My boyfriend was diagnosed with Dissociative Identity Disorder. When he “switched,” a new personality would take over and date other women. But every time he “woke up,” he’d be consumed with guilt, threatening self-harm or suicide because he felt so sorry for hurting me. My heart broke for his trauma, so I forgave him every time. I worked three jobs, saving every penny to afford the best psychiatrists for him. Until one day, I ran into him at a hotpot restaurant. From the private room next door, I heard his voice loud and clear, laughing. “I should go to Hollywood, honestly. Get myself an Oscar.” “My acting was too real. Hazel is such an idiot, she actually believes I have DID. Do you know how hard it is not to laugh in her face?” It turns out he wasn’t the sick one. I was. I was blind. It took me five years to realize I was loving a monster. 1 The hotpot place was packed on the weekend. I rubbed my aching back, just catching my breath when my manager, Sarah, told me we were short-staffed and needed help in the front. I agreed and pushed through the curtain. Immediately, I heard familiar male voices. “Caleb, does your girlfriend actually buy that crap?” “Bro, we saw it with our own eyes! Caleb just puts on that sad puppy face, maybe cuts his finger a little, and that woman loses her mind. She’d practically die for him!” “Dating his first love while keeping the girlfriend on the hook… we all need to take notes from Caleb.” I hid around the corner, unconsciously rubbing my wrinkled, water-logged hands. My heart plummeted. Amidst the laughter, I heard his voice. “I should go to Hollywood, honestly. Get myself an Oscar.” “My acting was too real. Hazel is such an idiot, she actually believes I have DID. Do you know how hard it is not to laugh in her face?” His tone was pure, unadulterated smugness. In front of me, he was always insecure, sensitive, and fragile. I never imagined he had this side. “You’re ruthless, man. Hazel really loves you.” “Oh, what do you know! If it wasn’t for her, Caleb and Luna wouldn’t have wasted so many years apart due to a misunderstanding. Now that the true queen is back, we gotta support our boy!” Caleb’s face was obscured by the steam from the pot. After a pause, I heard his low chuckle. “Whatever you say.” A customer nearby needed the bill. I led them to the counter. When I returned, there was a woman at their table. Big waves, off-the-shoulder sweater, fashionable and dazzling. I recognized her instantly. Caleb’s first love. Luna. She was standing in front of him, greeting everyone with a smile. When the guys called her “Sister-in-law,” Luna blushed and looked at the man beside her. Her tone was half-annoyed, half-shy: “Caleb, aren’t you going to correct them? They’re just calling me whatever they want.” Caleb smirked. “Their mouths are on their faces. I can’t control them.” Seeing Luna’s shyness, someone teased, “Caleb gave us the green light, so just accept it, sis!” “Yeah, Caleb even got a fake psych eval for you. If that’s not love, what is?” Under the cheers, the two locked eyes. Luna lifted her delicate face. “What about her? What are you going to do?” Caleb gently tied her hair back with a hair tie, raising an eyebrow. “You know where my heart is.” “Yes, she stayed by my side when my family fell apart, but that doesn’t mean anything. You can’t confuse gratitude with love.” “And I was selfish. We missed out on so many years because of her.” “So, I planned to break up with her on her birthday. Let her hit rock bottom and really feel what it’s like to lose everything.” “You’re so bad.” Luna laughed, playfully hitting his chest before leaning into his embrace. The atmosphere was thick with flirtation. And I stood in the middle of the bustling hall, staring at their backs, feeling cold to my bones. 2 “But I can’t wait. I came to find you the moment I got back to the States. You want me to wait until her birthday?” “I don’t care. Call her and dump her right now.” Caleb laughed, pinching the cheek of the whining woman, utterly doting. “I know you’re anxious, but what if she keeps clinging to me? I need to make her give up completely. Only then can I properly visit your parents.” Luna pushed his hand away, suspicious. “What if she keeps clinging? You won’t go soft, will you?” “After all, she suffered with you. Don’t they say men never forget the woman who was there at rock bottom?” Caleb tapped her forehead lightly. “Silly. Has anyone ever told you that most men don’t want their beloved to see them at their most pathetic?” “Really?” “Of course. I worked hard to build my career just so I could get your family’s approval when you came back.” “I heard you say the food abroad sucked, so I picked this hotpot place specially. You love spicy food, right? I can’t bear to see you hungry. Here, eat first. I’ll agree to anything you want later.” Caleb thoughtfully served food onto Luna’s plate. A guy at the table dropped his chopsticks and yelled, “Waiter! Need new chopsticks!” Everyone else was busy, so Sarah shouted my name. “Hazel! Go handle Table 10!” The guy’s face changed when he saw me. He winked frantically at the person across from him. When I walked over with the chopsticks, everyone froze. Caleb reacted first. He looked at me with confusion. “Why are you staring at me? Do we know each other?” Old trick. Every time he “switched,” he pretended not to know me. I tried to stay calm, but my eyes grew hot. “I heard everything.” “Is it fun, pretending to be sick to trick me?” The man in front of me darkened, pursing his lips into silence. Luna, on the other hand, looked me up and down and sneered. “Five years, and you haven’t improved at all. He even made up such a ridiculous lie to fool you, and you were stupid enough to believe it.” I glanced at my uniform, stained with water from washing dishes. My throat burned. “What right do you have to judge me? I made money to treat his illness. You were the one who abandoned him back then.” Hearing this, Caleb pulled a pale Luna behind him. He narrowed his eyes at me. “Get this straight, Hazel. I never asked you to be nice to me. You did all that because you wanted to.” “Do you really think my breakup with Luna had nothing to do with you?” “You thought you were protecting me, but you made me lose what mattered most. You forced Luna away.” “You stole five years from us.” I stood frozen, the chopsticks slipping from my hand and clattering to the floor. Caleb avoided my gaze, his tone flat. “I’ll pay you back for everything you spent. As for your birthday, I’ll still…” I cut him off. “Do it early.” Caleb paused, looking confused. “Do what early?” “I know what you planned for my birthday. Break up early. Today.” Caleb stared at me for a long time, then chuckled. “You said it. Don’t regret it tomorrow.” There was a hint of anger in his voice. I blinked away the tears to see his face clearly. “Yeah. That’s it.” I turned around, briefly explained the situation to Sarah, and fled the scene. I didn’t notice the gaze glued to my back as I left. 3 Actually, I should have noticed sooner. His premeditated departure was evident everywhere. While packing, I found a pile of empty picture frames in the closet. Some were dusty, some moldy. After five years together, Caleb and I didn’t have a single photo together. I was a photographer. Cameras were everywhere. But he never gave me the chance. “I hate photos. I’m just not photogenic.” “Babe, I want our first photo to be our wedding photo.” He had so many excuses. Back then, overwhelmed by love, I never questioned the truth behind them. Not worth it. Not necessary. I remembered our graduation photo from years ago. Caleb blushing, squeezing next to Luna. Love and indifference are so obvious. Suffocation clawed at my chest. I stumbled to the living room, grabbed a bottle of pills from the coffee table, and swallowed a fluoxetine with trembling hands. I slid down to the carpet. Soon, the side effects hit. I rushed to the bathroom and vomited until I was weak. Standing up, I looked in the mirror. Pale, haggard, tear-stained. No different from years ago. I was born into an unhappy family. Parents divorced early, dad left for work, and I lived with my aunt and uncle. Living under someone else’s roof, I survived by reading people’s moods. But I remembered my grandma’s words: education changes fate. So I endured until high school. I consistently ranked in the top ten, but secretly, I envied one person. Luna, from Class 8. She taught me how different destinies could be. Beautiful, rich, with tutors for every subject. It seemed she could have anything she wanted with a wave of her hand. Two people from different worlds. But in our senior year, we intersected. Because of Caleb. I first met him in a secluded corner of our complex’s garden. A thin boy sitting under a flower bed, covered in bruises, face swollen. Yet he smiled and said: “This is my turf. You gotta pay the toll to stay.” I searched my pockets and found a pack of band-aids. He looked up at me, eyes black as ink. After a long pause, he took them. After that, whenever I ran away to hide there, I’d find Caleb. I learned he was like me. Maybe even worse. Alcoholic dad, gambling mom. Full debuff build. “We’re really brothers in misery.” I froze, then held his bony hand. The warmth stayed with me. I thought we were just similar souls. I never thought he’d save me. One weekend, my uncle picked me up. As soon as we got out of the car, he dragged me into the woods. When he yanked my pants down, I screamed. Caleb appeared out of nowhere, tackling my uncle and beating him bloody. After returning from the police station, he got beaten by his dad and ended up in the hospital. After that, we bonded. He told me to protect myself, at least until graduation. But four months before the entrance exams, something happened to him. The teacher thought he and Luna were dating and called the parents. It blew up. Luna was taken home by her family and never came back. That night, police and ambulances swarmed our complex. Caleb’s mom was carried out covered in blood. His dad was arrested. When I found him the next day, he was lying in bed next to an empty pill bottle. After he survived, I hugged him and cried. “If you want, I’ll be your family from now on.” He agreed. As my boyfriend. I thought two broken hearts could heal each other. But now I realize: during all those years I looked forward to our future, he was counting down the days until he could leave me. 4 But Luna was wrong about one thing. I didn’t believe Caleb’s lies because I was stupid. I believed him because I was sick too. So I could empathize with the mental torture. It wasn’t strange for someone like Caleb, with his traumatic childhood, to develop mental illness after witnessing his parents destroy each other. The first time he “switched,” his acting wasn’t even good. Thinking back, the woman I saw him meeting looked a lot like Luna. Probably her sister. When he came back, he rushed into the shower like he’d just woken up from a nightmare. He stayed in there forever. When I went in, his wrists were covered in scratches. He knelt on the floor, face full of panic and pain. “Hazel, am I sick? I don’t know why I met that woman.” “I don’t like anyone else. Don’t be mad, don’t leave me, okay?” The tears in his eyes and the red water at his feet blurred my vision. My crumbling spirit rebuilt itself into pity. So later, when he used other women as a cover, I forgave him every time. He was actually meeting Luna’s sister most of the time. Keeping in touch. Only I was the fool. I believed the fake diagnosis. I read books on DID, researched pathology, worked three jobs to save for his treatment. I wanted him to get better. But now I realize the boy who once stood in front of me has rotted to the core. I washed my face with cold water. The daze faded. Strength returned to my limbs. When the movers arrived, I had packed everything and left it in the hallway. Only his laptop remained in the study. When I moved it, I knocked over the desk calendar. A photo fell out. A yellowed graduation photo, cropped to show only Caleb and Luna smiling. My scalp tingled. The dull ache in my chest slowed. Steadying my trembling hands, I put the photo back. I turned and left the place I once called “home.” In my daze, my mind was sharp. I remembered the doctor’s words: Humans are social animals. Especially me. You have to save yourself. So I decided to move into my friend’s apartment. Reconnecting with people, I forced myself to forget the mess. When my friend Lily heard about the breakup, she encouraged me: “Unlucky in love, lucky in money. Hazel, I believe in you.” While helping me move, she saw my portfolio. That night, she invited me to join her company. “I wanted to ask before, but I thought you were too busy. Are you sure you don’t need a break?” I smiled. “I’m sure. Say the word, I’ll be there tomorrow.” Only by staying busy, by exhausting my body, could I stop the depression from drowning me at night. Looking back, I am incredibly grateful for that decision.

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The SAT results are out. I scored 1580, and both Harvard and Yale are knocking on my door. At the same time, the doctor’s report arrived. They say I have Dissociative Identity Disorder. But I know I don’t. There’s just another person living inside my body. Someone who protects me. She has my face. She says we are “The Two Me’s.” 1 That day at school, I got beaten up again. The bullies pinned me down next to a filthy, overflowing toilet stall. They screamed at me to take a good look inside, saying the filth was just as disgusting as I was. They tried to shove my head in. That’s when She arrived. Violently, ruthlessly, she kicked them away. Then she grabbed the ringleader by the hair and shoved her head into the toilet bowl. We were called to the principal’s office. The girls were sobbing. I stood there, lips pressed tight, silent. When my mom arrived, her face was dark as a thundercloud. I looked at her, and before I could speak, she slapped me. Slap! Before I could even react, She raised my hand and slapped my mother back. Her lips curled into a cold sneer. Everyone froze. Including my mother, who stared at me like she was seeing a ghost. Yes, she’s here. She’s in my body, wearing my face. 2 My mom went crazy. She started screaming hysterically, calling me an ungrateful wolf, an animal, a money-loser, a whore who only knows how to seduce men. In front of everyone, she poured all her resentment for the world onto me, as if I weren’t her daughter, but her worst enemy. Everyone around us was laughing, especially the girls who bullied me. Usually, I would lower my head, quietly and cowardly enduring it all. Then I’d find a deserted place, take a blade, and cut my arm over and over. Or stand on the highest ledge of the roof, swaying in the wind. But right now, it wasn’t me. It was Her. For every curse my mother spat, She replied with a smile. My mother called me an animal. She said: “Animals are born from animals.” My mother called me a waste of money. She said: “You’re a waste of money too. Takes one to know one.” My mother called me a whore. She said: “At least I’m not someone’s dirty little mistress.” Her words were toxic and sharp. My mother lunged to scratch her, but She pinned her to the floor. My mother’s face hit the tiles. She wailed and screamed. Finally, security pulled me off. No, not me. Her. The Dean’s face was black. She had seen my mother humiliate me many times without batting an eye, but now she looked terrifying. She told me I would be suspended. I didn’t look at her. Wait, She didn’t look at her. Instead, She gave a chilling sneer. The Dean shut up immediately. There was fear in her eyes. She pulled my mother aside. I vaguely heard her asking my mom if I had mental issues and suggesting I see a doctor. 3 When we walked out of the school, the sky was so blue. My mom walked beside me, face grim, silent the whole way. This was rare. Usually, she would curse me all the way home, using the filthiest words. Passersby would stare. And she would curse louder, like she was performing for an audience. My mom didn’t take me to a mental hospital. I’m a “money-loser.” She wouldn’t spend another dime on me. The next day, I went to school as usual. The moment I walked into the classroom, everyone went dead silent. Their eyes were full of curiosity, disgust, and rejection. After all, I was the “psycho who hits people.” I was used to it. In elementary school, I had a best friend. But my mom came. She dragged me by my hair and slapped me in front of everyone. Face twisted, she glared at me. She called me a slut and said my friends were little sluts too. Since then, I had no friends. All the girls stayed away from me, looking at me with fear. Later. As I grew up. They weren’t afraid anymore. They joined the boys in calling me a bitch, a dog, a slut. They spread rumors that I slept around. I couldn’t refute them. After all, those words came from my own mother’s mouth. I could only lower my head, trying to bury myself in the dust over and over again. I thought about dying, but I was afraid. They say suicides go to hell to suffer eternal pain. I didn’t want to go to hell. I wanted to go to heaven. My grandma must be waiting for me there. My body was snatched by Her again. The chair scraped back. She leaned back, crossing her legs, shaking her foot. With a cigarette, she would have looked like a mafia boss ready to cut someone. Her gaze swept over the girls from yesterday. Sharp. Piercing. And they actually dodged her eyes. I was stunned. Usually, if I accidentally made eye contact, they would curse me out, hit me, or tear up my books and stomp on them. But now, they avoided me. They looked scared. Scared I’d walk over and beat them up. 4 The world felt upside down. Because of yesterday, for the first time, no one bothered me during the ten-minute break. I kept my head down, doing homework. Suddenly, a hand slammed onto my desk. SMACK. It was jarring. I knew it. Peace never lasts. The moment I looked up, control was snatched away again. It was the class bully, Brad. Behind him stood the girl She had dunked in the toilet yesterday. They were glaring at me. “You got guts, huh? Daring to hit Jessica?” He raised his hand. He was going to grab my hair and slam my head into the desk. He had done it before. But this time, he wasn’t facing me. He was facing Her. Before Brad could touch me, She raised my hand. The pencil sharpener blade stabbed straight into his palm. “AHHH!” Brad screamed like a pig being slaughtered. Blood gushed out, the metallic smell filling the air. She leaned back, frowning slightly. I knew she didn’t like it. I don’t like blood either, but I often make myself bloody. The Dean and the homeroom teacher arrived. Seeing me, their faces sank. Brows furrowed in undisguised disgust. She just sat there, legs crossed, nonchalant. The teacher asked what happened. Brad pointed at me, screaming that I stabbed him, that I tried to kill him. She just sat there smiling at them. A mocking smile, like watching monkeys at a zoo. My mom was called again. Before she even entered, I heard her vicious cursing. All directed at me. Saying she had eight lifetimes of bad luck to give birth to a trouble magnet like me. The teacher glanced at me. Eyes full of loathing, as if I were a virus, a cancer. My mom finally came in. Without a word, she raised her hand to hit me. She lifted her chin, smiling provocatively. In that instant, my mom’s hand froze. She must have remembered yesterday. Her expression went from cold to fearful. The hand that never hesitated to strike my face dropped to her side for the first time. 5 Brad’s parents arrived, aggressively pointing at my mom’s nose and cursing. My mom, who was just a fierce tiger a moment ago, shrank into a kitten, not daring to make a sound. She leaned against the wall, legs crossed, watching and laughing. Like watching a good show where everyone is a clown. She even laughed out loud. “You have the face to laugh?” “Get over here! Kneel and apologize to them!” My mom finally found a target to vent on. She rushed over to drag me, trying to force me to kneel like a dog, just like before, begging the bullies not to pursue it. But this time, my mom wasn’t facing me. Before her hand could touch me, She lifted my leg and kicked her flying. THUD. Everyone’s eyes popped out. The silence was deafening. My mom lay on the floor like a dog. After a second of shock, she started wailing about giving birth to a beast that hits its own mother. She just sneered. Her cold eyes swept over everyone, and then she walked out. Just walked out. And no one stopped her. The teacher, who was blocking the door, actually stepped aside. I realized for the first time that adults could be so cowardly. I don’t know how it was handled. When the bell rang, She went back to sit in class as if nothing happened. The shocked and disgusted stares felt like knives, but she didn’t care at all. I don’t know how she did it, but it worked. During the break, no one dared to touch me. When the teacher came to class, she avoided my eyes. Disgust mixed with fear. In the afternoon, Brad came back with a bandaged hand. He didn’t come to trouble me. I heard them whispering that I was a psycho. “Killing isn’t illegal if you’re mentally ill.” That’s what the class monitor said. Their eyes became even more fearful. I felt like I discovered a new continent. Adults and kids alike are terrified of crazy people. Especially crazy people who fight back. One look could make them tremble.

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I am the company ghost. Zero presence. My name at the office is literally “That Girl.” Everyone can order me around. I have no complaints, no attitude. Even the new interns dump their coffee runs on me. But despite this, I’ve never thought about quitting. Because in my forgotten corner of the corporate machine, I spend my days slacking off and running my side hustles, quietly stacking cash until my bank account is thick. I thought I would stay invisible forever, until a promotion dropped from the sky… The company went public, and the CEO wanted to give pre-IPO shares to the founding members. A quick headcount revealed me, the invisible veteran. The CEO finally noticed me, this lowly employee who had been there since day one. He was instantly moved by my “unwavering loyalty.” On the spot, he decided to give me the position that all the executives were fighting tooth and nail for: Chief Operating Officer. 1 When I was a kid playing “store,” I was always the boss, and the other kids were the customers. I’d price a piece of candy at one dollar. After the customers haggled, I’d end up paying them a dollar to take the candy. After years of this, I never made a single cent. My parents shook their heads, confirming I had zero business talent. Because I was so dense, my parents worried I’d get eaten alive in the real world. So, they passed down their corporate survival wisdom. My mom’s survival guide was five words: Lay Low, Play Dumb, Slack Off. She said if I mastered these, I’d be a qualified corporate slicker and survive anywhere. My dad, however, scoffed at this. They argued constantly. His philosophy was the opposite: Hustle hard, be loud, read the room, sweet talk everyone. Only by doing these four things could one get promoted, get a raise, and reach the pinnacle of life. My mom told me not to listen to him, or I’d burn out and get replaced by a nepotism hire. My dad told me not to listen to her, or I’d be stuck in entry-level hell forever. My mom argued that putting all your eggs in one basket was stupid. If the company folded, you’d be screwed. So, you need a side hustle. My dad called that heresy. If everyone slacked off, the company would fold. But if everyone hustled like him, the company would grow, benefits would improve, and everyone would win. I was caught in the middle. Sometimes Mom made sense, sometimes Dad did. The key was, they both proved their points with their lives. My mom stayed entry-level until retirement, but her embroidery side hustle sold pieces internationally for thousands. My dad hustled his way from clerk to VP, taking a local company to the Fortune 500. After graduating, I synthesized their wisdom into my own version. I adopted my mom’s “lay low, play dumb, slack off.” And I added my dad’s “read the room.” Combining these, I successfully became the most marginalized ghost in the company. 2 Personally, I was very satisfied. Twelve years in the company, zero presence. “That Girl” was my name. Anyone could order me around. Hard work, no complaints. Even interns learned to dump their grunt work on me. Despite this, I never thought about quitting. Because in my forgotten corner, I spent my days writing novels, quietly getting rich. I thought I’d be invisible forever, until the promotion dropped from the sky. The company went public. The CEO, Mr. Sterling, wanted to reward the founding employees with stock options. A headcount revealed me. Mr. Sterling finally noticed me, the veteran entry-level employee. He was moved by my spirit of “never abandoning the ship.” He decided on the spot to give me the COO position that everyone was killing each other for. At the executive meeting, Mr. Sterling announced the news. Everyone’s eyes shot daggers at me. Me, dragged in cluelessly: “…” Is the boss crazy? Me? COO? Chief Operating Officer? My direct superior, one of the founding members and Marketing Manager David Summer, was the first to object: “Her? Boss, you’re joking. She’s a little clerk in Marketing. What qualifies her to be COO?” I looked at Mr. Sterling and nodded in agreement: “Yes, I’m just a tiny analyst. I haven’t even gotten any certifications since I joined. I’m still entry-level. I’m really not qualified.” COO sounds busy. With that energy, I could write more novels and sell more rights. Isn’t that better? One of the top contenders, the high-achieving Operations Manager Wayne Hart, also objected: “The COO role should be about ability and strength, not just seniority. Tenure shouldn’t push out capable people.” I continued to nod at Mr. Sterling: “Yes, I have no strength or ability. I just stayed because it was easy to slack off. Leave the opportunity to capable people.” If I become COO, I won’t have time to slack off. What about my readers waiting for updates? I’m not that irresponsible. The founding faction stood up: “If the standard for choosing a COO is this casual, we can’t have any expectations for the company’s future.” I just agreed: “Yes, yes, it can’t be this casual.” The new generation faction stood up: “We won’t accept her. If someone like her can be COO, so can we.” I sincerely agreed: “Yes, yes. If I can be COO, everyone can.” Everyone couldn’t take it anymore and roared at me: “Can you shut up?” My cooperation did not earn me respect. Maybe I should just resign! But finding a job with a $1200 base salary, full benefits, weekends off, and no overtime where I can slack off is hard. As if seeing the thought of resignation on my face, Mr. Sterling, who had been silent, spoke up. He stood up and declared against all objections that although I seemed like a small clerk, I was actually stronger than everyone present. Me: … I accepted everyone’s gaze again. Everyone was surprisingly in sync, their faces saying two words: Her? 3 I had to suspect Mr. Sterling was using me as a target. Did he want me dead? What grudge, what grievance? Why target me? Did my twelve years of slacking off upset him? Or was he using the “praise to kill” method? Wanting me to quit voluntarily so he wouldn’t have to give me stocks? I couldn’t help but spiral into conspiracy theories. Otherwise, it made no sense… Before the Old Guard and the New Blood could voice their doubts again, Mr. Sterling hardened his face and said deeply, “Since none of you accept my decision, for the sake of fairness, I will give you a chance to compete fairly.” Now the factions were quiet. It was my turn to speak for myself. But just as I opened my mouth to say “I,” hands covered my mouth from behind. I turned in shock and saw Chloe, my former lunch buddy and current CFO: “Don’t be scared. Compete with them. Let the boss finish.” Me: “???” On my other side, Hank, my former chat buddy and current CTO, put his hand on my shoulder: “Exactly. With us here, your wealth is coming.” Me: “!!!” What are these two talking about? Seeing my confusion, Chloe whispered in my left ear: “Actually, the boss has been struggling with who to promote to COO.” I looked left at Chloe, asking with my eyes: Boss struggles, what’s it to me? Hank whispered in my right ear: “So when the boss asked for our opinion, Chloe and I strongly recommended you.” I whipped my head right to look at Hank in shock. I couldn’t believe it: “Are you crazy? I’m lazy, greedy, and useless. You dared to recommend me?” Chloe on the left snorted: “Someone who can write 6,000 words of high-quality content daily while working? You call that lazy?” Hank on the right scoffed: “Someone who gets a certification for every profession she writes about? You call that useless?” Me in the middle was going crazy. Just as I was about to explode, David Summer and Wayne Hart stood up and said in unison: “Fine, no problem. We accept this challenge.” Then, they both looked at me, eyes blazing with battlelust. Me: !!! They clearly saw me as an imaginary enemy. I was so busy chatting I didn’t hear what the challenge was. I didn’t plan to get involved in this promotion war. I was about to state my position when I saw Mr. Sterling wink at me. I didn’t understand the hint. While I was dazed, Mr. Sterling announced the meeting over and left at light speed, giving me no chance to decline. Once the boss left, David and Wayne walked up to me. David looked at Chloe and Hank standing beside me, smiling a smile that didn’t reach his eyes: “You three were close back then. I didn’t expect you to still be so close after all these years.” Wayne was more direct. He lifted his chin and said unpleasantly: “If you don’t want to end up embarrassed, you’d better withdraw from the Zenith Project competition now. Don’t smear the company’s image.” After speaking their piece, they left without waiting for a reply. Now, only Chloe, Hank, and I were left in the huge conference room. I couldn’t maintain my calm facade anymore. I clutched my head and screamed at them: “What the hell did you two do behind my back?” 4 I used to think “Don’t forget me when you’re rich” was a blessing. After hearing what Chloe and Hank did, I realized it can also mean “biting the hand that feeds you.” It started four months ago. The company got approval to go public. Before the IPO, the boss wanted to optimize departments and positions. Chloe and Hank, the workaholics, were the undeniable heads of their departments. They had been with the boss since the startup days, surviving bankruptcy crises. With that loyalty, Chloe became CFO and Hank became CTO. But the COO position remained open. Heads of Sales, Marketing, Product, Operations, and even HR were eyeing it. The undercurrents were fierce. But that had nothing to do with me, a lowly Marketing Analyst. I finished my work and slacked off in my blind-spot cubicle, writing my novel. The thrill of potentially getting caught cured my procrastination. I wrote faster at work than at home. But two months ago, my workload exploded. Even people from other departments started dumping work on me. If they didn’t bring me snacks or gifts afterwards, I would have thought it was bullying. But it wasn’t far off. I was a corporate ghost. How transparent? Department meetings? Not invited. Group meetings? Forgotten. Task assignments? Skipped. Even team building events forgot me. I never dressed up. Black, white, gray. No makeup, messy hair, big glasses. I looked more like an intern than the interns. Newbies often ordered me around, then avoided me in embarrassment when they realized I was a senior employee. Colleagues came and went, promoted or quit. Those who joined with me were at least Vice Managers now. They had zero interaction with me. The newbies didn’t know me, and I didn’t want to know them. I just wanted to slack off. That good life ended two months ago. Suddenly I was swamped. No time to write at work. To keep my daily updates, I had to write until dawn at home. This wasn’t a human life. I had to increase my efficiency at work to free up time to write. Result? Heh… In a company, if you’re willing to work, there’s endless work. As soon as I finished one task, another snowballed in. And they rushed me. Like they needed it yesterday. So I had to rush too. Baffling. I wanted to quit so many times. Chloe, Hank, and I have a group chat. Every time I wailed about quitting, they told me to endure it. They said my increased workload was because the department heads were fighting for COO and messing with each other. Once the COO was picked, my life would return to normal. I believed their lies. Turns out, the root cause was these two recommending me to the boss. The busy boss remembered me, the first employee he ever interviewed. He was moved by my “selfless dedication.” Pure hallucination on his part. Moved, and backed by Chloe and Hank’s guarantees, he added me to the COO candidate list. The busy two months were his test of my abilities. And today, getting called into the meeting meant he was satisfied with the results. Chloe and Hank finished explaining, eyes shining, faces saying “Praise me.” I almost had a heart attack. Praise? I want to run away. I’m not a workaholic. COO sounds responsible and busy. I saw my dad’s busyness growing up. Traveling 365 days a year. He said the higher the position, the greater the responsibility. My mom was the opposite. A slacker expert. Clocked out on the dot. Came home to embroider and play with me. Some people love the corporate grind. Some love stability. Influenced by both, I wanted a stable job and the joy of writing. The balance was perfect. Now it was broken. If I become COO, my happiness is gone. Only endless work remains. But can I blame Chloe and Hank for their good intentions? No. I can’t be ungrateful. I can only blame myself. When I started writing, I lacked real-life romance experience. So I looked at Chloe, who had a crush, and Hank, who had a “white moonlight.” I became their strategist. I helped Chloe chase her crush and Hank chase his girl. I shipped them so hard I had an epiphany and wrote my first hit sweet romance novel. Sold the rights, made bank. Years later, they both married their loves and lived happily. But seeing me still single and in the same position, they felt bad. The trio promised happiness. They couldn’t leave me behind. Their definition of happiness was promotion, wealth, and family. I only had wealth. They figured getting me a boyfriend was harder than getting me promoted to COO. Choice made. Besides, I had the ability.

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My husband, who I kept secret from the world, suddenly developed a split personality. His eighteen-year-old self raged at me: “I have a girlfriend! I’m going to find her!” He didn’t know that his precious high school sweetheart had cheated on him. I played along, coaxing his teenage self into signing the divorce papers. But then, his twenty-eight-year-old self resurfaced, cold and ruthless: “He signed it, not me. It doesn’t count.” Later, I found a note he left for his younger self. “Rule 1: Win my wife back.” “Rule 2: If you can’t win her back, get lost.” 1 On our first wedding anniversary, Caleb Vance didn’t go to the office. Instead, he personally cooked a table full of dishes. I ignored him, opened the door, and grabbed my Uber Eats order. Steam rose from the home-cooked meal, fogging up Caleb’s glasses. “Lily, do we have to do this?” “Are we expecting guests?” I put my takeout on the table and sat down, expressionless. Caleb took off his glasses with one hand. “Today is our anniversary. Don’t be like this.” He walked over and hugged me from behind. “I admit I was wrong back then, but it’s been three years. What are you still unhappy about?” He was more mature and tempered than when we first met. But I couldn’t stand how easily he tried to brush over the past. I stepped on his sore spot. “I think you’re too old.” Caleb didn’t speak. He tilted my chin up with one hand and held the back of my head with the other, kissing me fiercely, almost cruelly. I bit his lip. The taste of rust spread in my mouth. He frowned in pain. “It’s only five years,” he murmured against my lips, loosening his grip. I insisted on provoking him. “When you were in college, I was still in middle school.” Caleb couldn’t take it anymore. He picked me up and walked towards the bedroom. “I like you more than college.” 2 I woke up in the middle of the night. The sheets beside me were still warm, but he was gone. I grabbed a t-shirt, threw it on, and went to the kitchen for water. Caleb was eating with his back to me, his movements urgent. I leaned against the wall. “Hungry already? Need to recharge?” He spun around, looking like he’d seen a ghost, then whipped back around, howling. “You! Why are you awake?!” “Put some clothes on! You wicked woman!” What is wrong with him? I ignored his tantrum and went back to the bedroom. Just as I was drifting off, Caleb poked my cheek repeatedly. I slapped his hand away. “What?” “How much money do you want?” He looked around nervously, whispering, “Let me go, and I won’t call the police.” “If you’re sick, go to the hospital. I don’t have time for your drama.” I yelled, burying myself under the covers, turning my back to him. Caleb pulled me back over. “This is false imprisonment!” Since when does this law-breaking CEO care about the law? He continued, “Call my grandfather. He’ll give you money.” Caleb’s grandfather died two years ago. He respected his grandfather the most and hated when anyone mentioned him. I finally sat up and looked at him properly. His usually calm eyes were now full of boundless energy and curiosity. And a hint of pure stupidity. He smirked, a cocky, boyish grin. “I know I’m handsome, but I have a girlfriend.” I vaguely remembered Caleb dating someone in his teens. She cheated on him, and I mocked him about it for ages. I asked tentatively, “How old are you?” He said, “Eighteen.” What a coincidence. Exactly five years younger than me. 3 “You have amnesia. You’re twenty-eight.” “Back then, your dad didn’t approve of your girlfriend and broke you up. You stayed faithful to her, but later, family pressure forced you into a fake marriage with me. We have no feelings for each other.” I pulled out our marriage certificate. Neither of us was smiling in the photo. Teenage Caleb was stunned. “Without a girlfriend… does that mean I’m a billionaire CEO now?” I answered honestly, “You gave up your inheritance. Your dad’s illegitimate son is running the company.” His eyes widened. “Am I crazy?” I thought so too. Years ago, he was in the inner circle but suddenly gave it all up to start from scratch. But he was capable. In just one year, he made a name for himself. Caleb stared at the ceiling until dawn, finally accepting reality. He said, “I’m going to find my girlfriend. We’re going to get back together.” That was perfect. I dug under the mattress and pulled out the divorce papers I’d been hiding. “Sign this.” Caleb stared at the papers, then looked straight at me. My heart pounded. Suddenly, he shook his head violently. “No way! You’re the only person I know right now. If we have no feelings and I sign this, you’ll just dump me on the street. Who will I cry to then?” Although that was my plan. “How about this,” I negotiated. “I’ll take you to your ex-girlfriend. Once I return you to her, we can part ways amicably.” Caleb rubbed his chin, thought for a moment, and nodded. 4 Despite not sleeping all night, Caleb was full of energy. He stood by the closet, picking through clothes with disdain. “Why are they all suits? So old-fashioned.” He found a tracksuit from god knows where and changed into it. I switched tabs on my screen and looked at him. He was usually cold. Now, his eyes were smiling, round and bright, showing white teeth. He ran a hand through his messy black hair—wild, arrogant, undeniably boyish. “What are you doing?” He walked over, grabbed sunglasses from my desk, and put them on. “Cool, right?” Childish. I ignored him, but he squeezed in to look at my screen. A girl had just messaged me. [Master, I miss my ex so much. I can’t live without him.] I didn’t hide it from Caleb. I typed: [He will ruin your financial fortune.] A second later, she replied: [Thanks, Master. I’m suddenly over him :)] Caleb’s expression went from curious to speechless. “Master?” I raised an eyebrow. “You wanted to know what I do? I solve emotional problems.” “Is that your job?” I nodded. He leaned against the desk, looking down at me with a hint of rebellion. “So you’re unemployed? How did I end up with someone like you?” It was all his fault anyway. I rolled my eyes internally and packed up. “Stop dawdling. Let’s go find your ex.” 5 I confirmed the address and knocked. The door opened. A little girl leaned out, saw Caleb, and screamed in delight: “Daddy! You’re back!” She ran out and hugged Caleb’s leg. “Huh?” Caleb’s eyes popped out. He pointed at himself. “Me?” I stepped back, frowning. “You have a secret daughter?” Caleb waved his hands frantically. “No, no, I don’t! We must have the wrong house.” He squatted down, trying to be patient. “Kid, I’m not your…” A beautiful woman’s voice came from inside: “Caleb?” Caleb looked up, his voice trembling with fear. “Sophie?” Sophie, wearing loungewear, leaned against the doorframe and glanced at me. “Caleb, why did you bring her?” Before Caleb could speak, she covered her mouth, sniffled, and squeezed out a few tears. “You’re finally going to tell her clearly and give me and Sweetie a title, right?” She threw herself at him, hugging him tight. The three of them embraced, leaving me standing there like an outsider. Caleb pointed at the girl, disbelief filling his eyes. “She… is ours?” Sophie glared at him with resentment and pain. “I hid away and followed you for ten years, and now you doubt me?” The little girl blinked, looking between them, pouting. “Daddy, yesterday you promised to take me to Disneyland. Did Sweetie do something wrong?” It was obvious what was happening. I glared at Caleb, my eyes tearing up. “Caleb Vance! Cheating on me wasn’t enough? You have a child?!” “Working late? Busy at the company? All lies!” My scolding made Caleb turn red, his voice weak. “Wait… I shouldn’t be that much of a scumbag, right?” “Is there some misunderstanding?” I cut him off, throwing the divorce papers and a pen at him. “The facts are right here. Stop talking and sign.” 6 Teenage Caleb hadn’t learned to hide his emotions. He looked devastated. He looked at me pitifully, as if blaming me for dumping him so quickly. I touched my nose, avoiding eye contact. He picked up the pen with grief. Sophie and I watched him intently. Just as the pen tip touched the paper. Caleb suddenly looked up. He stared at Sophie’s eyes, then at Sweetie’s face. He stared for a long time, then jumped up, ran to me, and pointed at his own eyes. “Single eyelids are a recessive trait! I have single eyelids, Sophie has single eyelids. How could we produce a double-lidded kid?! That child is absolutely not mine!” Caleb patted his chest, letting out a huge sigh of relief, then lifted his chin proudly. “Ha! I knew I wasn’t that trashy.” My heart skipped a beat. I locked eyes with Sophie. Neither of us spoke. Caleb kept rambling in my ear: “See? There must be a misunderstanding. Don’t be so quick to divorce me.” He tried to take my hand, but I dodged. Sophie gave Caleb a strange look, then turned to the child. “Sweetie, go to your room, okay? Mommy and Daddy need to talk.” Sweetie nodded obediently. Sophie smiled until the door closed, then her face changed instantly. She walked over and slapped Caleb hard. Slap! The red mark bloomed on his face. He was stunned. I was stunned. Sophie’s voice dropped, vicious and raw: “Caleb Vance, what is the meaning of this? We agreed! That mistress would have the baby, take the money, and leave! I would be Sweetie’s mother!” “Are you in contact with that woman again? How could you do this to me? I already treat Sweetie like my own daughter. Are you trying to take her away from me?” She choked up, leaning against the wall, hugging her knees and sobbing. Caleb’s smile froze. He stood there like a statue, brain short-circuiting. After a long time, he turned his stiff neck to look at me, voice hoarse like a kicked puppy. “Is that true?” I lowered my eyes and didn’t answer. Silence was taken as confirmation. Caleb’s posture collapsed. He closed his eyes and laughed bitterly. “So I turn into such a terrible person.” A child who can’t accept reality runs away. He stepped back, bumped into someone, muttered an apology without looking, and ran out stumbling. The man he bumped into brushed his suit, his deep eyes landing on the crying Sophie. He pulled her into his arms. “What happened? Why are you crying?” “Did Caleb bully you?” Sophie glanced around like a thief, her sad face instantly replaced with a sweet smile as she snuggled into him. “It’s nothing, honey. Just playing around.” She walked over, linking arms with me, beaming. “Lily, how was that? Oscar-worthy, right?” “Best Actress.” I gave her a sincere thumbs up, patted her hand, and said, “I’m going to check on Caleb. See you later.” Sophie’s husband, Dr. Julian, nodded at me and led Sophie inside. 7 I chased Caleb to the roof. Is he going to jump? I huffed and puffed my way up. Pushing open the door, I saw Caleb sitting against the low wall, head hanging. Hearing me, he glanced over with red eyes, then looked away awkwardly. I felt guilty, like I was bullying a child. I dragged my tired body over, intending to sit next to him, but he stopped me. He took off his jacket, spread it on the dirty floor, and patted it. “Sit.” The wind blew, blurring Caleb’s voice. He said: “My biggest dream was to get into college and marry someone I loved deeply.” “Why did I become like this?” An eighteen-year-old boy, full of hope for the future, crushed by the reality we forced on him. I felt shame. I used to be like him, longing for a career I loved and a person I adored. Then Caleb destroyed it all. Did he feel guilty then? I didn’t know. The Caleb who did it had forgotten everything. His eyes were full of confusion, like a student asking a difficult question. “Did I marry the person I love deeply?” “Does twenty-eight-year-old me love you?”

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My long-distance relationship finally brought me back home, eager to reunite with my boyfriend. But when we met up, he wasn’t alone. He brought her. “Chris is away on business, so I’m helping him look after his girlfriend,” he explained. The girl draped her arm around his shoulder, her eyes dropping to my chest. “Bro, I’ve known you for so long, I never knew you liked dairy cows~” My boyfriend insisted she meant no harm, that she was just “blunt.” Later, in the house we bought together for our future, she crawled into his bed wearing nothing but black silk lingerie. “What’s wrong with warming up the bed for my son?” she purred. “I told you this girlfriend wasn’t good enough. You should have dumped her ages ago.” I slapped her across the face. “Dump your mom!” 1 This was my first time meeting Lexi. I had been studying abroad and hadn’t seen Ethan for two years. He hadn’t warned me she would be there. He had mentioned a close-knit group of friends, but I didn’t expect “close” meant crashing our reunion date. A romantic date for two turned into a shopping trip for three. I hadn’t even adjusted to the jet lag before rushing to see him, but he didn’t seem to value this meeting as much as I did. It would be a lie to say I wasn’t disappointed. “Tsk, so this is your childhood sweetheart? Not that impressive.” She hooked her arm around Ethan’s shoulder, raising an eyebrow playfully. “Bro, I’ve known you for so long, I never knew you liked dairy cows~ She’s definitely a different breed from us!” She laughed maliciously. I was naturally busty, something that made me stand out since middle school and subjected me to plenty of ridicule. The memory of those dark times made me tremble. After calming down, I looked her up and down. “Ethan, your taste in friends has really tanked in the years I’ve been gone. What is this thing?” Ethan knew exactly how much I suffered from that kind of bullying. He frowned and questioned Lexi, “Watch your mouth.” “Oops, sorry! I’m just a straight shooter,” Lexi said with fake sincerity, her face showing zero guilt or regret. In fact, she looked self-righteous. “Seriously, bro? She’s mad about that?” Ethan turned to comfort me. “Sarah, she’s just boisterous like that. You’ll get used to her once you know her.” Lexi grabbed his ear and pulled him aside. “What am I like? If I knew you brought her, I wouldn’t have come. I told you I don’t get along with girls.” “So what if she’s back? You have to keep me company today.” Ethan grimaced in pain. “Ouch~ Ouch~ Princess, let go~” “You have no experience buying makeup. Sarah would be much more help, so…” Lexi scoffed. “Please. I’m nothing like her.” She scanned me, her gaze landing on my face. “Wearing that much makeup… looks like a club girl.” I had just gotten off a fifteen-hour flight and arrived at dawn. I hadn’t rested well, so I did a heavier makeup look to cover my dark circles. Now I understood. She was hostile toward me, though I didn’t know why. They were still bantering. “Do it again?” “No, no, Princess, you’re the boss!” “That’s more like it. No next time.” Finally satisfied, she let go. Ethan rubbed his red ear and explained guiltily, “Babe, I just treat her like a bro.” Lexi slapped the back of his head. “Weak. Don’t call her ‘babe’ until you’re married!” 2 Lexi went into a Sephora, and we waited outside. “Dead dog, if you don’t come in, who’s going to give me advice?” She came back out to drag Ethan inside, leaving me standing there alone. Through the glass window, I saw her pick up a lipstick and apply it directly to Ethan’s lips. They puckered up and made peace signs at the mirror. It was freezing outside. After standing there for a while, I was numb. I walked into the store, and Lexi immediately started with the passive-aggressive comments. “Why is she so clingy? Can’t she survive being apart from you for a second? I can’t stand it.” Ah, a “pick-me” girl who’s possessive of other people’s boyfriends. I made my eyes look innocent and raised my voice. “Sister Lexi, why are you dragging my boyfriend to buy makeup? Do you not have a single female friend?” The store was big and crowded. Hearing my voice, people turned to look, whispering. “Aren’t they the couple? I thought they looked cute just now.” “That’s way too little boundary.” Being gossiped about didn’t fluster Lexi. She slung her arm around Ethan’s shoulder and scoffed disdainfully, as if she wanted everyone to hear. “Don’t be weird. We’re just bros.” “I swear, you girls with ‘romance brain’ are the worst. Just because you’re dating, does every other female friend have to die?” She was good at gaslighting. I sniffed the air near her and covered my nose. “So smelly. Sister Lexi, did you not brush your teeth today?” “What do you mean?!” Her face changed. She shouted at me in anger and embarrassment. I took a step back, holding my hand out to stop her. “Sister, don’t come closer. It really stinks.” “You have spinach in your teeth! And plaque! No wonder~ Sister Lexi, how many days has it been since you brushed?” Lexi quickly covered her mouth, glaring at me. “Sarah, what kind of nonsense are you spouting?!” “Are you crazy?” Being yelled at by her, I acted flustered and explained loudly, “Sister Lexi, you really should pay attention to oral hygiene. You need to brush every morning and night.” Under the public gaze, Lexi’s face turned bright red. Covering her mouth, she fled the store. Watching her pathetic retreat, I let out a breath. Countless internet arguments had taught me one thing: when fighting, never fall into the trap of defending yourself. Attack is the best defense. 3 Walking out of the store, I interrogated Ethan immediately. “You’re quite capable, taking care of other people’s girlfriends now?” “We’re close. It was convenient.” Seeing my face darken, he eagerly explained. “Lexi is… well, now you know a bit about her. She’s got poor life skills. Chris was worried, so he asked me to help out while he’s abroad.” Chris was Ethan’s college roommate. They hit it off instantly, joined the same company after graduation, and were inseparable. Naturally, he became close with Lexi too. The three of them formed a little clique. Except for sleeping, they did everything together. “How long has she been dating Chris?” He thought for a moment and held up two fingers. “Over two years?” “Did she not survive before dating? Or has she needed a man attached to her hip since birth?” Ethan paused. “You can’t say that. She really isn’t as meticulous as other girls. She’s rough around the edges, worse than us guys.” “What does that have to do with you? If you’re so charitable, go volunteer.” “Sarah, I just treat her like a bro. In my eyes, she’s the same as Chris.” “Does Chris make you help him buy lipstick? Does he pucker up and touch faces with you? Does she have no female friends?” Ethan looked helpless. “She doesn’t get along well with girls. She usually hangs out with Chris.” “You have no boundaries!” He realized something was wrong and promised me he’d be mindful of boundaries in the future. “Let’s not talk about her. Aren’t you tired of white people food? Craving home cooking? I’ll take you to feast.” He took me to the local food street. We wove through the stalls; he bought, I ate. During this, he kept replying to WeChat messages. I snatched his phone and saw a group chat of three called [Shadows & Forms]. Lexi tagged Ethan in the group: 【Is your girlfriend crazy?! Did she embarrass me on purpose?】 Ethan: 【Sarah is just a bit dense, can’t keep things in. She says whatever she thinks. She didn’t mean anything else.】 Lexi: 【From now on, it’s her or me. Don’t bring her when we hang out.】 Ethan: 【I’ll tell her to be careful.】 I waved his phone. “So? What do I need to be careful about?” “Sarah, don’t be mad. Just a perfunctory reply. I wouldn’t actually do anything to you.” Ethan had always been gentle, hating conflict. A “nice guy.” He put his arm around me. “Let’s go, let’s go see a movie. Don’t be unhappy over irrelevant people. We haven’t seen each other in so long.” Although I was annoyed, our relationship had always been good. Since he apologized well, I decided to wait and see. 4 The next day, I visited Ethan’s family home. We grew up in the same faculty housing complex; our parents were colleagues. Our relationship had long been approved by both families. Everyone assumed we’d marry after I graduated. He was two years older than me, already working. I had six months left. When I arrived, his mom, Auntie Yang, was cooking. Lexi was helping wash vegetables. “Sarah’s here? Sit down for a bit, Auntie is busy.” Lexi adopted the air of the hostess, greeting me familiarly. Completely different from the arrogant look yesterday. Auntie Yang told me Ethan drove to pick up his dad and would be back soon. Seeing them busy, I stood up. “Need help?” Before Auntie Yang could speak, Lexi rejected me immediately. “You’re too delicate, you don’t look like you can work.” “Have to say, you’re lucky. Getting pampered without lifting a finger, getting into top schools without studying…” Auntie Yang wiped her hands and came over to hold mine, her face full of affection. “Our Sarah was born a little princess. When she was born, I loved her at first sight. I was so jealous, thinking why such a good daughter wasn’t mine.” “I never thought my dream would come true, and Sarah would really become part of my family.” Auntie Yang couldn’t stop praising me. Lexi opened her mouth, her shady comments stuck in her throat. After holding it in for a while, she managed a dry sentence: “Having a mother-in-law like you is her luck.” “Relationships are mutual. Sarah is excellent and well-behaved. It’s our family’s blessing that Ethan can marry her.” Auntie Yang praised me tirelessly. Lexi could only laugh awkwardly. I blinked. “Sister Lexi, is Chris’s mom not good to you?” Hearing me ask about Chris’s family, her face stiffened, stammering. “His mom… treats me very well. Often tells Chris to take good care of me.” “But I heard you haven’t met the parents yet?” Ethan had mentioned Chris’s parents strongly opposed their relationship and refused to even see her. Chris was still fighting them. Hearing this, she forced a smile. “We just haven’t reached the formal meeting stage yet.” “Oh, you have to work harder! Get their approval soon and tie the knot.” I encouraged her seriously. Her face turned red then white. I pretended she was shy. “Don’t be shy. I heard Chris loves you a lot. Do you have plans for marriage? If so, you should start buying a house.” Auntie Yang stopped working and agreed with me. “True. If you’re getting married, you need a house. It takes time from buying to moving in.” She mumbled, “The house… we’ll talk about it later.” 5 Ethan and Uncle Zhou walked in. Lexi seemed to find a lifeline. She walked up to Ethan, hanging onto his shoulder. “If I don’t have a house, I’ll live at Ethan’s. If I have no food, I’ll rely on him. He won’t ignore me.” “Right? Ethan?” Ethan looked confused but nodded anyway. Auntie Yang coughed lightly. “You are adults. Don’t be so touchy-feely. It’s good Sarah doesn’t mind, otherwise, people will gossip.” “Auntie Yang, be more open-minded. What could happen between me and Ethan? We’re bros.” “Chris doesn’t mind, Ethan is willing. I don’t care about others. Let them gossip.” Auntie Yang’s face darkened. Ethan turned to look at me. “Sarah?” Seeing this, Lexi yelled unhappily. “No way? Ethan, you need Sarah’s permission for this too? No freedom at all!” I smiled, but not with my eyes. “Sister Lexi, I heard the city Chris is in isn’t far from my school? Give me his contact info. When I get back, I’ll take my roommates to visit him.” “My roommates are so funny, so fun.” Her face changed instantly, stammering. “Why visit? You’ll meet when you’re all back. It’s not appropriate to go find him like that.” I snorted, muttering unhappily: “So stingy~ Using someone else’s boyfriend is fine, but hiding your own?” “You two girls playing with Chris, really have no boundaries!” “We’re different. Ethan and I are brothers.” Heh. Seems the “pick-me” girl doesn’t actually misunderstand boundaries, she just selectively ignores her own boundaries with other men. Double standard dog. “Brothers? Why don’t you two drop your pants and see who can pee higher?” She looked at Ethan pitifully. Auntie Yang rolled her eyes at Ethan. “Why are you standing there like a post? Where’s your girlfriend?” Lexi knew she wasn’t welcome and found an excuse to leave. After she left, Auntie Yang sighed. “When Ethan was small, we taught him to be kind, respectful, and tolerant. He does that well now, but he’s too honest. Doesn’t know how to refuse.” “Sarah, if you see him doing something wrong in the future, just discipline him. I’ll back you up.” “Ethan, stay away from that Lexi. She’s trouble.” Ethan nodded. “I know. I treat her like a man. Three months left. When Chris comes back, I’ll keep my distance.”

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When I transferred to the most elite private high school in the city, the entire student body was shook. The top ten students on the honor roll were trembling, because they had long heard the legend of the “Academic God” descending upon them. The first person to find me was the school bully’s mom: “I know you’ve already been accepted to Ivy League schools. Want to make some pocket money? Five million dollars. Get my son’s grades up to average.” I grinned so wide my face hurt and agreed instantly. A month later, the bully confessed his love to me. I rejected him. I shook my head at him: “Sorry, I only date Ivy League students.” The bully went crazy, studying like his life depended on it. I said nothing, just quietly counted the balance in my bank account. The best strategists always put themselves in the game. 1 When I chose to transfer to Sterling Academy, the administration at my old public magnet school cried rivers of tears. They grabbed my backpack straps, sobbing. “Ms. Sage, you can’t transfer to a private school! It will ruin you!” “Besides the luxury dorms, climate-controlled classrooms, five gourmet cafeterias, and unlimited funding… what can they possibly offer you?” I didn’t really want to go, but now I had no choice. Anyway, after my firm insistence and some maneuvering by the Sterling principal, the school board approved my transfer. The principal patted my shoulder. “Sage Hart, you must set an example for the advanced students and strive to lead your classmates to progress together!” I nodded, promising: “Mission accepted!” After all, I had no money and no power. My only purpose at this noble academy was to be a mascot. Everyone knows that the wealthier the parents, the more they obsess over their kids’ success. They pay tuition that costs more than a luxury car each semester, and not just so their kids can party. Caught between the increasing competitiveness of the world and their children’s desire to “lie flat,” the rich parents took action. They demanded the principal improve the school’s atmosphere and actually raise test scores. Not just promote how many galas they held or how many overseas trips they took. Under these circumstances, the principal set his sights on me, the “Academic God from Above,” and spent a fortune to poach me. It was as if I were a golden statue placed at the school gate, attracting countless parents to offer up their precious children and their cash. And sure enough, the first sucker arrived. An elegant, wealthy woman stopped me, followed by a phalanx of bodyguards. She looked down at me through her designer sunglasses. “Are you Sage Hart?” For a second, I didn’t think she was here to hire a tutor. I thought she was here for revenge. My mind flashed through all the ex-boyfriends I had ruthlessly dumped back at my old school. Whose mom was this? I swore to the heavens: “I swear, I broke up with Liam ages ago. You don’t need to force us apart.” The wealthy woman paused, confused. “Who is Liam?” I quickly covered my tracks: “Oh, then Noah and I are just friends. Same with Ethan. We’re just classmates now.” The woman was completely baffled. She took off her sunglasses, speaking grandly: “I don’t care who these three people are. I only know that you are the student with the highest GPA in the city. “Of course, I also know you’ve already been admitted early. Want to make some money? Five million dollars. Get my son’s grades up to average.” I breathed a sigh of relief. So it wasn’t a love debt. In that case— “I’ll do it!” That’s five million dollars! Who would be stupid enough to say no to money? Forget teaching a person; even if the student were a turtle, I’d put on scuba gear and swim into the ocean to teach it. Seeing me agree so readily, the woman hesitated. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you. My son isn’t easy. He’s chased several tutors out of the house. He is the undisputed tyrant of the school.” I patted my chest: “Don’t worry, absolutely no problem.” There won’t be a bully here anymore. Because. Your boss has arrived. 2 The bully’s name was Caleb Vance. His daily hobbies included arriving late, leaving early, and wandering the campus with a baseball bat. I hugged a pile of new textbooks and sprinted at full speed, crashing into him. Books scattered everywhere, and I rolled twice on the ground. Caleb stumbled from the impact and fell on his butt. His minions rushed to help him up, shouting angrily. “Who are you? You dare hit our boss? Do you want to die?” I lay on the ground, apologizing profusely. Then I looked up with teary eyes. “I’m sorry, I’m the new transfer student. I’m not familiar with the school yet.” A minion whispered to him. “Boss, this seems to be the new Academic God who transferred here. The one who’s been first in the city for ten years straight!” Caleb stared at me for a moment, his ears turning slightly red. “Shut up, I know that! There’s only one transfer student, of course I know.” He put on a fierce face again: “I don’t care what kind of god you are. I advise you to stay out of my business. Heh, I’ve seen plenty of girls’ tricks. This won’t work on me.” I responded with the purest, most innocent gaze. I sniffled, squeezing out a tear. I crouched down to pick up my books without saying another word. Caleb looked uncomfortable. He coughed lightly and glared at his minions. “Are you blind? Help her pick up the books!” The minions scrambled to help, afraid of getting kicked if they were too slow. I flashed a “campus crush” smile. “Thank you, classmate.” Caleb looked away awkwardly. “Watch where you’re going next time.” The minions straightened up, hooting and hollering. Caleb kicked one of them: “Get lost, all of you!” The minions scattered like birds. Plan A: Success. Half an hour later, led by the homeroom teacher, I walked into Class 1. Caleb’s eyes lit up when he saw me. Then he pretended not to care, looking down at his phone. The teacher treated me like a treasure: “Sage, choose a seat for yourself.” Caleb kicked the chair next to him, making a loud noise, afraid I wouldn’t notice him. I looked up shyly. Then I chose to sit next to a girl. Snap. Caleb broke his pen. Plan B: Success. I understood the art of playing hard to get. I must have left a deep impression on him. Finally, after class, the whole room surrounded me. “Sage, did you offend Caleb? He was staring daggers into your back.” “Advice: don’t mess with him. When Caleb goes crazy, he doesn’t care if you’re a guy or a girl. His tongue is so toxic it could poison him.” “And don’t fall for him just because he’s handsome. I’m afraid a campus romance will turn into a true crime documentary.” Their warnings were chilling. But I had the sun in my heart to keep me going. That was a whole five million dollars! 3 Life at the noble academy was simple and boring. The questions were too easy for me; I could get a perfect score with my eyes closed. The only trouble was deciding which cafeteria to eat at. In this bored state, I wanted to conquer the five millio… I mean, Caleb, even more. Money to be made and fun to be had? Only a fool wouldn’t do it. So, I started secretly observing Caleb’s daily life. His schedule was very regular. Arrive at class at 9 AM. Sleep as soon as the bell rings, demonstrating high-quality slumber. Skip class at 11 AM to go to the cafeteria. When my classmates and I arrived at the cafeteria, we would see him finishing his last drumstick. Ride his motorcycle on the highway at 10 PM. The noise shook the whole street, causing classmates to curse. I slapped my forehead. What if he gets into a car accident? Thinking about my money potentially flying away, I couldn’t help but shudder. No, I had to stop the tragedy. So I secretly rode my electric scooter and followed him. Unfortunately, Caleb’s motorcycle was too fast. I twisted the throttle like crazy. “Fly, you piece of junk!” And accidentally overtook Caleb. 4 Actually, it wasn’t the scooter’s fault. It was entirely because Caleb had stopped his bike and was leaning against it, enjoying the scenery. The breeze blew, leaves rustled, lifting the boy’s bangs. I braked hard and almost flew off the scooter. Too late to hide now. Caleb had seen me. He crunched the lollipop in his mouth and looked at me suspiciously. “Sage?” I smiled awkwardly. “Caleb, what a coincidence. Are you admiring the moon? The moon tonight is big and round, just like…” Just like the pie your mom promised me. Caleb didn’t get my drift. He coughed involuntarily: “The moon is indeed nice tonight.” I got goosebumps and quickly changed the subject: “Um… it’s almost eleven. Aren’t you going home?” Caleb shook his head, pretending to be deep: “There is no place for me in this world, nor is there a return. In this vast floating world, nothing can carry my hope.” “…Speak English.” “My motorcycle broke down.” I hopped off the scooter, circled the bike, and tapped the engine with my finger. “I can fix it. Don’t move. I’ll go home and get my toolbox.” Caleb was shocked: “You can fix motorcycles? Are you kidding?” I puffed out my chest proudly. “Not only that, I can also unclog toilets. If your toilet gets clogged, call me.” I regretted it as soon as I said it. Pah, pah, pah! My image was ruined. How could I urge Caleb to improve now? Unlike my regret, Caleb’s eyes widened: “You… you’re pretty amazing.” I shrugged. Can’t help it, that’s what happens when you have a good brain. You learn it once you see it. An hour later, Caleb held his phone flashlight for me. I struggled to fix the motorcycle and sat on the ground, exhausted. “I’m dead tired. Try it.” Caleb straddled the bike with his long legs and tried to start it. With a twist of the throttle, the bike shot forward fifty meters. Caleb muttered to himself: “She actually fixed it.” His gaze towards me was filled with admiration and respect, and a few indescribable emotions. Inside, I was conflicted. Should I ask for a repair fee? If not, I felt sorry for my labor value. If I did, what if I lost the bigger picture? After thinking about it, I decided on a compromise. It would maintain the dignity of labor and bring us closer. “Treat me to lunch tomorrow, okay?” As I stood up, my hair brushed Caleb’s face. His breath hitched. “Whatever you want.” 5 The next day at noon. Caleb didn’t skip class. Instead, he waited obediently until the bell rang. He even gave up his favorite drumsticks, piling them all into my bowl. I ate five drumsticks in a row and burped with satisfaction. Then I regretfully put down the sixth drumstick. “You eat too.” Caleb took the tray naturally and sighed: “You really are different from other people.” I defended myself: “Studying consumes a lot of energy. I don’t eat for myself; I eat for the people, for the cause of education in our country.” Caleb quickly explained: “No, no, no. I mean, you eat with such gusto. I’m happy watching you.” I agreed deeply. This is called “a feast for the eyes.” Otherwise, where did my ex-boyfriends from the magnet school come from? School rewards? No, my grades and my face played a dual role. Although the magnet school was strict, and my exes and I never even held hands. It didn’t stop me from walking through the flowers. After this day, rumors of Caleb and I dating spread through the class. Student A: “Wow, Sage is the first woman to eat with Caleb.” Minion B: “Boss hasn’t smiled like that in a long time.” Minion C: “I’ve never seen Boss care so much about a woman.” I laughed so hard I was crawling on the floor. But the other party involved seemed less calm. “They’re spreading rumors like that. You’re not angry?” I shook my head and asked sincerely: “It’s fine, small stuff. Actually, I have other questions for you.” Caleb held his breath: “Go ahead.” “Do you not eat with your mom usually? Do you really not watch comedy shows?” Caleb’s face turned black at my questions. “…I have a question for you too.” I tried to hold back tears of laughter. “What question?” Caleb suddenly got nervous and couldn’t stop coughing. Minions at nearby tables took their bowls and left, clearing a large space for us. Caleb turned his head awkwardly: “Um, do you want to be my girlfriend?”

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When Caleb Thorne and I broke up, it was ugly. He, the proud, untouchable prodigy, knelt on the ground and begged me not to go. I only hesitated for a second before pulling my hand away and leaving without looking back. Four years later, I saw Caleb again. It was at a business dinner to sign the rights for my novel. He was the CEO, sitting at the head of the table, waiting for people to toast him. I was the small-time author sitting at the far end, waiting for him to greenlight the movie deal. He looked at me, his eyes calm and devoid of emotion, a cold smirk playing on his lips. “Drink three shots, and I’ll consider signing the contract.” 1 “Drink three shots, and I’ll consider signing the contract.” As Caleb’s words fell, the room went dead silent. Every eye at the table turned to me. Those gazes felt like needles. I stiffened. Sitting next to me was my editor, Sarah. She quickly stood up, holding her wine glass with a slight bow. “Our Lana isn’t much of a drinker, Mr. Thorne. Can I drink this one for her?” Caleb didn’t speak. Sarah froze, caught in an awkward limbo. The tension was palpable. Caleb was openly putting me on the spot. The original investor had been arrested for fraud, and now the entire production crew was praying Caleb would take over. If he walked, the project was dead. I exhaled slowly. “It’s okay, Sarah.” I looked at Caleb, trying to find a trace of the boy I once knew in his sharp, defined features. “If I drink, you’ll sign?” “If you drink, I’ll sign.” His gaze held a cold mockery that ignited a spark of anger in my chest. I reached across the table for a glass of pink sparkling wine. Before I could touch it, a large hand covered the rim. Caleb nodded toward a bottle of high-proof whiskey next to it, his smile not reaching his eyes. “Drink that.” I paused. “What do you mean, Mr. Thorne?” “When you’re begging for something, you should show the proper attitude…” He tapped the table with his knuckle. “You taught me that.” Humiliation burned my cheeks. I gritted my teeth and grabbed the whiskey glass. One shot. Two shots. The burning liquid exploded in my throat. I couldn’t help but cough violently. As I raised the third glass to my lips, Caleb suddenly stood up and snatched it from my hand. “Forget it.” He tossed the glass aside. It hit the carpet with a dull thud, a dark stain spreading across the fabric. He didn’t even look at it, his voice cold. “Ms. Lane is coughing so much, people might think I’m bullying her.” The atmosphere relaxed slightly. The assistant director jumped in to smooth things over. “Mr. Thorne, technically Ms. Lane isn’t part of the crew. “Mr. Thorne, on behalf of the entire production team, I’ll drink to you.” The assistant director poured a full glass and downed it. He looked at Caleb, ready to pour another. But Caleb looked bored. He stared at me for a long moment, then scoffed. “Sit down.” 2 Halfway through the dinner, I finally found a chance to escape to the restroom. Cold water splashed on my burning face. I looked at myself in the mirror. I looked pathetic. It was a complete reversal of our positions four years ago. Four years. It felt like a lifetime. Back then, his roommate called me, begging me to come see him. I couldn’t resist. I went. Caleb was drinking at a street stall, surrounded by seven or eight empty bottles. When he saw me, he instinctively smiled, then realized what was happening and grabbed my arm. “Lana.” He buried his face in my palm. His tears were hot, burning my skin. His voice was hoarse, begging. “Please don’t go. Don’t break up with me, okay?” I only hesitated for a second before pulling my hand away firmly. “No.” I remember exactly what I said. “Caleb, I’m tired. “I can’t pretend to like you for even one more second.” I stared blankly at the mirror, suddenly hearing voices from the stalls. “What’s the deal with Mr. Thorne and that Lana girl? Is he really going to drop the investment because of her?” “So annoying. She’s just a small-time author. She sold the rights, got her money, why did she have to come to this dinner? Was she aiming for Mr. Thorne?” “Maybe Mr. Thorne hates her because she tried to sleep her way to the top and failed. Hehe.” It was two production assistants. They seemed to be just touching up their makeup. Their voices faded as they left. A second later, their laughter cut off abruptly, replaced by nervous stammering. “Mr… Mr. Thorne.” Silence. Two seconds later, one of them gathered the courage to speak. “Mr. Thorne, we’ll head back now.” Caleb’s voice was low, laced with ice. “Don’t bother. “I’ll have HR contact you later.” The implication was clear. The two girls, who had been laughing a moment ago, started begging quietly, like chickens with their necks wrung. Caleb didn’t say another word, true to his reputation in the business world. The Midas touch. Cold and heartless. 3 A few minutes later, the voices outside finally died down. I walked out. A tall figure was leaning against the hallway wall. Head down, unlit cigarette between his fingers. Caleb hadn’t left. I pretended not to see him and tried to walk past, but he grabbed my arm. Not hard, but enough to make me stumble in my tipsy state and crash into his chest. Caleb didn’t push me away. He let me lean against him for support. He curled his lip. “Pretending you didn’t see me?” “Don’t move.” Dizziness washed over me like a tide. I gripped his sleeve, looking up with a frown. “…I’m gonna be sick.” Caleb’s muscles tensed, as if afraid I’d actually vomit on him. “You smell like smoke.” Caleb let out a scoff of disbelief. “Lana, are you for real? “I didn’t even light it.” “Oh.” The dizziness faded slightly. I let go and stood straight. Caleb was silent for a moment, then spoke suddenly. “I’m the CEO of Zenith Capital now. If I loosen my grip just a little, the investment amount could add a zero. “I heard from Director Shen that you went to Star Media before this. Begging people isn’t fun, is it?” The hint of ambiguity that had lingered vanished instantly. Four years later, Caleb still knew exactly how to hurt me. I had been writing for years without much success, but I clung to my pride. He wanted to break that pride. He wanted me to beg. I looked at Caleb and laughed. “Caleb, what do you want? “You want me to wag my tail and beg for mercy? You want me to regret breaking up with you? “Sorry. I already sold the rights. Even if the movie doesn’t get made, I did my part. “Sign the contract if you want. Burn it if you don’t.” I looked down at my phone and sent a message to Sarah. In the dim light, Caleb’s profile looked cold and rakish. He pressed his thin lips together and said nothing. Finally, I looked up and smiled. “Someone’s here to pick me up. Goodbye, Mr. Thorne.” 4 I got into Evan’s car. As we drove away, I saw Caleb still standing at the door. The alcohol made my temples throb. I looked away. “Thanks for picking me up, Evan.” The window rolled down, the night breeze blowing away the tension of the evening. Silence stretched until the car stopped at my apartment. Evan turned to me. “Did the signing not go well? The guy at the door… he looked familiar.” “Really? You probably saw wrong.” I was distracted. Despite my brave words, I was worried Sarah would text me saying Caleb had flipped the table and walked. Evan sighed. “Was that Caleb Thorne?” “Uh… what?” I froze. “You know him?” Evan’s voice was calm. “I remember he was your ex-boyfriend. Is that why you’re upset tonight?” I smiled awkwardly. “You remember that…” It made sense. In college, Caleb was a star. Finance department hunk, gold medal debater, scholarship winner. When people mentioned me, it was always just, “Oh, Caleb’s girlfriend. She’s kinda plain.” Out of some strange pride, I rarely let Caleb come to my department. I didn’t think Evan would remember. My phone pinged, saving me from the awkwardness. Sarah: 【Are you okay? Mr. Thorne said you weren’t feeling well and left early. Good news: Mr. Thorne said we’ll sign tomorrow.】 As I read it, another message popped up. An unsaved number, but I recognized it instantly. Unknown: 【The movie is shooting. You’re the on-set screenwriter. I’ll have someone bring you the contract tomorrow.】 I paused. This was actually good for me. Many authors lose control of the plot after selling the rights. Being a screenwriter meant I could protect my story. Caleb letting me participate was surprisingly decent. Thinking of this, I said goodbye to Evan in a better mood, missing the hesitant look on his face. Evan smiled. “If you need anything, call me anytime.” 5 I dreamed of Caleb for the first time in ages. In the dream, we were sophomores. I was a substitute debater for the Literature department because the original member got sick. The opposing fourth debater was Caleb. He was famous for his aggressive style and sharp tongue. We lost, predictably. During the awards ceremony, a judge joked, “Mr. Thorne didn’t seem to be fighting at full strength today?” Caleb glanced at me with a half-smile. “Mhm… it was enough. Otherwise, I’d have to comfort her myself later.” Before I could react, the camera clicked. In the photo, Caleb and I stood side by side. He tilted his head slightly, looking at me, the corners of his mouth turned up. A second after that photo was taken, Caleb leaned down and whispered in my ear: “Girlfriend, you look beautiful today.” I blinked, dragged out of the old dream by my alarm. The same unknown number had sent several more messages. Unknown (23:25): 【Home yet? Reply.】 Unknown (23:31): 【Did Evan take you home?】 Unknown (23:49): 【Lana, if you don’t reply by midnight, the contract offer expires.】 Unknown (3:02): 【It’s Caleb.】 I almost laughed. I texted Sarah first to say I’d be at the set today. Then I replied to Caleb: 【Got it. I’ll join the crew.】 Caleb: 【1】 Caleb: 【Accept my friend request on WeChat. I’ll send the digital contract.】 I opened my friend requests. The familiar avatar lay there quietly. Blocked for four years. Same avatar, same nickname. It was like he had been waiting there stubbornly. I watched the “Typing…” status at the top of the chat flicker and disappear. After an unknown amount of time, he sent a message. Caleb: 【Lana, it’s Caleb.】 It felt like time reversed. When I first met Caleb, I hesitated for a long time before stopping him. I wiped the sweat from my palms. “Caleb, I’m Lana.”

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“Guess which one of these beauties is my girlfriend?” My husband’s Instagram post went viral. In the photo, my mother-in-law is wearing a low-cut, tight dress, her arms wrapped around my husband’s neck, laughing joyfully. I, on the other hand, am dressed plainly, standing awkwardly in the background like a prop. 1 The moment the photo was posted, the comments section exploded. 【Teach me how to coexist peacefully with the ‘other woman’~】 【Bro, you’re winning at life~】 【Goals.】 Seeing the misunderstanding, my husband, Caleb, quickly posted a clarification about his mother’s identity. But that only made the internet go wilder. 【?! She’s fifty? I’m twenty and my blood pressure just spiked!】 【Gorgeous queen, drop the skincare routine!】 【Son, stop replying to comments and open the door for your new dad~】 Reading the sycophantic comments, my mother-in-law, Diana, couldn’t stop smiling at her phone. “Mom, dinner’s ready~” I had cooked a full meal, but Diana took her sweet time putting down her phone. “Ouch~ It’s cold~ Haley, get a fluffy cushion for this chair next time.” Diana’s mini-skirt offered zero protection against the cold wood chair. It was early spring, yet she was dressed for a Miami summer. I shot Caleb a subtle look, worried about her catching a cold. Caleb immediately picked up on it. “Mom, it’s chilly right now. Maybe wear something warmer at home? Save the skirts for summer.” Diana pouted, displeased. “Why are you so conservative, baby? It’s a waste to hide a body like mine. And I told you, call me Diana~” “Okay, okay, Diana. Eat up. Later, I’ll have Haley take you shopping for some warmer outfits.” “Thanks, baby~ Mwah~” Diana beamed instantly. I was the only one feeling a creeping sense of unease. 2 After dinner, Diana eagerly grabbed my hand to go shopping. She did her own makeup, styled herself in a trendy “pure lust” outfit, and even insisted on styling me. Before dragging me out the door, she shouted back to Caleb: “Us girls are going shopping! Remember to do the chores. I’m going to inspect your work when I get back~” Caleb agreed happily. At the mall, Diana flitted from store to store, spouting the latest Gen-Z slang. She found a boutique she liked, chatted up the sales associate, and took a mountain of clothes into the fitting room. The style wasn’t my thing, so I waited outside, guarding our bags. I was scrolling through TikTok when a familiar voice called out. “Haley, what are you doing here? This isn’t your vibe at all.” It was my work bestie, Lisa. I pointed to the fitting room and whispered, “Waiting for my mother-in-law~” Lisa covered her mouth to stifle a laugh. “Your trendy MIL? Honestly, sometimes I think she looks younger than you. It’s terrifying for us actual twenty-somethings. But—” Diana’s voice drifted out from behind the curtain, cutting Lisa off. “What are you girls whispering about? Come help me look~” Diana stepped out wearing a daring V-neck slip dress that hugged every curve. You couldn’t see a single sign of aging. Lisa immediately switched to flattery mode. “We were just praising you, gorgeous~ God, I envy Haley. My mother-in-law is driving me insane. I barely escaped to bring my baby out for a stroll~” I finally noticed the stroller behind her. A pink-cheeked baby was sleeping peacefully, but her nose scrunched up, signaling an incoming cry. Before Lisa could move, Diana swooped in, snatching the baby with practiced ease and rocking her gently. 3 The baby giggled in Diana’s arms. Overcome with affection, Diana kissed the baby’s cheek. But her lip gloss left a sticky mark all over the baby’s face. Lisa frowned slightly, unnoticed by Diana. “Mom~ The baby’s immune system is weak. Be careful with bacteria,” I urged gently. Diana planted a deep kiss on the baby’s lips before waving her hand dismissively. “Sorry, she’s just too cute. Looks exactly like my Caleb did when he was little.” To apologize, Diana treated us to lunch and bought the baby a pile of toys. Seeing how much the baby liked her, Lisa relaxed. While Diana played with the baby, Lisa went back to venting about her own mother-in-law. “You don’t know how old-fashioned she is. If my husband didn’t mediate, we’d be at war…” She looked enviously at Diana. “When you married Caleb, I was worried because he’s from a single-parent home. Mothers in those situations can be super possessive. But seeing how open-minded your MIL is, I guess I worried for nothing~ If only mine was half as cool~” I nodded in agreement. Diana was a bit spoiled, but she treated me well. Since the wedding, we were more like sisters. The family atmosphere was great. As for her possessiveness over Caleb? I understood it. He was her only son. Why would they need boundaries? 4 Back home, Diana threw herself into Caleb’s arms, demanding praise for her new dress. Caleb praised her, then insisted on taking photos for his followers, calling it “fan service” to capitalize on the trending topic. I laughed and agreed, finding the best angles to photograph them. Diana was addicted to the internet. She posted daily but never got much traction. Now that she had a taste of viral fame, she wasn’t letting go. She edited the photos, uploaded them, and shoved her phone into my hands. “Haley, you’re the pro at this. Help me get more followers, please~” My job is social media management, so I couldn’t say no. I took the phone, replying to comments to boost engagement. Many users found their way to Diana’s new post. Most were compliments, but some were… off. 【This daughter-in-law has the patience of a saint…】 【Judging by the photo, this guy has definitely been to ‘Sweet Home Alabama’.】 【Oedipus complex check-in~】 But they were quickly buried by requests for skincare routines, so I ignored them. When Diana finished her face mask, I advised her: “To grow the account, you need a niche. Since this topic went viral, let’s focus on your anti-aging secrets.” “Anti-aging… hmm…” Diana nodded thoughtfully. Seeing she was listening, I went to do my own thing. Although Diana always talked about making money as an influencer, Caleb and I earned enough to support her comfortably. We just wanted her to have a hobby. 5 That night after a shower, I was cuddling with Caleb. We were newlyweds, enjoying a quiet moment, when a knock came at the door. “Haley, are you asleep?” Caleb froze. The mood vanished instantly. I frowned, annoyed. Diana was really lacking boundaries tonight. I opened the door. Diana was wearing the slip dress she bought today, looking fidgety. “Um… Haley, I need to talk to Caleb about something tonight. Can you—” I pointed at the clock. “Mom, do you see the time? Can’t it wait until tomorrow?” Diana lowered her head, murmuring incoherently. “Haley, watch your tone with Mom,” Caleb said, coming to the door. Diana looked up, her eyes brimming with tears. The rims were red, and she looked so fragile that even I felt a pang of guilt. So, naturally, I was kicked out. Sleeping alone in the guest room, I listened to the muffled giggles from next door. Annoyed, I scrolled through my phone to calm down. Suddenly, a notification popped up. Someone I followed was trending locally. I clicked. It was Diana’s new post from today. I scrolled through, but the comments were no longer universally positive. The top comments were disturbing. 【The wife in this house would be great at playing a sleeping husband.】 【Gross.】 【Gross.】 【Gross.】 … 6 When I had her phone earlier, the comments were mostly positive. I remembered Diana gave me her login info to help manage the account. Curiosity, mixed with the resentment of being kicked out of my own bed, got the better of me. I logged in on my phone. Before I could find the new post, her drafts folder caught my eye. It was full. Several had been edited just minutes ago. I clicked one, and the blood rushed to my head. Diana wrote: 【By popular demand, here is my anti-aging secret—ta-da! It’s my darling son~】 【Men are a woman’s source of Yang energy. Absorbing enough Yang keeps you young forever. The energy between a mother and son is the most compatible, and the effect is best. Also, virgins are top-tier~】 The attached photo was of my master bed. Diana, shoulder bare, eyes heavy with lust, was lying on top of my husband. The dim lighting couldn’t hide the intimacy. I exploded! I stormed to the master bedroom and pounded on the door. “Caleb! Get out here!” There was shuffling inside, but no one opened the door. Separated by a single piece of wood, I could only imagine the depravity happening inside! 7 It felt like an eternity before Caleb finally opened the door. He was fully dressed, even his pajama hood perfectly arranged. Seeing me frozen in shock, Caleb pulled me into a hug, whispering gently: “Haley, baby, Mom just really wants to be famous. You know she gave up her career for me when she was young. Now that she has some heat, I have to support her. This is your field, you know how operations work better than I do.” Under his soothing words, my anger deflated slightly. Diana had always been clingy. And in the cutthroat world of social media, finding a niche was hard. She had stumbled into a weird, controversial lane, but it was working. These days, the more shameless the content, the more views it got. Once the money started rolling in, no one would care how she got famous. Plus, she claimed she wanted to help us financially. I sighed, leaning into him. “Fine, I trust you. You always know how to talk me down.” Caleb and I had been together since college. We rarely fought. He always had a way of smoothing things over. Friends used to envy me for finding such a perfect guy. After marriage, he was obedient, and Diana always took my side. My life was enviable. I should be more tolerant of their quirks. No one is perfect.

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Good news: I’m pregnant. Bad news: I’m in the middle of a cold war with my husband. How do I tell Caleb Vance the news without losing my dignity? I turned to Reddit for advice, deciding to trust a user who claimed to have read romance novels for a decade. Step 1: The classic “Runaway Wife” trope. Step 2: Fake morning sickness at dinner. Step 3: Book an abortion appointment using his phone number… It was all going perfectly until Caleb lost his mind. That’s when I realized: Wait… I think I took the joke too far. 1 So, here’s the situation. I’m pregnant, and Caleb and I aren’t speaking. I posted a picture of the positive test on r/relationship_advice with the title: How do I tell my husband I’m pregnant while we’re fighting? Wrong answers only. The internet did not disappoint. Within an hour, I had thousands of comments. u/SavageQueen: Send him a pic of the test and say, “Baby’s gone. Froze to death because of your cold shoulder.” u/AnimeLover99: Look him in the eye and whisper: “I am not fighting alone.” u/RomanceAddict: Five years later, return with quintuplets and dominate the social scene. I scrolled through the chaos, feeling grateful for the internet’s unhinged energy. But one comment stood out. u/NovelExpert: Run away. Trust me, I’ve read romance novels for ten years. This is the only way. u/DramaLlama: Book an abortion at his family’s hospital but put his number as the contact. Then sneak off to Seattle and work as a barista for half a day. u/SubtleChaos: At dinner, dry heave dramatically and then sprint to the bathroom. Works every time. These “experts” seemed trustworthy. I looked at my phone. Still no text from Caleb. Thinking of his cold, handsome face made me angry all over again. I blocked his number. Enjoy the silence, you giant idiot. I have a surprise for you. 2 Step one of the Runaway Wife plan: Pick a getaway car. I went down to the garage and chose Caleb’s favorite matte black Bugatti. Sorry, Caleb. It’s for the plot. To make it authentic, I waited until his busiest workday to peel out of the driveway. Driving a supercar with the top down, wind in my hair… this was the life. Caleb could go kick rocks. I drove straight to my best friend Faye’s apartment. Lying on her sofa, I laid out my brilliant plan. Faye laughed so hard she nearly choked on her popcorn. “Chloe, are you serious?” she asked, wiping tears from her eyes. “What did our CEO do this time?” Okay, I admit our previous fights were petty. Like the time he forgot to buy me the new Hermès bag (I forgot to ask), or the time he ate spicy food next to me while I was on my period. But this time! This time it was 100% Caleb’s fault. “Spill,” Faye said, settling in. She’s been watching the Caleb-and-Chloe show since college. She knows we’re inseparable, so she treats our fights like prime-time entertainment. “Put down the chips, Sergeant Faye. This is serious.” “Yes, General Chloe.” The reason for this cold war was tragic. Truly heartbreaking. 3 Yesterday, after organizing my handbag collection, I decided to be a benevolent wife and visit Caleb in his study. I walked in quietly and stood behind his chair. He was on the phone, holding a photo in his hand. “Caleb!” I shouted, popping up over his shoulder. Usually, he’d pull me onto his lap and let me look at whatever boring contract he was reading. But this time, he jumped. He shoved the photo into a drawer and slammed it shut. “Caleb, what are you hiding?” His eyes darted around, avoiding mine. For a man who negotiates billion-dollar deals, he looked incredibly guilty. “Nothing. Just… trash.” “Liar,” I said. He was tapping his finger on the desk—his tell. I reached for the drawer. “It’s nothing, I said!” He grabbed my wrist, stopping me. He locked the drawer and pocketed the key. “What can’t you tell me?” I asked, feeling a sting of betrayal. Even when his company was in crisis, he let me play with confidential files like they were coloring books. He wouldn’t answer. I got agitated and tried to grab the key. In the struggle, I tripped. Caleb caught me before I hit the floor, but instead of asking if I was okay, he snapped. “Chloe, when are you going to stop acting like a child?” His voice was cold, sharp with anger. I froze. I glared at him. “If you can’t stand me, Caleb, then divorce me.” I stormed out. He didn’t follow. Men. I wasn’t going to cry over him. I packed a bag and moved into the guest room. But lying on the silk sheets, the tears came anyway. Because I saw the photo. It was an old, frayed picture of a woman. And that woman looked exactly like me. 4 Faye slammed her hand on the sofa. “So he’s cheating? With a doppelganger?!” She looked ready to murder him. “Relax,” I said calmly. “Stop acting.” She deflated. “Fine. But if he hurts you, I’m team Chloe all the way.” “So, I’m doing the ‘Runaway Wife with a Secret Baby’ plot.” Faye raised both hands. “I support this chaos.” Just then, my phone started blowing up. It was Liam, Caleb’s assistant. Caleb was definitely making him call. Why didn’t Caleb call himself? Because I blocked him. Hang up. Block. Liam got the same treatment. Meanwhile, in a black Bentley across town, Caleb Vance stared at his assistant with a face like thunder. “Sir… she hung up.” “Call again.” “She… blocked me.” Caleb let out a dark laugh. He had gone home to find the house looked like it had been raided. Chloe’s closet was empty. His clothes were thrown on the floor. And his favorite car was missing. He knew exactly who the culprit was. I touched my face and smiled. Don’t praise me, I’ll get an ego. Outside, the rain started pouring. A classic romance novel trope. Caleb stood outside Faye’s apartment building. He knocked on the door. “Chloe. Open up.” I ignored him, sitting on the shoe bench in the entryway, arms crossed. But then… beep, beep, beep, click. The door opened. Caleb had the code. 5 The door swung open, revealing Caleb’s sharp, angry face. His dark eyes locked onto mine. I whipped my head around to glare at Faye. “Traitor!” Faye grinned sheepishly and retreated to her room. Caleb marched in, scooped me up from the bench, and turned to leave. “Caleb, put me down! I’m not going back!” I grabbed the doorframe. “Chloe, stop making a scene.” “Let me explain.” “I don’t want to hear it!” I yelled, struggling. “Go away!” Caleb stopped. He didn’t put me down, but he didn’t move. So, no explanation? Just silence? I looked at the face I had loved for years. Was he just tolerating me all this time? Did he think my feelings were just “scenes”? Caleb looked down at my sad face. Suddenly, he shoved his phone in front of me. On the screen was a photo of the “Princess,” a luxury yacht docked in the harbor. The one I had been drooling over for months. “Princess Chloe. I bought the boat.” I froze. My eyes glued to the screen. 180 million dollars. My boat. Okay, Caleb had his moments. I took the phone, grinning like an idiot. “Chloe,” he said, taking the phone back. “Can you listen now?” I nodded, eyes still tracking the phone. “The photo I hid… it was a candidate for a new marketing campaign. She looked like you. I didn’t know her, but I panicked because I thought you’d misunderstand.” A flimsy excuse. But… But there was a yacht. And honestly, I never really believed Caleb would cheat. I just wanted to be dramatic. (And I wanted the boat.) “Fine,” I said. “Let’s go.” But I wasn’t done with him yet. 6 We went home. Faye leaned against her doorframe, watching Caleb carry my bags. “Why did you do all that just to leave two hours later?” “I’m going home,” I said loud enough for Caleb to hear. “I haven’t forgiven him.” I was starving. I had the chef make dinner and prepared for Step 2. We sat in silence. I ignored Caleb completely. “Ugh…” I put down my fork, covered my mouth, and ran to the bathroom. I thought my performance was Oscar-worthy. But Caleb didn’t take the bait! He followed me, looking concerned but clueless. “Chloe, what did you eat? Did you sneak spicy food again?” What? This didn’t follow the script! Has this man never seen a soap opera? Useless. I rolled my eyes at him. Whatever. I had more tricks. I “dry heaved” a few more times that night. Caleb just kept asking if I had food poisoning. Does he think I’m a glutton? I haven’t had junk food since I found out I was pregnant! He is so stupid. The next day, while Caleb was at work, I decided to escalate. To save face, I had to go nuclear. I booked an appointment at the Vance Family Private Hospital. For an abortion. And I put Caleb’s phone number as the emergency contact. I sat outside the operating room and hit “Confirm Appointment.” The confirmation text should be hitting his phone right about… now. I laughed to myself. Genius. Then I posted a Moment on WeChat, visible only to him: [Baby, it’s not that Mommy doesn’t love you… but I can’t bring you into a loveless home.] Attached was a photo of my ultrasound. Sure enough, Caleb went insane.

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I am the beautiful but airheaded villainess. The system told me to break up the male and female leads. So, I knocked on the principal’s door: “Mr. Principal, I want to report someone. There are students dating.” The principal was furious: “Chloe Vance! This is the eight-hundredth time you’ve reported them! “The valedictorian and salutatorian are dating, what does that have to do with you, the girl ranked last in the whole school?” I looked at him calmly. Took out my phone. Pressed play on a recording: “Come on, Mr. Principal, say that again.” 1 “I’ll say it! Chloe Vance, you dared to bring your phone to school! Phone confiscated!” Mission failed. Phone -1. Damn it. 2 I returned to the classroom and saw Lily Summer, the heroine of this book. I never understood why villainous supporting characters always hated innocent, pure-hearted heroines. Now I finally know. She clearly did nothing, yet she effortlessly caused me to lose my phone. I must take revenge on her. “What are you doing?” “I’m solving this Math Olympiad problem, it’s so hard. I can’t figure out a third solution no matter what. Do you know it?” See, there’s a reason I hate her. First, she’s doing Math Olympiad problems. Second, she’s thinking about a third solution. Finally, she asked if I knew it? This dead green tea bitch. I snatched the workbook from her hands and flipped several pages back. “What are you pretending for? Aren’t the answer keys right here in the back? Some valedictorian you are.” Third solution my ass. I’ll just read out the answers for you, let’s see how you keep pretending then? Dead green tea bitch. I am just too evil. Let me see the answer. “Omitted.” … Omitted my ass! Such a hard problem, and you omit the answer? Such easy money to earn, and I want to earn it too! Lily propped her chin on her hand, pursed her lips, and looked at me: “Say it then, why aren’t you saying it?” The whole class looked over. As the saying goes, anger rises from the heart, and evil grows from the gall. I didn’t stop at one thing, I tore up the answer key right then and there. I am too vicious. Without the answer key, she could only do the problems herself. When she encountered difficult problems she didn’t understand, she would be sad and upset, but couldn’t find the solution, and would then doubt her own abilities. Over time, she would contract the bad habit of plagiarism, and might even drop out of school! “Since you like to pretend so much, don’t ever look at it again!” I casually threw the workbook out the door. Lily was indeed shocked by me, and even stuttered when she spoke: “Wait, that’s my desk mate’s…” A sound of annoyance came from behind. I turned around. It was the male lead, Caleb Thorne. Backlit. Youthful. High school vibes. 3 【For all the pain obsessed with love. 【For all the wounds obsessed with hate. 【I can no longer distinguish whether love and hate are just like this…】 Caleb interrupted my BGM: “Wait, who threw my workbook out?” The primary quality of a villainous supporting female character is, of course, perfect framing and blaming. “I saw Lily throw it! It was her! It was definitely her!” The thirty-something students in the class all looked at me in unison. Caleb frowned slightly, holding his workbook, and walked towards me. Closer and closer. He was standing right in front of me. He actually, leaned over slightly, wanting to hold my hand. It’s over. It’s over. I’m about to have a high school romance. The dragon slayer eventually becomes the evil dragon. Sure enough, as long as I can successfully frame the heroine, the male lead will turn to choose me. This is the world of female competition. “Chloe Vance, you’re still holding my answer key.” Caleb dug the crumpled answer key out of my hand. “…” The whole class burst into laughter. I was a little flustered. I didn’t stop at one thing, I squatted on the ground, hugged his leg, and began to cry and shout: “You don’t know, she threw your workbook, I only managed to snatch the answer key, believe me! Why don’t you believe me?” Caleb looked down at me, a little at a loss: “It’s just a workbook, if you threw it, you threw it, no need to be like this…” I wiped my tears and stood up: “Oh, I threw it.” A villainous supporting female character is able to retract and release freely. And being seen through my clumsy tricks by the wise male lead is simply a common occurrence, okay? Never say defeat. 4 In the hallway after class. I compensated Caleb with a brand new workbook. He was too embarrassed to take it. “You didn’t have to buy a new one specially…” I insisted on stuffing it into his hand: “Please, you must accept it.” Anyway, I didn’t write a single word in it. Caleb saw me pressing his hand, was silent for a moment: “I don’t think it’s appropriate.” “There’s nothing inappropriate about it, just consider it as me lending it to you to write in. When the semester ends, you can return it to me.” Caleb opened the title page and held it in front of me. Written on it were three big words, Chloe Vance. “This is your workbook, right?” He flipped through several pages, all of which were blank, and looked at me incredulously: “You didn’t write a single word, you want me to do your homework for you?” Oops, I’ve been seen through. I was dumbfounded for a while, stubbornly looked up at him who was six feet tall: “Then, then, then, didn’t you also learn the knowledge? Who actually took advantage of whom between us? That must be, you took advantage of me.” Caleb stared at me for a moment, suddenly blushed a little, lowered his head and smiled. “Do your own homework.” He patted the workbook onto my chest and went into the classroom. I was stunned in the hallway for a while. Caleb, is there something wrong with him? What is he smiling for, what’s so funny about me? Is this still the virtuous and artistic old artist? Suddenly someone bumped my shoulder from behind. I turned back, and the workbook was snatched away. “It’s due next week, let me see how you wrote… Holy cow, you just bought it?” The workbook slowly moved down, revealing Evan James’s eyebrows and eyes. 5 A villainous supporting female character always needs an idle friend by her side. This friend of mine is Evan, my desk mate, and also my neighbor. “It’s okay, I’ll put it on the black market, guaranteed to get it written for you on time.” “There’s a black market?” “Yeah. I wrote half of it, paid two hundred bucks to get someone to write the rest for me. In your case, I estimate it will cost five hundred.” As a villainous supporting female character, I naturally am not short of money. “Then I’ll leave it to you.” I rolled the workbook into a tube, handed it to Evan’s palm, but followed this direction, and met eyes with Caleb who was erasing the blackboard. Seeing that I saw him, he threw the eraser onto the podium, snorted coldly, and returned to his seat. I was thinking, this kid is moody, suddenly the class bell rang, and I was bumped by someone. “Excuse me.” Cold voice. Lily passed between me and Evan holding a whole stack of test papers. Evan was dissatisfied: “Did I excuse you? You just passed!” Lily looked back and glanced at him. “Then I’ll return it to you.” Lily retreated from between us and walked past again from the side. I was bumped again: “…” Evan was momentarily stunned, his gaze followed that back figure: “I’ve grown so big, I’ve never seen such a drag girl.” “You didn’t fall for her, did you?” Evan lowered his head and coughed: “How could that be? The type I like is very clear, sweet girls! Like you.” Huh? I’m a sweet girl? “What kind of look is that? I’m your daddy.” 6 Before destroying the relationship between Caleb and Lily, I have a more important thing to do. That is to steal the phone back. After the last class in the afternoon, I made an appointment with Evan and hovered at the door of the office. When the teachers went to dinner, we pretended to go in to get the test papers. “Your workbook, I already got it done.” Evan showed me the phone screen, on it was the chat record between him and the black market teacher: 【This one? Didn’t you already write it?】 【It’s my friend’s. Last time half a book was two hundred, this time the whole book is five hundred, okay?】 The other side didn’t pay attention to him. Evan also sent a super cute kitten kowtow emoji package: 【Pretty please.】 【Okay, then put it in the old place.】 “You don’t meet? Still put it in the old place?” “Ghostwriting homework, of course we can’t meet, this is safer.” I returned the phone to him. “Then does the other side know it’s you?” “Knows.” Evan turned his head to look at me, pulling the corner of his lips into a bad smile, “It doesn’t matter to me, my reputation is out there.” While we chatted, our peripheral vision locked onto the office, the teachers had almost all left, only one young teacher remained. Evan and I walked in openly. “Hello teacher, the principal asked us to come get the test papers.” The teacher ignored us. But the principal hid the phone too deeply. Evan and I rummaged through the desk, didn’t see the shadow of the phone, except for the inner office drawer. Just as I was reaching out to open the drawer, a voice suddenly sounded. “What are you doing?” Lily, who appeared at the door, was the person who really came to get the test papers. Evan lowered his voice and said fiercely: “You, mind your own business.” Lily raised her neck and looked at him with a fixed smile: “I’m going to tell the principal that you and Chloe are stealing things.” Evan stared at her, backed up two steps, lowered his head and leaned to my ear: “How did you offend her?” I lowered my voice: “Just last time her model essay, wasn’t it called ‘Chasing Dreams’? I added three words behind her title, Show Business.” “…That’s very bad.” Evan walked to her side, coughed affectedly: “Give me some face.” Lily looked at him disapprovingly, curled the corner of her lips sarcastically, bumped his shoulder, and was about to walk in: “Speak nicely, you don’t listen, do you?” Evan gently patted his forehead with his palm, took a deep breath, grabbed her wrist from behind, and forcibly pulled the person away. I finished watching the drama and continued to open the drawer. Unfortunately, it was locked. “Chloe Vance?” A devil’s low moan came from behind. I stood straight, turned around, voice clear and bright: “Hello teacher!”

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