I am a Z-list celebrity. A total nobody in Hollywood. On my 22nd birthday, I hopped on a livestream to celebrate with my tiny fanbase and decided to jump on a TikTok trend: “First toast to myself: When I was six, I annoyed my brother during a family trip, and he beat me up. When we got home, my parents didn’t scold him; instead, they yelled at me for hours.” The comments section instantly flooded with [Generational Trauma] and [Justice for Luna]. Just then, my brother walked by, deadpan, and stared into the camera. “Are you talking about the fishing trip? You insisted on catching fish in the deep end and drowned. You were blue when I pulled you out. I was giving you CPR and chest compressions to save your life, and when you woke up, you asked if I was using your chest as a punching bag.” The comments exploded: [LMAO, has Bro not escaped his toxic family yet?] 1 As a Hollywood newbie and a transparent Z-lister, I’ve spent two years playing background extras—corpses, maids, pedestrians. I have a few fans, and I cherish them. My 22nd birthday coincided with wrapping a small supporting role. My character died early, so I was unemployed again. I went home to celebrate. I lit the candles, played a fan-made tribute video, and felt genuinely touched. Being loved by strangers is a precious thing. Then came the “Real Talk” segment. I poured coconut water into a wine glass, swirling it pretentiously like a Napa Valley sommelier. “First toast to myself,” I began, channeling my inner storyteller. “Six years old. I annoyed my brother. He beat me up. Parents yelled at me. Trauma.” The chat rolled by: [What kind of parenting is that?] [Omg Luna, come to my house, I’ll treat you right.] [Wait, who is the hottie in the background?] Liam, my brother, had just walked in. He paused, realized he was on camera, and delivered his rebuttal about saving my life, not beating me up. “I almost became an only child that day,” he deadpanned. I paused. My memory was fuzzy. I only remembered the chest pain and the yelling. “Is that what happened?” I asked, my confidence wavering. “Mom, Dad, and I didn’t bring it up because we didn’t want you to have PTSD. And you’ve held a grudge for sixteen years?” “…” I pushed Liam out of the frame, refilled my coconut water, and pivoted. “Second toast to myself. Middle school. To improve my grades, I set an alarm for 5 AM every day, even in winter. Hard work pays off.” A ghostly voice drifted from off-camera: “You mean when you were twelve, set an alarm for 5 AM, got scared of the dark, and ran into my room to wake me up to study with you?” “You were a senior! Waking up early is good for you!” I argued, though my voice was getting smaller. “I fell asleep in AP Calc because of you,” Liam retorted. “That’s why I started locking my door.” I cleared my throat. “Third toast to myself. High school graduation. I fell for my gaming duo partner. I finally gathered the courage to confess my love, and he blocked me instantly.” A cold scoff echoed from the hallway. “Luna, did you forget you were using my account? That was my gaming buddy. You borrowed my account for the summer, confessed to him, and he thought I was hitting on him. He panicked and blocked me. You ruined my reputation in the gaming community.” “…” The chat was unreadable. It was just a wall of [HAHAHAHAHA]. Finally, one comment stuck: [Bro is fighting for his life in this family.] 2 The “toast” was a disaster. After ending the stream, I started punching Liam’s arm. “Liam! I was live! Could you not save me a little face?” “I did,” he smirked. “If I didn’t hold back, you’d be cancelled by now.” Drama queen. He gets that from our mother. “It’s my birthday. Can’t you let me win once?” He tossed a small velvet box at me. It landed perfectly in my lap. “Here. I let you win.” I opened it. It was the diamond bracelet I’d been eyeing for months. “Brother!” I shrieked, making a heart with my hands. “You are the best, most generous brother in the world! Being your sister is my greatest honor! When I win an Oscar, you’ll be first in my speech!” Liam checked my forehead for a fever. “Go to sleep, Luna. Stop dreaming.” The next morning, I was woken up by my agent, Lisa, screaming. “Luna! You’re trending!” I shot up. Did I get cancelled? Did they find my burner account? I clicked the link. A clip of my livestream had gone viral. Not just me—Liam too. [LMAO having a sister like this is like owning a husky. Pure chaos.] [Who is the brother? He’s hot.] [New industry plants? I’m listening.] [I want the brother as my husband and the sister as my wife.] “Luna, are you listening?” Lisa barked. “Huh? Yeah.” “A new variety show wants you. And your brother. It’s Family Ties, produced by director Sam Cohen. Big budget. Big stars. This is your shot.” “Does Liam have to go?” “Yes. Ask him. Heck, ask him if he wants to sign with me.” Liam owns a photography studio. He’s a boss. He wasn’t interested. That night, he came home with late-night kebabs. “Want some?” “I have to watch my figure.” “Please, like you don’t eat junk when I’m not looking.” I grabbed a skewer. “Liam, we’re famous.” “I know,” he said, looking bored. “Clients today asked for selfies.” “Can you help your little sister out?” I massaged his calf. “There’s a variety show…” “What’s the catch?” “They want you too.” He scoffed. “I knew it. You want to ride my coattails.” But after a night of flattery and begging, he agreed. 3 The show was called My Kin & I. It was a live-streamed reality show, meaning no editing to hide our true personalities. On filming day, Liam wore a white shirt with a red rose embroidered on it. He looked more like a celebrity than I did. “Bro, it’s a family show, not The Bachelor.” He ignored me. We arrived at a villa in the countryside. The cast list was intimidating. First, the power couple: A-list actor Hayden Cole and his wife, singer Chloe Xu. They were the industry’s golden couple. Next, veteran actor Zack Zimmer and his adorable 4-year-old daughter, Mia. Then, us. “Hi, I’m rookie actress Luna Lane.” “I’m Liam Lane, photographer.” Finally, the heavy hitter. Vivian Jiang. The legendary actress who retired years ago. She was practically royalty. She walked in looking elegant as ever, followed by a tall, handsome young man with glasses. “Hello everyone,” Vivian smiled. “This is my son, Julian Jiang.” 4 The internet probably broke right then. Vivian Jiang had a grown son? Julian was dressed in all black, wearing semi-rimless glasses. He had his mother’s soulful eyes but a sharper, colder jawline. He looked smart, stoic, and expensive. “I’m Julian,” he said simply. “I work in game development.” We all sat around a large table. The director announced, “Welcome to My Kin & I. Treat this like your own home. Relax.” Hayden Cole laughed. “If it’s my own home, can I take my shirt off?” The chat went wild: [DO IT.] Chloe Xu elbowed her husband. We settled in. The director announced lunch. “Since this is your home, you have to cook. We provide ingredients, but you have to win games to pick them.” First game: The “How well do you know your partner?” challenge. Hayden and Chloe went first. Question: “Who fell in love first?” They both wrote their own names. Fail. Zack and Mia were up. “Who does Daddy love most?” Zack wrote: Wife and Mia. Mia wrote: Mommy. They argued with the director until he gave them the point for cuteness. Then, us. Director: “Who do you love more, Mom or Dad?” Me: “?” Liam: “?” Are you trying to start a war? I looked at the camera. “Mom, Dad, I love you both equally.” Director: “No cop-outs.” We scribbled. We flipped our boards. Both said: Mom. Director: “Why?” Me: “Do I need a reason to love Mom? I just do.” Liam: “What she said. Son’s prerogative.” We won a bag of rice. Next question: “What was Luna’s first role?” Liam smirked. He wrote: Eunuch. “Correct,” he laughed. “High school summer job. You played a eunuch in a period drama. Mom and Dad watched that 3-second clip on loop for weeks.” Great. My career highlights.

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My stepmother’s son ran away from home. No one could find him. So, I catfished him. When we finally met in person, he thought I was there to blackmail his online girlfriend. I calmly pulled out my phone and dialed his number using my burner account. “Babe, you’ve been a bad boy…” The voice on the other end was the sultry, seductive tone he’d fallen in love with online. His world shattered. I continued, “So, babe… how should I punish you?” He clutched his head, looking like he was in physical pain. “Please! Stop talking!” I smirked. “Playing you was easier than training a dog.” 1 My stepmother’s son had been missing for two weeks. No one in the family could reach him. My stepmother, desperate, finally came to beg me for help. Considering she had only been passively aggressive toward me for the past decade and never actually hit me, I decided to throw her a bone. “I might have a way…” “I’ll give you anything!” she interrupted. “New clothes? I’ll buy them! Any food you want? I’ll cook it! Oh, here—take my black card. No limit. Buy whatever you want!” My stepmother, Sharon, was truly frantic. She handed over her precious black card without hesitation. At dinner, my dad chimed in. “Honey, you know Tyler is Sharon’s only son…” I’m your only daughter, Dad. He was so anxious, you’d think Tyler was his biological son, not just a stepson. If I hadn’t seen the DNA test myself, I would have doubted it. Seeing my silence, Dad panicked. “You’ve always wanted a car, right? I’ll buy it for you! Any car!” Wow. They were really going all out. Dad was willing to bleed cash for his stepson. Is this the power of “first love”? My dad and Sharon were high school sweethearts. My grandparents broke them up because Sharon was poor. Dad married my mom, had me, and lived a normal life. But when my mom died of illness, Dad found out Sharon was a widowed single mom. Less than a year after my mom’s funeral, he married Sharon and moved her and Tyler into our house. He treated Tyler like gold for over ten years. Truly “devoted.” I, on the other hand, was treated like the unwanted stepchild in my own home. But now that they knew I had a way to find their precious boy, I was suddenly royalty. After three days of being waited on hand and foot by Sharon, she couldn’t hold back anymore. “So, how exactly are you going to find Tyler?” Evil methods for evil people. I looked mysterious. “Don’t worry. I have connections on the dark web.” “I guarantee he’ll come back in one piece.” Sharon looked at me with awe and fear. Tyler had just finished high school. He ran away because Sharon secretly changed his college applications. He wanted to study Computer Science far away from home. Sharon wanted him to study Business Management at a local university so he could eventually take over my dad’s company. She changed his major and university behind his back. Anyone would lose their mind over that. Tyler, already rebellious, snapped and vanished. I didn’t actually have “dark web connections.” The connection was me. Since Tyler loved gaming, I decided to start there. I logged into a game I knew he played. Sure enough, he was online. Obviously, I couldn’t use my main account. He hated my guts. He thought I was an obstacle to his inheritance. He wouldn’t listen to a word I said. So, I created a smurf account. ID: [BadBitchEnergy]. I sent him a friend request. Tyler: [?] BadBitchEnergy: [Saw you in the lobby. Wanna play?] Tyler didn’t think twice. He walked right into my trap. Once we were in a team, I turned on my mic. I lowered my voice, adding a sultry, lazy rasp. “Can you hear me?” Tyler: “Yeah.” At first, he was cold. But after a few days of carrying him in games, his attitude shifted. He started calling me “Sis” (not in a sibling way, more like a ‘mommy’ way). His voice was magnetic and gentle, completely different from the barking I was used to at home. It took me a few days online to achieve what I couldn’t do in ten years at home. Men. I switched to WeChat using my burner account and added him. One late night, I started the deep talks. [How old are you? Your skills are insane. Are you a pro?] Men love flattery. Tyler: [Just turned 18.] I feigned shock. [So young! And you play like that? Amazing~] Tyler: [You’re too kind, Sis. I’m not even amateur level. If my mom hadn’t messed with my college apps, maybe I could have gone pro…] I switched to “Intellectual Big Sister” mode. [Don’t listen to them. It’s your life. You’re the boss.] Tyler: [You support me?] Me: [Of course. I feel like I know you. You have your own mind. You want to be understood, but you’re lonely. You crave excitement, danger, maybe even a little pain. You want a love that consumes you.] I copied and pasted a bunch of pseudo-philosophical nonsense I found online. Tyler: [Am I really like that?] [I didn’t think I was that complex…] Five minutes later. Tyler: [Okay, I admit it. I didn’t expect anyone to truly understand me.] [And you appeared when I was at my weakest.] After that night, he changed his gaming ID to [GoodBoy]. I smirked at my screen. My research on “How to Manipulate Men” was paying off. 2 I catfished him for another two weeks. I figured he was ripe for the picking. I asked to meet up. Tyler: [Babe, what kind of boys do you like?] My patience was thinning. [I like you, silly.] Tyler: [I’m nervous. What if you don’t like me in person?] Me: [Impossible.] Tyler: [Do you like the number 8?] Me: [8 inches?] Tyler: [NO! I mean 8-pack abs! And I’m 6’2″. Does that make you feel safe?] Me: [Sure, sure.] Stop talking. Any more and you’ll jump off a building tomorrow. Is this what they mean when they say arrogant men become insecure in front of their crushes? The next day. The meet-up. Me: [I’m wearing a purple top, grey skirt, and black stockings.] Tyler: [I’m in a white T-shirt and black pants. Do you see me?] I looked up. I saw him. Hard to miss a giant like him. I had rented out the entire café. It was just us. As soon as Tyler walked in, I signaled the waiter to lock the door. Tyler saw me and immediately turned to run. I stood up, heels clicking on the floor. “Running away?” Tyler frantically tried the door. Locked. Me: “It’s useless. Give up.” He spun around, eyes full of rage. “You? Did you kidnap my girlfriend? Are you blackmailing her?” Still a hopeless romantic. Me: “Look at me again.” Purple top. Grey skirt. Black stockings. His eyes widened. The realization hit him like a truck. The body matched the description… but the face was his worst nightmare. “No… Impossible!” I calmly took out my phone and video called him on my burner account. “Babe, you’ve been a bad boy~” The voice. That sultry, mature voice he loved. His world collapsed. I continued, “So, babe… how should I punish you?” He grabbed his head, agonizing. “Stop! Please, just stop!” Me: “Playing you was easier than training a dog.” Five minutes later, Tyler posted on his WeChat Moment: [Online dating is risky. But the risk was calculated, and man, am I bad at math.] The comments section exploded. Friend A: What happened bro? Catfished? Friend B: Did they not feed you dinner? Friend C: Was it a dude? Tyler: Worse. His phone wouldn’t stop buzzing. I sat there, relaxed. “What do you want to drink? My treat.” Tyler shuddered at my voice. “If you have phlegm, cough it up. Don’t do that voice.” I covered my mouth, acting hurt. “Brother, how can you speak to your Sis like that~” Tyler looked like he wanted to cry. If he hadn’t surrendered so quickly, I would have played with him more. Tyler: “Claire, does anyone else know about this?” Me: “Excuse me? What did you call me?” Tyler gritted his teeth. “Sister.” The “Sister” lacked the romantic tenderness from our chats. Shame. Me: “Don’t worry. Your mom doesn’t know.” “But if you want, I can tell the whole world.” Tyler: “Don’t! Please! Keep it a secret!” “Sister!” Me: “What’s in it for me?” Tyler: “I’ll be your slave! I’ll do anything!” I tapped my fingers on the table. Tyler: “And half my allowance!” He transferred $1,500 to me immediately. Success. I tried not to laugh. “Deal.” “You better keep your word. Or I might accidentally slip up.” I stood up. He immediately jumped up and followed me, looking like a subservient eunuch. “Let’s go home.” 3 I told my dad earlier that I’d bring Tyler back. Sharon was waiting at the gate. When she saw Tyler, she rushed over. “Tyler! Where have you been? I was so worried!” Dad relaxed visibly. “Good job, Claire.” I didn’t care about his praise. I held out my hand. “Car keys.” Dad looked at Sharon, then at Tyler. Tyler didn’t object. Dad handed over the keys. Sharon muttered, “That car was supposed to be your graduation gift, Tyler…” Too bad. I’m taking back everything that belongs to me. Tyler went to shower. He hadn’t suffered much on the streets; Dad’s allowance was generous. But Sharon insisted on cooking a feast for her “starving” son. I chimed in. “Make me sweet and sour ribs. And braised beef with potatoes.” Sharon ignored me. Dad said, “Claire, your brother just got back. Don’t be demanding.” Demanding? Did they forget begging me three days ago? Tyler walked downstairs, fresh from his shower. I cleared my throat. “Do you know what I had to do to bring him back…” Tyler jumped the last three steps. “Mom! Cook it!” Sharon: “?” Dad: “?” Tyler: “Make the ribs and the beef!” Sharon: “But you’re allergic to beef…” Tyler: “Sister wants it! Make it!” Sharon looked at her son in shock. He used to hate me. Now he was calling me “Sister” and demanding food for me? Dad looked pleased. A happy family at last. I walked away satisfied. I lay on the sofa. “Man, I want watermelon.” Tyler appeared. “I’ll cut it.” Me: “Small cubes, please~” Tyler, through gritted teeth: “Got it.” For twenty years, I was oppressed. Now? The stepmom is cooking for me, and the stepbrother is serving me fruit. As for Dad? “Hey, old man. Order me a bubble tea.” Dad: “…Okay.” This is the life. I ruled the house that summer. Sharon cooked, Tyler cleaned. Sharon tried to ask Tyler, “Did she blackmail you? Did she hire thugs? Tell Mommy, I’ll handle her!” Tyler snapped, “If you hadn’t changed my major, would I be in this mess? Stay out of it. This is between me and her.” Sharon shut up. Tyler got used to serving me. He even peeled my grapes. Except when he called me “Sister,” he sometimes choked on the word. One night, I caught him staring at his phone, looking sad. I peeked. He was reading our old chat logs. Is he… missing our “love”? “Tyler, what are you doing?” He jumped, hiding the phone behind his back. His eyes were red. “Why are you in my room?” Me: “This is my house. You are my servant.” He blushed. His ears turned pink. Me: “Go pack my luggage.” School was starting soon. I needed to exploit him while I could. Tyler packed my clothes perfectly. He was well-trained. “Hey,” he said quietly. “Can you… delete that account?” Me: “Why? It’s a good reminder not to online date. Next time it might be your aunt.” Tyler didn’t speak. Five minutes later, he posted: [Used to miss you like crazy. Now trying to forget like crazy.] Cringe. The comments were ruthless. Bro is in his emo phase. Who hurt you? Was it the dude from the cafe? Tyler kept the secret well. It was too embarrassing. 4 Because Sharon changed his major, Tyler and I were now attending the same university, in the same major. He was a freshman; I was a junior. I started school two weeks later than him. I drove to his dorm and called him. “Where are you?” Tyler: “Cafeteria.” Me: “Pack me some fish noodles and come help me move my stuff.” Tyler: “…” His roommates were loud in the background. “Girlfriend?” “No.” “You’re running so fast, though!” Ten minutes later, a sweaty Tyler appeared with noodles. “I owe you in a past life or something,” he muttered, handing me the food. Me: “Glad you know.” I ate in the car while he hauled my boxes up to the second floor. My roommates were shocked. “Claire, who is this hunk? Boyfriend?” Tyler turned red. “This is my brother, Tyler. Freshman.” “Oh! The new campus hottie! I remember his picture from the orientation page!” Tyler finished making my bed. I pulled him aside and gave him a bottle of expensive sunscreen. “Take it. You’re getting dark. Ugly.” Tyler scowled. “I don’t want it. Men shouldn’t be pale.” Me: “Suit yourself. Don’t cry when you can’t get a girlfriend.” Tyler: “The girl I like won’t be that superficial.” Me: “Right. She likes your lonely soul.” He stared at me weirdly. Back at his dorm, his roommates caught him applying the sunscreen. “Yo! Mr. Manly Man is using skincare?” “Must be seeing a girl. Skipped nap time to see her, huh?” Tyler stayed silent.

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My mother blinded my father, then killed my grandmother, all to possess him completely. On the day of my college entrance exam, she tried to sell me off. My father dragged her down with him to their deaths to save me. Ten years later, I traveled back in time to the year my father turned eighteen. 1 Today is the day of my dad’s college entrance exam. 7:00 AM. I’m standing by the side of the road my dad takes every morning, gripping a dog leash tightly in my hand. A bright red motorcycle roars towards me. The woman sitting on the back is my mother. She’s wearing a helmet, but I recognize the black wolf head tattoo on her tan arm. I see her unscrewing a bottle cap. The liquid inside is acid. She plans to use it to blind my father. In the original timeline, my grandmother died in a car accident rushing him to the hospital. My mother used my grandmother’s body as leverage to force my dad into marriage, making him live as a submissive son-in-law in her family’s home. She abused him for five years and ruined his entire life. The motorcycle is getting closer. I toss a meaty pork bone onto the road and let go of the leash. The big black dog, hungry from fasting all night, bolts into the street. The rider swerves in panic. The bike crashes into the flowerbed, throwing my mother off. She doesn’t have time to react. The liquid in the bottle splashes onto her face, some of it getting into her eyes. She screams. “I can’t see out of my left eye! I’m blind!” At the same time, the patrol officer I contacted earlier arrives on the scene. The rider panics at the sight of the uniform. He immediately points at my mother, confessing that she forced him to drive the bike so she could blind my dad. My mother breaks free from the officer’s grip and charges at me across the road. The officer reacts quickly, twisting her arm behind her back and pinning her to the ground. I haven’t been reborn. I’ve time-traveled to this era in my own body. I look very much like my dad, so she assumes I’m his sister. “You little bitch! Your brother is mine! He can’t escape! I’m going to make you watch while I ruin him!” A primal fear of her washes over me. My vision goes black, and I fall backward. I fall into a warm embrace that smells like sunshine. “Hey, are you okay?” The boy speaking is handsome, with sparkling peach-blossom eyes full of gentleness. He looks like a character straight out of a manga. It’s my dad. My eighteen-year-old dad. I hug him tightly. “Dad, I missed you so much!” 2 I started remembering things when I was about three. I didn’t have a mom, only a dad. He was a blind man of few words. Whenever I cried for my mom, he would “look” at me coldly, his eyes hiding sharp blades. I thought he hated me. That made me want a mom even more. A soft, beautiful, gentle mom. Then, the night before my college entrance exam, she appeared. Fresh out of prison, she was like a wild hyena, chewing up my fantasies of motherly love. She was tall and strong. She punched me in the stomach. Dragging me by my hair, she ran her hands over me. “Great body. Pretty face, just like your dad. You’ll sell for a good price. “Hehe, I distracted your dad on purpose. I chose today to ruin you. Just like I ruined him years ago. “I’ll record you serving clients. With that video, your dad will be a dog at my feet. If I tell him to lick, he’ll lick. “You think you two can escape me? Maybe in your next life!” Despair swallowed me whole. Just as she was dragging me out the door, I screamed, “Dad!” He came back. He threw away his cane and tackled my mom. When she was forced to let go of me, he said his last words: “Live well. Don’t look down.” He hugged my mom tightly and crashed through the floor-to-ceiling window. We were on the fifteenth floor. 3 My dad loved me. I only realized it the moment he died. He was blind, yet he took care of everything for me. He could easily solve any difficult problem I had, helping me become a top student loved by teachers and classmates alike. His love was silent like a river under the moon, cool to the touch, enriching my otherwise dry life. I wanted to love him back, but I never got the chance. Until I arrived in his eighteenth year. The year all the tragedies were about to begin. 4 I woke up crying and saw my grandma. My mom hadn’t blinded my dad, and she hadn’t orchestrated the car accident that killed my grandma. After I fainted, grandma brought me to their home. My dad returned home after his exam. He thanked me first. If not for me, he would have been blinded by my mom and missed the exam. Then, he asked, “How did you know Chloe was going to hurt me?” “And,” his ears turned slightly red, making the mist in his eyes even hazier, “why did you call me Dad?” I stared at him, unwilling to blink. I compared this bright, lively boy with the silent, stagnant father in my memory. I loved both of them. But I couldn’t be his daughter anymore. Since I wouldn’t appear in his future, I shouldn’t give him hope. So, I made up a reasonable excuse: “My dad looked a lot like you. He died in the Nier coal mine. Chloe’s father killed him. I didn’t want Chloe to hurt you. “I miss my dad a lot. Can I keep calling you that?” A deep blush spread from his ears to his neck. Inexperienced and kind-hearted, he agreed to my request. “Chloe and her dad have ruined so many lives.” Disgust appeared on his face at the mention of her name. My mom, Chloe Nier, was a coal tycoon’s daughter. Her family had money and power. This made her arrogant and domineering. Whatever she wanted, she had to have. In her senior year, she transferred to my dad’s school and fell in love with him at first sight. She kidnapped him to her house that very day. My dad was an excellent student, a top prospect for Ivy League schools. The principal rescued him overnight. This only fueled my mom’s desire to conquer him. She publicly declared she would have him. My dad knew that to escape her, he had to get into a top university far away. When he told me he did well on today’s exam, I warned him: “Dad, there’s another exam tomorrow. Chloe won’t let you take it. She’ll definitely make a move tonight.” 5 As expected, at midnight. Chloe climbed over the wall into my dad’s courtyard. Under the pale moonlight, her left eye was bandaged. She looked like a ghost standing at the door. She tore open her school uniform and screamed, “Help! Help! James raped me!” My dad lived in an urban village, densely populated. Lights turned on in all the neighboring houses. Mrs. Lee next door rushed out first. She saw my mom half-naked, blood trickling down her leg. My mom cried, kneeling before Mrs. Lee: “Auntie, during the day, James’s sister blinded me and framed me. James threatened me, saying if I didn’t want to go to jail, I had to come to his house. “As soon as I got here, he raped me. It hurts, everything hurts!” She pretended to faint in Mrs. Lee’s arms. Mrs. Lee’s husband was the patrol officer. She had a strong sense of justice. She held my mom and shouted to Mr. Lee, “Old Lee, catch that little beast James and take him to the station!” Other neighbors arrived and heard my mom’s story. Like Mrs. Lee, they were furious. “James is a beast in human skin! Lock him up!” “If he rapes one girl today, he’ll rape another tomorrow!” “Old Lee, beat him up before taking him in!” Rape is a felony. I stood behind the door, looking through the crack. I saw the smug smile on my mom’s face as she lay in Mrs. Lee’s arms. I opened the door and shouted, “Only my grandma and I are home. We two women don’t have the tools to rape Chloe. “Chloe stripped herself naked to frame my dad.” Chloe couldn’t pretend to be unconscious anymore. She clutched her chest and cried, “I’m not lying! James raped me! “After he finished, he ran away. “His sister and mom held me down while James did it. “My family is rich, and I’m beautiful. James wanted to date me, but I refused, so he took revenge. “I’m dirty now! I don’t want to live!” She pushed Mrs. Lee away and ran to bash her head against the wall.

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The Mexican Black Kingsnake I raised for five years only responded to my body heat. His favorite thing was wrapping himself around my neck, flicking his tongue against my collarbone in an affectionate display. But after returning from a two-week business trip, I suddenly heard his inner thoughts: [Hiss… that pretty lady who fed me these past few days has amazing hands. I want her to scratch my belly…] [Hiss, even the way she placed the mice was perfect.] [Snake wants to go home with her.] I laughed out of sheer anger. I called my assistant right then and there: “Get me a Hognose snake. Within ten minutes.” “And make sure it’s not stupid.” 1 The moment I pushed open the door, the smart lights illuminated the entire penthouse. Despite the exhaustion clinging to me from the trip, all I could think about was Onyx—my Mexican Black Kingsnake of five years. This little guy had a quirky temper. For five years, he would only settle down if he felt my body heat. I was busy with work and didn’t have much time for him. Usually, after a short trip, no matter how late it was, I’d let him coil around me first, feeling that faint warmth beneath his icy scales. Onyx loved wrapping around my neck, as if marking his territory. His forked tongue flickering against my collarbone felt like a silent declaration, or maybe just affection. I once thought this bond was unique to us. “Onyx, Mama’s home.” Even though I wasn’t sure if snakes understood human speech, I greeted him out of habit. I dropped my suitcase and walked toward the climate-controlled glass vivarium, my voice betraying an eagerness I hadn’t noticed. “Did you miss Mama?” Inside the glass enclosure, the snake, black as satin, moved slowly and lifted his head. His emerald eyes gleamed coldly under the lights. He slithered toward the opening, habitually reaching for my outstretched finger. Just like always. But just as his small head was about to touch my fingertip, just as I was anticipating the cool touch of his scales… A clear, unfamiliar voice rang in my ear without warning: [Hiss… the pretty lady’s technique was better. Scratching felt so good, made my whole body tingle.] My finger froze in mid-air, twitching involuntarily. Who said that? I whipped my head around. The spacious apartment was empty, save for one person and one snake. Was I hallucinating? I stared incredulously at the Black Kingsnake in front of me. He seemed confused too, tilting his black head, flicking his blue-purple tongue, hissing softly. We stared at each other. He looked innocent, as if asking why I hadn’t petted him yet. Must have… heard it wrong. I took a deep breath, suppressing my erratic heartbeat, and reached out to touch Onyx again. He dodged. He. Dodged. Me. I felt like I’d been struck by lightning. I stood frozen. What was happening? In five years, aside from being shy at the very beginning, Onyx had never avoided my touch. He knew my scent! He knew my temperature! I refused to believe it. I reached for his head again. Hiss— In a flash, Onyx’s head retracted violently. He opened his mouth wide, letting out a threatening hiss. It was a pre-strike warning. If I moved another inch, he would lunge and constrict without hesitation. [Don’t touch Snake!] [Uncomfortable.] [Dirty.] It felt like someone had dumped a bucket of ice water over me. I was chilled to the bone. 2 [Tsk, Owner is clumsy. Always shoves food in the corner, making Snake go hunt it down.] [Unlike Pretty Lady. She fed Snake right to the mouth. Just had to lift my head to bite.] [Owner’s petting technique sucks too. Sometimes pets against the scales. Almost annoyed Snake to death.] [And always kissing Snake. Smells weird. Snake doesn’t like it. Annoying.] [Miss Pretty Lady. Want Pretty Lady to scratch Snake’s belly.] The barrage of thoughts hit me, making me dizzy. Was this… Onyx’s inner monologue? The smile on my face stiffened, then vanished. Blood rushed to my head, then drained away just as fast. For this two-week trip, afraid he’d go hungry, I hired a temporary pet sitter at a high rate. Her resume was impressive, a supposed reptile enthusiast. Impressive. Yeah. Impressive indeed! I straightened up slowly, looking down at Onyx in the glass tank. He seemed to realize his aggression was inappropriate and shrank back slightly. But in those eyes—eyes I used to call the most beautiful emeralds—there was a lingering longing for that “Pretty Lady.” [Hiss… hiss… Snake misses Pretty Lady. She smells so good. Unlike Owner, too pungent…] [Snake wants to go home with Pretty Lady.] It felt like someone had chiseled a hole in my heart, the wind whistling through it. Five years of meticulous care. The climate-controlled tank alone cost me tens of thousands. I even shortened my trips because I was afraid he’d be lonely. And a two-week absence gets me “I want to go home with Pretty Lady”? The absurdity and the rage of betrayal made my heart tremble. But then, I laughed softly. I took out my phone and dialed my assistant directly. “Get me a Hognose snake. Within ten minutes.” My voice was surprisingly calm. My assistant on the other end was clearly confused. “Huh? Ms. Su, you mean… a Hognose?” “Yes, a Hognose.” I stared at Onyx, whose body had gone rigid inside the tank. I enunciated every word clearly. “I want an adult. The best specimen you can find. And—” I drew out the syllable. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Onyx poking his head out, staring at me. Fear, confusion, inquiry… He was observing me. “If it’s stupid, I don’t want it.” I hung up. The air was dead silent. I watched Onyx slowly retract his head. His voice sounded in my ear again. [Hognose? That idiot snake that plays dead when scared?] [Too dumb. Only good for being a human pet.] [But good food for Snake. Just right.] [Owner still cares about Snake. Feeding me snake instead of mice now.] The funniest part was hearing the smugness in his tone. [Must be compensation for leaving Snake alone for so long.] [Every time Owner goes on a long hunt, she brings back good stuff. All-you-can-eat mice, comfier bedding, and…] I hadn’t expected that walnut-sized brain of his to remember so much. He remembered all the good I did for him. Did that mean… there was still a chance to reconcile? A flicker of hope rose in my chest, only to be extinguished by his next thought: [Snake is willing to let Owner go hunting more often.] [That way Snake gets yummy food and gets to see Pretty Lady.] [Owner can stay gone forever. Just provide food.] … Ha. My face went cold instantly. Dream on. Too bad the good life he fantasized about was never going to happen. 3 While waiting for my assistant, I sat near the vivarium and worked. My mind wasn’t on it. I didn’t have many hobbies, but I had a natural affinity for snakes. Even as a kid at the zoo, I only wanted to see the pythons in the reptile house. Other kids cried in fear; I wanted to climb in and sleep with them. Cold-blooded animals that lay in wait, gathering strength to deliver a fatal strike. I admired that. So five years ago, when I started my business from nothing and finally became “Ms. Su,” my first gift to myself was Onyx. He was my first and only pet. I took care of him with everything I had. Even on business trips, I demanded daily reports, photos, and videos. I bought him the cleanest, most tender mice and filled his bowl with premium mineral water. And in return, he proved fickle. I slammed my laptop shut. I let out a long breath. It’s just a snake. If his heart changed, then I didn’t want him anymore. The doorbell rang. My assistant squeezed through the door, hugging a box, sweating profusely. “Ms. Su, here’s the Hognose you asked for… I bought it…” She sat on the floor, carefully placing the box down. I opened it. A beautiful yellow-and-white Hognose snake flinched, sensing the change in environment. It looked up with blood-red beady eyes, appearing very confused. My assistant caught her breath and asked, “Ms. Su, is this… food for Onyx?” She had learned a thing or two about snakes from me over the years. “But… snake eating snake… isn’t that dangerous?” “What if it hurts Onyx…” I smiled and shook my head. “It won’t.” “Huh?” The assistant was lost. I didn’t explain. I pointed to Onyx’s tank. “You know how to catch a snake, right?” “Y-yes.” “Good.” I stood up, holding the Hognose box, and winked at her. “Take Onyx out and clean the tank.” “Then put this Hognose in.” Onyx, who had lived in a luxury villa for five years, was getting evicted. 4 My assistant was stunned. She had been with me for a long time. Back when the company was just starting and the pay wasn’t great. She was a fresh grad who knew nothing but handed me her resume. I saw she was willing to work, so I kept her. She watched me raise Onyx. She knew how much I cared. She opened her mouth to ask, but seeing my face, she swallowed her words. Rule number one of being an assistant: Don’t overanalyze the boss. She gulped and walked silently to Onyx’s tank. Onyx seemed to understand. He flattened his head, his blue-purple tongue flicking out with a warning hiss. [What is Owner doing! Why not feed Snake?] [Owner must be joking. Owner never lets anyone else touch Snake.] [Snake doesn’t like this human. Go away!] [Snake wants Pretty Lady! Pretty Lady!] His thoughts were giving me a headache. If there was a mute button for Onyx, I would have pressed it. “Ms. Su… ah!” The assistant was still scared of Onyx. Her finger barely entered the tank before Onyx struck, forcing her to recoil. She didn’t dare move again. She looked like she was about to cry. “Maybe you should do it… I’m scared…” Even though I told her Black Kingsnakes are non-venomous and constrictors. Their actual bite force might be less than the Hognose in my hand. But getting bitten by an adult snake isn’t fun. “Get the spare tank from over there. I’ll grab him.” “Okay!” Relieved, she ran to get the plastic tub. I walked up to Onyx and looked down at him indifferently. Seeing me, his small black head reached up, tongue flickering. [Owner, Owner, Snake hungry…] [Why haven’t you fed me the Hognose yet…] I reached out. Like always, he wrapped dependently around my finger. But the moment I touched him, I pinched his neck, right at the “seven-inch” mark (the vital spot). Hard. [Owner!] His panicked voice exploded in my ear. His tail instinctively wrapped around my hand, squeezing tight. A final struggle. [Owner! Pain! Can’t breathe!] [Owner!] His screams elicited zero sympathy. I tossed him into the spare tank my assistant held out. The spare tank was basic. Just substrate, a plastic hide, a heat mat, and a water bowl. Onyx landed in a daze, curled up on the floor. It took him a while to lift his head, trembling. My assistant looked shocked by my roughness. “Ms. Su, th-that’s Onyx… why…” I rotated my wrist, expression calm. “When I came back, he tried to attack me.” “Five years and he’s not tame. I don’t have time to waste on him.” “If you like him, take him.” She shook her head vigorously. “No, no, I can’t afford a snake.” “Just leave him there. I need to clean this tank. Give me a hand.” “O-okay, Ms. Su!” She closed the lid on the spare tank and helped me scrub the big vivarium. Snakes are sensitive to smell. I needed to wipe away every trace of Onyx so the Hognose could settle in. The process took three hours. Occasionally, I checked on the Hognose, not sparing a glance for Onyx on the floor. But I could hear his confused thoughts: [Is Owner cleaning the house for Snake?] [Snake knew it. Owner still loves Snake.] [But Owner hurt Snake too much! Snake has a temper now. Even with good food, Snake won’t talk to Owner!] [What is Owner saying… Snake attacked her? Snake is just a snake, couldn’t control instincts.] [Besides, Snake didn’t hurt Owner.] [Owner is so petty. Snake bit Pretty Lady before, and she didn’t throw Snake away. She called Snake strong…] Onyx, the dramatic snake, decided to ignore me and slithered into the plastic hide, leaving only his tail visible. I ignored his internal drama. Once the big tank was clean, I put the Hognose inside. This snake was either stupid or incredibly chill. The moment he was in, he started exploring. And his voice was full of wonder: [Wow, is this Snake’s new home?] [So big, so majestic, love it!] [Snake saw it. Owner cleaned it herself.] [Thank you, Owner!] Those two sweet “Owners” filled me with satisfaction. And amusement. So cute. Totally different from Onyx. They say you should leave a new snake alone for three days, but I gently tapped his little head. “From now on, your name is Sunny.” His yellow pattern looked like sunlight on snow.

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Two years after I died, I reincarnated as a stray cat. My cat mom carried me by the scruff of my neck to a familiar house. I looked up at the building I knew by heart, then at my ex-boyfriend—and his eight-pack abs—and swallowed a mouthful of kitty drool. My ex squatted down, scratching my mom’s chin, and muttered to himself, “I really want to adopt it, but she is afraid of cats.” Wow. He moved on that fast? I widened my kitten eyes and glared at him. “Babe, what’s wrong?” A familiar male voice drifted out from behind my ex. Wait a minute. Hold on. His current partner is a guy? 1 It was the second year after my death when I came back as a stray. I was the only kitten in the litter to survive. When I could finally wobble around on my paws, my cat mom stared at me with her big, round eyes for a long time. Then she started grooming me obsessively, meowing while she licked. I understood her. She was saying, You need to be clean. That way, a nice human will adopt you, and you’ll have a good life. I asked her if she would come with me. She didn’t answer. She just grabbed my scruff and dragged me out the door. Even though I was getting used to walking on four legs, I was still terrified of heights. I’d watched cat livestreams before, but experiencing “parkour mode” in first-person view was dizzying. Mom agility-jumped us into a gated community and didn’t drop me until we reached a specific door. My head was spinning. I spun in a few circles and flopped over. Mom scratched at the door until it opened. I looked up. It was the same layout I remembered. And there stood Liam, my ex, dripping wet, wearing nothing but a towel. “???” I exploded into a fuzzball on the spot. Liam must have just stepped out of the shower. Water droplets were racing down those abs. He crouched down, petting my mom with one hand and opening a can of wet food with the other. “Sorry, got caught up with something today. Didn’t put food out. Starving, huh?” The towel gaped a little as he squatted. Cover your shame, man! I tried to shout, but it came out as a soft, sticky “Meow.” That’s when Liam noticed me. “Is this your baby? It’s so cute. I think we still have some goat milk powder. I’ll go make some.” He headed to the kitchen. I stood at the door, peering inside. The furniture, the clutter—it was exactly how I left it. I wondered how he was doing. Did he still… think of me? While I was lost in thought, Liam came back with the milk. His warm palm covered my head, rubbing gently. I purred involuntarily. The last time we touched like this, I was in a hospital bed. Liam had covered my eyes and whispered, “Don’t be scared. Our Riley is the bravest girl in the world.” Deep-seated emotions bubbled up. I let out a stifled meow, my eyes getting wet. I had planned to find him once I could walk properly, but I didn’t expect my cat mom to bring me straight here. To let him adopt me. Driven by that thought, I stumbled toward him. My cat mom nudged me from behind, encouraging me. Liam paused, seeming to understand her intention. He scratched her chin and whispered, “I really want to adopt it, but she is afraid of cats.” I had just rubbed my face against his ankle. Never mind. Cat head retraction initiated. 2 My cat mom didn’t know what Liam said, but she could read the room. She meowed anxiously, nudging me to rub against him again, trying to show off how clean my fur was. I wanted to speak, but how could I explain? As far as I knew, no one in Liam’s circle was afraid of cats. I loved them. When I was alive, stray cats used to escort me home, and Liam would always smile and give them treats. So who was afraid of cats? His new partner, presumably. It’s been a year. He has his own life. He had to start over. No one stays in the past forever. I looked up at him. He looked tanner than before, with dark circles under his eyes. Only those eyes were as bright as I remembered. Too bad the reflection in them wasn’t me anymore. I wanted to leave, but Mom wouldn’t let me. She grabbed me and dropped me at Liam’s feet again, standing guard outside. Liam sighed. While we were in this standoff, a familiar male voice came from behind him. “Babe, what’s wrong?” Wait. Why is it a guy? Then, my arch-nemesis Wes’s big, stupid face leaned into view. “You’re feeding strays? Remember, don’t bring them inside. They’re full of bacteria. Filthy.” Liam didn’t say anything, but his expression was resigned, like he was used to this. He might be used to it, but I wasn’t. I launched myself at Wes with a combo of fury swipes. Filthy?! Who are you calling filthy?! Wes, you piece of garbage! You fought me when I was alive, and now that I’m dead, you stole my boyfriend?! My paw pads smacked against him with a satisfying thud-thud. Afraid Wes would hurt me, Liam scooped me up. “The kitten knows you’re bad-mouthing it.” Damn straight. I started yelling at Liam in cat language too. If you found a nice girl, I’d accept it. But my nemesis? And a guy? Are you trying to kill me twice? I swung a paw at Liam, but my legs were too short. I missed. Liam laughed and poked my head. I hissed. Wes frowned, looking at the spot where I’d hit him, lost in thought. “If you touch the cat, wash your hands. Or don’t even think about getting in bed tonight.” Wes dropped that bombshell and went to the bathroom. Soon, I heard the shower running. “I know,” Liam replied, good-natured as always. Great. Just great. One year after my death, my boyfriend and my enemy are together. Judging by that tone, they’re sleeping together??? When did this start? After I died? Or were they colluding while I was still here? No matter what, I had to make Liam adopt me. I needed to see what the hell was going on. 3 That night, I patrolled my new territory. Wes, wearing rubber gloves, pointed a finger at me and yelled, “Liam! It’s me or the cat! One of us goes!” Hearing Liam’s footsteps, I immediately flopped over and let out a weak, pathetic meow. Liam panicked, scooped me up, and put me in the cat bed. “Keep your voice down. The kitten is new; it’ll get stressed.” “Then send it back! I’ll buy extra cat food for the strays tomorrow, okay?” Absolutely not. “Meow~” I shivered. I was weak. I was helpless. I wobbled to my feet and put my paws together in a begging motion. Liam immediately blocked me from Wes’s view. “Wes, calm down. We need to talk.” “There’s nothing to talk about.” Wes turned and slammed the door to the guest bedroom, locking it. I gritted my teeth. I hand-picked every piece of furniture in this apartment. How dare he slam my door? Liam looked upset. He turned to comfort me, then went to the guest room. He knocked and spoke quietly for a long time before Wes opened the door. They both went inside. I hesitated, then tiptoed to the door to eavesdrop. Thanks to my superior cat hearing, I caught bits and pieces. “…Are you crazy? That’s a cat!” “I know, but she might…” “You’re seriously sick. Send it away tomorrow!” “…” It was like they had a censor filter on. I couldn’t hear the keywords. I spun around anxiously, trying different poses to hear better. Suddenly, the door opened. I tumbled into the room, limbs splayed. “Meow?” Wes sneered down at me. “Look at that. Eavesdropping? I thought it was ‘stressed’?” “What does a kitten know?” Liam picked me up and carried me out. “It understood when I insulted it earlier, but now it knows nothing?” “Wes! Listen to yourself. It’s a cat! It’s not even a month old!” “You better hope it’s just a cat.” I didn’t understand what they were arguing about, but I knew Wes was up to no good. Liam carried me away, looking downcast. He was angry. I extended a paw toward Wes, who looked equally annoyed. I stretched my toes, retracted the others, and left one specific claw out. The middle one. Being flipped off by a kitten must be a first for him. But Wes didn’t get mad. He just stared at my claw, stunned. What’s his deal? Is he a masochist? When I’m cute, he hates me. When I abuse him, he shuts up. I was put back in the cat bed. Since I arrived at night, they didn’t have supplies. Liam rummaged around and finally pulled out a big red scarf to cover me. Hey! Liam! It took me half a month to knit that scarf! You’re giving it to a cat? Even though the cat is me, I still felt salty about it. “Have a good sleep. Goodnight.” Liam kissed my head, his tone sickeningly sweet. If I weren’t a cat right now, I’d think I’d traveled back to the old days. 4 My name is Riley (Yan Nannan). I grew up in foster care. Wes was in the same group home, a year younger than me. We fought from day one. The worst time, I broke my arm, and he got his head split open. The director told us if we fought again, we’d be kicked out. So we dialed it back. After high school, I got into a university up North, a thousand miles away. Before I left, we fought again because Wes hid my suitcase. He blocked the door, glaring at me. “Riley! Didn’t you apply to schools in the South?” “Yeah, but my grades slipped, so I got into the Northern one. Are you sick? Give me my suitcase or I’ll pound you!” He didn’t speak. He just stared at me. So I punched him. I grabbed my suitcase and left, nursing a sore hand. Later, I found out Wes got accepted to a school in the South, a thousand miles away from the home. Whatever. It had nothing to do with me. Further the better. Looking at him made me angry. I never went back to the group home. I worked part-time through college to survive. After graduation, I worked days and hustled nights. Because I had to feed myself and my cat. I found the cat by the road, soaking wet like it had been fished out of a river. I wrapped it in my scarf. Just as I was about to leave, I heard splashing from the nearby pond. More cats? I rushed over. I saw a guy clinging to the bank, half his body still in the water, too exhausted to pull himself up. I put the cat on the grass and went to pull him out. He looked up. His dull eyes suddenly lit up when he saw me. “I’ve got you. Don’t let go.” He nodded and scrambled up. Luckily, I’m strong. I yanked him onto the grass in one go. He collapsed on the slope, gasping for air. “Do you need an ambulance?” “Is the cat okay?” We spoke at the same time, then smiled. “No, I just need to rest.” “Okay.” I picked the cat up and sat next to him to show him. The cat was shaking, but conscious, looking at us timidly. The guy drove us to the vet. Luckily, the cat was fine, just scared and had an ear infection. I happily shoved the medical report into his hand. “Good news! Father and son are safe!” He paused, then laughed. “Yeah. Father and son are safe.” My eyes lingered on the wet business card in his hand—”Song Huixun” (Liam).

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My husband, the man who claimed to love me more than life itself, is keeping an eighteen-year-old mistress on the side. His excuse? She looks exactly like I did when we were young. He claims he’s just “letting true love continue.” Ridiculous. The day I found out I was pregnant, I went to his office to surprise him. instead, I walked in on the girl sitting on his lap, feeding him wine mouth-to-mouth. She asked him, “Am I just her replacement?” He pulled her tighter and sneered, “Is she even worthy of being compared to you?” I turned around, walked out, scheduled an abortion, and called my aunt overseas. “Aunt Sarah, I’ve decided. I’m moving to Australia.” Aunt Sarah paused for a second before her voice burst with relief. “Claire! You’ve finally made up your mind! I’ll have your uncle start the paperwork immediately. It should take about ten days. Wait for my update.” I hung up and drove straight home. When I walked through the door, Nathaniel was already sitting in the living room. There was a rare look of panic in his eyes. “You’re back late. Where were you?” I held up the pharmacy bag in my hand, my voice flat. “Nowhere special. My stomach’s been acting up. Went to the doctor, grabbed some prescriptions and herbal supplements.” My health has always been fragile, and getting pregnant was a miracle. After the abortion procedure today, the doctor specifically prescribed these supplements to help my body recover. Seeing my expression remain calm, Nathaniel finally got to the point. “Did you stop by the office today? Why did you leave right after you got there?” I guessed the receptionists had told him they saw me. But he wasn’t sure if I’d seen them. In reality, they were only intimate for those few seconds. The little assistant fed him a sip of wine and then hopped off his lap. “I was just passing by. I saw you were busy with your assistant, so I didn’t want to interrupt.” He visibly exhaled, the tension leaving his shoulders. My heart gave a sharp, dull throb. We’ve been married seven years. To everyone around us, we were the power couple, the soulmates. I thought we’d grow old together, but I never expected his heart to wander so quickly. “She was just giving me a report! You know how it is,” he laughed nervously. “She’s young, fresh out of school. She doesn’t know the rules yet, so she stood a little too close.” Nathaniel walked over and wrapped his arm around my shoulder, his tone dripping with tenderness. “Babe, we haven’t been back to our college campus in ages. I’m free tomorrow. Why don’t we go take a walk? Relive the old memories.” He looked relaxed, eager even. We were college sweethearts. From hoodies to wedding gowns. Every anniversary, we’d go back to campus. But this year, Nathaniel said work was too crazy, so we skipped it. Now I realized he wasn’t busy with work. He was busy entertaining an eighteen-year-old. I sighed and shook my head. “Maybe later. The doctor put me on these meds for ten days. I have to brew the herbal tea every night. It’s a hassle.” He hummed an acknowledgement, his fingers gently stroking my long hair. I turned my body slightly, subtly dodging his touch. His hand froze in mid-air. “Claire, you seem… unhappy. Is this about Mia standing too close today?” “Mia’s just a kid. She didn’t mean anything by it. You wouldn’t hold a grudge against an eighteen-year-old girl, would you?” My heart seized painfully. Once upon a time, I was an eighteen-year-old girl, too. I looked up, my eyes empty. “No. I’m not holding a grudge.” His face brightened immediately. “That’s my girl. Hey, there’s a luxury jewelry auction next week. Pick whatever you want; I’ll win it for you.” Just an hour ago, I had seen Mia’s update on Instagram. My Silver Fox said he’s taking me to the auction next week to show me the world. He promised to win the grand finale piece just for me! I love my man so much. <3 Below the caption was a photo of two hands making a heart shape. In the photo, the wedding band on Nathaniel’s ring finger was blindingly obvious. I gave him a cool glance. "No thanks. Win it for someone else." Nathaniel’s eyes darkened. He was about to say something when his phone pinged. It was a message from Mia. Just a photo. A bed covered in various... toys. He glanced down, and I saw his Adam’s apple bob. "Claire, a new deal just popped up. I have to go out of town for a few days." He rushed out the door, unable to hide the excitement in his eyes. I remembered the countless nights before this. The "urgent meetings," the "sudden business trips." Just then, a message from Aunt Sarah popped up on my screen. Claire, your uncle finished the immigration application. Everything is approved. See you next week! Nathaniel came back a week later. I thought he’d go straight to the office, but he came home during the morning rush hour. Mia had been posting non-stop on social media all week. The latest photo showed her in a sheer, white negligee. It was the perfect mix of innocent and provocative. The caption read: My Silver Fox loves the new battle armor. He said he wants to rip it off with his own hands! I laughed dryly and typed a comment: It’s definitely his style. Moments later, the post was deleted. As soon as Nathaniel walked in, he was on the offensive. "Claire, I already explained everything! Mia is just a kid. Why are you targeting her?" I paused, realizing he must have seen the comment on the deleted post. Sure enough, seeing my silence fueled his anger. "She just posted about being lucky to have a good boss, and you leave such a nasty comment? Insulting a little girl?" "Claire, you’re thirty years old. Are you not embarrassed to be bullying a teenager?" I pressed my lips together and didn't defend myself. I let Mia paint me as the villain. I was leaving in three days. I didn't have the energy to care about what he thought anymore. Seeing that I wasn't fighting back like I usually would, Nathaniel’s guilt started to creep in. His tone softened. "Claire, you used to be so understanding. Why are you being so difficult lately? Is it because you’re not feeling well?" He placed a thermos on the dining table and ladled out a bowl of hot porridge. "I had the chef at the family estate make this stomach-soothing porridge just for you. I told them to make it fresh every day. I’ll pick it up for you every morning." He blew on a spoonful and held it to my lips. "Every time you’re sick, I wish I could take the pain for you." I frowned and kept my mouth shut. Nathaniel’s patience snapped. "Claire, enough is enough. You aren't eighteen anymore. Do you really expect me to baby you like we’re teenagers?" "Mia is the granddaughter of an old business partner. He asked me to look after her on his deathbed. Isn’t it normal for me to take care of her? Can’t you be a little more mature?" My lips curled in a sneer. Look after her? "Look after" her right into bed. Nice. Nathaniel always said he loved how sensible and obedient I was. I always put his feelings first. Even when I was hurt, if he offered a tiny olive branch, I’d take it. No drama, no scenes. Just like now. He thought that by lowering himself to feed me porridge, I should be grateful and move on. Fine. I was leaving for Australia anyway. No point in making him suspicious. "It's too hot. Put it down, I'll eat it later." Perhaps sensing my coldness, Nathaniel switched to his charming mode.

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Before I could even process the grief of my miscarriage, I accidentally overheard Ethan Vance talking to the doctor. “Find a way to remove my wife’s uterus. Make sure she can never get pregnant again.” Then, he gently stroked another woman’s stomach, his voice softening into something tender. “Create the best prenatal care plan for her. I want her child to be the heir to the Vance empire.” I recognized the woman. She was the new star streamer Ethan’s company had just signed. My blood ran cold. I never imagined the man who once loved me more than life itself could betray me like this. So, I left a divorce agreement on the table, granting them their twisted version of a happy ending… 1 Walking back to my hospital room, I felt like a zombie. My brain kept replaying the scene I had just witnessed. My husband, who treated me like a princess and loved me to the bone, was cheating on me behind my back. He was ordering doctors to remove my uterus. And he did it knowing full well that all I ever wanted was a child. A nurse passing by shot me an envious look. “Her husband rented out this entire floor just so she wouldn’t be disturbed. He hired private nurses for her every need, and that wasn’t enough—he insisted on staying by her side 24/7. I’ve never seen a man love his wife so much.” “When she miscarried and hemorrhaged, his eyes were swollen from crying. I heard they were high school sweethearts. To marry her, he even transferred all his family assets into her name.” If this were the past, hearing this would have made me feel like the luckiest woman alive. But now, it felt like a fly was stuck in my throat. Nauseating. Just then, Ethan’s furious voice erupted from a nearby room. “Useless! All of you! You couldn’t even watch one person? If anything happens to Sarah, I’ll kill you all!” Ethan rarely lost his temper. The last time he got this angry was when I fell seriously ill. He took me to every specialist, nearly smashed up a hospital in frustration, and even threatened to die with me if I didn’t make it. I watched the veins bulging on his forehead, but I couldn’t feel the same emotion I once did. I just said flatly: “Ethan, I’m here.” The moment he saw me, Ethan’s eyes lit up. He rushed over and pulled me into a tight embrace. “Sarah, where did you go? Why didn’t you tell me? I thought something happened to you.” His voice trembled with genuine fear. There wasn’t a hint of falsehood in it. I pushed him away gently. “The room was stuffy. I just went out for some air.” He finally exhaled, but he didn’t let go of my hand. Then, he took a bowl of medicine from a nurse and spooned it gently to my lips. “Babe, time for your medicine.” Looking at the dark brown liquid, a chill ran down my spine. The scene from earlier flashed in my mind. “It’s bitter. I don’t want it.” In the past, Ethan never refused my requests. But this time, he was strangely insistent. “If you don’t take your medicine, you won’t get better, and we won’t be able to have a baby. Didn’t you always want to give me a baby?” He knew a baby was my weakness. He was betting that if he used a child as bait, I would bite. But I didn’t trust him anymore. I slapped the bowl away. “I said I don’t want it.” Ethan’s gentle face froze, a flicker of displeasure crossing his eyes. I thought knocking the medicine away would save me, but the next second, everything went black. I lost consciousness. When I woke up, it was the next morning. A sense of dread washed over me. I lifted the blanket and looked down. Sure enough, there was a fresh surgical scar on my stomach. My world collapsed. I wanted to scream at Ethan, but before I could, he explained: “Babe, you fainted last night. The doctor found cancerous cells in your uterus, so I had them remove it.” Afraid I wouldn’t believe him, he showed me a pathology report. It clearly stated my uterus was cancerous. If I hadn’t heard him give the order myself, I might have been fooled. Staring at the angry scar on my belly, my heart felt like it had been ripped in two. Only despair remained. Ethan hugged me, his voice full of pain. “Babe, I know you wanted a child, but your health comes first. I can’t lose you. If it comes down to it, we can just adopt.” 2 I opened my mouth to speak, but the door pushed open. Nina walked in carrying a fruit basket. “Sorry to interrupt. I’m here representing the company to visit Mrs. Vance.” Nina was the new streamer Ethan’s entertainment company had just signed. She was beautiful, had a perfect body, and was incredibly charismatic. Every stream she did brought in millions for the company. No wonder Ethan liked her. Ethan’s expression didn’t change. He nodded coolly at Nina, then turned his attention back to me. But I knew that beneath this calm surface, turbulent currents were raging. I turned my back to them and lay down, suppressing my emotions. “I’m tired. I want to rest.” I thought Nina would leave, but she stayed. She sat quietly next to Ethan, watching over me. Ethan sat on the edge of the bed, massaging my legs. Nina sat obediently nearby. It looked like a harmonious scene of a loving couple and a respectful employee. But no one saw what was happening under the bed. Nina was rubbing her leg against Ethan’s. Ethan didn’t pull away. He let her touch him until she got too bold. Only then did he grab her thigh to stop her. But Nina didn’t give up. She hugged Ethan from behind, nuzzling him like a cat. Ethan glanced at me to make sure my eyes were closed and my breathing was even. Once he was sure I was asleep, he grew bold. He spun around, pressed Nina onto the side table, grabbed her neck, and kissed her. He pulled away quickly, his cold eyes warning her to behave. But Nina was fearless. She wrapped herself around him again. Ethan couldn’t resist any longer. He glanced at me one last time, then took Nina’s hand and led her out of the room. The moment the door clicked shut, I opened my eyes. Ethan would never have guessed that the glass window reflected everything. I saw it all. I followed Ethan and Nina to a secluded corner. Hiding behind a pillar, I peeked out. Ethan had his hand around Nina’s throat, his voice low and angry. “Didn’t I warn you to behave in front of Sarah?” Nina didn’t flinch. She rubbed her cheek against his arm coquettishly. “But you’ve been so busy with her these last two days. The baby missed you.” She wrapped her arms around his neck, her voice dripping with sweetness. “Mr. Vance, didn’t you always want to try it outside? Let’s do it. There are no cameras on this floor, and your wife is asleep. No one will know.” Before Ethan could respond, she stood on her tiptoes and kissed him. Ethan froze for a second, then cupped the back of her head and deepened the kiss. “Ethan, be gentle… the baby…” “Shut up. I know what I’m doing.” I didn’t dare watch what happened next. As I fled, the sounds of their intimacy echoed in my ears. My heart felt like it was being shredded. The pain was excruciating. The man who said he only loved me, who promised to spoil me for a lifetime, was hooking up with another woman behind my back. It felt like an invisible hand had slapped me across the face. The shame was overwhelming. My legs gave out, and I collapsed to the floor, pathetic and broken. 3 A passing nurse rushed over to help me up. Seeing the tears on my face, she assumed I was in pain from the fall. “Mrs. Vance, please don’t cry. If Mr. Vance sees you like this, he’ll be heartbroken.” Looking at the nurse’s concerned face, I couldn’t hold it in anymore. I broke down sobbing. When I finally cried myself out, I went back to my room and slept. When I woke up, Ethan still wasn’t back. But Nina was standing at the foot of my bed, her face dark. Gone was the respectful employee. She looked at me with disdain and sneered. “You saw what happened, didn’t you? Ethan loves me. I’m already pregnant with his child.” I clenched my fists, trembling. “How long have you been together?” Nina held up three fingers, smugly. “Three years. He met me at a dinner party three years ago and fell in love at first sight. He spent the whole night with me. He only transferred his assets to you because he felt guilty. That money belonged to me and my baby. You stole what was ours.” I bit my lip hard to stop myself from slapping her. Seeing my restraint, Nina grew bolder. “Do you think he loves you? Actually, he comes to me every night after you fall asleep. Even though I’m pregnant, he won’t stop. To be honest, the day you miscarried, he wasn’t at a business dinner. He was in my bed. He can’t live without me now. If you’re smart, you’ll divorce him.” Her words triggered a memory from the day I miscarried. I was in so much pain I passed out multiple times, almost dying from blood loss. The doctor called Ethan ten times. He didn’t answer. Eventually, he turned off his phone. When he came back the next day, he knelt by my bed, claiming he was at a dinner, slapping himself for not being there for me. In reality, while I was screaming in agony, he was enjoying himself with another woman. The last shred of hope I had vanished. My heart turned to ash. Seeing my defeat, Nina gloated even more. Hands on her hips, she announced: “Ethan is throwing a wedding for me tomorrow. It’s going to be grander than yours ever was. Make sure you come drink to our happiness!” With that, she strutted out like a victorious rooster, chin held high. Watching her leave, a sharp pain pierced my chest. The world went black, and I fainted again. When I woke up the next morning, Ethan was sitting by my side, eyes red. He pulled me into a hug, his voice choked with emotion. “Sarah, you’re finally awake. You scared me to death.” The image of them in the supply closet flashed through my mind. Nausea rose in my throat. I pushed him away. “I’m fine.” Ethan froze, hurt flashing in his eyes. I looked at his tear-filled eyes and asked the question that had been weighing on me for days. “Do you remember what I told you before we got married?” Before the wedding, I told him: If he ever fell in love with someone else, just tell me. I would step aside. But if he lied to me, I would disappear from his world forever. Ethan nodded without hesitation. “Why are you asking that? Did I do something to upset you?” He stood up abruptly and barked at the nurses behind him. “Bring every woman I’ve had contact with recently in here!” Moments later, my room was filled with over a dozen women—nurses, maids, and Nina. Nina stroked her belly, looking at me with triumph. Ethan clasped his hands behind his back and ordered sternly: “Tell my wife exactly how you interacted with me recently. Be detailed!” “Mrs. Vance, the last time I saw the Young Master was to hand in your meal plan.” “Mrs. Vance, I only saw him when he asked me to bring incense from home to the hospital.” “Mrs. Vance, the boss called me to change your IV drip.” One by one, they reported. Every interaction revolved around me. They looked at me with envy. When it was Nina’s turn, she said coolly: “I haven’t seen Mr. Vance since I dropped off the fruit basket yesterday. Don’t worry, Mrs. Vance. The boss only has eyes for you.” 4 It sounded like a compliment, but I heard the mockery loud and clear. I laughed bitterly and signaled them to leave. Having “proven” his innocence, Ethan relaxed. He sat on the bed, took my hand, and said earnestly: “Sarah, you know I only love you. I would never look at another woman.” I hummed a flat response, ignoring the disappointment in his eyes as I pulled my hand away. Ethan seemed to remember something and added: “Sarah, I have to go on a business trip tomorrow. I can’t be with you. But my phone will be on 24/7 for you. Call me if you miss me.” His confession of devotion seemed flawless. I suppressed my disgust and nodded. “Drive safe.” I caught a flash of guilt in his eyes before he whined: “But I don’t want to leave you. Even though it’s just one day, I don’t want to be apart for a second.” “When we adopt a kid, I’ll just hand the company over to him so I don’t have to travel and leave you.” If I didn’t know he was spending the next 24 hours marrying Nina, I might have been moved. Finally, Ethan kissed my forehead reluctantly and left the room. The moment he was gone, I checked myself out of the hospital. I went home, packed my things, left a signed divorce agreement on the living room table, and boarded a plane to Switzerland. Before takeoff, I deleted and blocked all of Ethan’s contact information. I cut him out of my life completely. Sitting on the plane, watching the city I had lived in for thirty years shrink beneath me, the heavy stone on my heart finally lifted. Ethan Vance, goodbye forever. I arrived in Switzerland the next morning. After doing some research online, I picked a bed and breakfast to stay in. Meanwhile, Ethan was holding his wedding with Nina. Moments before entering the chapel, he called the doctor to check on me. The doctor told him I had been sleeping since he left and had asked not to be disturbed. They were waiting for me to wake up. Hearing this, he finally entered the chapel with peace of mind. But for some reason, his mind was filled with images of me. Last night, he even dreamed that I divorced him, waking up in a cold sweat. He only relaxed after confirming I was still “sleeping.” But the uneasiness lingered. As time passed, it grew stronger. His mind drifted so far he didn’t even hear the officiant ask if he took Nina as his wife. It wasn’t until Nina shook his hand that he snapped back. Looking into Nina’s adoring eyes, all he could see was my face, looking at him with disappointment. Startled, he shook off Nina’s hand and ran out of the church. “Mr. Vance! The wedding isn’t over! Where are you going?” He realized then that I was too important to him. How could he marry another woman behind my back? Sarah, please wait for me. Ethan rushed back to the hospital. He ran straight to my room. Seeing a figure under the blanket, he breathed a sigh of relief. He pushed the door open, a gentle smile on his face. “Babe, I’m back!” The person on the bed didn’t move. Ethan carefully lifted the blanket. His smile froze. Under the covers wasn’t me. It was a pillow. Where was Sarah?

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In my past life, on the day I married Ethan Vance, the love of his life, Sarah James, jumped off a building. From that moment on, he hated me to his core. He locked me in our home, humiliated me, and made my life a living hell. I endured it until I couldn’t anymore. I took my own life to escape. My soul drifted through the world, watching the aftermath. I discovered that Sarah’s suicide attempt was nothing but a manipulative act. Meanwhile, Ethan’s sworn enemy, Lucas Cole—the untouchable heir of New York’s elite—grieved for me until his hair turned white overnight. Now, I’ve been given a second chance. Reborn, I swore to chase my own happiness. But when Ethan found out I was marrying a good man, he fell to his knees, begging me to come back like a madman. 1 Lucas Cole, the ruthless “Prince of New York,” didn’t waste a second. When he heard I was willing to marry him, he froze for exactly three seconds. Thirty minutes later, everything was done. When he handed me the marriage certificate, his face was calm, but the tips of his ears were burning red. “I’ll handle the wedding. Don’t worry about a thing. Just wait for me to come get you.” He practically fled the scene, using work as an excuse, terrified I might change my mind. I smiled, clutching the red booklet, and headed home to break the news to my family. The moment I stepped through the door, a bucket of ice water hit me squarely in the face. Before I could react, Ethan’s entourage started pelting me with cake. My carefully done hair and makeup were ruined instantly. I stood there, soaked and sticky, looking like a drowned rat. The group erupted in laughter, phones out, recording my humiliation. “Surprise! It’s an engagement party for you and Ethan! Just helping you loosen up!” “Everyone knows you threw away your dignity to marry Ethan. Can’t take a little joke? Better get used to it. You’ll be swallowing a lot more than this in the future.” I shivered in the cold draft, water dripping down my neck. Ethan looked at me with a smirk. “Don’t be a buzzkill, Riley.” “Just because our parents pressured me into this doesn’t mean I have to like it. Being Mrs. Vance isn’t going to be easy.” Even though I had lived this before, hearing these words from the man I had loved for twenty years still made my chest ache. Ethan and I grew up together. I loved him with a desperate, blinding devotion. Ten years of being his shadow, giving him everything. And all I got in return was cold ridicule. Well, not this time. I wasn’t going to waste my second life on a man who didn’t love me. I wiped the frosting from my face and spoke calmly. “I don’t plan on being Mrs. Vance.” Ethan froze. His friends laughed even harder. “Ethan, you lucky bastard! She’s playing hard to get before she’s even through the door. This little wife of yours is something else!” “Who cares? Everyone knows Riley is just a dog following Ethan around. Since when does a dog get a say in its owner’s business?” Ethan’s disdain deepened. “Cut the act, Riley. No matter what you do, I won’t love you. You can have my name, but you’ll never have my heart.” “After the wedding, Sarah is moving in. You can pretend to be the wife, but remember—in that house, you’re lower than the help.” “And I’ve already had the lawyers draft a prenup. You won’t get a dime of my money.” I was stunned. In my past life, after Sarah jumped, Ethan tortured me because he blamed me for her death. But before that, he had always treated me decently. When we were kids and my parents were busy, he was the one who read me bedtime stories. When I was bullied in school, he defended me and took me for rides on his motorcycle. Twenty years of friendship. Even if he didn’t love me, he had always been like a big brother. His sudden cruelty made me suspicious. Had something changed that I didn’t know about? Seeing my silence, Ethan assumed he had hurt me. He cleared his throat, seemingly feeling a twinge of guilt. “Look, Sarah has suffered more than you. You need to make sacrifices to balance things out.” “As long as you don’t give Sarah a hard time, I won’t mistreat you in public.” Before I could respond, Sarah started sobbing. “Ethan… are you going soft on her? If she hadn’t been so jealous and interfered, we wouldn’t have been forced apart!” “Forget it. I know Miss High-and-Mighty looks down on someone like me. I didn’t realize you were ashamed of me too, Ethan. I… I should just go die!” She turned and ran. Ethan’s face filled with panic. He shoved me aside and chased after her. My back slammed into the door handle. Pain shot through me, tears pricking my eyes. The others, having had their fill of the show, left me standing in the mess. I watched them leave and let out a bitter laugh. In my past life, shortly after our wedding, the Vance family business hit a crisis. Their so-called friends vanished. To win Ethan’s heart, I secretly used my entire dowry to bail him out. Billions of dollars, gone. And it didn’t buy me a single ounce of his affection. This time, without my money, I wondered if his precious Sarah could save him. 2 I took a shower and changed into clean clothes. When I came out, I found Ethan and Sarah cuddling on the sofa. He was whispering to her with a tenderness I had never received. Seeing me, his face went cold. “This mess is your fault. Apologize to Sarah.” “And clean this place up. Clear out your room for her. It’s late; it’s not safe for her to go home alone.” I had been in the shower for maybe thirty minutes. They couldn’t even wait that long. Ethan’s shirt had lipstick stains. Sarah’s lipstick was smeared, her dress wrinkled. I didn’t care about their sordid affair. I just looked at him. “This is my house.” Our families had prepared two houses for us. Ethan liked peace and quiet, so we usually hung out at my place. I used to let them treat me like a maid because I loved him. Not anymore. Ethan scoffed, thinking I was just throwing a jealous tantrum. “If it wasn’t for Sarah, do you think I’d be here? If you still want to marry me, do as I say.” “You might be my wife in name, but Sarah is the real mistress of the Vance family! You have no right to give her attitude.” Sarah smirked, leaning into Ethan’s chest provocatively. I didn’t want to argue. I didn’t want to stay in this trashed house another second. I grabbed my bag and headed for the door. Ethan blocked my path. “Where are you going this late?” “Home.” He stared at me for a moment. “Running home to tattle? Typical spoiled brat. Do you think that scares me?” I pushed past him, ignoring his insults. He stumbled, surprised by my strength. Then he grabbed my wrist, his tone softening slightly. “Alright, stop it.” “You’ve always been so dramatic. If you really want to go, I’ll drive you.” He reached for my bag and turned to get his car keys. Sarah looked up at him, eyes wide and teary. “Ethan… are you leaving me here alone?” “I’m scared. What if Riley is jealous and hires someone to hurt me?” Ethan’s hand froze in mid-air. His face darkened. “Riley, I underestimated you. You’re more manipulative than I thought.” “Creating a scene just to get me away so you can hurt Sarah?” He threw my bag back at me. The heavy metal buckle slammed into my forehead. Blood trickled down my face. Dizziness hit me. I swayed. Just as I was about to fall, Ethan caught me. A flash of guilt and confusion crossed his eyes. But before he could speak, Sarah hugged him from behind. Her blouse was unbuttoned enough to be suggestive. “Ethan, don’t go…” Ethan’s Adam’s apple bobbed. He let go of me. I looked at the two of them, disgusted. I picked up my bag and walked out without looking back. As soon as I got into the car, a message from Sarah popped up on my phone. 3 It was a one-minute video. Fifty-nine seconds of them entangled on my sofa. Riley, so what if you’re a rich heiress? You lost to me in the last life, and you’ll lose to me in this one too! Reading her message, realizing why Ethan had been acting so strange today… It hit me. Sarah was reborn too. I didn’t know what happened after I died in my past life to make her change her strategy from “playing hard to get” to being this aggressive. And honestly? I didn’t care. I blocked her number. In this life, I just wanted to live for myself. When I got home, I told my family I was calling off the engagement with Ethan. They were shocked, staring at the wound on my forehead. My dad’s eyes turned red. “The Vance family has leeched off us for years, and this is how he treats my daughter? If he doesn’t cherish you, we won’t beg him! Just wait, I’ll make them pay!” I stopped my dad. Tears streamed down my face. In my past life, my parents exhausted everything trying to save me. When I was trapped in the Vance house, they offered their entire fortune to get me out. Ethan refused. He said he’d rather drag us all to hell. After they died, he hung Sarah’s photo above our bed. Whenever he missed her, he would choke me, forcing me to look up at her picture. “You drove Sarah to death for the title of Mrs. Vance. Now you’ll wear that title in agony for the rest of your life to atone for her!” He crushed my dignity and my love, piece by piece. Until death was my only escape. Remembering my parents’ heartbroken cries after my death, my heart shattered all over again. I took a deep breath and pulled out the marriage certificate with Lucas. “Mom, Dad… I’m sorry. I’ll handle the Vance family. I promise I won’t make you worry about me ever again.” They stared at the name Lucas Cole. Shock turned to joy. Lucas was in a league of his own. The Cole family was royalty compared to us and the Vances. Ethan was proud. He couldn’t stand that Lucas was better than him, that the Vance family had to bow to the Coles to survive. He hated Lucas. I slept soundly in my own bed for the first time in two lifetimes. The next morning, I went back to my apartment to pack and sell the place. But the passcode didn’t work. I had a bad feeling. I used the spare key. The apartment was a wreck. Used condoms littered the living room floor. Moans drifted from my bedroom. I walked over. Sarah was wearing my silk pajamas, wrapped around Ethan. “Riley…” Seeing me, she pretended to be scared and pushed Ethan away. Ethan looked flustered for a second, then shielded Sarah behind him. I ignored the hickeys covering Sarah’s neck and looked around. My belongings were destroyed. My couture dresses shredded. My Hermès bags covered in graffiti. Even the jade love-lock my grandmother got for me and Ethan on her deathbed was smashed on the floor. “Ethan said you upset me yesterday, so you needed a lesson.” “Tell you what. Kneel and apologize to me, and I’ll ask him not to cancel the wedding!” I didn’t hear a word she said. I picked up the pieces of the jade lock. I remembered my grandmother holding our hands, refusing to close her eyes until we promised to be happy. “I saw the wedding designs in the safe. Not bad. Sarah’s birthday is coming up. Refine the plans and use them for her birthday party.” “As for our wedding… we’ll see when you learn to behave.” Once, I would have trampled my own pride to please him. But after living through hell? Never again. I put the broken jade in my pocket. I picked up the scattered design sketches one by one. “No need. My wedding will happen, with or without you.” The man I loved was trash. But my love wasn’t. I had been working on these designs since I was eighteen. They were my heart and soul. I wouldn’t let anyone defile them. Ethan frowned, trying to snatch the drawings. But when he saw the tears streaming down my face, he froze. 4 These weren’t the tears of a bratty girl throwing a tantrum. They were the tears of a woman whose heart had finally turned to ash. Ethan looked away, guilty. He pulled out a credit card and shoved it into my hand. “Stop crying. It’s just clothes. Buy new ones.” “Sarah didn’t mean it. You have plenty of money, can’t you just let it go?” Sarah kissed his cheek, beaming. I threw the card in his face and walked out. Ethan was stunned. “Riley? You’re not jealous? You’re not mad?” I didn’t answer. I texted Lucas to come get the designs. Just as I hit send, Sarah screamed. “Ethan! Our video… it’s online! Riley, why did you do this? Do you want me dead?!” She ran to the window, threatening to jump. Ethan grabbed her, looked at his phone, and turned pale. “Riley! You are more vicious than I thought!” “You’d ruin us to force me to marry you? I won’t let you get away with this!” He slapped me. Hard. My ears rang. Before I could recover, he grabbed me by the throat and dragged me toward the bed. “You like filming videos? Fine! Let’s make you the star of one!” He started tearing at my clothes. Sarah stood by, phone recording, smiling. The terror of my past life crashed into the present. As my jacket ripped, I screamed, shaking uncontrollably. “Ethan! I didn’t do it! You can’t do this to me!” Just like before. He didn’t believe me. He didn’t care. Fear turned to rage. I bit my lip until it bled, my hand grasping for the scissors on the nightstand. If I was going to die, I was taking him with me. BANG. The front door was kicked off its hinges.

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My husband and I had planned a ski trip for Christmas. It was supposed to be our getaway. But then, he bailed. He rented out an entire ski resort for the “one who got away”—his first love. She sent me a video from the slopes, her voice soft and feathery in the background: “I had no idea Julian would ditch you for me. I feel terrible. Maybe next time, I’ll tell him to make it up to you.” I replied calmly: “Have a blast. Don’t worry about the cost.” Oh. She probably didn’t know that the resort Julian rented out? I own it. 1 When Julian came home, I was reviewing the resort’s quarterly revenue on my laptop. He walked in and handed me a gift box. “Chloe, I brought you a present.” It was a green box. The standard complimentary souvenir for anyone who spends over $15,000 at the resort. I didn’t even need to open it to know it was the limited-edition Christmas snow globe with the green glitter. I looked up. “Did you have fun with Bella?” Panic flickered in his eyes for a second, followed by a sigh of relief. “So, you know. I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want you to overthink it. Bella is going through a messy divorce. She’s depressed. I just took her there to clear her mind. It meant nothing.” “Okay,” I nodded, my eyes returning to the spreadsheet. He stared at me, brows furrowing. “Are you mad? Over this?” His tone shifted to impatience. “Chloe, drop it. I just got back. I’m exhausted.” He turned and went into the bathroom to shower. His phone, left on the coffee table, lit up. A message from Bella. [Julian, is Chloe mad? Should I explain it to her?] [I’m scared she’ll be even angrier if she sees me.] It was the first time I saw the contact name he had for her: Little Fragile One. Unlike mine. In Julian’s phone, I was permanent and static: Chloe Yu. Full legal name. 2 I picked up his phone and replied to Bella. [No need to explain. An apology will do.] [Cash transfers show the most sincerity.] I sent it as a voice memo. Bella didn’t reply for a long time. She didn’t send any money, either. When Julian came out of the shower, he checked his phone. Then he glanced at me. Just then, Bella finally replied. She sounded cautious and timid. [Chloe? Why are you replying? Are you guys fighting because of me? Please… don’t fight. It was my fault for asking Julian to keep me company…] Julian listened to her message, then clicked on mine. “No need to explain. An apology will do. Cash transfers show the most sincerity.” He listened to it twice. His face darkened completely. “Chloe, is money the only thing you care about?” “What else should I care about? You?” I looked at him, genuinely surprised. I opened the green box he gave me, tracing the cheap green roof of the snow globe. “Should I care about the free gift you got for spending money on another woman?” Julian froze. His anger stalled, replaced by awkwardness. “The flight was tight… I didn’t have time to shop. I’ll make it up to you tomorrow.” “Okay,” I nodded. “Cash is fine too.” “Chloe!” His voice rose. I looked at him, perplexed. I didn’t understand where his sudden indignation was coming from. We stared at each other for a long moment. Finally, Julian gritted his teeth. “You’re unbelievable.” He stormed into the guest bedroom and slammed the door. Psycho. 3 Early the next morning. I was packing a bag for a business trip. Julian opened the guest room door, his face instantly sour. “Chloe, what are you doing? Running away from home first thing in the morning? Are we doing this?” I frowned. “I have a business trip.” Julian’s expression softened slightly, but he stayed silent. He turned and went to brush his teeth. By the time he was ready, I was dressed in my suit. “Let’s go.” He blinked. “Where?” “To your office. I need to pick up the bid documents.” He finally remembered. The original plan was for us to go skiing because I had a bid meeting for the Snow Village development project in Aspen. Halfway there, Julian signaled to turn left. The car’s display screen lit up. Incoming call: Little Fragile One. He glanced at me instinctively. “Inconvenient to answer?” I asked, not looking up from my tablet. “Don’t be passive-aggressive,” he snapped. He answered via Bluetooth. A woman’s voice, bright and cheery, filled the cabin. “Julian, where are you? I’ve done my makeup and I’m waiting!” Julian cleared his throat. “You should call a heavy Uber. It’s not convenient for me right now.” Her voice paused, then turned frantic. “Julian, what’s wrong? Did something happen?” In the car, the atmosphere solidified. I chuckled softly. “Yeah, something happened. His wife is sitting in the passenger seat.” Dead silence on the other end. Then, Bella’s panicked voice. “Chloe? Oh god, I’m sorry to cause trouble, I really didn’t mean anything by it, don’t misunderstand…” “Enough.” Julian interrupted her, frowning. He paused, then his voice softened. “Just call a car. Go to the office first.” He hung up. At the red light, he glanced at me, hesitating before explaining. “Bella lives in a remote area now. It’s hard to get a cab.” I laughed. “Do you want a gold star for being so considerate?” Julian’s face shut down. He didn’t say another word. 4 I was printing the bid documents in Julian’s office. While I was drinking tea, the office door burst open. Bella stood there, eyes red-rimmed. “Julian, I still couldn’t get a car…” She looked at him with wet, puppy-dog eyes, hesitating. “Did Chloe throw a tantrum today? Can you… can you still come pick me up?” She looked down, dejected. “And… can I still work at your company?” I was sitting on the sofa with my back to the door. I set my teacup down on the saucer with a crisp clink. “Good tea,” I said aloud. Bella’s face went pale instantly. She looked at Julian for help. “Chloe.” Julian’s voice was low, warning. “That’s enough.” He called his secretary right in front of me to settle Bella in. Then he locked the door and rubbed his temples. “Stop treating her like an enemy. She’s divorcing, unemployed, and homeless. I’m just looking out for her.” I laughed out loud. “Just looking out for her?” “Familiar enough to barge into your office without knocking? Are your security guards and secretaries dead? Do they just let strangers waltz in?” Julian’s face twitched. “Save it, Julian. It’s disgusting.” I sneered, grabbed my documents, and walked out. Bella was standing by the secretary’s desk. Our eyes met. The corner of her mouth lifted slightly. It was a look only another woman would understand. It said: Look, I’m stealing your man. I stopped walking and raised my voice. “Miss Yao, what are you smiling at? Are you proud of yourself?” Her expression shifted to panic in a split second. Julian pulled the office door open behind me. Bella nervously tugged at the hem of her shirt. “I… I wasn’t smiling…”

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On my very first day at my new school, the resident bad boy decided to make my life hell. All because I accidentally wore a similar outfit to the school’s “Queen Bee.” Suddenly, I was labeled a “pick-me girl” and a “try-hard.” The bad boy, Jace, deliberately poured a carton of milk over my head. Then, with fake sincerity, he apologized while roughly messing up my wet hair. When he noticed my mismatched eye color, he sneered. “Wow, wearing colored contacts on the first day? Who are you trying to seduce?” I looked at him calmly. “It’s not a contact lens. It’s a prosthetic.” 1 “What?” Jace looked like he hadn’t heard me right. He frowned, his expression shifting from arrogance to something weirdly unsettled. “What did you just say? If it’s not a contact, what is it?” I sighed internally. The one thing I dreaded about transferring schools was happening immediately. Calmly, I swatted Jace’s hand away. I slicked my milk-soaked hair back, wiped the white streaks from my face with a tissue, and revealed my pale forehead and bloodless complexion. I locked eyes with him. “Watch closely.” Jace’s brow furrowed in confusion. The next second, with practiced ease, I lifted my eyelid. Right there in front of the entire class, I popped the prosthetic piece out of my left eye socket. I placed the golden-hued artificial eye on the desk in front of a now pale-faced Jace. I repeated myself, my voice flat. “This isn’t a contact lens. It’s a prosthetic eye.” “Was I clear enough?” The rowdy classroom instantly fell into a deathly silence. Jace stared at my empty eye socket for a long time, then stumbled back two steps in disbelief. “How…?” He looked dazed, his hand instinctively reaching out as if to touch my face, but I blocked him. I lowered my head and quickly slipped the piece back in, adjusting it until it sat right. I knew I must look pathetic right now—soaked in milk, blind in one eye. But it didn’t matter. I’d been through worse. This was nothing. When I looked up again, Jace was staring at me with a complicated expression. “I thought you were…” His lips trembled, like he wanted to say something else. But the bell rang. I didn’t wait. I walked right past a stiff-as-a-board Jace and went to my desk. My hair was dripping wet. I wiped it silently with tissues, but it didn’t help much. It just left that gross, sticky feeling of drying milk. I ran out of tissues quickly. I ignored the mess on my hoodie and pulled out my textbook. Jace stood by my desk, frozen. He watched me try to clean myself up without saying a word, his hand still gripping the empty milk carton. When I finally stopped wiping, his gaze lingered on my damp hair. After a long pause, Jace kicked the chair of the girl in front of me—Chloe. “Give me a pack of tissues,” he rasped. Chloe glared at him. “Jace, what is your problem? The teacher’s coming. Sit down.” “I said, give me the tissues!” Jace’s voice suddenly spiked. “Do you not speak English?” 2 The room was already quiet, waiting for the teacher. Jace’s shout made everyone jump and turn to look at him. Chloe flinched, looking scared. Her eyes turned red as she dug a half-used pack of tissues out of her bag and threw it at him. “You’re crazy! Why are you yelling at me?” Jace ignored her. He grabbed the tissues and thrust them toward me. I didn’t reach for them. His hand hung awkwardly in the air. “Take them. Use them,” Jace said, his face pale, his tone laced with frustration. I slowly looked up and met his eyes. The moment Jace saw my golden pupil, he flinched like he’d been stung and jerked his head away, avoiding eye contact. “Stop staring at me,” he barked, trying to sound tough. “Just take the damn tissues.” It dawned on me then. After I took out my eye, Jace’s attitude had done a complete 180. Looking at how awkward he was acting, a ridiculous thought crossed my mind. “Is this… your way of apologizing?” I asked calmly. Jace froze. His fingertips trembled slightly, betraying his panic. “If accepting your tissues means I have to forgive you, then no thanks.” I stared at his furrowed brow. “I have no intention of accepting your apology. So please, take your stuff and stay away from me. Thanks.” Jace’s face dropped. He looked dark and stormy. Seeing he couldn’t talk me into it, he didn’t explain. He just shoved the tissues into my desk drawer. I immediately took them out and dropped them on the floor. Jace silently picked them up and tried to hand them to me again. Just then, the teacher walked in. Chloe, watching this tug-of-war from the front row, looked like she was about to explode. Before the teacher reached the podium, she stood up and yanked Jace’s arm, dragging him to the back of the room. “She doesn’t want to talk to you. Why are you simping so hard?” She pulled him away, deliberately bumping my desk hard as she passed. I didn’t look at them. I stared straight ahead. Halfway through class, a loud, crisp slap echoed from the back row. It sounded like someone had hit themselves—hard. Heads turned. Even Chloe kept looking back at Jace, shocked. Every time she looked at him, she’d turn around and glare at me with pure venom. Like I had committed some unforgivable crime. I ignored them both. 3 I barely made it to the break. The sticky milk feeling was unbearable. I stood up to go to the bathroom to wash up, but as I moved, someone’s foot shot out and tripped me. I lost my balance and pitched forward. I threw my hands out to catch myself, but my palms skidded across the rough floor. “Ah,” I hissed. The skin on my wrist tore open, blood immediately oozing out and staining my sleeve. It looked worse than it was. I was about to push myself up when someone shoved through the crowd. Without a word, strong arms wrapped around my waist and legs, scooping me up into the air. I wasn’t ready for it. In my panic, I grabbed the person’s shoulders. “You okay?” Jace’s voice rumbled near my ear. He saw the blood on my arm and frowned deeply. “Don’t move. I’m taking you to the nurse.” “It’s my hand that’s hurt, not my feet,” I said calmly. “Put me down. I can walk.” Jace acted like he was deaf. He tightened his grip on my waist. “I can carry you,” he muttered. “Stop trying to be tough.” I almost laughed at the absurdity. I opened my mouth to argue. But right then, Jace seemingly tripped over nothing. Gravity took over. The sickening feeling of falling washed over me, triggering a flash of bad memories. My body went rigid. “Jace!” I screamed, terrified. He reacted fast, trying to cradle the back of my head with his hand. But momentum won. We hit the ground hard. Because he was holding me, Jace landed on top of me, crushing me with his full weight. My head smacked against something hard. Thud. My ears rang. The world went fuzzy. Right before I blacked out, I heard Jace yelling frantically at the crowd. “Chloe! Get over here! Your cousin fainted!” My heart sank. So, Jace knew I was Chloe’s cousin. No wonder he hated me. 4 I woke up at an awkward time. “You promised you’d help me teach her a lesson!” Chloe’s shrill voice pierced the air. “Why are you backing out now?” I kept my eyes closed. I could hear the rhythmic tapping of fingers on a desk. Jace. “I said I’d help you teach her a lesson,” Jace said, clicking his tongue impatiently. “But you didn’t tell me she was disabled.” “I’m not bullying a disabled girl, Chloe. What do you think I am? An animal?” Chloe’s aggressive tone choked off, turning into a whiny sob. “She’s just a crippled bitch!” Chloe’s voice spiked, hysterical. “If she ruined your life and stole everything from you, I bet you wouldn’t be sitting here acting all high and mighty about forgiveness!” Jace went silent. The tapping stopped. “Jace,” Chloe said, her voice low and intense. “You promised. You owe me for taking the fall for that suspension last semester.” “I don’t want anything else. Just help me destroy her.” I heard her footsteps approach him. She whispered, venomous. “Destoy her. I don’t care how you do it.” A long silence filled the nurse’s office. I could hear the breeze rustling the curtains. Then, Jace sighed. “Fine. I’ll do it.” Chloe instantly switched from rage to delight. She didn’t even care about his hesitation, happily offering to buy him lunch. They left the room together. As the door clicked shut, I opened my eyes. My head throbbed, but it was manageable. I sat up, stopped the recording on my phone, and saved the file. I knew Chloe didn’t like me. When I first moved into my aunt and uncle’s house, her hostility was thinly veiled behind fake smiles. But I didn’t realize she hated me this much. Enough to ask the school bully to “destroy” me. I thought back to the slap Jace gave himself in class. And his reluctant “Fine, I’ll do it.” It was almost funny. Actually, I was kind of curious. I wanted to see exactly how Jace planned to “destroy” me.

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