My biological parents, the Vaughns, came to take me home. Neighbors warned them it was a terrible idea, calling me a walking jinx who brought trouble to anyone near. They ignored it and took me to replace their fake daughter, who had bullied the daughter of the richest tycoon and needed a scapegoat. On day one, the fake heiress tried to frame me for pushing her. She tripped and got a concussion. On day two, my biological brother forced me to livestream and take the blame. He got tangled in wires and nearly choked. On day three, the tycoon sent men to attack me, thinking I was the bully. A sudden hailstorm from a clear sky beat them badly before they reached me. Unable to get to me, the tycoon took revenge on my parents. Their failing company pushed them to beg my adoptive parents to take me back. “Please, we’ll give you anything, just take this cursed creature off our hands.” … When the Vaughns first arrived, my neighbors and my adoptive parents tried to warn them, over and over. “Our Hannah… she’s got a bit of a dark cloud over her head. Things tend to go wrong around her.” “You really need to think this through before you take her.” The wealthy couple waved it all away, their annoyance growing. “Can you stop with the superstitious nonsense? We’re her biological parents. We’re taking her home, not leading her to slaughter.” I let out a cold, quiet laugh. They clearly didn’t recognize me. I had seen them when they first pulled into our small town. I was on my way home and saw them hiding by their car, talking on the phone. “Serena, darling, you know the only reason we’re bringing this biological daughter home is to take the fall for you.” “The girl you cyberbullied is the daughter of Mr. Croft. This is the only way to protect you.” “Don’t you worry. As soon as his anger has cooled, we’ll kick her right back out.” “By then, she’ll probably be too broken to even know what happened.” The girl on the other end finally seemed to calm down. “Fine. But when she’s there, you can’t be nice to her. I’m your only daughter.” The couple promised fervently before hanging up. Hearing all that, I actually felt a pang of pity for the poor girl they were about to drag into their mess. What kind of cosmic bad luck did you have to have to be born to parents like that? Turns out, the joke was on me. “Alright,” I said, stepping forward. “Let’s go. I probably won’t be staying long anyway.” The moment our car was clear of the town, their faces changed. My biological mother looked me up and down like I was something she’d scraped off her shoe. “Your name is Hannah, is that right?” “We are a respected family in Crestfall City. If you’re going to live with us, you will follow our rules.” “You will be treated as an adopted daughter. Serena is, and always will be, our true daughter. You will defer to her in everything. If you make Serena unhappy, you will face the consequences.” I met her gaze calmly. “My adoptive parents might not have explained it clearly enough.” “I have a strange sort of… condition. People who are unkind to me, who wrong me, tend to have very bad luck.” My biological father scoffed. “Save the spooky stories and superstitious garbage for your simple-minded adoptive parents. Try that nonsense on us, and you’ll regret it.” The words had barely left his mouth when the car began to swerve violently. It fishtailed across the highway, spinning in a nauseating drift. The couple screamed, clutching their seatbelts for dear life. The driver wrestled with the wheel, but it was useless. The car flipped. As if summoned from the sky, a huge chunk of rock smashed through the roof on their side of the car, tearing a massive piece of flesh from both of their arms and legs. The scent of blood filled the cabin. Their screams turned to shrieks of agony. I shook my head, which was spinning a little, and looked over at them. “I told you bad things would happen. Why didn’t you believe me?” I clicked my tongue, shaking my head. “That looks painful. A real pound of flesh.” They stared at me, their faces a mask of terror, fear, and impotent rage. “This was an accident! Just an accident! Don’t you dare look so smug!” I just shrugged. The rescue team arrived quickly. As they were being loaded onto stretchers, the canvas tore. Twice. Then, as they were being lifted into the ambulance, the automatic door slammed shut without warning, nearly crushing their feet. By the time they were finally secured, their injuries were significantly worse. As the ambulance prepared to pull away, they were still screaming at the rescue team driver. “Make sure you take her to our house! I refuse to believe she’s this much of a jinx!” I rode back to Crestfall City with one of the rescue workers. Since neither of us was seriously hurt, they just had me wait for observation for half an hour before the driver was cleared to take me to the Vaughn estate. He handed me over to the butler, Stewart, and even let him listen to the voicemail from my biological father. Even from a distance, I could hear the man’s bellowing rage. “Stewart, I want you to teach this ungrateful brat a lesson! Because of her, your mistress and I are stuck in the hospital! Teach her some damn respect!” The butler’s eyes glinted with malice. He dragged me into the grand foyer and threw me to the floor. “You’re the reason the master and mistress are hurt. It’s time you learned about our house rules.” I got to my feet, rubbing my bruised arm. “I’m just giving you a friendly warning,” I said. “Hurting me brings bad luck.” “Is that so? Then I can’t wait to see what kind of bad luck I’ll have.” He came at me with a whip made of braided wire. You just can’t reason with a fool. Somehow, as he swung, the wire whip got tangled in the power cord of a large decorative lamp. The cord was live. In an instant, the circuit shorted. I could have sworn I saw a blue arc of electricity dance across the butler’s body. “Aaaaaahhh!” The servants heard the screams and rushed in, some yanking plugs from the wall, others trying to help the twitching man. Stewart’s hand was still pointing at me, his eyes overflowing with a venomous hatred. The next second, a phone flew out of the hands of a maid who was dialing for an ambulance, soaring through the air and landing squarely on his nose. There was a sickening crunch as the bone shattered. “Aaargh!” Another scream. The driver was still standing at the door, his jaw hanging open. “Is this for real?” I gave him a small smile. “The butler seems to be out of commission. Who are you supposed to hand me over to now? Maybe I’ll just find my own way around.” The driver nodded vigorously. “Miss Vaughn, I think finding your own way around is an excellent idea.” Just then, Serena emerged from her room at the top of the stairs. Our eyes met. Hers were filled with pure disgust. “So you’re the one. Mom and Dad’s real daughter.” She smirked. “Perfect timing. I’m on my way to a party.” I beamed. “Oh, that’s just wonderful.” Serena’s expression tightened, her breathing growing heavier. She was clearly infuriated by my cheerfulness. I thought she’d be taking me to some fancy restaurant or club. I was wrong. She led me to a seedy, rundown bar. The moment we entered a private room, I was hit with a wall of smoke and the sight of a dozen greasy-looking thugs. Serena shoved me inside, a cruel smile plastered on her face. “Boys, this is the ‘real daughter’ my parents dug up. If she’s confirmed as the true heiress, I won’t have any more money to treat you all to the good life. What are we going to do about that?” The leader, a guy with bleached-blond hair, smashed a beer bottle on the floor. “Trying to steal our little sister’s spot, is she? Don’t worry, we’ve got ways of dealing with girls like her. A few naked photos will have her begging like a dog.” Serena crossed her arms, settling in to watch the show. Blondie gestured to his crew. “She’s not bad looking, boys. Looks like we’re in for a treat today.” He yanked a girl with a numb, vacant expression up from the floor and gave me a sinister grin. “She’s a little preview of what’s in store for you. Honey, why don’t you have a chat with our new friend?” The girl nodded, her empty eyes fixed on me. “Be a good girl like me and do what they say. It’ll hurt less. Otherwise, the boys can turn you into a dirty rag.” She pointed to a door at the far end of the room. “If they take you in there, there won’t be much of you left.” I looked at the half-open door and could almost smell a foul odor wafting from it. I sighed and turned to Blondie. “I’m sincerely advising you all not to touch me.” “I have this… weird thing about me. Back in high school, some punks tried to mug me. Before I could even hand over my money, they were struck by lightning.” “In college, a classmate who hated me tried to set me up to be assaulted. The place she sent me to got hit by a vice raid, and she was arrested for pimping.” I looked at the thugs, my voice patient. “I’m a bit of a jinx. But here’s the thing: anyone who tries to harm me ends up ten times unluckier than I am.” Blondie heard me and burst out laughing. “Oh, I’ve just got to see this. Let’s see how unlucky I can get.” He grabbed me by the hair and started dragging me toward the back room. The vacant-eyed girl squeezed her eyes shut in fear. Serena watched, her arms crossed, waiting for the entertainment to begin. The next second, the glass door of the private room exploded inward. Shards of glass flew everywhere, embedding themselves in Blondie’s skin. “Aaaaaahhh!” His screams filled the room. The thugs around him weren’t spared either. One of them caught a piece of glass right in the eye. As for me, I had a tiny scratch on my hand. Serena’s eyes went wide. “How is that possible?” The main door was kicked open, and a squad of police officers stormed in. “We received a tip about illegal activities happening in this room! Nobody move! Hands on your head and get on the ground!” In the end, Serena and I were cleared of any involvement and picked up by my biological brother, Alexander. The moment Serena saw him, she burst into tears. “Alex! I was just taking my sister out, and I don’t know what happened, we ended up in that horrible place! I swear I didn’t do anything bad to her!” Alexander, who had doted on this girl his entire life, was immediately convinced. He wrapped his arms around her. “Of course it wasn’t you.” He then looked at me. “Find her a room to stay in.” Serena nodded eagerly, the malice in her eyes never wavering. She led me up to the third floor, vaguely pointing to a room she said would be mine. Before I could even see where she was pointing, I felt a hard shove from behind. I stumbled forward, crashing into the railing. But Serena, the one who pushed me, had twisted her ankle in the process and fell backward. “Aaaah—” She tumbled all the way down the grand staircase, landing in a heap at the bottom. Alexander heard the noise and came running, only to find Serena unconscious on the floor. His hair practically stood on end with rage. “You! How dare you do this to Serena! Call the police! Someone like you belongs in a cell!” I held up my hands, feigning helplessness. “Look, big brother, you’re not going to believe this, but I really didn’t do it. She tried to hurt me, and that’s why she fell.” “You think I’m going to believe that?” he roared. “You’re just jealous that Serena had the life that should have been yours!” I couldn’t be bothered to explain myself to a stranger. The police arrived quickly. By a stroke of cosmic irony, it was the same officer from the bar raid. The first thing he did was ask to see the security footage. Serena was clever enough to have a maid disable the cameras before she made her move. But, unfortunately for her, the butler’s electrocution earlier that day had caused a short circuit. And by pure chance, the one camera on the third-floor landing had rebooted itself and was fully operational. “Looks like her plan backfired,” the officer said dryly. “Mr. Vaughn, this is clearly a domestic dispute. Are you sure you want to press charges?” Alexander’s glare could have set me on fire, but he was powerless. He forced a smile for the officer. “It seems it was all a misunderstanding. Sorry to have wasted your time.” From the look on his face, I knew he now hated me with a passion. Serena was taken to the hospital. The diagnosis was a concussion. There, Alexander ran into his parents and learned the real reason I’d been brought home. Remembering the string of disasters that had followed me, he decided to change tactics. “Brute force isn’t working,” he strategized with them. “We need to be smarter. We can’t let Mr. Croft get to Serena. Why don’t we have Hannah do a live stream and publicly confess to the cyberbullying? That way, no matter what happens, Croft will target her, not Serena.” His parents agreed it was a brilliant plan.

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I brought up divorce the moment Julian came home. He froze, then turned with a weary smile. “Is this still about the cilantro in your pasta that day?” I zipped up my suitcase, nodding noncommittally. “Sure. Let’s say it’s about that.” He hung up his coat and ruffled my hair, a familiar gesture. “Come on, princess. Stop making a fuss. I was just busy and forgot. It was an accident.” He reached for me, expecting our usual hug. “How can I make it up to you? Flowers? That new handbag you wanted? Or what about the latest necklace from that designer?” In seven years of marriage, he’d always been generous. He was sure I couldn’t bear to leave him. But I stepped back, looking calmly at his handsome face. “Let’s just end it here. The divorce papers are on the table. Don’t forget to sign them.” A man who couldn’t even remember my cilantro allergy was a man I no longer wanted. 1 “Just because I added cilantro to your pasta the day I left for my business trip?” Julian’s face held a familiar mix of exasperated indulgence. He stepped forward and ruffled my hair. “Princess, I honestly just forgot. It was a mistake. I promise it won’t happen again, okay?” His voice was gentle, his expression doting, just like it had always been. It was that very tenderness that had made me fall for him, that had carried us through seven years of marriage, from junior employees to him being the CEO, from a rented apartment to this sprawling villa. I had once believed we could go on like this forever. But what if his tenderness wasn’t reserved for me alone? I gripped the handle of my suitcase and moved past him. “This is it. I’m leaving. The divorce papers are on the counter. Make sure you sign them.” “Zoe!” Julian grabbed my wrist. “Stop fooling around. I was wrong. Let me make it up to you, okay? A hundred red roses? Or that new sapphire necklace from Tiffany’s?” He sounded sincere, but his voice was laced with an easy confidence. He moved closer, his warmth pressing against me as he tried to pull me into an embrace. “We’ve been married for years, and you’re still throwing tantrums like a child?” I ripped my arm away with a force that made him stumble. He stared at me, shocked. I met his gaze, my voice steady. “I have never liked red roses. I like white lisianthus.” A flicker of something—guilt?—crossed his eyes. He stiffened. “Zoe, I’m sorry, I…” Before he could finish, the sound of the fingerprint scanner at the door beeped. The door swung open, and in walked Amelia. His secretary. Her pretty face registered surprise, but a glint of triumph flashed in her eyes as she saw my suitcase. “Zoe,” she chirped, her voice light, “are you going on a trip? Go on, then. I’ll take good care of Mr. Hayes. Don’t you worry.” I let out a low, bitter laugh and turned to Julian. “Well, look at that. The woman who loves red roses is here. And I’m sure she loves cilantro, too.” I wrenched my hand from his grasp and started for the door. Amelia blocked my path, her face half-hidden in the shadows of the entryway. Her voice was pitiful, a stark contrast to the smugness on her face. “Zoe, Mr. Hayes told me he accidentally put cilantro in your pasta before he left for Paris. Is that why you’re mad at him?” Her long lashes fluttered, her beautiful eyes feigning an innocent curiosity that was pure mockery. “He probably just got confused because we eat together so often, and I absolutely love cilantro. It’s such a small thing. If it’s causing problems between you two, I’ll apologize, okay? Please don’t run away from home to make a point. He works so hard, and your tantrums are just another burden for him. You…” Her words were cut short by the sharp crack of a slap. Julian rushed forward, pulling me away. “Zoe! What are you doing? This is between us! Why are you taking it out on her?” I laughed coldly and, in a swift motion, slapped him too. The sound silenced him completely. I had put all my strength into those slaps. Bright red handprints bloomed on both of their faces. I met Julian’s stunned gaze. “Julian, this house is our shared marital property. Who gave you the right to give an outsider fingerprint access to come and go as she pleases?” He was taken aback. “Amelia often has to drop off documents for me. It was just for convenience…” “Amelia? Is that what you call your secretary? How intimate.” My laugh was incredulous. “You’ve been in the business world for years. Don’t tell me you couldn’t hear the provocation in her tone. I can tolerate the flirting at the office, but to bring it into my home? Julian, have you forgotten that I, Zoe Sterling, don’t tolerate bullshit?” I turned to Amelia, who was clutching her cheek. “You’ve been his secretary for what, six months? Can’t you distinguish between professional and private matters? Or are you just a stray dog looking for a master when you let yourself into other people’s homes?” “Those social media posts you’ve been making… they’re set to ‘visible to me only,’ aren’t they? When you don’t know how to write a project proposal, you don’t ask the senior staff for help; you bother the CEO, who is busy running a company. You know he’s a married man, yet you bring him your ‘special homemade lunch’ every single day. When you screw up at work, instead of learning from your mistakes, you have him stay up all night with you to fix them. Is this what a ‘secretary’ does? Does your salary include posting ‘The CEO is so amazing!’ on your private social media?” I shook my head, a scornful smile on my face. “What exactly were you showing off just now? That my husband forgot my deadly allergy because of you? Or that your tireless seduction is finally paying off?” “Zoe! What are you talking about?” Julian’s voice was a low growl of disbelief. “How can you twist our relationship like that? She’s new. It’s my job to mentor her. I helped you the same way when we first met!” Amelia’s eyes were red, her perfectly curled lashes trembling as she let out a soft, choked sob that seemed to echo in the silent room. Suddenly, I was tired of it all. What was the point of arguing with someone who was pretending to be clueless? I locked eyes with Julian. “Is this how you ‘help’ every new employee? Help them so much that you forget your wife of seven years has a severe cilantro allergy and has never, ever liked red roses?” Julian froze. I laughed, a sharp, mocking sound, pushed past Amelia, and walked out of the house, my suitcase rolling behind me. 2 I went to the other apartment I owned, and as soon as I had settled in, my best friend, Chloe, called. “Zoe, are you really sure about this?” Chloe’s voice was anxious. “Did you talk to Julian?” “I did,” I confirmed. “I just moved out. I’m getting settled.” Chloe paused. “Did he agree to the divorce?” I looked at a framed photo of Julian and me on the table. “No,” I said softly. “He probably thinks I’m still just throwing a fit.” “Well, as long as you’ve made up your mind, I support you. But don’t go soft on him when it comes to dividing the assets.” “Don’t worry,” I said. “I’m not a fool.” After hanging up, I gently touched my flat stomach. In the photo, Julian and I were younger, holding each other close, a perfect, happy couple. The next moment, I threw the photo in the trash. I was so emotionally drained that I fell asleep almost immediately. I woke up the next afternoon to a flood of unread messages, mostly apologies from Julian. I ignored them and scrolled through my social media feed. Amelia had posted again. A diamond necklace sparkled at her throat as she flashed a peace sign at the camera. Behind her, a tall, handsome figure was slightly blurred, but I could clearly see the suit he was wearing. It was the one I had given Julian for his birthday this year. The caption read: “The CEO is so sweet! Not only did he not blame me, he even bought me a diamond necklace to make me feel better! Omg, a man like him is one in a million. I have to work harder to be worthy!” It was so ridiculous I had to laugh. I liked the post and commented, “Is this one ‘visible to me only’ too?” Then I tossed my phone aside and went to wash up. While I was washing my face, Julian called. My hands were wet, and I accidentally answered. His voice sounded tired. “Zoe, what was that supposed to mean? That post was public. What will people at the company think of Amelia now that you’ve commented like that? I know I was wrong to forget your preferences, and I’ve apologized. I’ll do anything to make it up to you. Can you just stop this?” I was speechless. I didn’t even know where to begin. “Julian, if you really want to make it up to me, sign the divorce papers. Other than that, I have nothing more to say to you.” I hung up. I went to my parents’ house. Divorce wasn’t a small thing, especially in their eyes. I needed to explain. As I walked in, the aroma of a home-cooked meal filled the air. My nose tingled, and I nearly burst into tears. “Mom? What smells so good? I haven’t had your pot roast in forever. You…” The smile froze on my face. Julian was sitting at the dining table. My expression darkened. He sat there, smiling, his usual gentle self, as if he didn’t notice the storm clouds on my face. He stood to greet me. “Zoe, come on in. Mom made your favorite pot roast and chicken noodle soup.” I slapped his hand away as he reached for mine. “Who let you in?” My dad scolded me. “What’s with the attitude? Julian is the only one who can put up with your temper!” He came over and pushed me toward the table. “Every couple has their disagreements. It’s no big deal. Julian is so good to you, and you’re just being difficult.” My head was spinning. It was always like this. Julian was charming and kind, always gentle with me. My parents adored him. He knew they would take his side and talk me down. That’s why he was here, effortlessly painting me as the unreasonable one. The seemingly harmless, gentle man was, in fact, toxic. “Last dish is ready!” my mom announced, placing a steaming bowl on the table. “You silly girl. Every marriage has its bumps. Julian has already apologized. Stop pouting. We’ve spoiled you rotten!” I looked at my aging parents, their hair graying at the temples, their faces a mixture of concern and gentle reproach. They loved me very much; I knew that. Forget it. My plan was already in motion. It would all be over soon. There was no need to hide it anymore. I tapped the table gently. “Mom, Dad. I’m divorcing Julian.”

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1. My mother poured all her hopes into my brother. “My son will be extraordinary,” she said. “Every second of your life is precious.” She controlled every moment of his day—even making him recite English vocabulary in the bathroom. She used physical punishment, verbal abuse, and guilt as her main teaching tools. Under the pressure, my brother fell into depression and tried to kill himself by cutting his wrists. I begged Mom to stop. Instead, she wrapped his bleeding wrist with duct tape. “This way, the blade can’t cut through,” she said calmly. “If you’re going to cut, use this hand. You need your right hand for writing.” After a dozen canes were broken across his back and there was no unmarked skin left, he was accepted into Oxford. The day he got his acceptance letter, he jumped from the roof. I thought his death would break Mom’s obsession. Instead, she turned to me. “My sweet girl,” she said, a strange light in her eyes, “Mommy will make you even more successful than your brother.” But before she could start, on the seventh day after his death, my grandfather—who had been in a coma for twenty years—woke up. And the first thing he did was continue the project he had started long ago: to forge his daughter into a success. … My brother was dead. The day he found out his exam scores, the day my mother was already on the phone inviting all our relatives to come and see her perfect creation, he jumped from the roof. There was no dramatic scene with people trying to talk him down. He just jumped. Cleanly, decisively. As if he had completely given up on the world. Looking at his unrecognizable body, I felt a strange sense of relief mixed with my grief. “Isn’t that the Miller boy? I heard he did really well on his exams. Why would he do something like this?” “Kids these days have no resilience. His mother worked so hard to raise him, and this is how he repays her.” “I know, right? That poor woman. She raised him all by herself, made him so successful, and he just throws it all away. What an ungrateful brat.” No one cared why my brother jumped. They only saw a single mother to be pitied. They were wrong. I wanted to speak up for my brother, to tell them how suffocating and painful his life had been in that house. But the words wouldn’t come. I didn’t have the strength. He was already gone. Nothing I said would change that. I stole a glance at my mother. Her expression was a complex mask I couldn’t decipher. Would his death make her reflect on her actions? Not a chance. Because I heard her mutter, “What a waste. All those years of training, and now I have to start all over again.” Then, her eyes found mine. A chill spread through my entire body. I couldn’t move. My mother dragged me home without a second glance at my brother’s body. Someone from the crowd called her name. I couldn’t help but ask, “Mom, aren’t we going to do something about brother?” She didn’t even turn around. “Chloe, you’re not as naturally gifted as your brother. You don’t have time to waste on irrelevant things.” Her coldness made me snap. “That’s my brother! Your son! Is studying the only thing you care about? We’re human beings, not trophies for you to show off! Can’t you at least take care of his funeral?” Her response was a sharp, stinging slap across my face. “In the time it took you to say that, you could have memorized twenty vocabulary words.” My mother hadn’t changed at all. She couldn’t stand the thought of her children being average. She would do anything to get them into a top university, to ensure they had a good career. She didn’t care what they had to endure in the process. All that mattered was the result. It used to be my brother. Now, it was my turn. 2 My mother really did ignore my brother. Neighbors and police officers knocked on our door repeatedly, but she refused to deal with his body. When they became too persistent, she would just scream at them. “He’s a useless piece of trash! Why should I waste my precious time on him? Can’t you just find a ditch and bury him somewhere?” The police, at a loss, had to contact other relatives to handle the arrangements. All my mother did was push me to study. She held my last midterm exam paper, her brow furrowed. “How could you get such a simple question wrong? Your brother never made such a stupid mistake! It seems your foundation is very weak. From now on, you will sleep only six hours a night. You have to work harder than everyone else to get into Oxford or Cambridge!” Those were the only two universities that existed in her world. On the first day after my brother’s death, I already felt like I couldn’t breathe. My mother created a strict schedule for me. Three minutes to get out of bed. If I failed, I had to memorize vocabulary in the living room in my pajamas. Five minutes to eat. As much as I could shovel down. If I was still hungry, I had to study on an empty stomach. Two minutes for the bathroom. The second the time was up, my mother would burst in and drag me out, regardless of what I was doing. I failed on the very first day. It was winter, and the five a.m. alarm was brutal. I groggily turned it off and fell back asleep. Three minutes later, I was dragged from my warm bed, and a freezing, wet towel was slapped onto my face. I was instantly awake. I was only in my thin pajamas and wanted to change, but my mother stopped me. “Time is life. The time for changing has passed. Take your book and go to the living room.” The living room was filled with an intimidating number of electronic screens, all displaying countdown timers. When a timer hit zero, a piercing alarm would sound. My mother had deliberately opened a window to keep me alert. I stood there, shivering so hard my teeth chattered. My mother glanced at me coldly. “The cold won’t kill you. You need to be physically fit for the PE exam anyway. This is how your brother built up his endurance.” As soon as my food was served, a timer started. Five minutes. I had five minutes to eat. I stuffed food into my mouth, chewing frantically, not even stopping when I bit my tongue. I knew no one would feel sorry for me. The only person who would have was gone. As I ate, tears of frustration and despair streamed down my face. Was a good grade really that important? Under my mother’s supervision, I memorized a hundred English words, completed four reading comprehensions, and wrote half an essay. When it was almost time for school, for the first time in my life, I thought school was the most wonderful place on earth. But my mother couldn’t stand to see me happy. She wouldn’t let me change my clothes for school. “I told you, you wasted the time for changing. Now you have to face the consequences.” I fought back. I pushed past her, trying to get to my room. “You dare try to change?” I turned back, my eyes wide with terror. My mother had opened the window and had one leg over the sill. “If you don’t listen to me, I’ll jump from here!” The crazed look on her face paralyzed me. I had rarely seen her like this. Unlike with my brother, I had been mostly left to my own devices, sent to a boarding school for middle school. Whenever my mother had one of her episodes, my brother would send me to my room and handle her himself. I swallowed hard, my voice trembling. “Mom! What are you doing? Please, just get down from there!” She glared at me and shifted more of her weight outside, teetering precariously. “Are you going to listen to me or not?!” I didn’t want to. I didn’t want to become like my brother. But I couldn’t risk it. I couldn’t be sure she wouldn’t actually jump. I had already lost my brother. I couldn’t lose my last remaining family member. I fell to my knees, banging my head on the floor. “I’m begging you, please get down! I won’t change my clothes!” A triumphant smile spread across my mother’s face. I knew, in that moment, that I was done for.

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1 In the dead of night, my husband’s assistant sent him a sultry selfie, masking it as a work update. “Mr. Wheeler, I can’t sleep. Are you up? I hope the old lady next to you isn’t snoring too loud.” I took Marcus’s phone, screenshotted the photo and the chat, and blasted it to the entire company’s group server. The next morning, my husband woke up to the 999+ notifications lighting up his phone. He simply gave my ponytail a gentle tug. “Juliet, she’s just a kid. She doesn’t know any better. You, on the other hand, are a grown woman. You shouldn’t let your temper get the best of you.” He deleted his assistant’s contact information right in front of me, as if that erased the whole affair. Then came our wedding anniversary. He booked the entire top-floor restaurant and invited every employee from his company. He presented me with a breathtaking bouquet, its fragrance filling the air. “Happy anniversary, my love.” “I just need to step out and meet someone,” he said, his smile never wavering. “I’ll be right back. I have one more big surprise for you. Just wait here.” The moment he was gone, a stranger in a sharp business suit walked directly to my table and pulled a document from his briefcase. “Mrs. Wheeler, you’ve been served. This is a court order.” … “A court order?” I took the document. The text was stark against the white paper. Lily, his assistant, was suing me for defamation and demanding a public apology in front of the entire company. Just then, Lily herself appeared, her arms crossed smugly. “Juliet,” she sneered, “you tried to ruin my reputation in that group chat, made me the office laughingstock. Tonight, you’re going to apologize for it. Publicly.” The burly men standing behind her took a menacing step forward, their eyes locking onto me like predators. The room erupted. “So it was the boss’s wife who sent that picture! I thought he’d just fat-fingered it.” “This is better than a movie. The wife versus the mistress, and it looks like the mistress is winning.” “I knew Lily wouldn’t just let it go. She was just waiting for the right moment.” “Look at Mrs. Wheeler. She’s frozen in fear. She’s probably going to have to get on her knees and beg.” I slowly lowered the document, my gaze calmly sweeping over Lily’s triumphant face. And then, Marcus returned. He snatched the “court order” from my hands. “Lily, what is the meaning of this?” he demanded, his voice feigning surprise. Lily’s expression instantly crumpled into one of heartbreaking vulnerability. She threw herself into Marcus’s arms. “Marcus, I didn’t want to do this, but your wife left me no choice! She’s destroyed my name at the company! How am I supposed to face anyone?” Dressed in an innocent white dress, tears streamed down her face. “Juliet, I’m so sorry, but we had no other option.” “I know you don’t like me,” she sobbed, “but you can’t just ruin my reputation—and Marcus’s—out of jealousy.” She took a small step back, and Marcus wrapped a protective arm around her, gently patting her back. But the look in his eyes wasn’t one of concern; it was pure, unadulterated adoration. He turned to me, his voice dripping with condescension. “Juliet, look at this mess you’ve made.” “Lily is young. She made a silly joke. Did you have to take it so seriously? Now you’ve dragged the company’s name through the mud.” “Just apologize to Lily and we can put this all behind us.” Every eye in the room was on me, waiting for my humiliation, waiting for me to grovel. With the entire party watching, I started to laugh. 2 “Sue me?” I rose from my chair, my eyes fixed on Marcus. “On what grounds, Marcus? Tell me.” He said nothing, just stared at me with cold detachment, as if I were a lunatic having a tantrum. But Lily, ever the actress, snatched a dinner fork from the table and pressed the tines against her own throat, her voice breaking with manufactured hysteria. “Juliet, I have severe depression! I just wanted you to admit you were wrong… You’ve been stalking me, sending threatening texts, spreading vicious rumors about me and Marcus… I can’t take it anymore! If you don’t apologize to me right now, I’ll…” She made a show of pressing the fork harder into her skin. “Lily, stop!” Marcus lunged forward, wrestling the fork from her hand. He spun around and roared at me. “Have you lost your mind, Juliet?” “I told you she was just a kid! Why do you have to make everything into a war? You just had to escalate things, didn’t you? Are you happy now?” “I’m giving you one last chance. Do what Lily asked.” “Or we’re going straight from here to a lawyer’s office, and I will make damn sure you walk away with nothing. Let’s see how a pampered housewife of five years survives on the street!” Every word was a perfectly aimed dagger, designed to hit where it hurt most. He was so certain of his power over me, so sure that I was too dependent on him, that I would swallow any humiliation to preserve the illusion of our perfect marriage. But he had no idea. He had no idea that the only reason he’d gone from a broke startup founder to the CEO of a publicly-traded company in three short years was because of my family’s resources. The whispers in the crowd grew louder. “It’s over. Mr. Wheeler is really choosing the new girl.” “What a fool. If you can’t win, you should just endure it. Now she’s going to be thrown out with nothing.” “Look, I think she’s about to cry.” I slowly lifted my head, looking at the two utterly clueless people before me, their faces glowing with the smug satisfaction of having won. Marcus’s eyes were still burning with his threat. “What are you waiting for? Cat got your tongue? Say it!” I looked at him, and finally, I spoke. “Alright.” The smile on my face deepened. I stood up, my gaze sweeping across every single person in the room before I spoke again, my voice clear and steady. “I apologize.” Satisfaction bloomed on both Lily’s and Marcus’s faces. I paused for effect, then continued, enunciating every single word. “I’m sorry that I discovered your affair, which has been going on for three years.” “I’m sorry that I found out you, Marcus, have been using the money I brought into this marriage to buy your little mistress here apartments, cars, and luxury goods.” “But most of all, I am so, so sorry for speaking up and interrupting your precious, true love.” 3 “Juliet, what the hell are you talking about!” Marcus strode toward me, his hand raised. A sharp crack echoed through the suddenly silent hall as his palm connected with my cheek. My ears rang, and the metallic tang of blood filled my mouth. For a split second, I was no longer in the restaurant. I was a girl again, stepping into the fighting pits for the first time. A Pierce must always know how to handle themselves, my father’s voice echoed in my memory. I’d been trained by the best since I was a child, mastering blades, firearms, every form of combat. I didn’t flinch. I wanted to remember the sting of this slap. “Are you insane?” Marcus screamed, his finger jabbing at my face. “Spouting this nonsense in front of everyone! You may have no shame, but I do!” I touched my burning cheek, my eyes fixed on the man I had loved for so long. I had grown tired of the violence and shadows of my family’s world, which is why I’d hidden my identity to build a normal, quiet life with him. When he wanted to start his own business three years ago, I pulled every string I had to support him from behind the scenes. The physical pain was nothing. But the ache in my chest was a suffocating tide. Seeing her chance, Lily rushed to Marcus’s side, clinging to his arm. “Marcus, please don’t be angry. Don’t fight with Juliet because of me.” She pleaded softly, fresh tears rolling down her cheeks. Then, she turned to the audience. “Everyone, I know this is hard to believe, but the person who has been cheating… is Juliet!” As if on cue, the massive screen behind the main table flickered to life. A slideshow of photos began to play. There I was, having dinner with another man. Then at an art gallery. There was even one, shot from a sly angle outside a hotel, where I was intimately helping him adjust his tie… The lighting was dim, the framing deceptive, each picture carefully crafted to scream infidelity. “Here’s all the proof you need!” Lily’s voice trembled with fake indignation. “She was the one who betrayed our marriage, and then she tried to blame me and Marcus!” “And it’s not just cheating! She’s been abusing him! Look!” The screen switched to photos of Marcus with “injuries.” Red marks on his wrist. Scratches on his neck. Lily cried, “Marcus kept quiet to protect the family, to save her from embarrassment! He endured it all in silence! But she only got worse! I couldn’t stand by and watch it happen any longer!” In an instant, the crowd’s sympathy for me curdled into contempt and disgust. “I can’t believe it. She looks so poised and gentle, but she’s actually that kind of person.” “Poor Mr. Wheeler. She’s a viper, cheating on him and then trying to frame him.” “She has that expensive look, but her actions are just trashy.” “Wait… that man in the photos. He looks familiar… I just can’t place him.” The room buzzed with judgment. I stood alone, an island in a sea of scorn, painted as the most vile, shameless woman alive. Lily sidled up to me, her voice a venomous whisper only I could hear. “The bouquet smelled lovely, didn’t it, Juliet?” “I did give you a chance.” Just as a surge of fury rose within me, a wave of dizziness washed over me. My legs gave out, and I collapsed into my chair. 4 “You vicious woman! A simple apology won’t be enough!” Before I could even process what was happening, a gaudily dressed middle-aged woman burst from the crowd, shoving guests aside as she stormed toward me. She pointed a finger in my face, spittle flying from her lips. “You shameless harlot! You can’t keep your own husband satisfied, so you slander my daughter!” It was Lily’s mother, Brenda. “Mom, don’t!” Lily cried, pulling at her arm while shooting me a tearful look. “Juliet didn’t mean it…” “You be quiet! It’s because you’re too kind that this witch takes advantage of you!” Brenda shoved her daughter away, her eyes raking over me with pure malice. Suddenly, her gaze fell upon the long, white-clothed table in front of me. It was laden with fine china, crystal glasses, and a magnificent five-tiered cake inscribed with “Juliet & Marcus, Happy 5th Anniversary.” With a guttural scream, Brenda seized a corner of the tablecloth and yanked with all her might. CRASH! Everything on the table—the cake, the champagne tower, the silverware—went flying. Expensive crystal shattered, and a sticky mess of wine and frosting covered the floor. The plaque celebrating our five years of marriage lay in pieces. The entire hall was a scene of chaos. Everyone was stunned into silence. Brenda, however, was just getting started. She grabbed me, her voice a shrill command. “Get on your knees!” “Kneel in this mess and beg my daughter for forgiveness!” “Mom, please, stop! She’ll get hurt…” Lily protested, but as she spoke, she subtly kicked a razor-sharp shard of broken glass directly in front of my knees. The shard’s edge glinted coldly under the ballroom lights. Finally, a few guests started to murmur. “My God, this is too much.” “Kneel on broken glass? They’re trying to cripple her!” “Well, she’s the one who blew up the company group chat over nothing. You could say she brought this on herself.” “Mr. Wheeler, isn’t this… going a bit too far?” “Seriously, if she kneels on that, her legs will be shredded.” Marcus had watched the entire spectacle with cold indifference. Only when Brenda looked ready to physically force me onto the glass did he leisurely stroll over and wave a dismissive hand. “That’s enough, Brenda.” Everyone assumed he was about to defuse the situation. “Kneeling won’t be necessary,” he said, his tone one of magnanimous mercy. Then, he scanned the room, a smirk playing on his lips. “However, we can’t let this evening’s entertainment go unpunished. A little lesson is in order.” “Let’s play a little game,” he announced. “We’ll hold an auction. Bidding starts at one dollar. The highest bidder… gets the privilege of disciplining my unruly wife on my behalf.” He paused, his eyes locking with mine, and added, each word a drop of poison: “Hit her wherever you like.” The entire room stared at Marcus as if he were a madman. That shock quickly morphed into a low, excited murmur. “Two dollars!” A greasy man with a beer belly was the first to raise his hand, his eyes gleaming with a predatory light. “Fifty!” another man shouted, his gaze crawling greedily over my body. “Eight hundred!” … I was the main attraction at a grotesque carnival, a piece of merchandise to be sold to the highest bidder. My husband of five years was personally grinding my dignity into the dirt for public amusement. The greasy man who started it all won the bid for a thousand dollars. He rubbed his hands together, waddling toward me with a lecherous grin. “Mrs. Wheeler, no hard feelings. I’ve always wondered what it would feel like to slap a high-class woman like you…” His sweaty, fleshy hand rose high, preparing to strike. My body was weak, my heart a dead, cold stone.

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A proper ex is one who acts like they’re dead. After my divorce from Preston, we both adhered to that truth religiously. Until the anniversary of my father’s death. The front desk buzzed up to say a package had arrived for me. Inside was a bouquet of white roses. The card read, “Please give Mr. Ford my regards.” It was signed with a simple “P.” Many people sent flowers to commemorate my father on this day. But only one person would sign with just a “P.” I refused to even touch them. In front of my entire staff, I dropped the bouquet directly into the office trash can. There was a time when he was the most important person in my life, and in my father’s. But after my father passed away, his hollow sympathy was the last thing I needed. 1 My executive assistant, Sarah, must have seen the pause in my signature. “Was that from… Preston?” she asked, her voice low and tentative. I didn’t answer, my focus returning to the quarterly financial report on my desk. Sarah sighed. “I heard he’s coming back from the New York headquarters. His new project is doing a roadshow here. You’ll have to see him eventually. Are you just going to keep this up?” “And if the media asks about his connection to you…” “Issue a statement from my father’s estate,” I cut her off. “Make it clear that his business empire has no record of such a student.” “As for me and him,” I added, my voice flat, “we’re done. Completely.” Sarah didn’t seem surprised. She simply nodded. But as she gathered her things and reached the door, she paused. I looked up at her, a question in my eyes. The young graduate I’d hired years ago now had a quiet strength in her gaze. “Audrey,” she asked seriously, “are you going to leave him any opening at all? Even just for the press?” “No.” The word was sharp, absolute. My tone was devoid of emotion. I was merely stating a fact. A proper ex is a dead ex. A smile bloomed on Sarah’s face, her dimples showing. “Good,” she said. Her response made me pause for a second before I rose to head to the department merger meeting. In the elevator, I ran into Nathan, a lawyer who had been a senior of Preston’s in college. He’d been a witness to our relationship back then and was now a partner at the city’s top law firm. After a brief exchange of pleasantries, his tone grew somber. “I got word this morning. Preston’s coming home.” I gave a noncommittal, “Hm.” Nathan frowned, his expression complicated. “Your father valued loyalty above all else, Audrey. If he were still here, he would hate to see you two like this.” Like what? Bitter enemies? Complete strangers? I forced a tight smile. If he hadn’t sent those damn flowers this morning, I wouldn’t have even thought of him. I can move on from the past, but I don’t have the right to forgive on my father’s behalf. Someone has to remember the wrongs Preston committed. Someone has to get justice for my father. Back at my waterfront apartment, I washed my face and took out the offerings I’d prepared. One by one, I gently arranged them in front of the memorial portrait in the living room. In the black-and-white photo, my father stood in a sharp suit, his eyes filled with a warm, gentle smile. It was taken on the happiest day of his life. My wedding day. The moment I said “I do,” Preston had pulled me into a fierce embrace. In the front row, my father was smiling so wide that fine lines crinkled at the corners of his eyes. The wedding photographer captured it, freezing the moment in time. Seven years had passed since that day. And those seven years were the darkest, most agonizing of my life. 2 The next day at the corporate headquarters, everyone was looking at me strangely. My closest confidants seemed to be biting their tongues. I had a sinking feeling I knew why, but I didn’t ask. I proceeded with the acquisitions report as scheduled. During the mid-meeting break, a familiar yet foreign figure walked in. Preston. He wore a dark, impeccably tailored suit, a limited-edition Patek Philippe on his wrist, and held an investment proposal in his hand. Two years had transformed him. The warmth he once projected was gone, replaced by the sharp, confident edge of a top-tier executive. If Dad were still alive, he would have been so proud to see him now. A crowd of curious colleagues gathered as he handed me the proposal. Preston and I said nothing, a silent, mutual understanding hanging in the dead, awkward air between us. After signing the last page, I closed the folder and turned to leave. “You’ve grown a lot these past two years,” Preston’s voice came from behind me. I didn’t turn around. I didn’t respond. I simply pushed open the conference room door and walked out. But by the time I reached the end of the hallway, I couldn’t stop the stinging in my eyes. If Dad were still alive, I wouldn’t have had to shoulder the weight of his unfinished business empire in just two short years, poring over financial statements late into the night, pushing projects to completion. I wouldn’t have had to force myself to grow up so fast, to take on the core operations he once managed, just to protect his legacy. This so-called growth was paid for with my father’s life. Two interns walked by, their hushed whispers drifting to my ears. “Is that him? Preston? The one who betrayed his mentor to get ahead and indirectly caused Audrey’s father’s death?” “Why else do you think everyone’s here? They’re all waiting for the drama to explode between him and Audrey.” “God, I heard from the older staff that they used to be the city’s perfect couple. How did it end up like this?” “You can never know what’s in a person’s heart. Who knows what kind of twisted game he was playing.” Their voices faded as the phone in my pocket buzzed urgently. “Audrey, the emergency board meeting has been moved up! We need you at the conference center now!” “On my way,” I said. As I rounded the corner, I ran straight into Preston. He held up his own phone. “Still not planning on taking me off your block list?” I acted as if he were invisible, not breaking my stride. Ignored again, a flicker of annoyance crossed his face. He stepped in front of me, his hand shooting out to grab my wrist. “Audrey, was it really such a big deal that you have to hold a grudge for years? Mr. Ford was always a forgiving man. It’s a shame you didn’t learn that from him.” “And whether you like it or not,” he continued, his grip tightening, “you will be at the celebration dinner with me tonight.” Hearing him say my father’s name was a desecration. I violently shook his hand off, my voice as cold as ice. “Preston, you don’t have the right to say his name.” Without another glance, I walked toward the conference center. Walter, one of the company directors, met me at the entrance. He was my father’s oldest and dearest friend, a man who had been with him since they were building their dreams in a college dorm room. Now, even in his old age, Walter’s eyes still held a sharp, fierce light. He stared at me intently. “That ungrateful snake is back?” 3 I nodded, a wave of sorrow washing over me. Walter’s face contorted with rage. “He has the nerve to show his face here?” he seethed. “If it weren’t for your father paying off his fifty-million-dollar debt and taking him under his wing, would he be where he is today? And how did he repay him? By stabbing him in the back when it mattered most!” “Your father was too kind! He should have let him rot back then!” Walter grew more agitated, pointing toward the lobby. “At your wedding, he stood before your father and swore he would protect you for the rest of his life, that he would work hard and honor him. It was all bullshit!” “The man has no soul!” He paused, then shot me a look of frustration. “And you’re just like him, too trusting. If you had seen him for what he really was sooner, none of this would have…” I remained silent. Walter was right. Preston was brilliant, and he was a masterful actor. Years ago, after his own father jumped to his death, creditors had shown up at his door. It was my father who settled all his debts. Afterwards, Preston had bowed to my father three times, formally asking to become his student. My father taught him everything he knew about business. He even orchestrated our marriage. That was why, when I first found out he was cheating, I couldn’t bring myself to tell Dad. Her name was Jessica. She was a financial journalist. Emboldened by Preston’s favor, she became a tyrant in our social circle. But Preston didn’t care. Against everyone’s advice, he kept her by his side, giving her special treatment at every turn. When the rumors reached me, I was worried about his reputation and confronted him directly. He looked me in the eye, his expression earnest. “Audrey, she comes from a difficult background. I see my former self in her.” “I’m just trying to give her a hand up. It’s nothing more than that.” I believed him. I thought he was acting out of pure kindness, so I let it go. He pulled me into his arms, patting my back gently, his voice impossibly soft. But after that, Jessica became his shadow. They traveled for business together, attended functions together, and were seen acting intimately at corporate galas. The rumors grew more vicious. Someone started calling Jessica “Mrs. Preston” behind my back. The moment I heard those words, I snapped. I stormed into his office and demanded to know what he was playing at. The usual tenderness was gone from his face. His voice was laced with impatience, and a hint of a threat. “Let people say what they want. Our consciences are clear.” “Don’t be irrational. You’re affecting my work.” I fought back tears, my voice trembling. “Dad hasn’t been well. If he hears any of this, the shock could be too much for him!” Preston was silent for a moment, then nodded. For a while after that, he and Jessica did maintain a deliberate distance in public. His office became off-limits to outsiders. But “outsiders” now included me. I was completely shut out. Even work-related matters had to be relayed through his own people. When Dad occasionally asked how Preston and I were doing, I swallowed my pain and forced a smile, telling him everything was fine. One Friday afternoon, I went to my father’s office to drop off his medication. The security guard who usually stood post was gone. I didn’t think much of it and pushed the door open. And there they were. Preston and Jessica, wrapped in each other’s arms, whispering intimately. I froze. So this was their “distance.” Their affair hadn’t ended; it had just moved from public view into the shadows. Tears streamed down my face. Preston didn’t even look at me. He shoved Jessica behind him protectively and snapped, “Audrey, who told you you could just walk in here? Have you no manners?” From behind his back, Jessica peeked out, her eyes a toxic mix of vulnerability and malice. “I’m so sorry, Audrey. Preston and I are in love. Please, just let us be happy.” From that day on, I became the laughingstock of our entire circle. Disgust, rage, and humiliation wrapped around me like thorns. I wanted to tell my father everything. I wanted to tell him I was divorcing Preston. But before I could, Sarah rushed in, her face pale with panic, to tell me my father had collapsed. 4 Dad’s condition was critical. He needed surgery immediately. And the only surgeon in the entire medical system with the expertise to perform it was a Dr. Evans, a man who owed Preston a significant favor. Preston pulled every string he had. He not only got Dr. Evans, but also assembled a team of the nation’s top cardiac specialists. He stayed up for two straight nights helping them develop the best possible treatment plan. During that time, he was a constant presence outside the hospital room, checking on Dad’s condition. A few days later, Dad’s condition finally stabilized. Every day, I cooked nutritious meals and brought them to the hospital. On the third day, I arrived to find that the nurse assigned to my father had been replaced by Jessica. She was standing by my father’s bed, chatting and laughing with him. When she saw me enter, a provocative smirk crossed her lips. “Oh, Audrey, you’re here! I was just telling your father all about the early days of your relationship with Preston. He was so enjoying the stories.” Her words were like needles, piercing my heart. I trembled with rage. She could torment me all she wanted, but parading her victory in my sick father’s hospital room was a line she could not cross. I lunged forward, grabbed her arm, and dragged her out of the room. In the middle of the hallway, in front of doctors, nurses, and visitors, I slapped her across the face. Hard. Jessica stumbled back, stunned, her hand flying to her cheek. The next second, a powerful force yanked me backward. Preston’s eyes were blazing with fury. “Audrey, are you insane?” We had a screaming match in his office later that day. I swept everything off his desk—cups, papers, files—my voice breaking with sobs. “That is my father in that hospital bed! He can’t handle any more stress! Jessica was doing it on purpose! If anything happens to him, I will end you both!” Crack. The sharp sound of a slap echoed in the office. A searing pain spread across my cheek. The blow cut off my words. And it shattered the very last shred of affection I had for him. “Audrey, if you pull a stunt like that again, I will have Dr. Evans on the next flight out of here.” After that, there was no turning back. We were done pretending. Preston moved into a hotel suite and never came home again. And Jessica remained my father’s primary caregiver. Not only that, she escalated her campaign of cruelty, leaving suggestive photos and notes in my office. My father quickly sensed the tension between us. One day, as I was helping him drink some water, he stared at me for a long time and said softly, “My girl, don’t try to be so strong. If you’re unhappy, you can tell me.” I tucked his blanket in, fighting back tears. “I’m fine, Dad. Don’t worry about me. The most important thing for you right now is to rest and get better.” I had only one thought: as soon as Dad had his surgery and recovered, I would tell him everything and end things with Preston for good. But two days after I made that silent promise, my father’s condition took a sudden, drastic turn for the worse. The heart monitor began to blare. The doctors urged me to contact Preston immediately; they had to operate now. I called Preston’s number over and over, but it went straight to voicemail. I asked my contacts to reach Dr. Evans, but he was also unreachable. With no other choice, I dialed Jessica’s number. “My father’s condition has worsened! Get Preston to bring Dr. Evans here now!” There was a moment of silence on the other end, then Preston’s voice, rough with annoyance, came through. “Audrey, can you stop being so dramatic? Your father’s condition isn’t that urgent. I’m busy taking Jessica to an investment summit overseas. I don’t have time for your family drama!” He hung up. I called back. This time, Jessica answered, her voice dripping with triumphant malice. “Don’t call again, Audrey. Preston is taking me on an international business trip.” She paused, then lowered her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “By the way, about your father’s sudden decline… I wonder if it has anything to do with him overhearing Preston and me… outside his room last night?” My mind went blank. The world went silent. I don’t remember what happened next. I only remember the light above the operating room door going out, and the surgeon walking toward me, his face grim as he slowly shook his head. The board meeting was about to start. I pulled my thoughts back from the past. Just as Walter and I were about to enter the conference center, my phone rang. The caller ID showed it was my home landline. I answered. On the other end, for the first time I could remember, Preston’s voice was filled with genuine terror. “Audrey, why is there a memorial portrait of your father in the apartment?”

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My husband is a total tech novice. Or so I thought. Me? I’m a legend on the AI hackathon circuit. In our three years of marriage, he has been the perfect partner. He remembers my cycle, rubs my sore ankles after a long day, and makes sure I have three healthy meals when I’m too buried in Python scripts to remember to eat. But every time I finish a brilliant piece of code and try to show him? He always looks at me with a pained smile: “Honey, it’s all Greek to me. Don’t waste your breath explaining it.” I’d always back off, feeling a bit of a lonely genius. Last week, I was tearing my hair out over a parameter bug for an upcoming AI hackathon. My husband, Caleb Sterling, quietly took off his gold-rimmed glasses and clipped them to his shirt collar. Caleb, the man who supposedly couldn’t tell Java from JavaScript, suddenly reached out and took my laptop. He rolled up his sleeves, revealing the lean, firm lines of his forearms. The cold glow of the screen reflected off his focused profile. The keyboard began to click—a crisp, rhythmic mechanical sound. In less than a minute, the parameter issue that had haunted me for a month was solved with a few elegant lines of code. “Did you… just learn that?” I asked, breathless, thinking he had secretly studied for my sake. He just smiled and didn’t say a word. He looked devastatingly handsome when he was focused. I couldn’t resist sneaking a photo of his profile and posting it to my social media. My account, which usually gets maybe twenty likes, exploded overnight. “It’s 2026 and I’m still seeing those hands on a keyboard? This is the peak Hot Nerd aesthetic. My sapiosexuality is screaming!” “‘Just learned it?’ LOL, OP, do you even know your own husband?” “The ghost of the legendary ‘Sterling-Vance’ duo has returned! I’ve watched the old videos of Goddess Vance teaching Caleb to code a thousand times. They were the ultimate Power Couple.” “Wait… is OP actually Caleb’s wife? Then my ‘Sterling-Vance’ ship really is a relic of the past… 😭” 01 The comments kept refreshing like a runaway script. “Caleb once stayed up five nights straight for Lydia Vance’s AI competition. He collapsed in the lab right after the finals. Their chemistry was insane!” “You think that’s tragic? Think about how Caleb never touched another AI project after Lydia left the country…” A stranger was being pieced together through 3,700 comments. This wasn’t the Caleb I knew. My Caleb was steady, predictable, and careful. He was the man I had to propose to because he was too composed to do it himself. The man in the comments was a reckless, impulsive boy who once ran through a thunderstorm to Lydia’s house just to explain a rumor. On New Year’s Eve, the night before Lydia moved abroad, Caleb resigned from the AI lab. He spent the night alone in the server room and eventually ran a model that produced a hauntingly beautiful AI melody titled “The Moon is Beautiful Tonight”—a classic Japanese idiom for “I love you.” Lydia was his muse. Every parameter he tuned was for her. I scrolled through the stories, the white light of the screen stinging my eyes until tears blurred the text. The melody Caleb had just run on my laptop… was that same melody. New Year’s Eve was approaching. Was he thinking of her again? “Why are you crying, babe?” Caleb chuckled softly, his thumb brushing my eyelid. I leaned away, forcing a smile. “Did you ever do AI competitions before? Your understanding of models is… deep.” “Our team’s algorithm engineer is out sick. Why don’t you come sub for me, Caleb?” Everyone has a past. I knew that. But his kindness to me over these years was real. Plus, I had just found out I was pregnant. We were about to become the family of three we always wanted. If he said yes, it would mean he had moved on. I could pretend I never saw the comments. But Caleb froze. After a long silence, he muttered, “I’ve never formally competed.” The lie felt like a slap. His winning records with Lydia were still indexed on Google. Caleb, a man who measured every word, was telling a blatant, clumsy lie. “Is that so?” I whispered. “Then what are all these comments about?” 02 The veil was torn. I demanded to know why. Caleb remained silent for a long time. “There is no ‘why.’ I loved her. Sometimes I still think of her. It’s that simple.” He watched me fall apart with a calm that felt like ice. “沈溪 (Xandra), we’re married now. You don’t need to obsess over my past.” “Obsess?” I laughed bitterly. “What if she came back right now? What if she asked you to join her lab? Would you go?” He didn’t answer. He tried to pull me into a hug, but I slapped his hand away. I wanted a real answer. Caleb sighed. “Go to sleep. Stop overthinking.” He was so calm it made me feel like a hysterical child. The comments said Lydia had just returned to the States to start her own AI firm. They were all rooting for a reunion, completely ignoring the fact that I was his legal wife. “I wouldn’t go. Happy?” Caleb said, his jaw tight. Right then, his phone buzzed. The caller ID was just one letter: “L.” Caleb grabbed the phone to leave the room. I lunged forward and grabbed his shirt. My tears soaked the fabric. “Answer it here!” We stood in a stalemate. As the ringing began to fade, Caleb finally picked up, perhaps afraid of missing her. “Lydia,” he rasped. The way he said her name was full of a tenderness I had never heard. “It’s me,” a soft, melodic voice replied. I felt Caleb go rigid. He forgot I was even there. Lydia sounded weary. “I’m sorry to call so late. But I didn’t know who else to turn to. My lead engineer is throwing a fit and won’t finish the demo for the launch. The investors are coming in tomorrow, and I can’t push the date.” “I know it’s a lot to ask… but can you come save me? Please, Caleb. I need my best coder.” 03 “But what about your finals for the International AI Hackathon?” Caleb’s question made us both freeze. He was thinking of her career before he even thought of his own life. I couldn’t help but raise my voice. “You’re going to help her? Tomorrow is New Year’s Eve! We have a family dinner planned with both our parents!” I had planned to announce the pregnancy then. My mother-in-law had been hinting at grandkids for years. Caleb had always said he wanted a child. When we were intimate, he’d whisper in my ear, “Let’s have a little girl just as sweet as you, okay?” Lydia’s voice wavered on the phone. “Caleb… is that your friend?” “We are married,” I cut in. Silence followed. Caleb frowned, his resolve hardening. “It’s just technical support.” Just technical support. When I asked, he had “never competed.” When she called, he was ready to catch the first flight out. “Never mind,” Lydia said softly. “Wait,” Caleb said urgently. He covered the receiver and pried my hand off his shirt. His voice was cold. “Stop making a scene, Xandra.” “She’s alone in a tough spot. Is it so wrong to help a friend?” I stared at him, my voice trembling. “I’m in a tough spot too, Caleb.” This was my year to be promoted to Team Lead. But because of my pregnancy fatigue and morning sickness, the partners were worried about the project timeline. They were talking about moving me to a support role. The Open House demo next month was my only chance to prove I still had it, but my algorithm partner was a jerk who refused to work with me because he said my code gave him “anxiety.” I wasn’t a natural genius. I had worked until my wrists ached to get where I am. I poured my heart out, crying as I spoke. Caleb started packing his bag. When he saw me crying, he paused. I thought he would hold me, or at least comfort me. Instead, he said, “Drink some water when you’re done crying. I’m leaving.” I dug my nails into my palms. “Are you really going? You won’t regret this?” Caleb looked at me, lowered his eyes, and said, “Get some sleep.” The front door clicked shut. The house felt cavernous. I touched my stomach, my tears flowing unchecked. I picked up my phone and dialed a clinic. “Hi, I’d like to schedule an appointment for a termination.” 04 The girl on the other end of the line was startled by my voice. “Are you okay, ma’am? Please breathe. Don’t do anything impulsive.” I broke down. A complete stranger on a helpline cared more about my emotional state than the man who shared my bed. I spent the night masochistically watching old interviews of the two of them. In the videos, Caleb would blush if Lydia looked at him during a demo. He’d look devastated if a model didn’t run perfectly for her. He’d tell the world she was the most important person in his life. With me, he was always “stable.” I thought it was just his personality. It wasn’t. He had just given all his passion, all his fire, to someone else. At 8:00 AM, I drove to the hospital. The OB-GYN waiting room was full of couples. I saw a husband rubbing his wife’s back while she leaned on him, complaining of nausea. He kissed her forehead and said, “You’re doing great, babe.” I watched them with a hollow envy. My morning sickness had been brutal, and Caleb had never even noticed. He didn’t even know I was pregnant. “Xandra? The doctor is ready for you.” The doctor looked at my chart and sighed. “You have a difficult constitution for pregnancy. If you terminate this, it might be very hard to conceive again. Are you sure you don’t want to talk to your husband?” My phone lit up. A text from my mom: “Hey sweetie, what do you and Caleb want for dinner tonight? We’re so excited for the ‘surprise’ you mentioned!” I stared at the screen, my hand shaking. I was about to say I needed to think, when Caleb called.

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For the sake of my hometown’s development, I brought my media team back to the countryside to help the farmers. After a year of hard work, Greenridge Village became a model example for the whole state. At the year-end dividend distribution, the village chief announced with fanfare: “This year’s dividend is $15,000 per person!” “But, Caleb, you only get $1.50.” I was confused, thinking it was a joke. The village chief’s son, Mason, pulled out a crumpled dollar bill and two quarters, throwing them in my face. “You just moved your lips and filmed some videos. That’s all you’re worth.” Amidst the roaring laughter of the crowd, my parents also blamed me. “Caleb, everyone was working in the fields, you were indeed lazy.” I sneered, clutching the $1.50 tight. In that case, the million-dollar order for next spring, I’ll be canceling it ahead of schedule. 1 Hearing that I was going to cancel the orders, the villagers began to murmur in panic. “You can’t do that! My peaches are almost ripe. What if the order is canceled?” “Yeah, Caleb, don’t mess around!” The village chief’s son, Mason, raised his voice, signaling everyone to calm down. “Don’t be afraid. All he did this year was film videos and talk.” “We can learn that too. Anyone can livestream.” The villagers looked at each other, hesitation on their faces. I scoffed. “I contacted the channels, I built the brand, and I maintained the clients. You think learning a few tricks will let you replace me?” “So what?” Mason shouted. “We did all the work! We planted the fruit! We packed the boxes!” “While we were out in the sun and wind, you were inside with the fan on. Why should you get the same share as us?” He turned to face the villagers. “Folks, am I right?” After a brief silence, Uncle Bob spoke up first. “That makes sense. Caleb, you did put in effort, but the money… you shouldn’t get that much.” “Exactly.” Neighbor Mrs. Lee whispered. “Anyway, you made money in the city. Coming back to contribute to your hometown is what you should do.” The village chief also nodded. “Educated people have active minds. Helping out is expected, don’t be so calculating.” They chimed in one after another. Everyone advised me to be generous; no one spoke up for me. I looked at my parents. They sat at another table, heads lowered, faces flushed red. My mother secretly wiped away tears. My father glared at me fiercely, his eyes saying: “You’re embarrassing us.” Mason was very satisfied with everyone’s reaction and said boldly. “Don’t worry, everyone. I will lead you all to open livestream accounts.” “In the future, we won’t be controlled by anyone. Everyone can make big money!” He raised his arm and shouted, drawing applause from the crowd. I curled my lip and gave him a thumbs up. I struggled in the city for nearly ten years to become a top influencer in this field. If it weren’t for my hometown, for helping the farmers, I wouldn’t have come back. I didn’t care about the $15,000. I cared about whether my efforts were recognized, whether the people I helped had a conscience. Since it’s like this, there’s no need for me to waste my breath on them. I put the $1.50 in my pocket, turned, and walked away. The villagers whispered behind me. “He’s got quite a temper, taking it so seriously!” “Tsk, let him go if he wants. Could we not live without him before?” “Exactly. Since he came back a year ago, we’ve been walking on eggshells. I’ve been annoyed with him for a long time.” My heart grew colder and colder. Greenridge Village was originally a poverty-stricken village in the state. It was only through this year that we shed the poverty label, and the village chief even received a commendation from the state. When the city reporters came for interviews, the village chief held my hand, thanking me profusely. Now, only a few months later, they’ve turned their backs. In that case, I’ll wait quietly for them to “stand on their own feet.” 2 I treated my team to dinner. When they heard the dividend was only $1.50, they all felt it was unfair for me. “Boss, let’s go back. It’s better than being humiliated here.” “We’ve seen how much you’ve given this year. Since they don’t know what’s good for them, we don’t need to help.” I took a sip of wine and slowly shook my head. “My original intention was to help the farmers. I can’t change that just because of these people’s faces.” “Since Greenridge Village doesn’t need me, we can go elsewhere.” Everyone nodded. “Boss, we’re with you.” Looking at these passionate young people, hope reignited in me. When I got home, my parents were already back. My father’s face was iron-blue as he slammed the table. “You still have the face to come back! The whole village was watching! You’ve lost all my face!” My mother also cried aggrievedly. “Told you to find a proper job, but you insisted on this media stuff… Now look, you’re a joke!” I was unconvinced and couldn’t help but retort. “Where did I go wrong?” “You dare talk back?” My father stood up. “Why did they only give you $1.50? Don’t you know in your heart? Holding a phone all day, filming here and there, do you call that work?” My mother nodded while sobbing. “Look at Mason. He came back from working in the city last year and took the folks to the fields. That’s a real man…” I listened quietly, waiting until they were tired before speaking. “Those channels, I negotiated them one by one. You really think good wine needs no bush?” “Without me, the fruit would still be rotting in the fields.” My father sneered. “Come on! The harvest was good this year. Even without you, we could have sold it!” My mother echoed. “That’s right. Without good fruit, the best channels are useless.” My heart truly went cold. It’s one thing for others to misunderstand me. But even my own parents thought of me this way. I gave a bitter smile. “Fine, I quit. You guys do it yourselves from now on.” I turned and went upstairs. Behind me came the sound of my father smashing a teacup. “Ungrateful son! Can’t even say a word to him? Holding phones all day has rotted his brain. One day I’ll smash them all!” My mother comforted him. “Forget it, forget it. When he comes around, let Mason arrange a job for him. A proper job is the way out.” Anger surged in me, but I forcibly suppressed it. For the first time, I questioned whether I should have come back. I can calculate the market, but I can’t calculate the human heart. 3 The next day, as I was preparing to go out, people came into the yard. Mason led the way, followed by seven or eight young men from the village. They held sticks in their hands, their expressions unkind. My parents stood under the eaves, cowering to the side. Mason spat out a mouthful of smoke. “Hand over all the livestream account passwords, client contact info, and channel information.” I frowned. “Aren’t you going to livestream yourselves? Open your own accounts.” “Bullshit!” Mason narrowed his eyes. “Your account says ‘Greenridge Fresh Fruit,’ so it belongs to Greenridge! Also, disband that team group of yours.” My team had six people, all of whom had been with me for a long time. We filmed together during the day and discussed operations at night. We were like family. I objected unhappily. “That’s my group, it has nothing to do with you.” “Are you kidding?” Mason suddenly raised his voice. “From now on, the team is under my control!” In the yard, my six team members were pushed into a row. The youngest was only eighteen, and they all had slap marks on their faces. I clenched my fists in anger. “How can you hit people! This is illegal!” Mason laughed. “Go sue me then. Who will testify for you?” He grabbed my collar. “Hand over the info, or I won’t be polite!” The villagers on the side shouted. “Hand it over! Hand it over!” Looking at them, I felt utterly chilled. Burning the bridge after crossing it, indeed. My mother persuaded me with teary eyes. “Caleb, just hand it over. Don’t go against everyone.” My father’s face was livid. “His info is on the computer. Just grab it!” I looked up at him in shock. Not only did he not help me, but he also joined outsiders to rob me. Mason shoved me away and waved his hand. “Grab his computer and smash his filming equipment!” They swarmed into my room. Cameras were smashed against the wall, lenses shattering. Computers were unplugged, hard drives ripped out. I rushed over to stop them. Mason swung a stick, hitting me squarely on the back. I fell to my knees in pain. “Keep smashing!” Mason stood at the door, holding my hard drive, sneering. I looked up and saw my parents standing outside the door. My father’s lips moved, but he said nothing in the end. My mother was crying but didn’t come in. Everything was smashed, the floor a mess. Finally, Mason walked over. “Account passwords, say them now!” I slowly stood up, the pain in my back making it hard to straighten up. “Let them go first.” I looked at my team members. Mason thought for a moment. “Fine.” The six young people were released. They looked at me, eyes red. “Go on, go home.” I had disappointed them after all. For their safety, I couldn’t take them with me anymore. I hope this won’t affect their original intention of “poverty alleviation and aiding farmers.” The team members couldn’t bear it, but they left. Now, only Mason’s men and my parents remained in the yard. I recited all the accounts and passwords in one breath. Mason had someone log in and verify them on the spot, then nodded with satisfaction. “You’re smart.” He patted my face. “One more thing. You have to apologize to the whole village.” I frowned. “What am I apologizing for?” “You engaged in all this flashy nonsense and corrupted the atmosphere!” Mason’s voice was loud. “Now none of the young people in the village want to farm properly. They all want to film videos and become influencers! Isn’t this your fault?” The villagers watching outside the yard began to agree. “Exactly! My kid is on his phone all day now!” “Not practical! Corrupting the children!” Listening to these accusations, I suddenly laughed. “A year ago, when you begged for my help, you didn’t say that.” “Still dare to talk back?” Mason slapped me hard. It was heavy. I tasted blood in my mouth. “Kneel! Apologize to the folks! Say you’re sorry to Greenridge! Sorry to the clan!” I stood still. “Did you hear me!” Mason was about to strike again. At this moment, my father suddenly rushed in. “Ungrateful son! Kneel!” He pressed down on my shoulders. I looked at him in shock. “Dad?” “Kneel!” My father’s eyes were red. “Apologize to Mason! Apologize to the whole village! Our family can’t afford this shame!” My mother also came in, crying and pulling me. “Caleb, just give in…” In the yard, villagers formed a circle. Some were silent, some sneered, some pointed. “See, studying made him stupid.” “Deserves it. Should have been dealt with long ago.” My knees were forced down by my father, the wound on my back hurting even more. I looked at my father’s calloused hands, hands that once carried me on his shoulders. Now, he was forcing me to kneel to those who humiliated me. I said word by word. “I. Won’t. Kneel.” My father raised his hand and slapped me. Harder than Mason. “Kneel!” I looked at him, suddenly finding him very strange. In the end, I knelt. Not out of submission. But because my heart died. Mason smiled triumphantly. “Should have done this sooner. Remember, in Greenridge, you have no say. Get out.” 4 They left. The villagers dispersed. Only the mess in the yard remained, and my figure kneeling among the debris. My parents stood under the eaves, silent for a long time. Finally, my father spoke. “Tomorrow, go to Mason’s house and apologize formally. If the village chief sees your attitude is good, maybe he’ll let you stay in the village and make a living.” I didn’t speak. “Did you hear me!” My father roared. “When will you stop making me worry!” I packed up the items I retrieved and spoke slowly. “I won’t go.” My father raised his eyebrows, anger rising again. “You dare!” I looked straight at him, heart dead as ash. “From today on, I am not a member of the Caleb family, nor your son.” My mother burst into tears. “Caleb, you’re the only son in the family, you can’t do this…” She pulled me. “Everyone is doing this for your own good. Why can’t you understand?” I pulled my hand away, looking at them coldly. “No parents would force their own son to kneel to others!” “If you are willing to kneel and beg, that’s your business!” “I, Caleb, must live with dignity!” Saying the last sentence, I got worked up too. My eyes widened, ears turning red. My father shook with anger and raised his hand. This time, I didn’t let him. I pushed him away, and he stumbled back two steps. My father’s eyes widened in surprise. “Ungrateful son, you dare raise a hand against your father!” I ignored him, turned around, took out my suitcase, and packed my few belongings. Luckily, the portable hard drive deep in the drawer was still there. Inside were the core data I had saved since I started livestreaming. When I went downstairs, my father and mother were still at the door. Seeing me leave, he stamped his foot in anger. “Go then! Get out of this house! Never come back!” I looked back at them once. “Don’t worry. Even if you beg me, I won’t come back to this house!” I prepared to drive away, but my back hurt terribly. I went to the village clinic first for some medicine. The village doctor, Dr. Zhang, was an outsider. He opened the door and examined me. Just as I was about to get the medicine, his wife came out from the inner room. “What is he doing here?” The woman screeched. “Mason said anyone who helps him is going against the whole village!” I frowned. “I’ll pay.” The woman pointed at the door. “We won’t sell even if you pay. Leave quickly!” I was pushed out the door, hearing the woman’s voice inside. “Don’t meddle! The whole village stands with Mason now…” I smiled bitterly. So this is the retribution for a good person. No wonder. No wonder Greenridge Village hasn’t escaped poverty for so many years. Anyone who wants to contribute to their hometown would be disheartened by this. Enduring the pain, I drove to the county town. After seeing a doctor, I took out my phone and dialed a number. “Secretary Chen? This is Caleb.” “Yes, the one doing self-media in Greenridge.” “You said last time you wanted to invite me to your village to have a look?” “I’m in the county town now. I have time tomorrow.” Chen Village. Poorer, harder mountain roads. Better fruit, but no good channels. They asked me three times, but I never agreed. Because I was a Greenridge man. But now, not anymore. I opened my phone album and looked at the photos taken this year. The first livestream, only my old fans watched, sold 7 orders. The first shipment, chaotic, even the shipping labels were wrong. First time on provincial TV, villagers surrounded the camera, smiling brightly. Flipping to the end, photos of the dividend meeting. The village chief and Mason stood on stage, high-spirited. In the corner, I was blurred into a shadow. How ridiculous.

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After getting laid off, I excitedly texted my mom that I was coming home for a while. But on the flight back to my hometown, I scrolled past a trending thread on Reddit: “AITA for locking out a distant relative who got fired and wants to mooch off my family?” The top comments were brutal: “1. Demand her severance pay as rent. 2. Change the locks to show her who’s boss. 3. Mock her until she leaves on her own.” I smirked, thankful that my parents would never treat me like that. Besides, I bought the house they lived in. No one could kick me out. But a second later, a text from my mom popped up: “Transfer your severance package to me for safekeeping.” I froze. Acting on a strange instinct, I replied: “I didn’t get any severance.” I suddenly remembered what I had forgotten to tell them. My company actually gave me a $50,000 severance package. And on top of that, I bought a lottery ticket on a whim. I won 5 million dollars. My mom went silent for a long time. I started to panic, wanting to share the good news to break the tension. I sent: “Mom, actually…” The response was a red exclamation mark. Message Not Delivered.

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My mother had a parenting philosophy: “Kill the chicken to scare the monkey.” I was the chicken. My brother, Leo, was the monkey. From the time I was four, my mother used this tactic. If Leo broke a bowl, I knelt on the floor to pick up the pieces. If Leo broke someone else’s toy, I wrote the apology letter. My mother said, “You’re the big sister. You didn’t watch him properly, so it’s your fault.” When I was eight, Leo stole money from the convenience store down the street. When the fat owner came knocking on our door, Leo didn’t hesitate to point at me: “It was Penny! She took it!” My mother’s face changed. Then, she shoved me toward the owner. “Mr. Davis, I didn’t teach my child well. It’s my fault.” “I’ll give my daughter to you as compensation. Hit her, scold her, do whatever you want.” Little did she know, once the owner took me away, I never came back. 1 My mother pulled the fat owner, Mr. Davis, aside. I didn’t hear what she whispered, but I saw her press a wad of cash into his hand. Mr. Davis looked hesitant, then finally nodded. “Mom?” I called out softly. She didn’t look at me. Mr. Davis’s greasy hands grabbed me by the collar, lifting me up like a baby chick. He yelled at my brother, who was frozen in fear, “See this? This is the price of stealing and lying!” I was confused. Didn’t Mom pay him back? “Mom!” I screamed. Leo rushed over, grabbing my hand tightly, wailing: “I won’t steal anymore! I swear! Put my sister down!” Mr. Davis sneered and started carrying me out the door. “Too late! Why didn’t you think about your sister when you were stealing?” Leo threw himself at Mom’s feet, hugging her legs. “Mom, I was wrong! I really was! Don’t let him take Penny! Please!” He cried his heart out, banging his forehead on the floor. My mother looked down at him, and a satisfied smile actually appeared on her face. “Remember this, Leo. Because of your mistake, you don’t have a sister anymore.” Then she turned to Mr. Davis. “Take her far away. Don’t let her brother see.” “Mom!” I panicked completely. In that moment, I finally understood. She wasn’t joking. She really didn’t want me anymore. I was shoved into a beat-up van. A rag was stuffed in my mouth, my hands and feet bound. The car drove for a long time, until the sun dipped low and the sky turned dark gray. Finally, we stopped at a remote village I’d never seen before. When the warehouse door opened, a smell of mold hit me. “There’s water if you’re thirsty, bread if you’re hungry.” Mr. Davis pointed to some boxes in the corner. “Stay put. Your mom will come get you in two days.” Bang. The iron door slammed shut. I heard him on the phone outside: “Don’t worry… far away… won’t find her… money is separate…” The warehouse was pitch black. Only a high ventilation window let in a sliver of blurry moonlight. I waited for a long time. Mom didn’t come. Dad didn’t come either. Did they really abandon me? The thought pierced my heart like a needle. No, they wouldn’t. Mom said this was just an act, just to scare Leo. I told myself this over and over, like a mantra. But it got darker and darker. Strange noises started in the warehouse. Rustling sounds. Like rats, or something else. I was terrified. I wanted to go home. The urge became overwhelming. I started stacking boxes, one by one. I climbed up shakily, standing on tiptoes to reach the window. My fingertips finally touched the cold frame. I pushed with all my might— Crash! The boxes beneath me suddenly gave way. The world spun. The back of my head slammed onto the concrete floor. A dull thud. Strangely, it didn’t hurt. 2 I scrambled up, realizing something was different. Even without a light, I could clearly see the boxes scattered on the floor, even the dust floating in the air. I tried to restack the boxes. My hand reached for a box, but passed right through it. I froze. I tried again. My fingers went through the cardboard without any resistance, like passing through mist. Did I… did I get superpowers from the fall? Just like in the TV shows? My heart pounded. If I really had superpowers, could I fly home? Would Mom praise me? I tried sticking my foot through the wall. It went through. Surprised and delighted, I ran around the warehouse, passing through box after box. It was just like TV! But why… couldn’t I touch anything? The question burrowed into my mind like a worm. Forget it. Go home first. Home. I want to go home. The moment the thought surfaced, my vision blurred. Wind roared in my ears. Village roads, trees, streetlights… everything flew backward. The next second, I was standing at my front door. I phased through the door, shouting: “Mom, I’m back! I think I have magic powers!” Mom had her back to me, busy in the kitchen. The counter was piled with food. The smell of braised pork filled the house. Today was Leo’s birthday. “Mom?” I called again. She didn’t turn around. It was as if she didn’t hear me. My heart tightened. Before, when I made a mistake, she would ignore me like this until I admitted my fault. She must still be angry. Fine, I’ll find Leo first. He’ll be so scared when he sees I can walk through walls. Just then, the front door opened. Dad walked in, looking dusty but smiling, carrying a toy train. “Tired?” Mom wiped her hands and went to greet him. “Took a few days off. Just in time for Leo’s birthday.” Dad’s voice was gentle. “Daddy!” I ran to him. But he walked right past me to Mom. Leo ran out of his room crying and threw himself into Dad’s arms. “Daddy! Go get Penny back! The owner took her! Mom said she doesn’t want her anymore!” Dad froze, looking at Mom. “What happened?” Mom walked over quickly and whispered in Dad’s ear: “Leo won’t stop stealing money no matter what we say.” “I made a deal with the store owner. It’s just an act to scare him. I told him we gave Penny to him as payment.” Dad frowned immediately. “Nonsense! This… what if you scare him too much? Where’s Penny?” “In the owner’s warehouse. She’s safe. I told him to make sure she’s fed.” Mom’s tone was relaxed. “You didn’t see Leo before! If he doesn’t feel pain once, he’ll never learn!” I heard it. It was an act! It was all an act! Mom didn’t abandon me! A rush of warmth hit me. I was so happy I wanted to jump, and I actually floated up a bit. Leo was still crying. “Daddy, go get Penny back, please… I’ll never steal again!” I floated in front of Leo, trying to pinch his cheek. “Don’t cry, dummy. We were tricked.” My fingers passed through his cheek. Dad spoke sternly, “Leo, you made a big mistake this time. Your sister has to bear the consequences for you.” The light in Leo’s eyes went out. “Mom!” I floated to Mom. She was putting the braised pork onto a plate. I wanted to hug her from behind, but my arms went through her body. “Mom, thank you for not abandoning me.” She couldn’t hear. She turned with the plate, walking right through me to the dining table. Dad rubbed Leo’s hair. “Leo’s cried enough… I think it’s time. I’ll go get Penny tomorrow morning.” “Wait two more days.” Mom’s voice turned cold. “He needs to understand thoroughly that some mistakes mean losing things forever.” “But Penny…” “Penny is fine. She has food and water. She’s safe.” Mom interrupted him. “We have to be tough this time.” Two more days? But I’m right here. I floated between them, waving my arms frantically. “Dad! Mom! I’m right here! Can’t you see me?” “I’m back! I really came back!” Mom suddenly shivered, rubbing her arms. “Why is it suddenly cold?” She walked to the window to close it, completely failing to notice I was standing right in front of her. My hand passed through her shoulder. Why can’t I touch? Why can’t they see? Why… can’t they hear? A cold voice sounded in my heart: Because I’m already dead. 3 “Because I’m already dead.” The realization washed over my soul like ice water, freezing me in place. I floated blankly in the kitchen, watching Mom set the table. Leo pushed his rice bowl onto the floor, screaming, “I won’t eat without Penny!” Mom raised her hand but didn’t strike. She just said coldly, “Don’t eat then. Starve.” She bent down, picked up the spilled rice, and threw it in the trash. Her movement was decisive, like throwing away something useless. Just like… throwing me away. The thought pierced me. Memories I didn’t understand before flooded back. Mom once laughed with a neighbor, “Penny is a ‘Sibling-Bringer.’ As soon as she came, her brother followed. It works like magic!” I didn’t understand what “Sibling-Bringer” meant back then. I just knew Mom looked happy as she patted my head. But after Leo was born, she rarely patted my head anymore. Her eyes followed Leo. She hugged him, kissed him, called him “precious.” Dad too. His first words after work were always, “Where’s Leo?” His shoulders became Leo’s exclusive seat. I just followed behind, carefully tugging his shirt, afraid he’d forget me. Once I had a fever and curled up on the sofa. Mom fed Leo first before coming to touch my forehead. “So hot.” She frowned, her tone annoyed. “Always causing trouble.” In the end, it was Dad who got up in the middle of the night to carry me to the hospital. On the way, he sighed, “Penny, you’re the big sister. Be sensible. Don’t tire your mom out.” So, “Sibling-Bringer” meant that once I brought my brother, my mission was over. I wasn’t a “lucky charm” anymore. I was just a sister who needed to be “sensible.” When dinner was almost over, Mom brought out the cake and lit the candles. Leo was forced to make a wish. “I wish for Penny to come back.” Leo started sobbing again. “Stop crying! Your sister is being punished for you! If you don’t change, next time…” She didn’t finish, but her eyes were like winter wind. Dad smoothed things over. “Alright, your wish will come true.” “Really?” “Really. Dad promises.” Hope lit up Leo’s eyes. But I’m already back. I floated above the cake, watching the flickering flame. Your wish came true a long time ago. You just don’t know it. After dinner, Mom washed dishes at the sink. I wanted to wipe her sweat, but my hand passed through her forehead. She used to say my hands were cold. Now I couldn’t even touch her. Dad walked over, brows furrowed tight. “Maybe we should get Penny back? She’s timid.” “No.” Mom looked up instantly, voice hard. “If we get her now, Leo’s lesson is wasted. Just one day? What will he remember?” “I’m worried. Penny’s been afraid of the dark since she was little. Does the warehouse have lights?” “Yes, I told him to leave a light on at night.” There are no lights. I wanted to say. Only a high window. I tried desperately to tell them, but my voice was like wind through a crack. Suddenly, I had an idea. I focused, staring at the kitchen pendant light. I imagined it was my hand, my eye. Flicker. Just flicker once. I chanted in my mind. Zap. The light really flickered. Mom looked up. “Voltage fluctuation?” “Probably.” Dad didn’t pay attention. I focused again. This time, I stared at the family photo on the fridge—taken last year, me in a yellow dress in the middle. Fall. Let them see me. The photo didn’t move. I tried again, using every ounce of will. The corner of the photo lifted slightly, then stuck back. Is that all I can do? Mom wrapped the leftover cake and put it in the fridge. I knew it was saved for me. But I could never eat it again. Late at night, neither parent slept. Mom was in the living room folding clothes—my little dresses and socks. She folded slowly, picking them up and putting them down. She picked up my favorite red dress, fingers lingering on the small flower at the collar. Dad was on the balcony, chain-smoking. “You think,” Dad’s voice came through the glass door, muffled. “Does Penny think we abandoned her? That kid is sensitive…” “She won’t,” Mom said, but her voice lacked confidence. “I told Mr. Davis clearly. Just scare her for two days. Feed her well…” “When she’s back, we’ll explain properly. Treat her doubly well.” They fell silent. Dad put out his cigarette and sighed. “I’m still worried. I’m going to get Penny now.” “Act or not, we can’t let a child spend the night there. She must be terrified.” 4 Dad’s hand just touched the doorknob when Mom shouted: “If you go tonight, I’m taking Leo and leaving.” Dad’s back stiffened. “She’s only eight…” “If you get her now, she suffered for nothing, and Leo was scared for nothing. This family will never have peace.” Mom didn’t budge. “Do you want to raise a thief, or do you want to destroy this family?” “But Penny…” “She’s perfectly safe.” Mom cut him off. “Mr. Davis took the money; he knows what to do.” “If you go now, you’re slapping me in the face and ruining this family.” Dad slowly turned around. Under the light, his face was pale as paper. I saw his fingers trembling. When he used to hold me, those hands were big and steady. He could lift me so high. Now they were shaking terribly. Go, Dad. I floated in front of him. If you pick me up, I’ll tell you I don’t blame you. I just fell. It doesn’t hurt. I focused again. Not on the light, not the photo. On Dad. I wanted him to feel me. I reached out my transparent hands and gently covered his trembling ones. Though I couldn’t touch, I could feel his warmth. Dad suddenly froze. He looked down at his hands, eyes confused. “What is it?” Mom asked. “Nothing…” Dad mumbled. “Just felt like… Penny is here.” “You’re imagining things.” Mom’s tone softened. “Go sleep. We’ll talk tomorrow.” “Just… two days.” He finally said, voice barely audible. “Two days later, I’m getting her immediately.” “You promise?” Mom stared at him. Dad didn’t speak. He just nodded very, very slowly. He walked back to the sofa, sinking into it, burying his face in his hands. The light fell on his head. I saw several white hairs I’d never seen before. I floated to him, wanting to touch his hair, but my hand passed through again. Being dead meant you couldn’t even comfort your dad. Just then, Leo’s door cracked open. An eye peered through the gap, filled with fear. He heard. He heard everything. 5 The next day, Leo was gone. When Mom found out, his little bed was empty, the quilt folded messily. It was the first time he’d folded his own quilt. “Leo?” Mom called, heading to the bathroom. Under the bed, in the closet, on the balcony… nothing. Her voice started to shake. “Did he go to the store to find his sister?” I was faster than them. The thought barely formed before I floated to the convenience store. Leo was there. The neighborhood was quiet in the early morning. Only a few elderly people were exercising. Leo stood at the store entrance, gripping his shirt hem. Mr. Davis was unloading goods. Seeing him, he paused. “Leo? Why are you…” “Uncle Davis.” Leo’s voice was small but firm. “Please, let my sister go.” He pulled a handful of change from his pocket. Bills, coins. He placed them carefully on the ground in a row. “This is all my savings. I give it all to you.” “I’ll never steal again.” Then, he knelt down and thud, kowtowed to the owner. “I really, really won’t do it again. Please let Penny come home…” Another kowtow. His forehead turned red quickly. “Kid, get up…” Mr. Davis panicked, trying to pull him up. But Leo was glued to the ground, kowtowing again and again. People started stopping. Ladies buying groceries, grandpas walking dogs, kids going to school. They cast strange looks. “What’s going on?” “Isn’t that Old Davis?” “Why is the kid kneeling? And kowtowing…” Whispers surged like a tide. Mr. Davis’s face turned red then white. He pulled out his phone, dialing frantically. “Hello? Mrs. Zhang?” He turned his back, whispering. “Your son is kneeling at my place… Yes, kowtowing… people are watching… I can’t keep up this act!” Hanging up, Mr. Davis pulled Leo up forcefully. “Your mom is coming. We’ll go get your sister, okay?” Leo’s eyes lit up. “Really?” He scrambled up, ignoring the dust on his knees. “Penny can really come home?” “Really, really.” I floated beside Leo, wanting to brush the dust off him. My fingers passed through his knees. I could do nothing. But I saw the light in his eyes. That determination to “save my sister” made him look like a little hero. My parents arrived quickly. Mom tried to grab Leo, but he dodged. “I want to go get Penny.” His tone was persistent like never before. Mom froze. Dad squatted down, looking Leo in the eye. “Leo, Dad promises. We’re going to get Penny right now.” “You promise?” “Dad promises.” On the way to the warehouse, Leo was restless. He pressed his face against the window, staring outside without blinking. “Are we there yet?” “How much longer?” “Will Penny be mad?” Mom held his hand, whispering, “No, Penny won’t be mad.” Her voice was gentle, but I saw her hand shaking. Dad was silent, driving fast. I floated on the car roof, watching the familiar city flash by beneath me. The sun was bright, shining on the streets, on the people, on those who were alive and could feel warmth. And I was just a transparent shadow. We arrived at the warehouse. When Mr. Davis unlocked the door, his hands were trembling. “Penny is right inside. I brought bread and water yesterday…” he babbled. Leo couldn’t wait and rushed in: “Penny!”

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My best friend, Chloe, got hooked on gambling. Then, out of nowhere, she excitedly told me she wanted to take me to Las Vegas. “I just won big! I’m treating you to a stay at the Wynn!” But the moment we landed, she dragged me into a private VIP room deep inside a casino. “Actually, I lost fifty million. If I don’t pay up, they’re going to sell me to the cartels…” “But the Boss is looking for a woman with a crescent moon birthmark. If he finds her, all debts are wiped clean!” “You have one on your stomach, don’t you? I saw it when we were changing! I’m sorry, sis, I really don’t want to die!” I was pinned to the sofa by four men. Suddenly, I saw a child’s drawing hanging on the wall. It was a drawing I made for my dad before I was kidnapped. He cherished it like a treasure, saying he would keep it forever. A surge of energy hit me. I sneered internally. Chloe, oh Chloe, you really made the right bet this time. Too bad the winner won’t be you. 1 By the time I realized something was wrong and tried to leave, it was too late. “Ava, fifty million! I couldn’t pay that back in ten lifetimes!” “But God hasn’t abandoned me. He gave you that crescent moon birthmark just so you could save my life!” I gasped, fear choking me like a hand around my throat. I forgot how to breathe. “Chloe, you sold me?” “We’ve known each other for over ten years. You’re my best friend, and you sold me for fifty million?” My accusation made her stumble back. She shook her head frantically. “Don’t look at me like that… The owner of this casino is richer than god. His only obsession is women with crescent moon birthmarks on their stomachs. For a woman like that, he’d forgive any debt…” “He has this specific fetish, and you just happen to have the mark. Sending you here is… it’s for your own good! What if he likes you? You’d be the Boss’s wife!” An image of a sleazy old man flashed through my mind. I shuddered and shoved her aside, trying to leave. “If you want to be the Boss’s wife, go do it yourself! I’m going home!” But before my hand could touch the doorknob, a heavy blow struck the back of my head. “Ava, you forced me to do this!” My vision spun, and I stumbled a few steps before collapsing to the floor. She bent down and snatched the pink bead from my pocket. “Don’t think I don’t know. You didn’t come with me for a vacation; you came to find your biological parents.” “Since you’re here, if you help me pay off this debt, I’ll help you find your parents. But if you dare run… you’ll never see your family again.” The pain in the back of my head was excruciating. I struggled to move my lips, despair filling my heart. I was kidnapped when I was five. The traffickers, afraid of being caught, immediately changed my clothes and shaved my head. Everything I had was thrown away, except for this bead engraved with my nickname, which I hid under my tongue. In sixteen years, I forgot the way home, and my memories before age five faded. This was the only thing I had left connected to my parents. With the bead gone, all hope was gone. “Smart choice.” Just as Chloe finished speaking, the door to the private room opened. Several fierce-looking men walked in. “You’re Chloe? Heard you brought something to pay off the debt?” Chloe pointed at me and nodded eagerly. “Vince, the Boss wanted a woman with a crescent moon birthmark, right? This is my best friend Ava, she has one right on her stomach!” “See, I brought her. About my fifty million…” The leader didn’t even lift his eyelids. He pulled out a chair and sat down. “What’s the rush? Inspect the goods first.” His subordinates immediately pounced, dragging me onto the sofa and pinning me down. In seconds, they stripped off my jacket. One man reached for my T-shirt. I used all my strength to kick him in the shin. “Let go! Don’t touch me!” “Bitch, you dare kick me?” The man spat and slapped me twice across the face. I saw stars. Before I could speak, a terrifying gunshot rang out. The man’s leg exploded in blood, and he fell back howling. Vince held the gun, expressionless. “Touching before the inspection is done? You want to die?” “Drag him out. Don’t dirty the Boss’s carpet.” The others, shaken, quickly dragged him away. Freed from restraint, I lay there stiff, not daring to move. They had guns. If I struggled again, the next bullet would be for me. In the corner, Chloe was terrified, but a look of determination entered her eyes. “Vince, she really has a crescent moon birthmark on her stomach. It’s exactly what the Boss wants!” Vince glanced at her coldly, and she immediately lowered her head, trembling. “You guys, go. Hurry up, don’t waste my time.” Four more men approached. As I frantically scooted back, I suddenly saw a familiar drawing hanging on the wall. A family of three flying a kite. Above the little girl with the ponytail, a name was written—a name I would never forget until the day I die. “Sia.” That was a drawing I made just before I was kidnapped. Mom loved it, and Dad smiled, saying he would keep it forever. It’s Dad! All these years, he’s been looking for me too! Indescribable excitement surged through me. I propped myself up on the sofa. “Is your Boss’s last name…” “So much talk. Nine out of ten times, it’s someone trying to pull a fast one.” Vince interrupted impatiently, aiming the gun at my forehead. “You. Shut up.” “You guys. Strip her. Check the goods.” 2 My scalp went numb. He could shoot his own man without blinking; he wouldn’t hesitate with me. Chloe whispered, trembling, “Ava, just be good. Once they check, I can leave. If you keep this up, I’ll die too…” Even now, she was only thinking of herself! I looked at the drawing again and decided to wait. If Dad comes after the inspection, we’ll recognize each other, and the crisis will be solved. Gritting my teeth, I endured the humiliation as they lifted my T-shirt. Below my navel, the crescent moon birthmark was clearly visible. “Vince, this one looks real!” Vince strode over immediately. Surprise flashed across his face when he saw the mark. He murmured softly: “It really looks exactly like the Boss’s drawing…” Knowing she was safe, Chloe smiled ingratiatingly. “Vince, since the goods are verified, my fifty million…” Vince stared at my birthmark and waved his right hand. “Cleared. Get lost.” “Okay, okay, I’m going!” Chloe nodded vigorously and turned to run. But she still had my bead! I jumped off the sofa and reached for her clothes. “Chloe, you can’t leave…” “Don’t let her run!” At Vince’s command, the nearest subordinate kicked me in the stomach. I couldn’t dodge and fell backward, the back of my head hitting the corner of the table. Vince roared, “You looking to die? How many times have I said, don’t touch her until confirmed!” The blow from Chloe’s stick earlier was still throbbing, and now something warm was flowing out. I leaned against the table, touched the back of my head, and my hand came away covered in blood. My vision blurred. Consciousness was slipping away, and my limbs stopped obeying me. I can’t faint… I haven’t seen Dad yet… “Bad news, Vince, she’s bleeding!” Someone shouted in panic. Vince frowned deeply. “You two, get a doctor. You two, go find the Boss. Tell him this birthmark looks very real, ask him to come take a look.” “The rest of you, be careful. If she really is the woman the Boss wants, and we pissed her off, she’ll tell on us, and we’ll all be in deep shit!” Several subordinates scattered. They ran into Chloe, who was standing at the door. She was dumbfounded. After a while, she asked tremblingly: “Vince… isn’t the Boss just looking for a mistress? Is a mistress that important?” Vince shot her a fierce look. “Idiot. Why else would the Boss offer such a huge reward? Bring her in, debt cleared?” “But this debt isn’t for just anyone to clear.” “Others brought women with crescent moon birthmarks before. But they didn’t know exactly where the Boss wanted it, so they just tattooed one randomly.” “And they were all disposed of by the Boss.” Chloe shuddered. She heard Vince say finally: “You’re lucky. This woman’s moon is exactly where the Boss wants it. Not an inch off.” “Just wait. If she really is the one the Boss wants, not only is your fifty million gone, but your best friend will be living the high life, and you’ll be enjoying it with her.” Chloe’s eyes darted around, and her face changed. I had a bad feeling. Using my remaining consciousness, I opened my mouth. “I, I am…” “Vince, I’m sorry!” Chloe suddenly rushed over, her sharp manicured nails digging into my thigh. “Her birthmark is fake!” “I can’t lie to the Boss. I’ll pay back the fifty million. I won’t use this to clear the debt!” 3 Vince instantly flew into a rage. “Chloe, you wanna die?!” “No! She forced me to come!” With the gun pointed at her, she dropped to her knees with a thud. “She found out about the birthmark location from somewhere, went to a tattoo parlor to get one, and forced me to bring her here.” “She said she wanted to climb up to the Boss and enjoy wealth and glory!” “It’s true! She threatened to kill my parents if I didn’t bring her!” Chloe begged ceaselessly, tears streaming down her face. I gasped for air beside her, shaking my head vigorously. “I didn’t… I am…” “Ava, stop lying! You can fool people for a moment but not forever. If the Boss finds out your birthmark is fake, you’ll die even more miserably!” Vince looked down from above, his sharp eyes staring at my exposed crescent moon birthmark, as if trying to discern which of us was telling the truth. But he didn’t seem to know that Dad was looking for his daughter, not a lover. If he looked at my face more closely, maybe he would realize I resembled Dad… Suddenly, a shout came from outside. “Vince! That gang is causing trouble in the casino again!” Vince picked up his gun and headed out. “You guys guard the door. Don’t let either of them leave. I’ll be right back.” The door to the private room closed, leaving only the two of us. Chloe lowered her voice. “I didn’t expect the casino boss’s fetish to be so obsessive. Match the birthmark, become the Boss’s wife!” I tried to stay awake, but my body kept sliding down. The blood from the back of my head was flowing faster. I couldn’t hold on much longer. “What… what do you want…” A look of madness flashed across her face, her chest heaving as she spoke. “I was wrong. I thought he just wanted a mistress to sleep with… No, I can’t let you be the Boss’s wife.” “Or you’ll never let me go… just like I won’t let you go!” I panted heavily, shaking my head. “We’re best friends. Just let me go, and I’ll forget everything.” “Impossible. You must hate me to death!” “Really… Think about it. Without me, how will you pay the fifty million? They’ll sell you to the cartels. That’s worse than death!” Chloe paused, looking down, her eyes darting rapidly. Seeing hope, I continued: “Let me go. I swear I won’t say anything. I’ll share the wealth with you. That fifty million… I’ll pay it for you.” Her expression finally changed, licking her dry lips. I secretly sighed in relief. But before I could fully exhale, she suddenly clenched her fists. “No. You’re so stubborn. You haven’t given up looking for your biological parents for over ten years. How could you let me go?” “I can figure out another way for the fifty million, but you can’t stay!” With that, she pulled out a small knife and stabbed the tip straight into my crescent moon birthmark! “Ah—” I screamed in agony, but she covered my mouth. She sliced along the curve of the moon, then pulled out a small bottle of clear liquid and forced it down my throat. A bitter taste slid down my throat. I knew it was bad. “Don’t worry. This anesthetic takes twenty minutes to kick in. After that, you’ll pass out. No matter what happens, you won’t feel a thing.” She threw the empty bottle and knife under the table, whispering maniacally in my ear: “Sorry, sis. If only one of us can live, it has to be me!” 4 The anesthetic coursed through my body. I felt all my strength drain away, sliding to the floor, as if I would pass out completely the next second. Just then, Vince returned. Seeing the scene, he frowned and looked at Chloe. “What happened?” Chloe cried, pointing at me. “Vince, she was afraid of pain during the tattoo. She ran before the last bit of color was added.” “Now the wound opened… she said it hurts too much, she’s dizzy…” Vince lowered his eyes and saw a thin line at the tip of my moon, bleeding. “It really is fake…” “Go tell the Boss not to waste his time coming. This is another fake.” A shadow fell over my eyes, and a cold touch pressed against my stomach. “Almost fell for your trick. Almost got me killed.” “You like crescent moons? I’ll cut this piece of skin off and sew it to your face!” What… The knife tip pierced the wound. My dying consciousness was stimulated, and I screamed struggling. “No—I am the person the Boss is looking for!” “He’s not looking for a lover, he’s looking for his daughter! I am his daughter!” The room fell into a momentary deathly silence. Vince laughed coldly. “No wonder you dared to tattoo yourself and come here to die. You’ve got guts, saying shit like that.” “Our Boss doesn’t even have a wife, and you dare impersonate his daughter?” The knife went an inch deeper, and the anesthetic kicked in. I couldn’t feel the pain, but I couldn’t speak either. In a haze, someone reminded him: “Vince, this is the Boss’s favorite carpet…” The knife was withdrawn immediately. Vince stood up. “Take her away. Get someone to clean the carpet.” “Vince, sell her straight to the cartels?” My heart tightened as I saw him wiping the knife with a handkerchief, his eyes vicious. “Take her to the VIP room. Let the guests have their way with her. Sell her when they’re bored.” “And this woman…” Chloe immediately knelt, rubbing her hands and begging: “Vince, give me five more days. I promise to pay back the fifty million. If not, do whatever you want with me!” Vince frowned in thought for a moment, then held up three fingers. “Three days.” “Okay, three days it is. I’ll go raise money right now!” I was lifted up. I wanted to break free but had no strength. I could only watch Chloe rush out of the room like a madwoman without looking back. Two minutes later, I was thrown into the noisy VIP room. Countless men and women gathered around. Someone shouted: “Hey, isn’t this Boss Hudson’s favorite crescent moon birthmark?” Everyone laughed. “Another one trying to gamble with Boss Hudson.” “Normal. If you win, you’re the Boss’s wife, top of the world.” “Too bad this little girl lost the bet. Guess she’ll be living in a different country soon.” Some pulled at my T-shirt, some grabbed my ankles, others wrinkled their noses at the blood on me and walked away. I was like a discarded rag, unable to move or struggle. I could only look up at the magnificent dome, my heart filled with unwillingness. I was just one step away from reuniting with Dad… Suddenly, the whole room went quiet. The sound of steady footsteps approached. “Boss, Vince said this one is definitely fake. Told us to throw her here.” “Hmm. Handle it.” It was the voice from my memory! Dad’s voice! The footsteps turned, walking in the opposite direction. I panicked. Drawing strength from somewhere unknown, I shouted hoarsely: “I am Sia!” The footsteps stopped abruptly. That gaze looked straight over.

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