In my first life, I chose the Wolfman. My cousin chose the Fox. The Wolf fell for my cousin. To help her win the Grand Tournament, he stood by and watched as I was torn to shreds by other beasts. In my second life, I learned my lesson. I chose the Fox. Turns out, the Fox also loved my cousin. I died. Again. This is my third life. I’m done with this garbage. Just as I was hesitating on who to pick… A fluffy paw slapped onto my hand. “Enough already! I feel bad for you. Pick me!” “I’ve watched you die twice now, you idiot!” 1 In my first life, during the Spirit Bonding Ceremony, I picked the muscular Wolfman. But he thought I wasn’t pretty enough and simped hard for my cousin, Lyla. During the Grand Tournament, just so I wouldn’t block Lyla’s path to victory, he literally sacrificed me, watching coldly as I was ripped apart by rival beasts. Rewind. Second life. Since the Wolf was a bust, I picked the Fox that Lyla had chosen originally. I wanted the loyalty the Fox had shown her. We formed a blood pact. He was loyal, alright. Loyal to Lyla. To break his bond with me and be with her, he severed one of his own tails and killed me with his own claws. As I bled out, I asked him why he didn’t just reject me at the start. He looked at me with dead eyes. “I just needed someone to get me out of the Beast Pit. Lyla said she was going to pick me, but you beat her to it. If not for you, I’d be hers.” I died with my eyes wide open, fueled by pure rage. But then, I woke up. Again. Third time’s the charm, right? This time, I’m staying the hell away from any beast associated with Lyla. I paced back and forth among the caged spirits, unable to decide. My father, the High Lord of our clan, looked at me. “Arya, do you not see one you like?” “I think the Wolf and the Fox are excellent choices. The Wolf is a powerhouse; bonding with him would skyrocket your cultivation. And that Fox? He already has eight tails. If he grows a ninth, he becomes a God Beast. Either one secures your future.” I listened to my dad and shook my head so hard I nearly gave myself whiplash. I tried both. They are strong. So strong that my deaths were spectacular and very, very painful. Seeing my hesitation, Dad sighed. “If you don’t choose now, you have to wait three years.” Three years is an eternity for a Spirit cultivator. It’s the difference between being a prodigy and a nobody. Dad always said that since I’m his only child, the position of Clan Leader is mine. But in this world, might makes right. Even with nepotism, I need the power to back it up. The Wolf and the Fox were headhunted by Dad specifically for me. The rest of the beasts in the pit looked… mid. That’s why I picked the elites in my past lives. I sighed. I can’t repeat history. I have to find a diamond in the rough. I walked a lap, about to settle for a Roc (giant bird) in the corner. My hand reached out, but a furry white paw smacked it down. “Enough, Arya! Pick me!” “I’ve been dragged through time with you for two lifetimes! My heart literally hurts watching you be this stupid!” A voice exploded in my brain. I looked down, startled. A tiny kitten, white with strange markings, was staring at me with big, wet eyes. “What? You think I’m worse than those two traitors? Pick. Me. I refuse to reboot this timeline again!” I looked around. Nobody else heard him. I sliced my palm without hesitation. Blood dripped onto his forehead. Runes lit up the floor, binding our souls. Usually, when a Spirit bonds with a human, they instantly gain a humanoid form. But my cat… stayed a cat. He leaped onto my shoulder with an arrogant huff. “What are you looking at? I haven’t recovered my power yet. Obviously, I can’t transform.” Dad looked at the kitten, then at me. Disappointment washed over his face, but the deed was done. Just like the past two lives, after I picked, it was Lyla’s turn. Lyla was my orphan cousin, raised in our house. My parents treated her like gold. Whatever I had, she had. She was gorgeous. The moment she stepped up, I instinctively looked at my cat. He seemed to read my mind and snorted. “Please. The Great Me has no interest in that basic pick-me girl. Only those two morons would fall for her.” “In the last two lives, she played them like fiddles, and they gladly died for her.” He paused, then ground his teeth. “I don’t know what cursed luck I have to be dragged back in time by you twice. Every time I was about to ascend to Godhood, boom, back to level one!” I gasped. “You… you aren’t going to kill me for revenge, are you?” Then I realized—if I die, he probably resets again. So he has to protect me. I grinned. He glared at me with emerald eyes. “Hmph. I wouldn’t lower myself to kill you.” Then he looked at Lyla with pure malice. “You skipped the Wolf and the Fox. Who do you think she’ll pick?” I was curious too. In the past, she took my leftovers. She always acted like I stole her destiny. This time, the buffet is open. Lyla stood before the cages. The Wolf and the Fox looked at her with puppy-dog eyes. She was talented and beautiful. Being picked by her was a jackpot. But a human can only bond one beast for life. The Wolf looked fierce. The Fox looked seductive. Lyla hesitated for only a second before pointing at the Fox. “I choose you.” Just as she raised her hand to cut her palm, the Wolf grabbed the hem of her dress through the bars. “Miss, please pick me. I am strong. I can protect you. I can make you the strongest.” I watched him beg, remembering my first life. He never looked at me with that much emotion. Even when I was dying for Lyla’s sake, he just said, “I never wanted you. Your death sets me free.” Rage bubbled up, but a lazy voice echoed in my head. “Trash. You really were blind in your first life. He isn’t worth one of my claws.” 2 The voice in my head continued, “Ungrateful little scum. Once you level up, we’ll just kill them.” My cat, Bastian, sounded utterly disgusted. Meanwhile, the Wolf was still simping hard. “That Fox is just a pretty face! I have raw power!” The Fox gave Lyla a teary-eyed look. “Miss, do you really want that ugly thing? If I grow nine tails, I can defy the heavens. I’m not weaker than a dog.” This was the first time the two beasts fought for her openly. All the clan sisters were watching. Lyla stood there, looking conflicted and innocent. She sighed. “You’re both so strong… I don’t know what to do.” She suddenly looked at me. “Cousin Arya, who do you think I should pick?” All eyes turned to me. If I hadn’t lived through this twice, I’d think she was just asking for advice. But I knew better. She was setting me up. I smiled. “It’s a lifetime bond, Lyla. I couldn’t possibly decide for you. Follow your heart.” Lyla paused, then pointed at the Fox again. “I choose you.” She looked at the Wolf apologetically. “I’m sorry. You’re great, but… someone else will pick you.” The Wolf’s eyes went dead. He was quickly snatched up by another clan sister. Once bonded, spirits need time to synchronize before taking human form. Lyla walked over to me with her new Fox. “That kitten is cute, Cousin. If you hadn’t taken him, I might have been tempted.” Bastian rolled his eyes so hard I thought they’d get stuck. I smirked. In previous lives, she said the same thing, and my beast immediately fell in love with her. “Careful,” I said dryly. “Saying that might make your Fox sad.” Lyla’s face stiffened. She hugged the Fox tight. “I’m just being nice, Cousin. My choice is the best, obviously.” We all went into seclusion to bond with our beasts. Bastian transformed in seven days. A humanoid form, though he kept the ears and attitude. My dad is the Clan Leader, making me the heir apparent. But I have to prove my strength in the Grand Tournament. That’s where I died the first time. The Wolf let me die so Lyla could win. The opponent cheated, I was stabbed through the chest, and my dad was cornered by Lyla saying, “Accidents happen in the arena, Uncle. You have to be fair.” Dad couldn’t save me without losing his position. I died in his arms. Second life? The Fox killed me before we even got to the tournament. This time? Bastian looked at me like I was a hopeless project. “Your deaths were your own fault. You were weak. Fear stems from a lack of firepower.” He crossed his arms. “This life, you rely on no one but yourself. I will train you until you don’t need a beast to fight.” 3 I agreed. I asked my father for permission to enter the Abyss, our clan’s most dangerous training ground. Dad was pleased. “Good girl. Ambition is good.” Bastian and I entered the Abyss. It started okay. Then it got hellish. Every day, Bastian would disappear and return leading a horde of high-level monsters straight to me. “Run or fight, Arya!” he’d yell from a tree, eating a fruit. “Suffering builds character!” “Why aren’t you fighting?!” I screamed, dodging a fireball. “I have a delicate stomach! Doctor says I can’t eat bitterness (suffer)!” he yelled back. “Besides, we share a power pool. You level up, I level up. Efficiency!” I spent a year in there. Most people last a month. At first, I ran. I couldn’t sleep. Then, Bastian forced me to fight. I got beaten black and blue. He showed no mercy. “In my eyes, there are no genders, only the strong and the dead.” I got beat up for months. Eventually, my skin got thicker, or I got stronger. I started hitting back. By the time we left, the monsters in the Abyss threw us a farewell party. They were practically gifting me dead prey to get me to leave. Dad was waiting at the exit. He sighed in relief seeing me alive. Lyla popped out from behind him. “Cousin, you’ve been in there so long. You must be super strong now.” I smiled. “I’m okay.” Her Fox had taken human form—a handsome, feminine man. He sneered at me. “Don’t worry, Lyla. I’ll protect you. I’m not useless like some beasts.” We went home. I saw the Wolf standing in the distance, waiting. He belonged to another clan sister now, but he was staring at Lyla. Lyla lowered her eyes. “I should go talk to him. He’s been obsessed since I rejected him.” She sounded so burdened. The Fox growled, “You’re too kind, Lyla. Let me chase him off.” “No, I’ll handle it.” I stood there with Bastian. He crossed his arms. “Hmph. Green tea bitch.” I looked at him, surprised he knew the slang. Three days later, big news rocked the clan. The Wolf killed his bonded human. The clan sister was dead. The Wolf was rogue and on the run. Lyla clutched her chest when she heard. “How terrifying. I’m so glad I didn’t pick him.” I looked at her, smiling coldly. “Yeah. Good thing I didn’t pick him either. Or I’d have missed out on Bastian.” 4 Lyla glanced at Bastian, then looked away. I knew something was up. In my first life, I died. In this life, the girl who picked the Wolf died. Lyla was the common denominator. She must have said something to the Wolf to make him snap. As the Clan Leader’s daughter, it was my job to hunt the rogue Wolf. I knew exactly where he was hiding. In my first life, he told me about his secret den—a place he considered safe. He never took me there, but I remembered the location. We found him quickly. He was half-dead from the backlash of breaking the bond. We dragged him back. The uncle whose daughter was killed was screaming for blood. “Skin him alive! He killed my child!” “Leader, we must make an example of him! Or the other beasts will rebel!” Lyla looked at the dying Wolf. “He looks so pitiful right now.” The uncle snapped his head toward her. “Pitiful?! What about my daughter?! If it were you who died, would you call him pitiful?!” Lyla teared up and bit her lip. The Wolf was skinned alive. He died in agony. Lyla covered her mouth, eyes full of fear. Her Fox shielded her. The Wolf is gone. Next up: Lyla and the Fox.

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In my last life, my mom, wanting to repay a kindness, revealed my “lucky charm” constitution. I was married into the powerful Tang family as a matrilocal husband to bring luck and healing to their heiress, Tang Wen, who was terminally ill. A month later, Tang Wen, who was diagnosed with days to live, miraculously recovered. The Tang elders were ecstatic, showering me with stocks, houses, and cars. But on my birthday, Tang Wen imprisoned and tortured me. Broken, I asked her why. She sneered, “I was never sick! You forged my medical records with your mom to marry into money, claiming I had late-stage stomach cancer. You broke me and Jax up, causing his depression and suicide!” Tang Wen brutally severed my limbs and threw me in front of a grave. “Didn’t you say you’re a lucky charm? Let’s see you luck him back to life!” I bled out in agony. Before dying, I learned I repaid the wrong kindness; my savior was someone else. My parents were targeted by the Tangs—one dead, one driven mad. My soul wept tears of blood, regretting saving this ungrateful wolf. Then I opened my eyes, back to the day Mrs. Tang came to find me. 1 Mrs. Tang asked me if “bringing luck” through marriage really worked miracles, if it could save someone with one foot in the grave. I smiled. “If she’s sick, see a doctor. Believe in science. The ‘lucky charm’ thing is just my mom’s superstition. Don’t take it seriously.” My constitution was always a family secret. In my past life, if we hadn’t mistaken my savior, I wouldn’t have married into the Tang family to save Tang Wen. Not only was she ungrateful, she destroyed my family. In this life, let’s see how Tang Wen fares without me! But even after I said that, Mrs. Tang wouldn’t give up. “Better safe than sorry. Marrying my daughter is no loss to you. Let’s try it.” The Tangs were powerful. If they wanted to force me, they had ways. I frowned, about to find an excuse, when Tang Wen rushed in. “Mom, I won’t marry Xavier! My husband will only be Jax!” Seeing her reaction, I knew she was reborn too. Mrs. Tang looked troubled. “But your health…” Tang Wen said hatefully, “I’m perfectly fine. Here’s my real medical report. The stomach cancer and lucky charm nonsense were lies made up by Xavier and his mom to climb the social ladder!” She shoved a report into Mrs. Tang’s hands. Mrs. Tang glanced at it, her expression changing instantly. She called me a liar and ordered the servants to kick me out. I was disgusted, but happy to cut ties with the Tangs. I turned to leave. But I hadn’t gone far when Tang Wen shouted from behind: “Stop!” I pretended not to hear and kept walking. “Xavier, I said stop! Are you deaf?” Tang Wen jogged over to block me, and suddenly vomited a large pool of blood. Her body couldn’t handle the exertion. I stepped back in disgust. “What?” Tang Wen was furious at my reaction. “You dare be disgusted? Usually when I cough blood, you’re the most worried. Why aren’t you worried now?” That was when I thought she was my savior and my wife. But she wasn’t my savior, and she destroyed my family. Why should I care? “Miss Tang is mistaken. We don’t know each other…” Before I could finish, Tang Wen interrupted angrily. “Stop acting, Xavier. When you admitted the lucky charm thing was fake to my mom, I knew you were reborn too!” Seeing the jig was up, I looked at her. “So?” Tang Wen sneered. “In this life, don’t think you can trick me with your lucky charm or stomach cancer lies. Saying you married me to repay a kindness… hilarious. I never saved you!” Her smug, self-righteous look was annoying. But I couldn’t be bothered to argue with a dying person. I just wanted to make things clear. “Don’t worry, Miss Tang. I realized I mistook my savior and I don’t like you. I absolutely won’t marry you this time.” 2 Tang Wen’s face turned ugly. But I ignored her. An ambulance rushed out from nearby. If I remember correctly, that’s where Chloe lives. She is my real savior. In my last life, she died on my wedding day. Good people should be rewarded. This time, I won’t let her suffer that fate! My face changed, and I tried to rush to the hospital. But Tang Wen called her bodyguards to seize me, dragging me to another property and locking me up. “I said I won’t marry you. What is this?” I frowned. Tang Wen sneered. “You loved me so much, taking care of me even when you had a high fever. You lied about my cancer just to marry me… You think I’d believe you now?” I held back the urge to curse. “It wasn’t just my mom who said you had cancer. And you know how your body feels.” I meant to say we didn’t lie. But Tang Wen got angrier. “Shut up! Jax told me before he died in the last life. You bribed the experts. I vomited blood because of the medicine your mom prescribed!” No wonder she went crazy on my family. But I had no grudge against Jax Liu. I didn’t know why he framed us! I was furious. “We never did that…” “Still denying it! Jax is waiting for our date. I have no time to waste on you. Our wedding is in five days. Don’t try anything. I’ll release you after the wedding.” Tang Wen left happily. I tried to rush out but was pinned down, watching the door close. I cursed Tang Wen’s ancestors and called the police. She looked grim as she brought Jax to release me. No real harm done, so the police just mediated. After the police left, Tang Wen gritted her teeth. “You dared to call the cops. You’ve got guts!” I looked at her coldly. “If I didn’t, would I starve for five days?” She blurted out, “You’ve done it before, you won’t die!” True. In the last life, I upset her and she locked me up for five days. Thinking of her company going public, I didn’t want to cause trouble, so I survived on toilet paper and vase water. But she killed me once. I know my real savior now. I won’t be that stupid again! I just wanted to stay away. “Marry Jax if you want. It has nothing to do with me. No need to lock me up.” Tang Wen didn’t believe me. “Don’t try to fool me. You escaped to ruin my wedding with Jax, didn’t you? Dream on!” Convinced I wanted to cause trouble, she contacted my hospital director, claiming we forged medical records, and got me and my mom fired. My dad’s small trading company was also targeted by her and faced bankruptcy. And my “attempt to marry into wealth” was leaked online. Everywhere I went, people mocked me. “That’s Xavier Xie. He and his unethical mom forged records to climb the social ladder.” “What era is this? Still using ‘lucky charm’ scams? Hilarious.” “The Tang heiress and Jax Liu are a perfect match. Who does this Xavier think he is?” “Shameless homewrecker. Too bad President Tang saw through him!” All insults against my family. I was pushed around in public, even hit with objects. While I faced this, Tang Wen sat in her car nearby. She called me. “This is just a small lesson. Dare to covet me again, and I’ll make your family wish for death!” 3 Tang Wen still didn’t believe I didn’t want her or her money. I hung up. I hope she’s this arrogant the day she dies! Dad sighed at home. Mom cried until her eyes were swollen. “We just wanted to repay a kindness. How did it come to this?” “Because Tang Wen isn’t my savior. Her mom lied when she found out about my constitution. My real savior is Chloe Chu!” I comforted my parents and finally contacted the Chu family. Mrs. Chu was Buddhist and believed in the “lucky charm” concept. She agreed immediately. She held my hand, promising, “Success or not, the Chu family owes you. If anything happens to Chloe, you can stay as our son-in-law or remarry. We won’t mistreat you.” I didn’t care about that. I just wanted to repay the kindness. But Mrs. Chu transferred 5 million dollars to me on the spot and arranged help for Dad’s company. I wanted to marry tomorrow to help Chloe recover sooner. But Mrs. Chu refused. “Marrying a dying girl is wronging you enough. The wedding can’t be rushed. We’ll do it in two days.” So the wedding coincided with Tang Wen and Jax’s. I didn’t care, but Tang Wen found out and stormed over. “Who allowed you to marry someone else?” she demanded. I married her to save her, she destroyed my family. I marry someone else, she’s unhappy. Is she sick in the head? I rolled my eyes. “I’ll marry who I want. What’s it to you?” Tang Wen lifted her chin. “Stop acting. How could you want to marry a dying girl like Chloe? Playing hard to get to make me jealous?” I was disgusted. “I’m marrying Chloe to bring her luck. It has nothing to do with you.” “Still using that excuse? Xavier, playing hard to get too much is annoying! Here’s the key to the Riverview Villa. Stay there. I’ll be with Jax for the first half of my wedding night, then come to you.” Tang Wen forced a key into my hand, scratching my palm. I laughed in anger. “You want me to be your side piece?” Tang Wen’s eyes darkened. “I only love Jax. Letting you be a lover is already generous. Don’t be ungrateful!” She drove off. I threw the key away. Tang Wen, that bitch. I can’t wait to see her die miserably on her wedding day! She didn’t make me wait long. On the wedding day, our motorcades met. Tang Wen saw me and her face darkened. “Xavier, I allowed you to be my lover, yet you dare to ruin my wedding with Jax… shameless!” Running into such bad luck on a big day. I frowned. “Are you blind? I’m in the Chu family car. No one is ruining your wedding.” Tang Wen yelled, “Don’t think you can fool me! Chloe really has leukemia. Your lucky charm thing is a lie. You wouldn’t marry a dead person. You just want to swap with Jax…” Splatter! Before she could finish her rant, she vomited a massive mouthful of blood. Tang Wen obviously didn’t expect this, staring at me in disbelief. I just smiled coldly, watching her stumble and fall. 4 She’s dying. This was always her fate! Seeing this, the accompanying doctors rushed over in panic to treat Tang Wen. But Jax rushed over and pushed them away. “Get back! Wen is fine. You lie to her all day, don’t you have a conscience?” He handed painkillers to Tang Wen. She poured half the bottle into her mouth, staring at me. “Xavier, don’t think because you and your mom drugged me to make my symptoms look severe, I’ll cancel the wedding to marry you.” She wiped the blood from her mouth, eyes full of mockery. “Lucky charm constitution? I don’t believe it. If marriage could save people, why do we need doctors?” I seriously suspected her brain was full of water. “I’ve always wanted to marry Chloe. Can you stop imagining things?” Tang Wen was angered by my tone. “You—” Before she could speak, Chloe, in her wedding dress, walked over quickly. She blocked me. “Hubby, she vomited so much blood. Are you scared?” “I’m fine.” I smiled at her. I’m a doctor. This scene is nothing. Chloe relaxed. But Tang Wen looked like she saw a ghost. “How? At this time, shouldn’t Chloe be dead? Why is she alive and well?” As soon as she spoke, she vomited more blood, lying on the ground like a dead dog, unable to get up. People like her deserve to die in agony! I frowned and pulled Chloe’s sleeve. “Miss Chu, we should go. Don’t miss the auspicious hour.” “Okay.” Chloe only had eyes for me. She agreed gently and took me into the car. Tang Wen wanted to stop me, but she couldn’t even crawl. Her wedding dress was soaked in blood, looking wretched and terrified. “It hurts… Jax, why aren’t the painkillers working? Why does it hurt so much?” Jax turned pale. “Maybe… maybe you didn’t take enough. Take the rest.” But after taking them, it didn’t help. She vomited more blood. She was breaking down. “Why isn’t it working?” Jax’s eyes were full of panic. “It shouldn’t be like this. You were fine in the last life. You shouldn’t be sick. It can’t be that the lucky charm was real…” Hearing this, Tang Wen’s face turned green. “What do you mean ‘shouldn’t be sick’? You said Xavier and his mom forged my records and drugged me. Was that all a guess? Jax, you idiot, you killed me!” She wanted to hit him but had no strength. Tang Wen was rushed to the hospital. The cancer expert shook his head. “Miss Tang has late-stage stomach cancer. If she took her meds, she could have lasted a while. But she stopped treatment and indulged in excesses. She has days left.” “I don’t want to die! What days left? Quack doctor! I lived a long life last time!” Tang Wen wanted to scream but could only whisper. She hated Jax, the stirrer. But she had no time to deal with him. Tang Wen gathered her strength and grabbed Mrs. Tang. “Mom, find Xavier. Make him give me luck. Only he can save me!” Mrs. Tang cried. “But he married Chloe. What do we do?” Tang Wen swore, “That doesn’t matter. He loves me obsessively. He won’t watch me die!”

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The day before my SATs, my favorite pen vanished. Just as I was about to head to CVS to buy a new one, my older brother shoved a pen into my hand. “I knew you’d lose yours, scatterbrain. I got this one just for you.” I smiled and took the pen. Suddenly, my phone buzzed with a message. “I am you from ten years in the future. DO NOT use the pen your brother gave you. It’s a grade-swapping pen.” “It swapped your score with your best friend, Lani.” I thought it was a prank text until I looked up and saw my brother whispering and giggling intimately with Lani. The next second, I gave that pen to the class slacker. 1 Before entering the exam hall, my brother, Leo, ran up to me specifically to nag. “Cici, remember to use that pen. I got it blessed at the temple for you.” “Don’t think just because your grades are good, you don’t need luck.” He checked my admission ticket and ID with meticulous care. How could I have imagined that my own brother, whom I grew up with, would plot against me like this? “Yeah, Cici, don’t be ungrateful. You always rely on your grades, but you need to know that exams like the SATs need a bit of luck. Listen to your brother, use that pen.” The two of them echoed each other like a married couple. Seeing them like this, I couldn’t help but believe the text message a little more. I was about to question them, but then I thought, today is the SATs. Better not cause trouble. I just nodded and entered the exam hall. As the last test paper was handed in, my high school life ended. When I walked out into the sunset, Leo and Lani were waiting for me. “How was it? I felt the questions were super easy,” Lani said, linking arms with Leo intimately, looking a bit smug. “Maybe this year I can surpass Cici and become the city’s top scholar.” I didn’t know where she got her confidence. Lani’s grades weren’t dead last, but she was definitely in the bottom tier. I had tutored her, but it didn’t help much. If she performed normally on this exam, community college would be a stretch. “Really? Did you solve the last geometry problem?” “Did you understand the English listening section?” “Did you get the essay prompt?” Lani’s face froze at my barrage of questions. Finally, she burrowed into Leo’s arms, acting wronged. Leo shouted sternly, “Cici, where are your manners?! Why are you so aggressive!” Watching Leo defend Lani, it seemed like she was his sister. “Nothing,” I pretended to be innocent. “I didn’t finish them, so I wanted to ask the future top scholar. What’s wrong?” Hearing me say I didn’t finish, Lani reacted like I triggered a keyword. She rushed out of Leo’s arms: “You didn’t write any of those?!” Leo also asked hurriedly, “Cici, don’t joke about grades!” Seeing their panic, the pen-swapping thing was definitely real. I said aggrievedly, “It’s all because of that pen you gave me. As soon as I held it, I couldn’t write anything. I didn’t know how to do so many questions!” “Impossible! You’re always first in the grade. Even if you mess up, you wouldn’t fall out of the top ten. How could you not write anything! You must be lying to us!” “Why would I lie to you? One is my closest brother, the other is my best friend. How could I lie to you? I really messed up.” Seeing that I really seemed to have failed, Lani went crazy and scratched at me. “Why did you harm me like this! Making me fail college!” I hid behind Leo in panic. “What are you talking about! I failed myself, what does it have to do with you?” Leo knew the inside story, so he quickly stopped Lani and comforted her, “It’s okay, she’s just too worried about you and talking nonsense. You go back first, I’ll take Lani home.” After sending the two away. 2 I received another text from my future self. “Did you still use the pen your brother gave you? Why hasn’t the future changed!” I quickly typed on the screen: “I didn’t use it. I gave the pen to the class slacker.” Just as we were wondering what was going on, Leo suddenly appeared again. He and Lani changed their attitude completely, smiling at me. “You little brat, scaring us. You’re clearly the top scholar but you lied to us.” A chill ran down my spine. Based on my own estimation, my score was indeed higher than last year’s city top scholar, but I didn’t have full confidence myself. How did they know! Lani was visibly happy again, acting coquettish with Leo. “Don’t forget, you promised me. If I get into MIT, you’ll be my boyfriend.” Leo pinched her nose with a smile. “You, still like a child.” Turning to me, Leo said, “Exams are over. Let’s go on a trip together. I’ll pay. Let’s go have fun!” “I’m not going!” Lani pouted. “If she’s not going, then she’s not going. She’s always a killjoy. I’ll go with Leo!” Leo grabbed me. “Look at you talking nonsense. You are my sister; how could I not take you? Let’s go together. Mom and Dad aren’t home for the holidays. I’m not comfortable leaving you alone.” After all, he was the brother I grew up with. As soon as his tone softened, I wanted to agree. But at this moment, my phone received another text: “Don’t go! They are going to sell you into the deep mountains! Then Lani will replace you and go to college!” I immediately refused decisively. “Not going. I want to get my driver’s license this holiday. I don’t need you to take care of me. I’ll stay at Uncle’s house.” Leo didn’t seem to expect me to refuse. His hand froze in mid-air. “Better go. Don’t cause trouble for others. Learn from Lani, be good!” Lani also chimed in, “Exactly. With your withdrawn personality, you only know how to study. If not for me and Leo, who would hang out with a freak like you? We are doing this for your own good.” “I don’t like socializing because I think dealing with people is a waste of energy. Being friends with you is just because you are incredibly stupid. I can see through your thoughts at once without any effort.” Lani blushed with anger at my words. Leo ignored our bickering and continued to persuade me to go out with him. His schemes were almost hitting me in the face. “Not going! If you’re worried, I’ll tell Mom.” At the mention of Mom, Leo shut up. Because Mom only liked children with good grades. In the family, I was not only the favored second child but also had surprisingly good grades. I skipped several grades and took the SATs with him at 14. In the family, whatever I said went. But even so, Leo didn’t let me go. That night, with red eyes, he even knelt by my bed, just for our parents waiting outside the door to see. He said our parents were always away on business, and his only wish as a brother was to take me to relax after the exams. He even brought up old scores, like carrying me three blocks to find a clinic when I had a fever as a child. Mom and Dad already felt guilty towards their eldest son, so they came out to uphold justice and made me go out with him. I couldn’t refuse, so I went along. 3 As the car drove away from the city, I watched the buildings shrinking in the rearview mirror. My phone vibrated in my pocket. Future me sent a message: “Do not go on the trip with them. They plan to sell you. There are ropes and chloroform in the trunk.” I replied calmly: “Too late.” I could only clutch my phone tightly, nails digging into my palm. Leo looked back at me from the passenger seat, smiling and handing me a bottle of chilled juice. “Car sick? Bro bought your favorite brand.” Lani sat next to me, leaning her head on my shoulder intimately, as if nothing had happened a few days ago. “Cici, look, ahead is the winding mountain road. I heard the sunrise at the peak is especially beautiful.” When she spoke, her hair smelled of men’s cologne. It was the exact one Leo used. Because of the warning from the future text, I was very careful at first. They didn’t make any moves, and no more texts came. Leo took us out to play and eat local snacks every day. Lani kept taking photos, chanting: “Vlog the top scholar’s holiday.” Just like that, more than a month passed. Seeing that the results were about to be released, they still hadn’t acted, as if they really just came out to play. Until this day, Leo said he found a wild hot spring and drove us deeper into the mountains. The mountain road became bumpier, and the phone signal was intermittent. Lani suddenly screamed, pointing out the window: “Look! Are those fireflies?” I looked in the direction she pointed but saw Leo taking a small brown bottle out of the glove box in my peripheral vision. “Tired?” Leo stopped the car in a dense forest, unscrewed the cap, and poured some transparent liquid into a paper cup. “I specially asked the B&B owner for calming tea. Drink it, and soaking in the hot spring will be more comfortable later.” I looked at the pitch-black surroundings, feeling creeped out. At this moment, the phone vibrated crazily: “There’s something in the drink. You must have noticed. Don’t drink it. But you’re just a kid, you can’t escape. Play along and get kidnapped. I left you something to save yourself.” I knocked the paper cup to the ground violently. The brown liquid splashed on Leo’s beige pants. “What are you doing?” His face changed drastically, the tenderness in his eyes instantly turning into hostility. Lani screamed and hid by the car door but accidentally pressed the window button. The damp night wind rolled in with the smell of earth. “Bro,” I forced my voice to tremble, “I… I need to pee.” Leo stared at me for three seconds, then suddenly smiled again. But the smile didn’t reach his eyes. “Silly girl, why didn’t you say so earlier? Lani will go with you. I’ll wait in the car.” Lani pulled my hand and walked into the woods. When the car was out of sight, she suddenly pushed me hard to the ground. “Stop pretending!” She squatted in front of me, her exquisitely made-up face full of malice. “Do you really think I don’t know you gave the pen to the slacker? Luckily, your brother got a spare, or I wouldn’t have gotten your score!” I struggled to look up and saw two men in camouflage standing in the shadows behind her, holding a sack. Lani took out her phone and swiped the screen. It showed the chat history between her and Leo— “Is the stuff ready? The buyer said he wants her alive. Deliver to the back valley for money.” “Don’t worry, bro. I have the chloroform ready. Once she’s sold, I can openly go to MIT with her identity.” “My Lani is the smartest. Once this is done, bro will be with you.” “You have such a good brother, and you don’t cherish him. You deserve this fate. Don’t be so smart in your next life. What’s the use of just studying well!” Lani stood up and kicked my knee. “Can’t figure out why your own brother would harm you? Tall poppy syndrome. For so many years, you not only stole Mom and Dad’s love for him but also crushed him in every aspect. He feels bad. This exam is your doom.” As soon as Lani finished speaking, the man in camouflage walked over and put the sack over my head. In the darkness, I heard Lani’s laughter and Leo’s voice from afar: “Be gentle, don’t hurt her…” 4 When I woke up, I was lying on a kang (heated brick bed) in an adobe house, hands and feet tied with rough hemp rope. Outside the window were rolling mountain shadows. My phone had been taken away at some point. The door creaked open, and an old man with a wrinkled face walked in, holding a bowl of dark stuff. “Awake? Drink the medicine quickly. Drink it and you’re my family’s wife.” The old man grinned with missing teeth, his breath stinking to high heaven. I shook my head desperately, tears flowing uncontrollably. Just then, a faint vibration came from under the mat. Taking advantage of the old man turning around, I lifted a corner of the mat with my knee and actually felt my phone! It was my future self! She must have calculated that I would be taken here and hid the phone somewhere in advance! “Don’t be afraid,” a new message popped up. “The old man is hard of hearing. Pretend to drink the medicine and pour it into the crack of the kang. There’s his son’s phone in the third drawer of the headboard. The password is his granddaughter’s birthday—20100815.” I did as she said. While the old man wasn’t looking, I poured the medicine into the crack and pretended to pass out. After he left snoring, I opened the drawer with my teeth and indeed found an old phone. After unlocking it, I tremblingly dialed 911 and whispered the GPS coordinates shown in the future message. For the next two days, I pretended to be submissive, letting the old man bring me food. Lani and Leo never appeared again. Only the old man bragged to everyone about “the city wife his son bought for a big price.” Until the evening of the third day, police sirens suddenly came from outside the window. A group of police officers rushed in and pinned the old man and his son to the ground. When I was rescued, I met my parents who had driven to the foot of the mountain. Mom held me and cried until she fainted. Dad’s eyes were red, repeating “It’s Dad who didn’t protect you well.” Only then did I know that Leo called the police immediately after I went missing. He tearfully said I “ran away from home due to exam pressure” and took my parents to search the city for two days, portraying himself as a perfect brother. “Where’s Bro?” I asked, wiping my tears.

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As soon as I walked out of the SAT exam hall, I was dragged into a dark interrogation room by the police. Officers found cheating tools sewn into my clothes. And in a nearby hotel, they arrested the “gunman” (a hired test-taker) who was collaborating with me. The moment the gunman saw me, he identified me as the buyer. He voluntarily confessed to the crime and detailed the financial transactions between us. The evidence was undeniable, and it was broadcast all over the internet. Overnight, I went from being hailed as a genius scholar by the media to a prisoner. My parents tried to appeal but failed. Unable to withstand the cyberbullying, they died tragically at home. Not long after receiving the news of their deaths, I died of a heart attack. Until my last breath, I didn’t understand. I clearly did nothing, so why did all the evidence point to me cheating? When I opened my eyes again, I was back to the eve of the SATs. 1 “Zoe, what are you spacing out for? Hurry up and get your ID out to check in.” My best friend Lily’s voice rang in my ear. I shuddered violently. I was in a hotel lobby, and the clock on the wall behind the reception desk showed the date as June 6th. Lily nudged me. “Why are you still spacing out? ID!” The shove finally made me realize I had been reborn. In my past life, because the exam center was too far from home, we were worried about traffic jams on the day of the SATs. So the night before, Lily and I checked into a hotel less than a hundred meters from the exam center. On the last day of the exams, as soon as I walked out, I was arrested for cheating. And the gunman who provided me with answers was hiding in the room I stayed in. “Zoe, why are you so slow today? The receptionist is waiting!” Saying that, Lily eagerly reached into my bag to grab my ID. I grabbed her hand. “I’m not staying.” Lily frowned and complained. “Zoe, why are you like this? Do you know how much effort I put into booking this hotel?” “No, you have to stay!” I looked at Lily in confusion, puzzled. She usually had a gentle temperament and spoke softly, so why was she being so pushy today? I forced a smile. “Lily, you know I have trouble sleeping in a strange bed. I might stay awake all night in the hotel, which would affect my performance tomorrow.” “So I thought about it and decided to go home. Worst case, I’ll just get up earlier tomorrow. I’m really sorry.” Lily covered her mouth and laughed. “I was just teasing you; you actually took it seriously?” “Then think carefully. Rooms are super hard to book before the SATs. If you cancel now and change your mind later, there won’t be any rooms left.” I nodded, insisting on going home. “Then call an Uber yourself. I’m going to the room to review.” I watched her enter the elevator and hailed a cab. “Driver, to the nearest internet cafe.” 2 Everything in my past life happened too fast, exploding and vanishing like fireworks. Why were cheating tools found on me? Where did the evidence provided by the gunman come from? And who wanted to harm me, and why? These questions were like a fog in my mind. I might never find out the truth in this life, but at least I could avoid this disaster. That is, by not taking the SATs, so I couldn’t go home. I had to go to a place open 24 hours, where I could stay and which had surveillance. An internet cafe was perfect. The driver quickly took me to one. I paid for two consecutive days. After finding a seat, I binge-watched variety shows and dramas. When hungry, I ate instant noodles from the cafe; when sleepy, I slept a bit. But as soon as I fell asleep, images of my past life surfaced, and I’d wake up startled. This repeated until 5 PM on the third day. Just as I closed my eyes. A pop-up appeared on the webpage. [Breaking News: A candidate was caught cheating in the SATs in South City. The suspect has fled the exam center, and police are in hot pursuit!] I had a bad premonition. Just as I was about to click on the pop-up, the computer screen went black. Complaints erupted in the internet cafe. “Admin, what’s going on? Why did the computers go black!” “Sorry everyone, the circuit breaker probably tripped. I’ll go reset it now. Please be patient.” Not long after, sirens wailed outside. 3 Several police officers rushed in and surrounded me. They flashed their badges. “Zoe Chen, you run fast. In the blink of an eye, you ran to an internet cafe!” I asked confusedly, “May I ask what this is about?” The officer snapped, “Still playing dumb? You cheated on the SATs, and we’re arresting you!” For a moment, my brain almost lost the ability to think. “Me… cheated?” Amidst my confusion, Lily and my childhood sweetheart boyfriend, Shawn, rushed in. Lily panted as she spoke up for me, “Zoe couldn’t have cheated. You have to believe in her character. Besides, she’s already been guaranteed admission.” Shawn squeezed through the crowd, shielding me. “Yeah, officer, she has no reason to take this risk. Could there be a misunderstanding?” The students who followed them to watch the drama sneered, “Does her innocence depend entirely on your words? If so, why do we need police?” “Exactly! I think you’re accomplices. Suggest arresting them all for investigation.” Lily got anxious. “Zoe, explain quickly. I’m dying of anxiety.” Surrounded by noise, my mind went blank. Seeing my silence, Lily’s eyes went from determined to doubtful. “Zoe, you didn’t really cheat, did you?” Her voice was small, but loud enough for those around to hear. They started pointing fingers. “Oh my god, cheating on the SATs when checks are so strict these days? Some people really aren’t afraid of death.” “This girl seems to be the top scholar from my friend’s school. I’ve seen her on their honor roll. Tsk tsk, turns out it was all fake!” “Pretending to be smart usually, afraid of being exposed in the SATs, so she risked cheating.” “Heard her parents are master teachers at the school. Even a teacher’s daughter cheated; do her parents have the face to live? They might as well die!” The insults in my ears sent chills down my spine. But clearly, I had been in the internet cafe since last night and never left. How could I be suspected of cheating? My voice trembled involuntarily. “Officer, but I didn’t take the SATs, so how could I cheat?” The officer laughed in anger. “You say you didn’t take the SATs? You really won’t cry until you see the coffin.” “Come back to the station with us; I’ll show you the evidence!” 4 Handcuffs were slapped onto my wrists. I hugged the chair tightly, shouting, “I really didn’t take the SATs. If you don’t believe me, ask the people here, check the surveillance!” “Still making excuses, huh? Fine, I’ll check now, so you can give up hope!” The officer immediately asked the surrounding onlookers. “Can anyone testify that she has been here online since last night and hasn’t left?” I looked at them expectantly. But they all shook their heads. “Officer, we’re here to game. Who pays attention to who’s sitting next to them?” “I just got here. How would I know when she arrived? I have no impression.” “Officer, testifying means going to the station to register, right? Don’t make it hard for us. If my parents find out I sneaked out to game, they’ll skin me alive.” I panicked. “If they can’t testify, there’s surveillance!” The admin ran over apologetically. “Officer, I’m really sorry. Just now, a high-voltage surge burned out the storage device, and all surveillance footage is lost.” I looked at her in disbelief. “Impossible, how could it break so coincidentally? I want to see for myself.” She led me to the monitor. The words “Disk Error” stung my eyes. I asked her like clutching the last straw, “Sister, you registered me last night. Do you remember me?” The admin nodded, then shook her head. “Sorry, I’m face-blind and really can’t remember faces.” At this, I felt like I was in an ice cave, trembling all over. The admin pointed at the small red flower on my clothes. “Didn’t you just rush in from outside? I can’t remember faces, but I remember this red flower on your collar. It’s particularly eye-catching.” I got extremely agitated. “You’re lying! I’ve been sitting in my seat the whole time, nowhere else!” The officer sneered. “Zoe Chen, stop quibbling. Your cheating tool is hidden in this eye-catching red flower!” Saying that, he picked up scissors, cut off the red flower, tore it open, and indeed, an electronic device was hidden inside. My eyes widened, utterly shocked. In my past life, an identical electronic device was found in my clothes. This moment seemed to pull me back to my past life. I screamed in terror, “This isn’t mine!” At the same time, Lily screamed, “Zoe, isn’t this that?” Shawn looked disappointed. “Zoe, I can’t believe you would do such a thing.” Seeing their reactions, I seemed to lose all strength instantly. “So you saw me in the exam hall too?” They both nodded. I only saw darkness, and Shawn’s hollow, desperate voice rang in my ears. “Zoe, your best option now is to confess and seek leniency, understand?” “We’ll take care of your parents 24/7, don’t worry.”

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An old woman named Margaret Miller fell on the side of the road, and no one dared to help her. Without hesitation, I walked over and took her to the hospital. At that moment, I felt I wasn’t just helping her up, but humanity itself. But at the hospital, she accused me of knocking her down. She argued self-righteously: “If you didn’t knock me down, why would you take me to the hospital? I’m not your mother.” Later, I took her to court. Even later, when she fell in front of me again, I didn’t lift a finger. 1 I was driving home from work when a large crowd blocked the middle of the road, stopping me in my tracks. I got out and walked closer, hearing hushed discussions. “An old lady fell in the middle of the road. Don’t help her! Check your bank account balance before you even think about it!” “I want to help, but there are no cameras around. No way. I’ll just call 911 for her.” “Sigh, if you call 911, the old lady might kick the bucket before they get here. Then her family will ask you why you called if you had nothing to do with it. How will you answer? Doing a good deed just gets you in trouble.” I noticed a filming crew to the right, probably TikTokers or YouTubers. A pretty girl with a lapel mic was speaking: “An old grandma falls on the roadside, and no one helps. Is this a distortion of humanity or a loss of morality…” In recent years, incidents of elderly people falling and being ignored have become common. Ever since that kind-hearted college student helped a fallen senior only to be extorted, everyone’s hearts have turned cold. I’ve asked myself: If I encountered such a thing, would I help or not? The answer was definitely yes. I don’t believe every old person is a scheming villain. I believe good deeds are rewarded. After a brief thought, I pushed through the crowd of onlookers and walked up to the old woman. She was convulsing, her face purple, her hand clenched tightly over her heart. Her cloudy eyes looked at me pleadingly. Then, she fainted. I bent down to pick her up, but a dark-faced middle-aged man stopped me: “Sister, think this through. You look like you have a family. If this old lady blackmails you…” I knew what he was going to say, but I picked her up anyway. At this moment, I wasn’t lifting an old woman, but fallen humanity! 2 I took the old woman to the hospital and paid for her medical bills upfront. She was wheeled into the operating room for surgery. The doctor took off his mask: “It’s rare to see a daughter-in-law like you. I’ve worked in this hospital for years, and most daughters-in-law hide far away when their mother-in-law gets sick.” I smiled awkwardly: “I’m not her daughter-in-law. We’re not related. I just saw her fall on the road and brought her here.” The doctor looked at me with respect: “Then you’re truly amazing. But, miss, did you notice any cameras when you helped her?” I laughed: “Hey, who looks for cameras when saving a life? I just wanted a clear conscience.” The doctor gave me a thumbs up. My phone rang, and I walked to the side. It was my husband, Steve. Picking up, he immediately bombarded me: “Heather, what time is it? Why aren’t you back yet? Do you know how worried I was?” I used to think my husband called because he cared. But later I learned he was just waiting for me to come back to do laundry, cook, and take care of the kid… From working at the office to working at home. He was a pure egoist, and my life with him was a mess. Irritation rose in my chest: “I’m at the hospital.” Steve sounded nervous: “You’re sick? Is it serious?” He was probably calculating if spending our savings on my treatment was worth it. I didn’t want to argue: “I’m not sick. I brought a fallen elderly woman to the hospital.” Steve’s voice suddenly turned shrill: “Heather, old people fall every day. Are you the only capable one to take her to the hospital?” “Why don’t I see you caring about family matters? I have an open class tomorrow, and my suit isn’t washed.” I retorted: “Why don’t you wash it yourself? And what’s wrong with me helping an old lady?” I hung up. 3 There was an old flip phone in the woman’s pocket, unlocked. I scrolled through the contacts and called the number named “Hubby.” It rang for a long time. Just as I was about to hang up, someone answered. Through the phone, I heard the shuffling of mahjong tiles. The voice sounded extremely impatient: “Old hag, I’m playing mahjong, don’t bother me.” I imagined a smoky, chaotic room and suppressed my disgust: “Hello, your wife fell and is in the hospital now.” “Fell? Not dead, is she?” It seemed her husband didn’t care about her at all. He cursed foully on the other end; he must have lost a hand. I wanted to hang up, but he asked: “Who are you?” I held back the urge to call him a scumbag: “I saw your wife fall on the road and brought her to the hospital.” He immediately said: “Stay at the hospital. Don’t leave. I’ll be right there.” “Don’t leave”—those words gave me a bad feeling. My phone buzzed. My husband texted: Come back and cook, I’m starving. I didn’t reply. Half a minute later, he called again. I didn’t answer and blocked his number. Not long after, a disheveled old man with sanpaku eyes arrived. He walked straight up to me and grabbed my collar: “You knocked down my wife. How do you plan to compensate us?” 4 He reeked of stale smoke. Instead of checking on his unconscious wife, he demanded compensation first. I pushed his hand away and pointed at the hallway camera: “There’s surveillance here. If you touch me again, believe it or not, I’ll call the cops and have you arrested.” The old man looked timid but bluffed loudly: “I don’t care! You knocked down my wife, you must pay!” I asked: “With which eye did you see me knock her down?” He pointed at my nose and cursed: “If you didn’t knock her down, would you be so kind as to bring her to the hospital? Or are you her long-lost daughter?” I was stunned by his words. He continued roaring: “Besides paying all my wife’s medical bills, you have to pay for emotional distress, lost wages… let me calculate, fifty thousand dollars in total!” Impressive that he knew legal terms like emotional distress and lost wages. He really put effort into extortion. I asked: “What if I don’t pay?” He stiffened his neck: “If you don’t pay, I’ll call the police. The law will back us up!” The doctor who operated on the old lady passed by and couldn’t stand it anymore. He handed his phone to the old man: “Sir, call the police right now.” The old man visibly shrank back, muttering curses. He walked aside to make a call. If he won’t call the police, I will. I dialed 911. The police hadn’t arrived yet, but the old woman’s son did. He wore a fading gold chain and had tattoos on his arms, his face full of flesh. Seeing me, he snorted and looked me up and down: “You’re the one who hit my mom? My dad said fifty grand. I scolded him.” I thought, Can’t judge a book by its cover. He looks fierce but seems reasonable. Unexpectedly, his next words made me lose it.

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After the department dinner, Helen from HR dropped a payment request in the group chat. [Last night’s dinner came out to $850. Please send me $45 each.] Then, she specifically tagged me. [@Laura, that includes you, don’t forget!] I thought she’d made a mistake. After all, I hadn’t even been there. I sent a polite reminder, but Helen completely lost it. [We booked your spot. You think you don’t have to pay just because you didn’t show up?] [If you don’t pay up, your colleagues will have to cover your share!] I quietly posted the real receipt from their dinner at my family’s restaurant. “After the discount, the total was two hundred and fifty dollars. Helen, are you trying to rip everyone off?” 1 I wasn’t feeling well, so I skipped the department dinner last night. The moment I got to the office this morning, I saw the message from Helen in the group chat. [Last night’s dinner came out to $850. Please send me $45 each.] Helen was in charge of HR for our department, and rumor had it her husband was a company shareholder. Naturally, no one dared to cross her. The payment notifications started popping up one by one. I figured it had nothing to do with me and was about to put my phone away when it buzzed again. Helen had tagged me. [@Laura, you too, don’t forget!] ? I wasn’t even there. Thinking she’d simply forgotten, I replied in the chat to gently remind her. I never expected her to explode. She launched into a full-blown tirade right there in the group chat. [What’s that supposed to mean?] [The dinner was priced per head. I booked everything in advance.] [It’s your problem that you didn’t show up, but that doesn’t mean you’re exempt from paying!] [Are you really so broke you’d try to skip out on forty-five bucks?] 2 Helen’s words were utterly merciless. My face flushed hot with embarrassment. I had messaged her privately yesterday to explain I couldn’t make it. She’d told me it was no problem, that the restaurant charged by the dish, not per person. What changed overnight? A colleague sitting next to me leaned over and whispered, “Laura, you’re new to this department. You really don’t want to get on Helen’s bad side.” But this wasn’t my fault. And more than that, what she said was just plain nasty. I took a screenshot of our conversation from the day before and posted it in the group. I tagged her directly. [Helen, yesterday you said it was fine. Why the change of heart today?] [If you had told me upfront, I would have just paid it.] [Are you that hard up for my forty-five bucks?] The moment the message went out, I could hear a collective gasp ripple through the open-plan office. Several people gave me subtle thumbs-ups. Honestly, I didn’t want to make a big deal out of it, but she started it. And I was holding back my harsher thoughts. I’d seen a video from the dinner last night—a few simple, family-style dishes on the table, not even a single bottle of wine. How on earth did that cost over eight hundred dollars? The chat went silent. I ignored it, tossed my phone aside, and focused on my work. I wasn’t worried about getting fired for pissing her off. I expected Helen to stomp over to my desk any minute. But it wasn’t until the lunch break that she finally appeared, stilettos clicking, designer bag swinging, her face a mask of fury. “Who do you think you are?” she hissed. “When did I ever say you didn’t have to pay? Who knows if that screenshot is Photoshopped? And even if I did say it, it was only because I felt sorry for the new girl! Now the entire department has paid except for you. What makes you so special? You think you’re better than everyone else?” 3 Looking at her perfectly made-up face and designer outfit, I realized something. No wonder it was so quiet this morning. She hadn’t even been in the office yet. Her outburst startled everyone from their lunch break. They saw who it was and immediately went back to staring at their screens, fuming but silent. A few shot me resentful glances. Seeing that I wasn’t responding, Helen assumed I was scared. She planted her hands on her hips, looming over me. “Pay me the dinner fee right now, and then you will apologize to me in front of the entire department! Otherwise, I’ll make sure your life in this office is a living hell!” It was a blatant threat. A fresh-faced rookie might have buckled immediately. But I wasn’t a rookie. I’d been with this company for ten years. Most of my old colleagues had either been laid off or transferred. As a long-term employee with a permanent contract and a documented workplace injury on my record, I was practically untouchable. The company couldn’t fire me without a massive headache. I wasn’t scared at all. In fact, the thought of what was coming thrilled me. “Fine, I’ll pay,” I said. A smirk spread across Helen’s face. “That’s more like it—” I cut her off. “On one condition. You have to admit, right here and now, that you can’t survive without my forty-five dollars. The second you say it, I’ll transfer the money. Deal?” The smirk on Helen’s face froze. When she finally processed what I’d said, she slammed her hand on my desk. “Laura! How dare you mock me?!” Her voice was so shrill it almost cracked. She was genuinely furious now. Then, a cunning look crossed her face as an idea seemed to strike her. She calmed down and turned to address the rest of the office. “Since Laura refuses to pay for the dinner, her share will be split among the rest of you.” “Everyone, please send me an extra ten dollars.” 4 My face hardened. She was clearly trying to strong-arm me into paying. Ten dollars wasn’t much, but I knew it would make my colleagues resent me. Over time, that resentment would turn into isolation and ostracism. But if I gave in this time, there would be a next time, and a time after that. Working my butt off for peanuts was hard enough; was I supposed to use my own salary to line the pockets of some power-tripping manager? I couldn’t swallow this insult. I sent a direct message to the top boss. [Mr. Roberts, I have a question. Is it company policy to charge employees for department events they didn’t attend?] [When was this rule implemented?] He didn’t reply, probably in a meeting. But my colleagues couldn’t hold back any longer. Murmurs of complaint filled the air. “Why should we have to? It’s not our fault she didn’t pay.” “Exactly! What are we, her personal piggy bank?” Even the colleague who had warned me earlier physically shifted her chair away from me. Seeing that her plan had worked, Helen shot me a smug, satisfied look. It was a look that said, You’re way out of your league, kid. Then she gave me her ultimatum: transfer the money by the end of the day. This time, I said nothing. But something about all this felt very wrong. Later that afternoon, still fuming, I went to the fire stairwell to cool off. Just as I was about to leave, I heard the sound of high heels approaching. On a whim, I ducked around the corner of the landing. It was Helen. She stopped just out of sight, talking on her phone, her voice dripping with smug satisfaction. “Just you wait. She’ll be packing her bags within a month!” 5 Her conversation continued. “Report me? Who’d dare? Those idiots would rather lick my boots!” “And that restaurant last night was a great find. Cheap and good. The whole thing was just over a thousand bucks.” She hung up, then scoffed into the empty air, her voice full of contempt. “Trying to fight me? She really needs to take a look in the mirror.” I stayed hidden in the corner until long after she had left. So, this was never about the forty-five dollars. It was about forcing me to quit. That settled it. There was no way I was letting this go. Her last comment sparked an idea. If she wanted to turn my colleagues against me, let’s see who was better at playing that game. I refused to believe everyone in this office was born without a spine. Back at my desk, I pulled up the video of the dinner again, trying to spot the restaurant’s name. I went through it frame by frame. Whether by design or chance, there were no logos or signs visible. Just as I was about to give up, my eyes landed on the dinnerware. Wait a second. Those plates… why did they look so familiar? They looked just like… I quickly opened my photo album and found the design for the custom plates I’d ordered for my parents’ restaurant. It was a perfect match. So, the restaurant where they had their dinner… was mine? 6 I immediately called my mom to confirm. “Oh, right! A group of about a dozen people came in yesterday, said it was a company dinner.” “Their boss was so cheap! So many people, and they only ordered the least expensive dishes. Then she insisted on a twenty percent discount before she’d pay. The total only came to two hundred and fifty dollars! And they packed up every last scrap of leftover food!” “Oh, and she called today asking me to issue a fake receipt for eight hundred and fifty. Your father told her to get lost.” I breathed a sigh of relief. Good for Dad. Just to be sure, I had my mom pull the restaurant’s security footage. It was them, my colleagues, without a doubt. I told my mom what had happened today. She was furious and immediately sent me a copy of the itemized bill from last night. “You go get ’em, sweetheart! Don’t you worry! If things go south, you can always come home. Mom and Dad will take care of you!” Her words warmed my heart, but quitting was out of the question. This was now a battle between me and Helen. As the workday was ending, she popped up in the group chat again. This time, she posted a picture of an invoice and tagged me. [@Laura, here’s the restaurant invoice, just so you can’t claim I overcharged you.] [But if you can really live with yourself while your colleagues cover for you, then be my guest!] 7 The moment her message appeared, every eye in the office turned to me. Some were curious, some were angry, some were contemptuous. Then, she added one more line. [And don’t even think about running to Mr. Roberts. He has no time for employees who refuse to be team players!] It all clicked. That’s why I never got a reply to my message at noon. But I was more curious about something else. Who was Helen on the phone with in the stairwell? Who wanted me gone badly enough to resort to these tactics? There were only a few possibilities. I shook the thought from my head as my colleagues started complaining again. “Laura, your fight with Helen is your business. Can you please not drag the rest of us into it?” “Yeah, you can tell she wasn’t from our department originally. She’s clearly not one of us.” “Don’t be so selfish. We’re not obligated to pay your share.” This time, I didn’t say a word. Instead, I opened the main company group chat. The one with all several hundred employees. I forwarded every single message from Helen, along with a picture of the real, itemized bill from the restaurant, and a picture of her forged invoice. Then I tagged all the senior managers. [To management: I’d like to ask if you are aware that a member of our HR department is using team dinners to skim money off the top and is also creating fraudulent invoices?]

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Everyone knows crying out loud at a British funeral is disrespectful, but I let my husband’s adopted sister wail anyway. Why? Because in my past life, my husband had a distant relative who was a British noble. When he passed away, the lawyer said my husband could inherit his fortune and invited him to the funeral. His adopted sister, Chloe, insisted on tagging along to “see the world.” But really, she wanted to curry favor with the aristocrats and show off. Her plan? Cry her eyes out at the funeral to attract attention. I tried to stop her: “British nobles hate dramatic scenes at funerals. Forget the inheritance—we’ll probably get kicked out!” Chloe cried, accusing me of looking down on her and thinking she wasn’t good enough to mingle with nobility. She ran out of the venue and got caught in a riot, where she was accidentally shot and killed. I thought my husband would be devastated. Instead, he silently attended the funeral and inherited the fortune. Six months later, on our anniversary, he took me to a snowy mountain for a photoshoot. The moment we got up there, he stuffed me into a sleeping bag and tied it shut. “If you hadn’t made a big deal out of nothing, Chloe wouldn’t have run out and gotten killed.” I was buried alive in the snow, freezing to death while my husband used the inheritance to become a CEO. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day Chloe insisted on crying at the funeral. 1 “Sis, why won’t you let me cry?” “The Duke had no children. What’s wrong with me shedding a few tears for him?” Sitting in the car on the way to the funeral, hearing Chloe’s familiar whining, I realized with a jolt that I had been reborn. Chloe’s eyes were red. She hadn’t even started her performance for the Duke yet, but she was already playing the victim with me. My mother-in-law hugged her, shooting me a glare. “A noble’s funeral is full of important people! What’s wrong with a little crying?” “Maybe someone will see her kind heart and a rich suitor will come knocking!” Seeing she had backup, Chloe stopped hiding her intentions. She checked her eyeshadow in the mirror. “I’ve been practicing my makeup for a month. Today, I’ll look so pitiful and beautiful when I cry!” “Sis is just jealous because I’m young and pretty. She’s afraid I’ll outshine her in front of the nobles!” Yeah, Chloe had been preparing for this day for a long time. She spent a fortune at top beauty salons and even took acting classes to learn how to cry beautifully. I sneered, my eyes full of mockery. “You’re going to a funeral, not a speed dating event!” “Dressed like that? Are you afraid people won’t realize you’re fishing for a man?” Chloe looked like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. She started sobbing. “I researched the Duke’s life! I hired a writer for my eulogy and memorized it!” “Is it so bad to let the Duke know he has family from abroad who cares? You just look down on me!” My husband, Ryan, chimed in impatiently. “Nancy, what is wrong with you! It’s not enough to cause trouble at home, you have to embarrass us abroad too?” “Chloe put so much effort into this. Maybe she’ll make us look good! And you? What do you do besides pick fights?” Ryan had always been like this. He spoiled his adopted sister and always assumed I was bullying her. No matter how ridiculous Chloe acted, he never disciplined her. Instead, he forced me to cater to her. In my past life, I emphasized that wailing at a British noble’s funeral was highly disrespectful. My father-in-law needed money for surgery. The inheritance was our only hope. If we disturbed the peace of the deceased and annoyed the guests, forget the money—we’d be thrown out! But Chloe was stubborn. She insisted on crying. When I couldn’t persuade her, I physically covered her mouth to stop her. Chloe was furious. She ran out crying and was killed in a riot. Ryan got the inheritance, but he blamed me for Chloe’s death and pushed me off a snowy mountain! This time, I was going to watch Chloe dig her own grave. She could cry all she wanted. If Ryan didn’t get the inheritance today, his father wouldn’t have money for surgery. Then they’d really have a funeral to cry at! 2 After we entered, a server noticed we were foreigners and explained the funeral procedures, adding a reminder: “According to British aristocratic custom, loud crying is not permitted at the funeral…” As soon as the server left, Chloe raised an eyebrow. “Hmph, she’s just jealous because I’m prettier than her. She’s afraid her master will like me!” My mother-in-law nodded eagerly. “Those women serving nobles… they’re all scheming!” I couldn’t help but laugh. Chloe was way too confident. Did she really think she was beautiful enough to make every woman in the world jealous? Seeing me laugh, she seemed to realize something. “You were chatting so happily with that server. Did you bribe her?” “Just to stop me from crying? You really went to a lot of trouble!” Ryan yelled at me too. “Nancy, behave yourself! Prince Charles is attending today!” “If you mess up my inheritance, I won’t forgive you!” Hearing “Prince,” Chloe’s eyes lit up. My mother-in-law warned me, “Nancy, don’t cause trouble! If you ruin my chance to be a Prince’s mother-in-law, I’ll make Ryan divorce you!” I found it hilarious. Did they really think Chloe had a shot? One look and Prince Charles would fall for her? Knowing royalty was present, she still dared to use a funeral to hook a man! I waited for the inevitable disaster. As more guests arrived, Chloe approached every eligible bachelor to shake hands. Using her broken English accent, she tried to charm everyone. Suddenly, she clutched her chest, pretending to be short of breath, and turned to me. “Sis, go to the car and get my spray. I’m afraid I’ll hyperventilate later.” Heh, she needed to prep her throat for the wailing. I went to the car without thinking. But as soon as I got in, my hands and feet were tied. Bang! The door locked. Chloe looked at me through the window with disdain. “You kept stopping me because you’re afraid I’ll marry a noble and be better than you?” My mother-in-law gave me a cold look. “You’re married and washed up. Today, there are so many young talents for our Chloe to choose from!” Seeing Ryan standing there doing nothing, I glared at him. “You’re letting them lock me in here? It’s hot! Do you want to suffocate me?” He frowned, scolding me impatiently. “Stop playing the victim. I’m tired of you competing with Chloe!” “Stay in the car until the funeral is over!” He turned and left. Chloe was still fixing her makeup in the side mirror. Watching her cake on the powder, I couldn’t help but sneer. “Put on any more powder, and people will think it’s your funeral!” She frowned, then smirked. “Sis, you should be hoping I catch a rich husband.” “If I don’t find a good one, I wouldn’t mind stealing my brother!” Heh. Since Ryan pushed me off that mountain, I saw through his sick feelings for Chloe. Blaming me for her death, killing me… On the surface, he was my husband. deep down, he only cared about his adopted sister. I looked at her and smiled. “Steal him? I don’t want that trash anymore. He’s yours!” 3 Once the funeral started, Chloe began reciting her eulogy. At first, it was just soft sobbing, but soon it escalated to uncontrollable weeping. People around her stared, but Chloe didn’t notice. She thought their shocked looks meant they were moved by her grief. A gentleman handed her a handkerchief as she stepped down. Chloe’s eyes lit up, thinking he was hitting on her. Her crying got even louder, tears streaming down her face. The woman next to the gentleman sneered and poked her. “You’re from abroad, so maybe you don’t know our rules.” “But at a solemn occasion like this, who are you performing for?” Chloe assumed the woman was jealous and immediately snapped back. “You’re not sad about the Duke’s death, so you think tears are worthless!” “You’re cold-blooded! You have no right to teach me rules!” After her retort, Chloe realized that her crying worked! It attracted a man and made a noblewoman jealous! She was convinced her plan was working. She grabbed my mother-in-law and they started wailing together, louder than a street vendor. The guests frowned. Afraid of trouble, someone asked the priest to intervene. They thought maybe he could explain the customs to this foreign woman. But just as the priest raised his hand to comfort Chloe… She looked up, saw an old man, and shoved him away. The priest’s face darkened at the rude gesture. He warned sternly: “Stop crying! Our noble funerals require quiet mourning!” “This behavior is disrespectful to the deceased!” Chloe decided this old man was just picking on her because he couldn’t take advantage of her! She snapped: “God teaches compassion, but you cling to these dusty old rules!” “Not letting people cry? Why suppress human nature?” The priest was stunned speechless by her logic. Seeing everyone looking at her, Chloe felt triumphant. She thought her unique perspective and eloquence had impressed the crowd! As for the unfriendly looks? Just jealous women! She whispered to Ryan: “Bro, cry! See? Everyone admires me!” “Don’t you want to meet nobles? This is your chance!” Hearing there was profit to be made, Ryan started wailing like his parents had died. At that moment, I was standing on the second floor, having been rescued by a noble. I watched Chloe and the family put on their show. Those idiots were crying so hard they didn’t see the noble’s face on the balcony turning black with rage. The real show was just beginning! 4 The wailing made it impossible to proceed with the ceremony. The Duke’s head housekeeper couldn’t take it anymore. She approached Chloe. “Miss, you didn’t know the Duke, so you don’t understand him.” “I served him for forty years. In his later years, he always said he hated crying and performative grief at funerals.” Chloe assumed the woman was just a bitter servant who didn’t get any inheritance. “Some people serve for forty years just for a paycheck. No status, no name. What do you know about the Duke’s suffering?” “The Duke died alone, and you, who were with him for forty years, are so cold-hearted?” Her words were like a knife, making the housekeeper’s eyes red. Unable to contain her grief, the housekeeper turned to leave. I saw this and chased after her to comfort her. Chloe saw me and yelled: “Why are you everywhere? Escaped already?” “Sucking up to a servant? What good will that do you?” I glared at her with contempt. Chloe had the nerve to say she knew the Duke’s life? She didn’t know that this housekeeper was the person the Duke respected most. She was the first in line for the inheritance, but she remembered the Duke’s kindness. Thinking she was too old, she declined the inheritance, leaving it for those who needed it more. And yet, Chloe dared to insult her publicly? Once the housekeeper left, Chloe saw no more obstacles. She waved Ryan and her mom away. She knelt and hugged the Duke’s coffin, crying her heart out. She was determined to make sure Prince Charles saw her “deep affection” the moment he walked in! Her behavior was so ugly that the lawyer who invited us panicked! “Stop howling! Prince Charles will be here any minute. He cares about etiquette!” “If he sees this, he’ll throw you out!” Chloe exploded: “You’re a lawyer, lying to the heirs?” “Using the Prince to scare us so you can steal the money?” The lawyer choked, eyes burning with anger. “You’re disrupting the funeral and disturbing the Duke’s peace, and you accuse me?” Chloe scoffed and ignored him. She looked up and saw me going upstairs with the housekeeper. She seemed to realize something. She rushed over to block me, hissing through her teeth: “So that’s it! You got all these people to stop me from crying!” “You’re afraid I’ll shine in front of Prince Charles!” I smirked, mocking her. “You look like a cat in heat. Do you think anyone wants to see you howling?” Chloe shook with rage. Her eyes darted around, and she deliberately twisted her ankle, tumbling down the stairs. Landing on her butt, she started wailing loudly, using every trick in the book. “What did I do wrong? Why do you treat me like this, Sis?” The guests’ eyes turned cold. Great. Crying wasn’t enough; now she’s playing the victim! “Are you that jealous? You had to push her here? You’ve embarrassed the Luo family!” Ryan rushed over, cursing me. Not satisfied, he slapped me hard. “Prince Charles is almost here, and you’re causing drama!” “Get out! Now!” My mother-in-law and Chloe lunged at me, dragging me towards the door. My arm hurt from their grip. “Stop!” A low shout froze everyone. The crowd parted, and the only sound was leather shoes on the floor. A man wearing a royal crest walked out. His aura silenced the room. “You violated the taboo of wailing at the altar, and now you’re using violence? I don’t think you need this inheritance.” 5 Chloe and Ryan went pale. How did they run into Prince Charles while dragging me out? Ryan panicked and stammered: “Prince Charles, you misunderstand! This woman is making a scene. We’re helping maintain order!” Prince Charles scoffed, pointing at the door. “Do you think we’re blind? You’re the ones wailing and disrupting the funeral!” “Maintain order? The ones who should leave are you mannerless people!” Not expecting such a harsh rebuke, Ryan’s face changed colors. Chloe sat on the floor, holding her ankle, tears flowing instantly. “Prince Charles, look! She pushed me! My ankle is sprained!” “She bullies me like this, and you protect her?” She thought her pitiful act would soften his heart. But Prince Charles looked at her like she was a clown. “Finished crying? Go cry outside! Our funerals do not allow wailing!” Humiliated, Chloe’s face burned. She turned to me, pointing a shaking finger. “It’s you! You’re behind this!” “You’re amazing, huh? Getting to the servers and the Prince, spreading rumors about me beforehand!” I glanced at her coldly. “I don’t have that kind of influence. You flatter me.” “You didn’t listen to advice, caused trouble, and now you blame others!” Prince Charles shouted angrily: “Silence! You were the ones wailing, you were the ones dragging her!” “Twisting the truth here? Do you think everyone is stupid?” Seeing the Prince’s dark face, Chloe panicked. “Prince Charles, we’re from another country. We didn’t know the custom forbids crying!” The noblewoman from earlier spoke up disdainfully. “Stop pretending! I just told you, and you called me cold-blooded!” “The priest warned you too, and you said he didn’t understand God’s mercy.” The lawyer stepped forward angrily. “I advised you nicely, and you accused me of trying to steal the inheritance!” “I’ve never been so insulted in my life!” Seeing everyone turning against them, I spoke up. “I told you before we came that British nobles don’t allow wailing.” “But one of you was busy chasing men, the other climbing the social ladder. Who listened?” “Now that you’re in trouble, you blame me? Have some shame!” Chloe’s eyes flashed with calculation. She started lying loudly. “Sis! You told me to cry! You said it would make people like me and help me meet nobles!” “You said ignore anyone who tries to stop me!” “Now that people are mad, you blame me? What is your problem?!” Ryan immediately backed her up. “Yes! It was all Nancy’s idea! She said she knew noble customs best!” “She told us to cry hard, said it showed respect!” My mother-in-law joined in, spitting at me. “Exactly! Don’t be fooled by her innocent look!” “It was all her idea! Punish her! It has nothing to do with my son and daughter!” I looked at this family with disgust, wishing I could slap myself. I was blind to choose this man and this rotten family! Before I could speak, Prince Charles slammed his hand on the table. “I just rescued this lady from your car! She was half dead!” “You bullied her, and now you frame her?” “Do you think I’m blind or stupid?”

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1 In our house, everything had a price tag. A goodnight hug from Mom was one dollar. Dad spinning me in the air for three minutes was five dollars. I kept a careful record of these transactions in my head, then paid them, coin by coin, from my little teddy bear purse. Dad said it was to teach me to be independent and to never take anything for granted. He called it “paying your way.” The thing I feared most wasn’t monsters in the dark. It was Dad looking at the bill and saying, “Willow, you’ve overspent on affection today.” I tried so hard to save up, to buy more and more love. Until the day a strange man offered me a piece of candy in a shiny wrapper. I habitually asked him how much it cost. He said it was free; all I had to do was walk with him for a little while. … My teacher, Mrs. Davis, gave me a shiny star sticker. It glittered on the back of my hand like a real star. All the other kids held up their stickers for their moms to see, but I didn’t. I carefully peeled it off and hid it in my pocket. My little hand clutched my pocket all the way home, my mind racing with calculations. Dad had taught me that its value needed to be assessed, then used to offset my “educational expenses.” How much was it worth? A dollar? Two? I was nervous. If I priced it too high, Daddy would call me dishonest. But if I priced it too low, it felt like I was disrespecting my teacher’s praise. When I got home, Mom was mopping the floor. I ran to her and fumbled inside my faded little teddy bear purse, finally pulling out a single coin. I held it out to her. “Mommy,” I whispered, “I want to buy a hug.” Something flickered in her eyes, but it was gone as quickly as it came. She straightened up and opened her arms. I stepped into them. One second. Two seconds. She let go. She took the coin from my hand and dropped it into a glass jar on the kitchen windowsill. A thin layer of coins already covered the bottom. My father, Arthur, was sitting on the sofa. He glanced up, then tapped something into his phone. “What did you accomplish at school today?” he asked, his eyes still glued to the screen. My heart pounded as I pulled the star sticker from my pocket and handed it to him. He took it without a word of praise, snapped a picture with his phone, and uploaded it with a note: “Return on Educational Investment (ROEI): Non-monetary asset x1. Estimated value: $2. To be deducted from educational expenses.” I breathed a sigh of relief. My estimate was close. Just then, the doorbell rang. Mom answered it. My aunt Claire and my cousin Leo were standing on the porch. “Elara!” my aunt cried, sweeping me up from the floor and planting a huge kiss on my cheek. “Oh, my sweet girl, I’ve missed you so much!” I froze. Aunt Claire’s hug was warm. It wasn’t fast like Mom’s. And I knew Dad wasn’t timing it in his head. But… but this hug was too expensive. I squirmed out of her arms and hid behind my mother, clutching her dress. “Mommy, Auntie’s hug… how much do I have to pay? I don’t have enough money. Can I owe you?” The smile vanished from my aunt’s face. She stared at me, then at my parents, her expression one of pure disbelief. My cousin Leo, a year older than me, didn’t understand the sudden shift in mood. He ran over and pushed his Transformer into my hands. “Here, Willow! You can play with this!” I recoiled as if I’d been burned, clutching my teddy bear purse to my chest. “I can’t just take things from you.” “Arthur! Elara! Look at what you’ve done!” Aunt Claire finally exploded, her finger trembling as she pointed at my parents. “Are you insane? You’re turning a child into a monster! This is a home, not a corporation!” My father adjusted his glasses. “You don’t understand, Claire,” he said calmly. “This is a progressive parenting philosophy. We’re cultivating her independence, teaching her the value of things. It will give her a competitive edge later in life.” “Independence? A competitive edge?” My aunt laughed, a harsh, bitter sound. “She’s four years old! What she needs is unconditional love, not a damn quid pro quo!” My mother tugged on her sister’s arm. “It’s okay, Claire, please. This is our way. Don’t interfere.” Aunt Claire looked at my mother, her eyes filled with disappointment. The argument ended, as it always did, in a tense stalemate. As my aunt was leaving, her eyes shimmering with tears, she knelt down and secretly pressed a piece of candy into my hand. The wrapper was so shiny, more beautiful than anything I had ever seen. She lowered her voice. “Listen to me, Willow. What your aunt gives you is love.” “Love, sweetheart. Love is free.” I clutched the candy, lost in a profound confusion. Love… is free? That night, I came down with a fever. My body was a war of ice and fire. I felt miserable. I wanted to call for my mom, but I didn’t dare. I quietly opened my teddy bear purse. Inside were only two coins and a few “love coupons” I had drawn myself. I was sick. Mom taking care of me would cost “fees,” and nighttime service would definitely be more expensive. I didn’t have enough. I couldn’t afford it. I was scared of “going into debt.” Daddy said debt was a shameful thing. So I wrapped myself tightly in my blankets, clutching the candy from my aunt—the only free thing I owned—and willed the morning to come. The next day, when Mom came to wake me, she touched my forehead and gasped. Her hand was cool and felt good against my burning skin. But Dad’s first reaction was to pull out his phone and open the accounting app. “Estimated pharmacy costs, eighty dollars. My delivery fee, calculated at minimum wage, is twenty dollars. Total, one hundred dollars. Elara, you need to transfer fifty dollars to the family medical emergency fund.” “Arthur, just go get the medicine! She’s burning up!” Mom’s voice was choked with tears. “The rules must be followed,” he insisted. They started arguing at my door. Words like “cost,” “payment,” and “unfair” floated through the wood. It was my fault. By getting sick, I had spent too much money. I had caused a “deficit” in our family. I was a bad asset. I climbed out of bed and ran to them on bare feet. I took my teddy bear purse, with all my assets inside, and the piece of candy I had been saving, and pushed them all into my mother’s hands. “Mommy, I’ll pay you back,” I cried. “Please don’t fight. I won’t… I won’t get sick anymore.” My mother looked at the pathetic offering in my hand, then at my flushed, feverish face. Suddenly, she broke. For the first time ever, she screamed at my father. “Arthur, look! Look what you’ve done to our daughter!” It was the first time I had ever seen her fight back. A tiny part of me felt happy. Dad was stunned by her outburst. His eyes fell on the imported candy in my hand, and his expression turned even colder. “This is your sister’s fault. Her interference has confused Willow’s values! This must be corrected!” The “correction” was a new, more detailed “Family Contribution and Reward Chart.” Dad taped it to the wall. It read: Wipe the table: 2 points. Arrange the family’s slippers: 3 points. Buy something from the corner store alone: 5 points… And a bedtime story cost 10 points. To earn a story, I had to stand on my tiptoes, using all my strength to wipe down the dining table that was taller than me. One day, Dad sent me to the corner store to buy a bottle of soy sauce. He gave me the exact amount, not a penny more, not a penny less. Outside the store, I saw a strange man giving candy to the other kids. The wrappers were shiny and bright, just like the one my aunt had given me. Her words echoed in my head: “Love is free.” The smile on the man’s face looked a little like my aunt’s smile. I watched him, and the strange, warm feeling fluttered in my chest again. That night, my parents got into another huge fight over a two-dollar discrepancy in the electricity bill. I hid behind my bedroom door, listening to them yell about “losses,” “unbalanced books,” and “unfairness.” It was me. I had consumed too much love. I had made this family run at a loss. I had to earn money for them. I had to fix the deficit. I had to go out and find that free love and bring it home. The next morning, the house was silent. Mom and Dad were in a cold war, not speaking to each other. There was no breakfast on the table, no one in the living room. This only strengthened my resolve to go out and “earn.” I got dressed and put on my teddy bear purse. Inside were my two coins and my “love coupons.” I also brought the candy from my aunt, the one I still hadn’t eaten. These were my total assets, my proof of credit. At the front door, I hesitated, looking back at the quiet house. I whispered to the empty air, “Daddy, Mommy, I’m going to earn money for our family.” Then I turned the knob and walked out. I walked from memory, back to the community garden where I had seen the strange man. I was in luck. He was there again. When he saw me all by myself, his eyes lit up, and a friendly smile spread across his face. He walked toward me and pulled a piece of candy from his pocket. It was even bigger than the one my aunt gave me. The wrapper was gold foil with a cartoon bear on it. It was the most beautiful candy I had ever seen. He held it out to me. “Here you go, little one. This is for you.” I took a step back. I had been raised well. I couldn’t just take things from people. I looked at him warily and asked, in a serious voice, “Mister, how much does this candy cost?” This was the most important rule Dad had taught me. The man paused for a second, then a look of understanding crossed his face. He played along. “This candy is special. It doesn’t cost money. But you do have to help me with something.” I understood immediately. It was a “labor for payment” transaction. Just like wiping the table to earn a bedtime story. It was fair. I nodded seriously. “Okay. What do you need help with?” The man smiled. “I’m lost, and I can’t find my way home. If you walk with me and help me find my mommy, this candy is yours.” I didn’t doubt him for a second. I obediently put my small hand in his big, warm one. I was even a little happy. I was about to “earn” such a beautiful piece of candy. I could bring it home and show Daddy and Mommy that I wasn’t making them run at a “loss.” And so, we walked, step by step, out of the neighborhood. The sun felt warm on my face. By evening, the cold war in my house had finally ended. It wasn’t until my mother went to make dinner that they realized I was gone. At first, they thought I was hiding in a closet or playing at a neighbor’s house. They searched everywhere and asked everyone. No one had seen me. Panic began to set in. My mother called my aunt Claire. The moment my aunt heard, she knew something was wrong and urged them to call the police. My father was still complaining that it was an overreaction, even muttering that he wondered if they would have to “pay” for the public resources wasted if the police couldn’t find me. Just then, my mother found a small note under the doormat. It was a crayon drawing I had made. In it, a little girl was giving a huge bag of gold coins to her parents. Beside it, in my wobbly, newly-learned handwriting, were three words: “Gone to earn.” I felt myself getting lighter, like a feather, floating up. It was very dark, and my body didn’t hurt anymore, but I wasn’t scared. Just a little cold. I saw a version of “me,” wearing my clothes, lying on a cold metal table. The man who gave me the candy was talking to another strange man. “This batch of ‘goods’ is high quality. You can settle the bill now.” I didn’t understand what they were talking about, but I had completed my “payment” for the golden candy. Maybe, just like in my drawing, I had even “earned” a lot of money for my family. When Dad and Mom saw the final invoice, they would be so happy. I missed my mommy. As soon as I had that thought, I was floating again, passing through walls, back in my house. It was still quiet. Mom and Dad were sitting on the sofa, not speaking. I saw the drawing I’d left by the door, the wobbly words—”Gone to earn.” I was happy. Soon they would know I had contributed to the family. I saw my mother find the note. Her face turned white, whiter than the walls. I didn’t understand. Why didn’t she look happy? She grabbed my father’s hand, her voice a sound I had never heard before as she screamed “Call the police!” My father’s expression was strange, too. For the first time, he threw his phone with the accounting app onto the sofa. I floated along with them to a place with lots of men in uniforms. I heard my parents describe me to a police officer, telling him how I loved “paying my way,” how I loved “transactions,” and how I always carried my teddy bear purse. The officer’s face grew very serious. I felt a little proud. See? Even grown-ups I didn’t know understood my rules. Then my face appeared on a screen. I saw myself holding the man’s hand, getting into a white van. Mom and Dad suddenly became very agitated. I was happy, too. Were they coming to pick me up from “work”? But then a phone rang, and the police officer said the license plate was fake. My mother started to cry. My father punched the wall. I floated over to my mom, wanting to give her a hug like my aunt would, but my hands passed right through her body. For the first time, I felt confused. Why were they so sad? Didn’t I go to “earn”? Shouldn’t this be a happy thing? Aunt Claire arrived, and the house was thrown into chaos. Dad kept increasing the reward money online, mumbling, “Any amount, I’ll pay it, I’ll pay it!” I looked at the numbers, more than all the money in my teddy bear purse and all my “love coupons” combined, multiplied by a million. Daddy was this rich? Then why did he make me pay for a hug? The phone rang again. A girl who looked like me had been found in the next city. I “floated” beside the car as my parents raced there. I heard my mom sobbing in the car, saying that when they found me, she would never keep accounts again, that she would buy me the most beautiful dresses in the world and all the candy I ever wanted. A warm feeling spread through me. So, completing such a big “deal” could earn so many “rewards.” But the girl wasn’t me. I saw my mother let out a terrible, keening sound. Dad held her, and my calm, rational father was crying, too. I floated beside them, and for the first time, I felt their sadness. Just when they were at their most desperate, the police officer called them over. I followed them into a small white room. The first thing I saw was my little jacket, my favorite one. Except it was covered in red, like when I accidentally spilled my red paint. Next to it was the wrapper from the golden candy I had “earned.” I was so happy! It was my “proof of transaction.” They had found it! Now they would know I had completed the deal. When my mother saw the jacket, her eyes rolled back, and she collapsed. Dad caught her just in time. I desperately wanted to tell him, “Daddy, don’t be scared! I earned this!” But no sound would come out. I heard the police officer speak to my father, his voice low and heavy. “…The child’s organs were harvested… based on what was left at the scene, we’ve put together… a bloody invoice.”

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1 Payday. The day I was supposed to see a hundred grand hit my account. Instead, I saw one thousand. I went to my boss’s office to find out why. He slapped the pay stub on his desk and roared, “A hundred-thousand-dollar bonus? Have you got dollar signs in your eyes? Our receptionist, Chloe, makes two thousand a month. The janitor makes fifteen hundred. What makes you so damn special?” I fought to keep my voice steady. “I generated fifty million in revenue for this company this year. According to my contract, this is what I’m owed.” “Don’t you dare talk to me about contracts! This company gave you the platform to succeed! Without us, who the hell are you?” he spat, his face turning beet red. “I don’t care about your numbers; I care about attitude! Others are grateful for a couple of grand, and you have the nerve to question me over this?” He leaned forward, his voice a low threat. “Mention money again, and I’ll dock that thousand, too.” After a long, tense silence, I finally nodded. Fine. A thousand it is. Noah Cross had been a capitalist pig for so long, he’d forgotten a simple truth. You pay peanuts, you get monkeys. … “You’re right, Mr. Cross,” I said, my voice smooth as glass. “I was being selfish, too focused on my own gain.” Cross blinked, clearly thrown by how quickly I’d folded. A slow, smug smile spread across his face as he leaned back in his leather throne. “That’s more like it. You’re young, Lana. You need to think long-term. Don’t get hung up on a little bit of cash. Keep working hard, and the company will take care of you.” “Understood, Mr. Cross. I’ll get back to work.” The moment I turned, I pulled out my phone and screenshotted the bank notification. From this second forward, every extra ounce of effort I put in would be a personal failure. Returning to my desk, the air was thick with a strange tension. I could feel the eyes on my back, and then came the snide remarks from Kevin, the head of Sales Team B. “Well, well. Some people really think they’re hot stuff. Take away the company name, and who even knows who you are?” A few of the junior reps who used to trail after me like puppies chimed in with muffled laughter. “I heard they cut her entire bonus. She only got a grand? That’s hilarious. I made more than that as an intern.” “She always struts around like she owns the place. Guess this brought her back down to earth. Mr. Cross was doing her a favor by setting her straight, and she was too stupid to see it.” “Shh, keep it down. She’s probably fuming. Might bite your head off.” The old me would have shut them down with my sales figures. But now? I just swallowed the bitter taste in my mouth and said nothing. I glanced at the clock. 5:01 PM. Official office hours were nine to five, but I’d never left before eight, often grinding away until the early morning hours. I used to believe hard work paid off. Now, I just thought I was an idiot. I started packing my things, closing the half-finished PowerPoint without saving. My assistant, Lily, stared at me, her eyes wide. “Lana… are you leaving?” “Yep. It’s quitting time.” Lily’s gaze flickered between me and the clock on the wall. She lowered her voice to a whisper. “But… Mr. Cross just posted in the group chat. There’s a mandatory project review meeting at six.” “Oh. Well, you go have fun with that.” I shrugged. “Company policy says the workday ends at five. It is now five-oh-one. I am officially on my personal time.” With that, under Lily’s horrified stare, I strode toward the time clock. Just my luck, Cross was walking out of his office and saw me standing by the elevator, bag slung over my shoulder. His face darkened instantly. “Lana! Where do you think you’re going?” The elevator doors slid open. I turned back, plastering an innocent look on my face. “Home, Mr. Cross. The workday is over.” “Over?” His voice shot up an octave. “We haven’t had the review meeting! Is the proposal for tomorrow’s client finished? You dare walk out at a time like this?” I held the elevator door open with my hand, my voice calm. “Mr. Cross, you just taught me a valuable lesson. Don’t think of myself as special. I should compare myself more to Chloe at the front desk, or the cleaning staff.” “I’ve been reflecting on your wisdom, and you’re absolutely right,” I continued, my smile never wavering. “Chloe leaves at five on the dot every day. The janitor doesn’t need to understand business analytics. As for something as important as a project review meeting, a thousand-dollar employee like me shouldn’t be wasting your valuable time.” I let go of the button. The doors began to close, shutting out the sight of his apoplectic face. His furious roar echoed down the hall just before they sealed shut. “Lana! You’re out of your goddamn mind! If that proposal isn’t on my desk tomorrow, you can pack your shit and get the hell out!” Get out? He should be so lucky. If I walked out now, that hundred grand would be gone forever. He was just trying to find a pretext to fire me so he wouldn’t have to pay. Too bad for you, Noah. We salespeople are experts at two things: reading people and playing dirty. The next morning, I walked into the office at 9 AM on the dot. Cross was standing by the reception desk, his face a thundercloud. He sneered as I walked in. “Well, look who it is. Her Royal Highness decided to grace us with her presence, right on time?” I smiled brightly. “Good morning, Mr. Cross. Adhering to the company’s attendance policy is every employee’s duty. Arriving even a minute early would be a waste of company resources. I know how much you care about the electricity bill.” A few colleagues nearby choked back laughter, their faces turning red. Cross’s jaw twitched, but he didn’t take the bait. He just stuck out his hand. “The proposal. The one for Apex Corp. The client is coming in at ten for the presentation.” Apex Corp was our biggest target this year, a potential twenty-million-dollar deal. Normally, a proposal of this magnitude would take me three all-nighters to perfect. Pages and pages of data analysis, competitive research, and a deep dive into the personal preferences of the Apex CEO. But now… “I emailed it to you.” Cross shot me a suspicious glare before storming back to his office. Less than three minutes later, a roar erupted from within. “Lana! Get in here, NOW!” “What’s the problem, Mr. Cross?” He jabbed a trembling finger at his computer screen. “This is your proposal? What is this dogshit?!” On the screen was a pathetic five-page PowerPoint. It was filled with impressive-sounding corporate jargon that meant absolutely nothing. “I don’t see the issue, Mr. Cross,” I said calmly. “The logic is clear, the vocabulary is high-level. It looks perfectly professional.” “You call this a proposal?” He slammed his mouse on the desk. “Where’s the data analysis? The competitor breakdown? The execution details? It’s all just empty buzzwords! Are you trying to make me look like a complete fool in front of the client?” I spread my hands in a gesture of helplessness. “Mr. Cross, for a thousand-dollar salary, what kind of in-depth analysis were you expecting?” I leaned against the doorframe. “Besides, you said it yourself yesterday. The platform is what matters most. With a platform as powerful as ours, surely we don’t need my insignificant little data points to land a client?” Cross’s face went from red to a terrifying shade of purple. He clutched his chest, pointing a shaky finger at me. “You… you…” “Lana, this is willful negligence! This is a serious breach of conduct! I can fire you for this on the spot!” I didn’t flinch. Instead, I helpfully pulled out a chair for him. “Mr. Cross, the definition of willful negligence is refusing to do the work. But I did the work. The proposal was submitted, and I clocked in on time. As for the quality… well, that’s a matter of capability, isn’t it?” “If you feel I’m no longer competent for my role, fine. But you’ll need to provide evidence of my incompetence. Firing me without cause? That’s wrongful termination. You’d be looking at double the severance pay. Let’s see… that would be around four hundred thousand dollars.” I beamed at him. And the client would be here at ten. No one else in the entire company could close the CEO of Apex Corp in that little time. Cross took several deep, shuddering breaths, forcing his rage down. His eyes turned cold and venomous. “Fine. Fine, Lana. You want to play games? Let’s play.” “You’re doing today’s presentation. And if you screw it up, if you cost this company a major client, you’re not just fired, you’ll be sued for damages. You will be ruined.” “Now take your garbage proposal and get to the conference room.” He had me there. Sabotaging a major deal was grounds for a for-cause dismissal. But I had already rolled the dice. I nodded. “Okay. I’ll go.” Ten o’clock. The conference room. Victor Sterling, the CEO of Apex Corp, sat across the table with his team, exuding an aura of pure power. Cross sat at the head of the table, his face plastered with a sycophantic grin. He kept shooting me frantic looks that screamed, Nail this, or I’ll kill you. I gave him a reassuring glance, powered on the projector, and opened the file. “Good morning, everyone. My name is Lana.” “Our core philosophy for this partnership is detailed in the presentation. Please take the next five minutes to review it at your leisure.” And with that, I sat down, pulled out my phone, and started scrolling through social media. The room fell into a dead, shocked silence. Five minutes later, Mr. Sterling’s patience snapped. He slammed his pen on the table. “Mr. Cross, is this your idea of a serious proposal? Is that it?” Beads of sweat popped on Cross’s forehead. He scrambled to his feet. “A misunderstanding! Mr. Sterling, this is our lead manager… she must have brought the wrong version! Lana, what are you doing? Explain yourself!” I looked up from my phone, my expression one of pure, innocent confusion. “The wrong version? No, Mr. Cross. This is the one. You taught me yesterday, remember? For a thousand-dollar paycheck, who needs in-depth analysis?” I looked over at the client. “He also told me that with our company’s powerful platform, he could handle things personally. My greatest contribution would be to just stay quiet.” “You… you…” Cross was shaking with uncontrollable rage. Mr. Sterling let out a cold laugh and stood, straightening his suit jacket. “It seems your company has some serious internal management issues. If you can’t even manage your own employees, how can you possibly manage our projects? We’re done here. Don’t contact us again.” His team swept out of the room without a backward glance. The moment the door clicked shut, the air in the room seemed to crystallize. Cross turned slowly, his face a mask of pure fury. “Lana… you are so fucking dead.” With a primal scream, he snatched the heavy ceramic mug from the table, still steaming with hot coffee, and hurled it at my head with all his might. Pain exploded above my eye, and hot liquid streamed down my face. “Twenty million! That was a twenty-million-dollar deal! You backstabbing bitch! I’d get more loyalty from a stray dog!” Cross had completely lost it. Seeing I hadn’t moved, he lunged across the room, grabbed a fistful of my hair, and slammed my head against the conference table. I managed to shield the back of my head and my torso, bracing as he vented his fury. “You want to talk about labor laws? You want your money? I’ll give you what you deserve!” A steel-toed shoe slammed into my stomach, sending me sprawling to the floor. Even as I curled into a ball, the kicks kept coming. “I could beat you to death right here, and all it would cost me is money! And I have plenty of that!” he shrieked, his voice cracking. “But you, you worthless, ungrateful whore, I’m going to make sure you are blacklisted in this entire industry! We’ll see who hires you then!” “What the hell are you? Huh? A piece of trash with no family, too stupid to know your place!” Agony ripped through me, and cold sweat drenched my clothes, but I bit my lip and didn’t make a sound. Through the glass walls, I could see my colleagues staring, some screaming, but not one of them dared to intervene. After what felt like an eternity, Cross finally stopped, panting heavily. He spat on my face. Straightening his tie, he looked down at my bloodied form and sneered. “Feel good? That’s what happens when you cross me.” “Don’t play dead. Get up. I’m having HR transfer you to janitorial. From now on, you’ll be scrubbing toilets, and I’ll be watching. If they’re not clean enough, I’ll do this all over again. Let’s see how tough you really are.” He kicked a chair out of his way and stormed out. The conference room was a wreck. Lily rushed in, crying, trying to help me up. “Lana… Lana, are you okay? Should I call an ambulance?” I gently pushed her away and pulled out the phone I had been clutching tightly in my pocket. The screen was still on. The video recording icon was still blinking. I opened a social media app and created a new post. Title: 5-Year Sales Champion. $100k Bonus Stolen. Beaten by Boss for Asking Why. Within minutes, the notification counter was already stuck at 99+. Noah Cross, I thought, a grim smile touching my lips. Get ready to go viral. But just as I hit ‘post,’ the conference room door was thrown open again. “You! You’re finished!”

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1 In the middle of a crucial video call, my long-silent high school group chat erupted. Someone tagged me repeatedly: “Aria, Lily is getting married today—aren’t you coming?” Messages poured in: Lily Evans, our class beauty, was getting married, and seemingly all our old classmates were there. “Sorry, work is too busy. I can’t make it,” I replied, sparking instant backlash. “Busy? You never post. Your life must be a mess.” “Too embarrassed? Just admit it.” Lily herself wrote: “Remember our bet? I said I’d marry a man far more successful than yours.” “I don’t remember,” I replied truthfully, which only fueled the attacks. “Lily’s husband is a CEO! He arranged over a hundred luxury cars for the wedding!” “Is your husband so bad you’re pretending to forget?” “Can’t even afford a gift? Need a GoFundMe?” Amid the insults, Lily tagged me again, pretending kindness: “I wish you could come, Aria. I’d even ask my husband to get you a cleaning job here.” She then posted a wedding photo with her new husband. I froze. The man in the photo was my own husband, Ethan Harvey. “Fine,” I typed. “I’ll be there to witness your happy moment.” The moment I sent the message, a text from Ethan came through. “Hey, babe. I’m heading back to my hometown today to see my parents. I made you dinner and left it in the fridge, you just have to heat it up.” “I love you forever, honey.” Ethan had married into my family three years ago, and he’d always taken meticulous care of me. Even when he traveled, he made sure everything I needed was prepared. I used to be touched by these thoughtful little details. Now, they just seemed pathetic. I cut the video conference short. Following the wedding location Lily had posted in the group chat, I drove to her hometown. From a distance, I could see a massive red banner strung across the front of her family’s house. “A WARM WELCOME TO MR. ETHAN HARVEY, CEO OF APEX CORPORATION!” Beneath the banner, Lily stood in a stunning, custom-made white gown, anxiously awaiting her groom. She was surrounded by a crowd of our old high school classmates. “Lily, you kept him a secret for so long! We had no idea your fiancé was the CEO of Apex!” “Seriously, Ethan Harvey is a legendary entrepreneur! You’re amazing for landing such a high-value man!” “Lily, you’re about to be a billionaire’s wife! Don’t forget about us when you’re living the high life!” Even our old high school homeroom teacher was there, fawning over her. “Lily, the first time I saw you, I knew you were destined for greatness. That’s why I never criticized you for your poor grades. I knew you were born for wealth; you didn’t need to rely on academics!” Basking in the flattery, Lily’s smile widened, her eyes filled with smug satisfaction. For years, Ethan had been little more than a kept husband. To give him some experience and a title, I had put him in charge of Apex Corporation, the smallest of my subsidiary companies. I never imagined it would become the source of Lily Evans’s bragging rights. The moment they saw me arrive, the fawning classmates’ faces soured. One of Lily’s little minions noticed the car I was driving and strutted over, sneering. “Aria Sterling, you’re so desperate. Did you really rent a Bentley just to save face at Lily’s wedding?” The others chimed in with their own contemptuous remarks. “No wonder she had the guts to show up. She’s just here to front. Renting that for a day must’ve cost you three months’ salary, right?” “Some people will do anything to look important. No matter how rich you pretend to be, you’ll never be richer than Lily’s husband!” “Seriously, is it that hard to admit someone is more successful than you? Was your pride really worth the cost of a rental?” I remained unfazed by their insults. “This is my car.” As soon as the words left my mouth, Lily strode up to me and slapped me hard across the face. “Your car? This is my husband’s car, you bitch!” she shrieked. “I always suspected he was keeping some slut on the side. I should have known it was you!” “You shameless homewrecker! How dare you drive my husband’s car to my wedding to provoke me, his actual wife?” Her accusation made everyone’s eyes go wide. “Lily, this car belongs to your husband? Are you serious?” Lily’s expression was pure arrogance. “Of course, it is.” She pulled out her phone and showed them a series of photos of her and Ethan. There were intimate selfies of them inside the car, and cozy pictures of them sitting on the hood. The interior details and the license plate were crystal clear in the photos. It was identical to the car I was standing next to. A wave of murmurs went through the crowd. “It really is her husband’s car! That means Aria Sterling is the other woman!” Lily’s face was contorted with rage. “No wonder you never post anything online. You’ve been busy being a professional mistress.” The others turned on me, their eyes filled with disgust. “I can’t believe it. Aria always acted so high and mighty, but she’s just a common slut.” “And to think I had a crush on her in high school, the cold, brainy type. I even wrote her a love letter. It makes me sick just thinking about it now.” “It’s always the ones who act so pure and distant. Behind closed doors, they’re probably desperate for it. They see a rich man and just spread their legs.” “And she had the nerve to drive her sugar daddy’s car to his own wife’s wedding! She’s obviously just jealous that Lily is marrying well and came here to ruin everything!” Even our old teacher looked at me with scorn. “Aria Sterling, if you’re ever out in public, do not tell anyone you were my student. I never taught anyone with such depraved morals.” The accusations and condemnations drew a crowd of onlookers, all pointing and whispering. Some even started recording me with their phones, a few spitting in my direction. I took off my jacket—a piece worth over ten thousand dollars—and tossed it into a nearby trash can. Then I faced Lily directly. “I suggest you ask Ethan Harvey very carefully who the mistress is and who the wife is.” Her response was another sharp slap. “Do I need to ask? Can’t you see this is my wedding day with Ethan?” she screamed, then turned her fury on my car. “I hate homewreckers more than anything in this world. All of you deserve to die!” She pulled a key from her purse and viciously carved a single word into the side of my car. WHORE. I glanced at the ugly scar on the paint. “You’re going to realize very soon just how ironic that word is,” I said, my voice ice-cold. My calmness only enraged her further. “You bitch! You steal my man and then you have the nerve to mock me? The thought of a slut like you driving my husband’s car makes me want to vomit!” She snatched a brick from the side of the road and began smashing it against my car. The windows, the headlights, the hood—she attacked every part of it with savage intensity. “Lily’s the future Mrs. CEO of Apex Corporation! We can’t let her be bullied by a low-life mistress like Aria!” someone in the crowd shouted. That was all the encouragement they needed. They all grabbed whatever they could find—rocks, branches, anything—and joined in, smashing my car with frenzied glee. After breaking the windows, they even climbed inside, slashing the leather seats and destroying the interior. In moments, my pristine luxury car was a mangled wreck. I watched the mob, my eyes cold as steel. “I hope you’re all this enthusiastic when it’s time to pay for the damages.” No one paid me any mind. It was as if I wasn’t even there. Just then, Lily’s minion pried open the trunk. “Hey, look! She’s got a bunch of fancy stuff in here!” Lily walked over and pulled out a framed painting, her lip curled in a sneer. “A woman who sells her body for money is trying to be a sophisticated art collector? How pathetic.” I issued a sharp warning. “Be careful. Those things are worth a lot more than the car. Especially that painting.” The items in my trunk were collectibles I had recently acquired at an auction and hadn’t had a chance to move to storage. My warning only fueled Lily’s fire. “For a piece of art to be owned by a slut like you is a desecration,” she spat. “Trash like you only deserves trash!” With that, she ripped the canvas to shreds right in front of me. She threw the tattered remains on the ground and stomped on them with her heels. Our old teacher peered at the destroyed painting. “Wait… I think that was a genuine Monet. I heard pieces like that start at fifty million dollars at auction!” Lily was unfazed. “So what if it’s fifty million? It’s all my husband’s money anyway! And his money is my money. What’s wrong with me destroying my own property?” I was speechless. Not only was Ethan a penniless man who had married into my family, but his incompetence at Apex had actually caused the company’s value to drop by nearly half. If he wasn’t my husband, I would have fired him ages ago. Yet, to Lily and these old classmates, he was a revered and powerful CEO. With Lily leading the charge, the others eagerly joined in, destroying every last item in my trunk. There’s no point reasoning with a pack of wolves. Since they were lost in their destructive frenzy, I stopped trying to warn them. I quietly pulled out my phone to call the police. Before I could even dial, Lily lunged at me, snatched the phone from my hand, and smashed it on the ground. “Calling the cops? A homewrecker who preys on other women’s husbands has no right!” she sneered. Then her eyes locked onto my neck. “That locket… it looks expensive. I bet my husband bought that for you, too!” In one swift, violent motion, she ripped the necklace from my neck. It happened so fast I didn’t have time to react. My demeanor instantly changed. “Give that back to me,” I demanded, my voice low and dangerous. Seeing my sudden panic, Lily’s smirk widened. “So nervous? This must be worth a pretty penny, huh?” “It’s not valuable,” I said, my voice tight with urgency, “but it’s important to me. Give it back. Now.” I lunged for it. That locket was a protective charm my mother had given her life to get for me. I had been a sickly child, and at four years old, I fell into a coma. The doctors told my parents to prepare for the worst. My mother, unable to accept it, went on a pilgrimage to a great cathedral to pray for me. To show her sincerity, in the scorching forty-degree summer heat, she crawled on her hands and knees from the bottom of the holy mountain to the shrine at its peak. She crawled until her knees were raw and bloody, until her head was bruised and she was nearly unconscious, all to obtain this blessed locket for me. Perhaps heaven was moved by her sacrifice. Miraculously, I woke from my coma. But my mother fell ill from the ordeal and never recovered. Before she died, she placed the locket in my hand and made me promise to always keep it safe. I have treasured it my entire life, never taking it off. It was the last piece of my mother I had left. It was my breaking point. And I would not let anyone destroy it. “The more you want it, the more I want to destroy it!” Lily taunted. Before I could reach her, she threw the locket to the ground with all her might. With a sickening crack, the delicate piece shattered into a dozen fragments, scattering across the pavement. “No!” Seeing the one thing my mother had died for destroyed so carelessly, I felt a pain so sharp it stole the air from my lungs. “You are an animal!” I lost control. I lunged forward and slapped Lily across the face with all my strength. “You fucking bitch, you dare hit me?” she shrieked, clutching her cheek. “Get her! Teach this slut a lesson! Whoever does the best job gets a million dollars!” That was all the incentive the mob needed. They descended on me, kicking and punching. “How dare you hit Lily? She’s the future Mrs. CEO of Apex Corporation! Who the hell do you think you are?” “It was just a stupid necklace! You probably earned it on your back anyway. Just sleep with a few more men, and you can buy another one. What’s the big deal?” “Shameless mistress! First you steal another woman’s husband, and now you attack his wife? You really think you can get away with it?” Even our old teacher snuck in a couple of kicks while I was down. I was beaten to the ground, shaking with rage. “You will all regret this!” I spat through gritted teeth. My threat was met with howls of laughter. “This isn’t high school anymore, Aria! You think being the top student makes you special?” “You’re nothing but trash society left behind! A prostitute threatening us? That’s hilarious!” “A mistress needs to know her place! When you get hit, you stay down!” “You shameless whore! Stealing a classmate’s husband… have you no decency? If I were you, I’d have killed myself by now!” They pinned me to the ground, taunting and humiliating me as the crowd of onlookers continued to spit and jeer. Lily, surrounded by her adoring followers, stepped forward and ground her heel into my face. “Regret? I’ve never regretted a single thing in my life. I can’t wait to see how a pathetic slut like you is going to make me regret anything!” Just as the words left her mouth, a fleet of over a hundred luxury cars screeched to a halt in front of the crowd. The doors opened, and Ethan Harvey, followed by a team of men in sharp suits, stepped out.

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