Category: English

My grandma was dead set on having a grandson, so she started forcing Momma to eat this special stew. Said it was some old mountain recipe guaranteed to work. But right around then, little boys started disappearing from the next county over. Finally, Momma got pregnant, but then… then she died out in the pigsty. I thought that was the end of it. But one morning, clear as day, there she was again, standing right in front of me like nothing ever happened. 01 After I was born, Momma never could seem to get pregnant again. Grandma Hazel never gave her a moment’s peace. If she wasn’t muttering under her breath for Momma to just drop dead, she was beating her so bad Momma couldn’t get out of bed for days. “Other folks’ wives pop out babies one after another,” Grandma’d spit, her voice like gravel. “But you? Nothing stirring’ in that belly. A hen that won’t lay ain’t worth its feed. Might as well be dead.” Momma would just keep stirring the pot on the stove, her face blank. She’d heard it all too many times over the years. I’d be tending the fire, trying to make myself small say a word. ‘Cause I was a girl. A “mouth to feed with no return,” Grandma always said. My being born was the reason Momma couldn’t hold her head up in this house. A few days later, Grandma came back acting all pleased with herself, carrying a big pot of steaming stew. Said it was a special recipe from Miss Ida, the old woman down the hollow who knew things. Said this stew would guarantee a boy, and Momma had to eat every last drop. Right then and there. Momma never had much of an appetite, skinny as a rail she was. Just looking at that brimming pot made her face go pale. It was thick and dark, with bits floating in it I couldn’t quite make out. Didn’t look good at all. “Don’t you be difficult now,” Grandma Hazel snapped. “Cost me a pretty penny, this brew from Miss Ida. You will eat it all! Not one bite left!” Grandma grabbed a big ladleful and shoved it towards Momma’s mouth. I looked at the stew again. It had a strange, greasy sheen to it, and a smell I didn’t like. Kind of coppery. It made my stomach churn just looking at it. Momma tried, she really did, but she couldn’t keep it down. She started gagging, then throwing up. Grandma saw it and went red in the face. She grabbed Momma by the hair, forcing her head down. “You pick that up and eat it! Ungrateful!” Momma refused, shaking her head, tears streaming down her face. That just earned her a thrashing from Grandma right there on the kitchen floor. In the end, Momma ate the whole pot, choking it down between sobs. And that’s how it went. Every day, Momma had to eat a whole pot of that awful stew. For a while, things seemed calmer in the house, at least. But then word got around about those missing boys from over in Miller’s Creek. When Grandma Hazel heard, her eyes just flickered for a second. “Gone is gone,” she muttered. “Folks can always make another one, can’t they?” 2 Two months later, Momma missed her period. Then she started throwing up in the mornings. Grandma Hazel was beside herself with joy. She doubled the stew – two pots a day now. Momma’s belly swelled up fast. By six months, she was so big and weak she couldn’t even get out of bed. Grandma was so sure it was finally a boy, she paid Miss Ida to come up to the house and check. But Miss Ida took one look, maybe felt Momma’s belly, and shook her head. Said it was another girl. Grandma Hazel’s face turned thunderous. She grabbed the old broom from the corner and started whaling on Momma right there in the bed. Momma couldn’t even move, just curled up, trying to protect her stomach, taking the blows. I saw blood starting to seep through the back of her thin nightgown. I couldn’t stand it. I burst out crying and ran, throwing myself over Momma. “Grandma, stop! Please! You’ll hurt Momma and the baby!” “You worthless thing!” Grandma shrieked, turning on me. “Protecting her? I’ll beat you both!” “Feedin’ you good food every day, treatin’ you like gold, and this is what I get? Another useless girl! You little tramp! Who knows if that brat is even Frank’s!” She kept yelling, swinging the broom wildly. I tried to shield Momma, feeling the sharp thwacks land on my own back and arms. My dad, Frank, had just been standing there watching, like usual when Grandma went off. But when she yelled that maybe the baby wasn’t his, his face changed. It went hard and ugly. He grabbed Miss Ida’s arm. “Miss Ida,” he pleaded, his voice low and urgent. “You gotta… you gotta get rid of it. For us.” “That’s right!” Grandma chimed in, eyes gleaming. “Get that girl outta there! Make room for my grandson!” Hearing that, Momma suddenly went wild. She started screaming, trying to scramble out of bed, clawing towards the door. But Miss Ida was quick. She barked orders at Dad and Grandma, and between the three of them, they overpowered Momma, tying her wrists and ankles to the bedposts with old rope. They haggled over the price for getting rid of the baby right there in the room. Miss Ida leaned in and whispered something in Grandma’s ear, making Grandma nod eagerly. Dad kicked me out of the room, slamming the door shut. I could hear Momma’s terrible, desperate screams from inside. I pounded on the door, begging them to stop, to let her go. Grandma’s voice came through the wood, sharp and cruel. “Hush up out there, girl! Ain’t your place to talk! After we deal with this… problem… inside your momma, I’m sellin’ you off to old man Hemlock down the hollow! Get you off my hands, stop you eatin’ our food and sidin’ with that tramp!” I just sank to my knees on the rough wooden porch, staring at the closed door, at the angry shadow of my father moving inside. I couldn’t make a sound. Then, suddenly, Momma’s screaming stopped. 3 By some miracle, Momma didn’t die. But she wasn’t right. She just lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, eyes wide open but seeing nothing. I’d call her name, touch her hand, but she wouldn’t react. After they… got rid of the baby… strange sounds started coming from the room at night. Soft whimpering, sometimes choked little cries. The neighbors knew what was going on. They whispered amongst themselves how the Millers were too hard on Emily, how treating a woman like that wouldn’t bring a boy, might even curse the family. When Grandma Hazel heard the gossip, she stormed over to the neighbor’s house and beat the woman who’d been talking. Came back muttering how her grandson was coming soon, just wait and see. Then one day, just like that, Momma seemed… better. She started eating again, sleeping through the night. She even looked healthier, put on a little weight. But her mind was gone. She’d gone crazy. She started carrying around this old, worn-out baby doll, cradling it to her belly, saying it was her baby boy. She’d tape pictures of smiling babies torn from magazines onto her stomach and wander around the property, sometimes drifting down the road. If she saw someone, she’d lift her shirt right up, eager to show them her “son.” Folks in the area knew she wasn’t right in the head. Some felt sorry for her, but mostly they just thought it was funny, something to gossip about. They’d tease her sometimes when they saw her. That would scare Momma bad. She’d clutch the doll tighter and run away, like she was afraid they’d frighten her baby. But Grandma Hazel and Dad couldn’t stand being laughed at. They locked Momma in the house. She could move around inside, but they wouldn’t let her out the door. A crazy woman could still work, after all. Still slop the hogs, scrub the floors. Momma didn’t get any better, though. Seemed to get worse, actually. She’d spend longer and longer just staring into space. When she wasn’t zoned out, she’d follow Dad around, holding up the doll, wanting him to admire “their son.” Finally, Dad got fed up. He dragged her out back and shoved her into the empty pigsty next to the one with the hogs. Told her she could sleep there with the dirt. Said if she was so sure she had a baby, maybe they should just cut her open and take a look. 4 That night, I was half-asleep when I heard noises from the kitchen. Sounded like Momma moving around. I didn’t think much of it. Figured she was hungry, looking for something to eat. I just rolled over and went back to sleep. Next morning, I got up early, like always, to fix breakfast and feed the hogs. I mixed up the slop bucket and carried it out towards the sties. When I got close, I saw her. Momma. Lying on the muddy ground in the empty sty. Her stomach was cut wide open. Her insides… they were spilled out all over the dirt. Blood was everywhere. In one hand, she still clutched that dirty kitchen knife. In the other, the raggedy baby doll. Just lying there, staring up at the gray sky. I dropped the slop bucket. I ran towards her, screaming for Grandma, for Dad, screaming for them to wake up. I pushed away one of the hogs from the next pen that was snuffling at… at Momma’s insides through the fence. I knelt beside her in the mud. I didn’t know what to do. My hands hovered over her. I wanted to push everything back inside, cover the awful gash, pull her out of the filth, but I was too scared to touch her. I was terrified. I just broke down, sobbing, crying out, “Somebody help Momma! Please, somebody help!” “What’s all the racket out here? It’s barely daylight! Breakfast ready yet?” Grandma Hazel came shuffling out, pulling her robe around her shoulders, heading towards the pigsties. When she saw the scene, she stopped dead. Then she turned right around and ran out the front gate, fast as her old legs could carry her. A little while later, she came back, dragging Miss Ida behind her. I was still sitting there next to Momma, all cried out, just numb. Grandma didn’t even look at me as she came through the gate, already muttering curses. “Good riddance,” she spat. “Couldn’t even die somewhere else. Had to do it right here in the pigsty, where we keep our money-makers. Bad luck, that’s what it is. Just plain bad luck.” Miss Ida didn’t say anything. She just walked up to the edge of the sty, peered in for a second, then turned and headed towards the house, into the living room. I was scared they were plotting something else horrible, so I scrambled up and followed them. “She’s dead,” Miss Ida said flatly. “Killed herself. Gotta get her buried. Quick.” “So where d’you reckon is best, Miss Ida?” Grandma asked, suddenly all sweet and polite, pushing the jar of Momma’s wildflower honey into Miss Ida’s hands. Our only jar. I stared at that honey. Momma had gone up the mountain herself to gather the nectar for it, just for me. I was the least favorite in the house, always eating leftovers after they were done. Momma worried I’d waste away, so she got me that honey. It was the only thing she’d ever really been able to give me. I wanted to snatch it back. I started to move, but Grandma shoved me hard. I fell onto the floorboards. “Get away, you little brat,” she hissed, glaring down at me. “You think you deserve something nice? Get outta here.” I just sat there, hurting, staring up at them with pure hate, but I couldn’t do anything. “Tonight,” Miss Ida said, tucking the honey into her bag. “You and your son take the body up the back hill. Bury her there. Good spot, that land. Your boy marries again, he’ll get a son first try, guaranteed.” Miss Ida turned to leave. As she passed me, she paused, looking me up and down. “My, my,” she said, a strange look in her eyes. “This little granddaughter of yours… she’s turnin’ into quite a pretty little thing.” 5 Grandma Hazel and Dad were too busy figuring out how to bury Momma secretly to bother with me. I found an old bedsheet and gently covered Momma up. I picked up the baby doll from her cold hand, tears streaming down my face again. I had to get help. I remembered hearing folks talk about a Sheriff’s office in the next town over. I had to tell someone. I waited for a chance, then I bolted out the door and ran as fast as I could down the dirt road towards the edge of town. But I didn’t even make it to the main road before Mr. Henderson, the man who ran things around here, caught up to me in his pickup truck. He just smiled, asked where I was off to in such a hurry, and drove me right back home. Dad was waiting on the porch. He grabbed me by the hair, dragged me inside, and threw me into my little room, locking the door from the outside. “Damn girl!” he roared through the door. “Feed you, raise you, and you try to run off! Just goes to show – can’t trust a kid from a woman we brought here! Ungrateful!” Brought here? Yes, Momma hadn’t always lived here. They’d brought her here. Like most of the women in our neck of the woods, truth be told. I’d overheard whispers. Momma used to be in college somewhere, far away. Smart, pretty. And now… that smart, pretty woman was dead. Murdered by inches, forced into madness, and left to die in a filthy pigsty. Just before dark, Miss Ida came back. She supervised as Dad and Grandma shoved Momma’s body into a burlap sack. Then the three of them headed out towards the back hill. I wanted to follow, just to see where they put her, so I could maybe leave flowers someday, or just… know. But Grandma caught me trying to sneak out. She beat me again, hard, warning me not to cause any more trouble. I waited up, huddled in my dark room, until they came back, way late into the night. I heard them whispering in the living room. “You remember what Miss Ida said?” Grandma hissed. “Don’t you ever go up there. Don’t even think about her. Like she never existed.” “Yeah, yeah, Ma, I heard ya,” Dad grumbled, sounding tired. “Said it fifty times on the way back.” “You sure… you sure you didn’t feel like someone was watchin’ us back there? On the hill?” Grandma sounded spooked. “Nah, Ma. Just the wind. You’re gettin’ jumpy. Go on to bed now.” Dad’s footsteps headed towards his room. Sleep wouldn’t come for me. All I could think about was Momma. Working herself to the bone for this family, forced to eat that vile stew, and now… now they wanted to pretend she never even existed. It wasn’t right. It wasn’t fair. I wouldn’t run again. Not yet. I had to do something. For Momma. I had to make them pay. The next morning, I got up at dawn, same as always, to feed the hogs. As I got closer to the sties, my heart pounding with grief and anger, I saw something that made me stop in my tracks. There was someone standing in the empty pigsty. Where Momma had been. When I saw the face, my legs went weak, and I sank right down onto the muddy ground. I couldn’t breathe, couldn’t speak. I just stared, frozen, at the woman who looked exactly, exactly like my momma, watching her slowly turn and walk towards me…

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Just the mere mention of the wedding decorations sent my fiancée’s “true love” running out in tears. Ashley slapped me so hard I fell to the ground, her eyes burning with hatred. “Liam, are you that desperate to get married? Are you so afraid you’ll never find another girl that you’re trying to force me into this?!” “The wedding is postponed again – for another week!” I held my cheek, but I felt nothing. This was the eighth time she’d pushed the wedding back. I’d been waiting for her since I was twenty-eight, and now, well into my thirties, I was still waiting for an answer. So, this time, I calmly packed my bags and decided to leave. Maybe this wedding wasn’t meant to happen. … I held my throbbing cheek, a searing pain spreading through me. My body trembled, shaking uncontrollably. The woman who was supposed to be my fiancée glared at me with disgust. She disgustedly wiped the hand she used to hit me with a tissue. “Liam, you know perfectly well that Jason isn’t feeling well, so what are you trying to pull mentioning our wedding in front of him?” “Yes, I said I would marry you. Does that mean you have to be so impatient? Are you afraid that no one else will ever want you?” “Can’t you just wait a little longer?” Her face was etched with frustration, and her eyes held a deep disdain. My mind flashed back to Ashley’s passionate proposal three years ago. “Liam, I really want to marry you soon so we can be together forever!” Not long after that, I had brought up the subject of marriage. Ashley promised me a grand and lavish wedding. But I’d been waiting for that wedding for three years, and it still hadn’t happened. The first time, she said it was too early, that we were still young and there was no need to rush. I thought she had pre-wedding jitters and tried to reassure her. Shortly after the second date, she made another excuse, saying the company had something come up, requiring that she go on an indefinite business trip, pushing it back once again. Over and over again, it had been put off, and now we were at the eighth occasion. Every time, I would excitedly book the venue, hire the DJ, and prepare the party favors. But Ashley would always find an excuse to back out. Until today, I couldn’t take it anymore. We weren’t getting any younger, and our careers were stable. I gathered my courage and asked her when we were going to get married. I never expected to be slapped for it. After a long silence, I bit my lip tightly, my ear ringing from the blow, my cheek swelling. Ashley sighed and turned to leave. I instinctively grabbed her hand and asked quietly, “Where are you going?” She jerked her hand away as if she’d been electrocuted, taking a step back. I froze, my hand awkwardly suspended in mid-air, staring at her in disbelief. “I’m sorry, Liam. I was impulsive. I’ll go get some ointment for your cheek.” Ashley quickly offered an excuse, her voice low and apologetic. This time, I just bit my lip and said nothing. Three years of love. Suddenly, I felt like I didn’t know her at all. She could hit me without hesitation, and then immediately apologize? After Ashley left, she didn’t come back for a long time. Worried, I decided to go look for her. But under the lamppost in front of the hotel, I saw two figures embracing. The woman looked up and whispered in the man’s ear. “Don’t worry, Jason. If you don’t want me to, I definitely won’t marry him.” “After all you’ve done for me, I’ll agree to whatever you say!” I suppressed the sadness and pain in my heart, covered my mouth, and tried not to cry out. I wanted to confront them, but my legs felt like lead. 2 After a long time, Ashley reluctantly pulled away from Jason and headed back towards me. I quickly ran home. Before I even got there, Ashley called. Her voice was sharp, scolding me. “Liam, I told you to wait for me at the hotel. Where did you run off to?” My throat tightened, and tears welled up in my eyes. I was about to question her, but the words that came out were full of hurt. “I waited for you at home since you didn’t come back.” Ashley paused, then spoke softly, trying to soothe me. “I’m sorry, I got stuck in traffic.” I had barely sat down on the couch when Ashley got back. She acted like someone whose date had been interrupted and who had no choice but to go home. She tossed the ointment at me. “Here’s the medicine. Rub it on yourself.” I clutched the ointment in my hand, staring blankly at her back, and gritted my teeth. “You hit me in the face. Could you please put the ointment on for me?” A flash of disgust and contempt crossed Ashley’s eyes. She looked away, scoffed, and said coldly, “You asked for it!” “Besides, do you not have hands? You’re a big adult now, can’t you think of a way to do this yourself, or do you need someone to teach you?” A string of questions left me feeling ashamed. She wasn’t like this before. Whenever I got a tiny cut while cooking, she would panic, get a bandage, and stick it on me. I would laugh at how serious she was. She said that if she was any slower, the wound would heal on its own. She would cover my mouth, her eyes red with concern, telling me not to say such things. I took the ointment to the bathroom and looked in the mirror. I overheard her talking on the phone. The call was loud, and I heard everything clearly. My heart grew cold. “I’m going to the hospital to see Grandpa tomorrow, Jason, want to come?” “Would I be okay to see Grandpa with you?” “Of course. Grandpa’s met you before. If it weren’t for you saving him, he wouldn’t be here now. Plus, he already sees you as his grandson-in-law!” “Don’t say that, you’ll make me blush. You already have a fiancé. I guess I’m not that lucky!” Then her voice became firm and decisive. “No, I’ll only marry you!” Crash! The ointment fell into the sink, making a loud noise. Ashley quickly hung up and appeared in the bathroom, frowning. Seeing me rubbing ointment on my face, she tried to probe. “Liam, I’m going to the hospital to see Grandpa tomorrow. Want to come?” I already knew the truth, but my heart felt like it was full of holes. Looking at myself in the mirror, my swollen face looked like a monster. “Do you think it’s appropriate for me to see Grandpa like this? Would you even want me to see him?” Over the years, every time I asked to see her grandfather, Ashley would always find a hundred reasons to refuse. Just like she refused our wedding. So, to this day, I still don’t even know what her grandfather looks like. I only know that Ashley was raised by her grandfather and that he was the person closest to her. But she had taken Jason to see her closest family many times. I suppressed the pain in my chest and asked her again. “If I wanted to go, would you take me?” Ashley didn’t answer. She grabbed the ointment from my hand and gently rubbed it on my face, saying. “It’s okay, Liam. Once your cheek heals, I’ll take you to see Grandpa. He’ll love your handsome face!” I didn’t say anything. But I had a big question mark in my mind. She had made similar promises countless times over the past three years. I used to think she was really thinking of me, so I never pushed her. But now I suddenly realized that I couldn’t swallow her lies anymore. The reason she wasn’t taking me to see her grandfather was simple: she didn’t see me as her fiancé. 3 The next morning, Ashley left early. As expected, she was picking up Jason to take him to the hospital to see her grandfather. I washed my face, put on a mask, and went to find a rental apartment. This house belonged to Ashley. I was going to move out. While waiting to meet the landlord, I clicked on Jason’s social media. There was a photo of him, Ashley, and an old man. The caption read “Family photo.” The comments were full of blessings. Even though I knew about this last night, my chest still felt like it was being crushed by a rock. I stared blankly at the photo until the taxi driver told me to get out. Before logging out, I liked their photo and left a comment with a blessing. The apartment search went smoothly. The location was great. It was right next to a hospital. I had recently passed my nursing exam and had been accepted to work at the hospital. I was going to share the good news with Ashley today, but now it didn’t seem necessary. After paying the deposit, I went back to pack my bags. But as I passed in front of the hospital, I saw Ashley and Jason. They were holding hands, their fingers intertwined. It was Jason who saw me. He boldly pulled Ashley forward and spoke to me sarcastically. “Liam, you’re here too? Did you come with Ashley? Why don’t you go up and see Grandpa? “You didn’t even tell Ashley you were coming!” Ashley’s eyes flickered with worry. She took a half-step forward to hide their joined hands, quickly letting go. But at Jason’s reminder, that worry turned into anger, and her eyes flashed. “What are you doing here? I don’t think I told you where I was going!” She frowned, her expression changed, and she glared at me. “Liam, are you stalking me?!” She took another step forward, forcing me back. Her face was scary. She grabbed my arm and ripped off my mask. “You look like hell. Why are you stalking me instead of resting at home?” “Didn’t I tell you I’d take you once your face healed? What are you trying to pull by stalking me now!” Ashley was reprimanding me. She didn’t bother to ask for an explanation. Passersby stared at my swollen face. I felt ashamed and tried to cover it with my hand, arguing with her. “I’m not stalking you!” “You’re not stalking me? Then why are you here?” Ashley scolded angrily. “Don’t tell me you came to the hospital for your cheek. Or are you dying of some terminal illness?” My chest felt heavy. But I wasn’t going to tell her anything. I wasn’t going to tell her that I rented an apartment here, or that I had been hired to work at this hospital. In the end, I just remained silent, letting Ashley scold me. “Can’t talk? Liam, I’m impressed. If you had said you wanted to see Grandpa, would I have refused? You’re stalking me now!” “Next time, do I need to let you know where I’m going?” I was stunned. I didn’t know how to respond. She had never allowed me to come with her, always making excuses. Now it was my fault. I took a deep breath and suppressed the sadness in my heart. I looked at Ashley. “Whether you believe me or not, I wasn’t stalking you.” After saying that, I ignored Ashley’s surprised look, hailed a taxi, and left. As soon as I got in the car, tears started streaming down my face. That’s it, I’ll just let them have each other. 4 As soon as I got home, my phone rang. It was Ashley. “Liam, are you home?” She spoke softly, as if nothing had happened. But her voice sounded insincere. I wanted to hang up, but I needed to settle things with her. She was the one who had messed up this relationship. I shouldn’t run away. “What’s up?” “I’m at a hotel. I sent you the location. I think the decoration style is nice. Come check it out.” I hung up, confused. A hotel? Was it for our wedding? This wasn’t like Ashley. I used to push her, but she would never get involved. Now she was bringing it up on her own. I washed the tears off my face and went to the hotel. When I got there, I realized that it was nowhere near the level of the hotels I had picked out for the other eight attempts. I looked at Ashley, confused. “Didn’t you say we should keep the wedding simple? Why are we picking such a nice hotel?” Just then, Jason came down the stairs. He pointed at things with the hotel manager. “Liam, you think this hotel is great too, right? Ashley said she’s going to have a birthday party for me here.” My face froze. Ashley welcomed Jason and gave me a disgusted look, scolding me. “Don’t talk nonsense. I just wanted you to see the hotel. You’re still fantasizing about the wedding!” I felt embarrassed. I bit my teeth and nodded. I hid my hands in my sleeves, trembling, and said, “Great, it’s great.” Jason grabbed my arm. “You have to come to my birthday, Liam! I want your blessing!” Then, where only we could see, Jason smirked at me. She knew that I had fought with Ashley about the wedding venue. Today, she was provoking me with her birthday party. I couldn’t contain the anger in my chest and pushed Jason to the ground. She screamed, burst into tears, and half-collapsed. “Liam, I just wanted your blessing. If you don’t like me, that’s fine, but why would you push me!” “Liam, are you sick?” Ashley felt sorry for her and helped Jason up. After comforting her, she turned to yell at me. “Go get treated if you’re sick. Don’t be crazy here. You can’t afford to hurt Jason!” My heart was breaking, and I could barely breathe. But I looked her in the eye, tears in my eyes. “Yes, I’ll go get treated. I wish you and Jason a happy marriage and may you have children soon.” I turned and left the hotel. Back home, my makeup was ruined. I packed my bags and moved to the rental apartment. I left Ashley with a letter to terminate our engagement. For the next two days, Ashley and I had no contact. She didn’t come home. I saw on Jason’s social media that they had been all over the city. [This is the best birthday gift ever!] The last photo was of them embracing and kissing in the decorated ballroom. I habitually liked and commented with a blessing. Then I logged out, smiling bitterly. After being with Ashley for so many years, she had never made time to travel with me. Now she was having fun! On the day of Jason’s birthday party, I was starting my first day at the hospital. After two days, Ashley sent me a message. [It’s Jason’s birthday today. You have to come, or you’ll regret it!] I didn’t reply and focused on work. The nurse station rang, and I ran to room 18. An old man had lost consciousness. The machine was beeping. The doctor asked me to call the family. “Notify the family, prepare for surgery!” I used the phone to call the patient’s family. “Is this the family of Shaun Baldwin?” The voice on the other end laughed. “Liam? When did you become a nurse? You’re scheming. You think I’d fall for that?” “Don’t you know that I hate you chasing me?” I didn’t expect it to be her. I suppressed my anger and said coldly, “The patient has heart failure and liver failure. He needs surgery. Please come to the hospital.” “I’ve delivered the message. Believe it or not. I hope you don’t regret it!”

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I did three years in prison, taking the fall for my little brother. While I was inside, pure luck had me save the son of some billionaire tycoon. As a thank you, the tycoon wired $10 million into an account for me. The day I got out, the first thing I did was call my dad, excited to share the unbelievable news. But the second he heard my voice, click. He hung up. My gut clenched. Something must be wrong at home. I grabbed a cab and rushed over. I was just outside the apartment door when I heard my sister-in-law, Ashley, complaining loud enough for the neighbors to hear: “Couldn’t he have picked any other day to get out? Seriously? Now I missed my prenatal check-up because we had to rush the deed transfer.” Then my mom’s voice: “Honey, it’s for the best. He paid for this place, sure, but with a prison record, finding work will be impossible. What if he just plans to crash here and mooch off us forever?” Ashley scoffed. “If he shows up, tell him to find a rental. I’m not living with an ex-con!” Hearing them, my hand froze halfway to knocking. My heart, which had been pounding with anticipation to see them, just plummeted. It was June, blazing hot outside, but suddenly I felt like I was standing in a freezer. This door… I’d dreamt about walking through this door for three solid years. Now, standing right in front of it felt like standing on a cliff edge. I just stood there for a long moment, unable to move. My parents always favored Ryan, my younger brother. But Ryan… he used to follow me everywhere. I went to prison for him. Surely he wouldn’t want to kick me out? Holding onto that sliver of hope, I finally knocked. Mom opened the door, putting on a surprised face. “Alex! You’re back already? Your dad was just about to head out to pick you up.” She looked me up and down, squeezing out a pained expression. “Oh, you poor thing. Look how thin you are. It must have been hell in there.” If only I hadn’t heard her words from outside the door. If only that concern was real. “It’s okay, Mom. Catching a ride is easy these days,” I said, my voice a little tight. I stepped inside. Ashley immediately came at me, spraying disinfectant like she was trying to hose me down. “Don’t take it personally,” she chirped, “just clearing out the bad juju.” Yeah, right. Her face screamed disgust. She saw me as contaminated goods. An ex-con. Funny, she seemed to forget why I was an ex-con. It was for her and Ryan. I didn’t say anything, just started walking towards my old room. “Don’t bother,” my dad’s voice cut through the air. “There’s no room for you here anymore.” He was slumped on the sofa, chain-smoking. The ashtray was already overflowing with fresh butts. My arrival seemed to have really stressed him out. I stopped, turned to face him. “Dad, I was gone for three years, not dead. Don’t I even deserve a room in my own home?” He stubbed out his cigarette, his voice hard. “The family’s grown, Alex. There just isn’t enough space.” I didn’t argue the point. Instead, I asked, “Where’s Ryan? Does he feel the same way?” Just then, Ryan came out of the bathroom, looking uncomfortable. “Hey, Alex… look, Ashley’s two months pregnant. Things are… tight. Space-wise, I mean.” He hesitated, then added quickly, “But hey, you’re my brother, right? Family first. If you really need a place, I guess… I can clear out the nursery we just set up.” He said it like he was being generous. I nodded slowly. “Okay. The baby’s not due for another seven months anyway. I’ll take the nursery for now.” Ryan’s face froze. He opened his mouth, then closed it, looking trapped. Ashley couldn’t hold back anymore. She stormed over, yelling right in my face. “Are you kidding me? How selfish can you be? Can’t you see we’re crammed in here? You actually want to take the baby’s room? The nerve!” I almost laughed, it was so absurd. “We all fit before. I go away for three years, the baby isn’t even here yet, and suddenly there’s no room? And Ashley, need I remind you? I bought this apartment. Paid in full.” My dad slammed his hand on the coffee table. “Alex! Watch your tone! You think buying a place makes you king of the world? Fresh out of prison and already demanding things?” Disappointment washed over me. “Am I demanding the apartment back? Or are you refusing to even let me have one room?” “I told you already, there’s no room for you! If you need a place to stay, go rent one! We don’t owe you anything!” Dad was practically shouting now, pointing towards the door. A clear eviction notice. “‘Don’t owe me anything’,” I repeated slowly, the words tasting like ash. “Who was it that begged me, tears streaming down their face, to take the fall for Ryan? Who promised that if I did this, I’d be the family’s savior, that you’d spend the rest of your lives repaying me?” “All I’m asking for now is a room in the apartment I paid for. Is that too much? Is this how you repay me?” Each word was heavy, fueled by a churning mix of anger and hurt. Back then, Ryan and Ashley had taken my car, driving recklessly – speeding, wrong way down a one-way street – and hit someone. Killed them. My parents came to me immediately. Ryan had just gotten into a top university, they’d said. His future was so bright. This accident couldn’t ruin him. Me? I was just a clerk at some small company. My future didn’t matter as much. So they cried, they pleaded, they begged me to take the blame. They swore the whole family would be forever grateful once I got out. It wasn’t about getting repaid. I did it because I loved them. I loved my parents, I loved my brother. I was willing to destroy my own life for them. To protect Ryan, I sold my car, emptied my savings account, lost my job, paid the victim’s family compensation, took the conviction, and endured all the public shame. Three years in prison. Three years of hell. I gritted my teeth and got through it. But I never imagined this. Not overwhelming gratitude, not even simple relief. Just… utter betrayal. Rejection. The family I loved, the family I sacrificed everything for… had turned into a pack of ungrateful vultures. “Look, Alex,” Ryan started, his voice laced with frustration, “I know you’re pissed. But these past three years haven’t been easy for us either! Having an ex-con in the family… people talk! They stare! If you move back in, imagine the gossip. Can’t you think about us for a change?” There it was. The brother I’d shielded, the one I’d given everything for, finally showing his true colors. To him, I wasn’t a savior. I was an embarrassment. A burden dragging them down. Any lingering hope I had just… died. This house felt cold, empty. All my sacrifice? A fucking joke. I looked at my brother, this golden child standing taller than me now, and my voice went flat. “Ryan, don’t forget. The one who should be the ex-con is you. The one who brought shame on this family… is you.” “If you really cared about the family’s reputation, you would have confessed back then. Instead, you let me take the hit, you live in my apartment, and now you have the gall to blame me for not thinking about your feelings?” My words hit home. Ryan’s face turned ugly. “I already thanked you for taking the rap! What more do you want? You’re my older brother, isn’t that what older brothers are supposed to do? It was three years, big deal. Why do you keep bringing it up?” He made it sound so trivial. Like me doing three years hard time was the same as letting him have the last slice of pizza when we were kids. A simple ‘thanks’ should cover it. Predictably, Dad jumped to his defense. “He’s right! Older brothers should look out for their younger siblings. Trying to cash in on doing your duty? You’re being petty, Alex.” “Exactly!” Ashley chimed in, rubbing her belly protectively. “You’re just a broke ex-con looking for a handout. If you’re here leeching off us, how are we supposed to raise our child?” Mom nodded gravely, adding her piece with a sigh. “Alex, honey, your father and I are looking forward to being grandparents. And you’re not getting any younger. It’s perfectly normal for someone your age to live on their own, renting if they have to.” One after another, their words stabbed at me. Sharp, cold, relentless. I was beyond disappointed, but my eyes burned anyway. I looked at them, my voice hoarse. “No wonder none of you ever came to visit me. Not once in three years.” “I told myself you were just busy. Too caught up with life. But the truth is… you were just ashamed of me.” I tilted my head back, blinking hard against the tears. Then, looking each of them in the eye, I asked, my voice steady and low, “Let me ask you one last time. Are you absolutely, positively kicking me out today?” “Yes!” Dad didn’t hesitate. Mom, Ryan, Ashley – their faces were set, resolute. No room for negotiation. No trace of affection left in their eyes. I nodded slowly, a heavy finality settling in my chest. “Fine. Then as of today, we’re done. I cut all ties with you.” “I just hope… you don’t regret this.” This family, this house… there was nothing left for me here. The $10 million I’d planned to share? That was off the table now too. Without another word, I turned and walked out. Behind me, I heard Ashley’s voice, shrill with resentment. “Regret what? Cutting ties with a loser ex-con with no future? Don’t flatter yourself!” Leaving the apartment that felt colder than any prison cell, I wandered the streets for hours. Eventually, I checked into a decent hotel. Online, I found a top lawyer and paid for a consultation. The apartment I’d bought outright was in my parents’ names. Could I get it back? The lawyer was optimistic. If I could prove I was the actual buyer – provide payment records, renovation receipts, property tax or HOA payment history – I had a strong case. Luckily, I’m meticulous about keeping records. I had everything. I hired the lawyer on the spot, giving him full authority to handle the case. My goal: get my apartment back. With that settled, I lay on the hotel bed, staring at the nine-figure balance on my banking app. My mind drifted back. Mom and Dad always doted on Ryan. He was the smart one, the one destined for greatness. Me? They pulled me out of high school before I could even finish, told me to get a job to pay for Ryan’s future education. So, I entered the workforce young. Construction sites, waiting tables, factory lines, food delivery – I did every grueling, low-paying job imaginable. The apartment represented nearly ten years of scrimping and saving every penny. When it came time to sign the papers, Mom and Dad laid on the guilt trip. What if I got married and forgot about them? They cried, pleaded, until I agreed to put the deed in their names. We were family, right? What could go wrong? The moment I was out of prison, they transferred the deed to Ryan. Didn’t even save me a closet, let alone a room. I couldn’t forgive my parents. And Ryan… the disappointment ran deep. I’d literally gone to prison for him. And this was his gratitude? Teaming up with Mom, Dad, and Ashley to throw me out on the street. The irony wasn’t lost on me. It was brutal. But dwelling on it wouldn’t change anything. At least fate hadn’t left me completely stranded. I had money now. More than I could probably spend. All my life, I’d worked for my family. Now, with no family left, it was time to live for myself. The next day, I went straight to the sales office of a luxury gated community. They happened to be running a promotion: buy more, save more. So, I bought ten fully furnished houses. Cash. I picked one for myself, hired a housekeeper to cook and clean daily, and settled in. The other nine? Rented them out. I used to dream about being a landlord, living off rental income. I never thought prison would be the path to achieving it. Now, just the rent from those nine houses brought in more money each month than I knew what to do with. Life was, unexpectedly, pretty damn good. About a month later, my dad called. “Alex, have you lost your mind? You’re actually suing us?” “I’m suing the people illegally occupying my property,” I replied calmly. “Wow, Alex. Prison really did change you. Turning on your own family, airing our dirty laundry in public? You’ve got some nerve,” he spat. I could almost picture his face turning purple with rage. “Just following the example you set,” I retorted coolly. Then Mom grabbed the phone. “Alex, even if you get the apartment back, what then? Don’t forget, Ryan just landed a great job at a big company, making six figures! And you? You’re an ex-con nobody will hire. You have no income! You’ll come crawling back to your brother eventually! Are you sure you want to burn this bridge over one lousy apartment?” “Getting the apartment back isn’t about needing it,” I said, my voice flat. “It’s about the fact that you vultures don’t deserve to live in it.” I hung up while they were still yelling. Just as I put my phone down, someone knocked on my front door. I opened it to find a stunning woman standing there. Very attractive, confident vibe. “Hi, landlord,” she smiled. “I’m Chloe, from house number two? Your tenant.” I vaguely remembered her. She was the first person to rent one of my houses. Quick, easy transaction. She saw the place, loved it, signed the lease on the spot. “Right, Chloe. What’s up?” I asked. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, looking slightly embarrassed. “Well, I’m having a little get-together with some old friends right now. They heard about the mystery landlord who bought ten houses cash… and they’re dying to meet you. I was wondering… would you maybe grace us with your presence? Give me some bragging rights?” She batted her eyelashes, looking genuinely hopeful. My first instinct was to say no – I didn’t really know her. But looking at her pleading eyes, I found it hard to refuse. Seeing me hesitate, Chloe clasped her hands together playfully. “Oh, come on, landlord extraordinaire! Please? I already told them I totally knew you and could definitely get you to swing by. Don’t make me look like a liar in front of everyone!” I have a weakness: I can handle confrontation, but I fold easily when people ask nicely. “Alright, fine. I’ll be over in a bit.” Chloe beamed. “Awesome! We’ll be waiting!” After she left, I ditched my sweats, threw on some decent clothes, and walked over to house number two. I knocked. The door swung open. And standing there, glaring at me, was Ashley. My sister-in-law. Ryan was right behind her. “Alex?” Ashley’s eyes narrowed. “Are you seriously stalking us all the way out here?”

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On our wedding anniversary, I overheard my husband talking to our son. “How about we ship Mommy off somewhere remote, and get a new mommy?” “Okay! I like new mommy best!” Standing outside the door, hearing my son’s innocent voice, my blood ran cold. But less than three days later, I saw something utterly terrifying… 01 My husband, the man everyone called a doting dad, crazy about his kid, murdered our son. And I was standing on the balcony of the building across the way, too scared to even breathe. He held Leo by one leg, dangling him out of the fifth-floor balcony window. The dim streetlight from the corner cast half his body in shadow, making him look like some demon straight out of hell, a predatory smile on his face. Leo kicked frantically, begging his dad to let him go. His cries for help seemed to echo faintly across the distance, tearing my heart apart. A sickening thud. Leo fell like a broken kite to the ground below. An involuntary scream ripped from my throat, but I instantly clamped my hand over my mouth. No, if Ethan found out I saw, he’d kill me too. Then there’d be no way to get justice for Leo. But it was too late. Suddenly, Ethan’s gaze snapped towards me. By the moonlight, I could faintly see the smug curl of his lips, the red stains on his hands, as he seemed to count the floors up to my hiding spot. I scrambled back from the balcony railing, shrinking into the corner, trying to disappear into the darkness. But my mom was still in our apartment. Those stains on his hands… could it be…? This was an old mill district apartment complex, the buildings barely thirty feet apart. It was only a five-minute walk from my apartment to this one. Peeking out, I saw the lights in our apartment go dark. I knew he was coming. He knew where I was. A week ago, I’d accidentally discovered Ethan was cheating. The other woman lived somewhere in this same old complex. So, I’d scraped together my savings and rented this place across from our building. Sixth floor. A perfect vantage point to watch everything happening at home. Two days ago, I told Ethan I had to go out of town for work. In reality, I came here to catch him with his mistress, hoping for proof. I never expected to witness… this. A minute had passed. These old buildings didn’t have elevators. If I took the stairs, I’d run right into him. What could I do? Suddenly, my eyes landed on a fire extinguisher in the corner. An idea! I smashed the glass on the fire alarm pull station in the hallway, pitched my voice high, and yelled, “Fire!” Within a minute, the hallway was jammed with people scrambling, pushing to get downstairs. I ditched my jacket and blended into the crowd heading down. Suddenly, a hand gripped my wrist. I looked up. Ethan was staring down at me, a sickeningly sweet smile on his face. “What are you doing over here?” 02 Twenty minutes later, fire trucks and police cars rolled into the complex, sirens briefly wailing before falling silent. Residents crowded the courtyard, buzzing about the fire alarm and the potential murder. Through the crowd, I looked towards the patch of grass below our apartment balcony. Police were searching methodically, like a grid search, but there was no sign of anything having fallen, not even a drop of blood. I lowered my eyes, a chill creeping up my spine. Just moments before Ethan grabbed me, I had managed to call 911. I knew he’d find out soon enough it was me. I stood frozen, afraid to move. Because Ethan was watching me, a smile plastered on his face that didn’t reach his eyes. “Honey, why are you shaking? You didn’t happen to be the one who called the cops, did you?” His breath ghosted over my skin, making me shiver uncontrollably. “Or maybe,” he whispered, leaning closer, “you saw something you shouldn’t have?” His voice, usually warm, had an icy edge. It was the same handsome face I knew, but right now, it looked terrifyingly unfamiliar. We grew up together in the same group home, childhood sweethearts. After we got married, he handled everything, big or small. Life felt perfect, especially after Leo was born, filling a void I hadn’t known I had. I couldn’t believe, couldn’t wrap my head around the idea, that this man, my Ethan, had killed our child with his own hands. “I’m just… a little tired,” I stammered. His voice held a hint of laughter, tinged with mock complaint. “You’re not a kid anymore. Where were you running off to play, anyway?” “Let’s go,” he said, his voice softening. “I’ll take you home.” The moment his hand rested on my shoulder, my feet took an involuntary step back. How could he not know I was supposed to be on a business trip? He helped me pack just two days ago. He drove me to the bus station himself. And now he was asking where I’d been playing? My legs suddenly felt weak, like I might collapse right there. 03 He practically dragged me towards our building. The closer we got, the stronger the metallic smell of blood became. Ethan pulled out his keys. The keychain was the same one I gave him when we were dating, a small silver locket. But he fumbled at the lock, trying several keys before finding the right one. None of the first few were even house keys. “Damn, getting old. Can’t even remember which key is which,” he muttered, seemingly talking to himself. But I knew he was saying it for my benefit. Giving me a plausible, innocent explanation. The suspicion in my gut deepened. I stared hard at his back, trying to see past the facade, trying to figure out who this man really was. The last key finally turned, and the door swung open. The stench of blood hit me like a physical blow. I squeezed my eyes shut, terrified of what I might see, terrified of finding my mother… “What are you waiting for? Come in,” he urged from the living room. Taking a deep breath, clutching my phone tightly, I stepped inside. The horrific scene I’d imagined wasn’t there. But the thick, coppery smell was stronger, definitely coming from the kitchen. My eyes kept darting towards the kitchen doorway. I could see a few faint dark droplets on the floor. Trying to act casual, I picked up a glass and walked towards the water cooler, which happened to be closer to the kitchen. As I brought the glass to my lips, my eyes caught sight of something on the kitchen floor – small, fleshy chunks of… something. Two large pots were simmering on the stove, bubbling away. The metallic smell mingled sickeningly with the aroma of cooking meat. Compelled by a morbid curiosity I couldn’t control, I lifted one of the heavy lids. Inside, bones simmered in a murky broth. A few dark, coarse hairs clung to one of them. Black hairs. Looking closer, I saw something bobbing on the surface… it looked horrifyingly like a section of a finger bone. My hand trembled violently. The glass slipped, shattering on the floor. Ethan heard the noise and came over. “Clumsy,” he said, his voice neutral. I scrambled to pick up the shards, slicing my palm in my haste. Blood dripped onto the floor, mingling with the older stains. His footsteps stopped right beside me. I crouched there, trembling, unable to stand up. “Careful now. You hurt yourself,” he said, reaching a hand down towards me. “Get away! Don’t touch me!” I shrieked, waving my phone defensively. “Murderer! What did you do with my mother? What did you do with Leo?!” Ethan just stood there, watching me calmly, but I could see a flicker of something dark and cold in his expression. My bleeding hand clutched a jagged piece of glass, holding it in front of me like a shield. “Ethan, I called the police.” A short, sharp laugh escaped his lips. He said, “Sarah, you really are clueless, aren’t you?” 04 When the police arrived, Ethan was sitting calmly in a chair, just inches away from where I huddled on the floor. “Sarah, the police are here. You don’t have to be scared anymore. Get up off the floor, it’s cold.” He said it gently, but as the officers stepped inside, he immediately positioned himself slightly in front of me, a protective stance. But he called me Sarah. Ethan never called me Sarah. He always called me Dove. Said I was his rare, precious Dove he’d searched for. A pair of worn canvas sneakers appeared in my line of sight. Looking up at the police officer, tears streamed down my face. My voice shook. “He… he cooked my mother. And he threw our son off the balcony. Leo’s dead.” Forensics techs and officers began searching the apartment, meticulously examining every corner. The large pots from the kitchen were emptied into the sink, their contents carefully sifted through. I stood nearby, watching their every move, desperate for any shred of evidence. After about fifteen minutes, a young officer approached, holding something wrapped in an evidence bag. It looked disturbingly like a skull. I recoiled, stumbling backward. He held it out. “It’s a dog’s skull, ma’am. Looks like he was cooking dog meat.” As he said this, he shot a quick, sharp glance at Ethan. A look full of warning. But Ethan loved dogs. He was always feeding the strays in the neighborhood. He would never eat dog meat. The doubt in my mind solidified into a terrifying certainty. Something was deeply, horribly wrong here.

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I was doing laundry when I found a pregnancy test report in my husband’s pants pocket. I glanced at it. The name was Jessica Bell, four months pregnant. My husband, Mark Miller, is an OB/GYN. Logically, finding a patient’s report left in his pocket could happen. But my gut screamed something was wrong. The report had a faint perfume smell I didn’t recognize. Clutching the paper, I walked out into the living room. As I passed my mother-in-law’s room, I heard her voice. Her usual booming tone, completely ignoring my presence. “Jessica, honey, you just focus on taking care of yourself, give me a big healthy grandson.” She was on the phone. I couldn’t make out the voice on the other end. “That Sarah is just bad luck, a jinx. Married three years and hasn’t produced a damn thing. A barren hen, trying to end the Miller family line.” Her vicious words kept coming, but I couldn’t really hear them anymore. A cold numbness washed over me, like I’d been hit over the head. I looked down at the name on the report again. Jessica Bell. The letters burned my eyes. When Mark and I first started dating, his mother couldn’t stand me. Said I was too skinny, wouldn’t be good for childbearing. She even brought over some quack herbalist to check my pulse. After the guy left, she pointed at me, furious, yelling that I’d definitely end the Miller line, ruin the family legacy, make them a laughingstock. It was Mark who gently held me, reassuring me. He said having kids was his department; with a professional OB/GYN in the house, what was I worried about? His mom was just superstitious, don’t take her words to heart. Because of Mark’s tenderness, I married him. For three years, I came home from work, immediately hit the grocery store, cooked dinner, did the dishes, served soup – taking perfect care of Mark and his mother. I figured if I worked hard, put in the effort to build our little family, maybe time would soften his mother’s heart. I never imagined my three years of sweat would lead to this. Mark cheated. Had a child with another woman. He knew. His mother knew. I was the only one completely in the dark. I bit my lip hard, trying not to make a sound. Tears welled up, streaming down my face. But I knew this wasn’t the time to blow things up. Besides, a tiny sliver of hope remained. I still wanted to believe in Mark, that he still loved me. I had to wait. 2 That evening, when Mark got home from work, he went straight to his mother’s room, telling me to start warming up dinner. Because of what happened earlier, I crept over and pressed my ear to the door, hearing Mark’s hushed voice. “Mom, I haven’t gotten the money yet. Tell Jessica to just hang tight.” “Mark, Jessica’s starting to show. You need to make a decision soon. I want to be a grandmother already. Sarah, that jinx, can’t have kids anyway, and she’s bad luck. She already caused her father’s death; I’m worried she’ll bring us down too.” His mother, despite her country background, always tried to act sophisticated, usually speaking politely. But when it came to me, she turned into a viper, spitting pure venom. Mark hadn’t answered yet, but I already had my answer. He knew. Not only was he cheating on me, doing this disgusting thing behind my back, but he was also plotting with his mother to keep deceiving me. My last shred of hope vanished. But I still underestimated him. “Mom, I only married her for the money! If her dad wasn’t rich and connected, I wouldn’t be Head of OB/GYN now. Her dad’s gone, yeah, but the money isn’t in hand yet. We’ve waited three years; divorcing now means it was all for nothing. Just be patient a little longer. Okay, I’m heading back out. Can’t let her get suspicious.” Mark’s voice was still soft and gentle, just like his clean-cut, respectable appearance. But now, those gentle tones delivered the coldest, most heartless words imaginable. Each syllable was a knife, slicing my heart to pieces. I trembled with rage, feeling like ants were crawling under my skin, a twisting, pounding pain that almost made me pass out. Hearing him about to come out, I forced myself to pull it together and rushed into the bathroom. I turned on the faucet, burying my face in the sink full of icy water. The biting cold shocked me back to a semblance of calm. Disappointment and helplessness receded, replaced by a surge of hatred. I, Sarah Davis, wasn’t some pushover people could walk all over. If Mark Miller dared to treat me like this, he shouldn’t expect any mercy! I fixed my appearance, plastered on my standard devoted wife smile, and walked out. “Honey, I made a big dinner for you, all your favorites.” I choked back the nausea, gently rubbing his shoulders, whispering sweet nothings near his ear. I had to keep him calm for now. I also poured him a glass of red wine. He seemed to be in a good mood today, and because I’d always been so docile, he wasn’t suspicious at all. I kept pouring, glass after glass, until Mark was drunk. He was much bigger than me, taller too. It was a struggle, but I managed to haul him back to the bedroom and dump him on the bed. “Mark? Honey?” I whispered his name a few times. No response. Carefully, I reached into his pants pocket for his phone. He rolled over, pinning my hand. My heart leaped into my throat; I thought I’d been caught. I steadied myself, gently stroking his arm, murmuring soothing words. After a moment, he settled back into a deep sleep. I gently tried for the phone again. This time, I got it. I held it up to his face. Face ID unlocked it. I opened his messaging app, scrolling through his chats with Jessica Bell, looking at her posts. The further back I scrolled, the more horrified I became. It wasn’t that he’d changed his mind about me. He was a snake from the start. Three years ago, he and Jessica were already together. The moment he saw me, I became their target. So, I was the “other woman” in their relationship? I remembered how Mark had played the hero, rescuing me from some minor trouble, then pursuing me relentlessly. Falling in love, getting married… it was all calculated. He wanted my family’s money. He wanted my dad, who was his direct supervisor at the hospital back then, to help him climb the ladder, secure the Head of OB/GYN position. His little scheme, ticking away like a clock. He’d been planning this from the very beginning, targeting me, targeting my family’s wealth! I hated him. Hated myself for being so blind, fooled by his gentle act, letting a wolf into my life. But it wasn’t too late. I gently slipped the phone back into Mark’s pocket. My knuckles turned white as I clenched my fists, then slowly relaxed. They wanted to use me? I’d make damn sure their plans blew up in their faces, leaving them with nothing. I knew what mattered most to Mark and his venomous mother right now: the baby in Jessica’s belly. 3 Three days later. “Honey, I’m off to work,” I said, grabbing my car keys, pretending to head to the office. In reality, I hid in the underground parking garage, waiting for Mark to take the bait. Sure enough, moments after I supposedly left, he and his mother came out. I quietly tailed them. I watched him go into the apartment complex across the street and soon emerge, supporting a heavily pregnant woman. So, this was Jessica Bell. Definitely young and pretty. Even with the large belly, she wasn’t ungainly; she had a certain mature allure. I watched Mark’s mother grasp the other woman’s hand, her face creased into a thousand wrinkles from smiling so broadly. A picture-perfect happy family. She had never, ever looked at me like that. In three years of marriage, my mother-in-law hadn’t shown me a single shred of kindness. Ice filled my veins. Any lingering hope for Mark, this vile man who used me to get ahead and now plotted to steal my inheritance, vanished. All I felt was disgust. Right now, I just wanted to ruin him completely. They wanted their happy little family of four? Not on my watch! I snapped a few pictures with my phone for evidence, took a deep breath, gathered all my strength, and charged out, slapping Mark hard across the face. Five bright red finger marks instantly appeared on his clean-shaven cheek. He looked pathetic. “Who is SHE?” I pointed at Jessica, yelling loud enough to attract the attention of passersby, drawing an audience for the drama. Mark, stunned by the slap, was about to explode. When he turned and saw it was me, he froze, dumbfounded. His mother saw me hit her precious son and lunged at me, trying to grab my hair. I was ready. I dodged sideways quickly. In the shuffle, her elbow accidentally bumped Jessica. Jessica, already unsteady with her pregnancy, stumbled and fell, her belly hitting a decorative rock on the edge of the walkway. “Mark, my stomach hurts so bad! I’m bleeding!” Jessica clutched her belly. Bright red blood seeped out from under her dress, staining the pavement. “Who are you calling Mark? You shameless homewrecker! You’re disgusting, seducing my husband!” I moved towards her, ready to slap her too. Seeing Jessica bleeding seemed to snap Mark out of it, revealing the snake beneath. His face darkened, and he moved to grab me. By now, a small crowd had gathered. People were pointing at Jessica on the ground, muttering about how shameless mistresses were getting these days, flaunting themselves in public. I took the opportunity to melt back into the crowd. Unable to get to me, and with Jessica and his mother fuming, Mark frantically scooped Jessica up, hailed a cab, and rushed off towards the hospital. Watching that cheating pair leave, I rubbed my stinging palm. There was no satisfaction, only a deep sadness. Who would have thought that I, Sarah Davis, would end up in some trashy soap opera plot, fighting a scumbag husband and his mistress? But there was no turning back now. 4 Mark didn’t come home until the next morning, dragging himself in looking exhausted. “Let’s get a divorce.” I slapped the divorce papers down on the table. Mark looked like he hadn’t slept all night, his face pale, covered in stubble. He suddenly dropped to his knees, crawling towards me, grabbing my feet, sobbing and begging. “Sarah, I know I messed up. I’m an idiot. I’m so sorry.” He started slapping himself across the face, hard. “Trust me, Sarah, please trust me. It was just that one time with her.” “The baby’s almost due, and it was ‘just one time’? Who do you think is stupid, you or me? You think I’m that easy to fool?” This snake was still so good at putting on an act, all fake sincerity. If I didn’t already know his real motives, I might have believed him. “I was drunk on that business trip. I don’t know how, but she ended up in my bed. After it happened, I didn’t dare tell you. Then she found me later, said she was pregnant. We’ve been married so long without kids… I felt bad for you, didn’t want you to go through the pain of pregnancy and childbirth. I thought… I thought I’d let her have the baby, then we could raise it together, like our own.” Mark’s voice grew even softer, his eyes welling up as he looked up at me, playing the devoted husband. He knew I usually fell for this routine. Ha. So he definitely didn’t want a divorce. Plan was to keep me placated until he got the money, then kick me to the curb. Appearances, the mistress, the baby – none of it mattered as much as the money. I sneered inwardly. Pathetic. He wants to act? Fine, I’ll play along. “Then you have to cut off all contact with her. Completely.” I pretended to give in. Mark, thinking I’d softened, let out a visible sigh of relief. He swore up and down, promising he’d break it off completely, that I was the only one he loved. His phone kept vibrating. He ignored it twice, but it rang again persistently. I decided to help his charade along. “Maybe it’s work calling? Since you missed yesterday.” “Right, right,” he agreed quickly. He went out onto the balcony, pretended to take a call, didn’t even bother changing his excuse – claimed there was an emergency meeting at the hospital – and rushed out. I knew exactly where he was going.

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The latest It Girl actress had a major scandal break – caught cheating. Career: imploding. But my mother? She was trying to pressure me into taking the fall. “You’re the older sister. You have to help your little sister out.” I agreed. On one condition: we cut ties. Officially. Done. The day my reputation was trashed and I left Hollywood, my dear sister hired someone to run me down. I ended up a vegetable. Later, my own mother pulled my oxygen plug. “Only the dead can keep secrets forever,” she whispered. Somehow, miraculously, I survived. Now, I’m back. My oh-so-precious baby sister is bragging to me about landing an audition for a movie by the hot new screenwriter. “Candace,” she sneered, “you’ll never be better than me.” I smiled, reached over to the judges’ table, and flipped my nameplate forward. “Hi,” I said. “I’m the screenwriter. Candace Shaw. You might know me as Ashwood.” 1 “Your sister is getting absolutely roasted online, and you actually have the nerve to sit here eating?” I stared blankly from the living room couch as my mother paced, radiating pure, impotent rage. “She’s her, I’m me. Why should I care if she’s getting dragged?” I calmly reached for another potato chip. The crunch seemed to hit a nerve. She lunged, slapping the entire bag out of my hand, scattering chips everywhere. “Stop eating!” I watched her, cold-eyed, as she frantically paced back and forth. “Candace, you have to think of something!” “Like what?” She brought this on herself. I managed to bite back the last part. My phone buzzed twice. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Zoey Vance’s name flash on the caller ID. My mother snatched the phone, exchanged a few brief, hushed words, and quickly hung up. She looked at me, hesitation warring with desperation on her face. “Candace, maybe… maybe you could cover for your sister? “Just say… say you were the one meeting that guy!” Her eyes lit up, like a predator spotting easy prey. My first reaction was numbness – I was used to this. Then, I almost laughed out loud from the sheer audacity. No doubt Zoey had called, crying her eyes out, and then “casually” mentioned how her big sister could save the day. She’d pulled this stunt before. “No way.” My mother got frantic, pulling me up from the couch. “You’re her older sister! Sisters are supposed to help each other!” I scoffed. “Let me ask you something. Do you even realize she was messing with someone else’s relationship? If I take the fall, I’ll be labeled a homewrecker.” Her eyes darted away. Of course, she knew. She just didn’t care what happened to me. I closed my eyes. “Oh, right. I forgot. You don’t think ‘homewrecker’ is such a disgusting label.” A humorless smile stretched across my face. “After all, you divorced Dad, and three years later, my ‘half-sister’ was born… somehow only a year younger than me…” My mother flushed, unable to meet my gaze. “You did it, she did it. Guess it runs in the family!” I added, emphasizing every word. SLAP. The sting on my cheek was painfully familiar. “Shut your mouth!” Mom shrieked. “You’re going to help her, whether you want to or not!” I touched the red mark blooming on my face. No surprise there. You get hit enough, your skin thickens up. Did she really think I was still that little kid who’d cave under pressure? Her shadow couldn’t block my light anymore. We stood in a tense stalemate. Finally, Mom fumbled with her phone, her fingers trembling. “Candace, look at what they’re saying online, the things they’re calling her… it’s disgusting. Don’t you feel sorry for her? Remember when you were little…” “Stop! Just stop!” I threw open the front door. “I’m tired, Mom. You should go home. As for Zoey, her agency has a whole PR team to handle this mess.” “Candace!” I turned back. My mother crumpled to the floor, right there on the doorstep. “Please, Mom’s begging you… just save her one more time…” “I said, GET OUT!” I remained unmoved. She actually started crawling towards me, grabbing at my pants leg. “If Zoey makes it big, she won’t forget you, her sister.” “And your husband,” she added desperately, “he’ll remember what you did, too.” I let out a sharp laugh. “Do you actually believe that?” It was morning rush hour. People were walking by, glancing curiously at the unfolding drama on my doorstep. I looked down. This was what I hated most about her. She never left me an escape route when she schemed. Trying to play the sympathy card while simultaneously laying on the guilt trip. She wanted to test my loyalty, my affection for her. But when you test how hard glass is, you’re destined to shatter it. “Candace, you’re not as famous as Zoey. This won’t really hurt you,” my own mother murmured, trying to lure me into the abyss. “Fine,” I said softly. “I’ll do it.” Mom scrambled up from the floor instantly. I pulled out a document. “Sign this. It says I’m severing all ties with you and your family. Then I’ll cover for Zoey.” She snatched the pen and signed immediately, terrified I’d change my mind. I knew this “agreement” wouldn’t hold up legally. But watching her sign it so eagerly, that was the moment the last thread connecting us finally snapped inside me. From the second I saw Zoey’s scandal break, I knew Mom would try to use me. And this document, finally, could come out. I picked up the dropped bag of chips from the floor and sighed. “Well,” I muttered to the crushed chips, “at least you died for a cause.” 2 Zoey Vance’s scandal magically transformed overnight. Suddenly, Candace Shaw was the name splashed across the headlines. The story’s heat started to die down. Only her hardcore fans kept relentlessly attacking me on Twitter, blaming me for “making their queen take the fall.” They even got #CandaceShawGetOut trending for a hot minute. Of course, since I wasn’t nearly as famous, it dropped off pretty quickly. Sigh. Me,(That’s “me, lighting a cigarette melancholically,” for the uninitiated). Good thing I never really liked acting anyway. Getting flamed online? Whatever. I used the bad press and the “favor” I’d done Zoey to pressure her family into paying out my contract termination fees. Finally, I was getting out. I really wanted to reply to those trolls: “I’m getting out! I’m getting out! Stop rushing me!” I thought I was just quitting Hollywood. I didn’t realize Zoey wanted me to quit breathing altogether. 3 Zoey Vance hired someone to hit me with a car. I ended up in a coma, a vegetable. For six long months, I lay in that hospital bed. Not a single visitor. My world was a blank, silent void. Mom not showing up? Didn’t surprise me. Zoey not showing up? Wow, kid’s got patience, I’ll give her that. Until one day, I felt a presence, heard a voice near my ear. It was Mom. “Candace, don’t blame Mom! Lying here like this… it’s costing so much money…” She had dismissed the nurses, her hand gripping mine. I knew what was coming. “Don’t blame Zoey,” she continued, her voice low. “She just lost her head for a moment.” Right. Right. “Zoey says she’ll never feel safe as long as you’re alive,” Mom muttered, almost to herself. She pulled off my oxygen mask. A few crocodile tears splashed onto the sheets. Then, she turned and walked away. If no one came in, I was dead. As my consciousness faded, the last image wasn’t of my childhood, my parents holding my hands walking through autumn leaves. It was the acceptance notification on my phone from six months ago, right before I logged off Twitter for good. My admission to the USC screenwriting program. What a shame… 4 “Star Potential,” the hottest reality talent show, announced its second season. Rumors swirled about two heavyweight judges joining the panel. The show was also pioneering a live-stream format, promising transparency, letting viewers directly choose the next big acting talents. Backstage, I carefully reapplied my lipstick. “I heard Zoey Vance is joining as a judge this season! It’s gonna be epic!” “OMG, really? Zoey just won that big Best Actress award! And she’s still willing to mentor newcomers? She’s amazing!” Amazing? I met my reflection in the mirror, a slow smile spreading across my lips. Too washed up for indie darlings, not bankable enough for blockbusters. Of course, she had to rely on reality TV to stay relevant. I wondered if she’d received the audition script I’d had the director pass along… My screenwriting career had taken off overseas these past few years. The moment I hinted at returning stateside, the “Star Potential” director practically begged me to join. Initially, I just wanted to focus on my writing, stay behind the scenes. But then I saw Zoey Vance’s name on the roster. Some debts just have to be paid. So, I came back.

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Divorced for three years, I ran into my ex-husband and lied, telling him I’d dated six other guys and been married twice. His eyes went bloodshot, and he gritted his teeth, spitting out three words. “You’re so dirty.” I forced back the stab of pain in my chest, continuing to provoke him. “My current husband treats me great. He buys me cars and houses. It’s way easier than when I was with you.” I knew he’d made it big now, no longer the late-night gamer holed up in a rented room like three years ago. And I was the R&D team leader at the company, while he was the game’s spokesperson, brought in by the boss with a hefty paycheck. Later, he told me, “I’m getting married. I want my dowry back.” On the red and gold wedding invitation, the woman nestled beside him smiled, radiating happiness. But on the day of his wedding… He cried himself red-eyed for me… 1. “Starsea” game premiered, hitting a million downloads on the first day. At the celebration banquet, the boss, beaming, toasted the R&D team, and my colleagues excitedly discussed bonuses. My gaze, however, drifted uncontrollably towards the game’s spokesperson, Luke Star, who’d been invited. He was especially mesmerizing tonight, his sharp black suit standing out in the crowd. His manager, Vanessa Shaw, smiled and chatted, fending off a lot of drinks for him. The woman, in a red, fitted dress, naturally linked arms with Luke, looking like a golden couple with every gesture. A colleague nudged me with her elbow, sighing, “Mr. Star is so sweet and considerate.” “I heard he was married before, but his ex cheated on him. Kinda ungrateful, if you ask me!” “Do you think that woman regrets it?” Regret? I thought, no, I don’t regret it. I’m even a little relieved. Because I was a burden. He deserved a better woman. After a few rounds, I hid in a corner, quietly waiting for the banquet to end. Suddenly, the boss walked up to me, smiling. “Sue, you and your team worked hard developing the game.” “Let someone else take over the rest. You should get some rest.” The noisy banquet room went silent. They didn’t expect the boss to be so quick to discard the millstone. Under their surprised gazes, I calmly uttered a single word. “Okay.” The boss smiled wider, handing me a glass of red wine, signaling me to drink. I couldn’t help but look at Luke behind the boss. Before, no matter how much others urged me to drink, he would always take the drinks for me, one after another. He said, drinking wasn’t good for a girl’s body. Even if he had three bottles of hard liquor forced down his throat, leading to a stomach hemorrhage, he never let me touch a drop. But now he wasn’t even interested in giving me a glance. I looked away, gritted my teeth, took the glass, and downed it in one gulp. The clinking of the glass was the sound of my dead love. The boss nodded in satisfaction and left, and I slumped back onto the sofa, drained. A burning sensation spread through my limbs, and the next second, I rushed out of the room. In the restroom, I pulled up my sleeve, only to find red blotches already crawling up my arm. “Didn’t you say your husband was rich? Can he really stand for this kind of treatment?” That familiar voice echoed again. I frantically pulled down my sleeve, hiding my ugliness from him. I thought we’d never meet again, but here he was, invited to the celebration banquet by the boss. “I’ve been a stay-at-home wife for too long, just coming out to play, experiencing life. Nothing serious. I gotta go. My husband will get the wrong idea.” I bristled all over, but still shrugged, pretending to be relaxed. Then, without looking up, I quickly walked past Luke. Suddenly, my wrist tightened. He’d grabbed me. “What’s wrong with your arm?” Luke pulled up my sleeve, exposing the ugly red scars to the naked light. I didn’t dare look into his eyes, still being stubborn: “Eczema.” His eyes darkened, pressing closer. “I didn’t know you had that problem?” “You don’t think you were so concerned about me before, do you? Your kind of love, just enough to move yourself, is laughable.” My back was almost against the wall. I pulled back my arm, raising my eyes to meet his. Luke chuckled, raising a hand to pinch my cheek, questioning me, his eyes bloodshot. “What is concern? Is it like you, cheating on your marriage with a rich guy, betraying your family?!” His chest heaved, the volcano he’d suppressed for three years finally erupting. Three years ago, Luke surprised me with a deed to a house with my name on it, but I humiliated him with the most vicious words. “Luke, you’re so useless. After three years, you only managed to scrape together a down payment? Can you afford diapers and formula in the future? Not to mention the luxury goods I want to buy.” “To be honest, I was just playing around with you. It’s over now. I’m going to be a trophy wife.” Under Luke’s shocked gaze, I forced him to sign the divorce papers, deleting all contact information. Since then, we hadn’t seen each other. I opened my mouth, but no words came out. The truth was, I’d been lying to him all along. In the three years after the divorce, I hadn’t looked for any other man. Loving him was deeply ingrained in my bones. I thought about him constantly. Because I loved him, I had to leave him. My silence was taken as tacit agreement. Luke suddenly sneered, helplessly saying my name, “Sue… Sue.” For a moment, I was in a daze. Every night, I’d playfully stick my cold feet against his stomach, and he’d repeatedly say my name, full of affection. The next second, his words plunged me into an ice cave. “I’m getting married.” His expression was calm, not like he was joking, and I panicked. Luke then continued, “Since you’re doing so well, give me back the dowry from before.” The dowry was thirty thousand, and he only made sixty dollars for a whole night of gaming. For three whole years, I’d wake up in the middle of the night to see him still buried in front of the computer, his fingers flying across the keyboard. Even if I said I didn’t need it, he was still firm. “Even if you don’t need it, I have to show my attitude. At least I have to reassure your mom that she can entrust you to me.” He broke more than thirty keyboards to save up enough dowry to kneel in front of my mom, begging to marry me. And now, he wanted the dowry back. I didn’t know how I’d gotten away from the banquet, dazed and confused. At home, I collapsed onto the bed. In my dream, Luke was still hunched over the computer, working tirelessly to make money, saying he would make up for it with the most lavish wedding. This time, I put on the strapless white wedding dress I’d always dreamed of, walking steadily towards Luke. Just as I was about to say, “I do,” large, glaring red blotches suddenly covered my body. I woke up screaming from bed, with the sound of his panicked calls. Sharp, agonizing pain spread across my back. I scratched wildly, trying to carve them off my body. Until the smell of blood filled my nostrils, I finally woke up. We were divorced. I’d pushed him away with my own hands. I resigned myself and called my mother. “Mom, I agree to go on a blind date with the man you introduced me to.” … The next day, I met the man at a coffee shop. He sat with his legs spread, complacent. “After we’re married, I’ll manage your paychecks.” His face made me sick to my stomach. I thought of Luke again. Back then, he transferred every bit of money he made gaming to my account, then shook his head, asking for praise. “Sue!” The man suddenly spoke, arms crossed, displeased. “I don’t even mind that you’re remarried, so what are you picking and choosing for?” I looked around, not seeing Luke. Only then did I say, in a low voice, “Why do you think I have no other choice than you?” “There was once a man who was willing to give me his heart and soul. He worked fifteen hours a day to marry me. I’ve been loved before. You’re just my last resort.” He listened to me with interest, then clapped his hands. “So what? Didn’t you still come to meet me?” I looked at the wedding band on his ring finger and felt insulted. He didn’t avoid my gaze, taking off the ring and examining it. “The world is so big, no matter where you sleep, who you sleep with, you’re just sleeping at night. Does it matter?” “I know your financial situation isn’t good. Isn’t this compensation enough?” As he spoke, he took out five thousand dollars and threw it on the table. My anger ignited instantly, and I splashed the hot coffee on the man’s face. Under his wide eyes, I shouted, “This man is married and still on a blind date! If anyone knows his wife, let her know!” The man fled in a panic, and I took a deep breath, preparing to leave. A familiar hand once again rested on the back of my hand. “Aren’t you married?” 2 Running into Luke again, I didn’t know how much he’d heard. I just wanted to get away. I pulled back my hand, but he pressed it hard on the table. His voice trembled slightly. “Who is that man?” Even though I was flustered, I still raised my chin, provoking Luke, “My husband.” He smirked. “That’s not your taste.” Luke said it as a statement. “What are you hiding from me?!” I sighed silently. He’d realized I was lying to him. But I couldn’t tell him the truth. I clenched my fists, took a deep breath, trying to make my tone sharp, “I have money. So what if I play around a little?” “Besides…” I dragged out the words, staring at Luke. “Getting divorced and finding someone else means another dowry. They all give more than you did.” His eyes stared straight at me, like he wanted to see through my disguise. “Do you want to play with me too??” I had to meet his eyes, my hand slowly climbing onto his chest, leaning close and whispering, “Well, it’s normal that you’re successful now. It’s normal to want to spend some money to get back that feeling of being with your first love.” Luke pushed me away, his face gloomy, his eyes flickering. “Sue, is that what you think of me?” I smiled, beckoning him with my finger, peach blossoms blooming in my eyes. “Otherwise? Why else would you keep pretending to run into me?” “Bang!” He clenched his fists, slamming them hard on the table, blood seeping from his knuckles. I forced back my tears, as if my heart was being slammed against the table. But I still went forward, breathing hot air on his neck. “So, are you going to consider it…” I didn’t remember what Luke said when he left. I only remembered his eyes, so red. Unstoppable tears flowed from those eyes that had once been so full of affection for me. Watching him leave, I laughed, afraid he might suddenly turn back to look for me again, or hide in some corner, secretly watching me. Just like that, I sat in the strange gazes of everyone until dark. Until the phone rang. The police said my mother was in again for theft. Sally Hayes was my mother. Over the years, my salary went to buying medicine for myself and paying her bail. I was used to it. I apologized to the police, repeating meaningless words. My bank account was cleared out again. My mother was finally released. As soon as she saw me, she lunged forward, grabbing my hair, her voice shrill. “Useless thing, the blind date failed again? He was a rich kid!” “You, what’s so good about that poor guy that you keep going back to him! Now I have to go out and make money at my age!” My mother had mocked him, calling him a kept man, more than once, in front of Luke. Back then, he’d smile carefully, vowing he’d make sure I lived a good life. I couldn’t help but roar, “Are you selling your daughter? He’s already married!” “I’m doing this for your own good! Anyway, whether it’s him or you, you have money, and I have money!” She justified herself righteously. She was my own mother, but she treated me like a product, selling me off. At that moment, my vision blurred. A sense of powerlessness washed over me. But she didn’t let up, shouting hysterically, “You’re divorced, living in an attic, and you’ve got lupus. If you don’t get some money, if I die one day, you won’t even have a home, let alone treatment!” I practically cried out in a plea, “Stop it!!” Luke had said more than once that he would give me a home. Unfortunately… I’d torn that home apart with my own hands. A series of changes threatened to wear me down. I kept making mistakes at work. The boss slammed his fist on the table, telling me to quit. I packed my things, carrying the heavy cardboard box home. It was the place where Luke and I had lived together for three years. I hadn’t moved after he left. Because every time I closed my eyes, I felt like I could still feel his presence. But I never expected that as I walked through the old alleyway, into the familiar tenement building… A familiar figure stood in the dark stairwell. Luke turned around, surprised, stunned, confused, then his eyes were burning with heat. “Your house, your car? Why are you still living here?” 3 I wanted to turn and run, but Luke stopped me. The area fell into silence. After a long while, I spoke in a hoarse voice, “You don’t think I still have feelings for you, do you? To tell you the truth, I just bought a mansion. It’s just being renovated.” He looked at me without comment, his deep eyes pressing down, making it hard for me to breathe. My clumsy lies could be seen through at any moment. I pretended to be polite. “Would you like to come in?” Luke nodded, following behind me. “You’re really not polite. Didn’t you realize I was just being polite? If we’re alone together, my husband will misunderstand.” He ignored me, squeezing into the attic with difficulty. The furniture inside was the same as it had been three years ago. But now, he, dressed fashionably, was out of place here. He looked around slowly. I followed his gaze, looking around. The computer he left was spotless. The couple’s slippers and toothbrushes were neatly arranged. These things I’d thrown out ruthlessly when we got divorced. After he left, I’d cried, picking them up one by one from the trash. For three years, I watched Luke rise like a new star, knowing he wouldn’t come back, I used these things to get through the nights. I just didn’t expect he would barge back into my life. He skillfully opened the computer, looking at the updated game version, and raised the corner of his mouth. “Where’s your husband?” I drank water to hide my embarrassment, answering randomly. “Overseas.” He nodded. “Looks like he doesn’t care about you either. Shouldn’t let you live here during the transition.” “You thought you were so good to me. Didn’t I live here for three years anyway?” I blurted out provocatively. Luke was silent. I stood aside, trying to see something in his expression. More long silence. “Why didn’t you throw away your wedding ring?” Following his gaze, I found the wedding ring that had been pressed under the pillow had somehow rolled to the edge of the bed. My palm slowly tightened, the veins on the back of my hand bulging. But I pretended to be playful. “Role-playing, get it?” I gently picked up the ring, continuing to raise my eyebrows. “Speaking of which, you’re considered an old-timer. How many men do you think this ring has seen?” “Mr. Star, are you interested in reliving it? The price from before still counts.” I looked up at the ceiling, forcing myself to say it all in one breath, not letting him see my reddened eyes. The surrounding air froze instantly. After a moment, Luke suddenly chuckled in a low voice, making me want to run out the door. He laughed, then his thin lips uttered three words. “You’re so dirty.” The three words were like a sharp sword, piercing my heart, so painful I couldn’t breathe. My hand subconsciously covered my chest, then lowered again, pretending to be surprised. “You just realized?” Then, I put on the ring like a trophy, putting my hand in front of him, saying each word clearly. “You’re so pitiful. If I hadn’t taken a fancy to you, you’d just be one woman.” As soon as I finished speaking, Luke suddenly stood up, pressing me onto the bed, brewing towering anger in his dark pupils. I closed my eyes, not letting him see my reddened eyes. His hot breath gradually approached, the familiar scent rushing into my nose. Just for a moment, I stopped. It had been three years. I really missed him. I wanted him to hold me again. I raised my eyes to look at him, the surging tears blurring my vision. But the next second, Luke took off my ring, throwing it out the window with a wave of his hand. “Remember to pay me back.” He left a sentence and got up, leaving. I lay on the bed, relieved, savoring the embrace just now, my tears soaking the pillow. I don’t know how long it had been before I finally came back to my senses. I rushed out of the house barefoot, not even putting on my shoes. It was our wedding ring! I kneeled on the lawn, touching the ground inch by inch, my tears falling on the back of my hand. Back then, we were too poor to afford a wedding, not even a decent ring. Although I comforted him, saying everything else didn’t matter as long as I could marry him, he still bought this wedding ring. Later I found out that he secretly went to sell his blood donation certificates. Every time he donated blood, the patient’s family would take his blood donation certificate and give him a hundred dollars. That was how Luke saved up enough money. He took my hand in one hand, clutching a wrinkled stack of bills, buying the ring I’d looked at countless times in the window. And he himself became anemic. How could he just throw away this ring? I cried and groped in the dark until the sky began to turn pale, finally finding the ring lying by the pool. I carefully picked it up, holding it tightly against my chest. But the red spots that had spread to my wrists were all reminding me. Don’t linger. It’s time to end it. The next day, I went through the resignation procedures. As I left the company, I happened to meet Vanessa Shaw eye to eye. I prepared to walk away, but her voice rang out from behind. “Luke and I are getting married tomorrow.” 4 My heart, which had already died, couldn’t help but ache again. I quickened my pace. “I know about you two, but don’t you know how hard it’s been for him?” My feet felt like they were filled with lead. I couldn’t help but listen to her. “He loves you. He still has your wedding photos on his phone.” “But because he loves you, his body collapsed from continuous filming. He was in the hospital for six months.” “After the divorce, he got depression and tried to kill himself every day. If we hadn’t found him in time, he would have…” My heart trembled, and I clenched my fists at my sides. Then, I pretended not to care, squeezing four words out of my throat, “So what? Did I force him to do that? It’s just his wishful thinking!” Vanessa’s red eyes flashed with fierceness. She grabbed my collar tightly. “You really are a heartless beast. I hope you stay away from him. Don’t hurt him again.” The next second, she screamed and fell to the ground. My colleagues came running. Vanessa covered her face and sobbed, “Miss Sue, you were the one who abandoned Luke. Why are you hitting me now?” “You cheated on him with a rich guy and now you’re jealous that I’m marrying Luke!” My colleagues looked surprised, their eyes moving back and forth between me and Vanessa. I was about to argue when Luke had already pushed through the crowd, standing in front of us. He helped Vanessa up, asking softly if she was hurt. I tugged at my sleeve, swallowing the bitterness in my throat. The next second, Luke suddenly spoke. “Sue! Why are you bullying Vanessa! Apologize to her!” I froze on the spot. The sores on my body were stinging, but all I felt was heartache. Before, he could always notice my strangeness right away. Now, I was trembling all over, but he didn’t even look at me. I gave him a deep look, cursing myself. “Sue, how can you be so cheap? You want him to leave, but you also want him to notice you!” My gaze fell back on the two of them. Vanessa looked wronged. Luke was full of anger. Oh, so he didn’t want to believe me anymore. “The dowry from before was thirty thousand. I’ll return it.” This was the severance pay from quitting my job. Luke didn’t take it. I forced the bank card into his hand. “The extra is a reward for you. I found another rich guy and he’s taking me away from the city today.” “So, I won’t attend your wedding tomorrow. Consider the extra money my gift.” Hearing my words, the coldness in his eyes couldn’t be melted away. “Is money that important to you?” My footsteps faltered. I immediately replied, “Of course. Money is security.” “This rich man can buy me a mansion and put my name on it…” After saying those words, I noticed that he looked at me even colder. “You’re disgusting!” I straightened my chest, smiling indifferently. “Everyone for themselves, and the devil take the hindmost. Is it wrong for me to use my capital to live a good life?” Luke’s eyes were burning, grabbing my wrist, hesitating to speak. I pulled my arm back with force, but he grabbed tighter. In the stalemate, Vanessa exclaimed. “Luke, be careful! These red spots are a dirty disease! It’s contagious!” Luke still didn’t move, as if he had thousands of words, until my ears began to ring. He finally let go of my hand, saying each word clearly. “I give up. I don’t love you anymore, Sue.” … I returned to the attic dejectedly. The police station called again. This time, it was… to notify me to sign at the funeral home. My thief mother had died. The police said she stole a sum of money and was caught on the spot. But she refused to return it, saying she wanted to use it to pay for her daughter’s medical treatment. She broke free from the owner, but crashed into a speeding car and died on the spot. Seeing my mother’s body in the morgue, I couldn’t even cry. Mom, haven’t you always been selfish? Haven’t you always hated me, your daughter, since I was a child?! But why… …why like this. Finally, I knelt in front of my mother’s body, crying loudly. I held the urn and returned home. The red spots broke out again, more violently than before. I rolled around, looking for painkillers. But fireworks suddenly went off outside the window. I looked in the direction of the sound. It was the direction of Luke’s wedding hotel. He once said that he would set off fireworks all night when he got married, letting everyone in the city know that Luke deeply loved his wife. The constantly blooming red heart fireworks were really beautiful. I liked them a lot. But the bride wasn’t me. The red spots on my body started hurting again… I suddenly wanted to talk to him, to tell him I saw the fireworks, that I wouldn’t attend the wedding. And… I was really tired. Could he hold me again? I opened Weibo, looking at his long-deleted account. It used to record every meal he made for me, every city we visited, and the sweet photos of each other. Now it was empty. I trembled, sending all the truths, regrets, regrets… and thoughts to this account. Goodbye, Luke. I was very unsuccessful in this life, except for meeting you. The pain swept over me again. I put the ring back on my ring finger, typing the last sentence. “This world is beautiful, but it’s really painful for me.” A few more clusters of fireworks bloomed in the sky. I leaned out the window, reaching out to touch them. Not enough, not close enough… Then, I lost my balance and fell out of the window. I cried and laughed. Luke had finally gotten rid of me, a burden, and started a new life. But I still loved him so much… What I didn’t know was that Luke had never deleted this Weibo account. The special alert tone on his phone rang madly a second before he kneeled in front of Vanessa.

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My sister thought she was the main character in a romance novel. To get the attention of a big-shot CEO, she slapped him across the face. He didn’t retaliate, but she took it as playing hard to get. Then she went and ruined his engagement party. Our whole family was ready to go broke to appease his anger, but instead, she tried to sell us all off to some cartel down in Mexico. After being tortured to death, I woke up again, back on the day my sister slapped that CEO. This time, we weren’t going to repeat our mistakes. 1. When I opened my eyes and saw my sister, I was completely dumbfounded. One second I was in a Mexican prison, violated until I died, and the next, I was back in this glittering banquet hall? I looked over at Mom and Dad, and I couldn’t believe they looked just as lost as I felt. Was I reborn? Was it because our deaths last time were so horrible that God gave us a second chance to make things right? Before I could think about it any further, my sister, Ashley, yanked her arm away from me, pushed through the crowd surrounding Blake Sterling, and slapped him hard across the face. Just like last time, everyone around Blake froze. The banquet hall went silent. Ashley raised an eyebrow at Blake, her voice filled with condescension, though I couldn’t figure out where she got the nerve to be so superior: “Just because you’ve got a few bucks doesn’t mean you can look down on people. Who do you think you are?” That was Blake Sterling, one of the most powerful guys in the city! He could crush you like an ant with one hand, so how did she get the nerve? Last time, my sister slapped Blake like this, but Blake was generous and didn’t hold it against her. My sister, however, thought it was all part of his plan to win her over, and after that, she started harassing him constantly. Eventually, Blake had her thrown down to Mexico, and Mom and Dad spent every dime they had to get her out. But… I couldn’t bear to think about it. I grabbed Mom and Dad and quickly steered them toward the corner of the banquet hall. This time, she could deal with the consequences of her own actions. 2. Blake frowned, and as the woman next to him gasped, he raised a handkerchief to wipe his cheek. You could tell Blake was disgusted. Ashley bit her lip, tears welling up in her eyes: “Blake Sterling! You have no manners! Just because you’ve got some money doesn’t give you the right to look at people like that!” Blake scoffed: “Well, Miss, it seems to me like you’re the one lacking manners. People with good manners don’t just walk up to a man they don’t know and slap him.” Ashley looked a little taken aback: “You don’t recognize me?” Blake looked her up and down: “Miss, should I?” Ashley’s face flushed red. Ashley grit her teeth: “Last week at the Town Square, didn’t you look at me? Why would you look at me if you didn’t recognize me?” Even I thought that was ridiculous. People around us started snickering. Blake took a step back, but even with her interrogation, he remained composed: “If my gaze offended you, then I apologize. But last week, I was at the Town Square with my fiancée. I believe I was looking for her, not intentionally focusing on you.” Mom and Dad and I were amazed by the Sterling family’s upbringing. To be able to answer such an absurd question so calmly, and to apologize to a complete stranger in front of everyone. Not just anyone could do that. I thought it was all cleared up, but Ashley suddenly spoke: “Your fiancée is here today too?” Blake smiled, twirling the ring on his finger. His face was warm and gentle, not cold and stern: “Of course.” Ashley nodded as if she had finally figured something out. She looked at Blake with pain and determination: “So your fiancée is here today, so you don’t want to tell me the truth. That’s fine. We’ll be running into each other a lot in the future. I’m going to save you from this business arrangement of a marriage!” With that, she wiped her eyes and walked out of the banquet hall, leaving behind a crowd of speechless guests. Dad stared at Mom with a constipated expression: “…You don’t think we had a dumb kid, do you?” Mom glared at him: “Shut up. You think it would be good for you to have a dumb kid?” 2. Just like Ashley said, her harassment didn’t stop there. I was sorting through gym equipment at school when I got a call from the police. When I got to the station, Ashley was arguing with Blake, her face red. Blake: “I really don’t know her! My fiancée and I were going to go out on a date today, but we parked on the street and were only gone for half an hour, and then this woman smashed my car and started calling my fiancée a… a b*tch.” I could see the anger in Blake’s eyes. His fiancée wasn’t here with him, probably because Ashley drove her away. Ashley yelled: “Your fiancée is already gone, and you’re still telling the cops you don’t know me? Is our relationship so embarrassing you can’t admit it?” The police officer beside them looked like he was enjoying the show. Ashley looked up, and a single tear rolled down her cheek, making everyone feel sorry for her. Blake took a deep breath to calm down, and as all the cops gave him the “jerk” look, he said: “First, I don’t know what relationship you’re talking about. Second, you insulted my fiancée in front of her face and smashed my car. You ruined our date. Aren’t you going to apologize?” Ashley stuck to the principle of “I’m wrong, but I’m right”: “So what? I know that you and your fiancée are just in a business arrangement. Since your fiancée isn’t here, you don’t have to defend her.” Blake almost laughed. He held up a hand to stop Ashley from continuing: “First, it’s true that my fiancée and I are in a business arrangement, but it’s also true that we’re childhood sweethearts. I was the one who asked her to marry me.” As Ashley looked at him in disbelief, Blake continued: “Second, you keep mentioning the relationship between us. Do you mean the relationship where you slapped me for no reason or the one where you smashed my car in front of everyone?” The cops’ expressions changed. Ashley’s eyes filled with tears, and she looked at me for help: “Sis, can you say something to help me out?” Now she wanted to use me as a shield. As Blake glared at me, I looked right at Ashley’s pretty face and said slowly: “What do you want me to say?” 3. Ashley paused. She was always the frail one in our family, so she was always spoiled. We would always do whatever she wanted. But today, my attitude was so strange that it made her uncomfortable. She pointed at me: “You can’t think for yourself? Ashley, are you deaf?” I scoffed and stepped forward, swatting away her finger and slapping her across the face. Ashley was completely stunned. As the police tried to stop me, I grit my teeth: “Do you really think you’re a romance novel heroine, and everyone in the world loves you? Just because Blake looked at you once, you think he likes you, and you even slapped him in the banquet hall to get his attention… Ashley, do you even have a brain?” Ashley was exposed, and with half her face swollen, she yelled at me: “What are you talking about, you little b*tch! What do you mean, ‘I think’? It’s obvious that Blake is playing hard to get! That’s how it always is in novels!” Even if I didn’t understand the twists and turns in romance novels, I knew what manners were. I ignored her. I listened to her threaten to tell Mom and Dad that I was bullying her, and then I turned to Blake: “I’m sorry, Mr. Sterling. My sister caused you trouble.” I bowed deeply to him. Blake’s expression softened a little. I thought quickly, and I was reminded of my life in Mexico being brutalized. When I looked up, my eyes were filled with determination: “Mr. Sterling, since my sister smashed your car, I hope she can pay for her actions. Mom and Dad and I won’t pay a dime. I hope she realizes what she did wrong.” Blake thought for a moment and then nodded: “I can see that your family isn’t well-off. My lawyer will be here soon to discuss payment. I need to go.” With that, his secretary followed him with bags in tow. Ashley, however, was frozen in place, having heard what I said. She always thought that she was a romance novel heroine. Keeping to the innocent characteristics of the female lead in those novels, she was still a moocher at 23. To get her to pay for a Maybach without relying on her parents would be harder than climbing Mount Everest. My family wasn’t rich, but we were well off, and we could afford to pay. But did she really think I was going to give her a cent? No way! I glared at Ashley and walked out of the police station. The police held back the hysterical Ashley, and I called Mom and Dad in the chaos: “Mom and Dad, I need to talk to you…” 4. As expected, Ashley cried when she got home. Young and in debt $200,000. What a bright future. Before Mom and Dad could even ask her what happened, she pointed at me and started blaming me: “Mom! Sis teamed up with outsiders to bully me! She embarrassed me in front of everyone and now I’m $200,000 in debt!” Mom was on the couch watching a soap opera. When she heard this, she put down the remote and looked at Ashley, who was crying: “Aren’t you annoying? You’re saying your sister embarrassed you in front of other people, but if you hadn’t smashed Mr. Sterling’s car and refused to apologize, would your sister have embarrassed you?” I sat nearby, looking at my lesson plans. We spoiled Ashley so much. No one ever said a bad thing to her. So for my mom to criticize her so harshly, she would have thrown a fit. Sure enough, she threw the fruit bowl off the coffee table: “How can you guys be like this? You’d rather side with an outsider than with me! Blake is just playing hard to get. He likes me but he’s afraid to say it! Did my sister have to go in front of him and try to make an impression?” Dad chuckled: “Blake likes you? No one else can see that but you? We have a mirror at home. If you can’t see yourself clearly, then go look in it. Sometimes I wonder if your mom and I had a dumb kid.” I cringed and thought of everything sad that had ever happened to me in the past 3 seconds. Dad coddled Ashley the most. Ashley’s eyes were red, and she whined, giving me the creeps: “Dad, why are you saying that?” Dad rolled his eyes and started to bring up old stories: “The truth hurts. You’re in your twenties and you still think you’re a romance novel heroine. Even I’m handsome, and I don’t think I’m the male lead in a novel. Who are you?” Ashley saw that she couldn’t win against Dad, so she turned her anger on me: “Ashley! Did you say something to Mom and Dad to badmouth me?” I pouted sarcastically: “Did you say something to Mom and Dad to badmouth me?” Ashley was furious. I looked up from my lesson plans: “Tell me, what did I say that badmouthed you? You went and smashed Mr. Sterling’s Maybach on your own. And now you want us to pay for it?” “When you were little, you thought you could hit people to get the school bully’s attention. And now you’re still doing this stuff. Don’t you think you’re stupid?” Ashley was always strange. When she was seven, she brought a homeless man home. When she was nine, she took a forty-year-old to a motel. When she was twelve, she lured a three-year-old to the suburbs. From the time she was little, Mom and Dad and I cleaned up her messes. Once, she thought she was the heroine in a tragic story, so she poured hot tea all over the school bully and slapped him. She almost got killed, and my family had to pay the school bully a lot of money. Ashley looked confused. The people who used to take care of her, love her, and stand by her no matter what had now become her enemies and wouldn’t even say a word of comfort. The more she thought about it, the sadder she got, and she kicked over the coffee table: “Just you wait. I’ll prove it to you. Blake likes me! I’m the romance novel heroine!” She wiped her tears and ran out, leaving behind a mess and Mom, Dad, and I looking at each other. Dad looked at the fruit and the broken coffee table and couldn’t help but swallow nervously. He asked tentatively: “Did we get her checked when she was born?” Mom didn’t follow what Dad was thinking: “What?” Dad pointed at the rotten fruit, his finger and voice trembling: “She’s not… a supermale, is she?”

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My mom was seriously ill and needed money for surgery, but my wife blew it all on scalped tickets to a boy band concert. I frantically called her, but she just sounded annoyed. “You can always make more money! Mom’s illness can wait, but this is their farewell tour! I can’t miss it!” Hearing that, my heart sank. Luckily, I managed to scrape together the surgery money. She finally came home, but all that awaited her was a divorce agreement. … Before I could even ask where the rest of the ticket money went, the line went dead. When I called again, her phone was off. The nurse started pressuring me, “Mr. Johnson, have you paid? Hospital policy requires payment before surgery can proceed.” Mom’s surgery had been delayed too long already. I’d finally scraped together the money, but now it was gone. I could get more money, but Mom couldn’t wait. I pleaded, “Nurse, please, can’t you make an exception? I’ll get the money as soon as I can! Please, just do the surgery!” I was about to drop to my knees when a voice cut in, “Ethan?” The nurse immediately bowed her head, “Dr. Evans.” I looked up. It was Sarah Evans, my high school lab partner. She’d always wanted to be a doctor. What a coincidence to run into her here. Sarah came over and said, “I saw your mom’s name on the patient list. I was hoping it was you. What are the odds? ” She saw how anxious I was and patted my shoulder. “I’ll take care of it. Don’t worry about your mom.” She turned to the nurse and said, “Schedule the surgery right away.” The nurse started to protest, but Sarah cut her off. “Deduct the cost from my personal account.” It wasn’t until Mom was wheeled into surgery that I realized what had happened. The nurse said the lead surgeon for this surgery was brought in from another hospital. Turns out, it was Sarah. Back in high school, I used to tease her that by the time I saw her again, she’d be balding. Turns out she was even more beautiful than she was in high school. I felt ashamed. I owed her big time. I waited anxiously outside the operating room. My phone pinged with a notification. Someone wearing a wedding dress at a concert had gone viral. I recognized her immediately: my wife, Ashley. The concert screens had captured her elaborate makeup and her slightly stiff, overly excited face. The singer asked her, “Are you single?” She nodded enthusiastically, grabbing the mic. “I wore this wedding dress here tonight because I wanted to feel like I married you, even if it’s just for tonight!” The crowd went wild. I smirked and turned off my phone. How messed up was that? My mom was in surgery, and my wife was in a wedding dress at a concert, saying she wanted to marry some pop star. For five years, I’d been telling myself that even if she thought and dreamed about other men, I was her husband. She must love me, right? So, whenever she blew all our savings chasing her favorite band, I never said a word. But now, I couldn’t lie to myself anymore. Three hours later, Sarah came out of surgery. Seeing the faint smile in her eyes, I felt the tension leave my body. We had that unspoken connection from being lab partners in high school. Sure enough, she pulled down her mask and said, “Surgery went great. She’ll be ready for visitors in about an hour.” I smiled genuinely. I was about to thank her when she raised her hand to stop me. “Save the thanks for when your mom’s discharged. I’m starving.” I laughed. “Got it. What do you want? My treat.” “You know my appetite. Same as always.” She shrugged and headed for her office. In high school, I was a day student and she lived on campus. She always made me bring her food. I knew what she liked. I bought the food and headed back, but the nurse stopped me as I was about to knock. “Don’t disturb Dr. Evans. She had two surgeries yesterday. Then she drove out here to do this one. She’s been awake for over 24 hours.” I was surprised how hard she worked. More than that, I was grateful. The nurse said she could’ve refused the surgery or postponed it. Even the head of the hospital told her to rest. But she insisted on coming. She said her patient’s health was more important than her rest. I quietly pushed open the door. She was fast asleep at her desk. Maybe it was because all three surgeries went well, but she had a little smile on her face. She looked innocent, but still with that stubborn streak. I didn’t want to wake her. I put the food on the desk and left. Chapter 2 The day after the surgery, Ashley called. “Send me some money. I’m in L.A. and I’m broke.” Unbelievable. Mom was barely out of danger, and she was calling for money, not to check in. “I don’t have any money. Mom just had surgery.” “What?” she said, shocked. “Didn’t I say it could wait? What’s the rush with that old bag? She can wait a bit, can’t she?” I was getting furious. I rubbed my temples, trying to keep it together. “You took a fortune! And now you’re asking for more?” “It’s all gone! The dress alone cost me a fortune…” She seemed to realize she’d said too much, admitting about the dress, her voice trailing off. I said flatly, “I know everything.” She didn’t explain. “How am I supposed to get home if I don’t have any money?” I scoffed. “Sounds like a personal problem. See you never!” Then I hung up. And blocked her number. Just like she’d done to me countless times before. Only this time, I was the one who’d decided I was done. I used to let everything slide, hoping she would be happy. Instead, she would berate me and hurt me. My mom once said something about Ashley blowing all the money on a cup that the boy band drank from, and she got three years of abuse for it. Even the doctor said her illness was stress-induced. She forgot her own mother begged my mom to agree to the marriage on her deathbed. If it weren’t for their decades-long friendship, I never would have married her. One moment of weakness led to this disaster. I contacted a lawyer to draw up divorce papers. I just wanted it to be over. After my mom moved into a regular room, I hired a home health aide and started juggling work and hospital visits. I needed to pay back the hospital bills. My body couldn’t keep up. I was exhausted. Sarah had gone back to her hospital after the surgery. Out of the blue, she came to see me. She brought a fruit basket and immediately saw how tired I was. “What’s with the dark circles? Haven’t you been sleeping?” I nodded grimly, taking off my glasses to rub my tired eyes. She guessed what was going on. “Don’t worry about the money. The hospital isn’t going anywhere. And, are you married?” “Talking to a lawyer, getting a divorce.” I kept it brief. She looked surprised, but nodded. Then she said, “Have you eaten? I used to make you buy me lunch, so it’s my turn. What do you want? I’ll go get it.” I was a little stunned by her smiling face. I’d never heard those words from Ashley. In five years of marriage, even when she wasn’t working, she never cooked a meal. Either I cooked when I got home from work, or we ordered takeout. I did all the housework too. She took my kindness for granted. But she never thought about me. If I couldn’t give her money for her bands, she would explode. Calling me useless, saying I was jealous, that I was cheap. She belittled me. So I also deserve some kindness. Chapter 3 Sarah came back with tons of food. Since she didn’t know what I liked, she got a lot. I laughed. I wasn’t picky. I just ate whatever Ashley wanted. I never really mattered. Sarah didn’t like hearing that. “That’s not true! Food is super important!” I chuckled. We ate and talked, just like back in high school. I used to laugh at her for never shutting up, even while eating. Then, after I got married, Ashley was always on her phone during meals. Never said a word to me. I tried talking to her. She’d either ignore me or give me some short answer. I realized it was nice to have someone who wanted to talk. At least it meant you had something in common. Before we finished eating, the door slammed open. Ashley’s face was contorted in anger. When she saw us, she exploded. Her eyes bulged. She tried to hit Sarah. “So that’s why you’re not answering me! You’re eating with some tramp!” I stood in front of Sarah. “What are you talking about? Sarah is Mom’s surgeon!” Smack! She slapped me hard. She pointed at me, yelling, “Surgeon? You’re calling her a surgeon? Do you really think I’m that stupid? Surgeons don’t wear normal clothes!” I didn’t want to argue. I just wanted to get Sarah out of there. She blocked my way, still trying to hit us. She was still wearing the wedding dress from the concert. Her makeup was smeared. She looked like a total psycho. She raised her hand. I braced myself, but the blow never came. Sarah had blocked her. She grabbed Ashley’s arm. “I don’t know what’s going on, but I am his mom’s surgeon. And you don’t hit people, no matter what.” When she couldn’t argue her way out of it, she started crying. “Mom was having surgery. I didn’t have money for a plane ticket. It took me hours on the bus to get back here and I came straight here.” “And you’re treating me like crap!” She was so good at twisting things. While she was sitting on the floor, crying, I got Sarah out of there. The nurses finally came and kicked her out. I walked Sarah out of the hospital, feeling embarrassed. “Sorry you had to see that.” She shook her head. “I shouldn’t have gotten involved, but… I couldn’t stand her hitting you.” Her words hit me hard. The worst thing isn’t being treated badly, but receiving kindness out of nowhere. I looked away, waving goodbye. “Go back in. Thanks for coming.” Back in the hospital room, the nurse got Ashley to calm down. When she saw me come back, she started faking concern. “Are you okay? I didn’t mean to hit you, I just saw you with another woman and…” I ignored her and pulled out the divorce papers. “Sign them.”

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I never should have agreed to go camping with my ex-boyfriend! Lying here in this hospital bed, remembering what happened that day makes my eyes well up, and I still tremble with fear. If I hadn’t brought Buddy with me, he wouldn’t have died. I regret it so much! I don’t know what got into him that day, but Alex Thorne, usually the most boring guy on earth, suddenly suggested taking me camping. I thought, is hell freezing over? Since when did he get spontaneous? I happily agreed, not really thinking about why he was acting so out of character. Once we drove deep into the mountains, the cell signal died. I was left stroking my husky Buddy’s head to pass the time. As we neared the summit, Alex looked preoccupied, driving faster and faster. A knot of worry formed in my stomach. He wasn’t usually this reckless. What was he rushing for? “Alex, slow down a little.” Instead of slowing down, he sped up. “There’s a spot up ahead with an amazing view. We’ll miss it if we’re late.” Oh, was that it? I relaxed a bit, teasing him, “Wow, you even scouted it out? That doesn’t sound like you, Alex.” It was just an offhand comment, but Alex flinched, instinctively flooring the gas before slamming on the brakes. If it weren’t for our seatbelts, Buddy and I would’ve smashed into the windshield. “Alex, what the hell are you doing!” “Sorry… guess I stayed up too late gaming last night.” His eyes darted away as he kept driving towards the summit. Five minutes later, Alex pulled over to the side of the road, killed the engine, and said, “Let’s get out and take some pictures.” “Here?” The spot overlooked distant mountains and the harbor below. The view was definitely decent. I looked around. Besides the view, there wasn’t much else here. I shook my head. “I don’t really feel like taking pictures.” “Mia, come on, you’ll see. See that viewpoint marker over there? The ocean and sky behind it… the photos will look incredible!” Following his finger, I saw a narrow, half-overhanging rock ledge next to the marker, maybe only a couple of feet wide. It definitely had that risky, adventurous photo-op vibe, but just walking over there looked terrifying. I was still hesitant. “It looks so high up.” Getting amazing photos was tempting, but not enough to make me risk my neck. While I was hesitating, Alex grabbed my wrist. “Come on, I’m right here. What are you afraid of? Besides, this is probably part of the park, it’s gotta be safe, right?” Even if it was an official spot, I thought, it looked like it hadn’t been maintained in years. Alex, the total homebody, clearly didn’t get out much. But I didn’t want to spoil the mood, so I got out of the car with Buddy. “Okay, fine. Just one picture to remember it.” But who could have guessed? The second I opened my door, before I could even grab Buddy’s leash, he bolted straight for the wildflowers near that rock ledge! Huskies are like that – see something interesting, gotta pounce. “Buddy, no! Stay!” I scrambled after him, but in that split second, Buddy had already leaped onto the rock ledge. Suddenly, everything went wrong. The ledge lurched violently, and there was a loud cracking sound! “Buddy, get off there! Now!” My face drained of color as I rushed forward. But I was too late. With a sickening crash, Buddy and a large chunk of the crumbling ledge plummeted down! A heartbreaking yelp echoed through the mountains, then silence. “Buddy! BUDDY—” In an instant, my blood rushed to my head. I threw myself towards the cliff edge, leaning way over, tears streaming down my face. But I never heard Buddy again. Instead, I saw a sickening smear of red on the cliffside below. 2: Disfigured “Al… Alex! Quick, we have to drive down the mountain!” Panicked, I looked behind me, expecting Alex to reach out and help me up. Instead, he kicked me square in the chest, sending me flying backward! What was he doing?! I didn’t even have time to react before I was airborne. My eyes wide open, I couldn’t make out the expression on his face as I fell like a rag doll, straight down from the mountain… My mind went blank. Agony and darkness swallowed me whole. I don’t know how long I was out. When I opened my eyes again, I was in a hospital room. Tubes snaked in and out of my body. My face was covered in bandages. Just moving my lips sent searing pain through me. I tried to lift my hand but couldn’t move. A woman I didn’t know, maybe a nurse or an aide, saw I was awake. She gasped excitedly and ran out, calling, “Sir, sir, she’s awake!” Soon, a man appeared beside my bed. His voice was gentle. “How are you feeling now?” He was handsome, with a kind, easygoing vibe. Definitely the gentle type, but I was sure I didn’t know him. I couldn’t speak, so I just blinked at him. He understood, smiling with relief. He politely explained, “My name is Liam Walker. I was driving near the base of the mountain that day and saw you lying unconscious. I brought you to the hospital. You’ve been in a coma for a month.” A month ago… The image of Alex standing on the cliff edge, kicking me down, flashed before my eyes. The wave of pain washed over me again. I pressed my fingers lightly to my temple. After a moment, my thoughts cleared with terrifying clarity. I should have known – when something seems too good or too weird to be true, it usually is! Alex and I had been dating for six months. Besides work, he barely left our neighborhood. But that day, he suddenly wanted to take me camping, specifically to that mountain, to that spot for pictures. Thinking back to how jumpy he was driving, how he slammed on the brakes… all the little details clicked into place. It all felt deliberate! That rock ledge couldn’t have just crumbled on its own. He must have messed with it somehow, then deliberately lured me over there to take pictures. Except, my playful dog accidentally took my place. Seeing no one around and me leaning over the edge, Alex must have decided to finish the job and kicked me off. But why? Why would he want to kill me? I couldn’t figure it out. My head throbbed, and my eyes burned red. The man beside my bed noticed my distress. He quickly took my hand, calming me. “Don’t move too much, and try not to think too hard. The doctor said you need complete rest if you woke up. No stress.” Just as he finished speaking, the aide returned with a doctor. I put my thoughts on hold. The doctor performed a series of checks, gave me an injection, and then said, “Ms. Evans, aside from a few fractures, all your vital organs are functioning well. You should be fine with another month of recovery here. However, the injuries to your face… those will take time to heal. We can discuss options with our hospital’s plastic surgeons later. They’re excellent, Ms. Evans, you can rest assured.” “Okay, thank you,” Liam answered for me. But my attention snagged on the words “plastic surgeons.” My face went pale— Plastic surgery… why would I need plastic surgery? Realization dawned. Frantically, I grabbed the aide’s phone from the bedside table and opened the camera app. I saw it – the face hidden beneath layers of gauze, with a jagged scar running from my eyebrow across the bridge of my nose. That was just the part I could see. What about the rest? In an instant, I understood – I was disfigured. 3: A Woman Who Looks Just Like Me Liam gently took the phone from me, his large hand resting reassuringly on my shoulder. “Don’t worry. You’re alive, that’s what matters. Your face can be fixed. It’ll be okay.” The doctor, catching on, quickly added, “Ms. Evans, please don’t worry. Plastic surgery techniques are very advanced these days. We can definitely restore your appearance. Falling from that height… waking up this quickly is already a miracle. It shows you have incredible willpower. Try not to be burdened by this. Besides, your husband has been so worried about you, barely leaving your side this past month. You wouldn’t want him to keep worrying, right?” Husband? The doctor must have misunderstood, but right then, I had zero desire to correct him. Tears dripped onto the white sheets I was clutching tightly. All I could picture was Alex’s foot connecting with my chest that day. I couldn’t forget the feeling of tumbling down the mountain, the tearing pain, the utter despair. But what had Alex been doing this past month? My parents were gone, and I had no other relatives. If I had actually died, what would Alex gain? Probably my hefty company shares and my downtown condo. The answer settled grimly in my mind. A fierce hatred bloomed inside me. My lips trembled as I forced the words out, my voice raspy. “Don’t worry. I won’t give up.” In that moment, an unprecedented will to live surged through me. Only by getting better could I stand before Alex again, demand answers, or… get justice for myself. Seeing my determination, Liam nodded, relieved. He then clarified our relationship to the doctor. After the doctor left, the aide went to handle some paperwork. Liam sat beside me, picked up a fruit knife, and started peeling an apple. He had broad shoulders and was undeniably handsome. From my angle, I could see the sharp line of his jaw, his clear, kind eyes. He was infinitely better looking than Alex. I never thought I’d meet someone like him, especially not after my face was ruined. But why did he save me? And take care of me so diligently for so long? Are some people just naturally saints? Or was he after something? My looks? But I was disfigured now, so what could he possibly gain… I couldn’t figure it out, so I decided to just think of him as an angel for now. Liam carefully cut the apple into small slices, placed them within my reach, poured me a glass of water with a straw, and then said, “It’s great that you’re feeling stronger. I was worried about how you’d handle… everything.” I took a few sips of water, my voice finally returning. I had to ask. “You just found me by the road, why did you take care of me for a whole month? You really didn’t have to do all that.” His fingers tightened slightly around the knife. He smiled, “Just wanted to see it through, I guess. Call it paying it forward.” I nodded. So, people like that really did exist. “What do you do, Mr. Walker?” “I work at Apex Holdings.” “That’s a coincidence. My parents used to work with Apex Holdings too.” My expression darkened. “But they passed away a year ago.” The smile on Liam’s lips froze. His eyes flickered with a complex emotion, but it vanished so quickly I thought I’d imagined it. “Everything will get better,” he said softly. “Just focus on healing. I’ll be here to help.” “Thank you.” Liam felt like the only lifeline I had in this abyss. I trusted him and didn’t want to let him down. I cooperated fully with the doctors, kept my spirits up, and my recovery was surprisingly fast. A month later, I was discharged. After leaving the hospital, I sent Liam a text, planning to go home first to sort things out before contacting him again. But I never expected what I saw before I even reached my building— Walking down the street, arm in arm, were two people: Alex, and a woman who looked exactly like me!

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