When the results of the second mock SATs were posted, I, the perennial valedictorian, had plummeted to the bottom of the class. Suddenly, glowing text floated before my eyes like a livestream chat: [The Female Lead is done for! Everyone around her has bound a ‘Swapper System’ to forcibly trade their trash for her treasures.] [Swapping grades is just the beginning…] The comments were all lamenting my tragic fate. Until the next day. The guy who stole my grades suddenly dropped dead. 01 [Congratulations. You have identified the first Swapper.] [Please identify all hidden Swappers around you before Graduation Day. Failure to do so will result in ‘The Erasure’—the loss of your limbs and senses until you are a living stump.] [Swappers Identified: 1] [Countdown to Graduation: 44 Days] The System’s cold robotic voice rang in my head. I clenched my fists under the desk. Beside me, my lab partner was still gossiping about the morning’s news in disbelief. “…They said he was walking down the hall and just dropped. Massive cardiac arrest. He was perfectly healthy at his physical last month.” Seeing me zoning out, Sarah lowered her voice. “It’s weird though, right? Caleb has been failing every class since freshman year, but he suddenly scores perfect marks on this mock exam. And the moment he gets the score… boom, dead. People are saying he messed with dark magic or something.” I forced a pale smile. “There’s no such thing as magic, Sarah. Let’s not gossip about the dead.” Sarah shrugged and went back to her phone. I looked down, hiding the storm in my eyes. Three days ago, I bound the [Hunter System]. The System told me that a group of people around me had bound “Swapper Systems.” They each had one chance to swap anything of mine for theirs—at no cost. Grades were just the start. Next, they would take my looks, my family, even my lifespan. I had to find them before graduation. Otherwise, I would be stripped of everything, eventually suffering “The Erasure”—a fate worse than death. Any Swapper I correctly identified would face immediate termination. Whatever they stole would return to me within two business days. It was a kill-or-be-killed game. At first, I was skeptical. Until the mock SAT scores came out. I, Harper Vance, was at the bottom. And Caleb, the class slacker, was number one. I didn’t hesitate. I opened the System interface mentally. [Identity Confirmed: Caleb. Stolen Attribute: Grades.] Not long after, I heard the news of his death. I confirmed two things. One: The System and the floating comments were real. Two: The Swappers didn’t know I had a Hunter System. If they did, Caleb wouldn’t have been so obvious. I was in the dark, but they were exposed. Advantage: Me. 02 Two days after Caleb died. The principal announced over the intercom: “Due to a server error, there was a mix-up in the grading system. Caleb’s score was incorrect. The true top scorer is, once again, Harper Vance.” The guidance counselor smiled at me later. “Harper, you’ve been top of the class all year. Keep this up, and you’re looking at Stanford or Harvard, easy.” I smiled back. The System was precise. It said “two business days,” and my grades returned right on time. A few days later. While washing my face in the morning, I noticed several angry cystic acne spots erupting on my skin. The familiar glowing text appeared. [Another Swapper made a move. This time, it’s the Female Lead’s beauty.] [This one is smart. She didn’t swap faces entirely. She’s siphoning it bit by bit.] [Since the Lead is the Prom Queen type and the Swapper is plain, a full swap would be too obvious.] [She probably thinks it’s just stress breakouts. She won’t catch on.] [And to think the Lead treats her so well. Snakes everywhere.] So that was it. Without the comments, I wouldn’t have noticed. The names in the comments were blurred out, but I extracted three clues: The Swapper is a plain-looking girl. The name has three syllables. She is close to me. Three names popped into my head immediately. My lab partner, Sarah. My roommate, Emily (I went to a boarding school). My neighbor back home, Chloe. After some observation, I locked onto Sarah. She was usually a bit chubby, but lately, she looked thinner, and her features seemed more refined. [Identity Confirmed: Sarah.] [Attribute Stolen: Partial Beauty.] Suddenly, a piercing alarm rang in my brain. [WARNING! WARNING!] [Host failed to identify the true Swapper!] [You have one chance remaining. Find the true thief within 3 days.] [Penalty for second failure: Beauty -50 permanently. IQ -100 permanently.] [Please take this seriously!] 03 I froze. This Swapper was cunning. Maybe Caleb’s death spooked them. They weren’t being blatant anymore. The hunt just got harder. Back in the dorm, I watched my roommate, Emily. Maybe it was psychological, but her skin looked glowing and porcelain-white today. Emily was humming, applying a sheet mask. “Em, what brand is that? Your skin looks amazing lately.” I tested the waters casually. “Really? Do I look paler?” Emily beamed. “It’s this drugstore brand. Super cheap. Want the link?” She sent me the Amazon link immediately, babbling about how she saw it on TikTok. I smiled and chatted along. I took out my phone and texted my neighbor, Chloe. “Hey girl, are you free this weekend? Want to go shopping?” Chloe replied instantly. “Nah, I’m staying in to study. Graduation is around the corner, too stressed to hang out.” The next day, I knocked on Chloe’s door with a box of cronuts. “I was in the neighborhood. Brought you treats.” I pushed past the door before she could block me. “Omg, love you!” Chloe took the box. I asked, “Chloe, are you on a diet? You look… gaunt.” “No way,” Chloe said naturally. “I’ve been stress-eating pizza every night at 2 AM. I probably lost weight from anxiety.” She stepped on the scale in the living room. “See? Weight hasn’t changed. Sad.” I chatted a bit longer and left. Back home, I summoned the System. [Identity Confirmed: Chloe.] [Attribute Stolen: Partial Beauty.] 04 Chloe hadn’t lost weight or gotten paler. She looked the same. But I remembered she had extremely oily skin. One slice of pizza usually meant a breakout the next morning. Today, her face was flawless. And my face was covered in the acne that should have been hers. [Congratulations. Second Swapper Identified.] [Swappers Identified: 2] [Countdown: 36 Days] Simultaneously, I heard screams from the neighbor’s house. “Chloe! Chloe, wake up!” “Call 911! She’s not breathing!” I stood still in my hallway. I knew the penalty was death. But Chloe… was it worth dying over some pimples? Sensing my hesitation, the System spoke coldly: [From the moment she chose to target you and steal your beauty… she stopped being your friend.] [Mercy to the enemy is cruelty to yourself. The price of failure is The Erasure.] I shook my head. [I’m not being soft. I just don’t understand. Is being pretty worth dying for?] Or maybe, to Chloe, I was never a friend. Just a target. The people around me felt like they were wearing masks. What was hiding underneath? Over the next week, I caught two more. One tried to swap my admission to Columbia University. Another tried to swap my popularity. I caught them fast. They were gone just as fast. The System was hyped. [Host, you’re crushing it! Just survive until graduation!] [I’m applying for a bonus. Every catch adds 10 points to your final GPA!] Things looked bright. The comments said I might change my tragic destiny. Until that day. I was walking on the sidewalk. A truck swerved, hopping the curb, barreling straight for me. When I woke up in the hospital, I heard the doctors whispering outside. “Amputation.” [WARNING! WARNING!] [Host’s Luck has dropped to Zero!] [Identify the Luck Thief within 24 hours!] [Failure penalty: Amputation of both legs.]

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My secret Twitter account (“finsta”) was exposed. It was a digital diary of my unrequited love for my foster brother over the years. But for my feelings, he showed only disgust. “Put away your dirty thoughts. You’re just an orphan my family took in out of pity. My parents tolerate you; I just barely tolerate looking at you.” Later, I packed away all my adoration for him and curled up in the arms of his sworn enemy, Jax, seeking warmth. I was wrapped in Jax’s leather motorcycle jacket. My foster brother’s face turned pale. In his usually calm voice, fury burned: “Summer, get out of his arms.” Jax smirked devilishly: “Sorry, bro. My grip was too strong; I think I tore her dress.” 01 “The weather is nice today. Tonight at dinner, I’ll tell Ethan to make you eat more meat. He says you’re too skinny, like you’re malnourished.” “Mom says I’m the girl she raised personally, and she loves me. When I’m legal, she wants to set me up with Ethan. Closer than close. I like Ethan, do you think he likes me?” A girl’s voice, feigning innocence but dripping with malice, rang out. Bella sat next to Ethan, legs crossed, looking at me with a sneer. “Summer, do you like Ethan?” The VIP room went silent instantly. Everyone’s eyes fixed on me. I don’t know who laughed first, but soon everyone in the room was mocking me. “Summer, the Sterling family was kind enough to adopt you, and you want to be Mrs. Sterling?” “Hahaha, what did Ethan do to deserve that? Look at her, she’s so plain. Definitely not Ethan’s type.” Amidst the laughter, I lowered my head, gripping my white dress tightly. My fingers curled and uncurled. Finally, I mustered the courage to look at Ethan. He was the boy I had called “brother” for ten years, the only light in my dim youth. The dim lights of the club fell on him. He was handsome, noble, out of place in this noisy environment. Sensing my gaze, Ethan reached out and took Bella’s phone. His long fingers swiped across the screen. The white light reflected on his face. I saw the impatience in his expression. “Summer.” Ethan put the phone down on the table, his eyes filled with blatant disgust. Everyone in the room quieted down, making his voice exceptionally clear. He said, “Put away your dirty thoughts. Or get the hell out of the Sterling house.” At that moment, my mind went blank. Tears spilled uncontrollably from my eyes. So Ethan hated me this much. Even my purest affection was “dirty” in his eyes. 02 Today was Bella’s birthday. An hour ago, she suddenly told me Ethan was hurt and asked me to bring him home. I didn’t think twice and rushed to the address. When I got there, I found Ethan wasn’t hurt at all. That was when Bella said she found something fun. “I found a secret Twitter account chronicling a sister’s love for her brother. Guess whose it is?” I had vaguely guessed what she was doing. She always liked Ethan. I refused to help her get with him many times. Now that she found my account, naturally, she wanted to humiliate me publicly. Realizing her intent, I made an excuse to leave, but she beat me to it and read the tweets aloud. Then came that scene. I gritted my teeth, wanting to escape, but my legs felt heavy as lead. Tears fell like broken beads. Someone spoke up for me: “Ethan is so excellent, and they grew up together. Isn’t it normal for her to like him?” Bella scoffed, “The Sterling family took in this orphan. Letting her call Ethan ‘brother’ was kindness. Not only is she ungrateful, but she dares to have these thoughts? How is that normal?” The person who spoke up was silenced by her retort. Ethan’s gaze had been fixed on me from the start. Suddenly, he extended his arm and pulled Bella close. Bella looked surprised and leaned into his embrace. I saw him frown slightly, then return to normal. Suddenly, with his other hand, he picked up a half-empty water bottle and threw it at my feet. “Why aren’t you leaving? Standing there to disgust me further?” 03 At that moment, my self-esteem seemed to be discarded on the floor like that water bottle. I released my grip on my dress, letting go of the thread holding my teenage heart. I looked up, eyes blurry with tears, at Ethan one last time. His cold face seemed merely a larger version of the boy I met ten years ago. “I’m sorry.” I stared straight at him, my body trembling uncontrollably. Then I heard my own voice: “I won’t like you anymore, Ethan.” The words bypassed my brain, triggered by a self-protection mechanism. After speaking, I quickly left the room. Out of the corner of my eye, Ethan seemed to want to say something, but Bella pressed him down. She clung to him, her voice sweet and soft: “Ethan, since you hugged me, my birthday wish is for you to be my boyfriend.” Cheering erupted in the room, the lively atmosphere restored instantly. I wiped my tears messily, my heart aching. Looking down at my white dress and flat figure, I thought of Bella’s beauty and sex appeal. No wonder Ethan liked her. But did liking her mean he had to trample on me? I walked out of the bar, found some steps, and sat down. Logging into my secret Twitter account, tears falling on the screen, I deleted the posts one by one. “Watched my brother play basketball today. He made a three-pointer, and all the girls screamed. I was a little jealous, but I love him so much.” “He ate the bento I made. So happy. He must be obsessed with my little bear rice balls too, right?” With every deleted tweet, I chanted in my heart: “Don’t like Ethan anymore.” I don’t know how long passed. The tears dried on my face in the wind. I put away my phone and stood up. The sudden movement made me dizzy. Suddenly, a group of men appeared in front of me, staring at me fiercely. “Miss, you’ve been sitting here for so long. We charge a fee.” 04 The men were obviously thugs. The cold wind had cleared my head. Giving money to these people was useless; who knew what they would do? I took out my phone and Venmo’d them all the money I had. “This is all my savings. Consider it a drink on me, big brothers.” My hands shook as I spoke, hoping they only wanted money. The leader looked at the five thousand dollars, grinning to reveal yellow teeth. “Looks like the Sterling family treats their adopted daughter well. Five grand just like that.” As soon as he spoke, I realized they weren’t here for money. His gaze scanned my body nakedly. “Someone told us to take good care of you, so you stop having thoughts you shouldn’t have.” My heart shook. I remembered what Ethan said in the VIP room. Did he send these men? Did he hate me enough to do this? Looking at the men closing in, a chill ran through me. Ethan wanted to ruin me completely, to cut off all my hope. “I… I really don’t like Ethan anymore. I’ll call him right now! Please don’t touch me!” In desperation, I used Ethan’s name, but the man slapped the phone out of my hand disdainfully. He grabbed my wrist, leering. “You don’t like him? Good. Then like me. I’ll make you feel good!” I struggled hard, but his strength only grew. The more I fought, the more excited he got. I opened my mouth to scream for help, but the street was empty. No one could save me. I was in despair. “What are you doing?” A bright light suddenly shone. A motorcycle stopped nearby. Like a god walking against the light toward me.

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On the eve of my engagement to my boyfriend, my mom suddenly called me. “I have something to do on the day of your engagement party. I probably can’t make it.” After she spoke, she waited for my reply. I was silent for a moment. “That’s fine. You’re not needed for the wedding either. I’m the main character; that’s enough.” I knew she wanted me to panic. She wanted me to beg her. What parent wouldn’t show up for their child’s biggest life event? Wouldn’t that make her a laughingstock? But I didn’t want to play her game. I hung up the phone decisively. She wouldn’t be able to sit still. 1 Not long after I hung up, she called again. “Are you still holding a grudge because I secretly tried to call off your engagement?” I pulled the corners of my mouth. She knew the answer. My boyfriend, Liam, and I met earlier this year and hit it off. He has a Master’s degree, his parents work for the city, and he owns a house and a car. He’s handsome and kind. He was the best catch I’d ever dated. But my mom did everything she could to oppose us. “You’re average looking and you didn’t go to a top university. Anyone with eyes can see you’re not good enough for his family.” She forced me to break up with Liam. I refused. So she went behind my back, found the matchmaker—our busybody neighbor, Mrs. Higgins—and rejected the proposal on my behalf. When I found out, I was furious. I moved out that same day. “I’m doing this for your own good! Look at how many marriages fail because the families aren’t equal!” “I’m afraid you’ll get bullied. I’m afraid you’ll regret it and won’t be able to divorce. Am I wrong?” She argued vehemently. At first glance, it almost sounded reasonable. “But, do you really believe that in your heart?” Purely for my own good? With no selfish motives? Mom paused. “What do you mean? Would I harm you?” I sneered. “Only you know the answer to that.” She exploded like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. “Fine, Lily! I never knew you had such a dark heart, throwing dirt on your own mother!” “I’m telling you today, you and Liam won’t make it! My mouth is cursed; whatever I say comes true!” She cursed me through gritted teeth. I could feel the malice through the phone. I closed my eyes and blocked her number. On my wall hung a deep purple velvet dress. It was the dress I had custom-made for her for the engagement party. I’ll never forget when I happily gave it to her. She threw it on the floor like a rag. My best friend told me to return it. It wasn’t cheap. But I couldn’t bear to. I kept fantasizing that she might change her mind and wear it happily. I waited and waited, and finally, I got her curse. In the afternoon, my Uncle Bob called. He told me to come to his house to “chat” about the engagement. I knew immediately. Mom had gone to complain. Liam knew and tried to stop me. “You can’t handle a whole room of them alone. I’m worried you’ll get sick from anger.” I shook my head. I had to go. If I didn’t, who knew what stories Mom would spin? I had to let everyone know the truth and end this farce completely. Uncle Bob’s living room was full. Besides his family, my Aunt Karen and her husband were there. My younger sister was there too. Mom was leaning on her shoulder, wiping tears. Everyone looked at me with blame. It was an intervention. “Wow, Lily. You really impress me. You won’t let your own mother attend your engagement party? You’re probably the only person in this whole town who would do that. You really bring honor to the family.” Uncle Bob started with sarcasm. I glanced at my mom expressionlessly. Just as I expected. She was the one who called and said she wouldn’t come. Now, it had turned into me banning her. Aunt Karen chimed in immediately. “I really didn’t expect you to be so heartless. You have a man and forget your mother? Sure, you resent her for the secret rejection, but is a mother’s concern wrong? Why can’t you see it from her perspective?” My aunt-in-law cleared her throat. “Technically I shouldn’t interfere, but I have to remind you, Lily. No marriage is smooth sailing. If something happens in the future, you need your maiden family to back you up. Is this smart?” 2 Seeing the whole room on her side, Mom cried even louder. “I put my heart and soul into thinking for her! I was afraid she’d suffer! How did it become malicious? I’m so wronged!” Her shoulders shook, sobbing uncontrollably like a child. My sister glared at me. “You’re plain, you have nothing. Mom is worried you’re being played. Isn’t that normal?” “But you? You turn around and bite her, saying she has selfish motives. She’s your biological mother! What selfish motives could she have?” “She knows best what motives she has!” I looked at them coldly. “When you two went behind my back to reject the engagement, do you dare tell everyone what you said to Mrs. Higgins?” Mom and my sister froze simultaneously. They exchanged a panicked look, faces turning pale instantly. “What? Did you forget so quickly? Or are you too ashamed to say it?” That day, they told Mrs. Higgins that I decided to break up with Liam because of my “inferiority complex.” They begged her to pass the message. And at the same time, they hoped she could introduce my sister, Bella, to Liam instead. Because they felt Bella and Liam were a better match. To suck up to Mrs. Higgins, Mom even gave her a pearl necklace and told her to keep it quiet. After getting home, the two of them took turns trying to convince me to date the guy who runs the fried food stand on the corner, saying he was appropriate for me. I almost went crazy those few days. Finally, Mrs. Higgins felt something was off and called me to verify. That’s when I knew I had been stabbed in the back. My own mother tried to break me up with my boyfriend just so her favorite daughter could replace me! I took out my phone and played the recording of my call with Mrs. Higgins. Listening to it, my eyes turned red. “Mom, Bella is your daughter. Am I not? Why do you treat me like this?” Since childhood, I was more sensible and obedient than Bella. Mom clenched her fists, glaring at me with hatred, like she wanted to eat me. My cousin stood up first to defend me. “Aunt Carol, that’s too biased! Lily found a great guy. Shouldn’t you be happy for her?” “And Bella? She can’t find a husband so she has to steal her sister’s boyfriend? That’s so low!” She spoke fast, looking indignant. Uncle Bob glared at my cousin. “Shut up! It’s not your turn to speak!” He turned to me. “I met Liam once. He’s a good catch. Maybe your mom felt you two weren’t a match and feared you’d break up, so she wanted to keep him in the family. She did it so the family wouldn’t lose out.” Aunt Karen nodded. “Your uncle is right. You can’t fully blame your mom. Bella is better than you. She’s taller, prettier, and went to a better college. These are facts. You can’t deny them.” “So?” I trembled, almost crying from rage. “So I should willingly give up my boyfriend and go date the fry cook?” What kind of bandit logic was this? Uncle Bob looked impatient. “That’s enough. You and Liam haven’t broken up, have you? You’re about to get engaged. Why hold onto this?” “Yes, your mom is a bit biased. But she didn’t want to lose a good son-in-law. She did it for the family.” Aunt Karen rolled her eyes at me. “Anyone can complain about your mom except you. She almost bled to death giving birth to you. You can never repay that debt!” 3 These words hit Mom’s switch. She covered her face and wailed. “Stop saying it! If she had any conscience, she wouldn’t be doing this today!” “Why is my life so bitter? If I had known, I wouldn’t have given birth to her!” “If I had a choice, I wouldn’t want to be born in your belly either!” My voice was broken and sad, coming from the bottom of my heart. Mom stopped crying and stared at me viciously. Suddenly, she rushed to the window, opened it, and tried to jump. Luckily, someone nearby grabbed her. “Let me die! Let me die! My daughter hates me. What’s the point of living!” Her shrieks echoed in the living room, making my ears ring. Aunt Karen hugged her waist, glaring at me furiously. “Carol, stop! Lily, what good does driving your mother to death do? Aren’t you afraid of karma?” Uncle Bob grabbed a teacup and smashed it at my feet. “You’re rebelling! Just because your dad died early and your mom has no husband to back her up? If you want to bully her, you have to go through me!” “Kneel and apologize to your mother! Right now!” I stepped back, dazed, tears flowing uncontrollably. Why didn’t I listen to Liam? Why did I come here? I was no match for Mom. “What? Not convinced? I’m telling you, if you don’t apologize today, none of us will attend your wedding!” Uncle Bob threatened me, pointing a finger. I wiped the tears from my face, my voice low and final. “Good. Saves me money on invitations.” I turned and left Uncle Bob’s house without looking back. They kept shouting my name behind me. I covered my ears, feeling nauseous. My name is Lily. But my legal name used to be something much uglier. Mom named me “Cuilan”—Jade Orchid. It sounded like a peasant name from the 1950s. My aunt said when they registered my birth, she told Mom it was too old-fashioned. Mom didn’t care. “Why give her a fancy name? Is she going to become a phoenix?” But when naming my sister, she spent hundreds of dollars hiring a numerologist. They calculated for days and chose “Bella.” Beautiful. Everyone said Bella was prettier and better than me. They didn’t know my SAT score was 300 points higher than hers. But on the day I got my acceptance letter to a State University, Mom lent our family savings to a distant relative to buy a truck. I cried for two days and nights. She looked innocent. “You’re so insensible. We have no sons. If something happens later, we need relatives to help.” Just like that, I didn’t go to university. I went to community college. Bella? Her scores were barely enough for a for-profit college, but Mom bought her the latest iPhone, MacBook, and iPad, and threw a huge graduation party. She got a $500 monthly allowance and lived carefree. I felt wronged. I resented it. But eventually, I tried to please them. I fantasized that if I was filial and obedient, I could earn a little of Mom’s love. I even naively thought that finding a good husband would make Mom respect me. Until Mrs. Higgins called. It turns out, in this world, there really are mothers who don’t love their children. And because I wasn’t loved, all the relatives sided with the favorite. 4 I left the family group chat. Those who didn’t bless me weren’t welcome at my wedding. I calmed myself down and prepared for the upcoming engagement party. But the night before the party, I suddenly got a text from Liam. “I’m sorry, Lily. Let’s break up. I hope you find someone better.” Without warning. He blocked me on everything. Decisive. During the day, we were dreaming about our future. He said he wanted to marry me quickly so I’d have my own home. He said he would protect me from Mom and Bella. I didn’t know what changed. I went to Liam’s house. His parents said he wasn’t home. I called his friends. They couldn’t reach him. Finally, I found him in the small park where we used to hang out. He was chugging a bottle of whiskey like it was water. “Give me a reason. I promise I won’t harass you.” He looked at me with red, swollen eyes and kept drinking. I snatched the bottle and threw it in the trash. “Are you going to talk?” “Your mom told me… she said you slept around with your ex-boyfriend in cheap motels!” He looked at me with sadness, like he was about to cry. I stood there, frozen, like I’d been hit with a club. I knew Mom wouldn’t let it go, but I didn’t expect her to use such a dirty tactic. “You believe whatever she says?” I was indescribably disappointed. After all this time, he didn’t trust me at all. “She said she has proof! And she’s your mother! Would she make up rumors about her own daughter’s chastity?” Liam’s voice cracked. “I didn’t know before. But now that I know… how can I get engaged to you?” He squatted on the ground, holding his head. He looked pathetic. I was silent. Then I grabbed him and dragged him toward the park exit. “What are you doing?” “Come home with me!” Mom was playing cards with her old cronies, smiling and radiant. She was clearly in a great mood. I walked up silently and flipped the card table. “Ah!” They screamed and jumped up. Seeing my face darker than charcoal, they scrambled away in fear. “Do you want to die, Lily? Are you crazy?!” Mom roared at me. I approached her grimly. “Who told you I slept around with my ex? Show me the evidence. Or this isn’t over!” Since childhood, this was the first time I lost my temper at Mom like this. I had been a filial daughter for twenty years, and in return, she slandered me. Mom sneered. “Fine, Lily. Your wings are hard now. You dare to yell at me?” “Since I dared to expose you, of course I have evidence. I’m just afraid you won’t have the face to see it!” “My conscience is clear. Bring it out!” Mom rolled her eyes and took out an old phone from her bedroom. “I remember clearly. You went to work in the city when you were eighteen. Two years later, you got a boyfriend. One weekend, you went hiking and got caught in a storm.” I followed her words. I remembered. That was a once-in-a-decade storm. Traffic was paralyzed. We couldn’t get back to the city, so we had to get a room at a small motel at the foot of the mountain.

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When the company announced the annual retreat—a luxury trip to Southeast Asia—I had a bad feeling. My mom snatched the glossy brochure from my hand. “Your company has been around for years, why would they scam you? If you don’t know how to enjoy a blessing like this, let your brother go!” I frowned and tried to argue, but my brother, Kyle, cut in: “Sis, are you jealous again? This is your own fault for not wanting to go. Don’t tell me you’re regretting it now that you see I can go have fun?” I was worried about putting Kyle in danger. I gritted my teeth, ready to just go myself, when suddenly, glowing text—like a livestream chat—scrolled across my vision: [Here we go! The Female Lead is about to get packaged and sold by her company! Can’t wait for her to meet the Mafia Boss in the Zone and unlock that spicy, toxic romance~] [How did this get past the censors? But this setting… kinda hot, ngl.] [Totally. Once the FL becomes the top girl, the ML falls in love at first sight. Then it’s forced love, captivity play, gaslighting, enemies-to-lovers… inject it into my veins! A masterpiece!] I couldn’t understand what was “sweet” about any of that. Terrified, I answered my brother: “I don’t regret it. You can have my spot.” 1 [??? Why did the FL change her mind???] [No way, no way. If she doesn’t go, how does the plot happen?] [Impossible. The plot will force her to go, right? I’m still waiting for the dark, handsome Mafia Boss to save her from being humiliated in the club. The ‘crazy bad boy’ trope is too good!] [Humiliated? Is the FL not… pure?] [She dresses like the innocent white flower those bosses love. She gets picked immediately upon entering the Zone. Her first night sells for a high price. She only meets the ML after becoming the top earner.] [What trash writing. FL isn’t pure? Gross. Vomit!] [Purity police, exit left. Bye. Later on, the ML’s rival kidnaps her to humiliate him. After the rival forces himself on her, he lets his subordinates take turns…] [What? And this still has a Happy Ending? I feel bad for the ML, having to be a stepdad to trauma…] [Is the commenter above sick? The ML is a crime lord in a lawless zone. You think he’s clean?] My blood ran cold. The comments mentioned specific terms. The Zone. Line workers. Ice… And the “top girl” they mentioned was undoubtedly a “Gold Medal Hostess.” Drinking with clients, partying, sleeping with them, even doing drugs with them… Girls who fall into that life, after being exploited for every ounce of sexual value and surviving inhuman abuse, are often used as breeding stock. In the end, they are drained of blood or harvested for organs, dying miserably on the streets, disappearing from the world completely. And all of this was just an “exciting and interesting story” to them? The comments even gleefully spammed a famous line from the “novel”: [Welcome to the North of M Country, the place where I grow. Welcome to my world, my precious little princess.] They were dying of happiness in the chat. They shamelessly declared: Even if the Female Lead lost so much, she gained the Male Lead’s sweet love~ I only felt a chill deep in my bones. 2 A notification popped up in the company group chat: HR: @Everyone The Year-End Company Retreat is go! A special 7-Day Tour of Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand! All expenses during the trip—flights, hotels, meals—are covered by the company. No budget worries, no planning stress. Just follow the company’s arrangement. Free your hands, free your mind, and enjoy the team building~ Plus, the company has booked an international 5-star hotel for the Annual Gala. Activities include: Cash Lottery: Grand Prize $25,000! First Prize $15,000! Third Prize $8,000! Plus ten runner-up prizes of $1,000+! Everyone gets something! Gift Raffle: Latest MacBooks, iPhones, Dyson vacuums, hairdryers, upgrades to Couple Suites and Presidential Suites! All-inclusive: Buffet meals, open bar, and free SPA services at the hotel. We invite all partners to participate enthusiastically. Wishing everyone a prosperous New Year! CEO Wang: 👏👏👏 Secretary Zhang: Thank you to the leadership! Grateful! 🙏 Manager Li: The company treats us so well. We must work harder to not disappoint the leaders! 💪 Zhao: Grateful for the mentorship! ❤️ Intern Wu: What? The retreat is this good? 😭 But I’m still an intern, I probably can’t go, right? HR: No worries! We are all family here. I applied specially for you interns. You can go too! Intern Wu: Yay! Thank you leaders! Thank you company! 🎉🎉🎉 … After the official announcement, the group chat exploded. Everyone was happily thanking the company for its generosity. Thinking of the comments, I couldn’t smile. My brother, Kyle, snatched my phone after seeing the notification. “Sis! Your company benefits are insane! Holy crap, the lottery has a $25,000 grand prize! Since you said I could go, no take-backs! Even if I win the lottery at your gala, you can’t ask for it back!” Thinking of the future described in the comments, I tried to stop him. “Kyle, average companies don’t do international retreats like this. Plus, I haven’t even passed probation…” Kyle interrupted impatiently: “Sis, stop making excuses. You just don’t want to give me the spot. You’re jealous that I’m about to go on an international trip, right?!” I opened my mouth, but before I could speak, Mom threw the brochure back at me, looking heartbroken. “Lily, I raised you with blood and sweat. Since college, you’ve been traveling everywhere, but we haven’t even left the state once. Now you’re begrudging your brother one trip…” But I was running around working odd jobs. It wasn’t tourism; it was survival to save for tuition. She got more upset as she spoke, her voice choking up. “Kyle, your sister is so stingy. She won’t let you go. She’s definitely holding a grudge about when you were little, thinking I favored you. Kyle, if we can’t go, we won’t go. Mom will pay for a tour for us!” Kyle immediately wailed: “Mom, Sis’s company gala has a lottery! The grand prize is $25,000, and there are tons of smaller cash prizes! My luck has always been better than hers. If I go, I’ll definitely win!” Mom’s voice went up an octave. “That much?!” Kyle hugged my phone, reading the notification word for word. The two of them were beaming, a picture of familial bliss. As if they had already won the $25,000. Mom glanced at me, pointedly saying: “Kyle, it’s about time you bought a house. If you win that money, it’s better for you to hold onto it than your sister…” 3 It had always been like this. In this family, my parents seemed to only belong to Kyle, not me. My brother was named Kyle—strong, classic. I was the unwanted older daughter. My name was Lily, but it felt like “Leftover.” Growing up, I only got to play with toys Kyle broke. I didn’t like the headless action figures or the broken cars. I wanted pretty dolls and magic wands too. But Mom said: “Lily, you’re a big girl, why do you still play with toys? Your brother is small, let him play. Mom will buy you new clothes for New Year.” But Mom never bought me those clothes. On my birthday, Mom would buy two cakes because Kyle cried about not having his own. But on Kyle’s birthday, there was never a cake for me. I got into a top-tier university. Kyle failed his SATs twice and went to a community college. Mom held my hand and said: “Lily, look how many families don’t even let girls go to college so they can save money for the son. Remember how good the family is to you. Don’t dwell on small things.” I believed her. I swallowed my grievances and told myself to be content. So I worked everywhere, gritting my teeth to pay my own tuition. But late at night, seeing Kyle post about his new Jordans on Instagram, I would sob into my pillow. One pair of his shoes cost a semester of my tuition. Why? We were both their children. Why was my life so hard, while Kyle was lifted up by the whole family? After graduation, Mom started asking for money. “Lily, your brother is still in school. Everything costs money. You graduated, you should share the burden.” Kyle was at a no-name college, yet “everything cost money.” I went to a top university and never took a cent from home. Even though I was numb to it, hearing these words still stung. When Mom brought Kyle to live in my rental apartment, she cried, screamed, and threatened to hang herself until I gave her my debit card. She said: “Lily, you just started earning money. You’ll spend it recklessly. Mom will save it for you. It’ll be there later.” But under her pillow, she hid brochures for real estate, whispering with Kyle behind my back. Now, hearing about the trip and the lottery, she couldn’t wait to give everything that belonged to me to Kyle. Even my well-intentioned warnings were labeled “stingy,” “petty,” and “immature.” 4 I picked up the brochure from the floor. Below the photos of beaches and temples, there was fine print: Trip Notice: To ensure smooth travel, please hand over passports to the company for safekeeping before departure. During major events, please hand in phones as per regulations. Participate fully, look up at the world, don’t be a zombie scroller. The Retreat and Gala are mandatory. Employees who do not participate lack team spirit. The entire department will forfeit their year-end bonuses! Seeing these rules, the chat comments exploded: [Okay, seriously? This is too suspicious. If she goes, she’s an idiot.] [But it’s vicious. If one person doesn’t go, the whole department loses their bonus. Anyone who refuses becomes public enemy number one.] [Who collects passports? Only traffickers. If she falls for this, she deserves it.] [Above comment, stop victim-blaming. How is being scammed the victim’s fault?] [To be fair, the FL is pitiful. Sexist family, vampire brother.] [Later, after she gets sold, she tries to contact her family. But her family just asks if the bonus money came through. When they hear she needs ransom, they hang up and block her. Only when her video goes viral do they show up again, asking her for money to buy the brother a house.] [The ‘Brother-Helper Demon’ FL is tragic. Luckily the Male Lead will slap the vampire family in the face later. Guaranteed sweet ending~] [Welcome to the Zone, my precious little princess~] [So now the FL senses something wrong, stops her brother, and forces herself to go?] Reading these comments, my heart turned to ice. So this was my future? Sold to a foreign land. Imprisoned as a plaything for some “Boss.” Squeezed dry by my family and then discarded. And everyone watching found this entertaining. No one cared about my pain. I was cold all over, forcing back tears. I refused to accept this terrible future. I would not be anyone’s “little princess.” I would not go to the hell those demons prepared. And I certainly wouldn’t give up my freedom and life for their so-called “sweet romance”! I swallowed the words I wanted to say about the suspicious rules. Since they wanted Kyle to go, I would let him. “I didn’t mean to fight. Kyle is more suitable than me.” Mom and Kyle beamed. “Lily, I’m glad you figured it out. That’s what a big sister should do!” I matched their smiles, the corners of my lips curling into a mocking arc. “Yes, Mom. I don’t have the fate to enjoy this blessing. Let Kyle have it.”

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One year after faking my death, I was scrolling through an anonymous Q&A forum. [Question: What is the most ruthless thing you’ve ever done to get ahead?] The comments were full of petty office politics. I was about to close the app, bored. Until a familiar profile picture caught my eye. She claimed that with a simple trick, she ruined the life of the precinct’s golden girl. [She was the Captain’s fiancée and our best undercover agent.] [During the raid, I deleted her emergency distress signal.] [I even suggested the Captain go after the ringleader first, telling him she was experienced enough to protect herself.] [As a result, her cover was blown. She fell into the hands of the cartel and was tortured for seven days and seven nights. When she came out, her mind was gone.] [Later, with just one sentence from me, the Captain committed her to a psychiatric hospital.] [Last year, there was a fire at the asylum. I heard she didn’t make it out and was burned to ash.] [And tomorrow, I’m finally marrying the Captain!] The comment ended with a smug smiley face emoji. Calmly, I liked the comment. Looking at the burn scars on my arm, I decided to give her a surprise tomorrow. 1 The post went viral, shooting straight to the top of the thread. Sophia’s comment was pinned, with thousands of replies underneath, mostly sycophants. [Queen behavior! That’s playing the game on hard mode.] [This user is brilliant. Ruthless but effective!] [With skills like that, no one would dare mess with you at work!] Sophia, clearly high on the praise, posted a photo. In the picture, two hands were intertwined. The man’s hand had distinct knuckles and a visible scar on the web of his thumb. That was Luke’s hand. Years ago, he almost severed a tendon blocking a knife for me. He said it didn’t matter if his hand was ruined, as long as he could still hold mine. Back then, I cried and laughed, calling him cheesy. Now, that hand, which once swore to protect me to the death, was tightly gripping another woman’s. The diamond engagement ring on their finger was designed by me. I had begged countless jewelers and revised the draft dozens of times to get it made. But the ring I had waited so long for never ended up on my finger. Funny how life works. Some people in the comments started to wake up. [Wait, the OP intentionally didn’t save someone? This isn’t just ruthless office politics; this is murder!] [That’s a human life. Isn’t the OP going too far? Bragging about this?] Seeing the tide turn, Sophia replied instantly with a “crying face” emoji. [Everyone misunderstood! The situation was urgent. I genuinely thought the signal was an accidental touch. After all, the location was in the middle of nowhere.] [If I knew she was suffering there, I would have risked my life to save her!] Then, she started her performance. [Besides, this became a lifelong pain for the Captain. I just wanted to help him move on.] [The dead are gone. I posted this to remind everyone to cherish who is in front of them. I didn’t expect to be misunderstood like this…] A few sentences dripping with fake innocence, and she twisted the narrative back. [So that’s how it is. Undercover work is high-risk; sacrifices happen.] [She was thinking of the bigger picture. Don’t blame yourself, sis.] [Exactly. The living need to keep living. Helping the Captain heal is a good deed.] Reading these twisted comments, I let out a cold laugh. Just then, my phone screen lit up. A text message popped up. It was from Luke. [Tara, I’m getting married tomorrow.] [If you can see me from heaven, will you bless me?] Looking at the message, I felt a wave of nausea. Marrying the woman who killed me, while texting his “late wife” for peace of mind? I turned off the phone and tossed it aside. Luke, since you want a blessing so badly… Tomorrow, I’ll deliver it to you personally. 2 Two years ago, I was the pride of the force and the love of Luke’s life. We were the envy of everyone in the Major Crimes Division. To take down a human trafficking ring that had been operating for years, I volunteered to go undercover. Luke disagreed at first and gave me the silent treatment for three days. He yelled at me, eyes red, “Tara, are you crazy? Do you know what kind of place that is?” In the end, I hugged his waist and pleaded, swearing I would come back unharmed and do all the housework for the rest of our lives. Only then did he relent, choking back tears. “If you lose a single hair, I’m holding you responsible.” It took me six months to infiltrate the inner circle of the leader, Vargas. On the day of the raid, I broke into Vargas’s core data center. On his computer, I found the complete list of victims and the distribution chain. I even found the location of a group of girls they hadn’t moved yet. Hiding in the electrical room, I sent the signal to Luke on an encrypted channel. The moment it sent, I relaxed. I imagined that after the mission, we would get our marriage license and go on our honeymoon. However, the response I got was a cold laugh. “Officer Vance, leaving so soon?” I whipped around. The blinds were torn down violently, and a hand dragged me out like a dead dog. I was dragged into a tin shed, my hands handcuffed to a water pipe above my head. Pain radiated from my shoulder to my whole body, but I gritted my teeth and didn’t make a sound. Because I knew Luke would be here soon. Luke said that as long as he received my signal, no matter how far, he would be there in thirty minutes. But I stared at the door. Thirty minutes. Two hours. A whole day passed, and the door didn’t move. Vargas sat in front of me, legs crossed. “Looks like your Captain doesn’t care about you that much, huh?” I spat out blood. “Don’t get cocky. He’ll be here soon. None of you scum will escape!” Vargas didn’t get angry. He just ordered someone to pull out my fingernails on my left hand. I screamed in agony, cold sweat soaking my clothes instantly. The next day, Vargas had a TV brought in. The news channel was broadcasting: “Police dismantle a major criminal den, rescuing three hostages…” On screen, Luke looked dashing in his uniform. Sophia stood beside him in a decent dress, like a supportive wife, straightening his tie. They looked at each other and smiled, a picture-perfect couple. In that moment, my blood froze. That location wasn’t Vargas’s headquarters at all! “See that?” Vargas grabbed my hair, forcing me to look at the screen. “Do you still think he’s coming for you?” I didn’t believe it. Luke wouldn’t abandon me. Something must have gone wrong. But Vargas seemed to enjoy my breakdown. He threw a phone at me. “Make a call. Consider it your last words.” Trembling, I picked up the phone and dialed that number. Ring! It was picked up after one ring. Like grabbing a lifeline, I rasped, “Luke! Save me! I’m at…” “Tara?” The voice on the other end was Sophia’s sweet, cloying tone. My voice cut off. “Luke is at the commendation ceremony. He can’t come to the phone right now.” “You’re really too much, sending a location in the middle of nowhere just for attention.” “What, giving up on the mission? Trying to trick Luke into coming out to play some wilderness survival game with you?” Before I could explain, the call ended. My distress signal was treated as a ploy for attention by her. I closed my eyes in despair, the phone slipping from my hand. For the next few days, I lost track of time. To pry open my mouth and get the identities of other agents… They used every torture I knew, and some I didn’t. Day four, day five, day six… I lost count of how many times I passed out, only to be woken by ice water for another round of pain. On the seventh day, while the guard was drunk. I used a broken toothbrush handle I hid under my tongue to saw through the ropes bit by bit. Dragging my broken left leg, I crawled out through a dog hole. 3 After escaping, I inched towards the highway down the mountain. Every inch I moved, the broken bones ground together, causing suffocating pain. Black spots danced before my eyes. My consciousness was on the edge of collapse. I don’t know how long passed before I heard sirens in the distance. It was Luke’s convoy. My eyes teared up instantly. I knew he would come for me. Just seeing him, getting a hug like before, would make all this suffering worth it. I gritted my teeth, dragged my broken leg, and crawled desperately toward the light. Rounding the last corner, I froze. Searchlights illuminated the entire plaza. A celebration was being held on the giant LED screen. Luke and Sophia stood hand in hand in the center of the stage. Sophia smiled, shyly accepting an interview with the host. Flowers were everywhere; applause thundered. “Congratulations, Captain Luke! Not only did you destroy the den, but you also got the girl. Double happiness!” The host’s voice echoed through the speakers. I knelt at the edge of the plaza, trembling all over. A female reporter noticed me. She gasped, and the camera instantly zoomed in on my face. Flashbulbs popped incessantly, blinding me. My clothes were tattered strips, barely hanging on my body. I instinctively raised my hand to block the light, but my arm shook so badly I couldn’t cover anything. Luke noticed me. I reached out to him, lips moving, silently calling his name. I thought he would rush over, take off his jacket to cover me, and protect me like before. But he only frowned, a flash of disgust in his eyes. “Tara?” “You sent false intelligence, allowing the main suspect to escape, and you still have the face to show up here?” I froze. False intelligence? I opened my mouth to explain, but only a raspy wheeze came out. I shook my head desperately, my crippled hand waving wildly in the air, tears streaming down my face in anxiety. Sophia walked over then. With a look of perfectly practiced concern, she approached me. “Tara, how did you get like this?” Saying that, she draped a jacket over my shoulders. She was dressed revealingly underneath; I immediately saw the dense hickeys on her neck. Sophia noticed my gaze and smiled slightly. “Pretty? Luke did it last night.” She leaned in close, lowering her voice. “While you were being tortured by traffickers, Luke couldn’t keep his hands off me every night.” “He said it would be better if a fool like Tara died, so she wouldn’t cause trouble and delay his promotion.” My blood froze instantly. Sophia finished speaking and let go. The jacket slipped from my shoulders, taking the remaining rags of my clothes with it. I was naked, completely exposed to every lens. Reporters snapped photos like madmen, thousands of eyes slicing through my dignity. Instinct drove me to grab the fallen jacket, but I touched the hem of Sophia’s dress. Sophia fell backward, collapsing on the ground. Her eyes turned red instantly, tears flowing on command. “Tara, I know you’re jealous that I’m with Luke.” “But this incident was your fault.” “You deliberately sent the wrong location. If Luke hadn’t been alert, we would all have died there!” The crowd was in an uproar. Luke strode over, shielding Sophia behind him. The love in his eyes when he looked at me was gone, replaced by endless ice. He took out handcuffs and locked them on my wrists. He said I was a deserter, a traitor, and he was taking me to the station for interrogation. Comrades who once fought beside me held down my shoulders. Under the public gaze, I was shoved into a police car like a criminal. 4 In the interrogation room, Luke sat opposite me. He rubbed his temples wearily, then looked up with red eyes full of disappointment. “Tara, why did you do it?” “You knew how important that operation was. Why send a fake location?” “Do you know that if Sophia hadn’t warned me, we would all be dead?” I wanted to explain, but my throat was ruined, and my hands were crippled. My gestures were grotesque and laughable. Luke watched me, frowning deeper. “Enough. Stop acting.” “Sophia told me everything. She said she picked up your call that day, and you cursed her.” “She said you didn’t want me to get the credit, so you sent false intel.” Sophia again. I stared at him. Luke stood up irritably, pacing back and forth. After a long time, he stopped. “Tara, just sign the confession. Admit you were confused for a moment, and I can overlook the past.” “You’ve been with me for years. I know you.” His tone softened, even carrying a hint of pleading. “You just couldn’t get over your jealousy and acted impulsively.” “The whole precinct is watching. Just say the word, and I can keep you safe.” Trembling, I grabbed the confession on the table and tore it to shreds in front of him. Luke’s face went completely cold. “Stubborn.” Sophia walked in, linking her arm with Luke’s. “Luke, Tara is mentally unstable right now.” “If the media films her ranting, your election for Chief next month will be ruined.” “Besides, she keeps screaming that I harmed her.” “If we don’t control this, the precinct’s reputation will be destroyed by her.” She paused. “Why not send her to the psychiatric center on the south side?” “It’s a closed facility. It will let her recover in peace and protect your future.” Luke fell silent. He looked at me, his Adam’s apple bobbing. He raised his hand as if to touch me, but his fingers trembled uncontrollably in mid-air before dropping weakly. “Tara, listen to me. Your mental state is dangerous. You need mandatory treatment.” “I’ll visit you every day. This is for your own good.” I stared at the man I had loved for five years, my stomach churning. I struggled to stand up, wanting to rush out. But Luke just watched coldly, then subdued me easily with a takedown. A needle pierced my neck—a heavy dose of sedative. Before losing consciousness, I heard Luke holding me, saying: “Tara, be good. When you’re better, I’ll come get you.” I stayed in the mental hospital for three months. Luke, who said he’d visit every day, never showed up once. Sophia, however, came every week, rain or shine. Every time she visited, she flaunted something new—from limited edition bags to couple rings—showing off Luke’s love for her. Sophia also bribed the orderlies to mix drugs into my food daily, torturing me in new ways. Late one night three months later, the hospital caught fire. In the chaos, I used a piece of wire I had hidden to pick the lock and escaped. Later, I heard that after the fire was put out, Luke knelt before the ruins for three days and nights. Crying like a child, fainting several times. I just found it utterly laughable. For the year I was “dead,” I lived under a fake name, healed my body, and uncovered the entire truth. Now, it was time to take everything back. The next day, the wedding of the century was being held at the city’s finest hotel. Luke wore a white suit, still handsome enough to turn heads. Sophia wore a couture wedding dress, smiling like a blooming white lotus. The officiant asked loudly: “Luke Sterling, do you take Sophia Miller to be your wife? For richer or poorer, in sickness and in health…” All the guests watched them with smiles. Just as Luke opened his lips to say “I do.” I kicked open the heavy doors of the banquet hall. Wearing a black floor-length dress, I walked in slowly. Sophia glimpsed me, her smile freezing instantly. Her bouquet hit the floor with a thud. Luke whipped around. The moment he saw it was me, the color drained from his face. I tilted my head with a smile, and under everyone’s shocked gaze, asked slowly: “Luke, are you sure you want to marry her?”

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Ever since my baby brother was born, I started getting “lost.” My stepfather, Mark, would leave me at amusement parks, beaches, outside grocery stores, on busy streets… Six times, I managed to find my way back or get help. Each time I returned home, my mother’s cold indifference chilled me to the bone. The seventh time I got lost, I met a kind woman. “Sweetie, would you like to be my daughter?” I nodded. “Yes, please.” My stepfather and mother happily gave me away to her. They didn’t know that I was the family’s lucky charm. Without me, their luck was about to run out. 1 My name is Chloe. I am seven years old. This is the seventh time I’ve been lost. I stood at a busy intersection, cars whizzing by, waiting alone for my stepfather, Mark, to come back for me. Half an hour ago, Mark took me to the supermarket to buy soy sauce. When we got to the crosswalk, he said he forgot his wallet and had to go back. He told me to wait at the corner. He said he’d be back in fifteen minutes tops. But now, thirty minutes had passed, and he wasn’t back. The sky had turned dark, neon lights reflecting the city’s bustle. I looked up toward the direction of my apartment building, trying to guess which lighted window was ours. My mom, Brenda, should be giving my little brother, Tyler, a bath right now. Mom made bone broth soup today. Before I left, I went to the kitchen just to smell it. Mark said, “Chloe, come down with Daddy to buy soy sauce, and you can have soup when we get back.” The six previous times I got “lost” made me scared to go out. I shook my head. “It’s getting dark. I don’t want to go.” Brenda came out of the bathroom and said, “Chloe, go with Daddy, or no soup for you.” Mark was often mean to me. I didn’t want to go alone with him. But I wanted the soup, and I didn’t want Mom to yell at me. If I didn’t go, not only would I get no soup, but Mom would pull a long face and call me disobedient. “Okay, Daddy. I’ll go with you.” I held Mark’s hand and left. 2 Forty minutes passed. Mark still hadn’t come back. I was panicking, remembering the last six times. Mark always left me in strange places. A few times, I almost didn’t make it. The last time I found my way home, a neighbor kid, Leo, told me: “Chloe, your parents like your brother. They don’t like you!” I argued, face red, “My parents love me! They say I’m the most obedient!” Leo mocked, “Then why do you always get lost? Are they trying to get rid of you? You’re treated worse than a stray dog. If someone loses a dog, they look for it. Your parents don’t.” Leo’s words reminded me of something from when I was three. Mom was pregnant with Tyler. Mark said pregnant women shouldn’t be around cats, so he had to get rid of my favorite kitten, Tangerine. I remember Mark carrying Tangerine to this exact intersection and throwing him into the bushes by the road. That day, Mark held my hand as we crossed the street. I cried so hard, looking back at the abandoned kitten. Mark and Mom didn’t want the cat. Did they not want me now, either? I didn’t believe it. Mom said giving birth to me hurt a lot. Even if Mark didn’t like me, Mom wouldn’t abandon her baby. I had to walk back myself. This time, I would ask Mom directly: Do you not want me anymore? 3 To get home, I had to cross the intersection. Teacher taught us: Red light stop, green light go. But whenever Mark or Mom took me across, they said, “Don’t look at the lights, just go if there are no cars.” So now, I was confused. Should I go on red or green? I decided to listen to the teacher. When the walk signal lit up, I stepped onto the zebra crossing. This was my first time crossing alone. I was terrified. Halfway across, someone took my hand. “Sweetie, why are you crossing alone? It’s dangerous. Where are your parents?” The speaker was a young, beautiful woman. She was holding a small orange cat in one arm and holding my hand with the other. Her hand was warm. But my attention was on the cat. It looked just like Tangerine, only much bigger and wearing a cute little vest. “Tangerine. Tangerine,” I called out. “Meow~” The cat responded excitedly. I recognized him. This was my cat. After crossing the street, the woman let go of my hand and squatted down. “Sweetie, where are your parents?” I burst into tears and reached out to pet the cat. “Auntie, my parents don’t want me anymore. Just like they threw away Tangerine, they threw me away too. Waaaaah…” 4 The woman’s name was Sarah. She put the cat down on its leash. She hugged me and comforted, “Don’t cry. Take your time. Tell Auntie, what’s your name? Why are you here alone?” I sobbed, gasping for air. “I’m Chloe. My daddy took me to buy soy sauce. He went back to get something and said he’d be back in fifteen minutes. I waited a long time. This is the seventh time I got lost. He doesn’t want me.” Sarah’s face grew serious. She wiped my tears with a tissue. “What about your mom? When you got lost before, what did she say?” I sniffled. “Mom says I ran off by myself. But every time, Daddy leaves me there, and I wait obediently for them to find me…” Hearing this, Sarah held my hand. “Chloe, I live in the apartment complex just ahead. Why don’t you come home with me first? I’ll handle the rest.” “Okay.” I nodded. On the way, Sarah told me she found this cat three years ago in the bushes by the intersection. She saw Mark throw Tangerine into the bushes and walk away without looking back. I liked Sarah. Anyone who could take such good care of Tangerine had to be patient and loving.

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Gabriel was hosting a birthday dinner for his “White Moonlight”—the one who got away—at the restaurant where I worked. He tipped every staff member generously. I stood in the line-up, bowing with everyone else. “Happy Birthday, Ms. Sterling.” “Wishing you both a long and happy life together.” Gabriel looked at me for two seconds longer than necessary, but said nothing. After work, I wrapped my puffer jacket tight and walked onto the snowy streets of Manhattan. I remembered the day I found out I was pregnant. My friend Sarah had urged me: “Don’t rush to get rid of it. How do you know Gabriel won’t want it?” “Anyone with eyes can see he’s spoiled you rotten these past few years.” “Just tell him. Maybe he’ll propose on the spot.” The indulgence of the last few years had made me delusional for a moment, thinking we might have a future. I sighed silently. I took out my phone and booked an abortion appointment. 1 Until they finished their meal. Gabriel didn’t seem to notice my presence. Or maybe the grand piano blocked me from his view. I was a part-time pianist here. Even though Gabriel gave me a $50,000 allowance every month. My “sugar baby” contract with him was expiring in a month. I would need to find a real job soon. Adapting to society a bit early was tough, but necessary. Before they left, the manager nudged me forward. “Mr. Vance’s girlfriend praised the birthday setup. He’s very happy and tipping everyone $1,000.” “Go on, thank him with the others. Say something nice.” There was no escape. I stood up and joined the line of servers. Gabriel glanced up casually. Then, his gaze slowly locked onto me. I kept my head down, bowing in unison with the others. “Happy Birthday, Ms. Sterling.” “Wishing you both happiness and a long life together.” Serena Sterling rested her chin on her hand, smiling radiantly. “Thank you all.” “But you’ve misunderstood. We aren’t a couple.” She glanced at Gabriel subconsciously. “What’s wrong? What are you looking at?” Gabriel withdrew his gaze indifferently. “Nothing.” 2 Gabriel had booked the entire restaurant for the evening for Serena. So after they left, we could clock out. Pianists have specific performance gowns. I changed back into my own down jacket in the locker room. My hand instinctively reached into my pocket. I touched a piece of paper and froze. I walked to the bus stop before pulling out the warm, crumpled paper. It was the pregnancy test result from a week ago. It read: Positive. Estimated 8 weeks. 3 Hospital hallway. After the initial shock and panic of finding out I was pregnant, my first reaction was to book an abortion. Sarah stopped me. “What are you doing?” “The contract with Gabriel says: accidental pregnancy means immediate termination.” She poked my forehead in frustration. “Are you the only person in the world who strictly follows that stupid sugar baby contract?” “Anyone can see Gabriel spoils you to death now.” “What sugar baby gets treated like this?” She counted on her fingers. “Last time you went to Boston for a concert and there was a blizzard? He couldn’t reach you, went crazy, canceled all his meetings, and drove seven hours to find you.” “He drove through a storm when planes were grounded. Did you forget?” Sarah listed three examples in a row. I listened quietly, my fingers rubbing the paper. She took a deep breath and concluded. “At least ask Gabriel for his attitude.” “In my opinion, he won’t let you get rid of it. He might even be happy enough to propose.” My friend’s interruption made me miss the clinic’s hours. Plus, I had been busy this week. I had almost forgotten about it. Sarah said to ask for Gabriel’s attitude. Serena’s appearance was his answer. I took out my phone and rescheduled the abortion for next week. The bus arrived. My reflection in the window was calm. No ripples. Giving up on something turned out to be this simple. I got on the bus and found a seat. Suddenly, I felt that loving Gabriel was something that belonged to a previous lifetime. 4 Junior year of college. Several classmates and I interned at Vance Group. Gabriel treated me with special care. But he also seemed to avoid getting too close. I suffered daily from the uncertainty. I overheard the truth by accident. I went to deliver files to Gabriel. Before knocking, I heard my name mentioned inside. My hand froze in mid-air. “Gabe, you’re using that little girl, Nora, as a stand-in for Serena, aren’t you?” “Don’t deny it. The face isn’t similar, but that vibe she has… it’s definitely there.” Gabriel spoke: “Not really similar.” His friend continued: “True, she can’t compare to Serena. Serena is so noble.” “You fought your family for her, finally got them to accept her, and she dumped you to pursue her ‘art dreams’ in Paris.” Gabriel was silent. His friend advised: “But if you think Nora is okay, just keep her around. I can’t stand seeing you look like a lost soul anymore.” “Besides, you can tell that little girl really likes you.” I stood there, numbly listening to everything. Reason told me to stay away from Gabriel. But the pain of sudden withdrawal came like waves, drowning me. So, when Gabriel pushed the “arrangement” contract toward me, I was silent. Gabriel assumed I refused and nodded gentlemanly. “I apologize. I overstepped.” I snapped back to reality. I took the pen, signed, and smiled. “No, I was just shocked by the amount you offered.” I brainwashed myself: I’m with Gabriel for the money. I don’t like him at all.

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I’m high maintenance. Everyone says so. But I landed a boyfriend who is mature, steady, and infinitely tolerant. His friends couldn’t stand it and told me to be nicer to him. So, at dinner, I peeled a shrimp for him. That night, he posted a rage-filled status update visible only to his “boys”: [Which one of you idiots ruined my bratty girlfriend?! I want her bad attitude back!] 1 It wasn’t a holiday or an anniversary, but Adrian Sterling suddenly transferred two million dollars into my account. I texted him a question mark: [?] He replied instantly: [Babe, we just hit the 2,000,000th minute of being in love.] [Don’t you think that’s incredibly meaningful?] I raised an eyebrow. Honestly, I never kept track of time like that. Especially not such… obsessive milestones. I only remember we’ve been dating for about three years. But money is money. I accepted it calmly and Venmo’d him back $200 with a note: [Here’s to the next 2 million minutes~] A moment later, I saw Adrian’s new Instagram story. It was a screenshot of my $200 transfer. Caption: [❤️ My daily allowance. Feeling like a kept man today. Bliss. 🥰] Even though I’d seen similar posts many times, I still struggled to connect the mature, stoic Adrian Sterling I knew in real life with this love-struck teenager online. The contrast was too extreme! In person, Adrian was serious, rigorous, and unsmiling. His attitude toward work was harsh, bordering on tyrannical. I heard his employees called him “The Ice Reaper.” Yet, this “Ice Reaper” posted lovey-dovey content almost daily. How good I was to him. How much I loved him. Even if I just sent a random emoji, he’d screenshot it: [Spoiled by my girlfriend again. (Spinning)] Even I found it a bit much, let alone his bros. One of them once pulled me aside and said tactfully: “Zoe, I know couples have their own dynamic, but do you have to force Adrian to post that stuff every day?” I was confused. “What stuff?” “The PDA.” He showed me his phone. “Adrian’s feed isn’t just for us. It’s for his business partners, investors, and industry elders. Do you know what people are saying about him?” I was shocked by Adrian’s feed on his phone. It was full of pink bubbles and sickeningly sweet captions I had never seen before! His friend said seriously: “Can you stop forcing him?” I opened my mouth to explain but didn’t know where to start. So I called Adrian. Later, his friends learned that Adrian posted those voluntarily. He even hid them from me just so he could post more. I didn’t understand his obsession with social media validation. Just like I didn’t understand what was worth showing off. I sent him $200, and he flaunted it. He sent me $2 million, and he didn’t say a word. I tied his tie on a whim, and he posted it. He served me hand and foot every day, yet never mentioned it. Sometimes I felt he was intentionally putting me on a pedestal. Now that even his business partners knew he had a girlfriend who “adored” him, did I dare not love him? Luckily, I did love him. Adrian was handsome, wealthy, and obedient. He spent money on me, listened to me, and tolerated my bad temper infinitely. I couldn’t find a more perfect boyfriend. Just as he came home from work, I jumped into his arms. He caught me easily with one arm. I whispered loudly in his ear: “Adrian, I want to go to work!” 2 The arm holding me stiffened visibly. But Adrian didn’t say much, just asked curiously: “Why the sudden urge to work?” It wasn’t sudden, I thought. I graduated a year ago. I had worked for a total of three months. Those three months were a nightmare of office politics, micromanagement, and a boss who got too handsy. My first job out of the ivory tower was a disaster. I didn’t dare look for another, so I nestled in Adrian’s villa for over six months. Until two days ago. A college classmate sent me a screenshot of a group chat: [By the way, what is Zoe doing after graduation?] [What else? Being a canary in a gilded cage.] [Must be nice to be pretty. When will a rich guy keep me?] [Aren’t they dating? I remember they started in sophomore year.] [It sounds nice to call it dating. In reality, it’s just… that.] [True. The gap between her and her boyfriend is huge. Will they even marry? Rich guys just play around.] [Honestly, even if they don’t marry, I’m jealous. I can’t find a job, and she’s financially free.] [Jealous of what? Would you let someone control you?] [Haha, I wouldn’t. I can’t handle a guy who’s so much more powerful.] [Her boyfriend probably stopped caring about her long ago.] [So, the suffering Zoe endures, you might not be able to handle. (Smirk)] I didn’t know what suffering they were talking about. Adrian was a few years older, but a five-year gap was normal. And Adrian didn’t “stop caring.” On the contrary, he cared too much. I was the one who couldn’t handle it. He woke up early for work, while I slept in. Yet at night, he was energetic, and I was exhausted… Weird. I ignored the chat log, even when my classmate urged me to clarify. There was nothing to say. My boyfriend was handsome, rich, and capable. Let them be sour. I just simply felt after reading it: Maybe I should find something to do. I wrapped my arms around Adrian’s neck. “Jax offered me a job at his company.” Jax was Adrian’s best friend. And the one who hated me the most. Sometimes he looked at me like I was a succubus destroying a kingdom. He couldn’t understand what spell I cast to change his brother so completely. He tried to break us up. But Adrian defended us strictly. Jax had no choice but to try separating us physically. He offered me a job with a high salary. The only condition was that I stop clinging to Adrian 24/7 so he could have time with his boys. I accepted happily. Adrian buried his face in my neck, whining: “Babe, if you want to work, why not come to my company?” I teased: “Then we’d be together 24 hours a day. What if you get sick of me?” He looked serious. “Impossible!” “What if I get sick of you?” He thought for a moment and sighed. “Fine.” 3 Jax ran a gaming company. He had a hand in all the popular MMOs and made a fortune. He didn’t assign me a department, just said to pick a role. So I chose the Game Design department, which interested me most. The atmosphere was relaxed, unlike my last job. Colleagues were young and dressed casually. My mentor, Cole, was friendly: “Have you played games before? Doesn’t have to be ours.” I admitted shyly: “Just Candy Crush.” He wasn’t surprised, just smiled. “Perfect. I need a blank slate. Try playing our latest MMO for a week and submit a ‘newbie experience report’.” I had never heard such a gentle command. I buried myself in playing. I recorded my feelings on the plot and the difficulties I faced. Adrian felt neglected and protested frequently: [Babe, you haven’t kissed me in ages.] I coaxed him: [Working. Be good.] A week later. I submitted my report and joined the welcome party for new hires. It was at a Karaoke bar. The equipment wasn’t great, and there was howling from the hallway, but I felt unprecedentedly happy. The party ended at 11 PM. Adrian picked me up, sulking at my drunken state. I cupped his face and kissed him loudly. “Aww, don’t be mad, boyfriend.” He turned his head. “You smell like alcohol.” I kissed him again. “Let’s stink together.” Whatever emotions remained were resolved in bed. I was dizzy, only remembering Adrian’s intense thrusts and cold face. Waking up the next day, I was still groggy. Adrian rarely skipped work, but he brought me warm water. “Headache? Will you drink that much next time?” I drank the water slowly and shook my head. Suddenly remembering I hadn’t asked for leave, I grabbed my phone. Before I could text my boss, I saw a new email notification. It said I had been transferred to the CEO’s Office. I looked up at Adrian in shock. “What’s wrong?” Adrian sat on the edge of the bed, pinching my cheek. “I was transferred.” Adrian took the phone and read the notice. Silence filled the room. I wanted to ask: Did you do this? But I felt bad suspecting him. I was busy last week and ignored him. He was unhappy. But surely he wouldn’t… “Probably a personnel shuffle.” Adrian held my cold hand. “Did you like the old department? I’ll tell Jax to move you back?” I tried to read his face. “Wait, I’ll call him.” Adrian said. He called Jax. “Why move Zoe to the CEO’s office?” “We’re short on people, bro!” Jax yelled. “Three assistants are on maternity leave. I haven’t hired replacements yet. I want Zoe to fill in. Are you going to micromanage this too?” Adrian defended me: “But if Zoe likes her old—” I stopped him, signaling him to stop. Jax was still yelling: “Adrian, you freak! Zoe isn’t a child. If you can’t let go, just lock her at home and stop unleashing her on me!” Adrian hung up. I spoke first: “I can go to the CEO’s office.” “Will you be unhappy, babe?” I shook my head. As long as it was normal work and not Adrian meddling, it was fine. He chuckled low, resting his forehead against mine. “Did you misunderstand me just now?” I blushed. “A little.” He pouted. “Babe, you don’t trust me.” “No, no.” I explained quickly, “You complained about me not spending time with you, and last night you were so… fierce. I thought you were unsatisfied with my job…” Adrian laughed darkly. He buried his head in my shoulder, his voice aggrieved: “But I’m really sad. You suspected me so easily. You don’t trust me at all.” I kissed his ear. “Don’t be sad, okay?” He was like a giant cat, lying on top of me. “I need comfort.” Helpless, I gave him the comfort he needed. Until the sky went dark again. I thought hazily, Is he trying to make up for the whole week? 4 Three days later, I officially started at the CEO’s office. Jax was my direct boss. But he didn’t give me work. He just told me to read the company bylaws and recent projects. He threw a pile of files at me and left. His lazy attitude didn’t look like he was short on people. I didn’t count on him. I asked other colleagues. A new male colleague, Sam, saw I was bored and kindly shared some filing work. For convenience, I moved a chair next to him. When I had questions, I whispered to him. He was patient, explaining details and sharing tips. I laughed at his jokes and thanked him earnestly. Who knew this scene would be seen by Adrian, who came to visit. He abandoned Jax and beelined for me. “Why are you sitting here?” I looked up innocently, files on my lap. “Working.” “And this is—” He looked at Sam and extended his hand. “Hello, I’m Zoe’s boyfriend.” Sam shook it, flattered. “Mr. Sterling! Hello, I’ve heard so much about you. I’m Sam.” Jax walked over, arm on Adrian’s shoulder, looking at me. “Didn’t I tell you not to do this?” “Reading files is boring,” I complained. “If you moved me here just to read rules, I’d rather play games downstairs.” Jax was speechless. Adrian tried to soothe me. “Babe, you stay busy. I’ll talk to him.” When they left, the office went quiet. But Sam’s attitude changed. Polite, respectful, ingratiating, but distant. He took back half the files. “Maybe I shouldn’t bother you. I thought about it, this is my job. It’s not right to ask for help.” I didn’t know what to say. True, I wasn’t here to make friends. But I hated this sudden alienation. It reminded me of my last job. I had a work bestie there. Even when the boss harassed me, I stayed because of her. Then suddenly, she ignored me. No reason. She stopped asking me to lunch, stopped sharing snacks, and joked with everyone but me. Cold violence was the last straw. I quit soon after. Six months later, returning to the workforce, it was happening again. Was I just not cut out for work? I stopped trying. I did whatever Jax said, even if he gave me busywork. I had no energy. I went home dejected. Adrian hugged me. “What’s wrong? You look like a wilted flower.” “It’s your fault!” I pinched his cheek. “Now everyone in the office knows I’m your girlfriend and treats me like glass!” “I’m sorry.” Adrian lowered his head apologetically. “I made it hard for you. I shouldn’t have said that.” His look made me unable to blame him. He was my boyfriend. It wasn’t wrong to say it. “Forget it.” I sighed. “I’ll stick it out. If I get tired of working, I’ll come back here and be a bum.” He kissed my cheek. “Or be my wife.” After dinner, Adrian worked in the study. I scrolled Instagram on the sofa. I accepted new friend requests from the office. I liked their posts. My finger paused. I saw a post from Lisa, the only colleague from my old job I kept in touch with. She posted a photo of Maya—my old work bestie—shopping for luxury bags. Caption: [The simple life of a rich lady.] Maya couldn’t afford those bags before. I didn’t know she struck gold. I liked the post. Lisa messaged me: [Did you see? Maya got rich!] I replied: [Yeah, congrats to her.] Lisa: [But it seems to have something to do with you.] [?] [What do you mean?] Lisa: [Shortly after you quit, she quit too. We met by chance today. She said her luxury goods were thanks to your rich boyfriend.] My brain exploded.

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I was having dinner when suddenly, my husband and my best friend both disappeared. After searching for a while, glowing text—like a livestream chat—floated before my eyes: [Omg, thank god the Male Lead grabbed the Female Lead and hid in the walk-in freezer! If the Supporting Female Lead saw them, it would be over!] [But they’re naked! They can’t hide in there forever, they’ll freeze to death!] I froze. So my husband was hugging my best friend in a freezer, and I was the “Supporting Female Lead”? I walked toward the freezer door, but the owner blocked me. “That’s our ingredients freezer, customers only!” The chat panicked too! [Wow, thank god the FL’s bestie blocked the SFL, or they’d be caught.] [It’s fine, it’s fine. As long as the SFL leaves, they can come out!] The words “freeze to death” flashed in my mind. I changed my strategy. “I want to change tables. I’m sitting right here.” The owner and the chat were dumbfounded. “What? Sit here?” [WTF, what is the SFL doing? If she sits in the main hall, how can our leads get out!] 1 I tore my eyes away from the floating text, suppressing a cold sneer. Everyone’s surprised? Then I better eat well, and eat slowly. Otherwise, I’d be letting down the two people hugging in the freezer. The owner was named Bella. I’d been here a few times, so we were acquaintances. But I didn’t know she was even closer with my “best friend,” Chloe. Close enough to be co-conspirators. Now, to cover for Chloe and my husband, David, she was blocking the freezer door. I looked at her coldly. “Is there a problem, Bella?” “The private room is stuffy. I want to sit in the hall. And I want to order more food. A grilled fish, and other dishes.” “I was holding back inside. Now I can eat freely.” “Besides the fish, I want two cases of beer, spicy chicken wings, 100 lamb skewers, 20 chicken legs, 50 oysters…” Bella looked confused for a second. Hearing the huge order, she instinctively picked up her pad to write it down. While she was writing, I called my friends in the private room. “Guys, come out! We’re switching tables. I ordered a feast and booze!” “Bring my bag and coat.” My friends on the phone started cheering. “Damn, Sarah! Ordering more? Are we drinking till dawn?” “Seriously, I thought we were wrapping up. Didn’t expect Sarah to go hard just because she stepped out. If we don’t eat, we’re disrespecting her!” “Let’s go, let’s go!” When they came out and sat down, I laughed loudly. “Eat! Nobody goes home until we’re stuffed!” 2 Bella was stunned. Holding the menu, she didn’t know whether to kick us out or tell the kitchen to start cooking. She looked worriedly at the freezer door, hesitated for a few seconds, then tried to make us leave. “I just remembered, we’re out of ingredients for these dishes. Can’t make them. You guys should go.” The chat reacted and praised Bella desperately: [The FL’s bestie is the real MVP! Giving up money to save her friend!] [That order was at least a grand. Bella is loyal!] [This SFL is so vicious. She wants to freeze our leads to death! Hmph, dream on!] [If the SFL and her friends don’t leave, it’s actually dangerous. That freezer is -5 degrees. They’re naked. They won’t last an hour.] [Sob, what to do? I want to rush in and kick them out!] Bella wished she could too. She wanted us gone now. But we had already moved the unfinished dishes from the private room to the new table. My friend Mike, mouth full of food, snapped at Bella: “Bella, that’s not cool. We haven’t even finished our food, and you’re kicking us out?” “Plus, we’re ordering more. You’re running a business, you have no reason to drive us away, right?” Panic flashed across Bella’s face. “Don’t misunderstand. I’m not kicking you out. We really are out of ingredients.” I stood up and looked at the display fridges behind her. Rows of ingredients were neatly stacked. Fully stocked. “Bella, the food we ordered is right there in the glass case. How can you be out?” “Hurry up and serve us. I have more people coming. We’ll probably order even more.” Bella froze. “What? More people?” I waved my phone and smiled. “Yeah. I called my mother-in-law and her bridge club friends.” “They love your food. They’re big gossips. Treat them well, and they’ll give your restaurant free publicity.” 3 Bella turned to stone. So did the chat. [WTF! What is the SFL doing! Why call the ML’s mom? This is a death sentence!] [Even though the ML’s mom likes the FL, if she sees her son cheating and gets embarrassed in front of her friends, she’ll never agree to them being together!] [Exactly! She told the ML that the FL is way better than the SFL, but if they get caught now, that image is ruined!] [You guys are thinking about that? If the SFL doesn’t leave, our leads will freeze to death! Look, they’re shivering, there’s frost on their faces!] [Yeah, so pitiful. What do we do? I’m dying of anxiety.] [Don’t worry. The FL’s bestie will solve it.] I laughed internally. Really? Bella can solve this? Then I’ll watch and see how she solves it. Bella finally snapped out of it. Since the “out of stock” excuse failed, she tried another. “The kitchen just told me the gas is out. Can’t cook. If you want to eat, go somewhere else.” Anger rose in my chest. I rushed to the kitchen door. The chefs were cooking furiously, flames high. Just then, the restaurant’s speaker announced: “New DoorDash order received.” I sneered. “Bella, you’re acting really weird today. Why are you desperate to kick us out?” “Do you have some dirty secret?” “Your kitchen is busy, and there are spare gas tanks right there. This isn’t a roadside stall; you don’t just ‘run out’ of gas.” “If you don’t explain clearly today, we’re not leaving. I recorded a video. I’ll post it online and let the internet judge!” 4 Bella nearly fainted from anger. The chat was full of angry emojis. [Damn it, I want to slap this SFL!] [Why is she arguing with the FL’s bestie? Our FL is so cold she can’t speak. If the ML wasn’t hugging her tight, she’d have passed out!] [It’s okay. If they survive this, this life-and-death experience will make their love invincible.] Really? Invincible love? Sorry, I won’t let that happen. My friends started shouting about reporting Bella to the Better Business Bureau. Bella had no choice but to take the order to the kitchen. Watching her reluctant back, I felt a thrill of revenge. But it came with pain and rage. I treated Chloe well. I got her a job at David’s company when she was unemployed. She had nowhere to live, so I made David rent her a studio apartment. I included her in everything fun. And this? This is how she repays me! But it takes two to tango. David is scum too. Rabbits don’t eat the grass around their burrow, but he not only ate it, he dared to do something this thrilling right under my nose, with all our friends present. Since they want a thrill, I’ll give them enough thrill. Today, I’ll block them in there and see if they have the luck to walk out alive! “Sarah, you’re amazing. Spending my son’s money on food and drinks behind my back again? And bringing so many people!” A voice full of anger interrupted my thoughts. I turned around. My mother-in-law, Karen, arrived with her two sisters. Three women with permed hair and heavy makeup, thinking they were high society. But in reality, the Sterling family was barely middle-class in this city. Not worth a second look. Yet, Karen despised me, thinking I wasn’t good enough for David. After all, my family was just… normal. She always said I was spending David’s money. If another woman were his wife, she wouldn’t say that. Earlier, she didn’t want to come. When I mentioned a feast, she ran over. Said she wanted to eat back her son’s money. Ignoring her anger, I welcomed her with a smile. “Mom, Auntie Linda, Auntie Sue! Come sit!” “It’s not just my friends. David is here too. He just stepped out for a bit.”

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Chapter 1 “What was your name again? And how long have you been here?” CEO Marcus Thorne sat behind his mahogany desk, not even bothering to lift his head from the quarterly reports. Ten years. I had given this company a decade of my life. “Elena Vance,” I said, my voice steady. “Ten years.” “Right.” He flipped a page, his expression bored. “We’re restructuring. The company needs to optimize its workforce. Your position is… redundant. You understand?” Redundant. I almost laughed. “Understood,” I said. “I’ll submit my resignation today.” Marcus paused, finally looking up. He seemed surprised by how easy this was. He probably expected tears or begging. “Good. Have the handover done by the end of the week.” “Will do.” I turned to leave. When I reached the door, I stopped and looked back. “Mr. Thorne, do you happen to know how many integrated systems keep this company running?” He frowned, impatient. “What is that supposed to mean?” I didn’t turn back. “Nothing. Enjoy your day.” 1 My name is Elena Vance. I am 35 years old, and I have been the invisible backbone of this company for exactly ten years. Ten years. Saying it out loud makes me feel like a joke. When I joined in 2014, this place was a garage startup with twenty people. I was 24, fresh out of college, green but hungry. I kept my head down and built. I built everything. It started with a simple inventory spreadsheet. Then came the Order Management System (OMS), the ERP, the Supply Chain protocols, the CRM integration… Ten years. 47 distinct, interconnected systems. The root access credentials, the API keys, the admin backdoors—they were all stored safely in my head. Nobody ever asked for them. And I never volunteered them. I wasn’t trying to gatekeep; it’s just that nobody cared. In this company, I was a ghost. How transparent was I? Today, when Marcus called me in to fire me, his first sentence was, “What was your name again?” Ten years. And he didn’t know my name. I should have been used to it. As the company grew from twenty people to two hundred, moving from a cramped rental to a glass tower, I remained “The Tech Lady.” Meetings happened without me. Company retreats happened without me. At the annual gala, awards went to Sales, Marketing, and Operations. IT? “Thanks to the IT support team.” One sentence. No names. I stopped caring years ago. The paycheck cleared every two weeks; that was enough. Until two months ago. The company hired fresh blood. Sophie Miller. 24 years old. Master’s degree in Computer Science from a prestigious Ivy League school. HR brought her to my desk. “Elena, this is Sophie. Show her the ropes.” I nodded. It wasn’t the first time I’d trained someone. Then, by accident, I saw her offer letter on the printer. Base salary: $140,000. I froze. Me: Ten years of tenure, carrying the entire infrastructure. Salary: $75,000. Her: Day one, zero experience. Salary: $140,000. “Is something wrong?” Sophie asked, catching my expression. “No,” I said, putting on my mask. “Let’s look at the server architecture.” I didn’t sleep that night. It wasn’t just anger. It was a cold, hollow realization. It felt like a bandage had been ripped off a wound I didn’t know was festering. That was my value here. Half of a rookie. The next morning, my phone rang. A headhunter. “Ms. Vance? This is Apex Recruiters. A major tech conglomerate is looking for a Director of DevOps. The package starts at $220,000. Are you interested?” I paused. “How did you find me?” “You published a few technical white papers on industry forums years ago. They were incredibly detailed. Our client specifically asked for the person who wrote them.” Those papers. I wrote them three years ago at 2 AM during a server migration. Someone had actually read them. “I’m interested,” I said. “Great. I’ll set up the interview.” I hung up and looked around the bustling office. No one looked at me. I was air. In that moment, I made a decision. 2 Sophie adapted quickly. And by “adapted,” I mean she learned how to play the corporate game. “Good morning, Mr. Thorne!” “Brad, did you catch the game last night?” “Sarah, that dress is stunning on you!” She was sweet, charismatic, and visible. Everything I wasn’t. Her desk was next to mine. Her morning routine consisted of touching up her makeup, scrolling TikTok, and online shopping. Actual work? “Elena, how do I pull this SQL report? Can you show me?” “Elena, what’s the login for the legacy server?” “Elena, can you fix this bug?” Elena, Elena, Elena. She used me like a crutch. After three days, I realized something terrifying. She didn’t know anything. It wasn’t Imposter Syndrome; she was genuinely incompetent at operations. She could talk about AI theory all day, but she couldn’t write a basic script to save her life. “That wasn’t my focus,” she said dismissively when I pointed out a syntax error. “I specialize in Machine Learning architecture.” Specializing in AI, but hired for Ops? I kept my mouth shut. It was just a job. But there was one thing I didn’t teach her. The keys to the kingdom. I didn’t hand over the root passwords for the 47 subsystems. She asked once, casually. “Hey Elena, do you have a master list of all the admin passwords? I should probably save them.” “There are too many,” I said, typing away. “Just use your user credentials for now. I’ll organize the documentation later.” “Okay, cool.” She never asked again. And I never brought it up. It wasn’t malice initially. It was just… apathy. If the system is running smoothly, nobody cares who holds the keys. We take oxygen for granted until the room runs out of air. A week later, Sophie was confident enough to critique my work in the breakroom. “Honestly, the current architecture is a mess,” I heard her telling Brad, the IT Manager. “It’s so clunky. If I were in charge, I’d migrate everything to the cloud. Microservices are the future.” Brad nodded along. “Yeah, Elena built that stuff years ago. She’s a bit of a dinosaur. Doesn’t keep up with the trends.” I stood outside the door, listening. Dinosaur. Fine. Let’s see how long the “dinosaurs” keep the lights on. 3 December 1st. An email went out to the whole company. Subject: Organizational Restructuring Notice. In plain English: Layoffs. IT was the first target. Brad called the department into the conference room. “Revenue is down. We need to run leaner. We’re cutting two positions from IT.” The room went silent. I knew it was coming. Brad looked directly at me. “Elena, you’ve been here a long time. I’ll be straight with you. The company feels… your role has become obsolete.” “Obsolete?” “Well,” he cleared his throat, avoiding my eyes. “Sophie has shown great initiative. She can handle the modern stack. Your skill set is… legacy.” He didn’t finish the sentence, but the subtext was screaming: Why pay the old workhorse when the shiny new pony is cheaper? (Wait, she was actually more expensive. They just liked her better.) “Brad,” I said, locking eyes with him. “The systems have had 99.9% uptime for ten years. Who made that happen?” He smirked. “Stable systems are a result of good management, Elena. You just maintain them.” I blinked. It wasn’t the insult that hurt. It was the clarity. Ten years. To them, I was just the janitor. “Fine,” I stood up. “I understand.” “So…” “I’m going to speak to Marcus.” “About what?” “Resignation.” Brad looked confused, but I walked past him straight to the CEO’s office. That’s when Marcus asked me how long I’d worked there. I walked out of his office ten minutes later. Sophie was just coming back from a coffee run. “Elena? Why were you in Marcus’s office?” “I’m resigning.” Her eyes lit up for a fraction of a second before she masked it with fake concern. “Oh no! Elena, don’t be impulsive. The job market is tough right now.” I smiled. “Thanks for the concern.” “But… if you leave, who handles the maintenance?” “Didn’t you say my architecture was clunky? This is your chance to redesign it. Microservices, right?” Her face paled slightly. “I didn’t mean it like that…” “It’s fine,” I said. “I’ll put the documentation on the shared drive.” I didn’t mention that the documentation contained zero passwords. 4 The news traveled fast. “Elena is leaving?” “Yeah, Marcus axed her personally.” “Ten years… damn.” “Well, they say her role was redundant anyway.” Redundant. I heard that word whispered behind my back all day. I packed my box. Personal items, a cactus, a spare sweater. Nobody came over to say goodbye. It was like I had already dematerialized. Sarah from HR came over with a folder. “Elena, here’s the separation agreement. Please sign.” I read it. “Where’s the severance?” “Severance?” Sarah looked nervous. “You resigned voluntarily.” I pulled out my phone. “Sarah, I recorded the conversation with Marcus. He explicitly stated my position was being eliminated for ‘optimization.’ That is a layoff. That requires a severance package.” Sarah turned white. “You… recorded it?” “Ten years,” I smiled thinly. “I learned to cover my tracks.” Sarah took the folder and scurried away. Thirty minutes later, she returned with a new agreement. A generous severance package. Six months’ pay. I signed. Sophie hovered nearby, biting her lip. “Elena…” “Yes?” “The… system passwords. Could you write them down for me?” I looked at her. “I thought my systems were obsolete?” “I… I just want to be safe…” “Don’t worry,” I stood up, hoisting my box. “The documentation in the shared drive covers all the workflows.” Shutterstock The documentation covered how the systems worked. It did not contain the keys to operate them. I would have given them to her if she had asked the right questions. Or if anyone had treated me with a shred of respect. But nobody asked. I looked at my desk one last time. The worn armrests of the chair. The sticky note residue on the monitor. “Elena.” It was Brad. “You’re really going?” “Papers are signed.” “Look,” he lowered his voice. “Just make sure the transition is smooth. Passwords and all that.” I laughed. “Brad, you said I just ‘maintain’ things. The systems run themselves, right?” He frowned. “Don’t play games. This isn’t small stuff.” “I’m not playing.” I walked toward the elevator. “My documentation is complete. As for the passwords?” I paused. “In ten years, you never once asked me for them.” I stepped into the elevator. “Good riddance!” Brad yelled as the doors closed. “Stop taking up space for people who actually work!” I didn’t look back.

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