After five years with Ethan Crawford, I couldn’t even afford rent. I pawned the ring my mom left me for five hundred dollars. Later, I found out it was for Vivian Winters’ fourth “heart surgery.” Over five years, our anniversary was canceled four times. When I had a fever of 103 degrees and went to the ER, he said on the phone that Vivian was getting a follow-up exam and he couldn’t leave. My friends all said Ethan was a good guy, loyal and devoted, and told me not to be petty. I believed them. I even felt ashamed of my occasional jealousy. Until yesterday, when I scrolled past a video of a trail marathon. The girl in the lead had a killer body and had just broken the women’s division record. At the finish line, she jumped up and hung around Ethan’s neck, laughing. “Ethan, I told you I’m perfectly healthy! You’re just too worried!” Those limited-edition running shoes on her feet cost five hundred dollars. Ethan smiled as he tied her shoelaces. “See? I told you it was worth the money.” Looking at those shoes, I suddenly didn’t want to ask anymore. Turns out the moon wasn’t dim—it just never shone on my side.

“Didn’t I tell you Vivian had an EKG scheduled today? You still called three times in a row. Do you have to make a scene at a time like this?” Ethan pushed open the door, bringing in the chill of early autumn. He tossed his car keys onto the shoe cabinet by the entrance with a clatter. I sat on the sofa, my phone screen already dark. The image from that marathon video was still burned into my mind. “Why aren’t you saying anything? What are you sulking about now?” Ethan changed his shoes and walked over. He sat down beside me. There was a faint smell of sweat and earth clinging to him. It wasn’t the scent of hospital disinfectant. It was the scent of mountain air. He placed a plastic bag on the coffee table. “Picked up some tacos from a food cart on the way back. Eat while they’re hot.” I glanced down at the tacos. Sauce was seeping through the paper bag, and they were loaded with crushed peanuts. “I don’t eat peanuts,” I said quietly. Ethan froze for a moment, then frowned. “Lily, when did you become so difficult?” “Vivian had three vials of blood drawn today. I spent all day running around the hospital with her, and I still thought to bring you dinner on the way home.” “Just pick them out. Is that so hard?” He looked at me as if I were an unreasonable child. I stared at the mud stains on his sweatpants. The color of that mud matched the mud by the finish line in the marathon video. “She had blood drawn today?” I asked. Ethan sighed and reached out to ruffle my hair. I tilted my head slightly, dodging his hand. His hand hung awkwardly in midair. His expression darkened. “What exactly do you want?” “I already told you the doctor said her heart isn’t getting enough blood. She needs rest.” “You think I want to spend every day at the hospital? It’s my responsibility.” “If her brother hadn’t gotten into that car accident saving me, would she be like this now?” He’d repeated this speech countless times over the past five years. Every time I showed even a hint of dissatisfaction, he’d place this moral crown on my head. Making me feel like a cold, selfish, unreasonable woman. I lowered my eyes to my bare ring finger. There used to be a silver ring there—the only thing my mom left me. Two days ago, the landlord had demanded rent. Ethan said he’d used all his money on Vivian’s hospital bills. Running a fever, I’d pawned the ring for five hundred dollars. “Do the shoes you bought her fit well?” I heard my own calm voice. Ethan’s hand froze as he was pouring water. Water sloshed out of the glass and spilled onto the coffee table. He turned around. His eyes flickered, but he quickly regained his composure. “Did you go through my phone?” His tone turned cold. “Lily, I hate it when people invade my privacy.” I didn’t explain that I’d seen it in a marathon video. It didn’t matter anymore. “The shoes were recommended by her doctor.” Ethan set the glass down heavily on the table. “Vivian has a heart condition. The doctor said she needs shoes with excellent shock absorption for her rehab exercises.” “They’re just shoes. Do you have to be so petty?” He looked at me with disappointment in his eyes, as if I were a vicious woman who would even begrudge someone shoes for medical treatment. I looked at that familiar face and suddenly felt like I was looking at a stranger. Rehab exercises. The kind that break women’s division marathon records. I didn’t call him out on it. I just stood up and threw the peanut-laden tacos into the trash. Ethan took a deep breath, suppressing his temper. “Fine. If you don’t want them, forget it.” “I’ll return the shoes tomorrow, okay? I’ll transfer you the money for rent.” He was certain I was just jealous. Certain that if he backed down just a little, I’d forgive him like I always had. “No need,” I said. Ethan watched me walk back to the bedroom, his voice tinged with irritation. “Lily, you’d better know when to stop.”

The next morning, I went to the pawn shop in the old district. I wanted to get my mom’s ring back. Last night I’d sold some coats and bags on Poshmark and barely scraped together five hundred dollars. The owner sat behind the counter and pushed up his reading glasses. “Young lady, you’re too late.” “That silver ring was bought half an hour ago.” I froze in place, my fingers tightening on my canvas bag strap. “Sir, the redemption period hasn’t ended yet, has it? Could you help me contact the buyer?” My voice trembled. “I can pay more.” The owner shook his head. “The young couple seemed to really like it. They paid in full and left wearing it.” I was about to plead further when the glass door of the pawn shop swung open. The wind chime rang with a crisp sound. Ethan pushed through the door, carefully shielding the girl behind him. “Vivian, slow down. The doctor said you can’t walk too fast.” Vivian Winters was wearing those five-hundred-dollar limited-edition running shoes, holding a cup of hot milk tea. She smiled sweetly. “Ethan, I’m not that fragile.” She raised her hand to tuck her hair behind her ear. On her ring finger, that familiar silver ring caught the harsh sunlight. My breath stopped. Ethan looked up and saw me standing by the counter. Shock flashed across his face, followed by a frown. “Lily? What are you doing here?” Vivian saw me too. She shrank back behind Ethan, looking nervous. “Hi, Lily,” she said timidly. I ignored her, staring straight at the ring. “That’s my ring.” I looked at Ethan. Ethan glanced at the ring on Vivian’s hand, his frown deepening. “Lily, stop making a scene.” “I just bought this from this shop. How is it yours?” The pawn shop owner coughed behind the counter but said nothing. I looked at Ethan’s self-righteous face and found it absurd. “I pawned it two days ago,” I said, word by word. Ethan froze. He seemed to remember something. His expression changed. Vivian’s eyes immediately reddened. She hurried to take off the ring. “I’m sorry, Lily. I didn’t know it was yours.” “Ethan saw I was feeling down lately and said he’d buy me a little gift to cheer me up.” “I’ll give it back. Please don’t be mad at Ethan.” The more anxious she got, the harder it was to remove the ring stuck at her knuckle. A red mark formed on her pale finger. Ethan grabbed her hand. “Stop. You’re hurting yourself.” He turned to me, his voice filled with impatience and accusation. “Lily, if you needed money, why didn’t you tell me? Why come here and pawn things?” “I already bought the ring and gave it to Vivian. She really likes it.” “It’s just an old ring. I’ll take you to buy a new diamond ring later.” He spoke in the most rational tone while making the cruelest decision. In his world, my keepsake wasn’t worth Vivian’s momentary happiness. I watched him shield Vivian behind him. “No need,” I said quietly. Ethan thought I’d given in. He relaxed. He pulled a card from his wallet and held it out to me. “There’s a thousand dollars on this. Pay your rent and buy yourself something nice with what’s left.” “Stop acting like I’ve mistreated you.” I didn’t take the card. I turned and walked toward the glass door of the pawn shop. As I pushed it open, I heard Vivian whisper, “Ethan, is Lily really mad?” Ethan’s voice was flat.

“That’s just how she is. She’ll get over it in a couple days.” Ethan’s words blew into my ears on the wind. I didn’t look back. I kept walking along the cobblestone street. When I got back to the apartment, a WhatsApp voice message from the landlord was waiting. “Lily, when are you paying rent? You’re three days late.” “If you don’t pay today, you’ll have to move out tomorrow. I won’t have any trouble renting this place out.” I listened to the message and replied: “Mrs. Green, I won’t be renewing. I’ll move out tomorrow.” After sending that message, I pulled out the dust-covered suitcase from under the bed. After five years, I didn’t actually have much. A few seasonal clothes, some old books, and various odds and ends. I folded them one by one and packed them into the suitcase. At seven that evening, Ethan came home. He was carrying two large pink storage bins. When he saw the suitcase in the living room, he paused. “What are you doing?” He set the bins on the floor and frowned. I was putting my last few books into a cardboard box. “Packing,” I said without looking up. Ethan walked over and kicked my suitcase. “Lily, are you seriously throwing a tantrum? Running away from home over a broken ring?” “I already said I’d buy you a new one. What more do you want?” I straightened up and looked at him. “The landlord’s demanding rent. I can’t afford it.” Ethan relaxed, his tone softening. “That’s all?” He walked over to the sofa and lit a cigarette. “Actually, I’ve been meaning to talk to you about something.” “Vivian’s roommate plays video games until the middle of the night. It’s seriously affecting her rest.” “The doctor said with her heart condition, she can’t handle late nights and noise.” He exhaled a puff of smoke, looking at me through the blue-white haze. “I’m planning to have her move in here for a while.” I looked at him quietly, saying nothing. Ethan thought I was hesitating and continued: “You can move into the small room and give her the master bedroom.” “Vivian’s health is fragile. The master gets better light.” This apartment only had one bedroom and a living room. The so-called “small room” was actually a storage closet less than fifty square feet. It could barely fit a single bed and didn’t even have a window. “Don’t worry, I’ll cover the rent from now on.” “Once Vivian’s feeling better, I’ll have her move out.” He spoke in a consultative tone while issuing a non-negotiable order. In his view, since I couldn’t pay rent, I had to accept his charity and arrangements. I looked at his self-assured face. “Okay.” I nodded. Ethan clearly hadn’t expected me to agree so readily. The hand holding his cigarette paused. Surprise flickered in his eyes. “You’re okay with it?” “Yeah.” I sealed the cardboard box with tape. Ethan smiled. He walked over and reached out to hug me. “I knew you were the most understanding.” “I know this is hard on you for a while. Next month when I get my bonus, I’ll take you to the Maldives.” I stepped back, avoiding his embrace. “I’m a little tired. Going to sleep.” I turned and walked into the master bedroom, closing the door. Through the door, I heard Ethan on the phone with Vivian. “Vivian, it’s all arranged. You can move in tomorrow.” “Yeah, the master bedroom’s yours.” His voice was tender enough to drip honey. I sat on the edge of the bed, took out my phone, and bought a ticket home for tomorrow afternoon.

Tomorrow was our fifth anniversary. I woke up at six a.m. sharp. Ethan was still asleep on the sofa. He’d stayed up late last night helping Vivian pack. I didn’t wake him. I wheeled my suitcase to the entrance. At ten a.m., Ethan woke up. He saw me sitting in the living room and walked over, running his hand through his hair. “You didn’t go to work today?” “Took the day off,” I said. He seemed to remember something and slapped his forehead. “Right, it’s our fifth anniversary.” He walked to the fridge and grabbed a bottle of water, twisting it open and taking a sip. “Where do you want to eat tonight? I’ll book a steakhouse.” I looked at his perfunctory expression. Over five years, our anniversary had been canceled four times. The first time, he had to accompany Vivian to see a doctor in another city. The second time, Vivian was feeling down, so he took her to see the ocean. The third time, it conflicted with Vivian’s birthday. The fourth time—last year—he was at the hospital with Vivian while she got an IV. “No need,” I said. Ethan frowned. “What now? I’m the one who brought it up, and you still want to ruin it?” Just then, his phone rang. The name “Vivian” flashed on the screen. Ethan immediately answered, his tone instantly anxious. “What’s wrong, Vivian?” “What? You twisted your ankle? How could you be so careless!” “Where are you? I’ll be right there!” He hung up and grabbed his car keys from the coffee table. “Lily, Vivian missed a step going down the stairs. Her ankle’s really bad. I need to take her to the hospital.” “Go to the restaurant tonight without me. I’ll meet you there when I’m done.” He didn’t even wait for my answer before rushing out the door. The door slammed shut with a loud echo. I sat on the sofa, watching the clock on the wall tick away. At noon, I stood up. I put everything Ethan had bought me over the past five years into a black trash bag. There wasn’t much—a few clearance clothes, a lipstick that smudged, and some cheap earrings. I placed the trash bag by the door, then took out my keys and set them in the center of the coffee table. I pulled my suitcase out of the apartment I’d lived in for five years. At three p.m., I was sitting on a train heading home. The scenery outside the window flew past in reverse. My phone vibrated. A message from the landlord: “Lily, I’m going to collect the keys. The door’s unlocked, so I’ll just take them, okay?” I replied with “Okay.” Then Ethan’s message popped up. “Vivian broke a bone in her foot. She needs a cast. I can’t make it tonight.” “Get yourself something good to eat. I owe you one.” “Oh, and did you clear out the storage room? Vivian’s stuff is being delivered tonight.” I looked at the words on the screen and typed out a response. “All cleared out.” “Keys are on the coffee table.” After sending those two sentences, I clicked on his profile picture. Delete. Block. Done. The train entered a tunnel. The cabin went dark. I leaned back in my seat and closed my eyes.

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When I got out of juvie, I saw Wendy’s mutilated body. The word “whore” was carved all over her. By the time she was sent to the funeral home, neither Mark nor Jacob had shown up. Only Lily stayed with me, gently patting my shoulder: “Zoe, your mom’s death is actually a good thing. Logan Hayes has not only dropped the charges against you, but he’s also agreed to give you a million dollars in compensation.” “Just sign the settlement agreement and start a new life in another city.” That’s when I learned the truth. Logan Hayes had found out I pushed his daughter down the stairs and threatened to break both my legs. Wendy sent me to juvie, then took it upon herself to apologize to Logan Hayes on my behalf. She ended up being brutally tortured to death. Actually, Wendy and I didn’t have a good relationship. During those three days locked up in juvie, I thought of a hundred ways to fight her when I got out. So facing her memorial photo, I could actually smile: “Did Wendy deserve to die?” Lily touched her nose: “The Hayes family has wealth that rivals nations and power that reaches the heavens. A single human life means nothing to them. There’s no ‘should’ or ‘shouldn’t.’” My smile didn’t change: “Then she didn’t deserve to die. If Wendy didn’t deserve to die, then the Hayes family needs to pay for her life.” Lily’s expression turned stern: “Zoe Mitchell, you want to go after Serena Hayes again? Don’t forget, your mom died trying to atone for your sins. What right do you have to fight against Serena?” I lowered my lashes, hiding the coldness in my eyes: “Not just Serena. I want every single member of the Hayes family’s life.”

I took the settlement agreement, glanced at it, then tore it into shreds. Then I went to the closet in Wendy’s bedroom and dug out an inconspicuous little box. I tucked it into my jacket and headed for the door. Lily blocked my path: “Zoe Mitchell, I don’t know what you’re trying to pull.” “Wendy was heartless enough to send you to juvie, yet you want to risk your life fighting the Hayes family for her? With this toy-like little box? How stupid.” “You’d be better off doing what Mark and Jacob did—sign the settlement and take the million. Using Wendy’s life to get a fresh start, isn’t that worth it?” I asked myself the same question. Was it worth it? Mark and Jacob definitely thought it was very worth it. Since I got home, I haven’t seen them once. They didn’t ask which funeral home Wendy was sent to or when the cremation would be. The two pinned profile pictures in our family chat sat there like they were dead. If Wendy knew that her death only benefited these two cold-blooded animals, would she ever be able to rest in peace? Faced with my undisguised mockery, Lily uncomfortably avoided my gaze. “But you’re still here, aren’t you? Being able to help you settle things with the Hayes family makes it worth it.” She’d probably come on the Hayes family’s orders, doing everything possible to get me to sign the settlement. She pushed her phone in front of me: “Zoe, you need to be more reasonable. Actually, Wendy’s death has no direct connection to the Hayes family. It was just an accident. You’re just an ordinary student—don’t go up against the Hayes family.” “If you don’t believe me, watch the surveillance footage Serena sent. When Serena left, Wendy was still alive.” I tapped the video open. In the footage, the woman knelt before a girl twenty years younger than herself. Begging her not to hold it against me. Then after Serena left laughing, she slowly pressed her head to the ground and never lifted it again. I dragged the progress bar back and forth several times: “Serena cut Wendy one hundred and eighty-seven times?” Lily’s hand trembled, goosebumps breaking out on her arm. “What are you talking about?” “I counted. Serena cut her at least one hundred and eighty-seven times.” I lowered my lashes. Hiding the darkness in my eyes. The injuries on her body were definitely more than what showed on the surface. They said Wendy died of a heart attack, but she actually died from the pain. She was so stupid. Usually she’d hit me or scold me. If I ate one more piece of Jacob’s fried chicken, she’d twist my ear. But when it came to something life-threatening, she’d rather send me to juvie than let me go herself. And she let Serena abuse her without running away. All just to hear those words: “Fine, then I’ll let your daughter go.” Even when she was covered in wounds from the torture, she was smiling. I had just dragged the progress bar back several times. I saw her collapse on the ground, struggling several times but unable to get up. Before she died, there was no light left in her eyes, her lips constantly moving. Even though there was no sound, I recognized what she was saying. Zoe, I’m sorry. Zoe, don’t avenge me. Zoe, run away. She really was a complete and utter fool. I traced my fingers across her pale face on the screen: “Wendy, when have I ever listened to you?” “Don’t worry. I won’t run. There’s no reason in this world for a murderer to live peacefully.” “I’ll make the Hayes family pay with their blood.” Lily’s whole body trembled. She quickly snatched her phone back. Even her voice was shaking: “Are you crazy? Going after the Hayes family is suicide!” “You’re going to throw away the rest of your life for a dead person?” I gripped the little wooden box in my hand. If this was three days ago, I really wouldn’t have had any way to deal with the Hayes family. But now it’s different. I pushed past her hand and hailed a cab to the Hayes estate, not letting Lily see the cold gleam in my eyes. She’d witnessed Serena’s bullying of me at school for three years without stopping it once. Now she wanted to smooth things over and force me to give up investigating Wendy’s death. Once I dealt with the Hayes family. I wouldn’t let her off either. The car slowly stopped. The Hayes family villa loomed before me. Someone in a security uniform came over and knocked on the window. “What do you want?” “Got an appointment? You think you can just barge in? If you don’t have an appointment, fuck off.”

It was actually Mark. He’d taken the million dollars but instead of going off to enjoy himself somewhere else, he became a security guard at the Hayes estate. Well, I suppose the Hayes family wouldn’t let these people who knew the truth run around loose. Keeping them under their noses was safer. I got out of the car. Mark’s expression froze on his face, then twisted into surprise: “How is it you? Oh, I get it, you’re here for that million, right?” “Let me set up an appointment with the butler for you.” I held the wooden box in my hand: “I’m looking for Logan Hayes.” Mark’s face instantly changed. He reached out to cover my mouth: “Are you crazy? You think you can just say Mr. Hayes’s name like that? Be careful or you won’t get a single penny.” “You really think you’re somebody important?” I sneered: “Logan Hayes and his daughter killed your wife, yet you don’t even dare say his name.” “If you want to be a dog, be one yourself. Don’t drag me into it.” Mark’s face instantly turned red. The veins on his temples stood out clearly. If we were at home, his palm would have already slapped my face. At the Hayes estate, he still maintained basic decorum. The other security guard in the gatehouse couldn’t sit still anymore. He grabbed a baton and ran in front of me: “Zoe Mitchell, calling our dad a dog—where are your manners?” “Mom died because you offended Serena. I haven’t settled accounts with you yet, and now you’re questioning us?” Jacob straightened his security uniform. Looking all righteous and proper. Seeing once again what cold-blooded scum this father and son were, I couldn’t help cursing Wendy in my heart again for being a fool. This father and son clearly knew Serena was bullying me at school, yet they never stood up for me. That would have been one thing. We never had any real family affection anyway. But they enjoyed Wendy’s care every single day. Mark’s shop lost nearly ten thousand a month, and Wendy filled the gap by working as a housekeeper and doing odd jobs. Jacob stayed home playing games every day, and Wendy had to bring meals to his room. Yet knowing Wendy was tortured to death by Serena. They still chose to come to the Hayes estate and be their guard dogs, bowing and scraping and wagging their tails at them. I wonder if Wendy saw this scene. Would she regret it? I tested them one last time: “Mark, Jacob, I haven’t signed the settlement agreement yet.” “Come with me to the police station now and tell them everything.” “Mark, I can let go of the wrong things you did before.” Mark froze. His eyes darted around, a flash of guilt quickly passing through his pupils. But before he could say anything. Jacob rushed over and kicked me in the stomach: “Zoe Mitchell, I’m warning you, Dad and I are doing great now. Even working as security at the Hayes estate, we’re living the high society life.” “You want to ruin our good days? Don’t even think about it.” “And you want to see Mr. Hayes? Believe it or not, I could kill you right now and no one would dare say anything.” Mark calmed down too, crossing his arms and raising his eyebrows at me: “Zoe Mitchell, be smart. Take the money and work as a maid at the Hayes estate.” “Think about it—when Wendy was alive, could you eat lobster and premium steak for every meal? The moment Wendy died, our good days arrived.” “What does that tell you? It tells you Wendy was a curse on our family of three.” He crouched down and grabbed my arm: “Zoe, if you don’t want to be a maid, that’s fine too. As long as you let the Hayes family put a tracker on you and promise never to go to the police…” His face was still full of longing for the good life. Then his expression suddenly froze. Followed by an inhuman wail. That piercing sound almost made Jacob wet his pants. He mustered his courage and pinned Mark’s body down. Only then did he discover both eyes were streaming blood. I’d blinded him. Jacob’s face turned ashen: “Are you insane? You believe I won’t call the police?” I pulled my lips into a smile: “Go ahead and call them. Doesn’t the Hayes family say they can smooth over anything for their daughter?” “What do you mean?” Mark’s pig-like screaming brought everyone out of the villa. A servant suddenly pointed at my face and shouted: “Look, doesn’t she look familiar?”

Her shout drew everyone’s eyes to my face. Soon someone recognized me: “Isn’t this the person Miss had conflict with? I remember her last name is Mitchell. She’s not here to extort money because of her mom, is she?” The first maid kept shaking her head: “No, I mean, her appearance looks very familiar.” “She looks like… Mr. Hayes.” The entire atmosphere froze for a moment. The butler standing at the front frowned deeply: “Don’t talk nonsense.” But his hand quickly grabbed the intercom: “Sir, please come to the entrance. This matter may require your personal attention.” My heart lifted uncontrollably. Even though I’d long stopped expecting any family affection from the Hayes family. This was the first time I would meet my biological parents. Who would have thought—I was the real daughter of the Hayes family! I was the biological daughter of this couple who didn’t consider human lives as lives! I only found out about this the night before Wendy sent me to juvie. I heard Wendy arguing with Mark through suppressed sobs: “No, we can’t let Zoe go to the Hayes estate!” “Aren’t you afraid your dirty deeds will be discovered by the Hayes family?!” “If Logan Hayes discovers you switched his daughter with yours, and that his biological daughter has been bullied by your daughter all along, what do you think he’ll do?” “Let me tell you—you and Jacob will both die!” My brain went blank. I heard every word clearly. I recognized every word. But strung together in sentences, I couldn’t understand. Mark paced in place like a caged animal: “Then what do we do? Serena specifically demanded Zoe come apologize. She’s angry and wants to vent. If Zoe doesn’t go, we’ll die anyway!” “Besides, it’s been so long now. How could Mr. Hayes possibly recognize that’s his daughter?” “Don’t be so paranoid…” After saying this, he viciously shoved Wendy. “Look at what you gave birth to. Now she’s playing the young lady with such a temper. I wanted to claim kinship with her, but now there’s no chance of that.” It wasn’t until I heard this. That I finally understood completely. I really was Logan Hayes’s daughter. Years ago, Mark had switched us. Letting her assume my identity as the Hayes family’s young lady. Leaving me at the Mitchell house to be a blood bank for his son. Those moments I’d missed, those confusing scenes, came flooding back from the depths of my memory one by one. Mark probably never thought. That I actually looked a lot like Logan Hayes. That’s why when Serena first saw me, she showed uncontrollable panic. Then, using the excuse that I’d dirtied her shoes, she slapped me over a dozen times. She didn’t want to see my face. She found trouble with me at school day and night. Sometimes it was because I scored a few more points than her, sometimes because I said one sentence to her deskmate. Only when my face was black and blue, almost unrecognizable, would she be satisfied. Everyone knew. Logan Hayes doted on his only daughter. Everyone knew. Logan Hayes always sought revenge. Actually, I’d thought about it—as long as I solved the problem with Serena, I wouldn’t need to acknowledge the Hayes family. The harm the Hayes family had done to me couldn’t be erased by blood relations. And I remembered how guilty Wendy’s eyes looked every time she saw me. Since childhood, she was the only person who was good to me. I didn’t notice then how Wendy’s expression gradually became determined. Before I could react, she sent me to juvie. Three days passed. Wendy died. Died at Serena’s hands. I looked at Logan Hayes walking out the door: “I have something to say to you.”

Logan Hayes’s eyebrows didn’t move at all. His face showed no expression, but his presence commanded respect. I didn’t miss the flash of astonishment in his eyes. Serena held his arm, her face almost bloodless. I directed my gaze at her: “After killing Wendy, can you really sleep at night?” I didn’t believe she hadn’t guessed my identity. Didn’t believe she hadn’t guessed the relationship between her and Wendy. Logan Hayes’s eyes filled with disgust: “You’re the one who pushed Shannon and made her fall down the stairs. What, you came to my house to cause more trouble for my daughter?” “Your mother’s death was an accident. One million dollars is the highest sincerity I can offer. If you want more money, forget it.” After speaking, he glared at the butler with displeasure. He put his arm around Serena to return to the house. I stepped forward, blocking Serena’s path: ” A debt must be repaid, and a murder must be paid for with a life..” “I don’t want your money. I want Wendy’s life.” Both Logan Hayes and Serena froze, as if they’d heard the biggest joke. Jacob rushed forward to grab my shoulder: “Are you sick? You just blinded my dad and I haven’t settled that with you yet. I’m your elder brother, and I can send you back to juvie.” I spat at him viciously: “Pfft! Am I even Mitchell blood? Where does ‘eldest brother like a father’ come from? My dad is standing right here.” Serena’s face completely changed. She looked at me with something like panic, pulling on Logan Hayes’s hand: “Dad, throw her out quickly.” “I think she’s gone crazy!” “I never want to see her again!” Logan Hayes was heartbroken. He pulled her into his embrace: “Okay, if you don’t want to see her, you won’t.” “Trust me. If I want, I can make sure she never appears within ten kilometers of us again.” The Hayes family’s bodyguards understood his implication. They exchanged glances and surrounded me. I knew this was my last chance. If I was expelled by the Hayes family, I would never be able to see Logan Hayes again. Jacob glared at me with resentment. Clearly already thinking of a hundred ways to teach me a lesson. The moment the Hayes family bodyguards grabbed my wrists. I smashed the little wooden box I’d been holding all along. With a crisp “crack.” The wooden box shattered into pieces. The contents rolled out and stopped at Logan Hayes’s feet. The man merely glanced at it. Then his face changed drastically.

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To take over the family aviation company. Grandpa made me rotate into the flight attendant position for a week. On my first day of work, I encountered a man waving a super VIP card and throwing his weight around with the flight attendants. “Do you know what a super VIP card means? It could buy all your lives!” “Such a shallow bow—do you have a lumbar strain or are you looking down on me? Ninety degrees! Hold it for 100 minutes!” “What kind of pig slop is this economy class food? Let me treat you all to some premium additions!” I was about to intervene when a flight attendant beside me stopped me. “He’s the older brother of our general manager’s little assistant. In our airline…” The flight attendant mysteriously pointed upward. “Offending General Manager Carter still leaves you a way out, but offending his little assistant… you’ll die a miserable death.” I was dumbfounded, almost wanting to laugh. I picked up the satellite phone and called Grandpa. “Grandpa, notify the captain to land at the nearest airport. When we land, I want to see my divorce papers from Carter.”

Today was the first day of my secret rotation. I stood at the aircraft door, maintaining a standard smile to welcome passengers boarding. Most passengers nodded at us kindly. Until a man wearing a pink tweed Chanel suit appeared at the jetway entrance. He was holding a shiny VIP card, his critical gaze sweeping me from head to toe. “New here? No wonder you have no manners!” “Do you know what a super VIP card means? It could buy all your lives!” “Such a shallow bow—do you have a lumbar strain or are you looking down on me? Ninety degrees! Hold it for 100 minutes!” Following standard procedure, I bowed slightly and showed a professional smile: “Sir, good morning, welcome aboard.” Just that one word “sir” stirred up a hornet’s nest. He stopped abruptly, his voice affected and theatrical: “How should I put this? In this flight attendant business, just selling smiles won’t cut it—you need more discernment!” He pointed at his entire outfit, “Look at me from head to toe, which part looks like a ‘sir’? Call me Miss Jason!!” Rachel, a senior flight attendant welcoming passengers beside me, turned pale and quickly tugged at me, stepping forward with a ninety-degree bow: “I’m so sorry! Hello, Miss Jason! She’s new and doesn’t know the rules. Please don’t take offense!” The man snorted coldly through his nose, rolled his eyes at us, and walked into the cabin. Rachel quickly whispered in my ear: “This person is Jason Brown, a super VIP member of our airline. We must serve him well, otherwise if he complains, our entire crew will be in big trouble.” I was stunned. Our airline had only issued 3 super VIP cards total. Two went to Grandpa’s old friends, and the other one… I had clearly given it to my husband—the airline’s current general manager Carter, for him to use for the most important business receptions. But why would Carter give the super VIP card representing the airline’s highest courtesy and absolute trust to this flamboyant Jason? I suppressed the shock and churning emotions in my heart. Right now, ensuring the flight operated smoothly and taking care of all passengers was my primary duty. This was also a good opportunity to see how, under Carter’s brilliant leadership, this VIP with his platinum card threw his weight around. And what exactly the frontline staff were enduring. Right after takeoff, Jason immediately pressed the call button. I walked over. He crossed his legs, not even lifting his eyelids: “Get me a glass of warm water, 45 degrees, not one degree more or less. I need to take my medicine now.” I immediately went to prepare it, but because I needed to mix cold water to adjust the temperature, it took an extra minute. Just that one minute made him explode. When I hurried over with the water, he slammed the table: “What kind of service attitude does your airline have? Look at the time! It’s been a full minute past when I should take my medicine! I’m taking birth control pills. Do you know what happens if I miss the time?” “If I get pregnant, can you take responsibility?” All eyes in first class instantly focused on him. Although Jason wore heavy makeup and a dress, his prominent Adam’s apple and angular facial features made it obvious to everyone that he was a man. I struggled to maintain my expression: “Miss Jason, I’m very sorry, but adjusting the water temperature does take time.” He snatched the cup from my hand and ruthlessly splashed the water directly on my chest. “With your stupid pig brain, I really don’t know how you serviced your way into this position? I bet you’ve provided plenty of special services to the captain, haven’t you?” “Disgusting creature! Just wait for my complaint!”

My clenched fist dug nails almost into my palm, rage surging to the top of my head. Just as I was about to lose control, Rachel rushed forward and blocked me. “I’m sorry! Miss Jason! She really is new. I apologize on her behalf! Please don’t get angry—it’s not worth damaging your precious health!” While speaking, she secretly gripped my wrist, pleading in a voice only we could hear: “Hold it in! Don’t be impulsive! Think about his complaint—our entire crew will have bonuses deducted or even be grounded! It’s not worth it for this scum! Leave it to me!” Seeing Rachel’s submissive manner, Jason finally seemed to enjoy the pleasure of being above others, leisurely pulling out a tissue to wipe his hands. “Hmph, at least you veteran employees know some manners.” He said in a condescending tone, “Fine, I’ll accompany you to the galley!” The galley? Aircraft catering had strict safety and hygiene regulations. How could we let him enter casually? “Miss Jason, passengers cannot enter the catering area at will. That’s the regulation…” I tried to dissuade him. Before I finished speaking, Rachel tugged at me again. “Don’t you understand yet? His sister is Eve, our general manager’s favorite little assistant.” “In our airline, offending General Manager Carter still leaves you a way out, but offending his little assistant Eve, you’ll die a miserable death.” “Carter listens to her every word! Everyone in the company is saying… saying she’ll be the new Mrs. General Manager sooner or later! Whether we stay or go is just a matter of one word from her! You’re still in your probation period—don’t be stubborn!” The new Mrs. General Manager? My husband Carter’s… new wife? Seeing me pause, Jason thought I was scared and immediately sneered sarcastically: “Oh~ scared as soon as you hear Carter’s name?” “Let me tell you, someone like Carter isn’t someone bottom-feeders like you can provoke! One word from him decides your life or death, understand?” In the few seconds I was stunned, Jason had already barged into the galley. “Tsk tsk, what kind of pig slop is this economy class food?” He disdainfully picked up a piece of vegetable with his fingertips, looked at it, then flung it away. Then he pulled out an exquisite metal canister from his bag, tapping the canister with his nails: “Looking at how poor they are, they’ve probably never seen anything good—forget it, I’m in a good mood today. I’ll treat them to some premium black truffle powder, let them broaden their horizons!” Saying this, he unscrewed the canister and was about to sprinkle it on the meals. “Miss Jason! Absolutely not!” The purser finally couldn’t hold back. She stepped forward, her tone anxious but extremely firm as she blocked the meal cart, “Aviation food safety regulations strictly prohibit adding any outside food or seasonings to crew meals. This is for the safety of all passengers! Please understand!” “Regulations? Safety?” Jason acted as if he’d heard the biggest joke. “My stuff would be less safe than your garbage food? Do you know this canister costs more than your annual salary?” “Get out of my way!” The purser held her ground. “Miss Jason, this is a matter of principle! If anything goes wrong, we can’t bear the responsibility! Please don’t put us in a difficult position!” Seeing the purser dare to obstruct him repeatedly, Jason’s face instantly darkened. He pulled out his phone and directly made a video call. “Eve, look! These flight attendants have rebelled. I just want to add some seasoning to the food and they won’t let me! They even dare to talk back to me!” Through the speaker, a sweet voice came through, “Jason, don’t get so upset. Give the phone to the purser.” Jason smugly shoved the phone in front of the purser. Eve’s voice instantly turned ice cold: “All flight attendants kneel down and apologize to my brother immediately! Otherwise, every single one of you today will be fired for serious misconduct and permanently blacklisted from the aviation industry! I mean what I say!”

The air in the galley seemed to freeze. The purser’s lips trembled, tears of humiliation welling in her eyes. Rachel and several other flight attendants turned pale, exchanging glances, their eyes full of struggle. Seeing their hesitation, Eve laughed coldly: “Fine, you won’t kneel? You’re that stubborn? Just wait!” Immediately after, the video screen began shaking violently. Eve actually picked up her phone and directly barged into the airline general manager’s exclusive conference room! When the video stabilized, the conference room came into full view— Around the long conference table sat company executives with serious expressions, with the second half of the year’s strategic planning PPT displayed on the projection screen. Carter was sitting at the head position listening to reports. Seeing Eve suddenly burst in, he first showed slight surprise, but his eyes held no displeasure at being interrupted. Instead, they instantly filled with deep concern. “Carter~” Eve ignored the shocked gazes of all the executives in the room and walked straight to Carter’s side, practically collapsing against his chair’s armrest. “Look at these flight attendants on the plane. They’re ganging up to bully my brother. My brother just made a small request, and they were mean to him and even scolded him. My brother has a bad heart—they’ve made him cry! Carter, you must stand up for us!” As she spoke, she leaned into Carter like a boneless creature. Tears fell like broken pearls, as if she’d suffered the greatest injustice. She was completely different from the sharp-tongued person she’d been moments ago. Carter’s face immediately darkened. He didn’t even ask about right or wrong—all his attention was on Eve trembling and crying in his arms. “There, there, don’t cry. Your eyes will swell up and won’t look pretty. Such a small matter—is it worth crying over? Hmm? With me here, no one can bully you or your family.” He gently wiped away her tears, then raised his head to look at the phone screen, his tone dropping to freezing: “Are you all deaf? Didn’t you hear what Eve said?” “I’m ordering you now—immediately do as Mr. Jason requests! Kneel and apologize!” “If within three seconds I don’t see your attitude…” Before he could finish, I walked directly into the center of the phone camera. My figure, along with my calm expression, appeared clearly in the video. “Carter, are you sure you want me to kneel?” “Helen Jones?” Carter almost blurted it out. Like a thunderclap, it seemed to give the desperate flight attendants a glimmer of hope. But it was fleeting. The surprise on Carter’s face was quickly replaced by deeper displeasure and irritation. He didn’t even let go of his arm around Eve, just impatiently rubbed his brow with his other hand: “Helen, what are you doing here?” “The new job you told me about last night—was it to be a probationary flight attendant at my airline?” I nodded calmly. Carter’s gaze swept over my wet uniform, his voice dropping: “Stop fooling around. Just do what Mr. Jason says and apologize. We’ll talk about whatever it is after the plane lands.” As soon as he said this. Not just me—even the flight attendants in the galley were stunned. Their eyes went from shock back to despair, finally left with only numbness. Seeing this, Eve immediately shrank further into Carter’s arms, adding fuel to the fire: “Carter, so this is Helen~ She was so fierce just now. Jason must have been scared by her!” Carter immediately patted her back comfortingly. “Eve and Jason are both very innocent and simple-minded. They just want an apology.” “Be good. Kneel down and apologize to Mr. Jason first. Don’t make this difficult for me.”

I looked at him and suddenly laughed, though the smile never reached my eyes—ice cold and piercing. “Carter, do you remember what you promised me on your knees before we got married?” “Now! It’s time for you to fulfill your promise!” Without waiting for his response, I hung up the phone. I didn’t linger for a second, turned decisively and walked to the crew storage locker. I took out a heavier satellite phone from the locker. “Grandpa.” “Someone is interfering with normal cabin service procedures and disrupting aircraft order.” “Notify the captain to make an emergency landing at the nearest airport immediately.” “Also, when we land, I want to see my divorce papers from Carter.” Jason stared at my hand holding the satellite phone, stunned for two seconds, then covered his mouth and laughed mockingly. “Oh my, newbie, what are you pretending to be? Holding a broken satellite phone and playing rich? Calling Grandpa?” His eyes were full of contempt: “Do you know who Carter is? In this aviation circle, when he stomps his foot, the ground shakes!” I sneered coldly, not even glancing at him: “Carter? He’s something?” Years ago, Carter’s grandfather had once helped my grandfather. The Jones family valued old friendships and remembered this favor for a lifetime. So when Carter’s family fell on hard times and Grandpa came to me, hoping I would fulfill this arranged childhood engagement. Seeing that his abilities were passable and he seemed honest enough, I nodded in agreement. Before the wedding, I called him to the study and made things crystal clear: “Carter, loyalty is my bottom line. If you ever have second thoughts or do anything to betray me, I will divorce you immediately.” How did he respond then? He knelt before my grandfather, swearing to heaven that he would never fail me. If he violated this oath, may heaven strike him down—he would leave with nothing and never rise again. My grandfather and I also kept one card up our sleeves. We didn’t tell him about the Jones family’s true wealth. So Carter always thought I was just an “ordinary rich girl.” He believed even more that his position as airline general manager after marriage was entirely due to his exceptional ability and hard work. Stupid as a pig. Today I would let him see clearly—without me, what exactly was Carter! Grandpa’s voice came through the receiver, steady but with a trace of barely perceptible gravity: “Have you thought this through?” “Yes.” I didn’t hesitate for a moment. Grandpa was silent for three seconds, then instructed someone beside him: “Do as Miss Helen says. Execute immediately.” Almost the instant the words fell, another calm and efficient male voice cut in— It was Simon, Grandpa’s most capable assistant. “Understood, Mr. Jones.” In the background, keyboard typing and clear commands immediately followed: “Tower, flight G-1024 initiating highest priority emergency landing. Clear the airspace, priority routing.” “Legal department, Carter leaves with nothing. Divorce papers to be delivered to the landing airport VIP passage within half an hour.” “The security department and I will immediately proceed to Elvis Airport to await Miss Helen’s landing.” The orders were clean and efficient, without a trace of hesitation. Simon’s voice came through last: “Miss Helen, everything is ready. Landing at Elvis Airport in thirty minutes.” “Information on the platinum card troublemaker and the associated person Eve will be synchronized to you within ten minutes.” Hearing the clear instructions from the phone, Jason laughed mockingly again: “Hahaha! Clearing airspace? Keep acting! Keep it up!” “Let me tell you, when we get off this plane, my sister will say one word to Carter and you won’t even know how you died!” However, before his laughter died down— The aircraft announcement sounded again. This time, the captain’s voice carried unprecedented seriousness. “Attention all passengers, attention all passengers. Due to force majeure factors, this flight will make an emergency landing at Elvis Airport. Please return to your seats immediately and fasten your seatbelts…” The mocking smile on Jason’s face instantly froze! He frantically pulled out his phone to call Eve. Before the call connected, two security officers quickly walked in and directly confiscated his phone. “Mr. Jason, you are suspected of endangering flight safety. Please cooperate with the investigation.” Just as Jason was being escorted out, I received a message from Carter. [Helen, enough is enough. Eve is very innocent. She would never make unreasonable demands like you! I’m telling you clearly—I love you! But I need to be with her for at least three years. During this time, you’d better behave yourself, do your duty, and don’t cause me trouble. After three years, if I’m tired of her, I might consider returning to the family.] [Don’t forget—without me, Carter, you Helen are nothing now.] I picked up my phone and replied calmly: [Carter, get to Elvis Airport within thirty minutes.] [I have a big gift to give you.] [Of course, you can choose not to come. Then I’ll hand Jason over to the police.] After sending it, I blocked Carter.

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My son George practiced magic for two months just to perform on stage with his dad for Children’s Day. I stayed up three nights sewing matching capes for the father-son duo. In the pocket of the larger cape, my son secretly tucked a lollipop, saying it was a reward for Dad. Two hours before the performance, Mason said his first love’s daughter also had a show at her kindergarten, and no one was going. I told him his son had been waiting for two months. He was already grabbing his car keys. “I’ll just take a quick look and come right back. Tell him I went to the bathroom.” I asked what if he didn’t come back. He paused for a moment. “You’ll be there, won’t you?” When the curtain rose, the large cape was neatly draped over an empty chair, the lollipop still in the pocket. My son stood alone under the spotlight and said, “My magic trick is called—The Disappearing Dad.” Not a single person in the audience could laugh. On the way home, my son finished that lollipop himself and asked me, “Mom, if I disappear too, then Dad won’t have to choose anymore, right?” I held his hand and said with a smile, “Mom will perform a big magic trick with you.”

On the way home from kindergarten, George was very quiet. He didn’t shed a single tear the entire time, didn’t even complain once. He just clutched the plastic stick from the half-eaten lollipop. As soon as we got through the door, the doorbell rang urgently. Mason’s driver, Alan, stood outside panting, holding a huge cardboard box. “Miss Annie, Mr. Mason asked me to deliver this.” Alan wiped the sweat from his forehead and carefully set the box down. “Mr. Mason called me several times on the road urging me to buy this Ultraman Lego set. He said he left in a hurry and was afraid George would be upset, so he wanted me to hand it to George personally.” “Mr. Mason also said on the phone to stop by that dessert shop you always go to, Miss Annie, and buy a taro roll, but the shop was closed today.” I looked down at George. George didn’t even lift his eyelids. He simply walked around the box blocking his way, carrying his little backpack, and went straight to his room. Click—the door closed. Alan awkwardly rubbed his hands. “Miss Annie, this…” “Just leave it. Thanks for your trouble.” I calmly closed the door. My phone buzzed. It was a message from Mason on SnapChat. “Daisy was crying so hard backstage she could barely breathe. The situation isn’t good. I need to stay and comfort her. Explain to George for me. Did he get the Lego?” I didn’t reply. Right then, a new notification popped up—a post from Mia. The photo showed a man’s upright figure from behind, bending down to hold a little girl in a princess dress. The caption read: Thank you for saving a lonely little girl’s Children’s Day. That silhouette—I’d been looking at it for ten years. Staring at the glaring image and text on my phone screen, all I felt was deep exhaustion. I calmly walked to my desk, pulled open the bottom drawer, and took out a divorce agreement I’d drafted long ago. Turning to the last page, I picked up a pen and steadily signed my name in the wife’s section—Annie Brown. Then I walked to the calendar on the wall. In the box two days away, marked with a smiley face and the words “Family Photo,” I picked up a black marker and drew a pitch-black circle over it. Late at night, the living room lights were off. I sat on the sofa with scissors, the red cape I’d spent countless sleepless nights sewing draped across my lap. Blood from needle pricks had stained the lining—all to create the perfect father-son performance. The scissors mercilessly tore through the fabric. Golden tassels fell in two pieces onto the carpet. I cut and cut, mechanically, until the cape that held months of my son’s anticipation became a pile of scraps. I swept them all into the trash. At two in the morning, the sound of the password lock came from the door. Mason pushed open the door, smelling faintly of alcohol, exhaustion written all over his face. He casually loosened his tie and was about to change shoes when his movements suddenly stopped. In the moonlight, he stared down at the trash bin by his feet. Inside, the shredded red cape lay quietly. “Annie, what are you throwing a fit about now?” Mason frowned deeply, strode over to me, and looked down at me sitting on the sofa, irritation in his voice. “Didn’t I have Alan deliver the Lego? You spent so long sewing that cape…” He suddenly paused, his gaze sweeping over the red scraps in the trash, his tone turning cold and hard. “But did you really have to do this?”

I sat in the darkness, staring coldly at him. “Mason, two years ago when George was four, you canceled a pre-meeting for a merger contract just to teach him a card trick.” “You said then that childhood only happens once, and if you miss it, you can never get it back.” “Now he’s practiced for two months just so you’d sit in the audience for half an hour, and you think it doesn’t matter?” Mason’s breath caught. He tugged at his tie again. “That was because of an emergency! Daisy doesn’t have a father. She was hiding in a corner crying alone, and Mia was beside herself with worry. What was I supposed to do, ignore them?” As he spoke, he walked over and reached out to put his arm around my waist, trying to pull me into his embrace. “Come on, be good.” He lowered his voice coaxingly. “I came back, didn’t I?” The moment he touched me, nausea rose in my stomach. I turned my head away in disgust and forcefully pushed his hand away. Mason’s hand froze in midair. He snorted in displeasure and muttered something about me being unreasonable. He turned to grab his suit jacket from the sofa, preparing to take a shower. Just then—thud. A small box fell from his jacket pocket and rolled to my feet. It was a bottle of men’s cologne with sweet notes. Mason stopped. He immediately came over and picked up the cologne. “Mia insisted on giving this to me to thank me for helping today. I wasn’t planning to keep it.” “Does it feel good playing the man of someone else’s house?” I looked at him with a mocking, cold laugh. That sentence hit Mason’s sore spot precisely. His expression changed. He stepped forward and grabbed my wrist. His five fingers gripped tightly. I could feel the slightly hot temperature of his palm. “Annie, can’t you understand me? That child doesn’t even have a father. I just helped out once. George has you—what do I have to worry about?” He paused, sighing with a trace of exhaustion. “You’re my wife. You’re the one I trust. As long as you’re there, I can rest easy.” I looked at his face. Pain shot through my wrist, but my heart had gone numb. I didn’t struggle. I just looked at him with the dead, desolate eyes one gives a stranger. Mason met my gaze and suddenly froze. He immediately released my hand and, right in front of me, threw the cologne bottle into the trash. “I don’t want her stuff!” He said in a panic, “I only use the woody cologne you buy me. Is that okay now?!” With that, he turned and fled into the bathroom. The next morning, I took George to the photography studio in the city center. “Hello, I’d like to cancel this weekend’s sixth birthday family photo package.” I handed the receipt to the receptionist. George pressed against the studio’s display window, staring at the Ultraman-themed family portrait poster. He’d saved half a year’s allowance and stubbornly insisted the whole family take this photo together. He looked at it for a long time but said nothing. Just as we left the studio, my phone rang. It was Mason. His tone was unusually hesitant. “Annie, this weekend the company has an urgent acquisition. I… I have to go on a business trip.” I held the phone, listening to Mason’s guilty voice through the receiver, feeling utterly absurd. Rewind half an hour. I’d just come out of the bathroom. Passing by the study, I heard voices inside. Mason’s phone was on speaker. Mia’s crying voice was especially clear in the quiet room.

“Mason, Daisy’s private elementary school interview is this weekend. The school requires both parents to attend, or she’ll be disqualified…” “I’m begging you, please pretend to be my husband for half a day, okay? Just half a day! I’m getting on my knees! If you’re not there, Daisy’s whole life will be ruined!” Mason was silent for a long time, then said in a low voice, “Send me the address.” This was his so-called unavoidable business trip excuse. “Annie, are you listening?” On the other end of the line, Mason asked again when I didn’t respond. “I heard you.” My tone was strangely calm. Mason seemed relieved. Then my phone dinged—a transfer of two hundred thousand dollars. “Honey, take George to buy the most expensive birthday present. Consider it my way of making it up to him. Wait for me to come back.” He hung up. Looking at the string of numbers on my screen, I pulled at the corner of my mouth. That weekend, on George’s sixth birthday. I took him to the mall, wanting to buy him a children’s watch he’d been eyeing for a while. Coming out of the mall, right across the street was the city’s private elementary school. George had been looking down, fiddling with the toy in his hands, when suddenly his movements stopped. He looked up, staring blankly across the street. A black Bentley was parked at the school gate. Mason stepped out of the car in a suit and tie. He took the hand of a little girl in a pink dress. On the other side of the girl stood Mia, beaming. A happy family of three. Just then, Mia tried to loop her arm through Mason’s. Mason coldly avoided her. I could even see his lips move slightly, as if warning her about something. But this self-righteous claim of innocence looked utterly ridiculous in this moment. Shortly after, my phone buzzed. Mia had posted on Ins, tagged at this very private school. —Thank you for being here. You’re our eternal support, mother and daughter. I turned to look at George. Through the traffic, George watched with his own eyes as his father, who was supposed to be on a business trip, played father to someone else. He had no dramatic reaction. He simply walked over and silently threw the toy he’d just bought into a nearby trash can. After we got home, George took out his calendar with the countdown from his backpack and picked up a black crayon, flipping to the birthday page. Originally, that square had a smiley face and stick figures of a family of three. George gripped the pen and forcefully colored that square pitch black. The black ink bled through to the back of the page. “George…” My eyes stung. I crouched down, wanting to hug him. George looked up. Those clear eyes were now filled with darkness. “Mom, I’m never celebrating my birthday again.” I silently picked up my phone and called an overseas immigration agency I’d contacted before. That evening at eight, Mason came home early. He pushed open the door to find the house dark, the table completely bare. His gaze swept over where the birthday cake should have been, his expression faltering. He flipped on the living room light with a click, looking at me sitting on the sofa. “Annie, it’s George’s birthday today and you didn’t even buy him a cake?” He said in a low voice, “If you want to get mad, take it out on me. Is it appropriate to use a child’s birthday to make a point?” Mason pulled at his tie and strode up to me. His gaze swept over the empty dining table, his eyes unconsciously evasive. “I know I shouldn’t have missed today, but the sudden business trip was out of my hands.”

“Things are what they are. Annie, can’t you put in a good word for me with George?” I didn’t get up. I simply picked up the blacked-out calendar from the table and threw it at his feet. “It’s your son who doesn’t want to celebrate anymore.” Mason looked down at the black scribbles, his brow twitching. “Next month… next month when the company isn’t busy, I’ll cancel everything and personally take him to the amusement park.” His gaze avoided mine, fixed on the tightly closed bedroom door, his voice unconsciously dropping. “I owe him this time.” Just then, George’s voice came through the crack of the closed bedroom door. “Uncle Mason, I don’t want to go.” “Uncle Mason?” He repeated those two words quietly, his voice suddenly soft. The living room was so quiet you could hear the clock ticking on the wall. Then he slowly lifted his eyes to look at me, fury churning in their depths. “Annie, who taught him to say that?” He strode toward the bedroom and grabbed the doorknob, about to barge in. “Stop!” I lunged over to block him, pressing myself firmly against the door. Through the door, I suddenly heard George’s heavy, rapid breathing. I pushed the door open and rushed in, reaching for George’s forehead—his skin was abnormally hot. I grabbed the thermometer—103.6 degrees! “George has a high fever!” I turned frantically toward Mason. “Quick, get the fever medicine!” Mason paused, about to get it when his phone suddenly rang, Mia’s name flashing on the screen. He answered. Immediately, Mia’s crying came through. “Mason! Come quick! Daisy got so upset from not doing well at today’s interview that she’s burning up, and she’s locked herself in her room with scissors and won’t let anyone in!” Mia sobbed breathlessly. “I don’t dare upset her. She’s allergic to regular fever medicine! I remember you said the imported fever reducer George takes works really well. Please bring a box and save her! If we wait, she could die!” Mason’s face changed. He listened to the crying on the phone, then glanced at me with my back to him. “Mason, the medicine is at the bottom of the medicine cabinet. Hurry!” My voice trembled with urgency. Mason pushed past my hand and strode to the bedside, pressing the back of his hand to George’s forehead and frowning. He looked at the child’s flushed face, then turned toward the medicine cabinet. “Annie, listen to me—George just has a regular fever. Some fever medicine and a night’s sleep and he’ll be fine. Over there, Daisy has scissors in her hand—someone could actually die. I’ll handle it and come right back. You watch him.” He strode to the medicine cabinet and pulled open the drawer. What he did next made my blood run cold—he actually took out the only remaining box of George’s usual fever medicine and stuffed it into his pocket. “What are you doing?!” I rushed over to grab it. “That’s George’s medicine!” “Daisy’s allergic to regular fever reducers, and she’s holding scissors. Annie, let me finish.” His voice was low and rushed. “I’ll take this box. You go downstairs to the pharmacy right now and buy regular medicine for George. He’s strong, he can handle it.” He turned sideways to avoid my reaching hand and hurried toward the door. “Annie, the pharmacy downstairs is a ten-minute walk. Go buy some now. I’ll come right back after I handle this.” I lunged forward and grabbed his arm, refusing to let go. He yanked hard. I stumbled and crashed into the hard edge of the table. Bang—I fell to the floor, my elbow scraped open, blood welling up. Mason turned back. His steps paused for two seconds. His lips moved. “Take care of that wound first.” “Half an hour. I’ll be back in half an hour.” With that, he turned and walked out, slamming the door shut. The moment the door closed, my phone showed a message—Mason had sent a pharmacy location with a note: This one’s open 24 hours, close to home. From the bedroom came a sudden gasp. Then George’s eyes rolled back, his body convulsing, guttural sounds coming from his throat. Febrile seizure! “George—!” I screamed, crawled over and scooped up my convulsing son, and ran out into the rainy night. Rain poured down. Lightning lit up the darkness. Harsh white light hit my face. I was soaked through. George’s vomit mixed with the blood flowing from my elbow, soaking through my clothes. “Family member! The patient has acute febrile seizure leading to respiratory failure. Critical condition. Sign the critical illness notice immediately!” A doctor rushed out with a form, speaking rapidly. “We need both parents’ signatures. Where’s the father?!” I took the pen with trembling hands. Rainwater mixed with blood blurred the paper. “He’s dead.” I said through gritted teeth, word by word, and signed only my name on the form. During the long wait outside the emergency room, I used the nurses’ station landline to call Mason thirty times. The first three were instantly rejected. From the fourth on, I heard the automated message: The number you have dialed is powered off. At four in the morning, the emergency room door finally opened. “We brought him back, but he needs to stay in ICU for observation.” The doctor said wearily. Through the glass, I watched George’s small body covered in tubes. He weakly opened his eyes and lifted the hand with the IV catheter, laboriously tapping the screen of his children’s watch in small movements. When the screen lit up, he found the number labeled Superman Dad and pressed delete. I knew clearly that George no longer needed the role of father. In the morning, George’s condition stabilized and he was moved to a regular ward. I sat by the hospital bed, took out my phone, and called my lawyer, then contacted the overseas agency. “Yes, liquidate all funds and stocks under my name. Give full authority to sell the two properties at bottom price. Transfer the proceeds directly to my overseas account.” After handling this, I pulled out the inner compartment of my bag. The European visa I’d gotten to celebrate George’s sixth birthday would come in handy after all. I booked tickets to Venice for this weekend, looked at the sky outside the window, and let out a deep breath. The next evening, I brought George home for one last visit. The house was still in the same disarray as the night Mason left. I didn’t touch anything that belonged to him. I packed my clothes into a suitcase, then added George’s documents. Before leaving, I walked to the table. I placed the signed divorce agreement neatly in the center. Next to the agreement, I set down the candy wrapper left from the Children’s Day magic show. “Mom, where are we going?” George held my hand and looked up to ask. “Mom’s going to perform a big magic trick with you.”

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At the school tennis tournament, when my girlfriend Victoria found out my racket cost a hundred thousand dollars, she went ballistic. “A hundred thousand? Just for this piece of junk racket? Are you insane! You’re a complete spendthrift.” She pulled over Killian, a student on financial aid: “His monthly living expenses are less than five hundred dollars. Wouldn’t it be better to help him out instead?” I frowned. “It’s my money. I can spend it however I want. Why should I subsidize him? Just because he’s poor? There are tons of poor people in the world.” Seeing I showed no remorse, Victoria flew into a rage and demanded I hand over all my bank cards. “I’m going to marry you eventually anyway. From now on, I’ll manage all your family’s money. Starting today, you need to submit a request and get my approval before spending anything.” I fell silent, looking at her like she was a stranger, then turned to call my grandfather Johnson to cancel our engagement. Since she sympathized so much with Killian, I’d help them both out!

“Are you serious?” Johnson asked me. “Yeah.” “Why?” “No particular reason. I just don’t like her anymore.” Johnson was silent for a moment on the other end, then said: “Alright, let’s find a time for both families to have dinner together and discuss calling off the engagement.” I agreed and picked up my racket to take the court. After the match ended, I won the men’s singles championship, and thanks to my stellar performance, our class also won the team competition. I became the hero. Many classmates started clamoring to celebrate at a bar. “You guys go ahead. Killian isn’t feeling well today, so I’ll stay with him.” Victoria’s words plunged the atmosphere to freezing point. Everyone looked at me, including the teacher. Because they all knew Victoria and I had grown up together and were engaged. I looked at Victoria, my eyes stinging. Twenty years. She’d left an indelible mark on my heart, but in hers, I apparently didn’t even measure up to Killian, whom she’d only known for a few months. “Victoria, the mood’s so good, don’t be a buzzkill,” a classmate urged her. “Besides, tonight is to celebrate Leopold, so it wouldn’t be right if you didn’t go.” Killian also said: “Victoria, you should go. I’ll be fine on my own.” After speaking, he covered his mouth and coughed twice. Victoria immediately looked anxious, reaching out to pat Killian’s back, her tone reproachful: “You say you’re fine, but how can I feel at ease when you’re like this?” Seeing my expression darken, the surrounding classmates quickly laughed: “Victoria is too kind-hearted, worried about leaving sick Killian alone.” “Yeah, yeah, having such a kind classmate is our blessing.” Kind-hearted? In that moment, my heart ached! Just because of kindness, she could give away my clothes, shoes, watch, even my money to Killian without my permission? Did she even know I was her fiancé with whom she had an engagement? Or did she know but just not care? “Why aren’t you guys leaving yet? Whatever, I can’t be bothered with you. I’m taking Killian to the hospital.” Victoria helped Killian leave, then turned back after two steps and said to me: “Oh right, I almost forgot to mention—you only won the championship because that hundred-thousand-dollar racket gave you an unfair advantage. Your actual skill level is just so-so.” Hearing this, I laughed and nodded: “You’re absolutely right!” Childhood sweethearts for twenty years, but we’d never reach a happy ending. “That’s too much. How could she say that?” My roommate felt indignant on my behalf. “Yeah, Leopold prepared for months for this tournament, leaving at four in the morning every day and not coming back until ten at night.”

“I’m going to make her apologize to you.” I stopped my roommate who was about to chase after them, smiling: “Forget it.” There’s a saying: people who don’t love you can’t see your efforts. Since that was the case, why should I care? “Let’s go. Today’s on me!” The atmosphere at the bar was lively. Because Killian wasn’t there. During previous class group activities, no one had looked down on him for being on financial aid. They’d take him everywhere, but he always said inappropriate things. “Fifty dollars for one drink? That’s so expensive. You guys are really rich.” “I’m not rich like you guys to buy gifts, so I can only give verbal blessings. Happy birthday.” “My family is poor. I really envy how you guys just throw away torn clothes.” He always disguised himself as the victim, as if we were flaunting our wealth in front of him. Whenever this happened, Victoria would always step forward to defend him. “What are you thinking about? You’re today’s star. Why don’t you sing a song for everyone?” My roommate nudged me with his elbow, then stood up and pulled me along, asking the bar’s band to play “At Last” for us. This used to be my favorite song, but not anymore. “Change it to ‘She’s Gone,’” I said, starting to walk toward the stage. My roommate paused, then silently changed the song. As soon as the intro started, Victoria walked in with Killian. Victoria acted like she didn’t notice anything, saying on her own: “Killian persuaded me. I thought about it and he was right—I should come. Plus, I think it’s necessary to let you all see him completely transformed.” Victoria smiled broadly: “So? Isn’t he handsome?” The room fell silent. I looked at Killian wearing my clothes, pants, and shoes, and was the first to applaud: “He really is handsome!” “At least you have good taste!” Victoria was satisfied with my response. “Actually, Killian is very handsome. He just didn’t have money to dress up before. Now you can see he’s just as good as any of you.” I smiled. Handsome? Wearing my clothes, pants, and shoes that clearly didn’t even fit him properly. Victoria looked Killian up and down, tapping her chin: “Seems like something’s still missing.” She turned to look at me: “Leopold, take off your watch and give it to Killian.” I froze, looking down at the watch on my wrist. It was the first birthday gift Victoria had ever given me. It held special meaning for me. Though it was already many years old, I’d always carefully maintained it. I’d even treated it as a token of love between Victoria and me. Now, she was asking me to give it away with my own hands. I was silent for a long time before speaking in a hoarse voice: “Are you sure?” “What’s there to be unsure about? It’s just a watch. It’s not like you can’t afford a new one.” Victoria said indifferently, then personally came over to remove the watch and put it on Killian’s wrist herself. In that moment, I saw Killian smile at me, his eyes full of smugness and provocation. “Leopold, you’ve finally become sensible.” Victoria was pleased that I didn’t make a fuss after giving away the watch. She happily pulled Killian along to sing. I watched the two of them singing a love duet, sitting expressionlessly on the sofa. I hadn’t become sensible—I was learning not to care. When the party ended, Victoria was drunk, leaning drunkenly against Killian and insisting he take her back to her dorm. Killian looked at me with feigned helplessness on his face, but his eyes were clearly triumphant.

I didn’t care: “Since she wants you to take her, then take her.” With that, I walked out of the private room, my eyes already red. The next day, Victoria’s roommate found me: “Leopold, Victoria didn’t come back to the dorm last night. Did she call you?” I immediately fell silent. Victoria’s roommate seemed to realize she’d said something wrong and hurriedly made an excuse to leave. I walked alone to the field, wandering aimlessly on the track, thinking about all the moments with Victoria. Childhood sweethearts, growing up together—my world was full of her. From kindergarten through college, I’d always protected her, never letting her get hurt. In elementary school, when an older student made her cry, I’d pulled her along with red eyes to find the person and demand an apology, not hesitating to get physical. In the end, she got her apology, and though I ended up bruised and swollen, I smiled happily. On her eighteenth birthday, I bought all the fireworks in the city and the front page of every newspaper that day to celebrate for her. That night, both families confirmed our engagement. I was so happy I didn’t sleep all night. I thought we could continue like this together, companions for life, growing old together. But everything changed after meeting Killian. She no longer acted cute with me—instead, there were mostly rebukes and yelling. I endured and endured, for no other reason than because I loved her. But did she love me? Before yesterday, I’d been certain of the answer—she loved me too. But today, I realized I was wrong. She didn’t love me that much. But I didn’t understand—could twenty years of feelings really be less than a few months? I couldn’t find an answer to this question. I don’t know how long passed before I heard someone calling me. It was Victoria, and unsurprisingly, Killian stood beside her. I walked over and looked at Victoria’s beautiful face, my heart aching sharply. The facts were right in front of me. No need to guess anymore. Victoria looked at me guiltily and explained: “Last night, Killian fell and hurt his back on the way taking me home. I stayed with him at the hospital all night.” “Yeah, it hurt so much,” Killian said, rubbing his back. “Even now my back is still sore and aching.” I watched him quietly perform. Hurt his back? What a coincidence. Did he really fall? Or was it because he exerted himself too much? But the answer didn’t matter anymore. I nodded: “Mm.” I turned to leave, but Victoria grabbed me: “Don’t you believe me?” “No, I’m just tired.” I calmly pried Victoria’s hand away. She threw herself at me, hugging me. “Alright, stop being angry. I just forgot last night and didn’t let you know I was safe. I promise you, there absolutely won’t be a next time.” Indeed, there wouldn’t be a next time. I pushed Victoria away and said flatly: “Was there something else?” Killian smiled: “Actually, I have something. Thank you for giving me the watch last night. I really like it.” “But my family is poor, so I can’t give you an expensive gift in return. I saw the mangoes at the supermarket looked good, so I specially picked some to give you. Please don’t look down on them.” Looking at the bag of mangoes Killian held out to me, I saw them like a terrible flood, and kicked the bag over. “Leopold, what are you doing? Killian specially bought these mangoes for you, you…” Victoria angrily berated me, but when she saw my cold eyes, she couldn’t help stepping back twice, swallowing the words at her lips. “Did you forget I’m allergic to mangoes?” Hearing this, Victoria’s expression changed, but seeing Killian standing helplessly to the side looking like he’d done something wrong, her eyes flashed with sympathy and she frowned at me. “Even if you’re allergic to mangoes, just don’t eat them. Why kick them over and disappoint Killian’s thoughtfulness?”

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After finding condoms in my husband Jacob’s passenger seat yet again, I wasn’t angry anymore. I just silently helped him put them away. Jacob gave me a complicated look and volunteered an explanation. “Check for yourself. This box hasn’t even been opened.” I said nothing, closing my eyes and pretending to sleep. Half an hour later, he pulled up in front of a store and said to me: “Let’s go buy a gift for your mom. We’ll go back to your place together for Christmas to see her.” My tears finally fell. My mom was dead. He still didn’t know. “Iman? Are you listening to me?” Jacob’s voice dropped several notes, full of oppressive force. My voice came out hoarse. “No need.” No need to go back. Never need to go back again. But he misunderstood what I meant and leaned over to look at me. “Are you mad? “Just trust me, okay? Otherwise count them yourself.” He opened the box as he spoke, dumping out all the condoms. His eyes were helpless yet indulgent, as if looking at an unreasonable child. I wiped my tears and looked over. “I’m really not mad.” Jacob leaned over and hugged me, sighing. “And you say you’re not mad. “Didn’t you always want me to go back with you? “This Christmas I finally don’t have any work obligations. “If we miss this chance, who knows when the next one will be.” His palm gently soothed my back, just like before. But I numbly pushed him away and nodded. “Okay, then let’s go.” Before my mom died, she kept talking about how Jacob was too busy with work and hadn’t been able to visit. If Jacob had time this Christmas, it would be good for him to pay his respects. After all, once we got divorced, there’d be no reason to ask him to go. But on Christmas day, Jacob didn’t come home. As if I’d expected it all along, I calmly accepted the possibility that he might miss the flight. So I took a cab to the airport by myself. It wasn’t until the plane started moving that he called me. “Sorry, something came up here that delayed me. “Can you change your ticket? How about we leave tonight instead?” I looked at the scenery retreating outside the window and swallowed my tears. “No need. I’ve already left.” I didn’t even bother asking him the reason. But Jacob volunteered an explanation. “It’s really not because of Leah this time. “A project we’d already agreed on suddenly had some problems. I thought I could make it. “Iman, don’t make a scene.” I don’t know where he heard that I was making a scene. I spoke calmly. “I know you’re busy. You can come tomorrow.” Waiting one more day didn’t matter. That’s all there was to it. Jacob breathed a sigh of relief. “Wait for me like a good girl. I’ll cook for Mom when I get there. “She always said my cooking was good. It’s probably been years since she’s had it. “This time I absolutely—” “I’m tired. I want to sleep.” I interrupted his fantasy, tears streaming down my face. I really wanted to scream it out loud. My mom can’t eat it anymore! Where were you all this time! But I was tired. I didn’t want to argue. Too many arguments. I’d argued myself into exhaustion. It was like I was a person without self-respect, shamelessly begging for his attention. As long as he came, as long as my mom could see him. It wouldn’t be for nothing that my mom had raised him all those years. It wouldn’t be for nothing that I’d brought him home back then, and for over a decade after, he’d eaten at my house every day. But I’d overestimated him after all.

Uncle Coleman saw that I’d come back alone again. His expression wasn’t good. That evening, Aunt May tentatively asked: “Did you and Jacob have a fight? “Actually, when your mom was in the hospital, she noticed something too, but didn’t bring it up because she was afraid you’d be hurt. “You should rein in your temper. With both parents gone, you only have your husband to rely on. “Having a child as soon as possible is what’s most important right now.” I listened quietly and told her Jacob would come tomorrow. I explained: “His company hasn’t been doing well these past few years. He always has work obligations. “When my mom was in the hospital, he wanted to come too. Don’t worry, we’re fine.” I didn’t want the family to know I was planning to divorce. I was too lazy to deal with their attempts at reconciliation. But I didn’t expect Jacob to break his promise again. In the morning, he told me he was on his way to the airport. May had prepared abundant ingredients early in the morning. “It’s good he’s coming. He didn’t even show up at your mom’s funeral. The whole village thought you’d been abandoned. “Now he can shut them up. “You should come back more often too. Come sit with us at home.” May bustled about in the kitchen, chattering as she worked. But after making a whole table full of dishes, Jacob didn’t answer any of my calls. “Let’s eat first.” I forced down my emotions and spoke, looking at them apologetically. May and Coleman exchanged glances and both nodded. “Okay, okay, let’s eat first then.” “I’ll have your cousins come over too. We can’t finish all this food ourselves anyway.” “They can go up the mountain with you afterward.” May spoke while busily preparing the tableware. Food left on the table for half an hour in winter had long since lost its warmth. I forced back my tears, smiling with difficulty. Coleman suddenly sat down next to me and ruffled my hair. “You’ve always had your own mind since you were little. Do whatever you want to do. “If your dad were here, he wouldn’t bear to see you suffer like this. “This is always your home. You still have family here. Don’t listen to May. People need to live freely.” I smiled at Coleman and got up to go to the bathroom. I only came out after crying. Coleman and May were in the kitchen reheating the food when my phone rang. It was Jacob calling. “Leah’s in the hospital, in surgery. “It’s a matter of life and death. I can’t just ignore her. “Iman, tomorrow. I’ll come get you tomorrow. “And I’ll bring Mom back to stay for a few days too.” I numbly listened to his words, emotions churning in my chest. I didn’t want to get angry. My mom always said: “Iman, don’t always lose your temper. It’s not worth it. “Let’s just live our lives peacefully. “Turn a blind eye, and decades will pass. “Look at me—I had so many complaints about your dad before, but after he died, I only remember the good things.” But Jacob was really bullying me too much! “You don’t need to come anymore. When I get back, I need to talk to you about something.” I said coldly and hung up. When Jacob called again, I declined it. His messages came through to my phone instead. [Don’t be unreasonable. Just wait for me.] [If there was anyone else who could help, she wouldn’t have called me.] [About last time, she wanted to apologize to you, but I didn’t let her.] [Iman, you know your own temper. I was afraid you’d hit her again.] [Can’t we just live our own lives well? Why throw a tantrum over small things?] […] He sent many messages. I skimmed through a few. By then my cousins had returned. I turned off my phone and ignored Jacob. The meal was eaten with everyone lost in their own thoughts. When we went to my mom’s grave, my cousins waited for me at a distance. I sat on the ground, looking at the person in the photo. Tears fell as I looked. I had so much to say, but couldn’t speak. Only when leaving did I tell her: “I’m sorry. I lost the son-in-law you liked so much. You won’t blame me, will you?” Just then the wind rose, as if fingers gently brushing across my face. I held back my tears and left down the mountain without looking back.

The next day I boarded a plane back to Los Angeles. On the plane, the divorce agreement the lawyer I’d hired had drafted also arrived on my phone. I looked it over carefully and had them revise a few small details. I didn’t want his company. I had other plans. But I wanted all the cash and properties in our names. The value was also in the eight figures. What I didn’t expect was running into Jacob at the airport. We stared at each other. Standing beside him was Leah, who’d supposedly been in surgery just yesterday. Apparently it wasn’t a life-or-death surgery after all. After all, she could get out of bed the next day, even wearing beautiful makeup. Leah’s eyes were red with anxiety as she rushed to speak. “Don’t blame him. I’m the one who rushed him to come find you, aren’t I? “Of course I know wives are more important than friends. “When I called him, I thought he didn’t have plans for the holiday and could help out. “I didn’t expect him to hide the fact that he was going to your place because he was worried about me. I’m really sorry. “You won’t blame him, will you?” Jacob snapped out of it and instinctively moved Leah behind him. I’d hit Leah before. Since then, he’d never let me have direct contact with her. At this moment, Jacob spoke in a heavy voice. “This is my fault. Don’t take it out on her.” The scene before me made me think of the phrase “mutual devotion.” I nodded and looked at Leah. “Since you’re here too, why don’t you come sit at our place?” She looked completely shocked. Jacob’s brow furrowed. I looked at Jacob teasingly. “Didn’t you say there’s nothing between you two? “If you’re just friends, you don’t even dare bring her home?” I walked ahead. Jacob followed behind with Leah. “Don’t talk with so much hostility. It sounds terrible. “She’s just a young, innocent woman. After you scared her last time, how would she dare come to our house?” I stopped and looked past him at Leah. Our eyes met. Leah suddenly smiled, a hint of provocation in her eyes. “Since Iman invited me, of course I’ll go.” I looked at Jacob again. “Be a man. That bitch is braver than you.” As soon as we got home, I went to the study. I printed out the divorce agreement, bound it, and went to the living room to hand it to Jacob. “Take a look. If there are no problems, sign it. “You can take your things and leave with her today. “The company had my mom’s initial investment of two hundred thousand. I don’t want it. “But all marital assets and properties are mine. Except for the company, give me everything else.” I finished in one breath. Jacob’s expression went from shock to anger. “What the hell is wrong with you? “Does your mom know about this? “You went through all this trouble just to say this? Even tantrums have limits.” I lowered my eyes and spoke flatly. “I’ve already informed her. “What mother doesn’t want her child to be happy? “She was good to you because she wanted you to be good to me. No matter how much she liked you, how could she value you over her own child? “So you don’t need to worry about what she thinks.” At this point, I glanced at Leah. Her smile couldn’t be suppressed. She looked at Jacob with determined confidence. I smiled and continued speaking to Jacob. “Now that things between us have come to this, you don’t think my mom would still be nice to you, do you?” Jacob grew angrier. “What did you tell her? “How many times do I have to say it? Nothing happened between Leah and me!” I threw the divorce agreement in his face and spoke flatly. “Does something only count as happening if you’ve slept together? “Who did you adjust the passenger seat for? “Our wedding anniversary, my birthday, my mom’s birthday… “Which special occasion this year didn’t you spend with her? “Did all her relatives and friends die? “Does she need you, an irrelevant married man, to accompany her for a minor surgery? “Jacob, we’re all smart people. Don’t treat people like fools, okay?” My tone started out calm, but by the end my voice was trembling. But Jacob said coldly, repeating, “I will not divorce you!” He added, “If we divorce, your mom will be heartbroken!” I instinctively shouted: “My mom is dead! How could she be heartbroken?”

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The day I moved out, I sent Robertson a voice message. “Let’s break up.” A second later, he replied with one word: “Okay.” My best friend Catherine sat across from me, her jaw practically hitting the floor. “You two were about to get married. Breaking up is that simple?” I took a sip of coffee, bitterness spreading through my mouth. “Because he didn’t even listen to my voice message.” No matter what message I sent him, he only ever replied with “okay.” It actually didn’t bother me at first. I’d gotten used to it. Until I discovered that when other women sent him voice messages, he’d smile and patiently listen to every word. When I saw that 60-second voice message marked as “read” on Robertson’s phone, he was still asleep. The light from the phone screen hit my face, and tears just streamed down. I knew Robertson found it troublesome. He didn’t like chatting. He didn’t like listening to voice messages. Over the years, I’d learned to accept it. But that fully-listened-to 60-second voice message carved a wound straight through my heart. Thiago. His high school classmate. His gaming partner. They chatted about games every day, mixed with everyday conversation. Their chat history took up twice as much storage as mine. Love becomes heavy through difference. Robertson’s character seemed to have crumbled too. “Baby… come here.” Perhaps my crying was too loud. Robertson stirred awake, half-conscious. His arm reached out and pulled me tightly into his embrace. His warm arms carried Robertson’s unique scent, and my tears broke through the dam. He loved me too, didn’t he? He still wanted to hold me while sleeping… In that moment, I wanted so badly to wake him up and confront him. To have a huge fight. But I was truly exhausted. Robertson and I were pressed close together, yet I felt he was so far away. This bed was too wide. I lay on my side like that all night, letting the tears fall silently. I thought Robertson and I had reached the end. The next day I started looking at apartments. After half a month of searching, I settled on a two-bedroom. During all this time, Robertson didn’t notice a thing. Even today when he left, I answered a call from the moving company and he didn’t pay attention. After eating with Catherine and saying goodbye, I returned to the apartment Robertson and I shared. This apartment was bought by Robertson’s parents as our wedding home. Although we weren’t married yet, to save money, Robertson and I had moved in early. I didn’t actually need to come back. After all, this home barely had anything of mine left in it. But I wanted to see how long it would take a forensic scientist—someone who survived by detecting the smallest clues—to notice his future wife had moved out. I’d just sat down when the door behind me opened. “Home early today?” Robertson bent down to change his shoes, greeting me naturally, no different from any other day. As expected, he hadn’t listened to that voice message. Like an auto-reply bot, he’d just responded with “okay.” I opened my mouth, bitterness filling it, hard to swallow. “Why didn’t you make dinner?” Robertson glanced at the empty dining table and asked with surprise. Unless there was something unusual or special plans, I basically cooked for him every day. I didn’t answer. Robertson put down his bag and went into the bathroom.

Through the door, I could hear Robertson typing on his phone. And some audio leaking out. No need to guess—he was chatting with Thiago. I’d actually made a scene about this once before. Robertson didn’t take it seriously. He thought I was making a big deal out of nothing. “I’m with you every day. Why would I need to chat online? If it’s urgent, you can call. If it’s not urgent, you can tell me when I get home.” “Thiago is different. We don’t see each other every day, so of course we chat!” I rubbed my temples and walked into the bedroom. When I came back out, Robertson had already ordered takeout and was eating. Only one portion. Nothing for me. I couldn’t help but laugh, my voice trembling as I asked him, “Why did you only order one?” “Huh? Did you want some?” “I thought you were dieting to fit into your wedding dress!” When he said this, Robertson didn’t even look up at me. If he’d just looked up, he would have seen my tears. But he didn’t. “Robertson, let’s talk.” I took a deep breath. The instant I pulled out a chair to sit down, he stood up. “No time. Thiago and I are scheduled to play games.” The takeout container left on the table for me to clean up. The pulled-out chair. The man walking away. In that moment, I felt all the pressure in the house rushing toward me. My chest felt like it was covered with a plastic bag. Even breathing became difficult. In the study, they’d already connected their mics. “Robertson, interested in the new movie? I’ve been looking forward to that film for so long.” “I knew you’d say that. I already bought tickets. I’ll take you tomorrow.” “You’re so thoughtful!” “I just heard a coworker mention it today and immediately ordered them to surprise you.” Robertson’s thoughtless replies echoed in my ears, word by word. For Thiago, he always had time, always had heart. For me, he only had one line: “She’s a friend, you’re my wife. Can they be the same?” Robertson, if being your wife is this exhausting, I’d rather be your friend. With a bang, I kicked open the study door. Robertson spun around sharply, instinctively covering the microphone. He frowned, looking at me in confusion. “Tomorrow we’re scheduled to try on wedding dresses. Did you forget?” Sharp edges leaked through my tone. Robertson seemed to sense my mood and looked troubled. “I made plans with Thiago to see a movie tomorrow. I already bought the tickets.” “How about you go try on the dress yourself? I wouldn’t be much help anyway. Or maybe ask Catherine to go with you?” In one second, he’d figured out a compensation plan and an excuse. Accompanying his wife to try on wedding dresses wasn’t important. Accompanying his female classmate to the movies was. “No.” I refused flatly. Robertson glanced at the game on his computer screen. Thiago’s urging voice came through the headset. He was getting anxious. “Dixon, can’t I have my own things, my own plans?” “Do I have to revolve around you once we’re married?” These words almost made me laugh. When had he ever revolved around me? No messages during work hours. After work, diving straight into games. He hadn’t participated in a single wedding preparation. We still hadn’t picked out rings together… His world was full. As for who he revolved around—who knew. I looked at him with disappointment. “Robertson, is marriage just my responsibility?” Exhaustion colored my words.

“You’re being unreasonable.” After saying this, Robertson put on his headset and started the game without looking back. “Women are such a hassle.” “Thiago, when you get married, definitely don’t be this much trouble.” A casual complaint that drew bell-like laughter from the other end of the headset. Robertson and I started dating freshman year of college. At first, Robertson was attentive to me. He’d walk with me, take me to movies. He just really didn’t like chatting. But when we met in person, he was always considerate. “I don’t like chatting. Typing is a hassle. Listening to voice messages is a hassle too.” “I’m like that with everyone.” I accepted Robertson’s personality. Back then I told myself, that’s just how he is. Later, when we were together, he introduced me to Thiago and often brought me to play games with them. But I didn’t have the talent for it. After playing for a while, I dropped out. I shouldn’t have seen the dense chat history between Robertson and Thiago. Or Robertson’s comments on every single one of Thiago’s Twitter posts. He’d even message Thiago when he couldn’t sleep late at night, but he never reached out to me. That feeling was like swallowing a needle. That night, Robertson didn’t come back to the bedroom. He pulled an all-nighter gaming. The next morning I left Robertson a note: “Meet me at the bridal shop.” “I have something to discuss with you.” He could ignore WhatsApp. He could leave voice messages unread. But a note—surely he wouldn’t miss that. But I’d forgotten that some people aren’t blind in their eyes, but in their hearts. I sat on the sofa watching couple after couple come and go while my cup of hot water was refilled again and again. Until the staff came over apologetically. “Miss Dixon, we’re getting ready to close…” Their hesitant discomfort was a kind of sympathy for me. I walked home in stops and starts. On the way, I checked Thiago’s Twitter countless times. “Yay, mission accomplished!” The photo showed a movie theater screen. The hand making a peace sign in the lower left corner was Robertson’s. If moving out was my test for Robertson, then this time I truly needed to give up. At the corner downstairs, I saw familiar figures at the BBQ restaurant Robertson and I frequented. His back was to me. Thiago sat across from him, gesticulating animatedly. Until Thiago saw me. Robertson turned around. In the noisy restaurant, an indescribable atmosphere spread among the three of us. “Dixon,” Thiago pulled out a chair, letting me sit beside her. “How did the dress fitting go today?” Thiago was making conversation, trying to ease the awkwardness. Robertson’s hand holding the fork trembled slightly. Before I could speak, Robertson did. “Waiter, a mango ice cream.” I knew Robertson felt guilty. He was trying to apologize to me this way. It was hot. The ice cream was starting to melt when it arrived. “Eat it quick before it melts.” I glanced at it but didn’t move. Robertson frowned. “Don’t you love mango ice cream?” Thiago laughed. “Silly, I’m the one who loves mango ice cream!” Robertson scratched the back of his head sheepishly, looking at me apologetically. “Sorry, I got confused…” I knew he hadn’t gotten confused. He’d never remembered my preferences in the first place. Because when we were together, I always ordered. He never had to think about it. Robertson not only didn’t remember my preferences—he’d forgotten. I’m allergic to mangoes. I lowered my head and scooped up a spoonful of the ice cream.

Spoonful after spoonful, I ate the entire bowl of mango ice cream right in front of Robertson. That night, my whole body burned up and broke out in a rash. When I got up to find allergy medicine, the living room light turned on. I thought Robertson had remembered. Instead, he just walked past me into the bathroom. “Middle of the night. What are you looking for?” A bland question, spoken nasally. He didn’t even glance at me before returning to the bedroom. As for an answer, he didn’t care. Looking at the allergy medicine in my hand, I collapsed on the floor, sobbing uncontrollably. In that moment, my love died completely. That night, I sent WhatsApp messages canceling all wedding-related arrangements. The next day, I was woken by Robertson’s voice. “Why did you sleep on the sofa?” “What happened to you? All these red spots?” Robertson crouched by the sofa, his eyes full of concern. After all these days, it felt like the first time we’d made eye contact. That feeling was strange yet familiar. “Damn it! I forgot—you’re allergic to mangoes!” Robertson’s guilt came out of nowhere. He called in sick and took me to the hospital. The entire time, he played the part of an extremely attentive fiancé. “Your husband treats you so well.” The nurse setting up my IV sneaked a glance at Robertson getting medicine and teased me. But watching Robertson bustle around, my heart was as calm as stagnant water. Well? If he treated me well, I wouldn’t be having an allergic reaction. I forced a smile. Three hours of IV drip. Robertson stayed with me, didn’t even touch his phone once. It rang a few times, but he didn’t look. Actually, I knew it was probably because of his work. Robertson really wouldn’t chat during work hours. He and Thiago only started messaging on weekends after work. On the drive home after the IV, Robertson seemed to remember something. “Yesterday you said you had something to discuss with me. What was it?” My hand pulling the seatbelt paused. So he knew all along. He remembered. I shook my head and fastened my seatbelt. “Nothing.” Nothing left to discuss. Robertson kept talking on the way, trying to cheer me up, but I couldn’t seem to hear a single word. “Want me to make you hot milk when we get back?” Robertson talked as he walked out of the elevator. A few steps later, he stopped. Through him, I saw Thiago crouched at our front door. “I’m so sorry, Thiago. I forgot we planned to play games today.” Thiago stood up looking wronged, rubbing her numb legs. “You didn’t even reply to my WhatsApp. So annoying.” “Are we still playing or not?” Robertson looked troubled and turned to look at me. I ignored him and walked straight past them to open the door. Robertson followed hesitantly, negotiating with me in a low voice. “Let me make you hot milk first. After you drink it, rest well. Thiago and I will play games in the study. We definitely won’t disturb you.” Thiago had followed inside too. I looked up. “Do whatever you want.” Robertson could probably tell my mood was off, and ultimately chose not to play games. He knocked lightly on the bedroom door. “I’ll take Thiago home first.” Hearing the front door close, I walked out of the room. The glass of milk on the dining table was still steaming. I sat at the table watching the time pass—one hour, two hours. Robertson never came back. Until dusk fell, the door remained still. I knew Robertson wouldn’t come back.

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The day before my period, I saw a note in my fiancé’s memo. 【Predict tomorrow is her period, remember to prepare pads and painkillers in the bag.】 I smiled sweetly, touched by my fiancé’s thoughtfulness. Until the next day, when my lower abdomen cramped with pain, I went through my bag with a pale face, but there was nothing inside. Dark red blood had soaked through my pants. Students pointed at my back and laughed. I thought he had simply forgotten. But the new intern teacher had just posted on her social media: 【Just started work and met Mr. Nice mentoring me! He even prepared pads and painkillers for me. This period doesn’t hurt at all.】 The accompanying photo showed ibuprofen and a pad. The medicine was the brand I’d kept at home for years because of my cramps. The pad was the only brand I could use without an allergic reaction. I turned off my phone and stared at the ring on my middle finger for a long while, then got up and went to the principal’s office to apply for the international teacher exchange program. Seven years, and he’d never remembered my cycle. There was no need for him to remember it anymore.

I submitted my application just as the dismissal bell rang. The principal looked at me with some hesitation, but finally couldn’t hold back. “Miss Jennifer, you and Mr. Luke are having your wedding next month. Just two days ago you were still designing invitations. Now why…” I knew the rest of her unspoken sentence. The exchange program abroad required a minimum of three years before returning. How could newlyweds possibly endure such a long separation? Moreover, everyone at school knew that I had chased after Luke for four years, dated him for three more, and was finally about to walk down the aisle. How could I bear to leave him? But the prerequisite for reluctance to part is that both people like each other. Just now, I suddenly understood that the man who agreed to marry me perhaps didn’t like me as much as I’d imagined. I picked at the dried blood in the creases of my fingers—it had gotten on my hands when I was padding myself with thick wads of toilet paper. I said, “He and I just aren’t meant to be.” “Principal, I’m asking you for a favor. Please don’t tell anyone about this, okay?” She frowned, her eyes revealing a trace of pity. “Alright, I’ll keep this confidential for you.” “The earliest group leaving for the exchange program departs tomorrow. If you want, I can arrange for you to go with them.” I nodded and bowed gratefully before leaving the office. My phone rang for the second time. I opened it and glanced—it was a message from Luke. “What’s taking so long? It’s been ten minutes since dismissal and you’re still not down.” Ever since Luke and I moved in together, I had to leave with him every day after work. “Please, Luke, you already have me—it would be too pitiful for you to go home alone at night.” Even though he taught seniors while I taught freshmen, and Luke’s dismissal time was a full two hours later than mine, requiring me to sit in the office for two extra hours, I never found it hard. But today, after he’d only waited ten extra minutes for me, he was already getting impatient. I pressed my lips together and carefully examined my feelings, but I didn’t feel the suffocating pain I’d expected. That’s when I knew I’d completely let go. I sent back a message. “Still have some things to do, you go ahead.” Then I turned off my phone and didn’t look again. I returned to the office to pack up my textbooks, organized the materials and class information that needed to be handed over, and an hour later, I finally stretched my aching shoulders and left the school gate. I took out my phone to call a cab when a horn honked behind me, startling me. I turned around to see Luke’s car stopped behind me. I froze in place until he honked again and stuck his head out. “Get in the car already. Why are you standing there like an idiot?” I snapped back to reality and thought about the large bloodstain on the back of my pants that might dirty his car. I pulled open the passenger door, about to sit down. Luke glanced at me and handed me a black plastic bag, suddenly speaking. “Wait.” I took the bag, momentarily confused about what he meant. “You know your period is coming and you still don’t know to bring a pad? Jennifer, you’re a 28-year-old adult. Can you have some basic self-care skills?” “Walking around school all day with blood all over your ass—so many students asked me if you had a terminal illness. How embarrassing.” Embarrassing? The smell of blood seemed to fill my nose again. Actually, I had remembered to bring pads, but one memo from Luke made me forget. I thought he’d finally learned to keep me in his heart. In the end, the person he truly kept in his heart was someone else.

I opened the plastic bag. Inside lay a pink pad covered in a thick layer of dust—clearly a brand that couldn’t sell, randomly bought from a roadside convenience store. “If you really didn’t have any, you could’ve borrowed one from someone. Why did you have to hole up at school refusing to come out, making me wait for you for a whole hour?” “Hurry up and go change, then get in the car. Don’t get it dirty.” He kept talking on and on. I looked at his beautifully shaped thin lips and only felt utterly exhausted. I closed the plastic bag and said weakly, “Luke, I can’t use this brand.” To be precise, I couldn’t use any mainstream pads on the market because they all had adhesive backing, and I was severely allergic to glue. Even touching it would make my whole body turn red. Much less during my most vulnerable time, sticking something with glue to my most private area. So I only used one specific brand—the only one I could use. Actually, when I first got together with Luke, I’d mentioned this. “Luke, I’m allergic to glue and can only use this one brand of pads. If you see it on sale, remember to stock up for me, okay?” Luke didn’t even look up from his game, scoffing. “So high maintenance.” My fingers froze on my phone screen. I forced out an ugly smile. “Sorry, I’ll stock up myself. This is kind of troublesome, and you don’t really understand…” He always spoke to me like this, occasionally like he was wielding a club, beating down on me without warning, leaving me hurt and at a loss. But aside from this, he was actually pretty good to me. After we moved in together, he did all the housework and cooked well, even fattening me up by five pounds. Whatever I wanted to buy, he wouldn’t stop me. Even when I brought home weird decorations that didn’t match his home’s style at all, he’d just smile helplessly at most. “Childish.” Over time, I thought that was just his personality—he didn’t like remembering other people’s habits and could be pretty cutting sometimes. Moreover, I was the one who pursued Luke first, so I used the occasional sweetness he gave me to dilute the pain, enduring like this for three years. Until I endured all the way to today, when I couldn’t endure anymore. “Why can’t you use it?” He’d asked me this question seventeen times. I’d explained sixteen times. This time, I wasn’t going to explain anymore. I just casually tossed the pad in the trash and said flatly, “If I say I can’t use it, I can’t use it. Since you’re afraid I’ll dirty your car, I’ll just take a cab home.” His frown deepened, but in the end he still opened the car door and stuffed me into the passenger seat. “It’s too late. Would it be safe for you to take a cab? Forget it, just my bad luck. I’ll go wash the car tomorrow.” Again, this mix of good and bad. I gripped the seatbelt in front of me, my throat tight. I simply took out my phone and contacted the wedding photo company we’d booked long ago. 【Hello, I’d like to cancel the wedding photoshoot scheduled for next week. What procedures do I need to follow?】 The contact I’d labeled “Wedding Photoshoot” kept switching between her name and “typing…” over a dozen times before she finally sent a message. 【Miss Jennifer, three days ago you changed your wedding photos to a couple’s birthday art photos, and Mr. Luke contacted us to move up the shoot. The edited photos will be ready tonight.】 【Your husband didn’t tell you?】 My fingertip hovered over the screen. After a long moment, I realized it was shaking badly. I used my other hand to hold my wrist so I wouldn’t drop the phone. I turned to glance at Luke. He looked straight ahead, driving seriously, everything like before. Perhaps sensing my gaze, Luke tilted his head slightly, his tone unfriendly. “Why are you looking at me? Can’t handle being criticized a little?” I didn’t respond. Once my hands steadied again, I slowly typed. “Can I see the photos?” The shop owner went through the typing motion several times again before sending the photos, along with a ten-second video. 【At the time, your husband repeatedly assured us he wouldn’t cause us trouble, so we agreed to the change and early shoot. Miss Jennifer, please don’t make things difficult for us…】 I had no mind to read what else she sent. I opened the photos, and a familiar face appeared in my pupils, stinging my eyes red. The person in the photo was Ivy, the school’s new intern teacher—the same person Luke had given pads and painkillers to. There were many photos. I flipped through them one by one. Luke appeared in every single one. The two wore matching outfits, looking like an intimate couple. Finally, I clicked on the video. Ivy seemed a bit tired from the shoot and pouted in complaint. “My shoulders hurt so much. Luke, help me rub them.” In those short ten seconds of video, I saw another side of Luke—incredibly gentle in a way I couldn’t believe. “Alright, you little princess. Just one more set of photos. Hang in there a bit longer, and I’ll treat you to a big meal after.” Only then did Ivy smile again, happily raising both hands. “Yay!” My eyes felt sore. I reached up to touch them, thinking I’d feel salty tears, but there was nothing. I couldn’t cry over Luke anymore. It just made me remember some things.

After we got engaged, I’d mentioned many times that we should get our wedding photos taken early, or there wouldn’t be time. But Luke refused. “I don’t like taking photos. You know that. Wedding photos are only for looking at—completely useless. Why do you insist on forcing me to do something meaningless?” I bit my lip and said softly, “They are useful, Luke. When we’re old and can’t remember each other’s faces clearly, we can take out our wedding photos to look at. And we can show our future children how happy Mom and Dad were back then.” “I promise, just two settings—one for the wedding reception and one outdoor shot, okay? I definitely won’t tire you out.” He glanced at me and spat out one word. “Dramatic.” Even so, I wouldn’t give up. I kept pestering him for a long time, getting hurt to tears by Luke’s harsh words several times before he finally reluctantly agreed to take wedding photos with me. To get it done in one go, I did tons of research—from outfits to locations to photographers. I often stayed up until two or three in the morning making plans, then forced myself to be energetic for class the next day. Because the wedding date was close, I even paid extra to skip the queue and rush the editing. But the wedding photoshoot I’d carefully selected was secretly given by Luke to someone else. The man who claimed he didn’t like taking photos used all his patience to accompany Ivy through five different settings, making me unable to tell whether he truly didn’t like taking photos or just didn’t like taking them with me. The car shook and stopped in the underground parking garage. I opened Ivy’s social media—sure enough, she’d posted another set of photos, thoughtfully covering Luke’s face. “Ding ding ding, the best birthday gift I received early this year is, of course, beautiful photos. Thanks to a certain someone!” Luke stood outside the car and took out his phone. The next second, his like appeared on Ivy’s post. I looked at that tiny red heart and couldn’t help but laugh. He never actively liked my posts. “We’re home. Why are you still sitting in the car?” Seeing I hadn’t moved, Luke knocked on the car window. I looked at him through the glass and suddenly spoke. “You already went to take photos with Ivy. Why not just take the wedding photos I booked? You two match pretty well anyway.” Luke’s expression stiffened for a moment, then he frowned. “Jennifer, what are you going crazy about?” “You changed my wedding photos and went to take birthday art photos with someone else, and now you’re asking me what I’m going crazy about?” “Luke, you’re the one who’s crazy!” I thought I could hold it in, but in the end I still shouted my grievances. I stared hard at Luke, wanting to hear an answer. He just clicked his tongue impatiently. “Ivy just started working. She has no one to celebrate her birthday with. As her mentor, of course I have a responsibility to take care of her.” “And it’s just wedding photos. If we can’t do it this time, we’ll do it next time. Why such a big reaction?” I looked at his casual expression, and all my anger dissipated. “Forget it.” I said, completing the second half of the sentence in my mind: We won’t need them anyway. Only then did Luke’s expression relax. He replied to another message on his phone. After I got out of the car, he got back in. “Alright, you go back first. Ivy’s birthday is tomorrow. She wants to treat the school teachers to dinner but can’t handle it alone. I’m going over tonight to help her prep.” I blinked. I’d originally wanted to talk to him tonight about canceling the wedding, but now it seemed unnecessary. I nodded and returned alone to our new house. I took out my suitcase, but looking at the room full of traces of my life, I didn’t take anything with me—only the large stock of pads and painkillers I’d accumulated. Then I called to cancel the wedding banquet hotel. The deposit was non-refundable. The money Luke had given me was all stored on one card, which I placed on the nightstand, not a cent missing. Finally, I took off the engagement ring and placed it on top of the card. Then I dragged my not-too-heavy suitcase and got in a car to the airport. Just before takeoff, I sent Luke a message. “Luke, let’s just forget about getting married. I’ve explained things to both our parents. Finally, I wish you find someone you truly like.” The message sent. I put my phone on airplane mode. Leaning back in my seat, I fell into a deep sleep. When I opened my eyes again, I’d arrived at my destination. I turned off airplane mode, and instantly hundreds of missed calls flooded in.

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To give his son a complete family, he found me—a woman who bore a faint, passing resemblance to his unforgettable first love. For three years of our marriage, I was the quiet woman behind the scenes for both father and son. Virtuous, considerate, empathetic, and above all, I maintained an incredibly stable emotional state. One day, I went to pick up his son from school and overheard him telling his classmates that I was just his nanny, and that his real mom was coming back soon. My heart leaped with joy. She’s back? Fantastic. That means I can take my payout and get the hell out of here. It was a Friday, the day Caleb Vance usually picked up his son. This was their weekly father-son bonding time, and Caleb would typically take him to a family-friendly restaurant for dinner. For three years, it had been a routine without fail. But today, Caleb called me last minute, claiming he had an urgent business trip and needed me to pick up Leo. I rushed from the hospital straight to the kindergarten. The classroom was mostly empty, save for three or four kids still waiting for their parents. Leo was surrounded in the center of the room, the other kids staring in awe at the custom-engraved silver locket around his neck. “Wow, Leo, your necklace is so cool!” “Where did you get it? I’m gonna ask my mom to buy me one too.” Leo lifted his chin, looking incredibly proud. “My mom custom-designed this just for me. You can’t buy it anywhere.” “Whoa, your mom is amazing.” “She can bake little bear cookies and design jewelry! I wish she was my mom.” “I want your mom too. She’s so nice, my mom is so strict.” Except for Fridays and extremely rare circumstances, I was always the one who dropped off and picked up Leo. Leo was much more mature than kids his age, and a bit withdrawn. Afraid that he might be isolated at school, I often baked homemade pastries to hand out to his classmates. Because of that, Leo was very popular at school, and everyone naturally assumed I was his mother—even though he had never once called me that. I did bake the bear cookies, but I certainly didn’t know how to design jewelry. I silently pulled back the foot I had just stepped into the classroom with. Sure enough, a second later, Leo’s childish but distinctly disdainful voice rang out: “I’m not talking about her!” “She’s not my mom, she’s just our nanny.” “My real mom is a jewelry designer, and she’s super famous!” The kids let out a collective gasp of awe, crowding around Leo and chattering excitedly, asking all about his amazing mother. Standing by the back door, watching Leo passionately brag about his mother, I didn’t feel much of a stir in my heart. In a way, his words were harsh, but they weren’t exactly wrong. It was just… a bit too blunt. Ever since I got together with Caleb, taking care of him and his son became my only full-time job. Though the work was essentially the same as a live-in nanny, Caleb and I had signed the papers. We were legally married. At the very least, I shouldn’t be called a nanny. I was a stepmother, at worst. Leo was the child of Caleb and a brilliant designer named Ashley. But right after Ashley recovered from childbirth, she vanished without a trace, leaving them without even a legal marriage certificate. As Leo grew older, Caleb began to realize the gap in their family dynamic. So, he started looking for a stepmother to give Leo a complete home. Relying on a face that looked thirty percent like Ashley’s, I stood out among a sea of candidates. From the very first day I stepped into their lives, Leo knew I wasn’t his mother, and I never once tried to replace her. After all, Caleb and I were just a contract couple, bound for three years. For these three years, he got a stand-in wife, Leo got a stepmother, and I got three million dollars. I had no reason to refuse. I was desperate for the money. On the drive back, I pretended I hadn’t heard a thing. I asked Leo how his day was and what he wanted for dinner, just like always. I knew my place. I only took what was mine, and I didn’t care about anything that didn’t concern me. Leo kept a straight face and rattled off a few dishes. I caught him secretly swallowing back saliva, and I had to suppress a smile. If nothing else, my cooking skills were genuinely top-notch. Over the past three years, both the Vance men had filled out quite nicely. Once we got home, Leo immediately locked himself in his room. I didn’t mind. I walked straight into the kitchen and started cooking. When the three dishes and a soup were ready, I went to call him for dinner. Before I could even knock, I heard bright laughter coming from inside. Leo was on a video call. He had it on speaker, so I could hear everything perfectly. I heard Caleb’s voice, and another woman’s voice. She called Leo “baby,” and Leo called her “Mom.” Leo excitedly told her how jealous all his classmates were of his necklace. I had assumed the necklace was just another gift Caleb bought to humor him; things like that had happened before. Even though Ashley had been gone for years, Caleb carefully maintained a connection between her and Leo, all so that if Ashley ever returned, she could seamlessly step back into her son’s life. But now it seemed the necklace really was designed by Ashley. After six years, Caleb had finally found her. Today’s supposed “business trip” was just him rushing off for love. How deeply romantic. I had no intention of interrupting their beautiful family reunion, so I quietly sat back at the dining table and scrolled through my phone. Only after I was sure Leo had hung up did I go back to knock on his door. After dinner, as I was clearing the table, Leo sat in his chair, looking like he wanted to say something but swallowing the words. Leo looked almost exactly like a miniature Caleb—handsome and aristocratic. But Leo’s eyes were much prettier, probably because they were still so pure. They looked a lot like the eyes etched into my memory, though still not quite a match. I leaned against the table and smiled at him. “Is there something you want to tell me, sweetie?” Leo bit his lip, ultimately saying nothing, and scurried back to his room. I didn’t care, nor did I have the energy to pry. My job was strictly to ensure he was well-fed, dressed, and safe. Anything beyond that wasn’t my business, and wasn’t within my control. Later that night, wrapped in a blanket on the living room sofa, I sobbed uncontrollably while watching a sad movie. When Caleb walked through the door, that was exactly the state he found me in—my face completely swollen from crying. He looked shocked. I felt deeply awkward. I quickly stood up, my voice thick with congestion. “Why are you back so suddenly?” He walked over to me, his gaze settling on me with a quiet, gentle weight. Even his voice was much softer than usual. “Why are you up so late?” I pointed at the TV. “Watching a movie.” He stared at me for a moment, let out a soft sigh, and reached out to pat my head. Before I could dodge his hand, his phone rang. The caller ID read: Ashley. He stepped out onto the balcony to take the call. I tactfully retreated to the kitchen, waiting until he hung up before walking back out. “Caleb, let’s go file the divorce papers next week.” Ashley was back, and our contract was expiring soon anyway. I thought Caleb would agree instantly. After all, my usefulness as a stand-in had run its course. But Caleb’s expression instantly turned freezing cold. “You want a divorce that badly?” “I’m busy next week.” With that, he ignored me entirely and walked straight into Leo’s room. I stood there, completely baffled. Caleb and I called ourselves husband and wife, but it was really an employer-employee relationship. He paid me, I did the job. Now that the contract was up and he had successfully found his true love, shouldn’t we quickly terminate the agreement so everyone could be happy? What kind of mood swing was this? Over the weekend, Caleb spent both days working overtime at the office. Leaving early and coming back late, he gave me no chance to bring up the divorce again. On Monday morning, he suddenly shoved a small velvet box into my hand, claiming it was just some trinket he picked up at an auction. I was in a rush to get Leo to school, so I casually tossed it into my purse. As usual, I brought a batch of freshly baked cookies to the kindergarten. The kids swarmed me, sweetly chirping, “Thank you, Chloe!” Leo stared at me quietly for a moment before pushing past the kids and walking into the classroom. After drop-off, I had the driver take me to the hospital. When I reached the room, Mia was standing by the window, doing her morning yoga routine. She smiled brightly when she saw me. “What delicious food did you bring today?” I shook the insulated thermos in my hand. “Your favorite. Chicken and wild rice soup.” We each poured a bowl and sat on the edge of the bed to eat. I pulled out my phone, opened a photo gallery, and handed it to her. “This is our house in Asheville. I already hired someone to deep-clean it.” “When you’re discharged next week, take Noah there first and see if we need to buy any new furniture. As soon as I wrap things up here, I’ll come meet you guys.” Mia looked through the photos, saying nothing, only nodding. Holding my bowl, I turned to look out the window. Through the glass, the sky was a brilliant blue. Fluffy white clouds drifted slowly with the wind, and the willow branches swayed gently. “Chloe, we really dragged you down.” I watched those glowing white clouds and asked out of nowhere, “Mia, do you think Noah will like the yard?” Mia paused for a second before her gaze turned distant and soft. She smiled. “He will. He always loved places with a breeze.” I smiled too. “That’s good.” Mia didn’t say anything else, just let out a soft sigh. We sat together on the edge of the bed, watching the clouds, the trees, and the sun. We watched the people sitting on the hospital benches change from a mother and daughter, to a married couple, and then to a lonely old man. Just like the passing strangers in everyone’s lives, always coming and going in such a rush. I said softly, “Mia, you and Noah never dragged me down.” “Without you and Noah, Chloe wouldn’t even exist in this world.” “We are a family. We have been for ten years.” That afternoon, I went to the grocery store and then headed to pick up Leo, but his teacher told me he had been picked up that morning. She said Leo left with his mom and dad. Sitting back in the car, I thought about it and decided I should probably call Caleb just to be safe. Even though it was highly likely he and Ashley had picked him up, when it came to a child, I couldn’t be too careful. Just as I was about to dial, I noticed a red notification dot on Caleb’s Instagram feed. I clicked on his profile. Posted five minutes ago. It was a 9-photo grid. The center photo was a joyful selfie of a family of three. The background was a sunny beach, and they were all wearing matching outfits. I could tell Leo was genuinely thrilled. It was the first time in three years I had ever seen him smile with such pure, unbridled joy. It was also the first time I’d ever seen Caleb wear such bright colors. Standing next to Ashley, his usual stern aura had melted away, leaving him looking incredibly soft and warm. They were a picture-perfect family. Since Instagram had already confirmed it for me, there was no need to make the call. With Caleb and Leo out of town, I essentially had a mini-vacation. Every day, I cooked, took food to the hospital to eat with Mia, and then we’d take relaxing walks together. It was wonderfully peaceful. Caleb’s call came in the dead of night. I was fast asleep when the ringtone jolted me awake. Caleb’s voice sounded utterly exhausted, mixed with the sound of Leo crying frantically in the background. “Chloe, can you come to the pediatric urgent care right now?” Caleb explained that Leo hadn’t been sleeping well for the past few days, and after playing out in the ocean wind, he had suddenly spiked a massive fever. They were at the clinic now, but Leo was crying hysterically and refusing to let the doctors examine him. I checked the pitch-black sky outside the window, got out of bed, and started packing a bag. Leo had always had terrible sleep quality. When I first moved into the Vance house, he would frequently wake up in the middle of the night screaming in terror. I spent countless nights pacing the floor, holding him and singing lullabies until dawn to get him back to sleep. He had improved significantly over the last two years, but he was still incredibly particular about his bed. If he ever had to sleep away from home, he absolutely needed his specific pillow, his favorite blanket, and his own pajamas, or he wouldn’t sleep a wink. In the past, whenever Leo traveled with his grandparents, I always packed these things in advance. Since I was always the one handling it, Caleb simply had no idea. Even from down the clinic hallway, I could hear Leo’s wails. His voice was completely hoarse. I had assumed Ashley would be there, but to my surprise, it was only Caleb and Leo in the room. Caleb’s face visibly relaxed the second he saw me. “You’re here.” Leo was thrashing on the examination bed, his little face beet-red—whether from the fever or the crying, I couldn’t tell. I had Caleb lift him up while I quickly swapped the scratchy hospital sheets for his blanket and pillow from home, then quickly changed Leo into his own pajamas. I pulled Leo into my arms, lying down sideways next to him and gently patting his back. Slowly, his crying died down. He curled up against my chest, his little fist gripping the edge of my shirt, murmuring “Mom.” I touched his burning cheek. He was completely delirious from the fever. I wasn’t his mom. I was just his nanny. After a bit more soothing, Leo finally fell into a deep, stable sleep. The nurses successfully started an IV, and Caleb and I collapsed onto the small waiting sofa. Caleb handed me a cup of water, pinching the bridge of his nose. “I’m sorry for waking you up.” I shook my head. “It’s fine. It’s my job.” “Next time you take him out of town, just remember to bring his pillow, pajamas, and blanket.” Caleb looked at me for a long moment before asking, “Did you ever open that little box I gave you?” “Not yet. Was it something important?” I pulled the velvet box out of my purse and clicked it open. Inside sat a stunning diamond ring. Caleb suddenly reached over and covered my hand with his. “Chloe, don’t divorce me. Please.” I had no idea what happened between Caleb and Ashley to make him abandon the woman he had waited six long years for, only to turn around and propose to me. But I knew one thing for certain: it wasn’t because he was madly in love with me. Caleb Vance was a terrifyingly disciplined and pragmatic man. Every decision he made was calculated, the optimal choice after weighing all the pros and cons. But I had no desire to analyze his underlying motives. I never liked wasting energy on things that didn’t matter. I pulled my hand out from under his and placed the ring on the coffee table. “Caleb, we are a contract couple. The contract is over, and so are we.” He sat beside me, acting as if he hadn’t heard a word I said, and continued explaining on his own: “Chloe, if you’re worried about Ashley, you don’t have to be.” “She and I are completely finished. We only went on this trip because she wanted to see Leo. After this, we won’t be in contact anymore.” “Having you by my side these past few years has brought me so much peace, and Leo relies on you completely. Can’t we just keep living our lives together, just like this?” I looked at Caleb, my expression completely flat. “No.” “Whatever is going on with you and Ashley, I don’t know, and I don’t care. But there is no ‘us’.” The only reason I ever agreed to be his contract wife was to afford Mia’s medical treatments. Now that Mia was better, we had our own lives to live. We were going to settle down in a house with a breeze. Caleb clearly hadn’t expected such a blunt rejection. A flash of genuine hurt crossed his eyes. “Chloe… do you really have absolutely no feelings for me?” I offered a small smile. “I do. I feel profound gratitude toward an incredibly generous employer.” I meant that from the bottom of my heart. If it weren’t for the three million dollars he gave me, Mia and I would have been dead a long time ago. Because of that, for three years, I poured my soul into taking care of him and his son. Whatever they needed, whenever they needed it, I was there. But that was where it ended. I thought I had made myself perfectly clear, but Caleb still refused to accept it. “You don’t have to answer me right now. I’m not in a rush.” “It’s late. I’ll have the driver take you home to sleep. I’ve got things handled here.” Because Leo’s fever had burned for so long, it triggered a mild case of pneumonia, requiring him to stay in the hospital for a few days. Caleb practically moved his office into the hospital room, staying by his son’s side around the clock. Ashley, on the other hand, never visited once. Every day, I cooked meals at home and delivered them to the ward. One afternoon, I was spoon-feeding Leo his lunch when my phone suddenly rang. It was the main hospital. They told me Mia had suffered a massive, sudden brain hemorrhage and was currently in emergency surgery. My hand gave out. The bowl crashed to the floor, the shattering porcelain making Leo jump. Caleb was just walking through the door. He rushed over to me, asking what was wrong. My hands were shaking violently. My brain completely short-circuited, and even pulling oxygen into my lungs felt impossible. How could this happen? When I saw her yesterday, she was perfectly fine. She was supposed to be discharged tomorrow. Everything was getting better. How?

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Right after the final AP exams, a local news reporter interviewed the first student to walk out of the testing center. While the school’s top student smiled at the camera and said this year’s questions weren’t too hard, I walked out right behind him, my face pale, clutching my stomach, and wiping away tears. This starkly contrasting image was screenshotted by netizens and became the internet’s newest viral meme for exam season: “The Smiling Valedictorian and the Crying Slacker.” The comments section was ruthless: “The smiling nerd in the front is so handsome, and the crying slacker in the back really knows how to put on a tragic show.” Me: Gee, thanks a lot. Y’all are so sweet for complimenting my crying skills. 01 During the two days of our final exams, my period hit me like a truck. After the very last subject, my classmates couldn’t wait to throw a massive senior wrap party. Because I was in agonizing pain, I skipped it. As a result, a rumor spread like wildfire that I had bombed the exams so badly I had a mental breakdown and couldn’t even show my face at the party. 02 I slept like the dead at home all night, completely oblivious to the drama. The next morning, I went to school for yearbook signing and senior photos, only to find everyone looking at me with weird, pitying eyes. I didn’t care much, though, because I had something far more important to do today. I was eagerly looking for Ethan Cole. We had made a promise that once finals were over, we would officially start dating. But when I finally found him, he was tucked away in a corner of the hallway, kissing my desk-mate, Hailey Morgan. Their eyelashes fluttered, their cheeks were flushed, and the kiss looked incredibly tender and sweet. Seeing this, my brain instantly short-circuited. After all, just two days ago, Ethan had texted me. He wrote: “Riley, just thinking about you becoming my girlfriend in two days keeps me up at night! I won’t let you down. Let’s meet at the top!” Had the world really spun off its axis in just forty-eight hours? 03 I stood frozen in place. For a second, I didn’t know if I should march up and slap him, or just turn around and walk away. If I slapped him, I didn’t entirely have the moral high ground. Even though the whole senior class knew Ethan and I liked each other, technically, we weren’t officially together yet. But just walking away made my blood boil. While I was hesitating, Ethan spotted me. He instinctively shoved Hailey away and sprinted over to me, looking panicked. “Riley, listen to me, I can explain.” I crossed my arms and sneered. “Go ahead. I’m listening.” How could he possibly spin this into something acceptable? Ethan opened his mouth, seeming to realize how absurd his next words were going to sound. But he said them anyway. “At the wrap party yesterday, you didn’t show up, and Hailey confessed her feelings to me.” I replied that I didn’t go yesterday, and he didn’t even bother to text me once. Turns out, he was busy getting confessed to. I clenched my fists. “And then you two got together?” “No, I didn’t say yes,” Ethan said in a low voice. “She got drunk yesterday and kissed me. Today, she asked me to return that kiss to her so she could have closure, which is why I…” I was dumbfounded. I stared at Ethan. “Do you think I’m an idiot?” Ethan shook his head, offering a bitter smile. “No, I’m telling the truth. Honestly, my head is a total mess right now.” “You don’t need to be conflicted,” Hailey suddenly spoke up from the side. She walked up to me, her voice hoarse. “I was drunk and out of line yesterday when I kissed Ethan. Today, I practically begged him to return the kiss. None of this is his fault. He’s just too much of a gentleman. Don’t blame him.” I was utterly speechless. After delivering her lines, Hailey wiped the tears from her face and smiled tragically at Ethan. “Thank you for letting me leave high school with no regrets. My crush on you ends here. I wish you happiness, Ethan.” With that, Hailey choked back a sob and walked away. Ethan looked at me, then looked at Hailey’s retreating, weeping figure. He gritted his teeth and said, “I’m sorry, Riley. Wait for me, I’ll explain everything properly later.” Then he actually chased after Hailey, leaving me standing alone in the wind. 04 By the time my best friend Savannah Mitchell ran over, I was still standing there like a statue. She practically tackled me, almost knocking me to the floor. Savannah grabbed my shoulders, shaking me back and forth, sobbing loudly. “Riley, you idiot, what happened?! How could you drop the ball at the most critical moment of your life? Waaaah!” I looked at Savannah in confusion. She was genuinely bawling, massive tears rolling down her cheeks and splashing onto the floor. “I know you’re hurting the most right now, and I should be comforting you, but I just can’t hold it in! I’m so sad! Riley, you jerk, you’re usually so arrogant and confident! How could you bomb the finals? You total failure, waaaah!” In no time, Savannah had soaked the shoulder of my shirt with her tears. I looked at her scrunched-up, crying face. “Sav, stop howling. Who told you I bombed the exams? I did perfectly fine.” I pulled out a tissue and wiped her face. Savannah pouted. “Really? Then why didn’t you answer any of my calls last night?!” “I was exhausted after the tests. I went home, skipped dinner, and crashed. I didn’t hear my phone.” Savannah looked at me with red eyes. “Then… did you actually finish the AP Calculus section? Did you write real answers?” I nodded. “I finished the whole thing. I answered everything seriously and even had thirty minutes left over to check my work.” Savannah’s lips curled up into a wobbly smile, but then she frowned again. “But last night, Hailey said you looked awful after the math exam. She said you told her the test was incredibly hard, that you only knew the multiple-choice, and you guessed on all the free-response questions.” “Hailey said that?” Savannah nodded. “She announced it in front of the whole class at the party! Also, you haven’t been on social media since yesterday, right? A news crew caught you on camera. You went viral.” I was completely lost. “What are you talking about?” I only missed one party. How did a whole season of television drama happen in one night? Seeing my blank face, Savannah pulled out her phone and showed me a video. In the video, a reporter was interviewing the first student out of the testing center. I knew the guy—Carter Hayes from Class 2, the genius who was constantly battling me for the #1 rank in our grade. Because Carter was incredibly good-looking, the video had blown up online. While Carter was smiling at the camera saying the exam wasn’t that difficult, I walked out in the background, my face pale, clutching my stomach, and wiping away tears. Someone took a screenshot of this dramatic contrast, creating the ultimate meme: “The Smiling Valedictorian and the Crying Slacker.” The comments were wild: “The smiling nerd in the front is so handsome, and the crying slacker in the back really knows how to put on a tragic show.” Me: Gee, thanks a lot. Y’all are so sweet for complimenting my crying skills.

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