After I got out of prison, my brother and I opened an auto repair shop together. He put up the money, I provided the technical skills, and we agreed on a seventy-thirty profit split. With my exceptional car modification abilities, I made waves in the local rich kids’ circle in the first year alone, netting eight million in pure profit. But when I went to collect my dividend at year-end, he only gave me a hundred thousand. “Business is so good because I became friends with those rich kids. Anyone can modify cars—do you really think you’re somebody special?” “Other repair shops pay mechanics six thousand at most. I’m paying you ten thousand a month—I’m already doing you a favor.” I was shocked and furious. I never expected my sincerity to be repaid with betrayal. I quit on the spot and opened a new auto repair shop right across the street from his. Six months later, my brother came begging: “Just come back, and I’ll give you five hundred thousand a year. Can we keep working together now?”

Before going to see Ethan, I received a phone call. “Mr. Hayes, have you thought about what we discussed?” I refused without hesitation. “Mr. Parker, thank you for thinking so highly of me, but as I’ve already made very clear, I won’t be leaving Starlight Auto Repair.” The person on the other end was the owner of the largest auto repair shop in our area. What he wanted me to consider was switching jobs. Three years ago, when I got out of prison, I couldn’t find any work because of my criminal record. That’s when my childhood friend Ethan called me, asking if I’d be willing to come work at his repair shop. I studied aerospace engineering in college and worked at a research institute after graduation. If I hadn’t injured someone while defending my parents, I never would have ended up in prison. Ethan’s reasoning for hiring me was simple—he figured if I could fix rockets, fixing cars would be child’s play. He said many mechanics stole parts from the shop to sell, and his small operation couldn’t handle those kinds of losses. If I was willing, he’d let me join as a technical partner. After thinking it over for a few days, I agreed. After answering Mr. Parker, I was about to hang up when he seemed to sense something and asked me to wait. “Mr. Hayes, I’ve looked into it. Ethan pays you ten thousand a month with thirty percent of annual profits. Come work for me, and I’ll give you an annual salary of five hundred thousand with fifty percent of the profits. I guarantee…” Before he could finish, Ethan’s call came through, asking if I’d arrived at the shop yet and if I had time to come to his office. After hanging up, I got excited. Because yesterday I’d heard that our shop had made eight million in profit this year, and according to our original seventy-thirty agreement, I should get two million four hundred thousand. Two million four hundred thousand. Even back when I worked at the research institute, I’d never seen that much money. But when I entered Ethan’s office and received my dividend, I was stunned. Ethan sat in his oversized executive chair and tossed a bank card onto the desk. “Mason, you worked hard this year. There’s a hundred thousand in this card—your dividend for the year.” For a moment I thought I’d misheard. “A hundred thousand? Did you calculate wrong? The shop made eight million in profit this year. According to our original seventy-thirty agreement, I should get two million four hundred thousand.” Ethan acted like he’d heard the funniest joke and snorted. “Two million four hundred thousand? Mason, do you really think you deserve that?” Those words hit me like a bucket of ice water. I froze in place. “Ethan, what do you mean?” My voice rose involuntarily. “We agreed on technical partnership and a seventy-thirty split. It was spelled out clearly in black and white. Now you’re telling me you won’t honor it?” “Black and white?” Ethan’s smile was meaningful. “That was just talk. It’s not in the contract. Your employment contract says a monthly salary of ten thousand, plus I’m giving you a hundred thousand dividend. That’s nearly a full year’s salary extra. Look at the entire auto repair industry—which boss is as generous as me?” Anger shot straight to my head. “Ethan, don’t go too far. You know damn well what this shop was like when we started. You could barely get ten jobs a month and were about to close down. Who kept it afloat?” I pointed at the yard outside the window filled with luxury cars. “Every single owner of those cars out there comes here for my technical skills. Even Harrison Parker wanted to poach me, offering five hundred thousand a year plus fifty percent profit share. I didn’t even consider it before turning him down, and this is how you treat me!” Ethan’s smile finally faded. He stared straight at me. “You think I don’t know about Harrison Parker trying to poach you? Mason, you really think you’re hot shit.”

“You think business is booming because of your little car modification skills? Don’t kid yourself. Anyone can modify cars. There are repair shops everywhere with mechanics who have real skills. Why would those rich kids come to our little hole-in-the-wall?” “It’s because of me. This past year I’ve been drinking, playing ball, and singing karaoke with those rich kids. We’re friends now. They come here out of respect for me, Ethan. You’re just some grease monkey who fixes cars, and you actually think you’re somebody special.” Hearing these words made me want to punch him right in the face. I’m not bragging, but there are only a handful of people in the country who can match my skill level. The reason those rich kids choose our shop over the big chains for modifications, and why Harrison Parker wanted to poach me, is all because of my technical abilities. I can not only meet all their requirements but also save them money. After all, some of these cars would have to be sent overseas if they didn’t come to me for modifications. Without me, Ethan could drink with those rich kids ten thousand times and they still wouldn’t bring a multi-million dollar sports car to this dump. Seeing my displeasure, Ethan stood up from his executive chair and patted my shoulder. “Mason, I know you’re upset, but I’ve got my own difficulties. This shop doesn’t just have you as a mechanic—there are several others who’ve worked here longer than you and done more work than you. They don’t get dividends, but you do. People will have opinions about that.” “How about this—I’ll raise your salary by another thousand, and I guarantee you a hundred thousand bonus every year. That’s pretty generous, right?” Seeing him act like he was doing me some huge favor made me laugh with anger. Three years ago when I first came to this shop, there were only three interns and not a single proper mechanic. Every day we just patched tires and changed oil, bringing in less than twenty thousand a month in revenue. I paid out of my own pocket to study abroad for six months. During that half year, I didn’t take a cent in salary from the shop, and I paid all my tuition and living expenses myself. After returning home, I pulled several layers of connections before finding a rich kid willing to let me try my hand. I modified an M4 for him. The day after he drove it out, he brought back a group of friends. From then on, the shop really came to life. This past year, I was the first one at the shop at seven every morning and the last one to leave at eleven at night. Three hundred sixty-five days—I didn’t dare take a single day off, afraid of delaying any customer’s deadline. During that time, I injured my back and had to be sent to the hospital for surgery. The doctor told me my back couldn’t handle high-intensity labor anymore, so Ethan found me a young apprentice. Even so, after getting out of the hospital, I was still the last one to leave. When I couldn’t bend over for heavy work, I’d squat or kneel. If that didn’t work, I’d have my apprentice help support the parts. Those other mechanics only came to apply after business picked up. Even if they had more seniority than me, which one of them hadn’t been trained hands-on by me? Thinking of this, my heart went completely cold. “Ethan, if you don’t want to honor your commitment, just say so directly. If you want to fire me, you can say that too. Why go in such a big circle, using ‘other people will have opinions’ as an excuse? Do you think I’m stupid?” Ethan waved his hand. “Mason, you’re really misunderstanding me. We’re brothers—how could I fire you? It’s just that even brothers need to keep clear accounts. If you want that big of a dividend, you need to prove your value, right?” I almost laughed out loud. My value needed proving? The custom modification parts piled up in the workshop—I negotiated with every single overseas supplier to get them. The dozens of modification cases hanging on the wall were all my work. Ethan dismissed all of this with a single sentence, then said I had no value. I suddenly thought about suing him.

But the next second I remembered that because of our friendship, all our agreements had been verbal—I didn’t even have text message records. If I really sued him, I wouldn’t have enough evidence to even file the case. “Fine, Ethan. Since you’ve said as much.” I took several deep breaths. “Then I quit. I’m resigning.” I thought when I mentioned quitting, Ethan would at least panic a little. Who knew he’d pull out a resignation form directly from his drawer. “Sure, Mason. I won’t try to keep you then. Go to accounting to collect your wages.” Looking at that paper, I suddenly understood—Ethan had planned this all along. I let out a cold laugh, picked up that hundred-thousand-dollar bank card, and left. I went back to the workshop to collect my things. Many people saw me and rushed over to ask what happened. I usually managed all the repair work and got along pretty well with the guys, so I told them about Ethan. For a moment, everyone was cursing him out. “Isn’t this just using someone and throwing them away? Everyone knows you’re the one who built this shop up, Mason.” “Exactly. Mason, everyone sees how much you’ve sacrificed for this place. If it wasn’t for the profit share, just for that little salary, who would work themselves to death for him like this?” “Just wait—he’ll regret this sooner or later.” They were all working people who could empathize. But they still had to work here, so all they could do was say a few words on my behalf. I thanked everyone, then called over Kyle and asked if he’d be willing to leave with me. Kyle’s family wasn’t well off, so he’d dropped out early to work. I felt for him, constantly giving him spending money and teaching him a lot. If I took him with me, in probably less than two years he could learn all my skills. I told him my plan, thinking he’d agree, but Kyle actually refused. “Master, I’m doing fine here. I don’t want to leave.” I said, “You only make three thousand here. Come with me and I guarantee I’ll double your salary.” Seeing my insistence, Kyle just came clean. “Master, Ethan already raised me to eight thousand. I don’t want to leave.” Hearing that number shocked me. “That’s what experienced mechanics make. Why would he give you that much?” Seeing Kyle hem and haw, combined with Ethan’s attitude today, I suddenly understood. “Did you tell Ethan you’ve already learned all my techniques?” Kyle’s reaction confirmed exactly what I thought. He had a habit of saying things like that. I’d caught him at it several times. He was indeed smart and had real talent for car modification, but he also had obvious flaws—he was sloppy in his work. The cars we usually handled were all luxury vehicles, worth at least several hundred thousand, with parts that were hard to source. The slightest mistake could ruin an entire car. So normally when he worked, it was only because I was watching that he didn’t make mistakes. Out of goodwill, I told him all this and asked him to clarify things with Ethan. Ethan had fired even me without hesitation. If something went wrong in the future, Kyle’s fate would definitely be worse than mine. Kyle’s expression immediately changed. “Mason, I call you ‘master’ out of respect, but you really think you’re all that? You’re saying all this because you’re bitter I took your job.” “What’s so special about your techniques anyway? It’s just the same few things over and over. I learned it all long ago! You think the world stops spinning without you?” “And you know who I am? I’m Ethan’s wife’s cousin. He’d fire anyone before he’d fire me. Stop worrying about me and worry about yourself.” My head buzzed like someone had hit me with a club. Kyle was Ethan’s wife’s cousin. No wonder Ethan insisted on making Kyle my apprentice. No wonder Ethan never said anything when Kyle made several mistakes. No wonder Ethan dared to turn on me today. From the very first day I started teaching Kyle, Ethan had already been preparing for today.

There was nothing more to say at this point. I turned and went to accounting. After collecting my things and reaching the workshop entrance to leave, someone grabbed my arm. “Mr. Hayes! Finally! You’re here!” A young guy with silver-gray dyed hair blocked my path. “What about that car you were supposed to modify for me? Why are you having some apprentice kid blow me off? He doesn’t even know what model my car is!” The person in front of me was Derek. The most extreme rich kid locally, absolutely crazy about cars. His Porsche 935—there weren’t more than five in the entire country. He’d been on the waiting list for half a year and specifically requested I personally handle it. “Mr. Shaw, I’m sorry.” I told him. “I’ve been fired. I can’t modify your car anymore.” “Fired?” Derek’s voice shot up. “Is your boss crazy? I waited half a year—half a year! Now you’re telling me it can’t be done?” His shout drew everyone nearby. Several mechanics who’d been working stopped and looked over. Ethan quickly walked over from his office, his face full of smiles. “Mr. Shaw, what’s going on? Why so angry?” Derek pointed at me and asked, “Ethan, why was Mr. Hayes fired? I said half a year ago that I wanted him to personally modify this car. What’s the deal with swapping in some apprentice now?” Ethan glanced at me with a warning look, then smiled at Derek. “Mr. Shaw, please calm down. Mr. Hayes resigned on his own. We’re very sorry too, but rest assured—Kyle is his personally trained apprentice. His skills are no worse than Mr. Hayes’. Your car will be in excellent hands with him.” Kyle sidled up at this point. “Mr. Shaw, don’t worry. I’ve learned everything my master knows. I guarantee I’ll modify it beautifully for you.” Derek looked skeptically at Kyle, then at me. I didn’t want to say another word, but my peripheral vision caught that 935. The full carbon fiber body kit alone was worth seven figures from the factory, with parts air-shipped from Germany. Any mistake at all would mean hundreds of thousands in losses. I sighed and turned to Derek. “Mr. Shaw, take my advice—find another shop to do the modification.” Ethan’s expression changed instantly. He pointed at my nose and cursed. “Mason! You’ve already resigned! What are you saying here? If you keep messing with my business, don’t blame me for forgetting our friendship!” Then he pulled Derek aside and whispered something in his ear. A moment later, Derek looked at me differently, muttering under his breath, “Really? How could that be?” Then Derek walked over to Kyle and handed him the car keys. “I’ll leave it in your hands then, Kyle.” During the entire process, Derek never looked at me again, but his body language couldn’t hide his disgust. I wanted to try persuading him again. Then I thought, forget it. It wasn’t my car anyway. Let them do whatever they wanted with it. I knew Ethan hadn’t said anything good in Derek’s ear that day. But I didn’t expect the news to spread so fast. A few days after leaving Ethan’s place, I contacted Mr. Parker to ask if he was still willing to have me. Mr. Parker hemmed and hawed for a long time before finally being honest. “Mr. Hayes, did you… serve time in prison?” I froze. “Did Ethan tell you? Mr. Parker, I can explain. Back then my parents were being bullied…” “Of course I believe you had your reasons.” Mr. Parker interrupted me. “But I’m not the only one who has a say in my shop. The other shareholders don’t agree to bringing in someone with a criminal record. They say it affects the company image.” Not only that, but Mr. Parker also told me that news of my prison time had already spread throughout the circle. It would be impossible for me to continue working in this industry. Mr. Parker asked if I’d be willing to go to another city. He could introduce me to a repair shop elsewhere. Hearing this, I felt like I’d fallen into an ice cave. I’d been brothers with Ethan for so many years. I never thought he’d be this ruthless.

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“Ethan, if she takes this medicine, she won’t live past next month, right?” “When she’s dead, that huge insurance payout will be our baby’s formula money.” I stared at the smart fish tank’s surveillance feed on my phone, listening to my husband Ethan Carter and his “good friend” Mandy’s conversation, my whole body going cold. He was pouring my anti-cancer targeted therapy medication down the drain, replacing it with cheap vitamin pills. And I had just received my follow-up report from the hospital—misdiagnosis. I never had cancer at all. “Summer, how are you feeling today? Did you take your medicine on time?” Ethan Carter pushed open the bedroom door, holding a glass of warm water in his hand, his face wearing an impeccably gentle smile. Summer Lynn looked at the white pills in his hand, her stomach churning. “I feel a bit nauseous. I’ll take them later.” Summer Lynn turned her head away, avoiding his outstretched hand. “That won’t do. The doctor said you can’t skip this targeted therapy for even a single day.” Ethan Carter sat down on the edge of the bed, his tone carrying an undeniable firmness. He sighed and reached out to feel Summer Lynn’s forehead. “Summer, I know you’re suffering, but these pills cost thirty thousand dollars a bottle.” “I went to three different cities to get them for you. You can’t waste my efforts like this.” Summer Lynn looked at those eyes filled with deep affection, but in her mind replayed the surveillance footage from ten minutes ago. He had poured the thirty-thousand-dollar life-saving medication down the drain without hesitation. Then replaced it with vitamin pills that cost just a few dollars a bottle. “What’s wrong? Why are you spacing out?” Ethan Carter pushed the glass of water forward. “Take them quickly. Be good.” “Ethan Carter, do you really want me to take these?” Summer Lynn stared into his eyes, her voice hoarse. Ethan Carter’s gaze flickered briefly, but he quickly put on a hurt expression. “What do you mean by that?” “I’ve sold everything I own to pay for your treatment, and now you’re doubting me?” He stood up abruptly, the glass hitting the nightstand heavily. Water splashed out, wetting the copy of the diagnosis on the table. “Summer Lynn, why have you become so unreasonable since you got sick?” “I work myself to death at the company every day, then come home to take care of you. Have some conscience!” This was his usual trick. Whenever Summer Lynn showed even the slightest disobedience, he would immediately take the moral high ground. Using guilt to manipulate her, forcing her to submit. “I’m just asking. Why are you so worked up?” Summer Lynn let out a cold laugh, her gaze sweeping over his slightly trembling fingertips. “How can I not be worked up! Watching you suffer, I’m in more pain than anyone!” Ethan Carter raised his voice, trying to mask his guilty conscience with anger. Just then, Ethan Carter’s phone rang. He picked it up and glanced at it, the anger on his face instantly disappearing. Replaced by a hint of barely perceptible panic. “Something urgent came up at work. I need to take this call.” He hurriedly turned and walked to the balcony, deliberately sliding the glass door shut. Summer Lynn didn’t move. She simply picked up the tablet from the nightstand. She opened the smart fish tank’s listening function. The voice from the balcony came through clearly. “Mandy, what’s wrong? Is the baby kicking you?” Ethan Carter’s voice was so gentle it could drip honey. “Ethan, I’m so scared. The doctor just said my progesterone is a bit low.” Mandy’s coquettish voice rang out. “Can you come keep me company?” “Don’t be scared, don’t be scared. I’ll be right there.” Ethan Carter lowered his voice, his tone urgent. “Don’t move around, okay? Wait for me.” “But what about Summer…” “Who cares about her! A woman who’s about to die—how can she be more important than our son?” “I just fed her those vitamins. Once she kicks the bucket, this penthouse will be our wedding home.” Summer Lynn’s fingers gripping the tablet turned white at the knuckles. Her nails dug deep into her palm, drawing blood without her even noticing. She didn’t have cancer. This afternoon, the hospital had called to say the previous biopsy report had been mixed up. She only had a common stomach ulcer. She had wanted to tell Ethan Carter this good news, but instead stumbled upon this premeditated murder. Ethan Carter pushed open the balcony door and walked in, his face once again wearing that false apologetic expression. “Summer, there’s an urgent problem with a project at work. I need to go deal with it right away.” “Are you going to the office, or to see Mandy?” Summer Lynn looked at him coldly, not missing any change in his expression. Ethan Carter froze for a moment, then frowned. His eyes filled with impatience and disgust. “What are you imagining now?” “Mandy is my buddy’s widow. What’s wrong with me taking care of her?” “Taking care of her in bed?” Summer Lynn didn’t back down, staring directly into his eyes. “Summer Lynn! You’re being completely unreasonable!” Ethan Carter pointed at her nose, cursing. “Have you lost your mind from being sick?” “I grovel outside every day to pay for your medical bills, and you accuse me of cheating?” He let out a cold laugh, his eyes full of contempt and malice. “Look at yourself in the mirror.” “Your hair’s all fallen out, you’re thin as a skeleton. What would I want with you?” “Are you useful because you’re dying soon!” These words were like a rusty dull knife, stabbing viciously into Summer Lynn’s heart, cutting back and forth. But she didn’t cry. She just calmly looked at the man before her. Looked at this man she had loved for five years, whom she had given everything to support. “Take the medicine. I’ll try to come back early tonight.” Ethan Carter seemed to think he’d gone too far, so he softened his tone slightly. But his eyes remained cold, without a trace of warmth. “What if I don’t take it?” Summer Lynn asked back, her tone carrying a hint of mockery. “Don’t take it?” Ethan Carter let out a cold laugh and reached out to grab Summer Lynn’s chin. The force was so strong it nearly crushed her jawbone. “Summer Lynn, I’m warning you, don’t be ungrateful.” “Whether you want to or not, you’re taking this medicine today!” He grabbed the vitamin pills and roughly shoved them toward Summer Lynn’s mouth. Summer Lynn struggled desperately and swatted his hand away. The white pills scattered across the floor, as if mocking this absurd marriage. Ethan Carter looked at the pills on the ground, his expression turning completely dark. “Fine. Very good.” “Since you want to die so badly, suffer on your own then.” “Let’s see how long you can keep up this attitude!” He turned and strode toward the door without looking back. “Ethan Carter, if you walk out that door, don’t regret it.” Summer Lynn said to his retreating back, enunciating each word. Ethan Carter gripped the door handle, turned his head, and his lips curved into a mocking arc. “Regret? That word doesn’t exist in Ethan Carter’s dictionary. You’d better worry about whether you’ll survive tonight first.”

“Summer, you don’t mind if I come over for a meal, do you?” Mandy pushed open the door and strutted in. She carried several designer shopping bags in her hands and wore overpowering perfume. Completely disregarding that Summer Lynn was supposed to be a “critically ill patient.” “This is my home. You’re not welcome here.” Summer Lynn leaned against the sofa, looking coldly at this woman who had taken over her nest. “Oh my, Summer, why are you so petty?” Mandy sat down on the sofa uninvited, tossing the shopping bags onto the coffee table. “Ethan said you were bored at home alone, so he specially asked me to keep you company.” “He’s just too kind. He always feels like he’s wronged you.” Mandy covered her mouth and giggled, but her eyes were full of provocation. “After all, your illness can’t be cured anyway. He just wants to let you go peacefully.” Summer Lynn looked at her smug expression, her stomach churning again. “Mandy, do you think you’ve already won?” Summer Lynn picked up the water glass from the table and took a leisurely sip. “I don’t know if I’ve won, but you’ve definitely lost completely.” Mandy leaned in closer, lowering her voice. “Ethan told me last night that he gets nauseous just looking at your sickly appearance.” “He said he doesn’t even want to touch you now.” Summer Lynn’s fingers tightened slightly, but her expression remained unchanged. “Really? Then why doesn’t he divorce me?” Summer Lynn shot back, hitting Mandy’s sore spot. “It’s because of those worthless shares under your name!” Mandy got agitated and blurted it out. “Once he gets your shares, do you think he’ll keep you around?” “Summer, I advise you to be smart and sign the papers early.” “Otherwise you’ll end up with nothing, not even enough money to buy a burial plot.” Just then, the front door was pushed open again. Ethan Carter walked in carrying bags of groceries. As soon as he saw Mandy, the fatigue on his face instantly vanished. “Mandy, what are you doing here? Didn’t I tell you to rest at home?” Ethan Carter hurried over, fussing over her. Completely ignoring Summer Lynn sitting nearby. “Ethan, I missed you.” Mandy immediately put on a wronged expression, her eyes reddening. “And Summer doesn’t seem very welcoming. She just tried to make me leave.” Hearing this, Ethan Carter’s expression immediately darkened. He turned to look at Summer Lynn, his eyes full of reproach. “Summer Lynn, what’s wrong with you now?” “Mandy came to see you out of kindness. What kind of attitude is this!” “Came to see me? She came to see if I’m dead yet.” Summer Lynn let out a cold laugh, mercilessly exposing the truth. “What nonsense are you spouting!” Ethan Carter slammed the groceries he was holding onto the floor. “Mandy is pregnant. Can you show some decency!” “Pregnant? Whose baby is it?” Summer Lynn raised an eyebrow, her gaze shifting between the two of them. Ethan Carter’s face instantly turned pale, panic flashing through his eyes. “You… what are you making a fuss about!” “Mandy is carrying my dead buddy’s child. It’s my duty to take care of her!” Ethan Carter tried to remain calm, defending himself loudly. “Really? Then this baby better not look like you.” Summer Lynn looked at him with a half-smile. Seeing this, Mandy quickly grabbed Ethan Carter’s arm. “Ethan, don’t be angry at Summer. She’s just in so much pain from her illness, she’s unhappy.” “I’m not wronged. As long as I can be by your side, a little grievance is nothing.” Mandy’s retreating-to-advance words completely ignited Ethan Carter’s protective instinct. He patted Mandy’s hand affectionately. “Mandy, you’re just too kind.” Then he turned and glared viciously at Summer Lynn. “Summer Lynn, apologize to Mandy right now!” “Apologize? Why should I?” Summer Lynn found it somewhat amusing. These two really were a perfect match. “Because you just insulted her!” Ethan Carter pointed at Summer Lynn’s nose, his attitude arrogant. “If you don’t apologize today, you can figure out your own medical bills!” He was threatening her with medical expenses again. Summer Lynn looked at this despicable man before her, feeling only sadness in her heart. “Fine, then I won’t get treatment.” Summer Lynn stood up and walked toward the bedroom without any hesitation. “Stop right there!” Ethan Carter grabbed her wrist, his gaze suddenly falling on her wrist. There was a jade bracelet of excellent quality. It was a keepsake from Summer Lynn’s mother. “Mandy mentioned yesterday that she likes jade. Take off that bracelet and give it to her.” Ethan Carter commanded matter-of-factly. “In your dreams!” Summer Lynn violently shook off his hand, her eyes cold to the extreme. “A woman who’s about to die has no use for such nice things anyway.” Ethan Carter snorted coldly and reached out to snatch it again. “Ethan, forget it. If Summer can’t bear to part with it, just let it go.” Mandy pretended to dissuade him, but her eyes were fixed on the bracelet. “No way! This bracelet must go to you today!” To show off in front of Mandy, Ethan Carter used more and more force. Summer Lynn desperately protected her wrist as the two struggled in the living room. A crisp “crack” sounded. The bracelet hit the edge of the coffee table during the struggle and broke in half. The clear sound of breaking echoed through the living room. Summer Lynn looked at the broken jade on the floor, her eyes instantly reddening. That was the only keepsake her mother had left her. “So it broke. What’s the big deal?” Ethan Carter glanced at the fragments on the floor, dismissively curling his lip. “At worst I’ll buy you a fake one to wear.” He turned to look at Mandy, his tone immediately becoming gentle. “Mandy, you weren’t scared, were you? Come on, let’s go out for a nice meal.” “But what about Summer?” Mandy looked at Summer Lynn with feigned concern. “Let her die! Come on, let’s go pick out a diamond ring.” “But Ethan, what if she reports us for robbery?” “Report us? She’s a useless invalid who can barely get out of bed. How’s she going to report anything!”

“It’s just a dog. How can it be more important than Mandy’s feelings?” Ethan Carter kicked aside the litter box blocking his path, his face full of disgust. Dumpling, the Ragdoll cat Summer Lynn had raised for three years, was now cowering in a corner, trembling. Its hind leg had a deep bite wound, blood staining its white fur. And the culprit—the unleashed bully breed dog Mandy had brought—was barking arrogantly. “Ethan Carter, are you blind! It was her dog that bit my cat!” Summer Lynn held Dumpling in her arms, her voice trembling with distress. “Stop yelling!” Not only did Ethan Carter show no remorse, he shouted at her instead. “Mandy is pregnant now. She can’t handle being startled.” “Your cat sheds everywhere anyway. What if Mandy has an allergic reaction?” He stepped forward and snatched Dumpling from Summer Lynn’s arms. “What are you doing! Give her back!” Summer Lynn desperately tried to grab the cat back, but Ethan Carter shoved her onto the sofa. “This damn cat can’t stay. I’m throwing it out right now.” Ethan Carter grabbed Dumpling by the scruff of its neck and strode toward the door. “Ethan Carter! Don’t you dare!” Summer Lynn struggled to get up and chased after him to the door. But Ethan Carter had already mercilessly thrown the cat near the trash can in the hallway. With a “bang,” the security door slammed shut. “Ethan, don’t be angry. Getting upset isn’t worth it.” Mandy walked up and pressed herself against Ethan Carter’s chest, her voice syrupy sweet. “Mandy’s the understanding one.” Ethan Carter wrapped his arm around her waist, looking at Summer Lynn with a challenging gaze. “Summer Lynn, I’m warning you. From now on in this house, Mandy’s rules are the rules.” Summer Lynn looked at the dark hallway outside the door, her heart breaking. Her stomach suddenly sent waves of sharp pain, cold sweat instantly soaking through her back. Although she didn’t have cancer, a severe stomach ulcer flare-up was still life-threatening. “My stomach hurts. Take me to the hospital.” Summer Lynn clutched her stomach, barely managing to speak. “What hospital? You have a terminal illness. Going would just be a waste of money.” Ethan Carter glanced at her coldly, completely unmoved. “Ethan, my dog seems to have diarrhea. Can you take me to the vet?” Mandy suddenly picked up the bully breed, putting on an anxious expression. “Okay, let’s go right now.” Ethan Carter immediately grabbed the car keys, not sparing Summer Lynn another glance. “Ethan Carter! I’m in too much pain to walk. Leave me the car!” Summer Lynn held onto the wall, gritting her teeth as she called out. “The car keys are in my hand. Why should I leave them for you?” Ethan Carter let out a cold laugh. “Call yourself a cab. Don’t delay getting Mandy’s dog treated.” He helped Mandy out the door and locked the security door behind him. Summer Lynn endured the severe pain and pulled out her phone to call a car. But she discovered that not only had Ethan Carter locked the door, he had also unplugged the home Wi-Fi. Her phone couldn’t make calls because it had been cut off for unpaid bills. The sound of a car engine starting came from outside. Summer Lynn dragged her heavy steps to the window. She watched helplessly as Ethan Carter drove away in the Porsche that had originally belonged to her, carrying that woman. Raindrops began hitting the window glass, falling harder and harder. Summer Lynn collapsed to the floor in pain, curling into a ball. She fumbled for the spare key and struggled to open the door. The hallway was empty. Dumpling had disappeared somewhere. “Dumpling… Dumpling…” Summer Lynn held onto the stair railing, moving down step by step. The rain outside was pouring down. Cold wind mixed with rain beat against her body. She finally found the barely alive Dumpling in the bushes of the community garden. Summer Lynn took off her jacket to wrap the cat tightly and stumbled toward the community entrance. A taxi stopped in front of her. “Driver, to the nearest vet hospital, then to the downtown hospital.” Summer Lynn pulled open the car door, her voice so weak it was barely audible. The driver looked at her soaking wet body and deathly pale face, startled. “Miss, are you… okay?” “I’m fine. Just drive.” Summer Lynn leaned back against the seat and closed her eyes. Cold rainwater slid down her cheeks. It was impossible to tell whether it was rain or tears. The next morning. Ethan Carter returned home with Mandy, only to find the house empty. “Where did that bitch go?” Ethan Carter frowned and dialed Summer Lynn’s number. The phone rang for a long time before being answered. “Summer Lynn, where the hell are you! Get back here and make breakfast for Mandy!” Summer Lynn’s icy voice came through the phone. “Ethan Carter, you open the door!” “Freeze outside for a night to clear your head. If the cat’s still alive tomorrow morning, I’ll be merciful and let you in.”

“Sign this voluntary waiver of property statement, and I’ll continue buying your medication.” Ethan Carter slammed a thick document onto the dining table, looking down at Summer Lynn from above. Summer Lynn had just returned from getting an IV at the hospital, her face still pale. She glanced at the document on the table but didn’t move. “Ethan Carter, you won’t even spare my property after I die?” Summer Lynn’s voice was soft but carried bone-chilling coldness. “How can you say that? I’m doing this for your own good.” Ethan Carter pulled out a chair and sat down, lighting a cigarette. “You know what kind of person your brother is—lazy and good-for-nothing all day.” “If something happens to you, those shares under your name will definitely be snatched away by your family.” He blew out a smoke ring, his eyes full of calculation. “Might as well transfer them to my name. I’ll keep them safe for you. At least since we were married, I can buy you a decent burial plot.” “Keep them safe for me?” Summer Lynn laughed coldly. “Keep them safe for me, or use them to buy Mandy bags and cars?” “Summer Lynn, don’t be ungrateful!” Ethan Carter slammed the table, furious. “I’m being merciful enough to continue your treatment. You should be grateful!” Mandy walked out of the bedroom at this moment. She wore Summer Lynn’s silk pajamas and held a glass of warm milk. “Summer, Ethan is right.” Mandy walked to Ethan Carter’s side and leaned intimately against his shoulder. “Your illness can’t be cured anyway. What use is keeping that money?” “Why not leave it to Ethan? Consider it repayment for his care over these years.” She looked at Summer Lynn, her eyes full of greed and satisfaction. “Besides, my baby with Ethan is about to be born. We need money everywhere.” “Just consider it accumulating good karma for the baby in my belly.” Summer Lynn looked at this pair of despicable lovers, feeling only disgust. “Accumulating karma? Aren’t you afraid of retribution?” “Retribution? I, Ethan Carter, only believe in money!” Ethan Carter impatiently threw the pen in front of Summer Lynn. “Stop wasting time. Sign it!” Summer Lynn picked up the document and flipped through it page by page. Her gaze scanned the densely packed clauses. Ethan Carter not only wanted all the shares under her name, but also the two properties under her name. He even wanted to transfer the Porsche she had bought before marriage to himself. “You’ve calculated this quite thoroughly.” Summer Lynn closed the document and looked at him coldly. “What if I don’t sign?” “Don’t sign?” Ethan Carter let out a cold laugh, stood up, and walked in front of her. “If you don’t sign, you’re not leaving this house today!” He grabbed Summer Lynn by the collar, threatening viciously. “You really think I have no way to deal with you?” “I’m telling you, even if you don’t sign, when you die, these things will still be mine!” “I just don’t want to deal with unnecessary trouble.” Summer Lynn was forced to tilt her head back, looking at his twisted face. “Ethan Carter, aren’t you afraid I’ll call the police?” “Call the police? Go ahead!” Ethan Carter laughed fearlessly. “Will the police handle property disputes between spouses?” “Besides, with your half-dead appearance, the police will just think you’re mentally unstable!” He forcefully threw Summer Lynn back into the chair. “I’m giving you one last chance. Sign or not!” Summer Lynn took a deep breath, suppressing the rage in her heart. She picked up the pen and spun it twice in her hand. “Fine. I’ll sign.” Ethan Carter and Mandy exchanged glances, both seeing wild joy in each other’s eyes. “Smart choice.” Ethan Carter eagerly flipped the document to the last page. Summer Lynn uncapped the pen, the tip hovering over the signature line. She looked up at Ethan Carter’s impatient face, a strange smile curving at the corners of her mouth. “But Ethan Carter, don’t you know that once this agreement takes effect…” “Takes effect what? Stop playing games!” “Once it takes effect, that hole from your embezzlement can never be filled.”

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In the biting, howling wind, a sixteen-year-old lone soldier stared at the steaming cup of chicken noodle soup I had just made. Hugging his arms, he shivered at my door and swallowed hard. “I won’t betray my platoon. This has to be an enemy trap.” I pushed open the supermarket door and shouted, “Hey kid, I’ll trade you five hot beef hand pies for a pack of those frozen field rations. Do we have a deal?” 1. After a lot of coaxing, the young soldier finally stepped inside. Under the warm blast of the heater, the heavy winter uniform that had been frozen solid in the snow began to thaw, the fabric turning damp and heavy. Afraid he would catch a chill in wet clothes, I quickly ordered the System to front me a modern, heavily insulated Gore-Tex parka from the back inventory. The System grumbled in dissatisfaction, “I thought we were going to open a supermarket in a high-tech galaxy. Bonding with you is going to bankrupt me.” I didn’t have time to entertain its complaints. I handed the jacket to the soldier. “I’ve been researching the durability of old fabrics lately. Could you do me a favor and trade the coat you’re wearing for this one?” I pointed to the steaming cup of soup next to me. “This soup is your payment.” Though his eyes were still full of caution, his stomach let out a loud, rumbling growl. I tossed him a clean towel. “Change into this. Call me when you’re done, and I’ll come grab the old coat.” 2. I hid in the back room, my hands trembling with sheer excitement. This was actually happening. I had truly traveled seventy years back in time, and I was actually looking at my great-uncle. Last night, while I was asleep in bed, a buzzing electronic voice echoed in my ears: “Beep. System detects this individual meets the criteria for time-space traversal.” “Beep. Gender: Female. Name: Daisy Miller. Age: 26.” “Are you willing to inherit the Universal Supermarket? You may choose to open this supermarket at any time, in any location.” “Our goal is: For the gold coins. Please designate the time and location for this deployment.” I thought of the stories my grandfather used to tell me when I was little. He talked about his older brother who went off to fight in the brutal winter war at sixteen, only to vanish into the freezing mountains without a trace. Whenever my grandfather mentioned his older brother, tears would stream down his weathered face. Without a second thought, I said, “Bind. Open it seventy years ago, right next to my great-uncle Arthur Miller’s platoon.” The System wailed, “I’m doomed! I’m going to lose everything on this run!” 3. Five minutes later, a voice called out from the storefront, “I’m changed, ma’am. You can come out now.” I walked out to see my great-uncle wearing the brand-new, modern winter parka. He looked so awkward in it, unsure of where to put his hands. I waved my hand and tossed his old, ragged coat to the System. Weeping virtual tears, the System listed it on the Universal Supermarket network: “One heavily worn winter field jacket. Starting price: 1 gold coin.” I looked at my great-uncle, thoroughly satisfied with his warm new look, and picked up the bowl of chicken noodle soup. I was about to heat it up for him. He stared at me nervously, terrified I was going back on my word. “The soup got cold,” I explained. “I’m going to heat it up for you. Eating cold food will give you a stomachache.” He snatched it right out of my hands, not even bothering with a fork. In one massive gulp, he drained the broth, then sucked down the noodles in three massive bites. My heart ached. It was obvious he had been starving for days. Knowing he wouldn’t be full, I had preemptively soaked four extra blocks of noodles in the broth. When he finished, he licked his lips, unable to help himself. “No need to heat it, it was still warm. That was incredible. I bet even our Captain has never tasted soup that good.” He hesitated for a moment, then asked, “What you said earlier… trading a pack of frozen field rations for five big hot beef pies. Was that real, or were you just tricking me?” I nodded earnestly. “It’s real. However much you have, I’ll trade for it.” He lowered his head, avoiding my eyes. He dug into his torn canvas rucksack for a long time before pulling out a block of frozen, rock-hard C-rations that barely weighed half a pound. The rations were completely frozen by the snow. He looked hesitant, unable to speak. I knew my great-uncle felt like he was ripping me off, but he desperately wanted to trade for the pies to save his freezing comrades. I snatched the block from his hands and weighed it in my palm. “Looks like about a pound to me. I’ll take a little loss today and give you fifty hot beef pies.” In my head, I quietly yelled, System, bring out the giant meat pies! The System: “…” I grabbed a massive, heavy-duty hiking backpack from a store shelf and stuffed all fifty steaming beef pies inside. I helped my great-uncle strap the backpack onto his shoulders. “Money and goods exchanged, we’re all clear. Come find me next time you want to do business. No matter where you are, just walk 400 yards south and yell ‘Daisy Miller’.” My great-uncle looked at me with deep curiosity. “Are you an angel? Or a forest spirit? Did God send you to save us?” I shook my head. “Neither. If you don’t leave now, you won’t be able to catch up to your platoon.” His eyes sparkled as he looked at me for a long moment. “You’re a good lady. I’ll remember you.” Just as he stepped out the door, he turned back and shouted, “My last name is Miller too! I’m Arthur Miller. We took advantage of your kindness today, but if I get the chance, we will repay you!” My nose stung. I nodded. Not only do I know your last name is Miller… I know you are the ultimate pride of our entire family. 4. After my great-uncle left, I tossed the frozen block of rations to the System. “System, we need to wholesale a massive batch of food and medical supplies.” The System sneered. “Does wholesale not cost money? You still owe me two gold coins for that parka you fronted.” I scratched my head and smiled apologetically. “Don’t you guys have a ‘Beginner’s Starter Pack’? Doesn’t every System have one?” System: “I’ve lost four packs of noodles, fifty meat pies, and a high-end parka in a single morning, and you’re asking me for a starter pack?” “Wait a minute!” Suddenly, both the System and I heard an electronic chime: “‘One heavily worn winter field jacket’ has been purchased. Transaction amount: 10,000 gold coins.” ??? I swallowed hard, my voice trembling. “System… did you glitch out?” After repeatedly confirming there was no bug, the System skeptically listed the frozen block of rations: “‘One block of snow-soaked field rations (possibly edible?)’, Starting price: 1 gold coin.” The very next second, the mechanical voice chimed again: “‘One block of snow-soaked field rations (possibly edible?)’ has been purchased. Transaction amount: 10,000 gold coins.” The System let out an ear-piercing shriek. “Wholesale food and medicine! We MUST wholesale! I’m going to trade for every single ragged coat and frozen ration those soldiers have!” It muttered feverishly, “We’re rich… we’re so rich!” I was completely bewildered. Who had so much money and nowhere to spend it? Ten thousand gold coins for a torn jacket and a block of hardtack? Now that we were making money, the System’s attitude toward me pulled a complete 180. It used to call me “Host,” but now it affectionately called me “Boss Daisy.” I stayed in the supermarket for a few days, growing more anxious by the hour. My great-uncle had been gone for a while. Why wasn’t he coming back to find me? The temporal location I bound to was anchored to my great-uncle’s physical coordinates, so I had the System scout out his small platoon. The entire unit had about two hundred people. The vast majority were heavily wounded, moving at a grueling, crawling pace through the snow. My great-uncle’s mission back then was specifically to protect this convoy of wounded soldiers. 5. In the blinding blizzard, Arthur Miller pulled his last half-ration from his canvas bag. That girl named Daisy had given him an incredibly high-quality backpack. He couldn’t bear to use it himself, so he gave it to Nurse Clara Hayes. Nurse Clara was an eighteen-year-old medic carrying the unit’s rapidly depleting medical supplies. When Arthur returned, he noticed her medical bag had been shredded by tree branches, so he offered the trade. That day, when he pulled fifty steaming hot pies out in the freezing snow, Captain James Sterling’s eyes almost popped out of his skull. The Captain dragged him aside and demanded to know what happened. Arthur told him everything, word for word. Captain Sterling’s expression was grim. “What if this is an enemy trick? We don’t know if these pies are poisoned. We cannot drop our guard for a single second!” Arthur thought of Daisy’s kind, gentle face. The moment he met her, he felt an inexplicable, deep sense of family. But he couldn’t disobey his Captain. The two of them stared at the bag of glorious, white, steaming beef pies in a tense deadlock. After a while, Sterling looked out at the starving, dying men clinging to their last breath. He sighed, randomly grabbed a pie, and took a massive bite. Arthur’s eyes widened in horror. “Captain!” Sterling steeled his resolve, chewing the pie aggressively and swallowing hard. “If I’m not dead in an hour, distribute the pies to the men outside.” “If I die, Corporal Danny Evans takes command. The convoy does not stop moving.” It was a premium, hot, flaky crust. The inside was packed with rich, savory ground beef and gravy. The taste exploded in his mouth. Just one pie made him feel halfway full. For Arthur, that hour felt like an eternity. Finally, Captain Sterling let out a long, deep breath. “Take ten pies. Dig up some clean snow, boil it, and make a rich beef stew for everyone. Give the rest of the pies to Nurse Clara for safekeeping. No one eats a crumb without permission!” “Also, I just ate a whole pie. Don’t count me in for rations for the next two days.” Arthur quickly chimed in. “I ate a huge bowl of noodle soup at that girl’s place. I won’t eat for the next two days either.” Sterling patted his shoulder. “Why are you comparing yourself to me? I’m an old man with meat on my bones. You’re a growing kid. You need to eat!” Fifty meat pies sounded like a lot, but there were over two hundred starving mouths in the platoon. Yet, that warm, rich beef stew gave every single person the hope they needed to keep walking.

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In our sixth year of marriage, Liam started keeping a mistress. He pressured me relentlessly, demanding a divorce. I absolutely refused to sign the papers. Eventually, he stopped hiding it. He flaunted his little lover everywhere he went, bringing her into the light. But then, one day, I called him with urgent news. I told him to hurry up and finalize the divorce. Because I was about to deploy on a high-risk mission—one where I had just signed my Last Will and Testament. I probably wasn’t coming back. 1 I had been obsessed with Liam Hayes since we were kids. We grew up on the same block in the suburbs. But unlike his calm, measured personality, I was loud, reckless, and shamelessly chased him everywhere he went. The older folks in the neighborhood always said my personality was cut out for the Marines. I didn’t join the military in the end. I went to the Police Academy. But Liam never liked me. He had a type: gentle, big-eyed, pale-skinned girls. Yet, the girl he loved the most ended up running off with another man right when his first tech startup hit its lowest point. That same year, his mother passed away from cancer. His business was completely paralyzed, completely out of capital. Hit by wave after wave of tragedy, he reached the darkest, most lost point of his life. He completely fell apart. He drank heavily and let his beard grow out, looking like a ghost of his former self. I didn’t even think twice. I sold the downtown condo my parents had bought me and gave him every single penny. “Liam, take this money. Use it.” When he found out where the cash came from, he was furious. He cursed at me, saying some truly awful things. I was used to him finding me annoying, but that was the first time he had ever made me cry. My lips trembled, and I bawled right in front of him. “I believe in you! Your company is going to succeed. You’ll make so much money, you’ll be a huge CEO. This is just an investment!” To my absolute shock, he pulled me into a tight embrace. He told me that once the company took off, we would get married. 2 I had never made an investment before in my life. But the investment I made in Liam Hayes was wildly successful. His startup took off. Within the first year, he made his first million. He bought me a massive house, twice the size of the condo I had sold. He kept his promise. He got down on one knee and proposed. We got married. The house, the cars, the money—we had it all. We lived a happy, perfect life. But as his company expanded, his business trips became more frequent. He was busier than I was chasing down muggers and thieves on the streets. By our second year of marriage, he stopped coming home on time. By the sixth year, his company was preparing to go public. Only, his phone would often go straight to voicemail, and his collars frequently carried the faint scent of women’s perfume. My insomnia grew worse and worse. “Liam, we need to talk.” He sat there, running his fingers through his hair. “Sarah, I met a girl. She’s incredibly gentle, so understanding. I know this is entirely unfair to you, but if you agree to a divorce, I’ll give you ten percent of the company’s shares.” That day, I lunged at him and slapped him hard across the face. “Liam, you bastard! I loved you with everything I had, and this is how you repay me?” He grabbed me and held me tight. “I am so grateful to you. You stayed by my side during my darkest hour. But it’s been six years, and I still can’t bring myself to love you that way. Sarah, let’s get a divorce.” 3 I was usually so easygoing and agreeable when it came to him. But on the topic of divorce, I lost my mind. It was simply because I loved him too much. I still held out hope that I could win him back. I tracked down the girl and confronted her. I told her she was a homewrecker, that what she was doing was immoral. I told her if she agreed to leave Liam, I would personally write her a massive check. I even went to Liam’s father and exposed the fact that his son was keeping a mistress. I thought doing all this would bring Liam back to his senses. The reality was, he stormed into our house, grabbed me by the shoulders, and exploded in a terrifying rage. He called me psychotic. He said I knew his father had a bad heart, yet I still went and spilled everything. It triggered his dad’s heart condition, and he accused me of trying to kill the old man. He told me if I had a problem, I should come at him, not threaten an innocent girl. He called me malicious. He smashed half the things in our living room. He told me I disgusted him, and that from now on, I was on my own. After that day, I could never get through to his phone again. I sent him texts. “Liam, I’m sorry. I know I handled this terribly. Please don’t be mad anymore. Come home. I know you like girls with long hair and pale skin. I can grow my hair out. I can do skincare routines.” He replied with one single message: “Sarah, being married to you feels like being married to a guy. I just want a divorce so we can part on decent terms. Can you just let it go?” 4 The girl got pregnant. He couldn’t wait any longer. He personally brought over the divorce papers, along with a legal document transferring ten percent of his shares to me. That’s when I understood. From the very beginning, he never intended to have a child with me. I had suffered a miscarriage once before. After my body recovered, despite my protests, he always made sure to use protection. Yet now, he had gotten another woman pregnant. I felt violently sick. I ripped the divorce papers to shreds. I tore up the equity transfer agreement and threw the confetti in his face. “Liam, you are the one who wronged me. I don’t want your shares, and I will never make it easy for you two.” I couldn’t bear to face the wreckage of my life. I requested a transfer to the Major Crimes tactical unit, putting myself right on the front lines against violent cartels. I refused to come home. I refused to talk about the divorce. He didn’t bother saving my pride anymore, either. He bought a luxury villa for his mistress so she could rest during her pregnancy. The scandal spread to all our friends and relatives. People started whispering that I was barren, and that his affair was partly justified because I couldn’t give him a child. They looked at our broken marriage and felt exhausted by the drama. Even his father, knowing there was a grandchild on the way, stopped speaking up for me. 5 Everything changed when a major player showed up in a criminal syndicate we had been tracking. We raided one of their safehouses, and they retaliated with brutal force. They torched police cruisers. They ambushed our officers. One of our veteran detectives was spotted while doing surveillance. They stabbed him dozens of times. He died on the spot. That detective had a five-year-old daughter. A dead, heavy silence fell over the entire precinct. According to our intel, this syndicate was incredibly ruthless, operating near the northern border, and heavily armed with military-grade weapons. I lost five pounds in three days. Captain Reynolds patted my shoulder heavily. “Sarah, don’t let it crush you. We’re going to catch these bastards.” I nodded, but my mind was already made up. I was going to catch these animals with my own two hands. “Here’s your transfer order. You’re being moved to the records department tomorrow. Pack up your desk and report in.” I froze for a second, then stubbornly dug my heels in. “Captain, I’m not going back to a desk. I’m staying on the front lines.” “Don’t be stubborn, kid. What woman stays permanently on the tactical assault line?” I hesitated for a moment. “Captain, honestly, if you didn’t remind me, I’d forget I was even a woman.” I never liked dresses; I liked tactical gear. When I joined Major Crimes, long hair was a liability in a fight, so I chopped it off into a sharp bob. “Don’t argue with me, Sarah. Dan’s death wasn’t your fault. Stop taking the blame for it.” I stayed silent for a long time. This was the nightmare eating me alive over the past few days. “If I hadn’t taken time off that day, he wouldn’t have covered my shift. He wouldn’t be dead. He died in my place.” That day, I was supposed to be running an undercover newsstand. But Liam called me, demanding we meet immediately because his mistress, Chloe, was nearing her due date. He threatened that if I didn’t show up, he would come to my stakeout location and make a scene. To avoid blowing my cover, I was forced to call in a favor. Dan took over the newsstand. Dan had been on the force a long time. He had put away a lot of guys. The syndicate recognized him. That night, they trapped him in an alley and exacted a horrific revenge. 6 A week later, we got a tip. The syndicate was making a run for the Canadian border in three days. The department issued a direct order: we had to intercept them before they crossed. After the tactical briefing, every officer was handed a single sheet of paper. It was a pre-operation protocol. A Last Will and Testament. After I signed it, I called my family. Then, my final call went to Liam. “I’ve thought about it. I agree to the divorce. Meet me at the courthouse lawyer’s office in one hour.” He sounded completely taken aback. “Are you serious?” “Yeah. I’m already in the car heading there. You should hurry.” I had a longer drive from the precinct. He arrived before me, which perfectly suited his desperate urge to sever our ties. “Mrs. Hayes, here is the equity division agreement. Mr. Hayes instructed me to transfer ten percent of the company to you,” his lawyer said. “No need. I just want $150,000. Right now. Transfer it directly to my bank account. It’s the exact amount I got from selling my condo back then.” Both the lawyer and Liam froze in shock. But they did exactly as I asked. Liam made a phone call, and a moment later, $150,000 appeared in my account. There was no line at the clerk’s office today. We were called up almost immediately. “Are both parties dissolving this marriage voluntarily?” the clerk asked. “Yes.” The heavy stamp slammed down. Our marriage was officially terminated. I had to hurry back to base. I grabbed my copy of the decree and turned to leave. “Sarah.” Liam actually called out to me. “Yeah?” “You’ve lost a lot of weight.” “If there’s nothing else, I have to go.” “Does your unit have a big operation coming up?” “Sorry. Classified.” I hopped into a waiting cab and drove off. As the cab pulled away, I glanced back through the rear window. Liam was still standing on the courthouse steps, watching me leave.

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When my biological parents, accompanied by the girl who had taken my place, finally tracked me down, I was standing in a dirty alleyway, holding a baseball bat and smoking a cigarette with a group of delinquents. They froze. Every single one of them instinctively reached out to shield the fragile, sweet-looking girl standing behind them. 1 Who would have thought that a street rat like me was actually the long-lost heiress to the Sterling Group? In that dim alleyway, wearing a wrinkled high school uniform but holding a bat and a cigarette, I watched the Sterling family instinctively reach out to protect the curious, wide-eyed girl standing behind them. At the very front, an impeccably dressed middle-aged couple stared at me in absolute disbelief. The woman’s voice trembled. “Are you… Harper Smith?” I had a cigarette dangling from my lips. Hearing my name, I crushed it out under my shoe and nodded, confused. The guys next to me exchanged bewildered looks, having no idea what was going on. “Harper, who are these people?” Before I could answer, the elegant woman suddenly rushed forward, threw her arms around me, and burst into tears. “My daughter! My beautiful daughter! I’m your real mother… We finally found you!” I had no idea why this woman was losing her mind. Even the stoic middle-aged man next to her had red, tear-filled eyes. I was just about to push her off when a young man stepped forward. He pressed his lips together, looking at me with a deeply complex expression. “Harper, hello. I’m your biological older brother, Arthur Sterling.” “Seventeen years ago, your current adoptive mother was a maid in our house. She was pregnant and gave birth at the exact same time as our mother.” “But she was wicked. Blinded by greed and wanting a life of luxury for her own flesh and blood, she secretly switched you and her baby.” Before I could even process the shock of my true identity, I noticed something else. When Arthur mentioned how “wicked” and “greedy” my adoptive mother was, all the color drained from the face of the girl standing behind them. Her face turned chalk-white, she bit her lip, and tears welled up in her large, doe-like eyes. Arthur seemed to realize his slip-up. He immediately turned around and started speaking to her in a soft, coaxing voice. Even my supposed biological parents, who had just been clinging to me like a lifeline, instinctively let go. They turned back to the girl, their voices dripping with tender reassurance. “Chloe, sweetheart, don’t be scared. This has nothing to do with you. You and your sister are both our precious babies. We will never abandon you.” Ha. Precious babies? They really had the nerve to say that right in front of their actual biological daughter. 2 That very afternoon, under the shell-shocked gazes of my alleyway crew, I got into a multi-million-dollar luxury SUV and drove away. Of course, right before I left, Leo—that absolute idiot—yelled at the top of his lungs: “Harper! When you’re rich and famous, don’t forget us! We’ll be waiting for you!” I rolled my eyes, gave him an “OK” sign, and got in the car. When I turned around, the Sterling family was looking at me with incredibly complicated expressions. I stared back, completely unbothered. To be honest, I didn’t feel much of anything. After spending seventeen years under the “care” of my wonderful adoptive mother, my only goal in life was survival. Everything else was just noise. As for being switched at birth? It just meant I was finally getting an upgrade in living conditions. The girl who had been sobbing earlier, Chloe, finally stopped crying. Her face was a portrait of sorrow, her voice laced with heavy guilt. “Harper… I’m Chloe. I’m your… older sister. I am so, so sorry. It’s all my fault that I stole seventeen years of your life…” As she spoke, fresh tears started pooling in her eyes again. My newly acquired father pressed his lips together and sighed deeply. My mother and brother immediately jumped in, cooing and comforting her again. I let out an irritated click of my tongue. The one thing I absolutely cannot stand is people who cry over every little thing. If crying actually solved anything, I would have drowned the world in tears during the countless times I prayed for someone to save me over the last seventeen years. “Excuse me, uh, Chloe, was it? Could you please stop crying?” “Do you realize that from the second we met until now, you’ve already had two major breakdowns? The way you’re acting, anyone would think you were the one who grew up in the slums suffering. Could you stop stealing my spotlight? I haven’t even started my tragic crying scene yet.” Her sobbing stopped instantly. Her face froze. The entire Sterling family froze. The car descended into dead silence. I didn’t care. I looked away, resting my chin on my hand and watching the scenery roll by outside the window. Through the tinted glass, I could clearly see the towering skyscrapers and the glowing city skyline in the distance. It was the very first time I had ever been this close to that world. After a long pause, my “mother” was the first to speak. “Harper, I’m sorry, but your sister didn’t mean it like that. She’s just very innocent and highly sensitive. She truly just feels guilty toward you.” My father nodded in agreement. But my brother, Arthur, rubbed his temples. The look he gave me was a mix of exhaustion and a faint trace of disgust. “Harper, Chloe is just terrified that now that you’re back, we won’t want her anymore. Please don’t blame her, okay?” “Also, once we get home, you really need to change your behavior. Look at how you’re dressed—you look like a street thug, and you were even smoking! How can a girl behave like that?” “A girl should be gentle, quiet, and elegant. Exactly like Chloe.” He phrased it as advice, but his tone carried the unmistakable weight of a command. It seemed he had voiced exactly what the rest of the Sterling family was thinking. My parents nodded emphatically. Even Chloe, the fake heiress of this whole ‘Prince and the Pauper’ situation, chimed in with her “thoughtful” advice: “Yes, Harper. Those people you hang out with are bad influences. You can’t keep mixing with that crowd. I heard your grades aren’t very good, and it’s definitely because those delinquents dragged you down.” “When we get home, I can tutor you! And I have so many clothes in my closet, you can pick whatever you want! Mom, Dad, and Arthur bought them all for me, we can share!” Listening to this textbook, passive-aggressive, backhanded “kindness,” I was completely speechless. But the Sterling family looked at her with even more pride, clearly thinking she was a shining example of generosity and grace. I found the whole thing hilarious. I actually let out a short laugh. Ignoring the disapproving glares from the Sterling family, I casually dropped a single sentence: “But those ‘bad influences’ and ‘delinquents’ you’re talking about are the only reason I was able to pay my tuition and eat every year.” “And I have your wonderful biological mother to thank for that, Sister.” “Oh, and my brilliant older brother—you’re so smart, you should be able to guess exactly why my last name is Smith, right?” Everyone’s mouths snapped shut. Their faces went chalk white. Even Arthur, who had just been lecturing me so confidently, didn’t dare look me in the eye. As for Chloe, her face flushed crimson. She dropped her head, clutching the hem of her designer skirt so tightly her knuckles turned white. I smirked inwardly. A fragile flower raised in a greenhouse—even if she was a toxic, manipulative white lotus—actually thought she could beat a carnivorous plant that clawed its way out of the abyss? 3 The very first thing the Sterling family did when they brought me home was change my name. I chose my new name myself: Harper Sterling. The Sterling family hosted a massive, extravagant gala to celebrate my return. That night, every relative, friend, and major business partner of the Sterling Group attended. The mansion was ablaze with crystal chandeliers and diamonds. My parents, with me dressed in a meticulously tailored gown, stood on the grand stage and formally introduced me to the elite society. My story was already the hottest gossip among the wealthy elite, so no one acted particularly shocked. However, as I looked out at the crowd, I saw Chloe mingling and laughing effortlessly with the guests. I scoffed internally. She was definitely plotting something. Sure enough, the second I stepped off the stage, she smoothly grabbed my arm. “Harper, come with me! Let me introduce you to the kids our age.” She smiled warmly, looking like the picture-perfect, caring older sister. Even my mother, who had been holding my arm, nodded in approval. “Go ahead, Harper. Follow your sister and get to know everyone.” I smiled, shrugged, and followed her over. A group of wealthy teenagers were lounging on a velvet sofa. They were clearly the kids Chloe had grown up with. They looked me up and down with blatant disdain. One guy holding a champagne flute actually scoffed out loud. “Where did this trash come from? Does she really think she can just waltz into our circle?” Chloe immediately jumped in to “defend” me: “Oh, come on, Liam. Don’t be mean to my sister. It’s her first time at a party like this, she doesn’t understand how things work.” Her best friend sitting next to her yanked Chloe back. “Chloe, you’re too nice. People are just going to walk all over you.” She shot me a look of pure disgust. “Let me make something clear to you. In our circle, we don’t care about bloodlines. We only respect capability.” “I heard you were some street rat who spent all her time with thugs. Ha. You better check yourself before you think you can threaten Chloe’s position.” “You could never compare to her. She’s already helping her brother with corporate affairs, her grades are flawless, and she’s practically guaranteed early admission into an Ivy League. You better bury whatever petty little schemes you have in your head.” I listened with great interest as they took turns taking shots at me, while Chloe played the role of the reluctant peacemaker, dropping “nice” comments at the perfect moments. When the flock of noisy ducks finally shut their mouths, I took a slow sip of my drink and spoke. “Are you done? If you’re done, go get me some appetizers and a glass of juice, and I might forgive you.” I lazily dropped myself onto a plush armchair. The entire group stared at me in shock before erupting into hysterical laughter. The guy, Liam, laughed the hardest, spilling champagne on his shoes. “Oh my god, this is hilarious! Chloe, what is wrong with your sister? She wants us to fetch her food and drinks? Has she completely lost her mind?” Chloe looked at me with a face full of reprimand, but I knew she was screaming with joy on the inside. “Harper… how could you order everyone around like that?” “Why shouldn’t I?” I widened my eyes in feigned innocence, pulled out my phone, AirDropped a file to the mansion’s main projector system, and hit play. Instantly, the massive speakers across the ballroom blasted the arrogant voices of the trust fund kids. “Where did this trash come from?” “I heard you were some street rat?” “You better check yourself!” … Nobody was laughing anymore. The entire gala went dead silent. The elders and the titans of industry looked absolutely livid. The teenagers sitting across from me turned pale as ghosts. They stared at me, completely speechless. But of course, the palest face of all belonged to my lovely white lotus sister. My parents marched over, their faces dark like thunderclouds, staring silently at the parents of the kids involved. Even my insufferable older brother, Arthur, walked over with a tight, forced smile, stepping protectively in front of me. Chloe’s lips trembled as she tried to explain that she had tried to stop them from mocking her sister, but failed. My parents, always soft-hearted toward her, took her hand and told her not to be afraid. I gave a small, mocking smile. The very same kids who had been acting like royalty two minutes ago were now being physically dragged over by their parents, forced to apologize with painfully strained smiles. “Oh, Harper, dear… my stupid son was just running his mouth. Please don’t be angry, I’ll deal with him when we get home!” “Yes, exactly! My daughter too, I’ll ground her for a month! She has the nerve to judge others when she’s failing half her classes!” My parents’ expressions softened slightly. They looked at me hesitantly. “Harper, maybe… we just let this go? It’s just kids messing around.” Since I was such an obedient, good daughter, of course I had to agree. So, I looked innocently at the group of red-faced, humiliated teenagers standing in front of me. “Like I said earlier, just go get me some appetizers and a glass of juice, and I’ll forgive you.” No one was laughing this time. Under the watchful, piercing gazes of hundreds of elite guests, the group swallowed their pride, turned around, and went to fetch my food and drinks. I took a slow sip of the orange juice they brought me, and finally dropped my verdict: “I forgive you! See? I’m a very generous person!” Chloe didn’t smile for the rest of the night. She was much quieter after that. Unfortunately, I thought she had learned her lesson, but she was actually just saving her energy for a much bigger play. 4 During breakfast a few days later, I casually brought up my adoptive mother, Maria Smith. “So, what are you guys planning to do about Maria?” The Sterling family exchanged awkward, uncomfortable glances. Chloe immediately dropped her head, looking like she was on the verge of tears again. My father was the first to speak. He looked at me with an appeasing smile. “Well, Harper, people like that… karma will catch up to them eventually!” My mother quickly agreed. “Exactly. Going after her would just dirty our own hands.” Arthur continued eating his breakfast calmly, completely opting out of the conversation. I gave a half-smile. “So what you’re saying is, you have no intention of holding her accountable?” My parents looked embarrassed, opening and closing their mouths without making a sound. Arthur finally sighed, put his fork down, and spoke in a helpless tone. “Harper, everyone in our circle knows Maria is Chloe’s biological mother. You know how society works. If her biological parents have criminal records, it will inevitably taint Chloe’s reputation.” “Of course we want that woman to be punished, but not at the cost of ruining Chloe’s future. She’s innocent in all this.” “Besides, Maria did raise you for seventeen years. It makes it difficult for us to go after her legally. You understand where we’re coming from, right?” Chloe looked at the family with tears of gratitude. My parents gently patted her hand, and my brother gave her a warm, reassuring smile. It was a beautiful, touching family portrait. I let out an incredibly inappropriate scoff, shattering the heartwarming moment. “Raise me?” Under their irritated glares, I slowly rolled up the sleeves of my shirt, exposing arms covered in overlapping scars and cigarette burns. My mother gasped, slapping a hand over her mouth. Tears instantly pooled in her eyes. Even my father’s lips trembled. Arthur turned his head away, unable to look. Only Chloe bit her lip and clenched her fists under the table. I continued, rolling up my pant legs to reveal calves crisscrossed with dense, faded whip marks. Seeing them completely paralyzed with horror, I finally smiled in satisfaction. I slowly rolled my sleeves and pants back down, and dropped a single sentence. “I’m going to school. I won’t be riding with my sister today.” I threw my beat-up backpack over my shoulder and didn’t refuse when the chauffeur opened the door for me. Only an idiot turns down a free ride, especially when it’s on the Sterling family’s dime. But looking back, I realized it was probably the shocking, visceral reality of my scars—and the family’s intense reaction to them—that finally pushed Chloe over the edge. She knew that if she didn’t do something drastic, her biological mother’s sins would ensure she never regained her true standing in this house. At school, Leo saw me in the hallway and immediately started screaming. “Harper! You’re back! The Queen of Lincoln High has returned!” I had told him a million times to stop watching cheesy gangster movies, but he never listened. I ignored him. The entire school had heard about my identity. Everyone was absolutely floored that I was the true heiress to the Sterling Group. It was pretty shocking, I sneered internally. The real heiress of the Sterling empire was a violent, foul-mouthed street rat. Put anyone in their shoes, and they’d obviously prefer the gentle, brilliant, fake heiress. Leo was so used to calling me “Boss” that I couldn’t be bothered to correct him. Without breaking stride, I reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. “I told you not to smoke on campus. Did you think I wouldn’t find out just because I was gone for a few weeks?” Leo grinned and leaned in closer. “Boss, how is the new house? They aren’t bullying you, are they?” I smirked and shot him a side-eye. “Who could possibly bully me?” He scratched the back of his head nervously. “So, Boss… are you still going to hang out with us? Are the rich kids… going to look down on you for being friends with us?” His voice got quieter and quieter until he couldn’t even look me in the eye. I scoffed and smacked him on the back of the head. “You little idiot. Didn’t you just tell me not to forget you when I got rich? Why are you backing down now? What’s wrong with you guys? Why would anyone have the right to look down on you?” Leo’s head snapped up, his usual exaggerated bravado returning. “Hell no we ain’t backing down! We’re sticking with you to the top, Boss!” But his eyes were completely red. I smiled, remembering the last time I saw Leo cry. He had secretly stolen two thousand dollars from his parents and pooled it with the other guys to pay my tuition. When his parents found out, he refused to tell them what the money was for. They assumed he blew it on cigarettes and girls, and beat him half to death. When he came to see me, his eyes were just as red, but he had the biggest, stupidest grin on his face as he shoved the cash into my hands. I bit my tongue to force down the lump in my throat. I looked out the window at the distant, sprawling clouds, my voice very quiet. “I probably won’t be staying in that house for very long.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “450073”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

After quitting my soul-crushing job to move back to my hometown and embrace the soft life, I somehow ended up marrying my best friend’s brother. But he didn’t seem to like me at all. No big deal, I thought. I’ll just treat it like I married my best friend. So, after we tied the knot, I was constantly running over to her place. Until one day, he cornered me against the wall and refused to let go. “Wifey, are you really going to make me live like a monk forever?” “???” 1 The moment I told my best friend I was quitting my job to move back home and rot in peace, she immediately arranged for me to be picked up. I hadn’t even finished handing over my work projects before I was strapped into the leather seat of her chartered private jet. Ah, the perks of having a filthy-rich heiress as your best friend when you’re just a burned-out corporate drone. “You should have quit and come back ages ago! Do you have any idea how bored I am living out here by myself? It’s going to be so much fun having you back to play with me!” Harper Jenkins looped her arm through mine, practically bouncing in her seat. For the entire flight, she whined about how lonely her luxurious princess life had been during the two years I was grinding away in New York City. “Let go of my arm for five seconds so I can submit this resume, then you can hug me again.” I shot her a fake glare, and she pouted, loosening her grip. I said I was moving back to live the “soft life,” but really… I was just relocating my corporate slavery to a different zip code. I still had to find a job. Right as my email sent successfully, Harper leaned over. “Wait, isn’t that my brother’s company? What position are you applying for? I’ll just shoot him a text.” “…” What is it like having the daughter of the local billionaire real estate mogul as your best friend? I shed a single tear of frustration—you could have told me that before I spent three hours polishing my resume! Just like that, I seamlessly joined Nolan Jenkins’s company. Harper must have pulled some serious strings, because my administrative role had surprisingly few responsibilities. I could clock out right at 5:00 PM every day and go straight to hang out with her. She took me out to eat and drink all over town, frequently dragging me back to her family’s estate for extravagant meals cooked by their private chef. These were delicacies I couldn’t even dream of affording during my years in NYC. Going from surviving on shrimp-flavored instant ramen to eating actual lobster ravioli felt completely surreal. “Maya, the two years you were gone, I just couldn’t fit in with those snobby socialite girls. We couldn’t vibe at all. You’re the best. Only you will sit on the curb and eat late-night street tacos with me.” Saying that, she pushed a plate of non-spicy tacos toward me. “No hot sauce for you.” “Thank you, Your Highness.” “Oh, stop it. Hey, if you see my brother around the office lately, steer clear of him. We got into a huge fight.” “Huh?” To be honest, I had been working there for nearly a month and hadn’t even caught a glimpse of Harper’s brother. “I just agreed with my mom for two seconds that he needs to hurry up and bring a girlfriend home, and he lost his mind. He even froze a bunch of my black cards! With a rotten temper like his, it’s a miracle if any girl ever likes him.” “And honestly, with that attitude, if the future sister-in-law he finds has the same terrible temper, I’m going to be so annoyed,” Harper complained. “I haven’t even met your brother yet. He probably doesn’t know who I am, right?” I sucked in a sharp breath. If he was mad at Harper and took his anger out on me at work, what would I do? I despised toxic workplace culture and getting yelled at by bosses. But I had no choice; I needed to make a living. If I hadn’t been completely crushed by the extreme commutes and endless overtime in NYC, I wouldn’t have fled back home. “You’ll meet him eventually. Just avoid him for now. He’s way more intense at work than he is in normal life.” I nodded sensibly, vowing to never cross his path. But the universe has a sick sense of humor. The very next morning, I was caught red-handed swiping my badge at the exact minute my shift started. It was all Harper’s fault. She insisted on dragging me out for drinks last night. After a few rounds of tequila, I passed out. When I woke up this morning, I threw on whatever clothes were on the floor and sprinted to the office. I shoved my haggard face toward the biometric scanner and successfully clocked in with two seconds to spare. I let out a massive sigh of relief. My perfect attendance bonus was safe. “Clocking in at the last possible second, showing up to work looking completely unkempt. Which department are you in?” A cold, deep male voice echoed from behind me. It definitely wasn’t my manager’s voice. I stiffly turned my head and was met with the devastatingly handsome—but incredibly sour—face of a stranger. “Admin…” “An admin showing up looking this sloppy? Have you ever read the employee handbook?” “I apologize, I’ll go freshen up right now.” “Name.” I gasped silently, suddenly recalling Harper’s warning from last night. Don’t tell me this is her psycho brother. “Maya.” “New?” “Started a month ago.” “Got it.” What exactly did he get? I stood there in total confusion, watching him stride toward the private executive elevators. Crap. That was definitely Harper’s psycho brother. Crap. He definitely knows I’m Harper’s nepotism hire best friend. I wanted to cry as I face-palmed my own throbbing, hungover head. 2 Thanks to experiencing Nolan’s legendary scowl firsthand, I was completely distracted all day, just staring at the clock waiting to go home. The second it hit 5:00 PM, I bolted out of the building, terrified of running into him again. As soon as I stepped into the lobby, I saw Harper waiting for me. “Maya, babe! My chef said he’s making Italian tonight, your favorite! Let’s go, let’s go! We’re eating at my place. His truffle risotto is to die for!” She hooked her arm through mine, but I hesitated. “Going to your place… what if we run into your brother?” “What’s wrong? Did he yell at you?” Harper dropped her bubbly persona and instantly looked ready for a fight. “No, no, nothing like that…” “Relax. Ever since he got mad about us telling him to find a wife, he hasn’t stepped foot in the house. He’s staying at his own penthouse.” “Oh, okay. Phew.” Hearing that I wouldn’t have to face Nolan, I breathed a sigh of relief. “Let’s go! The chef asked if there’s anything else you’re craving. He can whip up pretty much anything.” “I want some clam chowder. All that spicy food yesterday gave me a stomachache…” “Done and done!” … Right as I was stuffing my face in the Jenkins family’s lavish dining room, Nolan walked in. The spoon froze halfway to my mouth. We locked eyes in a naked, awkward stare-down. He casually swept his gaze over the dining table, where Harper and I were having the time of our lives, keeping his face entirely blank before heading upstairs. Harper’s parents were vacationing in Europe, and Nolan lived in the city. The massive estate was supposed to be completely empty except for Harper. Neither of us expected him to show up. Harper and I exchanged a panicked glance, immediately lowered our heads, and continued eating in complete silence, putting an abrupt pause on the highly inappropriate gossip we had just been discussing. I swear I had no idea he was coming back, Harper texted me under the table. Is it too late to run? I texted back. It’s fine. The unwelcomed one is the third wheel. He’s the extra. We continued texting back and forth, silently chatting. Right when our text thread was getting spicy, Nolan came back downstairs. “Playing on your phones while eating? Have you forgotten your manners?” It was that familiar, icy tone. I didn’t dare look up. “Thirty-two years old and still no girlfriend. Have you forgotten your manners?” Harper shot back. “Pfft!” I swear my laughter threshold is very high, but I genuinely couldn’t hold it in. Nolan’s face darkened even further. He dropped a stack of files onto the table, his long, elegant fingers tapping sharply against the polished wood. Tap. Tap. Tap. He glared at Harper, then shifted his icy gaze to me. “Maya, is it? Have this stack of documents brought to my office before 10:00 AM tomorrow.” “…” I shot Harper a desperate look for help, but she kept her mouth shut. My phone buzzed twice. Sorry Maya babe, I can’t run my mouth anymore. If I piss him off again, we’ll only be able to afford the discount cabana boys for our next pool party. Fly high, Maya. Take this bullet for me! “…” 3 The next morning, I nervously carried the files to Nolan’s office. He wasn’t there, but a stunningly gorgeous woman was sitting on his leather sofa, scrolling through her phone. If my guess was right, this had to be Nolan’s girlfriend. Any woman who could casually lounge in the Grumpy Boss’s private office was definitely not ordinary. I offered the beauty a polite smile, neatly stacked the files on Nolan’s desk, and turned on my heel to make a quick escape. But she called out to me. “Excuse me, do you know where Nolan went?” I shook my head blankly. Not only did I not know, but I was actively praying he wouldn’t show up while I was still in the room. Since she called him by his first name, she was definitely someone important. Acting on the absolute rule of never offending the boss’s inner circle, I smiled politely. “I’m just here to drop off some files. I don’t know where he is. Maybe you could wait a little longer?” “Fine.” I nodded, silently rejoicing that the boss’s lady didn’t give me a hard time, and elegantly power-walked toward the door. But naturally, whatever you fear most will definitely happen. I walked right out the door and collided straight into Nolan’s solid chest as he rounded the corner. I patted my own chest to soothe my startled nerves, staring up at him, completely speechless. He looked down at me with a dark expression, not saying a word. The silence was suffocating. I had no choice but to speak first. “Boss, the files are on your desk. Your girlfriend is waiting inside for you. If there’s nothing else, I’ll head back down.” Nolan’s frown deepened into a scowl. “Girlfriend?” “Huh?” “Follow me.” “Huh?” I awkwardly trailed behind Nolan. He took one step into his office and abruptly stopped. I crashed face-first into his back. My nose legitimately throbbed. “Why did you st—” “How many times do I have to tell you? Stop coming to find me, and stop letting yourself into my office.” Nolan’s cold voice cut off my complaint. The gorgeous woman stood up from the sofa. “Nolan, I regret it. Let’s start over.” “You really think I’m your toy? Pick me up when you’re bored, throw me away when you’re done?” “But you’ve been single all this time… weren’t you waiting for me? Nolan, I know you still love me. And now I’m back.” The woman was getting emotional. She stepped forward to hug him, but Nolan effortlessly dodged her. When he stepped aside, my presence behind him was fully exposed. Realizing how humiliating it was to have an audience, she glared at me with deep annoyance. “Why are you still here?” “…” Do you think I want to be here?! “Vanessa, we broke up a long time ago. Keep harassing me, and I’ll file a restraining order.” “Nolan, please, just hold me.” Listening to her whiny, desperate tone made me feel slightly nauseous. I was just about to use the distraction to slip away when Nolan reached out and grabbed my wrist. “Plus, I already have a girlfriend.” Nolan pulled me firmly to his side, wrapped a heavy arm around my shoulders, and pulled me tight against his chest. Me: “?” “Her?!” Vanessa’s voice spiked an octave, dripping with disbelief. “Her.” Nolan squeezed my shoulder tighter. I was so stiff I felt like a wooden board. “You’d better leave on your own, or I’m calling security to drag you out.” Judging by his tone, Nolan was genuinely furious. I didn’t dare breathe. I just came up here to deliver some paperwork, and I was getting front-row seats to premium billionaire drama. At least I had material to gossip with Harper about over dinner tonight. I was mentally organizing how I’d tell the story to distract myself from the overwhelming, dominant aura Nolan was radiating right beside me. Seeing that Nolan was completely unyielding, Vanessa realized she was humiliating herself. She shot me one last venomous glare and finally stormed out. 4 For a long moment, it was just me and Nolan left in the office. The atmosphere instantly froze. I quietly reminded him, “She’s gone. Can you let go now?” He was holding me way too tight. It was the closest I had ever been to a man’s chest, and I was genuinely terrified. Look, Harper and I talked a big game. We’d hire cute bartenders to pour us drinks and hype us up at parties, but we never actually crossed any lines. Despite our open-minded humor and wild talk, my actual experience with physical intimacy was practically zero. “Ahem… Maya…” Nolan paused, and another deafening wave of silence washed over the room. “Take tomorrow off. Let’s go get our marriage license.” “?” “Are you insane?” “Every single black card of Harper’s that I froze will be transferred to you. We’ll sign a contract. You pretend to be my wife.” Wait. This transaction… doesn’t sound like a bad deal? The credit limit on just one of those cards was more than I could earn working like a dog for the rest of my life. “On the condition that we don’t interfere in each other’s personal lives. But to ensure my parents don’t see through the lie, you have to move in with me. I won’t control what you do.” Nolan laid out the terms slowly, like he was negotiating a corporate merger. I absorbed the information like a sponge. Finally, I just said, “Let me think about it.” “Don’t discuss this with Harper. She won’t agree to it.” “…” He knows me too well. “Give me your answer by tomorrow.” … That afternoon, I made up an excuse to take half the day off. I needed to go home and think this through. As absurd as it was, I desperately needed the money. The terms Nolan offered were practically a Maya-trapping device. Unlike Harper, I grew up poor and miserable. My mom died in childbirth. My dad loved her so much he couldn’t live without her; he jumped off the hospital roof. He didn’t die, but he was left completely paralyzed. A perfectly happy family was destroyed the moment I was born. I didn’t have a real home growing up. I bounced from relative to relative, living out of suitcases, constantly reading the room and catering to everyone else’s moods just to survive. I met Harper when I was working as a barista to pay my way through college. We bonded over being from the same hometown, but we were from completely different worlds. Knowing her made me realize that girls were actually allowed to be innocent, carefree, and blissfully happy. We truly became best friends during our junior year when a manipulative jerk scammed her out of $5,000. To get her money back, I chased the guy down five city blocks, tackled him, beat the crap out of him, and took the cash back. Five thousand dollars was more than my tuition and living expenses for all four years combined. He had easily swindled it with sweet talk. There was no way in hell I was letting him get away with it. From that day on, the way Harper looked at me changed. She stuck to me like glue, dragging me out to eat, drink, and party. I was willing to indulge her because she was also willing to sit in silence with me at the library for ten hours straight without a single complaint. Harper is a ride-or-die friend. Maya Certified. After graduation, I wanted to try my luck in New York. The big city always has more opportunities. Harper moved back home. She begged me to come with her, but I refused. I wanted to make more money to pay for my dad’s medical care, even though the odds of him recovering were nonexistent. I struggled in NYC for two years, sending almost every penny I made back home to keep my paralyzed father on life support. The turning point came a few months ago when the hospital finally declared him dead. I didn’t feel overwhelmed with grief; I just felt an immense, crushing weight lift off my shoulders. I was finally free of the burden of keeping him alive. All I had left was a mountain of medical debt. My debt to my parents was paid in full. I just wanted to live the soft life now. I’d pay off the debt slowly. I told Harper I was coming home to rot. Being poor was fine, as long as I was happy. I had suffered for twenty-six years. For my twenty-seventh year, I was going to live for Maya. So, when I say Nolan’s offer was tempting, I mean it was life-changing. The money he was offering would wipe out my medical debt instantly, allowing me to truly stop hustling for survival. Marriage didn’t mean anything to me anyway; I had never expected romance to magically fall into my lap. And now, I could literally get paid to be married. Why the hell not? So, in the end, I hid it from Harper, and I married her billionaire brother.

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At eighteen, I picked up a delinquent bad boy nobody else wanted. I tried so hard, but I could never warm his cold heart. Later, his childhood sweetheart appeared. That was when I realized he did have a gentle side—just not for me. The day I let go, I lied and told him I’d be right back. And then I never returned. Seven years later, reuniting on a film set, the now A-list Oscar winner grabbed my wrist: “‘Be right back’?” “Where the hell have you been?!” 01 My palms were sweating so much they were clammy. The newly crowned Best Actor, Chase Montgomery, was standing barely fifteen feet behind me. If I turned around, we’d be face-to-face. The Assistant Director spoke up. “Chase, the next scene is your reunion with your ex. You need to show a sense of longing and reluctance to let her go.” Chase let out a soft, mocking scoff. “Longing?” “You don’t think it fits the scene?” the AD asked. “She’s an ex. What’s there to miss?” His voice was exactly as it used to be—careless, lazy, and unrestrained. “Cece.” The discussion behind me continued. I couldn’t hear what the AD said next. But Chase’s cold, detached voice pierced my eardrums with crystal clarity: “My ex? I forgot about her ages ago. I don’t make a habit of going back for seconds.” Oh. Well, as his “seconds,” I had absolutely no intention of acknowledging him either. Once the movie wrapped, we’d go our separate ways. Perfect. Just as I was comforting myself, a coworker yelled at the top of her lungs: “Cece! Did you find the props yet?!” 02 The set behind me went dead silent. I grabbed the props and sprinted away in a panic. Chase didn’t chase after me. Maybe he didn’t hear it. Or maybe he did, and he just didn’t care. While setting up the soundstage, I pulled my coworker aside. “Next time, just call me ‘C’ instead of Cece.” “Why? Cece is cute.” “Going by an initial just sounds more professional on set.” She laughed and bought the excuse. This was my first gig as a co-director. Before I joined the crew, I knew Chase was the male lead. He was Hollywood royalty, a nepo baby with half the industry’s resources at his fingertips. But infuriatingly, he actually had the talent to back it up, winning an Academy Award at just twenty-five. And unluckily for him, I was his first love. I had hesitated to take the job. But I didn’t want to pass up such an incredible career opportunity, so I bit the bullet. I swore to myself I would never let him spot me. If he did, I was dead meat. Because seven years ago, our breakup was incredibly ugly. I left him a letter that read: “I knew you were Hollywood royalty from the start. I only got close to you so I could sell stories about your family to the tabloids. I actually hate street punks; I like preppy, educated guys. Don’t ever contact me again. Bye.” As carefree as those words sounded, my actual escape was pathetic. I had no idea how Chase felt when he read that letter. But I knew he was the type to hold a grudge. If he caught me, my career in Hollywood could be blacklisted in an instant. “Chase looks even better in person than on screen. His genetics are insane,” my coworker swooned. “Well, look at who his parents are. Two cinema legends. He was bound to look better than us mere mortals.” “I just love his vibe! So refined and elegant. Ugh, he must have been the Golden Boy in high school, right?” I almost choked on my own spit. Chase? The Golden Boy? Dead wrong. Not only was he not the Golden Boy, he was the notorious, violent bad boy everyone avoided like the plague. I remembered him sitting on the curb in the pouring rain, bruised and battered from a street fight, looking completely lifeless. It wasn’t until I walked up to him that he lifted his heavy eyelids. “Get lost.” His tone back then was like a rabid dog, ready to rip me to shreds. But I didn’t get lost. With trembling hands, I held my cheap floral umbrella over his head. That was how Chase and I began. I shook my head, forcing the memories out of my brain. The set was built, and we had a short break. The soundstage was too loud, so I slipped into the stairwell. The moment I pushed the heavy door open, the sharp smell of tobacco hit my nose. Chase was standing in the shadows, the glowing red cherry of his cigarette burning between his fingers. He lifted his lazy eyes and looked at me. Exactly like he did back then. 03 The stairwell was dark and suffocatingly quiet. “…Sorry, didn’t mean to intrude,” I muttered, keeping my head down as I turned to leave. But Chase called out, “What’s your job on set?” “Co-director.” “Just graduated?” “Yes.” “Landing a job under Director Davis right out of film school. That’s impressive.” “Thank you, Mr. Montgomery.” “How old are you?” “Twenty-five.” He let out a low, breathy chuckle. “We’re the same age, and you’re calling me ‘Mr. Montgomery’?” “The primary AD calls you that, and he’s forty-three.” “Say it again.” I froze. What? I forced the words through my teeth. “Mr. Montgomery.” In the dark, I couldn’t see clearly, but I swore the corners of Chase’s mouth curled up. It was a cold, emotionless smile. It made the hairs on my arms stand up. But I clung to hope. There was no way he recognized me. Compared to seven years ago, I was a completely different person. I went from a scrawny, malnourished beanpole to a girl people actually called pretty. Even my own relatives barely recognized me these days, let alone some guy in a pitch-black stairwell. “I’ll leave you to your break, Mr. Montgomery. I’m heading back.” “Wait.” He stopped me again. “What’s your name?” The question caught me completely off guard. 04 “Cecilia. “My name is Cecilia Evans.” “Have you ever gone by any other name?” “No.” Chase fell silent. A cold sweat broke out across my back. My real name used to be Ryan. I changed it later. He had lied to me back then, so I was lying to him now. We were even. During the summer before my sophomore year of high school, I found Chase on a street corner. He told me he had nowhere to go and no family. I believed him. I thought he was just an unwanted, broke kid, just like me. When I was little, my mom resented me for being a girl. When my parents divorced, they both started new families. They both had sons. Neither of them wanted me, so I was dumped in my aunt’s basement apartment. I was always an incredibly obedient kid. Because if I was good, at least they would feed me. Chase and I were polar opposites. He smoked, fought, and broke every rule in the book. I was quiet, introverted, and knew nothing but studying. When sophomore year started, we ended up in the same homeroom. I sat in the very front row; he sat in the very back. No one knew what his family did. There were even rumors that he was an orphan who lived on the streets. At school, we acted like total strangers. But no one knew that every night, Chase would knock on my basement window. I would clear a small space on the concrete floor and set up a sleeping mat for him. The next morning, before my aunt’s family woke up, he would leave, as if he had never been there at all. Chase constantly skipped class and always showed up covered in bruises. Every time, I was the one who applied the antiseptic. “Ryan,” he would hiss, “can you be a little more gentle?” “Call me Cece.” “Right. Cece.” Cece was my childhood nickname, given to me by my late grandmother. I vastly preferred it over Ryan, a name born out of my mother’s disappointment that I wasn’t a boy. Because Chase constantly slept on my floor, I subconsciously believed he had it worse than I did. When I forgot my textbook and the teacher yelled at me, Chase walked all the way from the back of the room and slammed his textbook onto my desk. When kids from other classes bullied me and I was too timid to fight back, Chase stood in front of me and declared that I was under his protection. I thought we were two broken souls finding solace in each other. It wasn’t until much later that I realized it was all a lie. Chase was Hollywood royalty. His family owned half the mansions in Beverly Hills and a fleet of sports cars. A single pair of his sneakers cost more than my entire wardrobe for the year. He was just using me to piss off his elitist family. When did I figure it out? My thoughts were interrupted. Back on set, a coworker shoved an iced matcha latte into my hands. “Blair Kensington is visiting the set again! She bought drinks for the whole crew. Look at them! The billionaire heiress and the A-list actor. They’re literally a match made in heaven!” I looked toward the director’s tent. Blair was currently whining, acting coy. Chase had his head tilted, listening to her patiently. Just like everyone else, I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the picture-perfect scene. Suddenly, as if feeling my gaze, Chase turned his head. And looked right at me. 05 I instantly dropped my head. When I looked up again, Chase was no longer looking in my direction. Maybe it was just my imagination. Blair was still clinging to his arm. “Chase, please come to Paris with me for Fashion Week when you wrap this movie!” Her tone and inflection were exactly the same as they were seven years ago. I couldn’t help but fall back into my memories. In high school, Chase and I maintained a purely platonic relationship. Until graduation. That summer, after a late-night class party, I was followed by a group of drunk street punks. Chase practically fell from the sky and beat them to a pulp. Maybe it was the relief of finally being done with high school, or maybe it was because we were finally adults. Suddenly, looking at Chase just felt… right. I gathered my courage and confessed my feelings. After that, I initiated our first time holding hands, our first hug, our first kiss… Chase was never overly passionate, but he didn’t push me away either. He remained a tough, stubborn brick wall who could never utter a single romantic word. But in some ways, he was a decent boyfriend. He was always there when I called, and he was generous with his money. However, Chase never introduced me to his friends. Once, I went to a local pool hall to find him, hoping to surprise him. Instead, his face went rigid, and he snapped impatiently, “Don’t ever come here again.” I didn’t think much of it at the time. I just thought that was his personality. Until Blair Kensington appeared. She wore designer dresses and flawless makeup. She burst into my world like a blinding spotlight. She whined and called him “Chasey.” “Chasey, what are you doing in a dump like this? Where’s the new Ferrari you just bought? Take me for a spin!” The word “Ferrari” nearly gave me whiplash. Blair looked at me, her eyes wide and innocent. “Chasey, who is she?” “Hi,” I said. “I’m his girlfriend.” “Huh? Are you joking? Why would he ever look twice at you? I’m his fiancée. Our families have an arranged marriage.” “Bullshit.” Chase’s face went dark as he practically shoved Blair out the door. “Don’t listen to her. I never agreed to the engagement.” His explanation was incredibly weak. Later, when Chase’s parents tracked me down, I finally learned the truth. Chase was the ultimate nepo baby. His parents controlled a massive chunk of the entertainment industry. He had a terrible relationship with them. He intentionally transferred out of his elite private prep school to a public high school just to rebel. He intentionally refused to go home. His parents were always away shooting movies and barely paid attention to him, completely unaware of the street-thug lifestyle he was living. At the end of our meeting, his father looked at me and said: “Miss Evans, you might not realize this, but Chase is incredibly rebellious. He’s only dating you to spite us. He doesn’t actually love you. He’s pulled stunts like this before. If you don’t believe me, just watch how he treats Blair.” “He loves Blair. They grew up together, he just hasn’t realized his own feelings yet.” “You and us… we are simply not from the same world.” It felt like I had been struck by lightning. And soon enough, I realized his dad wasn’t lying. Even though Chase claimed she annoyed him, he was incredibly patient with Blair. He indulged her tantrums and caved to her demands. The worst incident happened a few weeks later. Blair was actively mocking me for being poor. But the second Chase walked around the corner, her face crumpled into a mask of pure victimhood. “Chase! Ryan just shoved me into those thugs over there! I was so scared!” Chase instantly panicked. “Cece, I told you not to mess with her.” Standing behind him, Blair stuck her tongue out at me in a victorious, mocking grimace. In that moment, I understood everything. Chase wasn’t an unfeeling iron wall. He just didn’t bloom for me. At the end of August, I accepted his parents’ offer. With their financial backing, I went abroad for college. Given my background, it was likely the only chance I’d ever get at a real future. On the day I left, I told Chase I wanted to go buy some chocolate. Chase instinctively pulled out his wallet. “Buy the most expensive kind. Get some for me too.” I didn’t take his money. “I’ll use my own. I… I’ll be right back.” “Yeah. I’ll wait for you.” And then, I never came back.

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By the time I transferred to his school, Ryder had already dated every pretty girl in the hallways. He used to joke with his friends, “I’d rather date a stray dog than date Harper.” I am Harper. But a month later, his best friend pinned me against the lockers and confessed his feelings. When Ryder saw the faint mark on my collarbone, he completely lost his mind. “Who gave you permission to touch her?” 1 “Um… could you pass this to Ryder for me?” I took the pale pink envelope. It was the eleventh love letter this month. Everyone knew I was Ryder’s childhood best friend, and everyone knew that out of all the girls in the world, I was the absolute last one he would ever like. So, they felt perfectly safe using me as their personal mail carrier. Just like always, when Ryder took the letter, he raised an eyebrow, thought for a second about who the girl might be, and let out a soft scoff. “My standards aren’t that low.” He tossed the letter back into my arms. “Someone on your level? No thanks.” His friends burst into laughter. Ryder looked at me, his eyes dripping with sarcasm. Why? Because the very first love letter Ryder ever tore to pieces was mine. 2 Ryder and I grew up next door to each other. Our parents were close friends, so naturally, everyone assumed we were close, too. And in the beginning, we were. Until one specific… accident. We were playing Truth or Dare. Ryder picked dare, and someone challenged him to kiss me. Back then, we were just awkward teenagers with too much pride. He asked me, “Do you mind?” Before I could even process the question, he leaned in and kissed me. “Tsk. Nothing special.” From that moment on, I was no longer the untouchable straight-A student in everyone’s eyes. I was just another one of Ryder’s possessions. 3 Ryder’s grades were terrible. Because of that, his parents constantly asked me to tutor him. But on the day we agreed to meet at the local library, I stood alone at the bus stop for nearly an hour. Eventually, I opened Snapchat and saw his story—he was at a sketchy gaming lounge, bragging about a ten-game win streak. I took an Uber to the lounge. The air inside was thick with vape smoke. There was a girl literally sitting on his lap. Her friends were cheering him on. Suddenly, he turned his head and locked eyes with me. He gave me a nasty, wicked smirk. 4 “Harper, are you out of your freaking mind?!” Ryder had been screamed at by his parents, and his car keys and allowance were confiscated. He couldn’t go to the gaming lounge anymore, all because I snitched. “You shouldn’t be hanging around places like that,” I said, emphasizing every word. Back then, I hid my massive crush on him behind a wall of stubborn, self-righteous concern. But all my care only bought his growing disgust. Ryder grabbed my chin. “What gives you the right to control me?” “Did you honestly think that just because we kissed, you’re my girlfriend? What a joke!” 5 Ryder was undeniably gorgeous. Combined with his rebellious, bad-boy attitude, he quickly became the most popular guy in school. Girls lined up to try and tame him. He never turned them down, playing the field with a casual, heartless charm. Even when he was just shooting hoops, his skills had the bleachers screaming his name. But Ryder didn’t hold back. He hurled the basketball directly, and violently, at me. “Oops. Sorry.” He sounded entirely bored as he watched me clutch my stinging arm. “You’re not going to hold a grudge against me, right, my little childhood friend?” After that day, the whole school knew: Ryder hated me. 6 Gradually, I accepted that fact. I took the carefully written love letter I had poured my teenage heart into and buried it deep in a drawer. I stopped paying attention to him. But in front of our parents, we still had to play the part of best friends. “Ryder’s grades have really improved lately! It must be all thanks to Harper. Here, I cut up some fruit for you two,” his mother said with a bright smile. Ryder looked like he was in a great mood. But he subtly shot me a warning glare. His grades didn’t improve because of me. They improved because he was “studying” after hours with Stella, the most popular girl in our grade. I knew, because I had caught them making out in an empty classroom. 7 I had already tried to erase Ryder from my world. But we went to the same school; avoiding him completely was impossible. As a consistent straight-A student, I had just been nominated for State Honor Scholar, and I needed to give a speech the next day. I stayed late after school to rehearse in the auditorium. Walking down the hall, I passed an empty classroom. The sounds coming from inside were quiet but unmistakable. I just turned my head, and through the gap in the blinds, I locked eyes with Ryder. He had Stella pinned against a desk. In the brief second he looked up, he caught me. Right then, I knew he was adding another strike to my name. 8 Stella, Ryder’s new girlfriend, used to be the runner-up for Valedictorian. But after she started dating him, her grades visibly tanked. This quickly caught the counselors’ attention. They pulled me into the office. “Has Stella been acting strangely lately? Is she hanging around a bad crowd?” I just shook my head. “I don’t know.” But secrets never stay buried. Somehow, word got out that I had been questioned. Ryder and Stella’s relationship was exposed. His parents found out, and his dad—a man with a terrifying temper—dragged him home and beat him. My parents weren’t home that day. Ryder forcefully barged into my bedroom. “I underestimated you.” He shoved me hard. I lost my balance and crashed into my desk. One of the drawers flew out, spilling its contents across the floor. Ryder’s grip on my wrist tightened, then froze. Because we both saw it. Lying on the floor was the pale pink love letter. It had my name on it, and his. And he recognized my handwriting perfectly. 9 “Oh… so you’re just jealous?” Ryder’s face lit up with mocking realization. He ripped the love letter to shreds, then grabbed me. I struggled against his grip. “I didn’t snitch on you!” He raised an eyebrow. “I have something more important to deal with right now.” Ryder snatched a pair of scissors from my desk and snipped off a lock of my hair. “Harper, I would rather date a dog than date you.”

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1 I ended up with the guy who ruthlessly bullied me in high school. When the morning light spilled into the room, I barely moved my arm. Instantly, the arm clamped around my waist pulled me tighter. Roman Vance buried his face in my neck, kissing my skin. His voice was thick and raspy with sleep. “Did you sleep well last night?” I stiffened for a second, then obediently nodded. If this were the past, I might have put up a slight struggle. But he had spent the last three weeks teaching me a very clear lesson. Obedience was the only way. He reached for my hand resting by my side, intertwining his fingers with mine. He let out a low, amused chuckle against my hair. “You didn’t throw the ring away this time?” … He was talking about the diamond ring resting on my ring finger. There had been two others before this. One I hid in the back of the freezer. The other I tossed into the decorative fountain down in the courtyard. I didn’t want to recall the consequences of losing those first two rings. But the consequence of keeping the third one was clear: I was going to marry him. The man I feared more than anyone else in the world. 2 I loved my time in the shower. Because I didn’t have to face him, and I wouldn’t trigger any terrifying memories. But as I stared blankly into the fogged-up vanity mirror, the steam couldn’t hide the glaring, harsh marks scattered across my skin. My eyes were bloodshot. I just stood there, staring at my reflection. Until Roman’s slow, methodical knocking echoed from the bathroom door. “Taking a long time in there.” “If you don’t come out, I’m coming in.” “…” It wasn’t like he hadn’t barged in unannounced before. I immediately turned off the water and wrapped myself in a towel. … Breakfast was arranged perfectly on the dining table, though Roman probably didn’t have time to eat. The morning news played in the background. With his long, elegant fingers, he cleanly and sharply tied his necktie. Noticing my eyes fixed on him, he leaned over and tapped my nose. “Like what you see? Want to tie it for me next time?” I turned my face away. He just let out a careless, low laugh. Deliberately, he picked up the glass of milk I had been drinking from and took a sip, placing his lips exactly over my lipstick mark. … “Be good. Wait for me to come home.” “I’m taking you dress shopping tonight.” 3 Roman left. I stared blankly at the TV for a long time. Then, I picked up the glass he had just drank from and hurled it violently at the screen. The TV only shuddered, but the heavy glass shattered into a hundred pieces across the hardwood floor. The loud crash made the housekeeper gasp in shock. But I just pulled my knees to my chest, curled up in my chair, and cried. … Roman Vance was my walking nightmare. Back in high school, out of the entire clique that made my life hell, he was the cruelest. I remember him standing over me with that arrogant smirk, taking my backpack and dumping all my textbooks from the second-floor balcony. He orchestrated the entire class to isolate me. With his encouragement, a group of girls dragged me into the restroom and slapped me across the face. As long as he led the charge, no one dared to help me. Because Roman was the heir to a massive corporate empire. His dad’s company had funded the entire new science wing of our school. He mocked me flawlessly, and back then, bullying me simply became the school trend. I heard that his handsome face was the subject of countless girls’ fantasies. But to me, he was the demon that kept me awake night after night, shivering in terror. And yet, this same man… Seven years after graduation… Said he was going to marry me. 4 I could never shake the habit of trembling whenever I saw Roman. Even though we had been sharing a bed for three weeks. No one would help me. When my mom found out a man of Roman’s status wanted to marry me, she acted like she had won the lottery. Roman seemed to have switched cars again today. The backseat of this one was incredibly spacious. I hated cars with spacious backseats. The privacy partition was rolled up. No one in the front could see what he was doing to me in the back. But Roman was quieter than usual today. Probably because I wouldn’t stop shaking. He had turned the heat up in the car, but the tremors wouldn’t stop. Ignoring my resistance, he pulled me flush against his chest. “Hazel, are you really that terrified?” The man’s low whisper brushed against my ear. He knew exactly who caused me to be like this. “I’m taking you to pick out a wedding dress. Doesn’t that sound nice?” I tried with everything I had to suppress my trembling, but a sarcastic, broken laugh escaped my lips anyway. Who would have ever thought? The very man who pushed me into the abyss… Was now gently whispering about wedding dresses. 5 The boutique Roman brought me to was located inside a private, gated mansion. Crystal chandeliers cast a brilliant, blinding light over the stunning gowns displayed on mannequins. I wasn’t in the mood to look, let alone choose. I just let Roman and the designer discuss custom styles for me. I let the assistants wrap measuring tapes around my body like I was a doll. The boutique had a small courtyard garden in the back. That interested me more. So, while they talked, I lifted the hem of my skirt and walked out to the small koi pond. There was a wrought-iron gate at the back of the garden. It looked like if I could just pass through it, it would lead to infinite freedom. In truth, I had thought about running away a million times. But every time I mustered the courage, a crushing realization hit me: I had nowhere to run. My mom desperately wanted this marriage. She had grabbed my hands and begged me to stop causing trouble. I sat by the edge of the pond until Roman finished his meeting and came to find me. “What are you thinking about?” He always did this. Looking down at me from high above. So, I rolled up my sleeve and held my arm out to him. On my wrist was a small, circular red scar, bordered by thick, raised tissue. “Look. The cigarette burn you gave me.” I was referring to a day in high school. He was in a bad mood, dragged me into a corner, and pressed a lit cigarette directly into my skin. It hurt so much. It hurt so badly that I forgot what else he did to me that day. The man looking down at me froze. For a long moment, he just stared. Then, he crouched down in front of me. Even though I hated to admit it, Roman’s face was flawless. Perfect. Like a masterpiece sculpted by the greatest artist of ancient Greece. If he looked at anyone with a tender expression, they would drown in his eyes. I guess that’s why they say the devil always wears the most intoxicating face. The flame of his lighter flickered. Right in front of me, he lit a cigarette. I flinched automatically, terrified the burning ash would fall onto my arm again. But the next second, without batting an eye, he pressed the glowing, burning tip of the cigarette directly into his own wrist. In the exact same spot as my scar. He looked at me quietly. “Does that make you feel a little better, Hazel?” “…” I looked down. The ashes crumbled, and the raw, fresh burn was glaring to look at. Suddenly, he reached out and pulled me into his arms. “Hazel. If only you could give a fraction of your pain to me.” Summer fireflies drifted upward over the pond. I stared blankly at the rippling moonlight. “Roman, you know full well that you’re the one who caused all that pain.” His body went entirely rigid. Then, slowly, he began stroking my hair. “Then let me atone for it. Please?” “…”

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My wife’s “one that got away” sent me an explosive video. In the frame, they were wrapped in a passionate embrace, their temples pressed together, whispering intimately. With tears in their eyes, they confessed how desperately they had missed each other. At the end of the video, her first love arrogantly showed off to me. “Ethan, you really are useless. After all these years, you still couldn’t make Chloe fall in love with you.” Later, I chose to divorce her, stepping aside so they could be together. But Chloe just laughed out of pure anger, a sharp hint of mockery resting in the corners of her eyes. “Ethan, what makes you think you have the right to bring up divorce?” “You’re nothing but a pathetic loser whose own parents didn’t even want him.” I stared at her in absolute disbelief. It turns out that when someone no longer wants to love you, they will ruthlessly plunge the knife into your deepest wounds without a second thought. 1 In the dead of night, the jarring ring of my phone jolted me awake. Rubbing my throbbing temples, I forced myself to sit up and answer the call. “Ethan, your wife is here keeping me company.” The voice on the other end was unfamiliar yet unmistakable—Carter Pierce. It instantly shattered whatever exhaustion I had left. Without thinking, I blurted out: “What are you talking about?” As I spoke, my hand reached out to feel the space beside me in bed. It was completely empty! Chloe Sterling really wasn’t here! Carter’s voice floated through the speaker again. “Chloe came to my welcome-home party. Why didn’t you come?” “Don’t tell me she sneaked out without telling you.” His words made the hand gripping my phone tremble. A fine, needle-like pain began to spread across my chest. Carter was right. Chloe hadn’t told me a thing. Just a few hours ago, she had been curled up in my arms, acting sweet and affectionate. But the moment I fell asleep, she turned around and ran straight to the childhood sweetheart she had been pining for. Carter let out a light cough, his voice laced with amusement: “How about I send you the address? You can come down and see for yourself if Chloe is with me.” After hanging up, Carter texted me the location. Right below it was a video clip. In the video, Chloe and Carter were holding each other tight, faces pressed close, pouring out how much they had missed one another. With the volume turned all the way up, I could clearly hear Chloe’s soft, desperate murmur: “Carter, I missed you so much.” Another voice message from Carter popped up. “Sorry, Ethan. Chloe said she just couldn’t handle how much she missed me.” “But man, you really are useless. After all these years, you still couldn’t make Chloe fall in love with you.” My heart violently shuddered. I could perfectly picture his arrogant, triumphant smile. So certain. So incredibly confident. I slowly closed my eyes, suppressing my breathing, my eyes burning with unshed tears. Carter was right. I was useless. After all these years, I still couldn’t find a way into Chloe’s heart. 2 I followed the address Carter gave me to an upscale lounge in the city. The lights were blinding, the atmosphere dripping with extravagance. In the dead center of the room sat Chloe and Carter, surrounded by people treating them like royalty. Everyone was cheering them on: “Carter is finally back! You have no idea how long Chloe has been waiting for you.” I scanned the room. These were all Chloe’s closest friends—the ones who had always despised me. All for Carter’s sake. They had mocked me, openly and secretly, countless times. Now, facing Carter, they were radiating blatant warmth and approval. Swallowing the bitter taste in my throat, I pulled out my phone and called Chloe. When her screen lit up, she glanced at it and rejected my call without a second of hesitation. Then, she sent me a text: “Something came up at work. Go to sleep without me.” I stared intently at Chloe from a distance. Her face was completely relaxed as she typed that message. There wasn’t a single flicker of guilt or panic. It really was. Almost laughable. 3 “Chloe, I heard you got married.” Carter’s words snapped me out of my thoughts. He leaned his body slightly toward Chloe, his posture undeniably intimate. Chloe bit her lower lip, hesitating for a moment. Carter’s expression immediately darkened. Seeing this, the friends around them quickly jumped in to defend her: “Don’t be mad, Carter. Chloe only ever had you in her heart.” “Yeah, you can’t blame Chloe. It was that charity case who wouldn’t stop pestering her.” Charity case? So this was how Chloe allowed them to talk about me. Carter let out a scoff, his tone dripping with disdain: “Who is this guy? Does he have zero self-respect?” “Did he only marry Chloe for her money?” Chloe seized the opportunity to cut them off, interrupting the conversation: “Alright, enough. Let’s not talk about him. It kills the mood.” Kills the mood? I couldn’t help but laugh at myself. It turns out that throwing your whole heart at someone doesn’t guarantee the clouds will part to reveal the moon. Back in the day, before I even had the chance to confess my feelings to her. She had already gotten together with Carter. Their romance was loud and highly publicized. For a time, they were the golden couple everyone envied. But the good times didn’t last. In our second year after graduation, the Sterling family’s investments collapsed. They were on the brink of bankruptcy. Unwilling to suffer through poverty with her, Carter ruthlessly abandoned her and moved abroad. I was the one who stayed by her side, encouraging her. I even emptied my entire life savings to invest in the Sterling family’s failing projects. I abandoned my dream of becoming a photographer and accompanied her to endless corporate dinners and networking events. To protect her from the sleazy investors, I drank myself into a stupor at every single dinner. It ended with me suffering severe stomach hemorrhaging and passing out. When I woke up, she was keeping vigil by my hospital bed, her eyes swollen like walnuts. “Ethan, what would I do without you?” With the woman I loved crying in my arms. In that moment, my heart melted completely. Over the next few years, I shielded her from every hardship. I sacrificed half my life to drag the Sterling Corporation back on track. But as the company stabilized, Chloe’s attitude toward me grew increasingly cold. She didn’t love me. And because of that. Not a single one of her friends respected me. They went out of their way to humiliate and make things difficult for me. In their eyes. Carter was the only man worthy of Chloe Sterling. 4 Carter smiled and poured himself a glass of liquor. Chloe immediately stopped him. “Your stomach is bad. Don’t drink.” Carter took the opportunity to grab her hand, intertwining their fingers tightly. Seeing this, the crowd around them started hooting and hollering, urging them to get back together. Completely ignoring the fact that Chloe was a married woman. Carter’s eyes reddened right on cue. He looked at Chloe with deep, affectionate longing: “Chloe, I had my reasons for leaving the country back then.” “Now, I’ve risked everything to come back. I just want to ask you one thing: Do you still love me?” The private booth instantly fell dead silent. Everyone held their breath, waiting for her answer. I was waiting, too. But Chloe didn’t answer right away. She just stared at her hand, firmly grasped in Carter’s. A trace of struggle flashed through her eyes. Finally, as the corners of Carter’s eyes grew redder, she slowly opened her mouth: “Yes.” Carter looked as if he hadn’t fully processed it, asking blankly: “What?” Chloe’s eyes filled with a radiant smile as she repeated: “Carter, I still love you.” Even though the lounge’s heating was on full blast, I felt like I had been plunged into a freezer, an agonizing chill piercing me to the bone. Amidst the roaring cheers of the crowd. Carter wept tears of joy and pulled Chloe into a tight embrace. As she hugged him back, she turned her head and spotted me. A flicker of panic flashed through Chloe’s eyes before her face darkened completely. She gently pushed Carter away and walked briskly toward me. “How did you know I was here?” Carter followed closely behind, wrapping an arm around her shoulder and smiling as he chimed in: “Let’s not make a scene.” “Ethan was probably just worried about you. He probably wanted to track your location so he followed you.” Chloe’s eyes widened in fury, her voice raising as she interrogated me: “Ethan, are you stalking me?!” I stood frozen for a few seconds, laughing bitterly in my head. When a person doesn’t love you. Everything you do is wrong. Everything you do has an ulterior motive. And above all, nothing you say will be trusted. 5 When I got back home, I collapsed onto the sofa, completely drained. Because of my appearance, the reunion party had ended on a sour note. Chloe had abandoned me outside the lounge, taking her driver to personally escort Carter home. Her excuse? As a friend, she was worried about Carter since he had just returned to the country. As for her actual husband, she didn’t spare a single thought. I stepped out of the shower to find that Chloe had returned. Her face was thunderous. I looked at her numbly: “What’s wrong?” Chloe kicked off her heels, lifted her chin, and stared at me with pure disgust: “Next time, don’t ever stalk people again. It’s repulsive.” I had a million explanations lined up in my throat, but meeting her impatient, hostile glare… I just squeezed out a dry, hollow sentence: “Chloe, I have never stalked you.” I desperately suppressed my emotions, trying to explain: “Carter called me and sent me a video of you two…” Chloe slammed her water glass violently onto the table, her voice trembling with rage: “Ethan, you’re supposed to be a man!” “I never realized you had so little class. Not only do you lie, but you frame other people to cover it up.” She paused, then added the final blow: “You can’t even begin to compare to Carter.” A sharp, stabbing pain ripped through my chest. In a fraction of a second, the last remaining shred of my sanity vanished. “Can’t compare? Wasn’t he the one who abandoned you like trash?!” “The second he comes crawling back, you wag your tail and run right back to him!” “Chloe Sterling, how do you sleep at night? Are you doing right by yourself? Are you doing right by me?!” That last sentence tore from my throat, raw and on the verge of breaking. Chloe grabbed the heavy glass from the table and hurled it directly at me. She shot to her feet, screaming back: “I put a roof over your head and food on your table! How have I ever done you wrong?!” “My friends called you a gold digger, and they were absolutely right!” Suddenly, I felt an eerie sense of calm. It turns out that when your heart breaks past a certain threshold, your entire body just goes numb. “Let’s get a divorce.” Chloe froze. “What did you say?” She let out a laugh of pure disbelief, her eyes dripping with arrogant mockery. “Stop throwing a tantrum, Ethan.” “You’re nothing but a pathetic loser whose own parents threw away like garbage.” “Except for me, who else in this world would ever want you?”

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