It was Friday night. My husband, the regional sales director, was trying to suck up to a major client. To seal the deal, he took a photo of our 18-year-old daughter’s period-stained underwear and posted it to a business networking group chat with over 300 men. “Look, the little money-drain I’ve been raising at home is finally ripe,” he typed. “This is what we call ‘seeing red for good luck.’ I guarantee we’ll sign that contract tonight!” The group chat immediately exploded with jeers and crude jokes. “Hey Mark, that’s an untouched, mint-condition model! You’ll be able to ask for a massive dowry for that one later, huh?” My hands were shaking violently as I read the messages. My daughter, hiding in the bathroom, sent me a single voice memo. “Mom, I don’t want to live anymore.” For years, I had swallowed my pride and endured his drunken embarrassments just to save his face. But this time, he had raised his butcher’s knife against my daughter. I turned around, walked into the kitchen, and grabbed the freshly sharpened boning knife. I slipped it into my purse. Twenty minutes later, I kicked open the heavy double doors of the private VIP room at the luxury hotel where he was hosting his “celebratory banquet.” …… The deafening crash of the doors hitting the wall made the crystal glasses in the room rattle. A suffocating wave of cigar smoke and stale liquor hit my face. The men’s loud, raucous laughter died instantly. In the center of the room, Mark was holding up his phone, his face flushed red with alcohol, fawning over an obese man sitting at the head of the table. “Mr. Lewis, look at how vibrant that color is! An eighteen-year-old, totally untouched! This is a genuine good omen. If you sign this contract, your business will definitely boom!” The man called Mr. Lewis, his face practically melting with fat, narrowed his beady eyes at the phone screen. A mixture of drool and whiskey dribbled from the corner of his mouth. “Mark, you’re a real player! This is a fantastic omen. So damn spicy!” The surrounding group of “elite” salesmen started cheering him on. “Nobody does it like Director Mark! Willing to put his own daughter on the line for the sake of the numbers! Now that’s a man who gets things done!” My eyes bypassed all of them, locking dead onto the photo that was currently being AirDropped to a large iPad on a side table. It was my eighteen-year-old daughter, Mia. She was suffering from severe period cramps for the first time and had curled up in bed, crying as she sent me that photo asking for help. That pair of pink cotton panties, stained with bright red blood, was now being paraded around like a sick joke, nakedly displayed in front of this room full of disgusting men. A cold, terrifying numbness spread down the back of my neck. “S-Sarah?” Mark finally realized who had kicked the door open. The sleazy smile froze on his face, quickly twisting into embarrassed rage. “You crazy bitch! Who told you to come here?! Can’t you see I’m entertaining important clients?! Get the hell out!” He slammed his phone face-down on the table and stood up, moving to shove me out the door. “Delete the photo.” My hand was locked around the handle of the knife in my purse. “What did you say?” Mark acted like he had just heard a hilarious joke. He turned to his pack of sleazebag friends and laughed. “See? This is what they mean by ‘women have long hair but short sight’! Typical female soft-heartedness!” He turned back to me, jabbing a thick finger hard against my forehead. “Sarah, let me spell it out for you. That photo is the key to unlocking this deal tonight! I raised Mia. She eats my food, she lives in my house. Shouldn’t she contribute a little surplus value back to me? As long as Mr. Lewis is happy, forget a photo of her underwear—if I told her to come down here right now and pour his drinks, she should consider it a blessing!” “Yeah, come on, Sarah.” A younger subordinate wearing glasses chimed in from the side. “Director Mark is doing this for the family. This is a five-million-dollar contract. What’s a little sacrificed privacy compared to that?” “Sacrificed?” I stared at Mark’s greasy, sweaty face. “Why don’t you post your own filthy, disgusting secrets to the group chat and sacrifice those? That is your biological daughter! She’s only eighteen!” “So what if she’s eighteen? Eighteen makes her a legal adult!” Mark was losing his patience, his voice rising to a shout. “College girls these days will take out loans using naked photos as collateral just to buy a designer bag! I just borrowed one little picture. It’s not like she lost a piece of flesh! But look at you—standing there looking like a hanged ghost. You’re bringing bad luck to my table! Get out!” At the head of the table, Mr. Lewis was starting to look annoyed. He slammed his whiskey glass down heavily. “Mark, are we drinking or what? If you can’t even keep your own woman in line, maybe we shouldn’t be signing this contract after all.” “No, no, no, Mr. Lewis, please!” Mark panicked instantly, spinning around and bowing apologetically. “I’ll handle it right now! I’ll handle it! The old ball-and-chain is hitting menopause, her brain isn’t working right!” With that, he turned back to me. His face contorted with dark malice. He raised his hand and slapped me across the face with everything he had. “You ungrateful bitch! I said get out!” The entire left side of my face swelled up instantly, five bright red finger marks burning into my skin. The private room erupted in cheers and applause. My head was thrown to the side by the force of the blow, my messy hair falling over my eyes. My phone vibrated in my purse. It was a voice memo from Mia. I played it. There was no talking. Just the sound of muffled sobbing and running water. I whipped my head back around. My right hand shot into my purse and ripped out the boning knife with lightning speed. A flash of cold steel. “AHHHH!” Before Mark could pull his hand back from slapping me, I drove the knife straight through it, pinning his hand violently to the solid wood dining table! “AHHHH! MY HAND! MY HAND!” His blood-curdling screams drowned out the cheers in the room. Mark convulsed in agony. The blade had sliced through flesh and bone, embedding itself deep into the wood. The slightest movement sent blinding, excruciating pain shooting up his arm. Blood quickly soaked the pristine white tablecloth. “She’s trying to kill him! Murder!” The “elite” salesmen who had just been cheering were now terrified out of their minds. The young guy with glasses fell backward onto his ass, a dark wet stain spreading across the crotch of his pants. Mr. Lewis dropped his glass, it shattered on the floor, the fat on his face trembling violently. “She’s insane! You’re all insane! Call the cops! Call 911!” The room dissolved into absolute chaos, but I ignored it all. I stepped forward, grabbed Mark by the hair, and forced his head up to look at me. “Does it hurt?” I asked him, my voice barely above a whisper. “When you posted Mia’s photo for these animals to fantasize over, did you wonder if it hurt her? Did you ever stop to think how she’s supposed to face the world after this?!” “Sarah! I’m going to kill you! I’ll kill you!” Mark’s eyes were bulging from the pain, his facial features contorted. “You dare touch me?! I’m the Regional Director! I’m the pillar of this family! You eat my food, you drink my water! You’re nothing but a dog I keep on a leash!” “Well, today I’m going to show you what it feels like to be bitten to death by a dog.” I yanked the knife out of the table. Blood splattered across my face. Mark let out an even more agonizing howl, clutching his mangled hand as he rolled onto the floor. I raised the knife, fully intending to stab him again, but several hotel security guards burst into the room and tackled me, pinning me hard against the floor. I watched as Mark was helped up. He was screaming in pain while simultaneously roaring at me like a madman. “Lock this crazy bitch up! Let her rot in prison! I’m going to make her wish she was dead!” I didn’t cry. I just kept my eyes locked onto the iPad screen. Mia’s photo was still there. Half an hour later, I was handcuffed to a chair in the local police precinct. Mark’s hand was bandaged up like a mummy. He stood in the mediation room, spit flying from his mouth as he yelled. “Officer, this was attempted murder! I’m the victim here! She used a ten-inch boning knife! That crazy bitch was trying to kill me!” The officer taking the statement looked at my stained maternity shirt, then at the baby pacifier sticking out of my purse, and frowned. “A domestic dispute triggered by severe emotional distress does not meet the threshold for attempted murder.” The older officer tapped his pen on the desk. “However, Mrs. Sarah, the fact that you assaulted him with a deadly weapon is undeniable. Based on the medical evaluation, this qualifies as aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. If the victim refuses to drop the charges, you are going to prison.” “I refuse!” Mark roared viciously. “I absolutely refuse! I’m not just going to send her to prison, I’m going to sue her for every dime of my medical bills and lost wages! This hand is the hand I use to sign million-dollar contracts! It’s ruined now! Who’s going to compensate me for my lost commissions?!” Just then, the door to the mediation room opened. A woman in a sharp business suit walked in. It was Chloe, the legal counsel for Mark’s company—and the “close confidante” he spent an awful lot of time flirting with. “Director Mark.” She didn’t even glance at me. She walked straight over to Mark and whispered something in his ear. Mark’s expression shifted, and a dark, venomous smile crept across his face. “Fine. Let’s put the prison talk on hold for a second.” He walked over and looked down at me, waving his bandaged hand. “Sarah, I won’t press charges. But I have one condition.” “That contract fell through, and Mr. Lewis is furious. You are going to go to his hotel right now, drop to your knees, and kowtow three times. Then, you’re going to have that brat Mia go to his room, have dinner with him, and apologize personally. If you do that, we’ll call it even.” I snapped my head up, staring daggers at this absolute monster. “In your dreams.” “Dreams?” Mark sneered. He pulled out his phone and tapped on a video he had just received. “Take a look for yourself. This isn’t a dream.” The video was from a hospital. Mia was lying on a gurney, her wrists covered in blood, being rushed into the ER resuscitation room. That photo of her had already been frantically forwarded by the men in that group chat. Someone had even posted it to her college’s anonymous forum. The caption was vile. [The supposed ‘pure’ campus beauty’s explicit photos leaked. Turns out she’s just a cheap slut.] “Your sister called the ambulance. But I cut off the medical payments.” Mark leaned down, his voice an evil whisper in my ear. “Sarah, you can try to be tough. But your daughter doesn’t have the time. Without my signature, all your credit cards are frozen. The ER fees, the ICU bills, plus all those nasty rumors on the internet… how are you going to fix any of that?” “You’re nothing but a useless housewife who only knows how to chop vegetables.” “Without me, you won’t even have the money to pay for your daughter’s funeral.” I slumped in the chair, my body completely devoid of strength. Mark and Chloe turned to leave. “You have until 8 AM tomorrow to think it over. Either agree, or get ready to bury that brat, and then rot in a cell yourself!” The police officers looked at me with pity, but procedure dictated they keep me in a holding cell for the night. It wasn’t until 3 AM that my younger sister managed to scramble enough bail money together to get me out. “Sarah, what were you thinking?!” My sister’s eyes were bloodshot as she drove, crying and scolding me at the same time. “Was it worth throwing your life away over that piece of trash?! Mia is in the ICU right now! They stopped the bleeding, but she hasn’t woken up yet. The doctors said she lost so much blood her organs are failing. She needs transfusions, she needs rehab… it’s going to cost thousands of dollars a day!” “The money…” I opened my mouth, my voice cracked and hoarse. “I’ll find a way to get it.” “Where are you going to get it?!” My sister sobbed in frustration. “Your cards are frozen! Mom and Dad’s savings are locked up because that bastard Mark tricked them into putting it into some long-term mutual fund! They can’t touch it! I only have twenty grand in my checking account, and I already spent ten grand just paying the deposit for the ER!” The city streets blurred past the window, illuminated by the sickly yellow glow of the streetlights. For the past five years, for the sake of this family, so that he could focus on his career, I had resigned from my position as a Design Director making $150,000 a year. I willingly traded my career for an apron. He had said: “I’ll handle the outside world, you handle the home. You are my rock.” And this is how he repaid me. He trampled my dignity behind my back, used my daughter’s privacy as a cheap bargaining chip, and treated all my sacrifices like worthless garbage to be exploited. When we arrived at the hospital, they wouldn’t let us into the ICU. Through the thick observation glass, I saw Mia. She looked so fragile and pale, thick bandages wrapped around her wrists, like a broken doll completely devoid of life. Her phone had been placed in a plastic belongings bag outside the room. The screen was lighting up non-stop. It was flooded with abusive text messages from her classmates, and screenshots of that photo being maliciously shared by countless strangers. [I always knew that innocent act was fake.] [How much for a night? Looks pretty intense.] [I heard your dad pimped you out? You guys have some sick family dynamics.] Every single word was designed to tear her eighteen-year-old soul to shreds. I covered my mouth and crouched in the corner of the hospital corridor, shaking uncontrollably as I wept. My sister had gone down to the cafeteria to get some breakfast. I was alone in the hallway. Suddenly, the sharp click of leather shoes echoed against the marble floor. I looked up and saw Mark walking toward me. He had changed his clothes. His arm was in a sling. Behind him was Chloe, and two massive, intimidating bodyguards. “Have you thought it over?” Mark kicked me hard in the shin. “Mr. Lewis is willing to compromise. If you go over to his hotel right now and show him a good time, he’ll cover half the medical bills upfront.” “And once Mia wakes up, she can go over there too!” I didn’t move. I just stared dead at him. “She is our daughter. Even a tiger won’t eat its own cubs.” “She’s a money drain! And she’s not my blood anyway!” Mark suddenly exploded in rage, pointing a finger at the ICU. “What’s the point of raising her?! Look at this pathetic psychological resilience—she tries to kill herself over one stupid photo?! I spent a fortune putting her through art school so she could marry into a wealthy family and get me business connections! And now look at her! You want me to waste my money saving a defective product?!” “Chloe, give her the paperwork.” Chloe stepped forward and handed me a folder. “Sarah, just sign it. It’s a transfer of guardianship agreement and an assumption of debt form. Director Mark is feeling generous. If you take on all his personal debts and leave the marriage with nothing, he won’t press charges for aggravated assault. He’ll even lend you ten grand for the hospital bills.” I stared at the blood-soaked documents in my hands. So this was it. He wasn’t just trying to pimp out his daughter; he was trying to bleed me dry and leave me drowning in debt for the rest of my life. “I won’t sign.” I used the wall to pull myself up, swaying unsteadily on my feet. “Mark, you’ll have to kill me first.” “You want to do this the hard way?!” Mark shot a look at the two bodyguards. “Grab her! Mr. Lewis likes his women a little unhinged anyway. I think she looks just miserable enough to suit his tastes right now! Drag her out of here!” “What are you doing?! This is a hospital! Help! Somebody help me!” The two massive men lunged forward and grabbed my arms. My sister, returning with a bag of bagels, saw what was happening and screamed, sprinting toward us. “Let go of my sister! You animals!” “Get the fuck out of the way!” Mark kicked my sister in the stomach, sending her sprawling across the floor. The two bodyguards wrenched my arms behind my back and started dragging me toward the elevators. Absolute despair swallowed me whole. This was the VIP wing. It was isolated, and Mark had clearly used his connections to get the nurses to clear the floor. Staring up at the harsh white fluorescent lights, in that moment, I just wanted to drag them all to hell with me. But Mia hadn’t woken up yet. If I died, Mia would fall into the hands of this monster, and her fate would be even worse. I couldn’t die. Not only could I not die, I needed to live better than any of them. I needed to make these animals pay. My hand desperately gripped the small business card hidden deep in my pocket. It belonged to the man I had ruthlessly abandoned on a rainy night, six years ago. Right as they shoved me toward the elevator doors, I summoned every ounce of strength I had and bit down viciously on Mark’s wrist. He yelled in pain and let go. I used my head to smash the elevator call button, pulled out my phone, and dialed the number I had memorized long ago. It rang exactly once before it was answered. “Who is this?” I sucked in a lungful of air that smelled like blood and screamed his name into the receiver. “Liam. It’s Sarah.” “They’re trying to kill my daughter.” “Please… please save us.”

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My hopelessly romantic daughter insisted on marrying a gold-digging freeloader. To prevent him from bleeding our family dry, my husband and I demanded that their second child take my maiden name, Vance. Later, my daughter announced in our family group chat that she was pregnant with her second baby. I immediately wired her $10,000 as a congratulatory gift and casually replied: “The Vance family finally has a legacy.” My daughter accepted the money in a second, but her reply was dripping with sarcasm: “Mom, you’re honestly so shameless.” “Sure, we agreed to it back then, but I’m having a boy! Making my son take his mother’s maiden name—isn’t that completely emasculating my husband?” “Oh, and just to let you know, my husband is planning to move me and his parents to Europe. Get $1,000,000 ready for us, and transfer the deed to that villa in Tuscany into our names.” Before I could even process the audacity of her words, she coldly added: “If you give us the money, maybe my husband will spare you a smile when you’re old and fly back to visit occasionally. If you don’t… well, good luck.” “But I suggest you look on the bright side. I’m your only daughter. Just consider it me spending my inheritance in advance!” I stared at the word “inheritance” and let out a laugh. The next second, I tagged my husband in the group chat: “Call the fertility clinic. I want to have a second child.” 1 The moment I sent that message, the group chat went dead silent. Then, my daughter Chloe’s messages started rolling in like rapid fire. “???” “Have a second child?! Mom, are you insane? You’re fifty-five! You hit menopause years ago, what kind of geriatric medical miracle are you trying to pull?” “If you aren’t embarrassed, I am! I’m absolutely disgusted! How am I supposed to look my mother-in-law in the eye? She’s two years younger than you and she’s already playing with her grandson!” Every word of her interrogation was laced with thick sarcasm and disbelief, as if I had committed the ultimate cardinal sin. I was just about to reply. But my husband, Arthur, tagged me first. “Yes, honey. I’ll arrange the best doctors and the top private clinic immediately.” Arthur’s unwavering support completely ignited Chloe’s fury. “Dad! Are you going crazy with her?! What are you two trying to do? Just because I won’t let my son take your last name, you’re going to literally manufacture a kid to steal my inheritance?!” Hearing her say that, the relatives who had been quietly lurking in the chat couldn’t sit still anymore. “Chloe, when you married Liam, your parents gave you a penthouse, luxury cars, and a massive trust fund. This was their only request, and you both promised the second child would take the Vance name. We were all witnesses.” “Exactly! Now that you’re having a boy, you go back on your word, and you still have the nerve to demand a million dollars and a villa? That’s really crossing the line.” “Your mom has worked so hard her whole life, and she’s given you everything you ever asked for…” The relatives’ attempts to mediate only poured gas on the fire. Chloe aggressively interrupted them. “Enough! You’ve all been brainwashed by my parents’ hypocrisy!” “You only see the penthouses, the cars, and the cash they threw at me, but do any of you know what kind of life I actually lived?” “At parent-teacher conferences, my seat was the only empty one in the classroom! When I had a 102-degree fever and begged my mom not to leave, she walked right out the door to fly across the country for some stupid contract! To her, money has always been more important than my life!” “I don’t need their money! Can money buy love? Can it buy the warm glass of milk my husband makes for me every night?!” 2 The group chat fell dead silent again. It was a silence born of absolute, speechless shock at her sheer delusion. But Chloe mistook the silence for victory, assuming she had swayed the audience. She continued: “It wasn’t until I joined Liam’s family that I finally learned what it meant to be cherished!” “I have a sensitive stomach, and my mother-in-law makes me homemade soup every single day. When I get leg cramps at night, my husband massages my calves for fifteen minutes straight!” “And what about you two? You ignored me when I was a kid. When I grew up and found true love, you fought tooth and nail to stop me from marrying Liam. And now you’re trying to force my son to take your last name! Your need for control is genuinely terrifying!” Looking at her tearful, dramatic accusations on my screen, it felt like someone had sliced my chest open. Growing up, whenever I wasn’t working, I spent every available second with her. Every birthday gift after she turned ten was either Louis Vuitton or Hermès. And that time she had a fever? My company was on the absolute brink of bankruptcy. If I secured that contract, the company would survive. If I failed, our entire family would go bankrupt and be buried in millions of dollars of debt. I only boarded that flight after confirming with the pediatrician that it was just a viral cold and ensuring Arthur was by her side the entire time. When my business eventually stabilized and flourished, the very first thing I did was buy her a five-million-dollar penthouse in Manhattan, fully paid in cash. That is a lifestyle most people couldn’t achieve in ten lifetimes. But Chloe never mentioned any of that. She only remembered the one time I couldn’t sit by her bed. Now, her mother-in-law makes her soup using the imported organic truffles and premium ingredients I have shipped to their door. Her husband massages her legs using the $2,000 custom Swiss massager I bought for them. In her eyes, this cheap, performative “care” was infinitely more valuable than the millions of dollars and two decades of blood, sweat, and tears we poured into raising her. I let out a cold scoff and typed my reply: “Since that’s how you feel, starting this month, your $10,000 monthly allowance is cut off. Every supplementary credit card under your name will be permanently frozen.” “Furthermore, since you find my ‘need for control’ so terrifying, I am letting go. Have your kids, move to Europe—I won’t ask a single question. You want freedom? You have it.” “Finally, since you think your mother-in-law’s soup is warmer than two decades of my devotion, I hope you enjoy every drop. Have a nice life.” 3 Less than three seconds after I hit send, my perpetually quiet son-in-law, Liam, tagged me in the chat. His tone was perfectly calculated. “Mom, please don’t be angry. Chloe is just spoiled and doesn’t know when to bite her tongue. But she has a pure heart; she didn’t mean any of it.” “Honestly, I don’t care whose last name the second baby takes. But Chloe felt that if the first grandson of the Miller family doesn’t carry the Miller name, my parents would be utterly humiliated back in their hometown. They’ve worked hard their whole lives, and Chloe just couldn’t bear to break their hearts.” Then, he smoothly pivoted. Sounding like a peacemaker, he sneakily tried to back me into a corner: “Besides, Mom, do you know how high the mortality rate is for a pregnancy at your age? You wouldn’t just be knocking on heaven’s door; you’d have one foot inside. You’re just saying these angry things to force Chloe to back down, right?” “Chloe, hurry up and apologize to Mom. Mom would literally die for you, how could she not love you?” I don’t know what Liam texted her privately, but ten minutes later, my daughter tagged me. “Mom, I was wrong.” “I shouldn’t have said those hurtful things. You’re my mom, you’re the closest person to me in the world.” “I thought about it, and no matter the last name, the baby is still my flesh and blood. Don’t worry, when the baby is born, he will absolutely take the Vance name.” Her words were earnest, a complete 180 from her hysterical rant just moments before. Arthur quickly sent me a private message: “Eleanor, Chloe knows she messed up. Since we’re flying into Boston tomorrow to sign that contract anyway, let’s swing by and pick her up. We can bring her back to New York for a few days and clear the air face-to-face.” I stared at Arthur’s message and fell silent. At the end of the day, she was my own flesh and blood. I had poured my heart and soul into raising her for twenty-something years. Completely severing ties felt like taking a dull saw to my own heart. I sighed and typed back, “Okay.” 4 The next day, our business negotiations in Boston went incredibly smoothly. After signing the contract in the afternoon, Arthur drove our car, heading toward Chloe and Liam’s townhouse in the suburbs. No one could have predicted what happened next. Shortly after we merged onto the highway, a sports car swerved aggressively across two lanes, slamming violently into our rear bumper! CRASH! A deafening explosion of metal. I was sitting in the backseat. The massive impact launched me forward, and my forehead smashed brutally against the back of the front seat. Blinding pain shot through my skull, and warm liquid instantly blurred my vision. “Eleanor! Eleanor, are you okay?!” Arthur’s panicked voice rang in my ears. He immediately dialed 911. Remembering that Chloe lived nearby, he frantically called her number. “Chloe! Your mother and I just got rear-ended on the highway!” “Your mom has a huge gash on her head, she’s bleeding everywhere, and she’s severely dizzy! Which hospital around here has the best trauma center?! We don’t know the area well…” The other end of the line went dead silent for a moment before Chloe’s evasive, hesitant voice came through: “Oh? A car crash? Is Mom… is it really bad?” “But I… Liam and I aren’t in Boston right now. We’re in a neighboring town… running some errands. Don’t panic, we’ll head back right now!” Arthur urged, “Hurry! Drive safe! We’re going to the ER!” 5 The ambulance arrived quickly. Although my face was covered in blood and looked terrifying, the scans showed I was incredibly lucky—just a severe laceration and a mild concussion. After getting stitched up, Arthur supported me as we walked out of the emergency room. “Eleanor, let me get you a cab to Chloe’s place so you can rest. I need to go to the Highway Patrol station to handle the accident report, then I’ll come pick you up,” he said, looking heartbroken at the thick gauze wrapped around my head. I nodded, leaning heavily against him. My gaze drifted aimlessly across the street. Right at that moment, I spotted two familiar figures. My daughter was affectionately linking arms with her mother-in-law, Susan. And in Susan’s arms was a plump, gray British Shorthair cat. The two of them were chatting and laughing as they walked straight into a brightly lit, high-end veterinary clinic. In that instant, the blood freezing in my veins turned to ice. “Don’t call the cab yet,” I said, my voice shockingly calm. “Help me walk over there.” 6 The pet hospital smelled strongly of antiseptic. Chloe and her mother-in-law were standing in a corner near the isolation ward where pets received injections. Arthur and I stood hidden in the shadows behind a tall display rack of pet food. They were so engrossed in their conversation they didn’t notice us at all. Chloe was watching a vet tech administer a shot to the cat, her eyes welling with dramatic tears. “Mom, Shadow is so brave. He isn’t even crying during the shot. It breaks my heart to watch.” Susan replied fondly, “I know. I’ve had him for six years, he’s always been a good boy.” After a moment, Susan hesitated before speaking: “Chloe, maybe… maybe you should go check on your mother?” “Your dad just said on the phone that she was bleeding heavily…” Chloe immediately tightened her grip on Susan’s arm and whined playfully: “Mom! But I promised yesterday that I would come with you and Shadow to the vet!” “You’ve raised Shadow for so long, he’s basically your family. And your family is my family!” “I treat you like my real mother, that’s why I couldn’t bear to break my promise to you!” Susan hesitated. “But she is your biological…” “Mom!” Chloe cut her off, a twisted sense of vindictive satisfaction in her voice. “When I had a 102-degree fever as a kid, she abandoned me to go sign a contract. If she can do that to me, why can’t I do it to her?” “Besides, I know my dad. He loves her more than his own life! If she was actually in critical condition, he’d be losing his mind. He wouldn’t have had the bandwidth to calmly remind me to ‘drive safe’.” She scoffed and rested her head on Susan’s shoulder. “Mom, ever since she tried to force my son to take her last name, you are the only mother I have left in my heart.” Standing behind that shelf, every last ounce of strength was drained from my body. Every single word my daughter spoke was like an ice-coated needle driving directly into my heart. So, while I was lying in an ambulance bleeding from the head, my daughter was busy crying over a cat. My safety and my life were worth less than her mother-in-law’s pet. Beside me, Arthur’s fists were clenched so tight his knuckles were white. He was about to storm out and confront them. I grabbed his arm firmly and shook my head. Not because I held any lingering hope for this daughter. But because I wanted to see exactly how utterly soulless the child I had treasured for thirty years could truly be. The thought had barely crossed my mind when I saw a flicker of unmistakable, mocking contempt flash through Susan’s eyes, quickly masked by a heavy layer of exaggerated emotion. She patted Chloe’s hand, looking deeply moved. “Oh, you sweet girl. Liam is so blessed to have married you. Our family must have accumulated good karma for eight lifetimes.” “It’s just… about the baby’s last name… your mother’s demand…” Chloe immediately soothed her: “Mom, don’t worry. Liam and I already figured it out. We’re just going to pretend to agree for now. Once we get all their assets, the penthouses, and the corporate shares transferred into my name…” “Forget about changing his last name back. When they get old and their health fails… whether we hire a cheap nurse to look after them or just dump them in a state-run nursing home… won’t that be entirely up to us?” BOOM. The very last string of affection in my brain snapped. The world spun violently, my vision went black, and I lost consciousness completely. “Eleanor!” Arthur’s desperate, trembling voice cried out my name. Chloe instinctively began to turn her head toward the sound. But just then, the vet popped his head out of the back room: “Shadow’s owners? You can come back and get him now!” Her attention instantly snapped back to the vet. She never looked behind her. 7 When I woke up again, I was staring at a hospital ceiling. Arthur refused to take any chances. He insisted I stay under observation for two days. Only after the doctors confirmed I was completely out of the woods did he take me back home to New York. During that time, my daughter called exactly once to ask how I was doing. Arthur answered and coldly said, “Your mother is fine.” She didn’t contact us again. The day after we returned to New York, Arthur and I visited the most prestigious private fertility clinic on the East Coast. After running a full panel of tests, the results were more optimistic than expected. The head specialist looked over my chart, his tone objective. “Mrs. Vance, both you and your husband have maintained exceptional health. Your biological age is significantly younger than your chronological age.” “However, I must be brutally honest. A pregnancy at your age is considered extremely high-risk. The dangers during gestation and delivery are significantly elevated.” I took the report from him. “Doctor, I’ve been a businesswoman my entire life, and I believe in one core principle—” “High risk yields high rewards.” “When my company was on the verge of collapse, I bet my entire net worth on a single opportunity. Now, for the future of the Vance family, I am more than willing to take this risk.” The doctor nodded, continuing with his professional advice: “We can start you on a hormone and wellness regimen to attempt natural conception first. If we don’t have good news in six months, we will initiate the IVF protocol.” “Perfect. Let’s do it.”

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When Carter and his secretary crossed the line, I hadn’t even left the house yet. They were so intensely engaged they completely lost themselves. Right up until the end. When Carter finally noticed me, he offered a careless apology: “Sorry, didn’t know you were still home.” He looked down, cleaning himself up, then suddenly glanced back at me. “Listening for that long, you must be feeling it too, right? “How about you help me finish cleaning up? And I’ll… “Fulfill you?” 1 Whoosh. A wave of sheer humiliation rushed from my head straight down to my feet. I tried to push him away, but he grabbed my chin, squeezing so hard tears sprang to my eyes. In the bathroom, the steam was thick. Carter leaned down. “Staying behind on purpose… you just wanted to hear how I am with other women, didn’t you? “Now that you’ve heard it, you’re unhappy?” It wasn’t like that! I was originally heading out. But I realized I forgot the lipstick Carter had given me. So I came back. Before I could even find the lipstick, I heard Mia’s giggles. “Why did you call me over at this time?” I wanted to say something. To let them know I was still here. But before I could even push the door open, I didn’t know who pushed who, but they slammed against the bathroom door from the inside. I was trapped. I could only bite my lip as hard as I could. To avoid the utter humiliation… Mia asked him, “Why do you still call me over when your wife is back?” He let out a low groan, but still managed to answer her. “She’s dirty.” Tears of pure degradation broke through the dam. I forced myself to stand up straight, staring directly at Carter. “Those men never touched me… I am not dirty, Carter. My body is clean.” Before I could finish. Mia walked back from washing up in the other room, her eyes meeting my red, tear-filled ones. Her gaze slowly dragged down to the lipstick tube I was clutching so tightly. She gave a slight, mocking smile. “Oh, does the missus really like that lipstick? That’s a shame. Carter bought me a designer bag, and the store threw that in as a free sample.” 2 I froze in place. I couldn’t believe what Mia was implying. This lipstick… It was clearly brand new. It was sitting at home in its perfect, unopened packaging! I… I thought Carter had finally realized the truth. That he had given it to me as a peace offering, a chance to mend our relationship. That’s why I was heading out to carefully pick out a return gift for him… Mia seemed to see right through my confusion. Smiling brightly, she turned around and dropped her towel right in front of me. “Since the missus likes it so much, I’ll just give you all my free samples from now on. “I’m a bit picky anyway. “Free samples… they just feel so dirty to use.” Dirty?! That word again?! The string of sanity in my head snapped violently. I charged at her, using every ounce of strength I had to rip at her hair, dragging her and slamming her against the wall. Mia never expected me to get physical. She screamed in agony. Her smooth forehead instantly swelled where I smashed it against the drywall. It didn’t stop until Carter ripped us apart. He shielded her behind him, looking at me in absolute disbelief. “Chloe, are you insane?!” Yeah! I was insane! What kind of woman could just stand there and watch her husband sleep with another woman?! I glared at him. A wave of overwhelming, crushing sorrow surged up my throat. “I was kidnapped and dragged out to the middle of nowhere because of Mia! I was never touched by those men… “Carter, how many times do I have to say it before you believe me…” I couldn’t stop the sob from escaping. A flicker of emotion, maybe guilt, flashed in his eyes. But Mia suddenly yanked on his arm, her voice trembling. “Stop lying. “When Carter and I burst in there to save you… “Your legs were literally spread apart by those men!” Carter froze. That brief flicker of emotion instantly vanished. He picked Mia up in his arms, his expensive shoe crushing the lipstick tube on the floor. “Chloe, you are truly disgusting.” 3 The water in the bathtub submerged my head entirely. Just ten minutes. Clinical death… then there’s no saving me. I closed my eyes. The darkness, the suffocation, it felt exactly like three years ago. Carter had disappeared without a word. Unreachable. His whole family was frantic. When we finally managed to get a hold of his secretary, Mia, she told me in a panic: Carter had gone to a rural county for a project. His signal was lost deep in the mountains! She suspected… I called the police, but I was so terrified I followed the GPS pin Mia sent me myself. A heavy blow to the back of my head. When I opened my eyes again, I was tied up. A man who only knew how to let out a sickening, guttural laugh was tearing at my clothes, muttering, “Rich man’s wife… so pale… gonna make a great breeder.” I struggled. I fought like a madwoman. They brutally snapped my leg. I was barely breathing. My clothes were in shreds. I felt the cold air against my exposed skin. His filthy, reeking hand clamped over my mouth and nose. I couldn’t breathe… Just a little bit more. Just a little bit… Splash—! I violently sat up from the water, like tearing myself away from a years-long nightmare. My ears were ringing. Why? Why should I be the one to die? I was the victim! It was Carter who refused to believe me! It was Carter who wanted revenge against me. For a whole month, I lay alone in the hospital. No matter how I explained that no man had touched me, he wouldn’t believe it! He only wanted to believe what he saw! He decided I ran off to the mountains and got myself kidnapped just to spite him. He thought I was using my body to manipulate him. But I was incredibly stupid. Even while trying to “manipulate” him, I let those disgusting men take advantage of me! My leg was tortured until it broke. The only time I saw him, Carter stared at me coldly. “Played too hard and got burned. Are you satisfied now? “You reap what you sow. Absolutely idiotic.” Then he left. He ignored every single one of my calls. Desperate to explain, I checked myself out of the hospital early, only to come home and find him in bed with Mia! She was panicked. He didn’t even try to hide. The pristine white sheets were stained with red blood. Carter leaned against the headboard, lazily narrowing his eyes. “No need to look so upset. “At least the person I found is cleaner than the ones you found.” 4 I squeezed my eyes shut, waking up from one unbearable memory after another. My lungs felt like they were going to explode. I was coughing violently. I decided I didn’t want to die. I drove straight to the nearest emergency room. Fighting through the pain, I parked the car, only to see Carter and Mia walking out. She had a fresh bandage taped to her forehead. Her eyes were brimming with tears, looking incredibly wronged. “Carter, maybe I shouldn’t go to your place anymore. Chloe… I don’t know what she’ll do next time, I’m scared…” She didn’t finish. Carter tilted her chin up. Even though I wasn’t that close, I could clearly see the soft, affectionate look in his eyes. “Scared of what? If she won’t let you come over, I’ll just go to your place.” Mia fell silent. She meekly lowered her head. “Then why don’t you… just divorce her?” Carter’s smile faded slightly. “I’ll buy you a new condo in a few days.” Mia pouted slightly. When she looked up again, she met my eyes. Her face drained of color. “Chloe…” Carter frowned. “You followed us here? Chloe, do you really have to pull these pathetic, stalker stunts?!” I walked toward them, step by step. The feeling of water in my lungs made my chest feel like it was cracking open. “Get out of my way!” 5 They didn’t move. I shoved them hard. Carter’s face went cold as he grabbed my arm. “What the hell are you doing?!” My chest felt like it was ripping apart. I coughed uncontrollably. Carter frowned deeper. “Faking an illness now?” Mia looked at me, then gently shook his arm. “I understand Chloe, really. If I were her, and I came up with a stupid plan that ended up getting me violated by other men, I’d try everything to win you back too… “Carter, why don’t you…” She bit her lip, looking pitiful. “Why don’t you just go home with her for now.” Carter reacted like he had touched something filthy. He forcefully threw my arm away, an expression of utter disgust on his face. “I truly didn’t expect you to still be acting at a time like this. Chloe, you’ve hit a new low!” The force of his shove nearly made me pass out. I couldn’t catch my breath. Cold sweat poured down my body. Just then, a man in a white doctor’s coat rushed out and quickly caught me. “Chloe!” He sounded furious, scolding me: “I told you to let the ambulance go get you! Near-drowning is no joke! Thank God I came out to look for you!” By the elevators, two nurses ran out to help me onto a gurney. Carter suddenly grabbed Dr. Arthur Miller’s arm. “Drowning? You’re helping your stepsister lie and scam people now?!” Arthur glanced at Mia standing next to him, his expression completely detached: “Before this moment, I had no idea you were hooking up with this woman again!” 6 Perhaps it was because I finally saw someone I could trust. My consciousness quickly slipped away. Everything went dark and blurry. It felt like I was back a long, long time ago, when the Miller family finally claimed me. Everyone said my grandmother was worried my mom would be despised by the Millers for giving birth to a girl. So she secretly swapped me out for a baby boy and sent me away. That boy was Arthur Miller. He grew up in my house, forming a deep, unbreakable bond with my biological parents. When they found me, they decided to keep us both. But I grew up in a poor, rural town. When I returned to the Miller estate, I realized they had strict etiquette for everything, even eating. I couldn’t learn it. I felt helpless and deeply ashamed. With so many people at the dining table, Carter was the only one who gently held my hand and softly guided me. “Use your left hand first, then apply pressure with your right…” That night, at the banquet celebrating the return of their biological daughter. I, the actual daughter, hid in an unnoticed corner and quietly blushed. Dreams. Fragmented and broken. It felt like ever since I returned to the Miller family, everyone knew how I felt about him. They silently allowed me to follow Carter around like a shadow. Back then, the term ‘simp’ didn’t exist yet. Everyone just said the Miller’s biological daughter was throwing herself at him. Only Arthur warned me to stay far away from Carter. Because everyone knew… Carter already had a “moonlight” in his heart—an untouchable first love. So, when I heard they broke up, I waited by Carter’s side, overjoyed. So, when Carter got drunk, he gave me a chance… The next morning, holding a cigarette, he said: “I’ll marry you.” But I waited for the clouds to part, forgetting that storms can roll in without warning. Mia suddenly appeared in our lives. I realized with sheer terror: Mia only looked a tiny bit like his first love, but Carter was absolutely determined to keep her by his side. We engaged in cold wars, we fought bitterly. Until I couldn’t take it anymore. I went to find him to make peace… and was tricked by Mia into going to that remote mountain village. Tears slipped from the corners of my eyes. Arthur’s voice sounded next to me. “Since you’re awake, start thinking about your future.” 7 I sniffled. “No wonder they love you so much. Nothing gets past you.” Arthur paused. He handed me a tissue. “Mom and Dad never expected you to fall so deeply for Carter.” I wanted to laugh, but I lacked the energy. Some things, the beneficiaries will never understand. My expression must have been too obvious. Arthur frowned. “Chloe, you need to understand, Mom and Dad didn’t have to bring you back.” True. To the Miller family, a daughter’s use value was basically zero. Arthur wanted me to know my place and be grateful. He was also reminding me that without the Miller family, I never would have even had the chance to get close to Carter. I closed my eyes. Feeling the suffocating frustration churning in my chest. “Once I divorce him, I’ll be of absolutely zero use to the Miller family.” “Divorce?” “Divorce?!” Two male voices echoed in the hospital room simultaneously. Unlike Arthur’s shock. Carter’s voice carried a distinct, icy edge. He marched straight in, his gaze locking onto me. “Chloe, what did you just say? You want to divorce me?” This time, Mia wasn’t with him. His sharp eyes bore into mine, looking down at me from his towering height. “Plan A failed, so you’re moving to Plan B? “What kind of crazy act are you putting on this time? Who’s your male lead? Your stepbrother?” He shifted his gaze to Arthur’s face. “What do you think? “Isn’t Chloe your sister? You’re going to get inside her? Doesn’t the very thought of it make you sick?!” “Carter!” I couldn’t take it anymore and screamed his name! The next second. Arthur grabbed his collar and delivered a vicious, bone-crushing punch. The sickening thud of fist meeting flesh. The two men tangled together, neither holding back. “You animal!” Arthur’s eyes were bloodshot as he hoisted Carter up by his collar. “If we knew you were capable of this kind of bastard behavior, our family never would have let Chloe marry you!” They fought until they were both panting heavily and finally separated. Carter looked at me. There wasn’t a shred of apology in his eyes. “What happened with Mia and me just makes us even. Don’t try to threaten me with divorce. “Chloe. “You cry wolf too many times, and eventually, nobody believes you.” 8 I stared quietly at this man. My gaze slid over his sharp, familiar features. I offered a silent smile. “Okay. I understand.” Carter looked momentarily bewildered, staring at me blankly for a long time. “I hope you actually have the self-awareness you’re projecting right now.” Carter left. My phone buzzed with a $50,000 transfer notification. This was an incredibly rare occurrence. The only time anyone got compensation from Carter was when he felt genuinely guilty. Arthur looked at me. His expression was incredibly complicated. I told him, “I suddenly realized something. Regarding that kidnapping… even if I had been violated, what right does Carter have to punish me for it? “This obsession with ‘purity’… it’s just adopting the moral standards of the criminals who kidnapped me. “Don’t you agree, brother?” Arthur’s face went completely blank for a second. He asked, belatedly: “What did you just call me?” I didn’t elaborate. Arthur took a deep breath. “Chloe, whether you believe it or not, Mom, Dad, and I… we all love you very much.” 9 I used to hate Arthur. I hated him for taking my place, for enjoying the love of my parents. He was the reason that even after returning to the Miller family, I remained a child starved for affection. Because I was starved for love. The moment Carter showed me that tiny shred of kindness. I fell hard. I tried so desperately to find proof that I was loved in that relationship. But I forgot that Carter’s kindness toward me was nothing more than an accidental, fleeting act of charity. I suddenly remembered something. After I was rescued, Mia had stopped me and said: [Did you really think I could fool someone as smart as Carter?] [He just doesn’t care. He doesn’t care about you, and he doesn’t care about your marriage.] [After all, when he wasn’t answering your calls, we were just about to…]

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After a car crash, the fake heiress claimed she was from five years in the future and that she was married to my husband. Late at night, she stripped naked, threw herself at my fiancé, and sobbed: “Five years from now, Chloe will steal all your assets, betray you, and even abort your child!” “I’m the only one who truly loves you! We are soulmates!” Ethan coldly tossed her out into the snow, repeatedly wiping his hands where she had touched him. “You’re a lunatic.” “The only woman I love is Chloe. Pull a stunt like this again, and I’ll throw you back to the slums where you belong.” The fake heiress tried everything. She took him to the place where they supposedly fell in love in the future, even trying to drug him to show him their “favorite future position.” Ethan remained completely unmoved. And I firmly believed our love was as solid as a rock. Until the week before our wedding. I walked into our newly bought house and found Ethan, who was supposed to be on a business trip, pinning the fake heiress against our marital bed, kissing her passionately. “You win. You knew I couldn’t bear to see you cry.” “In three days, I’ll force the Sterling family to acknowledge that you are the true heiress.” “As for Chloe, she has me. That’s enough for her.” A sharp, plunging pain ripped through my heart, like a thousand arrows piercing my chest. But almost immediately, a cold laugh escaped my lips. Where did Ethan get the absolute delusion that I could only ever depend on him? ······ “Aren’t you afraid Chloe will find out and leave you?” Ethan let out a dismissive chuckle. “She dreams of marrying me. Even if she found out, she’d only cling to me tighter. I’m her only lifeline.” “Besides, she’s spent the last twenty years acting as the fake heiress. She’s used to settling.” A sharp sting pierced my heart. Mia’s biological mother, a maid, had swapped us at birth. Because of her, I spent twenty years living as a servant’s daughter, enduring endless scorn and eye rolls. Ethan knew exactly how deep the bad blood ran between me and Mia. Yet he chose to sleep with her anyway. I took a deep breath, watching through the crack in the door as the two of them defiled my wedding bed. Strangely, my emotions began to completely detach and cool down. I dialed Ethan’s number. A shrill ringtone shattered the mood in the room. The two lovebirds jumped. Ethan answered, his breathing slightly ragged. “Chloe? Hey, sorry, work is crazy right now. Go ahead and try on the wedding dresses without me. Buy whichever ones you like.” Ethan had always been generous with his money. But this was the first time he had ever lied to me. No, maybe he had been lying ever since Mia started using that ridiculous “time traveler” excuse to seduce him. Who knows how many times they had played me for a fool. I fought back the burning sensation in my nose and asked: “But you promised you’d come with me.” “You missed picking out the wedding rings, too.” Mia giggled softly, licking Ethan’s Adam’s apple. Her small hand slid down his chest. “My silly little sister. That’s because he was in my bed last time, too~” Ethan quickly covered the phone’s microphone, shooting her a warning glare. “Chloe, sweetie, I’m swamped right now. You can handle this, be a good girl.” Ethan hung up immediately. He pulled down Mia’s skirt and slapped her backside. “You little brat. You did that on purpose, didn’t you?” The sickening sounds of their entanglement drilled into my ears, shattering my last line of defense like a blade. Ethan, I gave you a chance. I walked out of the house and immediately made a phone call. “The conditions you proposed last time… I accept.” “But before we sign, you need to help me put on a little show.” That night, Ethan came home very late. He lifted the covers and pulled me into a tight embrace. “Chloe, I love you so much.” “Do you like it? I had a friend bring it back from Paris.” Acting like he was presenting a grand treasure, Ethan pulled a sapphire necklace from his pocket. The gem was flawless, reflecting the eager, fawning look in Ethan’s eyes. I just felt disgusted. I had seen this exact necklace resting on Mia’s upper thigh this afternoon. I didn’t take it. I gently pushed him away. “I don’t wear second-hand goods.” Ethan’s face stiffened for a fraction of a second. “What do you mean? It’s brand new.” “If you don’t like it, I’ll get you something else, okay?” “Chloe, are you just nervous about the banquet?” “I’ll be right by your side at the recognition banquet in three days. I am your rock.” Ethan looked at me with immense tenderness. It was the exact same look he always gave me, but now, it only made me feel a profound, chilling sadness. “Are you really still my rock?” “Ethan, swear to me. If you ever lie to me, I will never speak to you again.” Ethan didn’t take it seriously, assuming I was just having pre-wedding jitters. He squeezed my hand. “Of course I’ll always be your rock.” “Once the banquet is over, my parents won’t have anything left to say, and I can finally marry my Chloe properly.” I desperately wanted to convince myself to trust him one last time. He truly used to be my greatest protector. When I was still considered the maid’s daughter, the Sterling family sponsored my attendance at an elite prep school. But Mia spread malicious rumors, claiming I was a thief who stole her things. The bullying got so bad I nearly lost my life. Ethan broke two ribs fighting them off to save me. He always stood firmly behind me. He shielded me from the rumors, fought off the bullies, and even stood up to his own parents for me. My eyes welled up with hot tears. I clumsily changed the subject. “Tomorrow is my final wedding dress fitting. You have to come with me.” “I will.” But early the next morning, Mia was standing in our living room, beaming as she clung to Ethan’s arm. “Since you guys are going to get divorced in five years anyway, it doesn’t matter if I tag along for the fun, right?” Ethan pulled his arm away, looking at her with apparent disgust. “You’re talking nonsense again!” He walked over, took my hand, and rubbed his temples in exasperation. “She’s having another episode. Just spewing crazy talk.” “If it bothers you, I’ll have security kick her out.” “But your parents might complain about it later.” My parents were just a convenient excuse. The person he actually cared about was her, wasn’t it? It must be exhausting, working so hard to put on this act for me. Finding the whole situation darkly amusing, I nodded. “Fine. Let’s all go.” When he unlocked the car, Mia lunged forward and slid into the passenger seat before I could. “Oops, sorry! This is going to be my designated seat in the future anyway.” “You don’t mind if I exercise my privileges a little early, right?” Ethan shook his head with a sigh. “You really are…” That helpless, utterly doting tone. I don’t think he even realized he was doing it. A tearing pain ripped through my chest. I clenched my fists until my nails dug into my palms. “Sure.” “I’ve never liked using things that other people have already touched anyway.” My words carried a heavy double meaning. The guilty party instantly looked uncomfortable. Ethan stepped toward me, opening his mouth to explain. I slammed the back door shut, cutting him off completely. The wedding dress had already been tailored to near perfection. This appointment was just a formality for the groom to see the final look. But as soon as I stepped out, Mia suddenly burst into tears. Looking utterly heartbroken, she sobbed: “That dress is exactly the same as the one we wear at our wedding five years from now!” “Ethan, it’s okay if you don’t remember, but I do!” “You can’t be this cruel to me!” I raised an eyebrow, crossing my arms as I watched her perform. Ethan looked at me helplessly. “Chloe, maybe… maybe you could pick a different dress?” I let out a sharp, incredulous laugh. “Because of some psychotic delusion she just made up, you want me to change my wedding dress?” “Ethan, do you actually still want to marry me?” Ethan panicked and pulled me into a hug, trying to soothe me. “You are the only woman I will ever marry.” “But Chloe, it’s just a dress. Is it really worth making a scene over?” I had waited six months for this dress. I hand-sewed every single pearl onto the bodice myself. My fingers had bled from needle pricks countless times. Ethan knew all of this. Yet, the moment Mia shed two fake tears, he immediately folded. For the first time, I saw with absolute, crystal clarity: this man no longer loved me. I took two steps back. “Fine. If that’s how it is, do whatever you want.” I turned on my heel and walked out. But Ethan didn’t immediately chase after me like he used to. Instead, a few minutes later, Mia texted me a video. They were in the bridal boutique’s changing room. Mia was wearing the dress I had bled to create, and Ethan was standing behind her, his hands gripping her waist. “If you don’t chase after her, aren’t you afraid Chloe will get mad and cancel the wedding?” Ethan laughed dismissively. “I’ve spoiled Chloe so much her ego has gotten out of control. It’s good for her to swallow some pride before the recognition banquet.” “Cancel the wedding? Please. If she doesn’t marry me, she’ll just be a maid’s daughter for the rest of her life.” Mia burst into triumphant, malicious laughter. I calmly saved the video to my phone. When the pain reaches its absolute limit, you stop feeling anything at all. I went back to the house Ethan and I had bought. And piece by piece, I packed up every single thing I owned and had it couriered to a new address. I knew Ethan wouldn’t be coming home tonight. Ethan didn’t show his face for three days. When he finally appeared, he was holding another “gift.” It was a diamond bracelet. I had seen it on Mia’s Instagram two days ago. Ethan had fastened it around her ankle. The wild, uninhibited lust he displayed with her was something I had never seen. We had known each other for twenty years and dated for five. Ethan always told me his family strictly forbade premarital sex. So, we had never crossed that line. He was always so disciplined, so proper, the perfect gentleman. Turns out he had a wild, ravenous side too; he just saved it for someone else. Ethan offered the bracelet to me like a grand prize. My body reacted instinctively. I gagged. Ethan’s face immediately darkened. “Chloe, I know you’re mad about the dress, but there has to be a limit to these tantrums.” “If you hate me this much, why are you insisting on marrying me?” I took a sip of water to calm my stomach, then looked at him with an amused smile. “What about you?” “Do you still want to marry me, Ethan?” “The next time Mia uses her ‘time traveler’ excuse, are you going to throw me under the bus for her again without a second thought?” Ethan was momentarily speechless. I took a deep breath. I pointed at the wall of shelves filled with designer boxes. “Forty-four gifts.” “Every single time you made me suffer for Mia’s sake, you bought me a gift.” “Ethan, your heart shifted a long time ago. Just like my parents’.” I stated the facts calmly, then turned and walked away. We parted on terrible terms. I headed straight to the recognition banquet. Mia was fluttering around my biological parents like a social butterfly. When my parents saw me, their reaction was entirely lukewarm. They just repeatedly lectured me, warning me that no matter what happened today, I needed to remember Mia was the ‘true’ heiress who had suffered, and I shouldn’t cause a scene. I knew instantly that Ethan had interfered. And my parents had silently agreed to play along with whatever he planned. Even though I had long accepted that no one in this world would ever stand unconditionally behind me… In that moment, a tiny, bitter ache still flickered in my chest. Ethan arrived late. Wearing a perfectly tailored tuxedo, he stood next to my parents and Mia. They looked like the perfect, happy family. Among the guests were several alumni from our old prep school. Seeing me, two of them walked over, swirling their champagne glasses as they looked me up and down with mocking sneers. “Today is Mia’s big day. How did a rat like you sneak in?” “Don’t flatter yourself. You’re just a maid’s daughter. With your filthy bloodline, do you really think you can steal Mia’s family and her man?” “Security! Throw this trash out!” I was quickly surrounded and harassed. Seeing the commotion, Ethan immediately started walking toward me. “Ah!” Mia dramatically faked a twisted ankle, grabbing his arm with a pitiful look. “It hurts.” Ethan’s attention was instantly diverted. He gave her a helpless, fond smile. “You’re so clumsy. Tripping on a perfectly flat floor?” Despite his words, he immediately scooped her up into his arms. My eyes stung sharply. I quickly looked away, hiding my humiliation. “Aww, is the little rat crying?” The group laughed obnoxiously, reaching out to shove me. I didn’t hesitate. I slapped each of them hard across the face. I spoke in a flat, icy tone. “You’re about to find out who really belongs outside.” “It’s been years, and you’re still playing the same pathetic high school bullying games. I actually feel sorry for you.” They glared at me, furious, but they were genuinely shocked by my reaction. None of them dared to lay another finger on me. Just then, the music swelled over the speakers. The recognition ceremony was beginning. My parents, beaming with joy, led Mia onto the grand stage. “As you can all see, we are hosting this grand banquet today to celebrate finally bringing our biological daughter back home.” “There have been some… rumors circulating recently, which I’m sure many of you have heard.” “We want to formally clarify right here and now: the Sterling family has one, and only one, precious princess, and that is Mia. As for anyone else claiming otherwise, we have no idea what malicious individuals are spreading such lies.” The crowd erupted into furious whispers. Dozens of malicious, mocking stares landed on me. But I didn’t react at all. I calmly raised my glass and took a slow sip of red wine. Mia blinked her large, innocent eyes at me, playing the perfect, victimized angel over the microphone: “Sister, I know you lived in our house for so long, and your heart was corrupted by the luxury. I know you dream of being a true daughter of the Sterling family.” “Even though you stole my fiancé, and tried to steal my parents, I don’t blame you.” “If you want, I can ask Mom and Dad to legally adopt you as a goddaughter. But please, I’m begging you, give Ethan back to me. I really can’t live without him.” Ethan frowned slightly, but made absolutely no move to stop her. In that exact second, the very last, microscopic shred of affection I held for him evaporated into nothingness. I offered a faint smile. “So, you’re the true heiress of the Sterling family?” “Of course. Mom and Dad just announced it. Didn’t you hear them?” “Then what is this?” I pulled a certified DNA paternity report from my purse and held it high. The bold print clearly stated that the probability of paternity between the Sterlings and myself was 99.99%. And the probability for Mia was 0.014%. The ballroom exploded in shock. Mia’s face turned a sickly shade of gray. Ethan marched over, his face devoid of emotion. He snatched the report from my hand and ripped it into shreds without a second thought. Ruthlessly issuing a death sentence to the truth. “Chloe, stop throwing tantrums. Why do you have to compete with Mia for everything? Isn’t having me enough for you?” “Mia is the one and only true heiress of the Sterling family. If you keep playing these crazy games with fake reports, I’m not going to tolerate it anymore.” “Take Chloe out of here.” Ethan’s bodyguards grabbed my arms and started dragging me toward the exit. I fought back fiercely. “Ethan! Let me ask you one last time. Are you absolutely certain you want to stand with Mia?” I locked eyes with him, staring into his soul. This final question was the only grace I was offering him, a repayment for the time he saved my life in high school. But Ethan disappointed me to the bitter end. He looked at me with deep exasperation, like dealing with an unreasonable child. “Are you done acting crazy?!” “Mia is younger than you. Why are you always trying to compete with her?”

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There was a three-hundred-dollar deduction on my pay stub. The HR lady just rolled her eyes at me. “Don’t you know what you did?” I was the top salesperson in the entire company. I had no idea where that three hundred dollars went. When I went to the manager for an explanation, he pulled up the cafeteria security footage. All because I took one extra bagel. “If you have the audacity to steal a bagel today, who knows when you’ll decide to betray the company tomorrow.” The manager gave me a long, meaningful look. “As a woman, there’s no need to be the best at everything. You might accidentally end up blocking someone else’s path.” It suddenly clicked. Fine. If I’m in the way, I’ll just step aside. 1 I hit the top of the leaderboard again this month. I just closed a million-dollar contract. Between my base salary and the commission, I was expecting a check for at least thirty thousand. But then. The moment my eyes hit the pay stub the HR rep handed me. The smile on my face froze solid. Policy Violation Fine: $300? I stopped her right there to ask what it was about. She just gave me a look, covering a smirk with her hand. “Don’t you know what you did?” “You actually have the nerve to ask!” I was completely lost. I’d worked so many late nights this month I’d lost count. To land that million-dollar deal, I’d practically lived at the client’s office for a week straight. Every waking second was spent catering to their needs. The more I thought about it, the angrier I got. I finally snapped. “I’ve worked endless overtime and secured a massive account for this firm. What exactly did I violate to lose three hundred dollars?” “Tell me. Which rule did I break?” She just curled her lip. “If you’re pissed, don’t take it out on me. Go talk to the manager if you’re so tough.” Oh, I was going. Fuming, I knocked on Mr. Miller’s office door. He looked like he’d been waiting for me. I walked in with a face of stone. “Mr. Miller, why does my pay stub show a three-hundred-dollar deduction for a policy violation?” As the company’s top closer. I figured I had enough leverage to demand an answer. But I never could have imagined. The reason for the fine was this pathetic. 2 Mr. Miller showed me a clip from the security cameras. It was me, at the cafeteria counter, taking two bagels. The cafeteria policy: One bagel per person. No extras. I was speechless. “You’re docking me three hundred dollars… because I took an extra bagel???” I did take two that day. It was because a client had arrived unexpectedly, and I didn’t have time for a real meal. I had to scarf down whatever I could grab while running to the conference room. I tried to explain. “That day, the situation was—” “If you dare to steal a bagel today, who knows when you’ll decide to betray the company tomorrow,” Mr. Miller cut me off impatiently. This was beyond an overreaction. I’d been with this firm for six years, grinding my way up to become the top producer. Why on earth would I betray the company? I was genuinely insulted. Mr. Miller leaned back, giving me that same meaningful look. “Look, Sarah. As a woman, you don’t need to be the best at everything. You might accidentally end up blocking someone else’s path.” My mouth hung open, but no words came out. I left his office in a daze. Thinking about that warning look he gave me as I walked out. My heart sank. But it didn’t take long for me to figure out what was really going on. 3 The next day, the company blast went out with the monthly rankings. I was still number one. But on the line for the million-dollar contract I’d just closed, there was a new name under “Account Support.” Caleb Reed. On top of that, two of my high-value leads were reassigned directly to him. I stared at the screen for a while. Who was Caleb Reed? The girl in the next cubicle gave me the answer. He was the new intern. Then I remembered him. This kid had just started, and he didn’t have a lick of rookie humility. He’d been here less than a month, done zero work, and was already walking away with ready-made projects. So, this was about stealing my accounts? My blood started to boil. I headed straight for Mr. Miller’s office. If I didn’t get a real explanation for this, I was walking. I was halfway there when I stopped by the breakroom. 4 The door was cracked open. I heard Caleb’s voice. “Uncle, are you sure about giving me Sarah’s project? Won’t she freak out? She is the top earner, after all.” Uncle? Then Mr. Miller’s voice came back, dripping with dismissiveness. “She only has herself to blame. Why does a woman need to be that ambitious anyway?” He paused. “If I give her credit, she’s the top earner. If I don’t, she’s nothing.” Caleb was quick to suck up. “Yeah, you’re right. She thinks she’s untouchable just because she brings in some money. She doesn’t show you any respect.” Mr. Miller snorted. “This company’s resources belong in the hands of our own people. We can’t have a woman hogging the top spot forever.” He lowered his voice, sounding even more ruthless. “If she’s smart, she’ll hand over the rest of her leads quietly. If not, I’ve got plenty of ways to make her pack her bags.” “Once you’ve got her accounts and secure that top spot, this whole department will be our territory.” In a split second, rage hit me like a physical blow. I finally got it. I finally knew whose way I was blocking. And me and Caleb. We did have a little history. Last week during the staff meeting, I’d pointed out three massive holes in a proposal he’d clearly copy-pasted. They were rookie errors. After the meeting, he’d cornered me, his tone bitter and arrogant. “Don’t get too comfortable just because you’ve been here longer. We’ll see who’s still standing in the end.” I hadn’t thought anything of it at the time. Turns out, he had backing. Mr. Miller seemed to have forgotten that he only got that manager’s chair because I—the woman he looked down on—had pushed him there. 5 Three years ago, when they were voting for a new department manager. Mr. Miller’s rival had more seniority and the biggest clients. Mr. Miller had practically begged me to transfer my closed deals to his portfolio so his numbers would look better than his opponent’s. I valued our working relationship and wanted a boss I thought I could trust, so I did it. The day he got the promotion, he called me the “pillar of the department” in front of everyone. And now? Now I was just an obstacle. My heart went cold. If Miller was determined to pave the way for Caleb, nothing I said would matter. It would only give them more ammunition to use against me. Oh, so they thought I was in their way? Fine. I’ll give them the whole damn road. I walked back to my desk, putting on my best “defeated” face. My coworkers saw me looking down and immediately averted their eyes, too scared to ask. When Caleb got back to his desk. I gathered up every single one of my client files. I carried the stack over and set them on his desk personally. I kept my voice soft and compliant. “Caleb, I’ve organized all my client data. They’re all yours to handle from now on.” 6 Caleb froze. He clearly hadn’t expected me to be this “reasonable.” A flash of smugness crossed his eyes, but he kept up the fake politeness. “Sarah, I couldn’t! You worked so hard on these.” I looked down, acting despondent. “As a woman, there’s really no point in me pushing this hard. Better to give the opportunities to you young guys.” The office erupted in whispers. The looks Caleb was getting were a mix of suspicion and wariness. If even I was backing down, what chance did any of them have? I ignored them. I went back to my computer. I pulled up the backup files for the million-dollar contract. That draft had three major contractual loopholes. I’d planned to fix them before the final signing, but now… they were exactly where they needed to be. Then I dug up the resume Caleb submitted when he was hired. It was a work of fiction. “Independently closed a half-million dollar deal.” “Led market expansion in the Southeast.” I did a quick search on the clients he claimed to have worked with. Non-existent. Heh. This is going to be fun. I saved all the evidence to an encrypted drive, then hopped on the company group chat and sent a message: [Mark is going to be the main driver for our department from now on! Let’s all learn from his example!] Mr. Miller was quick to “like” it. [Great attitude, Sarah. Very professional.] I looked at the screen, a cold smile curling my lips. 7 For the next week, I completely checked out. I showed up at 9:00 sharp and vanished the second the clock hit 5:00. No overtime. Every client inquiry that came in, I forwarded straight to Caleb. I was light as a feather. Slowly, the office rumor mill started churning. People were saying I’d fallen for Caleb. That I was stepping aside out of love. I didn’t say a word, letting the gossip spread like wildfire. Caleb was loving it. He strutted around the office, barking orders, trashing people’s reports, acting like he owned the place. Once he’d had his fill of the flattery, his ego started to cloud his judgment. It was time. I caught him in the breakroom while I was getting coffee. “Congrats, Caleb! You’ve been so busy lately. That million-dollar deal is basically in the bag, right?” Caleb lifted his chin. “Of course. A little thing like that? Not a problem for me.” I leaned in, looking totally envious. “You’re amazing. I pulled so many all-nighters on that account, and you just took over and finished it like it was nothing.” He gave me a condescending smirk. “You women just think too small. Business is about strategy, not just grinding. Hard work is useless if you don’t have the vision.” I nodded along like a fan girl, then lowered my voice. “A rookie landing a deal that big makes Mr. Miller look like a genius. Upper management is definitely watching you.” I watched his eyes light up, and then I threw the match. “In six months, I’ll probably be calling you ‘Manager Reed’.” 8 Caleb’s face turned bright red. “Hey… you shouldn’t say things like that!” I gave him a knowing smile. “Mr. Miller isn’t getting any younger, and you know how much the VPs love promoting new blood.” I paused, acting a little hesitant. “It’s just a shame…” “A shame about what?” I’d hooked him perfectly. “It’s a shame you’re only listed as ‘Support’ on that contract. If you were the sole ‘Project Lead,’ that manager’s position would be a lock.” Smart people don’t need things spelled out. His eyes darted around as he did the math. An hour later. He marched over and slammed a Project Lead Transfer form on my desk. “Starting today, I am the sole person responsible for this contract!” I acted shocked and quickly snapped a photo of the signed form with my phone. “When you’re the boss, you better look out for me.” Caleb was so high on himself he was practically floating. The second he walked away. I sent an anonymous email to the entire firm—and the client. I laid out the project theft, the contract loopholes, and the total fraud that was Caleb’s resume. Send. The next second. The company group chat turned into a war zone. 9 [No way! This resume is a total joke! I looked up that $500k deal, and that company doesn’t even exist! He lied that much on day one?] [I heard someone was stealing accounts, I thought it was just office drama, but it’s real?] [Management needs to investigate this immediately! Otherwise, why are we even doing our own work? Let’s all just poach each other!] [Tsk. Nepo baby much?] I jumped in the chat to “defend” him. [There must be some mistake! I’m sure Caleb isn’t like that.] People immediately started feeling sorry for me. [Sarah, you’re way too nice. He stole your account and you’re still sticking up for him?] [Seriously. In my department, he’d be eaten alive.] I hadn’t even finished reading the replies when a roar erupted across the office. “Sarah! You sent that email, didn’t you?!”

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When the internet leaked the news that I was just one of thirty-eight mistresses kept by Silas Sterling—a “Fake Mrs. Sterling”—I was eight months pregnant, busy managing the PR crisis involving him and a young model’s bed photos. Everyone said I was the most dedicated PR Queen in the Manhattan elite circle. My husband’s scandals flew ahead, and I followed behind, cleaning up the mess with a straight face. I had handled over a hundred crises for Silas and issued non-disclosure agreements and hush money to countless women he had slept with. I never expected that one day, I would become the subject of the PR myself. When I found Silas, he was lying naked with Chloe Vance in the nursery I had prepared for our baby. Condoms were scattered across the floor. Seeing me, the usually lethargic man shushed me. “Talk outside. Chloe is a light sleeper.” I didn’t explode. I only asked calmly, “Does today’s news need a statement?” Thinking of the photoshopped marriage certificate Chloe had posted, Silas smirked. “Good girl, Elena. Chloe is sensitive. Don’t expose her.” I nodded. “Understood.” I turned around and posted a public statement on social media: [I am indeed not in a marital relationship with Mr. Sterling. I would like to congratulate Mr. Sterling on his new marriage.] A wave of mockery erupted online, but Silas grabbed my hand, satisfied. “Once you have the baby, we’ll have a proper wedding.” I didn’t answer. He didn’t know that once this child was born, my debt to the Sterling family would be paid in full. And someone else had been waiting ten years for me. A wedding was already prepared—just not by him. The man on the other end of the phone was ecstatic. “Elena! You finally said yes.” “Wait for me! I’m flying back to marry you right now!” I hung up, only to find Silas standing behind me. “Did you talk to the reporters? Is it handled?” I looked down at my contact list; it was almost entirely journalists. I curled my lip. I had revolved around him for so long that I had no friends left to call. No wonder he assumed I was working. Seeing my silence, Silas narrowed his eyes and leaned in. “What are you looking at?” I clicked the screen off. “Nothing.” Behind him, movers were bringing in mountains of luxury goods. Brands I had coveted for years but could never justify buying. Seeing the smirk on his face, I reminded him, “I’m about to give birth. I won’t fit into those…” Before I could finish, Silas was excitedly directing the men. “Turn the nursery into a walk-in closet. Move everything in there.” Then, he held out his hand for my keys. “Chloe is packing her bags. She loves this place. Elena, you need to move out for now.” I froze. “What did you say?” Silas smiled carelessly, leaning close to my face. He handed me a deed to a different property. “Consider this your bonus for the hard work.” I watched the maids tear down the curtains I had carefully chosen. The sunlight streaming in was blinding. I remembered the first time Silas brought me here. He had pressed the keys into my palm and said, “Elena, this is your home. No one can ever kick you out.” I had once told him my mother and I were evicted when I was young. He knew I wanted a home that could weather any storm. He gave it to me, and that security kept me by his side for ten years. Through every night he didn’t come home. Through every provocation from other women. Through the mockery of high society. Now, he wanted the keys back. Ten years later, I was being evicted again. “Fine,” I said. I handed him the keys, took the new deed, and turned to leave. Silas looked surprised that I didn’t cause a scene. Usually, I wasn’t the “calm and collected” wife the tabloids described. Every time he cheated, I fought like a lunatic. I even threatened to end it all. He would just pacify me with checks and jewelry. But this time, I was done. I was ready to settle for a quiet life for the sake of the baby, but Silas could sleep with anyone except Chloe Vance. Chloe was the living proof of my father’s betrayal. Chloe and her mother were the ones who drove my mother to jump from a thirty-second-story window. Silas grabbed my wrist. His fingers brushed against the faded scars on my arm, and he flinched, unable to hide his disgust. Then, a rare flash of guilt crossed his eyes. “I’ll have the driver take you. The new place has great light. You’ll like it.” I nodded. Halfway there, the driver turned the car around. “The boss wants us back, ma’am.” Inside the house, smoke filled the air. The servants stood trembling while Silas stared at a scorched pot. Seeing me, he dragged me into the kitchen. “Elena, that soup you always make… teach me how to do it.” I watched him. I watched him sweat as he turned on the stove, overcoming his lifelong fear of fire just to make a pot of soup for the woman he loved. Chloe had posted on Instagram: “In this cold winter, if someone brought me a bowl of hot soup, I’d marry them on the spot!” So Silas, who had never touched a kitchen utensil in his life, was clumsily cooking because of a joke on social media. A few days ago, when I fell in the kitchen, Silas had watched from a distance as if I were a stranger. Later, he posted the security footage of me struggling to get up to a private circle of friends. His caption: “Like a fat pig rolling on the floor.” I silently made the soup for him. He took notes on his phone. When it rang, he answered immediately. I saw the contact name: “Wife.” I felt a hollow chill. If Chloe was his wife, who was I? As he stepped onto the balcony to talk to her, I called his number. It went straight to a busy signal. He had blocked me. I laughed at myself and left. Silas’s mother was waiting for me at the family estate. She sighed. “Elena, I thought you decided to stay for the baby…” I placed the divorce papers on the table. “According to our deal, if I provide an heir, the medical bills the Sterlings paid for my mother are settled. I’m three days from my due date. Let me go.” Ten years ago, Silas was the playboy prince and I was a dishwasher at a bar. He chased me for eighteen months. When his mother found me, my mother was in critical condition. She told me I was the only woman Silas couldn’t forget. She wanted me to manage him and give the family an heir. In exchange, they would pay for my mother’s life support. I didn’t hesitate. “It’s Silas’s loss,” his mother said, nodding. “I’ll arrange your departure after the birth.”

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“Ms. Sterling, this is your seventh citation.” The property manager’s assistant handed me the pink slip, his eyes darting away in guilt. Two hundred dollars. Including the previous six, I’d been fined $1,400 this month alone for “obstructing common areas with personal clutter.” I looked at the AED (Automated External Defibrillator) mounted in the corner of the 17th-floor landing and let out a bitter laugh. I had spent $2,000 of my own money to buy it three months ago specifically because my neighbor across the hall, Mr. Henderson, has a severe heart condition. “Ms. Sterling, my hands are tied,” the assistant whispered. “Mrs. Miller reported it again. This time, she went straight to the HOA board…” Mrs. Miller. Brenda Miller from 1702. Ever since she discovered that filing reports earned her “Community Credits” that could be redeemed for grocery vouchers, the entire building hadn’t known a moment of peace. I took a deep breath. “Fine. I’ll move out.” The assistant froze. “Wait, what?” I was already opening an app on my phone, my thumb hovering over the words “Terminate Service.” I waited three seconds, then tapped it. The screen flashed a confirmation: [Vance Elevator Services • Grandview Towers Building 1 • Annual Maintenance Contract Terminated.] My name is Sarah Sterling. I’m 32. I’ve lived in this building for 15 years. For 15 years, I’ve been the building’s silent benefactor—the “sucker.” 01 It all started two months ago. I was coming home from work when I stepped off the elevator to find Brenda Miller standing in front of my door, snapping photos with her phone. “Mrs. Miller? Is everything okay?” “Sarah, you have far too much junk in this hallway,” she said without looking up. “Fire extinguishers, first-aid kits, and now this big metal box. You’re hogging public space, you know.” I followed her gaze to the “big metal box”—the AED I’d installed last month. Mr. Henderson is 68 and his heart is failing. He’d had an episode in the hallway once, and if I hadn’t been passing by, he wouldn’t have made it. After that, I bought the machine and even went out of my way to get CPR and AED certified. “Mrs. Miller, that’s a defibrillator. It’s for Mr. Henderson—” “I don’t care what kind of ‘ator’ it is,” she snapped. “Rules are rules. No personal items in the common areas.” “This is life-saving equipment.” “Then keep it inside your own apartment. Why put it out here? To show off how much money you have?” I was stunned. Show off? I’d paid $2,000 for it and specifically mounted it in a discreet corner so neighbors wouldn’t think I was flaunting anything. “Mrs. Miller, if I keep it inside, it’ll be too late to reach it in a real emergency.” “That’s your problem.” She shoved her phone in my face. The reporting portal was open; the photo was already uploaded. “I’ve submitted it. If the property manager doesn’t handle it in 72 hours, the HOA will.” With that, she marched off. I stood there, keys in hand, paralyzed. The door across the hall cracked open. Mr. Henderson peeked out. “Sarah, I heard everything,” he sighed. “Maybe you should just take it down. Don’t make an enemy for my sake.” “Don’t worry about it, Bill. The machine stays.” He hesitated. “That Brenda Miller… don’t let her get to you. She’s just like that.” “I know.” I didn’t just know. I knew more about the costs of this building than anyone else. 02 The next day, the building management showed up. It was Joe, an old-timer who’d worked here for ten years. “Ms. Sterling, look…” He looked at the AED uncomfortably. “Technically, the hallways have to be clear.” “Joe, it’s an AED. It’s for emergencies.” “I know, but someone reported it. I have to show the board I did something.” “So, what’s the solution?” Joe scratched his head. “Maybe move it inside for a bit? Until the heat dies down?” “Joe.” I cut him off, my voice steady. “Who pays for the annual inspection and refill of the fire extinguishers in this building?” He stiffened. “Who bought the high-efficiency motion-sensor LED lights for the stairwells?” “…” “Who installed the filtered water station in the lobby?” Joe looked at the floor, silent. In this entire building, only the management staff knew these things. For 15 years, I’d never mentioned it to a single neighbor. “Ms. Sterling, I know how much you’ve done, but…” “Fine. I won’t make your job harder.” I unscrewed the AED from the wall and carried it into my apartment. Joe looked relieved. “Thanks for understanding, Sarah.” I shut the door without a word. I opened my phone and went to the building’s Facebook group. Sure enough, Brenda was posting her “Victory Report.” [REPORT SUCCESS! The illegal obstruction on the 17th floor has been cleared. Remember everyone, see something, say something! Let’s keep our public spaces tidy! 🌹] The likes poured in. [Brenda is the best!] [Who was the person on 17 anyway? Some people are so entitled, thinking they can just claim the hallway.] [Exactly. About time someone did something.] I watched the comments scroll by. 72 units. Not a single person remembered that the AED cost me $2,000. And not a single person remembered that the elevator in this building hadn’t broken down once in 15 years. 03 Brenda didn’t stop. On day three, the first-aid kits were reported. I’d placed them every few floors—stocked with bandages, antiseptic, and even emergency aspirin. Fine: $200. On day five, the lobby water station was reported. I’d installed it eight years ago, paid for the filters twice a year, and covered the minor bump in the building’s electricity. Joe brought me an “Illegal Utility Connection Notice.” “Ms. Sterling, Brenda says we don’t know who installed it. She’s worried about leaks or electrical hazards.” “I installed it.” “Doesn’t matter. There’s no official board permit on file…” Fine: $200. On day seven, the “Share-an-Umbrella” bin I kept by the door for kids was reported. Brenda called it “unsightly clutter affecting property value.” Fine: $200. On day ten, the fire extinguishers themselves were reported. 18 floors, two per floor. I replaced them every year out of pocket because the building’s official ones had expired three years ago and the HOA was too cheap to buy new ones. Brenda said: “The color of the canisters is dated and clashes with the hallway decor.” Fine: $200. I stood in the management office with five pink slips on the desk. “Sarah,” Joe sighed. “I’m so sorry. Brenda is… well, you know.” I knew. I knew all too well. Brenda Miller, 52, retired, husband is a mid-level bureaucrat at the City Inspector’s office. She moved in three years ago and immediately started reporting the food truck down the street, the hardware store on the corner, and even the birdhouse on the roof. She lived for the Community Credits. “Joe, I’ll pay the fines.” I slapped $1,000 in cash on the desk. “Sarah…” “But I have a condition.” “Anything.” “Starting today, everything I bought for this building is leaving with me.” Joe blinked. “What?” “The fire extinguishers. The first-aid kits. The water station. The LED sensors. The umbrellas. And the AED.” “But Sarah… those are part of the building now…” “No,” I corrected him. “They are my private property. The HOA never spent a cent on them.” I dropped a thick folder of receipts on the desk. “Fifteen years of invoices. Look for yourself.” Joe flipped to the first page, his hand starting to shake. 2011—36 Fire extinguishers: $1,800. 2012—18 Motion sensor lights: $900. 2014—Lobby water filtration system: $1,200. Annual filters: $200. … 2026—AED Unit: $2,000. Page after page of meticulous spending. Joe’s face went white. “Sarah, in fifteen years… you’ve spent nearly…” “$124,000.” I stated the number flatly. Like I was reading a weather report. “I did it because I wanted to. But since people find them to be eyesores, I’m taking my ‘clutter’ back.” Joe stood up, his lips trembling. “Sarah, don’t do this. People… people use these things every day…” “And?” “And… just don’t take it so personally. You know how Brenda is—” “Joe,” I interrupted. “Am I taking it personally? Have I ever reported her for drying her laundry on the common balcony? Have I reported her shoe rack in the hallway? Have I reported her for taking up two guest parking spots?” Joe went quiet. “I haven’t. I just did what I wanted to do and spent what I wanted to spend. But she’s decided to penalize my kindness. Fine. I’m done being kind.” I gathered my copies of the receipts and turned to the door. “Oh, and one more thing.” “What?” “My company handles the elevator maintenance for this building.” Joe looked like he’d just seen a ghost. 04 My name is Sarah Sterling. I’m the CEO of Sterling Elevator Group. This building was my parents’ home. I grew up here. When I was 17, my father died. When I was 23, my mother passed too, leaving me this apartment and a small, struggling maintenance company. I turned that three-person shop into a city-wide operation with thirty employees. But I never told my neighbors. There was no point. I simply put this building on our “Pro Bono” list. For 15 years, this elevator never skipped a beat. Other old buildings in the neighborhood had residents getting trapped every other week; ours was perfect. Neighbors thought we were just lucky. Only I knew that my technicians came every month for a secret inspection. I paid for the new cables every three years and the control board every five. Because this was home. Before my mom died, she told me: “Sarah, I worry about the old folks in this building. If you ever make it, look out for them.” I said I would. I did. But I never expected 15 years of quiet service to be rewarded with “Public Space Violation” fines. On my way home, I called my operations manager. “Mark, Grandview Towers Building 1. Don’t renew the maintenance contract.” There was a pause. “Sarah, isn’t that where you live?” “Yes.” “Just curious… what’s the market value of the free service we’ve been giving them?” “About $15,000 a year for the basic contract. Parts like cables and boards are extra.” “Got it. I’ll send the termination notice tomorrow.” I stood outside the building, looking up. 18 floors. 72 families. I knew most of them. Mrs. Higgins on the 6th floor—I sent her a gift basket every Christmas. Mr. Henderson on the 9th—he helped organize my dad’s funeral. But they were old now. They didn’t come out much. The building was full of new people who didn’t know me. They just knew me as the woman on 17 who “cluttered” the hallway. I walked inside. The elevator doors opened—bright, smooth, and silent. I hit 17. “Floor seventeen,” a gentle, recorded voice announced. I had designed that voice. The recording was made by a college friend who studied broadcasting. I wanted a soothing voice to make my neighbors’ days a little better. For 15 years, that voice accompanied 72 families. No one knew it was me. No one cared. 05 Moving the items took longer than I thought. 36 fire extinguishers. 6 first-aid kits. 18 sensor lights. The water station. The umbrella bins. And the $2,000 AED. I hired three movers. We spent the whole day running the elevator up and down. Neighbors gave us strange looks. “Sarah, what are you doing?” “Moving.” “Where to?” “Away from here.” I didn’t elaborate. Brenda Miller happened to be coming home from the store. When she saw the commotion, a smug look crossed her face. “Oh, Ms. Sterling. Finally decided to clear out the junk?” I ignored her. “It’s about time. Hallways should be clean, not full of this random crap—” “Brenda,” I interrupted. My voice was calm. “This is property I paid for. It isn’t ‘crap’.” She blinked. “Paid for? You? I thought the building provided these.” “Ask Joe.” Her smile faltered for a second but returned quickly. “Doesn’t matter who bought it. Leaving it in the common area is a violation. My report was valid.” “Yes. You were absolutely right.” I nodded and went back to directing the movers. Brenda watched for a bit, then walked away. I noticed her pace was a little faster than usual. By 6 PM, the last extinguisher was gone. I stood in the empty hallway. There were pale circles on the walls where the canisters used to hang. The outlet for the water station was exposed and bare. Fifteen years of history, erased by my own hand. Would my mom be disappointed? My phone buzzed. A text from Mark: [Termination notice sent and confirmed by management. They asked if we’re coming to pull the monitoring equipment. I told them no, but the scheduled inspection for Friday is canceled.] [Copy that,] I replied. I looked at the door of the apartment I’d lived in for thirty-two years. I hesitated, then turned toward the elevator. “Floor seventeen.” I pressed ‘B’. I got into my car in the garage and drove away. I didn’t know if I’d ever come back. 06 Three days after I moved, Joe texted me. [Sarah… the fire extinguishers… you really took them all?] [I did.] [What about the AED?] [That too.] [Sarah, please… can we work something out? We just had a surprise fire marshal inspection. We failed. The building is facing a massive fine because half the units are missing equipment.] I didn’t reply. A few minutes later: [About the elevator… were you serious? Your company has been doing it for free?] [Yes.] [What happens now?] [Management needs to find a new contractor. Market rate is about $15,000 a year.] Silence for an hour. Then: [Sarah, the HOA budget is only $40,000 a year for the whole building. We don’t have $15,000 for a premium maintenance plan…] [That sounds like a management problem.] I put my phone down and went back to my spreadsheets. My business was booming; I didn’t have time to mourn a building that didn’t want me. On the seventh day, the texts became more frequent. [Sarah, the seniors are asking why the water station is gone.] [I moved it.] [Could you… bring it back?] [For whom? The people who fined me for ‘hogging space’?] Joe stopped texting for a while. Then: [Sarah, people are complaining the hallway lights are out.] The sensor lights were mine. I’d been paying the electricity for them through a small auxiliary bypass I’d permitted years ago. Now that I’d cut the power, management realized they hadn’t even wired those sockets to the main building grid. [Sarah, Brenda is asking about the first-aid kits. She says her blood pressure is up and she needs the emergency meds you used to keep in there.] I laughed. Brenda Miller. You called it “clutter.” Now you realize it was a lifeline? I didn’t reply. On the tenth day, the inevitable happened.

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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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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…”

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It was the day I was brought back to the estate that I finally learned I was the biological daughter of the wealthiest man in Manhattan. There was no dramatic confrontation. The moment my parents saw me, their eyes filled with tears and they pulled me into a tight embrace. Even Chloe, the adopted daughter who had been pampered for over a decade, carefully wiped the mud off my shoes and said softly: “Welcome home, little sister.” But I couldn’t stand it. Whenever I struggled to figure out the smart home appliances, or mistakenly drank the expensive mouthwash thinking it was tea, I could always hear the maids snickering behind my back. “She really is a country bumpkin. It’s so embarrassing to even take her outside…” I finally hit my breaking point and shoved them hard to the floor. My mother’s eyes widened in shock. “Are you ever going to stop?!” I said, my voice hoarse, “I know you all look down on me! You think I’m uncultured and an embarrassment to the family!” “But Chloe has spent the last ten years living the life that was supposed to be mine!” Tears streamed down my face as I enunciated every word: “She is a thief!” My father’s face darkened, and he snapped: “Shut your mouth! None of this is Chloe’s fault!” If it wasn’t her fault, then was it mine, the victim?! My heart completely died in that moment. I wiped away my tears. “You can only have one daughter. Pick one.” ······ “Eleanor…” My mother reached out to wipe the tears from my face, but I aggressively slapped her hand away. “Don’t touch me!” Rejected, my mother stood frozen, looking incredibly awkward. My father’s anger instantly ignited. His face turned thunderous as he delivered a vicious kick to my stomach. The pain made my legs give out, and I collapsed onto the floor. “You ungrateful brat! Look at yourself! Do you look anything like a proper lady?! All those etiquette lessons these past few weeks were completely wasted on a dog like you!” A cold sneer crept onto my face. “A proper lady?! Dad, did you forget? I’m just a country bumpkin from a trailer park! And honestly, Dad, have you ever genuinely seen me as your daughter?!” The grievances I had bottled up for so long exploded. I turned and grabbed the crystal bowl of bright red cherries from the table, smashing it onto the marble floor with a deafening crash. “In your eyes, am I only worthy of taking her leftovers?! You think I have no class, so you feel perfectly justified fobbing me off with the garbage she doesn’t want?!” A few days ago, the housekeeper brought me a bowl of cherries, claiming they were just flown in and this was all that was left. I excitedly ate one, intending to save the rest to share with my parents. But then, I overheard two maids whispering in the hallway. “Did you see how happy she was? She really is from the sticks, acting like she’s never seen anything good.” “She probably didn’t even know what they were. Miss Chloe thought they weren’t fresh enough and threw them out, and she actually treated them like some rare treasure!” In that moment, I trembled uncontrollably. It turned out that the things I cherished were nothing more than discarded garbage in their eyes. Why did she get to be the pampered little princess of the house, while I was treated like a worthless burden from the slums? Even though I was their biological daughter. My eyes were bloodshot as I screamed through my tears. “In your eyes, will I never measure up to Chloe?! You all look down on me!” “Eleanor, no one looks down on you…” My mother tried to explain: “They were just making a joke. Look, whatever you want to eat, just tell the butler. If he doesn’t get it for you, tell me!” My father also looked displeased. “I’ll increase your allowance. If you want something, go buy it yourself. Is it really necessary to throw such a massive tantrum over a bowl of fruit?” Chloe walked over to me, her eyes rimmed with red. “Eleanor, I didn’t expect them to… I’m so sorry, it’s all my fault. From now on, whatever good food or fun things I get, I’ll give them all to you.” I stared right through her and let out a cold laugh. “I am their biological daughter. Everything in this house should rightfully be mine. Why the hell do I need you to ‘give’ it to me?!” I turned to my parents and said, “I don’t like her. I want her sent back to that trailer park!” In an instant, the living room fell dead silent. Chloe stood frozen, tears streaming continuously down her face. My mother frantically wiped the tears from Chloe’s eyes, cooing, “Don’t cry, don’t cry…” Watching this scene, I finally understood. There was no place for me in this house. I didn’t even qualify to be an option. I scoffed. Before anyone could react, I grabbed the fruit knife from the table and plunged it into my chest with a sickening thud. “Since that’s how it is, I’ll make it easy for you.” When I woke up, the family doctor was treating my wound. I shoved him away and immediately tried to get out of bed. Before I could even stand, my mother, who had been standing nearby, pinned me back down. “Eleanor! Are you trying to kill me?! I am begging you, please, just calm down…” I struggled violently in her arms, causing the poorly treated wound to instantly rip open again. Blood soaked through my shirt, but I didn’t feel a shred of pain. I roared at my mother like a madwoman, “If you don’t want me to die, then send her away!” Just then, Chloe stepped forward and offered my mother a smile, though it looked incredibly bitter and forced. “Mom, send me away…” Her voice was hoarse. “Mom, I’m willing to leave. Don’t let me ruin your relationship with Eleanor. Please take care of yourself after I’m gone…” I finally stopped struggling, staring at her in shock. She turned to me and offered a small bow. “Eleanor, I’m sorry. I stole your mom and dad… I’m leaving now. Please don’t hurt yourself anymore. Mom and Dad are getting older, don’t make them worry about you…” I searched her eyes for resentment or bitterness, but all I saw was reluctance and pleading. At that moment, I almost felt like I was the villain in a movie, tearing apart their happy family of three. In the end, she hugged my mother and actually left. My mother didn’t say a word; she just patted Chloe’s back with red, tear-filled eyes. Her belongings were quickly and thoroughly cleared out of the house. I thought I had won, because I had finally gotten my parents back. However, I noticed that my parents smiled less and less. At first, I thought they were just exhausted from work. So, I bent over backward trying to make them happy. I gave them massages, told them jokes to make them laugh. I studied twice as hard, wanting to make my father proud. I thought that with time, everything would eventually go back to the way it was. That was until my father’s birthday banquet, when Chloe’s best friend cornered me in the restroom and mocked me: “The country bumpkin really is a scheming little snake, aren’t you? Kicking Chloe out so quickly.” I gripped the edge of the sink, forcing myself to stay calm. “She felt guilty and left on her own—” “Save it.” She cut me off impatiently. “Can you stop making up lies? Aren’t you exhausted? Look around! Everyone in Manhattan knows the Vance family took in some unpresentable trash, and within days, you used a pathetic guilt trip to force our sweet, understanding Chloe out! You’ve completely humiliated the Vance family.” My pupils contracted, my knuckles turning white as I gripped the marble counter. I was just taking back what belonged to me. Why was everyone sympathizing with Chloe? She stepped closer, her voice dropping. “Before, everyone praised Mr. Vance for having such an amazing daughter. So what if she wasn’t blood? Chloe’s manners and education brought honor to the family! But you? What use are you besides making the Vance family a laughingstock?!” Seeing me frozen in shock didn’t seem to satisfy her malice. “You didn’t seriously think your parents actually chose you, did you? Mr. and Mrs. Vance already set everything up for Chloe. They bought her a massive penthouse downtown and gave her a ten-million-dollar trust fund to start her own company. Soon enough, she’ll be a successful CEO, and you—” “You can just sit here and play ‘proper lady.’” Chloe’s company was right in the heart of the financial district. I went to the building but was stopped by the receptionist. I explained calmly: “I am the eldest daughter of the Vance family. I’m here to see my father, Richard Vance.” After registering, I walked unimpeded to the executive office. Through the glass window, I saw my parents happily admiring the office space. Chloe was sitting in the CEO’s chair. She tried to get up to offer my father the seat, but he gently pushed her back down. He smiled and patted her head: “Don’t be a stranger with your Mom and Dad. If you run into any trouble, just tell us. Don’t keep it bottled up and suffer in silence.” My mother also pulled her into a hug, fussing over her: “Chloe, honey, you have to learn to take care of yourself now that you’re living alone. If you can’t adjust, just tell Mom, and I’ll send a maid over. Don’t work too hard, and if you need money, just ask me.” Chloe nuzzled into my mother’s embrace, acting like a spoiled child: “Okay, okay, I’ll remember everything you said, Mom. I’ll miss you so much, and you too, Dad…” They looked exactly like a real, happy family of three. I pushed the door open. “A company this size must have cost a pretty penny.” My father’s face immediately darkened, and my mother opened her mouth to speak but couldn’t seem to find the words. They both instinctively stepped in front of Chloe, shielding her. I demanded harshly: “Didn’t you promise me?! That you would send her back!” “Did I or did I not say that you are never to have any contact with her again?! Why… why won’t you just let her go! Do you even see me as your daughter?!” I practically screamed the last sentence. My mother rushed over, trying to calm me down: “Eleanor, you know what kind of hellhole that place is. Chloe has been pampered her whole life. Sending her back there now is a death sentence!” I felt an overwhelming sense of irony and let out a cold laugh. “Mom, I survived being trapped in that hellhole! Why did I manage to live, but she wouldn’t?!” Those mountains were like a cage, locking me in that place. My adoptive father constantly called me a worthless money-drain. Whenever he got drunk, he used me as a punching bag, kicking me and burning me with his cigarettes. Even now, I still bear the scars from those burns. My adoptive mother was even more vicious. She forced me to chop firewood in the dead of winter. When I had no water, I had to eat handfuls of snow just to survive. I once passed out from the cold and was only found and brought back by a neighbor. But what greeted me was an even more brutal beating, because she blamed me for not bringing the firewood back. The anger and resentment I had suppressed for over a decade made my whole body tremble. “Ever since I came back… neither of you has ever cared about me. You spend all day revolving around Chloe, terrified she might suffer even the slightest grievance! Now that she’s finally out of the house, you buy her a penthouse and fund a whole company for her!” “But Mom, Dad… I am your real daughter!” My mother’s eyes grew red, flashing with regret, but she looked at me earnestly. “The past is the past. Can’t we just live together as a family from now on? Why are you so intolerant of Chloe? Do you really need to see her die there before you’ll let this go?!” Her words froze me in place. So this was how my mother truly saw me. Maybe, from the moment I was brought back, I shouldn’t have held onto any hope. My mother quickly realized what she said was inappropriate, a flicker of regret crossing her face. “Eleanor, don’t overthink it… Mom misspoke.” “But no one wanted any of this to happen, and you can’t blame Chloe for it. She’s already moved out, just like you wanted. What more do you want?!” What more did I want? I just wanted them to love me, to truly look at me. I wanted to be able to cry in my mother’s arms when I was wronged. I wanted my father to stand in front of me and protect me when I was bullied. How did it end up that everything was somehow my fault?! I felt incredibly wronged. “Mom, I just want to be treated equally, is that so hard? She was raised like a princess, so I’m just a weed that deserves to be trampled on?!” I paused, then continued: “And another thing, her last name is still Vance, but your biological daughter is still named Miller! Mom, do you honestly think that’s appropriate?!” My mother frowned, trying to explain. “We just haven’t had time to change it—” “When will you have time?! When I’m dead?!” Some employees had been drawn by the argument and were curiously peering through the glass walls. My father’s face was thunderous, his hands clenched into tight fists as he fought to suppress his rage. “Shut up! Have you no shame?!” “Security!” Two bodyguards immediately entered the room. “Take Miss Eleanor home. She is not to step foot outside the house without my permission!” And just like that, under the curious stares of the entire office, I was forcefully dragged out of the building. When I got home, I locked myself in my room, refusing to eat or drink. I smashed everything in the room that could be broken. I tried to use this to get their attention, but my parents never came to check on me even once. Soon enough, I snapped back to reality. Doing this was only hurting myself; it was utterly pointless. If they didn’t love me, what was I still hoping for? Everything else was an illusion. The only thing you can rely on is what you hold in your own hands. Once I figured that out, I went to my father’s study. The annoyance on his face was palpable the moment he saw me. “What do you want now?!” I didn’t yell or demand answers like before. I just said calmly: “Dad, since you bought Chloe a penthouse and funded her company…” “As your biological daughter, I should get my rightful share too.” I slowly laid out my demands: “I want two penthouses under my name, and twenty million dollars. Basically, whatever she got, I want double.” He looked at me as if he’d just heard a hilarious joke, letting out a contemptuous scoff. “You?! Start a business?”

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