The holiday was approaching. I had just booked the hotel and plane tickets for the whole family. I couldn’t wait to call my father, only to discover that the video call connected to my dad five years in the future. I said happily to the camera: “Dad, this time I’m taking you guys to Hawaii to stay in an ocean-view room. You can watch the beach and the bikinis.” There was no answer on the other end. Instead, I heard heart-wrenching coughing. I asked with concern: “Dad, isn’t Sophia taking care of you? Five years from now, did I marry far away and can’t take care of you?” Father turned the camera around to face the hospital bed. In the frame, a child was stepping on his oxygen tube, laughing gleefully. Seeing this scene, I said angrily: “That must be my child with Jasper! Tell him to discipline this kid properly.” Under my shocked gaze, he trembled as he turned the camera back to himself: “Actually, five years ago, I gave the house you bought for us to Sophia. This child is Jasper and Sophia’s kid.”

“Rayne, can you upgrade the hotel to a suite? I want to take photos for Ins. This small room is too shabby.” Sophia’s message popped up, followed by a pouting emoji. I stared at the screen. My fingers were still trembling. The image of my father’s face from that video call was still burned into my mind. That child was Jasper and Sophia’s? I didn’t reply to her. Instead, I turned and dialed Jasper’s number. He answered instantly, his tone gentle: “Baby, what’s wrong? Missing me?” I was about to speak when I heard a laugh in the background. Very soft, but I knew it too well. Sophia’s laugh, with that coquettish lilt at the end. “Who are you with?” “Oh, Sophia came to pick up the sunscreen you bought for her. She just stopped by.” His tone was casual. “What’s wrong, baby?” Stopped by? His company was in the east side of the city, Sophia lived on the west side. Forty minutes apart by car. “Nothing, just asking.” I hung up. I opened my notes app, deleted the Hawaii itinerary I’d written, and typed a line: Not going to Hawaii. At dinner time, I went back to my parents’ house. When I pushed open the door, the spicy wings hit me. All dishes Sophia loved. I had a bad stomach. Three years ago, I was diagnosed with superficial gastritis and couldn’t eat spicy food. Mom poked her head out from the kitchen: “Rayne’s here? Come sit. Sophia rarely comes home for dinner, so just make do, okay.” Sophia rolled her eyes: “If you don’t like it, just eat less. It’s not like this every day.” I sat down. There wasn’t a single dish in front of me that I could eat. I took a bite of fried chicken. When I swallowed, my stomach burned with acid. After dinner, Jasper came to pick me up. He greeted my parents first, his smile appropriate. Then he walked to the sofa and naturally picked up the shopping bag Sophia had left there, handing it to her. “This is pretty heavy. Let me carry it down for you.” Their fingertips touched. Neither pulled away. Sophia looked up at him. Her ears were flushed red. Jasper turned to me with a smile: “Let’s go, baby. Time to go home.” I saw it all but said nothing. In the car, he gripped the steering wheel with one hand and covered the back of my hand with the other. “Rayne, is everything arranged for Hawaii? Do you need my help?” “All booked.” “That’s good.” He glanced at me. “When we get there, I’ll take you diving. You’ve always wanted to try, right?” I said okay. Back home, I closed the bedroom door and sat on the edge of the bed. I replayed that future video call in my mind over and over again. The house given to Sophia. The child belonging to Jasper and Sophia. You decide for yourself. I picked up my phone and saw that Sophia had sent a message in the family group chat: “So excited! The hotel Rayne booked must be amazing! Love you, Rayne!” Followed by a row of hearts. Mom replied: “Rayne worked hard.” Dad sent a thumbs-up emoji. I exited the group chat and opened my conversation with Jasper. The most recent message was his goodnight text with a kissing emoji. I scrolled up to three days ago. He had recalled a message. The recall time was 2:17 PM. That afternoon at 2 PM, Sophia posted on social media saying she was shopping at the mall. Location: A shopping district in the east side. The one downstairs from Jasper’s company. I put my phone face-down on the nightstand and closed my eyes. My future father’s voice echoed again: “You decide for yourself.”

“Rayne, Mochi only eats this brand of food. Anything else makes her sick. Thanks!” Three days before departure, Sophia brought her corgi to my house. She walked in, dumped three bags of dog food on the kitchen floor, and turned to leave without even bringing a dog bed. I stopped her: “Where’s the bed? Where will she sleep at night?” “Just find some cushion. Mochi’s not picky.” She had already changed her shoes and waved at me: “You’re the best, Rayne! I’ll treat you to dinner when I get back!” The door closed. I looked down at the label on the dog food bag. Imported. $360 per bag. Last month, Sophia asked to borrow money from me: “Rayne, my salary is only three grand a month. I really can’t make it to the end of the month.” I transferred her two thousand dollars. But today, the shoes on her feet—I’d seen them at the mall. Four thousand eight hundred dollars. The corgi circled around my feet, wagging its tail happily. I crouched down and patted its head: “Come on, let’s take you to the park to see the world.” The park had lots of large dogs. The corgi’s short legs couldn’t run fast. I loosened the leash and watched it frolic on the grass, squealing as a golden retriever chased it. At noon, Mom called. “Rayne, transfer two thousand dollars to Sophia. She wants to buy some clothes for the trip.” “Mom, doesn’t she have her own salary?” Her tone immediately changed: “Sophia doesn’t make much, you know that. Can’t you be more generous? She’s been frail since childhood. What’s wrong with you helping her?” Frail since childhood. I’d heard this line for twenty-five years. Sophia had pneumonia as a kid and was hospitalized for half a month. Since then, she became the family’s porcelain doll. But now she could party at clubs until 3 AM. Frail? “I’ll transfer it to her later.” I hung up. I didn’t transfer it. In the afternoon, I went to Jasper’s company to deliver his charger that he’d left at home. The receptionist said: “Jasper is out. Would you like to wait?” I called him. “Baby, I’m meeting a client. I’ll call you back later.” I said okay and turned toward the parking lot. His car was still there. The black Audi was parked in its usual spot. I walked closer and looked inside. The passenger seat had been lowered. The rearview mirror angle was wrong too. Someone much shorter than me had sat there. I’m five-foot-eight. Sophia is five-foot-two. That evening at home, I deliberately leaned on Jasper’s shoulder and said: “I might not be able to go to Hawaii. The company has a last-minute project.” He froze for a second. Just one second. Then he cupped my face with both hands, his brow furrowed: “That’s such a shame, baby. How about I don’t go either and stay with you?” His tone was sincere, his eyes gentle. “No, you go. Help me take care of my parents.” “Alright, then I’ll be filial for you.” He agreed too quickly. Not even a second of hesitation. Before bed, I scrolled through the family group’s new messages. Sophia had posted: “So excited for the holiday! Jasper said he’ll take me diving when we get there!” Mom replied with a string of happy emojis. Dad said: “Jasper’s a reliable guy.” I turned off my phone and lay in the darkness with my eyes open. That future scene floated up again—Father paralyzed in bed, a child stepping on his oxygen tube and laughing. I told myself: Just hang on a few more days.

“Yes, transfer it to Sophia’s name. How can a girl get married without a house? Rayne has Jasper. No need to worry about her.” The day before departure, I went to my parents’ house to get something. As I passed the study, I heard Dad on the phone. His voice wasn’t loud, but every word was crystal clear. Exactly the same as what my future father had said. He was already processing it. That house—the down payment of $800,000 was three years of my savings. The monthly mortgage of twelve thousand dollars, I’d been paying for three years. I put it in his name because he patted his chest and said: “Put it in Dad’s name. In the future, it’ll belong to both you sisters.” Now “both you sisters” had become Sophia alone. I stood outside the study door, taking deep breaths. I pushed the door open, pretending I hadn’t heard anything. Dad hung up the phone and smiled: “Rayne’s here? You’re really not coming with us tomorrow?” “Can’t get away from work.” He nodded without asking more and turned to open the closet to pack Sophia’s suitcase. Sophia came back from outside carrying a bag. She rushed into the study and acted cute toward Dad: “Dad, look! Isn’t it pretty?” She pulled a bikini out of the bag. The tag was still attached. Dad smiled: “Pretty, pretty. My daughter looks good in anything.” I stood beside them. He didn’t even glance at me. That evening, Jasper came to the house for dinner. During the meal, Sophia dropped her fork and bent down to pick it up. Jasper bent down at almost the same time. The two of them stayed under the table for two seconds before coming back up. Sophia’s ears were red, her eyes darting around. Jasper nonchalantly served me some food with his fork: “Baby, eat more. You’ll have to take care of yourself these next few days.” I smiled and said okay. After dinner, Mom pulled me into the kitchen and lowered her voice: “Sophia told me she wants a new phone. Can you transfer her five thousand this month? She’s too embarrassed to ask you herself.” “Mom, I just gave her three thousand last month.” Mom’s face darkened: “You make so much money. What’s wrong with spending some on Sophia? You’re getting stingier.” I made eighteen thousand a month after taxes. Mortgage: twelve thousand. Sophia’s living expenses: three thousand. Year-end for my parents: twenty thousand. “I’ll transfer it to her later.” I said that line again. Back at my own place, Sophia’s dog had torn up my couch cushion. Cotton was scattered all over the floor. I crouched down to clean it up. My phone buzzed with Sophia’s message: “Rayne, Mochi’s nails need trimming. Can you take her to the pet store? My usual place charges $280 per visit.” I didn’t reply. I opened my photo album and recorded an audio memo of the property transfer call I’d overheard today. Then I dialed my future father’s video call. The call rang three times before connecting. Weak breathing came from the other end. “Rayne, you called again.” “Dad, when exactly was the property transfer processed?” He was silent for a long time. “Right before your Hawaii trip during the holiday. I signed the papers.”

“When did Jasper and Sophia get together?” I asked, keeping my voice down, my fingers gripping the phone case tightly. Father coughed a few times, his voice weak: “Not long after you all came back from the trip, Sophia got pregnant. Jasper said the child was his and he wanted to marry her.” He paused, then added: “That’s when you found out.” I closed my eyes. Not long after the trip. That meant during the Hawaii trip, they were already together. If I didn’t go, I’d be making room for them. The next morning, I drove them to the airport. Sophia walked ahead, arm-in-arm with Jasper, chatting and laughing. Mom was beside them helping Sophia push her suitcase. Dad patted my shoulder and told me to work hard at home, then hurried to catch up with the three of them. Jasper turned back and blew me a kiss: “Wait for me to come back and take you out for good food.” Sophia covered her mouth and giggled beside him. I stood at the departure hall entrance, watching the four of them disappear into the security checkpoint. They were a family. I was the outsider left behind. In the afternoon, the family group chat started blowing up. Sophia posted a video of the ocean-view room. Jasper had filmed it for her. In the frame, she wore that bikini, twirling on the balcony with the azure sea behind her. Mom replied: “Sophia is so beautiful.” Jasper posted a photo of himself with Sophia, captioned: “Helping Rayne take care of her little sister.” They were standing very close. His hand rested on her shoulder. Dad liked it. No one tagged me. No one said “too bad Rayne couldn’t come.” I muted the group chat notifications. At 11 PM, Jasper sent me a private video message. The text read: “Baby, look at the ocean view.” I clicked it open. The video showed the hotel room with the lights on. Sophia came out of the bathroom wearing a white bathrobe, her hair wet. When she saw he was recording, she screamed and lunged to grab the phone. The two of them laughed as they tumbled onto the bed. The video cut off there. Immediately after, he sent a message: “Sorry, sent that to the wrong person. Meant to send it to my buddy. Sophia coming out of the shower startled me.” Sent to the wrong person. In the hotel room, Sophia in a bathrobe, him recording. I stared at that video three times. The first time, my hands shook. The second time, my eyes stung. The third time, I felt nothing at all. I opened the hotel booking page and clicked cancel. I opened the airline app and refunded all the return tickets. Finally, I logged into the banking app and found Jasper’s supplementary card. It was linked to my primary card with a fifty-thousand-dollar limit. I changed the limit to zero. Twenty minutes later, my phone vibrated frantically. Caller ID: Dad. I watched the name flashing on the screen. I didn’t answer. It rang once, twice, three times. On the fourth ring, a text came in. “Rayne, have you lost your mind! Why can’t my credit card be used! Call me back!” Sender: Jasper. I flipped the phone over, screen-down on the table. Then I took a shower, dried my hair, and got into bed. Before sleeping, I glanced at my phone one last time. Twenty-three missed calls, over forty messages. I’ll deal with it tomorrow.

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For three years, I lived under the title of Luna of the Shadow Phantom Pack. But everyone knew I was nothing more than Sophia’s replacement—a blood bag she needed to survive. Alpha Zane guarded her, my parents favored her, and even the Silver Moon Necklace that should have been mine was casually dismissed by him as “returning it to its rightful owner.” I once thought that if I was obedient enough, humble enough, someday they would see me and feel sorry for me. But now, I’ve finally woken up. I’m going to dissolve the mate bond, leave the pack, and from now on, live only for myself. Mira POV When the cold needle pierced my skin, I was already used to not crying out in pain. I lay numbly on the hospital bed, watching my blood flow through the tube, drop by drop, into that glaring blood bag. Zane stood not far away. The high and mighty Alpha of the Shadow Phantom Pack. My mate. At this moment, he was staring intently at that blood bag, his eyes filled with a heartache I had never received. “Draw it faster.” He coldly ordered the doctor, not even sparing me a glance as I lay there, deathly pale. “Sophia is still waiting.” Hearing that name, my heart couldn’t help but throb with pain. Sophia, the true precious daughter of the Silver Moon Pack. She was the one who was supposed to wear the wedding dress and marry Zane in the arranged union. But after an attack by a rogue wolf, the wolfsbane poison completely destroyed her blood and completely ruined my life. I was sent to Zane’s territory as a cheap replacement, packaged and delivered. Everyone in the territory respectfully called me Luna. But only I knew it was nothing more than a pathetic joke. Because Zane’s heart had always belonged to Sophia. Vial after vial of fresh blood was drawn from me. I watched Zane carefully protect those blood bags as he turned and left, then closed my eyes in despair. After a long time, I slowly opened them again. What greeted me was the pure white ceiling of the hospital. My wrist was wrapped in thick gauze. The wolf within me felt like it had fallen into a death-like slumber. The door to the hospital room was suddenly shoved open, and a middle-aged couple strode in, their faces showing undisguised impatience. They were my biological parents, the Alpha and Luna of the Silver Moon Pack. “Mira, you’d better take care of that body of yours. Listen carefully—your life exists to save Sophia.” His voice was cold as ice, cruelly crushing the last bit of hope in my heart. Yes, in their eyes, I had never been their daughter. My mother’s voice was even more cutting. “Drop that pitiful look! Don’t forget, the Luna position you’re occupying belongs to Sophia! If Sophia hadn’t been poisoned, it would never have been your turn!” “Enough, don’t bother with her. Sophia still needs us.” My father snorted coldly. They turned and left, never once looking at me again from start to finish. I lowered my head and touched the blood-soaked gauze on my wrist, letting out a self-mocking laugh. Zane returned, and I thought he was going to have them draw my blood again. He walked straight to my hospital bed, impatiently furrowing his brow, lowering his voice as if granting me charity. “As long as you continue obediently giving blood to Sophia, I promise that in a few days, I’ll officially mark you.” I looked at him, the corner of my lips curving into a cold smile. “Really? What a generous compensation.” He froze for a moment, seeming to find my reaction somewhat unusual today, but Sophia left him no time to care. In the end, he said nothing and turned to leave. The next day, after the blood draw, my face was as white as paper, so weak I could barely stand. I believed this would be the last time I gave blood to Sophia. Through the glass window, I clearly saw Zane walk to Sophia’s bedside and gently tuck in her blanket. The whispered gossip of a few nurses nearby reached my ears clearly. “Luna Mira is so pitiful. They’re both Alpha’s daughters…” “Who told Alpha Zane to only have eyes for Miss Sophia? She’s nothing but a walking blood bank. How pathetic.” So this was the life I had been living all along—without love, and without dignity. My nails dug deep into my palms, yet I felt no pain. I supported myself against the wall and slowly walked to Zane. “Are you coming back to the main house tonight? I’ve prepared a gift for you.” “A gift?” His expression instantly darkened, his eyes full of disgust. “Sophia is still suffering in that hospital bed, and you still have the mood for these pleasing tricks? Do you even have a heart?” “If you’re not coming back, forget it.” My tone remained calm. “It wasn’t anything important anyway.” “Stop with your ridiculous schemes. I don’t need them.” He coldly cut me off, turned, and quickly walked back to Sophia’s hospital room. Don’t need them? You’ll need this “gift” soon enough. Walking out of the hospital doors, I mind-linked my exclusive pack lawyer. “Prepare a mate dissolution agreement for me.”

Mira POV The next day, I discharged myself from the hospital alone. As I walked out of the hospital building, I passed by Sophia’s VIP room. Through the half-open door, I saw Sophia leaning against the headboard. Though her face was pale, her smile was radiant and endearing. My parents surrounded her bed, asking after her health with concern. And Zane sat on the edge of the bed holding a bowl of herbal medicine, patiently feeding it to her spoonful by spoonful. They looked like a complete, happy family. I withdrew my gaze and turned to leave. I returned to the house Zane had assigned to me. This wasn’t the main house, because he had never officially marked me, nor did he allow me to set foot in his true territory. I walked into the bedroom and began packing my pitifully few belongings. When I pulled open the bottom drawer of the nightstand, I discovered an old phone with a cracked screen. As if possessed, I turned it on. The phone had no password. I clicked on a memo titled “Secret.” Inside were densely written records of every detail from the past three years. 【Today was my mating ceremony with Zane, but he didn’t kiss me or mark me. In the evening, Sophia suddenly coughed up blood. He left me alone in the bridal chamber and never returned all night.】 【Today they drew 400cc of blood. My head is so dizzy. Mom came to see Sophia and brought her favorite desserts. I asked Mom if I could have a piece too. She said it was specially made for Sophia and there was none for me.】 【Zane smiled at me today. Although it was only because I voluntarily offered to draw an extra vial of blood for Sophia as backup. As long as he’s happy, I’m willing to give any amount of blood.】 【It hurts so much… Why won’t they love me no matter how hard I try? What do I have to do for them to just look at me?】 … Line after line, word after word—all evidence of how that girl named Mira had endured endless neglect and torment. She had humbled herself into the dust, trying to please those who would never love her with her own blood. Looking at those words, I couldn’t stop my eyes from stinging. Tears fell onto the cracked screen. I felt sorrow for that foolish version of myself. I took a deep breath, raised my hand, and forcefully wiped the tears from my face. I stood and walked to the full-length mirror. The woman in the mirror was pale and thin, her wrists still wrapped in glaring bandages, like a withering rose. I stared at myself in the mirror, my eyes gradually becoming clear and resolute. I threw that old phone into the trash. “It’s okay if no one loves you, Mira.” I said softly but firmly to myself in the mirror. “From now on, you need to love yourself.” To hell with being a walking blood bank. To hell with Zane. I was no longer that pitiful creature begging humbly for love. I was going to take back my own life.

Mira POV A mind-link forcibly cut into my mind, carrying my mother’s blunt accusation. “You’re not even planning to show up at Sophia’s birthday party tonight?” Birthday? The wolf within me paced back and forth irritably. She had already issued an impatient command: “Whatever your excuse is, seven o’clock tonight—be there on time!” As soon as she finished speaking, the mind-link was forcibly cut off. I didn’t want to go. But thinking it over, I was leaving soon anyway. There was no need to cause trouble at the last moment. So I picked out a black dress and had the driver take me to the birthday party venue. The entire Silver Moon Pack banquet hall was brilliantly lit. When I arrived, the party was at its liveliest. The center of attention was Zane and Sophia standing in the middle. Sophia wore a white gown, like a carefully tended rose. Although the attack years ago had left her poisoned with wolfsbane, causing severe blood disease, sustained by regularly drawing my blood, her face now glowed especially rosy with joy. And Zane—my mate in name only—his gaze never left her from start to finish. “I heard Alpha Zane personally supervised the wolf guards for three days and nights to prepare a surprise for Sophia.” Amid the guests’ chatter, I watched Zane kneel down and willingly adjust Sophia’s hem for her. The smile on his face held a tenderness I had never seen. That scene had once been like a silent knife. Suddenly, the lights converged on the stage. My father, the Alpha of the Silver Moon Pack, announced radiantly, “I’ve decided that Sophia will soon inherit the entire Silver Moon Pack, including all the pack’s wealth and trust funds—everything will be inherited by my daughter Sophia alone!” The entire hall erupted in shocked murmurs. As his other daughter, I received nothing—not even a mention of my name? Probing, pitying, and schadenfreude-filled gazes shot toward me in the corner. But the most shocking part was yet to come. Zane led Sophia onto the stage and opened a velvet box. Inside was the Silver Moon Necklace, symbolizing the Luna identity of the Shadow Phantom Pack. “Isn’t it said that only successive Lunas can wear it?” a pack member exclaimed. Under the shocked gazes of everyone present, Zane personally placed that necklace around Sophia’s neck. “Zane, this is too precious,” Sophia covered her mouth, looking down at the audience timidly. “This should be Mira’s.” My mother immediately chimed in. “Mira is already Alpha Zane’s mate—she doesn’t lack these things. You’re weak and need her blood to sustain you. This compensation is only right and proper.” Zane’s gaze swept across the audience below, cold as ice. “If not for that accident years ago, the one standing by my side today, becoming Luna, should have been Sophia all along. This necklace is merely returning to its rightful owner.” The words “rightful owner” felt like a slap across my face. The pack guests’ snickering was like ants, gnawing away at my last shred of dignity. I looked at the happy family of several people on stage, at Sophia’s triumphant eyes and Zane’s heartless face. At this moment, I felt no turmoil in my heart whatsoever. No heartache, no sadness, not even anger. I turned and silently walked toward the exit. “Look, Luna Mira is crying,” whispers came from behind me. I didn’t stop walking and entered the restroom. In the mirror, that face had not a single tear—calm as a deep sea. So after your heart dies, it really doesn’t hurt anymore. These people, these things—to me, they were already an irrelevant past. I pulled at the corners of my mouth in the mirror. Just endure a little longer. Once the mate dissolution agreement is ready, I can leave completely.

Mira POV I came out of the restroom and turned into a secluded balcony off the main house to get some air. The moment I stepped in, I froze in place. In the shadows, Zane was pinning Sophia against the wall, kissing her intensely. The thick Alpha scent in the air made the wolf within me instinctively tremble. “Zane… will Mira be upset…” Sophia whimpered. “I saw her—she seemed to be crying…” Zane released her, his thumb rubbing her swollen lips. “Whether she’s upset or not has nothing to do with me.” He looked at her, enunciating each word. “Sophia, the only Luna candidate in my heart has always been you and you alone.” My face felt itchy. I reached up to touch it and found tears. “Maybe it’s my past self mourning,” I thought. I left expressionlessly. Not long after returning to the banquet hall, Sophia rushed over excitedly. “Mira, the necklace Zane gave me is missing! Did you take it?” Her eyes reddened. “A wolf guard saw you—you were the only one who went near my seat!” My father and mother immediately rushed over. “Mira, did you steal the necklace?” my father demanded harshly, his Alpha pressure bearing down directly. My mother slapped me hard across the face. “You’ve made the Silver Moon Pack lose all face! Hand it over now!” My cheek burned with pain. I looked at my so-called biological parents, watched them trample me like this for a sister who had been drinking my blood for years, and felt only absurdity. “I didn’t take it.” I defended myself. “Still lying!” My mother commanded the wolf guards. “Search her! Even if you have to strip her clothes off, find that necklace!” Two burly wolf guards roughly grabbed me. During the struggle, my dress tore, exposing my pale shoulder. The surrounding guests let out mocking laughter. Just then, a wolf guard suddenly pulled the necklace out of my handbag. “Found it!” Sophia took it back with tears in her eyes, looking wounded. “Mira, I know you’re upset. If you really wanted it, you only had to ask and I would have given it to you. Why did you have to steal it?” With one sentence, she sealed my guilt. Zane slowly approached. He didn’t look at anyone else. His gaze fell only on me, his voice icy. “Why steal it?” A supremely mocking curve appeared at the corner of his mouth. “I’ve never considered you my mate. Don’t you know that?” “Things that don’t belong to you will never belong to you, even if you steal them.” The ultimate humiliation engulfed me. Just when everyone thought I would break down, I suddenly laughed. The laugh was soft, but it made Zane’s expression change. I raised my head and met his cold gaze. “I didn’t steal it.” I looked at him, enunciating each word as if using all my strength: “Alpha Zane, I, Mira Glace, reject you as my mate.” Watching his pupils suddenly contract, I added coldly: “Since I’m rejecting you now, you’re nothing to me. Why would I steal that necklace?”

Mira POV My rejection declaration plunged the entire hall into deathly silence. On Zane’s handsome face, the mocking expression froze for an instant, then transformed into an even deeper sneer. He released suffocating Alpha pressure, looking down at me from above. “Don’t want to be my Luna anymore?” He laughed scornfully. “Mira Glace, you’ve played this playing-hard-to-get trick no less than a hundred times. Give it a rest. I don’t love you and never will.” The surrounding pack members immediately echoed, not hiding their mockery. “Using this method to attract the Alpha’s attention again. Truly disgusting.” “Who does she think she is? She hasn’t even been marked by the Alpha. Everyone knows Sophia is the Luna Alpha Zane chose. If not for the wolfsbane poisoning, how could Zane possibly look at Mira, this walking blood bag?” Contemptuous gazes and harsh comments wrapped around me like a net. My father’s face turned iron-blue. To show loyalty to Zane and for the pack’s interests, he barked an order to the wolf guards: “Guards! Throw Mira Glace into the dungeon!” The dungeon—that was where the Silver Moon Pack imprisoned rogue wolves and traitors. Cold and damp. My pupils contracted sharply. I couldn’t be locked up. My escape plan had just begun! “Let me go! You can’t do this to me!” I struggled hoarsely. But from prolonged blood draws for Sophia, my body was already extremely weak. My resistance was useless. I turned my desperate gaze to Zane. “Zane, you can’t let them do this to me!” “Why can’t I?” A cruel sneer curved Zane’s lips. I wanted to say, because I’m still your mate in name, the Luna of the Shadow Phantom Pack. But before I could speak, a wolf guard impatiently raised his hand and struck hard at the back of my neck. Sharp pain hit me, my body went limp, and my consciousness plunged into complete darkness. … The bone-chilling cold woke me. I lay on the icy stone floor, surrounded by darkness, permeated with heavy smells of blood and mold. This was the dungeon. I couldn’t die here. A strong survival instinct supported me. I dragged my drained body toward where I remembered the iron door to be. “Open the door… is anyone there…” I hoarsely pounded on the heavy iron bars. Outside the door—no response. Just as I was about to despair, the sound of high heels approached from far to near. “Mira, are you in there?” Sophia’s voice came through the iron door, carrying a strange pity. “How pitiful. You’re the legitimate Luna, aren’t you?” My heart was stabbed hard. Sophia looked down at me condescendingly and continued mockingly. “But what good is a Luna in name only? The one who isn’t loved is the most pitiful. From beginning to end, you’ve been nothing but my blood bag.” She let out a light laugh. Just then, a phone rang. Sophia took out her phone. Seeing the caller ID, she smiled with satisfaction. She pressed speakerphone, and Zane’s deep voice came through. “Sophia? Where are you?” Sophia immediately switched to a soft, pitying tone. “I… I wanted to come to the dungeon to check on Mira.” Zane’s nervous and heartbroken voice instantly came through. “That place is cold and dark. What are you doing there? Come up quickly. Your body can’t handle the cold.” “Mm, I’m coming out now.” Sophia gave me a triumphant look and hung up. I felt my breathing begin to freeze. He knew the dungeon was cold and dark, yet he didn’t care at all that I, his “Luna” who had just had blood drawn, had been locked in here for a full day. Just like countless times before, I thought my compromise and sacrifice could earn a shred of his mercy, but in his eyes, I was just using tired old tricks again. But this time, I wasn’t using tricks. Because I could finally stop loving him completely. The last bit of strength in my body was drained. I slowly closed my eyes, allowing myself to sink into endless darkness.

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To appease his assistant Yvonne, my husband Sebastian demoted me to cleaning toilets. From that day on, I avoided him completely. When he woke up in the morning, I no longer helped him with his tie. When he worked late into the night, I no longer prepared his reports. Even when I caught him leaving a love hotel with Yvonne, I didn’t say a word. I just quietly left. One day, Sebastian swallowed his pride and came to find me, watching as I knelt on the floor scraping off chewing gum. “River, you don’t actually have to degrade yourself like this. Putting you on janitorial duty was just for show. Once Yvonne calms down, I’ll move you back to your VP position.” I braced myself on my aching legs and stood up, carrying the dirty water bucket in silence. Today marked the thousandth day I’d spent chasing after Sebastian, and it would be my last. He had no idea I’d already accepted a job offer worth millions a year. Seeing my silence, Sebastian pressed his lips together tightly. He seemed to be trying to pacify a sulking child—giving a slap followed by candy, thinking everything could just be smoothed over. “It’s your birthday today, so stop being mad at me. I’ve prepared a surprise for you tonight.” In seven years together, Sebastian had never once remembered my birthday. Every time I bought a cake, he would look surprised and ask what special occasion it was. But Yvonne had only been working here for two weeks, and Sebastian could clearly remember her cycle, her birthday, and exactly how many days she’d been on staff. Now that I’d stopped loving him, he suddenly cared. Sebastian raised his hand to pat my head, but when he heard a cough, he pulled his hand back in panic. Yvonne walked up to me, pulled out a bottle of alcohol spray from her bag with disgust, and sprayed it right in my face. “River, you work in sanitation now. You’re absolutely filthy.” “Mr. Harrison is a gentleman. Please disinfect yourself before getting close to him.” She moved too quickly for me to dodge. The alcohol spray got in my eyes, and the pain made me instinctively rub them. The water bucket fell to the ground with a crash, accompanied by Yvonne’s hysterical screaming. “Call security to disinfect this area! The dirty water splashed on Mr. Harrison’s pants. What if he gets infected and falls ill?” Sebastian smiled indulgently and teased Yvonne. “I’m not as delicate as you.” Yvonne pouted in protest, standing on her tiptoes to cup Sebastian’s face. “Who says I’m delicate? Last time you ate spicy noodles and got gastroenteritis, I was the one who carried you to the hospital.” The two of them flirted, completely oblivious to the fact that I’d been tripped by the water bucket. I sat slumped in the cold, dirty water, remembering the slap I’d given Yvonne. That day, I’d helped Sebastian secure an international contract. He’d gotten a stomachache from drinking. I went to the nearest pharmacy to buy medicine. When I rushed back to the restaurant with the medication, gasping for breath, he was already gone. The news had just reported that a murderer was on the loose in that area. I panicked and called the police, crying as I searched every street for Sebastian, but I couldn’t find him anywhere. Until the hospital called me. I ran to the hospital, thinking that if something had really happened to Sebastian, I would die with him. But when I pushed open the hospital room door, I saw Sebastian holding Yvonne and comforting her. Yvonne was crying her eyes out, blaming herself for taking Sebastian to eat spicy noodles. I lost my mind and slapped Yvonne hard across the face. Sebastian’s expression turned frighteningly cold. He immediately contacted HR to transfer me to janitorial services. At that moment, I demanded like a madwoman whether Sebastian had fallen for someone else. He was too busy comforting Yvonne to answer. But I already knew the answer.

Security guards arrived carrying high-concentration disinfectant sprayers on their backs. Under Yvonne’s direction, they aimed the nozzles directly at me. Sebastian frowned and grabbed Yvonne’s hand. “River is allergic to disinfectant. Just have them spray the floor.” Yvonne blinked playfully. “Don’t worry, I’m using all-natural, non-irritating disinfectant.” “Even if River accidentally gets some on her, she won’t have an allergic reaction.” She pressed the switch, and a stream of liquid reeking of disinfectant soaked my collar. “See? Nothing happened.” Sebastian glanced at me, confirming there was no rash on my neck, then affectionately tapped Yvonne’s forehead. “Clever girl.” I swayed as I stood up, struggling to suppress the urge to scratch my skin raw to stop the itching. From an angle Sebastian couldn’t see, Yvonne smugly made a face at me. She was certain I wouldn’t ask Sebastian for help—or rather, she firmly believed that even if Sebastian knew, he would choose to stand by her side. After all, last time, Yvonne had accidentally shredded an important data file. She’d cried and thrown herself into Sebastian’s arms, saying I’d told her to do it. All the employees glared at me with resentment, watching months of their hard work go down the drain. I couldn’t defend myself. I asked Sebastian to check the security footage to prove my innocence. Instead, he covered Yvonne’s ears and called me an idiot who couldn’t even keep data safe. The smell of disinfectant stung my nerves. My throat felt like an invisible hand was choking it, leaving me unable to breathe. I placed my hand over my belly, praying the baby inside would hang on a little longer. Sebastian didn’t notice anything wrong with me. But when Yvonne started coughing from the fumes, he quickly led her away. The security guards watched them leave, then leered at my partially visible clothes. “Sleep with Mr. Harrison a few times and you think you can be the boss’s wife? You’re just a used shoe he kicked aside.” “Ms. Sullivan specifically instructed us that you smell like a vixen and need to be thoroughly washed with disinfectant!” Seeing their malicious expressions, I backed away cautiously. “What are you trying to do?” They roughly dragged me toward the stairwell, tearing my clothes. My lower abdomen felt like hands were viciously twisting inside, filling me with dread. I bit down hard on the ear of the person closest to me and struggled desperately to break free. “Ah! You bitch, let go!” My cheek stung with searing pain as someone kicked me down hard. I didn’t care about the pain and crawled toward the exit using both hands and feet. “Help! Someone’s trying to rape me!” My screams echoed through the stairwell, loud enough to hurt eardrums. Seeing things spiral out of control, the guards cursed and kicked me a few more times before fleeing in panic. I endured the sharp pain in my lower back and slowly climbed up from the floor. Before I could catch my breath, someone grabbed my wrist forcefully. Thinking the guards had returned, I reflexively shook off their hand. “Get away!” A cold laugh came from above my head. I looked up to meet Sebastian’s icy gaze. “River, I never thought you could do something so vicious.” I frowned in confusion. Before I could ask, Sebastian dragged me quickly toward the elevator. Yvonne’s aggrieved sobbing came from the executive office. Sebastian threw me against the wall and pointed at the bloody dead rat in the coffee machine, roaring. “Stop playing dumb! Apologize to Yvonne right now.”

The rat’s eyes bulged grotesquely. When I saw the blood, my head started spinning. After my parents died, the community sent me to an orphanage. The girl in the bed across from mine wanted the hairpin in my hair. It was the only thing my parents had left me. I refused to give it to her no matter what. She got some thugs from outside to threaten me, saying if I didn’t give it to her, they’d kill me. I trembled with fear, clutching the hairpin tightly to my chest. Furious, they lunged at me with a knife. Sebastian rushed out and took the blow for me. Warm blood stained my dress, just like when my parents shielded me during the explosion, coughing up blood. I screamed and collapsed on top of Sebastian, passing out. After that, I developed severe hemophobia. I slid weakly down the wall, images of my parents lying in pools of blood flooding my mind. “It’s all my fault… I shouldn’t have wanted to go to the amusement park…” Sebastian noticed something was wrong and rushed to my side in panic. But when Yvonne cried out in pain, he immediately returned to her, holding her and gently patting her back. “Sebastian, I’m scared…” “Why is River deliberately trying to scare me? Does she resent me for taking her position?” Yvonne pulled off her work badge, tears streaming down her face pitifully. “I’ll give you back the position by your side. I won’t compete with her anymore…” Sebastian tenderly wiped away Yvonne’s tears, his eyes looking like he wanted to tear me to pieces. He roared at me. “River Hayes, apologize to Yvonne right now.” I curled up in the corner, forcing out a smile that looked worse than crying. Sebastian really didn’t believe me. His heart had truly shifted to Yvonne’s side. My nails dug painfully into my palm as I closed my eyes in despair. I’d said I would let go. I’d sworn not to love Sebastian anymore, not to shed another tear for him. But why couldn’t I stop the tears from flowing? Sebastian’s patience ran out. He roughly grabbed my wrist, squeezing so hard it felt like he’d crush my bones. He dragged me to Yvonne’s feet and pulled out a property deed from the drawer, throwing it in my face. “I bought back your parents’ house at a high price. I was planning to give it to you as a birthday gift.” “But since you refuse to apologize to Yvonne, I guess there’s no need for that.” Sebastian lifted his foot and stepped on the deed. The clean document got dirty footprints on it. My breathing stopped as I lunged forward to protect the deed. “I’m willing to buy it back at equal value! You promised me that when we made money, you’d help me get my parents’ house back.” “Sebastian, I want you to keep that promise right now!” Sebastian froze for a second. Yvonne seized the opportunity to snatch the deed from my arms. The crisp sound of tearing filled the air as the deed became a pile of scraps. Yvonne’s eyes were red as she vindictively scattered the pieces out the window. The taut string in my brain snapped. I stared blankly at the paper scraps dancing in the air. Sebastian rubbed his temples wearily and was about to scold her, but he looked into Yvonne’s moist doe eyes. He couldn’t bring himself to blame her and looked at me in compromise. “You put a dead rat in the coffee machine to scare her, and she tore up your house deed. Consider it even.” Tears streamed down my face as I laughed bitterly. Sebastian thought Yvonne had only torn up a deed. No. She hadn’t just torn up a deed. She’d torn up Sebastian’s promise to me and the last bit of feeling I had for him. A metallic taste rose in my throat. I said very, very softly. “Sebastian, I don’t love you anymore.” He stepped closer and leaned down. “What did you just say? I didn’t hear you clearly.”

Seeing Sebastian’s attention drawn back to me, Yvonne clutched her chest and whined that it hurt. “I’m still dizzy. How am I supposed to receive our important guest later?” A malicious smile played at the corners of her mouth, as if disaster was about to befall me. The next second, someone knocked on the office door. “Mr. Harrison, Ms. Linda has arrived in the VIP room.” A chill ran down my spine. When I heard the visitor’s name, I couldn’t help trembling. Linda was the only daughter of the company’s largest partner and Sebastian’s most obsessive pursuer. Every time she visited, she’d have her wolfhound sniff Sebastian to track down any woman who’d been near him. Once, she had the dog bite off the leg of a female employee who’d run into Sebastian in the break room. Sebastian still needed her father’s influence, so he could only swallow his anger. To keep me safe, whenever Linda visited, he’d give me the day off to stay home. The click-clack of high heels approached. The glass door reflected the shadow of a woman and a dog. The office rest room could only fit one person. Sebastian looked between me and Yvonne hesitantly, unable to choose. Yvonne suddenly gasped for air and collapsed weakly into Sebastian’s arms. “Mr. Harrison, let me receive the guest.” “I’m your assistant now. Even if the wolfhound tears me to pieces, that’s my duty.” Sharp pain shot through my lower abdomen. I clutched the desk, my phone clattering to the floor. The screen lit up, showing my wallpaper—a photo of Sebastian and me smiling while hugging a Samoyed. Sebastian’s eyes lit up as he gripped my shoulders tightly. “River, didn’t we used to have a dog?” “The dog always liked you better. Maybe Linda’s dog will like you too.” My pupils constricted. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Wolfhounds were extremely aggressive. Our Samoyed had been mauled to death by a wolfhound while protecting me. I’d suffered severe psychological trauma from it. Even now, I still had nightmares every night. Sebastian carefully carried Yvonne into the rest room. There was extra space inside—barely enough to squeeze in one more person. I slowly approached, but Sebastian blocked the doorway with a cold expression. “She needs enough room to breathe. If you force your way in, you’ll kill her.” The knocking grew more urgent. I could barely stand from the pain as I frantically searched for somewhere to hide. But then came a loud crash behind me. Linda kicked the door open furiously, leading a wolfhound with a mouthful of fangs toward me. I instinctively hid behind Sebastian, protecting my belly. Murderous intent flashed in Linda’s eyes as she patted the wolfhound’s head. “Precious, tear apart this bitch who’s seducing Sebastian!” The wolfhound opened its gaping maw and charged at me viciously. I ran, but the dog still clawed several bloody gashes in my calf. Sebastian looked worried, but when I approached the rest room, his expression instantly changed. He grabbed the glass from the desk and threw it precisely at my feet, blocking my path forward. Yvonne cracked the door open slightly, smirking triumphantly. The wolfhound cornered me. My hands trembled as I clenched them into fists. The office descended into chaos as Linda’s phone suddenly rang. She stamped her foot in frustration and called Precious back to her side. “You’re lucky today. Next time I catch you shamelessly clinging to Sebastian, I’ll have Precious bite you to death!” Watching Linda’s retreating figure, my taut nerves slowly relaxed. Sebastian stepped past my blood-covered body and urgently pulled open the rest room door. After confirming Yvonne was unharmed, he spared me a glance. “Go treat your wounds first. I’ll come home tonight to celebrate your birthday with you.” I limped out of the office and rushed to the hospital as fast as I could. The doctor gave me medication to prevent miscarriage and told me I absolutely had to rest well. I went home to pack my things. Without a second of hesitation, I headed straight to the airport. Near the end of the workday, Sebastian called HR. “Starting tomorrow, restore River Hayes to her VP position.” The person on the other end made a confused sound. “Mr. Harrison, River submitted her resignation after the employee health check revealed she was pregnant.” Sebastian’s temple throbbed. He grabbed his car keys in panic and rushed home. But when he opened the door, the bed was empty except for a dull diamond ring.

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After seven years of marriage, Ethan finally asked me for a divorce because of his mistress, Chloe. He said, “Vivian, she’s different from other girls. She came to me pure and innocent.” I nodded silently. I suppressed my inner excitement, terrified he’d see through me. God knows. If he didn’t bring up divorce soon, I’d barely be able to hold back myself. Last night, billionaire Harrison forced me to be his girlfriend using eighteen different positions in bed. Now my whole body won’t stop trembling. When I took the divorce agreement from Ethan, my whole body was shaking. “Vivian, I’m sorry for wronging you.” Seeing my uncontrollable trembling, Ethan said somewhat helplessly, “This girl came to me pure and innocent. I need to give her what she deserves.” “I understand.” I nodded. My body still wouldn’t cooperate—it kept trembling. Especially my legs. They were shaking like a sieve. But I didn’t notice. I was focused intently on reading the divorce agreement. Ethan and I had been married for seven years. We’d been childhood sweethearts. We started dating in high school and got married right after college graduation. At the wedding, Ethan cried like a baby, saying he was blessed beyond measure to marry me. But in the third year of marriage, he had someone on the side. The first time I caught him, he panicked and begged on his knees for forgiveness. I forgave him. So there was a second time, a third time, an Nth time. But he said no matter how much he played around outside, I would always be his wife. Yet this time, he finally asked me for a divorce because of a mistress. I’d met the girl. Just twenty years old, delicate as could be. She loved calling Ethan in the middle of the night. Every call, she’d cry. She cried so much it broke Ethan’s heart. To comfort the girl, Ethan spent less and less time at home. His sudden return today startled me. What if we’d run into each other? How embarrassing that would be. I’d started seeing someone on the side a year ago. Ethan didn’t know. Not that I deliberately hid it—he just hadn’t paid attention to me in a long time. Or rather, deep down, he didn’t think I could ever betray him. I’d heard him on the phone with a friend: “Vivian? She can’t live without me. No matter what I do outside, she’ll still wait obediently at home for me.” That moment, I suddenly started reflecting on myself. Why could he? But I couldn’t? Why could he say so matter-of-factly: “It’s normal for men to fool around outside.” But I couldn’t? After deep reflection and painful deliberation. I bravely stepped outside the shackles of marriage. My first affair was with Harrison, the heir to the Morrison fortune. That night he got in a fight at a bar. I was watching the excitement from the sidelines. As a bystander, I just commented: “Young people sure are hot-blooded.” Then he caught me: “Lady, I’m even hotter in bed. Want to try?” I looked at his face—handsome despite being covered in bruises—and his well-developed pecs and firm, round ass peeking through his clothes. I boldly tried for one night. And that one try became impossible to shake off. Harrison’s clinginess rivaled, even exceeded, Ethan’s mistress. At first he only clung to me in bed. Gradually he pushed for more. He insisted I make things official with him. Like last night—this young master went crazy in the middle of the night and stormed to my house, demanding I make him my legitimate boyfriend. I didn’t give in, so he tormented me all night long. If he hadn’t had a business trip early this morning, he would’ve run right into Ethan. Ethan’s phone kept ringing. Chloe couldn’t hold back anymore and had called several times. Her voice was loud enough that I could hear. She was crying on the other end: “Why is this divorce taking so long? Is she refusing? You promised me you’d divorce her even if you had to leave with nothing. Are you lying to me?” Hearing the words “leave with nothing.” My eyes lit up. Ethan coaxed her in a low voice: “Almost done. Be good and wait at home. I’ll buy you the duck neck you love on my way back.” “One hour. Maximum one hour. You must come back.” “Okay.” Ethan hung up. “Vivian, if there’s no problem, just sign.” Ethan urged me.

Actually, the divorce agreement wasn’t bad. Ethan was giving me half the assets. You could see his sincerity. Originally, I would have accepted. But thinking of my current status and all these years of humiliation… Not taking advantage when you can brings a lifetime of bad luck. Not taking advantage of a scumbag brings eight lifetimes of bad luck. So in that moment, I pretended to be upset and said, “Ethan, back when Sterling Group almost went bankrupt due to poor management, I accompanied you to business dinners and drank until I had stomach bleeding, all to secure sponsorships and financing.” “Vivian, that’s all in the past. When love is gone, it’s gone. You can keep my body but not my heart. Why bother?” Ethan tried to reason with me. “I think I should have a share of Sterling Group.” I stated plainly. Ethan froze. He probably didn’t expect I wanted Sterling Group itself, not him. “I want fifty percent of your original shares in Sterling Group, not the cash equivalent.” “What do you want shares for?” Ethan asked, surprised. “Nostalgia, I guess.” I said flatly. Ethan hesitated. To him, shares were naturally more important. He wanted absolute control of the company. Giving me fifty percent would mean he wasn’t the majority shareholder anymore. “Fine.” Ethan agreed readily. He probably figured that even if I had shares, I couldn’t really participate in company decisions. “I want the cash too.” I continued making demands. “Vivian, don’t push your luck.” Ethan clearly didn’t want to. “Money is all I have left.” I looked at Ethan. While you. You have great love. Seeing my bloodshot eyes and trembling body, Ethan reluctantly said, “Fine, I’ll give it to you. But Vivian, don’t come pestering me afterward.” “It’s a deal.” Ethan quickly had his lawyer draft a new divorce agreement. I signed it readily. I rode in his car to City Hall. The moment I opened the passenger door, I saw large words stuck there: [This Princess’s Exclusive Seat—Everyone Else Back Off!] Obviously not posted by me. Ethan noticed too and explained, “The girl likes to play around.” “No problem, I’ll sit in back.” The ride was quiet. Ethan suddenly asked me, “Why aren’t you talking?” I was looking at messages Harrison sent me. He’d just landed and was message-bombing me. [Landed safely.] [I miss you.] [Do you miss me?] [Every second away from you is torture.] [Give me official status when I get back, okay?] [What’s good about that rotten cucumber Ethan? I’m more handsome, richer, younger, and have better stamina than him.] “Vivian!” Ethan’s voice got loud. I frowned. “What?” “Who are you chatting with? Can’t you hear me talking to you?” “What is it?” I asked, puzzled. “I said after the divorce, if you have any difficulties, you can come to me. After all, we were married. I’m not that unreasonable.” Ethan repeated impatiently. “Okay.” I nodded and agreed. The car fell silent again. Ethan couldn’t help but speak again. “Don’t you have anything to say to me?” “Then I wish you and her a long and happy life together.” I said. “No need to pretend in front of me.” Ethan was magnanimous. I wasn’t pretending. Bitch and dog, forever together. Ethan suddenly said kindly, “Vivian, you should see more of the outside world. Your life is too narrow. Haven’t you noticed you don’t have any friends? “Like this, after divorcing me, can you even find your next man?” I laughed lightly. “We’re getting divorced. My business is no longer your concern.” “I’m worried about you being alone with no one to take care of you.” “All these years, haven’t I always been alone?” I said coldly. Ethan naturally understood my sarcasm. He paused. “I mean, I have lots of friends. Want me to introduce you to someone?” “Sure.” I agreed generously. Ethan seemed stunned, then said, “Okay, when there’s someone good, I’ll introduce you.” After reaching City Hall, we quickly completed the divorce registration. When we left, Ethan said he’d drive me home, but his mistress kept calling him, so he left in a hurry. I looked up at the blue sky and white clouds above, finally understanding what it meant to feel reborn. Over twenty years of feelings truly vanished in that instant.

I didn’t tell Harrison that Ethan and I had registered for divorce. I couldn’t really say why. Maybe I just never thought about making things official with Harrison. We were just playing around. I wouldn’t make the same mistake twice. But Ethan’s mistress Chloe clearly couldn’t wait any longer. On the fifth day after we registered for divorce, she posted on social media to mark her territory. We’d added each other on SnapChat at Chloe’s initiative. At first I refused, but she was persistent. One day my finger slipped and I accepted. The photo showed her and Ethan holding hands, both wearing matching couple rings. It happened to be that day. A mutual friend of Ethan and mine was having a birthday party. We both went. Ethan brought Chloe along. Before I arrived, I heard a group of people joking in the private room: “When are you two having your wedding reception?” “Wait, did Vivian really agree to divorce? I remember she loved you to death, right? Her whole life revolved around you.” “How did you convince Vivian not to cling to you desperately? Teach us, man.” Before Ethan could speak. I answered frankly, “Fair distribution of assets.” Everyone looked embarrassed when I appeared. The birthday person quickly smoothed things over and called everyone to the table. I was quite comfortable. But Chloe kept looking at me. Her eyes full of provocation. Finally unable to hold back, she stood up. “Vivian, Ethan lost so much divorcing you, and I didn’t even complain. I just hope you won’t keep pestering Ethan. Let me drink first as a sign of respect.” She downed her glass. I ignored her. Chloe got unhappy. “Vivian, you’re divorced from Ethan. Don’t tell me you still have feelings for him?” “That’s enough.” Ethan called to Chloe. “Talk about this privately.” “No, I want her to promise in front of everyone that she’ll never bother us again.” Chloe acted coy. “I just want you to belong completely to me.” Her voice was soft and sweet. Ethan ate this up. He sighed. “Vivian, just give Chloe a promise to put her mind at ease.” I glanced at Ethan. I’d almost forgotten, but suddenly remembered—once when he was drunk, he knelt on the ground saying he’d love me forever, that if I wanted the stars, he’d pluck them from the sky for me. This scene now was truly jarring. I smiled faintly. “Don’t worry, I don’t take trash.” Ethan’s smiling face instantly turned cold. Chloe didn’t look much better either. I continued, “Let me correct you. When Ethan divorced me, he didn’t lose much. It was all what I deserved. Also, half of what Ethan spent on you was my money. Not making you pay it back is my mercy. You should be grateful, not push your luck.” “You!” Chloe’s face turned red with anger. Ethan protected her. “Vivian, even if you can’t accept divorcing me, there’s no need to make things hard for the girl.” “No hard feelings.” I enunciated each word. “Stop being stubborn. I know you can’t accept that I don’t love you anymore…” The door suddenly burst open. A familiar voice rang out. “Sorry, I’m late.”

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My mom and dad, who revolved around my sister Barbara every single day, had no idea that I had another family—inside the mirror. When the three of them went on a trip for three days, they finally remembered they had me. But when Mom and Dad rushed home in a panic, they found me cleaned up and well-fed, looking healthy and plump. The guilt and alarm on Mom’s face gave way to sheer disbelief. “Somerville, have you been taking care of yourself these past few days?” I shook my head. “I’ve been staying inside the mirror these past few days. There’s a mom and dad in there who took care of me.” A flash of disbelief crossed their eyes, followed by thunderous rage: “You know Barbara has autism, and you’re lying just to compete with her for our attention?” All the exhaustion and suppression my parents had accumulated over the years poured out on me in that moment. I was locked in my room, and Mom warned me viciously through the door. “We’re already exhausted taking care of Barbara. This family can’t afford to raise two autistic children. If you lie again, you won’t be staying in this house anymore!” I curled up in the corner, crying so hard I couldn’t breathe. Suddenly, a withered hand reached out from the mirror, gently stroking my head. “If they abandon you one more time, I’ll take you away.”

The moment the door was pushed open, the mom in the mirror crawled backward into the mirror. Mom stood quietly at the doorway, looking at me. “We’re having guests over later. Come out and help.” I followed closely behind Mom, taking the plastic plate from her hands. My eyes couldn’t help but land on the large cake in the center of the table. “Don’t just stand there. Hurry up and divide the cake.” Halfway through dividing the cake, I suddenly remembered—today was my birthday. So Mom and Dad still remembered my birthday after all. My nose tingled, and I wiped the tears from the corners of my eyes. I suddenly remembered that before Barbara got sick, Mom and Dad had been really good to me. When they took Barbara shopping at the mall, they would always bring me new clothes, instead of making me wear Barbara’s hand-me-downs that never fit properly. If I went away with the mom and dad in the mirror, would they be sad? The next moment, Mom clasped her hands together, her voice full of happiness, shattering my fantasy. “Barbara can finally call us Mom and Dad. Today is a day worth celebrating.” “When our relatives and friends arrive later, Barbara might even speak a few more words to other people.” I stood frozen in place, the corners of my mouth slowly drooping. The doorbell rang, and relatives flooded in. Barbara was surrounded in the center like a star. “Barbara, I heard you can speak now. I’m Uncle Dexter.” “I’m Aunt Bella. This is a gift for you.” Under everyone’s excited gaze, Barbara pressed her lips together, nervously clutching the hem of her dress, refusing to speak. Seeing the relatives’ enthusiasm waning, Dad quickly shot me a look, signaling me to help Barbara out of this situation. I squeezed into the middle of the relatives, sweetly greeting them one by one. “Let me serve you some cake.” While eating the cake, the relatives smiled and praised me: “Somerville has such a sweet mouth—so likable.” “If I had a daughter as articulate as Somerville, I’d laugh in my sleep.” Only Aunt Colleen had an indifferent expression, deliberately raising her voice. “Articulate? I think she’s clearly just competing for attention.” “She’s five or six years old. When my son was her age, he could recite Shakespeare’s poems backward. What’s so impressive about knowing how to greet people?” “She’s just showing off in front of someone with autism.” Mom’s expression darkened as well. She scolded me sternly, “Somerville! You always have the most to say. Barbara finally spoke, and you still have to steal the spotlight.” Dad’s smile faded as he shot me a cold glance. “Put away those petty thoughts of yours. Stop trying to get attention this way.” Seeing me keep my head down in silence, Dexter asked with a half-smile: “Somerville, tell me—who taught you to compete for attention at such a young age?”

I pursed my lips, my eyes reddening as I instinctively looked toward Mom and Dad. Mom and Dad’s eyes flickered for a moment, as if they’d just remembered what they’d demanded of me. Ever since Barbara’s autism got worse, Mom and Dad had been forcing me to talk more in front of Barbara every single day. Each time, I’d talk until my voice went hoarse, but Barbara would still show no response. Mom would sob, clutching her chest, venting all her frustration on me. “Talk more in front of Barbara! Talk! Hurry up and talk!” “What’s the point of having a mouth if you don’t use it? Mouths are for talking, aren’t they?” “But you? You don’t think about Barbara at all. All you do is make her angry.” But Barbara’s “kindness” to me was secretly stuffing candy in my mouth when she knew I couldn’t eat sugar. I was only three back then. All my teeth rotted, and the pain kept me awake every night. In the end, not only were all my baby teeth pulled out, but I also got scolded by Mom and Dad. Dad would often say to me sternly, “Somerville, the therapist said someone in the family needs to guide Barbara to speak and give her positive feedback.” “You have both the responsibility and the obligation to help Barbara and set a good example for her.” But I’ve already been trying so hard to guide Barbara. Why are Mom and Dad still not satisfied? Just as I faced the relatives’ interrogation, clutching my hands and not knowing how to answer, Dad handed me a plate of strawberries. “Go eat your strawberries somewhere else. Talk less.” I took the strawberries, but Barbara suddenly snatched them away, raised her hand and smashed them on the floor, then opened her mouth to let out a piercing scream. Mom and Dad’s faces went pale. Barbara’s autism was acting up again. Mom, with reddened eyes, poked my forehead with her finger and scolded: “Somerville, why are you so greedy? Barbara hasn’t eaten yet—why are you eating first?” “You know Barbara lacks a sense of security. Everything in this house should prioritize Barbara. Barbara comes first.” Looking down at the smashed strawberries on the floor, a bitter taste rose in my throat. I squatted down and picked up the strawberries from the floor one by one, placing them on the plate, my lips mumbling, “I know I was wrong. I don’t want the strawberries anymore.” “I’ll let Barbara have all the strawberries.” Seeing how obedient I was, Uncle Torres frowned curiously and asked, “Why has Somerville become so well-behaved? I remember when you were three, you were so protective of your food. Once something was in your hands, no one could take it away.” Hearing Torres’s words of concern, a warmth rose in my heart, and my inner thoughts spilled out without defense: “Because the mom in the mirror already gave me strawberries to eat…” Meeting Mom and Dad’s icy stares, I realized I’d said the wrong thing. I quickly covered my mouth with my small hands and shook my head, indicating I hadn’t said anything. Colleen didn’t believe I’d really become obedient. A cold smile curved her lips. “Somerville sure knows how to act!” “Deliberately pretending to be pitiful to gain sympathy, and even lying about having a mom in the mirror. Why don’t you just say you’re going to live in the mirror?” Hearing Colleen’s words, I froze. How did Colleen know that the mom in the mirror wanted to take me away? Mom caught the panic in my eyes and trembled with anger. “Somerville, didn’t I teach you not to lie? Why are you spouting nonsense today?” “Hurry up and tell everyone that the mom in the mirror is something you made up. It’s a lie.” I instinctively glanced at the mirror in my room. The mom in the mirror poked her head out, staring at me with hollow eyes, her mouth curving into an eerie arc. I timidly raised my head and stammered, “Mom, I’m not lying, and I’m not making things up…” There really was another mom in the mirror. But under Mom’s stern, pressuring gaze, I swallowed the rest of my words. Torres, who had grown up in a church, took my words seriously. He frowned and said to Mom: “I don’t think Somerville is lying. Maybe there really is something wrong with that mirror. How about I help you check the house?” After Torres took out his religious artifacts from his bag, Mom’s expression grew increasingly tense. Just as Torres was about to ask me some questions about the mirror, Barbara’s scream interrupted him.

Barbara picked up a shard of broken porcelain from the floor and slashed it across her wrist. Mom instantly panicked, hugging Barbara in distress and stopping her from continuing to harm herself. Dad looked at me with anguish, his eyes ice-cold. “Did you deliberately lie about having parents in the mirror to make Barbara feel guilty enough to cut her wrist?” “We’ve been so good to you. How can you be so vicious and come up with such twisted ideas?” I shook my head violently, tears blurring my vision. “Dad, I’m not lying…” But Dad wouldn’t listen to my explanation. He said goodbye to the relatives and drove Barbara to the hospital. After the relatives left, I was the only one standing there in a daze. I’d already tried my best. Why wouldn’t Mom and Dad believe me? Barbara’s wrist wound wasn’t deep, so there was nothing serious. But Mom and Dad still took turns staying by her side, afraid something else might happen to her. I could only see them when they came home to cook for Barbara. But whenever I got close, Mom and Dad would unconsciously push me away, distancing themselves from me. “Somerville, stop hovering around us.” “You’ve already driven Barbara to cut her wrist. Do you have to see Barbara die before you’re satisfied?” I shook my head, looking completely wronged. “Mom, I don’t know why Barbara cut her wrist either, but I really didn’t want to see Barbara die.” Even when Barbara had emotional breakdowns and scalded me with hot water from her cup, or cut my bangs with scissors, I never resented her. After all, Barbara got sick because of me. If I, the second child, didn’t exist, Barbara wouldn’t have gotten sick. And Mom and Dad wouldn’t have to frown all day long. But hearing Mom say these things still made my heart ache. Two days later, Barbara was discharged and came home. After coming home, Barbara was much more active than before. Besides calling out “Mom” and “Dad,” she could also speak some simple sentences. According to Mom, it was when she cried like a mess that Barbara felt sorry for her and started speaking. But I’d been trying to guide Barbara to speak for years, and she never responded. Why did Barbara start talking as soon as Mom cried? Holding the doll the mom in the mirror had given me, I quietly pushed open Barbara’s door. But I saw Mom and Dad sitting at Barbara’s bedside, gently coaxing her: “Barbara, from now on, just rest and recover at home. No matter how much Somerville tries to compete with you for our attention, Mom will only love you.” “Dad feels the same way. That’s why we’ve been deliberately ignoring Somerville these past few days to teach her a lesson.” Barbara’s eyes reddened as she slowly spoke, “Don’t… blame Somerville. She’s still young.” “If only I didn’t exist…” Hearing Barbara say this made Mom and Dad both angry and distressed. Dad put his arm around Barbara’s shoulder and gently promised, “Silly child, don’t talk nonsense. You’ll always be Mom and Dad’s precious treasure.” “Somerville has complicated thoughts. We’re planning to send her to Colleen’s house for discipline for a while. Once you’re better, we’ll bring her back home.” The doll in my hand slipped and fell to the floor.

A flash of panic crossed Mom and Dad’s faces at being caught. Seeing me remain silent, Dad simply decided to come clean. “Since you’ve already heard, your mom and I won’t hide it from you anymore.” “Colleen called yesterday and kept nagging us to send you over for education for a while.” My body felt heavy, like it was filled with lead. With tears in my eyes, I looked up and met Mom and Dad’s gaze: “Mom, Dad, just because Barbara is sick, are you going to pretend you don’t love me and completely abandon me?” Dad turned his head away, unwilling to look at me. Mom snorted impatiently: “Didn’t you insist there are parents in the mirror who love you more than us? Then just take the mirror and go live at Colleen’s house.” After Mom finished speaking, she kicked me out of Barbara’s room and slammed the door shut. I listened to the laughter coming from inside the room, a dull pain spreading through my chest. Perhaps they were the happy family of three, and I was just the unwanted outsider. I silently returned to my room. The mom in the mirror had already prepared a fragrant lunch waiting for me. She unfolded her withered, shriveled body and smiled at me: “Come eat. After you eat, come with Mom. Your dad is still waiting for you inside the mirror.” I nodded with vacant eyes, obediently eating the meal the mom in the mirror had made. Halfway through the meal, my tears couldn’t be held back anymore and fell in large drops onto my rice. I sobbed quietly and asked the mom in the mirror, “Before I go, can I say goodbye to Mom and Dad?” The mom in the mirror grinned eerily. “Be quick. I’m about to take you away.” I wiped my tears, picked up the pen on the table and wrote a farewell letter to Mom and Dad, then ran to them and hugged them. “Mom, Dad, goodbye!” Mom looked at the letter and threw it in the trash like garbage. Dad’s face was tense. “Don’t think that by retreating, we’ll compromise and not send you away.” “Colleen will be here in 5 minutes. Go pack your things.” I nodded heavily. Although I was already prepared to leave, my heart still ached faintly. I returned to my room without taking anything, just sitting on the bed in a daze, looking at this home where I’d lived for six years. It suddenly felt so unfamiliar. At least in the mirror, there were parents who loved me, and there was no Barbara who disliked me. Living with Mom and Dad in the mirror should be happier than now, right? The next second, Colleen arrived at my bedroom door and shouted: “This door won’t open. Somerville must have locked it.” Mom and Dad outside the door knocked frantically, cursing: “Somerville, you’ve really gotten bold. Now you even dare to lock the door.” “Colleen is here to pick you up. Open the door right now!” “Even if we have to tie you up today, we’ll drag you out and fix your bad habits!” Seeing that I wouldn’t open the door no matter how much they scolded, Mom and Dad got furious and kicked the door open. At that moment, I was standing obediently in front of the mirror, waving goodbye to them one last time. Mom and Dad’s faces turned ashen as they glared at me, about to step forward and discipline me. The next moment, a pair of withered hands reached out from the mirror behind me. Mom and Dad’s faces instantly went pale. In panic, they shouted at me, “Somerville, come here quickly!” But I turned around and threw myself into that embrace without hesitation.

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I transmigrated into the body of a little girl who was beaten to death by domestic violence. The moment I opened my eyes, a fist came flying at me. I smiled. I am a female Muay Thai champion, a terminator of domestic violence, specialized in dealing with all kinds of troublemakers! I transmigrated just as I had won my sixth world championship. With this, I had achieved the Grand Slam in Muay Thai. I couldn’t help but shed tears of joy. Right at that moment, a piercing pain shot through my right leg—in the final round of the match, my opponent’s fierce roundhouse kick had struck my shin. I smiled bitterly. The bone was probably fractured. Injuries were nothing new to me. I endured the pain and still faced the reporters’ cameras with a smile. ” Lily Smith, please tell us how you’re feeling right now,” a reporter asked. I steadied myself and said, “I want to thank my coach for all his hard work in training me.” “What about your family? Don’t you want to say anything to them?” the reporter pressed. Family…? I froze for a moment. My mind went blank. I suddenly realized I had no memory of my family at all. Then a flash of white light appeared, like a camera flash going off. I instinctively closed my eyes for a split second. When I opened them again, I found myself in a dark, dilapidated little room. The flowers, applause, and surrounding reporters had all vanished. Only the pain in my right leg remained, reminding me this was no dream. I looked down. These were the legs of a little girl. Slender and frail. The right leg was twisted at an odd angle. The slightest movement brought another wave of pain. The shin was broken, but someone had given it a crude bandage. Whoever had treated the injured leg was clearly an amateur. They hadn’t even set the bone properly. I unwrapped the bandage, reset the bone, and rewrapped it. Since I was often injured, I naturally had some knowledge of treating external wounds. “Lily, are you awake?” Just then, a woman’s voice quietly called into the room from outside the window.

I had just finished setting my injured leg and didn’t want to move, so I answered weakly, “Just woke up.” The woman hurriedly said, “You must be hungry. I brought you some food. Eat quickly.” The door opened, and a thin, frail woman entered carrying some cornbread and wild fruit. It seemed this woman was the little girl’s mother. She extended the food toward me and said, “Lily, does your leg still hurt? Eat quickly. You need to eat well to recover from your injury.” Suddenly, a shrill voice rang out from outside: “Lily’s mom! I told you to feed the chickens, where did you go? Always slacking off! Even the chickens are more useful than you! At least they lay eggs—you don’t!” Lily’s mother quickly responded, “Mom, I already fed the chickens. I came to bring Lily her meal.” The shrill voice grew closer: “My son must have had terrible luck to marry you! A money-loser gave birth to another money-loser, eating the Smith family’s food for nothing all these years!” This sounded like the little girl’s grandmother. The grandmother’s words were full of disgust toward the mother and daughter. Their lives must be difficult. Lily’s mother looked at my injured leg. After much hesitation, she finally gathered the courage to say, “Mom, Lily’s leg was broken. We need to get the village doctor to look at it.” Mrs. Smith outside the window nearly shrieked when she heard this: “A doctor costs money! If you ask me, if she dies, she dies! One less mouth to feed!” I frowned. This little girl must have been beaten, which is why her leg was broken. Why was the little girl beaten, and who beat her? The most important thing now was to figure out what exactly happened. I heard Mrs. Smith continue: “Stop talking nonsense and come help me right now. The matchmaker is coming today!” Lily’s mother quickly set down the food and went out.

I don’t know how much time passed before I heard arguing outside the door. “Lily’s father, you can’t keep beating her! You’ll kill the child.” This was Lily’s mother’s voice. An angry man’s voice: “Don’t try to stop me. She was lucky I didn’t kill her yesterday.” “She wants to go to town so badly? Today I’ll break her other leg too! If she’s so capable, let her crawl there!” The two people arguing outside were clearly the little girl’s parents. I hadn’t expected that the person who broke the little girl’s leg was actually her father. Anger rose in my heart. This father, taking advantage of being an adult man, actually beat an underage little girl this way. The door burst open with a bang. A man appeared in the doorway. He was of medium build, holding a wooden stick, his face full of violence. Behind the man stood Lily’s mother. Her thin wrists tightly gripped one end of the stick in the man’s hand, trying to stop him. The man slapped her face. A crisp smack rang out, and Lily’s mother stumbled, nearly falling. Even so, her hands still desperately gripped the stick, refusing to let go. Because Lily’s mother was holding the stick, the man couldn’t move freely. Seeing that one slap hadn’t made Lily’s mother let go, he grew impatient and kicked her in the stomach. Alarmed, I quickly grabbed the cornbread bun beside me and threw it at his head and face. The bun was quite hard. It hit the man’s face with a dull thud and broke apart, falling to the ground. Cornmeal crumbs got in his eyes. He reached up to rub his eyes, and Lily’s mother snatched the stick away. “You damn girl, how dare you throw things at me! I see you still haven’t given up on going to town to study!” The man no longer paid attention to Lily’s mother. He roared and charged at me. Lily’s mother quickly abandoned the stick and wrapped her arms around the man’s waist, pulling him back while crying out: “Lily, quickly apologize to your father! Say you won’t go to school anymore!” I suddenly understood. This little girl, Lily—she wanted to go to town to study, but her father wouldn’t let her, so she was beaten.

Before I could speak, an old woman picked up the stick from the ground and quickly threw it into the yard. This old woman had entered the room behind the arguing parents. Because she was short, I hadn’t noticed her at first. After throwing the stick, she even kicked it. The stick rolled far away. With her sharp, slanted eyes, she said to the man in a shrill voice: ” John, the matchmaker just came by. A girl with a crippled leg won’t fetch a high wedding gift!” The man froze when he heard this and stopped. He asked the old woman, “Mom, Matchmaker Mrs. Brown came by?” So this harsh-looking old woman was the little girl’s grandmother. Mrs. Smith nodded and said, “A wedding gift for a girl with one crippled leg has to be cut in half. If you break both her legs, she’ll be paralyzed, and the wedding gift will drop even more.” John Smith said angrily, “Why cut it in half? Is that Mrs. Brown trying to cheat us? Her leg is crippled, but she can still walk and work!” As he said this, John Smith withdrew his hand. Seeing he wasn’t going to hit me anymore, Lily’s mother slowly let go. I suddenly understood this little girl’s situation. So I coldly interjected: “My leg isn’t permanently crippled. It can heal. Three months—just three months and my leg will be good as new. Then you can ask Mrs. Brown for the highest wedding gift!” Mrs. Smith’s eyes lit up: “Lily’s leg can heal? If it heals completely, we’ll have a perfectly intact virgin girl! Mrs. Brown won’t be able to lowball us then!” John Smith sneered. He understood he couldn’t beat me. If my leg didn’t heal properly, it would affect the wedding gift he could collect. But he seemed unwilling to just let this go. He turned and saw Lily’s mother standing to the side. He directly slapped her again, grabbed her by the hair, and dragged her out of the room.

I saw this and struggled to get up to stop him, but Mrs. Smith pressed me down, saying, “Lily, lie still and don’t move. Take good care of your leg!” She pursed her lips and said, “That’s between your father and mother. Stay out of it.” I moved my right leg slightly. Based on my experience, this leg injury could indeed heal in three months. After three months when my leg healed, I needed to get out of here quickly. While secretly making this resolution, I also worried about Lily’s mother and pricked up my ears to carefully listen to what was happening outside. I heard John Smith drag Lily’s mother all the way to the next room. The door slammed shut with a bang. Sounds of punching and kicking came from next door, occasionally mixed with Lily’s mother’s cries and screams. Then came the sound of clothes tearing and a belt whipping. When John Smith’s heavy breathing gradually intensified and Lily’s mother’s screams turned into soft whimpers, Mrs. Smith clicked her tongue twice, spat, and left with a red face. I gradually clenched my fists. John Smith not only committed domestic violence, he was also a sexual abuser! Over the following days, John Smith would beat Lily’s mother every few days. And no matter how brutally Lily’s mother had been tortured the night before, she would unfailingly come bring me food the next day. I begged her to get me some protein to help with my recovery, and she brought me some roasted bird eggs. I asked, “Doesn’t the family raise chickens? Why do we need to get wild bird eggs?” Lily’s mother sighed: “Your grandmother counts every chicken egg. She saves them to sell at the market.” This Mrs. Smith was really cruel and stingy. Lily’s mother watched me happily eating the roasted bird eggs and said, “Thank goodness for Tommy, bringing you bird eggs. Next month Tommy is going to town, so you won’t have these good things to eat anymore.” After saying this, she seemed to have misspoken and looked regretful. “Tommy?” I asked. Lily’s mother quickly comforted me: “I know you also want to go to town with Tommy to study middle school. But which girl in our village doesn’t stop studying after elementary school? Look at Emily—she also stayed home to work after elementary school graduation.” By this calculation, Lily had only graduated from elementary school, probably around 13 or 14 years old. At this age, her father and grandmother were already planning to marry her off. What bastards!

This day, Lily’s mother didn’t come to bring food. Instead, a little boy and a little girl came. The little boy looked sturdy and energetic, wearing a hoodie and sneakers, covered in dirt from head to toe. He held a bundle of bird eggs and said proudly, “Lily, I raided three bird nests! Look, there are over a dozen eggs here!” The little girl wore a floral print jacket with patches on the knees and shoes. Though not dressed as well as the little boy, she was neat and tidy. She blinked her eyes and said, “Lily, your mother said she went to cut pig feed, so she asked us to bring you food.” As she spoke, she took out two cornbread and handed them to me. “Tommy? Emily?” I called out tentatively. Emily nodded. Tommy said, “What’s wrong? Did your dad beat your head stupid?” He stood up to examine my head. “You’ve always been better at studying than me. It would be such a waste if your dad beat you into an idiot!” As he spoke, he ruffled through my hair. “Bah! Bah!” Emily pushed him away and scolded him: “Don’t talk nonsense! How could Lily become an idiot!” Tommy asked me, “Lily, are you really not going to town to study middle school?” “I heard the teacher say that middle school, just like elementary school, is required by law. Not letting you attend is illegal,” he said confidently. Emily sighed: “But all the girls in our village only go to elementary school.” Tommy fell silent. After a while, he asked me again: “Lily, don’t you want to ask your dad again? You’re good at stud Emily. It would be a shame not to go to school.” I shook my head. I didn’t need to ask to know that no matter how good my grades were, John Smith would never agree. I ate five or six of the bird eggs Tommy brought and hid the rest to give to Lily’s mother. In a daze, I heard a woman crying out. It was Lily’s mother!

I quickly listened carefully to identify the sounds. Mixed in with Lily’s mother’s cries and pleas for mercy were a man’s curses and beatings. It was John Smith. Occasionally there were also a few sounds from Mrs. Smith. Her voice was thin and shrill, actually the clearest to hear: “You should teach this lazy daughter-in-law a good lesson! At my age, I still have to go up the mountain to cut pig feed! These old bones of mine nearly fell apart!” Hadn’t Lily’s mother gone to cut pig feed today? It was because she went to cut pig feed that she asked Emily and Tommy to bring me food. This old hag was distorting the truth and sowing discord! John Smith seemed even angrier. While cursing, he continued beating Lily’s mother: “You dare lie? It was clearly Mom who cut the pig feed!” “You shameless woman needs to be stripped naked, hung up, and whipped hard with a belt!” Rage surged within me, and I was about to rush out to save Lily’s mother. As soon as I moved, I nearly fell from the bed to the floor. The leg injury had been healing for almost two months. Although the injury was recovering well, the leg muscles were weak and I still couldn’t move flexibly. This body was far inferior to my previous one. I sighed and secretly resolved that starting tomorrow, I must exercise my muscles properly. Otherwise, even if the leg healed, without muscles and strength, it would be useless. Lily’s mother’s voice gradually grew quieter. She must have passed out. Finally John Smith stopped. But his conversation with his mother made my heart rise to my throat again. I heard him say to Mrs. Smith: “Mom, if you don’t like this woman, we can just send her back to her parents’ home. Why do we have to beat her to death?” Mrs. Smith said, “You foolish child, if we send her back to her parents’ home, what if her brothers come demanding the dowry back! She brought a cow as dowry when she married in!” So Mrs. Smith and her son were planning to beat Lily’s mother to death. I looked down at my right leg, my face turning cold.

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I Was Reincarnated as a She-Wolf. When the Alpha Howled His Commands, I Barely Managed a Half-Hearted Yip. Because of my epic laziness, I was exiled from the pack. Starving and dizzy, I finally stumbled upon a human trail. Throwing away my wolf pride, I rolled onto my back and shamelessly begged the humans for food. Sustained by Twinkies and hotdogs, I even grew a glossy, luxurious winter coat. The Alpha ran hundreds of miles to find me, only to see my pathetic display. His hackles raised as he roared: “I just have one question—why is your tail wagging so high?!” 1 Every time I ovulate, I revert back to a human girl. I always find a hidden spot to secretly get through it. Unfortunately, the old Alpha caught a whiff of my overwhelming scent and found me. Ahhh! Wake up, buddy! We have a biological barrier here! I practically tumbled over myself scrambling up a tree, barely escaping by the skin of my teeth. After that, the old Alpha lost a duel to a low-ranking wolf named Shadow and was exiled from the pack. Shadow killed the old Alpha’s pups and took his place. I hadn’t even woken up yet when Shadow stood on the mountain peak and started howling. From all directions, the pack howled back, their voices ringing out in a unified, deafening chorus. It’s way too early for this! Let a wolf sleep, will you?! I lifted a paw, covered my ear, and tried to go back to sleep. “Why aren’t you howling? Watch out, the Alpha will come beat you up,” the wolf next to me kindly warned. I’ve literally reincarnated as an animal, and I still can’t just lie flat? I hate this! I hate hustle culture! Without even bothering to open my eyes, I gave a half-hearted, weak a-woo. “You’re so brave. Do you know how terrifying Shadow is?” Isn’t it just a story of a try-hard who grinded his way to the top and became Alpha? What’s so terrifying about that? Suddenly, a thunderous sound approached, accompanied by an incredibly oppressive wave of testosterone. I jolted awake, scrambled to my feet, and ran to the edge of the hill to look. I saw Shadow looking furious, leading a massive swarm of wolves straight toward me. Dust and dirt kicked up everywhere they went. I was so terrified my fur instantly spiked up like a sawblade. He’s not here to beat me up; he’s here to kill me! Without looking back, I bolted, running for my life. Panting and wheezing, I ran over a hundred and fifty miles without stopping, finally making it out of the primeval forest. Running all night left me parched and starving. I found a river to drink from, but a massive water buffalo suddenly burst out of the water. I was so scared I didn’t even dare to drink. I turned and ran for my life again. So hungry… so hungry… I stumbled and swayed before just collapsing on the ground and falling asleep. Ugh… if I’m asleep, I won’t feel hungry. Half-asleep, I felt something fuzzy brushing against my nose. I opened my eyes halfway. There was a rabbit right in front of me. “Ah-woo.” I opened my mouth but couldn’t bring myself to bite down. It’s an old rabbit. The meat will be too tough. Hard pass. In the middle of the night, I mustered up my courage and crept back to the river, belly to the ground. While the water buffalo was sleeping, I quickly snatched a fish and bolted. 2 In the bushes, a pair of golden wolf eyes moved slowly, looking exceptionally cold and terrifying in the moonlight. I perked my ears up, staring at him warily. He stepped out of the bushes. He was a young male wolf, nearly six and a half feet long. His fur was sleek and shiny, his muscles lean and defined, but what stood out most were those chilling, terrifying golden pupils. My breath hitched. “Who are you? What do you want?” I backed up step by step, staying on high alert. If he dares to pounce, I’ll… I’ll run! “Why aren’t you with your pack?” He just stopped in front of me, not moving any closer. This wolf radiated an incredibly dangerous aura. I felt like I had smelled this scent somewhere before, but I couldn’t quite place it. Whatever, too lazy to think about it. Maybe all male wolves smell this gross. I knew that in the brutal animal kingdom, being a lone wolf was incredibly dangerous. But… “I was being hunted by the Alpha! Wouldn’t you run?” He looked surprised. “Why did you think he wanted to kill you?” “He’s a petty wolf!” So what if my howl was a little half-hearted? He actually brought the whole pack to hunt me down over it! “You’re too weak. If you don’t stay with a pack, you’ll die.” When he called me weak, he wasn’t just talking about my combat skills. I was less than four feet long, and I was a white wolf. Snow-white fur provides zero camouflage in the wild, making me an easy target for predators. “Are you weak too? Why aren’t you with a pack?” He didn’t look like a weak wolf to me. He was silent for a moment. “Yeah. Pretty much the same as you.” Ah, so he just looks intimidating, but he’s actually a rejected, weak wolf just like me. Feeling a sense of camaraderie, I didn’t chase him away. Instead, I made a spot for him to sleep. He asked me, “What’s your name?” “Maya.” That was my human name. “What about you? What’s yours?” “I’m… Nolan.” The deep wilderness was so quiet you could only hear the wind. I slept until the sun was high in the sky. I yawned, lazily propping myself up to look at Nolan. I didn’t expect him to be even lazier than me. A mosquito landed on his ear, and he just twitched it without even opening his eyes. With my ears flattened, I kept my head low and crawled forward. Strangely, I didn’t see the water buffalo from yesterday. I carefully sniffed around and caught a super intense scent of blood. Following the smell, I found the water buffalo dead by the river, covered in blood. Flies were buzzing all over it. Looking at the bite marks, this giant beast had clearly been killed by a wolf. Huh? Is there some badass… I mean, badass wolf nearby? “Why aren’t you eating?” Nolan suddenly appeared behind me. “The meat is too tough, the skin is too thick, and flies are shitting on it. I’m passing.” He didn’t expect a wolf to be this picky, refusing to eat this and that even when starving to death. With the water buffalo gone, I splashed around in the river, catching fish. I also rolled around in the water to wash my snow-white fur. And… the strong female scent— It was almost time for me to revert back to a human girl. Meanwhile, the lazy wolf Nolan laid on a rock, resting his chin on his paws, watching me lazily through half-closed eyes. “A herd of elephants is going to pass through here soon. We need to leave,” he said. “I don’t want to.” I finally found a place with food and water. I haven’t even started my lazy wolf life yet. “Do you want to get flattened by an elephant?” 3 Cherish your wolf life; stay away from elephant herds. I ended up following Nolan. Crossing the plains, we entered a jungle. My keen senses picked up the scent of a wolf pack. Overjoyed, I followed the scent. Under a tree, a scrawny male wolf was gnawing on a piece of rotting meat. The meat was foul and filthy; I wouldn’t eat it even if I were starving. I suppressed my disgust and walked over. “Hi there, can I meet your Alpha?” If I’m lucky and meet a generous Alpha, I can start my lazy life of mooching off the pack. The skinny wolf saw me and gave a wicked grin. “Sure, follow me.” I didn’t think much of it and followed him. After a few steps, he suddenly spun around and pounced on me, pinning me down. “Ahhhh! What are you doing?!” My brain short-circuited. I instinctively fought with everything I had to escape. But he was too strong. Pinned beneath him, I couldn’t break free. When I realized what he was trying to do, my mind went blank. I just curled my tail tightly over my butt. Even though he was skinny, male wolves have an absolute advantage over females in both size and strength. Just when I was exhausted and hopelessly thought my butt was doomed, the weight on me suddenly vanished. Nolan was tangled in a vicious fight with the skinny wolf. Without daring to look back, I seized the chance and ran for my life. I sprinted across a gravel bank, through a meadow, and finally stopped at a watering hole, panting heavily. I laid by the river, took a few gulps of water, and then heard Nolan’s howl: “A-woo—” I heard that kind of howl often. It was the howl of victory. Even though my heart was still pounding, I remembered Nolan had just saved my butt, so I headed back. When I returned, the scene before me was shocking. The skinny wolf’s neck was snapped; he was lying dead on the ground with his mouth open. Nolan had his paw on another wolf, who appeared to be the pack’s Alpha. The Alpha was barely clinging to life, panting heavily, his belly heaving. The rest of the pack watched in stunned silence. None dared to challenge this outsider male wolf. Nolan saw me, released the Alpha, and slowly walked toward me under the pack’s watchful eyes. I was so terrified I gulped. I didn’t expect this lazy wolf to be such a badass! He narrowed his eyes at me. “What, are you scared of me?” I shook my head, then nodded, suddenly too tongue-tied to speak. 4 I really couldn’t figure out what this big boss wanted. Wherever I went, he followed. While I was still trying to catch fish and rabbits, he had already hunted down several water buffaloes and wildebeests. A familiar, strange sensation surged through my body. I knew it was time for me to revert back to a human girl. To keep Nolan from discovering my secret, I sneaked away while he was sleeping. I needed to find a safe, hidden spot before I transformed. Finally, over three hundred miles away, I found a cave. The entrance was hidden by vegetation, and there were plenty of decaying leaves to mask my scent. To avoid starving, I gathered some wild berries and brought them back to the cave. Exhausted, I fell asleep. When I woke up, I was a human girl again. Unfortunately, I underestimated the temperature drop in this forest. The sun was warm during the day, but at night, it felt like an icebox. I had no clothes and didn’t dare go outside, so I curled into a ball to keep from freezing to death. So warm… so soft… What is this? I slowly opened my eyes, only to meet a pair of golden wolf eyes! My breath caught in my throat. I stammered, “No… Nolan?” I had no idea how he found me. He was lying completely on top of me, but he wasn’t doing anything inappropriate. Was he going to eat me, or was he just using his fur to keep me warm? “Wh-what are you doing?” My voice couldn’t stop shaking. “Keeping you from freezing to death.” I let out a sigh of relief. “How did you find me?” “Your scent is very strong,” he said. “You’re in heat.” “No! Don’t make it sound so gross!” I couldn’t help raising my voice. “Human women go through this every month. It’s nothing special!” “You go into heat every month?” He sounded surprised. “It’s not heat! It’s a normal biological function!” I tried to correct him. But he ignored me, resting his head on me, closed his eyes, and went to sleep. Even though this wolf was fierce, I was sure he meant me no harm. Thanks to his fur keeping me warm, I safely made it through my “special time.” When I turned back into a wolf, I felt a deep sense of loss. I’m human. I’m a human…

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “446013”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

He plays basketball. I post: [SHOCKER! Best Actor caught in a steamy tangle with multiple men!] He eats street food at midnight. I post: [EXPOSED! You won’t believe what the Oscar-winner is doing on the streets at night!] Stalking him late at night, the Best Actor finally snaps, grabs my wrist, and roars, “How much longer are you going to keep this up?!” The billionaire prince of Manhattan punches him square in the jaw: “Get your hands off my wife!” The Best Actor whips out a marriage certificate and sneers, “Look closely. Whose wife do you think she really is?” I instantly get thrilled! Oh my god, having amnesia is amazing! I get to have two husbands! 1 [EXPOSED! You won’t believe what the Oscar-winner is doing on the streets at night!] My latest post on X hits over a million views, likes, and retweets in less than an hour. The Best Actor’s fandom wakes up in the middle of the night just to drag me in the comments. [Ugh! Another massive clickbait load of garbage!] [If she’s so brave, why doesn’t she catch something real for once?!] [Trash paparazzi trash! What is the actual truth?!] Their hate drives me straight to the global trending page. On the trending board, my name is intimately tucked right next to his. #TrashPaparazzi ChloeBrooks# At 2:00 AM, Ethan Vance was sitting at a sketchy late-night food truck, wearing a black hoodie and a low-brimmed baseball cap. He was casually perched on a plastic stool, holding a cheap street corn dog. I even attached eighteen high-res photos, each one making the Best Actor look drop-dead gorgeous. The fans can curse me all they want, but they never fail to praise my photography skills. For the past year, every single masterpiece photo of the Best Actor has come from my lens. [Strangely, this awful paparazzi always captures a completely different side of Ethan.] [I know, right? She somehow brings out that lonely, melancholic vibe of his.] [Honestly… it almost feels like my husband is posing for her.] [The comment above, are you insane?] I look at the comments with supreme satisfaction. These tsundere little angels always click on my sponsored links right after trashing me. After all, I’ve never actually ruined Ethan’s reputation; if anything, I’ve gifted them endless wallpaper-worthy shots. My income is skyrocketing, making me shoot even more enthusiastically. Suddenly, someone knocks on my car window. I look up. Ethan Vance is standing outside, holding a half-eaten corn dog. Through the one-way tint, he can’t see me, but I can see him perfectly. [SOS! Save me right now!] I shrink back into my seat, frantically texting my childhood friend, Weston Sterling. [Ethan found me!] 2 Sitting in the police precinct at midnight, I am completely numb. Weston actually punched Ethan! Ethan has a nasty bruise on his jaw. He sits on the bench, face cold as ice, lost in thought. Weston squeezes my hand, his voice low: “I messed up big time.” Well, I can’t entirely blame him for being reckless. He had just gone to grab me some late-night takeout, and when he walked back, he saw a strange man pounding on my car window. He thought Ethan was some kind of creep and immediately threw a punch. “You’re the billionaire prince of Manhattan, who are you afraid of?” I tease him to lighten the mood. Hearing this, Weston’s face flushes with a mix of embarrassment and annoyance, and he reaches out to pinch my cheek. He hates that title more than anything. He thinks it sounds incredibly cringe and ridiculous. I swat his hand away, looking at the scrape on his knuckles. “Does your hand hurt?” Weston instantly stops fooling around. He lets out a prideful huff, turning his head away. Ethan’s manager rushes into the station. The moment he sees Ethan’s face, he blows a fuse. “You’re that trash paparazzi, aren’t you?!” “Ethan is supposed to be on set tomorrow! Can you even afford the breach of contract fees?!” He points his finger right at me, screaming, “Rats like you belong in the gutter, or locked up in a cell to learn some manners!” Spit flies from his mouth, nearly hitting my face as he curses. He gets more and more aggressive, poking his finger dangerously close to my nose. I’m not a coward. Normally, I would have broken his nose by now. But looking at his furious face, a sudden, suffocating weight crashes onto my chest. My head feels like it’s about to split open. Tears stream down my face uncontrollably. In a daze, I hear another voice echoing in my mind, screaming at me: “Are you trying to ruin him?!” “Fine! Go find him right now! Let the whole world know about your pathetic relationship!” “What makes you think you’re good enough for him? What right do you have to question him?!” The sheer agony suffocates me. Everything goes black, and I faint. The last thing I hear is Weston’s roaring fury: “If anything happens to her, I will personally destroy every single one of you!” 3 After my little blackout at the precinct, Weston locked me up in a private hospital suite for two weeks to recover. While he’s fast asleep, I sneak into the bathroom to play mobile games. I get so into it that I start trash-talking out loud. “See that? Showing off in front of my squad? You’re all dead meat!” “When the pro steps in, it’s game over.” A clean Penta-kill. Absolutely legendary. Just as I’m about to queue up for another match, my teammate hits me up on Discord voice chat. “It’s three in the morning. Why aren’t you asleep?” I sigh in frustration. “Don’t even get me started. I’m basically under house arrest.” “Ugh, last month I ran into some psycho who screamed at me until I fainted.” “I told you before, I have amnesia. My brain can’t handle extreme stress.” “My boyfriend keeps forcing me to do all these medical exams. It’s so annoying.” My teammate inquires: “How did the tests go?” I reply while browsing through the in-game store to buy a new skin. “All clear. The doctor said it was just a severe trauma response.” Speaking of trauma responses, I’m honestly speechless. My mom always says my personality is so bright and sunny that if the sun ever exploded, you could hang me up in space and I’d warm the entire planet. Yet, I literally fainted just from being pointed at and yelled at. It actually makes me curious. What on earth happened during those three missing years of my life? Weston said when he found me two years ago, I looked like a wandering ghost. It scared him to death. Two years have passed, and I haven’t recovered a single memory. “Hey, why are you awake in the middle of the night anyway?” I ask, gifting my teammate a few expensive skins. When I first woke up with amnesia, I was incredibly bored. I met this teammate in an online lobby, and he’s been carrying me ever since. He always seemed pretty broke, grinding late-night shifts, so I basically sponsored all his in-game cosmetics. “Playing games with some random guy at three in the morning, huh?” Weston’s voice suddenly rings out. He’s leaning against the doorframe, shirtless, wearing black shorts. His stunning eyes are burning with pure jealousy. He looks like he wants to break my legs. Feeling guilty, I stubbornly snap back, “That’s what you get for locking me up! I have too much energy and nowhere to expend it!” Weston scoffs. “Too much energy? Chloe, I think you’re just begging for trouble.” He walks over, scoops me up by the waist, and hoists me onto the marble sink. The cold surface makes me shriek, and I instantly wrap my legs around him. Weston holds my thighs, pinning me against the wall. “Cold, cold, cold!” I yell, wrapping my arms tightly around his neck. Weston seals my lips, murmuring against them, “Don’t worry. You’ll warm up in a second.” The next day, I sleep until noon. I’m woken up by a barrage of phone notifications. I’m trending on X again. Wait, what is this hashtag? #MissYouTrashPaparazzi# What kind of twisted joke is this? How are these little devils mocking me now? I click on it, only to find out that Ethan Vance’s secret relationship has been leaked! But the gossip is super vague, and the leaked photos are incredibly blurry. His fans are frantically tagging me. [What kind of ancient flip-phone took these blurry photos?!] [Ugh, I actually miss our trash paparazzi.] [Every photo she takes is so high-def it feels like she’s hiding under my king’s bed.] [Trash paparazzi, come back! We promise to flame you less next time.] [Trash paparazzi, go investigate! Is Ethan really dating someone?!] I rub my hands together in excitement and immediately tweet out: [Hold on tight, babies! Mommy’s on it!] The fans always complain that I only post fake clickbait! This time, I’m definitely going to get them the real deal! Ethan’s relationship scoop has to come from me! Nationwide delivery! When it comes to pampering my anti-fans, I am dead serious! 4 Caught them! With a pounding heart and trembling hands, I finally caught them on camera! The secret girlfriend of the Oscar-winner Ethan Vance is actually the famous prima ballerina, Scarlett Dupont! No wonder Scarlett took a minor, uncredited role in Ethan’s new indie film—they’re sleeping together! Looks like that rising pop-starlet from last week was just clout-chasing. The initial leak was from some amateur paparazzi who posted a horribly pixelated photo of Ethan wearing a baseball cap, holding a girl in his arms. The night it went viral, the pop starlet posted a cryptic note on Instagram, asking everyone to “respect her privacy.” Puh-lease. Talk about a parasite. [It’s been five days. Where is the trash paparazzi?] [Chloe! I know you’re reading this! Don’t hide behind your screen!] [Is posting a tweet against your religion, trash paparazzi?] Having gone dark for five days, my little anti-fans are spamming my notifications, begging for the real scoop. I stare at the footage in my camera, hesitating. Ethan looked completely wasted. He looked up, said something to Scarlett, and rubbed his eyes. In that split second, when he looked back up, his eyes were bloodshot. There was a heartbreaking fracture in his gaze, as if he were using every ounce of his strength just to hold back his tears. I read his lips. He seemed to be saying something about “breaking up.” Hearing it, Scarlett’s tears instantly spilled over. Oh, those poor little lovers. What kind of drama are they going through? If I leak this right now, wouldn’t I just be fast-tracking their breakup? In the driver’s seat, Weston pulls my ear and nips my earlobe. He says irritably, “Chloe, it’s four in the morning. I skipped sleep to watch another man with you. What, are you actually feeling sorry for him now?” Weston is clearly sleep-deprived and cranky. He pushes me back against the car seat and kisses me fiercely. He bites my lip hard enough to sting. I pat his back, trying to soothe his temper. The guy has terrible morning wrath; dragging him out of bed at this hour was admittedly a bit cruel. Ever since we got together, Weston always finds ways to ravage me. Every time he kisses me, it’s like his life depends on it, refusing to stop until I’m entirely breathless. My tongue feels numb, and my lips burn. I push against him, but he refuses to let go. I can only snatch brief gasps of oxygen from his mouth. “Look at you, completely helpless, my little piggy,” Weston smirks, looking down at me. Before I know it, I’m curled up in his lap. He brushes his lips against my cheek, murmuring lazily, “Alright, you got the shot. Let’s go home and catch up on sleep. And don’t forget what you promised me before we left the house.” I glare at him, letting out a soft huff. He totally took advantage of the situation. If I hadn’t agreed to that specific demand, he would have refused to act as my chauffeur. I lower my head to tweet: [Stop crying, babies! I can guarantee that Ethan’s girlfriend is absolutely NOT that starlet who claims to be allergic to alcohol but can actually chug a whole bottle of tequila. It’s someone else! @GossipKing, stop feeding us rotten garbage leaks, or I’ll personally smack you across the face. Babies, sorry for the wait. To make it up to you, like, retweet, and comment on this post—I’m picking ten people tonight to win a brand-new Louis Vuitton Neonoe bucket bag.] “Wow, Chloe. Making it big, huh?” Weston immediately pulls out his phone to like and retweet. I am completely speechless. Look at this shameless man! To my surprise, @GossipKing actually claps back instantly. @GossipKing: [@WildPiglet, lol, if you don’t bring real receipts, you really think I’m running a circus here?] And then, he leaks a video! I click on it and examine it closely. The video seems to have been shot in late autumn. Ethan is sitting on a stone bench behind a manicured garden hedge, wearing a black jacket. A girl is sitting on his lap, her face obscured. His expression is cold and detached. The girl suddenly stands up to leave, looking furious. Ethan grabs her wrist, pulls her back onto his lap, cups her face, and kisses her passionately. The internet completely explodes! And I am frozen in shock! I zoom in on the video, and my mind goes entirely blank. The girl in the video has a distinct red mole on her neck. As Ethan kisses her, his hand repeatedly caresses that exact spot. What the hell?! It’s in the exact same spot as the red mole on my neck. Every time Weston pins me down to have his way with me, he loves to bite that exact spot! Weston looks down at my phone, and his expression instantly changes. I sit up, feeling a cold shiver run down my spine. The car window is rolled down, and suddenly, Ethan Vance appears in my line of sight. He stares at my lips first, then glances down at my phone screen. The alcohol must have finally hit him. He brutally yanks the car door open. Before I can even react, he pulls me into a tight embrace, his voice cracking with a suffocating sob: “Wife, I’m sorry. It was my fault. Please, just come back to me.” 5 The entire internet is trying to dig up the identity of Ethan Vance’s secret lover! Hahaha, they don’t know, but I do! I rub my hands in pure excitement, screaming internally. Ethan’s girlfriend is definitely Scarlett Dupont! I really am the undisputed god of Hollywood gossip! Ethan just mistook me for someone else because he’s wasted! Pushing his way in and calling me his wife scared the living daylights out of me. But then I noticed Scarlett’s neck, and a bolt of lightning struck my brain. I yelled out, “Oh my god! So the Best Actor’s mystery woman really is Scarlett Dupont! Weston, look! The red mole on her neck is identical to the girl in the video!” Wow, @GossipKing actually pulled out some real receipts this time. In that video, Ethan looks noticeably younger. Who knows where they dug up that old footage. Ethan seemed to sober up instantly. He stumbled back half a step, staring at me with a hollow, devastated look. Weston glares at him with a cold sneer. “Ethan, don’t use alcohol as an excuse to play dumb and touch my wife. If you dare lay a single finger on my Chloe again, I won’t hesitate to break your other hand.” Scarlett rushes over, supporting Ethan’s weight. Her eyes are red as she whispers sharply, “Weston Sterling is a monster, don’t provoke him. Be rational.” I hated hearing that. Furious, I snap, “Miss Dupont, we’re all adults here. Watch your mouth! If you keep spouting nonsense, believe it or not, I’ll leak everything about you two right this second!” Scarlett snaps, crying out hysterically, “Did I say something wrong?! Weston literally snapped Ethan’s wrist, locked him in a room, and let him suffer in agony for three days! He missed the critical window for surgery, and now he can never play the piano again!” Uh… that statement completely shuts me up. She called Weston a monster… and honestly, doing something like that, Weston really was a… well, uh. What kind of deep blood feud drives someone to break another man’s hand? Ethan originally debuted as a prodigy pianist. No wonder nobody has seen him touch a piano for the past two years. “Weston can be hot-headed, but he would never bully someone without a reason,” I say, squeezing Weston’s hand tightly. “He only loses his mind when it involves me. Miss Dupont, you look like you absolute hate him. So let me ask you: did Ethan do something so unforgivable that Weston couldn’t let it slide?” Did I work as a paparazzi before my amnesia and capture some insane scandal that made Ethan assault me? And then Weston, out of pure rage, broke Ethan’s hand? Before Scarlett can answer, my phone vibrates violently. I look down. Someone is blowing up my alt account on Discord with a voice call. This alt account is loaded with Ethan’s top fansite admins. We usually trade tips on his schedule. “Trash paparazzi! Where the hell are you?!” “All hell just broke loose! Get on Twitter right now!” 6 I log onto X, and holy crap, it really is a massive explosion! @GossipKing: [Lol, Ethan Vance always acts so pure and noble, and his fans keep bragging about how much he loves them. Well, he sure loves them—he loves them so much he’s been sleeping with his biggest fansite admin. Bet you guys didn’t know that, did you?] This time, there are no pictures or videos. It’s just words. But Ethan’s rival fandoms are absolutely ecstatic! They are digging like bloodhounds. The app crashes multiple times from the sheer volume of traffic. An engineer tweets from his personal account: [FUCK MY LIFE!!! Can you paparazzi pick an hour that isn’t midnight to start a war?!] Within ten minutes, an anti-fan account compiles a massive thread. @IsEthanRuinedYet: [Receipts are right here! The girl in the video is wearing a blue hooded jacket. It’s an exact match to the jacket worn by his biggest fansite admin, @WildPiglet, in an old airport arrival video!] The fans immediately launch a counter-attack. [That jacket was a massive trend that year! Literally everyone bought one!] [What does this prove? Piglet left the fandom two years ago! Are you guys so desperate that you have to drag a retired fan?!] [Lol, Ethan isn’t going anywhere. Your faves can keep eating dirt!] @IsEthanRuinedYet strikes back with another post instantly! [The jacket might be generic, but look closely at the bracelet on the girl’s wrist! Every single stone is a flawless, ultra-rare pink diamond. That is not some twenty-dollar fast-fashion junk! That exact bracelet was spotted on @WildPiglet’s wrist before! Anyone who knows luxury jewelry knows that pink diamond bracelet is a global limited edition—only three exist in the entire world.] This time, Ethan’s fans go dead silent. People are frantically DMing me. [Trash paparazzi! Where are you?! We’re dying over here!] [Didn’t you say you caught his real girlfriend? Is it really Piglet?] [We are in deep trouble this time.] @WildPiglet used to be Ethan’s absolute biggest fansite admin. It’s safe to say that without her, Ethan would have never gotten his initial breakout fame. But two years ago, her account went permanently dark, and she vanished from the public eye. My inbox is melting down. Fans are begging me for the truth. But as for what the truth is… even I’m not sure anymore. “Weston… the girl in GossipKing’s video… it’s me, isn’t it?” I look up at Weston, completely bewildered. “You gave me that bracelet. Nobody else could possibly have it.” My head throbs with an agonizing pain, feeling like it’s about to explode. Weston reaches up to wipe my face, and only then do I realize I’m covered in tears. His eyes are bloodshot, his throat bobbing as if he wants to speak, but he just tightly grips my hand. After a long silence, he chokes out, “Chloe… don’t cry. When you cry, my heart breaks.” I turn my gaze back to Ethan. Ethan pulls a stack of small, red booklets from a drawer and spreads them out in front of me. Inside the booklets are photos. I’m sporting a high ponytail, laughing brightly, a deep dimple flashing on my cheek. And I am leaning intimately against Ethan. He’s wearing a crisp white shirt, a gentle warmth crinkling the corners of his eyes. What is this? A marriage certificate… between me and Ethan? 7 SHOCKER! The ultimate gossip subject is actually me! Two clear marriage certificates prove beyond a doubt that I am Ethan Vance’s secretly wedded wife. I lean in and whisper to Weston, “Wait, does this mean we’ve been having an affair?” Weston lets out a cold huff. “What? Thinking of dumping me now?” I suppress my bizarre excitement and whisper back, “Not at all. I just feel like our relationship suddenly got a whole lot more thrilling.” I’m not blind! There are two massive, glaring “VOID” stamps inked across the certificates, meaning this marriage is legally over. How surreal. I was actually married to the top Oscar-winner. And what’s even more surreal is that we got divorced. The anti-fans dig up everything. It’s crystal clear now: I am indeed Ethan’s former million-follower fansite admin—@WildPiglet. Ethan’s new manager is blowing up his phone, and his PR team is desperately trying to suppress the trending hashtags. But right in front of my face, Ethan types out a tweet and posts it directly. @EthanVance: [There are many things I don’t know how to explain right now. We married out of love, and we divorced out of love. During our three years together, I failed her deeply in many ways. I hope everyone can give me some time and space. I will handle my personal affairs privately, and then I will hold a press conference to give my fans the explanation they deserve.] I ponder for a moment, then log into my own account to post a tweet. @WildPiglet: [I literally just found out that I am Ethan Vance’s ex-wife. Before tonight, I had three years of total amnesia and knew absolutely nothing. My gossip, my leak! @GossipKing, you old clown, are you stupid? I am still the reigning sovereign of Hollywood tea! Go cry in a corner.] Ethan’s fandom goes completely haywire. [The trash paparazzi is the actual ex-wife?!] [The ex-wife is Piglet?!] [Someone map out this timeline for me, my brain is melting!] [Honestly… if the wife is the trash paparazzi, I’m kind of okay with it? She’s rich, gorgeous, and hilariously unhinged.] Off to the side, Scarlett breaks down into hysterical tears. “Ethan! Do you have any idea how much you sacrificed to get where you are today?! We could have easily let this blow over! Why did you have to announce it?! Chloe doesn’t even remember you anyway! She’s no threat to your career!” Having stalked Ethan for so long, I know exactly how brutal his journey to stardom was. In his early days as a background actor, he was humiliated by a toxic co-star who made him crawl between his legs just to get a line. Filming a historical drama in sub-zero weather, he plunged into a freezing lake repeatedly for a realistic shot, catching a terrifying fever that night. At industry dinners, to beg a director for a single audition, he drank until his stomach bled, yet he still grit his teeth and pushed through. “Scarlett is right,” I say, feeling a pang of pity. “Ethan, you should go to your agency and figure out a proper damage control strategy with your publicist. If you need me to cooperate with a statement, I will.” Setting everything else aside, I still respect Ethan’s talent. Ethan gazes at me, his eyes slowly filling with tears. He whispers, “Chloe… you didn’t actually lose your memory. You just don’t love me anymore, do you?”

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My boyfriend complained that I looked ugly in glasses, so I bought a pair of contact lenses online. But then, something bizarre happened. After putting the contacts in, I looked at my sweet, doting boyfriend, only to see him glaring at me with utter disgust. “If it weren’t for her money, who would ever date this loser?” he sneered. I blinked, taking the contacts out. Suddenly, he was standing right in front of me, a charming smile plastered on his face. “Babe, you look absolutely gorgeous today.” From that day on, I discovered the secret of those contact lenses— As long as I wore them, I could see people’s true inner thoughts. It turned out my perfect boyfriend was nothing but a two-faced parasite. 1 My boyfriend begged me to buy him a new pair of sneakers, and I said no. He got angry and stormed into my homeroom to confront me. Coincidentally, I was wearing my special contacts again. “Babe, I don’t know what I did to make you so mad, but please forgive me. I really want those sneakers, just buy them for me, please?” He had no idea I could see his vicious, twisted expression as his true inner voice spat: “I’m giving you an inch and you’re taking a mile. I can’t believe I actually have to beg you for this.” I was so startled by his hostile glare that I stumbled backward, accidentally stepping hard on someone’s foot. Looking down, I saw a prominent, dirty smudge smeared across a blindingly white sneaker. I looked up. A breathtakingly handsome guy was looking down at me, his chin tilted slightly. I was just about to apologize. Then I saw him looking at me with dark, unreadable eyes, his inner voice saying: “What is wrong with her taste? Why is she dating a piece of trash like that?” Me: ? Excuse me, how is that polite? Seeing him turn to leave, I quickly called out to him. “It’s my fault for stepping on your shoe, and I apologize for that. But insulting people in your head is just rude.” He just paused, gave me a long look over his shoulder, and walked away. I wanted to march over and argue with him, but my boyfriend grabbed my arm. “When did he even insult you?” Impossible. I clearly saw him insult me. The feeling of my boyfriend’s hand on my arm instantly put me on high alert, and I quickly shook him off. A wave of disgust washed over me. I literally felt sick to my stomach. This guy had been with me for three months. I had spent at least fifty thousand dollars on him, and that didn’t even include our expensive dinners and the “allowance” I gave him. Looking back now, I was so stupid and naive. He only loved my money. To him, I was just a walking ATM. 2 Ever since I discovered the secret of the contacts, I started plotting. One day, I was going to make him spit out every single cent he took from me. Watching my boyfriend’s frustrated expression, I swallowed my disgust and put on a fake, playful smile. “I’ll buy them. I never said I wouldn’t.” He looked a bit surprised, but didn’t question it. “Babe, then hurry up and order them.” He shifted his weight and put on a pathetic, pleading look. “The big basketball game is coming up, and I was really hoping to wear those Dunks to shine on the court.” Oh, so that’s how it is. Fine, I’ll let you keep acting. I coaxed him into leaving, promising I’d buy them tonight. Once he was gone, my entire focus shifted to the desk in front of me. The guy whose shoe I stepped on was my new deskmate, Liam Sterling—the poor transfer student everyone was whispering about. I looked around. The classroom was empty. I crouched down and slowly shimmied under the desks. Just as my hand was about to brush against his white sneaker, a deep, shadowy voice came from above. “What kind of weird fetish is this? You like hiding under desks?” I jumped, completely startled, and slammed my head straight into the corner of the desk. My eyes instantly watered from the pain. “Are you an idiot? How did you even manage to hit that? You really do need your eyes checked.” This new kid had a seriously toxic mouth. Before this, I had been so glued to my boyfriend that I never really paid attention to him. Looking at him now… he was actually incredibly attractive. Sharp jawline, straight nose, deep-set eyes—his features were practically flawless. He was better looking than my favorite celebrities. And unlike my boyfriend, he didn’t have two faces. A second later, I remembered my mission. “What’s your shoe size? And your clothing size?” He ignored me. I crouched there awkwardly. If I wasn’t terrified of the rumor mill, I wouldn’t be hiding under a desk. Plus, I had a boyfriend; I was supposed to keep my distance from other guys. “I accidentally stepped on your shoe earlier. I’m just here to apologize and make it right.” The moment I finished speaking, he leaned over and looked under the desk. “That doesn’t sound like an apology.” I froze for a second before catching his drift. “I’m sorry I got your shoe dirty. To show you how sorry I am, let me buy you a new pair. How does that sound?” He stared at me for a long moment. “Size 10.” I mentally logged the shoe size. “What size clothes do you wear?” Suddenly, he leaned in closer. As he moved, a faint, sweet scent of strawberries drifted through the air. I wasn’t entirely sure if it was coming from him. Honestly, what teenage guy smells like strawberries? “What size does your boyfriend wear?” I answered honestly, “Large.” “Alright. I’m a Double XL.” He let out a short, mocking laugh. “He’s so scrawny. What use is a guy like that?” I didn’t entirely get his underlying meaning, but he was right. Mason was skinny—like, withered, bony skinny. I had never cared about my boyfriend’s physique before, but suddenly, Liam’s words made an awful lot of sense. Regardless, I quickly pulled out my phone and ordered several pairs of limited-edition Dunks and designer athletic wear. 3 On the day of the basketball game, I shoved the shopping bags onto Liam’s desk. He frowned, glancing down at them with clear annoyance. “Take them back.” I checked to make sure no one was looking, then gave him my best puppy-dog eyes. “I can’t. Final sale.” “Then throw them out.” Suddenly, a classmate sprinted into the room to grab something and sprinted right back out. On his way, he shoved me hard. Losing my balance, I crashed headfirst right into Liam’s chest. That faint, familiar strawberry scent completely enveloped me. Following immediately after was a sharp, stinging pain in my nose. “Are you actually a pig? Last time you headbutted a desk, this time you tackle me. What are you going to crash into next?” My nose stung so badly it brought tears to my eyes. I reached up to rub it, but his voice stopped me. Then, I watched as he pulled a childish strawberry-print band-aid from his backpack, peeled the wrapper, and gently placed it across the bridge of my nose. I froze. I crossed my eyes to look at the cartoon strawberry on my face. “Who puts a band-aid on their nose? It looks so ugly.” I was just about to rip it off when I heard someone calling his name from the hallway. I realized how compromising our position looked. The footsteps got closer. In a pure panic reflex, I dove straight under his desk, my hands tightly gripping the fabric of his jeans. A guy poked his head in. “Liam, the counselor wants to see you in his office this afternoon.” “Got it.” The guy left. My nose started itching. Just as I raised a hand to scratch it, a large, warm palm covered the top of my head. “Don’t move.” I froze in terror. The classmate had turned back around. “Did you need something else?” “No.” “Oh, okay.” I finally exhaled a breath I didn’t know I was holding and crawled out from beneath the desk. “Sorry about that,” I laughed awkwardly. He sat up straight, his tone softening. “What did you really want?” Right. I almost forgot the actual plan. But knowing I was going to use him this afternoon made it hard to say out loud. Yet, I couldn’t exactly swap my leading man at this point. “It’s just… could you wear the clothes and shoes I bought you to the game this afternoon?” He reached out with long, elegant fingers, opening the shopping bags on his desk. He glanced inside. “Not bad taste.” “Does that mean you agree?” He leaned in closer. “I can wear the clothes you bought me, but under what title?” “You have a boyfriend. Me wearing clothes you bought… isn’t that a little inappropriate?” He had a point. If my two-faced boyfriend found out, he would literally lose his mind on the spot. I put on my best nonchalant expression. “He won’t be my boyfriend for much longer. Just wear them. If anything happens, I’ll take full responsibility.” A slight smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth. Before he walked out of the classroom, he leaned down and whispered right against my ear: “Alright. If something happens, you’re responsible.” 4 All afternoon, Mason had been blowing up my phone, demanding I give him the new shoes. I brushed him off, telling him I’d bring them to the court later. He didn’t suspect a thing. He still wants the shoes? He can ask a ghost for them. I got to the bleachers early to wait for Liam. When he finally walked onto the court, wearing the gear and the Dunks I bought him, I couldn’t help the proud, giddy smile spreading across my face. My taste was impeccable. Though to be fair, the guy looked like a model in literally anything. His dark hair was slightly long, the sides faded clean, with a few strands falling perfectly right above his brow line. His sharp jawline led down to a beautifully defined neck. “Wait, how is Liam Sterling wearing limited-edition Dunks? Since when does he have money?” “Right? Didn’t he always wear cheap knockoffs from Temu? And those are the limited releases! They cost thousands!” “You don’t think he’s a sugar baby, do you? I’ve seen a lot of rich girls hitting on him lately.” “Honestly, if I had a face and body like that, I’d find a sugar mama too.” I listened to my classmates gossiping, a little amused. “Who are you guys talking about?” One of the girls pointed at the court. “Him! Liam. He used to wear thrift store junk, and now he’s rocking designer gear. If he isn’t being kept by someone, what else could it be?” Oh, so his name is Liam Sterling. But I bought those for him. I was just about to defend him when an angry voice boomed from above me. “Chloe Bennett! Where are my shoes?” I looked up at Mason’s furious, twisted face. I pointed calmly at Liam on the court. “I bought the wrong size. So I gave them to him.” Instantly, the girls who had been gossiping clamped their mouths shut. “You bought the wrong size, so you tell me! Why the hell would you give them to him?” Under the fading sunlight, I saw his hands ball up into fists. He leaned down, his voice turning lethal. “You dare play games with me? You really have a death wish, don’t you?” I have a death wish? He actually just told me I have a death wish? Even my own parents had never spoken to me like that. I had put up with it for a week. In that moment, the dam finally broke. I stood up, pulled my arm back, and slapped him across the face as hard as I could. “I buy what I want, for whoever I want! Who the hell do you think you are? “You eat my food, you spend my money—what, am I your mother? Are you still nursing? “You play this perfect boyfriend act all day, aren’t you exhausted?” He stared at me in absolute shock, clutching the side of his face that was now burning red. He glared at me with pure venom. “What are you looking at? My money, my rules.” I realized then that he was nothing but a paper tiger. I couldn’t fathom why I had ever been so blinded by him, pouring so much cash into his pockets. Just thinking about it made me nauseous. I couldn’t stomach looking at him for another second. I watched half the game and then headed back to the classroom. 5 I was resting my head on my desk when Mason showed up again. “Chloe, I’m so sorry. I never should have spoken to you like that.” I had just woken up from a nap, so my brain was a little foggy. The guy standing in front of me had morphed back into the gentle, mild-mannered boyfriend who supposedly never raised his voice. It felt completely surreal. He reached out and gently held my hand. “Chloe, I’m sorry. I was wrong. Please forgive me, okay?” Watching tears stream down his face as he offered an endless stream of apologies, I genuinely wondered for a second if I had hallucinated the whole thing. I sat there, utterly exhausted by the whiplash. “You’re being way too loud. Shut up.” I turned toward the voice and saw Liam walking in. I had taken my contacts out to sleep, so my vision was blurry. I could only identify him by his tall silhouette. Before Liam could even sit down, Mason rounded on him. “I’m talking to my girlfriend! Mind your own business! Don’t think just because Chloe bought you some clothes that she actually likes you.” Liam hadn’t even taken his seat yet. He turned his head and looked directly at me. “I really don’t know how blind you have to be to date a piece of trash like this.” Even though I couldn’t see his expression clearly, the quiet rage and heavy sarcasm in his voice were unmistakable. Mason turned back to me, whining, “Chloe, please just forgive me. I swear I’ll never make you mad again. I was just upset today because you gave my shoes to him!” Liam let out a cold laugh. “A man who leeches off a woman’s bank account has the nerve to call me poor. You’ve got some thick skin. Keep gaslighting her, maybe she’ll eventually believe you.” “There’s nothing wrong with spending my girlfriend’s money! What gaslighting? I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Even without the contacts, I could hear the guilty tremor in Mason’s voice. My head was pounding from their bickering. “Stop fighting. Mason, just go home. We’ll talk tomorrow.” After kicking Mason out, I dug through my bag and put my old, thick-rimmed glasses back on. They were ugly, but I had no choice. I really should have bought backup contacts. The second I put them on and looked up, I was met with a pair of deep, brooding eyes. “Are you legally blind? “You’re actually keeping a guy like that? “Don’t tell me you’re getting back together with him.” His voice kept dropping lower and lower. His eyes darkened, and the very air pressure around us seemed to plummet. When I didn’t answer right away, he added, “Is this what you meant by taking responsibility? “You’re a brilliant actress. It’s a tragedy the Oscars haven’t called you yet.” 6 I went home feeling incredibly frustrated. Thinking about the contacts, I opened the shopping app on my phone to order more, only to find the store had vanished. I dug through my messages and found my chat history with the customer service bot. I sent a question mark, just to see if they were actually shut down. Contact Lens Support: “Hello! Our store has officially closed. If you purchased our special lenses, please do not request a refund yet. I have a huge secret to tell you.” Thank god, a real person was there. “What secret?” Contact Lens Support: “Please click ‘Confirm Receipt’ on your order first, and then I will tell you.” Curiosity won. I went to my orders and hit confirm. “Done.” Contact Lens Support: “When you wear them, you can see people’s hidden, true selves. You can basically consider it mind-reading. Please note, the effect only lasts for one month.” “What do you mean hidden selves? Mind-reading? What are you talking about?” Contact Lens Support: “I am an AI customer service bot. This store is closed.” “Did you just trick me into confirming receipt?!” Contact Lens Support: “We cannot see or hear your messages, so please stop typing. AI gets tired too.” “Are you threatening me?” Contact Lens Support: “AI is exhausted and has gone on strike.” So they basically scammed me into confirming the delivery? But thinking back… ever since I put those lenses in, I had been seeing Mason’s two different faces constantly. Thank god. I legitimately thought I was developing schizophrenia. Why didn’t this sketchy store tell me earlier?! I had bought so many different brands to try, and this was the only pair that didn’t irritate my eyes. But now, I only had one pair left. I wanted to cry. One month was definitely not enough time for me to ruin my ex’s life properly.

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Drunk, I ran over and banged on the door of my boss—the man I had been secretly in love with. I cried and cursed him out for being a heartless jerk. After I yelled for a good while, a cold voice came from behind me: “Nina, come here! You’re yelling at the wrong door!” 01. My head was spinning, but why did the crisp, cool voice behind me sound exactly like Sebastian’s? I turned around to see a breathtakingly handsome man standing at the door across the hall. He had a stoic, flawless face, wearing casual loungewear and radiating an icy, untouchable aura. So handsome. I shook my dizzy head. Wait, isn’t this Sebastian Cole? I pointed at the door I had been furiously knocking on for the past ten minutes and earnestly mocked him: “Sebastian, you’re so dumb. This is your apartment.” He sighed, furrowed his brows, and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Nina, come here.” I shook my head, tears welling up in my eyes, and said stubbornly, “I’m not coming over. I’m here to break up with you.” “Allow me to remind you,” Sebastian let out a breath of amused disbelief, resting his hand on the doorframe, “Miss Nina, we have never dated.” My eyes immediately turned red, and I looked like I was about to burst into tears. “You really have changed. You heartbreaker.” Sebastian: “……” “Alright, enough fooling around. You’re going to wake the neighbors.” He looked at me helplessly and reached out to pull me over. “Come inside and sober up first.” My vision was completely blurry. It looked like there were two of him trying to grab me. Annoyed, I tried to shove him away, but my hands hit empty air. I lost my balance and pitched forward hard. My violently spinning world was suddenly steadied by an arm wrapping tightly around my waist. Sebastian’s handsome face magnified in my vision. He picked me up effortlessly. Nestled in his arms, the faint, cool scent of cedarwood filled my nose, wrapping me in an overwhelming sense of security. I nuzzled into his neck, took a deep, satisfied breath, and broke into a triumphant smile. I tilted my chin up proudly. “Since you’re basically begging for forgiveness, I’ll let it slide. You’re still my favorite person.” The man let out a cold scoff. “How generous of you, Miss Nina.” I leaned against him, eyes closed. A moment later, feeling his grip loosen, my eyes snapped open. I poked him hard in the cheek, complaining loudly, “Are you trying to abandon me?!” Sebastian’s face stiffened. He tilted his head to the right, but my finger followed him. He couldn’t dodge it. “Nina,” he took a deep breath, “I am just trying to put you on the couch.” I wrapped both my arms tightly around his neck, refusing absolutely. “No. I like it exactly how it is right now.” Sebastian’s voice sounded like it was squeezed through gritted teeth. “I can’t hold you like this forever. You’re going to fall.” I silently slid down, standing on the couch cushion so I was exactly eye-level with him. He let out a cold huff. “At least you listen.” I looked at him with deep pity and sighed dramatically. “What else can I do? Since you’re so weak, I have to save your energy for when it really counts.” Sebastian’s face went completely dark. He asked, word by word, “And when exactly does it really count?” I tilted my head, smiled, threw my arms back around his neck, and pulled myself into his chest, pressing a soft peck to his lips. “For… for times like this.” 02. The above is everything I can remember. Some people are alive, but they might as well be dead. And what the hell happened after I kissed him?! If I’m going to die of embarrassment, at least let me know how it ended! I hate alcohol! Eventually, after an intense internal pep talk, I crept toward the front door, making sure the coast was clear. I carefully twisted the knob, right on the verge of my great escape, when a gorgeously sculpted, muscular arm suddenly slammed across the door in front of me. Above my head came a man’s lazy, morning-gravel voice: “Sobered up?” My scalp went numb. I didn’t dare look him in the eye. “Y-Yeah. Yep. I won’t bother you anymore. No need to walk me out, no need at all…” But the arm blocking the door didn’t budge. Instead, he leaned in, completely blocking my exit. He seemed to have just woken up. His usually sharp, icy eyes carried a hint of morning fatigue. He looked down at me through half-lidded eyes, the morning sun hitting his face, tracing his flawless profile with gold. He looked like an absolute god. I stared, completely mesmerized. A faint, almost imperceptible smile touched the corners of his lips. He leaned down and whispered, “Miss Nina, you seem to have forgotten something.” Alarm bells rang in my head, snapping me out of my trance. “I… I don’t remember anything from last night,” I stammered, blushing furiously, deciding to play dumb to the bitter end. “So, you kissed me, and you plan to just walk away?” Sebastian stared at me with deep, unreadable eyes. I looked at him, completely bewildered. “So… do you want me to take responsibility?” The more I thought about it, the more excited I got. I took a tiny step forward, looking up at him with eyes full of hope. “Can I? Really?” He let out a soft “Heh” and smirked. “In your dreams.” 03. “HAHAHAHA!” Stella let out a loud, unhinged laugh that rattled the coffee shop windows. “He really said that?” I glared at her, thoroughly heartbroken, silently condemning her. This was all her fault, and here she was, laughing at me. Last night, she went through a bad breakup and dragged me out drinking. After a few too many, she turned her sights on me, nagging about how I had been single since birth and how, now that I finally had a crush, I needed to “boldly pursue love.” I was completely wasted. With her hyping me up, I was filled with liquid courage and decided to make my move right then and there. And we all know how that ended. “Well, you’ve already kissed him, and you hugged him. Your ulterior motives are completely exposed, so just go for it!” Stella’s eyes sparkled with gossip. “Besides, you two have known each other forever. You have a massive home-court advantage over anyone else.” I slid down the booth seating, groaning in depression. I first met Sebastian Cole during the college debate team tryouts. He was the team captain, two years ahead of me. The moment I walked into the crowded lecture hall, my eyes locked onto him at the judges’ table. Even surrounded by people, he had this distant, solitary aura. His skin was pale, and his dark eyes held a cold, snowy glint. My soul left my body. It was love at first sight. Thank God I had a sharp tongue. I made the team and competed alongside him in countless tournaments. I was the aggressive first speaker; he was our closer. In the arena, I was the sniper, and he was my impenetrable shield. We were the perfect partners. Naturally, when he founded his firm after graduation, he asked me to join. But I only fully realized my feelings for him a month ago. I had heard through the grapevine that because Sebastian had been perpetually single, his family issued an ultimatum: he had to bring a girl home for Christmas this year. I laughed in his face, teasing him that it wasn’t his family’s fault for pushing—he literally never had a woman around him. He had been signing documents. He suddenly looked up at me, arguing with absolute seriousness: “I have you by my side. Are you not a woman?” I froze, blinking, my heart slowly accelerating. He didn’t seem to notice my panic. He looked down, thought for a second, then looked back up with a self-deprecating smile. “But I guess… I really only have you.” We locked eyes for a brief, loaded second. He turned his head to look out the window. My mind was a mess, and I subconsciously followed his gaze. It was a clear, warm afternoon. A few golden leaves were drifting down from the trees. He smiled faintly, entirely dropping the cold facade he wore for the rest of the world. His voice was relaxed and soft. “Nina, it’s our ninth autumn.” Our ninth autumn since we met. Looking at his profile, his face seemed to overlap with the stoic college boy from years ago. My chest swelled, something taking root and violently blooming. I couldn’t sleep that night. Tossing and turning, it finally hit me. I had been in love with him for a very long time. 04. Because we had known each other for so long, I overthought everything. I wanted to get closer to him, but I was terrified. I wanted him, but I was afraid of ruining our friendship. Yet, while I was agonizing over this, my brain couldn’t help but replay the memory of him princess-carrying me last night. He picked me up so effortlessly. His body was so warm. I could swear I felt the rigid outline of his pecs through his shirt… “What are you giggling at?” “Huh? Was I smiling?” Stella handed me her compact mirror. Great. My grin was stretching from ear to ear. “Look at you, you absolute fool.” Stella gave me a meaningful look. “If you don’t fight for him now, you’ll die of regret when he belongs to someone else.” My heart squeezed tightly at those words. Looking at my flushed, lovesick face in the mirror, I clenched my fists! “Decided! I’m going to pursue him!” 05. Can we get dinner tonight? Too direct. Delete. That new restaurant downstairs from your place is pretty good. Too roundabout. Delete. I cordially invite you to dine with me. Too formal and weird. Delete. While I was agonizing over the wording, the chat window suddenly showed: Sebastian is typing… He was messaging me too! In my panicked excitement, my hand slipped, and I hit send on my half-typed message! I stared at the screen: [I want to eat you.] NO! I meant to type: ‘I want to eat at that new restaurant downstairs with you!’ Frantically, I jammed my finger onto the screen to unsend it. I hit Delete for Me instead. My hand froze. My brain short-circuited. Sebastian replied instantly: [?] A second later, another message popped up: [You’ve got quite the appetite.] I wanted to punch a hole through the wall! I quickly typed out my original intended message, desperately explaining that it was a typo. He didn’t reply. I buried my face in a throw pillow, groaning. I ruined it again. Ding! It was Sebastian! I scrambled to open the message. Sebastian: [Sounds reasonable enough.] My shoulders slumped. He absolutely didn’t believe me. Last night I forced him to hug me and kissed him, and today I send him unhinged, thirsty texts. In his head, I must look like an absolute predator. While I was wallowing in misery, another Ding! Sebastian: [Come over to my place tonight.] !!! I immediately replied with an [Okay!], spent three hours getting ready, and left looking absolutely flawless. This time, I knocked on the correct door. The door swung open. Sebastian was on the phone, nodding at me to come in. To my delight, he was wearing a crisp white tailored suit. He looked incredibly formal. He… he dressed up for our date?! While I was secretly thrilled, he handed me a designer handbag. Wait, isn’t this my bag?! I left it here last night! So, he just called me over to give me my purse back? Thinking of the three hours I spent doing my hair and makeup, I took the bag, my excitement completely crushed. “Thanks. I’ll let you get back to work. Bye.” The door clicked shut behind me. I stiffened for a second, didn’t look back, and stomped toward the elevator, mentally cursing him out. He didn’t even invite me inside! Didn’t even offer me a glass of water! How rude! As I was fuming, a hand grabbed my arm. I whipped around to see a bewildered Sebastian. “Didn’t you say you wanted to get dinner?” “I already made the reservation.” His handsome face was full of confusion. “Are you not eating?” 06. Mystery solved, folks. He was dressed formally because he had just finished a video conference with a client. We were getting dinner to discuss work. A massive audit project in a neighboring city had just dropped in our laps, requiring a full report within two weeks. Because the timeline was brutal, the payout was astronomical. My commission on this alone would be huge. It just goes to show: single women make bank. Halfway through the meal, the waitress brought over a wine menu, asking if we wanted to open a bottle. Before I could even speak, Sebastian shot me a sideways glance and smoothly declined, “No thank you, she can’t drink.” The waitress smiled sweetly. “You treat your date so well, sir.” I awkwardly cleared my throat. “Ah, well, he’s not doing it to be nice.” The waitress gave a knowing, shy smile. “Oh… why else would it be?” My eyes lit up! She gets it! She totally gets the vibe! Unfortunately, Sebastian was immune to this kind of playful banter. He slowly cut his steak and asked me in a strictly professional tone, “The timeline is extremely tight. We need to drive down there tonight. Are you okay with that?” “Of course.” I agreed instantly. When it came to work, I was always all-in. “I’ll drive you back to your place after we eat. Pack your bags and we’ll leave immediately,” Sebastian said elegantly dabbing his mouth with a napkin. “Drive tonight? We won’t get there until midnight. It’s a Saturday, finding a hotel is going to be impossible.” Under the restaurant’s crystal chandelier, Sebastian looked pristine and cold, but the words that left his mouth made my blood boil in the best way possible. “You’ll sleep at my place.” 07. Since audit work involves constant travel and we had many long-term clients in the neighboring city, Sebastian had simply bought a condo down there. From the moment we walked into his apartment, I couldn’t stop grinning. The client’s financials were highly sensitive this time, which is why they only trusted their two lead consultants—me and Sebastian—to handle it. Sebastian’s logic was purely pragmatic: it’s unsafe for a woman to stay in hotels alone, the timeline was tight, and living together meant we could work insane overtime hours efficiently. At the time, I had nodded calmly, pretending this made perfect professional sense. Internally, I was screaming with joy! I get to live alone with him for two weeks?! Who wouldn’t be thrilled?! “Nina, why are you following me? What are you trying to do?” The man in front of me turned around abruptly. I crashed face-first into his chest. A second later, he gently pushed me back. I looked around. Oh, we were at the bathroom door. Sebastian looked down at me, a half-smile playing on his lips, asking with deadly seriousness. “Didn’t I feed you enough tonight?” Feed me… He still remembered that “I want to eat you” text! So that’s the other reason he brought up dinner! “I’m full, I’m full.” I laughed awkwardly. “I thought we were still doing the apartment tour.” Sebastian raised an eyebrow. His long, elegant fingers gripped my shoulders, and he effortlessly spun me around 180 degrees. “The tour ended ten minutes ago.” His chin brushed the top of my head, his warm breath tickling my ear, though his voice remained cool as ice. “Miss Nina, I need to take a shower now. Could you please step out?” What was I supposed to say? No?! I mumbled some incomprehensible agreement and bolted out of his master suite, my heart pounding against my ribs, my face burning. The condo was huge; my guest bedroom had its own en-suite bathroom. After showering in a daze, I went to the kitchen for water while texting Stella. “I’m supposed to be the one seducing him! Why does it feel like I’m the one getting played?!” She replied like a seasoned veteran: “The unintentional rizz is always the deadliest.” It made sense. I asked her what to do. She spammed me with a dozen photos of guys with eight-pack abs. Added text: [Look at more hot guys. Desensitize yourself.] My eyes locked onto one specific photo. The guy’s face was cropped out, but he was biting the hem of a soaking wet white t-shirt. Water dripped down his perfectly sculpted abs. It was an absolute testosterone overload! My eyes went wide. Oh my… Why has she been hiding the good stuff from me?! I looked closer. The guy had pale skin and a cool, aloof vibe—kind of like Sebastian. Imagining Sebastian—my pristine, untouchable boss—doing that exact pose… I was completely on fire! Just as I was giggling like a maniac at my phone, everything went pitch black. At the exact same moment, something cold grabbed my arm. In the dead silence of the dark, my heart violently contracted, and a blood-curdling scream ripped from my throat. 08. My mind went completely blank. As I screamed, I threw a blind, panicked punch. My fist collided with something rock hard. The man let out a muffled grunt and caught my wrist before I could swing again. “It’s me. The power went out.” I trembled, finally finding my voice. “Sebastian?” “Yeah. I’m here. Don’t be afraid.” Sebastian smoothly pulled me closer, wrapping me in a loose embrace. His large, warm hand patted my back with a steady, comforting rhythm. “The building management just texted. Emergency pipe repairs. Power will be out for an hour.” “So… you were coming to tell me, and the lights went out right when you grabbed me?” “Yes.” Sebastian kept his hand moving, gently patting my back. He remembered. He remembered that I was terrified of the dark, and he remembered what I told him years ago—that patting my back was the only thing that calmed me down. My heart settled instantly, replaced by a giddy flutter of happiness. I patted my chest, catching my breath, completely relaxing. Only then did I realize how compromising our position was. I was practically glued to his body. Feeling his abs mere inches from me, a dangerous spark lit up in my brain. “I’m so sorry! Did I hit you hard? Let me rub it for you.” My “kind and caring” hand reached out toward his stomach. Just before making contact, my wrist was caught in a vice grip. The world spun. Suddenly, my back was pinned against the wall, both of my wrists pinned high above my head. He leaned in dangerously close. I could feel his breath. “Nina, are you trying to rub it for me, or are you trying to take advantage of me?” In the pitch black, with only a blurred silhouette visible, all my other senses were dialed up to eleven. I shivered nervously, my heart racing at a million miles an hour. I tried to twist my wrists, but he only pressed them harder against the wall. “Don’t move.” Sebastian leaned in closer. His cool voice carried a dangerous rasp. “Explain yourself.” I felt like I was going to spontaneously combust. This position was way too scandalous… Biting the bullet, I stammered out a terrible lie: “D-don’t overthink it. I really just wanted to… rub it better.” By the last two words, my voice had squeaked into a guilty whisper. “Is that so?” He sounded deeply amused. He pulled out an object glowing with a harsh white light. “Then what is this?” I subconsciously looked over. On his glowing phone screen was the picture Stella had sent me of the wet t-shirt ab guy. Followed by the messages I had just sent her. A row of heart-eyes, drooling emojis, and the text: [AHHHH Stella, he looks just like my Sebastian! I want to touch him so bad and do [censored] things to him!!] Kill me… Bury me… right here, right now… I wanted to squeeze my eyes shut and play dead. But out of the corner of my eye, the glow of the screen illuminated Sebastian’s stoic, ascetic face. He raised an eyebrow, tilted his chin, and looked down at me with an air of absolute superiority. Then, he abruptly reached up with his free hand and yanked his tie loose. 09. “S-S-Sebastian, w-what are you doing?” I watched him loosen his tie and unbutton the top two buttons of his dress shirt. I gulped audibly, my words stumbling over each other. “Scared?” Sebastian’s tone was playful. He casually turned on his phone’s flashlight and set it on the hallway table. The small space lit up. He stepped closer. The man who was usually so cold and composed was smiling wickedly. “Didn’t you say you wanted this?” Wanted? Wanted what? What I texted about?! My heart shot up into my throat like it was on a rollercoaster. I chickened out! I totally chickened out! I plastered myself flat against the wall, putting my hands up defensively, giving him the most pathetic, sycophantic smile. “I-I’m not ready yet! Can we take a raincheck?!” Sebastian finally stopped. I was entirely caged in his space. He let out a low chuckle. “Nina, you really are…” He didn’t finish the sentence. He took a few steps back, admiring my tomato-red face, his smile teasing and slightly cruel. In that moment, Sebastian’s sharp features were painted with a heavy dose of tension. His tie was loose, his shirt slightly unkempt, giving a faint glimpse of his chest. I floated out of there like a ghost, my heartbeat drumming wildly in my ears. I don’t even remember how I ended up lying in the bed in his guest room. Listening to the sound of running water from his bathroom, my face was still burning. His words tumbled around in my head. “The management said the power outage is delayed. You’ll be scared alone, so sleep in my room. I’ll stay with you.” “I was going to shower earlier, got the call, and came straight to find you.” “Go to sleep, don’t wait up. I’ll sleep on the couch after I finish working.” I was being completely taken care of, scheduled down to the minute. Thinking back over the years, he had always taken care of me like this. I was so used to relying on him that I only just realized—drop by drop, all those little moments had formed an ocean of love. I couldn’t help but wonder… his behavior tonight… does he like me too? And what did he mean by “Nina, you really are…”?! Tossing and turning, smiling one minute and agonizing the next, I eventually drifted off. I dreamt about our college days. Once, after losing a debate tournament, we stayed in a small conference room analyzing the match until 11 PM. By the time we left, the dining halls were closed. Starving, I walked toward the sketchy food stalls off-campus to grab a bite. The street was dark and practically deserted. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a man dart out of an alleyway to my right, staring at me intently. My instincts screamed danger. I walked as fast as I could to the nearest lit food cart, pretending to casually order dumplings, while speed-dialing Sebastian. He picked up immediately. Suppressing my tremors, I put on my best acting voice. “Hey babe, I’m at the West Gate food street. Didn’t you say you were picking me up? You’re two minutes away, right?” Sebastian arrived in thirty seconds. He had sprinted the whole way. Panting, he grabbed my wrist, letting out a visible sigh of relief. I was paralyzed with fear. I instinctively gripped his arm with both hands, trying to keep my voice steady. “Let’s… let’s go.” Just as I said that, I noticed the creepy guy hadn’t left! My heart spiked, and I pressed myself tightly against Sebastian’s side.

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