To save my mother, I secretly donated a kidney to her. But the “real” daughter claimed the credit for my sacrifice. Disregarding our eighteen years of mother-daughter bond, Mom kicked me out of the house, scolding me: “No wonder you’re not a Vance. Raising you for eighteen years was less worth it than the daughter I just found!” I tried desperately to explain, but she wouldn’t believe a word. Until I was rushed into the ER for severe post-op anemia. I cried and begged my mom to save me. Instead, she crushed my only blood bag. “You ungrateful wretch! You deserve to die.” Later, as she wished, I really died. And Mom went insane over a kidney donation confidentiality agreement. 1 Post-surgery, pale and weak, I went to check on Mom’s recovery. Not wanting to worry her, I peeked through the door. Seeing her rosy complexion, I knew the transplant was a success. Just as I was about to go change out of my hospital gown to celebrate, a familiar voice called out from behind. “Sweetie, where are you going?” Mom’s voice was choked with emotion. My heart skipped a beat. Did she find out I was the donor? I clutched the confidentiality agreement in my hand, unsure of how to start. Suddenly, a girl about my age shoved past me. “Mom, are you feeling better? I thought I’d never see you again.” Mom stroked Chloe’s hair lovingly. “Silly child, it’s all thanks to you donating a kidney. Otherwise, I’d be gone.” I knew Chloe. She showed up a few days before Mom’s surgery, claiming to be the long-lost biological daughter of the Vance family, armed with a DNA test. Mom immediately renamed her Chloe Vance. Before they could celebrate their reunion, Mom’s kidney disease flared up, and she was hospitalized. While everyone was busy testing for a match, I disappeared. Because I matched first and was already wheeled into the OR. I hadn’t even had the chance to tell Mom, yet Chloe had already stolen the credit? The agreement in my hand clearly stated the donor: “Patient’s Biological Daughter.” I am Mom’s biological daughter. Who is Chloe? As far as I knew, Mom only gave birth to one child—me. Whoever she was, trying to deceive my mom and steal my credit, I had to expose her. Ignoring the pain from my incision, I squeezed through the crowd. “Mom, are you feeling any better?” Mom just had surgery; she couldn’t get agitated. So I didn’t confront her directly. Her health came first. Mom, who was smiling just a moment ago, dropped her face when she saw me. “Unlucky for you, I’m still alive.” I froze, frowning slightly. “I didn’t mean that. I’m genuinely worried about you.” Mom scoffed. “You didn’t mean what?” “Where were you when everyone was rushing to get tested for me?” “Even if you’re not biological, I raised you for eighteen years.” “Even the neighbor’s dog whines when it sees me in pain, but you were nowhere to be found.” I stood there, stunned, as everyone’s gaze turned to me. I never expected Mom to humiliate me in front of so many people. Or compare me to a dog. Chloe seized the moment, gently patting Mom’s chest. “Don’t be mad, Mom. Sister Harper must have had her own things to do.” “But no matter how busy, what could be more important than Mom’s life?” Chloe covered her mouth in mock surprise. “Oh, I forgot!” “Sister Harper is just the fake daughter who stole my identity, not Mom’s real flesh and blood.” “Forget it, I don’t blame you. After all, there’s no blood bond.” Chloe peeled an apple for Mom as she spoke. The relatives present didn’t know why Mom called Chloe her daughter. Now she gave herself the perfect opening. Since she brought it up, I might as well clear the air. I walked to Mom’s side, righteous indignation filling me. “Chloe, you know perfectly well whether you’re the real Vance daughter. Do I have to expose you in front of everyone?” I was imposing. I thought she would be scared, have a conscience, and stop lying to Mom. Chloe walked up to me. “Sister Harper, I know you don’t want to accept the truth.” “But you can’t push me!” I didn’t understand what she meant. Suddenly, Chloe threw herself against the corner of the table. From that angle, no one but us could see what happened. Chloe clutched her stomach, blood seeping out. The location of the wound was exactly where my incision was. Mom was furious and slapped me hard. “Harper Vance, how did I raise such an ingrate!” 2 I stared at Chloe’s wound, unable to process what I saw. “Help! Doctor! Chloe fainted!” Mom stood up anxiously, shoving me aside. The double impact tore my incision open. Mom paused at the sound, looking at me suspiciously. “What’s wrong with you?” Before I could speak, Chloe raised a weak hand. “Don’t blame Sister Harper. I shouldn’t have stolen Mom from her, or insisted on donating my kidney.” I opened my mouth, but the pain in my waist silenced me. Mom looked at me clutching the same spot as Chloe and sneered. “You’re not going to say you donated a kidney too, are you?” My eyes lit up. I nodded vigorously. But Mom doused me with cold water. “Eighteen years and you’ve learned to lie. No wonder you’re not a Vance.” “I don’t know where you came from, mooching off us for eighteen years. Bad blood truly never changes.” I looked at Mom in disbelief. Before Chloe appeared, she never spoke to me like this. Before I could grieve, the doctor arrived. My hand was soaked in blood. A strong survival instinct surged through my dizzy brain. “Save me first!” That Chloe is a fake. As long as I survive, I can explain everything to Mom. I stumbled to the doctor’s feet. “Save me first.” With my last ounce of strength, I lifted my shirt, revealing a four-inch incision. Everyone gasped. Even Mom looked shocked. “Harper, why do you have such a big…” “Mom, Chloe might not make it. You have to live well with her kidney.” Chloe raised her hand to touch Mom’s face. Almost instantly, Mom kicked me away and carried Chloe to the doctor. “Doctor, save my daughter first! She just donated a kidney to me.” “You must save her!” The doctors quickly put Chloe on a stretcher, then prepared a second one for me. Thank god doctors have a duty to save lives. I was glad I showed the doctor my wound. Otherwise, I would have bled to death in the ward. If I died, who would clear my name? I exhaled a long breath. But my relief was short-lived. “The patient is hemorrhaging. The blood bank is low on her type.” “Good news is we have one bag left that matches. Bad news is we have two patients!” I widened my eyes in disbelief. “Chloe has the same blood type as me?” 3 How could there be such a coincidence? I have a DNA test, she has one. I have a kidney donation scar, she has one. I have post-op anemia, she has it too. I gripped the bedsheets. When Mom passed the OR, I called out to her. “Mom, give the blood bag to me, please?” “I really am your daughter.” My bloody handprints stained the glass of the OR door. Mom looked impatient. “You wouldn’t even donate a kidney, and now you beg me to save you? Keep dreaming.” I pulled up my shirt with all my might. “Mom, I don’t know why Chloe has the same scar, but I really donated the kidney.” “I grew up with you. How could I leave you to die?” Mom saw my scars again. “Then why does Chloe have the exact same one?” Before I could answer, the doctor came to ask for Mom’s decision. “Mrs. Vance, you are the guardian for both. We only have one blood bag. You must choose.” Tears streamed down my face as I pounded on the glass. “Mom, save me! Please, I really am your daughter!” Mom gritted her teeth, her voice decisive. “Save Chloe!” My eyes widened in horror. Mom really wouldn’t give me the chance to live. I was the daughter she raised. Yet I meant less than a “real daughter” who just showed up. Just because Chloe “donated” a kidney? But I was the donor! I slapped the glass hard. “Mom, believe me! I really am your daughter! Please, save me!” “Mom, please!” “Don’t go!” Mom looked at me with disgust. “Who knows if you were swapped when you got lost as a kid? Maybe you’re faking the scar now that Chloe is back.” My mind went blank. I did get lost once as a child. But Grandma found me. That’s no reason for Mom to distrust me. Is donating an organ the only proof of kinship to her? Won’t she even investigate? I gave everything for her. I don’t understand why Chloe appeared out of nowhere. She fit the narrative so perfectly. In my despair, even I started to think I was the fake, and Chloe was the real daughter. But that’s not the truth! It’s not! Blood gushed from the wound in my waist. Am I going to die? As my vision blurred, a nurse rushed in with a blood bag. “Quick! Get her on the table for transfusion!” My heart jolted. “Did Mom give me the only chance?” “Does she believe I’m her daughter?” 4 I lay on the operating table. Doctors and nurses raced against time to save me. As the wound was stitched, the blood transfusion began. The weakness faded slightly. I thought I was a goner. Mom must have believed me. My lips moved slightly, cracking open a large split. The nurse told me not to move. I nodded. Suddenly, Mom stormed into the OR. “Chloe didn’t get the blood! Why are you getting it?” “Chloe just came back to me. She saved my life. I can’t let her die!” “Chloe is unconscious, and you’re here enjoying the fruits of her labor!” I looked up sharply. This blood wasn’t Mom’s choice. It was Chloe’s sacrifice? No… “Mom, I thought you gave it to me.” I bit my lip, feeling wronged. Mom’s eyes bulged with rage. “Me? Give it to an ingrate like you? Never!” “Chloe’s life is hanging by a thread. I wouldn’t save you even if you died!” With that, Mom squeezed the blood bag until it burst. Watching my only lifeline destroyed by my own mother, I broke down. “Mom! I’m going to die! Why won’t you believe me?!” “I am your daughter!” “I donated the kidney! Why won’t you believe me?!” I screamed the words. Mom froze, her aggressive demeanor faltering. She reached out subconsciously. “Harper, I…” Before she could finish, the doctor announced, “Chloe is awake.” Mom’s eyes lit up with excitement, and she ran to Chloe. I lay on the cold table, my heart sinking to the abyss. The nurse kept trying to save me. But I had already been diagnosed with severe anemia. That bag was my only chance. Why didn’t Mom give me a chance to live? Why? Large tears rolled down my cheeks, mixing with the blood gushing from my mouth. My face was sticky. I couldn’t tell blood from tears. The nurse tried everything. But I was running dry. I never imagined donating a kidney to save Mom would be the start of my death. I never imagined why a “real daughter” would suddenly appear. In my despair, I wondered if I was the impostor. But the truth wasn’t like that! Blood poured from my mouth. I knew my time was up. The heart monitor beeped beside me. I looked at the ceiling, unwilling to accept this. “God, why play this joke on me?” “Why let a stranger ruin my life?!” The monitor flatlined. I felt a massive force pulling me. Floating in mid-air, looking down at my gruesome corpse, I realized I was truly dead. My face was bloodless, paler than bleached pork. Now that I’m dead, Mom must be happy, right? The force pulled my soul to Mom’s side. She was weeping, holding Chloe tight. “Thank god it was just a scare. I thought I’d never see you again.” The usually poised career woman was now a tearful mess. She used to worry about me like this when I was sick. But since Chloe appeared, everything changed. Just as Chloe was about to cuddle up to Mom, a strange electronic voice echoed in the room. “Warning! Warning! Transmigrator used illegal operations during the mission, causing the death of the original protagonist.” “Mission failed. Punishment: Three days and nights of electric shock.” Mom looked at Chloe, who was being dragged away by an invisible force, in shock. “What’s happening, daughter?” Massive currents of electricity coursed through Chloe. Mom realized the electronic voice wasn’t a hallucination. “You’re not my daughter?!” 5 Chloe’s body stiffened. After the shock, she collapsed, paralyzed. The system’s punishment wasn’t continuous. It paused to let her recover, then started again. The waiting was more torture than the pain. Mom grabbed Chloe’s shoulders, shaking her awake. “What was that system?” “And are you really not my daughter?” Mom’s grip tightened. Chloe curled up in pain. “Mom, I am your daughter. It hurts.” Mom repeated, “Explain what that voice meant!” Chloe’s eyes widened. “You… you heard it?” Mom paused. She was smart. The truth was right there. Chloe wasn’t her daughter; she was a transmigrator. Mom choked out, “Then… did you donate the kidney?” Chloe tried to lie for her mission. But another round of shocks forced the truth out. I was the “Real Daughter” in a switched-at-birth story. When I got lost as a child, Chloe, the transmigrator, was supposed to be the “Real Daughter” swapped by the nanny, suffering abuse until reclaiming her identity. But to speed up her “capture target” progress (Mom), Chloe cheated. She decided that if I died, Mom’s guilt would transfer to her as love. So she forged the DNA test, the scar… everything to mimic me. Mom trembled, slapping Chloe across the face. “So to achieve your goal, you made me say those horrible things to Harper?” Chloe curled up, silent, as the next shock hit. Mom’s pupils constricted. “My Harper!” She ran in her heels to my OR. She arrived just as the nurse pulled the white sheet over my face. “What are you doing! My daughter is fine! Why cover her face?” “You’re cursing her! I’ll report you!”

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My boyfriend and I had planned to elope before Christmas. Instead, he showed up with a new girlfriend. He told me I wasn’t good enough, that being with me would only drag him down. “I’m sick of this poverty! Leaving you to struggle in the mud alone is better than both of us never seeing the sun.” “Vivian’s family is worth hundreds of millions. She can get me a job in her family’s corporation and pave the way for my success. If you try to harass me again, don’t blame me for being ruthless.” Vivian saw the conflict in his eyes and whispered a threat: “Don’t forget your grandmother is still in the ICU. Without my money, she’s dead.” Then she looked at me with a sneer. “A poor student who only knows how to sleep her way up. Once I buy Miss Ye’s favorite antique at the auction, I’ll enter the upper echelons of New York society. I’ll become a true socialite, a height you’ll never reach in this lifetime.” But as far as I knew, she was just an illegitimate daughter born from her mother’s affair. And the “Miss Ye” she was desperate to suck up to? That would be me. 1 It had been a week since Liam dumped me. If my childhood friend, Cole, hadn’t begged me to come and be his plus-one for a charity gala, I would still be rotting at home. “You don’t have to do anything, just sit there and look pretty. Honestly, just showing your face is giving them more respect than they deserve.” Cole had been chasing me for ten years, and I had been rejecting him for ten years. For something this small, I was willing to help. “Where is Cole?” I muttered as I pushed open the door to the VIP lounge. But inside wasn’t Cole. It was my ex-boyfriend, Liam. He was wearing a bespoke suit, looking more mature and polished than usual. Instantly, the image of the jerk who canceled our engagement and embraced his new girlfriend overlapped with the man in front of me. “I’m sick of this poverty! Leaving you to struggle in the mud alone is better than both of us never seeing the sun.” Hearing those words felt like a knife twisting in my heart. “So, you’re doing this for money? If you want money, I can give it to you.” Liam laughed. But it was a cruel laugh. “How much can a fresh college graduate give? Besides, no amount of money is better than having someone pave the way for me.” “My family has assets worth hundreds of millions. As long as Liam chooses me, he can enter my family business. What can you give him?” I stared at Liam, waiting for him to refute Vivian, even just one sentence. But he turned his head away. “Fine. I hope you get what you want.” When I got home, I found out Liam had transferred all the money he earned from working part-time during our four years of college into my account. “Consider it charity. Take this money and leave. Don’t ever bother me again.” When I tried to text him, he had already blocked me. For a moment, I even worried about how he would live. But then I realized, he had Vivian now. He probably didn’t care about that little bit of money. “Change the deed to the villa in the Hamptons to my name only. Yes, the groom ran away.” Vivian bragged about her family’s millions, but I bought villas worth more than that on a whim. During college, I was afraid of pressuring Liam, so I never told him my true identity. I never thought that would become the reason he dumped me. I laughed at myself. If I had known money was the key to keeping him, I could have drowned him in cash. Liam clearly saw me now. His eyes froze, scanning the room quickly, his brows furrowing. “What are you doing here? Leave, quickly!” “I was wondering who you were talking to. Turns out it’s an old classmate.” A domineering and mocking female voice cut in before I could answer. “Oh my, isn’t this Eva Ye?” Vivian’s eyes lit up the moment she saw me, like she had found a new toy to break. “What, did you come all this way just to find Liam? Or did life not work out, so you came here to try your luck?” Her words were full of provocation and smugness, as if waiting for me to stammer a pathetic explanation, wanting to see me hang my head in shame before Liam. “Why waste your breath on her?” Liam’s tone grew impatient. “Get out! This isn’t a place for people like you.” 2 “Liam, don’t be so mean. Eva came all this way to find you, it wasn’t easy. After all, wasn’t she always obsessed with clinging to you? Maybe she even snuck in.” As soon as Vivian said this, everyone in the VIP lounge looked at me. After all, everyone here was either rich or powerful. No one liked sharing a room with someone who didn’t belong. Liam’s gaze never left me. “Why haven’t you left yet?” The air in the lounge seemed to freeze. Since being dumped, I thought I had let go of this relationship and this person. But the moment I saw him, I realized that the person you loved in your youth always hides in a corner of your heart. It only takes a breeze to reignite the ashes. “Liam, are you really going to marry her?” My voice was calm, but trembling slightly. Liam froze. His lips moved, but no sound came out. “If he doesn’t marry me, is he supposed to marry a pauper like you?” “My family is so rich. Liam will live a life of luxury with me, instead of being dragged down by you.” Tina had been Vivian’s sidekick since college. I didn’t expect her to still be hanging around Vivian after graduation. “By the way, how did you get in?” Tina looked me up and down, her face full of suspicion. “This kind of place isn’t for just anyone.” “Did you steal someone’s invitation?” “Or did you hook up with some old sugar daddy? Tsk tsk, Eva, I didn’t know you had it in you.” Vivian smirked, a meaningful smile on her face. “Are you that good in bed? Otherwise, how would you qualify to be brought here? Girls should really have some self-respect.” I had been too lazy to deal with her, but she insisted on walking into the line of fire. Then don’t blame me for exposing her secrets. “You say that because you learned from the best, right? After all…” I paused, deliberately slowing down. “Wasn’t your mother just a receptionist who climbed into an old man’s bed to have you?” “Oh my god, is that true?” Tina’s eyes widened, clearly shocked by my words. “What nonsense are you spouting!” Vivian’s face went pale instantly. Clearly, I hit a nerve. Her family looked glamorous, but this was an open secret in our circles, just one nobody usually bothered to mention. “Tina, you idiot! You believe that? Fake, of course it’s fake!” Vivian looked at me furiously, grinding her teeth. “You dare spout nonsense here!” The next second, she raised her hand to hit me. Slap! My hand was faster than hers. I slapped her hard across the face, the crisp sound echoing in the VIP room. This slap should have landed on her face years ago. Vivian stumbled back, stunned, then covered her face and screamed. “Eva Ye, are you crazy? You dare hit me!” I glanced at her. “Act crazy again, and I’ll hit you again.” “Liam, are you dead?” Vivian was trembling with rage, screaming at Liam. “Are you just going to stand there and watch?” Liam moved, crossing the distance to me in a few steps. His voice was low. “You shouldn’t have come here.” I looked at him, my lips trembling, the bitterness in my heart about to overflow. “Liam, you…” Slap! He raised his hand and slapped me. My face stung instantly. But more than the physical pain, my heart shattered. I looked at him in disbelief. A flash of pain and reluctance crossed his eyes, but was interrupted by Vivian’s sneer. “Is that all the strength you have? Hit her harder!” Liam’s hand trembled slightly. He gritted his teeth and raised his hand again. Slap! The second slap was heavier than the first. He could actually hit me for another woman. Vivian was still not satisfied. “Again! Not loud enough.” Liam closed his eyes, and his palm fell again. My face was numb with pain. I could even feel it swelling. I had imagined our reunion a thousand times, but never like this. “Liam.” I whispered his name, my voice hoarse. Did he really not care about me at all? Did he never truly love me? I didn’t ask this question six years ago. This time, I wanted to know. Vivian looked at me, her eyes full of triumph. “Eva, this is what happens when you’re cheap. You shameless bitch!” Liam lowered his eyes, his voice barely audible. “Get out. Don’t pester me again. Don’t come looking for me. Eva, save yourself some dignity. You can’t force love.” 3 I touched my burning face, but a feeling of rebellion quickly suppressed the pain in my heart. Since I was little, my parents taught me one thing. Whatever I like, whatever I want, must belong to me. As for whether forced love is sweet or not, that doesn’t matter. What matters is that I have it. Tina was acting like a victorious hen now, lifting her chin. “We’re here to bid on the most precious item at this auction, a gift for the most important person in New York—Miss Ye of the Ye family.” “Oh?” I raised an eyebrow. Seeing my curiosity, they couldn’t wait to show off. “Miss Ye isn’t someone just anyone can meet. Vivian used her connections to meet Miss Ye’s childhood friend, Cole from the Cheng family, to get an introduction.” “You’ve probably never even heard of such a VIP. It makes sense, they aren’t people your class can touch.” I listened to their ridicule and found it amusing. Is this the person Cole wanted me to meet today? I looked at Vivian with interest. “Sounds like this VIP is really impressive.” “Miss Ye particularly likes today’s finale item. As long as I win it and give it to her, my family can secure a major project in the city and officially enter the upper echelon of New York society.” Tina’s face was full of envy and flattery. “Yeah, then Vivian will be a true socialite. Even if you were reborn a few times, you couldn’t reach that height.” Precious item? That was just something I mentioned casually to Cole last month as a joke. I didn’t expect anyone to take it seriously. I wonder how much she’s planning to spend on my gift? “Once this is done, my parents will let Liam marry me.” Vivian smiled even brighter. As she spoke, she gently placed her hand on Liam’s arm and leaned her head towards him. Liam stiffened visibly. He subtly moved a step to the side, stealing a glance at me. His expression held a hint of awkwardness, and… uneasiness? “What are you dodging for?” Vivian noticed Liam’s small movement, her tone tinged with dissatisfaction. Liam lowered his head and didn’t reply. Tina seemed to sense the atmosphere was off and quickly spoke up. “Eva, stay and watch the auction. For old times’ sake, we’ll let you see the world.” Vivian sneered. “Yeah, later tonight, I’ll take you to see what true New York luxury looks like. It’s something a lowlife like you would never see in a lifetime. Cherish this opportunity.” I could feel Vivian’s malice towards me. And Tina’s expression was full of ill intent. What they wanted to “show” me definitely wasn’t anything good. Liam’s eyes darkened. He tilted his head and signaled me with his eyes, telling me to leave quickly. There was struggle and pain in his eyes. Liam, what exactly are you thinking? Are you afraid I’ll be humiliated, or do you just want to get rid of me? Well, I’m not leaving. I found a seat right in the center and sat down, casually tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. “You’re right. It’s rare to get a chance to see New York’s luxury and such a high-end auction. How could I just leave?” 4 Before the auction started, Liam said he needed to use the restroom. I wanted to follow him, to have a proper talk. Tina suddenly stood up and blocked my way. “What, the dog can’t control itself when it sees a bone?” Her face was full of contempt, with undisguised mockery. “Liam is going to the bathroom. You want to go hold it for him? Have some shame.” Vivian leaned back in her chair, looking at me playfully. “Eva, don’t you get the situation? After graduation, it’s the adult world. Liam is excellent; he need someone who can help him.” “How do you know I can’t? Haven’t you heard of the Ye family in New York?” The Ye family has been at the top of the social ladder since the country’s founding. The people they cultivated occupy leadership positions in all walks of life. They froze for a few seconds, then burst into ear-piercing laughter. “Harvard? Did you get your head caught in a door? Even in dreams, you wouldn’t dare dream this big! Look in a mirror!” Vivian laughed so hard she leaned back. “Right, right, you’re from the Ye family. I think your skin is thick enough to be bulletproof! Are you crazy from being poor, hypnotizing yourself at home?” “Oh, it’s because her family is too poor. If her parents were a bit more capable, like Vivian’s dad, maybe she wouldn’t need a sugar daddy now.” Their laughter pierced my eardrums. Just then, Liam pushed the door open and walked in, hands behind his back. He clearly heard the conversation. His eyes swept over Vivian and finally settled on me. Revealing a trace of pain and self-blame. “Stop talking. The auction is starting.” Liam interrupted their ridicule and my retort. The auctioneer walked onto the stage. He smiled in surprise when he saw me. After all, I was a rare guest they usually couldn’t beg to attend. “Vivian, did the auctioneer recognize you?” “Probably. I’ve been to so many high-society galas with my dad.” Vivian looked proud. I shook my head slightly, signaling the auctioneer not to reveal my identity. As the items were presented one by one, the atmosphere heated up. When it was time for the finale, I made a subtle gesture to the auctioneer. He understood immediately. He coordinated with other buyers to drive up the price. “6 million.” “7 million!” “8 million!” The price skyrocketed. A vein throbbed on Vivian’s forehead. She hesitated more and more with each bid. Tina, oblivious to the situation, excitedly cheered her on. “Quick! Add more! Someone outbid you again!” Vivian gritted her teeth. “But it’s already double the estimate. If I add more…” Before she finished, someone else bid. “30 million!” Vivian finally couldn’t help but take out her phone. “Dad, liquidate some cash quickly! It’s at 30 million. If I don’t win it now, I’ll lose the chance!” Just as the auctioneer was about to hammer down. I suddenly reached out and gently lifted Vivian’s arm. “Miss Vivian bids three times the price!” The auctioneer’s voice was excited. The audience gasped. “Oh my god, 90 million?” “Which family’s daughter is this rich?” Vivian’s lips trembled. “What are you doing? You dare sabotage me?” I looked innocent. “Didn’t you say you had to win this item? I’m just helping you. Why are you blaming me?” The auctioneer hammered down, a professional smile on his face. “Congratulations, Miss Vivian. The amount will be deducted within three hours. We hope you are satisfied with our service.” Vivian froze, clutching her bag tightly, veins popping on her hand. “My dad… my dad will kill me. You deserve to die!” Tina got the hint from Vivian and immediately attacked. “Eva, you’re responsible too! You have to pay part of this!” “You sell your body, you must make a lot!” Saying that, she stepped forward, reaching for my collar. “Stop!” Liam blocked me. “That’s enough.” “Enough?” Vivian was losing it. “Liam, what do you mean? You’re protecting this slut now? She cost me an extra 60 million! Don’t forget, your grandmother is still in the ICU. Without my money, she dies!” Liam’s face changed drastically, like he’d been slapped. Pain and struggle warred on his face. Vivian sneered triumphantly and waved for Tina to continue. “You think you can leave here in one piece today? After all these years, you finally fell into my hands! I’ve been waiting for this day for too long.” “Move, Mr. Cheng is here.” The box door was pushed open, and everyone turned to look. Everyone subconsciously made way. Suddenly, I felt a push from behind, and I stumbled forward. Vivian jumped out and yelled while pointing at me. “Everyone see this? This mistress, this prostitute, has such evil intentions. She’s trying to throw herself at Mr. Cheng to sleep her way to the top. Shameless!”

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My husband’s childhood sweetheart, Bella, sent me a wedding gift. It was a box full of her cat’s fur. I didn’t know until I opened it. My asthma immediately flared up. We were out of medicine at home, so I called my husband, Ethan, who worked at a pharmacy, begging for help. He ignored Bella’s tantrums and delivered the medicine, saving my life. But the next day, he locked me in our bedroom with a dead cat and laughed as I screamed in agony. “If it weren’t for you, Bella wouldn’t have killed herself! You have to pay with your life!” It turned out that Bella, jealous that Ethan had left her to help me, jumped off a building with her pregnant cat. Ethan blamed me and wanted revenge. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day my asthma flared up. This time, I called 911 immediately. Ethan ran to Bella without hesitation. But later, he regretted everything. 1 As the air was slowly sucked out of my lungs, the intense suffocation cleared my mind instantly. I opened my eyes. The next second, I threw the gift box in my hand as hard as I could. With a loud thud, cat fur floated into the air. I instinctively covered my nose and mouth, but my body erupted into violent coughs, twisting me into a painful knot. Nebulizer… I fell to the floor, my brain screaming for the medicine. But the familiar scene made me realize: I had been reborn. Ethan’s terrifying laughter from my past life echoed in my mind. I couldn’t stop shaking, gasping for air as I crawled towards the sofa. This time, I grabbed my phone and dialed 911 without hesitation. After giving my situation and address, and hearing the confirmation on the other end, I collapsed completely. As my consciousness faded, I banged my head against the floor to stay awake with the pain. Only when I saw figures in white coats did I let the darkness take me. When I opened my eyes again, the bright hospital lights made my eyes water. The suffocation in my chest was gone, and the smell of disinfectant, usually unpleasant, felt incredibly reassuring. “If you’re feeling okay, you can go pay the bill now.” After the nurse left, I threw off the blanket and walked out. Besides paying the bill, there was something I needed to confirm personally. Stopping in front of the hospital pharmacy, I called my husband, Ethan. He picked up quickly. “Honey, are you at the hospital?” “Yeah, I’m busy.” He hung up the next second, but right before the call ended, I heard a faint “meow.” And in the pharmacy window, there were different faces, but no Ethan. I let out a bitter laugh, my heart aching. Then, I felt a mocking gaze from afar. Walking closer to the window, I saw that Ethan was indeed absent. His colleague, Mark, was on duty. He glanced at me sideways while typing on his keyboard. “Picking up medicine?” I needed more nebulizer medicine for home anyway. Just as I was about to speak, he stopped typing and gave me a malicious smile. “Show me your medical record and prescription.” I gestured politely at the computer in front of him. “The hospital’s electronic system is synced. You can just check it there.” He acted like he didn’t hear me, not even glancing at the screen. “Sister-in-law, everyone else brings a slip. Why do you have to be special?” Then he opened his mouth in exaggerated surprise. “Oh, does your family own the hospital?” “I don’t have Ethan’s good temper. I won’t make exceptions for you.” 2 His voice was loud enough for everyone around to hear. People in line behind me started to grumble. “Just do what the doctor says! Why are you wasting time?” “Is she trying to get medicine without paying? That’s ridiculous!” … Hospitals are crowded places. Seeing a commotion, people started gathering around. Passersby stretched their necks to see what was happening. More and more people surrounded me, making the already stuffy air even thinner. My throat started to itch again. I coughed twice, but Mark looked at me with pure disdain. “What? You don’t follow the rules, you’re in the wrong, and now you’re pretending to be pitiful?” “Sister-in-law, save your energy. Ethan told me you love putting on a show.” As soon as he finished, I felt mocking gazes from all directions. Humiliated and suffocating, the feeling of despair almost overwhelmed me. “Give me the medicine… I need—” I leaned against the wall, gasping for air, looking at him, but he interrupted me. “Nice acting, but I’m not buying it!” I had felt this crushing despair in my last moments in my previous life. That day, my asthma flared up, and we were out of medicine. I called Ethan at the pharmacy immediately. When we were dating, he promised me after learning about my condition: “Xu Jie, I’ll be the person who brings you medicine the moment you need it.” He delivered the medicine as promised, saving my life. But his childhood friend, Bella, jumped off a building with her pregnant cat because he didn’t answer her call and didn’t arrive in time. He seemed fine, just helped his friend with her funeral and buried her cat. Respecting the dead, I didn’t tell him that Bella’s gift had caused my attack. After everything, he looked at me even more lovingly, bought a whole box of medicine, and scolded me gently to be more careful. I thought our marriage was finally on the right track. But the next morning, I woke up suffocating. I opened my eyes to find the dead cat in my arms, its fur stained with dried blood. I screamed and ran to the door, only to find it locked. I frantically opened the bottles of medicine he bought, but they were all empty. I wailed in despair on the floor, while his maniacal laughter came from outside. “If not for you, Bella wouldn’t have killed herself!” “We were together for so long and you were fine. Why did you have an attack right then? You did it on purpose to call me away when Bella and Kitty needed me most!” “Xu Jie, you have to pay with your life!” I used my last bit of strength to bang on the door, begging him to save me. Until I stopped breathing, he never opened the door. That’s when I realized how important Bella, his “little sister,” was to him. Before our wedding, he pushed aside all preparations to help her find an apartment and a job. Now, he pushed me into the abyss for her. I was too naive to think marriage would fix everything. To him, marriage and love could be given to two different people. When I came back to reality, my vision was blurry, and Mark’s face was doubling. “Please, give me the medicine.” I bowed down at the window, begging. The last thing I heard was a scream. “Someone fainted! Get a doctor!” 3 When I opened my eyes again, Mark’s face was right in front of me. This time, his eyes were full of worry and guilt, completely different from before. Seeing me awake, he started apologizing. “Sister-in-law, I’m so sorry! Ethan told me this morning you’d come to cause trouble, so I…” He slapped himself lightly. “I didn’t know you really had asthma!” I sat up and looked around. The culprit was still missing. Mark seemed to notice my gaze and quickly pulled out his phone. “Sister-in-law, don’t move. I’ll call Ethan!” While dialing, he muttered to himself. “Why isn’t he picking up…” He must have been rejected countless times while I was unconscious. And Ethan… He was probably enjoying his time with Bella, not wanting to be disturbed. I took a deep breath, but my chest still hurt. Surprisingly, I heard Ethan’s voice the next second. “What is it? I told you, just tell that bitch to get lost.” “Kitty just had kittens, and Bella and I are celebrating. Don’t ruin the mood!” Mark’s smile froze on his face. I coughed a few times, laughing at my own foolish hope. Mark leaned in anxiously, but I waved him off. Ethan’s voice got louder on the phone. “See? I told you she’s good at acting! She’s doing it again, isn’t she?” Then, a female voice spoke up. “Ethan, don’t be mad. Sister Xu Jie probably didn’t mean it…” Hearing that sweet voice reminded me of the box of cat fur. And the note inside: “Sister Xu Jie, I heard you have asthma? I just got a kitten.” “Ethan will be visiting me often, so he’ll smell like cats. I’m helping you get used to it.” Malice wrapped in sweetness. And now she was playing innocent. “Bella, you’re too kind.” Hearing Ethan’s voice soften with affection, my heart sank. Mark looked awkward, his hand frozen in the air. “Ethan, if you want to keep your job, come to the hospital right now.” Silence fell on the other end. Mark froze too. A moment later, Ethan’s angry voice exploded in the room. “Xu Jie, who do you think you are? What right do you have to say that?” Then, he hung up. Mark scratched his head awkwardly. “Sister-in-law, is there anything I can help with—” I interrupted him. “You and Ethan are from the same hometown, right? You grew up together?” He nodded. I beckoned him closer and whispered. “Do something for me…” Not long after Mark left the room. Ethan, who was just yelling on the phone, showed up with Bella, and… Two kittens in her arms. 4 I instinctively shrank back, shouting at the kittens: “Get out!” Ethan patted Bella’s back soothingly, his face turning stormy. “Xu Jie, you’re not going to die from that distance. Stop acting! Can’t you talk properly?” Of course, he thought I was faking it again, even though I was lying in a hospital bed. Maybe because in my past life, I never had an attack in front of him. He even joked privately: “Did you fake your medical records just to hit on me at the pharmacy?” I met him when I went to pick up medicine and fell in love at first sight. The one time I had an attack, it proved my condition but led to Bella’s suicide. So he believed I used my illness as a tool for attention. I covered my nose and mouth, suppressing my anger as Ethan walked closer with his arm around Bella’s waist. Suddenly, a nurse shouted: “What are you doing? Don’t you know the patient had two asthma attacks today?” They were “escorted” out by the nurse. When he returned, he was alone. It seemed his job was important enough to make him compromise. But he still looked impatient, chin raised, looking down at me. “You’re not dead yet, are you? You look like you’re about to kick the bucket.” Even though he was a few steps away, I still felt uneasy, worried about lingering cat dander on his clothes. I pinched my nose and pointed behind him. “Stand further back.” His patience ran out, and his face twisted in anger. “Xu Jie, what do you want?” “Come here, go away… are you playing with me?!” Seeing his rage gave me a strange sense of satisfaction. I chuckled. “No.” “I want you to kneel and beg for my forgiveness.” His jaw dropped, eyes bulging. He enunciated every word, fueled by fury. “Me? Kneel? To you?” “Why should I?” I replied calmly. “Because if I want, I can make you pack up and leave right now.” He stared at me for a long time, scanning me up and down, then burst into laughter. Shoulders shaking, bending over with laughter. Then, he looked at me with pure malice. “I think you’ve lost your mind.” I didn’t care, smiling as he walked away. I felt a little sorry for him. He personally threw away the only chance I gave him. I opened my contacts and dialed a number I hadn’t called in a long time.

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At our wedding reception, my husband’s childhood sweetheart, Bella, attempted suicide and was rushed to the ER. Hearing the news, my husband went berserk. He dragged me out of the venue, screaming that I had to go to the hospital and donate blood to her. I knelt on the ground, begging him to stop. I told him I was two months pregnant and that a forced blood donation could cause a miscarriage. But the next second, my in-laws, who had just arrived, kicked me in the stomach. “Let it miscarry! You can always get pregnant again later! If anything happens to Bella because you delayed, you’ll pay for it!” I curled up on the ground in agony, clinging to my husband’s pant leg. Instead of helping me, he kicked me again, right in the stomach. “I’m sorry, Sarah. If you miscarry because of the donation, you’ll hate Bella forever. So, I’ll take care of the baby myself.” I hemorrhaged instantly and passed out. When I opened my eyes, I drafted the divorce papers myself. I looked down at my husband and his family kneeling before me and laughed. “I called the police. I’m not giving any more blood.” “And you… a smoker and drinker with a low sperm count… don’t expect to ever have children again.” 1 We were exchanging rings. My fiancé, Jason, was distracted as the officiant guided him to put the diamond ring on my finger. The next second, his phone rang. One look at the screen, and his eyes turned red. He grabbed my arm and started dragging me toward the exit. His grip was so tight it hurt, and I tried to pull back. “What’s wrong?” Seeing me resist, he shouted frantically. “We have to go! Bella needs you to save her life!” “She accidentally slit her wrist. She lost a lot of blood. She needs a transfusion.” “Sarah, please! Just help her one last time!” Oh. It was Bella again. In the five years I’ve been with Jason, I’ve felt like Bella’s personal mobile blood bank. I don’t even know how much blood I’ve given her. My wrist was already bruising from his grip, and the bruise from drawing blood for Bella two weeks ago was still visible on my forearm. Suddenly, I felt exhausted. My feet felt glued to the floor. I couldn’t move. Since I started dating Jason, I knew about his “little sister.” If he bought me a coffee, he had to buy one for Bella. But he never remembered my order. He always bought what Bella liked. If we went on a date, Bella tagged along. He said it was convenient, that he was worried about her being alone. “We’ll do our thing, ignore her.” But every time, Bella was like a third wheel stuck between us. She always “coincidentally” interrupted any romantic moment we had. I fought with Jason about this several times. He always said, “I just see her as a sister. Don’t overthink it.” I made excuses for him. Maybe he was just dense. Maybe guys just couldn’t spot a “pick-me” girl. But now, seeing his panic… It was like a bucket of ice water dumped over my head. I woke up. Jason had never shown this kind of concern for me. Even when I had a fever of 103, body aching, unable to get out of bed. He just casually told me to drink more water. He didn’t even pour me a glass. I had to ask him, voice raspy, to find me some medicine. He took his sweet time getting up, asking a million questions before finally bringing me the pills. Back then, I comforted myself. I was his first girlfriend. He didn’t have experience. It was normal to have to teach him. Now I see. It wasn’t that he didn’t know how. It was just that the person he wanted to care for wasn’t me. My head cleared. I clutched my stomach and ripped my hand away from his. “I’m not going. That’s your precious sister, nothing to do with me.” He frowned, impatience written all over his face. “What the hell do you mean? You’re just going to let her die? I never knew you were this heartless!” “Today, you are going whether you like it or not!” He grabbed my arm harder, nails digging into my flesh. I couldn’t shake him off. My head was spinning, and a dull pain started in my lower abdomen. Mustering all my strength to stand my ground, I said calmly: “Jason, I’m pregnant. I can’t donate blood. Can you let go of me now?” 2 The pressure on my wrist vanished instantly. Jason stared at my stomach, frowning as if trying to determine if I was lying. Suddenly, his tone softened. “Bella’s situation is critical. Besides, donating blood doesn’t guarantee a miscarriage.” “I promise, if you help her this time, I won’t contact her again.” A chill ran through my body. I realized then that he knew I hated his relationship with Bella. He had just been pretending not to notice my hurt and insecurity all this time. “That’s enough. My body belongs to me. I have the right to choose whether or not to give blood to Bella. And I won’t gamble with my child’s life.” The veil on my head fluttered in the wind. I looked at the man I had loved for five years. I reached up, tore the veil off, and threw it lightly in his face. “Since you care about Bella so much, let’s just cancel the wedding.” I turned to leave. Jason, caught off guard, chased after me, lowering his voice to coax me. “Babe, I was just impulsive. Just help Bella this once. This is different. She tried to kill herself. The cut is deep. She must be in so much pain…” His mouth wouldn’t stop moving, full of heartache for her. I suddenly remembered a winter three years ago. I had just donated blood to Bella and was dizzy. I accidentally cut my palm on a rusty wire fence on the street. The flesh flipped open, blood dripping onto the snow. I cried and went to Jason, asking him to take me to the hospital for stitches and a tetanus shot. But he just stared at my hand, grinning, and pulled out his phone to take pictures of the wound from different angles. “Holy crap, that’s a huge gash! I think I can see the connective tissue. Scary. Let me post this on Instagram first!” Ignoring my frozen expression, he posted the picture and then happily replied to comments from his friends. He let me stand there, bleeding and stunned, for half an hour before he finally looked up from his phone and realized he should hug me. “Oops, babe, I forgot about you! My bad. You know I’m just a dumb guy. I’ll take you to the hospital right now!” Maybe. Maybe he really was just that dumb and immature. I comforted myself with that excuse over and over. But now, I finally understood. He wasn’t incapable of empathy. He wasn’t incapable of caring. He just didn’t care about me. My stomach hurt more and more. This pregnancy had been difficult from the start. I was exhausted from wedding prep yesterday and even went to the ER in the middle of the night. The doctor said I was anemic and weak, and the fetus was fragile. I had to be extremely careful, or I could lose the baby. But now, after coaxing me for a few seconds, Jason was getting impatient again, pulling at me. “Sarah, don’t push your luck!” “It’s just a little blood! It won’t kill you or the baby! If you keep acting like this, the wedding is off!” He always knew what I wanted most. That’s why he was so good at threatening me with it. I looked at him coldly and couldn’t help but smirk. “Fine. Then let’s not…” Before I could finish the sentence, a sharp pain exploded across my face. Then, someone kicked me hard in the stomach. My body, already in distress, felt like blades were twisting in my brain and abdomen. My mother-in-law’s shrill voice exploded in my ear. “Shut up with the nonsense! You think being pregnant makes you the Queen? Pfft!” “A clump of cells that isn’t even fully formed wants to compare with Bella? Look in the mirror!” “Stop faking it and get to the hospital!” “If anything happens to Bella because you delayed, you’ll never step foot in my house again!” 3 I curled up on the ground, shaking uncontrollably. I could hear the guests in the distance, laughing and wondering where the bride and groom went. Accompanied by a deafening ringing in my ears, it felt like a world away. I struggled to stand up, but my father-in-law coldly ordered Jason: “The car is ready outside. Get her to the hospital. Your mom and I will handle the wedding.” “Who gave you the right to treat me like this?! You have no right!” My voice trembled. A warm liquid gushed between my legs. Terror engulfed me. Even though I was completely disappointed in Jason, the baby was inside me. It was mine. The fate of my child should be decided by me, its mother, not killed so hastily and recklessly by others! Panic swept over me. I grabbed Jason’s pant leg tightly. “Take me to the hospital! The baby… I’m losing the baby! Go! Now!” Jason stood there, frowning down at me as I crawled at his feet, crying my heart out. A flash of hesitation crossed his eyes. Seeing me beg, his mother started her moral blackmail, shouting at Jason. “See? See? What did I tell you! She’s a cold-blooded woman!” “I told you not to marry her, but you wouldn’t listen! Today she won’t save your sister, tomorrow she won’t save your mother!” She started beating her chest and wailing, drowning out my voice completely. 4 I didn’t have time for her performance. More and more blood flowed down my legs, soaking through the heavy layers of my wedding dress and pooling on the ground. Jason shuddered, finally reacting. He bent down and picked me up, taking two quick steps forward. I clutched my stomach, repeating mindlessly, “This is my baby… my flesh and blood… and yours…” I didn’t even know what I was saying. Overwhelming grief swallowed me. I wanted to scream, but my throat and chest felt stuffed with cotton. I couldn’t form a complete sentence. Suddenly, pain shot through my body again. My hips and back hit the ground first. My head slammed onto the cold floor a second later. A massive buzzing sound filled my mind. Dazed, I stared up at the harsh white lights on the ceiling and Jason, who was bending over me, backlit by the glare. The next second, his face twisted into a grotesque monster. Then, he lifted his foot and kicked my stomach hard, again and again, crying while he did it. “I’m sorry, Sarah. I’m so sorry.” “You lost so much blood. The baby probably won’t make it anyway.” “If I let you go to the hospital now, not only will Bella not get the blood, but if you lose the baby, you’ll hate Bella forever…” “I’ll take care of this baby myself. Blame me if you want!” “Babe, we can have more kids later…” By the end, I couldn’t hear his voice anymore. Every movement seemed magnified, slowed down, then faded and blurred. Jason grabbed my wrist tightly, trying to pull me up. “Okay, that should be enough. Babe, stop faking it. Come to the hospital with me. Bella is waiting!” My in-laws chimed in. “It’s just a miscarriage! Acting like she’s dying!” “Back in my day, I was working in the fields while bleeding after giving birth! She’s just spoiled!” “This is what happens when you pamper her!” It felt like a giant meat grinder was churning inside me. Even breathing hurt. Finally, my vision went black, and I passed out. When I woke up groggily, I was in a hospital. I couldn’t open my eyes, but I vaguely heard Jason asking the doctor. “Doc, are you saying she can’t donate blood right now?” The doctor’s attitude was hostile. He sounded like he wanted to curse. But professional ethics held him back, making him stutter with rage. “You… you know her condition! Miscarriage, internal rupture!” “It’s not just heavy bleeding. Thank God she doesn’t need a transfusion herself!” “Are you really her family? You don’t care about the patient at all!” I didn’t expect that even in this state, His heart was still with Bella. He cared less about me than a stranger doctor. A wave of sorrow washed over me. When did we become like this?

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The new female intern at the company went for a night hike and posted an intimate photo in the work group chat. She was wearing a tight tank top and yoga shorts, wrapped in the arms of a man whose face was obscured. Her eyes were full of lust, their lips pressed together in a heated kiss. The intern quickly sent a message: “Accidentally sent! Please don’t screenshot!” Just as the group chat was about to be dissolved by admin, I was drawn to the amulet hanging around the intern’s neck in the photo. That gold amulet was one I had traveled to Tibet for, kowtowing every step from the bottom of the mountain to the top for two days and nights, praying for safety. I had personally put it on my husband. But now, it was around another woman’s neck. 1 The company-wide group chat was disbanded by HR, but the private chat for the tech department was blowing up. [Alex]: “I heard from Sales that this intern has been telling people she prefers married men.” [Peace&Love]: “@Chloe Qin, I heard this intern works directly under your husband. Be careful!” Seeing the warning, combined with the gold amulet in the photo, an indescribable suspicion rose in my heart. Could it be him? Perhaps telepathically, just as I was thinking of him, Lucas called. I immediately exited the chat and answered. “Chloe, I’m lonely in the hotel room. I miss you~” Hearing my husband’s coquettish tone and dependency on me, my face burned as if I’d been slapped. How could I doubt my husband of three years just because of a familiar accessory and some gossip? After condemning myself a hundred times, I comforted him softly. “I won’t hang up tonight. We can talk all night.” “I want a bedtime story.” I smiled. Even though my husband was a cold, domineering CEO to outsiders, to me, he was still a clingy boy who needed coaxing. As we chatted, I brought up the intern’s photo incident. “Lucas, you should have seen how panicked HR was today.” Just as I was about to continue, I heard the sound of frogs croaking on the other end. And Lucas went silent. “Lucas? Lucas…” I called his name, but there was no response. Listening closely, I heard soft, alluring gasps coming through the receiver. It definitely wasn’t my husband, or even a man, making those sounds. Instantly, I was seized by a suspicion that made my hands and feet tremble uncontrollably. My side fell into absolute silence, making the gasps on the other end even more distinct. I grabbed my work phone and messaged HR. Within five minutes, HR replied. “Sales sent Mr. Chen and an intern named Bella Song to the S City expo.” My eyes locked onto the words “Lucas Chen and intern Bella Song.” Another muffled moan came from the phone. Thinking of the wilderness in the photo and her outfit… as a woman, I knew exactly what kind of activity produced those sounds. My phone slipped from my hand and hit the floor with a crack. The screen shattered into a spiderweb, just like my heart. Lucas’s voice suddenly cut in: “Babe? Why did you stop talking?” In that moment, the realization of his betrayal washed over me. He was using me as part of their thrill-seeking game. The humiliation and rage threatened to consume me. I clenched my fists, forcing the anger down. “I was just worried about you being alone. Is the hotel HR booked decent?” After receiving the hotel location from Lucas, I immediately requested two days of leave. Three years of marriage, a sweet life, a harmonious relationship. I couldn’t believe Lucas could be so cruel as to betray our family. Even if he cheated, I had to see it with my own eyes! I drove 160 miles on the highway. Outside the hotel, Lucas stood in the cold wind, waving at me. I parked the car. He immediately pulled me into his arms, looking distressed. “Surprised? We’re so connected. As soon as you asked, I knew you were coming!” Smelling the faint, familiar scent on him—no trace of another woman’s perfume—I wondered if I had misunderstood. Had Lucas really not cheated? “Coming all this way to check on the boss just for a business trip? Big Sister is really insecure, huh?” Bella Song sauntered over, arms crossed, her tone mocking. I frowned. Her words were dripping with sarcasm. Lucas quickly let go of me, looking hurt. “You doubted me!” “I’m sorry, Lucas, but listen…” Before I could explain my guilt, he cut me off sharply: “Chloe Qin! Is our relationship of so many years fake to you?” Lucas clenched his fists, his indignation growing. “It’s bad enough you doubt me, but you doubt me and Bella? We have a pure mentor-mentee relationship! How can your mind be so dirty?” Seeing him like this, even if he had cheated, I lost the courage to question him. I could only do my best to coax him, hugging him to calm his anger. “I was wrong. I sincerely apologize, okay? Don’t be mad, it hurts me, really!” Lucas sighed, then said hesitantly, “Then transfer Bella to the design department as an apology.” “I can’t. She has no design experience. She’d just be sitting around.” Lucas pushed me away. “Of course she’d be sitting around! If I wanted her to work, I wouldn’t send her there!” His unreasonable behavior suddenly made him seem like a stranger. “Lucas, putting her in design to do nothing… do you know what will happen to me if the boss finds out?” “Oh, come on, how would he find out? You’re always so timid, never bold enough!” He waved his hand, as if deciding between spinach and celery for dinner. But this concerned my career. If discovered, I wouldn’t just be fired; I could be blacklisted from the industry. I couldn’t take that risk. I shook my head, hoping he would understand. Lucas flew into a rage: “You can’t even do this small favor? Your apology is fake!” He turned to Bella, signaling her to go back to the hotel. I rushed to catch up, but noticed something shiny where Bella had been standing. I picked it up. It was the gold amulet! I turned it over. Engraved on the back were “CQ”—Lucas’s and my initials. The amulet I gave Lucas was on Bella! I watched them walk up the hotel steps, side by side. The voice in my head returned. Lucas really cheated. 2 I chased them to the hotel room door. No matter how I knocked or shouted, Lucas wouldn’t open the door. “This is your punishment for suspecting me! You’re not allowed to book another room. Stay outside and watch the door tonight!” I only had the amulet, and I wasn’t sure if it was real or a duplicate. If I barged in without proof, Lucas would definitely demand a divorce. I cleared my thoughts, sniffled, and curled up into a ball. Waiting outside for one night wouldn’t kill me. The next morning. The door opened. Bella gently kicked my hand with her foot. “Hey, Big Sister. Master is hungry. Go buy breakfast.” I startled awake. I looked up at her and scrambled to my feet. “Why were you in there?!” “So noisy! Chloe, just go buy breakfast if she tells you to!” Lucas walked out slowly, eyes bleary with sleep. I asked coldly, “Why was she in your room?” Lucas turned impatiently to Bella. “She won’t go, so you go. Hurry back!” Bella said “Okay,” rolled her eyes at me, and left. “Her bathroom is broken. She just stayed here for a bit.” Lucas stepped aside, as if inviting me to inspect the room if I doubted him. A room Bella could stay in, but I, his lawful wife, could not. Bella returned with breakfast quickly. They sat on the sofa by the floor-to-ceiling window, eating as if I didn’t exist. Lucas handed the millet porridge to Bella. “Drink this, it’s good for your stomach.” Bella frowned. “Master, I don’t like this.” Lucas raised an eyebrow and offered the porridge to me. “You haven’t eaten either. Here.” I sneered. “Just because I suspected you once, you treat me like this?” “Or are you humiliating me because I didn’t risk my career to let this parasite slack off in the design department?” Bang. Lucas slammed the porridge onto the table. “People with dirty hearts always think the worst of others! What else could I do?” “Heh…” I laughed bleakly and lunged at him, trying to open his collar to see if he was wearing the amulet. Bella suddenly kicked me away. Lying on the floor, seeing Lucas’s bare neck, I laughed until I cried. Lucas rushed to defend Bella. “Stop acting! Bella barely touched you!” “If you try to blackmail Bella, I’ll tell the police you’re a scammer!” I wiped my tears, stood up slowly, and placed the amulet on the table. Lucas and Bella stared at the amulet, eyes wide with shock. I gave a bitter smile and walked away. I took a taxi back to the city, straight to my best friend’s house. I rang the doorbell. When the door opened, I said urgently, “Babe, help me investigate Lucas.” My best friend, Sarah, rubbed her sleepy eyes. “No way. You and Lucas are the perfect couple. Are you playing the ‘divorce for assets’ game too?” Her words brought back memories. We met on a blind date, fell in love at first sight, and married after careful consideration. Three years, no kids, but great relationship. It seemed that ever since Bella appeared, the sweetness was broken. First, the carpooling. We had to detour to pick up Bella. Then the weekend dinners. Instead of what I or Lucas liked, we ate whatever Bella wanted. Connecting the dots now, I realized they had probably started a year ago. Sarah’s expression turned serious. I hesitated. “Are you hiding something from me?” Sarah shook her head instinctively, then seemed to make a decision. “Yes. Two years ago, I saw Lucas being intimate with a woman.” From her description, I knew it was Bella. Back then, Lucas had just been promoted. To avoid conflicts of interest, my promotion to Design Director was put on hold. A year later, when my promotion was due again, Lucas stopped it. He looked guilty and promised, “Chloe, wait a bit longer. I won’t stop you next time.” I thought he felt bad about making me wait. I comforted him, “It’s okay. The position will be mine eventually.” He just kept saying, “I’m sorry, Chloe.” Now I realized he probably traded my promotion for Bella’s internship. I had been working hard as a lowly supervisor, taking the blame for mistakes while others took the credit. Rage turned my eyes red. Sarah nudged me. “Those adulterers… I’ll investigate them thoroughly. But… once we find concrete proof…” She paused, looking troubled. “Will you divorce him?” 3 Sarah asked directly. Divorce? I had never even considered this question before. I couldn’t answer immediately. “Investigate first. We’ll talk when we have proof.” Sarah looked at me with a mix of pity and frustration. “Take my advice. Cut your losses.” I looked down, twisting my fingers. I wanted to wait. Maybe there was another explanation… Leaving Sarah’s, I returned to the home I shared with Lucas. It was filled with our sweet memories. The instinct to flee bound me. I couldn’t break free, so I packed a bag to stay at a hotel. Clatter. While grabbing clothes, I knocked over a perfume bottle. It rolled under the bed. Crawling to retrieve it, I found a small box hidden there. Inside were various toys and opened wrappers that assaulted my eyes. Lucas and I never used these. My world collapsed. Lucas brought her here! The box triggered a chain reaction. I found a full set of toiletries hidden in the bathroom cabinet. In the closet, among my rarely worn clothes, I found identical items two sizes smaller. Even the pink Hello Kitty underwear Lucas gave me—there was a smaller pair hidden in his underwear drawer. Buried under layers of boxers, there was a note. [Don’t look! I only bought yours because I said I liked this style!] The handwriting was mocking. The date was six months ago. Even the note seemed to laugh at my stupidity for not finding it sooner. Click. The front door opened. Lucas and Bella’s laughter drifted in. When they saw me and the items on the floor…

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While I was being harassed by a client, Luke was busy drinking a “lovers’ shot” with his female assistant next to me. To secure the investment, I drank until my stomach bled, my face pale from the pain. But Luke couldn’t be bothered to spare me a glance. Instead, he was focused on picking the green onions out of his assistant’s bowl, feeding her with a doting expression. After the dinner, the assistant casually mentioned she was bored, so he left me on the roadside and took her sightseeing. “Bella has been running around for me these past few days. I’m taking her out to relax.” “You’re getting older and need your rest. Don’t come along and cause trouble.” “Also, I’m pulling an all-nighter with Bella tonight. The plan to get our marriage license tomorrow? Let’s take a rain check on that.” Our wedding ceremony was seven years ago, and this was the 100th time Luke had notified me that we’d have to take a rain check on getting the license. I nodded in agreement. Since he was too busy to find time for the license, then there was no point in getting it at all. 1. The passenger window rolled down, and Bella, sitting inside, pouted and apologized to me: “Sorry, Sarah. It’s all because Luke spoils me like a child. When he gets back, I’ll make sure he prepares breakfast for you!” Before I could speak, Luke gently rubbed her head first. “Bella, you think everyone is as greedy as you?” “Don’t mind her. Don’t wait until later to say you’re not feeling well again. I don’t have time for your little games.” So he knew I wasn’t feeling well just now, but he subconsciously thought it was a ploy to gain his sympathy because I was jealous. In the past, I would have broken down crying by this point, arguing with Luke and telling him the truth. But now, I didn’t make a scene like a shrew as I usually did. Instead, I whispered: “Okay, you guys be safe and have fun.” Luke was stunned for a moment when he heard this, then returned to his playful self. “As long as you don’t cause drama.” The car sped away. As they left, Luke, worried that Bella would get carsick, rolled down all the windows. I get severe motion sickness and would feel nauseous and vomit whenever I rode in Luke’s car. But he was never willing to roll down the windows for me: “If the windows are always open, dirty things will get into the car. Why are you so high-maintenance?” I completely figured it out. I took off the wedding ring from my ring finger and threw it into the dirty trash can. The next day, I arrived early at the theater and handed in my resignation. Luke had debuted years ago as a theatrical prodigy, and I had always been in charge of him. “You’re resigning? Does Luke know about this?” The boss was shocked. “When the next agent takes over, he’ll understand.” As soon as I finished speaking, I walked in the empty hallway. I happened to bump into Luke, who was wearing new clothes and smelled of body wash. He stretched and looked down at me: “I was too drunk to drive last night, so I got a hotel room alone to sleep. That’s why I didn’t come home.” In the twelve years I’ve known him, this was the first time Luke had actively explained the situation to me. I gave a “hmm” and ignored him. He asked, “Do you have anything else to do this morning?” I looked up at him, remembering that the day after every dinner party, I would set an alarm for 3 or 4 a.m. to get up and prepare hangover soup and stomach-soothing herbal meals for him. This habit had continued since he debuted at seventeen. So it was normal for him to be confused when he came home and saw an empty dining table. I said, “You’re not wrong.” As soon as I finished speaking and was about to turn and leave, Luke, who had been frowning, grabbed my wrist with a cold face. “Sarah, why are you endless?” “It’s just postponing getting the license. It’s not like I’m breaking up with you. Stop being unreasonable with me!” But I didn’t plan to make a scene with him, nor did I want to get the license with him anymore. Thinking it would be better to explain things clearly to him, I just moved my mouth when I heard Bella’s charming voice with a hint of complaint: “Luke! It’s your fault!” “The things you bought for me this morning were totally wrong!” “The daily ones are too short! You’re such a straight guy, Luke!” Bella angrily rolled her eyes behind me, pouting like a goldfish. When Luke saw her, he immediately threw away my hand, ran to her, and picked her up in a princess carry. 2 His face was panicked: “How dare you walk around barefoot on the floor when you have your period? Aren’t you afraid of pain?” Watching him eagerly carry Bella to the bedroom bed reminded me of something from the past. Once, because I was sick and my period came, the cramps were extremely severe. I couldn’t straighten my back from the pain, and my face was pale. I begged Luke to buy me pads and painkillers. He said impatiently with a cold face, “How could a man like me buy that stuff?” “Women get it every month. Just endure it for a few days and it’ll be over. Don’t always trouble others!” Separated from the memories, Luke’s comforting words to Bella became more and more distant. I stopped paying attention, forced down the bitterness in my heart, took out my phone, and contacted the company that had always wanted me to work abroad. After booking the flight, I casually opened my social media and saw a post Bella had just made. It was a three-second video. I subconsciously clicked on it and saw a pair of large hands with well-defined joints gently rubbing her belly in circles. The video contained her moved voice: “Luke, you really know how to feel for people~ Your hands are so warm, rubbing it makes it hurt less~” Even the caption for this video was: [My brother feels bad for my period cramps and is rubbing the pain away! It feels so good to be pampered in the palm of someone’s hand~] I sneered. The little girl’s thoughts really couldn’t be hidden. I casually liked it, then opened my own profile and changed the cover photo from the wedding photo with Luke. … Today, many actors from the theater company were coming for exchanges. I was responsible for taking these guests to the break room to rest for a while. A group of people followed behind me. Just as I pushed open the door, I saw Luke feeding Bella. “Wow, I heard long ago that the genius Luke married his agent Sarah years ago. I didn’t expect the two of them to still be so affectionate and loving!” “That’s right, that’s right! And as a theatrical artist, his voice is the most precious and needs to be cherished the most. He is actually willing to eat spicy food with his wife.” That’s right, as a dramatist, the most important thing is the voice. In these twelve years, I have handled all his affairs, just afraid that his voice would be damaged in the slightest. But now, he actually accompanied Bella to eat this kind of food, breaking his consistent principles. The envious sounds beside me were finally heard by those two people. Bella looked up and saw me, and immediately pouted and complained to me aggrievedly. “Sarah, control Luke! He’s forcing me to eat meat. I’ve been fed several pounds heavier!” Luke couldn’t be bothered to pay attention to me and dotingly wiped the corner of Bella’s mouth. “You have to be obedient and eat this clean. Later, I’ll feed you some brown sugar water.” The discussion behind me stopped awkwardly. I looked at everyone’s gossipy and pitiful gazes, smiled unchanged, and guided them to their seats. After arranging everyone, I took out my phone and started making an appointment for online visa processing. Luke walked quietly behind me. He saw the message on the phone, his expression cold, his eyes full of doubt. “Visa? You’re going abroad?” I was thinking about how to hide it, but he suddenly grabbed my hand and questioned me in a surprised tone. “Sarah, where is your wedding ring!?” “Don’t tell me you accidentally lost it!” I knew very well inside why he lost his composure like this. Married for ten years, I have always carried the wedding ring with me. But his wedding ring has never been worn in public. Thinking of my unusual behavior before, Luke had a bad premonition. 3 He held my hand and kept applying force, staring at me fixedly: “Explain it clearly to me!” Just as I was about to speak and answer truthfully, I was suddenly interrupted. Bella suddenly screamed, crying beautifully like a pear blossom bathed in rain. “Ah! It hurts so much! Luke…” Everyone subconsciously turned their heads to look. Bella knelt on the ground, her clasped palms constantly bleeding. Luke suddenly knocked me away and immediately ran over to hold her in his arms to comfort her. “Why so careless? Pay attention!” Bella’s tears fell like big beads, and her whole body trembled in Luke’s arms. She occasionally looked at me with frightened eyes several times. “I don’t understand either… Obviously, Sarah wiped the fan used in the play clean yesterday. Bella also doesn’t know why a small knife would be hidden inside the fan…” “Boohoo… Luke, Bella is in unbearable pain…” Luke looked at the small blade stained with blood next to the fan and was immediately furious. The next second, he glared fiercely at me and roared. “Sarah, have you learned to frame others after being unreasonable until now?!” “Hurry up and kneel on the ground and apologize to me!” Ignoring the contemptuous looks everyone cast at me, I slowly met his gaze. “This matter is someone framing me.” “Why have you learned to lie now! The entire theater troupe knows that you are extremely jealous. The tools for my performance have always been kept and checked by you alone!” After Luke accused me, he picked up a ceramic cup placed on the table without a word and smashed it angrily on the ground. He crazily pinched my wrist and pressed it onto the fragments on the ground. My hands instantly became bloody and mangled, countless fragments piercing into my flesh. “This is the lesson you deserve! No one is allowed to treat her wounds!” “I’ll wait for you to think things through clearly, realize your mistakes, and then come to apologize!” After Luke finished speaking, he held Bella in his arms and turned away firmly. Looking at his back as he left, my eyes instantly turned red, and my vision gradually became blurred. My tears fell one by one onto the broken ceramic cup. My hand really hurt so much, and my heart was pressed by intense pain so much that I couldn’t breathe. The pattern on the ceramic cup fell apart. This cup was specially made by Luke alone in a pottery shop when he confessed his love to me. At that time, the young man’s heart and eyes only held me. He said: “Sarah, this cup was completed by me alone. It symbolizes that I want to be with you for a lifetime, never to be separated.” But now, the cup is broken, and his vows have long been self-defeating. I swept the fragments clean, together with all our past and my feelings for him, and threw them into the trash can. Walking into the lobby, Luke had just finished his performance. In the venue, the audience continued to applaud vigorously. Luke was high-spirited, walked off stage, took Bella’s hand, and walked onto the stage together to express thanks. This unique highlight time for dramatists, Luke has long experienced countless times. A few months ago, I accidentally heard the boss ask him: “Sarah has taken care of you painstakingly for eight years. You are both partners and companions. Why don’t you bring her to appear in front of the audience together?” The contempt in Luke’s words was undisguised, “I reached where I am today entirely on my own talent and hard work.” “She at most relies on my fame. Now she is no longer young. I don’t want to take her to embarrass myself!” Returning to my senses and looking at the stage, Bella stood beside Luke beaming with joy. The lights kept shining on the two of them, looking quite like a match. Just then the phone notification sound happened to ring. The visa was finally handled successfully. I returned home to pack things, packing everything of my existence into the suitcase. Luke just happened to come home. He took out half a bottle of white medicine from his pocket and threw it at me. “The medicine I bought for you.” I picked up the medicine bottle on the ground. I was very familiar with this bottle of medicine. In the friend circle Bella just posted, Luke used it to gently apply medicine to her. But, I am allergic to alcohol. Luke emerged at seventeen, and he, with excellent talent, was already regarded as a future master of drama, in the limelight. An actor with a deep background became jealous and viciously found someone to scratch his face. At that time, I desperately blocked in front of Luke. Because the injury was not too serious, a kind little girl in the theater troupe used alcohol disinfection to help me treat the wound. I had a severe allergy on the spot and even stopped breathing once. I was pulled into the operating table by ambulance and rescued for two full days before I regained consciousness. Later I heard the nurse mention how long I was rescued on the operating table, how long Luke accompanied outside the operating room, crying to collapse. After returning to the theater troupe later, Luke flew into a rage and threw away all the alcohol in the theater troupe cleanly, not allowing this thing to appear in front of me again. Unexpectedly, his memory is so bad. It’s only been so long and he has forgotten this matter. I lowered my head and threw the alcohol into the trash can. Luke raised his eyebrows irritably when he saw that I didn’t know what was good for me. “Forget it if you don’t use it!” The sound of message notifications kept ringing. Luke took out his phone and looked at the messages intently, looking doting. Gently warned: “Bella, the wound must not touch water, be careful of infection.” “Before the wound recovers, you can’t eat spicy and greasy food. When your wound heals, brother will take you to eat all kinds of delicious food again.” Perhaps a little surprised that I didn’t make a big noise as before, Luke’s eyes couldn’t help but stop on me. Finally broke the deadlock first: “What happened today was just me killing the chicken to warn the monkey. You should know very well in your heart that there are many people in the theater troupe harboring evil designs.” “The reason I treated you like that today was just to give others a warning.” “As for caring about Bella, it’s also a means to protect you.” I hummed, not planning to argue with him about this topic anymore. “I understand your well-intentioned efforts.” Luke was stunned in place. Just as he was about to speak, I pushed open the bathroom door to pack toiletries. What entered my view inside the sink was a pair of black lingerie that did not belong to me, crumpled into a ball and thrown inside. Outside the door, Luke also appropriately clicked on a voice message: “Luke, the underwear I changed in your bathroom this morning was forgotten by me to throw away in your house…” “Bring it over for me! The bottle of body wash in your house smells too good. I want you to help me bring a bottle over!” No wonder Luke would wear colors of clothes he didn’t like at all when coming to the company. The fragrance emitting from his body was also a style he wouldn’t choose at all. He really has been trained into an obedient dog. Luke finished listening to the voice message seriously and hastily pushed open the door. As soon as he came in, he saw me staring at the black intimate clothing in the sink. The guilty conscience in his eyes was undisguised, “This morning Bella suddenly had something to look for me, but she accidentally spilled a drink on herself, so I let her take a shower here.” “I know.” I didn’t pay much attention, but turned sideways to let him pass. Luke put that piece of intimate clothing into his pocket. He was about to raise his foot to walk out, but then suddenly stopped. “If you mind, then I won’t go over.” I shook my head to indicate that I didn’t care. Luke stood hesitantly in place. Bella called him again to urge him to go over quickly. Hanging up the phone, Luke lowered his eyes and said to me: “I’ll rush home immediately after delivery. You just happen to make an appointment for marriage registration, and tomorrow we will get the marriage license.” As soon as his voice fell, he couldn’t wait to leave. After packing up the things, I opened the social media app casually. Bella posted on social media again. It was another close-up of fingers, putting water in the bath. The second photo was Bella taking a selfie in the mirror, and behind her was the profile of a man intently washing her hair. [Brother said it’s inconvenient for me to take a shower with my hand injured, so he has to help me take a shower personally~ So shy…] Looking at the hands tightly wrapped in gauze, I turned and left the house I had lived in with Luke for ten years. Luke happened to send me a message: [Suddenly there is something to deal with, can’t go home. Can’t get the marriage license tomorrow.] I sent him a “hmm” indifferently. Anyway, I didn’t take his words seriously. Pulling the suitcase out of the house, I took a taxi to the airport. After sending a breakup text message to Luke, I stepped onto the plane without hesitation.

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After years of chasing after my guardian, Julian, I finally gathered the courage to confess my feelings on my birthday. But his face darkened with anger. “Sarah, don’t forget your last name.” Yet, three years ago, at a gala, he had pulled me into his arms, whispering in my ear, “When you grow up, let’s get engaged, okay?” I took his drunken words to heart, but he forgot them. On the day he publicly announced his engagement to his long-lost “white moonlight,” I showed up with a suitcase. Someone smirked, looking between us, asking how I felt. For the first time, I broke character. “I wish my uncle all the happiness in the world. From now on, I’ll be studying abroad.” He crushed the glass in his hand, his eyes darkening for the first time. Later, he canceled the engagement and stopped me on a street in Paris, bowing his head in defeat for the first time. “It was my mistake. Please, come home with me.” 1 “Thank you, Professor Miller. I’ve decided not to pursue the dance program abroad. The opportunity should go to someone who needs it more.” After replying to the text, I exhaled deeply, the heavy burden in my heart finally lifting. Professor Miller at NYU had been recommending me for an exchange program in London to study dance. But my current physical condition could no longer support my dream of becoming a dancer. A cold wind blew past, and I couldn’t stop coughing. When I pulled the tissue away, it was soaked in blood. Before stepping into the elevator, I crumpled the tissue and threw it into the trash can. Today was my nineteenth birthday. I couldn’t let Julian see this. Three years ago, at a charity gala, he held my hand tight and said he would wait for me to grow up. I had waited for this day for too long. My phone buzzed. It was Julian. “Sarah, are you home yet?” Julian is my guardian, my “uncle” in name only. I couldn’t help but smile, my voice lightening. “Not yet, I’m just unlocking the door.” His voice sounded unusually tired. “Happy Birthday. I have something to do tonight, but I’ll be back before midnight.” I understood. I opened the door. The lights turned on, revealing pink flowers and blue balloons filling the room. On the table sat a high-quality blue velvet box, containing the blue agate necklace I had pestered him to buy last month. It was exactly as I expected. My mood lifted, and my courage grew. “Uncle Julian, I… I want to tell you something.” “I’ve kept this in my heart for a long time.” Before I could confess, the line went dead. I lowered my eyes, quickly adjusting my emotions. Still full of anticipation, I put the necklace back in the box, waiting for him to come back and put it on me himself. When the clock struck twelve, Julian didn’t come. This was the first time he had completely missed my birthday. I felt a moment of daze. He must be too tired, that’s why he didn’t make it back. Counting carefully, this was my tenth year living with Julian. When my parents died, rumors swirled that they had crossed the wrong people, leading to their gruesome ends. The once-pampered daughter of the Cloud family fell into the mud overnight. My father’s life work was devoured by the “uncles” and business partners he once drank with. I knocked on door after door, begging for help. But no one in New York dared to take in an orphan girl left with nothing but massive debt. On the day of the funeral, only Julian came to pay his respects, dressed in black. I had never seen him before. Rumor had it his family was long gone, and he was a dangerous man from the underworld. He reached out his hand, his eyelashes lowered. “If you’re willing, you can come with me.” And so, he raised me for ten years. 2 The coughing returned. I swallowed a pill with warm water and drifted into sleep as the medicine kicked in. As dawn broke, I was woken by rustling sounds. “Sarah, long time no see.” The woman in front of me was wearing Julian’s shirt, busy setting the table with plates. Her pale shoulder was exposed, covered in red marks. I was stunned, instinctively clenching my sleeves. It was Elena, the woman Julian held in his heart years ago. Seven years ago, she left without a word when Julian was in trouble. Why was she back now? My gaze shifted, and my breath hitched. I saw the necklace on her neck. It was the birthday gift Julian gave me yesterday. I pointed at the necklace. “That’s mine.” Meeting my confused gaze, Elena looked at me mockingly. Without surprise, she yanked the necklace hard. “Ah!” A scream pierced the air. She lunged towards me, whispering in my ear with a laugh: “Sarah, you haven’t improved at all in all these years.” Before I could react, she fell heavily to the ground. The necklace was flung far away. “Sarah, I didn’t mean to wear your necklace.” I narrowed my eyes, walked over to pick up the necklace, and dusted it off. I suddenly remembered that seven years ago, I had fallen for her tricks often, causing many fights with Julian. I walked up to her, my tone cold. “It’s been seven years. Why do you still like framing people? There’s no one else here. Who are you acting for?” The next second, I was shoved aside. Julian bypassed me and helped the tearful Elena up. “Sarah, where are your manners?” I froze. “She did it herself…” My words were cut off by Elena. She looked up stubbornly, her eyes red, looking like she was about to shatter. “I know you blame me for leaving your uncle seven years ago without saying goodbye, for abandoning him when he needed support the most.” “But back then, I had my reasons.” She cried breathlessly, leaning into Julian’s embrace as if I were about to eat her alive, a hint of triumph in her eyes. I stood there, unable to react for a moment. Since living with Julian, I had never been treated like this. I couldn’t help but sneer: “Miss Elena, save the acting for the stage. Do you think this soap opera routine will frame me?” The air was terrifyingly quiet, save for Elena’s sobbing. Julian looked up, his gaze sweeping sharply over Elena. His expression was unreadable. I stood there, watching their gazes meet, and silently clenched the necklace in my hand. 3 Elena wiped a tear from the corner of her eye, glancing between Julian and me. Her tone was utterly aggrieved, shifting the topic away from our confrontation. “If I had known you and Sarah were together, maybe I shouldn’t have come back to disturb you.” Having my secret exposed, I forced myself to remain calm. After all, my feelings for Julian weren’t exactly a secret these past years. Hearing this, Julian raised an eyebrow, his gaze cooling. “What nonsense are you talking about?” Elena’s tears fell silently. Without a word, she moved to take off the apron and leave, but Julian grabbed her arm. A stack of photos spilled from her apron pocket. Seeing what they were, I froze. They were candid shots I had taken of Julian, the backs of the photos filled with words of my hidden love for him. But I had kept these on my bookshelf, unknown to anyone. A sense of shame at having my secret discovered washed over me. I instinctively looked at Julian. He looked at the pile of photos on the floor, his brows furrowing deeply. A moment later, he picked one up and threw it into the fireplace. “These are just childish games. They don’t count.” I panicked, grabbing his sleeve. “How can this be a game? I’m nineteen. I’m not a child anymore.” “Uncle Julian, do you remember… three years ago at the Plaza Hotel gala, I came to pick you up. You said… you said you’d wait for me to grow up and…” “Impossible.” Julian cut me off coldly, his eyes darkening. “Sarah, I’ve indulged you too much.” “I’ve always treated you as a child. You shouldn’t have such thoughts.” I closed my eyes, my face pale, realizing the worst outcome had arrived. It was just a drunken remark from years ago. I was the one who took it seriously. Julian’s voice came from ahead, his tone leaving no room for argument. “I bought a house in the suburbs. The deed is in your name. Pack your things and move out tomorrow.” I heard myself give a soft, disappointed “Okay.” He was probably angry. I always thought I was special to Julian. That he liked me. The kitchen window was open, and the wind blew the photos across the floor. I sniffled, squatting down to pick them up one by one. The cold wind hit my nose, feeling like blades scraping my throat. I couldn’t stop coughing violently, sensing the taste of iron rising. I frantically searched my pockets, turning my back to wipe the tears from my face. Julian glanced at me coldly and walked around me. “If you’re sick, go to the hospital. The Huo family isn’t short on money.” Elena followed him closely. I stood up, calling out to Julian, unwilling to give up. “Uncle, you said last time you’d go to the hospital with me. I want to go tomorrow.” Julian stopped. I stared at his back, stubbornly speaking again. “I’ll wait for you tomorrow.” 4 The weather had been dreary lately. It rained heavily in New York. I waited alone at the hospital for a long time, watching the heavy rain turn to a drizzle, my heart sinking. In the end, only his assistant, Wang, came. “Mr. Huo says he’s accompanying Miss Elena shopping today. Here’s a card, spend whatever you want.” I pulled my coat tighter, asking stubbornly: “Did he say anything else?” Wang lowered his head, hesitating. I urged him. “Say it.” “Mr. Huo said he hopes you remember your place.” “In a month, he will be engaged to Miss Elena.” Engaged? I took the card expressionlessly, realizing my relationship with him was gone. He was eager to start a new life, and my feelings were something that couldn’t see the light of day. He was reminding me constantly to remember my identity. In this moment, I suddenly felt that holding onto a drunken sentence from years ago was utterly pointless. Fortunately, the results showed no cancer, but I needed surgery. The doctor suggested I transfer to a specialist in Boston or go abroad. After hesitating, I decided to talk to Julian personally. When I arrived at the company, it was already evening. The lights were still on in Julian’s office. Just as I was about to walk over, a woman stepped out of the shadows. It was Elena. She furtively adjusted her clothes, took photos of the documents in her hand, and hid them behind her back. Her phone screen lit up, and she quickly found a quiet corner to make a call. It was past working hours, and the office was empty. I followed her to the stairwell, listening to her cheerful report: “Don’t worry, I got it. This information is enough to bring down Huo Corp.” “Of course. He loves me so much, getting the key to his safe was easy.” I clutched my phone in panic, quickly pressing the record button. The voice faded. Elena turned abruptly. The sound of heels approached. I could sense her walking towards me in the dark. I stood up quickly, trying to calm myself as I backed away. I was still shaken when I exited the stairwell. Elena was not simple. I had to tell Uncle Julian immediately. Backing up, I bumped into a broad chest. “Looking for me?” My uncle was behind me, stepping back to keep his distance. I was almost crying from panic, playing the recording on my phone. “Uncle, I saw Elena searching your office. She was on the phone saying she’d destroy Huo Corp…” Julian’s face froze. To my confusion, he snatched the phone. His face was dark as he pressed delete without hesitation. “Since I’ve chosen to marry her, she will be your sister-in-law. I don’t want to see this again.” “When did you become like this? Using such underhanded tactics?” Disbelief filled my eyes. I realized this was the first time I truly knew him. I used to think my uncle was just distant. I chased after him regardless. Rumors said he was ruthless and never soft on his enemies. Could such a man lose his judgment over love? I tried to hold back my tears, looking up into his eyes. “Is that the kind of person I am in your heart?” He turned away, lighting a cigarette. I took a deep breath, wiped my tears, and gave up completely. “I came here to clarify things. I was immature before and had thoughts I shouldn’t have.” “From now on, I wish you and Elena a lifetime of happiness.” As he wished, I moved out overnight. I waited in the small house for two weeks, finalizing my surgery abroad for the end of the month. While packing, there was a knock on the door. “Delivery for you.” I took the package and opened it. It was a gold-embossed engagement invitation. The names were Elena and Julian. Inside was a photo of them. Elena held Julian’s arm, smiling brightly. I vaguely remembered today was their engagement party. After packing everything, I went to the venue. Before entering the hall, I heard waves of celebration. “Congratulations!” “What a perfect match!” “Kiss! Kiss!” The moment I walked in, the atmosphere silenced. Everyone’s eyes were on me.

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1 My mother called me a liar from birth, all because of her belief in “scientific parenting.” From the day my twin sister Mina and I were born, she fastened “Honesty Bracelets” to our wrists. Lie, and it flashed red—triggering an electric shock from Mom’s remote. Mina’s bracelet always stayed green. Even when she tore Mom’s dress and blamed the cat, it glowed gently. But me? If I whispered, “Mom, I’m hungry,” it turned furious red, and pain shot through my arm. At first, I argued. Mom said, “The machine doesn’t lie. The pain will help you remember.” After thousands of shocks, I believed it: I was born a liar. On New Year’s Eve, as Mom prepared to take Mina to see fireworks, searing pain tore through my stomach. I collapsed, gasping, “Mom, my stomach… it hurts so much. Help me.” But my bracelet flashed frantic red. Mom looked down at me, my hair wet with cold sweat, and turned the remote to its highest setting. “You’d fake being sick just to see the fireworks?” she said, disappointed. “You never learn.” She walked out with Mina, the door slamming behind them. I thought, Mom must be right. The bracelet is red, so I can’t really be in pain. I must be lying for attention. I’m sorry, Mom. Next time, I’ll try to be honest. … “It hurts…” My body convulsed with pain, my fingernails scratching white lines into the hardwood floor. The doorknob turned. A spark of hope ignited in my chest. Mom was back. She’s a doctor. She must have realized something was wrong. She came back to save me. “Are you done with your tantrum? The fireworks are about to start, and Mina’s getting impatient.” “Mom,” I whispered, my voice barely audible, stretching a trembling hand toward the door. “It really, really hurts. It feels like my insides are tearing apart.” She glanced at the frantic red light on my wrist. She knelt, her fingers digging into my chin, forcing my head up. Her voice was laced with fury. “Audrey, when are you going to stop this act?” “You’re pathologically incapable of telling the truth. You can stay in here and think about what you’ve done!” Dad called from the entryway. “Honey, let’s go, the show’s starting. If Audrey doesn’t want to come, she doesn’t have to. Should we leave her some dinner?” Mom stood up, brushing her hands together as if she’d touched something filthy. “Leave her dinner? For what?” “There’s a whole stash of junk food in her closet. She bought it with the money she stole last week. She won’t starve.” “Lock the door. She can come out when that bracelet turns green.” “But…” Dad hesitated. “But what? Spare the rod, spoil the child! Look at Mina—so honest her bracelet is always green.” “Audrey is rotten to the core. She needs to be corrected!” But my closet was empty. Mina was the one who took the money. Mina was the one who ate the snacks. She had just stood there, her bracelet glowing a soft, innocent green, and said, “It wasn’t me.” And Mom believed her. When I tried to say I didn’t take it either, the red light flared, and the electricity came. I watched Mom turn to leave. Mina peeked through the crack in the door and made a face at me. “Bye-bye, Audrey! We’re off to see the pretty fireworks!” Her bracelet, a steady, verdant green. It was beautiful. Thump. The door slammed shut. I heard the deadbolt slide into place. The house fell silent. It was just me and the saw blade working its way through my gut. It hurts so much. But Mom was right. The machine doesn’t lie. The bracelet is red, so I must be lying. I’m not in pain. I’m really, truly not in pain. Tears streamed down my face as I tried to hypnotize myself. I don’t know how long passed, but the pain actually seemed to fade. With the last ounce of my strength, I crawled toward my desk. I had to write an apology. That was the rule. Whenever the red light came on, I had to write “I am a liar” five hundred times. If I finished, maybe Mom would forgive me? Maybe she’d take me to the hospital? My hand shook as I opened the crumpled, worn-out notebook. It was already filled, page after page, with my previous apologies. Usually, I wrote, “I’m sorry, I was wrong, I won’t lie anymore.” But this time, I wanted to write the truth. My vision blurred. Crying, I used the last of my energy to scrawl: “Mom, I really do love you.” “It hurts so much. Why won’t you just believe me?” “Please, Mom. Just believe me this one time.” As I finished the last word, the agony in my stomach suddenly vanished. In its place was a lightness I’d never felt before. My body felt weightless. I was floating. I looked down and saw myself slumped over the desk, one arm hanging limply in the air, motionless. The bracelet on my wrist was still flashing a frantic, desperate red. So, I was dead. But I still hadn’t learned how to be an honest girl. I’m sorry, Mom. 2 I was awakened by the sound of laughter. It was Mom, Dad, and Mina. “The fireworks were beautiful tonight! Especially that one shaped like a smiley face. Just as cute as my Mina!” Mom’s voice held a tenderness I had never heard directed at me. I floated in mid-air, watching as the front door opened. Even as a spirit, my first instinct was to drift toward them, to help them with their slippers as I always did. It was a survival instinct, a deeply ingrained need to please. “Mom.” I opened my arms, wanting to hug the woman who brought the winter chill in with her. “I’m not in pain anymore. I’ll be good from now on. Please don’t be mad.” But my hands passed right through her body, like smoke. Mom shivered, frowning. “Why is it so chilly in here? Is the heat off?” I froze, staring at my translucent hands. Right. I was dead. The dead can’t hug the living. “We should probably check on Audrey,” Dad mentioned casually. “She didn’t come out for dinner. I hope she’s not too hungry.” My Dad. He still cared. I looked at Mom expectantly. If she found out I was dead, would she be sad? Would she feel any regret? Mom just scoffed, slipping on her house shoes and striding toward my room. “Let her starve. It’s what she deserves. That nasty habit of faking sickness for attention? It’s because we’ve been too soft on her.” She shoved my door open. She didn’t turn on the light. In the dim glow from the living room, she could see “me” slumped over the desk. Motionless, as if I were asleep. “Well, look at you,” Mom said, crossing her arms, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “You think if you pretend to be pitiful, I’ll carry you to bed?” “You’re ten years old, Audrey, not five!” I floated beside my own body, screaming silently. “Mom! I’m not pretending! I’m dead! Just look at me!” “Touch me! My body is cold!” But she couldn’t hear me. She only believed what she could see. Mina squeezed past her, holding up her wrist triumphantly. “Audrey is a lazybones! See, my bracelet is green, and hers is still red!” “She’s even lying in her dreams!” Mom stroked Mina’s hair. “That’s because you’re my good girl. Don’t pay any attention to the liar. Let her sleep it off. She can stay there all night for all I care.” Dad peeked in from behind her. “Maybe we should put her to bed? It’s cold tonight.” “Put her to bed?” Mom snapped. “Absolutely not.” “Kids today are spoiled rotten.” “The parenting experts say you have to use the cold shoulder method in these situations. She has to realize her own mistake.” “Look at that red light. It means her psychological state is still ‘extremely defiant.’ She hasn’t reflected on her actions at all!” “That’s enough. Let’s go to bed. We have to go to your Grandma’s tomorrow for New Year’s Day.” Mom turned on her heel, pulling the door closed behind her. Click. The lock engaged. I floated beside my corpse, watching that single point of crimson light in the darkness. The despair in my soul was colder than death itself. Mom, if you had just taken one more step, if you had just touched my hand, you would have known I was already cold. But you didn’t. You only trust that cold machine, not the daughter you carried for nine months. Late that night, a mouse scurried out from my empty closet. I used to be terrified of mice. I would scream every time I saw one. But now, I could only float at the ceiling, watching as it scurried brazenly across my corpse. “Go away,” I tried to say, but no sound came out. The mouse gnawed at my toe, drawing a single bead of purplish-black blood. I couldn’t feel it anymore. That was nice. Finally, no more pain. I whispered to the pathetic shell below me. “Don’t be scared. You can’t feel a thing anymore.” “It’ll all be over soon.” 3 The next morning, the winter sun streamed through my window, but it brought no warmth to my corpse. The clatter of pots and pans echoed from the kitchen. Mom was making breakfast. The smell of frying eggs wafted under my door. Normally, it was the most tantalizing smell in the world. But I was only allowed to eat boiled vegetables, because Mom said liars didn’t deserve to eat meat. Today, she was deliberately banging the spatula against the pan. I knew she was trying to tempt me. She wanted the smell to drive me crazy, to make me crawl out of my room and beg for forgiveness. The old me might have done it. For a single fried egg, I would have confessed to crimes I never committed. But now, I didn’t need to eat anymore. “Audrey still hasn’t come out?” Dad asked, reading the newspaper at the dining table. “Nope. Stubborn as a mule,” Mom said, slamming a plate down on the table. “She’s spoiled rotten. If she wants to eat, she’ll eat. If not, she can starve.” Mina, sipping her milk, let her eyes dart around. She deliberately ran to my bedroom door and took a loud, exaggerated sniff. Then she shrieked, “Mommy! Audrey’s room stinks!” “Did she… go to the bathroom in there?” I floated by the door, watching my sister with a bitter ache. The heat was on so high. In just one night, I had started to smell. Mom was going to hate me even more now. Mom marched over, her brow furrowed in disgust. “Audrey!” she yelled, pounding on the door. “Are you a pig? The bathroom is right next door, are your legs broken? You actually soiled your own room?” “You are hopeless! You’d rather live in your own filth than admit you were wrong?” I remembered when I was little. I had a bad stomach flu once and didn’t make it to the toilet in time. Not only did Mom not help me clean up, she made me stand in the yard as a punishment for everyone to see. She pointed at me and told the neighbors, “Look at this one. Dirty as a little pig.” And now, she thought I was dirty again. “Forget her!” Mom waved her hand dismissively, as if shooing a fly. “Let her stew in her own stink! See how she likes it!” Dad put down his paper, his frown deepening. “The smell is getting pretty bad. I’ll go check. Maybe a mouse died in there or something.” He stood up and started walking toward my room. My spirit heart leaped. Dad! Open the door! Please, look at me! I’m right behind the door! Just turn the handle, and you’ll see that I’m not moving! You’ll see my face has already started to turn black! I floated right in front of him, waving my arms frantically, trying to get his attention. His hand closed around the doorknob. Ring-ring-ring! The shrill ring of his phone cut through the tension. It was his boss. Dad answered, and his face paled. “What? The main server crashed? Okay, okay, I’m on my way!” He hung up and grabbed his coat in a panic. “Honey, it’s an emergency at work. I have to go now, I might not be back for a few days!” “Wait, what about Audr—” Mom started to say, but he was already out the door. I was stunned. So close. Just one second. If that call had come one second later, I would have been found. Maybe then, my body wouldn’t have to keep rotting here. That afternoon, Mom took Mina shopping. My corpse was left alone in the house. They returned that evening, their arms full of shopping bags filled with expensive seafood and gifts. The moment they walked in, the smell hit them like a physical blow. Mom gagged, covering her nose. “Audrey! Are you trying to turn this house into a garbage dump?” She wouldn’t even open the door to yell at me, as if a single glance into my room would contaminate her. She found a roll of heavy-duty duct tape, knelt down, and viciously sealed the crack at the bottom of my door. “If you love the stench so much, you can suffocate in it! Just don’t let it bother the rest of us!” After applying the last strip, Mom stood and dusted off her hands, satisfied. “There. Peace and quiet.” She went to the kitchen to steam the lobster. I looked at the sealed door, and the last flicker of hope in my soul was extinguished along with the flow of air. I finally understood. In my mother’s heart, my life or death was less important than a seafood dinner. She would rather seal me away than open the door to see if I was dead inside. You win, Mom. I’ll never bother you again. 4 On the morning of the third day, the warm winter sun filled the living room, but it couldn’t chase away the gloom that had settled over our home. The central heating was cranked up to a sweltering twenty-six degrees. The duct tape was no longer enough. A cloying, greasy stench of decay now permeated the entire house. Mom was arranging a bouquet of fresh flowers, but no matter how strong their perfume, the smell of my rotting body overpowered it. Snip! She violently decapitated a rose, a thorn pricking her finger. She had reached her limit. In her mind, I wasn’t bathing, I was using my room as a toilet, maybe even hiding dead rats in there—all to disgust her, to defy her authority. “Audrey, you’ve really crossed the line this time!” Mom stormed into the kitchen, grabbed a rolling pin, and marched toward my room, her face a mask of fury. “I’m going to beat the filth out of you today!” “It’s clear the shocks aren’t working anymore. You need to learn a lesson you can feel on your skin!” I floated in front of her, looking at her contorted face, waving my hands frantically to stop her. “Don’t go in! Mom, please, don’t! I’m hideous! I’ve started to rot! You’ll be scared!” Even though she didn’t love me, I didn’t want her to see me in such a horrific state. But she passed right through my soul and ripped the tape from the doorframe. Screech! The sound of the tearing tape was deafening. She jammed the spare key into the lock and twisted. Bang! The door flew open with violent force. A thick, almost tangible wave of putrefaction rolled out, as if from Pandora’s box. Mom staggered back, bending over and dry-heaving. “Ugh—Audrey! What in God’s name have you done!” She looked up and saw me, still in the same position I’d been in three days ago, slumped over my desk, my back to her, perfectly still. To her, this was an act of silent defiance. The ultimate arrogance. “Are you deaf? I’m talking to you! Are you still playing dead?” Blinded by rage, she charged forward, raising the rolling pin high above her head. But she didn’t strike immediately. She wanted to haul me up first, to see the look on my “stubborn” face. “Get up!” Her hand shot out and grabbed the collar of my pajamas, her fingers closing around the back of my neck. And then, she froze. The moment her skin made contact with mine. Time seemed to stop. Through the thin fabric of my pajamas, her fingers didn’t feel the warmth of living skin. Or the softness of flesh. What she felt was a piece of meat as cold and hard as a block of ice. It was a deathly cold, a cold that seeped into her bones. A cold utterly devoid of life. “Huh?” Mom faltered for a second. But her momentum carried her forward. She yanked with all her might, and my body was pulled backward. The chair tipped over with me. CRASH! The chair slammed onto the floor with a deafening bang. My body, stiff as a statue, fell with it. And my face, at last, was revealed.

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I was four when my sister and I both drowned. I was the only one who came back. And for that, my mother has hated me ever since. In the dead of night, she would loom over my bed with a handful of candy-colored pills, trying to force my mouth open. Each time, my father would stop her just in time. So I grew my hair long. I wore faded floral dresses. I tried to become a perfect echo of my sister, just so my mother would grant me a single glance. It worked, until three years later, when Mom got pregnant again. She said it was Lily, my dead sister, coming back to us. I was so happy for her. Lily was coming home. That was wonderful… It meant this family no longer needed a replacement. I found the little bottle of “candy” Mom had tried to give me all those years ago. In the quiet of my room, I swallowed them all. 1 A bitter powder coated my tongue. I doubled over, gagging, a wave of acid and saliva burning my throat. These were the pills Mom had hidden in the deepest corner of her closet three years ago. Back then, she would sit on the edge of my bed late at night, her eyes hollow, and whisper, “Why won’t you just die?” Now, I was finally making her wish come true. I was still wearing the little floral dress, its hem frayed and worn. It was one of Lily’s old ones, and it had been too small for me for a long time. But Mom said… I had to keep wearing it. It was the only way I could look like her. From the living room, I heard my mother’s laugh—a gentle, warm sound I’d never heard directed at me. She was stroking her belly, talking to Dad. “The doctor said it’s definitely a girl this time. See how calm this pregnancy is?” Her voice was syrupy sweet. “Soon… I’ll never have to look at that little curse’s face again.” I wanted to see her smile one last time. I padded to the doorway. Dad saw me first, and his brow furrowed. “Noah, why aren’t you doing your homework?” His gaze flickered over my floral dress and then darted away, as if the sight stung his eyes. Mom turned. The smile on her face froze, then vanished. “Who said you could come out? And your hair’s gotten short again. Didn’t I tell you to grow it long, just like Lily’s?” She marched over, her finger jabbing hard against my forehead. “You’re nothing but trouble. When Lily is born, if you dare to even look at her the wrong way, I will break both your legs.” I flinched back, a throbbing ache blooming where she’d poked me. The “candy” in my stomach began to dissolve, sending waves of fire through my gut. The pain was so sharp it bent me in half. Dad started to move toward me, but Mom threw out an arm to block him. “Don’t touch him. He’s probably just faking it for attention.” I bit my lip to keep from crying out and shuffled back to my room. Each step was agony, like a blade churning inside me. A strange numbness was creeping into my limbs, and my hand trembled as I gripped the doorframe. I collapsed onto my bed, my body beginning to twitch uncontrollably. The door creaked open. It was Dad, holding a glass of warm water. He set it on my nightstand and hesitated for a long moment. “Noah,” he finally said, “your mother… she’s not herself with the pregnancy. Try not to take it to heart.” I tried to shake my head but could only manage a weak groan. His face began to blur, splitting into two. Dad sighed, a heavy, defeated sound. He just pulled the blanket over me. “Get some sleep. You’ll feel better tomorrow.” He closed the door on his way out, plunging the room into silence. I reached under my pillow and pulled out the old rag doll. It had been Lily’s favorite. The fabric was worn smooth and shiny from my constant care. Mom said it was Lily’s, and I had to protect it. The last time a kid at school tried to take it, I fought tooth and nail, letting him beat me until I got it back. My vision grew hazy, a dark fog creeping in from the edges. I hugged the doll tight against my chest and closed my eyes. Mom, Lily’s coming back. You won’t have to suffer looking at this replacement anymore. It’s better this way. 2 Slowly, the pain faded away. I felt weightless, like a dandelion seed caught on the wind, floating gently toward the ceiling. From up here, I could see the small body on the bed clearly. The floral dress was a crumpled mess around him. His face was ashen, his lips a bruised, unnatural violet. A smear of dried bile stained the corner of his mouth. He was still clutching that old rag doll. Mom pushed the door open, but she didn’t look at the bed. She walked straight to the desk and picked up Lily’s photograph, polishing the glass with her sleeve. “Oh, Lily,” she murmured, “Mommy went to look at new cradles for you today. Do you think you’d like pink or blue?” She turned to leave and accidentally kicked the leg of the bed. Her gaze finally fell on me, her brow creasing with annoyance. “Still sleeping? The sun’s up. Get up and make breakfast. Do you want me and your new sister to starve?” I drifted in front of her, trying to speak, but she couldn’t hear me. She just shuffled out of the room, humming a lullaby under her breath. From the living room, I could hear Dad whisking eggs and Mom’s voice directing him. “Add two extra spoons of sugar. Lily always loved her food sweet.” I floated to the kitchen doorway. Dad was placing a pancake on a plate. It was shaped like a heart. I never liked them that way, but ever since Lily died, that was the only way he made them. He said she loved heart shapes. Mom took the plate and set it in the center of the dining table with the reverence of an offering. “Go wake him up,” she said to Dad, her voice sharp with impatience. “Don’t let him make us late for buying the cradle.” Dad put down the milk carton and walked toward my room. I followed him. He stood beside my bed, his hand hovering over me for a moment before he gently rested it on the blanket. “Noah, time to get up,” he said softly. “We’re going to buy the cradle today. You can come with us, okay?” The body on the bed didn’t move. Dad’s fingers trembled. He gave my shoulder a little shake. “Noah?” Mom’s voice cut through the silence from the living room. “What’s taking so long? Is he pretending to be asleep again?” She stormed into the room and saw Dad frozen by the bed. Her temper flared. “I knew it! He’s faking it! He just doesn’t want us to buy a cradle for Lily! Forget him. Let’s go. Lily is waiting.” Dad didn’t move. His gaze was fixed on my still form. “He’s our son, too,” he said, his voice raw. “He is not!” Mom shrieked. “My only child is Lily! He’s the monster who killed her!” She snatched Lily’s photo from the desk and hurled it to the floor. The glass shattered, a shard slicing across Dad’s hand. He didn’t make a sound, just silently gathered the broken pieces and wrapped his bleeding hand in a tissue. The phone rang in the living room. It was my teacher from school. Mom answered, her voice instantly turning warm. “Hello, Mrs. Davis. Is this about Lily… oh, no, I mean, is this about Noah?” When the teacher asked why I hadn’t been in school, Mom’s tone turned to ice. “He’s just skipping. Don’t worry about him, Mrs. Davis. Let him run wild. He’s a lost cause.” After hanging up, she grabbed Dad’s arm. “Come on. We can’t let him ruin our day for Lily.” Dad glanced back at my room, his feet hesitating for a second, but she pulled him away. Just as the front door clicked shut, I saw him quickly wipe his eyes. The house was silent, except for the steady tick-tock of the clock on the wall. I drifted back to my bedside and looked down at myself. My face was still round with baby fat, but my frame had become so thin and frail that my chin was a sharp point. My hair had been trimmed recently, not quite long enough to meet Mom’s standards, not flowing and soft like Lily’s. I remembered the last haircut. The barber had accidentally snipped off a little too much, and Mom had screamed at him, accusing him of ruining Lily’s image. When we got home, she made me kneel for two hours, telling me I wasn’t worthy of having hair like my sister’s. Kneeling there on the cold floor, staring at Lily’s picture, I felt a strange sense of detachment. I didn’t even know who that girl was anymore. 3 Dad and Mom came back that afternoon. They were carrying a beautiful pink cradle, embroidered with little princesses. Mom couldn’t stop smiling. She placed it in the center of the living room. “Lily will adore this,” she said to Dad. “She always loved sleeping with her princess dolls.” Dad glanced toward my room. “Shouldn’t we… check on Noah?” he asked quietly. Mom’s face instantly hardened. “Check on him for what? He’ll come out when he’s hungry.” She sat beside the cradle, rocking it gently and humming a lullaby, her eyes filled with a tenderness so deep it seemed to overflow. I floated closer, looking at the pink cradle. It was small and delicate. Lily would have loved it. Mom had promised to buy it for her birthday, but Lily was gone before that day came. Now, the cradle was finally here. And its new owner was on her way back, in a different form. Mom suddenly looked up, as if sensing a presence, her eyes scanning the space where I was. I shot up to the ceiling. Her gaze swept over the empty living room, and she frowned for a moment before turning her attention back to the cradle. “Lily, Mommy is waiting for you,” she whispered. “I’ll never let you go again.” I watched the soft curve of her cheek, and I felt nothing. No anger, no sadness. Mom was finally getting her Lily back. And the replacement could finally disappear. That way, everyone could be happy. 4 On the third morning, a frantic knocking echoed through the apartment, loud enough to splinter the door. I floated into the hall as Mom opened it with an annoyed scowl. My homeroom teacher, Mrs. Davis, stood in the doorway. “Mrs. Williams,” she said, her expression grave, “Noah has been absent for three days. My calls have gone unanswered, so I came to check on him.” She tried to peer inside. “Is Noah home?” Mom’s face turned sour. She blocked the doorway. “He’s here. Just throwing a tantrum, refusing to go to school. Don’t you worry about him, I’ll handle it.” “This is about more than a tantrum,” Mrs. Davis insisted, her brow furrowed. “Last week, some of his classmates told me Noah was being bullied. They said the other children were pulling off his clothes and throwing cold water on him. I wanted to discuss it with you, but I couldn’t reach you.” Mom reacted like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. “Don’t you listen to those children’s lies! I’m sure it was Noah who started trouble! He’s been a malicious child from the start. He killed his own sister, and now he’s trying to play the victim at school!” Mrs. Davis’s face darkened. “Mrs. Williams, I saw the bruises on Noah myself. They were fresh. And from what I understand, Noah was only trying to protect another student. He is a sweet, quiet boy who works very hard. You can’t speak about him that way.” “Sweet?” Mom shrieked, her voice echoing down the hall. “If he was so sweet, why is my Lily dead? He’s a curse! I should never have let him live!” Mrs. Davis, taken aback by the outburst, took a deep breath. “If this is your attitude, I’ll have no choice but to contact Child Protective Services. Noah is a good child, and he doesn’t deserve this.” She turned and walked away. Mom continued to hurl insults after her until she disappeared down the stairs. Slamming the door shut, Mom trembled with rage. She marched to my room and kicked the door with all her might. “Noah! Look at the trouble you’ve caused! Now you’ve got teachers showing up at our door! Why don’t you just die!” I floated beside her, watching her face contort with fury. I suddenly remembered the river, when I was four. Lily and I were in the water. I had grabbed her hand, holding on for dear life, but the current was too strong. It tore us apart. When they pulled me out, the first thing I saw was Mom, clutching Lily’s lifeless body, her first words to me a broken scream: “Why wasn’t it you?” Dad came out of his study and put a hand on her arm. “That’s enough. The neighbors will hear.” His voice was low and strained. “He hasn’t eaten in three days. Let’s just go in and see him.” Mom shook him off. “See him for what? He’s not going to die!” But this time, Dad didn’t listen. He pushed the door open and went inside. Mom hesitated, then followed him in. Dad walked to the bed and pulled back the covers. Sunlight streamed in, illuminating my pale face, my purplish lips, and the dried stain of blood at the corner of my mouth…

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1 After I was diagnosed with a severe bleeding disorder, I became our family’s “glass princess.” The doctors said I wouldn’t live past five. So my parents put me first in everything, even spending their life savings on my treatments. On my fifth birthday, for the first time in a long time, there was laughter in our house. Only my little sister, Poppy, asked with innocent confusion, “Willow, are you going to die tomorrow?” That was the first time Dad ever hit her. And Mom knelt beside her, praying to God, begging for just a few more years for me. But on the day of Poppy’s first day of kindergarten, all I said was that my chest hurt a little. Suddenly, my mother broke down, her hand cracking across my face. “Why are you so cruel? Do you have to ruin everything for your sister?” “Our entire world revolves around you! Can’t we have one single day to take your sister to school?” “If you want to die, then just die! Stop torturing us!” She hurled my pill bottles at me, grabbed Poppy’s hand, and slammed the door behind them. I didn’t say anything. I just stared at the cut on my arm, at the blood that wouldn’t stop, as my body grew colder and colder. … When the glass shattered, I’d instinctively raised my arm to shield my face. I stared at the gash for a couple of seconds before I remembered the doctor’s words: “Sweetheart, you can never, ever get a cut. If you do, the bleeding might not stop.” I rushed to find a Band-Aid and pressed it on. It was soaked through in less than thirty seconds. I turned to get a bandage, but blood was already dripping onto the floor. Mom loves a clean house. I couldn’t make another mess for her. I frantically used my sleeve to wipe it up, but the blood just smeared across the tiles, blooming like a terrible flower. I grabbed the nearest towel and wrapped it tightly around my arm. A chill began to set in, starting in my fingertips and seeping deep into my bones. I went into the bathroom and filled the tub with hot water. Lying back in the warmth, I finally felt a little bit of relief. The blood was still flowing, staining the water a pale red. I suddenly missed my parents so much. I used my smartwatch to call my dad. It rang and rang. No answer. I tried my mom. It was loud on her end. Music, the laughter of children. A world of celebration that felt a million miles away from mine. “What is it? Hurry up, it’s almost Poppy’s turn to perform.” “Mom, I don’t feel so good. I’m bleeding…” Her voice, sharp with impatience, cut through the phone. “You don’t feel well again?” “Is it that you’re never well unless the entire world is revolving around you?” “Willow, you’re eight years old. You’re a big girl. Can’t you be a little more considerate for once?” The next second, the line went dead, the dial tone echoing in the empty bathroom. I watched the water slowly deepen to crimson and felt a sudden urge to cry. Mom was right. I was always causing trouble for everyone. My sickness was trouble, my sadness was trouble, and now my bleeding was trouble. Mom’s knitted cardigan was draped over the side of the tub. I gently pulled it over my face, inhaling her familiar jasmine scent. It was like when I was little, and she’d sat by my bed just like this when I had a fever. The water was growing cold. The bleeding seemed to be slowing down. It must be almost all gone. As my head started to feel fuzzy, I wondered, if all my blood runs out, will I finally be okay? Mom and Dad wouldn’t have to worry about their sick daughter anymore. My sister wouldn’t have to give up everything for me. And I wouldn’t have to pretend to be strong anymore, wouldn’t have to bite down on my own hand to keep from crying out in pain in the middle of the night. I curled up in the tub, feeling as safe as I must have in my mother’s womb before I was born. 2 When I opened my eyes again, I was looking down at my own small, pale body floating in the tub. So, I was dead. I heard the front door open, followed by my sister’s cheerful voice. “Willow, I’m home!” I rushed out to see them. Mom and Dad were back, holding Poppy’s hands. Dad was carrying a strawberry cake. He stopped short when he saw the mess in the living room. “What happened here?” Mom’s brow furrowed. “She threw a tantrum this morning. She lied about being sick because she was mad I was taking Poppy to school.” Dad’s face darkened. “She’s getting more and more inconsiderate.” I tried to explain, waving my hands frantically in front of them. “No, that’s not it! Willow wasn’t trying to make you mad!” But my hands passed right through my father’s shoulder. They didn’t notice a thing. Poppy pulled her hand free from Mom’s and ran to my bedroom door. She knocked softly. “Willow, come out and have some cake.” Silence. She looked up at them. “Is Willow asleep?” I floated over and hugged her. “Thank you, Poppy.” Mom’s voice was hard. “She’s not asleep. She’s ignoring us on purpose. Leave her. We’ll eat first.” Dad set the cake on the dining table. Poppy stared at it, her voice small. “But I want to wait for Willow…” Dad opened the box, exchanging a look with Mom. “If only Willow were half as thoughtful as her sister, our lives would be so much easier.” He stuck five candles in the cake and lit them. Poppy was lifted onto a chair, and as her parents watched, she blew them out. Today was also her fifth birthday. Mom asked gently, “Did you make a wish, Poppy?” Poppy’s eyes sparkled. “I did. I wished that Willow…” Dad smiled and stroked her hair. “Shh. If you say it out loud, it won’t come true.” I watched from the side, a silent observer. On my birthdays, the house always smelled of medicine. The number of candles on the cake felt more like a countdown. But Poppy’s birthday finally looked like a real birthday. When it was time to cut the cake, Poppy insisted on the biggest piece. “This one is for Willow!” She carried the plate to my bedroom door and knocked again. “Willow, come have some strawberry cake with me!” Still no response. The smile on Poppy’s face slowly faded. She carried the plate back to the table. “Willow won’t answer me,” she said quietly. Suddenly, Dad reached out and snatched the plate from her hands. He threw the whole thing, the perfectly frosted slice of strawberry cake, into the trash can. He slammed his hand on the table. “Fine, then she can have nothing! Nobody is to call for her again. A few missed meals will teach her a lesson.” Poppy was so startled, her eyes instantly filled with tears. Mom pulled her into her arms, glaring at Dad. “Why are you yelling at her?” Then she spoke softly to Poppy. “It’s okay, sweetie. We’ll eat first. When your sister realizes she was wrong, she’ll come out on her own.” I knelt by the trash can, looking at the discarded cake. The strawberry on top was still so fresh, now nestled among used tissues. What a waste. Strawberry was my favorite. Poppy ate her own small slice, her eyes darting toward my door every few seconds. My parents ate in a heavy silence. There were supposed to be four of us at the table. Now, one chair was empty. I sat down in it and whispered to my sister, “Happy birthday.” 3 That evening, Mom gave Poppy a bath. I stood in front of the shower curtain, my heart twisting into a knot, terrified she would pull it back and see me in the tub. Through the steam, Mom lathered soap on Poppy’s back. Poppy looked up, her wet hair stuck to her forehead. “Mommy, why hasn’t Willow come out yet?” Mom’s hands paused for a moment. “She’s probably sleeping.” “But I miss her,” Poppy said in a small voice. “I haven’t seen her all day.” Mom turned off the water, wrapped Poppy in a big towel, and hugged her close. “Poppy, do you ever get mad at Mommy and Daddy?” “Mad about what?” Mom held her a little tighter. “That we’re always focused on Willow. That we give her the best of everything. That sometimes… we don’t have enough time for you.” Poppy wrapped her small, damp arms around her mother’s neck. “No, of course not. Because Willow is sick.” Her voice was serious. “My teacher said today that sick people need the most care. Me and Mommy and Daddy have to love her together.” My mother’s shoulders trembled slightly. She buried her face in Poppy’s towel and didn’t speak for a long time. “You’re such a good girl, Poppy.” Her voice was muffled. “The truth is, your sister has had a very hard life.” I pressed myself against the cold tiles as my mother continued. “She was born very weak. The doctors said she might not grow up.” Mom sniffled. “So we were always scared she was in pain, scared she was sad. We just wanted to give her everything we could.” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “But sometimes… Mommy gets tired, too. Sometimes I wish she were healthier. I wish I had more time to spend with you.” Poppy listened, not quite understanding, and patted her mother’s back with her small hand. I crouched in the corner, transparent tears streaming down my face. I’m sorry, Mom. I was the one who wasn’t considerate. If I had never existed, how much better your lives would have been with just Poppy. But they couldn’t hear me. After the bath, Mom tucked Poppy into bed. Then, she walked to my bedroom door and stood there for a long time. Finally, she raised her hand and knocked softly. “Willow? Are you asleep?” I floated in front of her, wanting to reach out and touch her, but my fingertips passed through empty air. “I shouldn’t have yelled at you today, Willow. I was wrong. It was Poppy’s first day of school, and I was just so nervous. I didn’t mean to be harsh.” She paused, as if waiting for a reply that would never come. She sighed. “I left some cake for you in the living room. It’s your favorite, strawberry. Make sure you eat it.” She waited another few seconds before returning to her room and closing the door. I went to the living room. On the table was a small plate with a slice of cake. The strawberry on top was a little crooked. Late into the night, I watched my own small body in the tub. The water was cold now, my face as white as paper. My mother never opened the shower curtain. She didn’t know that I would never eat the cake she left for me. And that I would never hear her apology.

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