For the sake of Adrian’s business empire, I played his perfect wife for five years. Then he locked me in the basement for his new lover. I used a micro transmitter to erase all records of our son. But at his celebration banquet, he saw the child he had ordered “burned to ashes”, a perfect copy of himself. Adrian broke. Clutching a charred child’s backpack, eyes wild, he roared, “Find my wife and son! Now!” Later, I graduated, my new husband beside me. A thousand miles away in a garage, oil stained fingers traced a child’s smiling face on a phone screen. Aria’s POV Adrian locked me up for five days. The first thing he did upon returning was to deny my request for a divorce. He reached out to touch my face. “I locked you up to protect you.” An hour before he locked me away, I had seen him at the hospital with my own eyes, supporting Rosalie through her prenatal appointment. The usually icy Mr. Hale was attentively holding a pink handbag for her. In that moment, I finally understood how utterly convincing his “performance” could be. “You followed me?” Adrian narrowed his eyes, his tone dangerous. “Adrian, let’s get divorced.” Adrian kicked the door with his foot and locked it with his other hand. He strode over in a few steps and gripped my wrist tightly. I didn’t struggle. “Adrian, have you lost your mind?” Adrian’s sinister face pressed down close, forcing me to meet his gaze. “Divorce? Impossible. Unless I’m dead.” “Rosalie Sterling is a representative sent by the Commerce Association. If I want to swallow up the South District land, she’s a key piece.” “If I don’t play along with her, how can I get the shares she’s holding?” He irritably unbuttoned his cuffs, speaking with dissatisfaction. “I work so hard out there, and you still make trouble for me at home?” I smiled bitterly. “Hard enough to go to obstetrics?” “That was for show!” Adrian impatiently cut me off. “Once I secure the South District land, Rosalie will be useless. Then you can do whatever you want with her. Isn’t that enough?” He took a deep breath, suppressing his anger, and switched to a gentler tone. “Aria, you’re the lady of the Hale family. No one can replace your position, as long as you don’t make a scene.” He pinned me against the wall, his eyes filled with twisted possessiveness. “Don’t let me hear the word ‘divorce’ again. You’re mine for life.” To compensate me, Adrian brought me to the family banquet. In the banquet hall’s lounge, Rosalie clutched her stomach and collapsed on the sofa, her face pale. “Mr. Hale, I fell on my own. It has nothing to do with Aria pushing me. But this child…” All around us were the Hale family’s branch members and business partners, and everyone’s eyes fell on me. The Commerce Association representative behind Rosalie was even more sarcastic. “Mr. Hale, is this the Hale family’s attitude? How can we feel confident entrusting our project to you?” I stood there. No one listened to my explanation. I hadn’t even touched the hem of her dress. Adrian never looked at me once throughout the entire ordeal. He strode to the sofa, pulled Rosalie into his arms, comforted her in a low voice, then turned to look at me coldly. “Someone.” Two bodyguards immediately stepped forward. “Take Mrs. Hale to the dungeon to sober up.” Adrian said indifferently. “When she realizes her mistake, she can come out.” The iron door of the dungeon was pulled open, and a damp, cold air mixed with mold and rust hit my face. I was roughly shoved inside, stumbling and falling onto the slippery floor. Complete silence surrounded me. I leaned against the wall and sat down, pulling out a micro-communicator from my clothing. This was my backup device. Adrian didn’t know it existed. The screen lit up with a faint blue glow. I entered a string of code to contact an overseas dark web organization. “Destroy all birth and medical records for Wesley.” “Initiate evacuation protocol.” Message sent. Watching the “Executed” notification flash on screen, I finally exhaled. Adrian never knew that I never cared about being Mrs. Hale. All I cared about was the child I had hidden in the shadows. With Wesley’s traces erased, I had no more weaknesses. I don’t know how long passed before the iron door opened again. The light made me squint. Adrian walked in against the light, holding a coat. The hostility on his face had dissipated. “Aria, you’ve suffered.” He came over and gently draped the coat over me, as if he wasn’t the one who’d imprisoned me. “In that kind of situation just now, if I didn’t do that, I couldn’t explain to the board.” He picked me up, his tone full of helplessness. “You have to understand my difficulties.” “Rosalie’s side is making a big fuss. The forces behind her won’t let go.” As Adrian walked out, he whispered in my ear, “To completely stabilize them, I have to make a commitment.” “What commitment?” I asked. “Let her carry the Hale family’s child.” Adrian said it as if it were perfectly justified. “After the child is born, we’ll keep the child and get rid of the mother, or handle it however we want. Don’t worry, the position of Mrs. Hale will always be yours.” Lying in his arms, I just felt sick. For profit, he could let his mistress bear a child. To appease me, he promised to keep only the child and discard the mother. I closed my eyes, hiding the mockery in them. “Alright, I understand your difficulties.” Adrian’s steps faltered, as if he hadn’t expected me to be so compliant. Then his arms tightened, and he kissed my forehead. “I knew it. You’re the most understanding one.”

Aria’s POV Back at the villa, Adrian went to his study to handle business. I sat at the vanity in the bedroom, looking at myself in the mirror. Three years ago, when Adrian had just taken power, his enemies retaliated viciously. His most trusted subordinate’s entire family was brutally murdered. That night, he came back covered in blood, gripping my hand tightly, his eyes vicious. “Aria, remember this. We absolutely cannot have weaknesses. I’ll never have children in this lifetime.” I believed him. Until later, I saw him at a family gathering, staring at someone else’s child in a daze. That longing and loneliness couldn’t be faked. So I took the risk and secretly gave birth to Wesley‌. To protect Wesley‌, I sent the child overseas right after birth. My child was born in secrecy, couldn’t even call out “Dad.” And Adrian, to consolidate his position, actually wanted to have a child with that woman who schemed against me. If that’s the case, then you’ll never know about Wesley‌’s existence. An encrypted window notification popped up on my phone screen. “New identity ID generated. Exit channel will open in 7 days.” Seven days. The anticipation of impending freedom surged through me. The door was pushed open, and Adrian walked in. Behind him, two assistants carried large and small packages. “These are all this season’s haute couture, and a few jewelry sets. I thought they’d suit you.” The assistants piled everything on the sofa and quickly retreated. Adrian walked over, crouched beside my chair, and held my hand. “Aria, I’m sorry for the trouble these past few days.” He pulled out a document from his pocket and placed it in my hand. “This is the transfer agreement for those two shops in the Wesley‌t district.” Those were two prime commercial properties with substantial rent income. “Thank you, honey.” I accepted the document and casually picked up the crocodile leather bag to examine it. “Nice color.” Adrian visibly relaxed. In his view, women just needed a little coaxing. Before, when I wouldn’t accept his gifts, it was either because he didn’t give enough or I was too pretentious. Now that I accepted, it meant I’d come to my senses, that he still had complete control. “Glad you like it.” Adrian stood up, glanced at his watch, his expression shifting slightly. “I have to go over there tonight. Rosalie just got out of the hospital. I need to put on a show.” Even his excuse for spending the night elsewhere sounded so proper. I laughed to myself. “Go ahead, don’t keep her waiting.” I toyed with the ring in my hand, not even looking up. Adrian seemed to sense something off about my compliance, but he was too confident to care. “Get some rest early.” He perfunctorily brushed his lips against my cheek, then turned and strode away. The sound of the engine starting came from downstairs. I walked to the window and watched the taillights disappear into the night. The transfer agreement worth millions in my hand was casually tossed into my suitcase.

Aria’s POV To appease those shareholders, Adrian insisted on bringing me to the charity gala. He picked up the priceless diamond necklace and fastened it around my neck. The cold diamonds pressed against my skin, and his tone was even colder. “Tonight, just smile. Talk less. If Mr. Warner asks about Rosalie, just say you’re not feeling well and specifically asked her to help share the burden.” I pulled at the corner of my mouth. “Don’t worry, I know.” I entered the venue on Adrian’s arm. Rosalie was already standing in the inner circle, acting like the true lady of the house, deflecting drinks for Adrian. “Mr. Hale, your wife doesn’t look well. Let me accompany Mr. Warner for this drink instead.” Rosalie naturally inserted herself between us, glancing at me provocatively. Adrian showed no displeasure. Instead, he released my hand and smoothly put his arm around Rosalie’s waist. I was pushed to the periphery. Watching them toast and chat, I could only laugh. Suddenly, a loud crash came from the entrance of the banquet hall. “Heartless capitalist! Give us back our blood money!” A group of rioters broke through security, wielding clubs and charging straight toward the core area. The scene instantly descended into chaos. The crowd shoved and screamed. Someone bumped into a massive decorative column, and the crystal chandelier overhead made a teeth-grinding cracking sound. “Watch out!” The chandelier was falling directly toward Adrian and Rosalie. In that second, the world seemed to freeze. I was only half a step away from Adrian. But I saw him, without any hesitation, turn around and grab my shoulder. Not to protect me. He was using me for leverage. He viciously yanked me backward, using that momentum to push Rosalie in his arms toward safety. Crash. The chandelier fell. Shards flew everywhere. His violent pull sent me crashing heavily onto the glass-covered floor. Sharp glass shards pierced my palms and knees, blood instantly gushing out. And the man who should have protected his wife was desperately shielding another woman, not even looking back. In fact, because of the chaos just now, his leather shoe heavily stepped on my bleeding hand. I broke out in a cold sweat from the pain but bit back any sound. Only after security controlled the situation did Adrian seem to finally remember something. He comforted the frightened Rosalie, then turned to see me covered in blood, his brow furrowing deeply. “Why are you so clueless?” He strode over, his tone containing no concern, only reproach. “Rosalie is carrying the Hale family’s bargaining chip. If that fall had harmed the fetus, ten of you couldn’t compensate for it.” I sat slumped on the ground, looking at the bruise on my hand from where he’d stepped on it, and at the blood mixed with glass shards. So in his eyes, I was just a meat shield for blocking disasters. “Fine, you’re right.” I looked up at him and smiled. “Mr. Hale did the right thing.” Adrian irritably took off his coat and threw it over my head, covering my face. “Don’t look at me with those sarcastic eyes. Have the driver take you to the hospital.”

Aria’s POV Late at night in the study, Adrian was in a remote meeting. I lay on the bed in the guest room when the communicator suddenly vibrated wildly. A highest-level alert came through. The safe house had been exposed, and unknown individuals were breaking down the door! My heart stopped. That was Wesley‌’s hiding place! Before I could respond, Rosalie’s saccharine voice drifted through the slightly open door from outside. “Mr. Hale, we found it. Those old fogies trying to bring you down have hidden core secrets in a villa in the Wesley‌tern suburbs. Oh, and apparently there’s a child hidden inside too.” My entire body went cold. That wasn’t some core secret. That was my son! “A child?” Adrian’s voice instantly turned ice-cold. “I hate it most when people do things behind my back.” I suddenly remembered two years ago when he’d thrown a mistress who tried to use her illegitimate child to climb the ranks into the ocean, right in front of me. Those were his exact drunken words. “Aria, remember this. Anyone who dares to have a bastard behind my back, I’ll strangle that spawn with my own hands.” Now, that spawn was Wesley‌. “Blake.” Adrian gave the order over the phone. “Take people there. Even if you have to burn the house down, clean it out. Adults, children-leave no one alive.” My hands started trembling violently. He was going to kill his own son. Once Blake broke in, Wesley‌ would certainly die. I couldn’t plead for him. Pleading would expose everything, and Wesley‌ would die even more horribly. I had to create an accident. I rushed into the kitchen and filled a bowl with scalding soup. No time to find a tray-I just grabbed the bowl and charged toward the study. The moment I pushed the door open, I heard Adrian urging, “Hurry up!” I stumbled, and along with the bowl of boiling soup, I threw myself straight at Adrian. “Ah!” The scalding soup spilled all over his keyboard and right hand, splashing across my chest too. The searing pain of the burn hit me, but I couldn’t care about that. “How can you be so careless?” Adrian hissed in pain and shot to his feet. “I’m sorry… I didn’t hold it steady…” I frantically lunged at the desk, pretending to grab tissues to wipe for him, but deliberately knocked over the water glass on the table. Water instantly seeped into the keyboard. The computer screen flickered several times, then went black. “Get away! How can there be such a stupid woman!” Adrian flew into a rage, grabbed my throat and flung me aside. I crashed into the bookshelf, my back screaming in pain. Taking advantage of the moment he turned to check his injuries, I locked my eyes on the backup tablet beside him. Only these few seconds. Ignoring the burning pain across my chest, my fingers flew across the tablet. I unlocked and hacked into the security system, located the Wesley‌tern suburbs villa. Then clicked the button triggering the district-wide fire alarm. The entire process took less than three seconds. The next second, piercing alarm sounds rang through the Wesley‌tern suburbs villa district’s monitoring terminal. Adrian turned back, just in time to see the red light flashing on the tablet. “What’s going on?” He frowned and picked up the tablet. “Why is the fire alarm going off now?” Once the fire alarm sounded, fire trucks and police would immediately seal off the scene. Blake and his crew, carrying weapons, definitely wouldn’t dare make a move at that time. “Damn it!” Adrian slammed his fist on the desk and roared into his earpiece. “Blake, pull back! There’s a fire there. The police will arrive any minute!” I collapsed on the floor, breathing heavily. The skin on my chest burned painfully, but I wanted to laugh. I’d won the gamble. Adrian never suspected I’d tampered with anything. In his eyes, how could I possibly know hacking techniques? “What are you still doing on the floor? Get out!” Adrian looked at me with disgust. I lowered my head and retreated from the room in disarray. Back in the bathroom, I immediately messaged the nanny: Take Wesley‌ and evacuate during the chaos. Now! Five minutes later, the nanny replied that they were in the car and had safely evacuated. Looking at the screen, I slid down onto the cold tile floor. Wesley‌ was safe. But this emergency transfer had exhausted all my hidden funds. That was my life-saving money, scraped together penny by penny over the years. I had no money now. Not even enough for plane tickets to escape with Wesley‌. Five more days. I had to sell myself for a good price before Adrian could kill my son.

Aria’s POV I told Adrian I was going to the beauty salon for skincare. Adrian didn’t even look up. He just said “come back early” and continued reading documents. I left with my handbag. Inside were all the gifts Adrian had given me over the years. The car circled half the city before finally stopping in an alley in the old district. Outside an antique shop. On the surface it repaired watches and sold antiques, but actually it was an entrance to the underground black market, specializing in acquiring all kinds of illicit valuables. I pushed the door open. A wind chime rang crisply. The owner had only one eye. He scanned the items I’d dumped on the table with a magnifying glass and curled his lip. “Quality’s not bad, but these designer goods all have serial numbers. Difficult to move. Thirty percent discount.” “Twenty percent.” I opened my mouth. “These are clean goods. No record.” “Mrs. Hale, you jest. Hale family goods-who dares say they’re clean?” The owner looked at me with a half-smile. My heart jumped. He’d recognized me. Just as I was about to speak, the curtain to the back room was suddenly pulled aside. A man walked out. He wore a dark gray shirt with rolled-up sleeves, revealing a stretch of smoothly lined forearm. It was the kind of lethal aura that came only from years of licking blood from blade edges, meticulously concealed beneath a polished veneer. “Adrian’s things-you dare sell it?” The man walked to the counter and picked up the most valuable pink diamond. It was Adrian’s fifth anniversary gift to me. Slender fingers held the stone up to the light, his mouth curving into an arc of cold amusement. “Mr. Blackwood.” The shop owner bowed immediately, his respect palpable. Damon Blackwood. In this city, not many dared call Adrian by his first name. Damon was one of them. Rumor had it he was the real controller behind this underground network, with methods even more ruthless than Adrian’s. I hadn’t expected to run into him here. “Stole them.” I met his gaze and lied. “He’s keeping a woman on the side. I need to leave myself an escape route.” Damon raised an eyebrow. He seemed very interested in this reason. Or rather, he seemed very interested in this matter concerning Adrian. “Interesting.” Damon put down the diamond, his fingers lightly tapping the counter twice. “I’ll take it all. Market price.” The owner froze. “Mr. Blackwood, this…” “Write a receipt.” Damon wasted no time. He withdrew a checkbook, wrote a figure, tore off the check, and handed it to me. It was twice what I had asked for. A bearer check. Cash on demand. Untraceable. “Thank you.” I took it, turned, and walked away. “Wait.” Damon called after me. He held a black business card between two fingers and extended it toward me. The card had only a number on it, not even a name. “If you need to sell more troublesome things, or encounter any other trouble…” He looked at me meaningfully, his voice low. “Contact me directly.” I took the card, didn’t even look at it, just stuffed it in my bag and disappeared into the rain. Through the glass window, I could feel Damon’s gaze stuck to my back. When I returned to the Hale residence, Adrian was actually home. He sat on the sofa, noticed my bare neck, and casually asked, “Where’s that pink diamond I gave you last time? Why aren’t you wearing it?” My movements as I changed shoes didn’t stop, but my heartbeat skipped a beat. “Sent it for maintenance. The setting was a bit loose. I was afraid of losing it.” Adrian nodded, completely unconcerned. He pulled a velvet box from his pocket and casually tossed it to me. “Just passed a mall earlier and picked up something random. Here, play with it.” I caught the box and opened it. A crystal brooch. Crude workmanship, cheap rhinestones, not even a brand name. Probably a freebie from the counter when he bought jewelry for Rosalie, or something he’d grabbed on impulse to meet a purchase minimum. I looked at that cheap brooch and smiled. “Thank you, I love it.” Adrian looked at my compliant appearance and smiled with satisfaction. “Glad you like it. There’s a social event in a couple days. Wear it there.” He thought I was so easy to fool. One piece of candy and I’d wag my tail and beg. He didn’t know that this obedient canary was sharpening her teeth, preparing to bite through the final chain. At the auction cocktail party, the lights were dizzying. Rosalie, holding champagne and wearing sky-high heels, walked up to me, her voice loud enough for the entire venue to hear. “Oh my, that brooch you’re wearing today is really… unique.” She bent down, exaggeratedly staring at the few-dollar crystal brooch on my chest as if she’d discovered a new world. “This material doesn’t look like diamonds or crystal, but more like… glass? Adrian really is something, letting you wear this kind of thing out. Isn’t he afraid of embarrassing the Hale family?” The surrounding society ladies immediately gathered around, whispering. The triumph in Rosalie’s eyes was about to overflow. She did it on purpose, wanting to embarrass me in this social arena, to confirm the rumors that I’d fallen out of favor. I didn’t defend myself. I just instinctively covered my chest and glanced at Adrian in the distance. “This is… a gift from Adrian.” My voice was soft, with a trace of trembling.

Aria’s POV Adrian was being surrounded by a group of people when he heard the commotion and strode over. He glanced at Rosalie, then at the cheap goods on my chest, his brow slightly raised. Rosalie immediately stirred the pot. “Mr. Hale, look at her. How can she wear cheap stuff to this kind of event…” “Shut up.” Adrian coldly cut her off. He walked to my side, put his arm around my shoulder, his gaze sweeping the entire venue, his tone supremely arrogant. “This is last year’s one-of-a-kind piece from an independent European designer. In this circle, taste matters more than price. Some things aren’t fashionable just because you’re covered in logos.” The tide turned. The society ladies who’d been covering their mouths and laughing moments ago immediately changed their tune. “I knew it! That cut is obviously extraordinary, so clear and transparent.” “Mr. Hale’s taste is truly impeccable. The design is so strong.” Rosalie’s face turned red. The hand holding her wine glass froze in mid-air, so embarrassed she wanted to find a hole to crawl into. Adrian glanced at her coldly. “Aren’t you going to apologize?” Rosalie bit her lip, her eyes reddening, reluctantly lowering her head to me. “I’m sorry. My mistake.” My fingers gently stroked that crude fake crystal, suppressing the urge to laugh. “It’s fine.” Adrian was satisfied with my magnanimity, even more satisfied with the face he’d just gained from that protective display. He didn’t know that his arrogance was the best medicine. He’d personally stamped that fake with his approval. From now on, no one would ever suspect I’d sold the real diamond. In the stretch limousine on the way back. Adrian was in a good mood, unusually holding my hand. “You performed well tonight.” He probably thought that recently I hadn’t made a fuss, had obediently put away the multi-million dollar pink diamond, wore cheap junk without complaint, and even helped him save face in front of outsiders. This was the result of domestication he wanted. The car stopped at the villa entrance. Adrian instructed the head bodyguard. “Lower tomorrow’s security level. Mrs. Hale is going to the private hospital for a checkup. No need to follow into the examination room, just wait downstairs.” The head bodyguard nodded. “Yes, sir.” I sat in the shadows, my heart racing wildly, yet I still nodded. “Thank you, honey.” He’d personally unlocked the cage door. At home, Adrian went to the office for a meeting. Only a few cleaning servants remained in the house. I opened the deepest hidden compartment of the safe and took out a divorce agreement. I’d signed it three months ago. I placed it on the bedside table, under the velvet box containing the fake crystal brooch. Anyone lifting the box would find it. Next, I took out my phone. I deleted every cloud backup and wiped all message histories with the nanny. Finally, from the inner pocket of my wallet, I drew out a single photograph. A blurred silhouette, taken in secret on the day Wesley was born. I kept the photo close to my body. I looked around the room I’d lived in for five years. No trace of Aria remained. The wardrobe was filled with haute couture that belonged to Mrs. Hale. The vanity was crowded with luxury skincare that belonged to Mrs. Hale. None of this had anything to do with me anymore. Because I was leaving.

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Before I stepped into Dubois pack territory, my grandmother gave me her final warning. “You have one year. You must marry your fated mate, Alpha Caleb, and let him mark you!” But I waited from age eighteen to nineteen, and he still refused to mark me. After my ninety-ninth plea, his patience finally snapped. He unchained a death row prisoner and said, “You want me to mark you? Fight him. If you win, I’ll mark you!” I glanced at the prisoner, a rogue twice my size. I didn’t hesitate. I charged. Caleb’s expression darkened instantly. In the end, he stared at my blood-soaked body, his voice a roar of pure fury. “Mia, you’re pathetic! Would you truly die just to be Luna?” I couldn’t tell him the truth. He didn’t know that if he didn’t mark me before my nineteenth birthday, I would die! And now…I only had three days left! When the rogue snapped my arm, every wolf warrior watching held their breath. “No one is allowed to help her!” Caleb blocked a warrior who tried to rescue me. “She asked for this!” But when the rogue’s claws were about to tear open my throat, Caleb’s own hand shot out and tore the beast’s heart out in one brutal motion. Then he took off his jacket and threw it at me. “Put this on.” Only then did I realize my clothes had been completely shredded by the prisoner. My bleeding breasts stung in the cold wind. Caleb frowned in disgust. “Crazy! That prisoner killed three wolf warriors! Just to force me to mark you, you don’t even care about your own life?” I laughed bitterly. I was only doing this to survive-I had no choice. The wolves around me mocked me too. “She’ll do anything to become Luna!” “But with that flat body, even if she strips naked, Alpha Caleb wouldn’t be interested, right?” Caleb’s face looked terrible. His Beta stepped forward, eyeing me lewdly. “Mia, I don’t mind your flat body. Come with me instead. I may be just a Beta, but my bedroom skills are amazing. I’ll make you feel so good.” I put on the jacket. These insults made my wounds hurt even more. I said, trembling, “No, only Alpha Caleb can mark me. Otherwise…” But before I could finish, Caleb interrupted impatiently. “You want to bring up that curse again? You think I’d believe such lies? An Omega like you who doesn’t even have a wolf has no right to be my Luna. I love Elizabeth! Once you’re healed, we’re doing the rejection ceremony!” Everyone thought I was lusting after Caleb’s good looks and Alpha status, but I truly just wanted to survive. Grandma said that if he didn’t mark me before my nineteenth birthday, I would die. Now I only had three days left. My survival instinct made me swallow my pride. I grabbed Caleb’s arm and continued begging. “Alpha Caleb, you said if I beat the prisoner, you would mark me. You can’t go back on your word.” Caleb shook off my arm and sneered. “But you didn’t win! If I hadn’t pitied you and helped you, you’d be dead right now.” I wanted to argue more, but Caleb ignored me completely and turned to his men. “So annoying! Didn’t you guys want to go to the bar for drinks? There are lots of hot girls there lately. Are we going or not?” Several wolf warriors answered eagerly. “Yes, let’s go!” In moments, everyone was gone, leaving me sitting there in defeat. Because I had no wolf, my healing ability was slower than even the lowest-ranking werewolf. By the time darkness fell, I finally had enough strength to drag myself step by step toward Caleb’s estate. After I confirmed Caleb was my mate, I’d been living there. But he didn’t like me. If it weren’t for our mate bond, he would have kicked me out long ago. He’d suggested rejection multiple times, but I refused every time. I used to think that as long as I gave him my heart within that one year, I could eventually win his love. Now it seemed there was no hope. The twenty-minute walk took me a full hour today. When I got back to my room, I finally collapsed and passed out. When I woke up, it was already afternoon the next day. I’d been unconscious for over ten hours, and Caleb never once came to check on me.

The next morning, I had a fever. Because Caleb didn’t like me, none of the servants at the estate respected me either. I could only drag myself up and go to the fridge for ice water. The burning in my throat eased slightly. Just as I was about to crawl back to bed for a nap, the door was kicked open violently. Caleb stormed in with a group of people and yanked me off the bed. “Mia, hand it over!” I was confused. “Hand what over?” Caleb looked at me with disgust. “Give back Elizabeth’s ring. It’s a keepsake from her mother. You’re crazy to even steal that!” Elizabeth stood beside him, her eyes red. “Mia, I know you’re jealous that Alpha Caleb loves me, but that ring is very important to me. Please give it back.” I found this absurd. “I don’t know anything about any ring. I didn’t steal it.” Seeing me deny it, Caleb’s face turned completely dark. “You kept staring at that ring at the dinner party. It must have been you who stole it!” I recalled last week’s banquet. I thought it was an engagement ring Caleb had given Elizabeth, so I couldn’t help glancing at it a few times. Just because of that, he was certain I stole it? I drew a sharp breath, swallowing the sting behind my nose. “I’ll say it one more time. I didn’t take it.” Caleb’s friend let out a derisive snort. “Why waste words on a wolfless Omega? Just search her.” Caleb’s glare bore into me, cold and final. “You brought this on yourself. Search her.” I was still feverish and couldn’t stop them. Soon my room was turned upside down. I didn’t have much-just a few changes of clothes and the wedding dress Grandma had sewn for me before she died. Before I came to Dubois pack, she’d held my hand and said, “You’ll be the most beautiful bride in the world in this dress. But I probably won’t live to see you wear it.” When they pulled out my wedding dress, they immediately started mocking it. “Typical low-class Omega. She hasn’t even been on a date with Alpha Caleb and she’s already prepared a wedding dress.” “This sloppy handiwork looks like my maid’s apron. How embarrassing to treasure something like this.” I wouldn’t let them insult what Grandma made for me! I lunged forward to grab it. “Give it back!” But they tossed the dress back and forth, toying with me like a cat. Just as I was about to touch the hem, Caleb grabbed my arm roughly and stopped me. “If you want the dress, hand over the ring!” I trembled with rage and slapped him across the face. “I told you I didn’t take it! Why won’t you believe me?” Meeting my reddened eyes, Caleb’s movements paused, and a flicker of doubt crossed his expression. At that moment, Elizabeth suddenly began sobbing softly. “It’s all my fault for being useless and losing Mom’s keepsake. Mom in heaven must be blaming me too.” The doubt in Caleb’s eyes vanished instantly. He held up the wedding dress and threatened me. “Hand over the ring, or I’ll tear this dress to shreds! And I’ll kick you out of Dubois pack and make you a rogue!” “Dubois pack won’t shelter a thief.” I knew he meant every word. But I’d never even seen that ring. Where could I possibly find one to give him?

I was nearly in tears from desperation. “Alpha Caleb, I won’t force you to marry me or mark me anymore. But please give me back the wedding dress!” They were doing all this to force me to give up on Caleb. I’d satisfy them. But Caleb’s face only grew darker. “Still won’t hand over the ring? Looks like you need to learn a lesson.” I instantly understood what he intended to do. My face went pale. “No! Caleb, please don’t do this!” Caleb just stared at me coldly and tore the wedding dress to shreds with force. Pain made my whole body shake. I lunged forward trying to salvage the dress, but Caleb’s men pinned me down. The wedding dress became complete tatters. My heart shattered with it, and tears fell silently. Caleb looked down at me. “That’s your punishment. Hand over the ring!” I gritted my teeth and glared at him. Elizabeth looked at me smugly, then spoke up. “We’ve searched everywhere… Could it be on her body?” My heart sank. Caleb narrowed his eyes, agreeing with Elizabeth’s suggestion. “Mia, hand it over yourself. Don’t make me search your body.” I couldn’t suppress my rage any longer and shouted, “I’ve never even seen any ring! Kill me if you dare!” Elizabeth pretended to persuade Caleb. “Forget it. I know Mia is your mate. If you really strip her and search her body, you’ll definitely feel bad for her.” Caleb’s men were unhappy hearing this. “But that’s your mother’s keepsake! She chases after Alpha Caleb every day. She’s already so shameless-does she care about dignity?” Elizabeth gave me a triumphant smile. I glared at her furiously. “Bitch! You’re framing me!” My insult toward Elizabeth enraged Caleb. “Mia, you asked for this.” Then he told his men, “Strip her clothes off and search thoroughly. Don’t miss a single spot!” The moment he finished speaking, several hands reached toward me. I could only hug myself helplessly. “Get away! Don’t touch me!” But Caleb’s Beta pinned me firmly to the bed so I couldn’t move. Those wolf warriors tore at my clothes while groping my body, even roughly squeezing my breasts. I felt sick with nausea. Just as their hands were about to reach my private area, I started screaming. Caleb, who’d been standing aside, suddenly shouted, “Stop!” I held back tears and grabbed the torn fabric from the floor to cover myself, glaring at Caleb. “Are you satisfied now? Get out! All of you get out!” Caleb moved his lips as if to say something, but swallowed it back in the end. His Beta shrugged and said, “Maybe she’s hiding it in her most private place…” Caleb glared at him. “Enough! Shut up!” Elizabeth noticed Caleb softening toward me slightly and shot me a vicious glare. Then she took Caleb’s arm and said, “Forget it. If she really likes that ring that much, I’ll just give it to her as a gift.” They finally left. The moment the door closed, I finally broke down sobbing. To survive, I’d tried everything to marry Caleb and get him to mark me before turning nineteen. But he humiliated me like this. I didn’t want to continue anymore. In the two days I had left, I would live for myself. I gathered up the wedding dress fragments and stuffed them into my suitcase. It only took half an hour to pack all my belongings. As I passed Caleb’s study with my suitcase, I heard Elizabeth’s fake apology inside. “Alpha Caleb, I just remembered-I had the maid put the ring away a couple days ago.”

“It’s my fault. I’ll go apologize to Mia now so she doesn’t get angry with you.” The fire in my chest flared up instantly. I clenched my fists, ready to burst in and demand an explanation. Caleb’s cold voice came out first. “It’s not your fault. She shouldn’t covet things that don’t belong to her.” That fire deflated like a punctured balloon. I quickly blinked back the tears in my eyes. Caleb was right-I was the fool. I shouldn’t have come looking for him. The conversation continued. Caleb’s friends mocked me as usual. “Caleb’s right. She keeps pushing Caleb to mark her, but we all know Caleb loves you.” “Mia is so annoying. Caleb’s tried to reject her several times, but she never agrees. She brought this on herself.” “She loves Caleb so much that even if we wronged her, she wouldn’t bear to leave.” I knew that in their eyes, a wolfless Omega like me was completely unworthy of Caleb. At first, when Caleb learned I was his mate, we’d shared one passionate night. The way he’d looked at me then-like I was a goddess, like I was prey-was full of desire. He’d pinned me to the bed and taken me all night long. But when he woke the next morning, he was like a different person. “Get dressed and get out! Elizabeth is coming soon. Don’t let her see you!” Later I learned that before meeting me, Caleb had always had a childhood sweetheart. That wild night between Caleb and me was just the physical attraction between mates-there were no feelings involved. But I refused to give up. I shamelessly insisted on staying at his estate, even if only as a maid. Now, with two days left until my nineteenth birthday, I didn’t want to force it anymore. I’d let him be with his true love. When I left Dubois pack, I was penniless. I found an abandoned hunter’s cabin in the forest. That night, I had the same dream from my childhood again. When I was little, I wandered into a witch’s territory and stumbled upon her just after her werewolf lover had abandoned her. She hated all werewolves, so she cursed me. I had to complete a marking ceremony with my mate before turning nineteen or I would die. Two agonizing days passed. On the morning of my nineteenth birthday, I still clung to a sliver of hope: maybe the witch had lied. That night, I didn’t dare sleep. I waited until dawn. Just when I believed I was safe, a violent pain seized my heart. My vision blackened. I collapsed onto the bed. I coughed up blood, great choking mouthfuls of it. I was dying after all. Just before consciousness slipped away completely, the cabin door swung open. There stood a massive silver wolf. Those green eyes stared at me unblinking. “Mia, I’ve finally found you.”

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My VP office was handed over to the new intern, Owen Miller, by my wife. Owen posted a photo of my office on SnapChat, with a caption: “So grateful for Ms. Sterling’s trust! I’ll work hard and live up to expectations!” I immediately called Sophia. “Why is my private office being occupied by an intern?!” Sophia’s voice was slurred, clearly a little drunk. “Honey, it’s just an office. You’re not even using it right now, are you?” I didn’t back down. “Get Owen out of my office. Ten minutes. That’s all you’ve got!” Sophia didn’t reply. Two minutes later, Sterling Group’s most critical contract was abruptly terminated. If someone wants to challenge my authority, I won’t hesitate to let Sterling Group go bankrupt. Sophia’s calls started hammering my phone, one after another. I let them ring, waiting until the fifth before I finally hit ‘answer.’ Her enraged yell practically tore through the receiver. “Liam Blackwood, are you insane?! That was a two-hundred-million-dollar project! You know the product launch is next week—calling it off now will ruin the company! All this… for one office?!” Five years of marriage, and this was the first time she’d ever blown up at me, all because of some other man. I took a slow sip of my whiskey, feeling the burn as it slid down my throat, a cold dread seeping into my core. “This isn’t about the office.” “Sophia, I want that office back to exactly how it was, down to every single one of my awards and trophies. Don’t even dare move a single thing. Otherwise, Sterling Group will lose even more.” Silence on Sophia’s end for a few agonizing seconds. “You have five minutes left,” I said, my voice ice-cold, and hung up. Two minutes later, she sent me photos. The office was pristine, every single item returned to its exact spot. I immediately called the project lead and rescinded the termination order. But then, I sent Sophia a photo of my own. It was a shot of her home office. Everything cleared out. Gone. Including her most prized possession, that priceless antique she’d just won at auction. The next photo? A close-up of that very antique, smashed to smithereens on the floor. “Sophia, this is your punishment. You know my temper. Don’t test me again.” No reply from her. I knew she was furious, but I was even angrier. Our marriage began as a strategic alliance between our two corporations. Five years ago, she needed Blackwood Industries’ overseas network; I needed Sterling Group’s domestic manufacturing. A corporate marriage of convenience, naturally. It just made sense. No grand, passionate romance. Just a rational, mutually beneficial partnership. “Liam,” Sophia had said before our wedding, her hand in mine, her eyes firm and sincere, “we won’t just support each other in business. After we marry, I’ll trust you, and I’ll respect you.” “I appreciate your honesty, Sophia. I hope for a productive partnership,” I’d replied with a smile. Over five years, we’d gone from strangers to partners, from respect to reliance, and then, a gentle warmth, a nascent love. We’d shared countless nights, wrapped in each other’s arms after draining business dinners. This year, we’d finally had a baby. The perfect testament to our love, and I’d truly believed our bond was unbreakable. But now, Owen’s arrival had shattered every bit of understanding and trust we’d painstakingly built.

Sophia didn’t come home that night. I knew she was using it to express her anger and resentment. The next morning, I took off my leg bandage and went straight to the office. Employees glanced up, surprise flashing in their eyes, then quickly offered polite greetings. “Mr. Blackwood, aren’t you still recovering from your injury? Why are you in today?” a young receptionist asked, her concern clear. “Some things need my personal attention.” With a curt nod, I headed straight for the executive floor. But the moment the elevator doors opened, I heard laughter spilling from Sophia’s office. Through the half-open door, I saw Owen. He was sitting right next to her. Sophia’s eyes were sparkling with laughter, a stark contrast to the icy demeanor she usually reserved for other assistants. Normally, she never allowed anyone but me to linger in her office, let alone see such a tender expression on her face. Yet here she was, practically pressed against Owen, both of them chatting away like old friends. Owen was wearing a designer suit. The exact style I’d admired months ago, the one Sophia had mentioned getting for me. It wasn’t just expensive; it was a limited edition, only five pieces ever made, worldwide. And now, it was on an intern. I pushed the door open. Their laughter died an abrupt, unnatural death. Sophia’s smile froze on her face. “What are you doing here?” Owen scrambled to his feet, pasting on a respectful expression. His voice, syrupy soft, addressed me. “I heard you just had surgery, Mr. Blackwood. Shouldn’t you be resting at home? Why the sudden visit?” I scoffed. “Who gave you permission to meddle in my affairs? And which idiot hired this disrespectful waste of space?!” Owen’s fake smile shattered, his mouth gaping uselessly. “Take that suit off. Now.” The temperature in the room dropped to absolute zero. Owen’s eyes widened, his lips trembling in disbelief. He looked at Sophia, his gaze openly pleading. I turned to Sophia, my eyes like chips of ice. “Explain why my suit is on him.” Sophia’s brow furrowed, her voice sharp with impatience. “Owen was being talked about by a lot of colleagues after the office incident yesterday, so I gave him a small compensation.” She then looked at me, dismissively, “It’s just a suit, Liam. I’ll get you a better one later.” “Compensation?” I scoffed. “This suit might not be a fortune to us, but it’s still one of only five haute couture pieces in the world. What rank does Owen have to deserve wearing something like this? Besides, yesterday’s mess was his own fault for not knowing his place. Sophia, have you forgotten your place? Have you forgotten who I am? Who gave you the right to just hand out my possessions like they’re nothing?” Owen’s face went ghost-white at my outburst. He stammered, “I’m… I’m sorry, Mr. Blackwood. I didn’t know it was yours…” “Now you know. Take it off. Right now.” Sophia, seeing me cut Owen off and still relentless, finally snapped. “Liam! That’s enough! We have a project to discuss. Don’t make a scene here!” My heart sank. She never, ever raised her voice at me in the office. Yet now, she was breaking that rule for Owen. And Owen? Seeing Sophia stand up for him, he subtly let out a relieved breath. “Project? What project?” “The Thompson Group partnership. Owen and I were just about to leave.” Sophia tugged at her cuff, her tone even more impatient. “Assistant Miller has been a huge help on this, so I’m bringing him along to the meeting.” I raised an eyebrow, a sardonic smile playing on my lips. “Oh? I didn’t realize an intern had so much pull he could influence decisions at a publicly traded company?” Sophia’s face was thunderous. She grabbed her bag and motioned for Owen to follow. “Let’s go. Don’t waste any more time.” As they brushed past me, Owen shot me a smug, triumphant smirk, his eyes glinting with pure provocation. Sophia, you asked for this. If you insist on defending Owen, then don’t expect me to hold back. After they left, I pulled out my phone and dialed Mr. Thompson’s private number. “Mr. Thompson, it’s Liam Blackwood. Regarding the partnership Sophia Sterling was scheduled to discuss today…”

An hour later, I got a call from Sophia. She was furious, her voice practically roaring. “Liam, what the hell are you trying to do?! Mr. Thompson not only publicly humiliated Owen, calling him a kept man, a boy toy who slept his way to the top! He also said Sterling Group owes its existence to you, claiming I’m taking advantage of your recovery to run off with other men, that I’m ungrateful and disloyal! You put him up to this, didn’t you?!” I chuckled softly. “Sophia, I can’t control what people think or say. If there’s truth to it, others will see it for themselves.” “Owen was too humiliated to stay, and the deal fell through. Happy now?” “Ecstatic. You both got exactly what you deserved!” After hanging up, the rage in my chest finally began to cool. Shortly after, Mark, my assistant, texted me with an update. Owen’s humiliation had spread through the entire company. When he returned, colleagues openly pointed and whispered about him. Some even confronted him, calling him arrogant, manipulative, and talentless, claiming he’d only gotten ahead through dirty tricks. Everything on his desk had been dumped in the trash. He screamed, hoarsely protesting that he wasn’t that kind of person, begging them not to treat him like this. But no one in the company was listening. Who would stick their neck out for an intern against the Vice President? Everyone was ready to kick him while he was down. I’d seen this kind of thing countless times. Owen was just getting what he deserved. A mere intern with no background, no real talent, thinking he could skyrocket to the top just because Sophia gave him a little attention? What a joke! Humiliated and enraged, Owen submitted his resignation. Since he hadn’t even been officially onboarded, HR approved it without a second thought, practically instantly. Owen had brought this entirely upon himself. Who told him to be so arrogant, coveting a position—and a woman—that weren’t his? Sophia finally managed to appease the Thompson Group after their disastrous meeting. But when she returned to the office, only to find Owen gone for good, her face went utterly black. When she finally came home that evening, I was putting Leo to bed. The little guy’s face was so chubby, his nose and eyes exactly like Sophia’s. She stood in the nursery doorway, her expression terrifyingly grim, yet she deliberately kept her voice low. “Owen did nothing wrong! He’s just a hardworking kid, and now, because of you, he’s lost his job and his reputation is ruined!” Her voice was a hiss. “Liam, you need to rein in your spoiled brat tantrums!” I silenced her with a look, gently placing my sleeping son back in his crib. After closing the door behind us, I finally spoke. “Sophia, I’ll say this one last time: I did not instigate Owen’s humiliation or his resignation.” Even though I told myself it didn’t matter, the fire and distrust in Sophia’s eyes still made my heart ache. “Honestly, Sophia, ask yourself: how many rules have you broken for Owen? Your tacit approval, your indulgence, that’s what made him think he could get away with anything.” “Owen and I are completely innocent!” Sophia shot back, agitated. “Innocent? Would you give him something that originally belonged to me? Would you let him move into your office? Don’t forget, the last assistant wasn’t even allowed to bring a temporary chair into your office for a meeting! But now, for Owen, you’re constantly breaking your own rules, even glaring at your own husband for him!” I stepped closer to Sophia, towering over her, my voice low and deliberate. “Sophia, I admit, I did love you. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have married you, wouldn’t have given you my child. But you also know, I, Liam Blackwood, don’t tolerate a single speck of dust in my eye. I won’t stand for even a hint of betrayal or deceit.” My gaze hardened. “If you dare cross that line, even if it’s just emotional wandering or ambiguity, I won’t hesitate to find a new mother for my son!” Sophia’s face was ashen. She spun around and stalked off to the guest bedroom. But I knew. This argument, for all its heat, was over. She’d go to the guest room, calm down, and by tomorrow, we’d make up and move on. That was the unspoken agreement we’d had for five years, the way we handled our marriage. Except, all our previous arguments had been about business or family. This—this quarrel over romantic feelings—this was a first. And it would be the last.

The next morning, Sophia’s phone rang bright and early. Owen’s name flashed on the screen. She hesitated for a moment, then answered. Owen’s voice, choked with sobs, spilled from the phone. “I… I really don’t know what to do…” “Slow down. What happened?” Sophia asked, her brows furrowed, her voice unexpectedly gentle. “I’m being cyberbullied! My photos are all over the internet, and everyone’s calling me names, saying I’m a kept man, that I slept my way to the top! I’m so scared, I can’t even leave the house…” Owen’s voice trembled, filled with terror and helplessness, faint sobs punctuating his words. Sophia’s face contorted, a literal fire burning in her eyes as she glared at me. “Don’t panic. Stay home, don’t move. I’ll handle it right away.” The news of Owen crossing me had already spread like wildfire through our industry circles. Even without my explicit instruction, our partners would actively jump to do things like this just to curry favor with me. I’d checked the online situation that morning; it wasn’t nearly as severe as Owen claimed. But I had to admit, his vulnerable, pitiful act had perfectly triggered Sophia’s protective instincts. Sophia’s fury erupted the moment she hung up. She slammed her phone onto the table, her eyes red, demanding, “Liam, what the hell do you want?! Owen is gone from the company, gone from us. Why are you still targeting him?! You’ve become so malicious! Abusing your power and influence as the CEO’s husband, just to wreak havoc!” I slammed my own coffee cup down, not backing down an inch. “Sophia, I told you, I did nothing.” “Who in this entire company doesn’t know he crossed you? Who else but you would do something like this?” I scoffed. “Sophia, in all these years, have you ever known me to do something and not own up to it? You’re repeatedly questioning me, over and over, all for some intern. I think he’s completely blinded you!” Sophia’s face was livid. She spun around and stormed out, the door slamming shut behind her. I slowly, methodically, wiped my mouth. Watching her retreating back, a flicker of profound disappointment ignited in my eyes. That afternoon, I was scrolling through social media. To my surprise, the overwhelming deluge of negative posts about Owen had vanished. In their place was an official statement from Sterling Group. It claimed Owen possessed exceptional talent and had joined Sterling Group solely on his merit. The statement sternly declared that Sterling Group would not tolerate malicious rumors about its employees and would pursue legal action against anyone spreading false information online. My phone screen lit up with a new message notification. It was Mark. “Mr. Blackwood, Mrs. Sterling just did more than have the legal department issue a statement. She publicly announced that Owen is returning to the company immediately as her Chief Secretary. Anyone caught spreading rumors, gossiping, or badmouthing him will be fired on the spot!” Mark continued. “Now the whole company is buzzing that Mrs. Sterling and Owen have an ‘unusual’ relationship.” Immediately after, Mark sent another screenshot. It was from Owen’s SnapChat. “The storms of the workplace are behind me! True talent always shines through the fire, and my hard work has been recognized! Thank you, Ms. Sterling, for believing in my abilities!” The post included a photo of an official offer letter. He was being rehired as Sterling Group’s Chief Secretary, with a salary on par with a Vice President. I stared at that sickening SnapChat post, then slammed my phone onto the table, pure murder flashing in my eyes. Not long after, Sophia came home to retrieve some documents. She didn’t even spare me a glance. She walked straight upstairs, grabbed something from her office, and was about to leave. I tapped my fingers lightly on the coffee table, stopping her. “Sophia, what is the meaning of this?” She paused, turning a cold gaze on me. “Owen is just a diligent, hardworking employee. Yet, for no good reason, you targeted him, drove him out of the company, and even cyberbullied him!” Her voice hardened. “I’m simply rectifying your mistake, Liam. This is what Owen deserves.” “What if I demand you fire him?” “Then go ahead and try! I’ve tolerated your every whim and let you abuse your power to hurt others all these years, out of respect for you as my husband! But I’m utterly fed up with your behavior now. This time, I won’t sacrifice Owen, and I won’t let you run wild anymore!” Sophia turned and left, the slamming door echoing through the entire villa. In that moment, I was utterly, irrevocably disappointed in her. Five years of marriage, of knowing and supporting each other, fractured like this, all because of a man who’d only been in our lives for two weeks. I sat on the couch, anger and disappointment a bitter knot in my chest. The glass in my hand shattered, shards digging into my palm, blood trickling down. I forced myself to calm down. Sophia, you will absolutely pay for what you’ve done today!

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Ryan Miller broke his leg in a car accident while picking up my new car. By the time I rushed to the hospital, Chloe, the owner of the car dealership, was already yelling at me. “How could you make Ryan pick up your car? If you weren’t so lazy, he wouldn’t be hurt!” Her voice was sharp, laced with an arrogant dismissal, as if she were scolding a subordinate. Not just me, but all our friends and family who came to visit Ryan were stunned. Ryan looked at her with a fond indulgence, then turned to soothe me. “She’s just very direct, don’t take it to heart.” I scoffed, turning to the woman who owned the dealership. “This is the second time your dealership has made such a basic mistake. If I don’t get a satisfactory explanation within three days, just wait for it to go out of business!” The girl’s face went pale. She looked at the man on the hospital bed, silently pleading for help. Ryan’s expression shifted slightly. “Evelyn, it was my operational error. It has nothing to do with her. I’ve already handled the accident.” I raised an eyebrow, looking directly at Ryan. “What about my car now?” Chloe winced at my coldness, her voice suddenly rising. “Ryan’s in the hospital, and all you care about is the car? Do you even have a heart?!” “You must be Chloe, right?” I looked at her with a blank expression. “First, that car is worth eighteen million dollars. It’s a global limited edition.” “Second, Ryan is my legal husband. Is there a problem with him picking up my car?” “Lastly…” I paused, my gaze falling on her hand, tightly clutching Ryan’s hospital gown. “You’re just a university student Ryan sponsored. By what right are you standing here questioning me?” Chloe’s face flushed red. She instinctively loosened her grip but still tried to argue. “I, I’m just worried about Ryan! You could have picked up the car yourself, but you had to make him go. Now that something’s happened, you haven’t even shown an ounce of concern…” I glanced at a message from my assistant on my phone and sneered. “You should worry about yourself more. The car damage estimate is in. The initial repair cost is estimated at three million dollars. Credit card or cash?” Chloe’s legs buckled, and she swayed. She glared at me, stubborn and furious. “Three million? This is extortion!” Then she looked pitifully at Ryan. “Ryan…” Ryan propped himself up, wincing as he aggravated his wound, pressing his fingers to his temple. “Evelyn, she just graduated. How could she have that much money? It was my mistake in the first place. I’ll pay for it.” I looked at him, my voice dripping with sarcasm. “Ryan, you always being the protector of delicate women, huh? Isn’t gifting her a whole car dealership enough?” Ryan clearly hadn’t expected me to know about that. His expression froze. Chloe lost her earlier bravado, biting her lip as she explained. “Evelyn, take it out on me. Don’t blame Ryan. He just took pity on me, that’s all.” Ryan sighed, waving Chloe away. “This has nothing to do with you. You should go home first.” Chloe lowered her head, walking towards the door, glancing back repeatedly with reluctant steps. Just as she reached the exit, she quickly turned back. She pressed a beautifully decorated glass jar into Ryan’s hand. She looked up, her eyes wide and shimmering, holding a soft, pleading vulnerability that could melt anyone. Anyone watching would have believed these two were more than just friends. Chloe pursed her lips, leaving with lingering reluctance. As she passed me, she murmured. “Evelyn, it was my work mistake. The car wasn’t properly inspected before I let Ryan drive it away, and then the accident happened. Please don’t misunderstand, that jar contains paper stars I folded myself, wishing for Ryan’s leg to get better quickly.” The car wasn’t properly inspected? But the dealership had explicitly called me to pick up the car. That last time the brakes failed, was that also because it wasn’t properly inspected?

“Evelyn, I’ve been meaning to talk to you about the dealership.” Ryan’s voice pulled me back to reality. Only the two of us were left in the hospital room. He smiled, carefully placed the glass jar, and reached out to take my hand. “She just graduated, and it was her birthday. It was just a little gift. My CEO wife isn’t jealous, is she?” He spoke nonchalantly, as if the car dealership he’d given away was a mere insignificant plush toy. I turned my body, avoiding his touch. “You like women like that?” The atmosphere suddenly fell silent. Ryan’s face shifted slightly. He rubbed his temple. “I didn’t tell you because I was worried you’d overthink things.” “Chloe and I are innocent, we…” “I don’t care.” I interrupted him indifferently. “I may not have caught you red-handed in the act, but I, Evelyn, don’t tolerate any dirt in my eye. Ryan, you’d better put away any inappropriate thoughts, don’t force me to tear things apart.” Ryan looked up, staring at me in disbelief. “You don’t trust me?” I looked down at him, my eyes calm and still. My silence was the most direct answer. He was about to say more when his phone by the bed rang at just the right moment. The name “Chloe” on the screen was particularly jarring. Ryan hesitated before answering the call. Chloe’s soft, frail voice immediately floated through the speaker. “Ryan, is Evelyn giving you a hard time? Even if she’s angry, don’t argue with her, okay?” “I made some soup, but I’m afraid Evelyn will misunderstand, so I won’t bring it to you myself.” In two sentences, she managed to appear well-behaved and considerate, while subtly hinting at her closeness to Ryan. I stood still. Ryan glanced at my expression and hung up the phone. I sneered inwardly, too tired to continue this charade with him, and turned to walk out of the hospital room. “Evelyn!” Ryan quickly called out to me. “Are you really mad?” “I promise I’ll stay far away from her, and never contact her again. Please don’t be so cold to me, okay?” “My leg hurts…” I tilted my head slightly, my voice devoid of any warmth. “If your leg hurts, call a doctor. I have things to do at the company. Get some rest.” Walking out of the hospital, the cold wind on my face slightly quelled the anger simmering within me. I pulled out my phone and called my assistant. “Look into Chloe thoroughly. I suspect she was involved in the previous brake failure incident.” After my last car maintenance, the brakes failed midway, and I swerved into a median strip, narrowly avoiding a major accident. That evening, the regional manager of a high-end jewelry store, sent by Ryan, personally delivered dozens of priceless jewelry pieces for me to choose from. “Ryan is truly good to you, Ms. Harper. Such doting affection, it’s truly enviable.” I scanned the jewelry, finding it only ironic. “Don’t you know that on the night a man cheats, he’ll repeatedly tell his wife ‘I love you’ to alleviate his guilt?” Ryan thought I was just throwing a tantrum, like those socialite wives who, upon discovering their husband’s infidelity, would cry, make a scene, and finally accept jewelry and designer bags to smooth things over. But he forgot who I was. Evelyn Harper. The sole heir of the Harper family. I took over the family business at eighteen and dominated on Wall Street by twenty-two. At twenty-five, I returned home and entered a business marriage with him, not because I couldn’t live without him, but because of our families’ long-standing friendship, And because he promised me lifelong devotion and fidelity. How ridiculous. In just five short years, he had completely forgotten those vows.

The next day, I received a SnapChat friend request from Chloe. The message read: “Evelyn, I wanted to explain about your car maintenance.” That day was incredibly busy. I had meetings all day and then rushed to catch a flight for my uncle’s birthday dinner in the evening. It wasn’t until I landed that I found time to accept the request. Chloe immediately sent a voice message, essentially saying that the temporary worker who serviced my car had gone missing without explanation and couldn’t be contacted. I didn’t reply to her. When I returned, I accidentally swiped into her Ins feed. Her latest post was from half an hour ago. The photo showed Ryan sitting on the sofa in our villa, drinking soup. In the background, I could see the high-priced oil painting I had acquired at auction, and the custom Italian handmade rug. Even more jarring was Chloe wearing my favorite pajamas and slippers. She was smiling brightly, leaning close to him, holding up her phone with one hand and making a peace sign with the other. The caption read: “Finally able to take care of you when you’re sick, even though I’m misunderstood. But the innocent will always be proven innocent. Homemade bone broth, hope you get better soon.” I took a screenshot and sent it to Ryan. “Living in my house, wearing my clothes, getting intimate with my husband–is this your idea of ‘innocent’?!” Ryan instantly replied. “Evelyn, Chloe got her clothes dirty making soup for me, so she just borrowed yours temporarily. She was only being kind, don’t overthink it.” I scoffed. “Only being kind?” “I bet making soup was fake, and secretly moving in to steal my man was real. Wearing my clothes to play innocent, what, do you think squatting in my home will make you the official lady of the house?” “Can you stop being so harsh?” Ryan’s tone changed. “You’re never around, and she specifically came to take care of me. Can’t you show a little understanding?” “Evelyn, you weren’t like this before. Why have you become so bossy and unreasonable now?” I looked at the screen and laughed in anger. Bossy? Unreasonable? When Miller Group’s funding chain broke, it was my assertiveness that led my team to work overtime for a month straight, helping him secure crucial investments. When his father was gravely ill, it was I, the “unreasonable” one, who put aside several hundred-million-dollar merger cases to stay by his bedside in the hospital for half a month. He used to say he admired my power and decisiveness in the workplace. Now, with a gentle and thoughtful “little angel” by his side, he found me bossy and harsh? Because my aunt insisted I stay longer, it wasn’t until the third day that I caught the earliest flight home. The fingerprint lock hadn’t been changed, but my fingerprint had been deleted. I stood at the door and rang the doorbell. It was Chloe who opened the door. This time, she was wearing Ryan’s shirt, the hem just covering her thighs. Her hair was wet, as if she had just showered. “Evelyn?” Her voice was surprised. “Why are you back? Ryan is still sleeping…” I cut her off. “Can’t I come back to my own home?” “Move!” “I didn’t mean that.” She stubbornly blocked the doorway. “But Ryan is still resting, and Evelyn seems upset. I’m afraid you’ll disturb him…” I couldn’t be bothered with her nonsense. I simply pushed her aside. “Get lost!” Ryan was woken by the commotion and emerged from the bedroom, leaning on his crutches. Seeing the tense atmosphere, he frowned. “What’s going on?”

Before Chloe could speak, tears streamed down her face. “Ryan, I’m so sorry. You were so tired last night, I just wanted you to sleep longer, I didn’t mean to offend Evelyn.” She sobbed, trembling, like a helpless little rabbit that had been horribly bullied. Yet, her earlobes were conspicuously red. Ryan cleared his throat, then spoke. “Evelyn, you’ve really misunderstood Chloe. Apologize to her.” I ignored him and sat on the sofa. I looked up and noticed that the photo frame with my and Ryan’s picture on the display shelf was gone. In its place was the glass jar filled with paper stars Chloe had folded by hand. On the coffee table were scattered pieces of underwear that weren’t mine. “No wonder you tried to stop me from coming in. Ryan, you two really know how to have fun.” Chloe cried as she bent to pick up the underwear. “These are mine, I, I just washed them, and was just drying them here…” “Drying them in the living room?” I scoffed. “Can Ryan, with one broken leg, still satisfy you so well?” Chloe’s face instantly flushed crimson. She stammered. “Evelyn, you, you really misunderstood. I, Ryan and I, didn’t do anything.” “Enough!” Ryan glared at me impatiently. “Evelyn, do you really have to say such vulgar things to humiliate her?” “She’s just an innocent young girl, not like you, with a mind full of schemes!” I looked up at him. “What have I schemed?” “You scheme to embarrass her, to ruin her reputation, to make me obey you, and revolve around you forever!” Ryan grew more agitated as he spoke. “Yes, I let her stay, but nothing happened between us!” “She took care of me, and I’m grateful to her, it’s that simple! Why do you always think the worst of people?” “Whether people are dirty or not, I’m not interested.” I pulled out a document. “But what I am interested in is that six months ago, you used Miller Group’s funds and resources to open a car dealership for her, investing twenty million dollars, yet you marked it as ‘public welfare investment’.” “Ryan, did you get board approval? Embezzling company funds to support a mistress, how does that charge sound?” Ryan’s face turned ashen. “You investigated me? She’s not a mistress!” “Then what is she?” I stood up and walked over to Chloe. “Miss Chloe, tell us, what are you?” Chloe bit her lip. “I, I just admire Ryan and appreciate his help, so I came to take care of him for a couple of days…” “Admire him so much that you wear my clothes and sleep in my bed?” I pointed to the slightly ajar master bedroom door. “Ryan, I saw with my own eyes both of you coming out of the master bedroom. How do you explain that?” Ryan gritted his teeth. “Believe it or not, Chloe slept on the floor to take care of me. We didn’t do anything!” “I don’t care if you slept together or not.” I put away the document and placed a divorce agreement on the coffee table, my tone leaving no room for negotiation. “Ryan, sign the divorce agreement, and transfer the ownership of the car dealership back to the company. Property will be divided according to our prenuptial agreement, and we can end this gracefully.” “Otherwise, I will sue you for embezzlement and marital infidelity, and report you to the board. Do you think those old sharks will miss the chance to kick you out?”

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My uncle had no children and had long since made a will leaving me his massive fortune. But after his funeral, when I returned to his mansion, a strange man burst in, claiming to be my uncle’s legal heir and demanding I leave. “All of Benjamin Clark’s assets are to be inherited by me. Leave immediately!” I didn’t believe him at all and dismissed him as a lunatic, but then he produced a will. Looking at two identical wills, I immediately called the lawyer. After carefully comparing them, the lawyer looked at me and shook his head regretfully. “Mr. Turner, your will has been invalidated.” My head exploded. Before I could react, Logan Hayes had already sat down on the sofa and found the cigars my uncle had hidden underneath—cigars only he and I knew about. He lit one with practiced ease. I stared intently at the familiar yet strange outline behind the swirling smoke and asked in disbelief: “Who the hell are you?” Ever since my uncle was diagnosed with lung cancer, his doctor strictly forbade him from smoking. All the cigarettes in the house had been confiscated. Only my uncle and I knew about this hiding spot. So how did this guy know? The man across from me showed no expression and pointed at the name on the will. “Can’t you read? My name is Logan Hayes. I’m the legal heir to Mr. Benjamin Clark’s estate. Now, can you please leave?” “Impossible!” My voice nearly cracked with strain: “Your will must be forged! I demand the lawyer verify its authenticity!” Attorney Morrison examined it carefully once more and nodded solemnly. “This will is genuine and valid. Mr. Hayes is indeed the legal heir.” My expression froze instantly. I shook my head in disbelief. “How can this be real? I’m Uncle Benjamin’s closest family. How could he possibly leave his fortune to you, a complete stranger?” Logan looked at me with a slight smile. “You’ll have to ask your uncle about that—why he left his massive fortune to me, a stranger, instead of to you, his nephew who was like a son to him.” I stiffened, clutching the will tightly. My uncle never married and treated me like his own child. I grew up by his side. He sent me to the most expensive private schools and provided me with the best living conditions. Before I even graduated college, he brought me into the company to learn the business and taught me how to manage it. Despite strong opposition from others, he left everything to me and nothing to his other relatives. This caused him to become estranged from his family. My uncle loved me so much—there was no way he would leave his inheritance to someone I’d never even met. Something was definitely wrong here. I gradually calmed down and looked at the lawyer. “I want to see the video of the will signing.” For will notarization, at least two notaries, lawyers, financial officers, and doctors must be present. This ensures the testator is mentally sound, acting voluntarily, and that the will truly reflects their wishes. My uncle must have been coerced. I stared at Logan, trying to find even a trace of panic on his face. But he remained calm and pulled up the video of the will signing. I watched the entire video without blinking once. My uncle was clearly lucid throughout. He even pressed so hard when signing his name at the end that he tore through the paper. My head was buzzing. How could this be? I grabbed Attorney Morrison by the collar and glared at him. “You tampered with the video, didn’t you? Your last name is Morrison, his is Hayes? Did you two conspire to steal my uncle’s inheritance?” Morrison’s expression changed, but he remained polite. “Mr. Turner, I understand how you feel, but this was Mr. Clark’s own decision. If you have doubts, I suggest you call the police or pursue legal action. Violence won’t solve anything.” I released him and immediately called the police. When the police arrived, they tested the video and confirmed it was original footage with no cuts or AI manipulation. They also investigated and found that Attorney Morrison and Logan Hayes had no family relationship whatsoever. The two had never even been in contact before—today was their first meeting. I was completely stunned. What had gone wrong? My uncle had made a will in my favor just a month before his death. Why would he suddenly change his mind? The police officer looked at my unwilling face and spoke in a tone half-educational, half-mocking: “Young man, look for the reason within yourself. You must have been ungrateful. Never mind your uncle—even if it were your own father, if he’s dissatisfied with you, it’s his right to leave his assets to whomever he wants.” A crack suddenly exploded in my mind. Father? I suddenly looked at Logan. A terrifying thought began growing wildly in my head.

I was forcibly evicted from the mansion I’d lived in for over twenty years. As I left, when no one was looking, I took the remainder of the cigar Logan had been smoking. Once outside, I rushed to the hospital and took my uncle’s stored blood sample to a DNA testing center. The wait for results was agonizing. My uncle had lived a clean life. Despite his vast wealth, he never indulged in excess. Apart from necessary social obligations, he lived more ascetically than a monk. I racked my brain but couldn’t imagine him having an illegitimate son. But if not, how else could I explain why he changed his will to favor Logan? After an excruciating wait, the results finally arrived. The moment I saw them, I froze completely. The words “Biological paternity excluded” were like sharp daggers piercing straight through my heart. My uncle had actually left the massive fortune he’d worked his entire life to build to a complete stranger with no blood relation? I couldn’t understand it. I really couldn’t. Did my uncle have some weakness Logan was exploiting? But the police investigation had shown Logan was just an ordinary employee. What leverage could my uncle possibly have that Logan could exploit? Unless… they had that kind of relationship? Combined with my uncle’s aversion to women, it didn’t seem entirely impossible. I was nearly stunned by this thought. My mind was in chaos. Should I just watch the fortune that was within my grasp slip into someone else’s hands? Let my uncle’s life’s work be inexplicably stolen? After sitting dazed for a long while, I picked up my phone and called a private investigator I knew. “I need you to investigate someone named Logan Hayes. Everything from birth until now—everyone he’s met, bank transactions, every detail. The more thorough, the better. And fast.” After hanging up, I found a five-star hotel to check into. When I tried to pay, the “card frozen” notification echoed particularly harsh in the empty lobby. I’d forgotten that my cards were all secondary cards linked to my uncle’s account. Now that the assets had gone to Logan, he would have frozen my cards immediately.

I had no choice but to return to the old house my grandmother had left to my mother. I only had a few dollars left in my wallet—not enough to cover next semester’s tuition, let alone basic necessities. I sat in the spotlessly clean house, feeling a pang of sadness. My uncle and my mother were twins. When I was two years old, a car accident took both my parents’ lives. The siblings had been very close. My uncle never had the heart to sell this house and often came to clean it himself. He said this place held my mother’s presence. My uncle never married so he could care for me, raising me like both a father and mother. He treated me so well—why would he leave his inheritance to someone else? I refused to accept it and watched the will-signing video over and over, feeling like something was missing. My hand paused. My pupils suddenly contracted. I knew what it was—my great-uncle Marcus was missing from the video as a witness. Marcus was the most respected elder in my maternal family. At the time, my uncle had explicitly stated that the will would only be valid if Marcus witnessed it. I quickly found the video of when my uncle first made his will in my favor—Marcus was clearly present in that one. I jumped up excitedly, eager to expose Logan’s true face. I soon returned to the mansion. After breaking through the door and trying to rush inside, I was stopped by the butler. “Young master, this is no longer your home. If you cause trouble again, I’ll call the police.” Seeing the butler, who used to care for me warmly, now so cold, my heart ached. I explained: “I’m here to see Logan about something. Let me in.” “Our master has already retired for the evening. If you have business, come back tomorrow.” I checked the time—it was only a little past 8 PM. Young people’s nightlife hadn’t even started, and he was already asleep? Just like my uncle’s elderly person’s schedule. I waited at the door all night. The next morning around 7 AM, Logan came out of the mansion in my uncle’s Maybach. I stopped him. “Logan, I can prove you’re not the legal heir. Come with me right now to see Marcus!” Logan looked at me with a half-smile and readily agreed. “Fine. I’d also like to see what proof you have that I’m not legitimate.”

When we arrived at Marcus’s house, I asked urgently: “Marcus, did you know my uncle left his inheritance to this man? You’re not in the video of his will signing. Tell me—it’s fake, right? He forced my uncle to do this, didn’t he?” Marcus looked at me with surprise. “Of course I knew. Your uncle told me. I was supposed to be there as a witness, but I had a car accident on the way. I broke this leg. But before my surgery, I recorded a video testimony. Didn’t they show it to you?” Only then did I notice Marcus’s leg was wrapped in bandages. Marcus found the video and showed it to me. It was brief but clearly stated the authenticity of the revised will. I was completely dumbfounded. My eyes darted back and forth between Marcus and Logan. Had Marcus been bribed by Logan? I asked almost without thinking: “Marcus, did he bribe you? How much did he give you? How can you do this to my uncle? How can you face my deceased parents?” Marcus’s expression darkened, his tone no longer kind. “Xavier, what are you talking about? This is my first time meeting Logan! At my age, what would I need that much money for? This was all your uncle’s own decision!” “No! My uncle wouldn’t abandon me!” I spun around and grabbed Logan by the collar, glaring at him. “Who are you really? Why did you make my uncle willingly leave his inheritance to you? Tell me—what did you use to threaten a dying man into giving you his estate?” A crack finally appeared in Logan’s consistently calm expression. “Enough!” He forcefully pried my hands away. “If not for the fact that you’re Benjamin’s family, I would have called the police on you long ago for this harassment. Keep pushing, and I won’t be polite anymore!” Marcus also tried to persuade me: “Xavier, I know this is hard to accept. Your uncle must have had his reasons. You’re still young—your future achievements may not be any less than your uncle’s. Why do this?” “Why do this?” I looked at him incredulously. “This isn’t ten thousand or a hundred thousand—it’s a massive fortune, my uncle’s life’s work. Haven’t you ever wondered why he suddenly changed his mind right before dying? What leverage does he have over you both?” Marcus’s face completely darkened. “Wonder what? Xavier, your uncle has passed away. I hope you’ll respect the deceased’s wishes!” Logan let out a cold laugh. “All this is just to say your uncle and I had some kind of illicit relationship, isn’t it? Xavier Turner, he was your own uncle. How can you slander him like this?” My face flushed red with the embarrassment of being exposed. The servants and family doctor nearby looked at me with contempt. “Says all these nice things, but he’s just bitter about being cut out. For money, he’ll even call his own uncle a pervert. Shameless!” “If you ask me, his uncle must have seen long ago that he’s an ungrateful wretch. That’s why he didn’t leave him the assets. Doesn’t he have any self-awareness?” “Mr. Clark raised him for twenty years, like his own father, and now he’s being slandered even in death. What a waste.” “Bah! Money-grubbing, ungrateful scum. Get lost—don’t dirty our floor!” A servant with a broom swept frantically at my feet, driving me toward the door. Endless humiliation and grievance surged up. My eyes reddened as I looked around and spoke with a choked voice. “I’m not doing this for the inheritance! I just want to understand why my uncle did this. Was he in some kind of trouble? Was I not good enough? Were these twenty-some years of father-son love all fake?” “Even if the truth is that it was my uncle’s own decision, I’ll accept it willingly. I just don’t want to live in such confusion and helplessness!” Tears fell despite my efforts to hold them back. Marcus limped over to me and looked at me with a helpless sigh. “Xavier, don’t overthink it. If your uncle didn’t love you, why would he have set aside a large trust fund for you?”

I froze suddenly, remembering what my uncle said to me on his deathbed. “Xavier, I’ve bought you a large trust fund. Don’t touch it unless absolutely necessary. The password… only the heir knows…” I was too grief-stricken at the time to pay attention to what he meant. I thought my uncle was worried I might mismanage the company and was leaving me a safety net. Thinking about it now, my uncle had been prepared all along. I shot a piercing look at Logan, my tone carrying desperate determination. “Logan, one last time. Come with me to the bank and prove to me whether you’re really the heir or not!” He gazed at me for a long time with complex emotions, then snorted softly. “Fine. I’ll go with you. But if it’s proven that I am the legal heir, you, Xavier Turner, from now on, are never to appear before me again!” I nodded without hesitation. “Deal!” We arrived at the bank and found the trust department manager. The manager carefully brought out a safe deposit box and explained: “This box contains the trust fund documents that Mr. Benjamin Clark purchased for Mr. Xavier Turner during his lifetime, along with a trust fund card. Only the heir knows the withdrawal password and the box password.” He politely gestured to Logan. “Please, Mr. Hayes.” Logan walked to the safe. He turned his head left to look, then tilted it right, making sure no one was behind him. He extended his left hand, raised his pinky finger, and pressed his index finger on the keypad. The password lock emitted beeping sounds. Everyone’s hearts tightened with each increasingly rapid beep. My palms were drenched in sweat. My heart felt like it would leap from my chest. I kept silently repeating the words “incorrect password” in my mind. I couldn’t be wrong. My uncle must have had unspeakable difficulties. This Logan Hayes must be a fake heir. My uncle loved me. Soon. The truth would be revealed soon. The fraud would be exposed. Uncle, I can protect your life’s work for you… As the last digit was entered, the air seemed to freeze completely. Everyone held their breath, afraid of missing the most exciting part. With a final beep. The safe door clicked open. My blood instantly froze. My ears rang with buzzing. Around me, flattering words about how Mr. Hayes was indeed the heir, please take care of us Mr. Hayes, reached my ears in fragments. And I stood there like a joke, being pointed at and gossiped about. “Crazy for money. Even after the law certified Mr. Hayes as the legal heir, he refused to believe it. Now he’s completely humiliated, isn’t he?” “Must have done something terrible—killed his parents, and now even his own uncle doesn’t want him. Karma!” “Just doesn’t have that destiny. Why fight it? Accept your fate!” I stood there petrified, trembling all over. Why was this happening? How could this be? Marcus testifying for someone he’d never met, my uncle’s desperate determination when signing, giving him the most secret password. All the evidence proved Logan Hayes was the legal heir. Who exactly was Logan Hayes? No! I must have missed something. My mind was a complete mess. Just then, the private investigator sent over Logan’s background report. I opened it and looked up sharply, staring intently at Logan. “Logan Hayes, I know who you are now!”

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My estranged billionaire parents finally came to pick me up. I was on a live stream, dancing, my hair a riot of colors, clad in micro-shorts and fishnets. Just as a viewer was about to send a donation, Tiffany yanked the internet cable. “Have you been whoring yourself out for cash all these years?” she sneered. My parents, hearing this, looked at me with open disdain. My idiot brother, Chad, then lunged, grabbing at my fishnets. “You’re absolutely sickening! How could I possibly have a sister like you? You’re a disgrace!” Not a single cent earned, I was seething. My hand flew up, delivering a stinging slap to each of their faces. “Seriously?! How else do you expect me to pay for Ivy League tuition? Do you have any idea how hard I fought to get into that school?!” A beat of stunned silence hung in the air before Tiffany and Chad burst into sharp, mocking laughter. “You? Ivy League?” “Hahahahahahahahahahaha!” Tiffany’s face was practically splitting from laughter. She clung to Eleanor, my mother, her nose in the air. “Do you actually think Ivy League is like a convenience store, you can just waltz in whenever you feel like it? Chad even had to donate a million dollars to the school just to get in.” “And you?” Tiffany scrutinized me from head to toe, her eyebrows scrunching in contempt. “Someone like you… you’d probably struggle just to get into a community college.” I’m naturally hot-headed; I can’t stand being insulted. I started to roll up my sleeves, ready to slap her again. But a strong hand from behind me yanked me back. “Enough!” A deep, commanding voice boomed, silencing everyone present. It was Mr. Sterling, the renowned billionaire. I’d only ever seen him on the news, never imagining he could be my biological father. His face was grim, his icy gaze fixed on me. His tone was thick with undeniable distaste and aversion. “Delusions need to have their limits. What Ivy League student looks like you?” Just two sentences extinguished the spark of familial warmth that had just begun to flicker within me. A gentle voice spoke next, my mother, Eleanor. “We know you’ve suffered, but one must not lie.” She gave me a quick once-over, then gingerly handed me a credit card. “Use this money to buy yourself some presentable clothes first.” She paused, then added, “Nothing too revealing, you need to be modest. And dye your hair back to its original color, then find a place to shower. After that… after that, you can call me. We’ll leave it at that for today, we’re heading back now.” With that, she handed me a business card and, without a backward glance, looped her arm through Tiffany’s and walked away. The early autumn wind was sharp, cutting across my face like a slap. I’d fantasized countless times about reuniting with my family. But I never imagined that I, a self-reliant, academically excellent, well-rounded student, would be met with such contempt from my own parents. They didn’t even believe I’d gotten into an Ivy League university. Not a single word of welcome, no desire to let me into their home. Tears traced paths down my cheeks. I quickly wiped them away, taking a deep breath. It’s fine. Recognize me or not, I’ve raised myself well enough. I can walk my own path from now on. I crumpled the card she’d given me into a ball and tossed it aside. Then, I found an ATM and drained the entire hundred thousand dollars from the card. I found a place to settle down and immediately started looking for a proper part-time job. A hundred thousand dollars wasn’t a huge sum, nor was it negligible, but I still needed to save more. I hustled through the streets, but by evening, I hadn’t found a suitable job. As I sat on the curb, feeling defeated, that extended limousine silently glided up beside me again. My idiot brother, Chad, poked his head out. “Picking up clients on the street, are we? Be careful, the cops might catch you. If they do, the Sterlings won’t be bailing you out.” I instantly exploded. I grabbed a water bottle from the roadside and hurled it at his face. “What about you?! Are you out looking for prostitutes? You sound so familiar with it, you must do this a lot!” Before I could finish, two burly men suddenly appeared behind me, lifted me, and shoved me into the car. Inside, my father, Mr. Sterling, looked at me with a cold face. “I never imagined you’d stoop to such depravity. Now, I’m taking you to a hospital to see if you’re still a decent girl!”

I never, in my wildest dreams, imagined that the “hospital” he spoke of would be the basement of the Sterling family mansion. Mr. Sterling, without a word, had his men strip me completely naked, hang me from the rafters, and spray me with a high-pressure hose for an entire hour. Before I could even catch my breath, I saw people bringing in an operating table, and the gleaming leg spreaders made my alarm bells ring wildly. The burly men, without a word, pressed me onto the operating table, my legs firmly secured in the spreaders. A sharp-eyed female doctor, Dr. Holloway, emerged from the shadows. She looked at me with disdain. “The real heiress, getting a body-check on her first day home.” “Tch, if you ask me, you’re just not as good as Miss Tiffany, who was raised in the Sterling family since childhood.” They completely ignored my struggles and curses, shoving the cold, hard instrument inside me. I gasped, sucking in a sharp breath of pain. The doctor, however, gave me a contemptuous look, raising an eyebrow in mockery. “What are you faking? You’re already suffering from cervical erosion, and you’re still trying to act innocent?” Tiffany, who had just stepped into the basement, let out an exaggerated shriek. “Mom! Did you hear that? Cervical erosion!” She tugged Eleanor and Mr. Sterling far away, pulling out a mask to cover her nose and mouth. “Dr. Holloway! You should be careful too! Be careful not to catch a dirty disease!” Dr. Holloway, hearing Tiffany’s voice, immediately put on a gentle, fawning smile. “Yes, yes, Miss. Thank you for your concern.” Then, completely disregarding my grimaces of pain, she roughly finished the examination, throwing a bath towel at me. “Done. Cover yourself. There’s no one here for you to seduce!” Cold, humiliation, and agony washed over me all at once. I shakily grabbed the flimsy towel, wrapped myself, and curled into a ball. I heard Mr. Sterling ask from a distance, “Dr. Holloway, how do we treat this condition?” I wanted to tell them that I’d merely gotten an inflammation from using cheap sanitary pads, and some anti-inflammatories would fix it. But my jaw was chattering so violently, I couldn’t form a single coherent word. “Ultimately, it’s just viruses and bacteria. If you don’t provide them nutrients, they naturally won’t have space to survive.” My heart sank. This doctor was a quack, plain and simple. Who didn’t know basic biology? I tried to stand up to expose her, but I was brutally restrained, dragged into a damp, dark storage room, and locked inside. I overheard their conversation outside. “No food, no water, but she must be disinfected three times a day.” My body violently flinched, remembering the icy, stiff feeling of being blasted by the high-pressure hose earlier. I forced myself up, banging on the door and screaming, but no one paid any attention. They all seemed eager to leave the place, as if I truly carried some infectious virus. For the next three days, they really believed the fake doctor, denying me food and water, only subjecting me to repeated hosing and disinfection. Soon, I was lying in the storage room like a dying dog, barely clinging to life. Tiffany stood before me, arms crossed, a smug smile on her face, enjoying my pathetic state. “Tch, I thought you were so tough. Dared to slap me the first time we met? Now aren’t you perfectly subdued by me?” Suddenly, the scent of food wafted into my nostrils. I laboriously lifted my head, seeing Tiffany holding a tray. “Hahahaha, you really look like a stray dog on the street!” “Want some?” She walked up to me, looking down her nose. “Kowtow to me three times, and I’ll give it to you.” I was sprawled on the ground, too weak to lift my head. Before me were Tiffany’s pale ankles. So I struggled, pushing myself forward, And in Tiffany’s expectant gaze, I opened my mouth and bit down hard on her ankle. A sharp scream pierced through the entire mansion. I heard hurried footsteps, followed by Chad’s furious roar. “Let go of my sister!” Then, a brutal kick landed on my shoulder blade. I cried out in pain, releasing my bite, and curled up on the ground. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Eleanor tenderly cupping Tiffany’s ankle, then shooting me a glance filled with accusation and resentment. “Mom, I was worried Piper might be suffering. I came to bring her dinner, but she suddenly bit me for no reason. Mom, it hurts so much, will I get infected?” The whole family gathered around the slightly red, swollen tooth marks on Tiffany’s ankle. Not a single soul cared about me, emaciated and trembling, on the side. Before they found me, I’d been surviving on one meal a day for two months straight. Now, after three days of starvation, I was even seeing stars. They called an ambulance, and Tiffany was taken away. As Eleanor was leaving, she heard me cough twice. She turned back to look at me, a hint of awkwardness in her gaze. “Go upstairs and find some clothes to wear yourself. I’ll tell the housekeeper to make you a meal.” “Oh, right, don’t wander around, in case you spread your virus to Tiffany.” With that, she left the basement without another backward glance. I couldn’t tell if I was more heartbroken or more utterly speechless. Either way, leaving was now a certainty.

The housekeeper casually found me some ill-fitting clothes. She watched me like a hawk, not letting me wander, especially not daring to let me even step on the stairs leading to Tiffany’s third-floor room. I couldn’t stand this idiotic and cruel family anymore. I found an opportunity to escape. Tomorrow, my mentor, Professor Davies, had a project starting, and he’d specifically asked me to participate. That was why I was so desperate to earn quick money. The project required going abroad, and the expenses would be significant. I couldn’t burden my mentor, who had already helped me so much. But as soon as I escaped, I ran right into the family returning from the hospital. “Why can’t you ever settle down?” Mr. Sterling scowled the moment he saw me, roaring in anger. “I told you to stay home and recover.” “Once you’re free of that dirty virus, we can talk about everything, okay?” I wrenched my arm free from his grip, staring at him coldly. “Since you think I’m so unclean, then why don’t I just leave?” “You never really wanted to acknowledge me anyway.” Mr. Sterling grew agitated, ordering his men to seize me again and drag me back to the mansion. “Any other day, but not today. We can’t have a scene.” “Professor Davies is coming to our house for dinner tonight!” My ears perked up instantly. Professor Davies was coming! This was perfect! Seeing my stunned expression, Chad snorted. “Heh, you still claim you got into an Ivy League? Your cover’s blown, isn’t it?” “You don’t even know who Professor Davies is! I’ll tell you, he’s coming to take me on as his student today!” I grew even more puzzled. Hadn’t Professor Davies told me I was his chosen protégé? Mr. Sterling forcibly locked me in the attic, cautioning me. “Someone as filthy and unclean as you shouldn’t be seen by Professor Davies.” “If we can get involved in that massive project he’s working on, it’ll be a fortune beyond our wildest dreams!” “You understand how important this is, right?” “Don’t you want money? As long as you stay quiet and don’t cause trouble today, I’ll give you twenty thousand.” I remained silent, then agreed. A faint sense of glee bubbled up inside me. I hadn’t realized Professor Davies commanded such respect, making even a billionaire like Mr. Sterling nervous. The attic door was locked. I quietly waited for the commotion downstairs. After an unknown amount of time, a familiar voice drifted up from below. “Mr. Sterling, it’s getting late, I can’t stay much longer.” I immediately sprang up, pulling out the paperclip I’d hidden in my sleeve. In a few quick movements, I picked the lock. I tiptoed downstairs, listening to the Sterlings’ fawning flattery towards Professor Davies, all the while calculating how to make them pay. As I reached the corner of the dining room, Professor Davies’ hearty laughter reached my ears. I took a step forward, about to call out to him, But a pair of hands from behind clamped over my mouth, dragging me into the backyard. Tiffany brutally pushed my head under the swimming pool water. My mouth and nose filled with water. Just as I felt I was about to drown, Tiffany released me. I gasped and choked, coughing violently at the edge of the pool like a half-drowned rat. Tiffany leaned close to my ear, her voice venomous. “You, you will not ruin my life.” “I’m telling you, everything in the Sterling family belongs to me!” “You filthy Trailer Trash Girl, you’d better know your place.” “If this project goes through today, I’ll be a respected heiress nationwide.” “You dirty woman, don’t you dare try to ruin everything for me!” Before I could respond, a familiar voice cried out in alarm nearby. “What are you doing here?!” I struggled to lift my head, seeing Professor Davies standing a short distance away, his eyes filled with concern.

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My husband, Liam Miller, who’s the CEO of his company, pushed me to the floor again as he headed out late with his assistant, Mia Brown. I was five months pregnant. The second I hit the ground, I started bleeding. My abdomen cramped violently—a terrifying sign that I might miscarry. I begged Liam to help me. But he just scoffed and accused me of faking it. “Trying to guilt-trip me with the baby? Have you no shame?” Then he slammed the door and left. The pain was so intense I nearly passed out, but I mustered every bit of strength to call 91 After surgery, the baby was gone. I tried calling Liam, but his phone went straight to voicemail. A little while later, I saw Mia Brown’s Instagram post: “Unforgettable night Can’t wait to do this again soon!” The photo showed clothes strewn across the floor, a couple of used condom wrappers, and a very intimate selfie of her and Liam. As soon as I was released from the hospital, I told my mom, “I want a divorce.” 1. Mom looked at me, her face a mix of shock and relief. She’d never liked Liam, but she knew how much I’d loved him. I never would’ve given up so easily if I hadn’t been completely broken. My dad, who’d spent years climbing the corporate ladder himself, spoke up. “If you’re going to end it, do it properly. It’s always better to part on good terms.” I shook my head, swallowing the bitter taste in my mouth. Just last week, while I was still in the hospital, Mia had posted again. “Spontaneous hot springs trip! Shoutout to Liam Miller for this amazing surprise team retreat~” The photo showed them in matching robes, posed against the steamy backdrop of the hot springs. Mia was practically leaning into Liam’s shoulder, flashing a heart sign at the camera. In the background, I could just make out the private hot spring villa of a fancy resort. I recognized it instantly. Liam was wearing that dark blue robe I’d specially picked out for his birthday last year—the one he’d always called “too flashy” and refused to wear. I called to confront him about it. Liam didn’t even flinch. “Mia’s team hit their performance targets. It was a company team-building trip, and as the exec in charge, I just went as a formality.” “It’s a group thing—good for team morale. Totally normal.” Mia’s sickly sweet voice came through the line, muffled like she was speaking through a cloud of steam: “Liam, I forgot my towel. Can you grab it for me? It’s right on the rack next to you.” Liam calmly replied, “Sure.” Finally, like he was doing me a favor—or maybe just justifying himself—he said, “Chloe, team-building is part of work. Being this paranoid is only going to drive us apart. I brought her along to help her integrate faster. I’m just trying to fix the issues *you* created.” My chest felt like it was being stabbed—this suffocating pain that made it hard to breathe. Even now, he could spin their private hot spring trip into some “team-building” event and blame it all on my so-called “issues.” I texted him a photo of my miscarriage report. His response? Just: “The baby’s gone, whatever. Don’t try to play victim with this.” “At the end of the day, isn’t it your fault for not being able to keep the baby?” It was laughable, really. I’d been five months pregnant, careful with every step. If Liam hadn’t pushed me because of Mia, none of this would’ve happened. But every angry text I sent got blocked immediately. I stared at the failed message notification, my vision going blurry. Liam had blocked me! He was worried I’d ruin their little “team-building” trip. I guess I’d been too easy on him—made him think he could do whatever he wanted and I’d just take it. But he was wrong. No one sticks around forever, holding onto nothing.

After dinner with my parents, I went back to the house Liam and I had shared for three years. The second I turned the key, someone jumped out in front of me, blocking the door. “Master, just tell me what you want and I’ll—” She didn’t even finish her sentence. It was Mia Brown, dressed in a bunny maid costume. She recognized me instantly—or maybe just realized I wasn’t who she was waiting for. I stared at her thigh-high black stockings, her micro-mini skirt leaving almost nothing to the imagination. She was only eight years younger than me, but her youthful energy felt like a direct jab at my supposed “dullness.” “Oh, I’m so sorry… Liam asked me to come over.” “If you’re uncomfortable, I’ll leave right away.” Mia backed up, putting on this innocent act. She turned to leave but tripped over a box. At the same time, someone darted out from behind me, catching her fall with his own body. After making sure Mia was okay, Liam immediately turned on me with a string of accusations. “Chloe! Could you be any more childish?!” “Mia’s just a kid—how could you lay a hand on her?” I watched their little show with icy indifference. “A kid? A twenty-three-year-old kid?” “Liam, what kind of ‘kid’ wears that outfit in someone else’s house? She has no respect for boundaries!” SMACK! Liam backhanded me across the face. “Are you done with your little tantrum?” “Not everyone had your silver spoon upbringing, Chloe—some of us actually had to work for things!” Mia took the opportunity to start sobbing. “I’m… I’m sorry. I really am… so rude…” “But my parents died when I was little… no one ever taught me proper manners…” “The only mentor I had at work… he got transferred recently…” She buried her face in Liam’s chest, body wracked with sobs—but I caught the faint flicker of triumph in her eyes as she glanced at me. “Mia, none of this is your fault. You didn’t do anything wrong…” Liam looked down at her softly, automatically reaching up to wipe her tears. But his hand froze halfway. Like he’d just registered what she was wearing. “Why are you dressed like that…” He didn’t finish the sentence, but his Adam’s apple bobbed. The hunger in his eyes was obvious. Mia loved his reaction. She ducked her head, pretending to be shy. “We have a company team-building gala tomorrow night. This is my costume for it.” “If you don’t like it, Liam, I can take it off right now!” With that, Mia actually started to unzip the costume. Liam stopped her immediately. Their hands touched, and suddenly I was the outsider in my own home. “If it’s for work, then it’s fine.” Liam gave me a pointed look. “Only someone with a dirty mind would see something inappropriate here!” I let out a bitter laugh. Watching Mia’s obvious act, I just felt sorry for the three years I’d wasted on him. Since we got married, he’d touched me less and less—even though I was his wife. I used to think marriage took work. That someday, I could make him love me again. But reality kept slapping me in the face. One affair after another, and now Mia. In his world, I was just arm candy. I tried everything to get close to him. I even wore the outfits my best friend suggested to try and impress him. But he pushed me away every time—looking more repulsed each time. I thought maybe I wasn’t attractive enough. I even took dance classes. But even with my new skills, Liam never spared me a second look. All my attempts to connect with him? He called them “desperate” and “tacky.” Now Mia just bats her eyes, and he’s practically drooling—this same man who couldn’t stand to touch me. In that moment, all my efforts felt like a sick joke. It wasn’t that I wasn’t good enough. I just wasn’t the one he cared about.

“I should probably head back to my place.” Mia pushed Liam away and started packing her suitcase. A few photos “accidentally” fell out. They were explicit shots of them together—posed suggestively, looking at each other like they meant something. I’d begged him for years to take couple photos with me, but he always said he was too busy with work. When I pressed him, he’d call me “childish.” There were barely any photos of us together in this house. Liam snatched up the photos and tucked them away carefully. “It’s too late to go out now—it’s not safe. Just stay here tonight.” Mia glanced at me nervously. “Why are you looking at her? This is *my* house. I can have whoever I want over.” I looked at Liam calmly. “You’re right.” “This is your house.” I should be the one to leave. Besides, I wasn’t planning on coming back anyway. I walked past both of them and went straight to the bedroom to get my stuff. But Liam grabbed my arm. “You’ll sleep in the guest room.” “Mia wants to watch the sunrise tomorrow morning.” Some sunrise, huh? “Fine.” He looked surprised by how calm I was. The coldness on Liam’s face finally softened a bit. He noticed my cheek was still red and swollen. For once, there was a flicker of guilt in his voice. “Wait, let me get you some ointment.” “No thanks.” What was a bruised cheek compared to the hole in my chest? I ignored both of them, grabbed a suitcase, and quickly packed some clothes and essentials. I went straight to the guest room. Everything else could be replaced. Out with the old, in with the new. Liam tried to follow me in, but found the door locked. After knocking a few times, he spoke up—hesitant, like he was testing the waters. “Chloe, you’re not actually mad, are you?” Usually, Mia being here meant a huge fight. But now that I was calm—no tears, no yelling—he seemed nervous. I kept my voice flat, dripping with sarcasm. “Nope. Course not. She’s just your assistant, right? Not your side piece.” Silence hung in the air for a beat. Liam let out a breath, like he was relieved. “Chloe, just hang in there a little longer. I promise I’ll explain everything soon.” Explain? I couldn’t help but laugh. Too bad I don’t care anymore, Liam. “Liam!” Mia’s voice suddenly shrieked from the bathroom. Liam sprinted over, panic in his voice. “What happened, Mia? Did you slip?” “Mia?!” No matter how many times he called, there was no answer from inside. I stared at the closed bathroom door. Liam was so worried he didn’t even notice me standing in the hallway. After a few more unanswered calls, he hesitated for a second. Then he reached for the doorknob and twisted it—it wasn’t locked. The door swung open, and Mia—half-dressed—threw herself at him. She let out this breathy, moaning sound—total fake seduction. Liam tried to push her off, but his hand brushed against her chest. He froze instantly, like he couldn’t resist anymore. Mia got bolder, pressing her body fully against his. “Why? Am I not as good as the others? Not even as good as Chloe?” Liam sighed, trying to calm her down. “Shhh, we’ll talk about this tomorrow, okay?” I watched their shadows merge on the wall. I unconsciously touched my stomach. The incision from the D&C was still sore. If I hadn’t dragged myself to the phone to call 911, I might not have survived. Funny how Mia trips and gets his undivided attention. I let out a bitter laugh and shut my door again.

The next morning, I woke up to an empty house. On the dining table, Liam had left bacon, eggs, and toast. There was a note next to the plate in his handwriting. *Took Mia to the office. Be back later.* I grabbed my suitcase. I dumped the cold breakfast straight into the trash. I also took off the bracelet I’d worn for two years and tossed that in too. It was the only gift Liam had ever given me. A hand-me-down from someone else, actually. I used to treat it like it was priceless. Now it all just felt worthless. When I got home, Mom took my suitcase, her face tight with worry. “Your dad and I just finished going over the divorce papers with the lawyer.” I looked around my childhood home, my throat feeling tight. “It’s all set?” “All set. I’ll go with you this afternoon to get your things. Good riddance to that man.” Tears filled Mom’s eyes as she spoke. I was an only child, spoiled rotten growing up. Before Liam, I’d never had a real problem in my life. Now I was broken because of a guy like him. My parents must have been hurting even more than I was. I reached up to wipe her tears. “Why are you crying? I’m home, aren’t I?” Our house was only a ten-minute walk from the law firm. As we got close, Mom realized she’d forgotten some papers. I told her to go back and get them, then meet me at the firm. But before I even went inside, I saw someone I knew. Mia Brown was practically glued to Liam, grinning like she’d won the lottery. Liam noticed me standing in the doorway. “Chloe, what are you doing here?” “Don’t get the wrong idea. I’m just showing Mia some business stuff.” But the contract in his hand clearly said he was transferring multiple properties to her name. Watching them, I felt absolutely nothing. I kept my voice flat. “Whatever. Carry on.” I didn’t look back as I walked straight into the lawyer’s office. But Liam froze. Watching me leave, he suddenly looked panicked. “Chloe, wait! What are you doing here?”

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With my family’s international business expansion keeping me abroad, I’d been largely absent from North America. Concerned about my single status, Mom insisted I return home to accept an arranged engagement with the son of a local tycoon. But the moment I arrived at my engagement party, I discovered my photo had been replaced with a dog’s picture! Before I could process what was happening, my fiancé’s secretary sauntered over arrogantly and thrust a bag of dog waste into my hand. “What are you staring at? The birthday party starts soon. Go dispose of this.” Clenching my jaw to contain my rage, I demanded, “This is my engagement party. And you expect me to do this?” She brushed off my question with a dismissive wave. “Just do it. Quit wasting time with questions.” “Mr. Carter personally authorized me to run today’s event.” I paused in shock, then pulled out my phone and dialed my fiancé directly. “Kyle, you and the Carters think turning my engagement party into a dog’s birthday bash doesn’t require an explanation?”

This engagement held significant weight for both families’ reputations and future business ventures. My family had approached it with great seriousness. If they’d shown even a hint of remorse, I might have considered damage control for the sake of our families’ standing. “An explanation? What exactly do you expect me to explain?” My fiancé’s voice dripped with disdain over the line. “Mr. Carter, despite our lack of prior acquaintance, I am still intended to be your future daughter-in-law.” “Don’t you find it absurd to have a stranger bring a dog to replace me?” I hadn’t even finished speaking when the line went dead with a dial tone. I stood frozen in disbelief. Do all trust-fund kids have this level of arrogance? Watching this unfold, the secretary let out an audible snort. “Miss Vincent, I’d advise you to just follow instructions.” “Given the Carter family’s standing in Seattle, your marriage to them is practically a fairy tale come true.” Judging by my youth and casual attire, she clearly didn’t take me seriously. “I’m the guest of honor here! There’s no way I’m doing this!” Mid-sentence, I raised my hand and pointed to the nearby staff. “If you keep this up, I’ll have security remove all of you!” My threat to call for help didn’t intimidate her—in fact, it only emboldened her further. “Miss Vincent, I suggest you don’t waste your energy.” “This is Carter property. Do you honestly think anyone in Seattle would side with you?” She grew increasingly worked up,spit nearly sprayed onto my face. I balled my hands into fists, my expression turning icy. “Some petty business family thinks they own the city? How laughable!” The words had barely left my mouth when the secretary suddenly pushed me. “Who the hell do you think you are, you little bitch, insulting the Carter family!” “I’m warning you one last time: cooperate, or you won’t make it out of here in one piece!” Since coming of age, I’d lived at our family’s estate in South America, rarely visiting North America. No one had ever dared to threaten me directly. Her brazen attitude ignited a fire in me. “Is that a fact? I highly doubt it!” My defiance made the staff present gasp. “Whoa, this girl’s got guts! Backtalking Secretary Lisa like that? She must have a death wish!” “It’s just a dog’s birthday party—no big deal. If the engagement falls through over this, she’s the one who’ll regret it.” “Exactly. Bagging a Carter is already a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity—why quibble over details?” As the whispers grew louder, the secretary’s smirk widened. “Hear that? A nobody like you, no connections, no influence—still deluding yourself about being a Carter? Keep dreaming!” Their mockery didn’t faze me—in fact, it was almost entertaining. “Secretary Lisa, was it? I’ll give you one last chance.” “Restore my venue and ceremony to their original state!” “Restore what, you absolute moron!” After hurling insults, she still wasn’t satisfied. Rolling up her sleeves, she lunged at me again. “Oh really?” “The Carter family’s attack dog, ready to pounce at the first command?” The secretary took several swings at me, but couldn’t even touch my clothes. Her face turned red with rage and frustration. “You little bitch—dodge me again, I dare you!” “I’m calling Mr. Carter right now, mark my words!” Despite her repeated provocation, I held back from retaliating. Not because I feared her, but because Mom had warned me repeatedly. “At this engagement party, keep your temper in check. No fighting. And for heaven’s sake, don’t kill anyone.” Besides, I don’t make moves without purpose. I either don’t act at all, or I go all in—no half measures! Seeing my silence, Lisa assumed I was intimidated. She raised her fist and charged at me again. Just in time, a furious shout boomed from the entrance. “Stop!”

A muscular man, flanked by bodyguards, strode in briskly. “Lisa, you’re my personal secretary. How could you brawl with someone in public like this?” “You must be Kyle, my fiancé?” I studied the man before me. I had to admit, Mom had decent taste. Close to six-foot-three, in a tailored designer suit, he was handsome and refined. If I had to criticize something, it was the icy indifference in his eyes when he looked at me. “Mr. Carter. Pleased to meet you. Allow me to introduce myself—I’m Aria Vincent, from…” “Spare me.” Before I could finish, Kyle raised his hand impatiently, cutting me off. “I couldn’t care less who you are.” I almost thought I was hearing things. I was supposed to be his future wife, for God’s sake. The engagement party hadn’t even started, and my own fiancé was publicly humiliating me. Who would put up with that? “Mr. Carter, even if we’ve never met and this is an arranged engagement, it’s still rude to cut me off mid-sentence, don’t you think?” My words made Kyle’s expression darken immediately. “Rude? Look at yourself. Do you honestly think you’re good enough for me?” Kyle gave me a disdainful once-over and scoffed, “Let me make this crystal clear: if my father weren’t forcing this marriage, I wouldn’t waste a second on some foreign drifter with a questionable past!” He suddenly raised his voice, addressing everyone in the room. “And don’t delude yourself that this engagement makes you Carter family. I’ll never marry you—not in a million years!” After Kyle’s outburst, I just shrugged indifferently. “Since you’ve made your feelings clear, I have no interest in forcing this. However…” My tone suddenly sharpened, dropping several degrees in temperature. “I don’t see any reason to continue with this engagement today, do you?” I’d intended to end this civilly, but this arrogant heir wouldn’t listen—he thought I was just playing hard to get. “Vincent, cut the games!” “Do you have any idea how many women in Seattle would kill for this chance?” Instead of getting angry, I laughed. “Mr. Carter, I couldn’t care less about other women’s fantasies. I want nothing to do with you. And this Carter family you’re so proud of… please.” My words sparked immediate murmurs throughout the ballroom. “Unbelievable! She’s actually insulting the Carter heir? She must be out of her mind!” “Right! Kyle Carter is Seattle’s most eligible bachelor. This girl has no idea what she’s turning down.” “If I were her, I wouldn’t care if it was a dog’s birthday party. Marrying into the Carters is all that matters!” The skeptical murmurs continued around me, but I tuned them out. In Seattle, the Carters were certainly considered new money royalty, with business interests up and down the West Coast. But what did all that wealth matter? When faced with real power, it was just a number on a screen. I still remembered watching Kyle’s father, Robert Carter—CEO of Carter Group—groveling before my godfather. Within thirty minutes, Robert was sweating bullets, terrified of misstepping. He had no idea his precious alliance was being destroyed by his own son. “Vincent! I’ll ask you one last time: do you really want to end this engagement?” I met Kyle’s gaze steadily and nodded firmly. “Without a doubt.”

Kyle clearly hadn’t expected such resolve; his face twisted in frustration. Seeing this, Secretary Lisa quickly intervened. “Mr. Carter, don’t worry. I’ll handle this with your father.” “A delusional nobody like her—you’re better off without the hassle!” Kyle nodded slightly, a flicker of doubt in his eyes. “But the invitations went out. Calling this off now could damage the family name.” Before he could finish, Lisa pounded her chest confidently. “Mr. Carter, I’m right here, aren’t I?” Kyle’s eyes lit up instantly. “Lisa, you mean…” The secretary nodded eagerly, practically glowing with excitement. “The party goes on as planned! I’ll be the guest of honor!” Kyle looked ready to hug her. “Lisa… thank you so much for bailing me out!” “Don’t worry—after this, the Carters won’t forget your loyalty!” Watching this display, I let out a cold laugh. “Alright, that’s enough.” “Mr. Carter, now that the party’s all set up, shouldn’t we discuss compensation?” I gestured toward the chaotic ballroom and that ridiculous pet birthday banner. “This engagement was an important agreement between the Vincent and Carter families. You’ve turned it into a farce—how do you expect my family to save face? You owe me an explanation today!” My words triggered immediate laughter from the crowd. “Is she serious? Trying to extort the Carters because her engagement fell through?” “Right! The Carters are loaded. They’d pay her off without a second thought.” I scanned the room, my voice turning icy. “Ladies and gentlemen, my family’s honor isn’t for sale.” Kyle still didn’t grasp the severity of the situation. “So you’re embarrassed? Big deal.” He said, sauntering toward me. “All this posturing—you just want more money, don’t you?” “How much do you want? Ten grand? A million? Name your price.” I clenched my jaw to contain my anger, fixing him with a stare. “Mr. Carter, do you honestly believe money solves everything?” Kyle quirked an eyebrow, looking at me like I was beneath him. “Doesn’t it?” “Listen here, Vincent—this is Carter territory!” “One call from me, and you’ll be run out of Seattle!” I fought the urge to punch him, speaking slowly and clearly. “Mr. Carter, that sounds like a threat.” Before Kyle could answer, Lisa jumped in, eager to defend him. “You bet it is! What are you gonna do about it?” “Go ahead—make a move!” I turned to her, my voice cold and flat. “You actually take pride in being his yes-man?” Lisa’s face turned crimson. She pointed at me, sputtering but unable to form words. Kyle stepped in front of her protectively. “Who the hell do you think you’re calling a yes-man?” “Lisa’s been with me since college. She’s practically family.” “Apologize to her right now, or you’re not leaving this room!”

Two threats in one hour. Unbelievable. No one had dared cross me since I took over the family business. I said nothing more, pulling out my phone in front of everyone. “Godfather, it’s me.” A calm but concerned voice answered. “Aria? It’s late. Is the engagement going well?” I gave Kyle a pointed look, then laughed coldly. “There’s a problem. The Carters turned the venue into a dog’s birthday party and expect me to play along.” The voice on the line turned icy instantly. “What did you say? The Carters dare insult the Vincent family like this?” My anger hit its boiling point. “I wouldn’t joke about this. They also threatened to run me out of Seattle.” I summarized the situation. The line went silent, then came the sound of shattering glass. “Who did this?” Before I could answer, Lisa snatched the phone from my hand. “You must be this bitch’s guardian?” “I’m Lisa, personal secretary to Mr. Kyle Carter of the Seattle Carters. Whatever complaint you have, tell me!” My godfather—who’d never been spoken to like that in his life—paused in shock. “You’re the one who turned my family’s engagement into a dog party?” Lisa, completely oblivious to who she was provoking, kept up her arrogant act. “So what? Cut the crap and tell me what you want!” I could practically feel the godfather’s rage through the phone. “You’ll find out soon enough.” Caught off guard by his tone, Lisa shot back immediately. “Old man, you been watching too many gangster movies?” “I’d like to see who in Seattle has the balls to mess with the Carters!” She hung up and looked at Kyle with a self-satisfied grin, clearly expecting praise. I couldn’t help laughing out loud at the spectacle. “Mr. Carter, you’ve got quite a secretary.” “Not many people in America have that kind of nerve.” Lisa ignored my warning entirely. “Your so-called godfather doesn’t scare me. As long as Mr. Carter’s here, the Carters aren’t going anywhere!” I smiled faintly. “You think the Carters will still exist in Seattle by tomorrow morning?” No sooner had I spoken than someone in the crowd yelled out. “Look outside!” Everyone turned toward the windows. Over a dozen Lamborghini Venenos pulled up silently outside the hotel. Men in black suits poured out in perfect unison.

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Last year, my 400ml donation of O-negative blood saved my boss’s only son. By the hospital bed, Mrs. Thompson didn’t even glance up. “Consider yourself honored to have saved my son.” The entire family crowded around the boy, celebrating. Meanwhile, I collapsed in the hallway from anemia—yet not a single word of concern came my way. A year later, in the dead of night, my phone lit up with 78 missed calls. My boss’s voice boomed in the voicemail: “Liam needs blood urgently! You’re the only one who can save him!” I pressed the record button, then slowly replied: “Last time, I was a fool. This time? I’m not saving a jerk’s son.” My phone buzzed like crazy on the table. Seventy-eight missed calls—all from my boss. I stared at the name, my stomach twisting into knots. It was 3 a.m. I picked up my phone and tapped the latest voicemail. Mr. Thompson’s voice exploded through the speaker. “Why the hell aren’t you answering?!” “My son’s in crisis again!” “It’s cute hemolysis! The hospital says only you can save him!” “Get over here right now!” I listened, stone-faced. My finger slid to the top of the screen and hit record. Memories from last year flashed through my mind, one after another. At the hospital, the sharp smell of antiseptic hung in the air. I lay in the donor chair as they drew blood from my arm. A full 400 milliliters. The nurse said, “Your blood type is extremely rare—O-negative.” I nodded. She added, “You’re saving a child’s life. That’s a true blessing.” I didn’t say anything. Then the blood bag was wheeled away, and the nurse helped me to a recovery area, pressing a cup of sweetened water into my hand. Dizzy and lightheaded, I staggered toward the VIP ward, clinging to the wall for support. Mr. Thompson’s son was in that VIP room. The door stood ajar. Through the gap, I could see them all: Mr. and Mrs. Thompson, both sets of grandparents, clustered around the bed. A pale little boy lay there, my blood flowing into his veins through the IV line. Mrs. Thompson wiped away tears, and Mr. Thompson patted her back. They murmured, “It’s okay now. He’s going to pull through.” The room buzzed with the giddy relief of a crisis averted. No one looked towards the door, no one noticed me. I slid down the wall, too faint to stand, my throat tight with unspeakable words. Through the door crack, Mrs. Thompson’s voice drifted clearly: “Did you take care of that donor?” “Yeah, I gave her some cash. She’s gone.” “Good. Keep her away from us. She’s just an employee—expendable.” “Our son’s life is what matters.” The hallway spun, a high-pitched ring in my ears. I crumpled to the cold tile floor. As my vision faded, I watched the ward door click shut, sealing in their laughter. Mr. Thompson was still screaming through the phone: “What, are you dead? Answer me now!” I took a deep breath, then slowly replied: “Last time, I was a fool. This time? I’m not saving a single soul.”

The line went silent. I tossed my phone onto the nightstand. I flopped back onto my pillow, staring at the ceiling. It was just like this a year ago, when I woke up in that hospital room. The ceiling was white. The sheets were white too. A young nurse sat beside my bed. When she noticed I was awake, she exhaled in relief. “You passed out from anemia. Gave me quite a scare.” I tried to speak, but my throat felt like sandpaper. “Thank you.” The nurse handed me a glass of water. “My colleague found you.” “Your boss’s family is something else, let me tell you.” “Once their kid stabilized, they booked it out of here.” “Left you passed out in the hallway like yesterday’s trash.” I drank the water and slowly sat up. “They… left?” “Yep, zoomed off in their fancy cars. Real picture-perfect family.” The nurse rolled her eyes. “Oh, right—they left this for you.” She took an envelope from the bedside table. It was thin. I opened it. Five hundred dollars. My 400ml of rare, precious blood—reduced to a measly $500. The nurse spotted the envelope and her cheeks flushed with anger. “That’s absolute garbage!” “Your blood type goes for hundreds of thousands on the black market!” “Their family’s loaded, and they toss you a lousy $500?!” I squeezed the flimsy bills, forcing a smile as I stayed silent. My reaction only made the nurse more worked up. “How can you even smile right now?” “You should march right in there and demand answers!” I shook my head. “It’s fine.” What explanation could there possibly be? “It was her duty”—that one line said it all. I stayed in the hospital overnight. The next day, I checked myself out. My body felt hollow, like I might float away when I walked. I took a cab back to my apartment and stayed in bed for three days straight. On the fourth day, the company HR manager called. “You’ve been MIA for three days without filing leave.” “You planning to kiss that perfect attendance bonus goodbye?” I told her I’d been sick. The HR manager scoffed. “Donating blood isn’t an illness, last I checked.” “Mr. Thompson filled me in.” “You gave a little blood. Don’t be so dramatic.” “Get back to work. Your desk is piled high.” The call clicked off. I dragged myself back to the office, still weak as a kitten. My coworkers stared with a mix of pity, judgment, and quiet amusement. That afternoon, Mrs. Thompson showed up. She sashayed into the office in a Chanel suit, Hermès bag swinging from her arm. Heads snapped up. “Afternoon, Mrs. Thompson!” She marched straight to my desk and slammed a fruit basket down. “Donating blood isn’t a death sentence, kid. Enjoy.” With that, she spun on her heel and left. I stared at the basket. Inside: five overripe bananas and two sad apples. Total value? Maybe three bucks. That was her idea of thanks for saving her son’s life.

That month, they docked $1,000 from my paycheck. Three unexcused absences, plus a sick day, they said. And of course, my perfect attendance bonus vanished. I went to HR to fight it, but she just gave me the cold shoulder. “Company policy,” she said flatly. I scowled. “It wasn’t unexcused.” “I was donating blood for our boss’s kid.” The HR manager leaned back, arms folded. “So?” “You chose to donate. No one held a gun to your head.” “The company didn’t fire you for letting personal matters interfere with work. Count your blessings.” She finished and lowered my head, dismissing me with a wave. I stood there, blood turning to ice. Saving his son’s life was just my “personal matter,” apparently. I returned to my desk. I opened my drawer and tucked the $500 and this month’s pay stub together. I also saved a photo of Mrs. Thompson’s fruit basket on my phone. I started packing my things quietly. Mr. Thompson stepped out of his office. He noticed the cardboard box by my feet and frowned. “What do you think you’re doing?” I met his gaze. “I’m resigning.” He paused, then laughed. “You realize how tough the job market is right now?” “This is just a little misunderstanding. No need to quit over it.” I stared at him. “A misunderstanding?” The smile slid off his face. “Fine. Just get back to work.” I placed the last item in the box. Then I looked at him, enunciating clearly: “I’m resigning. Effective immediately.” My voice stayed steady. The irritation on his face finally erupted into anger. “Don’t come crawling back when you regret this!” I ignored him, picked up the box, and walked out of that office for good. Whispers erupted behind me like a wave. I kept walking. The sun blazed outside. I stood outside the office building, looking up, and breathed in the fresh air. For the next month, I took a break from job hunting to brush up on new skills. Later, I landed a new job with an amazing work environment. I’d almost forgotten about that family. Until tonight. Until those 78 missed calls. My phone started buzzing again. I hit decline. I silenced it. Then I tossed it to the foot of my bed. Finally, blessed silence.

The peace lasted less than three minutes. Then my phone started lighting up like a Christmas tree. I watched Mr. Thompson’s name flash across the screen. I answered and hit speaker, making sure the whole call recorded. “You bitch!” Mr. Thompson’s scream shredded the silence. “What was that you just said?” I stayed quiet, listening. On the other end, a woman sobbed and machines beeped frantically. Chaos. Pure, desperate chaos. That desperation felt familiar. A year ago, in that cold hallway, I’d sounded just like that. “You want money, is that it?” “Name your price! How much do you want?!” “Half a million? A million?!” “Just get here and donate, and I’ll wire the money right now!” I finally spoke up. “My blood’s worth a million now?” “Last year it was only five hundred bucks, right?” Dead silence on the other end. He sounded like he was choking on his words. After a beat, he ground out: “That was then!” “This is now!” “Cut the crap! A million—are you coming or not?!” I laughed softly. “Nope.” He was practically foaming through the phone. “Don’t act so high and mighty!” “Do you think I can’t make you disappear in this city?!” I yawned. “Mr. Thompson, don’t you remember?” “You said that exact same thing a year ago.” “And here I am, doing just fine. Remember?” His breathing turned ragged over the line. I knew every word hit him right where it hurt. Because it was all true. He had zero power over me now. Suddenly, someone else grabbed the phone. Mrs. Thompson’s shrill voice cut through: “You heartless bitch!” “How could you do this to my boy?!” I held the phone away from my ear. Her voice was like nails on a chalkboard. “Your memory’s pretty selective.” “Last year, *you* said, ‘She’s just an employee—she should be grateful.’” “Your son’s someone’s child—don’t you think I am too?” “I passed out from blood loss right outside your son’s room. Did any of you even glance my way?” Mrs. Thompson went silent. A venomous quiet took over. I could picture her face right then. Priceless. “That… that was because we were so worried…” Her voice turned wobbly, thick with sobs. “I’m sorry. We were wrong.” “Please, I’m begging you—don’t hold this against us.” “Save my son, and we’ll give you whatever you ask for.” Her little performance just made me sick. I hung up without another word. Then I blocked all their numbers. I tossed my phone aside and settled back to sleep. A few minutes later, a text popped up from an unknown number. “You think this is over?” “I’m warning you—you can’t run.” “I’ll find you, no matter what.” It was Mr. Thompson, of course. I read the text and smiled. Then I blocked that number too. Sweet dreams, Mr. Thompson. Hope your whole family sleeps well tonight.

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My mom was mute, and also, the village’s notorious outcast–publicly branded a tramp. When I was ten, I saw her, clothes disheveled, rushing out of the local bachelor’s shack, clutching two hundred dollars. I hid behind a haystack, watching the village kids pelt her with stones, calling her filthy. She didn’t dodge. She just held those two bills tightly to her chest, her face bloody, and smiled at me. It was from that day on that I never called her “Mom” again. I started studying relentlessly, just to escape this godforsaken valley and never come back. The day I got my college acceptance letter, I thought I could finally be rid of her. But then, the police surrounded our village. I stood behind the crowd, clutching my freshly arrived college acceptance letter. My mom was escorted out by two officers. Her hair was a mess, her shirt collar torn open, revealing a faded, yellowed undershirt. She was still clutching a pair of scissors tightly, blood dripping from the tip. “I told you she was a jinx!” Mrs. Miller from next door spat on the ground, cracking sunflower seeds. “Sure, she was always with men, but killing Mr. Hayes? The town leader? This time she’s gone too far!” “That trash deserves to be executed a hundred times over.” People around us pointed and whispered, their faces alight with the thrill of a spectacle. I buried my head low, repeating to myself over and over. Please don’t look at me. Please don’t recognize me. But that woman, she stopped dead in her tracks. She searched frantically through the crowd, her eyes wide. The moment she saw me, her murky eyes suddenly lit up. Her mouth hung open, and she struggled desperately to reach me. “Ah… ah ah!” The officers yanked her, but she resisted. She tried to reach into her pocket, where she usually hid money. “Settle down!” an officer barked, pushing her into the car. The entire village’s gaze snapped onto me. “Hey, isn’t that Aurora Hayes?” “The college girl, with a murderer for a mom. Can she even go to college now?” I felt a wave of nausea and turned to run. I remembered a similar twilight when I was little. A strange man emerged from her house, adjusting his pants, a satisfied look on his face. He tossed a few crumpled bills on the ground. My mom knelt, picking them up one by one. Afterward, she’d bow low to him, then clutching the money, she’d happily run over, wanting to buy me candy. I didn’t understand. Dad had left her a significant inheritance. Our family wasn’t poor, so why did she do this? Or was it like the villagers said? She was just naturally depraved, incapable of living without a man. I slapped her hand away, and the candy rolled into the mud. “Filthy.” She froze, standing there, bewildered. From then on, I was ostracized at school. My backpack would be stuffed with dead mice, my desk carved with “SLUT.” I never cried. But I blamed her for all the hatred. I studied relentlessly, aiming for the top of my class. I thought, once I got into college, I could fly out of this valley, completely shed this stench of scandal. Just yesterday, I received my acceptance letter to the State University. I thought I had finally crawled out of the mud. But now, she was dragging me back down with her. I looked at the photo of us on the wall. It was taken ten years ago. She was hugging me, smiling so foolishly. I rushed over, ripped the photo down, and tore it to shreds. “Why are you ruining me?!” I screamed at the empty house. “Being a tramp your whole life wasn’t enough? Now you want me to be a murderer’s daughter too?”

The next day, I was taken to the police station. The interrogation room lights were stark white. Across from me sat an old detective, Detective Reynolds, his hair gray, his eyes sharp. “Aurora Hayes?” He flipped through the case file. “The victim, Mr. Hayes, suffered seven stab wounds.” “Each one fatal. His carotid artery was severed.” “Your mom attacked viciously.” I listened, numb. Mr. Hayes was the town leader. He had always treated our family with respect, even speaking up for us when others badmouthed us. I didn’t understand why Mom would suddenly kill him. “What was the motive?” I asked. “She won’t say,” Detective Reynolds lit a cigarette. “She hasn’t uttered a word since she was brought in, wouldn’t even gesture.” “She has only one request, she wants to see you.” Through the iron bars, I saw her. After just one night, she looked ten years older. Half her hair was white, the dried blood on her face had formed black scabs. Seeing me enter, she trembled with excitement, the chains rattling loudly. “Ah ah!” She reached her hand through the bars, trying to grasp mine. Her fingernails were still caked with dry, black blood. I recoiled, stepping back. Her hand froze in mid-air, her eyes dimming instantly. “Why?” I stared at her, not a single tear falling. “Why did you kill him?” She opened her mouth, gesturing frantically. Her left hand shaped like a book, her right hand making a counting money gesture. Money again. School again. But we weren’t short on money. Was she trying to make me feel guilty? My rage exploded. “Money, money, money! Is it really all about money?!” I lunged forward, and through the bars, I slapped her hard. The sharp sound echoed in the interrogation room. She didn’t dodge. The slap landed squarely on her face, splitting the dry blood scab. Detective Reynolds rushed in, grabbing me. “What are you doing? This is a police station!” I shook off the detective’s hand, pointing at the mute woman, screaming hysterically. “Do you really think I didn’t know about the inheritance Dad left?!” “Do you know what the villagers said about me because of what you did?!” “You ruined me!” Sarah covered her face, large tears rolling down. Ignoring the blood at the corner of her mouth, she continued to gesture desperately. First pointing outside, then clasping her hands together, then bowing repeatedly. She was pleading with me, begging me to go to school, begging me to leave this place. Seeing her in such a humble, lowly state, I remembered the men moving on top of her and felt only disgust. “I don’t need your filthy money.” I pulled out the torn half of my acceptance letter from my pocket. In front of her, I crumpled it into a ball and threw it at her face. “From today on, you’re not my mom.” “Whether you live or die, it has nothing to do with me.” She froze, looking at the crumpled paper on the floor, her lips trembling, unable to make a sound. I turned and walked away. “Aurora!” Detective Reynolds called after me. “Your mom, she was protecting her pocket, inside it…” “Throw it away.” I didn’t look back. “Her things, I find them disgusting.” As I walked out of the police station, a heart-wrenching wail came from behind me. “Ah!” I paused, then walked even faster. I told myself, this was her karma.

The case was decided quickly. The evidence was conclusive, and the suspect confessed without hesitation. She even refused the court-appointed lawyer. The day the verdict came down, it was overcast. Aggravated murder, cruel methods, heinous circumstances—death penalty, to be carried out swiftly. I was packing my bags when I received the verdict. Seeing the words “death penalty,” I felt a subtle sense of relief. If she died, no one would know I had a mom who went to jail. The gossip would eventually fade in a few years. I sold the few acres of land we owned. It was good land in the village, but I was in a hurry to sell and got a lower price. Mr. Hayes’s relative bought the land, giving me the money with a look of disdain. “Take it. This is the money she sacrificed her life for.” I didn’t say a word, took it, and put it in my pocket. Nobody wanted the dilapidated house, so I sold everything inside for next to nothing. Pots, pans, old furniture—it all brought in eighty dollars. While tidying the bed, I pried a rusty tin box out from between the bricks under the bed. A rusty mooncake tin. I remembered that box. When I was little, whenever a man came over, she’d put money in it. I’d always thought it was her burial fund. Opening the box, a musty smell wafted out. It was packed full of money. One-dollar bills, five-dollar bills, the largest denomination was only ten. Not a single hundred-dollar bill. But every bill was smoothed out perfectly, stacked neatly by size. Some corners were stained with black coal dust, some with white cement powder. I counted it. Twelve thousand dollars in total. Exactly enough for my four years of college tuition and living expenses. I looked at the money, a mix of emotions churning inside me. Was this what she had saved her whole life? Where was Dad’s inheritance? So many five and ten-dollar bills, how many men did she have to entertain for this? I felt disgusted. I wanted to throw this money away, to burn it. But looking at the empty house, and at the bus ticket in my hand for the provincial capital. I still kept the money. “This is what you owe me.” I said to the air. “You gave birth to me, then ruined me. This is what you owe me.” Before I left, the prison called. They said family members were allowed one last visit before the execution. “I’m not going,” I said into the phone. “I’m busy registering for school, I don’t have time.” There was a long silence on the other end. “Aurora, that’s your own mother,” the officer’s voice was filled with anger. “I don’t have a murderer for a mom.” I hung up, pulled out the phone line, slung on my backpack, and locked the broken door. Under the big old tree at the village entrance, a crowd had gathered. Mr. Hayes’s son sat there crying, cursing as he wept. “A life for a life!” Seeing me, he picked up a stone and threw it. “Kill the bastard!” The stone hit my back. It hurt. I didn’t stop, gritting my teeth, and walked out of that village. It wasn’t until I was on the bus heading to the provincial capital that I finally let out a long, shaky breath. Aurora, you’re free. A month later, I was in the university cafeteria, gnawing on a fried chicken leg. The dorm mother called me, “Aurora Hayes, phone call!” I wiped the grease from my mouth and ran downstairs. It was Detective Reynolds. “Your mom… she’s gone.” His voice was low. “This morning at ten, the execution was carried out.” My hand tightened on the receiver, then relaxed. “Oh, okay.” “She passed peacefully, didn’t suffer,” Detective Reynolds paused. “She just kept staring at the door, her eyes open until the very end.” My heart trembled, but I quickly suppressed it. “Anything else? If not, I’m hanging up, I have class.” “Nothing else.” After hanging up, I stood in the bustling campus. Around me were brightly dressed college students, laughter, and bright sunshine. I touched my meal card in my pocket again. The money in it was earned with her life. But I told myself, it was her atonement. I bought a can of soda, the icy liquid pouring down my throat. I told myself: Aurora, celebrate this new beginning.

Life at college was free of curses, judgmental stares, and no one knew my past. I studied hard, joined clubs, and even got a boyfriend. I felt like I had completely cleansed myself. Until Detective Reynolds appeared at the school gate again. He was in plain clothes, carrying a black plastic bag, shivering in the cold wind. Seeing me, he hurried over. “Aurora.” I frowned, instinctively stepping back, glancing around. Thankfully, my boyfriend wasn’t around. “Why are you here?” I asked in a low, unfriendly tone. “These are your mom’s belongings,” he handed me the black plastic bag. “She clutched it fiercely before she left, wouldn’t let anyone touch it.” “She gestured that I absolutely had to give it to you personally.” I looked at the bag, and said coldly. “I don’t want it.” “Take it.” Detective Reynolds sighed, forcing it into my hand. “It’s a keepsake.” Then, he gave me a deep look, turned, and left. I held the bag, feeling its surprising weight. I walked to the trash can behind the dorm. Opening the bag, a stale smell, a mix of mold and blood, assaulted my senses. It was a padded jacket. Deep blue, an old-fashioned style, the collar worn white, the cuffs patched all over. It was that tattered padded jacket she’d worn for over ten years. I remembered. Every winter, she’d wear this one jacket. Working, sleeping, going out—it was always this one, stained with indelible grime. “So disgusting.” I picked it up distastefully with two fingers. On the front of the jacket, there was a large, dark red stain. It must have been the blood from when she killed Mr. Hayes that day. I remembered her smiling at me, her face covered in blood. My stomach churned again. “Why keep this junk? It’s repulsive.” I raised my hand, swinging the jacket forcefully towards the trash can. There was a piece of wire sticking out from the rim of the trash can. “Rip!” The jacket caught on the wire, tearing a long gash. The cheap, dark cotton stuffing inside wasn’t what came out. “Thud.” A thick wad of something fell from the jacket’s interlayer, landing in the snow. Immediately after, a neatly folded piece of paper fluttered down. I froze. The wad was wrapped tightly, layer upon layer, in plastic. It had come undone, revealing a corner. It was all money. Five-dollar bills, ten-dollar bills, even a handful of coins. Exactly like what I’d found in the tin box. I stiffly bent down and picked up the paper. The paper was heavily creased, still stained with a bit of dried blood. I opened it. It was covered in tiny, crooked words. Like a child’s scrawl, almost illegible. She couldn’t read, much less write. These words, she must have painstakingly copied them from a dictionary in prison. I looked at the first line of words, and I froze, tears instantly gushing out.

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