I asked my online boyfriend what he did for a living. He said he collected bottle caps. I said I swept streets. To keep up the act, I shared my street-sweeping tips daily, and he told me which bottle caps were worth the most. Then we met in real life. We stared at each other, dumbfounded. He was my billionaire stepbrother. Him: “Sweeping streets?” Me: “Collecting bottle caps?” We locked eyes and said in unison: “Nice story, bro.” 1 I lost a game of Truth or Dare, and my friends made me use a random dating app to find a boyfriend. I had to date him for a month. No breakups allowed. But after actually dating him, I realized I was starting to like him. That wasn’t the big problem. The small problem was, when we started, I used a fake name, “Riley,” and casually mentioned I was a girl from a rural village with no education who could only find work sweeping streets. He believed it. He even told me he collected bottle caps for a living. I still remember how carefully he asked if I would look down on him. Being head-over-heels in love, I obviously said the right thing. “A street sweeper and a bottle cap collector? We’re a match made in heaven!” He was clearly thrilled. “That’s great, babe! Let’s meet up. I can’t wait to see you.” We arranged to meet at a coffee shop. But before I could see my online boyfriend, I ran into my stepbrother, Julian. “What are you doing here?” Julian and I are a blended family. After my mom divorced my dad, she got together with Julian’s father. We became step-siblings in name. But by then, I was already in college, and Julian was out starting his own AI and robotics company. We rarely saw each other, so we weren’t exactly close like traditional siblings. I honestly didn’t understand how someone could have such a poisonous tongue. He roasted me every time we met. So, I usually avoided him like the plague. Every time we spoke more than two sentences, the classic bickering script would start. Like now. “Dressed like this… are you cosplaying a mud golem?” Julian looked me up and down, suppressing a laugh. I gritted my teeth. “What do you know? It’s called Earth Tone fashion.” Clearly, he had no taste. I clenched my fist, then noticed he was holding a single rose. “Ooh, bringing a flower? Going on a date?” I reached out, but Julian dodged immediately, looking protective. That confirmed it. He was giving it to someone. “Brother, bringing a single rose that costs less than ten bucks to meet a girl? That’s a bit cheap, isn’t it?” “You wouldn’t understand.” I shut up. Didn’t argue. I wanted to see which unlucky girl caught Julian’s eye. My phone suddenly rang. It wasn’t my boyfriend, but it reminded me. Julian was here. If my boyfriend saw him, would he be intimidated? While I was thinking, my mom called. “Stella, your brother is coming home tonight. Let’s have dinner together. Come home now, I need to talk to you.” 2 I hate this! Why is meeting up so hard! It’s not like I’m asking for the moon! The problem was Julian sitting at the next table, looking like he wasn’t leaving anytime soon. Forget it. Today wasn’t the day. Retreat! I packed up and left immediately. To hide my identity, I had parked my car miles away and took an Uber. Once in the car, I messaged my boyfriend. “Sorry babe, my mom called me home for an emergency. Can’t make it today.” “It’s okay. Something came up on my end too.” Then he transferred me $520. (Note: 520 sounds like “I love you” in Chinese) How many bottle caps did he have to collect to earn that?! “I found a wallet while collecting caps yesterday. Returned it to the owner, and they insisted on giving me $500.” He got $500, but added $20 of his own money for me. He loves me too much. I’m crying. “Babe, if I give you a ten-dollar rose, would you think I’m cheap?” Seeing this message, I didn’t hesitate. “Of course not! It’s the thought that counts, not the price.” Forget a ten-dollar rose; I’d accept a dollar store plastic flower. I thought of the rose in Julian’s hand. Yup, my babe is way more sincere! It was afternoon when I got home. Before I could speak, Mom dragged me upstairs to change. I was confused, like a puppet being maneuvered. Until evening came, and Julian returned. And there was a stranger at the dinner table. “Who’s this?” The man looked up at me and gave a shy smile. I had a bad feeling. “This is the son of a friend. Just here for a casual dinner and to meet you.” A blind date? I instinctively tried to deflect. “Mom, Julian just got back from abroad today. Shouldn’t we be celebrating him?” Before I finished, Julian waved his hand dismissively. “Your future is more important. A welcome dinner is unnecessary.” “Yeah, Stella. Your brother has other plans tomorrow. You meet him first.” Before I could speak, Mom pushed me into a chair. The man opposite me kept glancing up, making me uncomfortable. “Which school did you graduate from, Ms. Stella? What do you do now?” This time I answered first. “Not much education. I sweep streets now. Salary is $1,500 a month. But I spend more than I earn, so I still need my parents’ help.” I didn’t expect Julian to react more violently, suddenly coughing. “What did you say?” I wanted to ask if he looked down on street sweepers, but Mom cut in. “No, no. Stella started a company with friends focused on urban greening. Last month they hired unemployed middle-aged women for city cleaning. They even got an award!” The man’s face relaxed. But Julian’s gaze on me became strange. “Stella Lin, what were you doing at that coffee shop today?” 3 Everyone at the table looked at me. If I said I was meeting an online boyfriend, Mom would kill me. In a panic, I smiled. “I heard you were there and wanted to see you. But you were holding a flower, looking like you had a date, so I didn’t want to disturb you.” When I first met Julian, I couldn’t accept having a new brother, so I bribed his staff to report his schedule. I avoided any dinner he attended. So me knowing he was at the coffee shop didn’t raise any suspicion. Instead, Mom and my stepdad focused on him. “Really? Julian is dating? That’s wonderful!” “Where is she from? What does she do? How old is she? Bring her home!” Julian’s smile faded. He kicked me under the table. I kicked him back. Thanks to Julian’s love life, no one paid attention to me in this awkward blind date. I quickly ate a few bites and left, planning to walk in the garden. But the blind date guy chased after me. “Ms. Stella, I really think we’re a good match. Let’s add each other on WeChat and chat.” I looked at him. Simple suit, gold-rimmed glasses. Mom’s type: elegant and scholarly. Too bad I felt nothing for him. And I already had a boyfriend. “I don’t like you. Sorry you wasted a trip.” His smile froze for a second, but he spoke again. “Actually, I’m just doing this for my family too. Let’s add each other to deal with them. I promise I won’t harass you.” To get rid of him, I added him. He left tactfully. “I’ll visit Uncle Jiang and Auntie Lin another time. By the way, I’m Luke.” Julian couldn’t handle the interrogation and left to hide out. That gave me an idea. A beautiful life beckoned. I moved out of the house efficiently. Without a curfew, I called my friends to the bar that night, vowing not to go home sober. Halfway through my drink, my boyfriend messaged. “Babe, miss you. Let’s call.” Damn. Why now? I looked around. My friends were drinking, playing games, singing. The DJ outside was blasting music. The voice call was ringing. If I answered this, how could I pretend to be a street sweeper? The call ended, then rang again. He wasn’t giving up. I ran around the bar and finally ducked into the bathroom. Away from the music. Perfect. I picked up. His voice was raspy and sexy. “Babe, you finally answered. I missed you.” So sexy. But why did it sound familiar? 4 “Babe, why aren’t you talking? Did I disturb you?” “Of course not.” I spoke and realized my voice was terrifyingly rough. Probably from screaming karaoke earlier. I sounded like a robot with a sore throat. “You sound tired. Was work hard today?” I felt even more guilty. He was collecting bottle caps. I was drinking at a bar. “It was okay. I’m used to it.” “You make my heart ache. I got paid today, $5,000. I’ll send you $5,200 in a bit.” He’s too good. I’m crying. “Why give me money?” It wasn’t even enough for tonight’s bar tab, but it was his monthly salary. “It’s okay, take it. My job covers room and board, I don’t spend much. Some caps are worth a lot, I get a bonus.” I felt worse. Just as I was about to refuse, the bathroom door slammed open. Two drunk girls stumbled in, vomiting into the sink. “That vodka was strong!” “Keep going later! No sipping!” They walked out arm in arm, shouting drinking games. “Sisters are good! Five crabs! Six six six!” They were loud. My boyfriend heard everything. “Babe, are you at a bar?” Cold sweat ran down my back. I spotted a janitor’s closet in the corner. “Yeah, I’m working… at a bar. I got a job as a cleaner here today.” “Cleaning is hard work, especially with drunk people vomiting. I’m worried you’ll be too tired. Was the old job bad?” “I had no choice. The street sweeping jobs are all taken by older ladies. They say we young people are unstable and won’t hire us. I was lucky to find this.” After much explaining, I finally smoothed it over. I don’t know if he believed it, but I did. Unexpectedly, a few days later, he introduced me to a job. I looked at the listing. Company Cleaner. Female. Local resident. Under 30. Most importantly: Full benefits, salary $15,000 a month. What kind of company pays a cleaner that much?! I looked at the company name. WenYu Group. Isn’t that Julian’s company?! His company is rich enough to pay cleaners like execs? I was suddenly jealous. “Babe, I saw this ad online. You have to try. It’s a great job.” But… I’m Julian’s sister. If people found out I was a cleaner at his company, I’d be a laughingstock. “Babe, opportunity waits for no one. Go!” “I’ll try tomorrow.” “Go today. Their HR stays late.” “How do you know?” He paused for a long time. “Uh, I picked up a lot of coffee lids downstairs there before. Guessed they work overtime. Anyway, go try!”

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A month before my 35th birthday, a letter arrived informing me that I was to inherit one million dollars from my late parents. I spun around, a grin spreading across my face, ready to share the incredible news with my husband. Mark was just opening his lunchbox when he spoke, his voice flat. “You know, you’re actually kind of an embarrassment to me.” My smile froze, the joy evaporating into confusion. He set his lunch aside and looked at me, his expression calm, almost detached. “Your cooking is decent, I’ll give you that. But compared to Claire? It’s not even close.” “You’re like some tiresome, nagging maid.” The words were spoken so lightly, yet they plunged into my heart like daggers. He continued, lost in his own monologue. “You take good care of me and Lia, I’m not denying that. But when it comes to her education, you’re miles behind Claire. I know Lia’s grades aren’t great, but you don’t have to be so harsh on her.” And just like that, I understood. He was still holding a grudge because I’d lost my temper with Claire—his widowed sister-in-law—for wearing my mother’s necklace to our daughter’s parent-teacher conference, a conference she had attended in my place. His simple words drained all the strength from my body. I felt utterly, completely exhausted. 1 I turned, grabbing my purse, needing to get out. Mark frowned, his hand shooting out to grab my wrist. “Are you going to start making a scene just because I told you the truth?” “Yes.” My mother-in-law, who had clearly heard everything, merely glanced over before returning to her phone. My father-in-law sat fiddling with his radio, completely absorbed. Mark looked at me as if I were a puzzle he couldn’t solve. “What is your problem now? Am I wrong? Claire was just trying to help you out by going to the conference for you. So what if she wore your necklace? Can’t you be a little more considerate of others for once?” He was so earnest, as if he were prosecuting me for some heinous crime. Our daughter was falling behind in school, but his family did nothing but coddle her, showing zero concern for her future. Every time I tried to be the “bad guy” and enforce some discipline, Claire would swoop in with her lectures on “positive reinforcement” and letting kids be kids. And my own husband had not only let her go to the conference in my place but had also let her wear the last precious thing my mother had left me. All I had done was mutter a few resentful words, and he had held it against me ever since. “Is it time for lunch? Lia and Leo must be starving.” Claire walked in with the two children, her eyes widening as she sensed the tension. My father-in-law put down his radio and immediately went to his grandson, Leo, ruffling his hair. “Leo, you’re back! Come tell Grandpa where you went to play.” He casually led Leo away from the conflict. Our daughter, Lia, after a hesitant look in our direction, quietly followed them. A pang of bitterness shot through me as I watched my own daughter fade into the background. “Alright, Lydia, stop it. We’re about to eat. Hurry up and get things unpacked,” Mark said, releasing my arm. His tone was not a request; it was a command. Claire stepped forward to help, but Mark stopped her. “Don’t, Claire. You go sit down and rest. This stuff is greasy. You don’t want to get your hands dirty.” My heart hammered against my ribs. Did he ever once think about my hands? I looked at the man I shared my life with and saw a complete stranger. The silence from my in-laws was their verdict. Still, a part of me refused to surrender. “Can you help me, then?” I asked, my voice barely a whisper. Mark turned to me, a small smile playing on his lips. Hope, fragile and foolish, flickered within me. If he helps me, I thought, I’ll tell him about the money… But his next words plunged me into an icy abyss. “Stop playing the victim.” “You’ve been doing this stuff for years. Why are you being so dramatic now? Claire is gracious enough to offer, and you’re actually going to take her up on it?” “You can’t expect everyone to do everything for you.” His voice was gentle. But the pain in my chest was sharp. I had had enough of his endless, crushing comparisons. 2 Rage, pure and hot, flooded my senses. The picnic lunch I’d been preparing since dawn was sent crashing to the ground. The tent I’d spent an hour meticulously setting up was torn down in a single, violent motion. My rampage was brought to an abrupt halt by the stinging slap of Mark’s hand across my face. “Are you insane?! You’ve completely ruined a perfectly good family outing! Why did I ever marry a woman like you!” “If you can’t handle being here, then get out! Stop acting like a lunatic!” The thread I had been hanging by finally snapped. But in its place, a strange, new feeling washed over me. Relief. An incredible, weightless relief. It was as if those were the words I had been longing to hear. I looked around at them: my father-in-law, a passive observer; my mother-in-law, her face a mask of disgust; and Claire, busy comforting the two children. I suddenly realized that in this family, I had always been the outsider. A hollow laugh escaped my lips, but my heart felt like it was being torn apart. “Fine. As you wish.” I stumbled as I turned to leave. “Stop right there!” My mother-in-law’s voice cut through the air. She grabbed my arm. “What do you think you’re doing?!” “My son has supported you all these years while you haven’t worked a day! And now you do nothing but cause trouble for him! Have you ever once thought about this family?” She softened her tone, a caricature of remorse. “Is it because I didn’t help you unpack? It’s my fault. I apologize. Here, let this old woman help you with your things.” “From now on, I’ll take care of everything, alright?” Claire came over, her voice dripping with faux sympathy. “Mark is just angry. He didn’t mean it. Don’t take it to heart.” “He already explained about the necklace. He said it was an accident.” “You’re a family. You should talk things through.” “Go on, go say something nice to Mark. Ask him to forgive you.” They were all trying to placate me. But I was the one who was bleeding. “That won’t be necessary.” “I can walk back by myself. That should make you all much happier.” 3 After Mark’s older brother passed away, Mark brought a pregnant Claire to live with us. With two daughters-in-law expecting at the same time, the grief in the house was momentarily overshadowed. My in-laws treated us with a semblance of equality. But the moment Claire gave birth to a son, the scales began to tip. And when I held my newborn daughter in my arms and heard their quiet sighs of disappointment, I knew the fragile peace I had fought so hard to maintain was about to shatter. My daughter and I were their family too. Didn’t I deserve a basic level of respect? But what power does a woman with no income and no support system really have? I tried crying. I tried screaming. All it did was cement my reputation as a shrew. My desperation at his coldness was framed as me being crazy, and my “craziness” became his justification for pushing me further away. They relied on me for every practical need while emotionally exiling me. I became the family maid. It escalated to the point where Mark had Claire attend our daughter’s parent-teacher conferences. Because Claire had a job, dressed well, and looked more “presentable” than I did. They burdened me with endless chores with one hand and condemned my disheveled appearance with the other. The constant psychological pressure wore me down until their rare praise became my only goal in life. And in the end, I still had nothing. No one saw my exhaustion. No one cared. So, let it end. I shook Claire’s hand off my arm. “The range hood in the kitchen is broken. Remember to call a repairman.” “And Mark’s suits should be kept with matching ties. It makes it easier for him in the morning.” “Since you all agree I can’t compare to Claire, I guess these things are her responsibility now.” A flicker of triumph flashed in Claire’s eyes. I felt a strange sense of release. “You don’t need to look so smug about ‘winning.’ You’re just the ‘nice guy’ who swoops in after every fight we have. But when a real problem comes up, you’re never the first one to solve it.” “Doesn’t it get exhausting, being like that?” Looking at this family of hypocrites, I realized that fighting with them was a complete waste of my life. I stormed over to my father-in-law and smashed the radio on the ground. I had bought it for him. He was so picky that I had scoured half the city to find one that met his ridiculous standards. Then, I marched over to my mother-in-law. I yanked the gold bracelet off her wrist and put it on my own. She gasped, reaching for it. “That’s my bracelet!” I deftly dodged her. “This was part of my dowry. You just liked it so much you decided to wear it yourself.” Next, I pulled the jacket off Mark’s shoulders and threw it into a puddle. It was his last birthday present from me. He was furious. “You shrew! You’re being completely unreasonable!” “I bought all of these things.” “Well, didn’t I…” Mark started, then clamped his mouth shut. What could he say? In all our years of marriage, he had never once given me a gift. The few pieces of jewelry I owned were all from my family, from before the wedding. 4 My actions stunned them into silence. I had made scenes before, but they always ended with me trying to win back their approval. My mother-in-law’s chest heaved with rage. My father-in-law’s face was a thundercloud. Seeing her chance, Claire nudged her son, Leo, who immediately ran to his grandparents and hugged their legs, babbling sweetly. My daughter, Lia, started to step forward too, but they deliberately ignored her. As Leo charmed them with his antics, the tension in the air magically dissipated, replaced by warmth and laughter. And Lia just stood there, lost and alone. Just like me. An outsider. I had always known they were biased, but seeing it so plainly still felt like a knife twisting in my gut. How ridiculous. They could be so prejudiced against their own flesh and blood, all because I had given birth to a girl. I had tried to gently bring it up with Mark once. I stated it as a simple fact, but he met me with icy indifference. He asked me, his voice calm, if it wasn’t the truth. If I had given him a son, he said, his family would have treated me just as well. They drove me to the brink of madness, then calmly painted themselves as the victims of my insanity. I never brought it up again. Mark’s eyes were soft as he ruffled his nephew’s hair, but his face darkened the moment he looked at me. If anyone else had been there, he would have pointed at me with that weary, long-suffering sigh. “See? She’s at it again.” But this time, I didn’t scream. I calmly took my daughter’s hand. The sight of me preparing to leave with Lia seemed to finally rattle him. “Alright, alright! I shouldn’t have said those things, okay?” “I’m sorry.” “Now, shouldn’t you be the one to apologize to everyone?” He sounded like he was patiently mediating, but he was just trying to provoke me further. This time, he was destined for disappointment. “Lydia! Don’t push your luck!” He clearly thought his “apology” was a grand gesture, and he was furious that I wasn’t gratefully accepting it. “Move.” The single, cold word slipped from my lips. His anger finally boiled over. “What the hell do you want?! Do you expect the entire family to get on their knees and beg for your forgiveness?!” I looked at him, my face a placid mask. “Could you please get out of my way?” He stared at me, uncomprehending for a second. Then, his rage exploded. Without another word, he slapped me again. “Lydia! If you walk out that door today, don’t even think about coming back!” My cheek burned, but the pain was nothing compared to the ache in my heart. He knew. He knew my parents were gone, that this family was all I had left. And he was using it to force me to submit. But I was done submitting. 5 “Mark, let’s get a divorce.” The toxic sludge that had been clogging my heart for years finally dissipated with those words. Claire rushed over and grabbed my hand. “Lydia, I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have disturbed your lives. If it weren’t for me, you two would never have reached this point.” “If you really can’t stand having me and Leo here, we’ll move out. Please, don’t say things you’ll regret, like getting a divorce.” Her words sounded sincere, but every sentence was designed to drive a deeper wedge between us. It worked. Mark became even more agitated. “No! I promised my brother I would take care of you and his son! If you move out, I’ll be breaking my promise!” Claire wiped a tear from her eye, her gaze full of sorrow as she looked at Mark. “It’s okay. I can raise my son alone. You two can’t get divorced because of me.” Mark whirled on me, his eyes full of venom. “Will you be happy once you’ve torn this family apart?! You want a divorce? Fine! You’ve got it!” “But let me make one thing clear. You haven’t earned a single penny in all these years. When we’re divorced, don’t expect to get a dime from me. We’ll see how you feel then. Don’t come crying back to me.” I looked at his ugly, contorted face and spoke coldly. “Don’t worry. I won’t ask for a cent. And I’m taking Lia with me. We won’t be a burden to any of you.” “I’ll have my lawyer draft the papers and send them to your email. See you at City Hall in a month.” With that, I took my daughter’s hand and walked away. A month later, I was waiting outside City Hall as promised. Mark arrived, his eyes darting around, unable to meet my gaze. “You need to be sure about this,” he mumbled. “You can still change your mind.” I didn’t even look at him. “Why are you wasting my time?” I pushed our documents across the counter, urging the clerk to hurry. The moment the divorce certificate was in my hand and I stepped out of that building, I tasted freedom for the first time. At the same instant, my phone buzzed. A new message had arrived. It was the notification that the one million dollars from my parents’ estate had just been deposited into my account.

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1 I was always a whirlwind, a rambunctious spirit who could never sit still. My family, however, was a portrait of quiet dignity. No one else seemed to appreciate the chaos I thrived on. The year I turned fifteen, I stayed up all night, meticulously crafting a birthday present for my older brother, Michael. When he opened it, a kaleidoscope of paper butterflies erupted from the box, startling him. His face immediately darkened. The next day, I was sent to an etiquette coach. Michael stood there, his brow furrowed with disapproval. “Mrs. Keller, my sister’s… disposition will make her a laughingstock in our circle. I see no other way. I can only entrust her to you to teach her some discipline.” “In return,” he added coolly, “the Lucas family will see to it that your daughter is taken care of for the rest of her life.” The next time I saw him was three years later. Michael’s eyes scanned my poised, serene form, and a look of deep satisfaction settled on his face as he prepared to take me home. But I simply tilted my head, my expression one of innocent confusion. “I’m sorry, who are you?” … Michael froze for a second, then his expression soured as he reached for me again. “Stop playing dumb. You don’t recognize your own brother?” “Mom and Dad are back from their world tour tonight. Come home with me; we’ll surprise them.” His tone was sharp, and I instinctively took two steps back, only to be met by a firm push from behind. “Mia, dear, go home with your brother!” I turned to see Mrs. Keller, the woman who had spoken. Her warning gaze met mine, and I flinched. Mrs. Keller was my etiquette coach. She was the epitome of grace and virtue, a gentle smile always playing on her lips. But her eyes… her eyes held a hidden threat. “Remember to be on your best behavior when you get back. You don’t want to be sent back here!” I nervously wrung my hands, only for one to be taken in a firm grip. Michael looked down at me. “Why are you sweating so much? Are you hot?” I could feel Mrs. Keller’s dangerous stare on my back and quickly shook my head. “N-no. I’m not hot.” Michael nodded, then turned to Mrs. Keller with a polite smile. “Mrs. Keller, Eliza seems to be enjoying her stay with us so much she doesn’t want to leave. I’m afraid it might be a few more days before we can bring her back to you.” At the mention of her daughter, Mrs. Keller’s eyes lit up. “Oh, that’s no problem at all! Let her stay as long as she likes. She can stay forever if she wants!” “These past few years, you’ve found her the best schools, arranged for her to study abroad… I can’t thank you enough!” Michael gave a slight nod. “You’ve taught Mia to be so well-behaved. It’s the least we could do.” With that, he led me to the car waiting to take me home. During the entire ride, I sat primly in my seat, a careful distance from my brother. My hands were folded in my lap, my back was ramrod straight. I didn’t dare speak. Michael’s gaze on me was soft. “Excellent. You finally look like a Lucas heiress.” “It seems we should double Mrs. Keller’s compensation.” Soon, the car pulled to a stop in an exclusive, gated community. Michael got out first, then thoughtfully circled around to open my door, extending his hand to me. I had been taught these courtesies. They were etched into my mind. I lifted my left hand and gently placed it in his palm. I stepped out, planting my foot firmly before gracefully exiting the vehicle. The smile in Michael’s eyes deepened. “Very good, Mia,” he praised. But in the next second, the hand resting in his suddenly clenched! The sight of the villa before me was surreal and disturbingly familiar. A knot of dread tightened in my stomach. Michael frowned. “What’s wrong?” Goosebumps erupted on my skin, but I had to maintain my composure. I quickly shook my head. “N-nothing.” He released my hand. “Then let’s go inside. I have a present for you.” I followed him. The closer we got to the house, the more my head throbbed. Once we were inside, Michael presented me with a beautifully wrapped box. “Mia, welcome home.” He opened it, revealing a delicate butterfly bracelet. The color drained from my face. My head felt like it was splitting open. The butterfly on the bracelet seemed to come alive, its wings beating as it flew straight at me. My vision swam, and I thought I heard a shrill, angry voice echo in my mind: “You stayed up all night just to pull a prank? Mia, it’s my birthday! Can’t you be considerate for once in your life?” I was never the favorite child. I was too loud, too boisterous. The Lucas family rules were strict. My brother, Michael, was born with an innate air of reserved elegance, making him the apple of our parents’ eyes. But I was different. I was a carefree whirlwind, a bundle of hyperactive energy that didn’t seem to fit the Lucas mold. Before I turned fifteen, my parents had me take three different DNA tests. Each time, they would stare at the results and shake their heads in weary resignation. “Mia’s personality is just so… untamed. She’s nothing like the other debutantes.” “Richard, are you sure she’s ours? What did we do to deserve this?” “She and Michael are supposed to inherit the company one day. With this lack of decorum, she’ll be a disaster…” They never bothered to hide their conversations from me, and I never took them to heart. I’d usually just flash a mischievous grin and wrap my arms around my mother’s. “What, you two don’t want me anymore? Did you forget who mediated your last fight?” “You two would never have made up so quickly without me!” My mother would sigh, exasperated, and tap my forehead. “Honestly, what are we going to do with you?” And so, my life before fifteen, though filled with my family’s disapproval, was not unhappy. Until the day I got into a fight with the daughter of my father’s business partner over a dress. My parents gave me the silent treatment for a full day before quietly conferring with my brother. “This personality of hers will be a liability when she takes over the company. Michael, you need to find a good etiquette coach. It’s time she learned some discipline.” Michael nodded. “I’ll arrange it after my birthday.” That night, I stayed up until dawn, creating a butterfly kaleidoscope for him. The next morning, I stifled a yawn and pushed the gift into his arms. “Happy birthday.” He looked at my red-rimmed eyes, and the corner of his mouth twitched into a small smile. But when he opened the box, he used too much force. The butterflies were supposed to flutter out one by one, a beautiful, ethereal display. Instead, his rough handling sent them all bursting out at once. Two of them grazed his eyes, nearly blinding him. His face turned to stone. For the first time, his legendary patience snapped. He smashed the box on the ground. “You stayed up all night just to pull a prank? Mia, it’s my birthday! Can’t you be considerate for once in your life!” I tried to explain, but he wouldn’t listen. He just turned and walked away. The next day, I was sent to Mrs. Keller’s. These memories used to be crystal clear. But now, all I could recall were fragmented images and the sound of my brother’s angry reprimand. The rest was a complete blank. My headache intensified, and I rubbed my temples. Michael watched me, still patiently holding out the gift box. Just then, a girl ran over and snatched it from his hands. “Wow, this bracelet is gorgeous! Michael, can I have it?” “But this is a gift for Mia…” Michael, never one to say no, looked at me with a conflicted frown. A memory flashed in my mind—my parents scolding me for not knowing how to share after the fight over the dress. I quickly forced a smile. “You can have it. Here, let me help you put it on.” I graciously fastened the bracelet onto Eliza’s wrist and even offered a compliment. “It’s beautiful. It suits you!” She looked baffled, her eyes narrowing with suspicion. “You’re really giving it to me? You’re not angry?” I patted her hand magnanimously. “Of course not. Mrs. Keller taught me that sharing is a virtue.” Michael’s frown smoothed out, a genuine smile reaching his eyes. But Eliza just glared at me, yanked her hand away, and stormed off to her room. I didn’t understand why she was upset and felt a flicker of panic. “What’s wrong with her?” I asked Michael. “Why is she still unhappy after I gave her the bracelet?” “Her?” The smile on Michael’s face vanished. “You don’t remember Eliza? She’s Mrs. Keller’s daughter. You’ve met her several times.” At the mention of Mrs. Keller, my expression shifted, and tension coiled in my stomach. Michael, ever observant, finally realized something was wrong. He cupped my face in his hands, staring into my eyes for a long moment, his own expression growing grave. A moment later, he was on the phone with Mrs. Keller. “Mrs. Keller, Mia has been acting strangely since she came back. It seems like she doesn’t recognize people. What’s going on?” Mrs. Keller laughed on the other end. “Oh, that’s perfectly normal. She’s eighteen now, right in the middle of her rebellious phase. She’s likely upset that you sent her to me and is just pretending.” “Many of the children I work with do the same thing when they go home. It’ll pass.” When he hung up, Michael’s frown had only deepened. He clearly wasn’t convinced. Before he could investigate further, the front door opened. A middle-aged couple wheeled in their luggage, their faces breaking into wide smiles when they saw me. “Mia’s home! Oh, I’ve missed you so much!” The woman rushed over and pulled me into a tight embrace. Another wave of pain shot through my head, but out of politeness, I didn’t push her away. They then proceeded to pepper me with questions, their affection overwhelming. I maintained a polite, distant smile throughout. By the end of our conversation, their satisfaction with me was palpable. I had also figured out that they were my mother and father. At dinner, my father mentioned a gala in a few days and said he wanted to take me. Eliza pouted. “Uncle, Auntie, can’t I go?” My mother patted her shoulder reassuringly. “There’s only one extra ticket, dear. If we take Mia, we can’t take you. Be a good girl, Eliza.” Eliza remained sullen, barely touching her food for the rest of the meal. As dinner was ending, I tried to appease her. “There’s only one spot. Why don’t you go? Don’t be upset.” Her eyes lit up, but Michael immediately shut it down. “No. You are the Lucas heiress. Eliza is just Mrs. Keller’s daughter.” “Many influential people will be at this gala. It’s a crucial opportunity for you to network.” I had no choice but to nod. “Alright, I’ll go then.” Suddenly, Eliza threw down her chopsticks and ran to her room, slamming the door behind her. Watching her second rude outburst, I couldn’t help but ask, “Is she really Mrs. Keller’s daughter? Why is she so ill-mannered?” My mother smiled and stroked my hair. “She’s not a Lucas. She won’t be moving in high society. She doesn’t need to be so disciplined.” “I see,” I said, a flicker of understanding dawning on me. That night, I lay awake in my old bedroom, unable to sleep. I felt a gaping hole in my heart, an unbearable emptiness. But I made no sound, just lay there quietly, clutching the blanket. I even held my bladder until morning. My parents were ecstatic. “Mrs. Keller is a miracle worker! Mia’s rambunctious nature is finally gone!” “Now we can finally entrust the company to her without worry.” A few days later, Michael took me to the gala. With my arm linked through his, I moved through the crowd with ease, chatting with entrepreneurs and meeting other young heirs and debutantes. Michael beamed with pride and eventually let me wander on my own. I was heading to the balcony for some fresh air when a hand grabbed my arm. A young woman stood before me, her brow furrowed in annoyance. “Mia Lucas, you don’t recognize me? I’ve been looking at you all night. Why haven’t you said hello?” I was stunned by her rudeness. “Who are you? Let go of me! This is highly improper!” “Hahaha—” The girl burst out laughing. “What are you talking about? You, talking about being proper?” “Weren’t you the one who slapped me over a dress three years ago? What’s this, a case of amnesia?” My mouth fell open. A nerve in my brain snapped taut. “Slapped you?” Before I could process it, she gave me a hard shove. I lost my balance and stumbled backward, crashing into a waiter. Red wine and broken glass showered over me. Amid the gasps of the onlookers, I struggled to my feet, trying to maintain my composure. The girl, Sophie, raised an eyebrow, watching me intently, as if waiting for me to retaliate. But I simply straightened my dress, my face cold. “I will not admit to something that never happened. But for assaulting me, I will be calling the police.” Just then, Michael rushed to my side. He took in my disheveled state, and his brow furrowed deeply. “What happened?” Sophie stomped her foot. “Michael, your sister has lost her mind! Three years ago, she hit me over a dress, and now she’s pretending she doesn’t know me!” Her voice was loud, drawing a crowd. “What’s going on? The Lucas and Chen families have been friends for generations. How could Mia not know Sophie?” “Exactly! Everyone knows she hit Sophie over that dress. I thought she had changed, but now she’s denying it…” All eyes were on me. The pressure was becoming unbearable. “I said I don’t know her!” I cried out, my voice trembling as I pulled out my phone to call the police. “That’s enough!” Michael grabbed my hand, pulling me away from the scene. “Michael, I really don’t know that girl,” I explained meekly on the way home. But he wouldn’t listen. The car stopped in front of a hospital. I looked at him, surprised. “We’re not going home?” Michael got out and reached for my hand. I flinched, my face paling with fear. He froze, his expression complicated, but his voice softened. “Mia, let’s get your head checked.” “I don’t want to. I’m scared…” I shook my head, pressing myself against the car door. Michael’s lips thinned into a hard line as he pulled me out of the car without another word. After a full battery of tests, his expression grew even darker. The results showed I was in perfect physical health. “So Mrs. Keller was right. You’ve been faking it all along!” He dragged me home and threw me onto the floor. “Mom, Dad, and I sent you to Mrs. Keller for your own good! Do you have any idea how much we’ve spent? Five million a year for tuition, not to mention supporting Eliza this whole time.” “Why can’t you be grateful instead of being so rebellious?” “Do you know how important tonight’s gala was? The impression you made is out there now. Do you have any idea what the other debutantes will be saying about you behind your back?” I cowered on the floor, trembling, my legs too weak to stand. He looked at me with bitter disappointment. “If you keep this up, I’ll have no choice but to send you back to Mrs. Keller for another two years.” “No!” The moment the words left his mouth, I fell to my knees, banging my head on the floor. “Don’t send me back! I’ll be good! I’ll be obedient! Please don’t send me back! I won’t do it again!” Michael’s eyes widened in shock. He bent down to help me up. “What are you doing? Get up!” But I just kept bowing, ignoring his pleas, repeating over and over, “I’m sorry! Please don’t send me back!” His face was a mask of distress as he tried to pull me up. A sneer cut through the air from behind him. “My mother never abused you. Who are you putting on this pathetic show for?” Michael looked up at Eliza, and his hands slowly fell away from me. His voice was laced with disappointment. “If you want to kneel, then kneel.” He turned and went into his study. I remained on the floor, my movements robotic and numb. Eliza crouched down in front of me, a sinister smile on her face. “If you don’t want to be sent back, you’d better listen to me. When your parents get home, you’re going to tell them to let me stay here forever.” “If you disobey, I’ll have my mother—ah!” Before she could finish, I lunged, my nails raking across her face. She and Mrs. Keller looked so much alike, so terrifyingly alike! Fear erupted from every pore, and I started screaming. “Shut up! Stop talking! Stop talking!” Michael burst out of the study and pulled Eliza behind him. She was clutching her bleeding face, shrieking. His eyes darkened, and he slapped me, the force of the blow snapping my head to the side. I froze, listening to his voice, cold as ice. “How dare you attack her? Go to the basement and reflect on what you’ve done! Don’t come out until you’ve learned your—” He stopped abruptly, a look of horror flashing across his face. Because the moment I heard the word “basement,” my body started to convulse, and then, I collapsed. “What are you pretending now?” he asked, his voice shaking. He nudged me with the toe of his shoe. When I didn’t respond, he quickly scooped me up from the floor. His hands were trembling. I had never seen him so lost. “Call an ambulance—” … When I opened my eyes again, I was in a hospital, surrounded by people. A doctor with a grave expression was removing a needle from the pressure point above my lip, scribbling notes in a chart. Michael’s eyes were bloodshot, his voice hoarse. “Doctor, why did my sister suddenly faint? I just had her examined. She’s perfectly healthy!” The doctor frowned. “The patient’s problem isn’t physical. It’s psychological.” “She has likely endured prolonged abuse. The trauma was so severe that her mind chose to forget.” He looked at the pale, horrified faces of my parents and brother and sighed. “If you want to know what your sister went through, the only way is through hypnosis.” “But, you need to be prepared…”

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I was canceled online. All because I used my own money to open a subsidized meal line in the university cafeteria for students on financial aid. They said I was a phony philanthropist, that I was insulting them with “pig slop.” But the meal I offered was three dishes and a soup for just three dollars. When I burst into the dining hall, a scholarship student named Lila Thorne was slamming her tray down on the counter. Braised pork and gravy splattered everywhere. Martha, the woman who ran the counter, just stood there, her face a pale sheet of shock. The same hands that always gave students in need an extra scoop of rice were now trembling uncontrollably. I walked past Lila, went straight to Martha, and gently wiped the hot spray of gravy from her cheek with a napkin. Kindness, it turns out, is the cheapest thing in the world. And if that’s the case, then this counter is permanently closed. 1 “Isn’t three dollars still money?” Lila’s voice was a piercing shriek. “How come they get to eat seared tuna while we’re stuck with this greasy, fatty pork!” She spat the words “greasy, fatty,” her phone’s camera aimed squarely at Martha’s face, livestreaming the whole thing. The comments on the stream were flying. “Lila’s right!” “So poor students aren’t even human?” Martha was so flustered she could barely speak. “This… this pork was bought fresh this morning. I picked out the best cuts myself, and it stewed for a full two hours…” “Stewed in what? Grease?” Lila shoved the tray away, and chunks of meat tumbled to the floor. “Look at this fat! It’s practically oozing oil! Are you trying to poison us with this pig slop? Do you even have a conscience?” Pig slop. The words stabbed into me. Martha’s eyes instantly filled with tears. “Lila!” My voice trembled as I pushed through the crowd of onlookers. She immediately whipped the camera around to face me. “Well, look who it is!” she announced with manic glee. “Our beloved campus princess, Scarlett Vance, has finally decided to grace us with her presence!” “Go on,” she taunted, “tell everyone right here, right now. Did you set this whole thing up just to humiliate us with your garbage food?” I fought to keep the rage from boiling over. “Martha went to the market before dawn to hand-pick every single one of these ingredients…” “Oh, spare me the phony, bleeding-heart routine!” she screeched, cutting me off. Spittle flew from her mouth. “If you really cared, why isn’t the food the same at every counter? We want the seared tuna! Why are we being treated like second-class citizens?” I was shaking with fury, my nails digging so deep into my palms I thought they might draw blood. The same? Was she insane? She wanted seared tuna for three dollars? Why not just rob the kitchen while she was at it? The number of viewers on her livestream was skyrocketing, the comment section a cesspool of vile insults. And that’s when I saw it. The one that cut the deepest—posted by Ethan Cole. “Support Lila! Break the privilege!” Ethan. The same Ethan whose tuition I had paid for three straight years. I remembered when he first arrived on campus, he barely had a decent coat to his name. I paid his tuition. I gave him money for living expenses. I even covered his mother’s surgery last year. And now, here he was, leading the online mob against me. Suddenly, my phone started vibrating violently, a relentless flood of hateful messages from unknown numbers. 2 “Go die!” “Think your money makes you special?” “People like you belong in hell!” On the campus forum, my photo had been photoshopped into a black-and-white funeral portrait under the headline: SHE HAD IT COMING. My name was trending on Twitter, the hashtag #ScarlettTheHypocrite a searing brand next to it. What broke my heart was seeing how many of the profile pictures in the comments were familiar. The freshman girl I’d stayed up all night helping with her financial aid application. The senior guy I’d pulled strings to get an internship for. Now, they were all kicking me while I was down, attacking me with the most vicious words imaginable. I looked at Lila, still putting on a show, dabbing at her dry eyes. I looked at the gleeful mob in her livestream, at Ethan’s treacherous comment. In that moment, something inside me went cold and dead. I turned and walked away. The mocking laughter of the other wealthy students followed me. “Told you not to get involved.” “See? That’s what you get for being a bleeding heart.” “She thought she was some kind of savior. Turns out they didn’t want to be saved.” I finally understood. Tossing kindness to wolves was the stupidest mistake you could make. You think this food is disgusting? Fine. From now on, no one gets to eat it. Back in my dorm, my phone wouldn’t stop buzzing, a constant stream of toxic DMs popping up on the screen. “You think you can do whatever you want just because you’re rich?” “Why don’t you just kill yourself already?” I shut it off. The world finally went quiet, but the insults kept echoing in my head. Then, a knock on the door. “Ms. Vance? This is Dean Evans from Student Affairs.” His voice was muffled. “The university administration requires you to come to the main office immediately to explain today’s events. You’ve created a significant negative impact on the university’s reputation!” I remained silent. When he got no response, his tone hardened. “Scarlett, if you continue to evade this, the university will be forced to take disciplinary action.” A cold laugh escaped my lips. They weren’t going after the people who started the riot, they were coming after me. Did they really think I was that much of a pushover? After his footsteps faded, I turned my phone back on and made a call. “It’s me.” My voice was ice. “I need you to look into a few people. Lila Thorne, Ethan Cole, and the main agitators from that livestream. I want to know everything about them.” The voice on the other end was prompt. “Understood. How deep do you want us to go?” “As deep as you can,” I said. “Especially Ethan.” After hanging up, I opened my laptop. The campus forum already had a dedicated thread for my takedown, with titles more venomous than the last. Exposing the Dark Secrets of the Vance Family The Dirty Deals Behind the Anchor Initiative The True Face of a Hypocrite The most laughable part was seeing students I had personally sponsored adding their own fabricated stories to the pile. A guy whose medical bills I’d helped cover was now claiming I’d harassed him. A girl I’d found a job for was accusing me of docking her pay. I never knew the human heart could be so vile. The next morning, I was jolted awake by a violent pounding on my door. “Scarlett Vance, get out here! We demand justice for all the students on financial aid!” Through the peephole, I saw Lila with a mob of about twenty people, all of them livestreaming. “See, everyone?” she cried into her phone. “She’s hiding in there like a coward!” 3 Lila was wailing for her audience. “This is what the rich are really like! They do something awful and don’t even have the guts to face us!” I took a deep breath and yanked the door open. “You finally came out!” Lila shoved her phone right in my face. “Explain yourself, right here, in front of everyone. Why did you try to poison poor students with your disgusting food?” I stared at her, my expression unreadable. “Are you done?” She was clearly taken aback by my calm demeanor. Her face froze. “Because if you’re done,” I said, taking a step forward and looking directly into her camera, “it’s my turn.” “Lila, why don’t you tell your audience how much that simple, ‘humble’ little dress you’re wearing actually costs?” A murmur went through the crowd. I turned to face all the cameras, my voice clear and steady. “Three days from now, I will be holding a press conference in the main dining hall. Then, the whole truth will come out.” With that, I slammed the door shut. The show was just getting started. The online frenzy escalated, and it even started to affect my father’s company’s stock price. The night before the press conference, I was reviewing my materials when there was another knock on my door. It was Lila again, a triumphant smirk plastered on her face. I opened the door before she could speak. “Oh, Ms. Thorne! To what do I owe the pleasure? Did you come to deliver my final ultimatum?” I feigned a shudder. “I’ve seen what everyone is saying online… and my family’s stock! Oh, I’m so scared.” Lila was clearly not expecting this. She blinked, then her eyes filled with contempt. “So you’re scared now? A little late for that, don’t you think? Let me give you some advice for tomorrow, Scarlett. You’d better do exactly as we say.” “A public apology, and then you’ll make our meals the same standard as everyone else’s! Or else…” She scoffed, her threat hanging in the air. I kept up the act, my eyes wide with fake panic. “Or else… or else what? You’ll really… ruin my family?” “Hah, what do you think?” Seeing my apparent cowardice, Lila grew even more arrogant. “You have no idea how powerful public opinion is. Be smart, Scarlett. Just bow your head, say you’re sorry. It’s better for everyone, isn’t it?” She even took a step closer, her voice dripping with false sympathy. “Besides, Scarlett, your family is loaded! What’s the difference between five million and fifty million to you? If you get us better food, we’ll even be grateful!” I suppressed a cold laugh, forcing a look of terrified gratitude onto my face. “R-really? Thank you for the advice, Lila… I-I’ll think about it… I really will…” “That’s more like it.” Lila nodded, satisfied, then turned and sauntered away. The second the door closed, the mask dropped from my face. Did she really believe I would just surrender? Tomorrow, when the truth came out, I couldn’t wait to see that smug expression of hers shatter into a million pieces. I was actually looking forward to it. On the day of the press conference, the dining hall was packed. People were standing in the aisles, and a wall of reporters had set up their cameras. Before I could even get to the podium, Lila rushed ahead and grabbed the microphone. 4 Her voice broke as she began. “Fellow students, members of the press, I stand here today with a heavy heart.” “We, the students on financial aid, have never asked for a handout. We are only asking for fairness!” Tears streamed down her face. “Why do some people get to eat seared tuna while we’re served braised pork? Is being poor a sin?” A wave of applause erupted from the crowd. Several other scholarship students started crying along with her. Seeing her effect on the crowd, Lila doubled down on her performance. “Today, all we want is an explanation from Scarlett Vance. Our demand is simple: we want the menu to be the same at every food counter…” I watched her performance in silence. Only when she had finished did I calmly walk up to the podium. Lila shot me a triumphant glare, as if victory was already hers. “Ms. Vance, what is your response?” “Do you admit to discriminating against students on financial aid?” “How do you plan to compensate these students for the emotional damage you’ve caused?” The reporters’ questions came like machine-gun fire. I lightly tapped the microphone, and the hall fell silent. “First, I want to thank Lila for her speech,” I began, my voice even. “She has helped me see my error more clearly than ever before.” A victorious smile spread across Lila’s face. She even flashed a peace sign at a livestream camera. “My biggest mistake,” I continued, “was, in fact, treating students on financial aid and other students differently.” “I shouldn’t have assumed that students in need required special assistance. I shouldn’t have assumed they would appreciate this kindness.” Lila’s smile froze. She could sense something was wrong. “Therefore, I’m correcting that mistake.” I scanned the entire room, enunciating every word. “Effective today, the Anchor Initiative is permanently closed. All students will be treated equally and will dine at the standard market price.” “Since you all consider a three-dollar pork stew an insult, by all means, please enjoy the fifty-dollar seared tuna.” 5 The room exploded. The students on financial aid swarmed Lila, their faces contorted with rage.

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My husband Jack’s auto repair shop hired an apprentice. The kid, Leo, was hardworking and a smooth talker, and Jack took a real shine to him. He poured everything he had into training the boy, hoping he’d become his right-hand man. Then, out of the blue, the kid quit. He turned around and opened his own shop right next door to ours, siphoning off all our business. Just as we were about to go under, our luck took a sudden, dramatic turn. 1 After dropping our daughter Mia off at her dance class, I swung by the shop. From a distance, I could see a line of cars waiting outside Leo’s Auto Repair, while my husband’s place, Jack’s Garage, was completely empty. As I pulled up, I saw one of our regulars, Mr. Henderson, heading for our entrance in his white Kia. But as he passed Leo’s shop, Leo himself stepped out and flagged him down. Henderson rolled down his window, and Leo leaned in with a wide grin. “Hey, Mr. H! Come on in for a bit, I just brewed a fresh pot of coffee. First cup’s on me.” “Maybe next time, son. I’m just taking the car to Jack for a tune-up.” “I can do that for you right here! You know my work, I learned everything from the master himself. It’ll be perfect, I promise. I’ll take real good care of your car.” Leo flashed a number with his fingers. “I’ll give you a deal you can’t refuse. And I’ll use the best synthetic oil, top of the line.” “Alright, let’s go have that coffee.” Henderson was beaming. “Okay, okay, I’ll give you a shot.” Seeing Henderson about to pull into Leo’s lot, I slammed on the gas, screeched to a halt beside them, and yelled, “Mr. Henderson!” “Jack was just saying yesterday he hadn’t seen you in a while! Speak of the devil. Come on, let him get that tune-up done for you.” Leo just smiled and waved at me, as polite as ever. “Hey, Sarah! Want to join us for coffee?” I fought to keep my voice steady, but in my head, I was screaming, Go to hell. I ignored Leo and called out to Henderson again. “Come on over to our shop.” Henderson just smiled apologetically. “Next time, Sarah. I’m going to see what the kid can do.” I knew, deep down, there wouldn’t be a next time. Staring at the line of cars waiting for Leo, a knot of pure frustration tightened in my chest. It was so suffocating I could barely breathe. I stomped my foot in anger, and a mocking voice floated over from next door. “Easy there, Sarah. Don’t want to break a heel.” That was it. The dam broke. “You ungrateful, backstabbing snake!” I screamed at him. “You’ll get what’s coming to you!” Spinning on my heel, I stormed into our empty garage. 2 The first thing I saw was my husband, Jack, humming to himself as he methodically polished his tools. He looked so damn calm. My anger flared. I marched over and slammed my car keys down on the desk with a loud crack. Jack looked up. “Who got my girl all fired up? Tell me who it is, and I’ll go set ’em straight.” I shot a furious glare out the open garage door, then pointed at the wrench in his hand. “Our business is being stolen from right under our noses, and you’re in here polishing your tools instead of trying to find customers!” “Are you that bored? Instead of this, why aren’t you calling our old clients, seeing if they need anything? You have to cast a wide net to catch any fish!” “Or better yet,” I fumed, “why don’t you go over there and punch him in the face? That’s better than just sitting here…” My tirade faltered as my eyes met Jack’s. I saw a flash of deep, bone-weary exhaustion in them before he could hide it. The words died in my throat. The shop’s failure was hurting him more than anyone. And everything I was yelling at him to do… we’d already tried it all a year ago. We’d tried everything, and nothing worked. While trying to win back our clients, Jack had also been trying to win back his peace of mind. “It’s a tough economy,” he said softly. “Business is slow for everyone. We have to try and stay positive.” “Besides, it’s not like we’re completely empty. We still have enough coming in to get by.” That just made me angrier. “But we used to be booming! Ever since Leo went out on his own, he’s been systematically stealing every single customer!” Just like he did with Henderson, right in front of my eyes. He’d intercepted him, poached him. It was a bitter pill I couldn’t swallow. “He’s making a living based on his skills. Good for him. I just need to hold on to my loyal customers.” “The auto repair business is cutthroat. If it wasn’t Leo, it would’ve been someone else.” “And look at it this way,” he added with a weak smile, “I trained an apprentice so good he could compete with me. That’s a skill in itself, right?” “Come on, Sarah. Try to see the bigger picture.” “I can’t!” My face was tight with rage. “It could have been anyone else, Jack! But it shouldn’t have been him!” Just then, Leo himself strolled into our garage. “Hey, boss. Sarah. Arguing again?” 3 I rolled my eyes. “What do you want, Leo? You’re not welcome here.” Jack didn’t even look at him, just kept fiddling with his tools. Leo rubbed his nose and chuckled, walking over to the water cooler like he owned the place and pouring himself a glass. “Polishing the old tools, huh, boss? Another slow day? You better be careful. A few more days without a car to fix and you might get a little rusty.” Jack finally looked up, his voice flat. “Leo. If you’re done gloating, you can leave.” I wasn’t nearly as calm as Jack. I grabbed a broom and started sweeping aggressively in his direction. “Yeah! What’s there to brag about anyway? Get out!” Leo dodged the broom with a smirk, then planted his foot on the bristles, stopping me. “You should really learn to control that temper, Sarah,” he said, his smile laced with malice. “Or Jack might get tired of the nagging and find himself someone younger.” That son of a bitch. Stealing our business wasn’t enough; now he was trying to poison our marriage? Did he really think I was that easy to push around? I was about to grab the glass of water off the table and throw it in his face when Jack stopped me. “Sarah, don’t. Let me handle this.” Jack stood up and walked over to Leo. “What do you need, Leo?” Leo laughed. “You always could read me like a book, boss.” “I must have missed a few pages,” Jack said, his voice dangerously quiet. “Like the part where you were secretly adding all our clients on social media, or the part where you secretly rented the garage next door. You hid those pretty well.” Leo’s smile faltered for a second, but he pressed on shamelessly. It turned out there was a car he couldn’t fix, and he wanted Jack to take a look. He framed it as asking for help, but it sounded more like bragging. Or giving an order. “There’s a five-figure profit on this repair, boss, so you better be careful. Don’t want to tarnish the great Jack’s Garage reputation.” He smirked. “You’ve never cleared ten grand on a single car, have you? Guess it’s true what they say—out with the old, in with the new. You’re just too honest, boss. You don’t know how to make real money.” I remembered Jack telling me one of the reasons Leo left was because he wanted to “make more money,” while Jack was content to make an honest living. In the auto repair world, there were plenty of ways to “make more money”—using cheap, off-brand oil, padding the bill with phantom problems. Unless you were an expert, you’d never know you were being fleeced. Leo had once suggested that Jack start up-selling customers more aggressively. He’d argued that if a customer came in for a simple cabin filter change, you couldn’t just change the cabin filter. That was chump change. You had to convince them to change the oil filter and the air filter too. Otherwise, what was the point? Jack had his principles. He told Leo that auto repair was a matter of safety, of life and death, and there was no room for cutting corners. Leo had nodded and said he understood, but the greedy glint in his eye was impossible to ignore. And now, running his shop his way, he’d made more in two years than Jack had in five. Some money, I guess, just isn’t worth making. When Jack didn’t immediately agree to help, Leo made a show of generosity, offering to pay him fifty bucks for his time. Jack’s face darkened. “Get out, Leo. Now.” Leo’s expression soured. “Come on, boss. The car… it has a brake problem.” 4 Brakes were Jack’s obsession. Back when he was just an apprentice, his skills were still green. One year, right before Christmas, his own father’s brakes went out. Jack, full of confidence, volunteered to fix them. He didn’t do it right. Driving home, the brakes failed, and his dad got into a crash that nearly killed him. From that day on, Jack dedicated himself to mastering his craft. He treated every repair with deadly seriousness, especially the brakes. He wouldn’t sign off on a job if there was even the slightest squeak. So when Leo said the car had a brake problem, Jack felt compelled to go. “That’s more like it,” Leo said, his smile returning. “Stick with me, boss, and we’ll both get rich.” He started to lead Jack toward his shop. Just then, my phone rang. It was the teacher from Mia’s dance studio. “Mrs. Miller? It’s about Mia. She’s been injured…” The moment he heard our daughter’s name, Jack forgot all about the brakes. We jumped in our truck and sped toward the dance school. “Boss, just let Sarah go by herself!” Leo called after us. “Money’s more important, right?” For the first time in years, I heard Jack swear. “To hell with the money!” “Fine! Fine! You don’t want to help? You’ll regret this!” At the school, we found out Mia had dislocated her arm. It was a huge relief. After a trip to the hospital confirmed it was nothing more serious, Jack and I could finally breathe again. When we got back to the shop, Leo heard us pull in and came out, sneering. “Don’t think you’re the only one with skills, Jack. I figured it out without your help.” “You’re a stubborn, washed-up old fool. You can just sit there and watch me get rich while your shop goes bankrupt!” We didn’t know it then, but that phone call, Jack not going over to help Leo with those brakes, had saved us from a disaster we didn’t even see coming. And for the struggling Jack’s Garage, it was the beginning of a miraculous turnaround. 5 The next morning, I was woken by a loud commotion. It wasn’t coming from our shop, but from next door. My stomach dropped. Did that bastard Leo launch some new grand-opening promotion to steal our last few loyal customers? I threw on some clothes and ran downstairs. Wow. The scene was pure chaos. A tow truck was blocking the entrance to Leo’s Auto Repair, and behind it, a police car was parked with its lights flashing. A middle-aged man in a loud Hawaiian shirt and a thick gold chain was screaming, pointing a finger right in Leo’s face. “You son of a bitch! I just bought this Maserati a month ago, and you turned it into a pile of junk!” “You couldn’t even fix the damn brakes, and now the engine won’t even start! You’re gonna pay! If I don’t see a hundred fifty thousand dollars today, I’m tearing this whole damn place down!” Leo’s face was chalk-white. He was bowing repeatedly, babbling apologies. “Mr. Russo, please, sir, calm down. It’s a misunderstanding, I swear, just a misunderstanding.” “I was supposed to have my old boss come look at it yesterday, but he had an emergency and couldn’t make it. He was the one in charge of this repair…” Okay, now I understood. That little weasel was trying to pin this on Jack. I rolled up my sleeves, ready to march over there and give him a piece of my mind, but a hand caught my arm. It was Jack. He’d come down sometime after me and was standing there calmly, watching the train wreck unfold. “Don’t,” he said. “Let him handle it.” “He’s blaming you for this! How can you just stand there?” I was practically hopping with rage. Jack just shook his head, a strange, knowing look in his eyes. “He can’t handle it.”

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I was secretly married to a superstar actress for nine years, and for nine years, her name was constantly linked to other men in the tabloids. All the while, she left me to rot in the city’s poorest district, the Warrens, without a second thought. I spent a decade washing dishes in that slum. Then one day, she showed up, wanting to take me back. “Victor,” she said, “I told you, as soon as Julian was established in the industry, as soon as his confidence was strong enough, I’d bring you home.” “He just won Best Actor at the Golden Phoenix Awards. I’m here to keep my promise.” I raised my hands, swollen and cracked with chilblains, to shield my eyes from the blinding sunlight, and stared at the elegant, unfamiliar woman before me. “I know you feel wronged,” she continued, “but Julian is the junior I mentored, the one I watched grow up. He’s timid. As his big brother figure, you should be willing to step aside for him.” “But you are still my husband. Come home with me, and I’ll make it up to you.” She kept talking, instructing me that when I returned, I was to live in the basement and stay out of sight of the paparazzi. I flicked the dishwater from my hands, cutting through her monologue. “Ma’am,” I said. “Who are you?” 1 My detached gaze seemed to freeze her in place. She blinked, then that familiar, weary smile returned to her lips. “All this time in the Warrens, and your temper hasn’t changed a bit.” She chuckled softly. “I suppose that means you’ll be able to handle Julian, even if I have spoiled him a little.” But her smile quickly faded, her expression turning serious. “Julian is a very sensitive soul. When we get back, you are forbidden from mentioning our relationship in front of him.” “From this day forward, you are my new personal bodyguard.” “You’ll be responsible for his daily needs, reminding him to eat on time. But don’t worry,” she added, as if it were a great comfort, “in my heart, you and he are equally important.” Listening to this ludicrous speech, I finally placed her. Sienna Moreau. My ex-wife. Ten years. The woman I had once loved with every fiber of my being now felt like a complete stranger. “Ms. Moreau,” I said, my voice flat and devoid of emotion as I stared at her. “You abandoned me here for a decade. What makes you think I’d just wait around for you, playing the faithful husband?” Sienna instinctively reached for me, but I stepped back, avoiding her touch. “Don’t be dramatic,” she chided. “You loved me so much back then. You couldn’t have moved on that quickly.” “Besides, you’re thirty now. No education, no real job. Who would want you, other than me?” “Even if some woman was attracted to your face, what kind of life could she offer you? Come back with me. At least I can guarantee you’ll have a roof over your head and food on the table.” Her tone was so matter-of-fact, as if my worthlessness was a given. After our secret wedding, she had given me a brief period of happiness. One day she was cuddling up to me, whispering promises of forever; the next, because her precious Julian threw a tantrum, she had me shipped off to the Warrens. I had been the bedrock of her rise to fame, loved her to the bone, and was discarded without a second thought. I couldn’t accept it. I had even begged her, humiliating myself. All I got in return was her impatience. “Julian has depression,” she’d said. “He can’t handle any stress, and he relies on me. You’re used to hardship anyway, so just stay here for a little while.” “You are, legally, my husband. I’ll give you what you’re owed, eventually.” “Once Julian is stable in his career, once he’s mature enough, I’ll come get you.” Those words had severed the last thread of hope I had for her. I just never imagined that Julian’s “stabilization” would take ten years. But I was no longer the naive boy who would debase himself for love. I had met someone who cherished me. I had built a new, warm life. “Sienna,” I said softly. “You’re too late.” I lifted my left hand. On my ring finger, a simple wedding band gleamed in the sun. “I’m very happy now. I’ve already found the person I’m going to spend the rest of my life with.” Not long after I was exiled to the Warrens, I met the daughter of the city’s wealthiest man, who was there doing charity work. She noticed me right away. I was in the middle of teaching a lesson to some young punks who were bullying an old man. She walked up to me, a playful smile on her serene face. “You’re good with your hands,” she’d said. “Ever thought of being my bodyguard?” And just like that, we got to know each other, and fell in love. When she learned about my past, she didn’t hesitate to use her family’s connections to help me legally dissolve that sham of a marriage. “Victor, you always were too proud,” Sienna scoffed, eyeing my ring. “Which flea market did you buy that piece of junk from?” “Alright, alright,” she said, her tone softening into a playful scold. “Stubborn men end up alone, you know.” “I know you still have me in your heart. Why else would you write me letters every week? I’ve read every single one.” I almost laughed out loud. Leaving aside the fact that those letters were undoubtedly from her legion of obsessive fans, had she never once suspected anything, given that the handwriting was different on every single one? I did send her one letter when I first arrived in the Warrens. It contained nothing but a signed divorce petition. For whatever reason, it had vanished without a trace. I suspect someone deliberately cut off all contact between us. “You waited ten long years for me,” she said, her voice filled with a self-satisfied warmth. “You must be so excited that I’m finally here to take you home.” “I’ve been looking forward to this day for a long time, too.” “Julian’s victory party is next week. After it’s over, I’ll come get you.” Old Man Chen, who ran the diner I worked at, had rushed out and was standing nearby, wanting to say something but unable to get a word in. Sienna continued her monologue, instructing her assistant to unload gifts from the car. “And you, pull yourself together. Don’t always look so… shabby.” I glanced down at my comfortable, casual clothes. Shabby? The luxury car outside purred away. Chen finally let out a long sigh. “What’s that superstar ex-wife of yours up to now? Does she really not know you’re remarried?” I went back to scrubbing the plate in my hands. “Let her be,” I said calmly. “It doesn’t matter anymore.” “Chen, give these gifts out to the neighbors. A little something to brighten their day.” I was only supposed to be stopping by today, just to visit the old neighbors who had been so kind to me. But after Chen insisted, I ended up staying for a few more days. It wasn’t until later that I remembered the real reason for my trip. 2 When I was forced to leave all those years ago, I’d left behind a locket my parents had given me. It was still at Sienna’s house. I needed to get it back. After all this time, I was genuinely surprised she still lived in the same villa. Even more surprised that the security code for the door was the same. I pushed the door open and stepped into the familiar space. Sienna had bought this place with the money from her first big acting gig. It wasn’t large, but it had once been filled with all our hopes and dreams. Before she became a megastar, we would curl up on the couch here, planning our future, talking about everything from the color of the wallpaper to the names of our future children. Before I could get lost in the memories, Sienna emerged from the living room. Surprise flickered in her eyes, quickly replaced by a knowing smile. “So impatient?” she purred, leaning against the doorframe. “Weren’t you the one who’d supposedly found someone to spend your life with?” “The party just ended, and I haven’t even had a chance to come get you. And here you are. Still say you don’t love me?” It was laughable. When had she developed this god complex? Not wanting to waste my breath, I tried to move past her to find the locket, but she blocked my path. “Now that you’re back, you could at least try to be a little sweet,” she said, her eyes dropping to the simple canvas bag in my hand. “And how did security even let you in dressed like that?” “What happened to the clothes I sent you? Dressed like this, people will think a beggar broke in.” Her arrogant dismissal was so absurd I had to laugh. “What I wear is my business. It’s not for you to judge. Now move. I’m just here to get something.” My coldness clearly annoyed her. “So you’re still mad that I took so long to come for you?” “I already explained, I had to wait until Julian was stable. You’re a grown man, why are you so petty?” “You could learn a thing or two from him about being gracious.” “Sienna.” A low voice drifted from the bedroom. Julian, wrapped in a silk robe, appeared, an aura of pampered privilege radiating from him. “This must be Victor, right?” he asked with a faint smile. “I hear you’re the new bodyguard Sienna hired for me?” “I have to ask, what skills do you bring to the table? You can’t protect me without some serious talent, you know.” He suddenly covered his mouth with his hand in a gesture of apology, but the taunt in his eyes was unmistakable. “Oh, I forgot you grew up in the Warrens. It must have taken a lot of work to get where you are today.” Every word was laced with condescending pity. “I’m not your brother,” I said flatly. “Don’t get familiar with me.” I had no patience for their act. The study door was open, so I decided to head straight there. As I went to push past Julian, I barely touched him, but he let out a cry and stumbled backward, knocking over a vase in the entryway. Sienna’s face contorted with fury. She rushed to his side. “Julian!” He leaned into her embrace, a shallow, bloody scratch now visible on his cheek. Sienna looked up, her gaze like a shard of ice, fixing on me. My stomach dropped. I instinctively tried to explain. “It wasn’t me…” Before I could finish, a sharp sting exploded across my cheek. She had slapped me. “Victor! Are you trying to say he threw himself on the floor just to frame you? He’s an actor! Don’t you understand how important his face is to his career?” That slap shattered the last wisp of nostalgia I felt for this house, for her. “Sienna, I started a new relationship eight years ago,” I said, my voice dangerously calm. “I only came here today to retrieve something I left behind. My wife is wonderful, my life is wonderful, and I have no intention of ever coming back to you.” Sienna’s face darkened completely. “Victor, do you take me for a fool?” “Our marriage certificate is sitting on the nightstand in my bedroom right now. You started a new relationship? Who do you think you’re kidding?” I said nothing, just held her gaze. A flicker of panic crossed her stony face. “Victor, stop this nonsense,” she said, her voice a little less certain now. “Just apologize to Julian. This tantrum has gone on long enough.” She said the words, but a deep unease was creeping into her heart. The man she had discarded for a decade was now a stranger, and it terrified her. 3 Sienna was about to say more, but Julian let out a pained whimper from her arms. She immediately helped him toward the door. I stopped her with a cold voice. “Wait.” I pointed toward the study. “Where is the locket my parents left me?” Sienna shot me an irritated glare. “In the safe, bottom shelf. The code is your birthday.” She turned and left without another look back, helping Julian out the door while calling for an ambulance. As she turned, Julian, leaning on her shoulder, shot me a triumphant, mocking smirk over her shoulder. News of Julian’s “accidental injury” immediately shot to the top of the trending topics. Photos showed him in a hospital bed, a bandage on his forehead, looking weak while Sienna dutifully peeled an apple for him. The comment sections exploded. “Who did this? Who hurt my Julian?!” “I know it’s bad, but… they look so good together! Sienna stayed with him all night!” I was oblivious to all of this. I found the locket and left quietly. But the next morning, two new headlines were trending on Twitter. [BREAKING: SIENNA MOREAU AND JULIAN CROSS CONFIRMED TO BE LIVING TOGETHER!] [SHOCKING: SIENNA’S BODYGUARD ATTACKS JULIAN OUT OF JEALOUS RAGE!] I clicked on the hashtag. A series of paparazzi photos were going viral. One showed Sienna and Julian returning to her villa together after his awards party. Another was a shot of the security log showing my entry into the villa. The comments were a frenzy. “So it was this bodyguard who hurt Julian?” “I heard he’s been obsessed with Sienna for ten years! He got jealous when Julian won the award!” “But this bodyguard is gorgeous! Would he really do something like that?” As the debate raged, a new comment shot to the top. “This guy worked for Sienna ten years ago and tried to assault her! After she fired him, he lived in the slums for a decade. She took pity on him and hired him back, and this is how he repays her!” Attached was a private photo of Sienna and me from ten years ago. It was from a time when she was overworked and would come home late at night, using me to de-stress. In the photo, I was half-undressed. It was a moment that should have been for our eyes only. Seeing the leaked photo and the false accusations, my face went black with rage. I called Sienna. She finally picked up on the fourth try. “Sienna, was this you…?” Who else could have had those photos? There was a pause on the other end. Then, her voice, cold and firm. “Victor, this is the price you pay for hurting Julian.” Hearing her words, I laughed until tears streamed down my face. A price? “Then what about the price he should pay for the ten years I spent in the Warrens because of him?” “Victor!” she snapped, cutting me off. “Must you be so petty about everything?!” “I don’t want this to escalate any further. Apologize to Julian immediately. I’ll have him release a statement forgiving you, and we can put this behind us.” Put this behind us? She said it so casually, as if the damage to my reputation was nothing compared to a scratch on Julian’s face. I clenched my jaw, trying to stay calm. As I was about to speak, I heard her assistant’s voice in the background. “Ms. Moreau, Mr. Cross is awake and asking for you.” “I’m on my way,” Sienna said quickly. When I looked at my phone again, the call had been disconnected. Sienna hurried towards Julian’s room. Halfway there, she stopped and turned to her assistant. “That white agarwood bracelet the brand sent over last week, do we have it?” The assistant nodded eagerly. “Have it sent to Victor. Agarwood is his favorite.” Sienna knew me too well. She knew I had a proud streak. Forcing me to bow my head to Julian would be a humiliation. But in her mind, if you do the crime, you do the time. And besides, I had always been easy to placate. In the past, whenever I was angry, a small gift was all it took to win me over. She assumed this time would be no different. 4 “Oh, and the matching pendant,” Sienna added, “give that to Julian.” The bracelet arrived just as I was watching Julian’s live hospital interview. He was propped up in bed, Sienna tenderly adjusting his pillow. A reporter asked, “Mr. Cross, about the recent rumors, is it true that Victor attacked you out of jealousy?” Julian gave a weak smile. “It’s not his fault. Sienna is an incredible woman, she has a lot of devoted fans…” The reporter immediately jumped on it. “So the rumors are true? This Victor is a monster! I hope all of your fans will make him pay for this!” Julian simply smiled and let his eyes drift closed, feigning exhaustion. The reporter noticed the wooden pendant around his neck. “That agarwood pendant is beautiful! It’s from the new collection at L’Arome, isn’t it? I heard there’s a matching bracelet!” Julian looked at Sienna with eyes full of affection. The reporter understood instantly. “So the rumors about you two being a couple are true?!” Sienna simply smiled, a silent confirmation. I turned off the livestream and stared at the exquisite agarwood bracelet on my table. I knew that one word to Clara would make this entire storm disappear. But I didn’t want to trouble her. More than that, I wanted to show Sienna that I was no longer the soft-hearted fool who would clear her path and let her walk all over me. When Sienna had bought the villa, the deed was put in my name. The property management system had a complete record of the ownership history. I contacted several media outlets that were direct competitors of Sienna’s and had them release a joint statement. “The legal owner of this villa has always been Mr. Victor Vance.” “It appears he was forced out years ago by Sienna Moreau and Julian Cross, only to be brought back and mislabeled as a ‘bodyguard’.” “Is a security log of him entering his own home enough to convict him of assault? This is a gross miscarriage of justice.” “There is more to this story. We call for an immediate end to the online harassment of a private citizen.” At the same time, I released a formal statement from a newly created Twitter account. The tide of public opinion began to turn. But then, to my utter shock, Sienna herself responded. “Years ago, I saw that he was homeless but a diligent worker, so I gifted him the villa. I never imagined he would harbor such delusions and repeatedly overstep his boundaries. And now, he has attacked an innocent person!” Attached was a bank transfer record from the time of the purchase. The payer’s name was clearly listed as Sienna Moreau. In that moment, I felt the blood drain from my face. Her initial payment hadn’t been enough to cover the full price. To give her a home, I had secretly gone to the realtor and paid the majority of it with the inheritance my parents left me. I remember her holding me, her eyes red with tears. “Victor, that was everything your parents left you, how could you…” Now, that act of love had become the knife she plunged into my heart. Chen was shaking with rage when he heard. “The marriage certificate! Where is it? Show it to everyone, let them see the truth!” “She has it,” I said quietly. She had insisted on keeping all our official documents, worried they’d be found by the paparazzi. Chen fell silent. After a long moment, he asked softly, “Victor… were you two really in love when you got married?” I managed a bitter smile. Just then, my phone lit up. A message from Clara. “Do you need me to step in?” She knew. “No,” I typed back. “I’ll handle this myself.” I put my phone away and handed a prepared file to a waiting reporter. “Please publish all of it.”

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Thomas rejected the honors program spot for me. He gave it to Rena Quinn, the scholarship kid he supposedly couldn’t stand. When I told him we were over, he just took off his gold-rimmed glasses, polishing them with a deliberate slowness, completely unfazed. “Don’t forget, I voted for you in the campus ambassador poll, not her. That took some real pressure.” He spoke as if placating a child. “Rena’s family is dirt poor. That program is her only shot. Think about how many times I’ve gone after her for your sake over the years. Just consider this a way of making it even.” “Jealous again?” he sighed, a faint smile playing on his lips. “Once you marry into my family, you can have anything you want. Why lower yourself to her level?” I stared at his infuriatingly calm expression. “I said we’re breaking up. Did you not hear me?” For the first time, a frown creased his brow, but it vanished as quickly as it appeared, replaced by a confident smirk. “Fine. I’ll give you a week to cool off. I’ll win you back next week. Happy now?” He was so certain I couldn’t live without him. But he had no idea. I’d already received a full scholarship offer from Oxford University. My flight to England was in five days. 1 “You’re breaking up with Thomas Chase?” My best friend Chloe’s shriek blasted through the phone. “Ava, are you insane? You don’t just dump the ultimate catch like it’s nothing!” I held the phone away from my ear and leaned back against my headboard, scrolling through the campus message board. The pinned post at the top was in a blaring red font: [Thomas Chase Defends His Girl, Humiliates Rival Rena Quinn with Program Spot!] The comments were a spectacle. “LMAO, isn’t Rena the one who’s always acting so high and mighty, saying she despises the rich? Funny how she took the spot so fast.” “You don’t get it. This is a power move. Thomas is basically saying: ‘Take the money, shut your mouth, and stop bothering my Ava.’” “Exactly! Our Ava is a queen. That broke girl Rena is always pulling shady stuff behind her back. It’s about time someone put her in her place.” “Thomas is way too good to Ava. He spoils her rotten.” I read the comments, a wave of nausea churning in my stomach. They all thought Thomas was defending me. Only I knew the truth. That spot—the one I had pulled countless all-nighters for, the one I had poured my soul into earning—had been tossed away to someone else with a careless, “let’s call it even.” “Ava, are you even listening? Say something!” Chloe was practically hyperventilating. I opened Rena’s social media profile. Her latest post was from half an hour ago. No picture, just a single line of text: “A handout, I know. But I earned this.” I screenshotted it and sent it to Chloe. “See? That’s his explanation to me.” Silence on the other end. After a long pause, Chloe’s voice came back, strained. “…So he really gave the spot to Rena? But why? I thought he hated her.” “Every time she tried to sabotage you at school, wasn’t he the first one to jump in and shut her down?” Yes, why? I once believed he was on my side. I used to think the animosity was because he loved me, and so he loathed anyone who tried to hurt me. But it turned out that every public confrontation was just a prelude to a private, generous compensation. And I was the fool, the only one who had been kept in the dark, the only one whose feelings were real. “Chloe,” I said softly. “Yeah?” “Thomas and I are really over.” “There’s no misunderstanding.” I heard Chloe’s sharp intake of breath. I knew what she wanted to say—that Thomas’s family was powerful, that he doted on me, that he was the perfect boyfriend everyone envied, and that I shouldn’t be so rash. But they only saw what he wanted them to see. 2 The next morning, a giant Hermès box was delivered to my dorm room. My roommates let out a collective gasp. “Oh my god, it’s the latest collection! Ava, Thomas is spoiling you rotten!” “Seriously, I’m so full from all this public display of affection!” Tucked inside was a card with Thomas’s elegant, flowing script. “Cooling-off period. 144 hours left.” My roommates buzzed around me, their eyes filled with envy. In their world, I was a princess cherished by the heir to a fortune, the undisputed winner in this game of love. The irony was suffocating. He thought money could fix anything, could erase any hurt, including my trampled dignity and broken heart. I calmly took out my phone, snapped a picture of the bag that was still warm from its packaging, and opened a luxury resale app. Title: [Guilt Gift from the Ex. Brand new, box opened once. Make an offer.] Once it was posted, I sent the link to Chloe, asking her to keep an eye out for a serious buyer. Her call came instantly. “Ava, are you nuts? You’ll lose so much money selling it secondhand right after you got it!” “It’s not like I’m ever going to use it,” I said, indifferent. I cradled the phone on my shoulder as I dragged a pre-packed suitcase from the back of my closet. “Chloe, I’m flying to England in five days. I got the full ride to Oxford.” “What?” The line went dead silent. I could picture her jaw hitting the floor. “When did you even—” “I applied a while ago. As a backup plan.” I managed a small smile. It was probably the single best decision I had ever made for myself. As soon as I hung up, a message from Thomas popped up. “Did you get the gift? Why aren’t you answering? Don’t you like the color? I can have it exchanged if you want.” I didn’t bother replying, just muted his chat. I continued packing, methodically organizing my life into boxes and arranging for an international courier to pick them up. Just as I sealed the last box, my mom called. The moment I answered, her placating voice filled the line. “Ava, dear, did you have a fight with Thomas? He called me, you know, he’s very upset.” “Mom, we broke up.” “Don’t be ridiculous,” her voice shot up an octave. “Ava, how can you be so immature? Our family latching onto the Chases is the chance of a lifetime. It’s a blessing!” “Don’t be so willful. A boy with Thomas’s background willing to bend over backward to please you is already a huge compliment. Don’t get arrogant and throw this all away!” I took a deep breath, cutting her off. “Mom, what if I don’t want this ‘blessing’?” A long silence stretched over the line. Then, my dad snatched the phone. “You wouldn’t dare! Ava, we’ve worked our fingers to the bone to raise you, not for you to act like a spoiled brat! If you ruin this engagement, don’t bother coming home.” Click. He hung up. I stood there in the middle of my messy dorm room, clutching my phone, and suddenly felt an incredible sense of release. Fine. Let it all be severed. Clean breaks were the best. That evening, a confirmation email from Oxford University landed in my inbox. I stared at the words for a long time before carefully typing out my acceptance. The moment I hit send, a heavy weight lifted from my shoulders. Finally, I was escaping. 3 “My family’s having a dinner party tonight. My mom specifically asked for you to be there,” Thomas announced over the phone. “Your parents will be there too. It’s time we moved forward with our engagement. It took a lot of convincing on my part, so please don’t show up looking like you’re at a funeral.” I rolled my eyes. As if I cared about his stupid engagement. But then I remembered some important research papers I’d left at home. This was a good chance to have my parents bring them and to get everything over with in one go. “Fine,” I agreed. The Chase family villa was a blaze of light. Thomas’s parents sat at the head of the table, their attitude toward me a mix of detached politeness and cool disdain. Every other sentence was a subtle jab about my ‘humble’ background, a reminder that I wasn’t their equal. My own parents seemed completely oblivious to the condescension, just nodding and scraping, smiling inanely at the Chases. They even started putting me down to curry favor. “Our Ava, we’ve spoiled her, I’m afraid. She has a bit of a temper. I hope you’ll both be patient with her in the future.” “She’s so lucky to be marrying Thomas.” I sat there stiffly, the feeling of being scrutinized making my skin crawl. During the meal, Thomas’s mother brought up Rena, her tone casual. “Thomas, I heard you’ve been picking on a girl at your university, a Rena Quinn?” Her perfectly preserved face held a hint of disapproval, but her gaze drifted over to me, as if blaming me for her son lowering himself. “Mom, don’t listen to rumors,” Thomas said, setting down his wine glass. “I actually admire Rena. Her family’s got nothing, and she’s stubborn as a mule. I was just teasing her a bit. I made it up to her afterward.” I tuned them out, mechanically stuffing my face with lobster and abalone. Halfway through dinner, the butler escorted someone into the dining room. It was Rena. She stood awkwardly in the opulent room, wearing a faded dress that stuck out like a sore thumb. All the defiant pride she carried at school was gone, replaced by a timid, hunted look. Her wide, watery eyes darted toward Thomas, pleading for help. Thomas frowned, rubbing his temples. “Take her upstairs and find her something to wear,” he told the butler. When Rena returned, she was transformed. The dress was a limited-edition piece from one of the Chase family’s brands, and on her, it had a certain fragile, captivating charm. At the table, Thomas’s mother was warmer to Rena than she had been to me, her son’s actual girlfriend, all evening. “You must be Rena,” she said, taking her hand. “Thomas told me all about you. You’re a hard worker, your grades are excellent, and now you’ve secured a spot in that honors program. You’re a wonderful girl.” She announced that the Chase family would be funding Rena’s entire education. “If you ever need anything, you come to me. We Chases have the utmost respect for resilient young people like you, who pull themselves up by their bootstraps.” Rena was overwhelmed, her eyes welling with tears as she stammered her thanks. I knew exactly what this was. Thomas’s mother was using Rena to slap me in the face. She was showing me that even a penniless girl had more grit and value than I, the daughter of a comfortable middle-class family, did. I was the real parasite, the one trying to worm her way into their dynasty. I couldn’t stand to look at my parents’ fawning, sycophantic faces anymore. The nausea I’d been suppressing all evening threatened to boil over. I put down my fork, stood up, and took the file folder with my research papers from my mother’s hand. “I’m sorry, I’m not feeling well. I have to go.” Thomas shot up from his seat to stop me. “Ava!” 4 I turned and gave him one last, cold look. His arm froze in mid-air. Slowly, he let it fall. Without another glance back, I walked out of that suffocating cage. The late-night air was frigid, the wind stinging my cheeks as I walked alone down the empty street. But my mind was a reel of memories, playing back my time with Thomas against my will. I first met him at the art studio where I worked part-time. A difficult customer was tearing apart one of my paintings when Thomas appeared out of nowhere, a knight in shining armor who defused the situation with a few sharp words. He wore a crisp white shirt and stood bathed in light, looking like a prince. When he pursued me, he said he was tired of the shallow, artificial socialites in his circle. He said he loved how real and genuine I was. He called me the most unique girl he’d ever met. And I believed him. My family was middle-class, my parents ordinary professionals. Our worlds were galaxies apart. But I truly believed our love was real, a connection of souls that transcended class. Then Rena appeared. She was fiercely independent, scornful of wealth and power, and branded anyone close to Thomas as a corporate lackey—especially me, his girlfriend. The first time we went on a date after we got together, we were at a small café near campus. I was sketching him when Rena, wearing a waitress uniform, came over with our coffee. She shot me a contemptuous look and muttered, “Climbing the social ladder and forgetting where you came from. Disgusting.” Thomas wasn’t having it. He slammed his hand on the table and shot to his feet. “What did you just say?”

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Six months pregnant, I decided to surprise my husband after he texted that he missed me. My best friend Joanna was driving me home through the mountains when a landslide struck. A boulder shattered the window and hit my stomach. Blood soaked the seat. Terrified, Joanna called my husband Nick. I cried for help, but he snapped, “I’m rescuing Lily—she twisted her ankle. Don’t bother me now!” and hung up. Joanna called her husband, Nick’s brother. He yelled, “If Lily’s hurt, your friend miscarries? Call an ambulance! Don’t waste my time!” A kind driver took us to the hospital, but it was too late. I lost the baby. Lying weak in bed, I whispered, “I’m filing for divorce.” Joanna replied softly, “Me too.” 1 As soon as I had a sliver of strength back, I texted Nick the two words: I’m divorcing you. I waited all night. Finally, his call came through. The connection was terrible, his voice cutting in and out, but his fury was crystal clear. “Jessica, I’ve been out in a damn storm all night, rescuing people, and you’re pulling this crap with me? Divorce?” “You’re at your parents’ house, safe and sound, and you’re telling me you were hit by a rock in the mountains? Who are you trying to fool? Do you have any idea how critical the golden hour is in a rescue? The thirty seconds you wasted on the phone could have saved a life!” “This is because you saw Lily’s post, isn’t it? You think something’s going on between us? She was just camping with the team! We’ve known each other for twenty years. If something was going to happen, it would have happened long before you came along. The signal’s crap out here. Don’t bother me unless it’s a real emergency!” “And if I see you use divorce to threaten me one more time, don’t expect me to be nice about it. I have no problem with my child not having a mother!” Static crackled on the line. A bitter smile twisted my lips. “So this is what you meant when you said you missed me?” I asked, my voice barely a whisper. His anger flared again. “What message? I’m swamped. Lily’s been holding my phone for me. When would I have time to text you? Stop with the passive-aggressive act. Lily needs her dressing changed. I’m hanging up!” Before I could even process his words, the line went dead. I stared at the blank screen, a single tear tracing a path down my cheek. I remembered the text now, the out-of-character emoji that followed the words. No wonder the man who hadn’t shown a flicker of concern for my six-month pregnancy had suddenly missed me. The only tender message I’d received in three years of marriage, and it was courtesy of his childhood sweetheart. And it had cost me my child’s life. The physical pain from the rock was nothing compared to the agony ripping through my heart. The tears flowed freely, but I couldn’t bring myself to dial his number again. I was afraid of who might answer. The incision on my abdomen throbbed, and my mind flashed back to the accident. The rock crushing my stomach, the last of my strength spent pleading with him for help. All I could hear from his end was Lily’s pained whimper. I kept screaming Nick’s name, telling him where I was. We were only three miles apart, but it felt like an ocean. Blood was pouring out of me, and I could barely breathe. He didn’t hang up. After what felt like an eternity, I heard Lily’s sweet, lilting voice. “If it weren’t for you, Nicky, I don’t know if I’d ever walk again. Thank you!” I looked at Joanna’s pale, terrified face, and a wave of guilt washed over me. Before I could end the call, Nick’s cold voice cut in. “Why are you still on the line? I’m busy. Can you stop bothering me? There’s a time and a place for your drama.” “You know the demands of my job! If you’re going to be my wife, you need to learn to be independent!” The line clicked. For a fleeting moment, I thought it might be better to be dead. Sensing my despair, Joanna snatched the phone and furiously sent Nick a voice message. “You’re a disgrace to your profession! You, a rescuer? The only reason you save people is to atone for your own sins! People like you should just die and go to hell!” She sent the message, and tears streamed down her face. She tried to move the rock off me, but she wasn’t strong enough. So she ran out into the storm, standing in the middle of the road, flagging down cars. Finally, a kind soul agreed to take us to the hospital. I was saved. But I lost my child. And even then, I wasn’t out of the woods. 2 Joanna had saved my life, but she was drowning in guilt. Her shoulders shook as she sobbed by my bedside. “If I had just learned first aid… if I had checked the weather forecast before we left… if I hadn’t agreed to pick you up, maybe this wouldn’t have happened…” Her tears fell faster than she could wipe them away. “I heard this hospital collaborates with Mark’s. I used his name to request a specialist consult for you. The doctors said your condition is critical. If we don’t do something soon, you might lose your uterus…” Just then, Mark, her husband, called, his voice sharp with accusation. “Joanna, are you in the mountains? Are you following me? Don’t you have anything better to do? I wouldn’t have even known if the hospital hadn’t called me!” “Don’t you know there was a landslide? Can you stop making trouble? Lily being here is a coincidence! She’s not my only patient! And can you please stop hanging out with that crazy friend of yours? Is stupidity contagious?” “I’ve explained this to you a thousand times. What will it take for you to trust me? One day you’re talking about learning first aid, the next you’re using my name to monopolize hospital resources. Can you just be normal for once? If you keep this up, I’ll be the one asking for a divorce!” He hung up. Joanna stared at her phone, at the picture of the two of them on her wallpaper, and fresh tears welled in her eyes. I had never regretted my marriage more than I did in that moment. The room was silent, save for the soft sound of our tears. Nick didn’t believe I had a miscarriage. Mark didn’t believe Joanna trusted him. Our relationships were a mistake from the start. Our stubbornness had only pushed us further down the wrong path. And turning back had cost me half my life. 3 The news was a constant stream of updates on the disaster in the mountains. Lily had signed up as a volunteer, working alongside the two brothers to aid in the rescue and rebuilding efforts. A reporter somehow got wind of their childhood connection, and suddenly, the three of them—working together, caring for each other—became the new media darlings. Cameras followed them everywhere, live-streaming their every move. The brothers, usually private people who shunned the spotlight, were persuaded by Lily to smile for the cameras. The internet went wild. They were a trio of perfect, shippable combinations. Fan groups sprouted up, churning out daily content. The actual disaster became a footnote to their love triangle. At first, Joanna tried to shield me from it all, worried it would affect my recovery. But she was a terrible liar. Who stares at their phone with a murderous rage while “casually browsing”? I snatched a look when she wasn’t paying attention and saw the three of them, side-by-side, giving an interview in front of a relief tent. Tears slipped from the corners of my eyes. The pain in my abdomen had faded to a dull, numb ache. Joanna came in with my dinner and saw what I was watching. Her face flushed with a mixture of pity and anger. “Those three bastards! Wasting resources during a disaster! Who watches the news for this soap opera crap?” “I’m calling the station to complain!” I put a hand on hers, stopping her. “Don’t,” I said, my voice weak. “It doesn’t matter anymore. Really.” Maybe my love for him had died quietly during those six months of pregnancy, with every unanswered call, every ignored text. What kind of marriage required my elderly parents to make excuses for my husband? Joanna looked at my stoic face and turned off the live stream. The screen reverted to her call log, where her furious divorce threats to her husband lay unanswered. Both brothers had changed their profile pictures to a shot from that interview, the three of them together. I managed a hollow laugh and took the food from her. Every day after that, Joanna and I took turns calling them, our single message the same: divorce. But the calls never went through. On the seventh day, Joanna stared at the disconnected call screen, a vein throbbing in her temple. I forced a bitter smile. “Maybe the cell towers are down. We can wait a few more days. What’s a few more days, right?” After all, I had already wasted three years. But Joanna was done waiting. She borrowed a nurse’s phone and dialed Nick’s number again. This time, surprisingly, he answered. Hearing his familiar voice, a dry, humorless laugh escaped my lips. My eyes were too raw to produce any more tears. All that was left was the pain. Three years of marriage, and it had come to this: being blocked. I took a breath and spoke, my voice cold. “Nick, when you get back, let me know. We’re getting a divorce. And tell your brother—he’s getting one, too.” His voice shot up, sharp and incredulous. “What is wrong with you? Hasn’t a week been long enough for you to cool down? Don’t you watch the news? I’m in the middle of something important! Lily is out here helping with a sprained ankle, and you’re what? Pregnant? You expect me to treat you like a queen?” “I’m busy. I don’t have time to deal with your mood swings! If it’s hormones, take a pill!” Before I could reply, I heard Lily scream on his end, followed by the thud of a phone hitting the ground. Nick’s voice was trembling. “Lily? What happened?” “It’s nothing! Just an ant on my shoe! It startled me!” Her voice was cloyingly sweet. “Was that Jessica? I’m so jealous. No one’s called to check on me this whole time…” Nick chuckled, his voice dripping with affection. “Silly girl. Haven’t I been right here with you?” I clamped a hand over my mouth, stifling a sob. But the humiliation and despair were relentless, seeping into the raw, gaping wound of my heart. Joanna snatched the phone from me, her other hand gently rubbing my chest, trying to calm me. 4 Another week in the hospital. A steady stream of injured people were brought in from the mountains, but I never saw a familiar face. Our numbers were completely blocked. Joanna and I unspokenly agreed to stop mentioning the live streams. For seven days, it was as if they had vanished from our world. Then, during my final check-up, a nurse mentioned that Lily, the volunteer, had slipped on a hillside and needed to be brought to the hospital immediately. Joanna and I exchanged a look. She packed my things and handled my discharge paperwork. When she came back, she was muttering to herself. “It’s so empty today. Took me forever to get this done. Only one window was open…” “They’re probably all out helping with the transport. They should be back soon,” I said, not thinking much of it. We walked out of the hospital, my arm linked with hers. I was planning to find a print shop for the divorce papers when we ran straight into them—the two brothers, surrounded by a swarm of reporters and patients. Nick was in the lead, cradling Lily in his arms. “Out of the way! Where’s the emergency room? Get the hell out of my way!” Mark followed, trying to maintain some semblance of order, his face etched with worry. His angry shouts were lost in a chorus of thanks from the onlookers. My heart sank. It was now or never. I plunged into the crowd. Joanna yelped in surprise but couldn’t hold me back. The throng of reporters pushed and shoved, my cotton dress twisting and pulling. I shouted Nick’s name, but they dismissed me as just another crazed fan. “Captain Miller and Miss Vance are childhood sweethearts! A washed-up hag like you has no chance! Put on some makeup, you look like a ghost!” There was no time to explain. I was swept along with the crowd to the emergency room. With a final burst of strength, I threw myself against the doorframe, blocking their path. Nick finally saw me. I gasped for breath. “Divorce! Today! As soon as you drop her off, you’re coming with me!” In his arms, Lily winced, but her eyes were sharp, calculating. Nick’s barely contained rage finally exploded. “When are you going to stop? You followed us all the way out here? Now you see we were actually working, are you satisfied? This is a life-or-death situation! Get the hell out of my way!” Life-or-death. She probably had a few scrapes and bruises. A mocking smile touched my lips, but I didn’t move. Mark finally broke free and saw what was happening. He grabbed my arm, trying to pull me away. “Have you lost your mind? And you dragged my wife into this? You’re pregnant, for God’s sake! Can you stop being so selfish?” At that moment, Joanna shoved her way through the crowd and slapped him hard across the face. “You know exactly what you’ve done! A man who doesn’t care about his own child being hailed as a hero? Your brother is a piece of trash!” Mark stared at her, stunned that she would hit him. His eyes turned red with fury. He grabbed her by the collar and started dragging her away. “I’ve been too good to you, haven’t I? You keep this up, and we’re getting a divorce, too!” The reporters, sensing a new story, turned their cameras on them. The pressure on Nick eased. He was about to step through the door. I was frantic, my body trembling. I threw myself in front of him. The next thing I knew, I was flying backward. He had kicked me. The freshly stitched incision on my abdomen tore open. Blood soaked through my dress. I collapsed to the floor, a strangled scream escaping my lips. It was only then that Nick seemed to realize what he had done. He froze, a cold sweat breaking out on his forehead. His eyes drifted down to my flat stomach. “Jess,” he whispered, his voice trembling. “Where’s… where’s our baby?”

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With the wedding approaching, a company-wide Slack announcement offered every employee a $10,000 bonus and a week-long trip to Hawaii—sparking rumors that CEO Sophia Sterling would marry Director Vance there. Leo Cole, Sophia’s new assistant, hesitantly messaged, “I’ve only been here three months—should I really get the bonus?” Sophia replied, “Everyone who contributes gets rewarded.” Soon after, HR told me the Director role I’d been promised was given to someone else. Confused, I went to Sophia’s office and overheard her confess to a friend: the bonus was a discreet way to cover Leo’s mother’s surgery, and she’d previously missed my mother’s funeral to care for him after he broke his leg—all while lying to me, her fiancé. “If Ethan hears, he’ll throw a fit,” she laughed. I stepped away and called my father: “I’m calling off the engagement.” If she wanted to be someone else’s savior, I’d set her free. 1 My father’s voice shot up an octave on the other end of the line. “What did you just say?” “Son, since you were a boy, you’ve only ever had eyes for that Sterling girl.” “You gave up your place at our company, started as a grunt at Sterling Corp, all for her.” “You’re about to get married, and now you want to call it all off?” “What in God’s name happened?” My knuckles turned white as I gripped the phone, but my voice was steady. “Dad.” “Do you remember that goldfish I had as a kid?” “Every day, I changed its water, fed it, took perfect care of it. But all it ever wanted to do was jump out of the bowl.” “Then one day, it finally did.” I paused. “By the time I found it on the floor, it was already dried to a husk…” Silence stretched over the line. When my father spoke again, his voice was raw. “Are you… are you sure about this?” “Yeah. I’m sure.” After hanging up, I opened my laptop and emailed my resignation to HR. The moment I walked into the office the next morning, the receptionist told me I was needed in the main conference room. I pushed open the heavy doors, and two dozen pairs of eyes snapped to me. Sophia sat at the head of the table in a sharp white pantsuit, her long hair pulled back, revealing the elegant curve of her neck. Her gaze met mine, flickered for a fraction of a second, then hardened back into its usual calm composure. “Now that everyone’s here, let’s begin.” Her voice was as cool and crisp as ever. I took my seat. Directly across from me was Leo. He looked particularly sharp today, his hair perfectly combed. A pair of antique gold cufflinks peeked out from his crisp, light-blue shirt. I recognized them immediately. The ones I’d hunted down in a dusty little shop in Paris two years ago for Sophia’s birthday. “There is only one item on today’s agenda,” Sophia announced, her eyes sweeping across the room. “The appointment of the new Director of Marketing.” My fingers tapped a restless rhythm on the polished wood. That title should have been mine. From the day I walked away from my family’s empire five years ago to start at the bottom of Sterling Corp, I had climbed the ladder to Associate Director. Everyone in this room, including me, thought my promotion was a done deal. “After careful consideration, I have decided to appoint Leo Cole as the new Director of Marketing, effective next month.” A few seconds of dead silence, then the room erupted. Mr. Davies, the grizzled head of finance, was the first to slam his hand on the table. “Sophia, this is completely against protocol!” “The kid’s been here less than three months! He’s not even out of his probationary period!” Kate from Operations stood up to back him. “He’s right. Based on seniority, performance, and contribution, Ethan is the only logical choice!” I sat there quietly, my eyes locked on Sophia. Her expression didn’t waver. She simply raised a hand, silencing the room. “While Leo’s tenure has been short, the new market strategy he proposed has already been unanimously approved by the board.” Her voice was soft, but it carried an authority that tolerated no argument. “I am confident he can lead the marketing department to new heights.” “This decision is final.” Leo kept his head down, the very picture of humility. But I saw the faint, triumphant smirk playing on his lips. When his gaze finally met mine, a flicker of smug satisfaction flashed in his eyes. “If there are no other questions, this meeting is adjourned.” Sophia closed her file. I pushed my chair back, the screeching sound tearing through the quiet room. Every head turned in my direction. Sophia’s brow furrowed. “Ethan, do you have something to say?” 2 “No.” My face was a blank mask. I turned and walked toward the door. “Director Vance!” Leo shot up from his seat and hurried after me. “Please, wait!” He put a hand out to block my path. “I’m just a guy from a small town. I don’t have the experience or the insight for a role like this.” “The Director position… I honestly don’t feel I’ve earned it.” “I really think you’re the better fit…” His voice trailed off, perfectly calibrated to sound like a nervous rookie intimidated by a veteran. But as he pretended to straighten his tie, my eyes caught the glint of the watch on his wrist. A Patek Philippe. The one Sophia had given me for my twentieth birthday. The one I treasured so much I kept it locked away in a safe. The sight of it made my blood run cold. “Leo, don’t be like that,” Sophia said, walking over. She placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. “This was a company decision. You don’t need to step aside for anyone.” She turned to me, her eyes laced with disapproval. “Ethan, don’t be so petty.” Her words twisted in my gut like a knife. For years, I had put my own legacy on hold to build hers. I brought her dinner during late nights at the office, sat by her bedside when she was sick. I worked myself to the bone, driving Sterling Corp’s revenue through the roof, doubling its market value. And now, in front of the entire executive team, she was calling me petty? I nearly bit through my lip. “Sophia,” I said, my voice dangerously low. “I quit.” For the first time, a flicker of panic crossed her face. “Ethan, what are you talking about?” “I said, I’m done.” “Now get out of my way.” I shoved past Leo, sending him stumbling back. He immediately put on a wounded expression. “Director Vance, please, don’t be angry.” “This is all my fault. I apologize…” he whimpered, his eyes darting toward Sophia. Sophia rushed to his side, steadying him before whirling on me, her eyes blazing. “Ethan! That’s enough!” “Leo was trying to be gracious. What gives you the right to push him?” I let out a cold, humorless laugh and turned to leave. The sharp click of heels echoed behind me. Sophia caught up, her fingers digging into my arm. “What is this attitude, Ethan?” Her voice was glacial. “The meeting isn’t over, you haven’t apologized to Leo, and you’re just walking out?” I stopped, turning to face her. Her beauty was as sharp and fierce as ever—lips like fire, eyes that could cut glass. But the warmth I once saw in them was gone, replaced by an arrogant, dismissive glare. “I’ve already resigned, Sophia,” I replied calmly. “This meeting has nothing to do with me.” “And as for Leo, I will never apologize to him.” Her brow tightened, but she quickly regained her composure, that familiar look of being in total control settling back onto her face. “I haven’t accepted your resignation, which means you’re still an employee of this company.” Her tone softened slightly. “We can forget the apology for now. Just come back to the meeting.” A wry smile touched my lips. “Since when do you care about protocol, Sophia?” “Leo didn’t even finish his probation period, and you made him a director.” Her eyes faltered for a second. “Company decisions are not for you to question.” “You’re right, they’re not,” I nodded. “Which is why I’m opting out.” “Out of sight, out of mind.” I moved to walk around her, but she was clearly not expecting such a clean break. She stood frozen for a moment before rushing after me again. “Ethan!” “What are you so upset about? Is this really all because you didn’t get the director job?” I looked at her, and a bitter laugh almost escaped my lips. She still thought this was about a damn job title. “Sophia,” I said, my voice even. “In all the years we’ve known each other, when have you ever seen me throw a fit over work?” She was momentarily speechless, but her pride kicked in and she lifted her chin. “Then what are you so angry about?” I held her gaze. “You know damn well what this is about.” A flicker of something—guilt?—crossed her eyes before she masked it. “I… I have no idea what you’re talking about.” I decided to cut to the chase. “The cufflinks. The watch. Where did he get them?” Sophia blinked, then answered with a dismissive wave of her hand. “I gave the cufflinks to Leo as a reward for his hard work.” “As for the watch, you never wear it anyway. What’s the big deal if he has it?” 3 I almost choked on a laugh. So the things I held so dear were meaningless to her. She nonchalantly tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, a smirk on her perfect red lips. “Ethan, when did you become so possessive?” “They’re just things. If you want new ones, I’ll buy them for you.” She glanced back toward the conference room, her tone airy. “Leo has been working around the clock on the new project. He deserved a little recognition.” “Recognition?” A block of ice formed in my chest. Ever since Leo had started at the company, our arguments had become more frequent. Every single one was about him, and every single time, I was the one who backed down. Not this time. “Sophia, for your birthday that year, I scoured every antique shop in Paris to find that 19th-century pair of cufflinks.” “You told me you loved the story behind them, that it was the most thoughtful gift you’d ever received.” I gestured to the bracelet on her wrist. “Just like this Tiffany bracelet I won for you at auction five years ago.” Her fingers instinctively went to the bracelet. Her gaze shifted for a moment before she put her mask of cool superiority back on. “Ethan, be mature about this.” “It’s perfectly normal to reward a high-performing employee. You’ve given gifts to your subordinates before.” I was done talking. We parted in anger. After smoking half a pack of cigarettes, I went back to my office to pack my things. I found my personal belongings scattered across the floor. But the thing that made my vision go red was the framed photo of my mother. The glass was shattered, and right across her smiling face was the muddy print of a man’s shoe. “Oh, Mr. Vance, I’m so sorry.” Leo came jogging over, his face a mask of fake concern. “Sophia said this office needed to be cleared out for the new director, so I had the cleaning crew start on it.” I turned slowly, a roar filling my ears, my blood pounding. “Who did this?” I pointed at the footprint on the photo, my voice a low growl. Leo’s eyes darted around nervously. “It… it must have been the cleaners… maybe they dropped it by accident…” “Bullshit!” My vision tunneled. I kicked over a nearby metal trash can, and it slammed against the wall with a deafening crash. Leo flinched, his eyes instantly welling up with tears, looking like a frightened rabbit. “What’s going on?” Sophia rushed over. Leo immediately darted behind her for cover. “Sophia, Director Vance is mad that I had his office cleared out.” Sophia glanced at the mess on the floor without a flicker of concern. “It’s just an office swap, Ethan. Why are you making such a scene?” She didn’t even look at the desecrated photograph. “If you want to stay, just have them move your things back in.” I snatched the photo off the floor, not even feeling the shards of glass digging into my palm. “Sophia, look closer! This is a memorial photo of my mother!” Her gaze finally dropped to the picture. Her lips parted, but before she could speak, Leo cut in. “Sophia, I swear I didn’t know! The cleaning staff must have been so careless. But ultimately, it’s my fault.” His tears started to fall on cue, streaming down his cheeks. “Maybe… maybe I should go and pay my respects to his mother, to atone for this…” “Shut your mouth!” I roared. Leo cowered, pressing himself into Sophia’s side. She immediately turned on me, her eyes furious. “Ethan! Have you lost your mind?” “Leo already apologized! What more do you want?” “He’s not the one who stepped on the photo!” Leo, ever the actor, let his tears fall faster. “Mr. Vance, I know you despise me, but I truly didn’t mean for this to happen…” Seeing the raw murder in my eyes, Sophia stepped in front of Leo, shielding him. “Ethan, if you have a problem, you take it up with me. Don’t you dare touch him!” Before I could even respond, Leo dropped to his knees without warning. His eyes were red, his voice choked with emotion. “Mr. Vance, it’s all my fault!” With trembling hands, he took off the cufflinks and the watch, holding them out to me. “I know you’re angry because Sophia gave me these gifts.” “A poor kid like me… I don’t deserve to wear things like this.” “And I should have never caused a misunderstanding between you and Sophia.” I snatched the cufflinks and the watch from his hands. And right in front of him, I threw them into the trash can I’d just kicked over. Leo’s shoulders shook violently. A fresh wave of tears streamed down his face as if he’d been grievously wounded. “Ethan! You’ve gone too far!” 4 Sophia rushed forward, pulling Leo to his feet, her expression full of pity. She gently wiped the tears from his face, her voice softer than I’d ever heard it. “Leo, stop it. You did nothing wrong.” When she looked back at me, her eyes were like shards of ice. “Do you really have to humiliate him like this, Ethan?” Leo seized the moment, grabbing her sleeve, his voice thick with tears. “Sophia, maybe… maybe I should just resign…” “I don’t want Mr. Vance to be unhappy, and I don’t want to be a source of conflict in the company.” He spoke with such sincerity, but the corner of his mouth twitched into a nearly invisible smirk. As predicted, his words made Sophia’s heart ache for him even more. She squeezed his hand, her voice firm. “Absolutely not! You earned that position with your talent. Why on earth would you resign?” “Ethan, look what you’ve done to him,” she said, her voice dripping with disappointment. “Even now, all he can think about is you.” “And what about you? What can you do besides bully and intimidate?” I watched the whole pathetic performance, a cold numbness spreading through me. Leo’s acting was flawless. Every tear was perfectly timed, every word expertly crafted to pull on Sophia’s heartstrings. “Sophia.” My voice came out as a raw whisper. “Can you really not see that he’s playing you?” “Playing me?” Sophia scoffed as if I’d told a terrible joke. “Ethan, when did you become so cynical?” “Leo is kind, genuine, and hardworking. He’s nothing like you.” “You’re manipulative and small-minded!” Leo dutifully lowered his head, his shoulders trembling as if he were enduring some great injustice. He sobbed quietly, “Sophia, please, don’t fight with Mr. Vance because of me.” “It’s all my fault. I never should have accepted your gifts in the first place.” “A poor kid like me has no right to wear a watch and cufflinks worth a fortune.” Sophia patted his back, her voice a soothing murmur. “Don’t say that. You deserve the very best.” She looked up at me, her eyes filled with nothing but disgust. “I never thought you could become this person, Ethan.” “Leo works himself to the bone for this company, and you throw a fit over a few trinkets and then humiliate him over and over again!” I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms. “Think whatever you want.” I turned and walked toward the door, my steps firm. “Ethan!” Sophia called out behind me. “You’re just leaving? Without a single word of apology?” I paused and looked back at her one last time. My gaze slid from her to Leo’s deceitful, tear-streaked face. “Sophia, we’re done.” She froze. Leo’s eyes immediately reddened again, his voice cracking. “Mr. Vance, please don’t say that… Sophia cares about you so much…” Sophia grabbed his hand, her voice steely. “Leo, that’s enough.” “If he’s going to be this ungrateful, then we’re not going to beg him to stay.” After hearing that, I left without looking back.

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The ceremony had reached the exchanging of the rings when my husband suddenly announced he needed to pause for five minutes. Then, he turned, walked over to his unforgettable first love, and dropped to one knee. “Lily,” he said, his voice ringing through the silent hall, “I once promised you that I would propose in front of everyone. So, in another life, would you marry me?” Lily covered her mouth, nodding through her tears as she threw herself into my husband’s arms. Then she looked over at me. “Grace, even though I won’t get the chance to marry Julian in this lifetime, I hope you’ll take good care of him for me.” Whispers and stares pricked at me from all sides. Across from me, the groom was locked in a passionate kiss with another woman. Everyone was waiting, watching, ready to see the bride become a laughingstock. Instead, I smiled and walked toward Lily. I shoved my bridal bouquet into her hands. “What do you mean, no chance? If you can’t let go of this piece of trash, then by all means, you can have him.” 1. For ten years, I humbled myself, bending over backwards to please Julian’s family, desperate for their approval. In the end, it was only the baby in my belly that earned me this long-overdue wedding. I thought that once we were married, once the child was born, Julian would finally settle down. But now, I was watching the man who was supposed to be vowing his life to me, kissing someone else as if I didn’t exist. I dug my nails so deep into my palms that they drew blood, but my heart still ached with a pain so sharp it felt like I couldn’t breathe. And in that moment, something inside me snapped. My words made Lily clutch her chest and collapse into Julian’s arms. Without a moment’s hesitation, he swept her up and rushed toward the exit, shouting over his shoulder that I was a “vicious, petty bitch.” He yelled that it was a simple five-minute gesture, but I had to make it into a humiliating spectacle for everyone. Neither his parents nor mine could stop him. And so, I was left to face the fallout alone. The officiant stood awkwardly, holding his script. My mother, ashamed of me, started hitting my arm, sobbing that I had to go chase after Julian and bring him back. My father just snorted, told me to sort out my own mess, and dragged my mother away. My mother-in-law, who had never thought I was good enough, now sneered that I was a classless country bumpkin. She lectured me that to marry into a family like theirs, I had to learn to swallow my pride and not embarrass my husband in public. For the first time in ten years, I realized that devotion doesn’t always earn devotion in return. And I no longer wanted to be a part of the Thorne family. They left with the remaining guests, telling me to walk home and think about what I’d done. I stood at the entrance, holding the white satin of my wedding dress, and watched them drive away. Behind me, the hotel was silent and empty. In front of me, the sky opened up and a torrential downpour began. After the Thornes and their guests were gone, a car pulled up. It was my parents. My mother rolled down the window. The sight of them made all the grief and humiliation I’d been holding back surge forward. My voice was a raw whisper as I choked out, “Mom.” I reached for the door handle, but I heard the click of the locks engaging. I stared at them, stunned. My mother’s voice was sharp with disappointment. “I told you this would happen. Now you listen to your in-laws, go home and reflect. Figure out a way to win Julian back. You’re carrying their grandchild. No matter what, that Lily girl can’t take your place.” “Mom, how can you say that…” She ignored me, rolling up the window as the car sped away, leaving me standing in the rain. I bit my lip so hard I tasted blood, watching the taillights disappear into the storm. The tears I’d been holding back finally broke free. 2. The wedding venue was a resort hotel built halfway up a mountain. There was no cell signal to call a cab. A kind server took pity on me and handed me an umbrella. I thanked her, then, holding the umbrella with one hand and the heavy train of my dress with the other, I started the long, difficult walk down the mountain. The slanted rain soaked through my dress, a bitter cold seeping into my bones. The back of my heels were rubbed raw, a bloody mess. When my phone finally buzzed with a signal, a dozen messages flooded in. All from Julian. Every single one was an accusation. He’d already explained that Lily was just like a sister to him, so why did I have to keep targeting her? I ignored him. A second later, a video came through from an unknown number. It showed Julian at the hospital, holding Lily’s hand tightly as she went through some tests, periodically kissing her fingertips, his eyes red as he begged her to be okay. I thought back to when I first found out I was pregnant. I had fainted in the bathroom from low blood sugar. I broke my leg in the fall, and a sharp pain radiated from my stomach. Terrified, my first instinct was to call him, to seek his comfort. He had just barked at me over the phone, “I’m not a doctor, what good is calling me?” I was in the hospital for two weeks. He never showed up once. I found out later that on the same day I fell, Lily had cut her hand while cooking. The doctor told her it might leave a scar, and she cried hysterically. So Julian had vented all his worry and frustration on me. I stopped walking and laughed, a hollow, bitter sound. It had taken me far too long to wake up. That’s why I was in this humiliating mess. As I was trying to hail a cab, Julian called. After a barrage of insults, he was breathing heavily. He told me I’d scared Lily so badly she was having heart palpitations, and that I needed to get my ass over to the hospital and apologize. I struggled to keep the flimsy umbrella steady. “I’m still at the hotel,” I said calmly. Just then, a bolt of lightning split the dark sky, followed by a deafening clap of thunder. Julian’s tone shifted. “It’s pouring out there. They didn’t take you home? I’ll come get…” He was cut off by Lily’s sobbing in the background. “Is Grace angry? It’s all my fault. Maybe I should have just died when I was abroad…” Julian’s voice immediately softened as he soothed her. Then he turned his anger back on me. “You brought this on yourself. What do you have to be upset about? It was five minutes, Grace. If you had just been a little more gracious, I wouldn’t have left you…” The last thread of hope inside me snapped. I cut him off, a ghost of a smile on my lips. “Let’s get a divorce. I’m not apologizing to Lily. I was never the one in the wrong. You two were.” If they couldn’t let each other go, why did he ever come into my life in the first place? He was the one who confessed his feelings first. He was the one who promised me forever. That’s why I chose him without hesitation. Ten years. Were their feelings and their history so precious, while mine were worthless? After hanging up, I finally got a cab. As I sat in the back seat, another text from Julian arrived: 【Grace, when you do something wrong, you admit it. You’ve been mine for ten years. You’re used goods. Who else would want you? Especially now that you’ve schemed your way into getting pregnant with my child.】 I stared at the screen, numb. I thought nothing could possibly hurt more than what had already happened today. I was wrong. I rolled down the window, letting the cold wind whip against my face, the sting slowly clearing my chaotic mind. I told the driver to turn around. We were going to the hospital. 3. I walked into the hospital lobby in my mud-stained wedding dress. A nurse immediately asked if I needed help. I told her calmly that I was there for an abortion. She stared at me for a moment, her eyes filling with sympathy, then led me to the third floor. Lying on the operating table, listening to the strong, steady heartbeat of my child on the ultrasound monitor, I made one last call to Julian. Lily answered, crying and apologizing profusely. Then Julian snatched the phone. He sneered, “Grace, it’s too late to be sorry now. You caused Lily so much pain. Unless you get over here right now and get on your knees to beg for her forgiveness, I will never forgive you.” The words I was about to say died in my throat. I looked at the doctor. “Please, you can begin.” “The baby is very healthy. Are you sure you don’t want to discuss this with the father?” “There’s no need.” … When I returned to our apartment, nothing had changed. It seemed Julian had been with Lily this whole time. I opened Lily’s social media. She’d posted several new updates. The high-and-mighty Julian Thorne, cooking for the woman he loved. It drew a chorus of envious comments. I saved every single picture, then turned off my phone. I packed a small bag and checked into a hotel. After a long, hot bath, the chill finally started to leave my body. I took a few days off work. As my body started to recover, my mother called incessantly, asking if I had made up with Julian yet. I told her it was over between us. Her histrionics were more than I could handle, so I just stopped answering her calls. When I returned to the office, everyone looked at me strangely. My colleague, Sarah, pulled me over to my desk. I finally noticed that my story was all over the news sites. “I can’t believe I’ve been working next to a secret millionaire!” she said, grabbing my hand, her eyes wide with a mixture of shock and envy. “I always thought Lily was the future Mrs. Thorne. I had no idea it was you, Grace.” I managed a weak smile and scanned the articles. Someone had filmed the scene at the wedding and posted it online, spinning a lurid tale of a wealthy heir choosing his mistress over his wife. Julian’s bizarre behavior had even started to affect the Thorne Corporation’s reputation. Before, I would have been frantic to help him manage the scandal. But now that I was leaving him, I couldn’t be bothered. At the end of the workday, Julian was waiting for me at the company entrance, something he’d never done before. I tried to slip away, but he caught up to me in a few long strides and forced me into his car. “Still angry? A wedding or a person’s life, Grace, which is more important?” “You’re a grown woman. Running away from home and talking about divorce… aren’t you being childish?” “Alright, enough. You’ve always wanted to go to that planetarium restaurant downtown, right? I’ll take you now.” He opened the glove compartment, took out a gift box, and tossed it into my lap. A diamond ring rolled out. It looked significantly more expensive than the one from the wedding. Julian looked at me with a self-satisfied smirk, as if to say, There, you should be happy now. “Lily’s heart is weak. Since that ring is already on her finger, she can keep it. This one cost a lot more, so stop being so petty.” I toyed with the ring. The $99,999 price tag was still attached. He must have bought it on his way here. It used to be that when I was upset, he would cook for me, patiently watch movies with me, or spend a whole day shopping to find the perfect gift. Now he was just like his family, putting a price tag on my feelings and expecting me to be grateful. I put the ring back in its box and shook my head. “This is too much. You should save it for Lily.” “And I’m not throwing a tantrum. Since you and Lily can’t let each other go, I’ll give her my spot as Mrs. Thorne. We should find some time to finalize the divorce.” We had already gotten the marriage license before the ceremony. Now we had to legally undo it. I once overheard him at a dinner with Lily and their friends. Someone had asked why a man like him would fall for a plain woman like me. He popped a peeled grape into Lily’s mouth and laughed. “It’s not love. But Grace was with me for ten years, and now she’s pregnant. It would be cruel not to marry her. It’s just a title. It’s nothing to give her.” To him, our marriage was charity. To me, it was everything. But now that I didn’t love him anymore, I didn’t want the title either. I thought he would be happy that I was setting him free. Instead, his eyes turned red with fury. He slammed his hand on the steering wheel. “Grace! What’s the point of saying all this? You spent years acting like a dog trying to please my parents, and you schemed to get pregnant. It was all to become Mrs. Thorne! Don’t tell me you’re doing this for my sake. How ridiculous can you be?” “So the wedding didn’t happen. We’ll have another one! And whose fault was that anyway? I agreed to marry you, and all I did was propose to Lily. You’re the one who acted like a shrew!” He always said I schemed to get pregnant. But he was the one who said he wanted his parents to accept me, that he wanted us to have a child of our own. He only started regretting it after Lily came back, and then he blamed it all on me. He laid on the horn, a long, piercing blast. The old me would have been crying, apologizing, trying to explain. Now, I didn’t have the energy to argue. I just turned and looked out the window. After a long silence, when he didn’t get the tearful apology he was expecting, he turned to me. “Grace,” he said, his voice softer. I closed my eyes and didn’t answer. The GPS occasionally announced our route. When we were just a block from the restaurant, his phone rang. It was Lily, crying that her heart was acting up again, asking if she was going to die. Frankly, I was sick of hearing it. Ever since she returned, her heart conveniently acted up on every holiday, every special occasion. Anyone could see she was faking it. Anyone but Julian. I spoke first. “You can drop me off at the next corner.” Julian looked at me, surprised. “You’re not angry? You’re not going to insist on coming with me?” I shook my head. I used to hate him being alone with her, so I’d offer to go with him to help take care of her. He would explode, calling me disgusting and petty, telling me to learn to be as pure and kind as Lily. His lips tightened. His phone was still vibrating. He pulled over at the intersection. I grabbed my bag, but as I went to get out, he grabbed my wrist. His expression was complicated. “I’ll just go check on her. I’ll come back and take you to dinner later. Don’t worry, the position of Mrs. Thorne is yours. Don’t be angry.” “Mhm, I’m not angry,” I said, trying to pull my arm away. He held on tighter. “Grace, you’re different. Why aren’t you…” “Jealous?” I finished for him, a small, cold smile on my face. “Why would I be jealous? The poor girl sees you as a big brother. It’s only natural she’d call you first when she’s in trouble. You should go.” I pried his fingers off my wrist and got out of the car. I hailed another cab, went back to the hotel, ate at the buffet, and went straight to bed. Sometime in the middle of the night, Julian called. He explained that Lily couldn’t be left alone, so he couldn’t take me to dinner and that I shouldn’t wait up. I just said, “I already ate.” There was a long silence on his end, then he asked through gritted teeth, “Are you really going to be like this?” I just said, “Yes,” and hung up, rolling over and falling back asleep. The next morning, I saw a text from him, warning me not to play with fire. 4. When I got to work, I understood what he meant. All the projects I had been managing were now under Lily’s name. She was my new team lead. She would smile sweetly as she assigned me an endless list of menial tasks. Julian came every day to take her to lunch. He would look at me with eyes as cold as stone. The scandal online was only getting worse. He told me I had to attend a press conference with him on Monday. I was to explain that Lily wasn’t a homewrecker. The story would be that I had taken advantage of her being abroad to get between them, and then used my pregnancy to force him into marriage. He made it sound so simple. I would still be the enviable Mrs. Thorne; I would just have to endure a little public scorn. This way, the company’s reputation would be saved, and Lily wouldn’t be affected. He said this was all my fault for being so difficult at the wedding, so it was only right that I fix it. Of course, I refused. I blocked his number. Then his parents came to see me, warning me to do as I was told and not to think that being pregnant with their grandchild gave me a free pass. I gave them the same treatment as Julian. And then I resigned from my job. I was good at what I did, and I’d had offers from other companies before. But now, when I reached out, they were all strangely hesitant. I knew it was the Thornes’ doing. They were trying to force my hand. But this time, I wouldn’t give in. After another failed job application, a former client contacted me. He said his company was expanding their overseas operations and needed someone with my skills. The pay was comparable to what I was making at the Thorne Corporation, but the job was abroad. He asked if I was interested. I was an only child. Thinking of my parents, I told him I’d consider it. When I got back to the hotel, my dad called. He said my mom’s headaches were back. I rushed home. When I opened the door, Julian was there. My mother took my bag, looking perfectly healthy. I stared at her, my heart sinking. I knew, once again, I had been sold out by my own parents. 5. At the dinner table, Julian sat beside me, constantly putting food on my plate. The three of them were a picture of harmony, as if they were the real family. My mother couldn’t stop praising him. “Julian is such a wonderful son-in-law. Not only is his family prominent, but he’s so considerate of Grace.” My father, despite being the elder, had a sycophantic smile on his face as he poured Julian wine, telling him that I was the one who had been too impulsive at the wedding, and that they were grateful for Julian’s tolerance. Their groveling made my resolve crumble. My eyes burned. I clutched the glass of milk my mother had placed in front of me. “It’s fine,” Julian said, his eyes fixed on me with a look of smug contempt. “We’re going to be husband and wife. Even if Grace makes a mistake, I’ll be patient. But about the press conference…” My grip tightened. Milk spilled over the rim of the glass, dripping onto the floor. I couldn’t take it anymore. I looked at my parents. “Am I your daughter or not? Why is it that my entire life, whenever there’s a problem, you never, ever stand by my side? I told you, I’m done with Julian Thorne!” Julian’s brow furrowed. He couldn’t understand why, after giving in so many times, I was being so stubborn now. My mother paused, then threw the milky rag she was using to clean the table at my head. Sticky, gray-streaked milk ran down my face. She turned to Julian with an apologetic smile. “Julian, it’s my fault. I didn’t raise her right, to make such a fuss over something so small.” Then she slapped me across the face, her voice sharp. “Grace, do you think you’re still a twenty-year-old girl? You’re thirty! A woman on the wrong side of thirty is damaged goods. Julian is willing to overlook that, to overlook your tantrums. You should be grateful! And you want a divorce? Do you have any decency?” “It was a tiny incident at a wedding! How long are you going to drag this out? If you won’t think about yourself, at least think about your baby and your parents!” My face stung, the print of her hand burning my cheek. Julian seemed surprised that my mother would actually hit me. He shot to his feet and steadied me, taking her next blow on his own shoulder. “Are you okay?” he asked, his voice full of concern. “Let me take you to the hospital.” Then he turned to my mother. “Ma’am, she is my wife, and she is carrying my child. If this ever happens again, I don’t care if you’re her mother, I will not be so understanding.” My mother froze. I let out a bitter laugh, my eyes full of disgust. “Julian, stop pretending to be the good guy. Isn’t this exactly what you wanted to see?” My look seemed to unnerve him. For the first time, the ever-confident Julian Thorne looked lost. “Grace, you…” “So, this is how badly you want me to take the fall for Lily, isn’t it? Fine. I’ll go to your press conference. But you’ll all regret it.” With that, I slammed the door behind me.

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