One week before Ethan’s “one that got away,” Chloe, was set to marry someone else, she came crying to him. She didn’t want to go through with the wedding. Not only did Ethan plan to help her run away on her big day, but he also expected me to be the stand-in bride to cover their tracks. I refused. I demanded an explanation for this insanity. Ethan, usually so gentle, looked at me with rage I’d never seen before. “Hazel, how can you just watch Chloe marry a man she doesn’t love? Do you have no heart?” Later, to vent his anger for Chloe, he kicked me down the stairs. My knee was shattered. I could never dance again. That was the moment my heart finally died. I stopped trapping myself in the name of love. I never expected Ethan to come crawling back. He looked miserable, begging me on his knees: “Hazel, please… save me. I was wrong. I really know I was wrong.” Chapter 1 When I got back from the theater, it was drizzling outside. The moment I walked in, I saw Ethan sitting on the sofa with Chloe. She was sobbing, clinging to his arm. “Ethan, what do I do? I can’t marry Brad. I don’t love him at all! Take me away on the wedding day, please?” She looked at Ethan like he was her only savior. Ethan sat up straight, his jaw tense. After a long silence, he said, “Okay.” “I object!” I walked over, staring coldly at Chloe. Chloe suddenly dropped to her knees in front of me. She begged: “Hazel, I know you hate me because Ethan and I have a history. But you can’t push me into a fire pit!” Seeing her on her knees, Ethan’s gentle mask cracked. He glared at me. “Hazel, how can you be so cruel? Watching Chloe marry a man she hates? Do you have no heart?” He tenderly helped Chloe up from the floor. Chloe gave him a desperate look. “It’s okay, Ethan. Maybe this is just my fate.” She turned to leave, looking like a broken doll. Ethan stood up to chase her. I grabbed his arm. Before I could explain, he shoved me away. Hard. “Hazel, enough! How can you be so vicious?” He grabbed his keys and drove off to chase Chloe without looking back. After he left, I limped to the first aid kit to treat my knee. Ethan used to love me so much. A papercut would make him panic and rush to bandage me. But today, he threw me to the ground. The table edge gouged my knee, and he didn’t even blink. His heart was full of his precious Chloe. I waited until late at night. Ethan didn’t come home. Instead, I received a photo from Chloe. They were in a hotel room, tangled in sheets. I didn’t sleep a wink. Chapter 2 Ethan came back the next morning. He brought my favorite Banana Pudding from Magnolia Bakery. He acted like nothing happened, laying out the desserts one by one, pushing them toward me like he was waiting for a reward. I looked at the pudding and spoke softly. “Ethan, I’m allergic to bananas. I hate anything banana flavored.” He clicked his tongue, his gentleness evaporating. “Eat it or don’t! I drove all the way to get this. I didn’t do it to hear you complain!” His voice was full of irritation. I didn’t smile and thank him like I usually did. I stood up and went to the kitchen to make myself a bowl of oatmeal. He was annoyed at my defiance. But since he was in the wrong for staying out all night, he swallowed his anger. “Sorry about yesterday. Is your knee okay?” When I nodded, he let out a sigh of relief. Seeing the gauze on my knee, he muttered: “You dancers are so dramatic. It’s just a bump. Do you really need all that bandage?” He didn’t care. I looked him in the eye and said calmly: “Ethan, I love ballet just as much as you love running your company. I never belittled your passion. Why do you belittle mine?” He touched his nose guiltily and changed the subject. “Forget it. Are you free tonight? I’m taking you to meet my friends.” Chapter 3 It was raining lightly in the evening. Ethan took me to a private room at an upscale club. His friends started hooting when I walked in. “Yo, Ethan! Is this the ballerina sister-in-law?” Several pairs of eyes scanned me with ill intentions. Ethan led me further inside. Sitting in the center of the room was Chloe. She stared at Ethan without saying a word. “Hazel, let me toast to you! I hope you and Ethan live happily ever after!” Chloe suddenly stood up, staring right at me. Her eyes were brimming with tears. Ethan looked at her with heartbreak written all over his face. I didn’t move. Everyone in the room was watching me. Ethan felt embarrassed. He frowned and whispered aggressively: “Hazel, don’t embarrass me in front of my friends.” I looked at Ethan quietly. He forgot I was allergic to alcohol. When we first started dating, he found out and held me tight. He promised he would never let me touch a drop of alcohol as long as he was around. Now, the knight had become the dragon. “Ethan, did you forget? I’m allergic to alcohol.” I said softly. My voice wasn’t loud, but it silenced the room. Ethan’s friends tried to smooth things over. “Sorry, Hazel. Our bad. Just drink juice instead.” Someone handed me a glass of orange juice. Chloe looked at me with wide, innocent eyes. “Hazel, do you look down on me? Is that why you won’t drink with me?” Ethan frowned deeply. He snatched the juice from my hand and replaced it with wine. “Hazel, stop being dramatic. Since when are you allergic to alcohol?” His voice was unhappy. He shoved the glass in my face. “Hazel, are you drinking or not? If you don’t, we’re done.” He was threatening me with a breakup. Chloe pretended to stop him. “Ethan, don’t force Hazel. Maybe she was raised too delicately and isn’t used to drinking.” I refused to drink. My parents taught me one thing growing up: I can do what I want, and I can refuse what makes me uncomfortable. If the sky falls, they will hold it up for me. Ethan’s eyes flashed with anger at my refusal. He grabbed my jaw, forcing my mouth open, and poured the wine down my throat. I choked, coughing violently. Ethan looked at me with a smug smirk. “Stop acting! See? Nothing happened!” Chloe let out a soft laugh. But soon, they wouldn’t be laughing. Chapter 4 My vision started to go black. My throat closed up. Ethan didn’t care. He thought I was acting. “Hazel, that’s enough! Stop the drama! You’re overdoing it!” Chloe fanned the flames. “Yeah, Hazel. You’re so good at acting, you should be in movies, not ballet.” My face turned pale. Thud. I collapsed on the floor. Someone finally realized something was wrong and checked my pulse. Their hands shaking, they called 911. When I woke up, Ethan was staring at me, his face pale. Seeing me awake, he looked guilty. “How do you feel? You okay?” I shook my head. Seeing I was alive, Chloe let out a sigh of relief. “Scared me to death. I thought something bad actually happened!” Ethan looked at me with annoyance now that the danger had passed. Chloe changed the subject. “Hazel, I’m getting married in two weeks. You have to keep my secret, okay? Don’t tell anyone I’m planning to run away!” Seeing my blank expression, Ethan smiled at Chloe. “Don’t worry. In my house, what I say goes. Hazel wouldn’t dare disobey.” After Chloe left, Ethan fed me the chicken soup he made. “Hazel, try this. I simmered it for hours.” He was overly attentive. For the few days I was in the hospital, he took perfect care of me. It made me wonder if the alcohol incident was just a hallucination. The day I was discharged, Ethan took me home. He prepared a lavish candlelight dinner. After eating, I passed out on the table. Before I lost consciousness completely… I heard Ethan sigh in relief. He called Chloe, sounding like he wanted praise. “Chloe, I handled Hazel. Come over and take her to Brad’s room.” I was taken to a strange room. Inside, waiting for me, was Chloe’s fiancé, Brad.

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My nineteen-year-old sister was pregnant. She stood on the edge of the rooftop, threatening to jump if we didn’t let her keep the baby. In a life-or-death moment, I acted like she didn’t exist. I stood aside, leisurely cracking sunflower seeds and filming a TikTok. In my past life, my mom and I dragged her to the clinic for an abortion to save her future. We scrimped and saved to send her abroad, just to keep her away from her deadbeat boyfriend. But Summer hated us for breaking them up. She cut ties the moment she landed in Europe and never came back. My mom blamed me for suggesting the abortion. While I was sleeping, she strangled me with a rope. “It’s all your fault! If not for your terrible idea, my baby girl wouldn’t have abandoned me!” I opened my eyes and was back on that rooftop. The day Summer threatened to die for her baby. But I didn’t expect that my mom was reborn too. Chapter 1 “This is Jasper’s baby! Vera, if you don’t take me to the hospital right now and let me have this baby, I’ll jump!” “How can you be so cruel? Do you want to kill me?” On the rooftop, my sister Summer, nine months pregnant, screamed at me hysterically. I jolted awake, shivering. Thinking I was scared, Summer waddled closer to the edge, a smug look on her face. “You’re just jealous, Vera. Jealous that I found true love early. Jealous that I’m going to have a beautiful baby and a perfect family.” Because of the pregnancy, Summer was swollen. She slipped and fell, screaming in pain. “Vera! Are you stupid? My water broke! Help me up!” Just as she finished yelling, another figure rushed onto the rooftop, staring at us in shock. Summer’s arrogance dimmed. She clutched her belly, ready to threaten again. But Mom rushed forward, hugging her like a precious gem. “My baby girl! You’re due any day now! Why are you sitting on the ground? Get up!” Summer flinched but kept her tone hard. “Don’t act like a loving mother to trick me! I’m in labor. Either we both die, or you let me keep the baby. Choose!” In my past life, Mom cried until she lost her voice. I was the one who dragged Summer to the hospital. The baby was too big. The doctors said Summer might die. I made the call to sacrifice the baby to save her life. But this time, I said nothing. I just watched coldly. Before Summer could finish her threat, Mom interrupted her, voice trembling with love. “Sweetie, if you want the baby, keep it! You are Mommy’s heart. You give birth, and Mommy will raise it for you!” Summer was stunned. She thought she was dreaming. “But… you said you’d disown me if I kept it.” “Silly girl, I was just angry. Nothing in this world is more important than you.” Mom’s eyes were filled with relief. Summer threw herself into Mom’s arms. Mother and daughter wept together. I watched this reunion and suddenly understood. Mom was reborn too. Yesterday, she was screaming that she’d cut ties if Summer didn’t get rid of it. After they finished crying, they finally remembered me sitting on the sidelines. Mom stood up and pinched my arm hard. “What are you staring at? Call 911! Didn’t you see your sister’s water broke?” Seeing Mom accept the baby, Summer looked at me with triumph. She grabbed Mom’s hand and whined. “Mom, don’t worry. Once the baby is born, I won’t let you suffer. When the baby grows up, we’ll both take care of you!” Hearing her empty promises, I couldn’t help but laugh out loud. Summer? Take care of Mom? Before I could speak, Summer’s face changed. She pointed at me accusingly. “Mom! Vera threatened me! She said if I didn’t get an abortion, she’d push me off the roof!” “You animal!” Mom roared. Slap. Her hand struck my face hard. “If anything happens to your sister, I’ll bury you with her!” In the past life, I would have thought she was just angry. But having died once, I knew the truth. To her, I wasn’t worth a single strand of Summer’s hair. She didn’t love me at all. The police and ambulance arrived quickly. Summer was taken to the hospital. It was a false alarm. The baby was fine. Summer sat in the hospital bed, smugly eating the food Mom forced me to buy. Mom dragged me out of the room, lowering her voice. “Your sister is having a baby. We need money. You should drop out of college.” Just like the last life. Sacrificing me for Summer. “Call the dean now. Withdraw. Then go work at your aunt’s factory. Have them send your paycheck directly to me. I’ll give you a hundred bucks a month for allowance.” She calculated everything perfectly. Ignoring my life completely. I pushed her away coldly and turned to leave. “I’m not dropping out.” “I never spent a dime of your money for school. And I won’t give you a dime in the future.” “Whatever happens to Summer is her problem. Not mine.” Denied for the first time, Mom froze, then exploded. She grabbed me, nails digging into my flesh. “If you don’t work, how will we feed your sister and nephew?” “I gave you life! If not for me, would you be alive today?” “How did I raise such a selfish, ungrateful wolf?” Chapter 2 Suffocation. Mom always used guilt as a weapon. “I’m alive because I’m tough!” Even though I was used to her bias, my voice choked up. “Just because Summer is an idiot, you want to ruin my twelve years of hard work? Why?” “Why do I have to pay for your choices? Who is the selfish one here?” Mom didn’t expect me to fight back. Slap. “I am your mother! Your body belongs to me! If I tell you to die, you have no right to speak!” My face burned. Looking at her twisted face, the tears I held back finally fell. The question I held in for two lifetimes finally came out. “Am I really your biological daughter?” The answer was a second slap. “You have the nerve to ask? I was in labor for two days with you! And you were useless—not a boy! If not for that, would Grandma have treated me so badly?” I tasted blood. Mom kept ranting. “You cursed your grandfather when you were four! You cursed your dad when you were eighteen! Now you want to abandon us?” “You jinx! I should have strangled you at birth!” The blows kept coming. I looked at the hatred in her eyes numbly. My heart turned to ash. “Don’t bargain with me. You are dropping out. Period!” But the girl who craved her mother’s love was dead. Mom killed her with her own hands. The last tear hit the floor. I grabbed Mom’s wrist mid-strike. “This is the last time I call you Mom. If you force me, I will tell everyone that Summer got knocked up at eighteen and is giving birth at nineteen!” “Let’s see which man will want her then!” “You dare!” Mom looked like she wanted to eat me alive. “Try me.” I walked out of the hospital and got into a taxi. Mom chased after me, stomping her feet in rage. The wind carried her confused muttering to my ears. “Something’s wrong… In the last life, she agreed to drop out…” The scenery blurred outside the window. I should have cried. But my chest felt heavy, and my eyes were dry. In the past life, Summer almost died. I paid the bills. I signed the forms. I prayed outside the delivery room. But when the baby died, Summer blamed me. She locked herself away, saying she needed to study abroad to heal. Or she would die. Mom made $3,000 a month at the factory. We barely scraped by. But I couldn’t watch my sister suffer. I gave up my dream university. I went to work illegally at my uncle’s factory. I worked day and night. I thought she would get better. Instead, Summer took the demolition money from our old house and ghosted us. When Mom got cancer, Summer didn’t come back once. Not a single dollar. She was living the high life abroad, making millions. Her only message to Mom was: “Good. She’s finally dying. You killed my baby. Now you pay with your life. Tell Vera I’m waiting for her to pay too!” I almost vomited blood reading that. But Mom heard a rumor that Summer didn’t come back because I was leeching off her. So she strangled me in my sleep. I exhaled a long breath. The past life faded like mist. I sneered. Since Summer wants this baby… Since Mom is willing to burn my future for her Golden Child… Why shouldn’t I help them achieve their dreams? Chapter 3 I returned to campus and threw myself into my part-time jobs. My tuition was covered by loans. I paid them off after graduation. I earned my own living expenses. I often ate plain bread for days just to send money to Summer. Mom never saw my sacrifices. She only saw Summer—pretty, popular, mediocre Summer. I wouldn’t be stupid this time. While I was busy making money, my cousin sent me a video. Summer was lying in a hospital bed, looking frail, gasping for air. Mom was crying beside her, holding a tissue box. “My poor baby! Leukemia at such a young age! She has to drop out before SATs!” “What will we do? And my heartless older daughter… she only cares about herself! She buys designer clothes while we starve!” The video went viral. The comments were full of sympathy for them and hatred for me. Mom must have forged a leukemia diagnosis. She set up a GoFundMe and was livestreaming for donations. My cousin texted me: “Vera, are you human? Your sister is dying, and you stole your mom’s money?” Calls from my aunt and grandma flooded in. I ignored them all. Mom was betting I didn’t have proof of the pregnancy. She wanted to ruin me. She and Summer wanted to drink my blood again. Keep dreaming. I waited. I waited for the donations to pile up. But they were more disgusting than I thought. They told lies on the livestream. “Justice warriors” called my school, demanding my expulsion. I faced a cold shoulder on campus. The dean called me in. He threatened to revoke my scholarship if I didn’t “resolve the issue.” As the top student in my major, the faculty trusted me enough to scrub the rumors from the school forum for now. One day in the cafeteria, I was looking for a seat. My childhood friend and boyfriend, Chad, lived across the hall from us growing up. He deliberately knocked my tray over. Grease stained my white T-shirt. Food scattered everywhere. Chad clenched his fists, voice trembling with righteous anger. “Vera, why won’t you drop out and work to save Summer?” “You know your mom can’t afford the bills! Is your future more important than your sister’s life?” I stared at him and smirked. Two students nearby were watching the drama with leftover food on their trays. I grabbed one tray and dumped it on Chad’s head. Before he could react, I grabbed the second tray and splashed the food all over his shirt. The cafeteria went dead silent. Then, gasps erupted. Chad screamed. I curled my lip and whispered so only he could hear: “Idiot.” I turned to leave. I remembered the day we graduated high school. Chad confessed to me. I was thrilled. My crush liked me back. Chad said he gave up his dream school to stay in the city for me. In the past life, as a lingering spirit, I learned the truth. I wasn’t his first choice. I was his consolation prize because he couldn’t have Summer. Chad chased after me, grabbing my arm. “How dare you? Someone selfish like you…” I cut him off coldly. “Chad, let’s break up.” Chapter 4 Chad froze. Then he sneered. “Trying to use a breakup to get my attention?” “Vera, I don’t buy it. Stop being dramatic.” I walked faster, ignoring him. Whispers followed me. “Isn’t that her boyfriend? Even he hates her. The rumors must be true.” “Disgusting. Stay away from her.” I sniffled, forcing the tears back. Crying is useless in front of people who hate you. A few days later, my best friend Sloane finally came through. She got me hard evidence of Summer’s fake leukemia and photos of her prenatal checkups. Just as I was about to post the evidence, Mom showed up at the school gate with a livestream crew. She knelt in front of me. “Vera! Please! Come home and see your sister! She misses you!” “I sold your father’s wedding gift, my gold necklace, just to buy her favorite chicken drumsticks. But she won’t eat! She wants to save them for you!” “Can’t you just come home?” Her voice was pitiful. The crowd was enraged. A woman screamed at me: “Uneducated trash! Your mom is kneeling! And you do nothing?” “Expel her!” Students looked at me with disgust. “I heard she’s top of her class. She got a huge scholarship recently. She won’t even spare a dime for her dying sister.” “Shameful.” I helped Mom up. I didn’t miss the smug glint in her eyes. She whispered in my ear: “You won’t drop out? I have ways to make you.” “Vera, accept your fate. You need to serve your sister.” I pinched my thigh hard, summoning the pain of two lifetimes. I burst into loud sobs. “Mom! I know you love Summer more, but you can’t lie like this!” “I posted the evidence online! Everyone, search my name!” Mom wiped her fake tears and pulled out her phone. By the time she realized what happened, I was back in my dorm. I didn’t have money for ads, but Mom’s livestream crew did the work for me. The ultrasound photos I secretly took before leaving. The medical records Sloane’s mom (a doctor) helped verify—proving the leukemia was fake. Mom and Summer were blindsided. They never expected cowardly Vera to fight back. Mom called me, screaming. “Vera! Are you trying to ruin your sister? Delete it! Tell them you faked it!” “I didn’t force you to drop out!” “Your sister just gave birth! She almost died! Where were you?” “We just wanted some diaper money! Why are you so evil?” I was stunned by her audacity. “If anything happens to Summer or the baby, get out of this family and never come back!” Perfect. “Fine. As you wish. From today on, I have no mother.” Mom paused, then screeched. “You ungrateful bitch! You want to cut ties? Give me a million dollars first!” “Summer’s baby is your responsibility! I don’t care if you sell yourself, you feed them!” I hung up. On the way to the library, Chad blocked my path. He looked shattered. “Did… did Summer really have a baby?” I looked at the boy I once loved. My throat burned. “Does it matter to you?” Chad looked annoyed. “What’s with the attitude? Summer is like a sister to me too!” “You’re always jealous of her.” He grabbed my arm. “Delete the video. Summer must have had a reason.” “My mom says people are demanding refunds. She must be so scared.” “You’re the older sister. Help her.” You’re the older sister. Because I was born two years earlier, I had to carry her burdens? I looked into Chad’s eyes and laughed. “Chad, do you know why Summer rejected you?”

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My boyfriend and I went to a luxury dealership to buy a car. The salesgirl, Stacy, who had been ignoring me, suddenly became very enthusiastic. She deliberately bent over and rubbed against him, circling him like a shark. During my test drive, she grabbed the wheel, nearly causing me to hit a pedestrian. Then she looked innocent and said: “I told you, Miss. You aren’t suitable for this car.” Then she pretended to whisper loudly to my boyfriend: “Didn’t she sit in the passenger seat when she came with that old sugar daddy last time?” Turns out, she wanted to sit in my boyfriend’s passenger seat. I just wonder if she has the ability to make my “trophy boyfriend” buy a Rolls-Royce with my money! Chapter 1 After introducing my boyfriend, Ethan, to my parents, I was in a great mood. Passing by a luxury car dealership, I raised an eyebrow and teased him: “Do you want to drive a Rolls-Royce?” Ethan paused, then smiled gently. “Whatever you say, babe.” We arrived. Ethan went to park my Porsche. I walked in first. There was only one saleswoman inside. She scanned me from head to toe and rolled her eyes. “Seriously? Another broke dreamer coming in here to daydream. Look at yourself. Can you even afford a tire?” I looked at her name tag: Stacy. She glanced at my oversized T-shirt, shorts, and flip-flops with disgust. “People like you dirty our floor. If you scratch anything, you couldn’t afford to pay for it even if you sold yourself!” My temple throbbed. Just as I was about to speak, her eyes lit up. She walked straight past me, shoulder-checking me hard. Her smile was warm and genuine as she approached Ethan. She whispered softly, asking about his needs and preferences. When she spotted the Rolex on Ethan’s wrist—the one I bought him—her smile deepened. Ethan saw the sleek Rolls-Royce in the showroom and couldn’t move. He followed Stacy like he was in a trance. Right in front of me, Stacy bent over, sticking her butt out in her tight pencil skirt. She crawled into the driver’s seat to grab some brochures, practically pressing her chest against Ethan’s arm. I looked around. Brochures were everywhere. Did she have to get them from the driver’s seat? Ethan seemed to remember me suddenly and waved. “Penelope, come look! This one is nice.” When Stacy turned to look at me, her expression froze for a second. Chapter 2 Jealousy flashed in her eyes. While Ethan excitedly checked out the car, she lowered her voice and whispered to me: “Nice moves, honey. Being that broke and snagging a man of this level?” This level? Which level? I wanted to laugh. Ethan’s entire outfit today was bought by me. Covered in logos. Very flashy. She turned to Ethan and said, “It’s so hard for girls from humble backgrounds like us. We have to work so hard just to stand in front of someone like you.” Stacy glanced at me. “Unlike some people…” Ethan looked at me, a bit embarrassed. He pulled me toward the passenger side. “Penelope, try the passenger seat.” Usually, I let Ethan drive. But that doesn’t mean I always sit shotgun. I opened the driver’s door. Before I could sit, a hand stopped me. Stacy looked at me with fake concern. “Miss, this car costs $800,000. Regular girls like you don’t understand cars. If you break something, it would be bad.” She invited Ethan to sit in the driver’s seat, then plopped herself into the passenger seat. “This car has a lot of features. I studied for a long time to learn them. I can answer Mr. Miller’s questions from here.” Ethan patted my head. “Penelope, I usually drive anyway. Let me figure it out first, then I’ll teach you.” Stacy chimed in. “Exactly. Mr. Miller looks like a pro. What do girls like you know about specs and performance?” Basically, one thinks I’m dumb, and the other thinks I’m broke. I almost laughed out loud. Since I got my license at eighteen, I’ve driven every car in my family’s garage. I know way more about cars than Ethan. I tapped my fingers on the door and said coolly: “Talking to him is useless. Whether we buy this car depends on my mood.” Chapter 3 I didn’t explicitly say I was paying. I always saved Ethan’s face in public. His parents died when he was young. My dad sponsored his college tuition. After graduation, he joined my family’s company, starting from the bottom. We were college classmates. He didn’t know my identity until we started dating. We thought it was destiny. Hearing my words, Ethan’s smile stiffened. He stayed silent. Stacy looked disdainful. Her jealousy burned brighter. She probably thought Ethan spent millions just to make me happy. She ignored me completely and kept chatting up Ethan. I got tired of this circus. I demanded a test drive. Stacy looked at me with contempt. “A girl driving an SUV? Seriously?” “You broke people just want to joyride in luxury cars, right?” I glanced at her and said calmly: “If you can’t respect the customer, call your manager or the owner.” “I want to see if I can test drive today.” Ethan frowned. “I’ve never heard of a dealership refusing a test drive.” Seeing Ethan speak up, Stacy reluctantly went to get the keys. While she was gone, I went to my car and changed into driving shoes. When we were alone, Ethan hugged my arm and whined: “Babe, I wanted to drive that car too.” He leaned in. His clean scent was now tainted by cheap perfume. I frowned. “Can’t you see she’s a pick-me girl?” Ethan rubbed against me, unbothered. “We won’t see her again after we buy the car. Don’t be petty, babe.” “Don’t be mad. She’s not worth it.” He was still the puppy dog who provided emotional value. My anger subsided. Maybe I was overthinking it. Chapter 4 Stacy took us to the test drive route. It was a quiet road with few people or cars. Both Stacy and Ethan asked repeatedly if I really wanted to drive. I ignored them and buckled up. Ethan sat shotgun. Stacy sat in the back. I adjusted the mirrors and started the engine. Along the way, Stacy kept flirting with Ethan. Praising his success, asking about his job. Ethan was vague. “I work at a corporate firm.” Stacy thought he was being humble. She pulled out a bottle of water, poured it into a cup, and handed it to Ethan from the back. Ethan handed the water to me. I was about to tell him to put it down. Suddenly, Stacy grabbed my arm and screamed: “The driver can’t let go of the wheel!” I was holding the wheel. Her yank jerked the car into the right lane. There was a thick bush on the side of the road. I slammed on the brakes instinctively. The car screeched to a halt. Only then did I see a little girl standing behind the bush! The bumper was a meter away from her. If I hadn’t slammed the brakes, the consequences would have been unimaginable! Cold sweat drenched my back. I turned to Stacy, furious. “You could have killed someone!” Stacy looked innocent. “I told you, Miss. You aren’t suitable for this car.” “I’m so skinny, how much strength do I have? Usually, when I remind male customers, their hands don’t even move.” Wow. Yanking my arm is a “reminder” now? I was too angry to argue. I drove back to the dealership in silence. “Call your manager. Now.” Getting out, Stacy saw the long scratch on the side of the car from the curb. Her face went pale. But she doubled down. “I said you weren’t fit to drive! You scratched the car! Are you trying to get out of paying for it because you’re broke?”

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One car accident later, I swapped bodies with my husband’s mistress. She ignored my desperate warnings, dusted herself off, and immediately accused me of being the mistress. She beat me black and blue on a TikTok livestream. She leaked intimate photos of her and my husband from her phone, forcing my face to the screen so everyone could see. Looking at me, dying on the ground, she laughed maniacally. “From now on, your husband, your wealth, and your son are all mine.” What she didn’t know was this: My family is on the verge of bankruptcy. My son is a violent sociopath. And my husband has a terminal illness, counting on me for a kidney transplant. Chapter 1 Crash. The violent impact knocked me out cold. When I groggily opened my eyes, a crowd had gathered around the car. I struggled to speak. “Call 911…” The voice that came out wasn’t mine. It was young, high-pitched, unfamiliar. I turned my head and saw a woman slumped in the passenger seat. That woman… was me. I looked down at myself. I was wearing a pink Chanel-style suit. It was the outfit Chloe, my intern, wore today. Before I could process the horror, “Chloe” woke up in the passenger seat. She realized what happened instantly. Panic flashed in her eyes, then transformed into something sinister. She scrambled out of the car, falling dramatically onto the pavement. She smeared blood from her forehead all over her face and wailed: “This is my husband’s mistress! I tried to talk sense into her, but she tried to kill me!” The crowd gasped. Disgusted whispers filled the air. Chloe looked at me, a gleam of malicious triumph in her eyes. I was stunned. I rubbed my dizzy head and looked in the rearview mirror. It was true. I was now Chloe. Chloe seemed prepared for this. She was an intern at my company, ten years younger than me, fresh out of college. We were returning from a business dinner. I had wine, so I let her drive. On the way, she kept spouting nonsense. Asking about my marriage. Showing off a ring her “boyfriend” bought her. I ignored her. Then she took a call. “Hey, Hubby,” she cooed. When she put the phone down, I saw her lock screen. It was a photo of her and my husband, Richard. Intertwined fingers. Her head on his chest. Half-naked. My left eye twitched. I spoke directly. “Don’t be fooled by my husband. He’s not a good man.” Chloe’s hands shook on the steering wheel. She gave a fake smile. “Elena, what are you talking about?” I tried to warn her. I didn’t want to see a young girl ruin her life. “If you don’t want the office and your parents to know you’re a homewrecker, break up with him now!” “Don’t throw your future away for a man who doesn’t belong to you.” She started crying. “Elena, please! Don’t fire me! I just got perm…” “I made a mistake! I didn’t mean to wreck your home! Forgive me!” Then, horror struck. She let go of the steering wheel and grabbed my arm, begging. Bang! The car slammed into the guardrail, teetering over the river. Chapter 2 Now, she was playing the role of the righteous wife perfectly. She dragged me out of the driver’s seat and slapped me to the ground. She grabbed my hair (her own hair, really) and announced to the crowd: “My husband is Richard Sterling! He was on the cover of Forbes! You all know him!” The crowd nodded. Everyone in Chicago knew Richard Sterling. The magazine had a photo of us, the “power couple,” envied by millions. Hearing people whisper “Mrs. Sterling,” Chloe couldn’t hide her smirk. “This slut tried to steal my husband! I treated her like a sister at work, and this is how she repays me!” She started sobbing fake tears. I was known for being tough and professional. Seeing her make those pathetic, girlish expressions with my face made me nauseous. Incited by her, the crowd turned on me. Someone kicked me. My face hit the asphalt. “I am Elena…” I tried to say. Before I could finish, a heavy boot stomped on my mouth. Blood filled my throat. My teeth felt loose. Chloe watched with glee, adding fuel to the fire. “Look at this fox! She’s crazy for my status!” Chapter 3 My vision blurred. Chloe squatted down and whispered in my ear. “Seeing my beautiful face beaten like this… I almost feel bad.” “My skincare costs thousands a bottle. Richard bought it all. You old hag, you’ve never been loved like this, have you?” “I’ll tell you later just how much he loves me.” I stared at her. My crushed vocal cords could only wheeze. She grabbed the car keys, adapting to my identity with terrifying speed. I suddenly remembered the “hangover drink” she gave me after dinner. It tasted weird. She said it was a new flavor. It wasn’t an accident. It was a setup. She always came into my office when Richard picked me up, flirting with him. She stared at my family photo with envy. My handsome son. My dashing husband. My company. I told her, “I’m not as happy as you think.” She thought I was mocking her. Especially when I told her to rely on hard work. Seeing Richard’s wealth made her jealousy burn out of control. After that, she started wearing designer bags to work. “Elena, is this style too old? My boyfriend bought it for his… mom, but gave it to me.” It was a German luxury brand. Richard had just returned from a business trip to Germany. I wanted to give her a chance to leave with dignity. Instead, she took out my phone and called HR. “This is Elena. Fire Chloe immediately. Effective today.” She hung up and smiled, stepping on my fingers. “Elena, your company is mine now. Giving orders feels so good.” I spat blood onto her face. Enraged, she grabbed my collar and slapped me a dozen times. A TikTok streamer walked up. “Guys! It’s the billionaire’s wife beating a mistress! Chicago drama!” “Send a Rocket and I’ll kick her! Send a Yacht and I’ll strip her! The wife gave me permission!” The chat went wild. I clutched my torn clothes. Chloe kicked me in the chest. “Slut! You wanted fame? You took photos with my husband? Now you’ll be famous!” She unlocked her phone (my old phone) and uploaded her secret album. Nude photos. Intimate videos. All over the internet. Yachts flew across the screen. The streamer laughed and tore my jacket open. Stripped down to my underwear, I hugged Chloe’s leg, crying. “I don’t know what magic you used, but won’t we swap back? You’ll be ruined!” She grabbed my hair, forcing my face toward the camera. She whispered, “Don’t worry. We won’t swap back.” I shook my head. “It was a Voodoo potion. I burned our birth dates. It cost me 2 million dollars. No refunds.” “And don’t worry, Richard gave me the money. So he helped put you here.” My heart went cold. Since I took over this failing company, Richard never gave me a dime. I almost went bankrupt last month. I needed $100k to survive. He refused. But he gave his mistress 2 million for black magic? I sniffled. I had given up on that man long ago. If Chloe was telling the truth… If we really can’t swap back… Maybe this isn’t a disaster. Maybe it’s a fresh start. Chapter 4 Seeing my despair, Chloe feigned surprise. “Elena, didn’t you know your husband loved me this much?” She grabbed my chin, digging her nails into my skin. She ripped the earring from my ear. Blood dripped down my neck. She dangled the sapphire earring in front of me. “He went to Tanzania to pick this gem for me personally. I can’t let a slut like you keep it.” I remembered our anniversary. Richard gave me a generic necklace from the mall. It looked cheap. He forced me to wear it, and socialites laughed at me. I laughed through the blood and tears. “If he loves you so much, why won’t he divorce me?” She slammed my head into the ground. “Old hag! It’s because you won’t sign! He drafted the papers, but he said he couldn’t just abandon his ‘starter wife’!” “He’s so loyal. I can’t make it hard for him. Now that I’m his wife, we can finally be together legally.” Her eyes were full of delusional romance. “Now, enjoy your new life in this old, ugly body. I’m confident he’ll love me in yours.” “As for you… I’ll ruin your face so I never have to look at you again.” I paused. For nine years, I wanted to leave Richard. I drafted divorce papers a hundred times. Every time, he tore them up and choked me, warning me I could never leave. He lied to Chloe. Just like he lied to me and my family. My parents forced me to marry him for investment money. After the wedding, I found out he had a child. A debt from his wild youth. I wanted a divorce. He locked me up. I lived a life of glamour on the outside, hell on the inside. I had to play the loving wife for PR. I tried to have hope. But the endless stream of women killed it. Now, someone was volunteering to jump into the fire pit for me? Please, take my place.

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On the day of our high school graduation, Ethan, my childhood sweetheart, shoved a thick journal into my hands. From the day he first realized he liked me, one page a day. Nine hundred and ninety-nine pages in total. Filled with a boy’s pure, unadulterated love. Moved to tears, a drop fell onto the very last page. Ink swirled, revealing a new line of text. I thought it was a hidden message Ethan designed as a surprise. But when I read it, I froze. It said: “On our third wedding anniversary, I realized I no longer love Scarlett.” Chapter 1 While I stood there in shock, my phone buzzed. It was a text from Ethan. Ethan: Scarlett, did you finish the journal? Will you be my girlfriend? I looked at the journal again. Was this some sick prank? When I didn’t reply, Ethan ran straight to my house. “Scarlett! Why are you ignoring me?” I pointed directly at that line of text. “What does this mean?” Ethan squinted. When he saw the words, his flushed face turned pale instantly. “What the hell? I didn’t write that! What is this?” He grabbed the journal, holding it up to the light, checking every inch. Cold sweat dripped down his forehead. The handwriting matched his perfectly. “Scarlett, I swear I don’t know what’s going on. Who is pranking me?” As he spoke, new words began to appear under the first line. “If only the person I met and fell in love with first was Stella.” Seeing text appear out of thin air, Ethan fell onto the floor in terror. “Ghosts?! And who the hell is Stella?” Seeing that name, I snapped back to reality. I snatched the journal and shoved Ethan out the door. Slam. My heart pounded against my ribs. The person writing these words might be the Ethan from three years in the future. And Stella… is my half-sister. Everyone around me who meets her ends up loving her and hating me. That’s why, for three years of high school, I never told Ethan about Stella’s existence. I slid down the door, sitting on the floor. To escape Stella, I applied to a high school in Seattle, far from my hometown in Oregon. I lived alone in the small apartment my mom left me. Did she really ruin my marriage in the end? The journal continued to generate new content. “I first met Stella at our wedding. Scarlett always said she had a bad relationship with her family and refused to invite them. But on the wedding day, Stella showed up with Scarlett’s father and stepmother. She apologized to me, explaining the family situation and how Scarlett had rejected her since childhood. She told me not to blame Scarlett, saying she understood how Scarlett felt about having her dad ‘stolen’. She was such an understanding girl. Even while being hated, she tried to fix Scarlett’s relationship with her family. Scarlett was stiff throughout the wedding. My parents weren’t happy about it. I decided to talk to Scarlett that night, to tell her about Stella’s good intentions. But Scarlett started a huge fight. She smashed everything in our new house. I had never seen her lose control like that. She cried and pushed me out the door, screaming, ‘Even you fell for her! You hate me!’ I held her tight, explaining over and over that I just wanted her to reconcile with her family. I couldn’t possibly fall for my sister-in-law. Only then did she calm down. When Stella heard about the outcome, she looked devastated. She even cried. She said this was her last attempt. She wouldn’t disturb us anymore, lest Scarlett think she was trying to ruin the marriage too. I grabbed her arm. I told her that as Scarlett’s husband, I had a duty to help bridge the gap. I swear, at first, I just wanted to learn about Scarlett’s childhood from Stella. But after spending time with her, I realized Stella was perfect. She was sunny and gentle, completely different from the sensitive, self-consuming Scarlett. I never expected that when Scarlett found out I was contacting Stella, she would threaten suicide! I was exhausted. After calming Scarlett down, I secretly drove to see Stella. That night, I fell completely into Stella’s comfort. But it wasn’t entirely my fault. Scarlett pushed me away, bit by bit.” Reading this, I was sobbing uncontrollably. My heart felt like it was being squeezed and torn apart. Ethan was still banging on the door. I yanked it open and threw the journal in his face. “I was blind to waste my time on you! Take your journal and get out! Go be with Stella!” Chapter 2 I locked the door, pulled the curtains. I buried myself under the blanket and cried. This was insane. My phone vibrated like crazy. I sent Stella’s number to Ethan. Then I blocked them both. But Ethan climbed up to my window on the second floor! He banged on the glass, begging. “Scarlett, let me in! I’m going to fall!” I took a deep breath and opened the window. As soon as he climbed in, he grabbed my hands. “Scarlett, maybe the future me really wrote that. I’m sorry. I deserve to die!” He grabbed my hand and slapped his own face with it. I struggled, not wanting him to touch me. “Scarlett! The future me changed, but you forgot that the present me loves you for real!” Ethan’s tears fell on my hand. They were hot. “Stella is clearly a ‘Pick-me girl’! She’s acting innocent to steal everything from you and make you look crazy!” He pulled me into a tight hug. “I apologize on behalf of my future self. Scarlett, please give me another chance. I know you’ve liked me for three years too.” “I’ve already seen through Stella’s act. Maybe the future can change!” I stopped struggling, staring blankly at the journal lying open on the floor outside. When I came to this strange city alone, Ethan was the first person I met. He lived next door. Seeing me struggling with boxes, he came to help. Since that day, he was involved in everything. Changing lightbulbs, unclogging drains. Study plans, exam analysis. If I refused to go to his house for holidays, he’d bring Tupperware to mine and eat with me. Worried about my safety, he even set up a device. If it triggered, he’d know instantly. I was sensitive and anxious about relationships. Ethan never found me annoying. He listened patiently, comforting me bit by bit. I had long considered him irreplaceable family. A friend. And I had fantasized about being his lover more than once. Seeing I was calm, Ethan gripped my shoulders. “Scarlett, my parents wanted to send me abroad. I refused because I didn’t want to leave you.” “Why don’t you come with me? We can go abroad, far away from Stella. She’ll never have a chance to interfere.” Looking at his pleading eyes, I rubbed my throbbing temples. “I need some time alone…” “I’ll go talk to my parents right now! Scarlett, wait for me!” Ethan rushed home. The next day, he knocked on my door as promised. But he handed back the scarf I knitted for him. “Scarlett, I thought about it. We should break up.” Ethan looked down, avoiding my eyes. “Why? Yesterday you said you’d take me abroad.” Ethan looked in pain. His hand on the door trembled. A terrifying guess surfaced. I asked in disbelief: “Ethan, did the journal change?” He didn’t answer. He turned to run. I grabbed his shirt. “The future really changed, but you still betrayed me in the end, didn’t you?” Chapter 3 Ethan stopped. But he didn’t turn around. “Scarlett, I’m just a piece of trash.” His voice cracked. “I don’t deserve you.” Watching his shoulders shake with sobs, I dug my fingers into the scarf. “What happened? We chose to stay away from Stella, didn’t we?” Ethan just kept apologizing. “Scarlett, it’s better if you don’t know. I’m sorry. As long as I leave you, none of this will happen. You won’t get hurt.” A wave of anger rose in my chest. I stormed into Ethan’s house. I locked his bedroom door and found the journal under his bed. The content had changed completely. The time in the first sentence was cut short: “On our second wedding anniversary, I realized I no longer love Scarlett.” My hands shook as I read on. “…After high school, my parents wanted to send me abroad. I wanted to refuse, but somehow I said I wanted to take Scarlett with me. After finishing our studies abroad, Scarlett got pregnant. I proposed. My parents insisted the child be born in the US, so we returned. While waiting for the baby, I felt an inexplicable anxiety. Like we ran away to hide from someone. On the due date, we ran into Scarlett’s family at the hospital. She had a sister named Stella. I don’t know why, but the moment I saw Stella, I felt a strange repulsion. I even felt like she was the person I was hiding from. Scarlett laughed when she found out. She said I must love her too much, so I hated the sister who stole everything from her, just like she did. Scarlett’s mother died in childbirth. Scarlett wanted a natural birth to overcome her trauma. I decided to be in the delivery room. Stella insisted I switch Scarlett to a C-section. I refused and warned her to stay away. But after the birth, I regretted it. The baby’s head got stuck. The doctor used scissors to widen the opening. Blood everywhere. The baby and filth poured out of Scarlett. I fainted. I couldn’t eat for six months. Everything looked like blood. If Scarlett touched me, I wanted to vomit. Stella asked about Scarlett. Hearing my story, she cried in my arms. I felt something change. She knew Scarlett hated her, yet she cared so much. If I had listened to her, we could have avoided the tragedy. After that, Stella visited often with supplements for Scarlett. I’m a man. I had abstained since early pregnancy. I was at my limit. Stella looked like Scarlett, but gentler, happier. Soon, I fell. We broke the taboo. When Scarlett found out, her reaction was worse than I imagined. I promised to give her the child and assets, but she jumped off the building with the baby. The baby died. Scarlett was paralyzed from the waist down. My parents aged overnight. I knew I wronged her. I quit my job to care for her. But she cursed me and Stella every time she woke up. Afraid she would hurt Stella, I hired a nurse to replace me. I planned to take Stella abroad once Scarlett agreed to divorce. Fate is funny. Maybe my anxiety back then was just the fear of missing true love. Because from the start, I loved the wrong person.” … I shook so hard I could barely hold the journal. Ethan was crying outside the door. “Scarlett, I’m sorry. I don’t know why I become like that.” “Stay away from me. I don’t want to hurt you.” I yanked the door open. “Ethan.” “Future you wished twice that you had met Stella from the start.” “Why don’t I grant that wish? I’ll take you to meet Stella right now.” Chapter 4 Ethan froze. Snot and tears running down his face, he looked ridiculous. I couldn’t connect the boy in front of me with the monster in the journal. “Meet Stella now? No!” Ethan backed away, looking terrified. “Our actions now can affect the future, but they can’t stop you from falling for Stella.” I analyzed calmly. “Whether I hide you from her, or you avoid her, she appears.” “Let’s try being proactive. Let’s find her and see if the ending changes.” I closed the journal, calming myself. No matter what, the Ethan in front of me loved only me. “For the sake of our last three years, I don’t want to give up like this.” Hearing this, Ethan’s eyes became firm. He squeezed my hand. “Scarlett, thank you for giving me a chance.” We got on a train to my hometown that day. Ethan was anxious the whole way. “Scarlett, if I still hurt you, don’t do anything stupid. Leave me immediately.” “The Ethan who doesn’t love you isn’t me. Don’t forgive him. Don’t look back.” I stared into his eyes. Before I could speak, he jumped up. “The journal is burning! It changed again!” Ethan clutched his pocket and ran into the bathroom, locking the door. “Scarlett, I’m scared the ending is still bad. I don’t want you to see my disgusting future self again.” “Wait until I read it!” I paced anxiously outside. Less than a minute later, Ethan came out. His face was white. He couldn’t speak. “Did it not change? Did you still betray me?” I reached for his pocket. “What happened? What did it say?” Ethan’s pocket only contained confetti. His voice was hoarse with fear. “I took it out, and it shattered into pieces in my hand.” “Scarlett, I don’t want to get off the train. I don’t want to see Stella.” “Future me must have met her, fell in love, and tore up the journal immediately.” Ethan backed away from me. “First, it was three years. Then two years.” “Now, we haven’t even started dating, and the journal is destroyed.” “Scarlett, the future can’t be changed. Run. I don’t want to hurt you.” The train shook violently. When I steadied myself, Ethan grabbed my hand. He smiled at me. “Scarlett, we’re here. I’m actually nervous to meet your sister.” I stared at him. A strange memory flooded my mind. In this memory, after reading the journal, I didn’t say yes to Ethan. I was worried he didn’t truly love me. So I took him to my hometown to test him with Stella. We were walking toward the Third Future. There was no turning back.

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Three years after Harvey disappeared, the old house was bought out by developers for a fortune. Just as I was holding the check, ready to start a new life, he pushed the door open. He brought a young nurse with him. She was heavily pregnant, calling me “Sister” in a sickeningly sweet voice. Harvey pushed his gold-rimmed glasses and ordered me self-righteously: “Nicole, since you can’t have children, you should have some self-awareness.” “Hand over the buyout money for Lola’s baby. When the child is born, he can call you Godmother.” “As for you, stay home and serve Lola during her recovery. Consider it atonement for me.” I silently put away the keys to my new BMW and looked at him like he was brain-damaged. “Harvey, did you lose your brain along with your memory? This house is my pre-marital property. The money has nothing to do with you.” “Also, I already declared you legally dead. I flushed your ashes down the toilet. You are now officially a ghost.” Chapter 1 I was still holding the thermos lunch box I made for Pierce. The heat was still radiating from it. But Harvey sat on my new Italian leather sofa like he owned the place. He crossed his legs, patting the armrest with disgust. “What is this taste? The color is too bright. Tacky. When the money comes, throw all this furniture out. Lola likes French Country style.” The woman named Lola covered her nose and fake-retched. “Oh, Harvey, is the Feng Shui bad here? My chest feels tight. Will it hurt our little golden nugget?” Harvey immediately supported her nervously, then glared at me viciously. “Did you hear that? Open all the windows! If you scare my son, can you afford to pay?” I sneered and slammed the thermos onto the coffee table. “Pay? Are you worthy?” I went into the bedroom, took out a file folder, and threw it in Harvey’s face. “Read it. This is the receipt for your death certificate cancellation. Three years ago, you ran away from gambling debts. Everyone was looking for you.” “As your legal widow, I did my duty and cleaned up your mess.” Harvey picked up the paper, his face turning purple. He tore the certificate into shreds, confetti raining down. “Nicole! You toxic woman! Cursing me when I’m not even dead?” “I just went into hiding for a few years! I did it for this family!” “And you? Unfaithful! While I was gone, did you hook up with some wild man?” The more he spoke, the more righteous he felt. He stood up and pointed at my nose. “Who is this Pierce? The security guard mentioned him. Your boy toy?” “Fine. Spending my money on a gigolo? Now that I’m back, I’m the head of this house! Hand over the bank card with the buyout money immediately! It will be my startup capital for returning to the family! Otherwise, I’ll make you leave with nothing!” Lola chimed in sarcastically: “Sister, you’re being unreasonable. The man is the sky. No matter what he did outside, as long as he comes back, you should welcome him on your knees.” “Especially since Harvey has an heir now. A hen that can’t lay eggs like you should be grateful.” Watching these two sing their duet, I felt disgusted. And amused. Three years ago, Harvey sold everything we owned to gamble. He owed loan sharks and ran away overnight. Debtors splashed paint on my door and threatened me. I sold my jewelry and worked day and night to pay them off. I took care of his paralyzed father until he died. Harvey never called once. Now that he heard about the buyout money, he sniffed his way back? I picked up the cup of hot tea on the table. “You’re right. I should welcome you.” Harvey smiled smugly, thinking I gave in. “That’s right. As long as you obey…” Splash. A cup of scalding tea, right in his face. Tea leaves hung from his glasses. He screamed like a pig. “Nicole! Are you crazy?!” I watched him jump around blankly. “This is a libation for the dead. You’re welcome. Also, the deed has only my name on it. My parents left it to me. I signed the buyout agreement alone.” “As for leaving with nothing…” I took out my phone and dialed 911. “Hello, police? I want to report a break-in.” “Two unidentified intruders are in my home. The man claims to be my dead husband. The woman is an accomplice.” “Yes, they are trying to rob me and threatening me.” Hearing me call the police, Harvey finally panicked. He lunged to grab my phone. “You dare call the cops? I’m your husband!” I dodged and grabbed the heavy crystal ashtray. “My husband died three years ago. I flushed his ashes.” “If you touch me now, it’s home invasion and assault.” The police arrived quickly. Two officers looked at the mess and the screaming Harvey. “ID, please.” Harvey took out his scratched-up ID card. The officer scanned it. Frowned. “ID invalid. Status: Deceased.” “Sir, in the system, you are dead.” Harvey was frantic. “Officer, this woman harmed me! I’m alive! Look, I’m warm!” The officer looked at him coldly. “Doesn’t matter. Your legal status is revoked. You are a ghost in the system.” “This lady is charging you with trespassing. Come with us.” Lola turned pale, hiding behind Harvey. “Harvey… this isn’t what you said…” As Harvey was dragged out, he yelled back: “Nicole! Just you wait! I went on a secret mission abroad to protect you!” “You’ll regret treating me like this!” I leaned against the door, twirling my BMW keys. “Goodbye, ghost.” Chapter 2 Harvey wasn’t held for long. He was alive, after all. Proving his identity was just a matter of time. But I underestimated his thick skin. The next morning, I was woken up by wailing in the hallway. I opened the door. Harvey had brought his nightmare of a mother. His mom sat on my doormat, slapping her thighs and crying. “No justice! My daughter-in-law stole the family fortune and tried to kill her husband! My son suffered for three years, and now he can’t even enter his own home!” “Everyone look! This toxic woman got rich and turned heartless!” It was rush hour. Neighbors gathered around. Harvey stood there, looking disheveled and pitiful. Lola, with her belly, handed out candy to the neighbors. “Auntie, have some candy. I’m Harvey’s partner. Even though Sister doesn’t accept me, I hope for your blessings.” “Sister isn’t bad, just… too greedy.” The neighbors started whispering. “That’s too much. Not letting her husband in?” “I heard the buyout was huge. She probably wants it all.” “The mistress is wrong, but she’s pregnant. Can’t be too harsh.” I stood at the door, laughing in anger. Moral kidnapping? I, Nicole, have never been afraid of a shrew. I went back inside and brought out the megaphone I charged last night. Max volume. Play. “Harvey! Male! 32! Three years ago, abandoned wife and child due to massive gambling debts! Debt list: $50k to John, $80k to Mike, $300k to loan sharks…” “Harvey’s Mom! While her son ran away, faked illness to scam daughter-in-law out of $50k for medical bills, actually used it for Mahjong!” The megaphone looped my “Indictment” loudly. It drowned out the old lady’s crying. The neighbors froze. “Gambling debts?” “Faked illness for Mahjong?” “Came back for the money with a pregnant mistress?” Seeing the tide turn, Harvey’s mom jumped up and rushed at me. “You little slut! I’ll tear your mouth!” She clawed at my face. I dodged. She slipped and face-planted on the floor. “Ouch! Assault! Daughter-in-law beating her mother-in-law!” She rolled on the ground. Harvey rushed up to push me. “Nicole! You dare touch my mom!” Just as his hand reached my shoulder… A strong hand clamped onto his wrist like a vice. “Touch her and see what happens.” A low, cold voice. Pierce stood there in his uniform, tall and imposing. He just came from the station. He held a file. His massive Land Rover was parked downstairs, a sharp contrast to Harvey’s poverty. Harvey grimaced in pain, eyes red with jealousy. “Is this the gigolo? Did you incite Nicole to kill me?” Pierce sneered and applied pressure. Harvey screamed and dropped to his knees. “Kill you? Legally, you’re dead. Also, according to the latest city ordinance, this is a demolition zone. No loitering.” “You are a squatter. Leave, or I’ll have security throw you out like trash.” Pierce let go. Chapter 3 Seeing Harvey lose, Lola clutched her belly and screamed. “Ouch… my stomach… it hurts…” “He pushed me! He wants to kill our son!” “She’s pregnant! Don’t let anything happen!” I took out my phone. “Stomach ache? Let’s call an ambulance.” “Pierce knows the director of the City Hospital. Let’s do a full checkup.” “And while we’re at it, an amniocentesis. Let’s see if it’s Harvey’s seed. I’ll pay.” Hearing “amniocentesis,” Lola stopped screaming. “No… it’s fine. I just need to rest.” “Harvey, let’s go. The energy here is bad.” Harvey got up, glaring at me and Pierce. “Nicole! Wait and see! This isn’t over!” He helped his cursing mother and guilty mistress away. They scurried off like rats. Pierce turned around, his cold aura vanishing. He tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, his eyes gentle. “You okay? Next time, let me handle the trash.” I shook the megaphone. “No need for your ‘Ultimate Move’ on these low-level mobs.” Pierce held my hand. Warm and dry. “Don’t worry. As long as I’m here, they can’t do anything.” But I underestimated their shamelessness. Two days later, I came home to find my lock glued shut. Harvey’s mom was wearing my pajamas, eating a green onion in the hallway. “Oh, you’re back? Buy some ribs. I want soup tonight.” Inside, I almost had a stroke. Living room trashed. Cigarette burns on my leather sofa. Harvey smoking with his feet on the table. Lola at my vanity, smearing my $500 face cream on her belly. My dog locked on the balcony under the sun, panting. Harvey blew a smoke ring. “Nicole, don’t bother. I changed the lock. If you don’t give the money, we live here.” “Half this house is mine anyway. If we can’t live well, no one lives.” “Oh, the dog was too loud. If you don’t pay tomorrow, I’ll stew it for Lola.” I looked at my Golden Retriever on the balcony. Pierce gave him to me. He was my son. “Fine. Stay if you want.” I put down my bag and went to the kitchen. “Want rib soup? I’ll make it.” The three of them exchanged victorious glances. “Should have done this sooner,” the old lady grumbled. I opened the cabinet and took out a packet of strong laxatives I bought for the neighbor. I dumped the whole packet into the soup. Added lots of pepper to mask the taste. “Dinner!” I served the soup, giving Lola a huge bowl. They were starving. They gulped it down. “Your cooking got worse. Too bitter,” the old lady complained. Lola was happy. “Sister, I’m the mistress of this house now. You sleep in the maid’s room.” “Sure. If you can sleep tonight.” Thirty minutes later. First the old lady. Face green. A thunderous fart. She rushed to the bathroom. Then Harvey. Pale faced. Dancing at the bathroom door. “Mom! Hurry up! I’m gonna explode!” Finally Lola. Rolling on the floor in pain. Chapter 4 One bathroom. Three people. Chaos. It was a biohazard zone. While they were weak and collapsing, I ran to the balcony and saved my dog. Then I threw their luggage into the hallway. Holding my breath, I dragged the three stinking bodies out the door one by one. “Get out!” Slam. I called Pierce. “Bring someone to change the lock. The most expensive fingerprint one!” That night, the Harvey family wrapped themselves in sheets and cursed in the hallway. Neighbors complained about the smell. Security threw them out. But the next day, Harvey’s mom hung a banner at the gate. “Toxic Wife Nicole Murders Husband’s Family!” I looked at the banner. No more games. Pierce brought his legal team. A row of suits stood at the gate. Pierce handed Harvey a letter. “Mr. Harvey, regarding your illegal entry, destruction of property, and defamation.” “My client is suing.” But Harvey knew how to play the victim in the age of viral traffic. He found a sleazy media outlet and started a livestream. On camera, Harvey looked beaten (from falling while having diarrhea). He claimed it was domestic abuse. “Family! I didn’t disappear! I was imprisoned by that toxic woman for three years!” “She wanted the buyout money! She poisoned me! Locked me in the basement!” “If Lola didn’t save me, I’d be dead!” He showed his scars. (From loan sharks in Vegas). Lola cried beside him. “Harvey is so pitiful… Sister, how could you be so cruel? This is his child…” They forged a diary. Detailing how I conspired with my “lover” Pierce to make Harvey disappear. Public opinion exploded. “Omg! Real life Gone Girl!” “Evil woman! Death penalty!” “That lover is a cop? Investigate him!” Netizens doxxed me. Death threats. Abusive texts. “Die, toxic woman!” “I’ll throw poop at your door!” I dared not go out. Neighbors looked at me with fear. Someone threw a dead rat at my window. I hid behind the curtains, watching the streamers downstairs. They filmed my window, chanting justice for clicks. Pierce was suspended pending investigation. “Nicole, don’t be scared. I’m finding evidence. Don’t go out,” he rasped on the phone. But before Pierce’s evidence came, the police knocked. “Ms. Yu, based on the diary and allegations, you are suspected of attempted murder and illegal imprisonment. Please come with us.”

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My husband’s little mistress broke up with him again. He drank until he perforated his stomach and ended up in the hospital. Half-dead, he mumbled, “Only she dares to treat me like this.” Then he grabbed my hand and asked, “Serena, you’re a woman too. Tell me, how do I win her back this time?” True. He had cheated so many times, but only this Ivy girl made him lose his mind. My phone vibrated. A text from Ivy. “Mrs. Sterling! Control your husband!” “As a woman, do you have no dignity? Tell him to stop harassing me!” I smiled mockingly and gave no response, as usual. On the fifth day of his hospitalization, Julian blew up my phone, questioning me angrily: “I’m in the hospital! Why haven’t you visited me?” “Do you even care about your husband anymore?” I said calmly, “I’m afraid if I go, you’ll fall in love with me again.” Chapter 1 A scoff came from the other end. He seemed surprised by my sudden humor. I hung up. A notification popped up on my phone. The three-year “merger clause” in our prenuptial agreement had expired. According to the contract between the Vance and Sterling families, I could finally file for divorce. Just as I finished instructing my lawyer, I saw Ivy’s post on Instagram. A photo of Julian in a hospital gown, IV drip in arm, kneeling on one knee to massage her calf. She sat on the hospital bed, smiling blissfully. Caption: Finally understood what they mean by ‘Rich men are the biggest simps.’ The man in high places was just a dog I couldn’t chase away no matter how hard I tried. I scrolled past it without a ripple of emotion. My lawyer was surprised by my calm demeanor. “Clients as composed as you are rare, Mrs. Sterling.” I smiled faintly. She didn’t know that I used to scream, fight, suffer from depression, and attempt suicide because of Julian’s affairs. The Serena standing here today was resurrected from a dead heart. Chapter 2 Julian came home a month later, in the early hours of the morning. Seeing me asleep, he moved lightly, like a thief. But he didn’t know I was a light sleeper. Any noise would wake me. Suddenly having another person in the bed felt foreign. I couldn’t remember the last time Julian slept in my bed. The next morning, a jewelry necklace worth 30 million dollars appeared on my nightstand. I was used to it. Sure enough, I received a provocative text from Ivy: “Mrs. Sterling received another 30-million-dollar necklace because of me. Shouldn’t you say thank you?” Every time Julian tried to win Ivy back, he bought luxury goods. But Ivy never accepted a single one. In Julian’s heart, Ivy was the purest woman who viewed money as dirt. They had been together for three years. She never spent a dime of his money. They went “Dutch.” Julian, born with a silver spoon, willingly lived a commoner’s life with her. So in Julian’s mind, Ivy’s love was the purest. Untainted. Only I knew Ivy was playing the long game to catch the big fish. Usually, I treated her like air. I never replied. But today, I typed: Thank you. A rational woman never turns down money. She replied instantly, shocked as if the sun rose from the west. “Wow, you’re alive today? You actually replied.” Her mouth was venomous. Julian woke up and glanced at my chat with Ivy. He smiled, his tone full of doting affection for her. “Ivy has such a sharp tongue. She’s interesting.” As he spoke, he patted my head naturally. “My Serena is generous now. You finally act like a big sister.” Like praising a dog. Nausea rose in my chest. I used to turn the city upside down because of his affairs. I flipped tables in public. I smashed a wine bottle over his head—he went to the ER fifteen times because of me. The media exposed everything. He lost face countless times. But he never stopped. He would only say: “Look around this circle! Which man doesn’t have a few women?” “I play around, but I’m not leaving you!” He also said many times: “No matter how many women I have, you are the boss. You are their big sister.” Until the day my father died, I finally woke up. I played “blind” and “deaf” for three years! In exchange for his praise: “My Serena finally acts like a big sister.” For three years, I didn’t interfere. My existence was like air to him. He didn’t even know that our son was two years old. The day I almost died giving birth, he was with Ivy, selling hot dogs at a street cart. He said he loved Ivy’s independence and grit! I sneered silently and said nothing. In my heart, he was already dead. Chapter 3 On the day of my mother-in-law’s birthday banquet, I planned to make an appearance and play the filial daughter-in-law. But when I walked in with gifts, I saw Julian and Ivy standing on either side of his mother. My mother-in-law was chatting happily with guests. “Mrs. Sterling, your hair looks beautiful today. It matches your Qipao perfectly.” Her hair was indeed elegant, pinned up with a vintage hairpin. She smiled gently and patted Ivy’s hand approvingly. “My daughter-in-law styled it. She has clever hands.” So, even his mother had accepted Ivy. Ivy smiled gracefully. “Mom, I’m glad you like it.” Julian added, “Mom likes you the most. She told me many times.” “Having you as the Sterling family’s daughter-in-law is our blessing.” I sneered internally, not wanting to stay a second longer. As I turned to leave, Ivy’s voice called out: “Sister Serena.” Her tone was light, pretending we were close. I paused, turned around calmly, and smiled. Surprise flashed in her eyes. She expected me to make a face. Or have a breakdown and storm off. Not this calm, collected demeanor. “Sister, you look beautiful today,” she said, feigning warmth. “Thank you.” I accepted the compliment with a smile. I didn’t care about her anymore. Her petty hostilities were wasted on me. My mother-in-law said naturally: “You two sisters help me entertain the guests.” I suddenly remembered what she told me before: “You are my own daughter now. I will treat you like one.” “If Julian dares to cheat, I’ll be the first to break his legs for you.” Those words felt like yesterday. But now, she was the one humiliating me. She patted my hand gently and whispered: “Serena, Ivy is a good girl. She’s different from the others.” I smiled faintly and lied, “Mom, you’re right.” I was leaving anyway. Nothing here mattered. My mother-in-law smiled with relief. “It’s good you figured it out.” She looked at Julian. “See? I told you Serena is reasonable.” Julian looked at me with pride. “I trained her well.” Treating me like a pet. In the past, I would have smashed every table at this banquet. Now, I wouldn’t waste a single emotion on unworthy people. I stood beside my mother-in-law, flanking her with Ivy. Everyone looked at me strangely. Whispers floated around. “Serena changed so much. This isn’t like her.” “She would have flipped the table by now. Why is she so docile?” Amidst the surprise, my mother-in-law announced happily: “I have good news to share.” “My daughter-in-law Ivy is three months pregnant.” “The doctor says it’s a boy.” “This is a double blessing for the Sterling family.” Guests offered their flatteries. This was common in our circle. But slapping the original wife’s face like this? Only the Sterlings. Ivy smiled shyly. Julian hugged her happily. I was the clown, adding entertainment to the party. Finally, I spoke. “I wanted to wait until after Mom’s birthday to discuss the divorce.” “But since Ivy is pregnant, we can’t let her child be a nameless bastard.” “So, discussing divorce here seems appropriate.” I signaled my lawyer. She handed the divorce papers to Julian. Julian froze, frowning at me. “Are you making a scene again?” I smiled calmly. “I’m serious. Do you love Ivy by making her a mistress for life?” He was shocked by the calmness in my eyes. For a moment, disbelief filled his gaze. The person he thought would never leave him… was calmly proposing divorce. My words choked him. He loved Ivy so much; he couldn’t say anything to hurt her. The room fell silent, waiting for Julian’s reaction. Ivy stared at him. Julian hesitated for two seconds. Ivy couldn’t take it. She acted the victim: “Julian, don’t be torn.” “I know I’m not good enough for you.” “I’ll abort the baby. I can be a mistress.” “But honestly, I don’t want my child to be called a bastard.” “So I’ll get rid of it.” Julian panicked. “No! This is our love child. My first child.” “Who dares call him a bastard? I’ll give him a legitimate status.” I said approvingly, “That’s a man! Sign it!” Under pressure from both sides, Julian picked up the pen. He signed without looking. He leaned in and whispered so only I could hear: “After Ivy gives birth, I’ll remarry you.” “Just endure it. I won’t abandon you.” I remained calm, a heavy weight lifting from my heart. Julian, I don’t want you anymore. Never again. Ivy gave me a victor’s smile. I smiled back, feeling liberated. Chapter 4 I returned to the house I shared with Julian. The movers had already taken my valuables. My two-year-old son was still sleeping. I didn’t have the heart to wake him. My lawyer got injured by a falling cabinet, so I rushed her to the hospital. I hurried back to pick up my son when he would be waking up. Before I reached the house, I saw thick black smoke billowing into the sky. My heart tightened. I floored the gas pedal. The closer I got, the stronger the dread. My hands shook on the steering wheel. Please, not my house. But when I got out of the car, I saw the villa being swallowed by fire. My world collapsed. Ivy was nestled in Julian’s arms, crying delicately. “Julian, I’m sorry. I didn’t know lighting fireworks to celebrate would burn the house down.” “What do we do? Boohoo…” She looked like a frightened bunny. Julian didn’t care about the house. He smiled and comforted her. “It’s okay, don’t cry. It’s just a house.” “I have plenty of houses. This loss is nothing.” “Don’t cry, silly girl.” My legs went weak. I screamed and ran toward the fire. “My son is inside! Save him!” “Fire! Help!” I ran like a madwoman. Julian grabbed me from behind. “Serena! Calm down!” “We don’t have a child! What child?!” “If you care about the house, I’ll give you another one!” Ivy chimed in sarcastically: “Sister Serena, what act is this?” “Where’s the child? Are you hallucinating?” I broke free and slapped Julian hard. I trembled and roared: “It’s your son! Two years old! He’s sleeping inside!” I lost my mind and tried to rush into the fire again. The house was engulfed. The crackling was deafening. Sirens wailed in the distance. Julian blocked me again, shouting: “Are you crazy?!” “Are you trying to manipulate me with this?” “Serena, it’s your life!” “If you go in there, you’ll die.” “Son? When did you have a son? Why didn’t I know?” “I think you’re mentally unstable!” Ivy added: “I think so too. Sister, you can’t force love. Why do this?” I looked like a lioness ready to kill. I grabbed Ivy’s hair and dragged her toward the fire. “Ivy! If my son dies! You burn with him!” She screamed in pain. Julian rushed over, blocked me, and slapped me. “Serena, stop it!” He ordered his bodyguards: “Take her to the psych ward!” Two huge men grabbed me. In total despair, I was ready to die in the fire looking for my son. Suddenly, a familiar, terrified voice came from behind: “Mommy, I’m here…” Hope ignited in my heart. I turned and saw my son, face covered in soot, clothes burned. I ran over and hugged him tight. Julian was thunderstruck. He stared at the mini version of himself in disbelief. Annoyance flashed in Ivy’s eyes. She feigned shock. “This…” Julian walked over quickly, grabbing my arm. “Is this my son?” “Our son?” I shook off his hand in disgust. “No!” “He is my son!” From the day Leo was born, I considered Julian dead. He was never worthy of being a father! So the child was registered under my name. His surname is Vance. Leo Vance. Leo had never met Julian. He thought I was being bullied. He pushed Julian with his dirty little hands angrily. “Don’t bully my mommy!” He glared, his angry face a carbon copy of Julian’s. Julian froze, his brain short-circuiting. Ivy held his arm, sowing discord: “No wonder she divorced so easily. She cheated long ago and had a child.” Julian stared at Leo for a long time. Still unsure, he asked urgently: “Is Leo my son?!” I glared at him coldly. Ivy asked deliberately: “Have you touched her in the last three years?” “No,” Julian blurted out. Realization hit him. His face darkened. He grabbed my collar, looking hurt. “You really cheated!” “Who is he?” “I’m asking you, whose bastard is this?!” Leo rushed over and bit Julian’s leg. “Don’t bully mommy!” Thud! Julian lost control and kicked my son aside. Leo wailed in pain. I slapped Julian with fury. “Touch my son again and I’ll kill you!” “His dad is dead! Are you happy?!” I stared at him with murderous eyes and slapped him again! Suddenly, I was pushed back. A loud slap landed on my face. Ivy protected Julian angrily: “Serena! Are you crazy?!” “Julian is my man now. Dare touch him again!” All the rage in my chest channeled into my arm. I slapped her back hard. “Ivy! You will pay for this!” “I can give you the man, but if you take my son’s life, I’ll take yours!” She was scared by my vicious look. “Crazy woman!” “I didn’t try to kill your son!” Firefighters and police arrived. The fire was huge. I held my son and told the police: “She set the fire intentionally.” I pointed at Ivy. Ivy denied it in panic. “I didn’t! I didn’t know she had a son. Why would I hurt a child?” The police said reasonably: “We will investigate. Let’s check the surveillance.” “Mommy, it hurts… it hurts…” My son slumped against my neck. He passed out while talking to me. “Mommy is taking you to the hospital now.” I shook his shoulder and saw his shoulder was burned raw. Bloody. My heart was cut into pieces. I ignored the police and rushed him to the hospital. The doctor said the burn was infected and almost reached his heart. He was saved, but critical. He needed to be in the ICU. My heart was in my throat again. I looked at my tiny son through the glass. I wished I could take his pain. “Seems like you love that wild man very much.” Julian’s cold voice came from behind. Instantly, hate filled my chest. I turned around. We locked eyes. His gaze was cold, mixed with the anger of being cuckolded. And I only had pure hate for him! “Who is that man!” Julian stepped closer, demanding an answer. “Speak! Who is he!” He grabbed my chin. Suddenly, his eyes turned red. I admired his broken look. He didn’t love me, so why this act? I slapped his hand away. “What right do you have to question me?” “You can’t handle it when I treat you the way you treated me?” Julian took this as confirmation. I cheated. His eyes trembled, as if heartbroken. Tears welled up. He turned around for three seconds, then turned back. He spoke in a tone that allowed no refusal: “You said that man is dead, right?” “Fine. I’ll give you one last chance.” “I’ll accept this bastard!” “But you better behave from now on!” I laughed in anger! He thought he was being generous! He thought loving me this much was a gift! My cold laugh bruised his ego. Julian frowned. “What’s funny?” “Haha! Your patheticness!” He frowned deeper. Footsteps approached. The police arrived. I walked over quickly. “Officer, is Ivy arrested?” The officer said: “The person who set off the fireworks wasn’t Ivy.” “It was the nanny serving her. She confessed.” I was thunderstruck. She found a scapegoat. My anger flared. I grabbed the officer’s arm. “The nanny is just a fall guy! Ivy lit it!” “I heard it! Did you check the cameras?” The officer patted my arm. “The fire destroyed the cameras.” “The homeowner, Mr. Sterling, said he won’t press charges.” “They will cover your child’s medical bills.” “It looks like an accident. The nanny didn’t know a child was inside.” “Luckily, the child crawled out.” I couldn’t accept this. Julian shook the officer’s hand. “Thank you, Officer Liu.” The officer left. I slapped Julian in rage. “You covered for her!” He sneered coldly. “It’s just a bastard! He didn’t die!” “Even if he died, I’d give you another one!” “I won’t let you hurt Ivy over this!” I laughed at myself. Hard to imagine this was the man I once loved with all my heart! Freshman year, he fell for me at first sight. He chased me for four years. I agreed because senior year, a fire broke out in the dorms. He thought I was inside. He rushed in, risking his life. I didn’t expect him to love me that much. My heart was conquered. He spoiled me rotten. But one year after marriage, he started cheating. He became the person I hated most. Now, a human life meant nothing to him! “Julian! For my son, I will see you in court!” He laughed. He pointed at Leo in the ICU. “For that bastard?!” He scoffed, looking at me like I was brain-dead. His phone rang. Contact: Wifey. He answered in front of me. “Wifey, I just finished with the police.” “Don’t worry. It’s over.” Ivy’s pitiful voice came through: “Hubby, I’m so scared. Thank goodness you believe me.” “Come back, please? Your son is kicking.” “Okay, I’m coming. Be good. Wait for me.” He hung up and looked at me coldly. “Stop making trouble. You know I love Ivy, but I love you too.” “As long as you don’t fuss, we can grow old together.” I wanted to spit in his face! My phone rang. My new lawyer. “Yes. Make this big. As big as possible.” While talking, I remembered the drone in the big sycamore tree. It had a camera pointed at the villa. I lost it there while playing with Leo. I rushed back. I found the drone. I watched the footage in my car. My fists clenched tighter and tighter! Hatred tried to jump out of my body! My phone vibrated. Ivy. “Sister Serena, don’t worry. If your son survives this…” “I’ll pay for you to adopt one from the orphanage. How’s that?” “Honestly, how could you raise a bastard openly in the Sterling house?” My knuckles turned white. I ground my teeth. Ivy, I will make you rot in prison! The hospital called. Leo was stabilizing. I rushed back. My son smiled at me sensibly. “Mommy, it doesn’t hurt. Don’t worry.” The more sensible he was, the guiltier I felt. Choosing a bad father was my lifelong debt to him. I stroked his hand. “Baby, you’re so brave.” “Mommy will get justice for you.”

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On New Year’s Eve, my husband’s young intern called me. “Thank you for being so generous, Mrs. Mercer. If Alex hadn’t stayed with me tonight, even risking his career to divert that kidney to my mom, I don’t know how I would have survived.” I froze. “You must be mistaken. Alex had an emergency surgery out of town. He left before midnight. Besides, he’s a man of integrity. He would never break the rules for you.” Lily’s voice was firm. “I’m not mistaken. Alex saw my Instagram story pleading for a kidney. He rushed from the airport to the hospital in five minutes.” Just as the call ended, I heard the key turn in the lock. I looked at Alex Mercer, my voice trembling. “Didn’t you say… you had a surgery out of town?” Alex was silent for two seconds. “I did have a schedule. But Lily’s mom was in critical condition. I couldn’t leave her.” “Also…” His voice dropped. “The kidney you were waiting for… I diverted it to Lily’s mom first.” “You are younger than her. You can wait a bit longer.” Tears instantly filled my eyes. I have late-stage kidney cancer. He knows how hard it was to find a match. And he just gave it away? When my parents begged him to use his connections before, he lectured them about ethics and equality. Now, for his little intern, he broke every rule? It took me a long time to find my voice. “Alex, I want a divorce. And wait for my report to the Medical Board.” Chapter 1 I turned to leave, but Alex grabbed my arm. He frowned, looking at me coldly. “Sarah, stop making a scene.” “I know you’re sick and anxious. As your husband, I’m more anxious than you.” “But Lily’s mom is old. She couldn’t wait. Can’t you have some empathy?” I stared at him in disbelief, finally screaming. “She couldn’t wait? Could I wait?” “Alex, I’m on dialysis every week! I have one foot in the grave!” “Who has empathy for me?” “You know if I don’t get this surgery, I’m going to die!” Alex furrowed his brows. “Stop talking nonsense. With me here, you won’t die.” “Just wait. You’re next on the list.” I looked at him, my heart turning to ash. “Alex, I’ve waited three years.” “When my parents begged you on their knees, what did you say?” Tears streamed down my face. “You ignored them. You scolded them for being immoral.” “You said life is equal. No backdoors.” “You said they were trying to ruin your integrity.” “I believed you. I told myself you weren’t unloving, just ethical. A good doctor. I should be proud.” “But why? Lily posts one Instagram story, and you break the law for her?” My voice shook uncontrollably. “Why don’t you talk about ‘equality’ now?” Alex avoided my eyes, guilty. “Because Lily grew up alone with her mom. If she loses her mother, she’ll have no one.” “As a doctor, I just… my heart softened.” I looked at him, horrified. “Because she can’t lose her mom, you trade my life for hers?” “Why should your ‘soft heart’ cost me my life?” “I’m going to the hospital right now. I’ll make her give it back!” “Enough!” Slap. My head snapped to the side. Dizziness hit me. My cheek burned. I looked at Alex in shock. Alex froze, realizing what he did. He reached out to touch my face, but I dodged. I tried to hit him back, but my body failed me. I collapsed. Alex panicked. He carried me to the bed, scrambling to find my medicine. Suddenly, his phone rang. He answered immediately. After a few whispers, Alex looked at me gravely. “Sarah, Lily’s mom is rejecting the organ. I have to go.” “Stay here. Don’t run around.” He grabbed his keys and left. He didn’t even give me the medicine. The empty room swallowed me. I crawled out of bed, holding onto the wall. I found the pills and swallowed them with shaking hands. Tears rolled down my face. This time, my heart finally died. Chapter 2 Alex didn’t come back for days. Not even a text. But thanks to Lily’s live updates on Instagram, I knew exactly where he was. While I lay comatose in bed, Alex kept vigil by Lily’s side. Lily posted a photo of their hands clasped together. Caption: With you, I have the courage to fight fate. While I chewed on expired bread, Alex took his intern out for a feast. Nine photos of gourmet food. Caption: I said I never ate at a fancy restaurant as a kid, so he promised to take me to eat the world. While I rolled on the bed in pain, Lily posted a photo of a temple. Caption: Someone accompanied me to pray for Mom. But I thank God more for sending this angel in a white coat to protect me. Pain came in waves. I realized today was my dialysis day. But Alex was too busy playing hero to remember. When Alex first found out I had cancer, he cried. He buried his head in my lap. He choked out that if I died, he would go with me. He refused to break rules for me, but he monitored my meds daily. When did it change? Probably when Lily appeared. At first, he frowned when mentioning her. “Stupid girl. Clumsy. Cries at everything. Annoying.” Later, his tone softened. “That poor girl only has her mom. It’s not easy for her.” Then, he started smiling when talking about her. “My intern is clumsy, but resilient.” “Sarah, do you know what I admire most about her? Her vitality. I see dying patients all day… it’s rare to see such life.” Seeing my expression, he paused. “Sarah, I don’t mean you. Don’t be sensitive.” “If you focus on treatment, you’ll be as healthy and energetic as Lily one day.” He said that, but came home later and later. Busy. Busy with surgery. Busy teaching Lily. Busy enough to miss New Year’s Eve with me, but available to break federal laws for her. In my daze, I thought I saw Alex come back. Until a girl peeked out from behind him. I woke up. It wasn’t a dream. Alex was back. And he brought Lily. Chapter 3 This was the first time I saw Lily. She wasn’t stunning. Thin, small, a bit plain. But this plain girl occupied all of my husband’s thoughts. She stood by my bed, holding Alex’s sleeve timidly. “Mrs. Mercer, thank you for giving your kidney to my mom.” “I’m so grateful. I told Alex…” She looked up at Alex. Alex looked at her like she was a precious gem. Lily smiled at him and turned back to me. “I offered to take care of you to repay your kindness. Alex agreed.” I gripped the sheets to stop myself from screaming. “I didn’t give anything to your mom. If you want to repay me, give me my kidney back!” Alex’s face darkened. “Enough, Sarah. Stop being unreasonable.” “Lily is trying to be nice. What more do you want?” He didn’t look at me again. He put his arm around the teary-eyed Lily and walked out. “Lily, don’t cry. It’s not your fault. Let her blame me.” Half an hour later, Lily brought me a bowl of porridge. “Mrs. Mercer, eat something.” “Don’t blame Alex. He just cares about me too much.” I heard the gloating in her voice. I knocked the bowl over. “Stop faking it. Get out.” Hearing the crash, Alex stormed in. “Sarah! Lily cooked for you! Why are you crazy?” He saw Lily’s red finger (from the heat). He grabbed her hand and blew on it. “Does it hurt?” Lily shyly pulled back. They blushed. Alex coughed. “Let’s go, Lily. Run it under cold water.” He looked at me with disgust. “Let this madwoman calm down.” Slam. Silence returned. I lay in the mess, shaking. I fell asleep eventually. Pain woke me up again. I took painkillers, sweating. Lily walked in again. “Water?” I closed my eyes. “Get out.” Lily didn’t move. “Mrs. Mercer, let me tell you something.” “Do you know why your parents haven’t called you lately?” My heart skipped a beat. I opened my eyes. “What do you mean?” Lily spoke slowly. “Your parents went to the hospital every day to ask about kidneys.” “On New Year’s Eve… maybe she was tired, or maybe it was fate… your mom got hit by a car right outside the hospital.” “She signed a donor card. Her last words were: Give my kidney to my daughter.” My blood froze. “What… what did you say?” “You’re lying!” Lily looked innocent. “Why would I lie?” “Your dad is busy with the funeral back home. He didn’t want to upset you.” “That night, when they harvested your mom’s kidney… I posted that story to test Alex.” “I didn’t expect him to come so fast.” “I shed a few tears, and he decided to give the kidney to my mom.” “Even though… he knew exactly whose kidney it was the moment he arrived.” My face lost all color. I shook violently. Lily sighed, enjoying the show. “Pity. Your mom died smiling, thinking she saved you.” I screamed. A sound of pure agony. I grabbed the glass and threw it at her. Alex rushed in. He saw Lily bleeding from the forehead. His eyes widened. He picked her up. “Lily! I’m taking you to the ER!” Before leaving, he glared at me with pure venom. “Sarah, why don’t you just die?” I looked at the empty room and laughed maniacally. “Yes! I should have died! Not Mom!” Pain exploded in my chest. I vomited blood. Darkness took me. Chapter 4 Alex settled Lily in. It was dark. He returned home, exhausted. The house was empty. The white sheets were stained with shocking red blood. “Sarah?” His voice trembled. Fear gripped him. Suddenly, the door burst open. Police officers swarmed in. “Alex Mercer?” “We received a report of medical malpractice and organ trafficking. Come with us.” Alex froze. “Did Sarah report me? Where is she?” “Your wife is in the ICU. Severe kidney failure. Critical condition.” Alex stumbled. “How? She was fine when I left…” A young officer sneered. “Fine? She was malnourished, traumatized, and dying. You call that fine?” Alex opened his mouth, but nothing came out. He remembered. He hadn’t been home in days. He was nursing Lily’s mom. Comforting Lily. Praying with Lily. He forgot his wife entirely. He forgot her dialysis. Alex shook. He thought Sarah was just being jealous. He didn’t know she was in hell. He coveted Lily’s vitality because Sarah’s illness exhausted him. But if Sarah died… he couldn’t handle it. That night, seeing Lily cry, he made a snap decision. Sarah could wait. She was next on the list. When he found out the kidney was from his mother-in-law, he froze. But the surgery was prepped. Stopping it would look suspicious. He promised his father-in-law he would operate on Sarah soon. But the kidney was gone. Now, Sarah was dying. Regret hit him like a truck. His heart felt like it was being blended. Alex collapsed on the floor.

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After thirty-five, my body changed. My skin grew dull, and fine lines appeared around my eyes. Halfway through our intimacy, Julian pinched the soft flesh on my stomach and suddenly said: “Actually, looking closely, you’re pretty average. Why did I ever fall for you?” Chapter 1 I never expected to be laid off from my job as a “trophy mistress” at the age of thirty-five. At that moment, I was looking up at the intricate plaster relief on the ceiling. Rumor had it that it was the work of some European master. Very expensive. Every time Julian came to me, I would stare at it. In the beginning, Julian would grab my hair, forcing me to look him in the eye. He had beautiful eyes, like gemstones. Lazy, like an exotic cat. Julian was strong, so my scalp hurt. The scene looked full of tension, but the pillow was always covered in bloody strands of hair. Julian’s lingering voice echoed in my ears like a demon: “Cora, why can’t you only look at me?” Later, our relationship stabilized. At least, we didn’t fight to the death before going to bed. Julian stopped demanding my constant gaze. He unlocked the chain on my wrist, but I no longer tried to run. Chapter 2 I panted slightly. My stamina couldn’t keep up with Julian anymore. I withdrew my dull gaze from the ceiling, and what filled my eyes was Julian’s incredibly fit body. He had gotten a tan; his bronze skin was sexy. A man over thirty could still have such a roguish expression. Forget me; even young girls would be swooning over him. In contrast, my thighs were covered in loose, flabby flesh. My silk nightgown had a hole in it, and I was too lazy to change. Julian threw on a robe and sat on the sofa. His features were hidden in the shadows, looking like a chiseled statue because of their sharpness. I pretended not to hear him. “I’ll start dieting tomorrow.” Julian laughed. “Baby, that’s not what I mean.” He flicked the ash from his cigarette, his tone carrying a casual cruelty. “I mean, you’re not actually that great. I loved you too much, so I put a filter on you.” “Now,” Julian made an exploding gesture with his hand, “the filter is broken.” He walked out mercilessly, speaking with a mix of disgust and relief: “Cora, you’re free.” It took me a long time to digest that sentence. My first reaction wasn’t the ecstasy of regained freedom, but a deep-seated anger. The person who said he loved me the most, who said he wanted our ashes mixed together after death, was now breaking up with me. I felt sad, and then lost. I had been ruined by Julian. For ten years, I was fed and clothed without lifting a finger. No social life, no friends, I forgot how to use electronics. The TV in the room only played foreign channels and turned off automatically after 8 PM. My range of activity was limited to this villa and the half-mountain behind it—private property of the Vance family. I was completely Julian’s possession. So I didn’t know where to go. Chapter 3 I had noticed Julian’s change of heart a long time ago. At first, he was clingy every day, calling me “Sister.” Singing praises that I was his moon. From being in pain at the start, I slowly began to look forward to his arrival. Until he called me Sister, and I started responding. Julian wrapped me in a blanket and applied medicine to the wounds on my wrists. Blood stained his fingertips; Julian lowered his head to coax me, his eyes full of distress. “Sister, does it hurt? “You can hit me, but you must never hurt yourself.” Julian was so gentle, his eyelashes trembling like butterfly wings. But later, he started coming once a month. Then, every three months, every six months. Until he kicked me out. After ten years as a canary, I was unemployed. Chapter 4 I actually had very few things. All my clothes were bought by Julian. He liked to dress me up. There were elaborate vintage gowns, and fresh, simple sundresses. I wore whatever Julian bought me. Later, when he stopped buying clothes, I just wore pajamas. Before leaving, I looked in the mirror. The woman inside was a bit fat, her skin oily, her hair messy and unkempt. No wonder Julian didn’t like me. So what kind of me did he like? Chapter 5 I left the villa with a suitcase. Inside were my ID, passport, and a few business suits. I asked the butler, “Where should I go?” The butler sighed. “Go home.” The sunlight was gentle, yet piercing. I walked sloppily on the street, many people casting strange looks at me. The mall in my memory was gone, replaced by unfamiliar high-rises. The city’s busiest areas were filled with buildings I didn’t recognize. Even the roads had widened to four lanes. I wanted to go back to the villa, to beg Julian to let me stay. I promised to be good and never make a fuss again. Passersby called the police for me. Using my ID, the police contacted my family. It was a very familiar voice. I subconsciously called out: “Simon!” There was the sound of something breaking on the other end, followed by his urgent voice. “Cora? Stay right there, don’t move. I’m coming to get you now!” Simon was my boyfriend. I was absolutely sure. I blinked, and tears fell. Simon in front of me was blurred by tears. He squatted down, his hands trembling as he held mine. “Where have you been all these years? We all thought you died abroad.” Simon wept uncontrollably. I looked up and asked tremblingly, “Where are Mom and Dad? Why didn’t they come?” Simon gripped my hand, his tone heavy: “Let’s go home.” Chapter 6 It was Simon’s home. But not mine. The hallway was piled with baby walkers. Before we even entered, I heard noise from inside. Shrill children’s voices, and a woman’s stern voice. “No, I said you have to finish your homework before you can have snacks!” Two children begged, “Please, Mommy, just one!” Simon’s eyes were full of apology. He lowered his head, avoiding my gaze. I awkwardly turned my body, staring at the pile of stuff in the corner. Simon lived on the top floor. The small cubicle outside was a storage room, filled with clutter. From walkers to kites to a toy piano, everything screamed how happy this family was. A sour taste spread from my heart to my nose, forcing tears to my eyes. Before graduation, we had agreed to get married. Simon found shoe covers for me, opening the door as he said, “You can stay at my place for now.” As soon as the door opened, twins rushed over, hugging Simon’s legs. “Daddy, Daddy, where did you go? Mommy was waiting for you to eat!” The hostess also stepped forward impatiently. “Simon, leaving without a word after a call, do you have any respect for me?” She wanted to say more but stopped abruptly when she saw me. She murmured: “Cora!” I recognized her. She was Simon’s junior, Chloe. Chloe’s expression froze. She stepped aside, ordering the kids back to their seats, welcoming me with the posture of the mistress of the house. Chloe found a pair of slippers. “Simon, really, how could you let Cora wear shoe covers?” Chloe pulled me inside. “Dinner is ready. The mac and cheese is still warm.” The atmosphere at the table was weird. Chloe didn’t ask where I came from; she just said: “Cora, feel free to stay here. Don’t worry about me.” I paused while biting a chicken wing. Maybe Chloe noticed I had gained a lot of weight. I used to control my figure strictly, rarely eating carbs. I would even peel the skin off chicken wings. At class reunions, Simon did all this for me. I enjoyed his favoritism and the envy of others. Chloe was one of them. She always admired Simon, but he never responded. Until I went to the Congo for sampling, a terrorist attack happened, and I went missing. Simon spoke first. “These years, Chloe accompanied me through the darkest times. The police couldn’t find you; everyone told me to let go. So later, Chloe and I got married.” I froze. The chicken tasted bitter. I knew ten years was a long time. No one waits forever. Everyone moves forward. I was the only one trapped. Simon asked: “Where exactly have you been all these years?” I dared not say. I was terrified of Julian. During my confinement, I once used an antenna to contact Simon. Just a few busy signals, but enough for him to trace the villa. But Julian found out quickly. He tied my hands and forced me into the car. Simon was handing out flyers on the street. He had no idea the person he missed was sitting in the Land Rover by the road. Julian pried my eyes open, mocking: “This is a warning.” A motorcycle sped by, knocking Simon over. He lay in a pool of blood, motionless, surrounded by scattered flyers. I screamed, wanting to save him. But Julian gripped my hand tight, the black glass reflecting only my panicked face. After that, I learned to behave. I never contacted Simon again. I knew if I leaked the secret of being imprisoned by Julian, he had countless ways to shut me up. So I shook my head. “I don’t know.” Simon said softly: “It’s okay. Tell me when you want to.” I dared not look at Simon’s eyes. He had nothing to do with me now. I mechanically chewed the rice. Chloe suddenly burst into tears. I looked at her blankly. Big tears rolled down her face. She kept apologizing. “Cora, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have taken advantage of the situation to steal Simon. I’ll give him back to you. Can you forgive me?” Chloe grabbed my hand tight. It hurt. I didn’t know how to answer; my head was a mess. “Cora, I’m really, really sorry!” The tears were hot, falling on the scar on my wrist. Such a glaring scar, yet no one saw it. I remembered when I was with Simon, I got a tiny bruise on my finger. He would frantically look for ointment. But now, his eyes were only on Chloe. I knew clearly that the past was the past. “It’s not your fault. Simon and I just weren’t meant to be.” Chloe looked up, wanting to say something, but Simon pulled her away. They had a fierce argument. The kids cried. The storm ended with Chloe slamming the door and leaving. Simon chased after her, telling me to stay put. I squatted to pick up toys. The twins pushed me hard. “Ugly woman, get out of my house! Mommy and Daddy fight because of you!” “Go away! We don’t want to see you!” I lost my balance and fell. The twins kept pushing me. Their small fists landed on me, heavy with pain. Seeing me not moving, they cried louder. “Leave my house!” “I want Daddy and Mommy! I don’t want them to fight!” Looking at the screaming twins, I seemed to see myself. My chaotic brain recalled distant scenes. Actually, my relationship with Julian was terrible. I never loved him. I just had no choice. At the beginning of my confinement, I fought and screamed like this. Julian slapped me hard. My ears rang. I retreated in fear. Held in his arms, I trembled as he apologized over and over. Later, because my resistance was too fierce… My wrists and ankles festered and healed under the friction of chains, forming thick scabs. Julian tried to brainwash me. If I tried to love him, it wouldn’t hurt. But you can’t love a beast in human clothing. To me, Julian was just a junior student. He was diligent under my supervision. Wealthy but humble. I only respected him for that. I took him to do experiments, collected samples in the mountains. I even praised his beautiful eyes. When our experiment succeeded and we were interviewed, Julian’s eyes under the spotlight were obsessed and gentle. He said: “Congratulations, Senior. You will stand at the top of the scientific world.” He lowered his head, looking disappointed. “Will you remember me then?” I ruffled his hair. “Of course. Didn’t we agree to solve the rejection reaction in xenotransplantation together?” I never thought I would end up so wretched. I hated that the moon hung high but didn’t shine on me alone. So the moon fell into the mud. And became no longer the moon you wanted. Julian fed me drugs. Drugs that stabilized emotions but dulled the brain. Over time, cognitive confusion and memory loss followed. I became obedient, as he wished. Chapter 7 Ten years changed everything. No one waits in place. I didn’t blame Simon, nor would I destroy his family. We just lacked a bit of fate. “Just a little bit” is such a cruel phrase. I wished this was a dream. When I woke up, Mom and Dad would be by my bed. They would ask if I had a nightmare. Simon would still be twenty-six, with a bright future, not ruined by a car accident. I would still be the professor’s favorite student, moving toward my goals. But when I opened my eyes, the twins were still crying. The food was cold. Everything was cold and suffocating. I struggled to get up, wiped my tears, and left. Although I only remembered a little, luckily, I remembered where home was. I stumbled, hoping everything would be fine once I got home. But when I arrived, there was no warmth. I knocked for a long time, but no one answered. Dust covered the doormat. The sensor light in the hallway flickered. I kept banging on the iron door. “Mom, open the door. I’m back.” “Dad, I’m back. I forgot my keys. Can you open the door?” I pretended to text them. Tears fell on my hands. “Mom, are you shopping? Come back, I can’t get in.” “Dad, are you fishing? Come back and open the door.” The noise disturbed the neighbor. A woman came out scolding. “Quiet down! The old couple next door passed away last year.” Seeing me, she thought I was crazy. “Who are you? Leave or I’ll call the police!” I finally cried out loud: “I am their daughter!” Just a little bit. I almost made it home.

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Before Grandma died, she entrusted me to my Aunt Vanessa. Vanessa looked at me with disgust and refused. Until she learned my parents left me a massive trust fund. Only then did she agree to adopt me. On my eighteenth birthday, the truth exploded. Vanessa’s beloved daughter, Chloe, was the fake heiress, switched at birth. I was Vanessa’s biological daughter. Chloe, crushed by guilt for stealing my life, left without a word and died in a car crash. Vanessa screamed at me: “I should have strangled you at birth! You are a curse! You killed Chloe!” My biological brother, Ethan, sent me to the remote Blackwood Manor and ordered everyone to ignore me. He said coldly: “Chloe died alone. This is your karma.” For three years in Blackwood Manor, I lost my mind. In the end, driven by hallucinations, I stepped off the edge of the roof. I opened my eyes. I was back at Grandma’s funeral. The lawyer was saying Aunt Vanessa was willing to adopt me. My face was pale as a ghost. I spoke. “I won’t go with her.” Chapter 1 The whispers in the funeral hall vanished instantly. Aunt Vanessa snapped her head toward me, disbelief written all over her face. “What did you say?” Grandma’s lawyer remained calm. He smoothed things over with Vanessa and took me to a quiet corner. He knelt down to my level and asked patiently: “Hazel, can you tell me why?” I looked down at my shoes. In my past life, for the sake of the trust fund, Vanessa treated me decently. Once feelings grew, they treated me like family and stopped caring about the money. We lived noisily but happily until I was eighteen. But when the truth came out and Chloe died, everything changed. Vanessa hated me to the bone. Ethan, my own brother, looked at me with disgust. After Chloe’s funeral, he pulled me out of school. He sent me to Blackwood Manor. A place with only birds and silence. The servants were like robots. They ignored me. Whether I cried, screamed, or smashed things. They had no reaction. Three years. I went from a normal girl to a lunatic. Thinking of the pain when I hit the ground, I shivered. I stayed silent. The lawyer sighed. He tried to explain in simple terms. “You’re a minor. You need a guardian. Vanessa is your closest relative, and she’s wealthy.” “If you go with other relatives, they might fight over your inheritance later.” I went silent. I looked up. The other relatives were peeking at me through the curtains. When our eyes met, they flashed fake, predatory smiles. A clueless child with a massive fortune. I was fresh meat. I compromised. Getting into the car, Vanessa was still holding a grudge. “Sit in the front. You smell weird. Don’t dirty my seats.” I looked at my clothes. Clean. Not a speck of dust. I said nothing. I climbed into the passenger seat and curled my legs tight. Chapter 2 Just like in my past life, I was adopted by the Sterling family. They fed me and clothed me, but offered no warmth. After a while, seeing I was quiet and obedient, Vanessa’s attitude softened. Chloe was lively and fearless. I tried to avoid this family, but every morning, my door was pounded on by little Chloe. She screeched like a monkey. “Hazel! Wake up! Let’s go play!” I rolled over, covering my ears. Silence. Five minutes later, thump thump thump on the window. I climbed out of bed, hair messy, full of resentment. Chloe was standing on a ladder, grinning at me with big teeth. Below her, terrified nannies held the ladder. I opened the window, trying to scare her off with coldness. “Human interaction requires boundaries. We aren’t close. You’re crossing the line.” Chloe, the six-year-old social butterfly, blinked her empty little head. She processed my words and replied with absolute nonsense. “What? We’re eating steak today? But if it’s not well-done, we’ll get a tummy ache.” I took a deep breath. Before I could speak, someone shouted from the gate. “Chloe!” A figure sprinted over. Seeing Chloe so high up, his face went pale. Ethan carefully held the ladder and helped Chloe down. He checked her for injuries frantically. Then he glared at me coldly. “This is the Sterling house. You’re an outsider. You dare bully her?” Chloe scratched his arm. “No! She didn’t bully me! I went to find her!” Ethan froze. The nanny quickly explained it was Chloe’s idea. He looked at me with a complicated expression, mouth opening as if to speak. I closed the window without a word. Maybe because of the ladder incident, Ethan didn’t like me. My room was next to Chloe’s. Great sunlight. Vanessa didn’t mistreat me materially. She had the maid clean it up for me. But after I unpacked, I found the wall between our rooms had been knocked down. The maid was confused and anxious. “We… we weren’t told about this.” Ethan’s voice came from behind, strong and non-negotiable. “Chloe needs space for her things. Go to the third floor and pick a room.” The third floor was empty. Cold and lifeless. I stood at the door, holding my suitcase. Ethan glanced at me, his tone slightly softer. “If you have a lot of stuff, let the maid help you.” The maid took my suitcase. She was surprised by the weight. “It’s so light.” Ethan frowned, accusingly. “You haven’t even finished packing?” I explained calmly. “I have two outfits and some trinkets. This suitcase holds everything I own.” Ethan’s eyes flickered. He hesitated. “Maybe you should stay here…” “No need. I’ll move.” I cut him off. Ethan was hostile toward me. He always thought I would bully Chloe or steal her things. I found it funny. We can’t choose our birth. Blood is set. I can’t change it. I never wanted to fight Chloe for anything. This time, I just want to live. The “Real Heiress” title doesn’t matter. If I stay away, maybe Chloe and I can both survive. Seeing my avoidance, Ethan seemed to realize I found him annoying. He stopped bothering me. Chapter 3 Vanessa was satisfied with my obedience. She sent me to the same private school as Chloe. If a child is a cicada, Chloe was ten cicadas screaming all summer. In elementary school, we were desk mates. Whenever the teacher wasn’t looking, Chloe tugged my sleeve, whispering like a thief. “Hazel, let’s buy candy after school. We can dodge the driver.” I kept a straight face, pretending to be deaf. Chloe got anxious. “Hazel, Hazel, Hazel…” Before she finished, the teacher was looming over us. “What are you two doing?” I stood in the hallway with Chloe for the whole period, numb. For the next few years, this became routine. Chloe buzzed in my ear year after year. The summer after middle school graduation was a rare break. Grades are social currency for rich moms. Chloe and I both did well. Vanessa was proud. She gave us each a credit card, smiling. “Go have fun.” Chloe excitedly planned a graduation trip. That evening on the balcony, only Vanessa and I remained. She sat in a rocking chair, looking at my grades on her phone. Her gaze was scrutinizing, but softened by my performance. “You know your mother and I didn’t get along. I wasn’t planning to raise you.” Vanessa was blunt. My fingers clenched. “To be honest, if not for the inheritance, I wouldn’t have taken guardianship. But people have feelings. I treat you like my own daughter. When you turn eighteen, the money is yours.” She said. I remembered she said the same thing in my past life. In the end, when Chloe died, those words meant nothing. I exhaled deeply, calming myself. I took the card and thanked her. “Thank you, Auntie. I won’t let you down.” I turned to leave, but she called me. Her hair glowed in the sunset. Her face was soft, like a dream. She patted my shoulder. “Hazel, I’m proud of you too.” I prepared myself for a lecture, but her words made my eyes sting. In that moment, I wanted to call her Mom. I wanted to dig up the truth and ask her: Why do you give kindness to your niece, but not a shred of mercy to your own daughter? But I couldn’t. I swallowed the words. Back in my room, I slid down the door and cried silently. Rich kids like Ethan usually intern at the family company after graduation, their paths set. I knew after the trip, Vanessa would send us to the best high school. A bright future for a Sterling child. But Mom. I don’t want to be your child anymore. Chapter 4 The word “Mom” was alien to me. In my past life, I only learned the truth on my eighteenth birthday. Officially, my mother was Vanessa’s older sister. They fought constantly growing up. Vanessa insisted on marrying into a wealthy family despite her family’s objections. Once she married into the Sterlings, she cut ties with her maiden family. When Ethan was born, Vanessa was busy. The nanny, grieving her own grandson, resented Ethan. Abusing a baby is easy. The Sterlings trusted the nanny who had served them for twenty years. By the time Vanessa found out, Ethan was one. Due to abuse, he couldn’t walk or talk. The Sterlings, initially overjoyed by the first grandson, didn’t give up on him at first. But as rumors of his autism spread, the mockery grew. Vanessa’s position in the Sterling family became precarious. Then she got pregnant again. She prayed for a healthy boy. Instead, I was born. A girl born into disappointment. Terrified and depressed, Vanessa paid the nanny to send me to an orphanage, claiming I was stolen. The nanny, guilty, dumped me in a remote place instead of the designated orphanage. She took the money and ran. The Sterlings lost a child, but no one looked for her. They urged Vanessa to have another boy. That same year, Ethan started to recover. When he stumbled through his first “Mama,” Vanessa remembered me. When he said “Dada,” the family rejoiced, and she forgot me forever. Vanessa’s sister—my biological aunt—found me by accident in an orphanage. She brought me to Vanessa’s door, demanding answers. When the door opened, Vanessa was holding Ethan’s hand. I was four. I vaguely remember the beautiful woman looking down at me. She sneered at her sister. “This is your child? Look at her. Thin as a monkey. No fortune in her face.” My aunt was furious. They fought. When my aunt mentioned the “stolen” girl, Vanessa snapped. The unspoken truth was buried under Vanessa’s cruel words. She stared into my eyes and said, word by word: “You are a short-lived ghost. A curse.” I shivered. Even in the orphanage, cold and hungry, I never felt this cold. My aunt slapped her and took me away. She told everyone I was her daughter. She adopted me. That year, Vanessa finally thought of her lost daughter. She checked the orphanage records. Coincidentally, another girl the same age arrived the day I was abandoned. Vanessa thought it was me. She adopted her. She announced she found her biological daughter. That child became Chloe. With a son and a daughter, both healthy, Vanessa secured her place in the Sterling family. She lived a perfect life. I became my aunt’s daughter. Until my aunt and her husband died in an accident, leaving me a massive inheritance and entrusting me to Grandma. Grandma died soon after. My guardianship fell to my only living relative. Vanessa. I circled back to her. But this time, I had to call her Aunt. And Vanessa’s curse came true. I died young. A short-lived ghost.

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