It was the tenth year of the apocalypse. After countless brushes with death, I finally found my best friend, Ivy Chen, who had been separated from me for years. She had a very capable boyfriend, and their relationship seemed intimate. But then, I saw the comments appear. [Oh, look! The drama queen side character is finally going offline! She’s been clinging to the male lead, causing the main couple’s romance to stagnate. I’m so sick of it!] [Good riddance! She’s lazy and dramatic; people like her don’t deserve to live in the apocalypse.] [Who understands? I wanted to punch her when she forced the male lead to go out at night to find her a face mask…] [Once this cannon fodder best friend arrives, the drama queen side character will quarrel with the male lead multiple times for her, even almost getting the male lead killed. The male lead’s last bit of affection for her will be completely gone.] [Female lead, appear quickly! I love seeing strong, capable women!] The “drama queen side character” the comments were referring to was my best friend, Ivy Chen. And Ivy… she was eventually despised by her boyfriend and became zombie fodder. But, were they perhaps mistaken about something? I’m number one on the ability rankings, you know? No matter how dramatic my best friend is, I can protect her. 1. I was surrounded by zombies, my life hanging by a thread. And to make matters worse, someone was trying to exploit my weakened state to dig out my crystal core and steal my ability. I feigned unconsciousness. The moment the woman approached me, reaching out her hand, a blinding bolt of lightning erupted from my palm. In just one second, the woman ceased to breathe. I pushed her away, tossed her body downstairs to attract the zombies’ attention, then fled in a panic from the other side. … After half a month of escaping, I finally reached another safe zone. My ability was completely depleted, and my physical endurance had reached its limit. I collapsed on the road. In a daze, I heard a familiar voice. “Liam, look, someone’s there!” “Go save her, please! Hurry!” Such a familiar voice… “Ivy! Are you trying to get Liam killed? We just came to the outskirts for supplies! A zombie horde is coming, if we don’t leave now, we’ll all die!” “Exactly, Ivy, you need to pick your moments for drama!” “Liam, you’re really going?! No way… that woman looks dead.” Her companions seemed extremely displeased. I listened to the commotion, struggling to open my eyes. Because I’d heard a familiar name. Ivy. My best friend. I used my last ounce of strength to roll over, propping myself up to look. On the pedestrian bridge opposite, five or six people were watching me warily. The man leading them was well-built, with a strong presence; clearly, an ability user. But I didn’t have time to properly examine him, my gaze fixed solely on the woman nestled beside him. Compared to before, she was a bit darker, a bit thinner. But she wasn’t injured, and she was alive. A surge of immense joy burst within me. I wanted to call out to her, but the next second, I collapsed heavily to the ground, utterly exhausted. Before losing consciousness, I heard Ivy’s desperate shout. “Seraphina!” 2. They saved me. When I woke up, night had fallen. Ivy was hugging my neck, sobbing uncontrollably. “Oh, thank goodness you’re alive! Thank goodness!” I patted her back. Just as I was about to offer comfort, I suddenly saw those strange comments appear in mid-air. I read through the comments again and again, finally understanding the whole story. Apparently, we were in a post-apocalyptic romance novel. Ivy Chen was the “drama queen side character” they spoke of. Dramatic, lazy, and lacking common sense. And my appearance, as the “cannon fodder best friend,” would hasten Ivy’s inevitable demise. The male lead, Liam Thorne, would only feel guilt after Ivy’s death, leaving an emotional wound. This wound would be healed by the female lead. The comments kept scrolling. [I love seeing strong, capable women! The female lead and male lead are a match made in heaven, okay? One has lightning abilities, the other has water abilities. Used correctly, the power doubles!] [Yeah, and what’s even better is that the female lead has psychological trauma from accidentally killing a cannon fodder character. After they meet, they grow and heal together. This kind of storyline is so addictive!] [Female lead, please appear quickly, I really can’t stand this drama queen anymore.] Lightning abilities? I frowned. Like mine? 3. “Seraphina, why aren’t you saying anything?” Ivy, seeing no reaction from me, reached out and pinched my cheek. “Did you get too scared?” I snapped back to reality, looking at her face. Ivy smiled at me, tears in her eyes. That smile was still as pure as ever, just like before… My eyes felt a familiar sting, and I reached out and hugged her tightly. “No, I’m just… too happy.” … I’d always known Ivy had her flaws. Before the apocalypse, her family was well-off, and her parents pampered her like a princess. So she was inevitably a bit of a perfectionist. She liked to eat beautiful food, wear beautiful dresses, and make friends with everyone. Initially, I didn’t like her. Because I was dark-hearted; I envied her. I envied her looks, her family, everything about her. But one day, she walked over to my desk one afternoon. I looked up, bewildered, but she simply held out her hand to me. “Hi, Seraphina. Would you like to be my friend? I think you’re super cool.” Half an hour earlier, I had just been made to stand in the corner for an entire class for talking back to the teacher. She leaned in and whispered, “Actually, I hate Mr. Daniels too.” My heart was dark, and I didn’t dare openly say I disliked her. I just stayed silent. Ivy took my silence as agreement. She clapped her hands. “Great! We’re friends now!” I found her too delicate, crying red-eyed over minor bumps and scrapes. I found her too fussy, discarding anything with the slightest imperfection. I also found her tactless, constantly chattering noisily in my ear. I knew my place. I knew a rich girl like Ivy wouldn’t consider me a real friend… Until the second semester of junior high, when I had a car accident. I was an orphan to begin with, living with my aunt and uncle. When they learned I might never walk again, my aunt and uncle hesitated for a few days before deciding to give up on me and send me to a rural orphanage. At that time, I had lost all hope for life. But I never expected that the ray of light that shone back into my life would be Ivy. She came to visit me. Chattering ceaselessly in my ear. Finally, as she left, she said she would come to see me every day. She didn’t break her promise. For the next three months, she didn’t miss a single day. It was only later that I learned she had taken all the New Year’s money she had saved since childhood and used it to pay for my medical expenses. She argued with my aunt and uncle. Saying I was a human being and shouldn’t be casually discarded. Still so self-righteous… But I, however, began to find her fussiness and self-righteousness somewhat endearing. 4. Ivy and I truly became friends. It could be said that my indulgence and leniency were the main culprits behind Ivy’s dramatic and delicate nature. People who knew us would always say, “Seraphina, just keep spoiling Ivy like this. If she can’t find a partner later, are you planning to support her for life?” I buried myself in writing my business plan, not even looking up. “It’s not out of the question.” Ivy burst into laughter. “Hahahaha, you guys think you can drive a wedge between Seraphina and me? No way!” … My startup had just begun, the company hadn’t found its footing yet, when the apocalypse arrived… Ivy and I got separated while fleeing. I searched for her for a very, very long time. I never expected to see her again, now in the tenth year of the apocalypse. And those so-called comments told me. My best friend, Ivy Chen, was about to go offline. 5. I watched the comments without showing any outward signs of surprise. I pretended to be an ordinary person without abilities, settling down in this safe zone. I gradually came to understand Ivy’s situation. She and Liam truly loved each other, and Liam was willing to tolerate and accommodate her. But her personality and behavior still caused a lot of dissatisfaction among others… I had no doubt that if Liam ever got into trouble, or if he stopped loving Ivy, then Ivy wouldn’t be able to stay in this safe zone. As I pondered, I heard Ivy’s voice from ahead. “Liam, can you please give Seraphina an extra share of supplies? She’s so thin, she must have suffered a lot these past few years.” Ivy’s voice was low. “You know, I’ve been looking for her.” Liam looked a bit troubled. “The supplies we’ve given her are already more than others. Giving her another share might cause resentment.” The comments were cheering. [Exactly! Keep it up, side character, keep being dramatic.] [The male lead is already getting a bit impatient with the side character.] [I can’t wait to see the drama queen side character go offline!] [Agree!] [Same!] My face darkened, and I deliberately made some noise. Liam, hearing the sound, immediately looked over cautiously. Ivy also saw me. “Seraphina!” “Why did you come out?” She scanned me from head to toe. “Are you rested?” I smiled at her. “I’m fine.” On the other side, Liam nodded curtly at me, then turned and left. Liam was extremely proud. In ten years of the apocalypse, he had gradually grown to disdain ordinary people who couldn’t help with anything. Even though I was Ivy’s best friend, he still saw me as useless. After Liam left, Ivy comforted me. “Don’t be mad at him, that’s just how he is. I’ll teach him a lesson later!” Ivy pulled me along to tour the safe zone. She told me about her experiences these past few years. Then she badgered me with many questions. We sat on the bed, chatting late into the night. Ivy grew sleepy and rested her head on my shoulder, falling asleep. The comments were sarcastic. [The drama queen side character doesn’t even know her value is just to warm the male lead’s bed? Now she’s not even returning to the male lead’s room? Staying here with her best friend?] [I can only say she’s asking for trouble.] [I can’t wait for the female lead to come online!] [Here are two beautiful photos of the female lead to feast your eyes on, hehe.] I stared into the void, my gaze sharpening. The two pictures that popped up in the comments caught my attention. It was a girl with a delicate yet heroic face. But, she looked so familiar! 6. Just before going to sleep, I suddenly sat up with a jolt. I remembered where I had seen that girl… Half a month ago, a girl tried to steal my crystal core and my ability when I was weak. I killed her in self-defense. So, it was her. Was she the female lead? But I had already killed her… Before I could fully process it, a piercing alarm suddenly blared outside. Someone shouted, “Zombie horde! Ability users, prepare to engage! Unawakened, find cover!” Ivy woke with a start and grabbed my hand. “Seraphina, don’t be scared.” “Come with me, I’ll find Liam. He’ll protect us.” She pulled me off the bed… but I didn’t move. I gripped her wrist in return. Ivy looked back at me, confused. I looked into her eyes. “You follow me. I’ll protect you.” Ivy froze. But she didn’t have time to think much, only saying, “Let’s go to the underground mine first.” The zombie horde was coming with fierce momentum. Some zombies would cross the defenses and enter the safe zone. They had a certain level of intelligence, knew how to hide, so ability users needed to conduct a thorough search of the safe zone after repelling the horde. During this time, unawakened individuals generally hid in the underground mine. We rushed out of the room without stopping and ran towards the underground mine. Along the way were unawakened individuals like Ivy. Some were with their families, looking anxious but not overly panicked. After all, such events happened every few days, and with powerful ability users present, they weren’t too afraid. My heart, however, gradually sank. The unawakened in this safe zone trusted the ability users too much… I turned to look at Ivy, unable to help but frown. During this time, I had carefully observed her and Liam. I found that Ivy’s dramatic tendencies were all within Liam’s tacit approval. Some, in fact, were even intentionally indulged by Liam. Liam was good to her, and by extension, the unawakened in the entire safe zone received much better treatment, which then squeezed the benefits that ability users should have enjoyed. Those ability users felt discontent, but they wouldn’t resent all the unawakened or Liam. Instead, they directed their anger towards Ivy. And those unawakened wouldn’t thank Ivy; their gratitude went to Liam. So they supported Liam’s management of the safe zone even more, diligently planting vegetables and food, willingly providing supplies. Liam was using Ivy. Did Ivy… realize any of this? My grip on her wrist tightened. In a moment of distraction, an accident suddenly occurred. Just a second before we were about to enter the underground mine, a zombie that had been hiding in the shadows suddenly lunged out. It snarled and pounced on Ivy, who was frozen in terror, standing motionless. I yanked her wrist, pulling her back forcefully, and using the momentum, I stepped into the spot where she had just been. “Seraphina!” Ivy cried out in alarm. Before her words finished, I had already plunged a knife into the zombie’s eye socket, completely destroying its brain. 7. Inside the underground mine, Ivy kept looking at me, her eyes shining slightly. Her gaze made me chuckle wryly. “Don’t look at me like that. I’ve been surviving on my own for so many years; I still have some tricks to stay alive.” Ivy hugged me tightly. “Seraphina, you’re amazing! Seraphina… you’ve suffered so much these past years.” My heart softened, and I patted her back. I still hadn’t revealed my identity as an ability user. I had no doubt that once Liam discovered my ability, he wouldn’t easily let me leave here. And I needed to get Ivy out of here as soon as possible. Outside, the commotion continued. Ivy and I hid in the underground mine. I watched the rapidly scrolling comments above and began to think furiously. [Something’s wrong. The zombie horde is almost gone, how come the female lead hasn’t appeared yet?] [I’ve been waiting to see the female lead make a heroic entrance and save the male lead for so long! Where is she?] [Didn’t you guys notice what’s happening with the drama queen side character? Her cannon fodder best friend isn’t dead!] [What? So the drama queen side character won’t quarrel with the male lead? How come the entire subsequent plot is messed up?!] … Amidst their chattering discussions, I finally figured out the truth. In the original plot, the female lead successfully stole my ability, and I became a weak ordinary person, losing my powers. I miraculously survived and reunited with Ivy, but died in a zombie horde shortly after reaching the safe zone. As for the female lead, she used my lightning ability to help the male lead solve a small crisis during the zombie horde, was invited to join his team, and from then on, they fought side by side, their feelings gradually deepening. Ivy, distraught by my death, became unreasonable and blamed the male lead. She even deliberately left without a word, wanting the male lead to come looking for her. The male lead couldn’t stand her. When she acted out again, he didn’t go after her immediately. This time, Ivy didn’t make it back alive. The drama queen side character thus went offline. And I, was pure cannon fodder. But now… [The plot has changed! What’s going on?!] [Oh my god, oh my god! The author just announced that the plot has deviated severely, and she can no longer control the story’s direction. It seems a paper character has developed self-awareness!] [The person above, you missed the main point! The main point is the female lead is dead! The female lead is dead!!] [I’m numb. What is this? A super disastrous ending?] [This is so exciting! Now no one knows the plot’s direction. It’s like opening a blind box. I must keep following!] My heart pounded. I turned to look at a sleepy Ivy, my heart beating furiously in my chest. Could the meaning of those comments be… that our predetermined fate could be changed! Or rather, it already had changed! 8. I started to waver. I didn’t know if I should still take Ivy away now. Without the female lead… would Liam truly be devoted to Ivy? Would she be safer with Liam than with me? After all, I was alone. But what happened next solidified my decision to take Ivy away. … In the latter half of the night, the zombie horde was completely repelled. The ability users had also thoroughly searched the safe zone, confirming there was no danger. We walked out of the underground mine. And ran straight into the returning team of ability users. It was clear that the zombie horde that day had been fierce. Most of them looked battered, especially Liam. He was being supported by a man beside him, likely having exhausted his abilities. Ivy ran over, a little worried. “Liam, are you okay?” Her hands ran up and down Liam’s body, checking his injuries. Liam’s gaze at her gradually darkened. He cupped Ivy’s face and kissed her lips. The two embraced and kissed in front of everyone. Having survived a close call, I found it a bit distasteful but understandable. But gradually, the catcalls grew louder, especially from the men watching. And Liam’s actions became more and more unrestrained and bold. His hand moved to Ivy’s thigh, even attempting to go further… Ivy’s slight struggle caused her loosely worn jacket to slip to her shoulders. She was about to be exposed. I could see she was extremely uncomfortable, so I rushed out without hesitation, pulling Ivy out of Liam’s embrace, and the next second, I pulled her clothes back into place. Liam froze for a moment, not yet reacting, when he was slapped across the face. It was Ivy who slapped him. The crisp sound of the slap instantly froze the heated atmosphere. Everyone exchanged glances, and strong displeasure appeared on the faces of the ability users. “Damn it, Liam works so hard guarding the safe zone, only to come back and be slapped by a woman. This is too frustrating!” “I feel bad for Liam.” “This woman is too much…” Liam’s face also darkened. He looked at Ivy, a forced smile on his lips. “Are you mad?” “Alright,” he sighed. “My actions were too rough, I apologize.” His attitude was completely dismissive. Ivy’s eyes were red, she ignored him, turned and walked away. I followed her. After a few steps, I couldn’t help but stop again. Turning to look at Liam, my expression was somewhat cold. “You don’t respect her.” Liam paused, then let out an ambiguous scoff.

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After my father went bankrupt, he leveraged his past kindness to force a former scholarship student to marry me. We had a marriage of pure resentment, no love, just… technique. One evening, as I imperiously demanded he warm my feet again, a barrage of comments flashed before my eyes: [Seriously, this side character needs a reality check. Treating the male lead like a dog every single day.] [Useless rich girl, can’t do anything but blow the male lead’s money. When will he divorce her already?] [Just wait until the cool-headed, ambitious childhood friend heroine appears. This side character will throw such tantrums, and the male lead will finally be fed up.] [Later, the side character constantly targeted the heroine, was thrown out of the mansion by the male lead, ended up scavenging for food, and was eventually run over by a car. What a satisfying ending!] My outstretched foot snapped back instantly. I stared at David, who looked thoroughly annoyed. I swallowed hard. “I, I suddenly don’t feel cold anymore.” 1 David’s eyes were half-lidded, and he gave a slight, cynical tug at the corner of his mouth. “What is it now, princess? Is this your latest trick to torment me?” Heaven help me, was not making him warm my feet also a mistake? Normally, I would have already flown into a rage. But picturing my own miserable fate, I bit back the words that were desperate to escape. “No,” I managed. “I just… don’t feel well. I want to sleep.” David slowly opened his eyes, a flicker of surprise in their depths. He probably hadn’t expected me to be so agreeable, so considerate. His gaze lingered on my face. After a long moment, I thought he would simply lie down and go to sleep. Instead, he reached out and took my ankle, pulling me a little closer. His warm hand touched my skin, and I could feel the dampness of his palm. “Alright, enough games,” he murmured. “Next time, I’ll be gentler, okay?” What? With that, he placed my foot on his bare abdomen. The bedside lamp clicked off, but the comments above my head continued to blaze. [This drama queen has given the male lead PTSD.] [Honestly, if it weren’t for the side character’s dad leveraging his past favor, the male lead wouldn’t have to serve her like a dog.] [But it’s fine. Once the male lead sees through the side character, he’ll bring down her father’s new startup.] [And finally, her father will be hit by a car and die trying to save her. What a poetic ending!] My body gave an involuntary shiver, and I quickly rolled over, muttering an explanation. “It’s too… it’s uncomfortable to sleep like that.” David’s voice was unreadable. “You used to love it that way.” I pressed my lips together. “Not anymore. David, I won’t ever ask you to warm my feet again.” A moment of silence stretched between us. Then, I thought I heard a faint, dismissive chuckle. “Suit yourself.” 2 That night, sleep eluded me. David had been a scholarship student sponsored by my family since middle school. He was aloof, reserved, and quiet, yet incredibly brilliant. After high school, he moved into our house. He kept everyone at arm’s length, but with me, he was always compliant. Even when my father leveraged his past kindness to demand he marry me, David didn’t hesitate. I’d always believed I was special to him. But on the second day of our marriage, I overheard him confessing that he already had someone he liked, someone he’d planned to propose to, but now the opportunity was gone. Hearing that, my world crumbled. It turned out he didn’t love me at all; he was just repaying a debt. An inexplicable hatred welled up within me. I hated him for not telling me the truth. I hated him for being so obedient to my father. As I nursed my resentment, a startling realization hit me: I think I might have fallen for him first. But why should he not like me? Proud as I was, I channeled all my frustration into him. I ordered him around relentlessly. I wouldn’t eat unless he cooked for me. I spent his money extravagantly, even making him pay when I went shopping. And in bed, I ruthlessly drained him, refusing to leave a single drop for the woman he supposedly loved. After we were intimate, I’d make him carry me to the bathroom, and he’d have to wash me before I’d finally sleep. I thought this arrangement was perfectly fine. His body and his money were mine; I wasn’t losing anything. But now, I knew. I was just the villainous, demanding side character. I would push the male lead away, then oppose the heroine, only to face a tragic end. Even my father would be dragged down with me. But what had he done wrong? After my mother passed, he raised me alone, and forcing David to marry me was just his desperate hope that I’d be well cared for. Thinking of this, I made a decision: I would turn over a new leaf before the heroine appeared, securing a better ending for myself and my dear father. 3 I contacted a divorce lawyer. Since David was eventually going to divorce me anyway, I figured if I initiated it first, I might at least salvage a reputation for being understanding. Then, I hired an agency to find a housekeeper to cook dinner. My job wasn’t particularly demanding to begin with. In the past, I would text David constantly, even sending him photos of dogs fighting cats on the street. If he didn’t reply, or replied late, I’d throw a fit. But today, I held back. Even when I landed a huge custom jewelry order, so excited I wanted to jump for joy, I didn’t call him. The comments section was baffled. [Is the side character’s brain finally working? Not going to brag to the male lead?] [What? The evil rich girl is suddenly acting nice? What does this mean?] [This side character is cunning. She’s trying a reverse psychology trick to get the male lead’s attention, little does she know the male lead and heroine are about to reunite in a few days!] My finger paused. I exited David’s chat and sent a message to my dad. [Dad, I’ve booked the restaurant for tomorrow! Birthday boy, get my present ready!] Then I put my phone on silent and continued working on my designs. When I finally stretched and looked up, it was almost 8 PM. I packed up my things, ready to leave. My phone showed one missed call from David. He was like that; if I didn’t answer, he wouldn’t call again. There was also a single text message. [Is your phone broken?] What did that mean? Downstairs, David leaned against his car, smoking. Tall, with long legs, and an undeniable aura. I wondered how long he’d been waiting. The comments resurfaced. [See? The side character’s tricks are working! The male lead is here to serve her again.] [Just you wait, the male lead will definitely destroy her later!] I panicked. I rushed over. “Why are you here?” He extinguished his cigarette, glancing at me. “To pick you up.” He then opened the car door for me. As I leaned in, I saw a bouquet of flowers and the latest smartphone on the passenger seat. I looked at him. David said, casually, “Don’t you love these little everyday gestures?” In the past, I would have been thrilled, and then feigned indifference, saying, “About time you showed some sense.” But today, I just held the gifts in my arms and quietly said, “Thank you.” David froze for a moment. He pressed his lips together, saying nothing. I let out a silent sigh of relief. But in the car, he finally spoke. “What, you don’t like them?” My alarm bells rang. “I love them! Absolutely! Anything you give me, I love.” Which wasn’t true at all. I used to be so picky. But now, I dared not find fault. He stared at me intently for a while, then finally turned to start the engine. 4 After changing shoes in the entryway, David took off his jacket, then instinctively rolled up his shirt sleeves. He turned and asked casually, “What do you want for dinner tonight? And just so you know, no more Kung Pao Chicken.” He made that dish too well; I’d ordered it for a week straight. David was heading towards the kitchen, rattling off suggestions: “Your favorite shrimp pasta? Or red wine steak?” Before he could finish, the housekeeper, already in the kitchen, emerged with several dishes. He stopped dead. I quickly hurried to the housekeeper’s side and explained to him. “This is the new housekeeper I hired to cook dinner. You won’t need to cook for me anymore.” I fully expected David to be pleased. Instead, his gaze settled on me, his eyes unreadable. After a long moment, he coolly dropped a single word. “Oh.” Then, without another sound, he retreated to the bedroom. Before he disappeared, he said, “I’m not hungry. I’m quite full.” Naturally, I didn’t dare disturb him. That night, I consciously slept in the guest room. 5 Half-asleep in the middle of the night, I suddenly felt an intense heat behind me. When I finally registered what was happening, David’s gritted voice whispered in my ear. “Princess, do you no longer need my service?” My mind was still hazy, but the barrage of comments snapped me wide awake. [Is this my late-night reward?!] [People say they’re celibate online, but in reality, who wouldn’t be ripping their pants off right now?] [Wait, what is the male lead doing? Why is he looking for the side character?] [It’s just spring, don’t overthink it, side character. It’s just primal instinct.] A strange sensation bloomed at my waist. I instantly pushed David away. In the moonlight, his brow furrowed almost imperceptibly. If this were before, I might have slapped him. I was the spoiled princess, after all, incapable of enduring the slightest grievance. But now, it was different. David was the male lead, and according to the comments, he might hold my future life and death in his hands. Until the divorce, I should probably avoid offending him. I poked his shoulder, feigning annoyance. “I thought I was dreaming.” His expression softened slightly, then immediately tensed again. “So, in your dreams, who would ever treat you like this?” What? That’s a bit unreasonable, isn’t it? I couldn’t immediately find an excuse, so I changed the subject. I yawned. “I don’t know. I’m so sleepy.” Then, “Go to sleep. We have to work tomorrow.” I lay back down. David remained in his previous position. “Summer,” he said, “you’re acting strange.” My heart constricted. After learning he didn’t love me, I had laid down a rule for David. “No sleeping in separate rooms.” Even if I couldn’t have his heart, I would possess his body. In the beginning, we were both a little awkward. He was always in a hurry, entering me without warning, which made me so furious I’d kick him out of bed. “David, a man needs to have ‘service awareness’ in bed, do you understand?” Later, he changed, little by little. His foreplay became gentler, his technique more refined, and he learned to consider my feelings. Except during my period, we were almost always intimate. But tonight, I not only slept separately but also rejected his advances. In the darkness, I could still feel David’s gaze fixed on me. I nervously lowered my eyes. “I’m a bit tired tonight, not really in the mood.” “Because of work?” Yes and no. But for now, it had to be “yes.” “Mmm,” I hummed. “And I’m worried you’ll be tired too, David.” I added, “How about we just sleep here together tonight?” I suggested, speaking reasonably, without my usual spoiled demeanor, my tone softer than ever before. After a long pause, he lay down and pulled me into an embrace from behind. “If you encounter any difficulties with work, you can always come to me for help.” Before I could answer, the comments popped up. [The docile side character still depends on the male lead for everything.] [Without the male lead, Summer is truly nothing.] [Just wait, the heroine and male lead are childhood sweethearts, hardworking, resilient, and ambitious. Their story is so much better.] [The male lead’s gaze is destined to be drawn to the heroine. Thanks to the drama queen side character for planting the trees, the heroine gets to enjoy the shade.] For some reason, my heart felt like it had been pricked by a tiny needle, a faint ache spreading through me. David’s breath warmed my ear. I gently patted his hand. “Okay.” But then I subtly disentangled myself from his embrace. “I need to catch up on work tomorrow. I’m going to sleep now.” Behind me, his breathing hitched. 6 After a busy day, before leaving work, I remembered seeing Dad on a video call at lunch, still wearing his old tie. Although I’d already prepared his main birthday gift, I quickly rushed to the nearby mall to buy him an extra tie. Habitually, I reached for David’s card, then pulled my hand back, opening my own payment app. “Scan this, please.” As I came out, I unexpectedly bumped into someone. “Summer?” I turned, and Jayden was standing before me. He was as sunny and cheerful as ever, leaning in close. “Who’s the gift for?” “My dad’s birthday today.” “What a coincidence! I was just talking to your dad about a partnership a few days ago. Where are you celebrating tonight? Let me join you.” Jayden was sort of my childhood friend. His family had moved to another city due to his parents’ company project, so I hadn’t expected to see him again. He took my arm, and the conversation flowed easily. I had no reason to refuse, especially since our families might be collaborating in the future. After a few minutes of chatting, my phone buzzed with a message. [I’m off work.] [Where are you?] [I was about to come to your studio to pick you up.] [Want some boba? Room temp, no sugar? Any desserts? There’s a new trendy shop.] [If yes, just give a shout, I’ll go buy it.] The comments section was not pleased. [Enough, I said enough! Is the male lead addicted to being a dog?] [Don’t you think the male lead’s tone is really cold? That’s a sign of annoyance! Spending all day providing emotional support for the side character, he must be sick of it.] [So urgent, I am the King of Urgency. When will the male lead finally get rid of the drama queen side character?] [Let the side character keep ordering the male lead around. Anyway, it’s not my tragic ending.] My mind immediately jumped to my father. He was working so hard to give me a good life, and I didn’t want his efforts to be easily ruined. As long as I stopped acting out and making David angry, then if we broke up amicably later, he probably wouldn’t target my dad, right? So, I quickly replied: “I don’t need anything. You’ve worked hard, so no need to pick me up. Let’s just meet at the restaurant.” [Oh.] The tone was indeed cold. Just as the comments said, he was truly annoyed with me. When I pushed open the restaurant door with Jayden, David, who had been smiling and chatting with my dad, instantly sobered up. “Jayden’s here too?” “Yes, Mr. Davies! You didn’t even call me.” He handed over a gift. “Time was short, I hope you don’t mind.” It was a watch from the same brand as my tie. The clink of a spoon against a porcelain bowl echoed. My gaze flickered to David. His brows were furrowed, his emotions unreadable. “Apologies, I didn’t hold it steady.” The dinner passed relatively harmoniously. As we parted, Jayden smiled at me, his lips curving. “Your jewelry designs are quite unique, Summer. I’ll ask you to custom-order a ring for me sometime.” A business opportunity handed on a silver platter; I wouldn’t say no. I smiled back. “Sure.” Only David beside me remained with a dark expression. 7 Back home, the moment the door closed, he asked, “Did you buy the gift at the mall?” “Yeah.” I took off my jacket, and he took it from me, hanging it neatly. “My phone didn’t get a notification.” I paused, then realized what he meant. He was referring to why I hadn’t used his card. I waved my hand. “It’s just a small thing, no need to use your money for it.” “Oh. Is that so?” he replied. “You used to make me pay even for a hot dog from a street vendor.” That was then. I was a changed woman now. “Dad’s present,” I explained, “it means more if I buy it with my own hard-earned money.” I quickly added, “Ugh, I’m all sweaty, I need a shower.” David pressed his lips together, then turned and walked towards the walk-in closet, preparing my clothes. I saw the white lace underwear set on top and snatched it away, my face flushing. “I’ll do these things myself from now on.” In the steamy bathroom, I thought about the divorce lawyer I was meeting tomorrow. Thankfully, David and I had no children, so there’d be no lasting complications. Just as I was thinking this, the bathroom door opened. David stood there, clad only in a towel, revealing his taut abs, incredibly alluring in the soft light. He walked towards me, step by step, then raised his phone. The screen displayed an incoming call from Jayden. Before I could say anything, David scoffed. “He’s calling you this late?” His voice was cold. “Doesn’t he realize that at this hour, we’d be, you know, having couple time?” What? My eyes widened. The next second, he ended the call, then pinned me against the bathroom door, grabbing my chin and kissing me fiercely. David was different tonight. He was raw, untamed. The kiss was so intense I felt like I was suffocating, unable to resist. I instinctively tried to push him away, but he grabbed my hands and pinned them above my head. His lips moved sensuously against mine, his voice hoarse. “Does the princess no longer wish to fulfill her marital duties with me?” What in the world was he talking about? Before I could speak, my mouth was covered again. Later, the bathroom was a wreck. I was so exhausted I didn’t even have the energy to wash myself. I vaguely remembered David carrying me back to bed. 8 The next day, when I woke up, David had already left for work. He had, as usual, prepared breakfast. Although I sensed he wasn’t entirely pleased about me hiring a housekeeper, he hadn’t fired her. Still, he started coming home earlier and earlier. When the housekeeper cooked, he’d still present a few dishes of his own, then sit across from me, watching. I’d try a bit of everything and gently advise him not to work so hard, that the professionals had it covered. I tried not to bother him with anything. But even with me being so considerate, his face grew darker by the day. “So, you don’t need me for anything anymore?” he’d grumble. So, I became even more cautious. That day, the client from my last commission asked to meet to discuss details. I set off with my sketches, not telling David. The meeting was at a private club. As soon as I sat down, the comments began to flash. [The heroine is being bullied in the private room next door, why isn’t the male lead here to save her yet?] [It’s weird, the male lead has already reunited with the heroine, but why isn’t their relationship progressing?] [Progress? That would be marital infidelity.] [Shut up, upstairs! The male lead was forced to marry the side character anyway. They have no feelings for each other.] [No feelings, yet they’re getting intimate every day? Laughable.] The comments flickered relentlessly. I ignored the ones mocking me; only one thought occupied my mind: David was about to perform a hero’s rescue. Even knowing this, my heart felt an inexplicable pang of sadness. I couldn’t help but push open my door and walk towards the room next door. [Tsk tsk tsk, the side character is going to ruin things again.] [It doesn’t matter. The male lead will ignore her completely, and even bump into her, focused only on saving the heroine.] [Then she’ll see the male lead rescue the heroine and her face will be twisted with rage.] I froze. I considered turning back. If they were destined, why should I intrude? But as soon as my foot shifted, the sound of breaking glass erupted from inside. [Where’s the male lead? Your childhood friend is being bullied!] [Don’t worry, the male lead has psychic powers. He’ll rush down from upstairs any second now.] Fine. Let David save her. But time ticked by, second after second, and there was no sign of him in the hallway. Through the door crack, I saw the heroine, dressed in a server uniform, being harassed by some entitled rich kid, Todd. “You can’t afford to pay for this outfit, you know.” “How about you take off one item of clothing for every thousand dollars?” “Or maybe spend a night with me, how about that?” Laughter erupted from the group. The heroine clutched her clothes tightly, but still defiantly looked up. “I didn’t knock over the drink. You can’t bully me like this.” “She said I’m bullying her, ha ha ha.” Todd stood up and lifted her chin. “Do you even know what bullying is? Huh?” Disgusting. Absolutely disgusting. I couldn’t take it anymore! I kicked open the door. “Todd, what kind of strength is it to gang up on a girl?” The room fell silent for a moment. All eyes turned to me, including the heroine’s. I saw her eyes suddenly light up. She looked familiar. Todd scoffed. “Summer Davies, what business is it of yours?” He added, “You think your family is still like it used to be? No one would give you the time of day if you hadn’t married a rich husband.” I used to hate him. In school, he often bothered David, and I beat him up many times. “What’s ‘my family’ or ‘your family’ got to do with it? I, Summer Davies, do what I please.” I slowly rolled up my sleeves. “What are you, a nobody, to dare shout at me like that? Have you forgotten how I used to pin you to the ground and beat you until you cried and begged me to stop?” The comments scrolled furiously: [Holy crap, the side character went full alpha?!] [Suddenly, the side character seems kinda cool.] I pointed at the heroine. “She’s with me. Are you sure you want to mess with her?” Maybe it was my strong aura, but Todd instinctively took half a step back. “I… you f**king…” He dared not. “Coward.” I walked over, took the heroine’s hand, and led her to the door. The door closed, leaving only Todd in the room, raging impotently. The heroine looked at me, her face flushed. “Thank you, Summer.” I raised an eyebrow. “You know me?” 9 In the lounge area, a gust of wind seemed to blow through. Before I could fully process it, David was standing before me, pulling me to and fro, checking me over. “Are you okay?” he asked, his voice urgent. “Are you hurt?” I was completely bewildered. “I’m fine, why?” “Did Todd bully you?” I shook my head, pulling the heroine forward to face him. “He bullied her.” David seemed to finally come to his senses, his gaze falling on the heroine. “Celeste?” Celeste didn’t seem particularly eager to engage with him. She just gave a casual “Mmm.” Then she turned back to me, her eyes curving into a smile. “I’m going back to work, Summer. I’ll treat you to dinner next time, okay?” After she left, the comments finally reappeared: [Why do I feel like the heroine doesn’t really like the male lead?] [That’s exactly right, childhood sweethearts are always like that.] [And the less the heroine cares about the male lead, the more intrigued he’ll be, right? He’s staring at her back now, isn’t he?] I glanced sideways. David was indeed looking at Celeste’s retreating figure, lost in thought. Sure enough, his gaze would eventually be drawn to the heroine. I inwardly scoffed at myself. Summer, you really outdid yourself, saving your love rival even though you’re supposed to be the villainess. Trying to swallow the bitterness, I pulled my hand away. “David, you’re hurting my hand.” He came to, “What are you doing here?” “Working.” Just then, the wealthy client I was meeting arrived. I didn’t look at his expression, turning to greet her instead.

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I was a spoiled princess, and after marrying a cold, stoic man I didn’t love, I gave birth to a mini stoic. Even when our son turned five, I continued to boss them around, ruling the household with an iron fist. I loved seeing their looks of annoyance while they still had to cater to my every whim. Until one day, comments started to float across my vision. [The wicked side character is finally getting phased out. The heroine has transferred to the male lead’s company and even took the little one to KFC today. The story is finally getting on track!] [Constantly tormenting our male lead and the little one. Good thing the father and son will eventually kick her out to appease the heroine. The pampered socialite will end up paralyzed from the waist down after being hit by a car on the street.] [The thought of the male lead’s happy family of three mocking her as a cripple in the hospital fills me with pure satisfaction.] I abruptly lifted my leg. My husband, who was washing my feet, and my son, who was dutifully massaging my legs, were both splashed in the face with water. The brows of the two stoic faces, one big and one small, instantly furrowed. I stammered. “No, no need, I’ll do it myself…” 1 Young Richard frowned, his small mind clearly struggling to understand why I was so unpredictable. “Mommy, is the water too hot?” I awkwardly put my foot back into the basin. “No, I’m done washing, no need to massage anymore, you can stand up.” I swallowed, then glanced at my husband, Chandler, who was also kneeling on one knee beside me. “You too, get up.” Compared to Richard, Chandler was much more composed. He seemed accustomed to my sudden changes in temperament. He calmly stood up to grab a towel. [The more humiliated the male lead and little one are now, the more satisfying it will be when they get their revenge on the side character.] [Making the little prince massage her legs, and the billionaire CEO wash and dry her feet? She really has a death wish.] I silently watched the scrolling text. So, I was the villainous side character, and my husband and son were the male lead and male child lead of this world. Not only did I have to make way for the heroine, but Richard existed because the author was worried the heroine would suffer childbirth pain, so they arranged for me, the side character, to have him first. In the end, the beautiful heroine would appear, inheriting my husband and son, saving them, and showing them that there was a kind woman other than me. The happy family of three would live happily ever after. I clenched my fists. Chandler, fine. We were an arranged marriage, no real emotional foundation. But Richard… I looked at the little boy standing obediently nearby. Although he had a face identical to his father’s, he was still my son, literally from my womb. I wasn’t about to hand him over to someone else. So, I cleared my throat twice and asked him. “Sweetie, if Daddy and Mommy got divorced, who would you go with?” Richard froze, then his little brow furrowed again. Mimicking his father, he spoke coldly. “Mommy, don’t make such meaningless hypotheticals.” I was choked by his reply, looking up to meet Chandler’s cool, amber eyes. They seemed like still, calm water. He stepped forward, knelt on one knee, and lifted my foot from the basin. “Don’t say such things in front of the child…” Richard nodded, like a miniature adult, and turned to walk out the door. “I’m going back to sleep.” The comments were filled with laughter. [What is this side character thinking? Both father and son are cut from the same cloth, so their level of annoyance with her is obviously the same.] [Chandler can still fake it a bit, but little Richard practically has ‘disgust’ carved on his face.] [LOL, never mind she can’t bear to divorce, even if she did, little Richard wouldn’t go with her. Why would he? To serve her like her dog?] [Her sole purpose is to cause chaos, get abandoned, and then suffer a tragic death by broken legs to achieve the ‘satisfying’ plot effect.] My heart gave a violent lurch. Without a word, I snatched the towel from Chandler’s hand. “I’ll do it myself.” Chandler’s brow subtly furrowed, but he said nothing in the end. Lying in bed, I tried to process the information from the comments. I lifted my silk robe, staring at my long, fair legs. They were so long, so perfectly proportioned—I couldn’t accept losing them later! After much deliberation, I decided to first change how I treated my husband and son. According to the comments, I couldn’t stop the male and female leads from meeting. Even if I convinced Chandler to fire the heroine, they would just meet at the next street corner. But if my son saw me as a gentle mother, maybe when Chandler and I divorced, he would choose me. 2 Thinking this, I looked up and saw Chandler emerging from the bathroom. He had only a towel wrapped around his waist, and un-wiped water droplets slowly tracked down his chest. When he saw me lying on the bed with my robe lifted, revealing my legs, his movement of wiping his hair paused, and his pupils immediately darkened. I was still pondering how to be a considerate, good mother. I looked up again and saw Chandler had already retrieved the “battle attire” I had once bought for him from the closet. In his left hand, he held black and white lace; in his right, purple lace. His ear tips were slightly red, and he stared at me with a wooden expression, as if seeking my opinion. The comments section went wild with screams. [Why is the screen black?! Is there something my esteemed VIP member isn’t allowed to see?] [Side character, I won’t scold you anymore. Just turn on the camera and let everyone admire your husband’s big chest muscles.] [Claire, let your husband be everyone’s plaything, build some good karma, quickly turn on the camera and let us see the goods.] Amidst a sea of yellow duck avatars, a few original fans chimed in. [I can’t accept this. Even knowing how little Richard came to be, I still feel the male lead was coerced. Does the side character not see her husband’s perpetually cold face every time he’s intimate with her?] [I agree. The male lead clearly refused the first time, but she keeps forcing him to wear those things to satisfy her weird fetish. It’s disgusting.] [It’s fine, just thinking that the legs currently straddling the male lead will soon be gone makes me feel less angry.] I took a deep breath, watching Chandler about to change, and quickly pulled the duvet over my legs. “I… I’m not in the mood today. Let’s just go to sleep early!” After I said that, the air in the entire room seemed to freeze. The comments cheered. [Oh, it’s daylight now.] [The male lead’s face doesn’t look too good. What did the side character do now?] [What else? She forced him to wear those clothes and got rejected. Look at the male lead’s knuckles, white from clenching the lace garment. Enduring humiliation…] I also noticed Chandler’s face was uncharacteristically dark. Especially after I said “not in the mood,” his face visibly darkened by more than two shades. It was true that Chandler used to be reluctant to change clothes, and I’d have to coax and trick him. Now, seeing the furious comments, I didn’t even dare to breathe too loudly. “Understood,” Chandler’s voice, like himself, was cool and detached. He casually tossed the clothes into the wardrobe, then pulled back the covers and lay down. I pinched my leg under the duvet, letting out a long sigh of relief. Good, they were safe. Love you, old legs, see you tomorrow. 3 I woke up the next day to bright daylight. Stepping out of my room, I saw the father and son sitting in the living room. As soon as I sat down, Chandler rose to get me toast from the kitchen. Richard, huffing and puffing, carried a carton of milk towards me, stepping onto a stool to pour it for me. The comments were once again complaining. [The side character truly deserves her end. With so many nannies in the house, she insists on the male lead and little one serving her. She’s just asking for trouble.] [Exactly, saying she wants little Richard to develop good service habits so he won’t be disliked when he marries into another family. Does the little prince need to marry into another family?] [And she claims she wants the male lead to set a good example for his son. I think she just wants to torment them and satisfy her control issues.] My brow twitched violently. I reached out and grabbed Richard’s small arm. Richard looked up at me, bewildered. “This time I put in one and a half spoonfuls of sugar,” he said. I took the milk, poured it into a glass myself, and gulped down a couple of mouthfuls. “Mommy can do these small things herself. You hurry up and eat.” Richard stared at me, seemingly unable to understand why I was acting so strangely. But he turned and sat back in his seat. Chandler emerged from the kitchen, looking a bit troubled. “We’re out of salad dressing. I’ve already sent Aunt Mae to buy some…” I picked up a sandwich. “It’s fine, I can eat it without salad dressing.” The air fell silent, even the housekeeper looked at me with some surprise. Chandler looked at his empty palm, his brows furrowing deeper and deeper. “Mommy, you actually didn’t throw the sandwich at Daddy’s face…” Richard blinked. I took a deep breath. Was I really that awful before? The comments had already answered for me. [Why did the side character suddenly change? Isn’t she known for her terrible morning temper? Last time there was no salad dressing, she threw a tantrum and threw the sandwich directly.] [Look how scared our little Richard is, even his cool expression can’t hold up. He probably thinks his mom is possessed.] I took a bite of my sandwich, too guilty to look at the comments anymore. A small piece of lettuce slipped out and fell straight onto my thigh. Seeing my stained loungewear, I instinctively frowned slightly. A tissue gently covered my leg, followed by a finely-boned hand entering my vision. Chandler’s hand was large, almost covering my entire thigh. My pupils suddenly contracted sharply, as if I saw my beautiful legs become invisible and transparent, then sprout wings and wave goodbye to me. I quickly shook off the lettuce, then looked up, only to meet Chandler’s cool eyes. “I can do these small things myself.” I forced a smile, then turned to my son. “From now on, you don’t need to massage my legs or pour milk for me. Mommy can do it herself.” Richard’s brows knitted together tightly, his voice cold. “Mommy, are you sick?” I choked. This child, I’m nice to him and he thinks I’m sick. Through the meal, I remained quiet, not making a fuss or asking anyone to bring me tissues or pour milk. Richard looked up at me several times, his little brow furrowing deeper each time. Chandler’s gaze subtly drifted over me, then slowly moved away. It wasn’t until Chandler took Richard and left the house that I sank heavily onto the sofa. Looking at the oversized wedding photo hanging in the center of the room, I rubbed my temples. Actually, I had a crush on Chandler before our arranged marriage. But he was an absolute ice king; all my girlfriends who tried to pursue him failed. I had my own pride; I wasn’t one to chase after people, especially such a formidable ice king. Just as that tiny spark of affection for Chandler was about to be extinguished in its cradle, our families’ arranged marriage bound us together. I still remember how, right after we got married, I couldn’t contain my inner joy, only to overhear his conversation with a friend outside his study. “Claire is notorious in our circle for being spoiled. You’re really unlucky.” Chandler’s voice was faint. I heard him say, “We both get what we need. That’s what an arranged marriage is for.” The tiny, budding flame of hope was completely extinguished. After only a few months of pretending to be sweet for the man I loved, I gave up entirely, letting my true self show in a defiant surrender. Anyway, as he said, we both got what we needed. From large appliances and furniture to small rugs, I had everything decorated exactly to my taste. Chandler never interfered. Only for this huge wedding photo, when I wanted to hang it in the center of the living room, he frowned slightly. “It doesn’t match here. It’s ugly.” I was fuming at the time, thinking he didn’t dislike the wedding photo; he disliked me. But Chandler’s aloof nature also made him incredibly tolerant. So I became even more outrageous, starting to order him around to do this and that for me. I forced him to wear clothes he didn’t like, purely to satisfy myself. Chandler sometimes showed displeasure, but his way of expressing it was only a slight furrow of his brow. Chandler looked very handsome when he frowned. He was already as handsome as a celestial being. I loved watching him frown; it was as if a cool, otherworldly immortal from a painting had come to life, and the serene portrait finally gained a different expression. Over the years, because he indulged and permitted everything I did, I sometimes even had the illusion that he loved me. But looking at that stoic face, his expression towards the nanny and towards me was indistinguishable, and I knew it was just my ovulation period again, making me imagine things. “Aunt Mae, find someone to take down this photo.” I raised my hand and pointed at the huge wedding photo. This was hung up by a girl full of joy and fantasy for Chandler right after we got married. Six years later, the girl had slowly come to realize that in Chandler’s eyes, I was no different from anyone else. Actually, I could accept a loveless marriage, but the comments constantly acted like a surveillance camera, livestreaming what the male and female leads were doing right now, making me inexplicably irritated. [The heroine poured the male lead coffee, and the male lead looked up at her! I’m dying from the cuteness!] [The heroine made a mistake in the document and didn’t even notice. What a silly little thing! The male lead will be charmed by her later, right~] I closed my eyes, deciding to take a nap. When I opened them again, thunder rumbled outside, and rain poured down. 4 My phone vibrated. It was Chandler. “Fell asleep in the living room?” His voice was faint. I hummed in affirmation. After two seconds of deliberation, he spoke. “I have to work late today. If it gets too late, I won’t come home. Richard can sleep with you tonight.” Before I could agree, the comments flew by. [The male lead is indeed working late, but our heroine is also at the company, oh. Only a few NPCs and the male and female leads are left in the company on a rainy day. Just thinking about it is so romantic.] [I love seeing this kind of power couple. The male lead is a cool workaholic CEO, and the heroine is also an ambitious career woman, nothing like some delicate trophy wife.] [Exactly, afraid of a little thunder, needs someone to stay with her. If her husband’s not around, she makes her son stay. Is she a giant baby?] Called a giant baby, I let out a deep sigh. “No need. You just focus on your work…” Before I could finish, I looked up and saw Richard standing not far away. His little face was set, and I didn’t know how much he had heard standing at the door. As I looked up, the camera also shifted for two seconds. My son said nothing, quietly took off his backpack, and walked into the house. Chandler, however, spoke. “The wall behind you…” I turned my head and saw that, while I was sleeping, the wedding photo had indeed been taken down. “Where’s the photo?” he asked. I answered truthfully. “I had someone throw it out. You focus on your overtime, I’m hanging up.” Chandler said nothing, his face suddenly turning dark, but I didn’t notice at all, frowning and thinking about the empty wall. I should probably hang something there to fill it; it looked quite ugly empty. After dinner, the thunder outside still hadn’t stopped. I rubbed my aching eyes. When I opened them again, a small boy holding a storybook stood solemnly before me. “Come on, I’ll put you to sleep.” Actually, I wasn’t really that afraid of thunder; I just disliked such oppressive weather. So every time it thundered, I’d be in a bad mood, finding ways to torment Chandler in bed. [The side character is so annoying. Five-year-old Richard has to put her to sleep. It’s completely backwards.] [And she has no self-awareness. Richard’s face is practically screaming ‘disgust’. If she can’t torment her husband who’s working late, she starts tormenting her son. Why can’t the male and female leads’ romance speed up?] I looked at Richard, the little boy expressionless, his face as wooden as his dad’s. “No need, Mommy can sleep by herself.” I waved my hand to refuse. Richard bit his lip, seemingly a little upset. “But Daddy said I should stay with you.” I felt a slight headache. Before I could say anything else, a car horn suddenly blared from the courtyard. I froze, and the comments section was equally baffled. [Why is the male lead back? What about the heroine?] 5 Richard, clutching his storybook, looked like he’d found a savior. He eagerly ran to his father, took his hand, and gravely complained, “Mommy wouldn’t let me stay with her.” Chandler nodded. Even facing his son, his expression hadn’t softened. The screen full of question marks made me a little confused too. “You… why are you back?” Chandler didn’t answer, looking up at the empty wall where the photo used to be, his eyes darkening further. “Didn’t you say it was ugly? So I took it down…” I explained, feeling a little awkward under his intense gaze. But the comments detected a different vibe. [Does the male lead really only feel disgust for the side character, like the original novel says? I feel like something’s off.] [Of course! Didn’t you see how dark the male lead’s face is? He must have realized his son couldn’t handle this drama queen, so he rushed back to prevent her from tormenting little Richard.] [He does look impatient.] Chandler patted his son’s head. “Go to sleep.” Richard blinked, then turned his gaze to me. “No leg massage tonight either, Mommy?” I waved my hands frantically. “No, no need.” Richard pouted, tears seeming to well up in his eyes. Then he immediately put on a serious face again, asking stubbornly, “No shoulders either?” I nodded vigorously. Richard puffed out his cheeks and turned to go back to his room. Chandler reached up and tugged at his tie, his expression clouded with deep frustration. “Bad mood lately?” I was completely bewildered. “No, I’ve been in a pretty good mood lately.” The air was silent for two seconds. He took a deep breath, nodded. The rain outside drizzled, and the comments scrolled relentlessly. [The male lead just abandoned the heroine and went home. How is the plot going to progress?] [Don’t worry, even when they’re not together, the bond between the male and female leads won’t disappear. Their red thread of fate is stronger than steel.] Almost as soon as that comment finished scrolling, Chandler’s phone on the bedside table vibrated. Listening to the rushing water from the bathroom, I picked up Chandler’s phone to remind him. “Your phone.” 5 The comments section was amused. [What did I say? The heroine is calling right now, isn’t she?] [The side character wouldn’t actually answer, would she? Does she have no respect for other people’s privacy? So disgusting.] [Don’t worry, upstairs. Even if she answers, it will only make the male lead dislike her more. She’s answered before. In the original novel, one time she not only secretly answered but also cursed out the heroine, and the male lead snatched the phone and smashed it to bits. So embarrassing.] At the same time, Chandler’s voice came from the bathroom. “Answer it for me, ask what it is.” I threw the phone back as if it were a hot potato. “You come out and answer it yourself.” The sound of water in the bathroom abruptly stopped. Then, Chandler emerged, his head covered in foam. He first cast a heavy gaze at me, then lowered his head and picked up the phone. The moment the call connected, a clear female voice rang out from the other end. “Mr. Davies, I sent you two proposals, but you didn’t reply…” In the quiet room, the woman’s voice on the other end was exceptionally clear. Chandler said nothing, his gaze fixed on my face, as if waiting for something. I felt incredibly awkward. Why was his speaker so loud? The comments section was thrilled. [Is the side character about to throw another fit? Before, whenever the male lead answered a call from another woman, she’d get angry. One time, she even scratched his face.] [Only the male lead can tolerate her spoiled temper. But every time she acts unreasonably, the male lead’s disgust for her increases, further highlighting our darling heroine’s gentle kindness, and making him feel even less pity for her when her legs are broken later.] The mention of “broken legs” now triggered a strong reaction in me. Unable to help it, I broke into a violent fit of coughing. I coughed and stood up, heading towards the bathroom. “I’m going to… cough cough cough… take a shower.” My arm was grabbed. Chandler took a deep breath, seemingly trying desperately to suppress something, then emotionlessly hung up the phone. “It’s after hours. We can discuss it tomorrow.” Then, he looked up at me. “A woman called me privately. Aren’t you angry?” The air was silent. Chandler stared at me for a long time, then released me. That night, the restless movements beside me continued until after midnight. The comments kept flashing before my eyes. [The male lead must regret it. He’s probably tearing his hair out, wondering why he’s not at the company with the heroine, but sleeping beside this side character?] [I feel like the side character is pretty pathetic too, sleeping next to someone who’s having an emotional affair, and she’s just like an idiot.] Me, described as an idiot: … I clenched my fists. It’s fine, I’ll endure it. As long as my son agrees to leave with me, I’ll immediately tell Chandler I want a divorce. I wish him happiness forever.

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For fifteen years, I poured my blood, sweat, and tears into building a business empire from nothing with Robert. I thought our happily-ever-after was finally here. Instead, on the eve of our company’s IPO, I discovered he had secretly married another woman. While he gaslit me into staying “simple” and frugal, he was dripping his pregnant new wife in diamonds and luxury properties bought with my hard-earned money. He thought I would quietly step aside, or that I loved the company too much to destroy it. He thought my fifteen years of sacrifice made me weak. He was wrong. I won’t be the tragic, discarded woman. If Robert thinks he can build his perfect new family on the foundation of my life’s work and walk away unscathed, he’s dead wrong. I am taking everything back. I will gladly burn down the very empire I almost died building, just to watch his deceitful dreams turn to ash. 1 “Audrey.” The woman’s perfectly manicured finger rested on the “Robert Sterling” line of the marriage certificate, her tone dismissive. “You have no right to be here, and even less right to put on airs in front of me, do you understand?” The woman held the marriage certificate like a trophy, standing there like a delicate display doll. I recognized the bracelet on her wrist. Robert and I had bid for it together at an auction last month. He’d said it was for our fifteen-year anniversary. But the day before our anniversary, Robert had frantically told me the bracelet was missing. His eyes were filled with guilt, so much so that they’d reddened as he told me, “Honey, I promise I’ll get you something even better.” He’d caressed the calluses on my hand, tears of regret falling. “You’ve suffered so much with me all these years. Once the company goes public, we’ll finally get married, okay?” “Honey,” Robert had said, embracing me, “I want to marry you. I want us to have a home.” And I believed him. I thought Robert and I were finally going to take that step. I thought these years with him, building something from nothing, had been worth it. That I had turned in a satisfying answer sheet for my life, and we would simply live out our days. Now. I looked at the tiny diamonds on the bracelet, sparkling. They felt like countless needles piercing my heart, making it ache so much I could barely stand. Yet, I forced myself to maintain my composure. “So what?” I snatched the marriage certificate from the woman’s hand, looking at the bride’s name: “Sarah Miller.” I met her perfectly made-up face and her visibly startled expression, and I smiled. “Are you trying to tell me that after fifteen years with Robert, it’s finally my turn to step aside and let you live a good life?” “Sarah,” I said, tracing her photo on the certificate, “do you really think I’d hand over all the hard work and dedication I’ve poured into these years?” I watched Sarah clearly panic, rushing forward to snatch back the certificate, but I dodged. She stumbled, hitting a cabinet, and let out a sharp cry. “Audrey!” “Are you insane?!” I watched as Sarah finally dropped her pretense, yelling at me. “Are you really going to try and ruin my relationship with Robert, to be an illegitimate mistress?!” “Audrey!” “Have you no shame?!” Before Sarah could lunge at me, I calmly took out my phone, snapped a picture of the marriage certificate, and quickly sent it to Robert. “Robert Sterling.” I texted. “I hear you’re married. Why wasn’t I invited to the wedding?” “Audrey!” “Honey!” The call connected. Robert’s voice echoed through the living room. “I can explain!” “It’s all a misunderstanding!” “Honey!” A commotion came from Robert’s end, followed by the sound of a car door closing. “I’m coming to you now. Don’t worry. We can talk about everything when I get there.” Robert kept talking. Sarah, however, was furious. She started screaming into the phone. “Robert Sterling! Whose husband are you?! Whose side are you on?!” Sarah’s hysterical voice resonated through the living room. I looked around the apartment again. It was decorated warmly, with pink-hued curtains, cream-colored sofas, and an entire wall of blind-box display shelves. Even the refrigerator was adorned with tiny lucky charms and couplets. The blue cartoon slippers by the shoe rack clearly matched the pair on Sarah’s feet. Even the plain white walls were covered with many photos of Sarah, always with a few glimpses of Robert’s back. It was clear that the person who decorated this apartment had poured a lot of heart into it. One hundred and sixty-three thousand dollars. Paid in full. Sarah Miller’s name. Sarah’s bracelet. Three hundred thousand dollars. It was supposed to be my wedding anniversary gift. And Sarah’s silk nightgown, and Sarah’s manicure, and the tea set on the coffee table, and the brand of tea leaves—none of it was cheap. Every single item spoke of luxury. Every single item. I looked down at my own plain, unadorned nails, then at the calluses on my palms from years of hard work, and then at my clothes, an outfit and shoes that together probably cost less than a thousand dollars. A sudden wave of bitter amusement washed over me. I laughed out loud. “Robert Sterling.” I cut Robert off. “Since you’re already married,” I said, glancing one last time at the marriage certificate in Sarah’s arms, “there’s nothing left for us to discuss.” I didn’t wait for Robert. I didn’t need to hear his explanation. All I knew was that the fifteen years I had given had become a joke. And Robert Sterling had made me the biggest clown in that joke. I sat in my best friend Chloe’s law office, placing the marriage certificate on the table. After explaining everything I knew to Chloe, I asked her only one thing. “In this situation, what are my chances?” My voice remained calm, as if discussing everyday matters. “Robert and I started from scratch. The company shares are equal, the assets split down the middle—all transparent. But then there’s Sarah.” I tapped the table, thinking of the three hundred thousand dollar bracelet and the one hundred and sixty-three thousand dollar apartment. “I don’t want anyone to get off easy. Stepping on my blood and sweat, enjoying the fruits of my labor—there’s no such easy thing in this world, and no justice in it either!” I told Chloe. “I want them to pay the price!” “But,” Chloe said, still fuming but maintaining her professional demeanor, “your company is at a critical stage for listing. A scandal now…” “I don’t care.” “Then that’s enough!” Chloe thumped her chest, promising, “I’ll help you see this through to the end.” Emerging from the bank, I sat in my car, staring at dozens of pages of transaction records. The amounts Robert had transferred to Sarah ranged from thousands to tens of thousands, each followed by a note: “Voluntary gift.” My chest felt like it was blocked, a suffocating feeling gripping my throat, making my eyes sting and burn. I remembered how I, too, had envied other women’s manicures and their fashion. I had gone to a beauty salon, got a manicure like those young women, then returned home, deliberately showing off my pretty nails, waving them in front of Robert, hoping he would tell me I looked beautiful. Instead, Robert had simply met my expectant gaze with a cold expression. “Honey,” he’d said, grabbing my hand and looking at my nails, shaking his head in disapproval. “I know our lives are a bit better now, but the most important thing is not to forget where you came from. We can’t just start spending lavishly, right?” He’d continued, “What if things get difficult again someday? How will you adapt?” “Honey,” Robert had hugged me, “I still prefer you simple.” All my expectations had shattered into dust. Robert’s words were like a bucket of cold water poured over my head, leaving me stunned, even forgetting to react. I just watched as Robert unceremoniously plucked off the tiny diamonds from my nails, saying, “What use are these flashy, impractical things?” Yes. Flashy, impractical things. What use were they? Yet Sarah was adorned with flashy, impractical things, like someone from another world, as perfect as a porcelain doll. The ironic part was that every penny spent on Sarah’s adornments came from the blood, sweat, and tears I had poured into building our life over the years. Why? Tears still flowed uncontrollably. I fiercely wiped them away, then, seeing Robert’s persistent calls, finally answered. “Honey?” “You finally answered!” “Thank goodness!” Robert’s anxious voice came through. “I’ve been looking for you everywhere! Where are you? Whatever it is, can we just talk face-to-face?” He pleaded, “Audrey, we’ve been together for fifteen years! Not fifteen days! You can’t just hide from me…” “Robert.” I suppressed the ache in my throat, my voice still calm. “Let’s meet.” I told him, “At that house in Northwood. Let’s meet there.” He was clearly taken aback. After a few seconds of silence, “Okay,” he said. Then, Robert’s voice became surprised and relieved. “Honey, I’ll head over right now! I’ll pick up some soup dumplings from your favorite place and bring them!” Before I could refuse, Robert had already hung up. I turned to meet Chloe’s worried gaze. “I’m fine,” I said, forcing a smile. “Don’t worry.” It had been almost five years since Robert and I moved out of that house. I looked at the weathered, old door, remembering how, when we first moved there from the basement apartment, Robert and I had put our hearts into decorating it together. Robert had said then, “Honey, this is our first home. It means something different!” He’d continued, “Later, when we’re old, if you’re willing, we’ll come back here to retire!” He’d asked, “Every year, we’ll come back and stay for a few days, okay?” At the time, my heart was full of joy, feeling that my life was truly worth it. Now, only a few years later, everything had changed. I pushed open the door. Robert was already getting up from the sofa. “Honey!” Robert was like a child seeking praise, picking up the ready-made soup dumplings and offering them to me. “They’re still warm.” In the past, I always said I loved soup dumplings, loved how Robert would wake up before dawn every day to queue for them for me. Later, when I brought up soup dumplings again, Robert just offered perfunctory excuses. “Audrey,” he’d say. “Time is money. I don’t have that much leisure to wait in such a long queue for dumplings.” Now, the soup dumplings were before me again, but somehow, they no longer looked appetizing. “Robert Sterling.” I ignored Robert’s attentiveness, walked past him, and sat on the sofa. The old sofa creaked, incomparable to Sarah’s. “Do you remember this sofa?” I asked Robert. “You and I spent two days searching the secondhand market to buy it.” I continued, as if recounting a mundane detail, “Because we couldn’t afford to pay for delivery, you borrowed a flatbed cart, and I held onto the sofa armrest. We spent two and a half hours bringing it home together in forty-degree summer heat.” I looked at him. “Back then, you said this sofa, no matter how rich we got, would never be replaced. You said it was proof of our love.” Robert’s eyes flickered, avoiding my gaze. I simply picked up the remote control from the coffee table. The remote was wrapped in tape; Robert had accidentally dropped it when he was drunk, and I couldn’t bear to replace it, so I bought tape and wrapped it up. I caressed the tape on the remote. “But the truth is, things change, don’t they?” “No, they don’t!” Robert rushed to my side, explaining frantically. “It’s not like that!” Robert’s eyes turned red, just like every time he was agitated in the past. “Sarah and I were just an accident! I don’t love her! I swear!” Robert half-knelt before me, reaching for my hand, but I shifted, dodging his grasp. I saw the hurt flash in his eyes as he continued, “At the time, I drank too much at a party. I don’t know how Sarah ended up in the hotel. When I woke up, I was genuinely scared! I didn’t lie to you!” Robert’s tears fell. “I was afraid you’d find out and break up with me, that you’d throw a fit. I didn’t know how to face you!” He stammered, “I just…” “How long?” “What?” “How long?” My voice remained calm. “With Sarah, how long have you been together?” Robert suddenly fell silent. He met my eyes, staring at me for a long time before speaking with difficulty. “Three and a half years.” I remembered Robert saying we’d come back to stay for a few days every year. But later, Robert always claimed he had no time. It wasn’t that he had no time. It was just that all his time had been spent on someone else. My heart ached, and then I heard Robert explain. “I wanted to break up, but Sarah clung to me. She kept saying her family background was poor, that her parents favored her brothers. I just felt sorry for her…” Robert’s voice grew weaker. In the end, even he couldn’t bring himself to say the next words with conviction. “Sarah… is pregnant.” It was like a dull thunderclap exploding in my ears. I clenched my fists tightly. Even though I had learned the full truth before coming, hearing it with my own ears still made me feel utterly cold. While I was eagerly anticipating my wedding with Robert, he had already given another woman his identity, making me the outsider. Now, I listened to Robert say, “I thought you were getting older, and having a baby would be bad for your health…” Getting older. Bad for my health. How laughable. “So,” Robert looked at me, “I thought her having the child would be good for you too.” Good for me. My nails dug into my flesh, but I felt no pain, as I listened to Robert continue. “Just forgive me! I’ll do anything you ask!” “Really?” I suppressed the anger raging within me, meeting Robert’s gaze. “Really!” I suddenly smiled, rising from the sofa and walking to the door. I opened it, revealing the person outside, and my smile widened. “So, did you hear that clearly?” “Who’s the mistress now?” I looked at Sarah, then pulled out my phone, still on a video call with Chloe. “This video, no editing. Release it directly to the media, word for word!” “No matter how much it costs, I want the biggest impact!” Then. I was suddenly pulled back hard by the wrist, and meeting Robert’s furious eyes, I smiled. “Robert Sterling. When you mess up, you can’t just walk away unscathed.” I looked at him. “Are you satisfied with this answer?” “Robert Sterling!” Sarah, ignoring Robert’s rage, rushed between us and demanded loudly, “Was what you just said true?! You said you loved me! You said you’d be responsible for me and our child’s future! You said you married me out of love, but couldn’t give me a wedding because of business ties with Audrey and it wasn’t the right time!” She was hysterical. “You’ve been lying to me all this time?!” Sarah completely broke down, hitting Robert with all her might. Robert, however, paid no mind to Sarah being pregnant. The moment Sarah lunged at him again, he slapped her across the face. I watched Sarah’s eyes redden. She stumbled back a few steps, looking at Robert in disbelief. “You hit me?” “Robert Sterling!” “You actually hit me?!” “I’ll kill you!” Sarah started to rush at him again in a frenzy, but Robert grabbed her hair and slammed her to the ground. The gentleness on Robert’s face was gone, replaced only by ruthlessness. He yelled at Sarah. “Haven’t you had enough?!” “If it weren’t for you, Audrey and I wouldn’t have come to this point!” “Didn’t I tell you?!” “Didn’t I tell you! I told you not to provoke Audrey! Why did you still provoke her?!” “Why?!” Robert walked over to Sarah, ignoring her tear-streaked face, ignoring her pregnancy. He lifted his foot, about to kick her. Sarah suddenly panicked, grabbing Robert and begging him, crying. “Robert Sterling, we have a child!” “You can’t do this to me, you can’t!” I watched the once haughty Sarah become disheveled, like a clown. Just as she had looked at me when I first met her, as if I were a clown. I watched indifferently, hearing Chloe say, “Don’t worry.” “Everything you asked me to do, I’m taking care of it all.” “The company listing.” “Making it onto the rich list.” “Robert Sterling,” Chloe’s voice was full of scorn, “he’s just dreaming!” Robert finally seemed to come to his senses. He rigidly turned, meeting my eyes, then his ruthlessness faded, and he became weak again, grabbing my hand and saying, “Honey!” “You can’t do this to me!” “The company, we built it together, don’t you remember?! Back then, to secure that investment, you didn’t sleep for days and nights, guarding the investor’s door before dawn, just to show them your sincerity first thing!” He pleaded, “It was a blizzard that day, and you had pneumonia from a high fever, and you were in the ICU for three days because of it!” He looked at me, “You loved our company so much, how can you destroy it with your own hands?” I watched Robert try to remind me, and I too remembered that day. Robert had rushed to the mansion, listening to the investor say, “Robert Sterling, you’re truly blessed! To find such a wonderful woman! You’re worth it!” He’d continued, “I’m making this investment!” I felt Robert trembling all over. He disregarded the contract, and just cried, hugging me and saying, “I don’t want the partnership! I don’t want the company! I don’t want money! I only want Audrey, I only want Audrey! Audrey, don’t leave me!” The high fever had terrified Robert. For that, Robert spent two full years tending to my health, learning to cook for me, making me medicinal meals. Now.

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The day of my C-section, my husband, Simon, burst into the operating room. Defying doctors and my family, he violently pulled me out. “Iris, you can’t have this baby!” he yelled, his voice strained. “If you want to live, come with me!” I had no idea what had gotten into him. But he was holding a knife, and I was too terrified to resist. I just let him drag me onto a train. Later that afternoon, a notification popped up on my phone, and my blood ran cold. Within ten minutes of us leaving the hospital, every single pregnant woman in that hospital—except for me—was dead! My face went ashen. I tried to ask him what the hell was going on, but he just pointed to the window behind me, a look of pure terror on his face. “Don’t look back! We have to get off this train, now!” 1 Simon and I had been married for almost three years. He was even more excited about this baby than I was. He’d even booked my C-section himself. But now, he’d suddenly changed his tune, forbidding me from having the child? Seeing the fruit knife in his hand, I was scared rigid. “Simon, do you even know what you’re doing?” I whispered, trying to reason with him. He glanced nervously at the doctors and nurses around us. “Iris, I’m perfectly clear-headed!” he insisted, his voice low and urgent. “If you want to live, you absolutely cannot have this baby today!” My father, hearing the commotion, rushed in, furious. He raised his cane, ready to strike Simon. “What in God’s name are you thinking? You won’t let Iris have the baby? Do you want her to die, taking the child with her?” Simon glared at my father like he was the enemy. “I’m saving her!” My mother’s face flushed crimson. “Simon Hayes, I’ve already called the police! If you don’t want to go to jail, just…” She didn’t finish her sentence. Simon shoved her aside and pulled me towards the operating room. “Mom!” I cried, seeing her fall to the floor. I tried to wrench my hand free, but he held me tight, his expression grim. “I’m your husband! I wouldn’t hurt you! Come with me!” He completely disregarded my pregnancy, dragging me forward with all his might. Only when we were safely on a train did he finally relax. Fuming, I slapped him. “Simon Hayes! You’d better explain this to me, or we’re finished!” The chill in his eyes slowly receded, but a hint of vigilance remained. “Iris, don’t ask why. Knowing too much won’t do you any good.” Our argument quickly caught the attention of a flight attendant. He glanced at my belly. “Ma’am, you’re very pregnant! You shouldn’t be getting angry right now!” As soon as he spoke, countless passengers turned their heads, openly staring at my swollen belly. “What are you looking at?!” Simon snapped, pulling my hand tighter. He then led me towards another carriage. I could tell he was terrified. He seemed so afraid of anyone discovering I was pregnant that he even took off his trench coat and tied it around my belly. “What are you so afraid of?” I couldn’t help but ask him. He shushed me, his voice bone-chillingly cold. “Shhh, don’t talk! Don’t ask why!” My phone suddenly rang, its jingle jarring in the quiet carriage. Simon pulled out his phone, and his face instantly turned ghostly white. I leaned in to look, and my blood ran cold. ‘Local Maternity Hospital: 208 Pregnant Women Die Mysteriously from Cardiac Arrest…’ Wasn’t that the maternity hospital Simon had dragged me from just moments ago? Simon had been telling the truth! Besides me, all 208 pregnant women at the hospital today had died! I snatched the phone, frantically scrolling through the photos in the post. Only when I saw the body of my best friend, Chloe, did I finally break down crying. Just before my surgery, she’d been cheering me on, and now she was a cold, lifeless corpse. Trembling, I grabbed Simon’s collar. “What the hell is going on? Why did they all die?!” 2 He looked utterly tormented, unwilling to answer my question. He just kept apologizing. “Iris, I’m sorry! I couldn’t save that many people.” I wanted to call my parents, to ask them what was happening. The next second, their call came through. “Iris! Are you okay? Where are you? We’ve been worried sick!” I couldn’t hold back my tears. “Dad! Mom! I’m okay!” “I saw the news! Chloe died, and all the other pregnant women at the maternity hospital. Do you know why?” My dad’s voice, full of confusion, came through the phone. “Iris, what are you talking about? Chloe just gave birth, she and the baby are perfectly fine! All the other mothers are okay too!” After he spoke, someone else snatched the phone. “Iris, it’s Chloe. You need to tell Simon to bring you back right away! You can’t delay having this baby!” I was certain it was Chloe’s voice! She really wasn’t dead. But what about the news photos I’d seen earlier? I was about to ask Chloe when Simon quickly snatched my phone. “They’re lying to you! Don’t trust anyone!” Lying to me? I tried to find the news story again, searching frantically, but it was nowhere to be found. The article seemed to have vanished, as if it had all been a trick of my mind. Simon looked surprised, too, but quickly regained his composure. “It’s all a hoax! Iris, the only person you can trust is me!” I had no idea what he was talking about. All I wanted to do at that moment was get off the train. But the train entered a tunnel, plunging the carriage into darkness. “Iris, you can’t get off this train! And you can’t go back! Because…” He stopped mid-sentence. I looked at him and saw his face had turned ghostly pale again. “Simon! What’s wrong?” His eyes, wide with terror, were fixed on something behind me. Through his constantly shrinking pupils, I could faintly make out a blurry shadow. But there was only a window behind me. Was there something outside the window that had frightened him? Out of instinct, I wanted to turn my head to look. But Simon reached out and pressed my head forward. His lips trembled, and he spoke in a voice I’d never heard before. “Don’t look back, run!” I could distinctly feel his hand shaking; he was clearly terrified. At the same time, a cold draft blew across the back of my neck. The next second, he pulled me from my seat. He dragged me, running, without stopping even when he bumped into several people. Only when the train fully emerged from the tunnel, and light appeared above us, did he slowly stop. But his hand was shaking even more violently. I looked up and realized that all the passengers in the train were staring at me with strange eyes. More precisely, they were staring at my belly. It was a blank, lifeless gaze. They weren’t doing anything, but I instinctively felt a chilling dread. As if at any second, they would rush towards me. Thankfully, the train pulled into a station, and Simon immediately pulled me off. Once we were off the train, that strange sense of fear dissipated. I looked at Simon. “Simon, what did you see just now?” His expression of extreme terror was still vividly etched in my mind. It felt as if we would have died a horrible death if we had been even a second slower. What was he so afraid of? What was he hiding from? Was it that blurry black shadow? He didn’t answer me. He just hailed a taxi. “It’s not safe on the ground anymore. We’re going to the airport.” I was pushed into the taxi again. On the way, the driver struck up a conversation. “Ma’am, you’re in great shape! I saw you from a distance, running with that big belly, and you’re perfectly fine now!” His words made me realize something. Ever since Simon had dragged me out of the hospital, I’d been running as if my life depended on it. But as the driver said, I hadn’t felt the slightest discomfort. This baby seemed unnervingly resilient. 3 Every time the baby was mentioned, Simon became incredibly sensitive. He warned the driver, “It’s none of your business. Don’t pry.” Just as he finished speaking, my mother’s call came in again. I reached for my phone, but Simon, sitting beside me, turned and warned me, “Don’t answer! We can’t trust anyone right now!” The driver shot us a strange look. I ended up not answering the call. But a minute later, Chloe called me. Simon glared at me again. “Don’t answer!” I couldn’t take it anymore. I started arguing with him in the car. “Simon, what do you even want? You won’t let me have the baby, you won’t let me go home, and now you won’t let me contact anyone?” “That news report…” He looked at me, his expression grim, about to speak. But then, a deafening explosion ripped through the air behind us! I turned to look, and saw the train we had just gotten off had derailed, crashing into a mountain. “This…” The shockwave from the explosion rushed towards us, making the driver stomp on the accelerator. I was still reeling from the immense shock. But then, Simon’s chilling voice echoed in my ears. “That’s why.” “Everyone who looks back dies! We must never look back.” If the news report earlier had been a figment of my imagination, then this train crash, right before my eyes, was undeniably real. We drove in silence until the taxi safely pulled into the airport. Then, I suddenly realized. “We need to call the police! How can we just run when something so big has happened?!” The driver gave me a scrutinizing look. “Ma’am! What happened that requires calling the police?” “The train crashed into the mountain just now! Didn’t you see it?” He furrowed his brow, then said something that made my blood run cold. “Ma’am, are you having a nightmare? We came out of the train station a while ago, and nothing happened on the way here.” His expression was natural, not at all like he was lying. So he didn’t remember? But it had only been twenty minutes! How could he suddenly have amnesia? I looked at Simon beside me; his face was still pale and drawn, but he showed no intention of speaking. Something this big had to be in the news. I pulled out my phone again, frantically searching for information about the train. Nothing? I directly dialed 911. I told them about the accident with the train. But the police’s explanation was exactly the same as the driver’s. He even warned me not to make false reports or spread rumors! I was utterly desperate! What the hell was going on?! “Ma’am, you don’t look so good! You’re heavily pregnant; maybe you should go to the hospital?” the driver said kindly, glancing at my belly. Simon, as if not in control, shoved the driver and quickly pulled me towards the airport entrance. My phone in my pocket rang again. This time, it was my mother-in-law. Simon just glanced at it, then, with a look of fear, threw my phone into a trash can. Not just mine, but his own too. No tickets were available at this hour. I don’t know how he managed it, but he secured two tickets for a flight taking off in ten minutes. The destination was the Himalayas! “What are we doing going to the Himalayas?”

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My sister, Luna, was an influencer with millions of followers. I was her mukbang stand-in. For two years, I ate countless disgusting meals for her, until my stomach perforated. Then one day, clutching my abdomen, which felt like it was tearing apart from the pain, I begged her: “Luna, give me five thousand dollars for surgery. I’m dying.” She looked at me with disdain. “Is your life even worth five thousand dollars?” I wiped the blood from the corner of my mouth and smiled. No, it really wasn’t. But dragging you down to hell with me? That would be priceless. 1 The day I finally hit rock bottom, I knew I had to drag her down with me. That bucket of fiery, industrial-strength hot sauce felt like molten lead poured down my throat. My esophagus swelled instantly, a searing pain burning its way from my vocal cords straight to my stomach lining. I clapped a hand over my mouth, desperate to stifle any sound. On camera, my sister, Luna, was in the final throes of her performance. “Alright, my darlings! Today’s ten-pound Spicy Buffalo Wing Challenge is a success! I even drank all the sauce, wink wink!” She blew a kiss to the camera, pouting her lips, perfectly painted with expensive lip gloss. She looked like a porcelain doll, sweet and innocent. The comments section exploded. “Luna is amazing!” “That’s psycho-hot! My stomach hurts just watching, and Luna drank the sauce?!” “True Queen of Muckbang, respect!” Gift effects rained down, filling the screen with virtual fireworks and grand celebrations. Our manager, Kyle, sat behind the monitor, rubbing his hands together excitedly. “It’s blowing up, blowing up! We’ve hit a million in revenue today!” No one even glanced at me. I was curled up under the table, shrouded in the greasy haze of fast food, my back drenched in cold sweat. The excruciating pain in my stomach made my vision swim. “Cut! Live stream over!” Kyle yelled. Luna’s sweet smile vanished instantly. She kicked the table leg with disdain. “Dawn, are you dead down there? Get out and clean this up already. The smell of grease is making me sick.” I gritted my teeth, laboriously shifting my two-hundred-pound body, and crawled out from under the table. As soon as I stood upright, my stomach churned violently. “Ugh—” I couldn’t hold it in. A mouthful of sour bile mixed with undigested hot sauce surged up. But I clamped my mouth shut, forcing it back down. I knew that if I threw up on the carpet, Kyle would dock my entire week’s pay. “So disgusting.” Luna covered her nose, stepping back, her eyes full of revulsion. “Sis, can you please try to maintain some kind of image? Thank goodness the stream ended. Otherwise, my immaculate reputation would be ruined.” Kyle walked over and slammed a data report onto the table. “Today’s performance was good, but that last bit, drinking the sauce, Dawn, your swallowing was too loud. We almost got caught. Be more careful next time, don’t sound like you haven’t eaten in a hundred years.” I leaned against the wall, my fingers digging into the wallpaper, knuckles white. “Kyle, my stomach hurts… Can you send me to the hospital?” This was the first time I had ever asked them for anything. Before, no matter how much pain I was in, I just endured it. Because I was the older sister, the unwanted orphan, the “utility player” adopted by the Hayes family. Kyle frowned, sizing me up. “Stomach ache? Just drink some hot water. Dawn, no offense, but with all that extra weight, you’re built tough. Don’t be so delicate.” Luna, removing her makeup, glanced at me in the mirror. “Exactly, sis. You eat so many good things every day, and now you want to go to the hospital? Do you know how much a hospital visit costs? That’s my hard-earned money.” Good things? Those insanely spicy concoctions, industrial chili extract, expired canned foods – in her mouth, they were “good things.” The cramping in my stomach grew more intense. I felt something tearing inside. “It really… hurts…” My vision went black, and I slid down the wall. Before losing consciousness, I heard Luna’s impatient voice. “So annoying. Who’s she trying to fool by playing dead? Kyle, drag her out. Don’t let her delay my outfit-change video shoot later.” 2 I woke up again in the emergency observation room of a hospital. The air was thick with the scent of disinfectant and alcohol, mingled with the cacophony of urgent voices. An IV dripped cool liquid into my veins, slightly taming the fiery sensation within me. A young male doctor stood by my bed, holding my test results, his brow deeply furrowed. “Awake?” I opened my mouth, my voice raspy as if I’d swallowed sand. “Doctor… I…” “Acute gastric perforation, accompanied by severe esophageal burns, along with severe fatty liver and high blood pressure,” the doctor stated sternly. “What on earth have you been doing? Your stomach wall is as thin as paper, filled with chili oil and undigested grease. Are you trying to die?” I managed a bitter smile, which pulled at a raw spot on the corner of my mouth. “Work… required it.” “What kind of work requires drinking industrial chili extract?” The doctor slapped the papers onto the bedside table. “You need immediate surgery. Inform your family to sign the consent forms.” Family. I fumbled in my pocket, pulling out my phone with its cracked screen. Only five percent battery left. No missed calls, no messages. I had been unconscious for at least three hours, and they hadn’t even sent a text to see if I was dead. I dialed my adoptive mother’s number. It rang for a long time before she picked up. The clatter of mahjong tiles echoed from her end, followed by my adoptive mother’s boisterous laughter. “Royal flush! Pay up, pay up!” “Mom…” I croaked weakly. “What now? Out of money again?” My adoptive mother’s voice instantly turned cold. “Dawn, let me tell you, we fed you, clothed you, raised you all these years. Don’t be ungrateful. Luna works hard for her money; don’t always try to squeeze money out of her.” “I’m in the hospital… The doctor says I need surgery… gastric perforation…” There was a second of silence on the other end. Then an impatient click of her tongue. “Gastric perforation? How delicate can you be? Back in the village, we ate scraps and never got a stomach perforation. How much is the surgery?” I looked at the doctor. He gestured with his hand. “At least five thousand dollars, follow-up treatment is extra.” “Five thousand,” I said. “What?!” My adoptive mother’s voice shot up. “Five thousand? Are you robbing a bank? Five thousand for a little stomach ache? Do you think you have a golden stomach?” “It’s real… Mom, I’ll die if I don’t get surgery…” “You won’t die! All that extra weight is your best protection. Alright, stop playing the victim. Get back to the studio. Luna has a late-night dessert segment waiting for you to assist with.” Beep—beep— The call ended. I clutched the phone, listening to the cold dial tone. Tears finally spilled, falling onto the back of my hand. The doctor looked at me, his eyes filled with a mix of pity and the hardened indifference of someone who had seen it all. “No money, no surgery. I’ll prescribe some painkillers and stomach protectants for you. Finish your IV, then go raise the money. Delaying it will be life-threatening.” I nodded, burying my head under the covers. These were my family. This was the sister I had risked my life to protect. 3 I was an adopted child of the Hayes family. At the age of five, I was abandoned at the orphanage gates, and Mr. and Mrs. Hayes took me in. Back then, they didn’t have children of their own, and they treated me reasonably well. Then, two years later, Luna was born. Everything changed. I became the unwanted one, the nanny, the punching bag. “Older sisters should always give way to younger sisters.” That was the phrase I heard most often. The best food went to Luna, new clothes went to Luna, and I was the one who got yelled at and hit. But I always remained grateful. After all, they had given me a roof over my head. Two years ago, the live-streaming industry took off. Luna was beautiful and wanted to be an influencer, but she couldn’t handle hardship, especially not eating all those attention-grabbing junk foods. So, I, weighing just over a hundred pounds at the time, became her “stand-in.” On camera, she was the “Big Eater Beauty” who could devour anything without gaining weight. Off camera, I was the “slop bucket” who wolfed down everything. She was responsible for looking pretty; I was responsible for eating. To match her streaming schedule, I lived a nocturnal life, binge-eating everything. To create sensational content, I drank chili oil, ate raw offal, and swallowed live squid. My weight skyrocketed from one hundred pounds to two hundred, and my body completely broke down. And she? She became a goddess adored by the entire internet, living in luxury mansions and driving sports cars. Me? I lived in the studio’s storage room, with only two hundred dollars a month for living expenses, and they still complained about how much I ate. After finishing my IV, I pulled out the needle and dragged my heavy body back to the studio. As soon as I entered, I heard cheers from inside. “Cheers!” Kyle raised a wine glass, his face flushed. Luna, wearing a custom-made gown, sat like a princess in the middle of the sofa. My adoptive parents were there too, counting money with a calculator. “The data from this ‘Hot Sauce Challenge’ was incredible! The brand just added fifty thousand dollars for promotion!” Kyle yelled excitedly. “Fantastic!” Luna sipped her red wine. “I knew that fat pig was still good for something. Oh, by the way, where is she? We have a whole roasted lamb review tonight.” I stood in the shadows of the entryway, looking at this happy family of four. The table was laden with exquisite French dishes: steak, foie gras, truffles. Not a single trace of the hot sauce I had just consumed. The excruciating pain in my stomach flared again, more violently than ever before. I suddenly understood something profound. In their eyes, I wasn’t even human. I was just a money-making machine that ate things. If it broke, they’d fix it; if they couldn’t fix it, they’d throw it away. “Oh, you’re back?” My adoptive mother, sharp-eyed, spotted me. She walked over, fanning her nose with disgust. “You reek of hospital disinfectant; it’s disgusting. Go wash up quickly. Don’t pass on your sickness to Luna.” I didn’t move, my gaze fixed on her. “Mom, I need surgery.” My adoptive mother paused, then rolled her eyes. “Here we go again. Didn’t they give you painkillers? The doctor let you come home, which means you’re fine. Don’t try to scam us.” “I need five thousand dollars,” I repeated. “It’s what I’ve earned these past two years.” “Earned what, you little brat?!” Kyle walked over, slamming his wine glass onto the table. “Dawn, get your facts straight. You eat our food, drink our drinks, live in our house. Without Luna, you’d be starving on the streets. Now you’re asking us for money? Have you no conscience?” “I’ve done sixty purge streams for her, drank twenty gallons of chili oil, eaten countless junk foods!” I pointed at my stomach, screaming, “Every pound of this two-hundred-pound body was earned for you! Now I need to save my life, and you won’t even give me five thousand?!” Luna put down her wine glass and walked over elegantly. She was half a head shorter than me but looked at me with a condescending gaze. “Sis, you can’t talk like that.” She extended a slender finger and poked my fleshy shoulder. “Look at yourself now, fat and bloated, greasy and disgusting. Besides eating, what else can you do? If I hadn’t given you this opportunity, you wouldn’t even earn two hundred dollars. You should be grateful to me, understand?” She leaned closer to my ear and whispered, “Besides, is your life even worth five thousand dollars?” At that moment, I heard something shatter completely inside me. Not my stomach, but that last shred of familial affection and fantasy. I looked at her exquisite face and suddenly laughed. “Alright.” I nodded, my eyes terrifyingly calm. “I won’t get the surgery.” “That’s more like it.” Kyle patted my shoulder in satisfaction. “A wise person knows when to yield. For tonight’s whole roasted lamb, perform well. The brand said if this one goes well, they’ll push for that ‘Hell-Level Devil Spicy’ special next.” I lowered my head, concealing the cold glint in my eyes. “Okay,” I said. “This is the last time.”

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I’m a drama queen. In the middle of the night, I absolutely had to have strawberries. I forced my boyfriend, who was running a high fever, to brave a storm to buy them for me. Half an hour later, the doorbell rang. I opened the door, about to ask for the strawberries. Then I saw the pop-up comments. “Strawberries? Dude got hit by a car on the way. The guy at your door is a real ghost.” “This evil female lead is really going to kill herself. When does she finally die?” “Don’t worry, soon, soon. In three days, the anomalies descend, and the male lead becomes the King of Anomalies. He’ll go after the evil female lead first.” I trembled like a leaf. I grabbed a towel from the table and draped it over my boyfriend’s head. Softly, I said, “You’re drenched! It breaks my heart to see you like this.” 1 Under the dim yellow light, Liam’s face was as pale as paper. His hair was soaking wet, drops of water dripping from the strands onto the floor. The towel in my hand was soaked with rainwater, and his palm felt icy. The comments section exploded: “Wait, isn’t the next scene supposed to be the female lead, furious about not getting her strawberries, slapping the male lead across the face?” “Why is Sarah suddenly having a conscience?” “Probably realized she’s about to die. Trying to make amends, a last-ditch effort.” … Those dense, scrolling comments sent shivers down my spine. Yes, I was Sarah, the “evil female lead” they were talking about. Outside, it was pitch black, as if the darkness itself was trying to swallow everything. This wasn’t normal. Combined with the comments about anomalies descending in three days, it seemed this was really happening. 2 I carefully used the towel to dry Liam’s rain-soaked hair. He remained utterly still, unreactive, letting me do as I pleased. Just as I wondered why, a comment popped up, explaining: “Male lead’s first day as an anomaly, consciousness not back yet. Just acting on instinct.” “Sarah only has three days to run wild. Once Liam’s consciousness and memories return in three days, good luck to her.” I shivered in fear. My wrist was suddenly grabbed. Liam’s hand was icy, and his voice was cold. He said, “I couldn’t get the strawberries.” The moment he said that, I was filled with regret. Idiot! Why did you ask for strawberries?! Now his life is gone! Before I could speak, Liam had already gathered his bedding. “I’ll sleep on the living room couch.” This was my usual punishment for Liam. Any slight deviation from my wishes, and he’d either be on his knees or subjected to my yelling and hitting. The couch was a standard punishment. Sarah, Sarah, I cursed inwardly, you really are a monster! My heart softened, but then I remembered Liam was now… not human. It was probably better to keep my distance. Thinking this, I yawned and went to bed. When I opened my eyes, those persistent comments were still there. I didn’t expect them to invade my mind even when I closed my eyes. The comments section was buzzing, all about how tragic my fate would be. They showed absolutely no consideration for me, the person experiencing it. Comments: “This female lead gets it rough later. When the anomalies descend, she’s repeatedly attacked by the anomalies Liam sends. She barely clings to life, only to encounter the black-hearted Liam. She thinks he’s still in love, slaps him, and he just chops off her hand.” What the hell?! My eyes, which had been closed, snapped open. I quickly touched my perfectly intact hand. Comments: “Wait, why did Sarah suddenly open her eyes? Scared me.” I’m the one who’s scared stiff! Isn’t my fate supposed to be miserable? Although I was a bit of a beast before, I didn’t deserve that, did I? But thinking back to my time with Liam, I had never shown him a kind face, always yelling or hitting him. Before, perhaps because I hadn’t “awakened” and was just a paper doll following a predetermined plot, I hadn’t felt anything. But now that I was aware, recalling my actions… Yes, I was a terrible person. But did I deserve such a tragic death? Thinking of this, tears streamed down my face. Question: How do I reverse my tragic ending in just three days? The comments were still buzzing with activity. “Don’t even get me started on how satisfying it gets later. And Liam doesn’t kill her immediately. Instead, he locks her up and tortures her daily. It takes almost a month for Sarah to finally die.” “OMG, the male lead is so ruthless! Doesn’t he have any humanity left?” “Ruthless? He’s an anomaly now, of course he’s lost most of his humanity.” “You’re right. It’s all Sarah’s fault. She’s getting what she deserves.” The more I read, the more terrified and shaky I became. The more I read, the colder the room felt. Finally, I abruptly sat up in bed. These cursed comments were chilling me to the bone. No, I couldn’t sleep alone; it was too terrifying. 3 So I quietly slipped out of bed. I pushed the door open just a crack. It was dark outside; Liam must have been fast asleep. I tiptoed to the sofa. Using the faint light from my phone, I illuminated Liam’s face. He lay peacefully, like a corpse. Well, he was one. Okay, sleeping next to a corpse right now wasn’t the smartest idea. But I really didn’t want to fall asleep alone, trembling with fear. So I quietly lifted a corner of the blanket and slipped in. Thankfully, the sofa I bought was large enough. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have fit two people. I turned over, coming face to face with a pair of dark eyes. The surprise made me lose my balance, almost falling off. Thankfully, Liam caught me by the waist. His voice was devoid of emotion. “Why are you sleeping out here?” I didn’t know how to explain, so I just buried my face in his chest. “I missed you.” The comments exploded: “Wait, why are they suddenly getting intimate?” “Upstairs, they’re a couple. This is normal.” “Not normal at all! Zero people want to see their love story.” I was buried in the crook of Liam’s neck, barely daring to breathe. After all, the current Liam was no longer the same. There was no trace of a living person about him. 4 The comments started chatting again: “Honestly, this female lead is such a stereotype. Facing a boyfriend with an eight-pack and top-tier looks, she just keeps her heart locked up, treating him like a spinning top all day. So abstract, she practically has ‘I’m the evil female lead’ written on her face.” “Agreed with the above. I was so confused when I watched. They clearly had no real conflict, and the male lead never did anything overboard, but she just acted like a lunatic, finding ways to torment him all day.” “That’s normal. The author got lazy, just wanted a character to boost the male lead’s dark evolution. The interaction between the male and female leads later will definitely be shippable, looking forward to it!” These comments actually reminded me. That’s right, what was it about Liam that I used to dislike so much? His face? Liam’s face was top-tier. If he hadn’t been with me, he probably could have found a rich older woman and never worried about money again. His body? His body was also top-notch: an eight-pack, smooth and refined skin. Thinking about it like that… Oh my God! I’ve been set up! The old me was practically blind! Having such beauty and not indulging, just focusing on acting like a drama queen—this plot was truly harmful! As I thought this, my eyelids grew heavier and heavier. The sofa, though not small, was still a bit cramped for two people. As I relaxed slightly, I felt myself starting to drift downwards. Liam’s hand was resting on my waist, occasionally pulling me closer. His fingers were terrifyingly cold, even waking me from my drowsy state. I instinctively frowned. “Take your hand away, your hand is so cold…” But then I suddenly remembered my tragic fate. I quickly grabbed his hand instead. “Why is your hand so cold?” Liam moved a little closer, our breaths mingling. “I don’t know.” Perhaps it was lust emboldening me. I, possessed, placed his hand on my chest, then pressed it against my neck. “I’ll warm you up, and it won’t be cold anymore,” I said. The veins in my slender neck pulsed with heat and strength. His cold, large hand trembled slightly. Liam froze. His dark eyes watched me unblinkingly, as if trying to swallow me whole. The comments section nearly erupted into a brawl. “What the hell? Why did they suddenly get all lovey-dovey?” “Gotta say, it’s kinda shippable.” “Upstairs must be starving for content, shipping anything? Are you a Stockholm Syndrome victim?” “Seriously, look what the male lead went through. Just let the female lead die already, okay?” “But I actually feel like the male lead is kinda enjoying it right now…” 5 I slept soundly through the night. Early in the morning, before I was even fully awake, I smelled the aroma of food. I twitched my nose, then rolled over and fell off the sofa. Liam had woken up early and, driven by instinct, had prepared a table full of food. All my favorites. I was delighted. I picked up my fork and tasted a bit of the roasted chicken. Enjoying it, I praised him, “Today’s meal is so rich and delicious!” Comments: “Of course! It’s her last meal; it has to be grand.” “Let the female lead enjoy this last bit of happiness. Later, on the run, she won’t even have a cracker. The one piece of bread she finds will be moldy.” “Thinking about it like that, she’s pretty miserable, isn’t she? Serves her right, she brought it on herself.” I quietly put down my fork. Damn these comments, they can’t even let me eat in peace. Liam noticed my action. “No appetite?” he asked. Perhaps because he was now not human, his voice was still cold, utterly devoid of emotion. I forced a bitter smile. “Maybe it’s because I didn’t sleep well last night; I’m a bit under the weather.” Liam tilted his head. His voice finally held a hint of emotion. “Is it because I couldn’t get the strawberries?” Why is he bringing up strawberries again?! Comments: “Poor male lead, dead and still trapped in the past, still thinking it’s his fault.” “Everyone, just one more day, and Liam awakens! It’ll be so satisfying when his memories return!” “Argh, I really hate this female lead! She caused his death just over some strawberries!” The comments made my nose sting. I couldn’t even remember why I had insisted on strawberries last night. Perhaps, as the comments said, the author just needed an excuse to drive the plot. But the strawberries were ultimately my request, and I was the one who caused Liam’s death. Thinking this, guilt washed over me like a tide. I stood up and, under Liam’s watchful gaze, hugged him. Liam’s body was stiff, like a cold wall. I mumbled into his shoulder, “I’ll never eat strawberries again.” Strawberries aren’t delicious at all! Liam didn’t move, letting me embrace him. “Why? Don’t you like them?” I hugged him tighter. “Because I don’t.” Liam said, “Then what do you like? I’ll get it for you.” I said, “I like you.” Liam said nothing more. His body subtly shifted for a moment. Then he raised his arms and hugged me tightly. Comments: “Wait, I’m actually starting to ship them. What’s going on, the male lead seems to be regaining consciousness?” “Liam isn’t going to awaken early, is he? If he does, fine, just kill Sarah already. I don’t want to see their romance.” “How does this feel both sweet and angsty? Also, does this relationship line really need to be written in such detail?”

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At my grandmother’s eightieth birthday banquet, my hands trembled from a severe somatic depression flare-up, and I knocked over a teacup. My own mother slapped me across the face, her eyes filled with disgust. “You ill-mannered brat, how dare you bring bad luck on a day like this?” The room full of relatives snickered, watching the spectacle. My aunt, my father’s sister, remarked sarcastically, “Honey, don’t be mad. She’s mentally ill, you know. Clumsy hands are normal.” I felt icy all over, trembling as I fumbled in my purse for my diagnosis paper, trying to explain. But my father snatched it, tearing it to shreds, then grabbed my hair and dragged me towards the balcony. “Are you addicted to faking illness? Go to the balcony and reflect. You’re not allowed back in until you can smile!” The biting wind howled. The seventeenth-floor balcony had no enclosed windows. I watched the joyous sounds of clinking glasses from inside, saw them take a heartwarming family photo that conspicuously left me out. This time, I really smiled. I swung myself over the railing. Before my body completely lost its balance, I dialed 911. “Officer, I’ve committed a murder. I’ve killed myself. The culprits are right here in the room.” My phone plummeted with my body. With a sickening thud, my head burst open on the concrete below. The banquet’s merriment ceased. … 1 At Grandma Eleanor’s eightieth birthday banquet, the private room was stiflingly hot from the heating. I huddled in a corner, my heart clutched tight, each beat a sharp stab of pain. It was a somatic symptom of my severe depression. I wanted to throw up, to run away, to find a place where I could cry my heart out alone. “Alice, are you just going to stand there like a statue? Go raise a toast to your Uncle Robert!” My mother’s sharp voice cut through the air. Her eyes pierced me with a look of utter disappointment. I swallowed hard, suppressing the nausea, and shakily picked up a glass. “Well, look at those hands shaking like she has Parkinson’s. Alice, are you still half-asleep?” My Aunt Carol, Robert’s wife, quipped, cracking a pecan, her eyes full of mockery. The surrounding relatives roared with laughter. “College kids, so delicate.” “I think she’s just spoiled. Probably had it easy at home.” I clenched my jaw, trying to control my trembling hands, but my body refused to obey. “Smash!” A crisp sound. The glass slipped from my grasp, shattering on the floor, wine splashing onto Uncle Robert’s pant leg. The room fell silent. All eyes converged on me. “Alice!” My father, David, slammed his hand on the table and rose to his feet. He strode towards me, raised his hand, and slapped me hard across the face. “Crack!” My cheek burned, my ears rang. I staggered back a few steps, bumping into a chair behind me. “You good-for-nothing! You can’t even manage a simple toast. What can you do?” I clutched my face, tears welling in my eyes, but I dared not let them fall. Because they had told me that crying was bad luck, crying was an embarrassment to the family. “I… I’m sorry…” I mumbled, my voice barely a whisper, head bowed. “What’s the good of ‘sorry’? Look at your dismal face. Today is Grandma’s big day; are you deliberately trying to upset her?” My mother, Eleanor, rushed over, pointing her finger at my nose and scolding me mercilessly. “How could I have given birth to such a burden? Look at your cousin, Clara, so well-behaved and thoughtful. And look at you, always wearing that gloomy face. Who are you putting on a show for?” Clara was my cousin, Uncle Robert’s daughter. At that moment, she was nestled beside Grandma Eleanor, smiling brightly, clutching a crisp dollar bill from a freshly received gift. Hearing my mother’s words, she raised an eyebrow, feigning surprise as she looked at me. “Oh, Aunt Eleanor, don’t blame Alice too much. Maybe she’s just not feeling well. After all, Alice usually doesn’t talk much. It’s normal for her to be a bit withdrawn.” “Withdrawn? I say she’s just being dramatic!” Aunt Carol interjected, her tone dripping with sarcasm. “These kids nowadays, always claiming to be depressed. Really, they’re just lazy, just trying to shirk responsibility.” My heart felt as if something had violently stabbed it, bleeding profusely. My trembling hand reached into my purse and found the crumpled diagnosis paper. It was the result of a secret check-up I’d had last week. Severe depression, accompanied by severe anxiety, with an urgent recommendation for inpatient treatment. I wanted to tell them, I wasn’t being dramatic, I wasn’t lazy, I was truly sick. I pulled out the paper. “Dad, Mom, I’m not faking it. I really am…” “Rip—” Before I could finish, my father snatched the diagnosis paper, not even glancing at it, and tore it to shreds. “Don’t try to fool me with this garbage! Last time it was a stomachache, this time it’s depression. Next time, will it be cancer?” My father violently threw the paper shreds at my face. “Alice Hayes, I’m telling you, today you will be happy! If you dare to ruin your grandmother’s mood, I’ll break your legs!” My vision blurred. The paper shreds landed on my hair, on my shoulders, like a death sentence pronounced on my life. It turned out that, in their eyes, my life was less important than their public image. “To the balcony! You’re not coming back in until you can smile!” My father grabbed my collar, dragging me towards the balcony like a dead dog. 2 The balcony door slammed shut, locked. The biting wind howled, rushing into my collar, stripping away the last of my body heat. This was the seventeenth floor. The hotel balcony was semi-open, with only a railing less than three feet high. I leaned over the railing, looking at the traffic below. Inside, the sounds of clinking glasses and laughter drifted through the glass door. “Come on, let’s keep drinking, don’t mind that crazy girl.” “Exactly, these kids just need discipline. A couple of missed meals will fix her.” “Clara, darling, sing a song for Grandma. Grandma loves your singing most.” They laughed so happily. It was as if the person who had just been humiliated and scolded by them didn’t even exist. The glass door reflected their joyous figures. My father, all smiles, toasted my uncle. My mother was holding Clara’s hand, complimenting her beautiful dress. What a perfect family photo. If you didn’t count me. My heart stopped its frantic pounding, slowly calming. That calm was like the surface of the ocean before a storm, unfathomably deep. I pulled out my phone. On the screen was a photo of me with my parents. It was taken five years ago when I got into a prestigious high school. Back then, they smiled with such pride, loving me so much. When did it start to change? Was it when my grades slipped? Or when I became quiet and withdrawn? Or perhaps, when they started to see me as a burden? I opened my contacts, my finger hovering over “Dad” for a long time, but ultimately sliding past it. There was no need. No one would answer, and if they did, it would just be another torrent of abuse. I dialed the number I’d only ever seen on TV. 911. “Hello, this is 911 emergency. How can I help you?” I looked down at the hard concrete pavement below, a stiff smile tugging at the corner of my lips. “Officer, I need to report a crime.” The person on the other end clearly paused, their voice becoming urgent. “Please calm down! Can you tell me what happened? What is your exact location?” “Seventeenth floor of the Imperial Hotel, in the Magnolia Ballroom.” I took a deep breath. “I’ve committed a murder.” The operator on the other end was visibly taken aback, their tone growing more urgent. “Ma’am, please calm down! Who is the victim? What’s the situation at the scene?” “The victim is myself.” I looked through the glass door at my mother, who was cutting the cake for Grandma. She looked so beautiful when she smiled, much more beautiful than when she smiled at me. “The culprits are inside the room. They’re eating cake, celebrating their glamorous lives.” “Hello? Hello! Ma’am, please don’t do anything rash! Whatever you’re going through, it can be resolved! Please listen to me…” The police officer’s anxious shouts sounded so faint in the cold wind. I hung up the phone. I took one last look at this world. The gloomy sky, so oppressive it stole your breath. Just like my past twenty years. “Alice! Are you dead out there?! If you’re going to jump, just jump! Don’t stand there trying to scare people!” Through the glass door, my father saw me standing by the railing, pointing and yelling. His face was flushed with drink, his eyes full of contempt. My mother also looked over, frowning, mouthing for me to come inside. I smiled. This time, it was a genuine smile. “Dad, Mom, as you wish, I’ll never embarrass you again.” I swung myself over the railing. In the moment my body lost balance, I felt no fear. Instead, there was an unprecedented sense of liberation. The wind roared in my ears. From the seventeenth floor, the fall would only take a few seconds. “Thud!” Excruciating pain, followed by endless darkness. The world, finally, was quiet. 3 I thought I would simply vanish. But I didn’t. I floated in mid-air, looking at my own body, shattered on the ground. Blood spread across the pale concrete like blooming scarlet lilies, a horrific sight. The Alice who had worked so hard for praise but never received it, the Alice who had lived so cautiously, walking on eggshells, was finally dead. A crowd quickly gathered downstairs. Screams and gasps erupted one after another. “Someone jumped!” “Oh my God, it’s a young girl!” “Call an ambulance! Call the police!” I watched silently, my heart devoid of any ripple. Upstairs, in the ballroom, the festivities continued. The soundproofing was truly excellent. So good that even the sound of a human life ending was completely shut out. Until the hotel manager frantically burst into the Magnolia Ballroom, his face ashen, shouting. “It’s terrible! That young lady… she jumped!” In that instant, the air in the ballroom froze. Aunt Carol’s pecan fell from her mouth. Grandma Eleanor’s birthday cake rolled to the side. My mother’s hand, which had been cutting the cake, jolted, the sharp knife slicing her finger. “What did you say?” My father paused for a few seconds, then sneered. “Jumped? That useless girl has the guts for that? She’s probably just hiding somewhere trying to scare people! Manager, don’t let her fool you, she’s a master actress!” The manager was sweating profusely, pointing frantically out the window. “It’s true! She’s right below! Her brains… her brains are splattered out!” “I don’t believe it!” My father shoved the manager aside and rushed towards the balcony. He leaned over the railing to look down. With just one glance, his body seemed to deflate, collapsing to the floor. “How… how could it be…” My mother also rushed over. When she saw that blinding red puddle below, she let out a gut-wrenching scream. “Ah!!!” She hammered frantically on the glass door, trying to rush downstairs, but Uncle Robert and Aunt Carol held her back tightly. “Don’t look! Don’t look! Calm down, Eleanor!” “Let go of me! That’s Alice! That’s my Alice!” My mother cried hysterically, her makeup completely smeared, looking utterly disheveled. Just minutes before, she had been pointing her finger at me, calling me a burden. Now I was dead, the debt cleared, so why was she still crying? Such hypocrisy. “I told you that girl had problems!” Aunt Carol patted her chest, a look of profound relief on her face. “Today is Mom’s birthday, and she had to choose this time to die. Isn’t that just asking for bad luck? What a jinx, can’t even rest in peace after death!” Clara huddled in Grandma Eleanor’s arms, covering her eyes, afraid to look. “Grandma, I’m scared…” Grandma Eleanor’s face was ashen. She slammed her rosary beads onto the floor. “What a sin! How could our respectable Hayes family produce such a disloyal wretch!” You see? Even in death, in their eyes, I was still a disloyal wretch, a jinx. No one asked why I jumped. No one cared if I was in pain. They only cared that my death had ruined their mood and disgraced them. The police arrived swiftly. The piercing wail of sirens cut through the city air, and through the last shred of dignity for the Hayes family.

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“I had a vasectomy three years ago. That ‘seed’ in your belly? Must be borrowed, wouldn’t you say?” At the research findings presentation, my professor husband publicly waved a surgical certificate, each word a dagger to my heart. The room gasped, and countless cameras, filled with scorn, focused on my face. And my husband, who had tenderly stroked my belly just last night, was now thoughtfully draping his jacket over a fragile junior colleague, a former student. I finally understood. He wanted to preserve his pristine reputation, to openly care for his “ailing” first love, and to do that, he had to utterly destroy me, his wife. “James Thorne, remember your words today. From this moment on, this child’s life and death have nothing to do with you.” I publicly tore up our marriage certificate, grabbed my suitcase, and vanished into the rainy night. Six years later, a prodigy hacker, my son, crashed his company’s system. He coolly rejected James’s high-paying job offer. James, eyes red, tried to force a reunion. The boy scoffed, a mocking tone in his voice: “Sir, your vasectomy certificate was publicly notarized across the entire internet back then. Are you trying to admit that you were lying all along?” … 1 “Professor Thorne, the system is back online, but the hacker left a message.” The assistant wiped cold sweat from his brow, not daring to look at the man at the head of the conference table. James Thorne stared at the massive red ‘X’ on the screen, his face ashen. Six years ago, he was a brilliant rising star in academia. Six years later, he was the powerful head of a top tech company. But just moments ago, the company’s core defense system was breached in three seconds by an anonymous hacker. A line of arrogant small text flashed on the screen: “Do people who get vasectomies also suffer brain atrophy?” James abruptly stood up, his fingertips trembling with rage. This secret, besides those present at that fateful presentation, no one knew. “Investigate! Find me this person’s IP address!” he roared, his tie askew. Just then, the conference room door opened. Chloe Sterling, in a simple white dress, stood weakly, leaning on the doorframe. “James, don’t be angry. Be careful with your health.” The fury in James’s eyes instantly melted into tenderness. He quickly went to her, supporting her. “Chloe? What are you doing here? I told you to rest at the hospital.” Chloe coughed faintly twice, tears welling in her eyes. “I heard something happened at the company. I was worried about you.” James thoughtfully draped his jacket over her shoulders, the gesture chillingly practiced. This scene perfectly mirrored six years ago. That’s how he’d been then, publicly waving a vasectomy certificate, accusing the child in my womb of being a “borrowed seed.” Then, in front of everyone, he’d walked towards this “ailing” junior colleague. “Mr. Thorne, we found it.” The assistant’s voice broke the tender moment. “The person is at the Cloud’s Edge Café in the city center. They didn’t hide their address.” James sneered, his eyes dark and menacing. “How audacious. Take the team over there.” I hadn’t expected our first meeting since returning to the country to come so quickly. In the café, I was slowly sipping my latte. Caleb, across from me, his slender fingers danced rapidly across a tablet. He had a face strikingly similar to James’s, especially those cold, almond-shaped eyes. “Mom, the fish took the bait.” Caleb closed the tablet, a hint of mockery playing on his lips. The café door was violently pushed open. James, accompanied by bodyguards, stormed in, his presence menacing. The moment he saw me, he froze, as if someone had pressed the pause button. “Sophia?” His voice was hoarse, filled with incredulous shock. I set down my cup, looking up at him with a slight smile. “Professor Thorne, long time no see.” His gaze lingered on my face for a long time, finally settling on Caleb. Caleb’s face was practically a miniature version of James’s. James’s expression instantly became a kaleidoscope of emotions: shock, anger, absurdity, finally settling into deep disgust. “Sophia, you actually dared to come back?” He strode to the table, staring down at me. “Is this bastard the evidence of your betrayal back then?” Caleb stood up. Though his height only reached James’s waist, his aura was no less formidable. “Sir, misidentifying relatives is a sickness that needs curing.” James scoffed, laughing angrily, pointing at Caleb as he addressed me. “Is this the kind of child you raised? Just like that adulterer, completely ill-mannered.” I stood up, shielding Caleb behind me. “Mr. Thorne, please show some respect.” “I am the Chief Technology Officer of DeepBlue Tech. I’m here today to decline your job offer.” James froze. He had indeed been offering a hefty sum to a top hacker codenamed “S” recently. But he never expected that hacker to be me. Or rather, the child behind me. 2 “You’re S?” James’s eyes were full of doubt. In his mind, I would always be the housewife who hid behind him, managing his household. I didn’t speak, but Caleb sneered. “I am.” The little guy pulled out a specially designed ID badge from his backpack and slammed it onto the table. James’s pupils constricted violently. The assistant behind him gasped, whispering, “Mr. Thorne, the tech department confirmed that the hacker is indeed a child…” James’s face went from green to white, then from white to red. This feeling of being humiliated by his own son (though he wouldn’t admit it) clearly stuck in his craw. “Sophia, to get back at me, you actually taught your child to be this kind of sneaky scoundrel?” He glared at me, gritting his teeth. “Crashing the company system—was that just to get my attention?” His narcissism made me laugh. “Mr. Thorne, you’re thinking too much.” “Crashing your system was just because your job posting smelled so bad it offended my son’s eyes.” Chloe then walked up, delicate and frail, pulling on James’s sleeve. “James, don’t be like this. Sophia must be desperate, given her circumstances.” She turned to me, a flicker of jealousy in her eyes, but her face was filled with sympathy. “Sophia, if you need money, you can tell us.” “After all, you left so abruptly back then, without even settling the marital assets. James has always felt he owed you.” Her words were expertly crafted. In a few sentences, she cemented my “cheating and fleeing” crime from back then, and subtly asserted her current status as the lady of the house. James snorted, looking at me with even greater disdain. “Owed? A loose woman like her deserves to talk about being owed?” Caleb suddenly spoke, his tone cool and clear. “Auntie, your acting is paler than your complexion.” Chloe’s expression froze. Caleb continued to twist the knife. “And Mr. Thorne, your vasectomy certificate was publicly notarized across the entire internet back then.” “Since you are infertile, how could this child possibly be yours?” “Since he’s not yours, how can there be any talk of betrayal?” “Are you trying to admit publicly that your certificate from back then was falsified?” The coffee drinkers around us turned their heads, hushed whispers erupting. James’s face instantly turned as black as soot. This logical loop left him unable to refute. Admit the child was his, and he would be a liar who defrauded and tricked me into marriage. Deny the child was his, and he would have to watch his biological son call someone else Daddy. “Sophia, what exactly do you want?” He lowered his voice, a hint of threat in his tone. I picked up my bag, taking Caleb’s hand. “Nothing, just for you to stay away from us.” “After all, a ‘dead man’ doesn’t need a son.” I walked out of the coffee shop with Caleb. The sunlight warmed my skin, but I felt no comfort. On that rainy night six years ago, I walked the streets with my suitcase. Back then, I swore I would make him pay. Now, the game had just begun. Back at the hotel, Caleb deftly opened his laptop. “Mom, Chloe’s medical records are fake.” He pointed to a series of fluctuating data on the screen. “She doesn’t have heart disease at all. All those medical reports came from a private hospital under James’s name.” I looked at the data, a cold smile in my heart. Just as I suspected. Back then, to protect Chloe, James didn’t hesitate to accuse me of attempted murder. He claimed Chloe had developed congenital heart disease because I pushed her down the stairs. Now it seemed it was nothing more than a play they had orchestrated together. A play to ruin my reputation so they could live happily ever after. “Keep digging. I want to know who issued that surgical certificate back then.” I stroked Caleb’s head. “Okay, Mom.” Caleb’s eyes held a maturity beyond his years. Just then, my phone rang. It was an unfamiliar number. After I answered, James’s angry voice came through. “Sophia, bring the child. Go to City Central Hospital for a paternity test.” “Now, immediately!” 3 “Mr. Thorne, have you forgotten?” I held my phone, standing by the floor-to-ceiling window, looking at the city lights. “You are ‘vasectomized.’ Taking a paternity test would be like slapping yourself in the face, wouldn’t it?” Heavy breathing came from the other end of the line. James was clearly furious. “Stop the nonsense! That child looks exactly like me. Do you think I’m blind?” I let out a soft laugh, my voice as cold as ice. “Many people look alike. If Mr. Thorne wants to be a father, he can adopt a child from an orphanage.” “My child’s last name is Hayes.” After that, I hung up the phone and blocked his number. The next morning, I received an invitation to an industry summit. As the CTO of DeepBlue Tech, I had to attend. And James, as a local tech magnate, would naturally be there. The summit was packed with luminaries. I put on a sharp black suit, my hair pulled back, radiating confidence. Caleb, acting as my “special assistant,” wore a miniature suit and walked beside me. The moment we appeared, we became the center of attention. “Is that S from DeepBlue Tech? She’s so young and beautiful!” “That child next to her, why does he look so familiar?” Whispers erupted all around. James walked over with Chloe. Chloe was wearing a pink gown today, making her appear even more fragile. When she saw me, a hint of malice flickered in her eyes. “Sophia, is it really appropriate to bring a child to an event like this?” Her voice wasn’t loud, but just enough for everyone nearby to hear. “After all, this is a high-level academic exchange. If the child gets noisy, it would be an embarrassment to DeepBlue Tech.” The atmosphere instantly grew subtle. Before I could speak, Caleb interjected. “Auntie, if you can understand this paper on quantum encryption in my hand, I’ll leave immediately.” He pulled a paper from his folder and handed it to Chloe. Chloe glanced at it, her face instantly turning a spectrum of colors. The dense equations on it were like an alien language to an art student like her, who had risen through connections. Laughter rippled through the crowd. James’s face was ashen. He snatched the paper. He had intended to rescue Chloe, but when he saw the content, he froze. It was the core algorithm he had been researching for six months without a breakthrough. And a six-year-old child had just casually written it out? “This… you wrote this?” James stared intently at Caleb. Caleb shrugged, his tone nonchalant. “I was bored last night, just doodled it.” James’s breathing quickened, a flicker of fanaticism in his eyes. He was a man who valued academia above all else, and a shrewd businessman. His gaze at Caleb was no longer disgust, but as if looking at a priceless treasure. “Sophia, we need to talk.” He looked at me, his tone holding an undeniable command. I raised an eyebrow. “Mr. Thorne, there’s nothing to talk about between us.” “Regarding the child, I believe I have a right to know the truth.” He lowered his posture, even with a hint of pleading. I scoffed inwardly. Truth? The truth back then was that you personally pushed me into the abyss. “You want the truth? Fine.” I leaned close to his ear, speaking in a voice only we could hear. “Tomorrow at 3 PM, go to the hospital where you supposedly had your vasectomy.” “I’ll personally deliver the ‘truth’ to you.” James froze. Chloe, sensing something was amiss, quickly grabbed his arm. “James, don’t listen to her nonsense. She’s definitely trying to trick you.” But James pushed her hand away. In his eyes, for the first time, he showed suspicion towards Chloe.

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It was my birthday night, and my wife, who worked for a highly sensitive agency, wired me five thousand two hundred dollars. “Happy Birthday, darling. Got called in for an urgent overtime shift. Can’t celebrate with you tonight.” The moment I saw that message, I watched her and her adoptive brother, Kyle Jensen, walk arm-in-arm into the agency building. “This is the last time I’m indulging your whims.” I heard her say. “Next year, no matter what, I’m celebrating my husband’s birthday.” Kyle Jensen, her adoptive brother, laughed, holding up a box of ultra-thin condoms. “Our first time was in the company conference room, wasn’t it?” “So our last time should end in the same place.” I clenched the coffee cup in my hand, my knuckles white. Then, I sent an email to every employee except Kyle Jensen. “Urgent notice: Client requires early contract signing.” “Meeting in the company conference room in twenty minutes.” If they liked thrills so much, I’d give them a show they’d never forget. … “Hey, can you remotely activate the conference room camera from the backend?” “Of course, I want to record this historic moment.” “Good. Please connect it to my phone.” I hung up, my teeth gritted, and opened the app on my phone. The hot zone where Olivia Sterling and Kyle Jensen were getting intimate was the very center of the large conference table, directly beneath the camera. “Liv, what do you think your husband would do if he knew?” Kyle’s voice, smug and taunting, filled my ears. “That every birthday gift you gave him, I’ve tried on and stretched out beforehand?” “Would he be so humiliated he wouldn’t know where to hide?” Seeing the brand and style of the underwear Kyle was wearing—identical to the ones Olivia had given me for years—my stomach churned, and I nearly vomited bile. Olivia and I had been married for six years. Every year on my birthday, she’d be absent for one reason or another. I’d always assumed it was due to the sensitive nature of her job. But it never once crossed my mind that each time I blew out candles alone, wishing for us to grow old together, she was hiding on the conference table with Kyle, committing acts of betrayal against our marriage. The cold wind made me shiver uncontrollably. Then, a colleague’s voice from behind startled me. “Mr. Davies, the social media influencer you asked for has arrived.” “With this live broadcast, the public will be able to witness our successful strategic partnership with UnityCorp. This will undoubtedly be a huge boost for our company’s future development.” I smirked, taking the bottled water my assistant offered to rinse my mouth. “To ensure our employees aren’t uncomfortable, keep the cameras hidden.” “The live broadcast will officially begin in fifteen seconds. No matter what happens midway, it must not stop.” After making all the arrangements, I led the entire staff to wait for the company’s two major shareholders: Olivia’s father, Mr. Sterling Sr., Kyle’s adoptive father, and my mother. Seeing them arrive with the client, I personally pressed the elevator button for them. “Dad, Mom, Mr. McKinnon, please come this way.” The moment they stepped into the elevator, a dark blue suit jacket fell to the floor. Without a word, I picked it up and draped it over my arm. Approaching the conference room door, two red-soled dress shoes lay casually on the ground. A black silk stocking hung from the doorknob. As I frantically tidied the mess, my mother, Mr. Sterling Sr., and Mr. McKinnon all looked at me, their expressions questioning. My shirt sleeves were haphazardly rolled up, and I was wearing disposable slippers. Mr. McKinnon, seeing this, looked awkward, mixed with a hint of resignation. “It seems working overtime on a Friday night is truly brutal.” “Liam, we old folks haven’t interrupted your… fun, have we?” Just then, employees who had taken the public elevator also arrived at the conference room door. I forced a smile and shook my head. With all my strength, I pushed open the conference room door. “The public caught-in-the-act drama is about to begin.” The next second, the door I had just managed to push open was shoved back from the inside. Olivia, disheveled, slipped out through the crack. Her flushed face was filled with shock and dismay. “Dad, Mom, isn’t—isn’t today Friday?” “W-why are you all here?” Seeing the black silk stockings in my hand, violently torn by Kyle, and the hundreds of employees behind me, Olivia shamelessly stepped forward and snuggled into my arms, feigning annoyance. “Liam, if you were having a meeting, why didn’t you tell me beforehand?” She tiptoed, bringing her lips close to my ear. “Everyone’s watching. Play along.” “It’s not what you think. I’ll explain everything later.” Seeing her almost frantic demeanor, I pushed her out of my embrace, discomfort clear on my face. “My apologies, everyone. Please excuse the sight.” “Dad, Mom, please escort Mr. McKinnon to the reception room to rest for a few minutes. I’ll have someone clean this up immediately. The meeting will start on time in five minutes.” Hearing this, Olivia visibly relaxed. The next second, she almost blurted out, accusing me, “Liam, when did you become so inconsiderate?” “How can we make Mr. McKinnon wait for us?” “Doesn’t the company have a smaller conference room? I think we should use that one for today.” As she spoke, she shot a glance at her father. Father and daughter played along with practiced ease. “Exactly, Liam, Olivia’s right. Let’s use the smaller one today.” He nodded obsequiously, shaking Mr. McKinnon’s hand firmly. “My apologies, Mr. McKinnon. The younger generation is clueless. Please excuse the spectacle.” Saying this, he tried to pull Mr. McKinnon towards the smaller conference room. He wanted to get everyone into the small conference room so Kyle, currently hiding in the large one, could escape? Dream on! “Dad, it’s understandable Olivia doesn’t know the situation since she doesn’t work here, but how can you blindly go along with her?” I frowned, gesturing to the hundreds of employees behind me. “The small conference room can only accommodate fifty people at most.” “We can’t have the remaining dozens of people standing in the hallway for the meeting, can we?” Then, I deliberately teased Olivia. “You, just look at you. I was just tired from working overtime and changed into comfortable clothes. As soon as I heard Mr. McKinnon and the others arrived, I didn’t have time to tidy up.” “But you? You didn’t even bother to put these clothes away, causing everyone to misunderstand.” I smiled, leaning closer to Mr. McKinnon, inviting him into the conference room. “Uncle McKinnon, let’s go in and start the meeting.” “Even though it’s temporary overtime today, I promised everyone five times the overtime pay. But if we delay any longer, it might damage my image as general manager in the eyes of the employees.” Just as everyone was about to turn and enter the large conference room where Kyle was hiding, Olivia again recklessly tried to stop them. She practically pleaded with me. “Liam, just listen to me this once. Let’s switch conference rooms, okay?” Seeing my face visibly darken, my mother, who was standing nearby, seemed to realize something. With a hint of irritation, she playfully chided Mr. Sterling Sr. “My dear, what’s so peculiar about this conference room? So much so that you two are repeatedly blocking everyone from entering?” Her expression unchanged, she pushed open the conference room door and strode in with purpose, her heels clicking. “The way you’re both hiding something, someone might think Olivia has a secret lover stashed away in there!” The words hadn’t even fully left her lips when a pair of glaring underwear caught everyone’s eye. My mother, without a second thought, slapped Olivia, knocking her to the ground. “You little hussy! How dare you betray our Liam?” She gritted her teeth, slapping the other side of Olivia’s face again. “Tell me, who’s that man you’re sneaking around with?” “From the moment we got into the elevator, I knew something was off. That jacket, and those shoes, they’re definitely not Liam’s style.” She kicked off her heels, ready to continue, but Mr. Sterling Sr. desperately held her back, trying to calm her. “My dear, don’t be impulsive.” Olivia, knowing she was in the wrong, scrambled awkwardly to her feet. She snatched the underwear from the chair and fumbled under the table for a pink tote bag. “Mom, you’ve misunderstood. This is a gift for Liam.” “I just accidentally knocked it off and didn’t have time to pick it up.” She looked at me expectantly. “If you don’t believe me, ask Liam.” “Darling, for six years of marriage, haven’t I given you one of these for your birthday every year?” Seeing Olivia shamelessly spout such nonsense, the last shred of my affection for her completely vanished. I suppressed my disgust, took her so-called gift, and, along with the clothes I’d picked up earlier, threw them all into the trash can. “Mom, don’t be angry. Olivia’s right.” After arranging for everyone to sit down as planned, I meticulously scanned the entire conference room, searching for Kyle’s hiding place. Kyle would be completely naked right now. Looking around the entire conference room, the only place to hide a person was under the table. But I had already secretly checked when Olivia knelt to retrieve the tote bag. Aside from the bottom of the table, the last place where someone could conceivably hide was behind the printer, in the utility box at its base. To confirm my suspicion, I feigned an accidental approach to the printer. The next second, cold sweat beaded on Olivia’s forehead. She tightly clamped her arms around my waist. “Liam, I sent you a five thousand two hundred dollar transfer. Did you get it?” “What transfer?” I feigned ignorance, about to pull out my phone, but she quickly cut me off. “It’s fine if you haven’t seen it. Let’s celebrate your birthday after the meeting.” “Don’t you want to go to the Sky Garden restaurant to watch the fireworks? I’ll go with you as soon as this meeting is over.” I suppressed my disgust, forcing a smile. “Okay.” Once I was certain Kyle was hiding in the printer’s utility box, I motioned for my assistant to stop working. “Mr. McKinnon, I apologize. There’s an error in the project proposal. It’s a mistake made by our subordinates, and we will deal with it severely.” “Please give me ten minutes. I’ll have someone print it again here on-site.” The words hadn’t fully left my mouth when Mr. Sterling Sr. and Olivia, who was listening in, simultaneously blurted out, “No!” No? I doubt you have a choice. If I wasn’t mistaken, Mr. Sterling Sr. had already recognized Kyle’s suit jacket in the elevator. And the silk stockings and shoes at the conference room door only confirmed his suspicions. The only reason they remained so composed was their certainty that I would prioritize the reputation of both the company and the Sterling-Davies families. But what they didn’t know was that while I usually appeared mild-mannered and unassuming, once someone crossed my bottom line, I would be meticulous and retaliate fiercely. I meaningfully glanced at my mother. She immediately understood, publicly stating, “Mr. McKinnon, don’t worry. We guarantee a correct and accurate project proposal within ten minutes.” The Sterling father and daughter wanted to say something, but my assistant was already rushing people towards the printer where Kyle was hiding. “Wait!” At the same time, the Sterling father and daughter again simultaneously tried to stop them. Mr. Sterling Sr.’s face was ashen, and he sternly questioned the assistant. “Is this the only printer in the entire company?” “Why aren’t you taking people to print elsewhere?” “If you disturb Mr. McKinnon, who can bear the responsibility?” He then offered a ingratiating smile, handing a cup of tea to Mr. McKinnon. “My subordinates are clueless. Mr. McKinnon, please don’t take offense.” The assistant’s raised hand froze in mid-air. She looked at me hesitantly, while my mother, with a knowing smile, teased Mr. Sterling Sr. “Old man Sterling, why are you so agitated?” Seeing this, I added fuel to the fire. “Exactly, Dad, Olivia, why are you both so unusual today?” “Could it be that Olivia really has something she’s hiding from me?” I scoffed, crossing my arms. I deliberately faced the influencer’s pinhole camera, elaborating, “Could it be, as Dad just said, that you’re hiding a secret lover in the conference room?” I shook my head, turning a few circles in place. “Mom, you’re really fantasizing.” “The layout of this conference room is completely open. Where could anyone possibly hide?” I stared pointedly at the utility box behind the printer, every word deliberate. “Could it be that he’s hiding inside the printer?” At these words, Mr. Sterling Sr.’s face turned green. Olivia, still stubbornly denying, swore to me, “Darling, heaven is my witness, I haven’t betrayed you.” “You, you’re just not serious when you joke.” “Even though Uncle McKinnon watched us grow up, he’s the client today. You’re being too inconsiderate.” Even at this point, Olivia still dared to put on a brave face?

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