Category: English

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.

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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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My Husband Never Comes Home, But He Gives Me a $100,000 Monthly Allowance No kids to raise, no in-laws to serve. My life couldn’t be any more perfect! I had just made plans with my best friend to hit the club and hang out with some hot male models. I was about to walk out the door when my housekeeper rushed over. “Bad news, Madam! Mr. Vance is bringing his mistress home!” I beamed with joy. “Clean up the guest room and make sure she gets five-star service.” The housekeeper was utterly shocked. “But Madam, she’s a homewrecker!” I immediately corrected her, sternly fixing her negative attitude: “What do you mean, homewrecker? That is the new Madam of the house.” Housekeeper: ? Arthur Vance: ? 1 In this day and age, a husband like Arthur Vance—who only gives you money and never comes home—is a rare treasure. As long as that $100,000 monthly allowance hits my bank account on time, I don’t have to miss him at all. Why would I? Are the energetic, twenty-something male models at the club not handsome enough? Or is their stamina lacking? They are absolutely exhilarating, okay! “Martha, I’m heading out. Make sure you take good care of his new lady.” Martha froze. “Madam, where are you going?” To clear the runway for them, obviously! I couldn’t just stay home and be a third wheel. I grabbed my new Chanel bag and turned to leave, waving dismissively over my shoulder. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to play the good hostess. I was just worried about being an eyesore to his VIP guest. It was definitely not because my best friend had already booked ten hot guys, and I was in a rush to ditch Arthur’s incoming mistress. I sneaked a peek at the bewildered housekeeper and quickened my pace, practically skipping toward the luxury van waiting at the door. Here I come, my sweet boys! The moment I pushed open the private room doors and saw the gorgeous guys waiting, my mood skyrocketed. My best friend, Serena, nudged a particularly handsome guy toward me, looking a bit confused. “Lia, didn’t you say your husband was coming home today? You still dared to come out?” I absentmindedly traced the abs of the guy sitting next to me. “Duh, why wouldn’t I? He brought his little mistress home. It would be totally clueless of me to stick around and ruin their vibe.” Oh wow, these abs feel amazing. Besides, my husband was nowhere near as fun as these boys. As the party bus rolled out, the sweet, clear voice of the guy next to me echoed in my ear. “You have such a refreshing outlook on life. Your wine has breathed perfectly—care for a glass?” I happily scratched him under the chin like a puppy, took the red wine from his hand, and downed it in one gulp. “You boys are so sweet. Not like older men, who are just stubborn and cold all over.” A few more glasses went down the hatch. I drank a bit too fast, and the cool breeze blowing in through the car window hit me hard. It left me dizzy and tipsy, resting my head on the guy’s lap. Everything felt as blissful as floating on a cloud. I was completely immersed in the moment when my phone rang, violently dragging me back to reality. I pouted. What a buzzkill. But I answered it anyway. A familiar, deep male voice came through the speaker. “Lia Vance, where are you right now?” Because of the alcohol, my brain was foggy, and I hadn’t checked the caller ID. I answered with arrogant confidence, completely failing to recognize the voice. “Who’s asking? I’m busy having a great time.” Dead silence on the other end. I was just about to curse out the psycho and hang up when three words were squeezed through gritted teeth on the other end. “Your. Husband.” Crap. It’s Arthur! The word “husband” was like a bucket of ice water splashing over me. I sobered up instantly. I let out an awkward laugh. “Oh, honey! Why are you still awake so late?” I glanced at the time and clicked my tongue. Was the mistress bad in bed, or was Arthur just lacking stamina? It was only 11 PM, and they were already done? “Where did you go?” I was just about to make up a random excuse when I heard a female voice in the background on his end. It was soft, delicate, and practically dripping with neediness. “Mr. Vance, can we start now?” “Alright, I’ll be right there.” Arthur’s microphone sounded like it was being covered. The voices were muffled, like there was some grand secret he didn’t want me to hear. But I had zero interest in hearing it. I might be open-minded, but I wasn’t open-minded enough to listen to my husband groan and moan with another woman. “Oh, you haven’t even started yet! Don’t worry, honey, I’m staying at a hotel tonight. I won’t interrupt you guys!” Before he could reply, I hung up. Serena turned to look at me. “What’s wrong? Your husband calling to check up on you?” I put my phone down, gave the male model’s lean waist a squeeze, and replied casually. “No, he just called to tell me not to come home and interrupt them. Ignore him, let’s keep partying.” The next day, I deliberately waited until late afternoon to go home. I was terrified of getting back too early and ruining their morning-after cuddles. The moment I walked through the door, the house felt freezing. I was about to call for Martha when I looked up. My husband, Arthur, was sitting on the sofa. His face was dark, and his eyes were cold enough to freeze a person solid. “You finally decided to come back?” 2 I suddenly had a very bad feeling about this. Crap. The mistress must not have pleased him, and now he’s taking it out on the original wife! Even though I was rolling my eyes internally, I had to keep up appearances. Flashing a standard eight-tooth smile, I walked over and sat down obediently beside him. “What’s wrong, honey?” Arthur’s hand rested on his leg, his fingers tapping a slow, rhythmic beat as he looked at me lazily. “What, you were hoping I wouldn’t be here?” I immediately leaned into him, giggling as I hugged his arm and acted cute. “Of course not! I wish you could come home and keep me company more often. It gets so lonely being in this big house all by myself.” You can come home, but please don’t come home without a warning! I cursed him out in my head while maintaining a bright, cheerful smile on my face. “You must have worked so hard last night, honey. I’ll have Martha make you a special restorative soup tonight to build your strength back up.” I played the ultimate kiss-ass, massaging his shoulders and squeezing his arms, taking the opportunity to check for lipstick marks or hickeys under his collar. If there weren’t any, fine. If there were, I’d just pretend I was blind. He paid me way too much allowance to complain. A person should always be content with what they have. I had to maintain my mindset as “America’s Best Wife.” “Go get ready. You’re coming with me to the family estate for dinner tonight.” I slapped my forehead. I had partied so hard last night that I completely forgot—today was the day we were supposed to visit Grandma Vance at the family estate. Grandma treated me incredibly well. Back when Arthur was choosing a wife from a sea of candidates, she was the one who took one look at me and chose me. If it weren’t for her, I’d still be an ordinary girl working a 9-to-5, miles away from this luxurious, worry-free life. Even though Arthur and I didn’t have any real romantic feelings, I always treated Grandma Vance like my own flesh and blood. When I came out of the dressing room, I saw Arthur leaning against the doorframe. His long, slender fingers were idly playing with a small, white velvet box. He glanced up at me. “Give me your hand.” I had no idea what he was doing, but I obeyed. I definitely couldn’t afford to anger my primary investor. Suddenly, I felt something cold slide onto my wrist. I looked down. A breathtakingly intricate, diamond-studded bracelet had just been fastened onto my arm. One look and I knew this cost a fortune. “A corporate partner gifted it. Don’t overthink it,” he said. Before I could even process it, he turned and walked out of the walk-in closet. I chased after him, throwing out compliments like they were free. “Oh my gosh, honey, you’re the best! I love you so much!” Arthur didn’t even look at me. “Act normal.” I rubbed the bracelet, pondering his true motive. Was this man feeling guilty about keeping a mistress on the side, so he bought me jewelry as compensation? If that was the case, he should go find a few more! I wouldn’t mind an entire closet filled with priceless jewelry. Thinking of this, my smile grew even wider. Arthur turned his head impatiently. Seeing that I still hadn’t gotten into the car, he rushed me. “Are you coming or not?” I quickly hopped in and sat next to him. The ride was silent, but at least the oppressive, icy aura from this morning had vanished. The estate wasn’t far from our house. As soon as the car parked, I reached for the door handle. Before I could open it, Arthur grabbed my wrist. “Tone it down tonight. Grandma is getting older; her heart can’t take your nonsense.” He had a valid reason for the warning. Last time, I brought Grandma a steamy mafia romance novel. The butler ended up catching her hiding under her blankets at 2 AM, trying to read it. She was farsighted, so she had her phone flashlight in one hand and the book held as far away as possible in the other, squinting her eyes and struggling to read the smut. “Honey, why would you think so poorly of me? I’m always on my best behavior.” I gave him a shy, exaggerated flutter of my eyelashes. Arthur turned his head away, acting like looking at me was physically painful. “Let’s hope so.” I rolled my eyes. Yeah, sure, only your little mistress is allowed to act cute. I turned and sprinted toward the mansion. “Grandma! I’m here!” “Oh, Lia, you finally made it! It’s been so long since you came to chat with this old lady.” I hugged Grandma’s arm and whined affectionately. “I’m here now, aren’t I?” Grandma couldn’t wait. She dragged me toward the sofa. “Hurry, finish the story! What happened after the billionaire fell in love with the mute girl?” Arthur trailed behind us, looking exhausted, glaring at me periodically. “Grandma, those books rot your brain. You should read less of them.” Grandma was instantly unhappy. She turned and gave Arthur a deadpan stare. “What, you expect me to go study for the SATs at my age?” I hid behind Grandma, feeling entirely justified. These were my bedtime stories! I read them every night. How dare he insult my literature? Arthur looked like he was suffering from chronic constipation as he watched me stick my tongue out at him from behind Grandma’s back. Knowing when to quit, I pulled out the new book I had prepared from my bag. “Grandma, I brought you a new one today. It’s called The Billionaire’s Fierce Love.” 3 The very next second, Arthur physically hoisted me out of the room. “Lia Vance, if you show Grandma one more of those trashy books, I’m going to show you what a billionaire’s ‘fierce love’ actually feels like!” He enunciated the word fierce with a heavy, threatening grit. Grandma’s worried voice drifted out from the living room. “Lia? Arthur isn’t bullying you, is he?” Arthur looked back, then turned to me with gritted teeth. “If you say the wrong thing, your allowance gets cut in half.” I instantly surrendered. Who could argue with that? He had a direct grip on my financial lifeline! I cleared my throat and called back into the room with a bright smile. “Of course not, Grandma! My husband treats me the absolute best!” Arthur set me down, shot me one last warning glare, and turned back toward the dining room. During dinner, Grandma kept glancing back and forth between Arthur and me. “Grandma, if you keep staring at me like that, I’m going to be too embarrassed to eat. What is it?” Grandma set down her silverware, sighed deeply, and finally spoke. “I was just thinking about Mrs. Sterling’s granddaughter next door.” “She is just the cutest little thing. She always calls me ‘Grandma Vance’ with that sweet little voice, and she’s so soft to hold…” Arthur and I instantly realized what was happening. The old lady wanted great-grandkids. I tugged at Arthur’s sleeve, silently asking him what to do. He set down his fork and grabbed my hand. “Lia is still young. Having kids this early isn’t good for her health. Give it a few years, and Lia said she’ll give you twins to keep you company.” I stared at him in horror, mouthing the words: When did I ever say I was having twins?! Arthur glared at me sideways. His grip on my hand tightened, squeezing until it hurt. “That’s what you get for not coming home last night.” I fought to control my pain-contorted face and yanked my hand back. I thought we were past that! I gave him and his mistress the house to themselves, and he was punishing me for it? This man was incredibly petty. Grandma beamed, her smile stretching from ear to ear. “Good, good, good! Grandma will make sure to live a few extra years just to wait for Lia’s twins!” On the drive back, I gave Arthur the silent treatment. As soon as we reached our driveway, I went to open the door, only to find the child locks engaged. I spun around and glared at Arthur. “Unlock the door!” Arthur stared back calmly, his dark, bottomless eyes revealing absolutely nothing. “What are you so angry about?” I was fuming, and the truth slipped right out. “You told Grandma I was going to have twins! We might not even survive to see next year without getting a divorce, and you’re promising her kids? If you want twins so badly, go ask your mistress to have them for you!” “Lia!” Arthur suppressed his rage, pinning me back against the leather seat. The air pressure in the car instantly dropped to freezing. I cowardly shrank back, too afraid to make a sound. “Unless I say the word ‘divorce,’ don’t even dream of running away for the rest of your life.” Click. The doors unlocked. Arthur stepped out and slammed the door behind him. I bit my lip hard, forcing back the tears stinging my eyes. That bastard actually dared to yell at me! I got out and stormed into the house. I slammed my bedroom door shut, not even sparing him a glance. Lying in bed that night, I remembered his threat about cutting my allowance. I tossed and turned, unable to sleep, until I suddenly sat up in bed like a zombie. “He’s a psycho!” 4 Suddenly, a notification chimed on my phone. “Chase Bank: $100,000 deposited.” Okay, fine. I was the psycho. Seeing that beautiful string of zeros in my balance, I lay back down in complete peace. Arthur sent a text: I was too harsh today. I’m leaving on a business trip tomorrow. One week. My bad mood was instantly cured. Shopping in the morning, booking models at the club at night. Life was bliss. But as it turns out, karma comes for the arrogant. Because I partied way too hard that week, I caught a nasty fever. “Lia, come out to play! They just brought in a fresh batch of gorgeous guys.” I croaked into the phone, sounding exactly like a dying duck. “I’m out. I’m currently boiling alive.” “Want me to send a hot guy over to take care of you?” You could tell Serena truly understood me. But she didn’t understand my husband. “Don’t. I’m just sick, I don’t have a death wish yet.” I might be wild, but I didn’t have the guts to bring a random man into Arthur’s house. I didn’t even know when Serena hung up. I drifted in and out of a hazy, feverish sleep for hours. Until I felt a hand touch my forehead. “Why are you burning up?” I assumed it was the hot guy Serena insisted on sending over, so I didn’t even open my eyes. I was afraid that if he was too handsome, I wouldn’t have the heart to kick him out. “Handsome, I know you’re hot, but today really isn’t your lucky payday. If you don’t leave right now, I won’t be the only one dying in this house.” “Wait till I’m better, and I’ll come find you. Be a good boy.” I murmured, weakly trying to push his hand away. “Lia Vance. Are you keeping men behind my back?” That chilling, icy voice was way too familiar. It scared me so much I shot straight up in bed. “Husband?!” My face was flushed as red as a tomato from the fever. He sighed, asking coldly, “Did you take your medicine?” I nodded obediently. I was so terrified my fever practically broke on the spot. “Rest for now. When you’re better, you have a lot of explaining to do.” Great. My death sentence was just reduced to probation. When I opened my eyes the next morning, I saw Arthur walking out of my en-suite bathroom. Water dripped down his broad chest, tracing the lines of his perfect eight-pack abs. I had to admit, Arthur’s physique put the club models to shame. Paired with that ridiculously handsome face, he was a walking fantasy. “Wipe your nosebleed.” I frantically wiped my nose, only to find nothing there. It took me a full second to realize he was messing with me. “Honey, why are you in here?” I twisted my fingers together, asking guiltily. Don’t panic. Play dumb. Maybe he forgot about last night. He walked straight over, planted his hands on either side of my pillow, and caged me against the bed. He was so close I could smell the clean scent of his body wash. His hair wasn’t fully dry. A cold drop of water fell onto my collarbone, sending a shiver through me. He gently wiped the drop away with his thumb. This damn man. Why is he making my mind go to the gutter first thing in the morning? “What, didn’t you scream yesterday about wanting to go out and find handsome guys once you recovered? I just wanted to see what kind of men my sweet wife prefers.” I chewed on his words. Was it just me, or did he sound jealous? 5 Was it my imagination? I threw my arms around his neck and put on the performance of a lifetime. Though, this time, it was laced with a little bit of genuine honesty. “Those guys outside aren’t half as handsome as my husband! When I have a gorgeous, fit, rich husband waiting at home, only an idiot would go out looking for someone else.” “Right?” I let out an awkward chuckle. I was ruthless—I even insulted myself to survive. “That better be the case.” With that, he stood up and turned his back to me to put on his shirt. Behind his back, I silently flipped him the bird. Men are such hypocrites. They expect their wives to be perfectly faithful at home while they wave their colorful flags with mistresses on the outside. “Get up and get ready. You’re coming with me to a gala tonight.” “Huh? Can I skip it?” Arthur rarely attended galas, but whenever he did, he dragged me along. His endless stream of persistent female admirers was exhausting to deal with. I highly suspected he only brought me along as revenge for spending all his money on designer bags. “Sure. No allowance next month.” My tragic expression vanished instantly. I smiled brighter than a sunflower and hopped out of bed. “Honey, do you think I should wear the pink dress or the white one today?” Bowing for the sake of cash is never shameful. “The pink one.” “You got it, boss!” As soon as we stepped into the gala hall, I could feel someone staring daggers at me. Whenever I get that feeling, trouble is guaranteed to follow. Just as I was trying to figure out how to avoid said trouble, someone approached Arthur. “Mr. Vance, it’s been a while.” He was already talking business the moment we walked in. Arthur was just too much of a workaholic. I hated these events. I gave Arthur a look and slipped away. As I left, he warned me, “Don’t wander too far. We’re leaving soon.” I didn’t have much of an appetite from my fever, but walking around actually made me a little hungry. Just as I picked up a slice of cake, trouble found me. “You’re already that chubby, and you’re still eating?” It was Fiona Sterling, one of Arthur’s eternal, desperate fangirls. “I seriously don’t know what Arthur sees in you. You are completely unworthy of him.” I absolutely despise people who lack brain cells but have an abundance of audacity. I rolled my eyes dramatically. “Yeah, you’re right, I’m unworthy. Not like you. You’re so worthy you could probably pair up with a stray dog.” “Lia Vance!” I looked at her innocently. “Why is the dog barking?” “Do you have zero class?!” “My class is variable. It depends entirely on who I’m talking to.” “You…!” Fiona was a sheltered socialite. There was no way she could win a verbal sparring match against a natural talent like me. In a fit of rage, she grabbed a glass of red wine, fully intending to throw it in my face. Thankfully, my reflexes were sharp. I ducked just in time. The entire glass of wine splashed onto the person standing directly behind me. The girl screamed in horror. “Ah! What the hell?!” The scream drew a lot of attention. I covered my mouth and looked at Fiona with wide, innocent eyes. “Fiona, if you wanted to throw wine at me, you should have just done it! Why did you involve an innocent bystander?” “I… I didn’t mean to! I was aiming for—” The girl who got splashed was wearing a stunning, form-fitting white gown. The red wine stain was glaringly obvious. “This dress was an anniversary gift from my husband! Now it’s ruined! You better give me a damn good explanation for this.” Hearing the commotion, Arthur walked over. “Arthur, this woman insulted me! You have to defend me!” Fiona pinched her voice to sound whiny and pathetic, reaching out to grab Arthur’s arm. I beat her to it. I latched onto his arm and intertwined our fingers. “Honey~!”

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Everyone said I had lost my mind after Victoria Sterling dumped me. Until one day, a wish-fulfilling vlogger’s videos started trending across every social media platform. My videos were split into seven episodes. They were the fragmented flashes of my life right before the end. The title of the first episode was: 【By the time you see this video, I will already be dead.】 1 I was bundled up tightly, with only my eyes showing. Suddenly, someone blocked my path. “Hi there, I’m a vlogger who helps people fulfill their wishes. Can I do a quick interview with you?” It was the third month since I had retired from the entertainment industry. I thought a paparazzo had recognized me, so I quickly waved him off and tried to decline. But the guy standing in front of me kept trying to convince me: “Do you have any unfulfilled wishes? I can help you make them come true. I don’t charge anything.” I turned to walk away, but I heard him chasing after me, shoving his phone screen toward my face. “I’m not a scammer! I have a TikTok account. Look, see for yourself?” I thought he was incredibly rude, but he was telling the truth. It was just obvious that he was a brand-new creator. His video count was pitifully low, and his views could be counted on one hand. Looking at his earnest face, I suddenly thought of myself when I first entered Hollywood. Back then, I was full of drive, only to hit a brick wall time and time again. A sudden wave of compassion washed over me. “What kind of wish can you help me fulfill?” The goofy kid just scratched his head. “That depends on what your wish is! To be honest, you’re the seventeenth person I’ve asked today, and none of them believed me. For example, is there someone you want to see? A place you want to go? Tell me your story, and I’ll arrange it for you.” I wanted to tease him, but I was afraid of scaring him off. “What if I wanted you to help me document the final days of my life? Would you be willing? “The condition is that before I die, these videos cannot be posted. “And if I end up surviving, all these videos become void. Are you willing to take that bet?” 2 The wish-fulfilling vlogger was named Caleb. He was tall and skinny. He sat across from me. He looked extremely antsy. No, it would be more accurate to say he was about to cry. “Ashton, I never expected it to be you. Are you really…” His eyes were bloodshot, as if he simply couldn’t accept it. “I really loved the movies you starred in.” “Yeah. I guess I’m an overachiever in every aspect. If I’m going to get sick, I might as well go big. I have several types of cancer in my body.” Shutterstock Khám phá I pulled out a tissue and handed it to him. “The doctors say I only have about six months left.” He was still holding his phone up, pointing it at me. “So, is this the real reason you retired?” “Yeah, I just don’t have the energy to act anymore. The endless chemotherapy has drained the life out of me. And besides…” I smiled. “Too many tabloids published proof saying I was going bald.” This was the first time I took off my wig in front of a camera. Beneath the wig, there was only sparse, patchy hair. My scalp was entirely visible. I looked a bit like Gollum from The Lord of the Rings. “You know how vain I am. Always getting photographed like that by you guys—do you think I have no dignity to uphold? “I’m greedy. I want you to grant me seven wishes, and you’ll make seven episodes. How about it?” 3 May 2, 2024 to May 8, 2024. Episode 1 (Part 1). 【By the time you see this video, I will already be dead.】 “Make sure you get my left side more. My fans always say my left profile looks way better than my right.” Caleb was much calmer than he was a week ago, but he told me that after finding out the truth, he cried at home for days and lost three pounds. “I promise I’ll make you look incredibly handsome.” He rubbed his eyes. “Ashton, what is your first wish?” “I want to try hiking Mount Shasta in California.” He immediately nodded. “No problem, I’ll book the tickets right now. But can I ask why you want to go there?” I couldn’t force a smile for the camera. “Victoria and I once made a promise to go there together. Now that the chance is gone, I want to see the place for myself. Don’t they say the mountain can cleanse your soul?” Mount Shasta was far, but not unreachable. After getting off the plane, the high altitude made my body uncomfortable. After a long, exhausting drive, we finally reached the trailhead town. On the way there, Caleb was constantly worrying about my health, giving me all sorts of reminders. I smiled and teased him, “I asked my doctor. He said I don’t have much time left anyway, so I can go wherever I want.” Just one sentence, and the young man’s eyes turned red again. But he cautiously asked, “Ashton, did you and Ms. Sterling part on good terms?” I knew he was asking delicately. The truth was, my divorce from Victoria was loud, messy, and humiliating. But at this moment, as I was preparing to leave this world, I finally had the courage to say it out loud: “In her eyes, it definitely wasn’t on good terms. She, like the rest of you, thought I cheated.” “So you really didn’t cheat, right?” The young man’s eyes sparkled. “I knew I wasn’t wrong about you.” I smiled and nodded. “Yeah. I loved that woman so much, how could I possibly look at anyone else?” There’s a downside to newbie vloggers—their emotions fluctuate way too wildly. He just started bawling his eyes out right in front of the camera. Between sobs, he choked out, “The media was trashing you back then, calling you a cheater. How could they?!” I even had to comfort him on camera. Eventually, I had to admit: “Forget it. I’ll tell you the truth. I orchestrated the whole thing myself.” 4 May 2, 2024 to May 8, 2024. Episode 1 (Part 2). 【By the time you see this video, I will already be dead.】 “Six months before the divorce, I was diagnosed with cancer. Back then, it was just one type. The doctors told me that as long as I cooperated with the treatment, there was still a chance of survival. “I only realized later that doctors are mostly kind-hearted, but sometimes they like to lie. “I asked my childhood best friend to put on an act with me, just so I could shake Victoria off as fast as possible. “Don’t let her title fool you. She’s a corporate CEO, ruthless and decisive. But when it came to me, she was incredibly stubborn.” I didn’t say anything more after that. Everyone understood what I meant. Caleb, looking miserable, continued asking, “Man, why didn’t you just tell her the truth about your illness?” “Dying is a painful process. Why drag someone else down with me?” Caleb suddenly said, “I heard on the news recently that CEO Sterling has a new boyfriend.” “Is that so? Then I really should congratulate her.” I meant it sincerely. “She deserves the best.” I endured the nausea churning in my stomach from the bumpy road. “I’m not acting right now. It’s just that when you’re about to die, you really can let go of everything. “I used to joke with Victoria that if she ever found another man, I’d break her legs. But look, didn’t I let go quite easily?” At that moment, our guide suddenly spoke up. “We’ll rest here for the night. The rest of the way has to be done on foot. It’s about a 30-mile trek. But I have to warn you, the altitude here is high. They say it’s 30 miles, but it will feel like much, much more.” On the first day of our hike, our destination was a high-altitude base camp. From there, you could see the alpenglow hit the snow-capped peak. “I suddenly feel like it’s unfair to you, making you risk your life hiking with me just for my selfish desires.” But Caleb shook his head. “Ashton, I know my own body. If I can’t keep going, I won’t push it. Plus, you said you’ve been planning this for months. You even prepared all the gear perfectly.” Fortunately, neither of us suffered severe altitude sickness. We were lucky. On the second day, after camping at the base, I saw the alpenglow. I mimicked the poses I saw online, spreading my arms wide for a photo. I yelled out, “If it’s possible, I hope you all can forget me!” I thought for a second and yelled another sentence, “Victoria, I came here for you! You don’t have to come anymore!” Along the way, we encountered many spiritual seekers and seasoned hikers. We survived a sudden hail storm. The food was terrible. We slept on flimsy, uncomfortable cots. It took us three days to complete the trek. I looked into the camera and gave my concluding thoughts for the episode. “What I didn’t tell you is that when I first planned this trip, I wanted to come with Victoria. Later, when I decided to come alone, my original plan was to come here and commit suicide.” Caleb was so terrified he immediately grabbed my hand. I patted his hand and continued. “Back then, I figured I couldn’t be cured anyway. I might as well die in a glacial lake, on the snowy peak, or just pass away on the journey. “But later, I suddenly didn’t want to die anymore. I wanted to live out my final days properly, so my life wouldn’t have been in vain.” Caleb suddenly asked me, “Do you have any regrets about this first trip?” I nodded. Just thinking about it made my heart race. “My parents spoil me rotten, but I lied to them. I didn’t tell them I was sick. “I even lied and told them I was acting again, shooting a movie out here in California. “I’m sorry. I was wrong. In the end, I was an unfilial son.” 5 June 4, 2024. Episode 2 (Part 1). After returning from Mount Shasta, the altitude sickness and the exhaustion of the trip forced me to recover for a full month before I could contact Caleb again. I also had another chemo session during that time. Every time, I felt it was harder to get out of bed than the last. It felt like all my strength was being siphoned away, pulling me one step closer to death. I wasn’t sure if I could trust this kid I had only met once. If he leaked my first video right now, he would instantly go viral. I was making a gamble—gambling that when faced with a dying man, people tend to discover a little extra conscience. “Ashton, what is your second wish?” “I want everyone to get to know the real me better, and I want to retrace the steps of my past.” Caleb looked at the camera with concern. “With your body in this condition, we can take things slow.” “It’s fine. I naturally made sure I was recovered enough before coming to find you. When a person reaches the end of their life, they become greedy. The list of wishes just keeps growing.” “Your styling today looks great. It’s giving flashbacks to the CW teen drama that made you famous, Do You Remember Me Today?” In the show, I played a fresh college grad with short hair who gets entangled with the CEO of the company he interns at. I smiled and touched my head. “I can change my hairstyles at will now. Pretty handsome, right?” “But you’re getting skinnier and skinnier. Hasn’t anyone around you noticed?” I felt a bit embarrassed. “Victoria and I are divorced, so naturally we don’t see each other. Since I got sick, I’ve seen my parents less and less. But they’re my parents, so video calls are unavoidable. Guess what I told them? I said I was playing the role of a terminally ill patient.” I only dared to tell the truth wrapped in lies. He rubbed his eyes in front of me. “Where do you want to go for this episode?” “I want to go back to the place where I grew up.” It was just a two-hour drive to my hometown. “Ashton, what about your assistant?” My assistant was a sweet, goofy guy. Sometimes when he tagged along with me, it resulted in iconic paparazzi moments. “You mean Mason? I told him to stop following me around.” “So he knows about your condition?” “Hahahaha.” I started laughing at my own words. “Guess what excuse I used? He’s been with me for so long, there’s no way he wouldn’t notice something was off.” I sat calmly in front of the lens. “I lied to him too. I told him I loved Victoria too much, but since the ‘cheating’ scandal forced us apart, I fell into severe depression. I told him I wanted to quit Hollywood to treat my depression.” “Did he believe it?” “Of course not! He and my manager, Marcus, grabbed me and cried, begging to take me to a doctor. I told them to give me some time, that I would go see a shrink myself, and that I’d come back after traveling and clearing my head.” “Do you think they might have figured it out already?” “The fact that I was going bald couldn’t be hidden anyway. I made up those excuses, thinking I was so smart. But one day, Marcus told me he didn’t care if I made him money anymore; he just wanted me to stay alive.” Speaking of this, tears streamed down my face. I wiped the corners of my eyes. “It’s probably because no one dares to bring up these sad topics in front of me, so they haven’t revealed how much they actually know. “Mason, that sweet kid, bought me ten wigs out of his own pocket. He said they were gifts for my therapeutic travels.” I paused. I was currently wearing a face mask and a baseball cap, dressed in the simplest hoodie and jeans, carrying a basic canvas tote bag. Passersby treated me like a complete nobody. I pulled a thermos out of my bag and took a sip. “This was my elementary school.” “Man, you went to Oak Creek Elementary?” I nodded, pointing at a large tree near the playground. “I was daring someone back then. I climbed up and couldn’t get down. I was so scared I cried and peed my pants right there in the tree.” “Ashton, classes are still in session. I doubt the security guard will let us in.” “We won’t go in. I just wanted to look. Let’s not disturb their work. I just wanted one last glance. Once I drink the waters of forgetfulness in the afterlife, I won’t remember any of this anyway. “Man, why are you such a crybaby? Directors should cast you when they need someone to bawl their eyes out.” I pointed to an alley not far from the school. “Let’s go. I’ll take you to see my old neighborhood. I haven’t been back in years.” But as soon as I walked in, I was stunned. I stood frozen in the wind. I couldn’t help but laugh out loud. “Oh wow, they tore it all down.” The phone camera pointed at me trembled slightly. “What do we do now? It looks like my hometown is gone?” I turned my back to the camera. I guess the audience wouldn’t be able to see my expression anyway. Truthfully, I was a bit disappointed. I just couldn’t say it out loud. “Walk a few steps further, I’ll describe it to you from memory. “This used to be an old street. The media always called me a rich kid, and I tried to explain at press events, but no one believed me. “I’m taking this chance to show you guys. I grew up right here. The houses around here were old row houses. My deepest memory is teasing a stray dog, getting chased, and having it bite my butt.” “Huh?” “Luckily it was winter. I lived with my grandparents, and they dressed me in three layers of thick sweatpants. The dog ended up biting a hole through the fabric and pulling the cotton out, but it never touched my skin.” It sounded hilarious and pitiful at the same time. At least Caleb laughed heartily. “Ashton, I really can’t picture you getting chased by a dog.” After we finished joking around, I said, “Let’s go. I’ll take you to see my high school. It’s not far from here either.” I paused my footsteps. “It’s also where I met Victoria.”

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I married the man my sister didn’t want, and found unexpected happiness. Until my sister suddenly returned from abroad. She looked at my pregnant belly, smiled, and pushed me down the stairs. When Adam arrived, I was covered in blood. He rushed me to the hospital, but the baby was lost. I wanted my sister to pay for her crime, but Adam said: “We can have another child, but Luna is one of a kind.” 1 “Let’s get a divorce.” I stared blankly at the hospital room ceiling, my heart aching as if pierced by needles. Last night’s torment flashed vividly before me. When I was pushed down the stairs, Adam’s first reaction was to check on Luna. I missed the critical window for saving my baby, and now I could never conceive again. Adam, however, seemed unfazed: “Don’t be ridiculous. We can always have another child.” My eyes widened in disbelief, my fingers digging into the white bedsheets beneath me. “Adam, that was our child!” Adam’s face hardened into a cold silence. I had once believed I married the right man. Now, I was utterly disheartened. Months ago, as Adam and I lay entwined, he held me tightly and whispered “Luna.” Luna. That was my sister’s name. Mom and Dad always said I was a bit slow, hoping I’d be smarter. So, my name is Audrey. They’d always said Luna was as pure and flawless as the moon. “Audrey, she’s your sister. Why do you have to pick a fight with her over a child?” “Adam, have you lost your mind?! She pushed me down the stairs! Are you blind?!” “It wasn’t her fault, she was scared!” Adam roared at me. My heart twitched with a sharp pain. “Exactly, exactly, your sister would never do such a thing.” My parents chimed in from beside him. My eyes instantly welled up. I stared at everyone in disbelief, then it dawned on me. I married him in Luna’s place. She’d said she didn’t want to get married, so my parents sent her abroad. But then, Adam had been so good to me, so attentive. I’d even forgotten that Luna was his first love, his ‘moonlight.’ And my parents had never once stood by me. I was an outsider. A nurse came in to check on me, asking if I needed to use the restroom. Before my pregnancy, when I was ill, Adam would always carry me out of bed. “Is this your husband?” the nurse tentatively asked. “Shall I have him help you?” Adam’s gaze held no trace of concern, only repulsion and disdain. I offered a cold, bitter smile and denied it: “No, he cheated on me. He’s not my husband anymore. Oh, and the woman next to him is my sister, which makes her the other woman.” “Audrey, what nonsense are you spouting?! Are you insane?!” Adam’s face was a mask of shock, his voice a low, furious reprimand. I weakly leaned against the wall, limping into the bathroom. After flushing the toilet and turning on the faucet, I couldn’t suppress my sobs. The people in this family were no longer willing to put on an act. Luna clung to Adam, crying pitifully, her face streaked with tears, a sight that would move anyone. Seeing me emerge, she slowly detached herself from him. She hid behind Adam, completely shielded. When I was rushed to the hospital, I was in excruciating pain, crying hysterically. But when Adam received a call saying Luna seemed terrified, he abandoned me and swiftly left. The doctors even thought he was a hit-and-run driver. Haha. “Are you really going to divorce me?” Adam seemed not to believe my words. “That’s my freedom,” I replied coldly. Adam didn’t answer. He just kept his brows and lips tightly pressed together. He always frowned so much; for years, I would smooth his brow while he slept. He probably didn’t believe I would truly let go. I almost forgot, Adam used to be a doctor. I spent all my savings to help him get promoted. Half of his success in becoming a director was due to me. His image as a devoted husband was something I helped create by covering up for him and rallying support. The child was conceived around that time. Come to think of it, was everything really just a coincidence? “I’ll apologize to you on her behalf. Is that enough?” Adam demanded, challenging me. A human life, to be erased with just an apology. A wave of dizziness and heartache washed over me; I nearly stumbled. Luna suddenly let out a small cough. He immediately turned, asking her with concern. My parents returned, carrying bags, and unusually, greeted me with smiles. My mom deliberately boasted loudly: “These are specialties Dad and I specifically bought for you from the high-end district. Quick, look, they’re all really good tonics. What kind of parents are this good to their married daughter?!” I was genuinely touched. “Smash!” I threw the things to the floor. My disheveled state became undeniable. Adam immediately shielded Luna. Staring at me, he warned coldly: “Audrey, don’t throw a tantrum! What else do you want? If these aren’t good enough, I’ll buy you more! Just don’t hurt anyone else.” “Hurt?” I sneered, pointing at each item on the floor. “Milk, mangoes, bird’s nest, bone broth—I’m allergic to half of these four things. Adam, why don’t I test you now? Which two am I allergic to? If you can name them, I’ll eat everything else!” Adam suddenly froze, his face pale. “Go on, say it!” “You had so many problems when you were little! Who could remember all that?!” My mom snapped, full of impatience. She couldn’t keep up the act of a loving mother anymore. “We bought so many tonics, things we couldn’t even afford when we were kids, and you’re still complaining?! You ungrateful wretch! Do you know how much these cost?!” My dad also roared. My sister used to go to the hospital if she even sneezed. I, fearing I’d die from eating something, was now the ungrateful wretch. The commotion I caused attracted quite a few people. Luna, as expected, smiled sweetly and crouched down to pick up the items. “Oh, sis, Adam’s just too busy, and Mom and Dad are getting old and forgetful. You can’t eat mangoes, I won’t let them buy them for you again.” “See how thoughtful Luna is?” my mom exclaimed with satisfaction. “Then why did you give me mango milk during my college entrance exam?” Luna’s fingers suddenly froze. Did she think I’d forgotten? “Luna, don’t pick those up!” Adam pulled Luna away, his voice laced with concern, then glared at me in annoyance, frowning: “She’s not the kind of person you think she is. What happened on the stairs was an accident. We can always have another child…” “It’s fine. There’s surveillance at home,” I interrupted. I had specifically set it up for the baby that was about to be born. Whether it was an accident or not, it would be easy to prove. A crack finally appeared in Luna’s composed expression. Adam stared at me in silence for a long time, his gaze gaining a hint of smugness and malice. Finally, he conceded: “I can divorce you, but you are not to cause trouble for Luna.” I scoffed. “Otherwise, I can make sure you leave with nothing.” I stared at Adam in shock. Leaving with nothing required evidence. “Why…?” Adam seemed to have anticipated my question. He smiled sinisterly, “That child… wasn’t mine at all. You cheated.” Adam claimed— He had caught me cheating. I wondered if I had lost my memory. The one who should have fallen down the stairs was Adam. Otherwise, what kind of crazy talk was this? But Adam pulled out a video. The setting, unbelievably, was our own bedroom. One of the figures was a stranger… and the other woman was me?! Completely naked. How could this be possible?! I trembled all over, frozen in place. My mind went blank. “This video was found on your phone, Audrey. You cheated.” Adam’s tone was deadly serious. Fear washed over me. I distinctly remembered none of this happening. Even if it were true… how could he have kept silent until now? What exactly was he trying to do? “Impossible!” I clutched my head. A splitting headache. Adam coldly took a breath and said, “I was the one who put that person there.” “What… what?” I hoped my ears were malfunctioning. I hoped this was just a nightmare. Wake up, now! “Audrey, we’ve been married for three years and only now have a child. Don’t you find that strange?” I stood there, dazed. For the first time, Adam looked so unfamiliar and terrifying. When he proposed to me, he promised to be good to me for the rest of my life. “I can’t have children,” Adam calmly replied. “How can that be?! That was our child! Adam, are you being scammed?!” I screamed excitedly, my rationality on the brink of collapse. “Sis, Adam really can’t have children,” Luna looked at me provocatively. Adam gently put his arm around Luna and said seriously: “Don’t blame her. If it wasn’t for Luna, I wouldn’t have known about my special condition. But you said you wanted a child, and I happened to need one too.” To help him climb the ranks… “So, you put me in another man’s bed?!” My stomach churned with nausea; I almost threw up. “You should thank me,” Adam suddenly glared at me viciously, a twisted smile on his face: “I searched for so many people to find someone with good genes. I paid him a lot of money, and he agreed. That night, you enjoyed it yourself, didn’t you? More than with me. Aren’t you also one way on the surface, and another in private?!” “Slap!” Adam’s face turned scarlet. My vision went black, and I fell to the floor. No wonder he made me drink so much that day. He knew I didn’t like alcohol. Wait, no! I looked at my parents’ calm expressions. My body trembled. “Audrey, things have come to this, the baby’s gone, just get divorced.” My mom glanced at me, no trace of pity in her eyes. Adam wanted a child, truly, just for his own advancement and wealth. My mind felt like it was crumbling. I lunged at Adam’s arm and bit him. The next second, I was violently thrown to the ground. Adam kicked me: “Audrey, you think too highly of yourself. You were the one who slept with another man! You’re the one who wronged me!” I never realized before. Adam was so deranged. “Why are you doing this to me?” “Audrey, my dad, he died because of you…” Adam’s eyes held a malice that didn’t seem fake. When did I cause his father’s death? Luna looked down at me coldly: “Haven’t you always wondered what we owed the Stevensons? When you had an episode during your college entrance exam, Adam’s father had a car accident rushing to save you.” “If it weren’t for the mango milk, would I have been like that?!” “But you could have insisted on finishing the exam, yet you wasted so much time! If it weren’t for you, my dad wouldn’t have died!” Adam suddenly grabbed my throat, his eyes bloodshot. So, all these years, he’d been acting? I looked at him, confused and with a bitter smile: “Then why did you still marry me?” “Because you had to atone for your sins!” “All these years, you’ve never loved me?” Tears streamed down my face. Adam suddenly froze, his eyes filled with an unreadable complexity. “No.” The evidence was conclusive, verified by the court. I was forced to leave with nothing. Returning to collect my belongings, I found my boxes thrown outside. “Madam, everything’s packed for you. From now on, you can go home. Mr. Stevenson said you’re no longer the mistress of this house.” The housekeeper looked at me with difficulty. Where was my home? My parents, Luna, and Adam lived happily together. I had been thrown out. Overnight, I lost everything. Luckily, I still had some savings, so I temporarily stayed at a hotel. I set up a tombstone for my unborn child, crying hysterically. How could they find happiness? Things couldn’t just end like this. If others wouldn’t give me justice, I’d take it myself. Luna proactively asked to meet me. She asked why I wasn’t curious about when Adam went to see her. Her face held a mix of confusion and smugness. I took my hemostatic medicine and told her to get lost. “You had just gotten pregnant then, and Adam said seeing you made him sick. His trip abroad wasn’t for further studies; he went to find me. Those were the happiest days of my life, Audrey, just give up.” “He can only be mine.” During that time… I was in a maternity center. I thought I was being his strong support. He could understand, be grateful. Turns out, he was having a grand time with Luna abroad. All this time, he’d put on quite an act. He deserved an Oscar for my foolishness. I found a lawyer to sue. The lawyer said I had no chance. All the evidence favored Adam. No one could prove Luna caused the death of my child. The video only proved I cheated, nothing else. The home surveillance footage had also been deleted. Most of my money had been spent on the household, and my parents borrowed all my money during my pregnancy. My remaining balance was only enough for two months’ rent. I found an excuse to go back for my things. I discovered all traces of my existence were gone. Even the wedding photos were replaced with pictures of them together. After being discharged, I was very weak; I almost fell just climbing the stairs. Not to mention my haggard appearance, with half my hair gone. Adam looked surprised for a moment, but his expression remained cold: “If you had promised not to trouble Luna, none of this would have happened. You could have taken half of my assets. Even if you sue, what then? You won’t win.” I sneered. How could he give me half? He must have already transferred the assets. “I came to take Fluffy home.” Adam’s eyes flashed with a hint of guilt. “I’ll send someone to bring him to you.” The next second, a piercing dog bark suddenly came from the master bedroom. I immediately rushed in. In the bedroom, Fluffy lay on the floor, barely breathing, looking at me pitifully. “Fluffy!” I fell to the floor. Fluffy was a corgi I adopted before marriage, usually well-behaved, obedient, and incredibly gentle. “Luna! Are you trying to die?!” I shoved Luna hard, and she almost fell to the ground. Adam rushed to my front, glaring at me viciously. “It’s just a dog, what are you doing?!” True, he didn’t care about his own child. How could he care about a dog? My heart was bleeding. Fluffy was like half a child to me, and he wasn’t a puppy anymore! “Adam, he bit me first, that’s why I reacted.” Luna said, tearing up. Adam tenderly hugged and comforted her. “Fluffy never bites unless provoked! How could he bite you if you didn’t bother him?!” The dog hair on the floor was clearly pulled out deliberately. She had attacked a pet. My blood rushed, and I suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood. Adam froze, but Luna pulled him back. “Adam, that dog isn’t clean, don’t go near it.” Adam hesitated for a few seconds. He stared at me intently, staying close to Luna. I wiped my mouth, my stomach churning with nausea. Fluffy rubbed against my leg, drooling. Luna, when I wasn’t looking, suddenly kicked him. My hand tried to shield him, and though it scraped, Fluffy still let out a pained yelp. Soon, he stopped breathing entirely. “Fluffy, Fluffy…” Luna was still clinging pitifully to Adam’s arm: “Adam, I thought he was going mad and I was afraid he’d hurt you. I didn’t mean it.” “Luna!” I grabbed the vase from the table and threw it at Luna. It struck Adam’s forehead, drawing blood. He gasped, then looked at Luna, asking, “Are you okay?” Luna anxiously wiped his blood, then glared at me with red eyes, calling 911. I took Fluffy in a taxi to the vet hospital. But it was too late to save him. I took the home surveillance video. And found a strand of Adam’s hair in the bathroom. The shop told me the video repair would take at least half a month. I gave the hair to the hospital to test if the baby was truly mine and Adam’s. But it required the baby’s embryonic tissue. I used connections I’d made previously – a colleague of Adam’s. “Audrey, everyone knows about your situation now. Is there really a need to do all this?” Back then, for Adam’s sake, I had helped his colleague quite a bit. He wasn’t good at socializing, and many of his connections were ones I cultivated. I even helped Linda get her child into school. “I’m not asking for it for free,” I glared at her, gritting my teeth, not understanding what this had to do with her. “Alright, twenty thousand.” “What?! The most expensive is usually five thousand!” “Then don’t do it. Someone who cheated, going through all this, who are you trying to impress? That video was already…” Linda suddenly stopped, looking at me, trying frantically to cover up. She bravely explained: “I just happened to scroll past it occasionally, I didn’t spread it.” I stared at her in shock, my face even paler. A bitter sting in my heart. “Audrey, Adam is such a good man, we all saw it. The video can’t be faked. Don’t say I’m kicking you when you’re down, I’m already giving you a discount on this test.” Linda raised an eyebrow, haughty. Adam actually had no regard for my reputation. He truly wanted to destroy me. I sold my wedding ring. At the time, Adam spent three months picking out this ring with me. Now, for another woman, he frames me, abandons me. It all felt so surreal. I wished I could go back to before I met Adam. I returned to my high school. When people are close to death, they often want to revisit old places. But I never expected to run into Luna and Adam there too. She intimately linked arms with Adam, constantly cooing: “Adam, they say if you walk around each other’s old schools, you’ll be completely bound together for life.” Adam dotingly tweaked her nose, “Where did you hear that?” I was about to hide when a teacher suddenly called out to me. “Audrey!” Isn’t that my homeroom teacher? And the invigilator from back then. After chatting for a while, she sighed, “Back then, I was so worried you wouldn’t finish the exam, luckily you persevered. Too bad about that doctor…” I gave an awkward smile, feeling guilty. I saw Adam and Luna had also spotted me. The teacher didn’t notice, “There was a student in the next class, if she hadn’t said she had a stomach ache and delayed your treatment, you might have performed better. That doctor died in a car accident while rushing to get her medicine.” “He didn’t die because of me?!” I asked strangely. The teacher suddenly gasped, looking behind me. “Oh? I think that’s her.” Luna, being pointed at, her face instantly grew unnatural. “Don’t talk nonsense!” The teacher awkwardly waved her hand, “It’s been a long time, I can’t remember clearly, but I do remember that female student had a birthmark on the back of her hand.” Luna had a birthmark on the back of her hand. My parents used to say she was a reincarnation of a lotus fairy. This was something they had proudly boasted about to everyone. But no one knew we were sisters. They were ashamed. “Where did you find this extra?” Adam scoffed, his eyes full of cold indifference: “Audrey, stop playing games. Luna is so pure, not sly like you.” Luna deliberately cooed, “Adam, let’s go. Sis is already pitiful enough.” “Apologize.” Adam looked at me, utterly serious. He threw a card at me. “Apologize to Luna.” It contained a hundred thousand dollars. Adam’s heart, it turned out, was made of stone. I offered a bitter smile, trying hard to suppress my tears. “Adam, I hope you never regret this.” “Audrey, the biggest regret of my life was marrying you. You’re not even worth a single one of Luna’s fingers.” I needed treatment, money, and time. I bowed deeply, tears splashing onto the ground. “I’m sorry, I was wrong.” Adam forcefully lifted my chin, smugly saying: “That’s right. Didn’t you approach me for money from the start? Why pretend to care about the child?!” “That was our child!” I cried, breaking down in a scream. “He’s not!” Adam smiled, his eyes cold: “He’s a bastard.” Luna smugly pulled Adam away. I was overcome with anger and grief. The next second, I suddenly lost consciousness.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “391460”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

A breaking news alert popped up on my phone: [State University freshman lured overseas to work in an international cyber scam ring.] I was having lunch with my best friend, Chloe Davis. She glanced sideways at my screen. Immediately, her face broke into a massive, condescending grin. “Oh my god, that’s not your son, is it? I mean, your family is so broke, he’d definitely be the easiest target to brainwash.” “But seriously, do not even think about asking me for ransom money. My husband needs our cash for his stock investments.” Fuming, I locked my screen. Two minutes later, my son called me. [Mom, it’s bad. Aunt Chloe’s son got lured overseas by a scam syndicate. I heard they’re asking for a $300,000 ransom.] Right then, a text from my husband popped up. [Honey, brace yourself and get ready to console Chloe. Richard gambled away every last dime they had. They’re completely bankrupt.] I slowly put my phone down and turned to look at Chloe. She was laughing even harder now. “Oh my god, look at your face! Did the kidnappers just call you for the ransom?” I gave her a cold, slow shake of my head. The kidnappers definitely won’t be calling me. You just sit tight and wait for your phone to ring. “No… it wasn’t the kidnappers…” My mind was racing, trying to figure out how to break the news to her gently. But Chloe was laughing so hard she was clutching her stomach, wiping away tears while continuing to mock me. “Don’t give me that! Look at how pale you are. Your cheap drugstore foundation is literally cracking.” She found her own joke so hilarious she practically rolled out of her booth. The restaurant chair squeaked loudly under her shifting weight. “I’m telling you right now, Sarah, my family absolutely does not have money to lend you. And even if we did, it would take you a whole lifetime to pay us back.” My head was spinning with rage, but she just kept blabbering. “You and your husband Tom are just two corporate slaves. You make pennies every month. Of course your kid would run off the second someone flashed a dollar sign in his face!” “If I were your son, I would’ve run away ages ago. Look at my Tyler. Why didn’t he run off?” “Because my Richard is a powerhouse! My husband makes more in a month than you two make in a year. Tsk, tsk.” “But nobody’s money grows on trees. Even best friends need to keep their finances separate. I’m putting my foot down right now: I am not lending you a dime.” My grip on my phone tightened. A thin layer of sweat had coated the back of my phone. It felt damp, sticky, and incredibly uncomfortable. I took a few deep breaths and set the phone down. I pulled out a napkin and wiped my palms. “Chloe, hypothetically… if something catastrophic happened to your family, would you swear to never ask me for a loan?” She let out an ear-piercing shriek of laughter. “Ahahahaha! What did you just say? Me? Ask you for money? Keep dreaming, Sarah. Are you really that desperate to see me beneath you?” I shook my head, exhausted. Chloe reached over and grabbed my hand. “Sarah, honestly, I advise you to just let him work over there.” “With your family’s pathetic bank account, your kid isn’t going to find a good job after graduation anyway.” “Do you really want him working like a dog for pennies, just like you?” “Who knows! Maybe he’ll actually make some real money doing scams!” I violently snatched my hand back and yelled at her, “Are you out of your mind?! Do you have any idea how much they torture and beat those kids who get lured over there? Do you not watch the news?!” She shrugged, completely unfazed. “Well, poor kids need to be taught a lesson anyway. So what if he gets beaten? That’s what he gets for having useless, broke parents.” Okay. Fine. Since you want to be this vicious, I have absolutely no reason to show you any mercy. You can just wait for someone else to deliver the devastating truth. I called the waiter over for the check, ready to part ways. She pulled out her phone, smirking. “Like I said, financial boundaries. Don’t think just because your family is in crisis I’m going to treat you to lunch. We’re splitting the check.” I gave a tight smile. “Of course we’re splitting it. I’m not the type to take advantage of people. I hope you aren’t either.” She raised an eyebrow. “God wouldn’t even give me the opportunity to take advantage of you, don’t you think?” She bobbed her head, deliberately trying to piss me off. Right at that moment, a notification popped up in the university parents’ group chat. Chloe’s son and mine were in the same program, so she received it too. [URGENT: A major incident has occurred. Several male students from our university have been lured overseas to international scam compounds under the false promise of high-paying jobs. The school will hold an emergency safety presentation this afternoon in the main auditorium. We strongly urge all local parents to attend.] Chloe immediately sat up straight, her eyes gleaming with excitement. “Oh my god, some real drama?! I am absolutely going to watch this.” I had originally planned to work overtime this afternoon, and since I knew my son was safe, I didn’t want to wade into this mess. But Chloe grabbed my wrist tightly. “Let’s go, let’s go! Your son got kidnapped, you need to meet the other parents! You can all trauma-bond together.” Fine, let’s go, I thought. I can’t wait to see your face when you realize it’s your son who’s gone. We walked out to the restaurant’s parking garage. “I’m not riding in your car,” Chloe announced. “I’ll drive mine. Riding in cheap cars makes me motion sick.” I tilted my head but didn’t respond. I got into my Honda, and as I drove past her, I saw her staring blankly at an empty parking spot. “Huh? Where’s my car?” She looked back at me. “Maybe my car was just too luxurious, and one of Richard’s friends borrowed it. I’ll call him right now and tell him to bring it back.” She dialed her husband’s number. It rang and rang. No one answered. I slammed on the gas and sped off. Goodbye, my dearest best friend. You aren’t getting that car back. Your beloved husband already gave it to his creditors to pay off his gambling debts. And don’t you dare ride in my car. Cheap cars make you nauseous, remember? I glanced in my rearview mirror and saw Chloe, teetering in her three-inch designer heels, sprinting frantically after my car. She was waving her arms, screaming at the top of her lungs, “Sarah! Stop! Stop the car! Take me with you! Take me!” I pretended I didn’t hear a thing and sped out of the parking lot. Chloe arrived at the university auditorium ten minutes after I did. Her hair was a windblown mess, and she stood at the entrance panting heavily, scanning the room. The second she saw me, she aggressively stomped over. I smiled at her. “Oh hey, did your husband bring your car back? That was pretty fast!” “Screw you! You did that on purpose! You heard me screaming for you, and you purposely didn’t stop!” She collapsed into the seat next to me, ripped a water bottle out of her designer purse, and chugged it aggressively. I suppressed a laugh. “What? You were screaming for me? But you said you couldn’t ride in my cheap car. Why were you calling me?” She waved me off irritably. “Enough, just drop it.” I tugged her sleeve. “How did you get here?” Her chest heaved with fury. “Don’t even get me started! My husband is being so weird. He suddenly froze my credit cards, and I couldn’t even link a rideshare app.” “Your family is so wealthy and you only rely on credit cards? You don’t have any cash on you at all?” She rolled her eyes disdainfully. “What do you know? We rich people have credit limits you can’t even imagine. Plus, our cash flow is always tied up in investments making more money. I wouldn’t expect a poor person like you to understand. Just shut up and let’s listen to what the administrators have to say.” Did she literally run all the way here? The more I thought about it, the funnier it got. I zipped my lips and looked straight ahead. On the stage, the university representative gave a broad overview of scam awareness and explained the current crisis. A photo was projected onto the massive screen behind them. “As you can see, parents, this photo was secretly taken by a bystander near the border crossing. We can’t clearly make out how many students are in the group. We ask that all parents try to contact their children right now so we can begin the process of elimination.” Chloe stretched her neck out like a giraffe and practically yelled, “Look at the one in the blue hoodie! Sarah, that is one hundred percent your son.” “What did I tell you? Your family is broke, so your kid was easy prey.” “Hahaha, it’s definitely him! Big head, thick neck, that’s your boy! I have 20/20 vision, I’d never mistake that.” I let out a heavy sigh. She really had the ultimate mother’s blind spot. Her son had completely let himself go after starting college. He had gained forty pounds and looked incredibly sloppy, but she was completely oblivious to it. I nudged her arm. “Do you want to try calling your son?” She squinted at me mockingly. “What, do you honestly think my son would go commit fraud for a few extra pennies?” “Fine, fine, I’ll call him just to prove it to you!” She pulled out her phone and dialed Tyler’s number. It rang for a long time. No one picked up. She laughed awkwardly. “I bet his dad picked him up. Those two are practically joined at the hip. They go fishing together all the time. It’s so boring, I never go with them.” My heart hammered in my chest. Are they really out fishing? I quickly texted my husband: [Did you know Richard takes his son out fishing all the time?] My husband replied instantly: [Fishing? Yeah right. That’s just the excuse they give Chloe. Those two go to sketchy underground strip clubs and brothels together.] I bit my lower lip hard, glancing over at Chloe, who had just pulled out her compact mirror to fix her makeup. How could she possibly care about her makeup at a time like this? Tom sent another text: [Do not tell Chloe this, but Richard is completely bankrupt. He owes millions to loan sharks. I bet Tyler knows too. The whole family has been keeping Chloe in the dark.] A cold sweat broke out on my back. I couldn’t even fathom how Chloe was going to react when she found out the truth. But honestly, I was a little eager to see it. The administrator on stage raised the microphone again. “If any parents have been unable to reach their children, please come to the front desk after the presentation to register. Um, would any parents like to say a few words? If not, we will conclude—” Before the administrator could finish, Chloe shot up from her seat, waving her hand wildly. “I have something to say! Me, me, me!” The administrator leaned back, clearly startled, but maintained a polite smile. “Alright, let’s welcome this mother to the stage to share her thoughts.” Chloe practically skipped up the stage in her heels, her face glowing with pride. She snatched the microphone right out of the administrator’s hand. A sharp burst of feedback blasted through the speakers. Everyone in the auditorium covered their ears. “Ow! Watch it!” “Who is this woman? She has no manners.” “Seriously, she’s acting like this is her personal stand-up special.” “Let’s see what kind of garbage comes out of her mouth.” Chloe cleared her throat and began a speech that completely shattered everyone’s perception of human decency. “Hello, teachers and parents. I am Tyler Davis’s mother. My name is Chloe. Chloe, as in flawless luxury. I’m sure you’ve all heard of us, considering our family is incredibly wealthy. Tyler has the highest monthly allowance of any student in his class. I’m sure your children are deeply envious of Tyler and have probably mentioned our family to you at home. As a successful and capable parent, I’m here to share my personal perspective. I believe that if your child was lured away to work in a scam ring, the primary responsibility lies entirely with you, the parents! If you weren’t so useless and actually provided your kids with enough money, would they have been tricked? At the end of the day, you people never deserved to have kids in the first place. Useless people breed useless children. Even if they hadn’t been kidnapped, they’d be completely worthless after graduation anyway. Honestly, they might as well go run scams. Who knows, they might actually make some real money for once.” By this point, the crowd was in an uproar. Some parents were shouting curses at her, while others muttered furiously. “Who the hell do you think you are?! How dare you judge us?!” “Trash! Who knows what kind of dirty money your family makes. You need to be investigated!” “You’re just a housewife spending your husband’s money! What are you acting so high and mighty for?!” “Get off the stage!” The entire auditorium erupted into a furious chant. “Get off the stage!” “Get out of here!” But Chloe just tilted her chin up, flashing a sickeningly arrogant smile. “See? This is exactly how poor people act. You deserve to be suppressed! You deserve to be mistreated! And look what happened. Your kids got trafficked. They’re probably getting beaten half to death by cartels right now. They are suffering for your sins! I advise you all not to even bother trying to raise ransom money. Hundreds of thousands of dollars? You couldn’t scrape that together if you sold your own blood. For the sake of the living, I highly suggest you just cut your losses and abandon your kidnapped children. If your bodies are still capable, just make a new kid. If not, just accept your miserable lives. It’s called cutting your losses!” “Screw your losses!” a father roared. “You don’t get to talk about our children like that!” “Yeah! Who do you think you are?!” “Watch it be her own son who got kidnapped. I’d love to see her brag then!” “Honestly, the kid in the photo looks exactly like her son Tyler. Same thick neck and chubby face!” Chloe suddenly raised the microphone, and another piercing shriek of feedback echoed through the hall. Over the noise, she screamed, “Impossible! My family is rich! My son would never be desperate for money! The blurry boy in that photo is Sarah Miller’s son! His name is Jake!” But right at that exact moment, the administrator turned and stared at the auditorium doors. Through her lapel mic, her voice carried clearly across the sudden silence. “Jake Miller? Do you need something?” Chloe’s face twisted into an expression uglier than if she had just swallowed dirt. She whipped her head around toward the entrance. There, my son Jake strode confidently into the auditorium. “Excuse me, I’m looking for my mom. I heard the presentation was over. I didn’t realize it was still going on, I’m so sorry.” The administrator gave him a warm smile. “It’s alright, come on in.” My son stood tall, his posture straight, looking a bit leaner than usual. He had probably been training hard for his sports team recently. The administrator smiled at him. “Are you here to ask your mom for your allowance? You need to be a bit more frugal, you know.” Jake nodded politely. “Yes, I know. But actually, I’m here to take my mom shopping. I recently picked up a part-time job tutoring, and I saved up some money. I wanted to buy my mom a beautiful new outfit.” The expressions of all the parents in the room instantly melted into pure warmth. “What an incredible kid.” “He’s the absolute perfect son.” “I really need to get my boy to be friends with him.” But Chloe’s mouth fell open, stretching wider and wider in sheer disbelief, before her eyes filled with toxic venom. Someone in the audience yelled out, “Hey, Tyler’s mom! Weren’t you absolutely certain that Jake was the one who got trafficked? He’s standing right here! So who do you think that boy in the photo is?!”

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Seven years ago, Carter and I broke up because we were from two completely different worlds. Seven years later, I’m a corporate executive pulling in a million dollars a year. And Carter? After a devastating bankruptcy, he’s reduced to delivering takeout. Looking at the incredibly handsome man standing in front of me, I casually slid a bank card across the table. “Ten thousand a month. I’m keeping you.” Looking thoroughly humiliated, Carter pocketed the card. The day after he moved into my penthouse, I accidentally overheard him on the phone: “I’m too busy. Don’t bother me with a tiny fifty-million-dollar project.” 1 I never expected my reunion with Carter Hayes to be this dramatic. “Your delivery, ma’am.” Carter was holding the paper bag with one hand, the impatient look on his face slowly fading. He narrowed his eyes, looking me up and down a few times before asking in disbelief, “Chloe?” I stared up at him, completely stunned. Seven years later, and he was still drop-dead gorgeous. Somehow, he made that bright neon delivery jacket look like a piece of high-end runway couture on his broad shoulders and long legs. Earlier this year, I heard some college alumni gossiping that Carter’s family had gone bankrupt. I hadn’t paid much attention to it at the time. A starving camel is still bigger than a horse, as they say. No matter how bad things got for the Hayes family, they’d still be miles ahead of normal people like us. It wasn’t my place to pity him. But I never imagined he’d be reduced to delivering food. He graduated from an Ivy League school. He had the face of a supermodel. He could get any job in the world—so why this? Carter, how have you been all these years? Are you married? Do you have kids? A thousand questions swirled in my head, but what actually came out of my mouth was: “You’re late.” Carter froze, then let out a soft laugh, his eyes curving into familiar crescents. “Chloe Adams. It’s been years, and you’re still as ruthless as ever.” I just looked at him in silence. I got it. I understood completely. The golden boy had fallen from grace, only to be caught at his absolute lowest by his ex-girlfriend. Aside from using humor to deflect the crushing awkwardness, what else could he do? 2 “You have an order running late. Please deliver immediately.” The automated voice from the phone clipped to his chest shattered my thoughts. Frowning, he pulled out his phone and ruthlessly powered it off. I was shocked by his reckless indifference. “I heard you get penalized for late deliveries. You’re going to lose a lot of money doing that. How are you going to feed your wife and kids?” Carter casually shoved the phone into his pocket. “I only have to feed myself. Nobody else is starving.” Oh. So he was still single. My eyes slowly drifted down from his face, eventually landing on his stomach. After all these years, were those abs still as perfectly sculpted as before? Last month, I went to a holistic wellness clinic because my hormones were a wreck. The doctor told me I needed a boyfriend. He said my stress levels were through the roof from being single too long. He told me that if I couldn’t find a man, I should at least spend time looking at handsome guys to boost my serotonin. Well, look what the universe dragged in. “Chloe, you’re drooling.” I panicked and scrubbed at the corner of my mouth with my sleeve, only to realize he was messing with me. Watching my flustered, embarrassed reaction, his chest rumbled with laughter until tears literally formed in his eyes. “Chloe, you’re adorable.” Adorable? Adorable my foot! Humiliation flared into anger, and suddenly, all the bitter memories of our toxic breakup came rushing back. 3 Carter and I were college sweethearts. He kept a low profile on campus. He never flashed his wealth. It wasn’t until right before graduation that I realized his family was astronomically rich. He had invited me to his family’s estate for dinner. I had spent months of my internship salary to buy what I thought were thoughtful, premium gifts. His mother took one look, tossed them to the housekeeper, and sneered that not even their staff would eat such low-grade trash. She told the maid to donate it to some poor relatives in the country. Then, Carter’s sister pulled out a photograph and informed me that their family was arranging a marriage for him. In two months, the gorgeous heiress in the photo would be his fiancée. “Don’t worry, my brother is very generous,” his sister had smirked. “He’ll give you a nice little severance package before he dumps you.” I was young back then. I had nothing to my name except my fragile pride and self-esteem. By the time Carter chased me out the door, I was already gone. I blocked his number and deleted him from my life. After the breakup, I went through the darkest period of my life. My best friend couldn’t stand seeing me cry every day, so she went to confront Carter. But he was ice-cold. He told her he had misjudged me. That killed whatever hope I had left. I poured every ounce of my soul into my career. Men will betray you, but work won’t. The time and energy you put into your career always pays off. Case in point: my life right now. Remembering how his family humiliated me made my blood boil. Anger fueled my audacity. I turned around, marched into my apartment, and grabbed a pristine black card from my designer bag. I held it out to him, my chin raised in absolute arrogance. “Carter, running deliveries all day probably barely pays the rent, right?” “Why don’t you work for me? I’ll pay you ten thousand dollars a month. What do you say?” 4 Carter didn’t say a word. He just stared at my manicured fingers holding the card. Just as my arm was starting to ache, he lowered his head and gave a response so soft I almost missed it. “Okay.” Seeing him look so defeated, so fragile—like a broken piece of glass—made my own heart crack a little. Ten thousand! That was ten thousand dollars a month! I only wanted to insult him! Why did he agree?! Wasn’t he supposed to slap the card away, quote some alpha-male movie line about earning his way back to the top, and storm off?! God knows what I sacrificed to hit a million-dollar salary. And that was before taxes. After the IRS, 401k, and insurance took their cut, I was taking home maybe fifty thousand a month. Giving him ten grand was a massive hit! My fingers were trembling slightly. Carter tried to slide the card from my grip, failing three times because I was holding on so tight. “Chloe, do you actually not have the money?” He looked amused, the corners of his perfectly sculpted lips curling into a mocking smirk. I really wanted to admit I was just trying to flex. But my ego absolutely refused. I let go of the card and tossed my hair over my shoulder. “Do a good job. If you serve me well, I’ll double your salary.” Carter walked away with my card, wearing the most complicated expression I had ever seen. He didn’t just take my card. He took my peace of mind. I made a vow. No matter how well he performed, I was going to find a flaw. In exactly one month, I would fire him for “poor service.” That way, I only lose ten grand. Yeah, that’s manageable. Not too bad. 5 “Where is he?!” “Where are you hiding him?!” My best friend, Zoe, burst into my apartment wearing fuzzy pajama pants, her hair a bird’s nest, and a sheet mask still plastered to her face. I put my phone down and rolled my eyes. “You got here fast.” I had literally texted her about Carter five minutes ago. She lived across town. It was a twenty-minute drive with zero traffic. “Stop stalling, where’s the eye candy?!” “He left. He’s moving in tomorrow night.” Zoe hopped over to me like an overcaffeinated bunny and wiggled her eyebrows. “So, how are you going to humiliate him? Handcuffs? Whips? Blindfolds?” “Maybe a French maid outfit for men?” A male maid outfit? What did that even look like? Just a tiny apron over an eight-pack of abs? Picturing Carter’s normally cold, untouchable face while wearing nothing but a frilly apron made my entire body flush. A sudden, familiar cramp hit my lower stomach. I shoved Zoe’s masked face away and sprinted for the bathroom. A long moment later, I groaned from behind the door. “Zoe… I got my period.” “I don’t think I have any tampons left, can you run to the drugstore?” Zoe poked her head into the doorway, her eyes wide with awe. “Oh my god.” “If I recall correctly, your stress was so bad you haven’t had a period in two months, right?” “The doctors couldn’t fix your hormones, but one look at Carter Hayes and the dam breaks?! Wild!” I grabbed a roll of toilet paper and lobbed it at her head. “Get out!” 6 The doorbell woke me up at the crack of dawn. I stood at the door in my oversized t-shirt, staring dumbfounded at a row of massive luxury suitcases. Carter raised an eyebrow and flashed me a dazzling smile. “Good morning, sugar mama.” I grabbed his wrist, staring in horror at the incredibly expensive Patek Philippe on his arm. “It’s six in the morning, dude!” “This watch is a fake, a really good replica—” We spoke at the exact same time. Carter pulled his wrist back, smoothly took off the watch, and stuffed it into his pocket. “Didn’t you say my salary would double if I performed well? I’m just showing initiative.” Despicable! Using my own words against me! Carter pushed his luggage inside and casually strolled straight into my master bedroom. When I realized he was about to start hanging his clothes in my closet, I lunged forward. “What do you think you’re doing?” He blinked at me, the picture of innocence. “Didn’t you say I was supposed to serve you?” “If we don’t sleep in the same bed, how am I supposed to serve you?” He leaned down and whispered those last few words right in my ear, his voice dropping an octave into a gravelly purr. “Y-You—” My face burned. I couldn’t believe how low he had sunk. To make a quick buck, he was actually trying to seduce me! Life must have been incredibly hard on him these past few years. The untouchable prince finally learned the value of a dollar. “Your room is down the hall. I prefer sleeping alone.” Carter grabbed his suitcases and walked away, his broad back looking distinctly disappointed. Disappointed? I’m definitely overthinking this. 7 Carter was very self-aware. He unpacked his things and immediately went to the kitchen to make breakfast. Leaning against the doorframe, watching his broad shoulders move around the kitchen, four words popped into my head: Peace and quiet. For years, I had been married to my job, working insane overtime hours. Whenever I came home, the apartment always felt cold and sterile. Sometimes, when I was dead on my feet, I’d fantasize about coming home to someone having a hot meal waiting for me. I didn’t expect to achieve that dream so quickly. Even if the price tag was a bit steep. Thinking about that $10,000 monthly retainer made my heart bleed. I made up my mind: No matter how good the food was, I was going to tell him it tasted like garbage! “Stop staring at me and go wash your face.” Carter stepped out of the kitchen and nudged me toward the bathroom. “Wait, I think I smell something burning.” He grabbed my chin, gently turning my head forward, his expression deadpan. “That’s just your imagination.” It was definitely my imagination. When I came out dressed for work, I stared in shock at the absolute feast spread across my dining table. Perfectly poached eggs benedict, thick-cut bacon, fluffy buttermilk pancakes, avocado toast with microgreens, fresh fruit parfaits, and steaming artisan coffee. A five-star hotel buffet couldn’t compete with this. “Y-You made all this?” He nodded, pulling out a chair for me like a gentleman. “Taste it.” I took a bite of the eggs benedict. The hollandaise was incredibly rich, the egg yolk perfectly runny, and the English muffin toasted to a crisp perfection. One word: Divine! “It’s alright. A bit basic, but it’s edible.” 8 The light in Carter’s eyes died. He lowered his gaze, looking genuinely hurt, his voice soft. “Really? I guess I need to work harder.” I aggressively shoved a pancake into my mouth so I wouldn’t accidentally blurt out a compliment to comfort him. Ten thousand dollars! Hold the line, Chloe! Usually, my appetite was nonexistent during this time of the month. But the food was so good I ate until I was stuffed, patting my stomach happily as I grabbed my purse for work. Before I left, I made sure to order him to deep-clean the apartment. This is what happens when you grow up poor. You starve yourself before a buffet to get your money’s worth. If I was paying for a kept man, he was going to be my chef, maid, driver, bodyguard, and eye candy combined. Every penny had to be maximized! Carter nodded obediently, walking me to the door like he didn’t want me to leave. “Come home early, Chloe. I’ll be waiting for you.” He sounded like a devoted 1950s housewife. I practically skipped to the elevator, feeling energized for the workday. Just as the doors opened, I patted my pocket and realized I left my phone on the counter. I hurried back, pushed the front door open, and heard Carter on a phone call. “I’m too busy. Don’t bother me with a tiny fifty-million-dollar project.” He opened the door wider as he spoke, catching me mid-snoop, my ear practically pressed against the air. We locked eyes. The silence was deafening. To break the awkwardness, I decided to go on the offensive. “Ooooh, a tiny fifty-million-dollar project! Big shot!” Carter slowly lowered his phone, looking at me with an expression that screamed ‘I don’t even know where to begin.’ I snatched my phone off the entryway table and waved at him. “Off to work! Bye, Mr. Fifty Million!” I guess when rich people go broke, they cope by playing pretend. Zoe and I used to play the same game when we were broke college kids. Thinking about Carter’s flustered face put me in an amazing mood.

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My younger sister, Tiffany, moved to the city to “find herself,” but all she’s found so far is reasons to complain about my apartment. To her, my cozy one-bedroom in a decent zip code is a “cramped, pathetic dump.” I tried to be the good sister. I cleared out my guest closet and bought an expandable room divider to give her some privacy. Her gratitude? She went straight to the family group chat and started a wildfire of lies, telling everyone I was being kept by a “sugar daddy” and that I only lived in this “shithole” because he’d dumped me. This afternoon, I was out on the balcony taking down my laundry. In the penthouse unit of the adjacent building—a glass-and-steel monolith that housed the city’s elite—Dominic Thorne was finishing a workout on his private terrace. He’s the crown prince of the Thorne Group, a man worth eleven figures, and as he wiped sweat from his brow, his gaze drifted momentarily toward our building. Tiffany leaned against the doorframe, watching him, then rolled her eyes at me with a sneer. “With those wrinkles and that tired look, you aren’t even fit to shine his shoes,” she said, her voice dripping with venom. “Don’t tell me you actually think a man like that would look at someone like you.” She got louder, feeding off her own cruelty, pointing a manicured finger toward the penthouse. “What, are you going to tell me he’s here for you? That the city’s most eligible bachelor is your secret husband?” She laughed, a shrill, mocking sound. “If you have the guts to walk over there and call him ‘husband,’ I’ll get down on my knees and bow to you right now. But we both know the truth—his security would toss you out like the trash you are. You’re just a smudge on his view.” She didn’t know about the Rumor-Manifestation System. It was a strange, silent pulse in the back of my mind. If a rumor is repeated ninety-nine times, I can choose to make it reality. I listened as the mechanical chime echoed in my head: [Rumor count reached: 99. Activation ready.] I turned my head and looked at the man across the way—the man whose net worth could buy my entire life a thousand times over. Since you insist he’s my husband, Tiffany, I think I’ll take you up on that fortune. … I stared at Dominic as he draped a towel over his neck. “What are you gawking at? Put those thirsty eyes away,” Tiffany snapped. She was holding my favorite silk blouse—the one I’d painstakingly steamed for my interview tomorrow. Before I could stop her, she crumpled it into a ball and used it to wipe the dust off the balcony railing. “Look at yourself,” she scoffed, tossing the ruined silk onto the floor and grinding her heel into it. “You’re thirty, single, and pathetic. You aren’t in his league. You aren’t even in the same universe.” I clenched my fists. “Tiffany, that was for my interview.” “Oh, please. It’s a cheap rag.” She pulled out her phone, the camera lens glowing red. “Hey guys, look at this! Here’s my ‘successful’ big sister in the city. Living in a thirty-square-meter shoebox, thirsting after the billionaire next door while she won’t even buy her own sister a decent outfit!” She made a face at the screen, her eyes sparkling with malice. “You should have seen the way she looked at him just now. Like she wanted to eat him alive. Honestly, Claire, you’re an embarrassment to the family.” The comments began scrolling wildly on her livestream. A second later, my phone buzzed. It was a voice note from our mother in the family chat. “Claire! Have you no shame? I told you to take care of your sister, and this is how you treat her? Tiffany just graduated! You have her living in a kennel while you spend your time chasing rich men? Don’t you dare ruin her reputation with your filth!” Then came another, longer message. “I heard from Tiffany that a big-shot CEO lives next door. Don’t you start getting ideas, you hear me? I know your type. Last month, Mrs. Gable said she saw you getting out of a luxury car. I knew you were up to no good! You clear out of that apartment and make room. Tiffany’s boyfriend is coming to visit in two days. He’s from a real wealthy family, a proper heir—he can’t stay in that dump. Give them the master bedroom. You can sleep on the balcony or go live in your office for all I care!” A familiar ache tightened in my chest. Since we were kids, I only got what Tiffany didn’t want. I worked my way to the city, built a life, and yet, they still followed me like a shadow, ready to dim my light. “You hear that?” Tiffany smirked, waving her phone. “Mom wants you out. My boyfriend, Rico, is actually a close friend of Dominic Thorne. He’s used to the best. If you’re smart, you’ll pack your bags before I throw them out the window.” I stared at her, my nails digging into my palms. “I pay the rent here, Tiffany. Every cent.” “So? Your money is Mom and Dad’s money. You’re just a liability. They should have sold you off for a dowry years ago.” Tiffany’s eyes darted back to the penthouse terrace. “What? You still thinking he’s coming for you? Your ‘secret husband’?” She shouted it toward the open air. “If you go over there and he actually knows your name, I’ll kiss your feet! But let’s be real—you’re nothing but a stain on his sidewalk!” [Ding! Detection: The rumor ‘The Billionaire is my husband’ has reached 99 counts.] [System fully charged. Host may manifest this rumor at any time.] The tension in my shoulders suddenly evaporated. I looked at the neighboring balcony. Dominic was frowning now, looking toward the noise. If they wanted him to be my husband so badly, I was happy to oblige. But not yet. I wanted them to feel the full weight of their own trap before I sprung it. I felt a ghost of a smile touch my lips. “Go ahead and post whatever you want, Tiffany,” I said quietly, turning back toward the living room. “Just make sure you’re ready for the consequences.” “What’s that supposed to mean? You think you’re a threat?” Tiffany followed me in, her voice rising. “I’m warning you, Claire. If you aren’t out by tomorrow, I’m taking those pathetic diaries I found—the ones where you obsess over the CEO—and I’m posting them all over the neighborhood. I’ll make sure you can never show your face in this city again!” The diaries were fakes she’d mocked up yesterday. “Post them,” I said, looking her dead in the eye. “I dare you.” The next morning, my suitcases were sitting in the hallway. A piece of paper was taped to my own front door, written in thick, black marker: BEWARE OF THE SOCIAL CLIMBER. HER NAME IS CLAIRE. The door code had been changed. Inside, I could hear music playing and the smell of expensive takeout. I stood there for a moment, remarkably calm. Then, I pressed the doorbell. It took a long time for the door to crack open. A cloud of cigarette smoke and the smell of cheap grease hit me. A man stood there, wearing my brand-new silk robe—the one I hadn’t even taken the tags off yet. There were stains on the collar, and he was picking his teeth with a distracted air. “Who’s this?” He blew a whistle, his eyes roaming over me. “Oh, the big sister? You’re a lot cuter than Tiffany described.” “Move,” I said. “Hey, don’t be like that.” He reached out to grab my arm. “Tiffany’s inside making lunch. Why don’t you come in and have a drink with Rico? I can introduce you to some real players, way better than that stiff in the penthouse.” I stepped around him and walked into my own living room. It looked like a crime scene. Cigarette butts were crushed into my white rug. Red wine was splashed on the cushions. Tiffany was sitting on the coffee table, scrolling through her phone. “Claire? You actually came back?” Tiffany laughed, gesturing to the man. “Meet Rico. He’s a big deal in the city’s inner circle. Best friends with Thorne next door.” Rico puffed out his chest, adjusting the robe that was two sizes too small for him. “Stay humble, babe. I mean, yeah, Dominic and I grab drinks, play some golf. It’s whatever.” I almost laughed. “This is why you broke into my home? To turn it into a frat house?” I pointed at the door. “Get out. Both of you.” Smash. Tiffany dropped a wine bottle. “Who are you telling to get out? Mom said this place is my dowry. If you don’t like it, call the cops! See if they care about a ‘family matter’!” She wrapped her arms around Rico’s neck. “Babe, look at her. She’s just jealous that I found a real man. She’s bitter because she’s alone.” Rico glared at me. “Listen, lady. Tiffany’s carrying my kid. You stress her out, and you’re dealing with me.” I looked at Tiffany’s stomach and felt a cold, sharp satisfaction. “Fine,” I said, pulling out my phone and snapping a photo of the mess. Before I could dial, my phone rang. It was my mother. “Claire! You ungrateful brat!” her voice wailed through the speaker. “If you report your sister to the police, I’ll come down there and hang myself in front of your office! I’ll tell the whole world you’re a monster who tried to kill her own mother!” “Mom, he’s a thug. He’s trashing my home.” “Shut up! He’s an heir! Rico said he’s buying Tiffany a villa! You’re just jealous! If you ruin this for her, I will never forgive you!” The line went dead. I looked at the two of them. The last thread of familial obligation finally snapped. “Fine,” I said, putting my phone away. “Stay here then.” I turned to leave. “Wait! Where do you think you’re going?” Tiffany called out. “Go to the drugstore and get me some vitamins. And Rico’s hungry—get some lobster and peel it for him. Don’t let him get his hands dirty.” Rico laughed, sliding his hand under her shirt. I picked up my bag. “Sure. I’ll get right on that.” Downstairs in the lobby, I saw Dominic’s concierge. He looked at me for a moment, recognizing me from the building next door, but I kept my head down and walked out. A group of neighborhood women were whispering as I passed. “Is that her? The one Tiffany posted about?” “Yeah, the one who’s obsessed with the billionaire. Apparently, she knocks on his door every night.” “I saw the photos in the residents’ chat. She looks so normal, but I guess you never know who the real crazies are.” I stopped and opened my phone. The neighborhood WhatsApp group was blowing up. Tiffany had used a burner account to post photos of me in my pajamas, taken from behind. The lonely spinster in Building 8 was at it again last night, rubbing up against the CEO’s door handle. So pathetic! The comments were brutal. My hands shook, but not from fear. From the sheer, icy heat of my rage. Tiffany, you want to play a high-stakes game? Let’s play. I spent the night in a cheap motel and went to the office the next morning. The atmosphere was different the moment I walked in. The receptionist looked away. The laughter in the breakroom died down as soon as I entered. I’d barely sat down when the HR assistant appeared. “Claire, the CEO wants to see you.” Her eyes were full of disgust. In the office, a stack of photos was thrown onto the desk. “Explain this,” my boss barked. I picked them up. They were poorly photoshopped, but effective—my face spliced onto bodies in compromising positions, in clubs, and in scenes meant to suggest I was an escort. The anonymous email sent to the company had a familiar tone: Your executive, Claire, is a high-end call girl by night. Here’s the price list… “Sir, this is a smear campaign. I can prove—” “I don’t care!” he snapped. “The board is already breathing down my neck. You’re on administrative leave, effective immediately. If this turns out to be true, don’t bother coming back.” I packed my desk into a single box. As I walked out into the plaza, a bucket of red paint splashed across my front. “Look! There she is! The gold-digger!” Tiffany was standing there with a megaphone. Rico was beside her, livestreaming. “This is my sister! She tried to steal my boyfriend, she owes thousands to loan sharks, and now she’s trying to sell me off to pay her debts! Help me!” Tiffany wailed for the camera. A crowd gathered. Phones were everywhere. “She’d do that to her own sister?” “She looks so professional, what a snake.” “Trash!” Someone threw a water bottle at me. I wiped the stinging paint from my eyes. Rico shoved his phone in my face. “Look at her, guys! This is what happens when you get fired for being a slut! Follow Tiffany for more updates. Let’s make this bitch famous!” The comments were a sea of death threats. Tiffany looked at me over the megaphone. For a split second, the “victim” mask slipped, and she gave me a sharp, triumphant grin. “Claire, just admit you were wrong! Tell everyone you’re sorry, and maybe Mom will take you back!” I looked at her. I looked at the mob. [Detection: Social rumor threshold almost reached.] [Current count: 98/99.] One more. I took out my own phone, snapped a photo of Tiffany and Rico in their moment of glory, and walked away without a word. “Yeah, run away! Coward!” Tiffany screamed. The price for this, Tiffany, is higher than you can afford. Three days later, my mother called. “Get over here, you brat! Rico got us VIP passes to a gala hosted by that Dominic Thorne fellow. We’re going to the penthouse tonight to see how the other half lives! You’re coming along to wait on us. Don’t embarrass us!” A gala? At Dominic’s? I looked at myself in the mirror. “I’ll be there,” I whispered. At 7:00 PM, I arrived at the gates of the Thorne Estate. The driveway was a parade of Ferraris and Rolls-Royces. Tiffany, Rico, and my parents were arguing with the security guards at the entrance. “Don’t you know who I am?” Rico was shouting, his rented suit bunching at the shoulders. “I’m Dominic’s best friend! These are my in-laws!” The guard was unmoved. “Invitation, please.” “I told you, I forgot it! Just look at my face!” Tiffany saw me and ran over, grabbing my arm. “Tell the guard you’re the cleaning lady! Get us inside or I’ll tell everyone you’ve got a disease!” I looked at the wealthy guests staring at the scene, and I smiled. “Sure.” I walked up to the guard. Before I could speak, a man in a sharp tuxedo—Dominic’s personal butler—stepped forward. He looked at me, then at the loud, tacky group behind me. He stepped aside and bowed. Tiffany, assuming it was Rico’s influence, grabbed Rico’s arm and strutted inside. “See? That’s what I’m talking about! Status!” Once inside the ballroom, my family was a disaster. My mother was stuffing lobster tails into her handbag. My father was trying to toast people with empty glasses. Tiffany was frantic, taking selfies against the gold-leaf pillars. “Wait, isn’t that the escort who got fired?” a voice called out. It was one of Tiffany’s “influencer” friends. The room went quiet. Tiffany, sensing the shift, suddenly shoved me into the center of the floor. “I’m so sorry, everyone! My sister forced us to come! She told us she was Mr. Thorne’s secret mistress! She said she owned this place and told us to come in!” Tiffany shouted, her voice echoing off the vaulted ceilings. “I knew she was lying! A piece of trash like her doesn’t even know a man like Dominic!” The whispers turned into an ugly roar. “Is she the one from the news?” “How dare she use Mr. Thorne’s name?” “Where’s security?” Rico jumped in, pointing a finger at me. “Yeah! This crazy woman lured us here! Dominic, man, come down here and deal with this stalker!” On the grand staircase, Dominic Thorne appeared. He was the picture of cold, distant power. Tiffany ran to the foot of the stairs. “Mr. Thorne! This woman has been obsessing over you for months! She’s been telling everyone she’s your fiancée! It’s disgusting! Throw her out!” Everyone was looking at me. My mother stepped forward and slapped me across the face. The sound rang through the hall. “You shameless girl! Kneel down and apologize! Do you want to ruin us all?” She then turned to Dominic with a sickeningly sweet smile. “Mr. Thorne, please don’t be angry. She’s nothing to us. We disown her! Do whatever you want with her!” I touched my cheek, tasting blood. I looked at the greed in their eyes, the malice in Tiffany’s, and the cold stillness of the man on the stairs. “Here he comes,” Tiffany hissed. “He’s going to personally crush you, Claire. You’re dead.” Dominic descended the stairs, his handmade oxfords clicking on the marble. I waited. [Ding! Detection: The rumor count has reached 100.] [Activation condition met. Manifest the rumor: ‘The Billionaire is my fiancé’?] In the silence of my heart, I whispered: Yes. Dominic stopped in front of me. “Mr. Thorne, give the word and I’ll toss her out myself—” Rico started. Dominic ignored him. He reached out, his hand gentle as he wiped the blood from the corner of my mouth. A look of profound, aching tenderness crossed his face. “I’m sorry,” he whispered, loud enough for the whole room to hear. “I’m so sorry I’m late.”

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At the International Hospitality Summit, I accidentally drenched the heir to the Harrington empire in red wine. The room went deathly silent. My director looked like he was about to suffer a stroke, ready to fire me on the spot to appease the gods of old money. But Brooks Harrington simply wiped the crimson liquid from his face with a linen napkin. His eyes were cold, his expression unreadable, as he turned to the summit coordinator. “Her hands are unsteady,” he said, his voice a low, commanding rasp. “Don’t make her carry heavy things in the future.” The crowd gasped. The tension in the room didn’t break; it curdled. As soon as the session adjourned, my colleagues cornered me in the plaza, their faces etched with frantic curiosity. “That was Brooks Harrington. What the hell is your history with him?” At the elevator bank, Brooks paused. He turned back, his gaze lingering—uncomfortably, intentionally—tracing the line of my chest before meeting my eyes. I didn’t flinch. My voice was as steady as a surgeon’s. “I don’t know the man.” After all, three years ago, when Brooks Harrington publicly dismantled my career and burned every bridge I had, he told me he never wanted to see my face in any social circle in Manhattan again. In that moment, I saw his knuckles turn white as his grip tightened on the elevator door. 1 The elevator doors hissed shut, finally severing that suffocating gaze. I brushed past the gaggle of whispering peers and headed straight for the restroom to scrub the wine stains from my hem. Denying I knew Brooks was my only move. It was a public slap in the face, a calculated insult to a man who breathed ego. A storm three years ago had taught me everything I needed to know: to people like him, the dignity of someone like me is cheaper than the rainwater in a gutter. When he cut off my professional oxygen, he claimed I had tried to use his connections to leak the Harrington Group’s private audit files. That stigma—of being a corporate traitor and a social climber—made me a pariah. Coming back to the city and joining Blackwell & Co. was a gamble with my life. Blackwell was the only firm with enough teeth to challenge the Harringtons. I’d walked into the CEO’s office and demanded a seven-figure salary, using my courage as collateral. It wasn’t just a job offer. It was a ticket to the war. When I stepped out of the hotel, the early autumn breeze bit through the lingering heat of the alcohol. Brooks’ signature black sedan was idling under a streetlamp, like a predator waiting in the brush. He pushed the door open, stepping into the wind to block my path. “Rowan Miller. Who gave you permission to come back?” His voice was colder than I remembered, saturated with the habitual authority of a man who owned the horizon. “Mr. Harrington, the public street isn’t Harrington property,” I said, swinging my bag, the weight of my new contract grounding me. “I don’t need to report my career moves to you.” He glanced at the leather portfolio in my hand—the future he had tried so hard to incinerate. A flicker of genuine malice crossed his eyes. “Whatever Blackwell is paying you, I’ll double it. Get out of New York. Tonight.” “Three years ago, that tactic worked because I was just ‘Brooks Harrington’s girlfriend,’” I replied, stepping closer until I could smell the expensive tobacco and sea-salt air on his skin. “Now, I’m a Senior Auditor for Blackwell. Try me again.” I pulled out my phone and dialed 911 right in front of him. The charge? A man was illegally restricting my movement in a public space. Brooks clearly hadn’t expected me to go nuclear. He stood frozen, the shock on his face more satisfying than any apology could have been. By the time the sirens echoed down the block, the remaining summit attendees were staring. Brooks Harrington, the golden boy of the Upper East Side, was forced to step aside as the police arrived to “assist with an investigation.” As I pulled away in a cab, I saw him looking at me through the window of his car. His expression wasn’t just anger anymore. It was disbelief. 2 I watched him fade into the distance, feeling a surge of adrenaline that felt remarkably like a head start. A text vibrated in my palm. It was Blackwell. First assignment ready. Office at 8 AM. The target was clear: Harrington’s core subsidiary, the crown jewel of Brooks’ private portfolio. By noon on my first day, the news that I was auditing the Harringtons had spread through the industry like a virus. Brooks had spent the night dealing with the police, and his first act upon release was to file a formal complaint with the Board of Accountancy. He alleged “severe ethical deficiencies” based on our history, attempting to blacklist me once again. The emergency hearing was convened within forty-eight hours. The Harringtons and their allies, the Scotts, had pulled every string. I sat in the marble-lined board room, across from a smirking Madeline Scott. Maddie, the heiress to a retail empire and Brooks’ perennial “plus-one,” was playing the role of the victim for the committee. “Rowan didn’t just breach confidentiality three years ago,” Maddie said, her voice trembling with practiced grace. “She tried to extort my family when she was caught.” The old-guard board members frowned. In auditing, a character smear is a death sentence. Brooks sat in the very back row, watching me with the smug patience of a man waiting for a stray dog to finally stop barking and beg. “Ms. Miller,” the chairman said. “Do you have a defense?” “A defense would imply I’m guilty,” I said, standing up. “I have evidence.” I reached into my briefcase and pulled out a notarized file from three years ago—a digital preservation of the original audit trail. The room went silent as I projected the files. It wasn’t just my work; it was the raw data showing the Scott family’s systematic tax fraud. Maddie’s face turned ashen. She shrieked that the files were forged, but the forensic timestamps were undeniable. I turned my gaze to Brooks. His expression had shifted from amusement to a deep, harrowing gravity. “Three years ago, you told the world I stole secrets,” I said, my voice echoing. “The truth is, your secrets couldn’t stand the light. Mr. Harrington, did you bury me to protect Madeline, or to hide your own stake in her family’s fraud?” Brooks’ face was like granite. His grip on his fountain pen was so tight I thought it would snap. He didn’t say a word. He couldn’t. Any defense of the Scotts now would link the Harrington name to a massive federal scandal. Maddie tried to lung at me after the session was adjourned, but security intercepted her. Brooks walked past the chaos, his eyes fixed on me. For the first time, I saw something other than arrogance in them. I saw fear. And something else… something darker. “You kept that file for three years,” he whispered as we crossed paths in the hall. “You chose to starve rather than use it?” “I kept it because I needed to wait for the moment when it would hurt you the most,” I replied. “I wanted you to know what it feels like to have no way out.” 3 I walked out into the sunset, the marble floors of the hall reflecting a cold, pale light. On my way home, I received an anonymous text. Just an image. It was a hospital billing record from three years ago. The Intensive Care Unit. At the bottom, in the “Paid By” column, was a name I never expected to see. Brooks Harrington. Five million dollars. The total cost of my younger brother’s life-saving heart surgery. Three years ago, I had knelt outside Brooks’ office in the pouring rain, begging for a loan. He never showed his face. I thought he had left me to watch my brother die. I stood on the sidewalk in the middle of the night, the phone trembling in my hand. A cold shiver raced up my spine. Right on cue, my phone rang. Brooks. “I paid the bill, Rowan,” he said, his voice flat, devoid of emotion. “You owe me more than just three years of your life.” I felt a wave of nausea. “So what? You want a ‘Good Samaritan’ trophy? You cut off my legs and then handed me a pair of crutches?” “I wanted you to realize that without me, you have nothing. You are nothing.” His words were a dull knife, sawing away at the remnants of my self-respect. He thought that by buying my brother’s life, he had bought my soul. He thought he could keep me on a shelf like a trophy he’d reclaimed. The next morning, I went to the bank. I took out my title to the only property I owned—my grandmother’s cottage—and emptied every cent of my savings. I listed the house for a fire sale, half-price, cash only, closing within the hour. By 2 PM, I walked into Brooks’ penthouse office without an appointment. He was sitting with Maddie, discussing a press release about their “upcoming nuptials.” They both froze when I entered. “Mr. Harrington,” I said, my voice brittle. “Consider the debt settled. Principal plus interest.” I slammed a cashier’s check onto his marble desk. Five million plus three years of compounded interest. Every cent. Brooks looked at the check, and his face went whiter than the paper it was printed on. 4 “Rowan, don’t be a fool,” he hissed. “What do you have left? You’re throwing away your entire future for a gesture.” “I can earn a future,” I snapped. “But I don’t want a single drop of Harrington blood on my hands.” I grabbed a stack of decorative bills from his desk—petty cash for the office—and shredded them in front of Maddie, letting the scraps fall like a mockery of confetti. Maddie screamed at me to get out, but Brooks suddenly stood up, knocking over his coffee. The dark liquid pooled across the desk, soaking into the five-million-dollar check. “You’d really sell your house?” Brooks asked, his voice shaking. “You’d rather sleep on the street than look at me?” “I’d rather sleep in the dirt than owe you a single breath, Brooks. You lost the moment you decided to play god with my life.” I walked out of the Harrington Building, and for the first time in three years, the air felt clean. Brooks chased me to the elevator. He grabbed my wrist, his grip bruising. “If you pay the money back, it’s over, Rowan. We’re done. Truly done.” “I’m counting on it,” I said, wrenching my arm away. “From now on, we talk about audits. Never about us.” I left him standing there, the picture of defeat, but as I walked away, my chest felt hollow. The game was only halfway over. Blackwell was waiting for the final blow—the master file that would dismantle the Harrington foundation. The rumor of that “Master File” hit the black market like a bomb. It was the Holy Grail of the financial world. When Blackwell took me to the private auction where the file’s location was to be sold, I saw Brooks again. He was sitting with Maddie, but they were arguing, their faces tight with stress. This wasn’t just an auction; it was the last stand for the Harrington-Scott reputation. “Get that file, Rowan, and you’re a Senior Partner,” Blackwell whispered in my ear. His ambition was naked, predatory. The bidding started, and the atmosphere became electric. Brooks was bidding recklessly, raising the price by tens of millions at a time. Maddie looked frantic. Suddenly, the fire sprinklers in the ceiling shattered. Ice-cold water surged into the room. The lights flickered and died. Chaos erupted. People were screaming, scrambling for the exits. I lunged for the safe where the drive was kept, but someone shoved me. I tumbled into the ornamental reflecting pool in the center of the hall. The freezing water shocked my system. Beneath the surface, I saw a figure swimming toward the safe. Brooks. He found me in the dark. He grabbed my hand, and I felt him heave me toward the surface, toward air. But with his other hand, I saw him slide a USB drive into the safe’s lock. A swap. I pretended to struggle, using the moment he was “saving” me to reach into his jacket and snatch the drive he had just pulled out. The real file wasn’t in the safe. It had been hidden in the casing of the fountain pen I’d carried for three years. Brooks pulled me out of the water, gasping for air. His voice was raw. “Rowan, are you insane? Is that drive worth more than your life?” “To you, it’s a business asset,” I coughed, clutching the fake drive. “To me, it’s the receipt for the last three years.”

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