My roommate was a fragile, petty, and possessively toxic piece of work. If I saved a seat for another classmate in a lecture hall, she’d cry, accusing me of betraying her. If the cafeteria lady gave me one more meatball than her, she’d report the woman for “discrimination” and get her fired. Even when my boyfriend invited me home for Thanksgiving break, she threw a fit. She claimed she’d never experienced a “real family holiday” and guilt-tripped us into letting her tag along. Once at my house, she treated my parents like servants, ordering them around. She even hinted that my boyfriend should warm up her bed because “it was cold.” The final straw was my birthday dinner. Because I didn’t serve her food first, she flipped the hot pot table. Scalding soup ruined my face. In the chaos that followed, she pushed me down the stairs. I died. But when I opened my eyes again, I was back in my freshman dorm room on the very first day we met. Chapter 1 “Why did you skip me?” My roommate, Tilly, suddenly threw her chopsticks on the floor and burst into tears. My boyfriend, Ethan, snapped, “What is wrong with you now?” Tilly pouted, her eyes red and swollen. She looked at me with pure venom masked as grievance. “Harper, you served everyone else but me. The tripe is all gone, and I didn’t get a single bite. Do you all look down on me that much?!” Tears the size of beans rolled down her cheeks. My grandparents, soft-hearted as always, immediately flagged down the waiter to order two more plates of tripe. “Child, don’t cry. It was our oversight.” My parents looked baffled. But after three days of her tantrums during the holiday break, they were getting used to it. They sighed, their patience wearing thin. This scene happened at my birthday dinner. My family was happily eating hot pot and singing songs. Ethan had just cut the cake, and everyone was about to sing “Happy Birthday.” But Tilly, the roommate who insisted on tagging along for Thanksgiving, ruined everything. She flipped the boiling pot of spicy broth right onto my face. I screamed in agony as the searing liquid burned my skin. Through the pain, I saw that everyone else was fine. She had aimed the pot specifically at me. My parents and grandparents frantically called 911. Ethan exploded: “Tilly, are you insane?! We treated you like family, gave you food and shelter, and this is how you repay us? You want to kill her?!” Tilly didn’t show an ounce of remorse. She sat there, arms crossed, staring me down. “I’ve been burned by oil before. Relax, she won’t die.” “She has a perfect family and a happy life. Why does she look down on me? Why didn’t she serve me food?” I couldn’t hold it back anymore. I screamed through the pain: “Get out! Get out of my house right now! We are done. I’m requesting a dorm transfer the second school starts!” Chapter 2 Hearing that I would no longer tolerate her because of her “pitiful background,” Tilly’s expression twisted into something evil. She lunged at me and slapped my burned face. My parents and Ethan had run downstairs to settle the bill and guide the ambulance. No one was there to help me. My grandparents tried to pull her away, their frail hands trembling. Tilly screamed like a banshee: “You said you’d be good to me!” “You lied! You’ll pay for this!” The slap stunned me. My face, already blistering, throbbed with excruciating pain. My grandparents, both over 80, couldn’t withstand the shoving of a young woman who grew up doing farm work. Grandma was pushed to the floor. Grandpa clutched his chest, gasping for breath. “Pills… pills…” I was shaking with rage, tears streaming down my face. “Tilly, you ate my food, wore my clothes, used my money, and now you hurt my family? You have no conscience! You deserve every beating your stepfather gave you. You deserve your miserable life!” Mentioning her abusive stepfather was the trigger. She lost all reason. She reached out and choked me. I wasn’t as strong as her. She backed me to the edge of the stairs. In the struggle, I fell. My neck snapped. I died on impact. When I opened my eyes again, the dorm door creaked open. Tilly dragged a massive woven sack into the room, looking timid and awkward. I was making my bed on the bottom bunk. She was small, her skin rough from sun exposure. She whispered cautiously, “Um, excuse me… I’m afraid of heights. Could I maybe have the bottom bunk?” When I didn’t respond immediately, she added, “If not, it’s okay. Sorry to bother you.” Her voice was as quiet as a mosquito. In that moment, I knew. I was reborn. Reborn to the first day of freshman year. Chapter 3 In my past life, my bleeding heart got the better of me. I treated her too well. That only made her greedy and entitled. This time? Absolutely not. Without even turning my head, I said: “Sorry, I’m afraid of heights too. Ask someone else.” She didn’t give up. The pity play started immediately. “Please… I’m from a rural village. I’ve never lived in a building before, never even taken an elevator. High places terrify me. Please, I’m begging you.” Before I could speak, a voice cut through the air. “If you’re that fragile, go rent an apartment. It has a living room and kitchen, no bunk beds.” It was Morgan, the girl with the short, edgy haircut on the top bunk opposite me. She jumped down from her bed. Morgan was straightforward and sharp-tongued. In my past life, her bluntness allegedly “drove” Tilly to almost jump out the window from depression. I was the one who pulled Tilly back, comforted her for hours, and used all my patience to “heal” her. Because of that, the other roommates isolated us. I stood by her side, and she repaid me with murder. This time, I was going to hug Morgan’s thigh tight. She was going to be my voice of reason. Tilly started sobbing. She squatted on the floor, looking like a drenched koala. Just then, our fourth roommate, Chloe, walked in. Chloe was a wealthy, straight-A beauty. In my past life, she kept her distance until Tilly stole her mother’s vintage Chanel dress, ruined it, and tried to sell it on Depop. That was when Chloe finally snapped and moved out. I looked at Chloe. This was the heavyweight ally I needed. I smiled at her. “Hey, you want this bottom bunk? The one near the door is drafty. You look delicate; I bet I can handle the cold better than you.” Chloe looked at me suspiciously, then at Tilly crying on the floor. Her brain was working fast. She wasn’t one to pick sides without info. And honestly, she probably thought this drama was beneath her. Chapter 4 Hearing that I’d rather give the bed to the “princess” than to her, Tilly snapped. She ran out crying, acting like she’d been assaulted. She came back with our Resident Assistant (RA), Sarah. “Guys, we don’t discriminate here. We’re all adults. Tilly is from a different background, yes, but she hasn’t done anything to you, right? Let’s try to get along.” Morgan scoffed. “Who bullied her? Show me the evidence.” “If she says we murdered someone, are we going to jail tomorrow just because she cried?” The RA wasn’t expecting a freshman to be this tough. She softened her tone. “Look, fate brought you all to Room 303. Let’s compromise. Take a step back, and the sky is wide, right?” Tilly felt empowered. She nodded vigorously behind the RA like a bobblehead. “Yes, Sarah is right!” She turned her hopeful eyes to Chloe. “Classmate, could you please give me the bottom bunk? I really have a phobia.” Chloe looked at Tilly, then at the RA staring at her expectantly. It was a classic moral kidnapping setup. But Chloe was rich enough not to care. She pulled out a wad of cash—two thousand dollars. She tossed it at Tilly’s feet. “Go see a therapist.” Tilly’s jaw dropped. “What do you mean?!” Morgan chimed in perfectly: “She means if you’re sick, go to the hospital. Don’t try to guilt-trip us. We don’t buy it.” I almost applauded. God, I love Morgan. I declared internally: Morgan is my best friend in this life. I will make up for my blindness in the last life.

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I was taking a breather on a cruise ship in international waters when I stumbled upon my stepsister surrounded at a poker table. Her two childhood friends stood opposite her, flanking a delicate-looking girl, sneers playing on their lips: “What’s wrong, Miss Vance? Can’t afford to call? Weren’t you tough before? Daring to ask Chloe for three million for a scarf?” “Folding is fine too. Just sign over your 15% of the Vance family shares to Chloe tomorrow.” My sister’s knuckles were white, her eyes rimmed with red. Someone laughed and loosened his tie: “No money, little girl? How about this, take off a piece of clothing, and I’ll give you five hundred in chips.” Whistles erupted around us. “Strip naked, and all my chips are yours.” I stood in the shadows of the high balcony, slowly turning the ring on my pinky finger. Not showing my face for a few years, these trash must have forgotten that although my sister took her father’s surname, she is still a Sterling. Touch a Sterling girl, and you pay with your life. …… The special assistant beside me held his breath, whispering carefully: “I’ll call the cruise manager right away and have him apologize to you.” I looked down at the poker table, my voice icy: “No rush. Let’s see what tricks they’re playing.” Those who dare to touch my people under my nose, no one on this ship will have a good end. Chapter 1 Liam Carter looked at my sister, who was surrounded by men, with a sneer on his lips: “Luna, why are you scared to strip? I have your private photos here. Why don’t I sell a set and add to your bet?” Before he finished speaking, he tossed a USB drive to a staff member. The next second, the big screen lit up. High-definition photos of my sister in compromising states were projected for all to see, igniting imaginations. “The eldest Miss Vance, usually acting so high and mighty. Who knew she had such a body underneath!” “Just seeing this makes me hard. If she strips, I might die on top of her.” Filthy language continued as Noah Reed threw another USB drive, laughing sinisterly: “I have more here. If you don’t dare to strip for chips, I’ll help you. Adding another bet for you!” The crowd roared in approval, the atmosphere heating up instantly. “The two young masters are generous! Giving us such a feast for the eyes!” My sister trembled all over, tears streaming down her face: “We grew up together… how dare you treat me like this?” “Now you know how to cry? Where was this pitiful act when you forced Chloe to pay for your scarf?” “We’re kind enough to help you raise money, why are you so ungrateful?” My sister retorted urgently, “She ruined the scarf on purpose! That was a gift from my sister…” Hearing this, the girl named Chloe, sandwiched between the two men, suddenly knelt down with a thud, tears streaming: “Sister, I know I was wrong. I’ve even bet myself. I beg you, please have mercy and stop following the bet!” Liam slammed the table and stood up: “Luna, relying on your money, will you only be satisfied when you drive Chloe to death?” Noah pulled Chloe up from the floor and held her in his arms, saying sternly: “Since you dare to bully Chloe right in front of us, don’t blame us for being ruthless!” Chloe comforted softly, “Don’t blame Luna. Blame me for upsetting her.” She turned to my sister, eyes flashing with calculation, “Luna has no money left. I heard she works eight jobs a day just to eat. If she doesn’t follow this hand, I’ll stop here.” I laughed in anger. Looking at the chips on the table, my sister had bet her entire fortune, even the shares our grandfather gave her privately. If she stops now, she will have nothing and carry a huge debt. I stared at Chloe. She was wearing the custom dress I had made for my sister, the Patek Philippe watch I gave my sister on her wrist, and even the emerald necklace our mother left for my sister around her neck. And my own sister was wearing old clothes washed white, with patches on her pants. When did my sister, a Sterling, fall to this state? My sister bit her lower lip hard, tears winding down her pale face, looking like she would collapse any moment. It seemed what Chloe said was true. “Investigate!” I ordered sternly. The special assistant understood immediately and left. I had been expanding the market abroad for the past few years and rarely went home. But I contacted my sister monthly. Why was there no sign of anything wrong? My sister suddenly looked up, her voice broken: “Why? We were childhood friends. How could you use candid photos of me as chips?” Liam played with the chips, sneering: “If you don’t want to exchange, admit defeat. Give all these to Chloe as an apology.” Noah didn’t even lift his head: “Cut the crap. Either exchange or go over there for a nude loan and strip right here!” Lecherous jeers erupted around them: “Strip, princess!” “How about sleeping with me for a night? I’ll bet for you!” My sister was surrounded, trembling all over. Just when everyone thought she would yield, she suddenly looked up, a desperate light in her eyes: “I’ll continue to follow!” The whole audience was in an uproar. Chapter 2 I was stunned, my fingers unconsciously tapping the railing. I knew my sister’s assets clearly. What was on the table was everything she had. Looking at her thin figure, I felt a pang of heartache. She trembled as she took out her phone, switching between a dozen loan apps. It took a whole hour to barely scrape together a hundred thousand dollars. “That’s it?” Noah sneered, slamming his glass down. “Chloe makes more than that in one spa treatment.” Chloe covered her mouth and chuckled: “Luna, admit defeat. I’ll be merciful and let you go.” Liam pushed his chips to the center of the table: “Call, and double it!” My sister’s face turned instantly pale. “Seeing how short of money you are, let me help you again…” Noah suddenly pressed a remote control, and the big screen lit up. It was an AI deepfake video with my sister’s face! The actions were bold, the voice coquettish, just as if my sister had filmed it herself. “That voice is amazing, so soulful. I’m hard instantly.” “Worthy of a rich girl, she’s got flavor in bed!” “I’ll pay two million for the full set!” My sister stood up abruptly. She trembled all over, looking at her two former childhood friends in disbelief. But they only had eyes for Chloe, gently draping a coat over her shoulders. “Turn it off! Turn it off immediately!” she screamed hoarsely. But the frenzied bidding drowned her out completely. A waiter bowed and handed over a tablet: “Miss Vance, do you want to sell the video rights?” “Otherwise, you either continue to follow or admit defeat!” My sister’s face was ashen. She covered her face with her hands and began to cry, “I… I really have nothing left…” The men around her had greedy lights in their eyes, like a pack of hungry wolves staring at dying prey, ready to swarm the moment she admitted defeat. My knuckles turned white as I clenched my fists, about to stand up. But then I saw my sister trembling as she took a dusty gray stone out of her worn pocket and carefully placed it on the waiter’s tray: “Use this for chips…” Laughter exploded instantly. Chloe laughed so hard she trembled: “Oh my god! Is Luna crazy from poverty? Trying to exchange a random stone for chips?” The waiter respectfully took the stone away. In less than three minutes, he returned pushing neat stacks of five million in chips to the table. “Miss Vance, your chips.” The hall fell dead silent instantly. Chloe’s expression could no longer be maintained: “That broken stone is worth five million?!” Liam stood up abruptly: “Are you kidding?!” Noah overturned his chair: “Call the appraiser!” Chapter 3 I narrowed my eyes, tapping the armrest lightly. That stone was no ordinary stone. That was my Sterling family’s private seal. One seal could mobilize one hundred million in funds. If not driven to desperation, my sister would never have taken it out. But these idiots only exchanged it for five million? The cruise owner knelt trembling before me, sweat dripping onto the carpet, daring not wipe it. Downstairs was already in an uproar. “Upon appraisal, this is the private seal of the Sterling family from the Capital, valued at one hundred million,” the manager’s voice trembled. “Currently discounted to five million.” “The Sterling family?” Someone gasped. “Those few have a death wish daring to offend the Sterlings?” Hearing “Sterling family,” Chloe suddenly reddened her eyes: “Grandpa Sterling has been seriously ill for a long time. Dad gave me all the family assets…” She turned to my sister, “Luna, I even sold a kidney. I really have no money left. We’re sisters, why must we fight? Letting others laugh at us.” The wine glass in my hand shattered. “Sisters?” My special assistant whispered, “Chloe is the illegitimate daughter Mr. Vance acknowledged half a year ago. Even did a DNA test. He dotes on her the most.” Good, very good. Arthur Vance, you’ve done well. Just because I haven’t been home for a few years, you dare to pull this behind my back. Guess I wasn’t ruthless enough before. I’ll settle accounts with him when I get back. The priority now is to solve my sister’s problem. Liam looked furious, “Luna, since you are so vicious, don’t blame us for being cruel.” “Call! Five million!” Liam slammed the table, only to be told he had insufficient chips. He and Noah exchanged a glance, gritting their teeth to bet their family shares. “Double!” They pushed the chips to Chloe. “Let’s see what you call with!” Chloe smiled triumphantly, mouthing silently to my sister: You’re finished. My sister trembled, her bloodless face filled with despair. Double the chips meant ten million. Once placed, it cut off all her retreats. If she folded, everything on the table would belong to Chloe, and she wouldn’t even be able to leave this cruise ship. But to continue betting, she couldn’t produce any more chips. Someone shamelessly reached out to my sister, “Little beauty, sell the photos and videos, and you’ll have chips, won’t you?” “Shameless!” My sister slapped the man. “Bitch!” The man sneered. “You’ll be begging soon enough!” Noah played with chips, smiling cruelly: “Want to call? Bet double again.” Chloe finally tore off her innocent mask, eyes flashing with malice: “Sell your body, Luna. Your body… is still worth something.” A dozen men surrounded her, their gazes slimy like venomous snakes, rubbing their palms and shouting, “Strip! Strip! Strip! Strip!” “I’ll sign a donation agreement.” My sister’s voice was soft, but it exploded like thunder. The whole venue was in an uproar. “Crazy?” “This girl is ruthless! Doesn’t even want her life!” “Is her body worth twenty million?” Chloe shrieked with laughter: “Luna, what are you thinking? Even if you sell your whole body in parts, it’s not worth twenty million!” Before she could finish, a waiter slowly walked over pushing twenty million in chips. The hall was in chaos, everyone dissatisfied. “Rigged!” “I’m strong and healthy, and only got five hundred thousand! How is she worth twenty million?” “If you don’t give an explanation today, we’ll smash this broken ship!” Chapter 4 “Everyone, please calm down.” The manager raised his hand to suppress the commotion. The big screen suddenly lit up, displaying my sister’s medical report! My pupils contracted sharply. My sister was born with rare Rh-null blood, known as “Golden Blood.” This blood type is extremely rare in the world, almost impossible to find. Wealthy families offer sky-high prices to find this blood type but still come up empty. From the moment my sister was born, her medical report was classified as top secret. I guarded this secret carefully, fearing that leaking it would bring her unnecessary trouble. However, now these people have pushed her to such a desperate situation. It’s simply too much! Especially the Carter and Reed families. Considering they grew up with my sister, I treated their families with some favor. But now, for that woman of unknown origin, they openly bullied my sister! “Chloe, don’t panic!” Liam’s face was dark as he comforted Chloe. “Don’t be afraid, this is her last stand. We’ll make her lose everything then to vent your anger!” Noah also comforted. Both frowned and began desperately pooling money. Mortgaging antiques, real estate, looking everywhere for loan sharks. But to win against my sister, they needed forty million. I watched them struggle calmly. They gritted their teeth. Not only did they make Chloe sign a donation agreement, but they also signed agreements themselves, managing to scrape together sixty million. “We bet it all!” The two men stared viciously at my sister. These two really have malicious intentions. Not only do they want to wipe my sister clean, but they also want to consume the Vance family and dig a piece of flesh from my Sterling family. I didn’t expect the dogs I raised for my sister back then would bite today! My sister’s eyes had lost hope. She hesitated and opened her mouth several times, finally asking her two childhood friends for help. “Liam, Noah, for the sake of us growing up together, please let me go…” Her voice carried a sob. The two men were slightly moved, subconsciously wanting to reach out to help her. However, Chloe beat them to it. While slapping herself hard, she knelt down to apologize to my sister: “Sister, all the mistakes are mine! It’s all because I’m poor and couldn’t afford to pay for that two million dollar scarf. I’ll work like a cow or horse to pay you back later… You can do whatever you want to me, please don’t make it difficult for the two brothers!” The eyes of the two men, who had softened slightly, instantly turned cold. My sister was completely desperate. She didn’t even want to reveal her cards and prepared to leave in a trance. I waved my hand slightly, and my special assistant left silently. However, before my sister could take two steps, she was pinned back to the poker table by bodyguards. “Either call or admit defeat! Otherwise, don’t think about leaving the table!” The surrounding bodyguards were ready, waiting to control my sister as soon as the game ended. At this point, the game had reached a life-or-death moment. Both sides had bet everything. The dealer covered the cards in both hands and sealed the deck. The whole audience held their breath waiting for the reveal. But at this moment, my sister, sitting at the table with a face like dead ashes, suddenly looked up at me on the balcony. She instantly straightened her spine and shouted, “I continue to call, double!” The whole venue fell into dead silence instantly. “Miss Vance,” the waiter’s voice was tight, reminding coldly, “You have nothing left to bet.” A crisp sound of a black card slapping on the table exploded. My sister shouted firmly, “I have money! I continue to call!” Liam and Noah’s faces changed instantly, staring dead at that card. “Luna, where did you get that card? You clearly have nothing on you!” Chloe said with red eyes, “Luna, don’t fool people with a fake card. This isn’t a joke; this really costs lives!” But before she finished speaking, gasps were heard one after another. “How is this possible?” Liam and Noah stood up abruptly, looking at the screen, faces full of disbelief: “How can this be?”

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I bought a used laptop online. I was expecting a beat-up machine. Instead, I received the brand-new, latest model. I opened it up. The wallpaper was a photo of me. The password? My birthday. Just as I was wondering if this was some secret admirer’s surprise gift… My phone blew up. The seller was spamming me: “Girl, I messed up! I mailed you my sister’s new laptop!” “That wasn’t the one for sale! OMG, she’s going to end me.” “Did you see the guy on the wallpaper? That’s my brother-in-law. She’s obsessed with him.” “For the sake of a hopeless romantic, can you please send it back?” 1 My four-year-old laptop finally gave up the ghost. Blue screen of death. No coming back. I was broke, waiting on my next paycheck, so buying brand new wasn’t an option. I decided to go second-hand. High risk, high reward. I spent four days scrolling through Marketplace until I found “The One.” It fit my budget perfectly, and the seller seemed chill. In the spirit of saving every penny, I decided to play the game. I pulled out the big guns and sent a message that would make any seller cringe: “Would you take $200?” A brave lowball offer from a broke man, praying for a miracle. I was ready for her to curse me out, block me, and roast me on Reddit. Instead, she replied instantly: “Sure. I’ll cover shipping too.” Mom, I think I met an angel. I was so moved I almost cried. I copy-pasted a wall of generic, flattering blessings to her default avatar: “You’re a queen,” “Manifesting wealth for you,” “You’re too kind, good karma is coming your way,” “May you win the lottery, get a promotion, have eight kids, and marry your crush.” She didn’t reply to any of that until the last one: “I claim that energy.” Of course. Everyone wants to win the lottery. Me too. I paid and filled in my address. She messaged: “We’re in the same city. Can you pick it up?” “Sure.” A while later, she texted back: “Sorry, something came up. I have to go out of town tomorrow. I can’t meet.” I quickly typed: “I can come grab it now. Where are you?” She seemed cautious and didn’t drop the address. “Too far. I’ll have my family courier it to you tomorrow.” The next afternoon, I didn’t have classes. I got home, and the package was waiting. Excited, I tore open the box. My smile froze. Something was wrong. Very wrong. This laptop was Rose Gold. The one I bought in the pictures was Space Gray. And looking at the sleek design, this was the latest flagship model. The price tag on this thing was at least ten times what I paid. Confused, I turned it over in my hands. My finger accidentally brushed the power button. The screen lit up instantly. A familiar face stared back at me. I froze. It was a photo of me. In the picture, I was standing under a cherry blossom tree, holding an ice cream cone, waving at the camera with a goofy grin. Based on my outfit, I was in high school. I looked young, energetic. Alive. Unlike now—working a 9-to-5, running on fumes, basically quiet quitting life. Why would a stranger have my photo as their wallpaper? A thought crept in: Was this a surprise gift from a friend or family member? I did just complain on my Instagram story about my laptop dying. I looked at the password prompt. I typed in my birthday. Click. Unlocked. The desktop background was me, too. The laptop was pristine. No apps installed. Just the wallpaper change. My theory solidified. I grabbed my phone to text the seller, intending to ask which friend put her up to this so I could thank them properly. But before I could type, a barrage of notifications flooded my screen. “Girl, I am so sorry. I sent the wrong one. That’s my sister’s new computer.” “It’s not the one I sold you! Ahhh, she’s going to kill me!” “Hello? Are you there? Please reply!” “I’m begging you. I was helping her ship stuff, I was half asleep, I grabbed the wrong box!” “Did you see the hot guy on the wallpaper? That’s her future husband. She cries if she doesn’t see him for a day. She’s obsessed.” “For the sake of a hopeless romantic, can you please return it?” 2 I stared at the phone in silence. The “future husband” on the wallpaper didn’t even know he had a girlfriend. I tried to rationalize it. I’m a decent-looking guy. Maybe the photo got out online and became a stock image or a meme, and the seller just happened to use it. As for the birthday… plenty of people are born on the same day. Coincidence. The seller’s panic seemed genuine, albeit dramatic. “She cries if she doesn’t see him.” Sounds like something a middle schooler would write in fanfiction. I texted back: “Okay. I’ll return it.” I knew it was a mistake. My first instinct was to give it back. I didn’t want them calling the cops. I just started my tenure-track teaching job. I needed stability, not a grand larceny charge. The seller sent a string of crying emojis and “Thank yous.” “You’re a lifesaver!” “I’ll wait for you at the mall near the Elementary School. It should be close to you. Call me when you get there.” “Deal.” I grabbed the expensive laptop and headed to the mall. I scanned the entrance but didn’t see anyone matching the seller’s vibe. I was about to call. Then I saw her. Lily Bennett. One of my students. She was staring at her oversized pink smartwatch, stomping her foot, looking nervous as hell. Seeing her triggered a memory from this morning. She had cornered me during recess, whispering: “Mr. Hayes, do you have a girlfriend?” I shook my head. “No, Lily.” She clapped her hands and dragged another boy, Noah, over to me. She looked up with dead serious eyes. “Mr. Hayes, I have two options for you…” She paused, checked a crumpled piece of paper from her pocket, and continued. “Option one: You become my brother-in-law. Option two: You become his uncle-in-law. Pick one.” I didn’t process it immediately. Then I remembered Lily is Noah’s aunt. Noah chimed in, waving his arms. “Yeah! My aunt is super pretty, super nice. She’s tall, like 5’9″, she’s a cop, and she’s got a great… personality!” I laughed. They were trying to set me up. But I didn’t take a third grader’s matchmaking seriously. I held up two fingers. “I’ll give you two options. One: Double homework. Two: Triple homework. Pick one.” They went silent. Lily’s face paled at the mention of homework. She grabbed Noah and bolted. Now, seeing her at the mall, I wanted to hide. Lily was a chatterbox. I didn’t need another “Choose your own adventure” dating proposal. I turned around, pretending to inspect the sky, then my shoes. Don’t make eye contact. “Mr. Hayes!” Too late. She sprinted toward me on her short legs, waving frantically. “What a coincidence, Mr. Hayes!” Then her voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper. “You’re not waiting for a girlfriend, are you?” I rubbed my temples. I looked around. No parents. It was 7:30 PM. Sun was setting. I crouched down to her level. “What are you doing here? Where are your parents?” Lily flashed her smartwatch. “I may look like I’m loitering, but I am actually protecting my sister’s love life… and my own life!” She was so dramatic. “Does your mom know you’re here? It’s getting dark.” Lily pointed to a sleek luxury car parked by the curb. “It’s fine. The driver is right there.” I nodded. Then I remembered why I was here. I hadn’t found the seller yet. I dialed the number from the chat. The next second. Lily’s smartwatch started ringing. 3 I have never seen a child’s face cycle through so many emotions in five seconds. Lily stared at the laptop in my arms. Her jaw dropped. Her eyes widened. Then, realization hit her like a truck. Her voice trembled. “Mr… Mr. Hayes? You bought the computer?” “I… uh… I was just making stuff up on the app!” I handed the laptop to her. “Here. Take it.” I paused. “Lying isn’t a good habit, Lily. Also, tell your sister to refund my money.” Lily panicked. “Teacher! I can’t refund it! If the money disappears, she’ll know I sold it to you! She’ll kill me!” She rubbed her face, fake crying. “Boohoo, she hits really hard. You don’t want me to come to school with a black eye, do you?” “I thought you said she was a cop? Cops beat people up?” “What? Oh! No! She doesn’t hit people. She only hits me. No, wait, she doesn’t hit me either. She’s actually really nice! A total sweetheart! Mr. Hayes, please…” Her lie was falling apart. I sighed. “Lily, listen. You haven’t given me the other computer—the one I actually paid for. If I don’t get a computer, I need a refund. That’s how math works.” Lily wiped her dry tears and looked up at me with puppy dog eyes. “Mr. Hayes… can you come to my house and get it?” 4 I followed Lily into her house. Everyone in the living room turned to look at us. Lily greeted them politely. “Hi Mom, hi Dad.” “Sis… you’re back?” I followed her gaze to a woman resting on the sofa, eyes closed. This must be the older sister. She wore a casual T-shirt and sweatpants. Her skin was a healthy tan, and even relaxed, I could see the definition of muscles under the fabric. She had long legs, sharp features, and an undeniable aura of cool. Lily didn’t mention her sister looked like a supermodel. I stared. I couldn’t help it. Lily tugged on my sleeve. “Mr. Hayes, you’re drooling.” “I am not.” I coughed awkwardly and whispered, “Just get me the computer.” Lily ran over to the sleeping woman and shook her arm. “Riley! Wake up! Emergency! Big emergency!” The parents intervened. “Lily, stop it. Riley just got back from a case. She’s exhausted.” The parents walked over to me, looking confused. “And you are?” I was confused too. Lily’s “parent” added me on social media right after the school year started. They liked all my posts. I post a lot. Selfies, rants, food. There’s no way they wouldn’t recognize me. But they looked at me like a total stranger. I smiled professionally. “Hi, I’m Lily’s homeroom teacher, Harper Hayes.” Before the parents could react, the woman on the couch snapped her eyes open. She looked straight at me. Her gaze was sharp, tactical. Police eyes. I quickly looked away to avoid being caught staring. “Oh! Mr. Hayes! Come in, come in!” The parents ushered me in. Lily, meanwhile, was ignoring the mission. She was bargaining with her sister. “Tank! Buy me the big Lego tank! Or else…” Riley Bennett covered her ears, grabbed Lily by the collar of her uniform, and tossed her aside like a sack of potatoes. “I said no tank until you pass Math. Be quiet.” I sat on the sofa. Lily’s mom brought me tea. “Mr. Hayes, did Lily get in trouble? She is a handful. If she’s bothering you, let us know.” “No, no,” I waved my hands. “Lily is great. I actually… bought a computer from Lily. Or rather, from Riley. I’m just here to pick it up.” “Riley? Why are you just standing there? Go get Mr. Hayes his computer.” Riley stood up, frowning slightly. Her eyes—beautiful, almond-shaped—seemed deep in thought. She walked past me without a word, heading to her room. Lily punched the sofa cushion. “She won’t buy it. She’s a villain. Riley Bennett is a villain.” I decided to make small talk to break the tension. “Lily is actually a good student. Very talkative. She’s already talked three desk-mates into requesting a seat change…” Before I could finish, a slice of orange was shoved into my mouth. “Mr. Hayes, you talk too much. Eat some fruit. My sister peeled it.” I looked down at the little menace. She was glaring at me. Lily hopped off the sofa and dragged the expensive laptop onto the coffee table. She opened it. The screen lit up. My face, under the cherry blossom tree, beamed at the whole family. Lily went “Whoa!” Her parents leaned in. Then looked at the screen. Then at me. Riley walked out of her bedroom at that exact moment. Lily made a dramatic ‘O’ shape with her mouth. “Oh my god, Riley! Why is Mr. Hayes on your wallpaper? That’s so… specific.”

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I was reborn on the day my fiancée embezzled company funds to bankroll her lover’s lavish lifestyle. This time, I didn’t bankrupt myself to fill the hole in her accounts. Instead, I handed the evidence straight to the FBI. While she was taken away for investigation, I did three things: I canceled the engagement. I blocked her number. And I vanished from her world completely. Why? Because in my past life, I gave her thirty years of unconditional love. In return, she never gave me a single smile. She accused me of trapping her into marriage. She tried to harm our daughter. And in the end, when the earthquake hit… I held up a concrete slab to save her and the child. But once they were safe, they stopped the rescue team from digging me out. My daughter, the girl I spoiled like a princess for twenty years, called Liam Tate “Dad.” She looked at the rubble crushing me and said: “If you hadn’t used your money to force Mom to marry you, we could have been a happy family with Liam years ago!” Chloe Vance threw herself into Liam’s arms, weeping tears of joy. “Finally. Now we can be together openly.” So, in this life? I’ll let them have their “happy ending.” 1 “Mason, do you have any cash on hand? Can you wire me five million dollars right now?” “Just think of it as an advance on the wedding budget!” The familiar voice snapped me back to reality. I was back. In my previous life, seeing my hesitation, she stole public funds. When she got caught, she cried and begged me to fix it. I couldn’t bear to see her go to prison so young. I emptied my savings, sold my assets, and even borrowed from loan sharks. Only later did I find out… She didn’t steal the money for a family medical emergency. She stole it to win a bidding war at an auction, just to impress her high school crush, Liam Tate. This time? I wasn’t going to be the sucker. I hung up the phone. Then, I forwarded the transaction records directly to her CFO. The next day, Chloe Vance was escorted out of her office by federal agents for wire fraud and embezzlement. A colleague leaned over, whispering nervously: “Mason, I heard the boss say if Chloe can pay back the five million, they won’t press charges.” “She is your fiancée, after all. Are you going to help her? If not, she’s looking at fifteen years in federal prison.” I shook my head, feigning helplessness. “I wish I could, but I’m tapped out. Five million isn’t pocket change. Even if I sold both my kidneys on the black market, I couldn’t cover that.” My colleague nodded sympathetically. “That’s true.” Walking away, memories of my past life flooded back. I had ruined myself financially to save her. Her parents were so grateful they pushed for an immediate wedding. But Chloe believed I had orchestrated the whole thing to trap her. To get revenge, she carried on a decades-long affair with Liam behind my back. She even had a daughter with him. The same daughter I raised, loved, and protected for thirty years. The same daughter who, standing outside the ruins of the earthquake, told the rescuers to leave me to die. She said I was the villain who used money to separate her “true parents.” And my beloved wife? She didn’t defend me. She joined in. “Mason, if you hadn’t guilt-tripped me, I never would have married you. I’ve only ever loved Liam.” “You disgust me. Every time you touched me, I felt sick. You stole thirty years of my life. Now, my daughter and I just want to be with Liam.” They walked away, arm in arm with Liam, a perfect family of three. Leaving me crushed under the rubble, filled with rage and despair, until I suffocated alone. Thank God for second chances. This time, I won’t lift a finger. Let’s see if Liam saves her like she claimed he would. 2 Chloe tried to contact me from the holding cell. I ignored her calls. So, she had the nerve to call my parents. “Chloe says she made a mistake. She invested the money hoping to make your lives better after the wedding.” “Mason, you two are about to be husband and wife. You need to stick together. If you can help, help her. Your dad and I have some retirement savings…” I cut my mother off immediately. “Mom, Chloe is lying to you. She embezzled that money for another man.” I told her everything. The truth, ugly and raw. My mom was silent for a long time. “But… we watched Chloe grow up. Is there a misunderstanding?” “No misunderstanding, Mom. Please, don’t worry about this. I handled it.” After hanging up, I booked my parents a month-long luxury cruise to Europe. I needed them out of the country. I didn’t want them caught in the crossfire. A week later, I ran into Chloe at a mutual friend’s gathering. She had signed an agreement with her company: repay the funds within two weeks, or go to jail. She was out on bail. Everyone at the party knew, but no one said a word. They looked at us with awkward smiles. I didn’t care. But when I locked eyes with Chloe, I felt a chill. The hate in her eyes was palpable. My intuition screamed: She remembers too. She’s reborn. Suddenly, the door to the VIP lounge was kicked open. Liam Tate stormed in, his face twisted in fake outrage. “Mason Carter! Are you even a man?” “Your fiancée was locked up for a week, and you didn’t even visit her!” “Thank god you aren’t married yet, or you would have ruined her entire life!” I glanced at the furious man, then at Chloe. Her eyes, usually cold when looking at me, lit up with adoration when they landed on Liam. In thirty years of marriage, she never looked at me like that. She only pretended to care when she needed something. Usually something for Liam. “Mason, can Liam stay in our rental property for free?” “Mason, can we invest our savings in Liam’s startup?” “Mason, Liam needs a liver transplant. You’re a match.” I always thought if I loved her enough, she’d eventually love me back. I was an idiot. You can’t warm a heart made of stone. My silence infuriated Liam. He grabbed me by the collar. “Did you hear me? Chloe is facing prison time! Do you have no heart?” The room began to whisper. “Mason usually treats her like a queen. Why is he so cold now?” “True colors show when disaster strikes, I guess.” I realized what they were doing. They were trying to use public pressure to shame me into paying her debt. Too bad I don’t care about my reputation anymore. I shoved Liam off me. “You seem very concerned for an outsider,” I said, my voice ice cold. “No wonder my fiancée embezzled five million dollars just to buy you gifts.” 3 The room went dead silent. Everyone stared at Chloe and Liam. Chloe’s face shifted. She looked at me with pure disgust. “So, you found out.” I took a sip of my drink. “If I hadn’t found out, were you planning to trick me into paying off your debt?” In my last life, I didn’t know about the affair until our wedding night. Liam had shown up at our bridal suite. He put a diamond ring on her finger—a ring bought with my money—and sneered at me. “You don’t mind, do you Mason? You paid for it, after all.” That’s when I learned the “bad investments” were just gifts for Liam. Chloe told me it was the “price” I had to pay for separating true lovers. If that’s the case, I hope they stay together forever this time. I thought exposing them would end the charade. But Liam pointed a shaking finger at my face. “Mason, you are scum!” “Chloe only embezzled that money because you said you liked those vintage rings at the auction! She wanted to surprise you for the wedding!” “Now that she’s in trouble, you’re trying to pin it on us? You coward!” Chloe looked at me with teary, accusatory eyes. I had never said I wanted those rings. But our friends didn’t know that. The tide turned against me. “Mason, that’s low.” “Poor Chloe. Trying to be a good fiancée and getting framed for it.” “Chloe, dump him. He’s toxic.” Chloe sobbed, thanking everyone for their support. It was a masterclass in gaslighting. In their narrative, I was the villain. I ignored the noise. Real friends wouldn’t doubt me. The rest? I didn’t need them. When I didn’t crack, Liam lost his patience. He slapped the glass out of my hand. It shattered on the floor. “Mason! You ruined her life and you’re sitting here drinking juice?” I stood up, wiping a splash from my shirt. “Chloe embezzled money for you. The auction items are in your apartment. Why is this my fault?” Liam sneered. “If you didn’t want the rings, we wouldn’t have gone! And those items are in your future marital home!” “You’re just trying to use Chloe as a shield. You’re pathetic.” Chloe stood up and slapped me across the face. Smack. “Mason, I am so disappointed in you. The engagement is off!” Her friends rallied around her. “You can’t just break up, Mason. You caused this mess, you pay for it.” “Yeah, don’t be a deadbeat. Be a man.” “How can you sleep at night knowing she might go to jail?” I ran my tongue over my cheek. It stung. I looked at Chloe. She was smirking. She thought she had won. I pulled out my phone and connected it to the karaoke screen in the room. “Since we’re sharing stories, let’s watch a movie.” A video started playing. High definition security footage from the auction house parking lot. Chloe was hanging off Liam’s arm. “Liam, are you happy tonight?” “I am, baby. But… how are you going to put back the five million?” “Don’t worry. I have Mason. He’s such a sucker. I’ll cry a bit, beg a little, and he’ll fix it. He always does.” “You’re the best, Chloe…” They started making out. Passionately. The room froze. I looked at Chloe’s pale face and smiled. “I accept your proposal to break up. As you said… I don’t want to be a sucker.” I turned and walked out. 4 The first thing I did after waking up was hire a private investigator to get that footage. It cost a fortune, but it was worth every penny. I left the bar, but I heard the aftermath. The silence was broken by awkward coughs. Then, the ridicule started. “Wow. We defended you, and you played us like fools.” “I guess Mason wasn’t the only sucker in the room.” “Hey Chloe, instead of plotting, maybe you should figure out how to pay back that five million. Prison food sucks.” Everyone left. Chloe and Liam were left alone with the bill. I texted both our parents: The engagement is off. I didn’t do it in person because I knew Chloe’s parents would never approve of Liam. Liam was an orphan, unemployed, and a grifter. Without my money, Chloe was drowning in debt. The auction items had huge markups; reselling them would only cover half the debt. The rest would bankrupt her parents. In my last life, she hated me for “using money” to keep them apart. So this time, I stepped aside. No money. Just true love. Good luck with that. I heard Chloe was frantically trying to sell the jewelry. She and Liam were fighting daily. A few days later, Chloe’s parents knocked on my door. They looked ten years older. “Mason, we know Chloe hurt you. We apologize on her behalf.” “She’s just confused. Can you forgive her one last time?” I loved her parents. They treated me like a son. But I couldn’t do it. “Mr. and Mrs. Vance, I can’t accept your apology.” “Chloe didn’t make a mistake. She just doesn’t love me.” “Forcing us together will only create tragedy.” Mrs. Vance grabbed my hand, weeping. “But you love her, Mason! And she loves you, she just doesn’t realize it yet!” I gently pulled my hand away. “I used to love her. But once I knew her heart belonged to someone else, I let go.” “Love can’t be forced. I just want her to be happy.” Mr. Vance sighed, defeated. “Let’s go, honey. It’s over.” I drove them home out of respect. As I was leaving their driveway, Chloe and Liam walked up, hand in hand. Chloe saw me, and her face twisted into a scowl. She shoved me away from her front door. “What are you doing here? Coming to laugh at me?” “Or did you regret leaving me and come to suck up to my parents?” I looked at her. I felt nothing. No anger. No love. Just pity.

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“Max, I’ve taken care of you for two years. Now that you’re finally awake, will you marry me?” He took the flowers calmly. Standing in the corner, I stiffened, lamenting that my two years of devotion were all for someone else’s benefit. But then, Max kicked her away. “No! Get out! I was in a coma, not dead.” “You want me to marry you? Keep dreaming. No, wait! Don’t even dream about it!” 1 I took care of Max Sterling for two years after the car accident that left him in a coma. Today, he finally woke up. At the entrance of the Sterling Estate, I was blocked. Serena Cross looked down her nose at me and sneered: “Nora, you can’t compete with me!” “So what if you took care of Max for two years? Do you believe me? If I go propose to him right now, he’ll say yes without hesitation. Don’t forget, I’m the one he loves.” I believed her. Max and Serena were childhood sweethearts. They grew up together, the golden couple of the city’s elite. Before the accident, Max gave Serena whatever she wanted. It wouldn’t be strange for him to accept her proposal now. But I had cared for him for two years. I wanted to see him awake with my own eyes. While the family doctor examined Max, I stood quietly in the corner, watching. As the exam finished, the double doors opened. Sunlight flooded in, and Serena, dressed in a white gown and holding a bouquet, walked toward Max bathed in light. “Max, I’ve taken care of you for two years. Now that you’re finally awake, will you marry me? Let’s be together forever.” Max rubbed his eyes and didn’t speak. Serena continued her heartfelt confession: “Max, I love you so much. You slept for two years, and I cared for you for two years. I did everything personally, never leaving your side. I finally waited for you to wake up. We should have been married two years ago. It’s not too late now. My suffering has finally turned to joy. It’s wonderful!” Max stopped rubbing his eyes and reached out to take the flowers from Serena. Sure enough, Max agreed. Just as I was thinking my efforts were wasted on someone else… Max suddenly sat up and kicked Serena in the chest. “Joy my ass! Serena, I was in a coma, not dead! How do you have the nerve to say you suffered?” “You took care of me for two years? You’re a damn liar. You come here proposing while pregnant with someone else’s kid… do I look like a fool to you?” “Get the hell away from me!” Me: …Wow. 2 Serena was stunned. She probably didn’t expect Max to be so fierce. “Max, what… what are you saying?” “Can’t you understand English? Do I need to repeat what you said while moaning with your boyfriend in my hospital room?” “Max, I didn’t! Let me explain!” “Didn’t?” Max’s face flushed red with anger. He was probably dizzy from sitting up too fast and lay back down. “Wasn’t it you who brought guys to hook up in my room? Wasn’t it you who said it was more exciting doing it next to me? Wasn’t it you who got pregnant? Wasn’t it you who called me blind and stupid behind my back? And now you propose to me? Do you have no shame? Isn’t this embarrassing?” Although Serena was Max’s childhood sweetheart, she never visited him after the accident. I thought she just wanted to steal credit for my work, but I didn’t know she had done that. The amount of information was overwhelming. I was dumbfounded. Serena’s face turned green, then white. Even now, she refused to give up and tried to pin it on me: “Max. It wasn’t me! Nora did those things! I love you so much, how could I do that? I’m Serena! The Serena you loved!” “I know you’re Serena. If I didn’t know you well enough, I wouldn’t be sure it was you. Besides, liking you before was my karma catching up to me.” “Max…” Serena wanted to say more, but Max cut her off. “If you don’t leave, I’m releasing the hounds.” 3 I realized Max truly loathed Serena now. Serena was terrified of dogs. Max used to keep his favorite Doberman in the basement just to accommodate her. He would only let the dog out after she left. Later, Max’s dog had puppies. Serena came over when Max wasn’t home, saw the puppies, and had them thrown out. They froze to death. Max was furious, but even then, he never threatened to set dogs on her. Now, he wasn’t holding back. “I’m serious!” “Waking up to see Serena… my eyes hurt.” “No, go buy ten vicious dogs right now! If I see this woman again, sick them on her!” “And throw out all the sofas, cabinets, curtains, and furniture nearby. Disinfect the room ten times. Who knows if she has a disease?” Serena looked unwell but only dared to whisper a complaint. “Max, we’ve known each other since we were kids. There’s no need to humiliate me like this!” “Of course there is! This is humiliation?” Max scoffed. “Did I hook up with someone in front of you? Who’s humiliating whom?” “I…” Max ignored her and shouted to the butler standing by. “Alfred! Go get Buster! Let him loose!” Alfred, who had watched Max grow up, immediately went for the dog. Terrified, Serena gathered her skirt and ran, shooting a glare at me before she left. She was probably going back to the Cross family to tattle, claiming I poisoned Max against her. I didn’t stop her. The show was over. It was time for me to leave. I tried to slip away from the corner unnoticed, but Max caught me. “Nora?” I froze. He called my name. I was nervous. In the fourteen years I lived with the Cross family, I was completely ignored. Max only ever had eyes for Serena. I only dared to like him from the shadows. I thought he might say he didn’t know me, or ask if I was Serena’s sister. But he fidgeted as he walked toward me, complaining: “Nora, my head hurts. Why didn’t you come hug me? Do you not like me anymore?” He made a pitiful face. “And Nora, why didn’t you kick that gold digger out? I slept for two years, and the first thing I see is her. I almost fainted again. Do you know how much I wanted to see you? But you tried to run away. Do you only like me when I’m lying still?” “If you really prefer that, I can go back into a coma. But can you say yes to my proposal first?” Me: “…” Did Max sleep himself into a love-struck fool? He stopped in front of me, leaning against the wall for support. “Nora, I love you. I want to marry you!” Me: “?” I couldn’t understand why Max was proposing to me. He just rejected Serena, and we barely interacted before his accident. He seemed to sense my confusion and started explaining. “Nora, I know you took care of me for two years. I know you like me. I remember you crying in my ear when Alfred wasn’t around. You wiped my hands with warm towels, put lotion on me, and washed my face.” “When I was conscious but couldn’t wake up, I decided right then. If I ever woke up, I would be with you, spoil you, and marry you.” “Now I’m awake. My legs are a bit weak, but give me some time. Once I recover, let’s get married immediately, okay? Then we can cuddle. Hehe.” He looked a bit ridiculous leaning against the wall, body trembling. I reached out to steady him. He leaned his weight on me, beaming with joy. “I knew Nora cared about me. Here, take these flowers. Serena is awful, but she has good taste in flowers. They look good on you.” Me: … I suspected Max had been body-swapped. The old Max was calm and cool. He would never talk like this. “Nora, why aren’t you talking? Will you marry me?” I opened my mouth, but no sound came out. Max frowned and lifted my chin. “Nora, what’s wrong with your voice?” I remained silent. 4 Max dragged me to the hospital for a checkup. The doctor’s diagnosis was the same as before. Vocal cord damage from the car accident two years ago. Loss of voice due to lack of timely treatment. Hearing this, Max’s eyes turned red. “Nora, I’m sorry. It’s all my fault. If not for me, this wouldn’t have happened. I should be the one suffering!” Seeing him so distraught in his wheelchair, I thought back to the accident. Max truly loved Serena then. She had returned from a dance competition abroad, and Max drove to pick her up. My father, Richard, ordered me to tag along to carry Serena’s luggage. That day, a storm hit. On the highway, a truck with failed brakes flew straight at us. Before I blacked out, I thought I was dead. But I woke up. Investigators said Max’s reflexes saved me. If he hadn’t swerved at the last second, I would have died. Instead, only my vocal cords were damaged—something treatable if caught early. But Max fell into a coma. My mute state wasn’t his fault. He saved me. I took his hand and typed on my phone screen: It’s not your business. It’s not your fault. I only lost my voice because I wasn’t treated in time. He was still sad, but his focus shifted quickly. “If it was treatable, why didn’t the Cross family treat you? You’re both daughters. Serena gets a seven-million-dollar piano, but they wouldn’t fix your voice?” The Cross family wasn’t short on money, and Serena and I were indeed sisters. But I was the invisible one. To comfort Serena, who was sad about Max’s accident, they completely ignored me. Perhaps they didn’t even know I couldn’t speak. Max didn’t know my thoughts, but he held my hand, angry yet determined. “Nora, I will fix your voice. Every bit of suffering the Cross family caused you, I will make them pay back!” I was about to tell Max about my history with the Cross family when Richard called.

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I was born unique, a medical marvel with two hearts beating inside my chest. It was the only reason my parents ever smiled at me. Because my older brother, Julian, was born with a failing heart. My parents had me for one purpose: to be a spare parts factory for their favorite son. Later, I met Sarah. We got married. She pulled me out of the abyss, away from a family that only saw me as an organ donor. I thought she was different. I thought she loved me for me. But when Julian’s condition worsened, she became obsessed. She begged, then demanded, that I donate one of my hearts to save him. What she didn’t know was that I only had one heart left. The other one… was already beating inside her chest. 1 “It’s just one heart, Ethan. How can you be so selfish?” “Weren’t you born for this? To save your brother?” Sarah gripped my hand, her nails digging into my skin. “But I want to live too, Sarah. Without a heart, I die.” Sarah’s face went rigid for a second, then she scoffed. “You have two hearts. Give one to Julian, and you still have one left. You’ll live.” “But Julian is different. Without your heart, he dies today.” She ignored my struggles, pushing me toward the prep room. I tried to explain, desperate and helpless. “I only have one heart left, Sarah!” “Didn’t you read my medical file?” Sarah didn’t listen. She didn’t want to hear it. “Who knows what you did to dodge this? You probably bribed the lab techs to fake the report.” She thought I paid someone off to change the X-rays. “No, Sarah! When I was a kid, I had surgery. I already donated one!” “Enough, Ethan! Just save your brother! Why are you being so stubborn?” She cut me off, her voice shrill. “I’m not lying! My other heart… it’s in you!” Sarah dragged me toward Julian’s operating theater, deaf to my words. 2 The other doctors in the prep room froze. Someone whispered. “Trying to use pick-up lines now? That’s sick.” “Your brother is dying, and you’re hitting on your sister-in-law with creepy metaphors?” Only our families knew Sarah and I were married. Her colleagues didn’t know me. Since Sarah handled everything for Julian’s hospitalization, everyone assumed Julian was her husband. And Sarah… she never corrected them. “Exactly. Won’t save his own brother but has time to flirt with his sister-in-law.” “What a waste of space.” Hearing their vile comments, I wanted to scream the truth. “Actually, I am her—” Sarah stormed out of the prep room and grabbed my arm. “You are donating that heart today.” “Julian is already under. You’re next.” She slapped a stack of papers on the gurney. “I already signed the consent forms as your next of kin. Get on the table.” Inside the OR, I saw Julian. He looked pale, fragile, eliciting sympathy from everyone in the room. “Don’t worry, Julian. Dr. Miller will make sure you live a long life.” Julian didn’t correct them when they called Sarah “Dr. Miller” instead of his sister-in-law. He just smiled weakly. “It’s all my fault… making my little brother sacrifice so much for me.” His voice was full of self-blame, but his eyes, locked on mine, were full of mockery. The medical staff melted. What a saint of a brother. And me? The villain. Sarah comforted Julian, then ignored my violent thrashing and forced me onto the operating table. She ordered the anesthesiologist to knock me out immediately. As the drugs took hold, my struggles ceased. Sarah stroked my cheek, her touch cold. “Don’t worry. I’ll make sure you survive.” Her mentor had performed heart transplants before. She was confident she could keep me alive with one heart. “Once Julian recovers, the whole family will finally accept you. And I’ll be right by your side.” 3 Sarah and her team moved with practiced efficiency. After what felt like an eternity, Sarah removed a heart from my chest. She didn’t even pause to look at the empty cavity. She took my heart and rushed into the adjacent OR where Julian lay waiting. My chest was open. My body lay alone on the cold table. The shrill alarm of the heart monitor startled the junior resident left to close up. “Wait… he flatlined? I thought he had two hearts?” Sarah’s colleague frowned. “Dr. Miller said that as a joke, and you believed it?” “Honestly, good riddance. The guy was a creep. Refusing to save Dr. Miller’s husband and hitting on her? Disgusting.” Another nurse chimed in. “So what do we do?” “He’s dead. Call the morgue. If no one claims him, let the city handle it.” They covered my face and walked away. In the next room, Sarah was focused. It was her first transplant as lead surgeon, but she was confident. Hours later, the surgery was declared a success. Sarah followed Julian to the ICU. After settling him in, she finally remembered me. She started toward my OR but bumped into the colleague who had been in the room with me. “Where is Ethan?” she asked. The colleague shrugged. “Didn’t he go back to his room?” “Don’t worry, the nurses will keep an eye on him.” Sarah didn’t catch the odd tone. She assumed I was recovering. She went back to her office to catch up on paperwork. A day later, Julian woke up. Sarah was by his side instantly. “Julian! You’re awake.” Julian saw Sarah and started crying tears of joy. 4 Sarah hugged him. “Don’t worry. The surgery was perfect.” “Your heart is strong now.” Julian touched his chest. The disease that had haunted him for years was gone. He held Sarah, sobbing uncontrollably. Sarah rubbed his back. “Careful, keep your heart rate down.” A nurse walked by and smiled. “Dr. Miller is so good to her husband.” Sarah froze. She remembered I was somewhere in the hospital. She opened her mouth to explain. “You misunderstand, he isn’t…” Julian clutched his chest, wincing, effectively cutting her off. Sarah turned back to him. “I told you not to cry. You need to rest.” Seeing Julian so weak made her think of me. She hadn’t seen me since the surgery. “Julian, rest now. I need to go check on Ethan.” She stood up, but Julian grabbed her wrist. “I did this surgery without telling Mom and Dad. I’m scared. If you leave, I might not recover well.” Sarah looked at his pale face and softened. She reasoned that her colleagues would look after me. I was fine. “Okay. I’ll stay a few more days.” Julian watched her sit back down, then closed his eyes with a smirk. In the hospital morgue, an orderly looked at my body tag. “Two days and no claim. What do we do?” His partner was sweeping the floor. “Stop staring. Bag him and tag him. Let’s go home.” They shoved my body into a black bag. “Look at that chest. Died ugly. Probably wasn’t a good guy.” “Good guy, bad guy… they all burn the same.” “True. Shame though, he was young.”

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Over the course of our three-year marriage, my wife hypnotized me three times. The first time, her childhood sweetheart was running against me for a seat on the board of directors. My wife personally orchestrated the “accident” that crushed my hands, turning me into a cripple. The second time, her sweetheart needed liquidity for a failing venture. She liquidated my luxury cars and our villa, taking out massive loans in my name, drowning me in debt. The third time, he was critically injured in a car crash. She ruthlessly authorized the harvesting of our son’s corneas and liver while he was still barely alive, transplanting them into him. Every single time, I fought back. I screamed for a divorce. I tried to cut her out of my life. But every time, she would hold me, weeping, claiming she would go insane without me. And then, to keep me by her side as if nothing had happened, she forcibly hypnotized me, erasing my memories of her betrayal. It wasn’t until the day of my son’s funeral that I accidentally stumbled upon the whole truth. “Ms. Davis, this is the fourth session. Another induction could cause irreversible damage to Mr. Sterling’s frontal lobe. He could end up cognitively impaired, permanently. Are you sure you want to proceed?” “He has to forget what happened today! If he remembers, he’ll leave me. I can’t let him pose a threat to Caleb!” The doctor sighed heavily. “Why must you trample on a man’s heart like this?” “I have no choice. He happens to possess exactly what Caleb needs. For Caleb’s happiness, I’m willing to be the villain.” Hearing this conversation through the thin door, I felt the blood in my veins turn to ice. My fists clenched at my sides, but I kept my eyes squeezed shut, feigning unconsciousness. I had only wanted to find my missing wife during our son’s funeral. Instead, I stumbled into a five-star hotel suite where she was throwing a lavish birthday party for Caleb Vance, her childhood sweetheart. Before I could confront them, I was knocked out cold. I woke up here, listening to the doctor and my wife. The doctor’s voice rose in agitation. “But, Ms. Davis… back then, his hand injury was treatable. You paid the hospital to intentionally botch the surgery. He lives in chronic, excruciating pain every day.” “You lied to him, told him he was a gambling addict who lost everything. You told him there was no money for a ten-dollar painkiller shot, yet you drained his accounts to throw this meaningless party for Caleb Vance! Do you hate him that much?” Claire Davis shook her head calmly. “How could I hate him?” “It’s all for Caleb. His biggest dream is to lead the company. I’m just the woman quietly supporting him from the shadows.” “As for Ethan… blame his brilliance. He shone too bright; he blocked Caleb’s path. I need him broken and dependent to feel at ease.” The doctor opened his mouth to argue, but Claire cut him off coldly. “Enough. Watch your mouth. If you leak a single word to Ethan, I will ruin you.” “Now, wipe his memory. Make him believe he caused a scene today. He needs to feel guilty so he’ll stay by my side and never leave.” I felt Claire’s hand gently caress my cheek. Once, that touch brought me warmth. Now, I felt nothing but disgust. Years ago, when the Davis family business went bankrupt, I was the one who secretly injected a billion dollars to help her rise from the ashes. When Caleb Vance was disowned by his family for being the black sheep, I was the one who took him into my company, mentoring him all the way to the executive level. Back then, Caleb knelt before me, swearing he would repay my kindness with his life. Back then, Claire confessed her love to me, saying she had always adored me. I never imagined that Claire would steal my fortune for him, gaslighting me into believing I was a degenerate gambler who lost it all. She even committed to the bit, moving me into a cramped, moldy apartment in the slums, living a life of performative poverty. And when Caleb crashed his car, she gutted our son to save him. While my son died screaming in pain, Claire was busy feeding Caleb soup and wiping his brow. I had fought her. I had demanded to leave. But every time, she used hypnosis to reset me. I had forgotten three times. I nearly lost myself a fourth. When the session ended and I “woke up,” I saw Claire looking at me with red-rimmed eyes. She hugged me, sobbing theatrically. “Ethan, thank God! You’re finally awake.” “You were so grief-stricken over Leo’s death that you started a brawl at the hospital. When I saw your head bleeding, I thought I’d lost my mind. If you left me too, I really wouldn’t survive!” The concern in her eyes looked so genuine. It made me sick. Claire didn’t notice the coldness in my gaze. She pulled a plastic container out of a cheap grocery bag, presenting it like a treasure. “Ethan, you must be starving. Look what I brought you. I’m working cleaning shifts at the hotel now, and I managed to sneak out some leftovers. It’s top-tier wagyu steak.” Since the “bankruptcy,” Claire always cried about how every cent she earned went to my “gambling debts.” I loved her so much that I starved myself, living on scraps so she wouldn’t worry. But today, at the hotel, I saw Caleb’s party. Abalone, lobster, caviar—flowing like water. This steak wasn’t leftovers; it was trash. I had seen Caleb stomp on this very container, spit in it, and order the waiter to mix in raw bloody water. He called it “dog food.” I felt bile rise in my throat. I pushed her hand away. Claire didn’t get angry. Instead, she grabbed my hand, her eyes widening in shock. “Your hand… it moved?” “Oh my god, Ethan! You’re finally healing!” “You always said you wanted a divorce because you were a ‘useless cripple’ who didn’t want to burden me. Now you can’t say that anymore!” She excitedly grabbed a hot water bottle to warm my hand, massaging it tenderly. She acted like a devoted wife overjoyed by her husband’s recovery. But I knew better. I forced a smile and pulled away. “Don’t you have another shift? Go. Don’t be late.” She paused, surprised by my dismissal, but after checking my face for suspicion, she kissed my cheek. “Wait for me at home!” Shortly after she left, I walked out too. Before I was knocked out, I had been holding my son’s urn. It was gone. I had to find it. But I barely made it down the block before the world spun. I woke up screaming. Someone had smashed a steel pipe directly onto my wrist. The pain was blinding, white-hot agony radiating through my entire body. In the dim light, I couldn’t see the attacker’s face, only heard him speaking in a thick accent into a phone. “Ms. Davis, the hand is taken care of. Guaranteed he won’t lift it again.” “We were discreet. He didn’t see us.” Claire’s cold voice drifted from the speaker. “You promised that last time, yet he recovered in three years. Are you sure it’s permanent this time? I want zero chance of recovery.” The thug confirmed it. Claire laughed, a chilling sound. “Good. Double payment is on the way.” “I drugged his water. Just leave him there, barely breathing. I’ll come ‘find’ him after I handle things with Caleb. I’ll cry a bit, play the victim, and he’ll never suspect me.” My heart shattered. I was already broken, yet she needed to destroy me completely for Caleb. But she miscalculated. I had only taken a sip of that water. The thug hung up and raised the pipe for a finishing blow. I grabbed a loose chain from the floor and swung it with everything I had left, choking him out. Adrenaline masking the pain, I stumbled out of the room. I realized I was in the basement of the Davis Corporation building. I dragged myself toward the exit, but froze when I saw two figures in the garden. Claire was leaning against Caleb, her head buried in his chest. “Caleb, your arms are so warm. I wish I could stay like this forever.” “I’m in such agony. I want to divorce Ethan every day, but I’m terrified that if I let him go, I’ll lose control over him. He could threaten you.” “Since he saved your life once, I just swallow my pride and take care of that invalid.” Caleb didn’t push her away. He held her waist. “You’ve suffered, Claire. I know what you’ve done for me.” “But I have ambitions. I need to secure this deal with the massive conglomerate coming to town. Rumor has it the CEO hates Ethan Sterling. Do you think… if I handed Ethan over to him to torture, it might seal the deal? I just don’t know if you could bear it…” Claire didn’t hesitate. “Of course I can. Just tell me when. If you hadn’t given me that billion dollars when my family went under, I wouldn’t be here today.” She paused. “Just… leave him alive, barely.” “Soft spot?” “No. His blood type and marrow match yours. If you ever have an accident, he’s your spare parts bank.” I laughed silently, a cold, bitter sound. So, Claire thought the billion dollars came from Caleb. No wonder she worshipped him. I pulled out my phone and dialed a number I hadn’t touched in five years. “Dad. I’m done being rebellious. I was wrong.” “I’ll agree to your terms. I’m divorcing Claire. Send the chopper.” I hung up and turned to leave. But as I exited the building, I ran straight into Caleb. He crossed his arms, looking at me with pure sneering contempt. “Enjoying eavesdropping? Look at you. The once-great Ethan Sterling, now a beggar reeking of blood. Did you not enjoy the ‘special meal’ I prepared for you?” My clothes were bloodstained, my body broken. My wrist throbbed with a pulse of its own. I didn’t want to waste breath on this parasite. I moved to pass him. Caleb pulled a small box from his pocket and shook it. “Looking for this?” The urn. It was so small in his hand. “Hard to believe a six-year-old boy fits in such a tiny box,” Caleb mused. “Just days ago, he was calling me ‘Uncle.’ Too bad Claire had to gut him like a fish.” “She said his only value was being my organ farm. And now that he’s dead, you’re next. Hereditary duty, I suppose.” He laughed, tears forming in his eyes. Rage, pure and primal, exploded in my chest. I lunged at him. “Give him back! That’s my son!” But I was weak. He sidestepped me effortlessly. “I can’t just give it to you. Claire wanted to throw it in the trash; I saved it. You should be thanking me.” Suddenly, bodyguards materialized, kicking the back of my knees. I collapsed. They dragged me into the company lobby. Former colleagues and employees stopped to stare. “Is that Ethan Sterling? He looks half-dead.” “I heard he gambled away his fortune and killed his own kid. He’s been dragging Ms. Davis down for years.” “Probably here to beg Mr. Vance for money. Pathetic.” The scorn was palpable. Caleb smirked. “You want the ashes? Crawl through my legs. You have five seconds.” “Five. Four. Three…” I gritted my teeth, preparing to humiliate myself for Leo. But Caleb laughed, opened the lid, and dumped the ashes into a potted plant next to him. The white dust drifted down, landing on the dark soil. Caleb ground his expensive leather shoe into the dirt, mixing my son’s remains with mud. “Oops.” I snapped. I roared, surging upward with strength I didn’t know I had, and punched him squarely in the jaw. “He died for you! You soulless monster!” Caleb barely stumbled. He touched his face and laughed. “Was that a tickle? You really are a cripple.” “No wonder your wife says you can’t satisfy her. Yesterday, she was screaming my name so loud the neighbors probably complained.” He leaned in, his voice a venomous whisper. “You know, when you were kidnapped and tortured years ago? We watched the livestream. She wanted to help at first, but I pulled her onto the couch… and eventually, your screams just made her more excited.” I shook with fury. The trauma of those days flooded back. Caleb grabbed my injured hand and punched himself in the face with it. “See? That’s a punch!” “Caleb!” Claire screamed, rushing over. She shoved me back, shielding him. Then she slapped me across the face. “Ethan Sterling! Stay away from him! If you hurt a hair on his head, I will destroy you!” I laughed, wiping blood from my lip. “Destroy me? Haven’t you already done that?” Panic flickered in her eyes. “You’re delusional!” Caleb held her back, playing the saint. “Claire, don’t. He saved my life once. Let this punch be the repayment. We are bigger than this.” He led her away. They looked like a power couple. I didn’t chase them. I went home to pack.

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“You’re polluting the air just by existing in this house.” That’s what my stepbrother, Declan, told me this morning. Feeling wronged, I went crying to my online boyfriend: “Got yelled at again. Need comfort ASAP.” The very next second, Declan’s phone buzzed on the coffee table. His lock screen lit up. A message from [KingBaby]. “Got yelled at again. Need comfort ASAP.” Me: !!! 1 I stared at the notification, frozen. Coincidence? It had to be. To verify, I sent a crying sticker to my online boyfriend. Buzz. Declan’s phone vibrated again. The screen showed [KingBaby] sending a sobbing cartoon bear. I turned to stone. My stepbrother—the guy who looks at me like I’m a cockroach, the guy who criticizes my breathing—is the same clingy, golden-retriever boyfriend who calls me “Baby” online? “No way.” I refused to believe something this absurd. I reached out to tap his screen, wanting to check the profile picture. Slap. My hand was swatted away before I could touch the glass. “Didn’t your mother teach you not to touch other people’s property?” Declan glared at me with pure disgust. “Then again, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Trash attracts trash.” Ever since my mom and I moved into the Sterling mansion, he hasn’t stopped with the insults. To Declan, this “reunion of first loves” after twenty years was a joke. He saw it as an insult to his late mother. Plus, my mom has terminal cancer. She doesn’t have much time left, yet she agreed to marry his dad. In his eyes, we are just gold diggers here for the inheritance. Mom does have a motive. On her hospital bed, she held my hand tightly. “Riley, promise me. Don’t fight with your brother or your stepfather. When I’m gone, the Sterling family can protect you.” If I refused, she would cough up blood from stress. So I promised. I endure everything. Thinking of this, I lowered my head. “Sorry. Your phone kept buzzing. I thought it might be an emergency, so I was bringing it to you.” Declan looked at me suspiciously, then unlocked his phone. The moment he saw the messages, the storm clouds on his face vanished. A smile—one I’d never seen directed at me—broke through, impossible to suppress. His thumbs flew across the screen. A second later, my phone in my pocket vibrated. [Baby, don’t cry! Your brother sounds like a total piece of trash. When we meet, I’ll punch his teeth in for you!] Me: … 2 Declan typed fast and furious. My pocket wouldn’t stop vibrating. I frantically switched it to silent. Declan sneered, looking up. “Getting blown up this late? Which debt collector is it this time?” Wow. The irony. You’re literally roasting yourself. I felt guilty, so I didn’t answer. He took my silence for defiance. “Did you two borrow more money? Is my dad’s fortune not enough for you leeches?” I forced a smile. “No. Just a classmate.” Before moving here, Mom and I lived paycheck to paycheck. When she got sick, the surgery bills piled up. We borrowed money. I worked part-time and paid the installments on time. The lenders were decent. But after we moved into the Sterling estate, the lenders found out. They showed up at the front gates, screaming and making a scene. It was chaos. Through my tears, I had looked up to the second-floor balcony and seen Declan there, smoking a cigarette, watching the show with a smirk. He had tipped them off. “I’m going to my room,” I said. Afraid I’d blow my cover, I ran upstairs. As soon as I closed my door, another message from Declan popped up. [Baby, why aren’t you replying? Are you still mad?] [Sticker: Sad puppy wagging tail] In reality, he shreds my dignity. Online, he’s a whimpering puppy. My feelings were complicated. I ignored him. Declan immediately transferred $5,000 via the app. Note: [Buy yourself some snacks. Please stop being mad.] Thinking of Declan’s cold, hateful eyes downstairs, I immediately hit ‘Refund’. [I don’t want money. I’m just tired and going to sleep.] Declan: [Okay 🙁 Goodnight, baby. Sad Puppy.jpg] The next morning, I was woken up by a vibration. Declan was being horny at 7 AM. [Baby! Up yet? Guess what I’m doing?] [I’m in the shower ;)] I was still half-asleep and forgot that my boyfriend was actually Satan himself. I replied out of habit: [Show me.] Next second, he obediently sent three photos. Wet abs. Water droplets running down a sharp V-line. A towel hanging dangerously low, leaving very little to the imagination. It was… objectively hot. Declan tempted me: [Want to touch?] I wiped invisible drool. [Duh. I want to eat you up.] [Hehe. Baby, let’s meet up then.] I jolted awake. Shit! Riley, you useless traitor! How could you lust after Declan?! Panicked, I ignored him for the rest of the day. He started spiraling for attention. [Are you mad because I asked to meet?] [If it’s too soon, I can wait. Just don’t ignore me.] [Baby, I just felt dizzy. I almost fainted at the gym.] [Care about me, please? My chest hurts.] … I rolled my eyes. Declan is 6’3″, built like a linebacker, and hits the gym daily. I once saw him take down a creep who was filming up a girl’s skirt with one hand. He is not fragile. Thinking of his fist, I knew I had to end this. I typed: [There’s something I’ve been hiding from you. I have to come clean. I’m a dude.] Declan: [?] [Are you joking, baby?] [No joke. That’s why I never wanted to meet.] The chat went silent. The “typing” bubble disappeared. Finally. He’s scared off. I was just celebrating my victory when Declan sent two messages that made my jaw drop. [As long as it’s you, I don’t care if you’re a guy.] [But… can I be on the bottom?] What the hell?! Declan, you’re way too committed! 3 That evening after class, I got a text from the pottery studio. [Ms. Riley, the custom couple’s mugs you sculpted last week have been fired and mailed to your home.] It was the gift I had made for my online boyfriend—Declan. Disaster. The mugs had our couple nicknames carved into them! I rushed home, heart pounding. But when I found the package in the living room, the contents were shattered. Declan was standing there, holding a shard of ceramic. “How much? I’ll pay you for it.” “No need.” I breathed a sigh of relief, grabbing the box of debris. It wasn’t like I could give it to him now anyway. Declan scoffed. “Dating someone? Does he know you’re a manipulative liar?” “If he likes you, he must be blind and stupid.” I was half-angry, half-amused. I turned back on the stairs. “Aren’t you afraid that every curse you say about my boyfriend will eventually bounce back onto you?” Declan raised an eyebrow. “Please. He’s nothing compared to my ‘KingBaby’.” “Oh. Well, I hope you two live happily ever after. Never break up.” I went to my room. Maybe my words made him paranoid. At dinner, halfway through his steak, Declan suddenly spoke up. “Dad, would you care if your future daughter-in-law was a man?” Cough! Cough! I choked on my water. “What?” Arthur, my stepfather, froze. He looked confused. Declan stayed calm. “Can you accept that your son is gay?” “I’m in love. And the person is a guy.” Holy crap. Declan didn’t just come out of the closet; he kicked the door off its hinges. Arthur was shocked. A massive argument erupted. Neither backed down. The war ended with a sharp slap across Declan’s face. I never expected my little lie to cause World War III. What shocked me more was that Declan texted me about it immediately. [Baby, don’t worry about gender. I came out to my family.] [They agreed.] Agreed?! He just got slapped! Thinking of the red handprint on his face, I felt a pang of guilt. I grabbed an ice pack and went to his room. Declan glared at me. “I don’t need your fake sympathy.” “You misunderstood.” I tossed the ice pack into his trash can. “I came to laugh at you.” Declan turned green with rage. The next day, Arthur looked like a ghost. Dark circles, stumbling walk. He’s a good man. Even with his busy schedule, he visits my mom at the hospital every day. He treats me like his own daughter. I never had a dad, and Arthur filled that void. If he finds out I’m “dating” his son, it might kill him. I made a decision. I texted Declan: [Let’s break up. I met someone else.] Declan instantly sent a 60-second voice memo. Probably pure profanity. I didn’t listen. I blocked him. For the next ten days, Declan was a walking zombie. He rejected all his friends’ party invites. He slept all day, drank half the wine cellar at night. Every day, he’d corner me with a gloomy stare. “Riley. Did you break up with your boyfriend yet?” seeing his misery, I nodded. “Yeah. Dumped him.” Satisfied, he’d slump back onto the sofa, unlit cigarette in his mouth, laughing bitterly. “Love is disgusting. Who needs it?” Then he’d secretly wipe his eyes. I thought the drama would fade. But then the Dean called me into his office. “Chloe told me you know the author ‘Solitude’.” Chloe is my best friend. And a massive blabbermouth. I had only told her I was a superfan of ‘Solitude’ and that we chatted online. Thankfully, I never told her that ‘Solitude’ is my online boyfriend—or that he is Declan Sterling. The Dean smiled. “Solitude has a huge following. We need exposure for admissions. He’s an alumnus. We want him to give a guest lecture.” “But he’s very private. We can’t reach him.” I wanted to refuse. The Dean leaned in. “If you pull this off, the university will write you a recommendation letter for any internship you want.” A recommendation from the Dean? That’s golden. I caved. I unblocked Declan. Sent a simple: [You there?] Given his mood lately, I expected abuse. Instead, Declan sent a sticker of a puppy wagging its tail so hard it was flying. [Baby! Is the grass not greener on the other side?] I grit my teeth. [Actually, I’m messaging you as a student representative from Sterling University. We want to discuss a work opportunity.] Declan didn’t reply. Ten minutes later: [What is it?] I explained the guest lecture request professionally. Declan: [I’ll do it. On one condition.] [We meet.] 4 I agreed to meet him on the day of the lecture. My plan? Hire a guy to pretend to be “Halo”—someone Declan would absolutely hate. Shatter his filter. But God has a twisted sense of humor. On the day, the hired actor called me. “Sorry, Riley. Car accident. Can’t make it.” I panicked. Declan texted: [Baby, I’m at the campus. Meet me?] Stalling, I typed: [Napping. Meet at the fountain square after the lecture!] I sprinted to Chloe’s dorm. No time to find another guy. I dragged Chloe out of bed, explaining the tangled mess while shoving clothes into her hands. She blinked sleepily. “That’s… messy.” “Just be a toxic nightmare. If you scare him off, I’ll buy your lunch for the whole semester.” Chloe saluted. “Say no more. I excel at being a red flag.” When we met Declan, Chloe’s eyes widened. “Riley, you eat good!” Declan is objectively gorgeous. Today, he was dressed up. Glasses, a soft sweater—he looked like a refined, intellectual gentleman, not the arrogant jerk I lived with. Declan was surprised to see me next to her. He frowned, then looked at Chloe with a gentle gaze. “Halo?” “That’s me!” Chloe chirped. Declan beamed. He handed her flowers and a gift bag, bending down to look her in the eyes. “Finally. You lied about being a boy? You’re adorable.” Chloe blushed. Declan had booked a fancy restaurant. Chloe, remembering her mission, grabbed my arm. “Riley is my bestie. If we eat, she comes too. You don’t mind, right?” Declan: “Of course not.” Then he shot me a look that screamed Get lost. I smiled and linked arms with Chloe. Dinner was excruciating. I was the brightest third wheel in history. Declan treated me like air. But with Chloe? He was terrified of upsetting her. Chloe acted her heart out. She demanded expensive wine, talked about wanting a rich husband, said she hates kids, loves clubbing, and wants an open relationship. Declan, the love-sick puppy, agreed to everything. Until she mentioned other men. His face went dark. “Baby,” he said, voice low. “Can’t your leash just hold me?” I almost choked on my pasta. Halfway through, I escaped to the bathroom. When I came out, Declan blocked my path. “Riley.” His eyes were cold. “There’s a limit to being shameless. When are you leaving? Ruining other people’s dates… is that a family tradition?” He looked at me like he wanted to snap my neck. I lowered my eyes. “I’m leaving now.” I went back, grabbed my bag, and whispered to Chloe, “I’m heading out.” Chloe texted me under the table: [Don’t go far. I’ll dump him in 30 mins, then we go get drinks!] [Okay. Be careful.] It was late. Most shops were closing. I sat on a bench around the corner, shivering in the wind. Thirty minutes passed. My phone buzzed. It was our housekeeper. [Ms. Riley, I accidentally broke your custom mugs the other day. Mr. Declan hired a master restorer. They just arrived. Look.] She sent a photo. The mugs were fixed with kintsugi—gold lacquer filling the cracks. It was beautiful. But the photo was high-res. The carved nicknames were clearly visible. Halo & KingBaby. Wait. The housekeeper sent this to me… [I sent the photo to Mr. Declan too, to show him the work is done.] Fuck. My blood ran cold. Just then, my phone vibrated. A text from Declan. [Come back. Chloe is in trouble!] Panic. I didn’t think, I just sprinted back to the restaurant. Chloe saw me burst in, panting. She started making frantic faces at me. Run! I looked at the table. Declan wasn’t there. I realized too late. It was a trap. I turned to flee, but slammed into a wall of solid chest. A voice, trembling with suppressed emotion, came from above my head. “Riley.” Goosebumps exploded all over my skin. I turned my head stiffly. Under the streetlights, Declan’s eyes were red. He wore an expression that was halfway between crying and laughing. A terrifying, broken look. “…So, it was you.”

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When we signed the prenup, Caleb Sterling told me he didn’t know how to love. He said he was broken. So, for five years of marriage, he gave me only sex and desire. It was a marriage of convenience between two powerful families. I knew I couldn’t be greedy. I thought what we had was enough. Until the night of our fifth anniversary. I broke his one bedroom rule. For the first time, I secretly pulled off the blindfold he always made me wear. That was when I saw the tattoo inked into the hollow of his hip. It was a name. In that moment, I realized the truth. Caleb wasn’t incapable of love. He was just hiding his love, saving it all for my adoptive sister. We had a massive fight. We screamed things we couldn’t take back, wishing the other would just disappear. Ironically, the universe listened. We both drove off in a rage, the car skidded, and we went over a cliff. As we lay dying in the wreckage, Caleb looked at me, his face covered in blood, and begged: “Scarlett, if there is a next life… let’s not be married, okay?” I stared at him, laughing hysterically through the pain, dying like a madwoman. When I opened my eyes again, I was back in the Sterling family living room. Caleb was kneeling on the floor, his back straight, pleading with his parents. “Mom, Dad, I can’t marry Scarlett. The one I love is Chloe.” I froze. But relief quickly washed over me. Perfect. Because this time, I didn’t want to choose him either. 1 “Are you absolutely sure you want to marry Ethan?” Mrs. Sterling looked at me with pity. I calmly exchanged the engagement contracts with her, verifying that the name on the document was indeed Ethan Sterling, not Caleb. I smiled gently. “I’m sure, Mrs. Sterling.” She tried to warn me one last time, her voice trembling. “The best specialists all say Ethan won’t live past thirty. You… Scarlett, even if Caleb refuses the marriage, you don’t have to choose a dying man just to stay in the family.” In my past life, Ethan did die at thirty. I remembered Mrs. Sterling fainting from grief, and Mr. Sterling aging ten years overnight. Everyone mourned the loss of a genius. Ethan was brilliant, running the Sterling empire from behind the scenes despite his frail body. Underneath that weak exterior beat the strongest heart I had ever known. Before he died in that timeline, I went to see him one last time. I heard him whispering to his assistant, drifting in and out of consciousness. “I love Scarlett.” “She doesn’t need to know what I did for her. I just want her to be happy.” He believed that not all love needed to be spoken, and not all devotion required a reward. For years, no one knew—except his assistant. His love was buried so deep that I never noticed it, not until the moment he took his last breath, leaving the world full of regrets. So, even if it was just for that one sentence—”I love Scarlett”—I wanted to save him. I wouldn’t let him die with regrets this time. I looked up, smiling radiantly, and patted Mrs. Sterling’s hand. “Don’t worry,” I said softly. “Ethan is going to live a long, long life.” 2 After Mrs. Sterling left, my mother pulled me aside. “Are you doing this just to spite Caleb?” She knew how much I loved Caleb. We were childhood sweethearts. Since I was a teenager, no other boy existed in my world. I thought he felt the same. I never imagined it was all one-sided delusion. When we married in my past life, Caleb had warned me: “I grew up in a shark tank. I don’t know how to love. But everything else I can give, I will give to you.” For five years, we were the golden couple of New York society. Rich, beautiful, seemingly perfect. To maintain that illusion, I taught him how to love me. I tolerated his coldness. I even indulged his specific… preferences. Before we slept together, Caleb would always hand me a silk blindfold or use his tie to cover my eyes. He would whisper, “Scarlett, your eyes are too beautiful. If I look into them, I might lose control and hurt you.” Every time, I would blush, thinking it was romantic. On the rare occasions he forgot the blindfold, I would try to look at him, eager to see passion in his eyes. But he would just turn me around, insisting on positions where we didn’t face each other, kissing my back apologetically. I thought it was just a quirk. Until that fifth anniversary. I took off the blindfold. I saw the name Chloe tattooed intimately on his hip. Humiliation and betrayal crashed over me like a tidal wave. I went crazy. I smashed everything in the bedroom. I threw a heavy crystal ashtray at his head. I cursed him to hell. But this time? I felt nothing. I didn’t want to smash anything. I just wanted to be far away from him. Thinking back, Caleb treated me well enough. He just didn’t love me. 3 The engagement party was set for next month. Mrs. Sterling handled everything. She told me I could back out at any time. I texted back: “That wouldn’t be fair to Ethan.” He was just sick, not unlovable. I messaged my team at the research institute: Prepare the lab. I need full access to the experimental antibacterial protocols. In my last life, after Ethan’s heart transplant, I locked myself in the lab developing a new drug to prevent rejection and infection. By the time it was approved for production, he had already passed away from complications. This time, I would be ready. Suddenly, my phone buzzed. A text from Caleb. Come to The Obsidian Club. We need to talk. I declined immediately. The first thing Caleb did after his “rebirth” was come to my house, cancel our engagement, and publicly confess his love to my adopted sister, Chloe. To make Chloe happy, he spent a fortune on a private fireworks show over the Hudson River. They were trending #1 on social media. Everyone called them a fairytale match. Paparazzi caught them walking on the beach in the Hamptons. When Chloe got “tired,” Caleb knelt in the sand, massaged her ankle, and gave her a piggyback ride. His movements were practiced, gentle, adoring. Comments read: Caleb Sterling is absolutely obsessed with her. He was spending every waking moment making up for his “regrets” from the last life, treating Chloe like a princess. I didn’t object. As long as he left me alone. But in the end, I went to The Obsidian Club anyway. Not for Caleb. I wanted to see Ethan. His assistant had called me. “Ms. Jiang… Scarlett. Mr. Ethan is discussing a deal at Obsidian. If it’s urgent…” I frowned. “He’s sick and he’s at a club drinking? Is he trying to speed up the process?” The assistant went silent. I heard a faint, suppressed cough in the background. The assistant quickly gave me the room number and hung up. 4 Unexpectedly, Caleb knew I would come. He had people watching the entrance. The moment I stepped inside, two security guards flanked me and forcibly “escorted” me to Caleb’s VIP suite. They shoved me inside. I stumbled and fell to my knees on the cold marble floor. The feeling of humiliation was familiar. I clenched my fists and looked up. “Caleb, are you insane?” The room was dimly lit. Caleb bit down on a cigarette, lit it, and exhaled a cloud of smoke. “I didn’t want to do this, Scarlett.” “But you wouldn’t cooperate. You wouldn’t cancel the engagement with the family. So don’t blame me for playing dirty.” My mind went blank. The wedding was canceled. Did he not know? I tried to stand up to explain, but Caleb was already in front of me. He held a glass of amber liquid, his other hand gripping my jaw. “Don’t blame me. I just want to live the life I choose. If you’re… compromised… the family won’t force me to marry you anymore.” I stared at him, my heart turning to ice. Ten years of friendship. Five years of marriage. It all meant nothing to him. “So you’re going to drug me and toss me into some random man’s bed?” Caleb paused. His lips pressed into a thin line. For a second, he hesitated. Then he forced the liquid into my mouth. “The family is pushing for the wedding. I can’t wait anymore.” “I found a guy. Good family. He’ll take responsibility. He’ll marry you.” “Caleb, you are sick! You’re actually crazy!” I struggled, but the guards held me down. The alcohol burned my throat. I coughed violently, liquid spilling onto my white shirt, sticking to my skin. “Be a good girl, Scarlett.” His voice was terrifyingly soft. He wiped the wine from the corner of my mouth. The guards released me. I gasped for air, tears of rage stinging my eyes. “Caleb,” I rasped, laughing bitterly. “I am not going to marry you. I never was.” He smirked. “Really? I know you, Scarlett. I know how much you love me. You’d never walk away.” He was so confident. So arrogant. Suddenly, Chloe appeared at the door. She clutched her dress, staring at me with wide eyes. “Sister? Caleb? What are you…” Caleb stiffened. The cruel smirk vanished. “Chloe… why are you here?” “Who brought you? This place is filthy. You shouldn’t be here.” He rushed to her, his voice transforming into pure honey. He shielded her eyes, acting like a devout believer protecting his goddess. It was a look I had never received. Love and indifference really were black and white. I watched them, a sour taste rising in my throat. Humans are strange. In our past life, after I married Caleb, Chloe went abroad and never came back. If he loved her so much, why didn’t he chase her then? A plane ticket cost nothing to a Sterling. He was a coward. Caleb ushered Chloe out to take her home, leaving me alone in the room with the guards and the creeping effects of the drug.

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I turned myself in to security exactly twenty minutes before I pushed my husband into the ocean. The security officer looked bewildered. “Ma’am, are you saying you’re going to commit a murder?” I nodded, checking my watch. “It is currently 5:05 PM. In twenty minutes, my husband will go overboard by my hand. You need to arrest me. Now.” “Is this a joke? I’ve never had a killer confess before the crime.” He rolled his eyes and turned back to his monitor. Desperate, I grabbed a heavy crystal sculpture from the atrium display and smashed it onto the marble floor. Crash. As the handcuffs clicked around my wrists, I finally exhaled. In my past life, my husband was pushed off a cruise ship by the “love of his life.” He drowned, his body lost to the dark waters. Before I could even process his death, the police arrested me. The ship’s surveillance footage clearly showed me pushing him over the railing. But when it happened, I was in my cabin with my stepfather. I had an alibi. I begged my stepfather to testify for me. Instead, he told the police that my company was bankrupt and I had planned to kill my husband for the insurance money. I was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to lethal injection. Until the moment I died, I couldn’t understand why the entire world was convinced I did it. Then I opened my eyes. I was back on the ship, twenty minutes before my husband was supposed to die. 1 “Excuse me? You said you’re going to kill someone?” I tapped the face of my watch frantically. “Yes! It’s 5:05 PM. In twenty minutes, I’m going to push my husband, Chase, into the Atlantic. You have to lock me up!” The air in the grand atrium seemed to freeze. The security guard looked me up and down like I belonged in a straitjacket. “Lady, are you high? Or just off your meds?” “I’m not lying! Detain me now, and in twenty minutes you’ll see I’m telling the truth!” The guard frowned, his disdain obvious. “Look, if this is some kinky roleplay you and your husband are into, keep me out of it. Don’t disturb the other guests.” He started to walk away. Panic surged through me. I grabbed a large, expensive ceramic vase from a pedestal and hurled it at the floor. Smash! The sound of shattering pottery echoed through the hall. Tourists screamed and scattered. “Are you crazy?!” the guard shouted. He reached for me, but I started grabbing anything I could reach—ashtrays, decorative plates—throwing them like a maniac. “What is security doing? Grab her!” “We paid thousands for a luxury cruise, not to watch a mental breakdown!” The crowd’s anger boiled over. Finally, the Head of Security arrived with backup. They tackled me to the ground, twisting my arms behind my back and slapping on the cuffs. “I’ve never seen anything like it,” the young guard told his boss, panting. “She walked up, said she was gonna kill someone, and when I didn’t arrest her, she started destroying the lobby.” The cold steel against my skin made me feel safer than I had in years. “Take her to the brig. Keep an eye on her. Don’t let her move.” The brig—a glorified holding cell—was empty and quiet. I closed my eyes and counted the seconds. In my last life, this was a family trip. Chase’s “best friend,” Harper, had begged to come along. I had refused at first. But Chase insisted. He said Harper was getting married soon and moving to Europe; this was her final send-off. I reluctantly agreed. I didn’t know that while they were watching the sunset on the deck, they would argue, and Harper would shove him overboard. I had tried to get the crew to save him, but the sun had set, and the waves were too rough. By morning, he was gone. Before I could even mourn, the authorities came for me. “We have probable cause to detain you for the death of Chase Miller.” I was shocked. “Harper pushed him! I saw it from the balcony! You have the wrong person!” But they showed me the footage. It was me in the video. I looked to my stepfather, Richard, for help. He just shook his head. “Sierra, you have to pay for your crimes.” I couldn’t believe he was lying. I was with him when Chase fell. It was all a lie. A setup. “Sierra Vance, just confess. Everyone on deck saw you do it.” One person can lie. But a whole deck of witnesses? A security camera? I went to my execution screaming that it was Harper. Now, I sat in the brig, waiting. 2 Tick. Tock. Suddenly, a dull thud vibrated through the hull, barely audible over the engine’s hum. Screams erupted from the deck above. I knew it. Chase had gone over. Moments later, heavy boots pounded down the hallway. The young guard kicked the door open. He froze when he saw me sitting exactly where he left me. “How… you’re still here?” Before he could finish, a mob of tourists pushed past him. “That’s her! She’s the killer! I saw her push him!” “Don’t let her escape! We all saw it!” A guy in a flashy shirt was holding up a phone, live-streaming the whole thing. “Yo, chat! We caught the killer! She’s right here! Like the stream if you want to see justice served!” I turned away from the camera, rattling my handcuffs against the metal pipe I was tethered to. “What’s going on? I’ve been chained here for twenty minutes.” The mob paused, confused, looking at my restraints. “Ask the guard,” I said loudly. “I caused a scene in the lobby. He arrested me. He has the key.” The young guard, looking terrified but honest, nodded. “Yeah… I locked her up twenty minutes ago. The key has been in my pocket the whole time. She couldn’t have been on the deck.” In my last life, I was too busy trying to save Chase to notice the trap closing around me. This time, I had the ultimate alibi. The crowd murmured. “Wait, did we get the wrong person?” “I saw her in the lobby earlier, she was smashing vases. It took three guys to take her down.” “Move, let us through! We need to find the real killer!” The streamer looked disappointed. “False alarm, guys?” Just then, Harper pushed through the crowd, her face twisted in grief and rage. “Sierra! You heartless monster! Chase wanted a divorce, so you decided to kill him?!” “Everyone listen! The man in the water is her husband! She killed him because she couldn’t handle rejection!” Harper sobbed theatrically. “Poor Chase… he was willing to give her everything just to be free, but she wouldn’t let him go!” The crowd’s mood swung instantly. “It was her husband? That’s messed up.” “If they were getting divorced, she definitely had a motive.” “Look at her face, she looks guilty as hell!” I tried to speak, but the streamer guy saw his view count dropping and decided to spice things up. He kicked me in the ribs. I was chained to the pipe and couldn’t dodge. I curled up on the floor, groaning. The chat on his screen went wild. User123: Kick her again! Justice for the husband! AlphaMale88: Typical toxic ex. She needs to be taught a lesson. Encouraged, the mob surged forward. I took a few hits, my hair pulled, my face scratched. “Enough!” The Head of Security slammed his baton against the doorframe. “Back off! This is a holding cell, not a fight club. Back off or you all go in the brig!” The crowd retreated. I pulled myself up, wiping blood from my lip. “I didn’t kill anyone,” I said, my voice cold. “If you don’t believe me, check the security tapes in this room.” 3 The young guard scrambled to the console. He pulled up the footage. It showed me sitting there, handcuffed, the entire time. The crowd went silent. Harper’s eyes darted around nervously. “You can’t just check this room! Check the deck! The crime scene!” The Head of Security pulled up the deck feed. On the screen, Chase and I were standing in a secluded corner of the deck. We were arguing. Suddenly, the “Sierra” on the screen screamed, shoved Chase violently over the rail, and ran away. The video ended. My mind raced. The woman on the screen looked exactly like me. Same height, same build, same clothes. But it was Harper who was watching the sunset with him. How did she turn into me? The internet chat was confused too. SimpSlayer: Wait, how can she be in two places at once? CSI_Miami_Fan: Is she a twin? Or is that a deepfake? LawyerUp: If she has an alibi in custody, the video evidence is compromised. Reasonable doubt. “It’s the same person!” Harper shrieked, pointing at the screen. “Look closely! It’s Sierra!” “When one spouse dies, the other is always the prime suspect!” “She probably bribed these guards to create an alibi! Don’t let her trick you!” Before I could defend myself, my stepfather, Richard, burst into the room. Slap! His hand connected hard with my cheek. “Sierra! I didn’t raise you to be a murderer!” “I told you I would fix the company’s debt! You didn’t have to kill Chase for the insurance money!” Richard threw a stack of documents onto the floor. The streamer zoomed in. CryptoKing: Holy sht! Two life insurance policies! Twenty million dollars!* TradWife4Life: She did it for the money. Disgusting. Harper smirked through her fake tears. “Witnesses, video evidence, and motive. It’s over, Sierra. You’re going to rot in prison.” “A life for a life!” the mob chanted. “A life for a life!” Even the young guard looked at me with disgust now. Suddenly, my phone rang. The guard looked at his boss, who nodded. He uncuffed one of my hands so I could answer. “Are you going to order a hit on us too?” Harper sneered. I ignored her. It was my assistant. I listened to the report, and a smile spread across my face. Richard wiped his fake tears. “Sierra, admit it. I can’t protect you anymore. I will demand the police prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law!” If I hadn’t lived through this before, I would have been heartbroken by his betrayal. I laughed, a dry, hollow sound. “Dad. You loved Chase so much. Is it because he’s actually your biological son?” Richard froze. “You crazy bitch, what are you saying?” “I raised you! I treated you like my own! You ungrateful brat!” I looked straight into the streamer’s camera lens. “Stop acting. I know everything. Chase is your illegitimate son. You brought him into the company, you set us up, and you helped him drain my accounts.” “Isn’t that right… Chase?” 4 The room went dead silent. ConspiracyTheory101: Wait, is the victim… not dead? OceanLover: If he fell into the ocean at night, he’s shark food. She’s bluffing. Harper stepped forward. “Chase is gone! You pushed him! How dare you disrespect the dead!” Richard clutched his chest. “You are accusing me of… this is insane! I would never hurt my own daughter!” “Daughter?” I scoffed. “If I was your daughter, would you be so eager to see me executed? You just want me out of the way so you and your son can enjoy the payout.” “We can do a DNA test right now. There must be Chase’s hair in the cabin. Let’s see who his real father is.” The crowd murmured. Richard’s reaction was too suspicious. Richard gritted his teeth. “I raised you! That’s more than blood! And now you treat me like a dog!” Harper jumped in. “Richard is a saint! You’re the monster! You killed his son!” I laughed. “No, Harper. You killed him.” “Or tried to.” “You weren’t in your room like you planned. You got greedy.” Harper turned pale. “I… I was in my room!” “Really? Because I have proof you weren’t.” I lunged at her. The crowd screamed and scattered. Harper shrieked and dodged, but the man in black standing behind her—her “bodyguard”—wasn’t fast enough. I tackled him. His cap flew off. His mask slipped. The face beneath was scarred, horrific. But I recognized the eyes.

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