My roommate, Bethany, started stalking us after she found out my boyfriend was a billionaire CEO. A month later, she dramatically announced: “I’m pregnant with the CEO’s baby! Aren’t you going to step aside?” She then dropped a bombshell: “I took a used condom from your hotel room and injected its contents into myself.” She gloated about her “easy-to-conceive” body type. My mind completely blanked. The “billionaire CEO” she thought she was talking about? That was Mia, my best friend. She’s a woman. So whose baby was she carrying? I had just gotten back to the dorm. My roommate, Chloe, immediately rushed over, beaming. “Avery, that’s so unfair! You kept such a huge secret from us!” I was utterly bewildered. “Kept what secret?” Chloe smirked. “A custom license plate with a luxury car – that’s a billionaire CEO’s standard ride, right?” “I can’t believe your boyfriend is a billionaire CEO!” Chloe had originally invited me to go shopping, but I’d turned her down, saying I had a movie date with my boyfriend. On the way back, I’d bumped into Mia, my best friend, and just hitched a ride in her car. I never expected my roommate to get the wrong idea. No matter how much I explained, Chloe just thought I was being modest. It all started when I brought an Hermès bag to freshman orientation. I told them it was a fake, but Chloe saw right through it. Since then, my roommates had jokingly nicknamed me “Heiress Avery.” Chloe and the others usually just teased me and moved on. Only Bethany approached me, her voice serious: “Avery, when are you going to get your boyfriend to treat us to dinner?” Before I could answer, she continued: “Unless you’re worried we’ll steal your boyfriend, and you’re too scared to let us meet him?” Her snarky tone made me incredibly uncomfortable. Why should I put up with her attitude? “My boyfriend and I are doing great. If you’re jealous, just say so.” Bethany immediately bristled, sitting down and throwing out all kinds of taunts: “What’s so special about that? He’s a billionaire, but who knows how long he’ll keep you around?” “Maybe in a couple of months, he’ll just toss you aside like a cheap toy!” Furious, I grabbed the soda on the table and splashed it at her. “Wash out your filthy mouth! Keep spewing that garbage, and I’ll sew it shut myself!” Bethany shrieked. Then she lunged at me, ready to fight. My three years of Muay Thai weren’t for show; I’d have wiped the floor with her, no problem. The other roommates rushed to break us up. Chloe shielded me, while Brooke blocked Bethany. They both told Bethany that she shouldn’t have provoked me first. Bethany stomped her foot, crying: “You’re all ganging up on me!” Then she stormed out of the dorm. Chloe comforted me, telling me not to let Bethany get to me. “Just keep an eye out. Don’t let her get near your boyfriend.” If someone like *her* could steal my boyfriend, then I wouldn’t want him anyway.

After that argument, I noticed Bethany was always watching me. Every time I picked up my phone to reply to messages, she’d find an excuse to inch closer. She even secretly followed me whenever I left the dorm. One day, Mia’s birthday party required me to dress up. As I finished my makeup, I heard Chloe’s teasing voice: “Dressed up so beautifully! Not planning on coming back tonight, are we?” Mia’s birthday parties always lasted until at least midnight, so I nodded without thinking. “Nope. Remember to sign me in.” Just then, my phone buzzed with a message. [I’m here, Ms. Avery. Waiting for you by the West Entrance.] I quickly grabbed my bag and waved to Chloe: “My ride’s here, gotta go!” Chloe looked on enviously, “Your boyfriend is so thoughtful.” Rushing out, I didn’t bother to explain further. Mia’s twentieth birthday was a big deal. After partying late into the night and having a few drinks, my eyes could barely stay open. Through a drunken haze, I thought I saw a familiar figure. Bethany. What was she doing here? Too tired to think straight, I drifted off to sleep.

Bethany seemed to have changed recently. She wasn’t clinging to me like before. She came and went early and late every day. Brooke said she was dating someone. I couldn’t help but inwardly cheer. As long as she wasn’t bothering me, it was a good thing. One day, Bethany came back carrying several designer shopping bags. Chloe asked her, “Did you win the lottery? Why so much Chanel?” Bethany smiled smugly, her voice artificially sweet: “Oh, these are all gifts from my boyfriend. I told him not to, but he just *insisted* on getting them for me. So annoying!” Chloe and I exchanged glances, both internally going, “Wow!” A *really* generous boyfriend, except everything looked obviously fake. I’d been around designer brands my whole life, so I knew the real deal. Chloe, on the other hand, was a self-proclaimed “designer bag expert.” Bethany suddenly walked up to me and dramatically slapped a pregnancy test stick onto my desk. Staring at the two pink lines, my mind went blank for a second. Before I could react, Bethany lifted her chin, a haughty expression on her face, and declared: “I’m pregnant.” The dorm erupted in gasps. Everyone started asking Bethany what was going on. Brooke worried that she was still in college and getting pregnant now would ruin her future. But Bethany simply said: “If I told you who the baby’s father is, I’m sure you’d all envy my good fortune.” Chloe and I rolled our eyes. Pregnant before marriage, knocked up by some random guy, and we’re supposed to envy her ‘good fortune’? What kind of twisted worldview was that? It was absolutely mind-boggling. I couldn’t take it anymore and decided to step out for some fresh air, before the sheer toxicity got to me. Bethany chased after me: “Stop right there.”

I turned around, frowning at her. “Spit it out.” Bethany scoffed coldly: “I’m pregnant with the billionaire CEO’s baby! Aren’t you going to step aside?” My brain instantly short-circuited. Whose baby she was carrying, what did that have to do with me? Seeing my silence, Bethany continued to gloat: “Last month, that night you celebrated your birthday with the billionaire CEO at The Velvet Lounge. After you left, you went to the hotel next door, and I went up too.” “I got the billionaire CEO’s ‘fluid’ from your used condom.” She spoke with an air of complete triumph. “Turns out I’m super fertile; I got lucky on the first try!” Hearing Bethany’s bizarre scheme, I was speechless. Bethany was still blabbering on, showing off: “I had a blood test for this pregnancy. I’m so lucky; it’s a boy!” “He’ll even have the chance to inherit the billionaire CEO’s fortune someday, understand?” The Velvet Lounge? Wasn’t that Mia’s birthday night? But Mia is a woman. Where did she get the “fluid” to get pregnant without sperm?

Bethany had been stalking me a lot lately. Could she have mistaken someone else for him, randomly gotten a condom, got pregnant, and now she’s trying to leverage it for status? What bad luck for that guy. I was just about to tell Bethany the truth. But she puffed out her chest, threatening me imperiously: “I advise you to break up with Arthur. Don’t be a homewrecker.” I loudly told her: “I wouldn’t want that scumbag even if he was free. You two deserve each other, locked together forever!” I wasn’t lying. Calling him “Arthur” over and over, it sounded like Bethany had already contacted him. If he’d still acknowledge her after all this, he couldn’t be a good guy. Ever since she dramatically announced her pregnancy, Bethany’s attitude in the dorm had become even more arrogant. She wanted to announce to the whole world that she was carrying royalty. She demanded Brooke wash her clothes and Chloe get her food. Brooke and Chloe, unaware of the full story, thought she was pregnant and just helped her out. But she just got more and more brazen, completely shameless. One day, I brought a tuna salad sandwich into the dorm. She clutched her nose and cursed: “Typical trashy behavior. Haven’t you heard eating tuna salad is practically eating cat food?” “You’re only fit to eat that. It’s disgusting! Get it out of here!” Furious, I stood up, ready to dump the sandwich on her head. The Middle Ages called, they want their prejudice back! Chloe quickly pulled me back. “She’s pregnant. If you really hurt the baby, I’m afraid she’ll blame you for everything.”

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My husband and I had been trying to conceive for three years, but I never once fell pregnant. It wasn’t until I was having folic acid with my best friend, Chloe, who was a doctor. She snatched the bottle from my hand. A strange look crossed her face as she crushed one of the pills into a fine powder. “This isn’t folic acid at all,” she said, her voice sharp. “These are birth control pills.” I took the pills to a lab for testing, just as Chloe advised. Turns out, I’d been on birth control for three years. Julian Sterling, my husband, had been the one to give me those pills. Every time before we were intimate, he’d sweetly coax me into taking one. I was just about to confront him with the test results when a message popped up in our mutual friends’ SnapChat group, from Serena Hayes. The image was of a pregnancy test stick, displaying two stark, unmistakably dark lines. 【Honey, want to make a bet?】 【Do you think I’ll give birth to a little Julian, or a little Serena?】 【I’m betting on a little Julian.】 Two minutes later, she posted again, feigning embarrassment: 【Oops, sorry everyone, sent to the wrong person.】 【Can’t unsend it now, just pretend you didn’t see it.】 I let out a cold, bitter laugh. Finally, the last shred of my conscience crumbled. I replied to the lingering regret from my youth: 【One month. I’m coming with you.】 *** A stunned silence fell over the group chat. Eventually, someone spoke up: 【Well, congratulations!】 【When did you two get married?】 【You didn’t even tell us, we’d love to celebrate your wedding!】 Someone in the group initiated a payment transfer, with the memo stating it was a wedding gift. Everyone quickly followed suit. Serena posted two shy, bashful emojis. 【Thank you for all the blessings, everyone. No need to get carried away, just pretend you didn’t see anything.】 【How can we pretend? Even if you didn’t invite us to the wedding, we can’t forget our friendship!】 【Exactly! You and Julian finally got together, as your friends, we have to celebrate!】 This was Julian’s college buddies’ SnapChat group. He’d added me after we got our marriage license. He said, “These are all my friends, it’s good for you to meet them.” When they asked Julian who he’d added, he simply replied: 【A friend.】 【If she’s a friend, introduce her! Maybe one of us single guys can hit it off with her!】 Julian fell silent, and so did I. I’d been lurking in that group ever since. Back then, Serena had even snapped at them: 【Stop acting so desperate every time you see a girl.】 【Go find your own dates.】 The Sterling and Miller families were both incredibly influential and wealthy. Our parents had always wanted to arrange a grand wedding. But Julian always said, “I’m in the prime of my career right now, I don’t even have time to plan a simple wedding, let alone a grand one.” “Let’s talk about it later.” That ‘later’ dragged on for five years. I’d long given up hope for a grand wedding. If it happened, fine. If not, also fine. Julian’s friends in the group had no idea he was married, much less that he hadn’t married Serena, who everyone in college had called the golden couple. My phone kept buzzing with group messages, clutched tight in my hand, its screen a constant glow. I stared coldly at the display, tears blurring my vision, streaming down my face, separating from my very soul. But I didn’t know how to unleash the pain and fury churning inside me. For a moment, I’d hoped Julian would step in, declaring it all a rumor. Yet, as the group chat went wild, the main character, frantically tagged by everyone, remained completely silent. Serena collected the virtual red envelopes. 【Thanks, everyone! Consider this a little gift for the baby.】 【Once the baby’s born, we’ll invite you all for a gathering.】 【You all *have* to come show your support then, for the little one in my belly. Thank you~】 From Serena’s tone, they were determined to have this baby. A suffocating feeling filled my chest. I opened the window to let in some air. Standing on the balcony, I gulped down the outside air, my heart feeling like it was about to give out. After a while in the cold breeze, I calmed down. I took screenshots of the chat history, then quietly exited the group. I was still lost in thought, sitting in a corner of the balcony, when Julian, unexpectedly, came home early. He pulled me up from the floor and closed the window. “It’s the middle of winter, sitting on the floor with the window open. Aren’t you afraid of getting sick?” I stared at him. He seemed genuinely concerned, fussing with my clothes, but somehow, the man in front of me felt like a stranger. Not like before. Was it because he’d done something wrong, that he felt guilty now? I felt a surge of repulsion, twisting my body to avoid his touch. “Don’t touch me.” He paused, then finally met my gaze. His eyes seemed to brand me as unreasonable, and he said dismissively: “Is this about the group chat?” “Audrey, didn’t we agree before we got married that we just needed to satisfy our parents?” “Now they’re happy with our situation, and so am I. What more could you want?” Julian and my marriage wasn’t about love; it was born of necessity. The Miller and Sterling families were old friends, family friends for generations. I went to study abroad in high school, while Julian stayed home. Our relationship was far from what our parents shared; we barely kept in touch. When I returned after my studies, both sets of parents conspired to get us together. My parents resorted to emotional blackmail and threats, practically pulling out all the stops, saying, “Your union is the best choice.” “We’ve paved a clear path for your happiness, don’t insist on making things difficult.” “I’m telling you, I will never approve of that boyfriend you have. Not unless your father and I are dead.”

During that time, they focused all their energy on us. They took away our bank cards and phones, and stationed bodyguards outside our doors. Their only job was to watch Julian and me. I had no choice but to break up with my boyfriend, fulfilling my parents’ wishes. Before we got our marriage license, Julian had said coolly, “We’re practically comrades in arms. Just satisfy them, don’t take anything else seriously.” I knew he only had eyes for Serena, but I never imagined he would openly cheat like this. And, to prevent me from getting pregnant, he’d fed me birth control for three years. Even though it was a fake marriage from the start, five years is still five years. To say I wasn’t heartbroken would be a lie. To say I wasn’t disgusted would also be a lie. I asked him, “So you want to keep this child?” As the words left my mouth, I already knew the answer. If Julian hadn’t given his permission, Serena wouldn’t have accepted all those gifts. She wouldn’t dig a pit for herself to fall into. Julian gritted his teeth. “Audrey, I want a child.” I couldn’t hold back. I slapped him across the face. Everything became so ridiculous, my laughter and tears bursting forth simultaneously. I walked into the bedroom. The medicine test report lay on the table. So did the hospital’s diagnostic report. Furious, I snatched them up and flung the reports at Julian’s face. “Julian Sterling, look at this yourself.” “The folic acid you gave me… it was birth control, wasn’t it?” He suddenly looked panicked, clutching the two reports, his eyes darting back and forth. His voice trembled. “Audrey…” “You fed me birth control for three years, and now you tell me you want a child?” “If you absolutely had to have a child with Serena, you could have just told me directly. I would have helped you keep it from our parents.” “But instead, you disguised birth control as folic acid and tricked me into taking it.” “I can accept anything, Julian, except you hurting me.” Looking back at the five years I’d been married to Julian, it felt somewhat unreal. Aside from most of our time being spent maintaining a polite distance, like respectful acquaintances, there were moments of genuine connection, even passion. Sometimes, after a few drinks, he’d cling to me, calling out “Wife” again and again. “Do you feel happy with our life? I feel very happy.” Then he’d hold me even tighter. When I’d go to make him a hangover cure, he’d pull me back, refusing to let me go. “Nothing works better than you being right here with me, a better cure than any soup.” “Just stay with me.” At first, I wondered if he was mistaking me for someone else. But as time went on, I accepted it, willingly immersing myself in the scent of alcohol on his skin. He’d surprise me with little romantic gestures now and then. On holidays and festivals, he’d charm both sets of parents effortlessly. He’d often be at my parents’ house, his arm around my waist, saying, “Don’t worry, Mom and Dad, Audrey is truly wonderful.” “Marrying her was the best decision I ever made.” Even though I always felt he was just putting on an act. But in those moments, I’d always have this illusion, that Julian and I were truly destined to spend our lives together. Even if not as lovers, then as family. How could he be so cruel, so heartless, to silently watch me take birth control for three years? If Chloe hadn’t discovered it, I would have kept taking them indefinitely. His hand, holding the reports, trembled slightly, his gaze unfocused. The words were barely squeezed from his throat: “I was afraid you’d be upset.” “You won’t have to take them anymore.” Two short sentences. No apology, no concern. Just the evasion of a man caught in the act. I let out a cold snort. Afraid I’d be upset? Or afraid that if he told me the truth, his desires wouldn’t be met? Julian’s selfishness and hypocrisy oozed out of him. I felt nothing but disgust. “Julian Sterling, you say it so lightly. Do you have any idea how much agony I went through, thinking it was *my* problem, anxious to the point of insomnia?” I slowly took the hospital diagnostic report from his hand, pointing to the results. “The doctor said I’ve taken too much birth control. My hormones are completely out of whack, and it might even lead to infertility.” “You only want a child with the woman you love. Did it ever occur to you that I, too, should have the right to be a mother?”

“Now you’re satisfied, aren’t you? You don’t have to drug me anymore; it’ll be hard for me to get pregnant anyway.” My voice hitched, and tears flowed even more heavily than before. My body trembled, shaken by the force of my sorrow. “But we have no future, Julian. I hate you.” After the pills’ components were identified, I immediately made an appointment at the hospital to check my body, just to be safe. Everything was so brutally real. I hadn’t escaped the damage those pills had caused. When the doctor told me it would be difficult for me to conceive in the future, that’s when my hatred for Julian truly began. Now, my hatred for Julian had reached its peak. I would never forgive him. I walked into the bedroom and locked the door. Just then, my laptop screen lit up. It was another message from Dr. Leo Maxwell. He had been waiting for me in the States for a long time. Ever since we officially broke up, he’d sent me an email every week. And now, an email arrived as promised. I hastily wiped the tears from my face. Pulling myself together, I opened and read the email. Attached was a blurry photo of a black hole. 【Observed another collapsing star today, Audrey. How have you been? I miss you terribly.】 【After I retire, to keep myself from becoming a sad black hole, I’ll definitely come back home and stay by your side.】 【But it’s still too far away. My heart aches missing you.】 Leo had grown up abroad, always with a touch of that foreign dry humor. Over the past five years, the emails he’d sent me had piled up, filling my entire inbox. The photos he’d taken for me, the sweet words he’d written – I’d backed them all up separately, always afraid they’d disappear over time. But I had never replied to him. For all this time, it had been his one-sided show. Because unlike Julian, I knew I was married, and I had my own sense of propriety and honor. I always thought that with time, Leo would eventually move on from me. But he never did. I sat there, quietly scrolling through his old letters. Memories flooded my mind, and for a fleeting second, it felt like two tiny figures were wrestling in my heart. My phone chimed. Julian had transferred ten million dollars to my card, with a message: 【This was my fault. This is your compensation.】 As I looked at the ten million dollars and realized it couldn’t even begin to erase my hatred, I finally understood: for the rest of my life, I needed to live for myself. Once I’d processed that thought, a thrill ran through me. I replied to Leo’s email: 【It’s not far. Wait for me one month. I’m coming with you.】 Since the argument with Julian, we had tacitly been sleeping in separate rooms. I slept in the master bedroom, and he slept in the guest room. But when I got up at night, I often saw the open guest room door, empty and dark. He was probably spending the night at Serena’s house. But now, I didn’t care where he spent the night. I packed up my belongings in the bedroom, slowly arranged for them to be shipped, and Leo would receive them in the States. One day, Julian bought me a gift. It was a stunning, jeweled headpiece I’d spent a long time admiring at a boutique counter. He also, for the first time ever, brought out a bottle of vintage red wine he’d been saving and cooked an elaborate dinner for me. “Audrey, Grandfather’s birthday is in a few days. Can we just… not fight for now?” Again, it was all for the sake of appearances for both families. We were already used to putting on a show for such grand occasions. I agreed, “Alright.” Ever since Grandfather Sterling turned seventy, his birthday celebrations had always been lavish. We went to the most exclusive restaurant in the city, filling the entire place with people. My family, Julian’s family, and many business partners and friends. Before entering, Julian extended his hand to me. As usual, I took it. He then pried my fingers open, forcing his fingers to interlace with mine. I tried to pull away, but he held on tight, making my knuckles ache. When he saw me settle down, he smiled, satisfied, and then walked through the restaurant’s main doors. Serena Hayes was there too. She was busy helping out Julian’s family. Julian’s smile vanished instantly, a flicker of unease in his eyes. During the meal, the same dreaded conversation about starting a family was once again thrown my way. My mom and mother-in-law, one after another: “Are you two playing tricks on us? You’ve been married for five years, and trying to conceive for three, why is there still no news?”

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On my birthday, my boyfriend of five years broke up with me. I agreed. The next day, he posted a photo collage on his Ins. In the photo, he and the other woman sat in a brand-new BMW, holding a marriage certificate, smiling sweetly at the camera. The caption: “Starting a new life from now on!” I sneered, opened my mobile banking app, and counted the zeros from right to left – millions, tens of millions, hundreds of millions… On my twenty-ninth birthday, I had just received some absolutely incredible news and was thrilled. I was about to share it with my boyfriend, Liam, when I saw his grim face. “Cassidy, let’s break up.” My smile slowly vanished. I stared at him, saying nothing. “The rent’s due at the end of the month. All the furniture and appliances we bought, I’ll leave them to you. I’m just taking my laptop and a few changes of clothes.” Liam pretended to be generous. I almost laughed out loud. Furniture and appliances? Was he talking about the secondhand desk he used for gaming, or the broken fan that no longer oscillated? Perhaps my sarcasm was too obvious, because Liam fidgeted uncomfortably. “And our joint card, it was in your name. All the money in it, I’m leaving that to you too.” I rolled my eyes. We had agreed to put half of our monthly salaries into a shared account for joint expenses. But he was in sales, with a pathetically low base salary, and his monthly income was always inconsistent. Especially in the first few years, he struggled to schmooze with clients and always landed at the bottom of the sales charts. Even when he put his entire salary in, it wasn’t enough; I was constantly subsidizing it from my own pocket. Later, with his good looks and cool, detached vibe, he finally attracted a few clients, and his performance started to improve. Even though his income increased, his demands for a higher quality of life only grew. Sure enough, before the end of this month, he’d already squandered all the money in the card. The current balance wasn’t even enough for groceries tomorrow. How dare he say he was *leaving* all this for me?! My face darkened, and I forcibly suppressed the surging anger in my heart, saying pointedly: “Don’t you have anything to say to me?” Liam froze, his gaze darting away. Then he tried to soften the blow with a patronizing tone: “Don’t be like this. I know you’re upset, and I didn’t want to do this to you. But, matters of the heart can’t be forced, right? Breaking up now is for our future, I don’t want you to keep struggling with me…” Forget it. Maybe he was just under too much pressure. That’s why he had to give up on us. I sighed in relief, feeling a bit soft-hearted, and was about to tell him the good news when my phone rang. It was an unknown number. Liam glanced at it, and his face instantly tensed up. “It’s probably a spam call, Cassidy! Don’t just answer unknown numbers!” Seeing him like that, my stomach dropped. A woman’s intuition told me this call wasn’t so simple. I raised my hand and pressed the answer button, putting it on speaker. “Hello, is this Cassidy?” It was a female voice. Liam couldn’t sit still any longer. He stood up and tried to grab my phone, but I, having anticipated it, dodged him. “This is she.” I had a feeling about something, and my fingers trembled slightly. “I’m Liam’s girlfriend. Is he still there with you? Please tell him to come home early; I’m waiting for him for dinner.” After saying that, without waiting for my reply, she hung up. I looked up at the ceiling, took several deep breaths, and tried hard to hold back the tears welling up. After a long moment, I turned my head to look at Liam, who was utterly lost and flustered by his secret being exposed, and questioned him: “She’s your girlfriend, so what am I?” “Cassidy, I’m sorry. I didn’t want this. But… I can’t control matters of the heart…” Liam lowered his head and covered his face, looking utterly dejected. He was always like this; when faced with a tricky situation, he’d bury his head like an ostrich, as if that would make everything disappear. In the past, I would patiently comfort him, counsel him, and find ways to help him resolve things. But this time, I wasn’t going to waste any more time on him.

“You…” Just as I opened my mouth, the phone rang again. This time, it was Liam’s. He pulled out his phone, looking flustered, his gaze wavered between his phone and me for a few seconds, then he gritted his teeth and chose to hang up. I glimpsed the caller ID – ‘Baby.’ Ha! How ironic! I never checked his phone. Perhaps it was precisely because of my trust in him that he was so reckless. “When did this happen?” I couldn’t help but ask. “About… half a year ago.” Liam hung his head, looking a bit unnatural. No wonder, in the past six months, he contributed little to our joint account, but his expenses were huge. I thought it was due to the tough economy and was afraid of pressuring him, so I didn’t dare ask too many questions, only constantly dipped into my own pocket to satisfy his various demands. Turns out, he was using money to support another woman… I gritted my teeth, clenched my fists, and secretly warned myself: *Don’t get angry, don’t get angry! Cassidy, your best life is yet to come!* My phone rang again. It was the same number. She was getting impatient. I sneered, and answered. Instantly, Chloe’s enraged voice echoed through the entire room. “Cassidy! Have you no shame?! Liam has already broken up with you, and you’re still clinging to him! Let me tell you clearly! There’s no way for you two anymore! We’re both women, I advise you to let go soon, don’t make yourself so pathetic!” Liam couldn’t listen anymore; he snatched my phone and hung up. I couldn’t help but cry. Liam’s face was flustered, and he dared not look at me. “I’m leaving. From now on, take care of yourself.” After saying that, he picked up his already packed suitcase and walked away without looking back.

That night, I lay alone in my small apartment, tossing and turning, unable to sleep. Five years, how many five-year periods does one have in a lifetime? Liam and I were both from modest backgrounds, working hard in the same city after graduating from college. We met at a friend’s gathering. At that time, we had both just graduated, experienced some of life’s harsh realities, but still held a sliver of hope, unwilling to give up on our dreams. The day we got together was my birthday. It rained heavily that day, and he didn’t bring an umbrella. In the rain, he huddled over, carefully protecting a small cake in his arms, and ran to me, smiling as he said: “Cassidy, Happy Birthday!” I looked at Liam, soaked to the bone, and was deeply moved. After adulthood, besides my parents, no one paid attention to my birthday. Liam was the only one. From then on, in this cold concrete jungle, two lonely souls clung together, warming each other. “Cassidy, I’ll celebrate your birthday every year from now on!” “Cassidy, when I make money later, I’ll buy you a car! And pick you up and drop you off from work every day!” “No! By then, you won’t need to work! I’ll take care of you! I’ll drive you around! We’ll go eat delicious food, see beautiful sights, and travel the world!” He liked to dream, and I accompanied him. Because his dreams included me. Back then, I firmly believed that as long as there was love, no hardship was truly hardship. I worked hard to make money, pinched pennies, just to save more, and buy our own house sooner. The trendy coffee shop next to the office launched new flavors. An $8 cup, and every colleague had one. I couldn’t help but want to try it, but he advised me,

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My CEO wife, Vivian Hayes, believed her three months of the silent treatment had finally worked when she learned I’d willingly handed over a multi-million dollar project to her favorite young assistant. She beamed with joy, eagerly suggesting an Iceland honeymoon. But her assistant, Julian Chase, was furious when he found out, threatening to quit the company. Vivian, who had always doted on him, panicked. After three days and nights of soothing him, she ditched our honeymoon again, citing a business trip, and gave her ticket to Julian instead. Later, she casually explained to me, “Personal feelings are secondary, Caleb. Work comes first. As a boss, I have to prioritize the company.” “You’re my husband; you should understand, right?” I glanced at Julian’s latest SnapChat post on my phone—a cozy couple’s photo of them, heads touching, flashing a heart sign. I said nothing, just nodded. Vivian thought I’d become more understanding and generous, which pleased her immensely. She even promised me an even more romantic honeymoon when she got back. But what she didn’t know was, I had already submitted my resignation, and she had already signed our divorce papers. She and I, we had no future left.

On the second day of Vivian and her assistant Julian’s “honeymoon,” I completed all my work handovers and processed my resignation with HR. Less than ten minutes later, Vivian’s “Approved” notification popped up. “Looks like Ms. Hayes wanted to fire him a long time ago. Good thing he knew when to leave.” “Right? After all, staying here would only upset Ms. Hayes. Better to leave early. Wonder what he’ll do next.” “Why are we, minimum wage earners, worrying about him? He’s Ms. Hayes’s husband, for crying out loud. Even if he just quits and stays home, he’ll have more money than he can spend.” As I packed my things, my colleagues were gossiping and smirking, clearly enjoying my downfall. I was used to it. Everyone knew Julian and I didn’t get along, and Vivian, my wife, openly favored Julian, often publicly embarrassing me for his sake. Because of this, they’d compete to undermine me, hoping to curry favor with Julian. I scoffed. “Sorry to disappoint, but I’m moving to a new company. They’re hiring me at double the salary, and the benefits are much better than here.” Without a glance at their envious expressions, I grabbed my packed personal items and walked out of the office. As soon as I stepped out the main door, my phone rang. It was Vivian. I’d been wondering how to explain my resignation, but when I answered, Vivian said, “I just sent you a file. Get it done and back to me within the hour.” She still didn’t know I’d quit. I let out a mirthless chuckle, opening the file. It was the very project I’d recently handed over to Julian. Just as always. Julian would get the credit and the glory; I’d do the legwork, and if anything went wrong, I’d take the fall. Initially, I had refused. But Vivian would try every trick in the book to persuade me. If I remained adamant, she’d give me the cold shoulder, deliberately staying up late to work on it herself. I couldn’t bear to see her struggle, so I’d always take it on in the end. I used to believe Vivian would eventually understand my genuine efforts. But this time, when she had a massive fight with me for Julian’s promotion, leading to three months of the silent treatment—even when my fever hit 104 degrees Fahrenheit and I was hospitalized, she refused to visit me, just to force me to give Julian the multi-million dollar project I’d spent a month securing—that was when my last shred of hope died. “I’m not in the office,” I replied blandly. “Not in the office?” Vivian’s voice instantly turned icy. “I believe it’s working hours, isn’t it, Caleb Stone? Do you know that unauthorized absence during work hours results in a day’s pay deduction according to company policy?” “I know, but I’ve already…” Just as I was about to reveal my resignation, I heard Julian’s gentle voice from her end. “Vivian, sweetie, if Caleb isn’t willing, don’t force him. I can do it.” “No, you stayed up so late yesterday; you absolutely need to rest today.” Vivian’s tone was incredibly soft. A complete contrast to how she’d just spoken to me. Julian continued to insist he wasn’t tired, but Vivian was firm: “I’m the boss. My order for you to rest is non-negotiable. Do you dare disobey me?” Julian playfully stuck out his tongue. “I just feel bad for Caleb.” “Is he as tired as you? You’re on business trips, managing contracts, while he just sits around doing nothing all day. Besides, he’s my husband, isn’t it his duty to put in some effort?” Vivian scoffed. With one sentence, she erased all my hard work. I no longer felt the initial anger, jealousy, or despair; I just felt numb. It had happened too many times. Seeing my silence, Vivian assumed I’d agreed, and her tone softened a bit. “Caleb, do you truly think I’m just giving you work? I’m trying to challenge you. You’re my husband; you should have more responsibility and drive for the company.” “You should learn from Julian. He worked until 4 AM yesterday. I’ve never seen someone so young, so talented, and so dedicated.” Julian chuckled in the background. “I think Caleb is quite talented too.” His words, however, were laced with thinly veiled disdain. Vivian didn’t catch it, letting out a dismissive laugh. “If he had half your talent, I’d wake up smiling every day.” “Don’t forget, you’re the one who completed all the projects this year.” The two of them chattered, back and forth. I remained silent, unwilling to argue. Julian had poached all those projects from me this year. Vivian knew it perfectly well, yet pretended to be oblivious. She simply believed that after five years of marriage, I wouldn’t divorce her over such trivial matters. “Alright, Julian and I have a client dinner later. Finish that up and send it over as soon as possible.” With that, without waiting for my reply, Vivian hung up. But less than two minutes later, my phone buzzed twice. It was Julian’s new SnapChat post. They were seated across a lavish candlelit dinner. Vivian playfully leaned her head on Julian’s shoulder, and in front of Julian sat a small, elegant gift box—just the right size for a ring. I scrolled down further, seeing Julian’s post from last night. At 4 AM, he and Vivian were still deep into their drinks at a bar, clearly having a blast. So, Vivian’s definition of Julian’s “effort” was drinking. And their “client dinner” later was actually a date. I let out a bitter laugh, not bothering to confront Vivian. It was pointless. She’d always have endless excuses. Even if I cornered her with my questions, leaving her speechless, I wouldn’t get an apology or remorse. Instead, I’d face another endless cold war. Every time that happened, I’d have to find ways to appease her. Now, thinking about it, I realized I could have spent that time working harder, figuring out how to make more money. Hearts can betray you, but money never will. With that thought, I left the company, mulling over my next steps. But just as my car pulled out of the parking lot, my phone buzzed twice. I opened it. A payment notification. Vivian had just dropped another twenty grand on my card.

Everyone thought I was with Vivian for her money. But in reality, she held all my cards. She claimed her personal funds were tied up in the company, so for years, all our expenses and my side-hustle income went towards our shared life. I believed a man should contribute more to the family, so I never argued with her about it. It wasn’t until recently that I realized, despite my high income, I never seemed to save a dime, always feeling like I was running short. I couldn’t help but check my bank statements. That’s when I discovered Vivian regularly used my card to buy gifts for Julian. She’d bought him a gaming console worth hundreds, a suit costing thousands, and even shelled out tens of thousands to book a five-star hotel for his birthday. Yet, for years, she wouldn’t even spring for new underwear for me after two months. Anything over a hundred dollars, she’d fuss about it being too expensive, opting instead to give me a handwritten card, saying she wanted to save money for our future. I couldn’t help but confront her about it. Vivian’s face darkened. She accused me of not trusting her, then gave me the silent treatment, vowing never to use my money again. Thinking about that, I still called Vivian. I tried more than a dozen times, but she didn’t pick up. Seeing this, I didn’t hesitate. I drove straight to the bank and canceled my card. Less than a minute later, Vivian called back. “I was busy earlier, didn’t see your calls. What’s wrong?” she asked, feigning innocence. My voice was calm. “It’s nothing now.” “Oh.” “Your card seems to have an issue; it’s frozen,” she said. “I know.” I didn’t hide it, confessing directly: “I froze it.” “Why would you freeze your card for no reason? Just for fun?” “Let’s just say. But didn’t you say you’d never touch my card again?” Vivian choked. I had never argued with her about money before. Soon after the company launched, I fell seriously ill, needing a sixty-thousand-dollar surgery. Right then, she secretly invested all our savings into a project and lost every last cent. She thought I’d be angry, crying and apologizing to me. But I just comforted her, telling her money was trivial, and my funds were always hers to use first. I thought being open and honest would strengthen our bond, but all it did was give her permission to be completely reckless. Vivian, however, didn’t seem to overthink it. After two seconds of silence, she sighed. “Alright, I get it. You’re still mad I didn’t go on our honeymoon with you, so you’re throwing a tantrum.” “Caleb Stone, I thought you’d finally grown up, but you’re still so petty.” “I promise, after this, I’ll drop everything and go on our honeymoon with you, okay?” “I didn’t bring my cards on this trip. Go unfreeze your card now, don’t be childish. This client dinner later is really important.” “I’m giving you ten minutes, or I’ll be really mad.” As if worried I wouldn’t cooperate, Vivian added a threatening remark before hanging up. In the past, whenever she said she was angry, I would dutifully comply. But she didn’t seem to realize I wasn’t afraid of her anger; I just thought she was already stressed with the company, and I didn’t want to upset her further. Now I understood that I’d tried my best to ease her burden, but her troubles were almost always self-inflicted. If that was the case, why should I bother? “If you didn’t bring your bank card, you can ask your secretary, or even Julian. After all, this business trip is for his project; it wouldn’t be out of line for him to cover the expenses.” After sending her that message, I turned off my phone and drove home to pack. I’d paid for the house outright—her dream layout, her preferred floor. Initially, I’d planned to put her name on the deed too, but by some strange, unexplainable impulse, I kept it solely in my name. Looking back, I was so glad I’d kept a backup plan for myself. After packing my belongings, I listed the house with a real estate agent. The next day, I went to the county clerk’s office and handed the signed divorce papers to the clerk. When I first had her sign the agreement, I was still contemplating how to explain it to Vivian. But she was in such a hurry to grab her luggage and leave that day, she didn’t even glance at it, just flipped straight to the last page and scribbled her signature. “Just take a look,” I’d said, holding onto a sliver of hope. “No need. You’re my husband, why wouldn’t I trust you?” I gave a bitter laugh. Her trust in me back then was less than her trust in Julian. Her so-called trust was just her wanting to quickly dismiss me so she could rush to catch her flight and go on “honeymoon” with Julian. But it also saved me from wasting my breath. However, after I submitted the documents, the clerk informed me that they still needed confirmation from both parties that the marriage had irretrievably broken down before processing the divorce. I showed them the sweet photos Vivian and Julian had taken, and the photos of our wedding portrait she had smashed because of Julian, but the clerk still shook their head. “We need direct verbal confirmation from both parties.” Frustrated, I turned my phone back on. As soon as it booted up, countless missed calls and unread messages from Vivian flooded in. Because I hadn’t unfrozen my card, she’d tried everything from begging to reasoning, and the last message completely ripped into me, threatening divorce. I showed the messages to the clerk. The clerk still shook their head. Left with no other choice, I dialed her number. It took a long time for her to answer. “Vivian, our relationship—” “Relationship? What relationship? Nothing you say now matters! I’m divorcing you, and that’s final!” Vivian, assuming I was trying to win her back as usual, coldly cut me off, then hung up. The clerk finally believed me, looking at me with a sympathetic gaze. They submitted the documents, telling me the divorce certificate would be issued in a month. I knew Vivian’s talk of divorce wasn’t genuine; it was just a threat. In the past, whenever I upset her, she’d often say it. I’d always be the one who couldn’t bear it, relentlessly apologizing and caving to her every demand to make her drop the idea of divorce. She had me completely cornered, knowing I’d never want a divorce, and this had become her ultimate trump card. She thought threatening me with divorce would always get her what she wanted. But she seemed to have forgotten: Love, I realized, was like money in a bank account. If you only withdraw and never deposit, eventually, it runs dry. Because I listed the house at a very reasonable price, it sold in less than a week. I went to the real estate office, signed the contract, and set a handover date with the buyer. When I returned home, As soon as I pushed open the door, I heard laughter and chatter from inside.

The matching couple’s slippers I kept by the door were gone. In their place were a pair of men’s dress shoes and the heels Vivian loved, the ones Julian had given her for her birthday. It hit me then: Vivian and Julian were inside. Weren’t they supposed to be back in two days? As I pondered this, Julian heard the noise and walked out, wearing my slippers and even my pajamas. He had a languid, proprietary air, as if he owned the place. “Caleb, what are you doing back so early? I thought the company hadn’t closed for the day yet.” As he spoke, he deliberately flicked cigarette ash into my water glass beside him. I recognized it. It was one of the matching couple’s mugs Vivian had given me. I used to cherish it, often cradling it in my hands. Vivian emerged from the living room then. She saw Julian using my mug as an ashtray, but merely pretended not to notice. She, who used to gag at the slightest whiff of smoke and vehemently ordered me to quit, now showed not an ounce of discomfort. Being with Julian had indeed changed her significantly. When she saw me, her expression was complex for a moment. Then it darkened. “You skipped work again?” “Caleb Stone, even if you’re my husband, you can’t keep doing this!” “That’s the company, not our home. If you don’t follow the rules, how can I manage everyone else?” Rules? I almost laughed. When it came to breaking rules, who was a bigger culprit than Vivian Hayes herself? A year ago, soon after the company stabilized, Vivian made an unprecedented move, parachuting Julian—who had zero industry experience—directly into a management position. Though I was puzzled, when Vivian insisted Julian had great potential, I diligently mentored him. But Julian spent his days playing games and sleeping. After dragging his feet during work hours, he’d deliberately stay until the early hours, posting a ‘working late’ photo in the company SnapChat group. I reported it to Vivian, but she just brushed it off, saying he was probably just tired and needed to unwind with a game. I asked Vivian to keep an eye on him, and she said she didn’t have time. I suggested installing surveillance cameras, and she said it wasn’t legal. Later, projects began to fail one after another, costing us millions. Julian remained unrepentant, and I eventually lost my patience and demanded he be fired. But Vivian fiercely objected. Finally, she asked me, “Are you just jealous, afraid Julian is too good and will surpass you?” Julian stayed, and immediately began poaching my clients and projects. Vivian saw it all, yet turned a blind eye, instead praising Julian as an exemplary employee and holding me up as the ‘jealous colleague’ to be avoided. I used to feel wronged. But now, looking back, with that level of patience, I could have thrived at any other company, instead of being stuck in this mess. I didn’t speak. Julian gently patted her back, soothing her in a soft voice. “Maybe Caleb knew you were coming back and rushed home for you.” Vivian clearly believed him, a triumphant smile spreading across her face. “Fine, but don’t let it happen again. Still, how did you know I was coming back today?” Julian chuckled. “Vivian, sweetie, didn’t you forget? HR booked your return flight. She probably told Caleb.” Vivian scoffed lightly. “Caleb Stone, you spend all your time meddling in idle matters instead of focusing on work.” “But don’t think I’ll forgive you just like that.” “You threw a tantrum and froze the bank card, making me lose face with our partners. Julian had to go around borrowing money to settle the expenses.” Seeing my prolonged silence, Vivian thought I was reflecting, as usual, and her tone softened a few degrees. “I might forgive you.” “But first, we need to properly compensate Julian.” “His current apartment is being renovated and isn’t livable for a while. If you clear out this bedroom for him to stay in for some time, I won’t hold this against you.” I shook my head. “But I’ve already sold this house.” “Sold it?” Vivian’s eyes widened. Before she could ask, Julian quickly interjected, “Is Caleb going to sell this house to buy a bigger one to make it up to you, Vivian?” Vivian found this plausible, and her face instantly lit up with joy. “Indeed, we’ve lived in this house for quite some time; it’s time for a bigger one. I’ll contribute some money for it. Don’t sell this one yet; Julian can use it.” “Oh, that’s too much. How much is the rent? I’ll pay market price.” “Pay rent for what?” Vivian’s face darkened. “I’m your boss; do you think I’d make you pay rent?” “But that’s not right. No, the rent must be paid.” “Then a few hundred dollars will do.” The two of them chattered, back and forth, Vivian acting as if the rent was negligible. This house was in the city center, with market rent nearly ten thousand dollars. She found that negligible? Yet, when we dated, she meticulously calculated our shares for even dinner and movie expenses. The difference between being loved and not being loved was stark. “So, what do you say? If you agree, I might reconsider the divorce.” “No need to reconsider…” “How can that be? If I forgive you so easily, without teaching you a lesson, what if your bad habits resurface?” Vivian interrupted me, still thinking I wanted her to drop the idea of divorce. Julian giggled from the side. “Vivian’s right, but please, on my account, forgive Caleb.” “Besides, you and Caleb have been married for so many years; it would be such a pity to divorce now.” Vivian feigned contemplation. Julian simply reached out, gently swaying her, showering her with affection. Vivian playfully said, “Stop it,” but her face was beaming. “Alright, then.” She finally looked at me, satisfied. “Since Julian is also speaking up for you, I’ll forgive you this once.” “You should really thank Julian. After how you treated him, he’s still helping you out.” “Fine, then this divorce…” “You’ve misunderstood.” I cut her off blandly, handing her the divorce papers. “What I mean is,” “We’re already divorced.” Vivian’s smile froze. “What do you mean? You want to divorce me?”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “299200”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #浪漫Romance #现实主义Realistic

I took the fall for Seraphina Thorne on murder charges, vanishing overseas for ten years. Those ten years, I lived in shadows, unseen, like a rat in a sewer. On that snowy winter night before I left, Seraphina held me, promising she’d protect our family’s legacy and wait for my return, ready to marry me with all the pomp and circumstance we deserved. Over the decade, using the family’s core secrets I’d entrusted to her, she transformed from a marginalized outcast to the Queen of the city’s underworld, known as “The Thorn Queen.” The day I returned early, I clutched our only childhood photo, a corner of it faded yellow. I stood outside the private clinic she’d personally built for me, wanting to surprise her. She arrived, her stride powerful, still the same spirited and impressive woman I remembered. But by her side was a delicate young man, his features a striking resemblance to my younger self. She handed me a signed asset divestment agreement, her voice icy, a tone I’d never heard from her before. “He’s not well, he can’t handle stress. Is this money enough to buy you peace for the rest of your life?”

Behind me, my men were still Seraphina’s loyalists, the ones she’d left with me ten years ago, their only mission to ensure my safety. But now, they exchanged uneasy glances, looking from me to Seraphina, unsure who to point their guns at. Seraphina, however, seemed oblivious to the tension behind me. As if we were alone, she gently took Julian Hayes’s hand, her voice soft in a way I hadn’t heard in years. “Julian, don’t be scared. I’m just handling some personal matters.” She and I were once the two most insignificant outcasts of the Thorne family, clinging to each other for survival in the shadows. Whenever the main family’s kids bullied me, leaving me bruised and battered, she’d shield me. She’d always hold my hand, her eyes crinkling into a smile. “Asher, don’t be afraid. I’m here.” But now… She reached out, effortlessly disarming the dagger I’d hidden in my sleeve. Then she picked up the photo I’d dropped, gently dusting off the dirt. “Asher, ten years, and your temper is still as fiery as ever.” “Seraphina, I’m not well, I can’t take this…” I mimicked her tone, but before I could finish, she cut me off. “Get rid of it!” She shoved the photo back into my hand, then shook hers, as if she’d touched something disgusting. “Your things. Don’t pollute my sight.” Julian immediately rushed forward, spreading his arms to shield Seraphina. “Don’t you dare hurt Sister Seraphina!” Seraphina looked at him, a sudden smile gracing her lips, filled with a nostalgia I couldn’t decipher. She pulled Julian behind her, protecting him. “See? Asher Vance, I can’t abandon him. He’s too similar.” I instantly understood her unspoken meaning. Too similar, too much like the young me who, for her, would willingly charge into a den of wolves. So, over a decade of surviving by each other’s side, it all meant nothing compared to a mere “resemblance to my younger self.” She slowly pulled a handkerchief from her pocket, meticulously wiping each finger, then slapped a pregnancy test report onto my chest. “Asher, with this one, we’ve finally been trying for three years.” “Whatever happens to me from now on, it has nothing to do with you.” “If you don’t cancel this agreement, neither of you is leaving this door today.” I cut her off coldly. She pulled a pistol from her sidearm holster. The bullet grazed Julian’s foot, leaving a scorching mark on the floor. Seraphina’s face finally changed. She moved swiftly, striking my hand with a chop. A sharp pain made me grunt, and the gun clattered to the floor. Seraphina saw the red swelling on my hand. She pulled out a tube of ointment from a nearby medical kit, squeezed some into her palm, warmed it, and was about to apply it to my wrist. Over the years, taking care of me had become ingrained in her. But when I saw the boy behind her, glaring at me with venomous hatred… Seraphina and I, from this day forward, were truly over. I dodged her hand, picking up the gun with my other, unharmed hand, pointing it at the million-dollar crystal chandelier above. “Bang! Bang! Bang!” Amidst the deafening crash of falling crystal shards and the screams of the crowd, Seraphina’s face immediately darkened. I left her with a calm, chilling statement. “Go home. We need to discuss the details of our divorce!”

I waited for her for seven days in the Thorne Estate. It wasn’t that she didn’t want a divorce; she simply didn’t have time. Julian sent me another “battle report.” In the photo, he lay on Seraphina’s lap, as she leaned down, tenderly peeling an apple for him. Sunlight bathed them, painting a scene as beautiful as a picture. Ten years later, I stepped into this house I’d once risked my life to protect, but now as a defeated man about to be kicked out. I glanced at the photo, then handed it to Marcus behind me, my face devoid of emotion. “Find out which room he’s in. Hang him from the balcony for me.” “He stays there until Seraphina comes back to sign the papers.” The wind was strong that day, carrying the chill of early autumn. I watched Julian, hanging from the third-floor balcony, still cursing relentlessly. I pulled my trench coat tighter. Marcus carefully held a black umbrella over my head. Julian, still dangling upside down outside the third-floor balcony, continued to curse obscenely. My expression was indifferent as I quietly waited for Seraphina to arrive. “Asher Vance, how dare you do this to me! Just wait until Sister Seraphina gets back, she won’t let you off! She’ll kill you!” “If you know what’s good for you, just sign the papers and get out of the Thorne family! Stop clinging to Sister Seraphina like a parasite!” I didn’t bother to meet his gaze. It wasn’t until Seraphina’s familiar black Bentley sped into view that I pulled out the prepared fountain pen. Seraphina’s movements paused as she stepped out of the car, her face instantly grim, her gaze sharply piercing me. The divorce agreement in my hand fluttered to the ground, caught by the wind. I spoke, my voice cold: “Marcus, shut his mouth. Just don’t kill him.” “Enough, Asher Vance! He’s just a kid!” Seraphina’s voice trembled with a hint of desperation. The moment she moved closer, the fountain pen in my hand plunged violently into her shoulder. Scarlet blood instantly stained her moon-white trench coat, the color a searing pain in my eyes. “You know he’s just a kid?!” “Then what about our Leo?! He was just a baby when he died, wasn’t he?!” Seeing my near-collapsed expression, a flicker of anguish crossed Seraphina’s brows. Instead of retreating, she stepped closer, seizing my hand and pushing the pen deeper into her flesh. She unhesitatingly emptied a bottle of pills into her mouth, swallowing them down with her own blood. “Asher, he’s young, he doesn’t know any better. It doesn’t have to go this far.” “You’ve gotten your anger out. Let him down.” My hand, in the end, still trembled. The pen slipped from my grasp. The scar on my abdomen, left from saving her, began to throb faintly. Before, she protected me with her life. Now, she was coercing me with hers. I was utterly exhausted, waving my hand weakly. “Let him go.” Julian was brought down, soaking wet. He lunged into Seraphina’s arms, wailing, pointing at me, his eyes filled with raging hatred. “Sister Seraphina, he almost killed me! He even forced you to take those pills! Our baby… our baby might…” Seraphina, her eyes red, held him tight, gently comforting him. “It’s alright, it’s over. It’s okay if there’s no baby. You’re still young, we’ll have other chances later.” Julian fainted in her arms, utterly distraught. Seraphina carried him, hurrying into the car and driving away. The divorce agreement I’d thrown on the ground was run over by her speeding tires, splattered with mud. The divorce still didn’t happen. Leo’s memorial day was approaching, and I didn’t want any more disruptions. But Julian, once again, proactively provoked me. He sent a package, inside only a small card. “So what if you made me lose a baby? Sister Seraphina will just compensate me twofold, and you, you’ll never get close to her again!” Along with the card, another item fell out. It was the jade amulet I’d personally made for Leo, crafted from the only piece of precious jade my mother left behind. It should have been enshrined in Leo’s memorial hall, accompanying the eternal flame that never died out. How did it end up in Julian Hayes’s hands?

I led my men, rushing to the memorial hall as fast as possible. The door to the hall was ajar, and I saw the scene inside at a glance. Clutching the cold jade amulet, I stood quietly outside the door, listening to Julian’s sobbing accusations from within. “Sister Seraphina, why aren’t you avenging me?! Killing that maniac would be nothing but lifting a finger for you! Why aren’t you doing it?!” “Kill him! Go kill him now!” Seraphina let him pound her chest, like a statue devoid of pain, until his voice grew hoarse from crying. “Sister Seraphina, that was our baby, the one we waited three whole years for.” Three years? My heart was heavily struck by that number. That was the period when, to put her mind at ease, I voluntarily underwent “body conditioning” treatment, temporarily losing my fertility. Seraphina knelt beside Julian’s bed, tightly holding his trembling hand, tenderly kissing his forehead. “Julian, we’ll have a baby. We definitely will, again.” The soft light fell upon them, a scene that mirrored exactly how she used to comfort me after Leo’s death, when I was tormented by nightmares night after night. “Tomorrow is Leo’s memorial day. I’ll take you to the eternal flame again to pray. It will definitely work.” “Clatter—” The jade amulet in my hand dropped to the floor. Three years ago, Seraphina was cornered by Elias Sterling’s forces. To save her… I entrusted our newborn Leo, barely a month old, to his nanny, then led the bodyguards she’d left me, carving a path of blood for her. She survived. My Leo, however, died that very night. Holding his cold, lifeless body. I felt like my entire world had crumbled. To soothe me, Seraphina didn’t hesitate to kneel through every church and monastery in the region’s outskirts. She eventually lit an eternal flame for Leo in this memorial hall. She said that if the eternal flame burned for a thousand days and nights, our Leo could reincarnate and return to us. But my destiny supposedly clashed with Leo’s, requiring me to take a fertility-suppressing medicine to accumulate spiritual blessings for him. I didn’t believe in ghosts or gods, but I believed in her. That bitter herbal concoction, I drank it for three years straight, ignoring every rumor and piece of gossip. But it turned out, it was all a lie. She just… didn’t want another child of mine. The sharp sound startled the two inside. The moment Seraphina turned her head, a fruit knife from the table grazed my cheek, embedding itself deeply into the door panel behind me. She rushed towards me, grabbing my shoulders, her voice laced with an almost imperceptible tremble. “Asher, are you alright? Are you hurt?” I didn’t answer her. I raised my hand, pulled out the knife, and plunged it back into her brow bone. The tip of the knife was less than an inch from her eye. There, a faint scar remained. It was from when she was eighteen, fighting a wolfhound starved for three days in Elias Sterling’s underground fight club, all to get medicine for me. She was almost blind in one eye then, but when she returned with the medicine, she smiled more brightly than anyone. Because I was saved. I wouldn’t die. I was a sobbing mess then, lunging at Elias Sterling and biting him with all my might, only to be kicked away, sent sprawling across the floor. Scarlet blood streamed down Seraphina’s brow bone, blurring the expression in her eyes. Yet her hand instinctively remained at my back, protecting me from being scratched by a protruding nail on the door. I couldn’t stop my eyes from reddening, but the hand holding the knife was steady as a rock. “Seraphina Thorne, you should know, Leo is my only bottom line.” I could care less about anything else in this world, but that child… The moment I chose to save Seraphina, I had already given him up. What a well-behaved child he was, his small face pale with fear when I handed him over from my arms, yet he didn’t cry a single sound. Seraphina didn’t move, nor did she explain. She let me use the knife’s tip to reopen the old scar on her brow bone, new injury covering the old, leaving no trace of how it once looked. Julian, however, shrieked and rushed forward, violently shoving me aside, then picked up the fallen knife, aiming to stab me in the heart. I kicked him away, picked up the jade amulet, and pressed my gun to his forehead. The young man, who moments ago was as fierce as a cub, immediately shrieked and latched onto Seraphina’s waist. “Sister Seraphina, save me! This lunatic is trying to kill me!” Seraphina, who had been unresponsive, finally frowned, her face darkening as she looked at me. “Asher Vance, I thought you had caused enough trouble.” “You don’t want a divorce, yet you expect me to watch you kill him. Seraphina Thorne, is your husband really that easy to bully?” I smiled, cocking the gun with one hand. “My wife, canoodling with another man in my son’s memorial hall. A single stab, and it’s over? That’s not how things work in this city.” Before I could pull the trigger, the entire memorial hall was instantly surrounded by Seraphina’s men. Dark muzzles of guns were aimed directly at me. I remembered, the last time she’d assembled such a large force was three years ago, against her arch-nemesis, Elias Sterling. Nearly a hundred men encircling us made my dozen bodyguards seem so outnumbered. Seraphina casually wiped the blood from her face, her blood-stained hand pressing against the muzzle of my gun. Her gaze fell on the jade amulet tightly clutched in my hand, her voice cold and hard as iron. “If you don’t like it, I won’t let him come here again.” “Asher Vance, know when to stop.” I stared at her intently, then at the trembling young man behind her, and smiled as I pulled the trigger. “Click.” An empty click. My gun was out of bullets. Seraphina’s brow twitched. She seemed to sigh in relief, taking a step towards me.

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The day I left the hospital, Liam came to pick me up. He brought my favorite cake, and a divorce agreement. There was no trace of guilt on his face. “Chloe’s coming back from abroad, so…” I looked at the words on the divorce agreement: The company belongs to the man, all other assets belong to the woman and child. Perfect. Just what I wanted. But I still frowned slightly, feigning displeasure. “Liam, we worked so hard to build this company together over the years. Are you really so eager to kick me out?” Liam handed me the pen. “You know, we started this company to fulfill Chloe’s dream. So, everything else can be yours, except the company.” I snatched the pen from his hand and signed it immediately, terrified he might change his mind. Liam seemed surprised that I neither cried nor made a scene. “Four years together, and you have no lingering feelings at all?” I glanced at the baby in my arms, then smiled at him. “I wish you and Ms. Chloe a long and happy life.” After leaving the hospital, Liam couldn’t wait to drive me to the county clerk’s office. The moment I held the divorce certificate, I saw a happiness on his face I hadn’t seen in a long time. He looked down at me. “I still need to go home later to pack up my things and move out.” “Okay, no problem,” I replied, my voice gentle and calm. Liam stared at me. “You seem different from before.” “Different how?” I tilted my head, smiling widely at him. “I thought you would…” “Make a huge scene? Or cling to you and beg you not to go? Or use our child to desperately plead with you?” I chuckled. “Hurry home and pack your stuff. Ms. Chloe’s flight is probably tonight, right? Don’t miss her.” It was evening by the time I got home. The baby was sleeping soundly, soothed by the nanny. Liam looked at Leo, lost in thought. “Have you thought of a name for him?” I found Liam’s feigned concern amusing. His heart was already at the airport, yet he was still putting on this act of being a good dad for me. But I answered calmly, “Leo. L-E-O.” Liam furrowed his brows. “Leo? This is a Master’s child.” I smiled at him. “Master’s child? The divorce agreement clearly states the child belongs to me.” I paused. “But you’ll always be his father. When Leo grows up, if you want to see him, I won’t stop you.” Liam sighed, a flicker of guilt finally crossing his face. “Thank you, Aria. I won’t shortchange you two on his future child support.” “No need,” I firmly refused him. “I can afford to raise him. You should go pursue your own happiness first.” Liam glanced down at his phone. “Alright then, goodbye.” “Mmm, goodbye.” With that, I waved to Liam, then slowly closed the door. Finally, I was free of him.

After Liam left, I blocked him from all my contacts, then swiftly listed the three houses we owned online. Their total price was about 5% below market value. Soon, all the properties found buyers. I used the money from two of the houses to buy a new house in a good school district outright. The remaining funds I put into a bank account to earn interest, keeping a certain amount of cash flow to seize the right opportunity to rebuild my career. Until a strange number called me. “Is this Aria? This is Chloe.” Why would Chloe call me? I slowly spoke. “It’s me. What’s wrong?” Her voice was anxious. “Liam, he… he got into a car accident. My blood type doesn’t match his. Can you come and donate blood for him?” Are you kidding me? Liam and I had been divorced for almost half a year. I heard Liam married Chloe the day after we divorced. And now you remember me for a blood transfusion? Do you think I’m some kind of pushover? “I’m sorry, Ms. Chloe. Liam and I have no connection whatsoever anymore. You’ve got the wrong person.” Her voice on the other end caught, and she sniffled. “But I just got back to the country. I don’t know anyone else here. I only know you! Please, save him!” Just got back? Only knows me? Chloe’s audacity was thicker than rusted steel. “Ms. Chloe, you haven’t been in the country for a while, so you might underestimate our medical facilities. As far as I know, Liam doesn’t have a rare blood type. There’s plenty of blood in the blood bank. You should be looking for a doctor right now, not me.” With that, I quickly hung up.

Liam and I met on a blind date. I was 26 then, and my family was pressuring me to get married. Liam was the most eligible of all my blind dates. He was gentle, tall, and handsome, a master’s graduate from a prestigious university, with a紳士-like demeanor in every gesture. I asked him, “Is this your first relationship?” He seemed a little shy, lowering his head and smiling. “To be honest, this is my first time dating.” “First time?” Liam looked at my widened eyes. “Is it that hard to believe?” He then began to pursue me relentlessly. Liam hadn’t lied to me. He just hadn’t told me that in his heart, he’d always secretly loved another woman, his dream girl. After we married, Liam and I co-founded a film and television company. We started from scratch, and in recent years, the young artists we signed had begun to make a name for themselves. When we were registering the company, I asked Liam what we should call it. Liam blurted out almost immediately, “Let’s call it Dreamscape Media.” And I only found out the origin of the company’s name three years into our marriage. That day, he was completely drunk. The driver helped him upstairs, his意识 already hazy. In the three years we’d been together, it was the first time I’d seen him drink to such an extent. He kept mumbling, “Chloe, Chloe, I miss you so much.” Chloe? Who was Chloe?

I had imagined countless possibilities and prepared for the worst. Throughout the night, Liam got up to throw up several times, and I stayed by his side, taking care of him all night long. The next morning, Liam saw me dozing by his bedside and gently stroked my face, a pained look in his eyes. “You must be exhausted, honey.” I smiled. “Last night, I kept hearing you call out Chloe’s name. Who is Chloe?” Liam hadn’t expected me to ask so directly. He abruptly sat up in bed. After a long pause, he finally spoke. “Chloe and I don’t have the kind of relationship you’re thinking of.” “Then what kind of relationship is it?” I asked him. He lit a cigarette. “Chloe and I grew up together. She went abroad a few years ago. But don’t worry, nothing ever happened between us.” Disappointment coursed through me, from my head to my toes. I looked at the man who had shared my bed for over three years, and suddenly, I barely recognized him. I sneered, “So, all these years, you’ve been traveling to the UK for work trips just to see her?” Liam lowered his head in silence, not speaking for a long time. From that day on, Liam and I became strangers living under the same roof. But fate truly has a twisted sense of humor; two months later, during a check-up, I discovered I was pregnant. For the sake of the child, I considered giving him another chance because I didn’t want my baby to grow up without a father. When the baby was four or five months along, I showed him my prenatal check-up results. Liam’s eyes lit up with surprise. “Why didn’t you tell me about something so important sooner!” “Do you even care?” I shot back. “Of course!” Liam happily hugged me. “You and the baby are the most important people to me.” I looked at Liam. He wasn’t a good husband, but perhaps he could be an adequate father?

But as much hope as I had, that was how much disappointment I would face. Liam spent money to get me into the best private hospital. As my due date approached, I spent my days confined to bed, but Liam rarely visited. He always said, “With you gone, I have to manage the company. I’m too busy. I’ll come see you when I have time.” The day I went into labor, I almost had a difficult birth, staying in the delivery room for over ten hours. But Liam never showed up. After giving birth, I lay weakly in the hospital bed. Beside me was Liam’s assistant, Megan. “Congratulations, you were amazing, ma’am.” I smiled at her. “Where’s Mr. Master?” She scratched her head awkwardly. “Mr. Master said he had an important client arriving today, so he went to the airport to pick them up. He’ll come to see you as soon as he’s done.” I knew every important client of the company. I looked up at her. “What important client? More important than his wife giving birth?” The young assistant stammered a bit. “Mr. Master didn’t specify the details. You’ve just given birth and you’re still very weak, so please get some rest.” I looked at the young woman, who looked fresh out of college, and didn’t want to make it harder for her. “Mmm.” It was the third day after childbirth before I finally saw Liam. He brought a large bouquet of fresh flowers, presenting them to me. “You worked hard, honey.” Then he leaned down and kissed my forehead. He then looked at our son beside me. “My son looks just like me.” I looked at Liam and just felt disgusted. The emotions I’d been brewing finally erupted at that moment. My tears flowed uncontrollably, pattering onto the blanket, startling Liam. I sobbed, “Liam, where have you been these past few days? You don’t know, I was in labor for over ten hours, I almost died on the operating table. You once said that the baby and I were the most important people to you. Why couldn’t you be by my side?” By then, I was crying uncontrollably, but I made sure to cry even louder. I was putting on this whole show for Liam! Because only this way could I make Liam feel even more guilty. Already weak, my face began to turn pale from all the crying. “Liam, I can’t stop you from having someone else in your heart. If you feel like I’m superfluous, I can stop being Mrs. Master. But can’t you just give a little bit of your love to me and our child when I need you most, even just a tiny bit?” Liam frowned, his face solemn. “I’m sorry, Aria. I’ve failed you.” I turned my head, wiped away my tears, and then forced a strained smile at him. “Don’t say you’re sorry. You’re my husband, my child’s father, and the person I love most.” The words made me feel sick to my stomach, but they had the desired effect on Liam.

From that day on, Liam started visiting me and the baby in the hospital room frequently, acting like a good father. Except, every time he came, I would cry. I’d cry about how difficult things had been for me, how much I’d gone through by his side building his career over the years, and how much I loved him. Because I knew, with his personality, he would soon grow tired of it, and then he would yearn even more for his dream girl. That would bring him one step closer to asking for a divorce himself. And these words of mine were like a form of manipulation, ensuring he’d feel more guilty when he brought up the divorce, thus giving me more compensation. But what Liam didn’t know was that I knew about every single meeting he had with his dream girl over those months. Ever since I learned of Chloe’s existence, I had hired a private investigator. Every time Chloe’s plane landed, I knew. Finally, after I cried for 40 days straight, Liam finally exploded. He roared at me, “Aria, aren’t you annoying? It’s the same words every single day. You might not be tired of saying them, but I’m sick of hearing them! I never realized before that you were such a difficult person. Look around this entire hospital, is there anyone as unreasonable as you? You’re like some crazy, nagging woman.” Unreasonable? A nagging woman? I suppressed the fury in my heart and quietly asked him, “What do you want?” Liam was silent for a long time. “Let’s get a divorce. I’ll bring the divorce papers tomorrow.” With that, he turned and stormed out of the hospital room. But what Liam didn’t know was that I had already made up my mind to divorce him. Because, he couldn’t live much longer. My thoughts pulled back from the past, and I kept replaying Chloe’s phone call, wondering what her intention was.

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As the Quality Control Supervisor for an import company, before the upcoming long weekend, I had to finalize the inventory of our last shipment of king crab. The moment I stepped into the minus-eighteen-degree freezer, the heavy door slammed shut behind me. The alarm system went dead. Realizing the temperature was dropping, I immediately grabbed the emergency warm packs from my kit. But as I peeled one open and pressed it to my skin, a bone-chilling cold immediately told me something was wrong. I screamed, frozen, and through the walkie-talkie, I heard my fiancé, Mark, burst into maniacal laughter: “We’re live-streaming a challenge: locking the company’s ‘Ice Queen’ in the freezer to see how long she lasts!” His colleague, Chloe, who was on duty with him, chimed in with her syrupy sweet voice: “Anya, give a little smile for the folks in the stream! The top gifter wants to see it!” In an instant, I understood. They were live-streaming a prank on me. Not only had they locked me in the freezer, but they’d also swapped my life-saving warm packs for cooling patches meant to bring down a fever! I gritted my teeth, trying to stay calm as I pleaded with them for help. “Spare… the spare warm packs… give them to me!” Mark’s voice came through the walkie-talkie, utterly dismissive: “Oh, come on, Chloe gets awful period cramps, so she’s using all the spare warmers for her belly!” “You’re so tough, just jump around a bit and you’ll warm up! You might even get some donations from the big spenders!” I stopped arguing. With my numb fingers, I pulled out the flare gun, aiming it at the most expensive, mysterious cargo in the freezer. A vial of frozen sperm, worth two hundred million dollars.

The cold metal casing of the flare gun pressed against my palm. I held the barrel steady, pointing it at the silver metal container labeled “AF-001.” “Mark, are you sure you want to play this big?” My voice trembled from the cold, but my tone was unwavering. On the other end of the walkie-talkie, Mark’s laughter abruptly ceased. Then came Chloe’s panicked voice. “Anya, don’t be impulsive! That… that thing can’t be messed with!” “Oh? Now you know it can’t be messed with?” I scoffed, my breath condensing into a cloud of white in front of me. “When you locked me in here, why didn’t you think about the consequences?” Mark’s voice was still defiant. “Anya, don’t try to scare us! “It’s just a prank, isn’t it? Is it really worth taking it out on the company’s valuable cargo?” “Do you even know what that is, daring to point a gun at it? Put the flare gun down!” I ignored him, instead using my free hand to tap lightly on the metal canister beside me. The canister emitted a sharp, resonant clang, piercing the dead silence of the freezer. “That’s Ms. Sterling’s golden ticket to an heir!” “She spent a whopping two hundred million dollars to get that, all the way from an African tribal chief!” “They say it’s once-in-a-century elite genetic material!” “I’m the QC supervisor who personally handled the receiving procedures. So tell me, do I know what it is or not?” Silence crackled over the walkie-talkie. I could picture Mark and Chloe’s faces in the monitor room, suddenly drained of color. They knew the value of this thing better than anyone. The day it was stored, Ms. Sterling personally oversaw it, even demanding that the movers use brand new gloves. She’d said if even a single thing went wrong, everyone involved would vanish, permanently. Chloe’s voice, laced with tears, rang out again, as if she’d suffered the greatest injustice. “Anya, we really just wanted to play a joke, to lighten the mood…” “Who told you to always be so cold and distant? Everyone’s a little scared of you…” “Please put the gun down, okay? Mark will open the door for you in a minute.” The moment she finished speaking, Mark immediately followed up. “Right, right, Anya, we were just kidding. I’ll figure out how to open the door right now.” “Maybe the old lock’s circuits froze up. Don’t worry, I’ll go get some tools!” Listening to their coordinated story, the last bit of warmth in my heart vanished. Circuits frozen? This German-engineered cryogenic door can function perfectly in temperatures as low as fifty below zero. He thought I was an idiot. “Stop acting,” my voice was icy. “I’m giving you ten seconds. Open the door.” “Don’t forget, you’re still live-streaming.” “If Ms. Sterling sees her legacy destroyed because of you, do you think you’ll even live to see tomorrow?” “Ten seconds. Open the door. Now!” “Ten.” “Nine.” I started counting down, my numb fingers hovering over the flare gun’s trigger. Mark’s exasperated growl and Chloe’s sobs came through the walkie-talkie. “Psycho! Anya, you crazy bitch!” “Mark, what do we do… the chat is blowing up, the top gifter says he wants to see her actually pull the trigger…” “Shut up!” “Three.” “Two.” The second before I pulled the trigger, Mark practically screamed. “Stop! I’m opening it! I’m opening it now!” I let out a shaky breath, my body trembling even more from the sudden release of tension. But half a minute passed, and I was struggling to breathe. The heavy freezer door remained motionless. Through the walkie-talkie, Mark’s voice came again. “Oh, Anya, I’m so sorry.” “I was too nervous just now. I entered the electronic lock’s password wrong three times, and the system automatically locked itself.” “Now… we’ll have to wait for an engineer to unlock it.”

My heart sank instantly after hearing his words. The nearest engineer would take at least an hour to arrive. “Mark, you’re toying with me?” “How can you call it toying?” His voice held poorly concealed triumph, as if he were savoring my despair. “This is fate. Heaven itself wants you to cool down in there.” Chloe chimed in, feigning fragility. “Anya, since you can’t get out, why don’t you just cooperate with our live stream?” “Everyone in the chat says they want to see the Ice Queen looking pathetic in the freezer.” “The top gifter just dropped another ten thousand in digital gifts, saying if you dance ‘K-Pop Shuffle’ in there, he’ll give another ten!” I trembled all over, whether from cold or rage, I couldn’t tell. From the very beginning, they never intended to let me out! The so-called wrong password was just an excuse for them to buy time and continue their cruel live stream! “Mark, aren’t you afraid I’ll actually destroy this thing?” I raised the flare gun again, but this time, my hand shook so violently I could barely hold it. “You won’t.” All trace of panic had vanished from Mark’s face. He said with absolute certainty: “Anya, I know you too well. Your sense of responsibility is so strong, you put the company’s interests above your own life.” “Last time, to rush a shipment, you stayed at the warehouse even with a high fever. This time it’s the same.” “You wouldn’t dare destroy it. You can’t.” His words were like a knife, piercing my heart with brutal precision. Yes, he knew me. But he was using my sense of responsibility to condemn me to death. “And, I advise you not to do anything reckless.” His voice turned cold. “I’ve already reported to Ms. Sterling that you’re doing a routine check, and to ensure everything is perfect, you’ll be on duty in the cold storage area tonight.” “Ms. Sterling even praised your dedication and said she’d give you a bonus.” “If you dare touch that thing, how will you explain it when Ms. Sterling arrives?” Shameless! He twisted the truth, cutting off all my escape routes! If something happened to me in here, it would be a “dedicated” accident. If I destroyed the cargo to save myself, it would be “embezzlement and malicious destruction.” Either way, I lost. A chill rose from my feet, quickly spreading through my entire body, chilling me to the very marrow of my bones. I felt my consciousness begin to blur, my vision growing dim. No, I couldn’t die here. I leaned on the icy shelves, forcing myself to stand steady. “Mark… for the sake of us almost getting married…” My voice carried a hint of pleading, my last hope. “Just let me out, and I can pretend today never happened.” There was a moment of silence on the other end of the walkie-talkie. I almost thought he would relent. However, Chloe’s lighthearted remark shattered my illusion completely. “Oh, Anya, you don’t know yet, do you?” “Mark has already decided to call off the engagement with you.” “He said being with you was too exhausting, like trying to warm up a block of ice that just won’t melt.” “And…” Chloe deliberately drew out her words, her voice full of triumph and smugness. “I’m pregnant. It’s Mark’s baby. We’re getting engaged next month.” *Boom!* My mind went blank. Pregnant? Calling off the engagement? So all of this wasn’t a spontaneous prank. It was a premeditated murder. They wanted me dead. So they could be together, guilt-free. “Anya, don’t blame me.” Mark’s voice came again, cold and devoid of any emotion. “If you have to blame anyone, blame yourself for being so boring, so overbearing.” “Chloe is gentler than you, she knows how to treat a man better. Not like you.” “Just rest in peace.” “Your career, your love life, everything you have, Chloe will take good care of it all.” Despair, like a vast net, trapped me firmly. I slid down against the shelf, collapsing to the floor, my body’s energy draining away little by little. Just then, I heard footsteps outside the freezer, and a slightly older voice asking. “Mark, not off work yet? What are you doing in the monitor room?” It was Mr. Miller, the night shift security guard! A spark of hope ignited within me. With all my remaining strength, I grabbed the walkie-talkie and screamed. “Mr. Miller! Help me! I’m locked in the freezer!”

No sooner had my cry for help left my lips than Mark’s calm voice came through the walkie-talkie. “Oh, Mr. Miller, still on duty? We’re just working a little overtime here.” He seemed to have switched the walkie-talkie to a private channel, as Mr. Miller didn’t hear my plea. “Oh, Anya’s in there doing a final inventory.” “You know, the last batch of goods before the Christmas break. She’s so dedicated, she insisted on overseeing it herself.” “We’re just here to keep her company, in case anything comes up.” Chloe immediately echoed him with a sickly sweet voice. “That’s right, Mr. Miller, Anya is so dedicated. We all told her to rest early, but she just wouldn’t.” “She even said it was cool in the freezer, which helped her focus on work.” Mr. Miller seemed convinced, his voice full of approval. “Ah, Anya’s a responsible young woman. You two are working hard too.” “Alright, you carry on. I’ll go check other areas.” The footsteps gradually faded. My last shred of hope was extinguished by their casual dismissal. I slumped to the ground, staring despairingly at the tightly shut door. The walkie-talkie was switched back to the private channel, and Mark’s mocking voice came through clearly. “Hear that, Anya?” “Everyone thinks you’re a workaholic, a strong, independent woman.” “Even if you freeze to death in there, you’ll just be seen as a martyr for the company, a tragic example of dedication.” “You’ll even become a positive role model for new employees.” Chloe’s laughter grew even more unrestrained. “Anya, listen! The top gifter just shelled out another ten grand in digital gifts!” “He says if you kneel down right now and act like a dog, bark a few times, he’ll make Mark turn up the heat.” “What do you say? Thinking about it?” Humiliation, naked humiliation. They not only wanted my life, but they wanted to stomp on my dignity, crushing it to dust, before I died. I bit down hard, the taste of blood spreading in my mouth. My body grew colder and colder, my eyelids heavy as lead. I knew this was a sign of mid-to-late stage hypothermia. At this rate, it wouldn’t be long before I slipped into unconsciousness, and then my heart would stop. Was I really going to die here? Die in a meticulously planned trap set by my fiancé and his mistress? No. I wouldn’t accept it. I *refused* to accept it! I used my last bit of strength, leaning on the shelf, swaying as I stood up. If they weren’t going to let me live, then we’d all go down together! With the last ounce of power in my body, I steadied my gun-wielding hand just as I was about to slip. I no longer aimed at the vial. Instead, I raised it slightly, aiming for the yellow, deadly insulation layer above the shelves. My movement seemed to finally make Mark realize something was wrong. His arrogant laughter stopped. “You… you’re really going to do it?” For the first time, a hint of genuine panic entered his voice. I didn’t answer him. I just pulled the trigger with all my might. “Bang!” A dull gunshot. A blinding red flash, like an angry fire snake, instantly shot towards the yellow foam! The next second, flames erupted with a roar! Chloe’s ear-splitting scream came through the walkie-talkie. “Fire! Ah—!” Followed by Mark’s horrified bellow. “Quick! Put out the fire! Damn it!” However, it was too late. The shrill, piercing fire alarm, echoing throughout the entire factory, was instantly triggered. Its sound drowned out all the insane laughter and screams. Polyurethane foam insulation is highly flammable. Once ignited, the fire spreads rapidly, releasing thick smoke containing highly toxic cyanide. This was the first lesson I learned during my orientation as a QC Supervisor.

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As I was washing Chloe’s underwear, I found a hole in it. A cigarette burn. But I quit smoking over a year ago. There was a tiny hole on the lace trim of the underwear, so small you wouldn’t notice it unless you really looked. With five years of smoking behind me, I instantly recognized that yellowish, charred circle. It was definitely a cigarette burn. My heart lurched. I’d quit smoking ages ago, and Chloe definitely didn’t smoke. Could someone please explain what the hell was going on? I stood there in the bathroom, holding the underwear, my mind racing. The more I thought, the more wrong it felt. And the more I thought, the more I felt my blood boil. Just then, Chloe sent me a SnapChat message. “Babe, I’m working late again tonight. You go to bed first~”

I pulled some strings to get Chloe that HR assistant job at a private company, mainly because I wanted her to have an easy life. But lately, she’d been working late constantly, not getting home until almost ten every night. I hadn’t thought much of it, assuming she was genuinely busy, but now… Something was up. Something was definitely effing up. Suppressing my anger, I replied, “What time do you finish? I’ll come pick you up.” “Oh, it’s fine, babe. You know, it’s year-end, we’re super busy. I have no idea when I’ll be done.” I immediately changed, grabbed my keys, and drove straight to Chloe’s office. The lights were still on. Standing at the entrance, I could faintly hear voices from inside. Was she really working overtime? I didn’t rush in. I pulled out my phone and called Chloe. “I don’t like you coming home alone. I’ll just wait for you downstairs.” “Didn’t I tell you not to bother?” “It’s okay, baby, I’m already downstairs at your office building.” Chloe’s voice on the other end of the line clearly changed, a hint of panic creeping in. “Huh? No, you actually came? What are you doing here?” What am I doing here? I’m here to see what *you’re* doing. I didn’t say anything more. After hanging up, I hid in the stairwell. A few minutes later, Chloe emerged, a man in a sharp business suit trailing behind her. They walked to the elevator and immediately embraced! The two kissed goodbye, clinging to each other. As he kissed her, his hands were all over Chloe, shamelessly exploring. Guessing was one thing, but seeing it with my own eyes? That was another. Rage consumed me, wiping out all reason. Blood rushed to my head, and I wanted nothing more than to storm out and strangle those two low-lives. Then I heard the man laugh. “Your boyfriend really has it bad for you, doesn’t he?” “Don’t even mention him! He’s such a persistent nuisance, always sticking to me like glue. Ugh, he’s such a buzzkill!” Chloe’s words hit me like a bucket of ice water, momentarily cooling my impulse to burst out. The man continued his lewd banter. “How about you just let him wait downstairs while we keep going?” “What are you thinking? He could come up any minute!” “Last time he called you, didn’t we already give it a try? What’s there to be afraid of?” “Ugh, you’re so bad, I hate you so much~”

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The young couple next door. They kept me up every single night with their loud moaning and yelling. I tried asking nicely, screaming at them, even calling the cops. Nothing worked. So, I started hitting on the wife. On Valentine’s Day, I specifically slipped a note into a bouquet of roses: Your husband hasn’t found out about us yet, has he? And then, her husband absolutely lost it. 0 I’d just moved into my new place. My neighbors were a middle-aged couple. I hadn’t even met them yet, but I knew their relationship had to be rock solid. How did I know? I heard it. Every night, usually around midnight, they’d get up to some activities that perfectly aligned with biological spring mating rituals. My apartment building has paper-thin walls. Afterward, I could hear the man light his cigarette, the click of the lighter as clear as day. I really didn’t want to be in a position years from now, looking at their future second child and saying: “You little brat, I practically heard you grow up.” Even worse was the woman. Her voice was incredibly hoarse, and when she got going, she sounded just like a duck. And her vocal cords? Pure sonic penetration. Every night, I’d be treated to her demonic, 3D surround-sound duck quacks: “QUACK QUACK QUACK QUACK HA HA HA HA QUACK QUACK QUACK HA HA HA HA!” It was like being surrounded by a flock of Donald Ducks. One time, I had a nightmare. I was back in my high school final exam, less than a month before the big SATs. I grabbed the test, and holy crap, I couldn’t answer a single question. Cold sweat immediately drenched me. My strictest teacher glared at me, radiating pure menace, and casually grabbed a chalkboard eraser, chucking it right at my head. But as the eraser hit me, it turned into a duck neck. My teacher opened her mouth and went: “QUACK QUACK QUACK QUACK.” The whole class turned to stare at me, and they too started “QUACK QUACK QUACK QUACK”-ing. The classroom transformed into a giant duck pond, everyone rushing at me with their “QUACK QUACK QUACK.” I woke up in a cold sweat, my heart pounding like a drum. Next door, they were still at it: “QUACK QUACK QUACK QUACK HA HA HA HA QUACK QUACK QUACK.” I stared at the ceiling, seriously considering writing a short story titled A Duck Pond Nightmare. The last time I heard such an abstract sound was when my desk mate was watching some fantasy show during study hall. He’d mimic the villain’s laugh, cackling “hee hee hee hee” at me. No, this couldn’t go on. If this duck-quacking didn’t stop, I was gonna croak. So, I knocked on their door. 0

The man opened the door. He was wearing just boxer shorts, a cigarette dangling from his lips. His chest muscles sagged, and his eyes were suspicious. He scanned me up and down, asking what I wanted. I started by expressing my admiration for their marital bliss and my awe at his stamina. Then I delicately suggested that I really didn’t want to hear their second child’s entire developmental journey from conception to birth, and perhaps they could try to keep it down a little. The man’s eyes widened. He barked, “Are you going to control the sky, the earth, and our private life too?!” From then on, we had a lively debate about each other’s family values and mental health. He graciously inquired about the state of my sanity. I, in turn, offered suggestions for improving his moral compass. Subsequently, he started making inappropriate comments about my female relatives. I, on the other hand, questioned his paternity, offering possibilities like the milkman, some random guy, or even the neighborhood stray, urging him to cooperate and verify it as soon as possible. To my surprise, he was completely ungrateful, rolling up his sleeves, ready to fight me. I was overjoyed. Tonight, I had truly met my lucky star! I saw dollar signs; a new luxury car was practically waving at me. I quickly stuck my face out, “Go on, hit me! Hit me! Please, I beg you, knock me out!” Just then, his wife rushed out of the bedroom, shoved him aside, and squawked in her duck-like voice, “Honey, we don’t stoop to the level of a psycho like him, QUACK!” Finally, they slammed the door shut, ending our friendly exchange. 0

A moment later, the “QUACK!”s resumed. This time, they were even more piercing and triumphant than before. If it was Donald Duck earlier, now it was a turbo-charged duck. I knew they were retaliating, so I recorded it and called the police. The officers arrived shortly. After listening to a chorus of duck calls with me, the officer rubbed his nose, suppressing a smile, and said it indeed constituted disturbing the peace. So, I returned with the police for a second visit. The man flung the door open, immediately yelling, “What the hell do you want now?!” I didn’t say anything. The officer showed his badge and stated: “Hello, you’re disturbing the peace. Please keep the noise down. Other people are trying to sleep.” The man finally noticed the police, his eyes wide. “You actually called the cops for this?!” I couldn’t take it anymore. “Can you just shut your damn mouth for once?! Can you please have some freaking manners?!” “Didn’t you hear the officer? You’re disturbing the peace, got it?” He was in the wrong, but his indignation was strong. “I can do whatever I want in my own home! What we do in our marriage is none of your business!” He didn’t say “what we do in our marriage,” of course. Let’s just say he used a much cruder term, but I’m keeping it classy for you. I said, “I’m not against you two being affectionate, but can you keep it down? Stop all that ‘QUACK QUACK QUACK.’ Is your wife a duck or something?” “You got the guts to say that again?!” I mimicked his wife, pinching my throat: “QUACK QUACK QUACK, you’re so good, honey, QUACK QUACK QUACK.” The man’s face turned beet red. He lunged at me, ready to fight. The police officers pulled him back. They took him aside, appealing to his emotions and explaining the law for a long time. But he was stubborn as a mule, insisting it was personal privacy and nobody else’s business. I got it then. The police could only mediate. With someone so unreasonable, I didn’t expect him to have a sudden change of heart or turn over a new leaf. So, I voluntarily signed the police report and sent the officers on their way. Sure enough, they quickly reverted to their old ways. I scoffed. When I try to be reasonable with you, you’d better be reasonable back. Otherwise, I’ll be even nastier than you. 0

I dug out a cardboard box. I put my subwoofer inside it. Then I stuffed three sides with sponges. The side not blocked by sponges, I pressed tightly against their wall. I turned the volume up to maximum. And started playing Buddhist chants. [Namo ratna trayāya. Namo āryāvalokiteśvarāya Bodhisattvāya mahāsattvāya mahākāruṇikāya…] As the solemn Buddhist music slowly flowed out, I felt instantly refreshed. My entire mind and body were cleansed. This was a place of Buddhist serenity. I wanted to see if they’d have the nerve to continue their antics in front of Buddha, Bodhisattvas, and all the divine beings. Sure enough, they too were apparently moved by the compassionate Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara. They stopped immediately. “Honey, it seems the Bodhisattva has manifested, QUACK.” [End of free preview. To continue reading, please subscribe!] “Manifest my ass! It’s that damn neighbor playing tricks!” Dave pounded on the wall, “Turn off that music! What the hell are you playing Buddhist chants for in the middle of the night, are you crazy?!”

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My student was diagnosed with leukemia, and it turned out I was a match. So, I donated my bone marrow to him. As his teacher, I wasn’t looking for anything in return. Just out of politeness, I accepted the health supplements his mom sent over. But after Caleb started to recover, his mom showed up at my hospital room, claiming I, as a teacher, was trying to cash in on my bone marrow donation. Based on those two boxes of supplements, she demanded I pay her back, threatening to cause trouble until I got fired. That’s when I truly understood what it felt like to be bitten by something so utterly ungrateful. Four months later, when I found out I was pregnant, Caleb’s mom came knocking again. She said her son’s condition had relapsed, and I *had* to donate bone marrow again. “You’re pregnant? It’s just a blob of flesh, what’s so precious about it?” “Just get rid of it! Don’t mess up my son’s match!” There was a boy in my class, Caleb Hayes, who was diagnosed with leukemia. I had signed up for bone marrow donation at the hospital a while back, and when they confirmed I was a match, I agreed to donate to Caleb. Before the surgery, Caleb’s mom came to see me, bringing a bunch of health supplements. “Ms. Sterling, my Caleb is so lucky to have met you! These are the supplements Caleb usually takes.” My mom, Martha, wasn’t thrilled about me donating bone marrow, but seeing Caleb’s mom act like that, she couldn’t show her displeasure. It’s just polite to bring a small gift when visiting someone who’s sick. Looking at the stuff, they were just some inexpensive health supplements, nothing fancy or expensive. My mom politely accepted them. Caleb’s mom didn’t say much, just glanced at us before leaving. I was pretty nervous before the surgery, so I didn’t think too much about it. I just focused on encouraging Caleb: “Don’t worry, with your teacher here, you’re definitely going to pull through.” The surgery went smoothly. But there was a risk of post-operative complications, so I needed to stay in the hospital for observation. When Principal Harrison heard about it, he even brought some colleagues to visit me. I was genuinely relieved, because at least Caleb was alive. A little suffering was worth it. As we were talking, a young nurse, Chloe, rushed in. “Ms. Sterling, the patient’s family is saying you deliberately charged her for gifts and are refusing to leave the hospital, threatening to make a scene!” “You should call your family to come negotiate. The hospital staff can’t hold her back anymore!” I froze, completely stunned. Before I could even say anything, I heard a commotion at the door. Brenda, Caleb’s mom, burst in, yelling accusations at the top of her lungs. “You, a teacher, have the nerve to accept gifts from a student? The principal said you donated bone marrow voluntarily, and you still dared to accept things?” I was dumbfounded. What gifts? It was just two boxes of supplements. It’s customary here—if a relative or friend gets sick, you bring them gifts when you visit. And I was donating bone marrow to her son? How could she twist a few health supplements into me accepting gifts? I was completely confused: “You must be mistaken, Mrs. Hayes? You brought these yourself, I never asked for anything…” Caleb’s mom suddenly took a huge step forward, almost lunging at my hospital bed. “You’ve always bullied my son, and now you finally have a chance to bully our family! You’re just trying to extort money and take advantage of the situation!” “Don’t think I don’t know what you’re up to. You’re trying to create a big spectacle to promote yourself and get a promotion! My son is practically dying, and you want to use him as a stepping stone!” “How can a teacher be so malicious? If I didn’t expose you today, who knows how much more evil you’d do behind our backs!”

When I finally understood what was happening, a wave of pure rage surged through me. The ungrateful wretch! When her son, Caleb, first got leukemia, all the teachers and students at school spontaneously donated money. But money was easy to donate; finding a bone marrow match was incredibly difficult. Many people had to spend tens of thousands of dollars just to find a suitable donor. She was desperate, crying daily because she couldn’t find a match. Then the hospital found out I had signed up as a bone marrow donor, and my type matched Caleb’s. His mom, like a drowning person grasping at a straw, came to my house crying every day, begging me to donate. She promised she’d pay any amount if I could save her son’s life. Of course, I wouldn’t make things difficult for her. I had always intended to save a life, and Caleb was my student. Naturally, I asked for nothing, donating purely out of kindness. I even paid for all my pre-op tests myself, thinking her family had already spent so much on his treatment. I never imagined that my good deed would be met not with gratitude, but with such vile betrayal!

The roomful of teachers exchanged glances, unsure how to respond. Caleb’s mom was clearly there to extort money, but no one knew how to handle a situation like this. A colleague, Ms. Davies, spoke indignantly: “When her son first got sick, all the teachers and students volunteered to raise money, and this woman—she’s just insatiably greedy!” When Caleb was diagnosed with leukemia, the entire school rallied, with spontaneous donations from students and teachers, plus my selfless donation. It should have been a heartwarming act of kindness. Principal Harrison was proud of the school’s compassionate spirit and had even intended to use it for publicity, nominating me for an award for outstanding service. It should have been a win-win situation, but instead, it got me caught up in such a dirty scandal. Principal Harrison looked annoyed, and as he left, he didn’t forget to caution me: “You started this mess, you fix it. Don’t let it affect the school’s reputation.” Just then, my mom, Martha, walked in, smiling, carrying a food container. “The chicken soup I made this time is extra delicious! I even sent a portion to Caleb, but his mom wasn’t around, and he was awake… What’s wrong? Why do you all look so upset?” I couldn’t hold it in and burst into angry tears. “Mom, his mom just came in here causing a scene, saying she’s going to make me lose my job!” My mom heard the whole story, and her face turned crimson with anger. “My daughter kindly saved her son’s life, how could she do something so utterly shameless?” My mom has a quick temper. Ignoring our attempts to stop her, she spun around and headed straight for Caleb’s hospital room. “I’m going to go ask her face-to-face why she’s bullying my daughter like this!”

I followed my mom closely, supported by a colleague. When we reached the room, Caleb’s mom was feeding him chicken soup. “This chicken soup smells so good, son, drink more! You’ll recover faster! But there’s too little meat in this chicken soup, why didn’t she give more chicken drumsticks?” Caleb, sipping his soup, slowly mumbled: “Ms. Sterling’s mom also made ribs, I smelled them. She didn’t give me any. Mom, next time can you ask for some for me?” Caleb’s mom, of course, readily agreed: “That old hag is hoarding ribs from you? How shameless! Wait until I get them for you!” My mom couldn’t stand it anymore and scoffed: “Who’s shameless now?! I cooked those ribs for my own daughter! What, you think they’re for this greedy pig?” I stopped my mom, who was about to lunge forward to argue, and glared at Caleb. “You told your mom I was up for an award, didn’t you? You told her to make a scene about it, right?” I remembered. The day Ms. Davies came to give Caleb the donation money, she mentioned the award nomination. Caleb’s mom wasn’t there then; it could only have been Caleb who told her. Later, when Caleb’s mom asked me why I wasn’t on the donation list. I hadn’t thought much of it, just told her it was from the students and teachers at school, and since I was hospitalized, I wouldn’t know. She then muttered softly: “She’s getting such a big award for free, yet she wouldn’t even donate a little money?” At the time, I thought I’d misheard her. Now, looking back, Caleb was already relaying information then. They probably started plotting against me back then. Caleb’s hand, which was tearing chicken meat, stopped. He glanced at me, then guiltily spoke. “Ms. Sterling, my family has it tough.” My mom was absolutely livid: “Your family has it tough? What about mine? I only have one daughter, and she donated bone marrow for you, and now she’s still lying in this hospital bed! Is this how you repay her?” “Don’t listen to her BS!” Caleb’s mom retorted, hands on her hips, not backing down. “I asked around! You recover from bone marrow donation in about a week! Your daughter is just playing the victim, lying in bed like a hog for months!” “Trying to play the victim and get an award? You think you can just lie there like some cheap floozy and get ahead? Look at yourself! I’m telling you, if you don’t give me money to shut me up, I’ll make sure you lose your job!” I’d never been cursed at like that in my life, and I was utterly speechless with anger. My mom’s eyes turned red, she glared, her chest heaving abnormally. “Shut up! Who gave you the right to curse my daughter like that?” Caleb’s mom became even more aggressive, striding up to my mom and poking her finger repeatedly into my mom’s chest. “Like mother, like daughter, right? Getting all worked up like this, did I hit a nerve with you two?” My mom gasped, couldn’t catch her breath, and collapsed onto the floor with a thud. I was trembling with fright. Ignoring my own need for support, I rushed to my mom’s side: “Mom!!”

Nurses rushed over and quickly took my mom to the emergency room. Caleb’s mom still couldn’t keep her mouth shut: “See? I told you she deserved it! Her daughter violated teacher’s ethics by accepting gifts and secretly taking credit for an award with the principal. Her mom’s just getting what she deserves!” She muttered something else, saying this wasn’t over, and just because she was in the ER didn’t mean anything. She still planned to go to the Department of Education to cause trouble. The more I heard, the colder I felt. My mom was old and had underlying health issues; how many times could she endure such emotional turmoil? People like this are truly dangerous; she didn’t care about anyone else’s life or death. With a cold face, I transferred five thousand dollars to her. “I’ll take the loss. The teachers each donated an average of five thousand, so I’ll give you that average amount. But you have to sign a guarantee that you will never again come here and upset my mom!” Caleb’s mom was ecstatic. “If you’d just given the money earlier, your aunt wouldn’t have had to go to the hospital! Don’t worry, I definitely won’t come again!” “That’s why she’s Caleb’s teacher, right? She’s such a good teacher, not only donating bone marrow for free but also giving five thousand dollars!”

Ms. Garcia looked at her coldly: “Right, so Ms. Sterling is just there to be bullied, huh? Your son will still be in Ms. Sterling’s class, I’d like to see how he dares to face her again!” I remained expressionless: “Ms. Garcia, you’re joking. I wouldn’t dare provoke her child again. Who knows when I’d have to pay more money?” Caleb’s mom’s face instantly turned sour. “You still want to bully my son? You…” She suddenly rolled her eyes, as if another idea had struck her, and then turned and walked away. At that moment, the emergency room doors opened. I disregarded everything else and rushed to my mom’s stretcher. “Family, don’t worry, the surgery was successful. There’s a 24-hour critical period; as long as there are no complications during this time, the patient will be safe.” I stayed by my mom’s bedside for a day and a night, refusing even to eat. During this time, colleagues visited me several times, but Caleb’s family never showed their faces. “That Caleb is truly a piece of work! I just saw him gnawing on the ribs your mom left for you, saying something like ‘no one else is eating them anyway’… Back where I’m from, people would spit on a heartless family like theirs until they drowned!” I scoffed, not feeling surprised in the slightest. His whole family was utterly selfish; of course, they’d take every advantage they could. I only hoped that my past good deed would save my mom’s life. But from now on, I would never be so foolishly kind again.

My husband, Liam, heard that both my mom and I were hospitalized. He canceled a long-planned project out of town and took an extended leave to be with us. I was already weak, and worrying about my mom’s condition dragged me down for nearly two months before I finally started to recover. Today, I reported back to school. The kids in my class saw me from a distance, cheering and running to surround me, asking how I was. “Teacher, teacher, are you feeling better? We missed you so much!” “Caleb is so mean! Ms. Sterling sacrificed so much for him, and he still had the nerve to try and report her!” All the teachers and students at school had donated money for Caleb, and they had seen the posters in the display area. But those posters were taken down a few days later, and when colleagues returned to school, they all talked about the drama they’d witnessed at the hospital. Gossip always spreads fastest at school, especially such a bizarre story. So, everyone knew about the ungrateful student in sophomore year (Class 3). He’d received a free bone marrow transplant from his teacher, then blackmailed her for “hush money” by threatening to report her. I patted the students’ heads, feeling a warmth in my heart, when suddenly Sarah, the class monitor, rushed over. “Teacher, you need to go to Principal Harrison’s office, fast!” “Caleb’s mom is causing a scene, saying you’re not allowed to teach our class anymore!” When I arrived at the office, Caleb’s mom was yelling. Several other parents from the class stood beside her. “Ms. Sterling has been hospitalized for two months; she’s already fallen behind the school’s schedule. Why should she still teach my child?” A colleague tried to reason with her: “Mrs. Hayes, Ms. Sterling is a highly capable teacher. Besides, it’s only been two months; Ms. Sterling can easily catch up with the class’s progress.” “No way!” Caleb’s mom was aggressive: “With her body so weak after two months in the hospital, how can she have the energy to manage a whole class?” “Besides, she even dared to donate bone marrow for an award. Who knows what she’ll do next, or what award she’ll try to get, forcing kids in the class to do things? If she bullies my child again, I won’t even know!” “You must fire her! At the very least, transfer her! I absolutely won’t let Avery Sterling mess with my son again!” Caleb’s mom could twist white into black with just her mouth! My fists clenched in anger. And some of the student parents nodded along: “We’re not questioning Ms. Sterling’s ability, but she was hospitalized for so long. It did delay our children’s studies. Plus, we heard bone marrow donation has many side effects. Who knows if she’ll need to be hospitalized again?” “That’s right, Ms. Sterling, please understand us. High school academics are already tough; missing even one day means falling far behind!” So, this was *my* fault now? A chill ran through my heart. Sarah, the class monitor, suddenly ran over and stood by my side, absolutely furious: “Mom! Are you also ganging up with Caleb’s mom to bully Ms. Sterling?” A whole crowd of students surged in: “Ms. Sterling is a great teacher! We don’t want a new teacher!” The parents looked embarrassed, unsure how to respond. Caleb’s mom, however, showed no shame at all. “I knew this Sterling woman wasn’t any good! She’s only been teaching for so long, and she’s already brainwashed you brats into disrespecting your own mothers? If she taught you for three years, what would you even become?” “If you don’t transfer her today, I’ll cause trouble until the end! I absolutely will not let my son be corrupted by you black-hearted wretches!”

Several student parents didn’t say anything, but their stance was clear. Principal Harrison’s face was grim, but after much hesitation, he turned to me. “How about this, Ms. Sterling, I’ll transfer you to be a subject teacher for the freshman class? You won’t have to be a homeroom teacher anymore, and it might be easier on you.” Was he asking me to back down to these parents? I looked up, scanning the crowd, and suddenly caught a glimpse of a contemptuous look. It was Caleb, hiding behind the adults. When our eyes met, he instinctively tried to look away, but then, as if realizing something, he nonchalantly met my gaze. In that moment, I understood his thought— “I don’t want you to teach me, so what are you going to do about it?” His despicable character was laid bare. I was fed up with this utterly selfish family; being in the same room with them made me sick. “Fine, I’ll go with your suggestion, Principal. I won’t be the homeroom teacher for sophomore year (Class 3) anymore.” Principal Harrison breathed a sigh of relief and turned to discuss which class to assign me to. Caleb’s mom looked triumphant: “Ms. Sterling, you should actually thank me! You just had surgery, and your body’s probably too weak to even teach. I’m being very generous by not letting the school fire you!” The students in the class were so angry their eyes were red: “Ms. Sterling was hospitalized because she donated bone marrow to Caleb! Without Ms. Sterling, Caleb might not even be alive!” “Why should Ms. Sterling be transferred? Why don’t you transfer Caleb instead?” Caleb’s mom exploded: “My son’s recovery is because he’s blessed! Ms. Sterling is as skinny as a stick, what good was her bone marrow anyway?” “Even without Ms. Sterling, there were plenty of people who would’ve donated bone marrow to my son!” The surrounding teachers let out faint sneers: “Yes, your son truly is blessed. Where else would you find someone like Ms. Sterling these days? From now on, I guarantee no one will ever be kind to your son again!” The sarcasm made Caleb’s mom’s face turn even greener. But I was done arguing with them. I led my students back to the classroom. Before I could say anything, one girl started tearing up: “Ms. Sterling, I don’t want you to go!” “Caleb is a jerk!” They were my students, after all—kind-hearted and righteous. Kids are the least tolerant of injustice. With such a group of indignant students, I knew very well that Caleb’s days ahead wouldn’t be easy.

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