Category: English

While my colleagues were grinning from ear to ear, holding their generous year-end bonuses, I happily stepped onto the stage. Mia, the CEO’s secretary, held a single scallion tied with a red ribbon and threw it at me with a mocking smirk. “Director Hastings, here is your year-end bonus: one scallion.” A wave of snickers rippled through the audience as malicious glances darted my way. I looked at Mia with a cold face. “What is the meaning of this?” She looked at me arrogantly. “Some people are just like a scallion, so they get a scallion. Is there a problem?” I ignored her. Suppressing my anger, I turned around, pushed open the door to my CEO husband’s office, threw the scallion onto his desk, and demanded an answer. “What do you mean by giving me a scallion for a year-end bonus? Are you intentionally humiliating me?” Ethan laughed dismissively and said, “It’s just a joke. Is it really worth interrogating me over? It’s just a little bonus, why are you being so petty?” “Besides, if you hadn’t embarrassed Mia in front of the client last time, I wouldn’t have played this joke on you to vent her frustration. In the end, it’s your own fault.” So, he humiliated me with a scallion just because last time, Mia acted out in front of our partners and almost ruined the deal, and I reprimanded her, making her lose face. My heart felt a dense, pricking pain, like rows of needles piercing it. Since you care so much about Mia’s pride, I’ll grant your wish. “Since my year-end bonus is only worth a scallion, I resign.” … It turns out that years of marriage couldn’t compare to an outsider who just showed up. I looked at him in disbelief. “So, to vent Mia’s frustration, you used a scallion to humiliate me.” “Ethan, do you have any idea how big of a mistake she made during that negotiation? She publicly embarrassed the client. If I hadn’t reprimanded Mia right in front of Mr. Lee, do you think we would have secured that deal?” “You were the one who told me I had to win that contract no matter what. Don’t you know how much effort I put into it? Mr. Lee is notoriously difficult to deal with. I had to swallow my pride and flatter him just to get him to consider working with us.” “And what did you do? Just to boost Mia’s status, you shoved her into my project without even telling me. I tolerated that. But when she almost ruined the deal, you actually blamed me? Ethan, do you even have a heart?” A flicker of guilt crossed Ethan’s face. Just then, Mia walked in. Hearing my words, she squeezed out a look of grievance. “Mr. Sterling, did I make things difficult for you again?” “If I had known, I would have just let Mr. Lee humiliate me. Even if it was uncomfortable, I should have endured it. Even if I had to kneel and grovel, I should have endured it.” “It’s just that I thought, since our company is now publicly listed and was recognized as a leading enterprise in Seattle this year, if we still have to sell our dignity to please clients, wouldn’t we look weak and invite contempt? That’s why I stood up for myself. I didn’t expect Director Hastings to make such a big deal out of it.” “I’m sorry. I just wanted to protect the dignity of the company and you, Mr. Sterling. I didn’t want people to think our partnerships were won by selling our dignity and groveling.” I sneered internally. Her so-called “difficulty” was just being asked to drink two glasses of wine at the dinner table. I had already drank almost a whole bottle and even took the drinks meant for her. And what did she do? She threw a glass of wine right in Mr. Lee’s face, publicly humiliating him. If I hadn’t humbled myself, apologized, and reprimanded Mia, promising to teach her a lesson to appease him, Mr. Lee would have walked out right then and there. There would have been no partnership. And Ethan knew all of this. He had even promised to give me an explanation. But with just a few twisted words from Mia, his heart instantly biased towards her. His so-called explanation turned out to be teaching me a lesson. Since that was the case, I decided it was time to lay all my cards on the table. Hearing Mia’s words, a look of heartache flashed in Ethan’s eyes, and his gaze towards me grew sharper. “Chloe, Mia did nothing wrong in this matter. She’s right. We are a publicly listed company now; the old ways don’t suit us anymore.” “We need to maintain a certain image. If others knew we had no dignity when doing business, wouldn’t we become the laughingstock of the industry?” Hearing Ethan’s defense, Mia shot me a triumphant look. “That’s right, Director Hastings. Even though you are the Sales Director, I have to say this: next time you negotiate a deal, please stop putting on this ‘bitter suffering’ act in front of Mr. Sterling. I know that now that Mr. Sterling’s net worth is over a hundred million, you feel insecure, but you shouldn’t use such low-class tactics to win his sympathy.” “You always make it seem like getting deals is so hard, deliberately lowering your status, letting the clients make things difficult for you, and then playing the victim.” “This really damages the company’s reputation. Although I understand that a middle-aged woman feeling inferior to her successful husband might feel insecure about living off him, you shouldn’t jeopardize the company’s future.” “Giving you a scallion for your year-end bonus was my suggestion to Mr. Sterling, precisely to make you realize your place and stop thinking you’re so smart.” So, giving me a scallion was Mia’s idea. And regarding those partnerships… Yes, our company was publicly listed, but the market was practically saturated. We hadn’t even established a firm foothold yet. What capital did we have to throw attitudes at our partners? One misstep could send us crashing down, never to recover. But looking at him now, it seemed Ethan had completely forgotten where he came from. With bloodshot eyes, I looked at Ethan in disbelief. “Is that what you think too?” Ethan nodded. “Of course. Mia is right. We are a publicly listed company now; negotiating deals doesn’t require much effort. It was all just a tactic you used to play the victim and make my heart ache.” “Considering our years together, let this scallion serve as a lesson. Next time, you are not allowed to do anything that damages the company’s dignity.” My expression remained flat, but because of our years of history, I still wanted to give Ethan one last chance. “So, you don’t intend to give me the year-end bonus I rightfully earned?” “I’ve told you many times, this bonus is very important to me. It concerns a very important matter. I must have it.” “And you clearly promised you would give it to me.” Ethan’s face stiffened. At this moment, Mia feigned surprise and chimed in, “But the year-end bonus that belonged to you this year has already been used by Mr. Sterling to buy me a car.” With that, Mia pulled a Bugatti car key from her pocket and dangled it triumphantly in front of me. Looking at the Bugatti key in her hand, my emotions erupted again. “This is the year-end bonus you gave her? She hasn’t contributed a single thing to the company this past year and even ruined several key projects. Not firing her was already a mercy, and she gets a Bugatti for a year-end bonus?!” “And you used my bonus to buy it for her.” “Ethan, is this the fairness you’ve always preached?” A flash of anger mixed with embarrassment crossed Ethan’s face, and he quickly defended himself loudly. “Mia is new. I gave her this reward just to motivate her to work hard.” “You’re my wife. You already have everything. Do you really need to care about that little bonus?” “What’s wrong with using your bonus to motivate an employee?” I sneered. “There are so many new employees in the company, but I don’t see you using Bugattis to motivate them. Ethan, do you even believe your own excuse?” Ethan’s face stiffened slightly, then he stubbornly replied, “Now that the company is public, do I still need to care about what others think?” “I also don’t allow my employees to sacrifice their dignity to please clients.” But I clearly remembered the client, Mr. Lee. Ethan had demanded that I secure the partnership no matter how difficult they made it. But when it came to Mia, she couldn’t suffer even the slightest grievance. Since the feelings were gone, arguing further would only humiliate myself. “Since that’s the case, I resign.” “Also, let’s get a divorce.” Ethan looked at me in disbelief, as if he had misheard. “Chloe, did I hear that right?” “You want to resign and divorce over this little thing? What exactly are you trying to do? Do you really care about that little bit of money that much?” I stared at him intently. “It is quite important. So since you won’t give it to me, let’s separate.” I was originally the heir to the wealthiest family in New York, but to be with Ethan, I made a pact with my family. As long as I helped Ethan succeed in his startup and he was willing to share his wealth with me, or if my personal account reached a balance of one hundred million dollars within six years, the family would recognize our marriage. They would accept his status as the Hastings family’s son-in-law. Otherwise, I would have to divorce him, return to the family to accept an arranged marriage, and inherit the family enterprise. But after Ethan’s company went public, he didn’t give me any shares. He said he had to treat all employees equally and couldn’t give me shares just because I was his wife, as it would make people think it was a “mom-and-pop” shop, which would look bad. He said he had to be fair and treat me like an ordinary employee. So I had to rely on my own abilities to reach a deposit of one hundred million dollars. For the past year, I had been desperately socializing, pulling in business from all over, and swallowing my pride, all to fulfill the pact with my family. With this year-end bonus of over thirty million dollars, I would have reached the one-hundred-million-dollar goal. I never expected that Ethan would casually take this money to buy Mia a Bugatti. And all I got was a scallion. Since he treated me like this, I had nothing left to hold onto. Ethan jumped up, looking at me fiercely. “Chloe, so it really is about this little bit of money. Why are you so obsessed with money?” “It seems Mia was right. You’re only with me for the money.” “These past few years, you’ve been stingy and calculating with your salary, and you even asked me for shares before. Fortunately, I was smart enough not to give them to you. It seems I was right.” My heart was pierced once again. So, he knew I wanted shares back then, and he didn’t give them to me not because of some so-called fairness, but because he was guarding against me from the very beginning. My mother had told me back then that Ethan’s intentions were not pure, that he didn’t treat relationships as innocently as I did. I didn’t believe her then. Now it seems, I was indeed a poor judge of character. Seeing me stay silent, Ethan felt even more certain that his assessment was correct. His gaze towards me grew increasingly mocking. “I hit the nail on the head, didn’t I? You have nothing to say for yourself, do you?” Seeing his angry and defensive state, I felt even more that my sacrifices over the years were worthless. “Ethan, from accompanying you when you started the business to desperately pulling in deals for the company now, you just think I’m doing it for money?” “This Mia has only been at the company for a year. You believe whatever she says, and whenever she makes a mistake, you think it’s never her fault.” “While I dedicate myself entirely to the company, you suspect me at every turn. Ethan, I hope you won’t regret this.” Ethan scoffed coldly. “But your constant calculating over money is also a fact. I didn’t falsely accuse you. Now that I won’t give it to you, you’re threatening to resign and divorce. What else is there to say?” “Since you want a divorce, then leave with nothing. I just hope you don’t regret it.” Looking at his heartless and emotionless attitude, my heart went completely cold. “Fine. I will leave with nothing.” With that, I turned and walked away, my back straight. At the office door, my colleagues cast various glances my way—some sympathetic, some gloating, and some indifferent. Mia’s delicate voice came from behind: “Mr. Sterling, with Director Hastings gone, what will happen to the Sales Department?” Ethan sneered. “Will the company stop running without her? It’s the perfect opportunity for someone capable to step up.” My steps didn’t falter, but a faint smirk appeared on my lips. Yes, let’s see if the company keeps running without me. I quickly packed the items on my desk and headed straight to the underground parking garage. Looking at my secondhand Honda, which probably couldn’t even buy a single part of Mia’s car, my heart ached even more. I had thought about changing cars before, but to save money, I kept repairing this one, never bearing to part with it. Looking back now, it was truly a joke. Just then, my phone rang. It was my father. “The six years are up. It’s time to fulfill our agreement.” I let out a breath and raised the corners of my mouth. “I’ve decided to return and inherit the family business.” My father didn’t expect this answer. His tone was somewhat cautious. “Chloe, you mean returning alone to inherit the family? Did something happen between you and Ethan?” “I’m getting a divorce. I misjudged him all these years.” There was a moment of silence on the other end. “I support your decision. But people of the Hastings family don’t suffer grievances in silence.” “I’m coming to bring you home right now.” Hearing this, my nose stung, and tears threatened to fall. “Thank you, Dad.” I hung up, drove home, packed a few personal items, and threw the rest into the trash. Then, I printed out a divorce agreement. Just as I was about to send it to Ethan, the villa door slammed open, and Ethan stormed in. He slapped me across the face. “Chloe, I never expected you to be so malicious as to scratch Mia’s new car out of jealousy.” “So what if I used your year-end bonus? How can you be so petty?” “Mia is still blaming herself, thinking you brought up divorce because of her. And you? You turn around and scratch her car. You’ve gone too far.” “I’ll give you one chance. Buy Mia a new car with your own money, and I’ll forgive you. Otherwise, don’t blame me for being ruthless.” I looked at him in disbelief, not expecting him to actually hit me for Mia’s sake. “I didn’t scratch her car, and I definitely won’t pay to buy her a new one.” Ethan sneered. “Who else could it be? Someone saw you go to the underground parking garage after leaving, and then Mia’s car was scratched. Who else would dare scratch such an expensive car?” “If you do something wrong, you must accept the punishment. You ruined her new car, so you should compensate her with a new one.” I refused again. “I went to the parking garage to get my car. I never even saw her new car, so how could I have scratched it?” “If you don’t believe me, go check the security cameras.” At that moment, Mia walked in looking deeply wronged. “Did Director Hastings say that because she knew the cameras in that section of the underground parking garage are broken for maintenance?” “I know you’re jealous that Mr. Sterling bought me a new car while you’re still driving a secondhand Honda, but if you wanted to drive my new car, you just had to ask. I would have let you drive it. Why did you have to scratch it?” “Do you know those few scratches will cost millions to repair? You knew I didn’t have the money, so you did it on purpose to humiliate me, didn’t you?” Ethan looked heartbroken, and his gaze towards me grew increasingly disgusted. “Chloe, you scratched the car, so whether it’s buying a new one or repairing it, you must pay for it.” Seeing his aggressive demeanor, I confirmed once again that our marriage was truly over. I didn’t answer him. Instead, I handed over my divorce agreement. “This is the divorce agreement. I’m leaving with nothing. Sign it. I’m too tired to waste words on you.” “As for the car, I didn’t scratch it, and I won’t accept the blame. If you insist on making me responsible, then call the police. Let them find the truth.” A flicker of excitement flashed across Mia’s face when she saw the divorce agreement, but upon hearing me mention the police, a hint of guilt mixed with her excitement. So, she had orchestrated the whole thing herself. “You really want a divorce? Chloe, you must realize that without me, you are nothing. Think carefully.” “I’ve thought it through clearly. Sign it.” Ethan snatched the divorce agreement, quickly signed it, and threw it at me. “I’ve signed it. From now on, even if you kneel on the ground and beg, I won’t give you another chance.” “Since you won’t admit to scratching the car, I’ll handle it by calling the police.” He took out his phone to call the police, but his assistant called him instead. “Mr. Sterling, something happened.” “The partners who were supposed to sign contracts today didn’t show up. They’re all demanding to cancel their contracts.” “Furthermore, not only did the bank loan not come through today, but they’re calling in our existing debts early. The company is in complete chaos.” Ethan’s pupils contracted in disbelief. “What nonsense are you spouting? How is that possible?” “Everything was fine when I left the company. In just a few short hours, who has the power to do this? This is clearly trying to drive me to my death.” Assistant Wang’s tone was frantic. “Then, Director Hastings, think carefully. Have you offended anyone recently?” “This attack doesn’t feel like normal business tactics; it feels more like a vendetta. They didn’t leave any room for negotiation.” “Mr. Sterling, you need to think of a solution quickly. The company’s phones are ringing off the hook. The suppliers are calling like they coordinated it, demanding payment. But the bank loan didn’t come through today, and our liquid assets have already been invested in other projects. We have no way out.” Ethan stumbled back a few steps and was caught by Mia. “Mr. Sterling, could this be Chloe’s doing?” “We haven’t offended anyone recently. Besides her holding a grudge, who else would do this?” “She must have colluded with someone in the company to set you up. Don’t worry, we are a publicly listed company. We won’t collapse just because of her petty tricks. She’s just trying to scare you.” Ethan glared at me furiously, his eyes blazing with anger. “Chloe, how could you gamble with the company’s future? Do you know this will cause massive problems for the company?” “If our competitors find out and deliberately spread rumors about us, these fake issues could be blown up into real ones. If the company loses its credibility, who will work with us?” “The company just went public. Doing this will affect our stock price, and if we’re not careful, we risk bankruptcy. How could you do this for your own selfish gain?” “You’ve truly disappointed me. But let me tell you, I’m calling the company right now to revoke your position and blackball you from the entire industry. Let’s see who dares to put on an act with you then.” After saying that, he immediately called Assistant Wang. He started off with an interrogation. “Assistant Wang, did Chloe bribe you to put on an act with me?” “What benefits did she give you to help her like this? You know if you cause losses to the company because of this, I can have you sent to jail.” “I’m telling you right now, I have signed the divorce agreement with Chloe. She leaves with nothing. I am now revoking all of Chloe’s positions in the company and blackballing her from the industry.” “Are you still going to betray me with her? If you don’t tell me the truth, and if anything goes wrong with this partnership, I will hold you fully responsible.” Facing Ethan’s accusations, Assistant Wang was utterly bewildered. “Mr. Sterling, what are you talking about?” “What does this have to do with Director Hastings? Have you misunderstood something?” “A very important person has just arrived at the company. I suggest you come back immediately, or things will really go south.” After hanging up the phone, Ethan glared at me, his eyes full of scrutiny. “Is this really not an act you and Assistant Wang put on to scare me?” I sneered and didn’t answer his question directly. “I never try to scare people.” “I suggest you head back to the company and see for yourself.” An ugly look flashed across his face, and he glared at me viciously. “If I find out the company’s issues have anything to do with you, I won’t let you off.” Watching his retreating back, I raised an eyebrow. “Ethan, enjoy your last days of glory.” If my guess was right, the one taking action should be my father. I just didn’t expect him to move so swiftly, practically paralyzing Ethan’s company in just a few hours. After packing my personal belongings and leaving the villa, a stretch Lincoln stopped in front of me. “Miss, the Master sent me to pick you up first. There will be a grand show in a few days.” I nodded and got in the car. Meanwhile, Ethan rushed back to the company. As soon as he entered, Assistant Wang briefed him on the situation. Then, he led him to the conference room. “This is Mr. Hastings from the Hastings family in New York. He is here today to discuss acquiring our company.” Hearing the word “acquisition,” Ethan’s eyes widened in shock, his face instantly turning pale. “The Hastings family… wants to acquire my company?” He looked at the powerful middle-aged man sitting there, instantly understanding the truth. What happened to the company today had nothing to do with me; it was orchestrated by the Mr. Hastings before him, precisely for this acquisition. But why would the prominent Hastings family of New York set their sights on his unremarkable company? Could it be that he had offended someone in the Hastings family? He quickly adjusted his emotions, his eyes revealing a hint of flattery when he looked at the man. “Mr. Hastings, I built this company through hard work. It’s my lifeblood. I wonder what it is about this company that caught your eye?” “Or perhaps I offended you in some way, causing you to target my small company? If you tell me, I will sincerely apologize.” “I just hope you can give me a chance, considering I’m just a junior who doesn’t know any better.”

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In my last life, they murdered me. Now, I’ve been reincarnated as the unborn daughter of a tragic heroine. In that past life, my mother was lured into a vicious trap by her best friend and her husband. It was a “two lives, one casket” ending. In this life? I was a D-list actress who specialized in playing tragic extras before I died, and I’ll be damned if I let my mother and myself go up in flames again. When that “best friend” sent the invitation to the gala again, my mother’s hand wouldn’t stop shaking as she gripped her phone. I rolled my eyes in the amniotic fluid. My thoughts crashed into her mind like a physical blow. [Mom, stop shaking! You’re causing a damn tsunami in here!] [Crying is the most useless thing on this planet. Suck those tears back in, now!] My mother’s eyes widened in sheer terror. “Who… who’s speaking?!” [Don’t go looking for a ghost. I’m the kid in your belly!] Without mercy, I forced the memory of her previous death into her brain—the image of her “best friend” pushing her off that penthouse balcony. The sensation of falling. The snap of bone. The phantom pain and raw terror sent her into a breakdown. She curled up on the floor, letting out a desperate, broken whimpering. [Begging for mercy? Last time, you knelt and begged them, and they didn’t even blink. It didn’t save us then, and it won’t save us now.] [But it’s okay. Your kid is a professional. I might have spent my last life as a nobody playing corpses on Law & Order, but I’ve memorized every trope and screenplay in the book. If you listen to me, I promise you your revenge.] My mother stared blankly at her stomach. I let out a mental smirk. [Acting Rule Number One: The most profound contempt is found in the simplest actions.] [Now, smile. And tell her yes.] My mother hesitated, but under the sheer pressure of my mental will, she reached for the phone that had slid across the floor. She squeezed out a smile that looked more painful than a sob and accepted that “invitation to a funeral.” 1 The moment she hung up, she collapsed, her strength spent. I didn’t give her a second to breathe. I kept the lesson going. [Acting Rule Number Two: Retreat to advance. Vulnerability is often your sharpest weapon.] [Pick up the phone again. Call your mother-in-law, Beatrice West. You know, the one who treats you like an oven for her ‘precious legacy heir.’] My mother resisted, but she loved me—or at least the idea of me. She followed my lead. When the call connected, Beatrice’s impatient, sharp voice barked through the speaker. “What is it now? Focus on the pregnancy and stop calling me every five minutes!” My mother flinched, the words dying in her throat. [Cry! Now! Let it out!] [Tell her your heart is racing, your head is spinning, and you can’t stand the smell of grease. Oh—and tell her you’re craving something sour.] With my permission, the dam broke. My mother’s tears flowed, her voice trembling with genuine grievance as she recited my script. “Mom… I… I’ve been feeling so dizzy lately. Every time I smell cooking oil, I feel like I’m going to be sick… and all I want to eat are green apples and lemons…” There was a heartbeat of silence on the other end. Then, Beatrice’s tone shifted instantly. It became sharp, urgent, and almost frantic. “Nauseous? Craving sour things?” “Don’t move! And don’t you dare eat any of that trashy takeout! I’m taking you to the hospital for a check-up tomorrow. Nothing can happen to the West family heir!” [Acting Rule Number Four: When danger is near, muddy the waters to find a way out.] [Tell her you can’t go to the hospital because you promised Tiffany Sinclair you’d go to her party.] My mother sobbed, her voice heavy with feigned conflict. “But… I already told Tiffany…” [No ‘buts.’ Speak!] Under my coercion, my mother spoke in a frail, tiny voice. “Mom, I promised Tiffany I’d go to her Halloween gala tomorrow night…” “What gala?! Absolutely not!” Beatrice’s voice jumped an octave, pure fury. My mother’s eyes welled up with a fresh layer of tears. [Quick, say you’re afraid of making Tiffany angry. Tell her to talk to Tyler.] My mother’s voice was timid. “Mom, maybe… maybe you should talk to Tyler? I’m just afraid Tiffany will be… upset with me.” “Upset? Who cares if that outsider is upset? Is she more important than my grandson? I’m calling that boy right now!” The line went dead. My mother looked at her pale reflection in the mirror, blinking, lost. I was satisfied. [Mom, remember this. A woman’s tears are never meant for a dog of a man. From today on, your tears are only for the performance.] My mother didn’t quite understand, but she nodded anyway. 2 The next morning, the doorbell rang. It was the gown Tiffany had “specially prepared” for my mother. “Jade, babe! I found the perfect ‘warrior’ outfit for you!” Tiffany’s voice over the phone was so sweet it was nauseating. “With your pale skin, this ‘Fallen Starlet’ piece is going to kill. Trust me, you’ll be the envy of the room tonight!” My mother held up the black dress. It was barely a handful of sheer fabric. The sight of it made her stomach churn, and she gagged. I hissed immediately, [Don’t you dare throw up!] [Showing weakness is the cardinal sin of acting. Do what I say. Smile. Take it. Tell her you love it so much you want to sleep in it.] My mother hated every second of it, but she forced a stiff smile and took the dress. “Thank you… I love it. It’s a very… airy design.” Tiffany sounded delighted and hung up. The second the screen went black, my mother bolted for the bathroom and retched. She leaned against the wall, staring at her bedraggled self in the mirror, her eyes filling with humiliation and hatred. She was remembering the last life—the cold, the pain, the betrayal. She grabbed the “Fallen Starlet” dress, ready to tear it to shreds. [Hey, hey! Stop! Don’t throw it away.] My mother froze. “But… this is the evidence of how they killed us.” I raised a mental eyebrow. [A good tool should be used where it hurts most. Sometimes, poison is the only way to break a stalemate. Go get your eyebrow scissors.] My mother walked to the vanity, confused. [See the side seams on that dress? Use the scissors. Snip the threads every few inches. Make it so that a stiff breeze—or a gentle tug—will make the whole thing fall apart. Remember, a prop only has value when it fulfills its destiny.] My mother’s eyes lit up. She delicately picked at the seams, weakening the structural integrity of the gown. [Perfect. Now it’s a dress with a mission. Next prop: that diamond necklace Tyler gave you.] [The idiot tried to save money by taking the diamonds off your old jewelry and putting them on a new chain, but he forgot one thing: the clasp on that pendant is actually a high-end micro-recorder you bought years ago for your acting classes.] Understanding my plan, my mother dug through the bottom of her jewelry box. … By evening, my “dear” father, Tyler West, was home. The moment he walked in, he saw my mother in that black “warrior” dress. I didn’t miss the flicker of disgust in his eyes, but I kept my mouth shut. His hand slid over her waist, his fingers lingering meaningfully over the weakened seams. “Honey, you look stunning,” he murmured. “Don’t drink at the party. Take care of yourself.” Following my instructions, my mother lowered her head, a perfect flush of “shyness” on her cheeks. “I’ll be there. I won’t let you or Tiffany down.” Tyler smiled—the smile of a hunter watching his prey step into a snare. Right then, her phone shrieked. Caller ID: Mother-in-Law. Her “good” mother-in-law was always on time. [Mom, put it on speaker.] Beatrice’s scream erupted instantly. “Jade Montgomery! If you dare step foot in that trashy club tonight, don’t you ever think about stepping foot back in this house!” My mother’s eyes turned red instantly. Tears rolled down her face—she had truly mastered Rule Number Two. “Mom, Tyler and Tiffany really want me to go… I’m too scared to say no…” Before she could finish, the doorbell rang. Tiffany was here to pick her up, swaying in a long white silk gown, looking like a literal angel. She walked right into the middle of the mother-in-law showdown. “It’s just a party, what’s the big deal?” Tiffany’s eyes flashed with disdain as she snatched the phone and hung up on Beatrice. “Why do you listen to that old bat? You’ve got Tyler and me. Who could possibly hurt you?” My mother smiled but said nothing. Just before walking out the door, she clipped the diamond necklace around her neck. The click of the clasp sounded like a gavel hitting a bench. [Mom, remember. Tonight, you are the director—and the only lead actress.] 3 The music in the ballroom was deafening. Tyler’s arm was clamped around my mother’s waist as he introduced her to the crowd. “This is my wife, Jade.” But his eyes were constantly drifting past her, exchanging secret glances with Tiffany, who was dressed as an elegant jasmine flower in the middle of the crowd. Seeing the room that looked exactly like the one from her memories—the place where her nightmare began—my mother nearly faltered. I cleared my throat mentally. [Mom, stop shaking. Confidence is the first requirement of a lead! Straighten your back. Channel that old-money Montgomery energy. Imagine you’re a queen inspecting the peasants.] My mother took a deep breath, and her tremors miraculously stilled. Tiffany glided over, holding two glasses of red wine, her smile sweet and venomous. “Jade, you look so pale. Are you feeling okay? Why don’t I take you upstairs to a private room to rest for a bit?” My mother’s body stiffened. She instinctively wanted to refuse. I cut in. [Go with her. The recorder is running. You can’t catch the tiger if you don’t enter the den. Move.] My mother nodded and let Tiffany lead her toward the elevator. As soon as the doors closed, the mask slipped. Tiffany’s face twisted with malice. “Jade, why do you insist on playing the victim?” She leaned into my mother’s ear. “You’re a useless waste of space who was born into the right family. You don’t deserve Tyler. Don’t you feel disgusted, hogging the title of Mrs. West?” “But it’s fine. After tonight, you won’t be the high-and-mighty Jade Montgomery anymore.” She giggled, a sharp, piercing sound. “Can you guess tomorrow’s headlines? ‘Socialite’s Secret Life of Sin: Caught in Bed at a Wild Party.’ Doesn’t it sound spicy?” She gestured excitedly. “By tomorrow, you’ll be a branded adulteress. The shame of the West family!” I couldn’t help but laugh mentally. This bitch was as dumb as she was cruel. [Mom, you don’t have to hold it in anymore. Give her the full ‘weak and helpless’ performance!] My mother let herself go. Her body shook violently, large tears spilled over, and her lips trembled so hard she couldn’t speak. Her fear was half-acting, half-PTSD from her previous life. It was a perfect blend of Method and Meisner. Tiffany was ecstatic seeing her like this. She didn’t notice my mother’s hand gently pressing the clasp of her necklace. “Yes! That’s the face! Keep that expression for when the reporters burst in!” Tiffany laughed, patting my mother’s pale cheek. “Cry harder. It makes it more believable.” Ding. The elevator reached the 18th floor. Tiffany dragged my mother down the hall to Room 1808. She pulled out a keycard and waved it mockingly. Beep. The lock clicked. Her smile turned demonic as she shoved my mother from behind! My mother stumbled into the darkness of the room. Click. The door was locked from the outside. Inside, the heavy scent of alcohol was overwhelming. A tall silhouette rose from the sofa, his voice thick with confusion. “What the hell? Why was she shoved in?” “Aaaah!” My mother’s scream shattered the silence of the room. The man froze. [Now! Improv Rule Number Six: A great actor knows how to create a highlight! Tear the seams! Cry! Cry like the world is ending!]

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I found a GPS tracker hidden under my car by my husband. He thought his plan was flawless, but it chilled me to the bone. My sister-in-law was trying to get pregnant, desperately seeking medical advice every day. I smiled kindly and handed her my car keys: “This car has a safety blessing. You’ll feel more at ease driving it to your checkups.” She thanked me profusely, completely unaware that danger was already quietly hitting the road. Until the sound of police sirens pierced the air the next day. My mother-in-law’s wails were heart-wrenching. Only then did he understand my ruthlessness. 1 The afternoon sun was a bit glaring, and the fan-shaped mist from the pressure washer refracted a fleeting rainbow. I was bent over, washing the car with a soft sponge. It was a white SUV, bought with the bonus from my very first project. Ethan didn’t like this car. He thought its lines weren’t sharp enough, that it didn’t match his status as an investment manager. But I liked it. I liked its rounded lines and spacious interior, like a mobile fortress that could whisk me away at any moment. The water flushed through the tire treads, washing away the mud and sand. My fingertips accidentally brushed against an edge on the car’s undercarriage. There was something stuck there that didn’t belong to the car itself. It was a small, rough, magnetic block. My movements halted for a second, my heart feeling like it had been violently seized by an invisible hand. I didn’t rip it off immediately. I stood up and turned off the pressure washer. It was dead silent around me, save for the rhythmic dripping of water sliding off the car body. I took out my phone, adjusted the angle, and snapped a picture of that little black block. The photo clearly showed its outline, and a faintly blinking indicator light. Back home, I locked myself in the study and uploaded the photo to my computer. Zoom in, search. Every word of the results that popped up on the screen felt like a cold chisel, carving a bloody hole in my heart. High-precision GPS tracker, ultra-long standby, silent operation. So that was it. No wonder last week, when I suddenly changed the meeting location with a client, Ethan’s call came “coincidentally” right as I walked into the new cafe. No wonder he always managed to send a considerate “Don’t rush, drive safe” text exactly when I was feeling frustrated in traffic. I used to be touched by this telepathic connection. Thinking about it now, I only felt a churning nausea in my stomach. I leaned back in my chair, closed my eyes, and tried to steady my breathing. Besides the tracker, there was something else. That smell. For the past month, a faint, sickly-sweet scent would constantly drift from the car’s AC vents. I thought it was time to change the cabin air filter and even mentioned it to Ethan. What was his answer then? He said the new car freshener was just a bit too strong and the smell would dissipate in a few days. And then there was my own body. An inexplicable exhaustion that an eight-hour sleep couldn’t relieve. Recurring skin allergies on my arms and calves that itched to the bone. I thought it was just the changing seasons, or maybe the stress from work. Now, all these clues were slithering out of dark corners like venomous snakes, wrapping around me, flicking their tongues. I didn’t touch anything. I shut down the computer and saved the photos on my phone into an encrypted folder. I prepared dinner as usual: washing rice, washing vegetables, chopping meat. The blade hitting the cutting board made a crisp sound—rhythmic, and cold. The lock turned, and Ethan was home. He was wearing a perfectly tailored suit, his hair meticulously styled, a gentle and refined smile on his face. He walked over and habitually hugged me from behind, resting his chin on my shoulder. “Tired today?” he asked. I could smell the mix of tobacco and cologne on him, a scent I used to be obsessed with, but now it only made me want to throw up. I shook my head, my voice as calm as stagnant water: “Not tired.” “By the way,” I turned my head, looking into his eyes, trying to make my expression look natural. “Is it time for the car to be serviced? I keep feeling like there’s something wrong with the AC lately.” His eyes flickered—very fast, almost imperceptibly. “Really? I just had someone check it a while ago. It might just be a dirty filter. I’ll take it to the dealership this weekend to have a look.” His answer was airtight, the smile on his face flawless. Halfway through dinner, my mother-in-law, Susan, called right on schedule. Ethan put her on speaker. “Chloe, did you go see the doctor or not? You’ve been married for three years, and your belly hasn’t shown any signs. Are you deliberately trying to end the Vance family line?” The shrill, mean voice drilled out of the receiver, piercing my eardrums like steel needles. “Our Ethan has a great career and good looks. Marrying you was the worst luck of his life! A hen that can’t lay eggs, what are you taking up space for!” My hand gripping the chopsticks tightened slightly, my knuckles turning white. Ethan immediately frowned and said to the phone, “Mom, what nonsense are you talking about! Chloe is under a lot of pressure too. We’re trying.” “Trying? Trying for three years and not even a fart to show for it! Let me tell you, Ethan, I don’t care. If there’s no news by the end of this year, you two are getting a divorce! I don’t want to die and be too ashamed to face your father!” The call was forcefully hung up by Susan. The dining room fell dead silent. Ethan sighed, placed a piece of ribs in my bowl, and spoke in a tone as gentle as coaxing a child. “Chloe, don’t listen to my mom. She’s just anxious to have a grandchild, she doesn’t mean any harm.” “Look at my sister, Lily. To get pregnant, she’s seeing doctors, getting checkups, working so hard. Let’s step it up too, okay?” Every sentence was a comfort, yet every sentence was applying pressure. Looking at his hypocritical face, and that fleeting gleam of calculation in his eyes, the temperature in my heart dropped inch by inch until it was frozen solid. This man I had loved for five years, this husband I had shared a bed with for three years, was personally weaving a massive web for me. And I was the prey about to be devoured. No. I won’t let him get his way. Late at night, Ethan was fast asleep, his breathing steady and long. I quietly got out of bed, walked to the living room, and picked up his phone. The password was our wedding anniversary—how ironic. I opened his WeChat, my fingers trembling slightly from nerves. I clicked on a contact with no profile picture, saved as “S.” There wasn’t much chat history, but every sentence was shocking. “Has she been suspicious lately?” “No, she’s very naive.” “How are the effects of the stuff?” “Should be soon. She’s always complaining about being tired lately.” Right then, a new message popped up at the top of the screen, from “S.” “How are things going? Once she definitely can’t have kids, you’ll have an excuse for your mom, and we can be together sooner.” I covered my mouth tightly to stop the sob from escaping. So, my physical discomfort, my mother-in-law’s pressure, his gentle traps—everything was a meticulously planned conspiracy. What he wanted wasn’t just for me to not be able to have children. He wanted me to be “proven” infertile. A bone-chilling cold rose from the soles of my feet, instantly spreading through my limbs and bones, freezing me into a sculpture devoid of warmth. Anger and hatred churned in my chest like magma, scorching every inch of my rationality. Very well. Ethan. If you want to play, I’ll play with you to the bitter end. 2 The next day, I called my company and asked for a sick leave with a hoarse voice. The excuse was a severe cold and physical discomfort. Hanging up, I dug out gloves and a mask from the storage room, arming myself securely. I needed to confirm again. Opening the car door, that sickly-sweet scent was even more distinct than yesterday. I didn’t start the car. Instead, I directly dismantled the glove box on the passenger side, revealing the cabin air filter compartment inside. The process was more complicated than I imagined, but as an architectural designer, I have a natural sensitivity to mechanical structures. I carefully pulled out the filter. In the deepest part of the filter, near the air vent, I found something. It wasn’t a normal car freshener. It was cleverly disguised as a black plastic part, tightly wedged in a structural crevice. Attached to it was a tiny flexible tube leading to a modified miniature device that could slowly release liquid. My heart beat wildly, almost leaping out of my throat. Using tweezers, I extremely carefully removed the entire device intact. Then, I placed the device in a sealed bag and cut off a small piece of the filter soaked in the liquid as a sample. Having done all this, I called Sarah. Sarah is my best friend from college and also a top-tier lawyer at the city’s premier law firm. When the call connected, I only said one sentence: “Sarah, I’m in trouble.” Sarah immediately heard the wrongness in my voice. “Where are you? Don’t move, I’ll be right there!” Half an hour later, Sarah rushed to my house. I placed the tracker and that strange device in front of her. After hearing my account, fury erupted on her usually calm and composed face. “That animal, Ethan! This is chronic poisoning! This is a crime!” She immediately helped me contact a highly professional and confidential private testing agency. They promised to have the results in 24 hours at the earliest. During the long, agonizing wait for the results, I didn’t let myself stay idle. I opened my laptop and began organizing all the assets under my and Ethan’s names. Married for three years, we had jointly invested in quite a few projects, mostly led by him. I checked them one by one, my heart sinking lower and lower. There were three wealth management products totaling over seven figures that should have been under our joint account, but were now missing. I checked the transaction records. They had been unilaterally transferred by Ethan a month ago to an account completely unknown to me. Sarah called, her voice grave. “Chloe, I just consulted with a colleague, and we have a terrifying theory.” “Ethan’s goal is likely a combo move.” “Step one: use drugs to ruin your body, making you ‘infertile’. Step two: use the tracker to monitor your whereabouts and fabricate ‘evidence’ of your indiscretion.” “Finally, during the divorce, he’ll leave you with nothing due to your ‘physical issues’ and ‘marital fault’.” My brain buzzed. I remembered now. Just two months ago, Ethan had subtly tried to get me to sign a property agreement. He said it was just in case—if our feelings ever changed, we could part amicably without hurting each other. I had only thought it was weird at the time and kept putting off signing it. Looking at it now, it was a trap he had laid long ago. I hung up, immediately put on my coat, and went to the bank. The bank statements spat out by the ATM were as long as a eulogy. They clearly recorded the path and time of every single asset transfer Ethan had made. Irrefutable evidence. Holding that stack of cold paper, I walked on the streets at dusk, the city’s neon lights blurring my vision. My phone vibrated. It was a WeChat message from my sister-in-law, Lily. “Sister-in-law, trying to get pregnant is too hard. I’m going to the city’s best fertility center tomorrow for a comprehensive checkup. Hoping for a good result.” Followed by a praying hands emoji. I looked at that line of text, looking at that glaring emoji. A bold, meticulous, and perhaps even crazy plan slowly broke ground on my frozen heart. Ethan, didn’t you want to watch a good show? Then I’ll let you see with your own eyes how you personally pushed your precious sister into the abyss. 3 The call from the testing agency came earlier than expected. The results were out. A chemical substance named “phthalate” was detected in the filter sample. This is an environmental hormone. Long-term, low-dose exposure severely disrupts the human endocrine system, causing irreversible damage to female reproductive health. Simply put, it can cause infertility. I gripped my phone, my fingertips freezing cold, drained of all color. The last bit of fantasy about our five-year relationship completely turned to ash along with that cold chemical term. I calmly deleted all call logs and contact information with the testing agency. Then, I took photos of the test report, uploaded them to the cloud, and set up multiple encryptions. Having done all this, I put on my gloves and took out that deadly “freshener” device. I installed it back into its original position in the car, untouched. Except, before installing it, I used a fine needle to quietly widen the small hole that released the liquid. This meant its evaporation rate would be several times faster than before. That evening, Ethan suggested we go back to his parents’ house for dinner. A trap I had long anticipated. At the dinner table, my mother-in-law, Susan, started her performance again. One minute she’s talking about how the neighbor’s daughter-in-law had a chubby baby boy, the next she’s talking about someone’s daughter who got pregnant right after getting married, saying she was born to be a good breeder. Every sentence was like a soft knife, stabbing at my heart again and again. Ethan, meanwhile, played his role of the twenty-four-filial-exemplar good husband. He “considerately” served me food, gently told me to eat more, and used his eyes to signal me not to mind his mother. That acting—it’s a waste he hasn’t won an Oscar. “Bro, Sister-in-law,” Lily put down her chopsticks, looking worried. “I’m going to the hospital tomorrow. The road to the city fertility center is too hard to navigate, and it’s impossible to get a cab during the morning rush hour.” The opportunity had arrived. I looked up, a remarkably gentle and kind smile blooming on my face. “Lily, why didn’t you say earlier that you needed a car?” I took my car keys out of my bag, placed them on the table, and pushed them toward her. “Take my car.” In an instant, everyone at the table froze. Surprise showed on the faces of both Ethan and Susan. I ignored them, just looking at Lily, my tone as sincere as could be. “My car just got serviced, it runs smooth. Plus, I heard this license plate number is super lucky; it brings good fortune.” I paused, adding with a smile. “Take it to your checkup. Maybe with the ‘good pregnancy’ blessing, you’ll succeed on the first try.” I enunciated the words “good pregnancy” very clearly. (Translator’s Note: In Chinese, “good fortune” and “good pregnancy” sound identical.) The doubts on my mother-in-law’s face vanished instantly. She eagerly urged Lily: “Your sister-in-law said so, what are you waiting for? Hurry up and thank her!” Ethan chimed in: “Yeah, Lily, your sister-in-law is just looking out for you.” He looked at me, a hint of probing in his eyes, but mostly satisfaction at my “putting the big picture first.” He probably thought I had been successfully brainwashed by him and his mother, and was trying hard to please their family. Lily was overjoyed, accepting the car keys with endless gratitude, clutching them tightly in her hand. “Thank you, Sister-in-law! You’re so good to me!” I smiled, looking at her face full of gratitude. Looking at the relieved expressions of Ethan and Susan behind her. There wasn’t a single ripple in my heart, only a bottomless, cold abyss. Go ahead. Drive this lucky car loaded with my husband’s “love” and your whole family’s “hopes.” Go meet your judgment. 4 The morning Lily drove to the hospital, the sky was a dreary gray. I used an unregistered SIM card I bought on the street yesterday to send a text message to someone. The recipient was Lily’s attending physician, Dr. Chen. I got his contact info from a registration slip Lily had accidentally posted on her Moments before. I revised the text message over a dozen times, carefully considering every single word. “Hello Dr. Chen, apologies for the intrusion. You have a patient surnamed Vance coming in today for fertility planning. She may have been unknowingly exposed to phthalate chemicals long-term. I suggest you pay attention to related indicators during the exam and check her belongings for contamination sources. This is purely for her health, please.” After sending the text, I immediately removed the SIM card, cut it into pieces with scissors, and flushed it down the toilet. I completely removed myself from this matter. Having done all this, I turned on my computer. I categorized and organized the chat logs of Ethan’s affair, the bank statements of the transferred family assets, and the photo of the GPS tracker. Then, I packaged and encrypted all the files and sent them to Sarah. Sarah replied almost instantly. “Everything is ready, just waiting for your signal.” I closed the laptop, walked to the window, and made myself a cup of coffee. The aroma of coffee filled the room, but my mood was exceptionally calm. I ran through all the possible scenarios that might unfold next, and my corresponding countermeasures, over and over in my head. I even had the mood to open my design software and start modifying a museum design project I had shelved for a long time. Lines flowed from my fingertips, constructing a space full of light and hope. Ironically, in reality, I was personally destroying another hypocritical palace. Around noon, Ethan called. “What are you doing at home? Feeling any better?” His tone carried an imperceptible probe. “Much better, just resting.” My voice sounded a bit languid, like a wife truly resting sick at home. I even “caringly” asked, “Did Lily’s checkup go smoothly?” Ethan was silent for two seconds on the other end of the line. “Should be soon, she hasn’t called me yet.” His voice betrayed a trace of nervousness even he hadn’t noticed. I smiled. What was he nervous about? Of course he was nervous. He desperately needed a report of his sister successfully getting pregnant to contrast my “incompetence.” He was also afraid his tampering would be discovered. But he would never have thought that the one to uncover all this would be his most beloved sister. He would never have thought that the protagonist of the stage he meticulously set was no longer me. But himself.

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When the story’s “true heroine” appeared, I was already pregnant with Liam Sterling’s child. Unable to fight fate, Liam had once abandoned everything and broken his engagement with her for me. Yet now, the universe forced him to hate me to the bone, finding me repulsive just to look at. Eventually, I got tired. I threw away our tangled love, and even gave up our child. Until six years later, on a late afternoon. A young, tender-faced child knocked on my door. He kept his face perfectly serious like a little adult and said: “My dad doesn’t want me anymore. Can I stay with you?” 1 I froze for a second, not saying a word. Leo pursed his lips, clearly unhappy. Tilting his pretty little face up, he said very seriously: “My teacher said that parents have a responsibility and obligation to raise their children…” The half-open door cut off the rest of his sentence. I stepped slightly to the side and said calmly: “Come in.” The dim, warm light inside illuminated his slightly widened eyes. His eyes flashed inexplicably. He lifted his chin, gave a little “hmph,” and obediently walked inside. After closing the door, I turned around to see Leo looking around curiously. Seeing me look at him, he immediately averted his gaze, nervously gripping his backpack straps. With a tense little face, he said: “My name is Leo Sterling.” It sounded like a self-introduction, but also a reminder that he was the child Liam and I had together. I know. From the very first glance, I knew exactly who he was. Because his face was practically a carbon copy of Liam’s. Seemingly disappointed by my calm reaction, he turned his head away, unhappy, refusing to look at me anymore. I placed his little pastel yellow backpack in the entryway and led him to wash his hands. “Let’s eat first.” Leo obediently said “Oh.” By the time I brought the food out, he had already climbed onto his chair. I asked him why he suddenly came looking for me. Leo buried his head, poking at the bok choy in his bowl. His lowered head was dark and round. His voice was muffled: “I got in a fight with him. He smashed things and told me to get out, saying I could never come back.” So he was just throwing a tantrum and running away from home. Liam would probably come pick him up very soon. Makes sense. After all, six years ago, the Sterling family fought me tooth and nail for Leo’s custody. It got incredibly ugly. There was no way they wouldn’t want him now. My chopsticks paused. I couldn’t quite name the feeling in my heart at that moment. I hadn’t known Leo was coming tonight, so I only had a simple meal of two dishes and a soup. He was a very picky eater. He didn’t eat onions, and he didn’t eat carrots. In the end, he had nothing left to pick from. Leo stared at the mangled bok choy leaf like it had killed his family, stole a guilty glance at me, and swallowed it down. When we first met today, he carried a little bit of arrogance and spoiled pride. Now, seeing him pick at his food and refuse greens, I figured he must be given whatever he wants and deeply loved at the Sterling house. He probably hadn’t suffered any real grievances. I felt a bit relieved. After doing the dishes, I waited for Liam to send someone to pick him up. I waited until 9:30 PM. Six-year-olds get sleepy early. He dug his pajamas out of his backpack, looked around, and pouted: “There’s only one bedroom.” “Am I squeezing into the same bed as you tonight?” I glanced at the clock on the wall. For whatever reason, the Sterling family still hadn’t sent anyone. I had to compromise. “Yeah, you’re sleeping with me tonight.” I thought Leo would throw a fit. After all, my meager one-bedroom apartment was obviously not as comfortable as the Sterling family’s luxurious mansion. But Leo just pressed his lips together, his eyes flashing. After washing his face, he huffed and puffed as he changed into his pajamas, kicking his little legs as he climbed into bed all by himself. Just like at dinner—even though he looked disgusted, he had silently finished the greens I put in his bowl. He wriggled under the covers, making a little mound. He pulled out a fairy tale book from nowhere, peeking his eyes out to look at me, unable to resist rushing me: “Aren’t you going to read me a bedtime story?” He actually looked pretty happy. 2 After putting Leo to sleep, I pulled up Liam’s number. I hesitated for a long time, but still didn’t make the call. Liam and I had been separated for six years. At first, we thought we could fight fate. Back then, my family suddenly went bankrupt. The Sterling family broke our engagement and secretly arranged for Liam to be engaged to Chloe Snow. For me, he disregarded everything and broke off the engagement with Chloe. He even gave up his status as the heir. He took a brutal beating from Old Mr. Sterling as family punishment and couldn’t get out of bed for half a month. Seeing me cry, he endured the pain, offering a lazy smile as he softly coaxed me. I thought everything would be okay. The bankruptcy would pass, Liam would get better, the future would be bright. But it wasn’t. Liam and I got married in secret. Perhaps because of Liam’s unwavering commitment to me from beginning to end, after I got pregnant, I never once considered not keeping the baby. Until right before I gave birth. Enduring the pain, I called him for a long time, but Liam never answered. A neighbor rushed me to the hospital. When I woke up, I saw a cold, indifferent Liam. I didn’t know how a person could change so drastically overnight. It was as if his eyes held nothing but unfamiliarity and disgust for me. Chloe visited me once. From her mouth, I learned the truth about this world. Due to a timing error by the “System,” when the late-arriving “True Heroine” appeared, the “Male Lead” had already developed feelings for someone else. As the price for correcting this, the Male Lead’s mistaken feelings began to invert. However much he loved me before, he would hate me that much now. Chloe looked at me with pity and sorrow. Before leaving, she asked softly: “Have you thought about what will happen to your child in the future?” I suddenly froze, feeling lost. I didn’t know who to hate anymore. Should I hate Liam? But he couldn’t even control his own emotions. Should I hate fate? But what good is hating? I couldn’t change anything. At that time, my parents got into a car accident on their way to the hospital to see me. They were in a coma and might remain in a vegetative state for the rest of their lives. I was on the verge of a breakdown. My mind kept replaying Chloe’s words. I just felt that this bastard of a world was so, so tiring. I pushed open the window. As I looked down, the baby beside my hospital bed suddenly started wailing loudly. I thought hazily: If I die, what will happen to him? Will this world tolerate his existence? Will Chloe abuse him? Or will he end up like me, abandoned by Liam, silently suffering countless grievances, only to eventually die quietly while everyone expects it? My body started trembling. I walked back to the bed, my hands shaking as they hovered over his neck. I wanted to take him with me. But then he stopped crying. His red, teary eyes stared at me longingly, as if no matter where we went, he just wanted to be with his mother. It wasn’t until a nurse and a bodyguard noticed something was wrong, burst into the room, and shoved me hard. I looked down at my trembling hands. Only then did I abruptly realize the absurd thing I had almost done under Chloe’s suggestion. The news quickly reached the Sterling family. Old Mr. Sterling demanded to see me and initiated a custody battle. I wanted nothing anymore. I discarded the Liam who disgusted me, gave up my custody rights, and cleanly signed the divorce papers. I only took two hundred thousand dollars. Youth doesn’t know the taste of sorrow. The young Miss Davis, who used to casually throw around millions, could now find herself driven to a dead end over a few thousand dollars in hospital bills. From beginning to end, Liam never showed up. He despised me so much he wasn’t even willing to look at me one last time. So, I accepted my fate. I threw away our tangled love, and even gave up our child. I let him go, and I let myself go. I only snapped back to reality when a soft little dumpling burrowed his head into my chest. Leo closed his eyes and grunted, curling up softly in my arms, as if he had finally found a comfortable position, sleeping soundly. He uneasily clutched the hem of my shirt tightly, as if terrified that I would disappear the moment he opened his eyes. I looked at that innocent, tender face and couldn’t help but sigh softly. If he knew his mother had wanted to strangle him right after he was born, would he still have come looking for me? He probably would have run as far away from me as possible. 3 By morning, Liam still hadn’t shown up. I had no idea what he was planning. The Sterling family fought so viciously for custody back then, yet now they were acting like they could just toss him away. I woke Leo up early, called an Uber, and took him to school. The preschool he attended wasn’t in the same city as me, but thankfully it was only an hour’s drive away. Before getting out of the car, he made me promise repeatedly that I would pick him up after school, whining and refusing to let go of my hand. Until he saw a specific car parked in front of the preschool. His eyes lit up. He hurriedly dragged me out of the Uber. As we got close, he deliberately slowed down, pretending to casually block the path of a chubby kid who had just gotten out of his car. As if to make sure the kid saw, Leo swung my hand in front of him. Then, very loudly, in a voice everyone could hear, he asked me: “Mom, you’re going to pick me up after school, right?” That was the first time Leo called me “Mom.” Maybe because I was absent for six whole years, he hadn’t even proactively called me “Mom” when he knocked on my door. The chubby kid stared straight at me, looking skeptical: “If you have a mom, why didn’t she drop you off before?” Leo scoffed, his gaze incredibly disdainful: “My mom is busy with work. Today she specifically took time off just to drop me off.” He emphasized the word “specifically.” Holding my hand, he walked to the main gate of the preschool in front of everyone, as if showing off, making sure everyone saw. Before parting ways, he twisted awkwardly and asked one more time: “…You will come pick me up, right?” When I didn’t answer right away, he glared at me, then panicked and whispered: “You promised me in the car. Adults aren’t allowed to lie!” I crouched down with a sigh of resignation, smoothing down his popped collar and ruffling his hair. His hair was dark and soft, feeling nice to the touch. “Okay, I’ll come pick you up.” He couldn’t help but curl his lips upward, but he tried hard to keep them straight. Acting mature, he tilted his chin up and said reservedly: “Mhm, I’ll remember to wait for you.” I only looked away after his figure completely disappeared from my sight. I found a teacher and asked about Leo’s situation at preschool. The teacher hesitated, finally sighed, and complained with a frown: “I know the Sterling family is powerful, and what I say might not matter.” “But Leo’s Mom, no matter how busy you are, you can’t just completely neglect the child, right?” “Since he enrolled, no one has ever shown up for a parent-teacher conference!” “Now all the kids in the school are saying he doesn’t have a mom. This is really bad for his physical and mental development.” No one came to the parent-teacher conferences? Even if Liam was incredibly busy and disliked this child, couldn’t he even bother having an assistant handle it? I frowned, feeling for the first time that I might have made the wrong decision. …Maybe I shouldn’t have given up custody back then. But at that time, I was penniless, my parents were in comas at the hospital, and I couldn’t even support myself. How could I possibly raise a fragile child? I pulled up Liam’s number, hesitated for a second, and dialed. I decided to have a serious talk with him. If Liam really didn’t want to raise him anymore, I would take him in. Even though I couldn’t provide the excellent conditions of the Sterling family right now, it was still enough to raise a child. Just as the call went through, a ringtone sounded from behind me. Sensing something, my fingertips trembled as I turned around. I saw Liam stepping out of a black Bentley. Six years had passed. He seemed to have changed, yet somehow remained the same. He looked down at the lit screen through half-lidded eyes, his wrist bones sharply defined, his cold, handsome face hidden in the shadows. He unhurriedly raised an eyebrow and suddenly looked up. “You hid from me for so many years.” “Want to talk?” Unlike my miserable circumstances all these years, Liam remained calm and composed. His features were the same as before, but the gaze he directed at me felt inexplicably deep. Even the dappled light filtering through the trees seemed to favor him. I had heard he had already taken over the entire Sterling family empire from Old Mr. Sterling. I had heard the brand he founded swept the globe. I had heard he secretly married years ago and always kept a low profile. Memories spanning over a decade, which I had deliberately ignored, surged back like a breaking dam, sending sharp, fine pain through my chest. It was only at the moment I saw him that I realized: I thought I had let it go. Turns out, I hadn’t. The boy who wove a grass ring for me when we were young, who kicked the person bullying me into the pool. No one could have ever imagined we would end up in such an embarrassing situation. He actually hadn’t changed; he just stopped loving me, that’s all. It’s been a really, really long time, Liam. 4 We walked in silence and found a nearby coffee shop. Before the coffee even arrived, as if trying to hide my nerves, I cut straight to the chase: “Do you still want the child?” For six years, I had fantasized about reuniting with Liam, almost torturing myself with the scenarios. So much so that I was able to feign indifference now. Liam glanced at me, answering without hesitation: “Of course I do.” I pressed my lips together, staring at the street sign through the floor-to-ceiling window. I gave a low “Mhm” and stood up. “Then remember to pick him up after school. If you don’t have time for parent-teacher conferences, you can let me know. I won’t bother you and—” I still couldn’t say Chloe’s name out loud. I couldn’t help digging my nails into my palms. The sharp pain kept me lucid, forcing me to say: “…I won’t disturb your lives.” I checked the time, ready to leave. As we brushed past each other, I heard Liam abruptly ask: “So now, the only thing you want to talk to me about is Leo?” My footsteps faltered. I didn’t quite understand. Everything between us had been settled six years ago. He loved someone else; I took my two hundred thousand and left cleanly. It was that simple. Besides Leo, what else was there to talk about? Liam let out a breath, his dark eyes locked onto me, and spoke again: “Alright then. I don’t want Leo anymore.” He sounded so righteous, as if he wasn’t the one who had just flipped his stance in a split second. I furrowed my brow, unable to resist asking: “What do you mean?” Liam lifted his chin slightly, tapping the seat across from him, signaling me to sit back down. “Exactly what it sounds like.” “You want to raise the kid? Fine. The kid is yours.” “Considering the child’s physical and mental well-being, I will come to your current residence every Friday evening to spend necessary quality time with Leo, and I will drive back to the office on Monday morning.” Seeing him spout this nonsense with a straight face, I felt it was completely absurd. Reaching my limit, I reminded him: “We are already divorced.” “Are we?” Liam let out an ambiguous scoff. “I never signed.” I belatedly realized the meaning of his words. When Old Mr. Sterling told me to sign the divorce agreement, I just assumed Liam was so disgusted by me he didn’t even want to see me one last time, which is why he never appeared. He said he never signed. But then why did he wait six years to find me? I wouldn’t flatter myself by thinking he still had feelings for me. Maybe the original agreement got lost, or maybe there was a loophole that required a supplementary contract. Anything was possible. I pressed my lips together and said very cooperatively: “Then we can draft a new one and sign it.” Liam didn’t even look up: “I’m not signing.” I tried reasoning with him nicely: “If we sign it, we’re totally clear of each other. Isn’t that great?” “No.” “Do you have some kind of concern? I don’t want any shares or money. You can consider me leaving with absolutely nothing.” “No.” His three “no’s” made me both angry and dazed. Perhaps Liam himself didn’t even remember, but he was exactly like this when he was younger. That day was his birthday party. Someone cornered me, looking at me with lecherous, disrespectful eyes, saying whatever garbage came to mind. Liam kicked him right into the pool. It caused a massive scene. The guests were all prominent figures in New York’s high society, and the faces of the family elders were quite ugly. When asked for a reason, Liam refused to explain. To avoid gossip and protect my reputation, Liam never even mentioned me from beginning to end. Because he refused to admit he was wrong, he took a brutal beating with a cane from Old Mr. Sterling. Probably no one would have guessed that the 18th birthday of the man sitting in front of me, now a titan of industry, was spent locked in a solitary confinement room. The door was completely locked from the outside; no one could even bring him medicine. I huddled outside the door, saying very softly and guiltily: “I’m sorry.” Through the door panel, he paused for a moment, making some rustling sounds. It seemed he sat down by the door too. His voice was a bit muffled as he gave a soft “Oh,” and then said: “Not listening.” I buried my forehead in my knees and mumbled: “Actually, you didn’t have to kick him. You could have just let him finish talking. He wouldn’t have dared to actually do anything to me.” “Not waiting.” I didn’t say anything else. Maybe my voice was too muffled and he misunderstood something. After a moment, he said again: “No crying.” He knocked on the door panel, making a light tsk sound: “I did it because I wanted to. It has nothing to do with you. No crying.” I snapped out of my daze, trying my hardest to hide the burning sensation in my eyes. Yet it felt as if I could hear his “no crying” from all those years ago. Liam sat under the light, offering a faint smile. The fine dust caught in the light drifted lazily. His old features had silently sharpened over the years. He looked up and raised an eyebrow at me. As if answering what I had said earlier. “Maya, things between us can never be clear.” 5 I don’t quite remember how it ended. I only remember that I was so angry I didn’t even say goodbye. Because we parted on bad terms, I wasn’t sure if he was just talking nonsense or if he actually intended to follow through. I hesitated for a moment but decided not to call an Uber back. Maybe because the round-trip fare would cost almost what I make in a day; I might as well just take the rest of the day off instead of going back to work. Or maybe the maternal love that had been absent for six years was acting up. I didn’t want to break my promise to Leo. I waited until 4:30 PM, when preschool got out. Most of the children at this preschool came from prominent families. Amidst the coming and going luxury cars, I saw that Bentley stop in front of Leo. So I didn’t step forward. I turned around, slowly walking back the way I came. I suddenly felt that my previous worries were ridiculous. What was I thinking? How could the Sterling family really let the child leave with me? The Bentley quickly drove away, kicking up a thick cloud of dust as it passed. I inexplicably thought of that tender little face. We probably wouldn’t see each other again. I just, as if possessed, turned to take one last look. With the black car gone, the other side of the road was revealed. Leo stood all alone at the preschool gate. His wide, round eyes met my gaze. His eyes lit up, and he was about to sprint toward me, but was stopped by a teacher raising her arm. He scrunched up his little face, looking a bit angry as he said something to the teacher. Afraid he would jaywalk, by the time I snapped out of it, I had already taken several steps toward him. The teacher saw me and finally felt safe letting Leo go. He ran until he was panting, his dark, obsidian-like eyes sparkling. He only slowed down when he got close, deliberately putting on an air of indifference. Squirming but happy, he said: “…You, you really came to pick me up?” A soft little hand tentatively grasped my fingertips. Seeing I didn’t pull away, he pressed the corners of his lips together, stole a glance at me, and squeezed even tighter. I gave a soft “Mhm” and asked him, a bit unsure: “Aren’t you going with him?” At the mention of Liam, Leo’s cheeks puffed up like a propane tank ready to explode: “I don’t want him! And he didn’t come to pick me up!” “He said you work so hard dropping me off and picking me up, and that I’d just annoy you by clinging to you every day. He told me not to disrupt your work.” He looked very opinionated, seemingly very disdainful of Liam, and said very seriously and proudly: “I’m not as stupid as he is!” “I talked to my teacher about transferring schools today! That way, you won’t have to spend so much time dropping me off!” He tilted his little face up, his gaze urging me on, seemingly waiting for me to praise him. I couldn’t help but rub his round little head. Traffic was heavy on the way back. After stopping at the grocery store, the sky was getting dark. I held Leo’s hand as we walked home. He seemed to remember something and casually mumbled: “Oh right, the driver is picking me up after school tomorrow. Dad said I have to go home tomorrow to get all my clothes.” “But I still want to come back here to sleep! You’re not allowed to forget me!” Tomorrow was Friday. I instinctively tightened my grip on the plastic bag holding the pork belly ingredients, paused for a second, and said softly: “Okay.” Children are forgetful. Maybe after a weekend of being coaxed at home, he would forget about me. I treated every meeting as if it were the last. Because only by doing that wouldn’t I feel disappointed during the long waits.

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Seven years after breaking up with my first love, I took in a college boy who looked just like him. Everyone around me said he was just a substitute, but he would only smile softly and never argue. As time went on, I felt that living like this wasn’t bad at all. I warned my friends: “Don’t call him a stand-in. I’m going to marry him.” That single sentence caused my first love, who was halfway across the world, to book an overnight flight back to the States. Even though we had been apart for years, and he had never once come back for me. 1 When I pulled open the door, the smile froze on my face. A man I had only seen in my dreams for the past seven years stood on my porch. Ethan Vance. My first love. His features were as sharp and deep as ever, his eyes like stars. He looked more mature than before, and even more magnetic. Wrapped in a black windbreaker, he stood as tall and imposing as a tree. I had imagined what we would say to each other if we ever met again countless times, but I never expected him to speak first. He raised an eyebrow. “Aren’t you going to invite me in?” When we broke up back then, it wasn’t an ugly, screaming fight. It ended through his long, agonizing campaign of the cold shoulder. But I had my pride. On the day of the first snow that new year, I stood alone in the freezing cold and cried until I broke down. Yet, when I opened my phone, I simply typed one calm sentence: “Let’s break up. You’re free.” He replied instantly—something he had almost never done during his months of ignoring me. “Okay.” From that day on, my unforgettable first love came to a full stop. For years, I thought I could never forget him. But it turns out time really does smooth over everything. Seeing him again, the turbulent waves that used to crash in my chest were completely gone. Now, he sat in my living room while I meticulously decorated the house. I hung balloons and string lights. When the cake in the oven was done, I pulled it out and carefully frosted it following a tutorial. A few stray strands of hair fell across my forehead, but I didn’t even bother to brush them away. I had no time to pay attention to his presence. In my peripheral vision, I only saw his fingers slowly curling into tight fists. Today was Liam’s birthday. After a busy afternoon, people slowly started to arrive. They were all my friends. I wanted a full house; I wanted Liam to have a happy day. When my friends saw Ethan sitting on the sofa, those who knew our history froze in their tracks. But after glancing at me, they kept their mouths shut. At five o’clock, the doorbell rang again. I opened the door, and Liam stood there holding a bouquet of flowers, gazing at me with a gentle, loving smile. I pulled him inside as confetti cannons popped from both sides, showering him in color. “Happy Birthday, Liam!” I happily threw my arm around his shoulders and introduced him to all my friends. I went down the line, and when I reached Ethan, my tone paused for a fraction of a second before I spoke as casually as possible: “This is… Ethan Vance. An old high school classmate of mine.” Ethan stared at me. When his brow furrowed, he was actually quite intimidating, his presence overwhelmingly heavy. If I went by my past knowledge of him, I half-expected him to flip the table and storm out. But thankfully, he didn’t. Even when Liam extended a hand to him, Ethan gave me enough face to shake it. I breathed a sigh of relief. Throughout the entire birthday party, I made sure Liam was the center of attention. My friends showered him with relentless praise. After all, ever since I dropped that warning a while back, no one dared to tactlessly call him a substitute again. “He’s so handsome, Chloe. I’m so jealous you have such a gorgeous boyfriend.” “Not just handsome, but he has a great temper too! Unlike that guy you dated years ago, wow, he was a total…” The person realized what they were saying, shot a terrified glance at Ethan, and instantly clamped their mouth shut. … The party’s atmosphere peaked after everyone was full and we started playing Truth or Dare. Liam lost a round and chose ‘Dare.’ The condition: kiss me. Everyone clapped and cheered: “Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!” “Come on, kiss her! You’re not a real man if you don’t! That’s your girlfriend!” Suddenly, with a loud bang, the front door was slammed shut. Ethan was no longer in his seat. … 2 After the party wrapped up and everyone left, I went upstairs. Liam was sitting at his easel, earnestly studying a canvas. The soft bedroom light spilled over him, highlighting his elegant profile. He didn’t know that he was far more breathtaking than the art he painted. Sneaking up behind him, I suddenly felt playful and reached out to cover his eyes. “Guess who?” Liam needed total concentration when he painted, but he never got mad at me for interrupting him. I could feel the corners of his lips curve upward as he played along: “I don’t know. Who is this?” “I’m your baby,” I said sweetly. I let go. He tilted his head back, smiling up at me, and then pulled me right into his lap. His embrace was broad, soft, yet strong. He enveloped me effortlessly. I buried my face in his chest and took a deep breath. That faint, signature scent that belonged only to Liam always intoxicated me. But then, he suddenly asked: “What’s wrong with you today?” “Huh? Nothing’s wrong.” “I just feel…” His gaze fell on me, thoughtful. “You seem a little off.” I didn’t expect him to be so perceptive. Seeing the man I had longed for for years, no matter how calm I tried to be, I was inevitably affected. But I had no intention of telling him. To my surprise, he asked: “That guy today, the one you said was a high school classmate. I’ve never seen him around you before.” Alarm bells rang in my head. “Oh… he went abroad right after graduation. He just moved back recently…” I thought I was acting perfectly normal, but I couldn’t help the guilty flutter in my chest, silently praying he wouldn’t press further. But he looked at me with a half-smile, effortlessly piercing my disguise. “That was your ex, wasn’t it?” “…How did you know?” “I guessed.” Looking into his eyes, I surrendered. Maybe this was a man’s sixth sense. I raised three fingers, swearing to the heavens, the earth, and my heart. “I admit it, yes, he is.” “But it’s been so long. I have absolutely zero feelings for him anymore.” “Don’t you know who fills my head completely right now?” By the time I finished that last sentence, I couldn’t help but grin cheekily. He gently pinched my cheek. “I know.” He didn’t ask anything else. This was Liam. Always graceful, always knowing exactly where the boundaries were, knowing when to advance and when to retreat. Sometimes I thought it made perfect sense why people secretly called him “Liam the Accommodating.” Otherwise, with so many people coming and going in my life over the years, why was he the only one who stayed? That weekend, I was invited to play golf. It was a standard social event for the upper crust, a place where everyone networked and exchanged market insights between swings. I brought Liam with me. Many people in our circle knew about our relationship. While those elites were gossips, they wouldn’t disrespect me to my face. The caddies picking up the golf balls, however, were a different story. I heard them whispering: “See that pretty boy? He’s sponsored by Ms. Sterling. I heard she drops hundreds of thousands on him every month.” “She treats him so well, even bringing him to play golf. A high-end place like this… he’s dirtying our club’s grass.” “Exactly. A broke kid like him has probably never touched a golf club in his life.” … A spot opened up on the green, so I asked Liam. “Want to give it a try?” He didn’t refuse. He nodded, looking incredibly elegant. He stepped up to the tee, took a ball, gripped the club, and swung. Hole in one. Perfect. People around us turned their heads in surprise. I clapped delightedly, cheering loudly, “Beautiful!” 3 I swiped my card for twenty grand on the spot. The club brought out stacks of cash, and I had them distribute it to everyone present. Whenever someone hit a hole-in-one here, it was tradition to tip out cash to the staff as a celebration. When they reached the caddies who had been whispering, I said coldly: “Skip those guys.” “Their mouths are too filthy. I don’t want them dirtying my money.” Their faces instantly flushed with deep shame. The CEO who invited me laughed and said: “I didn’t expect your… boyfriend to be so skilled.” I waved my hand dismissively. “If it wasn’t for his family’s bad luck back then… sigh, never mind. Let’s just say it wasn’t easy for me to win him over.” I was born into a Manhattan old-money dynasty. With a large extended family, I was groomed from childhood to be the primary heir, which gave me the capital to look down on almost everyone. It was safe to say that, aside from the massive failure I experienced with Ethan Vance, no one had ever rejected me. Just as the cash was being handed out near the edge of the green, a low gasp rippled through the crowd. A tall, remarkably handsome man stood there. I didn’t know when he had arrived. It seemed like he had been watching for a while. His assistant tried to hand him a couple of thousand dollars from my tip pool with an apologetic smile, but he didn’t even look at it. He stepped up to the tee and took a swing. Another hole-in-one. The crowd gasped again. He swiped his card for forty grand. When he turned his head, he saw me happily holding Liam’s hand. “How are you so amazing? As expected of my boyfriend, you make me look so good!” Ethan’s face darkened instantly. I was completely oblivious, continuing to praise Liam. Suddenly, a golf ball shot into my field of vision. It was moving at a terrifying speed, hurtling straight for Liam’s head. It missed by a fraction of an inch, grazing Liam’s temple before slamming heavily into the ground. A golf ball of that density, with that much momentum, could have easily given someone a severe concussion or worse! But Ethan just walked over and said nonchalantly: “My bad. My swing went wide.” “Wide, my ass!” I couldn’t hold back my curses anymore. “Vance, are you out of your f***ing mind?!” He didn’t expect me to react so explosively. He held up his hands in a mocking surrender. “He’s just a little pet you keep around. I heard he’s even my substitute. The real thing is standing right in front of you, and you’re still settling for the knockoff?” Beside me, Liam’s expression didn’t change, but his eyes visibly dimmed. Ethan’s words stomped directly on my biggest landmine. I raised my hand, pointing a trembling finger right at his nose, gritting my teeth. “Let me make this clear. Liam is my boyfriend. He’s not a substitute. You better learn your f***ing place next time, or I swear to God, every time I see you in New York, I will make your life a living hell.” “You know I have the power to do it!” Strictly speaking, the Vance family controlled commerce, while my family controlled politics and infrastructure. His family still had to bow their heads to mine. Ethan’s expression shifted. Slowly, his jaw clenched tight. He looked at me with pure disbelief: “You’re doing this… for him?” But I was already dragging Liam away. 4 Once we were sitting in the car, my heart ached. I held his face, examining it over and over. Even though the ball hadn’t actually hit him, I was still terrified. “Does it hurt?” I asked. He blinked, and a fine mist of tears pooled in his eyes. “Yeah… it hurts.” My heart broke even more. Seeing him looking so pitiful made my rage toward Ethan boil over. “He got kicked in the head by a mule! That idiot, swinging without looking where he’s aiming—why doesn’t he just go die?!” I kept cursing a blue streak until I finally snapped out of it and realized Liam was looking at me, smiling. His gaze was infinitely gentle. For some reason, I froze for a second. “What? Is there something on my face?” His hand gently brushed through my hair, sending a tingling flutter down my spine. “I love it when you get angry for my sake.” “Why?” “It shows you care about me.” I grabbed his hand and poked his palm playfully with my finger. In this intimate atmosphere, I suddenly felt incredibly warm. “Of course I care about you. Hmph.” He let out another soft laugh. I realized I was blushing. The news that I threatened to destroy Ethan Vance at the golf course spread like wildfire. Now, everyone in our social circle was gossiping about “the heiress who waged war for her boy toy.” Even my parents found out. On the phone, my dad shouted furiously: “Do you hear how ridiculous you sound?! You threatened Ethan Vance over a plaything?!” “The relationship we’ve built with the Vance family for years was ruined by your one sentence! Do you know how many people are laughing at us right now?!” “You are going to apologize to Ethan, and then you are cutting off that little boy of yours!” The situation wasn’t actually that dire. I hadn’t truly moved against Ethan; my dad was just angry and lashing out. However, he used this as an excuse to remove me from my position as General Manager, demoting me to an unimportant department. He stripped me of my power. When I found Liam, he had already set everything up. Seeing me, he wrapped a salon cape around my shoulders. The sprays, scissors, and clippers were all laid out perfectly. Today was the day he gave me my regular haircut. He teased me: “I haven’t done this professionally in so long. Aren’t you afraid I’ll ruin your hair?” But I didn’t say a word. Sensing something was wrong, he immediately closed his mouth.

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The year I turned four, my biological parents finally found me and brought me home. That was the first time a bodyguard ever escorted me to that magnificent, palace-like mansion on the hill. The fake heiress, wearing an exquisite tutu dress and hair clips worth thousands of dollars, walked up to me and asked, “Are you the cleaning lady’s daughter?” So innocent. So pure. According to the personality my adoptive parents had beaten into me, I should have been terrified by this grand spectacle, completely at a loss for what to do. But… sorry, sweetheart. I’ve been reborn this time. 1 I opened my eyes to see the scenery blurring past the car window. Besides my tiny body curled up in the plush leather captain’s chair, the only other person in the luxury SUV was the bodyguard driving, dressed in a black suit and sunglasses. My eyes stared blankly out the window. There was no childlike innocence in them, just a hint of boredom. I really couldn’t understand why a chance at rebirth was given to me—someone who had absolutely no desire to live. Hmm… I racked my brain. How did my past life end? Was it… suicide? Yeah, I think so. The car sped along, following the exact trajectory of my past life, heading straight toward the place that would become my lifelong prison. The mansion dripped with opulence. Only the absolute elite of high society had the right to live in a neighborhood like this. Inside this house lived the picture-perfect family of four: a father who was a powerful, billionaire CEO; a mother who was a beautiful, elegant socialite; an older brother who was gentle, handsome, and fiercely protective of his sibling; and an innocent, obedient little sister who was the center of everyone’s universe. The family doted on their youngest daughter so much that they couldn’t bear to send her to preschool until she was four. But the irony was, during her mandatory pre-enrollment physical, a routine blood test shocked them to their core. The apple of their eye, the precious darling they had loved and spoiled for four years, wasn’t their biological child! Their real daughter had been switched at birth and had spent the last four years living in a rundown, impoverished trailer park on the outskirts of the city. Though it was hard to accept, the wealthy parents immediately brought their biological daughter back from the trailer park. But they could never have predicted that one day, they would look at this daughter they brought home and say, “You’re so vicious. I wish you had just died out there!” all to protect the fake heiress. That older brother, who was always so warm and gentle to everyone else, would step in front of the fake heiress, glaring at his own biological sister with guarded eyes, warning her, “You need to learn when to let things go.” Even my fiancé, whom I had barely met a few times since our arranged engagement as children, would look at me with nothing but disgust. From the moment I was brought back, everyone thought the fake heiress was better, sweeter, and more pitiful. The true heiress, supposedly returned to a life of wealth, was forever trapped in a life of being compared, despised, and framed. Desperate for love, only to be destroyed by it. I felt something warm and wet on my cheek. Tears. But I didn’t feel any sadness at all? I forced my slow, numb brain to think. After a moment, I could only curse this four-year-old body for being so dramatic. Then I remembered a voice echoing in my ear just before the darkness consumed me in my past life: “Plot armor… cannot be fought…” Cannot be fought? If it can’t be fought, then why let me be reborn? Did someone not get enough entertainment watching me act like a pathetic, trapped animal in my past life? Or did they think my past life wasn’t enough of a joke? The car was dead silent. No one was going to give me an answer. 2 I was escorted into the mansion. Arthur and Victoria were already waiting on the plush sofas, with nine-year-old Liam sitting beside them. Perhaps it simply hadn’t crossed their minds, but no one had thought to bring me a clean set of clothes for the ride. I was still wearing the filthy, oversized t-shirt I had inherited from my adoptive cousin, and a pair of dirty, unglued flip-flops on my feet. My dull, yellowish hair was matted into small clumps. I didn’t miss the flash of surprise and complex emotions in their eyes. I didn’t know if they were disgusted by my clothes or by me. “Mommy~” From the top of the grand spiral staircase, a little girl in a fluffy tutu, her slightly curly hair pinned back with sparkling clips, walked down step by step. A nanny trailed closely behind her. Her dress really was beautiful. Bright colors, delicate embroidery—little bunnies and flowers. Look! In an instant, she drew everyone’s attention. I have to admit, in my past life, I secretly envied Chloe. Even while ridiculously putting on airs as the “true heiress,” I envied her. Her parents loved her; they switched me out just so she could have a good life. My parents loved her too; until the day I died, barely anyone knew she was a fake. My brother loved her, constantly taking her side. Everyone who was supposed to be mine loved her… I was the only one who hated her. 3 My name is Harper. Before my biological parents found me, my name was Lily, named after the lilies that grew near the trailer park. It was a name chosen out of convenience, leaving me with no choice. Later, Arthur changed my name to Harper. I was so happy then, feeling like a pearl finally wiped clean of dust, picked up from a pile of mud. It was only later I realized that it wasn’t the meaning that mattered, but the fact that it sounded just like my old name. Wherever I went, I was just an afterthought. My lifelong nemesis was named Chloe. A name Arthur and Victoria had chosen together, filled with beautiful wishes and expectations. Everything she had, before and after, was originally meant to be mine. She was manipulative and calculating, with a disguise so clumsy you could see right through it, but I still couldn’t beat her. The ending was always my defeat. I didn’t want to fight anymore. I was tired. I could no longer find any joy in the tiny scraps of attention they threw my way. “Chloe!” Victoria instinctively stood up from the sofa and walked toward her. But then, remembering something, she stopped, shooting a complicated look at the nanny behind Chloe. The nanny awkwardly lowered her head. Chloe walked toward me. Like natural-born enemies, she noticed me immediately. Or maybe my outfit was just that eye-catching among these rich people. I looked like a little beggar; even the nanny behind her was dressed better than me. She rubbed her eyes, which were slightly red from crying, and her tone was innocent: “Who are you? Are you the cleaning lady’s daughter?” The exact same words. Arthur and the others hadn’t even reacted yet. Everyone in the room watched us like spectators at a play. What did I do in my past life? Oh, right. In my past life, I was so terrified I plopped right down on the floor. Amidst my panic, I couldn’t help but think about how soft the floor was, covered in a beautiful rug, softer than the sand after high tide. First impressions are crucial. Chloe had a massive advantage. From our very first meeting in my past life, I lost completely and utterly. She was pale, chubby, and adorable. I was sallow, emaciated, and pathetic—the kind of kid people instinctively shy away from. Tears started rolling down my cheeks. My voice was small and timid: “Did my mommy sell me here? She said if I wasn’t good, she would sell me.” “Lily was a good girl.” I choked back my sobs, trying my best to present a terrified but brave little victim to the audience. Chloe loved using this trick. It instantly garnered everyone’s sympathy, making it seem like she was the most pitiful person in the world. In my past life, I despised it, but now, I realized it was actually quite fun to play. She wasn’t actually that smart, and her tricks weren’t that clever. She just relied on that so-called… plot armor to get mindless favoritism along the way. I had suffered so much injustice because of it. Now, I wanted her to taste it for herself. Fight fire with fire, right? From the sofa, I heard Victoria’s heartbroken sobs. I thought with self-loathing, is she really that sad? Could she guess that one day she would become one of the final straws that broke me? Forcing me to watch as Chloe slowly claimed everything that was mine. I looked at Chloe standing in front of me. Her focus seemed entirely on me. A hint of a smile flashed across her lips. My pitiful state amused her. Like a princess, she looked down from her pedestal at me, thinner and smaller than her, and said as if bestowing a grand favor: “You’re so pitiful. I’ll ask my mommy later, you can be my little maid from now on.” I laughed internally at her clownish behavior, waiting for the real authority figure to arrive. 4 “Nonsense!” An elegant, regal woman in her sixties walked through the front door, her assistant trailing behind carrying a briefcase. The moment she spoke, the grand hall fell dead silent. Even Victoria stopped sobbing. “Grandma~” Chloe called out sweetly, lifting her tutu and jogging over. It was obvious she was heavily favored by the matriarch. But to her dismay, the grandmother she adored walked right past her and crouched down in front of the little beggar. Grandma stroked my dry, yellowish hair, her smile incredibly kind: “What’s your name, sweetheart?” I dropped the act, my gaze perfectly calm. “My name is Lily.” I pointed at Chloe, who was standing a few steps away: “Did you bring me here to be her little maid?” I instantly started crying as if I had been terribly wronged: “Can I say no? I don’t want to be someone’s little maid.” “The money my mommy sold me for… I’ll pay you back double when I grow up.” I couldn’t help but let out a little sob. In my past life, Grandma was the only one immune to Chloe’s plot armor. She was also the only one who paid attention to my growth, noticed my progress, and praised me. Of course! I wasn’t narcissistic enough to think I could defeat Chloe’s plot armor. But Grandma was someone who valued family bloodlines and interests above all else. She would spoil you because you were of the family’s blood, and she would abandon you if you weren’t. To hold onto that single source of attention, I worked desperately hard to grow into the person she wanted me to be. Even then, I still couldn’t outweigh Chloe in everyone’s hearts, and I still fell into Chloe’s poorly constructed traps. I think, in the end, Grandma was disappointed too… “Oh, sweetheart, Grandma would never make you a little maid. Do you know who you are? You’re Grandma’s real granddaughter, the little princess of our family!” she declared solemnly. This was said to me, but it was meant for everyone in the living room. “Grandma! Waah~ Chloe is your granddaughter!” Chloe ran over and threw her arms around Grandma. The assistant quickly pulled her away, and she struggled, crying even more hysterically. Victoria covered her mouth, tears streaming down her face, looking absolutely heartbroken. Grandma stood up, took my hand, and led me to the sofa. “Lily is a child of our family. The DNA test results show a 99% match.” The assistant let go of Chloe and pulled the DNA report from the briefcase. Chloe took the opportunity to run to Victoria, who hugged her tightly, crying in distress. I felt absolutely nothing. In my past life, scenes like this played out constantly, and the only result was resentment toward me. They would tell me to be more accommodating, saying Chloe was so pitiful, why couldn’t I be more generous? Basically, they resented me for being their biological daughter, for getting in the way of their deep mother-daughter bond with Chloe. “Our family’s flesh and blood has been wandering out there for four years. The mix-up at the hospital… I suspect there was foul play. If it was an accident, there’s nothing we can do. But if it was intentional, our family won’t be made a fool of.” She glanced at Chloe, who was shrinking back. “Especially since Lily suffered so much out there in Chloe’s place. I don’t care about scandals. Pick a good day and announce this to the public. Let Lily reclaim her identity as soon as possible. “Arthur, you’re the father. It’s your decision.” The man sitting on the sofa, who had been silent the whole time, nodded, his stern expression unchanged. He glanced at his wife: “Fine. I’ll have someone handle it in the next few days. During this time, let Li… Harper rest and recover at home. “As for Chloe…” Grandma cut him off before he could finish: “It’s not that our family can’t afford to raise another child, but it makes things awkward for both Harper and Chloe. Chloe has taken Harper’s place for all these years, enjoying everything that was meant for her. It’s time she went back to where she belongs.” “We don’t know yet if the adoptive parents did anything malicious back then. Regardless, the child is innocent. Our family isn’t heartless. We’ll set up a trust fund for Chloe, enough for her to live comfortably for the rest of her life.” She turned her head and gave me a decisive look. “While she’s still young, it’s better to get things back on track.” In Victoria’s arms, Chloe sort of understood what was happening—they were sending her away. She cried and screamed, begging Daddy and Mommy not to abandon her, promising she would be a good girl and eat all her vegetables. Liam stood nearby, gently patting her back to comfort her. I stared at the dirty flip-flops on my feet, feeling no anticipation. I already knew how this farce would end. Victoria couldn’t handle Chloe’s hysterical crying and pleading. Arthur, being the deeply devoted husband, naturally deferred to his wife’s wishes. In the end, Chloe stayed. It wasn’t even that difficult. We lived together under the guise of being fraternal twins. On paper, one was the eldest daughter of the family, and the other was the second daughter. Victoria looked at me with guilt, then looked down reluctantly at Chloe in her arms. “Mom, why don’t we… keep Chloe? I’ve raised her with my own two hands for four years. “That’s over a thousand days of mother-daughter love. I didn’t know Chloe… wasn’t my daughter. I always thought she was mine. I gave her the absolute best… “This whole thing was a terrible mistake, but it means Chloe was meant to be with us. Our family can certainly afford to raise another child. “Harper… needs time to adapt anyway. Wouldn’t it be better if she had Chloe as a companion?” I blinked, wanting to scoff. She’s the daughter you raised with your own two hands for four years. But what about me? Your biological daughter. I not only missed out on your meticulous care, I suffered for four years in someone else’s place. And now, I have to be considerate of your hard work? I have to generously accept you continuing to raise the thief who stole my life? In what world is that fair?! I tugged lightly at Grandma’s skirt. She looked down at me, pausing before she could respond to Victoria. “I’m hot,” I said. Everyone turned to look at me. It was August or September, the height of summer. The mansion’s central AC was set to a perfect temperature, but I was wearing a torn, fleece-lined winter shirt with sleeves that were too long. Suffice to say, after Chloe’s biological parents swapped us, they never bought me a single piece of clothing. I lived in hand-me-downs from relatives—didn’t matter if they fit, didn’t matter if they were for a boy or a girl. As long as I wasn’t naked. The assistant heard me say I was hot and asked if she should take me to change. Grandma nodded, but to their surprise, I resisted fiercely. Grandma looked confused, but figuring there were more pressing matters, she told the assistant to just roll my sleeves up a bit to help me cool down. Under the watchful eyes of everyone in the room, the assistant rolled the sleeves up to my elbows, revealing arms covered in bruises of all sizes. Someone gasped. Victoria pushed Chloe away and rushed over to me, but Grandma was already standing between us, gripping my arm and demanding answers. “How did this happen? Harper, tell Grandma, who did this to you?” Victoria stood nearby, covering her mouth and crying, wanting to get closer but not getting the chance. 5 My adoptive parents loved to abuse kids. Their miserable lives made it a habit to take out their frustrations on their daughter. Their son was a treasure; their daughter was trash. Especially since this daughter wasn’t even theirs. They thought the baby swap would never be discovered, so they acted with total impunity. “If you dare tell anyone, I’ll beat you to death.” That warning, delivered after every punishment, was etched deep into the mind of a four-year-old child. Even after being brought back by her biological parents, she was too terrified to complain. The only people who knew were the maids who took care of her, and those snobbish maids weren’t about to cause trouble for a neglected child. The marks on the body always fade eventually. When I grew up, I regretted keeping the abuse I suffered a secret. Maybe it was out of fear, or maybe a tiny sliver of pride. Back then, as a four-year-old, I only knew that getting beaten meant I was bad. It meant I must have done something wrong. I didn’t want my new mommy and daddy to see my flaws. But I’ve been reborn now. I refuse to suffer in silence anymore. It’s time for revenge. What does a four-year-old care about pride?! This time, I’m not playing the pathetic victim! I stared at the purple and blue bruises. “Lily was bad. Mommy and Daddy punished Lily.” A folder slammed violently onto the marble coffee table. Arthur stood up, his face livid with rage. Chloe was terrified by my bruises and started wailing. Grandma shot her a look, her brow furrowed in furious disgust. “This is a slap in the face to our family! We treat their child like a princess, and this is how they treat Harper?! She’s just a baby! “That’s it. I don’t want to hear another word. Send Chloe back!” They even stripped her of her last name. Chloe? The physical pain was something I was long used to, but this slight deviation from the plot of my past life felt surprisingly good. I just wondered if Chloe’s plot armor would somehow kick in and keep her here anyway. The staff moved quickly. Chloe’s room was cleared out in record time. It was the second-best bedroom in the mansion, right across from Liam’s room. I pouted slightly. Playing the pathetic victim really does work. I never got to live in that room in my past life~ Two months passed. I gained some weight, my skin cleared up and became fair, and my features began to define themselves, inheriting the best traits of Arthur and Victoria. This was the one area where I could always beat Chloe. But my past life had taught me that beauty doesn’t guarantee you’ll be favored. A few days after I was brought back, Grandma ruthlessly sent Chloe back to her adoptive parents. Although Victoria hesitated, the revelation of the child abuse crossed a hard line for both Arthur and Grandma, rendering Chloe’s plot armor useless. They immediately launched an investigation into the hospital mix-up and filed criminal charges against my adoptive parents for child abuse. But I knew Chloe’s departure was only temporary. She would be back eventually… 6 For those two months, Victoria treated me impeccably. After all, I was the child she carried for nine months. Bound by blood, she desperately wanted to overcompensate and build a relationship with me. I just let her, comfortably accepting everything she offered. Even though she occasionally slipped up and called me Chloe, or stared off into space, missing the child she had raised for four years. Whatever. Since my rebirth, I felt like a spectator watching a play. The dramatic ups and downs, the joys and sorrows—I felt very little of it. My older brother, who was five years my senior, kept his distance. Though he was smarter than other kids his age, polite and well-mannered, he still lacked the emotional control of an adult. Whenever Victoria tried to bring us together to foster a sibling bond, he would find a perfectly reasonable excuse to decline, leaving Victoria speechless. He didn’t bother putting on a fake smile for me. He probably thought I was too young to understand. The cold resentment in his eyes made it clear he viewed me as a home-wrecker who destroyed his perfect family of four, the little beggar who drove away his sister. Fine! In a way, I suppose I was. But I actually found it quite amusing. In mid-November of that year, the family threw me the first birthday party of my life. It was meant to make up for the birthdays I had missed, so the event was incredibly lavish. It was also the official announcement of my identity. Held in Arthur’s arms, I calmly accepted the blessings of various VIPs. They wished me a lifetime of joy, a smooth path ahead, and safety from all harm. They praised my adorable looks, saying I had inherited all my parents’ best features. For those few short hours, I really did feel like a pampered princess. But… being a princess has an expiration date. I was a Cinderella who would lose her magic when the clock struck. Arthur had to stay and schmooze at the venue, while Victoria suggested she take Liam and me home first. Her anxious demeanor gave me a pretty good idea of what was going on. By the time the car pulled up to the mansion, it was already 10:30 PM. In the foyer, Victoria let go of the hand she had been holding all night and hurried toward the living room. Liam, trailing behind us, also lost his usual composure. “Chloe!” Chloe was sitting on the sofa, wearing a white dress. She looked much more subdued. She buried her face in Victoria’s chest and cried timidly, saying how much she missed Daddy, Mommy, and her big brother. “Chloe, welcome home!” I heard my brother—the one who couldn’t stand me—speak with genuine joy. I quietly slipped away from the foyer and went straight to my room. Good girls go to bed early and wake up early. The next morning, Chloe was already sitting obediently at the dining table. It seemed two months of going hungry in that rundown trailer had cured her of being a picky eater. Seeing me come downstairs, Victoria gently picked me up and placed me in my booster seat, softly asking how I slept. Liam’s attitude had also improved significantly. He pushed my milk glass closer to me when I couldn’t reach it. Chloe, sitting next to him, looked at me timidly, entirely stripped of her former arrogant heiress persona. “Harper, Mommy wants to talk to you about something. Your sister’s biological mommy and daddy made a big mistake and the police officers took them to jail. Your sister doesn’t have anyone to take care of her or anywhere to live. Is it okay if she comes to live with us?” I took a sip of the milk. I’ve always hated this stuff; the smell always made me gag. I sat quietly as Victoria explained how pitiful Chloe was. Arthur had left for the office early, Grandma was at the main estate, and the three people at the table were eagerly awaiting my verdict. I glanced at Chloe’s pale, exposed arm, lowering my eyelashes. “Isn’t this something Daddy and Mommy decide?” I want to say no. I want to throw her out. I want her to be despised, to be looked down upon. I want her to be beaten like I was, to suffer what I suffered. But do you think I actually have a choice? Victoria patted my head, smiling with relief. “Harper is so understanding. We’re going to be a family of five from now on.” My adoptive parents were sent to prison. Chloe was legally removed from the family registry, meaning she would have no inheritance rights. Grandma turned a blind eye. In the end, Chloe—well, not Chloe anymore, her legal name was now Chloe Smith—stayed as the family’s adopted daughter. I had to marvel at the sheer power of plot armor. I felt like I had changed so much, yet somehow, nothing had changed at all.

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On our son’s birthday, we were kidnapped. Victoria gathered ten million dollars for ransom. I learned after waking that our son was dead—the sixth of our children to die tragically. Broken, I wanted only to die and atone. A hollow man, I made my way to the rooftop, but stopped overhearing Victoria speak to a doctor: “Are you sure you want to implant your and Liam’s frozen embryo? You’ve already used six of your own children for Liam’s skin grafts. He’s healed. Must Nathan’s line end?” “A vasectomy isn’t ending his line. My child with Liam will be his, and losing a son will make him cherish this one more. Those six… they were born to be grafts. I gave them expensive graves. They’ll thank their loving mother in the afterlife.” I shrank into the corner, muffling my horror. The one I thought would weather life’s storms was the monster who created them. Even our children were just sacrifices for her true love. So be it. I’ll help them get exactly what they deserve. 1 The doctor looked at the nonchalant woman before him and hesitated. “Your physical state isn’t ideal for an embryo transfer right now. Perhaps we should wait…” “No need. The best cure for a broken heart is a new hope. This is the perfect time. When he finds out I’m pregnant again, he won’t have time to wallow in grief.” “Besides, Liam wants to be a father. I don’t want to make him wait. Not even for a day.” The doctor, his conscience pricking him, tried one last time. “Ms. Monroe, why not cultivate twins? One from you and Liam, and one from you and Nathan. If Nathan ever discovers the truth, he’ll still have a biological child. It could be a buffer, prevent things from getting too ugly.” Victoria’s patience had worn thin. “A heart can’t be divided equally. There’s no guarantee he’d treat both children the same. What if Liam’s child is neglected or wronged? I went through hell to restore his beautiful face after the fire; I’m not about to let him or his child suffer now.” “For years, Liam was so ashamed of his scars he wouldn’t even step outside. Now that he’s healed, he deserves to enjoy life, to be loved, not to be bothered by problems that can be nipped in the bud.” “Nathan will never find out. As long as he raises this child well, I’ll ensure he’s comfortable for the rest of his life. That’s a blessing most people could only dream of.” The doctor knew further argument was pointless. He sighed and turned to leave. As Victoria passed my hiding spot, her assistant rushed up, his face etched with anxiety. “Ms. Monroe, that bastard is trying to blackmail us. He wants another five hundred thousand to leave town. He’s here, at the hospital. He said if he doesn’t get the money, he’ll expose everything…” The assistant played a voice recording. “The great Victoria Monroe isn’t going to stiff me on five hundred grand, is she? All these years, helping you stage those ‘accidents’… I live in constant fear. I’m worried one of these days the stress will get to me and I’ll just spill the truth…” Hearing the kidnapper’s familiar voice, my blood ran cold. Victoria, however, just scoffed. “Then give him the five hundred thousand. And tell him that the only reason I haven’t dealt with him is to build up good karma for my son. But if there’s a next time, I won’t hesitate to arrange a little ‘accident’ for him, too.” After transferring the money, Victoria left. I remained frozen, unable to move. What kind of love could make a ruthless woman like Victoria spare the life of a blackmailer? Yet, she had no mercy for me, or for our six children. I found myself wandering toward the morgue, wanting to see my son one last time. But I was told Victoria had already had him cremated. The doctor’s words echoed in my mind—our children died to provide skin grafts for Liam. The thought was a knife twisting in my heart. After the “accidents” that killed our first five children, Victoria had always rushed to have them cremated, claiming she didn’t want me to prolong my grief. Lost in my own sorrow, I never questioned it. I thought she was protecting me. It never occurred to me that she was just hiding the horrific truth of their deaths, a truth their bodies would have revealed. “Nathan! I finally found you! You scared me to death!” Victoria’s face lit up when she saw me, but when she noticed the tears in my eyes, her expression softened with pity, and she pulled me into a tight embrace. “Nathan, it’s all my fault. I didn’t protect you. But don’t worry, I’ll find that kidnapper. I’ll make him pay for what he did to our son.” “This is the morgue. The air here is heavy. You just had surgery; you need to go back to your room and rest.” The familiar embrace no longer brought me warmth. Instead, it carried the scent of a cologne that wasn’t mine. A wave of nausea washed over me, and I gagged. Victoria’s face filled with concern. “Nathan, what’s wrong? Are you not feeling well?” “Get away from me!” My coldness made her flinch. She lowered her head, her eyes filled with hurt. “Nathan, I know our son’s death is painful. My heart is breaking even more than yours. But the living must go on. We’ll have another baby…” Ignoring my struggles, she dragged me to the doctor’s office. The doctor played his part, asking a series of questions before writing a prescription for an ultrasound. I knew what was coming. I tore the paper to shreds. “I’m not sick. I don’t need a test.” Victoria ignored my outburst, her voice gentle and persuasive. When I refused to cooperate, she gave the doctor a subtle nod. A sharp pain shot through my arm as the anesthetic took hold. There was a flurry of activity from the doctor and nurses. Just before I lost consciousness, Victoria’s voice, cold and resolute, echoed in my ears. “Make absolutely sure he can never have children again. There can be no mistakes.” 2 When I woke up, Victoria was sitting by my bedside. Seeing me stir, she rushed to share her “good news.” “Nathan, I’m pregnant! You’re going to be a father again!” “For the sake of our new baby, you can’t keep drowning in sorrow. It’s like our son has come back to us. This time, we’ll protect him. He’ll grow up safe and sound.” She gently caressed her flat stomach, her face a picture of pure happiness. I knew the embryo transfer had been a success. A dull ache throbbed in my lower abdomen. I smiled, a bitter, hollow thing. Noticing my strange expression, Victoria was about to ask what was wrong when her phone rang. She answered, a warm, gentle smile gracing her lips. “Nathan, there’s an emergency at the family estate. I’ll be right back.” She hung up and hurried out. A few moments later, a text message arrived: 【Get to the Monroe estate immediately. It’s urgent.】 My hand tightened around the phone. My instincts screamed at me not to go, but I hailed a cab and went anyway. The Monroe estate, a place I had never been allowed to set foot in, was ablaze with lights, as festive as Christmas. I could hear laughter and cheerful chatter from a distance, with no trace of the sorrow that should have followed the death of a grandson. Following Victoria’s instructions, I slipped in through the back gate and hid behind a tree. I saw Victoria standing before a man, presenting him with an elegant gift box. “Liam, happy birthday!” So, this was Victoria’s “emergency.” A birthday party for the love of her life. And yet, she had never given any of our children a proper funeral. Under the soft glow of the party lights, Liam’s skin, as smooth and flawless as a baby’s, burned my eyes. He opened the gift box with an expectant smile, and the guests gasped. “Victoria, isn’t that the main event from last month’s royal auction? I was wondering who the whale was who just bought out the whole room. It was you!” “Come on, spill it. Are you about to propose?” Victoria gazed at Liam, her heart pounding. If he just nodded, she would kick me to the curb in a heartbeat. Liam glanced in my direction and made a show of taking off the necklace. “Don’t be ridiculous, everyone. I’m just trying this on for my brother-in-law. We wouldn’t want him to get the wrong idea.” Victoria panicked, grabbing his hand. “Liam, this is for you! It’s your birthday present.” “Only someone as handsome as you could pull off a black diamond of this quality.” Liam leaned in and, ignoring the onlookers, planted a quick kiss on Victoria’s cheek. “Thank you, Victoria.” Stunned for a moment, Victoria then threw her arms around him, holding him tight. She was trembling with excitement, as if she were holding her entire world. “Liam, does this mean you’re willing to…” I knew I had been set up. I had no desire to watch this romantic scene play out. I turned to leave. Suddenly, Liam shouted in my direction, “Nathan! You’re here!” Her moment interrupted, Victoria spun around and stormed over to me, her eyes as cold as ice. “Who told you to come here?” “Didn’t you text me to come right away?” She pulled out her phone, glanced at the message, then turned back to Liam, poking him in the chest with a playful frown. “Don’t be so mischievous next time.” Liam just smiled and slung an arm around her shoulders. “Alright, alright, I know I was wrong. I just wanted to invite my brother-in-law to have some birthday cake with us.” Victoria melted under his touch. She turned back to me, her expression shifting to one of concern. “Why didn’t you call before you came over? If my mother had seen you, you would have been in for it…” Her mother had always despised me. She insisted that Victoria had to give birth to two sons before I could be officially accepted into the family and allowed into the estate. But with one child after another dying in “accidents,” her mother had declared me a jinx and forbidden me from ever setting foot on the property again. I glanced at the magnificent black diamond around Liam’s neck and gave a slight, humorless smile. “My mistake. I shouldn’t have come. Please, continue.” But Liam’s shout had been too loud. It had woken Victoria’s mother, who was napping on the second floor. 3 Victoria’s mother strode into the courtyard, spitting on the ground in my direction. “Nathan, you’re getting bolder and bolder! Do you think this is a place you can just waltz into? Get out!” I turned my gaze to Victoria, saying nothing. I didn’t expose Liam’s little trick. He, on the other hand, looked on the verge of tears as he explained to Victoria’s mother, “Godmother, I was the one who used Victoria’s phone to text him. I just wanted to make a new friend…” At that, Victoria’s mother shot me a venomous glare before turning to Liam, her voice dripping with affection. “Liam, a jinx like him is not worthy of being your friend. It’s your birthday; you don’t want to be tainted by his bad luck. If you want to make friends, just tell me or Victoria. We’ll invite all the handsome men and beautiful women in our circle for you.” She ordered me to leave again. This time, however, Victoria didn’t just stand by and watch. Liam also pleaded with her to let me stay for a piece of cake. Victoria’s mother snorted. “Fine. Since it’s the birthday boy’s request, you can have a piece of cake before you go.” I had no desire to be in their house, nor did I care about a piece of their cake. I turned to leave, my expression calm. Victoria grabbed my arm, her brow furrowed in annoyance. “Since you’re here, at least stay until after the party. Liam was kind enough to invite you. Don’t be rude.” Liam pushed me towards the tiered cake. After making a wish, he suggested that I cut the cake with him. Staring at his flawless, delicate skin, I nodded numbly. As our hands touched, it was as if I could feel my six children again. While I was lost in my thoughts, Liam whispered in my ear, “Feels smooth, doesn’t it? It’s all thanks to your children’s skin. I invited you here for cake as a thank you.” A fire of rage ignited within me. I yanked my hand away. In the sudden movement, the plastic knife in Liam’s hand somehow scratched his delicate skin, and a red welt immediately appeared. “Victoria! I think he doesn’t like me! He said my skin was as soft as a baby’s and he just had to cut it to see…” Victoria cradled Liam’s hand, her eyes red with distress. “Nathan! Apologize to Liam!” I met her icy gaze and refused. “He did that to himself. Why should I apologize?” Her eyes blazed with fury. “Liam just had his final skin graft surgery! Why would he deliberately hurt himself? Besides, he can’t stand pain!” “He can’t stand pain, but our sons could? Do you dare to tell me where the skin on his body came from?” “Don’t drag Liam into this just because you’re grieving! His skin came from the hospital, of course! If you’re going to cause any more trouble, then get out of this house!” I searched her face for a trace of guilt, but there was none. Her mother, who had been looking for an excuse to get rid of me, had found it. She called the butler, who unceremoniously threw me out the front gate. Still not satisfied, she cut a slice of cake and threw it at me. “Get lost!” The guests snickered, and I could see the triumphant, provocative glint in Liam’s eyes. Victoria stared at my calm, emotionless face, and an unbidden sense of unease crept into her heart. She said a few comforting words to Liam and her mother, then followed me outside, trying to wipe the cake off my shirt. “Nathan, you shouldn’t have come. My mother adores Liam. I was protecting you by telling you to leave. If she decided to punish you, you wouldn’t have been able to handle it. You understand that, don’t you?” In the past, no matter how her mother insulted me, a few sweet words from Victoria were all it took for me to forget. I even pitied her for having such a cold-hearted mother. Now I knew. I was a complete and utter fool. And she didn’t need my pity. “It’s fine. Thank you.” Thank you for showing me the truth. Seeing that I wasn’t making a scene, Victoria was about to call her driver to take me home, but then she heard Liam say he wanted to go shopping later. So she called a taxi for me instead, her voice once again gentle and soothing. “Go home, take a shower, and get some rest. I’ll be back to keep you company after I’m done here.” “Okay.” Once in the cab, I told the driver to take me to the hospital where I’d had my surgery. I paid a small bribe and found my severed vas deferens in a medical waste bin. I sealed it in a glass vial and took a cab home.

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In my last life, a runaway car left me broken on the pavement. My husband, standing right beside me, didn’t call for an ambulance. Instead, he cursed me for not watching where I was going, snarling that I deserved to die. After his tirade, he turned to comfort the driver who had hit me. “Don’t be scared,” he coached her. “When the cops get here, you stick to the story that she was trying to scam you for money, that you panicked and hit the gas instead of the brake.” “Don’t worry,” he assured her. “I’m here. Nothing will happen to you.” Even as I lay there, my life fading away, Vincent never once thought to call for help. As I took my final breath, he leaned in close, his voice a venomous whisper in my ear. “I’ll remember you. After all, you’re giving me quite a gift. I’ve already got plans for that million-dollar insurance payout.” When I opened my eyes again, I was back. A few days before the crash. 1 Rick smiled, tucking the signed insurance policy into his briefcase. Just as he was about to leave, I stopped him. “Is there something else, Faye?” he asked. I looked down at myself, whole and unharmed, a wave of dark relief washing over me. “Let me see Vincent’s policy again.” In my previous life, Vincent had told me he was just helping out a friend, Rick, by buying an accident policy. I didn’t think twice and signed on the dotted line for my own. A few days after the policies went into effect, I was the victim of a brutal hit-and-run. Vincent hadn’t called for an ambulance. He had rushed to the driver’s side, comforting her. “Don’t be scared,” he’d told her. “Just insist she was trying to scam you. That you got flustered and mixed up the pedals.” It was a stranger, a passerby, who finally found me bleeding out on the asphalt and called for help. But the nightmare wasn’t over. As the ambulance sped across the Blackwater Bridge, another car, seemingly out of nowhere, slammed into its side. The impact threw the rear doors open, and I was flung from the back of the vehicle, plunging into the dark river below. My body was never recovered. “Faye, Vincent’s coverage is higher than yours, and you’re the beneficiary. Is there something you’re concerned about?” Rick’s voice pulled me back to the present. “I want to change the coverage amount,” I stated. Rick looked hesitant. Vincent quickly stepped in. “Rick didn’t bring any extra forms. If you alter these, they’ll be void.” “Yeah, Faye. Is there a problem with the amount?” Rick asked, feigning concern. Last time, I had no idea this policy was my death warrant. Since I’ve been given a second chance, I figured I might as well raise the stakes. Naturally, I’d raise Vincent’s coverage, too. Hearing me suggest a higher amount, the tension in Vincent’s shoulders visibly eased. “Well, Rick, you heard her. Do what she says.” Rick turned to me. “How much of an increase are we talking about? The higher the coverage, the higher the premium.” I casually flipped through the pages before closing the document. “What good is five million these days?” I said with a dismissive air. “If you die outright, fine. But what if you’re left half-dead? That kind of money won’t even cover the medical bills.” A slow, pleased smile spread across Vincent’s face. “Honey, what are you talking about? We’re buying this for peace of mind. Nobody actually hopes to cash in on it.” I looked at my two-faced husband. “Are you worried about the money, or are you just trying to keep Rick from getting a bigger commission?” The commission was secondary. Rick and Vincent were old friends, and Rick had just started at the insurance company. This sale was all he needed to secure his position. It was supposed to be a win-win. I just never imagined it was a conspiracy to murder me. My words seemed to stun both of them into silence. “Fine, fine,” Vincent finally said to Rick. “Listen to her. Go and draw up a new policy with a higher payout.” “Is ten million enough?” Rick asked. I nodded, then gathered both of the already-signed policies and held onto them. As soon as the premiums were paid, they would be active. Rick looked at me, a flicker of confusion in his eyes when he saw I wasn’t handing the documents back. Before he could say anything, Vincent ushered him along. “The printer is in the study. What are you waiting for?” While Rick was in the study amending the policy, I printed out two organ donor registration forms. Vincent stared at me, his face a mask of pure shock and confusion. I knew he would never sign it, but I held one out to him anyway. “Why on earth would we donate our organs?” he asked, his voice tight. “We’re already buying life insurance. What’s the big deal about donating our organs?” He hesitated, clearly trying to figure out my angle. He didn’t want to sign, but he was afraid of making me suspicious. I didn’t wait for him, signing my name with a flourish. Seeing him still wavering, I feigned anger. “If you’re not willing, then there’s no point in the insurance either. It’s a waste of money.” With that, I turned and stormed back to our bedroom. Vincent was utterly baffled. Of course, he couldn’t possibly understand my plan. I didn’t have the energy to wait for him to get into a car crash and then arrange for his ambulance to be rammed off the Blackwater Bridge. If he signed that form, all I’d have to do is make one phone call after his “accident,” and he’d get a taste of what it felt like to not even have a body to bury. But I couldn’t say any of that out loud. I’d barely stepped into the bedroom before Vincent followed me in. “Honey, let’s just forget about the organ donation, okay? We’re only buying this insurance to help Rick out.” He paused, then added, “If you really want to donate, I won’t stop you. But I’m not doing it.” He wasn’t even bothering to pretend anymore. The only thing he hadn’t said outright was that he was plotting against me. In my last life, his act was flawless. He never let the mask slip. To the outside world, he was the perfect husband, the perfect son-in-law. No one knew he was a wolf in sheep’s clothing. “Of course I’m donating,” I said firmly. “And you’re signing, too.” “Why should I?” Vincent’s voice was loud, a clear sign of his guilt. The commotion drew Rick out of the study. “What’s going on, you two?” he asked, trying to look neutral. I answered him calmly. “We won’t be buying the insurance for now.” A flash of fury crossed Vincent’s face. “Faye, are you doing this on purpose?” “You won’t even sign an organ donor form,” I said coolly. “How do I know what you’re really up to?” Before Rick could try to mediate, I grabbed my bag, turned, and walked out of the house. … “Vince, you don’t think she knows something, do you?” “What could she know? Just get the damn policies ready. While she’s out, I’ll sign for her and pay the premium.” “Look, man, just sign the donation form. It’s not worth spooking her over something so small.” Seeing Vincent was still being stubborn, Rick tried to reason with him. “She’s the one who’s going to die anyway. It doesn’t really matter if you sign or not.” “Exactly! So why should I sign? It’s bad luck!” “Don’t let a stupid little thing like this screw up the whole plan. It’s not worth it.” After a moment of deliberation, Vincent finally picked up the pen and scrawled his name on the organ donor registration form. “Is the car ready?” “Just waiting for your payment.” Every move they made was exactly as I’d predicted. The only reason I’d fallen for it in my past life was because I trusted Vincent too much. He had played me for a fool, leaving me to die without a body or a grave. A faint smile touched my lips as I saved the evidence. I had no intention of exposing their plot. The last thing I wanted was to tip them off. In fact, after leaving the building, I deliberately took a route that avoided that all-too-familiar massage parlor. I found a quiet spot and transferred the full premium amount to the account listed on the insurance policy. Then, I discreetly went to Rick’s insurance company and had the official stamp applied to the contracts. Only after everything was in place did I slowly make my way home. When I walked in, I saw the organ donor forms and the insurance policies laid out on the table. Without a second thought, I picked up a pen and signed my name on my policy with a confident flourish. Seeing me sign, Vincent’s mood seemed to lift considerably. He said he was going to deliver the contracts to Rick and headed out. I stood by the window for a long time, but I never saw him leave. No matter how well a fox hides, its tail will eventually show. But this time, watching his deception, I felt nothing. In my last life, I was a fool. It wasn’t until the moment of impact that I realized Vincent had been cheating on me. Now, even knowing he was running off to celebrate with his lover, my heart was perfectly still. Why would I care, now that I’ve been reborn? Time flew, and soon it was the day of the crash. I had just laid down when my phone buzzed with a notification. It was the exact same message I’d received in my last life. This time, my heart was calm as I opened the photo. I waited patiently for it to load, then glanced at the image of Vincent with his arms wrapped around masseuse number 38, their bodies pressed intimately together. Last time, I had been consumed by a blind rage, throwing on clothes and rushing out to confront him. The street was dark and empty. But as I crossed, a black sedan with its headlights off came hurtling toward me. Before I could even react, the impact sent me flying dozens of feet through the air. I landed hard in the middle of the road, the car screeching to a halt just inches from crushing my skull. My legs were mangled, twisted at unnatural angles by the bumper. After the crash, Vincent emerged from the shadows. He didn’t check on me. His first move was to comfort the driver. “Wendy, are you okay? You’re not hurt, are you?” He glanced at my gasping form and spat, “You should have hit the gas harder.” Then back to her, all soothing concern. “Don’t be afraid. I’m here, I won’t let anything happen to you. When the cops come, just say she was trying to scam you, that you panicked and hit the gas instead of the brake.” “You haven’t been drinking, so the worst they’ll do is question you a few times.” The horror of my last moments was still vivid in my mind. This time, Vincent waited downstairs for a long time, but I didn’t move. Perhaps his patience wore out. He called me. “Faye, we were just having a few drinks, and Rick’s kid was playing with my phone. He was messing with some AI app and sent you a weird, fake picture.” I stayed silent. “You’re not mad, are you?” he pressed. “What are you talking about?” I asked, my voice thick with sleep. “Oh, did I wake you? I just meant that picture was a misunderstanding. Don’t worry about it.” “Oh.” “Hey, you want to come down for a bite? We’re at the diner just downstairs.” “No, I’m going back to sleep,” I said, deliberately. Vincent’s voice immediately turned urgent. “Come on, and bring me a jacket while you’re at it. It got cold all of a sudden, I’m freezing out here.”

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I was the untouchable golden girl of a billionaire family. Four years after my death, I was resurrected. By then, my lookalike stand-in had successfully taken my place. Wearing a face identical to mine, she smirked and provoked me: “Everything of yours is mine now. You came back too late.” But what she didn’t know was the fatal power of the original: the moment I appear, everyone will abandon their principles and run back to me. 1 “I’m home, Mom.” I pushed open the grand doors to the Sterling estate without a hint of hesitation, smiling brightly at my mother sitting on the sofa. It felt as casual and ordinary as coming home from school. A loud crash echoed through the foyer as her teacup shattered on the marble floor. “Serena!” she wailed, her voice tearing with absolute, agonizing disbelief. “My Serena is home!” I am Serena Sterling, the eldest daughter of the Sterling family. I originally died of heart failure. On the brink of death, I was bound to a Multiverse Survival System. That was when I learned my reality was just a cliché romance simulation, and I was the classic “doomed golden girl”—the early-dying first love. The actual female lead was a girl who looked 90% like me. Her face allowed her to cross social classes, drawing the attention of the elite and becoming the darling of my family. My parents practically adopted her. My childhood sweetheart became her lover. My little brother obeyed her every word. She was destined to get everyone’s love, but only on the condition that I stayed dead. So, when the System asked if I wanted to complete missions to earn my resurrection, I agreed instantly. Why should my tragedy be the stepping stone for her happy ending? So, I came back. “Mom, it’s me. I’m back.” Her embrace was as warm as ever, but so tight I could barely breathe. She held me like she was terrified I would vanish into thin air if she let go. I sighed and patted her frail back to comfort her. The System had altered their memories, changing my death from heart failure to “missing in a shipwreck” four years ago. She thought she had just spent four agonizing years searching for me. But our tearful reunion was cut short by a commotion at the front door. 2 “Mom, look what we brought you!” A sickeningly sweet, unfamiliar female voice rang out. A young girl skipped inside holding a box of pastries from a high-end bakery. Close behind her was a voice I knew all too well, dripping with indulgence. “Slow down, don’t run.” It was Carter, the boy I grew up with. My childhood sweetheart. “Mom, do we have guests? Why are you crying?” This was my younger brother, Spencer. I was facing away from him, so he couldn’t see my face as he walked in. My mother hugged me tighter. Her eyes were red, lips trembling, but she couldn’t stop crying long enough to speak. “Mom, please don’t cry. What’s wrong? Who is this?” Spencer asked. “Ouch, Carter, why are you squeezing my hand so hard?” the sweet voice complained, adding a hint of a pout. Carter didn’t react to her. I could feel his burning gaze fixed on my back. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he struggled to call out a name he hadn’t spoken in years. “Why are you all acting so weird? The security guard at the gate even said I had already come home a few minutes ago. So weird,” the girl mumbled. She looked at my crying mother, my silent brother, and Carter, who looked like he had seen a ghost. Finally, her gaze landed on me. A terrible premonition rose in her chest. As if to confirm her worst fears, I pulled away from my mother’s embrace, turned around, and looked right at them. “Spencer. Carter. Long time no see.” 3 “Serena…” Carter’s voice trembled imperceptibly. Spencer, however, was much more explosive. “Serena Sterling! You actually dared to come back?! Where the hell have you been all these years? Do you know I thought you were dead?! How could you… how could you…” The eighteen-year-old boy tried to sound tough, gritting his teeth, but his eyes were terrifyingly red, and the tears fell one after another. I patted his shoulder, feeling a pang of guilt. “Spencer, you’ve grown up.” He was only fourteen when I “disappeared.” He was practically a man now. Unable to hold it in any longer, he buried his face into my shoulder and sobbed quietly. “I missed you so much, Serena.” It was a bittersweet reunion. As the pastry box hit the floor, everyone finally noticed the girl standing frozen by the door. I looked at her. That face, so highly identical to mine, was completely drained of color. She looked utterly pathetic. Later, we all sat down for dinner. The table was filled with all my favorite dishes. My mother kept putting food on my plate, and Spencer automatically peeled my shrimp for me. But when Carter unconsciously picked up a piece of sweet and sour rib—my favorite—and placed it into Chloe’s bowl, everyone froze. “Thank you,” Chloe said quietly, gripping her hands tight. It was the first time she had spoken since finding out who I was. “Yeah,” Carter replied faintly. I ignored the undercurrents of tension and calmly ate my meal. “Your room hasn’t changed at all. I cleaned it myself every single day. Go get some rest. I’ll have the family doctor check on you later, and your father will be flying back tomorrow,” my mother rambled, filled with worry. I nodded to everything. They didn’t say much about Chloe, but I wasn’t panicked. This was the confidence of being truly loved. But I didn’t expect the mountain to come to me. Late that night, there was a knock on my bedroom door. 4 I opened the door to find Chloe’s familiar face. She was holding a glass of warm milk. I raised an eyebrow, thinking she was here to awkwardly make peace. Instead, her face twisted into a mocking sneer. “If you were dead, you should have stayed dead. Why come back? Do you think you can compete with me?” “I’ve spent four years conquering them. Aside from this bedroom, everything you used to own is mine now. You’re too late, understand?” Conquering? That was a very specific word. Like something from a System. Before I could react, she suddenly splashed the glass of milk all over her own face. Then, she screamed and threw herself onto the hardwood floor. The glass shattered into pieces. She started sobbing, looking like a fragile, broken doll. “Serena, I’m so sorry! I just wanted to bring you some milk. I didn’t mean any harm!” How long had it been since I witnessed such a low-tier framing attempt? For a second, I almost found it funny. I looked down coldly at the pitiful girl crying on the floor. Her thin pajamas and hair were soaked with milk. She looked at me with pure terror, the perfect image of a bullied victim. Honestly, I had no real desire to fight Chloe. Regardless of her motives, she was the one who kept my family company during their darkest times. I didn’t hold deep malice toward her. I just wanted her to back off gracefully. But her hostility was crystal clear. A scream in the middle of the night in a house where no one was truly sleeping yet drew immediate attention. Doors slammed open down the hall. 5 “What happened?! Is Serena okay?” My mother stumbled out of her room, pale and panicked, haphazardly throwing a robe over her shoulders. She had even put her slippers on the wrong feet. She didn’t let out a breath of relief until she saw me standing there unharmed. Only after confirming I was safe did Chloe’s pitiful whimpering reach her ears. “What’s going on? Why are you on the floor?” my mother asked, frowning at the shattered glass next to Chloe. Before Chloe could answer, my mother continued, “Why are you so careless? What if someone steps on the glass? Get up quickly.” “It was Serena… she…” Chloe pouted, tears welling in her eyes, ready to put on a show. But she was interrupted again. “What happened to your hand?!” Spencer marched straight past Chloe and grabbed my hand. There was a tiny, bleeding scratch on the back of my hand, probably from a stray shard of glass. It didn’t even hurt, but Spencer looked at it like it was a fatal wound. “Do you not know how to take care of yourself? Didn’t you feel that?!” he scolded, instinctively blowing on the tiny cut like he did when we were kids. “I’ll get the first-aid kit,” he said, turning to run down the hall. My mother rushed over, her face full of heartache. “Hurry, Spencer! It’s bleeding. Oh, Serena, does it hurt? It’s Mom’s fault for not noticing.” She held my hand, looking incredibly guilty. Once again, Chloe was completely ignored. Her face twisted with resentment. Ever since she used her face to climb into the upper echelon of society, she hadn’t tasted defeat. The love of parents, the affection of a lover, the care of a younger brother—she had it all in the palm of her hand. She thought she was the luckiest girl in the world. Why did the dead have to come back to life?! 6 “Mom, it’s fine. It doesn’t hurt,” I said, catching the raw jealousy in Chloe’s eyes. I knew she wouldn’t let this go. When you possess something for too long, you start to believe it rightfully belongs to you. “Mom, it hurts… I’m bleeding too.” Taking advantage of my mother’s turned back, Chloe had grabbed a shard of glass and squeezed it, cutting her own palm deeply. She held up her bloody hand, tears streaming down her face, looking like a desperate child begging for her mother’s attention. “I got the first-aid kit,” Spencer announced as he rushed back. He paused when he saw Chloe’s blood-soaked hand. “Spencer, it hurts,” Chloe whimpered. She knew exactly what worked on him. In the past, whenever she looked at him with that weak, dependent gaze, he would complain but gently take care of her, yielding to her every wish. Seeing him hesitate, she called his name again, softer this time. “Spencer…” Spencer pursed his lips. My mother took the first-aid kit from his hands and pulled me into my room to treat my scratch. “Spencer, help her up,” I finally spoke. I knew my mother and brother were ignoring her partly to show they prioritized me, and partly because they were afraid her presence made me uncomfortable. I wasn’t an idiot. I knew what she represented during the years I was gone. My voice surprised even my mother, who paused and looked back. Spencer always listened to me. He carefully stepped around the glass and helped Chloe up. “Spencer, do you and Mom hate me now?” Chloe leaned into his grip, her eyes red. All her calculated victimhood was instantly shattered by a single sentence from me. Spencer didn’t answer. “I just wanted to bring Serena some milk. I really didn’t mean any harm. I don’t know why she pushed me. Mom won’t look at me, Serena hates me… Spencer, are you guys going to kick me out?” “If I apologize to Serena, will she forgive me? I don’t want to leave…” “Chloe,” Spencer cut her off calmly. Chloe froze, looking up at him. Spencer met her gaze with an eerily calm look, almost like he was looking at a stranger. “Serena is my sister,” he said. 7 That single sentence was enough for Chloe to understand. Serena is my sister. Not her. Calling me “sister” in that sickeningly sweet tone was a mistake. Because Serena was his sister, he trusted me unconditionally. He didn’t believe a single word coming out of Chloe’s mouth. Tears rolled down Chloe’s cheeks. She bit her lip and asked stubbornly, “What about me, Spencer? What about the last three years we spent together? You used to call me your sister too…” her voice choked with sobs. “I didn’t. I never called you my sister,” Spencer denied it flatly. He never called Chloe his sister, except on the very first day they met, when he thought I had come back. Chloe choked on her tears, remembering the truth. Spencer had mostly been quiet around her. She thought he was just not much of a talker. She didn’t realize that from the very beginning, he knew the difference between the original and the replica. He had been too stingy to even give her that title. But she refused to believe it. Three years of living together, three years of accumulated “Affection Points” verified by her System. There was no way he felt nothing for her. “Aren’t we family?” she muttered. This time, Spencer didn’t reply. He gave her a long, deep look, then turned and walked into my bedroom. Chloe’s expression shifted wildly before she fell silent. She followed him into the room. It was the first time she had stepped inside this “forbidden zone” since becoming the adopted daughter of the Sterling family. It was decorated completely differently from her room, yet everything was exquisitely elegant. She had always thought that one day, she would move into this room as its rightful owner. She never expected the true owner to be the one to open its doors. 8 The scratch on my hand had already been bandaged. I hadn’t missed the drama by the door. “You should get Miss Chloe’s hand cleaned up. Spencer, go help her. The first-aid kit is right there,” I offered, my tone gentle and kind, perfectly matching the sister Spencer remembered. “Okay,” Spencer agreed without hesitation. He obediently got to work. Chloe felt utterly humiliated. She thought I was showing off my authority over him. She shot me venomous glares while Spencer worked on her hand. I acted completely oblivious, chatting away with my mother. “The doctor said your body went through a lot. You need a lot of rest. If you feel uncomfortable anywhere, you have to tell me immediately, understand?” “Yes, yes, I’ll listen to you, Mom. Don’t worry so much. I’m not a little kid anymore.” “No matter how old you get, you’ll always be my baby.” My mother was a loving woman, but she rarely expressed her affection so bluntly. My nose prickled. I thought of all the times I died in those foreign worlds, endlessly completing missions just for the chance to come back. I died over and over again. I thought I had grown completely hardened, but my mother’s simple words turned my heart to mush. “Hiss…” A sharp intake of breath broke the moment. Spencer paused his hands. Chloe had been ruthless with herself. The cut on her palm was deep, and picking the glass shards out required precision. “Bear with it,” Spencer said, his eyes lowered. He was very patient when executing a task given by his real sister. Chloe let out a nasal “Mhm.” She didn’t make another sound. Whenever the pain flared, her free hand violently gripped her crumpled pajama dress. Soon, Spencer finished bandaging her hand.

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I tried to win the male lead’s heart ten times, and every single time, I failed because of his best friend, Ethan Vance. On my eleventh attempt, the male lead and I were finally married. All I needed to do was get pregnant and have a child, and I would succeed. But then Ethan showed up again. He told my husband that I was a manipulative schemer who had orchestrated everything. My husband immediately moved out and hired a lawyer to draft divorce papers. That very night, I hired someone to kidnap the root of all my misery: Ethan Vance. He knelt before me, his hands bound tightly behind his back. Even though he was bruised and battered, his gaze remained as arrogant and condescending as ever. I let out a cold laugh, used the tip of my shoe to tilt his chin up, and then stomped my foot down hard onto his face. I’ve been terrified of you ten times. This time, it’s your turn to be terrified of me. 01 Even while kneeling, Ethan’s back was ramrod straight. His clothes were torn into ribbons from the whipping, and blood seeped from the corner of his mouth. The moment the tip of my shoe lifted his chin, his chest heaved violently, and beads of sweat formed on his forehead. “What’s with that look?” I sneered, stepping on his shoulder and shoving him backward. The old wooden floorboards groaned loudly as he crashed heavily onto his back, completely defenseless. The next second, I stood up and planted my foot firmly on his lower abdomen. “Who gave you permission to look at me?” He stared straight back at me, his face devoid of expression, but the mockery in his eyes was unmistakable. I slid my foot down a couple of inches, stopping abruptly, and looked at him with a playful smirk. “Stop!” The face that had been completely stoic for an eternity finally cracked. His voice was strained, carrying a barely detectable trace of suppressed agony. “Stop?” I dragged the word out, feigning innocence, and pressed my foot down hard. “But you didn’t say the magic word.” Ethan’s face turned serious, his voice trembled slightly, and his breathing grew heavy. “Let me go. I won’t press charges.” “Let you go?” I removed my foot, watching him curl up slightly. “Do you really think you can walk out of here like this?” “How about I give you a bath before sending you on your way?” His eyes were bloodshot. His bound hands struggled fiercely behind his back, but before he could move his legs, I sat down heavily on his thighs. “You have to take your clothes off for a bath.” I tapped his belt buckle with my finger. “So, should we take the pants off first,” I moved my hand up to brush against his shirt buttons, “or the shirt?” The pauses between his gasps lengthened. His eyes grew hazy, as if his brain had short-circuited. I let my guard down. Suddenly, he jerked his legs up violently. I lost my balance and tumbled hard to the floor. Seizing the opportunity, Ethan shimmied toward the door, trying to use the wall to stand up. But I was faster. I grabbed a bucket of saltwater I had prepared and splashed the entire thing over his battered body. He didn’t even let out a whimper. Tough guy. But so what? Watching Ethan writhe on the floor like a drowned rat, I grabbed him by the hair and delivered a sharp karate chop to the back of his neck. He quickly lost consciousness. Wrestling a guy his size was exhausting; tying him to the bed cost me half my energy. Once I double-checked that all the doors and windows were securely locked, I finally felt safe enough to drive away. Now, it was time to go win back my male lead. 02 Ethan and I were naturally parallel lines with zero intersection. But ten times. Ten times I had tried to conquer the male lead’s heart, and every single time I was on the verge of success, Ethan ruined it, sending my progress plummeting. The first time, Ethan invited the male lead to dinner. The male lead met his “destined” female lead there and dumped me. The second time, I was driving the male lead to Ethan’s place. We got into a car crash on the way back, and I died on the spot. The third time, before I even officially started dating the male lead, I accidentally offended Ethan. He had me shipped off to a foreign country to do hard labor. And in the subsequent attempts, all my strategies failed because of him, no matter how hard I tried to avoid him. Ethan was the type of person I feared the most: wealthy background, ridiculously good looks, incredibly competent, and worst of all—he had no weaknesses and couldn’t be threatened. Whenever the male lead was around him, he turned into a loyal lapdog. If Ethan said walk in a straight line, he would never dare to turn around. During my fifth attempt, the male lead brought me to meet Ethan. Ethan looked at me like I was a piece of trash, warning the male lead not to bring just any random stray dog around him. I knew he looked down on me, so I always took detours to avoid him and never willingly crossed his path. I never imagined that this time, after Liam and I were already married, Ethan would actually demand that Liam divorce me. And Liam, stupid as a pig, actually believed the so-called “evidence” Ethan provided, accused me of having ulterior motives, and sent a lawyer to negotiate our divorce. I admit, winning him over was my mission, but my love for him wasn’t fake. Every single time I restarted this loop, my eyes were only on him. I racked my brain to plan the perfect “accidental” first meeting, worked tirelessly to fit his exact ideal type, never wore the same date outfit twice, and even did all his group projects for him in college. After finally enduring all the hardships, he wants a divorce? Impossible. My informant texted me that Liam was currently at home packing his bags. I didn’t waste a second and sped home. “Liam, what exactly do I have to do to make you believe my feelings are real?” Opening the door and seeing Liam dragging his suitcase toward the exit, I threw caution to the wind and wrapped my arms tightly around his waist. “Chloe, don’t be unreasonable.” He didn’t stroke my hair like he used to. His voice carried a distinct note of warning. “You’re sentencing me to death over a few pieces of paper from Ethan?” I buried my face in his chest. “I love you. Even if I schemed and calculated, it was only because I wanted to be with you.” “Chloe, when feelings are mixed with calculation, they turn sour.” He mercilessly pried my fingers apart. “And I don’t like it when you talk about Ethan that way.” Then, he strode out the door. When he loved me, he was so afraid I’d be lonely that he kept a video call on even while we slept. When he didn’t love me, he left me all alone in a massive, empty house. It was all Ethan’s fault! If it weren’t for Ethan, I would have succeeded a long time ago. Checking the time, it had been three hours. Ethan should be waking up right about now. 03 Thankfully, I arrived just in time. Ethan had almost freed one of his feet. I sneered and delivered a sharp slap across his face. “You broke my bed.” Ethan really did have delicate skin; half his face swelled up immediately. I grabbed his foot, tied it securely again, and then viciously slapped the other side of his face. “There. Now it’s symmetrical.” He remained silent, his mouth shut tight like a clam. “Speak.” I squatted by the edge of the bed. “Doesn’t it hurt?” I poked at the bleeding corner of his mouth. He still didn’t make a sound. “That’s fine.” I didn’t care. I leaned in closer, letting my dark hair brush against his ear, cheek, and neck. “Ethan, you are going to beg me.” He squeezed his eyes shut, refusing to look at me. I shrugged, pulled up a chair to sit beside him, started playing on my phone, and placed a water-drop hourglass on the nightstand. I watched a movie for two hours. My back was getting stiff, so I stood up to stretch. Glancing over, I saw the man on the bed resting with his eyes closed. I smiled. Let’s see how long you can hold out. Another movie, another two hours. The man on the bed was starting to lose his composure. I hadn’t played the movie audio out loud, so the rhythmic dripping of the water hourglass was exceptionally clear. Ethan’s brow furrowed slightly, and his breathing became erratic. I glanced at him again, the corners of my lips curling up. Half an hour later, the expected voice finally sounded. “Chloe, untie me.” “What was that?” I stood by the bed. “I didn’t hear you.” “Untie me.” His body was contorting involuntarily, though he couldn’t see it himself. “Untie you to do what?” I asked again. “You know what.” The veins on his forehead popped, and the sound of him struggling against his bonds grew louder and more desperate. “I have no idea.” I continued playing dumb. “Chloe!” His voice grew stern. “Untie me, and we’ll pretend this never happened.” “Beg me.” I felt a thrill of excitement coursing through me. “Chloe!” His calm facade shattered completely. He looked like an irrational beast. I watched his frantic state with cold detachment. He looked exactly like he did during my third loop, when he looked down at me like I was an ant. “Please.” He finally surrendered. “What did you say?” I asked. “I’m begging you.” He closed his eyes in defeat. I knew not to push him too far. I smiled brightly. “Alright, since you asked so nicely.” I turned to leave the room. “Chloe!” He panicked. “Why aren’t you untying me?” “Untying what?” I looked completely innocent. “You promised me.” “Yeah, I promised you.” I said nonchalantly. “What did I promise you?” He froze, not knowing how to respond. I laughed. “Like I promised… “I won’t look. “Help yourself.” 04 I had only intended to scare Ethan. I never expected his psychological defenses to crumble so easily. He lay on the bed like a corpse, his breathing barely perceptible. Just now, when I changed his clothes, he hadn’t struggled at all. “Ethan?” I called his name. His eyes were vacant. He didn’t seem to hear me. “Should I untie you?” I asked again. He continued to stare blankly at the ceiling, his eyes totally devoid of life. Oh my god, did I break his brain? I untied one of his hands. No reaction. So I untied the other. His feet were still tied, so I wasn’t afraid of him attacking me. But he still lay there, completely motionless. I started to panic. My first instinct was to run. As long as there’s life, there’s hope. The worst-case scenario was that I’d just have to restart the loop. I still had chances. I didn’t even have time to lock the doors or windows. I sped away, rushed home, packed my bags, bought a ticket for the earliest flight out of the city, and went into hiding in a remote border town. For a whole month, nothing happened—except for Liam constantly calling me to come back and finalize the divorce. I contacted my informant and asked if there was any major news in the city. My informant replied with a question mark. Before I could prompt further, the informant sent another message, saying the only big news was that the Vance family was increasing their overseas investments, and the head of the family was personally overseeing it abroad. Wasn’t the head of the Vance family Ethan? It seemed he hadn’t gone crazy. I breathed a sigh of relief, but then my heart leaped into my throat—he was definitely going to come after me for revenge. The system urged me to speed up my progress. The progress bar had been stagnant for a month. It also delivered a piece of devastating news: if I failed this loop, my ultimate reward—returning to the real world and resurrecting my grandmother—would be permanently revoked. I asked my informant if they could find out how long Ethan would be abroad. The reply was a year at minimum, maybe three to five years. Without Ethan interfering, I could finish my mission in six months tops. Then I could negotiate with the system. By the time Ethan returned, I might already be back in the real world. High risk, high reward. I immediately booked a flight back to the city to continue my mission. I never expected to be grabbed by a group of men the moment I stepped off the plane. And the man who was supposedly “abroad” was now sitting right in front of me. Except this time, I was the one kneeling. 05 His subordinates all left, leaving just me and Ethan in the massive room. He toyed with a lighter in his hand. The flame flickered to life, died, and sparked again, perfectly mirroring the erratic spikes of my heart rate. Then it hit me—he was just a fictional character in a novel. What did I have to be afraid of? My fear vanished instantly. I raised my head, looking down my nose at him, a faint, almost imperceptible smirk playing on my lips. “What are you smiling at?” He stopped spinning the lighter. His eyes held a mix of confusion and a hint of madness. “Who gave you permission to sit?” I demanded. In an instant, his chest rose and fell rapidly, and the sound of him swallowing was loud in the quiet room. “Kneel,” I commanded. The very next second, Ethan dropped to his knees like a robot. His face was flushed crimson, and he was shaking like a leaf in the wind. Even if I hadn’t eaten pork, I’d seen pigs run. I felt like I was doing something terribly forbidden. “Untie me,” I continued. His eyes grew icy, holding a mixture of pain and deep reluctance. “Be a good boy,” I said, my voice dropping to a husky whisper. With just a few words, the power dynamic between me and Ethan had completely shifted again. 06 I was overjoyed. Liam was Ethan’s loyal lapdog. If Ethan was now completely obedient to me, completing the mission would be a piece of cake. Running my fingers through Ethan’s fine, dark hair, I didn’t hesitate to slap him twice across the face. “Who told you to tie me up?” He suddenly acted like a wronged golden retriever, grabbing my hand and trying to blow on it to soothe the sting. I immediately yanked it away. “Don’t touch me.” He knelt there, lost and unsure of what to do. His lips parted and closed several times before he finally spoke: “I didn’t tell them to tie you.” “Ethan.” I leaned in closer. He became visibly happier, a faint blush creeping across his cheeks. “I don’t like it when you talk back.” His face paled, and he lowered his head in silence. “I don’t like it when you give me the silent treatment, either,” I added. At those words, Ethan’s head snapped up. Tears were actually welling in his eyes. “Please don’t dislike me.” “Then you have to be good.” I gently touched his swollen cheek. “Does it hurt, Ethan?” He took the opportunity to grab my hand, then quickly released it under my warning glare. “It doesn’t hurt.” I knew the art of the carrot and the stick perfectly. “But my heart aches for you.” “Don’t ache for me.” He struggled, unsure of what to call me. I cupped his cheek. “Call me Chloe.” He shyly looked down, then quickly looked back up. Like a child who had just sneaked a taste of honey, his eyes couldn’t hide his delight. “Chloe.” “Good boy.” I took his hand. “What reward do you want?” “Can Chloe kiss me?” He squeezed his eyes shut nervously, his eyelashes fluttering. I pressed a quick kiss to his forehead, not missing the flash of disappointment in his eyes. “Chloe, don’t leave.” I stood up, preparing to go. My main quest for today was finding Liam; I had already wasted too much time here. Ethan looked frantic, but I didn’t let him get up. He had to stay kneeling. “Count to one hundred and eighty before you stand up.” Looking into his desperate eyes, I smiled and said, “I like it when Ethan listens to me.” 07 The system informed me that Liam would meet the female lead, who was working as a part-time waitress, at a cocktail party tonight and enact a classic “hero saves the beauty” scene. I had to intervene and save the female lead before he did, severing the red thread of fate between them. Sure enough, when I arrived, the female lead was already surrounded by a group of rich playboys. Luckily, no one else had noticed yet. I thoroughly chewed out the little brats, then comforted the female lead and told her that her dorm RA was doing a surprise room check, urging her to hurry back to campus. The female lead had always been a stellar student. She completely believed me but was worried no one would cover her shift. Right on cue, the replacement waitress I had hired in advance showed up, and the female lead successfully left the party. Having disposed of that ticking time bomb, I scanned the room for Liam, ready to pounce. At exactly 8:00 PM, Liam made his entrance. He wasn’t as powerful as Ethan, but he was still a young, successful CEO that everyone wanted to network with. People swarmed him to hand out business cards. I found an opening and appeared in front of him. I hadn’t seen him in a month. A wave of grievance washed over me, and my nose stung. After spending ten loops with him, our emotional connection couldn’t be summed up in a few simple words. When things were good between us, I genuinely intended to have a child with him before I left this world. The people around us tactfully dispersed, leaving Liam and me standing face-to-face. “You didn’t even come looking for me?” I pouted, acting petulant like I always did, waiting for him to coax me. “I called you,” his voice was distant. “Since you’re back, let’s finalize the paperwork. The mandatory cooling-off period is over.” “Liam, you weren’t like this before.” I raised my hand, the wedding ring on my ring finger sparkling under the lights. “Did you forget what you said?” Liam had custom-made the ring himself, setting a circle of tiny, crushed diamonds into the band. I had told him that setting all those tiny stones was too hard on his eyes, and that a single diamond or a plain band would be fine. But Liam had said that setting every single diamond felt like kissing my eyes. “Don’t forget to return the ring,” he said, his eyes completely dead, as if he were discussing the weather. “Liam, look me in the eyes.” I grabbed the lapels of his suit. “I refuse to believe you have absolutely no feelings left for me.” “You know me.” He gently but firmly removed my hands. “I’ve always despised being lied to.” “What are you two doing?” Ethan’s voice suddenly rang in my ear. Looking at the architect of my misery, I started trembling with rage. Liam used the distraction to push me away. I tried to chase after him, but Ethan grabbed my arm. “Chloe, didn’t you two get divorced?” I slapped Ethan across the face. The entire ballroom fell dead silent. “No, we didn’t,” I enunciated clearly. He wasn’t angry. He just pulled me into his arms. I struggled violently but couldn’t break free, and he half-carried, half-dragged me out of the venue.

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