Halfway through the party, my fiancée disappeared. I planned to drive out and find her. The comments flashed across my vision: [Why did the supporting male suddenly walk over to the car? The main guy and the female lead are still hooked up!] [Watching the supporting male’s new car become the love nest for the male and female leads’ first taste of forbidden fruit just makes me feel exhilarated.] [Hehe. Serves him right for taking the main lead’s spot! Piss him off!] Our mutual friends stopped me. “Stella said she went to get you a gift. Just go wait inside.” [The friend group is so loyal, they’re all covering for the male and female leads.] [Our beautiful, sweet female lead can only belong to the male lead. If I were there, I’d help them lie to the evil supporting male, too.] [The male lead is truly rough, kissing her so hard against the hood before they got in. He even messed up the bumper!] I looked at the scorching mid-July sun. Then at my car, with the air conditioning off. I picked up my phone and called the insurance company. “Hello, my bumper was hit. Could you send someone over in an hour? I’ll wait by the car.” [?? No! An hour? The male and female leads are going to die of heatstroke!] 1 “Jasper, you’re going to wait here for an hour?” Stella Davis and Ben Blackwood’s friends frowned. “It’s over a hundred degrees out here. You’ll get sunstroke waiting. Go inside, and come out when the insurance rep arrives.” “No, absolutely not. I look away for one minute and someone hits my bumper. What if I go inside and they hit it again? This is a brand new car!” I waved at the owner of the beach house. “Could you please bring out a few large fans and some patio umbrellas? And how about twenty ice-cold watermelons? Oh, and bring out the ice cream freezer, too. We’ll all enjoy the ocean view right here!” [?? Why does the supporting male suddenly want to look at the ocean? He might enjoy it, but the male and female leads are going to cook in that car!] [Shit, the AC isn’t on yet, and everyone is gathered outside. If they turn it on now, the gig is up!] [Oh, I’m so anxious! It’s 100 degrees outside, the car interior must be 140! Can the evil supporting male just drop dead already? All he does is ruin things!] “Jasper Shaw.” Melanie, the most influential person among Stella and Ben’s friends, stopped me. “We have no interest in the view. If you won’t come inside, you can stay out here by yourself.” She then motioned to the others. They all gave me a look of pure contempt, sneered, and turned to walk back inside. [I’m dying! That head-turn and walk-off was epic!] [Melanie knows how to handle him. The way Jasper grovels to them, he’ll immediately scramble after them, tail between his legs, begging forgiveness.] [Then our male and female leads can finally sneak out!] My fists clenched without my conscious command. It was true. I had groveled for Stella and Ben’s circle of friends. They were the ones who grew up together—Stella and Ben, and all of them. I was the late arrival. The intruder. But we were supposed to be engaged since I was five! [Can the evil supporting male just die now? So what if his parents were swept away by a flood saving the five-year-old female lead?] [It was an honor for his parents to save our female lead. Not every NPC gets that kind of treatment, okay?] [Besides, he’s just an evil supporting male. It’s only because his parents died that the female lead’s father was moved and pitied him, forcing his daughter’s hand. Otherwise, would he even rate?] [He gets a massive favor and acts entitled. Who owes him anything?] [Don’t worry, everyone. The evil supporting male will keep targeting our male lead baby and eventually die horribly! Just keep watching!] Hearing them talk about my parents, I closed my eyes, forcing down the bitter ache in my chest. When I was five, I didn’t know Stella had a childhood sweetheart. We got engaged after college, and only then did I discover that she and Ben Blackwood had an established social circle. Weekly gatherings, trips, weekends away. I desperately wanted to be a part of it. But whenever I showed up, the atmosphere would instantly freeze over. I gave the friends gifts, which they’d acknowledge with a perfunctory “thanks” and set aside, never taking them when they left. Even if I paid for an entire group vacation, Ben and Stella always decided the destination. Just like this expensive weekend at the beach. I looked at my new car, my eyes burning. The comments said I was going to die horribly, didn’t they? Fine. I’d like to see who goes first. “What are you still doing standing here?” Melanie frowned, clearly disapproving. “Are you really planning to stay?” 2 “Yeah. You guys go on in.” They all froze. Before, I would have been terrified of their rejection, scrambling to follow and apologize. But I was footing the bill for the dinner and covering all the travel expenses. Why should I make myself so small? Seeing me ignore her, Melanie quickly glanced at the car, which looked normal from the outside, and her tone became sharper. “Stella told you to go inside and wait. You’re already a tolerated addition to this group. If you don’t listen, you won’t be invited to anything else.” [Good comeback! Leave it to Melanie to poke right at the supporting male’s biggest insecurity.] [Doesn’t everyone know the supporting male’s biggest wish is to squeeze into the male and female leads’ circle?] “Got it.” My simple, flat response left them all rooted to the spot. They exchanged confused looks. I heard one of them whisper, though they thought it was quiet, “He seems… different.” “Jasper Shaw, don’t start this drama. Stella will only hate you more if you act like this!” [Well said. The supporting male can lose anything but cannot accept the female lead not loving him.] [Hahaha, keep going, little supporting male!] [If I didn’t know the supporting male was going to die horribly in the end, I’d stop watching out of sheer anger right now.] I frowned, staring at the comments. Melanie curled her lip. “Since you know that, hurry up and come in. Everyone is waiting for you.” “Then they can wait. We can all wait together. If you don’t want to, go inside.” They were stunned into silence. I settled into a beach chair and calmly sipped my watermelon juice. [?! What the hell! Is this guy brain-dead today? Has he never seen the ocean before? Didn’t he see enough water when his parents were washed away?] [Get lost, you dead weight! The female lead is about to faint in the male lead’s arms!] [Male lead, turn on the AC!] [Are you stupid? If he turns it on, everyone will know someone is in the car! The male and female leads haven’t finished their scene yet!] [I have to say, the male lead covered in sweat is kind of hot. Swoon] “Jasper Shaw, are you kidding us? We’re asking you now, okay?” It was a rare moment to hear this group concede. But I wasn’t accepting. “My brand new car’s bumper was damaged. I can’t just let it go. What if someone was deliberately trying to damage it? What if they come back and do worse if no one is watching?” “But…” [I’m dying! What ‘damage’—if he knew it was the male lead pressing the female lead against the hood so hard that it caused it, he’d be livid!] [I can’t wait for the evil supporting male to learn the truth and completely lose it, haha!] [But seriously, the male and female leads need to get out now! The female lead is getting dizzy!] [It’s fine, they’re the male and female leads. They won’t die. Being dizzy only makes the experience better~] “Why is everyone gathered out here?” A familiar voice. I paused. My other childhood friend… June Miller? 3 “Oh, Jasper, you found out already? I drove by just now and accidentally nicked your car. I was just about to come and apologize!” “So you hit it.” Melanie immediately jumped in. “Why didn’t you say so? Jasper thought someone was vandalizing it and even called the insurance company.” “Haha! I was in a rush for something important. I was going to deal with it when I got back!” June stepped forward and tried to take my arm. “My fault entirely. Dinner is on me. Come on, let’s go inside and order whatever you want!” “No, I still need to wait for the insurance adjuster.” Melanie grew agitated. “It’s June! It’s not a stranger! Do you have to be so formal about it?” June chimed in, “It’s too hot to be outside, Jasp. I’ll pay whatever the cost is, promise. Just come inside.” “It’s fine. I’ll go through insurance. You don’t need to spend your money.” [Ugh, I’m so mad! Is this dead weight glued to the chair? What a buzzkill!] [The male and female leads have an after-show planned! Who wants to watch you sit there?] “Why are you being so difficult with me? Come on! Lift him up!” My feet suddenly left the ground. Several of them had lifted me into the air. [Yes! This is the loyal, loving secondary female lead for you!] [Go, June! If the evil supporting male won’t cooperate, use force! Don’t let him block the way!] [Give me a secondary female like this! She swoops in to save the male lead, even if it means betraying her own childhood friend!] [Come on, that’s the Male Lead! What woman could resist him?] [If I were June, I’d help the male lead, too.] “June Miller, tell them to let go of me!” I desperately grabbed onto the doorframe. June cheerfully pried my hand away. “We all grew up together. Why are you suddenly shy?” [Go, June, go! The male lead has already dressed the female lead! Once you drag the supporting male inside, they can come out!] [Too bad. The bastard ruined the after-show.] I gritted my teeth. I bit down hard on June’s arm, the one holding my shoulder. “Ah!!” I was instantly dropped. A bloody tooth mark appeared on June’s wrist. [!! Is this bastard a dog?] [Why did the bastard go back! Ahhh, the female lead is about to pass out! If they don’t get out, someone’s going to die!] [The male lead is about to pass out too, but he’s still holding the female lead’s hand. I’m crying.] “Are you crazy! When did you start biting people?” June clutched her wound. I was cold. “The insurance adjuster is on the way. If you want to go inside, go!” “You!” June looked at the blood coating her hand. “Are you coming in or not?” “No.” “Fine.” June bit out the word, then pulled out her phone. “Hello? 911? I’ve been assaulted. Yes, deliberate assault. You can be here in three minutes? Good, hurry. I’m afraid he’ll attack again.” [Yes! Even if the male and female leads are struggling, three minutes is enough!] [They’ll take him away, and our babies can finally come out!] [The insurance adjuster is still half an hour away, hahaha! The supporting male is getting removed!] In no time, a patrol car arrived. Melanie and the others immediately pointed at me. “That’s him! We all saw him bite Ms. Miller! We can be witnesses!” “That’s right! We’ll come to the station and give our statements!” [Wuwuwu, these friends are so good. I’m tearing up.] [They’ve known each other since they were kids. That kind of loyalty is rare these days.] The officer looked at the gash on June’s arm, frowning. “Sir, your actions were serious. Please cooperate with our investigation.” “But…” I wanted to say more, but handcuffs were already clamped around my wrists. They started to pull me toward the car. [Yes! The male and female leads are already crawling toward the trunk! Once the supporting male is in the police car, they can climb out!] Bang! My car was violently struck from behind. “Jasper Shaw! Can’t you park! Why are you blocking the road like this!” 4 [!! Why is the female lead’s mother here!] I stared in shock at the Audi A8 that had just rear-ended my car. It was the one I’d recently bought for Stella’s mother, Theresa Davis, as a gift. I had wanted so desperately to win her and her family’s approval. Now, Theresa was pointing at me. “If you don’t know how to park, drive it into the ocean! Who are you trying to block! You damaged my front bumper! You’re just malicious! Why didn’t your parents just take you with them? Then my daughter wouldn’t have been blackmailed by your debt of gratitude into marrying a man who can’t hold a candle to Ben!” [The mother is the only one who sees through him. This bastard is just blackmailing them, trying to break up our male and female leads!] [Our female lead is gorgeous and perfect, does the supporting male deserve her?] [Only the male lead, with his height, long legs, and eight-pack abs, should be close to the female lead. Go, male lead! Once the female lead gets pregnant with your baby, she’ll hate the supporting male even more!] The police were forced to temporarily deal with the new accident. I watched Theresa Davis dramatically exaggerate her injuries and losses, and suddenly, I smiled. “Your daughter hasn’t been blackmailed by me, Theresa. She’s in that car right now, getting intimate with the Ben you love so much.” Theresa’s face went white. “What kind of nonsense are you talking about!” I jutted my chin toward the car. “Don’t believe me? Open the trunk. Ben Blackwood’s pants are still unzipped. And if I’m not mistaken, we’ll find both of their… biological markers on the seat cushions.” “You bastard!” A sharp slap landed across my face. “You’re a lowlife, so you’re spreading filthy rumors about my daughter and Ben! I knew a motherless, poorly raised boy like you would never amount to anything. Poor Stella, stuck with you for life!” The officer gripped her wrist. I touched my stinging, swollen cheek. Gritting my teeth, I swung my hand and slapped her back—hard. “Why am I motherless and poorly raised? If I had a mother and father, your daughter would be the motherless, poorly raised dead girl right now!” “You!!” Theresa clutched her chest. The police officers forcefully separated us. Theresa sobbed. “Officers, you all saw it! He blocked my way, spread nasty rumors about my daughter, and hit an old woman! Arrest this murderer!” Bystanders had gathered in a circle. Hearing Theresa’s accusation, they frowned. Meanwhile, Melanie and the others selectively explained: “He definitely bit June first, and yes, he did hit the older woman.” [I’m going to lose it! This bastard dared to hit the mother! Let me go in there! I’ll slap this piece of trash senseless!] [But seriously, get the male and female leads out! The female lead passed out!] [At this rate, they’ll get heatstroke! No, the female lead might already be showing symptoms!] [Male lead, save her!] [He can’t! The male lead is dehydrated too! If no one opens the door, they’ll both die!] [Turn on the AC! Who cares if they’re exposed!] [He doesn’t have the strength!] “Theresa, I suggest you open the trunk and see for yourself.” “Impossible!” Theresa spat at me. “You think I’m going to fall for your tricks? I bet you were doing something shady in the car with another woman and are trying to smear my daughter! You bastard, I’ll kill you!” She tried to lunge at me, ignoring the police. The scene erupted in chaos. It took the officers five minutes to completely restrain Theresa. My shirt was torn in the struggle. Theresa was still screaming obscenities. “You have to arrest this villain for defaming my daughter!” The officers, exasperated, finally said, “Whether he’s defaming her or not, we’ll know if we open the trunk, won’t we?” Theresa glared at me. “On a day this hot, who would hide in a car? Fine! Open it!” [!! Don’t open it! They took their clothes off again because it was too hot!] Clack! The trunk popped open.

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“I heard you like me?” I confronted Leo Sterling directly, right to his face. He froze for a second, his eyes darting away in panic. Seeing his silence, I coldly dropped the hammer. “I will never like you, fatty.” Four years later, he returned from abroad to inherit his family empire. I, on the other hand, went bankrupt. Drunk out of my mind, I confessed like a maniac. “I like you, Leo. From a long, long time ago…” 1 Transaction Complete. Balance: $328.61. I stared blankly at the notification on my phone. The cause: My dad skipped town to dodge gambling debts. I wasn’t the only child from his three failed marriages, but I was the only adult daughter he could throw under the bus. Debt collectors blocked the entrance to my office building, holding banners and screaming. It killed my business. Three months later, the cash flow dried up. My company officially folded. I was bankrupt. I still owed about twenty grand. I didn’t have time to be depressed. I spammed my resume everywhere and found a job. I lived on instant noodles and hope. But when it rains, it pours— My cat was diagnosed with FIP (Feline Infectious Peritonitis). The treatment cost was astronomical for the current me. “Meow!” “Don’t be scared. I’ll save you.” Lucky was a calico stray I rescued from an overpass five years ago. She had been with me through countless lonely, agonizing nights. She was my family. The next day, I clutched the cash from selling my car and rushed to the vet clinic. The balance on my membership card shocked me. $10,000.00. Ten thousand dollars? “A gentleman came to visit Lucky yesterday and topped up the account with ten grand.” “Did you not know?” The receptionist looked at me like I was an alien. I was completely lost. The only person around me with that kind of cash was my best friend, Chloe. But… how could she be a “gentleman”? 2 “Maya, over here!” Chloe waved at me from a booth in a high-end steakhouse. Her outfit screamed “rich girl energy.” “You’re ten minutes later than me. That’s not like you.” Chloe’s pupils dilated slightly when she saw me. I guessed she was shocked by my weight gain. Stress does that. Irregular eating, binging, zero exercise—the pounds just piled on. “I went to the vet to see Lucky, so I’m late.” “Lucky’s sick?” “…Yeah.” I confirmed my suspicion. “Luckily we caught it early.” Since Chloe didn’t know Lucky was hospitalized, the mysterious donor couldn’t be her. So… who was the sugar daddy? “Maya, why didn’t you tell me you were in trouble?” I turned my head slightly, too guilty to look my best friend in the eye. We were roommates for four years at NYU. Chloe married into old money right after graduation. She witnessed my rise from nothing, and now my fall back to nothing. And I was still single. For the past two years, seeing that I was stable, she kept trying to set me up. I rejected everyone. She looked at me meaningfully. “You’re not still thinking about your ‘Ponyo’, are you?” “Don’t hang yourself on one tree!” “…” I told her everything. She was speechless about the mess my biological family created. “Maya, when I heard your company folded, I was really worried you’d do something stupid.” “How could I…” I smiled broadly. “I still have a cat to feed.” Lucky was the spiritual pillar of my miserable life. “I have a million dollars here. Consider it my investment in you. Take it and make a comeback.” Chloe pushed a black card across the table. “Chloe, thank you! But I don’t plan to run a company again.” If Lucky hadn’t gotten sick, I probably wouldn’t even be in New York right now. Chloe stared at me for a long time, then realization dawned. “You did it on purpose?” “So when the company had cash flow issues, you didn’t come to me…” I remained silent. Yes. I went bankrupt on purpose. I just didn’t expect to crash this hard. 3 “You finally snapped!” Chloe thought I was crazy. It all stemmed from my toxic family. In ninth grade, my parents divorced and started new families. Every holiday, they both hoped I would go to the other parent’s house. Eventually, home was just me. Then, even that home was gone. For three years of high school, I lived on minimal child support. I worked every winter and summer break. In college, I worked every spare moment outside of class. Every time my life got a little better, my father—who had divorced his second wife by then—would show up. Asking for money. Nothing else. Half the money I earned over the years was taken by him under various excuses. Three strikes and you’re out. A year ago, I warned him it was the last time I would help. I meant it. 4 Today was NYU’s 80th Anniversary Gala. Seeing my old classmates after a year was a brutal reality check. “Maya, are you… expecting?” “When did you get married?” Sarah and Emily fired questions at me. “Next year. I’ll invite you to the wedding and the baby shower.” I made a joke to deflect. I wore an oversized T-shirt today to hide the weight, but I was still mistaken for a pregnant woman. Back in the day, at 5’8″, I had a model’s figure! The four of us were dormmates. A year after graduation, Chloe and Sarah got married and had kids. Emily and her boyfriend planned to tie the knot this year. And me? Single since birth (basically). But back then, I was the one who received the most flowers and love letters on Valentine’s Day. The sun was scorching. The dean was giving a speech on stage. The crowd was buzzing. When a certain name was announced, the crowd gasped. A man in a sharp suit walked onto the stage. Tall, lean, commanding. The applause was deafening. “That guy is so hot. Who is he?” “You don’t know? That’s Leo Sterling, CEO of Sterling Group, and the biggest sponsor of this gala.” “Omg—my new crush!” “Does he care about gender?” “Keep dreaming. He just came back from abroad to inherit the family empire. He already has a wealthy, beautiful fiancée…” Everyone’s eyes were glued to the handsome man. Emily excitedly joined the gossip. “I heard Leo was in our year.” “But he was super low-key. Four years of college, and nobody saw him!” “Hey! He seems to be looking over here…” I kept my head down, burrowing into the crowd, desperate to disappear. Trying to block out that burning gaze. I tried to calm down, but my heart hammered like a drum. It was him. He really came back! 5 I met Leo before college. I was sixteen. Walking home from school, I saw a boy being bullied in an alley. Filled with a sense of justice, I charged in, bluffing. “What are you doing?!” “I already called the cops! They’ll be here any second…” The three thugs were scared off by my shouting. I grabbed the boy and ran. We ran to a small park. I gave him a lecture: A man shouldn’t be so weak. How can you let people bully you without fighting back? If you can’t fight, at least run! The boy looked at me with ink-black eyes. “What’s your name?” Me: “Heroes don’t leave names.” Boy: “…” I waved coolly: “See you around!” … Later, I saw the boy on the street. He got out of a limousine, surrounded by bodyguards and drivers. I saw him; he didn’t see me. I was hiding inside a thick mascot costume, handing out flyers. … Freshman year of college, I bumped into him on campus. The boy had grown up. Taller. And… bigger. “I have a part-time job lead. Interested?” “Time? Location?” He paused, clearly not expecting that response. “You… aren’t going to ask what it is or how much it pays?” “I’m not picky.” “Then…” Leo wanted to say more. “Come on, I’ll treat you to lunch. We can talk while we eat.” I turned my baseball cap backward and headed toward the cafeteria. I barely scraped into NYU. No scholarship. Tuition was all on me. I was about to starve; I didn’t have the luxury of being picky. “I’m Leo Sterling. What’s your name?” “Maya. Maya Brooks.” This was our second meeting. He didn’t mention three years ago, and neither did I. I assumed he thought I didn’t remember him. Thanks to Leo, I got a side gig as a print model. I made ten grand in one semester. Emily said she never saw Leo on campus for four years. That wasn’t true. They had seen him. Once, they dragged me to a basketball game. Surprisingly, Leo was playing. I cheered for him. Halfway through, I realized Emily’s boyfriend was on the opposing team. “Maya, who is that tall, fat guy?” Me: “…My agent.” He got me jobs. That was the extent of our relationship. “Agent?” Chloe teased. “So you’re his talent?” Sarah: “I heard the first girl a guy looks at after scoring is the one he likes.” The three of them looked at me with smirk. Me: “…” He wasn’t inactive, so how was he still so heavy? Leo wasn’t as handsome back then. Student Leo… Was 6’2″ and weighed over 250 pounds.

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The scholarship student I had been sponsoring for years stormed into my birthday party, waving a pregnancy test like a weapon. “Ava is pregnant with my child! You better be smart about this and divorce her right now!” I stared at him, bewildered, pointing a trembling finger at the test result. “Are you sure… Ava Rhodes is pregnant with your child?” Caleb Hunt smirked, proudly twirling the paper in his hand. “Of course. We conceived this baby on our cruise last month!” Caleb’s words sent shockwaves through the room. My guests gasped in unison. Because my ex-wife, Ava Rhodes, died three years ago. 1 I looked at Caleb blankly, needing to confirm what I just heard. “Do you really know who Ava Rhodes is?” Caleb gripped the pregnancy test, his expression arrogant. “Julian Thorne, cut the crap. Divorce Ava immediately and vacate the position of her husband.” “Otherwise, you’re just going to embarrass yourself further.” The Caleb standing before me now wore an expensive Italian suit, his hair styled perfectly. He was unrecognizable from the scrawny, timid boy I met eight years ago—the boy wearing clothes scavenged from a dumpster. Although I was annoyed by his provocative tone, I still held onto a sliver of hope for him. “Caleb, stop joking. It’s my birthday. Have a piece of cake.” Caleb shoved the slice I offered him away, slamming his hand onto the table. “To hell with your cake! Are you divorcing her or not?” “If you don’t, don’t blame me for taking other measures.” His long finger nearly poked my eye. My girlfriend, Sophia, immediately pulled me back, her voice sharp. “Don’t touch Julian!” Seeing everyone staring and whispering, I felt the humiliation burn. As the host of this party, this was a disaster. “Caleb, if you keep making a scene, I’m cutting off the funding for you and your family tomorrow.” When I decided to sponsor Caleb years ago, he was in rags, dirt under his nails, and I swear I saw a roach crawl out of his hair. Hearing that both his parents were paralyzed and he was raising his little brother while scavenging for scraps and studying, I was moved. “Caleb, I will pay for your college tuition. I’ll also help your family improve their living conditions.” From then on, I transferred $3,000 to him every month like clockwork. On holidays, I sent extra bonuses and gifts. But this boy, who had received my immense kindness, now looked at me with a sneer. “You think I care about your little sponsorship?” He leaned in, patting my cheek condescendingly. “Get this straight. I got my sister pregnant.” He showed off his designer loafers and flashed the diamond watch on his wrist. “Ava said once she gives birth to our son, she’ll not only buy me a mansion but also bring my whole family to live in luxury.” “You keep your stingy three grand a month. Save it to buy yourself a grave!” He scoffed, then grabbed a bottle of wine and smashed it onto my four-tier birthday cake. The masterpiece my friends had custom-ordered was ruined in an instant. 2 Caleb’s outrageous behavior caused an uproar. “You ungrateful brat! You’re trying to steal your benefactor’s wife? Have you no shame?” “Biting the hand that feeds you… I despise people like you!” But my friends’ accusations only earned an eye-roll from him. “You all think Julian Thorne is some saint? You’ve all been duped.” Caleb looked righteous, as if he were exposing a massive conspiracy. “Julian is just using Ava’s money to build his own reputation. He hasn’t spent a dime of his own money, but he takes all the credit!” “He wants to package himself as a good guy to morally blackmail Ava so she can’t divorce him.” Caleb’s voice rose with emotion. He looked indignant, as if seeking justice for Ava. “Ava has to pay to support him, pay for his charity work, and in the end, he won’t even give her a child.” “He is the most vicious, immoral person here. Everything I’m doing is to rescue Ava!” Caleb had successfully painted himself as a hero in his own mind. But the crowd wasn’t buying it. “Are you insane? Spouting nonsense and wrecking a marriage… being a homewrecker…” Caleb was visibly triggered. He grabbed a bowl and hurled it at the person who spoke. “Homewrecker? I am repaying a debt of gratitude!” “Once I found out Ava was my true benefactor, I used my young, strong body to repay her.” Everyone was stunned by his shamelessness. Before I could explain, Caleb noticed Sophia, who was still holding onto me. His eyes lit up, as if he’d found the smoking gun. “Well, well, Julian. Not only do you use Ava’s money to look good, you use it to keep a mistress.” Sophia frowned, displeased. “Show some respect. I am Julian’s official girlfriend.” Caleb scoffed. He pointed at Sophia mockingly. “Julian is an impotent old man. How could he land a young, pretty girl like you?” “Stop pretending. You’re just his sugar baby!” Caleb gleefully pulled out his phone and started snapping photos of us. “If you don’t divorce her willingly, I’ll blow up your affair. You’ll leave the marriage with nothing and owe Ava money!” I looked at my ruined birthday party and sighed. Maybe the academic pressure had finally cracked Caleb’s mind. I didn’t argue. Instead, I patted his shoulder calmly. “Caleb, calm down and listen to me.” “You’re mistaken. I have always been your sponsor. Every cent you received came from me.” I exchanged a wry smile with Sophia. “Because the Ava Rhodes you’re talking about… died in an avalanche three years ago. I was there…” 3 Caleb didn’t let me finish. He jumped up, screaming. “Julian, are you crazy?! Spreading rumors that your wife is dead? Do you have no conscience?” I had hesitated to get physical because I watched this kid grow up. But he was trashing my party, screaming and dancing around. Even Sophia couldn’t take it anymore. She gripped my arm, warning Caleb. “Get out, or I’m calling security.” Caleb turned his sneer on Sophia. “Julian, you’re so brazen with your mistress. You’re done!” “I’ll have the Rhodes family kick you out tomorrow!” At this point, I felt a mix of certainty that he was insane and a sliver of pity. Whoever’s pregnancy test he was holding, I felt obligated to show him reality. “Since you insist, why don’t you come with me to see Ava? Then you’ll know I’m not lying.” Caleb followed me, still bragging. “Hmph, wait until you see Ava. You’ll see how much she loves me!” I looked at him with pity and asked Sophia to arrange the cars. Soon, two luxury sedans pulled up to the hotel entrance. Many guests, driven by curiosity, followed us in their own cars. When we stopped, the driver opened the door for Caleb. Caleb took off his sunglasses and started yelling. “Julian! Why did you bring me to a cemetery? What are you trying to do?” “Don’t panic. Just follow me.” I guided Caleb forward a few steps and stopped in front of a headstone. “Take a good look. Whose grave is this?” Caleb glanced at the name on the stone and laughed loudly. “Julian, I admit you’re committed to the bit. Faking a grave to avoid divorce?” “But let me tell you, it’s useless.” “No matter how much you lie about Ava being dead, you can’t deny she’s the mother of my child.” Caleb seemed to lose patience, issuing his final ultimatum. “If you initiate the divorce now, I can ask Ava to leave you a few grand.” “Keep this up, and you’ll end up miserable.” Even my typically calm girlfriend laughed in disbelief. She pulled out her phone, turned on the flashlight, and shone it on the tombstone. “Caleb, look closely at the photo. Is this the woman you spent Valentine’s Day with?” Caleb stared at the photo on the granite. After a few seconds of silence, he pointed an accusing finger at me. “Julian Thorne, you are heartless.” “To put on a show, you even printed your wife’s photo on a tombstone!” He refused to give up, continuing his tantrum in the quiet cemetery. 4 My friends couldn’t take it anymore. “Kid, are you psychotic? Julian’s wife really died three years ago.” “Look up the avalanche accident at the ski resort three years ago. One fatality.” Seeing Caleb’s mix of shock and anger, I started to suspect he was being scammed. “Does the Ava you know love skiing?” Caleb nodded suspiciously. “Of course. She taught me everything I know about skiing.” I told him seriously: “Three years ago, she went skiing abroad. There was extreme weather and an avalanche.” “She was buried. Rescue teams searched for a week but never found her body. They concluded she was swept off a cliff. No survivors.” I pulled out my phone and showed him photos of the funeral. Ava’s parents were prominent in the pictures. “Her parents accepted it. They chose this plot and headstone themselves.” “Her legal status is deceased. So I think you’ve been scammed. The Ava having your baby cannot be her.” Caleb’s expression shifted from confusion to shock, then to anger as people started snickering. “Julian, stop lying! I just texted Ava in the car. She’s coming right now to divorce you!” Sophia had lost all patience. She pulled my hand. “He’s a lunatic. Let’s go back and finish your birthday.” Caleb was filming us, threatening to expose my “affair.” Just as we turned to leave, Caleb jumped up and waved frantically toward the cemetery entrance. “Ava! You came! I knew you’d come help me!” Everyone turned to look. A woman was running toward us. But when she saw me, she froze. After a pause, she rushed forward and hugged me tight. “Hubby! It’s not what Caleb says! Let me explain!”

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On the third day after I ran away from our wedding, my fiancé took his own life in our new home, leaving his entire estate to me. While cleaning up his belongings, I found a room covered wall-to-wall with photos of me, and the floor stained with dark, dried blood. His assistant told me, “Mr. Thorne loved you for many years. “His depression was severe, but seeing you, thinking of you, was the only thing that gave him peace…” Every revelation was shocking, suffocating, and inexplicably tragic. So, when I was reborn, facing my childhood friend’s plan to help me escape, I smiled and refused. “I’m not leaving.” I want to see just how foolish this man, who loved me more than his own life, really is. 1 Julian Thorne died on the third day after I fled our wedding. My father and brother had just apologized to him about my disappearance. Moments after they left the estate, news broke that Julian had slit his wrists. Resuscitation failed. He was gone. In his will, drafted long ago, he left everything to me. I received the call from my brother while hiding out in Europe. My expression froze. To me, Julian was a bastard who forced a marriage upon my family. We were strangers. But everything that followed suggested he had loved me for a very long time. 2 At the lawyer’s request, I rushed back to the States and stiffly accepted Julian’s ashes. His background was a mystery; he had no living relatives. His assistant looked at the square box with deep sorrow and whispered to me: “Mr. Thorne loved you for many years. “His depression was severe. Only seeing you, thinking of you, brought him any relief. “I thought… once he married you, he wouldn’t be so pessimistic. I never expected…” He stopped, not blaming me, but my heart clenched painfully. The assistant handed me a key. “This is the estate Mr. Thorne prepared for you. “It was the home he decorated himself.” The place where he died. 3 The estate was massive, with a lush green lawn and even a horse stable. The decor was in my favorite shade of sapphire blue. The furniture, the ornaments—everything was exactly to my taste. Inside, there was a room covered in photos of me. I looked closely. From my sophomore year of college until now, almost every moment of my life had been captured by this man’s camera. On the floor were the dark stains of his blood, still carrying a faint metallic scent. Every detail was shocking, suffocating, and inexplicably sad. I couldn’t help but feel angry. If he liked me, why didn’t he say so? Barging into my home like a bandit, demanding a marriage alliance—how could I possibly marry him willingly? And now, this tragic end… did he want me to feel guilty forever? Dream on. I donated his entire estate, including the villa. The cleaning crew tore down the photos, throwing them carelessly onto the floor to cover the bloodstains… Julian’s brief but legendary life was completely erased from this world. 4 It took me three days to accept the fact that I had been reborn. Three days ago, Julian had just come to my house, forcefully demanding a marriage alliance. His methods were practically extortion. My childhood friend, Liam, heard about it and immediately told me to run, suggesting I hide out in Europe for a while. In my last life, that’s exactly what I did. But in this life, remembering those photos and the terrifying bloodstains, I shook my head calmly. “I don’t want to go.” I said, “I’m going to ask him why he wants to marry me.” 5 Julian’s business empire was vast. When I went to find him, he was in a meeting. His assistant came down personally to escort me to his office to wait. “The boss will be down soon.” I nodded softly. “Okay.” Julian indeed came quickly. Before I could finish my tea, he walked in hurriedly, buttoning his cuffs as he moved. Seeing me, he stopped and called out calmly, “Miss Vance.” His expression was cold and distant, as if looking at a stranger. I was rendered speechless by his indifference. I thought for a moment and asked softly: “Mr. Thorne, my father says you want to marry me. Why?” “I wanted to, so I did. No reason needed.” Me: “…” How was I supposed to respond to that? I stood up slowly and picked up my bag. “Then I’ll be going.” Julian’s expression shifted slightly, showing a rare look of astonishment. “You’re leaving?” I looked at him blankly. He grew paler, a shadow of self-loathing falling over him. Yet, he stepped aside to let me pass. If I didn’t know for a fact that this man loved me, I’d think he was playing games with me… I sighed, stepped forward, and tugged on his sleeve. “How about we grab dinner together?” 6 My interaction with Julian had his assistant on edge. As I left, the assistant kept apologizing. “The boss isn’t good at talking to girls. Please don’t be mad at him, Miss Vance.” “I’m not mad.” I smiled and told him, “I actually like his… look. He’s my type.” The office door wasn’t fully closed. Through the crack, I saw Julian touch his face, looking stunned. I smiled slightly and told the assistant: “I invited your boss to dinner tonight. Remember to remind him not to stand me up.” The assistant nodded frantically, as if afraid I’d change my mind the next second. I walked out of the office building in my high heels. Just as I stepped out, I got a call from Liam. Looking at the contact name “Liam,” I hung up calmly and stared at the clouds in the sky. 7 Liam was good to me and genuinely cared about me. But childhood friends, best friends—they all eventually fade into the background of life. Just like in my last life. He found love, had kids, and learned to keep his distance from me. So when I was trapped in the mountains with an expedition team and called him for help, his wife mocked me, calling me a desperate old spinster. While his wife berated me, Liam stood by her side, silent. I died there, and I don’t even know how he reacted. 8 Julian arrived early for dinner. The atmosphere was cold. I tried hard to find topics, but he was a conversation killer. Nothing seemed to interest him. I felt tired and slammed my fork and knife on the table. “Mr. Thorne, you’re making me feel like you don’t actually want to build a life with me.” Julian’s Adam’s apple bobbed. He looked down. “I’m sorry.” “You know that’s not what I want to hear.” I was exasperated. “You’ve run a company for years, undefeated at the negotiating table. Your insight into people should be flawless. Yet acting like this… “It makes me think you’re not interested in me.” Julian’s face paled. His fingers dug into his palm, drawing blood. “Don’t overthink it.” He said, “I’m just… never been this close to you. I’m not used to it.” His sudden, confession-like words surprised me. His nervousness, his loneliness, and the blood on his palm didn’t seem fake. I suddenly remembered his assistant’s words from my past life: “The boss’s depression was severe. Only seeing you brought him relief…” “Mr. Thorne.” I was suddenly curious and asked him directly: “Did we know each other before?”

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Five years after breaking up with Ethan Reed, the entire internet suddenly became obsessed with our expired romance. In the viral video, twenty-three-year-old me was wearing a heavy mascot costume, sweating profusely, yet smiling brightly at the camera: “Hi, thirty-three-year-old Maya Brooks! Are you on your honeymoon in the Maldives with Ethan right now? Working three jobs is exhausting! You better make sure Ethan pays you back for this, okay?” No. He never paid me back. Thirty-three-year-old Maya Brooks was left behind by Ethan Reed a long time ago. 1 In late June, a documentary suddenly started trending. The videos garnered immediate attention upon upload. The director was a man who had passed away ten years ago. After being diagnosed with terminal cancer, he quit his job. With a large backpack and a camera around his neck, he embarked on the final journey of his life. He recorded the people and things he encountered along the way, asking a friend to edit and upload the footage ten years later as his final memento to the world. After the first two episodes were released, netizens mostly expressed regret, praising his courage and open-mindedness in the face of death. But when the third episode dropped, the documentary suddenly exploded with unimaginable popularity. At the 13-minute and 22-second mark, an unexpected face appeared. — The current top A-list actor, Ethan Reed. Back then, he was still an extra in Hollywood, his face carrying a trace of nervousness and youth that hadn’t yet faded. However, the protagonist of this episode wasn’t him, but me, Maya Brooks, his girlfriend at the time. Twenty-three-year-old Maya, eyes full of unconcealed love, boastfully declared to the camera: “I guarantee Ethan will become a Best Actor one day! If not, I’ll walk the entire length of the Great Wall on my hands!” 2 I only realized Ethan and I had been trending all night when my agent, Jenna, called to wake me up. We were still trending at the top. I clicked on the viral video and was caught off guard by my ten-years-younger self. It took me a long time to dig out that memory from the dusty corners of my mind. It was the first year after graduation. I accompanied Ethan to Los Angeles while he chased his acting dreams. He acted; I worked odd jobs. While working, I met a man who claimed to be filming a documentary and asked if I was interested in being on camera. Of course, I wasn’t. But he acted like he didn’t hear me and kept following me around. I couldn’t get rid of him. Since he just stood aside holding his camera and didn’t interfere with my work, I eventually stopped caring and let him do whatever he wanted. Jenna asked if I needed to contact the platform to handle it. I thought for a moment and shook my head. “No need. It’s free publicity.” I scrolled through the comments curiously, expecting them to curse me like they did five years ago, calling me a maggot in a cesspool. Unexpectedly, the comments were heading in a strange direction. [Help, can I say this? Why do I feel like I ship them?] [You’re not alone.] [It’s weird, but hard not to ship, right? Did you see the look in Maya’s eyes?] [Same. I haven’t seen such pure, love-filled eyes in a long time. It reminds me of the days before I became cynical.] [Maya worked three jobs a day for Ethan back then! Oh my god, I used to curse her! Now… sigh, I don’t know what to say.] [Regardless of the ending, true love is rare.] Out of curiosity, I clicked on the video again. I wanted to see what kind of earth-shattering look and behavior I had back then that could make them flip their attitude 180 degrees compared to five years ago. Spanning ten years. Under the erosion and destruction of time, my memory of the past wasn’t very clear. But as they said, in the video, twenty-three-year-old Maya’s unconcealed love for Ethan was indeed so passionate that it was hard not to be moved. 3 When Ethan was struggling in Hollywood, I worked three jobs a day. I got up at 3:30 AM, went to help at a diner down the street at 4:00 AM, and finished my first shift at 10:30 AM. I went home to sleep for an hour, then put on a mascot suit at 12:00 PM to hand out flyers. Handing out flyers in the summer was torture. It was stuffy and hot inside the suit, and I had to watch out for naughty kids kicking me. After standing for two hours, I was soaked in sweat. At 2:30 PM, I went to work at a coffee shop. It was a bit far from our rental apartment, so I usually went to a nearby public shower for a quick wash before heading to the shop. Five dollars per person. After getting familiar with the owner, I could shower for a month for a hundred bucks. I got off work at 10:00 PM. I had an hour break for dinner in between, and after closing, I had to clean up for about half an hour. Around 11:00 PM, I picked up Ethan from the set. The continuous rotation all day was mentally and physically exhausting. The man filming me couldn’t keep up twice. He rested for two days and finally persisted until the end on the third try. He collapsed on the curb, exhausted, asking me: “Little girl, how do you keep this up? Aren’t you tired?” Tired! But I had no choice. Even with three jobs and Ethan’s meager pay from acting, we barely scraped together enough for rent and daily expenses. And most importantly— In the video, I leaned against the wall, listening to the man’s chatter with my eyes closed. Dark circles covered half my face, and my whole body exuded indescribable exhaustion. But in the next second, hearing something, I opened my eyes in surprise. The light that suddenly lit up in my eyes instantly dispelled the fatigue, and I rushed into Ethan’s arms like a flower suddenly blooming with life. —Most importantly, I loved Ethan, regardless of the hardship. For him, I fell out with my family, gave up everything arranged for me, and accompanied him to a strange place to strive alone. Love makes people blind. 4 It was probably Ethan’s first time seeing the man filming me. He shielded me behind him, looking warily. I explained the situation briefly. After listening, he smiled helplessly and pinched my cheek. “How many times have I told you not to be so defenseless against strangers? Wasn’t being scammed out of seven hundred bucks by that grandma with the ‘limp’ enough?” I giggled and begged for mercy, promising not to do it again. The man stood aside filming quietly, finally unable to hold back a cough. The camera shook. After Ethan appeared, he acted like a real director, interviewing us in front of the camera. The first few questions were irrelevant, about the future, work, and the industry. Ethan and I answered casually. Until finally, the man looked at Ethan and made an inexplicable comment. “You’re really handsome!” While I was confused by his sudden remark, he turned to me and suddenly asked: “With such an outstandingly handsome boyfriend, Miss Brooks, are you worried he’ll be tempted by various temptations in the industry? Are you sure he’ll always love you?” This question was intrusive and sharp. I paused, then laughed as if I heard a joke, linking arms with Ethan. My eyes curved with confident certainty. “Not worried. And I’m sure Ethan will always love me.” I looked at Ethan, cleared my throat dramatically, lifted my chin, and held out my hand to him. “Come on, future Best Actor Reed. Someone questions your love now; you have to prove them wrong.” Ethan was used to my occasional theatrics. He looked at me gently, his eyes full of tenderness. He got down on one knee, held my hand, and under my shocked gaze, put a silver ring on my finger. “That’s right. Ethan Reed will love Maya Brooks forever.” “So, Miss Maya Brooks, will you marry me?” I covered my mouth in disbelief, looking at the man behind the camera who was smiling, not surprised at all. I realized this was a plan they had plotted long ago. Overwhelmed by the huge surprise, I pouted, my eyes instantly red, and choked out: “I d—” I closed the video and got up to wash. When I clicked on the comment section again, the wind had quietly changed, and two groups of people were arguing fiercely. [Who are these people shipping them? Ethan is happily dating Chloe Evans now! Shipping him with his ex? Are you sick? Leave the couple alone!] [Ship, ship, ship. When their relationship was exposed back then, Maya was cursed out as a nobody girlfriend. Where were you then? Now you’re crying at the grave?] [Do I have extra memories? Why are people asking for them to get back together? Did you forget they broke up because Maya’s video of sleeping with a big director was exposed? That breakup was ugly. Maya was roasted to death.] [Finally someone mentioned it. Maya, stop buying trending topics, okay? Don’t you know what rotten things you did back then? Stop mooching off our brother. He’s happy with Best Actress Evans now. If you’re that desperate for money and fame, go sell yourself. You should be familiar with that job.] As discussions surged, the popularity brought by the documentary continued to climb. It was the first time I stayed on the trending list for so long, even longer than five years ago. Just then, Chloe Evans posted on Weibo/Twitter. No caption, just a simple photo. In the photo, she leaned into Ethan’s arms with a bright smile, happily showing off a diamond ring on her ring finger. In the fifth year of their relationship, Ethan proposed to her. 5 Ethan and Chloe’s history began with the TV drama that made Ethan famous. At twenty-four, he exploded in popularity playing the tragic second male lead in the blockbuster fantasy drama Ascension, directed by Director Zheng. It was a meteoric rise. The next year, he collaborated with Chloe, who played the female lead, in a sweet romance drama. Their CP (couple pairing) fans grew rapidly. Chloe’s agency, Skyward Entertainment, extended an olive branch to Ethan, on the condition that he cooperate in hyping their CP. Ethan refused. When the “Ethan-Chloe” ship was at its peak, he announced the existence of me, his non-celebrity girlfriend. He was responsible, and he truly loved me then. Even though after the announcement, under Skyward’s intentional suppression, he had no work for nearly a year, and the heat from Ascension rapidly dissipated. Facing my guilt, he just hugged me nonchalantly. “Don’t say sorry, Maya. I love you, so I won’t let you suffer any grievance. This is my own choice; you don’t need to feel guilty.” I felt a sting in my nose. At twenty-seven, Ethan accepted Chloe’s invitation and collaborated for the third time in the movie Sunset. At twenty-eight, during the reshoots for the movie, a video of Director Zheng and me entering and leaving a hotel together was exposed by paparazzi. Under the internet-wide blackout, my breakup with Ethan was ugly. At twenty-nine, he and Chloe won Best Actor and Best Actress at the Golden Crane Awards with Sunset. While making a beautiful comeback, Ethan announced his relationship with Chloe at the ceremony. CP fans went wild. Solo fans were tolerant of this new sister-in-law. After all, with me as a negative example, Chloe was obviously much better. After that, their careers and relationship developed steadily. One became a three-time Best Actor, the other a top A-list actress. Five years of dating, but no news of marriage. Rumors of their breakup surfaced occasionally, only to be blasted by CP fans every time. And this time, CP fans were celebrating like it was New Year’s. [Clowns. Those who ship the ex are clowns just like Maya. See? Face slapped? Our couple is fine and about to upgrade to legal spouses. Those feeling sorry for a cheating tramp, protect your family registry. Karma might leave you with no pages left.] [Boo hoo, so happy! You must stay together forever! leave the shameless trash floating up to us to handle!] Soon, the video of Director Zheng and me from five years ago was dug up and flogged repeatedly. My social media page was flooded with netizens, insults and insults no less than back then. I didn’t care much, just thankful again that Director Zheng and his wife didn’t have social media accounts, so this filth couldn’t dirty their eyes. I turned off my phone and continued working as if nothing happened. I had a tough battle to fight in a few days.

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“My sister died from bullying. Today, I put on her uniform and wear her face.” “What are you here for?” “Revenge.” 1 That night, the whole family was asleep. The dog suddenly started barking frantically. When I walked into the living room, I smelled blood. Thick, heavy, lingering in the air. The dog was barking at my sister’s bedroom door. Confused, I pushed the door open and saw… My sister, in her pajamas, lying on white sheets soaked in blood. Her arm was ghastly pale, and the blood kept flowing, drop by drop, soaking into the hardwood floor. Her eyes were closed, as if she were asleep. I thought it was a hallucination. I pinched myself hard, but the scene remained. In an instant, I felt like I was in hell. I screamed, “Lily!” But she didn’t react. My parents’ footsteps thundered down the hall. The girl on the bed never woke up. … Lily, my dear sister, was dead. She died in the darkness just before dawn. Cause of death: suicide by cutting her wrists. There were unexplained bruises on her body. That was the first time I felt the pain of losing a loved one. Just last night at dinner, we were laughing and talking. But in the night, she quietly slipped away to another world. Silent and deadly. My mom cried until she nearly passed out. My dad refused to let them close the casket, yet refused cremation. My sister’s body lay in a refrigerated casket in our living room for ten full days. I cried until I was numb, staring only at the blue and purple bruises on her pale skin. Then, amidst the fake tears and hidden smiles of the visitors, I opened her diary. Page by page, I read every word. The things recorded in that diary were like bloodthirsty demons greedily drinking the blood of victory, arrogant to the extreme. The moment I closed the diary, my dad finally agreed to cremation. It happened quickly. In the burning flames, I thought I saw Lily. She smiled at me. That smile was enough to make me risk my life. Because the blood flowing in our veins is the same. … My parents agreed to let me take Lily’s place at school, to help her fulfill her unrealized dreams, or perhaps, they knew something too. The secrets I discovered, my parents might not be unaware of. They chose to acquiesce. Maybe we all needed to do something for my sister. She was an art student at a private high school in a city far away. I was an athlete, attending a public school in our hometown. We were in different schools, but we had the exact same face. Identical twins. She was Lily. I am Lana. Like the lana in a storm, burning with a fire that never dies. … I bought stationery identical to hers, wore her clothes, and with my parents’ farewell, arrived at her school: Saint Jude’s Academy. Lily’s school was beautiful. Clutching her diary, I walked forward heavily. The wind was a bit chilly. I softly recited the contents of the diary. … Page One: March 27. Weather: Sunny. Mood: Bad. Dana wrote “Slut” on my desk and stuffed a lot of trash in my drawer. When I was taking out my books, the sauce from the trash got on them. The math teacher saw it and made me stand in the back of the class, scolding me for not studying properly. Dana jeered. The teacher just lightly scolded her to be quiet. To me, she said: “Lily, you’re useless. Look at you, look at the mess on your desk.” Mood is bad, really want to cry. Tears keep flowing, but I know… Defending myself is useless. They just think I’m troublesome. March 28. Weather: Sunny. Mood: Bad. Someone swapped my uniform with a boy’s and splashed red ink on the back. I washed it all lunch break but couldn’t get it out. I know Faye did it, but I didn’t dare say anything. When I went to the bathroom, I saw my uniform in the corner. My name was written on it. But my name… it smelled so bad. … March 29. Weather: Sunny. Mood: Bad. Someone wrote a love letter claiming I wrote it to the popular guy in the next class. He came to our class and mocked me viciously. I don’t dare look in the mirror. I feel so ugly. But I didn’t write that letter. … March 30. Weather: Sunny. Mood: Bad. In gym class, Dana deliberately threw the basketball at my head and aimed for my stomach. She would say: “Lily, sorry! I didn’t mean to! My bad!” That smile. So pretty. So blinding. So cruel. … March 31. Weather: Sunny. Mood: Bad. My comb is missing, but I don’t dare borrow one. Faye put gum in my hair. I couldn’t pull it out. It hurt so much. Really want to cry, but no strength left to cry. … April 27. Weather: Cloudy. Mood: Bad. They said I stole something, but I didn’t take it. Why is it that bad things must have been done by me? As if anyone can frame me. Can I please not be bullied anymore? Sister, protect me. God, protect me. Protect me just once, please? … May 1. Weather: Sunny. Mood: Happy. Going home. Escaping this hell. I have to be happy so my family thinks I’m doing well. I’m going home! … June 5. Weather: Stormy. Mood: Bad. Dana tore my clothes, took photos, and posted them on the school forum. I’m not a slut. I’m not… But does anyone believe me? … June 8. Weather: Light Rain. Mood: Bad. They finally deleted the photos, but I had to agree to fetch their lunch, clean their tables, get water, run errands, and do their homework every day. Luckily, they finally spared me this time. … June 30. Weather: Sunny. Mood: Bad. My grades have gotten really bad. The homeroom teacher believed the rumors that I was dating and not studying. He told me to reflect on myself. When can I become a better person? I want to sleep well. Not under a damp blanket, but a clean cotton quilt. … July 9. Weather: Sunny. Mood: … Is it time to go home? I’m so tired. Just want to rest. … August 9. Weather: Sunny. Mood: … Is school starting soon… I don’t want to… … August 11. Weather: Sunny. Mood: … I’m leaving. Going to another world. I love Mom and Dad. I love my sister! Goodbye. Don’t miss me! I’m sorry… … The thick diary ended with a pile of blank pages. … When we were little, Lily and I had to sleep in the same bed. Neither of us wanted to be separated. On my birthday, Lily used the allowance she saved for a long time to buy me a pair of Nikes. She knew I loved sweet and sour ribs. She knew everything I liked. I loved her too. Just as much as Mom and Dad loved her. She knew that. We would go to the amusement park just to make her happy. I would make pig noises just to coax her. Knowing her loved ones would be heartbroken, she still chose to leave without looking back. How disappointed, or desperate, must she have been with this world? I don’t know. But I can feel that despair. The despair of no return. Because the blood flowing in our veins is the same. … The warning bell rang. When I walked into the classroom, it was quiet. Probably because it was senior year, the study atmosphere was okay. Lily said she sat in the second to last row. Looking from afar, there were two empty seats in the second to last row. Lily loved cleanliness. I walked straight to that seat, only to hear the class erupt in laughter. A girl pointed at my nose and said, “Lily, are you stupid? Forgot your own seat?” She was wearing makeup. The eyeliner was shaky, and the lipstick looked cheap. I opened the desk. The name written in the books inside was Faye. I didn’t know if it was the girl in front of me. I looked at her. I was a bit nearsighted. I walked closer to read her name tag. Her name was Dana. The Dana from the diary. Seemingly unhappy with me staring at her, Dana raised her eyebrows, stood up, and shoved me. “What are you looking at? Get away, you’re like a plague.” “She is a plague, isn’t she?!” Another girl chimed in, not even looking at me, constantly checking herself in a mirror. I smiled, didn’t answer, and walked to that filthy seat. It was full of trash and waste paper, with abusive words carved into the desk. My hands trembled slightly. Anger instantly invaded my heart. What did my sister go through? What did she do wrong… Thinking of her pale arm that night, her resolute expression, I suddenly felt a twinge. Then, I sat quietly. Like Lily, but not like her. I am cold-blooded, rational enough; I am vicious, fierce enough. At the bottom of the first page of her diary, I wrote heavily: “My sister died from school bullying. Today, I put on her uniform, wearing her exact face.” “Why did I come?” “For revenge.” 2 My seat was like a public dump, constantly stuffed with various trash bags. Greasy wrappers. Disgusting. Just back from the restroom, the desk was already full of all kinds of snack wrappers. Red oil dripped from them, inevitably soaking into the books, emitting a foul stench. Does throwing it here reduce pollution and protect the environment? I didn’t think so. I stood in front of the podium. Lily always liked to swallow her pride. She would clean up the mess, swallow all the grievances. But I wasn’t afraid. Yes, I wasn’t afraid. We are children of ordinary families, with no power or status. But I knew there was an institution representing justice that could help me. I came here just to collect evidence. They looked at each other below, puzzled that I didn’t cry and go back to clean up the mess today. Class was about to start. They began to panic. I remained motionless. Faye stood up and slapped the table, frowning and shouting, “Lily, go back to your seat, okay? Class is starting. The teacher is coming.” The students below laughed uproariously. Dana mocked sarcastically, “She thinks she’s precious. Outsiders look down on us! Doesn’t even deign to talk to you. So high and mighty!” She seemed completely unaware of how hurtful her words were. She calmly drank water, turned her head, and playfully fought with others again. Sentence after sentence, harsh words pierced the heart like knives. When pulled out, they drained the blood. When the math teacher walked in, I was still standing on the podium. She skillfully put down her textbook and turned to ask me, “Lily, why aren’t you in your seat?” “I don’t know who put a bunch of mess on my desk.” I answered, staring straight at her. I wanted to experience everything. Experience Lily’s despair, experience her tears when helpless. Me, Mom, Dad, we tried so hard to teach her to love this world. But you killed her courage to live, without a shred of remorse. The math teacher pushed her glasses up. A hint of disdain flashed in her eyes. She muttered, “Go back to your seat. We’ll talk after class.” To me, or rather to Lily, she only had these few words. As if the wrongdoers deserved forgiveness. “Teacher, I can’t sit in my seat.” Curling my lips, I spat out a few words lightly. These light words were courage Lily would never have had. I am much taller than Lily, and my voice is coarser. Why did no one notice the difference? Perhaps because she was ostracized so much, everything about Lily became irrelevant in the eyes of others. Fortunately, this is a private school. Backgrounds like ours are never noticed. Otherwise, the fact that Lily had a twin sister wouldn’t be unknown. Then my roleplay would be much harder. But look, now, I don’t even need to deliberately imitate her because no one pays attention to her. The math teacher looked at me with an unusual expression. For the first time, she wanted to walk over and see Lily’s seat. Second to last row, the seat most easily ignored, the seat of the girl who always kept her head down. When unnatural emotions breed, only eyes convey the most sincere message. Just as she was about to walk over, Dana stood up. “Teacher, the class monitor told her to go back. She’s just being maverick, acting like we won’t let her sit down. Lily, go back to your seat! We’re waiting for class!” A few short sentences attributed everything to just jokes between students. The playful tone seemed to solve all absurdity. Hearing this, the math teacher smiled disdainfully again, attributing everything to student mischief. Her tone became strict: “Lily, it’s a critical time now. Can you focus on your studies? Go back to your seat quickly!” “Teacher, I can’t sit in my seat; Teacher, can you walk a few more steps back?” I begged her to look at my seat, to see how messy it was. The pleading tone felt like a command. I screamed in my heart, can you walk a few more steps? Just a few steps, and you can see how people in the gutter struggle to live. When did the classroom become a zone of severe hierarchy? Students in the front row rightfully enjoy the glory of being role models. Students with superior looks playfully turn the despair inflicted on others into joy. And the people in the gutter are like being in a water dungeon, looking at the formulas on the blackboard that could save them, yet losing their lives in others’ joy. “Teacher, a few more steps, please?” I begged her again. Why, why not walk a few more steps? Why let my sister suffer? Why, why are you the students’ light, but failed to shine on my sister? That gaze, hollow yet shining with determination, moved her. I watched Dana’s eyes become nervous. Step by step, it was like stepping into hell’s gate. In the long classroom, with so many students, she looked at them one by one, yet felt they were strangers. The foul smell made one want to vomit… Those trash bags were buried behind the high-held heads of the front-row students, buried in laughter. Maybe she would never discover it. As long as I continued to endure and return to my seat, continued to take out books and study “The highest good is like water,” everything would be buried in time again, leaving my sister buried in the yellow earth. The sister who could laugh and be mischievous, the sister who remembered all my hobbies, the sister who said she would be the first to hug me after I won the championship. What was left for you was happiness, right? What about us? Endless pain and darkness, tearing at the heart like claws and teeth… I didn’t want to cry, but I missed my sister. The students in the front row blocked her seat. The back row was a blind spot for cameras. In this school where grades are everything, no one cares about a girl in the gutter who can’t see the sun. How loud must the sound of reading be to cover the trembling heart? “Who did this?” The math teacher finally stopped. She choked a little, swallowed a breath, and asked again. The class suddenly became quiet, leaving only the sound of chairs scraping. Not a single person admitted it. Admitted they were accomplices. She continued to ask, “Who did this?” The tone was unkind; anyone could hear it. I wiped away my tears frankly. This was just the beginning. Dana raised her hand tremblingly, saying apologetically: “Teacher, I accidentally put the trash bag there. I told Lily to help me throw it away!” She hinted at me frantically, quite threateningly. I tilted my head and mocked, “I don’t remember you ever saying that to me.” “You filled my desk with trash. My textbooks are stained. My desk is carved with disgusting words everywhere. You did all this without my permission.” “I never joked like this with them, and never, ever said I allowed them to put trash here.” Resounding, like stones, accusing them of everything they did. But this was far from enough. The math teacher held her breath. A teacher cannot be humiliated. “I will tell your homeroom teacher. Lily, come to the office with me.” She carried her book and walked back to the front row step by step. Dana threw me a look, threatening and scary. She threw her book on the ground in anger. I looked at her provocatively, smiling, smiling very dashingly. Walking up to Dana, I whispered: “Who told you there’s no retribution for doing such things? There is cause and effect in the world. Everything cycles eventually. The principle the world has cycled countless times always says one thing: If you do evil, you will destroy yourself.” “Dana, your retribution is coming.”

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Everyone knew Ethan Hunt was my perfect, doting boyfriend. But on our anniversary, he suddenly announced his relationship with his ex-girlfriend on Instagram. When I asked him why, he smiled casually. “Because her waist… is smaller than yours.” 1 My boyfriend has a new girlfriend. One minute before he went “Facebook Official” with her, he sent me a breakup text. Before I could even process it, I saw his new post: “Three years, and my love for you has only grown.” The photo was of him and a girl. She was looking away from the camera, showing only her profile; he was looking at her, lips slightly pressed together. That was his nervous tic. The first comment below was his own, cringy and dramatic: “Welcome home. You can dock here anytime.” Ethan’s post blew up, but he didn’t reply to anyone. My chest felt tight, a wave of nausea rolling over me. I took a deep breath and dialed his number. I always thought I wasn’t that invested in this relationship. But… When I dialed, my hands were shaking uncontrollably. It rang once and was immediately hung up. Soon, a text from Ethan came through, his tone cold as if he were a stranger: “Not convenient. Text me if it’s important.” I typed a long paragraph, deleted it all, and finally sent one sentence: “We can break up, but say it to my face.” Silence for a long time. Then, like he was granting a favor, he sent one word: “Fine.” We agreed on a time and place. I felt dazed. In this relationship, Ethan was always the pursuer. He chased me aggressively, his confession so loud the whole campus knew. When I said no, he stood under my dorm all night in the freezing winter, smoking a pack of cigarettes. Anyone’s heart would melt a little at that. Once, I casually mentioned missing my mom’s cooking. He took a Greyhound bus overnight to my hometown to buy the specific dish, even though it was cold by the time he brought it back. When someone posted nasty rumors about me online, he tracked them down and made them apologize. Bit by bit, I was moved. We got together. People called him my “simp.” I never thought our end would be so casual. 2 The coffee shop near the back gate of the university. I sat by the window. The coffee on the table went from hot to cold before Ethan finally arrived. He looked strange today. Usually, he loved the preppy, clean-cut look—light-colored casual suits, short black hair, always looking like the boy next door. But today… He was dressed in all black—black hoodie, black cargo pants—and his hair was dyed. Even more shocking, the guy who hated pain had gotten his left ear pierced and was wearing a small silver hoop. I froze. We hadn’t seen each other for two days, and he was a different person. Seeing my shock, he smiled. “She likes it.” Three simple words, and I knew how thoroughly I had lost this past year. Ethan was very self-centered. During our relationship, he treated me well but rarely listened to me. Once, I asked him to change his hairstyle. He just smiled, ruffled my hair, and said, “Chloe, I don’t like it.” And that was that. I stared at him for a long time, then cut to the chase: “Give me a reason.” My reflection in the glass looked cold and indifferent. In reality, I was using every ounce of strength to hold back my emotions. I thought Ethan would make excuses or feel guilty. But no. He leaned back in his chair, smiling lazily. “Because her waist… is smaller than yours.” I froze. Across the table, he smirked. “Anything else? If not, I’m heading back. She’ll be unhappy if I’m out too long.” The moment his words fell, I raised my hand and threw the coffee in his face. In that instant, I had only one thought: What a pity the coffee was cold. 3 Ethan left. After I splashed him, he only paused for two seconds, then calmly wiped his face and dropped two words: “I’m leaving.” But after a few steps, he turned back. “Chloe, I treated you well this past year, right? Let’s just say we parted on good terms. No need to say hi if we see each other.” He didn’t give me time to react and walked away. I sat in silence for a few seconds, then stood up, grabbed the warm coffee from the guy at the next table, apologized, and chased after him. Then, I poured it over Ethan’s head. The coffee was warm, not scalding, but it made him look pathetic. Ethan just stopped. He stood straight, didn’t even turn around. I stared at his soaked clothes. “Ethan, now we’re even.” I walked back with the empty cup. I returned the cup and bought two fresh coffees for the couple whose drink I stole. The girl didn’t blame me; instead, she gave me a thumbs up. “Girl, you’re a badass.” I smiled but said nothing. Actually, I’ve always been a dull person—introverted, sensitive, silent, and boring. I have decent looks, so guys chased me, but they were always the type casting a wide net. If I rejected them, they’d be whispering sweet nothings to someone else a minute later. So, I never expected to be loved so fiercely. But a year ago, Ethan appeared. His loud affection, his grand pursuit, his thoughtful care—it was easy to fall into his gentle trap. In our year together, I never wronged him. I was learning how to love someone, learning how to be good to him. But just as I learned, he turned around to be someone else’s harbor. I walked out and headed toward campus. I said it was over, but I still felt lost. So lost that I bumped into someone right at the gate. Just as I was about to fall, someone grabbed my waist, then let go as if burned. Thud. I hit the ground hard. The person rushed to help me up. “Chloe… are you okay?” The voice sounded familiar. I looked up. It was Lucas, a senior and Ethan’s classmate. “I’m fine.” I wanted to thank him, but remembering the hard fall, I kept quiet. He frowned. “Ethan’s post?” I laughed. “He announced his ex from three years ago.” Hearing his name, I couldn’t help but add, “I, the current girlfriend, got the breakup text one minute before his post. Funny, right?” Lucas didn’t speak. He turned and walked away. I paused, then scolded myself for oversharing. He was just an acquaintance; why burden him with my mess? He probably found it annoying. I looked away and went back to the dorm. On the way, I became even quieter, avoiding eye contact with anyone I knew, walking faster. I was afraid someone would ask, “Chloe, when did you break up? I saw you eating together a few days ago. How does he have a new girlfriend already?” I didn’t know how to answer. Being publicly dumped was humiliating. I hurried back to the dorm, changed, and climbed into bed, wrapping myself in the duvet. I wanted to cry, but mostly, I wanted to vent. I wished I could drag Ethan over and beat him up. I regretted not throwing two cups of coffee earlier. Soon, my phone rang. It was my roommate, Sasha. “Chloe, where are you?” I pulled the covers down, answering weakly, “Dorm. Why?” “Ethan got beat up!” I sat up instantly. The anger clogging my chest dissipated a little. After a pause, I asked, “Who did he offend?” Sasha seemed to be at the scene; it was noisy. A few seconds later, I heard her answer: “It was Lucas.” “Omg, I’m dead. He was so hot!” 4 Lucas? Why him… Sasha’s voice was fuzzy over the bad connection, and the call cut off. I sat on my bed in a daze, remembering Lucas turning and walking away at the gate. I thought he was annoyed, but he went to fight for me? While I debated going to see, the door opened and Sasha burst in. She was humming a tune, clearly in a good mood. Before I could ask, she pulled me off the bed and spilled everything. Lucas beat up Ethan. To be precise, they had a brawl. Both got hurt; neither won easily. Sasha grabbed my hands. “Chloe, you have no idea. The way Lucas asked him ‘Who do you think you are, cheating like that?’ and then punched him… it was explosive!” My heart skipped a beat. Gripping my shirt tightly, I acted calm and asked softly, “What about Ethan?” Mentioning Ethan, Sasha paused. She looked at me, hesitating. “He fought back, and…” “He said he knew Lucas has had a crush on you for a long time.” 5 I froze for a long time, then laughed. “Impossible. Lucas and I barely talk.” Sasha didn’t believe it. “If you aren’t close, why would he fight Ethan for you?” “Justice, maybe?” I chuckled lightly. “He’s done it before.” Sasha pursed her lips but didn’t argue. Lucas was like the perfect academic god in a drama—upright, excellent, and kind. He had even been commended by the school for bravery. Actually, I wanted to text Lucas to say thanks. We had been friends on social media for a year but rarely spoke—just a “like” relationship. I hesitated for a long time, not knowing what to say. In the end, I let it go. … Afternoon. Following my habit, I went to the cafeteria alone for dinner. Unexpectedly— I ran into Ethan and his ex-girlfriend. I was a quiet person, usually looking down or straight ahead when walking, rarely looking around. So, it wasn’t until I sat in my usual corner with my tray that I noticed Ethan and a girl sitting diagonally across from me. From my angle, I could see her profile perfectly. Identical to the photo in Ethan’s post. They were eating. Ethan had ordered a bowl of spicy hot pot, bright red with chili oil—something he never ate. Sweat beaded on his forehead, but he looked up and smiled at her. In reality, Ethan never ate spicy food. He had a bad stomach; spicy food gave him cramps. I stared, my fingers unconsciously scratching the metal tray. Then… Ethan suddenly looked over. Caught off guard, I locked eyes with him. Honestly, I was a bit nervous and guiltily wanted to look away. But someone beat me to it. Our eyes met for a split second, then Ethan casually turned his head and put a piece of meat in his girlfriend’s bowl. I stared for a few seconds, then laughed softly. It’s true that the one left behind has the hardest time moving on. He was the cheater, so why was I the one feeling guilty and nervous? Just as I was about to look away, the girl stood up, seemingly to buy water. I saw her full face. In that moment, my mind went blank, displaying only one word: Substitute. Yes, the classic trope. The guy can’t forget his first love, so he finds a girl who looks like her. And I looked 70-80% like his first love. 6 In that moment, I understood. The “waist smaller than yours” crap was all lies. Actually, he didn’t need a breakup reason. He got with me because of my face, which resembled his white moonlight. How ridiculous. I forced myself to look down and eat. But mechanically stuffing rice into my mouth, even my favorite braised pork tasted like ash. The rice felt dry and stuck in my throat. I patted my chest, debating whether to go buy water, when a bottle appeared in my vision. Poland Spring. I looked up to see a smiling face. “Alone? Mind if I join you?” It was Lucas. I smiled and waved my hand to say I didn’t mind, but the rice was stuck, choking me. Lucas was always observant. He immediately unscrewed the cap and handed me the water. I didn’t stand on ceremony, taking huge gulps. The blockage cleared, but I choked on the water. As I coughed violently, Lucas patted my back. “Slow down.” His tone was gentle. It took a while to recover. I took the tissue Lucas offered, wiped my mouth, looked up, and accidentally saw Ethan. He was looking at me, his eyes dark and unreadable.

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My crush of several years finally confessed his feelings to me. A week later, I found out it was all because he lost a game of Truth or Dare. He had to date me for a month to win. When I read that text message, I was holding the clothes I had hand-washed for him, feeling like an absolute idiot. Because he said the washing machine “didn’t get them clean enough.” 1 “Let’s break up.” I typed those three words into the text box, but before I could hit send, Caleb Hunt called me. I hesitated, then answered. His voice was lazy on the other end. “Mia, are the clothes done?” I went silent. Me, the girl who could debate the opposition into the ground during mock trials, was suddenly speechless. “Hello? Hello?” Caleb sounded impatient. “Maybe she’s busy,” a sickly-sweet voice chimed in. It was Lilly Porter. The freshman girl who was always hovering around Caleb. And the one who had “accidentally” let me know about the bet. I took a deep breath and said calmly, “They’re done. I’m bringing them down now.” Maybe my tone was too cold, because he paused for a second before saying, “Fine. See you downstairs.” Then he hung up. I stared at our chat interface. The background was a candid photo I took of him looking out a window years ago. I only dared to set it as my background after we started dating. Right now, I wished desperately that Lilly was just trying to stir up trouble. No, I couldn’t trust her completely. I closed my eyes and calmed myself down. No matter what, I had to confirm it myself. 2 “You washed them?” Caleb snatched the bag from my hand, glanced inside carelessly, then looked at me and frowned. “No makeup? You look exhausted.” His tone was disdainful, his brow furrowed. But even like this, he was still handsome. Six-foot-one, chiseled features. He lived up to his reputation—wild, arrogant, untamable. Even in the few minutes we stood there, several girls had already turned to look at him. I gripped the empty bag tightly and forced a smile. “Debate club just finished, and I have finals coming up. Reviewing has been brutal.” “Mia, girls need to take care of themselves even when they’re busy. Look at you, you have dark circles.” It was Lilly. I looked at her. Oval face with a hint of baby fat, flawless skin, smiling eyes—the standard “sweet girl.” But she misunderstood something. I wasn’t the type to suffer in silence. “Really? You should focus on your studies too. If you fail your English major exams, you can’t graduate,” I smiled sweetly. Her face stiffened for a second, then she pouted cutely. “Oh, I’m just so dumb. Not like you, Mia, you’re so smart and capable. And you have such a handsome boyfriend like Caleb. I’m so envious.” This “pick-me” act was making me nauseous. Just as I was about to roast her, Caleb interrupted: “Alright, I’m going back.” He turned to walk toward the dorms. He didn’t even look at me. I stood there like a clown. Apart from taking the clothes and roasting my appearance, he hadn’t said a single unnecessary word to me. But the moment I was about to clap back at Lilly, he spoke up. In that instant, anger tore at my heart, burning and aching. I knew Caleb had a sharp tongue and a bad temper, but he had always been there when I needed him. But right now, I suddenly wondered: was the person I liked even real? Was someone who treated feelings like a game really the same person I thought was secretly kind-hearted? Looking at his back, I felt like someone was squeezing my heart. But then, Lilly trotted over and tugged on Caleb’s sleeve, whining, “Caleb! You said you’d buy me boba!” Caleb paused, then nodded. “Wait a sec. Let me put these back.” Lilly stuck her tongue out at him playfully. Caleb smiled lazily. But I knew Caleb hated sweets, and he especially hated sugary drinks like boba. He only drank water. But even so, seeing the provocative look in Lilly’s eyes, I didn’t want to admit defeat. “Caleb.” I called out to him. He turned around. Sunlight filtered through the trees onto his face, like a chiaroscuro painting. “What?” He walked back, looking down at me. I bit my lip, looking straight into his eyes, wanting to ask if he confessed to me because of a dare. But suddenly, I thought: what if he did? Would I lose him then? “I’ll go too. For boba.” My voice was dry. He looked at me. “Didn’t you say you were on a diet? Why are you drinking that stuff again?” In that moment, embarrassment and shame crushed me completely. My humility, my endurance—it was all worthless. Seeing my state, Lilly chided him playfully, “Caleb, chubby girls are cute too. How can you dislike her?” Caleb froze, looking at me, a bit uncomfortable. “That’s not what I meant. It’s just because you said…” “Forget it. I’m not going.” I didn’t look at his expression. I turned to leave, but he grabbed my wrist. “I really didn’t mean it like that.” I sneered. Was he that afraid of losing the game? Thinking of this, I turned back, tears pressing against my eyes, and choked out, “Whatever. You only confessed because of a stupid game anyway. Why pretend?” He froze, lips moving silently. But that was enough. I laughed bitterly, wiped my tears fiercely, and said word by word: “Let’s break up.” He looked at me in disbelief, wanting to say something. But I didn’t want to hear it. I shook him off and ran back to my dorm, crying on my bed for a long time. He didn’t know I had liked him for years but never dared to confess, only watching him silently. So when he confessed to me, I felt like the whole world belonged to me. But just a week later, reality slapped me in the face. Staring at the ceiling, I thought, forget it. Why make myself so pathetic? Maybe from the beginning, the Caleb I liked was just a fantasy. 3 The next day, I iced my eyes for a long time so they wouldn’t be so swollen. I put on makeup and went to work at the bakery near campus. The bakery was opened by a recent grad, Evan. He was pretty chill and just loved making desserts. Unexpectedly, the place blew up as soon as it opened. I thought people came for his face. But after trying the cakes, I realized the taste was as good as his face. As a dessert lover, I was hooked. So, I boldly applied for a job, and surprisingly got hired. It covered my monthly living expenses. But today, as soon as I walked in, I saw an unwanted guest. “Oh? Mia? You work here?” It was Lilly again. So annoying. She was wearing a white shirt, pink skirt, and white sneakers—youthful and vibrant. I frowned and ignored her. Evan saw me and walked straight over, the usual smile on his face fading a bit. “You cried?” I shook my head with a smile. “Just didn’t sleep well.” He looked down at me for a while, then nodded gently. “Go get ready.” “Okay.” Just as I was about to leave, I heard Lilly say to Evan, “Evan, I really want to learn how to make cakes. I can work for free.” I slowed down hearing this. Evan had a good temper and rarely rejected people. Plus, the shop was indeed short-staffed recently. I pursed my lips. If Lilly really came here, I would quit. I can’t afford to provoke her, but I can hide, right? Evan spoke. I stopped, my heart inadvertently lifting, as his gentle voice said slowly: “No.” 4 When Lilly left, she smiled at me. Weirdo. I withdrew my gaze and looked at Evan, who was piping a cake. I wanted to ask why he refused. But thinking about it, it didn’t seem necessary. Anyway, no one annoying around on future shifts was a good thing. “Wrong ratio.” Evan reminded me. But his eyes were still on the cake, not looking at me at all. I froze and stopped immediately. I had poured too much milk. “Oh… I’ll add more low-gluten flour.” He didn’t speak, just put down the piping bag and started decorating the surface with fruit, bit by bit. I cursed myself silently and quickly gathered my scattered thoughts to work seriously. Evan was very chill. But when he made cakes, he was extremely serious, as if pouring his soul into the sculpting. I learned a lot from him in the past two years, almost enough to open a small shop myself. Bang! Something hit the glass window. I looked up in surprise and saw Caleb staring at me through the window, suppressing sparks of anger in his eyes. “Come out!” He mouthed. Lilly stood beside him, looking worried and guilty, saying something to him. But obviously, hearing those words, he got angrier. I frowned, getting a bit angry too, but mostly feeling baffled and powerless. “I’m going out for a sec.” “Okay.” Evan nodded, looking a bit worried. I took off my gloves. As soon as I pushed the door open, Caleb grabbed me and dragged me away. My wrist hurt from his grip. “Let go!” I tried to shake him off but failed. He gripped tighter. “Let go of me! Are you crazy?!” I cursed loudly, eyes red. In the eyes of my parents and others, I had always been an easygoing, hardworking, obedient girl. Avoiding conflict whenever possible. Hiding if I couldn’t handle it. But that didn’t mean I had no temper. Caleb had never seen me like this. He was a bit surprised, then looked at my red wrist and quickly let go. “Mia, I didn’t mean to. I just saw you and him…” At this point, his face darkened. “Don’t do that part-time job anymore. I don’t like him.” I looked up at his sharp eyebrows and laughed. “Why?” He frowned, not understanding. “You and another guy cooped up in that small space making cakes every day… I’m… unhappy.” I looked at him, finding him laughable for the first time. “I’ve been working here for a year. Now you’re unhappy? Did Lilly say something to you?” Hearing my words, his expression hardened. “How much do you make a month? I’ll transfer it to you.” He picked up his phone and transferred three thousand dollars to me. Then he looked up, helpless. “Is that enough?” I bit my lip, nails digging into my palm. I took several deep breaths to suppress the urge to slap him. “Caleb, I recall we broke up yesterday.” Caleb’s face went cold. He stepped closer, his presence overwhelming. “You’re throwing a tantrum, I know. Lilly told me girls love doing this. The game thing is true, but my… confession was sincere too.” He looked uncomfortable, even anxious, and cursed. “Can’t you just trust me for once?” I looked at him, not knowing what expression to make. “Then why do you trust Lilly and not me?” He couldn’t understand. “She’s timid and innocent, and has no conflict with you. Why would she lie? Mia, do you want to keep that crappy job so badly?” I laughed, feeling my heart being torn into strips. She’s timid? She’s innocent? I took a step back, wiped away the tears from laughing, and said coldly, “Caleb, we broke up. Don’t come find me again.” “F*ck! Who wants to find you anyway! Go be with that cake guy!” Caleb’s anger finally exploded. He punched the wall next to the school gate hard and walked away. I turned around and saw Lilly’s “innocent and beautiful” face. She smirked at me triumphantly and chased after Caleb. There weren’t many people at the school gate right now, but there were still students passing by in twos and threes. Their gazes cut me like knives. Exhausted, I leaned against the wall and squatted down, hugging myself, burying my head in my knees, as if this could hide me from all the stares and hurt. So tired. Really so tired.

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Ethan Brooks said he would propose on our fourth anniversary. But this year is our eighth year together. He tells me he loves me, while fiercely pursuing a freshman in college. For her, he risked everything, even stealing my mother’s heirloom necklace. “Lily hasn’t seen many nice things. She really likes this. Just let her have it for a bit, I’ll make it up to you later.” “Okay.” This time, I didn’t cry or scream. Instead, I dialed a number. “Julian Thorne, say what you said last time again.” He was confused but repeated, “Dump Ethan Brooks and marry me.” “Okay, I’ll marry you.” … Julian was obviously stunned. We were silent for two minutes. “Serious?” “Yes.” Julian chuckled deeply. “I’m waiting for you.” 1 “Who are you calling?” Ethan suddenly hugged me from behind, startling me. I locked my phone and shook my head. “Unhappy? You know Lily’s family isn’t as well off as yours. Be generous.” “Mm.” Ethan’s phone kept buzzing. He looked down to reply, a gentle smile appearing on his lips. It was a message from Lily Hayes. The photo was the most eye-catching part. My mother’s necklace was around her neck, resting perfectly in her cleavage. It was a cropped photo, showing the lace of her bra. “Ethan.” He sat on the bed, obsessed with the photo. He couldn’t help but chuckle. Completely ignoring my voice. “Ethan!” I raised my voice, and he looked up sharply. “What?” “When do you plan to propose?” Ethan put away his phone, scratching his head to hide his expression. “Aren’t we… still young?” “Being young is for having fun. To celebrate my wife’s generosity today, the boys are throwing a party. Want to come?” Ethan’s eyes told me everything. He was waiting for me to refuse. “I…” Ethan suddenly hugged me. “I’ll tell them for you. You don’t like the smell of alcohol anyway. Wait for me at home, okay?” I looked down and laughed bitterly. Ethan thought I agreed happily. His goal achieved, he didn’t waste another word on me. He turned and left with his phone. As he walked out, I saw him zoom in on that photo. Holding my pajamas, I subconsciously looked at myself in the mirror. Average figure. Average face. Lily and I were indeed from two different generations. At midnight, one of Ethan’s friends posted an update. It was a video. The music was deafening, the VIP room reeked of decadence. Several young people were cheering on the dance floor. Right when the music paused. I heard a familiar voice. “Lucas, I want to propose to Lily.” It was Ethan’s voice. Putting down my phone, I stared at the ceiling and took a deep breath. Our relationship survived the seven-year itch, but couldn’t survive a single winter. 2 I was about to sleep when I got a message from Ethan’s friend, Lucas. A simple sentence: Sister-in-law, can you bring some stomach medicine? Ethan didn’t have stomach problems, and neither did Lucas. From Ethan’s earlier words, it wasn’t hard to guess what they were planning. I didn’t know if Lucas calling me was Ethan’s idea. When I got there, I leaned against my car for a long time. My legs were starting to go numb before I finally found the courage to go in. It seemed I arrived at the perfect time. Ethan was on one knee. “Lily, I really love you.” “Lily, marry me?” “Lily, I want you.” The love in Ethan’s eyes was overflowing. Lily covered her mouth excitedly across from him. She was very pretty. Her shy look was exactly Ethan’s type. “Ethan… I do.” Unknowingly, tears were already on my face. Rolling down my chin. The ring he used to propose was my mother’s heirloom. Ethan, you really impress me. The two kissed under the spotlight, a perfect couple. But, among the dozen people present. Some were drinking, some smoking, some on their phones. No one clapped. Ethan noticed something was wrong, his face darkening. “Why aren’t you guys cheering?” His friends all looked down, acting busy. Ethan looked around, a layer of frost covering his eyes. “You’re proposing to her. What about Ava?” Ethan licked his lips, patted Lucas’s shoulder, and laughed. “Lucas, do you know what a heartbeat feels like?” “Ava has been with you for eight years.” “Shh…” Ethan hushed him. “Don’t mention her on such a happy occasion.” “The past eight years, I was blind, thinking that was love. Meeting Lily, I learned what love is. I want to give her my everything! But Ava?” Ethan looked at his friends, trying to persuade everyone. “Ava is a princess, she doesn’t lack love. But Lily only has me. Do you understand?” “Every time I go home and see Ava’s face, I feel bored.” “Yes, Ava is good, but she’s not the one I want to marry.” No one responded to Ethan. Everyone smoked, heads down, silent. “Ethan… maybe, forget it, we don’t need cheering…” Crash! Ethan threw a glass. “Cheer!” Usually, when Ethan got angry, everyone backed off. But this time, no one humored him. For a moment, I was dazed too. Eight years ago, none of them liked us together. Seeing me, the spoiled rich girl, they never had a nice expression. They even told Ethan to dump me. Eight years passed, and everyone accepted me as their sister-in-law. Everyone except Ethan. Clap, clap, clap. I clapped three times slowly. All eyes turned to me. Ethan’s pupils shrank, panic setting in. “You, why are you here?” Realizing something, Ethan’s face changed. “Who called her?” I walked up to Ethan. Lily stood in front of him. Arms spread, a protective posture. Clearly scared, but bravely shielding him. This look, no man could resist. “Ava sister, it’s all my fault, don’t, don’t blame him…” I reached out and took the necklace off Lily’s neck. “Ethan, didn’t anyone tell you, proposing with a dead person’s item brings bad luck?” 3 “Don’t scare Lily. Let’s talk about this at home.” Saying this, Ethan started grabbing his coat from the sofa. As if he wanted to escape quickly. “Ethan, do I still have a home?” Ethan paused, turning to look at me. He pulled me toward the exit. Lily tried to follow. But Lucas stopped her. In the hallway, the lights were dim. I couldn’t see Ethan’s face clearly. “Lily is young. Her birthday wish this year was for someone to propose to her. I drank too much, I was confused.” I didn’t speak. Ethan hugged me. Usually when I was mad, he would coax and deceive me like this. And every time, I forgave him. He breathed hotly on me. “Wife, don’t be mad.” But he didn’t know. This time, I wouldn’t forgive him. “Then come home with me now.” “Okay! Let’s go home!” Ethan pulled me toward the exit. Lily was right by the door. I knew she could hear. Three, two… Bang! The door opened. Lily collapsed in the hallway. Ethan ran over almost instantly. “Lily!” “Ethan, I’m fine… is Ava sister mad?” Lily grabbed a huge bottle of liquor. “I’ll apologize to Ava sister.” She tilted her head and chugged. 58-proof liquor, she downed half the bottle in one go. To get Ethan’s attention, she really went all out. “Lily!” Ethan snatched the bottle, heartbroken. “Does Ava sister forgive me?” Ethan turned and roared at me, “Say something!” The man who was just cuddling me dropped the act the moment Lily got hurt. “I never blamed you.” Lily coughed, reaching out to me. “Since Ava sister isn’t mad, can I have the necklace back? It was a gift from Ethan.” I immediately pressed my hand on my bag. “This is my mother’s legacy.” “But Ethan gave it to me.” “It seems sister still doesn’t want to forgive me.” Saying this, Lily grabbed the bottle again and started drinking. Ethan was frantic. “Ava, give it to her!” Ethan rushed over, trying to snatch my bag. “This is my mom’s legacy! Can’t you see she’s doing it on purpose?!” Ethan wouldn’t listen to anything. He tugged at my bag like a mad dog. “Ava, can you not be so dirty-minded? Lily is different from you.” “Ava, Lily is just a little girl, can you stop pushing her?” Ethan was too strong. Even though I used all my strength, he snatched the bag. I grabbed at it. Lily grabbed at it too. Finally, the necklace snapped. Silver beads bounced everywhere on the floor. I stared dumbfounded at the two silver beads in my hand. Looking up, I saw the smile on Lily’s lips. Ethan turned and roared at me, “Ava, have you made enough trouble?!” He pinned all the blame on me. He saw through everything, except Lily’s disguise. Maybe realizing he went too far. Ethan looked helplessly at the beads on the floor. He touched my head. “So-sorry, I… I drank too much.” “Tomorrow, I’ll buy you a new one, okay?” Lily was vomiting, clutching her chest. Ethan picked her up and ran out. “Tomorrow at noon, I’ll go with you to buy a new one, okay?” He ran fast, wind blowing past my ears. I looked at the scattered silver beads and laughed, supporting myself against the wall. What’s the difference between Ethan and me, and these silver beads? A seemingly complete family, in the end, scattered like sand. I don’t want the necklace anymore. I don’t want Ethan anymore either. I can’t guarantee I’ll forget you completely. But Ethan, I guarantee you’ll never find me again. “Airline? I want the earliest ticket to the South.” 4 After hanging up, I went back. The earliest flight was in three days. Back home, I packed everything. Whatever I could take, I took. Whatever I couldn’t, I burned. Our photo albums were in the bedside drawer. But one was on Ethan’s desk. He hadn’t been back in a long time; the desk was dusty. But this album was unusually clean. He must look through it when he’s bored, right? I took it to burn with the rest. But I found, scattered inside, photos of him and Lily. The first time Lily visited, she praised our photos. Unexpectedly, they went too. I closed the album and put it back. The wall clock chimed. 5 PM. Ethan broke his promise again. Ding. Julian sent a voice message. “I had the marriage agreement mailed to you. Just sign it.” I composed my expression. Turning around, I found Ethan right behind me. “Who are you chatting with so happily?” I shook my head. Ethan was sweating profusely, soaked through. “Move.” I pushed him to leave. But a complete necklace appeared before my eyes. It was Mom’s necklace. I held it in my hand, looking up at him. “You, you found them?” Ethan scratched his head. “Took forever.” He rubbed his eyes. “Almost went blind finding them.” “So you weren’t back by noon because you were picking up my mom’s necklace?” “What else?” He hugged me gently. “You don’t know how tired I am. Squatting all day, my back is killing me.” “But still missing two beads. Wife, you won’t blame me for being late, right?” Holding my mom’s necklace, my vision blurred. Big tears fell into my palm. I mumbled indistinctly, “Ethan, thank you…” “What are you saying? You’re my fiancée.” I excitedly went into the room. I knew where the missing two beads were. Rummaging through my bag, I found the three beads from yesterday. I smiled excitedly, but realized the color of the silver beads in my hand was completely different from the ones in my bag! The one in my hand also had oxidation marks, but it was different from Mom’s… I squatted on the ground, sobbing uncontrollably. Ethan, how long are you going to lie to me? What do you take me for? A sound came from the door. “Delivery for Miss Ava Rhodes, please sign.” Soon, Ethan came in. Holding a document envelope. Opening it as he walked. “Why a document delivery? What is it?” My phone kept popping up messages. [Julian: Did you get the marriage agreement?] I looked up sharply, meeting Ethan’s gaze.

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I used to be a poor, proud girl who only wanted Julian Thorne’s love. But after he blacklisted me from the industry, I learned my lesson. I became obedient, accepting the resources he threw my way. I just didn’t love him anymore. Later, he got into a car accident and was hospitalized. I was at Fashion Week in Paris, and when I returned, I went straight to set to film. When he recovered and was discharged, he pinned me against the doorframe, eyes red. “I was in a car accident…” I looked at him, puzzled, and said nothing. He gritted his teeth, his eyes full of undisguised grievance. “You didn’t come to see me… not even once.” 1 I always knew Julian Thorne and I were worlds apart. I used to think I didn’t want the resources he offered. I thought we were just a normal couple. He was my boyfriend, and I was his girlfriend. I liked him, and he liked me. But later, he was the one who personally tore my fantasy to shreds. On the tenth day of being blacklisted by Julian, my agent, Lisa, knocked on my door again, looking disappointed. When I opened the door, her angry face softened into shock at my haggard appearance. She closed her eyes, sighed, and walked in. “Scarlett, can’t you see it yet? You and Julian Thorne are not from the same world. Who is he? He’s the CEO of Thorne Enterprises. Who are you? You’re a star with no background.” She sat heavily on the sofa, trying to talk some sense into me. I listened expressionlessly while pouring her water. “What love? Is there any love between you two? If there was, how could he blacklist you with a single order? Look at yourself. Look at how pathetic you look now.” She pulled a mirror out of her bag and forced me to look at my disheveled reflection. “Is it uglier than that day?” My voice was hoarse, every word squeezed out of my throat. I looked at my reflection without emotion. She knew I was talking about the day of the Best Actress awards. In the video that was mocked all over social media, I was smiling as the host announced the winner. Back then, I was confident I would win. But in the end, it wasn’t me. The camera clearly caught my unsightly expression. Projected on the big screen, even though I reacted quickly and forced a stiff smile while clapping, I couldn’t avoid being called a sore loser. Hearing this, Lisa sighed again and continued, “I told you long ago that you two aren’t suitable. I told you to seize the time, use his resources and connections while you’re young, and climb higher. That’s what’s useful.” “You’re just love-brained. You won’t listen to anything. You’re pissing me off…” Because I had been drinking a lot these past few days, my brain felt sluggish. I don’t know if it was because of that, but I didn’t feel any pain in my heart. Julian and I got together in high school. In that elite school filled with the smell of money, it was hard for someone with grades but no background. But Julian held up the sky for me. That evening, he sat next to me, absentmindedly playing with my hair while I looked down and wrote. He suddenly leaned in, looking at me with burning eyes and a bright smile. “Hey, straight-A student, wanna date?” The bright, clear eyes of the teenager overlapped with the man who looked down at me with cold eyes in the garden years later. “Scarlett Brooks, don’t regret this.” The “don’t regret this” he referred to was when I accidentally heard him say behind a door that he and I had no future, and I cried and broke up with him. I used my ridiculous pride to maintain the so-called equal love between us. He often smiled and said I just needed to tell him what resources I wanted; I didn’t need to work so hard to fight for them. I liked to hug him, burying my face in his solid chest, poking him unhappily. “I don’t want that. I want to fight for it with my own efforts. That way, people won’t think I’m with you for impure motives.” Every time, he would helplessly pat my head. Now, I smiled, tears hitting the floor. To hell with love. … That night, I went to the “home” we used to share. I wore a black lace slip dress and sat calmly on the bed. Many decorations in the room were cute and colorful. A few plushies lay quietly on the sofa, just as they were when I left. Every inch here had traces of our love. There was surveillance in the living room, and my fingerprint hadn’t been deleted. He knew I would come back to find him. Just like he said to me back then, Scarlett Brooks, you will regret this. Yes, I regretted it. I regretted being so stupid back then, wanting some pure love. Before long, the sound of a car driving in came from downstairs. When I came back to my senses, the bedroom door had been opened. Julian stood at the door in a black haute couture suit, looking at me silently. My eyelashes trembled, and Lisa’s words echoed in my ears. “People in their circle will only marry someone of equal status in the end. Stop fantasizing about your so-called love. What is love? Can you eat it or spend it? He never thought about marrying you from the beginning. Silly girl, wake up.” I bit my lip, stepped on the floor barefoot, and walked towards him. I stopped in front of him. Reaching out to unbutton his suit jacket, he didn’t speak or stop me, just looked down at me. In the past, when we had a conflict, I would wait for him to come back, hug his waist and shake him. “Don’t be mad, don’t be mad.” He was a head taller than me. I stood on tiptoes and struggled to take off his jacket. Then I unbuttoned his shirt one by one. Inside revealed the firm chest muscles and abs of an adult male. I looked up at him, meeting eyes filled with desire. Then I lightly touched his bare chest with my lips. I wanted to reach out and undo his belt. The man’s breath hitched, and I felt weightless. He picked me up, placed me gently on the bed, and pressed down. He lowered his head and kissed my forehead, his voice hoarse. “Do you know you were wrong?” Hearing this, I lowered my eyes to hide the emotions, pursed my lips, and softly said “Mm.” I don’t know if my obedient appearance pleased him, but he grabbed my hand and placed it on the belt at his waist. Touching the cold metal, he nibbled my earlobe, his Adam’s apple rolling. “Undo it.” 2 When everything returned to calm, listening to the man’s even breathing beside me. I stared at the dark ceiling with open eyes, reached out to remove the man’s arm around me. Finally, I closed my eyes heavily. … The first project I got after my comeback was an S+ level historical drama. I sat in the RV, looking at the script in my hand. I thought: What was I being so high and mighty about before? Before, I was unwilling to please Julian, or rather, unwilling to please him for resources. Even when I first debuted and had no resources, running as an extra between various crews, I never thought of asking. I fantasized that if a drama exploded in the future and I leaped to become an A-list star, would his family change their opinion of me? I just forgot, wealthy families would only see me as an actress. No matter the status, just an actress. Really poor, fake high and mighty. The first snow in New York fell exceptionally early this year. I sat under the shed holding a hand warmer, reading the script. Suddenly, Lisa exclaimed, “Scarlett, look over there.” I looked over. Julian, wearing a black coat, was walking towards me step by step through the snow. Seeing him, I hid the coldness in my eyes, put on a surprised look, and then got up and ran over. He smiled and opened his arms to hug me full. I looked up and asked him softly, “Didn’t you say you’d be back tomorrow?” He brushed the snow off my head, then lowered his head to kiss the corner of my mouth. “A surprise for you.” I just smiled and said nothing. After a while, he said to me, “I’ll pick you up tonight to hang out.” Hearing this, I came out of his arms and said, “But I usually have to film until early morning, and with the recent snow scene, every crew is…” Before I could finish, he reached out and pinched my face. “I’ve already spoken to the director.” For a moment, my mouth was open, but I couldn’t say anything. Finally, I smiled and nodded. “I’ll listen to you.” In the evening, we went to a private room. The people inside were familiar faces. I had seen them in high school. They were Julian’s childhood friends. Before, I always wanted to gain their approval and tried my best to please them. Now, I sat quietly next to Julian. Too lazy to care about the various looks they exchanged. After a while, the protagonist of this gathering arrived. A woman walked in wearing a red trailing haute couture gown. It was Vanessa Cole. She was also the future mistress of the Thorne family in their mouths. She later went abroad for college. She just glanced at me lightly and sat next to Julian. A man teased her, “How come you got prettier after a trip abroad?” As soon as he said this, everyone started talking. Vanessa smiled and responded, “Oh, stop teasing me.” Then she turned her head and asked Julian coquettishly, “Is what they said true, Julian?” I looked down and drank my soda, not looking at Julian’s expression, only hearing a soft “Mm” at the end. After the dishes were served, I continued to eat with my head down. They talked about their childhood. I didn’t know them back then. Before, I would always feel sad because I couldn’t join the conversation and didn’t understand their tacit understanding. Not anymore. I don’t know who said, “Julian used to say Vanessa could only marry him back then.” Then, the private room fell dead silent. In the entertainment industry for so many years, I often emptied myself and deliberately didn’t listen to what I didn’t want to hear. Over time, it became a habit. When I felt the quiet atmosphere in the private room, I looked up in confusion. But I bumped into Julian’s dark eyes. Being with him for so many years, I could easily guess his emotions from his subtle expressions. He was unhappy right now. I didn’t know why he was unhappy. Then I heard Vanessa’s voice. “Oh, what nonsense are you talking about? Didn’t you see Julian’s girlfriend is still here?” I had a polite smile on my face, looked at Vanessa who had no apology on her face, felt nothing in my heart, mostly indifferent. I haven’t been Julian’s girlfriend for a long time. I’m a canary. A relationship between a canary and a sugar daddy that doesn’t require emotional investment. After returning to the villa that night, Julian drank some wine and smelled faintly of alcohol. This night, he was exceptionally rough, his upturned peach blossom eyes full of anger. I didn’t know what he was angry about. At first, I could still lift my waist to cater to him, but later it turned into crying and begging him to stop. 3 In the days that followed, I sent Julian a few WeChat messages, but he ignored me. I was too lazy to send more. I focused on filming. Due to the distance, I stayed in a hotel. One day, I was squatting on the ground making a snowman when Lisa ran over regardless of her image in a long down jacket, holding her phone. She handed it to me. The number one trending topic was: A Match Made in Heaven for the Wealthy. She clicked in, and the first thing visible was a picture of a woman holding a man’s arm. The background was magnificent; they must be attending some banquet. Vanessa’s beauty was bright and atmospheric. In the picture, she wore a gold dress, outlining her good figure, hair up, eyes gentle as water. Julian wore a black suit, tall and slender, with a seemingly nonexistent smile on his lips. I smiled and said, “They are indeed a good match.” I withdrew my gaze. If there wasn’t an extra me, it would probably be a beautiful story. However, whether there was an extra me or not, they would eventually be together. Just like in novels, the vicious female supporting character will always leave the stage, and the male and female leads will always end up together. Netizens are always particularly enthusiastic about wealthy families. Someone posted a very blurry photo, saying it was Julian and Vanessa. That day, I had just finished filming a night scene and got in the car. My agent held her phone all the way, frowning, staring at the phone as if trying to bore a hole in it. I leaned back slightly and closed my eyes. She suddenly reached out, pointed at the blurry photo on the phone, and asked me, “Is this you?” Hearing this, I opened my eyes leisurely and glanced at it casually. Seeing it clearly, I paused. This magnified, blurry picture should be under the light rail in Seattle. Back then, I went to Seattle to film, and he went there because of problems with cooperation abroad, staying for three months. Seattle was hot. The evening breeze by the river carried heat. I wore a loose tank top, blowing a small fan, and wanted to call him during the break. Afraid of disturbing his work, I took pictures of the river scenery for him and told him it was really beautiful and fun here. I sat on a small stool, looking down at the script, and drank a mouthful of ice-cold milk tea. Suddenly a shadow fell on the paper. I looked up in confusion. Julian, wearing a black T-shirt, looked down at me with a smile, the evening breeze blowing his slightly curly hair. Just then, the light rail whizzed by. I jumped up excitedly and hugged him. “You’re back.” “Didn’t you say it would take some time?” He held my waist with one hand, touched his forehead to mine, eyes smiling. “Isn’t this because someone said they wanted to use magic to bring me to your side?” “Magic appeared.” “Oh my.” My ears turned a bit red at his words, but not seeing him for so long, I really missed him. I bit my lip, unable to hide the joy in my eyes, signaling him to lower his head. He chuckled and obediently lowered his head. I smiled and asked him, “Did you miss me?” He smiled and nodded. “Mm.” Hearing this, my eyes curved into a smile, and I turned my head to kiss the corner of his lips. The picture froze here. It should be a netizen casually taking a picture of the light rail, and we standing under the light rail got into the frame. “Mm.” I responded and turned to look out the window. Outside, traffic flowed, neon lights rose, reflecting on the car window, overwhelming. From seventeen to twenty-six, I really thought we would make it to the end, get married, and have a child. But while I was thinking about our future, Julian had already thought it through and come up with the answer. Marrying me wasn’t worth it. 4 Julian and Vanessa were trending again today. The trending topic was: Thorne CEO drops 3 million just to make beauty smile. Just then, I had wrapped up filming and returned to the villa. I took a shower and lay in bed to sleep. When I woke up, it was completely dark outside. Julian had come back at some point and fallen asleep holding me. He slept lightly. I slowly turned over. Then, the arm around my waist tightened, his chest pressed against me, voice raspy. “Awake?” “Mm.” I responded softly, turned over, then opened my eyes with a smile, rubbing my head against his neck. “Julian, Director Zhang is filming a drama recently. I want to be the female lead.” His dark eyes stared at me, thoughts unknown. “Okay? Hmm?” I hugged his lean waist, looking at him expectantly with big eyes. Suddenly, he turned over and pinned me under him, looking at me with a half-smile. I thought for a moment, reached out to hook his neck, stared at his lips, and was about to kiss him. He got up abruptly, picked up the jacket beside him with a cold face, and walked out. I sat up in confusion, watching his sudden change, ran out of bed barefoot, and hugged him from behind. Muffled, I said, “What’s wrong? Why are you suddenly so angry?” Silence filled the huge room. My head rested on his back, a bit baffled. Did he get angry at Vanessa and come to vent on me? “Don’t you have anything to ask me?” “Huh?” He turned around and asked me an even more inexplicable question, staring at me intently. “Do you still love me?” “Mm, how could I not love you?” I lied without blinking, smiling to please my sugar daddy. But he didn’t seem very happy, just hugging me tightly, listening to the sound of his heart rising and falling. Then I heard him whisper, “Is that so?” I had a few days off. Julian didn’t give me a definite answer to what I asked last time. I sat on the sofa frowning, looking upstairs. Didn’t he say he would give me whatever resources I wanted except love? He wouldn’t even give me the female lead in a drama, let alone anything else. If he gets engaged to Vanessa in the future, I really won’t get anything. My eyes rolled. I suddenly remembered the picture my agent showed me last time. Whether that blurry figure was Vanessa or not, netizens didn’t know, but would those who knew Vanessa not know? “Sis, go do something for me.” I took out my phone and said with a smile to my agent opposite. I said, “Don’t worry, nothing will happen.” In this circle, I have seen many couples who were envied from the beginning. They never stingy about expressing love in front of the camera and in private, but in the end, they drifted apart in the fame and fortune field. This lesson of growing up, I think I’m going to graduate. When Mrs. Thorne blocked me in the dressing room, I had expected it. Compared to the panicked looks of my agent and the little assistant, I smiled and waved for them to go out. The exquisitely dressed wealthy lady looked me over coldly and let the bodyguards beside her go out. “Scarlett Brooks?” She called my name disdainfully and sat on the sofa. “Good tricks, even I was fooled.” I smiled. “Auntie, I don’t understand what you mean.” “Heh.” She sneered, throwing a picture on the table with a snap. “The woman in this is you, right? And you were the one who tried every means to let me see the photo, weren’t you?” Then, her index finger wearing an emerald ring tapped on the table. “Since you came to me, state your conditions.” Mrs. Thorne stared at me sharply. “Conditions for leaving my son.” I knew when to stop, opened my mouth slightly, and said softly, “I want resources that can make me an A-list superstar. All of them.” As soon as this was said, the dressing room fell silent for a time. She looked at me with a smile, her eyes cold. “Believe it or not, I can make Scarlett Brooks disappear from the entertainment industry tomorrow.” “I believe it, but Julian won’t. He likes me.” I hooked my red lips and smiled. “Auntie, we’ve been together since we were seventeen. No matter what, he won’t ignore me.” Hearing this, Mrs. Thorne’s face obviously darkened a bit. After a while, she said to me coldly, “I can promise you, but you must also do one thing for me.” I answered crisply, “Okay.” “You haven’t asked what I want you to do?” I tilted my head. “Doesn’t Madam want Julian and Vanessa to be together?” She was stunned for a moment hearing me speak without hesitation, then smiled and said, “Talking to smart people is easy.” She picked up her bag elegantly. “I’ll be waiting for Miss Brooks’ good news. After all, the plane for Fashion Week the day after tomorrow won’t wait.” I hooked the corners of my mouth. “Goodbye, Madam.” Compared to a woman who only wants love, a woman who wants money and benefits will make this wealthy lady more assured.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “390738”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel