I was reborn at my first birthday party. Endowed with the powers of a lucky charm, I ignored my parents’ hopeful plea. In my past life, I used my abilities to help my parents become the richest people in the country. My eldest brother became a business tycoon, my second a renowned surgeon, and my third a pop superstar. Only my adopted sister, Julia, received no benefit from my powers due to our lack of a blood connection. She failed her college entrance exams at eighteen, was kidnapped at twenty, and died in an accident at twenty-five. Before she died, she tearfully said, “It’s not Mia’s fault. I was always an outsider. It makes sense she wouldn’t help me.” My entire family believed I had let her suffer out of jealousy. They imprisoned me, conducted horrific experiments to channel my luck and resurrect Julia, and tortured me until I died. When I opened my eyes again, I was back at my first birthday party. My father was smiling down at me. “My darling daughter,” he cooed, “do you think Daddy should sign this ten-million-dollar project?” I blinked once, then smeared a handful of mud right across his face. 1 The entire room fell silent. I gripped another handful of wet soil from a nearby flowerpot and slapped it onto my father’s cheek. The hands holding me went rigid, his expression on the verge of crumbling. Guests exchanged uneasy glances. Only Julia, my adopted sister, had a flash of triumph in her eyes before she let out a piercing shriek and rushed forward, her face a mask of concern. “Daddy, are you okay? Oh, Mia is being such a handful!” My father wiped furiously at the mud, then shoved me into a nanny’s arms in disgust. “The mystic clearly said she had a lucky charm aura, that she was born lucky! Why is she acting like a little demon?” Julia bit her lip and whispered, just loud enough for everyone to hear, “She’s been with us for a year now, and it’s not like she’s brought us that much good fortune. Maybe it’s not real?” She added, “I was taking care of her the other day, and she bit me. She’s not some child prodigy, she’s more like…” My eldest brother snorted. “A demon child is more like it.” “Mia has done nothing but torment us since she was born,” he said coldly. “Because of her, Julia has been neglected and suffered so much.” “I think this whole lucky charm thing is a scam. She’s nothing but a debt collector sent to ruin us!” My mother studied me with a frown before finally sighing. “She’s just a one-year-old. What does she know?” “Still,” she mused, “the company did go public right after she was born. Maybe throwing the mud was her way of stopping you.” My father paced anxiously. “Fine. I won’t sign the project. We’ll see if she’s really got the magic touch or not.” With that, he hurried off to change, and my first birthday party came to an abrupt, messy end. The moment my parents were gone, Julia’s mask dropped. Her eyes turned venomous as she stared at me. “You really are a lucky charm, little sister. Daddy is such a neat freak, and he didn’t even punish you. I guess blood really is thicker than water.” My eldest brother immediately walked over, casting a disdainful glance at me. “Don’t be sad, Julia. We only see you as our sister.” “If that mystic hadn’t said Mia could bring us good luck, Mom and Dad would have never had her.” “If she ever tries to compete with you for their affection, we’ll always be on your side.” My other two brothers nodded in agreement, taking Julia’s hands to comfort her. In my past life, my parents had given up on having a daughter after three sons and adopted Julia. They had a deep bond. My three biological brothers saw me as an accident, an afterthought, and treated me with absolute indifference. Because my luck never extended to Julia, they were convinced I was deliberately harming her. I was so naive then. I thought that if I just showered them with good fortune, they would finally love me. Instead, I was tortured and dismembered. Watching them now, a happy, loving family unit, I opened my mouth and let out a piercing wail. Julia shot me a cold look and raised her hand, ready to pinch me. “So annoying!” But just then, my father ran back into the room, his face alight with excitement. He swept me into his arms, interrupting her. “The lead company for that project just skipped town with the money! The entire thing was a scam!” He held me tight. “We were saved! Mia, you really are my lucky star!” 2 My father roared with laughter, ordering the butler to have a solid gold security pendant made for me. “We can’t neglect my little lucky star! From now on, the best of everything is for Mia!” My brothers and Julia stared, their eyes wide with shock. My third brother cried out, “Dad, how can you be so biased towards Mia? Julia is our sister!” Julia’s eyes reddened on cue, and she lowered her head, a picture of silent, stoic suffering. My father immediately put me down and cleared his throat. “Now, now. I’ve treated Julia like my own daughter for years. How could I be biased?” He quickly added, “Didn’t Julia have her eye on that twenty-million-dollar necklace the other day? I’ll have it delivered to the house today.” Julia’s tears vanished. She ran over to him, beaming. “Oh, Daddy, you’re the best! I was so worried that after Mia was born, you wouldn’t care about me anymore.” He stroked her hair lovingly. “Silly girl. You’ll always be Mommy and Daddy’s little princess.” She turned and shot me a triumphant smirk. I didn’t understand why Julia was so hostile towards a one-year-old, but it was clear she was determined to crush me from the start. My father often asked for my “lucky” input on his decisions, but I didn’t always oblige. Whenever they tried to make me use my luck for Julia’s benefit, I would burst into tears. And for the following month, bad luck would plague the entire family. My parents’ business would suffer. My eldest brother would be sabotaged by a competitor. My second brother would swear he saw a ghost in the hospital morgue. My third brother would think he’d been discovered by a talent scout, only to be scammed out of all his money. After this happened a few times, they noticed the pattern but couldn’t figure out the cause. I was not yet two, barely able to string a sentence together, so I just pretended not to understand them. Julia’s expression grew uglier by the day. Now, anyone would connect the family’s misfortune directly to her. The breaking point came when another of my father’s business decisions failed catastrophically, nearly bankrupting the company. Julia collapsed into tears, covering her face. “It’s me! The bad luck only affects me! It’s because Mia doesn’t like me.” “I should just leave,” she sobbed. “I can’t drag Mom, Dad, and my brothers down with me.” They all rushed to her side, their faces etched with panic. “Julia, it’s not your fault! You’re our daughter! This will always be your home!” “That’s right! If anyone’s to blame, it’s Mia! She’s stealing our good luck, that’s why everything has been going wrong!” At my second brother’s words, my mother’s gaze turned to me, full of resentment. “I wish Julia were my biological daughter. She’s so sweet and obedient, not like this little monster who’s been causing trouble since she was two.” My father made a decision. He was calling the mystic back. “He said Mia would bring us good fortune! I want to ask him why she’s been doing nothing but cursing us!” When the mystic arrived, he observed me for a long time. I pointed a chubby finger at Julia and managed one, babyish word: “Dark… dark…” My eldest brother’s face darkened. “Julia is fair and beautiful. Mia is already spouting nonsense. No wonder she’s been cursing us.” The others looked displeased, their hearts aching at the sight of Julia’s wounded expression. But the mystic stroked his beard and spoke. “This has nothing to do with Miss Mia. The source of the recent misfortune… is Miss Julia.” 3 The word had barely left his mouth before they all shouted in unison, “Impossible!” My third brother’s voice was shaking with rage. “You’re a fraud! A liar! Julia has lived with us for over a decade. How could she possibly bring us bad luck?” He looked ready to punch the man, but my father held him back. My father’s eyes were narrow and suspicious. “Master,” he demanded, “you told me my daughter would bring good fortune, but you never said Julia would be cursed. Now my entire family is suffering because of Mia. You owe me an explanation.” My mother, her eyes red, pulled Julia into a protective embrace. “Master, please, you have to do something! You have to break this curse!” The mystic simply shook his head. “Mia’s luck can only affect her blood relatives, and she is only two years old. It is likely that your attempts to force her to channel her luck for Julia have caused a backlash. It has turned your good fortune into a curse, and now Miss Julia is shrouded in a dark, malevolent aura.” He gave them a long, meaningful look. “I have said all that I can. The rest is up to you.” With that, he turned and left. Julia let out a choked sob. “I’m just an adopted daughter. I should have never been greedy for the Shaw family’s wealth. Then Mommy and Daddy wouldn’t have been cursed.” She straightened her shoulders. “It’s better to sacrifice me, so that my parents and brothers can have their good fortune back.” Her speech was so noble that, of course, they refused. They swore they would never let her suffer alone. My eldest brother’s voice was firm. “It’s not your fault, Julia. It’s Mia. She’s been biased against you from the start. We will not give in to a toddler’s whims.” My third brother added wistfully, “If only Julia were the lucky charm.” They all nodded in agreement. I wanted to roll my eyes. Julia’s gaze towards me was now laced with fear, and in private, she became even more vicious, pinching me and withholding food. But I wasn’t a real child. Whenever she hurt me, I made sure the whole family paid the price. The Shaws’ attempts to get lucky now only worked one or two times out of ten. After every failure, they would rack their brains, trying to remember if they had accidentally mentioned Julia. And so it went until I was five. My parents’ company was still floundering. My three brothers were still failures. And Julia had hit rock bottom, failing her exams so badly she couldn’t even get into a community college. The night the results came out, she cried all night, the entire family gathered around to console her. When she saw me, she lunged, her sharp nails leaving red scratches on my face. “It’s all your fault! Why wouldn’t you give me your luck?” My third brother, startled, moved to stop her. “I can’t even go to college!” she shrieked. “Can’t I even take my anger out on the person who caused it? Don’t you even care about me anymore?” My parents said nothing, turning a blind eye to the scene. My eldest brother took Julia’s hand. “Don’t worry, Julia,” he whispered. “We’ll get back at her for you.” That night, my three brothers dragged me out of the house, blindfolded me, and dumped me in a dark, deserted alley. “Julia, we’re leaving her here to teach her a lesson. This is for you.” I cried out for them, but they never looked back. They left, laughing, on their way to take Julia to an amusement park. The moment the light from their car disappeared, my heart turned to ice. They wanted to punish me, but they forgot one thing. I was a lucky charm. As I stumbled out of the alley, I cashed in all the good luck I had been withholding from my family for years, all for a single wish. Moments later, a car pulled up beside me. “Whose child is this? Are you lost?” I looked up and recognized her instantly. It was Mrs. Sterling, one of the most powerful and philanthropic women in the city. Tears streamed down my face. “My brothers…” I sobbed, my voice trembling. “They’re throwing me away.”

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The day I came home from closing a deal in Europe, my brother’s latest conquest opened the door. I was used to Leo keeping a revolving door of women, so I didn’t say a word, just moved to head past her up the stairs. But she grabbed my arm, her voice dripping with entitlement. “You the new help? Perfect. Come wash my feet.” A smirk tugged at my lips. I couldn’t be bothered to waste breath on someone so clueless. I tried to step around her. “Stay put!” she shrieked. Before I could react, the sharp crack of a slap echoed in the foyer, and my cheek exploded in pain. “Who told you you could walk away from me? How dare a servant give me attitude?” she sneered, puffing out her chest. “Let me make this clear: I run this house now. If you know what’s good for you, you’ll do as you’re told. Otherwise, I’ll have you thrown out on the street by tonight!” My cheek burned. I gave a cold laugh and pulled out my phone, dialing my brother’s number. “You have ten minutes,” I said, my voice low and even. “Ten minutes to get this woman you brought home out of my house. Or that last handful of stock you’re clinging to? It’s gone.” … My family always favored the son, just not in the way you’d think. They believed in letting him run wild, indulge every whim, while their daughter was molded to carry the weight of the family empire. The result? While I was studying finance, Leo was showering gifts on his latest girlfriend. While I was negotiating international trade agreements, Leo was still showering gifts on his latest girlfriend. My parents weren’t worried he’d turn into a useless degenerate; they were worried his lifestyle would corrupt me. So, the moment I turned eighteen, they shipped me off abroad. They called it “advanced studies,” but it was really just “out of sight, out of mind.” Now, with the family’s entire fortune in my hands, Leo knew better than to do anything but obey my every command. So how dare his flavor-of-the-month try to step on my toes? Just as the call was about to connect, the woman snatched the phone from my hand and smashed it on the marble floor. She ground her stiletto heel into the screen, a contemptuous smile on her face. “Don’t even try it. You’re the tenth girl this week to show up claiming to be Leo Reed’s sister. Do I look like an idiot?” She scoffed. “You clearly don’t know that his sister, Evelyn Reed, is out of the country, do you? Hasn’t been heard from in years. Probably dead in a ditch somewhere. Right now, in this entire estate, my word is law. So if you don’t want to disappear from St. Jude City, you’ll get on your knees and start washing my feet!” I bent down and picked up my shattered phone. Her words were so absurd, I almost laughed. Had Leo really not told her that his entire family, his entire lifestyle, depended on me? “And what, exactly,” I asked, my voice dripping with sarcasm, “makes you think you’re in any position to call the shots for the Reed family?” “You ignorant little thing,” Melissa said, tossing her perfectly curled hair as she crossed her legs. “First of all, I’m Melissa Morgan, of the Morgan family. I come from money. And second, I’m here for Adrian Vance. The Reeds’ entire operation is under his control now. That useless waste of space, Leo, can’t even sign a check without Adrian’s permission. Who the hell are you to even bring up his name to me?” Adrian Vance? I froze. Wasn’t Adrian the boy my parents took in when I was a child, the one who was supposed to be my future husband? I had asked him to help my parents with the business while I was away, to lighten their load. Just lighten their load. Since when did he become the man in charge? Seeing my silence, Melissa assumed I was terrified. She viciously kicked the suitcase by my feet. “What are you standing there for? Go get the hot water! If you don’t serve me properly, I’ll make sure you vanish from this city by tomorrow!” I ignored her, my eyes fixed on the familiar necklace around her throat. It was the birthday gift I’d had my assistant give Leo last year. He told me he’d given it to someone very important. So this was his “important” person. A woman using Adrian Vance as a cover to play my brother for a fool, right under my own roof. “Forget the water,” I said, pulling the house’s private intercom from my pocket. My voice was laced with a chill I didn’t even recognize myself. “Where’s the butler? Security? Get this woman out of my sight and tie her up!” I sneered. How dare she toy with my brother’s feelings? Leo could be a hedonistic layabout, but he was my hedonistic layabout. No one else got to play him for a fool. But when I pressed the button, only a dead hiss of static answered. I tried three more times. The security camera in the entryway remained dark, not even a single red light flickering to life. Melissa burst out laughing, snatching the intercom from my hand. “Where did you get this?” She squinted, as if discovering a new continent. “This is an old model, the Reeds retired these ages ago… Wait. Are you a thief who broke in?” I said nothing. I had designed this mansion’s security system myself. A fly couldn’t get through a window crack without tripping an alarm in the central control room, let alone a dead intercom. Why was nothing working? Melissa suddenly clapped her hands. “Oh, I know! You’re that pathetic ex of Adrian’s, aren’t you? The one who couldn’t let go after he dumped you? You actually stalked him all the way here?” Before I could process her words, the heel of her shoe slammed into the back of my knee. My leg buckled, and I crumpled to the floor. “You really think Adrian still has a soft spot for you?” she spat, looming over me. “He can’t even stand the sight of you! Take a good look in the mirror. Do you really think you’re worthy of a man like him?” The pain finally brought clarity. In the three years I was gone, Adrian hadn’t just tampered with the core of my family’s business behind everyone’s back. He had cheated on me. Melissa smirked down at me, then pulled out a newer, sleeker intercom and summoned the butler and guards. Unfamiliar faces appeared. They didn’t even glance at me. They walked straight to Melissa, carefully helping her up. “Please, Miss Morgan, don’t upset yourself. You’re pregnant. You must be careful not to risk the baby.” “Pregnant?” My head snapped up, my gaze locking onto her flat stomach. “With Leo’s child?” “Ugh, please!” Melissa spat on the floor in disgust. “As if I’d carry that loser’s baby!” She cradled her belly, a triumphant glow on her face. “This is Adrian’s. Once our child is born, I’ll be the official Mrs. Vance. Then the entire Reed family fortune—no, the entire city—will be mine!” Adrian’s? A moment ago, I thought he might just be playing around, indulging in a meaningless affair. Now, the disappointment was absolute. The boy who used to follow me around, promising to marry me the day I came back, had cheated on me. The man I had trusted with my family’s legacy, the man I had begged to look after them, had gotten another woman pregnant with his child. “What are you staring at?” Melissa snapped, unnerved by my gaze. She gestured to the guards. “Slap her! The thought of this bitch ever being with Adrian makes my skin crawl!” “I dare you to touch me,” I snarled, my voice ringing with authority. “I am Evelyn Reed, the daughter of this house. Open your eyes and look closely. Leo and I were cut from the same cloth. I am his sister!” My icy demeanor gave the guards and the butler pause. They hesitated, unsure. Seeing their reluctance, Melissa flew into a rage. “Are you really scared of this nobody? Does the daughter of the Reed family travel alone? Pin her down! If you won’t hit her, I will!” “Don’t you dare!” But I was no match for their strength. The guards grabbed my arms, holding me fast. Just as a hand was about to strike my face, the front door swung open. A familiar voice cut through the tension. “What is going on here?” The moment Adrian Vance stood silhouetted in the doorway, I pushed myself up from the floor, my voice shaking with a tidal wave of fury. “Adrian! You better have a damn good explanation for this!” When he saw me, the color drained from his face. The eyes that once held so much warmth were now filled with panic. “Adrian!” Melissa beat me to it, throwing herself into his arms, her voice sickeningly sweet. “You’re finally here! This must be that obsessive ex of yours. She’s so shameless—she was just trying to impersonate the Reed heiress! Don’t worry, I already taught her a lesson for you!” I watched them tangled together and let out a low, hollow laugh. “Ex? Adrian, why don’t you dare tell her what we really are to each other?” My finger shot out, pointing directly at his face, each word landing like a hammer blow. “The boy my family raised to be my husband—have you forgotten that? Or has playing king in my family’s house for three years made you forget your place?” Adrian’s face turned a blotchy, furious red. Melissa recoiled from his embrace, her eyes wide with disbelief as she stared first at me, then back at him. “Raised to be your husband? What the hell is she talking about?” I scoffed. “Use your head, Melissa.” I pointed to the grand portrait hanging in the center of the living room—a photo of me and Leo. “You’ve been telling everyone you’re Leo’s girlfriend. Now you’re pregnant with Adrian’s child. Has he given you a ring? Has he made you his wife?” “If he really held all the power,” I continued, “why would he let you parade around as my brother’s mistress?” Melissa’s face grew paler with every word. She grabbed Adrian’s arm. “Adrian, is it true? Have you been lying to me?” “Shut up!” The last shred of feigned gentleness in Adrian’s eyes vanished, revealing a raw, ugly fury. “You bitch! How dare you try to drive a wedge between me and Melissa!” He pointed at me, his voice sharp as a shard of glass. “You wanted to teach her a lesson, Melissa? Go on. A psycho like her only understands pain!” The guards exchanged uneasy glances, but finally, they closed in on me. I looked at Adrian’s twisted, unrecognizable face, and the last flicker of warmth in my heart turned to ice. This was the man I had entrusted with my family’s future. The man I had waited three years for. “Adrian,” I said, my back pressed against the cold wall, my voice chillingly calm. “If you lay a single finger on me today, even if I can’t do anything to you right now, my brother will make you disappear from the face of this earth.” At my words, Adrian’s sneer deepened, as if I’d just told the funniest joke in the world. He grabbed a fistful of my hair, dragging me out onto the front steps. A searing pain shot through my scalp as my head was yanked back. “Leo?” he hissed, his voice low and contemptuous. “You’re counting on that idiot I have wrapped around my little finger? He’s probably passed out drunk in some club right now, waiting for me to send him an allowance.” He shoved me away. I stumbled backward, barely catching my balance before the guards’ slaps began to rain down. Explosions of pain erupted on my cheeks, my forehead, my lips. The coppery tang of blood filled my mouth. Adrian leaned in close, his voice a venomous whisper only I could hear. “Evelyn, your parents took off to travel the world right after you left. And your useless brother? He’s a lost cause. No one is coming to save you today.” His eyes glinted with a cruel light. “The long-lost heiress of the Reed family, tragically found dead after years abroad. How does that sound for a headline?” “You wouldn’t dare,” I seethed through clenched teeth. “Wouldn’t I? In the years you’ve been gone, I’ve learned every inch of the Reed business. If my family hadn’t fallen on hard times, do you really think I would have ever lowered myself to be your kept husband?”

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The day after I secured my spot in the university’s doctoral program, a delivery guy showed up at the campus gates with a wailing infant. He swore the child was mine. I was horrified. I begged my boyfriend, Sebastian, a brilliant medical student himself, to clear my name. He glanced at the paternity test I frantically shoved at him, then turned to the gathering crowd with a look of gentle resignation. “Gabrielle,” he said, his voice soft and forgiving. “Let the past be the past. I’m sure you didn’t mean for this to happen.” He sighed, a picture of benevolence. “I’ll raise this child as if he were my own.” In the aftermath, my acceptance into the doctoral program was revoked. The guys on campus started calling me “the campus bike” behind my back. That very night, my father’s illegitimate daughter, Hannah, posted on her Instagram story, celebrating her own acceptance into the program. The caption read: “A real man gives you everything you ask for.” The photo featured a collection of brand-new baby supplies. And there, just at the edge of the frame, was the unmistakable back of Sebastian’s hand. It turned out I was just a pawn in their twisted game. 1 I stood on the blistering pavement, the sun beating down on me as the baby in my arms screamed relentlessly. Inside the house, a party was in full swing, celebrating Hannah’s acceptance. And Sebastian was right there with them. He had always cultivated an air of gentle warmth, his handsome eyes always crinkling into a smile. Only I knew the cold indifference that lay beneath the surface. But now, looking through the window, I could see his joy was genuine. I called his phone. I saw him frown slightly before decisively rejecting the call. The second I posted a screenshot of Hannah’s story to the university message board, my phone rang. “Gabrielle, where are you?” He emerged from the house, his face a dark cloud, clearly not wanting to spoil Hannah’s mood. He saw me standing there, clutching the infant. In less than a minute, the link to the message board post was a dead “404 Not Found.” Sebastian strode over, snatched the phone from my hand, and then his gaze fell on the baby. A flicker of annoyance crossed his otherwise gentle features. “You’re just going to let him bake in the sun like this? What kind of mother are you?” “Sebastian,” I began, my voice choking despite the lecture I’d given myself the whole way here. “I told you. If you ever stopped loving me, just tell me. I would have walked away on my own.” Everyone at Blackwood University knew I was crazy about Sebastian. When he studied at the library, I’d get there at dawn to save us the best table by the window. When he was targeted by a vindictive professor who tried to steal his research, I leaked screenshots of the professor’s sleazy DMs with another student to the campus forum. The university fired him immediately. When Sebastian needed funding for his project, I was the one who pulled strings, connecting him with investors, pouring my own money and resources into his work. His star had risen, and eventually, he’d agreed to be my boyfriend. I never cared if his love for me was a quiet, smoldering thing, as long as it was real and lasting. But it had to be love. Not guilt, not obligation, and certainly not reluctant acceptance. It had to be a love that was mine and mine alone. “You know perfectly well,” I said, my voice trembling with rage, “that Hannah and her mother are the reason my own mother is dead. And you still let them pin this baby on me. For her, you were willing to watch my reputation, my entire future, be destroyed!” He looked at me, raising a hand as if to touch my face. I flinched away. He sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “Gabrielle, why are you still holding onto this? Hannah is your sister, after all. Her child is practically your child.” “Blood is thicker than water,” he continued, his tone patient and condescending. “I don’t want you two to be estranged over something so small.” “Gabrielle, don’t make this difficult. Don’t make everyone uncomfortable, okay?” I stared at him, at his calm, handsome face, and the coldness of his words felt like a physical blow. Something small? The women who drove my mother to her grave. In Sebastian’s eyes, that was just a small inconvenience to him. “Enough! She’s an illegitimate child. She has no right to call me her sister!” I ignored the way his expression instantly hardened. “You and I both know this baby isn’t mine. I’m giving you twenty-four hours to clear my name. If you don’t, you’ll see a side of me you won’t like.” With that, I thrust the crying baby into his arms and turned, walking away so fast he wouldn’t see the tears finally streaming down my face. 2 I had been alive for twenty-four years, and I had only ever loved one person with every fiber of my being. And he had just handed me the most crushing defeat of my life. I waited all the next day. By evening, there was still no apology, no clarification. Instead, when I logged onto the campus forum, I saw a new post, marked with a blazing “VIRAL” tag. It was a video. Sebastian stood there in a tailored suit, Hannah beside him in a gown that I recognized as one of my own. They looked like a perfect couple. Sebastian adjusted his collar, holding the baby, and then faced Hannah with a grave expression, bowing deeply. “I am so sorry,” he said, his voice ringing with sincerity for the camera. “Gabrielle’s selfish and impulsive actions have caused you so much pain. On her behalf, I want to apologize.” My post from yesterday had only been up for a few seconds before it was taken down, but in the world of the internet, a few seconds was all it took. The screenshots were everywhere. This video wasn’t just an apology. It was a public execution of my character. After all, a doctoral candidate in medicine wouldn’t misread a paternity test. My social media accounts became a war zone. I was flooded with messages from anonymous accounts asking “how much for a night.” My old posts were littered with insults and slurs. I had no choice but to make all my accounts private. But none of that was what broke me. It was the necklace around Hannah’s neck. It had belonged to my mother. I kept all of her jewelry locked away in my private apartment. Only one other person had a key: Sebastian. I was on my way to confront him when I cut through a secluded, wooded part of the campus. As I walked deeper into the trees, a pair of strong hands suddenly shoved me to the ground. The stench of alcohol filled the air. “You’re that bitch who had a baby, right?” a slurred voice growled. “Act all innocent but you’re a real freak, huh?” I screamed, struggling against him, but then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw them. Sebastian, who always carried himself with a cool, intellectual arrogance, was crouched down on the path, smiling as he tied Hannah’s shoelace. My attacker followed my gaze and then slapped me hard across the face. “What are you looking at? You think a sweet, innocent girl like that is anything like a used-up slut like you?” The sight of them must have sobered him up, because he scrambled to his feet, cursed, and stumbled away. I clutched my burning cheek, shakily getting up. A wave of profound shame washed over me. All I wanted was to disappear, to get away before they could see me like this. “…Gabrielle?” The hesitant voice was like a thunderclap in my silent, shattered world. “It really is you.” Sebastian walked around to face me, his brow furrowing as he took in my disheveled clothes. “I know the things people are saying at school are cruel, but you can’t just give up on yourself like this. Have some self-respect.” “Maybe she’s just heartbroken,” Hannah said, linking her arm through Sebastian’s, a smug smile playing on her lips. “That’s why she’s out here in a place like this, looking for a cheap thrill.” She tsked. “At this rate, I wouldn’t be surprised if she actually did get pregnant for real.” Sebastian held out a bag of baby supplies. “I had the baby sent back to your place. Hannah bought you these. Make sure you take proper care of him.” He paused, then held up his phone. “Or else… you wouldn’t want anyone to see you looking like this, would you?” I stared at him, a cold dread creeping into my veins. I couldn’t believe this was the man I had chased for five years. “If you understand, nod your head,” he commanded. “There’s a disciplinary hearing tomorrow morning. You know what to say and what not to say.” He wrapped his arm around Hannah and they walked away, heading in the direction of the lab’s victory party for their latest successful experiment. My face was a mask of cold fury as I pulled out my phone and made a call. If I was going to be miserable, then everyone was going to be miserable. 3 Almost no one knew that I was the largest private donor to this university. Ever since my mother died, while my father was off with his mistress, I had cut myself off from him emotionally. I left the Sinclair estate and struck out on my own. Fortunately, I had a gift for it. Under the pseudonym “Aura,” I founded AuraGen Labs in record time, specializing in biotechnology and advanced medical materials. We were already big enough to compete with the established legacy corporations. In fact, the only reason Sebastian’s latest medical experiment had been successful was because I was the one secretly funding it, supplying him with state-of-the-art equipment. “Terminate the contract,” I said into the phone. “And I want every cent of funding and every piece of equipment I provided to Sebastian’s lab recalled. Immediately.” Let’s see how long the poor boy from a small town can survive in this world of old money without my resources propping him up. Suddenly, my front door was kicked open. Sebastian stormed in, his face contorted with rage. Hannah followed meekly behind him, looking distressed. Before they could speak, I pointed to the maid who had let them in. “You’re fired.” To let someone in without my permission was to render the new high-security lock I’d just had installed completely useless. “You—” Sebastian sputtered, but Hannah was already comforting the maid in a soft voice. “Don’t worry, you can come work for us at the Sinclair estate.” Sebastian looked at me, his expression a mixture of anger and disappointment. “Look at Hannah, how gracious she is. And then look at you, petty and vindictive over every little thing. It’s hard to tell who the real illegitimate one is here.” A small smile touched Hannah’s lips at his words before she quickly schooled her features into a look of timid concern. Seeing his precious darling look so vulnerable only fueled Sebastian’s anger. “Tell me,” he demanded, “why was the disciplinary hearing cancelled?” I didn’t even bother to look up. “Because the administration bowed to the power of capital, obviously.” The university president had nearly had a heart attack when he received my call. Terrified I would pull my funding, he had cancelled the ridiculous hearing without a second thought. But Sebastian and Hannah didn’t know that. They assumed I had used my father’s influence again. “You go back on your word, you manipulate everything… Gabrielle, you are such a disappointment!” Sebastian, who was always so calm and composed, was practically shouting. I’d never seen him this angry, not even when his junior researchers made critical errors in the lab. Suddenly, Hannah cried out and fell to the floor. The necklace—my mother’s necklace—snapped, and the pearls scattered across the marble with a series of sharp clicks. The last tangible piece of my mother I had, now utterly destroyed. As I scrambled to pick up the pearls, Hannah leaned in close, her voice a venomous whisper. “If you had just cooperated, sister, I would have made sure the rest of her things remained untouched. But now, I can’t make any promises.” “Threatening me with a dead woman’s possessions. That’s all the power you have,” I shot back, my voice dripping with contempt. Our family placed a high value on ancestry. Most of my mother’s belongings were kept in the family mausoleum. I had already sent someone to retrieve them. Hannah’s jaw tightened, but when she saw Sebastian looking, her face immediately melted back into a mask of sweet vulnerability. “Sister, I’ve been here for a while. Where’s little Ben?” She looked around the apartment. “Auntie Hannah brought lots of presents for him.” Without lifting my head, I pointed out the window. “The orphanage.” 4 It was the first time I had ever seen Hannah truly lose her composure. She let out a piercing shriek, grabbing my collar and shaking me violently, a wild fury in her eyes. “How could you! How could you throw my… my nephew… in an orphanage! That’s abandonment, do you know that?” I shoved her away, and she stumbled backward, collapsing onto the floor. Just then, the front door, which hadn’t been properly closed, was thrown open again. A crowd of my classmates stormed in, rushing to help the sobbing Hannah. They glared at me with disgust. “I have never seen someone so shameless! You’d rather throw your own flesh and blood into an orphanage than take responsibility!” “That’s right! We have to expose her for the monster she is!” someone shouted, pulling out their phone and starting a livestream, shoving the camera in my face. Before they could get a clear shot, a pair of bodyguards roughly pushed the phone away. “This is a private Sinclair family matter. It doesn’t concern any of you.” A stern-faced, middle-aged man strode into the room. My father. He swung his arm and slapped me hard across the face. “Having a daughter like you is the greatest shame of my life!” he roared. “Take this disgrace back to the family estate. I want to see how she dares to face her dead mother now!” At the family mausoleum, the elders were gathered. I stood before the marble crypts, my spine straight. “I have done nothing wrong. I will not kneel.” My father was apoplectic. “You got pregnant out of wedlock, had a secret child, and made a spectacle of yourself for the whole world to see! You’ve dragged the company’s name and my name through the mud, and you still claim you’ve done nothing wrong?” He gestured wildly. “Hannah adores you, Sebastian is a medical doctor! Do you think they would both lie and conspire against you?” As we stood in a standoff, Hannah’s eyes darted around. She picked up a thin, braided leather whip that was kept for “disciplinary purposes” and handed it to Sebastian. “Sebastian,” she purred. “You’re the only one who can make my sister see her error.” She kicked the back of my knees, forcing me to the ground. Sebastian hesitated for a second, but under my father’s furious glare, he raised the whip and brought it down across my back. A line of fire tore across my skin. I bit my lip so hard I tasted blood, refusing to cry out. Hannah shot me a dissatisfied look and whispered something to my father. A terrible premonition washed over me. “Gabrielle,” my father bellowed, “for the disgraceful things you have done, I will overlook them out of paternal affection. But your mother can no longer be buried here, in the family’s hallowed ground!” He waved his hand. “Dig her up!” I stared in disbelief. They were going to desecrate her grave? They were going to deny her peace even in death. Hannah knew I had retrieved my mother’s heirlooms, so now she was going for the one thing I couldn’t protect. “Don’t you dare!” I fought with every ounce of strength I had, trying to break free from the two guards holding me down. The whip fell on my back again and again, a storm of pain. I struggled to my feet, only to be knocked down again. “Gabrielle, just admit it was you,” Sebastian panted, his forehead beaded with sweat. I could see a flicker of pity in his eyes as he looked at my wounds. His hand was shaking so badly he could barely hold the whip. “Just say you’re sorry, and I’ll talk to your father for you.” “I said,” I screamed through the agony, “I did nothing wrong!” I watched in horror as Hannah picked up my mother’s portrait and smashed it on the stone floor. The groundskeepers had already dug a gaping hole in the earth. They pulled out the small, velvet box containing her ashes and tossed it between them like a piece of trash. My vision turned red. I slammed my body into Sebastian, knocking him aside, and lunged for Hannah just as she was about to throw the box. We collided, and in the struggle, the lid came off. A fine grey dust scattered in the wind, sweeping over me in a soft, final arc. Like one last embrace from my mother. “Oops, my hand slipped,” Hannah said with a smirk. The box shattered on the ground. The ashes were gone. As I knelt there, broken and covered in dirt, a group of police officers entered the grounds. “Who called the police?” my father demanded. Hannah glanced at me triumphantly. “I did, officer,” she said, walking toward them. “This woman abandoned her newborn child!” An officer with a grim face approached me. “Ma’am, is this true?” A cold sweat broke out on my forehead. I pushed myself up, my body screaming in protest, and pulled a folded, blood-stained paper from my pocket. “That would be difficult,” I said, my voice shaking. “Seeing as I don’t have a uterus.”

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The day my six-year-old biological daughter was returned to me, she refused to let me near her. My husband, Stephen, said she just needed time to adjust. “Why don’t you go on your business trip?” he suggested gently. “When you come back with lots of gifts, I’m sure she’ll warm up to you.” I was about to leave when I heard it—a small, terrified voice that wasn’t spoken aloud. Should I tell Mommy that my sister is always hitting me? Daddy said Mommy doesn’t like kids who tattle. He said she doesn’t like me. But if I don’t tell her… I don’t think I’ll be alive when she comes back. My heart seized. My head snapped toward the corner of the room, where my daughter, Violet, was huddled. Our eyes met, and hers were filled with tears. She didn’t open her mouth, but the voice came again, clear as day. Maybe I was reborn because I missed Mommy so much. Stephen saw me frozen in place. “Honey, you’re going to miss your flight.” I turned and slapped him across the face, the sound cracking through the quiet house. A business trip? To hell with that. I was staying right here with my baby girl, and I’d kill anyone who tried to hurt my child. … Stephen cupped his cheek, his face a mask of shocked disbelief. I’ve always been assertive, but I’d never laid a hand on anyone. Seeing my genuine fury, he quickly made an excuse about an urgent matter at the office and fled the house. The moment he was gone, Violet, who had been standing near me, shrank behind a marble pillar. Mommy is just as scary as Daddy said. Hearing her thoughts again, I was taken aback. The slap had been a knee-jerk reaction, pure rage fueled by the fear that my daughter’s life was in danger. I could be impatient, yes, but scary? Why would Stephen tell her that? After Violet was found and the devastating hospital mix-up was revealed, Stephen had been the perfect, caring father. He’d even created a detailed file for me on how to best interact with a child who had spent her first six years in an orphanage. He had always been the patient one in our marriage, the one who took on the bulk of the childcare. It had to be a misunderstanding. Looking at the tiny, trembling girl, I felt an overwhelming urge to hold her. I knelt down, forcing a gentle smile. “Mommy’s not going to work today. How about we go visit your new school instead?” Violet’s eyes widened in surprise, and she nodded. I scooped her into my arms, and her thoughts flooded my mind again, soft and wondrous. Mommy smells so nice. Her hug is so warm. It’s a shame that the first time Mommy held me in my last life, I was already dead. I couldn’t feel how warm she was. A cold dread gripped me. According to her, by this point in her previous life, I was already out of the country. Well, this time I was here. And I was going to find out which son of a bitch dared to lay a hand on my daughter. I dressed Violet in a beautiful new dress. I only went upstairs for a moment to grab my purse, but when I came back down, I found Jenny—the daughter I had raised for six years, the one mistakenly swapped with mine—jabbing a finger in Violet’s face. “You little peasant, who said you could wear that dress?” Jenny shrieked. “This is a one-of-a-kind piece! I am the only princess in this house!” “You’re trash! Just because you live here now doesn’t make you one of us!” With that, Jenny lunged forward and began tearing at the delicate fabric of Violet’s dress. I saw red. I rushed down the stairs, but by the time I reached them, Jenny was already on the floor, a piece of torn fabric clutched in her hand. She held her arms out to me, tears streaming down her face. “Mommy, I don’t know why she hit me!” she wailed. “Mommy, I didn’t!” Violet cried, her voice trembling. “You did!” Jenny sobbed. “You said I stole your place for three years and that you wanted me to die! Mommy, I can leave and give her back her spot, just please don’t let me die! I’m scared I won’t see you again if I die!” Violet opened her mouth to argue, but then clamped it shut, her head bowed. If I try to explain, Mommy will just think I’m a bad kid who won’t admit when I’m wrong. In my last life, whenever Jenny bullied me, Daddy and my brothers only ever believed her. They thought I was a liar who started fights and then played the victim. A sharp pain lanced through my chest. I looked at my timid, cautious daughter, already preparing to apologize for something she didn’t do. I immediately stepped in front of her, shielding her with my body. “Jenny, I saw the whole thing,” I said, my voice cold and even. “You were the one who started tearing at Violet’s dress. Why are you lying and saying she hit you?” Jenny stared at me, her face a picture of disbelief. “You don’t believe me? You believe this… this stray?” she screamed. “You’re her real mother, so I’m the outsider! You’re ganging up on me! You promised you would still love me even after she came back, but you lied!” With a final, theatrical sob, Jenny ran upstairs and slammed her bedroom door. As angry as I was, a part of me understood. She’d been the pampered center of our universe for six years. To suddenly learn she wasn’t our biological child had to be a terrible shock. Her hostility toward Violet was… understandable, for a child. I took a deep breath, ready to go up and have a calm, patient talk with her. But as I approached her door, I heard her voice, dripping with venom. “That old hag is already taking her side. I’m crying my eyes out, and she actually cares about the ‘truth.’ The truth is that little beast should just die! Just wait until she’s not home. I’ll teach that animal a lesson she’ll never forget.” My hand, raised to knock, froze in mid-air. I couldn’t believe the child I had nurtured and adored could harbor such ugly thoughts. Just then, Violet came up behind me, tugging timidly on my sleeve. “Mommy, I don’t want to go to school anymore,” she whispered, her eyes wet with tears. Jenny is so mad today. She’s going to kill me. I don’t want to be locked in the kennel with the dog like last time. The dog bites so hard. It bit off my nose and my ears. Hearing this, the last of my restraint shattered. After Violet was returned to us, I’d felt pity for Jenny. I wanted to treat them both equally. But she wasn’t just acting like a princess; she was a monster, tormenting my real daughter. I immediately called for the nanny. “Pack Miss Jenny’s things,” I ordered, my voice ringing through the hall. “She’s being sent to a group home.” The stream of curses from Jenny’s room stopped abruptly. The nanny just stared at me. “Ma’am, how can you be so biased?” she clucked disapprovingly. “Miss Jenny is heartbroken. How can you be so cruel? People will talk.” She sniffed. “Besides, Miss Jenny is so bright and clever, she’ll be a great success one day. Unlike Violet… so timid and weak. Who knows what will become of her.” I slapped the nanny so hard her head snapped to the side. “Who the hell do you think you are, judging my daughters?” I snarled. “You have two choices: take Jenny to the home now, or pack your own bags and get out!” The nanny panicked. “Ma’am, maybe we should wait for Mr. Stephen to come home. The man should be the one to make these decisions…” I laughed, a cold, bitter sound. This entire house, this entire fortune, was mine. Stephen had married into my family. And this nanny, with her archaic ideas, dared to lecture me? “Even when Stephen gets here, he’ll do as I say,” I said, my voice deadly quiet. “And you? You’re fired.” I called the estate manager right then and there and had her terminated. As the security guards threw her luggage onto the curb, the nanny shrieked that Stephen would make me pay. I watched the front gate close on her, a grim satisfaction settling in my heart. In the car, I turned to Violet. “If anyone, and I mean anyone, ever bullies you again, you tell Mommy immediately. I will always protect you.” Tears welled in Violet’s eyes, but then she broke into a radiant smile and nodded fiercely. And then, I heard her thoughts again. Mommy is nothing like the mommy Daddy told me about. Was Daddy lying? Does Mommy actually love me? But then why… why in my last life, when I was dying and begged Daddy to call her, did he tell me Mommy didn’t want to see me? My blood ran cold. Was Stephen involved in this? My suspicion solidified the moment we arrived at the prestigious academy. The headmistress informed me that Violet wasn’t on the enrollment list. I had explicitly told Stephen to register both girls and to gift each of them 10% of my company’s stock as an enrollment present. “Please, check again,” I insisted. “Jenny and Violet Sinclair were registered together.” The headmistress shot a contemptuous look at Violet. “Mr. Stephen came by himself,” she said smugly. “He said that he would be gifting the full twenty percent of Sinclair Industries stock to his daughter, Jenny. As for this one,” she gestured dismissively at Violet, “is she an illegitimate child or something? She certainly isn’t entitled to any shares.” “How dare you?” I exploded. “How dare you slander my daughter? The Sinclair stock is mine, and I’ll give it to whomever I damn well please!” She smirked, but before she could retort, her expression morphed into one of fawning adoration. “Mr. Stephen! What a pleasant surprise!” I turned and saw him hurrying toward us. He ignored the headmistress, his face a mask of concern. “Honey, what happened at home? I heard Jenny was hysterical.” I slapped him again. “Why didn’t you enroll our daughter?” He finally seemed to notice the situation, stammering, “Violet just came from an orphanage… I was worried she wouldn’t adapt to a private academy. I didn’t want her to be bullied.” “Violet is the sole heiress to Sinclair Industries. Who would dare bully her?” I shot back. “And if they did, she needs to learn to fight back. How else will she run a multi-billion dollar corporation?” Stephen froze. “What do you mean, sole heiress? What about Jenny? And what about our three sons? How can you be so biased?” “Our family business has always been passed down to the women,” I said coolly. “You didn’t seem to have a problem when I said I was giving it to Jenny. Why is it an issue now that it’s Violet’s turn? And don’t you dare talk to me about bias. This woman just told me you were giving twenty percent of my company to Jenny.” Stephen looked at the headmistress in shock. The headmistress, completely misreading the situation, pointed a finger at me. “A mistress should know her place! Don’t get too arrogant. Mr. Stephen can replace you in a heartbeat!” “What the hell are you talking about?” Stephen roared, his face turning purple. “I’m the one who can’t live without my wife!” The headmistress finally realized her mistake and shrank back.

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The Nth time Parker Presley threatened to break up, I was pulling an all-nighter on my promotion pitch. “Ivy Reed, you have twenty minutes to get to the club and apologize, or we’re done.” I snapped. “This is crucial for my promotion. Can you pick another day to cause a scene?” His voice turned icy. “A scene? Clearly your work matters more. We’re done.” He paused. “And I can be very petty. One call from me, and that promotion vanishes.” I slammed the phone down, trembling. But as I stared into the dark monitor, strange comments scrolled like subtitles across my vision: 【She’s not taking him seriously, is he? He secretly fast-tracked her promotion!】 【If she showed she’d drop her career for him, he’d give her the whole company. He’d never sabotage her.】 【That’s how avoidant types are—we push you away hoping you’ll hold on tighter.】 【He’s probably outside waiting for her to chase him. I live for this angsty romance!】 Doubt crept in. I almost grabbed my coat when a new message lit up my screen: “Heard your promotion’s on the rocks. Interested in jumping ship?” 1 I stared at the bizarre message, trying to place the sender. The display name was just a pair of stylized wings. After confirming it wasn’t a prank, I was still drawing a blank. Could it be Parker, testing me with a burner account? I dismissed the thought almost immediately. Parker was far too proud for such games. In our ten years together, I was always the one to bend, to apologize, to make peace. The late-night cab ride to win him back was a scene we’d rehearsed countless times. My devotion had always been his safety net, making him fearless. So, who sent the message? The phantom comments provided an answer. 【It’s his arch-rival, trying to poach his girl! He must have overheard Parker on the phone in the club’s restroom. He moves fast.】 【Ivy isn’t just Parker’s lover; she’s a rising star at Presley Corp. Of course, Adrian Thorne, as the rival CEO, would try to snatch her up.】 【Come on, you really think the infamous Adrian Thorne, the man who supposedly fantasizes about her nightly, is doing this purely for business?】 My eyes narrowed. Adrian Thorne. I had led the team that beat Thorne Industries on the last major bid. At the corporate gala that night, someone had drunkenly suggested we should connect, to foster “friendly competition.” He hadn’t even glanced at me. I stood there, my smile frozen on my face, until he finally, coldly, held out his phone for a QR scan. I’d assumed he deleted my contact the second he got home. Apparently not. Still, I only half-believed the spectral commentary. Parker never hid our relationship, but in public, he treated me with the detached chill of a superior. To the uninformed, I was just another corporate drone earning a modest salary. Adrian loved to mock him for it. “Keeping a workhorse who warms your bed for free,” he’d sneered once. “A brilliant businessman indeed, Mr. Presley.” Adrian Thorne looked down on me. This offer felt less like a genuine opportunity and more like a calculated move to spite Parker. I swiped his message away, only to see a voicemail from Parker’s assistant. “Ivy, you have to come down here. Mr. Presley is drunk and refuses to leave.” He followed up with a short video of Parker making a scene. I hesitated, starting to change my clothes, but then I froze. At the thirty-second mark, Stella Moon’s silvery laugh cut through the noise. 【Here we go again. He always calls the other woman over just to make the heroine jealous.】 【It works every time, though. The moment he threatens to replace her, she loses her mind.】 【Just go, Ivy! I’ll bet my premium subscription that if you just apologize and coax him a little, he’ll be on his knees for you tonight.】 【I get him completely. There’s nothing more satisfying than seeing your partner fall apart over the thought of losing you. It proves how much they love you.】 I stood there, stunned. So, the comments weren’t a hallucination. They called me the heroine, and Parker the hero. And just as they described, Parker was constantly threatening to leave, waiting for me to come running back. If I didn’t, he’d sic his entourage on me. But even when I did show up, he wouldn’t yield immediately. The last time, I took an overnight train to appease him. I walked into his hotel room, exhausted and disheveled. He didn’t even look at me, instead pulling Stella closer to him. “Who told you to call her? I thought she was so determined to break up.” But a moment later, his body betrayed him. He was across the room, his hand finding mine, leading me away. That night, he was insatiable, and the next day, he showered me with gifts and planned a lavish vacation to make up for it. I once asked him if he wasn’t afraid I’d actually leave. He’d buried his face in my neck, murmuring like a child. “My love would never leave me over something so small.” “Ivy, as long as you take one step towards me, I’ll always take the other ninety-nine.” But he didn’t understand. After being put through this wringer time and time again, I didn’t want to take a single step. This emotionally draining dance… I was done. When I didn’t reply, his assistant started calling incessantly. I wavered, wondering if I should just give in one last time. Then, a message from Stella popped up. “Parker says you don’t need to come. He’s taking me to see the sunrise!” She attached a video. “Parker, darling, Ivy still isn’t here. You don’t think she’s actually serious about breaking up, do you?” Parker downed his drink in one go. “We’re done. Don’t mention her.” He turned to Stella. “You’ve always wanted to see the sunrise with me, right? Let’s go.” His eyes flickered towards the camera for a split second. He knew she was recording. I took a deep breath and threw my phone onto the bed. I went back to polishing my presentation slides. Believing in my own capabilities was a much safer bet than trusting a phantom comment feed that claimed Parker had already guaranteed my promotion. Unlike Parker and Stella, I wasn’t born with a silver spoon. For someone like me, who started with nothing, every opportunity had to be seized with my own two hands. 2 Parker didn’t come home. I didn’t sleep a wink. The next morning, I walked into the office with a heavy heart, only to find him already there. He was impeccably dressed, his expression unreadable, radiating the oppressive aura of a CEO. He was a world away from the childish, volatile man from last night. I delivered my presentation, my voice tight with nerves. When I finished, he applauded along with everyone else, his gaze cool and professional. I was baffled. Had my refusal to play his game actually… worked? After the meeting, I found a small, elegant gift box on every desk. The Director of Finance next to me gasped. “Wow, having a CEO for a boyfriend has its perks! He’s even giving out gifts for his girlfriend’s promotion.” An admin assistant cleared her throat. “Actually, these are welcome gifts from the new executive assistant to the CEO.” The director was floored. “A limited-edition perfume for every single person? As a welcome gift? What is this, some new way for the rich kids to flex on us wage slaves?” The admin shot a nervous glance in my direction and pulled the director aside. “The new assistant is the sole heiress to the Moon Corporation, one of our biggest clients. Mr. Presley paid for the gifts himself. Said he wanted to help his childhood friend make a good impression.” So, it was Stella. Of course. Stella had always wanted a position at Presley Corp to get closer to Parker. Her family had repeatedly proposed a corporate marriage alliance between them. Parker had always refused, for my sake. But after one night, he’d caved. And he’d given her a position in the CEO’s office—his personal assistant. A position I, his actual girlfriend, was never allowed to hold. I tried to force the thoughts of what happened between them last night out of my head and opened a file, determined to work. A colleague informed me that Parker wanted to see me. It was perfect timing; I needed to see him too. I walked straight to the executive office. The door was ajar. Inside, Stella was perched on the edge of Parker’s desk, her back to me. The curve of her waist in the tight pencil skirt was cupped in Parker’s hand. A sharp, stinging pain shot through my own palm. I never thought I’d see him be so intimate with someone else. I cleared my throat. Stella jumped, startled. When she saw it was me, the smile vanished from her face. She pouted. “Been working here for years and you still don’t know to knock?” I flinched. I’d never once considered knocking on Parker’s door. “My apologies. Next time you’re doing something… private, you should remember to close the door.” Parker, who had been waiting for my outburst, saw the cold calm on my face and his expression shifted. But he quickly masked it. “What can I do for you, Mr. Presley?” I asked, my voice devoid of emotion. “Regarding your promotion,” he said evenly, “the board has decided to put it on hold.” Stella shot me a triumphant look. I stared at the tips of my shoes. “I see,” I murmured. He wasn’t lying. Because I didn’t come running, he had blocked my promotion with a flick of his wrist. A crushing weight settled in my chest, and a hot sting pricked the back of my eyes. Thank God for the phantom comments; their warning was the only thing allowing me to maintain my composure. “Okay. Noted.” The silence in the room was suffocating. “If you want to fight for it…” he started. “I don’t,” I cut him off. “If there’s nothing else, I’ll be going.” I turned sharply, but he called my name. “One more thing. The Atheria project will be handled by Stella from now on. You can transfer everything over to her today.” I whipped around. “What did you say?” I had poured six months of my life into the Atheria project. I’d gone months without a single day off, my nights fueled by a cocktail of pills just to get a few hours of restless sleep. That project was my lifeline. It was my chance to prove to everyone that I wasn’t just Parker’s girlfriend who’d coasted her way up. He knew how much it meant to me. He had even secretly pulled strings to help me secure resources. And now, just as it was about to bear fruit, he was handing it over to her? “Stella is new here. She needs a high-profile project to establish herself,” he said, his voice cold as steel. “The Atheria project is well-known and on the verge of success. It’s perfect for her to cut her teeth on.” My voice trembled, thick with unshed tears. “You know that project is everything to me. Why would you do this?” A cruel, vengeful smile touched his lips. “I told you. I’m petty. And I hold a grudge.” He leaned back in his chair. “Besides, I’m the boss. I don’t need your approval to assign a project. If you’re not happy, you’re free to resign.” Stella covered her mouth, her eyes sparkling with amusement. I looked from one to the other—her gloating, him utterly composed. They were both so certain I wouldn’t dare let go. “Fine,” I said, my voice ringing with a finality that wiped the smirk off Parker’s face. “I quit.” His smile vanished, replaced by disbelief. He raised his voice, a crack in his composure. “Ivy, don’t think for a second that being my girlfriend gives you the right to throw a tantrum. Don’t push me. I’m not afraid to let you walk!” I met his glare with a cold stare of my own. “You seem to be forgetting, Mr. Presley. We broke up.” He was speechless. Stella, seeing the escalating tension, feigned concern. “Parker, darling, maybe we should just forget it. I don’t want you two fighting because of me.” She then turned to me, her eyes glinting with provocation. “I’m so clumsy, I’d probably just mess up the project and waste all of Ivy’s hard work.” Parker stroked her hair, his voice dripping with affection. “It doesn’t matter if you mess it up. It’s just a small project. Trivial.” A hot rage surged through me, so powerful I had to physically restrain myself from lunging at them. My nails dug into my palms, drawing blood. “A company that uses projects to woo women isn’t a place I care to work for anyway.” I let out a bitter laugh. “I guess all my years of hard work were just thrown to the dogs.” Stella’s face contorted. “Who are you calling a dog?” “Whoever the shoe fits,” I sneered. “Ivy!” Parker’s face was thunderous. I turned and walked away without a backward glance. 3 I stumbled back to my desk like a zombie. Only when I was sure no one was looking did the tears finally come, hot and silent. The comments reappeared. 【You fool! That was all an act for you! The second you left, he kicked Stella out of his office.】 【He just wanted to see you get jealous and back down. He never thought you’d be stubborn enough to quit over it.】 【If you’re going to date a man in power, you have to learn to be submissive. You can’t have your pride and the money.】 【She’s not thinking straight. Without this job, who’s going to pay for her sick mother’s medical bills? Does she think her pride pays for prescription drugs?】 They were right. My mother’s life depended on an outrageously expensive imported medication. The salary Parker paid me was the only thing keeping her alive. If the treatment stopped, the only family I had left in this world would be gone. Just as the financial panic set in, a message from Parker appeared—a rare occurrence for him to initiate contact. “Apologize to Stella, and I’ll consider giving you the project back.” “I’ll also put you in charge of the new portfolio in the fall.” “And your access card. Come get it.” This was the first time Parker had ever backed down. The comments chimed in with their support. 【He’s finally bending! You have no idea how hard that is for a man with his pride.】 【As a fellow avoidant, I’m touched. We have to really love someone to be the first to apologize! Ivy, you have to cherish this!】 【Aside from his pride, he’s rich, handsome, and devoted. Don’t throw away a man like that.】 It was true. For all his theatrics, Parker had been good to me. If I could just endure this one aspect of him, he was, by all accounts, an excellent partner. But I typed my reply without hesitation. “My letter of resignation will be with HR by the end of the day.” A long pause. Then, his reply. “You’re serious?” “Fine. Don’t come crying to me later.” “Don’t regret this when you realize your stubbornness cost you both your relationship and your career.” I collapsed onto my desk, sobbing without a sound. My heart ached for our ten years together, and I mourned the job I loved. But I couldn’t accept being treated this way. He had a black hole of need inside him, and he tried to fill it by hurting me. I was trapped in a darkness with no end in sight, and I was losing myself. If our relationship was a slow, painful death, then it was better to end it myself. 4 I sent my resignation email, then pulled up Adrian Thorne’s contact. “Mr. Thorne, is your offer still on the table?” He replied instantly. “It is. But not for Parker Presley’s girlfriend.” Me: “Ex-girlfriend. And ex-employee.” Silence. My heart leaped into my throat. Had I been right? Was this all just a game to get back at Parker, and he never expected me to actually follow through? After what felt like an eternity, my phone buzzed. It was a picture of a stunning corner office with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the river. “The office is ready for you. Should I come pick you up for a tour?” I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. What kind of grudge did Adrian hold against Parker? I was just a mid-level manager at Presley Corp. Why was he rolling out the red carpet? “Let me finish the handover here first.” Him: “Don’t bother. Let’s twist the knife a little. Whatever the penalty is, I’ll cover it.” Before I could respond, another message came through. “You know what, never mind. Say a proper goodbye to your past. I know how breakups feel. If you need to get blackout drunk, call me. I’ll be your designated driver.” I sighed. No wonder people said Adrian Thorne was eccentric and unpredictable. This was… a lot. … Parker was nowhere to be seen for the rest of the afternoon. His assistant said he was personally escorting Stella on a tour of every department. A presidential escort—a privilege I’d never had. When I first joined the company, Parker was still finding his footing at Presley Corp. He was terrified of office gossip, so we kept our relationship a secret. He asked me to understand. Parker had been kidnapped as a child and spent three years living in the slums with me, collecting scrap to survive before his family found him. When he returned, his parents had already moved on, doting on their second son. Parker became an awkward, superfluous presence. He poured himself into his studies and his work, desperate for his family’s approval. To support him, I pretended not to know him for my first two years at the company. It wasn’t until I had a string of successful projects under my belt that we finally went public. And now, Parker, fully aware that people in the office shipped him and his “childhood sweetheart,” was parading her around without a second thought. That blatant favoritism was a knife in my heart. “See? I told you the billionaire CEO would end up marrying the girl from his own world. Stella joining the company is just the first step to becoming Mrs. Presley.” “Some people think climbing into the boss’s bed is a ticket to the top. They should take a look at where they come from first.” The whispers followed me as news of my resignation spread. Colleagues who had always disliked me no longer bothered to hide their contempt. I ignored the gossip. Growing up scrounging for tuition money, I’d been looked down on my whole life. I was used to it. Then, HR called. Her voice was strained. “Ivy… Ms. Moon says your office has a better view. She wants to move in. So… could you please clear out your things immediately?” Before I could answer, a guy from IT was standing in front of my desk. “Ms. Reed, I’m here to supervise your data transfer and ensure no company property is compromised upon your departure.” He spoke loudly, and the chatter around us intensified. I looked at my computer, where my access had already been revoked, and gave a bitter laugh. The humiliation was a deliberate, final stab from Parker. Fighting back tears, I numbly packed my personal belongings into a cardboard box. I tossed the gifts Parker had given me, along with a framed photo of us, into the trash. Box in my arms, I walked towards the elevator and ran right into Stella, who was handing out her little gift boxes. Parker stood beside her, his hand possessively on her arm. She blocked my path. “Don’t go yet, Ivy. The CEO is treating the whole company to a sushi buffet tonight to celebrate my arrival. You should eat before you leave, right?” Parker said nothing, his face a mask of indifference. The comments were more agitated than I was. 【That shameless bitch. Tonight’s dinner was supposed to be for Ivy’s promotion! Parker is just using her to provoke Ivy.】 【Please, Ivy, just give in! If you don’t go back, he’s going to drink himself into a stupor tonight, and Stella will take him home, and then it’ll be too late!】 I shoved past her. “Get out of my way. I’m busy.” She grabbed my arm. “Is it because you’re ashamed of being dumped? Or is it because you got fired for being incompetent and can’t bear to show your face around here anymore?” I stared at her smug, arrogant face and I snapped. I slapped her, hard. “Get lost. You’re not worthy of eating with me.” Stella shrieked and threw herself at Parker. “Parker, darling, she hit me! She’s a lunatic! She’s insane!” Parker shielded her, his eyes blazing with fury at me. I took a step closer to them. “And you,” I said, raising my hand to Parker. “You’re trash, too.” Before the slap could land, he caught my wrist in a vice-like grip and shoved me away. “Ivy! Cut the crazy act!” I stumbled back, hitting the wall. A sharp pain shot up my spine, but I forced myself to stand tall, blinking back tears. I met his glacial gaze. “I slapped your little girlfriend, Mr. Presley. If you have a problem with it, call the police.” 5 I strode out of the Presley Corp building, but a voice stopped me at the entrance. A man in dark sunglasses was leaning against a flamingo-pink convertible, a wicked smile playing on his lips. A group of girls walking by couldn’t help but pull out their phones to snap pictures. 【He’s here! The peacock has been waiting forever.】 【The moment he heard she was single, he just had to start showing off.】 I sighed internally but managed a weak smile as I approached. “Mr. Thorne? What are you doing here?” He gestured towards the passenger seat with his chin. “Came to collect the prize bull I just spent a fortune poaching. Got to get her into the new pasture, right?” I gritted my teeth and opened the car door. “Then let’s head to your office and go over my new role.” A smirk touched his lips as he floored the accelerator. “Don’t worry. I’ll drop you at the airport after our meeting. Wouldn’t want you to miss your trip.” I froze. “How did you know I bought a plane ticket?” He snapped his fingers. “Please. I’m Adrian Thorne.” Adrian led me into a conference room at Thorne Industries. After a brief introduction, he dove straight into work, no pleasantries exchanged. For a man with such a playboy reputation, he was ruthlessly efficient and meticulous. Two hours later, as promised, he drove me to the airport. He insisted on carrying my luggage all the way to the security gate. “We’ll be seeing each other again very soon,” he said as he handed it to me. His words were odd, but I was too drained to analyze them. He was just an odd person. Just then, a message from Parker came through. “Whose car did you just get into?” “I told you, I don’t tolerate betrayal, Ivy. Hiring some actor to pick you up to make me jealous? That’s pathetic.” I let out a hollow laugh. He thought Adrian was an actor I’d hired. The hypocrisy was astounding. Was his public groping of Stella not “betrayal”? I couldn’t be bothered to argue. “Mr. Presley, we have broken up. And I have resigned. My life is no longer any of your business.” A second later, he was calling me. “Ivy, you’ve taken this too far. There’s a limit to these tantrums.” I scoffed. “Correct me if I’m wrong, Mr. Presley, but wasn’t it you who broke up with me?” His voice frayed with emotion. “I may have said the words, but we had an agreement! You take one step, and I take the other ninety-nine. Ivy, why couldn’t you just bend for me this one time?” “I’m tired, Parker,” I said, each word heavy. “I don’t want to take any more steps.” He was silent for a moment, his tone softening when he spoke again. “If you’re tired, then take a break and come back. There’s a dinner tonight. Get some rest, dress up nicely. I’ll pick you up.” “I’m not going to Stella’s welcome party.” He paused. “It’s not for her. It was always for your promotion. If you come back tonight, we can start over with the promotion. If you’re worried about losing face, I’ll re-issue the announcement in a few weeks.” “Parker, are you deaf? We broke up. I quit. I am not coming tonight.” He hissed through his teeth. “Do you have to be so damn stubborn? Is it that hard to humble yourself for the man you love?” I laughed, a sharp, bitter sound. “Haven’t I humbled myself enough? Parker, when are you going to listen to me? I said I’m tired…” His breathing grew ragged. “I knew it. I don’t matter to you! Is this why you broke up with me? Because of that man who picked you up today? Ivy, how could you do this to us, after ten years?!” I felt a wave of helpless fury, wishing I could reach through the phone and shake him. Instead, I just ended the call and boarded the plane. As the flight attendant’s voice came over the intercom, I stared out the window. Behind me lay a decade of heavy, suffocating love for Parker, tangled with tears, resentment, and a pain I could never voice. Ahead of me was a new sky, vast and open.

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As I was mopping the floor, my husband, Leo, walked by and scoffed. “Look at you. This is your life now.” I froze. “What did you just say? I’m up at six every morning cooking and cleaning. I handle the school runs, take care of the elders, and help with homework until midnight. What gives you the right to say that to me?” My son, Finn, pouted. “You take good care of us, I guess, but you’re nothing like Aunt Mia.” Mia. My own sister. She’d recently returned from abroad and treated us to one dinner, and they hadn’t stopped talking about it since. My daughter, Fiona, chimed in, her voice full of dissatisfaction. “Aunt Mia always wears high heels, and she understands things like Western philosophy. Mom, you’re just… embarrassing.” I was about to reprimand them when Leo stopped me. “See? You get so defensive over a few words. Fine, if you don’t want to hear it, we won’t say it. Happy now? Mia would never be this emotional.” That day, I walked away from the unfolded laundry, the dirty floors, and the sink full of dishes. I also left behind a signed divorce agreement. … I was eating a slice of chocolate cake when Fiona spotted me. She ran over, her hand outstretched. “Mommy, you’re eating without me! I want some!” I met her gaze. Then I put the last bite into my mouth. “Waaah! Mommy stole my food!” Fiona plopped down on the floor and began to wail. Unlike before, I didn’t rush to comfort her. I simply wiped my mouth, threw away the paper plate, and walked right past her as she screamed. Her cries brought Finn running down the stairs to see what was wrong. I didn’t even glance his way. After giving birth to the twins, I hadn’t tasted a single bite of cake. Leo only remembered the children’s birthdays. He hadn’t even realized that the day my sister returned—the day of that infamous dinner—was also my birthday. I had grown used to it. But in this family, not a single person was grateful for my sacrifices. The chocolate cake was delicious. The front door opened, and I heard Fiona’s cries escalate. “Daddy! Mommy stole my cake!” Finn eagerly chimed in. “It’s true! Mommy was eating all by herself and she pushed Fiona! She wouldn’t let her have any!” “Mommy is so mean! Daddy, you have to punish her!” I never understood it. I was the one with them seven days a week, yet they always preferred their father, the man who only showed up on Saturday nights. “Hannah, you’re being ridiculous,” Leo said, his voice laced with that familiar, weary disapproval. “You’re the mother. Are you really going to squabble with your own children?” He knelt down to face them. “Don’t cry, you two. If Mommy won’t give you any, Daddy will buy you some. What do you want?” Watching the three of them, a perfect picture of familial bliss, only filled me with disgust. I turned to leave, but he stopped me, his brow furrowed. “Hannah! You haven’t apologized to the children yet!” I looked back at him. “I don’t want to.” He stared, dumbfounded. The twins, seeing his reaction, burst into fresh tears. I looked at their crying faces, a bitter smile touching my lips. Leo took them out for treats. Finally, the house was quiet. I let the exhaustion of the past few weeks wash over me and fell into a deep sleep. When I woke up, they were already home and asleep. I was thirsty. I went to the water cooler, but the moment my hand touched the button for hot water, a violent jolt shot up my arm. With a loud pop, the machine exploded. The glass in my hand shattered, and scalding water sprayed across my body, sending me crashing down into a puddle of boiling water and broken glass. “Hahahahahaha!” From upstairs, I heard Finn’s triumphant laughter. “It worked! Mr. Henderson’s lesson on rewiring circuits actually worked! The water cooler really blew up!” Fiona appeared at the top of the stairs, cheering. She pulled down one of her eyelids and stuck out her tongue. “Nyah nyah! That’s what you get for not sharing your cake! You got punished by my big brother!” I was someone who had lost my own chance at a proper education, so I had poured every resource I could into my children’s. I had chosen that electronics class for Finn, never imagining he would use that knowledge against me. The pain faded into the background. I pulled both children down the stairs and spanked them, hard. Their screams woke Leo. Finn wailed, “Daddy! Mommy’s burning us with hot water! And she’s hitting us!” “Hannah!” Leo stormed down the stairs. He didn’t see the raw, red skin on my arms and face. He only saw a monster. He shoved me, and I fell to the floor. The force of the push tore a large patch of blistered skin from the back of my hand. He didn’t seem to notice the blood pooling on the floor. He was righteous in his fury. “They’re your children! Have you lost your mind? What if they had gotten hurt by that hot water? Are you even a mother anymore?!” He scooped up Fiona, grabbed Finn’s hand, and stormed out. My hand shaking, I dialed 911. While I waited for the ambulance, my thoughts drifted to my sister. To the single study-abroad scholarship that had been available, the one that only she and I were qualified for. I was the better student, but my parents had said, “You’re the older sister,” and so I gave it to her. Then came marriage and children, each step orchestrated by my parents. When Leo went from a junior employee to a CEO, they saw it as proof of their brilliant decision-making. I was loaded into the ambulance, alone. When I woke up in the hospital, my sister was sitting by my bed. She was on the phone with Leo. “My sister is lying in a hospital bed, and you can’t even be bothered to visit? I really thought you were a decent guy!” For the first time ever, Leo, the man who was always chauffeured everywhere, drove himself to the hospital to pick me up, with the children in tow. They insisted I take the front passenger seat. But only because both kids wanted to sit next to their Aunt Mia. Leo, who was usually silent whenever we were in the car together, talked the entire way home. The history of Western philosophy, the critique of Lucas, the critique of pure reason… I couldn’t get a word in. Mia was dressed in a chic, academic style, her heels gleaming, her hands perfectly manicured. I was wearing faded jeans and a pilled sweater, a thick bandage wrapped around my hand. I felt like a relic from a forgotten era, a scrap of old cloth gazing up at the bright, shining star that was Mia. I closed my eyes. When we got home, Leo said, matter-of-factly, “Go make dinner, honey.” Pain shot through my bandaged hands. “No.” He froze, shocked that I would dare to defy him. The children glared at me. Leo shot a quick glance at Mia, then lowered his voice, hissing, “We can talk about this later. Mia is here! Are you going to make our guest wait?” “It’s okay! I’ll do it! My sister is still hurt!” Mia stepped between us. Leo shot me a look of pure annoyance. “She brought this on herself. Does she even look like a mother anymore?” Mia gave him a disapproving glare and went into the kitchen. But a flower raised in an ivory tower was no match for a stove and a skillet. A few minutes later, she emerged, coughing, a smudge of soot on her cheek, holding a plate of charred chicken wings. I sighed, about to get up and cook myself, but Leo rushed to take the hot plate from her. “Wow, Mia, I didn’t know you could make chicken wings.” I stared at him. The children ran forward, their hands raised. “Let me! Let me! I want to help Aunt Mia carry the plate!” “Aunt Mia, you’re the best cook! These are the best chicken wings I’ve ever seen!” Mia blushed. “You’re all just trying to flatter me.” “No, it’s true,” Leo said, taking a whiff of the burnt, bitter-smelling wings. He smiled. “They smell amazing.” He glanced at me. “You should learn a thing or two.” My fists clenched. The throbbing pain in my hand was the only thing that kept the pain in my heart at bay. “Did I not learn?” Leo froze. The atmosphere shifted. Mia tried to intervene. “Hannah…” “Did I not learn?” I repeated, my voice louder now. “Hannah, what are you…” “Leo, I have cooked for you and our children for five years. The instructor at my culinary class wanted to enter me into competitions. But you said my cooking was boring, so I gave up competing and learned decorative carving instead. Then, when you saw the elaborate fruit and vegetable sculptures I spent five hours creating, you said I was ‘wasting my time on useless things.’ So tell me, Leo, what exactly am I supposed to learn?” Mia whispered, “Hey, sis…” “Don’t,” I cut her off. “I don’t want to hate you.” Mia looked stunned. “Don’t listen to Mommy, Aunt Mia! She’s a bad mommy! I think your food is way better!” Finn shouted. Fiona quickly agreed. “That’s right, Aunt Mia! Mommy is just trying to make herself feel important, but her cooking is not as good as yours.” I looked at my children, then turned and walked away. Mia tried to stop me, but the father and his two children held her back. I didn’t go home for a long time. I spent my days filling out applications for study abroad programs. If I was once more qualified than my sister for that scholarship, then maybe, even a few years later, I still had a chance. I was in the middle of an English proficiency test when my phone started ringing nonstop. It was Leo, his voice frayed with irritation. “Where are you? The house… it’s not working without you.” In the background, I could hear Fiona crying. “I’m hungry! I don’t want takeout! I want Mommy’s cooking! I want Mommy, waaaah…” Finn was sobbing too. “I want the big watermelons Mommy used to carve…” Leo sighed. “Hannah, come home. Can you really bear to see the kids suffering like this?” Hearing their cries, my heart clenched. My pen hovered over the test paper. I hesitated. “No, I don’t think so.” I hung up and switched my phone to silent. The test results came back quickly. An 8.0 on the IELTS. I kissed the score report. My skills hadn’t faded after all. My application was accepted. With my English proficiency confirmed, all that was left was the paperwork. Leo tried to call a few more times, but I always made an excuse. I never expected that on the day I was scheduled to get my passport, I would get a call from my parents. “We’re at Leo’s. You need to come over.” By the time I arrived, my parents had cooked a feast for the children. “Look at the state these kids are in! All you do is enjoy yourself out there! You have no consideration for your family!” I had heard these words a thousand times. Leo sat to the side, legs crossed, watching me with a detached expression. I held up my bandaged hand. “It’s not that I don’t care. It’s that these two have gone too far.” “Why are you getting angry at children? If they’re misbehaving, it’s because you, their mother, failed to teach them properly!” A stone settled in my chest, and my eyes began to sting. “How else am I supposed to teach them? From the moment I open my eyes, my entire world revolves around them. I barely sleep! What more do you want from me? And why don’t you ever say anything to Leo? He’s their father too! What has he ever done besides show up on a Saturday with presents?” Leo stiffened. My mother was momentarily speechless. But only for a moment. “He’s a man. So what if he’s a little less attentive? Your sister would never be so petty. The truth is, you’re just unwilling to make any sacrifices, but you still expect us to be grateful. How did I raise such a thoughtless child?” I bit my lip. “Fine. I’m selfish. I’m thoughtless. In that case, I’ll leave. You can give this family to Mia.” The children’s eyes lit up. “Wait! What are you doing?” My mother shouted, rushing into the bedroom after me as I started packing. I pulled a stack of books from my suitcase. “I’ve been accepted to a university abroad. I won’t be here to be thoughtless anymore.” “So that’s it! No wonder you haven’t been acting like a mother!” She snatched the books from my arms. I tried to grab them back, but my father kicked me hard in the stomach. “So this is why my poor grandchildren haven’t been eating properly. What, you see your sister getting an education and you think you can copy her?” My father swept my books onto the floor and began stomping on them. Principles of Economics, Intermediate and Advanced Macroeconomics, Advanced Calculus, Advanced Physics… and a dozen notebooks filled with my own notes. He stomped and tore, page by page. “Don’t!!” “You think reading a few books makes you just like your sister? You neglect your children, you neglect your home, all to dream about things you don’t deserve!” I managed to rescue a calculus textbook, clutching it to my chest, my voice raw. “I only studied these after the kids were asleep and the chores were done! This is all I have from five years of stolen moments! And you’re destroying it! Why don’t I deserve it? I was always the better student!” SLAP! My mother’s hand trembled with rage. “You’re insane! Shouting at your elders like that!” I covered my cheek, the sting sharper than the pain in my hand. I pushed them away, gathered my ruined books from the floor, and left without looking back. They screamed at me, but I didn’t stop. I shoved Leo aside when he tried to block the door and slammed it shut behind me. My mind was made up. Nothing could change it. But I never imagined that the next day, my parents would take their drama to the streets. They lay down in the middle of the road, causing such a scene that the police called me. When I rushed home, the living room was packed. My parents had called every relative I knew, and some I didn’t. Mia sat beside them, dabbing at their tears with a tissue. My children were there too. “Grandma, Grandpa, don’t cry. When you cry, it makes Fiona and Finn sad too…” My parents hugged my sister and the children tightly. “Thank God we have one daughter who cares about us! If we only had the one, she probably would have poisoned us by now! And my poor grandbabies, stuck with a mother like that…” The relatives turned their judgmental eyes on me. “Hannah, parents are never in the wrong. They worked so hard to raise you. How could you push them to this?” “Don’t be so ungrateful. Your mother could barely eat when she was pregnant with you. You should apologize!” “Exactly! They sacrificed everything for you! Especially your mom, she could hardly even turn over in bed when she was carrying you. Show some respect!” My mother shook her head, sobbing. “It’s fine… I’m used to it. The older one was never as considerate as the younger one. It’s my fault. We just don’t deserve her respect.” “Mom, Dad, you all say I’m thoughtless, but how am I supposed to be thoughtful?” My eyes welled up. “When we were kids, there was only one doll. You said, ‘You’re the older sister,’ so I gave it up. When we were older, there was only one scholarship. You said, ‘You’re the older sister,’ so I gave that up too. When the family needed money, you didn’t want Mia to have to marry for a dowry. You said, ‘You’re the older sister,’ so I got married! All my life, I have been the thoughtful one, but the more thoughtful I am, the more you demand from me! I’ve been thoughtful for twenty-five years. How is it that Mia gets to be selfish her entire life? What do I have to do to be considered thoughtful? Do I have to die?” Leo looked at me, a flicker of surprise in his eyes. My mother’s eyes went wide. She suddenly shot up from the couch. The others reacted just in time, grabbing her before she could slam her head into the wall. “Let me die! My own daughter is cursing me to die! Did you hear her? She’s telling me to kill myself!” I was stunned. My aunt grabbed a handful of my hair and slapped me twice across the face. “That’s your mother! How dare you speak to her that way!” As she lunged, she tripped on one of Finn’s toys and fell backward onto the floor. The relatives exploded. “She’s your elder! How could you attack your own aunt!” I was shoved into a corner. Hands slapped at me, one after another. I felt the skin on my hand tear open again. Mia pushed her way through the crowd and stood in front of me. “Everyone, please stop! My sister is still injured!” She pulled me to my feet. “Hannah, just apologize. It will make everyone happy.” I looked at my sister through red, tear-filled eyes. The relatives sighed. “Poor Mia, having such a troublesome sister.” “See? That’s what a good education abroad does for you. So sensible.” “Hannah! Apologize now!” My parents, surrounded by a comforting circle of relatives, looked over at me as they wiped their tears. “She thinks she’s some kind of intellectual now. And intellectuals are never wrong, are they? We wouldn’t dare ask for an apology. We should be kneeling to her for allowing us to be her parents.” I wiped a trickle of blood from the corner of my mouth. “Since you’re all so miserable, let’s just cut ties.” My parents’ crying stopped abruptly. I turned to Leo. “And as for my husband… I’m vacating my position. You can marry whoever you want.”

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I was folding my girlfriend’s clothes when she suddenly spoke. “You’re pathetic, you know that? Worse than a doormat.” My hands froze. Before I could say anything, she cut me off. “Of course, you love me, I know that. You’re responsible and you take good care of me. But sometimes… you just don’t measure up to Asher. The things you do, anyone could do them. You’re nothing compared to him.” My mind flashed back to a month ago, when her ex-boyfriend had invited her to a concert. I had declined on her behalf. She was still holding it against me. I dropped the clothes and turned to leave. Just that morning, my boss had offered me a position at our overseas branch. I’d turned it down for her. But now, as I was finally walking away, leaving the space open for her ex, why was she the one crying and begging me to come back? 1 I threw the clothes on the bed. Ava sat there, watching me walk to the door. “What, was I wrong?” “There’s another show tonight, isn’t there?” I said, my hand tightening on the doorknob. “All this passive-aggressive nonsense is just about that, right? Go or don’t go. I don’t care.” She’d never heard me talk back to her before. A slow, incredulous smile spread across her face. “You really think I wouldn’t dare?” “Do whatever you want.” “Leo!” she called out as I opened the door. “What is that supposed to mean? Was anything I said untrue? Will you be happy if you force me to go?” “I told you. Do whatever you want.” I shut the door behind me. A few steps down the hall, I heard the sound of a glass shattering against a wall. I sat in a Starbucks, stirring my coffee and scrolling through my contacts for Ms. Lang’s number. I’d been saving every penny for a down payment on a house for us. The most expensive drink I’d had in years was a two-dollar iced tea. This Starbucks… wasn’t as good as I’d imagined. But I felt a strange sense of liberation. Ms. Lang answered on the second ring. I didn’t waste any time. “Ms. Lang, that offer to transfer to the overseas branch… is it still open?” She paused, then chuckled. “As long as you’re willing to take it.” “I am!” “And your fiancée… the wedding…” “We broke up.” Instead of offering condolences, Ms. Lang burst out laughing. “Good. It’s about time you came to your senses.” For six years, everyone had been subtly and not-so-subtly reminding me that my career was far more important than Ava. When her reckless startup failed, they’d told me I had a bright future and shouldn’t be dragged down with her. But at the time, I couldn’t bear the thought of leaving her when she was at her lowest. And yet, her ex-boyfriend—the one who had dumped her for being poor and run off with a rich girl from overseas—had now come crawling back, just as she’d made a name for herself. And she was letting him. My phone buzzed. It was a new post from Asher. A picture of the two of them, nestled close together, their faces projected onto the giant screen at the concert. Their hands were joined to form a heart for the entire arena to see. No one would doubt for a second that they were a couple. The caption read: After all this time, the right person was waiting for me right where I left them. Ava had liked the post. I took a screenshot and sent it to my best friend. I can’t deal with these two drama queens anymore. He sent back a question mark, along with a screenshot of a blank social media page. I tried sending it to a few other people. They couldn’t see it either. Asher had set the post’s privacy to be visible only to me and Ava. No, that wasn’t right. It was visible only to me. I let out a cold laugh, then blocked and deleted him. 2 After getting the overseas transfer contract from Ms. Lang, most of my anger had dissipated. I had a week before my flight, and I wasn’t about to spend it waiting on Ava. But when I got back to our apartment to pack, I found the place in chaos. Asher was standing in the kitchen, holding a plate of burnt chicken wings. “Ava, darling, are you sure it’s okay for me to make such a mess?” Ava, who was usually a neat freak, just shrugged. “It’s fine. Leo will clean it up.” “Ah, why can’t I be as good at housework as Leo?” “Don’t be silly. That’s work even a maid would turn her nose up at. It’s certainly not for you.” I walked straight past them and into the bedroom to pack my things. Ava looked stunned. Asher put down the chicken wings and followed me. “Leo, I…” Thump. I shoved him. But he flew backward as if he’d been hit by a truck, crashing to the floor. “Asher!” Ava rushed to his side, then glared at me. “Leo, I brought him here. If you’re angry, take it out on me!” My fists clenched. I ignored them and started throwing my things out of the closet and into a suitcase. A document fluttered out and landed at Asher’s feet. He picked it up. His eyes widened, and a flush of red crept up his neck. He dropped the paper and turned to leave. “Asher!” Ava grabbed his arm. He struggled. “Let go! You two are engaged!” I looked down. It was our engagement agreement. 3 Ava held onto Asher’s arm for dear life. He looked heartbroken, but he wasn’t actually trying to leave. “Leo,” Ava said, her voice tight with anger as she struggled to hold onto him. “Apologize.” I blinked. “For what?” “If you hadn’t insisted on this stupid engagement agreement, he wouldn’t be so upset right now! You were pretending to pack, but you just wanted him to see it, didn’t you?” I laughed, a sharp, incredulous sound. “Ava, I never realized you were this stupid.” She stared at me, speechless. I turned to Asher. “Did you not realize we were living together? Did you not know we were a couple? If you knew all that, why did you even ask if I was angry before? You knew everything, so who is this ‘I’m so shocked and betrayed’ act for?” His eyes grew redder. He made another show of leaving, and Ava held him back. “Leo! That’s enough!” I continued packing, ignoring them. Asher struggled again. “Don’t stop me! Leo has the wrong idea! You’re engaged, I shouldn’t be here!” “Leo!” Ava’s grip on Asher’s wrist tightened as she glared at me. “Apologize!” My hands were balled into tight fists. “No.” “Are you sure?” My jaw was set. “I’m sure.” Ava stared at me for a few seconds, then bent down and picked up the engagement agreement. “See? This is why you’ll never be as good as Asher. All you know how to do is play petty games and get jealous. It’s so obvious you’ve never been abroad. Your worldview is so much smaller than his.” With that, she ripped the agreement in half. Then she tore it again, and again, until it was nothing but scraps. She threw the pieces in my face. She turned, took Asher’s hand, and walked out without a backward glance. I picked up a framed photo of us and smashed it against the floor. The fractured glass drew a line between our faces. I kicked the broken frame into the trash. 4 Three days passed without a word from either of us. We used to talk every single day. Our chat streak had lasted for over two thousand days. But for more than half of those, I was the one who had to start the conversation. In just three days, the flame had gone out. I was in a hotel, finalizing some paperwork for the transfer, when Ava called me, for the first time in ages. “You’re not home?” I kept working. “Do you need something?” She sent me a picture of the apartment. The trash was overflowing. The dishes in the sink looked like they’d been hastily rinsed, with greasy residue caked on them. A pile of her clothes was crumpled on the bed, un-ironed. “If you’re done playing around, you should come home. The place is a mess. You should at least show some concern.” “Isn’t Asher there?” “Asher wants to help, but he’s not good at this sort of thing. He’s used to a certain lifestyle abroad. He didn’t come back to do chores.” I didn’t have the energy to argue. “You’re a successful businesswoman. Just hire a maid.” She was silent for a moment. “Even the best maid isn’t as thorough as you. Asher has very high standards. They’re just not good enough.” “You’re insane,” I said, and hung up. She called back. I blocked her number. A few minutes later, I got a notification that my bank card had been frozen. It was a card Ava had given me. When her startup had failed, I’d stayed by her side. I encouraged her, supported her, and held down the fort at home so she could rebuild. I’d turned down multiple promotions to be there for her. Six years later, she was a respected CEO, and I was still a junior employee. The card was her way of “repaying” me, though most of the money went towards our shared expenses. She was trying to force me to come back. I was so glad I had accepted Ms. Lang’s offer. A new bank card, with a generous bonus for my promotion, was already in my wallet. I didn’t need her money anymore. The next day, I was finishing up my work at Starbucks when I saw Ava and Asher walk in. I stood up to leave, but Asher approached me, a friendly smile on his face. I didn’t understand how he could be so shameless after I’d made my disgust for him so clear. In the ensuing scuffle, my folder of documents fell to the floor. Asher’s eyes widened as he saw the top page. “A transfer letter? Leo… you’re going to the overseas branch!” 5 I snatched the documents from his hand. Ava stared at me. “You’re… leaving?” Asher’s eyes turned red. “Leo, did you know I was applying for that branch? Are you doing this just to show me up?” I was stunned. Ava frowned. “Leo, you saw that Asher has international experience, so you decided to copy him? That branch is his dream! What do you think you’re doing? Rescind the transfer.” I clutched the letter. “No way. Ava, I’m curious. He has a dream, so he gets to pursue it. But when I have one, I’m not allowed? What, are you afraid to let him go?” She hesitated. “I shouldn’t hold him back… He didn’t come back just to be tied to me. I can visit him often. I’ll always respect his freedom.” A knot tightened in my chest. “So you weren’t angry when he abandoned you all those years ago?” Ava closed her eyes. “He had his reasons. Was I really supposed to let him suffer in poverty with me? Leo, opportunities like this are rare. Be a good boy and give it up. I’ll pull some strings and get you a good job here. Stop trying to compete with Asher.” SLAP! The sound echoed through the cafe. Asher gasped and lunged at me. “Leo! How could you hit Ava?” He grabbed my arm. “I won’t go! Leo, don’t fight with Ava because of me, I…” SLAP! Another slap, this one for him. He stopped mid-sentence. “What is all this pathetic whining?” I carefully tucked the transfer letter back into my folder. Ava shielded Asher with her body. “You’re crazy!” I looked at them both, my voice cold. “I’m leaving. It’s my decision. Nothing you say will change my mind.” I glanced at Asher. “And don’t you ever pull this manipulative crap in front of me again. It’s disgusting.” I walked out, leaving the entire cafe staring after me. Ava watched me go, a look of shock on her face. She bit her lip, her eyes narrowed. 6 I was driving to deliver the documents, stopped at a red light, when a car slammed into me from behind. I stomped on the brake, but the car behind me kept accelerating. I laid on the horn, but they just pushed harder, until my car was shoved violently into a wall. Half my body was thrown out the window, my chest crushed between the airbag and the seat. I couldn’t breathe. We were on a deserted road. No one saw. My phone had been thrown somewhere in the car, out of reach. The door of the other car finally opened. Asher stumbled out, reeking of alcohol. He made a shaky phone call. A few minutes later, Ava’s car pulled up. I forced the air from my lungs, shouting through the pain. “Ava! Help me!” “Ava! I’m here!” Asher cried, collapsing onto the pavement. Ava looked from me, covered in blood, to Asher, who had a minor scrape on his ankle. She hesitated for a second, then rushed past me and helped Asher to his feet. “Ava!” I gasped, my vision swimming. “Help me first! Or just call 911! I… I can’t breathe…” “Stop being so dramatic,” she snapped. “It won’t take long to get him to the hospital. I’ll come back with an ambulance for you. Can’t you stop competing with Asher for once? Can’t you see he’s in real danger?” “Ava, I…” I tried to say more, but she was already helping Asher into her car. My pleas were lost in the dust. I don’t remember passing out. Or how a passerby found me and called for help. Thanks to timely medical treatment, my injuries weren’t life-threatening. The first thing I did was report the accident to the police. They traced the license plate back to Asher and opened an investigation. But when they questioned him, he was terrified. “I’m sorry… Leo, I don’t know what happened. I… I was sick.” “‘Sick’ gives you the right to nearly kill someone?!” I slammed my fist on the table. “Do you have any idea how close I was to dying?” “Stop it!” Ava pushed me away. “He has depression! Don’t you dare harass him!” “Depression?” I frowned. Sure enough, she produced a psychiatric evaluation. “He was having an episode. Do you have any idea how much he suffers?” I looked at the report and laughed. “You can buy a report like this from any shady clinic. What kind of depressive episode allows you to perfectly stage a hit-and-run in a place with no cameras, with your foot on the gas the entire time? This wasn’t an episode, it was attempted murder!” “Can you please stop tormenting a sick man? Do you need him to actually die before you’ll believe he’s ill?” Faced with her fury, I grabbed Asher by the collar. “Fine. Let’s see what the police have to say about his ‘illness’.” “Ah! No!” Asher started trembling. With just a slight tug from me, he acted as if I’d thrown him across the room. He crashed to the floor, knocking over a medical cart and cutting himself on the equipment. The police rushed in. Ava gritted her teeth. “Officer, I’d like to report Mr. Leo Anderson for assault!” Asher quickly underwent a new evaluation, this one signed by a reputable doctor. When Ava personally submitted the report, I recognized the doctor’s signature. He was one of her business partners. “Ava, I’m the victim here!” I screamed. She instinctively shielded Asher. “Alright, according to the public security regulations, you’ll be detained for a while. I’ll come get you in fifteen days.” Behind her, I saw a triumphant smirk on Asher’s face. I finally understood. It was all a setup. My flight was in two days. A fifteen-day detention would ensure I missed my transfer. There was only one spot available. With me out of the picture, Ava could easily use her influence to get him the position. And he, with his convenient mental health diagnosis, would walk away scot-free. “Ava, you can’t do this to me! You’re fabricating evidence!” Asher’s eyes turned red. “Leo, do I really have to die before you’ll believe me?” He lunged towards the wall, ready to smash his head against it. Ava threw her hand up, blocking his forehead. SLAP! She hit me, her eyes blazing. “Have you no conscience?” “Ava!” I tried to rush at her, but the police were already separating us. “Sir, if you continue to be violent, your detention will be extended.” I could only stand there, teeth clenched, as Ava led Asher away. “I’ll come for you in fifteen days,” she said over her shoulder. All my hope vanished. My one chance was gone. I spent two days in a daze in the holding cell. My phone had been confiscated. Ms. Lang had no idea what had happened to me. After a few hours of not being able to reach me, she would probably just leave without me. I felt a pang of guilt. She had given me so many opportunities, and when I finally accepted one, I’d let her down. “Leo Anderson?” A police officer appeared at my cell door. “Come on. Someone’s posted your bail.”

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I wrote 999 love letters to finally win over Stella Gleason, the ice queen of our university. But the day before our wedding, I overheard her complaining to her childhood friend about the typos in them. “It’s like a little kid wrote these. He should’ve just used an AI!” In that instant, I called off the wedding and pulled every last cent of my investment from her family’s company. Stella’s scream was pure panic. “It was just a joke between friends! You’d cancel our wedding over that?” Without a word, I brought up the AI marriage forecast I’d run on us. “You love AI so much? Then take a good long look,” I said, my voice flat. “A ‘catastrophic’ rating. You want that marriage? I wouldn’t touch it. It’s bad luck.” 1 Less than ten minutes after the investment was pulled, Stella kicked open the door to my office. “Kian, can’t you take a joke? Besides, Leo wasn’t wrong. Your letters did have typos!” I didn’t even bother to look up. I spoke to my secretary, who had followed her in. “Get the trading desk on the line. I want to pour a hundred million into Gleason’s biggest competitor. Short them into the ground.” Shock bloomed across Stella’s perfect face. “Are you insane? Do you have any idea how much money you’ll lose? Don’t think I won’t call your father right now!” Still trying to use my father against me? A cold smile touched my lips. I turned back to my secretary. “What are you waiting for? If the Gleason Corporation is still standing in an hour, you can clear out your desk.” “Wait!” For the first time, genuine fear flickered in Stella’s eyes. She walked toward me, her head bowed. “I’m sorry,” she whispered, her eyes welling up. “I was wrong. I’ll do anything you want, just… please don’t pull the funding.” I remained silent. She fumbled in her pocket and pulled out a simple, plain silver band. “I made this for you. For our wedding. Please, Kian, don’t be angry.” Her voice was soft, pleading. “The only reason I even noticed the typos was because I read every single word of every letter you sent me. I didn’t mean anything by it.” I waved a hand, dismissing my secretary. Seeing my resolve soften, Stella threw her arms around my neck and planted a quick, wet kiss on my cheek. “I booked a table at that French bistro you love. Let’s go now, we can talk over the final details for the wedding?” I looked into her hopeful eyes, and for a moment, my heart stirred. I was about to speak when the door burst open again. Leo rushed in and dropped to his knees in front of me. “Mr. Hayes, if you’re angry, take it out on me! Don’t you dare bully Stella.” He shot a protective glare at me. “She’s your fiancée, not some dog you can just kick around!” Then he turned to Stella, holding up his hand. On his ring finger was another plain silver band. “It’s a perfect fit, Stella. Thank you. This time, I swear I’ll protect you. I won’t let a bastard like Kian ruin you!” My eyes narrowed. The ring on his finger was a perfect match for the one Stella had just given me. Hers was a man’s ring. Mine was a woman’s. It turns out she was just regifting. And I got the girl’s ring. A wave of nausea washed over me, so strong it almost made me laugh. “Protect her?” I sneered. “Let’s start by calculating the penalty for trespassing in the CEO’s office.” Before I could finish, Stella moved, placing herself between me and Leo. “This is between us, Kian. Don’t drag anyone else into it. I told you, I’ll do whatever you want.” My fiancée, standing against me to protect her lover. I knew why. When the Gleason family went bankrupt years ago, Leo had dropped Stella and fled the country without a second thought. I was the one who stayed by her side. I ignored my board of directors and poured all my resources into her family’s failing company. Now that Gleason Inc. was finally back on its feet, her parents pushed for this marriage, eager to lock me in for good. They wanted my money and resources, no strings attached. And my grandmother… my grandmother had always adored Stella. She’d made it clear that Stella was the only woman she’d ever accept as her granddaughter-in-law. For Nana’s sake, to fulfill her dying wish, I was willing to overlook the money. I thought we would build a life together, that it would all work out. I never imagined Leo’s return would shatter everything. With that thought, my decision was made. My voice was ice. “Fine. You want the wedding to happen? Then from this moment on, you will never speak to him again.” 2 In the end, Stella deleted every one of Leo’s contacts in front of me. She even threw both of the offending silver rings into the trash. Watching Leo stalk out of my office, his face a mask of resentment, I felt a knot of anger in my chest finally loosen. I told my secretary the wedding was back on. After dinner, Stella said she needed her beauty sleep to be at her best for the big day. I didn’t think much of it and drove off to my bachelor party. Halfway through the night, my phone started vibrating nonstop. I pulled it out to see a notification from the security system at our new house. The smart mattress was sending an alert. When we were furnishing the place, I’d gone with the principle that more expensive is always better. The salesman had sold me on this high-tech mattress, boasting that it could track… activity… and would automatically send an alert if it detected any unusual frequencies. We weren’t supposed to move in until after the wedding tomorrow. The house should have been empty. A dark premonition washed over me. Ignoring my friends’ protests, I jumped in my car and sped home. The moment I walked in the door, I saw them: a trail of clothes, carelessly discarded on the living room floor. And from the master bedroom, I could hear the soft, unmistakable sounds of a man and a woman. I kicked the bedroom door open. Startled by the crash, Stella screamed, her naked body instinctively shrinking behind Leo. It didn’t take a genius to figure out what they’d been doing. A moment later, her shock turned to outrage. “Kian! Are you spying on me?” I held up my phone, the screen glowing with a red line of alerts. “Is this what you call beauty sleep?” A flicker of guilt crossed her face, but she quickly covered it, pulling the sheets around her as she tried to defend herself. “Leo and I grew up together! We used to sleep in the same bed as kids, we even took baths together! It’s not a big deal.” She pressed on, her voice gaining confidence. “Besides, I just wanted to say a proper goodbye. I promise you, after tonight, we’ll never see each other again.” While she spoke, Leo casually slipped into the silk robe I had bought specifically for my wedding night and sauntered over to me. “Hey, man,” he said, a smug look on his face. “Real love is about letting go, not control. She’s not even officially your wife yet. Tracking her like this? Not cool.” I gave him a look of utter contempt. “Fine,” I said, my voice dangerously calm. “I’ll let go right now. Let’s see if Stella dares to go with you.” At my words, Leo immediately turned and grabbed her hand. “Stella, you just told me you don’t have any feelings for him! Come with me. Please?” I waited, curious myself. Between love and money, what would she choose? After a long, tense moment, Stella slowly pulled her hand away from Leo’s. “You should go,” she said, her voice quiet. “Tomorrow, I’ll be a part of the Hayes family. We can’t see each other anymore.” Leo looked like he was about to argue, but Stella gave him a sharp push. He shot me a venomous look, as if I were some villain who had stolen his maiden fair. As Leo turned to leave, my voice cut through the silence. “Stop.” He froze. “Are you so broke you have to steal my robe? Take it off.” 3 I’d noticed it the moment I walked in. In their haste, they’d torn each other’s clothes to shreds. Stella’s face paled as she realized it too. “Kian, that’s just cruel! You can’t be serious. You’re going to make him walk out of here naked?” “Cruel?” The word was so absurd I almost laughed. “Let’s not forget, Stella, we’re not married yet. This house isn’t yours. You brought a stranger into my private residence in the middle of the night and used my things without permission. How do you think that would play in front of a judge?” Her face flushed with anger, but she couldn’t say a word. Trembling, Leo untied the belt of the robe, his voice laced with false humility. “I’m sorry, Kian. It was my mistake. I shouldn’t have worn your robe.” As the silk fell open, I saw them clearly: the angry red marks and scratches covering his chest. A testament to just how passionate their “goodbye” had been. Before I could say anything else, Stella stepped in front of him, shielding him with her body. “That’s enough, Kian! It’s a stupid robe! Do you have to push things this far?” She reached into her purse, pulled out a couple of crisp hundred-dollar bills, and threw them in my face. “There! I’ve bought it for him. Are you happy now?” The sharp edge of a bill caught my cheek, leaving a thin, stinging line of red. Stella’s voice, now dripping with venom, filled the room. “I never loved you. Not for a second. If your family wasn’t so powerful, do you think I would have ever agreed to this marriage? You’re only marrying me to make your grandmother happy, Kian. So don’t you dare act like you have any right to tell me what to do!” I stared down at the crumpled bills on the floor and let out a cold, empty laugh. She was right. I had no right. I met Leo’s triumphant gaze and offered him a faint, chilling smile. “Do whatever you want.” With that, I turned and walked out. I drove home alone. As soon as I stepped through the door, my phone buzzed with a text from her. [Don’t be late for the wedding tomorrow.] I knew what it was. Her idea of an apology. She’d done things like this before. After sneaking off to meet Leo, she’d come home and make me my favorite pasta. After ditching a family dinner with my parents to see him, she’d send a text offering to pick me up from work. She was too proud to ever truly apologize, so she offered these small, hollow gestures instead. My friends had seen it for what it was. They told me to cut her loose, to let her go. But I kept giving her chances. One after another. I always told myself it was for Nana. My grandmother was getting older, her memory fading. Some days she didn’t even recognize me, but she always, always recognized Stella as the woman I was meant to marry. I couldn’t bear to disappoint her. So I allowed it. I allowed Stella’s parents to sell her to me like a prized mare. But there were good times, too. I couldn’t forget them. It was Stella who had proposed to me, in front of all the cameras, declaring to the world that she wanted to be my wife. Whatever happened, I decided, I would see the wedding through. And then, afterward, we would have a final, definitive reckoning. I just never imagined it would come so soon. The next day, I arrived at the venue in my tuxedo, only to be blocked at the entrance by a wall of security guards. They gestured toward a large sign posted by the door. In bold letters, it read: NO DOGS OR KIAN HAYES ALLOWED. 4 For a second, I just stood there, stunned. Then my eyes landed on the giant wedding portrait. Instead of my face next to Stella’s, there was a beaming photo of her and Leo. A bitter laugh escaped my lips. I pulled out my phone and dialed her number. She answered on the second ring, but I cut her off before she could speak. “Is this your idea of a final reckoning?” I demanded. Her voice was calm, almost breezy. “The wedding was always just for show, for your Nana’s sake. And don’t worry, I already had someone pick her up and bring her here.” She paused. “So please, Kian, just let me have this one thing. Let me marry the man I love. I promise, after the ceremony is over, I’ll go to city hall with you and sign the papers.” Then she hung up. My mind snagged on one phrase: I already had someone pick her up. My grandmother was frail. She was kept alive by a cocktail of medications. She couldn’t handle being shuffled around like that! Panic seized me. I lunged for the doors, determined to find her, to get an explanation. But the guards were a solid wall, their grip like iron. The next thing I knew, I was being shoved backward, tumbling down the stone steps. A slow, mocking clap echoed from the top of the stairs. Leo stood there, dressed in a custom-tailored tuxedo, looking down at me with pure contempt. “Well, well, Kian. Putting on a little show for us?” he drawled. “Today’s my wedding day, you know. A bit rude to show up empty-handed. You and your grandmother both, tsk tsk.” I ignored his taunts, scrambling to my feet and grabbing him by the collar. “Where is she? Where is my grandmother?” Just then, Stella came running out of the hall, her white wedding gown trailing behind her. Her brow was furrowed in annoyance. “Kian!” she snapped. “You lay one finger on him and I swear…” I didn’t even look at her. My eyes were locked on Leo. “Where is my Nana?” A cruel smirk spread across Leo’s face. He suddenly threw his arms around me, making it look like we were wrestling, and we both tumbled back down the stairs. “Your senile old grandma wouldn’t believe I was the groom,” he whispered in my ear, his voice dripping with malice. “Kept insisting I take her to find Stella. So, I locked her in one of the cars on the street.” He chuckled. “It’s got to be over a hundred degrees today. If you don’t hurry, she might just bake in there.” My heart stopped. With a roar of pure fury, I drove my fist into his face. Then I scrambled away, stumbling toward the line of wedding cars parked along the curb. And there, in the passenger seat of the lead car, I saw her—a small, familiar, fragile silhouette. I pounded on the window, my eyes darting around for a rock, anything to break the glass. “Nana! Can you hear me? Nana!” It was the middle of the day, the sun beating down relentlessly. Inside that sealed metal box, the temperature would be lethal. For someone as frail as my grandmother, every second was critical. I stopped looking for a tool. I raised my fist and slammed it against the window. Again. And again. After a dozen blows, my hand was numb and bleeding, but the glass finally shattered. I reached through the jagged opening, ignoring the shards slicing into my skin, unlocked the door, and gently lifted her out. Her eyes were closed. She didn’t respond to my calls. In that moment, I wanted to tear Leo limb from limb. Looking at her face, ashen and still, my vision blurred with tears. “Nana, just hold on. The ambulance is on its way. I’m taking you to the hospital, just hold on!”

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I found it in a dusty corner of the attic: a wedding photo of my wife and my arch-rival. In the picture, their faces were pressed together intimately, a world away from the bitter, teeth-gritted tension that always crackled between them whenever they met. It turned out they had been living a secret love story behind my back for nearly a decade. I took a picture of the photo with my phone, then placed it exactly where I’d found it. I drafted the divorce papers, signed my name, and prepared to walk away from the life I thought I knew. 1 The wedding photo was immaculate, a single pristine object in the dusty, forgotten attic. It was obvious someone came up here often to look at it. For years, it had just been the two of us in this house. There was no question who that someone was. Back in college, my wife, Maya, had been the top student in the physics department. The man in the photo with her was David, the guy everyone jokingly called “perennial number two.” On campus, they were famous for their rivalry. Neither would ever concede an inch to the other. They were in the same program, yet when they passed each other in the halls, they were like strangers. But it was all a lie. In private, they had skipped past friendship, past dating, and straight to a bond more intimate than marriage. My gaze fell to the date stamped in the bottom-left corner of the photo. July 27, 2015. The second year of our marriage. I scrolled through my text history with Maya. Of course. Every year, on July 27th, like clockwork, she would send me the same message. “Hey babe, working late tonight. Don’t wait up for dinner. Love you.” Every time, she would come home late, head straight for the shower, and then crawl into bed to curl up against me, complaining about what a long day it had been. I never once doubted her. She had promised me she would never lie. Now I saw it for what it was: the perfect cover. Tomorrow was July 27th again. I had no doubt she was planning to go out. Taking a few deep breaths to steady my hands, I snapped a photo of their wedding picture, then carefully put the frame back in its place. Downstairs, I drew up a divorce agreement. After signing my name, I tucked it into my nightstand drawer. I cooked dinner, just like any other night, and waited for Maya to come home. At the table, she chattered about her day, the small, meaningless details, but then she noticed my silence. “Quinn? What’s wrong? Are you not feeling well?” she asked, her voice laced with concern. I calmly set down my chopsticks, my bowl of rice barely touched, and met her eyes. “I heard they renovated the old track at State University. I was thinking of going back to see it.” State was our alma mater. It was where we had met, where we had fallen in love. Maya visibly relaxed, a smile blooming on her face. “Is that all? And here you are, a million miles away. Of course we can go. When do you want to see it? I’ll go with you.” “Tomorrow,” I said softly. The smile froze on her face. “Is that a problem? Or… are you working late tomorrow?” My voice was flat, betraying no emotion. But I saw it—the way her eyes darted away, the flicker of discomfort. Tomorrow was a Saturday. Her usual excuse would be some last-minute work emergency, but she couldn’t know that yet. She was trapped. She finally forced a smile. “Okay. Tomorrow it is.” That night, Maya was on edge, tapping away at her phone for hours. I pretended not to notice. I resisted the urge to pull out the divorce papers and make her sign them right then and there. The next morning, she was gone. A note was left on the kitchen table: “Babe, a critical dataset is corrupted. My boss called me in the middle of the night to fix it. I’ll come find you as soon as I’m done.” The paper trembled in my hand. I sent her a text. [I’m waiting for you at the main gate of the university.] Maya, who always replied to me in seconds, was silent. I stood at that gate for two hours. Then, the sky opened up. A torrential downpour started. I called her again and again. Each call went straight to voicemail. Then, finally, it didn’t even ring. The subscriber you have dialed has been powered off. In that moment, a cold, painful clarity washed over me. I took out my phone and sent her one last message. [Maya. Let’s get a divorce.] 2 I don’t remember how I got home that day. I just remember stumbling through the door, soaking wet and burning up with fever, collapsing onto the sofa, and then… nothing. When I woke up, I was in our bed, wearing clean clothes. Maya was sitting beside me, holding my hand tightly, her eyes filled with worry. “Quinn! You’re awake!” She sounded genuinely relieved. “You’ve been out for a day and a night. I was so scared. Thank God it’s just a fever. The medicine is working.” She squeezed my hand. “It was my fault. I got so caught up in work, I didn’t even look at my phone. But you shouldn’t joke about divorce like that. Here, look what I got you.” Like a magician, she produced two tickets from behind her back. “You’ve been wanting to see an MK match forever, right? I pulled some strings and got us front-row seats. I even took next week off so we can go together.” It was my favorite soccer team. Tickets were impossible to get. And a week of Maya’s time was even rarer. But I felt nothing. No joy, no excitement. I pushed the tickets away and reached into the nightstand, pulling out the folded divorce papers. I handed them to her. “I wasn’t joking yesterday.” Maya stared at me for a few seconds, then slammed the tickets down on the table. “Quinn, is this a game to you? Just because I had a work emergency and missed one date, you’re ready to throw away eight years of marriage?” Her voice cracked. “Do you have any idea how much it hurt to hear you say that?” I looked at her, at the tears welling in her eyes, and I couldn’t find a single trace of deceit. She was a brilliant actress. I was too tired for this. I didn’t want to play her games anymore. “Were you really at the office yesterday? Your boss has never, not once, called you in on a weekend. He knows you have a family.” My voice was quiet, weary. “Let’s just be honest, Maya.” “Where were you and David yesterday? Let me guess… a hotel?” A bitter laugh escaped my lips. The hotel was a wild guess. It had been pouring rain all day. Where else could they go? Her reaction told me everything I needed to know. “You had me followed?” she gasped. Then, she realized her mistake. She bit her lip, then took a deep breath, as if deciding to finally come clean. “Quinn, back in college, I hated David. I thought he was arrogant and stubborn, not a real man. But then, during a research exchange our junior year, I saw a different side of him. He was… earnest. Dedicated. I admit, my feelings for him started to change then. We started talking more, in secret.” She looked me straight in the eye, her expression pleading. “But the only man I have ever seen as my husband is you, Quinn! I would never, ever divorce you for him.” Her grand, romantic confession felt like a knife twisting in my gut. All this time, her heart had been divided. And I had been the fool who believed it belonged entirely to me. “I’ll cut him off completely, Quinn. I promise. Just give us one more chance. I’ll fix this.” After her heartfelt speech, she stood up, saying she would go make me some soup. I remained silent. My head, already aching from the fever, felt like it was splitting in two. The world swam around me, and I fell back into a deep, restless sleep. I don’t know how much time passed, but I was jolted awake by the acrid smell of smoke. Through the half-open bedroom door, I could see thick, black smoke billowing from the kitchen. “Maya! Maya, are you there?” I called out, my voice weak and raspy. No answer. I had to get out. I struggled to my feet, but my legs, numb from lying down for so long, gave out from under me. I collapsed onto the floor. I fumbled for my phone and tried to call her. It rang twice, then the call was disconnected. She was hanging up on me. 3 “Quinn! Quinn, can you hear us?” My parents’ anxious voices pulled me back to consciousness. When they saw my eyes open, they both burst into tears of relief. “Thank God the neighbors called 911 in time. Any later, and we would have lost you…” My mother sobbed, stroking my forehead. My father shook his head. “How could you be so careless, son? Leaving a pot on the stove and falling asleep? You could have been killed!” My throat was raw. “Wasn’t Maya home?” I rasped. My parents exchanged a confused look. “The firefighters said you were the only one in the house when they broke down the door. If Maya had been there, this never would have happened. She’s always so careful.” Her words twisted the knife in my heart. Maya was careful. Meticulously so. For eight years, she knew my chronic stomach issues better than I did. She knew exactly what I could and couldn’t eat. The moment I felt sick, she’d have the medicine ready, a pot of hot soup already simmering. It was impossible to believe that a woman so precise, so detail-oriented, would just leave a stove on and walk out of the house. Whatever, or whoever, she had left for had to be incredibly important. Just then, the hospital room door flew open. Maya rushed in, breathless, and ran straight to my bedside. “Quinn! Are you okay?” Without waiting for an answer, she slapped herself hard across the face. “This is all my fault. I can’t believe I put you in such danger…” She had come in such a hurry. She hadn’t noticed the dark, tell-tale love bite on her neck, just peeking out from the collar of her shirt.

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The day after my wedding, my husband, fifteen years my senior, sent me abroad. Three years later, I sneaked onto his private yacht with a gift, only to find him kneeling before a pregnant woman, fastening a diamond-crusted crystal heel on her foot. The surrounding crowd cheered: “Nicholas was too soft getting tangled with that brat. Now with Miss Vance carrying the Hayes heir, things are set right.” “If not for Thea forcing the marriage, banking on their fathers’ friendship, Nora wouldn’t have fallen into depression… or her father died so suddenly.” “Let’s hope Thea lays low. If Nicholas gets angry, more than her father might end up dead.” Someone spotted me. The laughter died. Without looking up, Nicholas traced the woman’s foot: “No manners? Couldn’t even call ahead?” She eyed me curiously. “Who is this, Nick?” He finally glanced over. “Just a family kid. Ignore her.” Later, locked in a lower-deck storage closet as seawater seeped in, I heard Nicholas’s calm voice on the intercom: “All passengers are safe.” Someone asked, “What about Thea?” After a pause, his voice—once full of promises—replied, “She’s probably throwing a tantrum somewhere. She’ll show up when she’s done.” 1 I stood on the deck, the sea breeze whipping my hair across my face, but it couldn’t drown out their venomous words. “Isn’t this my husband’s yacht? Why is my presence such a surprise?” Nicholas appeared beside me, reaching for my hand. “When did you get back? Let me take you to your room.” “Don’t touch me!” The moment his fingers brushed mine, I yanked my hand away. The force of my retreat sent me stumbling backward into a champagne tower. The sound of shattering glass drew every eye. Nora Vance gasped. Instinctively, Nicholas shielded her with his body. He didn’t even glance back to see if I was cut, his full attention on her. “Are you alright? Did it scare you?” Nora shook her head. “I’m fine, Nick. Don’t be angry with Thea. She’s probably just in a bad mood.” “A bad mood gives her the right to cause a scene?” Nicholas’s voice dropped, turning hard. “Thea, don’t make a fool of yourself.” A fool? It felt like my throat was stuffed with cotton. I couldn’t speak. Who was it that held my hand and had me sign our marriage certificate on the day of my father’s funeral? Who was it that pinned me against the wall in the dressing room before our wedding, whispering that he couldn’t wait to make me his bride? But now, in his eyes, I was nothing more than an intruder, ruining his perfect love story. Snickers erupted from the crowd behind me. “See? That temper.” “Nicholas has been more than generous these past few years. Paid for her education, gave her his name. What more could she want?” “I heard her father made him his guardian on his deathbed. The Hayes family had no choice but to take her in.” “Nora’s pregnant! What if the shock caused a problem? Could she even take responsibility for that?” Their words were poisoned daggers, each one piercing my heart. I was escorted away like a criminal, under the watchful eyes of the entire party. I pushed open the door to what was once our stateroom. The air was thick with a foreign perfume, clinging to every surface, announcing a new mistress. Her skincare products lined the vanity. Her silk nightgowns hung in the closet. On the nightstand was a photo of them, his arm wrapped around her waist, his eyes soft with a tenderness that burned. Nicholas followed me in. “You’ll stay here. We’ll be home in three days.” “Where are you going?” I blocked his path. “Nora can’t sleep. I need to be with her.” That single sentence shattered the last of my composure. I laughed, a raw, incredulous sound. “Be with her? What about me? Nicholas, are you really going to lock me in here while you go comfort another woman?” He didn’t answer, just tried to sidestep me. Watching his straight, retreating back, I suddenly didn’t care about anything anymore. Not reason, not dignity, not the tattered remnants of my pride. It all came crashing down. I grabbed the picture frame from the nightstand and hurled it against the wall. Glass exploded everywhere. Nicholas didn’t even flinch. He glanced at his watch. “Are you done?” His voice was terrifyingly calm. “Don’t be a shrew, Thea.” I reached for the table lamp, but he caught my wrist before I could throw it. “Thea, don’t make me hate you more than I already do.” “You already hate me, don’t you?” I twisted out of his grip. “The moment you got her pregnant, you were already done with me!” I swept the bottles and jars from the vanity, sending them crashing to the floor one by one. Nicholas lunged, grabbing my hands. In the struggle, the gift I had spent three months preparing fell and shattered. Inside, nestled among the broken pieces, was a document. My father had given it to his lawyer for safekeeping, to be given to me on my twenty-second birthday. It stated, in no uncertain terms, that his 18% stake in Hayes Corporation had never been legally transferred to Nicholas. It was being held in trust, to be returned to me automatically. I had planned to give it all to him, a birthday present to solidify his control. Now, that seemed like a joke. Nicholas didn’t notice the inconspicuous piece of paper. He pulled a file from the nightstand and tossed it onto the bed. The air went still. The words “Divorce Agreement” gleamed in gold foil. “Let’s end this amicably, Thea.” He held out a pen—the one I had given him last year. “Don’t make this difficult.” 2 I remember the first time I saw Nicholas. I was nineteen. My father had taken me to the Hayes Corporation’s anniversary gala. I stumbled in my heels, and he was the one who caught me. His eyes, behind gold-rimmed glasses, held the warmth of a benevolent elder. “Careful, kiddo.” After that night, I was obsessed. I collected every scrap of information I could find about him. The youngest visiting professor at the business school, the iron-fisted heir to the Hayes empire, thirty-four and still unmarried. I started showing up everywhere he was, even sneaking into his lectures. “Miss Rhodes, that’s enough.” He cornered me in a hallway after a reception, his voice a low warning. Fueled by champagne, I stood on my toes to kiss him. He turned his head, and my lips met his cheek. “Uncle Nick,” I whispered, “you like me too. I know you do.” He slammed me against the wall, his breathing ragged. “Do you have any idea what the consequences are for provoking me?” The worst consequence I could imagine then was my father’s anger. I never dreamed the price would be his life. On my twentieth birthday, I got drunk at his favorite bar. When he dragged me out, his face a thundercloud, I managed to slip a drugged drink past his lips. Everything after that went exactly as I had planned. Until I woke up at dawn to see him by the window, knotting his tie. “Satisfied? Now the whole city will know how the Rhodes heiress climbed into her father’s best friend’s bed.” I just smiled, wrapped in the sheets. “Then you’ll have to take responsibility.” A month later, my father, who had always been the picture of health, had a massive heart attack. At his hospital bedside, Nicholas, who had been cold to me for weeks, held my hand and had me sign our marriage papers. I was so consumed by grief, I didn’t see the flicker of something complex and dark in his eyes. A sudden lurch of the yacht pulled me back to the present. In the mirror, my own swollen eyes stared back, merging with the image of the girl who had cried and screamed in the airport lounge, refusing to board the plane. “Study hard,” he had told me then. “Come back and be my Mrs. Hayes.” It was never a promise. He hated me for disrupting his life, for causing Nora’s depression to relapse, and most of all, for holding the 18% of the company that stood between him and his ultimate ambition. My fingers trembled as they brushed the red marks on my neck where he had grabbed me. He had never been this rough before, not even in our worst fights. After the sound of his footsteps faded, I shakily picked up the divorce agreement. The paper tore in my hands with a crisp, final sound. Then, from a hidden compartment in my suitcase, I pulled out the divorce papers I had prepared. They stipulated that all Rhodes family assets were mine alone, and that half of Nicholas’s personal property would be transferred to me as compensation. He would not get a single thing that wasn’t rightfully his. I signed my name, tucked the papers under his pillow, and sent him a text: The agreement is under your pillow. Make sure you read it. The moment I hit send, my phone buzzed. A friend request. From Nora. “Thea, sweetie, Nick is already asleep. Let’s talk tomorrow. From now on, I’ll take care of you like a little sister.” I stared at the message and started to laugh. My fingers flew across the screen. “A little sister who’s slept with my husband? You have unique tastes, Nora.” The next morning, I was woken by a violent pounding on the door. Nicholas stormed in, his face dark, my text message displayed on his phone. “Are you insane?” He grabbed my chin, forcing me to look at him. “Nora saw your message. She got so upset she almost had a miscarriage!” I looked into his bloodshot eyes and the absurdity of it all hit me. “So? What do you want? An apology? Should I kneel at her stomach and say I’m sorry for interrupting your affair with my husband?” “Thea!” His fist smashed into the wall next to my head. “Don’t push me.” I tilted my head back, meeting his furious gaze. “What else can you do, Nicholas? Throw me overboard to the sharks?” His expression froze. He loosened his tie, a muscle jumping in his jaw. “Thea, it’s not what you think.” “My feelings for you, and my feelings for Nora… they were never the same.” “Spare me the platitudes!” I screamed, grabbing a water glass and hurling it at the mirror. “You didn’t seem to have a problem with it when you were on top of me, Nicholas. Tell me, how long have you been sneaking around behind my back? When you stood at my father’s funeral and swore you’d take care of me, were you still warm from her bed?” He exploded. He dragged me in front of the shattered mirror. “Look at yourself! Is it any wonder everyone says you can’t compare to her?” “You’re right, I can’t!” I shrieked, my voice breaking. “I don’t know how to play the victim, and I can’t stand by and watch my husband cheat on me and pretend to be gracious! You chose her, Nicholas. You made the right choice.” 3 After Nicholas slammed the door, I collapsed amidst the wreckage. Hair disheveled, eyes swollen, I was the very picture of a madwoman. I heard laughter from the hallway and crawled to the door, pressing my ear against the wood. “So, the proposal was a success?” a slick voice asked. I slid down the door, my legs giving out. So yesterday wasn’t just his birthday. It was his carefully orchestrated proposal to another woman. “Seriously, Nick, why did you ever agree to marry Thea in the first place?” Nicholas’s reply was casual, dismissive. “A young girl throwing herself at me? It would have been rude to say no.” A wave of laughter followed. Someone else added, “What you guys don’t know is that her old man’s 18% was just what Nick needed to leverage that Southside project. Without it, Hayes Corp would have gone under.” “The old bastard died at the perfect time.” “Oh, you have no idea. Rhodes was in good health, had at least another six months. But then he saw those hotel pictures of Nick and his precious daughter. Massive heart attack, right on the spot. Couldn’t be saved.” My world tilted on its axis. A roaring filled my ears. Of course. The memories flooded back. My father, on his deathbed, clutching my hand, his lips moving, trying to tell me something, but only blood came out. And Nicholas, on the other side of the bed, calmly pressing the call button. They were best friends. I stumbled out of the room and retched over the deck railing, but nothing came up. No wonder he had kissed me in the back room of the funeral hall before my father’s coffin was even in the ground. While I was crying myself unconscious, clutching my father’s portrait, he was probably calculating how to get his hands on the rest of the company. I stared into the black, churning sea. All those years of tenderness, the passion in our bed… it was all a performance for a dead man. “Thea, what are you doing out here all alone?” Nora’s voice came from behind me. “Get lost,” I rasped. “Nick told me everything,” she said with a sigh of faux sympathy. “He said it was all a beautiful misunderstanding. You were so young, you didn’t know any better. I understand.” I turned to face her, my eyes locking on the smile playing on her lips. “A misunderstanding? You and he are soulmates, destined to be together?” A cold laugh escaped me. “Then I guess he forgot to tell you how he spent our first year of marriage. He liked it from behind… has he ever done that with you?” “Shut up!” Nora’s mask of composure finally cracked. She raised her hand to slap me. I caught her wrist in a vice grip. “Can’t keep up the act? Save your sweet, innocent routine for Nicholas. It doesn’t work on me.” “You—!” She gasped, her chest heaving. Then, her eyes darted to the side, and she threw herself backward with a theatrical scream. Before I could even process what was happening, a powerful force shoved me aside. Nicholas was there, his eyes burning with disgust. “Thea, are you looking to die?” “Yes. I am.” I stumbled, catching the railing. A wild, broken laugh bubbled up from my chest. “Go on, push me in. Feed me to the sharks. Get me out of your sight.” “I’m not going to kill you. But if you want to live the rest of your life in peace, you will sign those papers!” In that moment, I knew I couldn’t give him what he wanted. “And if I don’t?” I taunted. “As long as I refuse to sign, that thing in Nora’s belly will always be a bastard. She’ll always be the mistress, hiding in the shadows. You want to give her a name, Nicholas? I won’t let you.” He laughed. A cold, chilling sound. He snapped his fingers. Several large men appeared, dragging three people with them. My best friend, Maya. Mr. Chen, our old groundskeeper who had watched me grow up. And Mr. Zhang, my father’s lawyer and closest confidant. They were bound and gagged, their eyes wide with terror. “Recognize them?” Nicholas strolled to the railing. “I hear there’s a school of tiger sharks in these waters. They haven’t eaten in a while.” “What are you doing?” The screech of a winch grated on my nerves. Maya was pushed over the side of the yacht, a rope slowly lowering her toward the dark water. She shook her head violently, tears streaming down her face. “Will you sign?” Nicholas lit a cigarette. “Mr. Chen is next.” The water below Maya began to churn. Dark fins sliced through the surface. She let out a muffled scream, trying to pull her legs up. “I’ll sign!” I lunged for the pen. “Let her go!” As the tip of the pen touched the paper, I caught Mr. Zhang’s eye. He was shaking his head frantically, his swollen lips mouthing the words, “Don’t sign.” The pen hovered. Nicholas’s eyes narrowed. “Not enough motivation, I see.” He gestured to his men. “Lower her another ten feet.” “No!” I screamed, but it was too late. The rope unspooled, and Maya plunged into the sea. In the splash, I saw a shark lunging for her. “Pull her up!” Nicholas barked. The men scrambled to winch her back. When they hauled her onto the deck, her pant leg was shredded, a gruesome gash bleeding freely down her calf. Her eyes had rolled back in her head. She was unconscious. I knew that if I signed, I would lose everything. My father’s legacy, my own life, any chance of revenge. But if I didn’t, the man who had bounced me on his knee as a child would be next. “Last chance, Thea.” 4 “I’ll give you three hours to think about it,” Nicholas said, his thumb brushing a speck of blood from the corner of my lip. “Don’t disappoint me, Thea.” I stared at the pool of Maya’s blood on the deck. “Nicholas,” I whispered, “did you kill my father?” His hand, adjusting his cufflink, paused for a fraction of a second. His eyes were unreadable. “I’ve never been a good man.” “You monster!” Mr. Chen, suddenly free, lunged at him, his white hair flying in the wind. “My boss treated you like a brother! When your company was about to go bankrupt, who mortgaged his own home to save you? When your board tried to oust you, who rallied his own men to back you up? Is this how you repay him?” Nicholas’s eyes hardened. The guards immediately restrained Mr. Chen. He took off his glasses, polishing them with a handkerchief. “Your Mr. Chen is getting old. Talking so much is bad for his health.” He nodded to the guards. “Help him find some peace and quiet.” Before I could even scream, Mr. Chen’s struggles ended in a choked, gurgling sound. The sickening crunch of a needle piercing flesh made my entire body tremble. They were sewing his mouth shut with a coarse thread. I tried to run to him, but the guards held me back. Bile and tears spilled from me, splashing onto the deck. “Can’t handle this?” Nicholas forced my chin up. “Think about the blood your father coughed up before he died. It was much more than this.” “You will pay for this, Nicholas. You will get what you deserve.” “Do I look like a man who fears retribution?” The sound of heels clicked on the deck. Nora appeared, holding a velvet box. “Nick, darling, the designer just delivered the engagement rings.” The box opened, and the light from a massive pink diamond blinded me. A priceless, rare gem, set in platinum, a hundred times more extravagant than the modest ring I wore. “Nora, go back to the room,” Nicholas said, his voice unusually gentle. “But…” She glanced at me nervously. “I’m worried Miss Rhodes will be upset at the engagement party.” “Upset?” Nicholas sneered. “Don’t worry. Tomorrow, she’ll be in the bilge.” He waved a hand at the guards. “Take her below.” I spent the night huddled in a damp, dark storage closet. The next morning, I could hear the sounds of a waltz and the laughter of guests from the deck above. At midnight, the ship shuddered violently. An alarm blared through the ship. “All passengers proceed to the lifeboats immediately! I repeat, this is not a drill!” I heard the frantic stampede of feet overhead. I pounded on the steel door, screaming, but no one answered. “Let me out! Is anyone there? Open the door!” Salty seawater seeped under the door, quickly rising past my ankles. A short while later, Nicholas’s voice came over the intercom, chillingly calm. “All passengers have been safely evacuated.” “What about Miss Rhodes?” someone asked. After a beat of silence, I heard the voice that had once been my world. “Thea? She’s probably hiding somewhere, throwing a tantrum. Don’t worry about her.” In my last moments of consciousness, I was nineteen again, at the gala. Nicholas was catching me as I stumbled. If I could do it all over again, I would tell him: Nicholas, I never wanted to be your kiddo. I wish I had never met you.

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