Category: English

I stood in my own living room, watching my wife hold another man’s baby, while my son, Theo, called a complete stranger “Daddy.” Nobody knew that I had only gone out to take out the trash, got dragged onto a spaceship by aliens, and spent what felt like sixteen minutes there. But when I came back, six years had passed on Earth. When Catherine saw me, she looked like she had seen a ghost. Then, she put her hands on her hips and tried to kick me out. “George, do you have any conscience left?” she shrieked. “You vanished for six years without a single word! Now that I’ve finally rebuilt my life and started a new family, you come back to ruin it?” “Theo doesn’t even remember you. This house has nothing to do with you anymore. Get the hell out!” I didn’t say a word. I just raised my hand, showing her the glowing dark stone resting in my palm. It was an Obsidian Wishing Stone, given to me by the aliens to make up for their “time-dilation error.” It had the power to grant wishes. I looked at the lovey-dovey couple in front of me, and then at Theo, who was hiding timidly behind the man. Calmly, I made my wish in my heart: I want everything I lost back, with interest.

Three hours. That was all it took for me to figure out what had happened during the sixteen minutes I was gone. The disgust on Catherine’s face hadn’t even faded yet when I asked the question burning in my chest. “I was only gone for sixteen minutes. How do you already have a new family?” “Sixteen minutes?” Catherine grabbed my arm and dragged me over to the calendar on the wall. “Open your eyes and look! It’s 2032. You weren’t gone for sixteen minutes. You were gone for six freaking years!” My head spun. Only then did I understand what the aliens meant when they said “everything will have changed.” But Catherine didn’t give me a second to process. She pointed at the man next to her. “This is my husband, Donald.” Then she pointed to the baby girl in his arms. “And this is my seven-year-old daughter.” “During the six years you were gone, I married the love of my life and had a beautiful daughter. This is the life I always wanted.” Her cold eyes made my heart ache. This woman had once sworn to love me forever. Yet now, she didn’t have a single word of concern for me. She just wanted me to know she had married her “true love” the moment I disappeared. And the funniest part? The kid was already almost seven. The math didn’t even add up. I took a deep breath to swallow the bitterness in my throat. “Since you have a new family now, then give me back my house.” Catherine blinked, and then she let out a mocking laugh. “Your house? What house do you have?” Her snide look pissed me off. “Theo is my son. And this house was bought by my dad. How is this not my house?” Catherine pulled a death certificate out of the drawer and threw it in my face. “Look closely, George. You were declared dead six years ago.” “For the past six years, Donald has been the one taking care of our son. In Theo’s heart, Donald is his only dad…” “That’s impossible!” I snapped, cutting her off. “Theo was eight when I left! I homeschooled him, tutored him, and took care of him every single day for eight years!” “When he had pneumonia, I stayed up for three days straight in the hospital room holding his hand. I am his father!” “I don’t have a father who abandons his family for another woman!” Suddenly, a small figure rushed over and shoved me hard. I lost my balance and fell to the floor. It was Theo. He glared at me with pure hatred. “You ran away with some side-chick and left us. You should have died out there! How dare you show your face here again?” Looking at the boy who looked seventy percent like me, my hands shook as I reached out to touch his arm. “Theo, I didn’t abandon you. I was taken by aliens. It was a mistake.” Theo slapped my hand away. “Aliens? Do you think I’m three years old?” He turned to Donald. “Donald told me everything.” “You’re just a serial cheater. We still have the photos of you with those other women. Someone like you doesn’t deserve to be my dad!” “Photos? What photos?”

I looked at Theo in sheer disbelief. Catherine smirked, pulling out a stack of photos and holding them in front of my face. “These are photos of you grinding on girls at a nightclub. Do you have no shame?” “And this one is even worse. Walking down a hotel hallway half-naked with a stripper. If that’s not cheating, what is?” Slap! I didn’t hesitate. I slapped Catherine right across the face. “These photos are so poorly Photoshopped. How could you use these fake pictures to poison Theo’s mind against me?” Catherine clearly didn’t expect me to hit her. She stared at me, completely stunned. Theo screamed and threw himself at me, kicking and punching. “You bad man! Don’t you dare touch my mom!” I knelt down, grabbed Theo by his shoulders, and said in a deep, serious voice, “Theo, I am telling you the truth.” “I was taken by aliens for sixteen minutes, but six years passed here. I never left you.” I checked my watch and quickly pulled out the Obsidian Wishing Stone. “Look, the aliens gave me this. In two hours, everyone who harmed me will get their karma.” Theo looked at the stone with disgust and kicked it out of my hand. “Donald was right. You’re not just a cheating scumbag, you’re a psycho.” He turned to Donald. “Daddy, you’re the best doctor in the city. Give him some medicine. Better yet, poison him so he leaves us alone!” Hearing Theo’s words made my entire body go numb. This was the child I had poured my heart and soul into raising for eight years. And now, he wanted me dead. I closed my eyes, forcing down the overwhelming pain. “Theo, I loved you for eight years. Do you really believe a man you’ve known for six years over your own father?” “Yes,” Theo said without a second of hesitation. “I believe him. And he is the only father I will ever have.” My throat tightened. Theo didn’t even want to look at me anymore. He grabbed Donald’s hand. “Daddy, I’ve cut ties with this man. He’s not my dad anymore.” Donald smiled triumphantly. “Go upstairs first, buddy. I’ll have a quick word with him and make sure he never bothers our family again.” I watched Theo walk upstairs. Once the boy was out of sight, Donald stepped right up to me. Before I could even react, he slammed a syringe into my shoulder. A sharp, stinging pain instantly spread through my veins. Donald’s smirk widened. “Does it hurt, George?” “That’s just a little taste of what happens when you try to take my woman and my son.” He grabbed me by my hair and slammed my face onto the dining table. “You lost a long time ago, George. Even before you went missing, Catherine was already pregnant with my baby.” “As for your precious Theo? The only reason he’s still alive is because his grandfather left him a huge trust fund.” Donald sneered. “Since I couldn’t kill the brat without losing the money, I had to play the good dad.” “I bought him every toy he wanted, just to make him forget how good you were to him.” “I even told him bedtime stories every night. But in those stories, you were the villain who abandoned him.” “Right now, you’re worse than trash to him.” Rage boiled in my blood. I forced myself up, spun around, and landed a hard punch right on Donald’s jaw. “You son of a bitch! I’ll make sure you rot in hell!”

Donald stumbled back a few steps. Instantly, Catherine rushed over. She kicked me hard in the shin. “George, you bastard!” “I actually felt bad for you because of our eight years together. I was going to ask Donald to let you stay here as a live-in housekeeper and my secret side-piece! How dare you lay a hand on him?” She pinned me against the floor. “Apologize to Donald right now! If you behave, you can still live here, be close to me, and see Theo!” Her words made me want to throw up. I spat on the floor. “In your dreams! I’m not serving either of you. I’m throwing you both out of my house!” “Your house?” Catherine’s eyes turned malicious. She grabbed my collar and shoved me against the wall. “Those photos might be fake, but I didn’t just show them to Theo. I showed them to your dad, too.” A cold smile crept onto her lips. “Do you want to know how your dad reacted?” Without waiting for me to answer, she continued, “Your dad said he didn’t have a son so shameless. He said Donald and I were saints for taking care of Theo. So, he left all his money and this house to us in his will.” “You’re lying! My dad would never believe your garbage!” I roared. “Of course he wouldn’t believe it easily. But I had a great accomplice.” Catherine looked at Donald lovingly. “After you went missing, your dad got paralyzed from a stroke. Donald got hired as his personal doctor.” “He spent two long years playing the perfect, caring doctor to win the old man’s trust.” She laughed. “And I did my part, too. At night, Donald and I were hooking up in your bed. During the day, I was the grieving, perfect daughter-in-law.” “We worked like a charm. Thanks to our hard work, your dad finally believed you were a cheating scumbag who ran away. He cried as he signed the company and this house over to me.” I glared at her with pure hatred. “Catherine, karma is going to get you.” Catherine was one of the first students my father had sponsored through his charity foundation. Before my dad paid her tuition, Catherine had to work as a dishwasher at our family restaurant, eating leftovers from customers. Once, she fainted from malnutrition. My dad saw her, felt sorry for her, and started paying for her college. After graduation, she literally begged my dad for a job, saying she wanted to work for free to pay back his kindness. My dad thought she was a grateful, sweet girl. He mentored her and introduced her to me. How could she be such a monster? Donald grabbed my chin, forcing me to look him in the eye. “George, only fools believe in karma.” “Catherine and I were tired of being poor. We started planning this ten years ago just to get rich.” “Ten years?!” I gasped. “So her working at the restaurant, begging for the job, marrying me… it was all a setup?” “Duh!” Donald raised his chin proudly. “Your dad was our golden goose. Working for free was just the hook. Marrying you was our ticket to the wealthy life.” He shoved me back. “Watching Catherine walk down the aisle to you in that white dress… I hated you so much.” “But to make it up to me, Catherine gave me your wedding ring. She even let me prescribe her some ‘special meds’ when she was pregnant with Theo.” “So that’s why she was constantly bleeding and almost died during labor?” My eyes widened in horror. Donald laughed coldly. “Too bad she was tough. She survived.” Catherine looked a little guilty for a split second. “I did care about you and your dad at first, George. But you guys were always so guarded. You wouldn’t hand over the company to me early. I had no choice!” I looked at my watch. Another hour had passed. I stared at them. Keep talking. Keep bragging about your secrets. I want to see how painful it is when your karma hits you a hundred times harder. “Now you know everything, George. But what can you do about it?” “We have the legally binding will. And Theo only loves me,” Donald taunted. “You were only special because of your daddy’s money. In the end, you still lost to me…” Before he could finish his sentence, his face suddenly went pale. He grabbed my wrist, checking my pulse. A second later, his brow furrowed. “Your… your body…”

Donald examined me closely, and a dark, vicious look crossed his eyes. “Catherine, his physical condition is exactly the same as it was six years ago. If six years really passed, his body shouldn’t be like this.” Catherine’s face fell. She glared at me. “What kind of game are you playing, George?” She balled her fists and punched me hard in the chest. “And here I was feeling guilty, trying to offer you a place to stay! You made up this ridiculous lie to trick us!” I gritted my teeth through the pain. “It’s the truth. I was only gone for sixteen minutes.” “Sixteen minutes!” Catherine laughed hysterically. “Do you think the whole world is stupid?” She raised her hand to hit me again, but Donald stopped her. “Wait, Catherine. Didn’t George say he was abducted by aliens?” “Let’s prove he’s a liar and have him committed to a psych ward forever.” Catherine grabbed my arm and dragged me up. “Fine. You want to play the alien card? Let’s get you tested.” They threw me into the back of their car and drove straight to the hospital where Donald worked. They dumped me onto a bed in a private room. A second later, a nurse stuck a needle into my arm, pumping a cold fluid into my veins. Donald whispered in Catherine’s ear, “I already spoke to the lab director. He’s going to write up a fake report saying George is severely schizophrenic. The asylum transport is already on the way.” I clenched my fists. Catherine grabbed me by the collar and dragged me off the bed, holding her phone camera right in my face. “Alright, cheater. Tell the camera. Where did you run off to with your little mistress six years ago? Why are you back now pretending to be a victim?” Her eyes were filled with venom. “Do you know how worried I was when you first disappeared?” “I was so stressed that I ignored Donald for days…” Donald’s voice coldly cut her off. “And because of that stress, she had a miscarriage. We lost our second baby.” Catherine went quiet for a second, her gaze turning even colder. “You owe me for the last six years, George. Today, you pay.” I stared at her. “Catherine, I am telling the truth. You can’t do this to me.” “Are you scared now?” Catherine mocked. “Can’t keep up with your own lie?” “Instead of waiting for the psych evaluation, I think I’ll just make sure you shut up permanently.” She grabbed a sedative syringe from Donald and stabbed it into my arm. I stumbled back, hitting the wall. The drug worked fast. My vision started to blur. Donald chuckled. “Don’t worry, George. It’s my own special mix. It hurts like hell, but it gets the job done.” As I slid down the wall, the Obsidian Wishing Stone fell out of my pocket. I stared at it and whispered, “Make them feel a hundred times the pain they caused me.” Right then, a nurse ran into the room, panting. “Dr. Carter! The lab results are back. His physical indicators are completely normal. The psychological evaluation is perfectly fine, too!” “What… what did you say?” Catherine’s hands shook as she grabbed the report from the nurse. “Does this mean… George was telling the truth?” Donald’s eyes widened in horror. “The aliens… the wishing stone… it’s all real? We…” Before he could finish, Catherine’s phone rang loudly. She picked it up, and her assistant’s panicked scream echoed through the room. “Ms. Catherine! Oh my god, the company is crashing!”

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For the eighteenth time, Mom delivered a gift that was supposed to be mine straight to Hayden’s room. She shot me a guilty look, but immediately turned it around to blame me. “Why didn’t you remind me? Well, since things turned out this way, let’s just let Hayden have it.” I froze in place. Watching Hayden look so incredibly happy with my gift, I just nodded. I didn’t care anymore. Ever since Hayden was born, Mom always “accidentally” gave my things to him. She promised to take me to the theme park, but ended up giving my ticket to Hayden. I had a high fever in the middle of the night, but Mom rushed Hayden to the ER instead, frantically asking the doctors if he was going to catch whatever I had. Even on my birthday, my cake was delivered straight to his room. “Since things turned out this way, let Hayden go play.” “Since things turned out this way, we can’t let Hayden get sick.” “Since things turned out this way, it’s fine to let Hayden blow out the candles first.” Just like right now. Mom smiled as she carried my birthday cake over to Hayden. My lips twitched into a bitter smile. Mom had completely forgotten. I had terminal stomach cancer. The doctor said this would likely be my last birthday. So be it.

The sound of keys jingling came from the front door. Dad was home from work. I forced myself to ignore the sharp, stabbing pain in my stomach. Clutching the wall, I slowly dragged myself out of my room. Years ago, if I coughed even once, Dad would drive me to the urgent care clinic in the middle of the night. Now, I was standing in the living room, covered in cold sweat, but Dad didn’t even spare me a glance. He walked straight past me to Hayden, shoving a limited-edition Transformer into his arms. “Happy birthday, Hayden! Do you like the present Dad got you?” Hayden squealed with joy, jumping up to plant a big kiss on Dad’s cheek. Dad’s eyes crinkled with laughter. It was only when he turned around that he finally saw me, pale and swaying against the wall. His smile vanished instantly. His brows furrowed into a tight, angry knot. “What is up with that look on your face?” “Today is Hayden’s birthday. Do you have to ruin the mood with that miserable face?” “You’re getting more and more depressed every day. It’s exhausting just looking at you.” I bit my lower lip so hard it bled. My fingers tightened around the medical diagnosis sheet inside my pocket. “Today is my birthday, too,” my voice trembled. Dad froze for a second. A flash of guilt crossed his eyes. But that tiny sliver of regret was instantly swallowed by annoyance. “How old are you now? Why are you still throwing tantrums over Hayden’s birthday? Can’t we just buy you another cake in a couple of days?” Mom was slicing the cake nearby. She rolled her eyes. “Don’t buy her anything. She just can’t stand seeing Hayden happy.” “She loves throwing drama all day long. She’s just desperate for attention.” I slowly pulled the sweat-soaked diagnosis sheet out of my pocket. “The doctor said… this might be my last birthday.” “Stomach cancer…” Both Mom and Dad frowned. For a brief second, their eyes softened. But suddenly, Hayden pointed at me and started crying hysterically. “Mom! Audrey is being scary! I don’t want her to die! Make her stop!” Seeing Hayden cry, Mom rushed over, snatched the diagnosis sheet from my hand, and threw it right into the trash can. “Audrey, are you out of your mind?” “So what if you have stomach cancer? Do you have to scare Hayden to death just to feel satisfied?!” I stood there, completely numb. I shook my head frantically. “No, I didn’t…” SLAP! A heavy blow struck my face. The force knocked me straight to the floor. My ears rang loudly, and the metallic taste of blood filled my mouth. Dad stood over me, looking down with pure disgust. “You are absolutely toxic!” “How did we raise such a selfish loser who only knows how to bully her little brother!” Lying on the cold floor, I stared at the trash can. The diagnosis sheet was sitting right there, stamped in red by the hospital. But nobody wanted to look at it. Suddenly, a wave of exhaustion washed over me. All my urge to explain, all my hurt—it all died right there. I used the wall to push myself up and wiped the blood from my mouth with the back of my sleeve. I turned around and walked toward my room. Dad grabbed a glass from the table and shattered it right at my feet. “Always acting like a corpse!” “If you ever use death to threaten us again, get the hell out of this house and die outside!” “We don’t need your bad luck in this family!”

The next morning, I woke up from a stabbing pain in my stomach. I hadn’t eaten dinner last night, and nobody had come to check on me. Even though it was my birthday, I could only curl up in my room, listening to Hayden celebrate his birthday right outside my door. I struggled to open my eyes. Surprisingly, there was a glass of milk and two slices of toast on my nightstand. Mom was sitting on the edge of my bed. She had a rare, gentle smile on her face. “You’re awake? Come on, eat something.” I stared at her. My nose stung with tears. She did something she hadn’t done in years—she reached out and gently stroked my hair. “Your dad was just stressed yesterday. Don’t take it to heart.” “This weekend, I’ll take you to that theme park you’ve been begging to go to, okay?” My dry, cracked lips trembled. The dying embers of hope in my chest sparked back to life. The theme park. I had been waiting for this for three years. When I was little, Dad used to put me on his shoulders, laughing as we rode the carousel. Maybe… maybe they still loved me. As long as I behaved, as long as I didn’t make Hayden mad, they would still care about me. I swallowed the stomach pain and nodded quickly. “Okay. I’ll go.” “Thank you, Mom.” I held on until the weekend. I pulled my favorite white dress out of the closet. It was a bit too short for me now, but I couldn’t bear to throw it away. Since I got sick, I hadn’t gotten any new clothes. I stood in front of the mirror, splashing cold water on my face to make myself look a bit more alive. I didn’t want to ruin their mood. I leaned against the wall, taking slow steps out of my room. In the living room, Mom was on the phone. She was packing Hayden’s bright yellow backpack, her voice dripping with affection. “Yeah, taking Hayden to the theme park today. Already got the VIP passes.” “Oh, don’t worry about Audrey. She looks like a walking corpse anyway. Bringing her would just ruin the fun.” “Exactly. Hayden’s happiness is what matters. Who wants to drag a sick drag-along around?” I froze. It felt like my entire world had collapsed. Mom’s milk that morning, her promise, her gentle smile, and her comforting words… How did it all change so fast? I dragged my weak body into the center of the living room. “Mom…” My voice was incredibly hoarse. “You said… you were taking me.” Mom hung up the phone. The smile on her face vanished instantly. She knitted her brows in disgust. “Are you having another episode? Didn’t I tell you to stay in your room?” “But you promised me…” “Promised you what? Look at yourself in the mirror!” She looked me up and down with pure disdain. “Dressed like that… are you trying to embarrass us in public?” Hayden ran over and shoved me hard. “Get out of the way! Mom gave the tickets to me! They’re only taking me to the theme park, not you!” I was already running on empty. His shove threw me completely off balance. I reached out, trying to grab Mom’s sleeve to steady myself. But Mom flinched away as if I were a leper, shaking me off violently. “Don’t touch Hayden! Are you trying to fake a fall to blame him now?” My body slammed hard against the solid wooden coffee table. A sharp, agonizing pain shot through my lower back. The pain was so intense that I curled up on the floor, cold sweat instantly soaking through my dress. I gasped for air, unable to even scream. Mom watched me writhe on the floor with cold eyes. “Cut it out. Stop acting. I’m sick of your little guilt trips.” She took Hayden’s hand and walked toward the front door. Before stepping out, she stopped and threw one last icy look at me. “Look at you, acting like this. Why would we bring an embarrassment like you to the theme park?” “Don’t bother calling me today. Nobody is going to ruin Hayden’s weekend!” The front door slammed shut.

Once the door closed, the house fell deathly quiet. The stabbing pain in my back and the violent cramps in my stomach twisted together. Every breath I took tasted like blood. After lying there for hours, my condition took a sudden, violent turn for the worse. A warm, thick rush of liquid erupted from my throat. Bright red blood instantly stained my favorite white dress, pooling onto the hardwood floor. I convulsed violently, my body locking up in pain. I reached my hand out, desperately trying to grab onto anything. Staring at the growing pool of dark blood on the floor, my survival instinct kicked in. I didn’t want to die. I really didn’t. I grit my teeth and started crawling toward the landline phone in the corner of the living room. It was only a few feet, but it took me ten agonizing minutes. I dragged myself forward, leaving a horrifying trail of blood behind me. Memories of when I was seven flashed through my mind. That year, I was hit by a car and broke my leg. Mom and Dad had rushed to the hospital so fast they didn’t even put their shoes on properly. Mom had held me, crying her eyes out, while Dad begged the doctors with teary eyes to save me. I thought, even if they hated me now, even if they preferred Hayden… If they knew I was actually dying, if they knew I was bleeding this much… They would run back to save me without a second thought, just like they used to. With trembling fingers, I dialed Dad’s number. It rang for a long, long time before he finally picked up. Through the receiver, I could hear the roar of a roller coaster and Hayden’s cheerful laughter. “What do you want now?!” Dad’s voice was filled with extreme impatience. I gasped for air, crying into the phone with the last of my strength. “Dad… it hurts so bad…” “I’m bleeding so much… my stomach… please, come back and save me…” There was a brief second of silence on the other end. Then, Mom’s mocking voice drifted over. “I knew she’d pull something! Listen to her, she’s faking her death again!” “She just can’t stand us having a good time!” Dad hesitated. “What if… what if it’s real?” Mom sneered. “Real? She’s just trying to ruin our day because we took Hayden out and left her behind.” Dad let out a sigh of relief. Then, he let out a cold, mocking laugh. “Audrey, you’ll really use any cheap trick just to compete with Hayden, won’t you?” “You think we’ll run back just because you claim you’re bleeding? Do you think I’m a gullible idiot?” I clutched the phone cord in despair, my tears mixing with the blood on the floor. “I’m not lying… it really hurts… please…” In the background, Hayden screamed, “Dad! I want that giant strawberry ice cream!” Dad’s voice instantly softened into a gentle tone. “Okay, buddy. Dad will buy it for you right now.” But when he spoke back into the receiver, his voice was pure ice. “Do you hear that? Hayden is happy right now.” “If you want to die, go do it somewhere else. Stop calling to ruin our day!” I opened my mouth, but another surge of blood rushed up my throat. I coughed up a huge splash of blood right onto the phone receiver. I couldn’t make a sound. Dad roared angrily on the other end. “I’m warning you! If you dare call again, I’ll come back and break your legs!” Click. The line went dead.

Listening to the dial tone, the pain suddenly faded. The agonizing cramps that felt like they were tearing my stomach apart seemed to disappear with that beep. I thought, maybe this is for the best. I really was a bad kid. Even getting sick was just me “demanding attention.” I shouldn’t have done that. I slowly put down the bloody receiver and wiped the tears from my face with my sleeve. I looked at the long, horrifying streak of blood on the floor. It was so dirty. Mom loved a clean house. If she came back and saw the floor ruined, she would scream at me. Leaning against the wall, I used the very last of my strength to crawl to the bathroom and grab a rag. On my hands and knees, inch by inch, I wiped up every single drop of my blood until the floor was spotless. The water in the bucket turned a deep, dark red. I poured it into the toilet and flushed it five times until the water ran clear. Hayden’s Transformers and building blocks were scattered all over the sofa. I picked them up, piece by piece, and neatly arranged them back into his toy chest. After doing all this, I went back to my room. I pulled a dusty metal box from under my bed and took out a stack of crumpled bills. It was exactly three hundred dollars. It was the money I saved by secretly stopping my expensive cancer meds, sneaking out to hand out flyers behind their backs. I found a clean sheet of paper and grabbed a pen. “Mom, Dad, please don’t be angry anymore.” “I secretly stopped taking my medication. Since things are already like this, and it’s terminal anyway, let’s not waste any more money.” “Please use this three hundred dollars to buy Hayden’s school supplies or get him some new toys.” “As long as you guys had fun at the theme park today, I am happy.” “I won’t call to annoy you or ruin your mood ever again.” “I hope you are always happy.” I wrapped the money inside the letter and walked slowly to my parents’ bedroom. I carefully tucked it right under their soft pillows. After that, I returned to my dark, tiny bedroom. I took off the stained white dress and put on my faded school hoodie. It was the only piece of clothing they had bought me in the last few years. I climbed onto my hard little bed and curled up in the corner against the wall. I pulled my knees to my chest, tucking myself into a fetal position. Slowly, my breathing grew shallower and shallower, until my chest stopped moving entirely. My soul felt light as it floated up, drifting to the ceiling. I looked down at the tiny, stiff body on the bed that would never cry in pain again. It was nice. I would never get screamed at again. At eight in the evening, the sound of keys jingling came from the front door. My parents, holding a giant colorful balloon for Hayden, walked into the house full of laughter. The living room was spotless. There was no trace of blood, as if nothing had ever happened. Mom kicked off her shoes and walked habitually to my closed bedroom door. She put her hands on her hips and rolled her eyes. “Locking yourself in your room to play dead all day! You don’t even know enough to come out and get Hayden a glass of water!” “Do I seriously have to invite you out? Get your butt out here!” Hearing no response, her anger flared. She grabbed the doorknob and shoved the door open violently. The bright light from the hallway spilled into my dark room. The room was silent. So silent that it made her heart skip a beat. Her eyes fell upon my body on the bed. The phone in Mom’s hand slipped through her fingers, hitting the floor with a loud thud.

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Twenty years ago, my oldest brother, Ethan, made me the fall guy just to keep his precious little sister, Dorothy, out of trouble. My second brother, Ryan, had even looked me in the eye and promised: “Victoria, if you just take the fall for Dorothy this once and do her time, we will do whatever it takes to clear your name when you get out. We’ll make sure you get your normal life back.” And Lucas, the third brother, just said it straight to my face: “You’re the older sister. It’s your job to protect her. Mom and Dad told us to look after Dorothy before they passed.” “Just take one for the team.” Ignoring my crying, my begging, and my desperate struggles, the three of them joined forces to throw me to the wolves. I was sent straight to prison. Three years later, I was finally released, only to find that everything that once belonged to me had been handed to Dorothy on a silver platter. My design portfolios were stolen and published under her name. The prestigious awards that should have been mine were shining in her display case. Even my fiancé, Mario, had married her. When I stormed over to demand answers, Mario literally shoved me out the door. “Victoria, have you no shame?” he sneered. “Dorothy is kind, generous, and actually talented.” “You honestly think I’d choose a convicted felon with a ruined reputation over her?” Even my own brothers completely abandoned me. They threw a prepaid card with a measly five thousand dollars at my face and bought me a one-way ticket out of the country. Now, twenty years later, I am back in the country with a multi-million-dollar tech patent in my hands. Standing in front of me are two very familiar faces, begging for my help. I let out a cold laugh. “I’ll partner with anyone in this city. Anyone but you.”

“Ms. Samuels, the people waiting outside are Mario and his wife, Dorothy Johnson, from Future Tech.” “The Johnson family has built quite a reputation in New York over the last few years. And Dorothy’s three brothers are…” “That’s enough,” I said, raising my hand to cut my assistant off. I turned my eyes toward the two familiar faces standing outside the glass door. My office was fitted with one-way mirrors. I could see their every movement clearly, but to them, it was just a blank wall. Twenty years. Dorothy hadn’t changed a bit. It looked like my brothers had kept her perfectly sheltered in her little bubble. That innocent face of hers had only grown more refined with age. Mario was standing next to her, looking sharp and professional in a designer suit. “I’ve made myself clear. We are not doing business with them. Tell them to find someone else.” “If they can’t, then that’s their problem.” I scoffed. Though my assistant looked confused, she nodded and went out to deliver the message. “But why?” I heard Dorothy’s bewildered voice through the door. The next second, the two of them bypassed security and burst right into my office. “Ms. Samuels, is there something wrong with our proposal? Why won’t you even consider a partnership with us?” “Or is it because…” Dorothy froze mid-sentence. Her eyes locked onto my face. Her throat seemed to tighten, and she couldn’t squeeze out another word. After what felt like an eternity, she gasped, “Vic… Victoria?” “Victoria? It’s you!” Mario gasped, his eyes widening in pure shock. He took a few steps forward, staring at me. “You… you’re the legendary Ms. Samuels?” “I can’t believe it. Twenty years, and you’ve managed to climb this high.” There was a mix of awe, nostalgia, and utter disbelief in his voice. I leaned back in my chair and looked up at him with a smirk. “What did you expect, Mario? Did you think I’d be living like a stray dog, dying in some back alley overseas?” “That’s not what I meant,” Mario frowned, his eyebrows knitting together. “Why do you have to be so hostile? After all, we used to be…” “Victoria!” Dorothy suddenly rushed forward, grabbing my hands with forced warmth. “Victoria, where have you been all these years?” “The boys and I missed you so much! Are you still mad at me?” “I know I caused you so much trouble back then, but it’s been twenty years. It’s time to let it go. We’re family, Victoria. We haven’t had a proper reunion in forever.” “Come home with me, please.” It’s been twenty years? Let it go? Of course it was easy for her to say. She wasn’t the one who spent three years in a cold cell. She was still playing the same old naive, innocent girl. Or rather, she had been so spoiled by everyone that she never had to grow up. “I’m not your sister, Dorothy,” I said, my voice ice-cold as I snatched my hands back. “Stop acting like we’re close.” Dorothy stood frozen, her eyes welling up with tears. “Victoria… are you really still holding a grudge over what happened back then?” Even after all this time, she still acted like a fragile teenager. “Victoria, what is your problem?” Mario barked, stepping in front of Dorothy. “Dorothy is trying to be nice to you. She’s inviting you home, and instead of being grateful, you treat her like trash!” “If you hadn’t made that mistake back then, none of this would have—” “Mario!” Dorothy cut him off, clutching his arm. “Don’t blame Victoria. It’s my fault. It’s all my fault.” She turned back to me, squeezing out a pathetic smile. “Victoria, you probably know why we’re here.” “Our company is facing a massive technical bottleneck right now, and you happen to hold the exact patent we need. Could you please just…” “No,” I replied instantly. I turned to my assistant. “Show them out.” They tried to argue, but my security team was already moving in, pushing them out the door. I could hear Dorothy’s soft whimpering and Mario’s angry shouting fading down the hallway. I didn’t care. I simply turned back to my laptop and got back to work.

I didn’t expect another uninvited guest to show up the very next day. Lucas barged past my secretary and slammed my office door open. “Well, look at you, Victoria! It really is you. When Dorothy told me, I didn’t want to believe it. But here you are, back in the city.” “Bullying your own little sister the moment you get back? Some older sister you are.” Lucas had aged quite a bit over the last twenty years. There was gray hair at his temples, and he looked like a seasoned businessman. But one thing hadn’t changed: his blind devotion to Dorothy. Just like twenty years ago, he immediately took her side and started pointing fingers at me. I slowly capped my pen and stood up. “Sir, watch your mouth. There is no Victoria here. You are standing in the office of Victoria Samuels, the founder of CN Tech.” “Furthermore, I license my technology to whoever I want. It’s purely business.” “There is nothing personal about it.” “Now, if you are suffering from early-onset dementia, I suggest you visit a hospital.” “Why, you—!” Lucas slammed his fist on my mahogany desk, his face turning red with anger. “You’ve got some nerve, Victoria! Just because you got lucky and started a little company, you think you can look down on us now?” Brother? I wanted to laugh. Where was this ‘brotherly love’ twenty years ago when they conspired to send me to prison? Where were they when I finally finished my three-year sentence, only to be handed a five-thousand-dollar card and kicked out of the country to starve? They told me back then that the Johnson family couldn’t have a ‘criminal’ ruining their reputation. Why didn’t anyone talk about family values back then? And now he wanted to talk about feelings? What a joke. I looked him up and down with pure disgust. “Sir, I’ll say it one last time. My name is Victoria Samuels. I don’t go by Victoria anymore.” “And I don’t have any siblings. Get out of my office.” Lucas refused to budge, but my security guards quickly arrived and dragged him out by his arms. After that incident, I tightened the security at the front desk. They weren’t allowed anywhere near my floor. I finally enjoyed a few days of peace. That was until I received a VIP invitation to a high-society charity gala hosted by the Morgan family. After some consideration, I decided to go. But the moment I walked into the venue, I ran straight into Dorothy and Mario. “Victoria!” Dorothy squealed, running toward me with a fake, bright smile. “I knew it was you! I didn’t expect to see you at Mrs. Brown’s gala tonight.” “Oh, but Victoria, you do know this event requires an exclusive VIP invite, right? Not just anyone can walk in.” “Do you actually have an invitation?” She stared at me with her wide, innocent eyes, practically oozing superiority. I frowned, thinking of Mrs. Brown who was waiting for me inside. I had zero interest in playing along with her little drama. I brushed past her hand and turned to walk away. But she wasn’t having it. She chased after me and grabbed my arm, her face instantly shifting into a victim expression. “Victoria, why are you ignoring me?” “Is it my fault again? Did I do something to make you hate me?” Her voice was just loud enough to draw the attention of the surrounding guests. In seconds, people began whispering. “Wait, isn’t that Victoria? The oldest Johnson daughter?” “Oh my god, it is! Didn’t she go to prison years ago and get disowned by her family? Why is she back?” “Twenty years and she’s still as toxic as ever. She’s throwing a tantrum the moment she sees Dorothy.” “Seriously. Everyone knows Victoria has a criminal record. She’s nothing compared to Dorothy, who is so talented and sweet.” “Victoria, Dorothy is just trying to be nice. Don’t be so dramatic!” Mario stepped forward, shielding Dorothy as if I were some kind of monster. But I hadn’t even said a single word. My phone buzzed in my hand. It was a text from Mrs. Brown, letting me know her husband was ready to discuss our project partnership in the private lounge. “I have a business meeting. Move,” I said coldly. I tried to step around them, but someone grabbed my arm from behind and yanked me back. The force caught me off guard. My heels slipped, and I fell hard onto the marble floor. My phone flew out of my hand and smacked against the ground, the screen instantly going black.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” I snapped, my voice rising in anger. I quickly scrambled to pick up my phone, but no matter how many times I pressed the power button, the screen remained dead. The guy who did it was standing over me, looking down like some righteous judge. “Apologize to her!” “What?” I stared at him, thinking I had misheard. “I said, apologize to Dorothy!” Mario demanded again. I let out a sharp, hysterical laugh. I gathered my things from the floor and pushed myself up, standing tall. “Mario, are you completely insane?” I hissed. “If you have a mental issue, go see a doctor.” “Or are you just losing your mind with age?” “You—!” “It’s okay, Mario. Don’t blame Victoria,” Dorothy sobbed, putting on her classic fragile act. “It’s my fault. If I had known Victoria still hated me this much, I wouldn’t have approached her.” “I’m sorry, Victoria.” “Are you still mad at me for marrying Mario?” “But you were in prison back then, and the Johnson family desperately needed the alliance, so I had to…” “And Mario and I already have—” “Are you the bitch who’s bullying my mom?” a loud, arrogant voice interrupted. Before I could even turn around, a sharp pain shot through my forehead. A heavy decorative stone had been thrown straight at my head. Warm blood immediately started trickling down my face. I gasped in pain, clutching my forehead. I looked up and saw an eighteen-year-old boy standing in front of me. He was tall, well-built, and had a nasty sneer on his face. He stormed over and shoved me hard, stepping right in front of Dorothy. “You trashy woman, are you trying to get with my dad? Is that why you’re harassing my mom?” Jefferson yelled, clenching his fists. The surrounding guests gasped and took a few steps back to stay out of the crossfire. “Jefferson, stop it! Don’t be rude,” Dorothy said, though there was barely any weight to her voice. Jefferson rolled his eyes. “Mom, I’m trying to protect you! You’re way too soft. You never stand up for yourself.” “Women like her are so manipulative. Dad is rich and handsome, who knows what kind of dirty tricks she’s trying to play.” “And don’t tell me to be polite. If my uncles find out this ex-con tried to hit on Dad, she’d be in a much worse state than this.” The three of them chatted away like I wasn’t even there, completely ignoring the fact that I was bleeding on the floor. To make matters worse, with my phone broken, I couldn’t even call the police. I had to ask for help. But the guests around us only looked at me with disgust and avoided my gaze. I couldn’t even contact Mrs. Brown. I dragged myself up and grabbed a nearby security guard’s arm. “Please, tell Mrs. Brown that Victoria Samuels is outside and needs—” Before I could finish, the guard let out a mocking laugh. “Who? You? You’re trying to tell me you have a business meeting with Mrs. Brown?” “Who are you trying to fool? Get out of here. Leave before I throw you out myself.” The guard pointed toward the exit threateningly. Mario and Dorothy, who knew exactly who I was, chose to remain completely silent. I turned to walk toward the lobby desk to use their landline, but Mario blocked my path again. “Victoria, if you just agree to license that patent to us, I’ll personally drive you to the hospital.” “And about your relationship with your brothers… Dorothy and I can help smooth things over. We can help you get back into the family.” Before I could even respond, Jefferson lunged forward again, shoving me back. “You cheap bitch, trying to flirt with my dad right in front of my mom? Are you begging for a beating?” The veins on my temples were throbbing. I looked at Mario and Dorothy, who were still playing dumb. “Are you two deaf and mute? Can’t you control your own son?” “If you won’t teach him some manners, I will.” I found my footing, stepped forward, and slapped Jefferson across the face. The loud, sharp *SMACK* echoed through the lobby. “What do you think you’re doing?!” Suddenly, Dorothy wasn’t deaf or mute anymore. She shrieked and lunged forward, throwing her arms around Jefferson to protect him as if I were a wild animal.

The crowd began pointing and muttering insults at me. Just then, the loud screech of tires sounded from the driveway. A sleek black Maybach pulled up to the entrance, and my three brothers stepped out. Seeing them arrive, Jefferson immediately clutched his cheek and ran over to Ethan, crying. “Uncle Ethan! You have to help me! She tried to seduce Dad right in front of us, and when I stopped her, she slapped me!” “She made Mom cry too!” Hearing this, the three brothers’ faces darkened instantly. The moment Ethan’s eyes landed on me, he froze. “Victoria?” But within a second, his expression turned freezing cold and accusing. “It’s been twenty years, and the moment you step foot back in this country, you start targeting Dorothy again?” “Oh, so you’re the trashy, ex-con aunt everyone talks about,” Jefferson sneered, looking at me with pure disgust. “You really are a piece of work.” Dorothy put on her most pitiful face and clutched Ethan’s sleeve. “Ethan, please don’t yell at Victoria. It’s my fault. It has nothing to do with her.” “You haven’t shown your face in twenty years, and the moment you do, you bring drama to Dorothy,” Ryan snapped at me. “And look at you, covered in blood. Who are you trying to guilt-trip? Are you trying to embarrass the Johnson family in front of everyone?” Before Ethan could even speak, Ryan had already finished judging me. Dorothy, playing the saint, stepped forward and tried to grab my hand. “Victoria, I know you must have suffered a lot while you were away, and it’s natural for you to hate me.” “But Jefferson is Mario’s and my son. He’s your nephew. How could you lay a hand on him?” “He’s just a kid.” “If you’re angry, take it out on me. Just hit me instead.” She grabbed my hand, trying to force me to slap her face. But Mario quickly stepped in and pulled her back. “Victoria, enough is enough!” Mario yelled. “You claim you don’t care about the past, yet you stalked us all the way to this gala!” “You’re making life miserable for Dorothy and me just because I married her instead of you!” “Let me make this clear: I love Dorothy. No matter what kind of sick games you play, I will never love you. Get over it!” Mario held Dorothy tightly, delivering his grand, dramatic declaration of love. I stood there, completely numb, watching this circus. “Who said I stalked you here?” I asked, massaging my temples. “Do you people have no shame?” “I’m here to meet with Mrs. Brown for a business partnership.” As soon as the words left my mouth, Lucas let out a loud, mocking laugh. “You? Partnering with Mrs. Brown?” Lucas sneered. “Has living abroad made you completely insane? Do you even know who she is?” “Mrs. Brown is not someone a person like you can just casually chat with.” Dorothy sighed, looking at me with pity. “Victoria, please stop lying.” “Mr. Brown is one of the wealthiest men in Los Angeles. The Morgan family has a massive legacy. They aren’t people we can easily reach.” “I get that you want to impress our brothers, but you shouldn’t make up such ridiculous lies.” Her words instantly turned me into the laughingstock of the night. The crowd whispered and snickered. “She really is delusional, trying to use the Morgan family’s name to look good.” “Where does she get the confidence? Claiming she knows Mrs. Brown… how embarrassing.” “Look at her. She looks like a mess. How could she possibly know Mrs. Brown?” I didn’t bother explaining. Seeing that it was almost time for our meeting, I decided to ignore my broken phone and just head inside to find Mrs. Brown in person. I pulled some tissues from my bag, looked in the compact mirror, and wiped the blood from my forehead. I packed my things, turned around, and walked toward the entrance, but Dorothy grabbed my arm yet again. “Wait, Victoria, where are you going?” “To see Mrs. Brown.” A wave of snickers burst out around us. “Still lying even now.” “Let’s see what she does when Mrs. Brown actually gets here.” Just then, someone in the crowd gasped. “Oh my god, Mrs. Brown is actually coming this way!” Everyone turned toward the grand entrance. Draped in a stunning custom gown and wearing a flawless emerald necklace, Mrs. Brown was walking gracefully toward the lobby. Dorothy’s face lit up, and she immediately stepped forward. “Mrs. Brown—” The others watched with bated breath. “Of course Dorothy is the one who actually knows Mrs. Brown.” “Exactly. Victoria’s little lie is about to blow up in her face.” They all smirked, waiting to watch me fall. But Mrs. Brown walked right past Dorothy, completely ignoring her, and stopped directly in front of me. “You must be Ms. Samuels! I’ve been waiting for you. Please, come right in.” The entire room went dead silent.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “434481”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster

The billionaire heir to a massive shipping empire was getting married, celebrating with a high-profile parade of ninety-nine luxury yachts along the West Coast. My best friend excitedly dragged me to the harbor to watch the spectacle. Out of habit, I snapped a photo first, wanting to share it with my boyfriend right away. But a second later, two familiar figures walked right into my camera frame. My boyfriend, who was supposed to be working overtime, was wearing a bespoke designer tuxedo. He was holding another woman’s hand, leading her onto the glittering flagship yacht. I froze, my mind going blank. Anger surged through me, and I wanted to rush forward to confront him, but my best friend grabbed my arm, stopping me. “Chloe, Elena was always meant to be Julian’s fiancée. If you make a scene now, you’re just going to embarrass yourself.” “Julian pretended to be broke and lived in a cramped basement with you for five years. I actually felt bad for how much he had to hold back.” “As your best friend, I’m advising you to have some self-respect. Don’t be a shameless homewrecker.” The cold ocean breeze slapped my face, and my heart turned completely to ice. My boyfriend of eight years had been lying to me this whole time. And the girl I treated like my own sister had known all along and kept it from me. My phone buzzed with a Snapchat notification. It was a message from Julian. “Babe, I just got off work. I took two more Uber rides to make some extra cash.” “Don’t be jealous of other people. If I work a little harder, I’ll save enough for an engagement ring soon and propose to you.” Looking at the elegant billionaire standing on the yacht, I felt nothing but pure disgust. “No need. My mom wants me to go back home for some blind dates.”

The reporters swarmed the couple. Julian casually looked back. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted me standing outside the crowd. The smile on his face froze instantly. He reflexively let go of Elena’s trailing wedding gown. “I thought you said she wouldn’t know. Who brought her here?” He pushed past the crowd and leaped off the deck of the yacht. Amidst the gasps of the onlookers, he ran toward me desperately, panic written all over his face. “Babe, let me explain!” “I didn’t mean to keep this from you… I was just afraid that the status gap between us would make you feel insecure.” “Elena and I are just putting on a show for the families. Please don’t make a scene, okay?” Holding back my tears, I violently shook off his hand. “You’re still trying to lie to me even now!” I looked past him at Elena, who was wearing a satin, diamond-encrusted wedding dress, looking as elegant as a white swan. Around her neck was a sapphire necklace that had recently been auctioned for $20 million. Meanwhile, Julian, the man who had been with me for eight years, couldn’t even “afford” a $300 engagement ring. My best friend, Vivian Cole, frowned. “Chloe, are you really trying to ruin the wedding of the century?” “Let’s be real here. You have no right to throw a tantrum. Can you grow up for once?” I stared at her in utter disbelief. We had been best friends for over a decade. After her parents divorced, I was the one who brought her into my home, sharing my parents’ love with her. I had even cut down on my own expenses and begged my parents to help pay for her college tuition. And now, she was standing here, accusing me to defend outsiders! Elena let out a soft laugh, stepping up to Julian’s side and shaking her head at me. “Chloe, even your best friend has more class than you.” “Do you know what kind of event this is? Who gave you the courage to come here and cause trouble?” My chest felt incredibly tight, and I couldn’t help but raise my voice. “My boyfriend of eight years is suddenly marrying someone else. Am I not even allowed to ask for an explanation?” “Shut up!” Seeing the reporters sniffing out a scandal and starting to gather around, Julian lowered his voice, warning me coldly: “Do you want to broadcast our private business to the entire world?!” “Vivian, please take her back and help her calm down.” Vivian nodded, locking her hands tightly around my shoulders. “Don’t worry, Julian. I’ll make sure she leaves.” It wasn’t until Julian and Elena, arm in arm, boarded the yacht again under the spotlight that Vivian finally let me go. She sighed with deep envy. “They look so perfect together!” “Chloe, take my advice. You and Julian belong to different worlds. Give up, and stop clinging to him.”

Vivian hailed an Uber. “I still have things to do at the clinic, so I won’t ride back with you.” “Chloe, people need to have self-respect. I don’t want a best friend who is a homewrecker.” It finally clicked. She had purposely brought me here tonight to witness Julian and Elena’s wedding. A bitter taste spread through my chest. The Uber driver glanced at me through the rearview mirror, and the silent judgment in his eyes made me feel like I was sitting on needles. I returned to our tiny, 100-square-foot basement. As soon as I pushed the door open, the entire room was visible. A small twin bed, a desk squeezed tightly against it, and on the desk lay a half-ironed Louis Vuitton shirt. Julian had told me he was competing for a promotion and begged me to buy him a luxury piece to “look the part.” I had gritted my teeth and spent a whole month’s salary on it. On the day I swiped my card, he had laughed so hard seeing how much it pained me to spend that money. Now, the image of the $20 million necklace he gave Elena flashed through my mind. He wasn’t happy because he received a gift. He was laughing at how pathetic and poor I was. My eyes stung. I grabbed a pair of scissors, shredded the shirt to pieces, and threw it into the trash can. Then, I rummaged through the room, grabbed all of Julian’s things, threw them into a suitcase, and shoved it outside the door. I sent him a text: “[Julian, we’re done. I threw your stuff out. Pick it up yourself.]” Right after sending it, I blocked and deleted him on Snapchat. After doing all this, I collapsed onto the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. I remembered our sophomore year in college. I was working part-time at the cafeteria when I overheard Julian complaining that he could barely afford food. Feeling sorry for him, I gave him my own meal. His expression back then was so strange, but I was too busy working to think much of it. Now that I think about it, he must have found me incredibly hilarious. A broke student working for tuition actually pitying the heir of a multi-billion-dollar shipping empire. Later, he started pursuing me. After graduation, I followed him to the West Coast to build a life. The West Coast is incredibly expensive, and rent is insanely high. Even this tiny basement cost me $3,000 a month. Julian said he wanted to save up to marry me and buy us a big house, so I took on the burden of the rent. But the first time he saved up $10,000, he supposedly clicked on a phishing link, and his account was wiped out. The second time, he allegedly donated it to a little girl with leukemia. The third time, he got into a car accident and had to pay for damages… For five whole years, he hadn’t saved a single penny. He couldn’t even afford a cheap $500 engagement ring. But it wasn’t that he didn’t have $500. He just didn’t want to marry me. Suddenly, the front door was pushed open from the outside. A dripping wet Julian rushed in and hugged me tightly. He buried his face in the crook of my neck, his voice trembling. “Babe, please don’t break up with me.” “Just wait for me a little longer. I promise I’ll marry you.” The cold rainwater on his body soaked through my clothes. For a split second, my heart softened. But then my eyes landed on the shredded designer shirt in the trash can. I snapped back to reality and pushed him away. “Julian, you’re married.” His body stiffened, but he hugged me even tighter. “Chloe, my older brother passed away, and my dad had a brain hemorrhage and is still in a coma.” “Your family is ordinary, so you don’t understand how dangerous high society can be. Only Elena’s family can help me secure my position right now.” “But the only person I love is you. The only one I want to marry is you. Can you just wait for me for another six months? Just until I stabilize things…” His voice grew softer, and my vision started to blur. I suddenly remembered a month ago, when we were preparing to celebrate our eighth anniversary. He had received a phone call, turned pale, and told me his family had an emergency and he had to leave for a while. I had stuffed a debit card into his hand. It had $100,000 on it—every single penny I had saved from working for five years. Because he had promised me countless times that once we saved enough for a down payment, we would move back to my hometown, get married, and settle down. So, I had worked myself to the bone to save that money. “Julian, I don’t understand your high-society struggles.” “But I’ve already waited for you for five years. I don’t want to wait anymore.” “I promised my mom that if I wasn’t married by twenty-seven, I would go back home and let her set me up.”

Julian gripped my shoulders tightly, his eyes bloodshot. “You’ve been with me for eight years! How can you marry someone else? I won’t allow it, Chloe! I won’t!” Anger flared in me, and I slapped him across the face. “Julian, you are married to Elena now. You have no right to control me!” “It’s just a marriage of convenience!” “You waited five years, so why can’t you wait another six months?!” “Don’t worry, Elena is very open-minded. As long as you stay quiet and behave, she won’t cause trouble for you.” I was shaking with pure rage. I used all my strength to push him out the door. “Get out!” “I never want to see you again!” Through the closed door, Julian’s muffled voice continued, trying to coax me into being his kept woman. “I’ll buy you a villa, okay? You can move your parents in. I’ll give you $10,000 a month for living expenses.” “You won’t have to wake up early and squeeze onto the subway for work anymore. I’ll take care of you…” So, he had seen how hard I struggled over the past five years. He had just chosen to ignore it. Tears streamed down my face as I collapsed onto the floor, completely exhausted. The man I had loved for eight years had turned into an absolute monster on the other side of the door. My bones felt icy cold, but my skin was burning hot, and my consciousness began to slip. I had suffered from severe pneumonia a few years ago. Whenever I ran a high fever, it became extremely dangerous. I dragged myself to open the door, my voice incredibly raspy. “Julian… can you take me to the hos—” Before I could finish, his phone rang. He checked it, his face changing instantly, and he rushed toward the elevator. “Elena is feeling unwell. Just hang in there for a bit. I’ll call Vivian to come over.” His retreating back distorted in my vision. I couldn’t hold on any longer and blacked out. When I opened my eyes again, I was in a hospital bed. Vivian was bending over me, replacing my cooling patch and checking my forehead with the back of her hand. “Good, your fever is going down.” “Chloe, it’s just a breakup. How did you end up like this?” Her eyes were filled with pity. “One is a billionaire heir, and the other is a wealthy heiress. Messing with them was never going to end well for you.” “When did you find out?” I stared directly into her eyes, watching her every expression. Vivian bit her lip, avoiding my gaze. “The year he first started dating you, he confessed his identity to me.” “He gave me a million dollars and set me up with a job. The only condition was that I had to help him hide his secret.” “He said that saving up for a ring and a house was too easy for him, so I was the one who suggested he use fake scams, donations, and car accidents to drag out the time…” A million dollars was all it took to buy out our ten-year friendship. Money and a bright future are hard to resist. I couldn’t even find the energy to blame her. But— “Vivian, leave. I’ll pretend I never had you as a friend.” Vivian’s eyes widened. “You’re ending our friendship over this little thing?” “Fine, Chloe. Don’t regret this!” She slammed the door and left. Shortly after, a nurse came in to administer my IV. The needle missed my vein over ten times, making me gasp in pain. The nurse looked at me with a mocking smile and tossed a local tabloid newspaper onto my bed. “Ms. Shen, you’re famous now.” Confused, I looked down, and a massive headline caught my eye: “《On His Wedding Night, the Billionaire Shipping Heir was Seducing His Slum Mistress, Leaving the Wealthy Heiress Devastated》” My private photos took up half the page. My pupils dilated. Only Julian had those photos. He had begged me to take them on his birthday. Rage boiled in my chest. Just as I was about to call him, my phone rang. It was Julian. “I went to see you last night, and Elena was upset, so she leaked those to the media.” “Just let her vent her anger. Don’t make a big deal out of it.” Before I could say a word, he hung up. Meeting the nurse’s judging eyes, I didn’t even have the energy to explain myself. I simply closed my eyes. But I never expected Vivian to publicly label me a gold-digger. In front of the reporters’ cameras, she put on an act of deep disappointment. “Chloe and I have been friends for over ten years. I tried to warn her not to interfere in other people’s relationships.” “But she wouldn’t listen. She was obsessed with marrying into money and kept harassing Mr. Vance.” The video went viral, shooting straight to the top of the trending page on Twitter. My brain buzzed. I stared blankly at Vivian’s face on the screen, unable to believe she would stab me in the back like this! But before I could even process my best friend’s betrayal, my phone rang again. It was my mother, her voice filled with tears. “Chloe, your sister Emily had an accident!”

“Your sister saw Vivian’s interview on the news. She was so distracted and panicked that she didn’t see the construction site… A falling steel bar pierced her chest!” “The doctor said there’s a matching heart available right now, but there’s a strict time limit. If we can’t raise the $100,000 for the surgery fee within an hour, the heart goes to the next patient on the list!” “Taking out a loan on our house will take too long. Do you have $100,000 with you?” My heart hammered violently against my ribs, and a cold sweat broke out all over my body. “Mom, don’t panic! I have $100,000. I’ll transfer it to you right away!” I quickly unlocked my phone and tried to transfer my savings—the money I had worked so hard to save. But the screen flashed: “Transaction Failed.” Then I remembered. A month ago, I had given that debit card to Julian for his “emergency.” Given his massive wealth, he surely wouldn’t care about a measly $100,000. But when I logged into my mobile banking app, the cold, glaring balance of $0 made my eyes sting. With trembling hands, I called Julian, but the call wouldn’t go through. In my panic, I accidentally opened Snapchat and clicked on Vivian’s story. “Accidentally crashed a private party. Crying over the beautiful love story of our favorite billionaire heir and his gorgeous wife! ~” In the center of her photo grid, Julian and Elena were kissing passionately under the fireworks at a luxury mansion on the hill. A sharp pain pierced my chest, but I didn’t have time to think. I quickly traced the location and rushed over. When Vivian saw me at the entrance, her face fell, and she tried to push me back out the door. “Julian finally got Elena calmed down! What are you trying to ruin now?” I was still weak from my fever. When she pushed me, I lost my balance, fell hard onto the concrete, and a sharp, blinding pain shot through my wrist. Elena sneered, raising her eyebrow at Julian. “Julian, did your little mistress switch to a victim-playing strategy now?” The surrounding crowd burst into laughter. Julian’s wealthy friends looked at him with mocking grins. “Man, your standards must have been really low back then. You dated “this” for eight years?” “She’s so embarrassing.” Julian looked embarrassed and glared at me. “Stop acting. Get up right now.” There were only ten minutes left! Anxiety consumed me, and I forced myself to stand up. “Julian, give me back my $100,000!” “Oh, so you’re here for money,” Elena sneered mockingly. “Kneel down, slap yourself, and I’ll give you the $100,000. It’s pocket change to me anyway.” “Elena is so generous!” “Slap yourself once more, and I’ll throw in another ten grand as a wedding tip!” Listening to their relentless humiliation, the taste of copper rose in the back of my throat. “I am only here to take back what is rightfully mine!” “Julian, you said your family had an emergency last month, so I gave you a debit card with $100,000 on it.” Julian frowned. “What debit card?” Only three minutes left. Tears of pure desperation finally spilled over. “My sister is in critical condition! Give me the money back! I’m running out of time!” “I’ve never seen any debit card. Besides, where would you even get that much money?” Seeing that Julian was denying it, I gritted my teeth and turned to Elena. “Is it true? If I kneel and slap myself, you’ll give me the $100,000?” Julian stared at me in utter disbelief. “Chloe, have you lost all your self-respect for some cash?” To save my sister’s life, I didn’t hesitate. I dropped to my knees right in front of Elena. Elena looked down at me with pure disgust, as if she were looking at a piece of garbage. “Julian, a mere $100,000 to show you exactly what kind of trash she is? Totally worth it.” She pulled out her phone to transfer the money. But Julian grabbed her hand, his expression incredibly complicated. “Chloe isn’t a gold-digger. Don’t use money to humiliate her.” No matter how much I begged and explained, Julian refused to let Elena send me the money. I watched the clock on the wall hit the hour mark. All the strength was drained from my body, leaving me completely numb and hollow. “Julian, the biggest regret of my life was ever meeting you.” Lied to for eight years, and in the end, I lost both my love and my life savings. My heart was completely dead. I turned around and walked away without looking back.

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On the day Zach finished his SATs, he came to pick me up from preschool wearing a pair of limited-edition $4,000 sneakers. My teacher, Miss Miller, stared at his shoes for a long time. She said Zach was barely an adult himself and that she didn’t feel safe letting two kids walk home alone. She insisted on walking us back. I was about to nod blindly when the Barbie doll in my arms suddenly spoke inside my head: [Right before you reach your house, Miss Miller will fake a sprained ankle. She will ask Zach to help her inside and let her stay the night.] [At midnight, she will crawl into Zach’s bed. Tomorrow, she will lie and say Zach assaulted her.] [Your brother will be expelled from school. She will take your house, your family’s savings, and kick you all onto the streets to freeze to death.] My mind went completely blank with fear. By the time I finally processed what the doll said, we were already at the gates of our gated community. Suddenly, Miss Miller gasped and leaned against the wall, clutching her ankle. Her face was pale. “Chloe, my foot hurts so bad I can’t walk. Can I please stay at your place tonight?” I squeezed Zach’s hand tightly, remembering the last thing the doll had whispered: [In the end, she will sell you to human traffickers. You will never see your mom, dad, or brother again!] I was terrified of bad guys, and even more terrified of losing my family. I gathered all my courage and screamed: “Miss Miller! We are going on a road trip tonight! We won’t be home!”

Miss Miller’s face froze for a second. But then she forced a quick smile. “Summer break hasn’t even started yet, sweetie. Why are you going on a trip now?” “Besides, I didn’t get any text from your mom about this…” “Chloe, are you just saying that because you don’t want to help me?” “Lying isn’t what good girls do, you know.” Being accused of lying made me feel so frustrated. I screamed louder: “I am not lying! Mom said Zach got a perfect score on his SATs, so we are going to New York to celebrate!” Hearing this, Miss Miller’s eyes lit up. She wasn’t angry at all. Instead, she turned to my brother and gave him an understanding smile. “I guess Chloe is just too excited for the holidays and wants to skip school. That’s why she’s making up excuses.” Zach frowned slightly. His tone was firm. “Chloe doesn’t lie. If she doesn’t want to go to school, there must be a reason.” Then, he knelt down, ruffled my hair, and asked softly: “Tell me, Chloe. Are you feeling sick? Or did someone bully you at school?” Looking at my gentle brother, the terror of being sold by traffickers finally turned into hot tears. I buried my face in his chest, grabbing his shirt, and sobbed, “There’s a bad person at school… they want to sell me…” Zach’s face went pale instantly. He held me tight and glared at Miss Miller with suspicion. Miss Miller clearly didn’t expect me to say that. Seeing Zach staring at her, she quickly forced a laugh. “She… she must be talking about the anti-abduction drill we did at school!” “Yes, that’s it! Since summer break is coming, the school organized a safety drill so kids know how to stay safe outside.” “Chloe is just sensitive. She probably got scared.” “You know how kids are. They get confused easily.” Zach was still worried, but Miss Miller sounded so confident, and I was crying too hard to speak clearly. He could only pat my back to soothe me. “Don’t worry, Chloe. The bad guys in the drill aren’t real. No one is going to take you away.” Then, looking at Miss Miller, who was sweating from her “painful” ankle, he sighed apologetically. “Your ankle looks really bad. Why don’t you come inside and rest for a bit? I’ll help you find some ice and medicine once I calm my sister down.” Hearing Zach believe her instead of me, I lost it. I let out a loud wail. I pushed Zach’s hand away and threw myself straight onto the ground. “It is real! It’s not a drill! I’m going to get stolen! I don’t want to go home! No, no, no!” Zach was shocked by my meltdown. People walking by started staring at us. Zach’s face turned beet red. He was completely stuck. “What’s going on here? Why is Chloe crying like this?” A familiar voice came from behind us. It was Mom, just getting home from work. Zach looked like he had just seen his savior. He quickly explained everything to her. After hearing it, Mom patted Zach’s shoulder. Only then did Zach’s tensed shoulders finally relax a bit. “You did great, honey. Don’t worry. Since Chloe is scared, we won’t wait for Dad to get off work. We’ll leave for our trip right now.” She picked me up, gently wiping my tears, and smiled. “We will stay far away from any bad guys. Dad will meet us there later, so Chloe doesn’t need to be scared at all.” After calming Zach and me down, Mom turned to Miss Miller with an apologetic smile. “I’m so sorry for the drama, Miss Miller. Let me drive you home instead.”

Hearing this, a flash of panic crossed Miss Miller’s eyes. “Mrs. Miller, I’m really sorry. I shouldn’t bother you guys.” “But… the apartment I rent is an old walk-up. I live on the fourth floor. With my ankle swollen like this, I can’t climb the stairs at all.” She let out a bitter sigh. “And calling an ambulance for a sprained ankle feels like such a waste of medical resources.” “It’s fine. I’ll just sit on the bench in the park tonight. I’ll probably feel better tomorrow morning…” Mom looked at Miss Miller’s pale face, feeling conflicted. Miss Miller was my homeroom teacher. She always talked to the parents and seemed to care a lot about the kids. Leaving her on a park bench overnight felt too cruel. So, Mom knelt down and tried to negotiate with me. “Chloe, how about we push our trip to tomorrow morning? Can we do that for Mom?” I hugged my doll tightly. Every cell in my body was screaming “no”. But I didn’t know how to argue back. My parents had always taught me to be polite and kind. My tantrums earlier had already used up all my courage. I had to think fast. If I couldn’t kick her out, I would just stick to my brother like glue! “Okay…” I pouted, pretending to give in. Then, I spun around and wrapped myself around Zach’s leg like an octopus. “But Zach has to sleep with me tonight! I’m scared of the bad guys!” Seeing my red, puffy eyes, Zach couldn’t bear to say no. “Deal,” he said immediately. The heavy rock in my heart finally dropped. As long as I slept in the same bed with Zach, that evil teacher wouldn’t be able to crawl into his bed! However, Miss Miller almost lost her smile. She forced a dry laugh. “Oh, Chloe, you’re a big girl now. Why are you still so clingy to your brother?” “Are you afraid of the dark? The other kids at school might laugh at you if they find out.” Normally, this peer pressure would work on me. But right now, I felt like a superhero fighting a supervillain. I wasn’t falling for her tricks! “I’m not afraid of the dark! I just want to sleep with Zach!” I buried my face in Zach’s leg. “If you don’t let Zach sleep with me, I won’t let you stay at our house!” That shut Miss Miller up completely. No matter how angry she was, she could only close her mouth in embarrassment. That night, I got my wish. I crawled into Zach’s bed with my doll. Zach leaned against the headboard, reading me a bedtime story in his soft voice. I pretended to listen, but my ears were straining to hear any noise outside the door. I promised myself I would keep my eyes open all night to protect my brother. But a five-year-old’s body simply couldn’t hold out. Under the soothing sound of his voice, my eyelids grew heavy, and my brain turned to mush. Before I knew it, I fell fast asleep. But my sleep was far from peaceful. In the middle of the night, I felt the air turn freezing cold. It felt like a pair of icy hands was pulling my arms, trying to drag me out of the warm bed. In my dream, I was caught by human traffickers. I couldn’t move. I screamed for Zach to save me, but my body felt like it was made of lead. I couldn’t wake up. I couldn’t make a sound. The terrifying face of the trafficker came closer and closer. I was shaking with fear. “AHHHHHHH!!!” Suddenly, a piercing shriek woke me up completely.

I pouted, turning around to cry to Zach. But my hands grabbed nothing but air. Zach wasn’t next to me. Even my doll was gone! I rubbed my blurry eyes and looked around. Pink wallpaper, stuffed animals everywhere… This was my own bedroom! How did I get here? I was sleeping with Zach last night! I didn’t even put on my shoes. I ran as fast as my short legs could carry me straight to Zach’s room. When I reached the door, the scene inside shocked me. Miss Miller was sitting on Zach’s bed, holding the blanket tightly up to her chest. Her hair was a mess, and her face was covered in tears. Zach was standing by the bed in his pajamas. His face was ghostly pale, and he looked completely lost. “I really don’t know… I woke up and she was just in my bed… I didn’t do anything…” Zach’s voice was shaking with pure terror and despair. Just then, loud footsteps came from the hallway. Dad had just gotten back from his business trip. Still holding his briefcase, looking exhausted, he rushed in when he heard the scream. The moment Dad stepped into the room, he saw the chaos. Zach saw Dad and tried to explain immediately. “Dad, let me explain! I was sleeping with Chloe last night! I swear I didn’t touch her!” Dad froze. Then he saw me standing by the door, having just run out of my own room. Dad’s face turned dark. He rushed forward and slapped Zach across the face. “Your sister just came out of her own room!” “You did something this disgusting, and you’re using your little sister as a shield?!” Dad was shaking with rage, pointing his finger at Zach’s nose. “I didn’t! I really slept with Chloe!” Zach held his cheek, his eyes filled with tears of injustice. The noise was so loud that the neighbors from upstairs and downstairs started gathering around. Our front door was open, and people were whispering and pointing at us. “Isn’t that the kid who got a perfect score on his SATs? Wow, you really can’t judge a book by its cover.” “I used to tell my kids to be like him… Oh my god, being smart doesn’t mean you have morals!” “How did his parents raise a monster like this?” I screamed at Miss Miller on the bed. “Zach is not lying! I slept with him last night! She sneaked in by herself!” Hearing my words, Miss Miller didn’t panic. Instead, she cried even harder. She gasped for breath, sobbing. “Chloe… I’ve always been so nice to you. How can you lie to protect your brother like this…” She pointed at Zach, wailing: “He is a six-foot-tall guy! I’m just a kindergarten teacher.” “My ankle is injured. How could I possibly fight him off?” The neighbors murmured in disgust. “What is wrong with this family? The brother does something terrible, and they teach the little sister to lie at such a young age!” “That poor teacher. She just needed a place to stay…” Being pointed at and called a liar by so many adults was too much for a five-year-old. Tears poured down my face. I didn’t know what to do. No one believed me. I knew I was holding Zach’s arm last night. Why did I wake up in my own room?

Suddenly, I remembered the candy Miss Miller gave me last night. She said Mom bought it for me, so I ate it without thinking. I couldn’t quite connect the dots, but I felt like that candy was the reason. On the bed, Miss Miller was screaming for someone to call 911. A few minutes later, the police arrived. Facing the officers, Miss Miller clutched the sheet and wept hysterically. Because this happened inside our house, there were no security cameras. But the disheveled bed, the torn clothes, the hair on the pillow… All the physical evidence pointed directly at Zach. The police officer frowned, took some notes, and turned to the crowd of neighbors outside. “Did anyone hear anything unusual last night?” Mrs. Gable, a lady from down the hall, stepped forward and said hesitantly: “Officer, I did hear a woman screaming last night.” “It was so loud that I actually came over and knocked on the door.” “This young man opened the door and said he was playing a horror game. He said the screaming was from the TV.” “I told him to turn it down and went back to bed.” “Now that I think about it… it must have been the teacher screaming for help.” Hearing this, Zach’s eyes widened in horror. He waved his hands wildly. “I didn’t! I wasn’t playing any games! I didn’t even open the door last night! I never talked to you!” “Why are you still lying?!” Mrs. Gable snapped back, looking disgusted. “We live in the same building. Why would I lie to get you in trouble if you didn’t do it?” I was sweating with anxiety. The police didn’t believe me. Dad was too angry to see the truth. My only hope was Mom! Mom was the smartest adult I knew. If she was here, she would kick this bad woman out. But I looked through the crowd and couldn’t find her. Then I remembered—Mom always went to Whole Foods early in the morning for groceries. She wasn’t back yet! Seeing that all the “evidence” and “witnesses” were against Zach, and Zach had no way to prove his innocence, the lead officer sighed. He walked over to Zach and said coldly: “Son, you’re going to have to come down to the station with us for questioning.” At that exact second, Mom burst through the door. She was out of breath, and her grocery bag was empty. She pushed through the crowd, stood right in front of Zach and me, and said firmly: “Officer, I guarantee my son was sleeping with his sister last night. He couldn’t have done this.” I nodded like crazy behind Mom. “Yes! And I dreamed of being taken by bad guys, and then I woke up in my own room!” Miss Miller wiped her tears and said: “Of course you’re going to defend him, you’re his family…” “Even if they slept together at first, his brother could have easily carried Chloe back to her room before coming back to assault me!” “Chloe, did you see anyone else in the room last night besides your brother?” Miss Miller’s question stumped me. Seeing me silent, the officer shook his head and reached for his handcuffs to take Zach away. Suddenly, Mom looked at me and asked: “Chloe, where is your Barbie? Didn’t Mom tell you to never let that doll leave your side?” I froze. I looked down at my empty hands. I realized that since I woke up, I hadn’t seen my doll. Mom saw my reaction and nodded. She walked straight into Zach’s room. A moment later, she came out holding my Barbie. She held the doll up and said coldly to everyone: “Who says we don’t have cameras in this house?” “The eyes of this doll are the cameras!”

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Five years of marriage, and everyone in the Sterling family knew the truth: I was just a placeholder for Julian’s first love, Chloe. When I finally handed him the divorce papers, I only had one condition. “Send me to Paris to study art.” Julian flipped through the agreement twice. A mocking smile played on his lips. “So, you’re finally dropping the act.” He stood up, walked over to me, and pinched my chin, forcing me to look up at him. “She studied art, so now you want to study art. She went to Paris, so you have to go to Paris. Seven, are you really that obsessed with me, or are you just desperate to become her?” I didn’t answer. The next day, he had his driver pick me up, saying everything was arranged. But the car didn’t stop at an airport. It stopped in front of a colorful, tacky storefront in a suburban strip mall: “Happy Hippo Kids’ Art Class”. The receptionist at the front desk smiled warmly and handed me a tiny, paint-splattered apron. “Hi there! Are you here to drop off your kid?” “No,” Julian’s voice cut in from behind me. He stepped up, hands slid casually into his tailored suit pockets, his tone dripping with lazy condescension. “She’s the student.” The other parents nearby shot me weird, pitying looks. Julian leaned down, his breath brushing my ear, his voice barely a whisper. “A beginner’s class. Just your level, babe.” I didn’t make a scene. Instead, I turned around and pointed to the framed oil painting hanging in the lobby window. Specifically, at the signature in the bottom right corner. “Julian, I sold that exact painting ten years ago for seventy thousand dollars.” I looked him dead in the eye. “Do you still think I’m the one copying her?”

“Seventy thousand?” Julian glanced in the direction of my finger. His eyes lingered on the canvas for less than half a second before his face contorted into a cold, deeply contemptuous sneer. “Seven, are you seriously making up lies this pathetic just to get my attention now?” He stood there, towering over me, a hand in his pocket. He looked down at me like I was a misbehaving pet. There wasn’t a shred of doubt in his eyes—only absolute certainty. He was certain I was lying. He was certain I was just a jealous, vain woman acting out. “I don’t care about seventy grand,” he whispered, leaning closer. “If you love this painting so much, I’ll have my assistant buy it and hang it in your bedroom.” “But you don’t need to embarrass yourself by claiming you painted it.” The receptionist couldn’t help but let out a soft snort. She covered her mouth, her eyes darting between Julian and me with blatant mockery. “Mr. Sterling, your wife has quite a sense of humor,” she said, tapping a glossy brochure. “This piece, “Drowning”, is just a high-quality print our franchise bought. The original masterpiece is in the private collection of a billionaire in France.” “If your wife could paint at this level ten years ago, why is she signing up for a class that teaches you how to hold a brush?” The parents waiting in the lobby started whispering. Dozens of mocking, amused stares pricked my back like needles. I stood there silently. I didn’t defend myself. Ten years ago, when I painted that piece, I signed it with my real name, “Seven”. But nobody in this superficial circle knew that. And Julian was the last person who would ever care. For the past five years, his entire world had revolved around Chloe. I was just the quiet, obedient shadow he kept around to fill the void. Looking at Julian’s handsome but cold face, a wave of nausea hit me. “Cat got your tongue?” Julian straightened up, adjusting his flawless platinum cufflinks. “Embarrassed because you got caught?” I swallowed the dryness in my throat and kept my voice flat. “If you don’t believe me, Julian, forget it.” “I’ll figure out the Paris trip on my own.” His brows furrowed instantly. My indifferent attitude clearly annoyed him. “On your own?” He let out a sharp chuckle, as if I’d just told the funniest joke of the year. “Seven, you’ve been married to me for five years. You haven’t swiped anything but my black card. You’re telling me you have a backup plan?” “What are you going to use? Your imaginary seventy-thousand-dollar art money?” Right then, his phone buzzed in his pocket. It was a custom ringtone. Chloe. The harshness in Julian’s eyes melted away in an instant. The cold aura around him vanished. He answered the call right in front of me, his voice suddenly soft enough to drip honey. “Chloe? What’s wrong?” “Your stomach is hurting again? Did you take your meds?” “Okay, don’t move. I’m coming over right now.” He hung up, and the warmth vanished from his face. When he looked back at me, he was the cold billionaire again. “Chloe is sick. I don’t have time for your childish tantrums.” He pointed at the apron on the desk, his voice leaving no room for argument. “Since you’re already here, go inside and take the class. Behave yourself.” “And stop trying to compete with Chloe. You’re not her, and you never will be.” Without another word, he turned on his heel and walked out of the mall. Through the glass doors, I watched his Maybach disappear into the heavy rain. I looked down at the registration form in my hand, slowly tore it into tiny pieces, and tossed them into the trash can. “Um, ma’am? Or… student?” the receptionist called out, her voice dripping with attitude. “Are you taking the class or what? The beginner session starts in two minutes, and we don’t do refunds.” I ignored her, turned around, and walked toward the elevators. Outside, the rain was pouring, cold wind whipping against my face. Standing under the awning, I pulled out my phone and scrolled to a number I hadn’t dialed in five years. My fingers shook slightly. It rang for a long time before a sleepy, deep voice answered. “Who is this?” I took a deep breath. “Zach. It’s me.” The line went dead silent. For thirty seconds, all I heard was a sudden crash on the other end, like someone had knocked over a desk of art supplies. “Seven?!” Zach’s voice leaped an octave, thick with utter shock. “You’ve been MIA for five years, and now you finally decide to call?” Looking at the blurry neon lights of the city through the rain, my eyes stung. “Zach,” I whispered. “You told me once… that there was an open slot for the residency program at the Paris Academy of Fine Arts.” “Does that offer still stand?”

“Seven, did you finally get a brain transplant?” Zach’s voice crackled through the phone, his frustration vibrating across the Atlantic. “Five years ago, you got the prestigious scholarship, and then you dropped out overnight for some guy. You literally vanished. Do you know the Professor almost burned down your studio because he was so pissed?” I leaned against the cold brick wall, staring at my shoes. “I know.” “I’m sorry, Zach.” Zach scoffed, but his tone softened. “Save it.” “I’ve kept your slot open. But Seven, you haven’t touched a paintbrush in five years. Can you even still paint?” I lifted my right hand. My fingers were long and pale. I curled them into a fist. Five years ago, trying to make Julian the homemade soup he’d been craving, I had accidentally knocked over a pot of boiling water. There was still a coin-sized scar on the back of my hand. Julian had been hungover at the time. He had simply tossed his credit card at me and told me to drive myself to the ER. Staring at the scar, my voice was quiet but steady. “Yes, I can.” “Good,” Zach said, getting straight to business. “Get your portfolio ready. Email me the digital files by next week.” “Also, you’ll need a financial guarantee for the visa and living expenses. At least a hundred and fifty thousand dollars.” “Is that cheap husband of yours going to pay for it?” I bit my lip. “No. I’ll figure out the money myself.” “Fine. Let me know when you’re ready.” After hanging up, I stood in the cold wind for a long time. It was 9:00 PM by the time I got back to the Sterling mansion in the Upper East Side. The house was fully lit. The moment I pushed the door open, a high-pitched, sweet laugh echoed from the second floor. Chloe. My hand froze on my keys. I kept my face blank as I walked upstairs. At the end of the hallway, I stopped. It was my old studio. Three years ago, Julian had complained that the smell of turpentine gave him a headache. He had ordered the maids to throw all my art supplies into the basement, turning the room into a storage space. Now, the door was wide open. Chloe was wearing a silk slip dress, gesturing gracefully to a couple of movers. “Yes, throw all those old papers away. They’re just collecting dust anyway.” She pointed at a dusty, cardboard blueprint tube in the corner, her face twisted in disgust. Julian was leaning against the doorframe, a glass of red wine in his hand, watching her with soft, indulgent eyes. “You don’t need to lift a finger, Chloe. Your stomach just flared up. Let the movers handle it.” Chloe pouted playfully. “But I want my new yoga studio to be perfect, Julian!” She turned around and finally noticed me standing at the top of the stairs. The smile on her face froze for a second before turning into a picture-perfect expression of sweet innocence. “Oh! Seven, you’re back!” She walked toward me like she owned the place, her voice dripping with fake apology. “I hope you don’t mind. The room was just sitting here empty, so I thought I’d turn it into a yoga space.” “Julian said you don’t paint anymore, so I assumed it was fine.” I looked at her fake smile. It was hilarious, really. She was the “white moonlight,” the girl Julian actually wanted. Even if she burned the mansion down, Julian would probably write her a check for the matches. “Do whatever you want,” I said, not even looking at her as I walked past. I went straight to the corner. That cardboard tube contained the only sketch my late mother had left me. As I reached down to grab it, a polished leather shoe stepped firmly onto the tube. Julian. He stared down at me, his eyes dark with irritation. “Where have you been?” “You smell like the street.” I tried to pull the tube, but his foot didn’t budge. “I went to make plans,” I said, meeting his gaze calmly. Julian’s brows knitted. “What plans?” “My plans to go to Paris.” The room went dead silent. Then, Julian let out a low, mocking laugh. He handed his wine glass to a maid, grabbed my wrist, and pulled me up to face him. “Seven, are you addicted to playing victim?” “You didn’t embarrass me enough at the kids’ art studio today, so now you’re bringing the drama home?” He glanced down at my damp, ruined skirt. “Are you trying to show me how pathetic you are? Like a wet, homeless dog that can’t survive without me?” I yanked my wrist back, my voice completely flat. “Let go.” Julian’s eyes narrowed. He hated defiance. Seeing the tension, Chloe quickly slipped her arm through Julian’s, speaking softly. “Julian, don’t be mad at Seven.” “She’s just insecure because I’m back. She’s saying this because she loves you.” She looked at me, her eyes filled with the pity of a winner. “Seven, you really don’t have to act out like this.” “If you really want to learn how to paint, I can ask some of my friends in the art scene in France. I can get you into a nice, easy hobby class.” “After all, we all need to know our limits.” I looked at Chloe’s perfect, fake face and felt absolutely nothing. I didn’t even want to argue. I leaned down again and yanked the tube out from under Julian’s shoe with all my strength. The cardboard was crushed and covered in dust. I wiped it clean with my sleeve and held it tight against my chest. “Don’t worry about me, Chloe,” I said, walking past them toward the master bedroom. “My life has nothing to do with either of you anymore.”

The next morning, I packed up all my expensive jewelry. One hundred and fifty thousand dollars was a lot of money. Over the past five years, Julian might have been stingy with his affection, but he had never been cheap with material things. The jewelry he bought me was worth a fortune. Wearing sunglasses, I walked into the biggest pawn shop in Manhattan. The appraiser’s eyes nearly popped out when I emptied my bag onto the velvet tray—diamond necklaces, emerald rings, platinum bracelets. “Ma’am, these are top-tier pieces. Are you sure you want to liquidate everything?” I nodded. “Yes. The faster, the better.” The appraiser grabbed his loupe and started examining the pieces. Half an hour later, he gave me a number. It was below market value, but more than enough for my visa guarantee. “Two hundred thousand. Cash or wire.” “Wire is fine,” I said without hesitation. “Great. I just need your ID and the bank routing info.” I handed over my driver’s license and my Chase card. The manager typed on his computer for a minute, and then his expression turned incredibly awkward. He slid the card back to me. “I’m sorry, ma’am.” “This card has a hold on it. The primary account holder has flagged it, and we cannot process any transactions or deposits to this account.” My heart stopped. It felt like an invisible hand had gripped my throat. “A hold?” I took the card, pulled out my phone, and opened my banking app. A bright red banner flashed across the screen: “[Account Suspended. Please contact primary account holder].” My fingers clamped around the phone until my knuckles turned white. Only Julian had the authority to do this. He was cutting off my escape route. “Do you have another account, ma’am?” the manager asked gently. I shook my head, swept the jewelry back into my bag, and walked out. Outside, the New York sun was blazing, but I was freezing. Julian was forcing me. Forcing me to bow my head, to crawl back to him, and to keep playing the quiet, obedient shadow. My phone rang. The screen lit up with his name. I stared at it for a few seconds before sliding to answer. “Why is my account locked?” I asked coldly. The sound of a lighter flicked over the line. Julian’s voice came through, sounding lazy and completely in control. “Finally decided to call me?” “Seven, I thought you were supposed to be tough.” He exhaled a breath of smoke. “Taking the jewelry I bought you to a pawn shop? Nice try.” I took a deep breath, trying to keep my voice from shaking. “Those were gifts during our marriage. Even in a divorce, I’m entitled to half.” “Divorce?” Julian scoffed, his tone suddenly dropping into ice. “Seven, let’s get one thing straight.” “As long as I don’t sign those papers, you’re not going anywhere.” “Even if I keep you like a dog in the backyard, you’ll stay and wag your tail.” I closed my eyes, fighting the urge to throw up. “What do you want, Julian?” “It’s simple,” he said casually, as if talking about the weather. “Chloe saw that pink diamond necklace you have. She wants to wear it to the charity gala next week.” “Bring the necklace to her, apologize for your attitude yesterday, and make nice.” “Do that, and I’ll double your credit limit.” I opened my eyes, a dry laugh escaping my throat. That pink diamond necklace was made from the stones my mother had left me. I had just had them reset. Julian didn’t know the history. To him, it was just an expensive trinket to throw at his mistress. “And if I say no?” “No?” Julian’s voice went completely cold. “Seven, be realistic. Without my money, you are nothing in this city.” “You want to go to Paris? Let’s see how far you get when you can’t even buy a plane ticket.” He hung up. Listening to the dial tone, an overwhelming exhaustion washed over me. This was the man I had loved for five years. Arrogant, selfish, and convinced that money could buy anyone’s dignity. I stood on the bustling street corner, the sun beating down on me, yet feeling utterly cold. After a long time, I dialed Zach’s number again. “Zach.” “Can you… lend me some money?” The line went quiet for a moment. Zach didn’t ask why. He didn’t mock me for being broke. He just sighed, his voice more serious than I’d ever heard it. “Seven, text me your routing number.” “Also, buy a ticket. I’ll meet you at Charles de Gaulle Airport tomorrow morning.” I gripped my phone tightly, a single tear slipping down my cheek and hitting my hand. “Okay.”

The day I went back to the mansion to pack was gray and overcast. I only brought a small, 20-inch carry-on suitcase. Inside were just a few changes of clothes and my mother’s keepsakes. I didn’t touch anything else. The designer dresses, the Birkin bags, the diamond shoes—they remained neatly arranged in the walk-in closet, like trophies of my five-year captivity. As I rolled my suitcase down to the lobby, the front door opened. Julian walked in. He stopped when he saw the suitcase, his eyebrows instantly drawing together. “What kind of tantrum is this now?” He walked over, glancing at my small suitcase with disdain. “Are you packing a lunch? Planning to run away for a few hours?” “Seven, the playing-hard-to-get act is getting old.” I stood there, calm. I pulled the signed divorce papers from my bag and held them out to him. “I’m not throwing a tantrum.” “I’m divorcing you.” My signature was already on the line. Julian stared at the papers, his face darkening instantly. He didn’t take them. Instead, he slapped them out of my hand. The sheets scattered across the marble floor. “I don’t have time for your high school drama.” He loosened his tie, walked over to the velvet sofa, and sat down, crossing his legs in his usual power stance. “Got a taste of what it’s like to be broke, have we?” He pulled a document from his leather briefcase and tossed it onto the coffee table. “Sign this, and I’ll pretend this week never happened.” I looked down. The title read: “Postnuptial Agreement and Asset Arrangement”. “What is this?” I asked. Julian leaned back, tapping his fingers on the armrest. “Chloe is moving in next month.” “I don’t want her to feel uncomfortable, so I need to give her the title of Mrs. Sterling.” He looked at me, completely devoid of guilt. “But you’ve been with me for five years.” “Sign this, and the penthouse downtown is yours. I’ll also give you thirty thousand dollars a month for living expenses.” “You can stay by my side. Nothing changes, except the legal title.” He paused, clearly thinking he was being incredibly generous. “As for your art, I’ll hire a private tutor for you. Nobody will laugh at you.” I stared at him, suddenly finding him terrifyingly alien. What did he think I was? A mistress he could just pay off and keep in a side apartment? I bent down, picked up the scattered divorce papers, and slammed them back onto the table, covering his ridiculous postnup. “Julian, you disgust me,” I said, highlighting every syllable. Julian’s face twisted in rage. He stood up abruptly, grabbing my chin in a tight, painful grip. “Don’t test me, Seven!” “Do you think you’re some pure, innocent saint? You climbed into my bed for my money five years ago.” “Don’t start acting like you have morals now.” Pain flared in my jaw, but I didn’t blink. “Believe whatever you want.” I looked at him coldly. “Just sign the papers.” Julian stared at me for ten long seconds. Suddenly, he let go, letting out a cruel, vicious laugh. “Fine.” “You want to be a martyr? Go ahead.” He snatched a pen, scribbled his signature on the divorce papers, and threw them right at my face. The sharp edge of the paper cut across my cheek, leaving a thin red scratch. “Take your trash and get the hell out of my house.” “Let’s see how long you survive out there without my money!” I bent down, picked up the signed papers, verified his signature, and slid them into my bag. Without a single glance back, I grabbed my suitcase and walked out of the mansion. The moment the heavy oak doors shut behind me, the sound of glass shattering echoed from inside the house. Three days later. Paris, Charles de Gaulle Airport. I walked out of the terminal, and the first thing I saw was Zach standing in the crowd, holding a massive, hand-painted sign with my name on it. He was wearing a loud, colorful silk shirt and designer sunglasses, looking incredibly extra. “Seven!” He waved like a lunatic, ran over, and snatched my suitcase. “Finally! The Professor was literally yelling in his office yesterday because he was so excited you were coming.” My eyes welled up. The heavy weight I’d carried for five years finally dissolved. “Let’s go,” I smiled. Looking up at the gray Paris sky, I let out a real, genuine laugh for the first time in five years. Meanwhile, back in New York, Julian was sitting in the first-class cabin of a flight to Paris. Chloe was leaning against his shoulder, her voice sweet. “Julian, I heard there are going to be so many famous gallery directors at the Paris Academy’s exhibition.” “I want to show them my work. What do you think?” Julian kept his eyes closed, but his mind kept flashing back to the sight of Seven walking away with her tiny suitcase. An annoying, persistent ache was blooming in his chest. “Sure,” he mumbled, completely distracted. He was absolutely sure Seven was crying in some damp basement right now, regretting her choices. In a few days, she’d be calling him, begging to come back. The Paris Academy’s exhibition hall was a masterpiece of modern design. Warm spotlights lit up the canvases, making the art glow. This was the biggest annual event in the European art scene. Anyone exhibiting here was considered a prodigy. Julian, wearing a custom Tom Ford suit, walked through the gallery with a bored expression. He didn’t care about art. If Chloe hadn’t begged him to come, he would never have set foot in a place like this. “Julian! Look at that painting!” Chloe suddenly gasped, pulling his sleeve and pointing to the center of the hall. A crowd had gathered there, with journalists flashing their cameras like crazy. Julian looked over. It was a massive, abstract oil painting with incredibly bold, violent colors. It was mesmerizing. The plaque next to it displayed the artist’s name in French and English. Julian’s eyes casually swept over it, but the moment he read the letters, his heart stopped.

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On the eve of my wedding, I caught my fiancé, Caleb, and my bridesmaid, Serena, tearing each other’s clothes off. The two of them didn’t even look guilty. Caleb looked me straight in the eye and said, “I don’t love you, Lyra. I only proposed to get my hands on your father’s throne as the leader of the Goldvein Pack.” I ripped up our marriage contract on the spot and told them both to get the hell out of my sight. As soon as the sun rose, I packed my bags. I swore I would never set foot in the Bramblefall Pack’s territory again. But just as my convoy crossed the border, we were blocked. Kian, the Alpha of the Ashford Pack, was standing right in the middle of the road with his men. This was the Wolf King—notorious for being cold, ruthless, and completely uninterested in women. He looked at me, his deep voice sending shivers down my spine. “Lyra, I’ve loved you from afar for years. I don’t want to take advantage of your pain, but I want to give you a marriage with dignity and all the respect you deserve. Marry me. Be the Luna of the Ashford Pack.” Heartbroken and exhausted, I nodded. Our alliance shook the entire North American werewolf community. Everyone said we were a match made in heaven. Kian was incredibly attentive. He gave me everything I could ever ask for. But after three years of marriage, I still wasn’t pregnant. Kian told me that because of his powerful Alpha lineage, conceiving was naturally difficult. He told me not to rush. To have a baby of our own, I drank bitter herbal medicine every single day for three years. Even when I was throwing up so hard I could barely stand, I never complained. Finally, in our third year, I got a positive pregnancy test. The whole pack celebrated. Kian treated me like I was made of glass. I genuinely thought I had stepped out of the shadows of my past and found real happiness. Until my eighth month of pregnancy. I went to the clinic for a routine checkup and overheard Kian talking to the doctor in the private consulting room. “Alpha Kian, the fetus is developing perfectly. The due date is in two weeks.” “But I still don’t understand… Luna Lyra is your true mate. Why did you insist on transferring your and Serena’s embryo into her womb?”

Kian’s voice was completely nonchalant. “Serena is just a low-ranking Omega. Her status is too low. A child born from her would never be respected enough to inherit my title as Alpha.” “Only by carrying the baby in Lyra’s womb can this child secure the inheritance.” “This way, Serena will be taken care of for the rest of her life.” I leaned against the freezing wall, all the strength draining from my legs. It was all an act. Three years of devotion, three years of sweet words… all a trap. A sick, twisted trap. Hearing footsteps approaching, I scrambled into the nearby emergency stairwell. Pressing my back against the cold concrete, I covered my mouth to muffle my sobs. Only after the hallway fell completely silent did I drag my numb body downstairs. The lobby was bustling with pack members. I stood there, my eyes burning with unshed tears. It didn’t take long for Kian to find me. He rushed over, his face pale with anxiety and concern. “Lyra! Why did you come down by yourself? I told you to wait for me in the room while I talked to the doctor.” “You weren’t answering your phone. You scared me to death.” He leaned down and kissed my forehead gently, his eyes filled with warmth. It was the exact same loving gaze he had given me for three years. But looking at his face now only made me feel icy cold. “I was looking for the restroom and got lost,” I said quietly, my voice surprisingly steady. Kian chuckled, tapping my nose playfully. “My little directionally-challenged Luna. What am I going to do with you?” Once we got into the car, he buckled my seatbelt and brought something up, trying to sound casual. “By the way, Serena’s birthday party is in a few days. The pack elders and our allies will all be there. What happened back then was years ago, and she’s just doing administrative work for the pack now. So…” “Sure, I’ll go,” I replied calmly. “I didn’t make a scene years ago, and I won’t start now. Don’t worry.” Kian visibly relaxed, a bright smile spreading across his face. “I knew my wife was the most reasonable woman. I’m so lucky to have you.” I turned my head to look out the window, watching the trees blur past to hide the coldness in my eyes. Right. Reasonable. He only married me because I was “sensible” enough to quietly carry his and his mistress’s baby, didn’t he? For the past three years, every time I choked down that bitter medicine, he would hold me tightly and say it was okay if we didn’t have kids. But then, he would “accidentally” mention how cute other Alphas’ pups were. Every single word was designed to make me willingly suffer for him. Late that night, after Kian fell asleep, I took his phone and crept into the study. The passcode was Serena’s birthday. The wallpaper was a photo of Serena in a white dress standing under a cherry blossom tree. I opened his photo gallery. It was packed with photos of her, taking up almost his entire storage. The very top photo was a group shot from years ago when I first introduced Serena to Caleb and Kian. I remembered Kian looking annoyed back then, complaining about taking “useless group photos.” But now, both Caleb and I had been cropped out of the picture. Only Kian and Serena remained. It was the same for all the other photos. Even the photos Serena posted on Instagram with Caleb—Caleb’s face was cropped out, leaving only her smiling face. Pack ribbon-cuttings, charity galas, and private dinners I had never heard about. In every single photo, his eyes were locked onto Serena with a tenderness that made my stomach turn. With shaking fingers, I opened their Snapchat history. He replied to her messages instantly. Always. He sent her huge sums of money on Venmo—all ending in the digits of her birthday. Even the dates of our pack’s business contracts were aligned with her birthday. And our wedding day… it was on Serena’s birthday. I had asked him back then if we could change the date. He told me the elders had calculated it to be the most auspicious day for the pack, telling me not to overthink it. There was no auspicious day. Even though I was the one wearing the white dress, he had made her the true main character of our wedding.

In our three years of marriage, he never allowed me to call him during work hours. Once, when I had severe abdominal pain during my early pregnancy, I called him in a panic. He blew up at me, calling me immature and accusing me of ruining a major business merger. I felt incredibly hurt, but I forced myself to be understanding because of his heavy responsibilities. Now I realized it wasn’t about the business. It was just me. I was never the one who mattered. I let out a bitter laugh and closed the phone. I dialed the private number of Chloe, my best friend and the chief physician of the Goldvein Pack. “Chloe, arrange a procedure for me. I want to terminate the pregnancy in three days.” Three days. That was enough time to say goodbye to this lie. I set a countdown timer on my phone as a silent reminder. Returning to the bedroom, I stared at Kian’s handsome face as he slept peacefully. The cruel truth replayed in my mind like a horror movie. Tears soaked my pillow. I didn’t sleep a wink. The next morning, I sat at the dining table, waiting for him. He came downstairs with his usual warm smile. “Why are you up so early, babe? Pregnant women need their sleep.” I smiled and said nothing. Just then, my phone buzzed. He caught a glimpse of the word “Doctor” on the lock screen and frowned. “A message from the clinic? Is something wrong with the baby?” I turned off the screen and acted natural. “Nothing. Just spam. Data leaks are getting out of hand these days.” “Didn’t you say the mining investors are coming today? Hurry up and eat so you won’t be late.” He wrapped his arms around me from behind, resting his chin on my shoulder. “I must have saved a kingdom in my past life to end up with a wife as perfect as you.” I forced a smile that didn’t reach my eyes. “Wait until our anniversary, babe. I have a huge surprise for you.” “Great. I can’t wait.” He really went all out just to make sure I delivered his and Serena’s baby. But this marriage of lies was about to end. As soon as Kian left, I drove straight to the Pack Elders’ Council. The Elder in charge of marital contracts stood up immediately to greet me. When I told him I wanted to dissolve the marriage, his jaw dropped. He kept asking for the reason, asking how much territory and assets I wanted to claim in the divorce. “I don’t want a single dime,” I said calmly. “Just sign the papers. Effective immediately.” Under the Elder’s shocked gaze, I took the printed divorce agreement and left. On my way back, I stopped by Kian’s office building. Before I even reached the entrance, I heard the receptionists gossiping in the lobby. “Is that girl really the Alpha’s first love? She’s stunning. Better looking than most influencers.” “You have no idea. All the limited-edition jewelry and furs our pack imports are named after her. Last month, she casually mentioned she liked that million-dollar moonstone necklace, and the Alpha bought it at the auction without blinking.” “No wonder we keep renewing our unprofitable partnership with the Bramblefall Pack. It’s just so the Alpha can see his dream girl more often.” I didn’t stop. I walked straight up to the penthouse suite. The office door wasn’t fully closed. The muffled, heavy breathing coming from inside made me freeze. Peering through the gap, what I saw made my stomach heave. Clothes were scattered all over the floor. Serena was sitting on Kian’s mahogany desk, her pale legs wrapped tightly around his waist. “Kian, you’re the only one who truly cares about me. You knew carrying a baby would ruin my body, so you made Lyra do it for me. If I had to rely on Caleb, I don’t know how I’d survive.” Her voice was dripping with sweet triumph. Kian kissed her neck, gasping, “Does Caleb treat you well? Has he been hurting you?” “Oh, he’s obsessed with me. He gives me whatever I want. He just bought me that private island estate last week.” Kian’s voice carried a hint of bitterness. “As long as he treats you well, I can bear it.” Serena snuggled closer into his chest, her voice softening. “Kian, you’re so good to me. Since I can’t marry you, this is the only way I can repay you…”

Before she could finish, Kian pressed his lips hard against hers. I had never seen this side of Kian. With me, he was always disciplined, distant, and composed. But here, he was desperate, wild, and out of control. The disgusting scene made me want to throw up. I turned around and walked out of the building. Back at the villa, I ripped down every single wedding photo from the walls, smashed the frames, and threw them into the fireplace, watching them burn to ash. Kian didn’t come home that night. Serena posted a new update on her Instagram. Against a background of expensive silver fireworks, a pile of limited-edition designer bags and jewelry was on display. The caption read: [Someone decided to celebrate my birthday early. Just the two of us.] In the corner of the photo, a silver cufflink in the shape of a wolf’s head was visible. It was a custom-made coming-of-age gift I had personally designed for Kian. I let out a cold laugh and liked the post. Then, I turned off my phone and went back to packing my bags. The next morning, Kian finally called to explain. “Lyra, there was an emergency at the mine yesterday. I was working until 3:00 AM. It was too late, and I didn’t want to wake you, so I slept at the office.” “Yeah, it’s fine. Work comes first.” He let out a sigh of relief. “You’re the best, babe. I’ll have my driver pick you up for the birthday party tonight. Make sure to dress up beautifully.” After hanging up, I stood in front of the mirror. Looking at my exhausted face and my heavily swollen belly that could no longer fit into any elegant dress, I laughed at myself. Dress up? For what? No matter what I wore, I could never compete with the girl in his heart. That evening, the driver dropped me off at the birthday gala. Serena stood in the center of the crowd, her curves hugged by a stunning silver-white gown, surrounded by the luxury jewelry Kian had bought her. The moment I walked in wearing a loose, plain maternity dress, the surrounding wolves threw throwing-shade looks at me. Kian frowned, a flash of annoyance in his eyes. “Why did you wear that? I told you to dress up.” “None of my dresses fit anymore,” I said flatly. His expression softened slightly, but he quickly turned back to network with the Alphas of other packs. Serena walked over with a fake, sweet smile, grabbing my arm and offering to take me to the second-floor VIP lounge to rest. The moment the door closed, her fake smile vanished. She looked me up and down like I was a piece of trash. “Lyra, look at you. Pregnancy really ruined you, didn’t it?” “But I bet you didn’t know… the baby in your belly actually belongs to me.” “Kian couldn’t bear to see me suffer through pregnancy. He wanted our child to inherit the Ashford Pack legitimately, so he used you, the precious daughter of the Goldvein Pack, as a incubator.” “You should really thank me. If I hadn’t given you this chance, you wouldn’t even be the Luna of this pack. He wouldn’t even look at you!” I shook with anger. A sharp, stabbing pain shot through my abdomen, and my face went completely pale. A malicious glint flashed in her eyes. She grabbed a glass of red wine from the table and splashed it all over her own dress. Then, she let out a piercing scream. The door was kicked open. Kian rushed in and immediately pulled Serena into his arms. He glared at me, his eyes blazing with fury. “Lyra! What the hell are you doing?” “Serena was nice enough to bring you up here to rest, and you throw wine at her? You said you let go of the past, so why are you acting like a psycho now?” Serena whimpered in his arms, covering her face. “Kian, don’t blame Lyra… I just wanted to clear the air. I joked about wanting to be the baby’s godmother…” “But she… forget it. It was my fault for what happened with Caleb years ago. Just let this be my apology to her.” Kian’s face was terrifyingly dark. “Lyra, apologize to Serena. Right now.” I looked him dead in the eye. “Apologize? Shouldn’t the two of you be apologizing to me instead?”

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For the entire year after our daughter was born, my husband slept in the guest room. For our baby’s safety, I installed a 24-hour security camera in the master bedroom. One night, while my husband was in the shower, his phone kept buzzing on the nightstand with Snapchat notifications. I had never once snooped through his phone. But in that exact moment, possessed by some strange instinct, I picked it up. In his chat history, he sent a short clip from our bedroom security camera and a message to the same contact almost every single night after midnight. “Look, I didn’t touch her tonight.” “Don’t worry. I feel sick to my stomach just looking at her. Nothing is going to happen between us.” In those videos, there was me, in the middle of the night, hair messy, holding our crying baby and pacing back and forth in the dark bedroom. There was me, weeping with guilt and exhaustion because our baby was sick. There was even footage of me, half-dressed, breastfeeding in the dark. All of my late-night breakdowns, my loneliness, and my struggles were captured in high definition by that camera. The camera I bought solely to keep our daughter safe. In that moment, it became a double-edged sword piercing through my heart. It was a loyalty test my husband handed to another woman.

I had never checked Ethan’s phone before, so he naturally didn’t have the habit of deleting his chat history. I scrolled up, watching the timeline of their romance unfold. It started with: “Great job on today’s pitch. Get some rest.” Then it became: “What are you up to? I can’t really sleep.” Then came the confession: “From now on, you have a boyfriend.” And after that, it was video after video of me looking exhausted in the middle of the night, followed by Ethan’s reassuring promises. “Don’t worry, I’m sleeping in the study room. I didn’t touch her.” My hands shook so violently that I could barely hold the phone. So this was what it felt like to spy on your husband’s love story with another woman. The sound of running water in the bathroom stopped. I marked the messages as “unread” to hide my tracks, and calmly placed the phone back exactly where it had been. Ethan walked over to me, drying his wet hair with a towel. “Why are you still sitting in the living room? Not tired today, Chloe?” I looked up at him. From eighteen to twenty-eight, a whole decade. I had loved this man for ten years. Seeing that I didn’t answer, Ethan set his towel down and sat beside me. “Why do you look so pale?” “Are you feeling sick? Do you want to go to the clinic?” I took a deep breath. “Ethan, sleep in the master bedroom tonight.” Ethan had to work. After our daughter was born, to make sure he got enough rest, I was the one who suggested he move into the guest room. He was reluctant at first, but over time, we both got used to sleeping apart. This was the first time I had asked him to move back. Ethan froze, seemingly caught off guard by my request. “Why… why the sudden change?” His evasiveness made my heart sink a little further. Perhaps worried that I would get upset, Ethan softened his voice. “Chloe, you know the company is launching a major project right now. I’ve been exhausted lately.” “Plus, I have to work late on my laptop at night sometimes. You’re already drained from taking care of the baby, and Lily is still so small.” “I’m just afraid I’ll wake you guys up and ruin your sleep.” The warmth in Ethan’s eyes was so thick it could almost overflow, and every word he said sounded like it was purely for the sake of me and our daughter. It was the exact same caring husband I had known for the past ten years. If I hadn’t just seen his Snapchat logs, I would have believed every single word.

But now, I just wanted to scream in his face. Really? Is that really what you think? But it wasn’t the right time yet. I forced a smile. “Whatever you think is best.” The moment those words left my mouth, Ethan visibly relaxed. He stood up. “Alright, Chloe. I still have some emails to reply to. I’ll head to the study.” “Get some rest. It’s getting late.” I nodded and didn’t say another word. Only when the study door closed and he completely disappeared from my sight did my tensed shoulders drop. Huge tears splashed down my face. Ethan. Our daughter is only one year old. How could you bear to destroy this family? The next morning, Ethan left for work as usual. After I finished Lily’s morning feeding, I finally started to wash up and look at myself in the mirror. The woman in the glass still had the same face, but her eyes had lost their spark, worn down by the endless cycle of motherhood. Not only that. As a breastfeeding mom, I had barely stepped out of the house over the past year. I lived in baggy pajamas, spent my days makeup-free, and devoted every second of my life to our daughter. Like a flash of lightning, a phrase from Ethan’s chat history echoed in my mind. “I feel sick to my stomach just looking at her.” My chest tightened. I walked into the walk-in closet and sat down at the vanity. I hadn’t put on makeup in over a year. My hands were a bit clumsy, but the muscle memory was still there. Soon, the tired face in the mirror became radiant and striking. I wasn’t trying to prove anything to anyone. But if a woman sacrifices her life to build a home and raise a child, that sacrifice should never become a man’s cheap gossip. And it should never be the weapon a husband uses to humiliate his wife. After putting on a nice dress and doing my makeup, I dressed Lily up and called our driver. “Leo, can you come pick me up?” “I want to drop by Ethan’s office.” Before heading over, I bought boxes of pastries and a tray of iced lattes from Starbucks. Ethan and I had co-founded this design firm right after college. Many of the senior employees still remembered me. But after the company got on the right track and I got pregnant, I gradually stepped back from operations, leaving Ethan in full control. The moment I stepped inside, the receptionist recognized me instantly. “Chloe! What brings you here today?” “Oh my god, is this your daughter? She is absolutely adorable!” I smiled and asked Leo to bring in the drinks and pastries. “Go ahead and share these with everyone. You guys have been working so hard, take a quick coffee break.” The moment I walked into the open office area, the team gathered around me. “Chloe! We missed you so much!” “You always know how to treat us. I desperately needed a sugar rush today.” Inside his private office, Ethan heard the commotion. The second he opened his door, he saw me standing in the center of the crowd, holding our baby. I didn’t miss the flash of pure amazement in his eyes when he looked at my makeup and outfit. He walked over quickly and wrapped a possessive arm around my waist. “What are you doing here today, babe?” Several senior staff members gave us knowing smiles, turning to explain to the newer hires who didn’t know me. “You guys don’t know? This is our co-founder. She used to run the creative department here.” “Look at them. Don’t Chloe and Ethan look perfect together? And their daughter is so beautiful. Ethan really won at life.”

“Seriously, how does Chloe still look like a college student after having a baby? Her figure is perfect, and her skin is glowing. I’m so jealous.” I smiled and chatted with them, but my eyes were casually scanning the room. Feeling the arm around my waist loosen slightly, I followed Ethan’s gaze and landed on a young girl in the crowd who was forcing a smile. She had fair skin and a delicate, pretty face. An employee handed her a coffee. “Here, Maya, grab one. This is a treat from Chloe.” “By the way, you’ve been here less than a year so you haven’t met Chloe yet. This is our boss’s wife. Isn’t she gorgeous?” A flicker of humiliation crossed Maya’s eyes, but she forced herself to nod. I turned to look at Ethan beside me. He was still smiling, but the anxiety in his eyes was painfully obvious. We had been together for ten years. How could I not read him? I smiled at the team. “Alright guys, I just wanted to drop by and say hi.” “I’m going to take the baby home now so you all can get back to work.” Ethan walked me to the elevator and waved with a warm smile. Only when the elevator doors fully closed did his face disappear from my sight. The elevator went down to the first floor. The doors opened and closed, but I didn’t step out. I took a deep breath, and pressed the button for the 18th floor—where Ethan’s office was. The moment the elevator doors slid open again, I saw Ethan anxiously pulling Maya into the stairwell. Nobody noticed me. I softened my steps and crept toward the stairwell door. Ethan had Maya pressed against the wall. The usually calm, successful CEO was now in a complete panic. “Maya, please don’t get the wrong idea. I swear I had no idea she was coming today.” “Please don’t shut me out, okay? I’m literally losing my mind here.” The girl kept her head down. I couldn’t see her face, but I could see her tears splashing onto the floor. Ethan took a deep breath, looking completely helpless as he pulled her into his arms, whispering sweet nothings to comfort her. Listening to his soothing words, for some bizarre reason, I actually wanted to laugh. But as I smiled, hot tears slipped down my face. I knew Ethan. He was the kind of person who could never let a misunderstanding drag on to the next day. In the past, whenever I was upset, he wouldn’t care if I was yelling at him; he would immediately do whatever it took to make things right. “Chloe, my sweet Chloe, you know me.” “Please don’t ignore me. If you don’t talk to me, I won’t be able to sleep tonight.” I had anticipated this exact scene back in his office, which was why I had come right back up. But even though I was mentally prepared, seeing it with my own eyes made my heart sink into a dark abyss. I wiped the tears from my face, held my daughter tighter, and walked back into the elevator. After getting home and putting Lily to sleep, I sat frozen on the balcony sofa, watching the sky fade into darkness. When Ethan finally got home, I was still sitting in the exact same spot, motionless. Ethan walked over, knelt in front of me, and looked up at my face. “What’s wrong? Why haven’t you changed out of your nice clothes yet?” I blinked, finally focusing my eyes on him. After a long silence, I stood up and walked toward the closet. “It’s been so long since I put on makeup and wore a nice dress. I guess I was just reluctant to let it go.” Reluctant to let go of my daughter’s father, reluctant to let go of this home. Ethan didn’t catch the double meaning in my words. He chuckled, walked up behind me, and wrapped his arms around me. “My Chloe looks beautiful in anything.”

He leaned down, trying to find my lips. That movement instantly brought back the scene in the stairwell. I turned my head slightly, dodging his kiss. “I’m really tired today.” Ethan froze. I was the one who asked him to sleep in the master bedroom yesterday, and now I was rejecting him. But I had no energy left to deal with his emotions. I grabbed my pajamas and went straight into the bathroom. After showering, I walked out and saw Ethan sitting on the sofa, working on his laptop. I walked over to him. “Tomorrow is Friday. Let’s go to your parents’ place for dinner.” “They must miss the baby.” Ethan was focused on his screen and didn’t even look up. “Yeah, we should definitely visit. Wait for me at home tomorrow, I’ll leave work early to pick you guys up.” “Chloe, you always handle everything so well. I’m so lucky to have you.” I didn’t reply. I turned and walked into the master bedroom. A second before closing the door, I took one last, long look at Ethan. The man I had loved for ten years. Ethan. This is the last day. The next afternoon, before five o’clock, Ethan and I arrived at his parents’ house. Perhaps because Ethan had called them in advance, the delicious aroma of home-cooked food was already wafting from the kitchen. My mother-in-law happily took Lily from my arms. “You guys haven’t visited in two weeks! I missed Lily so much.” “If you hadn’t come this weekend, your father and I were about to drive over to your place.” I smiled and walked into the living room with Ethan. My father-in-law poked his head out from the kitchen. “Chloe, sit down! Dinner is almost ready.” “I made your favorite roasted salmon today. You have to eat a lot!” Seeing how warm they were, I could barely hold back my tears. Ethan and I met at our freshman orientation week. It was love at first sight for him, and he pursued me relentlessly. On the day he confessed his feelings to me under the sunset by the campus soccer field, I revealed my deepest scar to someone for the first time. “I’m an orphan, Ethan. I don’t have parents. I grew up in a foster home, and I’m only in college because of student loans.” “Don’t waste your time on me. A lot of families would mind my background.” Poverty and being an orphan were the heavy burdens of my eighteen-year-old self. I thought he would be scared away. Instead, his eyes filled with pure tenderness, and he stumbled over his words. “I like you. What does your family background have to do with us?” “And don’t worry about my parents. They’ve always wanted a daughter. They are the sweetest people ever, I promise. No pressure.” “Chloe, I just need to know one thing right now. Do you like me?” The eighteen-year-old boy’s face was flushed, filled with anticipation and shyness. As if under a spell, I nodded. And Ethan hadn’t lied to me. His parents were indeed the best people. Over the years, they never once looked down on me for being an orphan. They never took advantage of the fact that I didn’t have a family to back me up. They treated me like their own daughter and spoiled their granddaughter. But now. This family was about to fall apart. My mother-in-law was the first to notice something was off with my expression. While playing with Lily in her lap, she asked as if it were just a casual thought: “Are you two still sleeping in separate rooms?” I didn’t expect her to bring this up, and I froze. Ethan stammered, unable to find an answer.

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During the Super Bowl final, my husband, Marcus, suddenly suggested we make a bet. Watching the game reach its halftime mark, he said casually, “If the Eagles win, we get a divorce. What do you say?” The Eagles were leading by a landslide. They were bound to take home the championship ring tonight. I stared blankly at the TV screen, my mind drifting back to an Instagram post I had seen just this afternoon, uploaded by Marcus’s secretary, Hailey. [Mr. Marcus said that if the Eagles win tonight, he will finally take our relationship public. Perfect timing, because I have a little surprise waiting for him too! ] The “surprise” Hailey mentioned was a photo of a positive pregnancy test showing she was two months along. Remembering the sweet, pampering messages Marcus had left under her post to make her happy, I felt an overwhelming sense of exhaustion. With only one minute left on the clock before the game ended, I spoke in a quiet voice. “Okay. I’ll take that bet.” The game ended. Around us, the screams and cheers of our friends watching the game were deafening. Only Marcus and I sat in a silence that felt completely out of place. Marcus froze, looking at me in surprise. I looked at the final score on the screen. Then, I said softly, “You won.” He was always going to win this bet. I didn’t want to fight it anymore. “Marcus, I agree to the divorce.” In our five-year marriage war, he had finally won. On the drive back, Hailey sent Marcus a Snapchat voice note, her voice bubbling with excitement. “Marcus! The Eagles actually won! Does this mean we can finally tell everyone about us?” The voice note played out loud by accident. Every single word fell clearly into my ears. Marcus instinctively glanced at me through the rearview mirror. But he only saw me staring out the window, completely expressionless. He cleared his throat. “It was just a random bet before the game started. I was just trying to make her happy.” “But…” Marcus paused, his tone turning somewhat indifferent. “Since I’ve been with her for so long, I guess it really is time to marry her.” I gave a quiet “Hmm.” “Have your lawyer draft the papers.” Seemingly not expecting me to agree so easily, Marcus was slightly taken aback. Then he said, “There’s no need to rush it like this.” I met his gaze calmly. “We wouldn’t want to delay your big announcement. It’s better to sign the papers as soon as possible.” “After all, she’s been waiting quite eagerly.” I wasn’t lying. Hailey had been with him for three years, but she had never gotten the chance to show him off publicly. As long as Marcus and I were married, he couldn’t bear to let Hailey be labeled a homewrecker. Marcus stared at my face, trying to read my expression. But I was too exhausted. I just closed my eyes. I didn’t want to say another word. As we neared the house, Marcus suddenly said, “The power went out at Hailey’s place. She’s terrified of the dark. I need to go over and keep her company.” “Okay, just drop me off at the next intersection,” I said, not even looking at him. I was already too used to this. Marcus hesitated. Only after I stepped out of the car did he say, “I might not come back tonight.” I nodded, my face completely calm. “Okay.” After Marcus’s car drove away, I stood on the sidewalk for a while. My phone buzzed. It was a Snapchat message from my best friend, Amber. [Did you and Marcus leave early? I can’t find you guys at the party.] Marcus had hesitated for a long time about coming to this game tonight. Maybe out of guilt, or maybe remorse, he had still ended up coming with me. I replied to Amber. [Yeah, we’re getting a divorce.] Amber replied instantly. [Because of Hailey? Why won’t that girl just disappear?] [She’s just a secretary! Has Marcus lost his mind?] Maybe he had. I didn’t know when things had started to change between Marcus and me. When did it begin? Probably when his work got “too busy,” and we talked less and less. He stopped sharing the funny little details of his day with me. His replies to my messages took longer and longer. Strangely, the thought of divorce didn’t make me sad. Instead, I felt a weight lifting off my shoulders. We had known each other for eight years and been married for five. This marriage, which had kept me awake for countless painful nights, was finally coming to an end. Just then, a voice note from Marcus came through. “Go to bed early.” Marcus always had this habit of slapping me first and then giving me a sweet treat. I was used to this way of living, too. Back home, I collapsed onto the couch, feeling drained. I stared numbly at the empty house. I don’t know how much time passed before my phone lit up again. It was a notification for an Instagram update from Hailey. I clicked on it. It was her relationship “hard launch” post. [Congrats to the Eagles for winning the championship! Mr. Marcus won his bet. Family of three, finally together! ] The photo showed two hands overlapping on top of a pregnancy report. My hand automatically drifted to my own stomach. My own medical report from yesterday’s checkup was still sitting in my purse. Four weeks pregnant. It was my second pregnancy. I lowered my eyes, exited Hailey’s post, and pulled up my lawyer’s contact details. [Please draft the divorce agreement for me as quickly as possible.]

Marcus didn’t come home for three consecutive days. Hailey posted on her Instagram constantly. It didn’t look like she was sharing her life; it felt like she was specifically targeting me. Amber was absolutely furious after seeing Hailey’s posts. Her voice over the phone was shaking with anger on my behalf. “Who does this Hailey think she is? She’s literally just a side chick! Why is she acting so proud?” “Is Marcus blind? What does she have that you don’t?” I had asked myself that question many times. Was Marcus bad to me? No. He remembered all my preferences, my birthday, and every single anniversary. When I was sick, he would stay up all night taking care of me. If I casually mentioned wanting to go on a trip, he would drop everything to go with me. Whatever I wanted, he gave me. Could I say he never loved me? No, I couldn’t. I had seen the way his eyes used to light up whenever he looked at me. I took a sip of water and looked out the window. “Who knows? But it doesn’t matter anymore.” The divorce papers were ready. I was just waiting for Marcus to come back and sign them. I smiled to comfort Amber. “Alright, let’s just enjoy our dinner. Don’t let them ruin your mood.” When I texted Marcus, it was Hailey who picked up the FaceTime call. She had a sweet, mocking smile on her face. “Chloe, Marcus is making a prenatal meal for me right now. I’ll let him know you called when he’s done~” A prenatal meal? Marcus used to nag me about being too skinny and not eating right. To make sure I got enough nutrition, he used to cook almost every single meal for me himself. But after he met Hailey, he never had the heart for it again. His mind and eyes were now completely filled with Hailey. Before I could even reply, Hailey sent me a photo. It was a shot of Marcus from behind, wearing an apron and working busy in the kitchen. “Chloe, Marcus is really stretched thin right now.” “I told him what you said, and he knows about it now~” Marcus came back very late that night. Seeing me sitting on the couch, his hand paused as he took off his coat. “Why aren’t you asleep yet?” He acted as if nothing had happened. His tone was warm and familiar. “It’s really late.” My voice was flat. “I was waiting for you.” Marcus walked over, and I pushed the signed divorce papers toward him. “I’ve already signed. Since you cheated, we aren’t splitting the assets 50/50. I’ve had all our marital property calculated, including the money you spent on Hailey. I get seventy percent, you get thirty.” Marcus frowned. “Chloe, aren’t you being a bit too greedy?” Greedy? I actually felt it wasn’t enough. I didn’t want to argue with him. “You cheated. Me taking this much is only fair.” After a long silence, Marcus was the first to look away. He sat down, grabbed a pen, and signed his name on the papers. I took my copy immediately. Marcus opened his mouth to say something. But I turned around and walked upstairs without looking back. Halfway up the stairs, I stopped. I turned around to remind him, “We need to file this at the family court tomorrow morning.” “After all, there is still a thirty-day waiting period.” Marcus frowned deeply. He opened his mouth. “Are you really in that much of a rush?” I finished his sentence for him. “The sooner we file, the sooner your child stops being an illegitimate kid.” “Isn’t that what you want?”

Marcus froze. Seeing how calm I was, he hesitated before speaking. “You know about the baby?” Marcus let out a breath and tried to explain: “I only found out today what Hailey meant by her ‘surprise’.” “I honestly didn’t expect her to be pregnant.” There was nothing left to explain. I ignored him and was about to continue upstairs. Suddenly, a wave of intense nausea hit my throat. I covered my mouth and rushed into the bathroom. Marcus followed me in, looking frantic. He knelt down beside me, rubbing my back. “Why are you throwing up so badly?” I wiped my mouth and flushed the toilet. “Do we need to go to the hospital?” Marcus asked. I didn’t look at him. “No.” He hesitated for a moment. “If you’re not feeling well, we can put off the divorce for a bit.” I took a large step past him and walked out. “There’s no need to delay.” Back in my room, I pulled that crumpled pregnancy report from my purse. Two months ago, Marcus had come home drunk and slept with me, whispering Hailey’s name. I hadn’t expected to get pregnant from that. I paused, balled up the report, and threw it into the trash can. The next morning at nine, Marcus and I met outside the family court. After filing the papers, we had to wait out the thirty-day waiting period before we could officially get our divorce certificate. “I can drive you back,” Marcus said. I had taken an Uber here this morning. A bad car accident years ago had left me with severe trauma, and I hadn’t driven since. Just as he finished speaking, his phone rang. It was Hailey. I kept my head down, opening my Uber app. “Hailey, what’s wrong?” Marcus kept his voice low. But Hailey’s voice was loud enough to leak through the receiver. “Marcus, how did it go with Chloe?” Marcus told her about the thirty-day waiting period. Hailey giggled. “Okay, are you coming over later? The baby and I really miss you.” Marcus glanced at me. He hesitated, but that hesitation only lasted three seconds before he agreed. “Okay.” Marcus could never say no to Hailey. If Hailey wanted to see him, he would go. Hanging up, Marcus looked at me with some embarrassment. “About Hailey…” I cut him off, not even raising my head from my phone. “Don’t worry about it. Go to her.” My Uber had just arrived. I didn’t look back at Marcus as I opened the door and got into the car. On my way home, Amber sent me a link to a social media post. I clicked on it and realized it was Hailey’s. Amber’s voice notes were practically vibrating with rage. “Chloe, this Hailey is absolutely shameless! What does she mean by ‘there was no love left in your marriage’? What does she mean by ‘the one who isn’t loved is the real homewrecker’? Does she have no shame?” “I tried to call her out in the comments, but she blocked me.” “And Marcus, that spineless jerk…” Amber was truly hurting for me. By the end of her voice note, her voice was cracking. I comforted her before clicking back to read the post. The comment section was already flooded with thousands of replies. I saw the thread where Amber had argued with Hailey. Many internet users were dragging Hailey in the replies. As I scrolled down, I saw Marcus’s account had left a comment: [Our marriage was already broken, and we are currently in the middle of divorce proceedings. My girlfriend is not a homewrecker.] I stared at that sentence for a very long time. I couldn’t help but laugh out loud. What a beautifully worded statement. Suddenly, I remembered the promise Marcus made the day he proposed. He had held up three fingers, looking up at me with tears in his eyes. In front of all our friends, he swore, “If I, Marcus, ever do anything to hurt Chloe, may God strike me down on the spot.” Back then, I never believed Marcus could ever betray me. The moment he slipped the engagement ring onto my finger, his eyes were red as he kissed the back of my hand. “You’ve finally gone from my girlfriend to my fiancée. My heart can finally rest easy.” Unfortunately, his promises were worthless. Changing my status from girlfriend to fiancée, and then to legal wife, didn’t protect me at all. He had still betrayed me. I gave Marcus’s comment a “like” and closed the app. Once I got home, I started packing my things. Marcus had designed this house himself, but I had handpicked all the furniture. I had too many things, and they ended up filling three large suitcases. I didn’t know when Marcus had come back home. Passing by the master bedroom, he stopped. His brows knitted together. “You’re moving out right now?” I lifted my suitcase, not sparing him a glance. “This house belongs to you. If I don’t move out, how is she supposed to move in?” “I never planned on having Hailey move in here,” Marcus said. “She’s perfectly fine living at her place. You don’t have to rush to move out.” “Chloe, you don’t need to throw a tantrum like this. You agreed to the divorce too.” My hands paused. I wanted to laugh. He had already won the bet he was destined to win, so why was he still acting like this? Marcus had wanted this divorce for a long time; I was the one who had been holding on too tightly. But seeing his protective attitude toward Hailey made me realize how tired I was. I was so tired that letting go actually felt like a relief. I looked at Marcus. “I’m not throwing a tantrum.” “I’m just making room for her.” Marcus remained silent, his mind seemingly elsewhere. Suddenly, he asked me: “Chloe, don’t you find this exhausting?”

He pinched the bridge of his nose. “We lost that spark we had when we were dating a long time ago. I’m used to having you around, but I can’t find that excitement anymore.” “With Hailey, I actually feel like I’m in a relationship again.” “Every day, you do the exact same things. Your whole life just revolves around me.” “Don’t you get sick of it?” He closed his eyes. “Chloe, I got tired of this kind of life a long time ago.” I stared at Marcus. Suddenly, I couldn’t find any words to say. I had imagined many reasons, but I never expected that Marcus was simply “bored” of our life. He was used to my presence, yet I could no longer stir any feelings in him. With one casual sentence, he had completely shattered everything we had built. I suddenly laughed. “You’re right. It is pretty exhausting.” Marcus was silent for a moment. “Divorce is the best outcome for both of us.” Marcus walked back to his room. I sat on the bed, staring into space for a long time. The next morning, I hired movers to take my luggage away. Just as I reached the door, Marcus called out to me. His tone sounded relieved. “If you ever need help with anything in the future, feel free to ask.” I didn’t reply and walked straight out. On the very night I moved out, Hailey moved in. She even posted a status on Snapchat. It was just a simple “New home! ” caption alongside a photo of her suitcases. Just a day ago, Marcus had said he wouldn’t let Hailey move in. The second I left, he couldn’t wait to bring her over. Hailey even sent me a provocative text message. “Chloe, Marcus said that since I’m pregnant, I should live with him so he can take better care of me. Otherwise, if something bad happens like when you were pregnant, it would be awful.” “Since you and Marcus are getting divorced anyway, you won’t mind, right?” My hand instinctively moved to my stomach. In our third year of marriage, I had gotten pregnant. Later, when I went to Marcus’s office, I walked in on him kissing Hailey. Because of the shock, I tripped, fell, and suffered a miscarriage. Marcus never mentioned Hailey after that incident, and he spent two weeks taking care of me. I lowered my eyes and typed back: [Does being a homewrecker make you feel that proud?] Five minutes later, Marcus called. “Hailey is just childish. You don’t need to take her words to heart, and there’s no need to argue with her.” “About her moving in… I thought about it. She’s a pregnant girl living alone, which isn’t safe, so I brought her here to take care of her.” I laughed. Hearing my laugh, Marcus went silent. “Don’t worry, I won’t lower myself to her level. She’s just a child, so take good care of her. Also, you don’t need to explain anything to me. We are divorced.” Without giving Marcus a chance to speak, I hung up. My hand rested on my stomach. Without any hesitation, I opened my phone and booked an appointment for an abortion. The day the waiting period ended, Marcus and I finalized our divorce. Walking out of the courthouse, Marcus called my name. I didn’t answer, nor did I stop my pace. I got straight into my Uber and left. As soon as Marcus got home, he received a text message from an unknown number. He frowned as he opened and zoomed in on the picture. When he saw the words clearly, his entire body went rigid.

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My roommate was an extreme eco-warrior. During a brutal 104°F heatwave, she locked the AC remote in her drawer. “We are supposed to sweat in the summer anyway. Just bear with it. Think of it as your contribution to saving Mother Earth.” That night, there wasn’t a single breeze coming through the window. Our dorm room felt exactly like an active pizza oven. My head was spinning from the suffocating heat, and sweat was dripping off me in sheets. When I tried to find the key to the drawer, she climbed onto a chair and used scissors to snip the AC’s power cord right in half. “Can’t you see Mother Nature is throwing up a fever? You selfish brat, all you care about is producing greenhouse gases.” In my past life, this was the exact night that kicked off a massive wave of cyberbullying against me at school. Everyone called me a spoiled, privileged princess who had zero empathy for the planet. They praised her as a hero with a noble mission. Ultimately, the extreme heat triggered my myocardial ischemia, sending me into cardiogenic shock. While I was dying, she cried on a TikTok Live, telling her followers that I only collapsed because I ate too much “processed industrial junk food” and had a weak body. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the very first day of the semester. She was currently shoving the AC remote into her drawer. Her eyes were red as she looked at me and said, “Norah, being a little warm isn’t going to kill you.” Without a word, I grabbed my phone and my medical records, and walked straight to the housing office. “Mrs. Taylor, I need to apply for an emergency transfer to a single room.”

If she wanted to play a martyr, she could do it alone. I actually valued my life. Mrs. Taylor, the housing coordinator, looked up from her desk. Her freshman registration list was only half-finished. “Norah? You just checked in today and you’re already asking for a single room?” I placed my official medical documents on her desk. “Mrs. Taylor, I have a severe history of myocardial ischemia. Extreme heat can easily trigger a life-threatening cardiogenic shock for me.” “Right now, my roommate, Sienna Vance, has locked up the AC remote and is refusing to let us use any electricity, including personal fans.” The office went dead silent for a second. The student assistant sorting papers next to her stopped, wiped a thick bead of sweat from his forehead, and looked up in disbelief. “It’s literally 104 degrees outside today. She’s not letting you use the AC?” Mrs. Taylor frowned. “Norah, dorm conflicts should be resolved through communication first. The paperwork for a single room transfer takes time. It can’t be approved today.” Suddenly, a soft, pitiful, trembling voice came from the doorway. “Mrs. Taylor, this isn’t a conflict. This is a spiritual journey.” Sienna was standing by the door, clutching our dorm’s AC remote tightly to her chest. She was wearing a faded, oversized linen dress. Her forehead was covered in sweat, and her eyes were so red she looked like she had just been terribly bullied. “Mrs. Taylor, she wants to drain the very blood of our planet.” The assistant’s hand froze halfway through wiping his forehead. Mrs. Taylor looked at the plastic remote in Sienna’s hands. “Why do you have the AC remote?” Sienna immediately hugged the remote tighter, as if it were some sacred relic. “This machine is evil. Every breath of artificial cold air it spits out is a loan taken against the lifespan of our mountains and rivers.” “Mother Nature is crying in pain.” As she spoke, tears began to stream down her face. “I know everyone thinks I’m crazy. But I just want this world to stop being poisoned by modern industrial civilization.” By now, a few other freshmen had gathered in the hallway, whispering. “I mean, she’s a bit extreme, but her heart is in the right place, right?” someone muttered. Others started looking at me with judging eyes. That familiar, suffocating pressure tightened around my chest. It was exactly like my past life. The moment Sienna started crying and brought out her grand, dramatic speeches about saving the planet, everyone automatically assumed she was the victim. When I said my heart couldn’t take the heat, they called me dramatic. When I said she unplugged the fans, they said natural air was healthier anyway. When I complained that she turned our room into a sauna, they said she was just deeply compassionate. Even when I was finally lying in an ICU bed, hooked up to a ventilator and unable to speak, people on the school forum were still debating if I “lacked social responsibility.” This time, I didn’t bother explaining myself to the crowd. I kept my eyes on Mrs. Taylor. “Mrs. Taylor, I’m not here to judge her beliefs.” “I am simply requesting to not live with her.” Sienna’s sobbing paused for a fraction of a second. She looked up, her sweat and tears sticking her eyelashes together. “Norah, are you really that addicted to material comfort?” I replied flatly, “I have a heart condition.” Looking deeply hurt by my “ignorance,” she took a step back, her face full of disappointment. “But children in underdeveloped countries live without electricity every single day, and they survive. Why can’t you?” I flipped my medical report open and pointed directly at the doctor’s warning: Avoid extreme heat and high-stress situations. “Because I want to live.” The office fell completely silent. Mrs. Taylor stared at my medical records. Her brow furrowed, and her expression turned incredibly serious. “A single room request requires us to verify vacancy, and it has to go through both the department head and housing logistics.” Sienna immediately sniffled and took a step forward. “Mrs. Taylor, there’s no need to make a big deal out of this.” “I will do my best to guide Norah with love. I want to help her experience the joy of detoxing through natural sweat. Mother Nature will heal her heart.” I looked at her. “I don’t need Mother Nature to heal me.” “And I don’t need your guidance.”

The single room wasn’t approved on the spot. Mrs. Taylor said she had to call housing services to check for empty beds and submit a formal request to the dean. Hearing that the administration was getting involved, Sienna’s tears fell even faster. “Please don’t escalate this to the dean. They’ll just think I’m causing trouble again.” A student in the hallway chimed in, feeling sorry for her. “Mrs. Taylor, maybe they should just go back and talk it out?” “Yeah, the semester just started. Moving out on day one looks bad on their record.” “Exactly. Just bear with it for a couple of days, communication is key.” Mrs. Taylor looked at me. It wasn’t a look of favoritism—it was sheer helplessness. The university administration moved like a turtle, but peer pressure and moral high grounds traveled at the speed of light. Sienna knew exactly how to play this. Clutching the remote, she kept her voice just soft enough to sound fragile, but loud enough for everyone in the hallway to hear. “Norah, I just want you to let go of your greedy consumerism.” “The glaciers are melting. Polar bears don’t even have ice to stand on anymore.” “If we can’t even handle a little heat, how much longer does Earth have left?” In my past life, this was the exact moment I backed down. I had thought to myself that since it was only the first day of college, I shouldn’t make enemies. So, I followed her back to the dorm. That night, she locked away the remote, unplugged the fans, and told us to “listen to the beautiful hum of the summer cicadas.” I was trapped in that suffocating room until 4:00 AM. My heart was pounding like crazy, and my breathing sounded like a broken bellows. When I crawled to grab my emergency heart medication, she snatched it away, crying that “pharmaceuticals are toxic chemicals” that would ruin my “natural bodily magnetic field.” I ended up on the floor, gasping for air, clawing at the bedpost as my vision went black, until I finally lost consciousness. In this life, I took out my phone, laid it on the desk, and hit record. “Mrs. Taylor, I’m happy to follow the official housing protocol.” “But until my single room is approved, I will not be sleeping in that dorm. If the university cannot provide a temporary bed, I want a written statement from your office.” “A statement confirming that I have submitted proof of a severe heart condition, and that my current assigned dorm has an active hazard where a student is forcibly cutting off electricity and refusing to allow cooling.” The office went dead silent again. Sienna stopped crying. The way she looked at me now was no longer pitiful—she looked at me like I was an irredeemable sinner. Mrs. Taylor remained silent for a few seconds before picking up her desk phone and dialing the resident advisor line. “Hi, is this the RA for Hall B, Room 503? Please send someone up to check on that room immediately.” “A student reported that their roommate is refusing to let them use the AC or fans.” She listened to the person on the other end, her expression hardening. “Yes, I am serious. One of the residents has a severe heart condition and cannot be exposed to extreme heat.” Sienna suddenly lunged toward me. “Why do you have to blow everything out of proportion?!” Her voice wasn’t loud, but it was dripping with self-righteous anger. “We could have finished this beautiful spiritual journey together!” Outside the door, several students had already raised their phones, recording us. I took a giant step back. “Get away from me. The smell of your sweat is making me nauseous.” Sienna bit her lip, tears instantly spilling over. “This is the scent of nature! How could you insult me like that?” Crying hysterically, she turned and ran out of the office, heading back to the dorm. Mrs. Taylor closed her eyes, grabbed her keys from the desk, and sighed. “Let’s go. Room 503.” When we arrived at Room 503, the door was slightly ajar. From inside, we could hear our other roommate, Chloe, sobbing hysterically. Mrs. Taylor pushed the door open. A wave of suffocating, sweltering heat hit us in the face, carrying a strange, sour, rotting stench. Sienna was standing right beneath the AC outlet, holding a pair of heavy-duty kitchen scissors. On the floor lay the severed end of the AC’s thick white power cord. She held her head high, looking like a martyr standing before a firing squad. “Since a locked remote wasn’t enough to stop your greed, I have permanently freed us from this path of sin.” Chloe was sitting on the floor, crying, clutching a small, unplugged portable insulin fridge in her arms. Inside the plastic case, several expensive vials of imported insulin had already turned cloudy and ruined from the heat. Chloe was shaking with pure rage, pointing a finger at Sienna. “Are you insane?! You unplugged my mini-fridge! That was my entire semester’s supply of insulin!” Sienna looked at the ruined medicine on the floor, her face filled with mock pity. “Chloe, such expensive medicine is a luxury of capitalism.” “Elderly people in remote villages fight through illnesses using only their inner strength. Material goods do not bring true health. Why don’t you try letting your own body fight the disease naturally?” Chloe’s face drained of all color. “I have Type 1 Diabetes! I will literally die without insulin!” Sienna sighed, shaking her head. “That’s only because you are too dependent on modern medicine. Mother Nature will give us—” “Screw your nature!” Chloe scrambled up from the floor, grabbed a heavy textbook from her desk, and hurled it straight at Sienna’s head. Sienna shrieked, ducking quickly behind Mrs. Taylor. “Mrs. Taylor! She’s attacking me! The synthetic toxins in her body have driven her mad!”

The hall RA and the campus maintenance worker arrived shortly after. The moment they stepped into 503, the oppressive heat forced them back a step. It was 2:00 PM. The temperature outside was a scorching 104°F. The dorm windows were wide open, letting the hot, heavy summer air rush inside. Worse, the dorm floor was completely soaked with puddles of water. The extreme heat combined with the standing water turned the room into a giant steam room. It was so humid and sticky that it was hard to breathe. The RA’s face turned pale. “Why is there water all over the floor? Did a pipe burst?” Sienna peeked out from behind Mrs. Taylor, looking entirely innocent. “No, I brought that water from the campus lake.” “I read online that splashing water on the floor cools down a room through evaporation. It’s an ancient, eco-friendly cooling method. Plus, natural lake water carries spiritual energy.” The maintenance worker stared at the smelly, murky lake water on the floor, trying his best not to scream. “Kid, ancient climates were different, and this is a closed dorm building!” “Throwing stagnant water on the floor in this heat will only skyrocket the humidity! Anyone staying in here is going to get heatstroke!” Sienna pouted. “Don’t let modern science blind you. Traditional human wisdom is never wrong.” Some students watching in the hallway gasped, while others looked at her determined face and began whispering. “I mean, it’s dumb… but she really did it to try and cool them down.” “She’s just not very smart, but her heart is in the right place.” “Yeah, she had good intentions.” Just then, our fourth roommate, Ashley, walked in from the balcony. Her neck was already covered in a bright red heat rash, and she looked completely drained. She glanced at the ruined insulin on the floor, then at the sweating Sienna, and sighed. “Chloe, Norah, just drop it.” “Sienna just moved here from a small, rural town. Maybe she doesn’t know any better. She’s just trying to help us connect with nature. She was literally sweating bullets earlier writing eco-friendly quotes by hand.” “Let’s just take a step back. Think of it as doing a good deed. We can survive a few hot days.” Here it was again. Good intentions. In my past life, this simple phrase—good intentions—was the shield that excused all the deadly harm she caused. Sienna’s eyes immediately filled with tears of gratitude as she looked at Ashley. “Ashley, thank you for understanding me. I just want to save everyone from the trap of consumerism.” I stared coldly at Ashley. “She cut the AC cord, ruined Chloe’s life-saving medicine, and tried to lock me—a heart patient—in a 104-degree steam room.” “And you call that good intentions?” Ashley shrunk back under my gaze, her voice dropping. “Well… she’s already crying. Do you have to push her to the edge?” Before I could reply, Sienna took a sudden step forward, pulled a dirty cloth pouch from her pocket, and carefully opened it. Inside was a small pile of crumpled, dirty bills and coins. “Chloe, Norah, I know you both come from privilege.” “This is $30 I made from recycling soda cans. I’m paying you back. Go buy some organic popsicles to cool down, just please stop hating me.” She held out the crumpled money with both hands, tears streaming down her face. With her faded dress and desperate posture, it looked exactly like I was some wealthy bully tormenting her. The whispers in the hallway shifted instantly. “Oh my god, she’s offering her recycling money. Is she serious?” “It’s just a little heat. College girls these days are so fragile.” “They need to learn to forgive.” Chloe stared at the thirty dollars, her body shaking with rage. Tears welled up in her eyes, but the heavy judgment from the crowd kept her from speaking a single word. Mrs. Taylor raised her voice, telling the crowd to disperse, before turning a cold look on Sienna. “Sienna Vance, destroying university property and ruining another student’s expensive medication cannot be resolved with thirty dollars. Come to my office. Now.” Sienna clutched the crumpled money to her chest like a martyr carrying her cross, looking back at me with a mix of pity and creepy fanaticism as she followed Mrs. Taylor out.

As expected, by that evening, the incident exploded on the university’s anonymous forum, Fizz. A post titled “Pure-hearted girl tries to save energy for the planet, gets bullied by wealthy roommates” was pinned right at the top. The post featured three photos. The first was Sienna, drenched in sweat, writing environmental quotes under a dim desk lamp. The second was a candid shot of her crying in the hallway, holding her crumpled thirty dollars. The third was of me, standing by with my arms crossed, looking cold and aloof—the perfect image of an arrogant, evil roommate. The caption was highly manipulative: “What is wrong with this world? Someone tries to protect the Earth through natural living, only to be forced to her knees to pay money by her spoiled roommates who can’t live without AC. Do poor people with beliefs not deserve to go to college?” The comment section was a toxic wasteland. “The girl with her arms crossed looks like a total bitch.” “It’s just AC. I grew up without it and I’m fine. Kids today are brainwashed by capitalism.” “I feel so bad for the eco-girl. Seeing her hold that money made me tear up.” “Expose the spoiled roommates! Avoid them at all costs!” When Ashley showed me her phone, her expression was incredibly awkward. “Norah, look… things are getting out of hand. Why don’t you and Chloe just forgive her? Post a public statement on Fizz, otherwise how are we going to face people in class?” Looking at the cropped, out-of-context photo, my chest tightened, and my heart rate began to spike erratically. In my past life, I was cyberbullied exactly like this. I had posted my medical reports, the cut AC cord, and Chloe’s ruined insulin. But nobody cared. They only wanted to remember Sienna’s sweating, innocent-looking face. They only wanted to believe in their perfect, impoverished saint. I took a deep breath and pushed the phone away. “She is the one lying online. Why should I be the one to apologize and forgive her?” Mrs. Taylor had set up a temporary bed for me in the RA’s first-floor duty office. “Maintenance will fix the AC cord tomorrow. You sleep here tonight. There’s a fan. Tomorrow morning, I’ll push the dean for your single room.” The office only had an old ceiling fan that squeaked loudly, blowing warm air around, but it was a million times better than the artificial lake sauna upstairs. At 2:00 AM, just as I was drifting off, a pungent, artificial floral scent hit my nose. It smelled like the cheapest, lowest-grade incense sticks from a dollar store, mixed with heavy, suffocating smoke. I began to cough violently. My heart rate instantly surged to 120 beats per minute, and my lungs screamed for oxygen. I struggled to open my eyes. Through the dim light from the hallway, I saw Sienna standing right by my bed. She was holding a metal tray with seven or eight cheap incense sticks burning at once, releasing thick clouds of blackish smoke. She was actively waving the smoke directly into my face. “What… what are you doing?!” I gasped, clutching my chest as I scrambled back. Sienna looked down at me with a terrifyingly gentle smile. “Norah, Ashley told me your heart was acting up. Your heart is beating fast because your mind is full of modern anxiety and greed.” “This is meditation incense. Breathe it in. This raw, natural smoke will quiet your mind, and your heart condition will heal itself.” The thick smoke rapidly filled the tiny, unventilated room. The 104-degree heat, combined with the toxic chemical fragrance and severe lack of oxygen, felt like a physical hand squeezing my heart. “Get… get out…” I reached out, trying to knock the tray from her hands. Sienna grabbed my wrist with shocking strength. Her eyes were wide and manic. “Norah, don’t reject nature’s gift! Breathe deep! Purge the industrial toxins from your body!” My vision began to blur, and a tearing pain ripped through my chest. A second before I completely lost consciousness, my fingers brushed against my phone on the pillow. With my very last bit of strength, I pressed the emergency SOS button. As the metal tray clattered loudly to the floor, I collapsed onto the bed. The last thing I heard was Sienna’s horrified, self-righteous shriek. “Norah! Why would you rather faint than accept Mother Nature’s blessing?!”

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