While I was giving birth, my husband’s stepsister barged into the delivery room, snapping photos of me without consent. “Ew,” she grimaced, covering her mouth. “You look absolutely hideous giving birth, Sarah. I bet my brother is going to be traumatized.” Humiliated and furious, I screamed at her to get out. My younger brother, defending me, snatched her phone and deleted the invasive photos. She immediately threw a tantrum outside the ward. “I worked hard to take those! What right do you have to delete them?” My husband’s face went dark. He punched my brother to the ground. “Kneel and apologize to Bella, or I’ll make you regret it!” On a day that should have been about welcoming new life, my in-laws surrounded my brother and beat him. “She was taking photos of my sister!” my brother shouted back, refusing to yield. “I only deleted those specific ones!” My husband scoffed. “Bullying a young girl and you think you’re right? Anyone who messes with my sister pays the price.” He grabbed a chair, ready to break my brother’s hand. Ignoring my pain, I rushed out, face pale, and slapped my husband across the face. “Mark, I want a divorce!” Chapter 1 The slap forced Mark’s face to the side. A red handprint bloomed on his cheek instantly. He looked at me, eyes filled with shock and disappointment. Before I could speak, Bella rushed forward and slapped me back. “Sarah! Don’t be ungrateful!” Weak from childbirth, I lost my balance and crashed to the floor. The stitches from my C-section tore open. Cold sweat broke out on my forehead as the pain blinded me. Crimson blood began to spread, staining my white hospital gown. “Sarah!” My brother, Leo, screamed. He was already beaten and bruised, but he tried to crawl towards me. My father-in-law and the others dragged him back like a dead dog. Bella stood over me, looking down with a sneer, her voice dripping with venom. “Sarah, how could you?” “This is your husband! You hit him for your brother? Did you ever even love him?” She raised her voice on purpose, making sure all the relatives gathered around heard every word. The murmurs of agreement started immediately. “Exactly. She married into our family, why is she siding with outsiders?” “Her brother is out of line, and as the older sister, she’s just making it worse. Disgraceful.” Mark glanced at me coldly, then wrapped his arm around Bella to comfort her. Just then, a nurse brought the baby out. I struggled to lift my head and saw Bella snatch the baby from the nurse. She held my newborn son, a cruel smile playing on her lips. “Choose,” Bella said. “Your precious son, or your brother. If you choose the baby, Leo loses both hands. If you choose your brother, from today on, this baby has nothing to do with you. I’ll raise him as my own.” “Choose, Sarah!” My newborn child had become a bargaining chip. No one stopped her. Some of the relatives even looked like they were enjoying the show. Leo, barely conscious from the pain, yelled, “Sarah! Ignore me! Choose the baby! Choose the baby!” Mark looked at me, covered in blood, with zero compassion in his eyes. “Sarah, stop making a scene. Bella just wants justice. Pick one, and we’ll let this go. Otherwise, you know the consequences.” My breath caught in my throat. On one side, the child I carried for nine months. On the other, my only family left in this world. Both were pieces of my heart. I couldn’t choose. The baby seemed to sense the hostility. He suddenly let out a loud wail. The cry pierced my heart like a needle. “Sis…” Leo whispered desperately. My body shook violently, and I coughed up a mouthful of blood. The crowd stepped back in disgust, covering their noses. Bella smirked. “No time to hesitate! Three seconds! One, two—” I reached out, wanting to touch my baby, wanting to comfort my brother. But my gaze landed on Mark. The man I had loved for five years, been married to for three. Now, he watched me drown in despair, helping an outsider force my hand. Darkness swamped me. My lips trembled, trying to form an answer, but before I could speak, everything went black. Chapter 2 “Leo!” I woke up screaming, struggling to sit up. A pair of strong hands pinned my shoulders down. I looked up into Mark’s deep eyes. He was sitting by my bed, looking tired. “Mark, where’s Leo?” I grabbed his wrist, my voice shaking uncontrollably. “What did you do to him? Tell me!” Mark frowned, prying my hands off. His tone was calm. “You were unconscious for a day. You didn’t choose, so I chose for you.” “If Bella hadn’t been kind enough to beg for mercy, Leo would have lost both hands.” “What?!” I stared at him in disbelief, screaming in rage. “Mark, you animal!” I tried to get out of bed, desperate to find my brother, but he held me down firmly. “You just had surgery, you can’t move! Sarah, it’s done. Making a scene won’t change anything. Worry about your own health.” “Let me go!” I roared like a trapped beast. “That’s my brother! My only family! What right did you have to choose for me? What right did you have to hurt him? Mark, I’m going to kill you!” The ward door was kicked open with a bang. Bella walked in carrying a thermos. She walked straight to the window and poured the steaming chicken soup out. “Ungrateful wretch! Who do you think you are, drinking soup from the Sterling family?” She turned, her face full of disgust. “Sarah, your parents died early, so no one taught you gratitude, right? My brother gave you everything, and you dare blame him for disciplining your trashy brother?” “We should have crippled him completely so he couldn’t cause more trouble.” Bella pulled out her phone and threw it onto my bed. The screen lit up, playing a video of Leo being beaten. Bodyguards swung wooden bats at his arms. The sound of bones cracking was sickeningly clear even through the phone speakers. Leo curled up on the ground, wailing in agony, calling out for me hoarsely. I shuddered, hatred flooding my veins. I summoned every ounce of strength and shoved Mark away. He stumbled back, hitting the wall, caught off guard. I didn’t look back. I ran out of the room like a madwoman, desperate to find my brother. As I burst out of the hospital entrance, my feet rooted to the spot. My blood froze. At the bottom of the hospital steps, Leo was curled on the concrete. His left arm hung uselessly, blood soaking his sleeve. His face was ghostly pale, brows knit in pain. He was muttering, “Sis… my hand…” I stumbled down the stairs, voice breaking. “Leo! I’m here! I’ll get you help!” Clutching my painful abdomen with one hand, I used the other to hook under Leo’s armpit, trying to lift him. Supporting each other, we limped step by step toward the hospital entrance. Just as I used my last bit of strength to push the doors open, Bella and the bodyguards blocked the way. She smirked cruelly. “Sarah, want to save your brother?” “Simple. Kowtow ten times. Loud ones. Until I’m satisfied.” “In your dreams!” Leo jerked his head up, screaming through a hoarse throat. “Sis, let’s go! Don’t beg her! She’s not worth it!” “We’ll go to another hospital. Someone will help us! Let’s go, Sis!” Bella looked down at us, her voice dripping with arrogance. “Let me tell you, with one word from the Sterling family, no hospital in this city will dare to admit you.” I looked at Mark, standing behind her. He watched silently, allowing Bella to torment us. I let out a tragic laugh, tears brimming but refusing to fall. “Mark, do you remember the promise you made when you proposed?” Chapter 3 My voice trembled but every word was clear. “You said you would treat Leo like your own brother.” “Is this how you treat him?” Mark stiffened as if hit by a hammer. The indifference on his face cracked, replaced by a flicker of panic. Noticing this, Bella hooked her arm through his, soothing him. “Mark, how can she say that? You’ve been so good to Leo. He was the one who was disrespectful to me. He did something wrong, he should be punished!” “Don’t let her gaslight you!” Mark stepped forward, his tall figure casting a shadow over me. His eyes were full of disappointment and disgust. “Sarah, I thought you were sensible. I didn’t expect you to be so blind to right and wrong!” “You don’t have to kneel. Just abandon him. There will still be a place for you in the Sterling family.” “You should know what’s more important: your child or your brother.” I scoffed and ripped the wedding ring off my finger. I threw it hard. It clattered to the ground at Mark’s feet, just like his broken promises. My voice was ice cold. “Mark, we’re done!” I gritted my teeth, supported my brother, and walked away without looking back. We went to three major hospitals. All of them stopped us at the door. I knew Bella had made the calls. She wanted to corner us. By nightfall, I finally found a small clinic. I grabbed the old doctor’s arm, begging. “Doctor, please look at my brother’s arm. We’ll pay whatever you want.” The doctor frowned as he cut open Leo’s sleeve. The arm was severely swollen and bruised. A gentle touch made Leo almost pass out from pain. The doctor sighed gravely. “The injury is too severe. I can only do basic first aid. You need to get him to a major hospital immediately. If the broken bone compresses the blood vessels for too long, he might need an amputation.” Hearing this, my legs gave out, and I collapsed. “Sis!” Leo tried to get up, his face twisting in pain. He reached out to me with his good hand. “Sis, don’t worry. I still have one hand.” “As long as you don’t mind having a cripple for a brother.” The despair in his eyes broke me. “Leo, don’t worry. I won’t let you lose your arm.” Suddenly, the clinic door was kicked open with a bang. Bella stood there, looking down at us. “Sarah, I thought you’d find somewhere decent. You’re hiding in this dump?” She looked at Leo maliciously. “Leo, blame your sister. If she had just knelt, you wouldn’t be losing an arm.” The old doctor frowned. “Miss, there’s a patient here. Watch your mouth.” “Watch it?” Bella laughed and threw a stack of cash onto the table. “Old man, this covers your rent for six months. Kick them out now. Otherwise, I won’t just close you down, I’ll make sure you can’t survive in this city.” A bodyguard stepped forward, glaring at the doctor. The doctor hesitated for a long time, then sighed, putting down his instruments. “Miss… I’m sorry…” The word “amputation” echoed in my ears. I scrambled up, dropped to my knees, and started banging my head on the floor towards Bella. Blood trickled down my forehead, but I kept going. “Bella, I beg you. Let my brother see a doctor. Don’t let him lose his arm. I’ll do anything. I’ll be your slave!” Bella crossed her arms, a cruel smile on her lips. “Begging me? Sarah, did you hit your head too hard? When did I say I’d let him see a doctor if you knelt?” That sentence was the last straw. It destroyed the final shred of hope I had. I grabbed a scalpel from the tray and lunged, pressing it against her throat. “Bella, take my brother to the best hospital now! Find the best orthopedic surgeon! Or you die with him.” Bella shrieked, trembling. “Sarah, are you crazy?!” “Mark! Mark, save me!” Mark rushed in recklessly. His eyes went red with rage. “Sarah! Have you lost your mind?! How dare you hurt Bella!” Without waiting for an explanation, he kicked me hard in the stomach. I flew back and hit the floor, feeling like every bone in my body shattered. “Mark, open your eyes! She’s stopping my brother from getting treatment! She’s trying to kill us!” “She’s the one in the wrong, and you keep enabling her!” I clutched my stomach, looking up at him with accusation. But Mark didn’t care. He was busy checking Bella for injuries. When he looked at me, his eyes held nothing but cold hatred. “I won’t forgive anyone who hurts Bella.” He barked an order to the bodyguards. “Break her brother’s other arm! Show her what a living hell feels like!” In that moment of crisis, I shakily pulled out my phone. My fingers fumbled across the screen. When the call connected, I used my last bit of strength to scream. “Is this… is this Grandpa Quinn from Ark Biotech?” My voice was broken, sobbing. “I’m the daughter of David and Linda Su. My brother is being beaten to death… they’re going to break his arms… please, save us…” Chapter 4 Mark snatched the phone impatiently. “Calling for help? Let’s see who dares to interfere with my business!” But the next second, an authoritative voice boomed from the phone. “I don’t care who you are. Get your dirty hands off her immediately! If you touch her again, you’ll pay for it!” Bella scoffed, unbothered. “Sarah, you think a phone call can save you? Let me tell you, even if God himself came down today, he couldn’t save you!” She grabbed the phone and smashed it to pieces. Mark gave a cold order. The bodyguard raised the steel pipe again. I pressed the scalpel against my own neck. “Mark! If you hurt my brother again, I’ll die right here! I’ll make you live the rest of your life with my blood on your hands!” “Sarah, are you threatening me?” I didn’t speak, just stared at him, eyes bulging with hatred. Mark, frightened by the look in my eyes, took a step back. While we were locked in a standoff, Bella snatched the steel pipe. “Sarah, you can threaten my brother, but you can’t threaten me.” “You dared to touch me? Today I’ll break your brother’s arms and legs. I’ll make sure he’s a cripple for life.” She advanced step by step, a triumphant smile on her face. Regret welled up inside me. When I dated Mark, Bella bullied me relentlessly because she thought I stole her brother. I thought true love could conquer all. Instead, I ruined myself and hurt my brother. Just then, a roar came from outside. An old man in a Mao suit pushed the door open, his sharp gaze sweeping the room. When he saw me and my injured brother, he shouted sternly: “Who did this?” Bella was startled by Mr. Quinn’s imposing presence. After looking him over, she sneered. “Acting tough?” “Where did you dig up this poor relative, Sarah? Get out!” Seeing Mr. Quinn didn’t react, she got bolder, lifting her chin arrogantly. “Let me tell you, this is Sterling territory. If you don’t know what’s good for you, don’t blame us for what happens next!” Mr. Quinn smiled faintly. “Oh? Is that so?” As soon as he spoke, rapid footsteps echoed from the alley. A squad of well-trained men in black suits rushed in. The leader walked straight to Mr. Quinn and bowed respectfully. “Sir, everything is ready.” Mr. Quinn nodded slightly, looking at me and my brother with kindness. “Don’t be afraid, children. With me here, no one can touch you.” The leader signaled his men. Two medics rushed forward with a stretcher, carefully securing my brother. Another man helped me up. “Miss Su, don’t worry. We will do everything to save your brother.” I nodded weakly, a glimmer of hope in my eyes. Mark and Bella turned pale, frozen in place. Seeing their cowardly faces, I felt a deep sadness. I had wasted my best years on such people, and caused my brother such pain. Just as we were about to board the helicopter, Mark’s hoarse voice called out. “Stop!” He stumbled over to block us. “Who do you think you are? What right do you have to take them? Leo made a mistake and deserves punishment. This is our family matter, not the business of some random old man!”

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When I was eighteen, and Alex was just a street punk, he dragged me to get matching tattoos of our names over our hearts. I endured the excruciating pain, swearing I’d be his in life and death. At twenty-eight, Alex had become the underground king of the city. After a night of passion, he lit a cigarette. Casually, he pointed to the tattoo on my chest. “Come with me tomorrow to get it removed. Bella won’t be happy seeing your name on me.” He had completely forgotten he was the one who forced me to get it. I didn’t scream or fight like I used to. Instead, I nodded obediently. “Okay. Let’s make sure it’s gone for good.” Alex paused, his hand freezing mid-air. Removing a name is painful. But cutting someone out of your heart? Turns out, all it takes is a single moment of clarity. Chapter 1 The next morning, Alex drove me to the tattoo removal clinic on the South Side. I reached for the back door out of habit, but Alex stopped me. “Sit in the front,” he said. “Bella isn’t here today.” I paused, then opened the back door anyway. “I’ll sit here. Too lazy to move.” Alex stared at me through the rearview mirror, trying to read my face. I turned away. Bella could fly across the Atlantic to study art history in Europe, but sitting in the back seat of Alex’s car made her “carsick.” As the “Big Sister” of the organization, I had to make way. In the clinic, a curtain separated me and Alex. The technician, Amy, held up the laser, whispering, “Ma’am, are you sure about this?” I listened to the buzz of the laser on Alex’s side, and his gentle voice on the phone. “Bella, be good. I’ll be back as soon as I’m done… What? You want boba from that place downtown? Okay, I’ll buy it for you on the way back…” I took a deep breath. “Do it.” The faster, the better. Turns out, erasing a tattoo only takes thirty minutes. I stood on the curb, calling an Uber. “I’ll drive you?” Alex adjusted his tie. As if that could hide the darkness clinging to him. “No need,” I said. “Don’t you have to get boba for Bella? The line will be long. You’ll be late.” Alex looked at me impatiently. “Nora, can you stop talking like that? I’ve told you a million times, Bella is just like a little sister to me…” The wound on my chest burned, but my heart was strangely calm. “I know.” I had to admit, I was getting bored. “Are you going to get her boba or not?” Alex scowled, slammed the car door shut, and sped off. Leaving me in the dust. Whatever. It’s just an Uber. Before, to make Bella happy, he made me wait in the rain for three hours. From that day on, I decided I would never wait again. Back home, I went into the bathroom and peeled off the gauze in front of the mirror. The skin on my chest was burnt black, a bloody mess. The name “Alex” was gone, replaced by a hideous scar. I stared at myself in the mirror and suddenly laughed. Removing a name hurts like hell. But cutting a person out of your heart really only takes a split second. Chapter 2 I sat on the sofa, staring at the circled date on the calendar, memories flooding back uncontrollably. At eighteen, I saved a bloodied Alex in an alleyway. He leaned against the wall, handing me half of his only sandwich, smiling weakly. “If I have meat to eat, I won’t let you just drink soup.” Later, my father, a major player in the underworld, was assassinated. The empire he built crumbled overnight. Everyone abandoned the code of honor, fighting for scraps of my father’s territory. Only Alex protected me and my mother, surviving in the cracks. Even in our poorest year, he ran across the city just to buy me my favorite crab cakes for my birthday. We fell in love. He tattooed my name on his chest. “In this life, no one can separate us.” I believed him. I foolishly believed him for seven years, until Bella showed up. Bella was the daughter of the previous boss, Uncle Sal. After Sal died, Alex took it upon himself to care for Bella. At first, it was “just a sister.” Then it became “she’s sickly, bear with her.” Then… My birthday became irrelevant. Last year, he took Bella to a checkup on my birthday. The year before, he took her to a party. This year, he probably forgot again. I checked the time. 7 PM. Alex wasn’t home yet. I went into the kitchen, then heard a noise at the door. Chapter 3 Alex was back. Bella was behind him. She was wearing an apron, gauze wrapped around her finger, looking pitiful. “Alex, I really didn’t mean to. I just wanted to cook for you…” Alex frowned, checking her hand. “Why are you so careless? Does it hurt?” “It hurts…” Bella’s eyes were red. Alex immediately went for the first aid kit. “Let me see. Do we need to go to the ER?” “No, no, it’s just a little red.” Bella shook her head. I sat at the dining table, watching this scene, and suddenly found it hilarious. Alex finished treating Bella’s wound, then looked up and saw me. He froze. “Why are you here?” “Where else would I be?” I said calmly. “This is my house.” Alex missed my tone. He turned to Bella. “Bella, go rest. I’ll make you some noodles.” Bella nodded obediently. Alex went into the kitchen. I heard pots and pans clanging. A while later, he came out with a bowl of soggy noodles for Bella. “Eat this for now. Don’t go into the kitchen next time. What if you get burned?” Bella took the bowl, whispering, “I just wanted to cook for you…” “Silly girl.” Alex rubbed her head affectionately. I looked at the noodles. I remembered he once said he would always cook the first bowl of longevity noodles for my birthday. Now, that pot was used for Bella, and the noodles were for Bella. And he didn’t even remember my birthday. I stood up, walked into the kitchen, looked at the remaining soggy noodles in the pot, and poured them into the trash. Alex heard the noise and turned around. “What are you doing?” “Pouring it out,” I said. “Why?” He frowned. I didn’t answer. I went back to my room and locked the door. Alex shouted from behind, “What is it now? Can you stop making a scene?” I leaned against the door and closed my eyes. Chapter 4 I dreamed all night. I dreamed of years ago. After my father died, Alex and I fought to survive for two years. Then, my father’s biggest rival, Uncle Sal, invited Alex for a drink. That night, Alex threw up until he was empty, crying in my arms. “Nora, I had no choice… to protect you and your mom, and your dad’s men, I had to…” I slapped him with all my strength, making him swallow his words. He sold out my family. But he was right. I had to listen. So, Uncle Sal became the “saint” who took in the widow and orphan of the former boss. And his daughter, Bella, entered our lives. Alex knocked on my door. I opened it. He held an exquisite gift box, looking slightly awkward. “I forgot your birthday yesterday. This is to make up for it.” I looked at the box calmly. “No need.” “Take it.” He shoved the box into my hands. “Don’t be mad.” I opened it. A designer bag. I closed the lid and put it on the table. Alex frowned, then seemed to remember something, grabbing my wrist. I stumbled into his arms. “Does it still hurt? Let me see…” Alex pulled at my collar. Lust flickered in his eyes. I felt disgusted and covered myself. “It doesn’t hurt.” No matter how much it hurt, it couldn’t compare to the bullet I took for him three years ago. Three years ago, Alex went to inspect a territory. He knew I loved seafood, so he brought me along. But Uncle Sal’s enemies found us. I saw the man first. But I didn’t realize he intended to kill Alex. The moment he raised his hand, my mind went blank, but my body moved in front of Alex. The bullet went through my shoulder. I was in the ICU for three days. When I woke up, Alex was kneeling by my bed, eyes red. There was something hard in my hand. I opened my fingers. A jade pendant. I recognized it. It was the only thing Alex’s birth parents left him. “A fortune teller said this jade holds half my life.” “Nora, don’t die, okay? I’ll give you my life…” Since then, I wore that jade every day. Until now. Seeing my lack of cooperation, Alex lost interest. “Bella has been weak lately. I heard jade heals people. Let her wear your pendant for a while. She’ll return it when she’s better.” I looked at him and laughed. “What’s funny?” Alex was confused. “I’m laughing at myself,” I said. “Laughing that I still had expectations of you.” Alex frowned. “What are you talking about?” I didn’t speak. I walked to the vanity, took off the necklace. The attack three years ago didn’t spare Uncle Sal. Alex reacted quickly and took over the organization. He told everyone this jade was the symbol of the matriarch. Seeing the jade meant seeing my authority. But at Sal’s funeral, he hugged a crying Bella and said seeing her was like seeing him. Alex’s power grew. He practically owned the city’s underground. He gave me a lot of responsibility. But he sent Bella abroad, keeping her away from the business. “It’s dirty work,” Alex said. “Bella is so innocent. She’d be scared.” Everyone envied Alex. In business, he had me, a partner forged in blood. Emotionally, he had Bella, his delicate flower. I put the jade in Alex’s hand. “Give it to her.” Alex froze, looking at the jade, frowning deeper. “You…” “I’m healthy anyway. I don’t need jade to heal me,” I interrupted. “She needs it more than I do, right?” Alex opened his mouth but said nothing. “Alex? Is that Nora?” A voice came from the stairs. Bella stood there in Alex’s white shirt, barefoot, looking at us innocently. Seeing Bella, Alex instinctively clenched the jade. He walked over. “It’s nothing. Go rest.” Bella glanced at me, a flash of triumph in her eyes, then went upstairs. Alex turned back to me, hesitant. “Go,” I said. “She’s waiting.” Alex was silent for a few seconds, then turned and went upstairs. Watching his back, I suddenly felt exhausted. Too tired to fight, to argue, to even look at him. I went back to my room, took out my phone, and found a dusty number. I hesitated, then dialed. It rang three times. “Hello?” A deep, magnetic voice. I took a deep breath. “Mr. Sterling, does your proposal still stand?” Silence for two seconds. Then a low laugh. “It stands. I’m waiting for you anytime.” I hung up, looking at the sky outside. I felt lighter. Alex, this time, I really don’t love you anymore.

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My husband and I had been trying for a baby for three years without a single positive result. It wasn’t until I took my daily folic acid supplement in front of my best friend—who happens to be a doctor—that the truth came out. She snatched the bottle from my hand, frowned, and crushed a pill into powder. “Grace, this isn’t folic acid. This is birth control.” I listened to her and sent the pills to a lab for testing. It turned out I had been taking contraceptives for three years. These pills were given to me by Julian. Every time before we were intimate, he would coax me into taking one, claiming it was for the health of our future baby. Just as I was about to confront him with the lab results, a message popped up in our mutual friend group chat. It was from Chloe. The image was a pregnancy test with two lines so dark they looked purple. [Hubby, let’s make a bet.] [Do you think I’m carrying a mini-Julian or a mini-Chloe?] [I’m betting on a mini-Julian.] Two minutes later, she sent another message, pretending to be flustered: [Oh my god, wrong chat! Sorry everyone, please pretend you didn’t see that.] I let out a cold, bitter laugh. The moral shackles I had placed on myself finally shattered. I opened an old email thread and replied to the one person I had never truly gotten over: [Wait for me. In one month, I’m coming with you.] The group chat fell into a dead silence. Eventually, someone broke the ice: [Wow, congratulations!] [When did you two get married?] [Why didn’t you tell us? We would have come for a drink!] Someone initiated a Venmo pool for a “wedding gift.” Others followed suit, sending money. Chloe sent two shy emojis. [Thanks for the blessings, everyone! Please don’t make a fuss, just pretend it didn’t happen!] [Nonsense! Even if we missed the wedding, we can’t forget our friendship.] [Exactly! It wasn’t easy for you and Julian to finally get together. We have to celebrate.] This group consisted of Julian’s close college friends. After we got our marriage license, he added me to it, saying, “They’re my friends, it’s good for you to know them.” When they asked who I was, Julian had simply typed: [A friend.] [If she’s a friend, introduce her! Set her up with one of the single guys here!] Julian stayed silent, so I stayed silent. I remained a lurker in that group for years. Back then, Chloe had even snapped at them: [Don’t act so thirsty every time you see a woman. If you want one, find one yourself.] The Grant and Foster families are both old money. Our parents always wanted a grand wedding of the century. But Julian always said, “I’m in a critical phase of my career. I don’t have time for a small wedding, let alone a grand one. Let’s talk about it later.” “Later” turned into five years. I had long since given up hope for a wedding. None of Julian’s friends knew he was married. And they certainly didn’t know he hadn’t married Chloe, the woman everyone called his “golden couple” match in college. The notifications kept pinging. My phone screen lit up the dark room. I stared coldly at the screen, my soul detaching from my body as tears fell one after another. I didn’t know how to vent the pain and resentment swelling in my chest. For a moment, I hoped Julian would step in and say it was a rumor. But while everyone tagged him like crazy, the main character remained silent. Chloe accepted the money. [Thanks everyone! Consider it a welcome gift for the baby. Once the baby is born, we’ll invite you all out for a party. You have to come!] It was clear. They intended to keep the baby. My chest felt tight, suffocating. I opened the window to let the freezing wind in. Standing on the balcony, gasping for air, I felt like my heart was failing. After the cold air numbed me, I calmed down. I took screenshots of the chat, saved them, and silently left the group. I was still sitting in the corner of the balcony, dazed, when Julian came home—earlier than usual. He pulled me up from the floor and closed the window. “Ideally, you shouldn’t sit on the floor with the window open in winter. You’ll get sick.” I stared at him. He looked focused as he dusted off my clothes, but he felt like a stranger. Was he acting this way because he felt guilty? I flinched, dodging his touch. “Don’t touch me.” He froze, finally meeting my eyes. His look labeled me as unreasonable. He spoke lightly, “Is this about the group chat?” “Grace, before we got married, we agreed we were doing this to satisfy our parents. They are happy with the status quo, and I am happy. What aren’t you satisfied with?” My marriage to Julian was devoid of love; it was a merger. Our families were long-time business partners. I went abroad for high school and college, while Julian stayed in the States. We barely knew each other. When I returned, our parents conspired to force us together. “Merging our families is the best choice for the business.” “We paved a golden road for you, why do you insist on the dirt path?” “I’m telling you, I will never accept that boyfriend you have. Unless your father and I die.” They cut off my cards, took my phone, and stationed bodyguards outside my door. I was forced to break up with my boyfriend, Liam, and succumb to their wishes. Before we signed the papers, Julian had said coldly, “We’re comrades in arms. Let’s just satisfy them. Don’t take anything else seriously.” I knew his heart belonged to Chloe. But I never expected him to cheat so openly. And to feed me birth control for three years to prevent a pregnancy. Even if it started as a sham, five years of marriage builds some form of attachment. To say I wasn’t hurt would be a lie. To say I wasn’t disgusted would be an even bigger lie. I asked him, “So, you want to keep this child?” I already knew the answer. Chloe wouldn’t have accepted that money without Julian’s permission. She wouldn’t dig a grave for herself. Julian gritted his teeth. “Grace, I want a child.” I couldn’t hold back. I slapped him across the face. Everything became comically tragic. Laughter and tears burst out of me simultaneously. I walked into the bedroom and grabbed the lab report and my hospital diagnosis from the desk. I threw them in his face. “Julian, look for yourself.” “The ‘folic acid’ you gave me was birth control.” He suddenly looked panicked, shuffling the papers in his hands. His voice trembled. “Grace…” “You fed me contraceptives for three years, and now you tell me you want a child?” “If you wanted a child with Chloe, you could have told me. I would have helped you hide it from our parents. You didn’t have to disguise birth control as vitamins and trick me into taking them.” “I can accept a loveless marriage. But I cannot accept you destroying my body.” Looking back at these five years, it felt surreal. Aside from the politeness, there were moments where we seemed like a real couple. When he was drunk, he would cling to me, calling me “Wifey” over and over. “Are you happy? I feel very happy.” I would make him hangover soup, and he would pull me close. “Being with you is the best cure.” At first, I thought he was mistaking me for someone else. But over time, I accepted it. He created little romances. He charmed my parents. “Don’t worry, Mom, Dad. Grace is wonderful. Marrying her was the best decision I ever made.” Even though I suspected it was an act, I had the illusion that fate was pushing us to grow old together. Even if we weren’t lovers, we were family. But he was cruel. Cruel enough to watch me swallow poison for three years without a word. His hands shook as he held the report. His gaze drifted. “I was afraid you’d be sad,” he squeezed out. “I won’t give them to you anymore.” Two sentences. No apology. No concern. Just avoidance. I scoffed. Was he afraid I’d be sad, or afraid that if he told the truth, he wouldn’t get his way? Julian’s selfishness and hypocrisy were overflowing. I felt sick. “Julian, you say that so lightly. Do you know how many nights I spent awake, anxious that I was infertile? Do you know the pain of thinking something was wrong with me?” I slowly took the hospital diagnosis from his hand and pointed to the results. “The doctor said I took too many contraceptives. My hormones are in chaos. I might be permanently infertile.” “You only wanted a child with the woman you love. Did you ever consider that I had the right to be a mother too?” “Are you satisfied now? You don’t need to drug me anymore. I can’t get pregnant anyway.” My voice choked up, my body shaking with sobs. “But we have no future, Julian. I hate you.” After the lab results came back, I had gone to the hospital immediately. Reality was harsh. I couldn’t escape the damage. When the doctor told me it would be difficult for me to conceive, I started hating Julian. Now, that hate had peaked. I locked myself in the master bedroom. My laptop screen lit up. It was an email from Liam. He had been waiting for me abroad for a long time. Since we were forced apart, he sent me an email every week. I wiped my face and opened it. Attached was a blurry photo of a black hole. [Observed a collapsing star today. Grace, how are you? Missing you.] [When I retire, to stop myself from becoming a sad black hole, I will come back to protect you.] [It’s just too far away right now. Missing you breaks my heart.] Liam grew up in the UK and the US; he always had that dry wit. Over five years, his emails had piled up into a mountain. I backed them all up, afraid they’d disappear. But I never replied. I knew I was a married woman; I had my integrity. I thought he would move on. He didn’t. I sat there, reading through the old letters. Memories flooded back. My phone pinged. Julian had transferred $10 million to my account. [This was my fault. This is your compensation.] When I realized that even ten million dollars couldn’t quell my hatred, I knew I had to live for myself. I replied to Liam: [It’s not far. Wait for me for one month. I’m coming with you.] Since the fight, we slept in separate rooms. I saw the guest room door open at night, empty. He was probably at Chloe’s. I didn’t care. I packed my belongings bit by bit, shipping them internationally for Liam to receive. One day, Julian bought me a gift—a vintage diamond tiara I had eyed in a catalog. He opened a bottle of expensive red wine and cooked dinner. “Grace, Grandpa’s 80th birthday is in a few days. Can we call a truce?” For the sake of the families’ “face” again. We were used to acting. “Sure,” I said. Since Grandpa turned 70, every birthday was a massive event. We went to the most exclusive restaurant in Shanghai, filling the place with family and business partners. Before entering, Julian reached for my hand. I tried to pull away, but he interlaced his fingers with mine, squeezing until it hurt. He smiled, satisfied, and walked us in. Chloe was there, too. She was busy helping the Foster family with arrangements. The smile vanished from Julian’s face, replaced by unease. During the meal, the inevitable topic arose. My mother and my mother-in-law chimed in. “Are you two tricking us? Married five years, trying for three, and still no movement?” “You two need to get checked.” My smile froze. I thought of what Julian did, and tears threatened to spill. I lowered my head, wiping a tear with my pinky. Forcing a smile, I poured a glass of wine. “Come on, today is Grandpa’s birthday. Let’s not talk about this. To Grandpa!” My mother-in-law took the glass away. “Grandpa appreciates the thought, but you’re trying to conceive. No alcohol.” “Julian, you neither.” Chloe patted her stomach, a sly look in her eyes. She placed my mother-in-law’s hand on her belly. “Auntie, Grace isn’t pregnant, but I am.” The table went silent. She glanced at me. “I mean, you will definitely hold a grandchild soon. Maybe even two. Julian is healthy, just put your heart at ease.” I glanced at Julian. His furrowed brows relaxed, looking at Chloe with love. Chloe poured me a glass of wine. “Grace, I probably scared you just now.” “Blame my big mouth. Don’t mind me.” She raised her glass. “I want to apologize. Even though you’re trying, you haven’t succeeded in three years. One glass won’t hurt, right?” I ignored her. She just stood there, holding the glass. Julian anxiously grabbed the glass from Chloe. “You’re pregnant, why are you drinking?” “Grace, she’s apologizing to you. It’s rude not to drink.” My mother-in-law wanted to speak, but Julian cut her off. “Mom, don’t baby her.” “A Foster daughter-in-law should have manners. Besides, Chloe is right. We haven’t had luck in three years. One glass is fine. Why so nervous?” I didn’t know where he got the audacity. I pinched my thigh to keep from screaming. Whatever. Today I leave. If I endure this, it’s worth it. I forced a smile at Chloe. “I won’t blame you. Even if this child is Julian’s, I won’t blame you.”

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To save my son who had run into the middle of the street, I took the hit from a truck that shattered my spine. In an instant, an international soccer star became a prisoner confined to a chair. I tore up all my jerseys and smashed every medal against the wall. My son hugged my wheelchair, sobbing: “It’s my fault, Dad.” “Dad, you can hit me or yell at me, just please don’t be like this, okay?” I tried to slit my wrists with scissors, but my wife held me down firmly: “If you leave, what will happen to me and our son?” Later, my son brought me water and fed me every day. After school, he would lean against my wheelchair and tell me stories about his day. My wife massaged me daily and brewed herbal soups at night. I tried to turn over using my arms on the table. Gradually, the wheelchair replaced my legs. I thought this was rebirth. Until that day, when I overheard their conversation. “Taking care of him every day, I’m turning into a maid! My classmates laugh at me for having a crippled dad.” My wife sighed and agreed: “He drags us down every day like this. It would have been better if he had just died back then.” “If he died, you wouldn’t have to feel inferior or guilty, and I wouldn’t have to spend my life in these endless days.” I wiped away my tears and wheeled myself to the balcony. Chapter 1 In the few seconds falling from the balcony, I felt like I was back on the soccer field. Spinning, jumping, landing. The wind whistled past my ears like the applause of the crowd. My soul slowly rose, then drifted back to the balcony on the twenty-second floor. The wheelchair that had accompanied me for eight years sat empty. The house was quiet, too. Two bedroom doors were shut tight, just like every day for the past eight years. My son said he wanted some privacy. My wife said I shouldn’t make every part of the house so depressing. So behind every door was a world that belonged only to them. I understood. I never went in. But now I was dead. I wanted to see my son one last time. Just once. Without any obstruction, I passed through the door. My son was facing his phone, a faint smile on his lips—a lightness I hadn’t seen in a long time. He was video chatting with a classmate, looking happy. “Is your dad really a soccer star? That’s so cool!” My son’s smile froze on his face. “It was that uncle who picked you up last time, right? He’s so handsome.” My son’s eyes dimmed, and he nodded. Since my accident, I had never picked him up or dropped him off. It had always been Sarah’s secretary, Nathan. I felt a sting of pain, but then relief. If Nathan could replace me and be a competent husband and father, maybe that would be better. My son hung up the video call and opened his notebook. “I really wish Uncle Nathan was my dad.” Tears blurred the ink on the page. I reached out, wanting to touch his head, but my hand passed right through his hair. Silly child, your wish will come true soon. In the future, you won’t have to feel inferior about having a crippled father. You won’t have to live in guilt and self-blame anymore. From now on, you can openly say that your dad is great and healthy. Father and son are connected; he seemed to sense something and whispered softly. “Dad, I’m sorry.” I wrapped my arms around his shoulders and hugged him tight. It’s okay. It’s not your fault. It was Dad’s choice. Chapter 2 From the moment I dove into the middle of the road to save you, I never regretted it. Floating out of my son’s room, the light in the master bedroom was on. Sarah was working, a stack of documents on the desk. Since I became paralyzed, she spent most of her time working from home. People at her company whispered that I was her burden, a baggage dragging her down. But during my hardest days, she never gave up on me. She held on for eight years. These eight years, she was tired too. Now I wanted to give her freedom back. My fingers gently traced her brow, wanting to smooth out the frown. Her phone buzzed. It was Nathan. “Sarah, David is just your responsibility. You don’t love him.” “But today, can you be true to yourself for once?” She fell silent. “Today is my birthday.” She stared at the screen for a long time, finally typing one word: “Okay.” She stood up and tidied herself briefly. Walking to the door, she glanced toward the balcony: “David, something came up at the office. I’ll be back late.” I wasn’t too sad. Over these eight years, I had gotten used to Nathan’s intrusion. Deep down, I had already started seeing him as my wife’s future husband, my son’s future father. Chapter 3 I followed Sarah to “Starlight.” This was the first Western restaurant Sarah ever took me to. Back then, we had nothing, struggling for our respective careers. She spent half a month’s salary for one dinner. She said, David, I’ll bring you here every day in the future. She didn’t break her promise. Later, when life got better, we came often. Now that I’m dead, she needs to start a new life. One can’t always live in the past. Her time with me was bitter enough. I hope her future days are a little sweeter. She waited for a long time, but Nathan never showed up. After a while, her phone suddenly buzzed. Sarah answered, looking panicked. She said a few words hurriedly and went straight to the hospital. Nathan was hurt. A fractured left leg. I let out a sigh of relief. At least he didn’t end up like me. “Sarah.” “I shouldn’t have gotten close to you, shouldn’t have had delusions. Let’s not see each other anymore.” Nathan was weeping. Sarah comforted him softly: “What happened?” Nathan choked out: “It… it was David.” “He must have known about the message I sent you. He found me and said this was just a warning. If there’s a next time…” “Next time he’ll take my life!” “Sarah, what should I do? Can you save me? I just want to stay by your side.” I was stunned. I had never met Nathan, let alone warned him. Why was he lying? I stared at Sarah, holding onto a sliver of hope. I thought, given how well Sarah knew me, she wouldn’t believe this lie. But she disappointed me. A hostility I had never seen before surged in her eyes. After comforting Nathan, she walked out of the ward and called me over and over. She couldn’t get through, of course. She opened WeChat and sent a voice message: “David! Have you lost your mind?! I’ve tolerated you long enough! I’ve served you for eight years while you were paralyzed, and you’re still not satisfied?! You’re vicious enough to hurt Nathan!” “How can you be so insidious? I was blind to marry you! A useless cripple like you is just a burden alive!” Every word pierced my heart. If I were still alive, I couldn’t imagine how I would feel hearing these words. But luckily, I was already dead. Dead men don’t feel heartache. Good. If she hates me, she can let go of the past. Sarah returned to the bedside and held Nathan tightly in her arms. She didn’t come home that night. Morning light shone through the balcony glass onto the empty wheelchair. My son, Leo, saw the wheelchair on the balcony, his eyes showing impatience: “Dad, why are you up so early?” No response. He tutted irritably: “Throwing a tantrum again. So annoying.” On the table was warm milk and a fried egg. He learned to make breakfast two years ago. I was proud but heartbroken. Too bad Dad will never eat a breakfast made by his son again. I followed Leo downstairs. The entrance to the apartment complex was crowded. Through the crowd, I vaguely saw a pool of bright red blood. I quickly stood in front of Leo. I was afraid he would see me like that, afraid it would leave a shadow on his heart. Thankfully, he just glanced once and quickly looked away. I let out a sigh of relief and escorted him out of the complex gate. The wind brushed past my ears as he sighed softly: “If only it was him who died.” My heart seized violently, then relaxed. Son, Dad has already granted your wish. I only hope that in the days to come, you won’t be too sad. Chapter 4 A force pulled me to Sarah’s side. She was being intimate with Nathan when the phone rang untimely. “Ms. Zhou? I’m sorry to inform you that a male resident jumped from a building last night. The description matches the family information you registered. May I ask…” Sarah’s mind buzzed. She remembered the calls that didn’t go through yesterday and the harsh words she spewed. Panic set in. An inexplicable fear rose in her heart. She immediately called Leo: “Leo, is Dad at home today?” “Yeah, he’s home. Don’t know what tantrum he’s throwing this morning!” Sarah’s body instantly relaxed. She let out a long breath, a self-mocking smile on her lips. Right, how could someone as thick-skinned as David just kill himself so easily? She returned to normal: “Leo, Mom has something to tell you. I plan to divorce your dad.” “Really?!” “You finally thought it through! I support you 100%! You should marry Uncle Nathan quickly. Dad has dragged you down enough, I don’t want him delaying your happiness anymore!” Sarah was silent for a moment: “After the divorce, I want to send your dad to a nursing home in France. You stay with me.” The joy on the other end of the line stopped abruptly. After a moment of silence, Leo’s voice sounded again: “Mom, you don’t need to carry any moral burden. As a wife, you’ve done more than enough. But Dad was paralyzed saving me. I can’t abandon him. If he goes to France, I have to go with him.” I didn’t expect Leo to say that. I thought he… hated me very, very much. Sarah was stunned: “Leo, actually you don’t have to put so much pressure on yourself. You…” “Ah—!” A scream came from the hospital room.

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While preparing for euthanasia abroad, a reporter suddenly asked me: “Miss Miller, what is the biggest regret of your life?” I thought for a long time before slowly speaking: “When I was a child, my parents went to an orphanage to adopt a child. I chose a quiet boy, and in the end, despite everyone’s objections, I insisted on marrying him.” My words piqued the reporter’s curiosity, and she continued to ask: “Did you end up marrying him?” I touched the scar on my wrist, the wound long since healed into a scab. This was a rare moment of clarity for me. “I did, but then we divorced. He got together with my best friend of twenty-five years. I heard recently that they had a second child. That’s good.” The afternoon the interview aired, Julian Vance rushed from back home and stopped the procedure. He looked at me, his eyes filled with uncontrollable joy: “Jane, it’s so good you’re not dead! Your mother talks about you all the time, she misses you, we all miss you.” I pulled my hand back from his grasp and said softly: “Sir, do we know each other?” Chapter 1 Julian looked as if he had been hit over the head with a club, freezing in place for a full two seconds. “Jane, even if you hate me, you don’t have to pretend not to know me, right?” I looked at the face in front of me with confusion. It did look somewhat familiar. The foreign nurse beside me leaned in and whispered a reminder. “Miss Miller, have you forgotten? You showed us photos. This is your ex-husband.” Ex-husband? It dawned on me. I fished a yellowed notebook out of my hospital gown pocket. I flipped through a few pages seriously, my finger stopping on a certain line, finally matching the face. “So it’s you. You came just in time. You can collect my body. After I die, remember to bury me next to my dad.” Julian snatched the notebook from my hand and threw it hard on the ground: “Jane, are you crazy! How long are you going to keep this up! Five years ago, you faked your death and left, leaving everyone in pain and guilt. Isn’t that enough?” I lowered my head and said nothing. The brain tumor was pressing on my nerves. I had forgotten too many things, and I didn’t even have the energy to argue. Because of Julian’s arrival, I didn’t die. Maybe because I wanted to die closer to my dad, I agreed to go back with him. On the way back, Julian kept talking: “After you disappeared, everyone went crazy looking for you.” “When the car was pulled out of the sea, the driver’s seat was empty. Everyone thought you were dead.” “Your mother cried for a whole month, almost going blind. She asked me to bring you back this time too. When we get back, have a good talk with her. There’s no deep hatred between mother and daughter.” My head hurt listening to him, so I interrupted his chatter: “Mr. Vance, my notebook says the reason our marriage broke down was that you cheated with my best friend. Is that true?” Screech! The sound of tires rubbing against the ground was piercing, and the car lurched violently. Julian pursed his lips tightly and said nothing. The topic ended there. Chapter 2 The car pulled into the driveway. Sarah Reed was supporting my mother at the door. Seeing me get out of the car, my mother snorted and turned her head away. My heart ached, but I didn’t speak. Although the memories in my head were fragmented, my body had muscle memory. I subconsciously walked through the living room and pushed open that familiar door. My desk, my piano, they were all gone. Replaced by Lego blocks and Transformers scattered all over the floor. Julian blocked my way, trying to hide the scene inside. “Jane, I’ll clear the room for you right away.” Before he finished speaking, a five-year-old boy suddenly rushed out from the corner. He spread his arms to block the door, glaring at me viciously. “This is my toy room! Don’t touch it! Bad woman, get out!” The boy threw the toy car in his hand hard at me. The hard metal hit my kneecap, a piercing pain. I groaned, swaying, almost falling: “Leo!” Sarah rushed over to cover the boy’s mouth, her face full of panic. I didn’t get angry. I just felt the pain in my knee travel along my nerves straight to my heart. It was too crowded here. I even found it hard to breathe. I turned and dragged my painful leg outside. Julian chased after me. He forced me into the car and took me to a high-end hotel. The moment the room lights turned on, those forgotten memories flooded back. When I was seven, my parents took me to the orphanage, saying they wanted to adopt a brother for me. Among the children trying to show off, only Julian shrank in the corner. My parents didn’t like him, thinking he was too solitary and couldn’t be tamed. But when some older kids pushed me down to steal my candy… Julian shielded me, refusing to move even when beaten black and blue. That day, I cried and threw a tantrum in my parents’ arms, pointing at his bloodied face. “I want him! I want this brother!” Just like that, Julian came home with us. For over a decade, we went to school together and grew up together. He protected me in the palm of his hand, never letting me suffer a single grievance. Later, we got married. But on our first wedding anniversary, I had booked a restaurant but couldn’t contact him. Afraid something had happened to him, I followed his phone’s location. It was a high-end hotel like this. Sarah opened the door in a sexy nightgown, and Julian lay asleep on the bed. One was the husband I had loved for over a decade, the other was my best friend of over a decade. In that moment, my world collapsed. Chapter 3 I didn’t even have the courage to rush in and question them. Instead, I ran away like a deserter. Despair, shame, and nausea filled my mind. I stood on the bridge, looking at the dark, churning river water, and jumped. The cold river water poured into my nose, and suffocation surrounded me. My dad was worried about me and had been following me. Seeing me jump, he jumped in without hesitation. He used all his strength to push me ashore, but he struggled in the turbulent current and finally sank. Later, when my dad’s body was fished out, my mom cursed me madly, punching and kicking me. “What couldn’t you get over? I told you long ago, men are like this. If you can accept it, stay. If not, divorce! Why did you have to cause trouble!” For a long time afterwards, whenever my mom saw me, she would say: “Why wasn’t it you who died?” Yes, I wanted to know why too. Why could she forgive Julian, forgive Sarah who destroyed my family, but not forgive me? The moment the memories returned, the intense pain made my whole body spasm. I clutched my chest, squatting on the ground, gasping for breath: “Jane, what’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?” Julian looked at me curled up on the ground, his tone tense. A knock on the door sounded. He stood up to open it. The door opened, and Sarah’s gaze quickly swept over Julian. Seeing his clothes were neat, her tense shoulders quietly relaxed. She sidled into the room, her gaze falling on me, putting on the airs of the hostess. “Jane, since you’re back, you should come home.” “I’ve had the room cleared. Leo is young and doesn’t know better. You’re the elder, don’t hold it against him.” Five years later, I looked at my once-best friend this closely again. The question I couldn’t ask five years ago, I finally had the chance to ask today. “Sarah, why did you betray me?” This question was not only about Julian’s change of heart, but also about Sarah’s intrusion. They clearly knew what the other meant to me. Chapter 4 The fake smile on Sarah’s face could no longer be maintained. The so-called decency was torn open, so she stopped pretending. “Yes, it’s all my fault. But Jane, can I control my feelings?” “I just wanted to fight for my own happiness. Is that wrong?” What a righteous reason. To fight for happiness, one could shamelessly climb into their best friend’s husband’s bed. “Enough!” Julian suddenly roared, interrupting her tearful complaint: “The past is in the past, why bring it up!” “Now that Jane is back, I will do everything I can to make it up to her. I will return the Miller family’s company to her.” At these words, Sarah’s crying stopped abruptly. “Julian, you’re giving everything to her, right? What about me and Leo?” Julian’s silence ignited Sarah’s anger. She looked at the man in front of her with disappointment and slowly backed towards the door. “Fine! Since you want to make amends so much, let’s divorce!” With that, she turned and ran out of the room. Julian stood there, his gaze shifting between the direction Sarah disappeared and me. One second, two seconds, three seconds. In the end, he made his choice. “Jane, rest well here. I’ll come pick you up tomorrow.” Leaving this instruction, he turned and chased after her. Looking at the empty doorway, I suddenly laughed out loud. Jane, oh Jane, your return this time is simply humiliating yourself. Curling up and coughing violently for a while, I looked at the blood on my palm and suddenly missed the childhood days snuggled in my parents’ arms. Before I die, let me take one last look.

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When the top A-list star adjusted my earpiece, he subconsciously kissed my hair. We both froze. Because we were on a reality show about divorced couples. And we were from different marriages. 1 After I divorced Jax, everyone thought I would be the clingy ex-wife. He announced our marriage at the peak of his career. When he successfully transitioned from an idol to an award-winning actor, people always mentioned me. “What did she do to deserve him? She’s so lucky.” I was the one who asked for the divorce. But he was the one who had been waiting for it. When he was filming his new drama with his co-star, Sienna, she wore his clothes, used his phone case, and played house with him on set. Meanwhile, I was flipping through the calendar waiting for him to come home, only to have my calls declined because he was “busy.” It wasn’t until I ran into Sienna in first class that I knew. She greeted me with a warm, beaming smile. “Did you know?” she whispered in my ear. “I bought this ticket with his card.” She did it on purpose. She wanted to force my hand. I gave her what she wanted. It took me thirty minutes to pack my bags and leave our house. I didn’t want anything dirty that someone else had touched. Thank God we didn’t have kids. Jax leaned against the doorframe, watching me. His reaction was lukewarm. He only asked one question: “What else do you want?” “Your phone.” He paused, but handed it over. In the years he loved me most, I accompanied him from being a nobody to a superstar. I was always his only pinned contact. Now, I had been replaced. I was just on “Do Not Disturb.” It was an uncontested divorce. He gave me everything he had earned over the years, just begging me to let him go quickly. He said he truly loved Sienna. The day I signed the NDA and left, I thought I would never hear from him again. Until one month later, he called me. “Let’s meet.” “We can’t let the fans know you cheated. The show still has to air.” I arrived early. In the lounge, Jax’s agent was lecturing him. “Divorced, you’re still a top-tier actor. Her? She’s just a nobody waiting to be laughed at.” “She’s definitely not over you.” “Just trick her. Tell her you want to go on a divorce reality show with her.” “Make her think she can win you back. She’ll do anything to please you.” “We’ll edit the footage to make her look annoying, and you can secure your image as the devoted, heartbroken ex.” The agent nudged him. “Are you listening?” Jax had his legs up on the coffee table, lazily playing a mobile game. “Yeah.” “Trust me. You crook your finger, and she’ll come running like a puppy, grateful for the attention.” In the conference room. Jax played with his phone with one hand. He only said a few sentences. And I agreed. “I’ll do the show.” He stared into my eyes, pausing. “Are you really that… obsessed with me?” He was too confident. Too easy to fool. I lowered my lashes. “Yes.” “Jax, is there still a chance for us?” His gaze was cold. He looked away and muttered softly. “Depends on your performance.” “But,” he added, “the script for this show isn’t what you think.” This reality show would air while his new drama with Sienna was broadcasting. It was all to hype up the “chemistry” between him and Sienna. The show was titled The Split: A New Perspective on Marriage. Sienna would be rooming with him. And I would be rooming with Sienna’s husband. Caleb. The guy who exploded onto the scene at nineteen with one hit drama, won the Grand Slam of acting awards, and then vanished from the industry to get married. Jax was just his replacement. He got famous because he looked about 70% like Caleb. Rumor had it that after Caleb and Sienna married, they lived apart. She loved him, but he didn’t love her back. 2 A luxury hot spring resort. Two rooms, separated by a single wall. Livestreaming 24/7. There was a panel of commentators on set, and a barrage of live comments from the audience online. [Jax and Sienna are on a divorce show together? In the same room? This is wild!!!] [Their chemistry is insane. They look so good together.] [I told you Jax and his wife had no feelings left. No one likes a dead weight.] [I’ve been waiting for them to divorce for ages!] [Is he blind? He used to love her so much…] The staff put heart rate monitors on Jax and Sienna. “If your heart rate hits 70, you can leave the room.” [That’s gonna happen in a second.] But to everyone’s surprise, both their numbers hovered at 68. In private, they had done everything. They were too familiar with each other, and afraid of slipping up. So on the show, they pretended to be polite strangers. [Sienna is so respectful, she doesn’t even dare to get too close.] [Jax, stop holding back! We support you!] Sienna sat by the door. Jax stood on the balcony for fresh air. From his angle, he could see into my room. Caleb hadn’t arrived yet. I sat alone on the edge of the bed, wearing the heart rate watch. A knock on the door. It was a tall man. A baseball cap hid half his face, and the mist from the hot springs clung to the stray hairs on his forehead. It was drizzling outside. He carried the cold, crisp scent of the deep night. [My white moonlight is back!!!] [I gotta say, Jax… comparison is the thief of joy.] [Stop comparing them!] “You need to put this on.” I handed the other heart rate watch to Caleb. Jax hated it when people said he looked like Caleb. The first year of our marriage, we were walking the streets at midnight. I stared at a massive billboard featuring Caleb for a luxury brand, unable to look away. Jax jammed a hat onto my head, blocking my view, and said acidly: “I knew you liked that type of face.” Now. In the other room, Jax was on the balcony. Watching clearly. Watching Caleb walk into the room and close the door. Watching him put on the watch. Jax didn’t care. He knew since that night that Caleb—the man he couldn’t catch up to, the man he envied to death—was in a contract marriage with Sienna. Caleb didn’t even like Sienna. Of course, it was even less likely that he would like me—ordinary, divorced, someone even Jax looked down on. Jax scoffed, unbothered. Yet, he scrutinized every inch of my reaction. “Hello, Chloe.” My heart rate stayed at 50. I extended my hand. “Hello, Caleb.” He shook it. A few seconds later, the watch let out a piercing beep. Caleb’s heart rate had spiked off the charts. But the man himself was calmer than anyone. He said, “The watch is broken.” I said, “Oh.” 3 We swapped the watch, and sure enough, it was normal. Jax and Sienna played a few chemistry games, got their heart rates over 70, and left their room early. But on my side… Caleb’s heart rate stayed at a flat 25. Pathetically low. “If it never goes up,” I asked the staff, “do we have to stay in the room all night?” Caleb heard me. He stood tall, broad-shouldered in a thin black hoodie, his gaze empty and distant. The staff said, “It counts as a failed mission. You can come out in an hour.” Caleb and I were the last to emerge. [This is a disaster.] [Zero chemistry.] [Get them off screen. I only want to watch Sienna and Jax.] The comments were brutal until the livestream ended. In the post-show interview rooms. Cameras, lights, crowded with people. Jax stood in the corner, watching Sienna give her interview. His gaze swept over me unexpectedly. “Excited?” He asked me out of nowhere. “Did you have a moment where you thought Caleb might actually be interested in you?” I ignored him and tried to walk away. He blocked me. “What to do, Chloe,” he said, hands in his pockets, tilting his head. “I’m starting to think divorcing you was the best decision I ever made.” Someone walked by, and Jax straightened up. Back to that gentle, soulful, yet broken persona. As if I were the one who had hurt him deeply. When Sienna finished her interview, she walked up to me under everyone’s gaze and took my hand. “Chloe,” she said. On her wrist was an old red string bracelet. “Cherish Jax. He really loves you.” That bracelet. I recognized it. Last year on our anniversary, Jax was being followed by stalker fans and got into a minor car accident. He was fine. I dragged him up the mountain to a temple to pray for his safety. I closed my eyes, my heart full of prayers for him. When I opened them, I saw him buying a red string bracelet. I thought it was for me. But he said he bought it for himself, to give me peace of mind. Now, it was on Sienna’s wrist. “Stop being unreasonable,” Sienna said to the camera. “I want you two to be happy more than anyone.” I didn’t say a word. Jax didn’t know. Sienna didn’t know either. Actually, I agreed to this variety show for another reason—a hidden one I couldn’t tell anyone. That day at the temple, when I closed my eyes, the person in my heart wasn’t Jax. 4 The show was recorded on weekends. The concept was “Weekend Couples.” During the weekdays, I went back to my old job, trying to return to the entertainment group as an agent. “Caleb and Sienna are already divorced,” my former boss told me. “He signed a ten-year contract with Sienna’s father’s company. He’s finally free to terminate it. He’s restructuring his studio. I recommended you to him.” I followed the address he gave me and saw Caleb in a photography studio. His profile was backlit, his features sharp and rebellious. It was truly a face made for the silver screen. He was even harder to approach than I imagined. I waited outside for a long time. Until his assistant ran out and told me: “Sorry, Chloe. We probably can’t talk today.” On the way back, my car broke down. 11 PM. Middle of nowhere. Raining. I held an umbrella, waiting for the tow truck. Watching cars drive by from the distance, like passing ghosts in the night. None of them were coming for me. Then, headlights flashed. A black van window rolled down. Caleb’s assistant said: “Chloe, get in.” Caleb was in the very back, a baseball cap covering his face, asleep. His breathing was shallow, long legs cramped in the space. The car was cluttered. Two suit jackets hung by the window. The scent of cold pine. The same scent from when he shook my hand that day. “Chloe, I’m going to grab water at the gas station ahead. Do you want some?” the assistant whispered. “I’ll go with you.” “No, no,” he waved his hand and hopped out. “I’ll be quick.” The door closed. It was just me and Caleb. No one else. No cameras. The headlights flickered. The interior was dim. Even though there was a row of seats between us, his breathing sounded like it was right next to my ear. I stared at the blue neon sign of the gas station outside. The assistant was lingering in an aisle. I remembered once, shopping at a supermarket, I saw Sienna’s ad. “She’s so pretty,” I said to Jax back then. He reacted flatly. “She’s okay.” I didn’t know. That “okay” was the reason he didn’t come home time and time again. Later, I learned from others that Sienna was his first love. They broke up when he couldn’t get famous. He never got over her. But back then, in the supermarket, he just deftly changed the subject and asked me: “Babe, did you ever date anyone before me?” “No.” At least, that’s what I told everyone, including him. In the car, someone was kicking my calf. A long leg stretching from the back seat. Not accidentally. But deliberately, mischievously, childishly, rhythmically tapping me. I pulled my legs out of his reach. I didn’t speak. I didn’t turn around. I maintained my posture as if nothing had happened. “Chloe.” He spoke. Maybe because he just woke up, his voice carried a reckless, boyish tone. “Long time no see.” It had been so many years. Why did he still like calling my name like that? Just like in that cramped, humid rental apartment… Where I drowned over and over again… In his gentle, yet unrestrained, relentless hands.

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In the retirement home, a group of us sat in a circle, reminiscing about the loves that had carved themselves into our memories. When it was my turn, I spoke calmly: “When I was twenty-five, my husband gave me his heart.” The room fell silent. No one spoke. Even after forty years, thinking of him brought that familiar, cramping pain to my chest. I pushed myself up, ready to retire to my room, when a newcomer, an old woman who had just arrived, suddenly spoke up: “What a coincidence. The thing I can’t forget is the first year I was with him. I told him I wanted a title, a commitment.” “After hearing that, he made his wife have a ‘sudden heart attack,’ pretended to give her his heart, and faked his own death to escape.” “His wife remained a widow for him her whole life, while we grew old together, surrounded by children and grandchildren.” As she spoke, she stared straight at me. The malice in her eyes was unmistakable. Only then did I recognize her. She was my husband’s secretary from forty years ago, Lily. Chapter 1 The sheer shock made me faint. When I opened my eyes again, I saw Ryan dressed as Santa Claus. He was handing me a gift: “Merry Christmas, Jane! Open it, see if you like it.” The scene was too familiar. In my past life, after I opened that gift with joy, the contents triggered a heart attack. When I woke up, I received the devastating news of his death. Now, looking at his face so close to mine—a face worn down by forty years of longing in my memory, but now vivid and bright— I heard Lily’s words echoing in my mind before I fainted. Triggered heart attack… faked death… My hand paused in mid-air. Finally, under his expectant gaze, it landed on the ribbon-tied box. Slowly, I lifted the lid. The object, exactly as I remembered, lay quietly on the velvet lining. Almost instantly, that familiar cramping pain swept through my heart. My vision began to darken, Ryan’s panicked face swaying before my eyes… I woke up in the hospital again, surrounded by the smell of disinfectant and low sobbing. My mother-in-law held my hand, her voice choked with tears: “Jane, you must hold on… Ryan… he left his heart for you. He wanted you to live well…” Everything was exactly the same as my previous life. Except this time, I didn’t shed a single tear. My face held almost no expression. Relatives and friends gathered around the bed. Their looks of sympathy gradually turned into confusion, and finally, silent accusation. How can you not cry? How can you be so calm? He gave his life for you! I ignored everyone’s attempts to stop me and rushed home. I searched frantically. Drawers, closets, old books, junk boxes… Finally, on his old computer, I found a purchase record. Behind the record was an unfamiliar delivery address. I followed the address. It was a quiet neighborhood, the house looking cozy and comfortable. I didn’t see anyone, but a neighbor coming out to dump trash eyed me and chatted casually: “Looking for the young couple in 302? They have such a good relationship.” “I remember once when it rained, he was afraid his wife would slip, so he took off work two hours early just to lay non-slip mats from the building entrance to the garage.” “Usually when he buys groceries, he remembers to bring back a small bunch of daisies, her favorite…” I listened quietly, absorbing every word. Non-slip mats on rainy days. Favorite flowers. Ryan did these for me too. During the rainy season after my heart condition diagnosis, he silently did the same thing. He always remembered to bring a bunch of lilies, my favorite. It turned out those details I thought were unique to me weren’t exclusive. They could be copied and pasted into another life, becoming proof of another woman being deeply loved. I sat back in my car, closed the door, and the world fell silent. The steering wheel was cold. I gripped it, not knowing where to go or what to believe. Forty years of nostalgia, forty years of heartache—what were they built on? Which part was true emotion, and which part was acting? My phone screen lit up abruptly with a notification. It was from a contact I didn’t remember adding, posting a new status. The picture was a casual shot of a street view, tagged in a distant coastal town in Florida. The text was simple: [New home settled. She likes the ocean.] It just so happened to be the place Ryan and Lily moved to. In my past life, I had this contact too. He didn’t post often, but every share was a mundane, warm moment between a husband and wife: Grocery shopping for her favorite ingredients, curling up at home to watch old movies on rainy days, gardening with her on the balcony… Every line was filled with the smoke and fire of ordinary life, and cherished care. I didn’t know who he was, but reading between the lines, I thought he must be a very good husband. I even thought, if my Ryan were still here, he would probably be like this. So, I never could bring myself to delete this stranger’s account. Occasionally, I would even like a post. As if by doing so, I could borrow a little bit of illusory warmth from someone else’s happiness to comfort my own boundless desolation. I just never expected. That was him. Ryan. He was loving another woman in the way I had longed for. Chapter 2 Before I knew it, I was on a plane to that coastal town. After forty years of suffering in my past life, I needed an answer. Upon arrival, I used the information I found to locate a cafe owned by one of Lily’s friends. Hearing that I was an old acquaintance of Lily’s, her friend warmly invited me to sit. Without me asking, she proactively started talking about how Ryan and Lily met. “Ryan and Lily were college alumni! She was two years below him. They met at orientation and have been in touch ever since.” “It wasn’t until last year that they made it official. Because Lily loves the ocean, Ryan immediately bought a sea-view house here, saying he wanted to grow old with her here.” “Who knew that right after moving, Lily would get pregnant. Ryan was overjoyed, saying this was true stability, and he had to give Lily and the child a proper status immediately.” Only then did I learn that they had known each other for so long. That they had long agreed to retire here. That Lily was already pregnant. The friend was still talking about the details of Ryan and Lily’s romance. My thoughts drifted back to my previous life. Actually, Ryan and I had a child too. But because of my heart condition, the doctors didn’t recommend keeping it. That day, he was silent for a long time, then hugged me and said, “Then we won’t have it. I only want you to be safe.” I was truly moved and guilty. Guilty enough to think about risking my life to have the baby. But later, I overheard a phone call between him and his mother. “Yes, I did tamper with things, but so what? She’s pregnant now. I just need to coax her, and she’ll be too soft-hearted to abort it! What’s wrong with me wanting a child…” In that moment, the world went silent. I only heard my own heart beating heavily. The tender husband before me twisted into a stranger I didn’t recognize at all. I smashed everything within reach and screamed at him hysterically. I called him selfish, a liar, said he didn’t care if I lived or died, treating me as a breeding tool. After his initial panic, his face showed the anger of being exposed, and he blurted out: “You short-lived invalid, if you can’t even have kids, why did I marry you?” All anger froze in that instant. I looked at him as if looking at a monster. Then a violent cramp seized my lower abdomen, and warm liquid gushed out without warning, staining my dress and the messy floor beneath my feet. The child couldn’t be saved. In the hospital room, his parents came too. In front of his parents, he knelt on the floor, slapping himself over and over. He cried saying he was possessed, that he wanted a child of our own too much, that he lost his head in fear of losing me. He said he was wrong, truly knew he was wrong, begged for my forgiveness, said he would never dare again, as long as I was okay. Ryan hit himself hard; his cheeks quickly swelled. His parents stood by, wanting to stop him but daring not to, only persuading him with red eyes while looking at me cautiously, afraid of agitating me further. I kept my eyes closed, unwilling to watch that absurd and disgusting scene. My body hurt, my heart numb with cold. But the human heart is just that pathetic. Knowing it might be poison coated in sugar, having just experienced heart-wrenching betrayal and harm, Seeing him kneeling there, face swollen, snot and tears flowing, listening to those pleas… Pathetic emotions began to stir again. After all, a man wanting a child with the one he loves… doesn’t seem… wrong? In such a moment, I actually found an excuse for him. I softened and forgave him. After that, he indeed never mentioned children again, treating me with increasing caution and meticulous care. I once thought that was guilt, repentance. Now sitting in this coffee-scented shop, listening to his lover’s friend say cheerfully, “Lily is pregnant.” I finally, sluggishly connected everything. He didn’t give up on the idea of having children. He found a healthier vessel to nurture his complete, perfect family. “Are you… here to find them?” The friend finally stopped her narration, looking at my overly silent and pale face with curiosity. I opened my mouth, the salty bitterness of the sea breeze seemingly stuck in my throat. Find them? In what capacity would I find them? Before I could fabricate a suitable reason, the friend had already self-righteously provided the answer: “I know, you’re here for their wedding tomorrow night at the Shangri-La, right? A joyous occasion, perfect to join in the fun!” The Shangri-La. It was also the wedding venue Ryan and I had chosen together. Chapter 3 I came to the Shangri-La again. Champagne rose arches, a long red carpet. Every detail, the curve of the petals, the folds of the ribbons, was exactly the same as when Ryan and I hunched over the blueprints, deliberating repeatedly. In my past life, I never set foot here again, afraid of touching old wounds. But now, this “graveyard” filled with my pain was witnessing their happiness. I walked in among the guests and saw many familiar faces. Ryan’s relatives and friends, former colleagues, even… His parents. The two elders were dressed in brand-new formal wear, surrounded by old friends, their faces beaming with irrepressible joy. Looking at them, I could actually smile. Though the smile was probably uglier than crying. In my past life, after Ryan gave me his heart, his mother held my hand, crying until she was weak: “Jane, Ryan is gone, you are our own daughter now. His last wish was for you to live well, we… we will take care of you for him.” I took those words as truth, and as a debt. When they were sick and hospitalized, I was the one keeping vigil, signing papers, running errands. Fixing pipes, changing bulbs, organizing clothes with the changing seasons, it was all me. Holiday gifts were never missed, weekend visits were unbreakable. When his father had heart surgery, I signed the risk notification. When his mother had trouble walking, I paid for a caregiver and went over every week to manage things personally. Until they passed away one after the other, I handled their funerals with dignity as a “daughter.” I boiled my guilt toward Ryan into decades of companionship. I thought it was repayment, a memorial. But now, I heard his mother praising to relatives: “Lily, that child, is truly flawless. She’s taken good care of Ryan all these years and is so thoughtful towards us old folks.” “We’ve waited so many years, finally they’re settling down.” His father nodded, his tone gratified: “Yes, it’s thanks to her that Ryan could move on. We’ve looked forward to this day for too long.” So, during those years when I cared for them as a “widow” until their ends, They already knew their son was in another city, living as husband and wife with another woman. My heartfelt devotion, in their eyes, was probably just a foolish dullard moving herself. A sharp sourness rushed up my nose. I lowered my head, warm drops hitting the carpet by my feet, spreading into dark spots. At this moment, a distant aunt lowered her voice, probing tentatively: “Speaking of which… how is Ryan’s ex… that Jane girl doing?” The lively chatter instantly quieted. The smile on his mother’s face faded, corners of her mouth pulling quickly: “Oh, why mention irrelevant people and things on such a great day. It’s all in the past, look forward.” Irrelevant people. Yesterday she sent me a message advising me to look forward, today I became “irrelevant.” The wedding was about to start, guests taking their seats. I stood at the very back of the crowd, looking at this scene that was identical to my dream. The music I picked, the flowers I chose, every step of the process I designed. On stage, Ryan stood in a crisp tuxedo, his posture still upright. Since being reborn, this was the first time I looked at him closely. Still the young appearance in my memory, vivid, real. That familiar pain in my chest rose again, dense and stubborn. After all, what lay between us wasn’t just these few days of rebirth, but the forty years I endured alone. The Wedding March played solemnly, Lily in a white gown walking slowly towards Ryan. Watching this, the answer that had forced me to pursue this seemed… unimportant. He was unimportant too. Lily’s smile was happy and certain as she stopped in front of him. The officiant began to ask: “Ryan Sterling, do you take Lily Hayes to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until death do you part?” All eyes were focused on him. I turned my gaze away, no longer looking at the perfect picture that had nothing to do with me, preparing to leave. I had seen what I needed to see, felt the pain I needed to feel. It ends here. However, just as I turned around and took the first step. On stage, Ryan’s voice came through clearly: “I do not.” I whipped my head back. Lily’s face was deathly pale, but he didn’t care. I heard him roaring at Lily: “In this life, I only love Jane Miller! Don’t think about stopping me from finding her!” With that, he pushed the frozen bride aside, and amidst the shocked gazes of the entire venue, jumped off the stage and rushed towards the exit, disregarding everything. Right into my line of sight. Chapter 4 At this moment, Ryan’s eyes were filled with disbelief. He took a step forward, looking at me cautiously, as if I were a lost treasure recovered. He reached out, wanting to touch my face. I took a step back, dodging him. His fingers curled, a look of hurt crossing his face. But he quickly adjusted his expression, his voice gentle: “Jane, did you come to find me?” I didn’t speak. I didn’t need to. Lily had already rushed over. Her meticulously made-up face was distorted, eyes fixed dead on me. “Jane Miller! You did this on purpose, didn’t you! You deliberately chose today to ruin my wedding! You haunting ghost…” She raised her hand to strike me. Ryan moved almost simultaneously with her raised hand. He grabbed her wrist with such force that Lily cried out in pain, then he shoved her backward. Lily stumbled back a few steps in her high heels, nearly falling if someone hadn’t caught her. “Ryan!” She looked at him in disbelief, tears instantly welling up. Ryan didn’t even look at her; he just turned around, using his body to block me, separating me from Lily. His back was as broad as I remembered; this back used to give me countless moments of peace. But looking at it now, I only felt a dense sourness in a certain part of my heart, not sharp, but omnipresent. If there hadn’t been those forty years of endurance in my past life, If I were still the twenty-five-year-old Jane whose heart was full of him, I think, given how much I loved him, seeing him like this now, I probably would have softened, wavered, found ten thousand reasons to forgive him. But those forty years were not fake. The filial duties I performed for him, the nights I kept watch alone, the empty space in my heart when seeing others’ family reunions, and the guilt accompanying every heartbeat. None of these were fake. Ryan’s parents squeezed through the crowd too. His mother saw me first, her eyes flickering with guilt, But it quickly turned into anxious concern as she went to support Lily. “Lily! Are you okay? Is… is your stomach uncomfortable?” Lily leaned into his mother’s arms, tears falling harder, biting her lip silently, Only looking at Ryan with that mournful and stubborn gaze, then glancing at me from time to time, a silent accusation. His father also arrived, face dark as he said to Ryan: “Ryan! What are you doing! Lily is pregnant, how can you push her like that! What if you hurt the child?” Ryan’s body stiffened. I could feel the back shielding me waver for a moment. He turned his head slightly, his peripheral vision sweeping over Lily’s still flat belly, his Adam’s apple bobbing. But the next second, he turned back, voice firm: “Dad, Mom, I said it, I only love Jane in this life. She is my wife.” He said it with such certainty, as if the person who was ready to marry Lily and give her and the child a home wasn’t him. Lily finally burst into tears. She broke free from his mother’s support, taking unsteady steps forward, Not towards Ryan, but towards me. “Jane… I beg you, I beg you, okay? Give him back to me…” “No, not to me, give him back to this child. The child cannot be without a father…” “I know I wronged you, I know I owe you.” “But the child is innocent… just have pity on this child, give him a complete home, okay?” As she spoke, she actually bent her knees, about to kneel.

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The first thing I did when I was reborn was reject the $30,000 allowance my parents sent me and immediately take out a massive predatory loan. Why? Because in my past life, my roommate, Tiffany, was bound to a “System” that allowed her to swap finances with me. No matter how much money my family sent, my account balance always showed $300. Meanwhile, she used my money to become the campus “It Girl,” dating the star quarterback, while spreading rumors that I was a bitter scholarship student she was generously supporting. When I angrily opened my bank app to prove my parents’ transfers, I was shocked to find all the numbers had changed to $300. Tiffany, tears in her eyes, held up her phone: “Look, my parents send me $30,000 every month. I don’t understand why Chloe refuses to face reality…” I was drowned in a tsunami of insults and cyberbullying. Every family member who tried to help me met with a tragic accident. My health deteriorated rapidly. In the end, the quarterback, trying to “avenge” Tiffany, had me dragged into the woods where I was tortured to death. When I opened my eyes again, I was back. This time, I want to see how long Tiffany can keep up her act with a massive debt on her back. Chapter 1 “Chloe Vance, you are disgusting. All those designer clothes, and it turns out you’re just leeching off charity? Even Tiffany isn’t this flashy.” “Spending someone else’s money like water? It’s heinous. Only someone as kind as Tiffany would tolerate you. Anyone else would have kicked you out!” “Say something! Stop playing dead! Kneel and apologize to Tiffany right now, or don’t blame us for getting rough!” Hearing the familiar curses ringing in my ears, I was dazed for a moment before realizing I had truly been reborn. I was back to the day Tiffany used her System to pose as a wealthy heiress, branding me as the poor student she supported. Seeing my silence, Tiffany stepped forward, speaking with sickening “empathy”: “Chloe, you aren’t going to say this money is from your parents, are you? Trying to claim you are the rich daughter? Why don’t you show us your balance?” “Or, have your parents transfer you a few thousand right now. That would shut us all up.” In my past life, I fell for it. I stared at the $300 balance in disbelief and frantically asked my parents for transfers. I was desperate to prove myself, but I only fueled her success, letting her harvest huge sums to cement her identity. And the money my parents sent turned into transfers of a few dollars the moment I held up my phone. Instantly, I became a pariah, condemned for vanity and selfishness, forcing my “poor” parents to bleed for me. While I pondered how to counter this System, Matt, the star quarterback who had been silent, suddenly spoke: “Chloe Vance, you’re still stubborn? A vain, selfish person like you doesn’t deserve Tiffany’s help. Thinking about how you stalked me makes me sick!” He frowned in disgust, shoving me hard. This was the same guy who approached me during orientation, complimenting my necklace and asking where to buy one for his mom. Now, I was pushed to the ground, shoulder throbbing, while the crowd cheered for Matt. Tiffany, emboldened, bit her lip and looked at me with teary eyes, making no move to help me up: “Chloe, I never thought we’d come to this. As roommates, if you just admitted your mistake, I wouldn’t hold a grudge. Why do you insist on lying…” “Did I say I was lying?” I gritted my teeth, standing up and forcing a smile. “I’m sorry, Heiress Tiffany. I was vain. I used the money you gave me to buy these things. As punishment, I’ll donate them to charity immediately.” “I hope you won’t hold this against me and will continue to support me.” The crowd, ready with more insults, choked on their words, looking at each other in confusion. Tiffany froze, eyes flickering: “Chloe, you don’t have to… if you want to admit your mistake, maybe sell them first and then donate the cash? What if the charity damages them…” “It’s fine. I trust professionals.” If I sold them first, the money would just transfer to her, right? I turned around, my expression cold. I logged into a shady loan app and applied for a $100 loan. As expected, the money didn’t hit my account. I refreshed the page. The borrower’s name had changed to Tiffany! The System swapped everything, even the source of funds. I almost laughed out loud. Tiffany, your nightmare is here. Chapter 2 I took out predatory loans totaling $60,000 in one go. Then I called my parents, refusing any further allowance, and applied for off-campus housing. I would live off existing supplies. Despite this, my chest felt tight. The System’s drain on my health was still real. At noon, walking out of the campus gates with my small bag, I saw Tiffany and Matt waiting by the road, followed by a crowd of sycophants. Seeing me, their faces twisted into sneers. “Chloe!” Tiffany shouted, running towards me with a look of joy: “What a coincidence! We were just talking about you. I thought, ‘give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.’ I decided not to just give you money anymore, but help you find a job!” Money really works wonders. Tiffany was decked out in designer gear, her insecurity gone. She looked nothing like the girl who used to eat plain rice and potatoes. I wondered what dark magic she used to bind me to this System. She shoved a stack of flyers into my hand, looking at me earnestly: “These are high-paying jobs I picked for you. Once you earn money with your own hands and donate it, people won’t hate you anymore.” “I strained my eyes looking for these. I’m taking everyone to a five-star hotel for lunch. This time, it’s your treat.” I had never seen such brazenness. Taking my parents’ money and making me work to support her further? The flyers were garbage. Some were even ads for selling eggs! Matt and the crowd walked over, sneering: “Chloe, why are you standing there? Some jobs need you to apply now. They won’t wait.” “Tiffany’s parents just sent her another $60,000. That’s enough for your parents to retire on, and you’re just standing here?” I noticed a flashy Rolex on Matt’s wrist, worth at least tens of thousands. Clearly a gift. I smirked. Tiffany was spending big to chase a guy. No wonder she was desperate for my money. “I think as a student, I should focus on studying,” I smiled. “From now on, I’ll live on $300 a month. Not a penny more. Feel free to supervise.” I turned to leave, but someone grabbed my arm. “Is this the attitude a charity case takes with her benefactor?” Matt shook me off like I was trash: “Tiffany was kind enough to find you jobs. Why won’t you go? Do you like being a parasite?!” His cold stare overlapped with the look he gave the people who murdered me in my past life. My breath hitched. He threw me to the ground and walked away with Tiffany. A realization hit me. Matt didn’t treat me this way just to please Tiffany. He genuinely hated me. Chapter 3 It was a long time before my family’s driver finally arrived in the Rolls-Royce. I was drenched in sweat. He parked leisurely, honking twice for me to come over. “Uncle Mike, why are you so late?” I was on the verge of heatstroke, my back soaked. He was clearly in a good mood, but hearing my complaint, he stiffened: “You know, you need to fix that princess attitude. I’m your driver, not your slave. I’m your elder, show some respect.” “It was just a short wait. No other girl is as delicate as you. I wouldn’t let my son date someone like you!” I looked at my phone, scrolling through my classmates’ posts. [OMG, Matt’s family is loaded! We rode in a Rolls-Royce! So this is the starlight headliner!] [So fancy! Next time I hope there’s a Maybach!] [If we didn’t waste time lecturing that shameless pauper, we would have been enjoying the AC sooner!] I froze. Wasn’t that my car? I did a quick background check. Uncle Mike’s son… was Matt! It all made sense. No wonder my attempts to prove my identity were always thwarted. There was a mole. And no wonder Matt wanted me dead. He and Tiffany were in this together! My hand slowly touched the necklace Matt had “borrowed” during orientation. It seemed that was when Tiffany, the poor student, suddenly became rich. I used a meal card and didn’t check my balance often, giving her the opening. “Miss Chloe, what are you doing?” Uncle Mike slammed the brakes, looking at my hand in the rearview mirror with panic. “That’s the coming-of-age gift from the Madam. You’re not taking it off, are you?” His reaction confirmed everything. “Of course not. Just touching it.” I laughed and closed my eyes. The driver let out a sigh of relief. Back at the villa, I immediately took off the necklace and called my dad to fire Uncle Mike for rudeness. After a meal prepared by our French chef, I lay in bed. Sure enough, without the necklace, the tightness in my chest vanished. It felt like a heavy stone had been lifted. Not wanting to alert them, I found a duplicate necklace in my jewelry box and put it on. Now, Tiffany, all you have left is that $60,000 debt. Chapter 4 In gym class that afternoon, everyone collapsed on the grass after the 800-meter run, faces red. I was sweating, out of breath. “Chloe!” Tiffany called out. She put on her heiress act, commanding me: “We’re all tired. Go buy water for everyone. Just outside the gate. Hurry back.” She calculated well. I had been to the infirmary three times recently; that $300 must be gone. If I didn’t have money, I’d have to ask my parents. Then she could reap the rewards and the popularity. But now, free from the System, I wasn’t playing. “Easy for you to say. There are eighty people here. Why don’t you go?” Tiffany bit her lip, looking at me with feigned difficulty: “Chloe, I just want to give you a chance to make up with everyone. I sent you so much money, you couldn’t have spent it all. Go buy water as a contribution to the group.” Her eyes glinted. “If you really have no money, ask your parents. They have to support you.” The overheated classmates chimed in angrily: “Tiffany treated us to a five-star lunch. Look how generous she is. Same room, different class. You only know how to take!” “Disobeying Miss Tiffany? You’ve got a death wish. Know your place!” “Poor and stingy. Is twenty bucks gonna kill you? My legs are breaking, go get me a Gatorade!” I looked at these greedy fence-sitters and sneered: “So righteous. You’re tired, so I deserve to be your servant?” Rapid footsteps approached from behind. “Chloe Vance! You bitch!” Matt stormed over, furious about his father being fired but unable to confront me directly. Having hit me before with no consequences, he habitually tried to slap me. I dodged. “Yo, isn’t this the rich heir with the Rolls-Royce? Trying to hit me? Did I offend you?” I asked innocently, setting the rhythm: “It’s so hot, buying water isn’t enough. Why don’t you and Heiress Tiffany call a few luxury cars to take everyone for a drive?” The students got excited, clamoring for rides. The couple’s faces turned ugly. I drawled: “What are you waiting for, Young Master Matt? Are you a fake rich kid like me?” This triggered Matt. He pointed at my nose and cursed: “Open your dog eyes! My shoes cost thousands! This watch is forty grand! My shirt is eight hundred! Who are you to question me? Your whole outfit isn’t worth a hundred bucks! Am I right, guys?” The students were melting and didn’t care about his bragging. They just urged: “Matt, call the cars! We didn’t get enough at lunch.” “Yeah, squeezing in one car wasn’t fun. Plus we had to listen to you and Tiffany flirt. You owe us.” “Tiffany, why don’t you call?” Tiffany knew spending money on these ingrates was pointless. Their greed was endless. She wouldn’t agree. “I… I feel dizzy. Heatstroke…” Tiffany stumbled, pretending to faint. Matt scooped her up and ran. I excused myself to the bathroom and followed them.

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After my ex-husband Liam’s mentor’s daughter was diagnosed with pregnancy, he filed for divorce. “It’s just for show, to protect her reputation. Don’t overthink it,” he said. Even our son chimed in, “We should be grateful, Mom. Besides, that’s Dad’s baby too. Don’t make things difficult for him.” Everyone expected me to cause a scene. Instead, I nodded silently. I signed the papers quickly, then married Luke, the man who once saved my life. In my past life, I refused to divorce. Liam and our son abandoned me and fled the country. I became a laughingstock and never recovered. So in this life, I divorced him calmly and vanished from their world. Six years later, at an exclusive yacht party for the elite. Liam and our son pushed through the dancing crowd and grabbed my wrist, furious. “I told you it was just for show! Where the hell have you been all these years?” I was surprised. The next second, my little daughter ran into my arms. “Mommy, who are you talking to? Daddy is looking for you.” Chapter 1 When I saw Liam again, I was wearing a satin mermaid gown, sipping champagne on the deck. I had been working on design drafts until late last night and didn’t want to show my face. But as the hostess of the yacht, I had to make an appearance. I sighed. Before the glass could reach my lips, rapid footsteps approached from behind. The next second, I was spun around. Liam and I froze. His pupils contracted, voice full of disbelief: “Joy, it really is you! Where have you been all these years?” My expression remained cool. Before I could answer, Chloe exclaimed dramatically: “Joy! You’re so thin now! I remember you used to be too fat to be seen in public.” Beside her, our son, Noah, chuckled. He had grown taller in the years apart. But the arrogant look on his face mirrored Chloe’s perfectly. He understood Chloe’s implication and laughed, “Chloe, you’re teasing her again. But what’s the point? She can’t be a model anyway.” Noah’s tone was filled with disdain, just like countless times before. Mocking my weight, my intelligence, calling me “just a housewife” with no charm. But before marriage, I was a rising star in the fashion world. Major runways extended olive branches, begging for my designs. After marriage, everything changed. Liam constantly criticized me for not being home. He brainwashed me into believing a career woman couldn’t be a good wife or mother. One day, he secretly emailed my partners, claiming I was retiring. I woke up and screamed, crying like a madwoman. He calmly told me to relax. From that day on, I was a bird with clipped wings, devoted entirely to the household. In the seventh year, he cheated with his mentor’s daughter. He said she was dazzling and reignited his passion. As I was lost in memories, Chloe giggled delicately. “Joy, even if you can’t be a model, don’t feel inferior. You could apply to be a hostess.” “A friend of mine is a hotel manager hiring hostesses. Three thousand a month. Want me to introduce you?” Noah laughed again. “Chloe, stop. My mom is so sensitive, she might cry.” He pointed proudly at the stage nearby. “Chloe was invited to walk the runway today for a very famous designer.” I froze, almost laughing out loud. Chapter 2 Because I was that designer. This show was the warm-up for my husband Luke’s business event. We invited well-known models. I had scanned the list; Chloe’s name wasn’t on it. Then it hit me. One model had an emergency. Chloe must be a last-minute replacement. But looking at the time, I raised my eyes from my watch and said flatly, “Shouldn’t you be backstage prepping?” Chloe’s face stiffened, offended by my tone. “Don’t pretend you know anything. Do you know more than me? It’s still early!” I frowned. With such an unprofessional attitude, no wonder she hadn’t made a splash in years. Seeing me alone, Chloe clung to Liam’s arm, whining: “Is Joy in trouble? It’s not easy to get on this yacht.” “I heard people buy scalped tickets to sneak in and fish for rich husbands.” Her words were loaded. Liam looked at me with complex emotions, eyeing my dress. He sounded almost sad. “Joy, that dress isn’t something you can afford. Did you rent it? Or borrow it?” He pulled out a card and handed it to me. “There’s twenty thousand here. You’re the mother of my child. I can’t watch you go astray.” “I thought you left so decisively because you had somewhere better to go. I didn’t expect…” His voice trailed off with condescending pity. Chloe covered her mouth, laughing. “Maybe it’s a knockoff. Don’t be embarrassed, Joy. This money is nothing to us, but it should help you look less pathetic.” Just as she finished, a young female voice interrupted. “That’s not a knockoff. You can tell by the craftsmanship and fabric. Plus, it’s the latest design from Yian, very hard to get.” Chloe’s face fell. She turned to rage, but saw it was an old acquaintance, Nina. Nina was delighted and hugged her. “Darling! I can’t believe I ran into you! How have you been? I lost touch after you got pregnant.” She looked at Noah, puzzled. “Is this your son? The age doesn’t seem right?” Chloe’s expression froze. She forced a smile. Her voice was strained. “There was an accident. I lost the baby.” I was surprised, yet not. Liam had low sperm quality. I hid it to protect his ego. I secretly took injections to maintain my pregnancy, suffering a hemorrhage during birth. Liam didn’t comfort me. Instead, he berated me during my recovery. I cried for three days until my vision blurred, realizing I couldn’t cry anymore. The past was a dirty rag. I sighed internally and pushed it away. Nina laughed awkwardly, offered condolences, and left. I checked the time, planning to leave. Suddenly, Chloe grabbed my arm, nails digging into my skin. Her face crumbled into hatred. “Hearing I lost the baby, you’re happy, aren’t you?” “It’s all your fault! Liam was never home, looking for you! That’s why I got stressed and miscarried! You murderer!” I pushed her away reflexively, stunned. He was looking for me? Why? In my past life, wasn’t he the one desperate for a divorce? Besides, her miscarriage had nothing to do with me. The sperm quality was poor to begin with. And she dieted excessively. Losing the baby was her own doing. Chapter 3 I looked at the scratches on my arm. Blood was surfacing. My skin is pale; Luke would notice immediately. With his protective nature, I feared trouble. But the next second, Liam angrily blocked my path. He helped the tear-streaked Chloe up and snapped at me, “Joy, apologize!” I trembled, memories flooding back. Once, I put too much salt in dinner. Chloe burst into tears. She claimed I was jealous of her figure and trying to make her fat. Without a word, Liam pinned me to the floor like a dog without dignity. The past was vivid. My nails dug into my palms. But times have changed. I won’t let anyone throw dirt on me. I scoffed, spitting out two words: “Dream on.” Noah stopped wiping Chloe’s tears. He yelled at me in disappointment: “You’re so vicious and unrepentant! I don’t have a mother like you!” He had said this many times. Birthing him was hard, so I always cherished him. I silently agreed to his unreasonable demands. He thought he could still threaten me. He was wrong. Looking at his stubborn, smug face, I said calmly: “Whatever. You have more than one mom anyway.” Noah froze. He opened his mouth, panic in his eyes, tears welling up. Then, he exploded, ripping the amulet from his neck. He threw it into the sea. Then he wailed. “I don’t want you anymore! You’re a bad woman!” I was dazed for a moment. I got that amulet for him when he was six. He always called it tacky and refused to wear it, often losing it at home. Why was he wearing it now? Chloe hugged him, comforting him. “Noah, I’m your mother now. That bitch doesn’t deserve to be your mom.” She turned to me, eyes glinting maliciously. “Joy, you don’t have an entry badge. Must be a scalped ticket. I was going to let you off, but since you’re shameless, don’t blame me.” She raised her hand to call security. I didn’t move. Joke’s on her. This yacht is in my name, a gift from Luke. Who dares touch me? But the next second, a hand firmly pressed hers down. Liam looked at me with complex emotions, then whispered something to Chloe. Chloe looked at him in disbelief, face full of resentment. Finally, she nodded reluctantly. Liam’s face softened. He turned to speak to me. But Chloe wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. Liam froze, glancing at me instinctively. I showed no emotion. His eyes darkened, and he kissed her back hard. Just then, my phone rang. Before I answered, Liam’s eyes lit up. Surprise colored his voice. “You still listen to this song?” I paused, confused, then remembered. This was “our song” from years ago. I had forgotten. I set it as my ringtone because I liked it. But clearly, Liam misunderstood. His eyes sparkled, wanting to say something. I ignored him and answered the phone. Luke’s magnetic voice came through: “Joy, where are you? The show is starting. We need to go on stage.” I smiled involuntarily, humming a soft yes. “I’m coming. Hanging up now.” Chapter 4 Before my smile could fade, my wrist was seized. “Who is that man?” Liam’s jaw was tight, suppressing a volcano. After hours of drama, I had enough. I shook off his hand and walked away quickly. Chloe grabbed Liam as he tried to pursue. She mocked loudly, “Look, she’s guilty! Running away like a thief. Liam, ignore the slut!” The voices faded. I didn’t even look back. At the staircase, my daughter ran into my arms. “Mommy, who were you talking to? Daddy is looking for you!” I tapped her nose. “Mommy has a mission for you. I need to touch up my makeup. Can you tell Daddy to come find me?” “Okay!” She chirped and ran off. I continued up to the second floor. Suddenly… Security guards swarmed the stairwell. Chloe stood behind them, shouting: “That’s her! The stowaway!” The guards approached, voices stern. “Miss, please show your entry badge.” As the owner, I didn’t need one. I rubbed my temples. “Who is your supervisor? Get him.” Chloe laughed mockingly. “Joy, stop pretending. You’re dead meat. Get off the boat!” Since meeting, she provoked me repeatedly. I ignored her. Now, I realized there was no need to be polite. I opened my phone to make a call, but Chloe snatched it away. She looked at me triumphantly. “Trying to call Liam for help? Dream on! Shameless bitch, hooking up everywhere.” She turned to the guards. “Throw her off! People like her are a plague on this ship!” Afraid of offending a guest, the guards advanced. “Miss, you cannot be here without proof. Please disembark immediately.” Two pincer-like hands twisted my arms behind my back, pressing me down like a criminal. Pain shot through me. I broke into a sweat, teeth chattering. “Let go! I own this yacht!” The guards paused, loosening their grip. Chloe burst out laughing. “Security, she’s playing you! Why would the owner be on the first floor? They’re on the upper deck!” She looked me up and down with disdain. “Look at her. Would a rich man want her?” Chloe’s voice was shrill. A crowd gathered. Afraid of trouble, the guards tightened their grip again, dragging me roughly. I struggled, freeing one arm to grab the wall. “Let me make a call! I really am—” Before I could finish, the guard interrupted impatiently. “Crazy woman, stop talking nonsense! Get out!” He yanked my arm, throwing me to the ground. My hair came loose. My ankle cracked as I fell. Piercing pain radiated through my body. My face went white, and I screamed. My phone rang. Chloe looked at it, then threw it into the sea. I stared, wide-eyed. That was Luke’s gift, containing important, unbacked-up files. Seeing my glare, Chloe flew into a rage, raising her hand to slap me. The next second, a hand caught her wrist.

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I was transmigrated into a tragic novel as the three-year-old daughter of the main characters. In this life, I was merely a prop in my parents’ toxic love story. When my mom went on a hunger strike, I starved with her. When she tried to run away, I was forced to kneel until my knees bled. They tortured each other in their twisted romance, and I was the collateral damage. After my mom ran away again, I knocked on the door of my dad’s sworn enemy. “Does your Border Collie adopt humans? I’m easy to raise. I can survive on half a slice of bread.” He had five cats and three dogs, all strays his dog brought home. I figured since he’d already taken in so many strays, he could squeeze in one more: me. Chapter 1 When I was three and a half, my mom found a lipstick mark on my dad’s suit collar. Heartbroken, she ran away from home. My dad, furious, choked me and threatened my mom over the phone. “If I don’t see you by tonight, I’ll drag Lily to the river, chop off her fingers one by one, and feed them to the fish.” Gee, thanks, Dad. You’re a real peach. I kicked my short legs in the air, trying to struggle. My dad kicked me away with his hard leather shoe, his eyes colder than a fish that had been frozen for a decade. I couldn’t stay in this house anymore. My parents fought every other day, and every time they did, I was the one who suffered. Previously, my dad’s rival, Ethan Cole, had given me a business card with his address. He lived in a mansion with a huge lawn, five cats, and three dogs—all brought home by his Border Collie, Coffee. Since Coffee loved collecting strays, maybe he could spare a metal bowl for me too. With my mind made up, I secretly followed our housekeeper, Mrs. Potts, and slipped out through the iron gates of the villa. Goodbye, cage. Little Lily is free. I clutched the card and showed it to adults along the way. With their help, I successfully entered the upscale Sterling Heights community and arrived at Ethan’s gate. There was a photo of Coffee on the gate. I couldn’t reach the doorbell, so I jumped up and down, yelling: “Coffee! I’m here to play!” As soon as I shouted, Coffee’s head popped up in the window. He barked, then quickly ran to the door, his tail wagging like a propeller. “Coffee, don’t open the door randomly! Cream might run out again.” Chasing Coffee out was Ethan Cole, wearing a Cinnamoroll bathrobe and mismatched slippers. His hair was messy, a stark contrast to the sharp-suited businessman I had seen before. I almost didn’t recognize him. Through the fence, I opened my palm to show the crumpled business card I had held the whole way. “Grape Brother, does your Coffee adopt humans?” “Who taught you to call me that?” Ethan pressed down on Coffee’s head with one hand and pinched my cheek with the other. “Little Chick is skinny again. My house doesn’t take picky eaters.” “I’m not a Little Chick.” I puffed up my cheeks in protest. But Ethan ignored me, kneading my face like dough with his long fingers. “I’m Lily. You saw me on the big fancy boat.” “Dad gave Mom a grape. Mom wouldn’t eat it, so Dad gave it to me.” “It was a huge grape. It got stuck. I saw stars.” I grabbed my neck, vividly reenacting the scene. “You picked me up and whack! The grape came out.” “That was ages ago. You remember that? New brains really work well.” Ethan’s gaze fell on my neck, and he frowned. “Why is your neck red?” “Dad pinched it.” I hugged his leg and deepened my voice to mimic my dad: “If I don’t see Mom tonight, I’ll chop off Lily’s fingers and feed them to the fish. That’s what he said.” “Your dad is a piece of work.” Ethan bent down and picked me up. I took the chance to wrap my arms around his neck. “Brother saved Lily. Saving a life means I belong to you now. Grape Brother, Lily is yours.” “Hey, hey, less of that nonsense. I’m twenty years older than you. You should be calling me Uncle.” Ethan flicked my forehead. I looked at him with puppy eyes. “The pretty ones are brothers. The mean ones like Dad are uncles.” “You are pretty. You are the pretty Grape Brother.” Afraid he wouldn’t want me, I hugged him tighter. “Brother, I’m easy to raise. Half a slice of bread is enough.” “I can clean my bowl, comb my hair, play with toys, and sleep by myself.” “I’m very good. Brother, don’t send Lily away.” I blurted out all my selling points, clinging to Ethan like a koala, tears welling up in my eyes. “I won’t send you away. Coffee has brought home so many brothers and sisters; we can spare a bite for you.” Ethan sighed, touching my thin arms, shaking his head. “Lighter than my cats. Your parents are terrible at raising kids. Your hair is all knotted, and you’re so skinny your bones hurt my hand.” He complained, but his movements were gentle. Before putting me on the sofa, he laid down a soft cushion, treating me like fragile glass. Coffee jumped onto the sofa, nuzzling his head into my chest. I wanted to pet him, but Ethan spoke up. “Pet him gently.” “Coffee, I’m talking to you. Don’t pretend you can’t hear.” I immediately softened my touch, only to see Ethan glaring at the dog. So Coffee retracted the paw he had placed on me. Chapter 2 “Usually, the housekeeper cooks. I can only make instant stuff. Make do with this.” Ethan had changed into an apron. His clothes were all pastel colors, completely at odds with his cool face. He placed a bowl of creamy mushroom soup on the table. While he turned to get a bib, I had already thrown the spoon aside, buried my face in the bowl, and was frantically grabbing mushrooms and shrimp with my hands. “Hey, don’t…” The soup was the perfect temperature. By the time Ethan lifted me out of the bowl, I had already finished most of it and was licking my lips, wanting more. “Brother, I’m full. You can flip the table now.” Facing Ethan’s shocked gaze, I blinked and said obediently: “I’ll eat the soup off the floor too. Mrs. Potts told me to cherish food. After Dad flips the table, I eat all the food off the floor. I don’t waste anything.” “Your dad flips the table every time you eat?” Ethan’s smile faded, his eyes turning cold. “Yeah. If Mom doesn’t eat, Dad says, ‘Then no one eats,’ and flips the table.” “I’m used to it. I use my hands so I can eat more before Dad flips it.” After all, if Mom didn’t eat, Dad would force-feed her later. But if I didn’t eat, I’d starve. “The nanny lets you eat food off the floor?” Ethan’s face looked grim, even though not wasting food was a good thing. I looked at my dirty hands, thinking maybe Grape Brother thought I was too dirty. “I’ll wash my hands properly. I won’t touch the cats and dogs with dirty hands.” I looked at him cautiously. Ethan sighed deeply, sat next to me, and patiently wiped my hands with a towel. “Lily, do you know how to use a spoon?” Seeing me nod, he wiped a smudge of oil from my mouth, his tone gentle. “From now on, in this house, no one will flip the table, and no one will snatch your food.” “You can eat slowly. You don’t need to eat off the floor. In our house, we live comfortably. You don’t have to watch anyone’s mood.” “Understand?” He served another bowl of soup and put the spoon in my hand. I slowly drank the soup, half-understanding. Then Ethan patted my head. “Good girl.” Turns out, eating soup slowly can get you praised too. My eyes stung, and tears fell into the soup, making it taste salty. It rained heavily that night. The swaying tree shadows looked like monsters coming to eat children. Before the next thunderclap, I covered my ears tightly, hugged my small blanket, and hid in the cat’s bed. The black cat yawned and good-naturedly shared half the bed with me. I buried my face in its furry belly, listening to its purring. My cold body gradually warmed up. In a daze, I smelled a faint scent of herbs, and someone lifted me onto a bed. “Why didn’t you come to me if you were scared of thunder? Coffee had to knock on my door to tell me you were fighting the cat for territory.” Ethan tapped my nose. I snuggled into his warm embrace, nodding as he spoke in a tone gentler than a lullaby. “Dad doesn’t let me in his room when he’s in a bad mood. He makes me sleep with the broom…” “Aren’t you scared when it thunders?” Ethan patted my back. My eyelids felt heavy. I pointed at the bottle on the nightstand. “Bottle. Magic round pieces inside. Eat one and sleep, won’t be hungry, won’t be scared. It’s magic. Mrs. Potts gave me this treasure.” Just as I grabbed the bottle, my head tilted. The last thing I heard was Ethan’s sigh, very soft, but it felt heavy to me. “Silly girl, that’s not treasure. Those are sleeping pills.” “If you eat too many, you’ll never wake up.” I had a very sweet dream. It was so sweet that when I opened my eyes, I could still smell the sweet scent of milk. I tried to get up but felt a heavy weight on my chest, pinning me down. Was it a ghost pressing on me? I waved my hands frantically. Then Ethan’s scolding voice came from afar. “Bread, get off your sister!” “You’re a heavy truck, why do you love lying on people’s stomachs? Don’t you know how heavy you are?” Coffee quickly jumped onto the bed and chased away the ball-like orange tabby. The orange cat meowed in dissatisfaction and went to clang its food bowl. Everything felt like a dream. I walked to the mirror in a daze and pinched my cheek. It hurt. Not a dream. I had really left Mom and Dad. I had left that home. Chapter 3 “Giving a child sleeping pills? Only their nanny could do something so low.” “Julian Sterling must have allowed it. He’s shrewd in business; if someone dared to give sleeping pills under his nose, would he not know?” “Is this kid really Julian’s? She doesn’t look like him. And he’s so cruel to her, maybe…” The new sister in the house kept glancing at me. I smiled and said: “Hello, pretty sister. I’m Lily.” “Oh my god, I’m melting.” The sister clutched her chest, shaking her head with absolute certainty: “Impossible. Absolutely impossible. I don’t believe Julian could produce such a cute child.” “She is biologically his. I checked before,” Ethan said, rolling his eyes and speaking sarcastically. “Scum who would let a child choke to death on a grape is actually Lily’s dad. This world is crazy.” “Did you contact the North City project team at his company?” “I did. Their boss treats them like dirt; the team is very disgruntled.” “Okay. Tell the team leader we’ll pay double. We must poach the North City team.” Ethan fingered the prayer beads on his wrist, grinding his teeth: “While Julian is away, I’m going to his office tomorrow to pull out his money tree. Does that dog deserve to be rich?” “Calm down. That’s too obvious.” The sister shook her head in disapproval. “Let me do it. I’ll have Mom apply as a janitor at his company and unplug their internet every day.” Wow, corporate warfare is intense. I listened in confusion, thinking the adult world was indeed complicated. “Coffee, come closer. I’ll share some milk with you.” “Lily, that’s your milk. No sharing with Coffee.” Oops, busted. After eating, I put on the new dress the sister bought and sat in front of the mirror while she braided my hair. “Lily is so pretty, so cute.” “Be good when you get in the car with sister later, okay?” I said yes, then asked: “Am I leaving?” Last time, Mom dressed me up beautifully, fed me a milky cookie, and then disappeared. I guessed maybe Grape Brother was too busy, so the sister wanted to send me away. It’s okay. Lily had sweet milk, cats and dogs to play with, and Grape Brother to coax me to sleep. I was satisfied. Even if I had to go home now, I wouldn’t be sad. “Yes, Brother Ethan has to work. He’s worried about leaving Lily alone at home.” The braids the sister made were beautiful. I sniffled and smiled brightly: “Thank you, pretty sister.” “Baby, you are too lovable.” The sister hugged and kissed me, then put me in the black sedan. Just before the door closed, I took a milk candy from my pocket and handed it to her, saying seriously: “Sister, can you give this candy to Brother for me?” “The candy is yummy. Mom gave it to me. Lily saved it to eat with Mom.” “Now Brother is the best person to Lily. Lily likes Brother, so Lily wants to give the candy to Brother.” I put the milk candy in her palm. Thinking I wouldn’t see Brother one last time, tears uncontrollably flowed from my eyes. “Sorry, Sister. I only have one candy. I like you too, but… but I can’t take out a second candy.” The sister panicked instantly, hugging me clumsily to comfort me: “Don’t cry, don’t cry. I hate candy. Brother can eat it alone. I know Lily likes me, and I like Lily the most too. Don’t be sad.” “But, Lily is leaving, and I don’t have two candies.” I was holding it in, but the sister’s comfort opened the floodgates. I choked out: “Sister made me pretty braids and gave me new clothes. I can’t repay you.” “You’re not leaving. I’m calling Ethan right now. No kindergarten for you.” The sister quickly pulled out her phone and put it on speaker: “Let Lily play at home for a couple of days. We have eight nannies; we can handle it.” “You’re coming home? This fast? Fine. Lily wants to see you too; she says she has candy for you.” In the end, I gave the candy to Ethan personally. Seeing my tear-stained face, he hooked my pinky finger helplessly: “Little ancestor, I won’t send you away. Stop scaring yourself, okay?” “Pinky promise. One hundred years, no changing.” After pressing our thumbs together, he ate my candy and bragged to the sister: “Lily gave this candy specifically to me. None for you.” Chapter 4 “Oh please, Lily promised to give me some later too. Right, Lily?” The two adults fought to hug me. I laughed through my tears and kissed each of them on the cheek. “Yes, I’ll give Sister candy later too.” “Lily, remember, Mom and Dad don’t love you because they are very, very bad, not because you aren’t a good child.” Ethan wiped away my tears and said seriously: “Our Lily is the best child in the world, unique and precious. Brother got lucky finding you.” “Since I took the day off, let’s go to the amusement park, okay?” “Okay! Grape Brother is the best brother in the world.” “And the handsomest.” Ethan emphasized. The sister elbowed him. “Look at you, so full of yourself.” We spent the day playing on the carousel, riding the Ferris wheel that went super high, and feeding goldfish. When the sun went down, we walked the dogs. Brother let me sit in a cart pulled by the dogs, letting them drag me along, messing up my hair. The sister, who went to buy ice cream, came back and slapped Brother hard on the back, scolding him all the way home. “Letting a three-year-old ride a dog cart! What were you thinking? What if it flipped?” “Relax, Coffee is smarter than you. He wouldn’t flip it.” So Brother got slapped again. “Kids can’t eat too much cold stuff, so Lily can only have a bite.” The sister bought five ice creams. Three for the dogs, one for Ethan. She let me take a bite of the remaining one. Icy, and very sweet. Ice cream tastes like Brother and Sister. Cold on the outside, sweet on the inside. When I told the sister this, she laughed for a long time, saying I was probably the only person in the world who would call Ethan sweet. “But I think Lily is right.” The sister smiled at Ethan coming out of the store. He was carrying a big bag, showing off the new coloring book and crayons he bought for me. “Gifts for you. Now you won’t be bored at home alone.” I happily hugged the coloring book, thinking Brother really was sweet. That was the flavor of Brother’s soul. After spending a week playing with the cats and dogs at home, the nanny would turn on the TV for me while she walked the dogs. I sat on the sofa, coloring book and crayons spread on the small table, excited to draw a family portrait. “There needs to be Brother and Sister, Brother Coffee, Brother Cream, Sister Black Forest…” I drew circles one by one. Just as I was about to dot the eyes, familiar people appeared on the TV screen. My hand holding the crayon froze. I stared blankly at my parents on the screen. They were in a field of purple flowers, with four-leaf windmills spinning behind them. “Mr. Sterling, on your second wedding anniversary, what made you decide to buy this flower field and recreate your honeymoon?” “Someone fabricated photos of me cheating. My wife was deeply hurt and even contemplated suicide. I realized that all these years, I only provided for her materially but failed to fill the void in her heart.” Dad interlaced his fingers with Mom’s and kissed the corner of her mouth deeply. “Realizing this, I decided to spend a year accompanying my love to see the scenery she wants to see. Our journey will span the globe, ending with viewing a once-in-a-century meteor shower.” Dad spoke eloquently, his words hard to understand as always. I looked at Mom leaning on Dad’s shoulder. She smiled shyly, her lingering gaze on Dad exceptionally sweet. They reconciled again. I wasn’t surprised. Dad was the best at pleasing Mom. No matter how cruelly Dad abused me, no matter how many tears Mom shed, as long as Dad was willing to soften, willing to stand up for Mom once. Mom would always forgive him and pull my hand to persuade me: “Lily, Dad loves you. He’s just strict. Don’t blame him.” The red handprints on my neck were still visible. Was Dad choking me love? If it was love, why did the Brother who treated me so well get angry when he saw it? I told Dad the nanny made me take pills, made me eat food off the floor, that my stomach hurt, and I wanted to see Mom. “You’re a big girl of three. Solve problems yourself. Don’t come crying for Mom all the time.” Dad pushed me hard, letting me fall to the floor, looking down at me arrogantly. “If you can’t eat, grab it. If your stomach hurts, find a doctor.” “Lily Sterling, your only value is keeping your mother by my side. I don’t care if you live or die, but if you dare persuade your mother to leave me, leave this house again…” He squeezed my jaw, his vicious tone chilling me to the bone. “I will cut out your tongue.”

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