Everyone in the gilded world of New York’s elite knew the titan Gaten Wolfhard had one weakness: the girl he’d raised as his own. A girl who was spoiled, arrogant, and unbearably possessive. So much so that even at my own wedding, she stood on a balcony in a dress that was a blatant copy of my own bridal gown. Making me, the actual bride, look like a pathetic fool. This continued until my family and I orchestrated Gaten Wolfhard’s spectacular downfall. Only then did the little princess come to me, bowing and scraping, begging for my forgiveness. I just laughed in her face. “You were so jealous before, weren’t you? You wanted to be Gaten’s bride yourself,” I said, my voice dripping with ice. “Well, congratulations. May the two of you live happily ever after—in prison.” 1 As I walked down the aisle, my eyes were drawn upward. There, on a small second-floor balcony, stood the girl. She wore a white gown nearly identical to mine, her eyes filled with tears as she gazed down at my fiancé, Gaten, waiting for me at the altar. And Gaten was looking right back up at her. The moment stretched, turning me, the bride, into a sideshow clown. My father, whose arm I held, clenched his free fist, but I gently pressed his hand down, a silent command to stay calm. Whispers slithered through the pews, impossible to ignore. “Who is that girl? Wearing white to a wedding… does she have any class at all?” A young woman beside her tugged at her arm, hissing, “That’s Mia, the girl he’s raised for eighteen years. They’re practically inseparable!” “Please, everyone knows what she’s after. But the Wolfhard matriarch couldn’t stand her. Forced Gaten to marry Seraphina Shaw instead.” Finally, under the searing glare of his mother, Gaten reluctantly tore his gaze away from the balcony. Someone quickly pulled the girl, Mia, from view. A moment later, she reappeared at Gaten’s side, stripped of the white gown and now wearing a simple dress. I smiled serenely and continued my procession, the picture of poise and grace—exactly the kind of “blue-blooded lady” the old Mrs. Wolfhard demanded for her son. Then, right in front of Mia, I let Gaten place the ring on my finger. We exchanged vows under the watchful eye of the officiant. I could see Mia’s eyes growing redder, her knuckles white. Gaten’s expression was a thundercloud. I watched them both, a flicker of cold amusement in my eyes. Oh, does your heart ache for her? I thought. Good. Let me make it worse. Just as Mia looked about to break, I reached out and grabbed her hand, my face alight with a warm, welcoming smile. “You must be Mia,” I chirped. “From today on, you can call me Mom.” A collective gasp went through the crowd, followed by a ripple of suppressed laughter. I maintained my dignified smile, looking down at her with mock maternal affection. “They say a daughter is her father’s first love. In your case, that seems to be quite literally true, doesn’t it?” My smile never wavered. But for Mia, it was as if I had stripped her naked in front of the entire world, exposing the secret she held closest to her heart. Under the weight of a hundred curious, mocking eyes, she turned and fled, her face burning with shame and fury. Gaten made a move to follow, but I held his arm in a vise grip. My smile remained plastered on my face. “For the sake of the Wolfhard-Shaw merger, darling husband, I suggest you plaster on a smile and let’s go greet our guests.” He shot me a look of pure hatred but clenched his jaw and, swallowing his rage, allowed me to lead him into the crowd. 2 The wedding was a resounding success, cementing the powerful new alliance between the Shaw and Wolfhard dynasties. In the weeks that followed, Gaten was consumed with managing the overseas aspects of our new joint venture, leaving him no time to mediate between his new wife and his precious ward. So, I had to take matters into my own hands. When the car pulled up to Gaten’s private villa, I saw my custom-monogrammed luggage strewn across the manicured lawn like discarded toys. And there she was, standing at the front door with the air of a reigning queen, a smug smirk on her face, waiting for me. I may have married for business, but I was still a Shaw, raised with every privilege. The maid who had come with me from my family home saw the scene and her hands curled into fists. “Miss Seraphina, just say the word.” I held up a hand to stop her. Stepping out of the car, I calmly walked over and picked up an emerald necklace lying at Mia’s feet. I straightened up, my eyes glinting as I looked at her. “Do you have any idea how much this necklace is worth?” Mia tossed her head back. “That’s junk for poor people. I wouldn’t be caught dead in it,” she sneered. “My vanity is covered in jewels Uncle Gaten bought me. I could give you a dozen if you beg nicely.” The words had barely left her mouth when I gave my maid a subtle nod. She understood instantly. She strode forward and delivered a slap so hard the sound echoed in the quiet, upscale neighborhood. Mia staggered back, clutching her cheek, her eyes wide with disbelief. My maid laughed coldly. “Who the hell do you think you are, talking to my lady like that?” Then, following another silent cue from me, she grabbed the struggling girl and forced her to her knees at my feet. I tilted Mia’s chin up with one hand, studying the pampered, delicate face. Then I slapped her. Twice. Hard. Gaten lived in a row of exclusive villas, and the houses weren’t far apart. The sharp, cracking sounds drew curious neighbors to their windows. Seeing the raw humiliation on Mia’s face, I let out a soft laugh. I didn’t care who she was or what she meant to Gaten. I, Seraphina Shaw, return every slight with interest. If you make me unhappy, I will make your life a living hell. I ground the stiletto heel of my shoe into the delicate knuckles of her outstretched hand. “Mia,” I said, my voice dangerously soft, “I know you’ve been by Gaten’s side for over a decade.” “But let me give you a piece of advice. Know your place.” “There is only one mistress of this house. If you had what it takes to make Gaten marry you, I wouldn’t be here. But you don’t. So you will learn to live under my roof, by my rules.” “Bury those pathetic little fantasies of yours, or I will beat them out of you. I’ll do it every single time, until you learn your lesson.” Mia opened her mouth to curse me, but I cut her off with two more swift slaps, leaving her sputtering with a mouthful of blood. Just then, a man who had been watching from the next villa couldn’t stand it any longer. He ran over and grabbed my raised hand. “Seraphina, that’s enough! Mia is just a child!” Without missing a beat, I redirected my swing and slapped him across the face. He recoiled, his hand flying to his cheek in the exact same pose as Mia. I raised an eyebrow. “Connor Vance. I suggest you stay out of things that don’t concern you.” “Mia is a legal adult. If you want to play house with her, that’s your business.” “But I am the mistress of the Wolfhard estate. This is a family matter. I’m disciplining my ungrateful stepdaughter. What business is it of yours?” Connor’s face flushed with anger, but I shut him down with one final sentence. “My family’s company, Shaw Industries, just acquired a thirty percent stake in your father’s corporation. We are now his largest shareholder.” My voice dropped to a silky threat. “So if you don’t want to cause problems for him, I suggest you leave. Now.” With that, I nodded to my maid. She grabbed Mia by the hair and dragged her into the villa like a sack of trash. 3 There was no blood relation between Mia and Gaten Wolfhard. But he truly had raised her like a delicate doll, sheltering her from the world. Her bedroom was even right next to his. According to the Wolfhard family staff, it was because “Miss Mia” had frequent nightmares, and Gaten needed to be close by to comfort her to sleep. I laughed out loud. The household staff, already aware that I was not a woman to be trifled with, lowered their heads nervously. “So,” I said, a dangerous smile playing on my lips. “That makes me, the new Mrs. Wolfhard, feel rather… superfluous. Am I just a prop in their twisted little psychodrama?” The head butler immediately understood. He turned and ordered the staff to move Miss Mia’s belongings to a room on the first floor. I watched, my expression glacial, as her things were carried downstairs, piece by piece. I didn’t care what their relationship had been before I arrived. But if Mia was stupid enough to challenge my authority in my own home, she would learn that my patience was non-existent. The Wolfhard-Shaw merger was in its critical early stages. No one would dare to cross me. It seemed news of his “little girl” being mistreated traveled fast. Gaten came home that night. At dinner, I was the picture of elegance in a pale green silk sheath dress and a simple shawl, every inch the perfect high-society wife. I smiled graciously as I ladled soup for him. But as I placed the bowl before him, he shot me a look of pure contempt. Then, he backhanded the bowl, sending scalding soup flying across the table. Droplets splattered onto the back of my hand, raising an immediate, angry red welt. Across from us, a flicker of triumph crossed Mia’s face before she masked it with a look of practiced pity. Gaten sneered. “Does it hurt?” “Did you think about Mia’s pain when you were hitting her this morning?” “Seraphina, who the hell do you think you are?” Mia stood up, her voice trembling as she played the part of the concerned peacemaker. “Uncle, please, it’s all my fault. Don’t fight because of me.” But I slowly straightened up, the demure and gentle expression gone from my face, replaced by a cold fury. I looked Gaten dead in the eye. And then I slapped him, hard, across the face. “Gaten,” I said, my voice like steel, “let me return your words to you.” “Who the hell do you think you are, to speak to me like that?” The sound of the slap echoed in the silent dining room. A perfect red handprint bloomed on his cheek. The diamond on my wedding ring had caught the light for a second before it connected, leaving a thin, bloody scratch across his perfect cheekbone. Mia let out a horrified shriek and rushed to his side. “Uncle, are you okay?” she cried, gently touching his face. I stared at the two of them, clinging to each other. Then, I let out a cold laugh, grabbed a dinner plate, and smashed it on the floor. The porcelain shattered, and by a stroke of perfect luck, a sharp fragment flew up and sliced Mia’s eyelid. She screamed, clutching her eye. Gaten, his face contorted with rage, lunged at me, but my bodyguard, a man built like a mountain, stepped between us. Smiling, I bent down and picked up a jagged piece of the broken plate. And I started walking toward Mia. 4 Gaten knew exactly what I intended to do. He struggled against my bodyguard’s iron grip, his voice a furious roar. “Seraphina! You dare!” I ignored him, giving my personal maid a look. She moved instantly, grabbing Mia’s arms in a grip so tight she couldn’t possibly break free. Then, with the porcelain shard in her other hand, my maid made two quick, clean slashes. Two deep cuts blossomed on Mia’s pretty face. Mia screamed, a raw, piercing sound, and stumbled backward, her hands flying to her ruined cheeks. I stood by the table, arms crossed, and calmly picked up a glass of red wine. I raised it in a mock toast to Gaten, a triumphant smile on my face. “Gaten,” I said, my voice sweet as poison, “if you didn’t want to play by my rules, you shouldn’t have married me.” “You came to my family for help. You brought me into this house. That makes me the one in charge here.” “Who does this little brat think she is, trying to challenge me?” I brushed an imaginary speck of dust from my dress and rose gracefully. “Consider this a small price for her insolence.” “If she ever tries something like this again, I wouldn’t hesitate to make her blind or deaf.” With a final, chillingly polite nod to Gaten, I turned and walked out, my staff following in my wake. While all this was happening, my maid had already called the old Wolfhard estate, painting a dramatic picture of how Miss Mia had humiliated me, and how Gaten had sided with her against his own wife. With the merger just beginning, the Wolfhard matriarch was terrified I would run back to my family and jeopardize the deal. By the time I finished delivering my ultimatum to Gaten, a car from the main estate was already waiting at the gate. Without a backward glance, I got in and was driven away. That night, after the Wolfhard matriarch had exhausted herself trying to soothe my “hurt feelings,” she was ready to storm over to Gaten’s villa and deal with Mia herself. But I played the part of the magnanimous wife. “She’s just a girl, acting out,” I said with a sigh. “It’s not worth making a fuss over.” The old woman was so moved by my “grace and understanding” that she immediately gifted me several priceless pieces from her private jewelry collection.

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My best friend was becoming my sister-in-law. I was thrilled. I volunteered to edit the “Love Journey” video for their wedding reception myself. My brother, Mason, smiled and went to get the footage. But the moment he opened my best friend’s laptop, his expression darkened. He kicked her, over and over again, breaking her ribs before locking her in the basement. “You filth! I finally found you!” My parents took one look at the laptop screen, and their eyes turned cold and predatory. “Drain her blood. Hang her up. Only pain can purify her sins.” I didn’t understand. I tried to speak, to stop them, but a heavy blow to the back of my head silenced me. As I lay dying, a string of floating text drifted across my vision: [Run, Harper! Your best friend is bad news!] [Your whole family is psycho! Run, you innocent flower!] It was too late. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the morning of the wedding…

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Ethan and I went viral because of one photo. In the picture, we’re standing in our blue and white varsity jackets, throwing up peace signs. Attached is the class ranking sheet: Ethan is #1. I’m #2. The top comment read: [There is zero romantic chemistry in their eyes. Just the sheer determination to academic-weapon the other person into oblivion.] I’ve been crushed by Ethan for ten years. I thought I was destined to be the eternal Salutatorian. Until I woke up… I realized I was the villainess in a high school romance novel. And Ethan? He’s the protagonist. Realizing this didn’t make me sad. It made me realize my time had come. I’m going to be Valedictorian! 1 I’ve been trailing behind Ethan for a decade. Every test, I’m one spot behind him. I am the “Forever Second Place” on the honor roll. During a nap in Homeroom, I gained sentience. I discovered I was the “Mean Girl” antagonist in a YA novel. In the story, to ruin the romance between the Hero and the Heroine, I act like a total brat until I get expelled. The Hero and the Transfer Student Heroine overcome me—the “obstacle”—and get together. But then, their grades slip, their parents freak out, and they break up. The Hero, to save the Heroine from her abusive father, deliberately misses the SATs, repeats a year with her, and they eventually go to a state college together for a Happily Ever After. The Hero of this story is Ethan, the guy who always beats me. After waking up, I sat up and glared at Ethan, who was chatting two rows ahead. Society is crumbling. How is this guy the Main Character? But it doesn’t matter. In the book, the Heroine transfers to our AP English class this week. Her arrival is the start of my bright future. As long as I refuse to play the villain, I won’t get distracted. I will crush Ethan and take the crown! I was buzzing with excitement all day. The thought of finally flipping the script was intoxicating. Walking home with Ethan that evening, I couldn’t hide my grin. Ethan looked confused, but his walking pace was practically Olympic speed. Our moms are besties, and we live right across the street from each other. Before we went inside, he looked at me like I was an idiot, then quickly shut his door. After dinner, my best friend texted me: “Girl, you’re trending!” She sent a TikTok link. It was a video I posted a few days ago after midterms. Just two pics: The selfie of me and Ethan, and the GPA ranking. No caption, but the internet got me. “No romance. Just the pure desire to academically destroy each other.” “Bro is even clutching a pen in the photo.” “When is she going to take him out to claim the throne?” I liked the comment about taking him out. Soon. 02 The Heroine transferred to our class the next day. When she introduced herself as “Maya,” I knew it was real. Just like in the book, the teacher assigned Maya the seat next to Ethan. I sat diagonally behind Ethan, with a perfect view of their backs. First day, Maya didn’t have her textbook yet. Ethan slid his book to the middle of the table so they could share. Mr. Henderson started explaining a complex calculus problem. They both leaned in, heads together, to look at the equation. They looked up at the same time, realizing their faces were inches apart. Realizing the proximity, they both jerked back and sat up straight. I couldn’t see their faces, but I clearly saw Maya’s ears turn bright red. Ethan awkwardly made a fist over his mouth and coughed. A weird feeling bubbled in my chest. I took a deep breath. Stop looking. This is what I want, right? Riley, stop looking at the boy. Focus on the GPA. I forced my attention back to the whiteboard. First period ended, and a group of guys surrounded Maya’s desk. I glanced over. Two of them were varsity jocks, known players who changed girlfriends like they changed socks. Maya, being cute and new, was fresh meat. She looked terrified. As Class President, I was about to step in, but Ethan—returning from the bathroom—got there first. He blocked Maya from their view. “Don’t you guys have anything better to do? The Dean is walking down the hall.” Hearing the Dean was coming, the guys scattered. Maya smiled shyly at Ethan to say thanks. I pulled back the foot I had stepped forward. A moment later, the Dean actually appeared at the door. He didn’t come in, just waved me over to the office to sort some files. Standing in the office, sorting scantron sheets, my brain was stuck on replay. The boy in the varsity jacket, backlit by the sun, shielding the nervous girl. And the girl looking at him with starry eyes. That’s probably what love looks like. Main characters are destined to attract each other. It’s physics. I shook my head, trying to shake the unwanted emotions out of my brain. That night, walking home, I was unusually quiet. Usually, I yap the whole way. Ethan, usually the listener, spoke first. “What’s up with you today? Something on your mind?” I looked up into his confused, concerned eyes. How do I say, I’m thinking about you? We grew up together. This was the first time I couldn’t speak freely. “What do you think of… Maya?” Ethan looked puzzled for a second. “Why do you ask?” “I’m Class President. Gotta know the new students to help them adjust.” I lied. Ethan nodded, buying it. “Her? She’s nice. Very quiet.” It was a neutral comment, but my heart sank. Sophomore year, our parents suspected us of dating. We sat in the living room for hours explaining we weren’t. Ethan had said, “I could never like Riley. If I liked someone, it would be a quiet girl.” I had punched him in the arm right there in front of our dads. That was when I crushed my own little high school crush on him. My feelings are complicated. We’re just childhood friends. But why does this hurt so much? I didn’t speak the rest of the way. At his door, he hesitated, then just said, “See you tomorrow.” 03 Maya successfully integrated into the class. She was beautiful, kind, and everyone loved her. Even I had to admit, she was a good person. It made sense why Ethan, usually a snob, would like her. Without me interfering as the villain, their romance was on the fast track. Maya wasn’t great at Math. The teacher asked Ethan to tutor her. For a while, Ethan stayed late after school to help her. The walk home went from “us” to just “me.” I tried to ignore the hollow feeling. I studied until midnight. Woke up at 5:30 AM. Starbucks, school, study. If I kept busy, I wouldn’t feel the loss. A week later, Ethan surprisingly turned down Maya’s request for tutoring and ran up to me. “Let’s go. Got my allowance. I’m treating you to hot pot.” I stared at him blankly. “Don’t you have to tutor her?” I regretted the words immediately. It sounded like jealousy. But Ethan didn’t mind. He grinned. “Not every day. I taught her the basics. Now I can walk home with you again.” Seeing his eyes crinkle in a smile, I froze. “Okay… sure. I have cleanup duty. Wait for me.” Ethan did half my work for me, and we left together. We were happily discussing whether to order extra beef or shrimp paste. Just outside the school gates, we took a shortcut through a small park. Usually, it’s empty. But today, I heard crying. We exchanged a look and walked faster. Behind the public restrooms, a group of sketchballs had cornered a girl in our school uniform. It was Maya. Ethan didn’t hesitate. He rushed in. He grabbed a guy with dyed yellow hair by the wrist. “Ow! You crazy? Let go!” The other guys surrounded us. “Oh, another pretty girl? Why don’t you both hang out with us?” One guy looked me up and down, whistling. Ethan grabbed him by the collar. The others lunged. I kicked the nearest one in the shin. Our parents put us in self-defense classes when we were kids. We aren’t Bruce Lee, but we can handle a few street punks. We dropped them, but one guy pulled a pocket knife and slashed my arm. Ethan saw red. He was about to pound the guy into the pavement, but I stopped him. That night, Maya and Ethan accompanied me to the ER. Maya kept thanking us. But the way she looked at Ethan… it was admiration. It was hero worship. We never got hot pot. The doctor said it wasn’t deep, but I had to eat bland food. We got home at 8 PM. My mom yelled at me for getting hurt. 04 After that, Maya was even more attentive to Ethan. When he played basketball, she was on the sidelines with Gatorade. I don’t know if he took it, but everyone could see Maya liked him. Ethan didn’t seem to react. I buried myself in books. School, home, study. But sometimes, my brain drifted to Ethan. His face—always gentle with me, only frowning when worried—started haunting my dreams. I didn’t want to admit it. But now, I knew. I actually liked Ethan. But he’s the Main Character. And she’s the Heroine. I’m just the villain. And villains who fall for the hero never get a happy ending.

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It’s been five years since I died. My mom went on a national TV show with my sister, calling me an ungrateful daughter. “Chloe Starling, when your sister needed a heart transplant, you vanished.” “Now, you won’t even show up for your own father’s funeral!” “A person like you deserves to be spat on while alive and burn in hell when dead!” Amidst the gasps of the audience, a woman stood up. “Chloe isn’t coming.” My mom sneered. “Bullshit! Even if she’s hiding at the ends of the earth, I’ll find her!” The woman walked onto the stage and handed a USB drive to the host. “The truth you’re looking for is in here.” …… Chapter 1 “I don’t want the ‘truth,’ I want to see Chloe! If you know her, tell her to get her ass here right now!” Mom rolled her eyes, yelling directly into the camera. “Chloe, do you know your dad looked for you for five whole years? He worked himself to death just last month trying to find you!” “Are you out there living the high life with his money?” “You won’t even show your face at his funeral. You heartless, ungrateful brat!” She finished her rant and glared at the woman who had come onstage. “If you know where she is, hand her over!” The host turned to the woman. “Ma’am, what is your relationship with Chloe Starling?” The woman pulled a business card from her purse and held it up to the camera. “Hello everyone, I’m Sarah Cole, head of the Memory Capsule Project.” “Chloe was a participant in our internal trials. We became friends through the process.” A murmur ran through the audience. “I’ve heard of Memory Capsule. It extracts memories from the brain and turns them into video, like watching a movie.” “So this USB drive… it has Chloe’s memories on it?” “Who wants to see the memories of an ungrateful brat like that?” “Is she sick in the head? Won’t see her family, but sends them her memories…” The scene was chaotic. The host quickly took control. “Since Ms. Cole claims to be Chloe’s friend, let’s see what secrets this drive holds.” A staff member plugged the USB into a laptop. My sister, who had been silent, suddenly stood up in a panic. “We came to find Chloe, not watch this garbage.” “Mom, let’s go.” Mom always listened to my sister. She grabbed her hand and started walking offstage. Sarah reached out and blocked their path. “If you leave now, you will truly never see her again.” Mom hesitated. Finally, she led my sister back to their seats on stage. “Hmph. I want to see what kind of game Chloe is playing!” The lights dimmed, and the big screen flickered to life. It was me at six years old. I had been living in the countryside with my grandparents. Because I had to start elementary school, Mom and Dad brought me back to their city home. I looked enviously at the Elsa princess dress my sister was wearing and spoke timidly. “Hi, big sister.” My sister glanced at my faded t-shirt and shorts, tilting her chin up. “I don’t have a little sister. Mom said you’re my slave!” I tried to explain. “No, you’re the big sister, and I’m the little sister.” Before I finished, my sister burst into loud tears. “I don’t want a little sister, Mommy…” Mom rushed out of the kitchen at the sound, knocking me over as she scooped my crying sister into her arms. “Chloe, why are you so difficult? Bullying your sister the second you get back?” “Did you forget everything I told you in the car?” Seeing the devouring anger in Mom’s eyes, I trembled with fear. “N-no, I remember.” “Listen to your sister. Whatever your sister does, she is always right.” “Then apologize to her!” Mom glared at me coldly. I sniffled, my voice choked with sobs. “Sister, I’m sorry.” Mom patted my sister’s back, comforting her gently. “Luna, no one can ever take your place in Mommy’s heart. You are Mommy’s only treasure.” Later, Mom took my sister to the mall and bought her lots of beautiful new clothes. She stuffed the old clothes that wouldn’t fit in my sister’s closet into my room. “Chloe, these are gifts from your sister.” I had never seen so many pretty clothes. Even if they were my sister’s hand-me-downs, I was overjoyed. “Thank you, big sister.” That night, I woke up from a nightmare and went to find Mom. I saw my sister sleeping in Mom’s arms, looking up coquettishly. “Mommy, why is my name Luna and hers is Chloe?” Mom kissed her cheek. “Because the stars revolve around the moon. Mommy had your little sister just so she could keep you company.” My sister smiled smugly. “So little sister is my slave, right?” “Of course. Stars are born only to guard the moon.” Tears welled up in my eyes. I stood frozen in place. Only when the lights in the room went out did I drag my numb legs back to my room. The words echoed in my ears. Stars are born only to guard the moon… Chapter 2 The first memory clip ended, and the studio was dead silent. Until someone in the audience couldn’t hold back. “Such favoritism from a young age. No wonder Chloe ran away from that toxic family.” That one comment opened the floodgates. The crowd erupted in discussion. “She calls herself a mother? If you can’t treat them equally, don’t have a second child!” “I’d run too if I grew up in a house like that!” Accused by everyone, Mom jumped up anxiously from her seat. “Stop talking nonsense! I don’t have favorites! There was a reason…” The screen lighting up again cut off Mom’s words. I was ten years old. Today was Mom’s birthday. I used the allowance I had saved for a long time to pick out the most beautiful bouquet of lilies at the flower shop. I carried them carefully all the way home. But when I got to the door, I was dumbfounded. Nobody was home. I couldn’t get in. Mrs. Davis next door saw me sitting on the steps in a daze, looking surprised. “Chloe, your mom said they were going out for a birthday dinner. I saw her leave with Luna to meet your dad. How did they forget you?” I explained stubbornly, my eyes red. “I didn’t want to go. And I forgot my key.” They didn’t come back until late at night. I couldn’t help but complain. “Mom, Dad, how could you forget me?” Dad explained. “Your mom said you didn’t want to go out tonight. I even saved you a piece of cake.” I thought Mom would explain, but she used a matter-of-fact tone. “Chloe, I forgot to tell you. Your sister wanted to celebrate my birthday alone with me, so we didn’t call you.” Hearing this, Dad frowned in confusion. “Linda, how long are you going to keep this favoritism up? Isn’t Chloe your daughter too?” Mom sneered. “Mark, Luna has said many times she just wants the three of us to go out, but you always have to bring Chloe along. You don’t care about Luna’s feelings at all.” “You promised me you wouldn’t neglect Luna before I agreed to have a second child. But you haven’t kept your word all these years. You only care about Chloe!” Dad quickly covered my ears. “What nonsense are you spouting in front of the child? Have you cared for Chloe at all since she came back?” “Do you know Chloe already has serious psychological issues? She has to see a therapist every month!” Hearing this, a trace of panic flashed across Mom’s face. But she quickly calmed down. “What psychological issues can a child have? I think she just wants to compete for attention with Luna and is acting out to trick everyone!” “If you really think I made her sick, then send her back to your mother’s house.” Dad stared wide-eyed in disbelief. “Linda, do you know what you’re saying?” Mom’s face was cold. “I only know that Luna has heart disease. She can’t handle any stimulation. She can’t suffer any grievances!” They started arguing about it again. I lowered my head and went back to my room. That night, I endured the hunger and hid under the covers, crying myself to sleep. The next day, I found the bouquet of lilies was gone. I thought Mom had accepted my gift. “Mom, those flowers…” Before I could finish, Mom interrupted me. “Chloe, don’t bring messy flowers into the house anymore. Your sister said they stink.” My smile froze on my face. My gaze fell into the trash can nearby. The withered flowers were mixed with leftover food, emitting a foul smell. It was nauseating. I bit my lower lip hard, tears falling spinelessly. “Mom, that was my birthday gift to you…” Suddenly, my sister pointed to a new drawing hanging on the wall and laughed happily. “Mommy, you hung up the birthday gift I gave you! Thanks for liking it, Mommy!” Mom gave my sister a thumbs-up proudly. “Baby’s own drawing is so beautiful. Mommy should thank you.” Then she glanced at me with disgust. “Cry, cry, cry. All you know how to do is cry. Why did I give birth to a debt collector like you?” “Chloe, stop standing in the kitchen and getting in the way!” The scene ended there. Before the audience could react, Mom immediately grabbed the microphone. “This video must be faked with software! I don’t remember this happening at all!” “Director, even if you want ratings, you can’t slander us like this, right?” “I’m not recording this show anymore!” Chapter 3 Mom got up to leave. The host looked helplessly at the staff offstage. “Mom, don’t go.” Behind her, my voice came out with a sob. Mom stopped in her tracks. The screen lit up again. “Mom, please don’t leave me, okay?” I grabbed Mom’s sleeve, begging bitterly. The house was suddenly engulfed in raging fire. Flames and thick smoke were everywhere. Mom threw off my hand. “Luna is still sleeping in the big room. I have to find her first.” “Chloe, you stay here and be good. I’ll come save you after I find your sister!” I watched helplessly as Mom disappeared into the fire. I was choked by the thick smoke until tears streamed down my face. I don’t know how long it took, but firefighters rushed in and saved me from the sea of fire. Dad, who was at work, got the news and rushed to the hospital. I needed immediate surgery because of severe burns on my legs. Dad paced anxiously in the hallway. He turned and saw Mom leading my sister past him. “Linda!” Seeing Dad, Mom walked over excitedly. “Did you get my message? The house suddenly caught fire. Luckily, I got Luna to the hospital in time. The doctor said if we had been any later, and she inhaled too much smoke, her heart wouldn’t have been able to take it.” “I plan to let Luna stay in the hospital for a few days for observation. Anyway, the house isn’t livable anymore…” “Where’s Chloe?” Dad interrupted her with a dark face. Hearing my name, Mom was visibly stunned. Panic quickly welled up in her eyes. “Chloe… Chloe was still in the house. I was too anxious and forgot her. Honey, what do we do?” Dad laughed in anger at her reaction. Pointing at the operating room door, he roared. “Linda, are you crazy? The fire was so big, and you left Chloe alone in the room? Did you want to kill her?” “If the firefighters hadn’t saved Chloe in time, she might already be dead!” Hearing the news that I was saved, Mom breathed a sigh of relief. “As long as she’s okay. Wasn’t I just too worried because Luna has heart disease?” “When Chloe wakes up, I’ll explain it to her properly.” Seeing Mom’s indifferent attitude toward me. Dad clenched his fists and swallowed the words he was about to say. For the next few days, perhaps out of guilt, Mom stayed at the hospital to take care of me. Mom slept with me for the first time. Mom braided my hair for the first time. Mom fed me for the first time. …… So many firsts made me greedy for this hard-won motherly love. I even felt that this fire was a good thing. The cause of the fire was investigated. It was my sister lighting my Barbie doll on fire that caused it. But Mom blamed me instead. “Why didn’t you put your things away properly? Why did you leave them lying around?” I subconsciously retorted. “Even if I left things lying around, sister shouldn’t have started a fire in the house and destroyed our home!” A slap to the face stunned me. Mom’s eyes were red. “Chloe, did you forget what I told you? Whatever your sister does, she is always right. What right do you have to criticize her?” “If you hadn’t left things lying around, would she have started a fire? You are not allowed to mention this again!” The scene changed. I had already gotten into college. My sister and I attended the same university. She was a junior, and I was a freshman. On this day, a senior from a club confessed his love to me in front of everyone on the playground, using candles to form a heart shape. The video went viral online that night. The next night. My sister asked to meet me at a secluded intersection. “Chloe, first you steal Mom and Dad, and now you steal the man I like.” “Did you forget how Mom raised you? You are my slave. You have to listen to me. You can’t do anything to hurt me!” These words haunted me like a curse. My whole body froze. “Sister, I… I didn’t agree to him. I’ll give you whatever you want.” My sister sneered. “Give me everything?” “Chloe, it would be so good if you just died…” As her voice fell, a large truck sped through the intersection. The blinding headlights made people close their eyes. Just then, my sister pushed me toward the road. Honk honk honk— “Ah—” Chapter 4 The screen paused at the moment the truck ran over me. The whole audience gasped. Mom’s face was pale as she looked at my sister in disbelief. “Is… is this real?” A commotion broke out in the audience. “Did Chloe really die?” “This sister is too evil. The family already favors her so much, and she still wants to kill her sister?” “Is this a missing persons show or a true crime show?” “It seems Chloe isn’t hiding; she’s been dead for a long time.” My sister’s eyes flickered with terror. Her hands trembled as she held Mom’s arm. “I didn’t! Mom, you have to believe me! I didn’t kill Chloe!” “You don’t have proof! Don’t talk nonsense! I’m not a murderer!” Someone in the audience sneered. “The video is right in front of everyone. Who’s talking nonsense?” “Exactly. You had the guts to kill your own sister, why don’t you have the guts to admit it now?” My sister was anxious to the point of tears. “I didn’t! Mom, explain it for me, hurry!” Mom subtly withdrew her arm from my sister’s grasp. After hesitating again and again, she finally spoke. “But Chloe did disappear after that day. Her phone couldn’t be reached.” “You came home and told us Chloe ran away because she was mad at us. That’s why I didn’t call the police to look for her.” “Luna, tell Mom the truth now, okay?” My sister was red-faced with embarrassment, fine sweat covering her forehead. “I pushed her and was scare so I ran back to the dorm. But I went back an hour later.” “She and the truck were gone. There was no blood on the ground. I thought she was okay.” “But then she disappeared. I was afraid you guys would find out, so I lied to you. I didn’t mean to hurt her!” Mom swayed and slumped to the floor. “How could this happen? Luna, you’ve always been so kind. How could you harm your sister?” Seeing that even her doting mother didn’t believe her. My sister completely broke down. “Mom, I really didn’t kill her! Later, I went to the nearby hospitals to ask. They didn’t receive any car accident victims that day.” “I even went to the traffic police department. There was no record of that accident at all.” But no one on set believed her. Even the director’s crew was preparing to call the police. Just then, Sarah stood up. “I can prove that Luna Starling did not kill Chloe.” “The Memory Capsule isn’t finished. Let’s wait until everyone finishes watching before drawing conclusions.” My sister gave Sarah a grateful look and helped Mom back to her seat on the stage. The screen changed again. This time the background was a hospital. The truck driver had taken me for a checkup. I waved my hand at him. “Sir, my arm is just scraped a little. Some ointment will fix it.” But the driver insisted I get a full body checkup. “Miss, we can’t delay treatment in case there are internal injuries that we can’t see.” “I already paid the fees. Go get checked out quickly.” After the checkup, the driver handed me a bottle of milk and some bread. I took a few bites, and my stomach suddenly felt a sharp pain. I couldn’t help but vomit. “Miss, you’re vomiting blood!” The driver was scared and quickly called for a doctor. I was taken for another exam. When the results came out, the doctor looked at me solemnly. “Chloe, the results show you have advanced stomach cancer. The situation is not optimistic.” I looked at the doctor calmly. “How long do I have to live?” “If we treat it conservatively, at least six months…”

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Everyone mocked me. They said Liam would dump me, the “stand-in,” the moment she came back. But his “One That Got Away”—his legendary first love—dragged me to get a DNA test instead. “You guys look too much alike. I don’t believe there’s no blood relation.” That day, I discovered I was the long-lost heiress to a billion-dollar empire. Chapter 1 Liam’s “One That Got Away,” Chloe, returned to the States. Instead of a dramatic showdown, she dragged me to the hospital for a DNA test. While waiting for the results, I sat on a bench in the hallway. To my left was Liam, the CEO who was technically my “Sugar Daddy.” To my right was Chloe, the legendary Dream Girl. I was sandwiched between them, sitting stiff as a board. I didn’t dare move. Absolutely frozen. I felt like a ten-thousand-watt lightbulb, completely superfluous. I tried to get up to find another seat, but Liam and Chloe simultaneously pressed me back down by my shoulders. Liam: “Sit. Don’t wander off.” Chloe: “Sit. Wait for the results.” I sat back down timidly, squeezed between them like the filling in a very awkward Oreo. The doctor pushed open the door, holding a report. Doctor: “Ms. Chloe, the results are in.” Chloe stood up immediately. “Well? Is there a relation?” Doctor: “Yes. She is your biological younger sister who went missing years ago.” !!! I was so shocked I instinctively pinched Liam’s thigh. Liam glanced at me but said nothing. Chloe let out a long breath. “Biological sister. Good.” I wanted to say something but stopped. Chloe sighed. “The pressure of inheriting a billion-dollar empire alone was too much. Finally, someone to share the burden.” She gently stuffed a Black Card into my hand. “This card is yours now. I transferred fifty million dollars for pocket money. Spend it however you like.” In that instant, I forgot the word “no.” So, it was true when my foster mom said she picked me out of a dumpster! I took the card with trembling hands, moved to tears. “Thank you, sister.” After all these years, my billionaire sister finally found me! Chapter 2 I shamelessly asked my sister: “Sis, can I use this money to keep a man?” Liam frowned slightly. Chloe answered: “You can keep ten men if you want.” My eyes lit up. I said fawningly, “Sis, I’ll take you to a host club! I’ll order ten male models for you!” Chloe’s eyes lit up too. “Male models? Sounds good. Little sister, you understand me. I’ll order twenty for you!” My eyes were glowing like a starving wolf who hadn’t seen meat in eighty years. Liam rubbed his temples. He grabbed my collar. “Lucy, don’t forget the contract.” Oh right. I signed a three-year “Sugar Baby” contract with Liam. It said during the contract period, I couldn’t have intimate relationships with other men. There was still one week left on the contract. I looked down at the fifty million in the card, then looked up with newfound confidence. “Sorry, I’m breaching the contract.” Liam said, “Fine. The penalty is one hundred million.” I wilted instantly. “Sorry, I was wrong.” Chloe frowned slightly. She asked me, “What contract?” I stammered. Chloe narrowed her eyes. She pulled me behind her and questioned Liam. “Mr. Liam, rumors in the circle say you’re keeping my sister as a mistress?” Liam answered, “I am not keeping her.” He frowned. “Who told you that?” Chloe sneered. “Everyone says so.” She asked, “Then what is this contract you just mentioned?” I whispered, “Sugar Baby contract.” Liam answered, “Dating contract.” Me: “?!!” Liam: “……?” Chapter 3 I was shocked!! Liam paused too. After processing, his face darkened. “Sugar Baby contract? Who told you that?” I looked at him with question marks all over my face. “Didn’t you pay me for three years?” Liam rubbed his temples again. “No… I wasn’t keeping you. That was a dating contract.” Chloe frowned. “Who signs a contract to date?” Liam: “I thought signing a contract showed how seriously I took the relationship.” I hesitated. “Your ‘seriousness’ involves wiring me fifty grand a month and then sleeping with me?” Liam: “……” Liam’s expression was complicated. He looked like he wanted to explain but didn’t know how. Chloe looked at Liam with scrutiny. “Mr. Liam, soliciting prostitution is illegal. Technically, that contract is void. If you insist, I’ll have to call the police.” Liam sighed. “It wasn’t solicitation. The fifty grand was for dating expenses.” He said, “…I thought sexual activity during dating was normal, so I didn’t overthink it.” “I apologize. I wasn’t thoughtful enough and caused a misunderstanding. I’m sorry. Such things should wait until marriage.” The hospital hallway wasn’t the place for this. Chloe clicked her heels and said to me, “You decide.” I whispered, “Um, since it’s a dating contract, can I take a week off?” The contract ended in a week. If I took leave now, I could segue seamlessly into clubbing with male models the moment it expired. Liam pursed his lips. “You may.” After Liam agreed, I left the hospital with Chloe and got into her luxury car to go see my foster mom. Driving, Chloe said, “I think… Liam isn’t trustworthy. He’s not a good guy. Don’t contact him anymore.” Who believes a “Dating Contract”? Not even a dog would believe that! I felt a bit guilty. “Actually, I think he’s a good person.” Chloe raised an eyebrow. “How so?” Me: “When my mom was sick and we had no money, he paid the medical bills. Without him, my mom wouldn’t have made it.” Chloe: “So he kept you…” I touched my nose, embarrassed. “Because he paid the bills, I didn’t refuse when he wanted to keep me.” I believe in repaying debts of gratitude. Chloe thought for a moment. “When the contract ends, I’ll give you money to keep him back.” I thought for a moment too. “Sis, is there a possibility… he likes you?” Liam’s Dream Girl was my sister, and I was just the stand-in. Me keeping him felt like some weird cuckold fetish. Chloe slammed on the brakes. My forehead hit the dashboard. Ouch. Chloe looked horrified. “Impossible! Absolutely impossible! You’re mistaken.” Me: “He really likes you.” She hesitated. “I hooked up with his uncle and almost became his aunt. He shouldn’t… be that kinky, right?” My pupils quaked. I trembled, “Sis… you…” Chloe evaluated calmly, “If he really has feelings for me, he’s a pervert.” I hesitated. “Maybe he is a pervert?” Chloe gasped. “Stay away from perverts!” The car started moving again. Chloe thought for a long time, then said spookily: “Actually, I think… maybe that contract really was a dating contract…” I said spookily back: “Impossible, sis. Absolutely impossible!” Silence fell in the car. We looked at each other, speechless. Chloe hesitated. “But still, maybe… he has you in his heart?” Me: “Maybe his heart split in two. One half loves you, the other half loves me.” Chloe: “Hiss!” Chapter 4 We arrived at my apartment. Chloe met my foster mom, politely called her “Mom,” and explained the DNA test. Chloe: “My grandma was superstitious and preferred boys. She thought twins were bad luck, so she stole my sister at birth and threw her away.” “I didn’t know she existed until Grandma was hospitalized six months ago and confessed in a delirious state.” She acknowledged my foster mom as her godmother. “You are Lucy’s mother, so you are my mother too. I will take care of you with Lucy.” My mom looked at Chloe’s face, identical to mine, and accepted this goddaughter. After handling that, Chloe took me to the main estate to meet my biological parents. Chloe comforted me: “Don’t be nervous. Mom and Dad are great.” My billionaire parents were exactly as Chloe said—great and very enthusiastic. Billionaire Dad: “I’m transferring 20% of the company shares to you. That new commercial plot downtown is yours too!” Billionaire Mom: “My precious daughter suffered so much. Mom is transferring eighty million to your card right now!” When they learned about Liam from the secretary’s report, Billionaire Dad was furious. “Him? He dares to keep you?!” “I’m arranging ten blind dates for you immediately. Dump him!” Billionaire Dad was a man of his word. The next day, I was forced to sit at a large round table in a cafe with ten handsome, tall, wealthy men.

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When I was five, my parents adopted the son of their late best friends. We grew up side by side. For eighteen years, I called him “brother.” He spoiled me with a decade of unconditional indulgence. He told me that under his protection, I could do whatever I wanted, forever. Until that stormy night, when a moment of impulse led to a night of reckless passion. Fighting back my shyness, I confessed the love I had hidden for years. But in his eyes, I saw nothing but undisguised mockery and disdain. “People like you, Harper… you think you can get whatever you want so easily.” The very next day, he began a systematic series of blind dates, preparing for a business marriage. Later, a paternity test shattered my reality and stripped me of my identity. I returned to my biological parents and started a new life. But he threw everything away, chased after me with bloodshot eyes, and asked if we could start over. I shook my head calmly. “From the beginning to the end, our meeting was a mistake.” Chapter 1 “Harper, have you really decided to leave New York?” “Yeah. I’ll be gone before the holidays.” “They are your biological parents, that’s true. But I’ve raised you with such care all these years. You will always be my precious girl. If you stay with the Hayes family, your future will be brighter.” “I understand, Dad. Whether my last name is Hayes or not, you will always be my dearest father.” “Alright. We respect your decision. Go tell your brother.” “Thanks, Dad. I’ll let him know.” After hanging up, I drove straight to Hayes Corp. When I appeared outside Ethan Sterling’s office, his secretary looked surprised and stood up. “Miss Hayes.” “Is he in? I need to see him,” I said directly. “One moment.” The secretary dialed the internal line, announced me to Ethan, and then looked at me with an awkward expression after hanging up. “Ms. Vance is in there. Mr. Sterling asks you to wait outside for a while.” That “while” turned into two hours. From inside the office, the faint sounds of a woman’s laughter and a man’s low voice drifted out occasionally. The secretary’s team was used to it, but I sat there stiff as a board, a sharp pain spreading from my chest to my limbs. Finally, the office door opened. Ethan walked out, holding Serena Vance’s hand. The flush on her cheeks hadn’t faded, and her hair was slightly messy. A few strands fell loosely by her ear, adding to her allure. She looked shy, nervous, but mostly… sweet. Ethan’s tie was loosened. He looked distracted as he kissed her on the eyelids. “I’ll have the driver take you home. I’ll call you tonight.” Only after Serena entered the elevator did Ethan deign to look at me. Neither of us spoke. The air felt solid, suffocating. After a long silence, I surrendered first. “I came to resign.” I handed him the envelope. Ethan frowned, his eyes cold. “Harper, stop playing these hard-to-get games. Even if you aren’t Dad’s biological daughter, I still treat you as a sister.” Under his scrutiny, I kept my expression flat. I didn’t look away. “Think whatever you want. I quit.” “Stop being a brat. I won’t approve your resignation.” I laughed softly, my eyes full of irony. “I thought you’d be eager for me to get lost, so I wouldn’t ruin your engagement.” Ethan scoffed. “You aren’t important enough to influence my decisions.” I nodded, expressionless. “Then please, Mr. Sterling, be generous and let me go.” We were once the closest two people in the world. Now, we stood on opposite sides, every word a thorn. Ethan stared at me in silence for a long time before finally signing the letter. “As you wish.” We were siblings by bond, raised together. But now, we treated each other worse than strangers. Chapter 2 Night fell. Outside, a hurricane battered the windows, making terrifying noises. A crack of thunder, and the villa plunged into darkness. I curled up in the corner of my bed, fear clinging to me like a shadow. Forgetting everything else, I tremblingly dialed Ethan. My voice was thick with tears. “Ethan, I’m scared. The power is out.” Ethan’s voice was cold and impatient. “Enough, Harper. I told you, that night was just an accident.” “Even if you use the same excuse to shamelessly seduce me again, I won’t indulge your tantrums anymore.” The light in my eyes dimmed. I couldn’t believe he thought of me that way. Before I could explain, he hung up. When I called back, it went straight to voicemail. Then, a text came from Serena: [You aren’t a Hayes anymore. Know your place. Stop guilt-tripping Ethan.] She sent a photo. It was Ethan, standing in front of a floor-to-ceiling window, wearing a bathrobe. His back was broad and straight. It was the apartment Ethan had said he would never bring another woman to. My heart sank violently, falling into an endless ice cavern. Tears fell silently. The tenderness and trust of the past were gone. When I was five, a ten-year-old Ethan was brought to the Hayes estate by my parents. Later, my mother died in a car accident. My father, unable to bear the memories, lived abroad for most of the year. From the time I could remember, my world consisted only of the nanny and Ethan. Growing up together, time wove countless warm memories into our lives. The way he used to look at me was always full of gentleness and indulgence. When I smiled, the corners of his mouth would lift unconsciously. He used to say my happiness was his whole world. When I acted out, he would watch quietly, his eyes full of tolerance. When I was wronged, he would protect me at all costs. Any whimsical wish I had, he would move mountains to fulfill. Other heirs from wealthy families started dating or arranging marriages at his age. But he always said, “I can’t bear to leave Harper alone at home. I’ll wait until she gets a boyfriend.” First love bloomed. I had never seen a man better than Ethan. My feelings for him had long surpassed those of a sister. Sadly, all that beauty came to a screeching halt on that rainy night. If I hadn’t been so bold, taking advantage of his drunkenness for a night of indulgence… When I woke up the next day, I couldn’t suppress my joy. I traced the outline of his face, my eyes full of attachment. The madness and blur of the previous night were still vivid. His brows, his eyes, his lips—everything made my heart race. Fighting my shyness, I confessed. But in Ethan’s eyes, I saw panic and regret. He frowned. “Enough, Harper. You are just my sister. I am good to you because your last name is Hayes. The Hayes family saved me.” The very next day, he started dating frequently, stepping onto the path of an arranged marriage. I watched him bring home woman after woman. Some glamorous, some elegant. I didn’t believe he was heartless. I thought he cared too much about societal judgment, afraid of disappointing Dad. I thought he wanted me to give up, to bury my feelings. I even thought he was suffering alone for the sake of responsibility. Until he met Serena Vance. Only then did I realize that the looks I thought were filled with deep affection were just my own delusions. Chapter 3 After he started appearing everywhere with Serena, I refused to give up. I asked him why it couldn’t be me. He looked at me with a mockery and disdain I had never seen before, his tone icy. “Harper Hayes, people like you… you think you can get whatever you want so easily.” “In this world, not everyone has to revolve around you.” My world collapsed in that moment. The cold words from the person I loved pierced my defenseless heart like bullets. He was the one who promised me a lifetime of peace countless times. He said that with him, I could do whatever I wanted, that he wouldn’t let anyone hurt me. But in the end, he was the one who hurt me the deepest. He warned me coldly, “Harper, pretend that night never happened. I am your brother, nothing more.” Yet, after saying those words, when I was struggling with a major project at the company and being blocked by senior executives due to my lack of experience… Ethan secretly assembled an elite team to strategize for my nearly failing project, providing resources and support. He specifically demanded that no one tell me about his involvement. When I accidentally found out, I rushed to his office to confront him. If he rejected me, why work silently behind my back? Why protect my dreams? But Ethan said coldly, “Harper, you are a Hayes. I’ve been in this family for eighteen years. I won’t allow anyone to walk all over a Hayes. I did it for the family, not for you.” “As for why I hid it? I just didn’t want you to get the wrong idea again.” In that moment, I understood. It was all my own wishful thinking. He was good to me simply because I carried the name Hayes. To repay my parents’ kindness, he obeyed my every whim. I mistook it for love and shamelessly fell for him. I wondered if, deep down, he felt that sharing such a “secret” with me was disgusting and shameful. He pointed indifferently at the door. “Get out. Don’t come into my office without official business.” I looked at the sofa where my dedicated nap pillow still lay, then at the cold, completely unfamiliar man in front of me. My fantasies and expectations shattered completely. I opened my mouth, but nothing came out. I turned around, dazed, and walked out on shaky legs. In my panic, I bumped into his secretary. The invitations in her arms scattered all over the floor. I bent down to pick them up. When the familiar gold lettering caught my eye, my heart skipped a beat. I stared at every word on the invitation. Every stroke seemed to mock my unrequited love. Tears finally broke free, falling onto the card, blurring Ethan’s name. So, he and Serena were already getting engaged… He cared for me out of duty. I was just a passerby in his life. Now that he was about to walk down the aisle with someone else, my existence was a burden. A stain. From this moment on, for the sake of the Hayes family’s dignity, I had to accept reality and let go of this impossible love. Just as I was preparing to pack up my feelings and go back to being Ethan’s obedient sister, a paternity test stripped me of my identity. My father, while abroad, met a female student who looked exactly like my mother did when she was young. Coincidentally, she was born on the same day as me. I don’t look like my parents. But it was just a lack of resemblance; no one had ever suspected that a dramatic “switched at birth” scenario could happen to us. But Dad secretly did a DNA test. The results were a blow to the head. The parents I had called Mom and Dad for over twenty years weren’t mine. My biological parents were a couple of scholars I had never met. My real last name should be Yeager. The true Hayes daughter was someone else. The person Ethan owed his gratitude to was someone else. The moment I realized this, I suddenly felt a sense of relief. Everything with Ethan, even our meeting, was based on a mistake. I decided to swap our lives back. I made up my mind to leave this city and never see Ethan again. Chapter 4 The Yeagers—my biological parents—had arranged everything for me in San Francisco. The real Hayes heiress would return to the family after finishing her studies abroad. As an executive at Hayes Corp, I had to stay for a month after my resignation was approved to hand over my work. Ethan didn’t come home. I knew he was staying at the penthouse apartment Dad gave him for graduation. The view from the floor-to-ceiling windows there was beautiful, overlooking the entire city at night. When he renovated it, he kept a bedroom and walk-in closet just for me, promising he wouldn’t bring anyone else up there. Back then, at eighteen, I naively thought that one day I would move into the master bedroom. But now, it welcomed its real mistress. Ethan didn’t know I was leaving the family. He thought my resignation was just a tactic to force him to change his mind. Dad wanted to transfer me to the Hayes branch in San Francisco and promised that I would always have a share of his inheritance. I refused. I contacted Liam, a senior from my university days who was doing well in San Francisco, and asked him to recommend me for a job. Liam took advantage of a business trip to New York to meet me. Talking about our field, we hit it off. The atmosphere was harmonious. Liam joked that with my experience as a Hayes executive, I could get a job anywhere. Amidst our laughter, my gaze inadvertently swept toward the restaurant entrance, and I froze. It was Ethan. Serena stood beside him, her makeup exquisite, clinging affectionately to his arm. Ethan saw me at the same time. His face darkened instantly. He shook off Serena and stormed over to me. “What are you doing here?” When he saw clearly that the person sitting opposite me was Liam, his face got even uglier. Serena, not understanding the tension, smiled and took Ethan’s arm again. “Harper is on a date too? What a coincidence. Is this your boyfriend?” Her smile was gentle, but her eyes were full of hostility. Liam looked slightly awkward but braced himself to greet Ethan politely. I remembered then—Liam had pursued me in college. Ethan had warned him with righteous indignation: “Don’t harass my sister! I have to personally approve her future boyfriend, and you aren’t even close!” Before I could speak, Ethan yanked me up, his eyes full of aggression. “Harper Hayes! Is this all you’ve got? Finding this kind of second-rate guy just to provoke me?” My eyes reddened with anger. I wanted to say, Insult me all you want, but show some respect to my friend. But meeting his cold, disdainful gaze, I suddenly couldn’t say a word. No matter how I explained, I would only look more pathetic in his eyes. Why humiliate myself? Liam didn’t take the bait. He explained gently, “You misunderstand. I’m just meeting Harper to talk about work.” “Work?” Ethan scoffed coldly. “Let me remind you, you are a director and executive at Hayes Corp. If you leave, there’s a non-compete clause. You can’t go to a competitor anytime soon. I won’t make an exception for you on this.” I gritted my teeth, unwilling to tangle with him further. I nodded expressionlessly. “Understood.” Ethan paused, frowning as if he wanted to say more. But Serena laughed charmingly, shook his arm, and whined. “Come on, Ethan, I’m starving. Harper is a grown woman, it’s normal to have a boyfriend. Let’s not disturb their date.” She looked like a caring sister-in-law, but the chill in her eyes was impossible to ignore. Hearing she was hungry, Ethan let it go and led her into their reserved private room.

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I always thought Liam hated my guts. That’s why, when I was dragged into a dead-end alley by a gang of thugs, I didn’t even call him for help. I was sent to the hospital covered in bruises and blood. The doctor asked me sympathetically if I had any last words for my family. “Tell Liam Sterling I’m dying, and I won’t bother him anymore.” Three years into our marriage, Liam had asked for a divorce 99 times. He even drugged me and sent me to another man’s bed just to get rid of me. My death would finally set him free. But I never expected what happened next. At my funeral, Liam, eyes bloodshot, decapitated those thugs to bury with me. His hands stained with blood, he threw away his cancer diagnosis with trembling fingers. Then, he swallowed a whole bottle of sleeping pills and lay quietly in my coffin. “Cece, I’m coming with you.” When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day Liam asked for a divorce for the 99th time. He looked down, tossing the divorce papers at me. “My new girl is pregnant. She’s demanding a title. Don’t be a dog in the manger. Just sign it.” I tore the papers to shreds without hesitation. Red-eyed, I hugged him tight. “Bullshit! You didn’t tell me you were sick. Do you think dying alone in silence makes you cool?” … Liam was stunned, looking up at me. A flicker of light appeared in his beautiful eyes, then quickly faded. He lit a cigarette, sitting lazily on the sofa, sneering. “Cece, you’ve been watching too many soap operas, haven’t you?” His smile was indifferent as he deliberately blew a smoke ring into my face. “I got bored of you a long time ago.” “Our relationship is dead. Let’s part on good terms and make room for my new love.” The strong smell of smoke assaulted my nose. It made me want to cough. I had to admit, Liam knew me well. He knew I hated the smell of smoke, so he deliberately used it to provoke me when asking for a divorce. I printed out the digital copy of his cancer diagnosis. Red-eyed, I threw it at him. “Then tell me, what is this?” His gaze slowly fell on the paper, his expression blank, devoid of emotion. After a long while, he scoffed. He tore it into pieces. “Where did you forge this fake medical report? Late-stage cancer? Cece, if you don’t want a divorce, just say so. Why curse me?” He threw his hand up, and the paper scraps fell like snow. Liam was done. “If you tore up the divorce agreement, there are more. When you figure it out, print one and sign it yourself.” “My girl is waiting for our date. I don’t have time for you.” With a lazy expression, he got up to leave. I hesitated for two seconds, then chased after him. “Liam Sterling, don’t think you can get rid of me.” “You want a divorce? I won’t sign. Let’s see what you can do about it.” I started playing the rogue. Liam paused, leaving two cold words: “Suit yourself.” So, I started my shameless stalking mode. When Liam went to a company meeting, I waited at the office entrance. When he drove to date his new love, I took a taxi to tail him. “Driver, can you go faster? Follow that car in front.” The driver glanced at me in the rearview mirror. “Miss, that young couple looks so in love. Why are you stalking them?” I gritted my teeth. “That man is my husband.” The driver immediately looked sympathetic, straightened up, and patted his chest. “Don’t worry. I guarantee we won’t lose them.” They stopped at the entrance of a shopping mall. 2 Liam got out first, went around, and opened the passenger door. A young girl threw herself into his arms. Talking and laughing, they walked into the mall arm in arm. I bit my lip. Even knowing he was acting, my heart still stung. I remembered in my past life, Liam provoked me like this too. To rush me into agreeing to the divorce. He even brought the girl to our marital bed, stripped naked, and cuddled with her to show off their love to me. That was when my heart completely died. I signed the divorce papers, ready to move out and find a place, but I was dragged into a dead-end alley by a group of thugs. They humiliated me, treating me roughly like a toy. Severe pain shot through me as they tore out half my hair. My teeth felt like they were knocked out because they smashed my head with a brick from the roadside. Dizzy and dazed, I remembered the year our love was purest. Liam held me gently and set his number as the emergency contact on my phone. “Cece, if you’re in danger, call me first. I’ll always be there.” I struggled to find Liam’s number, but hesitated the moment I was about to dial. I remembered his disgusted look. Maybe he was flirting with his new love and didn’t want to be disturbed by me. Later, even when I was bruised all over, sent to the hospital, and critically ill, I still didn’t contact Liam. It became our eternal farewell. Now, across an intersection, Liam had his arm around the girl’s waist, chuckling in her ear, saying something. He glanced in my direction occasionally. I steeled my heart, got out of the car, and rushed toward them. Sensing my blatant stare, Liam and the girl paused, looking back at me strangely. “Babe, didn’t you say you’d divorce that old hag at home soon? Why is she chasing us again?” Liam’s gaze slowly fell on me, frowning, but he said nothing. He seemed to be waiting for an explanation from me. I smiled and shrugged. “Don’t mind me. Carry on.” I remembered Liam’s new love. Her name was Ivy. She looked innocent and cute, completely different from a shrew like me. Since six months ago, when Liam started frequently asking for a divorce, he was with Ivy every time he stayed out all night. Seeing me sticking to them like a band-aid. Ivy felt uncomfortable, frequently looking back at me. She hugged Liam’s arm and whined. “Babe, is your wife crazy?” “Why does she keep following us? Is she sick?” Liam finally couldn’t take it anymore, turning back to stare at me coldly. “Cece, you’re scaring my girl.” He shielded her behind him, afraid I would hurt her. But six years ago. He shielded me just like this, regardless of everything. He watched the stars with me, went to the desert with me, and saved the last sip of water for me when we were dying of thirst. Even when I was entangled with my ex-boyfriend and betrayed him many times. He still loved me. In my past life, I couldn’t understand. Could such a devoted person suddenly change his heart? So I went crazy, aiming my jealous gaze at that young, beautiful girl, Ivy. Jealousy makes people mad. It blinded me to Liam’s intentions. But now I knew the whole story. I crossed my arms, admiring Liam’s acting, and suddenly laughed. “Liam, your acting is still a bit lacking. Trying to fool me is actually kind of hard.” 3 Liam withdrew his gaze, saying nothing. He lowered his head and kissed Ivy on the lips. The girl blushed instantly, looking up at him shyly, her eyes full of joy. I froze in place, my face pale. Liam looked at me with a calculating gaze, naturally putting his arm around the girl’s waist. “Do you still think I’m acting now?” He even pulled up a hotel reservation on his phone and shoved it in my face. “Look clearly. I really fell in love with someone else. I changed.” “Cece, stop thinking I’m putting on a show for you. It makes you look narcissistic.” Seeing my silence, Liam invited me with a half-smile. “We’re getting a room tonight. If you’re interested, want to come watch?” Red-eyed with anger, I ran away on the spot. Seeing me storm into a taxi and disappear completely from the street. Liam withdrew his gaze, expressionlessly letting go of Ivy. “I’ll have the driver take you back.” Ivy’s rosy face turned pale instantly. She bit her lip hard, timidly tugging at Liam’s cuff. “Didn’t you promise to go shopping with me? And tonight we were going to…” Seeing Liam’s cold face, the girl’s voice grew smaller and smaller. “Miss Ivy, she’s gone. No need to act anymore.” “I’ll settle today’s fee as planned. Go shopping by yourself.” Hiding around the corner, I saw this scene and smirked. Liam didn’t know I was this smart. I pretended to get into the taxi, went a bit down the road, and had the driver turn back. I wanted to see with my own eyes how they would wrap this up. I thought they were really going to get a room, film a video, or even livestream it for me. Turns out Liam only had these few tricks. When Liam turned to leave, his face was a bit pale. His hand clutched his abdomen, making my face change drastically. No wonder he looked like he was holding on just now. Was the illness acting up? However, Ivy knew none of this. Still immersed in sadness, she turned alone to walk into the mall. “Ivy.” I called out to her. “Why is it you again?” The girl looked back in surprise. “How do you know my name?” I held my head high, smiling as I handed her the documents from the private investigator. “I know everything. Liam is sick, late-stage cancer. He didn’t want to drag me down, so he hired you to act and force me into a divorce.” Guilt surfaced on Ivy’s face. She stammered, “You’re lying! Liam and I are real. Otherwise, how would I be pregnant with his child?” She placed her hand gently on her swollen belly. There was clearly a little life in there. My smile deepened. “That child is your boyfriend’s, right? Definitely not Liam’s.” “Because he has never touched you.” The girl’s face turned as pale as paper. “How… how do you know all this?” In my past life, that girl came to find me, crying and saying Liam coughed up blood, asking me to go see him. She said the person Liam loved had always been me. Immersed in the anger and jealousy of betrayal, I thought she was taunting me. My gaze fell on her belly, my tone sharp. “If he really liked me, how could he get you pregnant?” “He hates my guts, right?” “I’ll agree to divorce him. You two dogs deserve each other.” Later I learned, that was the worst time Liam coughed up blood. He dyed the whole bathtub red. 4 He was sent to the hospital by his assistant. The assistant cried his eyes out, saying he wanted to call me. But he was stopped by Liam’s weak hand. “Don’t… don’t disturb her.” “She should forget me and have a new life.” In my past life, I didn’t know until after I died that Liam never betrayed me. He hid his love very, very deep. Even forcing me to divorce him before his death, he was doing everything he could to pave the way for my future. He was so good. How could I fail him? I took out a bank card and handed it to Ivy. “If I’m not wrong, you took this job because you needed money.” “Ivy, whatever Liam pays you, I’ll give you double. Only one condition—” “Next time Liam calls you, refuse him.” No one hates money. Ivy hesitated, took the bank card, and agreed. As I was leaving, she called out to me. “Cece, Liam really loves you. You’re very lucky.” “I also think, even if he only has a few months left, you should be together properly, spending every precious minute and second.” I smiled at her and turned to leave. Having handled all this, I took a taxi home, wanting to clarify things with Liam. I wasn’t afraid of him being a burden at all. I loved him. Even if only one day of life remained, I wanted to be with him. But I searched every room in the villa and didn’t see Liam. I called his assistant, who said he didn’t know either. Liam didn’t let the driver follow him and went out alone. Panicked and scared, afraid he had an accident alone outside, I searched for him like a madwoman. I searched all his favorite places, but no one was there. Until I went to the place we first met. Liam was indeed there. He was leaning alone under the big locust tree by the river, staring blankly, smoking. His eyes were pale, occasionally showing pain, his other hand pressing hard against his abdomen. I knew, he must be hurting again. “Let’s go. To the hospital.” Holding back sobs, I reached out to pull him. Liam didn’t expect me to be there and froze for a moment. Just for a second, then he sneered and threw off my hand. “Cece, aren’t you annoying?” “I told you, I hate you the most. Can you stop being so thick-skinned, always hanging around me?” I watched his mouth open and close. I didn’t hear a word. I only saw his lips were so pale they had no color at all. I lost control of my emotions and hugged him again. “Liam, didn’t you say? In sickness and in health, you want to be with me.” “Why, why are you pushing me away?”

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My flight was going down. In those final moments of despair, the flight attendants announced that signal service had been restored. I didn’t call my boyfriend, Ethan. Instead, I stared at the group chat. It was flooded with screenshots of Ethan begging Lily to change her flight. Ethan, usually so cold and composed, sounded desperate in his texts. [Lily, I can’t lose you. Please change your ticket. Please?] I watched their conversation tick past 999+ messages. I closed my eyes and dialed my best friend, Sarah. “Sarah, the plane is going down. I’ll watch over you from up there. Have a happy life.” I hung up amidst her agonizing screams. I transferred every cent in my bank account to her. The chocolate I’d bought for my marriage proposal to Ethan shattered in the roar of the explosion, turning to ash along with me. Ethan didn’t know. The seat he begged Lily to give up… she gave it to me. Chapter 1 My soul floated in mid-air, looking down at the scorched earth. The roar of the explosion still echoed in my ears. In the blink of an eye, I was transported to the arrivals hall where Ethan was picking up Lily. She threw herself into Ethan’s arms, tears streaming down her face. Her long lashes cast shadows on her cheeks, her voice soft and trembling. “Ethan, your premonition was real. Thank God I listened to you.” “Ethan, you almost lost me.” Her voice broke as she buried her face deeper into his chest. Ethan held her tight, his trembling hands soothing her back, celebrating his beloved’s survival. After a long while, she looked up from his embrace. “It’s such a pity I missed your birthday. I’ll make it up to you.” Ethan’s voice was choked with emotion. “It doesn’t matter. I’m lucky enough just to have you.” Lily’s fans were moved to tears, raising their phones to capture this “beautiful” moment. They were ecstatic that their goddess had returned safely. And they sighed in sympathy for the tragedy of the previous flight. Reporters, who had been waiting, rushed forward. “Miss Lily, we heard you changed your flight because of Mr. Sterling’s sixth sense. Can you tell us more?” She pulled away from Ethan’s embrace and looped her arm through his. “I was originally booked on the previous flight so I could celebrate Ethan’s birthday. But he insisted he had a nightmare, an omen, and begged me to change it.” “He sent over 999+ messages. Seeing him so worried, I decided better safe than sorry. I never expected this to happen. A moment of silence for the victims. May they rest in peace.” She bowed to the cameras. Then she showed a screenshot of Ethan’s messages. [Lily, I can’t lose you. Change the ticket, okay?] [Please, just listen to me.] The fan groups went wild online. “My goddess Lily is so kind. Thank fate for letting us keep her. RIP to the victims.” “So CEO Sterling is basically Lily’s savior? OMG, marry him! Marry him!” “The Universe is literally forcing them together. It would be a crime if they don’t date.” The reporter extended the microphone to Ethan. He usually hated speaking to the media, but this time, his answer was incredibly earnest. “I thank God, I thank my parents looking down from heaven, I thank my intuition, and I thank Lily for listening. This is the best birthday gift I’ve ever received.” A passerby walked past. “Who’s that? Oh, Ethan Sterling from Sterling Corp. But I thought his girlfriend was named Maya? Weird, maybe I remembered wrong.” No one pays attention to the voice of a passerby. Just like me—just a passerby on their road to romance. Perhaps due to my lingering obsession, my soul was tethered to Ethan’s side. When the crowd dispersed, his assistant walked up and asked quietly, “Mr. Sterling, do we still need to wait for Miss Maya?” His eyes froze for a second, as if he had just remembered me. Right. I was supposed to be on this flight too—the safe one. He checked his phone. No calls, no texts. A hint of anger surfaced on his calm face. Lily chimed in at the perfect moment. “Did my sister not mark herself safe? Oh, that’s so worrying.” Hearing this, Ethan put away the phone he was about to use to call me. “She’s always been immature. I’ve spoiled her too much. It’s time she learned a lesson. Let’s go.” He opened the car door for Lily, hand guarding her head, fixed her dress, and helped her in. Lily turned back with an apologetic face. “Ethan, is Maya upset because she saw you picking me up?” “Maybe I should call and apologize. I feel terrible making her misunderstand.” Ethan’s thin lips pressed into a line. After a moment, he spat out one word. “Fine.” Surprise flashed across Lily’s face, quickly replaced by hidden resentment. Listening to the airport news broadcast, she seemed to remember something and quickly dialed my number. Naturally, it didn’t connect. When she tried to redial, Ethan spoke coldly. “Forget it. She’s throwing a tantrum. It has nothing to do with you.” He ordered the driver to move. I looked for even a trace of worry on his face. But I found nothing. Chapter 2 It was expected. You get used to disappointment eventually. Just like he got used to “teaching me lessons.” He never understood that pain always hurts, no matter how many times you feel it. Ethan had forgotten that to teach me a lesson, he had already blocked my number. That’s why I couldn’t get through to him on the plane. Being with him meant constant “lessons.” If I delayed him buying a gift for Lily, I needed a lesson. If I made him late for Lily’s show, I needed a lesson. If I didn’t like him going to care for a sick Lily in the middle of the night, I needed a lesson. If I stopped Lily from cutting a rose from my Valentine’s bouquet, I needed a lesson. If I refused to give my cat to Lily, I needed a lesson. Teachers used to say if you learn your lesson, you get a reward. But they never said how many lessons it takes to be “good.” My reward never came. Now, death was my final lesson. Ethan took Lily back to his villa. There was a permanent room for Lily there. Lily was the Sterling family’s foster daughter. Later, she found her biological mother—my stepmother. Lily left the Sterling family without hesitation and became my father’s stepdaughter. All because her feelings for her “brother” Ethan weren’t just sisterly. But Ethan didn’t see it that way. He thought she left to repay her birth mother, while still honoring her foster parents and loving her brother. To him, she was loyal and grateful. Plus, since we were now step-sisters, we should get along. I met Ethan in college. I once asked him, if he had feelings for Lily, we should break up. I didn’t want to be the villain. He didn’t even hesitate. He told me it was purely sibling affection. Lily was just a bit clingy because she was spoiled. His eyes were so certain. Even now, as Lily walked out of the shower in a sheer, ultra-short silk nightgown, braless, carrying a glass of warm milk into his study, he didn’t suspect this “sibling” bond had rotted. Before Lily could speak, the doorbell rang. It was Ethan’s childhood friend, Caleb. He started teasing immediately. “Look at you, the Great Prophet.” “We should market this. You’d go viral.” “Telepathy between lovers, snatching your girl from the Grim Reaper. So romantic.” Ethan frowned, his dark eyes disapproving. “Stop talking nonsense. I just had the same nightmare I had when my parents died. I thought of Lily. It’s not that deep.” He emphasized, “Besides, my conscience is clear. We are just siblings.” Caleb looked at him like he was an idiot. “Bro, that’s the excuse you use to trick Maya. Don’t try to gaslight your best friend.” The air went silent. Caleb straightened up, looking incredulous. “You… you gaslighted yourself?” He grabbed Ethan’s left hand, revealing his wrist. A glittery hair tie was wrapped around it. “You’re wearing Lily’s hair tie and telling me you’re just siblings?!” Ethan denied it instantly. “This is Maya’s.” Caleb sighed. He tried to find the Instagram Story Lily had posted. I knew the one. It was the day of my girls’ night out. Spouses were invited. Ethan bailed on me because Lily had a performance, and as her “brother,” he had to be there. That night, Lily posted a photo of Ethan’s hand wearing that hair tie. Caption: [Thanks for satisfying my possessiveness.] She deleted it quickly. I knew she posted it just for me to see. Chapter 3 Caleb couldn’t find the post, but he said firmly, “If you don’t believe me, ask Lily.” Ethan was unwavering. “There must be a misunderstanding. Lily and I are family.” Caleb patted his shoulder, looking disappointed. “You are hopeless. If Maya doesn’t leave you, it’s because you saved the world in a past life.” Hearing “leave,” Ethan looked like he heard something terrifying. “Impossible.” Caleb shook his head, took Ethan’s phone, and found a fan-edit of the airport reunion. “Bro, watch this. If you still want to be with Maya, figure out how to explain this.” He scrolled through comments like “Marry immediately” and “Destiny.” His face darkened. See? I wasn’t the only one who thought they crossed the line. Ethan sounded confident, but after Caleb left, he was restless. He unlocked a sandalwood box and took out a carefully wrapped package. I was curious. When he opened it, it was a ceramic cup I had given him. Wait. It wasn’t the cup I gave him. The box was mine—it had my handwriting—but the cup inside was different. I gave him an ice-crackle glaze cup. This one had gold wire inlay. Ethan held the cup carefully, wiping it with a soft cloth. I saw a jade earring in his treasure box too. It looked like the one I lost. He locked everything back up. His emotions settled. He stood there for a moment, then walked toward my room. It was a guest room, but since I stayed over occasionally, it was practically mine. Someone was inside. Lily. Seeing Ethan enter, she explained nervously, “My room hasn’t been cleaned in ages, so I wanted to use Maya’s room for a bit.” But I saw she had thrown away everything that belonged to me. There was no trace of me left. Ethan noticed nothing. He paused, seemingly displeased, but his tone remained gentle. “Don’t take the internet comments seriously. Mom and Dad are gone; I don’t want to lose any more family.” Lily’s eyes turned red. “Ethan, I understand. I’ll stay by your side forever.” Ethan found nothing wrong with this. He closed the door for her. He missed the look of desperate obsession in Lily’s eyes. I followed Ethan back to his room. I didn’t want to sleep in his bed, so I curled up on the chaise lounge. I drifted into a dream. It was the Summer Carnival. Lily snatched the prize I won—a lantern—and ran toward Ethan. I stood under a pear tree, watching them drift further and further away. “Don’t go.” I woke up to Ethan talking in his sleep. He woke up too, wiping cold sweat from his forehead. He checked his phone, then went to the study to work. He was always like this. Stubborn. Never soft. I thought maliciously: What will you do when you remember you blocked me? When you realize I died on your birthday? But it didn’t matter anymore. I was too lazy to move. I realized I could drift further from him now. I turned over and went back to sleep. When I woke up again, Ethan’s phone was ringing. He put it on speaker. It was his assistant. “Mr. Sterling…” The assistant sounded cautious. Ethan was impatient. “Speak.” “Sir, there’s a life insurance policy for Miss Maya waiting for your confirmation regarding the flight accident.” His body swayed, but he steadied himself quickly. “Check again. It must be a mistake. Lily changed her flight, maybe the insurance didn’t update. It’s an error.” “But, Miss Maya…” Ethan cut him off. “Don’t bother me with these trivial errors. I pay you a high salary to handle details, not to waste my time.” “By the way, make sure Lily’s dance troupe gets set up properly.” The assistant mumbled an agreement and hung up. “Sorry to disturb you, Mr. Sterling. I’ll have someone else handle it.” I understood. My death was just a “trivial error.” Chapter 4 Watching Ethan’s trembling hand, maybe he wasn’t completely oblivious. I was starting to look forward to the moment he learned the truth. Lily appeared, interrupting the silence. “Ethan, are you worried about Maya? Don’t worry, she’s probably with Sarah.” She showed him her phone. It was Sarah’s Instagram story: a drawing of two cartoon figures hugging. Caption: [Taking you home.] We always sent that image to each other when we were sad. My eyes burned. Sarah must be heartbroken. On the plane, I recorded a digital will. I left everything to her. I only trusted her. I knew she would pick a resting place far away from these people. I’m sorry, Sarah. I can’t grow old with you. Ethan looked at the screen and visibly relaxed. Then he remembered something. He pulled the hair tie out of his pocket. “Lily, is this yours or Maya’s?” Lily looked unnatural for a split second. “Oh, I forgot. Maybe Maya left it in my room.” Ethan looked thoughtful and put the tie in a drawer. Lily bit her lip. “Ethan, can you come to the dance studio with me today?” “I already told my assistant. He’ll arrange everything,” Ethan said while tying his tie. Lily’s eyes filled with tears. “I just thought… if Mom and Dad knew I had my own troupe, they’d be so happy.” Ethan fell silent. His voice softened. “I’ll come by later.” Lily smiled. He couldn’t get his tie right, so he ripped it off. “Ethan, let me help.” She took the tie in her hands. Ethan stared at her hands, zoning out. I remembered once, I helped him with his tie. The silk wrapped around my wrist, and he lost control. He didn’t leave the house all day, almost missing a major negotiation. Afterward, he told me, “Maya, don’t come over for a while. You’re a distraction. I need to clear my head.” I held back my tears. During his “cooling off” period, Lily posted photos of him watching car races with her. Caption: [My brother taking a break for me.] [Relaxing with you, not stealing your heart.] Whether Ethan loved me or not, Lily was always a thorn waiting to prick me. “No need.” Ethan snapped back to reality. He pulled the tie from Lily’s hands and closed the closet door. Lily stood frozen. I heard her whisper, “Maya, you’re dead. He’s mine sooner or later.” I answered her, Take him. I don’t want him anymore. Ethan burst out of the closet. “Maya!” I stared at him in horror, covering my mouth. Can… can he hear me? That’s scary. He didn’t find me. His expression fell. Finally, he took out his phone. He realized I was still on his block list. He seemed relieved, probably finding an excuse for my silence. He unblocked me and called. Silence. Naturally. My SIM card had turned to ash along with me. He tried three times, then called Sarah. Sarah sounded nasally. She must have been crying for days. “What?” Unused to Sarah’s coldness, Ethan frowned. “Put Maya on.” “Rude. Maya doesn’t want to see you.”

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I am an assassin. My target this time is the genius hacker known as “Keyboard.” The mission dragged on with zero leads, so I went to a bar to drown my sorrows. One thing led to another, and I accidentally slept with a repressed, buttoned-up nerd. I planned to ghost him immediately, but Ethan Clarke stuck to me like gum on a shoe. I tracked the IP address all the way to Keyboard’s hideout. The man I’d been sleeping next to every night was sitting in front of the computer, his expression calm behind his black-rimmed glasses: “So, the person you want to kill… is me?” Chapter 1 I woke up feeling like I’d been hit by a truck. Looking at the young man sleeping stiffly beside me, I felt a bolt of lightning hit my brain. He… he looked way too young! No wonder he was so clumsy last night… it was his first time. I shivered, trembling as I reached for his folded coat to check his wallet. The moment I saw the ID, I let out a long breath. Ethan Clarke. Nineteen. Thank God he’s legal. He must have Asian genes; no wonder he doesn’t crack. I have a colleague in the Organization like that—you can never tell her age. Speak of the devil, my comms device suddenly vibrated. I grabbed my scattered clothes while putting in my earpiece and walking out. Vesper’s calm voice came through the line: “Lilith, Alta Finance’s trading system was breached by Keyboard again. We tracked the intruder’s IP.” “It’s the Main Computer Science Building at Leyton Tech.” I groaned. “Can you guys be faster next time? Do you know how long I’ve been stuck here?” “This is the result of five people working non-stop,” Vesper said flatly. She continued, “The attack was routed through an internal research account… We suspect Keyboard is highly likely a professor at Leyton Tech.” “Got it. I’ll figure it out.” I sighed, unable to stop myself from complaining. “You don’t know how unlucky I was last night. These Ivy League types… you really can’t judge a book by its cover…” Chapter 2 My name is Lilith. I’m a member of the international assassin organization “X.” Unlike my colleague who uses the codename “Vesper,” I only have the name Lilith. Abandoned at birth, the Organization raised me and molded me into a qualified killer. Not long ago, I took a contract worth five million dollars. The target: A hacker named Keyboard. Keyboard is infamous on the dark web. He single-handedly breached the intranet of Trans-Pacific Bank, leaking the secret accounts of dozens of politicians. Rumor has it that incident implicated diplomats from three countries, causing the Finance Minister of a certain island nation to “resign due to illness” and vanish. This time, the high bounty was posted because the client claimed Keyboard hacked Alta Finance’s main server. The client alleged Keyboard altered accounts and walked away with tens of millions. I’ve been on the East Coast for a whole week trying to find him! I even took a side job and zeroed a drug smuggler just to pass the time. But days passed, and intel on Keyboard? Jack squat. The Organization was useless, and the client was playing dead. Last night, my mood hit rock bottom. I walked into a dive bar to drink. Who knew I’d end up in bed with some random nerd? The kid looked like a straight-A student, but once the clothes came off… let’s just say he was built. The terrifying part? He was a virgin. All equipment, no technique. Thinking about last night still gives me shivers. The last time I was this exhausted, I spent three nights fighting mercenaries in the Amazon. Thinking of Ethan’s sleeping face before I left, I felt even more annoyed. Once Keyboard is dead, I am never coming back to the East Coast! Chapter 3 Wearing a white sundress, I walked into the computer lab at Leyton Tech, trying my best to blend in as a normal college student. In my backpack, alongside a textbook, was my trusty P226. On the podium stood a spirited old man, Professor Breen. He was the Vice Dean of Computer Science and the Organization’s prime suspect. I planned to observe him closely, but the lecture sounded like alien language to me. As I listened, my head started to droop… “You there—yes, you in the white dress. Explain the applicability of Dijkstra’s algorithm in graphs with negative weights.” I jolted upright to see Breen frowning at me. Dijk… what? I couldn’t even spell that. Panic rising, I frantically tapped the thigh of the guy sitting next to me under the table. Suddenly, my hand was grabbed. I turned my head and realized the person holding my hand was… him! The kid with the terrible technique! Damn it, he’s a student at Leyton Tech? He quickly scribbled something on a notepad and slid it in front of me. I stammered as I read it: “Uh… Dijkstra is not applicable for graphs containing negative weight edges…” “Fine. Stop reading.” Breen rolled his eyes, deciding to let me off. The old man raised an eyebrow at Ethan. “Ethan, is this your girlfriend? Unexpected. I thought you were—” “Yes.” “No!” We spoke at the same time. Whispers broke out across the classroom. Breen shrugged, addressing the class. “Let me teach you a pickup line. You can tell your future partner: My love for you is like Dijkstra in graph theory—globally optimal…” Chapter 4 After class, I tried to bolt, but Ethan grabbed my wrist. I had a hundred ways to drop him, but I’d probably be arrested for assaulting a student. I forced a smile. “Sorry, classmate, I don’t know you. Can I help you?” Ethan frowned slightly. “Why did you leave without saying goodbye? Lilith.” Damn it. Alcohol really is the enemy. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Ethan pushed up his glasses, his tone still perfectly monotonous. “That night on Kendall Street, you suddenly hugged me—” “Enough!” I raised my voice, incredulous. “Do you expect me to take responsibility for you?” “Did studying rot your brain? Ask anyone here. It was a one-night stand. Who acts like this?” A girl with freckles next to us poked me. She whispered, “Ethan is a PhD candidate under Professor Breen and the TA for this class… do you want to fail?” I took a deep breath and clenched my fists. The dark-haired man in front of me rolled up the sleeves of his cardigan and naturally helped me pack my brand-new textbook. Ethan looked at me quietly. “Lilith, let’s talk in private.”

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After my parents’ divorce, my younger brother chose to live with Dad, who got all the assets. I was left with my destitute Mom. Who knew Dad would suddenly go bankrupt and end up in prison, while Mom started a company and made a fortune? Consumed by jealousy and hatred, my brother pushed me off a high-rise building, killing me instantly. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day of the divorce. This time, my brother grabbed Mom’s hand and declared, “I love Mommy the most. I want to live with her.” I cheered internally. Perfect. I never wanted to relive that hellish life anyway! Chapter 1 My parents slapped the divorce papers on the table. My brother, Tyler, immediately rushed over and hugged Mom’s arm. “I love Mommy the most. I want to live with her.” Dad frowned, looking at Tyler with concern. “Ty-Ty, listen to me. Mom doesn’t have any money. You won’t have a good life with her. Stay with me, let Excess go with your Mom.” Mom nodded. “Excess is tough. She can handle it. Let her come with me, and Ty-Ty can stay with his Dad.” “Excess” was their nickname for me. My real name is Emily, but to them, I was just the extra one. They had me when they were barely out of high school, way too young. They dumped me on my grandma in the countryside and didn’t take me back until I was eight. So, they had zero affection for me and didn’t care about my opinion. But since Tyler knew that Dad ended up in prison in our past life, there was no way he’d choose to suffer with him. Sure enough, he pressed his lips together and shook his head firmly. Dad wouldn’t give up. “Ty-Ty, listen to Dad. Dad has money. Dad can give you a good life. You’ll suffer with Mom.” But Tyler turned his head, clutching Mom’s arm with unusual determination. “No! Rich or poor, I want to be with Mommy. I love Mommy.” “Mommy’s good boy.” Mom looked touched. Dad sighed helplessly. “If you’ve made up your mind, Dad respects your decision. But if you have any problems, Ty-Ty, you tell Dad immediately.” Tyler nodded, hiding the excitement in his eyes. He glanced at me and gave a malicious smile. “Sister must be happy. You get to live the good life with Dad now!” I nodded blankly, but inside, I was popping champagne. Perfect. I never have to experience that living hell with Mom again. Tyler had no idea what dark secrets lay behind Mom’s “successful company.” That road wasn’t easy. I looked at Tyler with complicated eyes. “You made your choice. Don’t regret it.” “Hmph, how could I regret being with Mom? You just make sure you don’t come crying to me later!” With that, he held Mom’s hand and walked out without looking back. Watching their retreating figures, I couldn’t help but recall the misery of my past life. Mom didn’t know how to do chores and refused to work low-paying jobs. Living with her, I had to do all the housework and even collect cans at night to buy groceries for the next day. Less than a year into high school, Mom forced me to drop out because she couldn’t afford tuition. Later, I washed dishes and waited tables to save up for tuition myself, but Mom got addicted to gambling. We had to move constantly to hide from debt collectors… “Emily, I’m warning you. I’m living at your Auntie Evelyn’s house now. She’s a public figure. When we go in, lose that trashy look!” Dad’s impatient voice pulled me back to reality. Seeing the disgust in his eyes, I really wanted to ask: if you hate me so much, why did you have me? At home, I was like a little maid—insecure, sensitive, shrinking. Tyler was the treasured prince—lively and confident. Compared to him, of course I looked “trashy.” “Also, I’ve fired all the servants at your Auntie’s house. You’ll do all the chores. You like doing them anyway,” Dad said matter-of-factly. A trace of mockery flashed in my eyes. So Tyler is the young master who shouldn’t lift a finger, and I’m the born servant? Whatever. I never expected any love from them anyway. Soon, the car pulled into a mansion halfway up the hill within a gated community in Beverly Hills. Looking at the beautiful gardens along the way, I could barely blink. But seeing Dad’s fawning smile at the elegant woman at the door, I vaguely understood who really wore the pants in this house. Chapter 2 Auntie Evelyn turned out to be Evelyn Lawrence, the movie star I always saw on TV. Seeing a screen idol in person, I was nervous, but she showed unexpected kindness. As she led me inside, Auntie Evelyn patted my hand gently. “Don’t be nervous. This is your home now.” Seeing the sincerity in her eyes, my eyes felt hot. “Thank you.” Auntie Evelyn was truly a good person. She couldn’t have children due to an injury on set, so she sponsored many children in foster care. After I arrived, she didn’t make me do any chores. She gave me a large, sunny room and bought me lots of comfortable new clothes. Knowing I went to the worst public school, she transferred me to a prestigious private girls’ high school. The facilities and environment were superior, and the students were much more refined. I was overwhelmed with gratitude and swore to study hard so I wouldn’t let Auntie Evelyn down. I studied desperately at school and burned the midnight oil at home. My only entertainment was mimicking Auntie Evelyn’s acting. “A chicken can’t become a phoenix. You’re not as smart as Tyler. Why bother? Just drop out and get married. You’ll be even more worthless when you’re older.” Dad always mocked my efforts. I ignored him and charged forward blindly. Finally, after a semester of hard work, my name appeared on the top of the Honor Roll. I even won a city-wide award for a drama performance. When my homeroom teacher called to invite Dad to share his parenting tips, his jaw nearly hit the floor. Actually, I always had good grades when I was little, always top three. But after I was brought back at eight, my parents forced me to do all the chores. Cooking, dishes, laundry until midnight—how could I study? But now it was different. Auntie Evelyn’s support was my backbone! As I brought home more awards, Dad’s gaze softened. Once, Auntie Evelyn came to a parent-teacher conference, causing a sensation. Her industry friends and reporters praised me, saying I was as driven as she was in her youth, and that I had a bright future. Auntie Evelyn smiled and accepted it all. “The child is excellent on her own. I did very little.” Influenced by Auntie Evelyn, I took the art exams in my senior year and secured the top score in the city. Auntie Evelyn suggested I apply to the film academy in LA, saying she had connections. But Dad furiously vetoed it. “Film school costs a fortune! Does a village girl deserve that? No!” I knew Dad refused because he always looked down on me. And because Tyler’s grades were terrible now, he didn’t want me to outshine him too much. Chapter 3 Seeing my biological father’s firm opposition, Auntie Evelyn had to give up. She patted my head. “Academic route is fine too. Emily wants to study law, right? Stanford has one of the best law schools.” She had realized that Dad didn’t care about me, his daughter. He even held a strange malice toward me. But she was a dignified woman. Plus, Dad had saved her from a falling prop on set once. She treated Dad as her savior and rarely refused him. That’s why in my past life, she funded Dad’s company, making me think he was rich. As for Mom, Dad had been dissatisfied with her since meeting Auntie Evelyn. Mom was lazy and playful, so he encouraged her gambling addiction, then used it as grounds for divorce. I looked at the concerned Auntie Evelyn and thought it was okay. Film school would have been great with her resources, but it might take me away. I couldn’t bear to leave Auntie Evelyn. And I kept thinking about how she and Dad went bankrupt and to jail in my past life. Studying law might help. So the film school idea was dropped, and I focused on my academics. I knew Mom was lazy. Tyler wouldn’t last long with her. But I didn’t expect him to come back so soon, and in such a despicable way. One afternoon, Auntie Evelyn and I returned from lunch to find Tyler curled up at the gate, covered in bruises. Seeing us, he knelt and cried, tears streaming down his face. He said Mom had no money, they lived in the slums, and he got bullied by thugs on his way home from school. “Dad, please save me! If you don’t take me in, I’m dead.” “You’re Auntie Evelyn, right? Please have mercy. They said they’d kill me tonight. I can’t go back.” Dad was heartbroken. He helped him up, calling him “My precious Ty-Ty,” promising to call the police. Tyler hurriedly explained it was too dark to see their faces, begging Dad to just let him stay for a while. Auntie Evelyn frowned silently. I knew she saw through Tyler’s lies. She was an Oscar winner. Tyler’s acting and fake bruises were a joke to her. But Dad was adamant about keeping him, his tone leaving no room for argument. She reluctantly agreed. The night Tyler moved in, Dad stormed into my room, took all the electronics and expensive gifts Auntie Evelyn gave me, and gave them to Tyler. “Ty-Ty, that waste of space Emily doesn’t deserve these. They’re yours now.” He transferred Tyler to my private school and hired tutors for him. But I knew Tyler was swindling money from teachers and classmates. Living with Mom, he had learned to gamble, and he was addicted. Once, I saw Tyler going into a casino with some shady guys. He was not only fearless but pushed me away viciously. “Tell anyone and I’ll skin you alive!” I frowned. “You’re ruining yourself.” Tyler sneered. “None of your business. What right does a village maid have to lecture me?” “Good dogs don’t block the way. Get lost!” Actually, I didn’t want to manage him. I knew his addiction would grow until he caused a disaster. When that happened, Auntie Evelyn wouldn’t tolerate him. Tyler went to the casino more frequently, needing more money. He used every trick to get money from Dad, eventually even taking out online loans in Auntie Evelyn’s name. I couldn’t sit back anymore. One night, I blocked Tyler at his door, asking if he took out loans. Tyler turned the tables, throwing a loan agreement he took from my room in my face. “You borrowed money and blamed me? Emily, you’re worse than a pig!” Dad glanced at the paper and joined in. “You little slut, borrowing so much money! Fifty thousand! Come to the police station and turn yourself in!” I saw at a glance the agreement was fake; it didn’t even have a stamp. But Dad and Tyler wouldn’t listen, dragging me toward the door. Chapter 4 Just then, Auntie Evelyn came upstairs. “What is going on here?” “Auntie, Tyler gambled and took out loans behind your back. I confronted him, and he framed me.” I broke free and told the truth. Frowning at the self-righteous Tyler, Auntie Evelyn looked at Dad with dissatisfaction. “Joe, I have to say this. Both are your children. Why do you spoil Tyler and abuse Emily? Gambling and loans? Tyler has no future like this.” Dad jumped up. “That loser is lying! I’m her dad, I know! She did it! My Ty-Ty is a good boy!” “Besides, I’m their father. I decide how to treat them!” Auntie Evelyn got angry. “What does that mean? I can’t say a word in my own house?” Tyler forced his way in and stole my things. She was already unhappy. Dad’s words added fuel to the fire. “Joe Zhou, you live off me, and now you bring this lying ingrate into my house! Do you know what Tyler has been doing?” “I’ll tell you. He’s been scamming people and gambling. Debt collectors are calling my phone!” Tyler’s face froze. Exposed, he stopped pretending. “You’re rich anyway. What’s wrong with giving me some?” Dad’s face stiffened, then he agreed matter-of-factly. “Yeah, Ty-Ty is practically your son. What’s a little money?” Auntie Evelyn sneered. “I wouldn’t dare claim such an ingrate as a son.” I couldn’t stand their shamelessness anymore. “Are you crazy? Gambling and scamming are crimes! Why should Auntie Evelyn pay for Tyler’s mess?” Slap! Dad slapped me hard. “None of your business! You ungrateful brat, I should have drowned you in a bucket when you were born!” I covered my face, staring at him in disbelief. The skin bruised instantly. The burning pain and grievance forced tears from my eyes. Auntie Evelyn looked at my face with heartache, then turned and roared at Dad. “Are you insane? Taking it out on the child!” “I’m telling you, Tyler scammed forty thousand and borrowed fifty thousand in loans. It’s almost a hundred thousand. That’s a felony. Wait for him to go to jail!” Hearing this, Dad trembled in fear. He looked at Tyler in disbelief. “Ty-Ty, did you really borrow that much?” But Tyler, thinking there was no proof, kept arguing. “Impossible! Besides, it’s just a hundred grand. She can pay it. Why make a fuss?” Auntie Evelyn trembled with rage. “Why should I pay?” “Get out! Joe, take him and get out!” She called the butler to throw their luggage out. Seeing she was serious, Dad and Tyler were dumbfounded. “You barren old hag! I hope you die tomorrow so I get your inheritance!” Tyler cursed viciously. Dad panicked and covered his mouth, looking at Auntie Evelyn fawningly. “Evie, Ty-Ty is just a kid. Don’t hold it against him. You have the money. Just pay it. Why be so stingy?” Auntie Evelyn was thoroughly disappointed. She hugged me and pointed at the door. “Get out! I never want to see you again!”

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