It was harvest season. I called my ex, and he hung up immediately. Then he texted me instantly. [Not getting back together. Don’t look for me.] [Don’t think I don’t know. You just want me to bring my bodyguards to pick corn for you again.] I blinked, sitting on the ridge of the field, reading the message three times. Finally, I got up and continued picking corn. I couldn’t figure it out. Mark had been clueless for three years. How did he suddenly discover the truth? 1 Staring at the messages, I zoned out for a long time. Mark didn’t text again, and I didn’t reply. Uncle Joe leaned over. “Hey, Mia. Is your gangster boyfriend not coming to pick corn this year?” I stood up, dusting the dry grass off my butt. “Uncle Joe, they’re bodyguards. It’s a civilized society, what gangster?” “When you have time, ask your son to buy you a smartphone. Watch some news, old man.” I went back to picking corn. Behind me, Uncle Joe spat on the ground. “Pfft. Just got dumped by a rich guy. What’s she pretending for?” A sharp corn leaf sliced my hand. I hissed in pain. Grandma heard and hurried over. “Let me see. I told you to wear gloves, but you wouldn’t listen.” I sucked the dirt off my palm and spat it out. “Go back inside, Grandma. Grandpa will start fussing if no one’s watching him.” Before Grandma could speak, the sound of a tractor rumbled in the distance. I froze, staring. No wonder Uncle Joe called Mark a gangster. He was sitting at the front of the tractor, followed by a dozen bodyguards in black suits. Some people’s Prince Charmings ride white horses; mine rides a tractor. Uncle Bill stopped the tractor at the edge of the field. Mark and I stared at each other from a distance. After a long silence, he frowned and walked over to me. “Getting back together is off the table. I was just passing by.” “Bored at home. Taking a walk.” “Oh,” I said. A rich city boy taking a dozen bodyguards for a walk in a cornfield thousands of miles from home. Unique. He frowned at my hand. “Mia, when will your family stop planting this damn corn?” I turned back to the corn, ignoring him. Mark didn’t care. His bodyguards expertly took off their black suit jackets, tossed them on the corn pile, and got to work. It was early October, but the midday sun was still scorching. Many bodyguards took off their white dress shirts too. As I worked, my eyes wandered. Damn, those pecs are huge. Those abs look hard. Suddenly, a dark face appeared between two corn stalks, scaring the life out of me. Mark was wearing white gloves, his face black as thunder. “Put them back on!” He grumbled, watching the bodyguards put their shirts back on, then glared at me, grinding his teeth. “Indecent! Public nuisance! Shameless!” A bodyguard muttered, “What public nuisance? We’re in the middle of nowhere.” Before I could speak, Mark exploded. “Fine, rural nuisance then! So many girls and wives working in the fields, who are you showing off for?” “If you hook someone’s wife and she runs off with you, can you afford the responsibility?” My head was pounding from his noise. I moved to another row. He seemed determined to annoy me, following me to the opposite ridge. I sighed, looking at the young master who had picked exactly three ears of corn in half an hour. “I’ll pay your bodyguards’ wages. You go rest, it’s hot.” Mark, born pale, was now flushed red from the sun. “Who wants your money? Even if you feel bad for me, I won’t get back with you that easily.” He stubbornly kept picking. I had nothing to say. 2 Many hands make light work. Soon, a small portion of the field was cleared. Checking the sun, I invited them home for lunch. I took out my phone and realized Grandma hadn’t replied to my text. But a dozen people were already following me to the house. The gate wasn’t open yet, but the neighbor’s gate opened. “Mia, you’re back?” I paused, looking at the man waving at me. “Brother Sam, you’re back too?” He nodded. “Back to pick corn.” Mark whispered bitchily in my ear. “Brother Sam… sounds like a cheesy romance novel character. Sleazy.” Grandma heard the noise and came out. “Mia’s back? Your grandpa soiled his clothes again, I had to rush back…” She froze, looking at the crowd. Grandma pulled me aside. “Why didn’t you tell me there were so many people?” “It’s fine. I’ll take them to town for noodles.” I turned to tell Mark there was no food at home, but he had already marched inside. Grandpa was sitting shirtless in the yard, sunbathing. Mark grinned, showing all his teeth. “Grandpa! Long time no see!” Grandpa slowly turned his head and smiled at him. “Second Aunt is here? Did your dad wet the bed again?” Mark’s smile froze. My forehead was covered in black lines. I rushed to drag him away. “Let’s go. Lunch.” Mark followed me. Town was far, so I borrowed Uncle Bill’s tractor. Uncle Bill used to haul pigs in it. It was clean now, but Mark’s dog nose could still smell it. “I’m not sitting in that.” I nodded. “Then don’t eat.” Mark glared at me angrily. “Mia, is this the attitude of someone begging to get back together?” “You use me every year and then show your true colors. The corn isn’t even halfway done and you’re giving me attitude? You don’t want to get back together?” He climbed onto the tractor as he spoke, sitting next to me. “Shotgun!” He looked smug as his bodyguards climbed on. I started the engine, chugging forward. What shotgun? The front of the tractor didn’t even have seatbelts; it was a bench seat. As many butts as could fit, that’s how many shotguns there were. The noodle shop in town was instantly packed by us. The owner looked terrified, face pale. Probably thought we were there to smash the place. Mark picked out the green onions with disgust and asked me, “When are you going back to the city?” I stirred my noodles. “Not going back for now.” Mark froze, putting down his chopsticks. “What do you mean?” I slurped a noodle. “What else? City life is tough, I’m coming back to the village.” “I didn’t call you to get back together. I wanted to ask if I could borrow your bodyguards to pick corn. You know how it is.” I sighed. “Here, we bury our dead in our own fields. The cornfield you stepped on today? My parents and ancestors are under there.” A bodyguard nearby sneezed and started eating faster. Mark stared at me. “Grandpa and Grandma can’t let go of the land, and I can’t let go of them. Someone has to do the work.” “I tried hiring locals, but they ignored me. Said I went crazy working in the city, hiring people for such a small plot.” I pouted. “I’ll pay market rate. You don’t have to come every year. I’ll cover their travel and board.” Screech— The chair scraped loudly against the floor. Mark’s chest heaved, his cheeks puffing in and out. “Pick your own damn corn, idiot!” Watching Mark stomp away angrily, I didn’t bother chasing him. The bodyguards looked at each other, unsure whether to leave. I finished my noodles and walked out with the anxious bodyguards. Seeing their young master sitting on the tractor, the bodyguards collectively sighed in relief. Mark sat in his “shotgun” seat, turning his head away from me. 3 The tractor bumped along. Mark finally couldn’t take it. “Mia, you’re doing this on purpose, right? Aiming for every pothole?” I shook my head innocently. That’s just how country roads are. Mark barely ate breakfast, picked corn all morning, and skipped lunch because of his tantrum. His resentment was thick enough to summon ghosts. “I’m gonna be sick! I’m gonna throw up in your car, see how you return it!” He thinks this is his luxury sedan? Vomit is hard to clean? I’ll just hose it down when we get home. Good as new. Mark hadn’t eaten. Grandma and Grandpa were napping. I went to the kitchen to make him noodles. Mark was in the yard fighting the rooster. Every year he comes, my rooster attacks him. Watching the man-versus-chicken chaos, I cracked two eggs into the noodles. This was the third year of my relationship with Mark. Break up, make up, break up, make up. We met at a company party. He was my boss’s friend. My boss got drunk and asked me, the intern, to drive. My first move was backing the car into Mark’s bumper. Three years together. He treated me well, but never introduced me to his family or friends. Colleagues told me the class gap was too big. I couldn’t tell if Mark was serious. But every time I broke up with him, he agreed. And every time I asked to get back together, he came running back for a kiss. Like being together was fine, and being apart was fine too. This was the third month after our tenth breakup. The corn was ripe. I took leave from work. I didn’t expect Mark to follow. Twenty minutes ago, he posted on Instagram, tagged at a bar in the city. Ten minutes later, he was here with bodyguards picking corn. I’m not stupid. He must have been staying at the motel in town recently. Such a spoiled rich kid staying in that dump? I wonder how long he’s been there. I planned to ask him tonight. Some things need moonlight to be said clearly. I brought the noodles out. Mark was talking to someone with his back to me. Seeing me, the person peeked around Mark. My face dropped instantly. “Mia, your boyfriend is here and you don’t treat him well? You can bring him to our house to eat.” I shoved the bowl into Mark’s hands and glared at the man. “Uncle Joe, why aren’t you napping? What are you doing here?” “We don’t need you worrying about our family business.” Mark held the bowl and reached into his pocket. When will he fix this habit of throwing money at people when he’s happy? He pulled out a red envelope. I didn’t even know when he prepared it. He tried to stuff it into Uncle Joe’s hand. “Uncle Joe, right? Thanks for looking after Grandpa and Grandma when Mia and I weren’t around.” Uncle Joe’s eyes lit up seeing the thick envelope. He reached for it. “Mia, your boyfriend is sensible. Knows how to respect elders.” I gritted my teeth, snatched the envelope, glared at Mark, and shoved it back into his pocket. “He’s not my boyfriend. We broke up.” “Uncle Joe, you’re a grown man. Why are you asking for handouts from juniors?” Uncle Joe’s face twisted. He forced a stiff smile. 4 “You little…” I watched his retreating back. Turning around, I saw Mark had put the noodles on the table. “Not good?” I frowned at him. Mark looked unnaturally pale, eyes a bit red. “If I’m not your boyfriend, I’m not. Why speak so harshly?” “Mia, I’ll make you regret this!” I watched Mark stomp away, baffled. What now? Just because I told that old man he wasn’t my boyfriend? I didn’t get him. But seeing the bodyguards resting under the tree leave with him, I sighed. Leaving is good. I shouldn’t have called him. Maybe I was too tired. Corn picking made me delirious. The sun was too hot. I wasn’t thinking straight when I called. I went back inside. Grandma was still napping. Grandpa was muttering to himself on the stool. I took the bowl of noodles and ate slowly. Cooked is cooked. Can’t waste it. But I ate to the bottom and didn’t see the two eggs I put in. I chuckled. Mark, that psycho, ate the eggs and left the noodles. Grandpa stuffed a huge red envelope into my hand, dancing with joy. “Mia, red envelope.” I stared blankly at the envelope. Identical to the one Mark tried to give Uncle Joe. Only this one was bursting at the seams. My heart hurt. I wanted to ask him tonight if he was serious about us. But the male lead ran away. People busy with farm work don’t have time for romance. I napped for a bit, then headed to the field. But when I got there, I froze. The huge cornfield was cleared. Piles of corn were stacked, waiting for Uncle Bill’s truck. Even the stalks were bundled. Uncle Joe stood in his field, voice loud and pointed. “The little vixen knows how to hook men. Didn’t even feed him lunch, and he ran to the field and finished all the work.” I didn’t have the energy to argue. My heart was burning, and so were my eyes. I felt like the answer I wanted, the one Mark never gave, was right in front of me. I took out my phone to call Mark. Hearing the tone, my heart went cold again. Mark blocked me. He left one message on WeChat. [Mia, if you don’t want my love, taste my hate!] Me: …

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My best friend got pregnant and dragged me to an amusement park. I was worried about her health and advised her against the extreme rides, but she accused me of “discriminating against pregnant women” and deliberately picked the wildest ones. She ended up miscarrying on a roller coaster. The baby didn’t make it. In front of her steroid-raging, roid-monster boyfriend, she threw me under the bus, claiming I forced her to go on the rides. The Roid Monster lost it and punched me twice in the temple. I died on the spot. After my death, I learned the truth: my “best friend” had been cheating, the baby wasn’t his, and she was terrified of his domestic violence. She set up the miscarriage to make me the scapegoat. When I opened my eyes again, I was back at the amusement park, standing in line for the roller coaster. 1 “Jasmine, let’s go on this roller coaster! It’s super famous! Come with me!” Chloe grabbed my hand, shaking it excitedly. Bouncing around like a bubbly teenager, you’d never guess she was four months pregnant. I had been reborn at an awkward moment. Chloe had already dragged me into the park. I was already on the pirate ship, so to speak. Even if I left right now, she’d still find a way to pin the blame on me. Reborn, and I’m still stuck to this piece of trash. Running or hiding wasn’t an option! Seeing my silence, Chloe’s face darkened, her tone sharp: “We rarely get to hang out. Are you trying to ruin the mood?” Since we entered the park, her goal was clear. She only wanted the extreme rides: the pirate ship, the giant pendulum, the drop tower… I had tried to dissuade her several times, so she was preemptively shutting me down, expecting another lecture. But this time, I had no intention of stopping her. I smiled. “Of course not! I’m here to help you turn up!” In my past life, the Roid Monster didn’t even know she was pregnant before the miscarriage. To break the cycle, I had to strike first. Let the baby daddy come and join the “celebration”! While Chloe was debating which line to join first, I excused myself to buy drinks and called the Roid Monster. “Travis! You’re about to be a father, why are you still so immature?” Travis, the Roid Monster, sounded confused on the other end. “Jasmine? What the hell are you talking about? Who’s gonna be a father?” “Oh, playing dumb now? You knocked up our Chloe and don’t want to take responsibility, right?” I adopted a sarcastic tone. “Poor Chloe. After finding out she was pregnant, she specifically asked me to bring her to the amusement park to celebrate.” “I was wondering why she only wanted to go on the dangerous rides. Turns out it’s because you’re a deadbeat, and she’s trying to numb the pain with adrenaline!” “Chloe must be blind to fall for a scumbag like you!” Travis was clearly getting agitated: “You said Chloe is pregnant? You guys are at the amusement park?” “Come on, your girlfriend is pregnant and you didn’t know? At least try to act convincing.” “Shut up!” Travis roared through the phone. “Which park are you at?” “Send me the address. I’m coming over!” “Don’t let Chloe go on any rides, or I’ll skin you alive!” “Speak! Which park!!” I stayed silent on purpose, then said after a pause: “Didn’t you tell me to shut up?” Travis choked on his rage. “You want to skin me alive? Travis, if you don’t apologize right now, you can search the whole city yourself!” I could practically hear Travis grinding his teeth. “S-sorry!” I guess he burned through the last of his brain cells to squeeze out that apology. “Good boy. That sounds like a father.” I said with satisfaction, “I’ll text you the address in a bit, but I suggest you hurry. Chloe is currently lining up for the roller coaster. You have maybe an hour. Any later, and I can’t stop her.” I hung up. 2 In my past life, Chloe spent two hours queuing for the giant pendulum, the pirate ship, and the drop tower before finally getting on the “Sky High,” Asia’s longest and most terrifying roller coaster. Honestly, Chloe was terrified of these rides, but the earlier ones hadn’t managed to shake the baby loose. So she gritted her teeth and went for the big one. Travis had plenty of time to get here. But if he just showed up and found out he was being cuckolded, that would be too easy on them. I can’t beat Travis in a fight, but someone else can! Those punches that killed me in my last life? I’m returning them with interest! Thinking of this, I dialed another number. “Is this Kyle? I’m Chloe’s best friend. Heard you knocked her up?” The voice on the other end hesitated. “How do you know? That was just an accident…” Damn, scumbags really do read from the same script. “Cut the crap. Are you going to take responsibility for the kid?” “She has a boyfriend, how can I take responsibility? Besides, didn’t I give her money for the abortion?” “You knew she had a boyfriend and still couldn’t keep it in your pants? You really are an animal!” Even though I hated Chloe for killing me in my past life, hearing Kyle’s classic scumbag attitude still ignited my temper. “Listen to me, Kyle. Chloe is at the amusement park right now, planning to jump off the roller coaster to expose how you played her. When the whole world knows it’s your fault, let’s see how you handle it!” “Her boyfriend is a psycho on steroids. He’ll probably kill your whole family!” Hearing this, Kyle panicked. “Tell Chloe not to be impulsive! I’m coming right now!” 3 After making the calls, I returned to Chloe with the drinks. Chloe complained immediately: “What took you so long? I thought you left.” “No way! Today is the day I found out my bestie is pregnant. I have to make sure you have a blast!” I smiled at her, continuing, “Decided which ride to go on first?” Chloe frowned, thinking hard. “I only want the thrill rides. Pendulum, Pirate Ship, Drop Tower… which one first?” I knew that in my past life, if she hadn’t gone on all of them, the roller coaster alone wouldn’t have caused the miscarriage. The coaster was just the straw that broke the camel’s back. So I quickly said: “Kids make choices, adults do it all!” You definitely can’t miss a single one! Let’s start with the Giant Pendulum! It was early August, scorching hot, and the lines were long. I urged her to drink more water to avoid heatstroke. Chloe was here to induce a miscarriage, not kill herself, so she chugged the drinks I bought. About twenty minutes later, it was our turn. Watching Chloe drag me toward the machine, steeling herself, I sneered internally. She had always been timid growing up, terrified of thrilling rides. This time, to lose the baby and frame me, she was being ruthless not just to me, but to herself. After buckling in, I looked at Chloe’s pale face and couldn’t help teasing: “Chloe, are you scared? We can skip it.” “N-no… not scared!” She forced a smile. “Why would I be scared? I’m too happy!” “That’s great!” While the machine was still idle, I whipped out my phone. “Come on, babe, let’s take a selfie.” I pulled the stiff Chloe toward the camera without hesitation. “Smile!” In the lens, Chloe forced a pained smile, her lips white. I pouted my lips, pressed the shutter, and whispered in her ear: “Love you!” As soon as I finished, the pendulum started moving. As it slowly swung, the centrifugal force was disorienting. Then the speed and amplitude increased. I glanced at Chloe from the corner of my eye. Her expression went from twisted to blank, then twisted again. Her breathing was rapid, then stopped. Like she was enduring immense pain. I knew the show was about to start. Suddenly, Chloe screamed: “I can’t hold it!” I quickly shifted my legs away, daring not to get too close. Pregnant women have to pee often, and I had just pumped her full of fluids. It was time. Spray, my best friend! Next, Chloe let out a massive scream, starting high-pitched and then deflating rapidly. “AHHHHHHH!!!” Chloe was wearing a white skirt. She had been clenching her legs, but suddenly relaxed them, and a stream of yellow liquid burst forth. Even though I was prepared, the sheer volume shocked me! As the pendulum swung higher, the yellow liquid shattered in the air, creating a spectacular mist! “Ahhh so dizzy so exciting!!” “Ahhh something got in my mouth?? What is this??” “Why does it smell like piss! Is this pee??” “WTF, which idiot peed on the pendulum??” Other tourists enjoying the ride suddenly realized something was wrong. The screams of excitement were instantly silenced. When I went to buy drinks, I had bought myself a disposable raincoat and a mask. Watching all this, I laughed so hard I could barely breathe. This was definitely the most exciting pendulum ride in history! We both play the best friend game, but today I’ll show you what a true “evil best friend” looks like, Chloe! 4 After the pendulum stopped, the silence was terrifying. Everyone was stunned by the bizarre scene. Faces were filled with a mix of anger and inexplicable confusion. Seeing the awkward atmosphere, I shouted righteously: “Who was raised by wolves? Peeling on the pendulum? Have some decency!” Chloe looked at me in shock, unable to believe I was cursing her. I quickly whispered to her: “You curse too, or everyone will know it was you!” Chloe froze for a second, then stammered: “Yeah… that’s too bad!” “Not harsh enough!” I said seriously. “Do you want to be suspected and beaten to death?” “But I… can’t curse myself.” “Learn from me!” I shot her a reproachful look, then yelled loudly: “Disgusting trash! I hope your kids are born without assholes!” Chloe struggled to open her mouth. I feigned anxiety and pinched her arm hard. “Curse! Do you want to die?” Chloe’s face twisted in pain, and she yelled out: “Disgusting trash born without assholes!” Hearing us curse, the others on the ride got fired up too. And the people waiting in line below, who hadn’t escaped the golden rain, were already furious. Finally, curses invoking eighteen generations of ancestors filled the air! Amidst the cursing, I dragged Chloe out of the crowd. 5 We had walked quite a distance from the pendulum, but Chloe still looked shaken. Hard to tell if she was shaken by the cursing or the peeing. I didn’t care. I dragged her towards the roller coaster. Chloe smelled like urine the whole way. Just as I was about to mention it, she couldn’t take it anymore. “Jasmine, my underwear is wet, it’s so uncomfortable to walk…” She had no choice but to go to the restroom and wash up a bit. As for the soaked underwear, she threw it away. The amusement park didn’t sell underwear, so when Chloe came out, she was commando under her skirt. Seeing her calm expression return, I felt both amused and disgusted. Who would have thought? A pregnant woman riding roller coasters bare-bottomed in a crowded amusement park. The line for the roller coaster was even longer, winding like a snake. My phone buzzed. It was the scumbag Kyle. [I’m at the gate. Chloe hasn’t done anything rash, has she? Keep her steady!] Kyle worked a government job. He didn’t care if Chloe lived or died, but if this blew up and reached his employer, his career was over. Most importantly, offending a roid-raging psycho put his whole family at risk! I quickly took another selfie with Chloe. By now, after the pendulum incident, she looked pale, eyes vacant, looking truly hopeless. I sent the photo, suppressing my laughter as I typed: [Hurry up! She’s in bad shape, could jump any minute!] [She’s planning to jump from the highest point of the roller coaster! I can’t hold her back!] Seeing the corner of my mouth twitching, Chloe asked curiously, “Jasmine, why is your face weird?” “About to ride Asia’s longest, most exciting roller coaster. Just excited and nervous.” I explained casually, scanning the crowd. Not long after, a bespectacled, slightly chubby man came running, panting heavily. It was Kyle! He scanned the massive crowd, finally spotting us in line. He charged forward, diving into the crowd, yelling. “Chloe! My goddess! Wait for me, don’t get on yet!” A grown man shoving through the line caused immediate outrage. “Hey! Why are you cutting?” “Are you sick? Wait in line like everyone else!” “You look civilized with those glasses, why no manners?” “Stop pushing, you stepped on my foot!” Chloe looked confused. “Kyle? Why is he here?” Then she blushed shyly, muttering to herself, “Did he come because he wants the baby?” While she was wondering, Kyle, ignoring the insults, stumbled his way to us. The previous ride had just finished. A staff member walked over and pointed at him. “Sir, please go to the back of the line!” “I’m giving him my spot!” I raised my hand and shouted, then turned to Kyle. “You go with her!” Although Kyle was out of breath from running and shoving, he froze for a second hearing this. I patted his shoulder. “What are you waiting for? Isn’t it safer if you’re with her?” Then I asked the staff to let me out of the line and stood to the side. Chloe had no idea she was a suicidal woman in Kyle’s eyes. She thought the scumbag came to protect the baby, so she blushed and leaned into his arms. Kyle started, “Maybe we shouldn’t…” Before he could finish, the gate opened, and the crowd pushed them forward. He had to bite the bullet, putting his arm around Chloe and walking toward the roller coaster.

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My fiancé, Julian, loves snakes. As his fiancée, I was terrified of them. Every time I cried, he’d sneer, “Stop faking it.” I tried so hard to overcome my fear. Until one day, a girl appeared who wasn’t afraid of snakes. She wandered in and out of his room, playing with his little pet snake. Finally, I gave up. I was packing my bags to call off the engagement when suddenly, a stream of comments scrolled across my vision like a livestream chat: [Yes! Run, girl! Don’t let that bad snake wrap around you!] [Hahaha, the male lead is gonna lose his mind. It’s been ten years and she’s still scared of snakes. Wait till she sees him shedding!] [Am I the only one who wants to see the good girl get pinned against the wall by the out-of-control male lead until her eyes lose focus?] I shuddered in fear. When I turned around, Julian closed the door behind him and asked coldly: “Packing your bags? Planning to run?” 1 I didn’t get it. I woke up early, packed quietly, and even closed the door. So why did Julian’s snake still slither in? “Don’t… don’t come over here.” I shrank into the corner. The little black snake stopped at the door, flicking its tongue. Hiss. For some reason, I felt like it was staring at my suitcase on the floor. And it looked pissed. I made a “shoo” gesture at it. “Just stay there. Don’t come closer. Don’t move, okay?” The snake stopped moving. It just stared at me with eyes like tiny black grapes. I let out a sigh of relief and continued packing as quietly as I could. “Where are you going so early?” The door creaked open. Julian leaned against the frame, looking down at me, enunciating every word: “Fi-an-cée.” I jumped like a startled rabbit, stammering, “Going… going on a trip. Just for fun.” “With whom?” “A friend. You don’t know them.” He narrowed his eyes. Slowly walking towards me. I instinctively stepped back. He scoffed, annoyed. “Scared of snakes, fine. But scared of me too?” Actually, I wasn’t scared of him. But the girl who had been frequenting his greenhouse lately… She made me feel like a clown. I turned my head away, biting my lip, silent. “Fine.” Julian suddenly crouched down and picked up the little black snake. The snake wrapped obediently around his wrist, lifting its head and hissing. He stared at me tightly. “Touch it.” I looked terrified. The air around Julian seemed to drop a few degrees. He repeated, “Touch it. Take care of it for one night. If you do, I’ll let you go.” Despite his bad temper, Julian was a man of his word. So I gathered my courage and reached out. The snake stretched its head towards me. My hand trembled, and it slithered right on. “Ah—” I yelped. The little black snake greedily wrapped around my wrist, its tail rubbing back and forth. “Mmph.” Simultaneously, Julian let out a muffled groan. His expression was ugly, but a strange blush rose on his cheeks. I looked at him in confusion. Julian snapped, angry out of embarrassment: “Get out. Give it back to me tomorrow.” 2 After Julian left, the snake and I stared at each other. Besides constantly rubbing its tail against me, it was pretty well-behaved. “Why do you keep rubbing me…” I muttered to myself. The snake kept staring. Just then, a line of text appeared out of nowhere in front of my eyes: [Because he wants to mark you.] ??? Mark me? Like a dog peeing on a tree? Then, another line popped up: [Girl, try touching the spot where it’s rubbing you. You’ll get a surprise.] What is this? I didn’t get it, but curiosity got the better of me. I rubbed the spot on the snake with my fingertip. Meanwhile— In Julian’s room. “Nngh…” In the darkened room with curtains drawn tight, he sat on the carpet leaning against the bed. His shirt was open, and his pants seemed… complicated. “F*ck.” His face was flushed deep red. His breathing grew heavy. “I thought you were scared of snakes?” “Where the hell are you touching?” Touching is one thing. But she wasn’t even touching enough to satisfy him. 3 The snake’s tail wagged faster. Its tongue flicked rapidly. I got scared and waved my hand, accidentally flinging it onto the floor. [Hahahahahahahahahaha—] [I’m dying. The male lead is so pitiful. Is he gonna get ED?] [Our girl is too cute. She thinks she’s punishing him, but it’s actually a reward.] A barrage of subtitles appeared before my eyes. They all seemed to mean the same thing. Who is this “he”? The snake? The snake slithered up from the floor, its black eyes staring at me for a few seconds like it wanted to eat me. Then it flicked its tail and crawled to the other side of the room, far away from me. Like it was mad. Worried I might have broken it, I decided to ask Julian for a glass tank for it to sleep in. Knock knock knock— I knocked on his door. The door was unusually closed, and no one answered. Weird. Julian never closed his door. He even left it a crack open. Every time I walked by, I’d accidentally see him changing, and he’d scoff and call me a “pervert” or “shameless.” [Scheming man. Always peacocking to seduce our girl.] [Girl, don’t be fooled! I’m telling you, he’s dangerous right now. Push the door open!] [Yes, yes! The male lead is suffering right now, you need to go help him.] Dangerous? Suffering? Does he need my help? I was torn. 4 “What do you want?” The door opened. Julian looked impatient. “Knocking like that, do you want to die?” I suddenly regretted trusting the floating text. But he really did look… abnormal. Clothes messy, face red. To be blunt, he looked like he’d just been thoroughly ravished. “What were you doing in there?” I leaned forward, trying to peek inside. Julian blocked me, anxious. “None of your business!” “There’s a weird smell,” I sniffed. “Did your snake mate in there?” “Chloe!” See, anxious again. I frowned. “Did you do something bad? Why are you panicking?” [Girl, stop asking, he’s gonna explode.] [Let’s go, let’s go. I’m afraid he’ll lose control and eat our girl.] [LMAO, every sentence is a bullseye. The scheming man can’t hide it anymore.] Can’t hide it? I suddenly understood. My face fell. I looked at Julian and said, “Bianca is in there, isn’t she?” He froze. I turned my head away, continuing, “You did bad things with her, and you didn’t even hide it from me. What am I to you?” Julian was still frozen. Reacting, he tried to close the door. “No, you…” “Scumbag!” I slammed the door in his face for him. Cursed him out and left. Back in my room. I sat against the door, hugging my knees, burying my head. I couldn’t see the comments above me. [Oh no, oh no, she misunderstood.] [Good! Let her misunderstand so she can leave cleanly.] [Yeah, let them misunderstand. The male lead has a toxic mouth anyway, why give him a wife?] […Am I the only one who wants to see the male lead force himself on her? She tries to leave, he just takes her… hehe.] [Agreed with above.] I sniffled. Looking up, I only saw the last comment: [So what? With Bianca the side chick around, our girl will always be wronged. If the scheming man doesn’t fix it, he can get lost.] Right. Julian and I were betrothed since we were kids. He loved snakes. I feared them. Every time he held a snake, I ran away crying, and he mocked me. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t overcome it. Until I saw Bianca for the first time. In Julian’s snake greenhouse. The girl wore a white dress, the snake wrapped gently around her. She smiled, and Julian watched her with gentle eyes. That’s when I understood. I’m afraid of snakes. But there are plenty of girls in the world who aren’t.

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I was tipping a male model on a group stream, but my finger slipped, and I accidentally sent a Yacht to his teammate. The model didn’t show any emotion on screen. But then, the guy who had been ignoring me for a month DMs me for the first time. [Send me 52 Carnivals right now as compensation, or I’m unfollowing you to punish you, sis.] I was stunned. A minute later, I got a DM from his teammate. [Thank you, sis. It’s my first time receiving a Yacht. I’ll always remember you. /heart] Oh. So tipping can get you emotional value. Guess I’ll chase the sensible one then. Later, when the model saw me casually drop 520 Carnivals on his teammate, he lost it, screaming for a refund, insisting I clicked the wrong person. 1 When I got Jax’s DM, I felt a bit uncomfortable. But then I thought about it. I did send the gift to the wrong person first, affecting his spotlight. Plus, I usually only tipped Jax in this stream. Suddenly sending a Sports Car to his rival? Understandable he’d be upset. Male gods have tempers, right? Just as I was about to send him ten Yachts as compensation, a new notification popped up. [System Notification: KU-Zayne followed you.] Then a DM from this account popped up. KU-Zayne: [Thank you, sis. It’s my first time receiving a Yacht. I’ll always remember you. /heart] I paused for a few seconds, clicked on the profile to enlarge the avatar, and barely matched it to the filtered face in the stream. Zayne. Seems like the guy I accidentally gifted. Looking closely, his face isn’t inferior to Jax’s. The stream makeup was obviously bad; he looks cleaner and more refined in person. But there’s no helping it. Zayne has only been here a few days and always stands in the back row. In a group stream of ten, seeing two-thirds of his face on screen is considered good. But he doesn’t seem to know the tip was a mistake. His words were… quite sincere. It’s just a Yacht. No need to explain and disappoint him. I didn’t plan to reply. Just as I was about to exit, he sent another message. KU-Zayne: [Sis, I will work even harder on my dancing. I won’t let your encouragement down!] Uh, kind of a pitiful little transparent guy. Thanking me multiple times for one Yacht. I replied with a polite [Fighting!], planning to go back to the stream to tip Jax. But suddenly, my phone started blowing up with notifications. All from Jax. KU-Jax: [?] [Sis, didn’t you see my message?] [Why haven’t you tipped me yet?] [What’s the meaning of this?] [So, sis, you tipped someone else on purpose to make me mad?] [Fine.] [I get it.] I was confused. Sent a [?] back. Received a red exclamation mark. ? Excuse me? He blocked me?! Anger flared in my chest. I’ve been chasing him and tipping him for two months, spending at least ten thousand dollars. And just because of one mistake, he gives me attitude? Fine. If you look down on me so much, plenty of others won’t. Sister is done playing. Just as I was angrily closing the app, I glanced at the pitiful handsome guy’s message again. My finger paused. I’ve been ruthless my whole life. But I have a soft spot for humble, hardworking, handsome guys. Even if he’s faking it, at least he’s willing to put in the effort for me. So, I stormed back into the livestream. 2 As soon as I returned to the stream. The host specifically greeted me. “Our Jax’s number one Yacht Sister is back! Oh my, Jax is secure tonight.” This group stream team was only formed two months ago. Still growing. Not many die-hard fans, so I rank pretty high on the tipping list. And I have OCD. Every time I tip, it’s only Yachts. Easy to remember. Hearing the host mention my name, Jax’s mouth twitched almost imperceptibly. But in a flash, he returned to his usual aloof self. Just then, a beautiful avatar entered the stream and immediately dropped a Sports Car for him. [Little brother is so handsome, hit me right in the heart. Love it.] The host thanked her as usual and read out the comment. Jax smiled shyly. After finishing his dance move, as if to spite me, he rarely made a heart with his hands and personally thanked her. “Thanks to the beauty for the Sports Car. Please continue to support me!” The chat went wild. [Holy crap, never seen Jax so shy and enthusiastic.] [First time seeing Jax make a heart. Rich sisters, send more cars! Nice! Love to see it!] [Miss is so generous. Looking at her profile, she’s a real beauty.] [A real rich heiress. Is Jax moved?] Perhaps seeing Jax in such a good mood, many old fans followed with gifts. Bouquets and hot air balloons popped up on the screen non-stop. Very lively. Jax couldn’t hide his smile, interacting with extra cooperation. Hearts and thanks never stopped. Even the host wondered: “What good thing happened to Jax tonight? Such a good mood?” I felt even more stifled. Usually, I drop a $100 Yacht, and I’ve never seen him react like this. No matter how many I send, it’s just a faint smile. A newbie sends a small gift, and he gives such emotional feedback. Then what are my Yachts? In a rage, I clicked the gift bar and sent another Yacht directly to that Zayne guy. “Thanks to my Yacht Sister for sending Jax…” The word “Yacht” hadn’t even fully left his mouth when the host’s habitual thank-you speech stuck. Realizing what happened, he quickly corrected himself: “Oh, sorry, misread that. The Yacht was for Zayne.” Hearing this, the whole team clearly froze for two seconds, tilting their heads to look at Zayne in the back row. Zayne was in disbelief, walking forward confusedly. And Jax, who was standing in the center, was even more shocked than Zayne. 3 Staring at the monitor for a few seconds to confirm, Jax reluctantly moved aside. Zayne stood in the center, visibly panicked. Recovering, he bowed deeply to the screen in gratitude. Just as he opened his mouth to say “Thank you, sis.” I sent another Yacht. Zayne was about to dance, but seeing the new Yacht, he bowed again to thank me. When he stood up, I sent another one. For a moment, on screen, the Yachts didn’t stop coming. Zayne was bewildered. Jax’s face was ugly beyond belief. He looked around anxiously, looking like he wanted to rush out of the screen and grab me to question me. The host excitedly announced the tips, voice getting louder each time. The chat refreshed rapidly. [Holy crap, Yacht Sis is flexing her power again!] [That’s my Yacht Sis.] [Wait, isn’t this wrong?] [Did she click the wrong person?] [Sis, stop, wrong person!] [Yacht Sis only tips our Jax. Why tip the newbie? System error?] [No, forced push for the newbie? Sis, go complain to the platform about rigging!] […] Even the host, after excitedly saying thanks a dozen times, couldn’t help but mutter, “Is it a mistake…” Zayne bowed in thanks over and over, tears flashing in his eyes. Seeing I had no intention of stopping, he anxiously tried to persuade me: “Sis, stop sending, it’s enough, really enough.” “Thank you so much, sis. I will continue to work hard!” As soon as he finished speaking, I dropped 52 Yachts in one breath. I like this feeling of give and take. So much more comfortable than tipping that fake aloof Jax who PUAs me. Sister drops cold hard cash just to feel good. Besides, Zayne stood in the center for so long, I looked carefully. Ignoring the lazy makeup, his facial features are really good. Especially those long legs, dancing like they want to claim a life. Other streamers wear lifts; his soles are thin slices. Even so, he’s half a head taller than Jax. No wonder he was banished to the back. Seeing so many Yachts, but none for him, Jax’s face hit rock bottom. Unable to hold back, he flipped out on the spot. He pushed Zayne, who was standing in the center, aside and walked out of the frame dissatisfied. Even through the screen, you could hear him leave a hasty word to the host before disappearing. “The system must be glitching. Sister’s Yachts for me went to someone else. I’ll go communicate.” Ten seconds after Jax left. I received a new message on my phone screen. KU-Jax: [Sis, look clearly before you tip. You clicked the wrong person, you know? F*ck] 4 The message stayed for only two seconds before being quickly recalled by the sender. Huh, wasn’t I blocked? Added me back himself? Thought he had some backbone. Just as I finished sighing, a pile of new messages popped up in the chat box. KU-Jax: [Sis, pay attention when clicking gifts. Sent them all to someone else.] [Why don’t you ask official support for a refund?] [Forget it, it’s fine if you can’t.] [Tip me again. Slowly, look clearly before clicking!] [?] [Why aren’t you replying? Sis isn’t mad, is she?] [Sorry, I got a little jealous seeing Sis tip someone else earlier. Spoke a bit fast, don’t overthink it.] [Sis, it’s a deal then. Come back to the livestream immediately.] Tsk tsk. Known Jax for so long, this is the first time he’s actively sent so many words. Too bad it’s too late. Your sister has lost interest. I didn’t reply, didn’t block. Just left him hanging, then closed the app. I originally watched their group stream to research the market. The group planned to acquire their KU Media company. Unexpectedly, I watched a few glances of this flop group’s stream and got a bit hooked. After a couple of times, I was attracted to Jax’s type. He really fits my aesthetic. High nose bridge, smooth face, especially the thin muscles revealed inadvertently. Jax is different from other streamers. Aloof, but… teases just right. A little tsundere too. Not like those who have a little beauty and have “empty your wallet” written all over their faces. At first, I was bored. Every time I scrolled past, I’d drop him a Yacht. He’d just smile and thank me. Not like my assistant said, that in this kind of flop stream, a $1.50 gift gets a follow back. Two days later, I sent 10 Yachts at once. He DM’d me a thank you that night. A few days later, I clicked in and saw him losing a PK (Player Kill/Battle) so bad he was about to cry. I dropped 100 Yachts on the spot to help him win. Only then did he finally follow me back. After following, he remained aloof. Except for saying a sentence or two more when complaining about poor performance, high pressure, and hinting for gifts, he basically didn’t chat much. I didn’t care. Life is dull. Admiring handsome guys on the internet to relieve boredom. Each takes what they need. Sister doesn’t lack this small money anyway. But I didn’t expect that the easier I was to talk to and the less I asked for, the less he cared about my feelings. Last month, just because I was too busy with a business trip and didn’t go online for three days, he gave me the cold shoulder for a month. Acted like he was sure I wouldn’t stop liking him. Throwing tantrums at the drop of a hat. Loving someone means giving without asking for return. But I don’t love him. Why should I spend money and take this crap? This one is insensible? Change to another. The next one will definitely be more obedient.

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1 At the peak of my career, the youngest tenured law professor in the state, I married my childhood sweetheart, Evelyn. They called us the “Twin Stars of the legal world,” and to everyone who looked, we were the perfect, loving couple. Then, in the tenth year of our marriage, my mother took our son out for the day. A car crash shattered everything. The driver was drunk, street racing. My mother’s only instinct was to shield her grandson with her body. She died on impact. And now, in the courtroom, I saw my wife, Evelyn, sitting not beside me, but beside the killer, Raymond Croft. She was his defense attorney. “My client was operating his vehicle in a normal fashion,” she declared to the court, her voice crisp and professional. “The deceased suddenly darted into the road in an apparent attempt to stage an accident for a fraudulent claim. Therefore, the deceased bears the primary responsibility for this tragic outcome.” I stared at the woman I thought I knew, my vision blurring with red-hot rage. “My mother would never do that! I have a witness!” But when my ten-year-old son, my witness, took the stand, he ran to Raymond’s side and clung to his arm. “I saw it,” he said, his voice small but clear. “Grandma tried to get money from Uncle Raymond. She ran right at his car. Dad wanted me to lie, but I won’t. I won’t let anyone hurt my Uncle Raymond.” The world beneath my feet turned to ice. … The trial was over before it began. The judge found the defendant, Raymond Croft, not guilty. And me? As the family member of the party at fault, I was ordered to cover the primary damages—twenty thousand dollars for the repairs to Raymond’s car. I stood on the courthouse steps, a hollowed-out shell of a man, watching Evelyn and my son approach. “Why?” The word was a ragged whisper. “You knew he killed her. You knew. Why would you help him?” “I’m sorry,” she said, her expression unreadable. “Raymond’s mother died years ago saving me in the mountains. I owe him a debt.” She held out a bank card. “There’s another twenty thousand on here. A little something from Raymond, for your trouble.” “My trouble?” I snatched the card, snapped it in two, and threw the pieces in her face. A raw, guttural scream tore from my throat. “Evelyn, is that all my mother’s life is worth to you? Twenty thousand dollars? She was a person! She was my mother!” “The debt you owe Raymond—what gives you the right to pay it with my mother’s life?” “That’s enough!” Evelyn’s voice was sharp, impatient. “This is a courthouse. Don’t make a scene.” My son, Leo, stood beside her, his small face scrunched in disapproval. “Yeah, Dad. Grandma’s dead, so what? If Uncle Raymond went to jail, who would play with me? Why are you being so selfish!” I froze, a chill so profound it seemed to stop my heart. Selfish? I couldn’t fathom that the boy I had raised for a decade, the boy I loved more than life itself, could see me this way. Raymond walked over, a smug, triumphant smirk playing on his lips. “Come on, Ethan. Leo’s just a kid. Don’t take it so hard.” “Uncle Raymond!” Leo’s face lit up. He scampered over, tugging at Raymond’s arm. “I’m a big boy now. I’ll protect you.” “That’s my guy,” Raymond said, scooping Leo into his arms. They looked, for all the world, like a real father and son. I watched them, a bitter, hysterical laugh bubbling in my chest. This was the son I cherished. This was the family I had sacrificed my career to build and protect. Evelyn, cool and composed, pulled a document from her briefcase. “This is an agreement to waive your right to appeal. Sign it, and this whole thing will be over.” “Never.” I ripped the paper from her hand and tore it to shreds. “Don’t you forget, Evelyn. I studied law, too. I was a damn good lawyer. I will not let my mother die in vain.” Her eyes turned to steel. “Then you can try.” 2 After leaving the courthouse, I went back to the scene of the crash. I filed a request for the traffic camera footage, only to be told the cameras in that section had been removed for maintenance. The footage was gone. The car involved had, I was told, “accidentally” rolled into a lake, destroying any remaining evidence. Evelyn had been thorough, erasing every trace of Raymond’s crime. I liquidated my assets, cashed in every favor from my old life, and finally, through a contact at the coroner’s office, got my hands on my mother’s full autopsy report. Multiple comminuted fractures across the body. Evidence of repeated crushing force from a vehicle’s tire on the thoracic and abdominal cavities. The clinical language painted a brutal picture. This wasn’t an accident. It was a deliberate, vicious murder. I left the morgue, report in hand, ready to file an appeal, but Evelyn was there, waiting for me. “What are you doing here, Evelyn?” “I told you, it’s over. Raymond made a mistake.” “He’s so young,” she pleaded. “Are you really going to destroy his entire life just to prove a point?” She lunged, tearing the report from my grasp as her bodyguards moved in, heading for the morgue. They were going to take my mother’s body. I fought, trying to get past her, but she wrapped her arms around me, holding me in an iron grip. “Let me go! He murdered her, Evelyn! It was murder!” “Stop it! I said it’s over!” “On what grounds? He’s a killer! He killed my mother! He has to pay!” “Ethan, don’t make me do this.” She had her men drag me to the crematorium. They carried my mother’s body inside and pushed it toward the furnace. “No!” I thrashed against her, my voice cracking with desperation. “Evelyn, please, let me go! I’m begging you… She was murdered. You can’t do this…” “You’re a lawyer. You know the truth. How can you help him destroy the evidence?” My throat was raw from screaming. For a moment, I saw a flicker of something in her eyes—pity, perhaps—but her grip never loosened. “I’m sorry, Ethan. But Raymond is my line in the sand. I won’t let anyone hurt him. Not even you.” Her voice was a low, chilling promise. “When this is all over, I’ll make it up to you.” The minutes stretched into an eternity. Then, an attendant emerged, carrying a box of ashes. All the strength drained out of me. I collapsed to the floor, a hollowed-out wreck. “Mom… I’m so sorry…” “It’s done,” Evelyn said, her voice softening slightly. “The body has been cremated. Your ‘evidence’ is worthless now. Just let it go.” Her phone buzzed, shattering the silence. Raymond’s cheerful voice echoed from the speaker. “Evelyn! Leo wants to go to the amusement park. Where are you?” “Okay,” she replied, her tone instantly brightening. “I’m on my way.” She hung up and walked away without a backward glance. I knelt on the cold floor, clutching my mother’s ashes, my body wracked with violent tremors. I had the proof, but it was too late. My mother’s killer was free, defended by the daughter-in-law she had adored, and condemned by the grandson she had died to save. A sharp, searing pain tore through my chest. Nausea rose in my throat, hot and acidic. I doubled over, coughing up a mouthful of blood as the world went black. 3 When I came to, I was in my own bed. My phone was buzzing incessantly, a storm of anonymous, hateful messages and threatening calls. The headline was trending nationally: Elderly Woman Dies in Botched Cash-for-Crash Scam. The comments were a cesspool of vitriol. “Good riddance. Serves the old hag right for trying to pull a scam.” “The driver’s a hero! Imagine trying to scam someone with your grandkid there. Thank God the kid had a conscience and told the truth.” “Scum like her should just disappear from the planet.” I scrolled through the endless river of hate, each word a fresh cut on my already bleeding heart. And there, at the top of the trending list, was another story: Star Attorney Evelyn Reed Treats Husband and Son to a Magical Night at the Amusement Park, Complete with a Romantic Fireworks Display. The accompanying photo showed the three of them—Evelyn, Leo, and Raymond—holding hands, smiling, a perfect family. It was a dagger to the heart. I remembered when Evelyn and I were like that. When we first married, she told me she never wanted to be a housewife. So I was the one who stepped back, sacrificing my own partnership track to support her soaring career. “Darling,” she used to say, her voice soft with gratitude, “I’ll never forget what you’ve given up for this family. I swear I’ll never let you down.” When Leo was born premature, frail and fighting for every breath, I was the one who spent sleepless nights by his incubator, the one who begged and pleaded with every specialist I could find until he was safe. I hovered over him as he grew, terrified of losing him, carefully guarding his fragile health. He used to curl up in my lap, his little voice full of adoration. “Daddy, when I grow up, I’m going to take care of you just like you take care of me.” But everything changed three years ago, when Raymond came into our lives as Evelyn’s mentee and legal assistant. Evelyn started coming home later and later. She’d complain about Raymond’s constant mistakes, how he was nothing compared to how sharp I’d been at his age, yet she’d stay at the office with him until all hours, patiently guiding him. Slowly, Leo began to drift away from me, too. The junk food I forbade, Raymond supplied in endless quantities. When I pushed him to do his homework, Raymond would sneak him out to play video games. It all culminated the day I overheard him telling his friend, “I don’t like my dad. I wish Uncle Raymond was my dad.” The bedroom door creaked open. Evelyn walked in, a series of fresh, angry-looking bruises blooming on her neck. “Don’t pay any attention to the noise online,” she said dismissively. “I’ll have my people take care of it.” My gaze was flat, empty. I noticed for the first time that her wedding ring was gone. The faint, cloying scent of Raymond’s cologne clung to her clothes. Leo burst into the room, tugging impatiently at her hand. “See, Mom? I told you Dad was fine. Let’s go! Uncle Raymond is waiting for us to take our family photos.” Evelyn offered a weak explanation. “It’s just for fun. Raymond doesn’t have any family, so he’s always wanted a proper family portrait.” I listened, but I felt nothing. The years of quiet agony had hollowed me out completely. I reached into the bottom drawer of my nightstand and pulled out a folded piece of paper. The divorce agreement. I had drafted it months ago, but could never bring myself to use it. Now, my hand was steady. “Evelyn,” I said, my voice devoid of all emotion. “Let’s get a divorce.” 4 “What?” Evelyn stared at me, her initial shock quickly hardening into annoyance. “I already explained. Raymond lost his mother. He has no one. Leo and I are just trying to comfort him by taking these photos.” Leo, standing beside her, glared at me with cold eyes. “You’re just jealous of Uncle Raymond, so you want to divorce Mom?” He scoffed. “Fine with me. I won’t live with you anyway. You’re useless and boring, and Mom has to pay for everything. You’re nothing compared to him.” The venom in his words finally severed the last, frayed thread of hope I’d been clinging to. “Fine,” I said, my voice flat. “I don’t want you anymore. Go find your new dad.” Leo froze, his mouth falling open in shock. “Enough!” Evelyn snapped. “Do you have to be so ugly about this in front of our son?” She snatched a pen from the nightstand and scrawled her name on the divorce papers. “I hope you don’t regret this.” “Don’t worry,” I said, each word a stone dropping into a well. “I won’t.” Seeing her signature on that paper was like a pressure valve releasing in my soul. I felt… light. From our first date to our last day of marriage, I had bent and broken pieces of myself for her. I’d given up my passions, my career, my very identity, transforming from a legal prodigy into a house husband. The memories flashed before my eyes, a montage of a life that was no longer mine. I folded the agreement and tucked it away. I looked at my son one last time. “Leo, you’re ten years old now. Take care of yourself. The only reason I didn’t let you eat junk food was because of your health…” “I don’t want to hear it!” he shouted, clamping his hands over his ears. “You’re always lecturing me! You and Mom are divorced, so you can’t tell me what to do anymore. Uncle Raymond is my dad now!” I looked at the furious boy in front of me and thought of the sweet child who used to hug my legs and call me daddy. A dull ache spread through my chest. “Okay,” I said softly. “I won’t say another word.” … After leaving the house, I used the last of my connections to find one final piece of evidence and secretly delivered it to the criminal investigation unit. Then, alone, I carried my mother’s ashes to Blackwood Ridge. It’s where my father was buried. My mother had always said her only wish was to be laid to rest beside him. The lonely burial was interrupted. Raymond appeared, his custom leather shoes crunching on the gravel path, a mocking smile on his face. “Ethan. I heard you and Evelyn finally split. Good to see you know when to quit.” “What are you doing here?” My voice was thick with hatred. The man who murdered my mother was standing here, desecrating her final resting place, and I was powerless to stop him. “Just admiring my handiwork,” he said with a casual shrug. “You probably don’t know how bad it was when she died, do you? I made sure to drive back and forth over her a few times. Really made sure the job was done.” “Raymond!” I lunged, my control finally snapping, but he was ready. He threw himself to the ground just as Evelyn and Leo rushed into view. Leo ran to Raymond’s side, helping him up with a gentle hand before turning to me, his face a mask of fury. “You bully! I won’t let you hurt Uncle Raymond!” A sharp sting exploded across my cheek. Evelyn had slapped me, her eyes blazing with undisguised rage. “What the hell is wrong with you, Ethan? Raymond came here to pay his respects, and you attack him?” “Apologize to him. Now.” Blood trickled from the corner of my mouth. I looked at the woman and child shielding my mother’s killer, and my shattered heart still found a way to break a little more. “Today is my mother’s burial,” I said, my voice trembling. “And you want me to apologize to the man who murdered her?” “That’s a separate issue. I told you, the accident is a closed case. You hurt Raymond, and you will apologize for it.” “And if I don’t?” 5 Evelyn snatched the urn containing my mother’s ashes. “I’ll say this one last time. Apologize.” “Evelyn, do you have any idea what you’re doing?” I reached for the urn, my hands shaking. Her expression was cold as stone. She stood at the very edge of the cliff, holding the urn out over the abyss. “Raymond is my line in the sand, Ethan. Don’t push me.” Tears streamed down my face. “Don’t,” I begged, my voice breaking. “Evelyn, please… I’ll apologize… I’ll do it…” But Raymond, playing the magnanimous victim, waved a dismissive hand. “Evelyn, it’s fine, really. I’m sure Ethan didn’t mean to hurt me.” “No,” she said, her voice firm. “When you do something wrong, you have to face the consequences.” I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms. The woman before me was a stranger. So she did understand that wrongdoers deserved to be punished. “I’m sorry,” I choked out, bowing my head in the ultimate act of humiliation. But Leo wasn’t satisfied. He tugged on Raymond’s sleeve. “Dad, you’re supposed to kneel when you apologize. He’s not being sincere.” “Leo, don’t say that, he’s still your father…” “Not anymore. You’re my dad now, Uncle Raymond.” I looked at my son, and the last flicker of hope inside me died. Defeated, I sank to my knees. “I’m sorry,” I whispered to the dirt. “It was all my fault. Please… forgive me.” My eyes, red and swollen, pleaded with Evelyn. “My mother suffered enough in her life. I just want her to be with my father. Please…” A crack appeared in her icy facade. For a second, I saw the woman I once loved. She started to hand the urn back. And then, Raymond stumbled with a cry of pain. Instinctively, Evelyn reached out to steady him. The urn slipped from her grasp, tumbling through the air and over the side of the cliff. “NO!” I watched it fall, a slow-motion nightmare. I scrambled forward, lunging for it, not caring about the drop below. Evelyn yanked me back from the edge. “It’s just a box of ashes! Are you trying to kill yourself?” “Get off me!” I shoved her away with a strength I didn’t know I possessed. “Evelyn, since you two love each other so much, I’ll get out of your way. For good.” With those words, I turned and threw myself from the cliff, my body swallowed by the sea of clouds below.

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1 The night of our wedding, my A-list actor husband, Damian Hale, left me for a private rendezvous with his ex-girlfriend. When he returned, reeking of alcohol, he held me and whispered her name: Luna Latham. The next morning, Luna posted on her social media: 【Some loves can only be spoken in whispers, hidden by time. I wish you happiness.】 Her fans swarmed the comments, branding me a homewrecker. My agent, Carla, was practically having a meltdown. I scrolled through my phone, completely unbothered. “What’s the rush?” I said calmly. “Leak the photos from their hotel room last night. Tell the press it was me, the ‘devastated wife,’ who caught them in the act.” “And remember,” I added, “censor the photos, but make sure everyone can recognize that specific watch on Damian’s wrist.” … Ten minutes after the photos went live, the social media servers crashed. 【Damian Hale Cheats on Wedding Night】 【Luna Latham the Homewrecker】 【Rachel Reed Catches Husband Cheating】 Three hashtags shot to the top of the trending list. Carla’s phone was ringing off the hook. She covered the receiver, her face pale as she looked at me. “Rachel, it’s Damian’s team, and… Mrs. Hale is on the other line.” I nodded, gesturing for her to continue. “They’re demanding you post a retraction immediately. Say they were stills from a movie, or just friends who had too much to drink and the angle was misleading.” A small, cold laugh escaped my lips. “A retraction? Why would I do that?” “I am Damian Hale’s lawfully wedded wife. My husband abandoned me on our wedding night, and now I’m expected to cover for his affair with his ex?” “Carla, do I look like some brain-dead saint to you?” Carla was speechless. The door to my suite burst open. Damian stormed in, his eyes shot with blood. He was clutching his phone so tightly his knuckles were white. “Rachel! Are you insane? Do you have any idea what you’ve done?” He slammed the phone down on the coffee table in front of me. The screen showed the photos I’d leaked. “Why would you do this? Luna is innocent!” he roared. “She was just upset, so I went to have a drink with her. Nothing happened!” I met his furious gaze, my own expression perfectly calm. “Nothing happened? Then why was she wearing your shirt?” “Nothing happened? Then why did you come home, hold me, and whisper her name all night?” The color drained from Damian’s face, then flooded back in a wave of crimson. He looked like he was choking. He clearly hadn’t expected me to be listening. “I was drunk!” he yelled, his voice cracking. “I made a mistake! A mistake any man could make!” “Did you have to blow this up, ruin my career, and destroy Luna’s life over it? I never knew you were so malicious!” I rose from the sofa and walked toward him. “Damian, you destroyed our marriage. You destroyed yourself. And you destroyed that precious Luna of yours.” “Malicious? Compared to you two, I’d say I’m serving justice.” “And let me correct you on one thing,” I added, my voice dripping with ice. “Not all men make that ‘mistake.’ Only the ones who can’t keep it in their pants. Don’t you dare drag everyone else down with you.” He trembled with rage, his hand flying up to strike me. I didn’t flinch. I just stared at him, my eyes cold and unflinching. “Go on. Hit me. Tomorrow’s headline will be ‘A-List Actor Damian Hale’s Domestic Abuse Scandal.’” “I guarantee you, it will trend even higher than your affair.” His hand froze in mid-air before falling limply to his side. Then, the phone rang again. It was Damian’s mother, the formidable Eleanor Hale, chairwoman of Zenith Media. The second I answered, her imperious voice cut through the line. “Rachel, delete the post immediately. Then, call a press conference and apologize. Say it was all a misunderstanding.” “You will not drag the Hale family name through the mud like this.” I leaned back on the sofa, calmly filing my nails. “Mrs. Hale, the one dragging your family name through the mud isn’t me. It’s your darling son.” “On his wedding night, he chose to do this. The fact that I haven’t filed for divorce yet is the only respect I’m showing the Hale name.” There was a beat of silence on the other end, then a voice tight with fury. “What do you want? Film roles? Money? Name your price. Just make this go away.” I blew a speck of dust from my nail. “I don’t want anything.” “I just want what’s fair.” Mrs. Hale laughed, a cold, sharp sound. “Fair? In this business, power is fairness. And I have the power.” “Don’t you forget, Rachel, who gave you everything you have. Without the Hale family, you are nothing.” “So drop the naive act. I’m giving you thirty minutes to think it over.” “If I don’t see a public apology from you in half an hour, you will face the consequences.” 2 The line went dead. Carla looked at me, her face etched with worry. “Rachel, she’s not bluffing. You know she’ll do it.” “Those endorsement deals, the script for that blockbuster… Zenith Media pulled all those strings for us.” I patted her hand reassuringly. “Don’t worry. The sky isn’t falling.” Thirty minutes passed. I posted nothing. Instead, a photo of Luna Latham, weeping in a hospital bed, appeared on her official social media, posted by her team. The caption read: 【Thank you for the concern. I’m alright. Please don’t blame anyone. It’s all my fault.】 In the photo, she wore a hospital gown, a pristine white bandage wrapped around her wrist. She was a picture of tragic fragility. Instantly, the public narrative flipped again. The hashtag #LunaLathamSuicideAttempt shot to number one, eclipsing everything else. My comment section became a cesspool. An army of self-righteous fans flooded in, cursing me with the most vile language imaginable. 【She tried to kill herself because of you! Rachel Reed is a monster!】 【Damian, divorce her! You must have had the worst luck in the world to marry a woman like that!】 【My heart breaks for Luna. We’re here for you, always.】 Damian called again. This time, his voice was choked with tears and raw hatred. “Rachel, Luna tried to kill herself! If anything happens to her, I swear I will never forgive you!” “Are you happy now? Are you satisfied?” I listened quietly to his tirade until he exhausted himself. Then, I spoke, my voice soft but lethal. “Damian, do you really think the world revolves around your tragic little love story?” “She cries, and it’s my fault. She checks into a hospital, and I’m the one who pushed her.” “What about me? I’m your wife. The one you two conspired to humiliate. Am I just supposed to take the abuse? To swallow my pain and say nothing?” “Go to the hospital. Stay by her side.” “And when you do, tell her to commit to the role next time. That scratch on her wrist looks like a paper cut. Today’s audience isn’t that gullible.” My defiance was the final straw. The Hales declared war. The next day, the official social media account for the blockbuster film I was set to star in announced that I had been removed from the cast, citing “personal conduct issues that have caused a negative social impact.” One by one, my high-end endorsement deals released statements terminating our contracts. Carla held the termination letters, her hands shaking. “It’s over, Rachel. It’s all over. Mrs. Hale is going to blacklist us completely.” Overnight, I went from being one of Hollywood’s brightest rising stars to a reviled outcast. Damian sent me a text. 【Is this what you wanted? I gave you a chance, Rachel.】 【Get out of my house. Now. My lawyer will be in touch with the divorce papers.】 I looked at the message and laughed. Get out? This mansion, the one with the deed in my name, was a wedding gift from my parents. I texted back one word. 【You.】 He must have lost his mind, because he showed up minutes later with two bodyguards in tow. “Rachel, don’t push your luck! This is a Hale property! You have no right to be here!” he snarled, pointing a finger at me with an air of supreme arrogance. I remained seated on the sofa, watching his little performance with amusement. “Damian, darling, has playing pretend for a living addled your brain? Open your eyes and read the name on the deed.” “This is my pre-nuptial property. It has absolutely nothing to do with you or the Hale family.” Damian froze, completely stunned. He obviously had no idea. Behind him, Luna Latham leaned weakly against the doorframe, a perfectly calibrated expression of shock and hurt on her pale face. “Damian, let’s just go,” she whispered, her voice barely audible. “It’s clear she doesn’t want us here. Let’s not make her angry.” She tugged at his sleeve, the perfect damsel in distress. Damian looked at her, his eyes overflowing with adoration and pity. He turned back to me, his gaze venomous. “You wait, Rachel. You will pay for what you’ve done today.” “I will make sure you never work in this town again!” I stood and walked calmly towards them. “Fine by me,” I said with a smile. “I’ll be waiting.” 3 My gaze shifted past Damian, landing on Luna. “Ms. Latham, the next time you decide to stage a suicide attempt, you should probably have a medical report to back it up.” “Otherwise, faking an illness for sympathy… people might think you’re pathetic.” Luna’s body went rigid, her face turning an even more ghastly shade of white. Damian immediately shielded her with his body. “Shut up, Rachel!” he roared. “Don’t you dare say another word to her!” I watched his white-knight routine, finding it utterly absurd. “Hurt her?” I let out a cold laugh. “The person who’s truly hurting her is you.” “You’re the one who gave her false hope. You’re the one who let her believe she could walk all over me to get what she wanted.” “You, Damian, are the root of this entire tragedy.” The Hales’ blacklisting was swift and brutal. All of my projects were canceled. My team was forced to disband. Only Carla remained by my side. The online hate campaign against me was relentless. Extremist fans doxxed me, throwing paint on my front gate and sending me anonymous death threats. Carla called the police, but it was useless. They were like flies drawn to blood; for every one they shooed away, another dozen would appear. Meanwhile, Damian and Luna were thriving. They attended a charity gala together, and in front of the cameras, Damian looked at Luna with boundless affection. “I will handle my personal affairs as quickly as possible,” he announced to the press, “and give Luna the official status she deserves.” The internet erupted, celebrating their “epic love story.” And I was cast as the villain, the evil ex-wife standing in the way of their happiness. Mrs. Hale called me again, her tone dripping with the condescending pity of a victor. “Do you regret it now, Rachel? I told you, you’re no match for me.” “But I’m feeling generous. Kneel and beg me.” “Then, post a public apology, taking full responsibility. Admit you were jealous of Luna and maliciously started these rumors.” “Do that, and I might consider leaving you with a shred of a career.” Her words were so preposterous I could only laugh. “Mrs. Hale, have you forgotten my last name?” My father is Robert Reed. Though long since retired from the front lines, his name still commands immense respect in the world of finance. My mother is one of the country’s most celebrated artists, a master whose students are scattered throughout the art world. I was never some helpless vine who needed the Hale family to survive. The only reason I hadn’t used my family’s connections was to preserve a final ounce of dignity—for myself, and for the man I once loved. But it was clear they didn’t want it. Mrs. Hale’s voice turned to ice. “It seems you’re determined to be stubborn.” “Then don’t blame me for being ruthless.” “Rachel, I will teach you the true meaning of despair.” After she hung up, my father called. His voice was as calm and steady as ever. “Rachel, you’ve been wronged.” “Do whatever you feel you must. Your father will always be your strongest shield.” Tears welled in my eyes. The pain and humiliation I had bottled up for days finally burst forth. “Dad,” I choked out, “I’m okay.” After the call, I wiped my tears and dialed another number. “Interested in a business proposition?” A low, smooth laugh answered me. “An invitation from Ms. Reed? I’m always interested.” “Tell me,” the voice purred, “how do you want to play?”

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The day I was welcomed back into the family, my fiancé, the one I’d been betrothed to since birth, was already planning his wedding to the fake heiress. My new parents shielded her behind them. “We are a prominent family, and Jane was raised by us to be a proper lady!” “You’ve spent twenty years as a street urchin. You’re not fit for high society. Know your place.” My supposed fiancé, Byron, pulled the fake heiress into his arms. “The Vance family has no need for a classless country bumpkin. And I could never love a social climber desperate to latch onto wealth.” The fake heiress, Jane, dropped to her knees at my feet. “I know this was all meant to be yours, sister, but Byron and I are truly in love! Please, I’m begging you, let us be happy!” Hold on. I’m a guy. What the hell do I need a fiancé for? Did any of these people even glance at my file before bringing me here? Although… My eyes drifted to Jane. She did look rather pitifully beautiful… 1 I watched Jane’s tears stream down her face like a tragic heroine’s, saw the defensive glares from my parents and my “fiancé,” and quickly waved my hands. “Look, I know I have long hair, but that’s purely for artistic reasons. My gender is—” “What’s wrong with long hair?” Byron cut me off, his voice sharp. “Long or short, you have no right to set foot in the Vance family home.” “No, that’s not what I meant. I have long hair, but I’m—” “Enough!” My parents thrust a thick binder into my hands. “We don’t have time for your excuses. When the poor suddenly strike it rich, the first thing they do is try to steal what isn’t theirs. Memorize these rules. I’ll be quizzing you at eight tonight.” The document, thicker than a textbook, landed heavily in my lap. I flipped through it. Mr. Sterling takes his morning coffee with three sugars, served at precisely 113 degrees Fahrenheit. Mrs. Sterling’s sandwiches must have the crusts cut off, no mayonnaise. Jane begins her dance practice at dawn. Her practice clothes and towel must be folded into perfect rectangles and placed side-by-side on the bench. Before the housekeeper, Mrs. Gable, begins cooking, the vegetables must be washed and chopped within thirty minutes to not disrupt her workflow. I held up the binder. “So, I’m supposed to wait on Mrs. Gable too?” “You’re new here. Twenty years on the streets have made you wild. You must learn the rules,” my mother said icily. “The Sterlings are a family of standing. Just because you’re our child doesn’t mean you can run wild.” “If you can’t learn the rules, you don’t deserve to call us Mom and Dad.” I pointed at Jane. “Then why doesn’t she have to do any of this?” “Julian!” Byron’s voice was a low growl as he stepped in front of Jane. “Are you suggesting my fiancée should act like a servant?” A bitter laugh escaped my lips. “So you do know this is a list of chores for a servant!” With a flick of my wrist, I sent the binder flying. Pages fluttered through the air like morbid confetti. “If you didn’t want me back, just say so! Who are you trying to humiliate with all these rules? The Sterling family? I don’t want any part of it!” I turned to leave. A flash of panic crossed my parents’ faces. Humiliating me was one thing. Kicking out their long-lost child the day he returned would be a scandal they couldn’t afford. “Julian! Come back! We were just joking!” “You don’t have to learn the rules! Just come back!” I was about to stop when a hand grabbed mine. I turned. Jane was looking up at me, her eyes shimmering with tears. My gaze dropped to our intertwined hands, and for a second, my heart skipped a beat. “Sister… if anyone should leave, it’s me. I know you must hate me.” “It’s fine, I understand. I know that the life I have was stolen from you. I’ll go!” “Wait, wait,” I said, trying to pull my hand away. “Don’t call me sister. I’m—” “I know…” she interrupted, her voice choked with sobs. “You resent me. You won’t accept me as your sister. But don’t worry, I won’t fight you for Mom, Dad, or Byron…” With that, she covered her mouth and ran for the door. I moved to stop her, but a heavy shoulder slammed into me, sending me stumbling. My head narrowly missed the corner of a table. Byron had already caught Jane, pulling her into a comforting embrace while my parents rushed to her side, cooing softly. “Don’t stop me! Let me go, sob…” Jane struggled, but every movement seemed to press her deeper into Byron’s chest. Finally, the three of them were clinging to each other in a tearful group hug. “It’s all his fault!” my mother cried. “If he had never come back, our sweet Jane would never have been hurt!” Hearing her words, I rubbed my bruised knee. This entire family was certifiably insane. But… My eyes narrowed. Walking away now would be letting them off too easy. A prominent family, they said? Fine. This family fortune? I’m coming for it. 2 The next day, the Sterlings laid out their terms. They would accept me. “However, to the public, Jane will remain the true Sterling heiress. You will be our adoptive son.” “Jane has been suffering ever since you arrived. Consider this compensation for her pain.” I didn’t argue. Blood is blood. A piece of paper couldn’t change that. When the time came, they’d have to give me my due. Whether I was the “true heir” or not… what did it matter? Jane, Byron, and I all attended the same university. In the science lab, I borrowed a classmate’s hand mirror and studied my reflection. Long hair, a slender face. Though my features had a masculine edge, I was often mistaken for a woman with a strong, striking look. A phone appeared in my peripheral vision. “Hey beautiful, can I get your number?” I replied on instinct. “Dude, I’m a guy.” The guy stared at me for a moment, surprised. He didn’t lower his phone. “Works for me.” “Get lost!” I touched my neck. Was my Adam’s apple really that unnoticeable? Maybe I should stop wearing turtlenecks. Later, heading to the restroom, another hand reached out. Without looking up, I said, “Not interested.” The next thing I knew, I was being dragged into the men’s room. “You’re that little bitch causing trouble for Jane, aren’t you? Asking for numbers? Who the hell do you think you are?” My chin was forced up. A few guys leered at me with nasty grins. “You’re not bad-looking, I’ll give you that. But some things are way out of your league, bitch. Get the camera ready. We’re gonna film this freak’s every move!” It clicked. They were going to take compromising photos. Even though I’m a guy, I don’t let anyone push me around. My fist shattered the phone’s camera lens. My next blow connected with the leader’s nose. A sickening crunch echoed in the tiled room. “Holy shit! This bitch is strong!” I grabbed his collar. “You picked the wrong guy to mess with!” “Damn, for a girl, she can really fight!” “Get her! What are you waiting for?!” I kicked one of them down and made a break for it, but there were too many of them. Another guy blocked the door. An arm wrapped around my neck, and I was hauled back. “You bitch, you dare hit me!” A fist slammed into my face. I tasted blood instantly. I didn’t back down, gritting my teeth and fighting back with everything I had. But they overwhelmed me, pinning me against the cold, tiled wall. “Rip her clothes off!” My turtleneck was torn at the collar as three or four pairs of hands clawed at me. The new phone’s camera was pointed right at my body. Just as they were about to rip the shirt from my chest, a furious voice roared from the doorway. “Stop!” 3 I was pinned to the wall, a forearm crushing my throat. Blood trickled from the corner of my mouth, and my eyes were red with fury. When Byron walked in, that’s the sight that greeted him: me, cornered and bloodied, but still fighting like a cornered wolf. “M-Mr. Vance…” the guys stammered, their bravado vanishing instantly. “Who told you to do this?” Byron’s voice was dangerously low. “Uh… we were just trying to stand up for Jane…” “I’ll deal with him my own way. It has nothing to do with you.” “Yes, sir…” With a sigh of impatience, Byron’s cold gaze landed on me. “Get a handle on yourself. Stop embarrassing Jane out in public.” “You’re insane!” I spat, wiping the blood from my mouth, which only smeared it across my cheek. He frowned, a flicker of surprise in his eyes. “I’m the one who got jumped! If anyone needs to get a handle on themselves, it’s you and Jane!” Shoving past him, I slammed my shoulder into his, repaying him for the shove he’d given me yesterday. Muttering “freaking psycho” under my breath, I went to the sink to clean my wounds. As I was splashing cold water on my face, a tube of antiseptic cream was placed quietly on the counter beside me. I looked up. Byron glanced at me, his eyes unreadable. “Don’t get the wrong idea,” he said flatly. “I just don’t want you running to my aunt and uncle with some sob story to make Jane look bad.” Then he turned and walked out. My mouth twitched. Yep. A whole family of psychos. 4 When I got back to the Sterling mansion, a dinner party was in full swing. The Vance family were the guests of honor. For someone living on a six-hundred-dollar-a-month allowance, the high-society chatter held zero interest for me. I was focused on the food. That is, until something fell out of my pocket. Before I could react, Jane had already bent down to pick it up. “Sister…” she said, holding up the used tube of antiseptic cream, her smile strained. “I never knew you were so resourceful. Yesterday you were disowning the family, and today you’ve already managed to get a gift from my fiancé?” I kept chewing. How could such a pretty girl be so relentlessly passive-aggressive? “I forgot to throw it out,” I said honestly. After I’d used it, I couldn’t find a trash can and just shoved it in my pocket. “You can’t even come up with a better excuse than that, sister?” Her hand shot out and grabbed my wrist, stopping my fork midway to my mouth. I sighed. “Look, miss, I promise you, on my life, I will never, ever fight you over a man.” She waved the cream in my face, her laugh dripping with scorn. “I know your type. These little games, stirring up drama—it’s what people from the gutter do best, isn’t it? But do you really think your pathetic little tricks will actually win Byron over? Let’s make a bet, shall we? Let’s see who he saves—you, or me?” Before I could process her words, she yanked me with surprising force. “Hey! What are you doing?!” “Ah! Sister, why are you pushing me?!” Tangled together, we both tumbled into the ornamental lake. I tried to break the surface for air, but she was pinning me down, making a show of flailing and choking. “Help me! Byron!” “Jane!” Byron’s panicked voice cut through the chaos, followed by a loud splash. I choked on a mouthful of water. “Byron! You—” A wave crashed over my head. Byron shoved me aside without a second glance, scooping Jane into his arms. He carried her back to the shore without looking back, leaving me alone in the dark water. I thrashed, trying to stay afloat. On the bank, Jane was already weaving her story. “I… I don’t know what happened. I just picked up the tube of cream for my sister, and she pushed me into the water…” Byron’s eyes fell on the used antiseptic cream, and his expression turned thunderous. “Julian! I knew it! Your act this afternoon was just to get sympathy! The moment no one’s watching, you attack Jane?” He gritted his teeth. “You really are despicable!” My parents rushed to Jane’s side, their faces streaked with tears. “Julian! We took you in out of the kindness of our hearts, and this is how you treat our daughter?!” “It’s true what they say. Twenty years without proper raising… you’re nothing but gutter-trash, your mind filled with jealousy and spite!” The party guests stared, their whispers like hissing snakes. “That adoptive son is so ungrateful! The Sterlings really took in a viper!” “You can’t wash the filth off someone from the streets. Poverty breeds a twisted soul.” Jane dabbed at her eyes, but she shot a quick, triumphant glance in my direction. Her smirk said it all. See? He chose me. Psycho. It’s not like I can’t swim. 5 By the time I dragged myself out of the lake, Byron had already carried Jane inside the villa, my parents trailing anxiously behind him. As I stood there dripping, the guests’ whispers followed me. “That adoptive son is quite striking, though. Almost androgynous.” “It’s often the case. Masculine women and feminine men tend to be the most beautiful.” “A shame he has such a dark heart.” …What is wrong with these high-society types? They’re all as crazy as the Sterlings. The cuts on my face stung from the lake water. Cursing under my breath, I headed back to my room. The moment I opened the door, Jane was there, her eyes red-rimmed as she grabbed my hand. “Julian, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to push you in. I’m just so scared of losing them. Without them, I have nowhere to go. Please don’t hate me…” My voice was ice. “You’re so scared of being abandoned that you’ll sacrifice an innocent person without a second thought?” “Julian…” Her eyes welled up again. I cut her off. “Save it. There’s no one here to watch your performance.” I actually used to find her charming. How could she be this kind of person? “And one more thing. Stay out of my room.” I pushed her out and locked the door behind her. After tending to my wounds and taking a hot shower, I slept soundly until morning. I had barely opened my eyes when I heard Jane’s frantic cries from outside. “My dress can’t be gone! I left it right on my desk, ready for my birthday today!” Jane’s dress is missing? My bedroom door burst open. Jane stood there, her eyes swollen from crying, and then she pointed dramatically at my closet. “Ah! Is that…?” I turned. A sliver of red fabric was visible, peeking out from the closet door. Byron stormed into the room and yanked the closet open. A magnificent, diamond-encrusted couture gown tumbled out. Jane gasped, covering her mouth. “Julian… did you… did you steal my dress?” 6 So that’s why Jane was in my room last night. It wasn’t an apology. She was planting the dress and I caught her before she could leave. “How could you!” My mother shoved me back onto the bed. “Jealousy is one thing, we can almost understand that. But to think you’d resort to stealing! How did we ever give birth to such a worthless son!” My jaw dropped. “Worthless son?” Even if I was a guy, is that something a parent should ever say to their child? “Call the police! Call them now! We can’t let him get away with this!” “Mom!” Jane rushed to her side. “It’s okay. Julian has probably never seen such a beautiful dress before. He was just momentarily tempted. I forgive him!” “Never seen one so he can just steal it?!” my father roared. “This is a matter of principle!” “But… Dad, that dress is worth over a million dollars. If you call the police, he’ll go to jail.” “Then let him go to jail!” my mother shrieked, her eyes blazing with hatred. “If he doesn’t learn a hard lesson, he’ll never change!” Byron glanced at me, his expression unreadable. The wail of sirens grew louder outside. I pinched the bridge of my nose. This was getting ridiculous. 7 I thought I could just explain myself in court and this would all be over. I was wrong. On the day of the trial, my lawyer was replaced. The one who had prepared my entire defense was swapped out for someone my parents had hired. This new lawyer was famous for one thing: saying absolutely nothing. As I stared in disbelief at the lengths they would go to, I saw them sitting with the lawyer they’d hired for Jane—Mr. Davies, the man who’d supposedly give Disney’s legal team a run for their money. He had never lost a case. My parents looked at me, their faces hard as stone. “Julian, it’s time you took responsibility for your actions.” After Mr. Davies delivered a long, eloquent prosecution, it was my lawyer’s turn. I looked at him, waiting. He cleared his throat and spoke in a calm, measured tone. “No objections.” A smug smile touched my mother’s lips. “In that case,” the judge began, “this court finds the defendant, Julian Sterling, guilty of theft…”

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Right before we boarded our flight to Bali for our honeymoon, my wife suddenly turned to me. “I’m going to run and grab you a coffee from that little place you like. You wait right here for me.” But six hours passed. Then, my phone buzzed with a notification. It was a racy video. My wife had already landed in Bali. In the ocean-view suite I had booked, she was locked in a passionate kiss with a male intern from her company. I forwarded the video directly to her. “Did you go all the way to Bali to source some rare, imported coffee beans?” Her reply was casual, almost bored. “The company’s IPO is just around the corner. You need to stop thinking about vacations all the time. We can do the honeymoon later.” In the background, I could hear the intern’s mocking whistle. “Some of these rich husbands are so clueless. They really think money makes them invincible, don’t they?” A cold, sharp laugh escaped my lips. Whether or not money makes me invincible… We were about to find out. 1 I booked every single seat on every flight returning from Bali to our home country for the next two weeks. If Ava didn’t want to see me, then she would never have to come back at all. Ten minutes later, my phone was ringing. It was her. “Leo, are you insane? The IPO signing is in three days! If I’m not there, do you have any idea how much money we’ll lose?” she shrieked. “Tell them to get the flights back online now!” Her furious tone was laced with panic, but I just chuckled softly. “You said you never wanted to see me again. I’m just making your wish come true.” Before she could answer, the intern’s whiny voice came through the phone. “Ava, it’s all my fault. I was just being selfish. I’ll go apologize to Mr. Hayes, okay?” Ava cut him off, her voice tight with suppressed rage as she spoke to me. “I was just taking my little brother out for a trip. I forgot to tell you. Stop making a scene.” I let out a derisive snort. “Right. Well, you two have a great time. In fact, I’ll even book you a couples’ package tour.” She finally lost her composure. “Leo! What the hell do you want?!” “Either he’s out of the company, or the company goes under. Your choice.” Thirty minutes later, I received an email notification of the intern’s, Caleb’s, termination. I immediately called the airline. “Reopen the return flights.” Then, I sent Ava a picture. It was a series of termination documents for several of her key confidantes at the company. “Ava, remember where my line is. This is just a warning. If you provoke me again, you’ll face the consequences.” She didn’t reply. I knew she must hate me right now. But the fire in my own chest burned hotter. She had no idea what I had sacrificed for this honeymoon, canceling a packed schedule of crucial project meetings. I had hoped this trip would be a chance for us to rediscover the sweetness and joy we once had. After all, she was the one who had come to my grandmother, begging her to let me marry her, claiming she’d had a secret crush on me for years. My grandmother, moved by her sincerity, had told me to consider it. Otherwise, given her background, she would have never been a match for me. In the years since our wedding, she had managed our home perfectly. She was a doting and respectful daughter-in-law to my parents. Whenever I came home late from business dinners, no matter the hour, she would leave a light on for me in the living room, a thermos of hot, soothing broth always waiting on the table. She even remembered a passing comment I’d made about a rare aged tea and scoured every tea shop in the city to find it for me. Slowly, I had come to believe that her story of a long-held crush was true. And slowly, I had fallen for her. For years, we were the picture of a perfect couple, what everyone called a match made in heaven. I never imagined she would shatter that peace for a man she barely knew. 2 The next day, I left work early and drove to the airport to pick Ava up. I leaned against the car, waiting patiently. My phone was silent, but I figured she just hadn’t gotten my last message before her flight. The minutes ticked by. Her flight had landed, but there was still no sign of her. I tried calling. It rang a few times and then was disconnected. The certainty I’d felt that she would come home obediently began to crumble, replaced by a rising tide of irritation. Then, the housekeeper called, her voice hesitant. “Sir, Madam has brought a stranger home…” Something was wrong. I raced home. The moment I walked in the door, I saw it: clothes strewn across the floor and two figures on the couch, wrapped up in each other. The click of the lock startled them. Ava looked up and saw me. She scrambled to pull down her sleeves, her hair a mess, and stammered, “Don’t misunderstand. This was an accident.” I sneered. “An accident? Funny, I don’t see you accidentally streaking in the street.” A flash of anger crossed Ava’s face, but before she could speak, Caleb, the man behind her, was fumbling to grab his scattered clothes. “S-Sorry. I shouldn’t be here. I’ll leave right now.” His voice was hoarse, still heavy with ragged breaths. He clearly hadn’t recovered from their “accident.” But as he bent over, I saw it. A protective charm hanging around his neck. My heart stopped. When Ava and I were first married, she often complained about how late nights at work were ruining her health. Worried, I made a pilgrimage to an old monastery in the mountains. I climbed the stone steps from the base to the summit on my knees to pray for a charm to keep her safe. When I gave it to her, she had hugged me, overjoyed, and promised she would wear it always, that it would never leave her side. I fought to keep my voice steady, my eyes locked on him. “Take that thing off your neck.” He just looked at Ava with a pathetic, wounded expression. I strode over, grabbing him by the neck, trying to rip the charm off him. Ava shoved me away. “Leo, are you sick in the head? Are you going to hit him?!” Caught off guard, I stumbled back, the sharp corner of the coffee table digging into my shin. A searing pain shot up my leg. I stared at my wife in disbelief. “You tell me why the charm I got for you is on his neck!” Ava’s eyes darted away. “What are you yelling about? Caleb isn’t well. What’s wrong with me letting him wear it for a while?” She glanced at me, her tone dismissive. “It’s just a little trinket. Why are you being so dramatic?” “A little trinket?” I laughed, but there was no humor in it. “I got that for you on my knees! And you gave it to an outsider?” “He stole it! I’m calling the police right now and reporting him for theft!” Ava’s voice suddenly rose to a scream. She tore the charm from Caleb’s neck and threw it at my face. “Are you insane? It’s a stupid cloth pouch! Who would even want it!” The hard edge of the red fabric scraped my cheek, a sharp, stinging pain. I reached up and touched the spot. My fingertips came away wet with blood. I looked down at the tiny crimson bead forming on my skin, and the whole situation felt absurdly, horribly laughable. Seeing the blood, Ava’s eyes widened with a flicker of panic, but she quickly masked it, her face turning back into a cold, indifferent mask. She turned away. “You need to calm down.” Then, without another look back, she grabbed Caleb’s hand and pulled him out the door. 3 The door slammed shut, leaving me alone in the chilling silence of the room. I sat stiffly on the couch, stunned. In our three years of marriage, I had genuinely loved Ava. But what about her? For an intern she’d known for less than a month, she had trampled on my heart again and again. This time, there would be no forgiveness. There would be no turning back. I called my lawyer and arranged to meet him at a nearby café to draw up divorce papers. “Regarding the division of assets, have you two discussed anything beforehand?” he asked, handing me a form. My eyes fell on the “Joint Savings” section, and for a split second, I hesitated. Suddenly, a piercing alarm blared from my phone. It was the motion-activated animal sensor at home. My hands fumbled as I pulled up the security feed. A surge of hot blood rushed to my head. On the screen, Caleb was standing in the middle of the living room, one hand clutching a bleeding arm, his face twisted in a snarl. “Stupid cat, you dare scratch me!” he yelled. He grabbed a rope and looped it around the neck of my cat, Lily, hoisting her into the air. Lily dangled, her legs kicking uselessly, her throat letting out a sound like a broken accordion wheezing. She was suffocating. He seemed to notice the slight turn of the camera lens and spoke deliberately. “Ava, I think she’s stopped breathing. What should I do? You don’t think Leo will be mad at you when he gets back, do you?” Ava, who was carefully bandaging his arm, didn’t even look up. “As long as you’re okay. That little beast deserved to die for scratching you.” I grabbed my car keys and bolted, the lawyer’s shouts fading behind me. Lily, hang on. You have to hang on until I get there. My hands were still shaking as I jammed the key into the lock. The door swung open to a dead, terrifying silence. Caleb was gone. Lily was curled into a tiny, still ball on the floor. Her body was already cold. Her once fluffy, soft golden fur was matted and tangled, her body covered in dried bloodstains. Her paws, once so nimble, were twisted at grotesque angles. I slowly knelt, my trembling fingers touching her stiff fur as tears streamed down my face. I couldn’t bear to imagine the torture she must have endured while I was racing home. “You’re back?” Ava emerged casually from the bedroom. Seeing my tear-streaked face, her tone was flat. “I know how much you loved Lily, but she scratched Caleb. He’s at the hospital getting it disinfected right now.” She glanced at the small body on the floor, her brow furrowed in disgust. “Clean that up. It’s getting blood all over the floor. It’s filthy.” “Filthy?” My voice trembled. “That was Lily! You were the one who found her in an alley, who said we would treat her like our own child!” She just shrugged. “It’s just an animal. If it’s dead, we’ll just buy another one.” Looking at her cold, heartless expression, my heart sank into a black abyss. She suddenly held out a stack of papers. “Sign this.” I glanced up. It was a letter of recommendation. For Caleb. When I didn’t move, she added, “You got Caleb fired. The poor guy has nothing. The General Manager position at your main company is open. Let him have it.” The absurdity and cruelty of it all was staggering. I shoved the papers away, the rage barely contained. “I’m telling you, Ava! As long as I am on the board of this company, he will never set foot in the head office!” 4 With that, I turned my back on her, cradled Lily’s body in my arms, and walked out. I took her to a small garden she had loved to play in, laid her favorite toys beside her, and buried her with my own hands. Looking at the small mound of fresh earth, the tears finally fell freely. The love between Ava and me, just like Lily, was now dead and buried. Before I could even process my grief, my phone started buzzing with notifications. News was breaking everywhere. Ava had used the company’s official account to release a statement, accusing me of abusing my power, bullying employees, and even tax evasion. Every accusation was a baseless lie, but they were crafted to sound plausible. Instantly, the company’s stock plummeted. The internet erupted with a firestorm of accusations and condemnations. “How dare a company this big commit tax fraud! They need to be brought down!” “I always knew the CEO of a corporation like that had to be scum. I hope he rots in jail!” A message from Ava followed. “Agree to my previous request. Give Caleb the GM position at the head office, and I’ll make all of this go away immediately.” I didn’t reply. Another message came. “You have one night to think it over.” I stared at the words, a crushing weight settling on my chest, making it hard to breathe. For Caleb, she was willing to do this—to destroy me, to destroy our company. If that was the case, then she could no longer blame me for showing no mercy. She wanted mutually assured destruction? I would grant her wish. But the price was one I doubted she and Caleb could afford to pay. The next day, the company’s IPO ribbon-cutting ceremony proceeded as scheduled. I knew she would be there. I knew she would be waiting for my answer. I took a deep breath, straightened my suit, and drove to the venue. From a distance, I could see her standing at the podium, Caleb’s arm linked with hers. They looked intimate, like a celestial couple. Caleb saw me, his eyes filled with a taunting arrogance, as if declaring his victory. Ava’s gaze swept over to me, and a confident smirk played on her lips. She probably thought I had finally come to my senses, ready to surrender. She cleared her throat, her smile triumphant. “Friends from the media! I have a very important announcement to make. Mr. Caleb Vance will be appointed as the new General Manager of our company!” I walked towards them, stopping a few feet from the stage. The reporters swarmed, their cameras flashing relentlessly. “Mr. Hayes, are the online rumors about you abusing your power true?” “We hear that you and Ms. Jiang are married. Is your relationship over, now that she’s on another man’s arm?” I ignored the cacophony of questions. My eyes were fixed on Ava. My voice, amplified by the microphone, carried clearly across the entire venue, laced with an undeniable finality. “Let’s get a divorce.” The smile froze on her face. Her pupils contracted in stunned, disbelieving shock. I didn’t give her time to react. “Furthermore,” I continued, “the false information you have fabricated and spread about me constitutes a criminal offense. I have already submitted the relevant evidence to the police.” “All investments in Jiang Industries are hereby suspended. We’ll see you in court.”

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The day my foster mother made a run for it, she deliberately shoved me from the moving car. I landed on my head, and the world went fuzzy. The doctors said my brain was damaged, that I had the mind of a five-year-old. After that, I became much better behaved. More obedient. When my birth parents finally found me and brought me home, the fake heiress who had taken my place refused to let me in the door. She stood on the edge of the three-foot-deep swimming pool, threatening to end her life. “If there’s no room for me in this family, then I might as well be dead!” But she never jumped. So I obediently walked over to her, my small hands trembling, and gave her a little push. “I’ll help you, sister.” Splash. My new mother and father spun around to look at me, their faces masks of pure shock. 1 Before I even had a chance to step inside my new home, Penelope, the girl who had lived my life for fifteen years, was standing by the villa’s swimming pool, sobbing hysterically. “Mom, Dad, I’ve been your daughter for fifteen years! Are you throwing me away now?” Seeing her cry, my mother’s eyes immediately welled up with sympathetic tears. “Penny, darling, it’s not like that.” “You will always be our daughter. We will always love you.” Penelope just shook her head, frantically clawing at her own hair. “Then why did you bring her back? Send her away!” She pointed a finger at me, her eyes burning with a hatred I didn’t understand. Clutching my teddy bear, I shrank behind my father, terrified. “Penny,” he began, his voice strained, “the orphanage and the police found her and contacted us. Please don’t blame us for this.” “Now that we’ve found Pathy, we couldn’t just leave her, could we?” At his words, Penelope seemed to calm down, just a little. I hated it when adults fought. When my foster parents argued, they would both take it out on me. My foster mother would grab me, her teeth gritted, and beat my backside until it was raw. “It’s all your fault, you worthless brat.” “Why aren’t you dead yet?” Not to be outdone, my foster father would grab the leather belt and whip my back relentlessly. “Don’t you dare cry! I can’t stand the noise!” While they hit me, they would compare whose blows left the deepest red marks. So, from a very young age, I learned how to please adults. I had to be careful every single day, terrified of their bad moods, terrified they would start fighting. Seeing Penelope and my new parents arguing, their faces red with anger, filled me with that same old fear. Trying to change the subject, I spoke up in a small, cautious voice. “Mommy, Daddy, is sister the real daughter of my foster mommy? My foster mommy missed her sister very much.” My mother shot me a look, her eyes squeezed tight. I didn’t understand. “Mommy, does your eye hurt?” Penelope stared at our parents, fresh tears rolling down her cheeks. My mother’s face was a mask of anxiety. She yanked me out from behind my father. “Don’t talk nonsense. Go and apologize to your sister.” “But you said…” I started, confused. Before I could finish, she was pushing me toward Penelope. Penelope looked at our parents, her voice thick with self-pity. “It’s my fault I’m not your real daughter. I shouldn’t have taken my sister’s place.” “If there’s no room for me in this family, then I might as well be dead.” She shuffled closer and closer to the edge of the pool. But she never jumped. Clutching my teddy bear, I obediently walked over to her. Trembling, I reached out my hands and gave her a little push. “I’ll help you, sister.” Splash. My new mother and father spun around to look at me, their eyes wide with shock. 2 “Ah, help me~” Penelope thrashed in the water, bobbing up and down, struggling desperately. I smiled and patted my teddy bear’s head. “Don’t be scared, Teddy. We helped sister.” “Now she’ll be happy.” My parents were still frozen, staring at me as if they’d never seen me before. “Dad! Mom! Help!” Penelope’s cry finally snapped my father out of his trance. He dove into the pool and hauled her out. The second her feet touched the ground, Penelope shoved me aside and threw herself into our mother’s arms. The force of her push sent me sprawling to the ground. My teddy bear tumbled out of my arms and rolled into the pool. “Mom, Dad, Pathy tried to kill me!” Penelope wailed. “I don’t know what I did to make my sister hate me so much.” My parents rushed to wrap her in towels, fussing over her, cooing words of comfort. No one noticed that the bear I loved most in the world was now at the bottom of the pool. I knelt at the edge, my own tears starting to fall. “Teddy, don’t be scared! I’m coming to save you!” Splash. I jumped in. I paddled frantically towards my sinking bear, forgetting for a moment that I didn’t know how to swim. My fingers finally closed around his soft body. But I couldn’t breathe. I began to sink, just like that time my foster mother threw me in the river, watching the surface of the water get farther and farther away. On the shore, my new parents hadn’t noticed a thing. Once again, I quietly closed my eyes. When I was little, I used to wash clothes by the river in the winter. The water was so cold my hands would go numb. One day, a piece of clothing slipped from my grasp and was swept away by the current. When my foster mother found out, she dragged me to the river and threw me in. As I struggled in the freezing water, she stood on the bank, screaming curses at me. “You worthless brat! I’m going to teach you a lesson today! Let’s see if you ever dare to be lazy again!” But I was never lazy. I was always a good girl. That day, as I sank into the icy river, my life flashed before my eyes like a movie. Me, a tiny child, standing on a stool to cook. My foster parents beating me senseless. The endless, ugly words they hurled at me. … When I woke up, I was in a hospital bed. A doctor was speaking in a low, regretful voice. “The trauma to her brain has left Pathy with the cognitive function of a five-year-old. With intensive therapy, there’s a chance she could recover someday.” My father let out a long sigh. “Doctor, we’ll leave her recovery in your hands.” The doctor hesitated. “There’s one more thing. During the examination, we found her body is covered in old injuries. Should we contact the police?” At his words, my mother came closer. She lifted the hospital gown. The moment they saw the landscape of scars and bruises that covered my body, my parents froze, their eyes reddening in unison. 3 When I was fully awake, I realized my teddy bear was gone. “Where’s Teddy? I want my Teddy!” My parents finally remembered they had left my bear in the pool. My mother hugged me, stroking my hair. “Pathy, sweetie, don’t cry. Mommy will take you home to find Teddy, okay?” I wiped my tears and nodded. Back at the villa, my father fished the bear out of the water for me. I clutched the dripping toy to my chest, refusing to let go. As we stepped inside, my twin brother, Mason, appeared, blocking my path. “Pathy, stop right there.” His face was contorted with anger. “Did you push Penny into the pool?” “Sister said she wanted to die,” I explained quickly. “I was just trying to help her.” Smack. A stinging red handprint bloomed on my cheek. “Who the hell do you think you are?” Mason roared. “How dare you try to hurt Penny! This is her home! Penny is my only sister!” My mother rushed over. “Mason, stop it!” “Mom, Dad, why did you have to bring her back?” he demanded. “What’s going to happen to Penny now? She’s so sensitive, she won’t be able to handle this!” I was so scared I started to cry, biting my lip to keep the sobs in. It was just like when my foster parents would come home angry and slap me for no reason. I stood frozen, clutching my bear, staring at my brother’s furious face. Suddenly, a warm stream trickled down my leg. The shame was a hot, suffocating wave. I buried my face in my bear’s fur. Everyone saw the puddle forming at my feet. I squeezed my legs together, trying to hold back the tears. Mason’s anger faltered. “Pathy, you…” Smack. Smack. My father, his face livid, slapped Mason twice across the face. “If you ever lay a hand on your sister or scare her like that again, you can get out of this house. Pathy is your real sister.” Mason stood there, stunned, his eyes fixed on me with a complicated expression I couldn’t read. Tears streaming down my face, I let my mother lead me to the bathroom. 4 After my bath, my mother brought me a beautiful dress. It was covered in sparkling crystals, just like the princess dresses I’d seen on TV. I was so happy. Forgetting all about the scars that crisscrossed my arms, I put on the dress and twirled in front of the mirror again and again. When I came out, Penelope looked me up and down. Suddenly, she lunged at me. “Why are you wearing my dress? Did you ask for my permission? You thief! Take it off!” She started tearing at the fabric, her nails scratching angry red lines onto my skin. “It was Mommy who gave it to me,” I cried, my eyes wide with confusion. “I’m not a thief.” But she kept pulling and tearing. Finally, I just undid the zipper and handed the dress to her. I stood there, naked and lost in the middle of the living room. My parents came downstairs and saw me. Their faces darkened with anger. Seeing them, Penelope immediately burst into tears. “Mom, Dad, Pathy stole my dress! Is she going to try and take everything from me?” “Penny,” my father said, his voice sharp with disapproval, “you have over two hundred dresses. Didn’t we tell you to give a few to your sister?” Penelope pouted. “But I hadn’t decided which ones to give her yet, and she just took it!” My mother’s eyebrows drew together. She slapped Penelope across the face and snatched the dress away from her. “I gave this dress to your sister. When did you learn to start stripping the clothes off people’s backs?” Penelope’s face crumpled in disbelief. “Mom, you hit me? For her?” She shot me a look of pure venom and ran out of the villa. 5 My mother’s eyes were red as she came over to help me put the dress back on. I refused, shaking my head frantically. “Sister doesn’t want me to wear it. I’m scared. I don’t want it.” Her heart broke. She pulled me into a hug. “How about Mommy takes you shopping for new clothes, okay?” My father came over and handed me a black credit card. “Pathy, from now on, you can use this to buy whatever you want.” I smiled and nodded. When we returned from the mall, loaded with shopping bags, we found Penelope in the living room with a pair of scissors. She was cutting up my teddy bear. Snip by snip, she was dismembering him, shredding his soft fur, yanking out all the cotton stuffing and tossing it into the air like confetti. Mason sat beside her, watching with a look of deep sympathy. “Feeling better now, Penny?” Penelope swept the tattered remains of my bear off the table and onto the floor, grinding them under her heel. A triumphant smile spread across her face. “Much better. No one has ever dared to take something that’s mine. This is just a little punishment for her.” Mason stroked her hair. “Don’t worry, Penny. She won’t take Mom, Dad, or me from you.” Penelope linked her arm through his, her smile sweet. I stood rooted to the spot, tears welling in my eyes, my mind a complete blank. That bear was the only friend I’d ever had. After my foster mother threw me in the river, I had a fever for seven days straight. A kind neighbor brought me medicine and, to cheer me up, gave me that teddy bear. It was the only toy I’d owned in my entire life. Later, when my foster parents locked me in a dark closet for three days, Teddy was with me. When the other kids at the orphanage bullied me, Teddy was with me. … My mother looked at me, her face etched with worry. “Pathy, sweetie, we’ll buy you a new bear, okay?” My father immediately turned and left the house to go buy one.

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1 My roommate, Sera, Venmoed me a hundred bucks to grab her some food from the dining hall. I was hesitating when a series of comments suddenly floated across my vision, visible only to me. 「You idiot. That’s Seraphina Sinclair, daughter of the richest man in New York. A true princess. Start sucking up to her now, and you’ll have everything you’ve ever wanted.」 「If you don’t, your best friend will. And trust me, she’ll make sure you never get the chance.」 「Exactly. Your ‘bestie’ already knows who Sera is. She’s just waiting for you to say no so she can swoop in and cut you out completely.」 My phone buzzed with a text. It was from Mila, my supposed best friend, who was sitting right across from me. 【Jenny, don’t you dare take her money. We may not be rich, but we have our pride. Let her deal with her own princess problems.】 She even gave me a knowing little blink. In that instant, a bone-deep chill washed over me. The next second, I switched apps, accepted the hundred dollars, and beamed at Seraphina with a fawning smile. “At your service, my lady. Your humble servant will return in a flash.” Sera gave me a surprised but amused look, nodded with a slight smile, and went back to watching The Crown on her laptop. Ignoring Mila’s dumbfounded expression, I bolted out of the dorm. I hadn’t gotten far when someone called my name. I turned to see Mila jogging to catch up. “Jenny, how could you take that money?” she panted, catching up to me. “I just told you, we have to have some self-respect! Seraphina’s entitled attitude is disgusting.” Knowing what she was really thinking, her hypocrisy was almost impressive. I put on a pitiful expression. “You know my family’s situation is way worse than yours, Mila. My mom’s sick and can’t work, and my dad barely makes five grand a month. This hundred bucks? That’s like three days’ work for him.” “It’s not that I don’t have pride,” I said, my voice cracking slightly. “It’s just… the princess pays really, really well.” With that, I turned and ran, leaving Mila fuming and stomping her foot on the pavement behind me. New comments flickered into view. 「Hahaha, Jenny Smelton finally gets it! She’s on the fast track to the good life now.」 「Totally. Sera’s parents made her promise to keep a low profile at college, not to just throw money at people. But look at her, day two and the princess is already acting like a princess.」 「She’s got that princess syndrome, for sure, but she’s still listening to her parents. She’ll probably just keep one person around to run errands, nothing too flashy.」 「Ugh, I’m so jealous of Jenny. If I were her, and the food got cold by the time I brought it back, I’d probably slap myself…」 That last comment really resonated with me. Right then and there, I decided these floating comments were my new career guide. And they said the princess would only hire one person for the whole of college. I couldn’t screw this up. Not with Mila circling like a vulture. I had to latch onto this golden opportunity and never let go. After buying the food, I sprinted back to the dorm faster than I’d ever run in my life. Bursting through the door, I saw Mila hovering around Seraphina, her face plastered with a sycophantic grin. Sera was still engrossed in her show, offering only distracted, one-word replies. “My… my lady! Your order has arrived!” I gasped, bent over and dripping with sweat. Sera looked up, genuinely surprised by my speed. She glanced at the clock and then back at me, a look of satisfaction spreading across her face. She picked up her phone and sent another hundred-dollar Venmo. “Not bad,” she said. “From now on, you work for me.” “Absolutely, my lady! Just think of me as your personal assistant, on call 24/7,” I said, unable to contain my joy. Sera took the food containers, covering a laugh with her hand. “What happened to being my ‘humble servant’?” I just grinned sheepishly. “Whatever makes you happy, my lady.” The look on Mila’s face was a toxic cocktail of envy, jealousy, and pure hatred. “Heh heh…” A soft chuckle came from the other side of the room. It was our fourth roommate, Chloe. Dressed head-to-toe in designer labels, she was clearly from a wealthy family too. I could tell she wasn’t laughing at me, but at the absurdity of the whole situation. I didn’t sense any malice, so I let it slide. Of the four of us, my family was by far the poorest, with Mila’s being a close second. “Jenny Smelton, that food looks like it’s from Dining Hall Two, doesn’t it? Everyone knows that place is famously terrible,” Mila said, pretending to wrinkle her nose. But the smirk in her eyes gave her away. In an instant, my face fell. When we’d all introduced ourselves yesterday, I’d just said my name was “Jenny.” I never offered my last name. Because with a name like mine, you don’t make friends. Let alone best friends. Mila was the exception. We’d been neighbors in elementary school, classmates through middle and high school, and now, by some twist of fate, college roommates. My name had been the butt of jokes my entire life. It was a miracle I’d survived it. Only Mila had never seemed to mind, though she did borrow money from me constantly. A few bucks in elementary school, then ten or twenty in middle school, and by high school, it was fifty, a hundred at a time. I always gave it to her, never asking for it back, even when it meant I had to skip lunch. I didn’t care. With her, I felt… respected. But now I saw that the respect was conditional. The moment I became a threat to her interests, she turned on me. I knew she’d said my full name just to hurt me. “It’s actually not bad,” Sera said, breaking the awkward silence. She took a bite and nodded. “The taste is fine.” Chloe bounced over. “Really? Maybe I’ll go check it out then. Of course, I’m not rich like you, Sera. Can’t afford a delivery fee, so I’ll have to go myself.” She gave my shoulder a friendly pat and strolled out of the room with a smile. Tears welled in my eyes as I watched her go. I turned back to Sera, who was happily digging into her meal. A sudden wave of warmth washed over me, soothing my frayed nerves. There was a reason rich people were rich. Their upbringing, their class… it was on a completely different level from anyone I’d known before. Mila, on the other hand, was left standing there, looking like a fool. This wasn’t how her script was supposed to go. In the past, saying my full name was the quickest way to crush my spirit. But it wasn’t working anymore. “Haha, well, maybe I’ll go try it too,” Mila mumbled, then scurried out of the room in disgrace. Half an hour later, Mila found me eating in the cafeteria. She sat down across from me, her face a mask of disappointment. “Jenny, I never thought you were this kind of person.” I feigned innocence. “What kind of person?” “You’re willing to throw away your dignity for money? Calling yourself a ‘humble servant,’ a ‘personal assistant’… Honestly, as your best friend, I’m embarrassed for you.” She looked at me with pity, as if trying to rescue me from my own greed. I laughed coldly to myself. What a fool I’ve been. “Mila, I know you think you’re looking out for me, but let me ask you something. Would you really choose dignity over money?” “You…” My question shut her up completely. 「The competition is fierce! Look at these two, tearing their friendship apart just to be the main character’s sidekick.」 The comment floated by, and I smiled. Thanks to these messages, I finally understood everything. I was living in a book, and Mila was supposed to be the designated sidekick. By becoming Sera’s gofer in college, she was meant to win her trust and launch herself into a life of luxury. And me? I was just a stepping stone for Mila, a bit of comic relief for the story. The punchline, of course, was my name. Damn you, author. How could you come up with a name like Jenny Smelton? In the original story, I missed this opportunity. Mila abandoned me, then spent the rest of college isolating and bullying me, making my life a living hell. After graduation, I had the misfortune of marrying an abusive man and wasting my life away. Mila, with her high-powered executive husband, would even visit our hometown just to humiliate me. Finally, at forty, I gave up and jumped from a building. Seeing that ending scared me half to death. Now that I knew what was supposed to happen, I had to seize this chance. And I already had a head start. Mila stormed off, her jaw clenched in anger. Our friendship was officially over. After I finished my meal, I went back to the dorm. Sera was out. I looked at her bed—a chaotic landscape of rumpled sheets and misplaced belongings—and without a second thought, I started tidying up. When Sera returned, her eyes landed on her now neat and pristine bed, and a smile spread across her face. “You did this?” I smiled shyly. “You gave me so much money earlier, my lady. I felt bad not doing more, so…” Sera nodded. “Alright. Then let’s make it a semester-long gig. How does ten thousand for the semester sound?” My heart hammered against my ribs. I nodded frantically. “Yes, yes, that sounds… that sounds amazing.” Sera was decisive. To her, money was just a number. 【You have received $10,000 from Seraphina Sinclair.】 Just then, Mila walked in, her face instantly turning dark with envy when she saw the transaction notification on my phone. “Jenny Smelton, we’re all roommates here. Why do you have to be so greedy? If you really considered Seraphina a friend, you’d help her out of kindness, not put a price tag on it. You’re ruining the atmosphere in this dorm!” She quickly found an angle, trying to paint me as the villain. I was stunned she could twist it like that, turning it into a moral failing. My face flushed with embarrassment. Seeing my reaction, she pressed her advantage, turning to Sera. “Sera, we’re all classmates. If you need anything in the future, just ask. I, Mila Jones, will help you, no questions asked. And I won’t take a single penny.” She delivered the lines with such self-righteous grandeur that, next to her, I looked like a petty, money-grubbing troll. I had no choice. I turned to Sera. “My lady, she’s right. I… I should give you the money back. From now on, whatever you need, just tell me. I’ll do it.” The words tasted like ash in my mouth. My heart ached. This was ten thousand dollars. The first two hundred was one thing, enough to make my college life a little easier. But ten grand was different. My family was so poor; that money could change everything for them. To my surprise, Sera just waved a dismissive hand, a frown on her face. “I never take back money I’ve given away. And the last thing I want is to owe someone a favor. Don’t bring this up again. It’s settled.” Without another word, she picked up her tablet, started up The Crown, and completely ignored us. Mila froze. For the second time, Sera’s reaction had completely blindsided her. All she could do was shoot me a venomous look before storming out of the room. I let out a breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding. I couldn’t let Mila ruin this for me. The months flew by. I became Sera’s shadow. I sat in on her classes, ran her errands, cleaned her space, and eventually, she even entrusted me with her laundry. Luckily, I’d been doing chores at home my whole life, so I was efficient and thorough, which kept Sera very happy. In just a few months, my savings account had swelled to over fifteen thousand dollars. Chloe was a character. Used to a lavish lifestyle, she’d occasionally burn through her allowance and come to Sera, cheekily asking for “a job” to earn some cash. Sera would always oblige, making up some simple task and paying her generously, which always delighted Chloe. Mila watched, green with envy, and tried to do the same. But Sera wouldn’t even give her the time of day, ignoring her completely, which infuriated Mila to no end. “Did you say something bad about me to Seraphina?” she demanded, cornering me one day. I just rolled my eyes. “Honestly, no. Believe what you want. Besides, I thought you were too proud to stoop for money?” Sera never said it out loud, but it was obvious she didn’t like Mila. Mila was just too clueless to see it. “Hmph, you won’t even admit it. Just you wait. After everything I did for you, the second you get a taste of money, you turn your back on me. You’re nothing but an ungrateful snake,” Mila spat, her words dripping with venom. I was done being her punching bag. I dropped the pretense. “We’re adults, Mila. Let’s stop with the drama. Our entire ‘friendship’ was something I paid for. Do you have any idea how many meals I skipped to lend you money?” Mila’s face cycled through shades of red and white. She knew it was true. She’d never paid back a single cent she’d “borrowed” from me over the years. “Fine. Fine! We’ll see about that,” she seethed, then stormed away. Watching her go, I felt a surge of satisfaction. And then, a new comment appeared, and the blood in my veins turned to ice. 【Jenny’s in deep trouble. Mila has a vicious plan to frame her. Sera will definitely kick her out. The power of the plot is too strong; things are snapping back to the original storyline.】 I read on, my heart pounding. When I saw the details of her plan, a cold sweat broke out across my body. Mila Jones, after this, it’s war. A few hours later, I rushed off campus and bought a micro-camera. After getting permission from both Sera and Chloe, I installed it in our room. Only then could I finally breathe again. Three days later, a shriek echoed through the dorm. “Has anyone seen my Tiffany bracelet?” Sera, who was usually so composed, was in a state of panic. It was written all over her face. Chloe chuckled. “What’s the big deal? It’s just a few grand, right? Nothing for you, my lady.” “It was the last gift my mother gave me before she passed away,” Sera said, her voice trembling as she frantically searched. “I’ll die if I lose it.” “Oh, God. Okay, I’ll help you look,” Chloe said, her playful tone gone. Mila and I joined the search. We turned the entire dorm room upside down, but the bracelet was nowhere to be found. “Jenny,” Mila finally said, her voice sharp as she turned the spotlight on me. “You’re the one who usually tidies up Sera’s things. You didn’t happen to see it, did you?” I feigned panic. “No, I haven’t seen it at all!” A sly smile played on Mila’s lips. “Well, it looks like we have a little rat in our dorm.” The implication was crystal clear. At that moment, the only places left to search were our three beds. As she spoke, both Sera and Chloe glanced at me, no doubt remembering the camera I’d installed three days ago. For some reason, the panic on Sera’s face seemed to melt away. Chloe’s mouth twitched into a smirk. “Well then, let’s start with my bed.” After a thorough search, they found nothing. Mila’s eyes gleamed. “Let’s do mine next! I have nothing to hide.” Sera smiled languidly. “Alright.” Of course, they didn’t find it there either. Mila grabbed my arm. “Jenny Smelton, are you going to give it back yourself, or do we have to find it? Sera has been so kind and generous to you. I can’t believe you’re the one who stole from her.” I cast a pitiful look at Sera, who, along with Chloe, gave me a subtle, encouraging smile. I took out my phone and opened the live camera feed. The sight of my phone seemed to trigger a wave of dread in Mila. But she was in too deep to back down now. “What are you doing, Jenny? Hand it over! If you don’t, I’m calling the police. It’s a disgrace to share a room with a thief like you!” I ignored her completely and held my phone out for Sera. “My lady, perhaps you should see this.” An image appeared on the screen. Mila couldn’t resist leaning in for a look. The next second, all the color drained from her face.

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