Vivienne Sterling had been keeping Cyrus Wilde for three years. Everyone in their circle said Miss Sterling had lost her mind. With so many eligible bachelors from prominent families available, she insisted on spoiling a race car driver who had nothing but a pretty face and a wild temper. Vivienne didn’t care. All she wanted was the red mole at the corner of Cyrus’s eye, exactly like Sebastian’s. Until news came that Sebastian, thought dead, had returned alive. That very evening at a charity gala, Cyrus stood with his arm around his childhood friend Meadow, bragging to others. “Vivienne can’t live without me. I just crook my finger and she comes running.” The next second, the doors swung open. The man missing for three years walked in, cold and intense, his gaze sharp as a blade. In front of everyone, Vivienne kicked aside Cyrus who blocked her path, eyes reddening as she rushed into that man’s embrace. Cyrus lost it, dropping to his knees and clutching at her dress. “Vivienne,look at me. I have a mole too…” Vivienne looked down at him with the same gaze one might give garbage. “A fake is a fake. Now that the moon has returned, who needs a firefly?”

When Cyrus tore up that ten-million-dollar check and threw it in my face, I was checking my watch. 2 AM. My birthday was over. “Vivienne, who the hell are you trying to humiliate with money?” Cyrus stood there shirtless, wine stains still wet on his chest, his handsome, hostile face full of aggression. “I was with Meadow at the hospital today! She’s afraid of the dark, and she had acute gastritis. What’s wrong with me staying with her as her brother for one night? Was that worth throwing money at me?” I calmly wiped the paper scraps from my face, my gaze settling on the dark red teardrop mole at the corner of his eye. So similar. Sebastian Ashford had a mole just like that too. Except when Sebastian looked at me, that mole reflected gentle ripples. Whereas Cyrus’s only showed greed and impatience. “I told you to come back and spend my birthday with me. Did you forget the rules?” I leaned back on the sofa, my voice light but carrying an unquestionable coldness. When I’d first kept Cyrus, the rules were clear: First, come whenever called. Second, play the role of Sebastian’s shadow well. Third, no emotional attachment allowed, especially not to that barely-related sister of his, Meadow. Cyrus let out a cold laugh and kicked over the coffee table in front of him. The cake I’d made myself was now a pile of ruined mess. “Fuck your rules! Vivienne, you think having some dirty money makes you so great? Let me tell you, Meadow is priceless to me! What would a cold-blooded capitalist like you know about feelings?” He bent down, bringing that face close to mine with vindictive pleasure. “Besides, don’t you love this face of mine? Even if I leave now, you’ll still obediently buy me that Ferrari and send it over. Vivienne, you’re just a pathetic woman who can’t survive without a man.” With that, he grabbed his jacket and stormed out. As he left, I heard him sending Meadow a voice message, his tone instantly turning sickeningly sweet. “Don’t be scared, Meadow. Cyrus is coming right back. That crazy bitch can’t control me.” The room fell silent again. I stared at the wreckage, my stomach cramping. Three years. To hold onto this last shred of memory of Sebastian, I’d fed this stray dog Cyrus until he became a wolf. Not only had I filled his stomach, I’d emboldened him. My phone vibrated. A message from my special assistant: “Miss Sterling, there’s movement from the Ashford family. The three-year lockdown… seems to be loosening.” My hand trembled violently, my heartbeat skipping. Sebastian, is it you?

Cyrus didn’t return for half a month. He was betting I’d show up with a black card and a luxury car, just like before. After all, every time before, I couldn’t bear to see that face disappointed. A face so much like Sebastian’s. So I’d compromise. No limits. But he miscalculated this time. I had no time for him. News from the Ashford family was becoming increasingly definite. Someone had spotted a figure resembling Sebastian at a private sanatorium abroad. I mobilized all of the Sterling family’s underground networks to investigate, staying up entire nights monitoring for updates. Right at this critical juncture, the Sterling family faced a crisis. My grandfather, who had doted on me most, suffered a sudden cerebral hemorrhage and was rushed into the ICU. The doctor issued a critical condition notice, telling me to prepare myself mentally. That day, thunder and lightning crashed. I stood outside the emergency room, my entire body ice cold. Before losing consciousness, Grandfather kept calling out. “Viv… find someone… to take care of you…” I knew Grandfather feared I would be alone. I wanted to put his mind at ease. Even if it was fake, I needed to let him see, to tell him I had someone. I dialed Cyrus’s number. First attempt, rejected. Second attempt, rejected again. Third attempt, finally answered. Deafening engine roars and cheers came through the receiver. Cyrus was at the racetrack. “Make it quick, I’m busy.” His voice was arrogant and cocky. “Cyrus, come to First Memorial Hospital.” I tried desperately to keep my voice from shaking. “Grandfather’s critical. He wants to see you. Just come now, and I’ll buy you that limited edition supercar you wanted.” Silence on the other end for a second, then Meadow’s shrill scream erupted. “Ah! Cyrus! I want to try that drift! Take me, please!” Cyrus clicked his tongue, then said impatiently, “Vivienne, you’re really going all out to trick me back, aren’t you? Even lying about the old man dying? Ever heard of the boy who cried wolf?” “Meadow’s in a bad mood today. I need to take her for a drive to cheer her up. Go play the dutiful granddaughter yourself. Don’t bother me.” The call disconnected. In that instant, my knuckles turned white gripping the phone. I never imagined a person could be this rotten. Half an hour later, the emergency room lights went out. The doctor pushed out a gurney covered with a white sheet and shook his head at me. I didn’t cry. Tears seemed too superfluous in this moment. I simply quietly took out my phone and sent an order to the financial director. “Cancel all supplementary cards under Cyrus’s name. Revoke his residential rights at the Westhill Villa. Now. Immediately.”

Grandfather’s funeral was grand. Everyone who was anyone in New York attended. Except Cyrus. Because his cards were canceled, he’d lost face in front of his friends and couldn’t even buy Meadow a purse. He sent me hundreds of text messages, starting with curses, moving to accusations, then finally threats. I didn’t respond to a single one. I blocked him directly. On the day of the funeral procession, Cyrus finally appeared. He’d probably climbed over the wall to get in, wearing a motorcycle jacket with the zipper half-open, his face full of hostility. What’s more, Meadow followed behind him. At this solemn occasion where everyone wore black, Meadow had on a pale pink Chanel suit, innocent makeup, and was even holding a milk tea. The guests immediately erupted in outrage. “Who is that? How rude!” “Isn’t that the boy toy Miss Sterling keeps? How dare he bring a girl in pink to a funeral?” Cyrus ignored it all. He strode directly to me and grabbed my wrist, his eyes bloodshot. “Vivienne, have you had enough? Is canceling my cards fun for you? Let me tell you, Meadow was terrified. You apologize to her right now, and give her that Westhill villa as compensation for emotional distress. Then I’ll forgive you this time!” I slowly raised my head, looking at that face. Once, looking at Sebastian through this face gave me momentary comfort. Now, I only felt disgusted. Like I’d swallowed ten thousand flies. “Take your filthy hands off me.” My voice was hoarse but cold as ice. Cyrus froze, seemingly unable to believe I dared speak to him this way. Meadow immediately stepped forward, clinging to Cyrus’s arm, looking at me with teary eyes. “Vivienne,don’t be angry at Cyrus. It’s all my fault… I wasn’t feeling well, that’s why Cyrus was so worried. And… and I didn’t wear pink on purpose. I just thought Grandfather going to heaven should be a happy thing…” Slap! I backhanded her hard across the face. The slap was so loud the entire funeral hall fell silent. Meadow was stunned, milk tea spilling all over her, leaving her in a sorry state. “This is the Sterling family funeral hall, not your hookup nightclub.” I accepted a wet wipe from a bodyguard and methodically wiped my fingers. Each word landed like a nail. “Wearing pink to a funeral. Is this your upbringing? Since your parents didn’t teach you properly, I’ll teach you in their place.” “Vivienne! Are you insane?!” Cyrus flew into a rage, raising his fist to charge at me. “You dare hit her? You believe I’ll…” Before he could get close, two bodyguards over six feet tall pressed him to his knees on the ground. His kneecaps hit the marble floor with a sickening crack. I looked down at Cyrus kneeling before me. “Cyrus, the game is over.” “You’re just a substitute, a plaything. When I favored you, you were a treasure. Now that I’m done with you, you’re not even worth a stray dog.” “Throw them both out. From now on, they show up on Sterling property once, we beat them once.”

Cyrus and Meadow were dragged out of the funeral hall like dead dogs. I heard he cursed at the gate for half an hour, swearing to make me beg him to come back. After handling Grandfather’s affairs, I swiftly cleaned house within the corporation. Those collateral relatives waiting to see me fail, I kicked them out one by one. The outside world buzzed with rumors. The Sterling family’s crazy heiress was back. No longer a lovesick idiot. A week later came a top-tier business reception. The host was mysterious, supposedly a newly returned tycoon holding hundreds of billions in capital. I had to secure this partnership to stabilize Sterling Corporation’s stock price. Unexpectedly, I ran into Cyrus again at the entrance. He’d apparently latched onto some nouveau riche sugar mama. Clutching an invitation from who knows where, he swaggered by the door looking smug. Seeing me, he immediately released the rich woman’s hand, straightened his collar, and walked over. “Well, well, if it isn’t Miss Sterling?” Cyrus blocked my path, his expression full of vindictive satisfaction. “What? You here begging for partnerships too? I heard this big shot has high standards. With Sterling Corporation’s current state, you probably can’t even get through the door, right?” He leaned close, lowering his voice with malicious temptation. “Vivienne,having regrets now? Just say ‘I was wrong’ in front of everyone, return that villa, and I’ll put in a good word with my lady friend here. Let you get in and see what real class looks like.” He thought I was still that Vivienne who gave him everything he asked for. Thought that with a simple crook of his finger and a small favor, I’d let bygones be bygones. After all, he still had that face. I looked at him and suddenly laughed. “Cyrus, did you forget to look in the mirror before leaving?” “That fawning, sleazy look on you. You really resemble a eunuch.” Cyrus’s face instantly turned iron blue. “Vivienne! Don’t be shameless! When that big shot arrives, we’ll see how you cry!” Just then, the banquet hall doors slowly opened. All the lights instantly converged, spotlights hitting the entrance. The previously noisy crowd fell silent, everyone spontaneously parting to create a path. “Is that… the legendary ‘Moon God’ of Wall Street?” “Oh my God, it’s really him! The Ashford family heir who disappeared three years ago!” I jerked my head up. My heart stopped beating in that moment. That man approached against the light. Dressed in an impeccably tailored deep black suit, his posture upright as a pine. That face, coldly noble, had gained even more maturity and commanding presence than in my memories. He lifted his gaze slightly, his eyes piercing through layers of people, landing precisely on me. It was Sebastian. The real Sebastian. No hostility, no sleaziness, only a nobility that made people want to bow in submission.

I froze in place, as if my soul was frozen. Three years. Over a thousand days and nights of despair. All of it broke loose the moment I saw him appear safe and sound. Cyrus froze too. He stared blankly at Sebastian, then looked down at himself. An inferiority complex instantly engulfed him. Though their features were seventy percent similar, their temperaments were worlds apart. If Sebastian was a bright moon hanging high in the night sky, then Cyrus was a puddle of mud in the gutter. Sebastian walked straight toward me. Bodyguards on both sides cleared the way for him. The rich woman who’d been so arrogant moments ago now didn’t dare breathe too loudly. Cyrus panicked. He felt an unprecedented sense of crisis. The bloodline suppression from the real thing. He instinctively tried to grab my hand to assert ownership. “Vivienne, who is he? He’s just a bit paler than me, right? Don’t let him fool you, I’m the one who…” “Get lost.” Sebastian spoke. Just one word, not loud, but carrying bone-chilling killing intent. He didn’t even spare Cyrus a proper glance, as if he were merely a patch of air. Cyrus staggered back two steps under the force of that aura, his legs weakening until he sat down hard on the ground. The next second, Sebastian stood before me. He reached out, his slender fingers gently touching my cheek, his fingertips warm. Those eyes that usually looked at everyone coldly were now frighteningly red. “Vivienne.” He called my full name, his voice hoarse as if scraped over sandpaper. “I’m sorry. I came back too late.” My tears instantly splashed onto his palm. All my strength, all my pretense, all the dignity of the Sterling family head. It all crumbled in this moment. I couldn’t care about propriety anymore. I threw myself into his arms, hands desperately clutching his lapels, crying like a child who’d been lost. “Sebastian… you bastard… you were dead for three years… why did you only come back now…” He held me tightly back, with a force as if trying to meld me into his bones and blood. “I’m the bastard. From now on, my life is yours. I’ll never leave again.” A deathly silence surrounded us. No one expected the cold, aloof Miss Sterling to cry like this. Even less did they expect the legendarily ruthless new Ashford family head to publicly comfort someone. Cyrus sat on the ground, ashen-faced. He watched the woman Sebastian carefully protected in his embrace, watched the undisguised devotion in that man’s eyes. He finally understood a truth. These three years, the so-called “favoritism” he’d been so proud of was nothing but Vivienne looking at another man’s shadow through him. “Impossible… this can’t be…” Cyrus scrambled up unwillingly, pointing at Sebastian and shouting. “Vivienne! Look at me! I have a mole too! Right here at my eye! You said you loved this mole most!” He frantically pointed at his eye corner like a madman trying to prove his worth. Sebastian finally deigned to spare him a glance. With one arm around me, he swept his indifferent gaze over Cyrus’s face, his lips curving into a cruel arc. “Oh? A mole?” “You had that tattooed on to look like me, didn’t you?” “Poorly imitating your betters. Truly… disgustingly ugly.”

“Tat… tattooed?” Cyrus looked like he’d been struck by lightning, covering his eye corner, his voice shaking uncontrollably. Sebastian took a handkerchief from his assistant with distaste, methodically wiping the finger that had just touched Cyrus’s chin. As if it had been contaminated by some lethal bacteria. “You didn’t know?” Sebastian’s tone was casual but every word hit home. “This mole of mine. When I was five, I got scratched by a tree branch while saving Viv. The scar later became a mole.” “It’s a badge of honor.” He tossed the handkerchief into a nearby trash can. “Whereas that one on your face reeks of crude industrial saccharine.” The crowd erupted. So Miss Sterling hadn’t loved the mole. She’d loved that history of childhood sweethearts, of life-saving devotion. Cyrus had become a complete joke. His proud “substitute credentials” had transformed into a farcical imitation in this moment. “No… I don’t believe it! Vivienne,say something!” Cyrus tried to lunge forward, but security kicked him in the back of the knee, forcing him to his knees again. He looked up at me, his eyes full of panic and pleading. “Vivienne,it’s me, Cyrus. We’ve been together three years. Even without merit, I’ve worked hard. You can’t be this heartless…” I nestled in Sebastian’s embrace, feeling only infinite exhaustion. Looking at that man sobbing on the ground, I wondered if I’d been blind the past three years. “Cyrus.” I spoke, my voice soft. “These three years, every cent you spent came from the returns on what Sebastian left me.” “The cars you drove. He ordered them before he died. The villa you lived in. He designed it. Even your existence only had value because you resembled him.” “Now the real deal is back. Don’t you find it disgusting? You fake, spending the real deal’s money and trampling all over him?” “Throw him out.” Sebastian didn’t want to hear another word. Holding my waist, he turned. “Don’t dirty her eyes.” Security dragged Cyrus and the now-terrified rich woman out like dead dogs. Before the doors closed, Cyrus’s heart-wrenching shouts could still be heard. “Vivienne! You’ll regret this! That man disappeared for three years. Who knows what he did out there! Only I truly cared about you!” The doors slammed shut. The world grew quiet.

Sebastian took me back to his private estate in the suburbs. In the car, the atmosphere was eerily quiet. I gripped his sleeve tightly, not daring to let go for even a moment, afraid this was just a dream and I’d wake to find him transformed back into that cold tombstone. “Why are your hands so cold?” Sebastian grasped my hand, his brow furrowed. He tucked my hand into his coat pocket, warmth flowing continuously from his palm. “I’m sorry, Viv. The plane crashed then, and I fell into international waters. A passing fishing boat rescued me, but I suffered brain trauma and was in a coma for two full years.” “After waking, I was in rehabilitation, fighting to regain control of the Ashford family. I didn’t dare contact you, afraid those who wanted me dead would target you.” His explanation was brief, but I could hear the bloodshed and violence behind it. Two years in a coma, one year in rehabilitation, and still having to fight his way back to the center of power in a foreign land. I didn’t dare imagine how much he’d suffered. “What about now…” I choked up, reaching to touch his legs. “I’m fine now.” Sebastian caught my hand, kissing it at his lips. “To come back and hold you, I made sure my legs recovered completely. See, I can hold you very steadily now.” The car stopped at the estate entrance. He didn’t let me get out. Instead, he scooped me up horizontally and strode into the house. The lights came on, and I realized the interior furnishings were exactly as I remembered. Even my hair tie from three years ago still sat on the coffee table. “This place has been maintained. Nothing’s changed.” Sebastian set me on the sofa, then knelt on one knee. This man who could overturn industries with a flick of his hand now knelt before me, removing my uncomfortable high heels. He cradled my foot, looking at the blisters rubbed raw on my heels, his expression dangerously dark. “That waste Cyrus never even bought you proper shoes?” I sniffled. “He only knew how to use my card to buy things for himself and Meadow.” Sebastian’s movements paused. Then he produced a black velvet box, opening it to reveal a blinding pink diamond ring and a heavy private seal. “This is the Ashford family head’s private seal. Seeing this seal is like seeing me in person. It can mobilize all Ashford family funds and influence.” He pressed the seal into my hand and slipped the ring onto my ring finger. “Vivienne,from now on you manage my money, you manage my life. Whoever wrongs you, I’ll send to hell.” Looking at that ring, I remembered Cyrus once gave me a plastic hair clip bought from a street stall, insisting I wear it to a gala, saying this was “true love doesn’t look at price.” It turned out, love versus no love really was that obvious.

After being thrown out of the reception, Cyrus didn’t give up. He took Meadow back to the Westhill Villa. That was Sterling family property, and his and Meadow’s nest these past three years. He wanted to grab some of the watches and antiques I’d given him to sell for cash to make a comeback. However, when he entered the password, the door lock emitted a harsh alarm: “Incorrect password.” He refused to believe it and tried again. “Incorrect password. System locked.” “Impossible! That woman Vivienne actually changed the password?!” Cyrus flew into a rage, kicking the door. Just then, the door opened from inside. Several uniformed movers emerged carrying huge black garbage bags. “What are you doing! This is my house!” Cyrus rushed forward to grab them. The head butler coldly pushed him away. “Mr. Wilde, Miss Sterling has given orders. This property has been reclaimed. As for what’s inside…” The butler gestured at the garbage bags on the ground. “Miss Sterling said since the person is no longer wanted, the trash that person left should also be cleaned out. These are your personal belongings. Please take them.” Cyrus tore open a garbage bag with trembling hands. Inside were clothes he’d worn, toothbrushes he’d used, and Meadow’s pile of cheap pink stuffed animals. But all the valuable watches, paintings, limited edition collectibles, all gone. “Where are my watches! Where are my car keys!” Cyrus shouted like a madman. The butler remained expressionless. “Those were all assets purchased by Miss Sterling, belonging to Sterling Corporation, not to you. You only had usage rights, not ownership.” “Additionally, Miss Sterling asked me to inform you that the thirteen million and fifty thousand dollars you charged over these three years. The lawyer’s letter is on its way. Please prepare for repayment.” “Thirteen… million?” Meadow nearly fainted hearing this, screaming, “Cyrus! Didn’t you say that money was what you earned? Didn’t you say the Sterling family was just your ATM? We have to pay it back? We’ll go to prison!” Hit in his sore spot, Cyrus turned and backhanded Meadow across the face. “Shut up! If you hadn’t demanded to buy this and that every day, would I have spent so much? Having second thoughts now? Get lost!” Meadow clutched her face crying but didn’t dare leave. Because she was also a parasite. Without Cyrus, she didn’t even know where she’d sleep tonight. The rain fell harder. Cyrus and Meadow crouched by the villa entrance clutching garbage bags, like two homeless dogs. And in the distance, the Sterling family’s brilliant lights would never shine on them again.

People in desperate straits often become even more shameless. Cyrus had reached the end of his rope. He could neither repay that thirteen million debt nor accept the fall from cloud nine to mud. At Meadow’s instigation, he decided to go all in. The next morning, a video titled “Heiress CEO Abandons Three-Year Lover, Turns Around to Grovel Before Returning Tycoon” shot to number one on trending. In the video, Cyrus appeared unshaven, red-eyed, haggard, tearfully complaining to the camera. “Vivienne and I were together three years. I gave her my whole heart. The day her grandfather was dying, I got injured at the racetrack and didn’t see the call. She’s held it against me ever since. Now that Sebastian’s back, she kicked me out to climb the social ladder and stuck me with over thirteen million in debt… I really don’t know how to keep living.” Meadow appeared on cue beside him, crying pitifully, even holding a forged “abortion medical record.” “Viv never liked me. She thought I was Cyrus’s burden. A while ago I accidentally got pregnant. When Viv found out, she forced Cyrus to take me for an abortion. That was a little life…” This victim act was devastatingly precise. “Abandoning old love,” “clinging to power,” “forced abortion.” Every keyword struck the public’s sensitive nerves. Public opinion exploded instantly. Uninformed netizens flooded Sterling Corporation’s official account and my personal profile with abuse. “Vivienne Sterling get out of New York! How can such a heartless woman be CEO?” “Trading her fiancé for money. Absolutely disgusting!” “So sad. Three years of her life wasted on a man, and now he’s the one paying the price. Too tragic!” “That Sebastian guy isn’t any better, right? Taking someone else’s leftovers?” Sterling Corporation’s stock price hit the daily limit down at opening. The board couldn’t sit still, calling to demand answers. Some even proposed removing me as CEO. I sat in my office watching Cyrus’s supremely hypocritical face on the big screen. I found it laughable. Did he think public opinion could destroy me? Too bad he forgot. These three years, I’d kept the Sterling family head position not through mercy. “Miss Sterling, PR has prepared a clarification statement. Should we release it?” My special assistant looked anxious. I shook my head, fingers lightly tapping the desk. “No rush. Let it play out a bit longer. The heat isn’t high enough yet. Not enough to finish him off completely.” “What about Mr. Ashford’s side?” The assistant checked her phone, expression somewhat odd. “Mr. Ashford said… this small matter doesn’t require your concern. He’s already sent people to ‘invite’ those two big stars.”

That evening, Cyrus sat in a shabby motel room scrolling through comments on his phone, gloating. “Meadow look! So many people support us! People are even tipping me! I’ve made tens of thousands just now!” Meadow nestled in his arms, her eyes gleaming with greed. “Cyrus is amazing! When that bitch Vivienne can’t take the pressure and comes begging for peace, we’ll demand a hundred million from her!” Bang! The motel’s flimsy wooden door kicked open. Several black-suited bodyguards filed in and without a word, pinned down the couple still dreaming of riches. “What are you doing! I’m calling the police! I’m an influencer! I have millions of followers!” Cyrus struggled desperately. His phone clattered to the floor, still on the livestream interface. Viewers in the livestream only saw the camera shake violently, then a pair of polished black leather shoes appeared in frame. Sebastian slowly entered. He toyed with a USB drive in his hand, his gaze looking at them like livestock awaiting slaughter. “I hear you’ve been having fun making up stories online?” His voice wasn’t loud but carried bone-deep coldness. A bodyguard brought in a chair. Sebastian sat down elegantly, crossing his long legs, his presence instantly crushing the cramped little room. “You… you’re Sebastian?” Cyrus swallowed hard, blustering. “What? Guilty conscience? Want to silence me? Let me tell you, the livestream’s still running! Millions watching! You dare touch me, just try!” Sebastian glanced at the phone on the floor, his lips curving in a mocking smile. “Livestream? Perfect.” He snapped his fingers. The assistant behind him immediately produced a projector, aiming it at the yellowed wall. “Since everyone’s watching, let’s all appreciate Mr. Wilde’s ‘devoted’ moments over these three years.” Sebastian pressed play. The screen began flickering.The first video was surveillance footage from a bar the night Grandfather was in critical condition. Cyrus had his arms around Meadow, writhing wildly on the dance floor, spraying champagne, shouting, “The old bastard’s finally croaking! Vivienne will be all alone after this, she’ll have to depend on me!” Cheers erupted around him. Where was any sign of an “injured leg”? The livestream went silent for a second, then the comments exploded. “Holy shit! This is what he called being injured at the racetrack? He was clubbing!” “This is so disgusting. Cursing someone’s grandfather?” “And that girl! Didn’t she say she was pregnant and weak then? She’s dancing harder than anyone!” The second video was dashcam footage. Cyrus drove my Ferrari with Meadow in the passenger seat. Meadow touched her stomach. “Cyrus, my belly… are we really saying Vivienne forced me to abort? I’m not even pregnant. That medical report was fake…” Cyrus smoked carelessly. “What’s there to be afraid of? As long as we cry pathetically enough online, those idiot netizens will believe us. Then we’ll extort Vivienne for money and go live it up abroad.” After this video, the livestream completely erupted. Those netizens who’d been feeling sorry for Cyrus now felt their intelligence had been insulted, their anger instantly maxing out. “Scammer! It was all an act!” “That woman is so vicious! Making up lies like that?” “I actually tipped this scumbag? Refund!” “Miss Sterling is so pitiful, being entangled with these parasites…” Watching the images on the wall, Cyrus turned deathly pale, trembling all over. “No… this isn’t real… it’s CGI! It’s deepfake!” he screamed hysterically at the phone. Sebastian stood, crushing the phone on the floor with his foot, cutting off the livestream. But he didn’t let the bodyguards release their grip. He walked to Cyrus, bent down, his deep eyes full of violence. “Cyrus, I was going to let you live, let you get lost from New York and be done with it.” “But you absolutely should not have used Viv’s reputation as fodder.” “The person I treasure so much I can’t bear to say a harsh word to. You think you can throw dirt on her?” Sebastian patted Cyrus’s already terrified face, his voice gentle as if telling a bedtime story. “Defamation, slander, fraud, extortion… these charges combined are enough for you to operate a sewing machine in prison for life.” “Oh, and there’s that thirteen million and fifty thousand in debt.” “I’ll have the best legal team play with you. Even if you die in prison, I’ll squeeze this debt out of your bone fragments.” Finished speaking, he straightened up, wiping his hands with a wet wipe in disgust. “Take them away. Send them to the police station, hand them to Chief Wang. Tell him… they’re a welcome-back gift from Sebastian.” By the time Cyrus and Meadow were dragged away, they didn’t even have the strength left to beg for mercy. They knew this time, it was truly over. Provoking Vivienne might have left a thread of survival, but provoking Sebastian meant provoking the Grim Reaper himself. That evening, Sterling Corporation’s official account posted just one sentence: “The real deal returns, the clowns scatter. @Ashford Corporation Welcome home, Mr. Ashford.” The accompanying image showed Sebastian putting the ring on my finger in the car, our hands interlocked with fingers intertwined, the pink diamond on my ring finger sparkling brilliantly in the night. The internet exploded. Not just because of this shocking reversal, but because Sebastian’s newly registered account instantly replied: “My moon, finally in my embrace.”

The morning after the storm of public opinion subsided, I woke to kisses. Opening my eyes, Sebastian propped his head up watching me, his other hand playing with my long hair spread across the pillow. Sunlight filtered through the curtains onto his coldly noble face, gilding him with a soft golden edge. He didn’t look like the Grim Reaper who’d been so ruthlessly decisive in the livestream, but more like a male demon. “Awake?” His voice carried the huskiness of early morning as he lowered his head to kiss my forehead. I instinctively burrowed into his embrace. Even after a whole night, this real warmth still didn’t feel like enough. “About Cyrus…” I’d just started. Sebastian’s expression visibly darkened, and he bit my lip corner in punishment. “First thing in the morning, why mention that unlucky thing? Trying to make me not want to get out of bed?” My face heated. I pushed him. “I’m worried there’ll be follow-up trouble. After all…” “No trouble.” Sebastian cut off my words, his gaze deepening. “Vivienne,you need to get used to something. As long as I’m here, even if the sky falls, I’ll hold it up. You just need to be the Sterling family’s young miss, to be my Mrs. Ashford.” He got up, revealing his muscular upper body. On his back was a vicious old scar from washing ashore three years ago. My fingertips trembled as I touched it. Sebastian grabbed my hand, pressing it to his heart. “Don’t touch it. It’s ugly.” “It’s not ugly.” My eyes stung. “This is the roadmap you left to come back and see me.” During breakfast, the assistant called, her tone hesitant. “Miss Sterling, those old foxes on the board… they’re making trouble at the company.” “They say that although this public opinion storm was clarified, Sterling Corporation’s stock volatility affected their dividends. They’re proposing… to convene an emergency shareholders’ meeting to re-elect the chairman.” I let out a cold laugh, setting down my milk glass. These wily board members had been restless even when Grandfather was alive. Now they saw me caught up in a scandal and thought I was an easy target. They wanted to take advantage and stage a coup. “Prepare the car.” I stood, cold light flashing in my eyes. Sebastian methodically wiped his mouth, casually picking up his suit jacket and draping it over my shoulders. “Perfect timing. I’ll go with you. Some accounts need settling not just with Cyrus, but with these disrespectful old geezers too.”

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The anesthesia had just worn off when my werewolf’s keen hearing picked up the conversation outside the door. “Once she’s completely unable to have children, I’ll strip her of her Luna position. Then all of White Moon Pack’s resources and money will be ours.” “Besides, the Council of Elders only recognizes whoever gives birth to an Alpha pup first. Lena, once you bear my child, you’ll be the Luna of Black Rock Pack.” “You’re so good to me, Kane! I’ll give you the smartest pup!” Outside the door were my husband Kane and his delicate Omega first love, Lena. I lay in the hospital bed, my whole body cold. In the five years since our marriage, three pregnancies had ended in miscarriage. I had always thought it was my poor constitution. To protect the pregnancies, I had put my Columbia doctoral research on hold and poured all of White Moon Pack’s resources into filling the holes in his corporation. It turned out that the Alpha I’d loved for five years had been plotting against me, against my children all along, and wanted to steal my family fortune and destroy my future. In the last second before I lost consciousness, my mind was filled with nothing but hatred. When I opened my eyes again, I had been reborn to the day of my first miscarriage. Kane was sitting by the bed, pretending to comfort me with reddened eyes. “Ayla, don’t be sad. We can have another child. I’ve already postponed your doctoral defense for you. Just focus on recovering.” I suddenly slapped him across the face. “Kane, I want a divorce.”

Kane’s expression visibly stiffened. “Ayla, I know you just had a miscarriage and your emotions are unstable. I won’t hold this slap against you.” He reached out to hold my hand. “But I’ll pretend you didn’t mean what you said about divorce.” I shook off his hand and shifted away, wanting to distance myself from him. Kane continued talking to himself. “Be reasonable. The alliance between our two packs isn’t something you can just end. Don’t you care about the corporation’s stock price or our people’s reputation?” “Besides, you’re about to graduate with your doctorate. If you divorce now, what will people think of you? Are you willing to throw away your bright future?” “It’s just one child. We can have more.” I looked at him coldly, finding it utterly laughable. Among werewolves, a Luna’s status was second only to an Alpha. And I wasn’t just the Luna of Black Rock Pack. I was the sole Alpha heir of White Moon Pack. Yet in his eyes, I wasn’t even worth as much as an Omega. “Kane,” I said, my voice calm. “Do you really think I don’t know about you and Lena?” “Last year during the blizzard, when my father’s people were surrounded by rogues, I sent you five distress signals. You didn’t respond to a single one.” He frowned. “I told you, there was a board vote that day…” “You were with Lena.” I threw my phone in front of him, the flight records glaringly bright. “Lena said she wanted to see the Northern Lights. So you flew overnight to spend three days with her. My White Moon Pack was nearly wiped out because of it.” Kane’s smile finally cracked. I continued, my tone flat. “Since we got married, you’ve never given me a single decent gift, yet you gave Lena a sapphire necklace worth two million dollars. I really want to ask. Who do you really consider your wife?” “Enough!” He shot to his feet, the chair crashing against the wall. “Can’t take it anymore?” I pulled out documents from under my pillow and slammed them against his chest. “Tell me, who did you sign away White Moon Pack’s mineral rights to? You used our White Moon Pack’s assets to support your Omega, and you still have the nerve to sit here and tell me not to divorce you?” Kane grabbed my wrist, his fangs bared, pupils turning red. “Ayla, don’t push me.” “Push you?” I stared directly into his eyes. “I was pregnant for so long, and every day you sent me vitamins that Lena had to approve first. I thought you were being thoughtful at the time. Now I realize you were just making sure the poison would kill my baby, weren’t you?” His hand loosened, and he stepped back as if burned. “Since your Omega loves to approve things so much, let her be the Luna.” I threw the signed divorce agreement in his face. “I’m ending this marriage.” Kane clutched the paper, his knuckles white as it crumpled in his hand. He threw the crumpled paper on the ground, grabbed his coat, and left. After Kane left, Sophie, the Beta who had served me for years, came in with red-rimmed eyes. “Luna Ayla…” I pulled out the IV needle from the back of my hand and leaned against the headboard, speaking calmly. “Pull out the alliance agreement between our packs, the joint accounts, and the mineral transfer documents. I want every single transaction investigated thoroughly.” “Also, gather the remaining vitamins I was taking before my miscarriage. Don’t let anyone touch them.” “And contact my advisor. I want to attend my graduation defense on schedule. No delays.” Sophie’s tablet nearly cracked under the pressure of her grip. “Yes, Luna Ayla.” I looked out at the gray sky, my hand gently resting on my abdomen. Kane. Lena. In this life, what you owe me, what you owe White Moon Pack. I’ll collect it all back, with interest.

Three days after leaving the hospital, Lena came to the villa to see me. She walked into the living room carrying a bowl of medicinal tonic, Kane following behind her with one hand hovering protectively near her waist. “Ayla.” She placed the tonic on the coffee table. “This is a recipe I learned from our pack’s healer. It’s specially for restoring your strength. You just got out of the hospital and your body is weak. You need to take care of yourself.” She lowered her eyelashes and sighed. “I heard from Kane about what happened at the hospital. If you’re angry, take it out on me. Just please don’t fight with Kane about divorce. If I ruin the alliance between our two packs, I’ll be a sinner.” Halfway through her speech, she couldn’t hold back anymore and began sobbing softly. Kane frowned and pulled her into his shoulder. “Lena, this has nothing to do with you. Don’t blame yourself for everything.” He turned to me. “Ayla, look how reasonable Lena is. And you? All you know how to do is threaten divorce!” Watching her terrible acting, I suddenly laughed. Kane said angrily, “What’s so funny!” “I’m laughing at Lena. At least she has some self-awareness.” “But I need to remind you: among werewolves, an Omega speaking to a Luna must use respectful language. Didn’t your parents teach you manners?” Lena’s face flushed red and white, biting her lip, not daring to speak. Kane’s expression darkened. “Ayla! You’re going too far! How can you, as a Luna, bully a young Omega like this!” “Bully?” I raised an eyebrow. “I’m just teaching her werewolf etiquette. Kane, as the Alpha of Black Rock Pack, aren’t you afraid of being held accountable by the Council of Elders for allowing an Omega to disrespect a Luna?” “But more than etiquette, I’d like to ask you. That blue diamond necklace. Is it comfortable to wear?” Lena’s face froze for half a second, then her eyes grew even redder. “What necklace? Ayla, what are you talking about?” “The two million dollars you spent buying that blue diamond necklace came from our joint account.” I opened my phone and showed her the auction house transaction records. “That two million was supposed to be used to help our displaced pack members, but Kane spent it buying you a necklace.” Kane’s face turned iron-gray as he slammed his hand on the coffee table. “I made up that money later…” “Made it up?” I laughed coldly. “What about the forty million you siphoned off through the mineral rights transfer? Are you going to make it up with those fake accounts from Lena’s shell companies?” Lena cried, her shoulders shaking. “It’s all my fault. I caused trouble for Kane.” Watching Lena’s clumsy performance only gave me a headache. “Sophie, call security.” “Escort this Omega who doesn’t know her manners out. From now on, without my permission, she’s not allowed to set foot in any White Moon Pack property.” Kane’s pupils contracted sharply. “Ayla, you’re going too far. Do you have to be so ruthless?” I stood up and met his eyes. “Kane, the one being ruthless isn’t me. It’s you.” Kane tried to say something more, but two tall White Moon security guards immediately stepped forward, blocking his path. “Alpha Kane, please leave!” Kane pulled Lena up and turned to go. “Ayla, just wait. This isn’t over!” That evening. Sophie placed a thick stack of transaction records in front of me. “Luna, everything’s been investigated. Besides the sapphire necklace and mineral rights, over the past year and a half, your private account has transferred seventy-two million dollars to Lena’s account, and White Moon Pack has provided interest-free loans totaling three hundred million dollars to Blake Corporation.” “Also, I’ve contacted your advisor. The professor is very supportive of your timely defense and has scheduled it for one week before the graduation ceremony.” I picked up the divorce agreement and signed my name at the bottom. “Deliver this to Kane’s office. Within three days, tell him to return all the money and sign the divorce agreement.” “Otherwise, I’ll immediately report to the Council of Elders that he allowed an Omega to disrespect a Luna and embezzled pack funds.” “Also, tell him not to try using my graduation defense against me. If he dares to cause trouble at the school, I’ll make sure both he and Blake Corporation disappear from North America completely.”

Early the next morning, I returned to White Moon Pack’s estate. My mother took my hand and spoke earnestly. “My daughter, you and Kane have only been married for a year. It’s normal to have adjustment issues. As the Luna of Black Rock Pack, you can’t be so impulsive! You can’t just divorce like this!” My father’s face was stern, his tone displeased. “Ayla, it’s not that your mother and I aren’t on your side, but divorce is unprecedented in our pack’s history.” “Kane may have his faults, but it’s not unusual for an Alpha to keep one or two Omegas outside. Once you have another child and he becomes a father, he’ll naturally settle down.” “Besides, you’re about to graduate with your doctorate. If you divorce now, what if it affects your future?” I interrupted them. “Dad, Mom, I’ve already sent the divorce agreement. Kane and I are getting divorced. That’s final.” “I will also attend my doctoral defense on schedule. No one is taking my degree away from me.” My father slammed his hand on the armrest, making the teacup rattle. “How could you make such a decision without consulting us! Do you know how much negative publicity a divorce would bring to both our packs’ reputations?” As we reached an impasse, a steady voice came from the doorway. “If Ayla wants to come home, let her come home. With me protecting her, Black Rock Pack won’t dare touch her.”

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The tiger “Charlie” was chewing raw meat, staring intently at a man wearing a baseball cap. Its thoughts echoed in my mind: [“This man reeks of a little girl’s blood. Very strong. He was here three days ago too. Back then, he had another woman’s blood on him.”] I whipped my head around, following Charlie’s gaze. The man was leaning against the railing of the viewing area, holding up his phone as if photographing the tiger. His movements were as natural as any other tourist around him. Charlie spoke in my mind again: [“He has a knife in his pocket. Metallic smell, very new. Sharpened just yesterday. I can smell it.”] The metal bucket in my hand crashed to the ground with a clang. Every visitor in the area turned to look at me, including the man in the baseball cap. Three days ago, a serial disappearance case that shocked the entire nation had broken out in the city. Three young women had vanished within a week—no bodies, no trace of life. The task force had turned the entire city upside down without finding so much as a strand of hair. But now, I—a temporary worker at the zoo—had spotted the real culprit that even surveillance cameras couldn’t catch.

I took a deep breath, pulled out my cracked-screen burner phone from my pocket, and dialed 911. “Hello, I need to report something! I’m at the city zoo’s tiger pavilion. There’s someone here who might be the serial disappearance suspect.” After two seconds of silence, the operator’s voice came through with professional calm: “Please describe the situation in detail.” “Male, about five-foot-nine, wearing a gray baseball cap, black windbreaker, dark blue jeans, white sneakers. He has a knife in his pocket.” “How did you discover this?” I glanced at Charlie, who was licking his paws behind the glass, and forced out the words: “I saw the outline in his pocket.” It was a lie, but I couldn’t exactly say a tiger told me. “Understood, ma’am. Please don’t alert him. We’ll dispatch someone immediately! Keep your phone on.” After hanging up, I leaned against the iron door of the feed room, my heart pounding so hard it felt like it would jump out of my throat. My name is Samuelle. I’m twenty-four years old, an utterly ordinary temporary zoo worker. A month ago, I came down with a high fever—104.4 degrees. I lay in bed for three days. After the fever broke, this happened—I could hear what animals were thinking. I’d thought the biggest use for this ability would be helping tourists find their lost pet dogs for spare change. Never imagined my first real case would be reporting a murderer. I returned the metal bucket to the feed room and walked to the employee passage of the tiger pavilion, acting casual while secretly observing the man through the one-way glass. He was still there. Phone raised, he took two photos of Charlie, then slowly walked toward the exit. Charlie’s voice came again: [“He’s leaving. Always like this. Watches for a bit then leaves. Does he like watching me eat? No. He likes watching blood.”] I clenched my phone, staring at that retreating figure with only one thought in my mind. Don’t go. Don’t leave. The police will be here any second. But his footsteps didn’t stop. I bit my lip, rushed out from the employee passage, circled around to the visitor path, and followed him at a distance. He walked unhurriedly, even stopping briefly at the monkey mountain to watch for a few moments. The macaques in the monkey enclosure went wild, screeching as they fled behind the artificial mountain. An old monkey’s voice entered my mind: [“Danger. This human reeks of death. Stay away. Everyone stay away.”] My stomach clenched violently. Even the monkeys feared him. Just then, sirens wailed at the zoo entrance. Two police cars stopped at the entrance, and four uniformed officers strode in quickly. The man in the baseball cap paused for just a moment. Only a moment. Then he removed his cap, ruffled his hair, stuffed the cap in his pocket, changed direction, and headed for the side gate. I panicked and broke into a run. “That man!” I shouted toward the police. “Black windbreaker! He’s going to the side gate!” The officers reacted quickly. Two immediately ran toward the side gate. But the man was faster. As if he’d already scouted the route, he twisted through a couple turns and disappeared behind the park’s landscaping. By the time the police reached the side gate, they found only an empty pathway. He was gone. I stood there, feeling as if all the strength had been drained from my body. An older officer walked over and looked me up and down. “You made the report?” “Yes.” “You said that man is a suspect in the serial case. What’s your evidence?” I opened my mouth, realizing I had no way to explain. I couldn’t say a tiger told me he reeked of dead people’s blood. “I saw a knife in his pocket.” I repeated what I’d said on the phone. The officer frowned. “Having a knife in your pocket doesn’t prove anything. Plenty of people carry folding knives. Do you have any other observations?” “He always stares at the tiger eating meat whenever he comes.” I pushed forward with my improvisation. “And the times he’s come match up with when the disappearances happened. I’ve worked here over a month. He’s come at least four times.” The officer’s expression softened slightly. He pulled out a notepad and jotted down a few notes. “Can you describe his appearance?” “His cap was pulled down low. I only saw the lower half of his face. Sharp chin, pale skin, thin lips. There’s a scar on his left wrist—very thin, looks like an old wound.” These were details I’d desperately memorized while following him. The officer finished writing and handed me a business card. “If he appears again, contact us immediately. Don’t follow him yourself. It’s dangerous.” I took the card and nodded. After the police cars drove away, I stood alone in the empty park, my legs still shaking. Charlie’s voice drifted over from the distance, lazy: [“He got away? Shame. I wanted to smell him more. That scent was special—like he buries his prey somewhere very deep underground. Earthy smell, rotting smell, and disinfectant.”] Underground. Earth. Disinfectant. I burned those three words into my memory.

Three days after the police left, there was no news whatsoever. The news said the task force was still investigating with full effort, but there had been no breakthrough. A fourth woman had disappeared. Every day at work I was on edge. While feeding the animals, I nearly poured the monkey food into the crane enclosure. My supervisor Giovanni yelled at me twice: “Samuelle, where’s your head? Make another mistake and don’t bother coming back next month.” I apologized with a forced smile, but my mind kept circling back to the man in the baseball cap. He hadn’t returned to the zoo. On the fourth evening, passing by the back gate after work, I spotted a skeletal orange stray cat crouched by the entrance. It saw me and meowed, but the voice in its mind made me freeze in my tracks. [“That white van again. It passes down this road every night. There’s crying inside. A woman crying. Muffled, like her mouth is covered.”] I crouched down, my heart pounding. “Which road?” I whispered. The cat obviously couldn’t understand me. But its thoughts continued: [“The dead-end road out back. The van drives to the abandoned factory at the end and stops. Always around midnight. Always stays for about an hour. Then the van leaves and the crying stops.”] Abandoned factory. I knew that place. Behind the zoo was an old industrial area, abandoned for years, with half the walls collapsed. I stood up, legs trembling, but my mind was unusually clear. I pulled out my phone, found the police officer’s business card, and called. “Hello, Officer Clinton? This is Samuelle from the zoo. I have a new lead.” Clinton clearly paused. “What lead?” “The dead-end road behind the zoo. There’s an abandoned factory at the end. Recently, every night around midnight, a white van goes there, stays about an hour, then leaves.” “How do you know this?” “I get off work late. I’ve heard the commotion.” Another lie. Clinton was silent for a few seconds. “I’ve noted it. I’ll report it up the chain. Don’t go to that place yourself, understand?” “Understood.” After hanging up, I stood under the streetlight, staring at the dark abandoned factory area in the distance. Of course I wouldn’t go there myself. I’m not suicidal. But that night I couldn’t sleep. Lying on the hard board bed in my rental room, tossing and turning, my mind filled with everything Charlie had said. Earthy smell. Rotting smell. Disinfectant. Underground. The fourth missing girl was only nineteen years old. The news had shown her photo. Round face, ponytail, two dimples when she smiled. I closed my eyes, and that face floated in the darkness. The next morning, before I even reached the zoo, my phone rang with an unknown number. “Samuelle?” A male voice, deep, with an undeniable authoritative pressure. “Speaking. Who is this?” “Criminal Investigation Division. George. Regarding the lead you provided yesterday, I need you to come in.” The Criminal Investigation Division’s office building was older than I’d imagined. The hallways were plastered with wanted posters and anti-fraud flyers. Someone walking past looked at me curiously. I was led to an office at the end of the third floor. The door plate read “Major Crimes Unit.” Pushing the door open, a man stood facing a whiteboard, his back to me. The whiteboard was covered with photos, maps, and red connecting lines. He turned around. Very tall, broad shoulders, wearing a dark gray shirt with sleeves rolled to his forearms. Deep-set features, prominent brow bone, slightly sunken eye sockets. When his gaze landed on me, it felt like two knives. “Sit.” He pointed to a chair by the desk, then sat down himself and opened a file folder. “Samuelle. Twenty-four years old. Local resident. Associate degree. Currently employed as a temporary keeper at the city zoo. Last week, reported spotting a possible serial case suspect at the tiger pavilion. Failed to apprehend on scene. Yesterday, provided a lead about an abandoned factory.” He raised his eyes to look at me. “What’s your source?” “I get off work late. I heard it while passing by.” “From the zoo’s back gate to that dead-end road is an 800-meter walk. You take that route after work?” “It’s a shortcut.” “Your rental is in the east district. The zoo is in the west. Taking the back gate is the long way around.” I was stumped. George closed the file folder, leaned back in his chair, and stared at me. That gaze made me feel like I’d been stripped naked and thrown under a spotlight. “Samuelle, I don’t have time to dance around. Both leads you provided have value. First, the man at the tiger pavilion—we reviewed surveillance and confirmed he appeared near the zoo before and after all four incidents. Second, the abandoned factory—we sent people to stake it out last night. A white van did appear, but it turned around before entering the area.” He paused. “This tells us two things. First, your information is accurate. Second, the suspect may have already noticed someone’s paying attention. He’s cautious.” Cold sweat broke out on my back. “So I need to know,” George’s voice dropped half a tone, “exactly how you discovered these things. A temporary zoo worker with no investigation training background, yet you’ve provided consecutive valid leads. Either you’re a genius, or you have an information channel I don’t know about.” I sat in that hard chair, palms drenched with sweat. Tell the truth? Say I can understand what animals are thinking? He’d think I’m insane. Don’t tell the truth? He’s already caught me lying.

The silence lasted about ten seconds. George didn’t rush me. He just watched me like a leopard stalking prey—patient. Finally, I made a decision. “Captain George,” I said, “if I tell you something that sounds really absurd, can you not call a psychiatrist right away?” His eyebrow moved slightly. “Speak.” “I can understand what animals are saying.” The office went silent for a full five seconds. George’s expression didn’t change. No mockery, no surprise, not even confusion. He just stared at me, as if evaluating the credibility of intelligence. “Continue.” “At the tiger pavilion, the tiger told me. It said that man reeked of blood—another woman’s blood. Yesterday’s lead came from a stray cat by the zoo’s back gate. It sees that white van every night. There’s a woman crying inside.” When I finished, I felt like a defendant making a final statement in court. George was silent for a long time. Then he stood up, walked to the door, closed it, and came back to sit down. “This ability you’re describing—is there a way to verify it on the spot?” I froze, then nodded. “Any animal will do.” George picked up the radio on his desk. “Johnson, bring Paul to my office.” Less than two minutes later, the door opened. A young officer led a black Labrador inside. The dog’s tail started wagging like a propeller the moment it entered, nose pressed to the ground, sniffing everywhere. Its voice immediately flooded my mind: [“Captain George’s office! Smells like coffee! And that suspect’s shoe sole from yesterday—mud plus gasoline. Wait, who’s this woman? She smells like tigers. So cool.”] I couldn’t help the twitch at the corner of my mouth. “His name is Paul?” I asked. The young officer nodded. “Right. Drug detection dog. Three years old.” I looked at Paul. He was pawing at George’s pant leg. [“Captain George, do you have beef treats in your pocket? I smell them! Give me one, just one! I did great today. Found three targets at the training ground.”] I turned to George. “He says you have beef treats in your pocket and wants one. He says he did great today and found three targets at the training ground.” George’s hand paused. He actually reached into his pocket and pulled out a small sealed bag of beef treats. The young officer’s eyes went wide. “Captain George, since when do you carry snacks?” George ignored him, his gaze fixed on me. His expression had changed. No longer scrutiny, but something I couldn’t quite read. “Johnson, out. Leave Paul.” The bewildered young officer was shooed out. After the door closed, George tossed the bag of beef treats to Paul, then crossed his hands on the desk and looked at me. “Samuelle, I’m giving you two choices now.” “First, you walk out that door, go back to being a keeper, and we pretend today’s conversation never happened.” “Second, you stay as an investigative consultant and help me solve this case.” I looked into his eyes. Paul was crunching happily on beef treats beside us, his mind full of blissful fireworks. “Is there pay?” I asked. The corner of George’s mouth moved almost imperceptibly. “External consultant standard. Three hundred a day.” Three hundred a day. I made three thousand a month at the zoo. “I choose the second.” From that day on, my life completely changed. Daytime at the zoo working normally, evenings “overtime” at the Criminal Investigation Division. George arranged a temporary workstation for me in the corner of the Major Crimes office, next to a stack of old case files no one read. At first, everyone in Major Crimes looked at me like I was an exotic animal. An old detective named Patterson, fortyish, beer belly, voice loud enough to shatter glass. On the first day, right in front of everyone, he asked George: “Captain, who’s this girl? New intern? Doesn’t look like police academy.” George didn’t look up. “External consultant.” “Consultant?” Patterson looked me up and down. “Consulting on what? Feeding fish?” A few others suppressed laughter. I said nothing. George didn’t defend me either. That’s the kind of person he was. No explanations, no protection. He’d wait for me to prove myself. The chance to prove myself came quickly.

That evening, the task force held a briefing. The whiteboard displayed photos of four missing women, with dense timelines and location markers below. George stood in front of the whiteboard, voice cold and hard: “Current information. Four victims, ages nineteen to twenty-six, all living alone. Disappearances concentrated between 9 and 11 PM. Disappearance locations scattered across four different city districts with no obvious geographic pattern. Crimes committed in surveillance blind spots. No witnesses. No physical evidence.” He paused. “The only lead is a suspect description and possible hiding place provided by a citizen. But the suspect is already alert. No vehicles appeared at the abandoned factory last night.” Patterson leaned back in his chair, voice gruff. “Is that citizen’s lead reliable? Could be some internet sleuth who watches too many crime dramas.” I sat in the corner, head down, pretending to look at my phone. George’s gaze swept over, pausing on me for a moment, then moving on. “The lead has been preliminarily verified and has some credibility. But it’s not enough. We need more.” After the meeting ended, everyone dispersed. I still sat in the corner, unmoving. George walked over and placed a photo in front of me. The photo showed a street with several parked cars along the roadside. The image was blurry. “This is the only surveillance footage near the abandoned factory. White van. License plate obscured by mud. We can only see the last digit is a 7.” I stared at the photo, heart sinking. “Tomorrow,” George said, “go around the abandoned factory area.” “Didn’t you say it’s dangerous there?” “Go during the day. Take Paul.” He placed a leash on the desk. “See what the stray animals in that area can tell you.” I picked up the leash and nodded. The next day was my day off. Early in the morning, I set out with Paul. Paul was thrilled, his mind full of: [“Going out! Going out! Not a park but so many new smells! That tree over there—three cats peed on it, one dog peed on it, and a human male peed on it about three days ago.”] I dragged him forward wordlessly. The abandoned factory was about a kilometer behind the zoo, in an old industrial area. Half the walls had collapsed, weeds growing from cement cracks over six feet tall. In daylight it didn’t look scary, just desolate. I didn’t enter the grounds, just slowly walked along the perimeter road. Paul’s nose was pressed to the ground when he suddenly stopped. His tail stopped wagging. [“Blood. Old blood. Underground. Very deep. And disinfectant smell. Same smell as that suspect’s shoe soles in Captain George’s office that day.”] My feet felt nailed to the ground. “Where?” I whispered, though I knew he couldn’t understand. Paul walked a few steps toward the northeast corner of the factory area, then sat down and looked up at me. This was a drug detection dog’s alert posture. I memorized the location and quickly led Paul away. Only when we reached the road outside the factory did I dare pull out my phone and message George. “Northeast corner of factory area. Underground. Paul reacted.” The reply was almost instant: “Received. Don’t approach again. Come back.” I led Paul back. Passing a small alley, a three-legged black cat crouched at the entrance. Seeing Paul, it arched its back and hissed. Its voice entered my mind, sharp and thin: [“Get lost, dog. This is my territory. That human who drives here at midnight is annoying enough. Now a dog too.”] I stopped. [“That human always brings a big bag. Very heavy, carries it on his shoulder. Has the bag going in, nothing coming out. The smell underground is getting stronger. I don’t even dare catch rats over there anymore.”] I crouched down, pretending to tie my shoe, actually frantically memorizing every detail. Big bag. Carries it in, comes out empty-handed. The smell underground is getting stronger. When I stood up, my legs were weak.

That afternoon, I returned to the Criminal Investigation Division and told George everything. After listening, he was silent for a long time, then picked up the phone: “Notify the tech team. Prepare underground detection equipment. Operation at dawn tomorrow.” Hanging up, he looked at me. “You’re staying at the station tonight. Don’t go anywhere.” “Why?” “If that person really noticed someone’s paying attention to the abandoned factory, he might want to know who. You’ve filed a police report and appeared in that area.” My blood went cold. George saw my fear and, rarely, added a sentence: “Major Crimes has a duty room. Sleep there tonight.” That night, lying on the hard cot in the duty room, listening to occasional footsteps in the hallway, I didn’t sleep a wink. At 4 AM, urgent footsteps and lowered voices suddenly echoed in the hallway. I bolted upright and pushed open the door. In the hallway, George was striding out, wearing a bulletproof vest with a gun at his waist. Seeing me, his steps didn’t slow. “Go back to sleep.” “Did you find it?” He didn’t answer. He’d already disappeared at the stairwell. I stood in the hallway, wrapped in that thin blanket, and waited for four hours. At 8 AM, the Major Crimes team gradually returned. Everyone’s face looked terrible. When Patterson passed me, that usually carefree face showed no expression. He walked into the office, threw his bulletproof vest on the desk, sat down, and covered his face with both hands. I stood in the doorway, not daring to enter. Half an hour later, George returned. His shirt was stained with dirt, his face ashen. Walking to the whiteboard, he removed the four photos of the missing women one by one and moved them to the other side of the board. Then he picked up a red marker and wrote “DECEASED” under each photo. Four people. All killed. The bodies were buried in the basement at the northeast corner of the abandoned factory. I leaned against the doorframe, stomach churning. George turned around, saw me, and walked over. He stood in front of me, looking down, eyes bloodshot. “Your lead was correct.” His voice was hoarse as sandpaper. “Basement. Four bodies. Times of death match the disappearance times. However.” He paused. “We didn’t catch him. No suspect in the factory. No van appeared. The scene was cleaned. Almost no usable trace evidence left.” My heart sank to the bottom. “He knew we were coming?” “Very likely.” George’s jaw tightened. “He’s more cautious than we imagined. The only thing recovered from the scene was a footprint. Size ten running shoe, matches the white sneakers you described. But it’s not enough.” He looked at me, gaze heavy. “Samuelle, this case is much harder than we anticipated.” The following week, the task force hit a dead end. The suspect seemed to have evaporated. Never appeared at the zoo again. No activity around the abandoned factory either. Surveillance, canvassing, screening—all conventional methods were used. Nothing. That man in the baseball cap had dissolved like a drop of water into the ocean. Every day I went to the zoo as usual, then sat at the Criminal Investigation Division after work. But without new leads, I was just furniture. Patterson’s attitude toward me shifted from initial dismissal to a strange courtesy. He no longer mocked me to my face, but he didn’t talk to me either. Once, getting water in the break room, I heard him quietly telling another colleague: “That girl, uncanny. She said there’s something underground, and there really was. Where did Captain George even find her?” The colleague asked: “What’s her background really?” Patterson shook his head. “Don’t know. Captain George won’t say. Who dares ask?” I retreated to my corner with my water cup. On the eighth day, a breakthrough came. Not from an animal, but from a person. That afternoon, I was cleaning the aviary at the zoo. The aviary housed dozens of parrots, mynahs, and thrushes. Usually noisy as hell, their minds full of “food,” “that female bird is pretty,” “I want out”—that sort of nonsense. But that day, a gray African Grey parrot suddenly went quiet, tilting its head and staring outside the aviary. Its thoughts were much clearer than other birds: [“That person’s back. Last time he came, he stood here and made a phone call. He said, ‘Move the stuff to the old place, under the third bridge opening by the river.’ I remembered because his voice is ugly, like a crow.”] The broom in my hand nearly fell. I followed the parrot’s line of sight. On the path outside the aviary, a man was walking leisurely past. Not the baseball cap man. This person wore a checkered shirt, glasses, slightly overweight—looked like an ordinary middle-aged office worker. But the parrot said he’d made a phone call here last time. “Move the stuff to the old place, under the third bridge opening by the river.” I put down the broom, pretended to take out trash, and followed the checkered shirt man at a distance. He stopped in front of the monkey mountain, pulled out his phone, and dialed a number. I couldn’t get close enough to hear what he said. But the old monkey in the monkey enclosure could. [“This human is talking. He says, ‘Is it clean?’ Can’t hear what the other side said. Then he says, ‘Good, I’ve already chosen the next target. Lives near the zoo.’”] My blood froze. The next target lives near the zoo. I turned and walked away, practically running back to the feed room, pulling out my phone to call George. “Captain George, new development. The suspect might not be working alone. There’s an accomplice.”

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I have a rare RH-negative blood type. After becoming an adult, I used my blood to save 99 families. But this time when the hospital sent me a distress message, I refused. Just because when I was six years old, my mother committed suicide because my father had an affair. A medium told me that for my mother’s soul to find peace, a blood relative must complete 100 good deeds. So after becoming an adult, I joined the blood donation volunteers, all for my mother. Over these twenty years, I’ve saved young mothers hemorrhaging from difficult births, saved construction workers with steel rods piercing their chests, and saved little girls with relapsed leukemia… No matter how late the hospital called, I would always rush there immediately. This time, the hospital called me again. The patient had a sudden massive brain hemorrhage. In this city, I was the only one who could provide RH-negative blood. I looked at the patient information the hospital sent to my phone. Even though we hadn’t seen each other in years, I still recognized the familiar features in the photo. My chest felt suffocated and painful. I suddenly remembered the image of my mother dying with her eyes open. Taking a breath, I pressed reply to the message: “Find someone else. I’m not feeling well.”

Less than half a minute after I sent the message, my phone rang. The caller ID showed it was the director of the blood department at City Central Hospital. I pressed the answer button and put it on speakerphone. “Miss Antoine, please, I’m begging you. The patient really can’t wait!” The director’s voice on the other end was extremely anxious. “That child is only six years old. The brain hemorrhage is very serious. Surgery must be performed within eight hours.” “We’ve checked all the blood banks in the city. Only your RH-negative blood can save a life.” I stared at my mother’s photo on the table. My tone was calm, without any emotion. “Director, I told you, I’m not feeling well.” “If you’re not feeling well, we can send a private car to pick you up. We can give you a comprehensive examination first!” “Miss Antoine, this is a human life. You’re the most caring volunteer in our state. You can’t just watch someone die!” I laughed coldly. “Being a volunteer means I have the right to refuse at any time.” “I don’t owe you anything, and I certainly don’t owe that child anything.” After saying this, I hung up directly and pressed the power button. The room instantly became quiet. I looked at my mother’s gentle face in the photo, my fingers clenched tightly into fists. Just one more good deed, and my mother could find peace. But this hundredth good deed, I would absolutely never do for my enemy’s son. But I was thinking too simply. Less than ten minutes later, my backup work phone suddenly lit up. Only a few important clients and the community manager knew this phone number. I looked at the unknown number on the screen and pressed answer. “Is this Miss Antoine?” The male voice on the other end was extremely anxious and accusatory. “I’m a reporter from the state TV station. The entire internet is looking for you right now.” “The six-year-old boy with brain hemorrhage at City Central Hospital—why won’t you save him?” “Do you know your behavior is equivalent to murder?” I gripped my phone tightly, my eyes completely cold. “Murder?” “By your logic, that child’s biological parents murdered someone twenty years ago. Why don’t you investigate that?” I hung up directly and blocked the number. I opened my tablet next to me and clicked on the local news live stream. On the screen was the scene outside the emergency room at City Central Hospital. A well-dressed woman was kneeling on the floor outside the emergency room door, crying hysterically. “Please everyone, help me! Help me find that volunteer!” “As long as she’s willing to donate blood to save my son, I’ll kowtow to her!” I stared at that face on the screen. Even if she turned to ash, I would recognize her. Garcia. In the footage, a middle-aged man in a suit walked into frame. He bent down to help Garcia up, facing the reporter’s camera with a face full of indignation. “I don’t understand what this volunteer is thinking.” “The hospital said she’s donated blood for free ninety-nine times, so why won’t she save my son?” “If it’s about money, I can give her one million, ten million!” Gabriel spoke through gritted teeth to the camera. “A six-year-old child is lying inside waiting for his life to be saved. How can she be so selfish?” “I hope all the netizens can help me find this person.” “I want to ask her to her face if her conscience has been eaten by dogs!” The comments in the live stream instantly exploded. “This volunteer is disgusting!” “The ninety-nine times must be fake data. When it comes to the real thing, she shrinks back!” “Doxx her! Force her to donate blood!” “Right, we can’t let this cold-blooded animal get away with this!” I watched the screen full of vicious cursing, a cold smile appearing at the corner of my mouth. I’m selfish? I’m cold-blooded? For my mother’s reincarnation, I saved ninety-nine complete strangers who had nothing to do with me. But this family alone absolutely doesn’t deserve my blood.

Suddenly, violent pounding came from the door. I walked to the entrance and looked through the peephole. It was my fiancé, Jordan. He looked anxious, his suit jacket wrinkled from running. I opened the door, and he grabbed my shoulders, gripping so hard it hurt. “Antoine, what the hell are you doing?” “The whole internet is tracking down that RH-negative blood volunteer’s IP.” “Other people don’t know, but I know that blood type and donation record is you!” He frowned tightly, his eyes full of confusion and anger. “You usually save even stray cats. Why are you refusing to save a child now?” I coldly pushed his hands away. He had no idea about my past family affairs. He only knew I was a good person who loved doing charitable deeds. “I won’t save him. Jordan, mind your own business.” His eyes widened in disbelief. “That’s a human life!” “Didn’t you always say you wanted to accumulate blessings for your deceased mother?” “If you refuse to save someone now, can your mother’s spirit rest in peace?” Enraged, I slapped him across the face. “If I save him, then I won’t be worthy of seeing my mother!” “Get out.” Jordan covered his face, looking at me in shock. “Antoine, you’ve gone crazy.” “You’re going to drown in society’s criticism!” He turned abruptly and left, slamming the door hard. The room fell silent again. Just then, my tablet emitted a series of notification sounds—a video call request from a social media app. The caller was the largest local media account. I knew they had used hacking methods to lock onto my backend account. I could have just turned it off. But I didn’t. I wanted to see with my own eyes the desperate looks on those murderers’ faces. I turned off the camera and accepted the audio-video call. The screen split in two. One half was completely black, the other half showed the scene outside the emergency room. The reporter immediately handed the phone to Gabriel. “Volunteer, can you hear us now?” The reporter’s voice carried a hint of threat. “Millions of people across the internet are watching this live stream. Please give an explanation.” Gabriel snatched the phone, his face almost pressed against the camera. “I’m Gabriel, chairman of Gabriel Corporation. Come to City Central Hospital right now.” “Whatever conditions you have, I’ll agree to all of them.” “But if you dare make my son miss the eight-hour surgical window, I’ll make sure you can’t survive in this city!” Looking at this man who shared the same blood flowing through his veins as me, I laughed outright. “Mr. Gabriel, is this your attitude when asking for help?” Garcia suddenly pushed into the frame. Her hair was disheveled, her eyes swollen like walnuts. “Volunteer, please don’t listen to him. He’s just too anxious!” “I’m a mother. I’m kneeling before you!” “My child is only six years old. He’s so well-behaved and obedient.” “You can take my life if you want. Please save him!” I looked at her coldly. Twenty years ago, she also wore this pitiful appearance, begging my mother to let them be together. And Gabriel stood beside her, accusing my mother of being unreasonable. That night, my mother jumped from the eighteenth floor. Thinking of this, I spoke emotionlessly. “Karma always comes.”

The live stream comments momentarily froze. Garcia’s face instantly turned deathly pale. “What do you mean? Are you some kind of psycho taking revenge on society?” “My son has never hurt anyone. What did he do wrong!” Gabriel also completely exploded in rage. “You vicious woman!” “You’re using my son’s life to extort us, aren’t you?” “I’m telling you, if you don’t come today, I will dig you out and tear you to pieces!” I continued typing. “Your son’s life is worthless in my eyes.” “Save your money to buy him a coffin.” I disconnected directly. The internet completely crashed. #Cold-blooded Volunteer Curses Sick Child# #Gabriel Corporation Heir in Critical Condition# #Citywide Search for RH-Negative Blood Volunteer# These topics instantly dominated all trending lists. The netizens’ anger reached its peak. My work phone began to flood with text messages. All were death threats from unknown numbers. “Die a terrible death, bitch!” “I’ve already found your approximate address. You’re dead!” “This kind of person doesn’t deserve to live. The police should just forcibly extract her blood!” I sat in the dim room, quietly looking at my mother’s face in the photo. “Mom, do you see?” “The people who killed you are about to experience the taste of losing a loved one too.” At this moment, there were less than four hours left before that child would be brain dead. The director of City Central Hospital sent me another long text message. “Miss Antoine, the child’s heart rate has already begun to drop.” “Mr. Gabriel guarantees he absolutely won’t hold you accountable for what you said in the live stream.” “We’ve already arranged the best car and bodyguards to pick you up.” “Even if it’s for your own reputation, please come forward.” I finished reading the message and casually deleted it. I stood up and walked to the closet. Since they wanted to see me so badly, and the entire city was seeking justice for them. Then I would personally make a trip to the hospital. I wanted to stand outside the emergency room and watch that child take his last breath with my own eyes. Pushing open the door to the emergency room floor at City Central Hospital, the corridor was already packed with people. Everywhere were internet celebrities holding up phones live streaming, and reporters from various media outlets. Seeing me appear, camera flashes instantly lit up like a sea. Gabriel and Garcia immediately pushed through the crowd, desperately rushing toward me. So many years had passed, my features had long since matured. Plus I’d maintained a cold expression for years, my temperament had changed dramatically. Gabriel’s eyes were completely red. He only looked at the volunteer badge on my chest, not carefully examining my face at all. In fact, if he had been slightly calmer and looked carefully. He could have completely recognized from my current features his once most-despised daughter. “Volunteer, you finally came!” Gabriel excitedly reached out to grab me. I stepped aside, looking at him with utter disgust. “Mr. Gabriel, speak plainly.” Gabriel glanced at the dense cameras around us and lowered his voice. “It’s too chaotic here. Let’s go to the director’s office to talk privately.” I stood in place, coldly refusing. “Let’s talk right here.” “Didn’t you want the whole internet to cyberbully me?” “Then let’s livestream to the whole internet now and talk in front of everyone.” Gabriel’s face stiffened, a flash of displeasure in his eyes. But for the sake of his son in the emergency room, he could only forcibly swallow his anger. He waved at his assistant, and cameras from all the major media outlets instantly aimed at us. “Volunteer, whatever conditions you have, just name them.” Gabriel suppressed his anger, putting on the airs of a superior boss. “As long as you go in and donate blood to save my son right now, you can name any condition.” Just then, Garcia suddenly rushed out and fell to her knees in front of me with a thud. “Please, I’m begging you, save Nelson!” “Gabriel and I have been married for twenty years. We only had this one child!” “He’s only six years old. He can’t die!” I looked at her pretentious face, feeling nothing but disgust. Twenty years? The timing was perfect—exactly the year she forced my mother to death. I laughed coldly. “Married twenty years before having one son?” “Haven’t you two considered that maybe you’ve done too many immoral things and received karma?”

As soon as I said this, the entire corridor gasped. Garcia jerked her head up, looking at me in shock. Gabriel completely lost his temper, pointing at my nose and cursing. “How can you be so vicious!” “My child is only six years old, and you’re cursing a child!” The nearby reporters also raised their microphones toward me, and the live stream comments scrolled even more frantically. “This woman is crazy!” “If she doesn’t want to save him, just say so. Why curse people to have no descendants?” “No manners at all. How is this kind of person qualified to be a volunteer!” Just then, the emergency room door opened, and the lead surgeon rushed out in a hurry. “Mr. Gabriel, the patient’s blood pressure is dropping fast!” “If the volunteer doesn’t donate blood soon, it’ll be completely hopeless!” Gabriel was so anxious his head was covered in sweat. He could no longer maintain his image. He gritted his teeth, staring at me intently. “How much money do you want exactly?” “Ten million? Fifty million? Or a hundred million!” “Just nod, and the money will be transferred to your account immediately!” I looked at the indignant reporters outside, then at the live stream frantically cursing me for being shameless about money. I couldn’t help but laugh out loud. The whole internet was curious about what I wanted. “Gabriel, if I wanted money, those 99 families I saved would have made me the richest person already.” Gabriel froze. The comments across the internet also instantly stopped. Everyone looked at me, wanting to know what I really wanted. “Then what exactly do you want?” Gabriel’s voice trembled. I put away my smile, my eyes completely cold. I turned around and pointed at the window at the end of the corridor. “For me to save him, sure.” “But I only have one condition.” I stared at the two of them intently. “You two, right now, hold hands and jump together from this eighteenth floor.” “Trade both your lives for your son’s life.” “Are you willing?” The entire venue fell completely silent. After a brief silence, the whole place exploded. Reporters frantically pressed their shutters, and violent cursing erupted from the crowd. “You’re an absolute lunatic!” “This is intentional murder. Call the police and arrest her!” Gabriel was shaking with rage, his pointing finger trembling. “What kind of psycho are you!” “Do we have a grudge against you?” “What deep hatred do you have that you must force our whole family to death!” Garcia had completely collapsed on the floor, pointing at me and screaming. “You have no heart! You’re not even human!” I looked down at them condescendingly, a cruel smile appearing at the corner of my mouth. “Deep hatred?” “Yes, exactly that—deep hatred.” “As long as you meet one person, you’ll know exactly what grudge we have.” Gabriel laughed in extreme anger, shouting loudly. “Fine!” “Bring that person here!” “I’ve done business honorably my whole life. I’ve absolutely never wronged anyone!” He patted his chest, brazenly making claims in front of the whole internet. Some people in the live stream comments also chimed in, saying Gabriel Corporation did charity every year. I looked at his hypocritical appearance and felt nothing but disgust. “What honorable business, never wronged anyone.” I looked at him coldly. Then slowly placed my hand on the zipper of my black jacket. Under the gaze of all the cameras and millions of netizens. I yanked open the zipper of my jacket. The jacket fell open, revealing the white T-shirt inside with a huge photo printed on it. The woman in the photo was gentle and beautiful—it was my mother’s appearance from twenty years ago, before her death. Gabriel’s gaze fell on the photo, and all the color drained from his face.

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During the school fitness test, Joanna, the billionaire’s daughter, suddenly collapsed. Peyton, the cheerleading captain, held up her phone, her voice trembling with excitement. “Everyone stay calm! Nobody call 911!” She frantically tapped her screen, shoving the AI app’s Q&A page in everyone’s faces. “It’s the AI era—everyone can be a doctor now.” “Her dad’s a billionaire! If we save her, the reward will be at least a million dollars.” “Why let the hospital make this money when we can take it ourselves!” In my past life, I snatched the phone away and called 911, pointing at her nose and yelling that AI couldn’t replace doctors—who would take responsibility if something went wrong? The ambulance arrived quickly, and Joanna survived. The billionaire was overwhelmed with gratitude and immediately adopted me as his goddaughter. But Peyton was expelled because of this. Her parents both lost their jobs. Unable to handle the blow, she jumped into the river and killed herself. My boyfriend cornered me on the rooftop, cursing me for being a busybody. “If it weren’t for you, Peyton wouldn’t have died!” He wrapped his hands around my neck and pushed me off. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day of the fitness test. This time, I’m going to watch Peyton dig her own grave!

After hearing Peyton’s words, the whole class erupted. “Peyton, are you serious?” “If we save Joanna, will her dad Joshua really give us a million dollars?” Peyton held up her phone, her voice cracking with excitement. “Would I lie about this?!” “I did my research. The doctor who operated on Joanna a couple years ago was just a salaried employee. This year he suddenly bought a penthouse downtown worth nine million!” “What does that tell you?” “If we save Joanna, Joshua definitely won’t be stingy. We’re about to get rich!” “But… is AI really reliable?” someone hesitated. Peyton snorted coldly. “Why wouldn’t it be?” “When you have a headache or fever, who doesn’t ask AI first?” “Besides, you think doctors are so great? Videos have exposed them—when doctors face tough cases, they also ask AI software.” “It’s the AI era. Everyone can be a doctor. Why let the hospital make this money when we can take it ourselves!” Hearing this, I almost laughed from anger. AI isn’t a doctor. It doesn’t have medical qualifications, and sometimes its treatment plans are complete nonsense. If something goes wrong during the procedure, it could cause a disaster. In my past life, I repeatedly explained this to my classmates. Joanna was having a heart attack and urgently needed to be sent to the hospital for emergency treatment. But they were stubborn, and instead questioned whether I was trying to sabotage everyone’s chance to get rich. Finally, in a fit of anger, I grabbed the phone and called 911, which saved Joanna’s life. This life, I don’t want to explain anymore. If they insist on digging their own graves, then I’ll let them! I want to see if they can handle Joshua’s fury when things go wrong. While I was deep in thought, my roommate Lena came over. “Paige, that’s a million dollars! Are we about to get rich?” In my past life, when Joshua found out Joanna had nearly been denied treatment, he was furious and wanted to hold the entire class accountable. I knelt down and begged him to spare everyone. But later, when Mason led people to corner me on the rooftop to avenge Peyton, Lena was the first to rush out and kick me hard. “Paige, if it weren’t for you, I’d already be rich! You ruined my life!” The excruciating pain of falling from the rooftop seemed to resurface. I clenched my teeth and balled my fists tightly. “AI isn’t reliable. I’d advise you not to delude yourself.” At that moment, Peyton had already opened the AI app and quickly typed a line: [Sudden heart attack, how to treat?] While operating, she lowered her voice to instruct everyone. “Nobody breathe a word of this to anyone. If it works, we’ll split the money evenly.” “To prevent anyone from sneaking out to call an ambulance, we’ll watch each other. I’m going to call roll now. Answer when your name is called.” “Mason.” “Here.” “Lena.” “Here.” … As one name after another came out of her mouth, I couldn’t listen anymore and turned to leave. Behind me came Peyton’s shrill shout. “Paige! Where are you going? You’re not planning to snitch and keep all the money for yourself, are you?” I frowned, about to answer, when my boyfriend Mason’s face darkened and he shouted angrily. “Paige, how can you be so selfish? Peyton knows to share the money with everyone, unlike you—you’re such a selfish person. No wonder nobody likes you!” In my past life, it was him who pushed me off the rooftop with his own hands. He also rallied all the classmates to give false testimony to the police, saying I committed suicide because I couldn’t handle academic pressure. Looking at that face before me, I suppressed my hatred and spoke coldly. “Fine, then let’s break up. I find you disgusting too!” After saying that, I turned around, preparing to leave. But someone grabbed my wrist.

I turned around. Peyton looked at me with red eyes, her face full of grievance. “Paige, I know you don’t like me, but you can’t hurt everyone.” I frowned, not understanding what she meant. Peyton pointed at the classmates behind her and said, “Daniel—his dad has cancer. To raise the 20,000 dollars for surgery, his mom runs a breakfast stand, working from dawn to dusk every day.” “Fiona—her family is on welfare. Her dad said there’s no money for tuition and plans to make her drop out next semester to work.” “And Lena—her family favors sons over daughters. She earns her own tuition. If she had this money, she’d be set for all four years of college.” … Getting emotional, Peyton shed tears. “Paige, if you don’t like me, that’s fine.” “But they’re different. Their families are really struggling and need this money to get through hard times.” “Can’t you just be kind and share this life-saving opportunity to get rich with everyone? Please?” Before I could say anything, the surrounding classmates angrily surrounded me, pointing and criticizing. “Paige, how can you be so selfish?” “No wonder Mason is disgusted by you. I’d dump you too.” “Exactly! A selfish, heartless woman like you doesn’t deserve to be our classmate!” I almost laughed from anger. For money, they delayed Joanna’s emergency treatment, and they still had the nerve to call me selfish? At this moment, Joanna’s face had lost all color. She clutched her chest, her lips purple, her voice hoarse as she called out, “Help… help me…” My heart sank. Because of heavy rain, this fitness test had been temporarily moved indoors to the badminton hall. The teacher had just left for something. And before entering, I’d put my bag in the storage locker outside—I’d have to go out to make a call. This meant that in the vast badminton hall, I couldn’t find anyone to help. But Joanna was having a heart attack. She couldn’t hold on much longer. Looking at Joanna curled up in pain, I realized she was innocent. Why should she lose her life because of these people’s greed? At this thought, I gritted my teeth, rushed to Joanna’s side, quickly helped her lie flat on the ground, and anxiously shouted, “Joanna, where’s your medication?” “Your heart attack medication—where did you put it? I’ll get it right away!” Joanna’s lips trembled as she struggled to squeeze out a few words. “In… in the storage locker by the gym entrance… white bottle…” Before she could finish, her eyes closed and she passed out. I didn’t have time to think. I immediately stood up and rushed toward the door. But just as I reached the entrance, Mason blocked my way. “No way! Peyton said you can’t leave.” “Who knows if you’re going out to get medicine or to tip someone off.” I almost thought I’d heard wrong. “Mason, are you insane?” I stared at him intensely, trembling all over with urgency. “Can’t you see Joanna’s face is completely white? She’s already passed out and can’t hold on much longer!” “She needs her medication, or she’ll really die!” Mason frowned slightly. His scrutinizing gaze swept back and forth between the collapsed Joanna and me, as if assessing whether I was lying. Just as he hesitated, Peyton’s voice came from behind. “Paige, what’s the rush?” She walked over slowly, arms crossed, speaking unhurriedly. “Didn’t I tell you? With the AI app, everyone can be a doctor.” “Not just minor illnesses like Joanna’s—even if someone’s heart stops, it can provide a plan to revive them!” Hearing this, everyone exclaimed in shock. “Really? That amazing?” “Then why even go to hospitals when you’re sick? Just ask AI.” “Exactly! Let’s just use AI for medical care from now on. It saves money and avoids getting scammed by hospitals.” “She’s the cheerleading captain for a reason—she knows way more than us.” Listening to everyone’s flattery, Peyton raised her chin and looked at me smugly. I trembled with anger. She kept claiming AI could save lives. But from when Joanna collapsed until now, she hadn’t taken any action or performed CPR. Looking at Joanna lying unconscious with purple lips, I stomped my foot in frustration. Just as I was on the verge of despair, not knowing what to do, suddenly a familiar voice came from behind. “What are you all doing here?”

I whipped my head around. The PE teacher stood at the door, looking over with a confused expression. My eyes lit up, and I was about to explain when Mason spoke first. “Coach, during the fitness test, we discovered Paige falsifying her data.” “After being caught red-handed, she refused to admit it and is arguing here.” As he spoke, he pinched my lower back and leaned close to my ear, threatening in a low voice, “Paige, you’d better know what’s good for you.” “If you expose this and ruin everyone’s dream of getting rich, I’ll never forgive you!” A chill ran up my spine. I stood frozen, mouth opening and closing, unable to say a word. Sure enough, after hearing Mason’s explanation, the PE teacher looked at me with a flash of disgust in his eyes. “You’re Paige, right? Your fitness test score is canceled. You’ll have to retake it next semester.” He coldly announced the result, then turned to Mason with a gentler tone. “Class monitor, I need to step out for something. Keep an eye on everyone and put the data on my desk after class.” Mason nodded. “Don’t worry, Coach.” Watching the teacher’s departing figure, I closed my eyes in despair. But it wasn’t over yet. At that moment, Peyton looked at me coldly and said in a voice loud enough for everyone to hear, “Paige, looks like you haven’t given up.” “You were trying to snitch just now, weren’t you? You’re stuck in the mud yourself—why are you trying to stop us from getting rich?” “You’re so selfish and vicious!” “Everyone, don’t you think she deserves to be taught a lesson?” Soon, classmates surrounded me. I frowned and slowly backed away. “This is school. There are cameras everywhere.” “If you touch me, aren’t you afraid of disciplinary action?” “Disciplinary action?” Peyton couldn’t help but laugh. “Once we have money, who cares about some disciplinary action?” “Besides, we’re Joanna’s lifesavers. When the time comes, we’ll have Joshua handle it. Disciplinary action? That’ll be cancelled in a heartbeat.” As everyone gradually closed in, I was backed into a corner. Just as I looked around searching for a way out, suddenly I caught sight of something on Joanna’s wrist. If I remembered correctly, it was the latest sports watch from C brand. Last time I was shopping, the sales associate specifically explained that this watch had an emergency call function. As the billionaire’s daughter, Joanna had layers of bodyguard protection when she enrolled. Her watch couldn’t possibly lack special settings. At this thought, I took a deep breath, pushed past the people in front of me, and ran toward Joanna. “Stop her!” Peyton’s shrill shout rang in my ears. I didn’t care. I rushed to Joanna’s side and pressed the emergency button. The next second, the screen lit up. It connected. Before I could speak, a rough force came from behind. Several male classmates’ hands gripped my shoulders tightly. I struggled desperately but was pressed face-down on the ground. “Still trying to run?” Peyton’s voice came from above. “Paige, it’s one thing for you to wallow in failure, but why are you blocking us from getting rich?” “For someone as vicious as you, if we don’t teach you a lesson, you’ll never learn!” She lifted her foot and stomped hard on the back of my hand. The piercing pain made my whole body shudder. “You still want to snitch, don’t you?” She bent down, a smile on her face but coldness in her eyes. “Everyone, Paige almost ruined our path to wealth. What do you say—how should we punish her?” Lena was the first to raise her hand. “Just make it so she can’t talk, right?” Peyton’s eyes brightened, and the corners of her mouth lifted. “Then I’ll leave it to you, Lena.” Lena agreed and walked in front of me, looking down from above. “Paige, I’m sorry, but blocking someone’s path to wealth is like killing their parents. You brought this on yourself.” Just as she raised her hand, suddenly an exclamation rang out. “Look! Joanna’s heart stopped!”

Everyone turned their heads simultaneously. Peyton, who had been so smug just moments ago, instantly paled. She pulled out her phone, trying to appear calm. “Everyone don’t panic… this is normal for a heart attack!” “The AI app says if someone falls unconscious, you can do CPR and they’ll recover quickly.” Then she looked at Mason behind her, her voice urgent. “Mason, I’ll give instructions, you do the CPR.” “I’ll perfectly capture you working hard to save someone, and then we’ll go claim credit from Joshua.” Mason nodded after hearing this, then followed her prompts and began operating on the spot. But Peyton wasn’t a medical student. She’d never learned first aid or received training. She couldn’t even find the correct position for CPR before having someone press down hard. Suddenly, there was a “crack.” Everyone’s faces changed. “Peyton, are you sure it’s this spot? Why was there a cracking sound?” Peyton’s face was deathly pale, but she still gritted her teeth stubbornly. “That’s right, one-third down the sternum—the AI app says this is the standard position for CPR.” “Maybe you used too much force… be gentler.” Mason didn’t doubt her and continued pressing down. Just then, urgent footsteps came from outside the door. Before anyone could react, the door was slammed open and Joshua rushed in with bodyguards. “Who dares hurt my daughter?” Peyton’s face changed dramatically. She pointed at me lying on the ground, her voice shrill as she shouted, “It was Paige! She’s the one who killed Joanna!”

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My father has severe face blindness. Forty years ago, someone drugged my father, and he spent the night with my mother. But he couldn’t tell them apart—he married the mistress who took my mother’s place. Later, my father and the mistress became high society’s model couple. Meanwhile, my mother was slut-shamed for being pregnant out of wedlock and never married. Forty years passed. Thanks to my exceptional beauty and talent, I married into the Caldwell family—the wealthiest family in New York—and gave birth to an heir. The day my son brought his girlfriend home, I froze. Looking at her face—three parts similar to my father’s—and learning her name, I knew immediately: she was my father’s granddaughter. She wants to marry my son? In her dreams. “Mom, this is Rayna. My girlfriend. I brought her home to meet you.” I shifted my gaze to Rayna Smith. She was undeniably beautiful, radiating the delicate air of someone raised in luxury. She held a gift in both hands, offering it to me with a sweet voice: “Hello, Mrs. Caldwell. This is a gift I brought for you.” I didn’t take it. The living room fell silent. Adrian looked at me, then at her, calling softly: “Mom?” I didn’t look at him, only saying: “Adrian, go upstairs. I want to talk with Miss Smith privately.” He hesitated, then nodded. “Okay.” Only Rayna Smith and I remained in the living room. The moment Adrian left, the sweet smile on Rayna’s face vanished completely. She tossed the gift onto the table and looked me up and down without courtesy. “Mrs. Caldwell.” She spoke, her voice the same but her tone dripping with superiority. “You sent your son away to lecture me?” I said nothing. “Fine, let’s lay our cards on the table.” “I’ve heard about you. You’re from out of town, no background, married into the wealthiest Caldwell family purely by luck.” “I know your type—women without background who can’t stand seeing someone like me with good breeding. You’re afraid I’ll marry in and steal your spotlight, right?” “You know perfectly well that the only thing you have going for you is that face. Unfortunately, faces age.” Rayna’s gaze held a condescending scrutiny. “But I’m different.” “My grandfather, Richard Smith, is a billionaire in New York. I attended the best private schools and moved in New York’s top socialite circles.” She paused, as if giving me time to digest this information. “Mrs. Caldwell, I’ve looked into you. You have no family. Your parents are long gone.” “Someone with your background could only marry into the wealthiest Caldwell family because Mr. Caldwell liked you. But how long does a man’s affection last?” “You’re forty now, right? In a few years when age catches up with you, what will you have to compete with those young girls?” “But I’m different. I have the Smith family behind me. Even if things don’t work out with Adrian, I’m still a Smith family granddaughter. No one dares touch me.” “And you? Without the Caldwell family, what do you have left?” She looked at me like I was pitiful. “Mrs. Caldwell, be smart. If I really want to marry into the Caldwell family, you can’t stop me.” “Rather than making things ugly, give me this favor now. After I marry in, I’ll still show you some respect.”

My expression didn’t change. I set my teacup on the table with a crisp sound. “Are you finished?” Her smile froze. I looked at her. “You say you’re the Smith family’s beloved granddaughter—do you know how your grandmother married into the Smith family?” Rayna frowned. “What do you mean?” I smiled. “You want to enter the Caldwell family?” “Dream on.” Rayna shot to her feet. “Mrs. Caldwell, you’d better think carefully. After how you treated me today, when I marry in, we won’t have a good mother-in-law and daughter-in-law relationship!” I laughed coldly. “Don’t worry. As long as I’m here, you’ll never marry into the Caldwell family.” She grabbed her bag from the table and turned to leave. “You’ll regret this!” Regret? The biggest regret of my life was not tearing these people’s masks off for my mother to see while she was still alive. Now she can’t see it. That’s okay. I’ll do it for her to see. The next day, the housekeeper came to report: “Mrs. Caldwell, someone from the Smith family is here.” I set down my book. The housekeeper led in a woman. Vivian Smith—the mistress who took my mother’s place all those years ago, now the matriarch of the Smith family. She wore a blue gown with pearl earrings, the picture of luxury. “Mrs. Caldwell, I’m Rayna’s grandmother. I’d like to discuss the children’s situation with you.” She pulled out a document from her bag and placed it on the table. “This is the development rights for the Smith family’s land in the South District. Your husband Marcus Caldwell has been eyeing it for a long time, hasn’t he?” “As long as you agree to let the children be together, this land is the Caldwell family’s.” I looked down at her hands. They were white, delicate, with a gemstone ring on her ring finger larger than my thumbnail. These hands clearly had never touched dirty water. My mother’s hands weren’t like this. Her hands did all kinds of dirty work year-round—dishwashing, cleaning—the dirt under her nails could never be washed away. They were like that until she died. “Vivian,” I looked up, “my son’s affairs don’t need interference from outsiders.” Her expression darkened. “Mrs. Caldwell, though the Smith family isn’t as wealthy as the Caldwell family, Rayna is the Smith family’s only granddaughter. We’ve cherished her since childhood.” “Your son marrying her would be his blessing. You, someone who…” She paused, emphasizing the words “someone who.” “You, someone who married into the Caldwell family halfway through, better know your place.” Halfway through. She chose those words well. “Not enough?” She glanced at the envelope on the table. “Then name your price.” I looked at her face. “Vivian,” my tone was flat, “the Caldwell family chooses daughters-in-law based on upbringing and character. In both areas, neither the Smith family nor your granddaughter seem quite adequate.” “What did you say?!”

Vivian’s eyes locked onto me. “Mrs. Caldwell, do you think marrying into the Caldwell family makes you somebody?” She stood up, looking down at me. “You, a woman of unknown origins with no family background—what got you where you are today? Don’t you know in your heart?” Her gaze swept down from my face like a knife, from chin to chest. “Old Richard and I have spent forty years building roots in New York, accumulating connections and relationships you can’t buy by serving a man for a few years. Don’t refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit.” I looked at her calmly. People who steal others’ lives can’t change their core nature. No matter how expensive the gown or how fine the jewelry, that sharp meanness seeps out the moment they open their mouths. “Finished?” I stood up, took the envelope from the table, and pushed it back into her hands. “Vivian, please leave. Your granddaughter’s matter is not up for discussion.” As the door closed, I heard from behind: “Ungrateful thing.” I smiled slightly. When my mother went to the Smith house to find my father years ago and was driven out, she heard the exact same words. Identical. That evening, Adrian knocked on my door. “Mom, can I come in?” He sat across from me, silent for a long while. “Mom, about Rayna… I want to know why.” I looked into his eyes. Very serious, but without anger or interrogation. He’d always been like this—obedient and never causing me worry. “Mom,” he said again, “you must have your reasons for not approving of Rayna. I just… want to know why.” My hand rested on my knee. I clenched it, then released. Not yet time. “Adrian,” I said, “Mom can’t tell you right now. But do you trust me?” He looked at me without hesitation. “I do.” He stood up, walked to the door, then turned back. “Mom, I’ve already told Rayna to go back. Until you approve, I won’t bring her home again.” The door closed. I sat there, my eyes warming. This child had never given me a day of worry since he was small. When he started kindergarten, while other children cried and fussed, he didn’t cry. He held my hand and said, “Mommy, go to work. I’ll be good.” I’m not trying to break up a romance, but his grandfather and Rayna Smith’s grandfather are the same person. By all rights, I could never approve this marriage. The next day. When the housekeeper came in, her expression was odd. “Mrs. Caldwell, Mr. Smith is here.” My hand clenched inside my sleeve. “Show him in.” When he walked in, I recognized him immediately—the man my mother thought about for decades, my biological father. His hair had gone completely white but was neatly combed. He wore a black Mandarin-collar suit with pure gold buttons on the cuffs that caught the light. Two burly bodyguards followed him. Quite the display. He stood at the door, his gaze sweeping over me without any reaction. He didn’t recognize me. He never knew he had a daughter like me in this world.

“Mrs. Caldwell.” He nodded, his voice unhurried—the kind of composure cultivated by decades of being respected. “Pardon the intrusion. I’m Richard Smith.” “Mr. Smith, please sit.” He sat down, looking up at me. “Mrs. Caldwell, I’m here today about the children.” He paused and smiled. “Rayna is my granddaughter. She’s been spoiled since childhood, but she’s not bad-hearted. If the young people get along, we elders should help them if we can.” He set down his thermos and interlaced his fingers over his knee. “I know Mrs. Caldwell fought her way up on her own. Not easy. No family wealth, no backing—getting where you are today alone is truly admirable.” “But precisely because it wasn’t easy, you should understand better—some opportunities, once missed, are gone forever.” He pulled out a document from his briefcase and pushed it across the table. “This is a three-year strategic cooperation framework between the Smith and Caldwell families. As long as the children’s matter is settled, we can sign this cooperation tomorrow.” He looked at me with a certain confidence in his eyes. The confidence of someone who’s been respected all their life and assumes their requests should be granted. I didn’t move. “Mrs. Caldwell.” His tone remained unhurried. “You’re still young. Though the Caldwell family is the wealthiest, their foundation isn’t deep enough. With Smith family support, your position in the Caldwell family will be more secure.” He was coaching me. He was telling me that as a woman who married into the Caldwell family halfway through, with no background or backing, I needed Smith family support to secure my position. He didn’t know. The woman sitting before him was his daughter whom he’d never met. Forty years ago, he personally drove my mother out of New York. Forty years later, he sat here, looking down at me, asking me to give his granddaughter a chance to marry into the Caldwell family. “Mr. Smith,” I looked up into his eyes, “my son’s affairs don’t need interference from outsiders.” His brow furrowed slightly. “Outsiders?” His expression darkened. “Mrs. Caldwell, aren’t you taking yourself too seriously?” “I came here personally as a courtesy. In New York, people I’d personally visit can be counted on one hand.” He looked at me, his gaze turning cold. “But since you’re being ungrateful…” “Remember this—today you rejected me. Whatever consequences follow, don’t say I didn’t warn you!” After Richard Smith left, New York’s elite circles were full of gossip about me. “Mrs. Caldwell won’t agree to her son marrying the Smith family granddaughter? Who does she think she is?” “I heard she’s from out of town, no roots or foundation, got her position years ago by her looks.” “Richard Smith personally visited and she still played hard to get? She really doesn’t know her place.” I sat at home, reading messages on my phone one by one. Someone sent me anonymous texts: “Who do you think you are? Without the Caldwell family, you’re nothing.” Someone left comments on Caldwell Corporation’s page: “Mr. Caldwell, control your wife. Don’t let her ruin the Smith-Caldwell cooperation.” Others dug up photos from my youth, saying I’d had plastic surgery, that I’d climbed up by escorting clients. Each comment had hundreds of people agreeing. I didn’t delete them. Didn’t respond either. A week later. New York’s largest charity auction gala. The Smith family was one of the hosts. In the banquet hall, Rayna Smith held Richard Smith’s arm, smiling radiantly. When Rayna saw Adrian, her smile froze momentarily. She hurried over and grabbed Adrian’s hand. “Adrian, why haven’t you answered my messages these past few days?” Adrian glanced at me and pulled his hand away. “Rayna, until my mother approves of us being together, we should keep our distance.” Rayna’s face paled. She turned to look at me, her eyes filled with tangible hatred. “Mrs. Caldwell, are you satisfied now?” I ignored her. The gala began with Richard Smith taking the stage for opening remarks. “Distinguished guests, thank you all for your years of support.” He stood on stage, smiling broadly. “Today, besides the charity auction, I have happy news to announce.” The audience quieted. “My granddaughter Rayna Smith and Mr. Adrian Caldwell of the Caldwell family are in love and will soon be married. The Smith and Caldwell families will become in-laws.” Applause erupted. He looked at me with triumphant confidence in his eyes. As if the Caldwell family was already in the Smith family’s pocket. I stood up. “Mr. Smith.” The applause stopped. Everyone looked at me. I walked onto the stage and stood before him. “Mr. Smith, who told you the two families were becoming in-laws?” His smile froze momentarily. “The young people are in love, we elders—” “I don’t agree!” The room erupted. Richard Smith’s face darkened. “Mrs. Caldwell, whatever you want to say, we can discuss privately. With so many people here today—” I turned to face the hundreds of eyes below. “Richard Smith, do you know what you’re doing?! You’re having your biological granddaughter and biological grandson get engaged—do you want the world to laugh at you?!”

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Five years of marriage, and Damian Bennett suffered from severe azoospermia. To give him an heir, I endured countless agonizing rounds of IVF treatment. My lower abdomen was covered in needle marks, so many they were uncountable, and I even developed severe ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome. Until that day, when I went to an elite private hospital to reserve a future delivery suite, I ran into him carefully supporting a young woman whose pregnant belly was swollen high. The girl said coyly, “Damian, the doctor said they’re twin boys. How are you going to reward me?” That man, who was always so cold and aloof, who acted like even smiling at me was a luxury, now knelt on one knee, reverently kissing her belly. “Everything I have is yours. Along with all of Seraphina Stark’s shares—everything belongs to our family of four.” I stood in the corner, touching my abdomen that was cramping from excessive ovarian stimulation, and smiled. Damian Bennett, since you want children so badly, let me send your family of four to hell together.

In the VIP reception room at Cloud Peak, a luxury private hospital, the heating was turned up high, diffusing a faint scent of chamomile. I held a black card in my hand, preparing to swipe it for that top-tier suite costing $880,000. The receptionist looked apologetic. “Ms. Stark, I’m terribly sorry, but this suite was just reserved by Mr. Bennett. His wife is pregnant with twins, and Mr. Bennett is so concerned about her that he paid in full immediately.” I froze. Mr. Bennett? There weren’t many Mr. Bennetts who could drop $880,000 without blinking. Instinctively, I turned my head, following the receptionist’s gaze toward the floor-to-ceiling windows at the end of the hallway. With just one glance, all the blood in my body seemed to drain away instantly, freezing into ice. In front of the windows stood a man. He wore the black pinstriped suit I had flown to Milan, Italy last week to have custom-tailored and perfectly pressed for him. His posture was upright, his demeanor cold and dignified. It was my husband, Damian Bennett. The same man who, ten minutes ago, had messaged me on Facebook: “Seraphina, I’m in an international video conference, very busy. Be good and give yourself your injection on time.” At this moment, he was looking down, his eyes so tender they could melt. And nestled in his arms was a young woman wearing a Chanel haute couture maternity dress. The girl’s belly was already swollen high—she looked at least five or six months along. “Damian, the mattresses at this private hospital aren’t soft enough. I’m afraid my back will hurt when I sleep,” the girl pouted, complaining sweetly. Damian immediately put his arm around her waist protectively, his voice coaxing in a way I’d never heard before. “Alright, alright, I’ll have someone change it to your favorite brand right away. Summer, you’re my top priority right now. You can’t be uncomfortable at all.” Lena Summer. Hearing that name, my mind exploded with a deafening roar. Damian Bennett’s first love—the woman he had pined for for seven whole years, who supposedly went abroad years ago. When did she come back? Whose child was in her belly? Lena Summer giggled, her pale finger poking at Damian’s chest. “You only care about the babies. What if Seraphina Stark, that frumpy old hag, finds out? She owns half your company’s shares.” Damian sneered, unconcealed disgust flashing in his eyes. “Finds out? Right now her brain is completely consumed with how to give me a child. Every day she’s being tortured like a psycho by those ovarian stimulation injections. She doesn’t have time to worry about me.” “Once she’s completely wrecked her body, I’ll find an excuse to kick her out. Then Bennett Corporation will be all mine. All my money will be yours and the babies’.” He lowered his head and pressed a deep kiss on Lena Summer’s forehead. “Summer, just wait a little longer. Soon, I’ll give you the proper status of a wife.”

I bit down hard on my lower lip until my mouth filled with the strong taste of blood, barely keeping myself from screaming. My stomach churned violently with nausea. I turned and stumbled toward the restroom. Bent over the sink, I dry-heaved until I thought I’d vomit up bile. The woman in the mirror had a deathly pale face and sunken eyes. Due to long-term hormone injections, her once-slender waist had become bloated, and her skin had lost its luster. For Damian Bennett, I’d turned myself into a monster. Five years ago, we got married. When we happily tried to conceive, Damian was diagnosed with severe azoospermia. That day, this proud man knelt before me, eyes red, slapping himself hard. “Seraphina, I’ve failed you. I can’t give you a complete family. Let’s break up. I can’t hold you back.” I cried and held him, saying it was okay, that modern medicine was so advanced, we could do IVF. Because of that promise, I embarked on a hellish road of no return. Down-regulation, ovarian stimulation, egg retrieval, embryo transfer. Thick needles piercing my ovaries—that tearing pain, I endured it ten times. Over two thousand days and nights, my belly was covered in purple-blue needle marks. Before the old ones faded, new ones were already stabbed in. I took so much medication I developed hormonal imbalances and lost hair by the handful. Damian would always hold me, crying with heartache. “Seraphina, you’ve worked so hard. Once we have a child, I’ll give everything I have to you and the baby.” I thought that was devotion. Now I know it was a poisoned blade. He never had azoospermia at all! That diagnosis report—he faked it! He watched me suffer like hell on the operating table for a lie, then turned around and lived it up every night with his first love, even getting her pregnant with twins. A sharp, cramping pain suddenly shot through my abdomen. I clutched my stomach, cold sweat instantly soaking through my back. It was ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome. The doctor had warned me that if I continued with ovarian stimulation, my life would be in danger at any moment. I endured the excruciating pain, pulled out my phone, and with trembling hands opened Damian Bennett’s Facebook. “Damian, my stomach hurts so much. I think it’s a complication. Can you come pick me up and take me to the hospital?” The message sank like a stone in water. Ten minutes later, I supported myself against the wall and weakly walked out of the restroom. In the hallway, Damian was carefully escorting Lena Summer into the elevator. His phone was in his hand, and the screen lit up. He glanced down at it, his brow furrowing with disgust. He pressed mute and casually shoved it into his pocket. Then he turned to Lena Summer and once again showed that infinitely tender smile. The elevator doors slowly closed. Shutting away their happy family of four, and completely burying my five years of stupidity. I leaned against the cold wall and slowly slid down to the floor. Tears fell heavily onto the floor tiles, but I didn’t make a sound. Damian Bennett, you think you can just kick me out like this? Dream on.

I didn’t call an ambulance. Instead, I took a taxi to the private hospital where my best friend Sophia Parker worked. “Seraphina Stark, are you out of your mind?!” Sophia looked at my ultrasound report, her whole body trembling with rage. “Bilateral ovarian enlargement, severe ascites! Don’t you know you were one step away from ovarian rupture and massive hemorrhage? Where the hell is that bastard Damian Bennett?” I lay on the hospital bed, staring at the ceiling, my voice so calm it even scared me. “He’s with Lena Summer at the hospital. Twins. Almost six months along.” Sophia froze, her medical chart dropping to the floor with a loud smack. “What did you say?” I closed my eyes and recounted everything I’d seen at the private hospital, word for word. The hospital room fell deathly silent. A few seconds later, Sophia cursed and turned to rush out. “Fuck Damian Bennett! I’m going to grab a scalpel right now and chop off his worthless dick!” “Sophia, stop.” I opened my eyes, my gaze cold as ice. “Destroying him is too good for him.” I propped myself up to sit, yanking the IV needle from the back of my hand. Blood immediately gushed out. “Seraphina, what are you doing!” Sophia cried out. “Get me some strong painkillers. I’m checking out.” My tone left no room for argument. “You don’t value your life? Your condition requires hospital observation!” “I don’t have time.” I stared at her intently. “Sophia, if I collapse now, Damian will legitimately take over my shares. My parents’ life’s work absolutely cannot fall into that animal’s hands.” “I’m going to make him pay in blood.” Sophia looked at my resolute eyes, her own reddening. She gritted her teeth and went to the pharmacy to get me the strongest painkillers and pills. “Seraphina Stark, remember—you’re not alone. Whatever you’re planning to do, count me in.” I smiled wanly and gave her a hug. “Help me investigate someone—Lena Summer. I want all her records from her years abroad, including how she really got pregnant.” When I left the hospital, the sky had already darkened. The wind cut across my face like a knife. I swallowed two painkillers, wrapped my coat tighter, and flagged down a taxi. The show was just beginning. At ten PM, I returned to the villa called “home.” The living room was pitch black. Damian hadn’t come back yet. I didn’t turn on the lights. I went straight to the study. Damian was an extremely cautious person. His computer and safe both had complex passwords. But I knew his fatal weakness—his extreme arrogance. I opened his computer and entered Lena Summer’s birthday.

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The day before the company’s promotion qualification exam, Chloe closed the conference room door with a mysterious air. “I have a way to make sure everyone on our project team passes the exam!” “Personal hygiene products brought into the exam room won’t be inspected if they’re unopened.” “We just need to copy the key points onto tissues we carry in and bring them with us!” Before she finished speaking, the entire project team erupted in excitement. In my previous life, as the deputy team leader, I stopped them from this ridiculous idea in time. “The company notice said that this year they’re adding inspections of opened packages. Any packaged personal items will be opened and checked. You’d better not make trouble for yourselves. This is the promotion exam that affects next year’s job level and salary!” The whole team scoffed at me. “Oh, so righteous, aren’t you? You’re just afraid we’ll all get promoted and take your manager position!” “Chloe truly has our best interests at heart. Stop being such a buzzkill!” With no other choice, I reported this to HR. As a result, they were caught cheating. Everyone just got a verbal warning, but only Chloe was stripped of her position. Holding a grudge, she pushed me down the stairs when I was working overtime. When the police investigated, my colleagues all pleaded for her: “Chloe is such a good person. It must have been Nina who started it!” “She’s always been a snitch. This is what she deserves!” I closed my eyes with endless hatred. When I opened them again, I had returned to the day Chloe taught everyone to cheat. I raised my hand with a smile, my eyes curving into crescents: “That’s a brilliant idea! Count me in first!” —

In my previous life, after I died, Chloe still wasn’t satisfied. She contacted people from the black market to dump my body at my parents’ house. My parents had heart attacks on the spot. Chloe laughed maniacally, stepping on my father’s chest and shouting. “If your daughter hadn’t meddled and ruined me, the department director position would definitely be mine now!” “She deserved to die. The daughter’s debt, the parents pay. Making you pay the price for my future isn’t unreasonable, is it?” Before she finished speaking, two bright red knives were pulled from my parents’ chests. My soul floated in the air, frantically trying to fight them, but powerless. I could only watch helplessly as they committed evil. Suddenly, someone pushed my shoulder hard. “Nina, say something! Are you going to do it or not?” The pain in my shoulder woke me up. Only then did I realize I had been reborn. The whole team surrounded me, mocking. “She really lives up to her reputation as the team’s famous stick-in-the-mud! Just knows how to keep her head down and work! People like you will never get promoted!” “Which is better—her or this trick? She probably can’t even beat a tissue!” Everyone burst out laughing. Someone slapped a tissue covered in key points onto my desk. Chloe sat in the middle of the workstations, looking at me with contempt. “Nina, you’re the deputy team leader with the strongest professional skills. I’ll leave this task to you.” “Prepare several copies, summarize the key points, and distribute them to everyone in the restroom during the exam.” She lowered her voice and leaned close to my ear. “We’re all colleagues. You wouldn’t refuse such a small favor, would you? Besides, you’ll need it yourself, won’t you?” Seeing me hesitate, the other colleagues became impatient. “Asking for your help is showing you respect. If you’re not grateful, fine, but what’s with that attitude? Why are you acting so high and mighty?” “We all have mortgages and families to support. If we fail and get pay cuts, how can we face our families? Don’t you have any sense of responsibility?” “And she’s the deputy team leader! Most unreliable when it counts!” “Stop putting on airs!” They were too stupid. The company had already sent out a notice that this year’s promotion exam inspections would be comprehensively upgraded. Any items candidates brought into the exam room, including personal hygiene products, would need to be opened and inspected. To ensure fairness, justice, and transparency in the exam. In my previous life, I felt everyone had worked hard all year and shouldn’t be ruined by this. I tried desperately to dissuade them, even bringing up the department director. I never expected it would end with my entire family’s tragic death. In this life, I picked up the tissue from the desk and looked at it. “You’re right. The promotion exam is so important that we should do well even if it means taking risks.” They didn’t expect me to be so “reasonable.” Chloe showed a suspicious expression. “You’re really going to help us? You won’t secretly snitch, will you?” I immediately turned on location sharing in the WhatsApp work group. With this, everyone could see my movement track. Whether I went to the leadership or not would be crystal clear. “I won’t interfere with you, but I’m not participating.” —

Chloe laughed. “You think that’s enough to make us trust you?” “You can still send messages without leaving.” “As long as you don’t help us, you’re trying to sabotage us.” The others caught on and surrounded me, not letting me leave. Just then, Ethan arrived. He gave me a cold look, instantly standing with Chloe and mocking me sarcastically. “What’s the use of just keeping your head down and working? Chloe does side hustles while working, and every quarterly evaluation she easily ranks above you. Aren’t you embarrassed?” “She’s kindly giving you a hand. Don’t be ungrateful. When you fail again, you’ll hide away crying endlessly. No one will care about you then.” The whole team roared with laughter. “No way, so that’s why she works overtime so desperately! Turns out she’s jealous!” “She’s not helping us because she’s afraid we’ll actually get high scores, right?” My heart ached, and even breathing became difficult. During the first promotion exam after joining the company, the company prepared a fifty-thousand-dollar bonus for first place. At that time, my father’s heart disease required surgery, and our family was scraping together money everywhere. I worked overtime desperately, studied day and night, wanting to use that fifty thousand dollars for my father’s surgery. But in the end, I came in second. First place went to Chloe. At the awards ceremony, she held up the fifty-thousand-dollar bonus sign with a brilliant smile. Only I knew she had cheated. She had gotten the test questions in advance from an insider at the third-party testing agency. When I got home, I cried until my eyes were swollen. Ethan knew about my guilt and frustration. He came to see me with gifts, tenderly handing me tissues. “Grades obtained through cheating won’t last. Nina, don’t blame yourself. I believe in you. You’ll definitely succeed next time.” We grew up together. I thought we had become indispensable to each other’s lives. Until one late night after overtime, I saw him kissing Chloe in the stairwell. I took a deep breath. Gathered my things. Ignored everyone and went home after work. “My uncle is the group’s vice president. If you don’t help us, I’ll make sure you can never stay at this company.” Chloe’s voice came from behind. All the colleagues were shocked. “Wow! Chloe is usually so low-key!” “With that connection, even if our answers are discovered, we won’t be afraid!” “Chloe is still the best! Personally helping us—what is Nina even worth!” “She deserves to be fired! When you deliver food in the future, remember to tell us. I’ll give you extra tips!” Laughter erupted behind me. Chloe’s expression was contemptuous. But I was unusually calm. In my previous life, her uncle was taken away by the company’s compliance department on exam day. Accepting bribes from suppliers, facilitating illegal benefit transfers—he was immediately dismissed and handed over to judicial authorities. Tens of millions of dollars in illegal gains were confiscated. Their entire family lost everything overnight and could only survive by driving for Uber. I wasn’t threatened. My steps didn’t stop. Chloe immediately changed her expression. Before she could speak, Ethan stepped forward first. “Since you’re so antisocial, I’ll have to use special methods.” He took out his phone and dialed a number. “I’ve already had someone pick up your parents. When you can see them depends on your performance.” My heart lurched. All my blood ran cold. “Ethan, are you crazy!” “You dare lay hands on them?” —

My family and Ethan’s family had been neighbors for decades. My parents watched him grow up. Back then, his parents were busy with business and had no time for him. Little Ethan often sat alone on the steps in front of my house. My parents felt sorry for him and opened the door to let him in. From then on, there was always a place for him at our dinner table. But I never expected he could put my parents in danger for Chloe’s sake. He shrugged. “If you just agree obediently, everything will be fine. If something happens to them, you’re the one who caused it.” I looked at him in disbelief, trembling all over. Chloe finally smiled, glancing at me with eyes full of provocation. “Ethan, you’re so good to me.” She threw several boxes of portable tissues into my bag and threatened. “There’s no one at your house. Going back won’t help.” “You have one night. Get all the key points organized. The exam is tomorrow. Don’t delay things.” “It’s all up to you, Miss Perfect.” With that, she invited everyone to go have drinks at a bar. The whole team cheered, deliberately whistling at me. They grabbed my phone and locked me in the conference room. “What are you doing! Let me out!” I desperately pounded on the conference room door. They laughed even louder. Ethan watched coldly the entire time without saying a word, walking away shoulder to shoulder with Chloe. Everyone jeered, looking at me mockingly. “So pathetic haha, she can’t even keep her childhood sweetheart!” “With a Dream Girl like Chloe, who would want someone as ordinary as her!” “After tomorrow’s exam, we’ll be free!” “Let’s go on a team building trip to an island resort!” “Let’s have a party! Let’s go karaoke!” They wildly fantasized about how to arrange their wonderful post-promotion lives after finishing this tough battle of the promotion exam. I looked at the mountains of tissue boxes piled in front of me, my eyes instantly reddening. My parents worked very hard. Everyone said daughters didn’t need to work so hard, but they still said early on that if I got promoted to a higher level, they would take out their savings to buy me an apartment. They were determined to support me in establishing a foothold in the big city. But now, I was locked in here, preparing cheat materials for everyone. The defenses in my heart were collapsing inch by inch. They were still laughing and chatting outside, very lively. But this joyful atmosphere didn’t affect me at all. I looked up at the surveillance camera in the conference room that had just been repaired. I knew that tomorrow, they wouldn’t even be able to enter the exam room. —

On exam day, I was hungry and exhausted, my nose tingling with the urge to cry. With dark circles under my eyes and my bag on my back, I waited for them to come get their things. Thanks to them, I had crammed all the key knowledge points overnight. Now all the exam points were practically carved into my brain, impossible to shake off. “Didn’t sleep well last night? You’re not going to fall asleep in the exam room, are you? How embarrassing!” Chloe deliberately bumped my shoulder with ill intent. Ethan followed right behind, directly grabbing my bag to check if the materials were prepared properly. Two minutes later, he showed a satisfied expression. “Smart of you.” After the cheat materials were distributed, all the colleagues walked into the exam room with their heads held high, certain of victory. “Did you pick out positions yesterday? There are still too few good positions. None that I like.” “Well, I’ve decided to test into Division A. I heard their year-end bonus is a hundred thousand.” “A hundred thousand? I straight up promised my mom yesterday I’d get first place. Already ordered a new car!” “Did you hear? After the exam, Ethan is going to officially announce his relationship with Chloe!” “Wow! Double happiness!” Their laughter buzzed around my ears like flies. So annoying. And my mind at this moment was completely filled with the knowledge I desperately memorized last night. It was time for the inspection. I nervously stepped up, and the proctor dumped everything out of my bag one by one. Even the small tissue packages were opened and inspected one by one. “No problems. Go in.” Hearing this, I felt like I’d received a pardon from death. Chloe and her group behind me also breathed a sigh of relief, queuing up for the proctor to inspect them. “What’s this?” The proctor opened a tissue package, casually picked up one sheet, and asked with a frown. Chloe’s back went cold. “Proctor, this is a personal hygiene product…” “That’s not right, is it?” The proctor unfolded the packaging paper. Neat handwriting densely covered the entire surface

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I came home for the holidays, and as I pushed open the door, I was still imagining the surprised expressions on Mom and Dad’s faces when they saw the gifts I brought. But the house was empty, with only the faint sound of snoring coming from my room. I thought my mother was taking an afternoon nap and tiptoed to push open the door, only to find a strange woman lying on my bed. I was so startled I stepped back and bumped into the doorframe. The woman woke up with a start and looked at me impatiently. “Who are you? Why are you barging into someone else’s room?” “This is my room,” I said angrily. She sneered. “You must be Erin, right? Your parents said this room is mine now.” Just then, the door opened and my parents walked in carrying groceries. When they saw me, they showed no surprise. Instead, they said in unison, “Why did you come back?” My mother set down the groceries, walked over to the woman’s side, took her hand, and her first words left me completely frozen in place.

“Erin, have you gotten acquainted with Rosie?” My mother spoke with a gentle expression, her gaze falling on the woman behind me. I was furious. “Acquainted with what? How could you rent out my room without my permission?” What was even more suffocating was that she was even using my sheets and blankets. The thought made me shudder. When I first fell asleep groggily and smelled the perfume scent on the blanket, I thought it was from the laundry detergent, but it turned out to be… But my mother suddenly took my hand and placed it on the woman’s hand, smiling as she spoke. “You two are going to spend your whole lives together anyway, so it’s good for Rosie to get to know you in advance.” I looked at the woman’s scrutinizing gaze and quickly pulled my hand away in alarm, staring at my mother in disbelief. “What are you talking about?! What do you mean spending our whole lives together?” My father, sitting on the side, took a sip of tea and glanced at me. “Is this how you talk to your mother?!” There was even a hint of disappointment in his tone. “If you hadn’t been fooling around out there all this time and refusing to find a partner, would your mother be this anxious?” “Rosie has promised us she’ll treat you well. Just get along with her and don’t make your mother and me worry.” I finally understood. This wasn’t a tenant at all—they had taken it upon themselves to find me a girlfriend! I spoke with some exasperation. “The company is at a critical stage right now. Where do I have time to date?” “Can you stop making decisions for me?!” Since college, I had teamed up with classmates to start a business. Over these years, it had developed rapidly and had already become a leading force in the city. The woman’s scrutinizing gaze swept over me from head to toe as she spoke with understanding. “Mr. Collins, Mrs. Collins, don’t be angry. Erin just needs some time to adjust.” Hearing her form of address made my vision go black, but my parents couldn’t stop smiling. However, when their gaze turned to me, it instantly darkened. “Look how sensible Rosie is?! You should be grateful she’s interested in you!” “And she’s a big boss at Sterling Corporation, a major company in the city! Not like you, making three thousand a month and acting all proud about it!” I suddenly laughed and began examining the woman’s face carefully. How did I not know that the company’s CEO had changed from me to her? She mistook this for a change in my attitude, and her spine straightened noticeably. “Erin, I heard from your mother that you just do odd jobs—lots of work for little money.” “After we get married, you won’t need to work anymore. I’ll transfer money to you on time every month.” I was completely baffled. How could someone shamelessly take credit like this? I didn’t have time to argue with them and spoke calmly. “I don’t care what you’ve agreed to between yourselves. I’m giving you two choices right now.” “First, have this woman get out of my room and I’ll pretend nothing happened. Second, I’ll call the police to have her removed from this room, and I’ll never come back to this house again.” Before I could finish speaking, my father suddenly stood up and slapped me across the face. My cheek instantly burned with pain. “You bastard!” “We found you someone with such good conditions and you dare chase her away?! I’m telling you right now—you’re getting married whether you like it or not!” I stared at my sister’s and brother’s rooms and suddenly spoke. “Fine, then can you explain why you’re only pressuring me to get married quickly?” “Is it because my good-for-nothing brother Brian needs money to get married and buy a house? Or is it because my sister Sophie, who has absolutely no artistic talent, needs more money for her living expenses abroad?” Just that one sentence left my parents speechless, their faces turning the color of liver. “Erin, are you asking for a beating?!” A familiar roar came from outside the door.

Brian kicked the door open wearing thousand-dollar designer shoes and kicked me in the stomach. I didn’t have time to react and fell to the floor. The pain in my abdomen made me instinctively frown. Brian sat down on the sofa with a swagger, looking down at me. “What do you mean freeloading? Don’t you know you were born to be my servant?” “What’s wrong with me spending the money you earn? Don’t you have any sense of responsibility?” “Even though you won’t get to use the title ‘brother-in-law,’ Rosie is doing you a favor by being interested in you. Don’t be ungrateful!” I felt nothing inside because I had already become numb over the past dozen years or so. Everything changed completely from the moment Brian was born. At first, my parents were always afraid of neglecting Sophie because of my birth, so they put more attention on her. I understood that. But after Brian was born, the favoritism I expected never came. Instead, both Sophie and Brian received equal love. Only I became the person who shouldn’t exist in this family. They could spend tens of thousands enrolling Sophie in piano lessons she had no talent for, but wouldn’t buy me a pair of fifteen-dollar shoes. They could take Brian to the Maldives on vacation, but made me give up the top high school I got into to attend a suburban school with cheaper tuition. I fought, I made a scene. The result was not getting lunch money for a whole week during my school days. The four of them dined elegantly at five-star restaurants while I split one bun into three meals. After starting college, all the money I earned from part-time jobs was taken to buy game credits for Brian and new dresses for Sophie. So I never mentioned a word about my startup to them. Yet to outsiders, I became the most antisocial, least promising son in their mouths. Seeing how my parents didn’t refute anything Brian said, I knew that keeping it hidden back then was absolutely the right choice. “Great, since you like her so much, why don’t you marry her?” “You really today…” Brian’s veins bulged instantly as he stood up to hit me, but my mother stopped him in time with a look. Rosie looked at me on the floor with disgust that my mother easily caught. She immediately ordered me. “Erin, you’ve really gone too far today. Apologize to Rosie right now.” Rosie glanced at me on the floor and spoke indifferently. “It’s fine, Mrs. Collins. You all explain things to Erin first. I’ll come back another time.” The change in her form of address instantly made my parents’ expressions change. With that, she went straight back to the bedroom to pack her things and left. “Erin! Are you satisfied now?!” My mother was so angry she grabbed the glass beside her and threw it at me. I dodged by tilting my head. “This is a catch you couldn’t find with a lantern, and you had to drive her away to be happy?!” “You’ve gotten bold after mixing around outside for a few years? If you’re so capable, don’t come back to this house! This house was bought by your old man!” My parents sang the same tune, glaring at me furiously. I stared at their rage and realized I could no longer find even a trace of the memories from my childhood. The mother who used to tell me bedtime stories, the father who would run several miles to bring me my favorite cupcakes—they were all gone. Never to be found again. “Fine, I’ll leave right now.” With that, I turned and went back to my bedroom to pack. Looking around, even I couldn’t help but smile bitterly. In this tiny bedroom converted from a storage room, the things that belonged to me could be counted on one hand. The textbooks on the desk were Sophie’s hand-me-downs. The desk lamp was one Brian had thrown to me after buying a new one. Even the few scattered pieces of clothing in the closet were all hand-me-downs from them. My bedroom was dark. It wasn’t spacious and bright like Sophie’s room, which could fit an expensive piano. It wasn’t customized like Brian’s room with floor-to-ceiling windows. The only thing that kept me from seeing cement walls when I turned over in bed was the cheap stickers I had put up for a few dollars during my school days. Erin, oh Erin, how pitiful you are. As I simply gathered some of my few personal belongings, an expensive handbag suddenly appeared before my eyes, and a voice so gentle it could drip water spoke in my ear. “Erin, if anyone bullies you, tell Sophie. Don’t be impulsive.”

Sophie’s pretty little face appeared before me, her eyes full of concern. This was her usual tactic. She never played the villain in front of me, yet time and again left me mired in trouble. In middle school, when local thugs cornered me in an alley demanding protection money, Sophie walked past the alley without batting an eye, completely ignoring me. When I got home, I was beaten severely by my parents. The reason was that Sophie saw me bullying classmates at school instead of studying. That night, she cried and begged me to forgive her. “I’m so sorry. I just saw it wrong that day and shouldn’t have jumped to conclusions.” I thought it was really a misunderstanding and didn’t take it to heart. Later in high school, the night before tuition was due, she suddenly proposed wanting to study abroad on an exchange program. My spot at the top city high school paved her way across the ocean. She always cried saying she didn’t know, she never expected it. She always smiled saying, “I’ll protect you.” Later still, my college application was secretly changed from the capital to this city. She hugged me with understanding. “It’s okay. At least this city is close to the port. Sophie will fly back to see you whenever she has time.” So under her protection, I was left battered and bruised. It wasn’t until these past few years that I belatedly realized how foolish I had been. Now, I had no interest in playing along with her act anymore and spoke coldly. “No one’s bullying me. I want to leave on my own.” “Please move aside.” In just an instant, her eyes filled with tears as she spoke pitifully. “Do you hate even Sophie now?” Hearing her crying, the whole family instantly rushed in. Brian frantically began wiping Sophie’s tears. “Erin, are you sick? My sister shows concern for you and that’s wrong?!” “As expected, people like you were never meant to be loved!” “My sister”—those two words instantly separated me from this family. Or rather, I had never been part of it to begin with. “Oh Sophie, don’t cry. My precious daughter, it breaks my heart.” My mother lovingly wiped Sophie’s tears, her movements as gentle as if handling porcelain. My father’s accusations arrived on schedule. “Nothing good happens when you come back!” My face was expressionless. No more tears would flow from my eyes. I spoke coldly. “You’re all right, so please move aside. I need to leave.” Just as I reached the door, my mother’s weary voice came from behind. “Stay one more night. We’re attending someone’s wedding tomorrow.” I didn’t look back. “You can go without me.” My mother’s lips moved slightly as she spoke that person’s name. My shoulders trembled violently. After a long moment, I made my decision. “I’ll stay at a hotel tonight.” Back at the hotel, I called my assistant. “Bring me a formal suit to the York Hotel.” Her life event—I didn’t want to treat it carelessly. Looking at the things I’d brought from home, I added another sentence. “Also, help me investigate something. As soon as possible…” Inside the Grandview Hotel, Sophie held her mother’s hand with a worried expression. “Do you think he’ll come?” “Don’t worry. For that person, there’s no way he won’t come.” Brian also chimed in. “Exactly. He’s obligated to come, Sophie. Stop worrying about him.” Indeed, I arrived at the banquet as expected, though my heart was filled with anxiety. Would she still be willing to see me? Was she doing well? When that familiar face smiled and took my hand, all my nervous emotions finally relaxed. “How have you been lately?” Claire sat in her wheelchair, her warm body temperature transmitting from her palm. “I’m really fine now. You really don’t need to blame yourself for what happened back then.” If my adolescence was dark, then my cousin Claire was undoubtedly a ray of light in my dim times. Back then, everyone said I was no good, said I was antisocial, said I was rigid. Only she would smile and stroke my hair comfortingly. “No, I think Erin is great, really great.” But later, the school equipment room caught fire for no reason. I was trapped inside, and she rushed into the flames to push me out. She herself was pinned down by falling shelves, crushing both her legs. Later, she transferred away from my hometown, and I never saw her again. All these years, I persisted in transferring money to her family every month to make up for my mistake. The day after she transferred, I received a message. “Erin, don’t blame yourself. I don’t hold it against you.” My thoughts returned to the present. She was still as gentle and virtuous as she had been through the years. I couldn’t help but wonder who was lucky enough to marry her. Unexpectedly, her first question left me dumbfounded. “Erin, is the bride treating you well?”

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After I was assaulted, I reported it to the police immediately. But on the day of the trial, the one defending the accused was my lawyer husband, Ethan Price. As soon as court was in session, he directly played the video of my assault. Then he spoke, calm and measured: “Ms. Hart, on the night of the incident, did you deliberately wear no underwear and put on a deep V-neck red dress with a thigh-high slit to seduce my client?” “Did you knowingly drink ten glasses of hard liquor despite being aware of your low alcohol tolerance?” “Is it true that your inability to conceive due to your chaotic private life has caused you psychological distortion, leading you to try to destroy an innocent 18-year-old college student through false accusations?” Every eye in the courtroom stabbed at me like needles. In the gallery, Ethan’s first love, Lily Smith, cried pitifully, as if she were the victim. “Clara, Jason is my brother! I know you’re jealous of me, but you can’t strip naked to seduce him just to get revenge on me, then accuse him of rape!” Ethan gently pressed her trembling shoulder. I sat in the witness stand, hands and feet ice cold. Seven years ago, when I was sexually harassed, Ethan defended me in court: “Should a woman be assaulted just because she drinks, wears a dress, or is alone?” Back then, he was righteously indignant. But now, every word he spoke was a knife stabbing into me.

The moment the big screen lit up, all the blood in my body went cold. On the screen was a surveillance screenshot from the hotel corridor. In the image, I wore a red dress, exposing large areas of skin. My steps were unsteady, half my body leaning against Jason Smith. Most glaring of all, from this angle, my hand appeared to be actively draped over his shoulder. The gallery erupted in an uproar. Ethan raised his hand, pointing at the screen. “Please observe, ladies and gentlemen. Ms. Hart not only failed to scream for help, her body was even cooperating with my client’s movements.” “This is clearly playing hard to get.” My throat tightened, filled with the taste of blood. “I didn’t! I was drugged. I didn’t even have the strength to speak.” “I said no.” Ethan looked up at me, then quickly averted his gaze. His voice turned cold, as if forcefully suppressing his emotions. “Drugged?” “Ms. Hart, a woman dressed like a prostitute in the middle of the night, drunk out of her mind, voluntarily entering a hotel with a young man.” “What gives you the right to claim you were forced?” A roar exploded in my ears. I felt like I was being stripped naked in public. Ethan’s body stiffened imperceptibly for a moment. His gaze fell on my ashen face. In that instant, I saw his Adam’s apple bob. As if he finally realized what he had just said. But soon, he looked away. He remained the calm, ruthlessly effective defense attorney. I bit my lip hard, my mouth filling with the taste of blood. That red dress was a gift from Lily. She had said, “Clara, you always dress too plainly. Tonight is Ethan’s celebration dinner. You should dazzle him.” I hadn’t wanted to wear it. It was Ethan who personally helped me zip it up. He had laughed softly then. “My wife looks most beautiful in a red dress. Clara, don’t always worry about people looking at you. You’re gorgeous.” But now, he said I dressed like a streetwalker. I looked at him, suddenly finding him utterly foreign. Like someone was forcing the nightmare from seven years ago back onto me. Back then, I was a newcomer in the workplace, nearly sexually assaulted by my boss. When everyone was saying I must have been “seducing my boss to climb the ladder.” It was Ethan who personally told me it wasn’t my fault. The opposing lawyer had pointed at my nose. “Ms. Hart, why didn’t you scream immediately?” “Why didn’t you flee the office at once?” “Were you actually just being coy?” It was him who stood up to shield me. “Objection!” “You cannot deny the harm my client suffered just because she didn’t resist in the way you imagine.” That day, I cried uncontrollably in court. Because finally, someone was telling everyone. I wasn’t at fault. I was just afraid. But today, the perpetrator had become his first love’s younger brother. So Ethan personally forced the words “you deserved it” down on me.

I looked at him, my voice soft. “Ethan, you didn’t used to say things like this.” His fingers holding the documents paused. Just for an instant. The next second, he pulled out a file. *Psychiatric Intervention Records.* My heart plummeted. Those were my psychological treatment records from seven years ago. The wound I least wanted anyone to see. Those nights when I trembled, screamed, bathed repeatedly, scrubbing my skin until it bled. I couldn’t let men near me, couldn’t enter any enclosed space. It was Ethan who took me to see a psychologist. Every time we left the therapy room, he would hold me in his arms, kissing my forehead again and again. “Don’t be afraid, Clara.” “I’ll protect you for the rest of my life.” Back then, I had entrusted him with my most raw, most broken self. But now, he was tearing open my scars and displaying them before everyone. Ethan opened the file, his voice devastatingly calm. “Your Honor, Ms. Hart underwent long-term psychiatric intervention seven years ago.” “This included stress reactions to male contact and severe victim tendencies.” My blood instantly ran cold. “You’re lying…” My voice trembled. “Those are my private records. How could you…” Ethan didn’t look at me. “She repeatedly described in her sessions how she would mistake normal male contact for assault even when there was no actual danger.” “Therefore, we have reason to suspect that on the night of the incident, influenced by alcohol, past trauma, and marital stress, she experienced cognitive distortion.” The gallery exploded. “Cognitive distortion? So she has mental problems?” “Oh my god, she’s had this kind of case before.” “Isn’t this just victim delusion?” My body began to shake. Ethan finally looked up at me. His fingers gripped the case file so tightly his knuckles turned white. But the next second, Lily sobbed softly. He turned back to the judge. “Furthermore, we have evidence that Ms. Hart has had long-standing conflicts with Ms. Lily.” He pulled out another set of materials. “Ms. Lily was repeatedly verbally attacked by Ms. Hart. Ms. Hart believed that Ms. Smith was destroying her marriage.” “Especially after learning of Ms. Smith’s pregnancy, Ms. Hart’s emotional instability became even more severe.” The big screen displayed several screenshots of conversations between Lily and me. Context removed, only my seemingly harsh words remained. [Stay away from Ethan.] [You know he’s married.] [Lily, what exactly do you want?] Ethan read them out coldly. “This is sufficient proof that Ms. Hart harbors intense hostility toward Ms. Lily.” I looked at those screenshots, my whole body going cold. “It wasn’t like that…” “She was the one who sent me photos of her and Ethan watching fireworks together in the middle of the night.” “She told me children can’t grow up without fathers.” “She said Ethan would eventually come back to her.” Lily immediately shook her head, crying. “I never said that! Clara, why are you slandering me like this?” She covered her belly with one hand, tears streaming down her face. “I only told you that children are innocent. I never thought about taking Ethan away!” “Jason and I lost our parents when we were young. He’s my only family.” “Now I’m pregnant and have no other relatives to depend on. I’m just so scared.” Ethan continued his questioning: “Did you publicly insult the child in Ms. Lily’s womb at the hospital prenatal examination area?” I clenched my hands. That time, Lily had told me Ethan was in trouble. When I arrived at the hospital, I discovered Ethan was accompanying her for a prenatal checkup. She leaned on Ethan’s shoulder, gently touching her belly. “Ethan, do you think the baby will look more like you or more like me?” I stood there like a joke. I only asked her, “Lily, is this really necessary?” But now, all of this had become evidence of my jealousy. I looked toward the gallery. My mother sat there. Her face was frighteningly pale, her eyes terribly red. She, such a strong woman, had held me and cried until she couldn’t stand after that case seven years ago. Later, when Ethan appeared, he knelt before my mother and promised. “Ma’am, I will protect Clara. I won’t let anyone hurt her again.” But today, she watched as the man who had promised to protect me personally stripped me bare for everyone to see. My mother suddenly stood up. “Ethan, are you even human?” “Seven years ago, how did you promise me?” “Now you’re using her medical records, using her wounds, using her inability to have children, to exonerate someone else?” “Ethan, how can you do this?” Ethan’s face instantly went white. He stood there, unable to say a word. I looked at my mother’s back, my heart aching in waves.

After the first trial session ended, my mother held me tightly, helping me out of the courthouse. Reporters blocked the entrance, flashbulbs blinding me. Microphones shoved into my face one after another. “Ms. Hart, did you deliberately strip naked to seduce Lily’s brother because you were jealous she’s pregnant with Attorney Price’s child?” “I heard you weren’t even wearing underwear that night. Are you a sex addict? Sexually frustrated?” “Seven years ago you used this kind of thing to create hype. Now you’re trying to blackmail a 20-year-old male college student. Isn’t this false accusation?” “Is this your mother? Does she know how promiscuous you are?” I was jostled and stumbled. Someone took advantage of the chaos to grab my sleeve. The fabric tore, exposing my shoulder and a large portion of my chest. Countless flashbulbs went crazy, accompanied by men’s suggestive laughter and whistles. “Wow, so slutty, no wonder the guy couldn’t help himself!” Nausea churned in my stomach. My mother frantically shielded me, covering my body. “Get away! You bastards! Are you even human?” In the chaos, someone shoved her hard. My mother’s forehead hit the sharp corner of a pillar at the courthouse entrance. Blood pooled on the ground. In the end, only the intervention of court security allowed us to leave. That night, the doorbell rang. Outside stood Ethan and a pregnant Lily. The moment I saw them, my mother’s expression changed. “What are you doing here!” Lily looked at me, tears in her eyes. “Clara, I’m apologizing on my brother’s behalf. But Jason is only 20 years old. He’s never even been in a relationship. He really thought when you dressed like that you were… lonely…” “He said when he touched you, you responded to him. You didn’t resist at all! How can you pull up your pants and call the police, trying to ruin his whole life?” My head exploded. I stared at her. “What did you say? I was drugged, my whole body was in spasms, and you say it was consensual?” Lily, frightened, burrowed into Ethan’s arms. “Ethan, I’m scared… Is Clara’s mania acting up again…” My mother slapped Lily across the face. “Shut your mouth!” Ethan pulled Lily behind him, looking at my mother with a darkened expression. “Lily is pregnant. You shouldn’t have hit her.” Then he looked at me and sighed. “Clara, drop the charges.” Hearing those three words, my heart was still pierced. Though I had guessed it would come to this, hearing it aloud still hurt. “As long as you sign to drop the charges, we won’t pursue charges of false accusation against you.” “If you keep making trouble, it won’t benefit you. You can’t handle it.” I looked at him, suddenly finding this man before me very strange. “Ethan, are you worried I can’t handle it?” “Or are you threatening me that if I don’t drop the charges, you’ll use public opinion to destroy me?” His expression shifted slightly. “That’s not what I meant.” My mother pointed at the door, her voice trembling. “Get out! Both of you, get out of my house!” She clutched her chest, her body swaying. I screamed and caught her. Ethan also instinctively stepped forward, wanting to help. I looked up sharply and pushed him away. “Ethan, don’t touch my mother!” He froze in place. My mother leaned against me, her face deathly pale, forehead covered in cold sweat. I frantically dialed for an ambulance. Ethan stood in the doorway, showing panic for the first time. “Clara, I…” I held my mother, trembling all over. “Take Lily and get out of my house! If anything happens to my mother, I’ll never forgive you!” Ethan’s lips moved. But in the end, he couldn’t say a word. My mother’s hands grew colder and colder. I suddenly realized Ethan hadn’t come to persuade me to drop the charges. He had come to push the last person protecting me to her death too.

The next day, as I stayed with my mother at the hospital, the trending topics exploded. When I opened my phone, my name was everywhere. [Renowned Attorney’s Wife is a Sex-Addicted Lunatic!] [Infertile Woman Jealous of Husband’s Pregnant First Love Seduces and Falsely Accuses 18-Year-Old Boy!] Every word was like a nail, driven into my body one by one. Someone had dug up photos from that night. Red dress. Deep V-neck. High slit. The photos were maliciously enlarged. People circled my chest and legs. Adding filthy captions, turning them into memes. [This slut’s dress is slit up to her crotch. Bet she wasn’t wearing panties underneath.] [Attorney Price looks at this barren whore every day. No wonder he went back to his first love.] [Poor Lily, pregnant and still having to deal with revenge from this crazy bitch.] The torrent of obscene abuse online continued until the day of the second trial. That day, the sky was so overcast it seemed about to collapse. Lily still sat in the front row. Jason sat in the defendant’s seat, looking like an innocent young man awaiting judgment. Ethan stood up, even calmer than the last time, and more ruthless. On the big screen played private footage from my therapy sessions. From three months ago, me leaning in his arms, tearfully dissecting my deepest pain: “Ethan, ever since Lily came back, I feel like I’m going to lose you… I can’t give you children. Will you stop wanting me…?” This moment of complete vulnerability and dependence I had shown him became the iron-clad evidence he used to exonerate a rapist. Ethan held a laser pointer, aiming at the screen showing me in tears. “Your Honor! Ms. Hart suffers from severe jealous delusions and depression!” “Because of her own infertility, she harbors deep resentment toward the pregnant Ms. Lily. On the night of the incident, she deliberately wore a revealing deep V-neck red dress, voluntarily drank ten glasses of hard liquor, and used the effects of alcohol and psychiatric medication to seduce my client’s brother into a room!” “All of this was a carefully planned scheme to get revenge on Ms. Lily!” I sat in the witness stand, my throat full of the taste of blood. They examined my hemline, my womb, my shattered psychiatric records with a magnifying glass. But not one person asked me how much pain, how much despair I felt when I was pinned to the bed and my clothes were torn. Ethan coldly closed the case file. “The defense respectfully requests that the court fully consider the instability and potential subjective malice in Ms. Hart’s testimony, and dismiss all accusations from this woman!” Potential subjective malice. In the gallery, Lily covered her belly and let out a long sigh of relief. A victorious smile curved her lips. I closed my eyes. During the recess before the verdict was announced, I went to the restroom. Just as I reached the corridor corner, Jason came from the other direction. He stopped in front of me, his voice very low. “Clara, your husband is even more impressive than I thought. I slept with you, and not only isn’t he angry, he’s getting me acquitted.” Blood rushed to my head. I raised my hand to hit him, but he immediately stepped back. The next second, Lily appeared. “Jason!” She pulled Jason behind her, looking at me with wariness all over her face. “Clara, are you trying to assault someone at the courthouse?” I bit my lip hard to keep from vomiting. The recess ended. The court was about to announce the verdict. Everyone stood, waiting for the judge’s final decision. Just then, Ethan’s phone on the desk vibrated. It was his most trusted private investigator. He glanced down. [Attorney Price! New surveillance footage has been found! Ms. Hart was absolutely not willing! She was force-fed a strong sedative and dragged in! Ms. Lily was in the room… She personally undressed Ms. Hart!] Ethan’s head snapped up, his eyes boring into Lily.

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