My childhood best friend died saving me from a fire. Soon after, a “System” appeared. It told me that if I could knock the school’s golden boy, Sebastian Thorne, off his pedestal, I could bring my best friend back to life. So, I did what I had to do. I approached the aloof, untouchable genius. I became the only girl he let into his life. Two weeks before our final exams—the SATs—I suddenly saw floating comments scroll across my vision like a live stream. [This villainess is so dumb. She doesn’t even know Tyler is the illegitimate son of the Thorne family. Faking his death and pretending to be a System just to drive the genius crazy…] [Poor Sebastian. He’s been secretly in love with the villainess for seven years. He’s going to skip the SATs for her, only to find out the truth at his 18th birthday party. His mom jumps off a building from the shock, and he’s traumatized for life.] [Hurry up, Heroine! Our male lead needs you to save him!] I froze. I stared at Sebastian, who was currently kneeling on one knee, tying my shoelace. “Sebastian,” I whispered. “Let’s get into MIT together, okay?” Chapter 1 The floating comments paused for a second. Then they scrolled furiously. [Did I hear that right? The villainess wants to go to MIT with the male lead? What about our precious Heroine?] [What is she doing? Isn’t she obsessed with Tyler? Is this some new manipulation tactic?] Sebastian looked just as surprised. He looked up, a flicker of confusion in his eyes. “MIT? But Cece, you said you hated nerds…” Guilt washed over me. Sebastian was brilliant, elegant, and kind. He was anything but a stereotypical nerd. I had only said that to manipulate him, to make him give up on his academic future. Seeing my silence, a shadow crossed his eyes, but he quickly replaced it with a gentle smile. “Is this another test? Don’t worry, Cece. I won’t take the SATs.” “I promised you. I never break a promise.” The comments exploded again. [This villainess is evil! Look at how she’s gaslighting him! He feels like he has to prove himself constantly.] [Thank god the male lead is smart. He saw right through her. Not gonna lie, I almost believed her.] [My poor boy. Giving up his future for her… being a good kid his whole life and now this…] Lines of text flashed before my eyes. I pushed down the panic rising in my chest and looked Sebastian straight in the eye. “It’s not a test, Sebastian. I want to go to MIT.” “With you.” “So, starting today, let’s study properly, okay?” The comments were in chaos. Sebastian looked equally confused. Shock mixed with a glimmer of hope. He opened his mouth, closed it, and just looked at me, unsure. I must have been so cruel before that he didn’t dare believe me now. I sighed, feeling helpless and guilty. I reached out and cupped his face. “Sebastian, really. Not a test.” “I swear. If I’m lying to you this time, I’ll…” He put a finger to my lips, silencing me. “Don’t swear. I believe you.” Chapter 2 After sending Sebastian home, I collapsed onto my sofa, exhausted. My phone buzzed relentlessly in my pocket. I pulled it out. Messages from “The System” flooded the screen. [Cecilia, why haven’t you completed the mission?] [Don’t you want to bring Tyler back?] [Don’t forget, he died saving YOU! Being passive with your tasks… how can you face Tyler?] Tyler. My childhood friend. A year ago, my house caught fire. My parents were working late, and I was a heavy sleeper. I almost didn’t wake up. Tyler rushed into the flames alone and carried me out. But he was exhausted. A falling beam trapped him inside. When I woke up in the hospital, he was just a jar of ashes. After Tyler died, my family’s life fell apart. Our home was gone. The fire spread to the neighbors, and the compensation wiped out my parents’ savings and buried them in debt. Tyler’s mom hated us. She even tried to run my mom over with her car. That’s when “The System” found me. I received an anonymous package containing an old smartphone and a note. [Want to resurrect Tyler?] [Unlock this.] The moment I unlocked it, anonymous texts started appearing. The sender claimed to be a System trapped in the phone due to some cosmic rule. It said if I successfully completed the “Conquest Mission”—knocking the golden boy Sebastian Thorne off his pedestal—I could revive Tyler and erase everything the fire destroyed. I believed it. I desperately wanted Tyler back. I wanted my life back. So I clung to that hope. I did everything “The System” asked. Get close to Sebastian. Seduce Sebastian. Destroy Sebastian. Until an hour ago, when I saw those strange comments. Chapter 3 The phone was still buzzing. [Cecilia! Answer me!] [Have you forgotten? You killed Tyler!] [You can’t even do this one small thing? Do you deserve his sacrifice?] Every sentence was an accusation. But the floating comments were reacting even stronger than I was. [Honestly, the villainess is kind of pitiful. She’s carrying all this guilt for a death that wasn’t her fault. Tyler is trash for gaslighting her like this.] [Wake up, girl! Tyler set the fire himself!] [In the original story, she finds out later and regrets everything. She’s not evil, just manipulated. Later, when Tyler kidnaps the Heroine, the villainess saves her and dies taking Tyler down with her…] Tyler set the fire? My heart seized. As if proving the comments right, a video materialized in the air. Dim club lighting. Tyler, alive and well, with a girl on each arm, looking arrogant and cruel. It was a side of him I’d never seen. His friends were laughing, passing a phone around. “Ty, what’s up with your little pet? Usually she replies instantly. It’s been half an hour.” “Maybe she figured it out?” Tyler smirked lazily. “Does she dare?” “True,” someone laughed. “Last time she was two hours late, you had someone hit her dad with a car and blamed it on ‘System Punishment.’ She totally bought it. A dutiful daughter like her wouldn’t gamble with her parents’ lives.” The car accident… I started trembling uncontrollably. Hatred, pure and cold, surged through me. I remembered that day. It was a “System Mission.” I had to intercept Sebastian on his way home and convince him to give up his spot in an international competition. I waited on his route and ran into the road when I saw his license plate. The driver was skilled; he stopped inches from me. I was terrified. I looked up into Sebastian’s worried eyes. “Sebastian, my head hurts.” Just one sentence. He missed his flight to Europe. He stayed by my hospital bed for twenty-four hours until the doctors cleared me. When I got home, I met Tyler’s mom downstairs. She said she was going to visit Tyler’s grave and demanded I go buy his favorite pastries from a shop twenty miles away. The subway ride took exactly two hours. I rushed home, only to find a pool of blood downstairs. And my mother, weeping uncontrollably. Chapter 4 “The System” had given me an explanation then. [Cecilia, the Main System detected your passive attitude. Your father’s accident is a punishment.] I couldn’t accept it. The phone “The System” gave me was an old model with a terrible battery. It died before I got home, and the charger port was obsolete. If I hadn’t gone to buy those pastries… “The System” paused for a few minutes after hearing my plea. [I will report this anomaly to the Main System. Don’t worry, the System will arrange the best medical care for your father. But remember, never go silent for more than an hour again.] [Your excuse is accepted this time. Only this time.] My thoughts snapped back to the video floating in the air. “Ty really went hard that time. Almost killed the old man. Hahaha! If her dad died, she might stop listening to you.” Tyler smirked. “What’s there to be afraid of? I sent him to the hospital, didn’t I? He won’t die. Besides, if her dad dies, she still has a mom, right?” I clenched my teeth so hard my jaw ached. The laughter in the video grated on my nerves. In that moment, I wanted to kill Tyler with my own hands. The comments scrolled by: [Screw this guy. How can a human being be this disgusting?] [Tyler grew up in Cecilia’s house because his parents ignored him. Her parents treated him like a son. He’s an animal.] [Ahhhh I can’t take it! Villainess, please wake up!] I forced down the hate. My hands shaking, I typed a reply to Tyler. [No.] [Something came up. I didn’t have time.] He replied instantly. [Fine. New mission.] [Within 24 hours, use any method necessary to make Sebastian break ties with his mother.] [Cecilia, this is your last chance.] [Your parents’ lives, and Tyler’s life, are in your hands.] I froze. Before I could reply, the comments went wild. [OMG! This is it! The turning point! The male lead fights with his mom about quitting school and runs away. His mom faints from anger, and his scumbag dad feeds her the wrong medicine—nerve-damaging drugs!] [Don’t remind me… Sebastian’s mom is a powerhouse, super cautious. If she hadn’t been heartbroken over her son, the dad never would have had the chance.] [Then the dad tricks her into signing over her assets and brings Tyler to Sebastian’s 18th birthday party…] [Villainess, I’m begging you, don’t do it!] I stared at the text. I decided to go find Sebastian.

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My roommate had the ability to project her thoughts into other people’s minds. In my past life, she crafted an image of pure innocence, using her inner voice to spread rumors and tear me down. I was despised and ostracized for no reason, even harassed by thugs she manipulated. It wasn’t until the moment I died that I realized she had been broadcasting lies about me the entire time. Reborn, I found myself bound to a “Modification System.” During a class meeting, my roommate projected a fake “worried” thought to everyone: (Daisy is working as an escort again… it’s just not right for her to do that.) I scoffed internally and used the system to rewrite what everyone heard: (Ugh, it feels itchy again. Maybe I should go strip at the club tonight to scratch the itch.) 1 “Bitch, playing hard to get, huh?” A drunk thug lunged out of the darkness, grabbing me by the throat and slapping me across the face. I was stunned by the blow. In that moment of daze, my roommate, Bella, shoved me hard to the ground and used the distraction to run away. I couldn’t move. A piercing pain shot up from my ankle. The drunk, acting like a madman, grabbed my collar and rained another fist down on me. I opened my mouth to scream for help. Realizing what I was doing, the thug clamped a hand over my nose and mouth, dragging me toward a dark alley. As I struggled, my strength faded, and my breathing grew shallow. On the verge of death, I saw Bella hiding nearby. She was holding up her phone, recording, her eyes gleaming with excitement. Noticing my pleading gaze, she smiled, her lips moving silently. I barely made out the words: “Die, you bitch.” My strength finally gave out, and I suffocated in the darkness. When I opened my eyes again, I was back in my dorm room. … I sat at my desk, hand raised in confusion, when the door swung open. Bella walked in, pushing a suitcase, flashing that same innocent, sweet smile. “Hi there! Are you Daisy? I’m Bella. We’re going to be roommates!” Looking at her beaming face, a storm raged inside me. I had actually gone back to the first day of college. Just like in my past life, Bella was incredibly warm to me right from the start. But remembering her betrayal made my stomach turn. I responded with a lukewarm greeting. Bella acted like we were soulmates, completely ignoring my coldness. She clung to me all day. Just as I started to wonder if my rebirth was just a dream, night fell. I lay in bed, and Bella’s angry voice suddenly rang in my ear. (Ugh, what a pretentious bitch.) I frowned, about to tell her to keep it down since I was trying to sleep. But a second later, her voice continued: (Daisy, that little slut. If I didn’t need to steal her luck, who would bother with her? Acting all high and mighty.) I froze. That wasn’t spoken aloud. It was her inner voice. A stream of insults and curses flooded my ears. Hearing these thoughts, my feelings were complicated. This was the first time we had met in this life. Just because I was a little cold, she hated me this much? I sat up and looked at her bed. Sensing my gaze, Bella sat up too. Her voice was soft, her smile gentle. “What’s wrong, Daisy? Can’t sleep?” But her inner voice was full of disgust: (What is she looking at? Did she hear me? Impossible. I didn’t choose to let her hear my thoughts.) Looking at her two-faced performance, I stayed silent for a moment, then shook my head and lay back down. That night, I had a dream. I watched Bella from a third-person perspective. Finally, I understood why, in my past life, people who were initially friendly started looking at me with disdain and disgust shortly after school started. Even the counselor became biased against me. I gritted my teeth. It was all Bella. She was using her ability to project her thoughts into others’ minds, spreading rumors about my “chaotic” private life. In her broadcasted thoughts, I was a gold-digger with a nasty personality who badmouthed everyone behind their backs, slept around, and stole other girls’ boyfriends. Everyone could hear her thoughts—except me. People assumed that since they were “accidentally” overhearing her inner monologue, it must be the truth. Naturally, they didn’t suspect she was fabricating it. Because of her “thoughts,” everyone quietly distanced themselves from me. Bewildered by the isolation, I had no choice but to cling to Bella. This made her look like the innocent, kind-hearted flower being deceived by me. In everyone’s eyes, I was the leech attached to her. And then later… Bella repeatedly “accidentally” walked past thugs outside campus, projecting thoughts that I had a crush on them but was too shy to make a move. Hearing this over and over, the thugs believed it. Whenever they saw me, they would harass me, getting handsy and making lewd comments. I couldn’t take it anymore and called the police. But after getting out of the station, one of the thugs got drunk and came looking for revenge. That led to the final tragedy. Bella pushed me down to save herself, then recorded my assault. She used that video to “confirm” the rumors of my loose morals, ensuring that even in death, I was spat upon. I woke up from the nightmare drenched in cold sweat, shaking with rage. Bella was fast asleep. I wanted nothing more than to strangle her right then and there. Digging my nails into my palms, I forced myself to calm down. I didn’t know why I was reborn, but if Bella continued her tricks, I stood no chance. What was I supposed to do? Grab people and yell, “Bella’s thoughts are fake, don’t believe them”? That was unrealistic. I furrowed my brow, desperately thinking of a solution. Bella had targeted me from the start for my “luck.” It was clear she wouldn’t let me go easily this time either. Just as I was racking my brain, a mechanical voice sounded in my head. “Luck Thief detected. Scanning special ability… Ability confirmed: Thought Projection.” The voice paused, as if loading. “System adjusting based on Thief’s ability. Beep… beep… beep…” “Modification System customized. Binding in progress…” Before I could react, the voice spoke again. “Beep. Binding successful.” 2 I swallowed hard and tentatively thought, “Are you… a system? What does ‘Luck Thief’ mean? Is it Bella?” The mechanical voice replied instantly. “Yes. Detection confirms the individual near you—Bella—is a Luck Thief. A Luck Thief is someone who, after accidentally acquiring a special ability, uses it to destroy others’ destinies and steal their luck for their own benefit.” The system continued in a monotone. “These actions cause immense resentment in the victims. This System exists to sanction selfish individuals like the Luck Thief.” I nodded and asked, “So what is the Modification System? What can it do?” “The Modification System is specially customized to counter Bella’s ability. You can use this system to modify the content of Bella’s projected thoughts heard by others. Additionally, whenever Bella uses her ability, the Host will be able to hear it.” My eyes lit up. Talk about perfect timing. Thinking of the pain and humiliation of my death, and the slander that followed, my expression turned cold. A plan for revenge began to form. … I thought Bella would act quickly. But for several days, her emotions were stable, and I didn’t hear any thoughts. She hadn’t projected anything to anyone. I asked the system uncertainly, “Has Bella not used her ability lately?” After getting a confirmation, I frowned. Just then, Bella approached me with a smile, chatting about some interesting things she’d seen. If I didn’t have my memories, I would have believed we were truly close friends. I pushed her away coldly, deciding to provoke her. “Why are you always clinging to me? Don’t you have anything else to do?” “Huh?” Bella’s face stiffened for a second, then she stood there looking helpless and wronged. “Daisy, I just wanted to be good friends with you…” Her pitiful act was incredibly convincing. If not for the violent thoughts flooding my ears, I might have softened. (Little bitch, do you think I enjoy being around you? Once I steal your luck, I’ll kill you. After today, when everyone avoids you like the plague, you’ll come crawling back to me.) Catching the key information, I smirked imperceptibly. I pretended to be moved, patting her hand apologetically. “Sorry, Bella. I’ve just been really stressed lately. I didn’t mean to snap at you.” “Oh… it’s okay, Daisy. You can talk to me if you’re upset. I can comfort you.” On the surface, she was understanding. Inside, she was venomous. (Stressed? You’ll have plenty more to stress about later when I expose all your secrets.) Her eyes sparkled with concern, as if she truly wanted to help. Knowing her true nature, it was chilling. I smiled faintly and changed the subject. “Class meeting starts in half an hour. Let’s go.” I walked out first. … In the classroom, Bella chatted familiarly with everyone. With her sweet smile and easygoing nature, she made a good impression. She pulled me over and playfully joked with the class president, Sarah. “Sarah, you look so pretty today! Simply radiant.” She turned to me. “Don’t you think so, Daisy?” I smiled slightly but didn’t answer. Who doesn’t like compliments? Sarah waved her hand, smiling. “You’re cute too.” After the pleasantries, everyone settled down. The counselor went over some freshman orientation points. As the meeting was wrapping up, the crowd got a bit noisy. Bella’s inner voice rang out: (Daisy is going to work as an escort again tonight. It’s just not right for her to do that.) She sighed internally. (Ugh, so worrisome. What if the counselor finds out?) The moment Bella’s thoughts appeared, the Modification System kicked in. I sneered and rewrote the broadcast: (Ugh, it feels itchy again. Maybe I should go strip at the club tonight to scratch the itch.) 3 The noisy room fell silent instantly. Suddenly, countless eyes turned toward us, filled with bizarre and uncomfortable looks. Bella assumed those gazes were directed at me. She rested her chin on her hand, blinking innocently, and broadcasted again. (Should I tell Sarah that Daisy has a crush on her boyfriend? Sigh, both are my friends. Who should I help?) My lip twitched. She really dared to lie. I didn’t even know Sarah had a boyfriend. Well then, let Bella taste her own medicine. Silently activating the system, I modified the message everyone heard: (Sarah is such a slut. How dare she dress better than me? Oh wait, her boyfriend looks kinda hot. Maybe I should hook up with him.) Sarah’s face turned green. Recalling Bella’s earlier compliment, it now sounded like pure sarcasm. Sarah shot a hateful glare in our direction. Since Bella and I were standing together, Bella probably thought Sarah was glaring at me. Many eyes darted between us and Sarah. I leaned into Bella’s ear, feigning confusion. “Why do I feel like everyone is staring at us?” A smile threatened to break onto Bella’s face, but she quickly suppressed it. “You’re too sensitive. Don’t overthink it.” She comforted me casually. Many students lingered, sensing drama. The counselor walked over to disperse the crowd. “Why are you all gathering here? Go home if there’s nothing else.” Bella glanced at me quickly. I knew she was cooking up another bad idea. Sure enough, her inner voice sounded again. (Why is the counselor here? I definitely can’t let her know Daisy called her an old witch behind her back.) But after my editing, the broadcast became: (Why is this old hag here? She’s always looking for trouble. So annoying to look at.) Hearing this, the counselor’s face darkened. She looked around but saw no one speaking. Bella continued her internal rant. Realizing the voice belonged to Bella, the counselor’s expression turned grim. But since it was “thoughts,” she couldn’t scold her directly. The counselor glared. “Meeting adjourned. Stop loitering. Go back.” “Hmph.” Sarah led the way out, shooting a vicious look at Bella before leaving. The earlier sisterly vibe was gone. Bella still thought Sarah was mad at me and was bursting with schadenfreude. The counselor gave Bella a cold look and dropped a warning: “Stop causing trouble at school.” Bella naturally assumed the warning was meant for me. Her thoughts, now closed to the public but loud to me due to her excitement, rang clear: (Great! Everyone must have a terrible impression of Daisy now. Get ready to be the outcast.) The remaining students whispered among themselves, casting glances at us. “Let’s go,” I said calmly, walking out first. “Daisy, wait for me!” Bella put on her pitiful act and trotted after me. Unbeknownst to her, scornful gazes followed her back. I walked fast, a smile playing on my lips. Bella had no idea. Her plan had failed at step one. The morally corrupt schemer in everyone’s eyes was her. This was the first step of her karma. 4 I thought Bella’s tactics were limited to ruining my reputation. But her malice exceeded my expectations. Back in the dorm, Bella presented me with a jar of face cream like it was a treasure. I accepted it with a smile, but I had no intention of using it. I wanted to see what she was up to. Bella didn’t seem to care if I used her gift immediately. After I accepted it, she happily went to wash up. I watched her back suspiciously. I set the cream aside and reached for my own skincare products. “Beep. Harmful substances detected.” The system’s warning halted my hand. I looked at the jar Bella gave me. “Is there poison in this cream?” “Strictly speaking, aside from this cream, harmful substances have also been placed in your other skincare products. Long-term use will cause facial disfigurement.” I ground my teeth. No wonder she didn’t care if I used her gift. She knew pushing it would make me suspicious, so she tampered with my own stuff. I couldn’t swallow this anger. But if I suddenly changed all my products, she would get suspicious. Calming down, I asked the system, “Can you transfer these harmful substances into Bella’s serum?” “Affirmative.” Surprised by the system’s versatility, I watched it transfer the toxins. I waited until Bella came out of the bathroom, then applied the cream she gave me (now safe). I beamed at her. “You’re done? This cream you gave me is really good. Thanks!” A flicker of contempt passed through Bella’s eyes. She tried to hide her excitement. “I’m glad you like it.” “I really, really like it.” I scooped out a big dollop and applied it all over my face. Then, I leaned in close and playfully smeared some on Bella’s forehead. Bella’s face changed. She instinctively tried to wipe it off. I grabbed her hand, smiling innocently. “What’s wrong? Aren’t you going to apply some?” “It’s nothing…” She explained dryly. “I haven’t washed my face yet, so I won’t put anything on…” I didn’t expose her clumsy lie. I kept smiling brightly, as if genuinely happy about the gift. Turning around, I looked in the mirror. I saw Bella frantically wiping her forehead. She rubbed so hard her skin turned red. I sneered internally. So she knew fear. Whatever she put in there must have been potent. But there was one thing I didn’t understand. I asked the system, “With such clumsy sabotage, if something actually happened to me, wouldn’t it be easy to trace it back to her?” The system explained: “Destroying the Host’s face reduces the Host’s luck. As Bella steals all your luck, your presence will fade. Any unreasonable actions she takes will be ignored or even erased by the world’s logic.” I scoffed, my eyes cold. Too bad for her. Not in this life.

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Chapter 1 On the day the SAT results were released, Caleb Thorne’s name broke the internet. A perfect 1600. Every news outlet was scrambling to interview the valedictorian, and Twitter was in a meltdown. Caleb himself posted a screenshot of his score on Instagram, accompanied by a picture of him kissing me on the cheek. The caption read: “My girl deserves the best. @ChloeVance” The class group chat was going insane. “Holy crap, a perfect score?! Is Caleb even human?” “Help, genius + prom king + loyal boyfriend… this man is too perfect!” “Chloe must have saved the galaxy in her past life! Your man is on fire!” “Power couple alert! Locking it down!” Amidst the flood of congratulations, a message popped up that felt painfully out of place: “I envy Chloe so much. I’ll never deserve a boyfriend this amazing.” It was Grace Miller. The transfer student on financial aid. Her message silenced the chat for a few awkward seconds. Just as I was about to reply, I saw a notification. Caleb had Venmo’d Grace $999.99 with the note: “You will.” I used to think Caleb was just too kind. Like when he’d lend his umbrella to a soaked Grace on rainy days, or sneak breakfast into her locker, or send her a thousand dollars because she said she was “envious.” Then came the call from Harvard admissions. They told him that if he committed, they could offer a “partner admission” spot. He gave it to Grace. Afterward, he coaxed me with explanations: “Chloe, Grace’s family is struggling. If she doesn’t get into a top school, they’ll force her to marry some random guy back home. She needs this more than you.” “Your grades are great too. You can apply to other schools in Boston. We’ll still be together.” He thought he had everything figured out. What he didn’t know was that moments before the application portal closed, Grace had logged into my account and changed my choices to a community college thousands of miles away. My Ivy League dreams were shattered. Community college wasn’t even on my radar. Since his love was no longer pure, I decided to let go. … “Chloe, the application for the university in London is done. You can start in the fall,” my mom’s voice came through the phone. “But are you sure about studying abroad? Caleb has been attached to your hip since you were babies. Long distance isn’t easy.” I gripped my phone, a memory of Caleb’s first birthday flashing in my mind. He was barely walking, surrounded by toys for the “grab ceremony,” but he ignored them all, stumbling toward me and hugging my leg tight. Our families laughed, joking that the boy had picked his wife early. And he really did stick to me. In kindergarten, he demanded to sit next to me. In elementary school, he waited for me every day. In middle school, he studied to stay in the top class with me. In high school, he declared his territory for everyone to see. Our parents, seeing how close we were, basically arranged our engagement. Everyone knew we were a package deal. Until Grace appeared. The poor transfer student who ate plain bread for lunch and wore a faded uniform. When classmates mocked her, Caleb was the first to defend her. I never joined in the bullying; I even stood up for her sometimes. But gradually, Grace started clinging to Caleb. Walking behind him after school, bringing him breakfast, handing him water at basketball games. Then came the accident. A ceiling fan fell in the classroom, and she pushed Caleb out of the way, breaking two ribs. She was hospitalized for a month. From that moment, Caleb’s attitude toward her changed completely. His concern grew, his gaze softened, and now, he had even given her the Harvard partner spot. I couldn’t tell if it was gratitude or love. But having experienced his 100% devotion, I didn’t want this diluted version. “It won’t be long distance,” I said softly into the phone. “Mom, our paths are different now. Let’s call off the engagement.” “Are you serious?” Mom asked, surprised. “Yeah. I’ve thought it through.” Silence on the other end, then a sigh. “Alright. You’re young; you’ll meet plenty of people. Once you leave, we’ll go to the Thorne family and break it off.” “Break what off?” A clear male voice came from behind me. I turned to see Caleb standing in the entryway, the front door open behind him. He was wearing a black windbreaker, tall and lean, effortlessly handsome. Sunlight framed his silhouette. The sight of this spirited boy used to make my heart race. Now, looking at his face, I felt nothing but calm. “Nothing,” I said, hanging up the phone casually. Caleb didn’t press. He walked over, smiling, and handed me an exquisite garment bag. “Chloe, get changed. We’re going to the Teacher Appreciation Banquet.” He leaned in, lowering his voice. “I picked the best dress for you.” I took the bag. The banquet was already scheduled, and since I was leaving the country, I wouldn’t see these teachers and classmates much anymore. Consider it a final farewell. I went upstairs, changed, and came back down, only to find Grace already sitting in Caleb’s car. “Ch-Chloe…” Grace greeted timidly, twisting the hem of her skirt. What stung most was that her dress was from the same designer collection as mine, just a different color. Caleb walked over to explain. “When I was buying your dress, I realized Grace probably didn’t have anything to wear, so I grabbed one for her too.” He paused, reaching out to ruffle my hair, his tone cajoling. “Chloe, don’t overthink it.” I tilted my head, dodging his hand, and gave a self-deprecating smile. Once upon a time, girls tried every trick to get Caleb’s attention, but he only had eyes for me. He never even looked at other girls, let alone worried about whether they had a dress to wear. At the hotel, Grace played her usual role: insecure and fragile. Caleb revolved around her, serving her food, pouring her drinks, even laughing indulgently when her eyes lit up at a tasty dish. That smile pricked my heart. “Chloe! Let’s have a toast!” A few classmates surrounded me. I wasn’t a big drinker, but I didn’t want to be a killjoy. Just as I raised the glass, a large hand snatched it away. “She can’t drink. I’ll take it for her.” Caleb downed it in one gulp, his Adam’s apple bobbing, drawing cheers from the crowd. “Whoa, Caleb! Everyone wants to toast the Prom Queen. Are you gonna drink every single one?” the class president teased. “You’ll pass out!” Caleb smiled, eyes crinkling, shielding me behind him. “So what if I pass out? As long as my wife doesn’t touch a drop.” More hooting and hollering. The room was thick with the restless energy of youth. After the teachers left, things got wilder. Someone suggested Truth or Dare. Caleb lost the first few rounds. First punishment: Show his pinned contact. “Chloe” was right there at the top, followed by a red heart emoji. Second punishment: Show his photo gallery. It was full of me. My side profile sleeping on a desk, my hair flying while running on the track, my satisfied smile holding a bubble tea. Third punishment: Show his notes app. It was packed with details about me. Hates cilantro stems, loves strawberry flavor, cramps on day 1 of period, allergic to mangoes… There was even a note titled “How to handle Chloe when she’s mad: Hug first, talk later.” “That is so sweet!” The girls squealed, stomping their feet in envy. “But you guys aren’t going to the same college. Chloe is so pretty; what if someone steals her?” Caleb grinned confidently. “Who would dare? Besides, I already helped Chloe apply to a school near Harvard. She’ll be right under my nose. Right, wifey?” I forced a bitter smile. That was the plan. But now, thanks to Grace, my application was for a community college in the middle of nowhere. I glanced at Grace in the corner. Her face was pale, fingers knotted together in panic. I almost laughed. If she was so scared of getting caught, why did she do it? Just as I was about to speak, a distracted Grace lost the next round. Her punishment: Kiss the boy to her left. Unfortunately, the guy on her left was the class clown, known for… not being a looker. Grace’s eyes reddened instantly. She whispered, asking for a different punishment, but the crowd shouted her down. “Nope! Rules are rules!” Grace closed her eyes, trembling as she leaned in. Just as she was about to make contact, Caleb suddenly stood up, yanked the guy away, and kissed Grace himself. “Breathe,” he whispered. Chapter 2 The room went dead silent. I felt like an invisible hand was squeezing my heart, choking the life out of me. The kiss ended. Grace’s face was beet red. Caleb finally explained, “I just remembered, that was my seat earlier. I was on Grace’s left. Punishment complete.” The atmosphere was heavy with awkward silence. Everyone looked at me, their eyes filled with pity and secondhand embarrassment. I didn’t want to be a spectacle. The party was winding down anyway, so I stood up to leave. Walking out of the hotel, the night breeze hit my face, and I realized my cheeks were ice cold. “Chloe!” Caleb chased after me, grabbing my wrist. “I’m sorry. Are you mad?” His cautious expression made me want to laugh. “Why would I be mad?” “Just now…” he rushed to explain, sounding unusually panicked. “Grace didn’t want to kiss that guy. I was just helping her out. It was just a kiss, it doesn’t mean anything. Please don’t be mad.” “I’m not mad.” I pulled my hand back, smiling calmly. “From now on, you can kiss her however you want, for as long as you want. It has nothing to do with me.” Caleb froze, his face draining of color. “What… what does that mean?” I looked at him calmly. What else could it mean? It just meant I didn’t like him anymore. Whatever he did was no longer my concern. Just as I was about to say “let’s break up,” Grace ran out, eyes red and teary. “Chloe, I’m so sorry, it’s all my fault…” She bowed repeatedly, looking frail and pathetic in the wind, acting like I was some kind of monster. “Don’t be mad at Caleb. If you want to blame someone, blame me!” Caleb immediately supported her. “What are you doing? I already explained it to Chloe. She’s not mad.” I smiled, nodding along. “Right. I’m not mad.” Grace let out a breath, looking timid. “Th… then I’ll head out first.” Caleb grabbed her wrist. “Wait. It’s late. It’s not safe for you to go alone. I’ll drive you.” Grace’s eyes lit up, then she looked at me with feigned hesitation. “But… what about Chloe? We’re going in different directions.” “Don’t worry about her,” Caleb said naturally. “Her family driver will pick her up.” With that, he pulled Grace into his car. Before driving off, he rolled down the window. “Chloe, stay safe. Call me when you get home.” I stood there, watching his taillights disappear into the night. He forgot. My driver had a family emergency and took leave days ago. I told Caleb that. He used to remember every tiny detail about me. Now, he couldn’t even remember this. Rain started to fall. I stood at the hotel entrance, unable to get a cab. Eventually, I had to walk home in the rain. The night was dark, the road slippery. An electric scooter knocked me down halfway. My knee slammed into the pavement, blood mixing with rain. The rider fled without looking back. I limped the rest of the way. Three hours later, I finally got home. I cleaned and bandaged the wound myself. My phone lit up with a text from Caleb: [Home yet?] I didn’t reply. I turned off my phone, showered, and fell into a deep sleep. The next day, the doorbell wouldn’t stop ringing. I dragged my exhausted body to open it. Caleb stood there, looking anxious. “You’re home? Why didn’t you text back last night?” I turned and walked inside. “Got hurt. Slept early. Didn’t see it.” Caleb finally noticed the bandage on my leg. His brow furrowed. “How did that happen?” “Driver was on leave. Got hit by a scooter walking home.” Caleb froze. He remembered the driver now. Guilt washed over him. “Chloe, why didn’t you call me?” I looked up at him. “If I called, would you have come back for me?” “Of course.” “What if Grace had an issue at the same time? Would I still be your first choice?” Caleb hesitated for a second, then nodded. “Of course.” I smirked slightly and said nothing. Before, he wouldn’t have hesitated. Back then, I was his entire world. He noticed if I even frowned. Now, that single second of hesitation said everything. Caleb couldn’t tell if I was angry. Usually, I’d give him the silent treatment for days or demand to be coaxed. But now that I was still talking to him, he felt even more panicked. “Chloe, let’s go to the aquarium,” Caleb blurted out, his tone ingratiating, desperate to make amends. I shook my head. “Don’t want to.” “I already bought tickets.” He grabbed my hand, rubbing my wrist with his thumb like he used to when soothing me. “Come on. You’ve always wanted to see the orca show.” He half-coaxed, half-dragged me into the car. But when the door opened, I saw Grace in the back seat. “Chloe…” Grace greeted me timidly, twisting her skirt, looking like she was terrified of upsetting me. Caleb instinctively stepped in front of her, explaining, “I saw on her story that she wanted to go too, so I invited her.” I watched him shielding Grace and suddenly felt it was all a ridiculous joke. I said nothing and sat in the passenger seat. Chapter 3 All day, Caleb used the excuse that “Grace has never done this” to take her on every ride. He rode the carousel with her, buckled her in, and held her hand when she was scared. Tourists looked on with envy. “That couple is so sweet.” I followed behind them like a ghost, silent. The boy who once had eyes only for me was gone. Finally, we went to the orca show. The host selected random audience members for interaction. Originally, the camera landed on Caleb and me. But Grace looked at him with puppy eyes, so Caleb whispered to me, “Chloe, it’s Grace’s first time. Let her try, okay?” I didn’t speak, which he took as a yes. Caleb and Grace went up. One of the interactions was to kiss at the highest point of the orca’s jump for a photo. The host announced it, and Grace blushed. The crowd cheered. Caleb glanced at me, then didn’t hesitate. He grabbed the back of Grace’s head and kissed her. “Wow!” The crowd erupted. Sitting in the stands, I felt like an invisible hand was crushing my heart. If the first kiss was to save her from embarrassment, what was this one? After the show, Caleb tried to explain, but I cut him off. “I know. You didn’t want to waste everyone’s time.” Caleb froze, a wave of panic hitting him. At dusk, we went to the central stairs to watch the fireworks. Caleb wanted to use the fireworks—my favorite—to make it up to me. But an accident happened. A nearby firework launcher exploded, spraying sparks everywhere! Chaos erupted. In the shoving, I stumbled and was about to fall down the stairs! Caleb instinctively reached for me, but behind him, Grace screamed in terror. “Caleb! Help me!” He looked back once, then turned and ran to Grace without hesitation! I watched his retreating back as my heart tore in two. I tumbled down the stairs, trampled by the panicking crowd. A kind stranger helped me up. When Caleb returned, shielding Grace, I was covered in bruises and scrapes. “Chloe!” Caleb looked distressed, reaching to hug me. I dodged his hand. My voice was terrifyingly calm. “I’m fine. Take Grace home.” How could he be at ease? He told Grace to take a cab and insisted on taking me to the hospital. The doctor said I might have a concussion and needed observation. Caleb stayed by my side, refusing to leave. But as soon as I was admitted, Grace called. “Caleb… the power went out at my place… I’m scared…” Caleb frowned, looking at me hesitantly. I spoke calmly. “Go.” “Chloe, I…” “I’m fine. The nurse is here.” Caleb stood up. “I’ll be back soon.” He rushed out. Watching his back, I suddenly called out, “Caleb.” He turned. “Yeah?” I looked at him, remembering a long time ago. He was at a competition out of town. He heard my raspy voice on the phone, realized I had a fever, and forfeited the competition to fly back that night just to watch over me. Now, he was leaving me, injured, for another girl. For a second, I wanted to ask, “Do you still love me?” But the words felt meaningless. “Nothing. Go.” Whether he loved me or not, I didn’t care anymore. I was letting him go completely. Chapter 4 I stayed in the hospital for three days. During those three days, I saw seventeen posts from Grace. [Caleb took me for hot pot! (Photo: Caleb’s hand putting beef in her bowl)] [First time bungee jumping, so nervous~ (Photo: Caleb watching her tenderly, looking just like he used to look at me)] [Caleb says he’ll take good care of me since I have a cold (Photo: Caleb sitting by a bed, stirring porridge)] I scrolled past calmly. Maybe after hurting so many times, the heart just goes numb. The day I was discharged, I went to my usual high-end spa for a treatment. As I pushed the glass door open, a familiar voice called out, “Chloe?” Caleb stood at the front desk with a fidgety Grace. He looked flustered. “You’re out? Does it still hurt?” “I’m fine,” I said flatly, looking at Grace. Caleb sighed in relief and explained, “Grace has never been to a spa, so I brought her to try it out.” He paused. “Since you’re here, and I don’t know anything about this stuff, can you show her the ropes?” I didn’t want to make a scene in public, so I nodded. We went into a treatment room. The esthetician brought out my custom skincare set and started my facial. Grace watched enviously. “This stuff must be expensive. It’s nice being a rich girl. Unlike me, I’ve only ever used water to wash my face…” Caleb frowned. “Don’t be envious. I’ll buy it for you.” Grace waved her hands. “No, no, I don’t deserve such nice things…” “Nonsense,” Caleb said firmly. “You deserve the best.” I closed my eyes. “Give them another room,” I told the esthetician. “I want some quiet.” Caleb blinked. “I’ll pay for these products…” “No need. I’ll tell them to get her a set just like mine,” I said wearily. Finally, they left. After the treatment, I changed and went straight home without waiting for them. As soon as I got home, the door slammed open. “Chloe!” Caleb stormed in, face cold, grabbing my wrist. “What was in those products? Why is Grace’s face having an allergic reaction?!” His grip hurt. I was confused. “What?” “I told you I’m only taking care of her because she saved me!” Caleb suppressed his rage. “The person I love is you. If you have a problem, come at me. Why hurt her?” I looked at him in disbelief. “I didn’t hurt her. We used the same products. Why am I fine?” “That spa is owned by your family!” Caleb sneered. “It would take one word from you to tamper with her stuff.” My heart trembled violently. Is that the kind of person he thinks I am? I opened my mouth, but no words came out. Caleb took my silence for guilt and dragged me out. “What are you doing?!” I struggled. He didn’t speak, speeding until we reached Grace’s hospital room. Grace lay there, face covered in ointment, looking pitiful. “Apologize,” Caleb ordered. I looked at my red wrist, eyes stinging. Before, he’d be heartbroken if I lost a single hair. Now he treated me like this? “I did nothing wrong. I won’t apologize.” Grace quickly tried to smooth things over. “If Chloe doesn’t want to apologize, it’s fine… I’ll just be here for a few days…” Caleb got angrier. “Look at Grace, then look at yourself! How can you bully her over and over?” His gaze landed on my necklace. “Since you won’t apologize, give her that necklace as compensation.” I froze, touching the pendant. “…Do you remember what this is?” It was a token he gave me, promising to be “locked” to me forever. Now he wanted me to take it off and give it to her? Caleb had forgotten. “It’s just a necklace. I’ll buy you a better one.” “Grace is being generous not asking for an apology. You won’t even give up a gift?” I took a deep breath, ripped the necklace off, and threw it at Grace. “Take it.” Caleb, I’m giving you away too. I turned and left, never looking back.

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1 When my little brother was born, my father’s business finally started taking off. I thought my days of suffering were over, but my biological mother declared me a curse. She said we were poor because of me, and my brother was the family’s lucky star. If they didn’t get rid of me, I’d drag the whole family down. So, I was sold to my aunt and uncle. Years later, I got into Stanford, and my aunt and uncle were rolling in money. My biological parents, meanwhile, were struggling to put food on the table. They clung to our doorstep, refusing to leave. They cried, begging me to come back: “You still have our blood running through your veins!” When I was five, my brother was born, and my mother decided to sell me overnight to the old man in the next village. I knelt on the floor, begging her not to send me away. I kowtowed until my forehead bled, sobbing uncontrollably. That old man was bad news. He was old, unmarried, and often wandered the village without clothes. Every kid in the village was terrified of him. Everyone said he was crazy. After my brother was born, Dad’s business boomed. Overnight, it seemed like money was no longer an issue. They quickly bought a huge house in the city and a luxury car. Just before we were supposed to move, Mom said I was bad luck. If I stepped foot in the new house, their good fortune wouldn’t last. The old man from the next village offered a hundred dollars for me. My parents didn’t hesitate. It was like they couldn’t even hear me crying. That day, with blood trickling down my forehead, my parents were about to sign the contract the old man handed them. Catching the malicious glint in the old man’s eyes, I felt dead inside. I was young, but I knew: once they signed, I belonged to him. A terrifying unknown loomed over me… My parents selling their daughter right after getting rich caused a huge stir. My uncle pedaled his beat-up bicycle through the night to stop the sale. “Are you sure about this? She’s a curse! Don’t say I didn’t warn you when things go south!” My mother pointed at me on the ground, her face twisted in disgust. My father looked at my uncle like he was an idiot. They couldn’t believe anyone would fight over a jinx like me. My uncle took out a handkerchief and pressed it to my bleeding forehead. “I don’t have a daughter anyway. Since you don’t want her, I’ll raise her.” My tears burst forth again. Thank god. I didn’t have to go with the old man. My uncle took out a hundred and twenty dollars and handed it to my father. “Let’s sign the papers. From now on, this girl is my daughter.” “I’m offering twenty more. You gonna fight me for her?” My uncle glared coldly at the old man. The old man looked unhappy, like a tasty meal had been snatched from his jaws. But he didn’t raise his bid. My parents agreed instantly. Selling me was selling me, right? Plus, Uncle offered more. As long as I was out of their house, they didn’t care. After signing and fingerprinting the papers, with the village chief as a witness, the deal was done. My mother got into a sedan, holding my brother, and my father drove away without a single backward glance. I threw myself into my uncle’s arms, sobbing my heart out. “Uncle, Mom and Dad don’t want me anymore.” His large hand stroked my head gently, his voice warm and comforting. “Sweetheart, even though I bought you for a hundred and twenty bucks, you have to remember—you are priceless.” “You are Uncle’s priceless treasure.” “Be my daughter, and I’ll spoil you rotten.” Just like that, clutching my patched-up clothes, I moved in with my uncle’s family. 2 My uncle lived in a remote area. He pedaled a long way with me on the back of his bike. Just when I thought we were almost there, he took a detour to buy a pound of pork. “Sweetheart, before we go home, let’s change your name.” My last name was Liu. My parents had always wanted a son. When I was born, they went to a fortune teller. The fortune teller said they were destined to have a son, but they couldn’t be too good to me. Even my name had to pave the way for my brother. He suggested names like “Beckoning Brother” or “Hoping for Brother.” But my mother didn’t hesitate. She named me “Cheap Girl.” Yes, my name was Liu Jiannü—Liu Cheap Girl. I was young, but I knew it was an ugly name. The village kids wouldn’t play with me because of it. They’d circle around me, throwing stones and shouting my name, laughing. Until my parents abandoned me, my name was the village joke. No one thought it was wrong. It seemed I was born with a cheap fate. A cheap girl in the family. But now, my uncle touched my head with pity, his eyes rimmed with red. “Let’s go. Uncle will find someone to give you a new name, okay?” “Our girl is so pretty; she needs the prettiest name!” Uncle went to the village chief. He named me “Joy.” Meaning eloquent and full of happiness. “Joy… Lin Joy… Nice, very nice!” Uncle muttered, holding my hand. “Do you like your new name, sweetheart?” Uncle picked me up and carried me home. I finally smiled. I was too scared to show it fully, so I buried my face in his broad back and grinned secretly. My smile grew wider and wider. I finally had a beautiful name. I wanted to run back to the village and brag. Let those people who looked down on my name hear this! But starting today, I didn’t belong there anymore. I had someone protecting me now. When Uncle brought me home, my aunt and cousin were there. They only had one son at the time. He was four years older than me. Uncle held my hand and, meeting Aunt’s confused gaze, cheerfully explained, “Didn’t you always want a daughter?” “Here she is. Her name is Lin Joy. From now on, she’s our daughter. She lives here.” Aunt’s face, which had been relatively kind, fell instantly. She didn’t say a word and went straight to her room. My cousin was at that mischievous age. Seeing me, he threw a tantrum at Uncle. “She’s not my sister! She’s Auntie’s kid! She’s not my sister!” Uncle tweaked his ear. “Behave! She is your sister. Her last name is Lin now. She’s family!” Cousin ran crying to his mom. Uncle was handy. He set up a small cot for me next to my cousin’s bed. Considering I was a girl, he hung a curtain around it for privacy. “Joy, make do with sharing a room with your brother for now, okay?” “When Uncle makes big money, I’ll get you the biggest, prettiest room.” I nodded obediently. “Bragging again? Don’t you know how poor we are?” Aunt’s voice drifted from the other room. Uncle and I looked at each other and giggled. He lowered his voice. “Joy, ignore your aunt. She’s all bark and no bite.” I knew. Uncle and Aunt were my saviors. I silently vowed to be good to them. Compared to my birth family’s sudden wealth, Uncle’s family was truly poor. And Uncle had spent a huge chunk of their hard-earned savings on me. 3 “Why did you bring her back? You spent almost all our savings!” “I’m asking you! What about our son’s tuition?” “Are we all going to starve?” Uncle and Aunt’s room was right next door. Because of the new environment, I couldn’t sleep. The walls were thin, and I heard them arguing. Did I really cost Uncle all his savings? I clenched my fists, afraid to breathe. I was terrified Aunt would send me away. I didn’t want to go to the old man in the next village. But Uncle cheerfully comforted her. “But I treat Joy like my own daughter.” “Didn’t we agree before we got married that we wanted a son and a daughter? Look, fate brought her to us!” I heard Aunt retort, “Don’t give me that nonsense.” “I wanted a daughter, yes, but look at our situation.” “And your sister and brother-in-law… you know what they’re like!” “What if we raise her and they come back for her?” Uncle lowered his voice. “Keep it down, don’t wake the kids.” “We have a son and a daughter now. No matter how hard it gets, as long as the four of us stick together, things will get better.” My heart finally settled. A long time later, the door opened. Uncle came in, tucked me in, and kissed the top of my head. “Enough already. I don’t see you being this attentive to your son,” Aunt muttered from the doorway. Uncle whispered as he locked the door, “I just adore my daughter.” That night, my pillow was soaked with tears. When I woke up, my cousin was startled by the dark circles under my eyes. He screamed that I was a ghost. Aunt twisted his ear impatiently. “Why are you yelling all day? Go serve your sister some porridge!” I looked up at Aunt, a feeling of acceptance spreading in my heart. Unlike Uncle’s gentleness, Aunt had a fiery temper. She was strict with both me and my cousin. I knew it was because she treated me like her own child. Her “tough love” parenting style was fully displayed. For example, sticking chopsticks vertically into my rice bowl got my hand smacked. She said it was rude and showed a lack of breeding. My cousin went through a phase of swearing, and Aunt beat him until he learned his lesson. After that, he’d only recite ancient poetry around us. Crossing legs, slouching—we both got our fair share of beatings for bad posture. Uncle watched with heartache. He’d sneak me lollipops and comfort me. He said Aunt just didn’t want us to pick up bad habits. She wanted us to be upright people. Not to develop bad habits just because we were poor. Not to be looked down upon by anyone. Poverty is not an excuse for depravity. Some bad habits, once formed, follow you for life. 4 Uncle sold steamed buns. He and Aunt got up at 3 or 4 AM to make them. Then Uncle would transport them to town. Having his own shop was Uncle’s lifelong dream. After selling buns in the morning, he worked construction. Aunt helped out at home. My cousin and I often helped plant peanuts and beans after school. During harvest, we got up early to work in the fields. At dawn, we’d run home to eat breakfast and sprint to school. Even though we were poor, Uncle and Aunt decided to send me to school. I didn’t disappoint them; I was always top of my class. One day after school, Aunt was sitting in the living room with a dark face. “Why did you fight a classmate?” She held a feather duster, clearly angry. “The teacher said you shoved a student’s head into the toilet!” “Lin Joy! We send you to school, and this is how you repay us?” “What’s the reason!” I pursed my lips and refused to say a word. Aunt rolled up my pant leg and whacked me with the feather duster. Until Uncle came back and shielded me. They had a big argument. Uncle said she shouldn’t hit the child. Aunt yelled at him, “Then you teach her! You brought her back!” That day, I buried my head in the doorframe, remembering my birth mother’s words. She said I was a jinx, a curse… Maybe I was. During lunch, my cousin came home and went out again. Uncle and Aunt were giving each other the silent treatment. After lunch, Uncle applied ointment to my legs. “Joy, does it hurt?” He blew gently on my legs. I shook my head. After applying the medicine, he pulled me into his arms. “Our Joy has always been sensible.” “There must be a reason for the fight, right?” “Tell Uncle, okay?” I still stayed silent. Later, my cousin ran back, out of breath. He shoved a lollipop into my hand and called Uncle and Aunt out. “You dummy! Why didn’t you say anything when you were bullied? Am I invisible?” Cousin explained what happened. I fought because someone crossed the line. Classmates found out I wasn’t Uncle and Aunt’s biological child. So they spread rumors that I was a jinx, a disaster. That my birth parents sold me because of it. Hearing this, I was calm. Because it was true. My birth parents didn’t want me. But I didn’t feel unlucky. On the contrary, I was lucky. I met Uncle and Aunt. I came to a loving home. But the classmates went too far. They started cursing my Uncle and Aunt. Saying my Uncle’s family would die horrible deaths for adopting a jinx like me. Uncle and Aunt taught us to be tolerant. But that day, I couldn’t take it anymore. Uncle, Aunt, and Cousin were good people. I wouldn’t let these scumbags insult them! When they provoked me again and again, I taught them a lesson. I poured toilet water into their mouths and shoved their heads into the sink. Since their mouths were dirty, I thought I’d clean them. In that moment, I even wanted to end it all with them. The commotion in the bathroom attracted attention, and someone called the teacher. The teacher looked at me with a complicated expression and told me to call my parents.

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1 My husband called a strange number 21 times this week. I stormed into the bathroom, ready for a confrontation. He was standing there with a head full of shampoo, looking exasperated. “If you think I’m cheating, call the number yourself! Call whoever you want!” The door slammed shut. I was sure he was bluffing. But when I dialed, it connected almost instantly. A sweet female voice answered. “Thank you for calling The Orchid House. How can I help you?” The Orchid House was my favorite restaurant. Awkwardly, I hung up. Later, when I went there for dinner, I specifically mentioned it to the manager. “The girl who answers your phone is very professional. Here’s a tip for her.” The manager looked confused. “Ma’am, we don’t have a receptionist. Our calls are handled by an AI system now. It’s the trend.” I pretended I had misremembered and calmly finished my meal. That night, I checked my husband’s dashcam footage. Sure enough, I found the address of a property registered under my mother-in-law’s name. When I knocked on the door, a woman answered wearing nothing but a silk slip. … The woman in front of me looked five or six years younger than me, radiating that specific confidence of youth. She showed off her body shamelessly, not a hint of awkwardness on her face. Water droplets from her wet hair traced a path down her collarbone, disappearing into her neckline. She seemed surprised to see me, clearly expecting someone else. Then I heard that familiar, sweet voice. “You must be Mark’s wife? I’m his distant cousin, Sarah. I’m staying here while I study for grad school.” I stared at her coldly. Mark had really prepared everything, even the script. I wondered how many times they had rehearsed this. It was flawless. If not for that phone call, even finding this place wouldn’t have made me suspicious. Realizing this, my heart sank. “And you are?” I looked her up and down, unimpressed. “Oh right, I forgot to introduce myself.” “I’m Sarah Miller.” She extended a hand. I let out a scoff. “Awfully friendly, aren’t you?” I ignored her hand and walked past her into the apartment. As we brushed shoulders, I noticed a tattoo on her upper arm. SJ 7.17 My pupils contracted. A weird sixth sense kicked in. I knew she was silently marking her territory. I stared at the stylized font. She noticed my gaze, of course. She explained casually. “SJ stands for the band I was in during college. That’s the date we formed.” She pointed at the date. “I was young and impulsive. Thought it was the most important day of my life, so I got it inked.” Her tone was light, but she was watching me from the corner of her eye. I read the message in her gaze loud and clear. That date was her anniversary with Mark. Had they been together since college? Four years of marriage, and I hadn’t noticed a thing. My gaze turned icy as I scanned the room. It was lived-in. No TV in the living room, just a massive projector screen. A home theater setup. No sofa, just a Japanese-style tatami mat. Next to it was an expensive massage chair. I could almost see the countless passionate nights they had spent here. Just as I was about to head for the bedroom, the front door opened again. It was Mark. He got here fast. I stood in the doorway, a smirk playing on my lips, watching him run in, tie askew—so unlike his usual polished self. “What are you doing here?” He went on the offensive immediately. “Susan, are you investigating me?” His brow furrowed, lips pressed into a thin line. He was clearly unhappy. In the past, I would have dropped everything to soothe him. Now, I just pointed at the bedroom. “Care to explain?” He frowned, walking up to me. Conveniently blocking my view of Sarah. “What’s there to explain? She’s my cousin. My mom asked me to look out for her. Is that a crime?” I didn’t say anything. He let out a frustrated laugh. He pulled out his phone and called his mother right there. “Mom, Susan thinks I’m cheating. Can you explain Sarah to her? She won’t believe a word I say.” He shoved the phone into my hands while I stared in shock. “Susan, honey? Sarah is your distant aunt’s kid. I told Mark to look after her. He’s been so busy he probably forgot to mention it. I’m sorry, dear.” On the phone, my mother-in-law’s voice was warm and forgiving. Like she was indulging a paranoid child. “Susan, come over for dinner when you’re free, okay? I have a bridge game starting, gotta run.” After she hung up, the shock lingered. Mark looked at me smugly. “Believe me now? Stop making a scene. You’re embarrassing yourself in front of Sarah.” Sarah stood beside him with an understanding smile. “Mark, don’t be mean. It just shows how much Susan cares about you.” “Right, Susan?” I silently followed Mark downstairs. He turned to me. “I have a meeting. We’ll talk about this at home.” He acted like he was still angry about my ‘unreasonable’ behavior. His steps were heavy, but he left quickly. Watching his car drive away, I lowered my eyes. After a moment, I called my best friend. “I need you to run a background check on someone.” 2 Before dinner time, my friend sent over the file. Sarah graduated from a different university than Mark. Their lives had zero intersection. It looked like she really was just a distant cousin. I frowned deeply. After a moment, I texted my friend again. [Run a check on my mother-in-law. Last three years. Large transactions, spending records, bank statements, property transfers. Everything.] She replied instantly. [Are you crazy? You treat that woman like your own mother.] [Why investigate her?] of all people? I didn’t reply. The screen went dark, and I stared out the window. Maybe because I loved Mark, I loved his family too. He was from a single-parent home. I always respected how hard his mother worked to raise him. Since our wedding day, I treated her like my own flesh and blood. Whenever Mark and I fought, she always stood by my side. If even that was a lie… what was real? Thirty minutes later. My friend called. “Holy shit. That bastard is cheating. How did you know?” “Mark has been playing you for years? I sent everything. See for yourself.” I opened his mother’s bank statements. Starting three years ago. Mark transferred ten thousand dollars to one of her cards almost every month. But the spending wasn’t typical for an older woman. Designer clothes, jewelry, bags, collectibles. And daily expenses. The most frequent transactions were at a Japanese boutique. Almost a fixed weekly expense. I scrolled up to the account opening date. July 17th. I understood. That was the day they got together. Then I opened the second file. Transactions from his mother’s main card. The apartment they were using now. A massage chair worth thousands. A sports car imported from overseas. And all of these… Had clear gift deeds signed. I laughed, but my face felt frozen. What was Mark thinking when he prepared all this? Was he already planning his excuses in case I found out? What kind of heart does it take to do something like this? The last document was the final straw that broke me. An investment in a fashion brand, made in his mother’s name. Under “Shareholder and Founder,” it read: Sarah Miller. I don’t remember how I drove home. When I came to, I was in the underground garage. My phone buzzed with notifications. Speeding tickets. Red light violations. I buried my face in my hands, leaning on the steering wheel. I couldn’t calm down. My phone rang suddenly in the quiet space. It was jarring. I answered, exhausted. “Susan, where are you? Why am I getting speeding alerts? Are you okay?” Mark sounded urgent, worried. “I had to deliver a file. In a rush.” I made up an excuse. He sounded angry now. “Are you trying to get yourself killed? Pull over. I’m coming to get you.” I heard the rustle of clothes as he got dressed. “No need. I’m in the garage.” Silence. Mark let out a breath. “Come upstairs then.” When the elevator opened, I saw Mark in his loungewear, a jacket thrown over his shoulders. His eyes were full of concern. He nagged me about my driving skills, complaining that I shouldn’t be speeding. Looking at the man in front of me. He cared about my safety. While pouring his heart and soul into another woman. 3 That night, after Mark fell asleep. I contacted a new lawyer. I asked him to audit my assets and sent him the files I had. “Handle it all together.” I woke up to find Mark had made breakfast—a rare occurrence. “I’m meeting a client in Bayview today. It’s on your way, can you drop me off?” I looked at him quietly for a moment, then nodded. It wasn’t time to explode yet. I needed more evidence. On the way, my phone kept ringing. Before I could answer, Mark grabbed it and hung up. “You have a man on the side or something?” Hearing him project his guilt onto me, I sneered internally. In the end, he made a scene and didn’t let me answer. When I got to the office, my assistant was waiting in the lobby. Seeing me rush in, she hesitated before asking cautiously. “Boss, have you been in contact with a studio called SJ recently?” Hearing the name, my breath hitched. My throat felt dry. A bad feeling washed over me. “No. Why?” She handed me a tablet. Dozens of design sketches. My heart stopped. I looked at the familiar elements, anger rising in my chest. I walked quickly to my office. “Tell me everything.” It turned out this SJ Studio had released a batch of concept art and registered the copyrights. And the design elements were almost identical to my company’s upcoming flagship collection. The problem was, to keep the suspense, we hadn’t released our designs publicly. Production had already started. We had signed the celebrity endorsements. This meant if consumers thought we were copying SJ, the company would suffer massive losses. Even worse, we would offend our partners. Chills ran down my spine. The first person I thought of was Mark. I never imagined that to pave the way for Sarah, he would sacrifice the company I built with my own hands. Before I could come up with a plan, another assistant burst in. “Susan, the plagiarist is on TV!” I sat up straight and took the phone. Sarah Miller appeared on a popular finance show. She was dressed cleanly, simply, like the girl next door. Facing the host’s tricky questions, she was confident and calm. Very impressive. When asked why she named the studio SJ, she lifted her sleeve, revealing the tattoo. “To thank someone very important to me. I wanted his name not just in my heart, but on my body, in my life.” “He is everywhere.” The host looked envious. “That must be your lover? Can you tell us your story?” She shook her head shyly. “I promised him I wouldn’t mention him publicly without his permission.” Comments floated across the screen. [Can’t mention him? Why? Is he married?] [Holy crap, that might be it. If they’re so in love, why the secrecy?] [Maybe they just like privacy. Don’t be jealous.] The comments section turned into a war zone. I stared at the screen, lost in thought. The host asked another question. “So what inspired the ‘Fleeting Orchid’ series? Why that name?” Sarah froze for a second. The host continued. “Is it because you met him when the orchids were blooming? Does he like orchids?” Sarah clearly didn’t have an answer. She didn’t know why the host brought up orchids. But she thought fast. She winked at the camera with a mysterious smile. She said nothing. I stared at the screen and whispered the answer. “Beauty fades as the best times pass; the orchid season does not wait.” That was the poem that inspired my collection. I never thought it would become a prophecy for my marriage. 4 After the interview, Sarah became famous. After all, she was riding on the six months of hard work from my entire design team. She ignited the fashion industry. SJ Studio went from unknown to flooded with collaboration offers in a month. Meanwhile, four of my senior designers resigned. My company was in a slump. In just one month, the media hailed Sarah as a genius designer. Mark, on the other hand, was having “issues.” First, an investment failed, and he urgently needed to fill the hole. He asked to transfer three hundred thousand from our joint account. I looked at him impassively. And nodded. Soon after, my lawyer sent me the evidence. Watching the money trail, I continued to bait the hook. After that, his courage seemed to grow. Using a subsidiary we co-owned, he launched a “charity project.” He approved a five hundred thousand dollar R&D loan for Sarah. The paperwork looked legit—reviews, signatures, everything. Outsiders wouldn’t spot a flaw. I smiled at the documents in my hand. This money would allow Sarah to officially turn her studio into a company. Sure enough, SJ Corp was founded. They started hiring aggressively. Office supplies, computers—they bought the best. Meanwhile, I was in crisis. Employees resigned from my company today and received offers from SJ tomorrow. With double the salary. It seemed Sarah wanted to destroy me. Mark, who hadn’t been home in a week, suddenly appeared. “Susan, I have to go out of town. Something came up at the branch office.” I smirked internally. “How much do you need?” Mark waved his hands. “I heard things aren’t going well for you. Are you… holding up okay?” His undisguised probing hardened my heart further. Mark, let’s see who laughs last in this game. I put on a weary face. Acting like my usual self, I said: “It’s okay. Don’t worry about me. Take what you need. I’m not broke yet.” That sentence dispelled his doubts completely. He kissed my cheek. “Wife, I knew you were the most gentle and understanding woman in the world.” That night, I claimed I had work in the study, but really I scrubbed my face twenty times in the guest bathroom. The next day, Mark left with his luggage. Looking solemn, like he was off to solve a crisis. Instead, he parked at the airport and took a cab back to the city. Soon after, my friend texted me. [Holy shit. Saw your husband at a hotel. That super expensive love hotel!] [So gross!] [When are you going to make your move?] I replied: [Hold on.] Two days later, I got the alert. Mark injected one million dollars into SJ. Ha. A total of one point seven million dollars. He built Sarah a production line complete with logistics. Mark really was generous. Maybe success had gone to his head, or he thought his plan was flawless. He didn’t even bother hiding the money trail this time. And this was exactly the moment I had been waiting for. I met my lawyer in a private tea house. My mother-in-law’s bank statements and gift records. Copies of the doctored documents. The chat logs they thought were deleted forever. Everything was laid out on the table. The lawyer looked serious. “This proves not only malicious transfer of marital assets but also embezzlement.” I nodded calmly, packing up the evidence. Waiting for them to climb to their highest peak. On the day of the grand opening. Sarah was surrounded by admirers. Compliments flew left and right. “Ms. Miller is so young and talented!” “SJ Studio is definitely the next big thing!” “Mr. York has an amazing eye for investment!” Mark stood nearby, looking proud, as if her glory was his own. They were the stars of the show. This was the glory Mark bought with my designs and our money. The emcee’s voice boomed, hyping up the ribbon-cutting ceremony. “Ladies and gentlemen, the moment we’ve all been waiting for! Please welcome the founder of SJ Studio, Ms. Sarah Miller—” “And her investor, Mr. Mark York, to the stage!” Thunderous applause almost lifted the roof. That was when I pushed open the doors.

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After I died, my best friend organized a memorial service for me. It was crashed and trashed. Anti-fans swarmed the funeral home, selfie sticks held high, live-streaming the chaos. “Serves him right!” they chanted. The chat was flooded with comments like, “Is he finally dead for real?” Meanwhile, my ex-husband was celebrating on a luxury yacht, toasting champagne with his lover for seven days straight. It seemed my untimely death was nothing less than poetic justice. Until one day, my diary was made public. Only then did everyone realize… In my entire life, I was truly happy for only a fleeting moment. 1. On a variety show, the host suddenly went off-script. “Mr. Thorne, your ex-husband recently passed away due to illness. How do you feel about that?” Caleb Thorne, the newly crowned Best Actor, scoffed. “Nothing. I heard his memorial got trashed. Good riddance.” The host smiled slightly, lowering his gaze. “You don’t mind talking about him? After all, his death is trending.” Usually, capitalizing on the dead gets you cancelled. But when the dead person was me, Julian Vance, nobody cared. “Ask whatever you want,” Caleb said. “I’m curious,” the host began. “Everyone says Julian Vance was a villain. So why did you marry him?” The Best Actor fell silent. He probably couldn’t remember why either. The host chuckled. “We actually have Julian’s diary here. Would you mind if we shared it with everyone?” Caleb smirked. “He barely finished high school. Could he even write a diary? Go ahead, show it.” When the worn notebook was opened, everyone froze. The handwriting was neat and elegant, nothing like the scribbles of a madman. “Let me read it then,” the host said, smiling. 2. October 3, 2020 Today, I’m getting married! And who’s the lucky groom? My Caleb, of course. Who else would I want to marry? And who else would he dare marry? If he dared, I’d tear him to pieces. We’ve been together for six years. Today, I finally married the man I fell in love with at 18. Dear Diary, you should have seen how nervous Caleb was when he put the ring on my finger. His ears were burning, and his eyes turned red instantly. They say men’s tears are a woman’s weakness. It’s true. I couldn’t stop smiling. But, Diary, I’m not afraid you’ll laugh at me. When Caleb got drunk and collapsed into my arms later, I cried even harder than he did. He whispered in my ear, “Julian, I love you. I love you so much. Thank you for being my husband.” Actually, I should be thanking him. Because of him, for the first time in my life, I feel like I belong. At the wedding, Caleb’s mom hugged me. When she held me, I wanted to cry. It was the first time an elder had ever hugged me. So, this is what a mother smells like. Growing up in an orphanage, I didn’t understand hugs. Orphans like us, no matter how good we were, no one held us. When we cried, we just lay on the mats on the floor until we stopped. At school, teachers always said we were “good kids.” Actually, we just knew that crying got no response. And good kids don’t get loved; they get ignored. So we learned to hide our feelings. Meeting Caleb taught me that I could be myself, and he would still love me. Now, Caleb and I finally have a home. Even if we’re broke. Life will get better. I told Caleb: This is the happiest moment of my life. He held me tight, his heart aching for me. “Not the happiest. After today, every day will be happy.” Marriage is wonderful. I have someone to accompany me, and I have a family. I’m not alone anymore. Oh, here’s a wedding photo! It’s small, only 12 inches. I’m wearing a cheap suit I bought online for $80, and Caleb is wearing the only decent suit he owns. We look simple, but our smiles are the sweetest. Caleb promised me. When he makes big money, he’ll take me to a beach in Malaysia to take proper wedding photos. The host finished reading and took a deep breath. No one expected the “vicious” me to have such memories with Caleb. The words were playful and sweet, radiating pure happiness. Expired sugar is the deadliest poison. Caleb froze for three seconds. These memories had been buried deep in his mind. Back then, marrying me felt like winning a war to him. He had forgotten all of it. The netizens were confused. This was miles apart from the image of the evil Julian Vance. “Reading the diary, he sounds like a totally different person.” “Fake, right? That handwriting doesn’t look like Julian’s.” “Julian was an orphan? No wonder he had no manners.” The host looked at Caleb. “When you got married, it seems you were both very happy.” Caleb seemed dazed, then let out a self-deprecating laugh. “He used to be decent. Too bad you can’t judge a book by its cover.” The host smiled. “Perhaps. Let’s read the second page.” “Honestly, I’m curious too. What happened to turn Mr. Vance into the public enemy everyone hates?” 3. January 6, 2021 Dear Diary, I’ve been so busy with extra work lately, I neglected you. Sorry! I have to rant again today. Is there any way to make big money fast? What if I spend $10 on lottery tickets every day? A meal on set is $10. If I skip dinner, I can save that. What if I win the jackpot? Diary, I don’t want to daydream. But I really, really need money. I can’t ask Caleb. He’s under so much pressure already. He films night scenes every day. During the day, he edits videos for extra cash. He’s so tired, but he always pretends to be fine and tells me, “Hubby isn’t tired.” My heart breaks for him. Whatever. I’ll figure it out myself. Attached photo: Caleb’s sleeping face. Perfection. When life feels hopeless, I just look at him~ The host paused. “Mr. Thorne, I have to ask. Did you know Julian was this desperate for money back then?” Caleb shook his head. “I was his husband. If he needed money and didn’t tell me, it must have been for something shady.” “No wonder he did all those disgusting things later. For money, he really had no dignity.” The host sighed and continued reading. 4. January 10, 2021 Dear Diary. My best friend died. We grew up together in the orphanage for over ten years. He just left me. Because we couldn’t scrape together $5,000. I told him I’d find a way. I told him to wait. Even if I had to deliver food 24/7, I would pay for his treatment. But while I was working on set, he pulled his own oxygen tube. He left a recording. He said: “Julian, we were abandoned as kids. Most of us aren’t healthy. Living to 25 is already a bonus for me.” “Julian, don’t be sad. Maybe in heaven, I’ll see the parents who threw me away.” “I’m going to settle the score with them.” “You and Caleb take care.” “Oh, and remember to get regular checkups. We poor people can’t afford to get sick.” I cried until I couldn’t breathe. I was so close. If he just waited a little longer… Diary. Why is life so unfair? Today on set, I heard the lead actress’s sponsored handbags cost $5,000 each. One bag could have saved my friend’s life. Writing this, I suddenly remembered another friend from the orphanage. His name was Victor. Victor means victory. He had a round face and eyes that crinkled into crescents when he smiled. Compared to us, he was full of life. Maybe too full of life. When he was eight, a rich family adopted him. When we said goodbye, I was so happy for him. But he came back a year later. He was thin. He didn’t smile. Most importantly, he was mute. He wrote down that he had been tortured for a year. The adoptive family was afraid he would talk. So they cut out his tongue. I ran to the Director for help, but I got beaten half to death. The Director took hush money from that family to bury it. Victor… he killed himself not long after. Now this friend is gone too. There aren’t many of us left from the orphanage. Diary, I really want to tell Caleb all this. But looking at his exhausted, smiling eyes… Never mind. Maybe when life gets better. I won’t burden him. Goodnight, Diary. Hope I get a callback for an audition tomorrow morning. The host’s voice trembled as he read. Netizens: “So he needed money for a friend?” “What kind of orphanage is that? Investigate immediately!” “Seems like an attempt to whitewash his image, but you can tell Julian was just jealous. Otherwise, why envy a $5,000 bag?” The host sighed and turned to Caleb. “Mr. Thorne, did you know your husband needed $5,000?” “You were both 25. Did you really not have $5,000 in savings?” Caleb’s pupils contracted. His mouth moved silently. “In 2020, we saved $10,000 together. I promised to buy him a gold bracelet…” “But at the end of the year, my mom got sick.” “It cost us everything…” “Later, he didn’t bring it up, and I didn’t buy it.” Caleb lowered his eyes, his voice fading. The chat exploded. “So Julian gave all their savings to treat his mother-in-law and ended up with nothing for himself?” “What is the comment above saying? Marriage means being a family.” “If he had the gold bracelet, maybe he could have saved his friend.” Actually, Caleb didn’t tell the whole story. His mother had insurance. It covered most of the costs. After the reimbursement came, I didn’t see a dime. When my friend got sick, I hesitated but eventually asked my mother-in-law for a loan. I was ridiculed. “Marrying a losing investment like you was charity enough.” “And you dare ask me for money?” “You’re an orphan. No one has your back.” I froze. My ears rang. The woman who said she’d treat me like a son at the wedding now looked at me with contempt. When I married Caleb, we didn’t have a ceremony, just a dinner. No ring, no dowry. In the end, no respect either. Later, I learned the truth. Once you’re married, the masks come off. Especially for someone like me, with no family to back me up. The grievances I didn’t write in the diary were far more than Caleb ever knew.

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My mother was a spoiled princess. I spent my whole life taking care of her. Yet, when my father’s mistress lunged at me with a knife, she didn’t hesitate to step in front of me. I woke up, and I was eight years old again. She was admiring her freshly manicured nails, ordering me to make her dinner. I silently cooked an eight-course meal with two soups. She was shocked: “Did you poison it?” I put some food in her bowl and said seriously: “I approve of you dating Uncle Julian.” Chapter 1 Vivian exploded. Her perfectly shaped eyebrows knit together as she slammed her chopsticks onto the table. “Julian? What kind of nonsense is going on in that little head of yours?” I: “…” I silently handed her a clean pair of chopsticks. She eyed me suspiciously. “You little brat, did you break something?” I hesitated for a few seconds, then pulled the chopsticks back out of her hand. She nodded knowingly: “I knew it. You’re trying to prank me.” I opened my arms to her: “Mommy, hug.” Vivian was clearly freaked out. She stared at me in disbelief, skepticism written all over her beautiful face. After a long pause, she poked my cheek with a long, manicured nail. “What are you babbling about? Go stew me some bird’s nest soup.” My lips trembled. I wanted to cry. She froze, frantically grabbing a handful of napkins and throwing them at my face. “Hey, hey, what are you doing? trying to guilt-trip me?” Just then. The front door of the villa opened. A tall, slender man stood silhouetted in the doorway. The room fell instantly silent. I stared at him quietly for a long time before opening my mouth: “Dad.” Vivian glanced at the man, snatched the chopsticks back from my hand, and started eating as if nothing happened. The man walked in coldly, heading straight for the study upstairs. As he passed the dining table, he paused slightly. “You don’t need to go to the banquet tonight.” Slap. The chopsticks were slammed onto the table. Vivian sneered, “Then who are you taking?” My mother was breathtakingly beautiful. Before she married, she was the famous, vibrant beauty of the upper-class social circle. Even after marriage, her beauty hadn’t faded a bit. Natural beauty combined with high-end maintenance made her even more charming. Even now, angry as she was, she looked stunning. But despite this, my father’s gaze hadn’t lingered on her for a long time. The man frowned slightly. He didn’t answer her question, his steady steps carrying him upstairs. As the study door closed. Vivian threw the chopsticks. The next second, she stood up to flip the table. I watched her silently. At the last second, she stopped. Vivian pulled out a cigarette, lit it, and smiled with an unreadable expression: “You’re getting a new mom soon. Happy?” I stared at her for two seconds, then walked up and snuffed out her cigarette. She froze completely. Then she screamed. “Are you crazy? Why did you put out my cigarette?” She grabbed my hand. My fingertip was burned raw. Her fingers trembled. She pulled out her phone to call the family doctor. After hanging up, she gritted her teeth: “I swear, you watch too many cartoons and think you’re made of steel?” I whispered: “Don’t smoke. It’s bad for your health. And if you smoke too much, you won’t be pretty anymore.” Vivian looked at me with complicated eyes while she looked for an ice pack. She huffed, “Even if your mom was ten times uglier, there still wouldn’t be a woman more beautiful than your mom, got it?” I endured the pain and looked at her quietly. I thought so too. Everyone in our circle thought so too. But my dad fell in love with that plain-looking girl by his side. Those uncles would whisper behind our backs: “Richard married such a beautiful wife, yet he doesn’t cherish her. That’s Vivian, the woman so many men dreamed of marrying back then.” But then they’d add: “But wild flowers always smell sweeter than house flowers. Plus, Vivian has a kid and isn’t young anymore. It’s understandable.” When their kids first whispered these things to me, I didn’t understand. I only heard “Dad” and “Mom,” so I repeated every word to my mother. Vivian’s expression didn’t change. She just rolled her eyes: “You’re gossiping at such a young age, what a bright future you have. If you have time for this, go learn some more words.” But after I left, she would lock herself in her room, smoking and drinking. The next day, she’d act as if nothing happened, booking spa appointments and ordering tonic soups from the kitchen. Later on, I stopped repeating those words. Chapter 2 “What are you arguing about?” Richard stood on the second floor, looking down. Vivian glanced at him and applied the ice pack to my hand. I hissed in pain. Richard’s gaze moved from my hand to the cigarette butt on the floor. His expression was cold. “Can’t even take care of a child?” Vivian looked annoyed: “Don’t act high and mighty. Just get lost.” Suddenly, she paused. “That necklace at the auction a few days ago… were you bidding against me?” Richard met her gaze. She smiled sarcastically. “Didn’t you know? Your little mistress is already parading it around town.” “She’s not my mistress,” Richard said, his thin lips pressed together in displeasure. “Right, right, she’s your true love.” She waved her hand dismissively. “Wishing you eternal happiness.” Richard exhaled, slowly walking downstairs. “We’re going to the banquet together tonight.” As if Vivian expected this, she chuckled, slowly draping her arm over his shoulder and exhaling into his ear, “Beg me, Mr. Jiang.” Richard took a step back, his body slightly tense, warning: “The child is here. Don’t be ridiculous.” She let out a bored “Oh” and said to me, “Go upstairs. The doctor will come to your room.” After I closed my bedroom door. I heard a vase shatter outside. I sat at my desk and opened my diary from memory. Eight-year-old me had a terrible relationship with Ms. Vivian. No fatherly love growing up, and barely any motherly love either. While other kids were being cuddled, I was already serving tea to my mom. She never cared about my life, spending every day elegantly dressing up, doing her hair, nails, and facials. Occasionally, when maternal instincts struck, she’d read me skincare tips. Any event requiring a parent was attended by the butler, Grandpa Lee. Later, I often thought my existence was unwelcome. I wasn’t the child of the woman my father loved, and maybe my mother often regretted having me, as my birth had damaged her body. … I flipped to the last page of the diary. [Lucas invited me to play the day after tomorrow. I want to go, but Uncle Julian will be there. I hate Uncle Julian. He always looks at Mom weirdly.] Sixteen-year-old me reading what eight-year-old me wrote felt complicated. Ten minutes later, there was a knock on the door. I cleared my throat. “Come in.” Vivian walked in, followed by the family doctor, who opened his kit to bandage me up. Vivian sat naturally on my bed. She paused. “Do you want to go to the banquet tonight? Your grandparents want to see you. It’s fine if you don’t go; it’s a mixed crowd.” I thought for a moment. Uncle Julian would be there. I had to go scope out the situation. I nodded: “I’ll go.” Vivian shrugged. “Suit yourself.” After the doctor finished, Vivian went to prepare her gown. Watching her slender back, I couldn’t help but speak: “Mom.” She froze, awkwardly rubbing the goosebumps on her arm. “…What is it?” I pouted. “I don’t have a suitable dress.” Vivian liked expensive, exquisite dresses, but I only cared about comfort. I wore T-shirts and shorts everywhere. And I never let her pick my clothes. I only liked bright, flashy colors like red and green. Vivian turned around in shock, looking like she’d seen a ghost. “Really? You really want to wear a dress?” She came over and felt my forehead, muttering, “No fever.” My lip trembled, tears welling up. “Other kids have pretty dresses, but I don’t!” She looked at me blankly. “You… you can’t blame me for that. Every time I mention your outfits, you get mad.” So eventually, she stopped caring what I wore. “I don’t care. I want a dress.” I wiped a tear. She had never seen me like this and was stunned for a moment. “Fine, I’ll have someone prepare it. But I’m telling you now, you have to wear dress shoes with it. No sneakers. Tsk, stop crying…” Chapter 3 I sat next to Grandma, watching Vivian holding onto Richard’s arm. The surroundings were noisy. Her wavy hair cascaded down her back, and she wore a red mermaid gown. She was dazzling. Compared to her bright smile, Richard seemed much colder. Grandma glanced calmly in their direction, then looked away. She pinched my cheek. “Our little Ellie is finally willing to wear a dress. You’re growing up.” Grandpa looked over sternly, shaking his head. “Girls should dress like this. Vivian loves dressing herself up but doesn’t care about her daughter.” Grandma agreed. “Yes, I’ve told her so many times to get Ellie some decent clothes, but she never listens.” I spoke up weakly: “Grandpa, Grandma, it was me who didn’t like wearing dresses.” Grandpa scoffed. “That’s because she didn’t raise you right.” I paused, wanting to argue. Just then, someone poked my arm. I turned around, surprised: “Lucas…” Lucas smiled and greeted: “Hello Grandpa, Grandma. Hi Ellie.” Grandma smiled. “Good boy.” I followed Lucas to the corner to eat desserts. He stuffed a mini cake into my mouth, then scolded me: “Why didn’t you come to the amusement park yesterday?” I: “…” I scratched my head. “Had a fight with my mom.” He paused, then said slowly: “Oh, that’s understandable.” Lucas had soft brown hair, red lips, and white teeth. Wearing a mini suit, he looked serious yet cute. I stared at him. In my past life, for the next eight years, Lucas and I became total frenemies. I thought his dad was eyeing my mom, so I never gave him a break. He always mocked my ugly clothes and called me airheaded. But looking back now, those noisy days were some of the few colorful moments in my life. I grabbed his hand and asked deeply: “Do you think my clothes are ugly?” Lucas took a step back, stuttering. “Huh? Today… today you look pretty good.” I shook my head. “What about before?” He fell silent. The quiet corner contrasted sharply with the noise elsewhere. I sniffled, eyes turning red: “They all say I’m an ugly duckling, that they don’t like me, that I’m not as pretty as my mom…” He anxiously pulled me closer. “Who said that? You’re pretty. You’re the prettiest!” “Really? Every day?” I asked. He nodded, then scratched his cheek shyly. “Yeah. They’re talking nonsense. Tell me who said it, and I’ll go settle the score.” I paused. Too many people said that. From my childhood to adolescence, countless people compared me to Ms. Vivian, saying I wasn’t as pretty as she was as a child, didn’t inherit her beauty, wasn’t a beauty in the making. But… why compare me to others? Why compare me to my mother? I sighed. And stuffed a mini cake into Lucas’s mouth. Suddenly. There was a commotion nearby. I saw the gentle girl in the white dress. A glass of red wine had been spilled between her and Vivian. Both dresses were ruined. Everyone knew it was the girl’s petty trick, but Richard didn’t stand by his wife. My grandparents would only blame the daughter-in-law who wasn’t blood-related. I gritted my teeth in anger. Just as I was about to step forward, Lucas held my hand. We saw a man leisurely appearing in the center of the storm. Wearing a low-key luxury silver-gray suit, he raised an eyebrow lazily. “Ms. Zhong’s dress is ruined.” The girl’s face paled slightly, hiding behind Richard. She spoke softly: “Mr. Chi, hers is red, mine is white…” Implying the stain on her dress was more obvious. “Who knocked over the glass? Do we need to check the security footage?” Julian chuckled lightly. Richard’s eyes were cold. “This is my family matter. It has nothing to do with you.” Julian’s expression froze slightly. I gritted my teeth and pulled Lucas forward. People made way for us. I enunciated clearly and crisply: “I swore an oath with Lucas. He’s my brother now. So Uncle Julian is my Godfather!” I nudged Lucas, and he nodded immediately: “Yes!” Dead silence. Only Julian’s lips curled slightly. He put one hand in his pocket. “Heard that? Now Ms. Zhong’s matter is my family matter too.” The onlookers gasped. Richard’s face suddenly darkened. “Godfather?” Lucas and I nodded solemnly in sync. “Pfft.” Vivian, who hadn’t spoken, laughed. Her red lips curved; she seemed amused by us. But she didn’t deny it. Richard grabbed Vivian’s wrist, pulling her to his side. His mood was unreadable, but a suppressed hostility radiated from him: “Ms. Zhong? Mr. Chi, you should call her Mrs. Jiang.” “You manage a lot,” Julian drawled, then turned to a waiter. “Take Ms. Zhong to change.” Richard wouldn’t let go. Vivian smiled faintly. “Husband, not letting go?” The girl hiding behind Richard whispered: “Mr. Jiang, my dress is dirty too.” Richard frowned darkly. After a long moment, he let go. Then he turned and personally led the girl to the lounge. The drama ended, and the crowd dispersed. Only Lucas, Uncle Julian, and I remained. I looked up. Julian happened to look down, his peach blossom eyes watching me with unreadable emotion. Just then, a waiter bowed slightly beside me. “The Old Madam invites you over.” I froze, then turned to meet Grandma’s strict gaze. Lucas pulled me. “Don’t go.” I shook my head. Chapter 4 “You intentionally embarrassed your father!” Grandma hit my back hard in anger. “Where are your manners?” He wasn’t embarrassed; my mom was. I said quietly: “Grandma, who is that woman? Why did dad not blame her for spilling wine on mom’s dress?” Grandma frowned. “As the head of the group, your father must be magnanimous.” I didn’t speak again. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Julian drinking glass after glass of wine. I heard that everyone thought my mom and Julian would end up together, but they missed each other in the end. Julian hasn’t married to this day; Lucas was adopted from a relative. I rubbed my chin in thought. Just then, I saw Lucas sneaking off somewhere. I immediately started to follow. Grandma grabbed me, displeased. “Don’t run around. Sit here nicely.” “I need to use the bathroom!” I bolted away. I followed Lucas to the lounge. He didn’t notice me. I hid by the crack in the door. Voices came from inside. Vivian said lazily: “You said your family was struggling, so I introduced you to the company. I showed you kindness. Why make everyone look bad in a setting like this?” Silence inside. Then the soft voice said: “It was Mr. Jiang who showed me kindness, promoting me to secretary. The salary is several times higher than my old job.” Vivian laughed. “Okay. Love, money, you have both. What else do you want? The position of Mrs. Jiang?” No answer. After a long time. “I’m pregnant,” the girl whispered. “Sister, you lack nothing. Give him to me. I don’t want my child to be born without a father.” The sound of a coat rack falling over. Probably kicked by my mom. Seeing Vivian finally lose control, the girl’s smile became a bit more genuine: “I checked. It’s a boy. Mr. Jiang and I are looking forward to his arrival. He even bought baby supplies in advance.” Slap. A crisp sound. The girl sighed: “Hit me. Mr. Jiang will be the one hurting.” Her gentle voice finally couldn’t hide the triumph: “Ms. Zhong, when you condescendingly gave me charity back then, did you ever imagine you’d be kicked out of the Jiang family with your daughter like a dog?” I gripped my dress tightly. But suddenly, a white light flashed in my mind. Wait, she was never pregnant! If she was really pregnant with a boy, forget her asking for status, Grandma would never let her grandson be illegitimate. My expression hardened. Then I met Lucas’s eyes. He stepped back, surprised to see me right next to him. Lucas was silent for a few seconds, then awkwardly whispered in my ear: “It’s okay. If your mom doesn’t want you, I’ll ask my dad to adopt you too. I won’t let you be homeless.” I froze, touched, and held his hand: “Thank you.” His fingers curled. Suddenly, a tall shadow fell over us. “What are you doing?” Richard looked down coldly. I jumped, smiling sheepishly. “Dad, we were worried about Mom, so we came to check.” “We?” Richard sneered, lifting me by the scruff of my neck with one hand. “Stay away from this kid.” Lucas gritted his teeth and ran off. The door opened. The girl threw herself into Richard’s arms with a red handprint on her face, sobbing without speaking. Vivian stood inside, smiling but not smiling. Seeing me, she immediately put out her cigarette. I: “…” Richard frowned, asking Vivian: “You hit her?” Vivian glanced over lazily: “Hitting her hurt my hand.” For some reason, Richard’s calm brow darkened. The girl was incredulous: “What are you saying? You hit me…” “Enough.” Richard interrupted coldly. “Since you don’t want to stay here, I’ll send someone to take you back.” With that, he signaled the bodyguards to take the girl away. The sobbing continued, fading into the distance. Richard walked closer to Vivian, his voice flat: “Satisfied?” Vivian stared at him for two seconds, the fake smile gone from her face. Finally, she mocked herself. “You make me sick.” She pushed Richard aside and walked out in her high heels, still wearing the wine-stained mermaid dress. Richard had his back to the door; I couldn’t see his expression.

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I took my mom on a trip to the beach. She stared out at the horizon and suddenly said: “Honestly, you’re really ungrateful.” I froze. “Didn’t you say your lifelong dream was to see the ocean? I brought you here. How am I still ungrateful?” She grabbed a handful of sand and threw it at my head in frustration. “What’s the point of me coming alone? Why didn’t you bring your brother’s family? Even he gave me a hundred bucks, saying I shouldn’t just spend your money.” Sand got in my eyes, turning into tears. Calmly, I bought her the cheapest train ticket home. Then, right in front of her widening eyes, I put the gold bracelet I had intended to give her on my own wrist. Since her son was so perfect, she could go back and let him be the grateful one. 1 My mom always said her biggest regret was never seeing the ocean. So, for her birthday, I took a few days off work to surprise her with a trip to the beach, bringing my daughter along. I didn’t tell her until the day we left, thinking she’d be thrilled. Instead, she had a scowl on her face from the moment we boarded the plane. It wasn’t until we stood on the sand that she finally spoke. “Hannah, do you know something? You’re really ungrateful.” I was taken aback. “Mom, what did I do wrong?” She grabbed a handful of sand and threw it at me. “You have to ask? I live with your brother’s family, but you only brought me on this trip. What does that mean? What will they think? How am I supposed to face them when I go back?” I was speechless. “Mom, you’re overthinking it. I…” She cut me off. “Book tickets for your brother and his family right now. A vacation is only a vacation if the whole family is together. My conscience won’t let me enjoy this alone.” She immediately video-called my brother, Jason. “Son, look at this ocean! Isn’t it magnificent? Didn’t your wife say she wanted to see the sea? Tell her to pack. I’m making your sister buy plane tickets for all of you right now.” Jason’s wife snatched the phone, her voice ecstatic. “Hannah’s really buying us tickets? What about hotels and food? For a family of four, that’s going to be at least a few thousand dollars.” My mom waved her hand dismissively. “Don’t worry, your sister’s covering it all. She’s got money. Just come and have fun. Didn’t you want to go clam digging? Come experience it yourself.” Hanging up, my mom’s face finally softened. She started issuing commands. “Hurry up and book the flights. Then get two more rooms. They have to be five-star, oceanfront view. They don’t have much money, so they deserve something nice. And transfer two thousand dollars to your sister-in-law right now so she feels secure and can have a good time.” The sand in my eyes stung. I held back tears and told her, “I’m just their sister, not their mother. Why should I pay for their vacation?” 2 Her face darkened instantly. “What do you mean? You don’t want to pay? Hannah, get this straight. I’ve lived with Jason all these years. He’s the one taking care of me in my old age. You’ve done nothing. Why are you reluctant to spend a little money?” I wanted to laugh. “You live with Jason because you insisted on raising his kids. Your entire pension goes to them. The money I send you every month goes to them. How have I done nothing? How is he taking care of you?” “Mom, since you care about them so much, why don’t you move in with me when we get back? I won’t ask you to babysit or do chores. I don’t need your pension. Let me take care of you, okay?” I thought she’d be happy. instead, she shoved my daughter, who was standing next to her, into the waves. “Are you crazy? Want me to raise your money-losing brat? Keep dreaming! I have my own grandsons. Why should I raise your kid? Hannah, stop talking nonsense and book the tickets.” My three-year-old daughter screamed, terrified by the water. I quickly pulled her out. The night breeze made her shiver. I roared at my mom, “What are you doing? She can’t swim! What if the waves took her?” She showed zero remorse. “Hmph! You care about your kid, I care about mine. So book the tickets for your brother’s family.” Book my ass. I found dry clothes for my daughter, then opened my phone and booked the earliest train ticket home for my mom. “Since you miss your son and grandsons so much, go back.” She looked at me in disbelief. “What do you mean? sending me back as soon as we get here?” I nodded at the endless horizon. “Yes. Go back. My daughter and I will have a great time.” She suddenly slapped me. “Hannah! I told you to book tickets for your brother, and you send me back on a train for hours? Is this how a daughter acts? You really are ungrateful. I knew you just wanted a vacation for yourself and dragged me along as an excuse!” 3 My face burned. My daughter reached up with her little hand to touch my red cheek. People around us started looking over. I fought back tears. “No way am I being a cash cow for Jason’s family. You can stay and enjoy a few days with me, or I can put you in a cab to the train station right now. Your choice.” She slapped her thigh and marched toward the ocean. “Fine, fine! With an ungrateful daughter like you, I might as well die!” She kept looking back as she walked. “Hannah, I’ll show you! I’ll let the sea take me! I’ll make you feel guilty for the rest of your life! I’ll make your daughter watch you kill me, and see if she takes care of you when you’re old!” The water soaked her pants, rising past her knees. People gasped. Several women tried to persuade her. “Ma’am, come back! Why fight with your child like this? Don’t joke with your life.” She ignored them, walking deeper. A large wave nearly knocked her over. She screamed at me, “Are you booking the tickets? Your sister-in-law fights with Jason every day about coming here! Your nephews have never been on a trip! But you take your money-losing daughter everywhere every year! Why? Tell me, why?” “If you don’t bring them here today, you’ll be taking my corpse home! You’ll regret this forever!” Several men stood near her, ready to grab her if a wave hit. Women pleaded with her. But she just stared at me. “Are you buying the tickets or not?” I didn’t buy them. instead, I opened my backpack right in front of her and slowly put the gold bracelet I had bought for her onto my own wrist. “Mom, since you don’t want to live, there’s no point in giving you this bracelet.” 4 She stopped trying to drown herself. She stomped back to me through the sand. “A gold bracelet for me? Good. It’s your sister-in-law’s birthday soon. I was worried about a gift. This will be perfect. She’ll be so happy.” She reached out to grab it, but I pushed her hand away calmly. “Mom, since I’m ungrateful, I’m keeping this for myself. If you want one, let your filial son Jason buy it for you. You can give it to whoever you want then.” “You!” Her eyes were red with rage. “Are you crazy? That bracelet is thousands of dollars! You expect Jason to buy that? Are you insane?” I wasn’t insane. I had just woken up. For years, my mom gave her money and labor to Jason’s family, yet told everyone he was taking care of her and I did nothing. Fine. Then I would truly do nothing. No money, no effort, no love. I wanted to see how Jason would “take care” of her. Seeing she couldn’t get the bracelet, she sat on the sand and started wailing. “Everyone come look! This ungrateful daughter is trying to kill her own mother! Judge for yourselves!” People gathered. “She took you on a trip, you should be happy. Why the temper?” She retorted immediately. “Happy? How can I be happy when she only brought me? My son and his family are waiting at home!” People were confused. “If your son wants to come, he can come. What’s the problem?” “But this ungrateful girl won’t buy their plane tickets! It costs over a thousand for the four of them! My son works so hard and doesn’t even make that in a month. You think it’s simple?” 5 The crowd was stunned. “Ma’am, are you saying your daughter has to pay for your son’s family vacation?” “Shouldn’t she?” My mom argued back. “She has money and doesn’t take care of me. My son makes no money but takes care of me. Shouldn’t she treat her brother’s family to a trip?” A young woman in the crowd laughed out loud. “Ma’am, sounds like you’re a free nanny for your son, paying your own way to serve them. And you call that him taking care of you? Hilarious.” Everyone laughed. “Exactly. Sad to see such bias.” “Slaving away for your son and convincing yourself he’s a saint.” “If my daughter took me on a trip and I called her ungrateful, I’d deserve to be left alone.” Seeing no one on her side, my mom went berserk. She threw sand at everyone. “Get out! Get lost! None of your business!” People scattered, laughing. My mom jumped up and grabbed my hair. “Book the tickets! Now!” I refused. I told her, “If you leave now, you can catch the train. Any later, and you’re stuck here.” She looked ready to explode. Just as she raised her hand to hit me, Jason called. “Mom, we’re packed. Did you get the tickets? Oh, and my in-laws want to come too. I’ll send their info to Hannah. Tell her to buy their tickets too. Hurry up, we’re waiting.” She panicked. “Did you hear that? Six tickets! Hurry!” Hilarious. Even her daughter-in-law’s parents? I’d have to be insane to waste my money like that. I took my daughter’s hand to head back to the hotel. Suddenly, my mom snatched my daughter from me and held her over the water. “Hannah! Do you want your daughter to live? If you don’t buy the tickets, I’ll throw her in right now! It’s just money! Do you love money more than your kid? Tell me!” 6 My daughter screamed, kicking her legs, reaching for me. “Mommy! Mommy!” I panicked. “Mom, put her down! She’s three! Don’t scare her!” She laughed maniacally, shaking my daughter over the waves. “Hahaha, scared now? You know how it feels to worry about your child? Now you understand me? I ask you to spend a little on your brother and you complain. You even tried to send me back alone. Hannah, you are a selfish wolf! I wasted my life raising you!” I only saw my daughter’s red, tear-streaked face. My mom was right; I was terrified. As she lowered my daughter closer to the water, I screamed, “I’ll buy them! I’ll buy them right now! Just put her down!” She stared at me. “Show me the confirmation. Once I see it, I’ll give you back your money-loser. Otherwise, I’ll make you regret this forever. You’ll never forget you killed your daughter over a few thousand bucks.” The crowd was furious. “Ma’am, this is kidnapping!” “That’s your granddaughter! Too far!” “Look at the poor kid. You don’t deserve to be a grandmother.” My mom didn’t care. “Hmph! I don’t want to be her grandmother. I have two grandsons. Who cares about a granddaughter? Her mother is ungrateful; she’s paying for her mother’s sins!” My daughter screamed for me. My hands shook as I tried to buy the tickets. It was just money. Nothing compared to my daughter’s life. I’d give my own life for hers.

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Six years after my death, I returned to the world of the living to collect a debt because I owed a massive sum in the underworld. I had no parents, so I pinned my hopes on my best friend. Entering her mansion, a barrage of comments suddenly floated before my eyes: [Help! The tragic heroine is having another breakdown, smashing all the luxury goods the male lead bought her.] [Her husband cheated, her son doesn’t want to acknowledge her as his mom… she probably wanted to end it all a long time ago.] [No one outside dares to go in, afraid of triggering her. Wait…?! Who just took the door off its hinges?! And moved it away?! And just swaggered in!??] That’s right, yours truly. I watched as my best friend prepared to slit her wrist. I grabbed her hand, snatched the knife, and screamed excitedly: “Bestie! You know I’m terrified of snakes! But that Bulgari Serpenti bracelet on your wrist is the exception!” “Also, don’t die yet. I have a debt in the underworld I need you to pay off.” Hearing this, my best friend stopped crying, abandoned her suicide attempt, and chased me around the room with the knife instead: “You wretched girl! You didn’t visit me once when you were dead, but the moment you owe money, I’m the first person you think of??” The comments were confused: [What kind of home invasion-style friendship is this…] 1 When I stormed into the master bedroom of my best friend Chloe’s luxurious mansion, she was in the middle of slitting her wrist, and the maids were about to rush in to stop her. Until I pinned her wrist down and flashed a hand sign: “Not cool, bestie. Showing off your Bulgari Serpenti bracelet without me.” Chloe looked bewildered. The maids outside were stunned. The floating comments filled with question marks: [???] [? Sis, take a closer look at what the heroine is doing! She’s trying to off herself and you’re admiring her million-dollar bracelet…] [Unbelievable. Lying through her teeth.] Chloe stared at me with eyes swollen like walnuts, wet and glistening. The despair in her gaze was replaced by confusion and shock. In my memory, she was bright and beautiful, with a high, curly ponytail, resilient and full of hope for the future. She used to say: “Tess, you have to be there when Julian and I get married.” But now, looking at her pale face, her dull, hopeless eyes, her messy hair, and her crumpled pajamas, it felt like a lifetime ago. Chloe’s figure was so thin she looked like a skeleton that would fall apart at a touch. I had never seen her this pathetic. A sudden, sharp pain pierced my heart. Six years later, when I appeared before Chloe again, she almost fainted. She stared at me in a daze, processing. I seized the chance to snatch the fruit knife from her hand, leaning in to admire the dazzling bracelet sparkling under the light: “Bestie, you know I hate snakes.” “Except for the Bulgari Serpenti.” Looking at my own bare wrist, I was green with envy. I shamelessly said: “You brat! Sharing is caring. Take that diamond-encrusted bracelet off and let me wear it.” The maids crowding the doorway widened their eyes, as if hearing a joke. Some couldn’t stand my antics and spoke up: “Who brought her here? Where are her manners? Asking for a million-dollar bracelet just like that? You…” But in the next second, Chloe stopped crying. She wiped her tears messily and took off the bracelet right there, sliding it onto my wrist. Her voice was hoarse, choked with sobs: “If you told me you liked it earlier, I would have bought another one for you.” The maids exchanged glances, eyes popping out of their heads. She actually gave it to her? 2 Later, the maids dispersed. I looked at the empty doorway, dragged the removed door back, and leaned it against the frame to cover the room. Ignoring the chaos of the situation. I sneakily pulled an IOU from my pocket and presented it to Chloe, my tone dripping with flattery: “Bestie, guess what good stuff I brought back from the underworld for you?” Chloe was still a bit low, but at least she had given up on suicide. After unfolding my massive IOU, she reverted to the crazy woman from our school days. No more staring blankly at the sky, no more pondering the meaning of life. She picked up the fruit knife I had thrown away and chased me around the room. When she shouted my name, her voice wasn’t weak anymore; it was loud enough to scare the birds out of the garden trees. The maids were alerted again and rushed back, only to see this scene— Chloe chasing me with a fruit knife: “Tess! You wretched girl! You never visited my dreams once, but now you come to me for money?! Do I owe you from a past life?! I’ll kill you, and we can all be dead together!” I raised my hands in surrender, sprinting around the room: “Turtle! Turtle! Don’t be like this, listen to me explain…” The butler, arriving late and missing everything, silently raised his phone and made a call: “Hello, sir.” “You might not believe this, but the Madam, who was too weak to walk straight, is currently chasing someone with a knife.” 3 Chloe refused to pay my debt. Instead, she ruthlessly demanded I work off the debt in her villa. Ten thousand dollars an hour. I cowardly started my life as a maid. Because she was emotionally unstable, she often smashed things and refused to eat. So when the food was brought back to the kitchen untouched again, everyone felt defeated. The head chef even started doubting his skills. I glanced at the comments: [The heroine is practically anorexic, so pitiful.] [Ever since her parents went bankrupt and jumped off a building a few years ago, she’s been alone. Her husband doesn’t love her, her son hates her. If it were me, I would have given up long ago.] [Can’t be helped, she’s a tragic heroine. Later, the male lead will force her to donate a kidney to the villainess. She almost dies on the operating table, and then the male lead will start his redemption arc! Can’t wait!] I walked into the kitchen, chopping vegetables with the ferocity of chopping a cheating ex. I made a bowl of noodles and enthusiastically brought it to Chloe. Chloe had no appetite. She turned her head away, refusing to eat even when I tried to force her. She stated bluntly: “I want to vomit when I see food. I can’t eat.” I raised an eyebrow at her, picked up a piece of beef, and switched to a baby voice: “Here comes the airplane~” “Ahhh~” Then, Chloe opened her mouth wider than my fist. … Heh, women. The comments went wild: [Is this Tess a new character? I’m dying of laughter, she knows exactly how to handle the heroine.] [Has anyone noticed the heroine is gaining weight? She looks so rosy and healthy now. Her beauty is returning!] [Tess keeps calling the heroine ‘bestie’, what’s their relationship? Never heard of her before.] … 4 With me by her side these days, Chloe rarely lost control. During my time in the underworld, I learned everything about her past ten years. I knew she had nightmares every night about her parents jumping to their deaths. I knew she was repeatedly humiliated by the mistress Julian kept. But Julian chose to turn a blind eye, forcing her, humiliating her, even making her kneel and apologize to the mistress. She seemed to have lost herself, pushed forward step by step like an emotionless puppet. … Today, I pestered Chloe to take a walk in the garden in front of the villa. The comments marveled: [Damn, a bestie’s words really work better than a man’s. If the male lead tried this, he’d get a pillow to the face.] [Wait, I remember this part! This is when the heroine’s demon spawn son gets brought back by his grandparents!] [Tess, don’t let Liam see the heroine! He hates his mom. Her own son doesn’t acknowledge her.] … Before the comments could finish, two elegantly dressed elderly people walked into the yard holding a child’s hand. At that moment, Chloe and I were squished onto a swing chair, fighting for territory. Chloe smiled at me, but somehow, this sight displeased her son, Liam. Liam angrily threw his limited edition car model on the ground and rushed up to us, screaming at the top of his lungs: “Get off! Why are you sitting on my swing!” As he spoke, Liam started pushing Chloe’s legs with all his might. Chloe’s smile froze. She instinctively grabbed my hand, seeking security, but looked at Liam: “Liam, don’t be like this…” The comments wailed: [Sob… how can she not love the child she carried for ten months? The heroine really wants to be close to her son!] [He’s an ungrateful wolf just like his dad!] [Seriously, is no one going to discipline this brat? No manners at all! I want to jump into the book and spank him!] I raised an eyebrow at the little milk dumpling standing with his hands on his hips. Looks just like his dad. Liam huffed arrogantly, sure that Chloe wouldn’t do anything to him. A look of “what are you gonna do about it” on his face. The next second, I sneered, grabbed him by the ear, quickly pulled him onto my lap, and spanked his butt with full force. Smack smack. In the distance, Liam’s grandparents, who had looked indifferent, suddenly reacted. They hobbled over with their canes as fast as they could: “Where did this crazy woman come from?! How dare you hit my grandson! Put him down! Put him down!” Liam howled, crying even harder: “Ahhh! Grandpa, Grandma, my butt hurts! She’s hitting me! Save me, waaah…” I didn’t stop; I hit harder. Listening to Liam cry made me even more excited: “Brat! If your mom won’t teach you a lesson, your godmother will!” I got tired of hitting him. Liam’s grandparents snatched him from my arms and started wailing too: “Oh my god! Are you maids deaf in there?! Security? Where is security?!” Three of them hugging and crying. The comments exploded: [Holy crap holy crap holy crap. Sis, you are my idol! You really don’t hold back!] [Wait guys, why does the heroine look like she’s about to die of laughter watching her son get beaten? She looks satisfied?] [Damn, the heroine is laughing! She’s not holding back at all, laughing so loud. Feels like she’s gonna clap and cheer any second!] Hearing the noise, the maids rushed out with spatulas and brooms, looking fierce. But seeing the grandparents pointing at me, they froze. Liam wiped his tears, his little face flushed red. Stamping his feet in anger, he rushed at me to hit me. His grandparents followed, pulling at my clothes. Seeing the situation turn bad, Chloe used both hands to hold back the three of them. The maids rushed up to break up the fight. It was chaos. Just as Liam raised his chubby fist, before he could touch me, I sat on the ground and started wailing: “Oh my god! Is there no justice?! Help! Help! Liam is hitting me! Kids in the Hope Class, don’t play with him! Oh my god~” Liam’s big eyes blinked in confusion. Then he waved his hands frantically, explaining desperately: “Liar! You bad woman! I didn’t touch you! …I… I didn’t!” Chloe saw me get “pushed” down. Her usually composed face turned stern. She shoved the people around her away. No one expected the gentle, patient mother to grab Liam by the collar, pull him into her arms, and spank him just like I did. Liam started howling again. His grandparents couldn’t believe their eyes. They thought Chloe had gone mad: “Chloe Miller! You little bitch! I think you’ve lost your mind! I’ll tell Julian, see if his wife is trying to rebel!” The maids tried to persuade her too: “Madam, please let the young master go! The master will be angry if he finds out! Madam…!” Chloe turned a deaf ear, her voice icy: “Liam! What did Mom tell you?! Can you just hit people?! “What do you say now?!” Liam was bewildered by the beating, crying and begging for mercy: “I’m sorry, I’m sorry… I was wrong… I was wrong! Stop hitting me! Waaah…” Seeing this, the maids stopped intervening, and the grandparents stopped wailing. Watching Chloe discipline her child online. “Who are you apologizing to?! Speak!” I leaned in and whispered in Liam’s ear: “It’s Godmother.” Liam struggled violently. Seeing my cheeky expression, his face turned purple, snot and tears flying everywhere: “I don’t want to call this bad woman Godmother! I don’t want to waaah…” Chloe raised her hand again. Liam submitted. He stopped crying and forced a smile: “Sorry Godmother, I was wrong.” I nodded in satisfaction. The comments were chaotic, celebrating for me: [Holy! Did I see that right! Before, whenever the heroine tried to discipline this brat, he never listened and kept hurting her. She had given up on him. Tess’s little trick made her pick up the mantle again!] [I’ve never seen the heroine this angry! Even when the male lead brought the mistress to show off in front of her, she didn’t react much. Tess just got ‘pushed’ lightly…] [So satisfying, sis! Following you feels like a power fantasy! I will follow you forever, Sister Tess!] [Heroine: If you touch my bestie, I will destroy your heaven (and beat my son too).] Liam’s grandparents looked like they were about to have a stroke. They dialed Julian immediately: “Come back quick! Your wife is leading a rebellion!”

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A wealthy couple was at the orphanage, torn between adopting me and another girl, Lily. Suddenly, floating comments drifted across my vision: [They’re here to take Baby Lily home! Finally, the torture of the villainess begins!] [The comment above is right. I bet the villainess will try to act pitiful to steal the adoption chance from Lily.] [With her wild attitude, who would like her anyway?] I frowned in confusion. What the heck were these people talking about? Was I the “evil villainess” they were referring to? Before I could figure it out, a warm, hearty voice reached my ears. “Well, butter my biscuit! This little one is cute as a button!” I looked up to see a tall couple with thick Texan accents beaming down at me. “Hey there, sugar. Have you eaten? Auntie made some brisket noodles today, real tasty. Wanna come home with us and grab a bite?” 1 A couple decked out in Balenciaga was pacing back and forth between me and Lily. We were the top candidates, but we both had flaws. I wasn’t “kind” enough, and Lily wasn’t “smart” enough. After agonizing for ages, they still couldn’t decide. The comments floated by again: [What are they hesitating for? Just take Lily home already!] [This villainess is really good at pretending to be quiet. She’s usually snatching stuff from Lily left and right.] [Don’t worry guys, even if they pick the villainess, she’ll get sent back once her true colors show.] So, this world was just a giant melodramatic romance novel. Lily was the fragile, pure-hearted heroine with a tragic backstory, and I was the vicious villainess willing to do anything to climb the social ladder. I rolled my eyes. Since when was being spirited and clever considered “vicious”? Suddenly. Two tall shadows loomed over me. A couple the comments hadn’t mentioned at all stood before me. Their eyes were full of joy. “Well, I’ll be! Look at this little angel, ain’t she precious?” “Honey, look how skinny you are. What’d you have for lunch? Want to come home with Uncle and Auntie? We made brisket noodles.” Noodles?! According to the Director, my birth parents were from Texas. Mentioning brisket noodles… My DNA activated. Before the Balenciaga couple could even walk over. I spoke up first: “Texas born, Texas bred, when I die, I’ll be Texas dead! Howdy, y’all!” 2 For as long as I could remember, Lily and I were mortal enemies. Resources in the orphanage were scarce. To get enough to eat, I constantly sucked up to the Director. Even though the meals were barely enough to keep me full, I still got more than the other kids. Lily hated this behavior and naturally opposed me. I never went easy on her; if she wanted something, I snatched it. No wonder I was the “villain.” Turns out I was just her foil. According to the plot, my selfishness and evil were necessary to highlight her selflessness and kindness. And as the evil villainess, I was destined to be punished by the main couple and fall into an abyss while the audience cheered. Excuse me? Why? Sitting around waiting to die wasn’t my style. I had to twist the plot to save myself. I hopped into the Texan couple’s Ford pickup truck. Lily finally relaxed when she saw the determined look in my eyes. The comments started gloating: [Haha, the villainess is so unsophisticated. Bought off by a bowl of noodles.] [A leopard can’t change its spots. She snatched everything as a kid; no wonder she lights up at the sight of food now.] [I bet she won’t last a month with this couple before getting sent back.] I’d heard way worse in the orphanage. Seeing the scrolling comments, I just wagged my index finger. “Not a bowl. A bucket.” “Sugar, what did you say?” Through the rearview mirror, I met Auntie’s gaze. “Auntie, I said I missed your noodles so much I could eat a whole bucket.” Changing my voice to sound cute was exhausting. The comments said I’d be sent back? Heh. What if I fake being nice for a lifetime? Auntie was beaming because of my flattery. “Hahaha! Auntie will make you whatever you want. I promise you’ll eat till you drop.” “We’re family now, don’t be shy at the dinner table.” Uncle laughed heartily too. “Don’t worry about food in this house. You know ‘Old Zhao’s BBQ’ near the high school? That’s ours.” “By the way, I’m Zhao Jian, and your Auntie is Zhao Yanqiu. What’s your name, sugar?” My name is Stella Xu. Stella means star. I named myself. People always have a soft spot for things they name themselves. My eyes reddened slightly, wiping away a non-existent tear. “I don’t have a real name. They said my parents’ last name was Xu, so they just call me Little Xu.” 3 The moment I stepped into Uncle and Auntie’s house. The smell of slow-cooked brisket mixed with savory broth filled the air. In the orphanage, the Director cut corners on food, so we rarely saw meat. Even with all my tricks, the food I got was just enough to stop the hunger pangs. Brisket noodles, roast chicken, braised pork trotters… A table full of dazzling dishes. I instinctively reached out to grab some. My hand touched the chopsticks, and my brain snapped back to reality. “Girls must be quiet and elegant so your parents won’t hate you, and your future husband will want you.” That was what the Director drilled into us. I put down the chopsticks, crossed my hands on the table, and waited for Uncle and Auntie’s instructions. The next moment. Bang! Auntie slammed her chopsticks on the table. She looked at Uncle Zhao with feigned anger. “Zhao Jianqiang! What kind of food did you make? Look, our baby doesn’t even want to eat it!” “I told you to buy some fried chicken or pizza that young people like, but no, you had to be so confident in your cooking!” “Didn’t you say fried chicken was unhealthy…” Seeing Auntie misunderstand, I waved my hands frantically. “No, no, Uncle’s food smells amazing.” “I just thought the rules here were the same as the orphanage, where we have to say grace before eating.” “Is your Director a priest or something? Do you have to say ‘Amen’ before you dig in?” I burst out laughing at Uncle’s joke. “Alright, alright, stop teasing our girl. Let’s eat.” Afraid they’d misunderstand again, I quickly picked up a bowl as big as my face and buried my head in it, slurping loudly. I have to say, my fellow Texans really know how to cook. It was heavenly. Uncle and Auntie piled my plate high with brisket and chicken legs until it looked like a small mountain. My favorite was brisket. Every New Year, to get a few bites of brisket, I would wag my tail and beg the Director. I’d hypocritically praise his management and listen to his speeches with a look of adoration. The result was getting the brisket I craved and the disgust of everyone else. But so what? I got what I wanted, and other people’s stares couldn’t hurt me. Except for faking pity, I was never one to cry easily over external things. But when I bit into that piece of brisket Auntie made herself… Even though I tried my hardest to hold it back, tears streamed down my face like broken pearls. This happiness didn’t feel real. It turned out there were things in this world you didn’t have to fight for. 4 After lunch, they took me shopping at the mall. They bought me a pile of new clothes. Auntie said, “Our girl is so pretty, she needs to dress nicely so she won’t get bullied. Kids these days are mean.” Hearing Auntie use words like “pretty” and “nice,” I tightened my grip on the shopping bags. If Auntie knew the real me, would she still like me? Why overthink it? I already decided, worst case scenario, I’d fake it for a lifetime. I pushed down the anxiety in my heart. Forcing a smile, I spent the most wonderful and terrifying afternoon of my life. It was night when we got home. I curled up in the corner of the large, soft Simmons mattress. It was a habit from the orphanage. We slept on a large communal platform. Ten kids squeezed onto one bed. Curling up was the only way not to get squished. No privacy, let alone dignity. The new pajamas felt incredibly soft. The AC was set to the perfect temperature. The happy life almost made me forget I was the vicious villainess destined for hell. Until I heard Uncle and Auntie whispering. “Jianqiang, do you think the floating text I saw today was a hallucination?” “I saw it too. If we both saw it, it probably wasn’t a hallucination.” “Damn, see? I was right to buy our girl clothes. Look at how she was bullied in the orphanage wearing those rags.” “My daughter fought a war of words and stood against a hundred in the orphanage. She has the air of a general! Not bad, not bad, just like me.” Auntie pushed Uncle. “Stop joking around. Anyway, no one is allowed to bully our girl from now on. Anyone touches her, I’ll fight them.” With that, Auntie gently moved me to the middle of the bed and tucked me in. As their footsteps faded away. I silently glanced at the scrolling comments. [Can you guys come at me if you have a problem? Leave my parents alone.] [Do you not have parents? Have some empathy.] The retorts from the comments were weak. Totally harmless. I buried my face in the blanket, ignoring the boring chatter. Uncle and Auntie’s actions lingered in my mind. I never expected them to react like that to the comments. Did this prove they could accept the real me? Love is addictive and spoiling; once you have it, you don’t want to lose it. I was daydreaming again. Gentle and quiet were the kind of girls adults liked. The Director taught me that. He made me memorize it. 5 The comments said I’d be sent back in a month, tops. But a month flew by. Uncle and Auntie’s noodles were still delicious, and they still smiled at me just the same. They read the comments and worried someone was bullying me again. Auntie insisted Uncle teach me his secret martial art—Judo. I had always been domineering in the orphanage. Thanks to the comments, Uncle and Auntie thought someone dared to bully me. Uncle looked like a refined gentleman. Who knew he had moves? He executed a set of throws cleanly and winked at Auntie. “Back in the day, I beat everyone to win the beauty’s heart!” Uncle loved teasing Auntie until she blushed or scolded him. He wouldn’t stop grinning until she punched him. I reasonably suspected he was a masochist. But it was okay for boys to learn martial arts. For girls… wasn’t it weird? “Uncle, Auntie, don’t you think it’s unladylike for a girl to fight?” I asked timidly. Uncle frowned, looking serious. “Can elegance put food on the table? Can elegance make money? I only know that if a robber comes, staying elegant gets you robbed.” Auntie sighed with heartache. She squatted down and stroked my face. “Baby, who poisoned your mind with that nonsense?” “Boy or girl, you can be gentle and considerate, or lively and active. We love you because you are our child, nothing else.” For the first time, I felt enveloped by a thick, unconditional love. I used to think selfless love was a myth from heaven. Turns out, it’s just parental love. During the day, they went to work. I practiced the judo moves Uncle assigned me at home. At night when Auntie came back, I learned life lessons and English from her. The scheming Stella Xu from the orphanage seemed to disappear. Time flowed peacefully and happily. Soon, it was time for me to start middle school. Auntie stuffed a new set of stationery into my backpack. Then she asked, “Baby, Uncle and Auntie are too dumb to think of a good name even after all this time. Why don’t you pick one yourself?” Uncle chimed in. “Yeah! Your Auntie said the names I picked like ‘Rocky’ and ‘Sprout’ were too countrified.” “Zhao Jianqiang, naming is a big deal, stop messing around, okay?” “Daughter, any ideas?” “Let’s go with Stella Xu! I want to shine like the stars in the sky.” Even if I’m insignificant, I want to shine with all my might. “Good! Great name! Stella it is. We’ll do the paperwork tomorrow.” Auntie pulled me into a bear hug. Beside us were the sounds of Uncle clapping and laughing heartily.

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