1 I worked online as an anonymous relationship coach, untangling other people’s messy love lives. Yet I was the one trapped in a suffocating marriage. Vaughn came home on time every single day. He ate dinner across the table from me, and he kissed my forehead before bed. He bought extravagant bouquets for holidays, wired generous amounts of money to my account, and even remembered my parents’ birthdays. On paper, he was the flawless husband. But when I told him I was hurting, he turned a deaf ear. When I said I was exhausted, he simply told me that everyone gets tired. When I asked if he loved me. He gave a detached reply, “Don’t make life so exhausting.” But the most exhausting part of my life was trying so desperately to get close to him, only to realize that even humoring me felt like a chore to him. So I stopped asking. And he seemed perfectly content with the silence. Tonight, a new consultation popped up on my screen. A young woman asked, “I messed up a long time ago, and he married some fat girl just to spite me. Now he still says he loves me. Should I steal him back?” I was just about to type a professional reply when she sent a photo. A man was looking down, gently wrapping a cashmere scarf around her neck. Resting on his wrist was the luxury watch I had painstakingly hunted down for his birthday last year. The man she wanted to steal back was my husband. … I stared at that photo for a very long time. His cuff was pulled back just enough to reveal the dial. Last year, I visited three different boutiques and called over a dozen friends just to track that exact model down. [Hey, do you think he still has feelings for me?] My fingers hovered over the keyboard. They felt stiff, frozen in place, before I finally managed to type a response. [What was your relationship with him?] Her reply came almost instantly. [We dated in college!] [But he’s way too proud. I made him mad back then, so he just grabbed the resident campus whale who had a crush on him and married her as payback. I regret it so much!] It felt like someone had driven a fist straight through my chest. The girl kept typing. [I know he doesn’t actually love her. He was just throwing a tantrum and found a cheap substitute who could never compare to me.] [You’re a relationship expert. You get how guys like that work, right?] I was used to analyzing other people’s heartbreaks. I never expected the arrow to strike my own chest. In a daze, my mind drifted back to a time many years ago. When I first started college, I had to take heavy steroid medications for an illness. The side effect was massive weight gain. I had worked hard to get into a top-tier university, but the only thing I heard in the lecture halls was mocking laughter. Someone snapped a picture of my lunch tray and posted it in the class group chat. [Porky’s got a hollow leg! Incredible!] Someone else taped a sticky note to my chair. [Weight limit warning. No whales allowed.] Another guy even walked up to me with a smirk and asked, “Hey Jill, do you walk on all fours in private? Can you really put away half a barrel of slop in one sitting?” They knocked my pill bottles onto the floor just for a laugh. I didn’t dare to cry. Crying would only make me look uglier. Vaughn wasn’t the typical heroic, sunshine-filled boy who stood up for the weak. He was always cold, aloof, separated from the rest of the world by an invisible layer of frost. But that day, he bent down, picked up my medicine bottle, and handed it to me. Then he looked at the crowd. “If I see this again, every single one of you will be facing the disciplinary board.” “Come on, Vaughn. Why do you even care about her?” He raised his eyes, his gaze freezing the room. “Verbal harassment goes straight on your academic record. Want to test that theory?” No one dared to bully me in the open after that. I carried the memory of that day with me for years. So when Vaughn called me late one night, long after graduation, I listened to his heavy silence before he finally spoke. “If you’re still single… would you marry me?” There was no diamond ring. There was no romantic proposal. I didn’t even ask him why. “I will.” At ten o’clock that night, Vaughn walked through the front door. He took off his overcoat and asked the same question he always did. “Why are you still awake?” He walked into the kitchen and poured me a glass of warm water. “Remember your follow-up appointment at the hospital tomorrow. Don’t skip your meds. Your health comes first.” He was always like this. Perfectly decent. Perfectly thorough. Even his affection felt meticulously calculated. I looked at him and suddenly asked, “Why did you marry me?” He turned his back to me, flipping through a stack of documents on the counter. “The past doesn’t matter.” A thin wire of tension pulled tight across my heart. “Does it have anything to do with Serena?” This time, he didn’t answer immediately. After a long pause, he simply said, “It’s late. Go to sleep.” Silence can be deafening. A moment later, my phone buzzed on the table. [He skipped work today and spent the whole day shopping with me. It feels exactly like when we were dating in college!] I thought about the text I had sent Vaughn earlier that afternoon. I had taken a picture of the new bakery downstairs, asking if he wanted to try it together tonight. He didn’t reply until he was off the clock. Just one word. “Busy.” I put my phone face down and headed toward the bathroom to wash up. As I passed the balcony, I heard Vaughn’s hushed voice. “Don’t cry. I’ll be right there.” He hung up the phone. When he turned around and saw me standing there, his expression stiffened for a fraction of a second. “Emergency at the company.” I stared at him. For some reason, I desperately wanted to fight for him just this once. I wanted to know if, just for a single moment, he would choose me over Serena. I gripped the edge of the sofa, letting my voice soften. “I really don’t feel well.” “My heart is racing, and my head is pounding. Can you please stay?” He walked straight to the cabinet, pulled out the medical kit, and placed it on the coffee table in front of me. “Check and see what you need to take.” “Get some rest after you take your pills. Don’t let your imagination run wild.” With that, he picked up his coat. The sound of the front door clicking shut was incredibly soft, yet it felt like a brick wall collapsing on top of me. I sat on the couch, the medical kit resting by my knees. The pill bottles inside were arranged in perfect, sterile compartments. Just like the marriage he gave me. I had quietly challenged her to a match, and I had lost completely. 2 I started suffering from severe insomnia after that night. My head was crammed with alternating voices. I had studied psychology in college. I knew exactly what happens to a person when their mind is repeatedly punctured by severe emotional trauma. I just didn’t want to admit it. Admitting a relapse meant admitting that this marriage was dragging me back into the abyss. Early the next morning, I booked an appointment with my psychiatrist. Vaughn stepped out of his study. “Where are you going?” “Follow-up appointment.” He checked the schedule on his phone. “I’ll go with you.” The withered leaves in my heart felt a sudden, desperate drop of rain. But right as we reached the door, his phone rang. He spoke a few words, and his posture immediately grew tense. “Don’t go outside. Send me your room number.” He hung up and looked at me. “Serena got cornered by a stalker at her hotel. She’s terrified to leave the room.” My throat tightened. “Can you not…” “It’s just a routine checkup. I’ll have my assistant drive you.” “But if I don’t go to her, something terrible might actually happen.” Those words cut deeper than any insult. He casually placed me in second place. Again. In the end, his assistant was the one who accompanied me to the hospital. Sitting in the backseat, watching the city streets blur past the window, I suddenly felt like a piece of mishandled luggage being shipped to temporary storage. I waited in line alone. I filled out the diagnostic scales alone. By the end of it, all I felt was a bitter sense of irony. I was an expert at telling other women when to cut their losses, yet I had allowed myself to be drained dry. “You are showing clear signs of a severe Bipolar relapse. You cannot afford any more emotional triggers right now. We need to adjust your medication. I strongly suggest your family keep a closer eye on you.” The moment the doctor handed me the new prescription, a message from Serena popped up on my screen. [He canceled his plans with his wife today just for me.] [Tell me, is this what true love looks like?] I walked out of the hospital and crouched by the curb, trying to swallow down the suffocating wave of panic. The sun was beating down on my head, but I was shivering uncontrollably. I took one step onto the street, and an electric bike swerved past me, the handlebars clipping my shoulder. “Do you have a death wish?!” The rider slammed on his brakes and turned back to scream at me. “Watch where you’re walking, you crazy bitch!” I fell onto the concrete. My first instinct wasn’t to cry, but to scramble for my scattered prescription papers, as if they were the last shred of dignity I possessed. When the nurse cleaned my scraped arm back inside the clinic, the stinging pain made my fingers curl inward. My mind drifted back to the first year of my marriage. My mother came to visit our new house, dragging bags full of fresh groceries, insisting that takeout was toxic. Vaughn stood in the doorway of the kitchen, watching her roll out homemade pasta dough. “Do you need any help?” He had no idea what he was doing. The ravioli he folded were misshapen and lumpy. My mother laughed until she couldn’t breathe, picking out the best-looking one and putting it on his plate. “For your first try, Vaughn, that’s practically a masterpiece.” He looked down, ate the ravioli, and the tips of his ears turned slightly red. The night my father drank too much, Vaughn practically carried the older man to the guest room, leaving a glass of warm water and antacids right on the nightstand. My mother had pulled me aside later, whispering. “Jill, I know Vaughn seems cold on the outside, but he pays attention to the details. Give him time. You’ll build a good life together.” I used to believe that, too. I thought he wasn’t heartless, just slow to warm up. I believed that if I just waited a little longer, he would eventually turn around and look at me. But now, my hands were covered in blood, strangers were screaming at me on the street, and the man I married was playing the knight in shining armor for someone else. That evening, Vaughn came home on time as usual. He walked through the door just as I was changing my bandages. I hadn’t wrapped the gauze tight enough, and a fresh bead of blood seeped through the white fabric. He frowned, walking quickly toward me. “What happened?” “I tripped.” He didn’t press for details. He sat down right in front of me, took the tweezers, and used a cotton ball to carefully clean the dried blood from my skin. To an outsider, he looked like the absolute perfect husband. He didn’t yell. He didn’t throw tantrums. He never used the silent treatment as a weapon. But looking at him, my eyes welled up with tears from a completely different kind of pain. I couldn’t hold it back anymore. “When you married me… was it because of Serena?” His hand stopped moving. The cotton ball pressed firmly against my raw wound, and I sucked in a sharp breath. It was as if my flinch brought him back to reality. He loosened his grip. “Don’t overthink things.” The same empty phrase. I looked down at his familiar, lowered eyelashes. He was so close, yet lightyears away. “Just say no. Just say the word, and I’ll believe you.” But what hurt far worse than my scraped arm was his absolute, suffocating silence. In that quiet span of seconds, I already had my answer. 3 Some old college classmates organized a reunion dinner. I originally had no intention of going. When the invitation popped up in the group chat, I glanced at it once and closed the app. I hadn’t seen most of those names in years. Some people didn’t need to be seen again. Just thinking about them made old scars itch. But Vaughn actually pushed back. “You shouldn’t lock yourself in the house all day. Go out. Get some fresh air.” I desperately wanted to ask him. Are you trying to get me to see old friends, or are you just looking for an excuse to see Serena? But I swallowed the question. Asking too many questions would only make me look pathetic. I arrived late. The heavy door to the private dining room was slightly ajar. “Honestly, Vaughn and Serena were the ultimate power couple back then.” “The untouchable campus prince and the golden girl.” “Who wasn’t obsessed with them?” Someone else chimed in. “Who would’ve guessed he’d end up marrying Jill?” A brief silence hung in the air, followed by a wave of muffled laughter. “Wasn’t she built like a literal tank back then?” “Oh yeah, the resident hippo who always sat in the back corner.” “It’s like a bad rom-com script. Except the male lead still loves his golden girl, and the trope of the cheap substitute just became real life.” Someone in the room let out a soft, mocking click of their tongue. Serena was sitting in the very center of the crowd. She didn’t deny a single word. She just lowered her head and offered a bashful smile. Vaughn heard it all too. “Stop joking around,” he said. It sounded like a feather dropping onto the surface of a frozen lake. Not even a ripple. The Vaughn who had stood in a college hallway and threatened to end their academic careers with a single glare was gone. Or maybe he hadn’t changed at all. Maybe my naive, younger self just assigned far too much meaning to a passing moment of pity. One of the classmates noticed me standing in the doorway, and the color drained from their face. “Jill?” I walked in. “Sorry. Traffic.” Vaughn stood up, reaching out to pull out a chair for me. Before I could even sit down, Serena suddenly set her wine glass on the table and pressed a hand against her stomach. “I think I drank that too fast. My stomach is killing me.” Instantly, the entire room’s attention pivoted to her. Someone teased, half-joking and half-testing the waters. “Hey Vaughn, Serena’s in pain. You’re not gonna do something?” Vaughn hated those kinds of jokes. But his eyes darted straight to her anyway. The raw, instinctive panic in his gaze was unmistakable. A deep, bone-aching exhaustion washed over me. “I’m going to the restroom.” He took a step toward me, opening his mouth to say something, but Serena grabbed the cuff of his shirt. “Vaughn, do you think my ulcer is acting up again? It hurts so much.” Vaughn stopped dead in his tracks. Those few seconds of hesitation were all the time I needed to make my pathetic escape. I turned on the faucet in the restroom, scrubbing my hands for a long time, but I couldn’t wash off the sticky residue of pure humiliation. When I slipped out the back door of the restaurant, it was raining. The cold drizzle hit my face like dozens of icy fingertips. I didn’t call a cab. My thoughts were a chaotic, swirling mess. I knew these were the warning signs of a severe manic episode, but I couldn’t ground myself. As I walked past the parking lot, an SUV suddenly reversed out of a blind spot. I threw myself out of the way, twisting my ankle hard and scraping my arm against a pile of rusted metal debris. Blood dripped steadily from my fingertips. The pain in my ankle was blinding. The driver rolled down his window, cursed at me for being in the way, and sped off into the night when he realized I wasn’t fighting back. I sat alone on the wet asphalt. Suddenly, I really wanted to call Vaughn. Not because I expected him to save me. I just wanted to hear his voice. I wanted to see if my pain would make him panic the way hers did. The phone rang for a very long time before he finally picked up. “What is it?” The background noise was deafening. Serena, who had been in agonizing pain just minutes ago, was laughing brightly. “Vaughn, look at this! This is hilarious.” He spoke into the receiver again. “Jill? What’s wrong?” I opened my mouth, but the massive knot of grief lodged in my throat choked off my words. All that came out was a quiet whisper. “Nothing. Have fun.” I hung up the phone. The screen faded to black. But the torrential rain pouring inside my chest showed no signs of stopping. At three in the morning, the harsh fluorescent lights of the emergency room glared down at me. The doctor finished bandaging my arm and reviewed my X-rays. “Severely sprained ankle. Make sure to keep the stitches on your arm dry.” She looked up from her clipboard. “Is your family here?” I gripped the edge of my medical file, staring into space for a long time. Who was I supposed to list? My husband? He was busy entertaining his college sweetheart. My parents? I couldn’t bear to make them worry. I stared at the blank line for the emergency contact, and a sharp sting hit the back of my nose. I honestly didn’t know whose name I was allowed to write anymore. 4 I didn’t tell my mother about the accident. She had a weak heart and dangerously unstable blood pressure. When I was young, she and my father ruined their health running a tiny diner just to pay for my tuition. I couldn’t let her know that the daughter she cherished more than life itself had ended up in the ER at 3 AM with absolutely no one by her side. So when she called to ask why I hadn’t been home for Sunday dinner, I just told her I was slammed at work. “Jill, don’t lie to your mother.” I gripped the phone, forcing a cheerful tone. “I’m perfectly fine, Mom. I promise.” But my mother wasn’t stupid. That very afternoon, she brewed a thermos of herbal soup and took the bus to the city to find me. Before she even reached my apartment building, she spotted Vaughn. He was walking out of a high-end luxury jewelry boutique, carrying a glossy shopping bag. Serena was walking right beside him. She said something to him, stood on her tiptoes, and kissed him squarely on the lips. He didn’t push her away. Standing in the middle of the crowded sidewalk, my mother understood everything. It wasn’t that she didn’t know how cruel the world could be. She just never wanted to assume the worst about the man I loved. I had lost an alarming amount of weight recently. The light in my eyes had completely burned out. Now she knew why. I was being bled dry by a dull blade. She tried to chase after them, desperate to demand an explanation. But Vaughn had already wrapped his arm around Serena’s shoulder and guided her into the passenger seat of his car. By the time I rushed into the hospital lobby, my mother had already been wheeled into the resuscitation room. My father was trembling so violently he couldn’t even hold a pen to sign the critical condition notice. “Suspected cerebral hemorrhage. The situation is extremely volatile. We need to operate immediately, or else…” A deafening ring echoed in my ears. I pulled out my phone and dialed Vaughn’s number. “My mom is in the ER. Can you get here? No, wait! Have your private surgical specialist come first! It’s an absolute emergency!” A few seconds later, a voice came through the speaker. It wasn’t Vaughn’s. It was Serena. Her tone was sickeningly sweet, laced with feigned surprise. “Oh, Jill? Is that you?” The blood in my veins turned to ice. “Where is Vaughn?!” “He’s accompanying me at the OBGYN clinic. He’s consulting with the chief specialist right now, so he left his phone with me.” OBGYN? The red light above the resuscitation doors was still glaring brightly. I didn’t have the luxury of dissecting her words. “Put him on the phone! My mother is dying. I am begging you, put him on the damn phone right now!” Serena paused for a second, then immediately reassured me. “Jill, don’t panic. I’ll tell him right away.” I gripped my phone, pacing the sterile hallway. Ten minutes passed. No call back. The nurses rushed out, their voices frantic. “Did you get a hold of the specialist? The patient doesn’t have much time.” I dialed Vaughn’s number over and over again. It rang out every single time. My father stood in the corner, his eyes bloodshot. “What did Vaughn say?” Just then, a notification from my consulting app pinged. Serena had sent a new photo. Vaughn was lying on a plush sofa beside her, his eyes closed, fast asleep. [Just wanted to brag a little bit. Isn’t he so handsome when he sleeps? I really hit the jackpot.] The doors to the ER swung open and shut. Nurses sprinted past me. My father was begging the doctors to try anything, everything. But all I could see was the image of my husband resting peacefully by her side. The woman who gave me life was bleeding out on an operating table. The son-in-law she treated like her own flesh and blood never showed up. Later, a doctor walked out and pulled down his surgical mask. I watched his lips move in slow motion. “I am so sorry. We did everything we could.” My mother didn’t make it. The golden window for surgery had been stalled away minute by minute. I collapsed to my knees outside the surgical doors. I couldn’t even force a sob out of my throat. It felt like a crucial wire inside my body had snapped, leaving me suspended in a terrifying void. Someone tried to help me up. They let me inside the room. My mother was lying there, completely still. Suddenly, a blinding, tearing pain ripped through my abdomen. Hot blood rushed down my legs, soaking my pants. Someone screamed. Hands grabbed me. My vision went entirely black. When I finally opened my eyes again, I was staring at a white hospital ceiling. “You were pregnant. But… the trauma was too severe. You lost the baby.” It took a very long time for those words to process. Pregnant. Baby. Lost. The three concepts crashed into each other, forming a language I couldn’t comprehend. I didn’t even know this child had existed. I had no idea a tiny life had briefly made its home inside of me. And just like that, it vanished, leaving this world at the exact same time as my mother. My phone buzzed on the nightstand. It was Serena again. [Great news! I’m pregnant!] [He is totally freaking out about being a dad. It’s actually kind of adorable.] [I’m starving. Here’s a sneak peek of him looking at the ultrasound.] In the picture, Vaughn was holding a medical report. His profile was remarkably soft, genuinely preparing to welcome their child into the world. I didn’t even have the strength left to cry. Vaughn didn’t come home for the next several days. Serena had pouted and said, “I don’t want to spend Valentine’s Day alone.” So he stayed with her. The day after Valentine’s Day, he finally walked through our front door, looking tired but accomplished. Sitting right in the center of the dining table was a beautifully wrapped gift box. He stared at it for a moment before guilt washed over his features. He remembered that I prepared a lavish gift for him every single year. Driven by remorse, he reached out and untied the silk ribbon. When he finally saw what was resting inside, every drop of color vanished from his face.

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1 My ex-boyfriend, whom I had desperately loved for years, was throwing a highly publicized engagement party with an avant-garde female director. But playing on the massive screens at their engagement was a five-year-old video of me, crying and begging outside a police station, pleading with him not to abandon me. “Schwartz! I’ll be your secret lover, I don’t care! Just please don’t leave me!” “If you leave me, I’ll die!” The short film was Samantha’s breakout masterpiece. It was a raw, humiliating documentary of my entire pathetic existence as Schwartz’s devoted lapdog. Amidst the disgusting, mocking laughter echoing through the ballroom, a spotlight suddenly snapped onto Samantha’s feet. I was wearing a catering uniform, kneeling on the floor, adjusting the hem of her designer gown. Samantha took the microphone from the host and pointed it right at my face. “Five years later, Stephanie, do you regret being such a shameless, desperate stalker?” I looked at the handsome man standing beside her—Schwartz. I looked right into his eyes and gave my completely honest answer. “I regret it.” Hearing those words, Schwartz, who had always looked at me with pure disgust, suddenly panicked. But I truly didn’t care anymore. Back then, to heal my own broken heart, I had used him as a substitute. Now, my heart was anchored to something much better. He didn’t matter to me anymore. … “Stephanie! Today is my engagement party!” “You sneaked in here just to ruin everything, didn’t you?!” Schwartz violently shoved me backward. “And now you’re trying to act tough?!” “As long as I’m here, you will not ruin Samantha’s special day!” I stumbled backward, the old injury in my knee flaring with sharp pain. My cheap heels flew off my feet, sliding across the marble floor into the crowd. I scrambled barefoot to retrieve them, only for a smirking guest to kick them further away in disgust. “They’re literally getting engaged, and she’s still stalking him! Have some shame!” “Does this bitch have a life outside of chasing men?” “She’s just gold-digging! Schwartz is young, rich, and successful. She’s just too stupid to secure the bag!” Many of Schwartz’s friends at the party had personally witnessed my shameless obsession with him years ago. Back then, Schwartz was the long-lost heir of the prestigious Sterling family, having just been brought back into the fold. As his personal assistant, I pursued him with a manic, suffocating desperation. I drank for him at business dinners until I was hospitalized for stomach bleeding. The very next morning, I ripped out my IV to cook him porridge and deliver it to his office, only for him to hand it directly to the water delivery guy. And I still smiled. He called me at 1 AM saying he hated my long hair. I immediately got out of bed, chopped off the hair I had been growing since childhood, and sent him a video. His response? “Stephanie, are you actually stupid?” “It was a truth-or-dare joke. Did you seriously believe me?” The tipping point was a party with a bunch of trust fund kids. They made a bet on who could eat the most ghost peppers to win a limited-edition necklace. Schwartz casually mentioned he wanted it. I was deathly allergic to peppers, but I ate enough to land myself in the ICU. That day in the ambulance, his voice was gentle for the very first time. “You really like me that much? Enough to throw your life away?” The way his eyes curved when he smiled made me break down in tears under my oxygen mask. “Yes. I can’t live without you. As long as you let me stay by your side, you can have my life.” I finally got my wish. For a year, we dated, and I obeyed him like a loyal dog. Until Samantha released her documentary: The Subservience of a Gold-Digger. It was a year-long compilation of my most pathetic, degrading attempts to beg for his love. The moment the film dropped, Schwartz poured massive funds into marketing it. As the internet ripped me to shreds, Samantha swept every major international documentary award that year. And my reward? A breakup text from Schwartz. “If it wasn’t for Sam, I would have never tolerated your disgusting presence for a whole year.” Samantha was his unattainable high-school sweetheart, the girl he chased before he became a Sterling. The necklace I had almost died to win for him was resting proudly on her collarbone. “Women like you throw yourselves at me because of my bank account,” he told me. “Only Sam is different.” Even then, I refused to let go. I stalked him, crying, begging him not to chase me away. “You can be with someone else! Just let me stay near you, I’ll do anything!” “Please! I’ll die without you!” My hysterical, tear-streaked face from five years ago was currently playing on the massive LED screens, broadcasting my absolute degradation. But today, I simply picked up my shoes, slipped them on, and stood up calmly. “Mr. Sterling, I am a temporary worker hired by the catering company.” “I had no idea this was your engagement party. If I had known, I wouldn’t have taken the shift.” I turned to leave, but Schwartz lunged forward, gripping my arm like a vice. “Five years ago, why did you disappear without a trace?!” “Is that really all you have to say?!” Standing behind him in her haute couture gown, Samantha looked much wealthier than she did five years ago. She tilted her chin at me haughtily. “You vanish for five years, only to conveniently show up on the day Schwartz and I get engaged.” “Stephanie, you used to be a pathetic stalker, but now you’ve learned how to play mind games?” “But since you’re using this ‘coincidence’ to save face, I won’t embarrass you further by calling out your lie in public.” I ignored her completely and looked at Schwartz. “Actually, I do have one thing to say.” “You shoved me and caused me to injure my knee. Mr. Sterling, you need to pay for my medical bills.” 2 Schwartz couldn’t hide the absolute shock on his face. Back in the day, I would have willingly died for him without ever asking for a single dime. The catering manager rushed over, sweating profusely. He threw two hundred-dollar bills directly at my face. “You always act so quiet and innocent! I didn’t know you were this kind of trash!” “You dare ruin Mr. Sterling’s engagement?! Take the cash and get the hell out! You’re fired!” Schwartz’s friends used to love making me the butt of the joke, asking me how much money it would take for me to leave him. Every time, I would panic and swear I didn’t want a single cent, just the privilege of staying by his side. But today, I bent down, picked up the two crumpled bills, and turned to walk away without a second of hesitation. The crowd erupted in fresh mockery, but Schwartz frowned deeply. His grip on my arm tightened. “Stephanie! If you push this act too far, you won’t have a way back!” “Are you seriously telling me you came here just for a couple of bucks?!” Five years later, I could finally look him dead in the eye without flinching. “What else? Why else would I work a minimum-wage job if not for money?” He scoffed, his tone dripping with arrogance. “You’re not still delusional enough to think I have ‘lingering feelings’ for you, are you?” “Pathetic.” I yanked my arm out of his grasp. Kindergarten was letting out soon. I needed to pick up my son. My son, Leo, was four years old. He was a sturdy, bright-eyed little boy. The second he saw me at the gate, he peeled a gold star sticker off his shirt and pressed it onto my forehead. “Mommy works so hard! Here is your reward!” Even though he was only four, the gentle cadence of his voice and the way his eyes curved when he smiled were identical to his father’s. I breathed in the scent of his hair, and all the dark clouds from the afternoon instantly evaporated. I kissed his chubby cheek. “Leo and Mommy both worked very hard today!” I pulled the two hundred-dollar bills out of my pocket. “Let’s go buy a little cake, okay?” “Does Leo remember what special day it is today?” His little hands shot straight up into the air. “It’s Daddy’s birthday!” … I had graduated with a finance degree from a top-tier university, but the documentary scandal completely destroyed my career. When I left Schwartz, I was treated like a diseased rat. I had to bounce between cash-in-hand odd jobs just to raise my son. I had pre-ordered a small, four-inch cake that morning. The design was simple, with the words Miss You written in icing. Leo was proudly carrying the little cake box as we walked out of the bakery. Suddenly, someone violently bumped into him. The cake hit the pavement, smashing into a ruined mess. Ignoring my son entirely, Schwartz grabbed my arm again. “You think you can just disgust everyone and walk away?!” “You are coming with me to apologize to Sam right now!” “Stephanie, you want to play hard to get with me? Do you even have the right?!” In the past, whenever I got “jealous” and forgot my place, I would try to give Schwartz the silent treatment. But it never lasted more than an hour before I came crawling back, begging him not to ignore me. Because I used to be so unconditionally submissive, Schwartz simply couldn’t comprehend that my “tantrum” today ended with me actually walking away. That’s why he tracked me down. “Mr. Sterling! Today is your engagement party. You abandoned your fiancée to chase after me? If you need a psychiatric evaluation, go to a hospital, don’t come here to disgust me!” Seeing me being bullied, Leo lowered his head and headbutted Schwartz’s leg. “Let go of my Mommy! You big bully!” My tiny, four-year-old son spread his arms wide, standing between me and the towering billionaire. “You broke my Daddy’s cake! And you’re being mean to Mommy!” “Apologize to my Mommy right now!” Seeing my son’s brave little face made my heart skip a beat. For a split second, I saw him again. But reality snapped me back. I didn’t want Leo dragged into this mess. I scooped him into my arms and turned to walk away quickly. “Stephanie! You actually got married and had a kid?!” Schwartz’s voice actually held a tremor of panic. “How could you?! How dare you?!” His possessive outrage left me completely baffled. In the past, he used to scream at me in disgust: “There are billions of men on this planet! If you want to get married and breed so badly, go drag a homeless guy off the street! Why the hell are you stalking me?!” Now that I had finally stopped stalking him, he was losing his mind. “Yes, Mr. Sterling. The law doesn’t forbid me from getting married and having a child.” “And it certainly doesn’t require me to stay celibate for you!” I barely took two steps before I collided head-on with Samantha, who had just rushed over. She was breathing heavily, a thin layer of sweat ruining her perfect makeup. “Stephanie! You ruined my engagement party! Are you happy now?!” The sudden shouting match in the middle of the street quickly drew a massive crowd. Videos of the chaos at the engagement party were already trending online. People in the crowd started recognizing me. “Isn’t that the crazy stalker from five years ago? She crashed the engagement and she’s still stalking him?!” “Why is she holding a kid? She has a kid and she’s still acting like a psycho?! Let me guess, it’s a bastard child!” When Samantha’s eyes locked onto the boy in my arms, her brow furrowed fiercely. Alarm bells practically rang in her eyes as she muttered under her breath. “That’s impossible…” Leo was still upset about the cake for his dad. He squirmed out of my arms and reached toward the ground. “Don’t step on my Daddy’s cake!” As he tried to salvage the crushed box from near Samantha’s feet, his little hand accidentally brushed against the hem of her dress. Samantha shrieked dramatically. “Why are you grabbing my dress?!” The massive bodyguard standing behind her surged forward and delivered a brutal, open-handed slap right across Leo’s face. “You little bastard! Getting handsy at your age?!” The force of the blow knocked Leo flat onto the pavement. Half of his soft, delicate face instantly swelled into an angry red welt. 3 My maternal instincts kicked in violently. I lunged forward to tear that man apart, but another bodyguard instantly pinned my arms behind my back. The crowd’s toxic whispering buzzed in my ears. “What kind of child did you expect a mother like that to raise?” “The mom is a gold-digging whore, and the kid is already a little pervert! He’s gonna grow up to be human garbage!” “That little brat needs to be taught a lesson! Pull his pants down! Let him learn what public humiliation feels like!” Eager to impress Samantha, the bodyguard actually reached down, fully intending to strip my four-year-old son in the middle of the street. He was only a baby. Faced with a giant, violent man, Leo broke down into terrified, hysterical sobs. Every single cry felt like a jagged knife carving into my heart. “Let go of my son!” “I didn’t try to ruin your engagement! You two are the ones chasing me down the street like maniacs!” “Schwartz! What the hell is wrong with you?!” Schwartz ignored my screaming. He walked over to Leo. When he finally got a clear look at the boy’s face, he froze dead in his tracks. It was a face that shared a sixty percent resemblance to his own. Suddenly, Schwartz started laughing. It was a laugh dripping with absolute, triumphant arrogance. “I was wondering why you suddenly vanished five years ago. Turns out, you snuck off to secretly have my baby.” The crowd immediately started murmuring, craning their necks to get a better look. My son, whom I had protected so fiercely for four years, was being gawked at like an animal in a zoo. “He really does look like Mr. Sterling!” “She couldn’t trap the man, so she stole his sperm and had a baby in secret! This bitch is actually psychotic!” “She’s probably trying to extort him! Crashing his engagement on purpose so he ‘discovers’ his bastard son! What a shameless homewrecker!” But Samantha denied it almost instantly, her voice bordering on frantic. “Impossible!” She glared at me with pure venom. “How could you possibly give birth to Schwartz’s child?!” It was true that I had gotten pregnant with Schwartz’s child once. But Samantha had personally ensured that pregnancy didn’t survive. I bit down savagely on the bodyguard’s hand, using every ounce of my adrenaline to break free. I threw myself over Leo, pulling him tight against my chest. I glared at Schwartz, my voice made of ice. “He is my son!” “Schwartz! I don’t care what kind of mental breakdown you’re having right now! If you touch my son, I will kill you myself!” Seeing my fury, Schwartz’s smile only grew wider. He looked like a man who held all the winning cards. He tapped the crushed cake box with the toe of his expensive leather shoe. He read the smeared Miss You written in the frosting. “If I remember correctly, today’s date is the exact anniversary of the day we first met.” “Stephanie, who else could you possibly be missing besides me?” He crouched down, using a sickeningly gentle voice to speak to Leo. “Where is your Daddy?” Before I could stop him, Schwartz threatened that if Leo didn’t answer, he would have me arrested. My brave little boy’s eyes welled with tears, but he answered. “My Daddy is dead…” “But I’m a big boy now! I’m here! You can’t bully my Mommy!” I wasn’t going to give them another second to traumatize my child. I pulled out my phone and dialed 911. “Let us leave!” “Schwartz! You really want to spend the night of your engagement in a police precinct?!” Remembering a news broadcast I had seen a few days ago, I raised the stakes. “You’re currently in the middle of a critical transition to take over the Sterling Group, aren’t you? If a scandal like this breaks, aren’t you afraid your stock will tank? Aren’t you afraid the board of directors will hold you accountable?!” The crowd hurled insults at me. “She’s the mistress and she’s acting like the victim!” “Threatening him with his own company?! She’s insane!” But Schwartz looked at me like he had completely figured me out. He actually looked pleased. “Must have been hard, constantly tracking my corporate news.” “Fine! Let’s see how long you can keep this stubborn act up!” He signaled the bodyguards to step aside, flashing me a calculated, gentle smile. “You can walk away. But think very carefully. If you walk away now, you will never get the chance to see me again.” In the past, I would have paid any price just to see him smile like that. But today, I didn’t need it. I carried my son in my arms and walked away without looking back once. Behind me, I heard Schwartz’s voice crack with genuine shock. “Stephanie! Where are you going?!” “If you walk away today, don’t ever expect me to acknowledge the child you gave birth to!” His stare burned into my back, trying to read my mind. He saw my footsteps pause. But before his lips could even curl into a triumphant smirk, he saw me break into a full sprint away from him. Watching my silhouette disappear down the street, Schwartz instinctively took a step forward to chase me, but Samantha grabbed his arm tight. “Everyone is watching. She’s doing this on purpose.” “Relax. Today proves that she went through all this effort just to stop you from getting engaged to me.” “As long as you hold your ground, she’ll definitely find another excuse to come crawling back to you.” When I got back to my tiny apartment, I immediately started packing our bags. I had specifically chosen this quiet southern town because it was a safe, healthy environment to raise a child. I never imagined Schwartz would choose to host his destination engagement party here. I owed Schwartz absolutely nothing. It was true that I had used him as a substitute to cope with my own devastating heartbreak. But while we were together, I had given him every ounce of my devotion. I never hurt him. Not once. He, on the other hand, only used me as a stepping stone to build Samantha’s fame. My initial intentions may have been “impure,” but considering the horrific trauma I endured because of him, Schwartz and I were completely even. 4 Leo was poking at his little smartwatch, his mouth turned down in a miserable pout. “Mommy, the kids at school are calling me a bastard. They said they’re never going to play with me again…” In just a few hours, the internet had exploded. Samantha, whose career had completely stalled over the last two years, was suddenly dominating the trending charts again. Millions of people were romanticizing the “turbulent journey” of her and Schwartz’s love story, while viciously attacking my lack of shame. The manager at my catering job had officially fired me in the staff group chat. My phone was vibrating endlessly with messages from former coworkers, gossip bloggers, and even Leo’s preschool teachers. The peaceful life I had spent five gruelling years building was incinerated in an afternoon. Schwartz was forcing me to bow my head. I knew perfectly well that a “peasant” like me couldn’t fight the Sterling Group. To avoid any more nightmares, I bought two bus tickets out of the state for that very evening. But the moment Leo went to the station restroom, he vanished. The security footage showed me waiting outside the door. A man in a black suit had walked in carrying a massive, empty hard-shell suitcase. When he walked out, the suitcase was visibly heavier. I was just dialing 911 when my phone buzzed. It was a photo of Leo, fast asleep in the backseat of a luxury car. [I brought our son back to the Sterling estate. If you want to see him, come yourself.] [If you call the cops, I guarantee you will never see your son again for the rest of your life.] The next photo was a forged DNA test, showing a 99.9% probability of paternity between Schwartz and Leo. The Sterling family’s roots ran deep and corrupt. Even if I called the cops, with that fake DNA test in his hand, I probably wouldn’t get my son back. Standing in front of Schwartz’s sprawling mansion felt like returning to a past life. Through the massive floor-to-ceiling bulletproof windows, I saw Leo sitting alone on the living room floor, his eyes swollen shut from crying. He saw me, jumped up, and ran toward the glass, only to be effortlessly scooped up by a bodyguard and carried back to the center of the room. He tried over and over again. Even through the thick glass, I could hear him screaming for his mommy. A heavy, matte-black camera lens was suddenly shoved into my face. A bodyguard stared at me with dead eyes. “You gave birth to the Sterling heir in secret. Your intentions are malicious.” “Mr. Sterling said that if you want to see the child, you must publicly confess to your disgusting schemes.” “Be a good girl and provide the footage Miss Samantha needs for her new documentary.” He was actually using this despicable extortion tactic to force me to be the stepping stone for Samantha’s career again! I ground my teeth together so hard my jaw ached. “Tell Schwartz to get out here!” The bodyguard ignored me completely. I picked up the heavy metal tripod sitting next to the camera and smashed it directly into the mansion’s front doors. Schwartz thought he had me backed into a corner. But he vastly underestimated what Leo meant to me. If anyone dared to touch that boy, I would burn this entire city to the ground, even if it cost me my life. The camera equipment shattered into pieces. As the bodyguards surged forward to subdue me, I reached into my coat and pulled out a heavy pair of fabric shears. “Who wants to go first?!” A mother pushed to the brink of insanity is more terrifying than a wild animal. For a moment, the wall of muscle hesitated. I used that split second to sprint through the doors and scoop up Leo, who had cried himself into a state of semi-consciousness. Just then, a group of trust fund kids sauntered down from the second floor, flanking Schwartz. “Schwartz, your charm is seriously lethal. This crazy bitch couldn’t have you, so she actually risked her life just to secure your bloodline.” “Did we get enough footage of her mental breakdown?” Schwartz was holding a compact camcorder. He had recorded my entire desperate display from the indoor balcony. He snapped the screen shut, looking incredibly satisfied. “Stephanie, when I found out you had a kid, I thought you had finally grown a spine.” “I didn’t expect your obsession with me to transfer to the kid. You really bet your entire life on a child just because he has my blood.” His tone was dripping with arrogant charity, as if he were a god granting a peasant a pardon. “I never believed anyone could actually be as pathetically devoted as you.” “But your absolute stupidity and your sheer stubbornness… it actually moved me.” “As long as you cooperate with Sam and film the sequel to The Subservience of a Gold-Digger, I will allow you and the child to stay by my side forever.” “I obviously can’t give you a title or marry you, but I’ll set you up in a nice house. I’ll give you the life you’ve spent years dreaming about. I am finally giving you permission to love me.” The sycophants surrounding him erupted in cheers and catcalls. “Is she crying from happiness?!” “She’s probably too shocked to speak!” I covered Leo’s ears with my hands. In front of the entire crowd of elites, I gathered the saliva in my mouth and spat directly into Schwartz’s face. “Schwartz! Wake the hell up from your delusion!” “Stop acting like a narcissistic psychopath! It’s sickening!” It was the first time I had ever spoken to him with such pure, unadulterated venom. Schwartz’s face froze in absolute shock. He didn’t even have time to wipe the spit off his cheek before I delivered the final blow. “Open your ears and listen to me very carefully! This child is not yours!” “And I have never, ever loved you!” Schwartz looked like he had been struck by lightning. His voice cracked with disbelief. “Impossible! Leo is a carbon copy of me! How could he not be my son?!” “Stephanie! If you’re claiming I’m not the father, then tell me! Who the hell is?!” Watching his chest heave with panicked breaths, I opened my mouth and revealed the secret of my five-year disappearance.

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For three years, my husband spent every weekend night fishing with his female coworker. I’d screamed. I’d smashed things. He’d just looked at me, his voice dripping with righteousness. “We’re just fishing. Do you have to act like a complete psycho?” He was even baiting her fishing spot the day I miscarried. All he said was, “There’s nothing going on between us. You’re disgusting.” In the fourth year, I stopped checking up on him. I started leaving early and coming home late, wearing a new, expensive perfume every day. At first, he sneered. “Playing the independent woman now? This is just another one of your games, isn’t it?” But then he came home late one night, fishing gear in hand, to a house stripped bare, even the furniture gone. That’s when he finally panicked. When he called, his voice was trembling. “Where the hell are you in the middle of the night?” Listening to his impotent rage, I replied, my voice a lazy drawl. “So, it’s okay for you to go ‘fishing’ with your coworker, but I can’t go ‘hunting’ with someone else?” 01 My hand was still shaking after I signed the consent form. The doctor glanced at me, her voice flat. “Where’s your family?” “He’s… busy.” “Then you’ll have to go in alone.” The cold metal slid inside me, and my body seized with a pain so sharp it stole my breath. As my consciousness faded, I found myself back three years ago, on that first weekend. Mark was heading out the door, carrying his tackle box for the first time. “Where are you going?” “Company thing. A few of us are going fishing at the reservoir.” I didn’t think anything of it. I even packed sunscreen and lunch for him. He came back beaming, showing me pictures. In a large group of people, a girl named Tiffany stood next to him, her smile brilliant. Soon, the company outing became a weekly event. Then, the large group dwindled, until it was just him and Tiffany. Every weekend, from Friday night until the early hours of Sunday morning. A knot of unease started to form in my stomach. “Why is it always her?” “She’s the only other one who’s into fishing. We’re just friends, what are you thinking?” Then I saw the post on Tiffany’s Instagram. “Thanks to my best bud Mark for another great catch! The night breeze by the lake is amazing.” It was a nine-photo grid. Every shot was a profile of Mark, silhouetted against the water, plus a picture of two glowing fishing bobbers floating close together. I shoved the phone in his face. He snatched it from my hand and threw it onto the sofa. “What is wrong with you? We’re just fishing! Do you have to be so hysterical?” “There is nothing going on between us. We have nothing to hide. Can’t you get your mind out of the gutter for once?” From that day on, “hysterical,” “disgusting,” and “crazy” became my labels. I screamed. I smashed his precious fishing gear. All it got me was colder shoulders and longer absences. “If you keep this up,” he warned, “we’re done.” I was scared. So I learned to swallow it. I told myself I was being too sensitive, that it was just his hobby. I even started helping him pack for his night fishing trips. Mosquito repellent, hand warmers, a thermos filled with hot coffee. The impatience on his face finally began to soften. “See? This is much better. Trust and personal space are the most important things in a marriage.” I clung to those words, fooling myself for another year. Until I got pregnant. The doctor said it was a high-risk pregnancy. I needed bed rest, preferably with a family member around. I clutched Mark’s sleeve, begging him. “Please, don’t go this weekend. Stay home with me.” He frowned. “I already made plans with Tiffany. She’s already reserved the spot. It wouldn’t be right to bail.” “But the doctor said…” “The doctor’s just trying to scare you. You’re not that fragile.” He pried my fingers off his arm. “Look, I’ll be back early on Sunday.” And he left. Saturday afternoon, the cramping started. A sharp, pulling pain deep in my belly. I lay in bed, afraid to move, and called him. The first call went to voicemail. The second one connected. “Yeah?” He sounded annoyed. I could hear the wind and a woman’s laughter in the background. “Mark, I’m in so much pain… please, come home…” “Pain? How much pain can it be? You’re just freaking yourself out.” Over the line, Tiffany’s voice came through, clear as day. “Mark, who is that? Is your wife checking up on you again? You should be nicer to her, you don’t want her getting the wrong idea about us.” Her voice was sugary sweet, laced with a giggle. Mark’s tone immediately softened when he spoke to her. “It’s nothing. You just focus on baiting the spot. The wind’s picking up, the fish should be biting soon.” Then, his voice turned to ice as he spoke back into the phone. “I’m busy! You’re a grown woman. If you don’t feel well, go to the hospital. Stop calling me!” Click. He hung up. Blood trickled down my thighs, staining the white sheets crimson. I struggled out of bed and dialed 911. Lying on the cold operating table, the chill of the anesthesia seeped into my bones. The doctor’s face was impassive. “We couldn’t save the baby. Three months along. It was a boy.” “Your health is poor. It… it might be difficult for you to conceive again.” I couldn’t cry. My chest felt like a hollow cavern with an icy wind whistling through it. I took out my phone and, with the last of my strength, sent Mark a text. “I had a miscarriage.” The screen stayed lit for a long, long time, with no reply. I don’t know how much time passed. Just as I was about to drift off, my phone buzzed. It wasn’t Mark. It was an update to Tiffany’s Instagram story. A photo of her and Mark by the reservoir, a huge net between them, teeming with writhing fish. The caption read: “What a haul! The luck is always insane when I’m with Mark!” Below it, I saw that Mark had liked the post. Five minutes ago. My text message still sat in our chat, unread. In that moment, staring at the sterile, white light on the ceiling, I started to laugh. Olivia, you are such a pathetic fool. These four years have been a joke. After I was wheeled out of the operating room, a nurse handed me a bill. “You need to go settle this.” I looked at the amount and my head spun. I didn’t have my wallet. I had no choice but to dial that number I knew by heart one more time. It rang for a long time before he picked up. “What now?!” The rage in his voice practically burst through the speaker. “I’m at the hospital. I don’t have enough money, can you…” “Are you fucking kidding me?!” he cut me off. “I told you, we’re fishing! Fishing! Do you not understand English? It’s Tiffany’s birthday today, we’re all celebrating! Can you not be such a buzzkill?!” “Her birthday?” I whispered. “Yes, her birthday! We got a cake, we’re right by the lake! Do you have to ruin everything right now? It’s just money, right? I’ll send it to you! Just stop calling me, you’re so damn disgusting!” The line went dead again. A moment later, a notification. A five-hundred-dollar transfer. With a two-word memo: “Shut up.” I stared at those words, and the last bit of warmth drained from my body. I didn’t accept the money. I used the last of my credit on my phone to pay the bill. Alone, I braced myself against the wall and slowly walked out of the hospital. The night air cut against my face like a razor. I looked up at the moon. It was full and bright. Mark. Tiffany. I repeated their names, syllable by syllable. From this day on, I’m no longer the “hysterical” Olivia who revolves around you. What you owe me, I will take back. Every last cent, with interest. 02 I sat on a bench outside the hospital all night. At dawn, I took a cab home. The house was empty. On the coffee table sat the thermos and hand warmers I’d prepared for him. Next to them, a pile of his dirty clothes. Everything was exactly as I’d left it. It was as if yesterday’s heart-wrenching agony had been nothing but a hallucination. I walked into the bedroom and opened the closet. Half of it was mine: simple, elegant clothes. The other half was his: a collection of outdoor brands, tactical jackets, and fishing gear. Tucked in the very back was the tuxedo and wedding dress from our wedding day. I stared at that white gown for a long time. Then, I picked up my phone and made the first call. “Hey, Sophie? It’s me.” Sophie was my best friend, a take-no-prisoners lawyer. “Liv? What’s wrong? You don’t sound right.” “I had a miscarriage.” Three seconds of silence on the other end, followed by a surge of contained fury. “Where is that bastard Mark?!” “Out fishing with his ‘little sister’.” “Fuck!” Sophie swore. “Give me his location. I’m going to go skin him alive!” “Don’t,” I cut her off, my voice terrifyingly calm. “Sophie, I want a divorce.” Sophie was stunned. She knew better than anyone how much I loved Mark. “Are you sure?” “I’m sure.” I looked out at the gray, dreary sky. “I’ve been sure since yesterday afternoon.” “Okay,” Sophie snapped into work mode. “Don’t panic. Don’t do anything. Wait for me to get there. Division of assets, evidence of his infidelity—we need a solid plan.” “Evidence…” I gave a bitter laugh. “I don’t have any.” For four years, I’d been a fool, so focused on fighting with him that I never thought to protect myself. “Doesn’t matter,” Sophie’s voice was steady. “If we don’t have direct evidence, we’ll build a chain of circumstantial evidence. Listen to me. From this moment on, you need to become a completely different person.” After the call, I sat on the cold floor and began to think. Sophie was right. What I wanted wasn’t to stand in a courtroom, crying and begging for a pittance in compensation. I wanted his life in ruins. I wanted him to feel a fraction of the pain I’d endured for four years. I wanted him to watch as I personally tore down everything he held dear. I got up and started moving. First step: assets. I opened my laptop and logged into our online banking. All these years, both our salaries went into a joint account that I managed. Mark was careless. He never asked about it. “The money’s with you, I’m not worried,” he’d always say. Looking back, it wasn’t that he trusted me. He just didn’t care. I looked at the balance. Seven figures. Our entire life savings, built from nothing. Without a moment’s hesitation, I started transferring half of it into a separate account under my mother’s name. Next, I found our stock portfolio. Mark had bought most of them, bragging about some inside tip that was a sure thing. I looked at the sea of red on the screen and let out a cold smirk. Sell. All of it. At market price. I didn’t care about the losses. Once that was done, I made a second call. A moving company. “Hello, I’d like to schedule a move.” “Of course, ma’am. When would you like to schedule it for? Do you have a lot of items?” “Next Saturday. And yes… a lot.” I looked around the home I had so carefully built. “Everything but the floor and the ceiling, I want it all gone.” “And especially, a six-foot-tall glass display cabinet.” That cabinet held Mark’s most prized possessions: his complete set of limited-edition fishing rods and lures. Every single one of them was more valuable to him than my wedding dress, which was currently stuffed in the back of the closet. The next week passed in a strange state of calm. On Sunday afternoon, Mark finally came home. He carried his empty tackle box, looking exhausted, and brought with him the faint scent of a perfume. Tiffany’s favorite. He saw me sitting on the couch and froze. He was probably expecting the usual interrogation, the tears. “You’re back?” I even managed a small smile. He looked uneasy as he set his gear by the wall. “Yeah, I’m back.” He was waiting for me to explode. But I didn’t. I stood up and walked into the kitchen. “You must be hungry. I’ll make you some pasta.” He followed me, leaning against the doorframe, his eyes narrowed with suspicion. “Are you… okay?” “I’m fine.” I poured the pasta into a bowl, adding a fried egg on top. “Why wouldn’t I be?” I placed the bowl in front of him. “Eat up. You should get some rest.” He picked up his fork but didn’t eat, his gaze fixed on me. “Olivia, what game are you playing now?” I looked up, meeting his eyes with a gentle smile. “No game. I’ve just had some time to think.” “Think about what?” “That trust and personal space are the most important things in a marriage, right?” I threw his own words back at him. “I was too clingy before, always trying to keep you tied down. I won’t be like that anymore. You have your hobbies, and I support you.” Mark’s expression shifted from wary to confused, and finally, to a look of smug relief. He thought he had finally tamed me. He thought I had finally accepted my fate. He dug into his pasta, eating ravenously. “That’s more like it,” he said, his mouth full. “If you’d just thought like this from the start, we could have avoided so many fights.” “Tiffany is always telling me I should spend more time with you, that you must be lonely at home by yourself. I told her you just overthink things.” He rambled on as he ate. I listened quietly, a perfect smile plastered on my face. Inside, I was counting down the days. Enjoy this peace while it lasts, Mark. The storm is coming. 03 From that day on, I changed. I stopped checking his phone, stopped asking where he was. When he went out for his weekend fishing trips, I would even help him clean his gear beforehand and clear out the trunk of the car. At first, Mark reveled in my 180-degree turn. He could talk loudly on the phone with Tiffany at home, discussing which reservoir had the best fish. He could like and comment on her latest Instagram post right in front of me. He savored the feeling of being in complete control. And I just smiled and nodded. “That’s nice.” “Have fun.” “Do you need me to pack anything for you?” A hint of contempt began to creep into his eyes. He believed I had completely given up. A pathetic woman who couldn’t live without him. Meanwhile, my own life was quietly transforming. I threw out all the plain, muted clothes in my closet. I replaced them with sharp, brightly colored power suits. I started using the supplementary credit card Mark had given me to buy things I never would have dared to before. Handbags that cost thousands, perfumes that cost hundreds. Every morning, I’d leave the house wearing a scent he couldn’t possibly name, my makeup flawless. I’d come home late. Sometimes, with the smell of alcohol on my breath. Mark finally started to notice something was wrong. That weekend, as he was getting ready to leave, he saw me standing in front of the mirror, putting on earrings with a little black dress. “You’re going out again?” he asked, frowning. “Mhm, meeting up with some friends.” “Male or female?” I met his gaze in the mirror and smiled. “Mark, we agreed, remember? Mutual trust, personal space.” My words left him speechless, his face turning a dark shade of red. “Don’t you dare use my own words against me! Olivia, something’s been off with you lately!” “Oh?” I turned to face him. “What’s off?” “Who are you dressing up for? Who are you screwing around with, coming home so late every night?” The suspicion and jealousy in his eyes were practically burning. I laughed coldly to myself. He could spend his nights with a female coworker, but he couldn’t stand the thought of me having a life of my own. The hypocrisy was laughable. “It’s just a normal social life,” I said, picking up my purse. “Weren’t you heading out? If you don’t leave soon, you’ll miss the best spot.” I started to walk past him towards the door. He grabbed my wrist, his grip shockingly tight. “Stop pretending to be some independent woman! Do you think your measly salary pays for all this? Tell me! Did you find some rich guy to latch onto?” His fingers dug into my wrist, but I didn’t flinch. I just looked at him calmly. “You’re hurting me.” My composure only fueled his rage. “Answer my question!” “Every penny I spend is clean,” I said, enunciating each word. “But you, Mark, can you say the same about you and Tiffany?” He reacted like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. “Why are you bringing her up again? There is nothing going on between us! You’re the one who’s disgusting me right now!” There it was again. That word. “Disgusting.” It used to feel like a knife to the heart. Now, I just felt numb. My phone rang. I pulled my arm free and answered. “Hello, Mr. Peterson.” A warm, male voice came from the other end. “Ms. Scott, about that position we discussed, the CEO of the company would like to meet you in person. Are you free sometime tomorrow?” “Yes,” I said, my voice bubbling with excitement. “Of course.” “That’s wonderful. I’ll send you the restaurant details shortly. This is an incredible opportunity; they’re very serious about bringing you on.” “Thank you, Mr. Peterson. Thank you so much.” I hung up, a smile still on my face. Mark was staring at me, his eyes practically murderous. “Mr. Peterson? Sounds pretty friendly.” “He’s a friend.” “A friend?” he sneered. “Or your sugar daddy? Olivia, I underestimated you. Playing hard to get while you were already lining up your next meal ticket?” I didn’t bother explaining. He wouldn’t believe me anyway. In his world, a woman was always dependent on a man. If I left him, it must be because I had found someone else to cling to. He couldn’t imagine that a woman could build a better life for herself, by herself. “Think whatever you want.” I opened the door. “I’m leaving. Hope you get a great haul tonight.” The door clicked shut behind me. I heard a loud crash from inside, the sound of something shattering. I leaned against the door and took a deep breath. Sophie’s plan was falling into place. This “Mr. Peterson” was a top-tier headhunter she had introduced me to. I wasn’t looking for another man. I was looking for a job that would let me leave this city for good and start a new life. A new, glittering future. And Mark’s suspicion, his anger—it was all playing right into my hands. The more convinced he was that I had another man, the more completely his world would shatter when the truth finally came out.

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1 After my husband Asher and our son vanished, presumed dead, I refused to believe it. No bodies, no goodbyes. So I tore a hole in time, jumping five years into the future to find them. And I did. They were alive, but with no memory of me. I wept with joy, but as I reached for them, Asher’s voice stopped me cold. “The truth is, we never had amnesia. We just started a new family.” My eyes, bloodshot with disbelief, darted to my son, Noah. He just shrugged, adding casually, “It’s true. Our new mom is your best friend, Auntie Isla. We’ve been living here the whole time.” A roar filled my ears. I looked down at the three pale scars that circled my wrist, a souvenir from my suicide attempt, and felt my soul detach from my body. As if reading my mind, Asher’s tone turned scolding. “Why did you have to go and try to kill yourself? If you hadn’t done that, you wouldn’t have lost the baby.” “Be a good girl and go back,” he said. “When we’ve had enough of this life, we’ll come home.” Be a good girl? A broken laugh escaped my lips. There was no need to rush. If this time-jump mission failed, my memories would be wiped clean. In three days, at most, I would be sent back to my own time. And I would remember nothing of them. … Seeing me frozen there, my eyes burning red, Noah frowned. “Mom, what are you waiting for? Auntie Isla will be home soon. We don’t want to make her sad.” My heart felt like it had been run over by a train. After five years, his first thought was of someone else’s feelings. A fresh wave of red flooded my vision, but I clung to one last sliver of hope. “Noah, do you have any idea what my life has been like?” After they “died,” I became a pariah. People pointed and called me a jinx, a curse who’d destroyed her own husband and son. I spent a month in a daze, truly believing I was the one who had killed them. Finally, one night, I sliced my wrists open. If my mother hadn’t had a bad feeling and come to check on me, I’d be nothing but a pile of ash now. But Noah just turned his head away, indifferent. “Why would I want to know? You’re old and boring. I’m not interested.” A sharp pain lanced through my chest, like a blade carving me up, piece by piece. Asher saw the shock on my face and let out a short, harsh laugh. “Why are you arguing with a child?” “Besides, kids know who’s genuinely good to them. Isla never forces Noah to do anything he doesn’t want to. Not like you and your mother, with your suffocating, two-faced kindness.” The roaring in my head was deafening. The last thread of my control snapped. I lunged forward, grabbing his collar, my voice breaking. “Are you even human?! Do you know my mother died in a car accident looking for you? When they found her, she was still clutching the missing persons flyer with your faces on it!” I screamed, I accused, I expected some flicker of guilt. But the room was silent for two long seconds before he sighed with mild regret. “Of course, I knew. But she wasn’t watching the road. Who can you blame for that?” “You can’t pin a tragedy like that on me and my son.” He offered a troubled smile, but his eyes held no remorse, only a faint, weary annoyance. “I was going to visit you, but Isla happened to get sick right then. I couldn’t leave her.” “You couldn’t leave her?” I was laughing and crying at the same time, a shattered wreck of a person. Asher watched me for a few moments, a flicker of something like pity in his eyes. “Sera, listen to me. Now that you know the truth, when you go back, stop fighting with my mom. She didn’t have a choice.” “Take good care of her for me. I’ll make it up to you when I get back, I promise.” I froze, the taste of blood filling my mouth as I bit down on my lip. “Your mother… she knew about your plan the whole time?” Asher admitted it without hesitation, even offering a lazy smile. “If she didn’t, how else would you have been so willing to serve her?” I opened my mouth, but my vocal cords felt shredded. In the year after they “died,” I lived in hell. Because I was the one who had planned the cruise ship vacation, his mother, Meredith, tortured me relentlessly. She would stick me with needles every day, my arms, my legs—there wasn’t an inch of unblemished skin. My clothes were often soaked with blood. My own mother would weep seeing it and started fighting with her. But that only made Meredith more vicious. She grabbed a hammer and brought it down on my mother’s head. “You and your daughter are a curse! First my son, then my grandson! Why don’t you just die!” My mother was bleeding profusely, but even as they took her to the hospital, she stood in front of me, holding back tears. “From now on, if she wants to hit someone, she hits me. Let her take it all out on me.” From then on, I became Meredith’s slave. Because in my heart, I believed I was atoning for my sins. But now I knew. It was all a lie. The suffering my mother and I endured was nothing but a sick joke. I finally broke, my hands flying, slapping his face again and again like a hailstorm. “How could you do this to me?” Asher didn’t fight back. He just closed his eyes and took it. “Sera!” A sharp cry cut through the air. Isla stood in the doorway, her face pale as she stared at us. I froze, my gaze falling to her swollen, pregnant belly. Instantly, Asher and Noah moved to shield her. “This has nothing to do with Isla. If you have a problem, you take it up with me.” “If you dare hurt Auntie Isla, you’re not my mother anymore!” Father and son roared at me in unison. Tears streamed down Isla’s face as she shook her head. “No, it’s my fault. Sera, I’m the one who stole your family. Whatever you want to do to me, I’ll accept it.” The three of them, protecting each other. A perfect family unit. And me? The legal wife, the biological mother? I was nothing. A giant hand seemed to squeeze my heart, the pain so intense I doubled over. My voice trembled, my eyes filled with hatred. “Asher, this is bigamy. I’m calling the police!” He just watched as I fumbled with my phone, not a trace of panic on his face. Only when my thumb hovered over the final digit did he speak, his voice casual. “You probably don’t know what they do to time travelers they catch these days.” “What?” My hand froze mid-air, my heart hammering against my ribs. “First, they drug you. Strap you to an operating table for observation.” “Then comes the electroshock, to see how your brain chemistry reacts.” “Finally, they scoop out your brain and preserve it as a specimen for study.” Asher looked at me with something akin to pity. “Trust me, Sera,” he whispered. “You don’t want to go through that.” He smiled, a cruel, cutting thing, and suddenly I was back on our honeymoon. We were in a foreign country when we were mugged. We let them take all our money. But as they were leaving, one of them reached for me with a leering grin. In a flash, Asher was on them, a whirlwind of fists and fury against three men. Blood sprayed the air, and he screamed at me to run. By the time the police arrived, his brow was split open, his leg was broken, and he had a bullet in his side. He was barely breathing, but he smiled without a single regret. “Sera, I would rather die than let anyone lay a finger on you.” Looking at the man in front of me now, I slapped him again, but this time, pathetic tears streamed down my face. Asher understood my pain. He clenched his jaw, his voice almost a plea. “Sera, a part of me will always love you. But Isla… she’s been through so much. Can’t you just find it in your heart to pity her? Please?” I lifted my tear-streaked face, my voice choked with agony. “Why did it have to be her?” “Because she’s not just your best friend. She’s your half-sister!” My mouth fell open. I was frozen to the spot. Suddenly, Isla’s eyes welled with red, and she dropped to her knees before me. “Sera, I always wanted to tell you, but I was so scared! My mom and your dad separated a long time ago, and I never, ever wanted to take his love from you.” “But if you’re angry, please, take it all out on me.” Isla knelt there, her pregnant belly prominent, her shoulders trembling. Asher’s eyes turned crimson with rage, and he roared at me. “Are you even human?! She’s on her knees in front of you! What more do you want?” “Honey, please don’t fight with Sera because of me, I’m begging you!” Isla sobbed, clutching his leg. The blood in my veins turned to ice. A wave of nausea washed over me, and I couldn’t stop myself from vomiting. Everything was a lie. My best friend, my husband… even the father I had revered for thirty years. All of it, fake. Noah watched the scene with dark, cold eyes. He suddenly charged at me, shoving me hard. “Go away! We don’t want you here! Why did you have to make Auntie Isla sad?” I stumbled and fell, landing in the mess I’d just made. Isla rushed to Noah, hugging him, her voice thick with tears. “You can’t treat her like that. She’s your real mother. The one who gave birth to you.” “No! I don’t want her! You’re my mom! I only want you!” Noah didn’t even glance at me, his disgust for me on full display. I wiped the tears from my face, slowly pulling myself to my feet and walking towards the door. I never wanted to see them again. Not for a single second. Maybe it was a side effect of the time jump, or maybe my mind had just reached its breaking point. My vision went black, and I collapsed. The last thing I saw before the world disappeared was Asher’s worried face rushing towards me. When I woke up, only Isla was in the room. She smiled at me gently, but her voice was glacial. “Don’t bother looking. They went out.” With them gone, Isla dropped the act completely. Her eyes raked over me with contempt. “My mother stole your father, and I stole Asher. You and your mother are both pathetic losers, always have been.” “Shut up! You don’t get to talk about my mother!” Isla was in a wonderful mood, a cheerful smile playing on her lips. “So much fire. Just like your useless mother.” She paused, then continued in a lazy drawl. “You probably didn’t know, but your mother came to see mine once. She barely said two words before she burst into tears, begging my mom not to steal her man. It was so pathetic. My mom and I still laugh until our stomachs hurt whenever we think about it.” My fists clenched so tight my nails dug into my palms. Isla didn’t notice. She wiped a tear of mirth from her eye. “So you can imagine how sorry I felt for you when I realized you thought I was your best friend! Ahh—” Her words were cut off as I tackled her to the ground, my face a mask of triumphant rage. “You deserve this! I was so happy when I heard your mother was dead!” Something inside me snapped. I saw red. I grabbed her hair and slammed her head against the floor. Once, twice. Isla’s screams were sharp and piercing. The door burst open with a loud bang. Asher and Noah hadn’t left after all. Seeing what I was doing, Asher’s eyes widened in fury. “You bitch!” A vicious slap sent me flying, my body crashing hard against a cabinet. Isla was crying pitifully, clutching her bruised forehead. “Don’t hit her,” she trembled. “It’s okay. Let her get her anger out.” Noah burst into tears. “Auntie Isla, you’re too kind! Your head is bleeding, and you’re still defending that awful woman!” “It doesn’t hurt,” Isla said softly, like a true mother. “It’s my fault. I made your mom angry.” But then, her expression changed. She clutched her stomach. “Ah, the pain! Asher, our baby… I think…” Asher’s face went white. He swept Isla into his arms and shot me a look of pure loathing. “Be gone before we get back. If anything happens to Isla’s baby, you’ll pay with your life.” The door slammed shut, and they were gone. They never noticed the small knife embedded in my abdomen, or the growing pool of blood beneath me. Isla had stabbed me during our struggle. My face was pale as I glanced at the time. Six hours left. Then I would disappear. I just had to hold on. My legs were weak as I fumbled for some gauze, tying it tightly around the wound to stop the bleeding. But as I used the wall to pull myself up, I fainted again. I don’t know how much time passed before Asher’s deep voice woke me. “What are you doing?! Why is there so much blood? Are you trying to kill yourself for attention?” “No… my stomach… I was…” Before I could finish, Asher hauled me to my feet, dragging me out of the room like a dog. “Isla’s in trouble. She needs a blood transfusion, and she said you have the same blood type. Let’s go.” My legs could barely hold me, and a cold sweat drenched my forehead from the pain, but I pushed against him with all my might. “I’m not going!” Asher stopped, his eyes filled with disgust. “It’s a matter of life and death. You don’t have a choice!” Ignoring my screams, he took out a rope and tied my hands tightly. The pressure made my wound bleed afresh. Noah’s face paled. He saw the begging in my eyes, hesitated for a second, then quickly looked away. In that instant, my heart turned to ash. As they pushed me towards the operating room, Asher grabbed my hand. “Sera, help me this one time, and I’ll do anything you ask after this. Be good. I’ll be waiting for you when you get out.” A tear slid from the corner of my eye. I stopped struggling. Inside the operating room, Isla stood waiting, a smug smile on her face. She didn’t look like she’d been injured at all. A chill shot up my spine. She spoke slowly, her hands running over my body with satisfaction. “I didn’t bring you here for a transfusion. I brought you here to give my mother a new kidney.” “If you want to blame someone, blame your own bad luck. And your stupidity.” Just then, a doctor exclaimed, “Miss, one of her kidneys is failing.” Isla frowned for a moment, then shrugged it off with a smile. “Then take the other one.” “But… she’ll die.” “So what? She brought this on herself.” Isla commanded coldly, “Get it done. Now.” My body was tense, my bound hands frantically working a tiny nail clipper against the ropes. Faster, faster. The surgeon raised a scalpel, poising it over my stomach. Just as he was about to make the cut, my ropes fell away. I lunged for the door. Isla’s face contorted in fury. “Stop her!” she shrieked. “Kill her if you have to, but don’t let her get out!” In that life-or-death moment, a primal survival instinct kicked in. I kicked the doctor over and threw open the operating room doors. The next second, a searing pain erupted in my back. I fell to my knees, and in the last moment before my eyes closed, I saw Asher and Noah, their faces masks of horror, screaming my name.

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1 In the fourth year of my marriage to Jasper Blackwood, the childhood sweetheart who swore he’d marry no one else, I was induced to deliver my fifth stillborn child. Through it all, he loved me as if I were his entire world, comforting me that it just wasn’t our time yet. When I became pregnant again, I found the top specialist in the country, begging him to help me save this baby. He just sighed. “Ma’am, the first child you delivered for your ex-husband four years ago caused permanent damage. It’s very difficult for you to carry a pregnancy to term.” My mind went blank. Jasper and I got married right after college. What ex-husband? What first child? I stumbled home, and as I pushed open the door, I heard voices. “Dad, are you done playing with her yet?” “When you are, can you send her away? I want to live with Auntie Felicity all the time. I’m tired of hiding from her.” A man’s soft laugh. My ex-husband. “You’re a clever one, Noah. She still has no idea her memories have been altered. She doesn’t even remember that I divorced her for Felicity.” Then, Jasper’s voice, nonchalant. “When Felicity was diagnosed as infertile, I promised I’d give her a child to fulfill her dream.” “As for Rachel… seeing as she’s willing to try for a sixth baby, I suppose she’s passed my little test of devotion. I’ll give her a real marriage certificate. A proper reward.” My head exploded with pain. I leaned against the wall, tears streaming down my face in silence. The memories were fake. The marriage was fake. The two men I loved most in the world… neither of them had ever truly loved me. … My phone buzzed. It was the acceptance letter from the architectural design program in Milan—the one I’d been applying to for five years. I wiped my tears, about to reply, but the email vanished before my eyes. The voices from the study started again. “That’s the fifth time you’ve deleted that email.” Jasper’s voice was flat. “What if she remembers something in Milan? How would I get her back for the procedure? Besides, after I ‘married’ her, no one dared to call her the bastard daughter of a mistress again. She shouldn’t be so greedy.” Those quiet words shattered my heart into a million pieces. But Jasper, I remembered everything now. I remembered the despair when my first husband cheated. I remembered the agony of you forcing me onto a surgical table, rewriting my mind. All these years, the love I cherished was nothing but poison coated in sugar. The two men I loved most in my life had personally dragged me from one hell and thrown me into another. To understand Jasper’s world, I had poured myself into architecture, staying up all night to master dense textbooks, my fingers raw and blistered from drafting pencils. From intern to project lead, I applied to the Milan program every year, just to be able to stand beside him as an equal. I never imagined that the life-altering path I had chosen for him was nothing but a joke. In his eyes, his love and his name were just charity, a gift to indulge my foolish fantasy. I went downstairs to escape that suffocating house, but the little boy, Noah, burst out of a room. He had the same two tear-shaped moles as my first baby. The tears I’d been holding back finally broke free. I took a hesitant step toward him. The next second, I was shoved violently from behind. A porcelain vase on the stair landing crashed at my feet, the shards slicing into my ankle, drawing blood. Felicity stood there, tears streaming down her face, grabbing my hand and slapping her own cheek with it. “Rachel, you can’t just kidnap my child because you can’t have your own!” “I’m sorry! I know you’re still angry that Jasper helped me move while you were having the induction. I promise I won’t bother him again!” I stared at her familiar face, frozen to the core despite the summer heat. She was the one who had led the charge at school, calling me a bastard. For four years, she had called Jasper away every time I needed him, casually exposing my deepest wounds in front of others. And because of my fake memories, I had thought she was my best friend, forgiving her every transgression. All of her blatant, malicious games… Jasper had allowed them. Before I could react, Jasper rushed out. He glanced at my bleeding ankle for a fraction of a second before hurrying to Felicity, frantically checking her face for a non-existent mark. “Rachel, you’ve already lost five of your own children. Now you’re trying to take Felicity’s? Are you even human?” I stared at him in disbelief. But that was my child… my child… For four years, my body had been torn apart five times, my heart shredded by hope and loss. All those nights we held each other, I thought we were enduring the pain together. But I was the only one suffering. He was just a cold observer, treating my agony as a test, and now he was reprimanding me for it. I took a deep breath. “I didn’t do anything.” The words were barely out of my mouth when the boy stomped hard on my injured ankle. “She was bullying my mommy! Uncle Jasper, save me! I don’t want this bastard to take me away!” I saw the cunning glint in his eyes, and the pain in my heart was so sharp I couldn’t breathe. The child I had given birth to was helping my enemies destroy me. Jasper’s face darkened. He dragged me into the shower. My body trembled in an almost Pavlovian response, and I pushed against him. “Jasper… let me go!” He grabbed me by the throat, his voice like ice. “Rachel, if you won’t even spare a child, then don’t blame me for punishing you like this.” A punishingly cold jet of water slammed down on my head. I couldn’t breathe, struggling against his iron grip, the feeling of drowning overwhelming me. Through the haze, I saw the eighteen-year-old Jasper, risking punishment to storm the girls’ dorm and snatch a showerhead from Felicity’s hand as she tried to douse me. “As long as I’m here, no one will ever hurt Rachel.” His voice echoed in my ears, but the twenty-eight-year-old Jasper was now using Felicity’s methods to hurt me. I forced my eyes open and saw Noah comforting Felicity. “I stomped on that bitch really hard, Mommy. I bet she won’t dare to bully you again.” My heart felt as if it were being crushed by a tiny pair of hands. The pain was so intense that my vision went black, and I lost consciousness. When I woke up, Jasper was gently applying ointment to my ankle, as if he hadn’t been the one to hurt me. “Felicity bought this for you. Don’t be angry with her anymore. Do you have any idea how much it hurts me to see you injured?” I looked at the tube of ointment, unsure who was the bigger hypocrite. Years ago, Jasper had thrown this exact brand of cheap ointment in the trash. “Don’t use this cheap stuff with hormones in it. I’ll buy you the best.” But now, because it was a gift from Felicity, this same cheap ointment was a treasure in his eyes. The wound stung. I quietly pulled my foot back. “Rachel, Felicity and Noah were frightened today, so they’re staying in the guest room. They don’t want to see you. Could you please just stay in our room for now?” In my own home, I was a prisoner in my room because of another woman. My throat was dry. I nodded silently. I booked a flight to Milan for three days from now. He didn’t know. The doctor had said that with proper care, there was a good chance this baby would survive. But in three days, he would never see either of us again. I had just finished packing when the door was kicked open. Jasper stormed in, his hand clamping around my wrist like a vice. “Rachel, I never knew you could be so vicious! You put nettles in Felicity’s bed and hired paparazzi to film her face being ruined!” “The internet figured out it was our house. Now everyone is calling her a homewrecker. Are you satisfied?” A self-mocking smile touched my lips. “Since you’ve already decided I’m the villain, let’s get a divorce.” Jasper froze, then moved to block me as I tried to wheel my suitcase past him. Before he could speak, Felicity rushed in and knelt before me, crying. “Rachel, please don’t threaten Jasper like this, okay? Fine, I put the nettles there myself! Is that what you want to hear?” “I have no reason to live anymore anyway! I’ll just die and get out of your way for good!” She made a dash for the balcony, and Jasper caught her, holding her tight. “Felicity! I know you’ve been wronged. Don’t worry, I’ll take care of everything.” “Men, you can start now.” As a dozen bodyguards entered the room, I had no time to struggle before a needle pierced my arm. Within seconds, I was paralyzed. My clothes were ripped away and replaced with something cheap and vulgar. I was taken to the busiest street in the city. A table was set before me, covered in an array of sharp instruments. And a sign. 【Daughter of a Mistress. Do what you will.】 Jasper’s voice was cold. “Rachel, you forced my hand. Enjoy this little public test of humanity.” I stared at him in disbelief, tears blurring my vision. This was his solution? To rip open my deepest wounds for the entire world to see? He was the one who had taught me how to stand on my own two feet again. Now, for the woman who bullied me, he was the one breaking my legs, forcing me to kneel in shame. Camera flashes seared my exposed skin. The disgusted glares of passersby were like needles. “What good can come from a mistress’s kid? She looks like a slut.” “Dressed like that, who is she trying to seduce? Like mother, like daughter. She was born to be a homewrecker.” “I guess being shameless is genetic.” A rotten egg splattered against my face. Someone cut my scalp with scissors, then my arms, my legs. Fists and palms rained down in a chaotic blur. Then, someone picked up a brick and brought it crashing down on my head. Blood streamed down my face, but I didn’t even have the strength to whimper. As the brick was raised again, I closed my eyes in despair. The next second, someone threw themselves in front of me, taking the full force of the blow. My last conscious image was of Jasper, his head bleeding, holding me protectively in his arms, his face a mask of panic. As I faded out, I heard the wail of an ambulance siren. Jasper’s furious voice drifted in and out. “Find the person who did that!” “What if that blow made her remember everything? What would happen to Felicity’s reputation? What would Noah think of her?” My eyelashes fluttered. A silent tear slid into my hair. He was terrified for Felicity, but he never once wondered what would happen to me. Or what Noah would think of me. How utterly laughable. … I woke up in the hospital. Jasper was warming the IV tube with his hands, his voice hoarse. “Rachel, you’re awake. You should eat something.” He presented containers of all my favorite foods. There was a time I would have happily eaten even his worst culinary disasters. Later, when I was sick and asked for the porridge he used to make, he told me to just order takeout. But Felicity’s lunch boxes were always filled with his specialties. Now, looking at this food I had longed for, I felt nothing. I took a shallow breath, but a sharp pain shot through my abdomen, the one place I thought had been least injured. My heart sank. “Felicity… she accidentally pushed your gurney into the wrong operating room. They removed your ovaries before they realized you were pregnant. They had to take the baby out too.” I stared at him, and then I laughed, a raw, broken sound that tasted of blood. “You believe she did it by accident, but you won’t believe a single word I say? Jasper, that was your child too!” His face darkened. “Would this accident have happened if Felicity wasn’t so desperate to save you? Besides, it would have just been another stillbirth anyway. This time, at least it can be donated to medical research.” “It’s far more valuable than the five pieces of medical waste you produced before.” I could barely believe my ears. The five children I had fought to bring into this world… to him, they were just garbage? He seemed to realize his mistake, his voice softening. “I had a thank-you banner made for you. You can give it to Felicity later. I know losing your ovaries means you’ll age faster, but I won’t mind—” I looked at the banner, which read, A Debt of Gratitude, My Second Mother. Trembling, I threw it in his face. “Get out! I never want to see you again!” As the door slammed behind him, I collapsed onto the bed, my sobs tearing through me. He would never know. This child… this one might have had a chance to call him Dad. My flight was in three hours. I forced my trembling body out of bed and discharged myself. As I was heading to the airport, I heard a child’s piercing scream from the hospital rooftop. “Don’t kill me!” I pushed through the crowd to see Noah, a man holding a knife to his throat. The man’s eyes were bloodshot as he roared, “That bitch Felicity calls herself a midwife? My baby died because she gave my wife too much anesthesia, and then she used my dead child to practice induction techniques! Today, her son is going to pay the price!” My heart seized. So that’s what happened. My five babies… maybe they could have been saved. Maybe they were just practice for Felicity. Noah saw me, his small hands reaching out desperately. “Mommy!” A sharp pain shot through me. Despite everything, he was still my son. “Let him go! He’s my child! You have the wrong person.” The man sneered. “Don’t think I don’t know you’re that bitch’s best friend. Trying to protect your master, are you? Get on your knees and slap yourself two hundred times!” Without hesitation, I dropped to my knees and began to slap my own face. The sharp cracks echoed across the rooftop. My cheeks swelled, burning with pain. I wiped the blood from my lips, my mouth numb. “Are you satisfied now?” The man’s smile was cold and cruel. “It was entertaining. But who said I was going to be merciful?” He raised the knife and lunged at Noah. “No!” I threw myself over the boy, shielding him with my body. The blade plunged into me, and a wave of hot blood gushed out. My face was ashen, but I forced myself to soothe him. “Mommy’s here. Noah will be okay…” Noah’s cries grew louder, his small hands smearing tears across his face. And then I saw it. The two tear-shaped moles he’d smudged away. I froze. A roaring filled my ears. I couldn’t speak. So… even the last thing I was holding onto… that was a lie too? Sirens wailed as police officers swarmed the rooftop and subdued the attacker. Jasper and Felicity arrived at the same time. “Rachel!” Jasper’s voice trembled when he saw me covered in blood. He rushed toward me, about to lift me up. But Felicity got there first, crying and screaming. She snatched Noah from my arms and delivered a resounding slap across my swollen face. My head snapped to the side. I didn’t even have the strength to react. “Rachel, you remember everything, don’t you? That’s why you staged all this, to try and steal my Noah!” Without a moment’s hesitation, Jasper’s face hardened. “Felicity, are you saying…” She yanked the knife from my wound. Blood spurted out, and the agony made my vision go black. When the knife hit the ground, the blade retracted into the handle. “See? It’s a prop knife! Rachel, will you stop with these pathetic games already?!” “Noah is not your son! You killed your own child!” It felt like a hot coal was searing my heart. “How is that possible…?” Noah sobbed as he pushed me away. “So you’re the mistress mom who faked a marriage with that bastard’s dad!” “All the kids in my class hate him! Whenever we were bored, we’d go beat him up. It’s not like he had a mom to stand up for him.” “The other day, someone pushed him down the stairs. His head was bleeding, and he kept whispering, ‘Mommy, why are you a mistress?’ and then he stopped breathing.” Felicity leaned in close, her voice a venomous whisper in my ear. “He could have survived, actually. But I happened to need a bone marrow transplant, and Jasper didn’t hesitate. He sent your son to the operating table and had them drain him dry.” “The two of you, with your pathetic, worthless lives… what could I do but gratefully accept your gifts?” The last thread of my sanity snapped. He was the only thing I had left in this world… My precious boy, who should have been cherished, had been forced to live a life just like mine, worse than a weed. How much fear and despair must have filled his short life? The overwhelming grief threatened to split me in two. My vision blurred, turning red. Jasper’s hand clamped around my wrist, hauling me to my feet. “Rachel, you did something wrong, and you got caught. Stop acting crazy.” “Now that you remember, you’ll just have another surgery! We’ll get all those poisonous thoughts out of your head for good!” With the last of my strength, I ripped my arm free and slapped him across the face. “Jasper, after all this, you still want to play games with my life?” He frowned, his face cold. “I’m doing this for your own good!” “After the surgery, you won’t be so vicious anymore. You won’t be in pain! I’ll treat you just like I used to—” At that, I started to laugh, tears of blood rolling down my cheeks. “Like you used to? And give me more of your fake, nauseating love?” “I don’t want it anymore. Jasper, if you’re so determined to operate on me, then this life you twisted beyond recognition… I don’t want it anymore either.” Before the last word left my lips, ignoring Jasper’s horrified screams behind me, I ran to the edge of the rooftop and threw myself over.

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1 To surprise my husband, I secretly scheduled an intimate rejuvenation surgery. But when the procedure was over, the area that was supposed to be a delicate pink was as black as charcoal. Furious, I confronted the surgeon. She just covered her mouth and giggled. “Oh, my apologies. I must have mixed up the lightening agent with the tanning solution.” “Besides,” she added, “you know how dark you were to begin with, right? What’s a little darker?” Rage boiled in my veins. I grabbed a stool, ready to smash it over her head. In the struggle, her phone fell to the floor. The screen lit up, and the wallpaper made me freeze. … Looking at her face again, I finally remembered. I had seen that same face on Wyatt’s phone screen once. He’d told me she was just some celebrity, a random wallpaper he’d picked. I had forced down the unease, telling myself not to be a jealous, suspicious wife. But it was clear now he’d been lying to me for a very long time. When Wyatt arrived, he rushed straight to Jenna, completely oblivious to me sitting in the corner of the room. He looked at her red, swollen cheek, his face a mixture of anger and concern. “Jenna, are you okay?” She burst into tears and threw herself into his arms, the picture of a wronged victim. They clung to each other, a handsome man and a beautiful woman, a perfect pair. It was such a picturesque scene that I almost forgot I was the man’s wife of ten years. Wyatt stroked Jenna’s face, his voice thick with fury. “Who did this to you?” Jenna glanced at me, and her sobs intensified. “Some old woman, in her thirties. I just made a tiny mistake, and she attacked me.” “Where is this old woman?” I set my water glass down, my eyes cold as I stared at his back. “Right here.” Wyatt must have been too consumed by anger, too heartbroken, to recognize the voice of the woman who had shared his bed for a decade. He spun around, his face a mask of rage, and only froze when he saw me. “What are you doing here?” “Wyatt, honey, you know this old woman?” Jenna asked, clinging to his arm as she sized me up. A complex expression crossed Wyatt’s face. After a moment of internal struggle, he finally introduced me. “This is my wife, Sienna.” “What? This old… this patient is your wife?” “Patient? Sienna, what’s wrong? Are you sick?” My lips tightened. I didn’t know how to answer. Admitting I’d gone behind my husband’s back for a procedure like this, all to please him, was humiliating. But Jenna had no such qualms. She eagerly explained everything. “She’s not sick. She was here for an intimate lightening procedure. Wyatt, it’s all my fault. I accidentally made her even darker. Do you think it will affect your… married life?” I gripped the hem of my shirt, a wave of shame and fury washing over me. Wyatt and I hadn’t been intimate in over a year. At first, he said he was too busy with work, too tired, that he’d lost his libido. To spark his interest, I bought all sorts of lingerie, trying everything I could think of to seduce him. But he was like a statue, completely unmoved, leaving me to feel like a clown putting on a pathetic show. Then, I thought of the cosmetic procedures all the women in my social circle were getting. After some research, I found this reputable clinic. I had hoped the surgery would fix things between us, but instead, I was met with this medical disaster. And now, it seemed my husband was having an affair with the surgeon responsible. Before I could demand an explanation, Wyatt spoke first. “What were you doing getting a procedure like that? At your age, are you trying to go out and fool around?” A sharp pain lanced through my chest. I stared at him in disbelief. “What did you just say?” “I asked why you would get such a trashy procedure. And did you hit Jenna?” A trashy procedure. I almost laughed. He walks in, embraces his mistress, shows zero concern for what she’s done to my body, and is completely consumed with defending her. He even had the audacity to mock my age in front of her. And then he accused me of being indecent. I smashed my water glass at his feet. Shards flew, one of them slicing Jenna’s ankle. “I am done with you both.” 2 Jenna let out a whimper, clutching the bleeding cut on her ankle. Wyatt panicked, about to call for a doctor. “It’s a scratch. It will heal in a minute. Wyatt, what are you so flustered about? Don’t you think you owe me an explanation? Who is she to you?” Jenna bit her lip, her eyes misty. She turned to me and bowed deeply. “Miss Miller, Wyatt and I are childhood sweethearts. We’ve known each other since we were kids. I just moved back from overseas a year ago.” “What happened today was truly an accident, but… I didn’t use that much tanning solution. You were already quite dark to begin with…” I raised my hand and slapped her, hard. “First, your professional negligence caused a medical accident.” “Second, you disclosed a patient’s private information without consent and then publicly shamed her body.” “Third, that man you’re clinging to is my husband.” “You cross me again, and I will slap you so hard your own mother won’t recognize you.” Jenna fell silent, looking like a frightened rabbit as she buried her face in Wyatt’s chest and cried. A moment later, the slap was returned. The wedding band on Wyatt’s finger, our wedding band, sliced a long, bloody gash next to my eye. His gaze was cold and furious. “Jenna already told you it was a mistake. It wasn’t on purpose. Can’t you show a little compassion?” “Sienna, are you going through menopause early?” I smiled, took a few steps back, grabbed a plastic chair, and charged, swinging it wildly at his head. Unfortunately, it was only plastic. It wouldn’t kill him. For our entire marriage, I had been the perfect wife: gentle, soft-spoken, accommodating. This was the first time Wyatt had ever seen me lose control. He was so stunned that he just stood there and took the blows. It was Jenna’s screaming and shaking that finally snapped him out of it. Wyatt snatched the chair from my hands, his eyes a mixture of shock and hurt. “You hit me?” “Didn’t you just hit me first?” He looked at the red handprint on my cheek and the cut by my eye, and it finally dawned on him what he had done. But before a flicker of guilt could even register, Jenna started gasping for air, clutching her chest. She claimed the shock had triggered a heart condition. Wyatt swept her into his arms and rushed out. As he passed me, his expression turned back to stone. “I only hit you because you hurt Jenna first. If anything happens to her heart, Sienna, I won’t let you get away with it.” The scene was painfully familiar. Years ago, I was kidnapped by one of his enemies, a time bomb strapped to my chest. He had said the exact same thing to the kidnapper. If anything happens to Sienna, I won’t let you get away with it. That was my first brush with death. The kidnapper left me in an abandoned warehouse. By the time Wyatt found me, there was less than a minute on the timer. I told him to run, but he refused. He held me and said if we were going to die, we’d die together. We kissed as the timer counted down, and in that moment, I knew my life had been worth living. With ten seconds left, we took a gamble and cut a random wire. It was the right one. From that day on, I gave him everything I had, without reservation. I thought our happiness would last a lifetime. A tear rolled down my cheek. I wiped it away. The sweeter the memory, the more bitter the present. I, Sienna Miller, would not be the pitiful woman who cried and begged her cheating husband to stay. When Wyatt came home, I was pruning flowers. He swept the vase off the table, shattering it. “Jenna almost didn’t make it. You are going to go and apologize to her.” “And if I don’t?” I sneered, thinking of her perfectly healthy complexion and terrible acting. My attitude enraged him. He grabbed my wrist and pulled me close. “If you don’t, I will tell everyone about your little ‘rejuvenation’ surgery.” My pupils constricted. I stared into his eyes. There was no love there. Only a desperate need to protect another woman. “Wyatt, do you even love me at all anymore?” His gaze flickered, a strange emotion passing through his eyes. After a long moment, he let me go. “You were in the wrong. I’m just making you take responsibility for your actions.” The last ember of affection I held for our past died out. “Fine. I’ll go.” I pushed open the door to her hospital room. Jenna was lying in bed, looking frail and teary-eyed. When she saw Wyatt, she started sobbing. “Wyatt, I was so scared. I thought I’d never see you again.” He pulled her into his arms, his face full of concern. Seeing me, Jenna trembled with fear. “Miss Miller, are you going to hit me again?” I bowed deeply. “I’m so sorry, Dr. Vance. Although your medical error has permanently disfigured me, I shouldn’t have resorted to violence.” “And I shouldn’t have been jealous that you were embracing my husband. That was petty of me.” “I apologize for frightening you. I will cover all of your hospital bills and expenses.” My pitch-perfect, heartfelt apology completely disarmed her. 3 She snuggled into Wyatt’s arms and nodded magnanimously. “I forgive you, Miss Miller.” A flicker of pity crossed Wyatt’s face. “Jenna, you get some rest. I’ll take her home and then come back to stay with you.” I opened the door and walked out, my expression placid. Wyatt reached for my hand out of habit, but I pulled away. He froze for a second but said nothing. When we got home, I got out of the car. Wyatt called to me from the driver’s seat. “Sienna, let’s just put this behind us. As long as you don’t hurt Jenna again, I can forget what you did.” I didn’t look back. That night, a video shot to the top of the trending charts. In it, I was bowing and sincerely apologizing to Jenna. The internet exploded. 【WTF? A CEO’s wife is being bullied by a mistress like this? This is insane!】 【So a doctor messes up, and the patient has to apologize? What kind of backward world is this? Is this homewrecker the only person on her family tree?】 【And the husband doesn’t even stand up for his wife? He’s cuddling the other woman right in front of her! Scumbag and a slut, I hope they both rot!】 A tidal wave of hate crashed down on Jenna and Wyatt. I watched the reporters swarming the hospital entrance and smiled. I was never afraid of the surgery being exposed. I had been very careful in the hospital room, planting and retrieving a micro-camera with a few swift, seamless movements. My father-in-law’s call came before Wyatt’s. When I answered, I said nothing. After a long silence, I heard his weary, shame-filled sigh on the other end. “If you can’t bring yourself to say it, then I will.” I let out a soft laugh. “The deal we made all those years ago… it still stands, of course.” … Jenna lost her job. Not only was she blacklisted from the entire medical community, but she also became a public pariah. She threw a fit, threatening suicide. Wyatt, worried she might actually do it, brought her home to keep an eye on her. The moment she saw me, Jenna flew into a rage. “You set us up? You pretended to apologize just so you could film it and ruin my reputation online!” “Sienna, so what if you’re a little dark? You’ve always been dark! You’re just a slut with ugly, dark skin!” “Wyatt wouldn’t touch you even if you painted yourself pink! You look like a clown in that lingerie!” So, that’s how he talked about me to her. I looked at Wyatt. His expression was calm. “Jenna is upset. It’s normal for her to want to vent. People are trying to doxx her right now. I’m worried. I need you to…” “Let her stay. I don’t mind.” Wyatt and Jenna were both stunned. I was so calm, it was as if I hadn’t heard a word she’d said. That night, I knocked on Jenna’s door with a glass of water. Her eyes narrowed when she saw me. “Relax. It’s just some water.” I placed the glass on her nightstand. “I’m tired. Seeing how Wyatt protects you, both in public and in private… I know when I’m beat.” “Sienna, I don’t know how much of that is true, but you’re not stupid. You know you can’t win against me.” Jenna looked at the glass of water, a smug, triumphant gleam in her eyes. “Wyatt has loved me since we were kids. If I hadn’t gone abroad and broken his heart, he never would have married you. Do you know why he hasn’t touched you in over a year? Because I came back.” “He never even mentions you to me. He’s afraid it will upset me. But the day you came to my clinic, I knew exactly who you were.” “I mixed up the lightening agent and the tanning solution on purpose. It was a little lesson for you. Don’t be so possessive of another woman’s man! You should be the one to file for divorce!” I nodded, a look of profound sadness on my face, and returned to my room. That night, Wyatt and Jenna were at it for hours. The next morning, Wyatt went to the office, but Jenna didn’t get out of bed. I walked into her room, holding a small bottle, and gently tapped her cheek with my foot. Out like a log. It was evening when Jenna finally woke up. The sound of a mirror shattering and a piercing shriek came from her room. “Sienna! What did you do to me?!”

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I’ve seen ghosts since I was a kid. I couldn’t speak to them, just watch. On our fifth wedding anniversary, I cooked a feast, waiting for Lyra to come home. When I looked up, I saw her ghost. She was curled up in the living room corner, her face a pale, ashen grey, staring intently at me. A chill like ice water drenched me. My hand trembled as I reached for my phone, wanting to call her. Before I could dial, the front door opened. Lyra walked in, embracing me as gently as always. “Sorry, honey, I worked late.” As she held me, I heard her familiar heartbeat, warm and strong. I closed my eyes, telling myself: She’s alive. But when I opened them, the spirit in the corner was still there. My heart sank, a slow, heavy drop. If Lyra was truly gone, then who was this person wearing her skin, holding me? 1 I stared hard at Lyra’s face. I’d looked at that face for twenty years. From elementary school through high school, college to marriage, she’d been by my side every single day. Now, I was seeing a ghost, identical to her, huddled in the corner. I trembled all over, unable to make a sound for a long moment. “Antonio, what’s wrong?” She walked over, her hand gently touching my forehead. “Why are you sweating so much? Are you running a fever?” Her eyes were full of concern, her warm palm resting on my skin. I flinched, stepping back abruptly. The sudden movement knocked over the water glass on the table. Crash! Water spilled everywhere. She froze, her hand suspended in mid-air, looking at me with a bewildered, almost hurt expression. “Antonio? What’s going on?” I forced down the rising panic in my chest. If the ghost in the corner was the real her, then who was this woman in front of me? I couldn’t alert her. I took a deep breath, managing to pull a strained smile onto my face. “It’s nothing,” I said, trying to sound casual. “Come on, let’s eat. The food’s getting cold.” With that, I sat down and served myself a spare rib. She poured me a bowl of soup and then pulled a bottle of red wine from the liquor cabinet. “I’m late today, so I’ll down three glasses as an apology.” I watched the dark red liquid in the glass, then spoke, feigning indifference: “Do you remember that time in high school when you snuck some of your dad’s wine?” I watched her face intently. She paused, then chuckled. “How could I forget? You insisted on trying it, and I couldn’t stop you. You ended up getting completely wasted after two glasses.” “And then?” My grip on the chopsticks tightened, a tremor running through me. “Then you threw up all over me. I took you home, and your mom smelled the booze, thought I’d gotten you drunk, and gave me an earful,” she shook her head. “I didn’t dare say you’d wanted to drink it yourself, so I just took the blame.” My heart clenched. This was a secret only the two of us knew. “What were you wearing that day?” I pressed on. “A white shirt, which you completely ruined. Took ages to wash out,” she smiled, ruffling my hair. “Why the sudden trip down memory lane?” I lowered my gaze, not answering. She even remembered that detail. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the ghost in the corner still watching me, and my unease spiked again. No, it wasn’t enough. I cleared my throat, shifting my gaze back to her, and spoke with a hint of awkwardness. “Today… Dad called. He said he was craving my beggar’s chicken.” She served me another rib. “Alright, I’ll make it tomorrow and take it to him.” “You’ll make it?” I looked up at her. She laughed. “Haven’t I always? You almost burned down the kitchen trying to impress my dad back then. I ended up learning to make it, and even got a few burns on my hands.” “The first time I made it, you mistook salt for sugar. You tasted it, your whole face crumpled up like a prune, but you still insisted it was delicious. I remember thinking, this guy is adorable.” “You even told my dad it was your recipe,” she shook her head. “He bragged about your cooking to everyone, and I never had the heart to expose you.” “Don’t worry, I’ve got this,” she patted my hand. I didn’t say anything more. All the details matched up, yet the ghost was still there. Was I truly losing my mind? No, that was impossible. I’d been born with the Sight; I’d never been wrong about this before. After dinner, she tied on an apron and went into the kitchen. I followed, leaning against the doorframe, watching her closely. Her movements as she prepped the chicken, the way she rubbed in the seasonings, even the sprinkle of salt – it was all exactly as I remembered. The familiar aroma wafted from the kitchen. She turned and smiled at me. “Go sit down. It’ll be ready soon.” I didn’t move. When the beggar’s chicken was placed on the table, I took a bite. The taste was spot on. “Is it good?” She leaned in, her eyes sparkling as she watched me. I nodded. “Yeah, it’s just how I remember it.” She smiled, packed the chicken, and put it in the fridge. Then she took my hand. “Alright, it’s been a long day. Let’s go get some rest.” I leaned against her, feeling her warmth through my clothes, her steady breathing brushing my ear. “Okay.” I closed my eyes. Whether you’re human or ghost, I’m going to find the truth. 2 I followed her into the bedroom. In the corner, the ghost followed too. I averted my gaze, unwilling to look any longer. Lyra made the bed, patting the pillows. “Come on, lie down. You’re tired today, get some rest.” I lay beside her. She reached out and turned off the main light, leaving only a small nightlight on the bedside table. “Antonio,” she turned to face me, “have you been troubled by something lately?” “No,” I stared at the ceiling, “just a bit tired from work.” She took my hand. “If you’re tired, take a break. I’ll take care of us.” Her palm was warm, her voice gentle. My throat tightened. Out of the corner of my eye, I again glimpsed the lonely spirit in the corner. “Do you remember this pen?” I picked up the fountain pen from the bedside table, a classic hero model, its cap slightly worn. She glanced at the pen and chuckled. “Of course I remember. I bought it for your eighteenth birthday. I saved two months’ worth of lunch money for it, bought it at the stationery shop near school. The owner said it was the last one, and I was so afraid someone else would snatch it up.” My heart tightened. She was right. “And do you remember what you wrote on the note when you gave it to me?” I pressed on. “‘You love to write, this pen is for you, Happy Birthday,’” her face flushed slightly. “Actually, I wanted to write ‘I love you,’ but I didn’t dare.” “And how did I respond?” “You didn’t. The next day, you tucked a pack of Milk Duds into my desk. I was so happy I didn’t pay attention in class all day.” I closed my eyes. All true. She pulled off the cap, pointing to the words “Waiting for you” etched on it. “I even scratched my hand with a compass trying to engrave this.” She held out her index finger, a faint mark visible on her fingertip. “So why have you never used this pen?” My voice trembled. “You said you cherished it too much, that you wanted to wait until our wedding day to use it for the invitations.” I took a deep breath, placed the pen back on the nightstand, and lay down, feigning ease. “You have an amazing memory, remembering things from so many years ago.” She smiled, reaching out to ruffle my hair. “How could I forget anything about you?” I lowered my gaze, a thorn piercing my heart. She was right; she remembered everything. But how could she explain the ghost in the corner? I turned onto my side. “Since you have such a good memory,” I stared at her, “let me test you. Do you remember when we went to play by the river as kids?” She thought for a moment. “I remember. That summer was incredibly hot, and you insisted on trying to catch fish.” “Then you fell into the water, and I pulled you out. You were such a dork.” I watched Lyra’s face nervously, afraid of missing any subtle expression. I was the one who had fallen into the water back then, and she had pulled me out. If she agreed with my version, then she was the imposter! She paused, then suddenly tapped my forehead with her index finger. “Are you dreaming? You were the one who fell into the water, and I pulled you out. You choked on quite a bit of water and cried for ages.” I opened my mouth, unable to refute her. “Alright, then. Do you remember the first time we went to the beach?” She looked at me blankly. “We’ve never been to the beach. Did you forget? You always said you wanted to see the ocean, but we never had the time.” A chill ran through me. She was right again. I hadn’t actually been to the beach, I had only said I wanted to go. “Also, when I was little, I had a white cat named Fluffy.” My voice tightened, my tone growing a little agitated. She frowned. “You’ve never had a cat. You were scratched by one when you were twelve, so you’re afraid of them. You avoid them whenever you see one.” I couldn’t utter another word. Every single lie, she accurately saw through. “Sleep now, don’t overthink things.” She pulled the blanket over us, wrapping me in her arms. “You’ve been acting strange today.” I rested my head on her chest, listening to her heartbeat. “I’m sorry,” I whispered. “Hm?” “Nothing.” I closed my eyes. She shifted, habitually draping her arm over my waist, pulling me naturally into her embrace, just like always. I opened my eyes and met the gaze of the ghost in the corner. My mind was a tangled mess. Who should I believe? 3 Days passed like this, and I was still completely lost, a heavy stone weighing down my heart. Until one morning, Lyra was adjusting her collar. She looked at me in the mirror. “Didn’t sleep well again last night?” “Nope.” I rubbed my eyes, looking exhausted. “Dreamt all night.” She turned around, her collar now perfectly straight, and came to sit on the edge of the bed. “Antonio, I need to tell you something.” “Yeah?” “I booked a couples trip to the Maldives a while ago, wanting to surprise you,” she took my hand. “But something came up unexpectedly at the lab, and I can’t get away. Why don’t you go first? I’ll join you in three days.” I paused, surprised. She’d never let me travel alone before. “Why so sudden…” “You’ve been so stressed lately,” she said, smiling as she ruffled my hair. “Go relax. I’ll fly out as soon as I’m done with work.” A thought sparked in my mind. This was a perfect opportunity to test her. I nodded. “Okay.” She turned to pack, and I followed, leaning against the doorframe. She pulled out my favorite shirt from the wardrobe, folding it neatly. Then she carefully placed sunscreen, a baseball cap, my usual medication, and even my preferred eye mask, one by one, into the suitcase. “It’s hot there, so pack more light clothes. Don’t catch a chill, make sure to cover up at night,” she rattled on, her hands never stopping. “You have a sensitive stomach, so I put some soda crackers in your bag. Have them if you get hungry.” I watched her busy back, my eyes stinging. She remembered even these tiny details. “Oh, and that book you wanted to read last time? I downloaded it onto your tablet. You can read it on the plane if you get bored.” She turned back and smiled at me. I lowered my gaze. The more thoughtful she was, the more I felt like a scumbag. Seeing me standing by the door, frozen for so long, Lyra waved her hand in front of my face. “Alright, stop dawdling,” she zipped up the suitcase. “I’ll drive you to the airport.” She came and took my hand, pulling me out the door. I glanced back at the spirit in the corner and saw she hadn’t followed, letting out a silent sigh of relief. Good. It must just be my imagination. My eyes must be playing tricks on me. All the way to the airport, Lyra held my hand, making intermittent small talk. I stared out the window, my mind a chaotic mess. At the airport, she helped me check my luggage and then tucked the boarding pass into my hand. “Call me when you land.” “Okay.” She hugged me, resting her chin on my shoulder. “Have fun.” I walked towards security, then turned back. She stood outside the glass doors, waving at me. My nose stung. She was so wonderful, and yet I’d been doubting her all this time. I closed my eyes, silently vowing: This is the last time. I’ll never doubt her again. Once on the plane, I specifically chose a window seat. After takeoff, I gazed out the window, still seeing no sign of the ghost. The heavy stone in my heart finally lifted. It seemed I needed to schedule a check-up soon. Forcing down the lingering unease, I opened the book she had downloaded for me, letting it distract me. Upon landing, I immediately pulled out my phone and sent her a message: “Arrived safely, don’t worry.” She replied instantly: “Have a great time, waiting for you.” I stared at the screen and smiled. 4 The scenery in the Maldives was breathtaking. Every day, I sent her photos – the beach, the sunset, palm trees. She replied instantly to each one, her tone as gentle as ever. During our video call that evening, she was lounging on the sofa, bathed in warm, yellow light. “Where did you go today?” “Went diving,” I said, sprawling on the bed. “When are you coming? It’s no fun alone.” “Soon, soon,” she chuckled. “Didn’t you always want to see the Maldives? You said we had to come here for our honeymoon, I remember that.” I paused. I’d said that casually in college; I’d almost forgotten. “You still remember?” “I told you, how could I forget anything about you?” Her eyes sparkled. My nose stung with emotion. She stood up to get water, and the phone camera jostled. In that split second, I saw a blurry shadow standing in the hallway behind her. The ghost had reappeared. It was staring intently at Lyra, its expression hostile. A cold dread seeped into my bones. “Antonio? What’s wrong?” She returned with her glass of water. “Bad signal,” I forced a smile. “I’m a bit tired today, I’ll hang up.” After ending the call, I tremblingly opened a flight booking app. The next available flight was in three hours. Before boarding, I dialed her number. No answer. My heart plummeted. She never missed my calls! When I landed, it was past midnight. I rushed home. The lights were off. She wasn’t there, and neither was the ghost. I checked her phone’s location, only to find she was at a hospital. I ran out like a madman. The hospital corridor stretched long, the white lights glaring. I found the ward; the door was ajar. She wasn’t inside. But the ghost was standing by the bedside, looking down at the person on the bed. I drew closer. Lying on the bed was someone with a pale face, eyes closed, tubes everywhere. It was Lyra. I trembled, covering my mouth, barely stifling a cry. Just then, footsteps and voices echoed from the end of the corridor. “Dr. Lee, how’s the patient?” It was Lyra’s voice. “Still the same.” Closer and closer. My body felt nailed to the spot, unable to move. I could only stiffly turn my head. And there, coming into view, was a face identical to hers.

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1 The reunion was over. Hannah suddenly said, “Ethan, let’s get a divorce.” I wasn’t surprised. “Even if he’s a complete jerk, you still love him?” Hannah let out a light laugh. “You forget, I’m a jerk too.” Jerks and jerks, a match made in heaven. I chuckled suddenly. “Alright.” A divorce was perfect. The spot she’d vacate was long since spoken for. … Hannah seemed surprised by how readily I agreed. But it was only for a second before she suppressed that subtle flicker of feeling, looking at me calmly. “I’ll bring the papers tomorrow. What’s yours is yours, you won’t lose a penny.” I nodded. “Okay.” “Hannah!” A voice suddenly called from behind. Liam, obviously drunk, stumbled over and threw his arms around her. “Long time no see, sweetheart. All these years, have you missed me?” Hannah didn’t push him away. She even wrapped her arm around his waist, a softness in her eyes I hadn’t seen in our three years of marriage. “Hannah, why aren’t you saying anything?” Liam suddenly looked at me, his eyes hazy, and pointed a finger, cursing. “Hannah, have you fallen for this goody-two-shoes? Guys like him must be dead fish in bed. I used to show you so many tricks back in the day. Can you really stand a dead fish now?” He got louder and louder, finally lunging at me, ready to strike. Hannah caught his wrist, then turned to me. “I’m sorry, he’s drunk.” Even though I was her husband in that moment, her first instinct was to apologize to me for another man. I gave a self-deprecating laugh. “It’s fine, I don’t mind. If there’s nothing else, I’ll head home.” Hannah mumbled, “I’m not coming back tonight. I’ll see you tomorrow.” My footsteps faltered, but I said nothing. Back home, I looked at the marital home we’d shared for three years. From the hopeful anticipation when we first got our license, to the sting of hearing her blurt out Liam’s name during our first time together. Then the pain, the disappointment, when she had a fever and mistook me for Liam. Now, there was only numbness. Ten years. My entanglement with Hannah was finally over. I let out a soft laugh and walked into the bedroom to pack. I didn’t have much stuff; one suitcase was enough. After packing, I lay down, expecting insomnia, but I fell asleep the moment my eyes closed. I even dreamt, for the first time in ages, of seeing Hannah for the first time. Every school had its popular figures. Hannah was the most famous at Northwood High. She was popular, smart, and her only flaw, perhaps, was how often she changed boyfriends. Back then, I disliked people like her, even thought anyone who liked her was crazy. Until that day, when my friends dragged me to watch her long jump. There was a huge crowd, and I was pushed to the very front. I felt uncomfortable and was about to leave. But then, a jacket, smelling of sweet flowers and fruit, landed squarely on my head. I nervously pulled it off, meeting a bright, dazzling face. “Hey, mind holding my jacket?” In that moment, my heart nearly hammered out of my chest. From that day on, I had a secret crush. In junior year, to be in her class, I chose science, a subject I had no interest in. Watching her go through boyfriend after boyfriend, I felt terrible, but had no right to say anything. I just continued with the anonymous love letters, one after another. This went on until just before graduation. I didn’t want to have any regrets, so I wrote a signed love letter, intending to confess to her in person. But when I got to the classroom, I saw her kissing her new boyfriend. The boy stood beside her, blushing. She raised an eyebrow, smiling at me. “Hey, what class are you in? My boyfriend’s shy, mind closing the door?” It was then I realized that with graduation so close, she didn’t even know we were in the same class, let alone my name. The next day, I waited all morning, but Hannah never showed up. I called her dozens of times, but couldn’t get through. Finally, I couldn’t take it anymore. I got up and went to her office. Only to be told Hannah hadn’t come to work. Unusual. A workaholic, not showing up for work. Who it was for was obvious. Suddenly, my phone rang. It was my buddy, Dean. The moment I answered, a furious shout came from the other end. “Ethan! Hannah’s cheating! I just saw some dude taking her to an abortion clinic!” “I’m going to go kill those two dirtbags right now! How dare they do this to you!” “That bitch! That scumbag! I’m going to make him pay!” Beep— Before I could say a word, the call disconnected. Without thinking, I quickly hailed a cab to the hospital. As soon as I reached the entrance of the gynecology department, I heard Dean’s loud voice. “Hannah! You’re a married woman, and now you’re cheating! And you actually brought your side piece to get an abortion in broad daylight!” “And you, you damn jerk, have some shame! Being a homewrecker!” “Today, I’m going to make sure you two dirtbags don’t leave here alive! I’m going to make you both die!” “Bitch! Bitch! Hannah, do you really think Ethan deserves this? After loving you for ten years, after what he did for you…” “Dean!” I rushed in and interrupted him, pulling him back. Seeing Hannah, pale and weak, being held by Liam, I pressed my lips together. “I’m sorry, my friend lost his temper.” Hannah’s tone was icy. “Control him. If he’s ever so careless with his words again, I won’t let it go.” With that, she and Liam left. Dean’s eyes widened instantly. “Ethan! Why are you apologizing to her? She’s the one in the wrong!” I pursed my lips. “Dean, that’s Liam.” Dean froze. I told him everything from the moment the reunion started last night until it ended. After hearing everything, Dean took a deep breath. “So, just because Liam broke up with that woman and came back from abroad, and went to a reunion, Hannah wants to divorce you?” I nodded. “Why the hell?” Dean slammed his hand on a table, his eyes bloodshot. “That guy treated Hannah like dirt, then dumped her, and even hit her with his car, almost killing her. You were the one who saved her, your hand crushed and bloody, so badly you could never hold a scalpel again. You nursed her out of the hospital, stayed by her side. Why does she get to just say ‘I want a divorce’ now?” “No! I’m going to tell her! Even if you divorce, I want her conscience to be plagued with guilt.” I grabbed his arm. “Dean, it’s pointless. Now, I genuinely want this divorce. I’m done loving her.” Dean stared at me intently, as if disbelieving. After all, every time I’d said I was done loving her, I’d ended up eating my words. But this time, I was truly tired. I even felt that Hannah was, well, just Hannah. Saying goodbye to Dean, I asked the nurse for Hannah’s room number. As I approached the door, I heard laughter from inside. “Hannah, I treated you like dirt back then, and then hit you with my ex-girlfriend in the car, and you still love me! Even divorcing that goodie-two-shoes for me!” I froze, looking up at the scene inside. Hannah, her expression consistently gentle towards Liam, said nothing. Liam seemed bored and leaned in to kiss her. Hannah didn’t dodge, wanting to deepen the kiss. But in the next second, Liam pulled away, his lips curled in a mocking sneer. “Hannah, you’re such a slut!” Hannah suddenly grabbed his chin and bit him. The sound of wet kissing filled the room instantly. After who knows how long, Hannah released him, her voice slightly breathless. “Yes, I’m a slut! A slut who fell for you! A slut who loved you year after year.” Year after year? Could a wild child like her even love? I tugged at the corner of my mouth, about to leave. Liam suddenly saw me. He hooked his arm around Hannah. “What about your goodie-two-shoes husband? Don’t you love him? After all, he’s liked you for ten years.” Hannah’s hoarse voice responded, “The goodie-two-shoes is just a fallback for a mess like me. Someone like you, though, you’re my perfect match.” Liam burst out laughing, then lifted his chin. “Hey, your fallback is outside.” Hannah stiffened, turning to look at me. My nails dug into my palm as I forced a smile. “I just came to ask when you can sign the divorce papers.” “Any demands you have, feel free to make them.” Hannah handed me the documents. I flipped to the last page, signed my name, and handed it back to her with a smile. “It’s fine, you wouldn’t screw me over anyway.” Hannah looked at the man’s smile opposite her, finding it inexplicably grating. But wasn’t this exactly what she wanted right now? A divorce, then tying herself to that scumbag, Liam. Hannah shook her head, about to sign her name, when her phone suddenly rang. She murmured an apology and stood up to answer it. I don’t know what was said on the other end, but her face suddenly changed, and she started to walk out. I immediately grabbed the papers and stood up, blocking her way. “Just sign, it’ll only take a few seconds.” Hannah sharply looked up, her dark eyes fixed on me. I kept smiling, maintaining my stance. She took the pen, signed her name with a flourish. “I’ve already contacted the civil affairs office. It’ll take at least seven days to get the divorce certificate.” Seven days. I silently calculated the timing for my wedding with the other woman. It was enough. Back home, I immediately shipped my belongings to Emerald City. By the time I was done, it was evening. Just as I was about to rest, I received a call from the precinct. “Hello, are you Ms. Hannah Anderson’s husband? Your wife has been reported for unlawful restraint. We’d appreciate it if you could come down to the station.” I didn’t want to go, but we weren’t officially divorced yet. Fine, one last time. When I arrived, I saw Hannah’s face was grim, and beside her sat a smirking Liam. Seeing me, an officer immediately stepped forward. “Do you know this gentleman? He claims Ms. Anderson imprisoned him and that he was recaptured after escaping, with attempts to assault him in the car.” Before I could speak, Hannah suddenly interjected, “He’s my fiancé. There’s no imprisonment or assault. We’re in a legitimate relationship.” With that, she suddenly pulled out a yellowed but well-preserved piece of paper. On it was Liam’s promise, written the year they first got together, right after high school graduation. She had kept it perfectly, even carried it close to her heart. It showed just how much she loved him. The officer’s eyes widened. “But isn’t Mr. Carter your husband?” I gave a strained smile. “We’re already divorced. We just haven’t received the certificate yet.” In the end, it turned out to be a misunderstanding. By the time we left the police station, it was deep into the night. Hannah went to get the car. Only Liam and I remained. He looked at me, then suddenly laughed. “Ethan, you haven’t changed all these years, still fawning over Hannah as always.” I said nothing. Liam continued, “Do you want to know why Hannah likes me?” He suddenly leaned closer. “Because the person she should like is you.” I froze. Liam went on, “She received so many love letters back then, but she only kept yours. At first, I didn’t know it was you who wrote them, until one time, during recess, I came back early and saw you putting a letter into her locker that was identical to the purple envelopes she kept.” “Later, after you threw that confession letter into the trash, I picked it up. On graduation day, I crossed out your name, wrote mine, and confessed to her. She agreed, even told me those letters were interesting and she liked them a lot. That’s how we got together. That wild child even settled down for me.” I stood rigid, from head to toe. Liam’s laugh grew even more arrogant. “I went through all those letters you wrote to her later. They were pretty interesting, actually. You remembered what she liked to eat, what she liked to drink, even what she did every day, like a diary. Oh, and one more thing,” “After college, you heard Hannah and I broke up, so you mustered the courage to pursue her. Too bad, she immediately sent me the chat history and asked me to reply to you on her behalf. All those ambiguous messages during those two years? I sent them, deliberately leading you on. You have no idea how much fun I had watching you dance around for me.” “Later, Hannah and I broke up and got back together repeatedly. Even during that time, reports surfaced of me with different women in hotels, and she never said a word.” “Ethan, ultimately, I have to thank you. You’re the one who made a wild child settle down and fall in love with me.” I was chilled to the bone, unable to utter a single word. Just then, Liam’s eyes suddenly darkened. He grabbed my hand and slapped himself across the face. “Ah!” Before I could react, an even harder slap landed on my face. Followed by Hannah’s icy voice: “Ethan, are you asking for trouble?” She didn’t ask a single question, immediately siding with Liam. Watching Liam’s triumphant smirk, I clutched my burning cheek, then took one last, long look at Hannah. “Hannah, you’re right. You truly are a jerk too.” I turned and left, packing my things as fast as I could and returning to Emerald City that very day. Three days later, I saw a wedding invitation on social media. It was for Hannah and Liam. And my wedding was on the same day as hers.

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1 The class reunion was winding down. Jalen suddenly turned to me. “Luna, let’s get a divorce.” I didn’t flinch. “Even if she’s completely rotten, you still love her?” Jalen bit down on his cigarette, letting out a sardonic chuckle. “You forget, I’m just as rotten.” Rotten souls, a perfect match. I forced a smile. “Fine.” A divorce was perfect. That empty space would be filled by someone else, someone who’d been waiting. … Jalen seemed surprised by my quick agreement. But it was only a split second before he suppressed that flicker of emotion, looking at me with a calm gaze. “I’ll send the papers tomorrow. You’ll get everything you’re owed, not a penny less.” I nodded. “Alright.” “Jalen!” A voice suddenly called from behind us. Ella, clearly tipsy, stumbled over and threw her arms around him. “Long time no see, handsome. All these years, have you missed me?” Jalen didn’t push her away. He even wrapped an arm around her waist, a tenderness in his eyes I’d never seen in our three years of marriage. “Jalen, you bastard, why aren’t you saying anything?” Ella’s eyes, clouded by drink, suddenly fixed on me. She pointed a finger and started shouting. “Jalen, have you fallen for this good girl? Girls like her must be dead fish in bed. I showed you so many tricks back in the day, can you really stand a dead fish now?” Her voice grew louder and louder, until finally, she lunged at me, ready to strike. Jalen caught her wrist, pulling her into his arms, then turned to me. “I’m sorry, she’s drunk.” Even though I was his wife in that moment, his first instinct was to apologize to me for another woman. I let out a self-deprecating laugh. “It’s fine, I don’t mind. If there’s nothing else, I’ll head home.” Jalen just hummed in response. “I won’t be back tonight. I’ll find you tomorrow.” My steps faltered, but I said nothing. Back home, I looked around the apartment we’d shared as a married couple for three years. From the hopeful anticipation when we first tied the knot, to the pang of hurt when he blurted out Ella’s name during our first time together. Then the agony, the disappointment, when he had a fever and mistook me for Ella. Now, only numbness remained. Ten years. My complicated dance with Jalen was finally over. I chuckled softly and went into the bedroom to pack. I didn’t have much. One suitcase was enough. After packing, I lay on the bed, expecting to stare at the ceiling, but I fell asleep the moment my eyes closed. I even dreamt, for the first time in ages, of seeing Jalen for the very first time. Every school had its popular figures. Jalen was Northwood High’s most talked-about. He was charming, good at everything, but his one flaw was probably how often he swapped girlfriends. Back then, I hated people like him, even thought anyone who fell for him was foolish. Until that day, when my friends dragged me to watch him long jump. The crowd was huge. I was shoved to the very front. I felt overwhelmed, about to leave. But then, an instant later, a jacket smelling faintly of cologne landed on my head. I frantically pulled it off, my eyes meeting a roguish grin. “Hey, mind holding my jacket for a sec?” In that moment, my heart felt like it would burst from my chest. From that day on, I harbored a secret crush. In junior year, to be in his class, I chose science, a subject I had no interest in whatsoever. Watching him move from one girlfriend to the next, it pained me, but I had no right to say anything. I just kept going with the flow, writing one anonymous love letter after another. This continued until just before graduation. I didn’t want to have any regrets, so I wrote a signed love letter, intending to confess to him in person. But when I got to the classroom, I saw him kissing his new girlfriend. The girl, blushing, hid her face in his arms. He leaned back, raising an eyebrow, smiling at me. “Hey, what class are you in? My girlfriend’s shy, mind closing the door for us?” It was then I realized that with graduation so close, he didn’t even know we were in the same class, let alone my name. The next day, I waited all morning, but Jalen never showed up. I called him dozens of times, but couldn’t get through. Finally, I couldn’t take it anymore. I got up and went to his office. Only to be told Jalen hadn’t come to work. Unusual. A workaholic, not showing up for work. Who it was for was obvious. Suddenly, my phone rang. It was my best friend, Anya. The moment I answered, a furious shout came from the other end. “Luna! That bastard Jalen is cheating! I swear to God, I just saw Jalen taking some woman to an abortion clinic!” “I’m going to go kill those two lowlifes right now! How dare they do this to you!” “That cheap tramp! That disgusting jerk! I’m going to make him suffer!” Beep— Before I could utter a single word, the call disconnected. Without another thought, I quickly hailed a cab to the hospital. As soon as I reached the entrance of the Women’s Health department, I heard Anya’s booming voice. “Jalen! You’re a married man, and you’re cheating! You actually brought your mistress to get an abortion in broad daylight!” “And you, you shameless hussy, have some self-respect! You’re a homewrecker!” “Today, I’m going to make sure you two lowlifes don’t leave here alive! I hope you both rot!” “Bitch! Whore! Jalen, how could you do this to Luna after she loved you for ten years? After everything she did for you…” “Anya!” I rushed in and cut her off, pulling her away. Seeing Jalen, his face grim, holding a pale and fragile Ella, I pressed my lips together. “I’m sorry, my friend lost her temper.” Jalen’s tone was icy. “Control her. If she’s ever so careless with her words again, I won’t let it go.” With that, he picked up Ella and left. Anya’s eyes widened instantly. “Luna! Why are you apologizing to him? He’s the one who’s wrong!” I pursed my lips. “Anya, that’s Ella.” Anya froze. I told her everything, from the beginning of the reunion last night to its end. Anya listened to everything, then took a deep breath. “So, just because Ella broke up with that guy and came back from abroad, and went to a reunion, Jalen wants to divorce you?” I nodded. “Why the hell?” Anya slapped the table, her eyes blazing red. “That woman treated Jalen like dirt, then dumped him, and even hit him with her car, almost killing him. You were the one who saved him, your hand crushed and bloody, so badly you could never hold a scalpel again. You nursed him out of the hospital, stayed by his side. Why does he get to just say ‘I want a divorce’ now?” “No! I’m going to tell him! Even if you divorce, I want his conscience to be plagued with guilt.” I grabbed her arm. “Anya, it’s pointless. Now, I genuinely want this divorce. I’m done loving him.” Anya stared at me intently, as if disbelieving. After all, every time I’d said I was done loving him, I’d ended up eating my words. But this time, I was truly tired. I even felt that Jalen, well, he wasn’t all that special. After saying goodbye to Anya, I asked the nurse for Ella’s room number. As soon as I reached the door, I heard laughter from inside. “Jalen, I treated you like dirt back then, and then hit you with my ex-boyfriend in the car, and you still love me! You even divorced that good girl for me, and you’re here with me getting rid of my ex-boyfriend’s baby!” I froze, looking up at the scene inside. Jalen’s expression remained gentle as he fed her porridge, not saying a word. Ella seemed bored and leaned in to kiss him. Jalen didn’t dodge, wanting to deepen the kiss. But in the next second, Ella pulled away, her lips curled in a mocking sneer. “Jalen, you’re so pathetic!” Jalen suddenly grabbed her chin and bit her. The sound of wet kissing filled the room instantly. After who knows how long, Jalen released her, his voice slightly breathless. “Yeah, I’m pathetic! Pathetic enough to fall for you! Pathetic enough to love you year after year.” Year after year? Could a rogue like him even love? I tugged at the corner of my mouth, about to leave. Ella suddenly saw me. She hooked her arm around Jalen. “What about your good girl wife? Don’t you love her? After all, she’s liked you for ten years.” Jalen’s hoarse voice responded, “The good girl is just a stepping stone for a mess like me. Someone like you, though, you’re my perfect match.” Ella burst out laughing, then lifted her chin. “Look, your stepping stone is outside.” Jalen stiffened, turning to look at me. My nails dug into my palm as I forced a smile. “I just came to ask when you can sign the divorce papers.” “Any demands you have, feel free to make them.” Jalen handed me the documents. I flipped to the last page, signed my name, and handed it back to him with a smile. “It’s fine, you wouldn’t screw me over anyway.” Jalen looked at the woman’s smile opposite him, finding it inexplicably grating. But wasn’t this exactly what he wanted right now? A divorce, then tying himself to that rotten Ella. Jalen shook his head, about to sign his name, when his phone suddenly rang. He murmured an apology and stood up to answer it. I don’t know what was said on the other end, but his face suddenly changed, and he started to walk out. I immediately grabbed the papers and stood up, blocking his way. “Just sign, it’ll only take a few seconds.” Jalen sharply looked up, his dark eyes fixed on me. I kept smiling, maintaining my stance. He took the pen, signed his name with a flourish. “I’ve already contacted the civil affairs office. It’ll take at least seven days to get the divorce certificate.” Seven days. I silently calculated the timing for my wedding with the other man. It was enough. Back home, I immediately shipped my belongings to Emerald City. By the time I was done, it was evening. Just as I was about to rest, I received a call from the police station. “Hello, are you Mr. Jalen Bianchi’s wife? Your husband has been reported for imprisonment and assault. We’d appreciate it if you could come down to the station.” I didn’t want to go, but we weren’t officially divorced yet. Fine, one last time. When I arrived, I saw Jalen’s face was grim, and beside him sat a smirking Ella. Seeing me, an officer immediately stepped forward. “Do you know this lady? She claims Mr. Bianchi imprisoned her, that she was recaptured after escaping, and that there were attempts to assault her in the car.” Before I could speak, Jalen suddenly interjected, “She’s my fiancée. There’s no imprisonment or assault. We’re in a legitimate relationship.” With that, he suddenly pulled out a yellowed but well-preserved piece of paper. On it was Ella’s promise, written the year they first got together, right after high school graduation. He had kept it perfectly, even carried it close to his heart. It showed just how much he liked her. The officer’s eyes widened. “But isn’t Ms. Luna Carter your wife?” I gave a strained smile. “We’re already divorced. We just haven’t received the certificate yet.” In the end, it turned out to be a misunderstanding. By the time we left the police station, it was deep into the night. Jalen went to get the car. Only Ella and I remained. She looked at me, then suddenly laughed. “Luna, you haven’t changed all these years, still fawning over Jalen as always.” I said nothing. Ella continued, “Do you want to know why Jalen likes me?” She suddenly leaned closer. “Because the person he should like is you.” I froze. Ella went on, “He received so many love letters back then, but he only kept yours. At first, I didn’t know it was you who wrote them, until one time, during recess, I came back early and saw you putting a letter into his locker that was identical to the purple envelopes he kept.” “Later, after you threw that confession letter into the trash, I picked it up. On graduation day, I crossed out your name, wrote mine, and confessed to him. He agreed, even told me those letters were interesting and he liked them a lot. That’s how we got together. That wild man even settled down for me.” I stood rigid, from head to toe. Ella’s laugh grew even more arrogant. “I went through all those letters you wrote to him later. They were pretty interesting, actually. You remembered what he liked to eat, what he liked to drink, even what he did every day, like a diary. Oh, and one more thing,” “After college, you heard Jalen and I broke up, so you mustered the courage to pursue him. Too bad, he immediately sent me the chat history and asked me to reply to you on his behalf. All those ambiguous messages during those two years? I sent them, deliberately leading you on. You have no idea how much fun I had watching you dance around for me.” “Later, Jalen and I broke up and got back together repeatedly. Even during that time, reports surfaced of him with different women in hotels, and he never said a word.” “Luna, ultimately, I have to thank you. You’re the one who made a wild man settle down and fall in love with me.” I was chilled to the bone, unable to utter a single word. Just then, Ella’s eyes suddenly darkened. She grabbed my hand and slapped herself across the face. “Ah!” Before I could react, an even harder slap landed on my face. Followed by Jalen’s icy voice: “Luna, are you asking for trouble?” He didn’t ask a single question, immediately siding with Ella. Watching Ella’s triumphant smirk, I clutched my burning cheek, then took one last, long look at Jalen. “Jalen, you’re right. You truly are a jerk too.” I turned and left, packing my things as fast as I could and returning to Emerald City that very day. Three days later, I saw a wedding invitation on social media. It was for Jalen and Ella. And my wedding was on the same day as his.

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1 The moment my neighbor and supposed best friend found out I had forty-five thousand dollars loaded on my VIP spa account, she came hunting for me. “Danica, I just did the most amazing thing!” Penny burst through my front door, eyes shining with manic excitement. “I took all the stray dogs in our neighborhood for a luxury essential oil spa day!” She clapped her hands together. “Over twenty dogs. A fifteen-hundred-dollar premium package for each of them. Aren’t I just the best?” I blinked, genuinely caught off guard. Penny was the neighborhood’s resident clout-chasing saint. She loved playing the philanthropist online, but she never spent a single dime of her own money. Her entire charity model relied on guilt-tripping others into opening their wallets. Since when did she have a change of heart? Unless she used my membership card to give a pack of feral dogs a luxury blowout. I leaned back against the plush velvet of my sofa. I kept my voice entirely neutral. “Penny, did you sign my name on that service invoice?” She froze for a split second before rolling her eyes, her tone dripping with impatience. “Well, duh! If I gave them my name, they wouldn’t know who I was. Anyway, just let them deduct it from your account balance. I gotta go!” She spun on her heels, ready to strut out the door like she owned the place. I took a slow sip of my black coffee. Just a few hours ago, the receptionist at the spa had stopped her with a single question, and it had sent her into a panic. “Danica,” Penny had asked me yesterday, her voice overly casual. “How much is left on that Obsidian card of yours at the luxury spa?” I had glanced at her, my voice perfectly calm. “About forty-five thousand. Why?” Hearing that number, Penny sucked in a sharp breath. Her eyes darted around like a slot machine. “Oh my god, I always knew you were loaded! That kind of money is nothing to you. Just the price of a couple of designer bags.” She leaned in close, lowering her voice, and slapped on a look of profound, agonizing pity. “Danica, have you seen that pack of stray dogs hanging around the community park?” “They break my heart. Absolutely skin and bones. Their fur is completely matted with filth.” “Especially that little black one with the limp. The way he looked at me last night… it was like a cry for help.” Penny was notorious in our gated community. Her absolute favorite hobby was posting tragic animal rescue videos on her Instagram stories, always accompanied by three-paragraph essays about kindness and empathy. But if you actually asked her to drop ten bucks on a bag of kibble, she would suddenly have a thousand excuses. She sighed heavily, forcing her eyes to water. “I’m just too soft-hearted. I can’t stand seeing innocent creatures suffer.” “If I could just get them a full-body essential oil treatment, scrub away all those fleas and grime…” “Get them a professional groom so they look adorable. I just know they’d get adopted by good families immediately!” I set my coffee cup down on the glass table, completely unfazed. “A spa trip will definitely make them smell nice. But what strays actually need is solid food and rabies vaccines.” Penny scowled. She hated it when I ruined her aesthetic fantasies with logic. “Food and shelter are just baseline survival! They deserve dignity, Danica!” “I’ve made up my mind. Tomorrow, I’m giving them a total makeover. I’m doing something truly beautiful.” “There’s over twenty of them. This is going to be incredibly rewarding.” She was practically buzzing with excitement, clearly already picturing the viral TikTok fame and the flood of adoring comments. “Alright, I can’t waste any more time chatting. I need to map out my rescue route for tomorrow.” “Just you wait, Danica. You’re going to see me shine!” She hummed a trendy pop song and practically skipped out of my house. Sitting in my living room, the memory of that conversation felt incredibly wrong. Penny was the kind of cheapskate who would stall at the cash register of a convenience store just to force me to pay for her popsicle. There was absolutely no way she had a sudden stroke of generosity to drop tens of thousands of dollars on stray dogs out of her own pocket. And why had she specifically asked about the balance on my Obsidian card? Lumina Spa was the most exclusive, high-end grooming club in the city, catering to both elite socialites and their pampered pets. Even their most basic wash-and-fluff cost hundreds of dollars. My stomach dropped. I immediately grabbed my phone and dialed the general manager of Lumina Spa. “Harrison, what is the current payment authorization on my Obsidian card?” “Miss Montgomery,” Manager Harrison’s polite voice came through the receiver. “Your card holds our highest VIP tier. Currently, charges are authorized purely via your signature.” I let out a cold, sharp laugh. I knew it. “Change the security settings on my account immediately.” “From this second forward, a signature is no longer enough. I want dual-factor authentication enabled. Facial recognition and fingerprint scan.” Harrison paused, clearly surprised, but his impeccable customer service training kicked in instantly. “Understood, Miss Montgomery. I am updating the system parameters right now.” I looked out the window at the gathering storm clouds, my voice dropping to a serious octave. “Mark my words, Harrison. Unless I am physically standing in your lobby to approve it, absolutely no one is allowed to deduct a single cent from that account. I don’t care who they claim to be.” “You have my word,” Harrison replied with absolute gravity. “With the system locked, no one can bypass your biometric verification to access those funds.” I hung up the phone and opened Instagram. Penny’s profile picture was a heavily filtered selfie of her hugging a dirty street dog. Her bio read: Always leading with love. 2 The next morning, the moment I pulled back my curtains, I heard a massive commotion down on the street. I opened my phone. Penny had already spammed her story with ten different updates. The newest post was a live video. In the frame, she was dressed head-to-toe in pristine white designer athleisure, wearing surgical gloves and a chic black face mask. Trailing behind her was a chaotic, filthy parade of over twenty stray mutts, taking over the entire sidewalk. The caption read: An angel on earth! I couldn’t bear to see these fur babies suffer another day. Taking them all for a luxury spa experience! Praying that once they wash away the street grime, they’ll all find their forever homes! The comment section was already a waterfall of praise. “Penny is literally an angel! We don’t deserve her!” “Over twenty dogs? Omg, that must cost an absolute fortune. You are so selfless.” “Get this girl a Nobel Peace Prize right now!” Penny pinned a comment to the top of the chat, adding a prayer hands emoji. “For these babies, I’d willingly empty my bank account.” Reading that sentence made my stomach churn. The sheer audacity of this woman was mind-blowing. Her history of weaponizing morality to rob people blind was legendary in our neighborhood. Just last month, the Homeowners Association organized a fundraiser for underprivileged kids. Penny grabbed a megaphone, planted herself at the front gates, and publicly cornered Martha, the elderly woman who cleaned our community dumpsters. Martha barely made minimum wage, but Penny relentlessly bullied her into donating a full month’s paycheck. “Martha, if you just skip buying meat for a few weeks, a child in need gets to eat warm meals!” Penny had yelled through the megaphone. “How can you be so heartless?” Publicly humiliated and driven to tears, Martha ended up handing over a hundred dollars she desperately needed for rent. Meanwhile, Penny didn’t donate a single cent. Yet, because she “organized” the drive, the HOA awarded her the title of Charity Ambassador. Then there was the time Mr. Henderson’s grandson fell terribly ill. The poor old man set up a GoFundMe to cover the medical bills. Penny hijacked the link, spamming it in every group chat she could find. She demanded everyone post screenshots of their donation receipts. If anyone failed to post one, she would tag them relentlessly, calling them cold-blooded monsters. Curious, Mr. Henderson eventually checked the backend of the fundraiser. Penny’s total contribution? One single cent. When confronted, she brushed it off. “The size of the donation doesn’t matter. It’s about raising awareness.” But her absolute worst offense involved feral cats. She would trap stray cats around the neighborhood and casually toss them over the fences into the ground-floor patios of other residents. Then, she would march up to their doors and demand they purchase imported, premium cat food to feed them. Every single afternoon, she would stand outside their fences, taking pictures of the cats eating the food the homeowners bought, and post it online to harvest likes and sympathy. I locked my screen, changed into a comfortable sweater, and headed downstairs for a walk. The moment I stepped into the courtyard, I practically collided with Brenda, the community’s most vocal busybody. Brenda was dragging her oversized Poodle along on a sparkly leash. The second she saw me, her face split into a massive, gossipy grin. “Oh my goodness, Danica! Your friend Penny is an absolute saint!” She gave me a thumbs-up, her heavy makeup creasing. “I just watched her round up every single stray dog in the neighborhood.” “I heard she took them to that ultra-fancy Lumina Spa. They’re getting the premium package! That’s like, a thousand bucks a pop!” I stopped in my tracks, feigning perfect shock. “A thousand each? For almost thirty dogs, that’s thirty grand. Where on earth did she get that kind of cash?” Brenda leaned in close, lowering her voice conspiratorially. “Well, that’s the secret, isn’t it? Penny told me she wasn’t paying out of pocket.” “She said she has a filthy rich best friend who offered to fully sponsor this beautiful act of charity.” Brenda looked me up and down, a calculating gleam in her eyes. “Danica, you don’t happen to be that filthy rich best friend, do you?” I stared her down, my expression turning to ice. “I certainly don’t have that kind of money to throw around playing savior.” Brenda scoffed, clearly disappointed she didn’t get the juicy scoop she wanted. “Right, figured. You’ve always been pretty tight with your cash. You even complain about the HOA fees. You don’t have Penny’s big heart.” “But Penny swore up and down she had it in the bag today. Said she had absolute, guaranteed funding.” I didn’t bother arguing with her. I turned my back and walked straight toward the quiet gazebo by the pond. Once I sat down, I pulled out my phone and dialed Lumina Spa again. “Manager Harrison. Has anyone tried to charge my card today?” The background noise on the other end was absolute chaos. A chorus of barking and yelping echoed through the phone. “Yes, Miss Montgomery. Your associate, Penny, brought twenty-eight stray dogs into the salon. We are currently administering the premium essential oil packages.” “She claimed she had your full authorization and instructed us to bill everything to your Obsidian card.” I watched Brenda’s Poodle hike its leg against a pristine rosebush nearby. “Remember what I told you yesterday. I don’t care what she says. Without my facial recognition, you do not authorize a single dime.” Harrison’s tone was rock solid. “Rest assured. The system is entirely locked down. We only answer to your biometric approval.” 3 Penny had fired up a TikTok Live right in the middle of the luxury pet salon. Her stream title was written in massive, bold letters: Going Broke to Save the Fur Babies! Digital Angel Live Rescue. I tapped into the stream. The screen displayed a scene of absolute, chaotic opulence. Over a dozen professional groomers in sleek black uniforms were scrambling around, trying to wrangle twenty-eight feral, panicked dogs. Penny was strutting through the salon with a selfie stick, casually panning the camera over the shelves of exorbitant grooming products. “Guys, look at this! French rose absolute oil. A tiny bottle of this costs three hundred dollars alone!” “We’re only using the absolute highest tier of care for our babies today.” She shoved the camera into the face of a scruffy terrier that was currently pinned down for a massage. “Look at him! He’s melting, he feels so good.” “He used to dig through rotting trash for scraps, and today, he finally knows what it feels like to be truly loved.” The chat was exploding with adoration. “Penny is a literal goddess! I’m sobbing rn.” “This is what real charity looks like. Putting your money where your mouth is.” “Penny, you’re dropping a fortune! How are you going to pay rent?” Penny stared at her screen, letting a single, perfectly timed tear slip down her cheek. “It’s okay, guys. It’s incredibly expensive, but to give them a shot at a real home… I’ll empty my savings!” “As long as they’re clean and happy, I’ll happily eat instant ramen for the rest of the year!” I lounged sideways on my couch, watching her perform this nauseating martyrdom. A harsh laugh escaped my lips. Eat ramen? This was a girl who constantly begged me to cover the extra fifty cents on her UberEats delivery fees. After several hours of sheer pandemonium, the twenty-eight dogs were finally done. Their matted clumps of fur were now silky and blown out, the entire pack smelling like a botanical garden. Manager Harrison stepped right into the frame of her live stream, holding a sleek leather folio. “Miss Penny, the premium luxury packages for all twenty-eight dogs are complete.” “Additionally, due to several dogs becoming distressed during the bathing process, two of our imported Italian leather sofas were severely damaged.” “The total comes out to forty thousand dollars. Will you be paying by card or wire transfer?” The live chat froze completely for one agonizing second before scrolling at light speed. “FORTY THOUSAND?! That’s highway robbery!” “Penny, don’t pay that! Sue them!” But Penny didn’t flinch. In fact, a smug, triumphant smirk played on her lips. She waved her hand at the camera, playing the calm pacifier. “Everyone, relax. Lumina is an elite establishment. These are their standard rates.” “For the fur babies, this is just a drop in the bucket!” With that, she carefully propped her phone up against a display stand, making absolutely sure the camera had a clear, dramatic angle of her settling the bill. She grabbed the gold fountain pen, didn’t even glance at the itemized receipt, and flourished a dramatic signature at the bottom. Danica Montgomery. She slid the leather folio back toward Harrison, turning to deliver her heartfelt closing monologue to her viewers. “Alright guys, our massive rescue op is a wrap! Let’s get these babies home!” She took exactly two steps toward the door before Harrison’s arm shot out, blocking her path. “I apologize, Miss Penny. You cannot leave.” Penny paused, a deep, irritated frown forming on her perfectly contoured face. “Excuse me? I signed the slip. Just run the damn card.” Harrison looked down at her, his posture perfectly rigid. “System alert. Miss Danica Montgomery’s Obsidian card has been upgraded to maximum security protocol.” “A signature alone is insufficient for payment processing.” The color rapidly drained from Penny’s face. “What are you talking about? I’ve used it a million times, I just sign her name!” Harrison maintained his flawless, customer-service smile. “Current protocols require Miss Montgomery’s biometric facial recognition or fingerprint scan to complete this transaction.” “I have just sent a remote payment authorization request directly to Miss Montgomery’s mobile device.” Right on cue, my phone screen illuminated. A sleek pop-up notification from Lumina Spa appeared. Payment Request: $40,000.00. Without a millisecond of hesitation, I slammed my thumb down on the red Decline button. “I’m afraid there’s a problem, Miss Penny,” Harrison said, glancing down at his tablet. “Miss Montgomery has explicitly denied your payment request.”

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