Danny was on his deathbed, and I was the only one there, his faithful companion. I was peeling an apple, the rhythmic scrape of the blade a comfort. I smiled at our children. “Want to hear the story of your parents’ golden anniversary?” I expected fond smiles. Instead, they looked at me as if I’d served them poison. My son, Ben, shook his head. “Mom, look at me and Maya. We’re not married. Don’t you understand why?” I stared, bewildered. “Why? Your father and I have been through fifty years together.” Maya shot to her feet. “Fifty years as his mistress?” she shot back, her voice shaking. “Fifty years with no name, no rights, raising two illegitimate children while another woman shared him as your equal? You call that a golden anniversary? I’d rather be alone!” Rage flared in me. Crack. My palm struck her cheek. Maya clutched her face, eyes blazing with tears. Those eyes were screaming, He’s not worth it. A wave of vertigo hit me. I clutched my chest, a sharp pain lancing through my heart, and crumpled to the floor. All that came out was a choked gasp and the coppery taste of blood. 1 “Mom! Mom, don’t scare me!” Maya cried, her anger instantly replaced by panic. I grabbed her arm, my voice a desperate rasp. “You think he doesn’t love me? Your father? After fifty years, you think there was never any love?” She turned her face away, unable to meet my eyes. I violently shook off the hand she offered to help me up and scrambled toward the hospital bed. I seized Danny’s frail, withered wrist, the skin a roadmap of needle marks and faded bruises. I leaned in close, staring into his clouded eyes, my voice a raw shout. “Danny! Don’t you love me? Huh?” “In high school, you skipped breakfast every day to save up and buy me a rose. In winter, you knitted me a scarf and warmed my hands in yours. In college, you worked all summer to buy me a ring… Have you forgotten all that?” “Say something! Answer me!” I shook him with all my strength, but not a single sound could escape the tube in his throat. He’d endured five major surgeries this year alone. The handsome, strong man I once knew was gone, replaced by a fragile skeleton trapped in this sterile white bed. He’d had two women in his life, and children from both. But in the end, the only one here, tending to him day and night, was me. “How dare you say you don’t love me? Speak!” I slapped him, once, then again, the sound sharp in the sterile room, my hands striking his hollowed-out cheeks. “You liar! You’ve lied to me my whole life! Give him back to me… Give me back the Danny I knew when I was twenty!” His head lolled to the side from the force of the blows. He couldn’t move, but his old eyes slowly, painfully, turned back to me. And then, large, cloudy tears began to roll down his temples, quickly soaking the white hair at his sides. Maya wrapped her arms around me from behind, her voice choked with sobs. “Mom, stop! Please, stop! He can’t talk!” My mouth was open, but I couldn’t breathe. The world swam before my eyes. All I ever wanted was to fool myself for a lifetime. 2 Danny had two women in his life. We grew up on the same block, in a rough part of town. Childhood sweethearts, inseparable. The year we graduated, Danny’s academic excellence landed him a coveted position as a senior aide to Chairman Sterling, the head of the Sterling Corporation. The other woman was the Chairman’s secret, illegitimate daughter. On my twenty-second birthday, I accepted Danny’s proposal. The very next day, I was taken. The kidnappers demanded a twenty-million-dollar ransom, or they would kill me. But Danny and I were just kids, fresh out of school. Twenty million was an impossible sum. To prove they were serious, they’d sent him my ring finger, the engagement ring still on it. Danny knelt before Chairman Sterling for a day and a night, begging. He came back with a check for twenty million dollars. And he brought me home. The price was a night with the Chairman’s daughter, Eleanor Sterling. On his deathbed, Chairman Sterling used that twenty million to secure a stable future for his illegitimate daughter. He saw Danny’s talent and ambition. He entrusted him with the entire Sterling Corporation, and with Eleanor. I was in agony. I struggled. The man I loved now had a woman who would be by his side for life. I should have wished them well and disappeared. But every time I made up my mind to leave him for good, Danny would appear. Sometimes drunk, sometimes sober and clear-eyed. He would kiss the mutilated finger that could never again wear a ring and whisper, “Lena, don’t you ever think you can leave me. You owe me twenty million. You owe me your life.” Later, he confessed that his relationship with Eleanor was just for show, a necessary evil. He swore that I was the only woman he considered his wife. And when I learned they had no official marriage certificate, I accepted his terms. From that day on, I became his life in Northwood, and Eleanor was his life in Bay City. Over fifty years, we even bore him the same number of children, a boy and a girl each. He was the master of juggling two lives. “…Don’t be a fool, Mom. You call that juggling?” 3 It was Maya again. Her words were always so hard to hear. And they always cut right to the bone. “Do you have any idea how much jewelry she owns? How many apartments, how many limited-edition cars? Do you know how many shares of the company have been funneled to her, openly and secretly?” My lips moved, but no sound came out. “Fine,” Maya said, her voice thick with the frustration she felt on my behalf. “You can say you don’t care about that stuff. But what about his time? In fifty years, you can count on one hand the number of times Dad flew to Northwood to be with you. When Grandma and Grandpa were sick, when they were dying, you were the one who stayed by their bedsides day and night. Did Eleanor Sterling ever bring them a glass of water? A single pill?” “When we were kids, how many people pointed at us and called us bastards, illegitimate… You always said Dad was busy! Yes, he was busy! Busy celebrating a birthday with his other children in Bay City! How many of our birthdays did he come home for? We couldn’t even call him ‘Dad’ unless no one else was around!” Finally, a flicker of pity softened her voice, as if she was afraid of pushing me too far. “And in the end… Mom, she had a wedding of the century, broadcast around the world. Her dress was custom-designed by a master couturier. Her ring was bigger than a quail’s egg. And you?” She paused, her voice barely a whisper. “You have a finger that can never wear a ring again.” I staggered back until my spine hit the cold wall. The dignity I had fought to maintain for fifty years was, in my daughter’s eyes, nothing but a pathetic lie. I could still see the broadcast of that wedding, clear as day, even after all these decades. The air filled with falling petals as Danny, in a perfectly tailored suit, kissed Eleanor. The applause of countless guests. They were a beautiful couple, a perfect match. Beside me on the sofa, Danny’s mother had let out a long, weary sigh and patted my hand, saying nothing. That sigh was more shaming than any curse. Even if Danny swore they would never get a marriage license, that in name, Eleanor and I were the same, what did it matter? He bought her priceless jade at auctions, hosted art exhibitions of her paintings, even cooked for her. The tenderness in his eyes when he looked at her was undeniable. The world said Danny Sterling adored his wife. And I was just a sewer rat, peeking at a happiness that wasn’t mine. I’d fought back, of course. The worst time, I smashed everything in the house I could get my hands on. At first, he was patient. He tried to hold me like he used to, to kiss my broken finger and murmur, “Don’t, Lena… You know you’re the only one in my heart. I could never love her. What is Eleanor Sterling to me? Anything she has, you’ll have too…” But eventually, he stopped saying that. The last time I raged, he stood amidst the wreckage, looking down at me as I sat, disheveled and broken, on the floor. He watched me for a long time, then said softly, “You’re getting old, Lena. What’s the point of all this?” He was right. I was old. My skin had loosened, my waist had thickened, and the lines around my eyes were too deep to hide. And Eleanor, with her expensive beauty treatments, was always perfect, always radiant at the galas, the charity dinners, the international art shows where she was needed. More importantly, I had no way out. He had long since forbidden me from working, slowly clipping the wings that connected me to the outside world. The money he gave me was enough to raise the children, enough to keep up appearances, but never enough for me to have ideas of my own, and certainly not enough to leave and live independently. I was a frog in a pot of slowly boiling water, and I’d been simmering for so long. Eventually, I started to believe it myself. I had to love him. I had to act like I loved him more now than I ever had when I was young. It was the only way to find a reason for this absurd, laughable love, a pillar to keep it from collapsing entirely. Danny’s visits to Northwood grew less and less frequent. But I poured all my energy into caring for his parents, so much so that on their deathbeds, they wept and told me how sorry they were for what I’d endured. I pushed my children relentlessly, my standards for them almost cruel, until they became top performers in their fields. Their success was my greatest medal, proof that my silent suffering had been worth something. 4 Danny’s health took a sharp decline in the spring. A man of his wealth should have had access to the world’s best doctors, to 24/7 private care. He shouldn’t have been in this state. But his son and daughter in Bay City were just waiting for him to die so they could take over his empire. Danny was stubborn and refused to relinquish control. He came to Northwood on his last legs. When I opened the door, he collapsed into my arms. Through five major surgeries, I let no one else near him. I bathed him, fed him his medicine, tended to his every need myself. He wasted away to nothing. In his rare moments of lucidity, he would dictate instructions to his secretary. One day, the secretary mentioned arrangements for his ashes. I suddenly spoke up. “He should come back to Northwood. Come home.” His cloudy eyes turned to me. On a strange impulse, I added, “…I want to be buried with you.” The words were out before I could stop them. I was stunned. The resentment I had buried for fifty years had never truly gone away. If I couldn’t have him exclusively in life, I would bind him to me in death, forever. Danny smiled, a weak, tired thing, and laboriously raised a hand to my face. “…That wouldn’t be fair.” He paused. “My ashes… half and half. Buried in two different places.” “Danny…” I stared at the dying man. “And was it fair to me?” Eleanor and I both had a son and a daughter, all around the same age. But I never told Danny that we should have had three children. Eleanor had always known about me, but Danny had passed me off as a live-in housekeeper. A housekeeper. Someone who would never threaten her position as Mrs. Sterling. Even so, she couldn’t stand the thought of me bearing his child before she did. One day, there was an “accident.” I fell, and started bleeding heavily. Danny wasn’t there. There was no one to even sign the emergency medical forms. I passed out from the pain. I was lucky to survive, but I nearly lost my uterus. I never told anyone about it. It was a scar I carried deep inside. 5 Today was December 6th. Fifty years ago today, Danny emptied his pockets, took me to a jewelry store, and bought me a ring. On that day, with a ring on my finger, I accepted his proposal. In my heart, I married him fifty years ago. That’s why I told my children we’d had a fifty-year marriage. Today should have been our golden anniversary. But there were three people in this marriage. It was too crowded. I wiped away a tear. Maya was right. A golden anniversary like this? I would rather not have it. Today was also the day of Danny’s sixth major surgery. The head surgeon said the risk was extremely high, with only a ten or twenty percent chance of success. But the potential reward was just as great. If it worked, he could recover most of his strength. If it failed, he would die on the operating table. He was with his secretary now, scribbling instructions on a notepad. Soon, the nurses would come to take him away. I don’t know what came over me, but I shouted, “You fell in love with her, didn’t you? You’ve loved Eleanor for a long time!” You just couldn’t admit it to me. He struggled, shaking his head. I laughed through my tears. Even at death’s door, he wouldn’t tell me the truth. My children and I waited outside the operating room. I stared at the floor. Maya came over and put her arm around me. “Don’t worry, Mom. Dad will make it through.” I forced a smile. “I almost wish he wouldn’t.” Then I would finally be free. Six hours. The surgery dragged on. I couldn’t sit still. The longer it took, the greater the risk. Which meant… Suddenly, the doors to the operating room burst open. A doctor rushed toward me. “The patient’s condition has taken a turn! He’s in cardiac arrest! We need to reopen his chest immediately! Where’s the family? We need a signature on the consent form!” A piece of paper was thrust into my hand. My mind went blank. Images of Danny flashed before my eyes—young, old, tender, cold. The tip of the pen hovered over the signature line. My hand was shaking so badly I couldn’t write. “Sign it! Sign it now!” the doctor urged, his voice frantic. “We can’t proceed without a signature! You’re wasting precious time!” Slowly, I put the pen down. “Doctor,” I said, looking up, “there are no direct family members here. I can’t sign this.”

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The moment I found out I was the long-lost heir to the Marshall fortune, I spent the night cutting my already short hair even shorter. I was already five-foot-ten, so I slipped an extra inch of lifts into my shoes. When the old family butler who came to pick me up addressed me as “young master,” I simply gave a silent nod. I was terrified of getting caught in some predictable, dramatic clash between the real and fake heiress. But I never imagined the fake one wouldn’t let me off the hook anyway. At my own welcome-home party, she got me completely drunk. When I woke up, I was in her bed. Sophie Marshall was draped in my older brother’s suit jacket, her sobs wracking her body. “I don’t know… Alex… he said he’d had too much to drink… I didn’t know he would force himself on me…” A fist slammed into my face. It was my brother, Johnny. “You animal! That’s your sister! How could you do something like that to your own sister?” I turned my head, my cheek throbbing, and saw the profound disappointment etched on my parents’ faces. My mother was cradling Sophie, her heart breaking, pointing a trembling finger at me as if she wanted to scream but couldn’t find the words. My father’s face was a dark storm cloud as he apologized to the murmuring crowd. “My sincerest apologies to everyone. It seems I’ve failed in raising my son. I’m deeply embarrassed you had to witness this.” “Wait a minute!” Failed in raising your son? For crying out loud, I’m a woman! 1. “I didn’t do anything!” I shouted, cutting through the awkward attempts of the guests to smooth things over. My head was still spinning, but even a fool could see what was happening. Sophie was trying to frame me. After I was taken as a child, I ended up in a remote, impoverished rural town, adopted by a childless couple. Life was hard out there, and you had to be tougher to survive. For my own protection, my adoptive parents raised me as a boy. My height shot up to nearly six feet, and with my perennial short hair, I looked the part. When I returned to the Marshall family, my biological parents never even bothered to ask. They just assumed I was their long-lost son. I’d meant to correct them, but then I caught the wary look in Sophie’s eyes and understood. If they knew I was a girl, she would only see me as a bigger threat. But that was no damn reason to accuse me of rape! I gingerly touched my swelling cheek where Johnny had punched me. “Me?” I asked, my voice incredulous. “You’re saying I raped Sophie?” At my words, Sophie’s tears, which had momentarily subsided, burst forth in a fresh torrent. “Alex… I don’t blame you… This was all my fault to begin with.” She staggered, trying to climb out of the bed. “Dad, Mom, it seems Alex will never accept me.” “I know I’ve been a usurper all these years, living the life that should have been his. I’ve been your daughter for two decades… please, just let me bow to you one last time.” “After this, I’ll go back to the mountains. You won’t have to worry about whether I live or die anymore.” That was too much for our mother, Eleanor. She broke down completely, clutching Sophie as they wept together. Johnny pointed a shaking finger at me, his voice raw with fury. “Alex Marshall! You’re a monster! Sophie is a sweet, delicate girl. No matter how much you resented her, you had no right to destroy her like this!” “How is she supposed to face the world now?” I pressed my fingers to my temples, a splitting headache blooming behind my eyes. “That’s impossible!” I insisted. I might look like a guy, but I was one hundred percent female. What was I supposed to have raped her with? I had no idea what Sophie’s endgame was, but her intentions were clearly malicious. I mustered all my strength. “You can’t just decide what happened!” I yelled. “I’m a woman!” My voice, naturally a lower alto and not a high soprano, was now a rough rasp from sleep and stress. But everyone in that room had already made up their minds. Not a single person believed me. My own father, Arthur Marshall, stood to the side, his face a grim mask. Seeing his reaction, the guests began offering their “understanding” condolences. “Don’t worry, Arthur. Everyone in the city knows what a stand-up man you are.” “The young master just returned, after all. He didn’t grow up under your guidance. You’ll just need to spend more time with him.” “Thank goodness Johnny has always been so sensible and decent. He’s never given you a moment’s worry. I’m sure he’ll be more than capable of leading the company in the future.” I cursed my father silently. I thought pretending to be a boy would spare me this kind of drama, but it had played right into their hands. My eyes scanned the crowd, freezing when they landed on Johnny. Logically, he should have been consumed with rage and pity for Sophie, whose reputation was now in tatters. But for a split second, I saw a flash of triumph on his face. My gaze darted to Sophie, and I caught a glint of cunning in her tear-filled eyes. My mind went blank. The people around me were muttering about how I was dodging responsibility, how I was psychologically disturbed. Johnny lunged at me again, his fist raised. “You gutless coward! You ruin Sophie’s life and now you’re trying to lie your way out of it?” I was still weak, the drugs not fully out of my system, and I barely managed to stumble out of the way. My head felt like it was going to explode. “I’m a woman! How could I have possibly raped her?” Before the words were even out of my mouth, another punch connected with my jaw. “Have you no conscience? No shame?” Johnny roared. “You’d say anything to escape the consequences!” “Are you even a man?” Damn it, I thought. That’s the whole point. I’m not. 2. A bitter laugh escaped my lips. What would I even gain by publicly raping Sophie? A forced marriage into the Marshall family? Besides, I hadn’t done a damn thing! Did they really think I wouldn’t know what was, or wasn’t, between my own legs? “I told you, I was drugged,” I said, my voice shaking with anger. “I’m a victim here, too. If you don’t believe me, check the security cameras.” My father’s face immediately hardened. Johnny sneered. “You have the nerve to bring that up? The security system has worked perfectly for years, but tonight, every camera malfunctioned. You expect us to believe you had nothing to do with that?” “Let me tell you something,” he continued, his voice dropping to a low threat. “Don’t think you can pull some disgusting stunt like this to trap my sister. It won’t happen.” I was trembling with fury. Seeing my state, Sophie only cried harder. “Father, Mother, I know Alex doesn’t like me. It’s all my fault he had to suffer for all those years.” “He’s getting his revenge now, and I don’t blame him…” She choked on a sob, her performance worthy of an Oscar. The onlookers’ faces were filled with contempt for me. Sophie added the finishing touch. “Alex, I’m not asking for your forgiveness. I’ve already given you the most precious thing a girl has. I just beg you… please, leave me alone from now on.” With a dramatic flourish, she threw back the covers. There, on the pristine white sheets, was a stark crimson stain. Coupled with her look of shame and violation, the message was unmistakable: I had taken her virginity. A wave of condemnation washed over me from the crowd. “What an absolute animal. It’s not like Miss Marshall asked him to spend twenty years in some backwater town.” “He’s a grown man, for God’s sake. How can he have such a fragile ego, taking it all out on a young woman?” “I actually thought he was quite handsome, a good match for Miss Marshall since he’s a true Marshall. But who knew he was capable of something so vile.” My chest heaved with rage, and the lingering weakness from the drugs made my face turn deathly pale. I’m a woman, for crying out loud! Did Sophie prick her own finger or something? And why frame me like this? Just to ruin my reputation? That seemed incredibly stupid. My father, Arthur, pointed a trembling finger at me. “You wretched creature! How could I have fathered such a monster! Shut your mouth, I’ll deal with you later!” He clearly wanted to contain the scandal, to get everyone out and pin all the blame on me. My window to explain was closing fast. I took a deep breath, ready to scream the truth one more time, but Johnny kicked me square in the chest. The world spun, and before I could even curse him, everything went black. When I came to, Johnny had already packed my few belongings. “Get out,” he snarled. “Take your things and get out of this house. Don’t ever show your face here again.” Something felt wrong. “Where are Mom and Dad?” A cruel smile twisted Johnny’s lips. “You still have the nerve to mention them? Sophie’s in the hospital, traumatized. They’re with her.” “Get out before they come back. Stop poisoning this family with your presence.” I stared at Johnny, my mind racing. Even if they were all disappointed in me, wouldn’t my father, concerned with public perception, want to keep me under lock and key to prevent more trouble? Simply kicking me out without a word didn’t make sense. I hesitated. Seeing me stall, Johnny physically shoved me and my luggage into a car. My head was spinning with questions, but as I lay on the bed in my graduate school dorm later that night, I pushed them all away. Who cares? I never wanted to be a part of the Marshall family anyway. Their opinions meant nothing to me. The only reason I’d come back was to get them to pay for my master’s degree. My adoptive parents were getting older, and having the Marshalls foot the bill was a convenient solution. I buried my face in my pillow, inhaling deeply. Studying was what mattered. To hell with the Marshalls. With that, I threw myself into my research group’s work ahead of schedule. Just before the semester officially began, I received a rare call from Arthur Marshall. It was the first time anyone from the family had contacted me since Sophie’s setup. “You little bastard! Get your ass back home, now!” I was baffled. Was he having some kind of episode? Before I could ask why he was screaming at me, the line went dead. Damn it. He hung up. 3. Swallowing my rage, I stormed back to the Marshall mansion. What was with this family? One day I’m being framed, the next I’m being screamed at over the phone. If they didn’t want to pay for my tuition, they could just say so! I slammed open the grand front door. The moment Johnny saw me, he lunged, his fist flying toward my face again. This time, I was ready. I sidestepped his clumsy punch and planted a solid kick on his rear. A deep sense of satisfaction washed over me. The last time, I was drugged and caught off guard. Did he really think he could pull that again? I’d grown up doing hard farm labor, and I put every ounce of my strength into that kick. Johnny went down with a groan. Ignoring the shocked and furious expressions of the rest of the family, I strode to the sofa and plopped down. “What do you want now?” My sharp tone seemed to snap Arthur out of his stupor. While motioning for someone to help Johnny up, he turned to me, his face grim. “You have the audacity to ask? You monster!” “Sophie’s pregnant!” I spat out a mouthful of tea, drenching the newly upright Johnny. “What the hell? Are you kidding me?” How could I have gotten her pregnant? I didn’t have the necessary equipment! Sophie, clutching a pregnancy test report, threw herself into our mother’s arms. “W-what am I going to do?” she wailed. “Everyone in the city thinks I belong to Alex now, but if he won’t acknowledge the baby, it will be illegitimate.” “Dad, Mom, please don’t force him,” she sobbed. “It’s okay. We can just… get rid of it. I’m not afraid of hurting my body.” She cried as if her heart was breaking, which in turn brought fresh tears to our mother’s eyes. Johnny’s eyes were bloodshot with rage. “How dare you deny it? Who else could it be? What about Sophie’s reputation? What will people say about her now?” “You want her to have an abortion? What kind of man are you?” For the last time, I’m not a man! My face was a thundercloud. “A simple DNA test will prove whether or not it’s my child.” I grabbed Sophie’s arm, intending to drag her out the door. She resisted, weeping dramatically, but her words were honey-sweet. “Dad, Mom, it’s fine. A prenatal test is okay. It might be risky for the baby, but if Alex insists… I’ll have to apologize to my child first.” “Once the results are out and my name is cleared,” she declared, “I’ll just end my life. At least in death, my innocence will be restored.” I was floored by her masterful performance, staring at her in disbelief. Even an idiot could see what was happening now. She was knocked up and needed a scapegoat to play the fool, the cuckolded father. My intense gaze seemed to unnerve her. “Alex,” she whispered, “I won’t force you. You’re free. Don’t worry, I won’t pin this child on you.” “I just… I want you to acknowledge its existence. I don’t want it to be an unwanted child with no father.” I let out a cold, humorless laugh. I was drugged unconscious that night; I had no idea what really happened. If I hadn’t been a woman, I might have actually believed I’d been overcome by lust and assaulted her. But since I was missing a key piece of anatomy, I couldn’t very well take the credit. Johnny slammed his fist on the table. “Dad, Mom, Sophie, we’re keeping this baby! The Marshall family is powerful enough. We can certainly afford to raise one more child.” “Are we really going to let Sophie go through that kind of pain? And what’s the point of forcing this animal to acknowledge it?” He then turned to Sophie, his voice softening. “Don’t worry, I’ll be the baby’s godfather. I’ll help you raise it. Even if you never marry, your big brother can support you and the child for the rest of your lives.” I looked from one family member to the next, then spoke in a low, deliberate voice. “Why are you so worked up about this?” “It’s not your baby, is it?” 4. The moment the words left my mouth, the room fell silent. Johnny froze for a fraction of a second before his rage returned full force. But I saw it. That flicker of panic. A smirk played on my lips. So, Johnny was involved in this charade. Arthur started roaring about family discipline, and my mother pointed at me, calling me heartless. I couldn’t be bothered to respond. They wouldn’t believe me anyway. “No matter who the father is, it has nothing to do with me,” I stated flatly. “If you think I’m going to raise your bastard child for you, you can dream on.” With that, I turned and walked out. Back at university, I buried myself in the lab, often not returning to my dorm until the middle of the night. The next morning, I woke up to my phone exploding with notifications. When I saw what was trending on social media, the world went dark, and I nearly fainted. The top headlines were variations of the same theme: [MARSHALL SIBLING INCEST: A LIVE DRAMA], [THE TRUE HEIR RAPES THE IMPOSTER HEIRESS, SHOCKING PREGNANCY IN HIGH-SOCIETY SCANDAL!], [POWER PLAY OR PERVERSION? CUNNING HEIR’S FAMILY FEUD]. Attached was a video of Sophie standing on the edge of a river, preparing to jump. “It’s not Alex’s fault,” she cried to the cameras. “The Marshall family has been so good to me. The only way to repay them is with my life.” “Alex,” she whispered, her voice choked with emotion, “I never blamed you. My only wish is that after I’m gone, you’ll give our unborn child a name.” Just as she was about to leap, Johnny rushed in from out of nowhere, pulling her back into his arms. He then faced the media, his voice ringing with righteous fury. “Alex Marshall is a wolf in sheep’s clothing! He has been disowned! The Marshall family no longer has a person named Alex Marshall!” I scrolled through the comments, my hands shaking with rage. The story had gone viral, and the internet was a cesspool of vitriol directed at me. “OMG, are all rich families this messed up? A brother raping his sister? My mind is blown.” “Honestly, it’s not the girl’s fault she was switched at birth. Taking it all out on her, what a coward!” “That’s how bullies are. They only pick on the weak. I feel so bad for Miss Marshall.” “Scumbags like him should be drawn and quartered! He doesn’t deserve to live!” A firestorm of anger churned in my chest, and my eyes burned red. I refreshed the page. The Marshall family had already called a press conference. On the screen, my father stood grim-faced while Johnny held a sobbing Sophie. I was trembling, not with fear, but with incandescent rage. I hailed a cab and sped towards the press conference. I arrived just in time to hear my father’s cold, measured words. “Alex did not grow up in this family. For him to commit such a monstrous act is a profound failure on our part as parents. We will accept all criticism.” “As for the child my daughter is carrying, if she wishes to keep it, the Marshall family will raise it as our own, with the same rights of inheritance.” A reporter shouted a question. “Mr. Marshall, what punishment will your son face for this unforgivable act?” Another followed up. “Will the Marshall family protect him because of his bloodline? If so, where is the justice? What about the law?” Johnny stepped forward, a cold sneer on his lips. “Alex refuses to take responsibility. He lacks even the most basic human decency. The Marshall family will not shelter such a monster.” “He made this disgusting mess, and he will face the consequences alone. We are officially disowning him, and he will be expelled from this family!” The room erupted in applause. The villain was getting his just deserts. I looked at Johnny’s self-righteous act and arched an eyebrow in disgust. Suddenly, a brilliant idea sparked in my mind. I pushed my way through the throng of reporters until I reached the stage. The crowd buzzed with excitement and disgust as they realized who I was. “Isn’t that Alex Marshall? How shameless can he be, showing his face here?” “A monster in a handsome disguise. He looks so polished, but he’s a beast!” I ignored their insults. When Johnny saw me, he pointed a finger at me, roaring, “What are you doing here? Don’t you dare try to hurt Sophie again!” The audience praised him for being such a protective brother. I rolled my eyes, then snatched a microphone from the podium, stunning him into silence. My voice was calm and steady. “Sophie and I… we’re in love.”

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My childhood friend, Leo, loved to date. He also loved to set me up. If anyone showed even the slightest hint of interest in me, he would move heaven and earth to play matchmaker. “Marcus is back in the country,” he told me, leaning against his car. “He wants to get dinner, asked me to bring you along.” He glanced at me. “You should go. I think he’s still into you.” “You weren’t interested back then, but maybe it’ll work out this time.” His tone was more sincere than when he’d proposed to me two years ago. I’d lost count of how many times he’d tried to sell me off like this. In the past, I always refused. But this time, I smiled and nodded. “Alright, I’ll go.” In the tenth year of loving Leo, I finally let him go. 1. Leo was driving me home when he suddenly called my name just as I was getting out of the car. I turned. He had one arm resting on the open window, the ember of his cigarette glowing in the dark. He gave me a lazy smile. “This time, after you see Marcus, don’t go crying to me on the phone, begging me to pick you up.” I smiled back. “I won’t.” “And if things do work out between us, I’ll have you to thank.” The night air was cool against my bare skin, a chilling, clarifying sensation. “I think it’s time I had a real relationship. As for us…” I paused, searching for the right words. They caught on my tongue. “Whether you’re looking for a girlfriend or just a warm body in your bed, that’s your business.” “Let’s just call it quits between us.” The year I loved Leo the most, he must have noticed the way I looked at him, because he started avoiding me at every turn. He’d answer one out of every ten of my calls, reply to two out of every ten texts. But just when I’d resolved to put some distance between us, he’d reach out, asking if I was taking care of myself. The first time I met Marcus was one of those rare occasions when Leo sought me out, saying he wanted to take me somewhere fun. But when we got there, I went to buy a bottle of water. When I came back, Leo was gone. Only Marcus was left, waiting. “He had to leave,” Marcus said. “He told me to hang out with you.” I blinked, trying to process his words. “What does that mean?” Marcus’s features were sharp and cool, but his gaze was intense, focused. “I like you,” he said simply. “Leo said he’d introduce us.” I later learned the full story. When Marcus first told Leo he was interested in me, Leo had raised an eyebrow. “Sure, I can set you two up. In exchange, give me your cousin’s number.” And just like that, Leo had pushed me toward someone else. Right at the moment when I was filled with hope, thinking he’d finally stopped avoiding me. I’d tried on a dozen different outfits before meeting him, wanting to look perfect. Seeing my eyes welling up with tears, Marcus frowned. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize… he didn’t explain things to you.” That day was a disaster. I walked home aimlessly, tears streaming down my face. I called Leo. The line was busy. I called again. Still busy. I kept dialing, my actions mechanical. Marcus caught up with me from behind, his hand closing around my wrist. He knelt before me and gently swapped my high heels for a pair of flats he was holding. “Come on,” he said softly. “How much farther do you have to walk? I’ll walk with you.” Just then, Leo’s call came through. I was sobbing so hard I could barely speak, managing only to call him a bastard. “What’s wrong?” he asked, his tone casual. “Did Marcus give you a hard time? Alright, alright, I’m coming back to get you.” On the way there, I’d been in the passenger seat. On the way back, Leo’s new girlfriend was sitting there. She was beautiful. When she got out of the car, she and Leo shared a long, lingering kiss. His lips were stained a deep red. He took her hand. “I’ll drop my friend off first, then I’ll come find you tonight.” The girl smiled shyly. I whipped my head around, staring out the window at the reflection of his handsome, faithless face. This was back in college, when we still lived with our parents. We’d been neighbors for almost twenty years. No matter how much we fought, we always walked the same path home. Suddenly, Leo slung an arm around my shoulder, leaning in to look at my eyes. He smiled faintly. “Still crying? What could possibly be worth all these tears?” “You don’t like Marcus? I can introduce you to someone else, how about that?” “When you were seventeen, you followed me around, tattling to our parents that I was dating. Now you’re trying to ruin my love life again.” “Clara, have you ever met a bigger third wheel? If it were anyone else, I’d have decked them by now.” I stared at his face, which seemed to have shed the last of its boyishness, and a bitter ache filled my chest. He was always so carefree, so thoughtless. I was nineteen. My most vivid memory of Leo was the day he pushed me off on another guy and got his first official girlfriend. That night, I hid in the dark, crying and praying. Please, God, please. Don’t let me love him anymore. 2. When I saw Marcus again, he had matured. I asked him what he liked so much about me that he was still asking me out after all these years. “What did you like so much about Leo?” he countered. The shadows of the trees danced on our faces, half in light, half in darkness, obscuring our expressions. “Whenever Leo was around,” he said, “your eyes would follow him. Even when you were doing your own thing, you couldn’t help but sneak glances at him.” So everyone knew. Everyone could see how much I had loved him. “Now that you’re over him,” Marcus said, his voice earnest, “why not give me a try?” He asked so seriously. It reminded me of a spring night years ago, when Leo had asked me the same thing. Two years after we graduated from college, Leo’s grandmother fell gravely ill. His family pressured him to take over the company, to find a stable girlfriend, to get married, to have children. One night, he got incredibly drunk and grabbed my hand. “Clara, be my girlfriend, just for a while. My family adores you.” “If I’m with you, they’ll stop worrying.” “Besides,” he slurred, “you don’t like any of the guys I set you up with. So why not give me a try?” When we were little and played house, Leo was always the dad, and I was always the mom. He used to ask his parents, “When can I grow up? I want to marry Clara.” I was a sickly child, and Leo would refuse to go to school, insisting on staying by my side. He’d tell my parents, “You don’t take good care of Clara! I’m taking her home with me!” But as we grew up, I was the only one who remembered those promises. Over time, they became an obsession I couldn’t escape. Maybe if I just had him, the pain would stop. My heart hammered in my chest. I grabbed the front of his shirt and kissed him. Leo and I continued that ambiguous relationship for a long time. It was a confusing, intoxicating entanglement. Sometimes, in moments of passion, he would whisper “baby” in my ear. It made me brave enough to ask him once, my voice barely a whisper, “Do you like me? Even a little?” He lazily lifted his eyelids, not having heard me clearly. “What?” But my courage failed me. I couldn’t bring myself to ask again. I just let his hand rest over my heart. During his grandmother’s final days, Leo knelt on one knee in her hospital room and proposed to me. Our hands were clasped so tightly they were slick with sweat, but neither of us let go. The two rings he held clinked together with a clear, sharp sound. For a moment, I almost believed I had finally found the happiness I’d been chasing. In the winter of my twenty-fourth year, Leo’s grandmother passed away. It was a long time before our two families gathered for a meal again. Afterwards, Leo offered to drive me home. In the car, he slipped the ring off his finger and tried to put it on mine, alongside the one I was already wearing. “It’s a little big. You should get it resized.” “This was just to make my grandmother happy,” he said casually. “Now that she’s gone, it doesn’t really mean anything.” “But I remember you really seemed to like these when we picked them out, so you can have them both.” I froze. Leo reached out and playfully pinched my cheek. “You didn’t actually think I was going to marry you, did you? We agreed this was just pretend.” “We’re adults, Clara.” I stared at him for a long, silent moment. Then, I started to laugh. It was true. Loving Leo all these years was like holding a glass while someone kept pouring boiling water into it. Eventually, the pain becomes unbearable, and you have no choice but to let go. Fine, delicate snowflakes drifted down from the sky, landing on my eyelashes like tears. “You don’t need to drive me home.” After graduation, Leo and I had both moved out of our parents’ houses and gotten our own places. He lived downtown, I lived in the suburbs. We hadn’t been on the same path for a long time. 3. Leo spent two years abroad. We barely spoke. The only time we saw each other was during the first year, at Christmas. Both our families decided to visit him and celebrate together. His business partner here was hosting, and when he met me, his admiration was obvious. He asked Leo to set us up. Leo just smiled. “I can ask for you, but you don’t stand a chance.” The partner was indignant. Leo just stuck his hands in his pockets, his tone confident and certain. “She can’t accept anyone else.” I had been standing just outside the door and heard everything. A bitter, ridiculous feeling bloomed in my chest. So, he knew. Perhaps Leo had always known how I felt. Leo introduced me to his partner, then asked me with a glint of amusement in his eyes, “What do you think? Want to give him a shot?” “My love life is none of your business.” He laughed, as if my reaction was exactly what he expected. “You don’t like this one, you don’t like that one. What kind of guy do you actually like?” He leaned in close, his eyes searching mine as if trying to see into my soul. “Or is it that you like guys like me? I mean, we always did have amazing chemistry.” He moved closer and closer, his eyes shimmering. I turned my face away, my voice cool. “I don’t like you, either.” Leo just hummed in response and straightened up. “Alright, then.” “When you do find someone you like, be sure to let me know.” Later, I saw a post from a mutual friend who had visited him. In the photo, Leo was smiling, a beautiful girl beside him looking at him with adoration. His new flame, apparently. The caption read, “Long time no see. Leo’s still got it with the ladies.” I calmly liked the post. I felt none of the old pangs of jealousy, like when I used to search for him on the sports field in high school, watching him surrounded by girls, my heart aching as he charmed them all. None of the bitter disappointment of the time he handed me a pink envelope and asked me to give the love letter to another classmate. That New Year’s Eve, Leo and I confessed to our families that our engagement had been a sham. After a round of scolding us for being so foolish, they finally accepted that there was nothing between us. Only my mother looked at me, her expression full of unspoken words. She had seen the “Book of Answers” in my room, a popular fad at the time. I had filled an entire page with Leo’s name, over and over again. When he returned from abroad, I tossed the book in the trash without a second thought. I looked at my mother and said, “Don’t worry. I’m over him.” Two years passed. At Leo’s welcome-home dinner, our parents were chiding us both. “You’re not getting any younger. Isn’t it time you two settled down?” And so, Leo casually brought up Marcus’s invitation. He asked me again if I wanted to see Marcus, but his tone suggested he was already prepared for my refusal. “Fine, if you don’t want to go, then don’t… Wait, what did you say?” I had said yes. 4. The family dinner ended late. My parents were worried and insisted Leo drive me home. “You should probably use the GPS,” I said. Leo shot me a look. “I’ve driven this route a thousand times. I know it by heart.” “Is that so? You have a good memory, then.” My reply was lukewarm. His fingers, which had been tapping on the steering wheel, stilled. “Clara, you’ve changed.” “Everyone changes.” I turned to look out the window. We drove the rest of the way in silence. When we arrived, Leo tried to follow me upstairs, but I pushed his hand away. “Two years ago, you left so quickly, I never got a chance to say what I needed to say.” “What we had wasn’t a real relationship, so it’s not technically a breakup, but it still needs a proper ending. This is it.” “And from now on, stop meddling in my life under the guise of helping me.” His expression was unreadable. “Are you mad at me?” he asked suddenly. “Can you at least unblock me?” I met his gaze, my eyes clear, my voice even. “I never blocked you.” “Then why don’t you answer my calls or reply to my texts?” He trailed off, the smile completely vanishing from his eyes. I hadn’t blocked him. I had simply stopped responding. Just like he used to do to me. From my window, I saw Leo standing downstairs in front of my building until the middle of the night. The streetlight stretched his shadow long and thin on the pavement as he smoked one cigarette after another. Twenty-odd years of my life, all entangled with him, flashed before my eyes like a movie montage. I switched off my bedroom light. And now, here was Marcus, still waiting for my answer. “You might find that once you have it, it’s not what you thought it would be,” I cautioned him. Just like it was for me. Marcus took a deep breath, as if steeling himself. “Clara, I don’t know if you ever guessed, but all those anonymous birthday gifts you receive every year… they’re from me.” “I just wanted to tell you, over and over again on that day, how much your existence means to me.” “I’ve tried to give up on you,” he confessed, “but I can’t.” “So please, just take pity on me.” He stood there, a tall, strong man, suddenly looking so small and vulnerable. In him, I saw a reflection of my former self. The spring blossoms fell around us like soft rain, and for a moment that felt like an eternity, I said nothing. Then, I reached out and took his hand. “Okay,” I said. “Let’s give it a try.” When I got home later that night, I saw Leo leaning against my door. He held up his phone. It was a picture Marcus had posted, of the two of us kissing at the top of a Ferris wheel. “You’re together?”

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When Rowan came to pick me up for the concert, he introduced me to the woman in the passenger seat. “Victoria, this is Elara. I’ve told you about her. You should think of her as a little sister.” Ah, so this was the one. The woman who had every socialite in the city waiting for me to make a fool of myself. She was wearing a cheap sheath dress, her delicate, pale face a mask of aloof pride. Still, she managed to force out the words, “It’s a pleasure to meet you.” I gave her a friendly nod. “Hello.” Then I reached past her and pulled open the passenger side door. “You’re in the wrong seat.” 01 The arrogance on Elara’s face lasted only a second before her eyes welled with tears. “Rowan…” “I asked her to sit here.” Rowan’s voice was deep and steady, laced with an authority that left no room for argument. “Elara gets carsick and she’s sensitive to the cold. It’s more comfortable for her up front.” I held my position, my hand still on the door, and met his gaze with a sweet smile. “Oh, carsickness, is it? In that case, maybe you should let her drive. I’ve heard the driver never gets carsick.” I turned my kindest expression to the woman. “Besides, the driver’s seat is still warm from your Rowan. You won’t be cold.” “Victoria, what nonsense are you talking?” I ignored the anger simmering in his voice, my eyes fixed on Elara. Her face was flushed, tears trembling on her lashes. Finally, with a stiff, proud posture, she exited the car. “Rowan, thank you for today,” she said, her voice dripping with martyrdom. “I don’t think I’ll go to the concert. Just because something is popular doesn’t mean it’s good.” “Music, like people, shouldn’t be judged by class or status. You don’t need a grand concert hall to hear true beauty. As long as I stay true to myself, that’s all that matters.” I raised an eyebrow. Over the years, I’d dealt with my fair share of women who tried to get close to Rowan. I’d seen the gold-diggers and the ones blinded by his looks. But I’d never encountered one like this. A delicate, self-pitying little flower convinced of her own tragic superiority. No wonder Rowan had been obsessed with her ever since he’d heard her playing violin on a street corner. He’d bought her a new instrument, sent her flowers, even funded her private lessons. And now, on our wedding anniversary, he was bringing her along. Rowan got out of the car, his hand catching her wrist as she turned to leave. “Elara, this is a rare opportunity for you. Don’t miss it.” “I’ll have her apologize to you…” My gaze drifted to their clasped hands. His wedding ring was gone, a faint, pale band of skin the only evidence it had ever been there. “That won’t be necessary. You shouldn’t force people to do things they don’t want to, Rowan.” She lifted her chin, her voice a study in noble suffering. “And a simple apology won’t erase the humiliation I’ve already endured.” The composure I had spent years cultivating threatened to crack. For a fleeting moment, my hand itched to slap that look off her face. I managed to restrain myself. I took a step toward the car, ready to take my rightful seat. And then I saw it. A dark, crimson stain, stark against the cream-colored leather of the passenger seat. The back of Elara’s dress was stained with blood. “Elara, you—” Rowan had clearly seen it too. His voice caught in his throat. In a swift, practiced motion, he stripped off his six-figure suit jacket and wrapped it around her waist. “I’m going to the convenience store. Wait here.” Their eyes met. A blush crept up Elara’s cheeks as she nodded. They moved with a seamless, practiced intimacy. I slammed my Hermès bag against the car door. The sound was a deafening bang. It was just like years ago, when I was chasing a then-penniless Rowan who was working in a bar. I had ordered ten champagne towers and then smashed every single one, just to make sure all the other women who were after him knew to back off. “So,” I said, my voice dangerously calm. “This car is now filthy. How much are you going to pay for the damages?” It had been a long time since I’d been this angry. Even Rowan seemed taken aback. “Elara didn’t do it on purpose. I’ll pay for the cleaning.” A cold laugh escaped my lips. “Cleaning? You think you can clean the stench out of this car? I want the entire interior replaced. Or better yet, just buy me a new one.” Elara’s face turned ashen. “Miss Vance, I may not have money, but I have my pride. There’s no need to be so insulting.” My smile was laced with poison. “And does your pride pay the bills? Did I insult you? Why don’t you take a good whiff yourself?” At my words, tears streamed down her face like broken pearls. Rowan shot me a frigid glare. “That’s enough.” “I will cover all the costs. This has nothing to do with Elara. Don’t poison something pure with your own malice.” It was the middle of summer, but a chill snaked its way up my spine. The smile on my face froze. Suddenly, the whole thing just felt so pointless. 02 I watched as Rowan hurried into the convenience store, expertly navigating the aisle of feminine hygiene products. Elara’s voice cut through the silence. “Miss Vance, you could never understand the connection Rowan and I share.” “We’re kindred spirits. He appreciates my music, and I understand his silent suffering. It has nothing to do with money or class.” She seemed immensely proud of this. “I’m not like you. I don’t have a nouveau riche father, but I have a sincere heart.” “He only married you back then because he had no other choice.” “If I had appeared in his life just a few years earlier, perhaps he wouldn’t be like this now—so polished and perfect on the outside, but a barren wasteland within.” Rowan’s soul, a barren wasteland? I met him when he was twenty, working four jobs just to survive. His father was a gambling addict who had left him with a mountain of debt, forcing him to drop out of college. That winter, he wore a threadbare black coat, so thin he was practically skeletal. Even his beautiful eyes were devoid of life. I didn’t understand the concept of a young man’s pride. All I knew was that I had everything he needed. So I pulled him out of the abyss. I forced him to accept my generosity. I forced him to look up, to see only me. Eventually, everyone in the city knew the story: Rowan Vance had been forced into marrying me. They all whispered about it. The poor, brilliant artist, they’d said, had no defense against the spoiled, flashy heiress. It wasn’t until he had been cultivated into a man so successful that everyone else had to crane their necks to look up at him that people started saying I was lucky. But no one knew that what I had invested in this relationship was far more than just luck. “He’s a man, not your property,” Elara continued, her voice a self-righteous drone in my ear. The old me would have slapped her twice for that. But as I saw Rowan rushing back towards us, and the woman who was clearly terrified but deliberately provoking me, I had a change of heart. “You’re right,” I said. “He is a man. My man.” “If you want to parade around with him and slap me in the face, you not only have to ask for my permission, but you also have to ask him if he’s truly willing to become a heartless monster for you.” My voice was pitched just loud enough for Rowan to hear as he approached. He frowned. “Victoria, there’s nothing going on between Elara and me. The rumors… they’re nothing to us, but for a single woman like Elara, they’re incredibly damaging. Don’t believe what people are saying.” Elara bit her lip, her eyes full of unspoken words. The sight should have brought me a sense of victory, but I couldn’t bring myself to smile. “You should head to the concert first,” Rowan said to me. “I’ll get Elara settled, and then I’ll meet you there.” The woman leaned against him, and he didn’t pull away. Instead, he scooped her into his arms and gently placed her back in the passenger seat. “If you think the car is dirty, just take a taxi. I’ll go with you to look at new cars tomorrow.” I was suddenly thrown back to that year when I was twenty. He was the same then. His cool, calm eyes would just look at me, never saying no. I had been overjoyed, watching his gray life fill with color because of me. He was never spoiled by my affection, never sycophantic. He just… allowed my “whims.” Just like now. I didn’t know if he had crossed a line. But he was allowing Elara to cross one. I stood silently on the sidewalk, watching the car pull away until it was out of sight. I couldn’t say a word. I went to the concert anyway. The tickets were a gift from a friend, and I felt I should at least make an appearance. The truth was, I’d never cared much for classical music. But Rowan loved it. He could stare at a painting I found incomprehensible for an entire afternoon. He could be moved to tears by a symphony that put me to sleep. It was only in the presence of this “high art” that he ever showed any real emotion. So when I received the tickets, I’d wanted to please him. I had imagined us there together, his arm around me, a moment of shared intimacy as he lost himself in the music. I never imagined that the seat next to me would remain empty for the entire performance. After listening distractedly, I had the bouquet I’d brought sent to one of the performers I knew, and then I left. When I got home, I saw his car parked in the driveway. A sense of dread washed over me. I pushed open the door. Rowan was sitting in the living room, looking perfectly calm. The jacket stained with Elara’s blood was tossed carelessly on the sofa. His sleeves were rolled up, revealing strong forearms that were still damp. Something was wrong. “Why didn’t you take the car to be detailed?” Before Rowan could answer, a woman’s cry of surprise echoed from the master bedroom. 03 I froze. He strode towards the bedroom, his knock on the door laced with a strange restraint. “Elara? What’s wrong?” “Your wife’s clothes… they don’t quite fit. I was trying one on and I accidentally knocked over the wedding photo on your nightstand…” A surge of rage, white-hot and blinding, propelled me forward. I shoved the man out of my way and threw open the door, not caring that the woman inside was half-dressed. Crack. The sound of my hand connecting with her cheek echoed in the room. I had used all my strength. She crumpled to the floor, clutching her face, her eyes wide with shock. I surveyed the scene. Our wedding photo lay shattered on the floor. My clothes were strewn across the dressing room. The bathtub was half-filled with pinkish water. The air was thick with the scent of Rowan’s body wash and the faint, metallic smell of blood. A wave of nausea churned in my stomach. The man behind me grabbed a blanket from the bed and wrapped it around Elara. “Victoria, have you lost your mind?” he roared. “She was just using the bathroom and borrowing some clothes! Is that any reason to have such a violent reaction?” He looked at me as if I were insane. But this was our bedroom. Our private sanctuary. The dressing room was filled with dresses I had bought to please him. The body wash was a matching scent I had picked out for us as a couple. “Apologize,” he commanded, his voice cold and hard as he shielded the woman in his arms. A bitter taste filled my mouth. I stumbled back a few steps. “Never.” We stared at each other, a silent battle of wills. Neither of us would back down. Finally, my vision blurred, and he let out a sigh. “You’ve been by my side for so many years. I thought you would have learned some compassion by now.” “Victoria, you are a profound disappointment to me.” His words hit me like a physical blow. My heart seized. A tear escaped and traced a path down my cheek. For him, I had abandoned the perfect life my parents had planned for me. I had learned to cook, to manage a household. I had given up my wild, carefree lifestyle and forced myself to cultivate a taste for his dry, sophisticated passions. The hardest thing I had ever done was to sand down my own personality, to reshape myself into the woman I thought he wanted. I had believed that, on some level, he must have been touched by my efforts. But in the end, all he had for me was disappointment. I refused to let myself crumble. I wiped my tears, went to the study, and retrieved a slightly yellowed document. I threw it on the floor in front of them. “Then let’s get a divorce.” The air grew heavy with silence. A small, humorless laugh escaped Rowan’s lips. “Put that away. You can use it again next time.” The mockery in his tone was like a needle to the heart. A choked laugh escaped from Elara. Her look of embarrassment was replaced by one of amusement. My fingernails dug into my palms. The last flicker of hope deep inside me was extinguished. He was right, in a way. He was the one who had prepared the divorce papers in the first place. Six months into our marriage, he had asked for a divorce. That day was the darkest of my life. I was a girl who had been spoiled her whole life, who knew nothing of the world’s cruelties. All I could think was, Why is the little tree I planted withering? I gave it enough water, enough sunlight, enough love. I had cried until I couldn’t breathe, begging and threatening him not to leave me. In the end, he had relented. After that, I gave him money, status, the best resources. I slowly learned to control my explosive emotions. The way he looked at me finally started to have some substance. But my own sense of security had eroded completely. So I had pulled out those papers, time and time again. At first, he would sigh and coax me. Later, he would just frown and tell me to stop making a scene. Until now. He probably thought I was still playing the same old game, using the threat of divorce to win his affection. I calmly twisted the ring off my finger and tossed it into a nearby trash can. “There won’t be a next time.” 04 Before I left, I called my family’s lawyer and instructed him to start the proceedings for asset division. I also sent a team to our house to itemize everything Elara had ruined and bill her for the full replacement cost. Once everything was arranged, I opened my group chat with my best friends. “The Crimson Room tonight. My treat. Who’s in?” The Crimson Room was the city’s most notorious playground for the rich and hedonistic. My message set off a firestorm. “What’s going on? Has the great Victoria Vance given up her role as the perfect wife?” “Doesn’t your husband hate it when you go to places like that?” “I’ve screenshotted this. If you bail on us tonight, I’m sending this straight to your stone-cold husband.” I typed out a calm reply. “We’re getting a divorce.” The group chat exploded again. After a few brief replies, I turned off my phone. Before heading to the club, I stopped at a salon. I had them do my makeup, bold and dramatic. I slipped into a black, backless dress and walked into our private room. My friends had thoughtfully ordered a lineup of handsome male hosts for me. I picked one who looked clean-cut and bright. After a few rounds of drinks, the man, who had initially been timid, started laying on the charm a little too thick. I was starting to get tired of it. I excused myself for some fresh air, taking my drink out to the balcony that overlooked the main hall. And there, in a secluded corner, I saw them. From my vantage point, Elara, dressed in a server’s uniform, was nestled perfectly in Rowan’s arms. “Elara, what do I have to do to convince you to quit this job? I’ve told you, this place is dangerous. A woman like you could get hurt.” Tears streamed down her face. “Yes, my job isn’t as stable as yours in your fancy skyscraper, but it pays for my life and my dreams. Besides, I still owe Miss Vance money. I don’t have a choice.” “I’ll give you the money. You don’t have to worry about any of that. All you have to do is…” Elara suddenly turned away from him, her shoulders shaking with pathetic sobs. “I don’t want your money. You know I befriended you for your soul, not your wallet…” I was marveling at her performance when a male voice spoke beside me. “Miss, don’t let that woman fool you.” I turned. It was the host from my room. He had a perfectly charming smile, but I was in no mood to appreciate it. “What do you mean?” “That woman is a pro. This is the third time this month I’ve seen that guy here with her. It’s the same story every time. She plays the poor, noble artist, all while dropping hints to make him feel sorry for her.” “I’ve seen her type a million times. They’re all just playing the long game.” He suddenly looked a little embarrassed. “Miss, I’m not like her. I genuinely like you…” I took a small sip of my drink. “And the guy?” He seemed encouraged. “He’s a fake. Look at him, dressed to the nines. Obviously loaded. But I’ve never seen him wear a ring on his left hand, even though you can see the mark. He’s playing the hero, trying to save the damsel in distress. It’s a classic rich guy move. Got a steak at home, but he still wants a hamburger on the side…” A small, wry smile touched my lips. I clinked my glass against his. “Go on, open a few more bottles. Put it on my tab.” I heard his delighted thanks from behind me as I took another sip of my drink. And then my eyes met Rowan’s. In the silent space between us, his expression darkened. “What are you doing here?” “Isn’t it obvious?” I replied lightly. “I’m relaxing.” “Come home with me.” I leaned my elbows on the glass railing and gestured with my chin towards the hallway behind him. “She’s getting away.” Elara’s scurrying figure disappeared around the corner. Rowan hesitated for a moment, then walked towards me. “I’ll take you home.” “No, thank you. I’m not short on people to take me home. And besides, I don’t particularly care for that home anymore.” Rowan’s voice turned sharp. “Is that man from earlier what you’re talking about? A man like that…” “What kind of man?” I asked, my tone dismissive. “If I remember correctly, weren’t you also that kind of man once?” I knew it was the one part of his past he could never accept. His face turned to stone. He turned and walked away without another glance in my direction. 05 I had no contact with Rowan after that night. The news of our impending divorce spread like wildfire. Because of the large sums and complex assets involved, the process was taking time. While I was busy indulging in a life of hedonism, Rowan was not idle. He had managed to secure Elara a spot as the solo violinist for the next major concert. When a friend offered me a ticket, I cleared my schedule and went, dressed to the nines. I wasn’t there to cause a scene. I just wanted to see how far he would go for her. Even though I had prepared myself, the sight of the concert hall filled with a sea of blue and pink flowers still took my breath away. “I heard Mr. Vance sent all these flowers for Miss Elara.” “How romantic! Eustomas for unchanging devotion, and white plum blossoms for silent protection… He’s the ultimate romantic!” “But isn’t he married? Is this an affair?” “You don’t know about his wife? She’s got a pretty face, but that’s it. A classless, nouveau riche woman who used underhanded tactics to trap him into marriage—” “Miss… Miss Vance! You’re here!” My gaze swept over the group of gossiping women. “It’s fine,” I said. “Please, continue.” Their faces turned beet red. “Miss Vance, please don’t misunderstand,” one of them stammered. “We were just repeating rumors…” I gave them a generous smile. “It’s alright. Rumors are often wrong. As for whether my tactics are underhanded… I suppose you’ll all find out soon enough.” I turned and walked away, not bothering to look at their pale, frightened faces. The concert went off without a hitch. I didn’t cause any trouble. I just sat there, and as Elara played, my eyes were fixed on Rowan in the audience. He sat perfectly straight, his hair impeccably styled. A delicate white rose was pinned to his lapel, seeming to bloom in time with the soaring music. Even from a distance, the look of utter adoration on his face was a knife to my heart. I sat in the darkness, forcing myself to confront the truth, over and over again. He had never loved me. After the final bow, Elara, clutching a massive bouquet, walked over to him. “Rowan, that last piece… I played it for you. Did you like it?” He reached out and gently brushed a stray strand of hair from her face, his voice impossibly soft. “I loved it.” That’s it, then, I thought. I wiped a tear from my eye and stood up to leave, only to be enveloped in a sudden, tight hug. “Victoria! I finally found you!”

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Winter was creeping in, and my wardrobe was screaming for an update. As I was browsing online, my roommate, Lauren, rushed over and shoved her phone in my face. “Ava, let’s go in on this puffer jacket together.” Her logic was… something else. “You know how I can’t stand the cold, so I’ll wear it now while the temperature’s dropping. Then when it warms up, it’s all yours!” I just stared at her. Was she for real? Did she think I was a total idiot? Before I could even form a refusal, she excitedly hit ‘purchase’. “It’s the latest model! Four hundred and fifty bucks!” she chirped. “Since I’ll be the one picking up the package, I deserve a little something for my trouble. Just Venmo me three-fifty, okay?” Then came the kicker. “And it’s already bought! If you dare back out, I’ll have my boyfriend—the Student Government president—make sure some of your credits just… disappear. You’ll never graduate.” I looked at her smug, entitled face and a slow smile spread across mine. “Sure,” I said. “Let’s split it.” I couldn’t wait to see who would be the one not graduating, especially after they tried to threaten and extort me in a university my own father funded. 01 Hearing me agree, Lauren nodded, completely satisfied with herself. “Summer and spring are way longer than winter,” she declared, as if explaining a complex theorem. “That means you’ll have it for more time than I will, so you’ll be responsible for the dry cleaning, too.” She gave my shoulder a playful shove, her smile blindingly bright. “I’ll only be wearing it for a few weeks. See? I’m not taking advantage of you at all. You’re getting a great deal!” My eyebrow twitched. “Who in their right mind wears a puffer jacket when it’s warm out?” I asked, my voice flat. “When you give it to me in April, what am I supposed to do with it?” Lauren’s smile vanished, replaced by a scowl. “What’s your problem? You were going to buy a new jacket anyway. Alone, it would’ve cost you $450. With me, it’s only $350. It’s simple math. Are you dense? I’m doing you a huge favor, and you’re still complaining?” I almost laughed out loud. I was supposed to be grateful for paying a fortune for a jacket I’d never get to wear? I pretended to mull it over. “Well, if you think I’m getting such a good deal, why don’t we switch? I’ll wear it when it’s cold, and you can have it when it warms up.” Her expression soured even more. “What is wrong with you? I just told you I hate the cold! Are you trying to pick a fight? No, we already agreed. You’re not backing out now!” So that was it. I was officially the designated sucker. But I wasn’t angry. Not really. After all, the online flagship store she’d bought it from? My family owned it. Not only would I not be losing much, but I already had the perfect plan for teaching her a lesson. Just then, the dorm room door swung open. Our other roommates, Hailey and Megan, walked in carrying takeout containers. Seeing the tension, Hailey frowned. “What’s going on?” I calmly explained the whole “puffer jacket partnership.” I expected them to side with me, to see the sheer absurdity of it. Instead, Hailey’s face hardened as she looked at me. “Lauren’s right, though.” “She’s only wearing it for a short time, and she’s handling the delivery,” she reasoned. “It makes sense that she pays less.” “Exactly,” Megan chimed in, moving to stand with Lauren. “Besides, you’re always so careless and messy. If the jacket gets dirty, it’s only fair that you clean it.” At their words, Lauren shot me a triumphant smirk before turning to her new allies. “By the way, I talked to my boyfriend about your applications to the Student Government. He said it’s a done deal.” Hailey and Megan were instantly fawning over her, grabbing her hands. “You’re the best, Lauren!” “We’re so lucky to have you as a roommate!” “I heard Caleb is the Dean’s son! Once we’re in the Student Government, getting extra credits will be a breeze!” They chattered on, their faces plastered with sycophantic smiles. So that’s what this was about. Everyone was walking on eggshells around her because of her so-called powerful boyfriend. But… the Dean has a son? My dad had known the Dean for years, and all I’d ever heard was that he had a daughter studying abroad. Where did this son come from? Seeing my silence, Lauren shoved her phone in my face again, her Venmo QR code glowing. “This jacket is this season’s hottest item,” she urged. “You should be thanking me that you’ll even get a chance to be associated with it. Now, pay up!” As much as I hated sending the money, the thought of the epic meltdown I was about to engineer made it all worthwhile. I pulled out my phone and scanned the code. The second the $350 transfer went through, Lauren snatched my phone. “Wait! You’re short five hundred dollars!” 02 I stared at her, bewildered. “Wasn’t it three-fifty? Now it’s eight-fifty? Why don’t you just ask me to buy you the jacket outright?” She frowned, crossing her arms. “Ava, everyone knows white is your favorite color, and I specifically ordered the white one for you. That’s an extra five hundred.” I laughed, a sharp, humorless sound. “You placed the order. You picked the color.” She looked at me as if she were bestowing a great gift. “Exactly. I went out of my way to choose the color you like. Why are you so ungrateful?” Hailey nodded sagely from the sidelines. “It’s like with cars. You pay extra for a premium color. This is the same thing. Since it’s the color you like, you should pay for it.” Megan quickly agreed. “Yeah, Lauren already gave you such a huge discount. Don’t be so stingy over a little extra cash.” I looked at them in disbelief. “A little extra cash?” “Yeah,” Lauren said, her arms still crossed. “Your family’s loaded, right? It’s just five hundred bucks. Are you really going to haggle with me over it? If you couldn’t afford it, you shouldn’t have agreed in the first place.” Yes, my family had money. But what did that have to do with her? The initial $350 was bad enough. This was pushing it, and suddenly, this little game wasn’t fun anymore. I took a deep breath, my voice turning to ice. “I never said I liked white. And since it seems nobody is happy with this arrangement, let’s just cancel the order.” The word “cancel” made Lauren freeze. Then she grabbed my arm, her voice a shrill cry. “No! It’s going to get colder in a few days, we can’t cancel it!” she shrieked. “Are you trying to make me freeze to death? How can you be so cruel! If my boyfriend finds out I don’t have a decent jacket to wear when it’s cold, he’ll be heartbroken!” I rolled my eyes. “He’ll be heartbroken? Then tell him to buy it for you. Isn’t he the Dean’s son? If he won’t even shell out for a jacket, it doesn’t sound like he loves you that much.” “You!” Lauren’s face flushed a deep crimson. “I’m not the kind of woman who asks a man to buy things for her! You might have no shame, but I do!” I was done. This was beyond ridiculous. I yanked my arm free from her grasp. “Fine. Don’t cancel it. In that case, I look forward to its arrival.” Without another word, I walked out of the dorm. For the next few days, Lauren acted as if nothing had happened. She even had the audacity to ask me to let her copy my homework. A few days later, I came back from class to find her preening in front of the mirror, wearing the newly arrived puffer jacket. “I’m wearing this to see Ethan tonight,” she announced. “He’s going to love it!” Hailey and Megan were practically drooling. “Lauren, with your figure, you look amazing in anything!” “Caleb will definitely love it!” A slow, predatory smile spread across my face as I stared at the jacket. It had finally arrived. Noticing my silent gaze, Lauren instinctively pulled the collar tighter around her neck. “It’s only forty-five degrees today. I’ll wear it first. You can wait a few more weeks.” She looked me up and down with a condescending sneer. “Besides, I ordered a size small. It might be a little… snug on you right now. Think of it as motivation. I’m giving you time to slim down. Aren’t I nice?” Hailey and Megan snickered. “From the looks of it, she’ll need until next winter!” “It’s fine,” Megan added helpfully. “Spring can be chilly too. Just work really hard, and maybe you can wear it then.” I couldn’t help but smile back. “Oh, it won’t be that much trouble,” I said sweetly. In a flash, I strode to my desk, pulled a pair of heavy-duty fabric shears from my drawer, and walked toward Lauren. She stared at me, confused. The next second, there was the sharp, satisfying shhhhrrrrip of tearing fabric. In less than five seconds, I had sliced the brand-new puffer jacket clean in half, right up the middle. I smiled. “Weren’t we ‘splitting’ the jacket?” “You get half, and I get half. That’s what splitting means.” 03 It took a moment for her brain to catch up. Then, Lauren let out a terrified shriek and stumbled backward. “Ah! What are you doing?!” I held up the two halves, my expression one of pure innocence. “Splitting the jacket. You get half, and I get half.” I pulled the ruined garment off her shoulders, took the shears, and finished snipping through the back. Then I looked up, my eyes wide and guileless. “Do you want the left side or the right side?” Lauren stared at the bisected jacket, her entire body trembling with rage. Her voice was a strained squeak. “Ava Sterling, you are a psycho!” “You’re the one who ruined it! I don’t want it anymore! You owe me money!” I shook my head, clicking my tongue. “Tsk, tsk. I already paid my share. More than my share, in fact. Did you forget?” Hailey and Megan finally snapped out of their shock, pointing at me with accusatory fingers. “You just cut up a perfectly good jacket! You’re sick!” “Lauren waited days for that, and you just destroyed it!” “I bet you were just jealous that she looks better than you!” I smiled serenely. “So, if we ‘split’ a pizza, I can eat it all when I’m hungry, and you two can have the leftover crusts when I’m done? Is that how it works?” “You!” Lauren sputtered, her face turning purple. “You’re twisting my words! A jacket isn’t the same as pizza!” “You knew I had a date with my boyfriend tonight! You did this on purpose, didn’t you!” she screeched, getting more agitated by the second. “I knew it! You’ve been after my boyfriend for ages! You’re trying to ruin our date!” “I’m telling you right now,” she seethed, “you deliberately destroyed my property! I’m going to tell my boyfriend, and I’m going to tell the student counselor! Just you wait!” With that, she stormed out, throwing on a plain wool coat. Hailey and Megan shot me venomous glares. “You’re a real idiot, Ava. You just picked a fight with the Student Government president’s girlfriend.” “It was just a jacket. You’re so petty.” I shrugged nonchalantly. “Today it’s a jacket. Tomorrow it might be a luxury handbag. A few days from now, who knows? Maybe a car or a house.” I paused, a sweet smile on my face. “Since you two are so generous, why don’t you ‘split’ something with her next time?” They both stammered, unable to respond. “Why should we? We don’t have money like you.” “Yeah, you’re being completely unreasonable!” With that, they scurried out after Lauren. Feeling fantastic, I tossed one half of the ruined jacket into the trash. The $350 I lost could be considered a donation to my parents’ flagship store. But for Lauren, this was different. She had picked out this jacket for herself, and for her, $100 was not a small amount. She probably hated my guts right now. Sure enough, I had just stepped out of the shower when my phone started blowing up with notifications from the class group chat. [Ava Sterling, are you mentally unstable? It’s bad enough you’re always freeloading off your roommates, but now you’re destroying their things?] [Are you that jealous that your roommate bought a nice, name-brand jacket?] [Pay Lauren back right now! The full $450! Don’t you dare short her a penny!] I dried my hair, a cold smile playing on my lips as messages flooded the screen. Lauren worked fast. In just a few minutes, she had painted me as a jealous, tyrannical, destructive monster. If she was so eager for social suicide, I was happy to oblige. I opened the group chat and posted a single screenshot. 04 It was my Venmo history with Lauren. A transfer of $350, clear as day. [Before anyone else jumps to conclusions, I paid $350 for this jacket. Lauren only paid $100.] [She proposed we ‘split’ it. She wears it when it’s cold, I wear it when it’s hot.] [Last I checked, no one wears a puffer jacket in May. So, I just helped her realize her dream of ‘splitting’ it. One half for each of us. Perfectly fair.] The chat went silent for a few seconds. Then, Lauren immediately responded: [What $350? I never got that. Anyone can photoshop a screenshot! Stop spreading lies!] [Here’s my purchase confirmation. My order. My name!] [My family isn’t rich like yours. I was planning to wear that jacket for years, and now… now you’ve destroyed it…] Her crocodile tears worked. The chat erupted again, with students rushing to her defense. [I knew it. Who would be weird enough to suggest someone wear a puffer jacket in the summer?] [LOL, who ‘splits’ a jacket anyway? She’s obviously just jealous that Lauren is dating Caleb and made up some crazy story.] [Yeah, if you’re going to lie, at least make it believable!] I rolled my eyes. I was about to post the audio recording when I discovered I’d been kicked out of the group. Just then, my phone rang. It was my dad. “Ava, I heard you had a conflict with a student at school?” he asked, his voice laced with concern. “What happened?” I was stunned. “How did you know?” “Your student counselor just called me,” he explained. “Said you intentionally damaged another student’s property and that I need to come to the university.” It all clicked. Lauren had actually gone to the counselor. Before I could even explain, my dad was already reassuring me. “It’s okay, Ava. I trust you. I know you wouldn’t do something like that. I’ll be there tomorrow.” “Thanks, Dad…” I murmured. Suddenly, the dorm room door burst open. Lauren strode in, a triumphant look on her face. “Ava Sterling. If you give me the money now, I’ll consider dropping this,” she said coolly. “Four hundred and fifty dollars. Not a penny less. Consider it compensation.” I was about to retort when several people walked in behind her. It was Ms. Albright, the student affairs counselor, and… Caleb Vance, the Student Government president? I quickly threw on a jacket. “It’s after 9 PM. Isn’t it against the rules to bring a male student into the dorms?” Hailey, standing nearby, let out a derisive snort. “Oh, stop pretending. You’ve had a crush on Caleb forever. I bet you’re secretly thrilled.” Ms. Albright didn’t intervene. Instead, she fixed me with a stern gaze. “Ava Sterling, you destroyed a fellow student’s private property without cause. You’re in no position to talk about rules. Caleb is here representing the Student Government. Do you have a problem with that?” Caleb looked me up and down, his expression disdainful. “So you’re the one who’s been bullying Lauren?” he drawled. “Forget about joining the Student Government. Now, apologize to Lauren and pay her what you owe. Immediately.” I let out a cold laugh and sat down. “So, Lauren’s courage to extort and threaten students comes from having you two backing her up?” At that, Lauren threw herself into Caleb’s arms and started sobbing. “You see? She doesn’t even respect you, the Dean’s son! Why would she ever respect a counselor?” “If she gets away with this, she’ll only become more arrogant!” “The Dean’s son?” a voice crackled from my phone’s earpiece. It was my dad. “When did old Hayes have a son? Am I missing something?” I had forgotten to hang up. Caleb looked at Ms. Albright. “Lauren’s right. I can have her credits revoked, but that’s not enough.” Ms. Albright gave him a fawning smile, then turned back to me, her face a mask of disgust. “For bullying, violent behavior towards a fellow student, and refusal to offer compensation or an apology, I will be formally recommending your expulsion to the university!” “Think very carefully about your next move!” “Expulsion?!” my dad’s roar echoed through the phone. “You’re going to expel my daughter without even hearing her side of the story? Ha! I’d like to see Dean Hayes try! Ava, don’t be scared. Just wait.” The line went dead. A second later, Ms. Albright’s phone rang.

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1 I was at the Go club, waiting for someone, and I got a little carried away. I didn’t just win; I annihilated my opponent, wiping her clean off the board. Furious, she flipped the board, sending the black and white stones scattering across the floor. She pointed a finger right in my face and screamed, “No one in Seacliff dares to beat me. Are you looking to die, bitch?” Before I could process what was happening, she signaled her bodyguards. They pinned my arms, and she forced my hands into a pair of crude, wooden finger clamps. In an instant, my fingers were a mangled mess of blood and pulp. “This is assault, in broad daylight! Is there no law here? Do you have any idea who I am? How important these hands are?” A sharp slap cracked across my face. “The law?” she cackled. “Let me tell you something. I’m Annie Sinclair, Caleb Hawthorne’s executive assistant. In Seacliff, the Hawthorne family is the law. I could afford to pay for more than just your hands. I could afford to pay for your life.” I froze. Caleb Hawthorne? The Hawthornes of Seacliff? That was the man I was here to meet. His family’s patriarch had practically begged me to come. … The diamond on Annie’s acrylic nail scraped a long, bloody line down my cheek. “You cheap tramp,” she sneered. “Don’t think I don’t know what you’re trying to do. Everyone in this city knows Caleb Hawthorne is obsessed with Go. You learn a few moves and think you can come here and seduce him? I’ve dealt with countless sluts like you over the years. I can spot your kind a mile away.” She leaned in closer, her voice a venomous whisper. “You dare to challenge me? I could have you flayed alive.” At her signal, the bodyguards tightened the clamps. I heard the sickening, splintering sound of my own bones breaking. The pain was so intense it buckled my knees, and I collapsed to the floor, biting my lip so hard I tasted blood. A crowd had gathered, whispering and pointing. “She’s way out of her league. Picking a fight with Annie Sinclair?” “Everyone knows Annie is Mr. Hawthorne’s favorite. This girl is going to disappear without a trace.” I glared at them, my vision blurring with rage and pain. They were twisting everything. I had told Annie I was waiting for an appointment, but she had insisted on a match. I had no choice but to play, and even after I deliberately made weak moves, her skill was so pathetic she was still losing. Her constant taunts were what finally made me snap and crush her. I fought through the agony, trying to defend myself. “I was invited here by the elder Mr. Hawthorne. Call him if you don’t believe me! I don’t even know what Caleb Hawthorne looks like. Why would I be trying to seduce him?” Annie snorted. “So you finally admit it. You think you have the right to say his name?” She kicked me hard in the stomach. “If you’re going to lie, at least make it a good one. No one knows Mr. Hawthorne’s schedule better than I do. He’s in the media room watching the international Go tournament finals, and he promised to take me to dinner afterward. I think I would know if he had an appointment.” It clicked. That’s why he was late. That’s why I’d been waiting. He never took this meeting seriously at all. “Then get him out here,” I gasped. “Let’s clear this up face-to-face.” “Hah, why would I bother him?” Annie glanced at the club manager, who was practically bowing at her feet. The manager scurried over. “It’s true. Mr. Hawthorne is currently in the media room and has given strict instructions not to be disturbed. And I personally heard him say he was taking Ms. Sinclair to try that new restaurant downtown.” The heel of Annie’s shoe pressed harder into my stomach. “Scared now? It’s too late for that.” She grabbed a fistful of my hair, pulling my head back. “As long as I’m around,” she whispered in my ear, “no other woman is getting near him. You’re going to be an example. A warning to anyone else who thinks they can seduce Caleb Hawthorne.” She straightened up and gave a sharp command. “Strip her.” With a loud rip, my dress was torn open. The men in the crowd stared, their eyes hungry. Some of them pulled out their phones and started taking pictures. “Damn, she’s got a great body. Too bad she’s a troublemaker.” “That body is why she’s a troublemaker. A woman built like that is always asking for it.” “Hahaha, you’ve got a point.” Their lewd laughter echoed in the room, cut short by a sharp voice from behind them. “What are you all doing?” 2 Annie immediately transformed, twisting her hips like a snake as she walked over to the man and draped herself over his arm. “Mr. Hawthorne,” she purred. “I was just teaching this disrespectful woman a lesson.” I looked up at Caleb Hawthorne. He was well over six feet, dressed in an impeccably tailored designer suit. He was undeniably handsome. I could see why old Mr. Sterling was so insistent on this match, saying we’d make a perfect couple. The dossier the Hawthornes had sent over claimed Caleb was a workaholic whose only passion was Go, with a completely blank relationship history. Seeing him with his secretary now, that seemed highly debatable. But right now, all that mattered was getting these thugs off me. “Mr. Hawthorne,” I said, my voice shaking. “Your grandfather arranged for me to meet you here. He should have told you.” “My name is Elara…” “Enough.” He raised a hand, cutting me off with a bored expression. “Another social climber trying to use my family’s name to get to me. I don’t care who you are. If you cause trouble in my club, you will be punished.” I stared at him in disbelief. He hadn’t asked a single question. He just condemned me. “I won a single game of Go against your secretary after she provoked me!” I yelled, my voice raw with anger. “What crime did I commit that deserves this kind of torture?” Caleb’s expression flickered. A glint of surprise appeared in his eyes. “She can beat you?” Annie pouted, her voice dripping with false injury. “She only won because she cheated. When I called her out on it, she threw the board. I know how much you cherish these sets, Caleb, so I had to discipline her.” “What?” Caleb’s face contorted with rage. “You cheated? In my club? You must have a death wish.” He looked down at me, his gaze falling to the clamps on my hands. He let out a cold, humorless laugh. Then he gave a new order to the bodyguards. “Move the clamps up an inch. I want every knuckle shattered.” The guards roughly pried open my limp fingers and repositioned the clamps. A fresh wave of blinding, all-consuming pain shot through me, so intense I dry-heaved. Just as I felt myself about to pass out, Caleb crouched down and gripped my chin, forcing me to look at him. “Are you going to cheat again?” I fought to control my chattering teeth, spitting the words out. “I didn’t cheat. She’s lying. If you don’t believe me, check the security footage.” “Why would I need to check the footage?” Annie interjected, shooting a look at the manager. “There are witnesses everywhere. Ask anyone here if she wasn’t the one who cheated and started a riot.” “Yes, yes!” the manager chimed in. “Everyone here knows how skilled Ms. Sinclair is. There’s no way this woman could have won without cheating.” “I saw it too. No wonder Ms. Sinclair got angry.” “Exactly. Go is a gentleman’s game. It’s been tainted by trash like her.” Murmurs of agreement rippled through the crowd. “It seems you’re a stubborn one,” Caleb said, his voice low and dangerous. “I despise two things in this world: liars and cheaters. And today, you’ve landed in my hands. I’m going to teach you a lesson you’ll never forget.” He had the bodyguards remove the clamps. He picked one of the wooden sticks and poked at my mangled fingers. “The bones aren’t completely crushed yet. Get me a small mallet. I want you to smash them, one by one. Let’s see what’s harder, her mouth or this hammer.” I was trembling uncontrollably, from pain or rage, I couldn’t tell. “I’m calling the police. No matter how powerful your family is, this is still a civilized society.” Annie ground the stiletto of her shoe into the back of my hand. “A civilized society? Honey, you’re mistaken. In Seacliff, the Hawthornes are society. The Hawthornes are the law. Isn’t that right, Mr. Hawthorne?” Caleb just chuckled, a dark, affirmative sound. Then, my screams echoed through every corner of the club. 3 The brutal assault was only interrupted by the ringing of a phone. Caleb finally waved the bodyguards off. “Caleb, my boy! I trust you’re satisfied with the match I arranged?” It was the cheerful voice of the elder Mr. Hawthorne. “It took a lot of persuading to get her to agree to this meeting. You’d better be on your best behavior.” “Oh, yes. I’m extremely satisfied,” Caleb said, a cruel smile playing on his lips as he stared at me. His grandfather didn’t catch the sarcasm. “I had someone deliver that warm jade Go set you prepared. You should play a few games with Miss Lincoln and get some pointers from a master.” “Alright, alright, let the young people talk.” I recognized that second, deeper voice. “Mr. Sterling, help me!” I screamed. A bodyguard immediately clamped a hand over my mouth. Someone brought over an exquisite silk-wrapped box. Caleb opened it and shot me a venomous glare. “Don’t worry, Grandpa. I’ll be sure to play with her until she’s completely satisfied.” I struggled, but I was pinned. I could only watch in horror as they cheerfully hung up the phone. Annie peeked into the box, a flash of envy in her eyes. Then she scoffed. “This woman is something else, able to fool even the old man. Caleb, this was the gift you prepared for the great Elara Lincoln.” A wave of gasps went through the crowd. “Elara Lincoln? You mean the one who played the ‘Hand of God’ move in the recent International Go Championship?” “She’s a national hero! If it weren’t for her, our team would have been wiped out.” “It’s a shame all the photos and videos from that day only showed her hands. No one knows what she looks like. Mr. Hawthorne, if you meet her, you have to tell us all about it!” “What’s the big deal?” Annie boasted. “She’s a fellow student from my academy. I can invite her here to play you all anytime.” “No wonder Ms. Sinclair is so skilled! You come from such a prestigious background!” “I’m honored to have lost to you, Ms. Sinclair!” The flattery clearly pleased her, but when she caught my disbelieving stare, her face darkened again. “What are you looking at, bitch? Always wanting what doesn’t belong to you.” She kicked me again, this time in the chest. The impact sent me stumbling backward into a side table. The warm jade Go set clattered to the floor, the stones scattering like jewels. Several of them landed on my ruined hands. The pristine, translucent jade was instantly stained with my blood. “You idiot!” Caleb roared, shoving my shattered hands away. “You couldn’t even move out of the way!” I lay on the floor, every inch of my body screaming in pain, too weak to move. He personally knelt to pick up the bloodied stones, yelling for someone to clean them. “Do you have any idea how much effort I put into acquiring this set? Now it’s ruined! What am I supposed to give to Elara Lincoln?” “Exactly!” Annie chimed in. “That set cost over a million dollars to craft, and that’s not even counting the sentimental value Mr. Hawthorne put into it. You owe him at least five million. Can a tramp like you afford that? Ten of your worthless lives wouldn’t be enough!” The pain was so absolute, it tipped over into a strange, hysterical clarity. I started to laugh. “Make me pay? This Go set might be expensive, but my hands are priceless. These hands you’ve destroyed… they’re insured for fifteen million dollars.” “Caleb Hawthorne, what is your sentiment worth? You may have just destroyed my entire career. My chance to bring glory to this country.” I gritted my teeth, hatred blazing in my eyes. “Hahaha, she’s delusional. Everyone in the Go world knows the Sterling family insured Elara Lincoln’s hands for fifteen million dollars. And in two weeks, she’s set to represent the country in the World Go Finals. What, are you the second Elara Lincoln?” “Mr. Hawthorne,” Annie said smoothly, “I think all this talk has given her ideas. She’s a pathological liar. You can’t be soft on her now. I know her type; all they care about is money. You have to make her pay for every bit of damage she’s caused.” “Cheating, causing a riot in my club, ruining my jade Go set, and most importantly, impersonating Elara Lincoln,” Caleb snarled, his eyes boring into mine. “I don’t know what your goal was, but I’m telling you now, in Seacliff, making someone disappear is the easiest thing in the world.” He stared at me, enunciating every word. I stared right back. “The fact is, what if I am Elara Lincoln?” 4 The room erupted in laughter. “Wow, she’s really lost it now.” “Everyone in the Go world knows Elara Lincoln’s story. Fifteen years old, serving tea in a teahouse when the great Mr. Sterling from the capital discovered her talent. In just a few years, she reached the rank of 9-dan professional, breaking world records. No one’s ever seen her face, but this woman cheats and throws herself at men. What an insult to the name.” “Exactly. Besides, Elara Lincoln is Annie’s fellow student. The fake has just run into the real deal and been exposed.” “I say just get on your knees and beg. Maybe Mr. Hawthorne will spare your life. It would be a shame to waste a face and body like that.” Annie’s smirk widened. “You heard them. Get on your knees and apologize. If I’m in a good mood, I might even put in a good word for you.” “Shut up,” I said, fighting back a wave of nausea as I struggled to my feet. “Caleb Hawthorne, if you don’t believe me, ask your grandfather who he arranged for you to meet today. He told me you never miss a single one of my public matches. Open your eyes and look at these hands. Are they not identical to the ones you’ve seen on screen?” I held up my bloody, mangled hands. For a split second, I saw a flicker of panic in his eyes. My hands were distinctive; I have a small, ruby-colored birthmark on my right wrist. Seeing Caleb’s hesitation, Annie quickly jumped in. “Cosmetic procedures are so advanced these days, you can get a mole tattooed anywhere you want. Mr. Hawthorne, she really went all out for this scam. If it weren’t for me, you would have been fooled. Here, look, Elara just posted on her private story.” She held up her phone, showing a social media account with the name ‘Elara Lincoln.’ Two minutes ago, it had posted a text update: Day 3 of seclusion. Exhausting, but worth it. “See? I just sent her a message to cheer her on, and she replied, ‘Thanks, sis!’” Annie proudly displayed the screen for everyone. A chill ran down my spine. She hadn’t just fabricated a connection to me; she’d fabricated an entire fake profile. “There,” she said smugly. “Now you have nothing to say. Besides, the media has already reported that Elara Lincoln is in seclusion and has declined all interviews.” She was right. I was supposed to be preparing for the finals. If the elder Mr. Hawthorne hadn’t personally traveled to the capital, and if Mr. Sterling hadn’t felt obligated to agree as a favor, I would never have come to Seacliff to meet this man. Wait. Mr. Sterling was with him. “Your grandfather was just talking to Mr. Sterling on the phone,” I said desperately. “I am begging you, just make one call. Just to verify. If I’m lying, I will accept any and all consequences.” “I know you don’t want this arranged marriage. I swear, I will never have anything to do with you again. If I break this vow, may I die a horrible death.” Caleb was silent for a moment. Annie’s hateful gaze was fixed on my hands. “Mr. Hawthorne, this is easy. You may not know about cosmetic procedures, but I do. A tattooed mole is only on the surface of the skin, not like a real one. Have someone take a knife to it. If you can carve it out, it’s fake.” She leaned in, her voice dropping conspiratorially. “Elara Lincoln is far away in the capital. You’re punishing this tramp for her own evil deeds. Even if your grandfather finds out, he won’t truly blame you. In fact, after this, he’ll probably stop trying to set you up with trashy women.” Caleb looked up, and our eyes met. I saw the doubt in his waver and die. His face became a dark mask of resolve. “You can blame your own greed,” he said coldly. “Someone get a knife and carve that mole off her wrist. How dare a slut like this even try to imitate Elara Lincoln.” “No! I really am Elara! Caleb, she’s lying to you! She’s not my classmate, she doesn’t have my number, everything she’s said is a lie!” I struggled with all my might. “Pathetic. Still lying when you’re about to die. Mr. Hawthorne told you to do it, so get it over with!” The tip of the blade was just about to pierce my skin when a voice cut through the tension. “Is a Miss Elara Lincoln here? No one is answering her phone.” My head snapped up. I met a pair of familiar, worried eyes.

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1 I was just chilling at Eclipse, the karaoke lounge my dad owns, when a classmate of mine, Tiffany, spotted me and insisted I sing a duet with her. I tried to get out of it, but she was relentless, so I ended up singing half a chorus. The next day, I got a text from her. [Hey babe, you need to chip in for last night.] [I won’t even ask for half. Just Venmo me $500, and we’ll call it even.] My head spun. I had specifically told the front desk to give her a discount on her bill. After the discount, her total was only $40. Where did she get the nerve to ask me for $500? I figured she must have texted the wrong person, so I just ignored it. A second later, my phone rang. It was her. “Maya Sterling! Are you serious?” she shrieked. “You’re trying to skip out on a $500 tab?” “If you’re that broke, maybe you shouldn’t be mooching off people at karaoke bars!” “If you don’t pay me by the end of the day, I’m posting your freeloading, shameless face all over the campus gossip page!” I had to laugh. Go ahead. I couldn’t wait to see who would be the one humiliated in the end. … I didn’t bother arguing with Tiffany; I just hung up. The moment the screen went dark, I knew she was going to pull something. Sure enough, half an hour later, the campus page exploded. Tiffany had posted our entire chat history, along with a long, passive-aggressive rant: [Some people see me with food or drinks and just have to get a piece of it, and I usually let it slide!] [But this time, she crashed the luxury suite I booked and hogged the mic all night long!] [Her singing was so bad I should have charged her for emotional damages, but now she won’t even split the bill.] The final image was a photo of me getting into my dad’s car. She had added a special caption: [Wow, that old guy looks pretty loaded. You’d think he’d be willing to spend a little more on his sugar baby, right?] [Guess not, if she can’t even afford to chip in $500.] She had carefully cropped her own profile picture out of the screenshots, but mine was on full display for everyone to see. The next moment, someone shoved me from behind, followed by a chorus of jeers. “Hey, isn’t that you on the gossip page?” “Maya, you always seemed so quiet. I can’t believe you’d pull something like this.” “So, she’s a sugar baby? No wonder she’s always acting so high and mighty.” “Business must have been slow that night if you had to crash a client’s private room.” “Pay up, you cheap deadbeat!” Whispers spread through the classroom like a disease. I put down my book and rubbed my temples. “I’ve already screenshotted the posts for my records. Tell Tiffany to expect a letter from my lawyer.” This was too petty to waste my breath on a long-winded defense. Just as I said that, Tiffany pushed her way through the crowd. She snorted, pulling out her phone and swiping aggressively. “A lawyer? Who are you trying to scare?” “Go ahead and take your screenshots. I’ve got video.” “What’s the matter? Need that $500 for food? If you can’t afford it, don’t mooch.” Suddenly, several notifications popped up in the class group chat. Someone behind me opened one. It was a video of me singing. She’d filmed me from the most unflattering angle possible and distorted the audio to make me sound like a screeching banshee. Her roommates, Jessica and Emily, stepped out from behind her, their faces masks of righteous indignation. “There’s no use denying it, Maya. We were there too.” “The three of us couldn’t get a single song in. You hogged the mic the entire time.” They both let out a little snicker. “You guys have no idea. Her breath was so bad, the microphone smelled after she used it. Who would want to sing after that?” “We were all supposed to go pay the bill together at the end, but she just ditched us and jumped into some old man’s car.” “Yeah, she’s all friendly when she wants to use you, but when it’s time to pay up, she plays dead. So pathetic.” They were there? But I distinctly remembered being in the room with Tiffany and Tiffany alone. They ignored my questioning look and kept piling on, one after the other. The way my classmates were looking at me turned from curiosity to contempt. “There’s photos and video. If she still denies it, she’s got some serious nerve.” “LOL, no wonder I smelled something weird when I walked in. It’s her breath!” “If she can handle old guys, I guess bad breath is nothing. Ugh, just thinking about it makes me sick.” I was so angry I could only laugh. This had gone way beyond simple slander. I looked up at Tiffany’s smug face, my voice turning to ice. “The total for your room was $40. You dragged me in to sing half a song with you, and now you want me to pay you $500?” “Tiffany, why don’t you just ask me to wire you the money directly?” The smile froze on her face. She clearly hadn’t expected me to know the exact amount of her bill. But she recovered quickly, her voice rising an octave. “What $40? It was $2,000!” “That’s the most luxurious suite in the entire place! I had to book it weeks in advance! I’m already giving you a huge discount asking for only $500!” Jessica and Emily nodded furiously. “Exactly! If Tiffany wasn’t so nice, you never would have even stepped foot in a VIP suite like that!” “She’s being more than fair with you. Anyone else would have lost it by now.” I clapped my hands slowly. “Is that so? Then please, Miss High-and-Mighty, show me the receipt. Let’s see if it was $40 or $2,000. A receipt doesn’t lie, right?” The color drained from Tiffany’s face. She jutted out her chin, her voice shrill. “If you don’t want to pay, just say so! You don’t have to question my spending habits! Unlike some people, I don’t have to sell my body to make a living!” When slander failed, she moved on to outright lies. Did she have any idea that my dad’s lounge had security cameras everywhere? I was about to fire back when a male voice cut in from the classroom door. “Sell your body?” It was Ryan, the guy I had just recently started dating. I rushed over, wanting to tell him to just ignore Tiffany and her drama. But as I reached for him, he flinched back, dodging my touch as if I were contaminated. “Maya, that guy in the picture is old enough to be your father. How can you be so disgusting?” The classroom fell dead silent. Everyone was staring at us. I felt the blood rush to my head, a roaring in my ears. What was he saying? Before I could react, Tiffany sidled up to him, wrapping her arms around his. “Ryan, sweetie, it’s better you found out now. You wouldn’t want to catch some nasty disease and only find out later. That would be a real tragedy.” I stared at Ryan, searching his eyes for a single shred of trust. But he just let Tiffany cling to him, his expression filled with nothing but disgust. He was the one who had chased me for half a semester. How could he be like this now? Seeing my silence, Tiffany leaned her head on Ryan’s shoulder, her voice sickeningly sweet. “Aren’t you going to tell her, Ryan? Or are you going to let her keep thinking you actually like her? What if she gets obsessed?” Jessica suddenly burst out laughing, covering her mouth. “I can’t hold it in anymore!” “Ryan was playing Truth or Dare with us, and he lost. His dare was to ask you out. If he succeeded, Tiffany promised she’d go out with him!” “Hahaha, and you thought you were so special! The whole time, he was just doing it to get with Tiffany!” Ryan smirked, wrapping an arm around Tiffany’s waist. His tone was dripping with contempt. “Tiffany’s handbag costs more than you live on for an entire year. Did you really think I’d be interested in a broke, cheap deadbeat who skips out on a $500 bill?” So that’s how it was. I let go of the last shred of hope and let out a cold, sharp laugh. “Fine by me. I’m not the kind of person who fights with a dog over a piece of trash.” “What did you say?!” Tiffany raised her hand to slap me. “You’re really asking for it!” But I sidestepped, and her hand slapped empty air. I snatched the designer bag from her grasp. “Don’t make me laugh,” I said slowly. “You think my fifty-thousand-a-year allowance isn’t enough to afford this… cheap, obvious knockoff?” The classroom was silent for a beat. Then Tiffany shrieked, “Knockoff? I flew to Paris to buy this bag myself!” The others chimed in. “You’re just jealous! Tiffany comes from a rich family, she would never use a fake!” “Exactly! I saw her get dropped off in an extended Lincoln on the first day of school!” “Fifty-thousand-a-year allowance? You might as well claim you’re the Queen of England!” “Just stop talking and pay the money!” Tiffany rolled her eyes. “Look, $500 is nothing to me. But I can’t stand two-faced bitches like you who can’t own up to what they’ve done.” She stepped closer, her voice dropping to a threatening whisper. “If you don’t want to be the campus pariah for the next three years, you’ll transfer me the money right now.” So, after all that, it was still about shaking me down for $500. A person like this was a ‘rich heiress’? I smiled and pulled my phone from my pocket. Tiffany’s eyes lit up, thinking I was about to pay her. Instead, in front of everyone, I dialed my dad. “Dad, can you send me the security footage from Room K709 at Eclipse last night?” My dad’s worried voice came through my earbuds. “Maya, honey, what’s wrong?” Before I could answer, Tiffany snatched my phone. “Who are you trying to fool? Even if you’re a call girl there, you don’t have the authority to access security footage!” “You’re just trying to stall for time so you don’t have to pay!” “What?!” My dad’s voice was pure rage in my ear. “She called you a what? A call girl?!” “That is unacceptable! Maya, you just wait. I’m on my way.” Hearing that my dad was coming gave me a surge of relief. I sat back down and smiled. “You’re only this bold because you think I can’t get the footage, right?” “Bold?” Tiffany pulled Jessica and Emily forward. “The three of us saw you leave with that old man!” She zoomed in on the photo of me getting into my dad’s car. She pointed at the distorted, out-of-focus image. “Look! They’re all over each other! They couldn’t even wait to get out of the car. I can only imagine what they get up to in private!” Seeing the picture, Ryan made a sound of disgust. “Thank god I never touched you. Who knows what kind of diseases I would have caught.” Suddenly, I felt several pairs of hands grope me from behind. I spun around, horrified. “What are you doing?!” A few of the male students smirked lecherously. “What’s the problem? We’re young and hot. If you can let some old geezer touch you, what’s wrong with us having a little fun?” Some of the girls in the class looked uncomfortable and started to speak up, but a single glare from Tiffany shut them down. “What if it was your dad she was sleeping with? Would you still feel sorry for her then? Women like her destroy families!” At that, the girls looked away, deciding to stay out of it. I couldn’t believe it. This was a prestigious university I had worked my ass off to get into. How could the students be like this? I took a deep breath and pointed at the man in the photo. “He’s my father! If you say one more word or touch me again, I’m calling the cops!” They looked at each other, then burst out laughing. “Did you hear that? She admits it! She’s got ‘daddies’ all over the place!” “I wonder who tomorrow’s ‘daddy’ will be!” “That’s hilarious. What kind of decent father meets his daughter in a karaoke bar and gets that close to her?” “Exactly! Even if you call the cops, they’re more likely to arrest the hooker than the johns!” One of them waggled his phone at me. “Looks like business is slow outside. You could always work the campus circuit. Tell us, what are your rates? Is $50 enough for a quickie?” “Do the math. Ten guys and you can pay Tiffany back. It’s a good deal!” Ryan watched the group of greasy guys surround me and just laughed. “Oh, stop pretending to be so pure, Maya. I know you’re loving the attention. No wonder you tried to get drunk and come back to my dorm that one time. You really love your work, don’t you?” He sneered. “Service all the guys in this class and you could probably afford a decent knockoff bag of your own.” He pulled out his phone and aimed it at me. “And if you’re still short on cash, I can film it and auction the video online. I’ll even give you a cut. See? I’m such a great ex-boyfriend.” He grinned, a vile, predatory expression. A wave of nausea washed over me. Without thinking, I slapped him hard across the face. “You are disgusting, Ryan!” The second my hand made contact, Tiffany grabbed my hair and yanked my head back. “How dare you hit Ryan!” “I was going to let the $500 slide, but not anymore! You’re going to pay me back, right now!” She reached for my shirt. “I don’t care if you have to strip or have a gangbang with every guy in this room! You are paying me that money today! And then you’re going to get on your knees and apologize to Ryan in front of everyone!” The others didn’t try to stop her. Instead, they used the chaos as an excuse to grope me again. Panic set in. I grabbed my phone, which she had thrown on the desk. I saw that my dad had just sent me several video files and photos. But before I could open them, Tiffany snatched the phone again, threw it on the floor, and stomped on it until the screen shattered. “Thinking of calling another one of your daddies to save you? Too late!” The next second, the classroom door was kicked open. A group of men stormed in. The large projector screen at the front of the room flickered to life. On it, two naked bodies were tangled together on a karaoke lounge sofa. It was Tiffany and Ryan. “Ryan, sweetie,” Tiffany’s voice cooed from the speakers. “Whose body is better? Mine, or Maya’s?”

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The news hit like a physical blow: my little brother, barely a freshman in college, had been sold to a cartel-run scam compound by his girlfriend for ten thousand dollars. The shock sent my parents into a dead faint. By the time I rushed home from my surgical residency, my mother was staring at her phone, a horrific video playing on the screen. It was my brother, Leo. Only nineteen, and he was beaten black and blue, his body a canvas of bruises. He was already deaf. His girlfriend, Rina, clutched at my sleeve, her face streaked with tears as she pleaded with me. “Ava, what are we going to do?” she sobbed. “They want fifty thousand dollars to let him go! You have to save him, please!” I scoffed, shoving her hand away with disgust. “My brother has been hitting our parents up for cash ever since he met you. This is just another one of your scams to milk us for money, isn’t it?” I leveled a cold gaze at her. “I’ll get the money. But I’m going myself.” 1 Rina crumpled to the floor, her sobs echoing through the room. “Ava, he’s really been taken! You have to save him! You can’t just walk into a place like that!” I ignored her, helping my parents, who were still pale and trembling, to the couch. “Like I said, I’ll bring the money,” I repeated, my voice flat. “But I have to see him with my own eyes.” It was the only way to ensure they wouldn’t torture him to death. They wanted money, after all. Keeping him alive was their only leverage. Rina’s eyes darted around for a moment before she feigned resignation. “Okay… then I’ll take you. But you have to promise you’ll get Leo out!” A cold, bitter laugh rose in my throat. Oh, I’ll get him out. And I’ll make sure you go in. I withdrew fifty thousand dollars in cash from the bank, packing it into a hard-shell briefcase as Rina watched my every move. She thought she was hiding her triumphant smirk, but I saw it clear as day. Go ahead and smile, I thought. Smile while you still can. The moment our plane touched down in the lawless border region, Rina’s patience evaporated. She shot me dirty looks, her frustration palpable. She had wanted to book a direct flight, but I’d insisted we follow the exact travel itinerary she and Leo had taken on their “vacation,” claiming it might reveal clues. In reality, I just wanted to watch her squirm. Throughout the journey, her eyes were glued to the briefcase, practically burning a hole through the metal. I could tell she was itching to knock me out and run with the cash. But she didn’t dare. She needed to deliver me to the compound first and let her people handle me. After three grueling days of travel, we finally arrived. The second I stepped through the gates of the compound, a dozen burly men swarmed around me. Their leader, a brute with a jagged scar bisecting his face, sneered at Rina. “This is the ‘prime cut’ you promised to bring us? Just some skinny broad?” So, they were in on it together. Just as I suspected. Before Rina could answer, a blood-curdling scream echoed from deeper within the compound. It was followed by a chorus of agonizing cries, and among them, I recognized Leo’s voice. My eyes locked onto Rina. “Let my brother go,” I said, my voice dangerously low. “And the money is yours.” Rina waved a dismissive hand, and a few moments later, two men dragged out a figure so broken he couldn’t even walk. The man they threw at my feet was barely human. His face was a swollen, bloody mess. He pried open a single, slit-like eye and stared at me. A few seconds later, a tear of blood trickled down his cheek. “Ava…” My heart stopped. It was really him. This mangled thing, this creature that could hardly be called a person… was this really Leo? The little brother I adored? His right leg was bent outwards at a sickening, unnatural angle. His left hand was a mangled pulp of flesh and bone, two fingers completely gone. Blood oozed from every feature on his face. I tried to speak to him, but his eyes were filled with a distant haze. He raised his mangled left hand—the one with only three fingers remaining—and shook his head, pointing to his ears. “Ava… I can’t hear…” his voice was a raw, broken whisper. Tears welled in my eyes as I reached out to touch his face. He winced in pain but leaned into my hand, a ghost of his old affection. “We’re going home,” I choked out. “I’m taking you home.” With that, I kicked the briefcase toward the scarred man. “Here’s your money. I’m taking him.” I tried to help Leo to his feet, but before I could turn, several thugs blocked our path. “Not so fast. Who said you could leave?” They roughly tore Leo from my grasp. Rina stepped forward, her sweet facade gone, replaced by a cruel smirk. She patted my cheek. “Ava, a pretty face like yours is a top-tier asset here. You’ll earn them way more than that useless piece of trash ever could!” Two men seized my arms. Nearby, another guard deliberately pressed down on Leo’s wounds, making him cry out in agony. The scarred man, Scar, opened the briefcase with a wicked grin. His face fell the instant he saw the contents. “What the hell? It’s all paper!” 2 The thugs crowded around the case. Sure enough, it was filled to the brim with worthless blank paper. The next thing I knew, a stinging slap sent my head reeling. “You bitch! You trying to screw me over? I’ll kill you both!” Scar grabbed me, ready to drag me into the main building. Leo, though he couldn’t hear, knew exactly what was happening. He thrashed wildly, trying to break free, earning him several more savage blows. I grabbed Scar’s wrist with one hand and made a quick sign to Leo with the other, telling him to stay calm. “You might want to think this through,” I said, my voice steady despite the ringing in my ears. “Your people had eyes on me the entire trip. She,” I said, nodding toward Rina, “watched me pack the cash herself.” I let my words hang in the air. “She never left my side. The only time that case was out of my sight was when I went to the restroom, and I always left it with her. If there was a switch, I’m not the one who made it.” Scar’s gaze shifted to Rina. She took a moment to process my words, then waved her hands frantically. “No way, Scar! I would never cheat you!” “The money was with her the whole time! I never touched it!” she shrieked. “Don’t you trust me? I’ve brought you so much prime stock! I’m loyal!” I feigned confusion. “That’s odd. You were watching me like a hawk. If I’d swapped the money, wouldn’t you have noticed?” I then pointed to Rina’s pocket. “Scar, my phone is in her pocket. She would know if I tried any tricks. But you know, my phone accidentally recorded a very interesting video. Maybe you should take a look.” Scar didn’t hesitate. He strode over, snatched my phone from Rina’s pocket, and found the video I mentioned. On the screen, Rina was shown furtively fiddling with the briefcase while I was in the restroom. Her eyes went wide with panic. “No! Ava, you set me up, you bitch!” she screamed, lunging for the phone. “You framed me! I’ll kill you!” She swung her hand, aiming for my face. A loud smack echoed through the yard. But it was Scar who had hit her, a backhand so vicious it sent her sprawling. “Damn you, I always knew there was something off about you!” he roared. “You dare steal from the Compound? You think you’re something special because you have a pretty face? Let me tell you something! Around here, I’m the one in charge!” He gestured to his men. “Take her and this one down to the Studio! Both of them!” The moment Rina heard the word “Studio,” she began to struggle and scream as if it were the most terrifying place on earth. It wasn’t until they threw me into a cell that I understood her fear. We were in a basement, a dark, damp space filled with strange, unsettling noises. The area was divided into cells fenced off with iron bars. But inside, each cell was a themed set—some cozy, some seductive, some garish. And every cell had a camera rig and a man. The other end of the cameras fed into the darkest corners of the internet. The men’s job was to manipulate the women in the cells, using props or their own bodies, all for a live audience on the dark web. Upstairs, the building echoed with the pained cries of men. Down here, it was the rising and falling screams of women. The louder they screamed, the more tips they earned, and the more excited the men in the cells became. Rina and I were shoved into two cells facing each other. Fortunately, mine didn’t have a camera rig yet. Her eyes burned with hatred as she gripped the bars. “Are you happy now that you’ve dragged me down with you?” I leaned against the bars of my own cell, crossing my arms and offering her a small, cold smile. “Happy? Oh, not yet.” 3 That night, they came for Rina. They forced her into a bizarre costume and set up the camera equipment in her cell. She tried to fight back at first, but they beat her into submission. Soon enough, she started cooperating with the man who was directing her performance. Four hours later, the live stream ended. Rina was tossed aside like a broken doll. Her voice was raw and hoarse, but she still managed to crawl to the bars and glare at me with venom in her eyes. “Why?” she croaked. “Why aren’t they coming for you?” I turned my head on the small cot to look at her, a broken, pathetic mess. I almost felt like laughing. “Take a guess.” Just then, a blond thug came down the hall, rapping his club against the iron bars. “Shut it! People are trying to sleep!” he snarled. “Looks like someone needs to be taught some manners!” Rina let out a spiteful laugh. “Heh, you really think you’re getting out of this? You’re next. You’ll be just as ruined as me!” The blond thug whistled as he unlocked my cell, his eyes meeting my icy stare. He scowled and swung the club, striking me hard in the side. “What are you looking at, bitch? You’ll be begging me not to stop soon enough!” He reached out to grab my hair. I let him pull me forward, using his own momentum as I tilted my head back and plunged the black hairpin I’d been holding deep into the side of his neck. Close-quarters combat. The basics. He gasped, clutching his throat, unable to make a sound. I kicked him into the corner of the cell. As he stared at me in terror, I took the club from his hand for protection. Across the way, Rina watched the whole thing, her jaw hanging open in disbelief. I gave her one last chilling look before stepping out of the cell and racing upstairs. I knew the layout of this place like the back of my hand; I had lived here for sixteen years. But it had been a long time, and my memory was a little hazy. Minutes later, a piercing alarm blared through the building. I could hear Rina’s shrill voice from downstairs. “She went that way! Get her! Hurry!” The sound of dozens of footsteps thundered through the halls. I ran frantically, searching for my brother. Where had they taken Leo? “Don’t worry,” a calm, menacing voice—Scar’s—cut through the chaos. “She won’t leave without her brother.” “You should just kill him already!” Rina shrieked. “Shut your mouth, you idiot,” Scar growled. “I’m warning you, if you don’t come up with that fifty grand, I’ll have you work it off in the Studio and then sell your organs to the highest bidder.” It sounded like he’d slapped her and then grabbed her by the throat. I moved from cell to cell on the upper floors, but there was no sign of Leo. Before I knew it, I had reached the top floor. “Boss, she’s headed for the top! What do we do?” a thug yelled from below. “Relax. The man upstairs will handle her.” The top floor was pitch black and eerily silent, a stark contrast to the chaos below. As my foot touched the last step, I heard a faint click. I instantly pulled my foot back as a volley of arrows shot out from the walls. I dodged and rolled, but one of them pierced my left arm. I grunted in pain, clutching the wound. As a surgeon, I knew better than to pull it out. Stumbling, I relied on memory to find the last room at the end of the hall. I pushed the door open. It was an office, the layout just as I remembered it, but with a few minor changes. A large executive chair sat with its back to the door. A cold, masculine voice drifted from behind it. “Someone actually made it this far? Are all my men dead?” I flinched. I knew that voice. “You’re hurt.” The chair slowly swiveled around. In a flash, I wrenched the arrow from my arm and pressed its bloody tip to the man’s throat. Blood spurted from my wound, but I didn’t have time to care. The man’s eyes widened as he saw my face. He reached up, his hand closing around my wrist. I narrowed my eyes, aiming the arrow at his carotid artery. “Don’t fight me. Come with me.” 4 The man I held captive was Kael, the absolute authority here. He was in his forties but looked like he was barely over thirty. In these lawless borderlands, everyone knew his name. I grabbed him by the collar with one hand and held the arrow to his throat with the other, forcing him downstairs. The concrete floor of the main hall was already swarming with his men, Scar at the forefront. “You bitch! Let our boss go, or I’ll kill your brother!” he yelled, his voice raw with fury. “He’s barely breathing as it is!” Scar dragged Leo out from behind the crowd. He looked even worse than before. I watched his chest, seeing the shallow rise and fall. He was fading. I tightened my grip on Kael’s throat and whispered in his ear. “You know what to do.” To my surprise, Kael just chuckled. He turned and spoke to Scar, his voice firm. “Let the boy go, Scar.” Rina, standing in the crowd, piped up, “I say we just kill him! Get rid of the problem! Once he’s gone, she’ll have nowhere to run!” How did she get out? She must be trying to capture me to earn her freedom from the Studio. Scar frowned, confused. “Boss, we have guns! There’s no way she’s faster than a bullet!” A smirk played on my lips as I pressed the arrow deeper into Kael’s neck. “Want to test that theory?” I said to Scar, my voice cold. “At this range, what do you think is faster? Your gun, or my hand?” Kael’s voice sharpened with annoyance. “Are you deaf? I said let the boy go! Can’t you see my life is in her hands?” His men hesitated, their eyes darting between me and Kael’s darkening expression. Reluctantly, they pushed Leo forward. But Leo couldn’t stand on his own. He collapsed to the ground in a heap. For a split second, my focus wavered. I reached out, wanting to catch him. Rina saw her chance. She lunged at me, screaming, “Kael! I’m here to save you!” I had just bent down when she was on me. I saw the glint of a knife in her hand, but it was too late. She was too close. Instinctively, I raised my arm to block, but Kael moved faster. He kicked out, sending Rina flying. She hit the ground hard, spitting up blood. Kael looked down at her, his eyes filled with contempt. “Do I need you to save me? Or do you just think I’ve gotten old?” She had gambled, hoping to win his favor. It was the same damsel-in-distress act she’d used to lure my brother, playing on her youth and beauty. But Kael wasn’t buying it. I helped Leo up, propping him against a wall. Scar immediately started to move forward with his men. Kael just raised a hand, and they froze. He looked at me, his expression softening. “What else do you want? Just ask.” I tore a strip from my sleeve, wrapping it tightly around the arrow wound in my arm and tying it with my teeth. My gaze fell on Rina, who was still kneeling on the ground. “I want her to kneel and bow ten times to my brother.” Then I looked at Scar and his men. “And I want them to slap each other a hundred times.” Scar’s eyes were wide with a mixture of terror and confusion. He wasn’t afraid of me. He just couldn’t understand why Kael, who was no longer my hostage, wasn’t letting them attack. But what terrified him more was the look in Kael’s eyes. In the four years he’d worked for him, he had never seen his boss look at anyone with such softness. Then, Kael smiled. It was a chilling, unsettling smile. Scar visibly relaxed. Kael always smiled before he killed someone. The smile lingered for a full ten seconds before it vanished. He looked at me. “My dear daughter,” he said. “Haven’t you had enough fun yet?”

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My fifth year in Los Angeles, and a journal found by a stranger went viral. “I need to know who wrote this.” “She’s a warrior who fought for love.” I was about to scroll past, completely uninterested, when a flash of familiar handwriting caught my eye. My thumb froze. “My sponsor’s fiancé is gorgeous. He’s exactly my type. Why should she have him?” “All I did was make some AI deepfakes of her and let the whole school see. It was enough to get her expelled.” “She got depressed, but I told everyone she was a sex addict. Her fiancé believed every word I said.” “With a little effort, I ‘healed’ him and made him fall in love with me. We’re so happy now.” “And her? She’s probably dead.” The handwriting, the tone—it was all the same. As bright and vicious as its owner. … The comments section was a storm of opinions. “Such a brave girl. If only I’d had that kind of courage back then…” “We need more entries!” The original poster quickly obliged. “And she had the nerve to ask me why?” “She only gave me five hundred dollars a month. I had to scrape by… She deserved everything she got.” “She planted the tree, and I’m the one enjoying the shade.” “He’s finally made it big, and he’s so good to me.” “He told me I’m so much more thoughtful and understanding than she ever was. He proposed.” “He is the Oscar-winning actor, Caleb Thorne.” The final post even included a blurry, intimate photo of two shadows tangled together. It was suggestive, tantalizing, and the internet ignited. Users swarmed Caleb Thorne’s social media, tagging him relentlessly. “Caleb, your girl went through hell for your love story.” “This is so moving. You better treat her right.” “My heart breaks for her. She suffered so much in silence. What a strong woman.” A few dissenting voices questioning the narrative were instantly drowned out by a tidal wave of shippers. A humorless smile twisted my lips. I shoved my phone back into my pocket, my sleeve sliding down just enough to cover the network of scars crisscrossing my wrist. The Los Angeles winter had a chill that seeped into your bones. Snowflakes drifted down from a grey sky, and the white puff of my breath vanished in the cold. It had been a winter just like this one. Even bundled in layers of down jackets like a bear, I couldn’t escape the piercing glares, the whispered insults, the contempt. Slut. No matter how many times I explained that I was with Caleb that night, that I hadn’t done anything wrong, the photos were irrefutable proof. When I found him, my voice trembled as I begged him to at least tell them the truth, to clear my name. He just frowned, his brow furrowed with concern. He was on the brink of stardom, he said. He couldn’t go public with our relationship yet. “Lia, you understand, right? You wouldn’t want to ruin my career, would you?” Nina came up from behind, wrapping me in a tight, sympathetic hug, telling me to just be patient. So I went back. And I waited. What I got was a drunkard lurking outside my dorm. He tore at my clothes, a leering grin on his face as he pinned me down. I fought, I screamed, but it was useless. When he was finished, he left me lying there like a discarded rag. As the tears finally tracked from the corners of my eyes, my first thought was, I’m dirty now. Will Caleb still want me? I reported it. I filed a complaint. But the university administration buried it, their annoyance barely concealed. “Where there’s smoke, there’s fire,” one of them said, adding that the school’s reputation couldn’t be tarnished. They informed me my spot in the graduate program had been rescinded. The person who took my place was Nina. The scholarship student I had been sponsoring for years. A set of fake photos, born from nothing, had completely shattered my life. My phone rang, pulling me from the memory. It was my therapist. He was worried the journal posts would trigger my suicidal ideations again. I had tried to end it several times before. The worst attempt had me in the emergency room for ten hours, my body almost completely drained of blood. Only after I assured him, again and again, that I was past all that did he hang up. The post was still gaining traction. I couldn’t help but look at my phone again. Spurred on by his fans, Caleb had finally responded. He’d replied to the top comment. “Can anyone help me find her? There’s a substantial reward.” “Her name is Lia Vance.” My name was out. The internet sleuths dug in. It didn’t take them long to unearth everything. That I had been the university’s golden girl, a brilliant honors student with dual degrees in law and linguistics—the untouchable, ethereal dream girl. And, of course, the video. The crystal-clear, 4K, uncensored video of the assault. For a time, it was the thumbnail on every major adult website. Innocent Beauty or Insatiable Vixen? The fact that it was outdoors only added to the sordid appeal. But even that wasn’t what broke me. The thing that finally shattered my sanity was discovering that while I was facing the world alone, waiting for the salvation they had promised, they were already wrapped in each other’s arms. One day, Caleb, who had been ghosting me for weeks, suddenly called. I answered, my heart leaping with joy. But he was just calling for money. He’d lost a role, he said, and needed cash to grease some wheels. Could I help him out, just like before? I bit my lip, but I agreed. He told me to wire it to his account as usual. But some impulse made me withdraw a duffel bag full of cash instead. I just wanted to see him. I didn’t expect to find them outside his apartment, clinging to each other. Nina’s face was flushed, her voice a seductive purr. “Caleb, I got into the grad program. I want a reward. Tonight… I want to give you all of me.” His breathing was heavy, laced with an urgent desire. “I already hit up Lia for the money. You can have any gift you want.” One of them was the man I had grown up with, my love, who had sworn he would cherish me for a lifetime. The other was the scholarship student from a dirt-poor town I had supported for years, who had once knelt before me, thanking me for not giving up on her, promising she would repay my kindness. And it was these two people who, as I teetered on the edge of the abyss, embraced each other and gave me the final push. Tears streamed down my face. When they called me a slut, I didn’t break. When the university turned its back on me after the assault, I didn’t break. But in that moment, I shattered. I burst through the door, screaming, clawing, fighting. But I didn’t even manage to touch a strand of Nina’s hair before Caleb slammed me to the ground. The bag of cash burst open, bills fluttering down over my face like a silent, stinging slap. His brow was furrowed, his voice tight with the anger of being interrupted. “Lia, can’t you be reasonable for once? You brought cash on purpose? Who are you trying to humiliate?” I just stared, stunned, my lips trembling. “Don’t you… have anything to say to me?” He took in my disheveled state, the trickle of blood at the corner of my mouth. He pursed his lips, a flicker of regret in his eyes that vanished as quickly as it appeared. “I…” Suddenly, Nina rushed over, crying, trying to help me up. “I’m so sorry, Lia.” “I didn’t mean for this to happen, but Caleb… he’s just so dazzling. I couldn’t help myself…” Her eyes swam with tears, a picture of perfect remorse. It made my stomach turn. I raised my hand to strike her. But Caleb’s hand struck first. The force of the slap rocked my head. He seemed stunned by his own action, but he pressed his lips into a thin line and finished his sentence. “Lia, get a hold of yourself.” “And don’t think that just because you give her a few hundred dollars a month, Nina owes you anything.” “She’s tougher than you, she works harder than you, and she deserves the best.” My cheek burned, his words of defense and accusation ringing in my ears. For a second, I was dizzy, remembering a time long ago when he had defended me just as fiercely, shielding me behind him. A quiet wave of grief and rage washed over me. And I laughed. Tears streamed from my eyes as the laughter grew louder, more hysterical. How pathetic. How utterly tragic. “You’re insane…” he muttered, pulling the weeping, fragile Nina into his arms and leaving. He left me there. I sat on the floor from day to night, and from night until the dawn broke. When I finally left, a mob of reporters was waiting outside, their cameras flashing like daggers. “Ms. Vance, is it true you’ve been sleeping around and are now trying to break up a happy couple?” They had twisted the story. Now I was the other woman. But we had always kept our love a secret for the sake of his career. There was no proof. I had no defense. Someone in the crowd spat at me. “Just a cheap bitch anyone can have. Stop the act.” I covered my face and ran, stumbling away, but the questions and the cameras followed me, a relentless nightmare that chased me all the way back to my dorm and refused to leave. I was expelled for damaging the university’s reputation. On that very same day, the internet broke. Caleb Thorne won a major international award, instantly becoming an A-list actor. He announced his relationship that same evening. He rented out an entire garden of Damascus roses and had a candlelight dinner with Nina. The whole world celebrated. He was a real man, they said, for owning his relationship at the peak of his fame. And I, the homewrecker, was dragged out and crucified by the public all over again. A crazed fan threw red paint on my front door. Then she came back with a knife. I was in the hospital, recovering from the stabbing, when his interview came on the TV. “We hear that your girlfriend’s former sponsor is still relentlessly pursuing you.” He smiled and kissed Nina’s forehead. “Lia did help Nina in the past, and I intend to repay every cent of that support, with interest.” “But I also hope she can find it in her heart to leave Nina in peace.” Repay me? Could he ever repay me? A cold sneer formed on my lips. My dad and I had always been on our own, but a city development project had bought out our land. We got a check for three million dollars. That money was mine to manage. My father was a simple, hardworking man who kept his blue-collar job, earning a modest salary. Now, there was barely fifty thousand left in the account. All these years, it had all gone to Caleb, funding his resources, greasing palms in Hollywood. How else could a nobody with no connections have made a name for himself in that shark tank? Even sponsoring Nina… it was because of him. We were in a poor, rural area, scouting for inspiration for one of his roles, when we met her. She’d dropped out of school to work, her hands covered in chilblains. He’d said, “She’s so pitiful.” And just like that, I began years of sponsorship, sending her five hundred dollars a month. She had been so grateful, calling me her savior. I was in the hospital for three months. My father came to see me. The quiet, stoic man seemed to have aged decades overnight. While I slept, he would stand at the end of the hallway, a carpet of cigarette butts at his feet. I decided I had to pull myself together. I went back to my hometown with my father. But the drunk who had attacked me found me. He showed up at our door like a low-life gangster, holding a half-empty bag of fertilizer. “This is the dowry,” he announced. “I’m here to marry you.” My father was shaking with rage. I called the police. I pressed charges. But the man was let go with a slap on the wrist. He came back, bolder than ever, showing the video of my assault to all our neighbors. I became a pariah, a plague. I couldn’t understand why he was so obsessed with tormenting me. Until one day, I overheard him on the phone outside. “Don’t you worry, Nina. Your uncle will take care of that little slut for you…” “Just… my drinking’s been getting a little bad lately…”

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After five grueling years on my mission, I was finally back in my own world. But my children were clinging to a woman who looked almost identical to me. My husband wore a strained, awkward expression. And my parents, their eyes shifting guiltily, offered an explanation. “This is Sienna. When you were in a coma, she… she took on your responsibilities.” “We owe her a great deal.” 1. My son and daughter held tight to Sienna’s skirt, their eyes wary as they watched me. It was as if I were some kind of monster. I clenched the bedsheets, a sharp pain twisting in my heart. The hand my husband, Ethan, had on my shoulder tightened. I looked around at the others in the room. They had been discussing the automatic emergency alert system they’d installed on my phone, but Sienna’s sudden entrance had clearly caught them off guard. My parents looked deeply uncomfortable. “While you were unconscious, Sienna was the one who took care of us,” my dad explained. “We were going to introduce you properly when we got home.” My mother-in-law chimed in. “Yes, now that you’re awake, you two should get along. Don’t cause us any more worry, alright?” Sienna smiled, a challenging glint in her eyes, and walked over to my bedside. I said nothing. In my mind, I silenced the System. I’ll give you my answer in a few days. The System’s synthesized voice sighed, then faded into the background of my thoughts. Seeing that I was ignoring her, Sienna’s eyes welled with tears. She blinked, and a single tear traced a path down her cheek as she forced a pitiful smile. “I’m so sorry, I was being impulsive. It’s only natural that you’d hate me. I’ll… I’ll go…” She didn’t give anyone a chance to react. She just turned and fled. My mother-in-law stomped her foot in frustration and hurried after her. Ethan instinctively stood up, but his eyes met mine and he froze, slowly sinking back into his chair. He pulled me into a tight embrace, his voice the same soothing murmur he’d always used to comfort me. “Don’t overthink it. You’re the only one for me.” My daughter, Lily, lifted her skirt and ran after Sienna. My son, Finn, shot me a look of pure hatred before slamming the door so hard the walls shook. I didn’t understand. My two sweet, adorable children… how had they become like this? Seeing my silence, my parents excused themselves to handle the discharge paperwork. A short while later, I was in a wheelchair, being pushed out of the hospital. But as the car pulled away, I realized we weren’t heading home. “Dad,” I said, my voice trembling slightly. “If I remember correctly, this isn’t the way home.” My father’s hands tightened on the steering wheel. He forced a laugh. “Our Ashley’s memory is as sharp as ever.” He drove in a long, circuitous route, finally ending up at our house. I didn’t understand what he was doing until I stepped through the front door. The large family portrait that had hung in the entryway was gone. In its place was a photo of them—my family—with Sienna. I stared at the picture, then without a word, I marched upstairs and threw open the door to my old bedroom. Just as I suspected. Sienna had taken over, making my room her own. My chest heaved with a mixture of anger and disbelief as I took in the completely redecorated space. And there, sitting on the bed, was Sienna, reading a bedtime story to my son. A bitter laugh escaped my lips. For five years, I had thrown myself into every mission the System gave me, all for this. All to be reunited with my family. And now, there was no place for me here. “You were planning to take me somewhere else, weren’t you?” I asked, my eyes fixed on the man I had once adored more than anyone. My father shifted uncomfortably, avoiding my gaze. “I’ll get your room ready for you, Ash. This will always be your home.” As soon as the words left his mouth, Sienna’s eyes filled with tears again. She stood up without a word and began gathering her things. But my son stopped her. When no one was looking, he launched himself at me, shoving me to the ground. He grabbed whatever was within reach and started throwing it at me, screaming. “You came back and now you’re bullying my mommy! You’re a bad woman!” “Get out!” “Get out of my house!” I stared at the snarling, furious child before me, completely frozen. 2. Finn’s outburst shocked everyone. Ethan grabbed his arm, his brow furrowed in anger. “Finn! What do you think you’re doing?” Tears streamed down my son’s face as he continued to curse at me. The commotion woke Lily, who began to wail. Sienna scooped her up, her own tears flowing freely. “Stop it, both of you! It’s all my fault. I’ll just go!” She made a move to leave. But my mother spoke up, her voice sharp. “Everyone, be quiet!” “Sienna, you’re not going anywhere. You can keep this room.” My breath caught in my throat. I looked at my mother, who was frowning at me. “Ashley, I’ll have someone clear out the entire third floor for you tomorrow. For tonight, you can sleep in the guest room.” Her words echoed something I had asked her as a child. “Mommy, this is the master bedroom, isn’t it? Why aren’t you and Daddy sleeping here? Why is it for me?” She had hugged me then, her smile sweet. “Because this room holds all our best wishes for you, my darling. We want our Ashley to be happy forever.” The memory was a sharp, physical pain. The tears I’d been holding back finally fell. I turned my head, wiping them away, and walked out of the room without another word. My mother started to say something, but then stopped. Back in the guest room, I collapsed onto the bed, burying my face in the pillow and letting the sobs rack my body. Suddenly, a warm embrace enveloped me. Ethan. He placed a soft kiss on my head, stroking my hair. “What are we going to do if your eyes are all swollen tomorrow, honey?” he sighed. I looked up at him through blurry, tear-filled eyes. He offered a small, sad smile. I don’t know how long I cried, but eventually, his shirt was soaked through. I pulled back, embarrassed, and rubbed my eyes. “You should go take a shower.” He held me tight for another moment before picking up his phone and heading into the bathroom. I expected him to be quick—he usually just rinsed off in under ten minutes. But this time, the sound of the water was a constant drone that lulled me into a restless sleep. I woke up to the sound of Ethan closing the door. I blinked, my eyes drawn to his phone on the nightstand. The screen lit up for a moment. Sienna’s name flashed across the screen. Waiting for you. My heart skipped a beat. I reached for the phone, my fingers fumbling to unlock it. But when I entered the passcode, it was wrong. Ethan’s passcode had always been my birthday. I tried again. Not my birthday. Not his. Not the kids’. Then I remembered the birthday I’d seen listed in Sienna’s contact information. I typed it in. The phone unlocked. The blood in my veins turned to ice. I opened their chat history. For the past hour, while he was in the bathroom, Ethan had been on a video call with Sienna. The phone slipped from my grasp. I bit my lip, willing the tears not to fall. After a long moment, I got up and walked to Sienna’s room. The door was slightly ajar. Inside, Sienna was draped over Ethan’s arm, her smile coy as she leaned in and kissed him. And Ethan… he wrapped his arm around her waist and kissed her back, with even more passion. 3. I stood there, a silent observer to my own personal torture, until my legs gave out and I sank to the floor. A small noise from the kitchen drew my attention. My seven-year-old daughter, Lily, was standing on a stool, clumsily stirring something in a pot. Worried she would get hurt, I went to her. She was muttering to herself. “Mommy doesn’t like cilantro, or scallions…” She lifted the pot from the stove with the careful concentration of a much older child, and my heart softened. But when she turned and saw me, her expression soured. “What are you doing here, you bad woman!” It hit me then. The “mommy” she was talking about was Sienna. My lips trembled. “Lily, I’m your mother. How could you…” “You’re not my mother!” she shouted, pushing past me with the pot of hot soup and heading towards Sienna’s room. The shove sent me stumbling backwards, my spine cracking against the corner of the counter. The pain was sharp, radiating through my body. I followed her back to the room. Lily was carefully blowing on a spoonful of soup before offering it to Sienna. Sienna praised her with a smile, and Ethan pulled her into his lap, teasing. “Our Lily knows how to take care of her mommy even better than her big brother.” I watched the happy, domestic scene from the doorway, a bitter ache in my chest. They were a perfect family. And I was the intruder. I turned and walked away. The next morning, Ethan woke me with his customary good-morning kiss. I turned my head, avoiding it. He froze for a moment, then took my hand and led me to the dining table. But there was no place set for me. Sienna sat in my usual chair, a smug smile on her face. Ethan looked flustered. He gently pushed me into his own seat. “Um…” the housekeeper, Mrs. Gable, began nervously. “I didn’t prepare a meal for Ms. Ashley…” Everyone stared. My mother looked confused. “Didn’t Sienna tell you?” Sienna let out a little gasp. “Oh, I’m so sorry! I went to bed so late last night, and I overslept. I completely forgot to tell Mrs. Gable…” “Here, you can have my breakfast…” My mother-in-law pressed her hand down. “You sit right there.” My father agreed. “You need to eat. You’re already too thin.” I was invisible. I watched them, a perfect, harmonious family, and my hands, hidden at my sides, curled into tight fists. My mother sighed and told the housekeeper to make another breakfast, then took my hand and started talking about a welcome-home party. “Now that you’re finally back, we want to throw a party for you. Ethan can take you to try on some dresses later.” I pulled my hand away, numbly nodding. I looked at my mother’s face, really looked at it, and a question began to form in my mind. Do I even want to stay here anymore? 4. At the party, my father was busy introducing Sienna to all of his business partners and old friends. I started to walk over, but my mother stopped me. “Your father is introducing Sienna as his successor,” she hissed, giving me a sharp look. “Don’t go over there. We’ll give you shares in the company. You can live off the dividends.” I was stunned. “But you always said that I would…” “That was before.” My mother gripped my hand tightly, as if afraid I would make a scene. “Just be good, Ashley.” She led me to a corner, and I followed in a daze. My attention was drawn to a figure across the room. It was Ethan. The same Ethan who had promised me he would never drink again was now downing glass after glass of champagne, shielding Sienna from having to drink. He had a sensitive stomach. I remembered the time he had ended up in the hospital with severe cramps, and I had cried myself sick with worry. He had promised me then. He had even let his friends tease him for being whipped. Now, I watched him drain one glass after another. It wasn’t long before he was clutching his stomach, his face pale. Forgetting everything else, I rushed to his side and grabbed his arm. “Have you forgotten what you promised me?” He looked at my worried face, a flicker of guilt and gratitude in his eyes. “I’m sorry, Ashley, I…” “Don’t talk.” I took a deep breath and, without a word to anyone else, helped him out of the ballroom. By the time we got to the hospital, he had passed out. The doctor put him on an IV. I was about to go pay the bill when Ethan grabbed my wrist. “Don’t go…” I couldn’t help but let out a bitter laugh. I leaned down to soothe him, but then I heard him whisper Sienna’s name. “Don’t go, Sienna.” It was like being struck by lightning. I froze, my heart squeezed in a vise. I pried his fingers from my wrist, paid the bill, and drove straight home. “…Sienna is pregnant now. We can’t let her get an abortion!” I had my hand on the doorknob, but my mother-in-law’s voice from inside stopped me. “Maybe Ethan should divorce Ashley and marry Sienna.” She was looking to my parents for support. My mother sighed. “It’s true. If Ashley gets divorced, she’ll still have us. But Sienna is all alone. It makes sense for her to marry Ethan.” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. In just a few words, they had decided my fate. I stood there, stunned, when a soft laugh came from behind me. “So what if you’re awake, Ashley?” I turned to see Sienna looking at me, her eyes full of triumph. “In the end, I still replaced you.” I forced myself to stand tall. “A replacement is always just a replacement. How long do you think this stolen happiness will last?” My words seemed to strike a nerve. Her expression hardened. “We’ll see whose happiness it is in the end!” With that, she grabbed my hand and gave a violent shove. A loud scream echoed through the hall as she tumbled down the stairs. Blood began to pool between her legs. The conversation inside stopped. The door flew open, and the three of them saw the horrific scene. A sharp smack as my father’s hand connected with my face. My mother-in-law shoved me, and I fell to the floor. My father pointed a trembling finger at me. “What the hell are you doing?” I opened my mouth to explain, but they didn’t give me a chance. My mother’s only words were, “If anything happens to Sienna, you don’t have to come back to this family ever again!” Tears blurred my vision. I watched my father scoop Sienna into his arms and rush to the car. My mother and mother-in-law followed without a single glance in my direction. Something inside me snapped. I don’t know how long I sat there as the wind and rain whipped around me. I laughed, a broken, hollow sound. “System, I don’t want to stay here anymore.” “I want to go back to the mission world.”

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