Category: English

When I was thrown out of high school, someone else packed my bags and took my place at college. For three years, I was a ghost, buried alive on an assembly line at a Texas electronics plant, bleeding myself dry twelve hours a day just to keep a roof over my parents’ heads. That was my life. Right up until the police kicked the door down. You’re under arrest for a murder in an Oakmont University dorm room. I sat in the interrogation room, the metal cuffs biting into my wrists, and I actually laughed. I looked at the detectives, then laid out my phantom existence. “Officers, I don’t even have a high school diploma,” I said, my voice eerily calm. “For the last three years, I’ve been clocking twelve-hour shifts at a motherboard factory. This university you’re talking about? I couldn’t even tell you what state it’s in.” 1 Buzz—click—buzz. The fluorescent bulb in the interrogation room flickered, a rhythmic, maddening strobe that made my eyes heavy. But I didn’t dare sleep. Across the metal table sat three people—two men, one woman—each wearing an expression colder than the last. “Cole,” the lead detective, a heavy-set guy in his forties, slid a stack of glossy photographs across the table. “Do you recognize this man?” I looked down. It was a young guy, sprawled on his back in a widening pool of dark blood. His eyes were half-open, staring blankly at the ceiling. He was young. About my age. He was wearing a winter parka, and the background looked like the drab linoleum hallway of a college dorm. I felt nothing. Just the numb detachment of looking at a stranger. “Never seen him,” I said, shaking my head. “Never seen him?” The younger detective to my left scoffed, leaning in. “Look closer, kid. That’s your roommate, Daniel Porter. You’ve lived in Room 408 of Oakmont University’s North Hall for three years, and you’re sitting there telling us you don’t know him?” I froze. Oakmont University? I looked up, my eyes darting between the three of them, trying to bridge the massive canyon between their reality and mine. I had spent the last three years in a sprawling concrete plant in Texas, standing until my knees gave out, begging for a single day off. When the hell did I go to college? “Officer,” I said, fighting to keep the panic out of my throat. “You’ve got the wrong guy. I never went to college.” “Never went?” The younger cop slammed a thick manila folder onto the table. “Read it yourself. Here’s a copy of your acceptance letter. Here’s your academic transcript. Here’s your student ID. Cole Miller, male, Social Security ending in 4921, enrolled in Oakmont’s mechanical engineering program in September 2019. You’re telling me this isn’t you?” My hands trembled as I picked up the file. The acceptance letter boldly declared the name Cole Miller. There was a photo on the student ID, too. It was a young man who shared my coloring, maybe even the shape of my jaw, but the eyes were entirely wrong. It was the face of a boy who had never known what it meant to go hungry. It wasn’t me. I flipped to the back of the file. Tucked behind a forged health record was an old, standard-issue high school portrait. That face was mine. But I had never set foot on that campus. It felt like someone had taken a baseball bat to the back of my head. A high, thin ringing filled my ears. And suddenly, fragments of a memory I had spent three years burying clawed their way to the surface. Three years ago. The chill of the afternoon air. The heavy thud of the school doors locking behind me. Three years of swallowing my pride, of resigning myself to the dirt. I had never, not for one single second, imagined there was a second act to that day. “Officer,” I said, gently setting the file down and locking eyes with the lead detective. “I’m going to say this one more time. I did not go to college. I was expelled before I could even graduate high school. I’ve been working the line at an electronics plant ever since. I eat, sleep, and shit at that factory. I don’t know who this dead kid is, but I sure as hell didn’t kill him.” “Didn’t kill him?” The young cop shot up from his chair. “Time of death: December 17th, 7:30 PM. Location: Oakmont North Hall, Room 408. The victim took three stab wounds to the abdomen, one piercing the heart. We pulled your fingerprints from the room. We pulled your DNA. Are you still going to sit there and lie?” Fingerprints? DNA? I looked down at my hands. They were ruined. Three years of twisting screws and soldering wires had left them covered in thick, yellowish calluses, grease burns, and jagged little scars. Now, these people were telling me these hands had taken a life. “What do fingerprints and DNA prove?” I asked, my voice barely a whisper. “If this guy stole my identity to get into school, of course the room is full of files with my fingerprints on them. But how could my DNA be at a crime scene I’ve never been to?” “Bullshit,” the young cop spat. “You think we didn’t do our homework? You enrolled in 2019. You lived in general housing freshman year, moved to 408 as a sophomore. Your roommate, your classmates, your academic advisor—they can all place you there.” “Then bring them here,” I challenged, the fire finally sparking in my chest. “Put me in a lineup. Let them look me in the eye and tell you if I’m the Cole Miller they spent three years with.” The younger cop opened his mouth, then snapped it shut. The lead detective finally leaned forward, interlacing his fingers. “Cole, playing hardball isn’t going to save you. We have a mountain of evidence. If you cooperate, if you confess, we can talk to the DA about manslaughter. You’re young. You’d do a few years, tops. But if you drag this out and we go for Murder One, your life is over.” I just stared at him. “Are you in trouble?” he pressed, his voice softening, attempting a sympathetic angle. “Is someone threatening you? You can tell us. We can protect you.” Looking at him, a strange, breathless bubble of hysteria rose in my chest. I started to smile. And then, I started to laugh. I laughed until hot, bitter tears spilled over my eyelashes. “Detective,” I said, turning my palms up to the harsh light, exposing the map of scars and thick, dead skin. “Do these look like the hands of a college boy? I don’t know where Oakmont University is. The only geography I know is the B3 assembly line at SunTech Electronics. Twelve hours a day. Standing. You’re not even allowed a stool.” “Listen, kid—” “For three years,” I cut him off, my voice echoing off the concrete walls. “I haven’t missed a single shift. I haven’t taken a single sick day. You said the murder happened December 17th at 7:30 PM? I was on the factory floor. My line manager can prove it. My coworkers can prove it. The biometric time clock can prove it.” The young cop moved to interrupt, but the lead detective held up a hand, silencing him. He stared at me for a long, quiet minute. “What’s the name of this factory?” “SunTech Electronics. The Austin campus.” He nodded slowly. He stood up, turning to the woman taking notes in the corner. “Put him in a holding cell. We’ll resume tomorrow.” As the uniformed officer hauled me up to my feet, I looked back over my shoulder. The lead detective was still watching me, and for the first time, the absolute certainty in his eyes was gone. 2 I didn’t start out on an assembly line. Three years ago, I was a senior at Belleville High, a rusty, dead-end town in the Midwest. I wasn’t a genius, but I held my own. My test scores were solid; I was tracking perfectly for a decent state college. My dad ruined his back hauling rebar on construction sites, and my mom spent her life up to her elbows in greasy dishwater at a local diner. Their entire universe revolved around one dream: getting me into college so I wouldn’t have to break my body for a paycheck like they did. But I was a stupid kid. My fatal flaw was that I couldn’t stay awake. Especially during seventh-period Calculus. The radiators in that old building ran way too hot, the teacher’s monotone voice was like a sedative, and my eyelids would turn to lead. I tried everything. I pinched my thighs until they bruised, rubbed peppermint oil under my eyes. Nothing worked. When the exhaustion hit, it was a tidal wave. One Tuesday afternoon, I went under. I slept so hard I didn’t even hear the final bell. When I finally blinked awake, the classroom was empty. Groggy, I slung my backpack over my shoulder and walked out into the hall, nearly colliding with the Vice Principal. Everyone called him “Bulldog” Benson. He was fifty-something, balding, with a face like a bulldog, and he lived to terrorize students for minor infractions. Tardiness, dress codes, sleeping in class. “Cole Miller,” he barked, grabbing my arm. “My office. Now.” I figured I was in for detention. Maybe a call home. But when I walked into the office, my homeroom teacher was there, shifting uncomfortably. Sitting across from them were two strangers: a wealthy-looking man in a tailored suit, and a boy about my age. The boy looked a little like me—same height, dark hair—but he had the soft, unblemished glow of a kid who had never worried about money. He was wearing a North Face jacket that cost more than my dad made in a week. “Cole,” my homeroom teacher said, pushing a sheet of paper across the desk, refusing to meet my eyes. “This is your notice of expulsion. Sign it.” The air rushed out of my lungs. “Expulsion? Mr. Harris, I fell asleep. It’s just a detention, isn’t it?” “Just a detention?” Bulldog Benson sneered. “How many times have you slept through class this semester, Miller? How many warnings? You think this school is a motel?” “I’ll fix it! I swear to God, I’ll never sleep in class again—” “Too late,” my teacher interrupted, his voice hollow. “The Principal has made his decision. With your attitude, giving you a college recommendation is a waste of a slot. Sign the paper. Clean out your locker. You’re off the premises immediately.” Panic, raw and blinding, seized me. I begged. I actually dropped to my knees in front of that desk. They finally let me call my mom. She sobbed through the receiver, begging Benson for mercy. He hung up on her mid-sentence. The two strangers in the corner just watched. They didn’t say a single word. Twenty minutes later, two security guards grabbed me by the arms and physically threw me out the back doors of the school. My textbooks and notebooks were tossed out after me, scattering across the wet pavement. I sat on the curb outside the school gates until midnight, waiting for the Principal to leave. I thought if I could just look him in the eye, I could change his mind. He slipped out a side exit. The guards threatened to call the cops if I didn’t leave. I tried to appeal to the school board, but I was just a broke kid from the wrong side of the tracks. The doors were shut. It was only much later that I put the pieces together. That afternoon, Richard Miller—the head of the City Zoning and Planning Board, a man with the kind of money that made problems disappear—was sitting in that office with his son, Connor. Connor Miller. The boy who watched me beg. Connor was failing out. He couldn’t get into a community college, let alone a university, and he couldn’t pass a military physical. His father needed a clean, unblemished academic record. Why me? Because of the name. Miller. We shared a last name, making the paperwork seamlessly easy to fudge. Because my dad was a broken construction worker and my mom washed dishes; we had no money for lawyers. Because I fell asleep in class, giving them the perfect excuse. And because my grades were good, but not so good that my sudden disappearance would raise red flags. Three days after I was thrown out like trash, Connor Miller took my Social Security number, my transcripts, and my identity, and walked into a testing center. And I? After lying in bed for three days staring at the ceiling, I packed a duffel bag, followed a neighbor down to Texas, and walked onto the factory floor. 3 The SunTech plant was an hour’s bus ride from Austin proper. It was its own dystopian city. A dozen sprawling concrete dormitories housing ten thousand workers. I was assigned to the B3 assembly line, building internal components for cell phone chargers. My entire existence shrank down to two wires. I had to solder two wires onto a green motherboard. It sounds easy, until you have to do it four thousand times a shift. Within a month, my hands didn’t belong to me anymore. Working the graveyard shift was an exercise in psychological torture. You’d be so bone-tired you were hallucinating, but if your hand slipped even a millimeter, the soldering iron would sear through your skin. Half the scars on my hands were from the iron. The other half from slipping screwdrivers. There were no chairs on the line. Twelve hours of standing. My legs swelled until my boots felt like vices. The soles of my feet turned to stone. If you needed to piss, you ran. We got exactly thirty minutes to shovel food into our mouths. The line never stopped. If it stalled for a second, the floor manager was screaming down your neck. His name was Davis. A massive, red-faced guy who liked to spit when he yelled. His favorite catchphrase was, “You wanna quit? There’s a thousand illegals at the gate begging for your spot!” I made about $2,400 a month. With mandatory overtime, sometimes $3,000. I kept a few hundred to survive and wired the rest to my mom. Every time she called, she cried, apologizing for failing me. I’d force a laugh and tell her it was fine, that college was just a scam to get a job anyway, and I was already making money. I told her once I got bumped up to line technician, the pay would double. But beneath the bravado, it was killing me. Sometimes, lying in my bunk in a room packed with eight snoring, grinding men, staring at the rusted springs of the mattress above me, the ‘what-ifs’ would creep in. What if I had just stayed awake that day? What if I hadn’t been expelled?

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My childhood best friend, Roman, has always been the internet’s favorite “Gentle God.” That was until I took off my hearing aids and a cascade of glowing digital comments suddenly began scrolling across my vision. [Lord, this man is such a good actor. Is he really taking advantage of the fact that our girl can’t hear?]
[The Oscar wasn’t a fluke. A saint in the streets, a total beast in the sheets—or at least in his head.]
[Run, honey! He’s literally planning to lock you away!] I stared at the floating text, my mind racing. Instead of panicking, I reached into my pocket and slid in a pair of high-end, near-invisible hearing aids I’d been testing. Then, I watched him. With the most tender, devastatingly handsome expression on his face, he leaned in and whispered: “If you keep looking at me like that, I’m going to kiss you until you’re breathless, okay?” I nodded instinctively. In that heartbeat, the Gentle God’s mask shattered. And the comments? They went absolutely nuclear. 1 Late at night, the moment I removed my devices, the glowing words flickered into existence again. [Ugh, my poor baby. She really thinks this guy is some kind of selfless saint.]
[Can’t blame her. He’s an A-lister for a reason. His acting is textbook perfection.]
[He’s only this bold because he thinks she’s in a world of silence. This man is a red flag!]
[Roman, chill! Have some mercy!] I stared at the fading text, paralyzed. The comments were saying… Roman was playing me? That didn’t make sense. Roman had been the one constant in my life. He was the person who cared for me more than anyone else in the world. 2 Our families were old friends; Roman and I had been inseparable since we were in diapers. When we were kids, he used to follow me around, puffing out his chest and promising to be “my ears.” He had the patience of a saint. He would meticulously clean my cochlear implant and sit with me for hours, testing the signal over and over. Sometimes, when the equipment glitched, I’d have to rely on lip-reading. But Roman spoke fast—too fast for me to catch everything. I’d just shake my head, feeling stupid. He’d fix the device, tuck it gently back into place, and wait until the world rushed back in before speaking in that clear, melodic voice of his. “Better? Can you hear me now?” I’d nod and mutter a thank you. He’d usually look away then, clearing his throat awkwardly. My ears always felt a bit sensitive right after putting them back in, so once the static settled, I’d ask, “Roman, what were you saying just now?” His answer was always the same: “Nothing. Just nonsense. It’s probably better you didn’t hear it.” Our relationship hadn’t always been smooth sailing. In elementary school, I thought he was a nuisance—too bossy, too overprotective. Then came middle school, that brutal gauntlet of puberty. My classmates realized I was “different.” They figured out that if they pulled my devices, I became slow, vulnerable. I couldn’t hear their insults, but I could feel their cruelty. I became the “safe” target. Once, during P.E., someone intentionally slammed into me, knocking me down and ripping the processor from my head. Loner. Freak. Mute. I could see their mouths twisting into the shapes of those words. Without sound, the world was terrifyingly, suffocatingly quiet. I didn’t even notice Roman until he was standing behind me. Suddenly, the bullies’ faces went pale. They looked at something behind me with pure terror before scurrying away like rats. Warm hands covered my ears, and Roman carefully fitted my device back on. The sound of the wind flooded back, followed by his voice. “What did they say?” I asked, though I already knew. Roman stared at me for a long time before answering. “They were complimenting you. They said you’re the prettiest girl in school.” I rolled my eyes. “Roman, do I look like I’m five?” He just shrugged, his expression dead serious. “I’m not lying. Really.” After that day, no one touched me. Roman had spent his after-school hours “educating” the ringleaders one by one. My parents got the administration involved, too. From then on, the bullies didn’t just stop; they treated me like I was radioactive. 3 The first time Roman took my hearing aids off without warning was graduation day. The air was thick with the scent of cheap cologne and nervous energy. Everyone was using the chaos to confess their secret crushes. I was standing in the crowd, feeling a bit lost, when I saw a boy from my English class walking toward me, his face a bright, frantic red. Roman was faster. He reached out and plucked the devices from my ears. Silence crashed over me, and I flinched, pulling back. But when I looked up, I was caught in the depths of Roman’s dark eyes. He held the devices in his palm and signed to me: There was a petal caught in the casing.
I’ll get it out for you. I watched the English class boy walk away, his shoulders slumped in defeat. Only then did Roman hand my world back to me. “Don’t do that without asking,” I snapped, my heart still racing. “It scares me.” Roman looked down, his jaw tight. “I know. Sorry.” I glanced sideways, trying to find the boy. “Was someone looking for me?” Roman gave me a sharp, sour look. “You really want to know?” I shook my head. “Not really.” I mumbled, “If it was important, he’d say it again. If he didn’t, it probably didn’t matter.” Only then did Roman’s expression soften. “Exactly. It didn’t matter.” 4 Eventually, Roman entered the industry. With his family connections and raw talent, he was an A-lister by twenty-four, an Oscar in his hand and the world at his feet. He was constantly busy, flying between sets and premieres, but he always made time for me. Every time he came home, he brought the latest, most expensive hearing tech. “Try these?” He’d remove my old ones and slide the new ones in. “You mentioned the red ones were hurting your cartilage after a few hours, right?” During those seconds of silence, I’d watch his perfect lips move. I had no idea what he was saying. Then, the cold plastic would click into place. “Maisie, look at me. Can you hear me?” I’d look up at him and nod slowly. He’d smile—that soft, devastating smile that made millions of women scream—and twirl a lock of my hair around his finger. “You’re so busy,” I said once. “Why do you waste your energy on this?” Roman shook his head. “Whenever a new model comes out, I send your specs to the specialists. Maybe one day, they’ll find a permanent fix.” I looked down, a familiar pang of disappointment in my chest. “It’s not fixable, Roman. Don’t waste your money.” But he took my face in his hands, his grip firm, almost stubborn. “If it can’t be fixed, then I’ll buy you hearing aids for the rest of your life.” “Maisie, you’re stuck with me. You’ll always have to rely on me.” 5 I’d known Roman too long to believe those digital comments. How could someone act for twenty years? It wasn’t possible. But curiosity is a persistent itch. The next time Roman came over, I wore a pair of tiny, near-invisible hearing aids I’d bought myself. The room was quiet. I could hear the soft scuff-scuff of Roman cleaning the new equipment with a microfiber cloth. Then, his hands were on me, fitting the new devices. That’s when I realized: it wasn’t that the equipment was faulty. It was that Roman never turned them on immediately after putting them in. He intentionally created a “window of silence.” I was about to reach up and tell him they were off when his voice drifted through my hidden earpieces. It was exactly what the comments had warned me about. Roman was smiling at me—that sunny, gentle smile. But the words coming out of his mouth were cold enough to make me shiver. “Why are you being so restless today, Maisie?” His face was a mask of warmth, but his tone was dangerous. “So many little movements. Are you asking for trouble?” Thinking I was deaf to him, he let the mask slip for a fraction of a second. His features sharpened, revealing something dark, obsessive, and brooding. I’d known him nearly twenty years, and I’d never seen this man. Terrified, I swallowed hard. As he adjusted the fit, I instinctively shook my head. I wanted to see how far he’d go. A moment later, Roman leaned into my ear. “Maisie, if you keep looking at me like that, I’m going to kiss you until you’re breathless, okay, baby?” His eyes dragged across my lips, dark and hungry. My brain felt like it was short-circuiting. My breathing hitched. In a moment of pure, panicked reflex, I looked him right in the eye and gave a firm, slow nod. Roman froze. His pupils blown wide. I froze, too. The floating comments in front of my eyes went into a frenzy: [HOLY CRAP! SHE HEARD HIM! SHE NODDED!]
[ABORT MISSION! THE MASK IS GONE!]
[Look at his face! He’s going to lose it! Hahahaha!]

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Ten years into the collapse of the world, after surviving death more times than I could count, I finally found my long-lost best friend. She had managed to get herself a capable boyfriend—a man with real power—and they were practically attached at the hip. But that was also the exact moment I saw the floating text. [Oh thank god, the high-maintenance drama queen is finally getting killed off! She’s been clinging to the Male Lead forever and stalling the main romance. I’m so sick of her!] [Good riddance! She’s lazy and entitled. People like her don’t deserve to survive the apocalypse.] [Is anyone else still mad about the time she forced the Male Lead to go out at night just to find her a sheet mask? I wanted to punch the screen…] [And now that her redshirt best friend has shown up, the drama queen keeps fighting with the Male Lead over her. She almost got him killed. He’s completely out of patience with her.] [Can the Female Lead just show up already? I’m here for the apocalypse power couple!] The “drama queen” these bizarre, glowing comments were talking about was my best friend, Cassie. And according to them… Cassie was destined to be abandoned by her boyfriend, left behind to become nothing more than rations for the infected. But I couldn’t help but think they had gotten one crucial detail wrong. I was the number one ranked Awakened on the continent. It didn’t matter how high-maintenance my best friend was. I had enough power to maintain her. 1 I had been surrounded by a swarm of the dead, hovering on the precipice of my own end. To make matters worse, some girl had decided to take advantage of my bleeding out. She was going to cut the bio-core out of me and steal my abilities for herself. I played dead. The second the girl leaned in, her hand reaching for my chest, a blinding arc of lightning erupted from my palm. It took exactly one second. Then, she stopped breathing. I shoved her off, tossed her smoking corpse down the stairwell to distract the screeching infected, and dragged my battered body out the fire escape. … I ran for half a month before I finally reached another quarantine zone. My abilities were completely drained. My physical endurance had hit absolute zero. I collapsed in the dirt on the side of the road. Through the haze of unconsciousness, a familiar voice cut through the static in my brain. “Cole, look! There’s someone over there!” “Go help her. Please, Cole, you have to!” I know that voice… “Are you trying to get Cole killed, Cassie? We’re just scavenging the perimeter. There’s a swarm coming. If we don’t move right now, we’re all dead meat!” “Yeah, seriously Cassie, read the goddamn room before you throw a tantrum!” “Cole, you’re not actually going out there, are you? Man… that girl looks dead anyway.” The people with them were furious, their voices thick with contempt. Listening to the commotion, I fought the heavy pull of exhaustion and forced my eyes open. Because I had heard a name that anchored me to the earth. Cassie. My best friend. Scraping together the very last dregs of my strength, I rolled over and pushed myself up on my elbows, lifting my heavy head. Across the ruined overpass, a group of five or six people stared down at me, weapons drawn. The man at the front was built like a tank, radiating an oppressive, heavy energy. One look and you knew he was an Awakened. But I didn’t waste a single second looking at him. My eyes locked entirely on the woman shrinking against his side. Compared to the girl I used to know, she was darker from the sun. Thinner. But she wasn’t bleeding. She was alive. A tidal wave of absolute, terrifying joy crashed through my chest. I opened my mouth to call out to her, but the world tilted, and I slammed hard into the asphalt. My body had finally quit. Right before the dark took me, I heard her scream, her voice tearing at the seams. “Bella!!” 2 They saved me. By the time I woke up, the sun had set. Cassie had her arms locked around my neck, sobbing so hard she couldn’t catch her breath. “You’re alive, oh my god, you’re alive! You’re really here!” I patted her back, my throat tight. I was just about to tell her it was okay, when suddenly, those bizarre, glowing comments began to materialize in the air above us. I read them. Over and over again, the neon letters scrolling through the dark room, until the horrifying truth clicked into place. We were living inside a dystopian romance novel. Cassie was the character they loathed—the spoiled, toxic side-piece. Lazy, demanding, brainless. And my sudden appearance? I was just the catalyst. The doomed redshirt whose sole narrative purpose was to die and trigger Cassie’s inevitable, fatal downward spiral. According to the floating text, the Male Lead would only feel a twinge of guilt after Cassie was torn apart. It would leave a poetic little scar on his heart. A scar that the Female Lead was meant to heal. The comments were still rolling by. [I’m a sucker for a power couple. The Female Lead and Male Lead are endgame! He manipulates water, she controls lightning. When they team up, it’s game over for the zombies!] [Right?! And the angst is delicious. The Female Lead accidentally kills some random redshirt and gets PTSD, and then she and the Male Lead grow together and heal each other. It’s peak romance!] [Hurry up and introduce the Female Lead, author. I can’t stand another chapter of this whiny ex.] Lightning abilities? I furrowed my brow in the dark. Just like mine? 3 “Bella, why aren’t you saying anything?” Cassie noticed my rigid silence and reached out, pinching my cheek gently. “Are you scared?” I snapped out of it, focusing on her face. She was looking at me, smiling through her tears. It was the same bright, painfully earnest smile from a lifetime ago… My eyes stung. I reached up and pulled her tightly against my chest. “No,” I whispered into her hair. “I’m just… really happy.” … Cassie had flaws. I had always known that. Before the world ended, she came from old money. Her parents had wrapped her in velvet and treated her like royalty. So naturally, she was a perfectionist. She liked her meals plated perfectly, her dresses immaculate, and she expected the world to be her friend. In the beginning, I couldn’t stand her. Because I was a bitter, jagged thing, and I envied her. I envied her glowing skin, her sprawling house, her effortless existence. But one afternoon, she walked right up to my desk. I looked up, defensive and guarded, and she held out her hand. “Hi, I’m Cassie. Do you want to be friends? I think you’re incredibly cool.” Half an hour earlier, I had been forced to stand in the hallway for the entire period because I’d talked back to a teacher. She leaned in, lowering her voice like we were co-conspirators. “Actually, I hate Mr. Davis too.” I was too cynical to admit out loud that I agreed. I just sat there, staring at her. Cassie took my silence as a resounding yes. She clapped her hands together. “Perfect! We’re best friends now.” I thought she was too fragile. The kind of girl who would get a papercut and immediately well up with tears. I found her exhausting. If something had the slightest flaw, she tossed it. I thought she had absolutely no sense of boundaries, buzzing around my ear every single day with her endless chatter. I wasn’t an idiot. I knew girls like her didn’t keep girls like me around as real friends. Until the spring semester of eighth grade, when I got hit by a car. I was an orphan, bouncing between my aunt and uncle’s house. When the doctors told them I might never walk again, my relatives deliberated for a few days before deciding I was too much of a burden. They packed my bags for a rural group home. I had completely given up. I was entirely hollowed out. But the light that forced its way back into my dark little room wasn’t the sun. It was Cassie. She came to the hospital. She chattered endlessly by my bedside. And when visiting hours were over, she promised she’d be back the next day. She never broke that promise. For the next three months, she didn’t miss a single day. It wasn’t until much later that I found out she had emptied the trust fund her grandparents had set up for her, just to cover the surgical bills my aunt had refused to pay. She stood in the hospital hallway and screamed at my aunt and uncle. She told them I was a human being, and you don’t just throw human beings in the trash. She was so incredibly self-righteous… But lying in that bed, I realized that her entitlement and her stubborn perfectionism were actually sort of beautiful. 4 We became real friends. Honestly, if Cassie was high-maintenance and spoiled, my unconditional enabling was the root cause. People who knew us would always say, “Keep indulging her like that, Bella. What are you gonna do if she never finds a guy who can put up with her? Keep her as a pet for the rest of your life?” I’d be staring down at a college business plan, not even bothering to look up. “I wouldn’t mind.” Cassie would just laugh, clutching her stomach. “You guys really think you can drive a wedge between me and Bella? Keep dreaming!” … My startup was just getting off the ground, barely finding its footing, when the apocalypse tore the world apart. We got separated during the initial evacuation panic. I looked for her. I spent years turning over the ashes of dead cities looking for her. I never imagined that when I finally found her, ten years would have slipped through our fingers. And the glowing text hovering in the room was telling me that I was about to lose her permanently. 5 I watched the text scroll by, keeping my expression entirely blank. I slipped into the role of an exhausted, unawakened survivor, quietly integrating into their safe zone. And slowly, the reality of Cassie’s life came into sharp focus. She genuinely loved Cole, and for his part, Cole was willing to indulge her. He accommodated her moods. But her complete lack of survival skills and demanding nature rubbed everyone else in the compound the wrong way. I had no doubt in my mind: the second Cole got hurt, or the second he stopped loving her, Cassie would be thrown to the wolves. I was lost in thought when I heard her voice drifting from the hallway. “Cole, please, can’t you spare one extra ration for Bella? She’s practically skin and bones. She’s been out there starving all these years.” Her voice dropped to a plea. “You know I’ve been looking for her.” Cole sounded irritated, put upon. “We’ve already given her twice the standard allowance. If I show her more favoritism, the other guys are going to riot.” The comments flared up, practically vibrating with excitement. [Yes! Keep whining, drama queen. Dig your own grave.] [The Male Lead is getting so sick of her shit.] [I cannot wait for the chapter where she finally gets eaten!] [+1] [+1] My jaw clenched. I deliberately kicked a chair leg, making a loud scraping noise. Cole instantly went rigid, his hand dropping to his weapon as he peered into the room. Cassie’s face lit up. “Bella!” “Why are you out of bed?” She rushed over, looking me up and down. “Are you feeling better?” I forced a smile. “I’m fine.” Standing in the doorway, Cole gave me a flat, dead-eyed nod, then turned and walked away. He was arrogant. Ten years into the nightmare, men like him had stopped seeing the Unawakened as actual people. Even as his girlfriend’s best friend, to him, I was just dead weight. A useless mouth to feed. Once he was gone, Cassie squeezed my hand. “Don’t be mad at him. He’s just stressed. I’ll yell at him for you later.” She dragged me around the safe zone, pointing out the meager gardens and the reinforced walls. She told me about the last few years. What she’d seen. Who she’d lost. And then she asked about me, pressing for every detail. We sat on her cramped bed talking deep into the night, until she couldn’t keep her eyes open anymore. She slumped against my shoulder, breathing softly, fast asleep. The floating text was instantly mocking. [Does this high-maintenance brat not realize her only value is warming the Male Lead’s bed? Now she’s not even going back to his room? Just hanging out with the redshirt?] [She’s literally asking to be abandoned.] [I’m so ready for the Female Lead to make her grand entrance!] [Here, sharing some fanart of our badass Female Lead to cleanse your eyes from this boring friendship.] I stared at the empty space in the room, my eyes narrowing. Two illustrations popped up in the glowing chat. It was a sharp-featured girl with a tough, pragmatic look. But… she looked terribly familiar. 6 Right before I drifted off, I bolted upright in bed. I remembered where I had seen that face… Half a month ago. The girl who had tried to cut out my bio-core while I was bleeding out. The one I had fried to a crisp. That was the Female Lead? But I had already killed her… Before I could fully process the implication, a piercing siren shattered the silence of the night. Someone was sprinting through the halls, screaming at the top of their lungs: “Swarm! The dead are at the gates! All Awakened to the perimeter! Non-combatants to the bunkers!” Cassie jolted awake, instantly gripping my hand tight enough to cut off circulation. “Don’t be scared, Bella.” “Stay right behind me. We’ll find Cole. He’ll keep us safe.” She yanked my arm to pull me off the bed… but I didn’t move. Instead, I reversed our grip, my fingers wrapping firmly around her wrist. Cassie looked back at me, confused and trembling. I looked her dead in the eye. “You stay behind me. I’ll keep you safe.” She blinked, stunned. But there was no time to argue. She swallowed hard. “We need to get to the mineshaft.” The infected swarm was a tidal wave of rot. Some of the evolved ones could bypass the electric fences and infiltrate the compound itself. They were smart enough to hide in the shadows, meaning the Awakened would have to clear the zone street by street even after the main horde was repelled. During the chaos, the Unawakened were herded into an old subterranean mine. We ran through the dark compound, sprinting toward the heavy steel doors of the shaft. We were surrounded by people just like Cassie. Unawakened. Families clutching children, looking stressed but not completely terrified. This happened every few weeks. They had complete faith in their powerful leaders to handle it. But as I watched them, a cold knot formed in my stomach. These people were completely, dangerously dependent. I glanced at Cassie, my brow furrowing. I had been watching her and Cole closely over the last few days. Her “spoiled” behavior, her demands—they were all within the parameters Cole implicitly allowed. Some of it, he deliberately encouraged. He spoiled her in front of everyone. And by extension, he ensured the Unawakened in the camp got slightly better rations and treatment, pulling resources away from the Awakened fighters. His men resented it, but they didn’t aim their anger at Cole. They aimed it at Cassie. She was the scapegoat. And the Unawakened didn’t thank Cassie for the extra food. They thanked Cole. It made them fiercely loyal to him. It made them work the greenhouses until their hands bled, happily providing for the very man pulling the strings. Cole was weaponizing Cassie’s reputation to solidify his absolute control. Did… did she realize that? My grip on her wrist tightened. In that split second of distraction, the world exploded. Just as we reached the heavy doors of the bunker, a shadow peeled itself off the wall. An infected, rotting and fast, launched itself straight at Cassie’s throat. She froze, completely paralyzed by terror. I yanked her arm backward with brutal force, swapping our positions in a fraction of a second. “Bella!” Cassie shrieked, but before the sound even left her mouth, I had already driven a hunting knife upward, burying it straight through the creature’s eye socket and scrambling its brain. 7 Down in the damp, crowded mine, Cassie couldn’t stop staring at me. Her eyes were shining in the dark. It was getting ridiculous. “Stop looking at me like that,” I whispered. “I’ve been surviving out there by myself for ten years. You think I don’t know how to handle a knife?” Cassie threw her arms around me, burying her face in my shoulder. “You’re so brave. You’re so amazing, Bella… You must have suffered so much all these years.” My chest tightened. I reached up and stroked her hair. I still hadn’t revealed my abilities. I knew exactly how men like Cole operated. If he found out I was a top-tier Awakened, he wouldn’t let me leave without a war. And I needed to get Cassie out of here. Soon. Above us, the muffled sounds of gunfire and screaming echoed through the earth. Sitting in the dark, I watched the floating comments scrolling rapidly across the ceiling, my mind racing. [Wait, what is happening? The swarm is almost cleared, why hasn’t the Female Lead shown up yet?] [I’ve been waiting for the epic ‘badass girl saves the Male Lead’ scene for fifty chapters! Where the hell is she?] [Are you guys not looking at the drama queen’s POV? Her redshirt best friend didn’t die!] [What? If the best friend doesn’t die, the drama queen isn’t going to have her mental breakdown and fight with the Male Lead! The entire plot is ruined!] … Listening to their frantic digital chatter, the final puzzle piece fell into place. In the original timeline, the Female Lead managed to rip out my bio-core, leaving me a crippled, ordinary human. I barely made it to this camp, reunited with Cassie, and then died a pathetic death during this exact swarm. The Female Lead, now wielding my stolen lightning, would swoop in, save Cole from a fatal ambush, and get recruited into his inner circle. The perfect power couple is born. Meanwhile, my death would cause Cassie to spiral. She would blame Cole, throwing a massive tantrum and running off into the wasteland just to make him chase her. But Cole, fed up with her antics, wouldn’t go after her immediately. And by the time he did, there would be nothing left of her to find. The annoying side-piece is removed from the board. And me? Just a stepping stone. But now… [The story is completely off the rails! What is going on?] [HOLY SHIT! The author just posted an update. They said the narrative has collapsed, the characters have gained sentience, and they can’t control the story anymore!] [You’re burying the lede! The author confirmed the Female Lead is DEAD! SHE’S DEAD!] [I’m losing my mind. What kind of trash ending is this?] [Are you kidding? This is amazing. We’re in totally uncharted territory now. It’s like a blind box. I am strapped in for the ride!] My heart slammed against my ribs. I looked at Cassie, who was dozing off against my shoulder, exhausted by the adrenaline crash. If I was understanding this text correctly… Our fates weren’t set in stone anymore. We had already broken the mold.

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After five years of marriage, Peter had breakfast with me for the first time. But there was a three-year-old boy sitting beside him. “My buddy from the military died. The kid has no one to take care of him. Let’s adopt him.” The child looked up, his features a carbon copy of Peter’s. I laughed coldly. “Your friend’s kid? He looks just like you!” His expression changed. “She doesn’t want any official status, she’ll just live here to help take care of the kid… You’ll still be my wife, plus we’ll have a child. What a great arrangement!” I set down my fork, looking at this man who owned three companies. The sixty-million-dollar hole in Peter Corporation—every cent filled by my father’s money. “Peter, I had my lawyer draft the divorce papers. Take your woman and your kid, and get out!” He picked up the child and set him on the chair, then turned to face me, hands sliding into his pockets. “Dorman, you’ve been married to me for five years. Whose name is on the incorporation papers for those three companies?” “Yours.” “Whose name is on the property deed?” “Yours.” “Right.” He pulled out a chair and sat down, leisurely picking up a piece of toast. “That sixty million from your dad—that’s an investment in the company. Not a single word of it has anything to do with you personally.” He took a bite of the toast. “What exactly do you think you can divorce me with?” The three-year-old boy sat in his high chair, poking at a yogurt cup with his spoon, glancing at me after each poke. His brow bone, his nose bridge, even that mole at the corner of his mouth—all perfect copies of Peter. “You think I didn’t prepare?” “Prepare what? Find a lawyer?” He laughed. “Sergio, right? I had dinner with him yesterday. His firm is now Peter Corporation’s legal team.” I stared at him. He set down the toast, brushed the crumbs from his hands, and stood up. “Dorman, stop making a scene. Mary will be coming over this afternoon. Help clean up the room next door.” He walked to the door to change his shoes. As he bent down to tie his laces, he glanced back at the child. “Andrew, behave. Daddy will be home tonight.” Daddy, not uncle. He wasn’t even bothering to hide it anymore. Twelve minutes after the door closed, my phone rang. Unknown number. “Dorman, this is Mary.” Her voice was soft and sweet. “Peter said I should come over at three this afternoon. Is the room ready?” “What else did he tell you?” “He said… you’d agreed.” “Which part of what I said sounded like agreement?” Silence for two seconds on the other end. “Dorman, I really won’t take up much space. I’ll just help take care of Andrew, do some cooking. Think of me as a free nanny…” “That person pinned on your Twitter—what’s his contact name?” Her breathing hitched. “I saw it this morning. Between eight and nine, you sent him eight messages. The last one said—’Honey, did she agree? I’m so nervous.’” “Dorman…” “You also have an Instagram account called ‘M’s Happiness Code,’ with 1.17 million followers. Three months ago you posted a video with a living room in the background—warm lighting, mahogany coffee table, custom Italian curtains. You told the camera, ‘This is the home I share with my husband.’” The girl went silent. I continued: “That living room is mine. Those curtains I ordered from Milan. That coffee table I brought when I moved in.” More silence. “Are you still coming at three?” Her voice was small, but showed no sign of backing down. “Dorman, Peter told me to come.” At three o’clock sharp, the doorbell rang. She wore a cream-colored knit dress, her hair in a low ponytail, her skin so pale it seemed to glow. When she smiled, dimples appeared deep enough to hold wine. “Hello, Dorman.” She bent down, dragging two suitcases. The boy jumped down from the sofa and threw himself into her arms. “Mommy!” She picked up the child, kissed his forehead, then looked at me. Not a trace of guilt in her eyes. She turned a circle in the living room, as if returning to her own home. Maybe in her mind, this had always been her home. “Dorman, which way is the guest room? I can find it myself.” “That ring on your left hand.” Her smile froze. On her left ring finger sat a sapphire ring. My engagement ring. Two years ago, Peter said he’d sent it for maintenance. It never came back. She pulled her hand behind her back. “Peter gave it to me…” “I know who gave it to you.” I turned and headed upstairs. Her voice followed from behind, small, with a sweet, grievance-tinged quality. “Dorman, I’m really just here to help.”

“Dorman, don’t be so petty.” My mother-in-law Ruth’s call came earlier than I’d expected. “Peter told me the child is his comrade’s orphan. How can a woman like you have so little magnanimity?” “Mom, that child calls Mary ‘Mommy.’” “What do kids know? He’ll call whoever takes care of him.” Her words came fast, like she’d rehearsed them all night. “Peter came clean with me too. She’s just helping out, staying for a few days then leaving. If you insist on thinking that way, is it because you’ve had no children for five years and feel resentful?” When those words pierced through, my nails dug into my palms. “Mom, do you know why I haven’t had children in five years?” “If your health isn’t good, go get treatment. I’ve told you so many times—” “In our second year of marriage, Peter had me take medication for six months, saying it would help me conceive. I took the prescription to a hospital to check—long-term use of that drug causes infertility.” Silence for two seconds on the other end. “You’re talking nonsense. Hasn’t Peter been good enough to you? Do you have to tear this family apart?” She hung up. At noon, Mary came down from the room next door and cooked a whole table of food. Andrew sat at the dining table, holding his bowl, getting food all over his face. She sat beside him, wiping him clean bit by bit with wet wipes. Seeing me come downstairs, she stood up. “Dorman, I served you a bowl of soup too.” The soup bowl sat at the far end of the table. She was sitting in my usual seat. I didn’t touch that bowl of soup. When I went out that afternoon to buy medicine, I swiped Peter’s supplementary card. “I’m sorry, ma’am, this card has been deactivated.” I switched to my own savings card and entered the password. Insufficient funds. I opened my mobile banking app. Three days ago, my personal account had been hit with a transfer. One hundred and forty thousand dollars, all moved to Peter Corporation’s custodial account. Operator: Peter. Using a clause from that investment authorization I’d signed years ago—”Party B’s funds shall be uniformly allocated and used by Party A.” That evening, Ruth arrived. A seventy-year-old woman in low-heeled pumps, carrying a bag of fruit through the door. The moment she saw Mary, she smiled. “Such a lovely girl. Come here, let me see Andrew.” She held the child, touching his face, kissing his forehead, eyes narrowing to slits. “This nose—exactly like Peter when he was little.” She knew. She knew everything. Ruth pulled a box from her bag and opened it. An emerald jade bracelet, beautiful. I recognized it—it was a gift from my family at my wedding, valued at eighty thousand dollars. In our second year of marriage, Ruth said she wanted to borrow it for a friend’s birthday party. It never came back. She slipped the bracelet onto Mary’s wrist. “Here, this is for you. Taking care of the child must be hard work.” Mary demurred twice, just the right amount, then accepted on the third try. “Thank you.” She said it while smiling at me. Ruth sat on the sofa, picked up the tea Mary had made, and glanced at me. “Dorman, you’re thirty now. They say it gets harder for women to have children after thirty. Look how well-behaved Andrew is. Raise him for now, we can discuss the rest later.” “Mom, that bracelet is mine.” “What’s yours and mine? Once you enter the door of Peter’s house, everything belongs to Peter’s house.” She set down her teacup. “Dorman, if you really can’t accept this, then I’ll speak plainly—Peter told me you want a divorce.” She looked at me, her gaze shifting from kindness to something else. “You can enter the door of Peter’s house, but you can’t leave.” “All that money from your dad counts as investment. Investment has risks—didn’t you learn that in school?” “You’re one person, no children, no assets. What could you possibly do if you left?” Mary stood in the kitchen doorway holding Andrew, saying nothing, but she was smiling. Ruth stood up, patting at nonexistent wrinkles on her skirt. “Think it through before you come talk to me again.” “A man like Peter—there’s a line of women wanting to marry him. Count yourself lucky.”

“We’re eating at home tonight. Ruth invited some relatives.” Peter’s message came at four in the afternoon. When I arrived, seven or eight people sat in the living room. Peter’s relatives—people who normally didn’t visit, all here today. At the dinner table, my seat was gone. Mary sat on Peter’s right, Andrew on her lap. The chair I usually sat in had been moved to a corner. “Dorman’s here. Get yourself a chair.” Ruth didn’t even look up. Peter’s father’s sister, Bonnie, spoke up. “Peter, is this the girl you mentioned? So pretty. The child really looks like you.” Peter smiled without denying it. Bonnie turned to Mary. “How old are you?” “Twenty-four.” Mary smiled sweetly. “Twenty-four with a child this big already—capable. Better than some people.” Bonnie glanced at me. Ruth chimed in, “Isn’t that the truth? Five years and not even a peep.” Around the entire table, not one person spoke up for me. I stood there, holding a glass of water. “Dorman, don’t just stand there, sit.” Peter finally spoke. He pointed to a small chair temporarily added at the end of the table. I didn’t sit. “Peter, my lawyer can’t reach you.” “We’re eating. Why bring this up now?” The table went quiet for two seconds. “Dorman—” Ruth’s fork struck the table. “Are you going to make a scene in front of relatives?” “This is making a scene?” “You’re being completely unreasonable.” Bonnie slammed the table. “Hasn’t Peter been good enough to you? Look around this city—how many people live better than you? How many spend more than you?” I looked at Bonnie. “Spend more? My supplementary card was canceled. One hundred forty thousand was transferred from my personal account. I have three hundred dollars in my pocket right now, and that’s cash I withdrew yesterday.” Bonnie froze, turning to look at Peter. “Peter, this…” “Family matters. Don’t listen to her one-sided story.” His fork didn’t stop, his tone impossibly mild. “Dorman’s been emotionally unstable lately. I’ve already scheduled an appointment with a psychologist.” A psychologist. He was calling me sick, in front of everyone. Mary sat beside him, head down, feeding Andrew, not speaking, not looking at me. But her phone screen lit up. I saw her secretly type two words and send them. “Done.” I couldn’t see who she sent it to. But I clearly saw the contact name on that conversation. Honey. At eleven that night, I sat alone in the bedroom. All bank cards frozen. Lawyer channels blocked. Every relative on his side. Next door came the sound of Mary coaxing the child to sleep, her voice sweet and soft. I pulled out my phone and found a number saved for five years but never dialed. My father, Johnson. But I didn’t call. The moment the phone screen dimmed, Ruth’s voice drifted up from downstairs. She was talking to Mary. “Mary, feel free to settle in. This house will be yours to run sooner or later.” “If she really leaves, all the better. At least she won’t be an eyesore. Anyway, she can’t take a single useful thing with her.”

“Just sign it.” The next morning, Peter slapped a document in front of me. “Supplementary Agreement,” neatly printed, twelve pages. Flipping to the last page, Peter’s signature already graced the Party A signature line. Complete with Peter Corporation’s seal. “Sign this, and we’ll part on good terms. I won’t make things difficult for you.” He poured himself a cup of coffee and sat across from me. “You can live in the house until the end of the year. I’ll give you another card with twenty thousand a month. Enough for you to find new work.” Twenty thousand. I’d brought three million in dowry. My father filled a sixty-million-dollar hole. He was returning twenty thousand a month. “What if I don’t sign?” He took a sip of coffee. “If you don’t sign, you can still leave. But you can’t take anything with you. Including your dowry—let me remind you, the custody of that jewelry is in my mother’s hands. She says it’s hers. Want to sue? Go ahead, get in line.” He set down the cup and stared at me. “Dorman, you overestimate yourself.” “What do you think you have? Your father’s influence? Your father’s influence works in business, but it’s worthless in family court.” Mary emerged from the kitchen carrying breakfast. Fried eggs, toast, fresh-squeezed orange juice. She placed a plate in front of Peter, another in front of Andrew. Nothing for me. “Peter, have breakfast.” She sat beside him, at this table, in my seat. Ruth came down from upstairs and glanced at the agreement on the table. “Sign it, Dorman. The sooner you sign, the sooner you’re free. Look at yourself now—no money, no children, no lawyer. What are you still fighting for?” “If you don’t sign, don’t blame me for being blunt—besides your father’s connections, what do you have left?” Peter leaned back in his chair, legs crossed, watching me. I knew that expression too well—bone-deep certainty. He was certain I would sign, certain I had no leverage, certain he’d won this game. “Dorman, you don’t have to sign. But if you leave me, you’re nothing.” He smiled as he said this. And my phone rang, the screen lighting up with my father’s name. I didn’t have time to answer, because in that same second, Peter’s phone rang too. Peter frowned as he answered, and the voice on the other end said only one sentence. I didn’t hear the content, but I saw his face. The color drained layer by layer. He set down the phone and looked at me. His lips moved twice without making a sound. Ruth’s phone connected too, someone shouting on the other end. Her face crumpled in an instant. “What do you mean everything’s frozen? What do you mean everything?” Mary stood there holding the child, smile still plastered on her face, not understanding what was happening. I picked up my phone and answered. “Dad.” The voice on the other end was calm. “Dorman, it’s done.”

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My wife Lester, who always hated children, suddenly became obsessed with the neighbor’s baby, taking care of it until the early morning hours every day before coming home. Not only did she leave me out in the cold, she even ignored me when I had surgery after a car accident. I couldn’t take it anymore. At the party celebrating my hospital discharge, I asked for a divorce. Friends and family all said the accident had knocked some sense out of me. My wife Lester viciously threw her drink in my face, furiously scolding me: “So what if I didn’t take care of you while you were hospitalized after the accident? Is that really such a big deal?” I slowly wiped away the mess on my body, looking at the suggestive red marks on her neck, my tone ice-cold: “Since you love his child so much, after we divorce, I’ll make sure you can be with them forever.” The expression on Lester’s face was complicated as she pulled up her collar, trying to cover her neck. Her eyes reddened with rage as she roared at me: “George, what are you trying to say?” “I’ve been taking care of Wesley to learn parenting skills, so I can take care of our future children.” “And now you want to divorce me over such a flimsy reason? Have you lost your mind?” I ignored her shouting, my face showing no emotion whatsoever. Calmly, I pulled out the divorce papers I’d already prepared from my bag and held them in front of her. “Sign them. I’ll see you at City Hall tomorrow morning.” All the friends and family around us were shocked, their burning gazes focused on me. But I didn’t care anymore. I left the divorce papers and prepared to leave. They couldn’t believe that we, such an enviable couple, would suddenly want a divorce. Lester’s eyes were filled with shock. She hadn’t expected me to have the divorce papers ready already. Seeing my determined attitude, my mom finally realized I wasn’t joking. She was the first to pick up the divorce papers from the table. After scanning a few lines, her face turned ugly. “George, do you really want a divorce? You and Lester have been married for ten years with such a good relationship. What happened?” They earnestly tried to get me to reconsider, even Lester’s best friend spoke up to persuade me. “Yeah, George, you and Lester have ten years together. Don’t let the neighbor’s baby ruin that.” “She’s just helping out because she felt sorry for the single dad and his child. Do you have to be so petty?” “She didn’t have kids back then because she didn’t want to hold back your career. Don’t you understand her good intentions?” Everyone around also blamed me for being heartless. But I said nothing, only pushing the divorce papers in front of Lester again. “This divorce must happen. I can’t endure this anymore.” My dad, who’d rushed over after hearing the news, slapped me hard across the face. It instantly stung with burning pain. I covered my swelling face and heard his furious roar: “How dare you divorce such a wonderful girl like Lester! I’ll beat you to death!” “All these years Lester has run this household so you could build your career. Now you want a divorce? Have you no shame?” My mom immediately rushed over to break it up, grabbing my hand and pleading earnestly. “George, if you two have problems, talk them out. Don’t bring up divorce.” “You’ll never find another wife this good. If you’re doing this because you have someone new, I won’t forgive you!” I slowly raised my head, the taste of blood spreading through my mouth, surrounded by judgmental voices. Lester immediately rushed over to support me with concern, treating my wounds. She was always so considerate. In front of others, she seemed like the perfect wife, but only I knew the bitterness between us. “George, I know you might have fallen for someone else, but I’m the only one who truly cares about you.” “We’ve known each other since childhood and been married for ten years. How could we divorce over such a small thing?” “I don’t care about those other women. As long as you’re willing to come home, I won’t hold it against you.” With just a few words, Lester turned the blame toward me having an affair. The scene erupted again. Everyone’s gazes fell on me like knives. Even my dad punched me again. “So that’s why you want a divorce—you’ve got someone else! How could I have raised such a bastard!” “George, stop this nonsense. You’re going to put your father in the hospital. Just go home and live properly with Lester.” All our friends and family urged me to reconsider. Lester also cried and begged me with a humble attitude. My eyes were cold as I pushed her away forcefully: “Let go. I don’t love you anymore.” She didn’t know that ever since she started taking care of the neighbor’s baby, our marriage had become nothing but a shell. Lester looked at me in disbelief, her lips trembling: “What… what did you say?”

The entire room instantly fell silent. She cried even harder, but I turned to leave. Lester used all her strength to grab me from behind: “Don’t go! It’s my fault, all my fault.” “Give me one more chance and I’ll definitely change. Please don’t leave me.” Lester’s best friend also blocked my way: “George, what’s gotten into you? Apologize to Lester right now!” “Lester has been with you all these years. How can you bear to hurt her? Have you forgotten how much you two loved each other?” “You went from middle school to college together before getting married. Have you forgotten all that?” “You bastard! Don’t tell me you’re abandoning the child in Lester’s womb too?” At these words, my parents also grabbed me, desperately trying to talk sense into me. “Lester is already carrying your child, and you still want a divorce? Has your conscience been eaten by dogs?” I struggled free with all my strength, seemingly uncaring about this news, righteously telling them to get lost. “No matter whose child she’s carrying, this divorce is happening.” My mom couldn’t believe I would say something so heartless. “George, you’ve always wanted children. Now that Lester is pregnant, why are you still making a fuss?” Her words were like a heavy punch, slamming hard into my heart. Once, I too longed for my own child, hoping from age twenty to age thirty. Ten years passed. I’d hoped countless times to have a child with Lester, but those hopes were always dashed. I didn’t want to live like this anymore. Now I just wanted to completely separate from her. The huge commotion attracted our neighbor, the single dad Steve, who came over with his child to hand it to Lester. Every day at this time, Steve would go to work while Lester helped take care of the baby. The moment she saw him, she forgot about our argument and took the child from him. That tender look in her eyes was something I’d never seen before, as if she were looking at her own biological child. My heart felt inexplicably pierced, the pain nearly making me unable to stand. Lester and I once had a child too, but it was lost due to an accident. “George, I heard everything you were arguing about just now. I didn’t know you’d mind Lester helping me take care of the baby.” “I’ll look for a new place today and move out with Wesley immediately. I won’t affect your relationship.” Lester frowned, reluctance showing in her eyes. “Don’t! It’s just helping you take care of a child. It’s nothing at all.” “George, don’t take our problems out on others. You just recovered from a serious illness—please stop making a scene, okay?” She kept crying pitifully, and everyone redirected their anger toward me. My dad’s face flushed red with anger, his voice hoarse as he grabbed my hand: “Listen to me. Stop this nonsense. Break things off with whoever you’re seeing and live a good life with Lester!” “She’s carrying your child now. If you still dare to divorce her, don’t blame me for breaking your legs.” I remained as cold as ever, my face showing no expression. “This divorce must happen!” With that, I turned and left. My dad made a threat, shouting at my retreating back: “If you divorce her, I’ll disown you!” Lester also stopped trying to keep me: “George, since you want to leave, don’t expect to take a single penny! I’ll make sure you leave with nothing!” “Since you have someone new and are determined to abandon me, don’t blame me for not being polite!” I immediately filed for divorce, submitting as evidence the footage I’d captured at our neighbor Steve’s house.

That evening I wanted to stay at a hotel, but didn’t expect all my bank cards to be frozen. Only then did I remember that over the years I’d given all my money to Lester, keeping very little for myself. All these years I’d worked day and night for our little family. I thought that after ending our years-long relationship, we could have our own happy family. Never did I imagine it was all a joke, that I’d been alone from start to finish. After borrowing money from a friend to check into a hotel, I opened my phone to see videos of the day’s argument. Someone had secretly recorded the confrontation and posted it online, where it had already shot to the top of trending topics. The comments section was full of abuse directed at me, with some even threatening to doxx me and ruin my reputation. “He wants to divorce his wife just because she’s taking care of the neighbor’s kid? Is he even human?” “I bet he’s having an affair and using this ridiculous excuse to divorce. Absolutely shameless!” “I heard his wife is already pregnant, and he’s abandoning his wife and child. He probably has seven or eight illegitimate children already!” The public opinion spread quickly. Even the hotel staff looked at me with contempt. I opened my laptop, and a piercing pain spread through my entire body. Hundreds of videos showed their intimate moments, making it hard for me to breathe. Every night, after she put Steve’s daughter Wesley to sleep, she would slip into his bedroom. When I was helping him fix his water pipes, I accidentally connected to his home security system. From then on, every night I could watch them together. The way Lester looked at Steve showed a unique tenderness I’d never seen in all our years together. Although she appeared virtuous and considerate in public, only I knew how cold she really was. After we married, she told me bluntly that she didn’t want children and ordered me not to get any ideas. Unfortunately, she got pregnant by accident later. I begged her to keep the baby, but she had an abortion without hesitation. This became the greatest pain of my life. From that day on, she never allowed me to touch her again. But now, right under my nose, she was pregnant with another man’s child. I stared hard at the prenatal checkup report. During that time period, I’d clearly been away on a business trip. “George, the court date is set for three days from now. I’ve prepared all the materials you requested.” Early the next morning I received a call from my secretary. Due to public pressure, the company’s investors had withdrawn their funding. Lester arrived at the company before me: “George, don’t go in yet. The place is full of reporters.” But I pushed her away. Lester fell to the ground in a mess. She instantly attracted everyone’s attention. She never thought I would actually push her. “George, do you have to be so heartless? I’m carrying your child. Can’t you show me even a little care?” Steve also followed and helped Lester up from the ground. The commotion instantly attracted reporters and angry netizens, who pointed their cameras at me, cursing me as cold-blooded and heartless. “Don’t blame George. It’s my fault for not standing steady. Please don’t curse him.” Looking at her hypocritical face, I nearly threw up in disgust. “Since you don’t want a divorce, don’t blame me for filing a lawsuit.” Lester dropped the act too, saying in front of the media: “Fine, if you won’t take what’s offered, don’t blame me for making you leave with nothing.”

“My child doesn’t need a father like you. If you want a divorce, let’s divorce. See you in court!” I just found it laughable. She thought I’d been in the dark all along, knowing nothing. I said nothing, arranged company matters, and threw myself into preparing for court. After today’s media hype, our situation fermented even more online. I became a heartless scoundrel everyone wanted to attack, while Lester established herself as a fragile victim. Some said I abandoned my pregnant wife for a mistress, even forcing my wife to have multiple abortions. That I’d drained our family assets to keep a mistress, that I found my pregnant wife ugly, and so on. Some said the car accident had scrambled my brain, making me mentally unstable. Online rumors and abuse about me were overwhelming. Even my parents wanted to disown me. “You’ve gone too far. From today on, I’ll pretend I never gave birth to a bastard like you!” “Look at all the dirty things you’ve done. I’m too ashamed to call you my son!” Faced with all this, I chose silence, only reappearing at the courthouse three days later. On the day of the hearing, friends and family all came, along with many netizens. These people all waited to see me humiliated, to see me face legal consequences. Lester grabbed me in the gallery, saying quietly: “Are you sure you want to take it this far?” “For the sake of our years together, I’ll give you one more chance. As long as you apologize, I’ll pretend nothing happened.” “You have no chance of winning. The whole country knows what you’ve done to me. How do you still have the face to live?” Steve gave me a mocking smile. Even my parents wished I’d go to jail, finding me an embarrassment. But I remained unmoved, waiting for the judge to declare the session open. Lester had hired Brooklyn’s most famous lawyer, determined to win this case. The lawyer listed my numerous faults in the marriage, attempting to have me declared at fault and stripped of assets. “Simply helping the neighbor take care of a child at night isn’t enough to constitute fault on the woman’s part.” “Given the current situation, you are the party most at fault in this marriage.” “If you cannot provide new evidence, this court will rule on the divorce and determine you as the party at fault.” The courtroom erupted in cheers. Lester and Steve hugged each other tightly in excitement. Everyone cursed that I deserved it, already celebrating victory in advance. But I calmly indicated: “I have new evidence—surveillance footage from our neighbor Steve’s home.” “And a DNA paternity test report for the fetus in Lester’s womb.” In an instant, the courtroom fell deathly silent. Everyone’s expressions became grave. Lester’s face turned ugly. I knew the real show was just beginning.

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When my husband came to pick me up from the hospital, my best friend was sitting in the passenger seat. Her smile was still bright and generous, but she showed no intention of giving up the seat. “Long time no see. You don‘t mind me sitting in front, do you, Claire?” Felix in the driver’s seat said nothing, simply changing the subject. “How did the hospital checkup go?” I clutched the pregnancy test report in my hand, opened the back door, and said slowly. “Just indigestion.” I thought Moira wouldn’t show up at today’s class reunion. After all, I’d heard she‘d been abroad for three years and was doing quite well. If I’d known she was coming, I definitely wouldn‘t have attended. “I’m telling you, Claire, you‘re still as delicate as ever. Who goes to the hospital for indigestion?” “Such a waste of medical resources.” She flicked the decorative ornament I’d placed in the car. “And Felix, this car costs several hundred thousand at least, but you‘ve decorated it so girly. Are you even a man?” Felix just stared ahead, chuckling with amusement. “She likes it.” “Ugh, I can’t stand this. Such a cool car, dressed up like something ridiculous.” “I can buy you one if you want.” “Please, don‘t play big boss with me. Without me, who’d carry you to victory in ranked games?” The curve of Felix‘s lips was captivating. I hadn’t seen him smile like this in ages. The car‘s air conditioning was on full blast, and my heart felt as if ice-cold water had been poured into it. I pulled a thin blanket over myself. “Are you cold?” Felix frowned at me in the rearview mirror, preparing to turn up the temperature. Moira in the front seat suddenly pressed down on his hand. “Hey! But I’m so hot. If you‘re cold, why don’t you open the window and let some warm air in? We‘re almost there anyway, so just bear with it.” Their hands naturally overlapped until Felix saw me nod, then he withdrew his hand to focus on driving. “One of you can’t stand the cold, the other can‘t stand the heat. I really don’t know how you two lived in the same dorm room before.” This time Moira didn‘t respond. I smiled. “Have you forgotten? Back then she was always running around with you, hardly ever stayed in the dorm.” Felix said nothing. Moira also lowered her head and started fiddling with her phone. The silence in the air felt like some kind of guilty conscience. Moira and I had known each other since childhood. Her father died early, and her mother was our family’s housekeeper. We‘d slept in the same bed, dressed each other’s dolls together, shared the same pack of sanitary pads, and stayed up late talking about the boys in our classes. It was only much later that I realized we‘d both fallen in love with Felix. At first, I would occasionally bring Moira along on dates. Felix had some complaints about this. But I never expected that gradually, when three of us went out together, I became the one sent to buy drinks. Occasionally, they would attend gatherings with friends together. Without inviting me. Because I didn’t like gaming, couldn‘t go bird hunting in the mountains, and didn’t dare participate in their group‘s street racing activities. But Moira was interested in all of these—even if she didn’t know how, she was willing to learn. I never thought their behavior crossed any lines. I only felt blessed. My best friend and my boyfriend were good friends. It was like we were one harmonious family. Until one day, she bet me on whether Felix would choose her or me. She lost, but it seemed I didn‘t win either.

Moira went abroad. The spot and funding were all provided by Felix. She said she wanted to study overseas, and he gave his full support. As for me, as the protagonist of an arranged marriage between two families, he had no right to refuse. The gathering was even more unbearable than I’d imagined. Someone ordered a pizza with a strong smell. My stomach churned, and I covered my mouth, excusing myself from the table with claims of discomfort. The restroom was inside the private room, with mediocre soundproofing. So when Moira said she‘d returned to the country to pursue her love, I heard it crystal clear. A wave of jeering voices flooded into my ears like a tide. “Who could make Moira chase after them? Tell us!” “I wouldn’t dare say. I might make someone angry.” “Just say it. Who would dare get angry with you? Worst case, I‘ll help you pursue them.” This was Felix’s voice. “You said it.” “Yeah.” “That person is far away in the horizon, yet close before your eyes.” The room outside suddenly fell silent, frozen like my breath. Gradually laughter returned. I heard Felix‘s helpless voice. “Moira, stop playing around.” I pushed the door open. Only then did I discover that Moira had calmly taken my seat, leaning against Felix, her eyes still holding affection she hadn’t withdrawn. Felix was the first to stand and walk over, his eyes full of concern. “Feeling better?” Like so many times before, the slightest show of emotion from him could make me feel like I was bathed in spring breeze. No matter what happened, as long as he spoke, I would automatically let everything slide. Because his dignity was more important than my emotions. And he seemed certain that I would always be understanding. I looked up at him and slapped him hard across the face. Those usually cold and composed eyes suddenly showed a moment of confusion. Moira‘s scream rang out from nearby. “Claire! Have you lost your mind!” I just stared coldly at the man I’d loved for so many years. “Felix, let‘s get divorced.” Felix had always treated me well. As a husband, he was nearly perfect. The Harper family had strict rules. He knew exactly what attitude to take toward his wife’s behavior. So when I slapped him in public and declared I wanted a divorce, he only frowned. “Claire, let‘s talk about this when we get home.” Everyone else was silent, except Moira speaking loudly. “If you have something to say, say it properly. Don’t get physical. Why don‘t I come home with you both, I could—” I finally gave her my first proper look of the day. “Come home with us? Who do you think you are?” Felix’s brow remained furrowed. “Claire, Moira‘s just trying to help. You don’t need to be so sensitive.” He didn‘t say a word when I slapped him—but the moment my tone toward Moira was slightly harsh, he suddenly became talkative. My vision finally blurred. But I didn’t expect Moira‘s tears to fall before mine. “Claire, did you hear what I said earlier as a joke? If you’re uncomfortable, I apologize right now.” She bent at the waist, her tears falling onto the carpet. I just stared at her coldly. “Actually, you don‘t need to take it to heart. You might not know this, but Felix and I often joke like this. All the guys know about it.” “I’ve been away from the country so long, I almost forgot you two are married. It‘s all my fault…” The classmates who’d been watching from the sidelines started trying to smooth things over. “Yeah, Claire, don‘t be angry. She really didn’t mean it that way.” “Felix is already married to you. Moira knows where the line is.”

“Claire used to be so gentle. I can‘t believe she’d hit someone like that. Who would‘ve thought…” “I didn’t realize Moira was so easygoing and good-tempered. I regret not spending more time with her before.” … I laughed. As I laughed, the tears I‘d just held back began to well up again. “Moira, you know exactly what you’re thinking.” Felix suddenly stood in front of her, his tall frame seemingly willing to shield her from all my accusations. “Claire, how much longer are you going to make a scene?” I stared steadily at his face, half of it gradually swelling. Even slightly unsightly, it only added a touch of mortal essence to his otherworldly features. The clarity and sense of justice in his eyes had never been absent. Like a judge sitting on a high platform, looking down at me with both pity and severity. This farce finally ended according to Felix’s orchestration. This time, Moira didn‘t sit in my passenger seat again. Felix considerately called her a car. Through the car window, I watched him nod reassuringly to her and say something to the driver. It was exactly like that summer day at the school gate, when someone suddenly told me to look ahead. So I saw Moira bouncing into a car, Felix patting her head while saying something to the driver. His expression warm and indulgent. Back then, they would arrange to go out with friends together—it had become an unspoken understanding between us. But I didn’t know they would also arrange to see just each other, without anyone else. The Moira of those days was both innocent and bold. She pressed a kiss to her palm, then suddenly placed it on Felix‘s face. Seeing his surprise, her face flushed with laughter. I was shocked into a daze by the scene before me. It turned out that countless hints from those around me couldn’t compare to witnessing reality with my own eyes. My thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a car door closing. Seeing I wasn‘t in the front seat, he sighed helplessly. “Claire, Moira didn’t sit in your spot to make some kind of statement. She just thought the air conditioning was stronger up front.” His tone was utterly sincere. Usually at this point, my temper would have been mostly soothed. Perhaps the next second, I‘d have happily returned to my original position. If he then bought me a gemstone necklace at an auction, the matter would basically be over. But with Moira’s situation, I could probably never turn the page. “Felix, since we got married, you‘ve never let anyone sit in my passenger seat.” The car remained idle for a long time. Felix suddenly lit a cigarette. He knew I hated the smell of smoke, yet now he lit one in the cramped car interior. “I thought seeing Moira would make you happy.” “After all, you two used to be such good friends, didn’t you?” I sneered. “Yeah, good enough to share a boyfriend.” The car fell silent. I was forced to breathe secondhand smoke and couldn‘t help rolling down the window. He tossed away the cigarette, still more than half unsmoked, his voice hoarse. “Back then, when I saw her, I was reminded of you, so I showed her some extra patience. But I only saw her as a brother…” The car interior was dim. I lowered my head, a teardrop seeping from my nose into my clenched fist. “Do you know? She once cried to me while drunk, saying if only she were a man, you wouldn’t guard against her so deeply, and you two wouldn‘t have grown so distant.” I remembered that time. When Moira showed me the recording, her eyes were full of triumph. She said from that moment on, Felix only had business interests with me, no feelings.

I suppose that’s true. At least I can be certain that in all our years of marriage, he‘d never argued with others on my behalf the way he did now. “She didn’t have your privileged upbringing, yet managed to become so outstanding through her own efforts.” “Even if you resent her somewhat, you shouldn‘t jump to conclusions without hearing her explanation.” “Today, she just wanted to surprise you.” I suddenly felt my heart palpitate. Yet his voice, utterly disappointed, still reached my ears. “Claire, she and I have no future together. Why won’t you just let Moira go?” He wanted me to let Moira go. But when had Moira and he ever let me go? I used refusal to communicate to make my position clear. He didn‘t force me to comply, just drove in silence, speeding. What should have been a twenty-minute drive became ten minutes. When I got out of the car, I saw Moira standing at the door. She immediately raised both hands in surrender, sticking out her tongue. “I came to get something. I’ll leave right away.” Her job abroad was introduced by Felix. Naturally, they‘d have work contact after she returned home. I’d thought of this long ago. I just didn‘t expect Felix would let her stay. Looking at his resolute profile, I knew he was still angry. As if telling me he was in charge of this house. And I could only choose to accept it. When his gaze swept over, I knew he was waiting for me to make peace with him. Perhaps then he’d magnanimously let Moira move out. But I didn‘t. I just calmly walked ahead. Moira stayed in the guest room farthest down the hallway. Before bed, she said goodnight to me and apologized again. I just coldly closed the door and lay down. I couldn’t sleep. So when my bedmate quietly got up in the middle of the night, I noticed immediately. I just kept my eyes closed, hiding the tears gradually pooling beneath my eyelids. The hallway light was on, and the door to the game room that was rarely opened stood ajar. “Felix, this place is really amazing. You completely recreated the scene I described to you back then.” “I‘m glad you like it. I was worried it might be outdated by now.” “How could it be? I’m so touched…” I leaned against the wall, suddenly feeling unsteady on my feet. During the renovation, Felix had personally designed this game room. He treated every detail with extreme precision, to the point where even I found it puzzling. After all, he didn‘t interfere with any other part of the house’s design. Only the game room—he wouldn‘t let me have any input. It turned out it was all for Moira’s dream. He probably dreamed of living in this house with her. Unfortunately, if it weren‘t for me, he might have gotten his wish. I stumbled back to bed in a daze. That night, Felix never returned. My last bit of love for him gradually dissipated with time. At dawn’s first light, I finally got up, made a hospital appointment on my phone, booked a hotel room online, hastily packed a few items of clothing, and left. As I passed the game room, the door stood wide open. I looked straight ahead and left without a glance. By the time Felix discovered I‘d left, I was already sitting in the presidential suite enjoying the sumptuous breakfast the server had brought. My phone on the table rang incessantly. I patiently listened for a while. After the fifth call ended, it finally stopped. I knew Felix wouldn’t call again. His patience with me had always been limited. Besides, the Shaw family had been declining, needing the Harper family‘s influence in the industry. He was certain I was just temporarily angry and would never dare actually leave him.

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That night a year ago, I lost control after getting drunk. It became the beginning of my nightmare. A year later, I carefully orchestrated my approach to New York’s wealthiest man, Adrian, solely to use his power and influence to reclaim the assets my stepmother and stepsister had seized from me. He was cold and arrogant, yet gradually took the bait as I played hard to get. Just when I thought victory was within my grasp, my father exposed my dark past right in front of him. “She was violated, and she has mental problems…” Adrian’s gaze turned ice-cold in an instant. “I can make you Mrs. Knight, and I can just as easily strip that title away.” But what came next was even more devastating. His first love suddenly appeared with a five-year-old girl, the child timidly calling out to him. “Daddy…” And the secret I’d buried deep in my heart was enough to destroy everyone. The person who slept with me that night a year ago was Adrian. A cold smile curved my lips as I raised my hand to cover my lower abdomen. There was a long scar there. Left behind from childbirth.

Lydia POV “Let go of me… you can’t…” I struggled to push him away, but he caught my wrists with one hand and pinned them above my head against the sheets. The man on top of me clearly had no intention of letting me go. His other hand traced down along my waistline, his palm burning hot, yet pressing down with alarming force, as if trying to weld me into his body. His breath brushed against my ear, hot and heavy, each exhale seeming to scorch my skin. “Behave.” His voice was rough and fierce, carrying an irresistible sense of oppression. I clenched my teeth and twisted harder, but he only pressed down more heavily in response. His knee forced my legs apart, cutting off all escape routes. The natural disparity in strength between men and women. I was no match for his power… One year later, New York’s wealthiest family, the Knights, held a ball. I scanned the crowd, quickly picking out the most striking man in the room. Adrian Knight. Adrian, heir to the Knight family, was currently conversing with his friend Jackson. Jackson’s gaze inadvertently met mine. I heard Jackson ask involuntarily. “Did the Knights invite her?” Following Jackson’s line of sight, Adrian looked toward me. Adrian’s handsome brows furrowed slightly. “Do you know her?” “Daughter of Marcus Reed, Lydia. Pretty bold reputation, the promiscuous type, countless men around her. She’s probably here tonight hunting for a new target.” Jackson’s assessment of me was extremely unfavorable. I noticed Adrian’s gaze on me, so I took the opportunity to lift my dress hem, swirling the red wine in my glass. The crimson liquid shimmered with an alluring gleam, radiating a provocative air. I deliberately moved closer to Adrian. The moment I neared him, my ankle twisted slightly, and my body fell against Adrian’s chest, the red wine spilling onto his suit… I immediately apologized in alarm. “I’m so sorry… I spilled on you…” Adrian’s voice was extremely soft. “It’s fine.” I endured the weight of Adrian’s gaze. “How about I help you clean it in the restroom?” At that moment, Adrian’s deep eyes flowed with unfathomable light, invisibly filling me with endless fear. But I had to remain composed. After a moment, Adrian nodded. “Alright.” “Sir, please remove your jacket.” At the restroom entrance, I paused. Adrian removed his suit jacket and handed it to me. I dampened a handkerchief and carefully cleaned Adrian’s jacket. After finishing cleaning Adrian’s suit, I smiled lightly as I handed it back to him and apologized again, “The jacket is clean now. I’m sorry for the trouble.” Adrian accepted it with elegant composure, his gaze at me seemingly carrying a hint of predatory intent. “What’s your name?” Clearly, my appearance had left an impression on Adrian. “Lydia.” Then I said. “It’s an honor to meet you today. I’m truly sorry for causing you trouble, Mr. Knight.” Adrian seemed somewhat surprised. “You know who I am?” I smiled. “In all of New York, who wouldn’t know Mr. Knight? You’re the dream man thousands of women chase after.” But I understood the art of advance and retreat. The next second, I stopped lingering, “Mr. Knight, I should go now. I was too forward today. Please forgive me.” Adrian nodded elegantly, his gaze at me meaningful. My heart beat faster and faster. I quickly left the party venue and got into my family butler’s car. The Reed family butler was loyal to me and very attentive to my affairs. “Did you meet Adrian? What was his reaction?”

Lydia POV In this moment, I breathed a sigh of relief. “I did meet him.” I was a bit uncertain. “But I’m not sure what his reaction will be. Adrian is unpredictable, his thoughts so composed they’re hard to read, but undeniably, he’s very gentlemanly.” After all, my appearance today was quite abrupt and forward. But without being abrupt and forward, how else could I have a chance to get close to Adrian? The butler knew my current situation was dire. After careful consideration, he offered a suggestion. “Miss Reed, why not choose a different target? Adrian is cold, arrogant, and unfathomable. He’s a powerful figure beyond our ability to control. It won’t be easy to hook him. This kind of person is beyond our reach.” The butler suggested I should lower the difficulty for myself. I shook my head. “If I really want to overcome my current predicament, I need exactly Adrian’s power and authority. The difficulty may be high, but I still want to give it a try.” I wasn’t actually certain, I could only approach it with an experimental attitude. After all, the more composed and reserved Adrian was, the higher the danger coefficient. He was like a predatory king, with everything under his control, possessing a chilling coldness. The butler was helpless and fell silent. I continued with my instructions. “Keep tracking Adrian’s movements. I need to constantly infiltrate his circle and make him notice me.” After leaving the party, I returned to the Reed house. In just the few days I’d been away, the villa had been nearly emptied. “What’s going on?” I couldn’t believe the scene before me. I didn’t have long to wonder. My father was already moving antique paintings and scrolls from the study…. I quickly approached him. “Dad, what happened? Why has everything here been moved out?” “I sold this place.” “What right do you have to sell it! This villa is my mother’s property, left to her by my grandparents.” Marcus didn’t take my anger seriously. “You still have the nerve to ask what right I have. If you’d been willing to date Mr. Henderson last time, would the Reed family have been reduced to selling the villa?” It was better when Marcus didn’t bring up that incident. Once he mentioned it, I flew into a rage. “Mr. Henderson, that old geezer, is about your age, isn’t he? You wanted me to be with him? What were you thinking!” “Lydia, I was doing this for your own good…” “For my good, you should have had Clara marry that old creep, not set your sights on me.” Marcus’s face looked quite bitter. “Lydia, I know you have some prejudice against your stepmother and sister, but they love you…” “I’ve already reached my limit tolerating you bringing those two bitches into our home. Now you want to sell the only thing my mother left behind? Aren’t you afraid of divine retribution?” “You cheated on my mother, had a bastard daughter outside who’s already grown, and now you want to take her inheritance too. If you had any shred of humanity, you wouldn’t touch this villa.” My attitude was clear-I absolutely would not compromise. Marcus’s expression was equally determined. “It’s already sold. The contract is signed. Tomorrow the buyer moves in…” “Who the hell did you sell it to!” I couldn’t help clenching my fists. “Lydia… we need to solve the Reed Corporation’s current difficulties.” “No matter what excuse you give, no one is touching my mother’s villa. Especially not you.” With that, I turned to leave. I knew I wouldn’t get any real answers from Marcus. I could only investigate myself. “Lydia, where are you going? Stop right there. Can’t you show some consideration for my feelings!” Marcus’s voice was full of helplessness. I used to be too considerate of Marcus, which is why I tolerated him bringing his mistress and daughter home. My stepmother and stepsister were diligent and kind in front of Marcus, but behind his back, they schemed and harmed me at every turn. Now they’d even set their sights on my mother’s inheritance. The butler rushed to report the situation to me. “Miss Reed, I heard the villa was sold to Mr. Damien Cross. Tomorrow, Mr. Cross will be moving into the Reed house.” “Him? Why would Damien Cross want to buy our villa?” I knew Damien Cross, the man the butler mentioned. We’d crossed paths once before. This man was a tyrannical rogue, his methods utterly shameless and despicable. The butler shook his head. “I haven’t investigated the specific circumstances yet. Should I go dig around for information first…” But I couldn’t wait. “Never mind that. Help me check Damien Cross’s schedule. I need to see him immediately.” Two hours later, the butler handed me an invitation to a party Damien Cross would attend: “Tonight’s party invitation. Damien Cross is confirmed to attend. You can make contact there.” I gripped the invitation tightly. After dressing up elaborately, I headed to the party venue. I changed into a sexy, daring dress. The moment I entered the ballroom, I spotted Adrian.

Lydia POV This time, my target in the crowd was Damien Cross. In a corner not far away, Damien was sipping red wine, surrounded by two women, a picture of evil arrogance. I walked toward him. When Damien caught sight of me, his expression turned wickedly gleeful, staring at me with a thoroughly depraved look. Then Damien gestured for the two women beside him to leave. He didn’t seem at all surprised to see me here, as if he’d expected me to come looking for him. I asked directly. “Mr. Cross, may I speak with you privately?” “Talk? Of course we can.” An evil expression crossed Damien’s face, suddenly covered with a thick layer of menace. He handed me a drink. “Drink this, then we’ll talk.” Damien’s gaze swept over me with casual insolence. I took the glass and downed it decisively. “Can we talk now?” Damien wore an ambiguous smile, grinning like the Big Bad Wolf. “Go ahead. What do you want to talk about?” “About our villa. Please, Mr. Cross, be magnanimous and give it up. We’re not selling anymore. Please be accommodating and return it to the Reed family.” But Damien remained unmoved. His brows were raised in a wicked smile, making him look even more ruthless. “What the hell is your Reed family? What do you take me for! You say you’re not selling, so you’re not selling?” I clearly sensed his anger and pleaded again. “Sir, it’s not like that. Our family didn’t communicate internally. The decision not to sell is our fault, so we can compensate you according to the contract price…” I was very anxious. After all, the evil emanating from Damien made him seem like a predatory hungry wolf, filling me with panic. Sure enough, before I could finish speaking, Damien’s long arm reached out, pulling me into his embrace, causing me to crash squarely into his chest. “What are you going to compensate me with?” I was completely at a loss, leaning against Damien, our bodies uncomfortably close. I instinctively struggled, but Damien held me fast, preventing me from moving an inch. “Please don’t do this. I’ll find a way to compensate you. Please return the villa to us. Tomorrow morning, I’ll transfer the money to your account.” I was determined to get the villa back. But Damien’s expression hardened, a slow, sinister look creeping over his face. “What if I don’t want compensation?” Suddenly, I sensed trouble brewing. Even though I was afraid, I could only continue negotiating with Damien in a reasonable tone. “Then what are your conditions? I’ll try to meet them, as long as you don’t buy our villa.” Damien’s expression became thoroughly vile, a cynical smile appearing. “Sleep with me right here, and I’ll return the villa to you.” As he spoke, Damien’s eyes stared at me like a tiger eyeing its prey. My fear surged to the extreme-just as I’d suspected, this guy was no good person. “You’re joking, right? You can have any woman you want… Someone like me who’s been with everyone, you wouldn’t be interested.” I deliberately degraded myself, trying to make Damien let go. But Damien came on strong. “I’ve played with all kinds of women, but I’ve never played with trash like you. I want to try something fresh.” In this moment, no matter how calm and composed I tried to be, I couldn’t handle a rogue like Damien. Despite struggling desperately, I still couldn’t escape Damien’s grasp. “What, playing hard to get with me, huh?” “If you touch me, aren’t you afraid of ruining your reputation…” “I’ll tell you straight-I’ve had my eye on you for a long time.” I couldn’t push Damien away. Just as I was about to become fish on the chopping block, left to Damien’s mercy, a familiar voice rang out. “You seem to be in good spirits.” The voice drifted over, low and slightly cold, carrying an invisible sense of oppression. When Damien looked up and saw Adrian approaching, he immediately released me and rushed forward to greet Adrian. “Adrian.” I took the opportunity to break free, turning my back to both Damien and Adrian, completely unprepared for Adrian to be here. As I turned my back to Adrian, my spine felt as if ignited by a scorching heat… But Adrian brazenly wrapped his arm around my waist, pulling me close without any pretense, reaching up to adjust my neckline, blocking Damien’s lascivious gaze. “Some women are off-limits to you.” Adrian’s voice was gentle and soft, yet concealed an extremely powerful warning.

Lydia POV Hearing this, Damien looked at Adrian with shock and surprise in his eyes, “You two… Adrian, you and her… how is that possible?” Adrian’s lips curved slightly. “Mr. Cross, if you’ve set your sights on someone I care about, you’d better watch yourself.” Damien naturally understood that Adrian was someone he couldn’t afford to provoke, yet he was unwilling to accept it. “Adrian, this woman… being with you isn’t appropriate. Everyone knows how rotten and promiscuous she is.” How disgusting, Damien-could I really be worse than him! Adrian still held me close, their proximity intimate, yet his words carried a sharper edge, “Don’t provoke her.” Immediately, Adrian led me away. My tightly wound heart finally relaxed somewhat. Once out of Damien’s line of sight, I expressed my gratitude. “Mr. Knight, thank you for earlier.” At close range, Adrian’s gaze seemed particularly sharp. Adrian’s words carried a hint of anger. “Are you very familiar with Damien Cross?” Familiar enough to let yourself be pressed under him like that? I could tell Adrian seemed angry. “Not really familiar, just acquainted.” “Just acquainted, and you’ll throw yourself at him?” I was speechless. After a moment of silence, I continued. “There was something I needed his help with.” Adrian’s steady gaze fixed on me. “As long as someone can help you, you’ll do anything they ask?” This unexpected encounter today had left Adrian somewhat displeased. I clearly caught his displeasure. “Actually, Mr. Knight, you want to ask if I’m as everyone says-if I’ll sleep with anyone, right?” I simply admitted it. “That’s right. I am that kind of loose woman.” “So now you’re blaming me for ruining your good time just now?” Adrian’s words involuntarily gained an edge of irritation. Hearing his words, I understood that in Adrian’s mind, I was a very casual woman. At a moment like this, denial was meaningless. I smiled. “Mr. Knight, you helped me out of that situation just now… could it be you’re interested in me?” Adrian didn’t answer, remaining somewhat calm, watching Lydia as if enjoying a show. With Adrian’s silence, I cautiously moved closer to him. At my approach, Adrian didn’t immediately refuse. Instead, his eyes seemed to spark with deeper meaning. We leaned very close together, like intimate lovers. “Sir, if others saw us this close together, they’d definitely misunderstand our relationship…” Adrian raised an eyebrow. “Isn’t that what you want?” “So clever-you guessed right. What woman in New York wouldn’t want to be connected with you?” “Including you?” “Of course. I’m one of them.” I was increasingly undisguised about my ambition regarding this man, desperate to attach myself to him. In my peripheral vision, I noticed Marcus Reed approaching with Clara Reed in the distance. When Clara saw me so intimately close to Adrian, jealousy was obvious on her face. “Dad, how can Lydia be with Mr. Knight? They look very close.” Clara was quite agitated. They quickly came over, interrupting our eye contact. “Hello, Mr. Knight.” Adrian and I turned around simultaneously. I happened to see my father Marcus right in front of me, with Clara behind him. Marcus directly ignored me, fawning over Adrian in greeting, “Mr. Knight, I’m Marcus Reed. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Adrian nodded slightly in acknowledgment, their greeting exchanged. His manner remained elegantly composed, thoroughly gentlemanly. Marcus seized this opportunity to introduce Clara to Adrian. “Mr. Knight, this is my daughter, Clara Reed. She’s about to graduate from university. Clara, come here and greet Mr. Knight.” Clara took happy little steps forward, joyfully greeting Adrian, “Mr. Knight, hello. I’m so happy to meet you.” Clara’s brief words couldn’t conceal her excitement. Her alluring eyes stared straight at Adrian, never looking away. I was ignored, completely disregarded by Marcus. In Marcus’s eyes, Clara was his only daughter. Adrian didn’t resist the introduction to Clara. At least from my perspective, even though he knew Marcus and Clara had ulterior motives, he still indulged them. My mood immediately plummeted, and I walked away alone.

Lydia POV After leaving Adrian’s line of sight, I drank alone, both dejected and full of resentment. After greeting Adrian, Clara came to provoke me, her tone contemptuous. “Drinking alone? In a bad mood?” “Get lost.” I had no pleasant expression for Clara. Clara and I were the same age. Every time I saw Clara, I couldn’t forgive my father’s infidelity. This meant that when my mother was still pregnant with me, Marcus had already betrayed her. Clara dropped her earlier obedience in front of Adrian, becoming supremely arrogant and unbridled. “Lydia, I totally understand your terrible mood. But sorry, from now on you’ll have plenty more occasions to feel depressed.” Clara’s raised brows were full of mockery toward me. “I’m warning you, Adrian is mine. Don’t you dare set your sights on him! Dad won’t take your side. With your stinking reputation, what man would want you? Let alone someone like Adrian.” Clara’s words enraged me, instantly igniting a flame of fury. “My bad reputation-you know perfectly well who’s been working behind the scenes to create it.” I detested Clara’s hypocritical face. Clara was so obedient and sweet in front of the elders, but privately before me she was utterly arrogant and unbridled. “Do whatever you want. Anyway, Lydia, you remember this-whatever belongs to you, I’m going to destroy it all. Just like your mother’s company and assets-everything that originally belonged to you, I’m taking it all.” Clara’s eyes were full of viciousness. “Whatever you have, Lydia, I’ll destroy it. If you want to latch onto Adrian, you don’t have a chance. You’re notorious-Adrian would never be interested in you.” I was furious, unable to tolerate her any longer. “Damn it, pretending in front of Dad, showing your vicious side to me-someone like you, you think Adrian would be interested? Dream on!” Clara couldn’t stand being provoked. The next second, she viciously splashed the wine in her hand at me. “Who the hell are you to say whether he’d be interested? You bitch…” The dress I’d carefully selected was now stained with a wet patch from Clara’s splash. I flicked the water droplets off my dress with my hand. Clara became even more arrogant. “Want to hit me? Lydia, I know you’re ruthless.” “Since you know I’m ruthless, you still provoke me? Looking for death.” I couldn’t bear it and slapped Clara across the face. Clara’s peripheral vision caught sight of Marcus approaching in the distance. She immediately dropped her earlier arrogance. “I’m sorry, Lydia. I didn’t mean to. Let me help you clean it. Please forgive me…” Regardless of why Clara’s attitude changed so rapidly, I spoke without restraint. “Still pretending? Bitch, you’re as shameless as your mother.” “Lydia, stop it! Aren’t you ashamed of making a scene!” Marcus rushed forward to intervene, grabbing my wrist just in time. The moment my wrist was seized, sparks flew. “Blaming me without knowing the truth-no wonder those two bitches have you completely fooled. The Reed family falling to this state today-you deserve it.” These words immediately turned Marcus’s face green. “You wretched girl…” “You’ve never treated me like a person. You tried to set me up with a disgusting old man older than you, yet you’re pairing Clara with Adrian. We’re both your daughters-why treat me this way!” I completely disregarded how many people were watching this spectacle, my emotions somewhat out of control as I shouted. Clara added fuel to the fire, apologizing humbly and pitifully. “I’m sorry, Lydia. It’s my fault. I was too careless. Let’s go to the restroom together. I’ll change clothes with you-just please don’t be angry with me anymore.” Clara’s pitiful appearance immediately drew murmurs from the onlookers. “Isn’t that the Reed family’s eldest daughter? She’s exactly as the rumors say-shrewish and violent.” “It was just an accidental stain on her clothes. Is it necessary to strike out like that? So uncultured.” “No wonder her father doesn’t like her. Who would like a daughter like that?” Voice after voice of contempt for me entered my ears. I knew I’d been tricked. Because of my momentary loss of composure, everyone was now pointing fingers at me. I could even imagine this was deliberately staged by Clara for Adrian to see… Marcus still defended Clara. “Lydia, be reasonable, will you? Can you stop targeting Clara at every turn? Clara treats you, her sister, so well. How can you be so heartless toward her…” “Fine, consider me heartless then. So while I’m still speaking nicely, hand over the Reed company. You three have been occupying what belongs to my mother-don’t you have any shame?” My hatred for Marcus couldn’t be extinguished. The more I thought about it, the angrier I became, and the angrier I got, the less I could forgive him. Hearing this, Marcus looked around at the surrounding crowd of onlookers, feeling utterly humiliated. He lowered his voice to scold me. “Haven’t you made enough of a scene? Isn’t the spectacle big enough? Get home right now…”

Lydia POV But the flames of anger in my heart couldn’t be extinguished. I might as well make things even bigger. “Afraid of being laughed at? Marcus Reed, you yourself are a joke. You built your fortune on my mother’s family, yet you deceived and betrayed her. Now you shamelessly and righteously occupy her family’s assets!” “Even if you want to hide these things, you can’t. Everyone knows you, Marcus Reed, are a scumbag who abandoned his wife and daughter and cheated constantly.” The moment my words fell, a stinging pain shot through my face… Only Marcus himself knew how forceful this slap was. After all, blood immediately trickled from the corner of my mouth. “Go home immediately. Don’t embarrass me anymore.” Marcus sternly rebuked me. Probably because they’d attracted too many onlookers, Marcus absolutely had to maintain his dignity as a father. Clara pretended to be kind, exclaiming in alarm. “Lydia, you’re bleeding. Let’s go outside. I’ll treat your wound.” I rejected Clara’s attempt to help me. I said to Marcus. “How many times have you hit me now? Since the first time you slapped me in my life, I’ve considered whether I should twist off that hand you used to slap me… These years, it’s only with that kind of mentality that I’ve been able to survive.” “Lydia… you…” These words undoubtedly made Marcus’s face extremely ugly. And I didn’t linger at the party, quickly leaving. I didn’t want Adrian to see me in such a wretched state. However, I didn’t expect that Adrian had witnessed our family conflict from a corner… The only place I could go was to my good friend Melissa’s place. Melissa looked at the red, swollen five-finger mark on my face. At this moment, I was truly in a wretched state. Melissa was indignant on my behalf. “That damned Clara, I’m going to beat her up. If she dares resist, I’ll beat her twice.” Saying this, Melissa really was about to go settle accounts with Clara. But I stopped her in time, grasping her wrist. “If it’s only a lesson of this degree, I seem to be at a disadvantage.” “What do you want to do? I’ll help you.” Melissa knew everything about my situation, fully aware of the suffering I endured in the Reed household. I was clearly the legitimate heiress, yet Clara and her mother harmed me relentlessly. “Earlier I asked you to investigate Adrian. Any progress?” I said. Melissa was a daughter of the Lewis family. Investigating matters wasn’t difficult for her. However, Melissa looked troubled. “Are you really sure you want to seduce Adrian? He’s not easy to hook.” My attitude was resolute. “I wasn’t this determined before. But now that Marcus is trying to set Clara up with Adrian, I have to win him over.” Thinking about how Marcus always favored Clara, resentment surged in my heart. “Whether you can win him over is still unknown. I heard Adrian keeps his distance from women, has no interest in them. The information I have shows he’s never been ambiguous with any woman. Are you sure you can do this?” Hearing Melissa say this, the difficulty was quite clear. I was determined. “No matter how hard it is, I have to try. I absolutely can’t let Clara get there first.” I encouraged myself. “I must marry Adrian!”

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After Adrian cheated on me, he got on his knees and begged for forgiveness. I gave him three final chances to cut ties with his mistress. The first time, he bought her a custom-designed necklace. The second time, he purchased a beachfront villa for her. The third time, he cooked her one last romantic dinner. When he came back, he threw away everything connected to that woman and took my hand again. “Trust me. I’ll never betray you again.” Until I got into a car accident with a woman. The woman called someone, crying for help, and I heard my husband’s friend answer. “Adrian, I’m telling you—don’t go. You’ve used up all three chances. Lydia’s definitely going to file for divorce this time.” Then I heard Adrian’s arrogant voice: “Lydia’s an orphan. She’s never had anyone who loved her. She’s more afraid of divorce than I am.” “Just keep this between us. I know what I’m doing. This is the last time.” I lay in a pool of blood, my whole body turning cold. The woman crying in front of me was the mistress he’d been protecting all along. Twenty minutes later, Adrian—who had sworn to devote himself completely to our marriage—rushed to the hospital in a panic.

Through the thin curtain, I heard Adrian’s voice, mixed with heartache and reproach: “Why didn’t you call me immediately? Is the number I gave you just for show?” Vanessa struggled to sit up, her face the picture of obedience. “You said your wife only gave you three chances. I didn’t dare…” “What three chances?” Adrian’s emotions flared. “If you need me, call me! What would I do if something happened to you?” I listened quietly from the next bed, my vision blurring. When the accident happened, I was conscious. I called him first. Twenty-six calls in a row. No answer. Vanessa called once. He picked up instantly. Because Adrian knew I had no one else. No matter how long it took, I’d wait for his delayed callback. Just then, a doctor came in to change my bandages. The moment the curtain opened, Adrian’s anger toward me—the driver who’d hit his mistress—vanished from his face. He froze, but the words that came out were: “Did you secretly investigate Vanessa? Did you hit her on purpose?” I hadn’t expected his first reaction wouldn’t be checking if I was injured, but accusing me. Ever since I discovered his affair, he’d been fiercely protective of any information about Vanessa. “Her background isn’t great. If you dig it up, it’ll affect her.” But my orphan status? He’d broadcast it to everyone in our social circle. Just to make sure everyone knew how much I needed him. I swallowed the bitterness in my throat and gave a bitter laugh. “That’s four times now. You broke your promise.” When I’d insisted on divorce, he’d climbed onto the rooftop of our home. “If you divorce me, I’ll jump! I can’t live without you. I told you—you’re the only person I’ll ever love!” My heart had softened then. I gave him three chances to end things with his mistress. He’d cleaned up all traces of the affair. I’d naively thought I’d won this battle for my marriage. But today, cruel reality had slapped me hard across the face. “What’s the difference between three times and four? She was in an accident. Are you really heartless enough to expect me to abandon her?” Adrian kept his voice low, afraid the girl would hear. What could I say? That I was also in an accident? That she only had a scraped knee while my shoulder required ten stitches? Vanessa suddenly called out to him. “How did the negotiation go? Do we have to pay damages?” The man rushed to soothe her anxiety. “That person’s fine. Just focus on recovering.” I lay in my hospital bed listening to that mocking term—”that person”—and I laughed. Even though my wounds hurt, it was nothing compared to one ten-thousandth of the pain in my heart. Adrian’s only act of mercy was signing a stack of hospital bills on the table while I slept. If he’d cared about me at all, if he’d actually read what he was signing… He would have seen the divorce papers I’d signed, tucked among them.

That night my wounds became infected and my fever spiked to nearly 104 degrees. I went to find the doctor alone. Paid the bills alone. Behind me, nurses whispered: “Vanessa only has superficial injuries, but her boyfriend moved her to a VIP room. That woman’s in this condition and she’s all alone.” I gave a self-mocking smile and turned around. Adrian came toward me and slapped me across the face. “Lydia, you’ve gone too far!” “Who told you to use my credit card? Vanessa will find out who you are!” “I’ve made myself very clear—I’m definitely going to end things with her. I just need time. I’ve already done this much. What more do you want?” My already weak body swayed. The burning handprint made my eyes turn red. Only then did Adrian soften his tone and pull me into his arms. “I’m the only person in this world who truly loves you. You should be able to feel that.” “As long as you’re willing to wait, I’ll definitely come back to our family completely.” When I was an orphan everyone looked down on, and Adrian proposed on one knee, I thought I was the luckiest woman in the world. People in our circle couldn’t believe it. They often remarked: “You’re so lucky!” I’d been drowning in that love, unable to pull myself out. Until… When Vanessa threw tantrums, he openly used videos of me being bullied to amuse her, leaving me ostracized by the wealthy wives. For one phone call from Vanessa, he abandoned me in the middle of nowhere to walk home, where I nearly got mauled by wild animals. Later it escalated. He let Vanessa call me in the middle of the night, playing sounds of them having sex, which caused me to miscarry the baby I’d just conceived. Then he turned around and blamed me for being petty, for not being able to keep a child. My face felt frozen, and I was drenched in sweat from the pain. Adrian pressed his car keys into my palm. “Vanessa can’t recover peacefully with you here. Check yourself out immediately.” My whole body was burning up, and my vision kept going dark. But I still murmured my agreement. Adrian’s expression grew complicated. Just then, I got a call from Margaret Collins, the orphanage director. Hearing she’d had a heart attack, I stumbled upstairs. Margaret’s face had turned purple, and she was struggling to breathe. As the doctor worked on her, he explained: “A young woman came over and argued with her, even hit the old lady and said terrible things!” My pupils constricted instantly. For someone like me with no parents, Margaret wasn’t just like family—she was better than family. I turned around shakily. Vanessa threw herself into Adrian’s arms, crying pitifully: “That old woman called me a homewrecker. I only tried to explain, and she fell down trying to frame me…” Rage surged through me. “You’re lying!” Vanessa glanced at me and revealed several crude pinch marks on her body, crying louder. Meanwhile, Margaret’s exposed skin was covered in scratches from fingernails and obvious bruises. Seeing Vanessa’s secretly taunting expression, I couldn’t hold back and slapped her across the face. But the next second, an even harder slap landed on my face.

Instantly, a metallic taste spread through my mouth. Adrian held up his trembling hand, guilt flashing briefly in his eyes. “What gives you the right to hit Vanessa? Your so-called family member verbally attacked her first. Is this the kind of manners you have?” I blinked away the tears in my eyes, unable to believe he’d said such a thing. Everyone thought orphans, with no parents to raise them, had no manners—were wild children. He used to smash bottles over people’s heads to shut them up, to protect me from mockery. Seeing my tear-filled eyes, Adrian’s eyes flashed with pain, but Vanessa clung to him, trembling: “Adrian, if you hadn’t arrived in time, they would’ve ganged up and beaten me to death…” Adrian seemed to imagine her being hurt, and disgust colored his gaze. “Tomorrow at the charity gala, you’ll publicly apologize to Vanessa! Don’t think I don’t know—if we don’t clear this up immediately, Margaret will definitely spread rumors about Vanessa everywhere!” I shook my head helplessly. “What if I don’t—” “If you don’t apologize, I’ll cancel the donation to the orphanage. And the card you use to pay for Margaret’s medical expenses—I’ll stop that too.” “Think carefully about how long it’ll take you to find a matching heart donor on your own. Hmm?” Looking at Margaret growing weaker in the hospital bed, I finally gave in. The next day at the charity gala, Adrian handed me a prepared apology statement. Vanessa walked over and dug her nails deep into my arm when no one was looking. Her smile remained perfect. “Lydia, an apology should be sincere.” The next second, her high heel kicked into the back of my knee, and I collapsed to the floor in humiliation. Like a puppet on strings, I recited the apology: “Margaret struck first. I’m apologizing on her behalf to Vanessa and will compensate for medical expenses…” Murmurs rose from the audience: “That’s what happens when you have no parents to raise you properly—hitting people at the drop of a hat. I don’t know what Adrian sees in her.” “Like mother, like daughter. Even though she’s not biological, her behavior is just as crude.” “I think Vanessa is much more elegant. Lydia’s position might be changing hands soon.” … Contemptuous gazes burned like hot coals. Vanessa watched me with a victor’s stance. I struggled to stand. Still feverish, I swayed, and Adrian instinctively stepped forward. “Are you feeling unwell? You look terrible.” I pushed his hand away. He cleared his throat. “Don’t misunderstand. I just don’t want you ruining this event.” Vanessa pretended to help me up but whispered in my ear: “Take care of yourself, Lydia. But I just heard the donor suddenly changed their mind and won’t give your precious Margaret a heart anymore. Looks like you’ll have to wait another ten years.” “Oh wait—who knows if she’ll even survive ten more years.” The woman’s taunting expression filled my vision. I couldn’t take it anymore and grabbed her by the throat. “What gives you the right to joke about her life?” The next second, Adrian shoved me away without holding back. “Lydia, have you lost your mind?” “I made you apologize so you’d learn your lesson, not so you could escalate and hurt her more!” I fell hard down the steps, every bone in my body screaming in pain. Vanessa’s taunting smile didn’t fade. Where Adrian couldn’t see, she mocked me freely. Just as I lunged at her again like a madwoman, shoving Adrian aside… A call from the hospital interrupted me: “Lydia, Margaret has suddenly… disappeared!”

My heart clenched painfully. I looked up and saw Vanessa’s increasingly smug expression. Under everyone’s contemptuous stares, I stumbled toward her, eyes red. “She’s my only family. Don’t you dare touch her!” My voice trembled uncontrollably. My whole body was shaking. People murmured around us. Adrian’s face couldn’t hide his embarrassment as he shoved me away hard. “Lydia, will you stop!” I crashed completely into the champagne tower. Countless glass shards pierced my skin. Adrian instinctively stepped forward, but Vanessa got to me first. “You really are clever, Lydia—seeing right away that I took that old woman. But guess what? How do you think I’ll torture her?” My heart raced frantically. Before I knew what I was doing, my hands were wrapped tightly around her throat. “I won’t let you hurt her!” The next second, a massive force threw me aside, followed by a slap. “Lydia, I’ve been more than fair to you. What has Vanessa ever done to you? Look at yourself—you’re acting like a shrew!” In his eyes, I looked completely deranged and humiliating. But all I could think about was Margaret’s uncertain fate. The next second, I grabbed a knife nearby and rushed at Vanessa. “Adrian, help me!” I didn’t expect Adrian to step in front of her and take the knife in his back. He turned around and furiously ordered the security guards: “My wife has lost her mind. Make her bow and apologize one hundred times. Maybe that’ll wake her up!” They forced my head down again and again until my forehead was bloody and raw. But when I lifted my head once, I saw Vanessa triumphantly waving her phone at me. The orphanage where I’d grown up was engulfed in thick smoke, and I could hear Margaret’s cries for help inside! I completely panicked. “Let me go! Adrian, please let me go!” I struggled to break free, but Adrian held me down forcibly. “You’re not leaving until you’ve bowed a hundred times!” I couldn’t care about anything else. I kept bowing, blood blinding my eyes. Hatred filled my gaze as I looked at each person there. Adrian’s eyes flashed with shock, and he instinctively reached for me. But I shook him off violently and ran out of the gala without looking back. The man’s gaze followed me, his heart sinking inexplicably. When I reached the orphanage, the fire had spread to the entire attic. I rushed in frantically, fumbling to untie the ropes binding Margaret. But she smiled at me weakly, then took her last breath. I froze in place. In that moment, my heart died completely. But the next second—boom—an unexpected explosion hit, and my vision went black… As the charity gala’s donation representative, Adrian headed to the orphanage surrounded by reporters. The moment he opened the car door, flames filled the sky, and he froze in place.

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My roommate Bella and I had the same taste. She liked every single one of my boyfriends. She said I was too naive, unable to see through men’s tricks, and volunteered to test them for me. So she seduced my boyfriends under the pretense of looking out for me. After successfully stealing them, she’d gloat and mock me: “See? I told you you’re a terrible judge of character. Those men are all scheming liars. If it weren’t for me, you’d have been fooled for sure!” I’d be furious but couldn’t argue back. This time, I secretly started dating the school’s football star behind her back. When she found out, she made her move again. But what she didn’t know was that this boyfriend was specially prepared for her. Bella was showing off a photo of herself with my ex-boyfriend Lucas, flaunting it everywhere. “When he was chasing you, he said you were the only one for him. Now all I had to do was crook my finger and he came running. Good thing I was here, or you’d have been fooled again!” I clenched my fists, anger surging through my chest. “Calling yourself a homewrecker so proudly—have you no shame?” Bella froze, then put on a hurt expression: “Molly, I’m just trying to protect you from being deceived. Why can’t you appreciate that?” Our roommate Jennifer immediately jumped to her defense: “Molly, you’re way too obsessed with relationships. Getting into a fight with a good friend over some guy—is it really worth it?” “Exactly. If it weren’t for Bella, you wouldn’t know how many times you’d been fooled. She’s filtering out trash for you. You should be thanking her!” Our other roommate Rachel also sided with Bella. I opened my mouth but couldn’t get a word out. My five ex-boyfriends were indeed terrible people, but was Bella any better? Before each breakup, I’d secretly checked their phones. Bella had sent them lots of revealing photos—her pajama tops cut very low. She’d ask them things like “Do you think my breasts are big?” I thought they were all disgusting. Bella sidled up to me, her tone dripping with smugness: “Molly, you’re not actually mad, are you?” “I didn’t mean anything by it. I just chatted with them casually, and they all fell for me. That’s not my fault, is it?” Jennifer chimed in: “Of course it’s not your fault. It’s because you’re so charming. Unlike some people who think just because they get good grades, every guy in the world wants them.” Then she exchanged a knowing glance with Rachel, and they both smirked. I ignored their petty schemes, turned my head, and continued looking at my phone. The dorm fell silent for a few seconds. Suddenly Jennifer let out a shocked yell: “Oh my god, look who that is!” She pressed herself against the balcony window, craning her neck to look down: “That’s Damien! Damien! What’s he doing downstairs at our dorm?” Rachel and Bella immediately rushed out. “Holy crap, it really is him! What’s he doing at our building? Is he waiting for his girlfriend?” “No way! Who’s that lucky? This is Damien we’re talking about—the untouchable dream guy!” Jennifer seemed to remember something and looked at Bella: “Bella, didn’t you used to be pretty close with Damien? Does he have a girlfriend now?” Bella’s expression shifted, but she said nothing. Back then, she’d chased Damien for over six months and couldn’t even get him to add her on social media. I finished applying my lipstick in the mirror and prepared to leave. Bella blocked my way: “Didn’t you break up with Lucas? Are you still going on dates with him?” I pushed her hand away: “I broke up with him three months ago. That piece of trash—if you like him so much, he’s all yours!” My phone suddenly rang. I answered immediately. A cool, smooth voice came through: “You there, babe? I’m downstairs.” “I’ll be right down.” Just as I was about to hang up, my phone was snatched away. Bella glared at me: “No wonder you don’t want Lucas anymore—turns out you’ve got someone new.” Then she spoke into my phone in a sickeningly sweet voice: “Hi, I’m Molly’s roommate, Bella. Are you Molly’s boyfriend?” I don’t know what was said on the other end, but the smile on her face suddenly froze. Taking advantage of her shock, I grabbed my phone back and hung up immediately. Crazy jealousy flashed in Bella’s eyes as she stared at me intently: “Your boyfriend is Damien?”

“That’s impossible. Damien has such high standards—how could he possibly go for her?” “Exactly. The line of girls chasing Damien reaches all the way to the school gates. Molly? As if she’s good enough.” Bella said nothing, but her expression had returned to calm. She looked me up and down: “Molly, you didn’t just find some random guy to pretend to be Damien to fool us, did you?” Looking at her face, so convinced she’d seen through everything, I suddenly found it amusing. “Think whatever you want.” I was done wasting words on her. I turned and headed downstairs. At the entrance to the dorm building, Damien was leaning against a red Lamborghini. When he saw me come out, he waved. Scattered sunlight fell on Damien. He really was handsome—no wonder Bella had chased him for six months. And that was precisely why I’d agreed to date him. “Did you wait long?” “Just got here. Get in.” Damien thoughtfully opened the car door for me. The moment I got in the car, I glanced up and happened to see three insanely jealous faces on the dorm balcony. I almost laughed out loud. Damien took me to a tennis court at a private club. He wrapped his arms around me from behind, teaching me how to grip the racket. My phone rang. It was Bella. “Molly, you’re at the tennis court, aren’t you?” I was slightly surprised. She really was relentless. “What do you want?” Bella put on a wounded tone: “What kind of attitude is that? I’m just worried about you, afraid you’ll get fooled.” “Damien won’t fool me. And stop calling me!” My voice turned cold as I hung up directly. Damien handed me a towel and gently wiped my forehead: “What’s wrong? Did your roommate make you angry?” I took the towel: “Yeah, someone’s jealous I found such a handsome boyfriend.” He chuckled softly and reached out to ruffle my hair. The next second, a tennis ball suddenly flew over and hit Damien hard in the back. Damien frowned and turned around. Bella ran over in a panic. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t see clearly. I’m really sorry.” She bent down, her blouse neckline cut very low. Her cleavage jiggled with the movement. Damien raised an eyebrow. His gaze swept across her face with no expression. “It’s fine.” He put his arm around my waist, preparing to leave. Bella grabbed him: “How can I just let it go like that? Why don’t we add each other on SnapChat? I got your clothes dirty—let me buy you a new one.” Damien looked down, disgust flashing in his eyes. “No need. I don’t add random women.” He turned to look at me, his expression softening: “Babe, I’m sorry this ruined things. Let’s go. I’ll buy you a Cartier bracelet to make up for it.” I smiled, shooting Bella a triumphant look. She stood there, her face livid. My previous boyfriends would also politely refuse Bella in front of me. But the burning desire in their eyes couldn’t be hidden. After we got back, they’d always secretly add her. She thought all men were the same. Too bad this time, she’d run into Damien, who couldn’t be bothered to give her a second glance.

I was very satisfied with Damien. So satisfied that I even thought he might be the exception. But sometimes, reality slaps you in the face faster than you expect. The day of the school play rehearsal, I went to find him. He and Bella were sitting close together, sharing a milk tea. He took a sip. Then Bella lowered her head, placing her lips on the straw he’d just touched. After she drank, Damien casually took another sip without any hesitation. My head buzzed. Damien looked up and saw me. He froze for a moment. Following my gaze, he also looked at the straw: “Bella has low blood sugar. She fainted on stage several times. I want to finish rehearsal quickly so we don’t waste everyone’s time.” He handed the remaining milk tea to Bella: “Finish this and let’s get back to rehearsing.” Bella took it, slowly sucked on the straw, and smiled at me: “Your boyfriend really is dense. No matter how I flirt, he doesn’t react.” “This time, you finally picked the right one.” She walked away in her high heels, her back as arrogant as ever. I stood there, my heart pounding hard. I knew that look of determination in her eyes all too well. Damien noticed my expression was off and reached out to hold me: “Babe, don’t overthink it.” “A few days ago, the girl playing the female lead was in a car accident. Bella’s filling in as a favor. I can’t not return the favor.” I nodded and leaned on his shoulder. “You know what? Bella seems to really like my boyfriends. She stole away all my previous ones. I’m afraid you’ll also…” He held me tighter: “Don’t worry. The person I love will always be you.” As soon as he finished speaking, his phone rang. I glanced at it. It was a message from Bella. He quickly looked at it, then released me: “I need to get back to work. I’ll come find you later.” I watched his retreating figure, my heart sinking bit by bit. I thought Damien would be different, but in just one week, he’d already added her on SnapChat. Over the next few days, Damien clearly sensed my low mood. To cheer me up, he said he’d take me on a yacht and introduce me to his close friends. I decided to give him one more chance. The yacht was huge, with champagne and delicate pastries on the deck. Damien introduced me to everyone: “This is my girlfriend, Molly.” A few guys greeted me with smiles. The atmosphere was fairly pleasant. After chatting for a bit, the topic shifted to the Steele family’s recent project. “How’s your family’s new drug development going?” Damien frowned: “There’s one critical issue we can’t overcome. If we could contact top cardiac specialist Dr. Harold Smith, things would be fine. Otherwise, if this drags on, all our initial investment will go down the drain.” As soon as he finished speaking, a familiar voice cut in: “Dr. Smith?” Bella walked over with a smile. “I know him. My aunt is a pharmaceutical rep. She’s had dinner with Dr. Smith several times. If you want to meet him, I can help.” Damien looked up, surprise flashing in his eyes. I stood to the side, my fingers slowly clenching. All of Damien’s attention was drawn to Bella. While they were deep in conversation, I quietly took out my phone and sent a message to an unsaved number. “The fish is almost hooked. Proceed as planned.”

Damien began meeting with Bella frequently behind my back. After each meeting, Bella would have a new piece of jewelry or another handbag. As usual, she showed off a bag Damien had given her in the dorm. Jennifer’s eyes widened in exaggerated shock: “This bag is the new limited edition from Hermès—only three in the world! Bella, who gave it to you?” Bella’s smile was loaded with meaning: “Some people think they’ve got the dream guy on a leash, not realizing that flower has legs of its own.” The corner of her mouth lifted. That satisfied expression—I knew it all too well. She must have gotten Damien. I suppressed the anger in my chest, put on my headphones, and turned the volume to maximum. During this period, Damien hadn’t come to find me. He was too busy dealing with headaches over the new drug development. Until my birthday, when he suddenly asked to meet. He hugged me excitedly, his voice filled with barely contained joy: “Molly, I have great news! We finally broke through the bottleneck in the drug development!” “I know I’ve been neglecting you lately, but I’m really sorry—I’ve just been so busy.” Once he mastered this technology, he could officially take over the family business. He shared this news with me first. I was touched. Then he took me to the Van Cleef & Arpels boutique. He immediately set his sights on a ten-million-dollar custom jewelry piece. “Do you like it?” I stared, stunned. The necklace was so beautiful it seemed unreal. “It’s beautiful, but it’s too expensive.” “It’s not expensive. Only this can show how much I care.” My nose tingled, and the gloom from the past few days dissipated. Damien handed me the exquisitely packaged gift box: “Molly, help me give this to Bella.” I froze, not comprehending. “What?” “These past days, she’s been running around helping me with everything. She really helped me out. You’re my girlfriend—it’s more appropriate if you give it to her.” I lowered my head, didn’t refuse, and showed no expression on my face. I immediately contacted Bella. She happened to be at the same mall. Damien and I went directly to find her. When we reached the agreed spot, we saw her struggling with a man. That man was my ex-boyfriend, Lucas. “Bella, stop avoiding me. I’ve already found a house—the new development at the Waterfront. I’ll put it in your name. As long as you’re with me, I’ll give you anything.” Bella frowned: “Lucas, what’s wrong with you?” But Lucas kept pestering her relentlessly, holding onto Bella. The next second, a figure rushed over and punched Lucas hard in the face. “What do you think you are to harass her like this?” Lucas stumbled back several steps, glaring at Damien resentfully. The two men fought, both landing heavy blows. It took three or five mall security guards to pull them apart. I suddenly found it ridiculous. My current boyfriend and my ex-boyfriend were beating each other up over another woman. How ironic. Bella, eyes red, threw herself into Damien’s arms: “Thank god you came. I was so scared…” Damien held her, lowering his head to comfort her softly: “It’s okay. I’m here.” After warning Lucas with his eyes, he left with Bella. From start to finish, he never looked back at me once. I was about to leave. Suddenly a large hand grabbed my arm and pulled me into the nearby fire escape. My back pressed against the cold wall. A familiar scent pressed down on me. After a passionate kiss, the person spoke slowly. “Babe, have you played enough? How was my performance? Every time that Bella touches my arm, I have to go home and wash it three times.”

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After my male neighbor Lucas found out I’m a female CEO, he sent me nineteen messages late at night: “You bought another Hermès bag?” “Don’t think being able to make money makes you special. Gentle girls are what men like.” “Why are you dressed so sexy today? Trying to seduce someone? Dress more conservatively from now on.” “And who was that man who drove you home today?” …… Completely baffled, I immediately fired back: “What’s your problem?! My life has nothing to do with you!” Lucas exploded: “How does it have nothing to do with me? You’re going to be my wife! Every dollar you waste now is one less dollar for me!” My jaw dropped. Since when was I supposed to be his wife? Before I could even reply, another message came through: “By the way, I expect you to have two children in the future—a boy and a girl!” Reading his message, I was absolutely furious. I blocked him on the spot. But I never expected him to be so persistent. He showed up at my company the very next day as a project manager to discuss a collaboration. Watching him spray saliva everywhere as he talked, I interrupted impatiently: “Let’s end this collaboration right here!” The moment those words left my mouth, the atmosphere in the office plummeted to freezing. Lucas, who had been so confident just moments ago, had his smile freeze on his face. The team leader who came with him smiled apologetically and asked cautiously, “Ms. Wilson, we’ve been coordinating this project smoothly all along.” “Why suddenly call off the collaboration?” He rubbed his hands nervously. “There must be a reason, otherwise…” “We won’t be able to explain this back at the office!” I smirked and casually pointed at Lucas beside him. “The reason is simple. Because of him…” “Madison! Enough already!” Lucas suddenly stood up and slammed his palm on the conference table with a loud thud. His face flushed with anger as he glared at me. “There are so many people here today! I won’t say anything too harsh!” “If you want to throw a tantrum with me at home, fine!” “But today we’re here on business. Rein in that attitude of yours!” Then he threw the contract documents on the table. “I’m making the decisions on this collaboration! It’s final!” The client who came with him looked at him with admiration, then hurriedly pushed the contract toward me. The managers sitting beside me looked utterly confused. One of them started to speak, but I stopped him. I pressed my lips together: “Lucas, who exactly are you to me? What gives you the right to make decisions for me? Are we even close?” Lucas’s eyes flickered with embarrassment, but he still stubbornly softened his tone: “Alright, Madison, stop being mad at me! I’m still your man! Can’t you give me some face in public?” At his words, everyone gasped. The client with him immediately seized the opportunity: “Ms. Wilson, we all understand couples having arguments. But this is work hours. We need to focus on work and not let emotions get in the way!” Just as he finished speaking, someone knocked on the door. Six security guards stood outside in perfect formation. My secretary standing behind me made a gesture for them to leave: “I’m sorry, but Ms. Wilson has made it clear—this collaboration ends here!” “Will you leave on your own, or shall we have security escort you out!” The client froze, then nudged Lucas with his elbow and whispered, “Hurry up and smooth things over with your girlfriend. If this deal falls through, you know what the consequences will be!” Lucas grabbed my arm even more irritably: “Madison, that’s enough! I never said anything about your reckless spending! Are you really going to push your luck today?” Unable to take it anymore, I shoved him away. “Lucas, are you insane?” “We barely know each other, yet you’re claiming to be my boyfriend. Don’t you think that’s ridiculous?” The team leader next to Lucas’s eyes widened: “Ms. Wilson, what did Mr. Hayes do to make you so angry? Please calm down!” I found it laughable: “Either you have hearing problems, or I’m not being clear enough. Lucas and I have no relationship whatsoever! He’s been delusional, and now he even wants to be my boyfriend!” “Madison!” Lucas roared, glaring at me with fury. “Don’t push it too far!” “Or I’ll break up with you!” Seeing that he was still completely lost in his own fantasy, and not wanting to waste any more time with him, I said, “Please escort them out.” As he was leaving, Lucas still swaggered arrogantly. “Damn bitch! Looks like you need a good beating, huh?” “How dare you disrespect me like this! When we get home, I’ll make you regret it!” The team leader seemed to pick up on something, his face darkening as he remained silent. After finally getting rid of that pest, my secretary—who’s also my best friend—came over. “Madison, who is that guy?” “Is he crazy? Why is he claiming to be your boyfriend?”

I rubbed my temples helplessly. “I have no idea!” “He wasn’t this unhinged before. In fact, he used to look down on me!” It was about six months ago when I moved back to that old apartment complex. Everyone around me was confused. They asked why someone with my wealth, who had bought a luxury penthouse in the city center, would want to live in an inconvenient old complex. “I started from nothing. That apartment holds too many beautiful memories for me.” So the first thing I did after making money was buy that place. During my first week there, my neighbor Mrs. Hayes brought her son over to introduce us. She even thoughtfully introduced both of us to each other. “This is Madison. She’s twenty-seven. What was it you do for work again?” Since we weren’t close yet, I just gave a vague answer. The moment I finished speaking, Lucas flicked his cigarette ash near my feet. “Mom! How many times have I told you not to introduce me to low-quality women like this!” “I’m a company executive at least. If you want grandchildren, you can’t just bring me any random nobody!” Finally, he sneered right in my face. “This type of trash isn’t even worth my time to look at!” The moment he left, Mrs. Hayes grabbed my hand and apologized profusely. “Madison, I failed to raise him properly! Please don’t be angry! Let me apologize on his behalf!” I’m soft-hearted, and I couldn’t bear to see an elderly woman like that, so naturally I didn’t take it to heart. But I never expected that two days ago, Lucas would suddenly add me as a friend from the residents’ group chat. “You’re Madison, right?” “I’m Lucas Hayes, your neighbor Mrs. Hayes’s son!” At the time, I was reviewing contract details. When I saw his name, I realized he was the project manager from the other company. Just as I was about to discuss the specific project details with him, he launched into a barrage of accusations. “I heard from my mom that you’re a female CEO and make good money?” “What’s the use of earning money? What’s important is knowing how to save money and manage it!” “By the way, how’s your fertility? Are you still… pure?” Watching his relentless output, I was completely stunned. Thinking about it now, I pulled out my phone and showed it to my friend. “Look at what he sent me.” My friend scrolled through the chat history, both shocked and exasperated: “This guy is seriously sick.” At the same time, Lucas’s company boss called me. On the phone, he said ingratiatingly, “Ms. Wilson, I’d like to know why this collaboration fell through?” “You’ve always kept work and personal matters separate. Why act on impulse today?” “About you and Lucas… Lucas told me everything. I say, there’s no such thing as overnight grudges between husband and wife…” “Mr. Davis.” I interrupted him impatiently. “I think you’ve misunderstood. Lucas and I have no relationship at all!” “We barely even know each other!” After briefly explaining the situation, I could feel the oppressive atmosphere even through the phone. Sure enough, five minutes later, Mr. Davis sent me an image. It was Lucas’s resignation letter. “Ms. Wilson, I sincerely apologize for what happened. I’ve already fired Lucas!” “As for the profit margin, to make it up to you, I’m willing to reduce our share by five percent.” “About the contract… could we discuss it again?” His sincerity was evident, so I couldn’t refuse again. That evening, we set a time and chose a restaurant. But just as I arrived at the restaurant entrance, Mrs. Hayes suddenly grabbed me, her face covered in tears. “Madison, my son did something wrong! He wronged you!” “But you can’t be so heartless!” “After all, you’re husband and wife! How can there be such deep hatred?” Lucas beside her actually knelt down in front of me in public and clutched my leg tightly. “Honey, I was wrong! I know I was wrong now!” “Please forgive me, okay?”

People were coming and going at the restaurant entrance, but everyone stopped to watch us curiously. Lucas pressed his face firmly against my leg. The warm sensation made me feel utterly disgusted. “Honey! If you want to be mad at me, fine! But why are you telling others we don’t know each other?” Mrs. Hayes quickly joined in. She collapsed on the ground, helpless and devastated, slapping her own thighs: “Oh heaven! What did I do to deserve this! Madison, have I wronged you somehow? Why would you do this?” Choking up, she called out to the crowd, “Everyone, come look!” “What daughter-in-law could be as selfish as mine?” “Just because my son criticized her for spending recklessly, she not only denies knowing him but got his boss to fire him!” As soon as she finished, the crowd didn’t give me a chance to explain and immediately turned on me. “That’s disgusting! Making her husband lose his job over an argument? If that were my wife, I’d have beaten her to death!” “This woman’s face looks mean. She seems like a gold-digger!” “Look at how she’s dressed all fancy, and look at her husband wearing what looks like thrift store clothes. This woman doesn’t know how good she has it!” Filled with rage, I hurriedly explained to the crowd, “I don’t even know this man!” “Please help me call the police!” I was sweating profusely in my panic. Some people in the crowd began to voice doubts. “This woman doesn’t seem to be faking it. Maybe we should call the police!” “I think so too. Let the police handle this kind of thing!” “Madison! Stop making a scene!” Lucas looked at me with painful devotion, then pulled two marriage certificates from his pocket. “She is my wife!” “We have official marriage certificates!” I stared at those two marriage certificates in shock, completely dumbfounded. Worried the crowd wouldn’t believe him, he even opened them up. “Look, these are us in the photos.” “This is fake! I don’t even know him!” “Madison! Even now, you still won’t forgive my son?” Mrs. Hayes’s voice cracked with urgency. “Does Lucas have to die in front of you before you admit he’s your husband?” I was going insane. All I could do was silently pray that someone had successfully called the police earlier and that they’d arrive soon. Lucas gripped my leg with one hand and my wrist with the other, pressing his entire body against me. In a voice only we could hear, he said, “Let me tell you, you can’t escape today!” “What you women care about most is reputation, right?” “I’ll ruin your reputation. Let’s see if you’ll submit to me then!” I turned my head and met his venomous gaze. In an instant, his eyes filled with tears. Before I could react, he frantically grabbed my hand and slapped himself with it. “Honey! Hit me! Beat me to death!” “As long as you’ll forgive me, I’ll do anything!” Mrs. Hayes crawled over to my feet. “Madison! If you’re still angry, hit me instead!” “I’m old and useless, but I’m not confused!” “My only wish is to see you and Lucas together!” My voice trying to defend myself was quickly drowned out by the crowd’s condemnation. “This woman is truly despicable!” “Right? Why doesn’t this guy just leave her?” “You don’t understand. This is true love!” More and more people gathered. All I could do was shout at the top of my lungs, “They’re trying to kidnap me! Please help me call the police!” “I really don’t know him!” From the crowd came a loud voice, “I can testify!” “The woman in front of us…” Looking at that familiar face, I felt incredibly excited, but the next second, I heard him say with a smile: “Is definitely this man’s wife! They’re married!”

My voice caught in my throat, coming out as a hoarse cry. “You’re lying!” “Derek! You know the relationship between Lucas and me! Why are you lying?” Derek touched his watch and said matter-of-factly, “You’re the one lying, aren’t you?” “If Lucas hadn’t shown your marriage photos, I would have almost been fooled by you!” Lucas nodded in agreement. “Thank you, Mr. Davis!” “If you hadn’t helped me arrange to meet Madison, I wouldn’t have known what to do!” “Madison, please be good. Forgive me, okay?” “I already know I was wrong!” My wrist was gripped so tightly by him that the pain made me feel suffocated. My phone had long disappeared—hidden somewhere by Lucas. I could only place my last hope in the crowd. “I really don’t know him! Please help me call the police!” I used to see stories online about women being kidnapped and couldn’t understand why they couldn’t escape. Now that I’d experienced it myself, I finally understood. In this chaotic situation, combined with Lucas’s sob story, Mrs. Hayes’s crying, and the so-called witness… It was very difficult for me to escape. Lucas held my wrist tightly, looking triumphant. “Stop wasting your energy! No one will believe you.” I seized the opportunity and bit down hard on his arm. The taste of blood quickly filled my mouth and spread. Lucas gasped in pain and instinctively pushed me to the ground. Finally free, I ran outside without stopping. But there were too many onlookers, and most of them were men. They blocked me with their bodies, refusing to let me through. “Everyone help me stop her!” Enraged, Lucas grabbed me back again. Gritting his teeth, he slapped me across the face. “Damn it, you just don’t know what’s good for you!” “You want to run?” “Fine! Pay back every penny I spent on you as a wedding gift! Pay back all the money I spent on you!” Mrs. Hayes added tearfully, “This is marriage fraud! Marriage fraud!” Hearing this, the crowd’s contempt for me reached a new peak. “Isn’t this just a gold-digger?” “Wow, this is too dramatic! This woman is shameless!” “How much did you take from him? Pay it back now!” Just as I opened my mouth, Lucas slapped me again. “You bitch, I was so wrong about you!” As soon as he finished speaking, police sirens sounded in the distance. I breathed a sigh of relief and used all my strength to shout for help. The police quickly arrived beside us. By this point, my face had swollen like a balloon, but I still forced myself to stay conscious and report to the police. “He…” I had just opened my mouth when Lucas blocked my way. Holding his chin high, he said, “What?” “Are you police going to interfere in my family matters now?” “I’m disciplining my own wife!” The officer in front had a stern expression. “You’re saying she’s your wife?” Lucas nodded arrogantly. “What else?” “How dare you police… Ahhhh! It hurts!” The officer in front grabbed his shoulder hard, gripped his neck, and turned his face toward me. “Her name is Madison Wilson. She’s my wife! Are you saying she’d leave me to choose scum like you?”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “374080”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster