Category: English

I secretly dated my brother’s best friend for three years, until his adopted sister came back. I immediately decided to break up with him and turned around to agree to the blind date my family arranged. We didn’t invite outsiders to the engagement party, just close relatives. Right in the middle of the toasts, my brother’s phone rang. He answered it and laughed jokingly: “You didn’t even come to Chloe’s engagement party? She used to follow you around calling you ‘big brother’ all the time when she was little.” The other end of the line suddenly went dead silent. It took several seconds before I heard Arthur’s hoarse voice ask: “Who is getting engaged?” 1 “What, did you and that mysterious boyfriend of yours split up?” My brother, Liam’s tone was teasing; he was clearly enjoying the show. It’s no wonder. For three years, I stubbornly refused to make my relationship public. He had warned me long ago: “A man who doesn’t even have the guts to come home with you to meet your parents? What kind of responsibility can he take? You guys will break up sooner or later.” I couldn’t hear a word of it back then, firmly believing that true love would last forever. As it turned out, reality slapped me hard in the face. My tone was flat: “Yeah, we broke up.” Hearing how decisive I was, the other end of the phone was quiet for a while. “Did he do something to you?” I had thought I didn’t feel anything anymore, but that single sentence suddenly made my nose sting. I took a breath and shook my head at the empty air: “No, we just parted ways.” “Alright. If he ever dares to bully you, I’ll definitely teach him a lesson.” “Chloe, there aren’t many men you can rely on. If you really want to get married, you’re better off finding someone from a similar background. At least it’s real.” “Okay, you set it up. I’ll be back the day after tomorrow.” I had just hung up the phone. Arthur pushed the door open and walked in: “Who were you on the phone with?” Afraid he’d see I had been crying, I didn’t look back: “A classmate.” “Hmm.” He walked right past me and went into his study. In the three years we’ve been together, he has always been this cold. I always thought it was just his personality, that he couldn’t be warm and affectionate with anyone. Until last night, when I came back early from a business trip. I originally wanted to sneak in and surprise him. The door to his study was usually shut tight, but that day it was slightly ajar. A warm yellow light spilled through the crack. I leaned in to knock, but I saw Arthur inside, looking uncomfortable. His eyes were glued to his phone, one hand moving beneath the desk. I froze on the spot. The person on the screen wasn’t just anyone. It was his family’s adopted sister, Mia. He was so engrossed that he didn’t even hear me open the front door and leave. I sat in a hotel room all night, thinking about a lot of things. I finally understood. Arthur’s coldness toward me these past three years wasn’t because of his personality. His refusal to make our relationship public wasn’t because he was afraid of my overprotective brother causing trouble for him. It was all because— He didn’t like me at all. He just needed a smokescreen to cover up his feelings for that “sister.” So, when I threw myself at him back then, I was the perfect human shield. That night, Mia posted an Instagram story: “Flying back tomorrow! Come pick me up ASAP~” 2 After getting off the phone with my brother, I took a cab back to the villa I shared with Arthur. I still had some things to pack and take with me. He was eating breakfast. When he looked up and saw me, he flatly told the housekeeper to make another portion. “I didn’t know you were coming back at this hour, so I didn’t prep yours.” I nodded: “Okay.” It wasn’t that he didn’t know; he just didn’t care to know, and couldn’t be bothered to ask. Arthur’s movements paused. He looked up from his phone, a flash of confusion in his eyes. Yes, in the past, I would have definitely squeezed in next to him and stolen his breakfast. I would have said, “Who told you not to prep mine? Then I’ll just eat yours.” Or I would have hugged him from behind, pinched his ear, and asked if he didn’t love me anymore since he forgot about me. Arthur is so smart; of course, he could immediately sense the change in me. But he didn’t say anything more. He just nodded: “I’m heading to the office. Take your time eating.” He took the suit jacket the housekeeper handed him. He hesitated for a moment. Just when I thought he might be waiting for me to bounce over and help him put it on like I usually did… He put the jacket on himself. The sound of his footsteps and the door closing vanished together. The housekeeper asked me: “Ms. Hayes, what would you like to eat?” I shook my head: “I’m not eating. Could you help me find a few cardboard boxes? I need them today.” I dragged my suitcase back to the bedroom. When the housekeeper brought the boxes, I packed up all my clothes and daily necessities. Then I went to Arthur’s walk-in closet. Over the years, I’ve given him quite a few ties, cufflinks, clothes, watches, and things like that. But he rarely used them. Unless I insisted he put them on, those things barely saw the light of day. Just like me, his girlfriend, who could only be hidden in the dark. I swallowed the bitterness in my throat and packed the things I gave him into the box, one by one. It took a long time to finish packing. I sat on the edge of the bed to catch my breath. I received a text from Arthur: [I sent the driver to pick you up. He’ll be there in half an hour.] Short and concise. He couldn’t even be bothered to explain why. He took it for granted that I would never refuse him. I laughed self-deprecatingly. It was for the best. It was time to tell him we were done. 3 The lights flashed erratically in the club. This used to be one of my favorite places to hang out. I was spoiled growing up, with a fiery personality. My friends always joked that I was the little firecracker of the New York elite circle. At my brother’s college alumni event, I saw Arthur for the first time and was drawn to his icy demeanor. I beat around the bush asking my brother if he had a girlfriend. My brother rolled his eyes: “With that iceberg face of his, who would dare get close to him?” I rejoiced inwardly. He was cold, I was hot. A perfect match. I started pursuing him relentlessly behind my brother’s back. I even changed my college application choices from New York to Seattle, where Arthur was. When my brother found out, he was so angry he cursed me out. But despite his scolding, he still doted on me. He called Arthur and asked him to keep an eye on me. I secretly rejoiced: everything was going exactly according to my plan. Back then, I thought I was so incredibly smart, manipulating both Arthur and my brother. Only now do I realize how pathetically stupid I was. The waiter led me to the door of the private room. It was lively inside. I heard someone jeering: “Arthur, you keep that little girlfriend of yours hidden away so well, you rarely bring her out to see us guys. Now that Mia is back—and she’s your favorite sister—we gotta ask: who’s more important, the girlfriend or the sister?” I stopped in my tracks. I held my breath, waiting for his answer. Arthur took a sip of his drink and didn’t say anything. Mia stamped her foot and pouted at him: “Arthur!” Only then did Arthur smile faintly. He set his glass down on the marble table with a clink. His cold voice rang out: “A girlfriend can be replaced, but there’s only one sister. Who do you think is more important?” “Oooooh~~ So cheesy!” The group erupted in cheers. Mia stood up triumphantly, pointing her finger at more than half the people in the room: “You, you, and you. You lost the bet, pay up.” Arthur didn’t understand: “What’s going on?” Mia explained: “They made a bet with me on whether you cared more about your girlfriend or me. The losers have to Venmo me twenty grand each.” Amidst a chorus of groans, everyone pulled out their phones to transfer the money. Arthur looked at their exaggerated reactions and chuckled: “Serves you right!” I raised my hand and knocked on the door. 4 The previously lively atmosphere suddenly died. Arthur looked over; there was an empty seat next to him. He didn’t bring me to meet his friends very often. But every time he did, he gave me enough face. Back when I was chasing him to the point of almost giving up, he was the one who suggested bringing me to meet his friends. That time, his friend told me: “Chloe, aside from Mia, Arthur has never brought another girl here.” At that time, I just thought of Mia as his sister. I didn’t think much of it. I even foolishly thought that Arthur was just cold on the outside, but actually cared about me deep down. Thinking about it now, maybe he was just putting on a show, or maybe it was just pure good manners. For him, it was a zero-cost tactic to make me even more devoted to him. Back to reality. I ignored the empty seat next to Arthur. I sat in the corner farthest away from him. Arthur’s face darkened: “Chloe?” I smiled but didn’t say anything. Mia picked up a glass of wine and walked toward me: “You must be Chloe. I’m Mia, Arthur’s…” She paused, as if she didn’t know what to say. Arthur chimed in: “Sister.” Mia frowned, looking a bit impatient. She handed the wine to me, sounding almost petulant: “Right, sister. I just got back to the States. Here’s to you, Chloe.” I didn’t even need to think to immediately sense Mia’s hostility toward me. That was absolutely not the attitude a sister should have toward her brother’s girlfriend. It turned out Mia liked Arthur, too. Thinking about Arthur jerking off to her picture in his study… I just felt it was utterly absurd. I gave a faint smile: “Welcome back, but I’m not feeling well, so I won’t be drinking.” The corner of Mia’s mouth dropped: “Chloe, aren’t you being a bit disrespectful? I came all this way back, and this is my welcome-home party. You won’t even drink the wine I offer you?” “I told you, I’m not feeling well.” Mia grew even more displeased and turned to look for Arthur: “Arthur, does she not like me?” Arthur’s eyes were icy cold, and his tone carried no warmth: “Chloe, stop making a scene. Drink it.” I almost let out a cold laugh: “Did you call me here just to make me drink?” He lifted his eyelids and said flatly: “Mia wanted to meet you.” So, it was just because Mia wanted to meet me. It was just to make both of them wake up and stop having fantasies about each other. Using me as a prop. I stood up: “Now she’s met me. Can I leave now?” Probably sensing that I was exceptionally uncooperative today… Arthur’s gaze darkened. I knew he was angry. But I didn’t want to humor him anymore. “What exactly have you been throwing a tantrum about since morning?!” The atmosphere in the private room turned cold because of his lowered tone. I looked into his eyes and smiled meaningfully. Arthur, I know all about the little game you two are playing. I’m not playing along anymore. I turned to leave, but Mia grabbed my wrist: “Chloe, I’m the main character today. I haven’t agreed to let you leave yet.” I twisted my wrist free and slapped her across the face: “Did your parents not teach you any manners?”

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When the zombie outbreak hit, my parents left to scout a new safe zone, leaving my boyfriend, Kevin, and my best friend behind to keep me company. “Don’t worry, Chloe. Once we confirm the new base is safe, we’ll come right back for you.” “We won’t abandon you. It’s too dangerous outside, sweetie. Stop being so stubborn.” My struggles were futile. I could only watch helplessly as they walked out the door. My food supply had run out long ago, yet my parents still hadn’t returned. Even my boyfriend and best friend had vanished without a trace. No one answered the walkie-talkie. Perhaps my parents had already fallen prey to the zombie hordes. Tortured by starvation and utter despair, I slit my wrists. After death, my soul ascended. Only to see Kevin right next door, making out passionately with my best friend. They were surrounded by food, much of it tossed aside after only a few bites. … “Are you really not going to bring Chloe any food? What if she starves to death?” My best friend lay in my boyfriend Kevin’s arms, her voice laced with the lazy satisfaction of someone who had just eaten her fill. Kevin sneered, his tone dripping with contempt: “Let her starve a little longer. Once her attitude improves, I’ll consider tossing her some scraps.” “If her parents weren’t billionaires before all this, and didn’t have access to an apocalypse bunker now, you think I’d look twice at her?” My best friend giggled: “Thank god those two old fools trust you so much now. They treat you like Chloe’s lifeline. They do whatever you say.” Hearing my best friend’s words, Kevin’s expression softened, a calculating look in his eyes: “But they still haven’t given me administrative access to the base.” “Do you think Chloe said something to them?” “Impossible. They won’t answer her walkie-talkie calls.” Kevin spoke with absolute certainty, surprising even my best friend: “They actually listen to you that much?” Hearing that my parents were still alive, tears involuntarily streamed down my face. When I couldn’t reach them on the walkie-talkie earlier, I thought they had already… Thank God. Thank God. Just then, Kevin’s walkie-talkie crackled to life. “How is Chloe doing?” It was my dad’s voice on the other end. Faced with my dad’s inquiry, lies rolled off Kevin’s tongue effortlessly: “She’s doing great. Just still throwing a tantrum, refusing to answer the walkie-talkie. I’m coaxing her right now.” Hearing Kevin say this, my dad snorted coldly on the other end: “She’s always been so immature. It was the right call not to bring her to the new base this time. She needs to starve a bit, teach her a lesson.” “Anyway, with you protecting her, Kevin, we are completely at ease.” So that was it. My parents intentionally left me behind. But what they probably never imagined was that the Kevin they trusted so much wasn’t protecting me at all. Instead, he was hooking up with my best friend, completely indifferent to whether I lived or died. And now he was sitting here lying to them. My parents were even making promises to Kevin: “Don’t worry. We see how much you care for Chloe. Once she learns her lesson and grows up a bit, I’ll hand over all administrative access of the new base to you two.” Saying this, my parents couldn’t see the malicious excitement in Kevin’s eyes. He thought that by controlling me, he was controlling my parents’ weak spot. But what he didn’t know was that I was already dead. In this apocalyptic world, who knows how many people, like me, had starved to death. Yet here they were, wasting food like this. Instinctively, I reached out to grab a discarded piece of food and bring it to my mouth. But alas, I had forgotten again. I was already dead. Yet, that piercing hunger hadn’t faded with death. Watching the food I couldn’t have being wasted by him made my eyes bloodshot with rage. “Guess it’s time to give Chloe a little taste of something sweet.” Kevin looked at the mess on the floor, his eyes lighting up. He lifted his foot to step on the food and called my best friend over to join him. “Babe, go grab a broom and sweep up this trash.” I looked at the food on the floor they were calling “trash.” Even covered in dust and shoe prints, I couldn’t help but swallow hard. I was so hungry. My best friend got tired of stomping on it. She sat on the sofa, looking at Kevin in confusion, asking him why he was collecting this trash: “Is this trash still useful?” Kevin smiled, but the words that came out of his mouth disgusted me: “We’re full, but Chloe hasn’t eaten yet. Didn’t her parents tell me to protect her well? I can’t let the living key to this base starve to death.” Hearing his words, my best friend got excited. She bounced off the sofa to grab the broom. As she swept up the trash, she asked Kevin eagerly: “Do you really think Chloe will eat this? She’s a rich girl. Before all this, she wouldn’t even touch a meal that cost less than a thousand dollars.” My best friend had swept the trash into a pile. Just as she was about to scoop it into a garbage bag, Kevin stopped her. Her face fell. “Hold on. Mr. Hayes has been so good to me… We obviously have to add a little something extra for Chloe.” With that, he spat a mouthful of saliva right into the pile of trash. My best friend immediately broke into a radiant smile, looking at Kevin teasingly: “You really are so good to Chloe.” “Of course. As long as I have her in my hands, I don’t have to worry about her parents not listening to me.” I watched this pair of adulterers scoop the “food” they were going to give me into a garbage bag. I followed Kevin next door, to the front of the apartment where my body lay. Kevin knocked on the door, his voice gentle and full of fake affection: “Babe, I brought back some food. It’s a little dirty, but given the circumstances, please don’t be picky.” No one answered from inside. Seeing no movement behind the door, Kevin’s demeanor grew impatient, though his voice remained gentle. “Open the door, babe. Don’t starve yourself just to spite me. It breaks my heart.” Watching Kevin’s hypocritical performance, I sneered inwardly. I wonder if he’ll still be able to keep up the act when he opens the door and sees my corpse. Seeing no reaction from inside, Kevin seemed to lose his patience. “Stop being so stubborn, Chloe. If you don’t come out now, I’m leaving.” Seeing that I still ignored him, his temper flared. He cursed under his breath, turned around, and dialed my dad on the walkie-talkie. “Mr. Hayes, please talk some sense into Chloe. She won’t eat the food I brought her, and she’s locked herself in her room out of spite.” “It’s my fault I’m useless, but this is already the best stuff I can find right now…” My father implicitly believed my boyfriend’s words and immediately started scolding loudly: “Why are you being so unreasonable? It’s one thing to be a little spoiled usually, but do you not realize this isn’t the time for your temper tantrums?” “Kevin is just too good to you. That’s why you dare to act so entitled.” Hearing my dad lecture me, Kevin looked completely in agreement, but his tone remained anxious: “Mr. Hayes, please don’t be too hard on Chloe. I do all of this for her willingly. I’m just worried about her health right now.” “Hmph! Kevin, ignore her. Let her fend for herself.” “Chloe, let me tell you, this is the only thing you’re getting to eat. If you don’t eat it, you can just starve yourself to death!” Hearing my father’s words, a chill ran down my spine. Did he really believe Kevin’s words that easily? Kevin said I was being unreasonable, so I became the unreasonable one. Did he forget what kind of person I originally was? But Dad, you don’t even understand your own daughter. Tears welled up in my eyes. The injustice and frustration in my heart weighed so heavily on me I couldn’t breathe. “Chloe isn’t the type to throw a tantrum without considering the situation. Did something happen?” My mom’s worried voice came through the phone. The hidden protectiveness in her words warmed my heart. The tears I had just managed to hold back instantly burst forth. “Mom, Kevin is lying to you! He killed me!” I screamed hoarsely. Tears flowed into my mouth, tasteless. They couldn’t hear my voice either. “How can you still say that! It’s because you always spoil her. A doting mother breeds a ruined child!” The sound of my mother crying softly came from the walkie-talkie. It felt like someone was squeezing my heart hard. After a long while, my mom seemed to have made up her mind and said: “Leave the food at the door and let her think about it. She’s only allowed in my base if she eats it. If she still won’t come out… When we get there, I’ll discipline her myself.” After saying that, my mom hung up the walkie-talkie. My boyfriend, with a smirk on his face, said: “Chloe, is it that you don’t want to see me? Are you still blaming us for not taking you with us?” “Now that your mom and dad are both angry, are you really going to refuse to eat? If you starve yourself to death, imagine how heartbroken they’d be.” With that, Kevin dropped the bag on the floor. The “food” inside spilled out. He looked at the mess at the door and smiled with satisfaction. Humming a tune, he went back next door. Seeing Kevin return, my best friend couldn’t wait to ask: “How did it go? Did she eat it?” Kevin shook his head and said: “Didn’t even open the door. Let’s see how long she can play tough.” Seeing Kevin’s expression, my best friend relaxed. “A person has to go 14 days without food to starve to death. It’s only the 7th day. She can still hold out for another 7 days.” “Another 7 days? She has to bow her head and submit to me today. Her parents are coming back.” “Perfect timing. While she’s half-dead and under my control, I can use her to get the base access.” Kevin was still here scheming about the base, but what he didn’t know was that I, the tool he planned to use to manipulate my parents, had already been starved to death by him. If my parents knew I was already dead, would they regret choosing to trust Kevin? Early the next morning, while Kevin and my best friend were still in bed, they were woken up by the walkie-talkie ringing: “Kevin, we’re downstairs.” My boyfriend was so startled by my father’s words that he shoved my best friend away. Putting on his clothes, he responded: “Mr. Hayes, how did you get back so fast? It’s so dangerous, why didn’t you wait for me to pick you up?” “I couldn’t wait any longer. Besides, everything is sorted out at the base. Chloe is being so unreasonable, I’m here to stand up for you.” Kevin quickly went downstairs and eagerly followed my parents to my door. My parents even held my best friend’s hand and said: “Good girl. Thanks for taking care of Chloe these past few days. When we get to the base, we’ll make it up to you.” The four of them walked together, a picture of harmony. Completely unaware that I, on the other side of the door, had long since begun to rot. When they all saw the pile of garbage on the floor outside my door—the so-called “food” brought for me. My dad frowned first, his face instantly turning cold. My mother’s face was also full of shock. Kevin’s eyes darted around. Just as he opened his mouth to explain: “Mr. Hayes, this…” My dad started pounding on the door directly: “Chloe, get out here and eat this off the floor right now!” “Do you know how precious food is right now? How dare you waste it like this!” My mother, who had originally been on my side, also pursed her lips, her face full of disapproval: “I was still defending you in front of your father. Your father is right, you’ve just been spoiled rotten!” I looked at my parents, who were accusing me without distinguishing right from wrong, and Kevin and my best friend, who were secretly rejoicing on the sidelines. My eyes were bloodshot. I bit my lip so hard it bled. It turns out that even in soul form, you can feel pain. “Chloe, let me tell you, if you don’t clean up this food you wasted today, I no longer have you as a daughter!” My parents continued to pound on the door. At this point, Kevin spoke up to explain for me: “This probably wasn’t Chloe’s doing. Even though she can be reckless when she throws a tantrum, she wouldn’t go so far as to…” My father grew even angrier upon hearing his words and shouted sternly: “Don’t speak up for her! Do you think I don’t know how she behaves? It’s just the few of us here. Are you saying I’m trying to frame her?” My mother chimed in, her brow furrowed tightly: “Kevin, we know you’re a good kid, but with her temper, if she doesn’t learn a lesson now, she’ll end up getting someone killed sooner or later…” My mother’s heart-aching attitude toward my boyfriend felt like a knife plunging into my heart. I didn’t want to care about anything anymore. I sat on the floor, crying my heart out. Who is your real child anyway? Was all the doting on me all these years fake? Have I always been an annoying person in your eyes? Now that I’m dead, you can finally breathe a sigh of relief, right? “Chloe, are you going to keep being stubborn?” The inside of the door remained silent, and it would never make a sound again. “Fine! Don’t even think about having a good life in my base from now on!” “Don’t worry, Kevin. When we get back, I’ll put you in charge of the base. I want you to grind down her temper hard. Don’t worry about her mother and me.” “Get the key and open the door. Since talking nicely doesn’t work, then we beat her!” My mother took out the key to unlock the door, still trying to persuade me: “Chloe, you’re being too unreasonable. Come out, eat this, and get on your knees and apologize to your dad…” The door opened a crack. My mother’s words caught in her throat. The scene inside broke her heart, her voice trembling: “Chloe…” “Chloe!” My mother stared into the room in disbelief, then shouted my name again loudly. The room was dead silent. No one responded to her call. “Getting more and more ill-mannered! Your mother is calling you, are you deaf?!” My father, separated by the door, couldn’t see inside, but not hearing my voice, he instinctively scolded. Kevin also spoke up, seemingly defending me, but his words only added fuel to the fire. “Mr. Hayes, please don’t be hard on Chloe. You guys didn’t take her with you to find the base; it’s normal for her to be upset. We just need to coax her a bit more.” My father, exactly as Kevin hoped, grew even angrier: “Taking her along would just be dead weight. Is she trying to get us all killed?” “Stop talking!” My mother’s tear-filled voice echoed through the entire hallway. “Chloe, she’s…” My mother choked halfway through her sentence, clamping her hand tightly over her mouth. “I told you not to interrupt when I’m disciplining my child. One more word and I’ll throw you out to feed the zombies. You’re all rebelling against me!” “Kevin, go drag her out. And no food for her either. It seems she’s not hungry at all. We’re heading straight back to the base.” “Let’s see how I teach you a lesson!” A flash of excitement crossed Kevin’s eyes, but he quickly hid it, stammering: “Mr. Hayes, this…” “Listen to me, go quickly!” Kevin didn’t say anything more. He stepped toward the door, pulled it open with one hand, and was frozen in place by the scene before him. He turned his head mechanically, looking at my sobbing mother next to him, and asked in a breathy whisper: “Chloe, she’s…” Dissatisfied with my boyfriend’s dawdling, my father urged him: “Hurry up! Drag her in front of me even if you have to. It’s even more dangerous when it gets dark. What a troublemaker.” My boyfriend still didn’t move. “Chloe is dead!” My mother roared this sentence through her tears and then fainted. Hearing the news of my death, my father frowned, looking completely incredulous: “There are no zombies in the room, how could she be dead? Stop acting. The more you protect her, the heavier I’ll punish her!” My best friend seemed to smell the stench of rot at this point and covered her nose: “Mr. Hayes, I think Chloe really is dead…” My father sneered and stepped toward my door. “You two are joining them in this act to fool me…” My father pushed past Kevin, who was standing at the door, and immediately saw me lying in the center of a pool of blood. A flash of panic crossed his face. He rushed a few steps into the room anxiously, but quickly regained his composure. “Trying to fool me with such a cheap trick.” He walked slowly toward my corpse, scolding as he went: “Do you know how many people have starved to death? And you dare to waste ketchup like this.” He stopped in front of me and snorted coldly: “Get up yourself. Don’t make me drag you up. Save yourself some dignity.” I lay motionless on the floor. “Chloe, you really don’t know how to appreciate a favor.” He grabbed my wrist and hoisted me up. He grabbed the hand I had used to slit my wrist. As he squeezed the wound, blood flowed out again. Looking at the fresh blood staining his hand, my father’s expression changed drastically. With the hand stained by my blood, he tremblingly reached out to check my breathing. Finding none, his posture collapsed. As if unwilling to give up, he reached out with a shaking hand to feel for my carotid artery. “Mr. Hayes… didn’t you smell the scent of blood in the room?” Seeing my father fall to his knees after hearing Kevin’s words, I smiled. Do you believe it now? The dead weight you spoke of, your willful daughter, is truly dead. Watching the expressions on the four of them, I felt a deep sense of sorrow. Kevin and my best friend looked guilty, their eyes darting around, not daring to look at my corpse on the floor at all. My father wore a stricken expression, kneeling silently beside my body. My mother was still unconscious. I don’t know if she fainted from the shock of seeing my corpse or for some other reason. It’s just as well. If I hadn’t died, I definitely would have had to eat that garbage tainted with my boyfriend’s spit. Even if I didn’t eat it, I would have had my head forced down to kneel and apologize. Thinking of this, I felt a sense of relief. At least in death, I wouldn’t be humiliated. My dignity wouldn’t be trampled on casually. “Chloe, wake up. Dad is taking you home.” My father recovered from his shock and gently shook my body, trying to wake me. I watched this scene with indifference, unable to muster any emotional response. My tears had dried up long ago. Now, I was left with nothing but hatred. Hatred for my boyfriend’s hypocrisy. Hatred for my best friend’s betrayal. Hatred for my parents easily believing Kevin, not even bothering to answer my walkie-talkie. “Mr. Hayes, Chloe is already dead!” My best friend couldn’t stand watching anymore. She reached out to help my father up but was forcefully shoved away. “Our Chloe is just sleeping.” “Mr. Hayes, I’m also heartbroken that Chloe died, but we have to stay strong and live on for her sake.” Kevin’s face was filled with sorrow, his eyes rimmed with red. He looked as if he was fighting back tears; his acting was phenomenal. “I think she wouldn’t want us to live in pain because of her.” After he said that, tears finally rolled down his cheeks. Seeing my father unresponsive to his words, Kevin spoke up as if making a difficult decision: “Don’t worry, Mr. Hayes. Even though Chloe is dead, I’m still your son-in-law. Once we return to the base, I’ll take care of you two for her.” I was disgusted by my boyfriend’s words. It’s a pity I had an empty stomach, otherwise I really would have thrown up all over his face. “Yes. I’m taking you back to our base, Chloe. It’s huge, safe, and has lots of good food. I even designed a princess room especially for you. You’ll definitely love it.” As my father finished speaking and prepared to lift my body horizontally, my boyfriend stopped him. “Chloe smells so strongly of blood. If we carry her out like this, what if we attract the zombies?” My father hesitated upon hearing Kevin’s words and slowly lowered my body back to the floor. “You’re right.” Kevin and my father spoke simultaneously. “Then we’ll leave Chloe…” “Then put Chloe in your pocket dimension and take her with us!” Before Kevin could finish, he was silenced by my father’s impending look of fury. “You actually wanted to leave Chloe here all alone?” “No, that’s not what I meant. Mr. Hayes, you misunderstood.” My dad eyed him suspiciously, then finally said: “Then store Chloe in your dimension.” “Mr. Hayes, it’s not that I don’t want to. It’s mainly because space in my dimension is limited. A whole person…” “Try it. If it doesn’t work, we’ll think of something else.” Kevin’s protests were futile. To ensure smooth entry into the base, he had no choice but to compromise. He closed his eyes and touched my body with his hand. My body vanished instantly. My boyfriend opened his eyes, discovering that he had indeed stored me in his dimension, and breathed a sigh of relief: “Mr. Hayes, Chloe is resting in my dimension. Let’s go.” I don’t know when my mother woke up. She saw a walkie-talkie not far away, its recording function still running… My mother picked up the walkie-talkie and heard my final words: “Mom, Dad, I’m sorry. The feeling of starving to death is too unbearable. Kevin and my best friend left together and vanished. I suspect they’ve betrayed me. And I don’t know if you two are dead or alive. I have no reason left to live…” My parents listened to the recording, looking suspiciously at Kevin and my best friend. My boyfriend’s face turned pale, and he hurriedly explained: “She… she’s Chloe’s best friend. I just thought I’d look out for her a bit more. Chloe must have misunderstood…” My father raised a hand, cutting off Kevin’s words, and strode toward the apartment next door. “Mr. Hayes, I…” My father ignored my best friend’s words as well. He shoved her aside as she tried to block him and walked straight into the house. Kevin chased after my father, shooting a glare at my best friend as he passed her. “Kevin, care to explain why the food we told you to bring for Chloe is in here, and why every single package is torn open with only a few bites taken?” My father clenched his fists, glaring sharply at Kevin. I knew this was the prelude to his fury. “Well, she said she had been starving for days. I thought Chloe couldn’t finish it all by herself, so I shared a little with her.” “Do you take me for a fool, Kevin?!” My father swung a punch at Kevin’s face, sending him stumbling backward. “I trusted you so much, and you completely deceived me. You never gave the food to Chloe.” “That’s not true, Mr. Hayes! I called out to Chloe to come eat, but she ignored me. I figured I had to wait for her to cool off before she’d open the door. Right! Didn’t I call you on the walkie-talkie? You know about that.” Hearing my boyfriend’s words, my father’s eyes practically shot fire. He kicked my boyfriend to the ground: “So you never even saw Chloe after that?” Panic flashed across Kevin’s face as he clung to my father’s pant leg: “It’s my fault Chloe is dead. If I had pushed harder for her to open the door that day, maybe I could have stopped her before she did something reckless.” “I’m useless. I couldn’t predict the future. Beat me to death, Mr. Hayes! Let me go keep Chloe company.” Seeing Kevin crying, snot and tears streaming down his face, my father looked utterly lost: “Chloe called me on the walkie-talkie.” Kevin’s crying stopped instantly. His face went deadly pale, and the hand gripping my father’s pant leg slowly went limp. “I listened to you. I didn’t answer, and I wouldn’t let her mother answer either.” My father looked with crushing disappointment at Kevin’s face, which was now filled with sudden panic, and his heart finally died completely. “When I picked Chloe up just now, she was as light as a piece of paper. There was nothing left but skin and bones.” “She must have been starving so badly, that’s why she called us on the walkie-talkie.” “I actually believed you when you said she’d act entitled and throw a tantrum because she saw someone supporting her.” “Not seeing us for so long, and unable to get through on the walkie-talkie, she must have thought we were dead. Chloe has always valued her relationships so much…” Tears streamed down my father’s face. As he finished speaking, he was struck down by his own conjecture. His body lost all strength, and he collapsed to the floor. Hearing my father’s words, my mother rushed over, sobbing sorrowfully. She weakly pounded my father’s chest with her hands: “Chloe knew the roads were dangerous. Even if she was terrified being left home alone, she never called us on the walkie-talkie.” “She must have been in a desperate situation to call us, yet you listened to an outsider! You refused to answer and wouldn’t let me answer either.” “You killed my daughter!” My best friend also followed them inside. She grabbed my mother’s hands, hugged her, and tried to comfort her: “Ma’am, Mr. Hayes meant well too. In the apocalypse, it’s survival of the fittest. Chloe wasn’t mentally strong enough. Going to heaven early to enjoy peace is a good thing.” “Don’t worry. Now that Chloe is gone, I will treat you and Mr. Hayes like my own biological parents.” My best friend’s hypocritical act snapped my mother out of her grief for her lost daughter. She viciously shoved my best friend away, raised her hand, and slapped her fake, twisted face. “How dare you say that? Did you and Kevin, you two ungrateful wolves, team up to drive my daughter to her death?” My best friend looked embarrassed and guiltily averted her eyes. “I’m going to kill you to avenge my Chloe!” “Enough! Chloe committed suicide; it has nothing to do with them. We’re returning to the base.” As soon as my mother spoke of revenge, my heart tightened. I turned to observe my boyfriend’s expression and, sure enough, I saw the murderous intent in his eyes. My father’s words made him relax. He suppressed the murderous intent, a flicker of suspicion passing through his eyes. “George, do you even have a heart? They killed your daughter!” My father looked at my mother’s hysterical state with deep disgust: “She’s right. Chloe wasn’t suited for surviving in the apocalypse. Going to heaven early to enjoy peace is for the best.” With that, he picked up my unconscious mother and walked away without another word. Seeing my father’s reaction, Kevin also dismissed his suspicions and moved to follow him. My best friend hurriedly followed, asking anxiously: “Are we really going with them? Out here, they can’t do anything to us, but once inside the base, they call the shots. Her mother explicitly said she wants to kill us.” My boyfriend smirked disdainfully and reassured my best friend: “Don’t worry. Women are just emotional. Luckily, her dad knows how to weigh the pros and cons. I’m a person with abilities. His daughter is dead and can’t be brought back to life; he might as well use his guilt to bind me to them.” “Besides, their daughter is still in my hands right now. If they dare try anything with me, I’ll make sure Chloe doesn’t even leave a corpse behind.” Hearing my boyfriend’s words, my best friend relaxed, her steps becoming lighter.

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I worked four jobs a day to save up for my boyfriend’s tuition, while he always “worked his way through school” at the campus swimming pool until late at night. Until I saw him on someone else’s Instagram story, laughing in a Porsche: “Pretending to be poor and tricking her is so satisfying! She actually believes my family owes a million dollars, and transfers all her hard-earned money to me!” I rushed to the swimming pool to confront him, but suddenly, floating text appeared before my eyes like a livestream chat: [The male lead is holding your roommate, hooking up in the swimming pool’s sauna!] [His bro is keeping watch at the door, specifically to block you, the female supporting character!] Sure enough, his bro blocked my path: “There’s no one inside. Go look somewhere else!” The floating text continued to scroll wildly: [Good thing he stopped her, wouldn’t want to ruin the male lead’s good time!] I smiled and casually posted on the university’s anonymous confession board: “Emergency! My boyfriend works at the swimming pool and might be trapped in the sauna!” “The temperature is already 185 degrees Fahrenheit, and I can’t reach him! What should I do?!” 1. The swimming pool was right in front of me. Newly built, very grand, it even had a sauna that was free for students. Suddenly, a few lines of text drifted across my vision: [Holy shit! The male lead’s reaction time is insane! He grabbed the female lead and ducked into the sauna!] [The door is locked from the inside! Spicy! This temperature, this humidity, they really know how to play.] [The male lead pinned the female lead against the wall and kissed her, his hands are already inside her clothes… The female lead’s moans are so slutty.] I stared at the tightly shut wooden door at the end of the corridor. The digital display next to it showed a glaring red number: 176°F. The floating text continued: [Don’t worry, Jake is keeping watch. Once the vicious female supporting character leaves, they can come out.] I looked up and, sure enough, saw the vice president of the swimming club, Jake, walking toward me. He was Ethan’s best bro. The text scrolled rapidly: [Quick! Jake! Hurry up and stop her!] “Chloe? Swimming this late?” His smile was a bit stiff. “Is Ethan in there?” My voice was hoarse. He threw his hands up, but his body firmly blocked the path to the sauna area: “Ethan? Haven’t seen him. Maybe he finished his swim and left? You should check somewhere else.” It felt like my heart was being squeezed. I remembered the photo I saw just a little while ago on the Instagram of a guy I had recently added during a dorm sweep. Ethan was leaning against a black Porsche, the Rolex Submariner on his wrist gleaming coldly. The caption read: “Congrats to Mr. Ethan on the new ride.” Scrolling further down, there was another video. He was in a VIP lounge, laughing with his friends: “Pretending to be poor and tricking her is so fucking entertaining. You guys haven’t seen it, she works four jobs a day just to save money for me.” “Hauling luggage in the morning, sorting packages at lunch, running errands in the afternoon, and sweeping dorms at night.” “Her hands get blistered and bleed, she just wraps them in tissues and keeps going.” He laughed so hard he bent over: “The best part is, she actually believes my family is a million dollars in debt. Every month when her paycheck hits, she transfers half to me first, saying she’s helping me pay off the debt.” “I use her money to buy you guys drinks, and she even tells me to drink less because it’s bad for my health.” I watched that fifteen-second video ten times. My stomach churned. Then my phone vibrated. It was a message he had just sent: “Chloe, I just finished studying and left the library. I’m going to the pool to relax a bit. Go to bed early, don’t overwork yourself.” So I rushed over, wanting to demand why he lied to me. But now, the floating text told me he was holding another woman, hiding in a high-temperature sauna. I stared at Jake: “I thought I heard voices coming from the sauna. Do you hear that?” Jake’s face paled slightly, then he shook his head: “You’re imagining things. It’s the sound of the steam generator working.” I took out my phone and dialed Ethan’s number. I heard the busy signal through the receiver. The floating text provided a real-time commentary: [The male lead glanced at his phone, saw it was the female supporting character calling, and hung up immediately! He looks totally annoyed, then put his head back down to keep kissing the female lead…] I put my phone down and smiled at Jake: “Maybe I am just imagining things. I’ll get going then.” As I turned around, I opened the university’s anonymous confession board. Ethan, Mia. One stole my money, the other stole my trust. You guys like excitement, right? Alright, let me make things a little more exciting for you. 2. My fingers flew across the screen. Post title: “URGENT! Is there a problem with the pool’s sauna? The temperature is terrifyingly high!” “I was just walking past the new pool and noticed the sauna temperature display is hitting 185°F! And there are weird noises coming from inside, like something banging against the door? My boyfriend said he was coming to swim tonight, and now I can’t reach him. I’m really worried he might be trapped inside!! PLEASE SHARE!!!” I attached a photo of the temperature display: 180°F. The floating text: [The female supporting character made a post! Did she figure something out?!] [This is going to blow up! The male lead’s phone buzzed again, it’s a warning message from Jake!] [The temperature is 185°F! The female lead, Mia, is starting to cough, saying she can’t breathe. The male lead is still comforting her, ‘It’s okay, just hold on a little longer, we can go out once she leaves’.] My fingers trembled violently, almost dropping the phone. The person hooking up with my boyfriend was my roommate, Mia! I remembered how she would always link her arm affectionately through mine and say: “Chloe, Ethan treats you so well, you’re so lucky!” Even last night, she told me: “Chloe, working so many jobs is too hard on you. Forget about Ethan, I’m heartbroken for you!” My heart felt like it was gripped by an icy hand, hurting even more than when I saw Ethan’s video. The feeling of double betrayal made me nauseous. Jake’s phone vibrated as expected. He pulled it out, glanced at it, his face instantly turning white. His fingers flew as he typed a reply. “Chloe, you should go back. There’s really nothing going on here. The administrator will be here to check soon, you’re just in the way.” His tone grew urgent, trying to push me toward the exit. I stood my ground, my voice not loud but firm: “I’m not leaving. My boyfriend might be inside. I won’t leave until I see him come out safely.” “You!” Jake was getting desperate. Just then, footsteps approached from the pool entrance. Two guys in basketball jerseys poked their heads in. “Hey, are you the one who posted about the sauna having a problem?” One of the guys asked, holding his phone with the screen glowing, showing the confession board page. Like grasping at straws, I pointed at the temperature display: “Yes! Look, it’s 182°F! And I heard banging sounds from inside!” The two guys exchanged a look and moved closer. The floating text provided a live broadcast from inside the sauna: [Temperature is 182°F! The male lead pinned the female lead on the bench… they’re making a lot of noise.] [The wooden walls are thumping… no wonder it can be heard outside.] [Mia is moaning, can’t tell if it’s from pain or pleasure…] Sweating, Jake blocked the two guys: “Don’t listen to her nonsense! It’s a machine malfunction, the temperature display is wrong! I’ve already called maintenance!” “We still have to see if anyone is inside!” the guy in the jersey frowned. Jake yelled, “I said there’s no one! The sauna is closed at night, the doors are locked!” I seized the keyword: “Locked? Then why did my boyfriend say he was at the pool, but now I can’t reach him? Why are there banging sounds from inside?” Jake choked on his words. The other guy had already walked up to the sauna door and pressed his ear against it: “It seems… there really is a sound? Very muffled, a thud… thud…” A crowd began to form, students who had seen the post and come over. A girl asked me quietly, “Hey, does your boyfriend… treat you really well? You seem so worried about him.” I lowered my head, tears instantly welling up: “His family’s financial situation is really bad, it’s very hard for him. I just want to work a few extra jobs to help lighten his load…” I held up my hands, covered in band-aids and old and new scars. “It’s nothing, really. It’s just that sometimes when I’m too tired, it breaks his heart and he tells me to stop working… even though he’s exhausted himself…” “Oh my god, what happened to your hands…” the girl gasped. “I’ve seen her! She sorts packages at the mailroom, crouching there all afternoon!” a bystander chimed in. “I’ve seen her too! She always eats the cheapest food at the dining hall!” Sympathetic gazes fell on me. Jake, isolated and unsupported, could only stand firmly in front of the sauna door, repeating: “Maintenance will be here soon! Everyone disperse! Don’t crowd around!” The temperature display jumped to 185°F. 3. The crowd kept growing. Over a dozen students gathered outside the sauna corridor, whispering amongst themselves. Some were recording videos, others were calling their friends to come watch the “drama.” The frequency of the floating text surged: [Temperature is 185°F! The female lead is screaming that she can’t take it anymore!] [The male lead is still moving… incredible stamina.] [But they’re both sweating profusely, like they’ve been pulled out of a pool.] “Jake! Move! Let someone check inside!” A tall athlete couldn’t stand it anymore and stepped forward to push Jake aside. Jake stood there like a pillar, his face flushed red: “No! Nobody goes in without the administrator’s permission! That’s the rule! Who takes responsibility if something goes wrong?!” “Then call the administrator!” “I did! They’re on their way!” “By the time they get here, whoever is inside will be steamed alive!” The athlete pointed at the display: 187°F. Jake grew hysterical: “I said there’s no one inside! It’s a machine malfunction!” “If there’s no one, what are you afraid of? What’s wrong with letting us take a look?” During the scuffle, the pool manager and a maintenance worker in uniform finally arrived in a hurry. The manager, a middle-aged man, frowned deeply at the sight of the crowd. “What’s going on? What’s everyone doing here?” Jake looked like he’d found his savior: “Mr. Wang! You’re finally here! This student insists there’s someone in the sauna, says the machine is broken and the temperature is high. I tried to stop them from going in…” Mr. Wang looked at me, then at the display showing 187°F, his face turning serious: “Miss, how can you be sure someone is inside?” I wiped away tears and showed him my chat history, my voice thick with crying and anxiety: “Manager, my boyfriend told me over an hour ago that he was swimming here. Then I couldn’t reach him.” “I really heard banging and faint cries for help from inside just now!” “The temperature is so high, what if… what if he really is in there? Please, open the door and check!” The surrounding students chimed in: “Manager, just open the door and take a look, it won’t hurt!” “Yeah, what if there really is someone? This temperature can kill!” “This girl is so good to her boyfriend, working so many jobs, she wouldn’t make a scene for no reason!” Mr. Wang hesitated, looking at the maintenance worker: “Lee, look at this temperature…” Lee, the maintenance worker, leaned in close to the door to listen, touched the door panel, and his face changed: “Manager, the door is scorching hot! And… there really seems to be movement inside! Like… a body hitting the wall?” The floating text: [Temperature 190°F! The female lead passed out!] [The male lead finally stopped, he’s barely hanging on himself.] [He’s looking for his phone to call for help!] Mr. Wang finally gave the order: “Open the door! Lee, hurry!” Jake still tried to stop them: “Manager! The keys are in the administrator’s office! It’s too late to get them now!” “Then pry it open!” the athlete shouted. Jake spread his arms wide: “You can’t pry it! This is university property! You’ll have to pay for the damage! Wait for the keys!” “Is money more important than human life?!” questions erupted from the crowd. “I said there’s no one inside! What human life?!” Jake’s eyes were bloodshot. I cried even harder, my body trembling slightly: “Manager, if something happens to my boyfriend… I won’t live either! I worked all those jobs just so we could have a future together! If he’s gone, what am I supposed to do…” These words, coupled with my miserable appearance and scarred hands, completely ignited the crowd’s emotions. “OPEN THE DOOR!!!” “If you don’t open it, we’re calling the cops!” “Take pictures! Record video! Post it online! The university is leaving them to die!” Sweat beaded on Mr. Wang’s forehead as he roared at the maintenance worker: “Lee! Get your tools! Pry it! I’ll take responsibility if anything happens!” Lee hurriedly ran to grab a crowbar. Jake’s face was ashen, retreating to the side, muttering: “It’s over… Ethan is finished…” Right at that moment, the university president hurried in, looking stern: “What’s going on? Who’s trapped in the sauna?” 4. The arrival of the president quieted the scene for a moment. Mr. Wang quickly went to greet him: “President, here’s what happened. This student suspects her boyfriend is trapped in the sauna, we’re currently handling it…” The president glanced at the temperature display: 190°F. His brow instantly furrowed. “This is nonsense! With the temperature this high, what are you waiting for?!” He looked at me, his gaze sharp: “Miss, are you certain your boyfriend is in there?” My tears fell even faster, my voice shaking violently: “I’m not sure, but he said he was swimming here over an hour ago, and now I can’t reach him by call or text. I heard sounds coming from inside, and I’m so scared! His name is Ethan, a junior in the law school.” “Ethan?” The president seemed to recognize the name. The floating text rolled frantically: [Temperature is 194°F! The male lead is banging on the door! His hands are red from the heat!] [He turned his phone on! But it shut down immediately due to the heat!] [The female lead is completely unresponsive…] [The male lead is starting to bash his head against the door! He’s gone crazy!] I raised my scarred hands, crying so hard I could barely breathe: “President! I worked all those jobs just so I could help him a little… Nothing can happen to him…” Several girls nearby had started wiping away tears as well. “Director, open the door!” “Yeah, this is terrifying!” The president’s face was grave as he issued the order immediately: “Mr. Wang, open the door right now! Whether there’s someone inside or not, we must confirm it immediately!” “Yes! Lee, the crowbar!” Mr. Wang yelled. Lee finally ran back with the crowbar. The crowd automatically parted to make a path. Jake was pinned against the wall by two guys, his face ashen, still muttering: “Don’t open it… you can’t open it…” “Pry it open!” the president said decisively. Lee forcefully wedged the tip of the crowbar into the door seam. The wooden door was already somewhat warped from the intense heat. Just as he was about to apply force, a guy in a baseball cap at the back of the crowd suddenly muttered in confusion: “Ethan? Wait… that name sounds familiar…” He frowned, seemingly trying hard to recall something. Lee pushed down for the third time. Creak! The door lock groaned under the immense pressure. At the exact same moment, the guy in the baseball cap suddenly slapped his forehead: “I remember now!” He looked at me, his expression bizarre: “Miss, the Ethan you mentioned… is that the rich kid Ethan?” Just then, Lee gritted his teeth and forcefully pried the door completely open.

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One minute before the wedding march was supposed to play, I got the message that Arthur was going to jump into the ocean. The wind howled on the other end of the line, his voice torn to shreds: “Chloe, if you marry him today, I’m jumping off right here—I mean it.” My fingers instantly turned ice cold. Up front, the officiant was giving his opening remarks, the guests waiting with smiles for the bride to make her entrance. Beside me, my fiancé, Liam, noticed something was wrong. He turned his head and asked softly, “What’s the matter?” His eyes were gentle, just as they had been every morning he looked at me for the past three years. But I knew some secrets couldn’t be hidden anymore. “It’s Arthur,” I heard my own dry voice say. “He said if the wedding continues, he’ll kill himself to show me.” Liam’s expression changed slightly, but he quickly regained his composure. He held my hand, his palm warm: “Call the police. Today is our big day. Don’t let anyone ruin it.” He was right. Arthur was my past, and Liam was my present and future. But why were my hands shaking so badly? “He might actually jump,” I murmured. “We both know how dangerous those cliffs are.” Liam was silent for a few seconds, then asked, “So, what do you want to do?” 1 What did I want to do? I wanted to finish this wedding and marry the man in front of me who had given me stability and respect. I also wanted Arthur to live. The officiant’s voice echoed again, this time cueing my entrance. Liam looked down at me, his eyes complex: “Chloe, if you want to go make sure he’s safe, I’ll wait for you.” That sentence was like a key, unlocking a door tightly shut in my heart. “I’m sorry,” I heard myself say. “I’ll be right back.” I lifted the hem of my wedding dress and turned to run towards the exit under the astonished gazes of the guests filling the hall. Liam’s mother stood up to stop me, but Liam gently pressed her shoulder down. In that moment, his eyes were unfathomable. This wasn’t the first time I had abandoned Liam for Arthur. Three years ago, on our first date, Arthur was hospitalized with stomach bleeding. I left Liam behind and stayed at the hospital for an entire night. Two years ago, a birthday surprise Liam had meticulously prepared ended abruptly because of a call from Arthur having a “depressive episode.” A year ago, on the night Liam proposed to me, Arthur got into a car accident. I didn’t even let Liam finish saying, “Will you marry me?” before rushing to the hospital. Every time, Liam said, “It’s okay.” Every time, he forgave me. But forgiveness comes with a price. When my car pulled up to the coastal cliffs, Arthur was sitting on the railing, his legs dangling over the crashing waves below. He turned and saw me, smiling: “I knew you’d come.” The ocean breeze tangled his hair, his white dress shirt billowing like a bird about to fall. “Get down, Arthur,” my voice was calm. “Stop playing these childish games.” “Childish?” He raised an eyebrow. “Chloe, I’m getting married next month.” My heart sank heavily. “To whom?” “The daughter of the Chen family. A corporate marriage,” he said casually. “So I had to see you today, before you became someone else’s bride.” I walked towards him step by step, my heels clicking firmly on the rocky path. “So you thought you’d threaten me by jumping into the ocean just to see me one last time before you got married? Arthur, do you think I’m still the same Chloe from three years ago who did whatever you said?” Arthur’s smile froze. He looked at me, his eyes holding that familiar, heartbreaking expression—that childlike, fragile yet stubborn look that had made me compromise countless times. “I’m getting married, and you’re getting married,” he said. “Don’t you think it’s unfair?” “Fair?” I felt a surge of nameless anger. “For the past three years, every time something happened to you, I was by your side. But when I needed you, where were you? Where were you the night my father died?” Arthur’s face instantly turned pale. “I was in Paris,” he whispered. “I didn’t know…” “You knew. I called you seventeen times and sent twenty-three messages. You didn’t reply until the next day, saying you lost your phone.” I stopped five paces away from him. “That night, it was Liam who stayed with me to handle all the arrangements. It was him holding my hand at the funeral home. It was him helping me deal with those difficult relatives.” Arthur’s lips moved, but no sound came out. “Get down,” I said. “Don’t use death to threaten me. If you really wanted to die, you wouldn’t have called me. You would have just jumped.” The wind seemed to die down in that moment. 2 Arthur stared at me for a while, then slowly climbed off the railing and stood on the safe side. His movements were a bit stiff, like he had been sitting there too long. “You’ve changed,” he said. “We’ve both changed.” I turned to leave, the hem of my wedding dress caught by the wind, tangling around my calves. At that moment, Arthur’s voice came from behind: “If I said I could cancel the marriage with the Chen family, would you…” “No,” I didn’t look back. “I have to go back. My wedding is still waiting for me.” Back in my car, I checked my phone. There were thirty-seven missed calls, mostly from Liam, and a few from his parents. I took a deep breath and started the car. On the way back, it started to rain. Raindrops hit the windshield, quickly blurring my vision. I turned on the wipers and suddenly remembered a rainy day three years ago. Arthur stood below my apartment, soaked to the bone, just to tell me he had gotten the opportunity to study in Paris. “Two years,” he had said then. “Just two years. Wait for me to come back, and we’ll get married.” I believed him. I waited. But when he came back, there was already someone else by his side. The light turned red. I stopped the car and saw my pale face and slightly messed up makeup in the rearview mirror. My phone vibrated again. This time it was a text from Liam: “Are you safe?” Just three simple words. No interrogation, no blame. I replied: “Safe. Heading back.” The light turned green. When I got back to the hotel, the wedding had been paused for an hour and a half. Most of the guests were still there, but the atmosphere was noticeably different. The whispering stopped abruptly as I entered the banquet hall, all eyes focusing on me. Liam stood in the center of the stage, looking sharp in his suit, his expression calm. Seeing me, he gave a slight nod, then signaled the officiant. Liam’s mother walked over quickly, grabbed my arm, and hissed, “Chloe, do you know how many important people are here today? Do you know how much face you’ve made the Vance family lose?” “Mom,” Liam’s voice wasn’t loud, but it was enough for everyone around to hear. “Chloe is back. That’s enough.” He walked over and offered me his hand. I hesitated for a second, then placed my hand in his palm. His hand was very warm, while mine was still icy. “Shall we continue the wedding?” he asked softly. I nodded. The officiant resumed hosting, but his voice had lost its initial enthusiasm. When it was time to exchange rings, Liam slowly slid a ring onto my ring finger. It was a simple diamond ring, not the one we had originally chosen. “Where’s the original ring?” I whispered. “Needed for the ceremony, we’ll use this one for now,” he answered, then leaned down and kissed me. It was a polite and restrained kiss, devoid of warmth. The wedding banquet ended in an eerie atmosphere. 3 During the toasts, I saw all sorts of expressions: pity, mockery, curiosity, schadenfreude. Liam maintained a proper smile throughout, deflecting all the difficult questions for me. At 10 PM, the last wave of guests left. Liam and I stood at the hotel entrance, seeing off his parents. His mother looked at me, her eyes complex: “I hope you two really know what you’re doing.” His father patted Liam on the shoulder: “Have a good talk.” In the car ride to our new home, neither of us spoke. The new home was a house Liam bought three months ago in an upscale neighborhood on the west side of the city. I had imagined our married life here countless times, but now, those imaginations were cast under a shadow. After going inside, Liam took off his coat and loosened his tie. “Do you need help taking off the dress?” “I can do it myself,” I said. He nodded and walked towards the kitchen. “I’m going to warm up some milk. Do you want a cup?” “No, thanks.” In the bedroom, I struggled to undo the buttons on the back of the wedding dress. We had chosen this dress together, a simple mermaid style. Liam had said then that it perfectly accentuated my figure. Now, it felt like a heavy cocoon binding me. I took off the wedding dress, changed into pajamas, and walked into the living room. Liam was sitting on the sofa, holding a glass of milk. Our marriage certificate lay on the coffee table in front of him. “We need to talk,” he said. I sat down across from him. “About today, I want to hear the full explanation.” His tone was calm, but his eyes were sharp. I truthfully recounted everything that happened at the cliffs, including the news of Arthur getting married. Liam listened quietly, his fingers tapping gently against his glass. “So, if he had really jumped today, what would you have done?” he asked. I didn’t know. I really didn’t know. The answer to this question terrified me. “I don’t know,” I said honestly. Liam took a sip of milk and set the glass down. “Chloe, this is the last time I will tolerate anything between you and Arthur. We are married, which means some things have to change.” “I understand.” “I’m not sure you really do.” He looked at me. “For the past three years, I’ve been waiting. Waiting for you to completely let him go, waiting for you to wholeheartedly choose me. Today, I gave you one last chance by letting you leave during the wedding. If you hadn’t come back, I would have canceled the wedding.” My heart tightened. “But you came back,” he continued. “So I’m willing to give us one more chance. But from now on, Arthur must completely exit our lives. Can you do that?” Could I? The question swirled in my mind. I’ve known Arthur for fifteen years, from our awkward middle school days to now. He was the entirety of my youth’s memories, my first crush, the person I once thought I’d spend the rest of my life with. “I can,” I said. Liam nodded, seemingly satisfied with this answer, but also seemingly not entirely convinced. “Then prove it to me.” On our first night as newlyweds, we slept in separate rooms. Liam said he still had some work to handle and slept in the guest room. I knew that wasn’t the real reason, but I didn’t push. Lying in the unfamiliar marital bed, I tossed and turned. My phone screen lit up and dimmed in the dark. Eventually, I picked it up. No new messages. Arthur hadn’t contacted me again. 4 The next morning, I was woken up by the sunlight. I checked the time; it was 7 AM. I got up, washed my face, and when I went downstairs, I found Liam already preparing breakfast in the kitchen. “Morning,” he said, handing me a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice. “How did you sleep?” “Alright,” I took the juice. “And you?” “The usual.” He plated the fried eggs. “Any plans for today?” According to our original plan, we were supposed to go on our honeymoon, a two-week trip to Europe. But now, I didn’t know if that plan was still on. “The honeymoon…” I started tentatively. “As scheduled.” Liam placed the plates on the dining table. “The flight is at 3 PM. We still have time to pack.” I looked at him in surprise. “Life goes on, Chloe,” he said. “I’m not going to change all our plans just because of what happened yesterday.” After breakfast, we packed our bags separately. During this time, my phone rang a few times; it was all congratulatory messages from friends and colleagues. I replied to them one by one. I didn’t see any messages from Arthur. Around noon, Liam’s mother suddenly visited. She hadn’t given any advance notice and just rang the doorbell. “I heard you two are still going on your honeymoon?” she asked directly after entering, her tone conveying disapproval. “Yes, Mom,” Liam answered calmly. “I think you should stay and deal with the issues left over from yesterday.” His mother looked at me. “Many relatives and friends are asking about what happened. We need a unified story.” “What unified story?” I asked. “Like, you suddenly left because you weren’t feeling well, or you got an urgent work call,” she said. “Not because your ex-boyfriend was going to jump into the ocean.” I felt a wave of suffocation. “There’s no need to make up excuses,” Liam said. “The facts are the facts.” “Liam!” His mother’s voice rose. “Do you know what your Uncle Miller said yesterday? He said the Vance family’s daughter-in-law ran off to see her ex-boyfriend at her own wedding. It’s an absolute joke!” “Then let them laugh,” Liam remained unmoved. “My marriage with Chloe doesn’t require an explanation to anyone.” His mother stared at him for a long time before finally sighing: “You’re always like this. From childhood to adulthood, once you make a decision, there’s no turning back. But this is different; this concerns the Vance family’s reputation.” “If the Vance family’s reputation is that fragile, then it wasn’t worth maintaining in the first place,” Liam said. That sentence completely silenced his mother. She picked up her bag and walked towards the door. “Do what you want. But remember, every choice has consequences.” After she left, the house returned to silence. Liam rubbed his temples, looking a bit tired. “I’m sorry,” I said. “I put you in a difficult position again.” “It’s not your fault,” he said. “My mother is just worried. But she’s right; every choice has consequences. We both need to be prepared.” At 2 PM, we left for the airport. On the way, Liam took a work call, while I looked at the rapidly receding street views out the window. This city held too many of my memories, and today, I was temporarily leaving it. Maybe this was a new beginning. While checking in, I saw a familiar figure. It was Arthur’s younger sister, Anna. She clearly saw me too. She hesitated for a moment, then walked over. “Chloe,” she said softly. “Can I talk to you in private for a minute?” I looked at Liam. He nodded: “I’ll go look at the magazines over there.” Anna pulled me aside. Her eyes were red and swollen, like she had been crying. “My brother is in the hospital.” My heart sank. “What happened?” “He started running a fever after coming back from the beach yesterday. This morning, I couldn’t reach him. When I went to his apartment, I found him unconscious.” Anna’s voice trembled. “The doctor said it’s a severe cold that turned into pneumonia, but he refuses to cooperate with the treatment and keeps calling your name.” “Which hospital is he at?” “City General.” Anna grabbed my hand. “Chloe, I know I shouldn’t bother you, especially since today is your second day of marriage. But I really don’t know who else to turn to. My brother… he’s in a very bad state.” Looking at Anna’s anxious face, I remembered the little girl who always used to follow us around all those years ago. Arthur’s parents died early, and he and his sister had only each other. This was also one of the reasons I could never completely cut ties with him. “I need to discuss this with my husband,” I said.

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When we went to the impoverished mountain area to sponsor a child, my best friend, Chloe, couldn’t wait to choose the autistic boy. “This kid looks so pitiful. Mia, you have a weak constitution, you should sponsor that genius boy. You’ll enjoy a good life with him later!” Everyone praised my best friend’s loyalty, but only I knew she had been reborn. In our previous life, two children in the mountain area stood out. One was an exceptionally intelligent genius, and the other was a silent, autistic child. Chloe rushed to take the genius boy. But the boy turned out to be an ungrateful wretch. After getting into an Ivy League university, he completely ignored her. When he eventually became a billionaire doctor, he even played the victim, accusing her of molesting and abusing him. My best friend was cyberbullied, lost her job, went bankrupt from lawsuits, and her parents died of anger because of her. Meanwhile, the autistic child I sponsored later became a renowned designer, winning countless international awards. When Chloe had nothing left, seeing the respectful and loving way the boy treated me drove her mad with jealousy. She hit me with her car and killed me. Opening her eyes again, she definitely wouldn’t repeat her past mistakes. But looking at her smug face, I couldn’t help but laugh. Doesn’t she know that autism, when it reaches a certain level, can turn into psychopathy? 1 “Liam has had autism since he was little. It’s not just that he doesn’t speak; his emotions are highly unstable. He hits people over the slightest displeasure. The teachers at the orphanage have been beaten by him several times.” “He also suddenly screams and cries at night, staying awake all night. You really need to think this through.” As she spoke, the orphanage director pushed the straight-A student, Arthur, forward. “This child has been incredibly smart since he was little. Not only are his grades top-notch, but he also knows how to handle things and is very sensible!” Arthur, wearing a white shirt and jeans, smiled brightly at Chloe, looking exactly like the male lead in a campus romance novel. But Chloe backed away repeatedly as if she had seen a ghost. “No!!” “Arthur is so excellent, he should go to Mia. Taking care of Liam is too exhausting, I couldn’t bear to see her suffer.” I rolled my eyes hard inwardly at her hypocritical display. In our previous life, Chloe wasn’t like this at all. Back then, she couldn’t wait to pull Arthur to her side, terrified I would fight her for him. Arthur indeed lived up to expectations: he got into an Ivy League, earned his Ph.D., started a business after graduation, and became a billionaire doctor at a young age. During that time, Chloe showed off to me every chance she got. “Mia, what can the kid you’re raising do besides hit people and scream?” “I guess this is it for you in this life—serving an idiot, with no hope of ever getting ahead.” “Unlike me. Arthur is worth hundreds of millions now. I won’t have to do anything from now on, just lie back and enjoy life.” But no one expected that the glamorous Arthur was actually an ungrateful wretch. He accused Chloe on camera of molesting and abusing him since childhood, and later forcing him to marry her. Overnight, Chloe became a pariah. Netizens photoshopped her pictures into funeral portraits and splashed paint all over her front door. Her company couldn’t withstand the pressure and had to fire her. On her way home, she saw her own parents killed in a hit-and-run. Finally, Arthur sued her for a massive sum in compensation. She emptied her savings but still couldn’t fill the hole, eventually ending up on the streets, begging to survive. Meanwhile, the Liam I sponsored not only stepped out of the shadow of autism but also became a famous designer, eventually gifting all his assets to me. Chloe went mad with jealousy and drove her car straight into me, killing me. Reborn into this life, she naturally couldn’t wait to get rid of Arthur. I looked at Chloe in front of me and asked softly: “If you choose him, aren’t you afraid you’ll regret it?” Chloe immediately waved her hand dismissively, her face full of contempt. “What do you know! Liam looks quiet, but he’s definitely a genius in his bones. Don’t fight me for him!” “Only certain people look like decent human beings but are actually ungrateful, backstabbing wolves. I wouldn’t want that.” I sneered inwardly at her determined look. Fight her for him? I couldn’t wait for her to take him away quickly. No one knew that behind Liam’s glamorous facade was an endless nightmare I endured. After he recovered from his autism, he developed a severe, paranoid possessiveness. He would secretly delete all male contacts from my phone while I was asleep, calling it “afraid you’ll get scammed.” He installed bars on all the windows in the house under the guise of safety, keeping me trapped like a bird in a gilded cage. When I was sick, he stayed by my side constantly. But then he turned around and fired a male doctor who had just handed me a cup of water. He always said: “Only I can protect you.” Yet, when I tried to contact my family, he smashed my phone and roared with red eyes: “You have me, that’s enough! You don’t need anyone else!” The suffocating feeling wrapped in that “gentleness” made me despair even more than his fists did when he was a child. Even if Chloe hadn’t run me over with her car, I wouldn’t have lasted much longer in that kind of life. Since Chloe wanted a paranoid psychopath in this life, I’d let her have him. I absolutely didn’t want to suffer the pain of being imprisoned and abused again! 2 As soon as we got home, Arthur put down his luggage and started studying. But when I woke up from my nap, I found that dinner, with meat and vegetables, was already laid out on the dining table. Looking at the cautious and eager-to-please Arthur in front of me, I felt incredibly comfortable. In my previous life, when I first brought Liam through the door, he suddenly went crazy. He not only smashed everything in the house to pieces but also strangled me tightly. If I hadn’t prepared a sedative in advance, I wouldn’t have survived that day. Now, having an obedient, sensible, and good-looking Arthur, how could I not be happy? Seeing me staring at the food without moving, Arthur lowered his voice even more. “Is it not to your taste? Should I go make something else?” I quickly shook my head, picked up my chopsticks, took a bite, and nodded, saying: “It’s very good, no need to change it.” “If you need anything in the future, just ask me. I will help you with whatever I can satisfy.” Hearing this, Arthur’s eyes lit up. He hesitated for a few seconds before saying, “I want to participate in the National Physics Olympiad…” I instantly remembered that in my previous life, Arthur won the gold medal in this very competition, earning him an exceptional admission to a top Ivy League school. From then on, his reputation as a physics genius spread nationwide, and he only had coldness and disgust for Chloe. I hesitated for a moment, but then thought that sponsoring a child was a good deed to begin with. Cultivating a talent is a good thing; I never expected him to repay me with anything. I nodded immediately. “Of course you can. I’ll help you prepare, and I’ll handle whatever you need.” A bright smile immediately bloomed on Arthur’s face. He turned and headed back to the kitchen: “Then I’ll get you another bowl of soup, drink more to nourish your body.” Looking at his joyful back, I really couldn’t figure out how he turned into the ungrateful wretch he became later. Just after I finished eating, a video call from Chloe popped up on my phone. When connected, the screen showed Liam sitting at a desk, holding a paintbrush. On the paper was a crude drawing, messy lines showing absolutely no talent. Chloe leaned into the camera and said triumphantly: “Mia, look how good Liam is! He can even draw!” “What’s the use of a physics genius? He might just turn out to be an ungrateful wretch. You’ll regret it sooner or later.” “Liam is a true genius. I’ll stick with him from now on and enjoy endless good days.” I rolled my eyes at her incessant chatter. Even though she deliberately angled the camera away from the smashed-up house, the bright red slap mark on her face was still clearly visible. I truly couldn’t endure the “blessing” of being tortured by a psychopath. Besides, she probably didn’t know yet that Liam’s later talent in painting was all thanks to my father, a master of traditional painting, guiding and teaching him bit by bit. Without the guidance of a professional teacher in this life, given his condition, he probably wouldn’t even be able to speak complete sentences, let alone become a famous designer. I couldn’t be bothered to waste my breath on her, just gave a few perfunctory responses, and hung up the phone. 3 In the following days, I used my family’s resources to find many physics experts to tutor Arthur every week, and even managed to get him exclusive competition exercise books. Arthur studied exceptionally hard and became increasingly considerate of me in daily life. He would prepare meals in advance morning and night, remembering I don’t eat cilantro, and even rushed to do chores, never letting me worry too much. Watching him handle everything so thoughtfully, I became even more confused: how could someone so sensible suddenly turn into a backstabbing wretch in the previous life? Before I could sort out my thoughts, my phone suddenly rang. When I answered, Chloe’s heart-wrenching crying instantly came through. “Mia, come quickly to the police station! Save me!” When I rushed to the police station and asked around, I found out that Chloe had insisted on sending Liam to learn painting. The result? On his very first day, Liam went berserk, grabbed an inkstone, and broke two of the teacher’s fingers! The other party demanded a ten-thousand-dollar compensation. Chloe couldn’t come up with the money, which was why she frantically called me for help. I didn’t hesitate much, fronted the medical expenses for her, and told her to take Liam away first. Before she left, I couldn’t help but remind her: “His emotions are completely unstable right now. He’s not suited to interact with the outside world. You need to find a professional for intervention first.” Unexpectedly, Chloe flew into a rage out of humiliation, pointing at my nose and cursing: “Mind your own business! You just can’t stand that Liam is a genius!” “What do you have to be so smug about? That ungrateful wretch Arthur will turn on you sooner or later, and then you’ll taste what it’s like to have your family destroyed!” As soon as she finished speaking, Liam, who had been silent all along, suddenly stepped forward and hugged her waist, rubbing his fuzzy head against her neck. Chloe immediately beamed with joy. “See? Look how clingy he is with me now. His autism is much better.” I shivered, terrified by the fleeting look of resentment I caught in Liam’s eyes. This wasn’t an improvement; it was clearly the onset of twisted paranoia! I was afraid of getting burned, so I didn’t say another word, turned around, and headed home. From then on, every time I heard news of Chloe, it was either her being beaten into the hospital by Liam, or Liam smashing up another art class. I felt she was a total jinx and even avoided walking near her. 4 But I never expected that during Arthur’s first summer break after getting into an Ivy League, Chloe would actually show up at my house uninvited. As soon as she walked in, she raised her chin, her tone full of mockery. “Mia, what did I tell you?” “That ungrateful wretch Arthur stopped contacting you after he started college, didn’t he? He doesn’t even come home; he doesn’t care about you at all!” I froze for a moment, and thinking carefully, it really was as she said. After Arthur reported he had arrived safely at school, there had been no news from him. All the messages I sent were left on read with no reply. Seeing that I didn’t refute her, Chloe grew even more smug. “Liam is much better than him. He sticks to me every day and is completely obedient to me.” “You better watch out. When Arthur needs startup capital in the future, who knows how badly he’ll scam you!” “When the time comes, you’ll become a rat everyone wants to beat. Don’t regret choosing the wrong person when your family is destroyed.” After she finished, she smiled even more triumphantly. Although I never asked for anything in return when I sponsored Arthur, Chloe’s words were like a thorn, making me feel extremely uncomfortable. I took out my phone, wanting to call Arthur to ask about the situation, only to find out when I dialed that he had already blocked me. Clicking on his social media, it was full of photos from college activities. He was smiling brightly, living a very exciting life. And his latest post prominently read: [Getting ready to start a business with my best friend. Let’s go!] I suddenly remembered my previous life. When he first started his business and was short on cash, he smoothly borrowed money from Chloe. But once the money was in his hands, he immediately blocked her. For five years after that, he completely ignored Chloe. And the next time he came looking for her, it was when he had become one of the top, wealthiest doctors in the country. To expand his hospital’s reputation, he wildly proclaimed online that he had been abused and molested by his sponsor. Chloe tried to find him to clear her name, but was blocked in the hospital by reporters he had hired, thoroughly cementing the narrative that she was an abuser. Before I could recover from my shock, my phone suddenly vibrated. Arthur had sent a message. “Sister, I want to start a business, but I’m still a bit short on startup capital. Can you lend me some money?” Chloe leaned over, saw the message on the screen, and instantly burst into uncontrollable laughter. “I told you he was an ungrateful wretch! Asking for money as soon as he starts college; he’s a bottomless pit!” “Who knows what he’ll do to you for money in the future!” I stared at the screen, hesitating for a few seconds, but still replied: “How much do you need?” The smile on Chloe’s face froze instantly, and she stared at me as if I were an idiot. “Are you crazy? You actually believe the nonsense this little animal says?” “He just treats you like a sucker, a walking ATM!” I ignored Chloe’s words. Since I sponsored him, I should fulfill my responsibility. Without saying much, I directly transferred ten thousand dollars. Chloe was stomping her feet in anger beside me. Just as she was about to speak, her phone suddenly rang. When she answered, the art teacher’s voice was loud enough to hear even without speakerphone. “Come pick up Liam immediately! This kid can’t be a genius; he’s a piece of trash!” “He can’t even distinguish basic colors, and he’s always throwing tantrums! No one can teach him!” Chloe’s face instantly turned green. She hung up the phone, glared at me fiercely, grabbed her bag, slammed the door, and left. That same day, I saw on the news that Chloe caused a huge scene at the art institute for Liam, resulting in her being taken to the police station again. Only this time, she couldn’t find me to rescue her. It wasn’t until half a month later that the two were released, looking disheveled.

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I was often so hungry I’d steal my mom’s money—just eight dollars for lunch money. When she caught me, she smashed a chair over my leg, breaking it: “With a worthless life like yours, starving and freezing is what you deserve…” All these years, no matter how hard I tried to please her, she never gave me a single kind look. Curses and brutal beatings were my three meals a day. Today, I finally found out why she didn’t love me. She isn’t my biological mother at all. I am just the child she swapped with my aunt! I will uncover her secrets piece by piece, and I will never let her get what she wants. 1 I was starving to death, so I stole my mom’s phone to transfer some money. That’s when I saw the message my uncle sent her: “Chloe is also my biological daughter. Even if you didn’t give birth to her, you should treat her better. Don’t go too far.” I scrolled for a long time before I finally understood the secret they had hidden for years. The sound of water in the bathroom suddenly stopped. My mom was done showering and would be out any second. It was too late. I quickly snapped a few photos of her phone with mine and marked my uncle’s message as unread. I rapidly opened my own chat window and sent an eight-dollar red envelope. “Chloe Harper, what are you doing? Huh?!” My mom snatched the phone away and yanked my hair, roaring. I couldn’t let her know I discovered her illicit affair with my uncle. So, I had to expose my own secret to her. It just meant I wouldn’t have breakfast again. “Mom, I’m hungry. I’m starving.” Furious, she pinched and beat me. She grabbed my phone and transferred the eight dollars back. I was long used to physical pain. I hugged her leg, continuing to provoke her. “Can I just keep the money? I just want to be able to eat a piece of bread every morning.” As expected, she threw the phone aside and kicked me: “Eat what? Look at yourself, do you deserve to eat?” “Mia was born on the same day as you. She’s pretty, has a great figure, and is sweet and smart.” “Unlike you! Fat as a pig, looking like an old woman at fifteen. Every time I take you out, I can’t even lift my head.” Speaking of this, her gaze toward me became even more disgusted. The Mia she was talking about was her biological daughter, whom she had swapped and given to my Aunt Sarah, making her my nominal cousin. Before, I didn’t understand. I was always sad that she liked Mia more. I also wanted to be like Mia—pretty, confident, radiant, someone everyone liked. But growing up, I was always hungry. Every time I saw food, I could only stuff it frantically into my mouth. Because I was hungry. Because I didn’t know when I would have a full meal again. My appetite grew larger and larger. I ballooned to nearly 150 pounds, and I ruined my stomach. Standing next to Mia, I was mud, and she was a cloud. I became insecure, living like a rat in the gutter. Even so, I still thought my mom didn’t love me because I was a jinx who brought bad luck to my family, because I wasn’t good enough. Now I understood. She was intentionally raising me to be a failure. She and my uncle had an affair and conspired to covet my Aunt Sarah’s fortune, but they couldn’t just take it. So they came up with a scheme to swap the babies. She sent her biological daughter to my aunt to be her heir. All these years, they had been living like parasites attached to my aunt. Every day, she had to watch the man she loved play the loving husband with her “good sister-in-law” right in front of her. Plus, my aunt was prettier and more successful than her. Her jealousy twisted her mind, and she sought balance by taking it out on me. The stark difference between me and Mia was like the role reversal between her and my aunt. She must be feeling really good right now, wasn’t she? Curled up on the floor, I looked up at her and smiled: “Mom, since you like Mia so much, why not let her be your daughter? Actually, I really wish Aunt Sarah was my real mom too.” This sentence drove her crazy. She picked up a dining chair nearby and screamed at me: “You think I want to be your mom? What right does your worthless life have to compare with Mia?” The chair landed on my calf. I saw my leg bend at a grotesque angle. My mom was tired from beating me. Panting, she sat down on the sofa and picked up her phone. She seemed to see the message my uncle sent, then glared at me in dissatisfaction: “Did you play the victim in front of your uncle and aunt again? Did they give you money?” “Bring your phone here for me to check.” Afraid she would see the photos on my phone, I dragged my leg, proactively opened the balance screen, and handed it to her. She glanced at it, her gaze sweeping over my crooked leg. “What happened to your leg?” Her brow furrowed again, then she sighed. “Can’t you just behave? If you didn’t piss me off, would I have hit you?” “I transferred the money you wanted. Tell your uncle and aunt you broke it yourself falling down, understand?” “Now go downstairs first. Don’t let anyone know you got hurt at home.” Amidst her complaints, my phone received a message. A transfer from her. Eight dollars. 2 I put the phone in my pocket and dragged my leg, hopping outside on one foot. Good, those photos were still there. I wanted to acknowledge my aunt as my family! I wanted even more to see if she and my uncle could still be so smug after I blew the lid off this whole thing. Behind me came the sound of my mom calling my aunt. She was asking my aunt to come help take me to the hospital. I was a bit puzzled. My aunt was smart and capable, managing her business perfectly. How could she not have noticed their betrayal for over a decade? My mom pretended to avoid suspicion, always asking her for help first whenever something happened. And since she was mostly busy, she would send my uncle to help, practically digging her own grave. “Hurry up, they’ll be here soon.” My mom pushed past me and got into the elevator first. She watched me hop on one leg impatiently, her arms crossed over her chest. I finally made it downstairs. Mia came running towards us from a distance: “Chloe, did you fall? Is it serious?” She was truly beautiful and radiant. Unlike me, with heavy bangs covering half my face and nothing but flab on my body. When I was little, I envied her for having people dote on her, for not having to go hungry, for not being beaten and scolded. Later, I envied everything about her. It turns out, what I had always envied was the life that should have belonged to me. “Chloe, what are you standing there for? Mia is asking about you, didn’t you hear? Grown up so big and you have no manners at all!” My mom scolded me for her. She hooked her arm through my mom’s and acted coy, the two of them standing a few feet away from me. My uncle arrived, and finally, someone was willing to support me. But he also muttered: “How did you manage to break a bone falling down? You big fat girl, no wonder your mom couldn’t carry you. You have to strictly control your diet from now on.” My mom echoed his sentiment, completely forgetting that I never even got three normal meals a day. Mia criticized them for calling a girl fat to her face. She diverted their attention, and the family of three happily chatted about other amusing things. After taking me to get my leg treated and dumping me back home, they all left together again. On an empty stomach, I processed the photos I took from my mom’s phone. After ensuring their source couldn’t be traced, I used a secret email address to send them to my aunt. [Sarah, your best friend and your husband have been cheating on you for over a decade, and even your daughter isn’t biologically yours. Did you know?] I waited anxiously for over an hour. I tried to recall the email, but it showed that the recipient had already read it, and the recall failed. I was so excited my palms were sweating. The doorbell suddenly rang. My aunt stood outside with several bags, her expression showing no abnormality. “Chloe, does your leg hurt a lot?” “Your mom went shopping with Mia. When I found out, I dropped my work to come have dinner with you. So, Auntie treats you the best, right?” She put down the bags and came to help me. I probed: “Where’s Uncle? Is he with my mom accompanying Mia too?” “Yeah.” She was nonchalant. “They knew I was coming to see you, so they ate out after shopping.” I stared at her profile: “Auntie, I feel like you are more like my real mom. My mom seems to love Mia more. Don’t you feel that way?” My aunt’s expression was very natural. Her hand movements didn’t even pause for a second. She pressed me down onto the sofa and then laid out the takeout boxes: “No matter how unreliable your mom is, she’s still your biological mom. But Auntie watched you grow up, it’s no different than a real mom.” “What’s wrong? Did you and your mom have a fight? Or do you miss your dad?” Mentioning my dad, I fell into deep thought. He died on the day of my and Mia’s one-month celebration banquet. It was said that a fire broke out, and he died saving my uncle. That’s why my uncle and aunt took extra care of my mom and me. However, my mom blamed his death on me. She blamed me for being a jinx who killed my dad. All these years, she made me go hungry and freeze, cursed and beat me, all starting from this reason. So, every time I saw my uncle dote on Mia or my mom treat me badly, I would think of my dad. I would think that if he were still alive, my mom wouldn’t hate me, and my life would be much better… Now I also wondered, did he know that my mom and his own brother betrayed him? Did he know I wasn’t his biological daughter? “Chloe, what are you daydreaming about?” My aunt shoved a pair of disposable gloves into my hands. I snapped out of it, looked at her, and couldn’t help but wonder if she had read the email at all. Should I just lay my cards on the table? 3 My aunt pushed the takeout boxes closer to me: “Hurry and eat! It’s all your favorites: fried chicken, pizza, and soda.” Actually, I didn’t like these things, and I knew eating too much high-calorie food was bad. But when someone is starving, the smell of any food makes the stomach rumble uncontrollably. She didn’t know anything. I swallowed hard, pressed down on my cramping stomach, and tore my gaze away from the fried chicken. Mustering my courage, I expressed my wishes just like Mia usually did: “Auntie, I don’t want to eat this. Could you order me something light for dinner?” “You don’t want it? Since when did you become a picky eater?” She was stunned. Then she smiled again: “Alright! Look for yourself and see what you want.” “But don’t you dare learn from Mia and diet to lose weight. Auntie loves seeing you eat heartily. You’re a growing girl, your figure doesn’t matter.” My aunt had always been very good to me, unconditionally fulfilling all my requests and indulging my preferences without limits. But every time I accepted my aunt’s kindness, I would be beaten and scolded by my mom right after, calling me ungrateful and saying I thought my uncle and aunt’s family was richer than ours, calling me a beggar who embarrassed her. The realization that my aunt was my biological mother made my blood boil again. Once we acknowledged each other, I could openly enjoy her care and concern without having to walk on eggshells around my mom anymore. I took a deep breath: “Auntie…” But she suddenly stood up: “Oh dear, a drop of oil got on me. Let me go clean it up. Order whatever you want.” She then pinched the corner of her white blazer and walked toward the bathroom. My words were stuck in my throat. Watching her retreating back, my hands absentmindedly swiped on her phone. When I looked down at the screen again, it had stopped at the app switcher, and one of the pages was unmistakably her email. My aunt replied to the email I sent! [What makes you think I am the prey, and not the hunter?] [Whoever you are, there’s no need for any more unnecessary reminders. If there is a next time, I will drag you out into the light, and you will bear the consequences!] I read my aunt’s reply on my own phone, my body running completely cold. This was her true face. She had known all along! She definitely understood my hints just now, and probably even realized that I knew about what happened back then. No wonder I always felt it was illogical for her to be deceived for so many years. So, her limitless indulgence of me was just another way of ruining me? Her method of ruining me was completely different from my mom’s, but the end result was the same. I couldn’t understand why they couldn’t fight out in the open. Why didn’t she target Mia? Instead, she chose to destroy me! But I understood one thing: no one would ever love me. So it didn’t matter who my biological mother was. From now on, I would take charge of my own life. 4 My aunt came out of the bathroom. I selected a clay pot porridge, pretending nothing happened, and handed the phone back to her. While waiting, I shed tears in front of her: “My leg wasn’t actually broken from a fall. My mom hit me. I hate her!” “Auntie, before you said you could get me into Mia’s high school and pay my tuition. Is that still possible?” “I can write you an IOU. When I make money, I’ll pay you back the tuition.” If she wanted to see me turn against my mom, I would give her what she wanted. I could use her to escape my mom’s control and go to a fully enclosed boarding school. This was the only solution I could think of right now. She pulled me into her arms: “Schooling is no problem, but don’t ever talk about paying me back again, or Auntie will be heartbroken.” “As for your mom, she’s superstitious… Our family was truly unlucky back then. The fire wasn’t even that big at first, but the roof beam suddenly collapsed.” “Sigh~ Let’s not talk about the past. Speaking of which, your mom is also a pitiful person. But I totally understand why you resent her. The way she treats you…” She rambled on, listing all the ways my mom mistreated me, expressing her heartache for me. But my curiosity about the fire that year was piqued. The roof beam almost hit my uncle. My dad was crushed when he pushed him away. My uncle ran out, and then the house collapsed… “Auntie, were you and my mom not inside back then?” My aunt answered without hesitation: “Your mom was inside the house too, she ran out with your uncle. I was outside chatting with relatives, holding you and Mia.” I was a bit puzzled. The old house back then was a single-story structure made of mud and thatch. Even setting aside why the roof beam would fall, it was only about eight inches thick, not impossible to lift. Couldn’t two adults, my uncle and my mom, lift the beam and pull my dad out before the house collapsed? It sounded like a melodramatic plot from a soap opera. I wanted to ask my aunt more, but the delivery driver arriving with dinner interrupted me. Just as we finished eating, my mom walked in with my uncle and Mia. My aunt immediately darkened her face: “Sister-in-law, you were too heavy-handed with Chloe this time. No matter how big a mistake a child makes, you don’t go breaking their leg.” She couldn’t possibly not have guessed that my mom instructed me to say I fell. And she knew that exposing it wouldn’t make my life any easier. But she still said it. Causing my uncle to be dissatisfied and reprimand my mom. My mom’s response was matter-of-fact: “Steal a needle as a child, steal gold as an adult.” She said it was to teach me a lesson. Mia covered her mouth and gasped: “Chloe, what can you even do with eight dollars? Was it necessary to steal?” The adults followed her lead and criticized me. They all pretended not to know that the eight dollars they looked down upon meant a week’s worth of breakfast for me. Once they had their fill of scolding, my aunt finally brought up the idea of sponsoring my transfer. My mom still politely declined. My uncle, however, shot her a secret glare: “Sister-in-law, I think it’s a good idea for Chloe to board. It’ll save her from making you angry every day.” “And don’t be embarrassed about the money. Sarah does charity and sponsors impoverished students anyway. One more Chloe is nothing.” My mom, probably remembering that text message, didn’t refuse again. She just didn’t let me eat for several days in a row. When she had nothing better to do, she would pinch and curse me, tossing the same two phrases back and forth: “Learned how to tattle now, huh? If you don’t want to continue atoning for your sins, then get the hell out if you have the guts.” “Mia goes to an elite prep school. Does your worthless life deserve to go there?” I wasn’t going to be as stupid as before. When I was hungry, I would call my uncle and aunt. My mom wouldn’t act too out of line in front of them. As for the beatings and curses, I was used to them anyway. It didn’t matter. From time to time, I would intentionally add some fuel to my mom’s fire: “Mom, Aunt Sarah is so capable and rich. No wonder Uncle is so good to her, washing her feet for her every day.” “Mia told me their wedding anniversary is in two weeks. They’re going on a trip abroad for a romantic getaway.” As a long-standing “other woman,” she truly had deep feelings for my scumbag uncle. Every time, she would be so angry her face would contort. But she could only vent her anger on me. It hurt a bit, but my mood was more refreshed than ever before.

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At a grand academic conference, I publicly released the laboratory security footage showing my fiancé and his female student. The passionate scenes played out, sending the entire hall into an uproar. A week ago, while lurking on an obscure overseas academic forum, I came across an advice-seeking post: [My professor keeps holding me while we do experiments. Is this normal?] Someone commented below: [What kind of experiments?] She replied: [He guides my hand to use the micropipette, hugging me from behind. His body is so hot I can’t even align the pipette tip with the well plate…] Someone immediately responded: [That’s a bit beyond the scope of normal instruction.] She was quick to defend him: [But he said I’m the most special student he’s ever mentored, not like that block of wood who only knows how to study and has no romance in her.] [His fiancée is also in research. All she cares about are data and papers; she has zero sex appeal. He’s been sick of her for a long time. He said that only when he’s with me does he feel truly alive.] The post included a blurry profile picture. The cuff of the man’s lab coat revealed a silver wristwatch with a tiny scratch on the edge of the dial. It was exactly the same as the one I gave Arthur Vance. 1 He scratched it while setting up the lab, moving equipment himself. At the time, he laughed, ruffled my hair, and said that even with a mark, it was still his favorite watch, our exclusive memento. Even more glaring was the chromatography machine in the background of the picture. The side of the machine still bore the engraved initials of our names. Back then, I traveled to nine different countries just to finalize the model. It was the only one of its kind in the country, my engagement gift to him, which I personally carried to his dedicated lab bench. My blood froze, and even breathing became difficult. Arthur had truly betrayed me. But years ago, I was also his student. With trembling fingers, I refreshed the post. Many netizens were expressing their doubts: [Are you actually seeking advice, or just bragging about your affair with your professor?] She immediately retorted: [What affair? The professor and I have a mutual appreciation for each other. He arranged for me to be in the lab, right under his fiancée’s nose. He even gave me the Chief Scientific Officer’s debut project, helped me publish it, and paved the way for me.] Someone cursed below: [I hate abuse of power the most. And this isn’t called ‘taking’, it’s stealing! Does what you’re doing do justice to that Chief Scientist?] She replied: [What’s there to be sorry about? The professor just loves me more. He needs an understanding flower like me, not a cold, research machine.] Every word was like a poisoned needle plunging straight into my heart. Ten days ago, I received an instruction from Arthur: “Your proposal and experimental approach have already been published by someone else. You need to dig up a new one.” Always the same excuse. I was deceived by him time and time again. I never thought he was taking my blood, sweat, and tears—my experimental project—to use as a stepping stone for the other woman. He used to be the one who followed the rules the most, exuding an aloof and ascetic aura. People in the industry said he was as pure as the purified water in the lab. When I was still his student, he would intentionally maintain an arm’s length distance when discussing experimental data with me. When teaching me how to use a micropipette, he merely steadied my wrist, and his ears turned bright red. He had also said I was his most special and outstanding student. After we secretly developed feelings for each other, he was terrified of people gossiping about me. So, he waited until I graduated, until I stood at a height equal to his, before he dared to hold my hand openly. That restrained tenderness and innate righteousness once made me fall deeply for him. The day he proposed, he said that researchers value sincerity and perseverance above all else, and his sincerity and perseverance were reserved solely for me. Now, looking at the diamond ring on my ring finger, and then at the bodies intimately intertwined in the post’s photo, a cold chill ran down my spine. The words and vows he once spoke had turned into cheap, vulgar pickup lines for his female student. My dedication and persistence to research, which he once treated as a precious treasure, had become what he called an “unromantic block of wood.” It wasn’t until the photos in the post refreshed, and the image of Arthur lowering his head to bite her earlobe suddenly struck my eyes. I couldn’t bear it any longer. My stomach churned, and I vomited until my internal organs ached. But the fiercer the curses in the post got, the more smug and arrogant she became: [I won’t say any more. The professor’s fiancée is sick, and he’s afraid of catching it and passing it to me, so he specifically took me abroad to relax.] And this morning, before Arthur left, he held my sickly self in his arms, his tone gentle and heartbroken: “While I’m abroad attending the seminar, I’ll definitely help you find some new experimental ideas. You stay home and rest like a good girl. Don’t overwork yourself; it makes my heart ache.” He knew perfectly well that this was my last year for a title promotion. Yet he cruelly stole my experimental proposal and gave it to someone else. I was forced to work day and night, racing against time to polish a new project before the end of the year, ruining my health in the process. When I dropped him off at the airport, I was still wiping away tears of guilt, blaming myself for being too sick to accompany him and making him worry and work so hard for my sake alone. I never expected that not only would he stab me in the back, but he would also take his lover on a romantic getaway abroad during my most difficult time. Ring— My phone suddenly rang. It was Arthur. Whenever he traveled, he always called me the moment he landed to let me know he was safe. On the other end of the line, his voice was full of concern: “Chloe, why is your voice so hoarse? Have you not been resting and taking your medicine again?” Seeing that I didn’t reply, he seemed to have made a major decision: “I’ve thought about it. Even if you can’t come up with a new experimental project, I’ll use my connections to guarantee your promotion this time.” Hah, the illustrious Professor Vance is really willing to pay a high price for me. But how could he not know that if he really did that, I would be forever nailed to the pillar of shame as someone who got in through the back door and had no real talent? “Arthur, didn’t you say you didn’t want my talent to be obscured, and even more so, didn’t want me to be gossiped about…” He sighed softly and interrupted me, his tone incredibly sincere: “But I can’t just watch the person I love most struggle. Besides, in my heart, you are the best. Even if people say I’m abusing my power, I accept it!” He spoke with such genuine emotion, but my heart sank inch by inch. A moment later, a soft, coquettish female voice faintly echoed from the other end of the line. I gripped my phone tightly and asked in a low voice: “Who’s outside your door?” He caught off guard, gave a light cough, hiding his panic: “It’s room service. I asked them to bring some paper and pens.” “Alright baby, you must take good care of yourself. There are pastries I bought for you in the fridge. Even if you don’t have an appetite, try to eat a little.” It seemed that his eagerness to report in every time he landed at a hotel wasn’t out of thoughtfulness, but merely out of fear that I would randomly check up on him and ruin the good time he was having with his lover. Five years of being together day and night, my wholehearted devotion, had ultimately turned out to be a massive joke. Late that night, I reopened that post. She had updated her status again: [The aloof flower has finally been pulled down from his pedestal by me. In life, he remembers my tastes; in academics, he guides me hand-in-hand to publish papers. Being with him now is just a natural progression. He said tonight was his most unforgettable night.] I closed my eyes, took a few deep breaths, and closed the post. Suppressing my churning emotions, I opened the fridge. The pastries inside were completely covered in crushed peanuts. And I am allergic to peanuts. The daily logs in that post recorded Arthur’s attentiveness to her; he searched several streets just to buy her peanut rice cakes. These pastries were what that female student loved to eat, not me. In the end, I still sent a message to Arthur: [Arthur, are you really going to use public office for private gain like this?] He thought I was talking about the promotion and replied earnestly: [Chloe, who in the industry doesn’t know you’re my fiancée? Even if I do nothing, it’s inevitable that people will gossip when you get the promotion. It’s better if I actually pull some strings for you, at least you get a tangible benefit out of it.] Yes, even if he did nothing, and I reached the top of the industry step by step through my own efforts, taking the position of Chief Scientific Officer, people would still view me through colored lenses. Just like how he and I only confirmed our relationship after I graduated, but we were still reported by someone with ulterior motives. They claimed I had an improper relationship with my professor while I was in school. The criticism online was so harsh that it became unbearable to read. Over the years, to break free from these shackles, I threw myself into the lab. Working day and night for results and research, I was finally recognized by everyone and recommended as the Chief Scientific Officer of the research institute. He saw all of this; the countless late nights I endured to earn my dignity and confidence bit by bit. And now, he just said it so lightly, crushing everything I fought so hard to protect. The person who once faced layers of investigations from the university, the disciplinary committee, and the petition office for me, yet remained uncompromising in defending me. The person who would rather give up an easily attainable fellowship title than agree to break up with me, no longer existed. All that was left was a sickening and sleazy shell. My computer screen popped up an email notification once again. It was an offer letter from the largest overseas research institute. They kept raising the salary and benefits just to poach me for their core lab. But all I wanted was to stay by Arthur’s side. When Vance Labs was first founded, it relied on the projects I had in hand. In five years, it went from a three-person workspace to being listed on the tech board. His most frequent phrase was: “Chloe, my eyes didn’t deceive me. You truly are the most outstanding, and the greatest contributor to Vance Labs.” Yet he secretly squeezed a female student into the lab, flirted under the guise of conducting experiments, and climbed up by stealing my projects. Those security camera malfunctions that happened at just the right times, and how my experimental concepts always seemed to lag one step behind. All the suspicions now had the most sordid answers. I dragged my sick body to the research institute, only wanting to copy back my original data. But I was stopped at the door of his office area. The secretary stammered: “C… Chief Chloe, this office area is managed by Mr. Vance’s graduate student, Ms. Mia Harper.” It was utterly ridiculous. I couldn’t even enter the office area of the research lab I built from scratch. Unable to bear it any longer, I sent a message to Arthur: [Maybe you should just get a new fiancée. That Ms. Harper by your side seems very suitable.] The message sank like a stone in the ocean, and the calls went unanswered. The gazes of the colleagues around the cubicles were full of probing and sympathy. The bitterness welling up in my heart was wrapped in a chill that seeped straight into my bones. Finally, I received a provocative message from Mia: [It seems Chief Chloe has a premonition that she’s about to become an abandoned wife? Professor Vance is taking a shower, and I have his phone. He has no time for you.] [Oh right, he said you’re nothing noble either, just a slut who seduced her professor while still in school.] [I’m not like you. The professor pursued me actively. He said he didn’t know what uncontrollable love meant until he met me.] A dull pain struck my chest. I coughed violently, and tears fell uncontrollably. Back then, the overwhelming rumors nearly broke me. It was Arthur who held me tightly, guarding and encouraging me day and night. Now, not only did he plunge the knife into my deepest wound, but he also gave the authority to an outsider who had usurped the nest. This was a thorough calculation and defense against me, and an extreme humiliation. I stumbled home to a cold, empty house, never to feel its former warmth again. It wasn’t until the middle of the night that his call finally came. “Chloe, why didn’t you contact me at all today? I’m feeling a bit disappointed.” His tone was sugar-coated, but it only sounded absurd to me. He didn’t even know Mia had texted me using his phone. My voice was exhausted: “I sent you messages and called you; you just didn’t see them.” He paused, then laughed awkwardly: “I must have been too busy today and missed them. But I do have some good news to share with you.” “The graduate student I’m mentoring this time has your style from back then. She spoke eloquently at the seminar, and she’s exactly the person who proposed the same experimental concept as you.” “I plan to make her the Chief Scientific Officer of Vance Labs, and you can be her deputy. This way, you two can complement each other, and she can leave your name as a co-author on the project. With my maneuvering, your promotion this time shouldn’t be a big problem.” “Chloe, are you listening? You really have to thank her this time. Her name is Mia Harper. It is the fortune of my life to have you two as my beloved students…” It’s his fortune, but my disaster. His shamelessness angered me. I gritted my teeth and asked: “Arthur, what if I don’t agree?” He gave an impatient “tch” on the other end of the line. “Stop being stubborn. Besides, the position of Chief Scientific Officer belongs to the capable. You can’t even squeeze out a single project right now, so why humiliate yourself?” I stood on the balcony, letting the cold wind blow over me, reflecting on my contributions to Vance Labs over the years. Every big and small item in the lab, from a small beaker to every instrument, was set up by my own hands. When I worked around the clock to rush projects, I was once so exhausted I was hospitalized for recovery. I poured my heart and soul into it, staying up countless days and nights to lift the lab to the top of the industry. Only to quietly become someone else’s stepping stone. I wiped the tears from my face. I took out my phone, opened that offer letter, and replied accepting the position. A few days later, Arthur finally returned to the country. The first thing he did was eagerly drag Mia to the lab bench for some thrills. Meanwhile, the power outlet of that chromatography machine was flashing a nearly imperceptible red light. I watched the monitor in my hand, found the right moment, and pushed the door open. Arthur’s face changed, and he immediately shoved Mia away. I handed him the documents as if nothing had happened: “The progress of the previous project needs your signature.” He felt guilty, and seeing it was a routine document, he signed it without even looking. Resignation letter, done. I turned to leave. Arthur hurriedly called out to me, walking slowly over with a concerned tone: “Look how thin you’ve gotten. Didn’t I tell you to take time off and rest well at home?” “I heard about you going to my office area. It’s Mia being immature; she forgot to give you access.” I smiled indifferently: “If she’s that immature and you still keep her around, it really must take a lot of your effort.” Just as I was about to leave, I was stopped by Mia again. “Chief Chloe, stop being so passive-aggressive. I was just worried about ungrateful backstabbers in the company…” “Shut up!” Arthur violently pulled her away, placed his hands on my shoulders, and said with utmost sincerity: “Chloe, don’t listen to her nonsense. You are my fiancée, the person I value most.” I curled my lips, only finding it laughable. Arthur continued: “At the 13th Scientific Academic Exchange Conference this time, I decided to personally announce Mia Harper as the Chief Scientific Officer of Vance.” “This is the only way to establish her authority in the institute, to make it easier to manage the team. But don’t worry, I’ll have you co-lead that key project with her.” I raised my eyes and cast a cold glance at him. “Fine, you arrange it then.” It was the first time Arthur had seen me look at him with such an expression. He panicked and tried to make amends: “That day is also our fifth anniversary. Once the exchange conference is over, we’ll go get our marriage certificate!” My footsteps halted. He thought I was overwhelmingly surprised and stepped forward to pull me tightly into his embrace. With a face full of deep affection: “Chloe, from now on, entrust your life to me. I will definitely love you even more.” The fresh scent on the man was still the cologne I had personally blended. But it couldn’t cover the cloying sweetness mixed in from another woman. I frowned and tried to push him away, but he hugged me tighter: “From now on, we’ll share three meals a day and grow old together.” This had once been my dearest wish. Now I’m only thankful that I finally saw his true colors. After returning to my own office, I turned on the monitor. In the lab, Mia buried herself in Arthur’s embrace again, but he dodged her. “Mia, from now on, you are not allowed to run your mouth at Chloe. She will be my wife. She absolutely cannot know about what’s between us. That is a principle.” Mia immediately shed tears of grievance: “Professor, she clearly gave me attitude the moment she walked into the office. She hates me. If she finds out that the Gene Vector Construction project was originally hers, she’ll definitely kick me out.” “When that happens, I’ll leave you and go far away.” Arthur hugged her back tenderly, his tone doting: “Don’t talk nonsense. If you leave, who will be the Chief Scientific Officer of my research institute?” Mia sniffled: “But what if she discovers we plagiarized her experimental project?” Arthur’s voice was certain: “Don’t worry, I made it watertight. I even packaged her original documents for you.” Mia rejoiced secretly: “I heard there are other teams constantly trying to poach her. We definitely can’t let her take any projects away when the time comes.” Arthur scoffed and nodded: “She is utterly devoted to me and won’t leave me. Besides, who in the industry doesn’t know she slept her way to her accomplishments? Now she even has to rely on my backroom deals for her promotion. Once those teams know, none of them will accept her.” After listening to their conspiracy, I gritted my teeth to calm myself down. So he knew clearly what kind of predicament I was facing. He knew that the academic witch hunt against me all those years ago had never stopped. My eyes stung, and the last shred of expectation I had for him vanished into thin air. Mia’s post also updated at this moment: [Soon I will become a rising academic star in the industry, and I have prepared a grand gift for my future mentor’s wife at the academic exchange conference. I’m really looking forward to that day.] I was looking forward to it too. I hoped she could still be this brazen on that day. The grand academic exchange conference took place as scheduled. I stood beside them like a prop, watching Arthur lead Mia around, just as he had led me back then, introducing her talent to various industry heavyweights and major investors. However, as more heavyweight figures arrived, the academic elites raising their glasses to me also increased. Mia walked over to my side and disdainfully bumped my shoulder: “You don’t have much time left in the spotlight. I’ve prepared the main event for you.” As soon as the words fell, a large group of reporters swarmed in. They instantly surrounded me, and sharp questions were thrown at my face: “Ms. Davis, there are reports that you threw your weight around as a senior to force the new scientific genius, Ms. Harper, to give up co-authorship on an experimental project. Is this true?” “Out of all your past experimental projects, how many of the paper authorships did you obtain through such methods?” The crowd continued to press in, and I stumbled back into a corner. With such baseless accusations, any defense would be twisted. I spoke firmly and righteously: “These are all rumors. I advise the media to speak carefully, otherwise, I will definitely pursue legal action to the fullest extent.” But the reporters had no intention of letting me go. They pulled out stacks of paper, and sharp questions rang out again: “We have the love letters you wrote to your professor when you were a graduate student. Did you use an improper relationship with your professor to grab research resources back then? Now you’re plagiarizing a newcomer’s work. Do you deserve to talk about the original intentions of a researcher?” I stared blankly at the yellowed papers, speechless. Every word and sentence on them was in my own handwriting. It was my first awakening of love, what I thought was a mutual pursuit. These love letters, on our first anniversary of marriage, he personally framed, hugging me and saying they were his most precious collection in this life. How did they end up in the hands of reporters now?

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I am very rich. My dad says there is no problem in this world that money can’t solve. If there is, it just means you don’t have enough money. But my boyfriend, Arthur Vance, was an exception. When I drove my supercar to pick him up, he complained I was too flashy. When I suggested eating at a Michelin-starred restaurant, he said I didn’t understand the hardships of everyday people. To “temper my character,” he forced me to live like an ordinary student. For three years, I wore cheap clothes from street stalls, squeezed onto the subway with him, and ate at the cheapest cafeteria window on campus. But all I got in return was his endless nitpicking. This time, to celebrate him winning a scholarship, I secretly booked a slightly nicer restaurant. I didn’t expect him to publicly reprimand me for “refusing to change my ways.” When he threatened to break up with me again, trying to force me to apologize to his ridiculous ego, I was just tired. “Then let’s break up!” … Hearing my answer, Arthur’s knife paused as he cut his steak, and then he let out a contemptuous laugh. “Chloe, are you serious?” He clearly didn’t take my words seriously. After all, over the past three years, whenever we disagreed on anything related to money, it always ended with my compromise. I would cry and return a newly bought limited-edition bag, or swear I would never eat a meal that cost more than thirty dollars again, just to beg him to take back his cold threat of “breaking up.” But this time, I was truly tired. A while ago, when the class president hinted that there was a spot for me on the need-based financial aid list and told me not to worry, I suddenly realized what a massive joke I had made of myself. The dignified eldest daughter of the Sterling Group had actually lowered herself to the dust for Arthur Vance. I looked up, met his eyes directly, and repeated: “Arthur Vance, I am serious. We are breaking up.” A rare look of bewilderment flashed across Arthur’s face. Realizing what I had said, his voice suddenly turned cold. “Just because I didn’t let you waste money, and criticized you a bit, you’re throwing a tantrum?” “Chloe, I took you on the subway and to street food stalls to cure you of your spoiled, entitled habits, to teach you to be grounded. Your attitude right now is extremely disappointing.” In the past, hearing the word “disappointing” would have made me panic immediately. But now, I only found it laughable. “Yes, I’m very disappointing to you. Since that’s the case, let’s go our separate ways. You find a girlfriend who meets your standards, and everyone will be happy.” I considered myself to be quite reasonable. Since our values didn’t align, it was best to part amicably. The designer watches and sneakers I’d given him over the years added up to at least a few hundred thousand dollars, but I wasn’t planning to haggle over it. Arthur, however, turned red with anger and stood up abruptly. “I always thought you were just a bit spoiled, but I didn’t expect you to be so stubborn, actually using a breakup to threaten me now.” “I was doing this for your own good. Yes, your family has money, but did you earn a single penny of it? I was trying to teach you not to squander your parents’ hard-earned money. If you had even a tenth of Emily’s frugality and simplicity, I wouldn’t have to constantly remind you.” I couldn’t help but roll my eyes. He brought up breaking up, and I simply agreed, yet somehow I was the one threatening him. I shot him a cold look: “Since you think Emily is so simple and frugal, then go pursue her. Why should we make things difficult for each other?” Emily Chen was Arthur’s junior in his major. Ever since she enrolled, Arthur constantly compared me to her. Even taking me to eat at street stalls and squeezing onto the subway during rush hour were Emily’s suggestions, claiming it was to “help the senior rid herself of her arrogant and extravagant aura.” I never wanted to go in the first place. At the mention of Emily, Arthur bristled like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. He aggressively grabbed his backpack, the chair scraping harshly against the floor, drawing side-glances from several nearby tables. “Chloe, you are simply unreasonable!” “Reflect on yourself for this meal today. Don’t come looking for me until you’ve written a five-thousand-word self-reflection and realized your own vanity.” With that, he strode away without looking back. This was the first time I had ever seen Arthur this angry. He was the school’s famous, aloof “Academic God,” and I was the stereotypical “dumb blonde” with a rich family. I had only gotten into the school because my dad donated a building. When I first stepped onto campus, my head was full of sweet romance, and I fell for Arthur at first sight in the crowd. Even though we were dating, he nitpicked everything about me. I felt very wronged. It wasn’t my fault my family had money; being born wealthy was a gift from my parents. Yet he treated it as an original sin, constantly belittling and suppressing me. For the past three years, I walked on eggshells every time I saw him, terrified of accidentally showing my wealth and displeasing him. I used to think his lofty disdain for money was a rare and precious quality in this world. Only now did I see clearly that it was just arrogance born of extreme inferiority. He gained a psychological sense of superiority by suppressing my lifestyle. I had had enough of this kind of life. I unlocked my phone and sent a message to my dad. “Dad, I agree to your previous proposal.” I had fought with my dad plenty of times over these three years because of Arthur. A while ago, my dad cautiously asked if I wanted to meet the young man from the Sinclair family who had just returned from abroad. If I didn’t want to, he would decline for me. At that time, I shouted about “freedom of love.” Thinking back, I was adorably stupid. Instead of lowering my worth and being despised in every way, it’s better to find someone of equal social standing. At least our values would align, and we wouldn’t have to fight to the death over a fifty-dollar dinner bill. My dad’s efficiency was terrifyingly high. Early the next morning, I received a detailed profile of Julian Sinclair, along with an invitation to a charity gala. Following that, my mobile banking app popped up with a deposit notification. A string of zeros so long I couldn’t even count them. My dad’s message was simple and crude: Buy whatever you want. Having unloaded the mental baggage named “Arthur Vance,” the first thing I did was call the housekeeper. I pointed to the pilling hoodies and the ten-dollar jeans bought on group-deal apps in my closet—all the so-called “high-cost-performance, good-value items” Arthur had forced me to buy over the past three years to “temper my character.” “Mary, throw it all away.” For three years, Arthur had subjected me to a comprehensive “poverty transformation.” If I wore something slightly expensive, he called me “materialistic”; if I wore makeup, he called me “vulgar”; even when I took an Uber to school, he would frown and painfully accuse me of being “spoiled.” Afraid of making him angry, I constantly sought to please him, forcibly turning myself from the “Eldest Daughter of the Sterling family” into an “impoverished student.” But now, this lady is no longer playing along. I changed into a limited-edition, current-season Chanel suit and put on the sapphire necklace that had gathered dust in my jewelry box for three years. Looking at the radiant version of myself in the mirror, I smiled in satisfaction. After three years, the pink supercar that had been collecting dust in my garage finally saw the light of day again. The roar of the engine exploded at the school gates, instantly attracting countless stares. Unfortunately, the coolness didn’t last even three seconds. “Chloe Sterling!” It was Arthur! My heart skipped a beat, and I instinctively wanted to run. In the past, whenever I showed my wealth, Arthur would punish me by making me write a several-thousand-word self-reflection, or even give me the silent treatment for days. But on second thought, we were already broken up. Why should I be afraid of him? In the moment I froze, Arthur had already strode over. Behind him was Emily, panting heavily while carrying a tall stack of books. His gaze swept over my dazzling sports car and my outfit, looking at me as if I were some bloodsucking vampire from the exploiting class. “Are you crazy? Dressing like this and driving this kind of car to school?” “Everyone else is walking or biking to school. You driving this thing around is just trying to let everyone know you have a few filthy bucks? Your behavior will corrupt the school’s atmosphere!” I almost laughed out of anger. Just as I was about to retort, I caught sight of Emily behind him out of the corner of my eye. “I didn’t steal or rob, what am I afraid of?” I raised my eyebrows and looked at them meaningfully. “The school rules don’t say dating isn’t allowed, nor do they say driving to school isn’t allowed, right?” Hearing this, Arthur’s face darkened even more: “What nonsense are you talking about!!” Emily also peeked out timidly from behind her stack of books: “Senior Chloe, you misunderstood. Arthur was just helping me because I was too tired carrying these books… I didn’t expect you to think that way.” “Have you caused enough trouble?” Arthur suddenly reached out and grabbed my wrist, his grip so tight it felt like he was going to crush my bones. “Since you’re here, help Emily carry these books to the office. It’ll cure you of your laziness!” A sudden sharp pain shot through my wrist. I struggled desperately: “I’m not going! Arthur Vance, let go! We’re already broken up, why should I listen to you!” “Chloe, this is an order! As the President of the Student Council, I have the right to discipline this kind of toxic behavior from you!” Arthur didn’t back down because of my resistance; instead, he put on an official, authoritative stance, reaching out to forcefully shove that heavy stack of books into my arms. I shook his hand off, rubbing my reddened wrist, and let out an unceremonious, cold laugh. “Student Council President? Arthur, do you really think you got to be Student Council President on your own merits?” “If my dad hadn’t pulled strings with the administration and donated five million dollars, do you think with your abilities back then you had any right to defeat a bunch of more qualified candidates and take this position?” Arthur’s face instantly went deathly pale, as if he had been publicly slapped. His lips trembled, but before he could retort, Emily suddenly rushed forward like a madwoman. “Shut up! You’re not allowed to slander Arthur like that!” Before I could react, she shoved me hard. I was completely caught off guard. In my thin stilettos, I couldn’t keep my balance. My center of gravity shifted, and I fell heavily onto the concrete floor. “Hiss—” A burning, stinging pain instantly radiated from my palm. I looked down; a large patch of skin had been scraped off the palm of my hand by the rough ground. Beads of blood mixed with gravel were eagerly oozing out, hurting to the bone. The sapphire necklace fell to the ground and was crushed under Emily’s foot. Before I even had a chance to get up, she had already preemptively opened her mouth. Looking down at me from above, a flash of imperceptible satisfaction crossed her eyes, yet her mouth cried out in a whining tone. “Senior Chloe, how could you do this? You’re the one who had a change of heart, yet you publicly ruin Arthur’s reputation!” She pointed at the pink sports car behind me and my designer clothes, her voice piercingly sharp, as if she were judging me in the name of justice. “Everyone, be the judge! Chloe used to not even be able to afford the basic meat-and-veggie combo at the cafeteria. How could she suddenly afford a million-dollar sports car overnight?” “Don’t you know where this money came from? Must you force everyone to say it out loud?” “Arthur just didn’t want to see you degenerate. He painstakingly advised you to turn back before it’s too late. Not only are you ungrateful, but you also bite the hand that feeds you just for a moment of vanity!” This statement contained an overwhelming amount of information. The crowd of onlookers, initially just watching the drama, instantly exploded in an uproar. Those probing gazes instantly turned into disdain, and the whispering buzzed into my ears like flies. “Oh my god, so she’s a sugar baby…” “I knew it. How could someone who usually wears street clothes suddenly become rich? So she took that path.” “So shameless. And she has the nerve to show off at the school gates. If I were her parents, I’d die of anger.” The direction of public opinion was instantly skewed, and everyone believed Emily’s nonsense. I trembled with anger, my fingernails digging deeply into my flesh, but I couldn’t feel the pain. I could only stare dead at Arthur. He was the only person in the entire place who knew my true identity. Even if we broke up, even if he hated me, as long as he told the truth, this ridiculous rumor would collapse on its own. “Arthur, say something!” I gritted my teeth, questioning him with red eyes: “Tell them whether my money is clean or not! Did I become like this out of vanity?!” Arthur looked at me sitting pathetically on the ground, a complex struggle flashing through his eyes. But he looked at the surrounding students, and then at Emily, who had stepped forward “to defend him.” Ultimately, the shame of being exposed as someone who relied on a woman overpowered his conscience. He supported the “tottering” Emily and sighed with an expression of deep heartache, as if he were utterly disappointed in me. “Chloe, although Emily’s words are harsh, they aren’t wrong. Vanity is the most terrifying poison in the world.” “Although we have broken up, I really don’t want to see you sell your soul and body for material things, making yourself so dirty.” “Listen to my advice. Return the car, cut ties with that person. It’s still not too late to turn back now.” At that moment, I simply couldn’t believe what I was hearing. To protect his pathetic ego, he actually tacitly agreed to this despicable accusation, and even hypocritically pinned the label of “sugar baby” on me. With the “official seal of approval” from the Student Council President, the look in everyone’s eyes completely changed. Disgust, disdain, loathing—as if looking at some nauseating piece of trash. “Hurry up and take a picture to post on the confession wall to warn others! This kind of gold digger is a disgrace to our school!” Someone shouted, and several phones were shoved in my face, the camera flashes blinding me. Some even started a live stream right there, broadcasting wildly to the camera. “Hey guys, look at this! This is the ‘luxury car girl’ who became a sugar baby for an old man for money. She got exposed on the spot by her ex-boyfriend and even tried to hit people!” “People like this should be expelled! So disgusting!” Sitting on the ground, hearing words like “degenerate,” “gold digger,” and “escort” thrown at me like stones, I only felt it was utterly absurd. Some people even rushed forward trying to get physical with me. “What are you all doing! Gathering and causing trouble, what does this look like!” A booming, angry roar pierced through the crowd. The spectating students seemed to hit the pause button, automatically clearing a path. The Dean of Students, his face dark, strode in with his hands behind his back. Seeing me sitting pathetically on the ground, and that glaring pink sports car, his brows instantly knotted tightly. “What’s going on? Who brought this kind of societal toxicity onto campus?” Before I could open my mouth, Emily, like a frightened little bunny, spoke up first with red eyes. “Dean, you’re finally here. Senior Chloe… she’s bringing so much shame to our school.” As she spoke, she vaguely pointed out my sports car to the Dean. “Senior Chloe, out of greed for pleasure, not only is she being kept by an older man outside of school, but she also brazenly drove this dirty car onto campus to show off.” “Arthur kindly advised her to turn back, but she not only refused to listen but also tried to hit him, and even falsely accused him of getting his position through connections.” This bucket of dirty water was poured flawlessly. It not only solidified my crime of “being a sugar baby” but also kept her and Arthur completely clean. The Dean’s face instantly turned as black as the bottom of a pot, his disgusted gaze scraping over my body like a knife. “A sugar baby? Simply corrupting public morals!”

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The IV bag was hanging, a clear pouch of life-saving fluid. As I adjusted the drip rate for the patient, I glanced over and saw her recording a TikTok. Her phone was pointed right at the drip. The caption read: “This little nurse is all dolled up. Guess she has a hot date tonight.” “So I just cranked the drip down to the slowest setting. I’m in no rush.” “LOL. Looks like that date’s not happening.” 1 It started when I was hanging her first bag of antibiotics. She suddenly spoke up. “Honey, how old are you?” I looked at her. She was maybe in her late thirties, early forties, with sallow skin stretched tight over high cheekbones. She wore a bright red dress, the lace trim at the hem frayed and worn. I managed a small, professional smile. “Twenty-three.” “So young,” she said, her eyes raking over me from head to toe. “Seeing anyone?” I was used to this. You deal with hundreds of patients, and the older ones often just want to chat. It’s part of the job. “Nope,” I replied, keeping it brief. A sly grin spread across her face. “Wow, you even wear makeup to work. You’re pretty good at it, too. All dressed up like this… you got a date later?” The truth was, a little makeup was the only thing that made me feel human on these grueling night shifts. It was for me, not for anyone else. But something in her tone, a weird, needling quality, set my teeth on edge. “No,” I said, not feeling the need to explain myself. I focused on gently inserting the needle into the back of her hand. “This is for your pneumonia, right? You have three bags. Just call me when one is finished.” I gave her my standard instructions, emphasizing the important parts. “Please don’t adjust the flow rate yourself. It’s normal to see a tiny bit of blood back up in the tube sometimes, so don’t panic. If you need anything at all, just press the call button.” “Oh, okay, okay, I got it. You go on, get back to your work,” she said, her smile plastered on her face. For a moment, I thought I’d imagined the strange look in her eyes. Night shifts in the infusion ward are pure chaos. I was immediately swallowed by a storm of beeping machines and patient requests, and I quickly forgot about her. After what felt like an eternity of running around, I finally got a moment to breathe. I found an empty stool and sank into it, rubbing the deep ache in my calves. The thought of my day off tomorrow brought a genuine smile to my face. I was just pulling out my phone, thinking about texting a friend to see if she was free, when the call button for that same patient lit up. “What’s wrong?” I asked, pushing myself back to my feet and walking over. “I don’t feel good,” she whined, clutching her chest. “Something’s wrong.” A jolt of alarm shot through me. I immediately checked her chart and the IV bag. “Are you absolutely sure you’re not allergic to penicillin?” She nodded. “I’m sure. I’ve had it before, plenty of times.” The medication was correct, and she had no known allergies. My training kicked in. “Okay, tell me what’s wrong. Where does it hurt? What does it feel like?” “I just… I just feel bad,” she said, her brow furrowed. “I can’t explain it. Wait… oh. I think it’s better now. It’s gone.” I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding. As I turned to leave, my eyes caught the IV drip. A single drop of fluid hung suspended, taking forever to fall. Someone had turned the flow rate down to a crawl. My brow furrowed. “Did you touch the dial?” “Oh, that? Was I not supposed to? It felt like it was going too fast, it made me uncomfortable.” I looked down at her, trying to keep my voice even. “The drip rate is set by the doctor for a reason. You can’t just change it. If you’re feeling unwell, you need to tell me.” I reached out and adjusted the dial back to the standard rate. Then, remembering she’d felt sick, I slowed it down just a little, a compromise. “I’ve already slowed it down for you,” I said, my voice firm but polite. “Please, don’t touch it again. Call me if you need anything.” “Okay, okay. Sorry to be a bother.” Her apologies meant nothing. She was a constant, draining presence. Every time I managed to sit down for more than thirty seconds, her light would flash. “Excuse me, honey, do you have a portable charger? My phone’s about to die.” “I’m sorry, we don’t provide those, but there’s a charging station over by the wall,” I said, trying to be helpful. “If you need, I can take your phone over there for you.” “Oh, no thanks. Never mind.” A few minutes later, the light flashed again. I sighed, dragging myself over. “Yes?” “This stuff is so cold,” she complained, shivering dramatically. “It’s making me freeze.” I thought for a second. “I could get you a heat pack?” “No, no, that’s okay. Don’t worry about it.” “It’s no trouble,” I said, waving a hand. I had just gotten back to my seat when, like clockwork, the bell rang again. I was at the end of my rope. “Ma’am, what is it now?” She was smiling that same unsettling smile, pointing toward my little corner. “You must have a date later, right? I saw you smiling to yourself over there.” I had been running nonstop all night. The only time I’d smiled was for a fleeting second, thinking about my day off. A slow burn of anger started in my chest. I fought to keep my voice steady. “I do not have a date. Please, only press the button if you actually need something.” “Okay, okay, sorry. I was just curious,” she said, her smile never wavering. “I just figured, a pretty girl like you, how could you not have a boyfriend?” She looked me up and down again. “I bet you have guys lining up, don’t you? With that fair skin and those big eyes… and your makeup is just perfect.” She leaned in, scrutinizing my face. “You really took your time with this. Must’ve taken you an hour or two, right? What time do you have to wake up in the morning to get all that done?” I was completely fed up. But then I looked at her, alone in this sterile, impersonal room late at night, with no one by her side. A flicker of pity cut through my irritation. Maybe she was just lonely, desperate for someone to talk to. “It doesn’t take that long. Five, ten minutes, maybe,” I said, my tone softening slightly. I was about to gently ask her to stop pressing the button when a thought struck me. It had been over an hour. Her first bag of antibiotics should have been empty by now. I glanced up at the IV stand. The bag was still more than half full. The fluid was dripping at a glacial pace, one drop at a time. She’d slowed it down again. This time, I didn’t hide my frustration. “I told you not to touch the flow rate. You have three bags to get through. At this speed, you’ll be here all night.” “I already slowed it down for you once. Please, stop messing with it.” I reached for the dial, my movements sharp and angry. My only intention was to get her treatment done so she could go home and rest. The plastic chairs in the waiting area were cold and uncomfortable; no one wanted to spend the night in one. But she just sat there, wearing that same infuriatingly cheerful expression. “Oh, dear. Am I going too slow? Am I holding you up from your date? I’m so, so sorry.” My patience snapped. I didn’t say another word. I set the drip to the correct rate and stalked back to my station. At least this time, she didn’t press the button again. I let out a sigh of relief and did one last round through the ward before heading to the prep room to mix medications for the next wave of patients. I had just finished when my charge nurse, Mrs. Davis, came in for her nightly inspection. She did a quick walk-through. “Everything okay out here?” “All good,” I said, shaking my head. “Everyone’s hooked up, and I’ve double-checked all the meds.” “Good work.” Mrs. Davis glanced at my chart. “You’re the most meticulous of the new hires. Keep it up.” She was just turning to leave when the bell chimed again. I looked at the flashing light above the patient’s cubicle and my heart sank. It was her. Again. This time, she’d pushed other patients too far. The man in the next cubicle, who had been trying to sleep with a blanket over his head, threw it off in a rage. “Will you give it a rest?” he snapped. “How many times have you pressed that thing tonight? Can’t you just say what you need all at once? Some of us are trying to sleep here!” The woman flinched, her voice shrinking. “I don’t feel well. I’m not allowed to say so?” Mrs. Davis walked over. “What seems to be the problem? Where are you uncomfortable?” She checked the IV bag and the line. “The medication is fine… wait a minute. Why is this drip so slow?” “It hurts when it’s too fast,” the woman said, darting a look at me. “This young nurse keeps speeding it up. I think I’m keeping her from her date.” She let out a little chuckle. “Young people these days, always have plans, you know? A pretty girl like her, must have a lot of suitors. It’s understandable. I can just take it faster if it’s a problem. I don’t want to mess up her night.” I saw red. “I did not speed it up,” I said, my voice rising. “I set it to the standard rate. In fact, I already slowed it down for you. If you’re in pain, you need to tell me specifically what’s wrong. And for the last time, I don’t have a date. Stop making things up!” The man in the next cubicle chimed in again. “She’s right. The nurse has been over here half a dozen times. You say you’re uncomfortable, she adjusts it for you. What is your problem?” “I don’t have a problem!” the woman shot back, her voice thick with fake outrage. “I’m sick, and I’m not allowed to say so? And you,” she snarled, pointing at the man, “you’re only defending her because she’s pretty. You trying to get her number or something?” The man rolled his eyes. “You’re crazy.” Mrs. Davis took control, her voice calm but firm. “This flow rate is far too slow. You have two more bags after this. You’ll be here all night, and you won’t get any rest. Can you tell me exactly what’s bothering you? We can try a different medication if we need to.” “No, no, that’s okay,” the woman said, waving her hands dismissively. “It’s probably just the needle. I asked this nurse her age, and she’s only twenty-three. She must be a new graduate, right?” “A trainee, I bet. It’s normal for students to not have much experience. It’s okay, I’m not a picky person. I understand.” I felt a surge of fury. I knew, for a fact, that the IV placement was perfect. It was just a simple IV. I’d practiced at home until my hands were sore, and I’d done hundreds at the hospital without a single failure. I clenched my fists. “You said the placement is bad. What, exactly, is wrong with it?” “Oh, how would I know? I’m not the professional here. All I know is that it hurts. And look, there’s blood backing up.” She pointed to her hand. There wasn’t a speck of blood in the line. “Where?” I challenged. “Oh, well, it was there a second ago. It’s probably gone now.” She shrank back into her chair. “Don’t be mad, miss. I won’t say anything else. I’m just not an expert, and it scared me. I didn’t mean any harm.” Mrs. Davis examined her hand carefully. “The needle placement is fine. There’s no blood, and even if there were, a small amount of backflow is perfectly normal. There’s nothing to worry about.” “Oh,” the woman said with a sheepish little laugh. “Well, maybe I saw it wrong. I feel much better now. You can adjust it. It’s fine.” Mrs. Davis reset the flow rate. “Our nurses are all highly responsible professionals. They work their scheduled hours and not a minute less. You can rest assured that someone will always be here for you. If you have a problem, just tell the nurse.” “Heh, heh,” the woman replied with a hollow laugh. … The first bag finally emptied. I went over to change it, my face a mask of professional indifference. The woman’s apple cheeks bunched up in a smile. “I’m so sorry, nurse. This is my first time coming to the hospital by myself, so I was a little scared. Please don’t take it personally.” I took a deep breath. “If there is a problem, let me know, and I will take care of it. I am not leaving early to go on a date. And when my shift ends, another nurse will take my place. This department is staffed twenty-four hours a day. You have nothing to worry about.” “Right, right. You run along now. Sorry again. I’m fine.” I’d dealt with difficult people before; it was part of the job. It wasn’t worth the energy to stay angry. I had other patients to prep meds for. A while later, my work finally done, I walked back through the ward. As I passed the woman’s chair, I saw she was on her phone, her back to me. My eyes snagged on her screen, and I froze. She was posting another TikTok. On the screen was the freshly hung bag of IV fluid. The caption was what made my blood run cold. “This little nurse is all dolled up. Guess she has a hot date tonight.” “So I just cranked the drip down to the slowest setting. I’m in no rush.” “LOL. Looks like that date’s not happening.” My head snapped up, a roaring in my ears. I looked at her IV pole. She had turned the drip rate all the way down. Again.

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I sold my shares in the startup I’d built from the ground up. I was getting married. But my two co-founders, the women who had sworn they’d never marry anyone but me, didn’t know yet. They were too busy throwing a celebratory dinner for our new male secretary. It was my deal. I was the one who drank with the client until I was coughing up blood. But after I collapsed, he’d left me in a hotel room and taken the signed contract back to the office to claim all the credit. And they, my partners, had believed him without a second thought. The next day, compromising photos of me circulated through the company’s group chat. The whispers were everywhere—that I’d only landed our biggest accounts by sleeping my way to the top. I called them from my hospital bed, desperate to explain. Their response? “You’re a grown man, Simon. Stop being so dramatic. Making up stories about bleeding stomachs? Really?” “We’ve seen you drink. You have an iron stomach. You could drink battery acid and be fine.” “Alex landed a huge win for us, and we’re celebrating. Come if you want, don’t if you don’t.” The day I was discharged, I sold my shares to their biggest rival. Then I called my parents. “I’ll marry her,” I said. “I’ll marry the heiress. You can start planning the wedding.” 1 Isabelle and Olivia pushed open my office door just as I hung up. Their brows furrowed in unison. “Wedding? What wedding?” With the ceremony only ten days away, there was no point in hiding it. “Mine,” I said. “I’ll send you both an invitation.” They exchanged a look of disbelief. Just then, my phone began buzzing incessantly. My mother was spamming me with over a dozen design concepts for wedding rings. They leaned over my shoulder, their eyes widening as they saw the images. Isabelle’s voice was sharp. “What are you doing looking at wedding rings, Simon? Are you planning to wear one on each hand?” Olivia interrogated me like a suspect in a lineup. “You’re a workaholic. You don’t even have a girlfriend. Who are you marrying?” The irony was laughable. These were the two women who had once vowed to spend the rest of their lives with me. Alex, the new secretary, chose that moment to walk in with a stack of documents. He overheard the conversation, his face a mask of shock. “Mr. Davies, you’re not actually going to be Mrs. Gable’s boy toy, are you? I heard her son is already in college. Isn’t that a little… inappropriate?” Thanks to him, the entire office now thought I was having an affair with our biggest client. My gaze turned to ice. “Barging into my office without knocking is just bad manners. But stealing my credit and then spreading slander about me? Is that just ignorance of the law?” My harsh tone made his eyes well up. He stammered an apology, wringing his hands. “Mr. Davies, I didn’t… I never thought people would misunderstand like this. But you and Mrs. Gable, that night in the hotel room…” He trailed off, his face beet red, unable to finish the sentence. But he’d said enough. Isabelle and Olivia’s faces darkened, their eyes now dripping with contempt. “That’s enough!” Isabelle snapped at me. “If you didn’t want people to know, you shouldn’t have done it. Don’t take your humiliation out on Alex.” “He was just concerned for you,” Olivia added. “Mrs. Gable is old enough to be your mother. Do you have to debase yourself by becoming some rich woman’s plaything?” I let out a harsh, humorless laugh and kicked all three of them out of my office. We had a lifetime of friendship, five years of building a company from nothing. And yet, they trusted a man who had been here for less than two months over me. I refused to let their toxicity get to me. I went back to choosing a wedding ring. Two minutes later, a notification popped up. It was a message from Isabelle in the company-wide group chat, announcing that Alex and I would be swapping offices. Her reasoning? As their secretary, Alex needed to be closer to them to improve “work efficiency.” The chat, filled with hundreds of employees, immediately flooded with messages congratulating Alex. A few loyal team members, however, questioned the decision. It was absurd for a freshly graduated intern to be given the general manager’s office after only two months. I was about to privately message them to stand down when Alex sent a voice note to the group, his tone dripping with false humility. “Isabelle, it’s all my fault. I was so focused on the contract that night that I failed to take care of Mr. Davies. I don’t deserve his office. I’m too ashamed to even face him. I’d like to formally submit my resignation!” His performance was so nauseating it made me want to puke. The glass door to my office flew open. Olivia stood there, glaring at me. “Look what you’ve done! Pack your things and clear out for Alex. I don’t want to see you bullying a young man who’s new to the professional world ever again!” Isabelle followed close behind, urging me to hurry up while simultaneously typing a message in the group chat, consoling Alex. Then, someone in the office shouted that Alex was on the roof. The color drained from both their faces. They sprinted out of the room, their long legs carrying them toward the stairwell. I watched them go, then picked up my phone and dialed the number of the person who wanted to buy my shares. 2 Isabelle and Olivia’s arch-nemesis, Evelyn Vance, had somehow heard I was selling. She made me an offer I couldn’t refuse. I glanced at the email I’d sent Isabelle and Olivia. Yesterday had marked the 30-day deadline. Their failure to respond meant they had forfeited their right of first refusal. Evelyn had given me three days to consider. I called her back and told her we could sign the papers immediately. By the time they had coaxed Alex down from the roof, they returned to find my office exactly as it had been. Their patience had worn thin. “It’s an office swap, not a cross-country move,” Olivia snapped. “What’s taking you so long?” Alex bit his lip, his eyes red and swollen as he looked at me. “Mr. Davies, I’m sorry. I don’t have to have this office…” “It’s fine,” I said coolly. “If you like it, it’s yours. You can have the general manager title, too.” My words made fresh tears well up in his eyes. The ruthless ambition he’d shown when he stole my deal was nowhere to be seen. “What’s with the sarcasm, Simon?” Isabelle chimed in. “It’s just an office. Do you have to be so petty?” I had already sold my shares. I couldn’t care less about the office. My dismissive smirk, however, seemed to infuriate Olivia. With a sharp movement, she swept the few personal items I had on my desk into a box and dumped it on an empty cubicle outside. Isabelle shot me a cool glance before she started personally helping Alex arrange his new space. HR sent up plants, flowers, and even collectible figurines. You would have thought they were decorating a honeymoon suite. At the end of the day, Isabelle knocked on the edge of my new, cramped desk. “Don’t leave when you clock out. We’re having a team dinner to celebrate Alex’s new office.” I was stunned. A celebration for an office swap? But I didn’t refuse. I figured it would be a fitting farewell dinner with my former colleagues. At the restaurant, I noticed that the few employees who had defended me in the group chat were gone. I messaged them one by one. They told me Isabelle and Olivia had fired them on trumped-up charges, warning them not to contact me or they would be blacklisted from the industry. To appease Alex, they had cast aside their most loyal employees without a second thought. After that display of power, no one else dared to cross them for my sake. Instead, they kicked me while I was down. “Simon,” one of them slurred, “you missed Alex’s last celebration. You should really toast him tonight. If he hadn’t closed that deal, who knows what other… sacrifices you would have had to make.” The insinuation reminded me of the disgusting comments I’d overheard in the restroom earlier that day. “He’s got some nerve, showing up to work like nothing happened.” “A guy who sleeps with rich old ladies to land clients doesn’t need a sense of shame.” I ignored them all, pouring myself a glass of soda and sipping it quietly. Isabelle’s face went cold. She snatched the glass from my hand and dumped it out. Olivia, in a seamless move, filled it to the brim with hard liquor. “You bullied Alex so badly today he almost jumped off a roof,” she said. “A drink to apologize isn’t too much to ask, is it?” “Besides,” Isabelle added, “you owe him one from the last party you skipped.” Without a second thought, I flicked my wrist and sent the contents of the glass into Olivia’s face. “Who the hell is he to deserve a toast from me?” The table fell silent, everyone stunned by my action. Isabelle, ever the stoic one, simply refilled the glass and held it out to me. “Simon, this is for team unity. You’re drinking it, whether you like it or not.” Alex, ever the actor, feigned concern. “Isabelle, it’s okay. I know Mr. Davies looks down on me. If he doesn’t want to drink, let’s not force him…” But Olivia, still dripping with liquor, was having none of it. 3 Furious, she slapped me across the face. While I was still reeling, she grabbed the glass and forced the liquor down my throat. “You have no right to look down on him,” she hissed, “you, who sell your body for contracts.” The two women who once fretted if I had a single drop of alcohol were now force-feeding it to me for Alex’s sake, their words dripping with venom. The fiery liquid burned a path down my throat, igniting a sharp, searing pain in my stomach. A cold sweat broke out on my forehead. But they didn’t notice. They were too busy pouring Alex his favorite fruit juice. He drained his glass in one gulp and gave me a triumphant smile. “Mr. Davies, thank you for your sacrifice. I’ll work even harder from now on.” Everyone else thought he was talking about the office. I saw something else in his eyes: the unwavering certainty that he would conquer Isabelle and Olivia next. “Well then,” I said, my voice tight, “here’s to you marrying the bosses and reaching the pinnacle of your career.” I clutched my stomach and tried to stand, needing to get to the restroom. Isabelle blocked my path. “A couple of sips of liquor and now you’re acting like you’re dying? Stop the theatrics.” The burning in my stomach was nothing compared to the ache in my heart. I looked up at her, my eyes bloodshot. “I just got out of the hospital for stomach bleeding, and you’re forcing me to drink?” Her hand, which had been pressing against my chest, froze. “Couldn’t you come up with a more believable excuse? You’ve been drinking for years. I’ve never seen you bleed from it.” Olivia, the one who had poured the drink down my throat, scoffed. “I barely got a mouthful in you. You, the man who can drink anyone under the table. Are you serious?” It’s easy to be dismissive when you’re not the one in pain. It used to be that when Olivia saw me drinking with clients, she’d pull me aside and ask, “Simon, there will always be more clients. Is one contract really worth this?” Back then, she and Isabelle would cry seeing me drunk. They’d make me hangover soup, take turns staying up all night by my bedside, just to hand me a glass of warm water if I stirred. The next day, they’d go to the office with dark circles under their eyes and work twice as hard, determined not to let my efforts go to waste. We had survived the hardest years of our startup. They had sworn they would never marry anyone but me. And now, they were using Alex as a weapon to destroy me. “I just need to use the restroom,” I gasped, the pain in my stomach twisting into sharp cramps. I was doubled over, barely able to speak, leaning against the wall for support. A female colleague was the first to notice something was seriously wrong. She stood up to help me. Isabelle shoved her away. “Don’t touch him.” She sneered at me. “Is this how you do it, Simon? Drink a little, then play the weak, vulnerable man to win over your female clients?” The colleague who had tried to help me blushed with embarrassment. “Isabelle, I think you’re mistaken. He really doesn’t look well.” Olivia let out a derisive laugh. “He knows he’s made a fool of himself. This is all an act.” I couldn’t blame her for not believing me. For years, no matter how sick I felt from drinking, I had always pushed through it. This was the path I chose. I had embraced the struggle of building something from nothing, thrived on the sense of accomplishment. In their eyes, I was invincible. Alex, having enjoyed the show long enough, now stepped forward with a glass of hot water, a look of faux concern on his face. “Mr. Davies, no matter how you landed the contract, you’re a hero to this company. We’re all grateful for your contribution.” His words were gasoline on a fire. Isabelle, who had been supporting me, abruptly let go, as if I were something unclean. “If you don’t want to be here, then just go home.” She then walked over to the restroom and began vigorously washing her hands. Under the contemptuous glares of everyone at the table, I clutched my stomach and turned to leave. But Alex stopped me. As he grabbed my arm, the scalding water from the glass he was holding splashed onto both of our hands. I recoiled instinctively, pushing him away. Olivia shot up from her seat, yelling for a waiter to bring an ice pack for Alex. She didn’t seem to notice that the majority of the hot water had landed on me. Alex had a small red patch on his hand. The back of my hand was completely scalded. Isabelle came out of the restroom, saw Alex on the verge of tears, and her anger finally boiled over.

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