I was the sacrifice. My brother was the prize. All because the village elders said: “A daughter’s fate is too strong; she’ll crush the son’s life force. You must use a ‘Keystone’ to suppress her!” My mother believed every word of this superstitious nonsense. If my brother coughed, I starved for a day. If he had a fever, I knelt until dawn. My mother always said, “You’re the older sister; it’s your duty to take the bad luck for him.” When I was eight, my brother’s illness worsened. The local witch, Granny Zhao, handed my mother a grey brick carved with runes: “Let her hold this brick and stay in the cellar behind the mountain for two days.” “Borrow the earth’s energy to suppress her fire, and your son will live.” My mother didn’t even blink. She pushed me down and sealed the cellar door with a stone slab herself. She thought she was locking me away for two days. She didn’t know— I became the “Keystone,” buried in the earth, never to leave. 1 “This child’s horoscope is too strong; it clashes with your son.” In the dim living room, Granny Zhao fingered my birth chart without lifting her eyelids. My mother’s hand clenched tight. “Granny Zhao, then… what can we do?” Granny Zhao finally opened her eyes, her cloudy gaze sweeping over my face. “There is a way.” She pulled a grey brick from her bundle, covered in crooked runes. “Let her hold this ‘Keystone’ and stay in the cellar for two days. Borrow the earth’s energy to suppress her fire, and your son’s illness will be cured.” My mother froze. “The cellar?” “Yes. A place heavy with Yin energy.” The witch pushed the brick forward. “But during this time, you cannot see her, cannot be soft-hearted. Once you see her, the spell breaks, and your son…” She didn’t finish, but the implication was clear. My mother stared at the brick, her breathing heavy. She took out a cloth bundle from her chest, unfolding it layer by layer to reveal the last of the family’s cash. She stuffed it all into the witch’s hands. “Hope.” She squatted down, speaking to me with a gentleness I’d never heard before. “Your brother is sick. Only you can save him.” She gently arranged the hair on my forehead. “Go with Granny Zhao to a place for two days. Just two days.” Her eyes were red, filled with a longing and pleading I had never seen. “In two days, Mom will come pick you up and make you fried chicken, okay?” I looked at her. For eight years, she had never looked at me so gently. I thought of my brother, Leo, coughing last night until his face turned red. I thought of Mom holding him and crying. If I went, Leo would get better. Would Mom smile then? I nodded. “Good girl.” She smiled, a smile of immense relief. She pushed me towards Granny Zhao. “Granny, I leave the child to you. Two days… just two days, I’ll definitely come pick her up.” Granny Zhao took my hand and led me out. Before leaving, I looked back. Leo was clinging to the doorframe, looking at me timidly, coughing softly. Mom held him, patting his back gently. Her face wore a relaxed smile I had never seen before. She seemed… to be truly looking forward to something. 2 I was taken to a deserted village, to an abandoned root cellar. The entrance was covered by a heavy stone slab, surrounded by overgrown weeds. Granny Zhao moved the slab, revealing a pitch-black hole. A smell of damp earth rushed up. “Go down.” I climbed down the wooden ladder. It was dark below, only a faint light coming from the hole above. The cellar was small, the walls damp earth, rotting straw scattered in the corner. Granny Zhao handed down a cold bun and a flask of water. And that rune-carved grey brick. “Girl, for these two days, sleep next to this brick.” She pointed to the corner. “Remember, this is to ‘suppress your fate.’ Don’t move it.” “Be good and stay put. Your mom will come for you in two days.” Thud. The stone slab above was slid into place. I heard the sound of a lock clicking, and the muffled thud of dirt and rocks being piled onto the slab. Footsteps faded away. The cellar went completely dark. Only a few weak rays of light seeped through the cracks at the edge of the slab. I waited and waited. I don’t know how long passed. Maybe an hour, maybe a day. I took a bite of the cold bun; it hurt my teeth. I missed Leo. Was he better now? Was Mom making him medicine? I wanted to go home. This thought was like water weeds, tangling around me until I couldn’t breathe. I wanted out. The cellar walls were slippery; I couldn’t reach the top. I tried pushing the grey brick. It was heavy, unmoving. But the urge to leave grew stronger. Maybe… move it, and there’s a way out underneath? Or I could use it to step up? I pushed with all my might. The brick was heavy. My arms ached, sweat poured down, and it only moved a tiny bit. There was no path underneath, only damper earth. Wind howled outside. I was scared. I wanted out now. I wanted to go home, to see Mom, to tell her I was afraid. I lay down and dug the dirt under the brick with my hands. My nails quickly filled with mud, fingertips raw. Digging and digging, I suddenly felt dirt trickling down from above. Fine sand fell into my hair, my collar. Before I could react— BOOM! The stone slab overhead, along with the heavy earth pressed upon it, collapsed! I didn’t even have time to scream. A sharp pain in the back of my head, like being hit by a heavy hammer. Then, endless darkness. 3 Strangely, it didn’t hurt anymore. I floated up lightly, like a feather. Looking down, my small body was buried under earth, rocks, and that grey brick, only a hand tightly gripping the dirt exposed. On the wrist was the red string bracelet Mom braided for me. She said red wards off evil and keeps you safe. Now, the red string was piercingly bright against the grey-black mud. I floated in mid-air, looking at the small mound below, feeling suffocated. I wanted to dig the dirt away, but my hand passed through it emptily. Was this… a superpower?! Then I could go home quickly. As soon as the thought rose, wind rushed in my ears. In the next instant, I was standing at the kitchen door. Mom was busy at the stove, chicken soup simmering in the pot. Leo sat on a small stool, holding a bowl of soup, sipping it slowly. His face… really seemed a bit better than yesterday. “Mom, this soup smells so good.” “Drink more if it’s good.” Mom smiled. “Mom will make it for you every day.” She turned to look at the calendar on the wall and crossed off a day. “One more day, and Hope can come back.” She whispered, as if to herself. “And Leo will be completely cured.” I floated to her, wanting to grab her hand. “Mom, I’m back.” But her hand passed through my transparent body, picking up the salt jar to sprinkle some into the soup. “Mom, the cellar is so dark, I’m scared.” I spoke again, louder. She tasted the soup, nodded in satisfaction, hearing nothing. Night fell. Leo lay in bed, tossing and turning. I floated by his bed, wanting to tuck him in, but couldn’t touch the blanket. “Mom…” He suddenly cried out softly, voice trembling. “I dreamed Sister fell into a black hole. She was calling for help, but I couldn’t reach her…” Mom pushed the door open and sat on the bed. “That was a dream, not real.” “When is Sister coming back?” Leo sat up, grabbing Mom’s hand. “Mom, go bring her back, okay? Go now.” Mom patted his back gently. “Didn’t we agree? We’ll pick her up in two days.” “I don’t want two days! I want now!” Leo’s tears fell. “I miss Sister… I want her to tell me stories…” “Leo, be good.” Mom’s voice grew stern. “It’s late. After tomorrow, I promise I’ll take you to pick up Sister.” Leo slowly lay down and closed his eyes. Mom tucked him in, sitting by the bed, humming a lullaby. It was the tune she used to hum for me when I was little. I floated beside her, humming along. No sound. I felt this night was exceptionally long. 4 Dad came back late at night. He heard Leo was critically ill and rushed back from the city where he worked. “Where’s Leo?” he asked, putting down his luggage. “Sleeping,” Mom came out of the room, lowering her voice. Dad sighed in relief, then looked around. “Where’s Hope? Sleeping too?” The air went quiet for a second. “She went to her aunt’s house.” Mom turned and walked to the kitchen. “I’ll make you noodles.” “Which aunt?” Dad followed her. “I don’t know about this.” “A distant one, you don’t know her.” Dad stood at the kitchen door. “Linda, tell me the truth.” “What truth?” “The talk in the village.” Dad’s voice deepened. “I heard it all.” “What did you hear?” Mom turned abruptly, spatula in hand. “They say you sent Hope away! Said her fate clashes with her brother!” Dad raised his voice. “That’s nonsense!” Mom’s voice became shrill. “Hope is my daughter! Why would I send her away!” “Then where is she?!” Dad stepped into the kitchen. “Tell me, which aunt’s house? I’ll go get her now!” “No!” Mom blocked him, voice shaking. “David, you can’t go!” “Why?!” “Because…” Mom’s eyes turned red. “Because Leo just got better!” “Granny Zhao said Hope has to stay away for two full days to suppress the fate, so Leo’s illness can be rooted out!” “If you go now, all is lost!” Dad froze. He stared at Mom like he didn’t know her. “You… you really believe that witch’s nonsense?” “It’s not nonsense!” Mom cried. “Look at Leo yourself! We spent so much money on doctors before, did it help? No!” “But as soon as Hope left, he got better! That’s a fact!” “That’s a coincidence!” “There are no such coincidences!” Mom grabbed Dad’s arm, nails digging into his flesh. “David, we only have one son… if he dies, I won’t live either…” Dad looked at her, his expression changing from anger to confusion, finally to deep exhaustion. He slowly pried Mom’s hands off. “Linda, Hope is our child too. She’s only eight.” “I know…” Mom sobbed. “I know… just two days… just two days…” “What if something happens?” Dad’s voice was very soft. “Have you thought about that?” Mom stopped talking, just crying. Dad turned and walked out of the kitchen, standing in the yard for a long time. I floated to him, wanting to hold his hand. My fingers passed helplessly through his rough palm. “Hope…” he whispered suddenly. “Dad will come get you first thing tomorrow morning…” I wanted to tell Dad I was right here, but he couldn’t hear. 5 In the second half of the night, Mom didn’t sleep. I floated into their room and saw her sitting at the vanity, holding my plastic hair clip. Red, with a small plum blossom. She stroked the flower over and over, gently. Then she pressed the clip to her chest and closed her eyes. After a long time, she put the clip away under her pillow. She rolled up her sleeve, revealing her wrist. There was a red string bracelet, identical to the one on my hand. Last winter, she braided two from the same ball of yarn. One for me, one for herself. She said, “Red wards off evil, keeps us safe.” Now, the string on her wrist was a bit worn. She rubbed it gently with her finger, round and round, murmuring: “Hope… just wait one more day, Mom… will come get you…” An urge surged in my heart. I wanted her to know I was here. I floated in front of her, staring at the red string on her wrist. If… if I could make it move? I focused all my spirit, imagining the red string was my finger. “Move… Mom, I’m here…” I chanted in my mind. The red string hung still, no reaction. I tried again. The third time, using every ounce of will, almost screaming: “Mom—!” The end of the red string trembled… ever so slightly. Mom looked down at her wrist. She froze, raised her hand, felt the air, touched nothing. Her eyes were confused. “Strange…” She shook her head, forcing a bitter smile. “My eyes are playing tricks…” She rolled down her sleeve, covering the red string. Lay down, closed her eyes. I floated above her, watching her face. In the moonlight, her brow was slightly furrowed, like she was having a bad dream. I wanted to try again. But suddenly I felt exhausted, too tired to even float. It took so much strength to move the string just once. And even if it moved, she would only think her eyes were playing tricks. 6 Early the next morning, Leo woke up. Instead of sleeping in, he ran barefoot to Mom and Dad’s door, banging on it. “Mom! Mom! Let’s go get Sister! You said we’d go!” Mom opened the door, eyes swollen. She squatted down, patting Leo’s head. “Leo, it’s only the second day. We’ll go tomorrow.” “No tomorrow! Today!” Leo’s tears gushed out. “I dreamed of Sister! She was crying! She said the cellar was dark, rats were biting her feet!” Mom’s expression froze. Leo grabbed Mom’s hand. “Mom, let’s go get her now, please…” Dad walked out of the room, face dark. “Linda, did you hear? Hope is crying cold, hungry, wanting home.” “That was a dream… kids dream randomly…” Mom’s voice was weak. “Dream or not, we’ll know when we look.” Dad turned to the gate. “I’m going now.” “No!” Mom rushed to block him. “You can’t! Granny Zhao said it must be two full days!” “Move.” “David! If you dare go today, I… I’ll leave with Leo!” Mom’s voice turned sharp. Dad stopped, turning to look at her. That look was like seeing a stranger. He spoke word by word: “Linda, if something really happened to Hope, do you think you can still stay in this home?” Mom froze. Leo tugged Dad’s pants, looking up. “Dad, I’m going with you to get Sister!” Dad bent down and picked Leo up. “Okay, we’ll go together.” “No!” Mom lunged, trying to grab Leo. “Leo can’t go! He just got better, can’t be agitated!” “Speak! Where is the cellar?!” Dad stared at her. “Exact location.” Mom looked at Dad, then at Leo, lips trembling, tears flowing non-stop. Finally, she collapsed on the ground, covering her face: “West of the village… deep in the abandoned village… old locust tree… under the tree…” Dad didn’t wait for her to finish, carrying Leo out. “Wait!” Mom scrambled up, stumbling after them. “I’m coming too… coming too…” The abandoned village was more desolate than imagined. Half-human-high weeds grew among ruins. Wind blew through, making woo-woo sounds, like crying. Leo hugged Dad’s neck tight. “Dad… I’m scared…” “Don’t be scared. We get Sister and go home.” Dad’s voice was gentle, but his arms holding Leo were tense. Mom followed behind, stumbling. Finally, they saw the old locust tree. “Where?” Dad asked. Mom pointed to a raised patch of ground behind the tree, voice barely audible: “There… the stone slab…” Dad put Leo down and walked over. “Hope?” Dad knelt, slapping the stone. “Hope! Are you in there? Dad’s here!” No response. Dad started moving stones, digging dirt. Mom stood nearby, watching blankly. Leo ran over, squatting by Dad, digging with his small hands. “Sister! Sister! Dad and I are here to get you!” The slab was finally pushed away. The cellar opening appeared, pitch black, like a giant mouth. Dad turned on the flashlight, beam shining in— Illuminating collapsed earth and bricks. Illuminating scattered straw. Illuminating… a small hand sticking out of the dirt. On the hand, a red string bracelet…

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On the night of our third wedding anniversary, I walked in on my husband and my best friend in bed. I smashed the gift in my hand into his face and dragged my half-dressed best friend off the bed. One was the husband I adored; the other was the best friend I had helped countless times. I never imagined they would betray me together. The scene was chaos. It took the police arriving to finally calm things down. But the next day, my husband sued me. He claimed I invaded their privacy when I barged in to catch them, causing “emotional distress,” and demanded I pay compensation and kneel to apologize! I laughed in anger. Since they wanted compensation, I’d give it to them. The question is, do they dare to take it? 1 Luke and I had been married for three years. We were the envy of everyone, the model couple. Who would have thought that after just three years, Luke would cheat on me with my best friend? He once told me that even if he wasn’t married and every other woman on earth disappeared, he wouldn’t fall for a woman like my best friend. Back then, I laughed and defended her, saying she was actually a decent, responsible person. Now, my own words were slapping me in the face. Staring at the demand letter for “emotional distress damages” on my phone, I laughed bitterly. The betrayal was bad enough, but demanding compensation? Where did they get the audacity? I immediately called a press conference. I notified them to come early to collect their “damages” and hear my apology. Luke texted back: “Good, you finally learned your lesson.” Bella sent a provocative message: “Samantha, how can you be so pathetic? Hahaha! I slept with your man more than once or twice. Every time you were on a business trip, he came to me to quench his thirst. Can you really tolerate that?” The messages were like needles in my eyes. I clenched my phone, released it, then clenched it again. Finally, I took a deep breath and walked into the press conference. Luke and Bella were there, watching me from the audience. Some friends who didn’t know the truth whispered accusations: “Samantha, did you do something to Luke? Did you force him to make you apologize and pay damages publicly?” “Must be. You cheated after only three years?” Someone threw a cup of coffee at me, soaking my clothes and making me look even more pathetic. I looked up coldly, scanning the crowd. Their faces were full of sympathy for Luke and hatred for me. I took out a tissue, wiped myself clean slowly, and smiled. “What’s the rush? Why don’t you wait to see why I’m apologizing and paying damages before you get angry?” The room fell silent. Everyone waited. “Samantha, make sure the compensation is enough!” Bella smirked, her face screaming I slept with your husband and you have to pay me, feels good. Beside her, Luke glared at me with hatred, probably because I scared him limp during the act. I clapped my hands. “Bring it up.” Two assistants brought out a large red sign. It read: Because I caught my husband and best friend in bed, they demand $100,000 for emotional distress. The crowd erupted. 2 I bowed three times to Luke and Bella—a gesture usually reserved for the dead. Their faces darkened instantly. “I shouldn’t have tried to save our three-year marriage knowing Luke had a change of heart. I shouldn’t have come back early to surprise him for our anniversary, only to catch them in bed. I shouldn’t have been upset seeing my best friend wrapped around my husband. I shouldn’t have pulled the covers off when they were shivering naked. I shouldn’t have gotten angry, cried, or hit anyone.” “Now, I am willing to fulfill their wish and give them $100,000 for their emotional distress.” The crowd gasped. Luke’s face turned blacker than coal. He stood up and roared, “Samantha! What nonsense are you spouting?!” “Careful, or I’ll sue you for defamation too!” Amidst the noise, I remained calm. Playing with my phone with a faint smile, I made a call. “Start.” The big screen lit up. A video played of Luke and Bella rolling in the sheets. For the sake of my own dignity as a woman, I had blurred the explicit parts. The venue went deathly silent. You could hear a pin drop. Then, chaos. Roars, curses, and questions exploded. Reporters surged forward, surrounding Luke and Bella tightly, unleashing their professional fury. Luke was a public figure, after all. Bella was pushed around so much she almost hit someone. She turned to look at me outside the crowd, her eyes filled with rage. “Samantha, you’re ruthless!” I smiled back. “How’s that? Satisfied with your emotional distress compensation?” They were shaking with anger, trying to push through the crowd to get to me, but couldn’t. “Security! Where are they?! Turn off the video!” Luke slapped a reporter to make way, his face ashen as he looked at me. “Sa-man-tha, I’m adding another charge.” “Go ahead. Because soon, I’ll be suing you for other crimes too.” Dropping that line, I turned and left without any emotion. Last night, I asked Luke why he cheated with my best friend. He said, “Because Bella is more attentive than you. She knows how to coax a man.” “You’re always on business trips. When I was sick and lonely, it was Bella who came to care for me.” “You only care about making money. Your eyes only see work.” Luke smashed every gift I had ever given him. I felt incredibly wronged. His mother left him the crumbling Luke Corp on her deathbed, and he had no ability to manage it. I couldn’t bear to see him suffer or be scolded by shareholders, so I used all my savings to help the company. Luke was touched then. When everyone avoided him, I stood by him. He married me and played the part of a good husband. Even amidst endless social engagements, I always came home to him. Now, instead of understanding my hardships, he blamed me for not being as gentle and attentive as Bella. I took out my phone and called the police. “Hello? I want to report a theft.” “Two of my luxury cars are missing. Please help me find them.” I knew where the cars were—in Bella’s garage. But the cars were registered in my name. They were mine. Even if Luke gave them to her, without my permission, it was theft. I told them: if they dare ask for emotional damages, I dare send Bella to jail for theft. 3 At 10:30 PM, my phone lit up. A business partner sent me a message. “Samantha, isn’t this limited edition Lamborghini yours? I remember the plate. Why is someone else driving it?” I smiled meaningfully and replied: “Send me the video.” In the video, Bella was introducing my car to her friends. “The owner of this car is an idiot. I slept with her husband, pretended to be her sister, and now I’m driving her car. She has to hand it over to me. Even though she caught us in bed, she still has to pay me for emotional distress!” “Wow! Sister Bella, you’re awesome!” “It’s great to snag a rich man. You don’t have to do anything and live the good life.” Bella sat on the hood, laughing arrogantly, enjoying the envy of her friends. Birds of a feather. Video ended. I laughed out of anger. Bella. If I hadn’t brought her out of that remote village years ago, she’d still be nothing, maybe married off to some old man by her family. We were college classmates. She was from a very poor, remote place. When I first saw her, she wore tattered clothes and didn’t dare look up. She was humble to the bone. We were roommates. I remember when she couldn’t afford food, she ate hard buns every day. People like to bully the weak who have no backing. Bella was one of them. I helped her, treated her like a sister, helped her hold her head up high. I paid for her tuition, helped her find a job. Now that she’s made it, she’s poaching my husband. I called my partner: “That car was stolen. Since you caught her, do me a favor. Beat her up and send her to the station.” After hanging up, I showered. Luke slammed the door open. “Samantha! Did you have someone beat Bella and arrest her like a thief?” I dried my hair, threw the towel on the sofa, and didn’t look up. “What do you mean ‘like a thief’? She is a thief.” “Is she?” “You… you…” Luke grabbed a pillow and threw it at me. I swatted it away. “Driving my car without my permission. If that’s not theft, what is it?” “Who said she didn’t have permission? I allowed it…” “Your permission means nothing. The car is mine. Legally, only the owner’s permission counts. Understand?” Luke shook with rage. The police station called. Unless I agreed to settle, Bella would have a criminal record. I threw the divorce agreement on the coffee table. “Our marriage is meaningless. Sign it.” His affair was known city-wide. Everyone was laughing at me behind my back. Luke froze, disbelief on his face. “You want to divorce me?” “What else? Continue wearing the green hat and being a laughingstock? You might be shameless, but I still have some dignity.” “Sign it. After this, whatever you do with Bella is none of my business.” Luke exploded, grabbing an ashtray to throw at me. “Samantha, don’t force my hand.” “Everything you have today is because of me. If you divorce me, you are nothing!” “So I order you to go to the station and settle now. Otherwise, I’ll make you suffer the consequences.” I called my private lawyer. “Unless I personally agree to settle, that car thief stays in jail.” Seeing my firm attitude, Luke stormed out. An hour later, the police knocked on my door. “Ms. Samantha, Mr. Luke Vance has accused you of illegal occupation of his home. Please come with us for investigation.” 4 I was stunned. Then I remembered this house was a wedding gift from my late mother-in-law, registered in Luke’s name. He had hugged me then, saying, “Wifey, this is our home forever. You can’t go anywhere, just stay by my side.” The memories were still there, but the person had changed. Even now, I hesitated to hurt him, but he repeatedly tried to destroy me for Bella. When I left with the police, the neighbors watched the spectacle. This was the second time my husband had sued me. In the end, Luke offered a trade: release Bella, and he’d drop the charges against me. We fought in the station over another woman, causing even the officers to gossip. After leaving, Luke didn’t spare me a glance, taking a triumphant Bella away in the opposite direction. Homeless, I checked into a hotel. Just as I was about to rest, my assistant texted. “Ms. Samantha, Mr. Vance just messaged all shareholders calling for an emergency meeting tomorrow morning. I don’t know what it’s about.” Luke always relied on me and ignored company affairs. Calling an emergency meeting now? Something was up. The next morning, when I arrived at the company, the shareholders were already in the meeting room listening to Luke. Employees were gossiping outside. “Sigh, Ms. Samantha is pitiful. Caught cheating, had to pay the mistress, car stolen, now kicked out of her own home by her husband.” “Hahaha, a bit funny though. Is she too weak?” “Look, now Luke is taking the company she built to kick her out for the mistress.” I walked in, hearing their words, realizing Luke could go even lower for Bella. I pushed open the meeting room door. Bella was sitting in my chair, Luke beside her. “Just stand there. There’s no seat for you here anymore.” Luke stroked Bella’s face gently. “I can make her CEO, and I can make you sit in her place.” He stood up. “Everyone, you know this company was founded by my mother. She left it to Samantha to manage for me.” “Now, I’m taking it back to manage myself. Which means, the name Samantha will not appear here again. Understood?” Shareholders looked between us and spoke up for me. “Mr. Vance, you can’t do this to Ms. Samantha…” “Whoever speaks for her gets out.” Slap! “This is the equity beneficiary contract. The name is Luke Vance, not Samantha.” He slammed a contract on the table. Quite the power trip. Bella smiled insidiously, mocking my incompetence. I realized she had befriended me for so long just for this day. The company I worked so hard to build was going to her? I laughed at their shamelessness. “Samantha, here’s the divorce agreement. Sign it, pack your things, and leave.” Luke threw the papers at my feet, looking at me like a dog. Thinking she had won, Bella kissed Luke. “Last night’s pose was good. Let’s try again tonight.” Luke pinched her nose, both laughing disgustingly. I walked over and kicked them both out like dogs. Then I sat in the head chair. “Hard for me to listen to your lecture for so long.” “Holding an expired contract and claiming the company is yours? Are you brain-dead?”

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The temperature plummeted to -148°F in the apocalypse. My best friend, Chloe, wanted to give all our remaining anthracite coal to her cheating ex-boyfriend. “Jake said he’s cold. If I bring him this coal, he’ll come back to me.” I asked, trembling, “Do I have to give mine too?” Chloe nodded righteously. “Of course. What’s mine is yours, and what’s yours is mine.” “But without coal, we’ll freeze to death.” “So be it! If I freeze to death for him, he’ll regret it for the rest of his life!” “Do I have to die too?” “We’re besties. We do everything together.” In my past life, she gaslighted me, saying we couldn’t survive this extreme weather even with coal, eventually dragging me to freeze to death with her as a sacrifice. I opened my eyes, reborn to the moment she wanted to give our resources to that scumbag. Suddenly, a childish but angry voice echoed in my stomach: [Mom! I don’t want to die!] Coincidence. Mom doesn’t want to either. In this life, one idiot sacrificing herself for love is enough! 1 The digital thermometer froze. Outside temperature: -40°F. The broadcast warned that a polar magnetic storm would hit after dark, dropping temperatures to -148°F. The very air would freeze into powder. All survivors must use government-issued insulation materials to build shelters and use every means to stay warm before sunset! Note: The new insulation material requires a stable, continuous high-heat source to work! In our rental apartment, Chloe was directing me to move supplies. “Move these bags of anthracite coal, and those two boxes of compressed biscuits. We’re taking them to Jake.” Chloe’s cheeks were flushed from the cold and excitement. That coal was our only hope of surviving the night. “Chloe, this is our last stock.” I huddled in the corner of the sofa, voice trembling with fear. “Maybe Jake… doesn’t need this much…” “What do you know!” Chloe snapped her head back. “Jake just texted me saying he’s cold! If I show him I don’t care about my life for him, he’ll leave that vixen and come back to me!” She rushed over, grabbing my collar and forcing me to look at her. “Ava, aren’t we best friends? If you were me, you’d do anything for love too, right?” “If we lose the coal, we’ll freeze to death…” I sobbed, tears welling up. “Then we’ll die for him to see!” Chloe let go, eyes glazed with fanaticism. “He’ll regret it forever and remember me always!” She turned, staring at me dead on. “I saved your life from that sweatshop boss. You owe me.” “You have to come with me to win Jake back!” In my previous life, she chanted this endlessly, making me die with her. But I had already repaid her kindness a hundred times over in our daily lives, refusing her moral kidnapping. So she started manipulating me, eventually drugging me and dragging me to freeze. Before I died, I saw Jake hugging a rich girl, pointing at our corpses through the window, laughing about two idiots delivering free coal. The chill seemed to linger on my skin. Looking at Chloe’s face, I opened my mouth instinctively. “Do I have to die too?” Before I finished, my abdomen cramped. Then, an angry little voice exploded in my mind: [Mom! Don’t be stupid! I don’t want to die!] [That bad woman wants to use you as a cushion! I’m not even born yet, you can’t take me with you!] I froze. Baby? I’m… pregnant? Memories flashed back to two months ago. I left a breakup letter and disappeared because I felt unworthy of Ethan Sterling. That night of madness… actually… Subconsciously, my fingers touched the necklace around my neck. It was a gift Ethan forced on me, his tone domineering: “Wear it. Don’t take it off.” [Mom! Toughen up! Don’t listen to this bad auntie! She’s terminal stage love-brain!] The little voice in my head urged anxiously. Warmth flowed from my belly to my limbs. My life might be cheap. But my child’s isn’t. This is Ethan Sterling’s child. I won’t let it become a corpse for some scumbag like Chloe’s ex! My cowering eyes suddenly turned cold. Want me to bury my child with you? Dream on! “Ava! Say something! Do you not want to go with me?” Seeing me daze, Chloe pushed me impatiently. I fell back onto the sofa, wrapping the blanket tight, protecting my belly. When I looked up, my expression was fanatical. “Give! Of course we give!” “Chloe, you’re right. Jake is true love. How can true love care about life and death? What’s a little coal?” Chloe paused, then smiled. “That’s right! I knew you were loyal.” I stood up, grabbing the old blankets used to seal the windows, stuffing them into Chloe’s bag. “If we’re going to move him, we need to be thorough. Take these blankets too. Since we’re dying for love anyway, keeping them is a waste.” “And these down jackets. Isn’t Jake cold? Give them all to him! Show him your determination!” I stuffed every warm item in the house into the woven bag. Chloe was moved to tears. “Ava… I didn’t expect you to understand Jake better than me! You’re right, give it all!” “As long as Jake is warm, my heart is hot!” I sneered internally. I glanced at the clock. Less than three hours until the freeze hits. If I don’t trick her into leaving, I can’t keep my supplies either. Better to let her go and clear the survival space for me. 2 The card Ethan gave me had plenty of money. Before the apocalypse, my cravings led me to stock up on snacks in the basement storage. As long as I survive tonight… [Mom, good job! That’s it! Trick that bad woman to death!] The baby kicked me. “Ew, why does this room smell moldy?” Chloe was packing, waving her hand in front of her nose. “No, Jake likes clean, fresh scents. If I go to him smelling like mold, he’ll reject me.” Chloe scratched her hair, eyes landing on the window and the stove. “Put out the fire.” “And open the windows. Air it out. Also helps us adapt to the outside temperature in advance.” “That way we won’t look too pathetic when we deliver the coal.” My heart jumped. Crazy. It’s -40°F outside. “Chloe, that’s not a good idea…” “The extreme cold is coming. If we open the windows now, the heat will be gone in seconds.” “Ava! Being a bitch again?” Chloe glared, banging the fire tongs against the stove, making a harsh sound. “Didn’t you just say you support me? What’s wrong with airing out the room? You want me to go to Jake smelling bad?” “So he hates me more, and you can laugh at me, right?” “I knew you had bad intentions! Do you like Jake too? You’re just jealous!” Facing her accusation, I took a deep breath. [Mom, ignore her! If this idiot wants to die, let her! Quick! Put on those heat patches! Under the sofa cushion!] The little guy reminded urgently. I suddenly remembered sticking a few heat patches in the cracks while cleaning days ago. “Fine, I listen to you.” “You’re doing this for love, how dare I stop you. I’ll open the window.” I turned my back to her, reaching into the sofa crack, finding the patches. Pretending to grab a coat, I quickly ripped them open and stuck them on my lower back, abdomen, and chest. “That’s more like it.” Chloe snorted, pouring a bucket of water onto the stove. Hiss— White smoke rose, light extinguished. Then, she tore the tape and pushed open the window. Whoosh— The cold wind rushed in instantly. Water in the cup froze. Frost formed on eyelashes. “Hiss… so cold…” Chloe shivered, face turning blue. But she stubbornly refused to close the window, closing her eyes to inhale deeply. “Is this the cold Jake feels? It hurts… but my heart feels great!” “As long as I feel his cold, our souls are together.” She looked back, annoyed seeing me huddled in a quilt in the corner. “Ava, why are you hiding so far? Come here! Feel it with me!” 3 [Sick! This woman has ice cubes for brains!] Baby roasted. In my last life, I froze my legs trying to empathize with her. Not this time. “Chloe, I’m physically weak. I can’t compare to your deep love for Jake.” My voice was calm. “You feel it more. I’m not worthy of participating in such a great moment.” “Hmph, at least you know your place.” Chloe lifted her chin, continuing to stand in the wind. As the clock ticked closer to death, the sky darkened. The real freeze was coming to swallow everything. Chloe finally couldn’t take it. After ten minutes at the window, shaking violently, lips purple. “O… okay… smell is gone…” She shivered and closed the window. The room was no different from an ice cellar. She turned, scanning the room, locking onto the old thermos in my arms. “What’s that?” Chloe’s eyes lit up, lunging over. “Ava! You’re hiding hot water?” “Give it to me! Jake has a bad stomach. In this cold, he definitely wants a hot drink!” She reached to grab it. I turned sideways, hugging the thermos tight. “No!” “This is my water. If Jake wants to drink, let him boil it himself!” Chloe froze, staring at me in disbelief. “Ava, are you rebelling?” Chloe screeched, voice piercing. “You dare hide things from me? Dare refuse Jake?” “Do you know how much Jake is suffering? You’d watch him suffer for a sip of water?” “How can you be so selfish! So cold-blooded!” I sneered internally. “I’m selfish?” I looked up, eyes cold. “Chloe, you sold the house your parents left you to pay Jake’s gambling debts. You stole your sister’s tuition to buy Jake sneakers.” “Now you want to give him our last coal.” “You’re generous. You’re great.” “But don’t use my life to fulfill your greatness!” “I won’t give a drop of this water!” [Mom is mighty! Scold her to death! She deserves it!] Baby cheered. Chloe was shocked, then furious. “Fine… Ava, you finally show your true colors!” “Since you won’t give it, don’t blame me!” She lunged, hands grabbing my shoulders. Nails digging deep into my flesh. “Give it! Hand it over!” She roared. I desperately protected my belly, curling up. “Get off!” In the struggle, I bit her wrist. “Ah—!” Chloe screamed and let go, retreating while holding her wrist. Seeing the deep bite mark, her eyes turned venomous. “You dare bite me? You ungrateful wolf dare bite me?” “Ava, I saved your life! Your life is mine!” “You should listen to me like a dog! If I say die, you die!” I panted heavily, wiping blood from my mouth. “You saved my life, but I’ve paid it back.” 4 “These years, I worked like a horse for you, helped you support your man. Enough.” “Now, no one touches me or… my child.” “Good, good, good…” Chloe laughed in anger, face twisted. She glanced at the darkening sky outside, then at the packed supplies. “Since you’re heartless, don’t blame me for being unjust.” “Ava, since you won’t sacrifice for Jake, you don’t deserve to stay in this house.” “Every inch of air here exists for Jake!” “What are you doing?” I backed away warily. Chloe didn’t speak, picking up the fire axe by the door. The basement entrance was under the rug by the door. “Ava, didn’t you want to keep the coal?” Chloe approached, smiling. “Then I’ll deliver it myself. But this bag is too heavy for me alone.” “Since you won’t help, take off your clothes and give them to me.” “I’ll use them to wrap the coal so it doesn’t get damp.” “In your dreams.” I gritted my teeth. “Not up to you!” Chloe exploded, swinging the axe at the sofa. Bam! Wood chips flew. I dodged instinctively. Chloe rushed over, kicking me hard in the stomach! Pain surged. [Ah! Bad woman kicked me! Mom!] “Go to hell!” Chloe grabbed my hair, dragging me to the door. I struggled, but my resistance was weak. “Chloe! You’re crazy! The temperature is dropping! I’ll die!” “Best if you die!” Chloe grinned savagely, opening the door. Cold fog poured in instantly. “Since you won’t dedicate yourself to Jake, go outside and reflect on what loyalty means!” She ripped off my down jacket, leaving me in just a sweater. The cold stabbed into my pores instantly. “No! Give me my clothes!” I reached out. “Give you? Do you deserve it?” Chloe kicked me out the door. Bang! The security door locked. Wind and snow howled. I lay in the hallway, temperature critically low. My whole body felt only one word: Cold. Blood seemed to stop flowing, heart struggling to beat. Consciousness began to fade, fingers stiff. Am I dying? [Mom… don’t sleep…] Baby’s voice was weak. [Dad… Dad is coming…] [I sense it… strong heat source… it’s Dad…] Ethan Sterling? Vision blurred, eyelashes freezing, I struggled to look up at the window. Suddenly, two beams of light tore through the cold night and snow. Rumble— Engine roar shook the building. A modified armored vehicle covered in special alloy crushed the snow, roaring to a stop downstairs.

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To secure the ten-billion-dollar prize pool, I spent three years desperately trying to woo the billionaire heir. But at our engagement party, he abandoned me without a second glance to pick up his “first love” from the airport. “I’m sick of looking at a fake woman like you. Now that Bella is back, count yourself lucky if I even let you stay as a trophy wife.” Realizing this billionaire heir was a blind, misogynistic dog, I filed a strong protest with the System. As compensation, the System gave me three “Golden Finger” cheats: Blood of Morpheus: A single drop works better than the strongest sedative, capable of instantly calming the heir’s bipolar episodes. The Miracle Bone-Setter: A guarantee that no matter how bad a car crash the heir gets into, he won’t end up an amputee. The Fertility Goddess: A constitution so fertile that anyone who isn’t sterile will hit the jackpot on the first try. “With these, you can definitely crush that pick-me girl and win the heir’s heart!” the System cheered. What a joke. A trash lid belongs on a trash can! Why would I use these gifts on him when I could use them on the powerful entourage standing behind him? Later, when his “first love” staged her umpteenth fake fall to frame me, and the heir prepared to explode with rage, the Butler—whose insomnia was cured by my gift—stepped in. He pulled up the 360-degree, 4K ultra-HD security footage to prove my innocence. 1 “Scarlett, how could you push Bella? I told you she’s just a childhood friend, we don’t have that kind of relationship…” Caleb Sterling’s tirade was cut short as the giant monitor on the wall replayed our interaction. The 4K Dolby Vision quality clearly showed that while my hand was still four inches away from Bella, she suddenly shrieked “Ouch!” and threw herself onto the floor, accusing me of shoving her. “So, who pushed whom? Is it clear now?” “It looks like a setup.” The maid voiced what everyone was thinking. Caleb’s face shifted as he turned a questioning gaze toward Bella. “Is that true, Bella?” But she had already come up with an excuse. “Scarlett threatened to push me! I was so scared I fell backward…” As expected, Caleb didn’t disappoint. He immediately turned back to me. “Scarlett, I knew you were vicious!” “Apologize to Bella right now, or I will never forgive you!” He even moved to physically force me down. But before Caleb could get within three feet of me, Alfred, the head butler, executed a perfect intercept, pulling Caleb back in front of the monitor. “Young Master, don’t be hasty. Why don’t we listen to the audio before deciding on the culprit?” He pressed play. The video synced with high-fidelity audio, and Bella’s voice rang out clearly: “Scarlett, a hundred of you couldn’t match a single finger of mine in Caleb’s heart.” “Believe it or not, if I scream that you pushed me, Caleb will force you to kneel and apologize.” Bella’s mind raced. “Impossible! I whispered that! How could it be recorded? This is faked!” “Miss Bella, are you claiming the audio is fabricated?” I didn’t even need to speak. Alfred adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses and produced a certificate. “This is a recording device used in professional studios. It captures the sound of a mosquito’s wings. If you accuse this equipment of being fake, the manufacturer will sue you for defamation.” Bella’s face turned the color of a bruise. She decided to just cry and deny everything. Caleb, easily swayed, turned his anger onto the butler. “Alfred! How much did Scarlett pay you to stage this frame-up against Bella?” Alfred adjusted his glasses again. “It is my duty to maintain the stability of this household.” “Fine! You dare lie to me? You’re fired! Get out!” At this, Alfred’s stoic mask finally cracked. He rolled his eyes—a move that nearly gave Caleb an aneurysm—and said: “My employers are your father and mother, Mr. and Mrs. Sterling. You do not have the authority to terminate my employment.” “Fine! You’re using my mom to scare me? I’m calling her right now to see if she believes her son or an outsider!” “Please do. I will also be forwarding the unedited video and audio of today’s events to Mrs. Sterling.” Bella, who had been enjoying the drama, panicked. She grabbed Caleb’s hand. “Caleb, let’s just drop it. I think Scarlett is just jealous of our closeness and wanted your attention.” “I… I shouldn’t disturb you two anymore.” She made a graceful exit, which was actually a frantic escape because she was terrified of Caleb’s mother—the iron-fisted CEO of the Sterling Group. Caleb immediately chased after her in his wheelchair (from a previous racing injury), but not before glaring at me. “You chased Bella away. If this happens again, I won’t forgive you!” As if I was the villain. 2 I was speechless. After Caleb left, Alfred walked up to me. Breaking his professional code, he whispered: “Miss Scarlett, you are a good person. I believe you should be more… selective in your choice of a partner.” He was basically saying dump the idiot. I knew. Caleb was bipolar, addicted to dangerous street racing, and carried his mother’s genetic difficulty with fertility. Only a blind woman would want him. But that was exactly why the system reward for conquering him was so high. Three years ago, the System bound me to Caleb. If I married him, I’d get ten billion dollars. I spent three years being the perfect partner, winning over everyone in his family except him. And when Bella returned, all that progress was about to be wiped out. Thank god I had a backup plan. I smiled warmly at Alfred. “Alfred, do you still have enough of that medicine?” Alfred relaxed into a genuine smile. “I do. It works wonders. Just a drop allows me to sleep through the night, giving me the energy to clean up the Young Master’s messes…” I told him to ask for more whenever he needed it. Inside my head, the System was fuming: [I gave you that sedative blood to treat Caleb’s bipolar episodes! Imagine, every time he has an episode, you calm him down. Eventually, he’d be grateful! Feelings grow from dependency!] I ignored it. I gave two drops to the butler, and look—he installed a 4K anti-slander defense system for me. What has Caleb ever done? I know the difference between a high-yield investment and a sunk cost. Ignoring the System’s nagging, I continued my life of luxury while Caleb was away. The next day, I went shopping. I tried on clothes, went to pay, and the card was declined. While I stood there confused, an annoying voice came from behind. “Scarlett, Caleb told me you don’t do any real work and just swipe his card. I didn’t believe him, but… calling you a ‘trophy wife’ is being nice. Isn’t this just gold-digging?” “You’re giving women a bad name.” Bella scolded me with her mouth, but her eyes were glued to the Black Card in my hand with greedy desire. Beside her, Caleb looked at the pile of clothes on the counter and sneered. “Bella is right. I’ve been too lenient. I raised you until you forgot your place.” “Starting today, I’m cutting you off. Learn to stand on your own two feet!” He loudly announced he wouldn’t pay a cent. Bella covered her mouth in mock shock. “Caleb, isn’t that too cruel? A girl like Scarlett… without your supplementary card, how will she pay? These are luxury goods. Even if she washes dishes here, it would take years to pay off.” Caleb scoffed. “Good. Let her learn that the money in this family belongs to me, and only I have the right to control it.” Behind them, Bella’s clique of mean girls giggled. Just then, a crisp electronic chime cut through their laughter. Payment Successful. The sales clerk handed me the beautifully wrapped bags. “Thank you for your patronage, Miss Scarlett.” Caleb froze. “Where did you get the money?” 3 Bella’s eyes darted around, and she immediately fabricated a lie. “Caleb, check your phone! Did she steal your banking info?” She turned to me accusingly. “Scarlett, swiping someone’s card without permission is theft. You could go to jail. A thief can’t be the Lady of the Sterling House!” Caleb marched forward and snatched the card from my hand. He looked at it, puzzled. “This isn’t my card…” Of course not. “That is my salary card.” Before the System bound me, I was a high-level executive at a multinational firm. Even after getting engaged to Caleb, I never quit. I worked remotely, managing projects and earning millions a year. Furthermore, the Black Card Caleb used didn’t even belong to him—it belonged to his mother. If we’re talking about leeches, he’s the parasite, not me. “Can I have my card back now?” Caleb looked embarrassed, but Bella doubled down. “You’re just a girl from a common family. How could you have such a high-paying job? You must have used Caleb’s family name to get it.” “That money isn’t yours. It belongs to Caleb.” Caleb immediately straightened up, latching onto her logic. “Bella is right. Until we investigate whether this money is illicit income gained through my family’s influence, I will hold onto this card!” He pocketed my card without letting me speak. I laughed in disbelief. “If Bella told you the sky was green, would you believe her? If she said you were a pig, would you oink?” Caleb’s face darkened. “You dare insult me?” “Scarlett, you’re just angry because I exposed the truth,” Bella smirked. “Exactly,” Caleb sneered. “This card definitely contains illegal funds. But Bella pleaded for you. Since poor people like you lose their minds over money, I’ll give you a chance to win it back.” “Race me. If you win, you get the card.” I didn’t argue. The card was in my name; I could just call the bank and freeze it. But as I reached for my phone, the System chimed in: [Don’t miss this chance! Caleb is destined to crash in this race and shatter his legs. That is when you use the Bone-Setting Golden Finger! If you heal him, his opinion of you will skyrocket!] I paused. I hung up the phone. “Fine. I’ll race.” Caleb looked surprised. Before he could speak, Bella interjected, sensing an opportunity. “Just betting money is boring. Let’s add stakes. If Caleb wins, on the 5th of next month, he has to take me to Disney World for the whole day!” Caleb agreed instantly. “Anything for you, Bella.” He had completely forgotten that the 5th of next month was our wedding day. 4 Bella was provoking me, but I played along. “Sure. Take him for a week for all I care.” “You… you agreed?” Bella was stunned. Caleb smirked. “Fine. 8 PM. Dead Man’s Curve. Don’t be late, or kiss your card goodbye.” I nodded. As they walked past, Bella whispered, “You’ve never raced. Aren’t you afraid of dying? Or are you planning something?” “Who said I’m driving?” Bella looked panicked. “I knew you wouldn’t give up Caleb that easily!” She ran to tell Caleb. He glanced back at me, declaring he would never lose. At 8 PM, he arrived in his heavily modified supercar. When he saw me pull up in a standard Mercedes sedan, he froze. “You’re racing me in that? Even if you hired a pro… wait. Uncle Ethan? Why are you driving?” Caleb, Bella, and the crowd were stunned. “Ethan Sterling? Isn’t he crippled in one leg? He drives a modified car for the disabled. Scarlett is throwing the race!” Caleb realized what was happening. “Scarlett, you’re despicable. You think bringing my Uncle Ethan here will make me go easy on him out of respect? Racing is sacred. No mercy.” I leaned against the railing. “I didn’t ask for mercy. Ethan is racing you.” Before Caleb could retort, Ethan spoke from the driver’s seat. “I’m racing. I need to make sure you don’t kill yourself.” Caleb exploded. “You’re a cripple and you look down on me? I’ll leave you ten corners behind!” He jumped into his car. Bella started the countdown. “Go!” Caleb’s car shot forward like a rocket, leaving Ethan’s Mercedes in the dust. He got faster and faster. “Caleb is going for the record tonight! He’s amazing!” Bella cheered, casting a triumphant look at me. “Scarlett, you lost. Looks like I’m stealing your groom on your wedding day.” CRASH! A massive explosion of sound echoed from the mountain pass. “What happened?” “Caleb crashed!” “Rescue team! Go!” Bella turned pale. I jumped onto a parked motorcycle and sped up the mountain before anyone else. When I arrived, Ethan was already dragging his bad leg, trying to pull Caleb out of the wreckage. I helped him. Caleb’s upper body was fine, but his legs were a mangled mess of blood and bone. Ethan’s face was grim. “He might lose the legs.” Ding. The System prompted: [Plot Event: Caleb’s Broken Legs occurred. “Miracle Bone-Setter” item issued. Use now?] I nodded without hesitation. “Use on Ethan!” [Healing complete… WAIT! Why did you use it on the Uncle?!] 5 “Oops,” I said flatly. “Slip of the tongue. What do we do now?” The System went berserk. [I gave you that to heal Caleb! Now his legs are ruined! You can’t get the item back!] I almost laughed. “Oh no. Is Caleb going to be a cripple forever?” Just then, Caleb woke up. He looked down at his mangled lower half and screamed. “No! My legs! Help me! I can’t be a cripple!” Bella arrived, shrieking. “Caleb! Hold on! Don’t listen to her, we’ll find a way…” Caleb passed out from the shock. Bella turned on me. “This is your fault! If you hadn’t provoked him, he wouldn’t have driven so fast! If he dies, I’ll destroy you!” I picked my ear. “You better pray he doesn’t wake up and faint again from looking at himself.” “Besides, he challenged me. He drove the car. How is this my fault?” The System finally realized what I was doing. [Host, you did that on purpose.] I ignored it. [Think carefully. If the target goes insane or becomes useless, the mission fails! The penalty for failure is Erasure!] That made me pause. Damn System. I forgot about the death penalty. If I fail to conquer Caleb, I get wiped from existence. It’s forcing me to follow the script. Do I really have to save this idiot? The paramedics arrived. Bella pushed them around, crying, “Be gentle! He’s hurt!” The medics shoved her aside to work. Awkwardly standing there, Bella turned her fire on me again. “Scarlett, how can you be so cold? Caleb got hurt for us! Why aren’t you sad? You’re rubbing salt in the wound!” “What use is being sad? I didn’t ask to race. He did.” Bella choked. We followed the ambulance to the hospital. While Bella performed her grief drama, I watched Ethan. Under the influence of my “mistake,” his leg was miraculously healing by the minute. He looked at me with a complicated expression. I ignored him. I was busy trying to figure out how to not die.

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I’ve been a notorious “demon child” since I was small. When my uncle pointed at my dad’s nose, cursing him for having no sons to carry on the family name, my dad, too honest and weak, couldn’t say a harsh word. I grabbed a pair of scissors and lunged at my cousin’s family jewels. My uncle’s family nearly died of fright and never dared to appear in front of me again. When another uncle tried to seize the house Grandma left to Mom, claiming “money-losing goods” (daughters) didn’t deserve inheritance… Mom only knew how to cry. I set the house on fire. Scared my uncle so bad he moved overnight and never coveted the house again. My reputation as a demon child spread far and wide. People spat when they heard my name. Gradually, no relatives came to visit for holidays. The whole family sighed, and I was bored. During Christmas, my sister’s serious boyfriend brought his whole family over. He opened with: “The trend now is zero engagement gifts, but you need to give a $200,000 dowry. Otherwise, the wedding is off.” Mom, Dad, and my sister dared not speak. But my eyes lit up instantly. Hehe, looks like I’ve got work to do. 1 My sister Chloe’s boyfriend, Caleb Vance, sat opposite us on the sofa with his parents. Mom and Dad were happy. We hadn’t had guests in a long time, and these were future in-laws. Their smiles were genuine. “Linda, hurry up and wash the strawberries, cherries, and mangoes.” Mom winked at me frantically, whispering in my ear, “Little ancestor, please behave today.” For my sister’s sake, I nodded reluctantly. When the fruit came out, Caleb’s mom grabbed a handful of cherries and stuffed them into her mouth, spitting pits while eyeing us sideways: “Isn’t the trend zero engagement gifts now? But the Vance family isn’t unreasonable. How about this: we offer $100,000 as a gift, and your family returns double as a dowry. Fair, right?” Mom and Dad’s smiles froze. The two honest souls exchanged glances, stammering for a long time before managing, “Double dowry?” Before they could finish, Caleb’s mom interrupted like a machine gun: “Double dowry is normal! It’s standard where we come from.” “I see you’re not unreasonable people. We’re willing to pay $100,000. Surely you wouldn’t refuse to give $200,000?” Mom and Dad were speechless. Caleb’s dad, who had silently eaten half a bowl of strawberries, chimed in: “Cash doesn’t hold value like gold. For the couple’s future, we decided to use gold instead of cash.” Saying this, he arrogantly opened a box at his feet. As soon as the box opened, I squinted and blurted out, “Whoa, almost blinded my dog eyes.” Opposite us, the three Vances looked even smugger at my comment. Caleb looked at Chloe lovingly: “Chloe, I will never let you suffer.” Chloe clenched her hands, expression grim, biting her lip. “Gold instead of cash? But—” Caleb grabbed her hand. “The value of this gold is far above $100,000. Really, your family is gaining an advantage.” So Chloe pursed her lips and fell silent. Caleb and his parents exchanged glances, hiding竊喜 (secret delight) in their eyes. “Since we agreed, this box of gold is yours today. We gave the engagement gift; when will you give the dowry?” In the stagnant atmosphere, I suddenly let out an exaggerated gasp. Everyone looked at me. Caleb’s mom said impatiently: “Adults are talking, why is a kid interrupting? No manners—” The rest of her sentence choked in her throat. She stared, jaw dropping, as I used a magnet to suck up all the gold jewelry in the box. Meeting their horrified gazes, I tilted my head innocently: “So gold is made of iron? I wonder how much gold our big iron pot can make. Mom, Dad, we’re rich!” 2 The faces of the three Vances turned green. Caleb snatched back all the jewelry from the magnet. “We brought real gold! Someone must have switched it!” He glanced at me while speaking, clearly trying to frame me, a pure and innocent child. I grinned, pulling out my Apple Watch to call the police. “That’s terrifying! An invisible ghost stole things right in front of seven living people!” “Good thing we have cameras. I’m calling the police to catch the thief!” Caleb’s eyelid twitched violently. He jumped up and grabbed my hand. “Forget it. Maybe the gold shop owner tricked me. It’s the holidays, no need to call the police.” I cupped my face with both hands. “Deceived out of $100,000 and not pursuing it? Brother, you’re a saint.” Caleb’s face darkened. He endured it, suppressing his anger. He signaled his mom, who started blabbering again: “Oh, we sincerely wanted to give $100,000. Maybe it’s God’s will for us to follow the zero-gift trend.” She smiled, fat piling up on her face. “I believe the in-laws aren’t people who sell their daughter for money. Since we already offered, you should just accept this gold.” Caleb’s dad abruptly reminded: “We gave the gift. Now it’s your turn for the $200,000 dowry.” Mom and Dad, clumsy with words, wanted to object but didn’t know how. They could only rub their hands awkwardly. I smirked. Bastards. Didn’t check my reputation before coming to my house to act tough? Today, I’ll show you what a demon child can do! Just as I opened my mouth, Mom covered it. She looked bitter. “Forget it, don’t delay your sister’s marriage. We didn’t want the money anyway.” I looked at her like she was an alien. Dad thought the same. After a silence, he nodded. “We need time for the dowry. We’ll withdraw the money tomorrow.” Hearing this, the greed in the Vances’ eyes was unconcealable. Caleb’s dad suddenly walked around the house, speaking reluctantly: “This house is old, but the location is okay. Perfect for a marital home.” Caleb’s mom played along: “Yes, we’re family. Leaving this house empty is a waste. The children’s marriage comes first.” Caleb hammered the final nail: “Right. Mom and Dad, you should move in too, to take care of Chloe.” Mom and Dad were stunned by their shamelessness. Chloe teared up, trembling, unable to speak. I rolled my eyes, popping out from behind Mom and asking innocently: “Brother, if your whole family moves in, are you marrying into our family?” “Does that mean you won’t be Caleb Vance anymore, but Caleb Miller? And your parents will take my sister’s last name too?” 3 These words instantly cracked their hypocritical masks. Caleb cursed: “How could I marry in? And make my parents change their names? Keep dreaming!” Mom and Dad’s faces changed too. They protected me behind them, explaining weakly: “Child’s talk, Bella is joking.” Caleb’s mom looked like her eyes would fly out of her head, glaring at me viciously: “If a girl in my family dared to say such rebellious things, I’d tear her mouth open. No upbringing at all.” Mom and Dad looked pale, but I grinned: “So coming to rob us and eat off the dead is called upbringing? Learned something new.” This mockery made the already angry Caleb furious. He rolled up his sleeves to hit me. “I’m going to teach you a lesson for your parents today, you little brat!” I slipped away like a fish, ran into the bathroom, grabbed a handful of foul-smelling yellow slime, and threw it at Caleb and his parents. “Come on, catch me!” Seeing the smelly stuff stuck to their faces, the three of them retched violently and ran out of my house screaming. I shouted from the door: “Don’t go! I have more gifts for you!” Hearing this, they ran faster, as if ghosts were chasing them. “Sigh, boring.” Turning around, I saw Mom, Dad, and Chloe standing five meters away, looking wary. Chloe covered her nose, suppressing nausea, asking incredulously: “Bella Miller, you can even do that to yourself now?” I flicked the stuff off my hand nonchalantly. “It’s just wet paper mixed with some stink spray. Intended for classmates, but the scumbag family got lucky.” Hearing it was fake and I hadn’t actually played with poop, they sighed in relief. I climbed onto the table, pointing at their noses dissatisfiedly: “People bully you in your own home and you don’t make a sound. You’re pissing me off!” The three of them looked down, submissive. Dad even asked hesitantly: “We went too far… offending Caleb’s family like this, is it bad?” I almost fainted from anger. “Caleb wants to eat off our family, and you’re worried about offending him?” “Forget it. Can’t talk to soft buns like you. Give me a hundred bucks, I’m buying candied hawthorn.” Chloe stuffed a hundred dollars in my hand. I happily went out. It was New Year’s, most neighbors were gone, the complex was deserted. If I hadn’t offended all the relatives years ago, we would have gone back to our hometown too. But I didn’t regret it. Mom and Dad were too nice, always bullied by those leech relatives. Only after having me, the notorious demon child, did they back off. I licked my candied hawthorn, humming a tune, entering the complex from the back gate. Just turning into a small path, a figure jumped out from under a tree, covered my mouth, and carried me away. 4 “Mmph!” I struggled hard, receiving a heavy slap on the face. I instantly went quiet. The person carried me, ran, and threw me into a dirty alley. Opening my eyes, I saw the fierce faces of Caleb and his parents. I curled up in fear. Caleb sneered: “Little brat, weren’t you tough before? Be tough now!” He slapped my face hard. My cheek burned, tears spinning in my eyes. Caleb’s dad smoked nearby, spitting impatiently: “Just an uneducated brat, why waste time?” Caleb’s mom nodded: “Raising a brat like Bella shows the Millers aren’t good people. Not worthy of my family.” The more vicious they spoke, the more desperate they seemed. But Caleb shook his head firmly: “No, I must marry Chloe!” His parents were shocked. “Son, you like her that much?” “Caleb, don’t be stupid. With your conditions, liking her is her blessing. If she doesn’t appreciate it, she deserves to be single!” I peeked at Caleb through my fingers. Caleb sneered: “Chloe is pretty and gentle, I do like her. But that’s not the only reason.” “You saw it today. That house is in a great location, four bedrooms, worth at least two million.” “And her parents have pensions. I have no house or car. Except for a fool like Chloe, no money-grubbing woman would look at me.” “Most importantly, the whole family are softies, and there’s no son. If I marry Chloe, the Miller family assets will be mine!” Caleb’s mom’s eyes lit up: “Right, no son means we should eat off them!” Caleb’s dad stopped smoking, staring at me fiercely: “What about this brat?” Caleb followed his gaze, eyes fierce. “This brat keeps ruining my plans. If not for her, we would have controlled them today.” He rolled his eyes: “Miller money is my money. I don’t want to raise a loser. Let’s sell her to the mountains.” “Make a profit, and with her gone, the family will be lost. I can comfort Chloe and renegotiate the marriage.” I widened my eyes in horror. Hoping his parents had some reason, knowing trafficking was illegal. But the two old things were birds of a feather. Caleb’s dad even drove the car over, opening the trunk: “Tie her up, let’s find a buyer tonight.” I shook my head in terror, asking pitifully: “Brother, won’t you let me go?” Caleb sneered: “Scared now? Too late!” He roughly tried to lift me into the trunk. I suddenly dropped the pitiful act, revealing a mischievous grin. “Hehe, then don’t blame me.” I pulled something from my pocket. Opposite me, the three Vances’ faces changed instantly. 5 While they were stunned, I lit the firecracker in my hand and threw it at them. It exploded on impact. Being a toy, it wasn’t lethal, but it made them scream and jump. They forgot about grabbing me, running away screaming. Fear amplifies pain. I used to play with firecrackers with other kids. Passersby would jump out of their skins even if it was far away, let alone thrown at them. I lit a few more and threw them under a manhole cover. The blast sent the cover flying. Caleb’s face was white, staring at me in horror and rage: “Bella Miller, are you trying to kill someone?!” A demon child doesn’t speak human. I grinned, making a face: “La la la, I can’t hear you.” My hands kept throwing. I spent almost all the hundred dollars on firecrackers. Couldn’t use them up quickly. The crackling and screaming attracted a passerby. Seeing me throwing firecrackers at people, he was furious. “Hey brat! What are you doing? That’s dangerous! Stop!” I rolled my eyes at him, wiggling my butt arrogantly: “Call the police if you dare, none of your business.” The passerby gasped, never having seen such an arrogant kid. Furious, he took out his phone to call the police. Caleb, closest to him, slapped the phone away. The passerby looked shocked, like I’m helping you and you hit me? Caleb looked awkward, picking up the phone. “This is our kid, we’re just playing. Don’t call the police.” The passerby got angrier: “Bear parents raise bear kids. Throwing firecrackers at people is playing? No manners!” Caleb turned colors being lectured. But they were guilty and dared not call the police. Caleb’s mom pointed at the passerby like a shrew: “We play how we want! Mind your own business! Get lost!” “Damn, a family of psychos!” The passerby cursed, turning to leave. Relieved, the Vances tried to grab me from behind. My firecracker went astray, exploding half a meter from the passerby’s feet. He jumped three feet high, turning back in rage. I made a face: “Coward, call the police then.” Enraged, he dialed 911 immediately. Caleb turned pale, trying to run. The passerby was huge, grabbing Caleb with one hand. “Your kid almost hurt me, and you want to run?” Caleb shook his head: “She’s not mine, we don’t know her.” The passerby sneered: “Spineless trash. Just said she’s yours, now you don’t know her?” “I don’t care, none of you are leaving today!”

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The day I was diagnosed with congenital heart disease, I became the family’s “Porcelain Doll,” fragile and precious. The doctor warned that any shock could kill me instantly. So, my parents catered to my every whim, even sending my healthy younger brother to live with relatives in the countryside, just to give me a quiet environment. Until my eighteenth birthday. The whole family wept with joy. My brother, just brought back home, asked timidly: “Now that Sister survived, am I unwanted again?” That day, Dad kicked him hard for the first time, and Mom held me, crying, swearing she would never let me suffer. But on the night of my brother’s Valedictorian celebration party, when I clutched my chest, gasping for air… My mother, who always doted on me, suddenly twisted her face and slapped me: “Lily, how long are you going to act? Can’t you stand seeing your brother succeed?” “We owed him for eighteen years because of you. Now that he’s made something of himself, you want to ruin it?” “If you want to die, go die somewhere else! Don’t ruin today’s celebration with your bad luck!” She snatched my nitroglycerin pills, threw them into the sewer, and walked away, arm in arm with my brother. I couldn’t make a sound. In the suffocating pain, I watched their backs blur until everything went dark. 1 “Lily, how long are you going to play dead?” Mom’s voice pierced through the noise of the banquet hall, sharp and stinging. But I couldn’t answer. Because I was already dead. My soul floated in mid-air, watching my body, rapidly losing warmth, curled up in the shadows of the hotel’s back alley. That was my body. Face purple, eyes wide open, staring into nothingness. And my mother, Linda, stood a few meters away under the streetlamp. She impatiently checked her fresh manicure, her eyes full of disgust. “Enough, stop with the pity play.” “Today is Leo’s big day. If you dare come in and make a scene, I’ll pretend I never gave birth to you!” She cursed into the darkness a few more times. Receiving no response, she sneered and turned away. “Spoiled brat. Let her freeze out there. Once she’s cold enough, she’ll crawl back in.” She returned to the glittering banquet hall. There, my brother Leo was the star of the show. He wore a tailored suit, a red “Valedictorian” ribbon on his chest. My father, David, face glowing, raised his glass: “Thank you all! The proudest thing in my life is having a son as accomplished as Leo!” The crowd erupted in applause. No one remembered they had a daughter. A daughter who, ten minutes ago, knelt on the ground begging for medicine because her heart was failing. Back then, Leo held Mom’s arm, a barely noticeable smirk on his lips. He said: “Is Sister jealous of me? If she wants the spotlight, I can give the Valedictorian title to her.” Just that one sentence. And Mom’s slap landed on my face. The bottle of life-saving pills was thrown by her own hand into the stinking sewer. Now, that bottle lay quietly in the muck. Just like my cheap and ridiculous life. 2 Halfway through the party. Leo suddenly teared up, looking around. “Mom, Dad, where’s Sister?” “Her health is bad. She’s been out there for so long, will she be okay?” The guests praised him: “The Valedictorian is so kind-hearted, caring for his sibling.” Mom lovingly stroked his head: “You’re just too soft-hearted. That ungrateful wolf probably wants to die out there just to embarrass you.” Dad snorted: “Ignore her! It’ll be quieter if she’s dead!” I floated above them, watching this happy family of three. Though I had no physical body, phantom pain still radiated from my chest. Eighteen years. For eighteen whole years. Their acting was impeccable. To prevent shocking me, they always spoke to me in whispers. If I wanted strawberries, Dad would drive across town in the middle of the night to buy them. If I got a papercut, Mom would cry in distress. I thought I was the happiest “Porcelain Doll” in the world. Turns out, all this love had an expiration date. The expiration date was the day Leo became useful. “Ah—! Someone’s dead!” A piercing scream shattered the peace of the banquet hall. A waiter taking out trash stumbled in, face pale. “There’s… a woman dead at the back door!” The crowd went into an uproar. David frowned, his first reaction was annoyance at the bad luck. “Who died at the hotel? Call security to handle it, don’t disturb the guests!” The waiter pointed shakily outside: “N… no… it’s… it’s Miss Lily.” The air froze instantly. The smile on Linda’s face stiffened. She instinctively retorted: “Nonsense! She was arguing with me full of energy just now!” “She’s just trying to scare us! Lily, get out here!” She yelled at the door, but her voice started to tremble. No one answered. Only my cold body, carried in by the security guards who arrived moments later. Placed right on the expensive carpet in the center of the hall. 3 Seeing the body, Linda’s legs gave out, and she collapsed. Not from grief. I saw clearly; what flashed in her eyes was terror, the panic of a plan gone wrong. “How… how is she really dead?” She muttered to herself, crawling over to check my breath. Gone. “Lily! My daughter!” The next second, she burst into earth-shattering wails. “Why are you so silly! Mom just said a few angry words, how could you…” David’s eyes reddened too, rushing up to shake my corpse. “Doctor! Call a doctor!” The guests looked at each other, some sighing, some suspicious. Only Leo. He stood behind the crowd, looking down at my body. On his handsome face, there was not a trace of sadness. While our parents were wailing, he slowly squatted down. In a voice only he and I (if I were alive) could hear, he whispered in my ear: “Sister, you finally died.” “You occupied my place for eighteen years, enjoyed Mom and Dad’s love for eighteen years. It’s time to pay your debt.” “Did you know? I swapped those pills for vitamins yesterday.” “Whether Mom threw them or not, you were going to die today.” Boom— My soul trembled violently. So that was it. It wasn’t just favoritism. It was a premeditated murder. Leo stood up, put on a mask of utter grief, and threw himself into Linda’s arms. “Mom! Did Sister die because she blamed me…” “It’s all my fault! I shouldn’t have become Valedictorian! I shouldn’t have come back!” Linda hugged him tight, crying: “It’s not your fault! It’s her thin fate! She had no luck!” “My Leo, don’t blame yourself, Mom and Dad only have you now!” Watching this scene, I suddenly found it funny. I wanted to laugh, but tears of blood flowed instead. This was the family I treated as my life. If I could do it over. If I could start again… Extreme hatred made my soul begin to burn. The scene around me twisted, darkness surging like a tide. I will drag them all to hell! 4 “Now that Sister survived, am I unwanted again?” A timid voice, trembling with deliberate fear. I snapped my eyes open. I saw the familiar crystal chandelier and the living room filled with flowers. A familiar heartbeat came from my chest, weak but beating. I wasn’t dead? I instinctively touched my chest; my palm was warm. In front of me, eighteen-year-old Leo stood in a washed-out T-shirt, carrying a worn backpack, at the entryway. He kept his head down, but his eyes peeked through his bangs, secretly observing everyone’s reaction. This scene… It was my eighteenth birthday! And the first day Leo was brought back from the countryside. In my past life, after he said this, Dad was heartbroken, kicked him, and scolded him. Mom hugged me and cried, swearing I was the family’s only treasure. And I, foolishly guilty, offered to give him the best room. Inviting the wolf into the house. “Bastard! What nonsense are you spouting!” David’s furious voice rang out, raising his foot to kick Leo. This familiar script. In a flash, I moved. “Ah—!” I clutched my chest, letting out a short, painful scream. David’s foot stopped mid-air. Linda turned pale with fright, instantly rushing to my side: “Lily! What’s wrong? Did he scare you?” I gasped for air, face pale as paper (this body’s instinct). With trembling fingers, I pointed at Leo, tears streaming down. “He… his eyes are so scary…” “He said I survived… does he… does he want me dead?” Dead silence. Leo looked up sharply, shock unhidden in his eyes. He didn’t expect the sister who was always gentle and saintly to say such things. “I didn’t! Sister, that’s not what I meant…” he tried to explain. I rolled my eyes back and collapsed into Linda’s arms, twitching as I said: “Mom… chest hurts… am I extra… should I make space for him…” Hearing this, Linda’s heart broke. The doctor said I couldn’t take any stimulation, especially negative emotions. She turned her head sharply, glaring at Leo viciously. That was the look she gave my corpse in the past life. Now, it landed on Leo. “Get out!” Linda screamed. “Who let you talk to your sister like that! Do you want to kill her?!” David reacted too, and that kick finally landed. Only this time, it was harder than the last life. Bang. Leo was kicked into the doorframe, grimacing in pain. I leaned into my mother’s arms, the corner of my mouth curling into an imperceptible sneer. Leo. Welcome to my hell.

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The day my daughter’s father sacrificed himself in the line of duty, I gleefully married the Mob boss who ordered his death. My daughter hated me for my heartlessness and cut all ties. I hated her for being a nuisance who blocked my path to riches. She sent me to the countryside for a “Ghost Marriage,” and I turned around and sold her to human traffickers. Twelve years later, she became a journalist. Her first story was to expose me, the villain, to the world. “Vivian Lane, you didn’t expect me to be alive, did you? I’m going to settle every debt—my father’s and mine—one by one!” “You aren’t my mother. You’re an animal.” “Didn’t you always want me dead? If you have the guts, show yourself!” But despite a billion netizens doxxing me for two whole days, they couldn’t find a single trace of me. I whispered in her ear, giggling. “Stupid girl, hahaha. Even if I die, I won’t let you find my body.” She didn’t know. Five years ago, someone paid a fortune to beg her to collect a few broken bone fragments from an incinerator. Those bones were mine. 1 Lily stared coldly into the camera, her eyes filled with rolling hatred. I hadn’t seen her in twelve years. She had grown from a noisy little brat into a steady young woman. Those eyes, righteous and awe-inspiring just like her father’s, looked particularly annoying. I reached out to pinch her ear, but naturally, my hand grasped nothing but air. “Vivian Lane, today I will make all the evidence public. I want to watch you lose everything you gained through illicit means.” “I will make sure you rot in prison, cursed by thousands!” The livestream, with over a hundred thousand viewers, exploded with comments. I sneered and slapped her through the air. Twelve years ago, this damn girl looked at me with that same hate when the traffickers dragged her into the van. I was so mad I slapped her several times. I didn’t expect her to still not learn her lesson. If I had known, I would have slapped her to death back then. I sat indifferently on the table, watching her pull the first piece of evidence from a chipped box beside her: my ledger. Stained with brown splotches, the paper yellowed with age, displayed calmly to the netizens. [October 2nd, 200X: Received Mark’s death pension $2,000. Got a perm, bought two hair clips. Useless trash, even his death is only worth this much.] [November 4th, 2002: Received $10,000 from Boss Huo. Sent that damn girl to entertain some VIP clients. The little bitch actually injured someone. Tsk, next time I’ll drug her so she behaves.] [November 25th, 2002: Spent $500 hiring someone to dig up a grave. Boss Huo bought a new car and wanted to take me for a spin. The damn girl hugged her dead dad’s spirit tablet and called me cheap. In a rage, I dug up his bones and threw them in a cesspit.] … The comments scrolled violently, cursing my eighteen generations of ancestors. Netizens wished they could dig me up and tear me apart right now. But neither Lily nor I reacted. She calmly flipped the ledger to the last page. There were no words on that page, just an old receipt. [September 9th, 2002: Received $3,000 from Brother Meng. Sold daughter, Lily Lane.] It was stamped with my bright red fingerprint. The barrage of comments receded like a tide, the chaotic screen suddenly becoming clean. Silence reigned for several minutes before someone spoke again. [WTF, is this something a human does?] [Even if she couldn’t afford to raise her daughter, she can’t sell her! Is this something a mother does?] [If she couldn’t afford it, she could have started a GoFundMe; plenty of people would want to help.] [Wait, Lily was only 4 years old then?] I sneered. What do they know? Lily glanced coldly at the screen and took out the next piece of evidence. An item that made my pupils constrict instantly. 2 It was a bullet casing, obviously well-preserved. It was taken from her father’s heart. Back then, I wanted to throw away such bad luck, but she held a kitchen knife to my neck and snatched it back. Lily held up the casing, her face etched with obvious hatred. “My father had over a hundred wounds on his body, but the fatal one was this bullet. I spent six hours cleaning his body just to make him look human. But the next day, Vivian Lane married the culprit who killed my father.” “I suspect they colluded long ago… to kill my dad.” The netizens’ emotions surged again. [This animal! Letting her live free for one day is a failure of society.] [I’ll pay a million dollars to whoever finds this Vivian Lane!] [I’ll pay $30,000 for her location!] [Me too!] I leaned against the screen, scoffing. Want to find me? Maybe in the next life. Daughter, I want you to live with hatred for the rest of your life. But unexpectedly, the next day, netizens doxxed my address. It was a dilapidated resettlement housing complex, mostly abandoned. Lily tilted her head slightly, exposing a scar stretching from her cheek to her neck. She cut it herself with a knife because people said she looked like me. It wasn’t originally that long. I grabbed her hair and added another cut. Lily’s best friend covered her nose, looking at the peeling stairwell with unease. “Vivian Lane, who loves wealth and despises poverty, actually lives in a place like this?” “Did her sugar daddy dump her?” The door was locked tight. Lily took an axe from her bag and smashed the door, denting it. The day I married Huo Zheng, she used an axe just like this to shred my wedding dress. But I didn’t spare her either. I used a box of matches to burn her backpack and her dad’s portrait. Another swing, and the door crashed down. Inside was a very ordinary renovation, but the moment Lily saw it, she went mad. Her pupils dilated. She opened every door like a maniac, smashing tables in a frenzy. “Who allowed you to decorate this like the home Dad and I had? Who allowed you?” “Vivian, what gives you the right? What right?!” Watching those fragments, my heart ached. Every table and bowl here was made by my own hands. That damn girl. She smashed the wedding photo on the wall with a hammer, and broke my favorite jewelry in two. “Vivian Lane, get out here!” I giggled in her ear. “Little kid, you’re still too green! I knew you’d come. I even prepared a big gift for you.” “Want to check the storage room?” As if hearing me, she rushed to the corner storage room. The next moment, she convulsed and collapsed to the floor. Her best friend rushed over, holding her. But confusingly, there was nothing strange in the storage room, just a giant plush rabbit. Lily trembled violently, staring at the rabbit as if seeing something terrifying. I sewed that rabbit myself. I leaned in to touch it. However, maybe because I had been away from the place of death for too long, my movement caused my body to fall apart. After spending half a day piecing myself back together, I approached the rabbit. Lily loved rabbits when she was little. Her thirteenth birthday wish was for a big plush rabbit. Unfortunately, on that birthday, she only received Mark’s corpse. Since then, she’s been terrified of rabbits. I touched the rabbit’s nose heartache, sitting on its shoulder, watching Lily pull out a pair of scissors from a drawer. Just as I thought she would cut my rabbit, a woman suddenly walked in from outside. Lily’s emotions instantly stabilized. “Mom.” She threw herself into the woman’s arms like a wronged little girl. However, the woman suddenly looked up, staring straight at me. “Vivian Lane.” Did she see me? 3 However, the next moment I realized I was mistaken. Susan walked towards the rabbit, gently examining the stitching. “Vivian made this.” “It should be a gift for you.” Unexpectedly, the one who understood me best in the end was my love rival. Yes, before I married Mark, she chased him for three years, but Mark chose me. I was smug back then, but thinking about it now, it feels like bad luck. Lily retched, as if hearing something disgusting. “I don’t want it. It’s dirty.” She took the scissors and stabbed the rabbit. The scissors passed through my body and tore the rabbit’s back. Large clumps of cotton flew out. She leaned into Susan’s arms, staring at the cotton with red eyes. So these years, she was adopted by Susan. That day, Susan somehow found out I was selling Lily. She drove after us, chasing for over two hundred miles, and bought Lily back. Hearing Lily call her “Mom,” I curled my lips. Damn girl, I should have sold her further away. She threw down the scissors, and they supported each other out of the messy room. For the rest of the time, I was forced to follow Lily, watching their mother-daughter act, listening to netizens’ curses, and occasionally cursing them back. Until the seventh day, someone found my grave. At first, Lily clearly didn’t believe it. But standing in front of the tombstone, she laughed until she cried. The grave was obviously a few years old. It had my photo and my name carved on it. Lily touched the tombstone. Maybe from excitement, her hand trembled slightly. “Hahaha, karma is real.” “Vivian Lane, retribution finally found you!” She laughed for a while, then started looking for an axe, clearly wanting to smash my grave to vent her anger. Unfortunately, cemeteries don’t have such things. She strode out to buy an axe. Netizens also found out the location of my grave. To vent for Lily, some threw rotten eggs, some brought red paint. Soon, the originally just old tombstone became a mess. Lily got a small excavator. She walked to my tombstone, eyes full of satisfaction mixed with a complexity I didn’t understand. “Vivian, how you treated my dad back then, I’ll treat you now.” I also smiled widely, expecting the reaction of that damn girl when she sees the urn inside is the one she personally collected years ago. I waited for her to get on the excavator and dig up this grave herself. She walked halfway, then suddenly turned back, squatting down hugging her knees, trembling violently. She stared at my tombstone for two minutes, then suddenly picked up a rag and started wiping it. I scoffed. “Damn girl.” After a while, she wiped her tears, threw down the rag, and walked firmly to the excavator. “Vivian, you deserve it. You were heartless, you wronged my dad.” “Today I’m smashing your tombstone to avenge my dad!” With the rumble of the machine starting, the yellow claw smashed towards my tombstone. Everyone’s eyes were filled with satisfaction. A woman like me, who abandoned her husband and sold her daughter, deserved such an end. But amidst the cheers, frantic footsteps ran from the distance. “Stop!” “Lily, your mom never betrayed anyone.”

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My boyfriend’s college junior crashed a multi-million dollar luxury car belonging to the city’s top heir. My boyfriend voluntarily took the blame, then threw the bill at me. “You’re so rich, just pay this off.” “Didn’t you always want to marry me? Once you pay the damages, I’ll consider proposing to you.” After investigating, I found out the junior was trying to mimic a romance novel heroine by intentionally crashing into the heir, hoping to seduce him. Turns out, he didn’t buy it at all. When she found out I knew the truth, she pushed me down the stairs. “I can’t let Caleb know the truth. Go to hell!” Facing police questioning, my boyfriend perjured himself, claiming I fell on my own. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day she crashed the car. 1 Caleb Moore ran over, panting: “Ava, I need a large sum of money right now. Transfer it to me quickly. I need 1.2 million.” On this day in my past life, Caleb also asked me for money directly like this. I didn’t give it immediately. I asked him what happened. Leaving aside whether I could produce such a large amount instantly, he must be in serious trouble. Caleb hemmed and hawed for a while before handing me a bill, saying he crashed a multi-million dollar car belonging to the heir of the Sterling family. He couldn’t afford it and had no choice but to come to me. “Ava, you’re so rich, just pay this off.” As if afraid I wouldn’t agree, Caleb laid out his condition: “Didn’t you always want to marry me? Once you pay the damages, I’ll consider proposing to you.” Honestly, that sentence instantly turned me off. But thinking about how long we’d been dating, I couldn’t just ignore him. I said my family had some connections with the Sterlings and I could plead for him. But Caleb refused adamantly. After some back and forth, I realized he was hiding something. I asked for some time to gather the money and investigated privately. That’s when I found out it wasn’t Caleb who crashed the car, but his college junior, Chloe. And Chloe crashed into the heir’s car on purpose. She read too many CEO romance novels. In those stories, when the heroine crashes the hero’s car, he makes her pay with her body. But the Sterling heir didn’t play along. He demanded cash. She immediately played the victim to Caleb, claiming she accidentally crashed the car and was being forced to pay. Knowing the truth, I was completely done with Caleb. I was on my way to break up with him when Chloe stopped me. “You know everything, don’t you? You’re going to tell Caleb I tried to seduce the heir?” “Don’t you dare!” She glared at me viciously and pushed me down the stairs. “I can’t let Caleb know. Die!” I died on impact. Fate took pity on me and gave me a second chance. In this life, I’ll show them that the Sterling heir isn’t the only one they shouldn’t mess with. Neither am I. 2 Seeing my silence, Caleb decided to tell the “truth.” Still the same story from my past life: he crashed the Sterling heir’s car and was being forced to pay. He urged anxiously: “Ava, transfer the money quickly. Or else the heir will send me to jail. Do you want to lose me?” “Did you total the car? Why so much money?” I took out my phone. Under Caleb’s hopeful gaze, I dialed 911. Caleb snatched my phone. “Why are you calling the police?” I rolled my eyes in disgust. “Helping you, obviously. Who doesn’t have insurance? If they ask for a million, are you really going to give it?” Caleb got angry. “In the end, you just don’t want to give me the money, right?” He took a deep breath, softening his tone to coax me: “Didn’t you always want to marry me? As long as you help me solve this, I’ll marry you.” I laughed out loud, as if hearing the biggest joke in the world. “When did I ever want to marry you? ‘Always’? Do you think you’re God’s gift to women?” Caleb froze. The more I looked at him, the more disgusted I felt. “Look at yourself. Are you worth 1.2 million? With that money, I could buy a dozen guys like you.” Caleb’s face turned red with shame and anger. “Shut up! Look at your ugly face now. I just asked for 1.2 million, do you have to be so hurtful? And your family is so rich. They were right, the richer people are, the stingier they get…” I raised my hand and slapped him hard across the face. “What are you barking at? I called the police to help you. Can you afford 1.2 million?” “Yes, I’m rich, but I’m not an idiot! You have no money but act so tough. Is this your attitude when begging?” “Remember, next time you beg, kneel first.” “Forget it this time. Since you can bark so loud, solve it yourself.” I turned to leave. Caleb panicked and chased after me. “Ava, don’t go. I… my tone was too heavy just now, it’s my fault. But you wouldn’t really make me kneel, right? A man has dignity. Even if I kneel, you couldn’t bear it.” I laughed again. “If you have dignity, why ask for money? Go find the heir. Kneel for him a few times. Maybe he’ll see your ‘dignity’ and waive the debt.” Caleb’s face twitched with rage. He raised his hand to hit me. I stood still, reminding him coldly: “Caleb Moore, I’m much more expensive than that car. Before that slap lands, weigh if your cheap life can afford the compensation.” Caleb’s hand froze in mid-air. He looked at me in disbelief. “Ava, why have you become like this? Didn’t you love me?” “Before asking that, look in the mirror and see how stupid you look.” I mocked him and got into my car. Arriving at my family’s company, I hugged my parents tight, tears streaming down. “Mom, Dad, I missed you so much.” Thinking about how I lost my life for Caleb in my past life, causing my parents the pain of burying their child, I hated myself. And I hated Caleb even more! My parents were startled. “What happened? Ava, don’t cry. Tell us, nothing is unsolvable.” I sniffled, letting go of them, shaking my head with a smile. “Nothing.” Under their worried questioning, I made up an excuse. “I broke up with Caleb.” I told them the truth about the breakup. My parents sighed in relief. “Good that you saw his true colors. No need to be sad over someone like that.” I nodded. If I was sad, it was for the pain I caused them in my past life. As for Caleb, even if he died, I wouldn’t be sad. I’d throw a party. 3 Caleb’s parents actually came to my house looking for me. The butler called to tell me. “Just throw them out,” I said and hung up. I didn’t want to see anyone from the Moore family. But a moment later, Caleb’s mother, Karen, called. Caleb’s family had a few hundred thousand in savings. Not enough for my monthly expenses, but enough for Karen to develop the bad habits of a “rich wife.” When she found out Caleb was dating me, she had him bring me over. With a superior attitude, she told me: “Ava, I know your family is rich and you’re a young miss, but since you’re with my Caleb, you better put away those airs.” “To be a daughter-in-law of the Moore family, there are many rules. The most important one is to listen to your husband and be filial to your in-laws.” At the time, I thought she was a hillbilly and ignored her, just glancing at Caleb. Caleb scolded her lightly: “Mom, we just started dating. How can you talk to Ava like that? Besides, even if we marry, Ava is my wife, not your daughter. Filial piety is my job, don’t outsource it.” If Caleb hadn’t said those seemingly correct words, I would have dumped him then and there. Later, I heard Karen tell Caleb: “You fool, I was showing her who’s boss for your own good. A girl like that, if she marries in, she’ll take over the whole house! I’m helping you suppress her so she listens to you.” Caleb said she truly loved me, and Karen scolded him for being useless. Thinking back, how could someone like Caleb speak up for me in front of his mother? I suspect they staged that whole thing for me. Now, Karen’s superior voice came through the phone, tinged with scolding. “Ava, your servants are so rude. We are guests, and they threw us out? Is this how the Pierce family treats guests?” “And I’m not just any guest, I’m your future mother-in-law. If your servants dare bully me now, what will happen when you marry into the Moore family?” Same annoying tone as Caleb. Like mother, like son. I chuckled. “Where are you now?” Karen said sharply: “At your gate. Come back immediately.” 4 I told my parents I was going home. They insisted on coming with me. “Work isn’t as important as this. I can handle it myself.” With so many security guards at home, was I afraid of them? “You haven’t dealt with people like this. You have no experience.” My mother’s voice was cool but firm. She and Dad pushed back their meetings by two hours to go with me. I found out Caleb was there too, waiting at the gate with his parents. Our car drove straight into the courtyard, and we entered the villa. It was the first time Caleb’s parents visited. They looked around, envy in their eyes, but kept their backs straight, pretending to be unimpressed. My parents sat on the sofa. “Sit.” Karen and Caleb’s father, Bob, sat down. Caleb glanced at me and sat next to his mom. Mom ordered tea, then looked at the trio. “What brings you here?” Before Caleb could speak, Karen jumped in. “Well, the kids have been dating for a long time. We came today to discuss the wedding.” Karen straightened her back. “Since we’re talking marriage, we have to talk dowry. We don’t want much, just five million.” “Don’t worry, once Ava marries in, I’ll treat her like my own daughter.” Mom nodded, not arguing, but asked: “And how much bride price have you prepared?” Karen smiled, neither humble nor arrogant. “I heard the Pierce family is wealthy. Why do big families always talk about money?” Mom looked at me. “Ava, see? This is what small-minded people are like. Mention money and they get defensive. Stay away from people like this in the future.” I nodded obediently. “I will, Mom.” Karen didn’t expect Mom to be so blunt. She stood up. “What did you say?” Mom kept her elegant smile. “Be careful. Don’t wave your arms around. If you break anything in this room, selling your house won’t cover it.” “Ava, you’re too much!” Caleb exploded. “You let your mom talk to your future mother-in-law like that?”

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At the annual awards gala, I was about to receive the “Top Salesperson” award. But before I could accept it, the CEO’s girlfriend, Bella, grabbed the mic and sneered: “Riley, it’s just an award ceremony. Don’t you think your dress is a bit… sl*tty?” “Actually, I’ve seen you selling drinks at nightclubs. Working two jobs is tough, but you should respect your body.” Then, she pulled out a stack of photos showing me meeting various clients. She accused me of closing deals by day and sleeping with clients by night. The crowd erupted. Colleagues pointed fingers, whispering in disbelief. “No wonder her sales numbers are so high. She sold herself for them.” “Does she have any diseases? Gross, I sit right next to her!” I thought the CEO, Ethan, would defend me. After all, he was there every time I signed a major contract. Instead, he turned on me: “It’s just an award, Riley. You are dressed too proactively. Since your sales record is suspicious, we’re withholding the trophy and the bonus.” Oh, so that’s how we’re playing? I pulled out my phone and dialed 911. “Help me, officer! I think I was drugged without my knowledge!” 1 The hall went dead silent. Ethan was the first to react. He rushed over to grab my phone. “Are you crazy, Riley? This is the awards gala! Stop making a scene, aren’t you embarrassed enough?” I deftly dodged him, protecting my phone and my dress, while giving the address to the operator. “Yes, Grand Crown Hotel, Rose Ballroom. Please hurry, I’m terrified!” As soon as I hung up, I switched to video recording. I aimed the camera straight at Ethan and the stunned Bella. “Come on, say it again for the camera. Did you just claim I sleep with clients at night?” I zoomed in on the “intimate photos” in Bella’s hand to ensure high-definition evidence. Bella finally snapped out of it. She swatted my phone, sending it crashing to the floor. Smash. The screen shattered. But she immediately hid behind Ethan, looking aggrieved. “I was just telling the truth. Riley, why are you escalating this? You’re ruining the party for everyone. You’re so selfish.” Hearing this, colleagues started piling on. “If you didn’t do it, Bella wouldn’t have photos.” “Exactly. Where there’s smoke, there’s fire. Why would she single you out?” “We haven’t even complained about potential health risks yet, and you’re playing the victim!” Behind Ethan, Bella put on a brave smile and “kindly” advised: “I just didn’t want everyone to be deceived. That’s why I exposed Riley’s true face today.” “Work should be fair. If bonuses go to people who cheat the system, it’s unfair to you all, right?” Her words earned a round of applause. Everyone praised her beauty and integrity, saying she truly deserved to be the CEO’s girlfriend. And me? Just a worker destined for the gutter. While they criticized me, I quietly gathered the photos from the floor. Evidence of defamation. I decided to give Ethan one last chance. He was my senior in college and had taken care of me. When I first started, my sales were bottom-tier. He ran every lead with me and introduced me to clients. Out of gratitude, even after becoming the top salesperson with my own client base, I never accepted offers from headhunters. “Ethan, are you sure you want to cancel my bonus and trophy?” 2 Ethan, arm around Bella, chatting with colleagues, darkened his face instantly. “Riley, how many times do I have to say it? Bella is my girlfriend. Her words are my words.” “If you weren’t a veteran employee, we would have fired you for moonlighting as an escort and ruining the company’s image.” “Be grateful we’re saving you some face by letting you stay. As for the bonus, forget it!” I was utterly disappointed. Based on a few photos, he labeled me an escort. How could I stay in this company? Besides, Bella might not know where those orders came from, but didn’t he? Since he gave me no way out, I wouldn’t leave him any dignity. This party is over! I walked onto the stage, cut the music, and projected my sales records onto the big screen. “Since the police aren’t here yet, let’s pause on Bella’s defamation. I can skip the trophy, but I want every cent of my bonus.” Ignoring the shock in the room, I went through every order, holding up the photos one by one. “December 1st. This photo. I squatted outside Mr. Pang’s office for three hours for a five-minute meeting. I slipped in the rain, he helped me up. Seeing my dedication, he renewed the contract.” “December 2nd. This one. Mr. Chu’s wife was sick. I visited her. He hugged me in gratitude and gave us the new project.” “December 3rd…” I had evidence and logic for every single picture. Bella didn’t expect my memory to be this good. I not only explained the context but cleared my name. She marched up and unplugged the screen. “Riley! This is the company gala, not your personal show! Is it appropriate to waste everyone’s time?” Ethan also frowned, ordering me down. “Riley, enough!” “If everyone acts like you, how can we hold the gala?” The double standard was laughable. “When you defamed me and canceled my bonus, you didn’t care about the gala. Now that I’m clearing my name and asking for my money, it’s a problem?” Bella realized something. “So it’s all about the money?” “Fine, get down. We’ll give you the bonus during the awards segment!” 3 I didn’t expect Bella to agree. Ethan looked unhappy but nodded to save her face. Since I got what I wanted, I didn’t need to waste more time on stage. As I stepped down, I saw Bella whisper something to Ethan, and they went into the lounge. I followed quietly. I wanted to see what they were plotting. Inside, Ethan questioned Bella immediately. “I staged this whole thing because I didn’t want to pay her bonus! Now you’re giving it to her? Why did I bother?” Bella soothed him softly. “I said I’d give her a bonus, I didn’t say what bonus. Don’t worry.” “I promise she won’t get a single cent today!” She whispered something in his ear, and Ethan burst out laughing. “Great! You always have ideas. Let’s do it!” Outside, I cursed myself for being naive. Of course. Bella wouldn’t dare make a scene without Ethan’s approval. But why? Even if my bonus was six figures, Ethan shouldn’t be sweating over such a small amount. Before I could figure it out, my shattered phone rang. I ducked into the bathroom. “Riley! Why didn’t you tell me you were being bullied at work?” My dad yelled. “Quit immediately! My daughter won’t suffer this humiliation!” “Defamed by an escort girl? How can I show my face in this town?” I was confused. Then I saw the link my dad sent. It was a clip of the gala livestream where Bella humiliated me. My defense was conveniently cut out. She looked like a righteous whistleblower. I looked like a scheming slut. My dad continued: “No wonder she quit my club so suddenly. She found a sugar daddy!” “Wait, Dad, who are you talking about?” “That colleague of yours! She used to sell drinks at my club, didn’t you know?” My dad sent photos and videos of Bella working at his club. I almost laughed. Bella accused me of selling alcohol, when she was the real pro! I wonder if Ethan knows? 4 I received a text from the police saying they were stuck in traffic but arriving soon. Back at the gala, Bella enthusiastically pulled me onto the stage. “Riley, I was just joking earlier. Don’t be mad. Come get your bonus.” Ethan stood before me, holding a trophy and a red envelope, his face beaming with a fake smile. “Riley, you’re a veteran employee. I’m proud of your achievements. Here is your trophy and bonus. Congratulations.” “Just… since you have a stable job now, stop with the side hustles. It looks bad if people find out.” I rolled my eyes. “Ethan, I explained clearly. I don’t have side hustles. But your girlfriend…” Bella shoved me off the stage before I could finish. “Riley, I know you hold a grudge because I told the truth, but don’t be petty.” “Go on, you got your money.” True. Priority one: get the money. But the red envelope felt light. Too light. My commission and bonus should be at least $15,000. It shouldn’t feel like air. I opened it. Inside was a single piece of paper with handwriting: “Bonus: $15,000.”

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My mother is my homeroom teacher, but not a single person in the class believes me. When I ranked second in the exams, she forced me to kneel under the flag during the assembly and repent, making everyone line up to spit on my face. After standing in the scorching sun all day, suffering from heatstroke, I bought a bottle of water at the school store. She poured boiling hot tea over me, scolding me for being wasteful and extravagant. During recess, I hid in the equipment room to apply ointment to my wounds. She dragged me by my hair from the gym to the Dean’s office, accusing me of being unable to control my lust and masturbating in public. I became the laughingstock of the entire school. Taking advantage of the situation, she had a blacksmith forge a custom-made iron chastity belt for me. With the key in her hand, I had to beg for permission just to use the bathroom or change a sanitary pad. To escape her twisted control, I studied desperately, secretly changing my college application to the farthest city possible. This time, she didn’t torture me. Instead, she took all my money, sneering as she waited for me to beg for mercy. Penniless, I stole the key, went to the red-light district, and sold my virginity for $300. As a stranger choked me and pinned me down, my vision blurred with pain, and I seemed to see my mother’s hideous face again. “Mom, I’ve completely become the slut you always called me. Are you satisfied now?” 1 With the money in hand, I didn’t even dare to pack. Clutching my ID, I went straight to the train station alone. After a grueling three-day train ride that nearly broke my body, my heart felt lighter than ever. In the new dorm room, my roommate pinched her nose exaggeratedly at my sweaty, disheveled appearance. “Ew, what is that smell?” This subtle bullying couldn’t hurt me at all. I greeted her politely, turned to make my bed, but my phone started screaming. It was my mother. Before even answering, I was already trembling uncontrollably, my nerves instantly taut. Her presence was like the Grim Reaper calling roll; she could execute me at any moment. If I forgot to write “Solution” on a math test, she would make me stand on the podium, prick my finger, and force me to write the word “Solution” all over the blackboard in my own blood. If I spent an extra fifty cents on ice cream in the summer, she would drag me to the school store, make a huge scene, and slap me twenty times in public until the owner refunded the money just to make it stop. When I wrote a few extra words in a male classmate’s yearbook, she made me kneel at the classroom door, tore the yearbook to shreds, and forced me to swallow the pieces—paper, plastic flowers, metal rings and all—while the whole class watched. Looking at my bloody mouth, she stood over me, calling it “character education.” “I can’t control the mistress outside, but I can control you!” “I raise you to prove my daughter is better than that bitch’s daughter. Not only do you have to study well, but you also have to be cleaner than her!” “Only a daughter born of a slut would be so eager to find a man. If this happens again, I’ll cut off your breasts myself and sew you up down there!” Every word sent chills down my spine, making my limbs cramp involuntarily. While I was zoning out, my roommate shoved me. “Are you crazy? Why are you standing by my bed?” I jolted awake, realizing I was thousands of miles away at college. Clutching the remaining $150 in my sweaty palm, I suddenly breathed a sigh of relief. It’s okay. I’m grown up now. I escaped. I used my virginity to buy a ticket out, and I can support myself by working hard from now on. Like a fish released back into the water, I smiled genuinely for the first time in three years. Mom, I’m finally free of you! I relaxed, spread the new sheets I was issued, and started cleaning. The smell of sunlight mixed with dust made me smile again. It’s so good. This will be my new home. A home without a controlling mother. A home where I don’t have to worry about being dragged out of bed by my hair and beaten in the middle of the night. A home where I don’t have to wear custom-made locked iron underwear and can enjoy total freedom! Sitting on the bed, thinking about my future, I was so excited I almost cried. However, just as I gathered the courage to introduce myself to my roommates, my phone received a message. Lighting up the screen, my smile froze. In the sweltering heat, I felt a cold sweat drench me. In the picture, that rusty iron chastity belt had been dug out and thrown on the floor. The message was a furious tirade from my mother. [How dare you steal the key! Don’t you know Mom makes you wear this to protect you?] [Why did you do this? Are you dating someone? Did you sleep with someone?!] [How can you be so cheap, so eager to offer yourself to a man? What’s the difference between you and the slut who stole your dad? Are you trying to kill me along with them?!] Messages popped up one after another. My hand shook, and the phone fell from the top bunk. The roommate on the bottom bunk picked it up, glanced at it confusedly, then suddenly covered her mouth. “Ava, why do you wear this thing?” “And… your mom says you’re a slut who craves men. What does that mean?” In that instant, my sky, which had just brightened, turned dark again. 2 I don’t remember how I ran out of the dorm. When I came to, I was standing by the artificial lake on campus. Looking at my reflection in the water, tears streamed down my face. A voice screamed at me to jump, but reason stopped me. I kept comforting myself: Ava, you’ve escaped. She can’t hurt you. She can only curse and scream through the phone. High school was so hard, but you made it out, didn’t you? You can do this. Taking deep breaths, I wiped my tears and walked back. But for some reason, everyone along the way was looking at me with complicated expressions. Those probing eyes gave me a bad feeling. I lowered my head deeply like a frightened bird, my hunched figure just like in high school. But when I reached the dorm building, the dorm manager, with a cold face, blocked my path with several people. “Student Ava Lane, is it?” “Someone posted on the campus confession wall that you’re working as an escort at such a young age. There’s plenty of evidence.” “The students in the dorm are afraid you have diseases and are demanding you show a medical report!” I looked up, face pale, and immediately saw the phone screen shoved in my face. Line after line, it was all messages from my mother insulting me. The main image was the photo she sent—that rusty set of iron underwear stained with three years of my humiliation. My brain buzzed, my mind went blank. I shouted at the roommates standing behind the manager. “What right do you have to invade my privacy!” Roommate Chloe flashed a strange smile. Holding my phone with a tissue, she threw it at me. “Because we are cleaner than you.” “Even your own mother says you’re horny for men every day. Even iron underwear couldn’t lock you up; you stole the key to sleep around. Who knows what viruses you have?” “Ava, you are not allowed to step foot in our dorm room ever again!” Tears in my eyes, I looked at everyone, hoping someone would say a word for me. But no. The onlookers all around opened and closed their mouths, spewing only insults. My ears rang, my limbs went numb. I turned in panic, wanting to flee. The next second, someone grabbed my arm violently. I felt a long-lost touch of… well, not kindness, but attention. I sniffled and looked up. Before I could see who it was, a sharp pain exploded on my face. Only when I fell to the ground did I realize—oh, someone slapped me. The surrounding students were startled by this turn of events and scattered. That was when I saw who it was. My mom, Linda Lane. Seeing the fear in my eyes seemed to give her immense satisfaction. She raised her hand and slapped me two more times. “Ava, you’re really something. Tell me, where did you get the money for the train ticket!” “Did you sleep with someone behind my back? Did you become a hooker?” “Get up right now! We’re going to the hospital to check if your hymen is still there. If I find out you slept with someone, I’ll sew you up immediately so you can never be a slut again!” I covered my face, motionless. Because I sadly realized my life wouldn’t get better. I thought leaving home would free me from Linda, free me from the painful past. But I was wrong. This slap wasn’t just from Linda; it was from reality. I can never escape. Seeing I wouldn’t move, Linda grew even more furious. She grabbed a mop handle from the dorm entrance and started beating me indiscriminately. “You’re scared! Just like your scumbag father, running away when you can’t answer!” “You think you can hide? Ava, if you don’t leave, I’ll call a doctor right here, strip you naked in front of everyone, and check you myself!” In that moment, I only wished Linda would hit harder. If she accidentally killed me, I wouldn’t have to face any of this. I could already imagine the future. Everyone would avoid me. Roommates would bully me openly. Teachers would ignore me. Even worse, male students would ask how much for a night. Everyone would think I’m cheap. A child not even loved by her mother—no one will love her. I held back tears and looked up. “Just kill me.” Linda froze, then started screaming. “You’d rather die than be checked! You definitely have a problem!” “How many men have you slept with? Are you pregnant?!” I smiled bitterly, looked at her, and repeated: “Just kill me.” Linda’s eyes filled with rage, her strikes getting heavier. Just as she beat me until I vomited blood, school leaders rushed over and stopped her. “Parent, how can you hurt your child like this in public!” Linda didn’t hold back. She spat on my face before answering. “She’s my daughter. I decide whether to beat or scold her.” “Don’t try to pull rank on me. I’m an award-winning teacher; I don’t buy that!” The leaders’ faces changed colors as they continued to persuade. “We can solve any issues privately. This… looks bad.” Mom threw the mop handle on the ground, eyebrows knitting together. She tilted her head, studied the leaders for a few seconds, and suddenly revealed an expression so familiar it terrified me. I jumped up to cover her mouth, but it was too late. “You’re protecting this little slut so much… are you the adulterer?” “I wondered why Ava gave up good grades to come to this crappy school. Turns out, it’s all because of you!” My head buzzed. I shook my head frantically. “Mom, I beg you, stop talking!” She slapped my face, mouth still running. “My daughter is usually the most obedient. She wore iron underwear for three years without taking it off. As soon as she starts college, she steals the key to take it off. It’s all because of you!” The crowd went into an uproar. Some blushed at the mention of iron underwear. Others pointed at the leader, saying the Vice Principal was in big trouble. Oh, so he’s the Vice Principal. Looks like I can’t go to school here anymore. I collapsed in despair, all beautiful dreams drifting away. The Vice Principal was indeed furious, face red. “I’ve never seen this student before, don’t…” Before he could finish, Linda grabbed my hair, shoved people aside, and forced me to say my room number. Then, just like in high school, she choked me with one hand and kicked me forward with her foot. In the dorm room, Linda let go of me and rummaged through her bag. Everyone stared as she pulled out a surveillance camera kit. “Which bed is yours? Install it yourself.” My roommates weren’t having it. One picked up the camera and smashed it on the floor. “What right do you have to invade our privacy? We’ll call the police!” Linda’s skills in throwing tantrums were perfected; even high school principals feared her. Why would she be scared of a few kids? I numbly picked up the broken camera, standing aside like a zombie. Unexpectedly, the police actually came. Two officers took Linda and me away. A policewoman protected me, covered in bruises, and helped me get an injury assessment. Hearing them talk about “intentional injury,” my heart raced again. I seemed to have a way. I seemed to… finally be able to protect myself. Amidst Linda’s screaming insults, I stated without hesitation that I would not settle. Linda’s voice choked in her throat. Her face went cold inch by inch, staring at me with pure malice. Yet I felt a thrill of revenge. But I didn’t expect that my injuries didn’t meet the standard for a criminal case. The incident was ultimately ruled as a “family dispute.” And Linda only received a verbal warning. At this moment, I just wanted to run. I ran back to the dorm, only to find my luggage at the door. Chloe led the way, blocking me, looking at me like garbage. “Ava, we’ve already reported to the counselor. You can’t live here anymore.” Under everyone’s probing gazes, I walked out of the dorm in a daze. Just as I was feeling desperate, my phone received a message. [Tonight, same place. Keep the boss company. I know your name is Ava and your mom is Linda Lane from No. 1 High School. You can’t escape.] I was stunned. Before I could reply, another video came through. [Not talking? Want everyone to see you selling your virginity cheaply?] Watching myself in the video, my heart almost stopped. But I didn’t want to go. I couldn’t go. Hesitating for a few seconds, I typed a reply. [If you dare post it, I’ll call the police.] Life was a mess. I couldn’t think of any way to cope, so I found the cheapest motel near the school to stay temporarily. The next day, I wanted to go to the school leaders to apologize. But as soon as I stepped onto campus, everyone’s eyes focused on me. “That’s the girl in the video, right?” “Yeah. When her mom caused a scene yesterday, I thought it was a misunderstanding. Turns out it’s all true!” “In the video, she’s admitting she’s selling herself while getting screwed. So cheap!” My limbs went numb. I couldn’t move. I took out my phone and frantically opened the campus wall.

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