Category: English

When Liam Sterling and I were in our honeymoon phase, we could go through thirty condoms in a single day. After we were both completely exhausted, he would always pull me tightly into his arms and ask if I would ever leave him. But later, it was also him who forced me to be his new lover’s nude body double when I was driven into a corner, desperately trying to raise money for my mother’s medical bills. Mimicking the adult film actresses, I swallowed my pride and filmed three humiliating scenes. Just when I thought my mother was finally saved, he casually remarked: “I’ll wire the five million in six months.” I whipped around in panic. “Didn’t we agree you’d pay me as soon as we wrapped?” Without the money, the hospital would pull the plug tomorrow. Liam carelessly tossed the script onto the table. “My liquid capital went into Mia’s new female-led blockbuster. It’s her first time carrying a major studio film; we have to make sure the production value is top-tier.” He thought I would throw a tantrum and beg like I used to. But this time, I was truly exhausted. …… “You’re going out like that?” Liam raised an eyebrow, looking at the sheer, skimpy costume I was wearing, then glanced toward the door. I knew he was reminding me that the entire film crew was right outside. But I had just been gawked at while filming even more degrading scenes in front of the cameras. What was left out there that I couldn’t face? I numbly walked toward the exit, but Liam grabbed my wrist. “Have you no shame?” I turned to look at him calmly and asked, “Have you ever left me with any?” He fell silent. We both knew the truth. From the time he picked me up from the local drama school when I was nineteen, he put me on a pedestal. He helped me win an Oscar, a Golden Globe, and a SAG Award, making me the brightest star in Hollywood. He used to say he loved my pride, loved the confident way I stood at the pinnacle of the industry. But the moment my family went bankrupt, he was the first to turn his back on me. And it was all because the newly rising starlet, Mia Vance, whispered: “Liam, the way Chloe looks at me… it scares me.” With that, he personally broke my wings, dragged me down from the clouds, and stomped me into the dirt. Seven years of love couldn’t compete with a few tears from a newcomer. He had initiated a breakup seven times, and every single time, it was because Mia needed a better role or a brand deal. Even now, knowing perfectly well that my mother was lying in the ICU racking up astronomical daily fees, he simply didn’t care. My eyes suddenly stung. I asked him, “How much money did you put into her movie?” He answered nonchalantly, “Fifty million.” Fifty million dollars. It felt like a giant hand was squeezing my heart, the pain making it hard to breathe. All I needed was five million. Just a fraction of that fifty million would have been enough to save my mother’s life. I had been with him for seven years, and I wasn’t even worth the production budget of Mia’s movie. I didn’t argue further and pushed open the soundstage doors. A few PAs and crew members were laughing outside. When they saw me, they abruptly went dead silent. They looked at me awkwardly. I don’t know who let out the first dry chuckle. “Chloe, all done shooting?” They exchanged knowing glances and started to snicker under their breath. I ignored them and pushed past the heavy velvet curtains. I immediately ran into a group of overweight, sleazy studio investors. They stared at me, and someone let out a low whistle. “Well, if it isn’t our Best Actress. You guys finish your business in there?” The group erupted into boisterous laughter. Liam threw a heavy glass ashtray out from inside the studio. It smashed onto the floor right at their feet. Shards of glass exploded outward. I didn’t dodge. A piece sliced into my calf. Blood trickled down my pale skin, but I felt nothing. Liam stared intently at my bleeding leg, his brows knitting together. After a long pause, in front of everyone, he tossed his tailored suit jacket over my shoulders. “I said six months. It’s not like I’m not paying you. Who are you putting on this stubborn act for, huh?” He didn’t button it. He just draped it over me casually, putting on a show for the outsiders. I took a long, deep look at the man I had loved for seven years. I always thought that if I was just a little more obedient, a little more humble… He would remember how good I used to be. People always say that when you love someone, you feel their pain. But in his eyes, there was only the cold indifference of someone looking at a toy. The moment I stepped out of the studio lot, all the strength drained from my body, and my legs trembled uncontrollably. As tears fell without my permission, I heard their lively conversation resume behind the heavy doors. Someone asked Liam: “The Adams family was definitely set up this time. Liam, are you really not going to help her?” Liam’s indifferent voice drifted out: “I was the one who set the trap. Mia said Chloe humiliated her in public when she first debuted. She’s been holding onto that grievance for years. I had to help her vent.” “Aren’t you afraid she really won’t come back this time? She’s an Oscar winner, after all. She’s got pride in her bones.” Hearing this, Liam actually laughed out loud. “Stop joking. I’ve known her for eight years, and she’s been with me for seven. Every single time I call, she comes running.” “If she could actually leave me, I’d respect her a lot more.” I leaned against the brick wall, biting down on the back of my hand so hard I drew blood, just to keep myself from making a sound. My family’s bankruptcy, my Hollywood blacklist… it was all Liam’s doing. Simply because Mia Vance felt wronged a few years ago. My wet clothes clung to my open wounds, tearing at my flesh with every movement. Thinking of my mother hooked up to all those tubes, thinking of the doctor saying they would turn off the life support if I didn’t pay the bill… I slapped myself across the face, hard. “You idiot. It’s because you fell in love with him that you and your mother are in this dead end.” I never imagined my romance would end like this. Sterling Media controlled the entertainment industry with an iron fist. A single word from Liam Sterling could dictate the life or death of any artist’s career. If he was determined to get revenge for Mia, no one in the entire industry would dare help me. I stood on an overpass, on the verge of a breakdown, watching the endless stream of headlights below. I almost wanted to jump. But I didn’t dare. If I died, what would happen to my mom? “Right. Mia Vance.” I suddenly remembered her. At an awards ceremony years ago, I had just won Best Actress. She was an obscure newcomer. Backstage, an intoxicated investor grabbed her hand and refused to let go. I happened to walk by and helped her out of the situation. At the time, I was giving Liam the cold shoulder because of rumors between him and another actress. He didn’t indulge my temper. Instead, he chuckled mockingly: “So only our Best Actress gets to play the hero? That newcomer—Sterling Media is buying out her contract.” I never expected that to be the beginning of our twisted three-way entanglement. I don’t know when Liam actually set his sights on Mia. He gave her top-tier resources, hired the best acting coaches in the world for her, and put her on the hottest talk shows. To ensure she wouldn’t be bullied by industry veterans, he flat-out bought a global ambassadorship for a luxury fashion house and handed it to her. Whenever Mia suffered the slightest grievance, I didn’t even need to ask to find out. Because Liam would preemptively break up with me, then take my movie roles and brand deals to apologize to her. He used to say, “Mia is pure. She can’t handle the dirty side of this industry.” She couldn’t suffer grievances, so I had to suffer instead. I rushed to the private club in Beverly Hills where they were throwing Mia a wrap party. But the security guards blocked me at the door. “Sorry, Miss Adams. Mr. Sterling gave strict orders. No one is allowed to interrupt Miss Vance’s celebration.” This was the club Liam and I used to frequent all the time. Now that I was blacklisted, no one gave me the time of day. The cold night wind pierced my body, tearing my wounds open again. The pain made my lips tremble. “Let her in.” I looked up. Liam was standing by the entrance, looking down at me. A flash of pity crossed his eyes, but it was quickly replaced by coldness. “Who are you putting on this pathetic act for? Don’t you know you get a high fever when you stand in the rain?” It was true. I had a weak immune system; the rain always made me sick. During the peak of our relationship, he would frantically wrap me in his trench coat whenever it drizzled, terrified I’d catch a cold. I lowered my head. “I want to talk to Miss Vance.” Liam frowned, a sneer tugging at his lips. “You really haven’t changed at all, Chloe.” He was afraid I would cause trouble for Mia. After all, I had a track record. When I first found out Mia was calling Liam in the middle of the night, claiming she was “afraid of the dark” and couldn’t sleep… I stormed directly onto her movie set and threw her phone into a prop fountain in front of everyone. While the entire crew was watching Mia make a fool of herself, Liam marched over and slapped me across the face. The entire crew gasped in shock. I stubbornly held my ground, declaring my territory: “You are my boyfriend! Not some stray dog that anyone can call in the middle of the night!” Liam just glared at me coldly, shielding the weeping Mia behind him in front of everyone. “Look at yourself right now. What’s the difference between you and a lunatic?!” He left me standing there, being pointed and whispered at by the crowd. Because of that incident, Mia was handed the lead role in an international director’s film—a role I had spent six months negotiating. And I was locked in the basement of his mansion to “reflect” on my actions. Mia cried for a few days, so I was locked up for a few days. Without a drop of water or a bite of food. Liam coaxed her for a full week before she agreed to go home. Worried that the public backlash would affect her, he outright bought a boutique production company and gifted it to her. I shook my head, forcing out a smile that looked worse than crying. “I just want to explain to her that we’re already broken up.” The utter disbelief on his face still managed to make my heart ache. I admit, I still loved him. Knowing he was the heir to the Sterling empire, a man with immense pride, I had never once defied him. I was always terrified that a single expression or word might hurt his ego. But I never imagined he would be this ruthless to me. To actually bankrupt my family and destroy my career just to help Mia blow off some steam. It wasn’t that I didn’t love him anymore. It was that I didn’t dare to. Once the grievance took root in my heart, it grew wildly like vines. Tears fell before I could stop them. Liam frowned. “If you have something to say, say it. Why are you crying…” Just as he raised his hand, a figure ran out from inside the club. Mia was wearing a haute couture gown. Her flawless makeup and the diamonds dripping from her neck exuded pure wealth. She looked nothing like the timid newcomer she used to be. Compared to me, she looked like the true Queen, held tenderly in Liam’s palm. “Why did you come out here?” Liam took off his jacket and affectionately draped it over her bare shoulders, his voice incredibly soft. She looked up, the corners of her eyes turning slightly red, which immediately threw Liam into a panic. He leaned down, coaxing her gently. “What’s wrong? Who upset our Mia?” Mia finally broke into a smile, playfully punching Liam’s chest before whispering: “I heard Chloe was here, so I came out to see.” “Well, you’ve seen her now. Are you satisfied?” He asked Mia, but his eyes were fixed on me. I guessed she probably was satisfied. The Oscar-winning actress who had rescued her at that awards ceremony was now standing before her in torn clothes, her wet hair plastered to her face. I looked as pathetic as a person could possibly look. How could she not be satisfied? I wanted to scream, to demand answers, but I didn’t dare. If I angered Mia, my mother wouldn’t even survive the night on the ventilator. I forced myself to paste on a fawning, desperate smile. “Mia. Long time no see.” She was much more casual than I was. “Chloe, you really didn’t have to come in person. I’ve already forgiven you.” I looked up at her. Forgiven me? Forgiven me for throwing away the phone she used to seduce someone else’s boyfriend? Or forgiven me for being an obstacle in her Hollywood career? For a moment, I couldn’t process it. I just stared at her blankly. But Liam suddenly flared up. “Mia is being incredibly generous. Shouldn’t you say thank you?” Heartbreak was an understatement. I fought back my tears. Those two words rolled around my mouth over and over. I bit my tongue so hard the taste of blood flooded my mouth before I stuttered them out. “Th-thank you…” Liam pulled his gaze away from me, pulled out a black Centurion card, and handed it to Mia. “There’s five million in here. You decide if you want to give it to her.” My eyes lit up instantly. As long as I got that money, my mom could be saved. I looked at Mia with desperate hope, only to see her slowly close her fingers around the card. Mia pouted playfully. “Chloe made me a laughingstock in front of the whole crew back then, and almost caused a huge misunderstanding between you and me, Liam. I don’t want to just give it to her.” Liam chuckled fondly and tapped her nose. “Whatever you want.” Panic seized me entirely. My mother was waiting for this money to save her life. I had drained all my savings trying to fill the black hole of my family’s debts. I was penniless, constantly hounded by paparazzi and debt collectors. My mother had a weak heart, and the shock of it all had put her in the ICU. My last hope was right in front of me. I begged: “Mia, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. You can punish me however you want, just please, help me.” Mia pretended to think about it, tapping her chin with her finger before suddenly acting cute: “How about this? Sister Chloe, if you do that dance you did on set for me right here, I’ll give you the card. Okay?” She smiled sweetly, but her words were more venomous than a viper. “You know, the one where you crawl on the floor like a dog. A lot of people said you performed it brilliantly.” Liam remained silent. He stood behind Mia with his hands in his pockets, tacitly endorsing her cruelty. “Not willing, huh…” She sighed in fake disappointment and moved to put the card into her designer purse. I panicked completely. “I’ll do it!” At that, her smile bloomed brightly. Her eyes curved into crescents as she lifted her chin, waiting for me to move. I glanced at the stone-faced Liam, then slowly bent my body. It was just a physical movement, but I felt like my soul was being executed a thousand times over. Thud. My knees and palms hit the cold, wet pavement. I collapsed onto all fours, my fingernails digging ruthlessly into my palms as my hands shook. “Woof… woof…” I barked like a dog, crawling on the ground in front of them. The humiliation made my vision go black. Mia laughed with total satisfaction, stomping her feet in delight. “Oh my gosh, Chloe! I was just joking! You actually did it!” I didn’t move. I stayed kneeling on the pavement before them. “Well…” Mia sighed melodramatically, then tossed the black card onto the ground in front of me. I reached out and picked it up. Tears splattered one by one onto the gold-embossed plastic. I could save my mom. Liam Sterling, I would never dare to love you again. I stood up and muttered a quiet: “Thank you.” Liam’s face looked like a thunderstorm. He shoved Mia’s arm away and stormed back into the club. “Liam…” She called out, but he didn’t look back. Frustrated, Mia glared at me. “Are you still here? Get lost!” I turned and left the club. Behind me, as Mia fumed, her socialite friend who had just returned from Europe walked out and exclaimed: “Mia, you really are Liam Sterling’s girlfriend! His family is basically Hollywood royalty!” Mia’s annoyance vanished in an instant. She lifted her chin smugly. “I told you, but you didn’t believe me.” Her friend squealed excitedly, but then looked confused. “But that Chloe girl earlier… she clearly had a deep history with Liam. You just gave her five million dollars for nothing? You let her off way too easy.” Mia’s eyes darkened, and a cruel smile curled her lips. “Who said I gave it to her for nothing? I’ve already had someone anonymously leak the video to TMZ and the blogs.” “What video?” Mia laughed. “Oh, nothing. Just a little clip of the great Oscar-winner Chloe Adams… crawling and barking like a dog outside a club.” I left Beverly Hills and rushed to the hospital as fast as I could. Once my mom had the surgery, I would go with her to a new city and start over. As for Liam Sterling, we were done. Forever. The hospital wasn’t far. I ran as fast as my legs could carry me, feeling a peace in my heart I hadn’t felt in months. Mom, I’m going to pay for the surgery right now. I’m taking you away from here. The ICU was on the seventh floor. I could see the lights were still on, shadows moving quickly around the nurse’s station. I waved the card in my hand. “Doctor! I’m here to pay the bill!” I yelled at the top of my lungs. I wanted to shout the good news to the whole world. But when the elevator doors opened, I walked into pure chaos. Several doctors and nurses were pushing a hospital bed toward the resuscitation room at full sprint. “The patient went into cardiac arrest after seeing a highly triggering news broadcast!” I didn’t quite understand. I just rushed straight to the billing window and slapped the black card on the counter. “Payment. Hurry. For Evelyn Adams in the ICU.” The billing clerk looked at me, then looked at the rushing hospital bed, her eyes filled with absolute pity. She didn’t take my card. I froze. The person lying on that rushing bed… was my mother. Pure terror seized me. My heart skipped a beat! “Mom!” So this is how death arrives. Silently. I chased after the bed but was locked out by the heavy doors of the resuscitation room. Sirens wailed in the streets below, approaching, then fading away. The hospital corridor suddenly became loud. “Look at the news! Best Actress Chloe Adams crawling like a dog in public!” “Oh my god, what happened to her?” People around me started pulling out their phones. I couldn’t move my legs. Every drop of blood drained from my body. I went insane, pounding my fists against the doors of the resuscitation room. But all I could see through the glass window was the straight line on the monitor. “Mom! Mom!” My entire world went black. I couldn’t understand. I had the money. Why was my mother gone? That flat, unwavering line lay quietly on the screen. “Mom!” I sobbed until I felt like my soul was tearing apart. “Why didn’t you wait for me?! I got the money! I got it!” I plastered the black card against the glass door, babbling incoherently. “Look, Mom, look! I got the money! You’re going to be saved!” I cried. I screamed. But that line never peaked again. I shattered completely. I couldn’t understand why, when hope was right in front of us, this had to happen. “You toxic curse!” My Aunt Sarah burst out of the crowd. Her fists rained down on me, beating me with every ounce of strength she had. “Look at what you’ve done!” “Why would you do this?! Your mother would rather die than see you humiliate yourself like this!” Sobbing uncontrollably, Aunt Sarah threw her phone at my chest. The video was still looping on the screen. It was me, crawling on the ground outside the club, barking like a dog. Then, Mia’s voice rang out: “Sister Chloe performed brilliantly.” Followed by my own voice. I said: “Thank you…” The video played on an endless loop. Right outside my mother’s resuscitation room. Unable to take it for another second, I smashed my fist into the phone. Again and again. My agonizing screams echoed down the hall. The screen shattered into pieces, but the audio still glitched and stuttered out of the speakers. I smashed it like a madwoman. My hands bled profusely. The blood mixed with the dirt on the hospital floor. I don’t know how long I smashed it, but the phone finally went silent. Trembling, I looked up at Aunt Sarah. “It’s okay. It’s gone. It’s gone. It won’t play anymore.” But the only response I got was the heavy doors of the resuscitation room opening. The doctor walked out, looking exhausted, and pulled down his surgical mask. “I’m sorry. We did everything we could.” In a single night, I truly understood what it meant to lose everything. I kneeled on the floor, my eyes completely empty. The doctor asked me to sign the death certificate over and over. The morgue called repeatedly to ask about the timeline for handling the body. I kneeled on the floor, praying to the heavens: “If there are gods in this world, please, save my mother. Let all the karma fall on me.” I don’t know how Liam heard the news, but he rushed over. He was always so aristocratic, every step he took radiating the composure of an apex predator. But now, ignoring the stares of everyone around him, he was running frantically down the hall. “Chloe.” “Chloe, I just found out…” He tried to hug me, his eyes filled with shock and panic. “Don’t be afraid, Chloe. You still have me.” I stared at him blankly. For the sake of love, exactly what price had I paid? I used the wall to pull myself to my feet. He quickly reached out to steady me. “Liam.” “I’m here.” Liam spoke rapidly, “I’m right here, Chloe.” I looked at him. His face was the face I loved most in the world, yet I felt like I was staring at a living, breathing demon. My lips trembled as I whispered my plea: “Kill me.” He looked as if he had heard the most horrifying thing in the world, shaking his head. “Chloe, don’t scare me.” Liam pulled me tightly against his chest. I could clearly feel him trembling. Why was he shaking? Wasn’t this his masterpiece? The morgue doors opened, and a nurse walked out. I held my breath, terrified to see that cold, lifeless face. Liam stepped in front of me, blocking my view. “Chloe, don’t look. I’ll handle everything.” I lost all my strength. I collapsed onto the floor. And wailed into the sterile air. Liam crouched down in front of me with great difficulty, stroking my hair as he promised: “Don’t worry, Chloe. I’ll give your mother the grandest funeral possible.” It took a long time before my mind came back to me. I looked up at him and asked: “Are you satisfied?” He looked stunned. “What?” I asked, “Are you satisfied now, Liam?” Liam desperately grabbed my hands to defend himself. “Chloe, I didn’t know this would happen. I just wanted to teach you a lesson! On the very last day, I swear I was going to pay the hospital bill for you.” I let out a bleak, hollow laugh. I reached into my bag and pulled out the knife I had prepared for myself. Without a shred of hesitation. I plunged it brutally into Liam’s chest. Warm, sticky liquid coated my hand. Liam looked down at the wound, then spoke gently: “Chloe, if you’re still angry, you can stab me again.”

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When I was dating my boyfriend, Bradford “Brad” Jennings, his best friend, Declan Shaw, was constantly running me down. “She’s got nothing going for her but a pretty face.” “Checking up on him just for a drink? She’ll walk all over you once you put a ring on it.” “Be a man, Jennings. Don’t be a doormat, alright?” Goaded by Declan’s constant jabs, Brad ended up dumping me without a second thought. Two months later, he had second thoughts. He called late one night, desperate to get back together. But it wasn’t Brad who answered the phone. It was Declan Shaw. “Buddy, truth is, the moment I first laid eyes on your girlfriend, I knew you and I were going to be lifelong friends.” “Oh, and by the way, we’re getting married next month. Don’t forget the gift.” 1 Declan Shaw was introduced to me by Brad at some high-status mixer. “Baby, this is Declan. The big man.” Brad’s tone, as he introduced us, was clearly deferential. I looked over, suddenly feeling self-conscious. Declan was sitting at the center of a small, admiring group, his expression casual, his face arresting. He exuded an air of undeniable generational wealth, far surpassing Brad’s inherited fortune. He was far more valuable than Brad. I offered a polite greeting: “Declan, nice to meet you. I’m Delaney Wells.” Declan didn’t nod or speak. He simply stared at me. He stared for two, maybe three, seconds. Finally, he asked Brad: “Your girlfriend?” “Yeah, man. The one I told you about.” “Huh.” Declan suddenly turned away, his expression bored and impatient, dismissing me completely. I shifted awkwardly, scratching my head. Even my generally optimistic nature couldn’t ignore the creeping feeling: this alpha male did not like me. 2 My intuition was confirmed quickly. It was Brad’s birthday, and he’d invited a lot of his wealthy friends to celebrate, including Declan. I was held up late at the office and arrived slightly behind schedule. Just as I reached out to push open the private room door, I heard Declan’s lazy, drawling voice from inside. “Brad, seriously. What do you see in that girl? She’s got nothing going for her but being hot.” Oh. Even the ruling class enjoys a little petty gossip, apparently. I felt a wave of embarrassment, pulling my hand back from the door handle. I tried to recall if I’d done anything specific to offend the prince of the Shaw dynasty. Inside, Brad replied, “The face and the body, obviously. She’s that ‘pure but secretly wild’ thing, right? Who wouldn’t be into that?” “You agree, right, man?” “…” Declan went eerily silent for a few seconds before speaking again. “So, are you going to marry her?” Brad hesitated. “I don’t know. Maybe eventually.” “Look, Delaney is beautiful, no doubt. But she’s… a little simple, and her parents are just working-class people from out-of-state. I can’t afford to lose this family trust battle to my half-brother just because of my choice of wife.” I knew about the illegitimate half-brother and the ongoing fight for control of the family business. I also knew that my parents, who ran a small auto shop and never asked for anything, couldn’t give him the social or financial leverage he needed. Declan hummed in response. “Right. You need to be cautious about who you align yourself with. Don’t drop the family mansion for a simple distraction.” Brad sounded touched. “Thanks for looking out for me, Declan. I needed to hear that. A toast to you.” A new round of sycophantic praise and toasting started up inside. I stood outside the door, my chest tightening. I was hurt by Declan’s words, by the chasm between my background and Brad’s, and, most of all, by Brad’s shaky commitment to me. It’s only been two months, I told myself. We have time to work this out. When the conversation shifted to a different topic, I collected myself, took a breath, and pushed the door open. Brad, acting like nothing had happened, rushed over and piled food onto my plate. The other guys were polite to my face. Only Declan, from the moment I walked in, maintained a cold, irritated expression, as if my presence alone ruined his evening. Fine. He clearly still hated me. I resolved to just keep my distance. 3 After that night, Brad seemed to have officially latched onto Declan Shaw’s coattails. He was always out drinking and socializing with Declan and the rest of the exclusive crew. He’d come home reeking of stale alcohol and a faint, cloyingly sweet scent of cheap, club-girl perfume. His dissatisfaction with me, fueled by his friends, grew daily. He’d criticize me for not drinking, for being quiet, for being too dependent. One night, after Brad had been gone late yet again, I called him, worried. “Brad, what time are you actually coming home tonight?” There’s a strange, fragile masculinity that absolutely hates being “checked up on” during a night out with the guys. Brad’s tone was immediately terse. “Delaney, I’m not done yet. I’ll come back when I’m done drinking.” “Can you maybe not drink anymore? I miss you and want you to come home.” “Just go to sleep, okay? Stop waiting up for me.” As soon as Brad hung up, a low chuckle came from the man beside him. It was Declan. “Bradford, you’re always getting checked up on the second you walk out the door. You let her do that now, she’ll be telling you when you can breathe after you get married.” The entire group burst out laughing. “Seriously, man. If my girl pulled that, I’d ditch her for a new one.” “Yeah, Brad. Are you a man or not?” Brad, embarrassed, bristled. “I’m going to talk to her. I’m not letting a woman run my life.” Declan smiled, a flicker of something unreadable in his eyes. 4 Brad finally came home the next day. He looked hungover, his clothes wrinkled, and the cheap perfume scent was now overpowering. I chose my words carefully. “Brad, can you stop going out with those guys? Especially Declan. I really don’t trust him.” He was fiddling with his tie and frowned instantly. He remembered the sting of being mocked the previous night. My request hit a nerve. “Are you kidding me? He’s the sole heir to the Shaw fortune. My family’s entire net worth is just a rounding error to him. If I land him, I’m set for life.” “…But I don’t like him always taking you out drinking.” “Delaney, be sensible. Your call last night made me look like an absolute joke in front of everyone.” “I am being sensible.” “Then be more sensible, okay? Stop calling me and checking up on me. It’s annoying.” I felt a cold wave of disappointment. My concern was an inconvenience. I met his eyes for a moment, picked up my purse, and walked past him. “Brad, if you’re not going to distance yourself from Declan and those guys, then we need a break. Let’s cool off for a few days.” “Delaney! Are you actually walking out on me?!” Brad yelled a few times, but I didn’t look back. The cold war began that day. He didn’t come after me, and I didn’t go back to the apartment, opting to crash at a friend’s place near the office. But then, an unknown number started sending me pictures of Brad over the last few days. They showed him, looking dazed and indulgent, wrapped around different women in different clubs. He looked like he was having the time of his life. I didn’t know who was sending them. But someone was clearly trying to sabotage my relationship with Brad. And, I had to admit, they were successful. Furious and hurt, I sent Brad a simple text: We’re done. 5 To my surprise, Brad didn’t go out drinking that evening. Instead, he made dinner and asked for a second chance. I was shocked. In the month we’d lived together, he hadn’t so much as taken out the trash. Brad looked genuinely apologetic. “Baby, I don’t want to lose you. Let’s just stop fighting, okay?” “And what about your friends? What about Declan?” “I can’t completely cut him off; he’s a huge asset to my career. But I’ll minimize going out with them. I won’t neglect you anymore.” I sighed in relief. That was a fair compromise. I nodded, and we agreed to meet halfway, ending the cold war. Brad went happily to the kitchen to dish up the soup, and I went, equally relieved, to wash my hands in the bathroom. Someone else’s mood, however, was about to take a turn for the worse. In a private lounge downtown, Declan lit a cigarette and called Brad. “Declan, hey, what’s up?” “Bradford, why aren’t you here drinking?” Brad sighed. “Can’t tonight, man. My girlfriend and I had a fight, so I’m cooking dinner to make it up to her.” Declan’s voice instantly turned cold. “Making what up? Be a man, Brad. Stop being a simp. Got time to lick her boots? You should be here instead. I lined up a reliable investor for that new project you need. He’s here tonight. Talk business first. Don’t let a woman distract you.” Brad hedged. “But I just—” Declan’s voice was icy and cutting. “Don’t come, and I’ll tell him you’re not serious. I was hoping this project would help you crush that half-brother of yours, but forget it. Go back to being whipped.” “No! No, man, I’m coming. I’m on my way.” “Hurry up.” Declan hung up, blowing a stream of smoke toward the ceiling. A flash of cruel calculation crossed his dark eyes. 6 When I came out of the bathroom, Brad was hastily putting on his jacket. “I thought we were having dinner. Where are you going?” “I have a meeting. A really important meeting. I have to go drink.” I felt a familiar frustration. “Can’t you go tomorrow? We just made up.” Brad’s voice was sharp. “Delaney, I thought after the cold war you’d be more understanding. Why are you acting so needy?” My buddies were right, he thought. Can’t give them an inch. I compromise slightly, and she starts trying to control my most important professional obligations. I didn’t want another fight, so I didn’t try to stop him. “…Okay. Just come home early.” “I’ll try.” Brad snorted and walked out the door. Midnight came and went. No Brad. No text. I was about to go to sleep but realized he hadn’t grabbed his key fob. Reluctantly, I called him. 7 In the private room, the meeting had gone mysteriously sideways. Brad was fuming. The investor was bafflingly difficult, eventually walking out without a deal, and Declan hadn’t said a single word in his defense. As he was stewing, angrily running his hands through his hair and drinking too much, my call came in. “Brad, what time are you coming back?” That simple, check-in question detonated the entire night’s accumulated frustration. “Delaney, are you seriously doing this again?” “I told you I’m in a meeting. Stop calling.” “Why are you suddenly so unreasonable? So whiny and clingy?” I was so blindsided by the torrent of anger that I automatically tried to explain myself. “I just wanted to ask if you grabbed your—” “Just what? You really are nothing but a pretty face, aren’t you? You can’t offer me an ounce of help.” “Get lost. We’re done. Move out of my apartment tonight. I don’t want to see you again.” The sheer viciousness of his words confirmed what I already knew. There was nothing left to save. I said, simply: “Fine.” Brad slammed the phone down first. His hangers-on, who’d overheard the gist of the call, immediately started congratulating him. “Wow, Brad. That was the most masculine thing you’ve done all year.” “Attaboy! You can’t let women get away with that. You’re talking business, not staying home to warm the bed.” “Don’t sweat it, man. We’ll line you up with some better-looking models.” The praise worked its magic, easing his frustrated mood. He thought: Whatever. Delaney’s just a nice piece of decoration. I can do better. As he clinked glasses with his buddies, Brad suddenly noticed someone was missing. “Hey, where did Declan go?” Someone replied: “He left a minute ago. Took his car keys. Said he was going to pick up his girlfriend.” “Wait, he has a girlfriend? Whose daughter is she? I never heard anything about her.” Brad frowned. “I have no idea.” The group started speculating, running down a list of eligible socialites—from the oil heiress to the shipping magnate’s granddaughter—but none fit. “Weird. So who is it?” 8 I’d only been living with Brad for a month, so my belongings weren’t extensive. I packed quickly. I left the apartment keys on the kitchen counter, slung my backpack over my shoulder, and dragged my two large suitcases out the door. It hurt to be dumped, sure, but I was focused on logistics: securing a hotel room for the night, figuring out a new apartment lease. It was daunting. I stood on the curb, pulling out my phone to hail a ride to the hotel I’d just booked. A sleek black Bentley Mulsanne pulled up slowly right in front of me. Assuming I was blocking the curb, I stepped back to let it park. The car crept forward again, right up to me. What? Confused, I looked up as the driver’s window rolled down. A familiar, handsome, and impeccably aristocratic face looked out. Declan Shaw. Declan looked straight at me, dropping the arrogant scorn he’d worn in all our previous meetings. He was surprisingly gentle now. “It’s… Delaney Wells, right?” “What a coincidence. Where are you off to so late?” “It’s not safe here. Let me drive you.” 9 I half-suspected this was some kind of elaborate con. But that face, that composure, that seven-figure car—it was unmistakable. Since he was one of the primary reasons I was now single and homeless, I shook my head, keeping my voice cool and polite. “No, thank you.” “Brad and I broke up. I don’t need to inconvenience you.” Declan gave a small, smooth smile. “A breakup doesn’t prevent us from being friends, does it?” Friends? We were not friends. I hesitated. “Declan, really, I’m fine.” “Don’t you want to know why Brad really broke up with you?” “No.” “…” Declan silently gritted his teeth, then tried again. “Don’t you want revenge? I can help you get back at him.” “No, I don’t.” “Then why—” “Declan.” I cut him off, tilting my head. “Are you trying to steal my ride-share fare?” “…Yes.” Declan paused, then didn’t deny it. My God. Has the economy sunk so low that the heir to the Shaw Empire is moonlighting as a late-night ride-share driver? But a working stiff is better than a leech, I supposed. I asked, “How much are you charging?” “Five dollars.” I pursed my lips. That was a bargain. The regular SUV I was about to call was charging thirty dollars late at night. Declan’s $5 Bentley was clearly the superior choice. I’d save twenty-five bucks. I quickly canceled my ride, looked up, and smiled. “Then I’d appreciate the ride, Declan.” “It’s no inconvenience at all.” Declan’s lips curved slightly. He got out and opened the trunk to load my suitcases. Phew. He’d almost resorted to forced love.

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The day before the wedding, my fiancé’s ex-girlfriend texted him: “If you marry her, I’ll give myself to another man.” He grabbed his car keys, ready to bolt, but his mother, threatening to end her own life, blocked him at the door. Eight years later, his mother passed away. The first thing he did was throw me into the city’s sketchiest club, forcing me to serve drinks. Pinned at a card table, he whispered in my ear, “If you hadn’t been so eager to marry me back then, she wouldn’t have ended up like this. Now, it’s your turn to feel the humiliation she suffered.” He used my younger brother as leverage, keeping me there for six agonizing years. Finally, sick and broken, I was left in a rundown apartment to die. I woke up again, back on the day of the wedding. … “Rovan Miller! If you walk out that door today, I’ll jump from this very spot!” Rovan panicked. He feared his ex, Sasha, truly would give herself to someone else, and he feared his mother, Mrs. Miller, would actually follow through on her threat. He ripped off his tie, his eyes bloodshot as he glared at me. “Chloe Vance, are you really that desperate to get married? Is clinging to me like this fun? You’re pathetic!” Every word was a knife. “You insolent boy!” Mrs. Miller rushed forward, slapping him hard across the face, trembling with fury. “It was me! I begged Chloe to marry you!” Indeed, this marriage was arranged after his mother knelt and pleaded with my family. The Miller family business was facing a liquidity crisis, but this spoiled young master was still oblivious. His mother feared he couldn’t handle hardship. “Mrs. Miller,” I heard my voice, surprisingly calm. “Since Rovan is unwilling, let’s just call it off.” Mrs. Miller’s face went white. My father, Mr. Vance, immediately stood by my side. “Mrs. Miller, a forced marriage brings no happiness. Your son’s heart has already flown away; my daughter would only suffer if she married him.” “No, please don’t!” Mrs. Miller broke out in a sweat, desperately grabbing Rovan. “Apologize to Chloe, now!” Rovan violently shook her off. “Apologize for what?! I’ve told you countless times, I love Sasha! Don’t you understand plain English?!” He turned to my father, his tone mocking. “Mr. Vance, even if you force me to marry her today, I won’t lay a finger on her. Sasha is the only one in my heart. Your daughter will just warm an empty bed for life!” “You bastard!” My father clenched his fist. I stopped him, looking at Rovan’s face, contorted with rage, and suddenly found it all so laughable. “You don’t need to spout threats here. I’m not marrying you. Go on, hurry. Any later, and your Sasha might actually end up with someone else.” “You goddamn—” Rovan raised his hand. Just then, his phone shrilled. It was Sasha calling. He quickly answered, his voice instantly changing. “Sasha! Don’t do anything foolish! Wait for me! I’ve told them everything! I don’t care if Mom disowns me, I only want you!” He hung up, his fingers flying across the keypad, his expression resolute. “Mom, stop forcing me to marry Chloe! Even if I marry her, my heart will always be Sasha’s! My children, in the future, can only be borne by Sasha!” I clapped twice, softly. “Touching, truly touching. Mrs. Miller, you’ve seen it all. Is there still any need for this wedding?” Mrs. Miller frantically wiped her face, forcing a smile that was uglier than a cry. “Chloe, Rovan… he’s just temporarily infatuated! You grew up with him; isn’t your bond deeper than anyone else’s? Besides, he once saved you, remember?” The mention of it pricked my heart like a needle. Yes, in junior year, when I was cornered by thugs in an alley, Rovan rushed in and took a hit, breaking his arm and laying him up for two months. From then on, I felt I owed him. My personality was strong; I couldn’t stand to see him wronged, always protecting him. He, in turn, probably grew accustomed to hiding behind me. He never studied hard, never did anything properly, slowly becoming the kind of person who couldn’t survive without his family. Mrs. Miller continued, “Considering all that, give him another chance…” “I don’t want it!” Rovan abruptly cut her off, his face full of disgust. “Chloe Vance, that’s not gratitude, that’s emotional blackmail! You know how many years you’ve held that over my head!” Mrs. Miller raised her hand to strike him again, but I stopped her. I unclasped a delicate silver chain from my neck, its pendant a small, intricately carved ‘peace lock’. Rovan’s grandmother had personally put it on me before she passed, holding my hand and saying, “Chloe, Rovan is irresponsible. Help Grandma keep an eye on him.” I caressed the cool lock, then gently placed it in Mrs. Miller’s trembling hand. “Mrs. Miller, I’ve always remembered Grandma’s wishes. But this peace lock is meant for the Miller family daughter-in-law. Now, it’s back with its rightful owner.” My voice was calm. The heavy stone that had weighed on my heart for so many years felt as if it had been handed over with that peace lock. Mrs. Miller froze. Just then, Rovan stepped forward, almost snatching the peace lock from his mother’s hand. “It should have been returned long ago! Only Sasha deserves this peace lock! Don’t you feel ashamed, holding onto it for all these years?” In my previous life, he had repeatedly hinted at wanting the peace lock back. I always thought of his grandmother’s dying wish and hadn’t relented. Now, I understood. He had always planned it for Sasha. Before anyone else could react, a commotion erupted at the banquet hall entrance. A girl in a white dress, whose style, at first glance, bore a striking resemblance to a wedding gown, her face streaked with tears, rushed straight towards Rovan. It was Sasha. She had actually found her way here. Rovan’s eyes instantly lit up. He immediately rushed over, took Sasha’s hand, and pulled her in front of his mother. Then, with a thump, he pulled Sasha down to kneel before his mother. “Mom! I’m begging you! I’ve chosen Sasha for life! I can’t live without her! I don’t care about the company, or the family fortune, I just want her!” Sasha also pleaded through tears, “Mrs. Miller, we truly love each other… please, let us be together!” Mrs. Miller clutched her chest, her face turning purple, gasping for breath. I quickly approached, instinctively pulling a rapid-acting heart pill from her pocket and helping her take it. This was a scene I had repeated countless times by her sickbed in my past life. Rovan, seeing this, far from showing concern, instead turned his fury on me, his voice vicious. “Chloe Vance! Stop playing the good girl here! If anything happens to my mom, I swear the Vance family will pay! Now, you, immediately, personally declare that this wedding is off!” I looked at his urgent, contorted face, and suddenly felt an absurd sense of relief. I even smiled faintly. “Rovan Miller,” I said slowly. “I’ve returned the peace lock, and I’ve called off the wedding. What more do you want from me? Do you need me to announce over the hotel’s PA system that I, Chloe Vance, no longer want you, so you can go pursue your true love?” “Cut the act!” Rovan grabbed my arm, his grip so strong my bones ached. “You think saying ‘it’s off’ ends it? Chloe Vance, what hold does your family have over mine? What did your father say to my mother?” I shook off his hand, rubbing my reddened wrist. “You want to know? Go ask your mother.” He immediately turned, leading Sasha, and loudly declared to Mrs. Miller, “Mom! No matter your reasons, I will be with Sasha!” Sasha clutched her stomach tightly, her eyes welling up as she looked at Mrs. Miller. “Mrs. Miller, I’m carrying Rovan’s baby, almost three months along. You can’t… you can’t break up our family of three!” The news was a bombshell. Mrs. Miller stumbled, her face ashen. I supported her, my voice surprisingly calm. “Mrs. Miller, this is good news. Since they already have a child, the wedding is all set. Why not let them go through with it?” Mrs. Miller pointed at Rovan, her finger trembling. “You… you scoundrel! I will never accept such a shameless person as my daughter-in-law! You, you take her and get rid of it!” “Get rid of it?” Rovan reacted as if he’d been stepped on. “Mom! This is your own grandchild! A life! How can you even say that?!” Sasha collapsed to her knees, hugging Mrs. Miller’s legs and weeping. “Mrs. Miller, please! Rovan and I truly love each other, and the baby is innocent! If you let me in, I promise to serve you well and raise the child properly. Please, just give us a chance to live…” Mrs. Miller closed her eyes. When she looked at Sasha again, there was a rare severity in her gaze. “Young lady, you’re young, and you have a long life ahead. Listen to me, this child cannot stay. If you leave now, I can give you a sum of money, enough for you to live well. But if you insist on staying with him,” she glanced at her useless son, a bitter smile gracing her lips, “you might end up with nothing.” Sasha’s eyes flickered, then she cried even harder. “No, Mrs. Miller, I don’t want anything, I just want Rovan! If you don’t agree, I… I’ll take the baby and die!” Mrs. Miller closed her eyes. “Rovan, you choose today. Her, or your mother and this family.” “Mom! Why are you forcing me?! Did the Vance family promise you something? Or do they have something on you? Are you really selling your son like this?!” “Rovan Miller!” My father finally couldn’t take it anymore and spoke, his voice low but carrying the authority of someone long accustomed to power. “Since it’s come to this, I’ll be direct. Our Vance family never relies on anyone to get by. You helped Chloe once, but the troubles Chloe has shielded you from and the messes she’s cleaned up over the years, that debt was repaid long ago, and then some. This wedding, today, is canceled. My daughter is not a tool for your family to solve its problems.” Mrs. Miller’s last bit of strength drained away. She stooped, as if she had aged twenty years in an instant, and waved her hand, her voice as faint as a sigh. “Rovan, this is the path you’ve chosen. Don’t… don’t regret it later.” Rovan and Sasha exchanged a look, pure euphoria washing over them. Rovan excitedly vowed, “Mom! I will never regret it! I’ll change, I promise! I’ll work hard, I’ll support this family, and let you live a good life!” Sasha quickly chimed in, “Mrs. Miller, I’ll be a good daughter-in-law and take care of everything for Rovan!” I looked at their faces, full of blind hope for a future they knew nothing about, and couldn’t help but smile faintly. Support this family? The Miller family company was a hollow shell now. Rovan had no idea how much debt it owed, how many lawsuits it faced, all meticulously hidden by Mrs. Miller. In my previous life, it was only through constant investment from my family and navigating complex relationships that the Miller family barely survived for a few years after the wedding. Once he gained confidence, he believed my family was exploiting him, that I had destroyed his true love, and he repaid Sasha’s debts and humiliations tenfold upon me. The forced drinks, the knives at my throat, the nights I was bargained over like merchandise in dark private rooms… a chill seeped into my very bones. “Dad, Mom,” I turned, no longer looking at the embracing, ill-fated couple, nor at Mrs. Miller’s suddenly ashen, despairing face, “let’s go home.” I was about to leave, arm in arm with my parents, when Rovan rushed a few steps forward, blocking our way. His face showed no apology, but rather an irritable urgency to draw a clear line. “Chloe Vance, since we’ve spoken frankly, let’s stop interacting from now on. Sasha and the baby need peace. What you owe me, what I owe you, let’s call it even today. From now on… let’s not meet unless absolutely necessary.” I looked at his eagerness to distance himself, finding it only ironic. Call it even? What he owed me was far more than a simple debt. In junior year, he got into a feud with a group of thugs from outside school. They threatened to break his leg. I didn’t tell him. Instead, I went to negotiate with them myself, only to be cornered in an abandoned garage, almost losing my life. Someone passing by eventually called the police. I received seven stitches on my forehead, and there’s still a faint scar there, hidden by my bangs. And Sasha. I had looked into her long ago. She worked at several places, specifically targeting young masters like Rovan, who had some family money but were simple-minded. I privately confronted her, telling her to stay away from Rovan. The very next day, I was pushed down a flight of stairs from behind, fracturing my ankle and needing three months to recover. Mrs. Miller and my parents knew all of this, keeping it from him to prevent him from acting impulsively. I always stood in front of him, shielding him from trouble, yet it couldn’t compare to a few months of Sasha’s tears. “Miss Vance,” Sasha also came closer, her tone soft and sweet, but her eyes held a sharp edge. “After today, Rovan and I are family. Let bygones be bygones. I hope you… know how to keep your distance in the future.” I looked at her triumphant demeanor and found it utterly amusing. Did she truly believe the gang leader she had latched onto could pull strings everywhere? The evidence I held in my hand was enough to send her backer scrambling. But today, I still had a use for him. I changed out of my wedding dress into simple casual clothes. As I left the hotel, the “congratulatory gift” I had arranged for them arrived. A man with a buzz cut and tattooed arms leaned against a motorcycle, smoking. He saw me and subtly raised his chin. Behind him were several other rough-looking young men. I didn’t stop, walking straight to my family’s car. The car had just started when I heard a faint commotion from the direction of the hotel banquet hall. Soon, the noise grew louder, even drowning out the original wedding music. Inside the opulent hotel banquet hall, the emcee was reading his congratulatory speech. Suddenly, a side door was violently pushed open. The buzz-cut man, along with his group, strode directly to the stage, snatching the microphone from the emcee’s hand. He scanned the astonished guests below, then grinned, his voice booming through the speakers, reaching every corner: “Excuse me for a few minutes, folks, I’ve got something to say!” “This bastard Miller on stage, he stole my girl, messed with my woman, and now he wants to marry her? Is that how things work in this world? Sasha! Get your ass down here! Whose baby is in your belly? You’re going to tell everyone right here, right now!” The buzz-cut man’s crude voice echoed through the entire banquet hall. All the guests gasped and stood up, the scene instantly descending into chaos. Rovan’s face turned beet red. He instinctively shielded Sasha behind him, shouting with bravado, “Who the hell are you?! Spouting nonsense here! Security! Where’s security?!” The buzz-cut man, known in certain circles as “Big Bro Vic,” sneered, completely ignoring Rovan. He tossed the microphone aside, creating a jarring screech, then advanced, his eyes like a hawk, fixed on Sasha, who was cowering behind Rovan. “Sasha, I’m asking you again, whose baby is in your belly?” Sasha trembled with fear, clutching Rovan’s clothes tightly, crying, “Rovan, I don’t know him… he’s crazy! Make him leave!” “Don’t know me?” Big Bro Vic pulled out his phone, swiped a few times on the screen, then pointed it at the nearest table of guests. “You’re all respectable people, take a look. Is the woman in this photo the lady on stage?” On the phone screen was a selfie of Sasha in revealing sleepwear, intimately nestled in Big Bro Vic’s arms. The background was a messy hotel bed. The angle clearly showed Sasha herself holding the phone. “Whoa—” The crowd erupted. Rovan spun around, staring at Sasha in disbelief. “What… what is this?!” “It’s photoshopped! Rovan, they photoshopped it to frame me!” Sasha cried hysterically. “You’re the only man I’ve ever been with! The baby in my belly is obviously yours! You have to believe me!” “Believe you?” Big Bro Vic sounded like he’d heard the funniest joke. “Alright, then let’s go to the hospital right now for an amniocentesis, and see if the DNA matches up. If you’re innocent, I’ll apologize to you on the spot. If not…” Big Bro Vic’s eyes suddenly turned cold. “I’ll throw you and that little piece of flesh in your belly into the river to feed the fish!” Sasha’s face instantly lost all color. Rovan’s mind was a mess. He looked at the tear-streaked Sasha, then at the menacing Big Bro Vic. His last shred of rationality was consumed by rage. Like a furious bull, he charged at Big Bro Vic. “I’ll kill you, you bastard!” However, a pampered young master like him was no match for Big Bro Vic. Big Bro Vic sidestepped, grabbed Rovan’s arm, twisted it, and then kicked him behind the knee. Rovan fell to the ground with a thump in a humiliating posture, screaming in pain. Big Bro Vic’s thugs immediately swarmed Rovan, punching and kicking him. The scene descended into complete pandemonium. Guests screamed and scattered, tables and chairs toppled, exquisite dishes and drinks spilled everywhere. Mrs. Miller, already on the verge of collapse, saw her son being beaten, her vision went black, and she completely fainted. In the chaos, Sasha, seeing her chance, lifted her dress and tried to slip out a side door. “Trying to run?” Big Bro Vic was quick, grabbing her hair and violently yanking her back, throwing her to the ground. “You rotten bitch! How much money did I spend on you? You took my money, used it to support pretty boys outside, and now you want to make a fool of me?!” He raised his hand, and a resounding slap echoed across Sasha’s face. Just then, the banquet hall doors burst open, and a group of uniformed police officers stormed in, shouting sternly, “Police! Nobody move! Everyone, hands on your head and squat down!” The arrival of the police finally brought a messy end to the farce. Big Bro Vic and his thugs were taken away for public disturbance. Rovan, as one of the parties involved, was invited to “assist with investigations,” his face bruised and swollen. Sasha, suspected of blackmail and extortion, was also taken away. Mrs. Miller was rushed to the hospital by ambulance. The entire Miller family, in a mere hour, became the biggest joke in the city. My father handled the situation with extreme tact. He apologized to the guests present in the name of the victim, promising that the Vance family would compensate for any losses. His words were flawless, both severing ties and preserving the Vance family’s dignity. People looked at my family with pity and relief. “Thank goodness Chloe was decisive and didn’t marry that idiot.” “Yes, the Vance family cut their losses in time and dodged a bullet.” On the way home, the car was silent. My mother held my hand, her eyes still red. My father calmly handled follow-up matters on the phone. “Look into Big Bro Vic’s background, and Sasha’s. Also, inform our media partners that today’s coverage should focus on the Vance family as victims, who promptly canceled the wedding.” The next day, I went to the hospital alone. Mrs. Miller lay on the hospital bed. Overnight, she seemed to have aged a decade and a half, half of her hair turned white. Seeing me, a complex emotion flickered in her cloudy eyes, and she struggled to sit up. “Mrs. Miller, please lie still.” I placed a bouquet of carnations on the bedside table, my tone flat. Her lips trembled, and after a long moment, she let out a hoarse sound. “Chloe… are you… are you here to gloat?” I pulled up a chair and sat down, peeling an apple. The peel came off in a long, continuous strip under my hand. “I just came to see you. And to tell you something. Among the dowry my father had prepared, there was a fifty-million-dollar interest-free loan, intended to be injected into Miller Industries after the wedding, to help you through your difficulties.” Snap, the apple peel broke. Mrs. Miller’s eyes widened suddenly, and her breathing became rapid. “What did you say?” “Miller Industries’ cash flow dried up long ago. Did you really think you could hide this indefinitely?” I cut the peeled apple into small pieces and placed them on a plate. “The bank loans are due soon, and several major project suppliers are pressing for payments. Without the Vance family’s funds, Miller Industries… might not make it through the month.” These words, like sharp knives, accurately pierced Mrs. Miller’s heart. She clutched the bedsheets, trembling all over. She had thought her secret was airtight, never imagining that the Vance family had seen through everything. She had sacrificed me, sacrificed the Vance family’s help, only to gain a deception, a colossal scandal. “No… it can’t be…” she murmured, as if going mad. “Rovan will find a way! He’ll save the company!” I smiled softly, a hint of pity in my laughter. “Him? He’s still at the police station giving a statement. What can he use to save it? Sasha’s illegitimate child?” Mrs. Miller’s psychological defenses completely crumbled. She violently grabbed my hand, her nails almost digging into my flesh. “Chloe! Mrs. Miller is begging you! Please help us! Talk to your father! If you’ll just help, I… I’ll make Rovan kneel and apologize to you! I’ll make him drive that woman away! We’ll go back to how things were, alright?” Slowly, one by one, I peeled her fingers off my hand. I stood up, looking down at her. “Mrs. Miller, it’s too late.” Just then, the hospital room door was rudely pushed open. Several grim-faced men entered, the leader holding a document. “Chairman Miller, we’re from Prime Construction Supplies. We heard your company’s alliance with the Vance family fell through? So, about that payment for last month’s shipment, do you think we could settle it today?” Mrs. Miller’s face instantly turned ashen. I turned and walked out of the hospital room, shutting the pleas and commotion behind me. The first step of my revenge had begun.

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Ten years of marriage. When my husband died unexpectedly, I cried until my heart felt like it was tearing apart. But when I went to the hospital morgue to claim his body, the staff refused to release him to me. “Ma’am, your marriage certificate is a forgery.” I felt like I had been struck by lightning. Right then, an unfamiliar woman’s voice came from behind me. “Hello, I am Liam Sterling’s legal wife. I’m here to claim the remains.” Staring at the official marriage certificate in her hand, I rushed forward, questioning her in a total breakdown. “What the hell is going on? I was with him for ten years! I gave him five children! How could my marriage certificate be fake?!” The woman looked at me with a mix of pity and contempt. “Liam is the sole heir to the Sterling empire. I am his wife from a strategic business alliance.” “Your five children didn’t die at birth. Liam took them from you the moment they were born and gave them to me to raise.” Saying that, she stuffed a few hundred-dollar bills into my pocket. “Thanks for your hard work. Consider this your surrogacy fee.” The sheer shock and fury sent me into sudden cardiac arrest, and I dropped dead right there in the hospital corridor. When I opened my eyes again, I had been reborn. I was back on the exact day Liam tricked me with that fake marriage certificate. I took the fake document, tore it into pieces, and threw them right in his face. “Giving me a fake marriage certificate to brush me off? Do you think I’m an idiot?” “We’re done!” …… 1 I ignored his deathly pale face and turned toward the bedroom to pack my things and move back to my hometown. But he grabbed me from behind, holding me in a tight, suffocating hug. “Don’t leave me!” His voice trembled with pathetic, desperate pleading. “I didn’t mean to trick you… I’m just useless. I only got two DoorDash orders today, and I messed them up. After paying for the ruined food, I couldn’t even afford the thirty-dollar filing fee at City Hall. So I just bought a fake one for now so we could celebrate…” I looked into his bloodshot eyes, my heart filled with nothing but cynical mockery. The acting skills of the ultra-rich were truly masterful. If his arranged wife, Chloe, hadn’t told me everything in my past life, I would have died believing I had married a devoted, struggling delivery driver who loved me more than anything. I didn’t expose his lie. Instead, I leaned into his excuse. “If you can’t even afford a thirty-dollar filing fee, how are you going to give me a happy future?” “Liam, I want a stable life. You can’t give me that.” With that, I feigned bitter disappointment, broke free, ran into the bedroom, and locked the door. Only then did I pull out my phone and call my mom. “Mom, I’m quitting my job and moving back home. That blind date you mentioned last time? I’ll go.” On the other end of the line, my mom was absolutely thrilled. “You finally woke up, sweetie! There are several guys from good families in town who really like you. Once you’re back, Mom will set up all the dates!” I hung up the phone and looked down at my young, firm body. There were no terrifying stretch marks on my stomach, no ugly C-section scars. In that moment, I finally broke down and sobbed uncontrollably. Thank God there was still time to change everything. Reborn with a second chance, I would rather die than be the breeding machine for that twisted couple ever again! After booking an Amtrak ticket home for the next morning, I headed to the high-end lounge where I worked to formally resign. Back then, desperate to buy a house and a car so Liam and I could start our life together, I threw away my dignity and worked as a bottle girl—because the money was fast. And how did he repay me? In my past life, when I drank so much with clients that I got stomach ulcers, he would just hold me and cry about how useless he was. He wouldn’t even spend the money to buy me medicine. As soon as I walked into the club, my coworker Mia grabbed my arm, her voice buzzing with excitement. “Chloe, that crazy rich trust-fund kid is back looking for a good time! The VIP room is full of whales! This is a huge opportunity to rake in some serious tips!” “Don’t you want to make extra cash to support your poor delivery boy boyfriend?” Before I could even tell her I was here to quit, she shoved me straight into the VIP suite. Liam was sitting in the center seat, radiating an aura of absolute elite arrogance. Any random watch on his wrist was worth more than I could earn in a lifetime. He was surrounded by a group of other wealthy heirs, all kissing up to him. Even though I already knew his true identity, my heart still gave an uncontrollable jolt. I quickly lowered my head and shrank back into the dim lighting near the door, terrified he would notice me. Liam’s voice carried a distinct tone of irritation. “The girl I have stashed away thinks I’m too poor. She says she’s moving back to her hometown.” The room erupted into roaring laughter. “Looks like Mr. Sterling’s eye for women finally failed him! A gold-digger like that thinks she’s worthy of bearing a Sterling heir?” “She actually thinks Mr. Sterling is poor? A woman that stupid is going to give birth to a brain-dead kid, isn’t she?” Every vicious, mocking comment drilled directly into my ears. My body went freezing cold. My fingernails dug so hard into my palms they almost drew blood. Chloe sat nearby, covering her mouth with an elegant, perfectly manicured laugh. Every movement she made screamed “high-society heiress.” “You have to throw her a bone, Liam.” “Chloe graduated from a top university, she has a high IQ. The fact that she’s willing to work as a bottle girl just to support you shows she’s fiercely loyal. I think her genetics are excellent.” “Hurry up and coax her back. We need to get started on having kids.” “Let’s aim for five. I like the idea of a house full of children.” The blood roared in my ears, flowing backward as a surge of intense, venomous hatred erupted from my chest. In my past life, back-to-back pregnancies destroyed my body, leaving me with chronic postpartum illnesses. Through countless agonizing nights where the pain jolted me awake, I was so broken I nearly threw myself off a building. And to think, all that horrific suffering was simply because of one casual sentence from Chloe. My heart ached with a suffocating bitterness. Unable to bear it a second longer, I turned and bolted from the room. After telling the manager I was quitting, I sprinted all the way home. I immediately started packing my bags. I found the jar of 520 origami lucky stars Liam had folded for me. The cheap plastic ring. And the little dream house he had built out of cardboard. Every birthday, every anniversary, he would hold me tight, his eyes filled with fake guilt. “Chloe, I’m so poor. I’m so poor the only thing I have to give you is my true heart.” “But I promise, once we get married, I’ll work so hard. I’ll buy you a real diamond ring, and a big, beautiful house.” It turned out he wasn’t poor at all. He just refused to spend a single cent on me. I laughed at my own stupidity. I took all these so-called “proofs of true love,” burned them to ash in the sink, and flushed them down the toilet. When Liam got home and saw what I had done, his face darkened instantly. “Chloe, why did you burn all our tokens of love? Did you… find something out?” He stared at me suspiciously. “Where were you just now?” I smiled naturally, acting completely normal. “I’ve been here packing my bags the whole time, of course. I’m leaving tomorrow.” Seeing my calm, open expression, Liam breathed a sigh of relief. He held up a plastic takeout container, moving close to me with a proud, fawning smile. “Chloe, look! Your husband was out hustling deliveries today and used the money to buy your favorite spicy fish.” “Eat it while it’s hot. Just leave a little bit of the cabbage for me.” Was he seriously trying to pacify me with a fifteen-dollar bowl of takeout? A wave of intense self-mockery washed over me. So this was how cheap I was in his eyes. “Eat it yourself. I have to catch a train early tomorrow. I’m going to bed.” Too exhausted to keep playing his twisted game, I turned to go to my room, but he grabbed my wrist. “Chloe, have you been influenced by the wrong people? When did you become such a gold-digger?” “From the very beginning, all I wanted was to have a baby with you. The reason I haven’t bought you expensive things is because I’m trying to save every penny for our future child. You have to understand that.” The mention of a child felt like a knife twisting in my heart. I squeezed my eyes shut. In my past life, I risked my life to birth five children. Before I could even catch a glimpse of them, Liam lied and told me they died at birth, while he secretly handed them over to his wife. My own flesh and blood were separated from me for my entire life. A bitter lump formed in my throat. I shoved him away with all my strength. “We are truly, permanently over.” I went into my room and locked the door behind me. Liam stood outside, frantically pounding on the door. “We’ve been together for two years! You said you’d build a life with me, did you forget?!” “I love you so much, how can you just abandon me?! I’m begging you, please don’t go…” Listening to his choked, desperate pleading, tears spilled from my eyes. He was the sole heir to a massive billionaire empire, yet he hid his identity, slumming it in a rundown studio apartment with me, playing a sick game of “poor man’s romance.” This was what he called love. But I didn’t want it anymore. This time, I was only going to live for myself. Deep in the night, I woke up suddenly from a nightmare and went out to the kitchen for a glass of water. To my surprise, I heard someone talking on the phone in the living room. Liam looked deeply annoyed, blowing out a ring of cigarette smoke. “She still wants to leave. I think she’s actually serious this time.” Over the phone speaker, Chloe’s voice dripped with disdain. “She’s just a breeding machine. Is she really worth getting this stressed over?” “If she wants to leave, let her leave. We’ll just pick out a new one.” Liam was silent for a long time before forcing out a sentence. “Chloe is different.” My fingers paused on the doorknob. A tiny, pathetic, secret hope flickered in the very bottom of my heart. But the next second, his cold, ruthless voice shattered it completely. “She’s young, she’s pretty, and I don’t have to spend a single dime on her.” It felt like an invisible hand had crushed my heart. The pain was so intense I could barely breathe. Liam added, his tone laced with twisted amusement. “You don’t get it. Watching her willingly degrade herself for me, working until her eyes are bloodshot just to pay our rent… it’s actually pretty entertaining.” “It’s hard to find a woman this stupid and easy to manipulate these days.” My chest seized. All those years, drinking until my stomach bled to earn money to support him, acting like I was perfectly fine. I did it because I was terrified he would blame himself. I didn’t want him to worry. But it turned out he knew everything. And he treated my absolute devotion like a hilarious joke to share with his wife. I clamped my hand over my mouth, crying silently in the dark. Over the phone, Chloe sounded serious. “Those kinds of women are the most troublesome.” “She doesn’t want money, she wants true love. If you’re really planning to play poor to get her to have your kids, you’re going to have to keep the act up for the rest of her life.” A dark, vicious glint flashed in Liam’s eyes. “She can’t escape my grasp.” “Who would dare marry a woman that Liam Sterling has already used up and thrown away?” A freezing chill swept over my entire body. I tried to quietly retreat back to my room. But unexpectedly, Liam hung up the phone and strode purposefully toward the hallway. “Chloe, I found you.” He smiled, looking as gentle as ever. But all the hair on my arms stood on end. In a panic, I slammed the door and scrambled to lock it. But a large hand gripped the edge of the door, forcing it open. He lunged in and grabbed my wrists. I dropped all pretenses. I raised my hand and slapped him as hard as I could, screaming with bloodshot eyes. “Your wife can’t get pregnant, so you decided to use me?! Let me tell you right now, it’s never going to happen! Go find someone else!” “Let go of me!” “Chloe, stop throwing a tantrum.” Liam pulled me forcefully into his chest, his tone a sickening mix of doting and exasperation. “Chloe and I have no feelings for each other. It’s just a business marriage. In my heart, you are my real wife.” “The only reason I didn’t give you money is because I wanted us to share the purest, most innocent kind of love.” “Do you have any idea how many women are fighting tooth and nail to get into my bed? But you’re the only one I want to have children with.” “My little princess, are you still not satisfied?” Satisfied? He played poor for two years, making me suffer through absolute hell. And in his eyes, I was supposed to consider it a blessing. I almost laughed out of pure fury. A wave of bitter nausea washed over me. I took a deep breath, enunciating every single word. “But I think you’re dirty.” Liam’s expression changed instantly. He gripped my wrist so hard I thought the bones would shatter. “What did you say?!” Enduring the agonizing pain, I stared back at him with absolute defiance. He raised his hand to hit me, but couldn’t seem to bring it down. “I lowered my pride to coax you, and you’re still being this ungrateful?!” “I can give you absolutely anything you want except the official title! Are you still not satisfied?!” But the only thing I wanted was the title of Mrs. Sterling. Liam’s face darkened. He pulled a pill from his pocket and forced it into my mouth. “What are you doing?!” I was forced to swallow the pill, physiological tears springing to my eyes as I choked. Liam scooped me up into his arms and kissed my cheek. I tried to struggle, but my entire body went completely limp. “Don’t be afraid, Chloe. I’m not going to hurt you.” “I just can’t let you leave me.” Before I could even scream, I slipped into unconsciousness. When I woke up, I found myself imprisoned in a massive luxury villa. I tried to sit up, but my body ached and I had no strength. Liam was sitting on the sofa. Seeing I was awake, he slowly brought over a bowl of chicken soup. He scooped up a spoonful, carefully blew on it to cool it down, and brought it to my lips. “Be a good girl and lie still. I’ll have the family doctor come in to give you a full checkup later.” “I’ll be here every night. You need to get pregnant quickly; my parents are anxious for a grandchild.” I glared at him with bloodshot eyes, and in a fit of rage, slapped the bowl of soup out of his hands. The greasy, scalding broth splashed all over his ten-million-dollar Patek Philippe watch. But he wasn’t angry at all. Instead, he grabbed my hand, checking it anxiously. “Did you burn yourself? If you get hurt, my heart will break.” I ripped my hand out of his grasp and used every last ounce of strength I had to slap him hard across the face. “Let me out! This is illegal imprisonment!” Liam’s head was knocked to the side. But he just smiled faintly, stood up, and tucked the blankets securely around me. “Chloe, you’re so foolish it’s almost cute.” “I’ve already confiscated your phone. Since you don’t want to eat, just rest.” “Stop being angry. Save your energy for tonight when we make a baby.” He ordered the nanny to take good care of me, then turned and left. I lay weakly on the bed, staring blankly out the window. Trying to figure out how to contact the outside world. Just then, the door opened again. It was Chloe. She was wearing a Chanel tweed suit, walking in with perfect elegance. “I am Liam’s wife. He asked me to come and talk some sense into you.” Acting as if I had grabbed a lifeline, I clung to her hand and begged. “Mrs. Sterling, I really don’t love Liam anymore. Please, just find someone else.” Chloe pulled her hand away, the emotion in her eyes complicated. “It makes no difference to me who has his child.” “But Liam has his heart set on you. My hands are tied.” “Miss, I can tell Liam is serious about you. Otherwise, a billionaire heir like him would never have lived in a ratty apartment and delivered food just to be near you.” “Besides, he and I have no real feelings for each other. If you can complete the task of carrying on the family line for me, not only will I make sure your life is easy, but I will genuinely thank you.” Realizing she had no intention of helping me, despair washed over me. But I decided to try one last thing. I put on a defeated expression, acting as if she had convinced me. I spoke softly. “Then let me think about it for a bit.” “Mrs. Sterling, I’m starving. I’m not used to the food the nanny cooks. I want to make something myself.” A flash of suspicion crossed Chloe’s face. I quickly added, “You can stand right next to me and watch. My stomach is just in so much pain from hunger.” She finally gave a reluctant nod and led me to the massive kitchen. Taking advantage of a moment when she looked down to check a text message, I grabbed a jug of cooking oil, poured it all over the floor and the stove, and sparked the burner. The kitchen was instantly engulfed in a roaring inferno. Her face drained of color. She turned to run, but I grabbed her arm in a death grip. I snatched her phone and dialed Liam’s number. “The villa is on fire! Come quick!” The moment I finished, I chucked the phone straight into the flames. The fire spread with terrifying speed. In minutes, the entire villa was a blazing sea of fire. Chloe and I were choking on the thick, toxic smoke. Just a few minutes later, completely disregarding his own safety, Liam charged into the inferno. “Chloe! Chloe!” His eyes were frantic with panic. But when he saw his wife, Chloe, passed out on the floor next to me, he froze. He hesitated for exactly two seconds. Then, he decisively scooped his wife into his arms. “She’s the heiress to the Sterling family. I can’t let anything happen to her.” “Hold on just a little longer! I’ll be right back to save you!” Watching his back as he left without a second thought, I smiled. I shoved open a window and threw myself out, landing in the thick decorative bushes in the backyard. Thankfully, it was on the first floor. I only suffered a few scrapes. While all the security guards and staff were panicking and trying to put out the fire, I sprinted out the back gate. I flagged down a passing taxi and headed straight for the Amtrak station. Liam Sterling, I hope I never see you again. Just as Liam loaded his wife into the ambulance, he turned around to charge back into the burning house to save me. But the firefighters immediately blocked his path, their faces grim. “Mr. Sterling, the fire is too intense. Anyone left inside is likely already…”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “391166”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

I cheated on my first sugar daddy, Carter Sterling, and accidentally got pregnant with my second sugar daddy’s child. Just as I was stressing over how to handle the fallout, I discovered Carter had been harboring a secret, forbidden obsession with his own stepsister. Without missing a beat, I decided to play matchmaker and find him a stand-in. I finally tracked down a gorgeous college girl who looked about 70% like Carter’s stepsister. She signed a rock-solid contract with me: as long as she successfully took my place in his bed, she’d split her monthly allowance with me 50/50. Right on cue, Carter fell for her and kicked my “high-maintenance” self to the curb. Looking at the cold, hard numbers multiplying in my bank account every month, I couldn’t help but laugh. If I can’t have a man’s heart, I’ll sure as hell take his money! By the third time I called Carter back from work for some completely trivial, made-up reason, he finally lost his temper. “Serena! Can you stop being such a drama queen?” he snapped, loosening his designer tie. “Do you literally have nothing else to do all day? How are you this bored?” I covered my face, feigning heartbreak. “Carter, you’ve changed. You never used to be like this.” It was true. Back in the day, no matter what ridiculous whim I had, Carter would patiently indulge me. He truly raised me like a spoiled, delicate canary in a gilded cage. Carter looked entirely fed up. “Serena, I’m warning you, dial it back. Don’t push your luck. Remember your place and don’t take a mile when I give you an inch.” He was genuinely angry. Normally, this would be my cue to back down, stroke his ego, and coax him out of his bad mood. But today, I was aiming for a breakup. “Carter Sterling! You don’t love me anymore! I want to break up!” Carter’s tone turned explosive. “Fine! We’re done!” He pointed a harsh finger at me. “Serena, did you seriously think we were in a real relationship? You’re just a plaything. Stop flattering yourself.” His words were incredibly harsh, and because I’ve always been overly emotional, actual tears started rolling down my cheeks. “Pack your bags tomorrow and get out,” he ordered coldly. I choked back a sob. “What about my severance package?” I subconsciously covered my flat stomach. Raising a kid in this economy is expensive. I needed to fleece this billionaire for every penny I could get before I left. Surely Carter wouldn’t be stingy now, right? But he had become stingy. He tossed a premium black card onto the table. “There’s five million in there. Take the money and get the hell out.” Only five million? It used to be at least eight. The moment Carter left, I went into hyper-drive. I packed my bags and immediately called liquidators to sell off all the expensive furniture in the mansion. If it was a gift from Carter—right down to the absurdly expensive memory-foam mattress—I took it or sold it. My bank account ballooned instantly. Just then, my phone rang. It was Daisy. “Hey, did you and Mr. Sterling break up yet?” “Done and done. Just happened.” Daisy let out a massive sigh of relief, her tone light and bouncy. “Don’t worry about a thing! From now on, even if Carter only gives me a single dollar, I’ll make sure fifty cents goes straight to you.” “Good girl,” I replied, feeling like a proud manager. “Remember, memorize all of Carter’s likes and dislikes. More importantly, study his stepsister’s personal style and nail that aesthetic.” “I absolutely will.” Daisy was a hustler. As long as she could live a life of luxury, she was willing to do whatever it took. After hanging up, I single-handedly cleared out the entire walk-in closet until my lower back felt like it was going to snap. Daisy was the new “canary” I had personally scouted for Carter. A month ago, I found out I was pregnant, and the baby definitely wasn’t Carter’s. Around the same time, I accidentally discovered that the person Carter was truly obsessed with was his stepsister, with whom he supposedly had a terrible relationship. His love for her was deeply repressed and intensely hidden. To protect the baby in my belly, I took a massive gamble and personally found Carter a replacement. I scoured the city until I found Daisy, a girl who bore a striking resemblance to his stepsister. Exactly as planned, Carter took an immediate interest in Daisy, and I finally had my out. My belongings filled four massive moving trucks. Looking at all my hard-earned assets, I was so excited I was wiping away tears of joy. The estate butler approached me, looking conflicted. “Miss Serena, why don’t you just apologize to Mr. Sterling? Deep down, he still cares for you.” No thank you. Carter had been cheap with me lately. Even if I pinned my pregnancy on him, the payout wouldn’t be anything astronomical. And even if I didn’t plant Daisy in his life, he would have inevitably grown tired of me anyway. It was better to control the variables myself—plus, this way, I earned a double income. The butler sighed heavily. A second later, his eyes widened. Carter had just walked through the front door, with Daisy clinging to his arm like a shy little bird. Daisy looked at me with feigned unfamiliarity. The butler cleared his throat awkwardly. “Sir, Miss Serena is moving out.” Carter’s tone was icy. “Serena, once we break up, there’s no turning back. Don’t be so stubborn.” Daisy tensed up beside him, terrified that I might actually back out of the deal. I forced my eyes to turn red. “Carter, you moved on a long time ago, didn’t you? Is this woman your new toy?” Carter let out a cynical chuckle. “You were never irreplaceable.” He turned to the staff. “Butler, from this moment on, Daisy lives here. No one is to mention Serena’s name again.” I clenched my fists and covered my face, purely because it was the only way to hide my massive grin. Yes! Finally! Acting utterly devastated, I climbed into the passenger seat of the moving truck, keeping my face buried in my hands. Down below, Carter watched the truck with a complex expression, a fleeting flash of heartache in his eyes. I had never ridden in such a cheap vehicle before. For the past year, I had been chauffeured in luxury SUVs, my feet barely ever touching the pavement. Carter stepped up to the window. “A fired arrow doesn’t turn back. Take care of yourself.” I nodded enthusiastically, silently praying we would never cross paths again. He slipped another bank card through the window. “This is the last time I’m giving you money. Look after yourself.” I genuinely didn’t expect a parting bonus. I suddenly felt a twinge of guilt—just yesterday I was complaining about the five million, so I spitefully sold all his furniture. The mansion behind him was currently an empty shell. The butler probably thought I did it out of petty heartbreak to spite Carter, assuming I didn’t actually need the cash. As the truck driver pulled away, I let out a massive breath of relief. Before I even arrived at my new penthouse, I received a wire transfer notification from Daisy. $500,000. [Message from Daisy: Girl, how did you make Mr. Sterling love you so much? My monthly shopping allowance is a million dollars! I’ve never seen this much money in my entire life. I want to be this rich forever!] I replied with strict managerial advice. [Message to Daisy: Play your part. Do a good job imitating his sister, but NEVER let him realize you are intentionally copying her, or he will flip out.] Daisy was wonderfully obedient. She saved the message and treated it like gospel. Once I got home, I popped a bottle of non-alcoholic champagne and watched the movers organize my treasures. The next morning, I woke up wrapped in Harrison Vance’s arms. Before I was even fully conscious, my face was buried comfortably against his firm chest. “Baby, you finally moved in,” Harrison murmured, kissing the top of my head. “I know, honey. I was just so busy before, but now I get to be with you every single day.” I tilted my head up and kissed his cheek. Harrison was my second sugar daddy, and the biological father of the child currently growing in my womb. A while back, maybe due to the economy, Carter had started cutting back on his lavish spending. Terrified of being left penniless if he dumped me, I decided to establish a backup plan. That’s when I met Harrison. Harrison made us breakfast. While I ate, I checked my phone and collected my daily dividends. Carter was already spoiling Daisy. And Daisy was honest to a fault—the second the funds hit her account, she didn’t rush out to buy designer bags; she wired me my 50% cut. “Baby, who are you texting?” Harrison asked, leaning over. “Just a friend,” I brushed it off casually. Harrison reached out and pinched my cheek playfully. “You seem to have put on a little weight lately. You look cute and soft.” “What’s wrong with a little weight? You always used to tell me I was too skinny.” I hadn’t told Harrison about the pregnancy yet. I was terrified he might drag me to a clinic to take care of “the problem.” I wasn’t about to gamble on the conscience of a billionaire. I planned to wait until I was further along, when the dust had settled, to drop the baby bomb. With this kid, my financial security for the rest of my life was guaranteed. Harrison kissed my nose. “I love you no matter what you look like.” After breakfast, Harrison headed to his corporate office. Barely a minute later, Daisy called me, her voice buzzing with excitement. “Girl! Last night I slept with Carter, and right in my ear, he moaned his stepsister’s name!” “Thank God I pretended to pass out from pleasure, otherwise I wouldn’t have known how to react.” I chuckled. “Next time, just pretend you didn’t hear him, or innocently ask who that is.” Carter would just make up some excuse anyway. He and his stepsister could never actually be together—society, ethics, and their family name strictly forbade it. “Rich people are so messed up,” Daisy gossiped happily. “By the way, he was super pissed when he walked into the empty mansion yesterday. He cursed you out a few times.” “What did he say?” I perked up. How rude of him. Couldn’t we just have an amicable split? Daisy recited his insults verbatim. “He called you a high-maintenance, gold-digging nightmare who was nothing but trouble.” Hearing that, I actually relaxed. That wasn’t really an insult; that was just an accurate description of my brand. When Carter and I first met, he loved my brainless, incredibly straightforward, money-loving personality. He said he could read my mind perfectly, which made him feel safe. Men change so fast. What they love one second, they despise the next. I accepted it easily. Just like when I noticed his spending habits shrinking, I immediately pivoted to a new benefactor. “Don’t worry,” Daisy promised. “I’ll be your perfect inside woman. I’m going to squeeze every dime out of him.” “Don’t be too greedy right out of the gate,” I cautioned. “If he offers, take it, but don’t constantly nag him for things. It looks cheap. The best time to negotiate is when you’re in bed. Strike while the iron is hot.” Daisy absorbed the wisdom, then started showering me with compliments. “You are amazing. No wonder Carter is still so hung up on you.” She went on to praise my face, my body, everything. “Seriously! You’re like an angel. A woman as gorgeous as you… even I’m half in love with you.” “Alright, alright, dial it back,” I laughed, rolling my eyes. “Get back to work.” After hanging up, I sneaked off to a private VIP clinic for an OBGYN checkup. If I could, I’d get an ultrasound every single day just to be safe. Just as I walked out with my sonogram printout, I froze. Carter Sterling was walking right toward me. “Serena? What are you doing here?” His eyes automatically flicked downward toward the medical papers in my hand. I immediately shoved them behind my back. “None of your business. We have nothing to do with each other anymore.” Carter smirked. “Serena, don’t tell me you’re still throwing a tantrum. I spoiled you too much over the years, it made you arrogant.” He leaned in slightly. “I slept with Daisy last night.” He stared at my face, clearly hoping to see a flash of jealousy or regret. He was sorely disappointed. I was completely fine with it. Even before we broke up, knowing he was with another woman wouldn’t have devastated me. My only fear was getting dumped before I secured the bag. “That’s great for you. Wishing you both a lifetime of happiness,” I said brightly. I clutched my medical records tight and tried to sidestep him, but his hand shot out, wrapping like a vice around my wrist. “What is going on with you? Why are you suddenly at a hospital?” I found his line of questioning bizarre. Why did he care? “Just a routine physical,” I brushed him off. I wrenched my arm free and practically sprinted away. The heavy gaze boring into my back was so intense I didn’t dare turn around. I couldn’t let him find out about the baby, or I was dead meat. Getting pregnant after a breakup is one thing; getting pregnant before the breakup means you gave the billionaire a green hat. No man with an ego that big could handle being cheated on. Back in the hospital lobby, Carter’s face darkened. He couldn’t shake the feeling that Serena looked different—she had lost weight in her limbs but seemed protective of her core. He pulled out his phone and made a call. “Look into Serena Blake. Find out exactly why she was at the clinic today and send me her medical records. Now.” When I walked into Harrison’s penthouse, my blood ran cold. There was a strange woman sitting on the velvet sofa. I immediately went on high alert, my face shifting into a polite but guarded mask. “Who are you? What are you doing in my house?” The woman looked me up and down with intense scrutiny. “So you’re the little pet my brother is keeping?” Ah. Harrison’s sister. I let out a mental sigh of relief. As long as it wasn’t some random mistress coming to mark her territory, I was fine. Even if Harrison wanted to cheat, he needed to wait until this baby was born and my check was cashed. “Hi there, I’m Serena Blake,” I said warmly. Maya Vance sneered. “Don’t act so familiar. A woman like you has no right to cross the threshold of the Vance family.” I smiled placidly. “Oh, I wouldn’t dream of it. Your brother is just having some fun with me. It’s just a fling.” Maya looked deeply uncomfortable with my response. She had come prepared for a screaming match, ready to put an arrogant gold-digger in her place. “Good. Glad you know your place!” she said, raising her voice to overcompensate. I just kept smiling. In my line of work, you have to have thick skin. If you have a fragile ego, you won’t survive the sugar bowl. You can’t demand both their money and their respect. A few minutes later, Harrison walked in. Seeing Maya, his brows slammed together. “What are you doing here? Didn’t I tell you never to come to this apartment uninvited?” Maya bristled. “Harrison! Are you just afraid I’ll interrupt your little secret hideaway?” “Glad you understand.” Harrison glanced at me, then immediately started shoving his sister toward the door. “Get out. Do you have nothing better to do with your life?” Maya dug her heels into the floor, grabbing the doorframe. “I’m not leaving! You can’t make me!” I sighed softly. “Harrison, just let her stay. It wouldn’t kill her to stay for dinner.” Harrison relented. Maya scrambled back inside, shooting me a look that said, ‘Smart move, peasant.’ To maintain my persona as the understanding, domestic girlfriend, I volunteered to cook dinner. Harrison was incredibly touched. He kissed my temple. “You’re so sweet. I’ll buy you a present tomorrow.” While I was chopping vegetables in the kitchen, I completely forgot I had left my phone on the living room coffee table. It started to ring. Without thinking twice, Maya picked it up and answered. “Hello? Who is this?” The voice on the other end was cold. “Put Serena on the phone.” Maya frowned. “What do you want? Who are you to her?” Carter’s voice dripped with complex emotion. “I’m her husband. And she’s pregnant with my child.” Maya’s hand violently jerked. In her shock, she accidentally hit “Hang Up” and then, in a blind panic, blocked the number. On the other end of the city, Carter stared at his phone screen. When he realized he was blocked, he let out a sound of pure, unadulterated rage. Back in the penthouse, Harrison walked downstairs and saw his sister looking like she had seen a ghost. “What’s wrong with you?” Maya swallowed hard. “Nothing! Literally nothing!” Harrison frowned. “Look, I know you don’t like Serena, but do not play nasty tricks on her. She’s completely alone in this world. She’s had a hard life.” Yeah, a really hard life. Maya took deep, ragged breaths, her mind spiraling. Serena has a husband?! And a baby?! Is my billionaire brother the other man?! Is Serena a con artist?! Maya genuinely hoped Serena was just a scammer, because the alternative—that the great Harrison Vance was a homewrecker—was too humiliating to bear. Especially since she had just tried to pull rank and intimidate Serena five minutes ago. Soon, I brought the food out to the dining room. Harrison took the plates from me. As I sat down, I noticed Maya staring at me with wide, horrified eyes. “Is something wrong, Miss Vance?” I asked politely, deciding to drop the “sister” act since she hated it. No need to make enemies. Maya glanced at Harrison, shook her head frantically, and stayed dead silent. “If you’re going to eat, eat. If not, leave,” Harrison snapped. Maya practically choked on her anger. She was trying to protect him! She turned her grief into gluttony and inhaled everything on her plate. Not because it was delicious, but because she was stress-eating. After dinner, Harrison nudged his sister with his foot. “Go wash the dishes. Then leave.” Maya glared daggers at him, absolutely furious, but had no choice but to obey. I thought Maya was acting incredibly weird, but it didn’t really matter. She wasn’t the one paying my bills. While Harrison went to his home office to catch up on emails, I sat on the couch with a magazine. Suddenly, Maya slid next to me. “Serena… have you ever been married?” My internal alarms blared. “No. I’ve never been married. Harrison is the only man in my life.” Maya let out a massive sigh of relief, but suspicion still lingered. She grabbed my phone from the table and tossed it into my lap. I looked at the screen. A blocked call from a very familiar number. And a 30-second call duration before the block. “That guy said he was your husband,” Maya whispered fiercely. I kept my face perfectly neutral. “He’s not my husband. He’s my crazy ex. I’m single and I’ve never been married. Harrison knows everything about my past.” Lie. Harrison knew nothing, because he was just my rebound ATM. But Maya bought it completely. She knew her brother wouldn’t stoop to being a mistress. But wait— What about the baby? Before Maya could ask the golden question, Harrison yelled down from upstairs: “Maya! If you don’t leave right now, I’m calling Mom and telling her you skipped three of your college seminars this week!” Maya ground her teeth. Forget it! I’m not helping him anymore! If he ends up wearing a green hat, she decided, she would just point and laugh. She grabbed her purse and stormed out. Once she was gone, I unlocked my phone. Carter had called me five times before Maya blocked him. A heavy knot formed in my stomach. Why was he calling me? It definitely wasn’t to get back together. I opened my chat with Daisy. [Me: Daisy, is Carter with you?] [Daisy: No, why? What’s up?] I sighed. Whatever. I’ll deal with it later. “Serena! Come upstairs, why are you still down there?” Harrison called out. I adjusted my facial expression into a look of pure, adoring devotion and practically skipped up the stairs, throwing myself into his arms. “Honey, you look so handsome when you work. I’m so obsessed with you.” Harrison crashed his lips onto mine, his large hands slipping under the hem of my shirt. The implication was obvious. I quickly pushed against his chest. “Honey, not tonight.” Harrison paused, looking confused. “Why not?” “I’m just a little tired today. Let me give you a massage instead.” Harrison gently rubbed my hands. “Cooking tired you out. I’ll hire a private chef tomorrow.” I breathed a sigh of relief. Dodged another bullet. The next morning, I was rudely awakened by my phone ringing. I was annoyed. Doesn’t anyone know pregnant women need their beauty sleep? “Daisy, what is it?” Daisy’s voice was tight and panicked. “Girl… are you pregnant?” My eyes snapped open. I was wide awake. How did she know? “Girl, is the baby Carter’s? Am I getting fired already? I haven’t even enjoyed the rich life for a full month yet! Do you have any other billionaires you can introduce me to?” Daisy babbled, completely terrified of losing her luxury lifestyle. “The baby isn’t Carter’s. Who told you about this?” Daisy let out a massive gasp of relief. “Oh thank God. The butler told me.” My heart sank. Carter knew. Good news: he thinks the baby is his, which means my actual secret is still relatively safe. I remembered running into him at the VIP clinic. I mentally cursed out the hospital staff. HIPAA violation, much?! Besides, we were broken up! Why was he illegally digging into my medical history? “Daisy, listen to me. Do NOT tell Carter the baby isn’t his.” “Understood!” Daisy promised enthusiastically. “Wishing you a happy, beautiful new life, boss!” She really was the perfect employee. After we hung up, Daisy wired me another $500,000. Her 50% cut. I transferred it straight into a high-yield trust fund for my unborn baby. College tuition? Secured.

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It happened again. I took the top spot in the senior class rankings. And, naturally, Gemma Sterling’s childhood sweetheart wasn’t happy. He filed an official complaint, accusing me of cheating. My guidance counselor, Mr. Harrison, cornered me. “Kai, you’re too young to be chasing notoriety with this kind of dishonesty. You have two options right now: either you admit you cheated and promise to stop trying to outshine certain students. Or, per school policy, we will have to—” “—expel you.” Jesse, my desk mate, tugged anxiously at my sleeve. “Kai, the SATs are around the corner. Just bite your tongue, man. You know how protective Gemma is of Braden. We can’t afford to cross her.” They were all waiting for me to concede. To nod, apologize, and retreat back into the shadows they expected me to inhabit. But this time, I just pulled my backpack off the back of my chair. “Then expel me,” I said quietly. 1 The moment the words left my mouth, the classroom went silent. You could hear the fluorescent lights humming. Mr. Harrison looked stunned. His voice was a frantic, desperate whisper. “Kai, do you have any idea what you’re doing? Look, just write a formal letter of apology and the school won’t pursue this.” I managed a dry smile. Of course. He didn’t actually want to kick me out. He just wanted a quick win to appease Braden, who was a legacy student with an influential family. In the past, I would have swallowed it. Like the time Braden intentionally slashed my bike tires, making me late, and I took the detention without a word. Like the dozen times Braden and his buddies dumped the trash on the floor while I was on cleaning duty, and I simply swept it up. I was tired. Bone-deep tired. I nodded. “I know exactly what I’m saying.” I started packing my books. Jesse was frantic, kicking me under the desk, trying to stop me. I gave him a slight, reassuring smile. I was okay. He was the only one in this whole place who treated me like a friend, and he’d been targeted plenty because of it. Now that I was leaving, he’d be free of that burden. I zipped up my bag and turned to leave. That’s when Gemma, who must have heard the commotion, rushed in and grabbed my wrist. Seeing her chest rise and fall slightly with exertion, I felt a flicker of stupid hope. I thought, Maybe she’s here to tell me not to go. The dream lasted one second. Her face was cold as she warned me, “If you walk out of Northwood High with an expulsion on your record, no reputable college prep school in the state will touch you.” “You’ve thought this through?” She wasn’t exaggerating. She was Gemma Sterling, the heiress to Sterling Industries. Our headmaster practically polished her shoes. Ensuring a scholarship kid like me never saw the inside of a university would take her nothing more than a few phone calls. “I have.” I took a deep breath and started walking toward Mr. Harrison. Gemma let out a quiet, almost imperceptible sigh of relief. Braden, smirking, leaned back in his seat, ready for the show of my complete defeat. Then I stopped in front of the counselor’s desk and raised my voice. “I’m sorry, Mr. Harrison, but I shouldn’t have posted that anonymous tip online about you accepting cash payments from Braden Sterling’s family to inflate his academic record.” I flashed my phone screen at him, pivoted, and walked out. 2 Gemma chased me down the hall. She reached out and blocked my path, her voice tight. “Are you really willing to torch your entire future over this?” My future? It was a future she had built for me, so in her eyes, it was hers to command. The summer before high school, my parents told me they couldn’t afford to keep me in school. They wanted me to move south and join them working factory shifts. I spent a full night on my knees, weeping, begging them not to take away my education. I promised I would earn every penny, that they wouldn’t have to pay a cent. So, from the start of freshman year, I lied about my age and took every odd job I could find. After late study hall, the only place hiring a kid like me was a smoky BBQ joint downtown. One night, Gemma and a few of her friends came in. I didn’t know her then. She was in the class next to mine, but I was always either rushing to class, frantically doing homework, or sprinting to work. I hadn’t even registered her existence. It was her friend, Piper, who recognized me first. “Isn’t that Kai Lancer? The scholarship kid from our class? No wonder he always smells like grease. He works here, huh? You guys, you should have been there one day when I passed him—I swear the smell nearly choked me.” She sounded genuinely perplexed. “I just don’t get it. Do poor people love money that much? Honestly, with his looks, you’d think he’d find a faster way to earn a living.” Every word felt like a slap. My face was on fire, and the glass of beer I was carrying began to tremble. I wasn’t paying attention and slopped a bit onto a customer’s shirt. I apologized immediately, terrified. The drunk man was about to explode, but then he took one look at me, his rage turning into a lecherous grin. He grabbed my arm. “It’s fine, little man. Come on, have a drink with your big sister, and we’ll call it even.” I froze, paralyzed with fear and humiliation. Bang. The man went flying. He’d been kicked so hard he’d slid off his seat. A faint, expensive scent of jasmine and citrus wafted around me. I turned, my eyes meeting Gemma’s. She handed me a packet of bar napkins. “Don’t worry. It’s over.” Her friends rushed forward and joined the brawl. It didn’t take long for the group of creeps to stumble out, bruised and defeated. Gemma wiped her hands on a napkin and looked at me. “It’s too late for a guy—or anyone—to be working out here. It’s not safe.” Piper giggled. “Yeah, next time you might not be lucky enough to have beautiful girls like us save your ass.” Then they left. I looked at the furious expression of my boss. I knew I wouldn’t have to work late shifts anymore. Just as I suspected, the owner picked up my backpack and threw it at me. “Get out! You’re done here, kid. I’m deducting the damage from your paycheck. Don’t come back.” 3 I was devastated. I couldn’t find another job that quickly, and the absolute worst part? Rent for my cheap attic apartment and next month’s food allowance were due. In desperation, I went back to the BBQ joint and begged the boss for my money. It was pouring rain outside, blurring my vision. All I could hear was the owner’s sneering laugh. “Broke? Why don’t you hit up those rich friends of yours? The ones who were so brave! I’m telling you, the money you had coming is less than the cost of the broken chair. Want more? Dream on!” My lips were trembling with cold. I opened my mouth to argue. And then the rain stopped, and the insults faded. Gemma stood over me, sheltering me with an umbrella. She slammed a thick wad of cash onto the owner’s counter. Her voice was icy. “Is this enough to cover the damages?” The owner quickly snatched the money. “Y-yes, ma’am. More than enough.” “Then give him his pay.” The owner counted out my measly wages and shoved them at me. Gemma looked at me with an expression that was almost apologetic. “I’m sorry, Kai. I’m afraid I got you fired.” I shook my head, my hands still shaking with the shock and cold. Gemma shifted the umbrella, leaned in, and gently ruffled my wet hair. That was the exact moment I fell in love. After that day, I never worried about money again. Gemma found countless ways to funnel cash my way. She bought me clothes and gifts. She hired me as her “tutor” for a ridiculous fee. She asked me to be her “dinner partner” for a stipend that covered all my meals. Our relationship blossomed in that intense proximity. Everyone called us the perfect couple, the golden children. She took care of me beautifully. Then, during senior year, Braden transferred back. He was her childhood best friend. He’d been whisked away when his parents divorced in middle school. But now, in his last year of high school, his mother had remarried and didn’t want him, so he was sent back to his father. When Gemma told me, I couldn’t help but feel a little sorry for the guy, this stranger I’d never met. Later, I learned the one thing she hadn’t mentioned: Braden was deeply, possessively in love with her. 4 I assumed Braden would transfer into Gemma’s advanced placement class. But no, he transferred into my standard track. The first time we met, Gemma helped him move his books. He walked up to me, grinning a little too brightly. “You must be Kai. The guy Gemma is absolutely obsessed with, huh? You’re definitely good-looking, I’ll give you that.” He clapped me on the shoulder. “We’re friends now, right?” I felt a little awkward but nodded. Jesse muttered under his breath, “Didn’t he used to be a total bully in middle school?” I hadn’t heard. As soon as the bell rang, I grabbed the gift I’d spent weeks saving for. “Braden, I heard you like the limited edition Adidas line. This is a welcome gift.” He reached for the box with a smile. But just as his fingers brushed the cardboard, he jerked his hand away. The box tumbled to the floor and picked up dust. I stared, stunned. Braden’s easy smile turned into a sneer. “You’re a charity case, Kai. Without Gemma, you probably wouldn’t even know what Adidas stands for, would you?” He scoffed. “Too bad. Now that it’s been touched by your hands, I don’t want it anymore.” I stared at him, unable to reconcile this venomous person with the friendly face from moments earlier. He’d changed like flipping a switch. Later that afternoon, I was still distracted when I went to meet Gemma after school. Braden was already there. He was leaning over her desk, his body practically boxing her in. They were laughing about a new designer sneaker release I’d never heard of. I stood there silently, feeling useless. Gemma finally noticed me. She walked over and squeezed my hand. “Kai, I need you to go home alone tonight.” “Braden just got back, and his dad invited me for dinner. It’s a welcome-back thing.” “Oh.” I managed a blank nod and glanced over at Braden. He caught my eye. He gave me a slow, triumphant smile. 5 The next day, I couldn’t help myself. I told Gemma what Braden had done. She just laughed, a soft, indulgent sound. “Kai, are you being a little sensitive? Braden can be a bit blunt, but he certainly doesn’t mean any harm. It must be a misunderstanding.” “Tell you what,” she said, seeing my crestfallen face. “When he gets here, I’ll talk to him. If it’s true, I’ll make him apologize to you, okay?” Braden didn’t show up for class. Gemma grew worried and called him. The moment she hung up, her face went rigid. She looked at me, her expression instantly cool. “What is it?” I asked, confused. Her voice was suddenly flat. “Nothing. I’m going to check on him.” She and Braden didn’t return until lunchtime. Gemma called my name at the classroom door. “Kai, come out here.” My stomach tightened. It was the first time since we started dating that she had used my full name in that formal tone. I stepped outside. Braden was standing beside her. He held up the sneaker box, pulling out a crumpled piece of paper, and shoved it into my hands. “Kai, I genuinely thought we were friends. I was happy about the gift. Why would you write something so cruel?” Braden looked genuinely distraught. “If you didn’t want to be my friend, you could have just said so!” He hadn’t even accepted my gift. Why was he lying? My mind went blank when I read the note. It was scribbled in a familiar hand. Gemma is my girlfriend now. Did you come back to steal her, you unwanted little bastard? I stammered, trying to explain. “That’s not my writing. And you didn’t even take the gift—” “Enough, Kai!” Gemma interrupted, her voice heavy with disappointment. “The handwriting is yours. The gift is the one you bought. And you still won’t admit it?” “Why are you turning into such a liar?” she continued, each word a needle in my heart. “You came to me this morning and spun a story just to turn me against him. Kai, I hate people who play games. I don’t want you to become the person I despise most.” She took Braden’s hand and walked away. I stood there, clutching the note, trembling from head to toe. The handwriting was so similar to mine, but it wasn’t mine. Why didn’t she believe me? 6 Gemma gave me the silent treatment for days. Then, during gym class, I took a hard fall. I was limping back to the classroom when Gemma saw me in the hall. She saw the blood on my knee, rushed over, and helped steady me. “Your knee is bleeding! You couldn’t text me? Do you even remember I’m your girlfriend?” She walked me to the nurse’s office. I buried my face in her shoulder. Gemma’s tone softened. “Okay, look, let’s forget about the note. I only see Braden as a brother, so stop being so hostile toward him.” I grew more agitated. “It’s not me. It really isn’t!” A thought flashed through my mind. The pair of sneakers I’d bought was an incredibly rare, limited-edition model. I’d found a unique serial number on them. If Braden’s shoes had a different number, it would prove his were not the ones I’d purchased. I was about to speak when Braden burst into the nurse’s office. “Heard you were hurt, G. Just came to check on you.” I looked away, not wanting to engage. Braden spoke to Gemma. “Hey, your history teacher was looking for you. Why don’t you go back, and I’ll stay with Kai for a bit?” Gemma nodded. “Thanks, Braden. I owe you.” As soon as she was gone, Braden’s demeanor shifted. He looked at me with cold indifference. “She’s gone. You can stop playing the wounded puppy now.” Braden chuckled. “I don’t know if I should call you oblivious or if I simply underestimated how much sway you have over Gemma.” He paused. “Either way, it doesn’t matter. Even the heaviest weight will be eroded eventually.” He left, and a sudden, sharp anxiety pierced me. After the nurse wrapped my knee, I slowly walked back toward class. As I rounded the corner on the stairs, I saw Braden—and Piper. They knew each other? Well, of course they did. They were from the same exclusive circle. I lowered my head and continued up. But as I passed Braden, he suddenly shouted and pitched himself backward, tumbling down the flight of stairs. I froze, shocked by the sudden, violent sight. Then I looked up and saw Gemma’s face, pale and filled with icy disappointment, staring down from the landing above. Students rushed over. They started pointing fingers at me, their faces twisted with disgust. “He’s truly unhinged with jealousy.” “They’re childhood friends. Kai is just a stray who got picked up and now thinks he’s a prince.” My head began to spin. An anxious reflex made me shake my head wildly. “I didn’t push him! He fell on his own!” I looked desperately at Piper. “You saw it, didn’t you? Please, just tell everyone the truth!” Piper looked away, her voice flat. “All I heard was you telling him you were Gemma’s fated one, and that a childhood friend could never beat you.” I stared at her, the last tight string in my mind snapping completely. My throat seized up. Every defense died there. In that agonizing second, I knew who had written the note. Gemma listened, and then she let out a quiet, painful laugh. “Your fated one? Not anymore.” She looked at me, then back down the stairs. “And for the record, a childhood connection is deeper than anything a flavor-of-the-month could ever hope to be.” I stood there, numb, registering nothing. 7 Gemma left with Braden. The rest of the students scattered. I stayed where I was, motionless. A wave of pain washed over my chest, receding until there was only a vast, empty calm. Gemma ended things with me. She demanded that I wait outside Braden’s house, kneeling on the doorstep until he woke up. It was a cold, bitter night. Gemma walked past me, looking down from her height. “When Braden transferred back, he specifically chose a different class, saying he wanted to respect our relationship and befriend you.” “You’re so stupid, Kai. You shouldn’t have pushed my boundaries like this, over and over.” She paused, seemingly waiting for me to argue, to explain. But I remained silent. I offered no defense. The next day, Braden woke up. I hauled myself to my feet, my knees raw and numb, and stumbled away. After that, I avoided Gemma completely. I poured every ounce of my energy into my studies. I endured Braden’s veiled insults and petty attacks. But Braden still wouldn’t let it go. He couldn’t even stand for my name to appear on the same honor roll Gemma might see. I was truly, fundamentally done. I just wanted to disappear.

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When Riverbend Industries collapsed, the entire social elite of New York City mocked me, the long-lost heiress, for choosing the wrong man. They waited, eager to see us reduced to beggars. At that time, penniless, he lay beneath a bridge, his face etched with despair. “Leave me, Amelia. I have nothing left.” I paused for a second. “…Don’t be so quick to discount yourself. You can at least drag your lame leg to deliver takeout and support me.” He pushed himself up. “You’re right.” Actually, I was poorer than him. The system had bound me as Declan Gray’s exclusive trophy wife, incapable of doing anything else. I was tied to the system; my only source of income was Declan. If he didn’t support me, I would literally starve. His ‘one that got away’—Liana—and my adopted brother, Alex, had stormed into my apartment, clearing out every single thing, leaving not even a cent in my digital wallet. Just as we were at our wits’ end, a voice echoed in my mind: “The Vicious Ex-Girlfriend System has activated! Host, you will receive cash rewards for tormenting the male lead!” “Current Mission: Step on his chest and call him useless! Reward: Fifty thousand dollars!” My eyes lit up. I looked at the dejected Declan. “Big brother! The system’s finally alive! It wants me to torment you, and then we’ll have money!” 1 Yes, I knew I was the vicious female antagonist of this story, and the real heiress of the Sterling family, swapped at birth. The fake heiress was the protagonist. Not only did my entire adoptive family adore her, but she was also the darling of all the powerful figures in New York. When I was brought back to my birth family, they did nothing but humiliate me, never spending a dime on me. Bound by the system, I was forbidden from doing business, earning money outside of the male lead, or even saving it. My sole purpose was to be his trophy wife. Everything was set for me to humiliate and provoke him after his downfall, driving him to win back the protagonist. Their eventual reunion would be a “broken mirror made whole,” and I, the antagonist, would be tormented to death as retribution for the protagonist’s “humiliation.” The system had promised that if I completed all the missions, I would gain a chance to survive. Finally, this day had come. Declan, after hearing my words, didn’t stir. “Have you lost your mind too?” I tugged at his sleeve. “Brother, just play along, okay?” I always knew that my character, the vicious antagonist, was quite attractive. Declan had been incredibly doting on me over the years, even though the story established his true love was my fake heiress sister. But it didn’t matter. The system initially told me: complete the plot, and I’ll be free to return to my original world with a one hundred million dollar reward! So, for all these years, I’d contentedly played the role of the perfect trophy wife, just waiting for this day. Declan reached out and stroked my head. “You’re right. I can’t fall apart. I still have to take care of you.” He endured the pain of his broken leg—a result of his half-brother’s thugs—and struggled to get up. “Declan, I’m serious!” I grabbed his hand. “I really am bound to a ‘Vicious Ex-Girlfriend System.’ Can you please cooperate with me? We can milk the system for money, and then we can fix your leg!” Declan had been good to me all these years, both in life and in bed. He was an excellent lover, and once, a brilliant CEO. Sterling Corporation had reached unprecedented heights under his leadership. If not for the betrayal of his family and board members, he wouldn’t have fallen so low. He’d founded numerous children’s charities and ensured girls in impoverished areas had access to education. So, when the system bound me, I decided not to truly harm him. I planned to tell him everything and just have him cooperate. After all, the system only cared about what I did, not my intentions. Declan picked up a wooden stick to support himself. “Audrey Reed, when I earn enough money, I’ll definitely take you to a doctor.” I… He limped towards the exit of the underpass. I quickly followed. “Declan Gray! Don’t make me get rough…” Before I could finish, several figures descended the steps. “Well, well, well, my dear sister has been hiding here!” Liana Sterling, the fake heiress, stepped down, flanked by my biological parents and brother, and Declan’s half-brother. I quickly helped Declan. He’d just had his leg broken by over thirty men for exchanging a few words with his brother. Liana looked at Declan’s disheveled state, her face a mask of heartbreak. “Declan, you’ve disappointed me so much. I only went abroad, I wasn’t dead. Why did you find her to replace me? You knew it was because of her that I left all those years ago! I just want you to taste what it’s like to lose everything!” I rubbed my temples. Right. Because of this misunderstanding, the male and female leads would torment each other, then eventually forgive each other. That was the plot. But Declan merely glanced at her. “Who said she’s your substitute?” My headache worsened. In the original story, these two were both incredibly stubborn. The male lead acted as if he had no tact, always picking fights with the female lead. I looked at the bodyguards on the bank, worried they’d break Declan’s other leg. I forced a smile at Liana. “Miss Sterling, he’s already in this state. Why don’t we… just let it go?” Liana glared at me. “When we’re talking, do you have the right to interrupt?!” The words barely left her mouth when I raised my hand and slapped her. What the hell! System, are you controlling me?! I’m such a gentle person, how could I hit someone?! Looking at her rapidly swelling face, I quickly explained, “Miss Sterling, I swear I didn’t mean to hit you… do you believe me?” Declan looked at me, his eyes full of tenderness, as if saying, She’s truly lost her mind. I need to work harder delivering takeout to pay for her treatment. Liana’s eyes welled with tears. “Mom, Dad! Sister actually did this to me…” “Wait!” I cut her off. “Miss Sterling, mind your titles. The day I came home, because you threatened to kill yourself, they disowned me. None of you acknowledge me, so I’m not your sister. Alright, carry on—but watch your language, please.” Liana… Declan gently patted my back. “It’s okay. You still have me. I’ll collect soda cans to support you.” I nodded. “Actually, plastic water bottles are worth more. The PET can even be turned into clothes.” “Is that so? I’ve learned something new.” He looked around. “There are quite a few around here. Even more near the stadium.” “You’re experienced.” I genuinely praised him. My birth mother, Serena Sterling, looked at us, trembling with rage. “Audrey Reed! Look at yourself! What kind of behavior is this?!” “Excuse me, ma’am, who are you? What right do you have to lecture me?” I maintained my smile. Serena clenched her fists. “I gave birth to you!” “No, no, I wasn’t. The day I left the Sterling mansion, you said you never had me. So, we have no connection.” Julian Sterling’s old face also darkened. “Audrey Reed! From today on, you break up with Declan Gray. I’ll give you a thousand dollars a month, and you live your own life!” “You’re putting on airs, Mr. Sterling.” I chuckled. “And who are you to me?” The Sterling brothers behind them looked like they wanted to speak, but I pointed at them directly. “You’d best shut up. We have nothing to lose!” I pulled a “gun” from my canvas bag. “Worst case scenario, we all die together!” Everyone recoiled in fear, terrified I’d actually shoot. “Fine, fine! Audrey Reed, you can go live under a bridge with Declan Gray!” “Audrey Reed, you are forbidden from using the Sterling name for anything ever again!” “Audrey Reed, our only sister is Liana! If you die out there, it has nothing to do with the Sterling family!” … They retreated far away, even the bodyguards encircling them. I flicked open the gun, a small flame sputtering out. “Hmph, it’s just a lighter. And you’re already scared?” Their faces turned various shades of green and white. Declan, leaning on his wooden stick, whispered, “I’ll buy you a real one later.” I patted his shoulder. “We don’t do illegal things, even if you were a former CEO.” “Audrey Reed!!” Liana gritted her teeth. “You guys, go strip her clothes off!” The bodyguards’ eyes widened. “Miss Sterling, violating a woman’s consent is illegal. That’s outside our job description.” Liana grew even angrier. “I’ll pay you more!” Bodyguard: “That’s even more impossible. We’re assigned by the company. Taking private payments will affect our performance bonuses. Don’t get us in trouble.” I shook my head. “It’s 2026. Even the richest heirs in New York get jailed for breaking the law. Don’t make it hard on these working people. Declan, let’s go somewhere else to continue what we were doing. Ignore these lunatics.” Declan nodded. It was time to find a cleaner bridge. This one was too dusty with all the traffic. “Big brother.” Alex Gray, who had been silent, suddenly spoke, his sinister face devoid of emotion. “Little brother left you alive. You should cherish it, big brother.” I looked at him. In the original novel, he loved Liana unrequitedly and constantly targeted Declan. Later, I cooperated with him, and after my death… he was the one who collected my body. Eventually, realizing he could never have Liana, he was sent abroad, living out his days in depression with endless money. Honestly, I suspected the author was a bit of a simp. Why did I, the vicious antagonist, have to die horribly, while the vicious male antagonist got to enjoy wealth and luxury for half his life? And depressed?! With endless money, no classes, no work, you’re depressed about what?! If you don’t know how to live a good life, give it to me! 2 Alex watched Declan’s still indifferent expression, a flicker of murderous intent crossing his eyes. He extended a hand to Liana, his voice calm. “Liana, it’s time to go. When we get engaged, we’ll invite big brother and his girlfriend.” Liana stared intently at Declan, waiting for him to break down, regret, and weep. Unfortunately, nothing. His face remained distant, as if everything before him had nothing to do with him. Alex suddenly gripped Liana’s hand tighter. Could it be that my brother no longer liked Liana? Did he like… Audrey Reed?! “Audrey Reed.” Alex suddenly turned his gaze to me. I looked at him too. What, was the vicious male antagonist going to team up with the vicious female antagonist? “Are you interested,” a slight curve played on his lips, “in being my woman? I can keep you outside of everything, and money, you can spend as you please.” Declan’s face finally changed. He looked up at Alex, his eyes incredibly dark and dangerous. I scoffed. “Who needs your money? I only want my darling husband’s~” As I said it, I hugged Declan’s arm, but internally, I was crying hysterically. This damn setup! Except for the money Declan gave me, I couldn’t spend a single cent from anyone else. If I took Alex’s money, I’d be in the hospital the next second, and that money could only be used for medical bills. Who cares about that?! Declan’s tense expression visibly relaxed. He put his arm around my waist, his voice low. “Let’s go.” Liana, hearing Alex’s words and seeing Declan’s complete indifference to her reaction, trembled with rage. She pointed at me, her voice shrill. “Audrey Reed! You only cared about Declan’s money, didn’t you? You don’t love him at all! Now that he has nothing, you’ll eventually find a richer man. Stop lying to him!” I… She knew me so well. Truly, we were born on the same day. But I showed no outward reaction. Instead, my eyes reddened, and with tears welling, I looked at her. “Miss Sterling, how could you say such a thing? My feelings for Declan are genuine… I will never leave him in this lifetime. Even if we have to collect plastic bottles together, I’ll be by his side!” He collects, I’ll sit in a pedicab scrolling through TikTok, waiting for him. Declan squeezed my hand. He looked at me with deep eyes, as if saying: So she truly loves me this much. Ignoring the gazes behind us, we leaned on each other, slowly walking out of their sight. 3 Liana trembled with rage, suddenly turning to glare at Alex. “Didn’t you say you loved me? Why would you say such things to Audrey Reed?!” Alex brushed imaginary dust from his sleeve, his tone light and airy. “I suddenly found it more interesting to fight Declan for things. Whoever he loves, I’ll fight for.” He glanced at Liana, a half-smile on his face. “I thought he loved you.” Liana’s face instantly paled, then flushed scarlet. The Sterling family quickly gathered to comfort her. “Liana, how could she compare to you? Those two will starve on the streets eventually!” “Exactly. Sterling Corp has blacklisted them across all industries. They won’t find work. A rich boy like Declan, can he really stoop to collecting bottles?” “Audrey Reed will soon come back begging us… Their little romance won’t last long. She’s not used to living in poverty.” … Liana buried her face in Serena’s arms, her voice choked with tears. “Mom, if my sister really comes back… please don’t send her away. Just let her stay. Otherwise, if she’s out there, selling herself to make a living, it’ll be the Sterling family’s disgrace.” Serena hugged her tightly, her heart aching. “Okay, okay! If she comes back, I’ll lock her in the attic. I’ll never let her go out and embarrass us again!” Liana subtly curved her lips over Serena’s shoulder. Once Audrey Reed couldn’t bear the hardship and ran back… she could go be with Declan. Keep him outside of everything… He’d loved her for so many years. How could he find a replacement and then truly stop loving her? She refused to believe it.

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The day I was pushed down the stairs and miscarried, Marcus Sterling called me, his breath hitching over the line. “You dead yet? If not, bring a fresh set of sheets over and sign the divorce papers while you’re at it.” “Mia’s pregnant. I won’t let our child be a bastard. I have to marry her.” I looked at the address he sent. For the first time, I didn’t rush over with a group of people to catch him in the act. Instead, I simply replied: Okay. Marcus doesn’t know that he was originally a minor character destined to die of a terminal illness years ago. The only reason he’s still breathing is because I, a transmigrator, shielded him with my “Guardian Halo.” And his precious lover? She’s nothing more than a “virus” sent by the System to break my protection and force the world’s timeline back on track. Now, the halo is shattered. Marcus, you are finally going to die. 1 I arrived at the address Marcus gave me. Because I had just come from the operating table, my legs were shaking uncontrollably. My pale face was slick with cold sweat. The door opened, revealing Marcus’s visibly impatient face. He glanced at my crudely bandaged elbows and knees, where blood was already seeping through the gauze. There wasn’t a hint of concern in his eyes. He just frowned. “Why are you so late? You didn’t pick up your phone, and these sheets aren’t the royal blue Mia likes.” “I was worried she’d catch a cold lying on the damp ones, so she’s been forced to nap on the sofa.” I wiped the sweat from my brow and forced a faint smile. “My phone died. The malls are closed, and these were the only new ones at the house.” “I could have been faster, but I miscarried after Mia pushed me. The surgery took some time.” I hadn’t decided whether to tell Marcus about the baby. But that afternoon, I had run into them at the mall, coming out of a maternity store hand-in-hand. Before I could even speak, Mia screamed. “Oh, Mrs. Sterling, I’m pregnant! Please don’t hit me!” In the chaos, I was shoved down the flight of stairs. Mia sobbed an explanation as I tumbled. “Marcus, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to, I was just so scared. I know I’m just the ‘other woman’ and I deserve to be beaten, but I didn’t want our baby to get hurt, even if he has to live in the shadows.” Because of my history of confronting his mistresses, my reputation as a “vicious wife” was well-established. As blood pooled beneath me, I clutched my stomach and screamed Marcus’s name. But he didn’t even look back. He just pulled Mia into his arms. “I understand. Don’t be afraid.” “I’ll give you and the baby a legitimate name.” I watched him pull out a massive diamond ring and drop to one knee in front of the crowd to propose to her. In the middle of their tearful kiss, the life inside me flickered out. A bystander eventually called the ambulance. When Marcus finally remembered me, it was only to demand I vacate my position for his lover. I took the divorce papers from him. As I turned to go inside to sign, my weakened legs gave out, and I tripped over the threshold. “Sss—” The pain turned my face even whiter. Large drops of sweat rolled down my forehead. I couldn’t get up. Marcus immediately looked back at the sofa. Seeing that Mia hadn’t been woken up by the noise, he turned back to me with a scowl. “What now? This isn’t your first miscarriage. Don’t try to use it for sympathy. Even if you died right here, I wouldn’t change my mind about the divorce.” “Besides, it’s better this way. Mia wouldn’t want anyone competing with our baby for the inheritance.” “Don’t worry. Since you’ve been with me for so many years, I’ll give you enough money to live comfortably for the rest of your life.” I froze, my gaze falling on the jagged scar on my wrist. I felt strangely calm. Marcus wasn’t wrong. We had a child once before, right when I first discovered he was cheating. The pregnancy hormones made me unstable, and I foolishly thought dying would make him regret. As blood turned the bathtub water crimson, the maid, Mrs. Gable, frantically called Marcus home. He simply leaned against the doorframe, exhaling a casual smoke ring. “Elena, it’s useless. When I loved you, a single sneeze from you felt like a knife to my heart.” “But looking at this blood now, I’m just annoyed. I’m mostly worried you’ll stain the coat I bought for my date with Mia.” “You get the point. I just don’t love you anymore.” That night, I lost the baby. Marcus spent the evening at a rooftop garden restaurant, playing the piano and singing love songs to Mia to celebrate their 100th day together. That was the day I stopped trying to stop him. Marcus has no idea that he was a minor character who should have died of brain cancer years ago. I gave him my “Guardian Halo” to save his life. But Mia was a virus sent by the System to correct the timeline. Every time they slept together, the halo weakened. As I lay on the operating table today, the System’s voice rang in my head: “The Guardian Halo has been completely destroyed. In one month, Marcus Sterling will die of brain cancer.” 2 A pen was tossed at my feet, snapping me back to the present. Marcus looked down at me with a mocking smirk. “What, do you expect me to carry you up so you’ll sign? Forget it. Honestly, every time I touch you, I feel a bit dirty.” “When you were pregnant the first time, I never even wanted that kid. Who knows whose it actually was?” He was referring to the time I worked multiple jobs at night clubs to pay for his medical bills and save up capital for his first business. I ended up in this book because of a System glitch. It promised to send me back once it was fixed and gave me the Halo for self-preservation. But I was penniless. When I was cornered by thugs in a dark alley, Marcus—then just a local construction worker—saved me. He took me back to his cramped, run-down apartment and cooked me a bowl of noodles. He took me in. He wore patched clothes but bought me beautiful dresses. He’d save the meat from his work lunches in a thermos to bring home to me. One day, he used months of savings to buy me a simple ring. “Elena, you have no family, and I’m an orphan. But together, we’re a family. I’m going to give you a good life.” I already knew then that he was destined to die. His health was failing; he fainted constantly. I lied and told him it was just low blood sugar, while I worked myself to the bone to pay for his secret treatments. At the clubs, customers would paw at me. I endured the nausea for the tips. But Marcus grew weaker every day. Finally, I exploited a loophole and gave him my Halo permanently. The punishment was that I could never return to my world. At the time, I thought it was fine. As long as Marcus was alive, I was home. He recovered, and I used my knowledge of the book’s plot to help him rise from a laborer to a CEO. But as soon as I got pregnant again, he cheated with his assistant, Mia. When I caught them, he didn’t even flinch. “Elena, before I had options, you were the best I could do. But now that I have everything, the thought of men touching you at those clubs makes me sick.” “Don’t give me that transmigrator crap. You really think I’d believe that? You had no money or status—how else would you get business info out of those clients if you weren’t sleeping with them?” “Mia is different. She’s pure. Clean. Being with her makes life feel beautiful.” So that was what he really thought of me. I stopped caring when he missed our anniversary to be with her. I ignored the lace underwear and used condoms in his car. I just waited for the Halo to break. Because the System made a new deal: if Marcus dies and the timeline resets, I can go home. As compensation, I can take all his assets with me. I used the doorframe to pull myself up and signed the papers without a word. The moment I finished, the power went out. Mia woke up and lit a candle, walking over with a smirk. “Oh, Mrs. Sterling. We made such a mess of the sheets, thanks for bringing the new ones. Too bad about the power, though. You’ll have to take the stairs down from the 46th floor.” “I’d give you a flashlight, but Marcus and I bought everything in this room together, and I’d hate for you to take anything of ours. Sorry~” She picked up the sheets and traced her finger over Marcus’s chest. “Marcus, I’m awake now… and I want you again.” Marcus’s breathing grew heavy. He scooped her up and kissed her, slamming the bedroom door shut. In the dark, accompanied by the sounds of their passion, I limped toward the stairwell. When I finally got back to our old house, I was covered in new bruises from the dark trek. Mrs. Gable helped me to the sofa and rushed for the first aid kit. As soon as I plugged in my phone, the hospital called. “Mrs. Sterling, your husband’s check-up results are in. It’s bad. Early-stage brain cancer.” “Strange… I looked at his charts this morning and he seemed perfectly healthy…” 3 Marcus hated dealing with administrative chores, so I always handled his records. “It’s lucky we caught it early,” the doctor continued. “Tell him to come in for a consultation immediately. There might be a chance.” I’ve waited too long for this. I wasn’t going to tell him a thing. I hoped he’d sleep with Mia ten times a day to speed up the spread. And he did. Marcus stopped coming home entirely. He was either flying Mia to Paris for custom wedding gowns or spending millions at auctions for pink diamonds he designed into rings himself. He made me a laughingstock. I stayed silent, listening to the System’s daily updates on his declining health. Until his assistant called. Marcus had assaulted a major client at a gala because the man had called Mia a “homewrecker” and said she wasn’t fit to be there. The client’s wife was furious, threatening to sue him into the ground. When I reached the station, Marcus was shielding a sobbing Mia, glaring at the client’s wife. “Sue me then. I’d rather rot in a cell than let my woman be insulted.” I paused. Years ago, at the club, he had taken a beating to protect me from a group of handsy clients. “I don’t care if I die,” he had said then. “My Elena will not be mistreated.” The man he wanted to protect had changed, but the lines stayed the same. I stepped forward to apologize to the client’s wife, Mrs. Higgins. She didn’t give me any face. She splashed her tea directly into my face. “Elena, have you no dignity? Your own man treats you like trash, parading his mistress around, and you’re here playing the martyr? You’re lower than she is!” “My husband is in the hospital. If he and this little slut don’t issue a public apology, we’re filing charges.” Marcus watched the humiliation with cold indifference, a smirk on his lips as if mocking my interference. But the moment she insulted Mia again, he lunged forward, only stopped by the officers. I wiped the tea from my face and leaned in to whisper to Mrs. Higgins. “Mrs. Higgins, if this goes to trial, it ruins both families’ reputations. Marcus isn’t a pushover.” “If you trust me, give me one month. I guarantee he and his company will vanish from this city.” She looked at me with contempt. “You? A woman who can’t even handle a mistress?” I showed her Marcus’s digital medical report. “You know Sterling’s success came from his uncanny market intuition. I was the one who gave him that info. I know a project right now that hasn’t been valued yet. If your family takes it, your net profit next year will be nine figures.” “Sign the settlement, and the info is yours. You choose: a messy legal battle with a dying man, or a guaranteed fortune.” Mrs. Higgins was smart. She agreed. Before leaving, she looked at me meaningfully. “Marcus is blind for throwing a gem like you away. When you divorce him, call me. I’ll introduce you to a real man.” I smiled and said nothing. She only valued me now because I was useful. I remember Marcus looking down at me once. “Elena, if I hadn’t given you a home, you would have been used up and discarded in some alley. You think you can control me?” I didn’t need him to give me a home anymore. A home is just a building. With money, I could buy a thousand of them. As I drove back to the villa and unbuckled my seatbelt, a pair of headlights blinded me. Marcus’s car slammed into mine. 4 The crash echoed through the night. Even with the airbag, I felt blood trickling down my temple. My body ached as if my organs had shifted. Marcus ripped open the car door and dragged me out by the collar. “Elena, you’re more disgusting than I thought! You sign the papers and then go behind my back to have Mrs. Higgins humiliate Mia? She cried so hard she almost miscarried!” “How did you hook up with the Higgins family? Sleeping with him too? You think if Mia loses the baby, I’ll come back to you? You’re a joke. A woman like you… the thought of touching you makes me want to puke!” “I’m marrying Mia regardless. We will grow old together. Give it up.” Mrs. Gable ran out, horrified by my bloody face. “Oh my god! Ma’am, come inside, let me help you—” “Don’t call her ma’am!” Marcus roared. “Mia is the only lady of this house now!” “This is my house. She has no right to be here. Mrs. Gable, Mia had a rough day and didn’t eat. Go make her some soup. If I catch you helping Elena, you’re fired too!” Mrs. Gable looked at me helplessly, clutching her apron. I smiled at her, signaling I was fine. I tried to call 911, but Marcus snatched my phone and hurled it into the lake. “Elena, I got here on my own merit. I didn’t need your ‘info.’ Don’t flatter yourself.” “Since you want to be difficult, I’m keeping the phone and the car I bought you. You’re leaving with nothing. That’s your punishment.” He marched inside, and I heard the electronic lock chime as he changed the code. The cold wind cut through me. I remembered him saying he was nothing without me. That everything he had was mine. Since his word was garbage, I suppose I could take back the life and money I gave him. The door opened again. Mrs. Gable hurried out and pressed a stack of cash into my hand. “Ma’am, this is my salary from this month. Take it. Get a cab to the hospital. Mr. Sterling is just… he’s confused. He’ll come to his senses.” Just then, the second-floor window opened. Items began raining down: our wedding photos, my clothes, every gift I’d ever given him. “Marcus… we’ve never done it in your house before,” Mia’s voice drifted down, high and playful. “I want to do it in the bedroom, on the balcony, on the stairs… I want every corner of this place to smell like us, okay?” “Anything you want, baby,” Marcus’s voice was husky. “This is your home now. We’re going to be happy forever…” As he spoke, the final item was tossed out. My heart twinged. It was a small wooden plaque. Before I gave him the Halo, he had carried me on his back up three thousand steps to a mountain shrine to pray for our marriage. He had carved our names into it himself: May Elena and Marcus love each other until their hair turns white. Now, the wood was splintered, the names gouged out by a knife. Mrs. Gable fell silent. I patted her hand. “Thank you, Mrs. Gable. I’ll pay you back. A thousand times over.” Good people deserve rewards. And traitors? They don’t live long enough to see their hair turn white. Six hours after I left the hospital, as Marcus tried to be intimate with Mia on that very balcony, he was hit by a blinding headache. His vision went black, and he tumbled over the railing. 5 I slept in the next morning before casually strolling into the VIP wing of the hospital. The doctors and nurses were standing outside the room with grim expressions. Suddenly, a fruit platter flew out of the room, followed by a roar. “Bullshit! How can I have brain cancer?! It’s impossible!” “Get me real doctors! The best specialists in the country!” The doctor looked at me helplessly. “Mrs. Sterling, he’s hysterical. He refuses chemo and surgery.” “It’s okay. I’ll talk to him.” I walked in. Marcus was holding a paring knife, but he lowered it when he saw me. He hadn’t died from the fall, but both his legs were in casts, and his face was a mottled mess of purple bruises. He looked hideous. He grabbed my sleeve like I was his only ally. “Elena, tell them. I’m just tired. It’s low blood sugar. I’ve had this before, right?” “These idiots say I have mid-stage brain cancer. They want to shave my head for chemo! It’s a joke, right?” I took the knife and started peeling an apple. “I saw the report. it’s real. Fear won’t help; you have to face it.” “The doctor said with chemo and surgery, there’s a chance.” Marcus stared at my calm face for a long time. Then he spoke, his voice cracking. “You knew. You already knew.” “The doctor said he told you two weeks ago that my check-up was abnormal. He told you to bring me back for a follow-up. It was early stage then.” “Elena, why didn’t you tell me? You’re my wife! You could have stopped this!” I placed a slice of apple on a plate and let out a soft laugh. “Marcus, could I even reach you?” “Phone, email, even your assistant—you blocked me on everything, remember?” “Even if I had told you, wouldn’t you have just called it another ‘vicious lie’ to stop you from seeing Mia? That’s what you always did.” Marcus froze. He seemed to finally remember. That anniversary, I had booked the ballroom and invited the guests. He took Mia to a hot spring in Japan. I sat there like a clown while people looked at me with pity. I called him a hundred times. He responded by putting me on his blacklist. He even made his assistant block me so I couldn’t track him down. We only ever spoke when he decided to call me. I stood up. “I know you’re scared. I’m still your wife for now, so I’ll sign the consent forms you’re too afraid to sign.” “I’ll handle the company so we don’t lose a cent. And since you can’t be without Mia, I’ll arrange for a cot to be put in here so she can stay with you. For her sake, you have to fight this.” Whether it was my confrontation or my “generosity,” Marcus’s eyes filled with guilt and tears. “Elena… thank you for helping me even now.” “I was out of line yesterday. I’m sorry. My offer still stands—I’ll give you enough to live a good life.” I smiled but didn’t answer. Once I was outside, the smile vanished. I spoke to the System. “Why mid-stage and not terminal?” “How long until he dies?”

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My sister-in-law and I got pregnant around the same time. While her pregnancy was perfectly normal, I was diagnosed with severe malnutrition due to extreme morning sickness. I asked my mom to come stay with me and help out for just one month. She refused repeatedly, even having the nerve to lecture me: “Do you have any common sense? Why would I abandon the grandchild who is going to carry our family’s last name, just to take care of a kid who won’t? People would laugh at me.” Later, when I no longer needed her and used my own money to hire a professional maternity nurse, she threw a massive fit. 1. By my eighth week of pregnancy, my morning sickness was so severe that I dropped ten pounds in a single week. Remembering that my mom had taken care of pregnant relatives before, including some with similar symptoms, I called her, hoping she could stay with me for a month. But when I explained what I needed, she sounded put out. “I don’t have the time! Brittany is pregnant too, I can’t just leave her.” Brittany was my younger brother’s wife. She was currently four months along. Ever since Brittany got pregnant, my mom went to her house every single day to cook organic bone broths, make pregnancy smoothies, and wait on her hand and foot. Brittany was in great shape. She had almost no negative symptoms, her ultrasounds were perfect, and she was still going to the office every day. “Well, could you just come during the day then? You don’t have to stay long, even just around lunchtime would help.” We all lived in the same city, just a fifteen-minute drive apart. “I told you, I don’t have time. I have to go to Brittany’s house to deep clean during the day,” she said, her tone laced with impatience. I looked at my pale, haggard reflection in the mirror and felt a surge of grievance. “Mom, I’m your daughter too. Why can’t you care about me the way you care about Brittany?” Silence hung on the other end of the line. Then, I heard her take a deep breath. When she spoke, her voice was sharp and entirely foreign: “Can you stop being such a brat? Do I have to spell it out for you? Brittany is carrying a Miller. She’s having the baby that will carry on our family name! Your kid is going to be a Davis. Why would I abandon my true legacy to take care of someone else’s? People in our circle would think I’m crazy.” When I didn’t say anything, she added, “Go call your mother-in-law. It’s her job to take care of you anyway. That’s how it works.” If her first words made my heart run cold, her last sentence plunged me into an icy abyss. My grip on my phone tightened. I let out a dark, mocking laugh. “Mom… Ethan is from a blended family. His mother passed away when he was young. Did you… forget?” Of course she forgot. Why would she remember? Back when she was rushing to marry me off, constantly setting me up on blind dates, she only cared that Ethan had a “clean background and a lucrative career in tech.” All she cared about was the massive wedding check she knew his family would write—money she could guilt me into handing over. As for anything else about him, she didn’t care enough to remember. Sure enough, the atmosphere turned awkward, but my mom quickly recovered. “Well, then use your own money to hire a nanny! You and Ethan make six figures, you can easily afford it.” With that, she hung up. I closed my eyes, the room spinning around me. 2. That night, after another violent bout of nausea, I lay awake in bed. Scrolling through Facebook, I saw a post my sister-in-law had made earlier that evening. It was a photo collage of a beautifully set dining table. Roasted chicken, organic salmon, creamy mashed potatoes… all my mom’s signature dishes. The center photo was a selfie of Brittany, my mom, and my brother Kevin. Their heads were pressed together, beaming brightly. Her caption read: [Pregnancy cravings have been tough, but my amazing mother-in-law cooked up a storm for me! So incredibly blessed to have the best MIL in the world!] I stared at the group photo, my stomach churning again. That radiant smile on my mom’s face in the picture… it was a smile she rarely ever showed me. Suddenly, a notification popped down from the top of my screen. Brittany had tagged me in our family group chat: “Hey Sarah, Mom said your morning sickness is acting up? Don’t stress too much! I DM’d you a YouTube video from a top OBGYN, you should watch it. Let’s try not to make Mom run back and forth between us, she’s exhausted enough taking care of me. Just try to be understanding, okay?” Between the lines, her smugness was palpable. I clicked the video she sent. It was just some generic doctor listing basic pregnancy advice. I closed it after five seconds. My brother Kevin chimed in: “Yeah sis, you’ve always been tough, stop whining. Brittany is further along than you, she needs the help more.” When I didn’t reply, my mom sent a message: “Oh, your sister has always been the sensible one. She knows how to look out for her brother’s family.” Sensible… That word was like a needle, piercing the deepest, most vulnerable part of my heart. 3. Kevin and I are three years apart. When I was five, our parents divorced. My dad wanted custody of Kevin, but my mom fought tooth and nail for both of us, just to spite him. She even changed both our last names to her maiden name, Miller. I remember her telling me back then: “It’s just us now. You’re the older sister, so you need to be sensible and help Mommy take care of your little brother.” The winter I was eight, Kevin ran a high fever. My mom carried him on her back through the snow for two miles to get to the ER, staying awake the entire night to watch over him. A few days later, I caught the same fever. She just tossed me a Tylenol and told me to go to sleep. When she saw the hurt in my eyes, she hugged me and sighed, “Your brother is just so difficult. If only he could be as good and quiet as you, Mommy would be so happy.” Hearing that always made me feel like I was winning a prize. When I was seventeen, a girl in my class had to drop out because her parents wouldn’t pay for her college. I cried and asked my mom if that would happen to me. She patted my head and said, “Silly girl. As long as you have the grades, Mommy will always find a way to pay for your school.” That moment of warmth melted away all the years of unfairness. I truly believed my mom loved me. But a few years later, that belief was shattered. I had come home for winter break. The front door was slightly ajar. Just as I was about to push it open, I heard my mom talking on the phone inside: “You don’t get it. The more degrees a girl has, the richer the guy she can land. Plus, if she becomes successful, it’ll take the financial pressure off my precious Kevin in the future.” Letting me get an education wasn’t out of love; it was an investment in my “market value.” The ultimate beneficiary was always going to be my brother. Years later, I started my own interior design firm, and my career took off. Whenever she had the chance, my mom would remind me of how she put me through school. She’d talk about working two jobs and avoiding the doctor when she was sick just to pay my tuition. I knew she wanted gratitude. She wanted a return on her investment. So, when she asked me to cover Kevin’s college tuition, I agreed. When she pressured me to take the generous wedding check my in-laws gave me and use it as a down payment for Kevin’s house, I agreed. When she told me to cover Kevin’s monthly mortgage payments, I agreed. Because I couldn’t deny that she had played a part in my success today. But today… her words on the phone, and the little performance they were putting on in the group chat… The crumbling wall around my heart finally collapsed entirely. Suddenly, everything I had done for them felt so incredibly pointless. With ice-cold fingers, I slowly typed my reply: “No need to come over, Mom. I’ve already hired a private maternity nurse.” The group chat went dead silent for a moment. Then, my mom sent a thumbs-up emoji. Brittany followed up with: “That’s the spirit! Family is all about mutual understanding.” 4. I didn’t bother replying. Just as I exited the app, Ethan called. Ethan was out of state on a consulting trip this week. A few days ago, when I started feeling sick, he suggested hiring a live-in nurse. But I had thought of my mom’s experience and, not wanting a stranger in the house, I suggested having my mom come over instead. Before he left, Ethan had even cleaned out the guest room and left a debit card with $15,000 on it, meant as a generous allowance for my mom and me for the month. I thought it was too much and tried to give it back, knowing I had my own savings. But he insisted, saying it was his way of compensating for not being able to take care of me himself. If my mom had known about that card, she probably wouldn’t have rejected me so quickly. On the phone, Ethan first checked on how I was feeling, then asked if my mom had arrived. I gave him a brief rundown of what happened. Perhaps hearing the exhaustion in my voice, he tried to comfort me. “Brittany is pregnant too, so maybe Mom just really can’t handle both. It’s understandable.” I let out a dry laugh. “No, it’s not the same. Even if Brittany wasn’t pregnant, she still wouldn’t have come.” Ethan went silent for a few seconds before saying softly, “I’ll try to wrap this project up early. Once it’s done, I’m going to ask for a transfer to a non-travel team.” I smiled. “It’s fine. I’ve decided to hire a full-time professional.” “That’s a great idea. Pick someone you feel comfortable with. A colleague of mine actually recommended a high-end agency recently, they’re supposed to be top-tier. I’ll text you their info.” Soon enough, a contact card popped up on my screen. I added the agent. After a brief chat, they sent over their pricing tiers. Their caregivers were rated by stars. I immediately looked at the five-star column. Because I needed full-time, live-in care specialized for high-risk pregnancies, the price was steep. Ethan asked how much it would be. “About four thousand a month.” “Okay, just use the card I left on the counter.” “No,” I replied firmly. “That card is going to be our baby fund from now on. I’m officially done paying Kevin’s mortgage, and I’m cutting my mom’s monthly allowance in half. The money I save from that will easily cover the nurse.” Ethan paused. “But Kevin’s job barely pays three grand a month, and his mortgage is two thousand. If you cut them off, they’re definitely going to come after you.” “Not my problem. I never had any legal or moral obligation to pay for his house in the first place.” Ethan chuckled softly. “Hearing you make this decision actually makes me really happy. Don’t be afraid, Sarah. I will always have your back.” Warmth flooded my chest. Ethan came from a similar background. After his mother passed away, his father quickly remarried and had a new son. The existence of his half-brother turned Ethan into an outcast in his own home. After a few explosive arguments, he simply stopped going back. Maybe it was our shared trauma, or just how perfectly our values aligned, but we fell for each other hard. We got married just a year after meeting. At first, I worried we were rushing, but our life together only got sweeter. He respected my choices and gently helped me untangle the knots my mother had tied in my head. He was right. He was my absolute rock. 5. Once Maria, the maternity nurse, moved in, my life finally had order. Maria was in her early fifties, efficient, and an incredible cook. Every day, she whipped up different nutrient-dense meals tailored to my cravings. She went on walks with me, kept me company, and told me hilarious stories to keep my spirits up. Under her care, my morning sickness faded, and the color returned to my cheeks. During our nightly video calls, Ethan always remarked on how much better I looked. One afternoon, just as Maria brought me a bowl of fresh fruit, my phone rang. It was my brother. “What the hell is going on? I just got an alert that my auto-pay bounced for insufficient funds. Did you forget to transfer the mortgage money?” he demanded, his voice dripping with annoyance. I put down my fork and wiped my mouth. “Oh, forgot to tell you. You’re paying your own mortgage from now on. Mom told me to hire my own help, so I need to keep that money for my nurse.” He froze for a second, then exploded. “Are you fucking kidding me? Those are two completely different things! If you don’t give me the money, how am I supposed to pay?” I walked over to the window, looking out at the clear blue sky. “The house is in your name. The loan is your problem. It has nothing to do with me.” Furious, he yelled, “Sarah, listen to me, don’t push your luck! You’re my older sister, it’s your job to help me with this! You are sending me that money today, or I’m coming over to your house to get it!” I laughed lightly. “You can certainly try. Good luck getting past the security gate at my complex.” I heard the sound of something smashing on the other end, followed by a string of vile, furious curses. I didn’t bother listening. I just hung up. A few minutes later, my mom called. After I declined it three times in a row, she stopped trying. I thought she might show up at my door to scream at me, but instead, a few minutes later, she posted a message in the massive extended family group chat. “Sarah, your sister-in-law is further along in her pregnancy, so I really couldn’t come help you. If you’re mad at me, take it out on me. Please don’t punish your poor brother.” As soon as she dropped that ambiguous, victim-playing message, the relatives swarmed. Uncle Bob: “Linda, what happened?” My Mom: “Sigh… Sarah is throwing a tantrum because I couldn’t be her nurse. She stopped the auto-pay for Kevin’s house. His mortgage is due tomorrow and the poor boy is panicking.” To them, my mom was a tragic, saintly single mother who had raised two kids on her own. Naturally, they all immediately pointed their guns at me. Uncle Bob: “Sarah, I’m going to be straight with you. You’re a married woman now, you shouldn’t be bothering your mother. Your mom’s priority has to be Kevin’s family. Kevin’s kid is a Miller. Why are you acting so spoiled?” Aunt Karen (Bob’s wife): “Exactly! You don’t abandon your own blood to go help a daughter who married out of the family. Your mom did nothing wrong. Stop holding a grudge.” Uncle Bob: “Your mother paid for your college, she fed and clothed you. She’s done more than enough. You wouldn’t have your fancy business without her. Learn some gratitude! Kevin is just starting his life, his job is stressful. If you don’t help him, who will? Stop being so incredibly selfish.” Aunt Karen: “Linda, you spoiled that girl. Now you see what happens. You raised an ingrate.” Looking at this barrage of unhinged entitlement, the familiar nausea twisted in my stomach. I was just aggressively typing out a rebuttal when a breath of fresh air appeared in the chat. It was my cousin, Jessica.

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Victoria Ashford confessed her love to me on the third day of the ‘conquest’ challenge. But the Affection Meter floating above her head was clearly, definitively, Zero. After we made it official, she elevated me to the sky, showering me with a devotion that felt like an obsession. On our sixth anniversary, she orchestrated a lavish, public proposal. I was nodding, tears blurring my vision, when a block of floating text—a corrupted digital overlay—drifted into my line of sight: [It must be exhausting for the second female lead, pretending to love the cruel sidekick for six years just to protect the male lead!] [LOL, the replacement really got into character!] My blood turned instantly to ice. That’s why the number had never moved. At the exact same moment, a cold system alert screamed inside my mind: “Final Phase Initiated. Conquest Countdown: Ten Days.” “Failure will result in your immediate obliteration.” I forced a smile, gently pulling my hand away—the diamond ring still hovering between us—and wiped the tears from my eyes. “I’m sorry, Victoria,” I said. “But I’m tired of playing your game.” 1. The text overlay scrolled relentlessly: [Wait, did the sidekick’s eyes just change?] [He should have woken up sooner. The second female lead only has eyes for the male lead.] [Can’t wait for him to blacken and go feral—] Feral? No. I was just suddenly remembering the details. The way she insisted I couldn’t see anyone alone, calling it her “fear of me choosing bad company.” The way she always gently cut me off when I mentioned work: “But darling, I just want to be with you every second.” It wasn’t affection. It was a gilded cage. I wandered back to our sprawling, isolated villa, mechanically throwing things into a suitcase. As I passed her study, the digital overlay intensified: [Look at the computer! The second female lead forgot to log out of her chat!] [Oh no, oh no, if he sees the conversation history…] [CRISIS! Male Lead Protection Initiative Activated!] The chime of an incoming message echoed from the study. I pushed the door open. The screen was bright, showing a conversation between Victoria and Jasmine Cole. Victoria’s latest message read: “He suddenly rejected the proposal. Keep Chase safe these next few days. Don’t let Kai near him.” Jasmine’s reply came quickly: “Don’t worry. You’ve sacrificed so much these past six years.” I laughed, a ragged, dry sound. How ridiculous. My existence had unified two women who were supposed to be bitter rivals. I scrolled up. The record was a blunt knife, slowly and methodically slicing through my skin. Jasmine: “I remember the original plot—Kai ruined Chase’s career, maybe even his looks, and hired thugs to rough him up.” “It’s a travesty that you had to share a bed with that psycho for six years.” Victoria: “As long as Chase is safe, it’s worth it.” Jasmine: “He seems to love you more and more. If he ever found out the truth, do you think he’d go even more insane?” Victoria: “He won’t find out.” “And if he does, and if he dares to touch Chase—” “I’ll break his hands and feet and have him locked up in a psychiatric ward for life.” She had added an exclamation point to the last sentence. I stared at the screen, my fingers numb with cold. The overlay was a frenzy: [‘It’s worth it’… Second female lead is obsessed! But with who, I won’t say!] [Am I the only one who thinks this is terrifying? Using someone for six years, just to protect their true love?] [It’s the cruel sidekick! She’s protecting the true love and doing the world a favor. It’s a win-win!] [Look at the sidekick’s expression… Is he about to blacken?] [Sidekick, stop it! Just run!] Run? I looked down at my wrist. Yes. I had to run. The night was thick and dark as I dragged my suitcase out the door. I stood on the curb, suddenly realizing I had nowhere to go. The overlay seemed to panic on my behalf: [Is he really leaving?] [Go! Don’t hold up the second female lead and the male lead’s romance!] [Wait… isn’t that Victoria’s car in the distance?!] Headlights stabbed the darkness, and her familiar black sedan screeched to a halt beside me. Victoria scrambled out, her silk blouse slightly askew, her breathing ragged. Her face held the perfect, heartbreaking blend of panic and sorrow. “Kai, I’m so sorry, I rushed things… I thought you’d be happy.” She reached out to grab me, her eyes wet. “Don’t go, please. We can talk this through. Just tell me what I did wrong.” Once, that performance would have broken me. Now, all I could hear was the chilling echo of the chat log: break his hands and feet and have him locked up. I took a step back, dodging her touch. “It’s not you,” I heard my own voice say, light and distant. “It’s just… I’m bored.” “Bored…?” Her lashes fluttered, as if the word were a foreign language. “You don’t love me anymore?” In the harsh glow of the streetlamp, her eyes were filled with fractured light. Her acting was Oscar-worthy. A new message floated by: [Honestly, not all of her goodness to him was fake, right… This is kind of painful.] That single line clicked something into place. I raised my head, looking straight into her eyes. “Victoria.” “In these six years, was there ever a second… that you genuinely felt happy?” Her pupils contracted, microscopically. She didn’t answer. But the overlay exploded: [!!! Did he find out?!] [HOLY SHIT HIGH ALERT—] [Second female lead, what are you waiting for?! Lie!] The wind was brutal. I grabbed my suitcase and turned, vanishing into the night. No footsteps followed. Only the countdown, ticking loudly in my mind: 9 Days 23 Hours 59 Minutes. The game wasn’t over. But the player was done following the rules. 2. I hailed a cab and leaned against the window, my hands trembling. It wasn’t fear. It was exhilaration. Shedding six years of pretense felt like finally gulping air after drowning. The countdown blinked relentlessly: 9 Days 23 Hours 10 Minutes Less than ten days left. All because of someone who would never love me. The absurdity was staggering. “Where to, son?” the driver, an older man with a gray beard, asked, looking at me in the rearview mirror. I gave him the address of a small, unpretentious café down by the river—the place I loved most. Victoria had called it “too noisy, too messy.” She’d forbidden me from going back. The overlay drifted past: [Where is he going? Shouldn’t he be hiding?] [Victoria’s last look was terrifying…] [Am I the only one who thinks he looked incredibly hot just now?] The city lights blurred past the window. For six years, I’d lived in a bubble, seeing only the world Victoria had filtered for me. Now the glass had shattered. The wind rushing in carried the scent of street food, the dampness of the river, and the casual laughter of strangers. It was so real it made me want to weep. The café was just as I remembered. The bell above the door jingled as I walked in. The owner, a kind, middle-aged man, looked up and paused. “Kai? Is that really you?” “Uncle Chen, it’s been a while.” “It is you!” He wiped his hands on a towel and walked out from behind the counter. “It must be five or six years, right? You used to take that window seat, one latte, and write screenplays all afternoon…” I remembered then. Before Victoria, I was a film student, dreaming of winning an Oscar, filling the margins of my scripts with notes. And then? Victoria had said: “Acting is too stressful.” She’d said: “Hollywood is toxic. It’s not for you.” She’d said: “I’m all you need, Kai.” And I had believed her. I gave up the auditions, canceled the contracts, locked my dreams in a drawer, and handed her the key. “The usual?” Uncle Chen asked. “The usual,” I confirmed. I paused. “And add a slice of Tiramisu.” I’d never allowed myself to eat it—Victoria said I “gained weight easily and wouldn’t look good on camera.” But I only had ten days left. Who cared about a camera? The window seat was empty. I sat down, the river breeze cool on my face. The lights of the opposite bank shimmered on the water, a dizzying sheet of moving gold. The moment the first bite of Tiramisu hit my tongue—the sweet cream and the bitter, boozy coffee—I closed my eyes. It was glorious. This was what it felt like to be alive. The overlay was silent for a moment, then a few lines drifted across: [He’s eating so intensely…] [I feel weirdly sorry for him.] [If you only have ten days left, I guess you’d want a good meal.] [Do we actually think Victoria is going to let him be this free? I doubt it.] I doubted it too. So, when my phone vibrated, flashing Victoria Ashford, I wasn’t surprised. I answered without speaking. “Kai, where are you?” “I’ve been worried sick about you.” Her voice held a hint of manufactured exhaustion. “I’m eating.” “Come home, Kai.” Her tone softened, the classic manipulative lull. “We both need to cool down. I promise, I won’t bother you tonight; you can sleep in the guest room. We’ll talk tomorrow, okay?” I knew that cadence. For six years, whenever I caused a ripple, she used it to gently, patiently, guide me back into the cage. Then everything would reset. “Victoria.” I looked out at the river. “Do you remember my graduation film?” She paused. “Why bring that up now?” “I played a man who was held captive, and in the end, he burned the whole house down, taking himself with it.” I dug my spoon into the cake. “You said my performance was too extreme, that no one in real life would be that foolish.” “Now I understand.” “He wasn’t foolish. The fire was the only thing he had left.” The breathing on the other end of the line deepened. “What exactly are you trying to say?” “I’m trying to say this,” I finished the last bite of Tiramisu. “For the next ten days, I’m living my own life.” “Don’t look for me. Don’t contact me. Don’t threaten my family.” “And after ten days, if I’m still alive…” I smiled. “We can play your game again.” 3. I checked into the most expensive penthouse suite in the city, charging it to the supplementary card Victoria had given me. The overlay was still buzzing: [The Penthouse??? He’s really living it up.] [Using the second female lead’s money for a hotel is legendary.] [He’s got ten days left, let him be extra!] I tossed my suitcase near the door and sank into a rose petal-filled bathtub. The countdown flickered: 8 Days 14 Hours 32 Minutes Eight and a half days. My phone remained eerily silent. Victoria hadn’t called back. That was unlike her. Late that night, I lay in the three-meter-wide bed. The overlay was sparse: [He actually fell asleep? Balls of steel.] [The second female lead is tracking his phone location, I think.] [Seriously, this surveillance dynamic is suffocating.] Just as I was drifting off, a violent slamming sound ripped through the room. I sat up instantly. The overlay exploded: [What was that sound?!] [Someone’s kicking the door in!!!] [Is it Victoria???] [Help! I’m terrified!] Before I could react, the door to the suite was violently kicked open. Victoria stood in the doorway, her eyes blazing with red streaks, radiating a level of pure rage I had never seen. “Kai Jensen.” Her voice was hoarse as she walked, step by slow step, toward the bed. I instinctively clutched the collar of my robe. She stopped in front of me, glaring. “Where is Chase?” I blinked. “What?” “Don’t play dumb.” She suddenly grabbed my wrist, the strength in her grip making my bones ache. “Where did you take him? Tell me!” “I don’t know what you’re talking about—” I tried to pull free, but her hold tightened impossibly. The overlay scrolled madly: [What’s going on? The male lead was kidnapped?] [The sidekick did it? Impossible, he’s been at the hotel.] [The timeline doesn’t add up. When would he have planned a kidnapping?] [Victoria has lost it!] “Victoria, let go!” I gasped, the pain a cold shock. “I haven’t seen Chase Donovan! I’ve been right here for two days—” “Kai, I underestimated you.” “You act heartbroken, then turn around and kidnap Chase? You’re truly vile.” “I didn’t.” I gritted my teeth. She shoved me roughly onto the bed, leaning over me, hands braced on either side of my head. “I’m giving you one last chance. Where is Chase? What did you do to him?” Her breath was hot on my face, carrying a ferocious, almost psychotic intensity. In six years, I had never witnessed this Victoria. The overlay was starting to split: [The second female lead is terrifying…] [But if the sidekick really did kidnap the male lead, he deserves it, right?] [Look closely! The sidekick didn’t have time to do this!] [Maybe it’s a misunderstanding?] “I told you, I don’t know.” “Victoria, look at me. Have I lied to you in these six years?” Her pupil’s flickered. There was a moment of hesitation. “The location where Chase’s phone tracking disappeared,” she leaned in, her eyes like poisoned daggers, “was the vicinity of the café you went to.” My blood ran cold. A trap. Someone had set a trap. “It wasn’t me, I didn’t—” My voice was starting to shake. “Enough!” She abruptly stood up, pulling a small, folding knife from her pocket. Victoria grabbed my hand and pressed the blade against my wrist. “Kai,” her voice was a chilling whisper. “I know you hate Chase, that you hate him for ‘taking’ me. Even though I was never yours to begin with. But you cannot touch him.” “I’m asking you one last time! Where is Chase?” The blade bit into the skin of my wrist. A warm, immediate river of blood spilled out. The excruciating pain shot through my body. My vision tunneled. I thought I might pass out. The overlay went wild: [The second female lead is completely unhinged!] [I’m starting to pity the sidekick… he genuinely looks lost.] [Say something! Lie to her if you have to!] I opened my mouth, a broken gasp escaping my throat: “I… didn’t…” 4. The crimson blood stained the pristine white sheets. Victoria’s hand was an iron vise, clamped tight around my wrist. The blade was embedded in my flesh; every heartbeat brought a fresh, tearing wave of pain. “Last chance,” her voice sounded miles away. “Where is Chase?” I tried to speak, but no sound came out. My vision blurred. I could only make out her tightly controlled jaw and the near-feral crimson in her eyes. The overlay flooded the air: [He’s going to die…] [Victoria let go! He’s really going to die!] [Can someone call the police?! This is attempted murder!] [System! Why isn’t the system doing anything about this level of physical harm?!] The system remained utterly silent. Right. In a conquest game, the sidekick’s life was never a priority. I was just an NPC, a stepping stone for the protagonists’ love, a villainous backdrop to showcase the hero’s virtue. But I could feel the pain. It was horrifically real. “You won’t talk?” Victoria’s grip pressed the blade another fraction deeper. I heard the thin slish of skin parting, followed by a warmer, faster gush. Black spots started to dance in my vision, like static on an old TV. Just as I believed this was how I would die— Victoria’s phone rang. The moment she saw the caller ID, her pupils shrank. She answered instantly: “Chase?” A man’s broken, shaky voice came through the speaker: “Victoria… I, I got away…” “They’re at the abandoned factory on the West Side… they all ran…” “…I’m so scared…” “Don’t be scared! I’m coming now!” Victoria’s voice instantly transformed. The harshness vanished, replaced by a tenderness, a near-trembling devotion I had never been the recipient of. “Are you hurt? Find a safe place and hide.” She didn’t even hang up. She dropped my wrist and sprinted toward the door. The blade was dragged across my skin as her hand left, sending another jolt of pure agony through me. I slumped onto the bed, watching her figure disappear into the hallway. The overlay was silent for a moment, then erupted: [She just left?!] [The sidekick’s wrist is still pouring blood!] [She could at least call an ambulance?!] [Is this her ‘love’? Hurting someone without hesitation for the male lead?] [How could I ever have thought she was sincere…] I struggled to raise my uninjured hand, reaching for the phone on the nightstand. My fingers shook, centimeters from the device, yet it felt like a thousand miles away. More and more blood pooled on the sheets, the deep crimson spreading across the white linen. I bit down on my jaw, using the last of my strength to inch forward— My fingertips finally brushed the edge of the phone. The overlay was frantic: [Keep going! You got it!] [Call 911! Hurry!] [Don’t pass out! Hold on!] I unlocked the screen, but my vision was too blurry to make out the numbers. I fumbled for the keys, pressing 9, 1, 1, then the call button. I heard the dial tone. One ring. Two rings. My breathing grew shallow. The black spots consumed my sight. “Hello, 911 Emergency…” I opened my mouth, trying to speak, but only a wet, choked sound came out. “Hello? Can you hear me? What is your emergency?” I tried to tell them I was in the hotel, bleeding, dying. But my throat was choked, unable to form words. “Hello? Hello?” The voice on the line faded away. The phone slipped from my grasp, hitting the carpet with a dull thud. The overlay was in chaos: [NOOO!!!] [Someone save him!!!] [Where are the hotel staff?! Didn’t anyone hear the noise?!] [Victoria, you BITCH!!!] My consciousness began to fracture. In the haze, I felt like I was floating, looking down at my pale, curled-up body in the spreading pool of blood. Then I saw the overlay messages again. [Victoria met up with Chase.] [Chase is hugging her.] [She’s comforting him, saying ‘It’s okay, it’s all over.’] [Chase just kissed her.] […They are kissing.] [While the sidekick is lying here bleeding out.] The overlay paused for a few seconds. Then the tone shifted: [I suddenly feel… sick.] [What did the sidekick do wrong? He just loved the wrong person.] [He was genuinely dedicated for six years.] [How dare Victoria do this to him?] [If the sidekick dies, she’s a murderer.] [I want to see her regret this.] [I want to see her on her knees begging for his forgiveness.] [But he might not make it.] [Can someone go to that hotel and save him? I can’t watch this anymore.] The countdown was still lit, faintly blinking: 8 Days 9 Hours 01 Minute The game wasn’t over. But the player seemed to be making an early exit.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “391203”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel