Category: English

The sex had been slow and heavy, leaving a lingering heat in the air. Afterward, I watched Nate standing at the stove, his back to me as he hummed a tune and stirred a pot of midnight pasta. He was wearing nothing but his boxers and my floral apron, looking every bit the devoted partner. I caught the scene on video—the steam rising, the casual grace of his movements—and posted it to my feed before drifting off to sleep. When I checked my phone the next morning, the view count had spiked over ten thousand. But as I scrolled through the analytics, something felt wrong. Every single view came from the same account. I laughed, showing the screen to Nate while he sipped his coffee. “I think I have a superfan,” I joked. “Or maybe it’s an obsessed ex-girlfriend? Ten thousand views on one video… she really can’t let you go, can she?” Nate glanced at the screen. The relaxed expression he’d worn seconds ago vanished, replaced by a sudden, icy tension. His jaw tightened. “Delete it,” he said, his voice dropping an octave. I blinked, taken aback by his tone. “What? Nate, it’s just a video. It’s cute.” Before I could process his shift in mood, Nate’s composure fractured. He grabbed my wrist, his eyes burning with an intensity that bordered on panic. “I said delete it, Tess! Sophie can’t see things like this!” The name hit me like a physical blow. My stomach did a slow, sickening flip. Sophie. The girl he’d spent seven years with. The girl he’d told me was a closed chapter, a ghost from his twenties. My hand began to shake as I gripped my phone. I opened my mouth to demand an explanation, to ask why he was still tracking her social media habits, but the words died in my throat. Nate’s eyes weren’t just angry; they were watery, filled with a raw, agonizing protective instinct. Nate, a man who usually moved through the world with unshakable confidence, suddenly looked small. He reached out, taking my hand in a plea. “She’s fragile, Tess. She’s not like you. Don’t do this to her. Don’t trigger her. Please, I’m begging you.” 1 I stared at him, my brow furrowing in disbelief. Nate softened his voice, sensing my resistance. “Sophie was diagnosed with severe clinical depression a few months ago,” he whispered. “The doctors said she’s on a knife’s edge. One wrong move, one shock to her system, and… look, once she’s stable, you can post whatever you want. Okay? Just give it time.” My throat felt tight, constricted by a thousand questions I was too afraid to ask. How do you know about her diagnosis? Why are you the one monitoring her triggers? Before I could find my voice, his phone buzzed on the counter. Nate reacted with a literal reflex, snatching it up as if his life depended on it. I caught a glimpse of the contact name—a string of digits I recognized. It was the private number his friends had once joked about, the one reserved only for Sophie. He answered instantly. “Yeah? Slow down. I’ll be there in twenty minutes. Tell them not to do anything until I arrive.” He hung up and grabbed his leather jacket from the sofa, moving toward the door with frantic energy. He paused at the threshold, his eyes landing on me with a sharp, warning glare. “Remember. Delete the video.” I watched his car peel out of the driveway, my fingers curling into my palms. Why? Nate was my boyfriend. This was my life, my relationship. Why did I have to scrub my existence just because his ex couldn’t handle the reality of him moving on? I wasn’t going to delete it. In fact, a petty, searing fire rose in my chest. I wanted to show her more. I began scrolling through my camera roll, looking for a photo of us—something romantic, something that proved he belonged to me. But as I scrolled, a cold realization settled in my bones. I couldn’t find a single photo of us together. Nate had always been “camera shy.” He’d told me he hated the performative nature of social media, that he wanted to “live in the moment” with me. I’d respected that. I’d been the understanding girlfriend. My entire gallery consisted of stolen shots of his back, his hands, his shadow. The bitterness in my mouth tasted like copper. I refused to let her win. I took those candid shots of him and edited them into a montage, setting it to a song that felt like a heartbeat. I posted it, setting the privacy so that only one person could see it: Sophie. Within two minutes, the notifications pinged. Two views. I leaned back against the headboard, a dark sense of satisfaction blooming in my chest. I imagined her on the other side of the screen, crumbling, feeling the same phantom limb pain I felt every time Nate mentioned her name. But then, the “New Post” notification popped up. Sophie had updated her story. There were no flashy effects, no trendy music. Just a slideshow of high-resolution photos. Nate and Sophie in a dimly lit bookstore, his arm draped over her shoulder. Nate and Sophie at a theme park, both of them grinning at the camera, their faces pressed together. Nate looking into the lens with a warmth I had never been able to capture. Photo after photo of the life I had been told he was “too private” to document. The caption was a single line: “You always said we were the only ones who belonged in the same frame.” The phone slipped from my hands, thudding onto the duvet. My breath hitched. He didn’t hate cameras. He didn’t hate the “performance” of being a couple. He just didn’t want to be seen with me. I felt like a clown, a temporary placeholder in a theater where the lead actress had never truly left the stage. With trembling fingers, I opened my profile and deleted every single video I’d ever posted of him. I wiped the slate clean until there was nothing left but a hollow digital silence. 2 Nate didn’t come home until the early hours of the morning. I stayed under the covers, my back to the door, my mind a repetitive loop of a single thought: This is it. If he doesn’t choose today, I’m gone. The bedroom door creaked open. The scent of the cold night air and a faint, floral perfume—not mine—drifted toward the bed. He stood there for a long time before speaking. “Tess. I know you’re awake.” I didn’t move. “Sophie’s in a bad way,” he continued, his voice strained. “She saw the video you posted yesterday. She… she tried to end it. Her mom found her just in time. She’s out of the hospital, but she can’t be alone.” I threw back the covers and sat up, the anger finally boiling over. “And what does that have to do with us, Nate?” “I’m bringing her here,” he said, his tone flat, as if he were discussing the weather. “Just for a few weeks. Until she’s stable enough for a facility. It’s the only way she’ll agree to keep fighting.” “Are you insane?” I stood up, my voice rising. “This isn’t a halfway house, Nate! You expect me to live under the same roof as the woman you’re clearly still in love with?” A muffled conversation drifted in from the living room. I pushed past him, my heart hammering against my ribs. The living room lights were blindingly bright. Sophie was sitting dead center on our sofa, wrapped in an oversized cardigan that I recognized as Nate’s. She looked pale, her eyes vacant and rimmed with red. Next to her sat an older woman—her mother. When the mother saw me, she stood up, her face a mask of practiced desperation. “You must be Tess. I’m so sorry to intrude like this, especially so late.” I didn’t answer. I just looked at the scene—my home, invaded by the ghost of a dead relationship. Then, the mother did something I never expected. She moved toward me, clutching my hands, her voice breaking into a sob. “Please, Tess. My daughter is drowning. Nate is the only anchor she has left. Just let her stay for a little while. Treat her like a stray, like a guest you never see. Once she’s better, I’ll take her away, I swear. Don’t let my daughter die.” It was a trap. A perfectly laid emotional ambush. I looked past the mother, past the weeping girl on my sofa, and locked eyes with Nate. “It’s her or me, Nate. Choose. Right now.” Nate’s face contorted. He looked between us, the weight of seven years pulling him one way and our year-long romance pulling him the other. He opened his mouth, closed it, and then finally looked at Sophie. “I’m sorry,” he whispered, but he wasn’t looking at me. He was looking at them. “Tess is right. This is her home too. It’s not appropriate.” Sophie’s eyes finally found mine, and for a split second, the vacancy vanished, replaced by a cold, sharp spark of resentment. Then, the tears began to fall again. “I’ll take them back to their place,” Nate said, his voice hollow. I didn’t say a word. I stood in the middle of the room, watching the three of them disappear into the hallway. The door clicked shut, and the silence that followed was deafening. I waited. I sat on that sofa from dawn until the sun began to peek through the blinds. Nate didn’t come back. I checked my phone. No texts. No calls. Just a new notification from Sophie’s account. I opened the video. The camera panned around a familiar room—the hardwood floors, the floor-to-ceiling windows, the specific shade of navy blue on the walls. It was the condo. The one Nate and I had just put a deposit on. Our “forever” home. He had taken her there. The humiliation was a physical weight, crushing the air out of my lungs. I reached for my phone and dialed my best friend, Jade. “I need you to come with me,” I said, my voice like flint. “Now.” 3 Thirty minutes later, Jade and I were standing in front of the condo. I didn’t use my key. I pounded on the door. Sophie’s mother opened it. When she saw me, her eyes darted nervously, but she braced herself in the doorway. “What are you doing here?” “This is my house,” I spat, pushing past her. “And I’m here to evict you.” Sophie was reclining on the designer sofa we’d picked out together. She was wearing a silk robe that definitely didn’t belong to her. She looked up, a slow, taunting smile spreading across her lips. “Tess,” she purred, standing up slowly. “Do you want to know why Nate brought me here? To our house?” She let the silence hang, relishing the moment. “Because I’m pregnant, Tess. With Nate’s baby.” The world tilted. My heart stopped. “I think it happened… let me see… right around your one-year anniversary?” she continued, her voice dripping with malice. “He didn’t really have to work late that night, did he? He was here. With me.” Our anniversary. The night I’d spent three hours cooking a five-course meal, wearing the red dress he’d bought me, only to receive a text saying he was stuck in a board meeting. He’d been here. Consummating a betrayal that was now a living, breathing thing inside her. “You lying bitch!” Jade exploded, stepping in front of me. “You’re really going to pull the ‘pregnancy’ card to keep a man who doesn’t want you? Have some dignity.” Sophie laughed, a high, chilling sound. “Oh, honey. The person who isn’t wanted here is Tess. If he loved her, would he have been in my bed while she was waiting for him with candles?” The noise of our shouting had drawn the neighbors out into the hallway. People were peering through their cracked doors, whispering. Then, Nate appeared. He ran up the stairs, breathless, his face pale with panic. The moment he saw him, Sophie’s demeanor shifted. The predator vanished, and the victim returned. She stumbled back, grabbing a steak knife from the kitchen counter that was sitting near some fruit. “Nate!” she screamed, her voice trembling. “I can’t take it! Tess broke in, she started calling me a whore, an interloper… everyone knows now! I can’t live with this shame!” Nate lunged forward, gently prying the knife from her hand. “Stop it, Sophie. Don’t say that.” The neighbors were murmuring now, their eyes landing on me with judgment. One of them, an older man, called out, “Hey kid, who’s the girl? Who’s the one causing the trouble?” Nate looked at me. For five long seconds, his gaze was unreadable. Then, he turned to the crowd and spoke with a terrifying, cool detachment. “She’s just someone who’s been pursuing me,” he said, gesturing toward me. “An obsessed ex-fan, basically. I’ve told her it’s over, but she won’t stop harassing my girlfriend, Sophie.” I stood frozen. The air in the room felt like lead. Jade was shaking with rage, her finger inches from Nate’s nose. “You pathetic coward! You cheated on her, lied to her, and now you’re calling her the stalker? You’re a monster, Nate!” She wanted to say more, but I reached out and caught her wrist. My voice was dry, cracking like old parchment. “Don’t, Jade. Let’s go.” I needed to leave before I disintegrated. But as we turned to the door, Sophie’s mother blocked our path. “You don’t get to ruin my daughter’s reputation and just walk away, Tess. You owe her an apology. Right now, in front of everyone.” The neighbors chimed in, fueled by Nate’s lie. “Yeah, apologize! Leave the poor pregnant girl alone!” I closed my eyes, a wave of nausea rolling over me. “Tess,” Nate’s voice came from behind me, soft and commanding. “Just apologize so we can all move on. Please.” I looked at him—the man I had loved, the man I had planned a future with. He looked back at me with nothing but cold calculation. I took a breath and looked Sophie dead in the eye. “I’m sorry,” I said, my voice echoing in the hallway. “I’m sorry I ever looked at your boyfriend. I’m sorry I wasted a year of my life on a man who belongs exactly where he is right now. It won’t happen again.”

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After Liam Vance and the heiress of the Evans family officially announced their engagement… I, a washed-up, D-list actress, dropped a massive bombshell to the press. “I have a child with him.” Thanks to that explosive headline, Liam Vance finally deigned to answer my phone call. “Hey. I’m dying. Are you going to take the kid or what?” 1 I could hear the utter disgust in Liam’s breathing over the phone. A few seconds later, he said coldly: “Fine. Once you’re dead, I’ll take her.” Just as I thought, he didn’t believe me. He hadn’t even bothered to look at the medical records I emailed him. After all, years ago, I used every trick and manipulation in the book to try and get his money. And even now, a leopard can’t change its spots. “Look, I might not drop dead immediately. Can you just come get her first?” “She’s really easy to take care of. She doesn’t cause any trouble. She’s so good and quiet…” Before I could finish, he had already hung up. I tried calling back, but the line was dead. He blocked me. That’s fine. I have my ways of delivering the kid to him. I turned my head. Six-year-old Mia was staring at me with big, wet eyes. She was holding up a plate with a fried egg on it, offering it to me like a precious treasure. “Mommy, Mia learned how to fry an egg in the little pan! Mia can take care of Mommy now.” “Mommy, please… please don’t give Mia away, okay?” She climbed onto the bed and used a little spoon to feed me the egg. Only then did I notice a small blister on her soft left cheek from popping oil. My conscience took a sharp hit. It was a sin, making a little child take care of me. Lately, I had been feeling lethargic, sleeping all day. I really hadn’t been taking good care of her. Her little pigtails were a mess, her clothes were old and worn, and she was always half-starved. Her little chin had gotten so sharp. I should definitely give her to Liam. After all, he was a billionaire heir in New York. Even his dogs ate better than Mia did right now. I tried to coax her: “Our family is very poor, and Mommy has a terminal illness. I could die any minute. How are you supposed to survive as a little kid? Go. Go to your Daddy and live a good life.” I pointed at a photo on my phone and said: “Look, this is your Daddy. And that’s your Daddy’s fiancée, which means she’s your new Mommy.” “From now on, the three of you will be a happy family. That chubby kid at school will never be able to make fun of you for not having a dad again.” Mia clutched the ears of her stuffed bunny, tears streaming down her face. “I don’t want a Daddy! And I don’t want a new Mommy! I just want my own Mommy!” This stubborn little kid took after me. But I was her mother, and I was even more stubborn. Finally, I managed to convince her. She blinked her big eyes, letting out a hiccupy sob. “Daddy has so much money. Let’s make him take Mommy to the hospital to get better, okay?” I pinched her little cheek. “Your Daddy hates me to death. If you say that, he’ll throw you out on the street too.” “You have to tell him that Mommy is a wicked, evil woman. That I hit you and scolded you every day, that I didn’t let you go to school, and that I didn’t even give you enough to eat. Tell him I deserve to die of this disease. That way, you and Daddy will be on the same team, and he’ll believe you.” 2 I specifically chose the day of the Vance Corporation’s anniversary gala to deliver the kid to him. That man looked handsome and dashing, standing on the stage in a perfectly tailored suit, practically glowing. I suddenly remembered what he had told his mother six years ago. “I just keep her on the side for fun. I’m never actually bringing her home, don’t worry…” Even though my feelings for him weren’t exactly pure either. But I hold grudges. Very soon, he wasn’t going to look so handsome anymore. The second he stepped off the stage, Mia launched herself at him like a little cannonball. “Daddy! Daddy!” Looking at the little face in front of him that shared a 90% resemblance to his own. Liam Vance almost lost his mind. He let out a furious, bitter laugh. “Unbelievable. Rose Miller actually had the nerve to secretly raise my child.” The venue erupted into chaos. We both made this child together. But just because he had money, the peanut gallery was only going to insult me, right? “Rose Miller’s leak was actually true! Wow, it’s rare for her to tell the truth.” “She specifically chose to drop this bombshell right before the Vance and Evans wedding. Vance Corp stock is going to tank tomorrow, isn’t it?” “Rose Miller is just blowing this out of proportion so she can extort a massive payout.” “Look at the kid’s sweater, it’s all pilled. She even has a burn mark on her face, and her bangs look like they were cut with safety scissors. Even if the kid is just a tool for her to extort money, she should at least treat her decently. With an unreliable mother like that, this kid is cursed.” Good. The worse they insulted me, the happier I was. At least it would show Mia that her mother really was a terrible woman. That way, when I sent her away, she wouldn’t try to come back and cling to me. People need to understand: raising a kid is actually incredibly annoying. Liam crouched down, trying his hardest to suppress his rage as he asked: “Where is Rose Miller? How much money does she want this time?” “Mommy doesn’t want money. Mommy is already dead.” 3 Liam froze for a second. “When did this happen?” Mia looked like she had suddenly remembered something. She shoved her stuffed bunny into Liam’s hands. “Daddy, hold this for me.” Then she pulled a powder-blue urn and a forged death certificate out of her backpack. “She died the day before yesterday.” The ashes were fresh. I had taught her to say all of this. Liam was silent for a moment, his expression completely unreadable. Mia looked at Liam tentatively. “Daddy, are you going to keep me?” “Daddy, I’m not a picky eater. Mommy said your Samoyed’s food is really yummy. I can just eat the same thing as the dog.” I wanted to laugh. You little idiot, I said his dog food was high quality, I didn’t say we should actually eat it. Liam gritted his teeth and forced out a sentence: “Your mother fed you dog food?! Is that how she raised you?!” Mia thought about it for a second, then nodded. I taught her that, too. Whenever her dad asked if her mom was bad, she had to say “yes.” Liam’s face visibly darkened. He turned to his assistant and ordered: “Take those ashes and scatter them.” “Who’s dead? She could survive anything. What a liar.” Finally, he picked Mia up and left under the escort of his assistant and bodyguards. The reporters’ cameras flashed frantically, taking a million pictures. A few of the paparazzi—the ones who smelled blood in the water and refused to let go—were specifically invited by me. No matter how hard Liam tried to suppress the trending topics later, the narrative was already out there. He had to accept this child. My goal was officially achieved. Oh, right. I had a delivery driver mail the kid to the venue. Everything described above was relayed to me by him, heavily supplemented by my own imagination. Because, obviously, I couldn’t be at the venue myself. The day before yesterday, I was rushed into the hospital by an ambulance for emergency resuscitation. 4 The gossiping from the next bed over woke me up. “Tell me quickly, what happened to the kid from the trending topic? Did the Vance family accept her?” “Of course they accepted her! They already did a paternity test. My cousin told me Liam Vance actually spoils her rotten. He even brings her to work with him.” “How does your cousin know?” “She’s Liam Vance’s assistant! She said the kid is so sweet and adorable. While Mr. Vance works, she just plays quietly by herself.” Hmph. At least Liam has a shred of conscience. “The poor kid. I heard she frequently wakes up crying in the middle of the night, saying she misses her mom. That’s why Mr. Vance keeps her close to comfort her.” “Is the Evans heiress, Chloe Evans, really willing to be a stepmom?” “Why wouldn’t she be? I heard she’s been in love with Liam Vance for years. Plus, for rich people, raising a kid is as easy as raising a cat. It doesn’t affect her at all. She frequently buys toys and brings them to the office to coax the kid. She treats her pretty well.” My mood instantly lightened significantly. The trending topics on my phone seemed to be true. #ChloeEvansHappilyBecomesBestStepmom The attached photo showed Liam and Chloe taking Mia to a high-end, kid-friendly restaurant. The look in her eyes as she put food on Mia’s plate was actually quite gentle. I’ve been surviving in the entertainment industry since I was a teenager; I wouldn’t misread that look. Mia was eating ice cream, smiling so wide you couldn’t even see her eyes. Alright then. The little brat was eating well, living well, and had people doting on her at the Vance estate. Over time, she was bound to forget me. In a great mood, I couldn’t help but order some takeout. The nurse doing rounds scolded me: “Get some rest! What kind of patient starts ordering takeout and buying makeup the second they start feeling a little better?” I smiled. “I’ve loved looking pretty since I was a kid. Even if I’m dying, I want to be a beautiful corpse.” Too bad I won’t be beautiful for much longer. Sigh. I guess it’s karma for all the times I scammed people for money when I was younger. I deserve to die young. I applied some lipstick, and my deathly pale face finally looked somewhat alive. Suddenly, a sentence caught me completely off guard. “Hey, my cousin said the kid was suddenly hospitalized! She’s right here in our hospital…” 5 I sprinted toward the pediatric ward. The words they had said echoed endlessly in my head. “Some people are saying the Evans heiress poisoned the kid.” “Holy shit, the evil stepmother trope coming to life?” When I burst into the pediatric ward, the door was slightly ajar. Chloe lowered her voice and said: “I’m so sorry, I didn’t know she was allergic to mangoes. I shouldn’t have given her mango juice.” Liam comforted her: “It’s okay, it was just an accident.” “If you’re going to blame anyone, blame Rose Miller for not paying attention when she raised her. She didn’t even know Mia was allergic to mangoes.” To comfort his fiancée, he pins the blame on me. Liam, you absolute dog. I stood in the corner of the hallway, waiting until they left before slipping into the room. Mia had just woken up. She opened her groggy eyes, and they suddenly lit up. She reached her arms out to me. “Mommy! Mommy, hug!” “Why did you eat mango on purpose?!” Mia was always obedient. She knew that eating mangoes made her feel terrible, and she never touched them. And I knew that someone with Chloe’s status and intelligence wouldn’t stoop to doing something so stupid. Therefore, the only possibility was that Mia ate it on purpose. She buried her face in my chest and whispered: “Mommy, I’m sorry. I missed you too much.” “I knew you were in the hospital.” “If I had an allergic reaction, Daddy would definitely bring me to the hospital.” There are thousands of hospitals in New York. The little idiot got lucky actually running into me. She broke into a wide grin. “Yay! I really did get to see Mommy.” I was so angry I could have died. “You have food and a home with the Vance family! Why are you thinking about me? Don’t ever do this again, and don’t even think about me! I’m very busy. I’m leaving.” Her tiny hands gripped me tightly, refusing to let go. With red eyes, she begged me: “Mommy, stay with Mia a little longer. Just a little longer, please?” She touched my nose. “Mommy, does your body still hurt? Is your nose going to bleed again?” In that instant, a wave of profound sadness crashed through my body. If I wasn’t dying… Why would I ever have given her up?

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The plot had finally run its course. I went home, thrilled to celebrate, only to accidentally overhear my son say: “Daddy, do we still have to pretend for Mommy?” “I want Auntie Chloe to be here for real.” Arthur stood nearby, his face showing a kind of relaxed relief I had never seen before. “Yeah. Let’s just get rid of Mommy, okay?” My son nodded emphatically. I turned around and threw the celebration gift I had bought right into the trash. I was even more thrilled. After all, the only reason I came to this world to play the role of the tragically abused female lead… Was to save my real husband and daughter back in my own world. 1 Holding the cake box, I stood just outside the half-open door of the nursery. The crack in the door couldn’t block out the conversation happening inside. “Daddy, am I really not going to get sick anymore?” My son, Leo’s, voice drifted out. “No.” Arthur only ever softened his tone when speaking to Leo. “The plot is over. There’s no risk of deviation anymore, so you won’t be punished with illness.” “What about Auntie Chloe?” Leo asked eagerly. “It’s all Mommy’s fault that Auntie Chloe always had to sneak around!” “If we didn’t have Mommy, we wouldn’t have to do things we hate.” “And you could be with Auntie Chloe for real, Daddy.” “Daddy, now that the plot is over, can you divorce Mommy?” The thin ribbon of the cake box was digging painfully into my hand. In the gift bag, there was a discontinued Lego set I had spent an entire month hunting down for him. The nursery was quiet for a moment. Arthur seemed to be considering it. “Okay. I’ll divorce your mother.” “Today is your birthday, so let’s just celebrate. Daddy will talk to her in a few days.” 2 Leo’s cheer slipped through the crack in the door and pierced my ears. A freezing chill washed over my entire body. Eight years ago. To save my husband and daughter who were in a horrific car crash, I agreed to the System’s demands. I transmigrated into this angsty romance novel. My mission was to strictly follow the plotline until the very end. If I deviated from the plot, the System would issue a “plot penalty.” Mild penalties meant illness; severe ones meant fatal accidents and forced extraction from this world. If I completed the plot smoothly, I would be rewarded with points to wake my husband and daughter from their comas. I wasn’t a very good host. From meeting Arthur at nineteen, stumbling through our relationship, to marrying him and giving birth to Leo at twenty-two… I had managed to drag us through more than half the plot, but the male lead, Arthur, eventually grew sick of me. I started getting sick frequently. At its worst, my vision blurred, and my hearing faded. Because I gave birth to Leo, he was also affected by the penalties, experiencing one-tenth of my pain. Leo cried day and night, his tiny body growing weaker and frailer. Risking total mission failure, I confessed the existence of the System to Arthur. I told him that if he left me, I would die, and Leo would die too. The only way out was to wait until the plot ended. At that time, there were only five years left. Arthur started forcing himself to stay by my side. Occasionally, we would fight, and Leo and I would both fall ill. I felt immensely guilty towards Leo. But Leo was always so understanding, taking his medicine and eating his meals on time. Gradually, we grew very close. Finally, just a few days ago, the System announced that the plot had concluded. I excitedly shared the news with Arthur. From now on, we were no longer shackled by the plot system. We could live freely. And I had a choice: I could either leave this world or stay. Selfishly, I didn’t want Leo to be lonely. So I planned to stay until he was an adult. But reality just delivered a brutal, crushing blow to my selfishness. 3 I turned around and dumped the cake and the toy straight into the trash can. Then, I pushed the door open and walked in. “I agree to the divorce.” I looked at Leo, my emotions a tangled mess. “Leo… Mommy didn’t know you liked Auntie Chloe so much. I also didn’t know… that you hated being my son so much.” “Making you suffer the plot penalties with me… that was Mommy’s fault.” A flash of embarrassed anger crossed Leo’s small face. He had been caught. He didn’t know how to lie yet, nor how to hide his true feelings. He just stuck his neck out and accused me: “Mommy was eavesdropping! Bad Mommy! This is exactly why I don’t like you! You’re bad!” Even though I was mentally prepared. Hearing the child I carried for nine months say he hated me with his own mouth… It still made my nose sting. Arthur looked surprised, but he didn’t stop Leo. He seemed to gather his thoughts, finally just nodding. “Fine. Sorry for keeping it from you for so long.” “I’ll have my lawyer send you the divorce agreement. Whatever you want as compensation, just name it.” “Let’s get this over with quickly… I owe Chloe too much. I can’t wait to make it up to her anymore.” Leo huffed and yelled, “Me too! Auntie Chloe is so nice, but Mommy was so unreasonable and chased her away! I don’t want a mommy like this!” My heart turned completely to ash. A few years ago, Chloe had tried to harm Leo several times. Even if the plot hadn’t dictated it, I would have found a way to get rid of her for Leo’s sake. I thought I had succeeded. But looking at them now. I had been played. “WARNING—” “Abnormality detected in the plot’s conclusion! Severe character deviation!” The System’s alarm and a piercing siren exploded in my head. “Host, please repair the plot within seven days, or the scenario will be forcibly terminated!” I clutched my head in agony. Wasn’t the plot over? “System, what is going on?” I asked frantically. “…Apologies, Host. It seems we were both deceived.” “Plot monitoring is conducted solely from the Host’s perspective, and characters actively deceiving the System is unprecedented… This was an oversight on our part.” The System’s mechanical voice hummed slowly. “However, since this System also failed to detect the character anomaly, we will bear a portion of the responsibility.” “Even if the plot repair fails within seven days, your points will still be awarded.” A wave of relief washed over me. When I snapped back to reality, Arthur and Leo were staring at me nervously. They knew that whenever I spaced out like that, I was communicating with the System. “Is the System back? What’s going on? Didn’t you say the plot was over?” Arthur’s tone was laced with anxiety. “It’s not going to punish Leo or Chloe, is it?” Leo covered his mouth, his big eyes darting around. “I-I take back what I just said!” I waited a moment. Seeing that neither father nor son had any intention of showing concern for me, I suddenly laughed. “No, it won’t,” I said, a bitter smile on my lips. “Also, Leo, happy birthday.” “Your birthday present is your freedom.” I immediately abandoned any thought of repairing the plot. I just had to wait out the seven days for the failure, and then I would be forcibly extracted. 4 Arthur truly couldn’t wait a single second. He completely bypassed the mandatory thirty-day “cooling-off” period for divorce and went straight to litigation. After getting the final divorce decree, I packed a few clothes. As I was about to leave the Sterling mansion, I couldn’t help but ask Leo, “Leo, if you never see Mommy again after today… will you be sad?” Leo was playing with his blocks and didn’t even look up. “Mommy, why are you starting this again?!” “You used that exact same line to chase Auntie Chloe away and force Daddy to stay with you! Are you trying to force me now too?!” My entire body went rigid. Right. I was the one who told them that if the plot deviated too much, I would die. But I never told them that if the plot became completely illogical, this entire world would cease to exist. Because of that, the Host and the characters were supposed to rely on each other to survive. But I didn’t want to burden Arthur and Leo, so I kept that part a secret. “Leo… I’m sorry. Mommy won’t say it again,” I said softly. “But… Mommy is truly going to disappear.” “You’re so annoying!” Leo suddenly grabbed a wooden block and hurled it at me. His little face was scrunched up in deep irritation. “Disappear! Disappear! Then just go disappear!” I couldn’t dodge in time. The block hit me squarely on the bridge of my nose. A flood of complex, agonizing emotions rushed over me all at once. Clutching my nose, I suddenly felt my body grow light. My five senses blurred for a fraction of a second. The plot had deviated again. I took a deep breath, reaching out to stroke Leo’s hair. He dodged my hand, moving to another spot to continue playing with his blocks. I sighed. “Fine. You have Chloe anyway. She’ll be with you.” Walking out of the Sterling estate, I stood by the curb waiting for a cab. A bright red sports car came roaring down the street. It slammed on the brakes right next to me. The window rolled down, revealing a face remarkably similar to mine, but far more vibrant and beautiful. It was Chloe. Arthur’s childhood sweetheart, the ‘white moonlight’ supporting character. Originally, as the substitute female lead, my role was to erase her influence and make Arthur fall in love with the real me. But obviously, I failed. Instead, I was completely played by their united front. “Elara, long time no see.” Chloe’s smile was arrogant and radiant. She flashed the massive pink, heart-shaped diamond on her finger. “Arthur and I are getting married the day after tomorrow. You have to come.” Seeing that familiar diamond, my heart skipped a beat. When I married Arthur, the plot required me to wear that exact pink diamond ring. But Arthur felt the ring didn’t suit me. I thought it was a trivial detail. So I broke the plot rule and wore the square-cut diamond he gave me instead. The very next day, I was hit with a plot penalty. I “accidentally” fell down the stairs and was bedridden for three months. I was so confused back then. It was just a minor descriptive deviation; the penalty shouldn’t have been that severe. Looking at it now, the pink diamond was definitely a crucial plot point. It wasn’t that the ring didn’t suit me. It was that I didn’t deserve it. “Congratulations,” I said coldly. A flash of blinding white light crossed my vision. That uncontrollable sensation of weightlessness hit me again. At this rate, I wouldn’t even need seven days. I’d be forcibly ripped from this world much sooner. “Arthur told me you were using that ‘disappearing’ threat again,” Chloe said mockingly. “But since the plot is over, don’t you think trying that trick now is a little too fake?” I ignored her. The plot deviation was irreversible anyway. This world was on the brink of annihilation. 5 Day Six of the countdown. I didn’t bother renting an apartment. Instead, I booked a luxury hotel suite, planning to just lie there and wait for the plot to collapse. “Plot monitoring is conducted solely from the Host’s perspective.” The System’s notification pinged suddenly. I watched the news about Arthur’s upcoming wedding on TV and gave a noncommittal “Mhm.” I turned off the TV and opened my phone. The gossip blogs were flooded with pictures of their sickeningly sweet, smiling faces. He must feel incredibly guilty to want the entire world to witness how he was making it up to her. “Therefore, the Host must personally witness the wedding of Arthur and Chloe for this System to accurately assess the degree of plot deviation.” I blinked and sat up straight. No wonder I hadn’t felt that weightless sensation all day. “System, do you ever think you’re fundamentally bugged?” I asked helplessly. The System was silent for a moment. “This System will submit an application for an upgrade.” “However, if it weren’t for this bug, given your… capabilities, Host, it would have been impossible for you to reach the end of the plotline.” I choked on the System’s bluntness. “You…” “Host, please witness the plot event as soon as possible,” the mechanical voice said, carrying a hint of what sounded almost like pity. “You will be extracted from this world very soon.” Day Five of the countdown. I wore a simple, elegant white dress to attend Arthur’s wedding. The ceremony was held on a pristine white sand beach. The weather was clear, the ocean breeze gentle. The venue was transformed into a sea of flowers; even the aisle was carpeted with pink petals. The System, worried I might be harassed, suggested I wear a mask and sunglasses to disguise myself. I smiled and declined. I found a crystal chair near the front and sat down, waiting for the ceremony to begin. From this angle and distance, I would have a crystal-clear view of Arthur and Chloe’s expressions. “Host, actually, you…” The System was unusually chatty today. I shook my head. “Don’t worry about me. Honestly, seeing how little they care about me, I feel relieved.” “Of course I’m sad, but I’m much more excited about my life when I get back.” Thinking about that, I grabbed a napkin from the table. With a few quick folds, I created a little teddy bear. “Look. Whenever my daughter threw a tantrum back home, I would quickly fold one of these little bears to cheer her up.” “Thank goodness I haven’t forgotten how to do it.” I held the little bear up, inspecting it from different angles. Behind me, a familiar, sweet little voice rang out: “Mommy, why are you here?” I turned around and saw Leo dressed in an adorable pageboy tuxedo. He was holding a flower basket. Inside the basket rested a pink velvet ring box. Instinctively, I wanted to reach out and hug him. My hand extended, then I forcefully pulled it back. Leo’s expression was incredibly defensive. He clutched the flower basket tightly, his childish words cutting deep: “Are you here to try and break up Daddy and chase Auntie Chloe away again?!” Everyone around us immediately turned to stare. I smiled. “You misunderstood, Leo. Auntie Chloe invited Mommy to attend her and Daddy’s wedding.” Leo froze for a second. He clearly didn’t expect me to say that. Scratching his head, he noticed the little bear in my hand. “Mommy, what’s that?” He reached out to grab it. I dodged his hand and gently pushed him away. “Leo, this isn’t your toy. You can’t just take it.” Leo’s eyes went wide. He dropped the flower basket on the ground and lunged at me stubbornly. “Mommy, I want to play with that!” I held the little bear high, but it was suddenly snatched from my hand. I looked up. Arthur, looking immaculate in his tailored suit, had silently appeared behind me. He gripped the little bear, inspecting it. He looked down at me. “Elara, these pathetic little tricks won’t win Leo over. It’s useless.”

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1 Ever since I was in my mother’s womb, I’d been fed a steady diet of tragic romance novels, which, predictably, left me with a severe case of paranoia at birth. While other girls gushed about pretty dresses, I’d be crawling in the shadows with my action camera and voice recorder, convinced someone was trying to photograph up my skirt. When others flirted with their crushes, I’d be signing up for every debate club imaginable, fearing I wouldn’t be sharp enough to win an argument. My tongue, they said, could strip paint. Yet, by the time I turned sixteen, the villainess destined to wrong me remained elusive. My parents, kind and gentle; my classmates, endearingly foolish; my teachers, caring and dedicated. I was starting to think I was just plain crazy. Then, they arrived. My biological parents, pulling up in a luxurious car. A beautiful socialite, my birth mother, wept dramatically as she claced me to her chest, but not without protectively clutching the arm of the girl beside her—the imposter daughter. “Darling, from now on, Serena will be your sister. You two must get along beautifully.” Serena, the imposter, offered a sweet smile and agreed. But on her very first day back at the mansion, she slyly slipped a necklace into my pocket, then accused me of being a thief. Her tears flowed like a summer rain, her cries utterly heartbreaking. As everyone’s eyes narrowed in disgust and their voices sharpened with accusations, I, brimming with a strange excitement, calmly pulled out my three action cameras. “Alright, everyone! Let’s review this frame by frame!” … The entire Blackwell family stood dumbfounded. Serena, the imposter daughter, gripped her hands tightly, her eyes wide with disbelief as she stared at my three action cameras. “Th-this, what is this…?” “Oh, just all the footage I’ve recorded since stepping foot into the Blackwell estate,” I chirped, a triumphant glint in my eye. I eagerly grabbed one of the cameras, scrolling through the recordings of my time alone with Serena. “Don’t worry, I’ve got multiple angles. Every detail is captured.” Serena’s face drained of color. Before I could even fast-forward to the relevant timestamp, my cheapskate older brother, Mark Blackwell, scowled. “That’s enough!” he snapped. “Lynn, if you stole it, you stole it. Are you trying to imply Serena framed you? I watched Serena grow up; I know her character better than anyone!” A classic line. I spared him a quick, appreciative glance, then swiftly dragged the video timeline to the exact moment Serena slipped the necklace into my pocket. In the video, Serena held her head high, her face a mask of disdain. “Lynn, don’t think just because you’re a Blackwell by blood that you’re special. Mom, Dad, and Mark—they’ll always prefer me!” “I have a million ways to get rid of you from this family…” “Right here!” I exclaimed, pausing the video. On screen, Serena’s hand hovered by my pocket, a dazzling ruby peeking from between her fingers. I zoomed in, thrusting the magnified image before each Blackwell family member. “See, everyone! Is this enough to prove my innocence?” My birth parents, Mr. and Mrs. Blackwell, were speechless, their gazes flitting between me and the screen with a complex mix of emotions. Mark stared at Serena, utterly bewildered. Seeing the silence, I quickly broke it. “What’s with the quiet? Just tell me, does this video prove I didn’t steal anything?” I turned to Serena. “Serena, since they’re not talking, why don’t you share a few words? Perhaps enlighten us on your thought process for framing me?” Serena’s face was ashen, tears streaming down her cheeks. “I, I didn’t…” Before I could hear anything more, she swayed weakly, then gracefully fainted. My parents and brother, who moments ago were frozen in place, rushed to catch her. “Serena! Serena!” “Quick! Get the car to the hospital!” I, too, hurried over, poking her. “Hey, don’t pass out yet! You haven’t given your confession speech! Finish that, then you can faint.” Mark glared at me, his eyes blazing with fury. “Lynn, are you only satisfied when you’ve turned this family upside down? Serena has fainted, and you’re still tormenting her! Do you have any humanity at all?” I rolled my eyes. “Finding that video was hard work, you know. You haven’t even apologized. Do you have any humanity?” But his ears seemed deaf. He scooped up Serena and rushed out without a backward glance. Whatever. I stretched contentedly, packing away my action cameras. First battle at the Blackwells’—victory! 2 Serena spent three days convalescing ‘weakly’ in the hospital. Mom, Dad, and Mark were all by her side, while I, the newly discovered biological daughter, couldn’t even get a glimpse of them. But I didn’t care one bit. I directed the butler to install cameras in every corner of the mansion, especially in high-risk areas like the staircases. The butler looked utterly bewildered. “Miss Lynn, is Blackwell Manor a particularly dangerous place?” I simply smiled, saying nothing, just insisting on more cameras. On the third day after the camera installation, Serena finally returned from the hospital, looking delicately frail. She leaned into Mom’s embrace, a smug satisfaction twinkling in her eyes. As Mom went to fetch her some water, Serena lifted her chin, ready to unleash a barrage of passive-aggressive remarks. But then, I casually pointed to the ten cameras surrounding us, and she instantly fell silent. Thanks to the watchful eyes of the cameras, I enjoyed a remarkably peaceful afternoon. At dinner, my parents, Mark, and Serena—all of whom I hadn’t seen in ages—gathered together. My parents dished out a spoonful of food for Serena, then for me. “Lynn, darling, Serena is actually a very pure and kind child. It’s just that your sudden return made her feel insecure, which led her to do such things. Your father and I have already spoken to her, and Serena has promised it won’t happen again.” “Can you forgive her?” I was too busy shoveling food into my mouth to answer. They exchanged hesitant glances, then looked around at the cameras peppered across the dining room. “These… are they really necessary?” I quickly swallowed my mouthful and spoke. “Why wouldn’t they be necessary? Do Mom and Dad have something to hide?” Faced with my innocent query, they stammered and hesitated. Seeing this, Mark slammed his bowl onto the table. “Lynn, what is the meaning of this? Is this how your family taught you? No manners at all!” I looked at him, genuinely puzzled. “Does that mean you have something to hide?” Mark spluttered. “What are you talking about? I just can’t stand you targeting Serena.” I feigned understanding. “Oh, so it’s she who has something to hide.” Serena began to weep dramatically, while Mark cursed under his breath. Seeing that they had no further objections, I calmly lowered my head and resumed eating. As I was finishing up, my parents called out to me again. “Lynn, we’ve transferred you to Kingston Academy. Serena is also at that school. Tomorrow, she can introduce you to her friends.” Ah, here it comes! The crucial plot point every imposter daughter must experience! I suppressed the surge of excitement, nodding calmly. The next day, as soon as I opened the car door, Serena shot me a furious glare, her voice low and menacing. “Lynn, Kingston Academy is my territory. If I let you off easy, I’m not a Blackwell.” Seeing my look of utter surprise, she puffed out her chest, triumphant. “Scared, aren’t you? If you’re scared, then get out of the Blackwell house!” “But you’re not a Blackwell by blood, anyway.” Serena’s face twisted in rage. She snarled, “You’ll regret this!” before storming out of the car. I followed her, stepping out and gazing at the grand, imposing academy before me. A thrill of excitement pulsed through me. All these years! I’d painstakingly researched ways for victims of melodrama to fight back. But my kind teachers and foolishly sweet classmates made me feel like a lunatic. Now, finally, I had found my calling! Indeed, heaven-sent talents must have their purpose—and there were always schemers trying to get me! With genuine exhilaration, I adjusted my backpack straps and strode confidently through the main gate! 3 My parents had already arranged everything; Serena and I weren’t in the same class. Yet, as I expected, a subtle hostility lurked in my new classmates’ eyes. So, while the homeroom teacher introduced me, I unzipped my backpack, revealing hundreds of copies of paternity test results I’d printed yesterday. Three sets. One confirming Serena’s biological ties to her birth father. One confirming my biological ties to my birth father, and another with my birth mother. Driven by a scientific, rigorous, and utterly bulletproof approach, I enthusiastically handed them out to every student. “Hello, everyone! My name is Lynn Blackwell. I’m the real daughter of the Blackwell family, recently found after being swapped at birth. I’m not a love child, nor a poor relative from the countryside. I’m the biological daughter who was switched by Serena’s birth mother and then abandoned in a trash can during a snowstorm, in case anyone was wondering.” “I hold a black belt in Taekwondo and am fairly proficient in hand-to-hand combat. However, I am inherently gentle and kind by nature, and I hope we can all get along well.” Amidst the kaleidoscope of expressions on my classmates’ faces, I calmly took my assigned seat. “Oh, and by the way, if anyone is curious or wants to share the DNA test results with a friend, feel free to grab a copy from me anytime!” After the first class, whispers about me filled the room. I ignored them, my head down, focused on my work. After the second class, delicate Serena finally arrived with her two lackeys. She stood by my desk, her voice steeped in theatrical sorrow, loud enough for everyone to hear. “Sister, Mom and Dad asked me to look after you. Are you getting used to things here, coming from your country school?” “I won’t dwell on you putting me in the hospital a few days ago. Can we please stop targeting each other from now on?” She finished with a perfectly pitiful expression. Her two sidekicks, indignantly, chimed in. “Serena, you’re just too kind! How can a poor relative staying in your house bully you? And even try to steal your things!” “What ‘poor relative’? For all we know, she could be a love child!” “Serena, let us teach her a lesson for you!” They angrily moved to confront me, then suddenly noticed the eerie silence in the classroom. This group of students, usually at the peak of their gossiping and righteousness, offered no support. Everyone stared at the three of them with a look of utter bewilderment, as if watching clowns perform. Serena, sensing something was off, said, “Lynn, Mom said you picked up many bad habits in the countryside. Could it be you lied to everyone on your first day? Everyone, I apologize on behalf of my sister if she said anything strange.” Her lackeys were fuming. “Why apologize for her, Serena? How can you be so kind?” “Hey, peasant, get up and apologize to our Miss Serena, or else!” In the suffocating silence, my desk-mate finally couldn’t take it anymore. She picked up one of the paternity reports I’d handed out. “Um… maybe you guys should read this before continuing your performance?” The three paternity reports utterly shattered the facade of righteousness on the lackeys’ faces. “So you’re not the real Blackwell daughter! You’re a liar!” Serena burst into tears and ran off, leaving a classroom full of intrigued students. That evening, Serena was still crying. She’d stormed out of school right after classes, leaving the driver to wait for me, and driven herself home. I, without hesitation, called Mr. and Mrs. Blackwell, their secretary, and their driver—every contact I had. I told them Serena had abandoned me at the school gates, that I couldn’t find my way home. I warned that if a Blackwell car didn’t appear in ten minutes, I’d hang myself from the school gate and shout for all the world to hear that the Blackwells were so broke they couldn’t even afford transport for their child, shaming them all. Within ten minutes, Mr. Blackwell’s driver sped over to pick me up. Mom was hugging the weeping Serena, her face etched with heartache, while a furious Mark charged at me, ready to demand an explanation. “Lynn, didn’t I warn you not to bully Serena? Why did you tell everyone Serena isn’t a Blackwell by blood?” I looked at him, genuinely puzzled. “But… is she a Blackwell by blood?” “It was her mother’s doing! She’s innocent!” “But… is she a Blackwell by blood?” Mark, cornered, pointed a trembling finger at me. “So what? Our bond isn’t something blood can replace! The only sister I acknowledge is Serena!” I stared at him and Serena for a long moment, then my face broke into an expression of dawning realization. Seeing that look, Mark’s face twisted in alarm. “What… what do you mean by that?” “I’ve always wondered why you didn’t care about your real sister, who was swapped at birth and nearly froze to death in a snowstorm. Instead, you constantly defended a girl who’d enjoyed my life for over a decade. I used to think you were just crazy, but now, hearing you say ‘our bond isn’t something blood can replace,’ I finally understand.” Mark’s face registered a flicker of panic. He lunged to cover my mouth, but I was faster. “It’s love, isn’t it?!” 4 Mark’s face flushed a deep crimson, like a bruised plum. “What are you talking about?” “What else could it be? It’s not like you’re actually heartbroken for a girl who stole sixteen years of my privileged life, just to ensure she continues enjoying it, while simultaneously hating me, your real sister, right?” “Anyway, since you two aren’t related by blood, go ahead and fall in love! I totally support it!” On the sofa, Mom, who moments ago had been clinging to Serena, looked as though my words had jolted her. Her trembling hands slowly released Serena. She cast a suspicious glance between Mark and Serena. Mark recoiled, wanting to put eight hundred feet between himself and Serena. “I’m not! I didn’t! I really didn’t!” I leisurely took a sip of tea, pressing my advantage. “If you didn’t, you wouldn’t be questioning your real sister over your imposter sister.” Mark fell silent, his anger extinguished. He mumbled something unintelligible and fled. The next few days were peaceful. Perhaps due to my outburst, the Blackwell parents looked at Serena with a newfound scrutiny. Mark, meanwhile, actively avoided her. My classmates at school were also surprisingly well-behaved. Just as I was starting to fret over the dullness of life, Serena and my birthdays arrived. Mom and Dad announced they would host a joint birthday and official recognition party, formally announcing my identity as the Blackwell family’s second daughter and restoring my rightful surname. As everyone knows, in any novel, a party is always a pivotal event! I charged all my action cameras, then scouted the party venue in advance. Drawing on all the imposter-daughter melodramas I’d ever read, I designed a little surprise—just for Serena. On the day of the party, Serena was immediately surrounded by a flock of socialites, who occasionally shot me contemptuous and mocking glances. I walked straight over to them. “Are you talking about me?” “Do you need me to get you a microphone?” They seemed surprised by my direct approach, their faces flushing with embarrassment. Serena offered her signature sweet smile. “Sister, we were just discussing this year’s jewelry collection from Chaumet. Oh, right, I forgot you grew up in the countryside and probably haven’t heard of it.” A ripple of laughter went through the group. Serena covered her mouth, as if realizing her faux pas. “Sister, it’s almost our turn to go on stage. Shall we go find Mom?” The butler appeared at that moment, escorting us to the second floor. “Madam was chatting with some ladies and accidentally spilled something on her gown. She’s currently changing on the second floor.” I adjusted the action camera clipped to my gown, following them. The butler led us to a room and then left. On the table lay Mother’s gown, and inside the room, there seemed to be nothing that could be used to frame me. Only then did I step inside. But as soon as I entered, my legs suddenly felt weak. From behind, Serena pressed an ether-soaked cloth over my nose. “You bitch, didn’t expect this, did you? I’m not trying to frame you—I’d never fall into the same trap twice!” My eyes widened. My body went limp as I collapsed to the floor. Serena’s voice was filled with venom. “Why didn’t you just die out there? Why come back and steal my parents and brother? Because of you, Mom and Dad are now distant from me!” “I’ve had someone hack all the surveillance on this floor. You’re never going to be seen again.” Just then, a woman pushing a hotel cleaning cart emerged from the inner room. Together, they stuffed me into a trash bin, then clamped the lid shut. The last sliver of light vanished into darkness. My limbs were weak, my consciousness hazy, as I was curled into a ball and crammed into the trash can. “The truck is ready,” Serena said, her eyes gleaming with malice. “My instructions are simple: sell her as far away as possible. I want her to spend the rest of her life in some remote mountain village, bearing children for old men! Understand?” “Lynn, this is the life you deserve.” The trash bin was quietly wheeled out of the room. The stench of garbage mingled with the rumble of a truck engine. I heard someone open the truck’s cargo bay. The truck started gently, pulling away from the hotel. Inside the brightly lit hotel, a voice seemed to announce, “Please welcome Serena to the stage.” Curled up in the trash bin, I secretly curved my lips into a smile. “Serena, happy birthday.” “Live broadcast starting now!”

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After my family went bankrupt, I took a desperate risk and drugged my lifelong nemesis. Suddenly, I could hear his inner thoughts: [Baby is so cute. Her hands were literally shaking when she spiked my drink just now.] [Hiss~ Baby is so petite. I don’t know if she’ll be able to handle the next few hours.] [Because later, even if Baby cries and begs me, I’m not going to stop…] I froze in the doorway. Laying on the bed, Carter’s face was flushed. He tugged at his collar, looking extremely uncomfortable, yet glaring at me with eyes as cold as ice: “It’s so hot. Chloe, what the hell did you just give me to drink?” At the exact same time, an avalanche of his inner thoughts flooded my mind: [Baby likes the forced-proximity trope. I need to act more reserved.] [Baby’s waist is so tiny. I want to hold her.] [Baby’s hands are so small. I want to kiss them.] [Baby’s legs are so pale. If I put them on my shoulders…] I was absolutely terrified. “You sick pervert, stay away from me! AHHHH!” 1 Carter and I had been mortal enemies since we were kids. If I skipped class, he reported me. If I dated someone, he took pictures and showed my parents. And vice versa. If he got into a fight, I snitched on him. My name is Chloe Vance, but he gave me the nickname “Chloe Cat.” In return, I just called him “Carter the Dog.” But today, I suddenly discovered that my lifelong nemesis… Might actually have a massive crush on me? 2 I backed away to the hotel room door, gripping the handle, planning to make a run for it. Carter grabbed my wrist, spun me around, and pinned me against the door. You don’t really notice it when he’s just being his usual lazy self, but when he invades your personal space like this, his entire aura becomes incredibly dangerous. I heard him let out a soft “Tsk.” “Chloe Cat, what are you running for? That glass of water at the banquet earlier… you’re the one who gave it to me, right?” It was true. I did give it to him. If my family hadn’t suddenly gone bankrupt, I never would have taken the insane risk of drugging my worst enemy. Honestly, right as I was handing him the glass, I regretted it. But he snatched it right out of my hand and downed it in one gulp. Almost like he couldn’t wait. With no other choice, I brought him to this hotel, figuring I could at least snap some compromising photos and blackmail him. But I never expected him to actually like me. And I definitely never expected him to be such a pervert! AHHHH! My eyes darted around guiltily, but I forced myself to stay calm: “How can you accuse me of something like that? I was just worried you’d get too drunk, so out of the goodness of my heart, I poured you a glass of water. And this is how you repay me…” “And now you’re being so mean to me! I’m so scared~~” Gag. I was literally making myself nauseous with this fake, whiny baby voice. Let’s see if this grosses him out! Sure enough, Carter frowned deeply. I felt a surge of joy. I knew it! How could my nemesis possibly like me? I definitely just hallucinated all that mind-reading stuff. But the very next second, I heard his thoughts again: [How is it possible that even when she’s acting whiny she’s this cute?! I want to kiss her to death. I want to lock her up so I’m the only one who ever gets to see her.] Me: … So apparently this counts as being cute to you?! I was feeling completely disoriented. He raised an eyebrow, a smirk playing on his lips, and asked in an almost seductive tone: “I feel so uncomfortable… Chloe Cat, won’t you help me?” As he said this, his voice grew husky, and he guided my hand downwards. My hand, trapped in his grip, was pulled along, lifting the hem of his shirt. Revealing a solid, well-defined six-pack. I quickly looked away, chanting internally: Form is emptiness, emptiness is form. (A Buddhist mantra to suppress desire). Yet my hand betrayed me, instinctively feeling around a bit more. His body was actually… incredibly nice… Sleeping with him… maybe wouldn’t be such a bad deal for me either? Just as I was about to succumb to temptation and surrender completely, a flurry of footsteps echoed from the hallway outside. The sound grew closer, and it clearly wasn’t just one person. Carter froze slightly. Perfect opportunity! I snapped out of it and forcefully shoved him away. 3 “Carter? Are you in this room? Are you okay?” A hesitant, questioning voice accompanied a knock on the door. I recognized that voice. It was Sarah, my ex-fiancé’s new fiancée, and also an underclassman from Carter’s department at university. I remember clearly: a month ago, right after my family went bankrupt, my ex-fiancé, Noah, couldn’t wait to cancel our engagement and publicly announce his relationship with Sarah. He had completely forgotten that without the Vance family’s backing, an illegitimate son like him would never have been able to gain a foothold and build his own power amidst the ruthless infighting of his wealthy family. I didn’t try to force him to keep the engagement. I only hoped that, for the sake of the support the Vance family had given him in the past, he might lend a hand and help us out of our crisis. Instead, he held Sarah in his arms and mocked me without any attempt to hide his disdain: “Who needs the Vance family’s help? Back then, your family was the one desperately throwing themselves at me. Sarah is kind and gentle; she is the one I truly love.” Then, he publicly announced his relationship with Sarah, leaving me standing there, enduring the mockery of everyone present. When a tree falls, the monkeys scatter. When a wall starts to crumble, everyone pushes. I understood that perfectly now. If it weren’t for that, I wouldn’t have been desperate enough to try and seduce my worst enemy. But I had no idea what Sarah was doing here. Trying to catch us in the act? After all, rumor had it that Carter confessed his feelings to her in college and was rejected, and ever since, the word on the street was that he was hopelessly, unrequitedly in love with her. No wonder he and Noah had been bitter rivals for so many years. Even if he supposedly liked me now, who knew if seeing his “first love” again would reignite old feelings? Plus, looking at Carter’s current condition… I seriously doubted if I could actually handle him. Running away was definitely the best strategy. 4 I quietly crept toward the door handle. I had just opened it a crack when, completely unexpectedly, the person next to me slammed it shut with a loud BANG. Carter scooped me up, pinning me against the door. His breathing had grown significantly heavier, and he was panting slightly. Crap. The drug is definitely kicking in. No, wait. More accurately, the drug should have kicked in ages ago. Carter was just too good at holding it together, enduring it until now. But… could I really handle him like this? I couldn’t help but swallow hard. I should definitely run. “Help, mmmph…” I kicked my legs frantically. Completely unprepared, he tilted my chin up and kissed me aggressively. He kissed me fiercely and urgently, as if trying to merge my entire body into his. The knocking on the door outside grew louder: “Carter, are you in there?” It was Sarah. She was probably drawn by the sound of Carter slamming the door. “Carter, you absolute motherf—…” I started cursing him out. But the next second, my mouth was blocked again. [Baby tastes so sweet. Kiss, kiss, kiss.] [What’s this? It’s my wife. Kiss her. What’s this? It’s my wife. Kiss her again. What’s this? It’s my wife. Kiss her again and again.] Me: … The knocking outside grew even louder, and if you listened closely, it sounded a bit frantic. “Chloe Vance, are you in that room?! What have you done to Carter?!” “Carter, are you okay?! Open the door quickly!” Separated only by a single door. Inside, Carter and I were entangled in a desperate struggle; outside, Sarah and her group were pounding on the door like maniacs. The BANG BANG sound got louder and louder. I suspected they were going to break the door down soon. I heard Carter’s inner voice. [So annoying. Do these people have zero self-awareness? Why do they have to interrupt me and Baby?] [I am so sick of this Sarah girl. Every time I go looking for Baby, she’s always right there, making passive-aggressive comments and trying to frame Baby.] [Looks like I need to put some pressure on the Hayes family so Noah keeps a tighter leash on his little mistress, instead of letting her run around causing trouble because she has too much free time.] Huh? So he doesn’t actually like Sarah? I could feel them literally kicking the door outside now. The next second, Carter just pulled the door open. 5 Camera lenses and flashing lights hit us immediately. He pressed the back of my head, burying my face in his chest. Ugh, kill me now. The social death is so severe I can never show my face in public again. Carter’s eyes were dark, his tone instantly dropping below freezing: “Is there a problem?” Sarah had several people trailing behind her, both men and women. And… a group of reporters. They were all staring at us, dumbfounded. They had all come because Sarah told them Chloe Vance had drugged Carter, hoping to catch a good show and mock the bankrupt heiress. But looking at the situation now, it seemed like they had arrived at the absolute worst time, interrupting the “Crown Prince’s” intimate moment. Rumor had it that this guy… didn’t have the best temper. Who knew if he was going to completely lose it? They instinctively backed up a few steps, leaving only Sarah standing in the front. Sarah composed herself and bit her lip slightly: “I just saw Ms. Vance… it looked like she poured a packet of white powder into your glass. I was really worried about your safety, Carter, so I followed you to check…” “But looking at it now, it seems I’ve just caused trouble for you.” After delivering her pitiful little speech, she lowered her eyelashes, looking wronged as she stared at the floor. Carter’s eyes were cold, his voice deep: “At least you know.” He choked off whatever Sarah was going to say next right in her throat. Sarah looked up, staring at him in sheer disbelief. Someone in the back couldn’t stand it anymore and rushed forward. “Carter, don’t go too far! Sarah only brought us here because she was worried about you! And instead of appreciating it, you’re standing here lecturing her?!” I instinctively looked up. Carter tightened his grip, pressing me firmly against his chest. Still angry, I secretly punched him in the chest. I didn’t notice, but a faint smirk touched the corners of his lips. Faced with the guy’s accusation, he just replied indifferently: “None of your damn business.” He caught my thrashing hands. And lazily lifted his eyelids. “However, I feel obligated to remind Ms. Sarah that making a massive public spectacle by bringing a mob to my hotel room and attempting to break down my door constitutes a severe invasion of my privacy and defamation of character. Tell your fiancé that we might be seeing each other in court. Best of luck.” Without giving anyone a chance to react, he slammed the door shut. 6 “Hey, Carter…” He let go of me and rushed straight into the bathroom. Then, the sound of the shower running echoed through the room. I suddenly felt incredibly guilty. The person who gave me the drug had guaranteed that the effects were incredibly potent and the results absolutely undeniable. He had held it in for so long; he must be in agony. This feeling of guilt lasted until he finally came out, and I heard his inner voice: [If I knew the drug was this strong, I wouldn’t have given her this specific one.] [But thankfully, she actually believed what I told her and chose to drug me to seduce me! Chloe Cat really does just want my body!] I stood frozen in place. When I made the decision to drug him, it was actually because an online friend encouraged me to do it. I got the drug from him, too. He even helped me formulate a detailed plan, afraid I might mess it up. Since I was never the sharpest tool in the shed to begin with, I just obediently followed his instructions. At the time, I even thought, Wow, this guy is really nice! But looking at it now, the whole thing was orchestrated and directed by him, and I completely wasted 50,000 bucks! “CARTER!” I was absolutely furious. Gritting my teeth. I charged forward and tackled him to the floor: “You! Evil! Dog!” “Give! Me! Back! My! Fifty! Grand!” His body went completely stiff. “What 50 grand?” [There’s no way she figured it out, right?] [How could she? With the IQ of someone who spends $100 to buy three roses when they cost $30 each?] … I seriously wanted to curse him out. Why did he have to throw in personal insults?! I glared at him, trying to find some hint of guilt or remorse in his eyes. But unfortunately, there was none. He was still playing dumb. … Forget it. Drugging him was wrong of me in the first place. Might as well take a step back. This was the perfect opportunity to exploit his obsessive crush. 7 I took a deep breath and spoke slowly: “Ahem. Carter, bringing you to this hotel on my own was my mistake. But you forcefully kissed me… you tarnished my innocence. You owe me compensation for emotional distress.” “Not a lot. A million dollars is fine.” I looked at him expectantly. Carter, however, intentionally dragged out his words, acting incredibly nonchalant. “But my money—is only for my girlfriend to spend.” His wet, short hair hung over his forehead, obscuring those incredibly captivating, soul-stealing eyes. “If you want the money, why don’t you—” “Deal! I accept!” I cut him off. Hilarious. Even though I always treated him like a pesky little brother, who would say no to money? Once I became his girlfriend, I would leverage his obsessive crush to mercilessly extract cash from him. Carter smiled and shook his head. “Hold on. I don’t think I’ve agreed yet.” [They say you love what you can’t have, and you ignore what comes too easily.] [If I agree to her terms this easily, she’ll definitely think I’m cheap, and what if she gets bored of me right away?] Me: “…Then what do you want to do?” Carter sat on the sofa, slowly and methodically unbuttoning his shirt, revealing his pale, exquisite collarbones. “How about this? Why don’t you try seducing me first?” 8 But why did it feel like he was the one seducing me? I took a deep breath, turned around, and pretended to leave: “Never mind then.” Carter grabbed me. “How about this? One hug, 100 grand. One kiss, 500 grand.” I raised an eyebrow. “What? Are you trying to be my sugar daddy?” Carter quickly looked away, the tips of his ears turning red. “Just a method to humiliate you.” He forced a stiff, unnatural smile onto his face, looking incredibly punchable. “After all, you hate me so much. The more uncomfortable you are, the happier I am.” Is that so? Because I could hear his thoughts perfectly clearly: [Stupid mouth, I command you, if you don’t know how to speak properly, shut up!] [Waaah, offering her money is just a tactic to make Baby stay with me~] I stepped closer, poking his collarbone repeatedly with my finger. Carter’s Adam’s apple bobbed heavily. A rare look of helplessness flashed in his eyes, making him look incredibly alluring. His chest rose and fell slightly. I tilted my head. And offered an innocent smile. “Carter, I’m just curious… is your mouth the only hard thing on your entire body?” Is it really that hard to admit you like me? Carter grabbed my hand, flipped our positions, and pinned me beneath him. His voice was magnetic, laced with a hint of huskiness: “There’s another place that’s also very hard. Do you want to test it out?” 9 “No thanks.” I expressionlessly kneed him in the leg. He winced in pain and let me go. “Chloe Cat, why do you kick so hard?” I rolled my wrists, expressionlessly leaned over, and gave him a quick hug. “I accept your offer. But the price goes up.” 200 grand for a hug. But we can skip the kissing. “Hurry up, transfer the money.” I rushed him. My phone rang, reminding me that the time for my job interview was approaching. I sent a message to HR, telling them I wouldn’t be attending the interview. But I still put on a show of grabbing my purse and pretending to leave. Carter stopped me. “Where are you going?” “Job interview.” I waved my phone at him. Even if he was my sugar daddy, my family’s massive debt couldn’t be paid off overnight. So, before I drugged him, I had made a few backup plans and arranged several job interviews in advance. “Come work at my company. I happen to need a secretary right now.” “…” “Free room and board, full benefits, a million-dollar annual salary, weekends off.” My eyes lit up, but I still feigned reluctance: “Ahem. Well, since you’re inviting me so sincerely, I guess I can force myself to accept.” I heard his pitiful inner voice. [She really only likes my money…] [But it’s fine. At least I can use my money to make her stay.]

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “391731”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

My roommate was obsessed with those trashy romance novels featuring rugged, blue-collar men. She actually brought a construction worker into our dorm room to sleep with him, and begged me not to tell anyone. I agreed. I didn’t tell a soul. I never expected her to turn around the very next day and report me for bringing a man into the dorm. She sold the video of them to a porn site, then “accidentally” sent it to our class group chat, claiming it was me working as a cam girl. I was doxxed, my entire family was harassed endlessly, and eventually, I jumped from a high-rise building. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the exact day my roommate brought that construction worker back for a one-night stand. 1 “Come on in!” Lily dragged a middle-aged man into our dorm room. The hems of his pants were caked in mud. Remembering the horrific tragedy of my past life, my entire body started shaking. I shoved her hard. She looked shocked. “Are you crazy?! Why did you push me for no reason?!” I snapped back: “You’re the crazy one! How dare you bring a strange man in here? I’m telling the RA!” Lily let go of the man’s arm and clamped her hand over my mouth. “You are so petty! Are you just jealous because I’m more attractive than you? I’m warning you, don’t you dare report me, or you’ll regret it!” The man, named Bob, let his greasy, disgusting gaze roam up and down my entire body. Noticing Bob checking me out, Lily immediately rolled her eyes. She clung to his arm tightly and snapped at me, “Don’t tell me you like him too! I’m not sharing him with you! He’s mine!” I laughed internally. Who the hell would want a guy like that? To prepare for tomorrow, I packed my things, getting ready to leave. As soon as I walked out the door, I frantically searched for the nearest electronics store and bought a hidden camera. I needed to be fully prepared for tonight’s show. I hope you don’t make my efforts go to waste. “Chloe, you’re back!” Lily’s attitude did a complete 180. She greeted me with a huge, fake smile. “Can I borrow that silk pajama set of yours? I really want to wear it tonight.” In this life, I caught the fleeting look of mockery flashing in her eyes. In my past life, after I refused, she stole those pajamas anyway, wore them to sleep with him, and then used them to pin the one-night stand rumor on me. So many people verified that the pajamas were mine, permanently nailing me to the cross of public humiliation as a cheap slut. It seems she did it all on purpose in our past life. I silently packed all my clothes into my wardrobe and locked the door tight. While the two of them were taking a joint shower, I installed the hidden camera in the corner pointing directly at Lily’s bed. That night, the bed creaked and groaned non-stop, but I felt like I had been reborn. 2 The next day happened to be the weekend. Bob had just swaggered out of our dorm room when the RA tried to catch him, but he managed to run away. The RA started screaming in the hallway, demanding to know which girl had zero self-respect and brought a man into the dorms to sleep with. All the girls peeked out of their rooms, covering their mouths in shock, exchanging bewildered looks. The RA’s own daughter had gone through a similar scandal before, so she absolutely despised girls who didn’t respect themselves. She was incredibly strict; even missing curfew resulted in a write-up, let alone bringing a man back to sleep in the dorm. Looking at the silent students, the RA roared furiously, “Who did this stupid thing?! Step forward right now, or the consequences will be ten times worse when I find out who it is!” Lily could barely stand. Her face was deathly pale. She had gotten away with hooking up in the bamboo grove and other places before. Why was her luck so bad this time? The next second, her eyes locked onto me. She quickly dragged me back into our room and dropped to her knees. “Chloe, I’m begging you! When she asks, just say he only came into our room to sleep, and nothing happened!” “You know that if I get caught messing around with guys, I’ll lose my scholarship!” She said the exact same thing in our past life, and I was soft-hearted enough to cover for her. And what did I get? She stabbed me in the back, claiming she was the one covering for me. I was spat on by everyone, bullied relentlessly by my classmates. The faceless video was attributed to me and uploaded to porn sites, and even sent to all our class group chats. Some of the construction workers near the school got my address and phone number from the doxxing, harassing me and my family constantly. I got on my knees and literally kowtowed to her, begging her to explain that she was the girl in the video, not me. Instead, she slapped me and kicked me in the kneecaps. “Who told you to be so stupid? I told you to help me and you just did it?! It’s hilarious. Don’t bother thanking me for making you famous, by the way!” My thoughts snapped back to the present. Our positions were reversed now. I looked down at the woman kneeling in front of me, a smirk playing on my lips, and nodded. “Okay. I promise you.” Lily froze for a few seconds, then hugged me tightly. But what she didn’t know was that I could see the malicious smile on her face perfectly clearly in the mirror. 3 Lily held my hand as we walked back out into the hallway. The RA was reviewing the security footage, her expression grim. The footage only showed the man leaving our room; the camera hadn’t caught him going in. Last night, Lily and I were the only two people in that room. Lily was stunned. She probably hadn’t expected the security camera, which had been broken forever, to suddenly be working again. She kept her head down in silence for a few seconds, then wiped her eyes. “Chloe, I can’t cover for you anymore.” “Ma’am, you have to help me! I warned her not to bring him in, but she wouldn’t listen.” “Ma’am, you know me. I always keep my head down and behave. How could I possibly bring a man back to the dorm?!” “I came from the honors program at a top high school. Why would I degrade myself over a man?” Her pathetic, victimized act won over quite a few supporters in the crowd. Even the RA looked at me with deep disgust. “Is it that guy who waits for you downstairs every day? How can you have so little self-respect?! Don’t you know a girl is supposed to save her first time for her husband?!” The RA’s eyes burned with fury, looking like she wanted to slap me on behalf of my parents. “What gives you the right to falsely accuse me? Everything requires evidence!” I faked a complete mental breakdown, pretending to reach for my pants. “Since you all suspect me, why don’t one of you examine me right now and see if I’ve been sleeping around?!” The crowd gasped and backed away. Lily didn’t dare take her clothes off, so she could only stammer that it wasn’t me. Her tearful, helpless appearance made everyone sympathize with her even more. I mimicked her exact tone and insisted it wasn’t me. Unexpectedly, that broke her facade. “Maybe he didn’t leave any marks on your body! What proof do you have that it wasn’t you?!” Hearing this, the crowd immediately agreed with her. It was time to end this farce. I pulled out my phone and opened the intense, x-rated video the hidden camera had recorded last night. “Here’s your proof. Satisfied?” 4 “Stop playing that! I’m going to report you for invading my privacy!” Lily’s face went ghost white. She lunged forward to grab my phone, but I tripped her, and she crashed heavily onto the floor. The video continued playing, the girl’s loud moans of pleasure echoing clearly down the entire hallway. The truth was undeniable. Seeing this absurd scene, the RA immediately declared she was calling our academic advisor. “Ma’am, please don’t tell the advisor! If you do, my scholarship will be ruined!” At a time like this, she was still worrying about her scholarship. Whether she’d even be allowed to stay in school was the real question. The crowd whispered among themselves, pointing fingers at Lily. It was obvious they were talking about her. Realizing the situation was completely unsalvageable, Lily’s eyes rolled back in her head, and she fainted. Blood actually started seeping through her pants. Panicking, the RA quickly notified the advisor and called an ambulance, which rushed Lily away. Outside the emergency room, the nurse frantically asked who Lily’s family members were. She was experiencing massive internal bleeding. It was a major surgery, and family consent was required before they could proceed. But who would dare take responsibility for the rest of her life? They could only wait for her family to arrive. Before her family got there, Lily woke up from the pain and signed the consent forms herself. The surgery was successful. A deathly pale Lily was wheeled out of the OR. “Seeing me like this, are you satisfied now?!” Lily’s eyes bulged, glaring at me with pure hatred, looking like she wanted to kill me with her stare alone. I didn’t understand her at all. Satisfied with what? That she had to get surgery? “Who told you to record a video?! If you hadn’t recorded it, who would have known it was me?! You ruined my life!” She frantically slammed one hand against the hospital bed while her other hand searched blindly for a weapon. But why the hell should I ruin my own reputation for her? “I didn’t force you to sleep with that construction worker! You falsely accused me first, and I just fought back! You only have yourself to blame!” With that, I left the hospital room, completely ignoring her screams echoing behind me. In the hallway, I ran straight into Lily’s parents, our academic advisor, and several classmates. This time, I had finally escaped the tragic ending of my past life. 5 The one-night stand scandal exploded across campus, the salacious details spreading like wildfire through word of mouth. When Lily was discharged from the hospital, she seemed like a completely different person. She wore a mask all day and kept her hair draped over her face so no one could see her clearly. Everyone was guessing who her hookup was. Most people assumed it must be someone with money, power, or incredible looks. I was the only one who knew the truth. The hookup was a sloppy, middle-aged construction worker. In my past life, I covered for her, only to be framed by her. Right up until the day I died, that construction worker never showed up once to clarify the truth. Everything I suffered was caused by the two of them. In this life, I had to find an opportunity to get my revenge. I never expected Lily to be this stupid. I followed her for just two days before catching her sneaking back to the construction site. I watched Lily and Bob arguing over her medical bills. They couldn’t reach an agreement and started physically fighting. “You’re the one who was so desperate for a man! Why would I say no to a free ride?! Get the hell out of here!” Bob sneered, full of mockery. Furious, Lily slapped Bob, and Bob immediately slapped her back. I pulled out my phone, recorded this pathetic dogfight, and posted it anonymously to the campus confession wall. Just as I reached the dorm entrance, I saw my boyfriend, Ethan, waiting for me downstairs. He was another heartless, backstabbing piece of garbage. In my past life, he only dated me for my family’s money. After the hookup scandal blew up, he dropped his attentive, loving act and joined the others in spreading rumors about me. Later, he got together with Lily and became an accomplice in the rumors that ultimately killed me. Thinking about this, my fists clenched tightly. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Lily walking back. I hugged Ethan and faked a kiss, using a clever angle to make it look real. Lily was clearly pissed off seeing me. As she walked past, she deliberately bumped into me hard. 6 After Lily had been gone for a bit, I faked a reluctant goodbye to Ethan and headed up to my dorm. Just as I reached for the door handle… A shrill, hysterical scream erupted from inside. “Who filmed me?! I’m suing you for invasion of privacy!” A smirk curled on my lips. Looks like she saw the video on the confession wall. I pushed the door open. Lily immediately noticed the smile on my face. She lunged forward, grabbed me by the throat, and snarled, “Chloe, why are you doing this to me?! What did I ever do to you?! Why are you targeting me?!” Hearing that, I couldn’t help but laugh out loud. “How do you even have the nerve to say that? Have you really done that little to me?” Using a self-defense move, I easily pinned her arms and lightly slapped her cheek with my other hand. “Do you need me to jog your memory? Falsely accusing me of bringing a man into the dorm for a one-night stand, embezzling the class funds, reporting to the teachers that we were ‘jealous’ of you!” “Tell me, what exactly are we jealous of? Your habit of sleeping through class? Your late-night gaming sessions? Or your terrible singing in the middle of the night?” Thinking about all her unhinged behavior, I tightened my grip. In a few seconds, Lily’s face turned bright red. She obviously hadn’t expected me to just rip the mask off completely. Her previously calculating eyes were now filled with pure hatred as she glared at me. The anonymous confession wall didn’t allow users to delete posts, and the video was already spreading everywhere. She could only throw a tantrum in the dorm, completely powerless to stop it. Right in front of her, I called our academic advisor and said I needed to talk to him about something important. I wanted to see exactly when she would make her move to get rid of me. I pretended I was hungry and went out to grab food. Watching the live feed on my phone as Lily went through every single bed in the dorm, I suddenly burst out laughing. It looked like she was finally making her move. Since you’re still this venomous, don’t blame me for showing no mercy. I gripped my phone tightly, laughing internally. 7 As soon as I got back to the dorm, Lily acted like nothing had happened, greeting me with a big smile. “Chloe, how was dinner? I know I was wrong, please forgive me!” “If you know you were wrong, then fix your behavior. I’m not forgiving you!” I sneered mockingly. “What kind of trick are you trying to pull now?” “It was all a misunderstanding! I want to give you a proper, sincere apology tomorrow.” Lily looked deeply apologetic and lowered her head. “But my reputation is ruined right now. Can we meet somewhere quiet? Like… the rooftop?” If I hadn’t been watching her expressions like a hawk, it would have been impossible to catch the flash of pure malice in her eyes. I pretended I didn’t see it and nodded reluctantly. “Since you put it that way, fine. The rooftop it is.” A gleam of dark joy flashed in Lily’s eyes. Without any hesitation, she said, “Great, see you on the rooftop tomorrow afternoon!” My heart turned ice cold. What on earth made Lily hate me so much that she was willing to commit murder? Was it the scholarship, or some other detail I had completely missed? The next afternoon, I went up early, set up my recording equipment, and went back downstairs. “Chloe, are you on the rooftop yet? I’m here, hurry up!” Lily’s text practically screamed how impatient she was to send me to my death. Since you have no humanity, don’t blame me for lacking loyalty. I headed back up to the rooftop, my heart pounding. The moment I stepped out, I saw Lily standing right by the edge of the railing, waving at me. “Lily, come away from there! It’s not safe by the railing.” I put on a show of genuine concern, signaling her to move closer to the center. I subtly checked the position of the camera to ensure I was clearly in the frame. “No, I’ve been in a really bad mood lately, I just want to feel the breeze and calm down. Come keep me company, Chloe!” Lily’s face was a mask of refusal, her tone alluring and persuasive. “Why should I stand over there with you? What if you push me off? I’d be dead!” I refused immediately, looking highly suspicious. “You…” Lily was clearly infuriated by my bluntness, but she quickly smoothed out her twisted expression. “How could you think of me like that? I just made a mistake in a moment of weakness. Why can’t you forgive me?!” “Think about it, haven’t I been good to you? I eat with you every day, I go out with you, I introduce you to my friends…” Lily tried to use everything she had supposedly done for me to guilt-trip me. I couldn’t hold back a laugh. She actually had the nerve to say that. Eating with her meant always deferring to her tastes; going out with her meant acting as her personal photographer all day; introducing me to friends meant she chatted with them while I stood awkwardly to the side… I pretended to be lost in nostalgic memories, a look of guilt appearing on my face. “Lily, I forgive you! You were so good to me, and I treated you like that!” I looked up and didn’t see a single ounce of remorse in her eyes—only absolute, cold resolve and disdain. I stepped forward. Lily grabbed my hand tightly and started reminiscing about our “happy” times together. “Remember during the team-building trip, how I encouraged you to go up on stage and show off your talents because you were so shy…” I cut her off: “How do you feel about me?” Her face was gentle, but in the blink of an eye, she shoved me violently toward the edge of the railing. “Go to hell!” I gripped the railing desperately with both hands, asking in agony, “Why do you hate me so much?! Was I not good to you?!” “It was always me pressing my hot face against your cold ass! Who do you think you are?! You dared to steal my scholarship! You got me caught having a one-night stand! Why wouldn’t you just take the fall for me?!” Lily’s face was twisted in demonic rage as she tried to pry my desperately clinging fingers off the railing one by one. Seeing my look of utter despair, Lily smiled. “Don’t worry, I already forged a suicide note for you. Just go die!” “HELP!” 8 “Lily! What are you doing?! I’m warning you, don’t do anything stupid!” Out of nowhere, several teachers and students were standing behind Lily. Lily froze in shock, but she had already pushed me over the edge. “How could you commit murder over something so petty?! Get ready for prison! I can’t believe our school produced such a morally bankrupt student!” The lead teacher immediately dialed 911. “Haha! You’re too late! Chloe is already dead! It doesn’t matter, taking someone down with me before I die is worth it.” “Are you talking about me?” I strolled casually through the rooftop door, looking at Lily with a smile. “Surprised to see me alive?” “How are you not dead…” Lily’s face was full of utter disbelief. Thanks to the experiences of my past life, this time, I showed the teachers and a few students the chat logs beforehand. I told the teachers I suspected Lily might suffer a mental breakdown and jump off the building because of everything that had happened recently. Of course, I phrased it all as an uncertainty. After all, I wasn’t a mind reader. The school proactively set up an inflatable rescue cushion at the bottom of the building to prevent a tragedy. The teachers had been waiting on standby in the classroom directly below, but they never expected to walk into an attempted murder instead. Lily realized it was completely over. She collapsed into a limp pile on the roof. She didn’t even react when people kicked her a few times. It wasn’t until the handcuffs clicked around her wrists that she finally snapped out of it. “This is all your fault! If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t be going to prison!” Highly agitated, Lily lunged forward trying to strangle me, but the police officers flanking her restrained her heavily. “Behave yourself!” Without making a sound, I mouthed the words: “Hope I never see you again!” My face was the perfect picture of deep regret that I couldn’t help my roommate fix her mistakes. The teachers and students crowded around to comfort me, telling me not to waste tears on an ungrateful snake. I dabbed at imaginary tears, playing the role of the heartbroken friend perfectly. Internally, I was overjoyed. In this life, I had finally escaped the fate of jumping to my death. 9 After watching Lily get shoved into the police car, I went to the hospital accompanied by a teacher to get checked for internal injuries. The exam showed I was fine, so the teacher and I went to the police station to give our statements. After giving my statement, I requested a visitation. As soon as I walked into the interrogation room, I was met with Lily’s bloodshot eyes and twisted, hateful face. “What? Here to laugh at me? You just got lucky this time! Next time won’t be the same!” Lily’s handcuffs rattled loudly as she practically tried to jump out of the interrogation chair. “But you lost. Attempted murder isn’t just a one-or-two-year sentence. Enjoy your rehabilitation in prison!” I ignored her screaming and walked out of the room. The video evidence I provided, the audio recording of her inviting me to the roof, and the teachers’ eyewitness testimonies were bulletproof. Her guilt for attempted murder was undeniable. Prison was practically guaranteed. Lily’s parents fell to their knees at my feet, begging me to forgive their daughter’s actions. “Please, be the bigger person and forgive my daughter! She’s just young and didn’t know any better! If necessary, I’ll go to prison for her!” Lily’s mother clung desperately to my leg, acting like she would never let go unless I forgave her. “Ma’am, your daughter is only small in stature, she’s not young in age anymore. Not everything can be forgiven. Please stop acting crazy!” I forcefully shook off her hands and backed up several steps, terrified she would grab me again. Lily’s father clearly didn’t expect me to be immune to their pathetic guilt trip. Ignoring the police officers trying to stop him, he dragged Lily right out of the interrogation room. “You stupid brat! We wasted all that money sending you to school! How could you do something so disgusting?!” As he spoke, he kicked Lily hard, then grabbed her by the hair and forced her to her knees in front of me. I backed up a few more steps, afraid they might completely lose their minds and stab me. “Apologize right now, you stupid brat!” With one hand viciously gripping her hair, her father used his other hand to force her head down to the floor in a kowtow. “Honey! What are you doing?!” Seeing this, Lily’s mother stopped crying on the floor, stood up next to me, and yelled angrily, “How can you be so cruel, little girl?! My daughter just made a mistake in a moment of weakness. Why won’t you forgive her?! We even kowtowed to you!” Sure enough, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Her parents kept urging her to apologize, but Lily just kept muttering that she wasn’t wrong, that I was the one in the wrong. Not a single word of remorse left her lips. She was only filled with rage that she hadn’t managed to kill me. I never had any intention of forgiving her. If you do something wrong, you have to face the consequences. No matter who you are. Her mother suddenly charged forward again, but this time, not at me, but at the teacher standing behind me. She demanded to know who had encouraged her daughter to sleep with him. Lily’s mother looked suspiciously at the male students in the group. One male student, feeling thoroughly creeped out, immediately shook his head and said loudly, “It wasn’t me! Your daughter slept with a construction worker! Don’t you dare falsely accuse me!” “Don’t talk nonsense! How could my daughter possibly sleep with someone like that?!” Lily’s mother immediately shot back. “If you don’t believe me, ask your daughter yourself. The video on the confession wall has been circulating everywhere,” the male student retorted, his face red with anger. Seeing how certain the student was, Lily’s mother froze, looking at him in total confusion. The student pulled up the video. The main characters in the video were undeniable. Lily’s mother cried and ran back to Lily, screaming, asking who the man was, saying she was going to go to the construction worker and demand an explanation. In that moment, I felt a bizarre surge of pity for her mother. A college student, supported by the entire family’s efforts, doing something so scandalous at school, completely humiliated the entire family. The attempted murder case became massive news at school, and rumors spread all over social media. Considering the severe trauma I suffered, the university granted me a month-long leave of absence. The verdict came down quickly. Lily was ordered to pay me $50,000 for emotional distress and $100,000 in a settlement, issue a public apology on social media, and serve one month in detention. Because I didn’t die, the university requested I sign a letter of forgiveness, so Lily didn’t end up going to actual prison. The $150,000 basically wiped out her family’s entire life savings. I heard their neighbors and relatives had completely cut ties with them. After all, everyone is terrified of being murdered for no reason. Given the severity of her actions toward me, the university asked me what I wanted to do. My revenge wasn’t complete yet; I couldn’t let her run away. Putting on a performance of being deeply moved by the power of familial love, I begged the university to let her stay and finish her degree. However, due to my “psychological trauma,” she was forced to move out of our dorm room. In light of the incident, the university padlocked the doors to all the rooftops on campus. Couples who couldn’t find a place to be alone, and students who liked to relax on the roof had complaints, but no one dared voice them. After all, everyone was terrified of someone randomly pushing them off a hidden corner like that. And unlike me, they wouldn’t have the good luck to survive. It would just be a dead end with no witnesses.

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Everyone in Miami knows that Roman’s wife is terrified of the dark, sickened by the sight of blood, and wouldn’t survive three days without him. Even Roman himself believed it. After we got married, he stepped out on me dozens of times, never once worried that I might actually leave. Just like right now. I had just found a pair of bloody lace panties tucked into the passenger side of his Mercedes. Roman barely glanced at them. He gave a careless, easy laugh. “The new girl at the club just lost her cherry. We played a little rough. Don’t sweat it.” This time, I didn’t scream. I didn’t throw a hysterical fit like I used to. Instead, I simply nodded, my face a mask of calm. “Understood.” His hand suddenly shot out, his fingers locking around my wrist like a vice. His voice dropped, thick with suppressed tension. “Something’s wrong with you, Diana. Why aren’t you mad?” I looked at him and smiled. We had been married for three years. He had no idea that I had already taken a lover of my own—a wild, obedient boy who actually listened to me. He just didn’t know it yet. … Don’t come over tonight. Roman’s back. A second later, the screen lit up with a GIF of a cartoon dog crying its eyes out. I couldn’t help the small smile that tugged at the corner of my mouth. But when I looked up, I collided straight into Roman’s dark, brooding stare. Only then did I realize how suffocatingly quiet the car had become. I locked my phone and slipped it away, my tone entirely indifferent. “Did you need something?” “You’ve been… off lately,” he said, his eyes drilling into me. I paused. This wasn’t the first time one of his girls had left a calling card. The last one had stuffed a pair of shredded stockings into the breast pocket of Roman’s bespoke suit. Back then, I had lost my mind. I tore through the house, shattering every piece of glass and porcelain I could get my hands on, sobbing and screaming at him until my throat bled. All it earned me was a cold, disdainful look. Have some goddamn dignity, Diana, he had sneered. You’re the First Lady of this syndicate. Stop acting like a rabid dog. Now, I could finally do exactly what he asked. I could sit here, perfectly serene, in the face of his endless rotation of women. I offered him a thin smile. “Isn’t this what you wanted?” Roman’s face hardened, a sudden chill rolling off him. His words came out sharp and barbed. “Lexi is uninhibited. She’s wild, and she gets creative in bed. It’s fun.” He raised an eyebrow, looking down at me with a patronizing smirk. “You could learn a thing or two from her, babe. Stop being so damn rigid all the time. Who knows? If you loosen up, maybe I’ll feel like spending a few more nights at home.” “Don’t do me any favors,” I said, leaning my head against the cool glass of the window and closing my eyes. Roman hadn’t stepped foot in our Coral Gables mansion in a month. He had taken Lexi to the Swiss Alps, calling it a much-needed “mental health break.” They had been excruciatingly loud about it. His lieutenants had practically tripped over themselves to circulate photos of the happy couple on yachts and ski lifts, making sure the images made their rounds through our social circles. I had become the brightest, most pathetic punchline in Miami. Now, he stood in the doorway of our master bedroom, his brow furrowed as he took in the completely overhauled space. The heavy, dark silk sheets he loved were gone. The custom gold-plated Colt he kept on the nightstand to mark his territory was missing. There wasn’t a single trace of his existence left in the room. “Where is my stuff?” “Cleared out.” Roman whipped his head around. “What did you say?” He stared at me, then suddenly let out a soft chuckle, his tone dropping into something coaxing and sweet. “Diana, look, I know I crossed a line this time. You’re pissed, right?” “Come on, I’m home now, aren’t I? I came back to keep you company.” “I even brought you a gift.” He tossed a velvet box onto the glass coffee table and turned to head into the master bath. When he walked back out, roughly towel-drying his hair, he paused. “That cologne I always use… when did you change it?” I blinked, taking a moment to remember. Nico had changed it. The little wolf hated the heavy, suffocating stench of gunpowder and stale cigars that always lingered in the bathroom. He had taken it upon himself to swap it out for something crisp, sharp, and smelling of winter cedar. The scent of that cedar washed over me as Roman stepped up from behind, wrapping his arms around my waist and intentionally burying his face in the crook of my neck. “God, I missed you, babe…” My heart slammed against my ribs. The bruises Nico had left on my collarbone last night hadn’t faded yet. If Roman’s lips trailed down just an inch, he would see them. I twisted hard, shoving him away. “I’m not Lexi. If you need to get your rocks off, go back to the club and find her.” Roman stumbled back a step. When he caught his balance, his face was absolutely livid. His voice hissed through his teeth. “You’re never going to let this go, are you?” “So I took her on a trip for a few days. Have I never taken you anywhere? Is this really necessary?” I looked him dead in the eyes, my voice flat and dead. “It is, Roman. Because I think you’re filthy.” The veins in his neck popped. His hands clenched into white-knuckled fists at his sides. He snatched his suit jacket off the armchair. “I try to give you an inch, and you throw it in my face! Don’t you dare come begging me to come back!” The front door slammed with enough force to shake the walls. I walked over to the coffee table and picked up the velvet box. Only then did it register—today was our three-year anniversary. Inside was a miniature, diamond-studded derringer. The grip was engraved with a unique serial number. One of only five in the world. My lips curled into a bitter line. How thoughtful of him. Taking his mistress on a luxury vacation, but still remembering to toss a shiny toy my way to keep my mouth shut. My phone lit up. A picture from Lexi. She was leaning heavily against a slot machine in a neon-drenched casino in Nassau, her dress slipping off her shoulder. Roman’s hand was firmly planted on her waist. You just don’t know how to keep your man, do you, Mrs. Reyes? she wrote. I practically had to beg the Boss to go home and check on you. Late that night, the shrill ring of my phone sliced through the dark. I answered, greeted by Roman’s heavily slurred voice. “Babe… babe… come get me…” I was about to hang up when a stranger’s voice cut in. “Mrs. Reyes? The Boss got way too hammered at our place, and we’re closing up. Could you…” I rattled off a phone number from memory. “Call Lexi. I’m busy.” This wasn’t the first time this had happened. There was a night years ago when I was burning up with a 102-degree fever. I had driven myself across the city to drag him out of a club he was running. But when I got there, he had shoved me away. Blind drunk, he had demanded Lexi. I don’t want you, he had slurred. I want Lexi. He had told me to stop getting in his way. I had stumbled backward, my hand catching the sharp edge of the car door. The blood had welled up instantly, dripping onto the asphalt. But the sting on my hand was nothing compared to the sensation of my chest being hollowed out with a blunt knife. Pulling myself back to the present, I glanced down at the faint, silver scar on the back of my hand. Flesh heals. And eventually, so does the heart. It just stops hurting altogether. I must have drifted off, because I was jolted awake again by the phone. This time, it was a woman. She sounded frantic. “Are you the wife of this drunk lunatic? Your husband has been pounding on my front door for twenty minutes! Come get him right now, or I’m calling the cops!” “What?” She gave me an address, and I sat in bed, frozen for a long moment. Roman, blackout drunk, had somehow stumbled his way back to the rotting apartment complex in Overtown. It was the hellhole we used to live in back when we had absolutely nothing. I had to apologize profusely to the terrified woman before I could finally haul Roman’s dead weight out of the peeling hallway. He reeked of cheap whiskey and sweat, completely delirious. “Diana…” he mumbled into my shoulder. “Did the boys give you a hard time collecting the books today…? You must be so tired…” It had been years since I heard him speak to me like that. With a jarring ache, I realized he was so drunk he thought we were still kids, just starting out in the syndicate. Back then, we were desperately poor. We squeezed into a sweltering, roach-infested room, counting every single penny. I would sit up late at the back of the underground casinos, cooking the books until my eyes blurred. And no matter how late it was, even if he had just finished breaking someone’s legs and was covered in blood, he would always walk the long way around the block just to walk me home. He used to hold me, his eyes red and exhausted, pressing his forehead to mine. He swore up and down that one day, he’d put me in a mansion on the water. That he would make me the most respected woman in the city. A sudden, sharp sting hit the back of my nose. I ducked my head, quickly trying to wipe my eyes, but a hand reached up before I could. Roman lifted his hand and clumsily brushed his thumb beneath my eye. His voice cracked, sounding like a wounded little boy. “Babe, why aren’t you mad at me anymore…? Why did you wash my scent away…?” “Why don’t you fight with Lexi…?” “You’ve changed…” I looked down at the man who was completely out of his mind, and for the first time in a long time, I felt a strange, detached peace. “Because I’m tired, Roman.” He didn’t seem to hear me. He suddenly pushed out of my grip and fumbled in his coat pocket, pulling something out and guarding it against his chest like a treasure. Under the sickly yellow glow of the streetlamp, I saw what it was. A crushed, battered cardboard pastry box. Inside was a slice of devil’s food cake. It was from the crumbling old bakery on the corner. My favorite. I thought he had forgotten. Truth be told, the very first time I realized something was wrong with our marriage, it was over a pastry, too. Lexi wasn’t his first. The first time I discovered he was cheating was on the anniversary of my father’s death. In our world, the Coalition strictly observes these days of respect. As the Boss and his wife, we were supposed to light the incense and honor the altar together. I had set up the memorial room, dressing in a solemn black dress, and waited for him to come home. I waited from the afternoon until the dead of night. When he finally walked through the door and saw the candles burning, he froze. He had completely forgotten what day it was. A flash of guilt crossed his face. Desperate to cover it up, he shoved a bakery box into my hands—a peace offering he had just picked up from whichever woman’s bed he had crawled out of. He didn’t even read the label on the box. It was a strawberry tart. I am deathly allergic to strawberries. One bite could send me into anaphylactic shock. In that moment, a woman’s intuition is sharper than any blade. I stood up slowly and reached out, hooking my finger around the top buttons of his dress shirt and ripping them open. Right below his collarbone, glaring up at me in the dim light, was a fresh, deep purple bruise. It had teeth marks. It felt like a bomb went off in my skull. The entire world just gave way beneath my feet. I destroyed the altar. I smashed the porcelain plates, the glasses, everything I could lift. I screamed at him, tears blinding me. I asked him how he could face my dead father. How he could face the years I spent cooking his ledgers, the bullets I took meant for him. I slapped him. Again and again, until my palms were bruised. And what did Roman do? He dropped to his knees in front of my father’s portrait and begged me to forgive him. After that, I became a paranoid wreck. I checked every phone call. I smelled the collar of every jacket he owned. He grew increasingly annoyed, increasingly suffocated, until he just stopped coming home altogether. Then came Lexi. It was the same cycle. The screaming, the crying, the shattered glass. But the difference was, this time, Roman didn’t drop to his knees. He stood there, slowly crushing his cigar into the crystal ashtray, his eyes devoid of any warmth. “Let me make this perfectly clear, Diana. I’m not cutting Lexi off. I like her. She knows her place.” “You sit here and play the good First Lady. You get the status, you get the bank accounts, you get everything you’re entitled to. Nothing changes.” My chest felt like it was being ripped open with a crowbar. I couldn’t breathe. Through a broken, gravelly voice, I whispered, “Roman… let’s just get a divorce.” His head snapped up, his eyes suddenly burning with a toxic, violent light. “Divorce? You’re out of your goddamn mind.” “You married into this life. You swore the oath in blood. The only way you leave this family is in a body bag. There’s no walking away. Don’t even entertain the thought.” “Your little brother is still running product for me down at the docks, isn’t he? Unless you want him feeding the fishes in the bay, you will shut your mouth and endure it.” My little brother had just started working for him. His life was entirely in Roman’s hands. All the contacts and leverage my father had left me had been systematically swallowed up by Roman’s empire years ago. I had built the cage he was using to lock me in. Every day after that was pure purgatory. I watched him parade Lexi around the VIP rooms and the underground casinos, letting his enforcers call her “Mrs. Reyes.” I watched them walk in and out of rooms like husband and wife, while I was relegated to the shadows, a dirty secret in my own home. I started swallowing handfuls of sleeping pills just to get a few hours of dead air, only to spend the rest of the night staring at the ceiling until the sun came up. Until one afternoon, during a bloody dispute at the shipyards, I purposefully let my focus slip. A rival swung a blade, tearing a deep, jagged gash down my forearm. When Roman found out, he didn’t pull me into his arms. He didn’t ask if I was okay. He backhanded me across the face and screamed at me for being careless and trying to get myself killed. That slap finally woke me up. I thought, Why? He was the one who broke us. Why was I paying for it with my blood? If Roman wouldn’t give me a clean exit, I would carve one out myself. It was right around that time that I used a ghost channel in our weapons supply line and made contact with Nico. The kid was smarter than Roman. Sweeter. And most importantly, whatever I said, he did. Now, Roman and I were truly equals. We both had our little playthings on the side. I left Roman to sleep on the freezing concrete floor of that rotting apartment in Overtown. The next morning, he cornered me in the narrow stairwell, his face thunderous. “Why didn’t you pick me up last night? Why did you make Lexi do it?” “Why not?” I said, deadpan. “You love her, don’t you?” The words struck a match to a powder keg. He lunged, grabbing my jaw and kissing me—hard, bruising, desperate. He tasted like stale liquor and violent rage. “This isn’t how it’s supposed to be, Diana,” he growled against my mouth, his teeth grazing my lip. “You’re not supposed to look at me like I’m dead!” “Why aren’t you fighting me anymore?!” I bit down, hard. The sharp, metallic tang of blood flooded my mouth. “Roman,” I laughed, breathless and mocking. “You are so pathetic.” He stared at me, a dark, murderous shadow crossing his face. Before he turned to leave, he threw a warning over his shoulder: “You’re going to regret this, Diana.” The look in his eye made my stomach drop. But I never could have predicted how fast his retaliation would come. Two days later, my phone buzzed. A text from Lexi. Attached was a photo. It was taken inside my father’s memorial room. Roman said it’s especially thrilling to do it in here, the text read. A high-pitched ringing pierced my ears. The world tilted on its axis, black spots dancing in my vision. My knees nearly buckled. Pure, unadulterated fury obliterated whatever was left of my sanity. That was my father’s sanctuary! How could he! How dare he bring that trash into that room, and do that… I drove back to the Coral Gables estate like a madwoman, my tires screeching as I tore up the driveway. I sprinted through the halls and shoved open the heavy oak doors of the memorial room. The scene in front of me turned my blood to ice. I bit down on my lip so hard I tasted copper. The gold silk cloth on the altar had been dragged down. Lexi was practically naked, draped across the mahogany table, and Roman was right behind her. The brass incense burner had been knocked to the floor, white ash scattered over the Persian rug. Seeing me standing in the doorway, Roman casually pushed Lexi away and pulled his clothes straight. A cruel, mocking smirk twisted his lips. “What’s the matter? Is this too much for you?” My nails dug so hard into my palms that the pain was the only thing keeping me upright. My voice was a ragged whisper, dragged over broken glass. “Get. Out.” Lexi slid off the altar, taking her sweet time. As she moved, her fingers purposefully trailed over my father’s urn. Suddenly, she snatched up the antique gold pocket watch resting beside it—the only piece of my father I had left—and hurled it onto the marble floor! The glass shattered, the metal casing crunching violently. “Oops,” she giggled, looking up at me with a sickeningly sweet smile. “Butterfingers. Looks like it’s broken.” “You dead bitch!” Every thread of my restraint snapped. I vaulted forward, burying my hands into her bleached blonde hair. She shrieked, but I didn’t stop. I swung, slapping her across the face with every ounce of strength I had in my body. “Are you insane, Diana?!” A blinding pain exploded in my ribs. Roman had kicked me. The force sent me flying backward, my spine colliding sickeningly with the sharp edge of a heavy rosewood chair. I crumpled to the floor, gasping for air, unable to push myself up. Roman didn’t even look at me. He rushed to Lexi, wrapping his arms around her, his face a portrait of tender concern. Then he turned his head and glared at me, his eyes blazing with fury. “You are out of your goddamn mind! It’s just a cheap piece of metal! Are you kidding me?” “I’ve let you get away with too much lately!” My eyes burned with unshed tears, but I clamped my jaw shut, refusing to let them fall, even as my entire body shook uncontrollably. Roman marched over, grabbed me by the collar, and began dragging me toward the back of the basement—toward the steel, windowless vault they used to break rats and traitors. “What are you doing! Let me go!” A primal terror clawed at my throat. I thrashed wildly. When he threw me inside and the heavy steel door slammed shut with a definitive clang, cutting off the last sliver of light, absolute, paralyzing panic seized my chest. I am terrified of the dark. Years ago, a rival cartel had kidnapped me. They locked me in a shipping container at the bottom of the docks for three days and three nights. It left me permanently scarred. When Roman finally found me back then, he held my violently shaking body and swore to God that he would never, ever let me be alone in the dark again. Now, he was using it to break me. “Take some time in there and think about what you did,” his muffled, icy voice bled through the steel door. “When you’re ready to apologize, I’ll let you out.” My screams and my fists pounding against the metal were entirely swallowed by the suffocating black void. I pressed my back against the freezing steel and slowly slid to the floor, my body seizing with violent tremors. Fat tears hit the dusty floor. I slammed my fists against the door, my voice shattering into pathetic, ragged gasps. “Roman… please… open the door…” “Let me out…” “I’m sorry…” I weakly banged my head against the metal. The skin on my forehead split, and warm blood trickled down my temple, sticky and sickening. From the other side of the door, I could hear Lexi’s simpering voice, and Roman’s low, amused chuckle. “Boss, you aren’t going to go soft on her, are you?” Roman’s tone was ice-cold. “No. I’ve spoiled her too much lately.” “It’s about time she learned her place.” I dug my fingertips into the microscopic gap at the bottom of the door, tearing my nails until they splintered and bled. With violently trembling hands, I reached into the lining of my skirt and pulled out the micro-transmitter I kept sewn in. I pressed the single emergency button. Nico. Save me. I don’t know how much time passed. Maybe minutes. Maybe lifetimes. The heavy steel door was suddenly violently ripped open from the outside. A blinding flashlight beam cut through the black. I threw my bloody hands up to shield my eyes. Roman stood in the doorway, back-lit, staring down at me like a god examining a crushed insect. “Diana. Do you know what you did wrong now?” The harsh light forced involuntary tears down my cheeks. I slowly lowered my hands. I looked up at him, my voice so hoarse and broken it didn’t even sound like me. “Roman. I want a divorce.” Roman’s brow furrowed in irritation. “I told you, that’s not…” “I’m sleeping with someone else,” I cut him off. The words died in Roman’s throat. His Adam’s apple bobbed violently. The veins at his temples began to pulse. It was the look he got right before he murdered someone. “Say that to me again,” he whispered. The quietness of his voice was terrifying.

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The day I “woke up” was supposed to be the dramatic climax of this trashy Hollywood melodrama. According to the script, I should have been wearing a limited-edition couture gown at the Metropolitan Museum’s charity gala, publicly dousing Gavin Harrington’s fiancée, Bella Whitmore, with a glass of vintage red wine. Then, I was meant to break down in hysterical sobs, screaming: “I’ve loved you longer! We’ve known each other for ten years!” Then, Gavin would coldly shove me aside, delivering the killing blow: “Maddy, you make me sick.” The next morning, the headlines would be brutal: #MaddyBeckettDesperate, #HarringtonIndustriesBlacklistsMaddy, #MaddyBeckettIsOver. Three months later, my family’s business would go bankrupt. I would lose my mind and eventually freeze to death on a snowy night outside a psych ward. But right now, I’m standing in the wings of the gala, clutching the very glass of Cabernet I’m destined to throw, staring at my perfectly contoured reflection in the vanity mirror. 1. “Ms. Beckett, Mr. Harrington has arrived. Miss Whitmore is on his arm,” my assistant, Jo, whispered, her eyes brimming with pity. She knew how much I supposedly loved Gavin—a love so consuming I’d lost my dignity, my friends, and my sanity. I blinked, then tipped the glass back and drained the wine in one go. “Not bad,” I remarked, smacking my lips. “A ’82 vintage? The Harringtons really didn’t skimp on the bar tonight.” Jo froze. “Maddy… that… that was a prop. For the scene…” “Prop or not, I was thirsty.” I shoved the empty glass back into her hand. “By the way, call the PR team for this dress. I’m keeping it. Put it on my personal tab.” “You’re not… you’re not going to find Mr. Harrington?” I touched up my lipstick in the mirror—a limited-edition Chanel red. It was bold, lethal. Before today, I’d only ever worn pale nudes to look “innocent” for him. “Why would I? He’s not going to reimburse me for the dry cleaning,” I said, fluffing my train. “Let’s go. I heard the catering tonight is by a Michelin-star chef. I’m starving.” Jo looked like she’d seen a ghost. I stepped into the ballroom, my four-inch stilettos clicking rhythmically against the marble. The spotlights found me instantly—after all, I was the designated villainess of the evening. Gavin and Bella were at the center of the room, the quintessential power couple, basking in the sycophantic praise of the elite. Bella was in white, looking ethereal and fragile, like a lily about to wilt in a light breeze. Per the script, this was my cue to charge. Instead, I plucked a miniature wagyu slider from a passing waiter’s tray and found a plush velvet sofa in a quiet corner. The slider was incredible—the truffle aioli was perfect. I closed my eyes, savoring the richness, completely ignoring the fact that half the room was whispering behind their hands, waiting for the explosion. “Why hasn’t she moved?” “Maybe she’s playing hard to get?” “I heard she was willing to trade her father’s shares just for a date with him…” The gossip drifted over like a foul scent. I didn’t care. I reached for a macaron. Gavin eventually noticed my lack of initiative. He kept glancing toward my corner, his brow furrowed in a mix of confusion and annoyance. He was probably wondering why his “number one stalker” wasn’t following the plan. Bella tugged gently on his sleeve, whispering something. Gavin shook his head and began walking toward me. Ah, here it comes. The narrative’s “corrective force.” I finished my last bite of dessert and daintily wiped my mouth with a silk napkin. “Maddy.” Gavin stopped in front of me, his voice as icy as a New York winter. “What kind of game are you playing now?” I looked up. Objectively, Gavin had the credentials of a leading man—tall, broad-shouldered, with the kind of bone structure that made photographers weep. Unfortunately, the “author” had nerfed his brain to make him a stubborn ego-maniac. “Mr. Harrington,” I smiled. “Can I help you?” He flinched, clearly not expecting the polite distance. “I’m warning you, don’t you dare try anything with Bella. If you do—” “If I do, you’ll ruin my career? You’ll make sure I never work in this town again?” I finished the sentence for him. “Yeah, I know. You’ve said it a thousand times. It’s getting a bit repetitive, don’t you think?” Gavin choked on his next word, his face flushing a dark, angry red. “Maddy, I have no feelings for you. Give it up.” “Done and done,” I said, nodding vigorously. “Anything else? If not, I was going to grab a third slider before the tray disappears.” Gavin stood there, paralyzed like a marble statue. I bypassed him, headed straight for the buffet. As I passed Bella, she shrank back, her eyes wide and watery. “Maddy, please don’t be mad at Gavin, he just…” “Oh, I’m not mad at all,” I said, waving a hand dismissively. “You two are perfect together. A match made in heaven. Send me a Save the Date, okay?” Bella’s mouth fell open. For the rest of the night, I ate four sliders, three crab cakes, and drank two glasses of premium champagne. I even spent twenty minutes talking to a high-profile producer about a new pilot—purely professional, no strings attached. When it was time to leave, Gavin intercepted me in the parking garage. “Maddy, what is this?” He stared at me, his eyes burning with a strange, frustrated intensity. “Some new psychological tactic? It won’t work.” I let out a small, satisfied burp and patted my stomach. “Gavin,” I said, using his first name without the usual tremor of devotion. “Seriously, do you actually think you’re that irresistible?” “…” “Okay, sure, you’re hot,” I shrugged. “But even the best-looking face gets boring after ten years of rejection. As of tonight, I’m retired from the ‘Gavin Harrington Fan Club.’ You’re free. Be happy.” He opened his mouth, but no sound came out. I hopped into the back of my town car and looked at Jo. “Let’s go home. Oh, and tomorrow, delete every piece of contact info I have for Gavin Harrington.” “All… all of it?” Jo stammered. “Everything. The private cell, the office, his Instagram, his burner accounts… and there’s a folder on my laptop labeled ‘Future Mr. Beckett’ full of his schedules and photos. Wipe the drive. Burn it if you have to.” Jo’s hands shook as she took notes. As the car pulled away, I caught a glimpse of Gavin in the rearview mirror. He was still standing there, looking remarkably… lost. I smiled. Giving up felt better than winning ever had. 2. The Script is Breaking The day after I blocked Gavin, I was jolted awake by a ringing phone. It was my mother. “Madeline! What on earth have you done? Gavin’s mother called me, livid! She said you humiliated him at the gala?” My mother’s voice was high-pitched with panic. “Go apologize! Right now!” In the original story, I would have sobbed, begging my mother to help me win him back. My family would have liquidated assets and sacrificed board seats just to keep me in Gavin’s orbit. But that Maddy was dead. “Mom,” I yawned. “I’m tired. Call me in three hours.” “Madeline! Do you have any idea how important the Harrington connection is to your father’s new project?” “Then tell Dad to find a better partner,” I said, rolling over. “Mom, Gavin doesn’t like me. You can’t force a guy to fall for you. It’s pathetic.” “Feelings can be nurtured! You two grew up together—” “Ten years of ‘nurturing’ and I’m still the villain in his story,” I lied through my teeth. “Mom, I had a dream last night. A spiritual awakening. A voice told me if I keep chasing Gavin, I’ll bring a curse upon the family. We’re talking ‘fall of the House of Usher’ levels of bad.” Silence on the other end. Before she could process that nonsense, I added, “Gotta go, Mom. Sleep is the new self-care. Love you.” I hung up and turned the phone off. The world was finally quiet. I slept until noon, and when I finally checked my phone, I had 99+ notifications. Aside from thirty voicemails from my mother, there were three texts from Gavin: Pick up the phone. Maddy, are you being serious right now? We need to talk. I ignored them all, ordered a massive amount of extra-spicy Thai food, and opened Twitter. Unsurprisingly, #MaddyBeckett was trending. A “source” from the gala had leaked that I had “suffered a nervous breakdown” and “was seen wandering the buffet in a daze after Gavin rejected me.” The attached photo was of me in the corner eating a slider. The angle was terrible—I did look a bit like a woman who had lost her mind, but mostly I just looked like a woman who really enjoyed wagyu. The comments were a cesspool: Can Maddy Beckett just take the hint already? Get a life! Gavin wouldn’t touch her with a ten-foot pole. Bella Whitmore is a literal saint. Maddy is just a social climber with a trust fund. I slurped my noodles, scrolling through the hate with total indifference. I even “liked” one particularly creative insult: If Maddy put as much effort into her acting as she did into stalking Gavin, she’d have an Oscar by now. Then, I switched to my secret burner account and posted: Extra spicy Pad Thai is the only soulmate I need. #Blessed. Ten minutes later, my doorbell rang. I thought it was the delivery guy returning for a forgotten drink. I threw the door open, wearing my silk pajamas and hair that looked like a bird’s nest. Gavin was standing there. We stared at each other. He looked uncharacteristically disheveled. His suit jacket was slung over his arm, his tie was loosened, and he had a slight five o’clock shadow. This version of him was actually more tolerable than the “Golden Boy” persona. “How did you get up here?” I frowned. This was a high-security building. “The guards know me,” he said stiffly. “You… you gave them standing orders to let me up whenever I wanted.” Right. I remembered now. In my previous life, I’d bribed the security staff and put his plates in the system just so he could “surprise” me. God, I was a loser. “What do you want?” I didn’t move to let him in. Gavin stared at me, his eyes searching mine for a flicker of the old devotion. “Why did you block me?” “Because I didn’t want to talk to you,” I said, leaning against the doorframe. “Isn’t that usually why people block each other? Is the billionaire life so sheltered you’ve never been ghosted before?” “Maddy,” he stepped forward, “what is this really about?” “It’s about me wanting you to stay the hell away from me,” I said sincerely. “Honestly, looking at you right now is like looking at a cake that went past its expiration date. It looks fine on the outside, but I know if I take a bite, I’m going to regret it for a week.” Gavin’s face turned several shades darker. In that moment of tension, the elevator dinged. The delivery guy walked out, clutching my Thai food. He looked at the two of us and hesitated. “Ms. Beckett? Delivery for…” “Thank God,” I said, taking the bag. The smell of peanuts and chili filled the hallway. Gavin looked at the bag in disbelief. “You’re eating… that?” “What, you want me to order a five-course meal for one?” I pulled out my phone to tip the guy. “Gavin, can you move? You’re blocking my dinner.” He didn’t budge. “Maddy, is this about Bella? What happened at the gala, she didn’t mean to—” “Stop.” I held up a hand. “I don’t care about Bella. I don’t care about you. I don’t care about whatever ‘us’ you think existed in my head. Are we clear?” I pointedly tapped my phone, paying the delivery guy via the app. “Enjoy your meal!” the guy said, practically running back to the elevator. I looked Gavin in the eye one last time. “I’m revoking your security clearance. Don’t come back.” I slammed the door in his face. I heard him linger for a few minutes before his footsteps finally receded. Finally. I set my food on the table, turned on a mindless reality show, and started eating. Two bites in, my phone rang again. This time, it was my manager, Tracey. “Maddy! Have you seen the news? What is going on with you and Gavin?” “Nothing is going on. I’m officially retired from the Harrington hunt,” I said around a mouthful of noodles. “Tracey, if there’s work, send it over. If not, let me enjoy my retirement.” Tracey was silent for a beat. “Did you hit your head?” “I had an epiphany,” I said. “By the way, all those scripts, shows, and endorsements I turned down to stay close to Gavin? See what’s still on the table. I’m not being picky anymore.” “Seriously?” Tracey’s voice jumped an octave. “What about “The Crimson Crown”? That prestige period drama? The director loved you for the Duchess, but you turned it down because Gavin wanted to go skiing in Switzerland that month…” “I’ll take it,” I said without hesitation. “What about that reality competition, Off the Grid? High ratings, but Gavin said he ‘didn’t want his woman making a fool of herself on TV’…” “Sign me up.” “What about the luxury jewelry campaign? The one that competes with the Harrington family brand? You were afraid he’d be angry—” “Take it all, Tracey,” I interrupted. “From now on, my professional philosophy is simple: high pay, high exposure, and legal. Everything else is up to you.” I could hear Tracey catch her breath. “Maddy… you’ve finally grown a backbone.” “It was always there,” I laughed. “It was just buried under ten years of bad decisions.” I hung up and went back to my Pad Thai. Outside, the sun was shining. The world felt bigger, brighter. And the noodles were delicious. 3. The Villainess Goes to Work A week later, I was on the set of “The Crimson Crown”. At the table read, I met my co-star: Nate Miller. He was the current “It Boy” of Hollywood—sharp jawline, brooding eyes, and a reputation for being intensely private. According to the old script, I should have kept my distance from him. Gavin was the jealous type, even when he didn’t want me. But the new Maddy walked right up to Nate with a thermos of herbal tea in her hand. “Mr. Miller, looking forward to working with you,” I said with a bright smile. Nate glanced at me, gave a curt nod, and went back to his script. Cold. I liked it. The director, sensing the tension, hurried over. “Maddy, Nate, you two have a lot of scenes together. Try to build some chemistry.” “Of course, Director,” I said. “Nate, can I get your number? For, you know, ‘character research’?” The crew went silent. Everyone knew Maddy Beckett was Gavin Harrington’s “property.” She never looked at another man. Nate raised an eyebrow, but he pulled out his phone. Once we exchanged numbers, I sent him a quick text: I’m Maddy. Please be patient with me, I’m a bit rusty. He replied with a single word: Fine. Hey, it wasn’t a “no.” Our first scene was a confrontation. I played the Duchess—a woman of cold ambition, masking a ruthless heart. She was supposed to frame the protagonist, only to be caught by the King (Nate). “Action!” I shifted instantly. My posture straightened, my expression softened into a mask of wounded pride. I trailed a finger along the edge of a silver chalice, looking up at Nate with eyes that were 30% hurt and 70% calculation. “Does my King truly believe her word over mine?” My voice was a velvet whisper, laced with poison. Nate was visibly caught off guard by the intensity. He paused for a fraction of a second before delivering his lines, his eyes suddenly sharp and focused. When the director finally called “Cut,” the set remained silent for a few heartbeats. “Beautiful!” the director shouted, clapping. “Maddy, that was incredible! Nate, great reaction!” I exhaled, slipping out of the character and back into my “tea-drinking girl” persona. “Thanks, Director.” Nate walked over to me, leaning in close. “You’re better than they said.” “And what did they say?” I asked, amused. “A spoiled brat with no talent who bought her way into the industry.” I laughed. “The ‘spoiled’ part is true. The ‘bought my way in’ part is also true—my family did invest in the production. but the ‘no talent’ part? I’m working on proving them wrong.” Nate didn’t say anything, but there was a new glint of respect in his eyes. The following weeks were a blur of hard work. I spent my days filming and my nights studying scripts and taking notes. I occasionally grabbed coffee with Nate to discuss our scenes. I was so busy I almost forgot I was supposed to be a “bitter ex-lover.” Until Bella Whitmore showed up on set. She was there under the guise of “visiting” her uncle—one of the executive producers. But everyone knew why she was really there. I was in the middle of a scene with Nate—a moment of dangerous intimacy where the Duchess tries to seduce the King to save her own life. I was draped across a velvet chaise, my gown slightly loosened, looking up at him with predatory hunger. “My Lord…” I purred. Nate’s pulse was visible in his neck. It wasn’t in the script, but he was playing it perfectly. “Cut! That’s a wrap on that scene! Perfect!” As I stood up and Jo draped a coat over my shoulders, I saw Bella standing by the monitors. Her face was pale, her expression pinched. During the break, she approached us with two cups of expensive coffee. “Maddy, Nate,” she said with that trademark “angelic” smile. “You guys are working so hard. I thought you might want some caffeine.” “Thanks,” I said, taking the cup and immediately handing it to Jo. “I don’t drink coffee on shoot days. It makes me jittery.” Bella’s smile faltered. Nate was even more blunt: “I don’t take drinks from strangers.” Ouch. Bella’s eyes immediately welled up. “Nate, I just wanted to be nice…” “Miss Whitmore,” I interrupted, “we’re in the middle of a production. If you don’t have a job here, please stay behind the yellow tape. You’re distracting the talent.” She bit her lip, looking like I’d slapped her, and scurried away. Nate looked at me. “You don’t pull any punches with her, do you?” “I don’t pull punches with anyone who wastes my time,” I said, sipping my herbal tea. “Time is money, Nate.” He actually smiled. It was a small, fleeting thing, but it was there. That evening, after wrap, I received a text from Gavin: Did you harass Bella on set today? I rolled my eyes and typed back: Who is this? The “typing…” bubbles appeared for a long time. Finally: Maddy, stop this. Come home. We need to talk. Talk to the hand, buddy. I blocked that number, too. The world was quiet again.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “391783”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

1 At the end of the year, I spent $150 taking a potential business partner out to dinner. When I took the receipt to reimburse it, my boyfriend’s childhood friend, Mia, transferred me exactly $8. I asked her if she had made a mistake. Mia instead pointed a finger at me and started screaming. “Have you no shame?! Two people can get full on eight bucks! You just want to scam the company!” I tried explaining to Mia that this project was worth ten million dollars. I couldn’t take the client to a cheap fast-food joint; otherwise, the negotiation would fail before it even started. But Mia refused to listen. I called my boyfriend, Arthur, down to vouch for me. Arthur glared at me coldly. “Business is about capability. What does a single meal have to do with it? You’ve been using ‘business dinners’ as an excuse to scam the company for years. Don’t push your luck.” The next day, I took a major client out to eat from a street vendor. When the hundred-million-dollar deal fell through, my boyfriend lost his mind. … “Venmo transfer received: $8.00.” Hearing the payment notification on my phone, I looked at Mia. “Mia, did you make a mistake? I spent $150 taking Mr. Davis out to dinner yesterday. Here’s the receipt.” Mia glanced at me, her face full of impatience: “It was just the two of you eating, right?” I nodded. Mia scoffed, her tone dripping with sarcasm: “Then there’s no mistake. Two people can get full on eight bucks. How on earth did you spend $150? You just want to scam the company.” I was speechless, fighting to suppress my anger. “Mia, the project I was discussing with Mr. Davis yesterday is worth over ten million dollars. I can’t even start a negotiation over an eight-dollar meal.” Mia rolled her eyes dismissively. “Excuses, excuses. If you want to steal from the company, just say so. Don’t use business as an excuse. Be grateful I even gave you the eight bucks.” With that, she threw the receipt right in my face and yelled. “Get out! Stop bothering me while I’m working.” I exploded with anger. I pulled out my phone and called my boyfriend, Arthur. Seeing me call Arthur, Mia let out a cold laugh. “Have some shame. Do you really think just because you’re Arthur’s girlfriend you can steal from the company?” I couldn’t be bothered talking to Mia anymore. Arthur was the CEO; he would understand. A few minutes later, Arthur walked into the finance office looking irritated. When he saw me, he immediately started scolding me in a displeased tone. “Chloe, can you stop causing trouble over nothing? Mia is very busy. Why do you have to create problems for her? Why are you always so difficult?” Hearing this, I froze. I never expected Arthur to say something like that. I held up the receipt and the transfer notification for Arthur to see. “How am I causing trouble? I spent $150 taking Mr. Davis to dinner, and she only reimbursed me $8. Not even a fraction of it.” Arthur glanced at Mia. Mia’s eyes instantly filled with tears, and she started sobbing: “Arthur, I don’t know how I offended Chloe. She’s slandering me in front of the whole company. I was just trying to protect the company’s interests! If I’m wrong for doing that, then I should just quit!” Arthur immediately pulled Mia into a comforting hug, speaking to her softly. “Mia, you didn’t do anything wrong. Don’t be sad.” Arthur then grabbed my phone and threw it at my face. My cheek instantly swelled up, burning with pain. Then, he ripped the receipt to shreds and threw the pieces at me. “Chloe, do you really have to be this petty over such a small amount of money? Two people can eat for eight dollars, but you insisted on spending $150. Scamming the company is bad enough, but threatening Mia? Do you have no shame?!” “Stop using business as an excuse. If Mr. Davis chooses to work with us, it’s because of our company’s capabilities, not some dinner. Stop flattering yourself.” Clutching my throbbing face, my heart felt like it was going to explode. I forced down my fury and demanded: “Two people for eight dollars means four dollars per person. Is the company’s new entertainment allowance four dollars per person?!” 2 Arthur frowned, seemingly realizing something wasn’t quite right. Just as he was about to speak, Mia cut in: “What’s wrong with four dollars a person? Don’t you usually spend like ten bucks ordering takeout? Why are you suddenly trying to scam the company? Besides, if a single meal could secure a contract, we should just open a restaurant instead.” Arthur nodded in profound agreement. “Mia is right. We won’t hold you accountable for the past, but from now on, the standard allowance is four dollars per person. Don’t even think about scamming another cent from this company.” My heart turned completely to ice. I smiled coldly and nodded. “Fine. In that case, from now on I will strictly follow company policy. I guarantee I won’t spend a single cent extra.” Arthur nodded in satisfaction. “Chloe, even though you are my girlfriend, you have to separate personal and professional matters. Mia works hard; stop finding reasons to cause trouble for her all day.” I gave a curt reply, indicating I understood. Mia shot me a triumphant, condescending look. I turned and left. That afternoon, Arthur suddenly called me. He said the Sterling Group was considering investing $15 million into one of our projects. Since I had dealt with the Sterling Group before, he wanted me to arrange a dinner and secure the investment at all costs. I agreed. After thinking for a moment, I asked: “How many people total for this dinner?” Arthur paused for a second. “Mr. Sterling, you, and me. Three people total.” I said “Got it” and hung up. Three people. Twelve dollars. What should we eat? I thought of the food trucks down the street next to our office. They had food and drinks. Twelve bucks wouldn’t be enough to get full, but we could scrape by. That evening, I took Arthur and Mr. Sterling to a street-side barbecue stand. I asked the owner for two cheap plastic stools and gestured for them to sit down. “Mr. Sterling, please, have a seat. What would you like to drink? Is cheap beer okay?” Mr. Sterling stood frozen in place, a look of pure disgust on his face. Arthur frantically pulled my arm. “Chloe, what is the meaning of this? Didn’t I tell you to arrange a dinner? How did you arrange this?” I looked at him with innocent eyes. The stall owner happened to bring over three small plates of appetizers, saying they were on the house. I immediately thanked him happily before casually answering Arthur. “Arthur, the allowance is four dollars per person, right? For three people, that’s twelve dollars. This is the best deal in town! The owner even gave us free appetizers!” Mr. Sterling let out a cold laugh. “A fifteen-million-dollar project, and you think it only warrants a street vendor?” Arthur hastily tried to explain that wasn’t the case. I cut him off: “Mr. Sterling, our boss didn’t mean that. He believes that negotiating a project relies on the strength of both companies, not a meal. As long as we get full, it’s fine. Or are you trying to take advantage of our company for a free meal, Mr. Sterling?” Arthur shoved me. “Chloe, stop talking nonsense!” Mr. Sterling, his face dark, delivered his final verdict. “You guys are something else. Don’t worry, I won’t take advantage of your company for a single cent. And our partnership is hereby canceled.” With that, Mr. Sterling turned and stormed off. Arthur desperately tried to explain, but Mr. Sterling got into his car and drove away. Arthur turned to me, furious, and kicked over the folding table. “Chloe, did you do this on purpose?! Do you know how important this partnership is to the company?!” I widened my eyes, the picture of innocence. “But Arthur, I was just following company rules! Didn’t you and Mia say the allowance was four dollars per person? Spending more is scamming the company! Last time, I had to pay the $142 difference out of my own pocket. I learned my lesson this time.” Arthur pointed at me, speechless with rage. He turned on his heel and stormed off. The next morning, as soon as I arrived at the company, I ran into Mia. She glanced at me, speaking with a superior tone: “Chloe, you ruined such a massive project! How do you even have the face to show up here?” 3 I was unbothered. “How did I ruin it? I was clearly just following company regulations. Besides, weren’t you the one who said the allowance was four dollars?” Arthur walked out of his office. Mia instantly put on a pitiful face and ran to hide behind him. “Arthur! I just said a few words to Chloe, and she’s trying to blame the whole thing on me!” Arthur hugged Mia protectively, then threw a termination notice right in my face. “Chloe, you’re fired. You don’t need to come back. Mia will be taking over your position as General Manager.” I let out a laugh. “Fine. But according to my employment contract, you owe me three times my salary as severance.” Arthur agreed immediately, looking down at me arrogantly. “Chloe, did you really think I wouldn’t dare fire you?” I was actually quite surprised. After all, the majority of the company’s active projects were in my hands. Mia clung to Arthur’s arm, looking incredibly smug. “I happened to meet the General Manager of the Vance Corporation. Their multi-billion-dollar Westside project is going to bring our company on board! That one project is worth more than the hundreds of little deals you ever negotiated!” Ah. So he thought I was useless and decided to toss me out. I thought about it for a second. The Vance Corporation… if my memory served me right, that was my grandfather’s company. A few days ago, my grandfather had actually asked me to come work for him, with the intention of having me inherit the company eventually. After Arthur transferred the severance pay to my account, he couldn’t wait to kick me out. “Chloe, as of today, we are broken up. You have absolutely nothing to do with me anymore.” I replied calmly, “Okay.” Arthur didn’t seem too happy that I wasn’t crying and begging him to stay. After leaving the company, I called my grandfather. “Grandpa, I got fired. I want to come work for your company.” My grandfather was so thrilled he couldn’t stop laughing. “Wonderful! The Vice President position happens to be open. Come straight over.” The next day, I packed my things and headed directly to the Vance Corporation headquarters. But right at the entrance, I ran into Arthur and Mia. Arthur looked annoyed the moment he saw me. “Chloe, have you no shame? You stalked us all the way to the Vance Corporation?” Mia also gave me a smug, triumphant look. “Chloe, Arthur already broke up with you. Stop acting so desperate.” I couldn’t be bothered with them and tried to walk straight in, but I was blocked. “Chloe, are you here to cause a scene and sabotage our deal today?” I was completely exasperated. “I’m here for my first day of work.” Arthur and Mia burst out laughing. “Chloe, someone like you? Working at the Vance Corporation? Impossible.” Mia checked the time and pulled Arthur toward the entrance. “Arthur, let’s go inside. I heard the person we’re meeting with today is the Vice President of the Vance Corporation—the future heir to the entire conglomerate!” Arthur nodded. Before walking in, he instructed the security guards: “That woman is a disgruntled ex-employee of our company. She’s here to cause trouble and ruin our meeting. Make sure you don’t let her in.” The guards nodded and blocked my path. I tried to explain, but they wouldn’t listen. I laughed in sheer frustration and went to the coffee shop next door. Let’s see how you negotiate when I’m not even there. Inside the office, an hour passed. Arthur still hadn’t seen the project lead. He asked the manager nervously: “Manager Xu, is the Vice President still not here?” The General Manager checked the time. “The Vice President called me a while ago saying she had arrived. Why isn’t she here yet? Let me call and ask.” When I answered the phone, he asked where I was. “Oh, I’m being blocked and they won’t let me into the building. I’m at the coffee shop next door. Come meet me here.” Ten minutes later, Arthur and Mia appeared before me, sweating profusely. 4 I was leisurely sipping my coffee. Seeing their panicked expressions, I said provocatively: “What a coincidence.” Arthur’s face was dark. Seeing me, his eyes filled with impatience. “We are here to meet the Vice President! What are you doing here? Do you have no dignity left?!” Arthur glanced around the coffee shop. Seeing that I was the only person there, he frowned deeply. “Where is the Vice President? Did she lie to me or something?” Mia grabbed Arthur’s arm, looked at me, and said sarcastically: “The Vice President said she was waiting for us at the coffee shop, and Chloe just happens to be at the coffee shop too. Could it be…” I glanced at Mia. At least she wasn’t completely stupid. But the very next second, Mia said: “Chloe, even if you hate me, you can’t just chase away the Vice President to ruin our deal!” I rolled my eyes so hard it hurt and massaged my temples. Manager Xu and his team, who were standing behind Arthur, finally realized what was happening after looking at the photo the Chairman had sent them. He shoved Arthur aside, rushed up to me, bowed, and shook my hand. “Vice President Vance! I am so sorry! The security guards didn’t recognize you. I will severely reprimand them later!” I stood up and introduced myself. “Hello, Manager Xu. I’m new here; I hope we can work well together.” The manager and his team nodded fervently. Arthur stood frozen in place. Mia stared at me in absolute shock. Arthur’s hand trembled as he stammered: “Is… is there a mistake? How could she be the Vice President?” Manager Xu glared at him. They had clearly seen that Arthur and I didn’t get along, so naturally, they weren’t going to be polite to him now. “The Chairman personally sent me her photo. How could I be mistaken? But more importantly, how dare you speak to the Vice President like that earlier?!” Arthur’s face looked incredibly ugly, but the shock only lasted a few seconds. Then, an expression of extreme excitement overtook his face, and he grabbed my arm. “Chloe! Why didn’t you ever tell me you had connections to the Vance Corporation?! And that you could be the Vice President?!” Mia’s eyes were filled with jealousy and resentment. She offered a strained, fake smile and reached for my arm too. “Exactly, Chloe. Since you had this kind of connection, why didn’t you say anything before? If you had, our company would have gone public ages ago! Why would we have to beg for a meager fifteen-million-dollar project?” Hearing this, I couldn’t help but laugh out of anger. Mia was actually blaming me for not using the Vance Corporation to pull strings for their company! They clearly had no idea how insignificant their company was. They couldn’t even handle the smallest project the Vance Corporation offered! Furthermore, many of the projects I had previously secured for them were only possible because of my own personal network. Otherwise, why would anyone look twice at a tiny company like Arthur’s? Arthur also looked at me with a resentful expression. “Mia is right. Chloe, since you have this connection with the Vance Corporation, why did you never think about helping our company? If the company went public sooner, I could have married you sooner! But it’s not too late. Give this project to our company, and from now on, if there are any good projects, make sure our company gets them first. I won’t hold the past against you.” With that, Arthur practically shoved the contract into my hands, urging me to sign it quickly. I was speechless. I genuinely didn’t know where Arthur got the sheer audacity to say something like that out loud. Seeing me just smile without moving, Arthur grew impatient. “Chloe, hurry up and sign it! I still have to take Mia to lunch! Her stomach is sensitive; she can’t go hungry.” I threw the contract right back in Arthur’s face and looked at them coldly. “If that’s the case, go eat. We won’t be collaborating on this project anyway.” Arthur just thought I was throwing a tantrum. “Chloe, stop being so unreasonable! Mia wasn’t feeling well, which is why I accompanied her. Fine, if you must, you can come eat with us later. Is that enough? Now hurry up and sign the contract!” 5 I was completely exasperated, wondering if Arthur was literally incapable of understanding human language. Thankfully, Manager Xu saw my stance and stepped in front of me to make things clear to Arthur. “Mr. Sterling, I have reviewed your company’s profile. Your company does not meet the requirements to partner with the Vance Corporation. Therefore, this collaboration is canceled.” Mia started to panic. “Manager Xu, how can that be? Secretary Jiang told me previously that our company was perfect for this project.” I frowned, not entirely familiar with this “Secretary Jiang.” Manager Xu quickly turned to me to explain. “Secretary Jiang is the CEO’s secretary, and also his girlfriend.” The CEO… currently, the CEO of the company was my cousin. I pulled out my phone and sent him a text. My cousin replied quickly, telling me to handle it however I saw fit. I put my phone away and laughed. “Manager Xu, tell me. Who decides who gets the company’s projects? The secretary, or me, the Vice President in charge of projects?” Manager Xu shot Arthur a cold glare. “Naturally, you have the final say, Vice President Vance.” I shot Mia a provocative look. “I’m deeply sorry, but your company’s qualifications are pure garbage. You don’t even meet the minimum threshold to work with the Vance Corporation. For the sake of the Vance Corporation’s interests, I must remain strictly professional. Your project is canceled.” Seeing how serious I was, Arthur finally panicked and quickly grabbed my arm. “Chloe, let’s talk this out! Can you stop messing around? This project is incredibly important to our company!” I rolled my eyes at him dismissively. “Important to your company? What the hell does that have to do with me? It’s not my company. I am now the director for the Vance Corporation. I have to prioritize the Vance Corporation’s interests. Understand?” With that, I shoved the stunned Arthur and Mia aside and walked out of the coffee shop. As I walked toward the Vance Corporation building, Arthur ran after me, trying to stop me. I glanced at the security guards and said with a smile: “This man is trying to cause trouble at our company. Stop him, chase him away, or just call the police.” Watching an infuriated Arthur being blocked outside the doors, I felt incredibly satisfied. The next morning, I woke up and was heading to work when, right outside my apartment, I was blocked. I looked at Arthur and massaged my throbbing temples. “Move.” Ignoring me, Arthur held up a cheap bouquet of plastic flowers, blocking my path. “Chloe, I thought about it all night. I realize my mistakes. I neglected you too much before. You’re my girlfriend, but I didn’t take good care of you. I know you’re angry with me because of Mia, but I swear, I have only ever treated her like a little sister! You are the person I love most! If you want to come back, you can return to the company anytime. I would welcome you with open arms.” Hearing this, I burst out laughing. I threw Arthur’s flowers onto the ground and looked at him coldly. “Arthur, who the hell do you think you are? Your pathetic little company can’t even get a foot in the door at the Vance Corporation! Furthermore, we are broken up. If you keep harassing me, I will call the police and file a restraining order.” Arthur’s face turned ugly. “Chloe, stop messing around. We were together for so long! Aside from me, who else would even want you? You desperately chased me to be my girlfriend. I was just being a little nice to Mia! Can’t you just be understanding and stop being so petty? As long as you give this project to our company, you can still be my girlfriend.” I rolled my eyes at him. I truly had no idea who gave him the monumental confidence to think I couldn’t live without him. I pulled out my phone and dialed 911 right in front of him. Seeing me calling the police, Arthur looked embarrassed and ran off. “Chloe, don’t regret this! When the day comes that you’re begging me to marry you, I won’t want you!” Watching Arthur leave, I sighed, unable to comprehend how I ever fell for a guy like him. Arthur and I were together for five years. I was the one who pursued him. During my junior year of college, during the final exams, my physical health wasn’t great. During the 800-meter run for PE class, the combination of low blood sugar and the blazing sun made my vision go black, and I collapsed. When I woke up, the first person I saw was Arthur. He was wearing a faded, much-washed dress shirt, shyly holding out a piece of chocolate to me.

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After traveling through time and space. Following the system’s instructions, I reclaimed my identity as the true heiress of a wealthy family, serving as the foil to the fake heiress. In this lonely world, I constantly tried to integrate into this family, but every step was a struggle, and I hit a wall at every turn. She was smothered in love and affection by our parents, while I suffered endless cold stares and grievances, even enduring her bullying and humiliation. Until I received the diagnosis of terminal leukemia, and the system still hadn’t given me any further instructions. Completely disillusioned and heartbroken, I decided to use my own death to buy a glimmer of hope to return to my original world. Dragging my failing body, I personally found a mortician for myself and pre-booked a luxurious burial at sea. But when they realized I was truly determined to die. The family members who had once bullied and neglected me turned back, kneeling at my feet, weeping and repenting bitterly. But what they didn’t know was… I had given up on them a long time ago. 1. Standing on the roof of the City Zenith building. I adjusted my breathing, making my final preparations to jump. Having gathered enough courage, I took a step toward the railing. I had barely taken two steps when my phone rang. It was the funeral home. “Ms. Vance, I am so incredibly sorry, but all our transport vehicles have flat tires. Could we… possibly reschedule the pickup time?” No! I’m about to jump off a building, and you’re telling me to reschedule now?! Anger shot straight to my head, but having grown accustomed to acting like a startled bird, I had become timid and cautious. My anger was instinctively suppressed. “I paid the money, and the agreement clearly stated the time.” “Yes, yes… but… how about this? You could switch to a different funeral home? I can recommend one. I have a friend who works there, and I guarantee their service will satisfy you!” “I want your place.” Having traveled to this alternate world years ago, I had endured endless cold stares and grievances. I’m in the terminal stages of leukemia and about to die, and the system still hasn’t given me any new instructions. I want to go back to my original world. I’ve tried every possible method; death is the only option left. To increase my chances of going home. The exact time to die, the best funeral home, the exact time for the funeral, the best burial method… I took my birth chart to a master fortune-teller to calculate all of this. It cannot be changed! “Then there’s really nothing we can do. If you’re really in a hurry, you’ll just have to bring it over yourself.” I forced a wry smile. “I’m sorry, I really can’t deliver it myself.” I couldn’t win my parents’ and brothers’ love from the fake heiress, but I was determined to get the auspicious time I picked for jumping off this building. “I am currently jumping off a building. The body you need to pick up is mine.” Silence fell on the other end of the line. “Um, look, how about you borrow a car from a friend and drive over here first?” 2. After a long pause without him saying anything else, I took it as him agreeing to my proposal. “Thank you. Sorry for the trouble.” I hung up, but the more I thought about it, the more uncertain I felt. There were too many unpredictable variables. I had calculated an auspicious time; I absolutely could not afford any mistakes. It would be much safer to find someone to supervise them while they worked. After giving myself three pep talks, I braced myself and sent a message to the pinned family group chat. [Sorry to bother everyone, but I’m jumping off a building tonight. Could someone please find the time to collect my body?] [It won’t be too much trouble. I’ve already arranged all the afterlife affairs. I just need someone to go and supervise them while they work.] [@everyone] Just as I sent the summarized schedule of my afterlife affairs to the group, I was kicked out of the chat by my second brother, Ethan Vance. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve been kicked out. Every time, I was the one begging Ethan to pull me back in. Bitterness spread infinitely within me. Swallowing my pride, I created a new group chat. To increase credibility. I quickly snapped a picture of the rooftop and sent it to the group along with the afterlife schedule. [I promise, this is the last time.] [Time waits for no one. Please, I just need a little help.] After three minutes of dead silence, there was finally a reply. Eldest Brother: [Fine.] 3. A simple Fine. [Thank you. Sorry for the trouble.] With that weight off my mind, I prepared to focus on jumping. But my phone started buzzing incessantly. Mia Vance: [Sister, I’m sorry… Eldest Brother has a surgery tonight. Let’s not bother him.] Mia Vance: [I’m sorry, it’s all my fault… Please don’t do anything impulsive. Mom, Dad, the brothers, and I are rushing home right now.] Reading Mia’s two messages, every sentence dripping with apologies. I knew I had become the target of public criticism once again. Ethan was the first to explode. Ethan: [Mia, why are you apologizing? What did you do wrong to her?] Ethan: [She’s just throwing a tantrum because the whole family went camping with you instead of staying to celebrate her 18th birthday!] Ethan: [Chloe Vance, didn’t you say yourself that you didn’t want to celebrate your birthday? Now you’re threatening suicide? Do you think this is funny?] Tears fell uncontrollably. [It’s not funny. I’m going to die soon.] Mia Vance was a stray child my parents adopted after accidentally losing me. To make up for their guilt toward me, the Vance family poured everything they had into treating Mia well. Including the love that should have been mine—they gave it all to Mia. Even after I found my way back to the Vance family and tried desperately to please them, nothing changed. Instead, because of my efforts to please them, the Vance family worried Mia would misunderstand, overthink things, or feel hurt. They spoiled her even more and even started complaining about why I ever came back. Mia was no saint either. Afraid I would steal the Vance family’s affection, she never stopped framing me and would always play the victim first. Whenever that happened, the Vance family would pull her into their arms with pity and point their fingers at me from the moral high ground. “Can’t you just be a little more generous? Do you really have to pick fights with Mia?” I was heartbroken and couldn’t defend myself. I used to be the precious treasure my parents held in the palms of their hands in my original world, too. Having traveled through time and space, the system forcefully bound me to the memories and emotional system of this alternate world. While missing my parents in my original world, I was also uncontrollably tormented by the various injustices of this one. These two extreme emotions intertwined, leaving me living in absolute agony every single day. But it’s fine now. I have terminal leukemia. I’m going to die soon. 4. I suddenly remembered that the master fortune-teller only calculated an auspicious time; he didn’t specify a location for jumping. The Vance family was unreliable, so I might as well take a taxi to the funeral home and just jump off the building there. On the way, my phone kept buzzing non-stop. Dad: [Chloe, my daughter, how did things get to this point…] Dad: [Don’t blame Mia. It was Dad who insisted on bringing Mia camping.] Dad: [Dad is coming back right now to celebrate your birthday, okay? Chloe… stop messing around.] Ethan: [Let her throw her tantrum! I want to see what other tricks she can pull!] Ethan: [Jumping off a building, huh?! Why not just go jump in the ocean?! Saves money and effort!] Ethan: [Sometimes I really hate it. I hate that the Vance family produced such an ungrateful thing like you! Why didn’t you just die out there all those years ago?!] Looking at those words, my nose stung, and tears slipped down my face uncontrollably. Misfortunes never come singly. Just as I arrived at the funeral home, the sea burial agent called me. He told me the sea burial had to be postponed. The boat I had booked was mistaken for firewood by a family camping on a nearby island and chopped up for a barbecue. The whole “jumping off a building” plan, having progressed to this point, was forced to a halt. Standing on the roof of the funeral home, my body swaying unsteadily, I held onto the wall and sat down. My illness was flaring up more and more frequently. I was exhausted, and could only curl up into a ball and fall into a hazy sleep. And just like that, on the roof of a funeral home, I spent my lonely 18th birthday in this alternate world. The next morning, bathed in the morning light, I dragged my exhausted body toward the beach. This time, I decided to fulfill Ethan’s wish and jump into the ocean. 5. The sea breeze blew gently, and the waves crashed. The endless ocean sparkled with light. The scenery was breathtakingly beautiful. “This really is a good place to end a life.” Bathed in the warm sun, I walked resolutely into the sea. It was early autumn; the seawater was freezing, chilling me to the bone. With my parents from my original world in my heart, I firmly walked toward the deep ocean. “Mom, Dad, Chloe misses you so much. She wants to go home so badly.” “Chloe is coming to find you.” 6. I still didn’t manage to die. I was rescued by a fisherman and taken to the nearest hospital. The exact hospital where my eldest brother, Liam Vance, worked. “Miss, you’re awake! Doctor, come quick!” The fisherman guarding my bed yelled excitedly for the doctor. “Chloe Vance, that’s enough acting.” As soon as I opened my eyes, I saw Liam standing in front of me, his voice carrying a distant reprimand. “Did you know I was on shift today and purposely came here for attention?” I smirked, nodding. “Whatever you say is right.” Seeing my dismissive attitude, he grew even colder. “There needs to be a limit to your tantrums. Going too far just makes people disgusted!” There are two sons in the Vance family. My eldest brother is always busy with work and used to ignoring me. His sudden cold words stung me deeply. The fisherman who saved me couldn’t stand listening to it anymore. He pulled the attending doctor right up to my bed. “Are all doctors this unprofessional nowadays?! A patient wakes up, and instead of examining her, you just stand there running your mouth?! Your actions are slow, but your tongue sure is sharp! “Believe me, I will report this hospital!” Liam was speechless, his eyes wide as he glared viciously at me. After a moment of silence, he suddenly smirked and scoffed, “You’re always crying wolf. Only someone as kind as Mia would still believe you. “She took Mom and Dad home last night, while you disappeared for the entire night. “You really don’t deserve Mia’s kindness towards you, and you certainly don’t deserve the effort she put into cooking for you!” After saying that, he pointedly addressed the doctor examining me: “There are plenty of critically ill patients. Yet someone who’s just here causing trouble is taking up a bed, and as the attending doctor, you don’t know how to advise her to leave?” The doctor looked incredibly awkward. I propped myself up and got off the bed. “Thank you, Doctor. I’m fine. No need to examine me.” As I was about to leave, the fisherman quickly grabbed my arm. “Miss, don’t get angry at a doctor with no morals. “Your face is terrifyingly pale. It’s better to let the doctor check you out to be safe. Don’t fight against your own body.” I really was too sensitive; a few kind words from a stranger actually brought tears to my eyes. Not wanting to cry in front of Liam, I turned back toward the consultation desk. “Sigh, you’re right, sir. I’ll get examined.” 7. Having been repeatedly rebuffed, Liam’s face was dark as he turned to leave. After the doctor inputted my information, he suddenly raised his voice: “Terminal leukemia? “You were diagnosed three weeks ago. Why aren’t you on the waiting list for a match?” The clinic fell into absolute silence. The fisherman looked at me in shock. I calmly shook my head, breaking the silence. “No need. I don’t want treatment anymore.” Liam stopped in his tracks. Unlike the fisherman, his face clearly showed disdain. “Chloe Vance, you really are an expert at getting attention. “First jumping off a building, then jumping into the ocean, and now you’ve concocted ‘terminal leukemia’. “You definitely picked the perfect time to jump into the ocean, going right to where people were. “Everyone knows you learned to swim with Mia, taught by the exact same instructor. Mia won a gold medal in the campus tournament; how bad could your technique possibly be?” He glanced at the fisherman as he spoke. “Without some serious skills, how could you hold out until someone came to save you, and still be completely uninjured?” It’s true that I learned to swim with Mia, but I am a genuine, 100% landlubber. Back then, Mia played plenty of dirty tricks. Once, when the instructor wasn’t looking, she actually stepped on me at the bottom of the pool, trying to drown me. If the instructor hadn’t noticed in time, I would have drowned. When I went home and complained, what did the Vance family say? “You’re just being paranoid. Mia wouldn’t bother trying to kill you.” Right. In the eyes of the Vance family, Mia was doted on by everyone. Why would she want a worthless life like mine? From that day on, I never went to another swimming lesson, and I developed a bone-deep fear of water. Seeing my silence, Liam thought he had figured out my little scheme. “Stop trying to jump into the ocean. Let me give you an idea. Go find an old-growth forest and lie down inside. I guarantee nothing will go wrong.” I lowered my head and smiled bitterly, nodding in self-mockery. “Okay.” My attitude completely enraged Liam. He pinched the bridge of his nose, radiating coldness. “I’ve been working non-stop all day, I’m exhausted. I don’t have the patience to stand here and watch you act.” “If you’re tired, go home and rest early.” Catching a glimpse of my eyes, which were as calm as a pool of dead water, a trace of confusion flashed in Liam’s eyes. I knew why he was looking at me like that. In the past, whenever he said he was tired, I would eagerly rush over, carefully trying to please him, offering warm comfort. But this time, I sat completely still. “Stop using death as an excuse. If you have the guts, don’t ever come home again!” Having grown accustomed to his vicious words, my heart was surprisingly calm right now. “Okay. I won’t go back.” “Bullshit! Chloe’s last name is Vance, why shouldn’t she go back?!” My best friend, Sarah, burst through the door, standing protectively in front of me, blocking Liam’s view. “The Vance family truly lives up to its reputation as a prestigious household. Your family’s upbringing is truly un-complimentary!” “…You.” Liam dared to arrogantly scold me, but facing the Tang family—whose social standing was far above the Vance family’s—he didn’t dare say a word to Sarah. Sarah’s attitude was hostile. “You what? Get lost!”

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