I had just sent the ninety-ninth sex toy to my online boyfriend, teasing him over the phone until he was panting. But just as I was basking in my little victory, the doorbell rang. Curled inside the delivery box was a small, pitch-black snake. I shrieked in terror, reflexively reaching out to dump the whole box into the trash. But then, a stream of comments suddenly flickered across my vision. [The male lead finally snapped. He sent the little snake he shares a sensory link with!] [Ugh, too bad this side character hates snakes. She’s going to toss him out any second.] [And then our FL will pick him up. She’s the snake whisperer—she’s the only one who truly suits the ML.] [If this girl hadn’t kept dodging their first meeting, he wouldn’t be looking for someone else.] I froze. I looked down at the little snake. It had lifted its head, watching me with watery golden slit pupils. After two silent seconds, I tentatively reached out and ran my fingers along its cool, sleek scales. My phone rang abruptly. As soon as I answered, his voice came through, strained and hoarse. “You… aren’t you afraid of snakes? Then why are you touching it?” My heart skipped a beat. I suddenly remembered our past chats. I used to trash-talk snakes constantly. “Slimy, long, and gross.” Every time I said that, the line would go quiet for a long time. Then, he would casually explain, “Snakes are actually very clean. And smart.” Finally, he’d ask softly, “If there was a snake that was very well-behaved and didn’t bite… could you… try to like it?” Back then, I just thought he had a peculiar hobby. Now I realized—he was never talking about a snake. A sharp ache flared in my chest. I hurriedly scooped the little snake out of the box and held it tight against my chest. “I love snakes! I love them so much!” On the other end of the line, his breathing hitched violently. His voice grew even huskier. “Elowen… stop rubbing against it.” The comments exploded instantly. [Disgusting. The supporting character is starting her act.] [She definitely knows this is his final test. If she threw that snake away, the ML would have broken up with her for good.] [She clearly hates it to death but is faking it. It makes me want to puke.] [The real female lead is different—she genuinely loves snakes. She’s the one meant to be with him.] My eyes stung with heat. That’s not true! I was terrified he would believe those comments. In a fit of desperation, I leaned down and pressed a kiss onto the snake’s head. The creature went rigid instantly. Its long body tensed up, and those golden slit pupils stared at me, unblinking. I suddenly remembered what the comments said—they shared a sensory link. Which meant… My fingers trembled as I let them slide from its head down its cool scales. The next second, he sounded like he’d hit his absolute limit. He ground out a single word through gritted teeth. “Stop.” I went still. The snake shot out of my palm, sliding back into the deepest shadows of the box. The line went silent for a few seconds. When he spoke again, his tone was much more formal. “Elowen, we agreed to meet last month. Why did you stand me up?” I opened my mouth, but the words felt like they were stuck in my throat. After a long pause, I managed to whisper, “That day… something came up. And I wasn’t ready.” “But we’ve been together for three years.” My nose stung. “Just a little longer, please?” The other end of the line went silent for a long time. I expected him to say, ‘Okay, I’ll wait,’ like he always did. But this time, he only let out a soft, bitter laugh. “If you’re really that ashamed of me, then let’s just break up.” The line went dead. Tears hit the floor before I could stop them. It wasn’t that I was ashamed of him. Quite the opposite. The one who wasn’t fit to be seen… was me. We met on an anonymous forum three years ago. At the time, we agreed to just talk about our lives—no family talk, and definitely no photo swaps. Online, I could be bold, playful, and affectionate. I’d tease him through the screen, listening as his breathing slowly grew ragged. But in reality, I was just a timid little thing, too scared to even look people in the eye. I had a birthmark on my right cheek that covered nearly half my face. So I was terrified he’d see it and regret everything. I was terrified he’d realize the bold Elowen online was just a girl who tugged at her hem to make eye contact. On my first day at work, I had accidentally sent him my real ID photo. By the time I realized, it was too late to unsend. I stared at the chat box for three grueling hours. Finally, he only replied with one sentence: [Congrats on getting the job.] Before I could type a response, another message came through: [Elowen, I’m going abroad for business. I’ll be very busy lately, so I might not reply quickly.] [I owe you those bedtime stories. I’ll make it up to you when I’m back, okay?] He acted like nothing had happened. But I knew—everything had changed. Syl stopped initiating voice calls. He stopped calling me “babe” in that husky, late-night whisper. And he stopped dropping hints about wanting to finally see me. I tried to tell myself not to care. So I sent more gifts, flirted with him even harder, and pretended everything was normal. Later, I couldn’t take it anymore and lied to him: [That ID photo was actually my coworker’s. I sent the wrong file by accident.] The moment I hit send, I regretted it. Because for one lie, you need a thousand more to cover it up.
I called him over and over. No answer. Until finally, the screen lit up with a message: [If you’re still not ready to see me, or give me a real place in your life, then don’t bother coming to find me.] Just one short sentence, but it felt like a dull blade sawing into my heart, bit by bit. I stared at it for a long time. My tears hit the screen, blurring his profile picture. “No… it’s not that I don’t want to see you.” The little snake in the box suddenly poked its head out. It slithered toward my hand and gently pressed its cool snout against my fingertip. I froze, just about to call his name, when comments suddenly flooded out like crazy. [Elowen is so delusional. Does she really think he’s comforting her?] [He has clearly had enough. Every time he gets worked up and wants to meet or make things official, she bails.] [The snake clan naturally has stronger desires than normal people. She’s been stringing him along for three years—who could stand that?] [She’s an ugly liar. Silas would be repulsed if they actually met. Breaking up now is the only way to keep some dignity.] [He sent the snake this time specifically to find out why she won’t meet him, and to see if she can handle his true form.] [Just let it go. The female lead is cute, sweet, and a perfect match. She’s his fated mate.] My breath hitched, and I instinctively looked at the snake. It pinned me with its gaze. Its golden vertical pupils were like a mirror, reflecting all my pathetic lies and making me feel completely exposed. Shared senses. If he could feel through it, could he see through it too? Does he already know that the ID photo was me? Does he know I’ve been lying to him? My heart plummeted. I reached out in a panic, trying to pick it up, but the snake recoiled, dodging my touch. My hand hung there in mid-air—the rejection felt like a punch to the gut. The comments went wild. [LMAO, he dodged!] [Silas is repulsed. He doesn’t even want her touching him.] [That’s what you get, you ugly liar.] My eyes burned, but I didn’t dare make a sound. No! I couldn’t hide anymore. I had to find him. I had to tell him to his face. The girl in the photo is me. The coward is me. The insecure one is me. But my love for him? That was real. I grabbed my phone, pulled up the old address where I used to send his gifts, and rushed toward the door. I threw it open, only to find my mother standing there, her expression chillingly cold. “Where to?” I gripped my phone tight and whispered, “I have an emergency. I need to go out for a bit.” She looked at me like I’d just told a joke, her brow furrowing instantly. “It’s your grandmother’s birthday today. The whole family is coming over, and you’re leaving now?” “Mom, I really—” She barked, cutting me off. Her eyes swept over my bowed head with pure loathing. “Elowen! Can you stop acting so pathetic and cowering all the time? It’s exhausting just looking at you. You’re a pathetic loser, just like your dead father!” I dug my fingernails deep into my palms. The explanation died in my throat, leaving only a faint, “I’m sorry.” She grew even more impatient, grabbing my wrist and dragging me back into my room. “Your stepsister is coming back. And even Silas will be there. You must be present today. Don’t you dare humiliate me.” She tossed a light-colored dress onto the bed. “Put it on.” I said softly, “This… it doesn’t really suit me.” She let out a cold laugh. “You think you’re in a position to be picky? Your birthmark is ugly enough as it is. Then you go and dress so drab every day—what, worried people won’t notice how low-rent you are?” I stood there, paralyzed, not daring to utter a word of protest. I knew that if I said one more thing, she’d only say something meaner. Besides, the snake was still there. He might be watching. I didn’t want him to see me looking any more pathetic than this. I changed into the dress in silence. The girl in the mirror was a stranger, looking stiff and ill at ease. The light fabric only made the birthmark on my right cheek stand out more, like a stain I could never scrub off. My mom, Madeline Wilson, stared at me for a few seconds before finally looking somewhat satisfied. “Get downstairs. Don’t make everyone wait for you.” The door shut. I finally let out a long breath. Turning around, I met the snake’s golden eyes again. I knelt down, forcing my voice to sound steady. “I have to go downstairs for dinner with my grandmother. Be a good boy and stay here. Don’t leave, okay?” The snake didn’t respond, and I didn’t dare touch it. I fought back the sob rising in my throat and gently closed the door. The moment the door clicked shut, the snake lifted its fever-hot head and slithered out through the window.
The banquet had already started by the time I went downstairs. The hall was brilliantly lit, filled with the scent of expensive perfume and the rustle of elegant clothes. Everyone was crowded around Grandma, wishing her a happy birthday as laughter echoed through the hall. My stepsister, Blair Wilson, stood in the center, my mom affectionately holding her hand. “Blair’s a go-getter.” Her face was beaming with pride. “She organized this entire banquet herself, without a single mistake. She even prepared gifts for everyone. Who wouldn’t love her?” The guests all chimed in. “Blair is truly outstanding.” “She’s pretty and capable. You’re so lucky, Mrs. Wilson.” I stood at the edge of the stairs like an outsider who had blundered in. Blair noticed me first and walked over immediately. “Elowen.” She handed me an exquisite velvet box, her voice gentle. “This is for you. Everyone got one. I spent a long time picking it out; I think it really suits you.” I froze, and just as I reached for it, my mom snatched it away. “She has no use for this.” Blair’s expression shifted slightly. “Madeline…” My mom glanced inside the box and sneered. “Giving her jewelry this nice is a waste. She’s so plain that any jewelry would just be wasted on her.” My hand stayed frozen in mid-air, my fingertips slowly curling inward. Blair frowned, her tone uncharacteristically serious. “Elowen is beautiful. This set really does suit her.” Madeline interrupted impatiently, “Stop defending her! How can she compare to you? You went to a great school, you’re capable, and you have your own company at such a young age.” “Unlike her—still just a nobody, too timid to even look people in the eye.” She shot me a cold glare. “Learn from your sister.” Blair looked at me as if she wanted to argue more. I gently shook my head. It was useless. Blair hesitated for a moment before whispering, “I’ll go look after the guests first.” As soon as she left, the smile on Madeline’s face vanished. “Where’s your gift?” I handed over the box I’d been holding the whole way. It contained the scriptures I had spent three months hand-copying. Grandma was a devout Orthodox Christian; these gifts came straight from the heart. But my mom only took one look, and her face darkened. “This is what you’re giving her?” She whispered, her eyes filled with disgust. “Elowen, are you trying to embarrass me on purpose?” My throat tightened. “I copied them by hand…” “Who wants these?” She tossed the box aside and shoved another gift box from a staff member into my hands. “Give her this later. Don’t bring out your shabby things and make a fool of yourself.” My chest ached as I looked at the Bible discarded in the corner. But it was Grandma’s birthday. I couldn’t make a scene, and I didn’t dare to. Madeline acted as if nothing had happened and continued, “After you give the gift, go to the kitchen and help. Make a bowl of soup for your grandmother.” I lowered my eyes and murmured, “Okay.” As I turned toward the kitchen, I ran right into my stepfather and another man entering side-by-side. The man wore a dark suit, his expression calm and detached. It was Silas. I’d heard the old Mr. Wilson had adopted him; he lived elsewhere and rarely came back. I had only seen him once, the day I entered the Wilson family. Back then, he was just like this—stern and completely unapproachable. We’d hardly ever spoken. I stopped and called out softly, “Silas.” His gaze fell on my face. He paused for two seconds before giving a curt nod. “Mm.” Since I started working, my mom always told me to ask him for advice. Over the last two months, we’d actually been in touch more than before. But seeing him in person, I was still nervous and didn’t dare look at him. After the banquet began, I sat in the most inconspicuous corner. People were clinking glasses all around, the room buzzing with noise. But my mind was full of that little snake. And that address. I had to find him—I had to. So I just forced down a few bites and endured the rest of the party until the end, then stood up to leave. Just as I reached the hallway, a slender hand blocked my path. Silas held out a small box. “Pastries.” I was stunned. His voice was deep and steady. “I saw you didn’t eat much tonight. Have these in case you get hungry.” In that instant, my heart skipped a beat for no reason. His voice… sounded familiar. I gripped the box and waited a long moment before whispering, “Thank you, Silas.” Silas stared at me, seeming like he wanted to say something. But in the end, he just looked down. “It’s late. Get some rest.” I felt relieved and was about to leave when a hand clamped hard around my wrist. I didn’t know how long Mom had been standing behind me. Her face was terrifyingly grim. She dragged me all the way to a corner. The next second—Smack! A heavy slap landed on my face.
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