to help me kick those two weirdos out. Venting helped. A lot. Knowing I had a battle ahead tomorrow, I went to bed early. First thing in the morning, Maya showed up with the two guys. And wow, they were handsome. Built like refrigerators, faces like models, and super polite. “Hi, Lynn! You’re really pretty. That guy’s blind.” “Totally. Don’t worry, Lynn, we’ll definitely help you get them out.” Their compliments actually made me feel a bit better, lifting my mood. Back at my apartment, I found that neither Brandon nor Pam had made any move to pack. Pam was still camped out in my bedroom like she owned the place. Before I could even say anything, Pam walked over to me. “Lynn, my husband… he hit me.” Tears started rolling down her face immediately. “He’d actually lay hands on me, right after I gave birth. I just couldn’t stay there. I had nowhere else to go. Bran felt sorry for me, that’s the only reason he let me stay.” “I have no one else,” she sobbed. “Please, just help me out.” All these years, I had to admit, her ability to cry on command was impressive. “You can’t go home? What about your parents?” Maya couldn’t stand it and cut right in. “My parents are old. I don’t want to burden them,” Pam wept, hugging the now-crying baby tighter. “You don’t want to burden them, but you have no problem burdening me? You seriously think I, a single woman who’s never had kids, am equipped to take care of you postpartum?” I was speechless. What kind of logic was that? “Lynn Han, is now really the time to be angry? Don’t you know she just had a baby?” Brandon yelled at me, furious. Then he turned to Pam, his voice suddenly gentle. “Don’t cry. It’s bad for your eyes when you’re recovering. Go back inside.” He put a hand on her shoulder and gently guided her back towards the bedroom. A woman recovering from childbirth, crying like that… I didn’t even know what to say. But then, just before she went into the room, Pam looked back over Brandon’s shoulder and shot me a triumphant smirk. She was doing it on purpose! That flipped a switch. Before Brandon could even turn back around, I laid down the law. “I’m giving you one more day. If you’re not gone with her by tomorrow, I’m throwing all your stuff out!” 3 We left, defeated. A woman recovering from childbirth, a baby just days old… the guys Maya brought couldn’t really do or say much. Still, I was grateful. I took Maya and the guys out for lunch. “What do you even see in him? I told you from the start, anyone who hangs around that Pam character is bad news,” Maya said, looking at me like I was hopeless. “She hadn’t caused trouble in years! I thought she was gone for good,” I mumbled, feeling miserable. “And we’ve been together five years, met each other’s parents, we were about to get married. When Pam wasn’t around, he was actually pretty good to me.” “So when Pam shows up, you just step aside? You’re okay with that?” “Have you ever thought,” Maya pressed, “why he was so nice to you when Pam wasn’t around? Maybe it was because you’re good-looking, you’re local, you own property, you make good money?” I couldn’t argue. I’d never really considered it from that angle. Guess it’s true what they say: you can’t see the forest for the trees. Just then, my mom called. “Hi, Mom?” Her voice was serious. “Lynn, is something wrong? Tell Mom.” “No, Mom, everything’s fine. Why?” “Then why are Brandon and some woman with a baby staying at your place? Where are you?” I shot up from my seat. “Mom, you came over? I’ll come get you!” After picking up my mom, I found out the whole story. Those two lowlifes heard my mom knocking but pretended not to be home. They didn’t even open the door. They just left my mother standing outside. My mom got suspicious, waited a bit, and heard unfamiliar voices from inside. Now I was truly furious. It was one thing for them to disrespect me, but leaving my mom locked out? They seemed to forget whose name was on the deed to this place – bought and paid for by my family! But I held it together in front of my mom. I didn’t want her to worry. I told her it was just a friend who’d fought with her family and needed a place to crash for a few days, that she’d be gone soon. Maybe they were busy with the baby and didn’t hear the door. My mom looked skeptical but went home.

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My name is Sarah Miller. Today was supposed to be the happiest day of my life – my wedding day. My groom, Mark, is one of the most respected lawyers in the city. We had a big reception planned, a couple hundred guests. But one man’s arrival shattered the festive mood. My father—Richard Davis. Funny, right? We don’t even share the same last name. Over a decade ago, he dropped fifty thousand dollars on the table, ditched my mom and me, took my brother, and walked out. … “Sarah, honey, this is your father,” Mom said, beaming like nothing was wrong. Richard Davis smiled at me too. “Sarah, I’m your dad. Do you remember me?” “Of course, she remembers her father,” Mom chimed in, then looked pointedly at me. “Right, Sarah?” I stared at the two of them, feeling disgusted and annoyed. A sarcastic smile touched my lips. “Oh, I remember. You didn’t want Mom, and you didn’t want me!” Their smiles froze instantly. “Sarah, how can you talk like that? You’ll make your father angry.” Good. Let him be angry. Seeing them upset was the only thing that could make me feel slightly better right now. I put on an innocent face. “But Mom, isn’t that what you always used to say? Didn’t you say he was the kind of guy who’d use someone and then pretend he didn’t know them?” Richard shot a glare at my mother. His face turned ugly. Mom scrambled to explain. “No, Richard, Sarah’s just trying to provoke you! Why would I ever say anything bad about you?” Truth is, Mom never really bad-mouthed Richard to me. In her eyes, the real villain was always the “homewrecker” who supposedly lured him away. Richard gave her money, bought her things; how could he be wrong? Richard sighed dramatically. “Sarah, it’s okay if you’re angry with me. Your old dad forgives you. I won’t hold it against you.” Then, he turned to Mark, who had just hurried over. “This must be my son-in-law! A fine young man!” Richard’s forced familiarity made my skin crawl. Had they all conveniently forgotten how my brother died eight years ago? 2: Ghosts of the Past When Richard Davis left with my brother, Leo. I was young, and the memories are hazy. I mostly remember Mom constantly cursing, “That damn tramp, that sneaky witch.” Later, when I was older. Mom told me Dad had an affair. He was stolen away by some homewrecker. For that woman, Dad abandoned us, taking only Leo and leaving fifty grand behind. This whole thing messed Mom up badly. She constantly pushed me, telling me I had to succeed, had to give her a good life. While other kids were riding on their dads’ shoulders playing horsey, Mom had me drilling multiplication tables and memorizing state capitals day and night. It went on like that for years. When I got tired, I’d look in the mirror and try to psych myself up. I’d think about my twin brother, Leo—born two minutes after me, but always insisting I call him ‘big bro’. The sharpest memory I have from back then: Once, I accidentally broke Mom’s favorite vase. I was terrified of getting yelled at, or worse. Leo just smirked at me, teasing me for being clumsy. But when Mom came home, he took the blame. He got grounded for a week. I asked him why he did it. He patted my head like a little old man and said, “‘Cause I’m the big brother, gotta protect you. Now, call me ‘big bro’.” Looking in the mirror now, I whispered it with a smile, “Big bro.” I always thought, someday I’d see Leo again, and I’d call him that to his face. But— The next time I saw my brother. He was lying on a cold hospital bed, covered entirely by a white sheet. I stood beside him, sobbing uncontrollably. My brother was only eighteen. How could he just die from an illness? I couldn’t accept it. I cried and demanded answers from Mom. “We just couldn’t scrape together the money in time,” she’d said, wiping tears. “The hospital wouldn’t schedule the surgery without payment upfront. It’s their fault, damn them, treating people like numbers.” She even tried to raise hell at the hospital later, hoping to get some kind of settlement, but failed. Seeing me devastated by Leo’s death, especially with my college entrance exams coming up, Mom tried to comfort me. Tears streamed down her face as she said, “Your brother was such a good kid, always thinking of others. He probably didn’t want the family to go bankrupt trying to pay for his surgery, so he… he just let go.” Then her crying turned into angry muttering. “It’s all because of that homewrecker! If it wasn’t for her, your dad wouldn’t have left us, your brother wouldn’t have grown up without me, his own mother, looking after him, and died so young. It’s all her fault! If he’d just left us more money, maybe we could have afforded the treatment…” Money, money, money! If we’d had enough money for the surgery, would Leo still be alive? Before, all I wanted was a comfortable, simple life. Now I understood: being broke could literally kill someone. I started studying even harder. For kids like me, from families like mine, the only path to making real money seemed to be getting into a top university through sheer hard work. Three months later, I got into a prestigious university. Once enrolled, I balanced intense studying with part-time jobs, sending every penny I earned to Mom. She was thrilled. She bragged to everyone about how smart and responsible I was, already earning good money before even graduating. If people agreed and praised me too, she’d be even happier. If they didn’t, she’d start bad-mouthing them the second they turned their backs. Her mood swings were astonishing. She kept calling me “Sarah, honey,” but she rarely mentioned my brother, Leo, anymore. That struck me as odd. They say losing a child is the hardest grief for a mother to bear, but my mother… she didn’t seem truly heartbroken for long. It wasn’t until that one day that I finally understood what kind of person my mother really was. 3: The Awful Truth One day, I saw Mom at the restaurant where I waitressed. She had no idea I worked there; in fact, she never asked about my jobs – where I worked, if it was tiring. She only cared about how much money I made. Mom was sitting by the window, wearing a silk scarf and oversized sunglasses. If it weren’t for the familiar cheap dress she had on, I might not have recognized her. Across from her sat a woman I didn’t know. She looked polished and expensive – designer trench coat, classic Chanel bag. Clearly loaded. How did Mom know someone like that? Just then, a couple sat down at a nearby table. I went over, my back to Mom’s table, and started taking their order. “I really don’t get it,” the wealthy woman said impatiently. “How can you, the mistress, have the nerve to keep asking for money?” “Why shouldn’t I have the nerve?” Mom shot back. “Did I sleep with your husband for all those years for free? Did I give him two kids for nothing?” My mind went blank for a second. Wēng~~~ a buzzing filled my ears. Mom… was the mistress? Those words echoed in my head. “You already got your payout when you gave up your son. My husband’s barely interested in you now. What leverage do you have left?” the woman sneered. Mom chuckled coldly. “Don’t forget, I still have a daughter. Push me too far, and we can burn it all down! I’ve got nothing left to lose besides her, but you people? Your husband’s company could go under if this gets out. Let’s see where your family ends up then!” “Miss? Miss?” The male customer waved his hand in front of my face, looking concerned. “Are you okay? You look really pale.” I dug my nails into my palm, the sharp pain bringing me back. I shook my head. “Thanks, I’m fine. I’ll go put your order in.” I hurried away, hearing the girl at the table behind me say excitedly, “Wow, she must be totally shocked by what those two were saying! Can you believe a mistress being so shameless…” She was right. I was shocked. All this time, I thought my parents had divorced, and each took a child. The reality was horrifying: Mom was the mistress, shamelessly wrecking someone else’s family. Even worse, the idea that my brother was… sold? Given up for money? I knew Mom loved money. She scrimped and saved on everything, even on me. But I never imagined she could just… trade away her own son! My twin brother! I tried to fight the thought, tried to remember Mom’s grief when we got the news about Leo. But all I could picture was her getting over it quickly, back to playing mahjong with her friends within days. Even when Dad called and forbade us from attending Leo’s funeral, Mom didn’t argue. I begged her to take me. But she just said, “I feel too guilty, not being able to afford his treatment. I can’t face him.” Back then, my heart ached for her. It made me work even harder, earn more money! Thinking back now, piecing things together, a chilling thought surfaced: Was Leo’s death really about not having enough money? Didn’t Dad own a company?! Later, I saw that wealthy woman – Dad’s actual wife – at my workplace again. This time, she was holding a little boy, maybe two or three years old. Did she kill my brother because she finally had a son of her own? The monstrous idea festered in my mind. I desperately wanted to run up and scream at her: “Did you kill my brother? Did you?!” But I knew, deep down, I had no power, no way to uncover the truth like this. And that’s when I realized… this fancy wedding, this unwanted reunion… this was my chance to start digging.

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The night before the SATs, I was kidnapped by my foster sister’s cronies. They locked me in a dark warehouse for three days and three nights. When I finally saw light again, I was barely alive. My hands and feet were broken, my lower body was a bloody mess, and there wasn’t an inch of my skin that wasn’t bruised or cut. My mother was devastated, swearing to make the perpetrators pay. My father spent a fortune on top doctors to try and save me. As I was wheeled into the ER, I faintly overheard my parents talking. “Emily is still our biological daughter. Even for Ashley’s sake, we should have stopped her from taking the SATs in a different way.” My father sounded regretful. “Who knew those animals would be so ruthless? But Ashley’s been struggling with depression because Emily’s grades were so high. If Emily had taken the SATs, it would have been a huge blow to Ashley.” My mother started to say something, but my father cut her off. “Okay, from now on, we’ll shower Emily with love and make it up to her.” Make it up to me? So, in my parents’ eyes, their adopted daughter was worth more than their own flesh and blood. 1 “The patient has suffered severe trauma to her lower body. The uterus is damaged, and she won’t be able to have children. Her intestines are also severely damaged. We need to remove a section and perform a colostomy. She’ll have to live with a colostomy bag for the rest of her life.” That’s what the doctor said after examining me. “How could this happen?” Mom choked, unable to accept the reality. “For something like this to happen to such a young girl, I suggest you call the police right away!” “We can’t call the police!” Dad immediately stopped him. He probably realized he sounded harsh, so he added, “She’s just gone through a terrible trauma. We want to focus on her treatment first, then we’ll contact the authorities.” “Please arrange everything as quickly as possible, Doctor. Use the best materials. Money is no object!” I lay in the hospital bed, the anesthesia wearing off, and my parents’ conversation grew clearer. “It’s almost better this way for Emily. Now Ashley won’t have to worry about her getting better grades. And since Emily wasn’t around us when she was little, we can spend more time with her now. That’s a kind of compensation, right?” Dad’s words seemed like a sigh of relief. His tone wasn’t cold, but it made me feel frozen inside. This was the family I’d longed for? These were the people I loved and trusted? They were the ones who pushed me into this abyss, letting those thugs trample on my dignity and my body, drowning me in endless pain. And now, they were putting on a savior act, shedding fake tears. How ironic! “Ashley’s waiting for us at home. We promised her a graduation party. Let’s not waste time here. Emily won’t wake up anytime soon anyway.” Their footsteps faded away. Tears streamed down my face. I couldn’t tell whether my physical wounds or my emotional scars hurt more. I thought finding my family was a gift from heaven. Turns out it was a punishment for my naive hopes. When I was fifteen, I was brought back to the Anderson’s. I could tell my parents weren’t exactly thrilled to see me. Especially whenever Ashley looked at me with those teary, timid eyes. That just made their faces darken. But I’d grown up in an orphanage, and the desire for a family had become a natural part of me. I’d finally come home to my mom and dad, and I kept telling myself that if I was good and got good grades, they’d love me. At least, that’s what the orphanage director always told me. To win my parents’ favor, I tried not to cause them any trouble. I kept the house clean, even though Ashley always sneered and said that was something servants did. But when I got the top score in my class, my parents just said a few words of encouragement. I thought I wasn’t good enough, so I joined the advanced program and entered all sorts of competitions. The awards kept coming, and my name was often mentioned. Around that time, the school started calling home frequently. But Mom and Dad weren’t happy. The atmosphere at home grew tense. Especially for Ashley. Her eyes were always red when she saw me. Dad’s gaze toward me became colder and colder. I didn’t understand why back then, but I finally get it. They thought my achievements were making their darling daughter feel inferior. So, to make Ashley happy, they hired people to hurt me, ruin my chances at college, and maybe even ruin my entire life. 2 I opened my eyes again. Mom was gently wiping the sweat from my hand, and Dad was putting away his phone. “Emily, you’re awake! Are you in any pain?” Mom was looking at me with a worried expression. This was the scene I’d always dreamed of, but now that it was happening, it felt stifling. “Did the SATs happen?” My voice was so weak it was barely a whisper. Mom’s eyes flickered with anxiety, but Dad patted my hand reassuringly. “Let’s not think about that right now. The most important thing is for you to get better. Even if you didn’t take the SATs, Mom and Dad will give you the best future. There’s no need to be sad.” Could I even have a good future? “I begged him.” Mom and Dad exchanged a look, realizing who I was talking about. I turned my head away, staring blankly at the white hospital ceiling. “I told him my parents were rich, that they would come to rescue me. But the more I talked, the more he enjoyed hurting me. The more he enjoyed, the crueler he became.” As I spoke, I felt like I was back in that terrifying place, smelling the rotting stench in the air, seeing the shredded pieces of my clothes. I couldn’t help but tremble. “I tried to run, but he broke my legs.” “I was too scared to cry, but he used a heavy iron bar…” “Okay, okay, don’t say anymore…” Mom couldn’t help but interrupt, hugging me tightly, tears streaming down her face. Dad frowned, his face grim. “Did I do something wrong?” I asked “It’s not your fault. It’s my fault. If I had picked you up earlier that day, you wouldn’t have met those thugs.” I remembered now. The day before the SATs, Ashley was sick and stayed home from school. When I left for school, Mom specifically told me to wait for her at a street corner just outside the school. It was the first time Mom had shown me any special concern since I’d come back to live here. I was so happy, so excited. But all I got was a nightmare, carefully orchestrated by my own parents. Who was the real monster here? “Don’t worry, Emily. It’s all over now. I promise, we’ll use every resource we have to catch that son of a bitch and make him pay!” I closed my eyes, no longer wanting to see this fake concern, letting the tears run down my cheeks. “Family, please step aside. It’s time for the patient’s medication.” The nurse came in and pulled back the covers, exposing the worst parts of my injuries to everyone. A gasp filled the room. “How could anyone do this?” Even though the doctor had warned her, Mom couldn’t believe what she was seeing. Now she had to face the reality: my legs were strapped to a frame and couldn’t move at all, my abdomen was covered in a horrifying network of stitched scars, some of the wounds were still bleeding, and a bag filled with yellow fluid was attached to my side. Dad had already left for another room, and Mom also hurried out of the room in tears. “I can’t believe anyone could be so cruel to a young girl like that!” The nurse cursed as she gently cleaned my wounds. The pain from the medication made me shake, but it was nothing compared to the agony in my heart. I could hear my parents arguing outside. “Honey, should we really send Emily’s photos to the media? It’ll be a huge blow to the company’s reputation.” “We have to! Don’t you remember? Before the SATs, all those top college coaches were contacting us to say they wanted to recruit Emily. We have to make this a big deal so they’ll withdraw their offers. Look at her! She can’t go back to school in this condition!” I had worked so hard to earn recognition from those schools, but my own parents were wiping it all away. When I’d first come home at fifteen, Dad had told me, “Our business is at a critical stage. We can’t have any negative publicity, so we have to pretend that you’re an adopted child, just like Ashley. You’ll have the same rights as her.” Such grand words, but they were hiding everything, even the fact that I was their daughter. Now, to protect Ashley and to keep themselves from getting implicated, they were willing to sacrifice the company’s reputation. “Nurse, can I borrow your phone for a minute?” I asked, enduring the throbbing pain. I dialed a number, and someone picked up. “I accept your offer to be your heir.” “But I have one condition.” 3 The doctors were still busy preparing for the surgeries. I had to rest and wait for the right moment. As for my parents, they’d sent the photos of my injuries to the news. It had caused a huge uproar online. I treated scrolling through my phone as part of my recovery. All sorts of news about me were popping up online. [I know this girl. She’s a straight-A student at our school, but she’s a terrible person. I heard she’s an orphan. Some kind-hearted people paid for her to transfer here. She even bullied another girl until she got depressed.] [Yeah, I heard about that too. This girl shamelessly moved into someone else’s house and tried to steal their parents!] [That’s right! There’s even a version where she’s a gold digger. A friend of mine saw her getting into a fancy car with an older man.] [Have you noticed? She never wears tights with her school uniform. She’s obviously trying to seduce people! Why else would they pick her instead of someone else?] These cruel comments hidden behind online anonymity felt like knives stabbing me in the heart. Even though I was prepared for it, my hands still shook as I scrolled through the screen. They said I was trying to steal Ashley’s parents, but they were my family. Every classmate who wanted to be friends with me was seen as a threat by Ashley and harassed by her supporters. Eventually, I became a loner in my class. In school, my socks were always being torn for no reason, just to make fun of me, all because Ashley wanted to embarrass me. The internet leaves a trail, and I did everything I could to screenshot these comments and save them for future use. Some people were trying to defend me, to speak up for me as a victim, but those posts were quickly deleted. It was obvious someone was behind this, and their goal wasn’t to make people feel sorry for me, but to completely smear my name. But I wouldn’t let them win! 4 “Emily, look who’s here!” Mom excitedly pushed open the hospital room door. I saw Ashley holding a bouquet of flowers, a smile on her face, and she skillfully sat down next to my bed. This was the person who’d made me into what I was today. “Mom and Dad didn’t want me to miss the SATs, so they didn’t tell me you were in the hospital until now. You’re not mad at me, are you?” Ashley sounded like she was complaining, but her eyes were full of triumph. She wanted to show me who was the most loved in the family. “Don’t talk like that. We did it for you, and now you’re complaining.” Mom pretended to be angry, but she gently tapped Ashley’s head with affection. “No, I know Mom loves me the most. Right, Emily?” Their interaction felt more like a mother and daughter than me and my own mom. When I didn’t respond, the room suddenly fell silent. “Mom, Emily might not be in a good mood. I want to talk to her alone for a bit. Can you go downstairs and meet Dad?” Mom left the room with a hint of displeasure. As soon as the door closed, Ashley’s beautiful face twisted into a malicious grin. “Emily, you look so disgusting right now. You’re going to have to live with a pee bag for the rest of your life, aren’t you? Haha.” “So what if you’re their real daughter? I’m the one they care about the most!” “Dad promised me ten percent of the company’s stock after the SATs. It’s already in my account. He even said I’ll be the heir to the company.” Ashley frowned, looking annoyed that I wasn’t reacting. “I don’t even care about the SATs score. Dad already arranged for me to study abroad, but that doesn’t mean I’ll let you be better than me!” “You probably don’t know, but Mom and Dad hired the people who kidnapped you. They even sent your photos to the internet.” “It’s because you made me unhappy. Of course, they’d help me get rid of you.” I kept my expression blank, my heart numb. When I decided to leave, I had already given up on this family. Ashley suddenly stood up, grabbed my collar, and her eyes flashed with malice. “Emily, I wish you’d just die.” “But if you died, I’d be bored.” “I almost forgot to tell you. Dad only wanted to kidnap you and keep you from taking the SATs. But I paid them more to beat you up so you’d be useless for the rest of your life. You’re not worthy of being my stepping stone.” !!! I looked up, one thought in my mind: kill her! Before I could act, Ashley smirked. She quickly grabbed the water pitcher from the bedside table and smashed it on the floor. “Ah! Don’t hit me!” “Ashley, are you okay?” The door burst open, and Mom and Dad rushed in and hugged Ashley. Fragments of the pitcher had hit her feet, leaving a few shallow cuts. The injuries weren’t serious, and there wasn’t any hot water in the pitcher. But Dad’s eyes were filled with rage as he looked at me. “Emily! Ashley came to see you! How could you hit her?” “You can’t blame her for your unhappiness!” “If anything happens to her, don’t blame me for disowning you!” Mom looked anxiously at Ashley, who appeared terrified. “Emily, how can you be so petty? I’m so disappointed!” They quickly took Ashley to find a doctor, not even glancing at me. If they had looked, they would have seen that my injured body didn’t even have the strength to lift a pitcher. Those words were just for their own ears, to make themselves feel better. But it didn’t matter. I picked up my phone. “Hello, I’m ready.” My eyes scanned a hidden corner of the room where a small light was blinking. Everything here was being broadcast live for everyone to see. “It’s time to go.” And it was time for them to pay. 5 On the way to the airport, I saw a trending news story. It was a video taken by a bystander showing Ashley being rushed to the hospital by Mom and Dad. In the video, Mom went to pay the bill while Dad stayed with Ashley. “Dad, I’m really okay. Don’t blame Emily. She must be upset after what happened. If it makes her feel better, I don’t mind.” “You’re too soft-hearted. That’s why she always bullies you! If I hadn’t looked into it, I wouldn’t have known she was using her grades to isolate you from the other students.” “As long as Mom and Dad love me, I’m happy.” The video had thousands of likes, and the comments praised Ashley’s kindness, while others cursed me, some even threatening to expose my personal information. It was obvious Ashley had done this on purpose. They were the ones who did all the bad things, but I was the one being condemned by the entire internet. But karma was a bitch. Because of this trending story and the photos the media had released, the traffic to my livestream exploded. My injuries had already attracted a lot of attention, and now with the added drama of a rich family feud, the internet was in a frenzy. “Mr. Anderson, something terrible has happened. Several of our major partners are withdrawing from our deals, and the bank won’t approve our loan.” Dad’s phone rang, and his assistant sounded frantic. “What? What did they say?” “They… they said they don’t work with criminals. Mr. Anderson, you should check the livestream online.” [Oh my God, did her own parents really do this? This is completely changing my perspective!] [This girl is such a drama queen! Is she staging this too?] [Someone call the police!] Dad finally realized there was a livestream in the hospital room. He made a public relations announcement to take it down, and then rushed into the room to turn off the camera. It was too late. All the marketing accounts had already recorded it. Just then, he realized that I was gone. Thirty minutes later, under the respectful guidance of several staff members, I walked into the VVIP lounge. Seeing the figure waiting there, I felt at ease and grateful. “Aunt Susan.” The woman turned around. She’d already known about my situation from the time I’d contacted her. But when she saw my injuries in person, she couldn’t stop the tears from flowing. “Sweetheart, you’ve suffered so much. I’ll make those people pay.” “I’ve found the best medical team in Switzerland for you. They’ll start the surgery as soon as you get there and heal your wounds.” “Thank you, Aunt Susan.” Aunt Susan was the biggest donor to our orphanage. She didn’t want to get married, but she needed an heir, so she started observing the children at the orphanage six years ago. Eventually, she chose me. I was just starting middle school then, and I’d shown an amazing talent for academics. Not only was I gifted at math, but my understanding of physics was almost genius-level. But I wanted to find my birth parents, so I turned down Aunt Susan. She wasn’t disappointed or looking to replace me. Instead, she helped me find my family. Even so, she continued to support me, sending me all kinds of study materials every year. After I went back to the Anderson’s, we kept in touch. I once asked her why she chose me. She said she had a lover once. They planned to get married after graduation and dreamed of having a daughter. When the time came, the father would teach her physics, and the mother would teach her math. However, her lover’s family wasn’t wealthy. Aunt Susan was the family’s only heir and had to obey the elders. To completely end their relationship, her lover’s family arranged a car accident that killed him. From that moment on, Aunt Susan never wanted to get married. She used her power to control the family business and successfully avenged her lover. So sometimes, fate is strange. My parents hurt me for Ashley’s sake. But Aunt Susan, who wasn’t related to me by blood, helped me selflessly. “The private jet is ready. Let’s go.” “Okay.” Just before boarding the plane, my phone kept buzzing with messages and calls. [Emily, where are you? You’re not well. I’m worried about you. Please come home.] [Emily, don’t listen to your sister. You’re our real daughter. How could we ever hurt you? Come home, and I’ll explain everything.] I didn’t hesitate to turn off my phone.

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My sister, Brittany, is dead set on going to charm school, just like those influencers, so she can marry some rich dude. I tried to talk her out of it. Charm school ain’t cheap, and there’s no guarantee you’ll even snag a sugar daddy. For once, Brittany actually listened to me. She didn’t go. But then, she found out our neighbor, Ashley, went to charm school and actually married a freakin’ millionaire. Brittany lost her damn mind. She blamed me for ruining her chance at being a trophy wife. One night, while I was sound asleep, she stuck a knife straight into my heart. And then I woke up. I was back. Back on the day Brittany first decided she wanted to go to charm school. This time, I’m keeping my mouth shut. … “CRASH!” The noise ripped me awake, and the first thing I saw was a total disaster of a room. And standing right there, smack in the middle of the chaos, were the three of them. They saw me wake up and gave each other this awkward look. Finally, my sister, Brittany, glared at me, all righteous indignation: “What are you staring at? We just came in here to see if you’re stashing anything. Mom and Dad have busted their asses raising you all these years, and you’re hiding a secret stash of cash?” Hearing Brittany’s words, Mom and Dad jumped on the bandwagon, backing her up. They pointed their fingers at me, not holding back: “Your sister’s right! We’ve worked ourselves to the bone to raise you, and you owe us! Hand over all your money, right now!” Hearing those familiar words, I just froze, completely stunned. I instinctively reached for my chest, touching my heart. Wasn’t I just killed by Brittany? Didn’t she shove a knife right into my chest? Wasn’t I already dead…? My parents’ accusations were still ringing in my ears. Just like before, Brittany wants to be like those online celebs, go to charm school, and marry a billionaire as a quick way to the top. But last time, I thought it was a crazy idea. Last time, the charm school tuition would have cleaned out our entire savings. We’re just a regular, working-class family, for crying out loud. We can’t afford that kind of thing. And going to charm school doesn’t guarantee you’ll marry rich. It’s all just online marketing BS. I tried to talk Brittany out of it, telling her she should be more down-to-earth. Brittany actually listened to me and didn’t go to charm school. But then our neighbor, Ashley, actually married some big shot after going to that damn charm school. She became a real-life trophy wife. Brittany just snapped, filled with jealousy, convinced it was all my fault. She grabbed a knife and jammed it straight into my heart, without a second thought. I closed my eyes for a second, trying to get my head straight. Now I finally believe it. I really died. But somehow, I’ve been reborn. If I get a do-over, I’m definitely not sticking my nose in other people’s business. If Brittany wants to go to charm school, then let her go. I’m not giving her a single freakin’ dime. I just stared at them, my face blank. My parents, they’ve always played favorites, ever since we were little. Even though Brittany and I are both their daughters, both born from their flesh and blood. But they’ve always been all about Brittany. If Brittany got something, I didn’t. If I had something, Brittany had to have it too. Growing up, I was stuck taking care of the whole damn family, cooking and cleaning and everything else, while Brittany acted like some kinda princess, waiting for me to serve her. All I got was insults and beatings. My whole family treated me like I wasn’t even human. But deep down, I always had this tiny sliver of hope, you know? I’m still their daughter, after all. Even if things were rough, we were still a family. But this time, I’m not buying it anymore. I don’t need a family like that. I looked at them, cold and detached: “You already know how much money I have. I hand over my entire paycheck every single month.” Brittany’s face twisted with fury: “That’s not good enough! I have to go to charm school! The application fee is ten grand, and you better find a way to come up with it!” My parents hesitated for a second, but I knew they had a secret stash of savings. They just wanted to bleed me dry first. Chapter 2: Moving Out Faced with Brittany’s demands, my parents immediately turned on me again. They actually wanted me to take out a loan to pay for Brittany’s damn charm school. But I’m not the same sucker I was in my past life. I won’t try to talk Brittany out of it, and I sure as hell won’t be taking out any loans for her. I stood up and started throwing my stuff into a suitcase. I’m getting out of here. I’m moving out. If I stay in this house with these people, I swear I’m gonna do something I’ll regret. Seeing what I was doing, the whole family just lost it. My mom slapped me across the face, hard. “You little bitch! If you dare move out of this house, don’t ever come crawling back!” I held my cheek and stared at them, my face blank. My parents were giving me these hateful looks, and Brittany was practically jumping for joy, loving every minute of it. But this time, I won’t let them walk all over me. I didn’t even finish high school. I went straight to work to support this whole damn family. They’ve been spending my money, living it up like they’re royalty. Seeing that I was serious about leaving, Brittany suddenly freaked out. Without me to milk for cash, she’d never be able to afford charm school. She instinctively reached out, blocking my way, trying to stop me from leaving. But I wasn’t listening to her anymore. A cold smile twisted my lips: “Mom and Dad are loaded, right? My money’s all with them. If you want to go to charm school so bad, why don’t you ask them to pay for it?” Hearing that, Brittany immediately spun around, fixing her gaze on my parents. My parents’ eyes darted around, avoiding eye contact, looking guilty as hell. They probably thought this charm school thing was a long shot, too. But Brittany’s their precious angel, the apple of their eye, the one they’ve spoiled rotten since day one. They just couldn’t bring themselves to tell her no. I took advantage of the moment, grabbing my bag and walking out the door, without a single backward glance. Even if I’m flat broke, I don’t want to spend another second in that house. Just being there makes me sick, like I’m suffocating. As soon as I was gone, Brittany ran straight to my parents’ bedroom and started tearing the place apart, turning everything upside down. She finally found their bank book. It showed a balance of $200,000, most of which was money I’d handed over to them over the years. Brittany’s eyes just about popped out of her head when she saw all that money. That was more than enough to pay for charm school, with plenty left over. She could even buy herself some new designer stuff. Brittany snatched up the bank book and made a beeline for the door. My parents tried to stop her, to grab it back, but that was their life savings. It was supposed to be their retirement fund, the money they’d use to take care of themselves when they got old. But Brittany knew how to play them. She changed her expression, gave them her best puppy-dog eyes, and whined: “Lisa can always make more money, can’t she? You always said you loved me the most. Once I go to charm school and marry a rich guy, you can come live with me and enjoy the good life!” My parents looked at each other, their love for Brittany outweighing their attachment to the money. Deep down, they were dreaming of living the high life, too. They figured if Brittany could just land a rich husband, they’d be set for life, living in the lap of luxury. Just like that, Brittany got her hands on $200,000, no problem. She and Ashley, the neighbor, signed up for charm school together. Now, here I am, kicked out of my own house, with only two hundred bucks in my pocket. That’s all I had managed to save up on my own, hiding it away in secret. Any money I earned at work, they’d always find a way to take it. At first, they’d make up some excuse, saying they were saving it for me. But then I saw them, clear as day, handing my hard-earned cash over to Brittany. After that, they didn’t even bother to pretend anymore. I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself. From now on, their lives were their own business. I didn’t give a damn what happened to them. And I sure as hell wasn’t going to try and talk Brittany out of going to charm school. This time around, I was gonna live my life for me, and me alone. I didn’t have a fancy college degree, so I was stuck with doing manual labor. But I got lucky and found a job that paid pretty well and wasn’t too backbreaking. Cleaning offices for a big corporation. Chapter 3: Be My Woman Right now, the most important thing is to stay alive, and that means having money in my pocket. If I want to change my life for the better, I gotta take it one step at a time, brick by brick. Earning my own living isn’t anything to be ashamed of. But let’s be honest, a young girl like me, wearing a drab cleaning uniform, kind of sticks out like a sore thumb among all these fancy business types. All the other cleaners are older ladies, most of them pushing sixty. I’m the only one in my twenties, the freakin’ baby of the bunch. And from day one, they’ve been giving me the cold shoulder, acting like I don’t belong. Of course, I saw it coming. I knew I’d be the odd one out. The supervisor gave me the worst assignment of all: cleaning the CEO’s office. I heard the guy’s got a real temper, and if you don’t clean his office to his exact standards, he’ll fire you in a heartbeat. Word is, he’s already gone through a whole army of cleaners. So, naturally, I got stuck cleaning his office. The other cleaners practically threw a parade behind my back, picturing me getting kicked out on my ass before lunch. They’re all past their prime, bodies kinda worn out, faces showing the miles they’ve traveled. And then there’s me, this young girl who showed up, and they’re probably looking at me and thinking of the time they were young and beautiful. Feeling their eyes on me, I couldn’t help but feel a little tense. This is my only job right now. I heard the CEO’s got some kind of weird thing about cleanliness. He’s a total neat freak, a perfectionist. I took a deep breath, telling myself to just do my job and keep my head down. I opened the door and went inside. I tried not to look at the man sitting behind the big desk. I just focused on cleaning. I was super careful, wiping down every surface with the right kind of cloth, not wanting to screw anything up. But the whole time, I could feel his eyes on me, like a laser beam burning into the back of my head. Even though I tried to stay calm, I was sweating bullets. This is my only job right now, and I didn’t want to lose it. When I finally finished cleaning, I turned to leave. Suddenly, someone called out to me. “What’s your name?” I froze for a second. That voice… it sounded kind of familiar. But I turned around, still keeping my eyes on the floor. “My name’s Lisa,” I said, trying to sound respectful. Then I heard footsteps coming closer, and the next thing I knew, someone was grabbing my chin and tilting my face up. I looked up, and my eyes went wide. This guy… he was the dude I had that one-night stand with! It was a rainy night. I was working late, heading home after midnight. I turned a corner and saw a guy lying on the ground, covered in blood. My first instinct was to call 911, but the guy grabbed my arm, begging me to take him somewhere safe. He threatened me, basically. I didn’t know what to do, so I took him to my secret place: this abandoned warehouse down by the docks. It’s where I go when I’m feeling down, you know? Just to get away from everything. There’s even an old mattress in the back. I got him settled in, and then I promised I wouldn’t call the cops or tell anyone about what happened. The guy was about to let me go. But then he started breathing all heavy, his eyes fixed on me, all bloodshot. The next thing I knew, everything was spinning. My clothes were torn off, and before I knew it, I was completely naked. All those buried memories, they came flooding back. I lowered my head, feeling this weird mix of fear and embarrassment. How could the CEO be that same guy? Jake Reynolds took a step closer, his voice low and menacing: “Do you remember me? The rainy night… you and me…” Hearing those words, my cheeks started to burn. I shook my head instinctively: “Mr. Reynolds, I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Jake chuckled, this low, dangerous sound: “You have a little red birthmark on your lower back, shaped like a heart. Should I jog your memory?” I didn’t know what Jake was getting at. What was he trying to do to me? I had worked so hard to forget about that night, to put it behind me. Seeing my confusion, Jake leaned in close and told me exactly what he wanted. “Be my woman.” Chapter 4: The Acceptance Hearing those words, my first reaction was to say no, to get the hell out of there. But then Jake said something that made me stop dead in my tracks. “I don’t have a wife, I don’t have a girlfriend. You come with me, you’ll be my woman, and I’ll give you five million dollars a month.” Five million dollars. I couldn’t earn that much money if I worked for a hundred lifetimes. I’m just a regular girl, you know? Hearing about all that cash, I was ashamed to admit, but I hesitated. Jake saw it, and he cranked up the pressure even more: “I won’t force you to do anything you don’t want to do.” I honestly don’t even know how I managed to walk out of the CEO’s office. I just felt like I was floating, like my feet weren’t even touching the ground. Just like that, I walked into the office as a cleaning lady, and walked out as something completely different: Jake Reynolds’ woman. I never imagined that the guy I had a one-night stand with that night would turn out to be Jake Reynolds. I mean, who hasn’t heard of Jake Reynolds? He’s a freakin’ business legend, a global icon, always near the top of the billionaire list. People have estimated his net worth at hundreds of billions of dollars. He’s at the top of the food chain. The richest of the rich. All the so-called “elite” families in this town are nothing but peasants in his eyes. He just has to snap his fingers, and the whole city trembles. I honestly can’t figure out why a guy like that would even look twice at someone like me. But whatever the reason, I ended up moving into his mansion that very day. He isn’t anything like his name. It sounds all gentle and romantic, but Jake is anything but. He pulled me close, wrapping his arms around me. His scent surrounded me, filled my senses, took my breath away. But like he promised, he didn’t try to force me to do anything. He kept his word. Meanwhile, on the other side of town, Brittany had forked over the ten grand for her charm school tuition and officially started her journey to trophy wife-dom. Everywhere she looked, all she saw were designer bags and watches, diamond bracelets and platinum necklaces. Brittany had never seen so much high-end crap in her life. Her eyes practically bugged out of her head. She was more convinced than ever that she had made the right decision, that this charm school was her ticket to the good life. After all, our neighbor Ashley had managed to marry some big shot after going to the same school. So why not her? She was way better looking than Ashley, anyway. But just a few days later, Ashley had completely transformed. Brittany stared at her, eyes burning with envy. Ashley’s face was so different. She had obviously had some “work” done. Her nose was higher, her eyes were bigger, and her chin was all pointy and defined. Brittany felt completely outclassed. It seemed like everyone else was already carrying a freakin’ Birkin bag, while she was still wearing clothes she’d swiped from my closet. And her face was still a dull, sickly yellow. Brittany wasn’t gonna let herself get left behind. She decided she had to get plastic surgery too. Eyes, nose, everything. She blew through her cash in no time, and even racked up a huge debt to the freakin’ plastic surgeon. After the first few lessons, most of the girls already had designer bags, flaunting them like trophies. Brittany felt like she just had to keep up, no matter what. At first, she tried to squeeze more money out of Mom and Dad, but without me around to foot the bills, the family was completely broke. So Brittany pulled the ultimate weapon: she threatened to kill herself if they didn’t give her the money. My parents had no choice but to hit up their friends and relatives, begging for loans. At first, they were able to scrape together a few bucks, but they were so irresponsible, borrowing money left and right without any intention of paying it back. Pretty soon, nobody would even answer their calls anymore. But Brittany wasn’t listening to reason. She just kept pushing, demanding more and more. After sinking tens of thousands of dollars into her face, all she had managed to do was make herself look like a cheap knock-off of a celebrity. Her face was swollen and bruised, and she looked like she’d been stung by a thousand bees. Brittany had planned to wait a few more weeks, let the swelling go down before showing herself in public. But then, one of the other girls in the charm school actually managed to hook up with some freakin’ tycoon. Now, she was all over social media, showing off her new life, her designer wardrobe, her private jet. Brittany was green with jealousy. She was convinced she was the one who was supposed to marry rich first, to be living the high life, to be the envy of everyone. So, she hatched a plan. She started posting anonymous gossip online, trying to tear the other girl down. #FakeSocialiteLeanneIsFakeFromTheTopToBottom# #Leanne’sSugarDaddyIsADirtyOldMan# Those two hashtags took off like wildfire, trending all over social media. In a matter of hours, Leanne’s entire life had been exposed. Turns out, she wasn’t some refined debutante at all, but a pole dancer from a sleazy strip club. Just like that, Leanne became a laughingstock, a walking punchline. Her dream of marrying into high society, of living happily ever after in a gilded cage, was completely shattered.

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After years of marriage with no kids, my husband suggested we adopt. Turned out, the kid was a born troublemaker. Not long after the adoption, I got pregnant with my own daughter. When my husband and adopted daughter found out I was pregnant, they gave my belly a creepy look. Later, my daughter and I died in a car accident. When I woke up again, I swore they’d pay! 1. In my past life, my husband, David, and I had been married for years without children. He suggested adopting a child from foster care, and I agreed. The first time I saw Ashley, she was batting those big, watery eyes at me. They seemed so pure and innocent. Looking back, it’s scary how well she could hide herself, especially at such a young age. That day, Ashley pretended to be well-behaved, reaching out her little hand to tug on my sleeve, looking up at me with a pitiful expression. Before I could say anything, David rushed over, blocking my scrutinizing gaze. He smiled and said, “She’s a good kid. Even if we have our own children, she can help take care of her little brother or sister.” Naive me, I believed him. We brought Ashley home that very day. The first night, Ashley “accidentally” broke my perfume bottle. She pouted, looking all sorry for herself. David, drawn by the commotion, rushed upstairs looking worried, checking to see if Ashley was hurt. Then, he looked up, annoyed, and scolded, “It’s just perfume. So it broke. Is perfume more important than our daughter?” I stood there dumbfounded, watching David act out his role as a loving father. In the following days, David changed Ashley’s last name to his. They acted like real father and daughter, and Ashley always seemed to subtly brag about how good David was to her. Then, I got pregnant. Overjoyed, I shared the news with David and Ashley. The smiles on their faces froze. At the time, I didn’t understand why David tensed up, looking grim. We’d been trying for six years for a baby. I expected excitement! Ashley just stopped smiling, giving my belly a strange look. Throughout the pregnancy, I spent most of my time with Ashley. David said he had to travel for work, for about a year. Before leaving, he told me to take care of Ashley. I just thought he wasn’t used to the idea of my daughter yet. Remembering how stupid I was, I wanted to shake my past self awake. Soon, it was time for me to give birth. Ashley “coincidentally” came down with a high fever that day. I, heavily pregnant, kept bending over at her bedside, putting a cool washcloth on her forehead. Ashley was always sickly, getting sick all the time; doctor visits were common. Suddenly, I felt a gush of fluid. I looked down to see that my pants were soaked – my water broke. I carefully moved, trying to get to the phone in the living room to call for help. Ashley then opened her red eyes, with barely concealed hatred in their depths. Seeing my desire to leave, she pinched my arm hard. I gasped. Looking back at her, she gave me a look of feigned helplessness. She whimpered, “Mom, don’t leave me. I’ll be scared if I’m alone.” Saying she was scared, yet wearing a gloating expression on her face. I was in a rush and didn’t notice her expression. I comforted her, then turned and went to call 911. But I didn’t see Ashley lying on the bed, fiercely glaring at my back. David rushed back, bursting through the door in a panic, ignoring my pleas for help, and rushing into Ashley’s room. He scooped her up and rushed her to the hospital. As he left, he glared at me resentfully, not caring that my water had broken and that my baby was in danger if I didn’t get to the hospital soon. 2. Thankfully, the ambulance arrived in time. As I lay in the ambulance, I saw David’s car speed past through the window. My heart turned cold. After my daughter, Lily, was born, I insisted on a divorce. David refused. He and his precious daughter teamed up to trick me. He knelt by the hospital bed, looking all sincere, and said he was sorry, he was just too worried about Ashley and had forgotten about me. I laughed at his shamelessness. I asked him, pointing to my daughter sleeping peacefully beside me, which one was his real daughter? Ashley stepped forward, tearfully saying it was her fault for getting sick, and that Dad was just worried. Seeing that I wasn’t budging, David exploded, cursing me for being petty. My daughter had just been born, and needed her father’s love, he said. I relented again. For my daughter, I put up with it. From then on, David was more restrained, until Ashley deliberately blinded my five-year-old daughter in her right eye. I finally lost it and called the police, but I didn’t expect that they would tamper with my car. I died in a car accident. I can’t imagine what kind of torture my daughter would endure in their hands. Ashley would never allow my daughter to take away David’s love for her. 3. I woke up again before my daughter lost her eye. At the dinner table, I was a little stunned. A tidal wave of hatred swallowed me. I looked up at the familiar house, and at Ashley sitting across from me. I could almost still hear the sound of the car crash, the pain of my organs being crushed. I couldn’t hide my hatred, wanting to stab that little beast to death. She looked at me, pretending to love her “sister,” picking out the fish bones for my daughter, Lily, and putting the fish meat in her bowl. I stopped Lily from taking the fish, putting the fish back. I forced a smile, staring at her. “Lily’s had too much fish today, Ashley, you eat it.” Ashley’s smug expression froze. She blurted out that she didn’t want any. I insisted, picking up the fish and holding it to her mouth. “You were going to give it to Lily anyway, weren’t you?” Seeing that I wouldn’t take no for an answer, Ashley’s face tightened. She forced a smile and said she was full. I wasn’t going to let her get away with it, shoving the fish into her mouth. Smiling sweetly, I looked at her and said, “You’re so silly, I offer you some fish and you refuse. Wasn’t this piece of fish the one you just picked out for Lily?” I emphasized the word “picked out,” watching Ashley’s face turn red as she forced the fish down, a look of pain flashing across her face. She’s a born troublemaker. Unless you poke her, she’ll never feel the pain. Ashley tried to hide the fish bones in the fish meat while pretending to pick fish bones for Lily, knowing she would swallow it and hurt her throat. David came home, carrying his briefcase. Ashley’s eyes lit up. She eagerly ran over to take his briefcase, calling out, “Dad,” in a hoarse voice. David frowned, and instinctively looked at me and blurted out, “Did you force Ashley to eat something again? Didn’t I tell you, Ashley is delicate, she can’t eat unhealthy stuff.” I coldly glanced at him, sat back in my chair, crossed my arms, and said, “Is it wrong for her to eat fish?” David instinctively retorted, “What’s wrong with her voice? If you didn’t make her eat things she shouldn’t, who else would harm her?” Ashley stepped forward, pretending to be concerned, taking David’s arm and standing by his side, speaking up for me. But her voice was even hoarser than before, almost unable to speak. David, frantic, glared at me unhappily. Grabbing Ashley’s hand, he said, “Let’s go to the hospital.” Before leaving, Ashley gave me a meaningful look, following David out. Foiled with harming Lily, she turned it into a sympathy play, making David feel sorry for her and blame me. Such scheming at such a young age. This time, I’d see who had the last laugh. 4. Ashley scratched her throat with a fish bone and bled, and David stubbornly took leave from work to accompany her at the hospital. The next day, I sent Lily to school as usual, and received a call from David on the way. He had the nerve to ask me to bring them food, complaining that the hospital food was too unappetizing. Asking me to deliver it to the hospital in an hour. I laughed out loud. David was still saying it was all my fault for forcing Ashley to eat fish. Saying she was hospitalized, and that I should be there with her instead of him. I said angrily, “You insisted on staying in the hospital, if you’re not there with her, who will be? If you want me to bring you food, you can forget about it, go eat dirt.” With that, I hung up the phone, trembling with anger. How could there be such a shameless person? 5. A week later, Ashley bounced home, with David following behind her. Loaded with bags, unshaven, and with dark circles under his eyes. I curled my lips, eating fresh cherries, one after another, making them swallow their saliva. Ashley, a little greedy, reached out without hesitation to take one. I slapped her hand away, annoyed. “Did I say you could eat them?” Ashley used the same old trick, whining to David. David slumped on the sofa, panting, not even looking at us. Ashley bit her lip, glared at me resentfully, and moved next to David. Grabbing his sleeve, she whined, “Dad, I just got back from the hospital, and Mom won’t even let me eat fruit. Say something!”

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My fiancé, Alex, after six long years climbing the ladder at his company, finally got promoted from a junior position to department supervisor. At the celebratory dinner, Alex proudly held my hand as we went to toast the Vice President who’d championed him. That’s when I realized the VP who’d been mentoring Alex all this time was a client from my old life. The kind of client who could book me for the entire night for a hefty price tag. 1 I got into the life at eighteen and got out at thirty. Ten years – feels like forever and no time at all. By the time I decided to leave that world behind, I’d managed to scrape together enough for a car, a down payment on a small place, and a little bit in savings. Given my line of work, I didn’t exactly broadcast my modest success. I knew all too well how vicious gossip could be. It could haunt families for generations. The last thing I wanted was for my parents back home to be shamed by the neighbors because of me. So, before I officially “retired,” I lined up a backup plan. No, a future. The classic “solid guy.” His name was Alex Thompson. From the same small town as me. Average looking, a little soft around the middle, not particularly tall – the kind of guy who blends into a crowd. But he was the only person from our town who’d gone to a prestigious university and landed a great job in New York City, even managing to buy an apartment there. Sure, it was a tiny studio, maybe 500 square feet, and he only had the down payment covered, but back in our little corner of the world, that was like reaching the moon. More importantly, he’d been living in NYC for six years. One more year, and he’d have residency, really putting down roots. Besides the NYC stability, what really pushed me towards Alex was seeing what happened to my friend Jenny, who’d gotten out six months before me. She’d been around the block too. She thought she had her escape route planned out – becoming the mistress of some older, moderately wealthy guy. He promised her a house in her hometown and a million dollars if she gave him a son, enough to set her up for life. But before the baby was even born, his wife found out. She showed up, attacked Jenny viciously, and Jenny lost the baby. Worse, the damage meant she could never have kids again. She ended up with nothing. All of us girls at the club heard the story, shared sympathetic sighs, and took it as a hard lesson. So, I pulled out all the stops. I charmed Alex completely. Made him believe I was the only woman for him. Even when his parents argued I wasn’t good enough – wrong background, wrong education, and let’s face it, my looks screamed “trouble” – they figured even if we got married, he couldn’t hold onto me. But Alex didn’t waver. Somehow, he convinced his parents to back down. They set the wedding date for Memorial Day weekend this year. And just a few days ago, he got that promotion. His salary doubled, and his position at the company was more secure than ever. I was starting to genuinely look forward to it – escaping my small-town past, settling down in NYC, starting fresh. But then, that celebration dinner threw a wrench into my carefully constructed, seemingly perfect new life. 2 “Chloe, the VP’s over there. Mr. Henderson. I owe him a lot; he’s looked out for me since I started. This promotion is thanks to him too. Let’s go raise a glass.” That evening, at the department dinner celebrating Alex’s promotion, he pulled me, all dressed up, towards his Vice President. I’d agreed to come mostly because we were getting married soon – seemed like the supportive fiancée thing to do. Plus, I wanted to subtly signal to any hopeful young women in Alex’s department that he was taken. Even a “solid guy” like Alex, especially one who just became a supervisor, could attract attention from newcomers looking for a shortcut up the ladder. “Okay,” I said, getting up gracefully and walking beside Alex towards the circle of people surrounding Mr. Henderson. Even before we reached him, I had a nagging feeling I’d seen this VP somewhere before. Having met countless men over the years, I initially dismissed it as mistaken identity, my memory playing tricks. I didn’t dwell on it. But when Alex and I stopped right in front of him, my blood ran cold. Alex’s Vice President. I had seen him before. Not just seen him – I knew him from the club where I used to work. He’d specifically requested me several times. The all-night kind of request. I never, ever imagined I’d run into a former client like this, in this setting. “Mr. Henderson, thank you so much for your support on our department’s projects. I’d like to propose a toast. This is my fiancée, Chloe Miller.” Alex was so focused on showing his respect that he didn’t notice the color drain from my face. Of course, my years of practice in hiding my true feelings helped immensely. “Alex, my boy, you’re a lucky man. Such a beautiful fiancée,” Mr. Henderson said, his eyes sweeping over me with perfect corporate politeness before landing on the standard compliment. Not a trace of anything inappropriate. The last time I’d dealt with Henderson must have been about a year ago. Back then, I wore the heavy, uniform makeup favored by the club. Maybe he didn’t remember me, or maybe he just didn’t recognize me without the war paint. If he did recognize me, knowing his usual sleazy nature, he wouldn’t be acting this professionally. I tried to reassure myself silently. Focus. Act natural. “You’re too kind, Mr. Henderson. We’d both like to toast you,” Alex suggested respectfully. “Excellent,” Henderson beamed, agreeing readily and clinking glasses. He clinked Alex’s glass, then mine. And in that brief moment, the way his eyes lingered just a fraction too long, the slight pressure as his glass touched mine – I knew. He recognized me. And he already had ideas. 3 “Chloe, what’s wrong? You look pale. Are you feeling okay?” As soon as we were out of Henderson’s direct line of sight, Alex noticed something was off. “No, I’m fine. Just not used to drinking, I guess. I need to use the restroom.” I practically fled. Once inside the ladies’ room, I leaned against the cool tile, forcing myself to breathe, to think. Look, people in my old line of work, even though it’s not something you advertise, generally follow an unwritten code. Outside the club, once the transaction is over, you’re strangers. That goes for us and the clients. It’s an understanding. But Henderson… the reason he made me so nervous, so thrown off, wasn’t just because he was a regular. He was infamous among the girls. The kind of client everyone dreaded. Cheap, demanding, always trying to push boundaries. Always trying to get the most while paying the least. He’d even complain afterwards, trying to get discounts. But we couldn’t refuse clients. And he used to request me specifically. A lot. To save money, he’d tried more than once to bypass the club, suggesting private arrangements. I always shut him down flat. I knew he held a grudge, always looking for a chance to cause trouble for me. It’s just that I’d suddenly disappeared from the scene, gotten out, so he never got the chance. Now, meeting like this, him recognizing me immediately… he wouldn’t let this go easily. Worse, he saw me with Alex. Someone as conniving as him would instantly figure out what I was after with Alex. Alex wasn’t rich, not by NYC standards, and maybe not irreplaceable in the grand scheme of things. But he was the best, most stable option I could realistically find. Plus, he genuinely seemed to love me. We’d been together almost a year, and he happily supported me. Even though my “job” at my boutique barely paid the bills and had flexible hours (meaning I rarely had to go in early or stay late), he never complained. He’d bring me breakfast before he left for work, order lunch delivery for me, come home with groceries and cook dinner. He even did the dishes. Never asked me to lift a finger around the house. A whole year, day in and day out, without a single complaint. He was the definition of a solid, dependable guy. On top of that, Alex was an only child. His parents ran a small business back home, enough to support themselves in retirement. They could even help with childcare when we eventually had kids. Alex and his family represented a future I couldn’t afford to lose. It felt like my one and only chance. So, I absolutely could not let Alex find out about my past. I couldn’t let Henderson scare him away. 4 “Honey, my friend back in Chicago, she’s going through a rough patch with her boyfriend. She’s really down and asked if I could come visit for a few days. My boutique… could you maybe check on it while I’m gone? You don’t have to stress about it, the two girls working there are pretty reliable. I’m just worried something unexpected might pop up and they wouldn’t know how to handle it.” After agonizing over it, I caved. I agreed to meet Henderson privately. I knew exactly what that meeting implied. But for the sake of my future, my carefully planned happiness, I felt I had no choice. To avoid suspicion from Alex, I used my friend in another city as an excuse. “Chicago? For how long? Do you have enough money? Let me Venmo you a thousand, just in case. If you need more, just tell me, I get paid again soon.” Alex, bless his trusting heart, was the same as always. Believed whatever I said, never questioned, just did his best to make sure I was taken care of. Before I could even refuse, the notification popped up on my phone. “$1000 received from Alex Thompson.” “No, honey, really. Business at the shop has been okay lately, I have enough. Besides, payday is still two weeks away for you. Keep your money.” A pang of guilt hit me. I genuinely didn’t want his money this time. Besides, I wasn’t broke. Aside from my secret savings, I had the boutique. Right here in NYC. Okay, working nights wasn’t glamorous, but the kind of men who frequented those places often had serious money. I knew my looks wouldn’t last forever, so while I was still “in demand,” I’d deliberately cultivated relationships with a few successful businessmen. Picked their brains about how things worked. One guy, a clothing wholesaler, went from client to business contact. Online shopping hit my little brick-and-mortar store hard. It wasn’t making me rich, but it paid the bills. Just enough to survive. Which, conveniently, fit perfectly with the backstory I’d crafted for myself – ten years working dead-end retail jobs back home. Nobody in our hometown suspected a thing. “Baby, your money is your money. Keep it for yourself. My money is for taking care of you.” Alex refused when I tried to send it back. “Don’t worry about me. I don’t smoke, I eat at the company cafeteria for lunch and dinner. I just need a few bucks for the subway. You go have fun with your friend. And hey, if she wants to come here to clear her head, just let me know ahead of time, I can crash at the office or find somewhere else to stay.” He’d thought of everything, anticipated potential issues, and had solutions ready. So considerate. “Alex…” Moved by his simple, steady kindness – a stark contrast to the world I came from – I wrapped my arms around him. “Don’t get emotional over little things, Chloe,” he said softly, patting my back. “This is just what you do for someone you love. And I promise, I’m going to work even harder, make more money, so I can provide for you and our future kids. As long as I’m around, you won’t have to worry about a thing.” He spoke with such sincerity. No flowery promises, but it meant more than any fancy words could. “Okay,” I nodded, burying my face in his shoulder. At that moment, whatever my initial reasons, I truly wanted this life with Alex. I would find a way to deal with Henderson, to remove any obstacle standing between us. 5 “Mr. Henderson. Long time no see. Hope you’re well.” Arriving at the hotel room he’d specified, I switched on my old professional persona. Bright smile, warm greeting, perfectly poised, just like back at the club. Even though looking at him made my stomach turn. “Chloe, my dear. It has been too long. I’ve missed you terribly.” Before the words were fully out of my mouth, Henderson lunged towards me, grabbing, just like he used to at the club – pay the money, then immediately try to get his hands on you, afraid of missing a second of what he paid for. Except this time, as he clearly intended, it was supposed to be free. Too bad for him. I was out of the life. And I’d found a man who treated me right. I was determined to be better now. I sidestepped him smoothly, almost instinctively. Besides wanting to protect myself and my future with Alex, I knew that if I let Henderson get what he wanted today, he’d be like gum stuck to my shoe. Impossible to get rid of, ever. “Chloe, what’s this? Think just because you snagged some up-and-comer, you can forget what you are?” Predictably, Henderson’s face changed instantly. The mask dropped, replaced by a sneer. The insults started. “Mr. Henderson, it’s good to see you again,” I began, keeping my smile fixed, professional. “But as you noted, I haven’t worked in that capacity for a long time now. And if I recall correctly, our past interactions were always strictly business. Settled upon completion.” Maintaining composure was rule number one from day one in that business. Besides, my goal today was to solve a problem, not start a fight. “You’re not working, yet you came. So, you have something you want to discuss.” Henderson hadn’t gotten to his position at a Fortune 500 company just by being cheap. He wasn’t stupid. “Mr. Henderson, you have a beautiful family, a successful career. You can afford any companion you desire at those clubs. Surely, you don’t need to waste your time on me. Of course,” I lowered my voice slightly, adopting the deferential tone he clearly craved, “if I somehow offended you in the past, please, tell me now. I sincerely apologize for any past indiscretion on my part. I was young and foolish. I’d like to make amends.” I practically bowed, trying to give him the sense of power he seemed to need. “But right now, Chloe,” he said, eyes glinting with amusement, “I want you.” He looked at me like I was a trapped animal, enjoying my futile struggles. “Mr. Henderson, why risk complications? Why risk upsetting your home life over someone insignificant like me? Surely, this is something money can resolve. No need for unnecessary drama.” I hinted, not too subtly, at buying his silence. “Ah, Chloe. Do you know why, out of all the girls at the club, I always preferred you? Besides that pretty face, you were always the smartest one. But intelligence used wrongly is useless.” “You think my wife,” he scoffed, “is the kind of woman who’d cause a scene over some girl from a club? You think she doesn’t know men have their… diversions? If she couldn’t handle that, she wouldn’t have lasted this long as Mrs. Henderson.” He saw right through my veiled threat about his wife, and he didn’t care. He looked smug, as if he’d anticipated my every move. “But you, Chloe, you’re different. No, wait. Alex is different. Alex is a decent guy, building his life through hard work. A man like that, a successful, driven man? He could never tolerate his wife being… well, being someone like you. Someone available to any man with the right amount of cash.” “If I remember correctly, Alex just bought property in the city. Another year, and he’s fully established. Marry him, and you’re set for life. NYC residency, financial security.” “But,” he leaned in slightly, “if Alex breaks up with you now? You get nothing. You won’t find another guy like him. You’ll end up back looking for sugar daddies, or marrying someone old enough to be your father.” He had it all mapped out, my potential futures laid bare. In his eyes, I was a cornered fox, no match for his cunning. Completely at his mercy. “What do you want?” I finally asked, my voice tight. My options were dwindling fast. Besides, Henderson was right. Society judges women far more harshly than men for the same behavior. A man’s indiscretions are often forgiven. A woman’s past? It can destroy her. “Simple,” he purred, leaning back, confident. “You just be a good girl. Be available when I call. Be as… accommodating… as you were back at the club. Do that, and I guarantee, Alex will never know your little secret. Everything you want from him, you’ll get.” The disgusting pig. He wanted a mistress without paying the price. “I… I need to think about this, Mr. Henderson,” I stammered. Even though it felt like there was only one path left, I couldn’t bring myself to agree immediately. “Fine,” he smirked, clearly sensing victory. “After all, you’re a respectable lady now. Besides your fiancé, I’ll be your only other man.” His tone dripped with smug satisfaction. “But don’t take too long deciding, Chloe. Otherwise, Alex might receive some… interesting information. And then, poof! All your carefully laid plans go up in smoke.”

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