1 With gold prices on the rise, I bought a kilogram brick on a business trip and mailed it home. But when the courier arrived for the cash-on-delivery payment, he told me the package was ten kilograms and the shipping fee was ten times the original quote. I hefted the box. I had him test it, too. It was nowhere near ten kilos. His only reply was, “My estimate isn’t accurate.” I pointed to the digital scale right beside the door. He waved it off impatiently. “I only go by what the system says.” Fine. I paid the fee, signed for it, and closed the door. Then, I took out my phone and started recording. “Hello, I insured a shipment of 10 kilograms of gold but only received 1 kilogram. How do I file a claim?” … “The shipping fee is fifty dollars. Please scan to pay.” The courier dangled the QR code in front of my face. I didn’t rush to pay. “Sir, I had this weighed when I shipped it. It was only one kilogram.” “The system says ten.” He couldn’t be bothered to argue, just tapped his screen to show me the number. I smiled and pulled up a video on my own phone. “You see? This is the recording from when I packed it. The scale shows 1.02 kilograms. The timestamp matches, too.” He glanced at it, his expression unchanged. “That’s your scale. Our system says ten.” “Don’t you find a tenfold difference a little suspicious?” “I just deliver. I don’t investigate.” He shoved a stylus at me, his voice dripping with annoyance. “Are you signing or not? If not, I’m taking it back. I have a hundred other stops to make; I don’t have time for this.” I sized him up. He was in his thirties, with the tanned, weathered skin of someone who spent their days on the road. “I purchased full insurance.” At those words, he paused for a fraction of a second. “Insurance is insurance. Shipping is shipping. Two different things.” “Then I’m only willing to pay the fee for the actual weight, which should be five dollars.” “Not happening.” “Why not?” “Because that’s what the system says.” I took a deep breath and, with him watching, dialed the customer service number. He finally looked up, a smirk playing on his lips. “Call whoever you want.” I sat through three rounds of automated menus before finally reaching a human. I explained the situation. After a few seconds of silence, the agent replied. “Ma’am, our system data is entered at the point of pickup. If you have a dispute about the weight, you can file a claim within 48 hours of signing for the package.” “So you’re saying I have to pay the fifty dollars first?” “Yes.” I looked at the courier. He pushed the stylus toward me again. “Sign. Don’t waste my time.” Standing in my doorway, holding that stylus, the whole situation felt absurd. A package that was obviously one kilogram, and he was insisting it was ten. “Fine.” I started a new video recording on my phone. I took the package, signed my name, scanned the code, and paid the fifty dollars. The courier let out a dismissive snort, then pocketed his device and the receipt and left without a backward glance. The moment the elevator doors closed, I locked my door. I carried the package to the coffee table, carefully filming every angle, zooming in on the label where “10.0kg” was printed in bold. Then, I opened my laptop and pulled up my order details. Insured item: Gold Bar. Declared value: $150,000. Insurance coverage: $450,000. Taking a deep breath, I turned the camera on myself. “My name is Nina Lin, sender and recipient. I purchased full insurance for this package. The contents are gold, and the system weight is recorded as 10 kilograms. The package has now arrived.” I picked up a pair of scissors and slowly sliced through the packing tape. Keeping the box in the frame the entire time, I pulled out the bubble-wrapped contents and placed them on my digital scale. 1.02 kilograms. “The waybill shows 10 kilograms, but the actual weight received is 1 kilogram. I am submitting this unboxing video as evidence to file an insurance claim.” I stopped the recording, saved two copies—one to the cloud, one to my hard drive—and opened the customer service chat. I uploaded the video and all my documentation. Then I typed one final message: “I shipped 10 kilograms of gold and received only 1 kilogram. I am filing a claim for the insured value.” After sending it, I sank onto the sofa and started scrolling through videos on my phone. Less than fifteen minutes later, a system notification popped up. “Hello, your complaint has been logged. We will respond within 48 hours. Please be patient.” I smiled at the message. I had plenty of patience. After all, besides the inflated shipping fee, I hadn’t lost anything. But a 9-kilogram shortfall on an insured gold shipment? That was their problem. 2 I didn’t expect them to drag it out for two full days. When the message finally came, it was a masterclass in corporate deflection. “Dear Valued Customer, upon review, our company has confirmed that your package weight is consistent with the data recorded in our pickup system. The data is accurate. If you have further questions, we advise you to contact the sender for verification. Thank you for your understanding.” I read the message three times. I was the sender. I was also the recipient. They were telling me to contact myself. Taking a deep breath, I called the customer service line again. “Hello, you’ve reached agent 4317. How can I help you?” “Hi, my phone number is associated with a complaint filed two days ago regarding a weight dispute and an insurance claim.” “One moment, let me look that up for you.” The sound of clacking keys went on for a while. “Ma’am, I see here that your complaint has been resolved.” “Resolved? What about my claim?” “The system shows the weight was correct, therefore the claim is invalid.” “The system shows 10 kilograms, and I received 1 kilogram. How is that correct?” “Ma’am, please don’t get upset. Our system data wouldn’t…” “I know all about your system data! I have a video of the weigh-in from when I packed it. I have screenshots of the insurance purchase. The time, location, and weight all line up perfectly!” The line went quiet for a few seconds. “Ma’am, my authority here is limited. Would you like me to transfer you to a regional customer manager?” “Yes.” I knew it wasn’t her fault; I didn’t want to waste any more time with a script-reader. “Hello, Ms. Lin? This is Mr. Leighton from the East Coast Customer Management department.” His voice was older, polished, the sound of someone who had handled countless calls like this. “Mr. Leighton, you should have my case file.” “I do, I do. It was sent right up.” “Alright, Ms. Lin, let me explain. To process an insurance claim, you need to provide proof of loss. You say you shipped 10 kilograms of gold. Do you have a receipt for that purchase?” I didn’t answer. It was faint, but I heard a soft chuckle on his end. “Ms. Lin, I’ve been in this business for seven years. I’ve seen situations like yours more times than I can count. People ship something worth a few bucks, buy a massive insurance policy, and then claim something went missing.” “I’m not saying this is you, of course. But that sort of thing constitutes fraud.” My fingers tightened around the phone. “Are you accusing me of fraud?” “I didn’t say that. I’m simply stating a fact. Without proof of purchase for the gold, your claim will not be approved.” “Then what about your system changing a 1-kilogram package to 10 kilograms and overcharging me for shipping?” “What ‘change’? The system entry is 10 kilograms. Maybe you added something to the box after you packed it? What does your little video prove? For all we know, you could have tossed a couple of bricks in there after you stopped filming.” A hot spike of anger shot through my temples. “Mr. Leighton, I have evidence for every single step of this process. I suggest you handle this matter with care.” His tone shifted, becoming slick with condescension. “Ms. Lin, I’ve been around this block more times than you’ve had hot dinners. If you really think you have a case, feel free to take us to court. Or complain to whoever you want. Is that all?” Click. He hung up. I was gripping my phone so tightly my knuckles were white. Thankfully, I had the call recorder running. Before I could even put the phone down, it buzzed again with an unknown number. “Is this Nina Lin?” The voice was familiar. It was the courier. “Did you file a complaint against me?” I didn’t answer. “Listen to me carefully. You’d better withdraw that complaint, and fast. If you don’t, every package you ever get is going to be held up. You can come down to the depot and pick them up yourself.” “Is that a threat?” “I’m giving you some friendly advice. A woman living all by herself… I know what time you leave, what time you get back. Don’t make trouble for yourself.” The call was still recording. “Are you finished?” “Withdraw the complaint.” I hung up. Fury, cold and sharp, washed over me. My hand holding the phone wouldn’t stop shaking. I sat on the sofa, exported the two audio files from today, and organized them into a folder with all my other evidence. Then I picked up my phone and dialed 911. “Hello, I’d like to report a crime.” 3 The officer who took my report, Officer Davis, asked for my address and the basic details, then told me to bring my evidence to the local precinct to make a statement. I tossed the flash drive and my phone into my bag and headed out. I had just pulled out of my parking spot when a group of men blocked my car. The one in the lead was wearing the dark blue uniform of the courier company. I recognized the courier, Rick, instantly. “What do you think you’re doing?” His expression flickered, then hardened into a scowl. “Are you going to withdraw the complaint or not?” I ignored him and started to steer around them. He darted in front of my car again, blocking my path. “Where do you think you’re going? I’m asking you a simple question. Are you withdrawing the complaint!?” As I turned the wheel again, a short, stocky man with a crew cut stepped up and rapped on my driver-side window. “Easy there, sister. Rick just wants to have a little chat.” I clutched my phone, the video camera already recording. “Move!” Rick let out a derisive laugh. “A woman like you, was it really worth it? You got me fined five hundred bucks and cost me my bonus. Are you happy now?” “Why should I have to pay over a hundred dollars extra?” “It was your package, you should pay for it!” The men around him snickered. I stopped talking and just hit the gas, trying to get away. This time, they swarmed the car, completely surrounding it. The man with the crew cut squatted down, took a picture of my license plate, and sent it to someone. Rick lit a cigarette, then casually raised a tire iron. BANG. He brought it down hard on the hood of my car. I jumped, shrinking back in my seat and frantically checking that the doors were locked. CRUNCH! SMASH! Rick stepped back to finish his cigarette while the other men took turns beating on my car. I fumbled with my phone and dialed 911 again, quickly giving them the address and telling them I was being attacked. The response was faster than I expected; two officers were already patrolling nearby. “Police! Don’t move!” Rick’s cigarette dropped from his mouth. He spun around, and his face went sheet-white when he saw the uniforms. Another man, who had been wielding a steel pipe, was so startled he dropped it on his own foot with a yelp. “It wasn’t me!” Rick stammered. “I was just standing here having a smoke.” “All of you, up against the wall. IDs out.” As the four men were being detained, I looked at my car. It was a wreck. Officer Davis looked from the mangled vehicle to the video on my phone, his expression grim. “Ms. Lin, let’s go inside so you can make a full statement.” The deposition took nearly two hours. I laid out everything, from the 10-kilogram package to the attack in the parking lot, in chronological order. And for every point, I had a corresponding photo, audio recording, or document. “We’ve confirmed the vandalism,” Officer Davis said. “We caught them in the act, and the exit of your parking garage has a security camera. They’re not getting away with this.” “The courier said he didn’t do anything, but he was the one who started it!” “Don’t you worry about that, Ms. Lin. The camera doesn’t lie.” It was dark by the time I left the precinct. My car had been towed to a repair shop. Late that night, my phone rang. It was an unknown number. I answered. “Ms. Lin. This is Mr. Leighton.” “I heard about what happened today. Perhaps we could talk?” 4 The doorbell rang at two o’clock the next afternoon. Two men stood outside my door. Mr. Leighton was shorter than I’d imagined. Beside him was a man in glasses holding a briefcase. “Ms. Lin, this is our legal counsel, Mr. Cole.” I opened the door a little wider but didn’t invite them in. Leighton didn’t seem to mind. He smiled and stepped aside. “We can talk here. I’ll be direct. What Rick and his friends did yesterday was out of line. The company is deeply sorry.” Mr. Cole pulled a document from his briefcase and handed it to me. “Ms. Lin, this is the settlement agreement the company has prepared. Please take a look.” I took the single sheet of paper. The terms were neatly typed. 1. Compensation for all vehicle repair costs, based on receipts. 2. Refund of the overcharged shipping fee of $45. 3. $750 for emotional distress. 4. Nina Lin will sign a non-disclosure agreement and withdraw all police reports and customer service complaints. 5. Both parties will waive any further claims against each other. I handed the paper back. “$750?” “With the car repairs, the total amount is quite substantial,” Leighton said, his voice smooth and gentle. “And Rick?” “He’s received an internal reprimand and will be transferred to a suburban depot next month.” “Not fired?” “Ms. Lin, we’re all adults here. Rick’s not having an easy time. His wife just had a baby. Try to have some sympathy. We’re all just ordinary people trying to get by.” He folded his hands in front of him, bowing slightly. “Honestly, Ms. Lin, while Rick was certainly at fault yesterday, your attitude was, how should I put it, a little… confrontational. You provoked him. If everyone takes a step back, we can all move on.” “My attitude was confrontational, so he smashed my car.” “No, no, that’s not what I meant,” Leighton said, waving his hands dismissively. “I’m just saying, let’s meet in the middle. For a young woman like you, dragging this through the courts is time-consuming. And if the media gets hold of it, it could be damaging to your reputation.” I didn’t like his choice of words. “Let me get this straight, Mr. Leighton. Your system changes 1 kilogram to 10 and overcharges me nearly nine times the fee. I complain, and your customer service says the system is correct. I call you, and you accuse me of insurance fraud. I call the police, and your courier and his friends vandalize my car right outside the precinct. And now you’re offering me $750 to sign an NDA?” “Plus the vehicle repairs,” Mr. Cole added. “The car repairs are something you owe me regardless. That’s not compensation.” Leighton’s smile finally tightened. “Ms. Lin, I can fire Rick. Give you that satisfaction.” “I think that’s not enough.” “Then what do you want?” “If you had refunded my shipping fee at the beginning, this would be over. But now my personal safety has been threatened.” The hallway was silent for a moment. Leighton straightened up, the last shred of politeness vanishing from his face. “Think this through, Ms. Lin. If this goes to court, it might not end well for you. That insurance claim of yours will never be approved, no matter what. And filing a false claim has consequences.” He took the settlement agreement, folded it, and slipped it into his pocket before turning to leave with the lawyer. “Don’t be rash, kid.” The elevator doors closed. At eleven that night, my best friend, Sophie, sent me a text. “Nina, you need to see this.” It was a heavily edited video. The caption read: “Woman Ships 1kg of Fakes, Tries to Claim 10kg of Gold in Insurance Scam.” The comments were already in the thousands. “Classic grifter.” “Do you know how hard delivery guys work? People like her are disgusting.” “Another one trying to get rich off insurance fraud.” “Hope the company reports her to the police.” The account that posted it was called “A Day in the Life of a Courier,” with a cartoon delivery guy as the profile picture. It had been posted two hours ago and already had over a million views. My phone started vibrating. An unknown number. Then another. And another. A text came through: “Nina Lin, you live at [My Address], right? You scamming bitch.” Sophie called me, her voice frantic. “Nina, are you okay? I’m coming over. We can record a video to clear your name. I was there when you packed and weighed it. I can be your witness.” I sat on the sofa, my phone buzzing incessantly in my hand. “Don’t.” “What?” Sophie’s voice rose. “You’re not going to fight back? Do you see what they’re saying in the comments?!” “I see it.” “Then why…?” “Let them. The bigger the spectacle, the better.” Sophie was quiet for a few seconds. “What are you planning, Nina?” I didn’t answer her. Instead, I scrolled through my contacts to a number I had saved years ago but never once called. My thumb hovered over it for a moment, then I pressed down. “…Nina?” The voice on the other end was calm, but with a clear note of surprise. I took a deep breath. “Aaron. I need your help.”

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1 The night I caught my husband hooking up with my best friend, I had just gotten back from picking up my son and grabbing groceries on a battered bicycle. Clothes were violently scattered across the living room floor. Dripping wet in my cheap raincoat, I walked right into them cuddling on the leather sofa in the afterglow. The smell of the discount store spaghetti and meatballs in my hands couldn’t mask the heavy scent of sex filling the room. My son rushed forward. He practically jumped up and down, screaming his lungs out to welcome his new mommy. I lost my mind. I hurled the bags of meatballs right at their naked bodies. But no matter how hysterical I got, Chuck remained deadpan. He forced me out of the house with absolutely nothing to my name. His excuse was simple. They already had a baby on the way. Seven years later, I finally returned to Bayview. Walking out of the luxury mall restroom, I bumped right into a ghost from the past. “Maureen? Is that really you?” Chuck’s face lit up like he had struck gold. He stepped right into my personal space. “Where on earth have you been all these years?” I froze. Of all the places in this massive city, the universe just had to throw this sick joke at me. Seeing my silence, Chuck didn’t even have the decency to feel awkward. He just kept talking. “You vanished into thin air after the divorce. I looked everywhere for you.” “Someone finally told me you left Bayview entirely.” He paused, softening his gaze into something sickeningly gentle. “You look stunning. How have you been treating yourself?” “Look, I blame myself. I was young, arrogant. I shouldn’t have made you leave with nothing.” Hearing him gloss over that absolute nightmare made my stomach churn. “Mr. CEO, I’ve been doing just fine. You really don’t need to lose sleep over me.” He blinked, then let out a forced, bitter chuckle. “Maureen, I know you hate my guts.” “What happened back then… I just couldn’t control my feelings for her. My hands were tied.” “But honestly, all these years, I never forgot everything you did for our home.” He reached into a bright orange shopping bag and pulled out a jacket he had just bought, holding it out to me. “I’ve always felt guilty, but I never knew how to make it right.” “Take this. It’s freezing out there.” I stared at the hideous, clearance rack jacket and my lips twitched. “I’m good, Chuck. Really.” His eyes swept up and down my body. He stubbornly shoved the fabric against my chest. “Just take it. Sienna has a closet full of these anyway.” “It’s not a designer piece or anything, but I bet it still costs more than your rent.” I paused and looked down at my outfit. I wasn’t wearing a custom tailored suit with a massive luxury logo. I had on a slightly frayed gray knit sweater. I also smelled heavily of expensive bourbon from a brutal networking dinner I had just left. I suppose I did look like a pathetic corporate slave grinding away for pennies. Seeing that I wasn’t putting it on, he sighed heavily. “You haven’t been back once. Noah misses you, you know.” Hearing my son’s name made me scoff. I finally gave him a real reaction. “Isn’t he living the dream with his brand new mommy?” Chuck let out a soft laugh. “See? I knew you still cared about him.” A wave of absolute disgust washed over me. Before I could tell him off, Chuck kept rambling. “He was just a kid back then. Kids say stupid things when they’re mad. But you’re his biological mother. He talks about you all the time.” “He just thinks you abandoned him because you never reached out.” He took a breath. “Come over to the house when you have time. See Noah. We can put the past behind us and catch up like adults.” I laughed out loud. “Wouldn’t your wife have a problem with that?” Right on cue, a sickly sweet voice echoed behind me. “Why would I? You’re my absolute best friend.” “It’s been so long, babe. I missed you to death.” 2 I turned around. Sienna was strutting toward me, dripping in designer logos and carrying a dozen shopping bags. Her pregnant belly was obvious. She threw an arm over my shoulder with fake intimacy and rested her head against me. “Oh, Maureen. You just up and left after the divorce. You didn’t even look back to check on your oldest friends.” She let go of me and locked her arm around Chuck’s elbow instead. “Since we ran into each other, you have to come over.” “Plus, I’m pregnant with my second baby! I’m due soon. We should totally have dinner to celebrate.” I subtly wiped the cheap foundation she left on my shoulder. “I’ll pass. I have places to be.” “Oh, stop being so shy! It’s just dinner.” Sienna blocked my path. “Honestly, I always felt super bad about what happened.” “But Chuck and I are soulmates. True love wins, you know? I’m sorry you had to be the collateral damage.” “We can definitely afford to treat you to a nice meal. Looks like you could use some real food anyway.” She stood on her tiptoes and kissed Chuck on the cheek. “Right, honey?” Chuck went rigid, but he awkwardly patted her head and turned to convince me. “She’s right, Maureen. We hired a new private chef. Let’s just have one meal together.” I thought for a second. The real reason I returned to Bayview flashed in my mind. I decided to play along. “Sure. Let’s go.” Sienna’s smile cracked. A flash of dark annoyance crossed her face, but she forced her plastic grin back into place. Chuck, on the other hand, looked thrilled. He eagerly led the way out. A sleek Range Rover was parked by the entrance. Chuck hopped into the driver’s seat. Sienna slid into the passenger side, throwing me a smug, victorious look through the window. I got into the back seat, finding the whole thing completely hilarious. She really didn’t need to flex so hard. Back when Chuck and I were actually married, he never let me sit in the passenger seat either. My only mode of transportation used to be that rusty little bicycle. Rain, shine, sleet, or snow. Whether I was buying groceries or picking up our son, that bicycle was all I had. I used to beg Chuck to buy me a cheap used car. Anything with four doors and a heater. We had the money. A decent used sedan would have cost a few grand and saved me from freezing to death on the winter roads. But Chuck always said it was a waste of cash. He claimed I was a terrible driver and that traffic was too bad anyway. He gaslit me into thinking the bicycle was a privilege. But I had a pristine driving record. I even used to race on amateur tracks before we got married. He just didn’t want to spend a dime on me. Then, I watched him buy Sienna a hundred thousand dollar sports car. When she totaled it rear ending someone, he dropped everything, ran to the scene, and bought her a brand new one the next day. That was the day I realized he didn’t think a car was a waste of money. He just thought I wasn’t worth it. Memories flooded my mind until the SUV pulled up to the house I used to call home. Chuck knocked on the door. It swung open, revealing a face pale with shock. “Mom?” 3 I locked eyes with Noah. Seven years had passed. The little toddler who hadn’t even started kindergarten was now a lanky teenager drowning in a private school uniform. “Come on in.” Chuck eagerly placed a pair of guest slippers at my feet. As I stepped inside, Noah nervously backed away. I ignored him. I sat on the sofa and looked around. The interior was mostly the same, but the vibe was entirely corrupted. Expensive women’s coats overflowed on the coat rack. Bright plastic toys littered the hardwood floors. The room I had originally painted and prepped for Noah now had a baby gate across the door. A little boy, maybe five or six, came crashing through it holding a plastic sword. He sprinted straight at Chuck. “Daddy! Look at my castle!” He bulldozed through the living room, knocking over decorative vases and kicking toys out of his way. Noah silently crouched on the floor, picking up the mess. As his sleeve rode up, I noticed faint, fresh scratches on his forearm. I knew exactly what the situation was. This kid was the baby Sienna was carrying when she blew up my marriage. The baby that made Chuck force me out onto the streets. Sienna’s overly sweet voice drifted from the hallway. “Toby just worships his dad.” She rubbed her pregnant belly, looking at the father and son with pure adoration. Meanwhile, Noah, the boy who used to scream for his new mommy, was left kneeling in the dust. My face remained blank. I wasn’t surprised in the slightest. The chef brought out the food. Chuck pried Toby off his leg and gestured for me to sit. The silver lids were lifted, revealing thick clouds of steam. Toby immediately started screaming. He wanted the Wagyu beef. He wanted the king crab. He hoarded half the massive pot onto his tiny plate before anyone else could even pick up a fork. Chuck shot me a nervous look, his ego taking a hit. “Toby, finish what you have first. Where are your manners?” Sienna just laughed and piled more meat onto Chuck’s plate. “Oh, relax. He’s just a growing boy. It doesn’t matter.” She grabbed Chuck’s hand and placed it on her stomach. “I bet the little guy in here is going to be just as wild as his big brother.” Chuck’s scowl instantly melted away. Amidst their picture perfect family moment, Noah finally reached out with his chopsticks to grab a single crab leg from the pot. The second he did, a heavy serving spoon slammed down on his wrist, knocking the crab onto the floor. Toby stood on his chair, screaming at the top of his lungs. “That’s my house’s food! You’re a beggar! You don’t get to eat!” Noah’s hand trembled violently. A bright red welt swelled on his skin. Chuck’s face went dark. “Toby! Do not treat your brother like that!” Toby shrieked back. “He’s not my brother! My mom didn’t make him! He’s the son of that ugly bitch!” Dead silence fell over the dining room. I slowly turned my head and stared dead into Chuck’s eyes. His face turned the color of bruised plum. He raised his hand, ready to strike the kid. “You little brat! Is that how you speak in front of me?” Before the slap could connect, Sienna caught his wrist. She giggled softly. “Oh, Chuck, stop. Boys will be boys. They just play rough.” She threw a sideways glance at me. “Maureen is a big girl. She’s not going to get offended by a toddler, right?” Noah looked at me with pure terror in his eyes. Chuck was sweating, watching my expression. I didn’t say a word. I just calmly picked up my crystal glass and took a sip of water. Seeing my absolute indifference, Noah finally broke. His voice cracked with a suppressed sob. “Mom…” Sienna cut him off immediately. “Alright, Noah, that’s enough whining. Get on your knees and clean up the food you dropped.” Noah slowly crouched down. His skinny frame shook as he picked up the dirty crab leg from the floor. “Yes, Aunt Sienna.” Behind him, Toby stuck his tongue out and danced around victoriously. Sienna chuckled again, dropping an overcooked piece of beef into my bowl. “Kids are just so chaotic. Don’t be shy, Maureen. Eat up.” “Chuck is so unoriginal. He just buys me the most expensive ingredients to keep me healthy. We eat this luxury stuff every single day. Honestly, I’m getting sick of it.” I pushed the bowl away. “I’m full. My business partners forced me to eat lobster and caviar earlier, and the bourbon hasn’t settled yet.” Sienna’s smug smile froze. Her face twisted into something ugly. It took her a long time to put her fork down. She forced out a dry laugh. “Right. You must be working so hard. Hustling everyday, begging clients for pennies.” “Not like me. Chuck spoils me rotten. I don’t even have to leave the house. If I point at something, he buys it.” Her eyes drifted down to my frayed sweater, and she actually let out a snort. “Your boss is terrible, though. Letting you work yourself to the bone and paying you peanuts. Walking into a client meeting looking like a homeless person? No wonder you have to drink so much to close a deal.” She stood up, walked into her bedroom, and came back with a stack of outdated, gaudy neon dresses. “Here. Take these. They’re old season, but they are a million times better than the rags you’re wearing.” She forcefully shoved the pile into my lap. “Take them. We’ve known each other for over a decade. Consider it charity.” I didn’t even blink. I shoved the pile right back off my lap, brushed the lint off my sweater, and smiled. “No thanks. My family knitted this for me. It keeps me warm.” Chuck’s face drained of all color. “Maureen… what are you talking about? Your parents died the same year we got divorced.” 4 The temperature in the room dropped below freezing. I clenched my fists under the table. The one memory I wanted to bury forever started playing on an endless loop in my mind. It was raining outside. Just like it was seven years ago. I was wearing that suffocating plastic raincoat. Massive raindrops felt like stones hitting my shoulders. Bags of cheap groceries dangled precariously from the handlebars. Noah was hiding behind my back. The plastic visor of my helmet was blurred by the storm. I wobbled through the aggressive city traffic on that dying bicycle. A massive truck blew past us, spraying a tidal wave of filthy street water directly into my face. I swerved, lost control, and slammed right into the metal guardrail. Mud soaked through my clothes. The groceries flew into the dirty puddle. I panicked, scrambling to check on Noah. Thank God my maternal instincts kicked in and I had shielded him with my body before we hit the ground. Cars behind us blared their horns. Blocks of tofu were crushed into white mush on the asphalt. I was on my hands and knees, desperately trying to salvage whatever food wasn’t ruined. Noah stood on the sidewalk under an awning. He didn’t come to help. He just stared at me like I was a diseased rat. When I finally scraped everything together, only one sealed bag of cheap veggie meatballs had survived. I dragged the heavy bicycle upright, shoved the meatballs into my pocket, and waved for Noah to get back on. He reluctantly crawled under the back of my raincoat, muttering loud enough for me to hear over the rain. “Why do you always pick me up? Why can’t Dad and Aunt Sienna do it? They have cool cars.” He shifted uncomfortably against my wet back. “You ride this piece of junk and carry stinky groceries. Everyone at school is laughing at me. I’m so embarrassed.” Every single word pierced straight through my heart. My soaking wet clothes clung to my freezing skin. The rain slashed against my face, and I blinked hard to keep the tears from falling. I didn’t yell. I didn’t defend myself. I just gripped the handlebars and focused on getting him home alive. I thought to myself, Once we get home, it’ll be fine. Once we get home, I can take a hot shower. I can cook a warm meal for my family. But when I dragged my exhausted body through the front door, there was no warmth waiting for me. There was only the heavy stench of sex and clothes littered everywhere. The shock paralyzed me. I stumbled blindly into the living room. On the expensive leather sofa I had saved up to buy, Chuck was buried deep in Sienna. They were completely naked, except for Sienna wearing my silk nightgown wrapped around her neck. It was a scene straight out of a nightmare. A guttural, shattered scream ripped out of my throat. But even then, my very first instinct was to turn around and cover Noah’s eyes. I didn’t want my baby to see this trauma. Instead, he violently shoved me away. He sprinted toward the two naked adults, clapping his hands in pure joy. “Daddy! You finally brought Aunt Sienna home! Does this mean she’s my new mommy now?” I stopped breathing. The floor vanished beneath me. Chuck didn’t even have the shame to cover up. He laughed, reached out, and ruffled Noah’s hair. “That’s right, buddy. You always wanted a pretty, nice mom, right? Aunt Sienna is your new mom now.” He grabbed Noah’s little hand and placed it on Sienna’s flat stomach. “Look. Your new mommy already has your baby brother in here. We’re going to be a real family.” Noah jumped up and down, absolutely ecstatic. “Yes! Yes! I’m getting a brother and a new mom!” He turned around and pointed his little finger right at my face. “I don’t want this broken mom anymore. She’s ugly, she’s old, and she makes me look like a loser!” And Sienna. The girl who had been my best friend since high school. The girl who stood next to me at my wedding. Twelve years of sisterhood. She laughed, pinched his cheek, and looked right into my eyes. “That’s right, baby. I’m your mommy now.” Something inside my brain just snapped. I pulled the bag of veggie meatballs out of my pocket and hurled it at their faces with everything I had. They scattered across the expensive rug. I threw myself at them like a rabid dog. I swung my fists wildly, but I was so weak from the cold that my punches felt like nothing. The next second, Chuck grabbed my shoulders and violently threw me backward. My spine slammed directly into the sharp edge of the glass coffee table.

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On the fifth round of IVF, I was finally pregnant with Marcus’s child. When I ecstatically showed him the positive test results, Marcus suddenly said, “Actually, your student, Melissa, and I… we already have twins.” The world tilted, the color draining from my face. But Marcus looked at me, his expression earnest. “Do you know why your first few IVF attempts failed? Because Melissa didn’t want you to suffer, so she secretly intervened.” “She was willing to carry my children for you. How could I deny her and our sons a family?” “And now you’re pregnant too. So, you can either accept this calmly and give our child a complete family, not to mention a respectable father.” “Or, you can make a scene, become a broke, single mother with no one to rely on.” “The choice is yours.” After he left, I sat in the dark for the entire night. And then, I made a third choice. 1 Marcus left in a hurry. “Melissa heard you’re pregnant. She’s terrified I’m going to abandon her. I need to go check on her,” he said, his voice laced with a false sense of duty. “I know you must be a wreck right now, so I’ll give you some space to think things over.” I sat on the balcony, the cold night wind whipping around me, until dawn. When he returned in the morning, carrying breakfast, I asked him a single question. “Can you treat us both fairly?” Marcus was taken aback for a second, then gave a weary smile. “My thing with Melissa… it started as a drunken mistake. But it turned out we were just… incredibly compatible.” “You and I tried for so long, and nothing. With her, it happened the first time.” “Melissa is a kind soul. She was so worried you’d be heartbroken that she secretly went to get an abortion.” “If I hadn’t stumbled upon the hospital bill, I would never have known that child even existed.” “After the procedure, she was consumed by guilt and fell into a deep depression. Her doctor said the baby was the root of her trauma.” He paused, looking at me cautiously. My voice was flat, devoid of emotion. “So, to make it up to her, you had twins with her.” “Well, that’s part of it. Mostly, she knew how much the IVF was taking out of you. She didn’t want you to suffer anymore.” “Besides,” he said, his tone as casual as if he were discussing the weather, “a child is a child. Whether she gives birth or you do, they carry my blood. It makes no difference.” “With Melissa, I feel a mix of pity and gratitude. But no matter what, she can’t compare to the eight years you’ve spent by my side.” He took my hand, his touch as gentle as the day he proposed, his eyes swimming with feigned devotion. “Anya, I’m not asking you to accept her. Just turn a blind eye to my other family, and I promise, she will never overstep her bounds.” “You will always be Mrs. Blackwell. Of course I can treat you both fairly.” I gently pulled my hand away and produced the agreement I’d prepared. “Just in case. Sign it.” Marcus glanced at it, raising an eyebrow. “One instance of favoritism costs me a hundred thousand dollars?” I pointed to the addendum. “That’s the base price. The final amount for emotional damages will be determined by the severity of your bias. No upper limit.” “Marcus,” I said, meeting his gaze. “Do you dare sign it?” 2 Marcus chuckled softly. “If it gives you peace of mind.” He signed his name with a confident flourish. “Anya, I do love you.” “As long as you don’t cause trouble for Melissa, I’ll try to spend more time with you.” I felt a wave of dizziness. Marcus and I were college sweethearts. I was with him when he went from bankrupt and drowning in debt to staging a stunning comeback. We lived in a cramped basement apartment, scavenged for leftover vegetables at the market. We’d split a single bagel, and I’d always give him the bigger half. I wore the same old clothes for years, saving every penny to buy him decent suits for his business meetings. He used to be so good to me. No matter how exhausted he was, he’d always cook me noodles when I came home from a late shift. No matter how busy, he set aside one day a week just for me. He said I was his motivation, that everything he did was for me. One year, on our anniversary, he was stuck out of town on business. He felt guilty about it for months. But now, spending time with me was a reward to be doled out. The thought was devastating. And after the devastation came a profound, crushing weariness. Marcus didn’t notice a thing. His voice held the arrogant tone of a benefactor. “I’ll stay and have breakfast with you today.” He took a breakfast burrito out of a paper bag and handed me a freshly made cup of oatmeal. “Here. From that cart near campus. Your old favorite.” I sighed and reached for it. Just then, his phone rang. He glanced at me and answered it on speaker. “Daddy! Daddy!” a child’s voice chirped from the other end. A smile bloomed on Marcus’s face. “What’s wrong, buddy? Is Mommy awake yet?” “Mommy’s sick! She’s crying!” The smile vanished from Marcus’s face. “Stay right there. I’m on my way.” He grabbed his car keys and bolted. The cup of oatmeal tipped over, spilling onto my skirt. It scalded my leg, leaving a painful red welt. He never even looked back. As I was treating the burn, he called. “Melissa is such a silly girl. She didn’t want to bother you, so she tried to hide being sick. I can’t leave her alone. I’ll stay here today to take care of her. You can go to your prenatal check-up by yourself, right?” I looked at the blistered skin on my thigh. I wasn’t surprised. And before I even had a chance to feel sad, he hung up. I sat there for a moment. Then I took a picture of my leg and sent it to him. [Your scales weren’t balanced. Compensation for distress plus medical fees, total $180,000.] A long time passed, so long I thought he hadn’t seen the message. Then, the notification sound for a bank transfer chimed. It was followed by a voice message from him. [I sent you an extra twenty thousand. Next time, don’t resort to these immature, attention-seeking games where you hurt yourself.] [I won’t be back for a couple of days. You need to calm down and think things through.] I had to laugh. He actually thought I’d burned myself on purpose to win his affection. In his eyes, I had become a helpless, clinging vine, capable of nothing but manipulation. But I was a graduate of a top university, an honors student. Before I even finished my degree, a major corporation had offered me a position heading their overseas R&D department. It was because I couldn’t bear to leave Marcus that I gave up that opportunity. I chose to stay and work at a small, unknown local research institute instead. My sacrifices hadn’t earned me mutual respect. They had earned me this humiliating, unbearable reality. I wasn’t without pain, or regret. But after the pain and regret, I had to think about the future. I sniffled, my nose stinging slightly. I transferred the full $200,000 into my personal savings account. Then I did two things. First, I contacted an agent to find me a suitable rental in the UK. Second, I scheduled an abortion for the next day. Marcus always believed the fertility problems were my fault. He thought I couldn’t live without him, and that I would never give up the baby in my belly. That’s why he felt so brazenly confident telling me about him and Melissa. But the truth was, he was the one with the low sperm count. There was nothing wrong with me. I could have more children in the future. They just wouldn’t be his. 3 The procedure wasn’t long. I closed my eyes, and when I opened them again, the little life inside me was gone. Staring at the medical report, I couldn’t stop my eyes from turning red. I forced myself to pull it together and spent two days recovering in the hospital. The day I was discharged, I received an official job offer from a prestigious research center in the UK. I breathed a sigh of relief and headed straight to my old institute to pack up my things. Before I even opened the door, I heard peals of laughter from inside. “Liam is so brilliant! He’s doing advanced math problems already! A true son of Mr. Blackwell and Director Melissa.” “And Toby is a little genius too! Look how fast he builds with those Legos!” “I know, right? And they can already identify different chemical compounds and do experiments!” “It’s what happens when you combine superior genes. Not like Anya. She can’t even get pregnant through IVF. You can just imagine how weak her genes are.” “Haha, it’s a good thing she’s barren. Can you imagine if she had an average kid? What a waste of Mr. Blackwell’s DNA.” I recognized the voices. One was my former assistant, the other a nepotism hire. Director Melissa? When did Melissa become a director? I pushed the door open. The chatter stopped instantly. The smile on Marcus’s face froze. Melissa looked at me timidly. “Professor… Anya, what are you doing here?” Marcus wrapped an arm around her shoulder, rubbing it gently in a silent show of support. Seeing this, the others’ expressions turned smug. “Anya, you were fired. Why are you even here?” one of them sneered. I paused. “Fired? When did that happen?” The nepotism hire laughed. “Stop playing dumb. The notice was posted in the company group chat. Didn’t you see it?” I hadn’t looked at the work chat at all while I was in the hospital. I opened it now and saw that on the very day I’d had the abortion, the institute had terminated my employment for “procedural violations” and promoted Melissa to my position as director. I laughed, a bitter, angry sound. “Procedural violations? Where’s your proof?” My former assistant lifted her chin. “I saw it with my own eyes. And there’s security footage.” I stared at her coldly. “I have the original, unedited surveillance footage of every single one of my experiments. If you think you can frame me with a doctored video, we can settle this in court.” They froze, clearly not expecting me to have a backup. Melissa shot a panicked look at Marcus. He patted her reassuringly. “Don’t worry. Go play with the boys for a bit.” After Melissa walked away, his gaze lingered on her and the twins for a long moment before he finally turned to me, his eyes dismissive. “Anya, the evidence doesn’t matter. What matters is the attitude of the investor. Me.” “A top-tier research conglomerate has taken an interest in one of our recent projects. They’ve sent an invitation to a major science forum. Melissa is young; she needs a stage like this.” I clenched my fists. “So, for her to have her moment in the spotlight, you’re just going to throw away all my years of hard work?” A flicker of guilt crossed his eyes, but it was quickly replaced by a smirk. “It’s not fair to you, I admit. But it’s her dream to be up on that stage.” “To convince me to help her… that shy, timid girl… she put on cat ears and a tail for me. Her face was bright red, but she spent the whole night meowing like a little kitten. Tell me, how could I possibly say no?” For some reason, at his final question, all the rage inside me just… dissipated. I unclenched my fists, my voice calm. “In that case, a million dollars shouldn’t be too much to ask, right?” Marcus’s expression went blank for a second. After a few beats, he nodded. “Yes. You deserve it.” I held his gaze. “Transfer it now. And make sure the memo says ‘Voluntary Gift.’” Marcus frowned. “Anya, I thought you were the one who never cared about money.” I just smiled. Since I’d already decided to give up on the man, I might as well take as much of his money as I could. 4 I needed to get my personal belongings from my office. Melissa stood in the doorway, wringing the hem of her sleeve, her face a mask of pitiful distress. “Professor, the research results… they weren’t your work alone. I contributed too. If you take all the core data, what are we supposed to do?” I had to laugh. “What did you contribute? The time you mistook sodium nitrite for sugar in my coffee and sent me to the ICU? Or the time you brought flammable materials into my office and burned all my research notes to a crisp?” Melissa’s eyes darted around, her trembling lips betraying her guilt and anxiety. My face hardened. “Move.” She didn’t budge, tears already welling in her eyes. WHAM! A sharp blow struck my lower back. I staggered, pain radiating through me. Before I could recover, something hard slammed into my knee. The blunt force sent me crumpling to the floor. My forehead hit the sharp corner of the wall, and my vision went black for a second. Through a blurry haze, I saw Melissa’s two sons. One was holding a baseball bat, the other was still in a throwing motion. “You mean bitch! Don’t you bully our mommy!” “Mommy was right! You’re just a homewrecker trying to steal our daddy!” Marcus rushed over. His eyes lingered on me for only a second before he opened his arms and pulled the weeping Melissa into a comforting embrace. “It’s okay, baby, don’t cry. I’m here. No one’s going to hurt you.” Then he turned to me, his voice sharp with anger. “Anya, what are you trying to pull now?” I pushed myself off the floor and hit play on my phone’s voice recorder. “Listen for yourself.” Melissa’s sobs hitched. The two boys exchanged a guilty glance and lowered their heads. Marcus listened, his expression unchanging, until he strode over and stopped the recording. “Anya, they’re just kids. Don’t take it to heart.” He glanced at the blood trickling from my forehead, and his voice softened. “I’ll have my driver take you to the hospital.” Before I could respond, the nepotism hire piped up. “Give it a rest, Anya. Mr. Blackwell has already divorced you. It’s useless to keep clinging to him. You might as well take whatever medical money he’s offering before he gets completely sick of you.” A loud ringing filled my ears. “Divorced?” I looked at Marcus. He pressed his lips together, saying nothing, but his eyes held a clear warning. I lowered my gaze and smiled. “That’s right. He and I… we’re already divorced.” When I looked up again, my expression was ice. “In that case, Mr. Blackwell, how much do you intend to offer for my medical expenses?” Marcus was silent for a moment, then gave a lazy smile. “How much do you want?” I pointed to my still-bleeding forehead. “Five million dollars.” Melissa gasped. “That’s outrageous! It’s just a—” “Done.” Marcus cut her off and immediately initiated the bank transfer. “Anya, I’ll take you to the hospital.” I sneered. “Don’t trouble yourself, Mr. Blackwell. I can get there on my own.” “As for the transportation fee, let’s say… ten thousand.” Marcus paused, then furiously tapped ‘confirm’ on his phone, his tone clipped. “Whatever you want.”

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I was the pampered secret Norman Lancaster held in the palm of his hand. When his obsession with me was at its peak, even the most arrogant old-money socialites in Manhattan had to treat me with respect. That was until one day, at twenty-eight years old, I was personally decorating a private table at a rooftop restaurant overlooking the Hudson River for our ninth anniversary. My phone buzzed with a text from him. “I am getting engaged today… I was worried you might find out and cause a scene.” “Be a good girl. I will come home later and explain.” The silver fork in my hand clattered against the plate. I froze, paralyzed. It felt like the floor had opened up, swallowing me into an endless abyss. Tears spilled over my lashes before I could even blink. “Then all these years… what was I to you?” I hit send. The chat screen remained dead, met with an agonizing, suffocating silence. 1 The dawn sky was a stifling, cinematic gray, making the faint flush of warmth in the bedroom feel even more intense. I had just rolled over. My gaze collided straight into the dark, bottomless eyes of the man beside me. They were heavy with sleep. He had just woken up. “You are up early,” I whispered. The arm wrapped around my waist suddenly tightened, locking me against his hard chest. “Dom, stop…” “Mhm.” He let out a low, gravelly hum that vibrated against my skin. His hands, however, did not stop. Warm fingers, heavy with familiar desire, smoothly slipped the strap of my silk nightgown down my shoulder, tracing lower. Before I could even push him away, his powerful, overwhelming body pressed over mine. … Two hours later. I dozed lightly against his chest until the bright morning sun pierced through the curtains, waking me up. His hands were still brazenly wandering over my curves. His voice was lazy, completely satisfied. “What is it? Cannot sleep?” I shifted my aching hips and playfully punched his shoulder. Pulling the heavy duvet over my flushed face, I mumbled my complaint. “It is all your fault…” He had been utterly insatiable last night, taking me again and again until I was entirely exhausted. And the second he opened his eyes this morning, he was all over me again. It always gave me this pathetic, delusional hope that he loved me down to the marrow of his bones. Because of that, the tiny, suppressed hope in my heart started sprouting like weeds after the rain. I just could not keep it buried. I crawled up, resting my chin on his chest. My index finger traced slow, teasing circles over his smooth skin, careful and deliberate. “Norman… do you know what day it is today?” The pale, elegant fingers holding his cigarette paused. It was as if he had hit an invisible wall. His hand froze in mid-air. His thin lips parted slightly. “No. Why? Is something going on?” Plumes of white smoke drifted upward in lonely, perfect rings. The haze blurred his sharp, devastatingly handsome features, but it could not hide the sudden, icy shift in his demeanor. I shivered, my heart dropping to my stomach. I understood instantly. He had forgotten what today was. Again. A heavy weight dragged my chest down. For the past nine years, today had been our anniversary. Yet, he never actively remembered it. It felt deliberate. Like he was erasing it on purpose. He would go all out for Valentine’s Day, Christmas, or my birthday, showering me in diamonds and attention. But never today. It made me feel so incredibly cherished, yet utterly worthless all at once. … The silence in the bedroom grew deafening. “Are you mad?” Seeing my silence, he leaned over and pinched my chin, tilting my face up. I snapped out of my daze. His expression had returned to normal. He stared down at me, letting out a low chuckle. “Let me guess what holiday you invented this time. A rose festival? A Cartier jewelry day?” That lethal, sexy mouth curved upward. “I will have Assistant Wyatt handle it for you.” “But,” he added, his tone dripping with lazy finality, “I really do have plans tonight.” He said it so casually, but there was an underlying, absolute authority in his voice that dared me to argue. A massive wave of grievance hit me. My eyes quickly filled with hot tears. If it were any other day, I would have swallowed my pride and compromised like a good girl. But not today. Today, I wanted to be selfish. I forced my voice to stay steady, completely ignoring his warning as I blurted out the truth. “What could possibly be so important that you cannot cancel it? I do not care. You have to have dinner with me tonight.” The relaxed lines between Norman’s brows snapped together. He eyed me, his aura turning freezing cold, but he maintained a sliver of patience. “I cannot cancel it.” My chest physically ached. I raised my voice, fueled by pure hurt. “Norman, are you doing this on purpose? I said, you are having dinner with me.” “…” When his sharp, perfectly sculpted brows furrowed deeply, a distinct look of offense crossed his face. Like a peasant had just insulted a king. It was a look I had never seen directed at me. His glacial eyes swept over me without an ounce of affection before looking away. He coldly put out his cigarette, stood up, and fastened his luxury watch around his wrist. “We will talk later.” He grabbed his crisp dress shirt and put it on. It was not until he was fully dressed and standing by the bedroom door that he finally looked back at me. His voice was laced with pure frost. “Madeline, you are crossing a line with this tantrum. It is not a good look on you.” Panic instantly seized my throat. I called out desperately, “Dom…” But the only answer I got was the sound of the heavy bedroom door slamming shut. The lock clicked, trapping my voice inside this massive, empty room. 2 Norman said this was not like me. But did he know that this was not like him either? When I first met him nine years ago, the image burned into my brain was of a man entirely composed, brutally disciplined, and untouchable. It seemed like nothing in the world could ever make him lose his temper. At least, that was how he had always been with me. I still remember our very first encounter. It was my college graduation. As the valedictorian, I was supposed to receive my diploma and an award from him, our university’s most prestigious billionaire donor. When our hands met, the hand offering me the certificate paused. His voice, crisp and cool like a rushing stream, echoed through the microphone. “Excellent work. What is your next goal?” In that exact moment, I looked up and got lost in his eyes. I completely froze. How could I even describe those eyes? They were obsidian, mysterious, like a massive black hole threatening to swallow me whole. I could hear my own heartbeat going absolutely chaotic in my ears. “I, I…” In my panic, my fingers crushed the edge of my graduation gown. The words tumbled out of my mouth. “I want to be yours…” “…” The entire auditorium went dead silent. A second later, a massive wave of laughter erupted from the crowd. I stood there, paralyzed, wishing the ground would open up and swallow me. My face drained of all color. I waved my hands frantically, desperate to fix it. “No, no, no! I meant… I want to be someone like you…” Despite my absolute humiliation, the man standing before me remained perfectly composed. There was not a single ripple of shock in his eyes. Those dark, narrow eyes gleamed slightly under the stage lights. His thin lips curved into a smile gentler than a spring breeze. “A very creative opening statement. Miss Madeline truly earns her title as valedictorian. The rest of you should take notes.” He chuckled softly. “I will remember you.” “Keep up the good work,” he said smoothly. Norman did not get offended. Instead, in front of thousands of people, he handed me a graceful way out, rescuing my fragile, shattered pride. His grace left me absolutely deeply shaken. That day felt like I had been cleansed by a sudden, beautiful rainstorm. I also knew, deep down, that he was a shore I could never reach, no matter how hard I swam. After graduation, I found a decent corporate job in Boston. I mapped out a practical life, aiming for a modest, successful future that had absolutely nothing to do with him. But just as my life was getting on track, my mother was diagnosed with terminal cervical cancer. In just three months, we drained every single penny we owned, but we still could not save her. My father broke under the grief. He turned to alcohol, cigarettes, and eventually, underground gambling. He mortgaged our house and took out massive loans from loan sharks. He destroyed whatever was left of our family. The next time I saw Norman, I was taking a shot of cheap tequila for a girl named Penny. She was there to party. I was there as a bottle girl, desperate for cash. Inside a loud, chaotic VIP booth, a sweaty, drunk man was dragging her by the wrist, trying to force liquor down her throat. “I bought this, so you are going to drink it.” “I will not!” Penny thrashed wildly. “Let go of me! My uncle is Norman Lancaster! If you touch me, he will destroy you!” That specific name made my hand freeze over the ice bucket. The next second, right as the man was about to pour the liquor into her mouth, I reached out and snatched the glass. “I will take this drink for her.” The man looked up, annoyed. His gaze landed on my face, tracing my pale skin, my features, and my long legs in the uniform skirt. I knew exactly what my assets were. His eyes lit up with disgusting hunger. “Alright, sweetheart. You drink it. Drink this, spend the night with me, and I will let the little brat go.” … I lost count of how many glasses they shoved down my throat. Suddenly, a glass bottle shattered against the fat man’s head with a sickening crunch. When I forced my heavy eyelids open, the disgusting man was already cowering on the floor. Standing over him was a tall, imposing figure. Through my blurred, spinning vision, I only saw a man in a flawless tailored suit. His aura was entirely lethal yet aristocratic. His hand, adorned with a million-dollar watch, grasped my arm with strict professional boundaries, pulling me up. “Are you alright?” My tongue felt numb. “I… I…” I just gave up and shook my head. I was practically dragged out of the club. The wind outside was brutal. The cold air mixing with the alcohol made the world spin violently. I collapsed onto the soft mattress of a luxury hotel room without ever seeing the man’s face clearly. But my intuition screamed at me. I knew it was Norman Lancaster. When I woke up the next morning, the suite was empty. But on the nightstand, there was a crisp piece of hotel stationery. “I remember you. Thank you for what you did last night. Here is my personal number. Keep it just in case.” The elegant handwriting perfectly matched his breathtaking profile. His face instantly flashed in my mind. My heart hammered against my ribs like an earthquake. 3 After that night, I kept my job at the club, constantly scanning the crowds, hoping Norman would walk through the doors again. But my luck was terrible. I did not find the man I was waiting for. Instead, I ran straight into the drunk man from that night. I learned his name was Director Marcus. He was a sleazy film director who had a few hit movies years ago and now used his fading influence to exploit desperate young actresses. Penny, wanting to break into Hollywood without her family’s help, had been tricked into coming to his booth. I was holding a tray of drinks when I locked eyes with him. The stench of stale alcohol hit my nose immediately. “You.” He ground his teeth, his eyes turning vicious. “You actually have the nerve to show your face around me?” His sweaty, greasy hands shot out, wrapping around my throat like a vice. He leaned in, panting heavily. “I am going to end you tonight, you little bitch.” My face drained of blood. I thrashed wildly, trying to break free. The other men in the VIP room immediately understood the assignment. They stood up and walked out, clearing the room for him. I screamed for help. “No! Let me go!” But the heavy, soundproof door clicked shut right in front of my eyes. My heart plummeted into absolute darkness. He violently threw me onto the leather sofa. His hands ripped at my uniform shirt, tearing the fabric. My hands scrambled blindly across the table, praying to find a glass bottle or a corkscrew. Anything. Instead, my fingers brushed against the phone in my vest pocket. I pressed the emergency dial without looking. BANG. The heavy doors were kicked open. Norman’s massive frame stood in the doorway, backlit by the hallway lights like a literal god. That was the third time we met. Right in the middle of my ruined, miserable life. I was exhausted, broken, and helpless. He was the light cutting through the fog. I found out later why my accidental emergency call got him there so fast. He was already in the club that night for a meeting. He had seen me when he walked in, but he had kept his distance. Because of my own calculated move to set his private number as my emergency contact, I had miraculously saved my own life. “Mr. Lancaster, thank you.” My throat was bruised. My voice came out cracked and hoarse. Norman’s eyes swept over my torn clothes. With perfect gentlemanly grace, he shrugged off his expensive suit jacket and draped it over my shoulders. He smiled faintly, polite and distant. “Do not mention it, Miss Madeline. I owed you a favor anyway.” “Consider us even.” Just then, his assistant walked in, carrying a brand new dress. I took it gratefully and went to the bathroom to change. When I stepped back out, I had regained whatever little dignity I had left. “The dress is beautiful. It looks like I owe you a favor again, Mr. Lancaster.” “…” As a way to repay him, or rather, using my gratitude as an excuse to cling to him. For the next two weeks, I practically stalked him. I begged him to hire me as his personal secretary. First, I genuinely wanted to pay him back. Second, I had realized a brutal truth. In this world, the only way to survive and protect myself was to stand behind the most powerful man in the room. Initially, Norman refused. But by pure luck, his executive secretary of five years, Rachel, had to go on sudden maternity leave. Her absence threw his entire meticulous life into absolute chaos. It was 11:00 PM. The icy winter wind slashed against my face, chilling me to the bone. I stood right outside the glass doors of Lancaster Corp headquarters. I watched this pristine, flawless billionaire walk out of the lobby, heavily rubbing his temples in exhaustion. His jaw was clenched tight, his expression masking deep frustration. His right hand was pressed hard against his stomach, rubbing it as if he were in pain from skipping meals. As his long strides carried him past me, I took a deep breath. I told myself, This is it. It is time to let go. But to my absolute shock, those expensive leather shoes stopped, turned around, and walked right back into my line of sight. “It seems I really cannot function without a woman organizing my life.” The freezing wind messed up his perfectly styled hair. His voice sounded like it was echoing from a deep, lonely cavern. Cold, detached, but yielding. He said, “Want to give it a try?” “…” And just like that. Our fourth encounter stopped time itself. I never told him that night was my deadline. I had made a bet with myself. If he rejected me by midnight, I would disappear from his life forever. Thank God. I had taken ninety-nine steps toward him, and just as I was about to turn around, he took the final step toward me. 4 After becoming Norman’s secretary, I became the busiest woman in New York. I did not want him to think I was a burden, so I compressed months of training into weeks, learning every single detail of his personal and professional life. My analytical brain, the one that made me valedictorian, allowed me to adapt instantly and navigate the corporate warzone with ease. Norman was extremely satisfied with my performance. Though he never praised me with words. Instead, he doubled my base salary, gave me massive performance bonuses, and bought me a luxury condo in the center of Manhattan. It was a life I used to think was a fantasy. Then came that night. I was wearing a stunning, elegant off-the-shoulder gown, accompanying him to an exclusive high-society gala. The old wolves of Wall Street kept coming over to toast him. As his secretary, I flawlessly stepped in, blocking the liquor and downing glass after glass with polite, charming smiles. I drank too much, too fast. My head was spinning. I excused myself and stepped out onto the terrace to get some fresh air. Suddenly, a warm, high-quality suit jacket was draped over my bare shoulders. My heart fluttered. Thinking it was Norman, I turned around eagerly. But the man standing there had a face I had never seen before. He had striking features and radiated an easy, arrogant wealth. I frowned immediately. “And you are?”

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I was eight months pregnant when my husband, Beta Ethan, finally made time to accompany me to the hospital for a prenatal checkup for the first time. But the moment we stepped into the hospital, his phone started vibrating urgently. The caller’s name flashed by for just an instant, but Ethan, who was usually so calm and composed, panicked immediately. “Honey, emergency alert—Rogues have invaded the pack again. I need to handle it… I’m sorry…” He was extremely anxious, his tone carrying the commanding force of someone in authority who wouldn’t take no for an answer. After a hasty apology, he left. As I stared at the back of his SUV speeding away, my nails had already crumpled the prenatal examination form in my hand. I hailed a cab with my swollen belly and quickly said: “Driver, follow that car.” Ha, Rogues invading the pack? What a ridiculous lie. My father was the Alpha and hadn’t received any notification. What urgent matter could a Beta like him possibly need to handle? I was going to see for myself which “superior” was so eager to “give him orders.”

The moment I said the word “affair,” the driver hit the gas and caught up with Ethan. I didn’t know who Ethan was going to meet, but my gut instinct made me uneasy. What I didn’t expect was that after turning corner after corner, the car finally stopped at the entrance to the pack’s newly developed villa district. I let out a long sigh of relief. At least it wasn’t some hotel. This place was a residential area the pack had allocated to high-ranking officials. Ethan had been assigned a villa here too. Before my first pregnancy, I’d lived here briefly for a few months. The neighbors were all very kind. But now, seeing luxury cars gathered at our doorway from a distance, with decorations and lights everywhere, I was puzzled. Was today some important occasion? Just as I was about to go in and see, I was stopped by the guard: “Pack high-level residential area. No entry without an invitation.” I was stunned, then smiled and explained, “I’m the wife of Beta Ethan, who just went in.” To my surprise, the guard looked at me with utter contempt. “Beta Ethan’s wife is Ms. Vivian. Who are you? You should at least do your research before impersonating someone.” In that instant, my entire body went rigid and I froze in place. Vivian—that nanny Ethan had hired for me… Coming back to my senses and ignoring the guard’s attempts to stop me, I rushed to the villa entrance with my swollen belly. I saw the hall filled with well-dressed elites and dignitaries, their laughter filling the air. Ethan’s mother Layla, who usually kept to herself and avoided social gatherings, was now unusually mingling and networking. And my husband Ethan was holding a child and bottle-feeding him for the first time ever, smiling happily at the petite woman beside him. That woman was Vivian… In an instant, it felt like a large hand was squeezing my heart, making it hard to breathe. Tears fell uncontrollably. When I was pregnant with my first child, Ethan had arranged a nanny for me. That was Vivian, who was still an Omega at the time. Later, after I gave birth, Ethan used his authority to change Vivian from an Omega into a regular wolf, saying it was to thank her for her service. After that, Vivian didn’t want to be a nanny anymore, so I found her many good job opportunities and even frequently had Ethan bring her supplements. But I never imagined that Ethan would have an affair with her and set her up in this house. This villa was the marital home he had carefully prepared for me after he was promoted to Beta. It was just far from the hospital, so when I got pregnant, Ethan was so worried about me that he bought a new house near the central hospital and we moved out. Who would have thought it would become their “proper” marital home? And they even had a child… When Ethan moved another woman and child into this villa, did he even remember that he became Beta entirely thanks to my father’s support? Ethan and I were fated mates. We got married not long after we started dating. He was just a regular wolf back then. It was I who begged my father, Alpha James, to help him rise step by step to become the Beta of Riverbend Pack. At the party, people were already flattering Ethan. “Congratulations, Beta Ethan! You have such a virtuous wife, and now your son is one year old. Your life is truly perfect!” “Oh my, Vivian is so lucky to have found someone like Ethan who dotes on his wife so much. I’m so jealous!” Someone nearby patted Layla’s hand and said. Layla’s eyes gleamed with satisfaction as she looked at Vivian, boasting: “It’s my Ethan who’s lucky to have married such a wonderful wife like Vivian.” After she finished speaking, Ethan didn’t avoid the crowd as he leaned in intimately to whisper something in Vivian’s ear. Vivian smiled shyly, then raised her glass to everyone: “I was afraid of affecting Ethan’s reputation in the pack, so I didn’t publicly announce our marriage. Please don’t hold it against us.” “Today is our child’s first birthday party. Thank you all for coming.” Seeing that Vivian had saved face for everyone, people smiled and complimented her. “How could we hold it against you? We still owe you a ‘congratulations on your wedding.’” “I say, since it’s such a special day, why don’t you two be bride and groom again and share a kiss!” Ethan’s subordinates joined in the cheering, and the atmosphere of the banquet reached a climax. Vivian immediately retreated shyly, but Ethan wrapped his arm around her waist. Just as he was about to kiss her, his gaze suddenly met mine at the doorway. The man abruptly pushed away the woman in his arms, startling Vivian so much that she crashed into a nearby table. “Amelia…” Wiping away the tears from my eyes with one hand, I stepped forward quickly with my swollen belly and raised my hand to deliver a slap. “Smack!” The crisp sound of the slap rang through the air, shocking the entire hall into dead silence. “Ethan!” Vivian’s eyes rolled back as she lunged at Ethan, hysterically berating me: “Amelia! How dare you—!” “Smack—!” Another slap. Half of Vivian’s face instantly swelled up red as she staggered back into Ethan’s arms, sobbing pitifully. I shook my numb palm. “Ame…” Ethan immediately reacted and shouted at me. “Ethan—!” But my voice was even louder. I turned my head and stared at him with cold eyes. “This is the ’emergency Rogue invasion’ you needed to handle?!”

Ethan was instantly speechless. He opened his mouth but couldn’t say anything. Many of Ethan’s subordinates and their families in the room were completely stunned and confused. As the atmosphere froze, a baby’s cry suddenly startled everyone back to their senses. Layla hurriedly took the child to soothe him, then immediately turned and cursed at me: “Amelia! You crazy woman, you’re divorced already—how dare you still come here and pester my son! Have some shame and get out, or when you offend some important person, you’ll regret it!” One of Ethan’s subordinate’s wives also immediately shouted: “I mean, even if you’re Beta Ethan’s ex-wife, you can’t just assault people. Seriously, this is an attack on a Beta!” Learning my identity, the hall exploded into chaos. People clamored about locking me up and teaching me a lesson. I frowned and grabbed Ethan’s collar, about to ask how I, his perfectly legal wife, had suddenly become his ex-wife. But Vivian shrank into Ethan’s arms first, looking at me with tears in her eyes: “Amelia… Ethan has already broken the mate bond with you. Why are you still clinging to us…” Tears streamed down her face: “It’s all my fault. I’ll give Ethan back to you, okay…” After she finished speaking, Ethan’s expression changed drastically. He suppressed his anger and scolded me: “Amelia! I’ve told you I won’t get back together with you! Stop harassing us!” “Get out before I lose my patience! I don’t have time to deal with you!” As he spoke, Ethan waved his hand, and several guards rushed over to forcibly remove me. As I struggled, I stumbled and bumped into Layla. But the moment I caught a clear glimpse of the baby’s face in her arms, my entire body was struck as if by lightning! Because the baby Layla was holding, supposedly Vivian’s child, was actually Joe—the child I had labored for seven hours to bring into this world during my first pregnancy! But my child had supposedly died three months ago, and Ethan had personally cremated him— Ethan… My breathing caught, and intense pain surged in my eyes. That bastard Ethan! He had actually faked our child’s death to deceive me, just so he could give the baby to Vivian to raise! “Give me my child back! He’s my Joe!” My teeth ground together audibly. I snatched the baby from the blanket, pushed Layla aside, and gently soothed the crying infant, tears streaming down my face in heartbreak. But Vivian suddenly panicked. She rushed over crying, trying to snatch the child away. Her voice choked and trembling: “Amelia, he’s not your child!” “I know Joe died and you were traumatized and went crazy. Even after the divorce, you insisted on clinging to Ethan to have another baby…” “I pitied you for losing your child and gave in to you everywhere, but you can’t steal my child!” “Please, I’m begging you, leave our family alone… I can reject Ethan, just please give me back my child!” Hearing this, Ethan’s expression contorted in pain. He gripped Vivian’s shoulders tightly and said firmly: “Vivian, I won’t allow it!” “Don’t even think about rejecting me. No one can tear our family of three apart.” “And what about me?!” I roared, interrupting them. Watching the two of them reluctantly expressing their devotion to each other, if I weren’t the one with the mate bond to Ethan, I would’ve thought they were the married couple who had established a mate bond. I pointed at my heavy pregnant belly and said to him word by word: “Ethan, I’m still carrying your child. You’re having an affair right in front of me and making me out to be your ex-wife. Aren’t you disgusting?!” His Adam’s apple bobbed and his eyes avoided mine. But Vivian’s tears suddenly fell even harder, as if she’d suffered the greatest injustice. She turned to the guests and sobbed: “I’m sorry, everyone. Amelia is Ethan’s ex-wife. She went crazy after losing her child during a difficult delivery.” “Later she kept pestering Ethan to have a child with her. When he refused, she found many homeless men and thugs… to get pregnant…” “Ethan took care of her out of consideration for their past, but she’s trying to force Ethan to acknowledge this bastard child and… and threatening us to divorce…” These words instantly ignited the fury of everyone present. The wealthy ladies immediately shouted with contempt: “That crazy bitch has it all! Someone! Get this shrew out of here now!” Gently soothing the child in my arms, I snorted coldly and suddenly laughed in anger. I grew up abroad and was only brought back to the pack by my father when I was older, so very few people in the pack knew or recognized me. Very few knew that Alpha James even had a daughter. When Ethan and I got married, he didn’t want to make a big deal of it, afraid people would say he only got promoted because of my father, so we chose to keep the marriage secret. But I never expected that all of this would result in me, the Alpha’s daughter and the Beta’s wife, being called a crazy woman and a whore. Looking at Vivian, my eyes turned cold as ice: “Who’s the whore pretending to be pure? Vivian, don’t you know? Need me to remind you how much I paid you per month when you were a nanny?” “Who took my thirty million and knelt in front of me begging for a good job? Wasn’t that you?” “What, does Ethan not pay you enough as his mistress? So now you’re trying to take my place directly?” “You’re a mistress who insists on playing the wife—doesn’t your face hurt?” Before I could finish, despite my pregnant belly, I was suddenly shoved and stumbled.

“You’re the homewrecker destroying my son’s family!” Layla’s shrill curse came through. My back slammed hard against the wall, and my entire abdomen suddenly cramped with pain. The child in my arms was also snatched away and handed to Vivian. Immediately after, Ethan’s subordinates also expressed righteous indignation: “That’s right! Everyone here knows Beta Ethan and Vivian are a couple!” “Vivian has been living here for a long time, we all know her! She’s always been a homemaker taking care of Ethan’s daily life, and she bore him a child!” “And you, a useless ex-wife, only know how to drag Beta Ethan down. You should be the one who’s ashamed!” This was clearly the villa my father had assigned to Ethan, yet he let Vivian, a mistress, move in! From what they were saying, shortly after I moved out, Vivian moved in. Ethan was truly shameless! Ethan’s subordinates continued talking. “Exactly! Even if you’re mentally ill, disturbing the pack’s order is still illegal!” “A slut like you, stop pretending to be Beta Ethan’s wife and dirtying our eyes. Beta Ethan is too kind-hearted. If it were me, I would have…” Vicious insults echoed around me. And in the midst of this nightmare, I looked pale at the man standing aside, keeping himself completely detached. “Ethan.” My voice was weak. “You tell them… how exactly did you get your position as Beta?” Ethan’s fingers suddenly clenched. He turned his head and looked at me coldly, a rare trace of hatred appearing in his usually indifferent eyes. I smiled. “You said you didn’t want to be just a wolf warrior for the rest of your life. I agreed and begged my father to arrange a higher position for you in the pack.” “After we got married, you said your rank was too low and you weren’t worthy of me, so I begged my father again.” “I begged my father step by step to promote you to the position of Beta, making you the youngest Beta in Riverbend Pack’s history. And now this is how you—” “Enough!” Ethan suddenly roared. He strode forward and grabbed my throat, his eyes savage and bloodshot as he shouted at me: “You’re lying! Everything I have today, I fought for myself! What does it have to do with a useless person like you?!” My neck hurt terribly. The intense suffocation made my vision go black instantly, and my entire face turned purple from the congested blood. But seeing my conviction, Ethan was suddenly provoked to fury. The subordinates and wealthy ladies seemed to sense something and began whispering among themselves. Seeing this, a dark gleam flashed in Vivian’s eyes. Holding the child, she suddenly dropped to her knees before me, crying mournfully: “Amelia, I’ve tolerated your crazy ramblings on ordinary days.” “But on an occasion like today, if you talk nonsense, you’ll really ruin Ethan’s future!” “I’m begging you, Amelia. I’m kneeling to you. Please stop being crazy! Okay…” She crawled forward a few steps on her knees and grabbed my pant leg. Ethan was shocked. The hand gripping my throat suddenly released, and he crouched down to help her up. But in the next second, Vivian grabbed my leg and threw herself backward. At the same time, she screamed: “Ah—! Amelia, just kick me to death!” Before I could react, in the next instant, Ethan’s hysterical slap had already landed hard: “Amelia! You don’t know when to stop!” A dull pain shot through my right cheek. I raised my hand to strike back, but Layla suddenly kicked me hard in the lower back. Caught off guard, I was sent flying into a curio cabinet. The moment I staggered and fell, my stomach cramped with bone-piercing pain, and bright red blood flowed from between my legs. In an instant, there was a pool of red beneath me. I sat paralyzed in the pool of blood, my entire body in excruciating pain as if it were falling apart. “My stomach… Ethan… my stomach hurts…” Blood tears flowed from my eyes as I reached out to Ethan for help. But Layla stomped hard on my hand, the pain making it feel like my bones were about to shatter: “Bitch! Stop faking it! My son won’t be threatened by you!” Tears blurred my vision. My lips trembled: “Ethan… I’m not faking… hurry… take me to the hospital…” But Ethan didn’t even turn back to look at me. He only carefully protected Vivian, his voice cold and heartless: “Enough! Amelia, stop pretending and apologize to Vivian!” “Always using the child as an excuse—do you think I’ll believe you?!” As he spoke, Ethan turned back angrily, but when he suddenly caught sight of the blood beneath me, the disgust on his face instantly crumbled, revealing a hint of fear. Ethan knew my identity. He absolutely couldn’t stand by and do nothing. Staring hard at Ethan’s panicked eyes, I endured the pain that felt like my intestines were being twisted and said through clenched teeth: “Ethan! If anything happens to the child in my belly! You! The biological father!” “Will be the murderer who killed him!” “My father and brother will make you pay with your life! Hurry! Take me to the hospital!”

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After my tenth miscarriage, I stumbled upon a viral post. [“My husband is a medical psychopath. To cure my fear of miscarriage, he deliberately married his enemy’s daughter.”] [“For ten years of marriage, he used hypnosis, staged accidents, and ten different methods to make her miscarry.”] [“Now he’s compiled all the observation data. My fear of miscarriage has finally disappeared.”] Someone asked: [“That’s so cruel. She never noticed?”] The poster replied: [“She’s been suffering from severe depression. Every time she miscarried, my husband provided psychological counseling. She’s too grateful to even suspect anything.”] [“The most recent one was hilarious—I personally made the incense blend.”] [“After smelling it, she rolled down the stairs all by herself. Even the surveillance cameras couldn’t detect anything suspicious.”] The pen in my hand clattered to the floor. My husband is a doctor. Yesterday, I lost my twins after smelling the calming incense my husband lit at home—right before I missed a step on the stairs. The poster’s final update read: [“Happy anniversary, and thank you for everything you’ve done for me!”] The photo showed two hands with fingers tightly intertwined. On the man’s hand was a cute little bear band-aid I’d personally drawn. It was our unique symbol of love—something I made for him every time he got injured during surgery. 1 Tears fell uncontrollably. I dumped all the dirty bear band-aids my husband had prepared into the trash. A cold presence approached. Peyton stood at the door without me noticing. “What are you freaking out about now?” “You just had a miscarriage. Instead of resting in bed, when exactly do you plan to recover?” Looking at his cold, aristocratic face made my stomach churn. “Recover so I can be your lab rat for the eleventh miscarriage?” Thinking of the children I’d lost, I grabbed the incense and threw it at his face. “You never let her go!” “All ten of my miscarriages—you orchestrated them for her, didn’t you?!” Seeing my pale face, Peyton frowned slightly and stayed silent for a few seconds. “Yes.” He removed his glasses and wiped them methodically. “Noelle has severe miscarriage phobia. I need to put her at ease.” “Your pain after each miscarriage, your depression levels, your recovery cycles—they all help her desensitize.” I could barely stand. Just because Noelle feared miscarriage, I had to lose eleven children to cure her! “So what am I to you?” “A test subject?” “This is murder!” I grabbed my phone and dialed 91

Peyton snatched the phone away. “You have no evidence.” “The forum post is deleted. Screenshots can be faked.” “You have a history of severe depression and have been on psychiatric medication long-term.” “And I’m your attending physician.” Every sentence cut off my escape routes. I remembered how, starting from my third miscarriage, he told me I was depressed and signed all those treatment documents for me. How he made me undergo psychological evaluations over and over. How he said: “Olivia, it’s okay to be sick. I’ll always be with you.” It turned out all that companionship was for this day. So that when I finally woke up, he could prove I was crazy. The last trace of love in my heart completely vanished. Peyton, I’m done with you. I lunged forward trying to grab my phone back. The wound from yesterday’s dilation and curettage tore open. I collapsed to the floor in pain. He instinctively reached out to support me, but quickly let go. His voice was cold: “Olivia, don’t use your miscarriage to manipulate me. The way you look right now is truly pathetic.” “Don’t blame me for being heartless. You should understand—some debts can never be repaid.” I understood. He still believed my father deliberately killed his father on the operating table. He still saw me as the enemy’s daughter, using my children to repay my father’s debt. But he forgot. That year when I was eight, his enemies wanted to eliminate him after his family fell apart. He was covered in blood, nearly frozen to death in the snow. I couldn’t bear it and brought him home, saving his life. My father had just died unexpectedly then. People said he intentionally killed someone and committed suicide out of guilt. My mother’s appeals fell on deaf ears. She died of depression. I barely survived on what little savings remained. Unable to afford band-aids, I cut up the softest old clothes and wrapped his wounds. I drew a little bear on the cloth strips and comforted him: “Don’t be afraid. The little bear will protect you, and I’ll stay with you too.” From then on, we depended on each other. Huddled under one blanket shivering with cold, sharing a single piece of bread. When people bullied me for being an orphan, he stood in front of me, covered in blood but refusing to back down. I could only cry as I wrapped him with the bear cloth strips. That little bear became our lifelong token. That’s how we slowly grew up together in the mud. 2 After the SATs, I gave up my future to support his study abroad. Working during the day, drawing illustrations at night. He held the plane ticket I’d saved three months to buy and cried while hugging me: “Olivia, you’re my life!” “When I come back, I’ll marry you in the grandest way possible!” For those words, I waited five bitter years. He really did return as a top doctor. I thought everything had finally turned around. But he came back with another woman. I went to the airport holding the little bear. Peyton knocked it out of my hands. “Olivia, the man your father killed back then was my father!” “Noelle is my childhood friend. She’s kind-hearted and would never lie to me.” “You’re the dirty daughter of a murderer, the daughter of my father’s killer. We’re done!” I refused to accept it. I desperately chased after him to explain that my father wasn’t that kind of person. I fell on the escalator covered in blood, but he didn’t care. I showed him the childhood bear bandage begging him to come back. He was indifferent. I blocked the entrance to his apartment for three days and nights without eating or drinking. I cried until I fainted, but he remained unmoved. Not until I stood on the rooftop threatening to jump did he reluctantly compromise. He agreed to break ties with Noelle and marry me. For ten years, I wanted to give him a complete family. I got pregnant again and again, only to miscarry again and again. I always thought I wasn’t doing enough. But I never imagined this was an experiment he conducted over ten years, using my eleven children for Noelle’s sake. Peyton’s phone screen lit up. The caller ID read: Noelle. His expression softened considerably. He didn’t avoid me. Soft crying came from the other end. “Peyton, did Olivia find out?” “Will she hate me? I really didn’t mean to post it. I was just so happy to finally be desensitized…” I stood there, my whole body going cold. So happy. She killed my eleven children, destroyed my life, and she said she was so happy. “So what if she found out? They’re just lumps of flesh. Gone is gone.” “As long as it helps you overcome your fear of miscarriage, even if she miscarries ten more times, she deserves it.” Peyton glanced at me and gently consoled her: “Don’t be afraid. I’m here.” “I absolutely won’t let her hurt you.” I suddenly laughed. A woman who just lost twins and could barely stand. In his eyes, I’d become the villain who would hurt Noelle. A piercing pain shot through my abdomen. Hot blood instantly stained the floor. Peyton’s fingers paused slightly. He instinctively took half a step toward me. But when his eyes met my reddened ones, his face showed disgust. He coldly withdrew his foot. “Olivia, how long are you going to keep this up?” “Deliberately reopening your wound to create a bloody scene—do you think this pathetic sympathy ploy will make me soften and care about you?” The scene before me brought me back to that winter. Peyton’s enemies found him and wanted to silence him. At the critical moment, I wore his coat to lead the killers away and took a fatal stab for him. Back then, Peyton’s eyes were bloodshot. Like a madman, he carried me running through the snow. He knelt crying and begged doctors to save me, saying he’d trade his life if necessary. But now, with all this blood I’d lost, his eyes only showed impatience. Just then, a piercing scream came through the phone: “Ah! Peyton! It’s blood! I’m so scared! I’m hallucinating again… Save me…” 3 Peyton immediately spoke soothingly into the phone: “Noelle, don’t be afraid. Close your eyes. I’ll come right away.” When he looked at me again, only coldness remained in his eyes. “You caused this yourself. Call a doctor yourself.” He threw my phone into the pool of blood and turned to leave without hesitation, not sparing me an extra glance. The moment the villa door closed, my phone received an anonymous text: “Tonight is Peyton’s 35th birthday party. If you want to know the truth about your father, meet me on the top deck.” Trembling, I fumbled for my phone with its shattered screen from the pool of blood and dialed 120 myself. When I woke up, I was already in a hospital room. The doctor informed me the remnants weren’t completely cleared. I needed an immediate second procedure. I probably would never have a baby again. The hospital room TV was broadcasting gossip news: Harbor City’s top doctor Peyton was hosting his 35th birthday party on a luxury cruise ship. The camera panned across a giant screen on the cruise ship playing intimate images of Peyton and Noelle on loop. Below was a prominent line of text: “Congratulations to Noelle for overcoming ten years of miscarriage phobia and beginning anew!” I bit my lip until it bled. With no family to accompany me, I had to sign the consent form myself. After the surgery, the pain nearly shattered my teeth. The doctor told me to stay in bed or risk my life. But to uncover the truth and end all this. I had to drag my broken body and force myself to leave. In the evening, following the text message’s directions, I brought the divorce agreement to that luxury cruise ship. The place was brilliantly lit, filled with the wealthy and powerful. At the center of the crowd, Peyton gently held Noelle’s hand as they cut into a seven-tier custom cake worth a fortune. What a ridiculous scene. On his 19th birthday, we were so poor we couldn’t even afford heating. I’d stayed up three nights drawing illustrations to buy a small strawberry cake. Back then, Peyton had tears in his eyes as he held me tight and swore: “Olivia, when I’m rich, I’ll buy you the biggest cake every day. Everything I have will be yours.” But now that he had everything, there was a different woman by his side. As I entered the banquet hall, mocking laughter arose. “Oh, isn’t that the crazy stalker who won’t let go? Begging again?” “The murderer’s daughter really has no shame!” Seeing the blood on my clothes, Noelle immediately cowered into Peyton’s arms screaming: “Peyton! She has blood on her… I’m scared!” Seeing my deathly pale face, the slight smile in Peyton’s eyes instantly froze. He strode over and grabbed my wrist, gripping so hard he nearly crushed my bones. “Who said you could come? Playing dead during the day wasn’t enough? Now you’re here at night to disgust Noelle?” I laughed coldly and shook my head. Calmly, I pulled out the signed divorce agreement from my bag. And threw it in his face. “Peyton, let’s get divorced.” Perhaps because I wasn’t hysterical as he expected, or perhaps my attitude was too cold. Peyton’s hand holding the wine glass froze abruptly, but he soon scoffed disdainfully. “Divorce? Olivia, aren’t you tired of this playing-hard-to-get routine?” “Your father owes me a life. Without my permission, even if you die, you can only die as a member of the Lawson family!” He lit a lighter and burned the divorce agreement to ash: “Remember this—when our fated relationship ends is for me to decide!” “Take her to the top deck. Without my orders, no one is allowed to let her down.” 4 My numb body suddenly stiffened. I looked at Peyton in disbelief. The top deck?! Could it be… The early winter wind mixed with ice shards from the sea surface cut into my bones like knives. But from the banquet hall below came the sounds of drunken revelry and classical symphony music. I’d just undergone a second dilation and curettage. Under the extreme cold’s assault, the pain made me curl up on the freezing deck, convulsing uncontrollably. Time stretched infinitely in the agony. Finally, near midnight, footsteps approached. The mysterious person who would tell me the truth had arrived. When I saw her face clearly, my heart contracted violently. It was her! Noelle looked at me with a cold laugh: “That’s right. I’m the one who told you to come!” “Peyton clearly hates you so much, but his hand trembled when he burned the divorce papers.” “I really can’t let you live anymore. As long as you’re alive, you’ll eventually give birth to that huge problem.” Huge problem? I stared at Noelle, my voice trembling. “Tell me… what really happened back then?” Noelle leaned close to my ear, her tone vicious: “At this point, there’s no harm in telling you.” “The one who tampered with things on the operating table and killed Peyton’s father was my father.” “Your innocent doctor father was just a scapegoat for the Lynch family!” “Even your mother who kept appealing everywhere—the Lynch family took care of her personally.” Noelle laughed maniacally. “I never had any miscarriage phobia at all.” “That old man from the Lawson family converted his entire $2 billion estate into a family trust before dying. It would only unlock when Peyton had his first child!” “Peyton was only eight then. He still doesn’t know about it to this day. That’s also why we didn’t kill you two back then.” “My family schemed so hard for that money. How could I let you two wretches get it?” My eyes filled with blood. Images of my parents’ tragic deaths and my children turning to blood intertwined in my mind. I lunged at Noelle like a madwoman, grabbing her throat. I slapped her until blood seeped from her mouth: “Give me back my children! Give me back my parents!” “I’ll kill you!” Noelle suddenly stopped laughing coldly and cried out loudly: “Olivia! Don’t! Please spare me!” But the steak knife in her hand suddenly stabbed through my abdomen. She kicked over the oil she’d prepared in advance. Hearing the commotion, Peyton burst through the door onto the deck. Flames shot skyward. The deck’s edge was about to collapse. A massive mechanical hook lost control and swung toward both of us. With a knife in my abdomen, I was violently flung over the railing. My chest screamed with pain. My entire body dangled above the turbulent deep sea. I used my last bit of strength to call out: “Peyton… save me… She’s your enemy’s daughter…” “She’ll kill you.” Noelle fell near the deck’s edge, hysterically screaming: “Peyton, save me! She’s trying to kill me! I’m so scared!” Peyton charged over with bloodshot eyes, looking at me with disgust. “Olivia, you vicious woman, you can even make up such lies?” “Just reflect here. Consider it repaying your father’s debt!” Without hesitation, he picked up the terrified-looking Noelle and rushed out of the flames without looking back. “Dong—” The cruise ship’s clock struck midnight. The instant Peyton saved Noelle, his phone in his suit pocket suddenly vibrated violently. A top-secret message from a Swiss bank flashed on the screen: [Dear Mr. Peyton Lawson:] [The $2 billion family trust established by your father has successfully triggered the second release condition: the beneficiary has turned 35 today.] [$2,000,000,000.00 has been transferred to your account ending in 0988.] [Note: The original first priority unlock condition “unlocks upon birth of first legitimate heir” has been voided.] “Trust… child…” Peyton’s brain exploded. All the clues from these years connected. He instantly understood everything. “Olivia!” He shoved Noelle aside and rushed back toward me. The next second, a massive “boom” sounded. As Peyton let out a desperate roar, the fire-scorched deck completely collapsed. I fell like a kite with a broken string, plummeting straight into the icy deep sea. Swallowed by pitch-black waves. “No—!” Peyton stood frozen at the railing, eyes bloodshot. Noelle was pushed to the ground. She scrambled to pick up Peyton’s phone that had fallen. She shrieked in shock.

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On New Year’s Eve, five months pregnant, I was urgently called back to the hospital to perform a C-section on a patient. Halfway through the surgery, a man’s hoarse roar came from the doorway. “Luna! Don’t be afraid, I’m here with you! After you have the baby, I’ll marry you and bring you home, okay?” The familiar voice made me freeze. It wasn’t until the surgery ended successfully and the man rushed in with reddened eyes to embrace Luna that I finally saw clearly. It was my husband of five years, Ethan Walker. When I saw the man’s face clearly, I froze for a moment before speaking in a hoarse voice. “Congratulations, it’s a seven-pound baby boy.” Ethan didn’t have time to look at the child, much less notice me. “Luna, thank you, thank you for giving me a child. You’re the best wife I could ask for. Luna, I love you.” He trembled as he placed a kiss on Luna’s forehead. Sincere and beautiful. Almost exactly like the scene I’d dreamed of when I would give birth. Unfortunately, I wasn’t the protagonist. Several new nurses exclaimed in admiration, their faces full of envy. “They’re so in love! This is the first time I’ve seen someone go to their wife first instead of the baby when the child is born!” “I’m so jealous of her! She found such a wonderful man.” My whole body trembled. It was like having a bucket of cold water poured over me from head to toe, my heart flooding with cold. Just five hours ago, Ethan had been carefully peeling shrimp for me at our New Year’s dinner. When a relative saw this and teased him about it, he didn’t mind at all. He reached over to wipe the corner of my mouth. “Sophia’s become even more of a foodie since getting pregnant. I do this all the time. If I don’t peel them for her, she’ll throw a tantrum and say I don’t love her!” I was a bit confused but didn’t say anything. After all, the tantrums he mentioned—I’d never thrown any. When his father offered him a drink, for the first time he refused, despite usually being so obedient. “Sophia is pregnant and gets uncomfortable when she smells alcohol. As her husband, I need to take care of her.” My heart had been so warm then. Now it was just as cold. It wasn’t until Luna was wheeled into the hospital room and a nurse took the baby from my frozen arms that my best friend, Cassidy, pulled down my mask, her face full of concern. “Sophia, with Ethan… isn’t there some kind of misunderstanding?” I lowered my eyes, feeling heat rising in them. But my mind flashed back to Ethan’s stunned expression when he first learned I was pregnant. At the time, I thought he was just happy and dazed, so I didn’t think much of it. He also reacted belatedly, hugging me tightly and kissing my forehead. “Sophia! I’m going to be a father? I’m so happy!” When he learned I didn’t plan to quit my job, Ethan’s expression soured and his tone became heavy. “But won’t that be too exhausting? Pregnancy will affect your work. You’ll have trouble managing both! If you don’t want the child, we can get rid of it!” I refused. But now, I regretted it a little. That momentary hesitation, those words hoping I’d abort the child—they were all his true feelings. Of course. Two children would be hard for him to manage. One was best. The one he loved most was best. I changed my clothes and passed by the hospital room, seeing the two of them nestled together inside. My heart filled with bitterness. It wasn’t until I left the hospital that Cassidy drove up and stopped in front of me. Only then did I wearily rub my temples, my hand falling to my swollen belly. My voice was hoarse but serious. “Cassidy, the hospital’s New Year holiday lasts a week, and we start work next Wednesday, right?” “Right.” “Then please schedule me for the earliest abortion procedure next Wednesday.”

After saying that, I didn’t wait to see Cassidy’s shocked expression. I drove home alone. Almost as soon as I reached my door, my phone received a message from Ethan. [Sophia, a really important project suddenly came up at the company tonight. I won’t be coming home to spend New Year’s with you.] I paused. Then he called. “Sophia, don’t throw a tantrum over something so small, okay? I can put up with your pregnancy mood swings once or twice, but after a while it really annoys me. Can you just be good? I’m working overtime to earn more money to support the baby. If you’re going to throw a fit over something like this, then let’s just abort the baby while it’s still small. Besides, you got called back to the hospital to work overtime too, didn’t you?” He’d said things like this many times before. During my second month of pregnancy, I had such bad morning sickness I couldn’t eat anything. He got impatient and threw away the food. “It’s just pregnancy! I’ve seen other people… and none of them are as delicate as you! How come you can’t eat anything? Don’t tell me you’re faking morning sickness to get me to stay with you like my coworkers said? Sophia! I’m busy too!” A woman’s sixth sense told me his “coworker” wasn’t just a regular colleague. But I was feeling too sick to investigate further. I just begged him to pour me a glass of warm water. “Where am I supposed to get warm water this late at night? You want me to specifically boil a pot for you? Can’t you just put up with it and drink something cold? How come everyone else can drink it but not you?” “If you can’t handle the difficulties of pregnancy, then just abort the baby early!” Only now did I realize. Every word he said back then came straight from his heart. How ridiculous, right? But wasn’t this too cruel to me? I stayed silent for a long time, finally speaking just before Ethan’s patience ran out. “Okay, got it. I won’t wait up for you then.” With that, I hung up directly.

Ethan came home early the next morning. He packed up some things, taking the baby items I’d prepared early, and was about to leave. “A coworker just had a baby and doesn’t have anything to give them. I’ll take the stuff we prepared for our baby and give it to her first. We can buy new things when you give birth.” I was a bit dazed, unconsciously touching my belly. Right. I wouldn’t need them anymore. This child wouldn’t be born either. Ethan didn’t notice. Seeing me dazed, his expression gradually darkened. But a trace of guilt flickered in his eyes. “You’re going to be petty over some baby supplies? Really? We can just buy the exact same things again later. Your temper has been so bad since you got pregnant. Do you really think you’re royalty or something?” I forced a smile and spoke obediently. “Okay, whatever you say.” When I finished speaking, Ethan froze again. Since getting pregnant, I hadn’t been this submissive in a long time. Pregnancy hormones made me cry easily, throw tantrums, and lose my temper. On our anniversary, I had seen Luna. She sat at the table next to ours, alone and looking sad with her pregnant belly. “I really envy you two. Your relationship is so good.” I was about to comfort her when Ethan directly gave her the necklace he’d prepared for me. “This necklace suits you better. I’ll give it to you. Don’t be sad anymore.” After saying that, he naturally reached out and patted her head. I froze on the spot, my face turning ugly. Luna hurriedly stood up, her face pale, tears in her eyes. “No, you don’t have to. This is your anniversary gift. I can’t take it. I’m sorry, miss. I didn’t mean to ruin your anniversary. I’m really sorry.” By the end, her eyes were red. She almost knelt down to me. Before I could speak, Ethan scolded me furiously. “Sophia! Haven’t you caused enough trouble! It’s just a necklace! If you want one, we can buy another one! She likes it, so I gave it to her! Do you have to be so petty? She’s crying!” My words stuck in my throat. Watching Ethan intimately help Luna up, I finally couldn’t hold back and burst into tears. But he just looked impatient and pointed at the door. “If you want to cry, go cry outside! You think you’re an empress just because you’re pregnant? She’s already upset, why do you have to make it worse? Is that fun for you?” Afterward, he explained to me. “She’s all alone and already so pitiful. You’re about to be a mother too. Just think of it as doing a good deed, okay?” Isn’t it laughable? Ethan and his mistress were being intimate right in front of me. And I was too stupid to see it. How pathetic, right? Her child was born. But I was only five months along. How ironic, right? Ethan, your love really is cheap enough. Coming back to my senses, Ethan held me in his arms and kissed my forehead. “Be good. I have to go on a business trip for three days. Take care of yourself and the baby at home, okay? If you’d been this obedient earlier, we wouldn’t have had to argue.” I showed no expression. I looked at him calmly. “You’re going on a business trip during the New Year holiday too?” Ethan’s face stiffened for a moment. But he quickly put on a smile and pinched my cheek. “Yes, for you and the baby.”

After Ethan left, I slept all afternoon. When I woke up, it was already dark. I casually picked up my phone and scrolled through social media, when I saw a post from an unfamiliar secondary account. It was a family photo taken at the hospital. Luna held the baby, Ethan sat beside her, and Ethan’s parents stood nearby with big smiles. The caption read: [Four years with my husband, and now we have our little baby! The whole family is spoiling me like a little princess again!] The most striking comment below was from Ethan’s mother. [Our harmonious family is the greatest happiness!] A harmonious family? Could a mistress and her child really be called a harmonious family? Married for five years, but they’d been together for four? So they all knew. They were all keeping it from me. I pressed my lips together and couldn’t help but laugh. I laughed until tears poured down in large drops that I couldn’t wipe away fast enough. Ethan. I regret this so much. Late that night, I finally calmed my emotions and returned to the bedroom. I was about to take my vitamins when I noticed the pills looked different from usual. Although I studied obstetrics and gynecology, I could still tell the difference between pills. Unless I was drowsy and not fully conscious, it would be impossible to mix them up. The pill bottle sat on the nightstand. Normally, no one except Ethan could freely enter and exit. The answer was obvious. The hand holding the pills began to tremble uncontrollably. In the end, my whole body went limp and I collapsed to the floor with a thud. “It can’t be…” I desperately tried to comfort myself, desperately wanted to believe in Ethan. After all, we had truly been in love for several years. At our most loving, he even protected me underneath him during a car accident, just to keep me safe. He said, “Sophia, you’re far more important to me than I am to myself. I can’t lose you.” That day, I cried until I nearly lost my voice, swearing I’d only love him for the rest of my life. Today, I was equally choked with tears, but I was searching for reasons to believe in him. Ethan. Please, please don’t let it be you… On the third day, I asked Cassidy. “Sophia, this is a hormone pill. A pregnant woman absolutely can’t take this randomly. It could easily cause fetal deformities.” I completely froze in place, unable to hear anything else. The guilt in Ethan’s eyes when he left that day—I finally understood it. My last shred of hope for Ethan was completely shattered. Years of feelings, unable to withstand the high pressure, finally collapsed entirely.

Ethan didn’t come back on the third day. I sat dazed on the sofa until it grew dark and then light again. My phone rang and rang. Until the battery died and it automatically shut off, and the world became completely quiet. Next Wednesday was my birthday. I sat outside the operating room and called Ethan. “Sophia? You finally called me back. Have you been sulking these past few days? I’ve been too busy to come back.” “I’m doing this for triple pay! Can’t you be a little understanding? What do you think I am, ignoring my calls and messages? If you can’t handle this marriage, then let’s just get divorced! What’s the point of losing your temper at me every day? I really don’t have time to coax you!” By the end, his tone was terrible. I pretended not to hear. I spoke calmly and indifferently. “Ethan, do you remember today is my birthday?” He paused on the other end, saying nothing. I didn’t care. I wiped away my tears and continued. “It’s okay if you forgot. You don’t need to remember anymore. Ethan, when you come back, let’s get divorced.” After I finished speaking, he was silent for a long time. So long that I thought he’d already hung up, when a voice finally came through. “Sophia, are you using divorce as an excuse to force me to come back? Why do you have to be so extreme? Why can’t you try to understand me? Do you think I’ll give in if you do this?” “I hate it most when you play these games! Sophia, I’ll come back when you learn to behave!” I pressed my lips together. I stared at my phone, at the screen full of chat records and photos, in a daze. This was Luna’s secondary account, which had been sending me messages these past few days. From the very beginning when they met, to their current chat records—I’d seen it all. In four years, nine out of ten times he “worked overtime,” he was at Luna’s place. And I’d foolishly prepared meals and waited for him until late at night. Even when I saw the hickeys on his neck, I deluded myself into thinking they were mosquito bites. I trusted him completely. But he lied to me. Ethan. This is so unfair to me. If you don’t love me anymore, why won’t you let me go? “Ethan, I’m not joking.” “When you come back, let’s get divorced.” Just then, a new nurse came out with a form, calling for patients. Her voice carried into the phone. “Sophia, which one is Sophia? Your scheduled abortion procedure is ready!”

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My dad had been nagging me about blind dates for three whole years. He always sighed and said that after he and my mom were gone, leaving me alone in this world would be too lonely. To put his mind at ease, I went to meet the girl his old friend had introduced—Sienna. She was sophisticated and down-to-earth, not materialistic, the most compatible blind date I’d ever met. My dad couldn’t stop praising her, urging me every day to act fast, saying a girl this wonderful wouldn’t wait around forever. Just the night before I was secretly planning to propose with the diamond ring I’d already ordered, I accidentally came across a screenshot from a high-society girls’ group chat. “Ladies, I’ve found a rich idiot. Stupid and loaded. I’ll have him completely trapped tomorrow.” Below it was a candid photo she’d secretly taken of me eating, showing my profile. My fingers trembled as I scrolled down: “I’ve got my eye on that limited edition Hermès Birkin. Tomorrow I’ll spike his drink, and when he’s out of it, I’ll just swipe his card. That’s how I handled the last old guy with a Mercedes. Worked perfectly, no problems at all.” Just then, my phone suddenly vibrated. Sienna sent me a message: “Tristan, I’ve booked your favorite restaurant for tomorrow night. Let’s have dinner together.”

I looked at those screenshots over and over, unable to believe it. Sienna, who was always so dignified and proper, was this vile online. But the photo was right there—my jacket, my hands. How could I not recognize myself? The evidence was ironclad. Breaking into a cold sweat, I took a deep breath and replied: “Sure, see you tomorrow night.” The next day I arrived at the restaurant to find Sienna already there early, with all the dishes already ordered. Seeing me enter, she quickly stood up with a smile and pulled out my chair. “Tristan, you’re here. You look so sharp today.” The picture of a refined young lady. We’d barely eaten a few bites when I heard her say, “Tristan, we’ve met several times now. We should make it official. My dad says he’ll arrange our engagement for next week.” I nearly dropped my fork. Including today, we’d only met four times, and we hadn’t even confirmed our relationship. Engagement already? I swallowed the curse words on the tip of my tongue. “Sienna, I don’t think we’re compatible.” Sienna’s smile froze. “What are you saying, Tristan?” “I’m saying we’re not compatible. You can’t force a relationship. Let’s not contact each other anymore.” Sienna’s face immediately darkened. “Tristan Parker, what do you mean? Are you playing games with me? If you weren’t interested, why did you keep meeting me?” I listened wordlessly, not responding. Sienna snorted coldly and pulled a piece of paper from her bag, slapping it on the table. “Fine, you want to break up? Let’s settle the accounts first.” I looked down to see an itemized list of dating expenses. A long string of items, with a total at the bottom: Forty-eight thousand dollars. I was shocked and looked up at her. She looked completely justified. “Not a penny less.” “But I treated you too. It’s not like you were the only one paying.” As far as dating expenses went, I’d spent about the same amount as her. “That was your choice. I didn’t force you.” I laughed in disbelief. “You’re charging me for the Uber ride you took to get here?” It said two hundred dollars for the ride, but it only took her twenty minutes to get here. “If I wasn’t coming to see you, would I need to make this trip? Who else should I charge if not you?” I pointed at the line that said “beauty treatment, two thousand eight hundred” and asked again, “What does your spa treatment have to do with me?” “If I wasn’t meeting you, would I need to maintain my appearance?” Sienna said self-righteously. I was so angry I nearly choked. “Then show me the receipts, the order screenshots. Let’s go through it line by line. I’m not taking your word for it.” Sienna slammed the table. “What receipts? You have no idea how much effort I put into dating you? You think you can just take advantage and run?” Her aggressive manner finally matched that bitter woman in the screenshots. Instead, I calmed down. “How about this—take a photo of this list and post it on your social media. Get two hundred likes, and I’ll transfer the money immediately. Not a penny less.” Sienna’s face stiffened. Her eyes darted around, and she immediately switched to a gentle expression. “I was just speaking off the cuff earlier. Tristan, I like you. I don’t want to break up. I was just joking with you. Don’t take it to heart.” She pushed the red wine on the table toward me. “Come on, have some wine and calm down.” I stared at the glass of red wine for a moment, then reached out and picked it up.

Seeing me pick up the wine glass, Sienna’s eyes lit up. Probably thinking I was about to fall for her trap, she started with the sweet talk again. “Tristan, I was too anxious earlier. You’re right—feelings can’t be forced. If we’re not compatible, that’s okay. Let’s part on good terms. We can still be friends.” My hand trembled, and the entire glass of red wine spilled onto the table. Sienna’s face immediately went pale, staring at the pool of red wine, unable to speak. I set down the empty glass and followed her lead. “You’re right, let’s part on good terms.” Right in front of her, I pulled out my phone and directly called the matchmaker, Raymond. “Tristan, are you calling to set a date? I told you Sienna was reliable! Your dad found the right person through me!” “Raymond, this match isn’t going to work. Sienna and I aren’t compatible.” Raymond immediately turned hostile. “Not compatible? Tristan Parker, you’re thirty years old. What are you being so picky about? You’ll never find a wife this way!” I hung up before he could finish. Sienna watched me execute this series of moves smoothly, completely stunned. She wanted to blow up but it was too late—after all, she’d just said they should part on good terms. She glared at me hatefully, stood up, and slammed the door on her way out. From the looks of it, she wouldn’t let this go easily. Sure enough, a few days later while I was at work, my colleague Mike rushed over with news. “Tristan, you better go downstairs and check it out. Someone’s making a scene at the company entrance, cursing you out by name!” I went downstairs to find Sienna, her father, and Raymond all blocking the company’s main entrance. A crowd had gathered around them. Sienna’s father was squatting on the ground, slapping his thighs and wailing. ” God is blind! Everyone come judge this situation!” “Tristan Parker dated my daughter for half a month, scamming her for food, drinks, and affection, conning my daughter out of tens of thousands of dollars, then just walked away!” “Her mother died young. I raised her as a single father. How are we supposed to live now!” My colleagues were whispering to each other. “I really couldn’t tell. Tristan seems like such an honest guy normally. Is he really a freeloader?” “Tens of thousands of dollars? That’s way too much, isn’t it? He ate and then refused to pay?” “So shameless. Don’t let him ruin our company’s reputation!” Raymond pulled me out from the crowd, playing the mediator. “Tristan, I have to be fair here. Even if you don’t want to continue the relationship, you should return the money Sienna spent on you, right?” “Sienna’s family isn’t well-off. She spent so much money on you and kept track of every expense, clear as day!” He solemnly pulled out that same itemized list from last time and stuffed it into my arms. “Just take pity on Mr. Sullivan. Return the money. He raised Sienna all by himself—how hard that must have been. Can you really bear to watch him squat here like this?” Sienna walked over with red-rimmed eyes. “Tristan, don’t blame my dad. He’s just worried about me. I genuinely liked you. Can you give me another chance? I promise I’ll never bring up these things again.” The looks my colleagues gave me became even more strange, all shaking their heads. The commotion was too big. Our manager, Mr. Wilson, walked over with a dark expression. “Tristan Parker, I don’t want to get involved in your personal affairs, but causing a scene at the company has too negative an impact. They’ve brought out the account book. Hurry up and return the money, or the company can’t keep you.” After the manager spoke, I didn’t panic at all. Instead, I smiled.

“I won’t give you a single cent.” I said calmly, “Not only will I not give you money, I’m going to collect what you owe me.” Hearing this, Sienna’s father squatted back down and started wailing again. “Help! This punk is trying to drive us father and daughter to death!” “My daughter works so hard to earn money, working early and late every day, exhausting herself. He scammed away all the money she finally saved!” “And now he’s turning it around on us! You heartless scoundrel!” My colleagues also criticized me. “Tristan Parker, you’ve gone too far. How can you ask them for money? Playing the victim!” “Exactly! Paying back debts is only natural. Have some shame!” The manager had lost his patience. “Tristan, pay up quickly. Stop embarrassing yourself here!” I ignored them and held up the itemized list for everyone around to see. “Everyone, look carefully. This is the bill she wants me to pay.” “Sienna and I met a total of four times. She paid for two meals, and I also paid for two meals. I have payment receipts.” “Why is she calculating all four meals as expenses she paid alone?” The murmuring stopped, and people crowded over to look. I pointed at the list and continued. “To get to the restaurant, she only needed a twenty-minute Uber ride, but she recorded two hundred dollars for the fare each time. Four times makes it eight hundred.” Sienna’s father stopped wailing and jumped up, shouting. “So what if she recorded it wrong! Everyone makes accounting mistakes!” “You’re nitpicking over this tiny error because you want to dodge the debt!” “My daughter spent so much money on you, and you still have the nerve to find fault? You have no conscience at all!” But the onlookers’ expressions had already changed. “A few hundred dollars off is a small error? This is obviously inflated reporting!” “The fare doesn’t match up either. A twenty-minute ride doesn’t cost two hundred dollars. This is extortion.” “I don’t think this is as simple as it seems.” Seeing things going south, Sienna’s father rushed forward to grab the list but was blocked by several colleagues. I simply started reading it aloud. “Pre-date beauty treatment, two thousand eight hundred. Manicure, eight hundred. Eyelash extensions, six hundred. Uber fare, eight hundred. Cosmetics depreciation, one thousand…” “Sienna, you treated me to meals, but I also took you to movies and coffee. I never took advantage of you.” “But why should I pay for your beauty treatments, manicures, and eyelash extensions before our dates?” The crowd completely exploded. “What the hell? She’s charging him for beauty treatments? And manicures and lashes? Is this a blind date or a scam?” “These prices are wrong too. Beauty treatment for two thousand eight hundred? Do they think we’re idiots?” “This is ridiculous! This is clearly extortion!” The onlookers all turned against them. Sienna’s face turned red and white alternately. In desperation, she raised her voice and shouted. “Everyone, don’t let him distract you! I gave him a twenty-thousand-dollar luxury watch! That was real money!” I snorted coldly and pulled out an authentication report from my pocket, holding it up for everyone to see. “I had this watch verified at the official store. The clerk said on the spot it was a knockoff. The same model online costs a few hundred dollars with free shipping.” I handed the authentication report to a knowledgeable colleague nearby. After looking at it twice, the colleague laughed. “It’s definitely fake. Even the movement doesn’t match.” Now the crowd was truly furious, pointing at them and cursing. “She gave him a fake gift and has the nerve to make a scene at the company entrance? This is completely backwards!” “This is a scammer, isn’t it? Call the police!” I looked at Sienna, my tone ice-cold. “The watch you gave was a few-hundred-dollar fake, but the gift I gave in return was a brand-new phone worth ten thousand dollars, plus expensive tea and supplements for your father. These items add up to fifteen thousand. Return it to me now.” The onlookers also told her to return the money, and some said they should call the police. Sienna’s face turned ashen as she pulled out her phone and transferred the money. Sienna’s father tried to stop her but was pulled aside by Sienna, who whispered something to him. Her father stopped protesting. After Sienna transferred the money, she grabbed her father and ran. Before leaving, her father glared at me viciously. “This isn’t over! Just you wait!”

On the weekend, I was resting at home when someone frantically knocked on the door. My dad opened the door to find our neighbor Mrs. Davis looking anxious. “Mr. Parker, you need to go see what’s happening! Several people are livestreaming at our community entrance, saying your family scammed them out of money and affection!” I thought to myself, it’s finally here. I immediately opened the livestream app, searched the local area, and quickly found it. Sienna had found a popular streamer with hundreds of thousands of followers. The host was speaking passionately. “Everyone, today I’m going to seek justice for this infatuated girl who was scammed out of all her savings!” In the camera, Sienna looked haggard as she complained. “Tristan Parker and I dated for half a year. Our relationship was always good, and we were even talking about marriage.” “His family demanded a thirty-thousand-dollar wedding money. We scraped together every penny we had, but after he took the money, he turned on us and blocked me.” Sienna’s father was squatting on the ground wiping tears, crying heartbreakingly. “I’m a single father… those thirty thousand dollars came from selling my hometown house and borrowing from relatives!” “Now the son-in-law is gone, the house is gone, but the debt remains. We don’t even have a place to live anymore! We can’t go on!” Raymond also spoke righteously. “I’ve been a matchmaker my whole life. I’ve never seen such a black-hearted family!” “I personally watched Sienna hand thirty thousand dollars in cash to Tristan Parker’s father. His father was grinning from ear to ear when he took the money!” The livestream had hundreds of thousands of viewers flooding in, with comments overwhelmingly cursing us. “Marriage scam! Fraud!” “Expose him! Let him be socially destroyed!” “This kind of person teaches people?” My dad and I had just walked out of the community entrance when the livestream camera was shoved in our faces. Sienna’s father pointed at me and howled. “It’s him! Everyone please help me make him return the money!” He then pointed at my dad and cursed viciously. ” You call yourself an educator, but all you do is immoral things!” For a moment, both the neighbors present and the netizens in the livestream were cursing our family. “Scammer! Return the money!” My dad was at a loss, frantically waving his hands. “We didn’t take any money! My son never even dated her!” The netizens didn’t believe him at all. The comments became even more vicious. “The scammer is still trying to make excuses!” “Playing innocent! The evidence is right here!” Raymond walked over triumphantly and said to my dad. “My friend, so many people are watching. You should just return the money. Otherwise, your Tristan will never find anyone willing to marry him!” I quickly supported my dad. “Dad, don’t worry. Let me handle this.” The host came up to me. “This is the person in question, Tristan Parker. They say you took thirty thousand dollars and then blocked them. What do you have to say? When will you return the money?” I looked at the camera, neither humble nor arrogant. “Sienna and her family are making false accusations. They have no evidence. I don’t acknowledge it.” Sienna was prepared. “We gave cash! Raymond is the witness!” I snorted coldly. “If you have evidence that you were defrauded of thirty thousand dollars, why didn’t you report it to the police?” I pulled out my phone, found that group chat screenshot, held it up to the livestream camera, and said word by word. “They have no evidence, but I do!”

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To let the imposter son he had raised, Jasper, steal the only matching life-saving heart from me, My father, Raymond Blackwood, locked me in the basement with his own hands, covered my chest with electrode patches, and used electric current to forcibly suppress my heartbeat. I knelt on the ground begging him to spare me. But Raymond showed no mercy. He looked at my trembling body and said coldly, “Jasper has been frail since childhood. He just wants a healthy heart. Are you really going to fight him for even this?” “Ever since you came back, you’ve been targeting and making things difficult for Jasper. Today’s piercing, bone-deep pain is your lesson!” “The specialist said electrode patches combined with a dark environment can strengthen your heart. You can have the surgery after we find a second heart source!” I lay on the ground nearly unconscious, still clinging to a last thread of hope, waiting for Raymond to have a change of heart and come get me. But when news came that Jasper’s surgery was successful, Raymond was overjoyed. That very day, he packed his bags and took Jasper to Europe for a vacation, completely forgetting about me. It wasn’t until two months later, when Raymond saw my empty room, that he suddenly remembered me and impatiently ordered someone to rush me to the hospital. The maid hesitated. “Owen… he’s already dead in the basement.”

The electric current passing through my body, combined with the severe pain of angina, made me question whether I was still alive. Only Raymond’s cold eyes forced me to maintain a thread of consciousness. Before the basement door closed, I desperately grabbed onto Raymond’s pant leg. “Raymond! I really can’t hold on anymore. My heart hurts so much. If this continues, I’ll die…” “Please send me to the hospital, okay? I promise I won’t fight Jasper for the heart. I’ll just take medication to manage it…” I cried and begged Raymond, but he remained unmoved. Instead, he turned to patiently comfort Jasper, who stood to the side watching the scene. “Jasper, be good. Don’t be nervous during the surgery. I will be with you the whole time.” “After you recover, I will take you on a world tour and give you all the assets, okay?” Jasper looked at me provocatively and asked Raymond, “If you give me all the assets, what about Owen?” “Owen? Ha.” Raymond sneered. “He lived in poverty for so many years. He’s long used to life without money. From now on, my love will be enough for him.” As he turned to take Jasper to the operating room, he suddenly received a call from Walter Blackwood, my grandfather. “Owen should be having his surgery soon, right? You must take good care of him these days. Owen suffered so much before. This time, there absolutely cannot be any mistakes.” Raymond gave a perfunctory response and hung up. I closed my eyes and used the last bit of my strength to speak. “Raymond… I’m not lying to you. It hurts so much… If Walter finds out, he’ll definitely blame you…” After being found by the Blackwood family, Raymond had been cold to me to accommodate Jasper’s feelings. At Raymond’s instruction, everyone in the Blackwood family kept their distance from me. Only Walter was happy about my return. Even this heart source was found with Walter’s help, but he didn’t know Raymond had already forced me to give it to Jasper. After hanging up, Raymond looked at me again. By now, I was in so much pain that I’d lost almost all sensation, my face covered in blood and tears. Looking at me, Raymond seemed momentarily dazed, even doubting whether the specialist’s advice was trustworthy. Jasper suddenly crouched down. At an angle Raymond couldn’t see, he smirked, then pressed both hands hard onto my chest. The electrode patches on my chest dug in several inches deeper. The tearing sensation in my chest made me grunt in agony. But Jasper suddenly fell backward, landing on his bottom. Then he accused me in a hoarse voice. “Owen, I was just trying to comfort you. You know my heart isn’t good, yet you still pushed me. Do you need me to die before you’ll be happy?” Raymond immediately showed a heartbroken expression, pulling Jasper into his arms and comforting him softly. Jasper shook his head with reddened eyes. “I know my brother doesn’t like me, that he blames me for occupying the position of the Blackwood heir for so many years. But I genuinely care about him.” “Raymond, why don’t you just send me away? That way I won’t be an eyesore to my brother anymore.” Raymond snorted coldly. “If anyone’s leaving, it’s him.” After soothing Jasper, Raymond turned and roared at me. “How can you be so vicious?” “You always bully Jasper. He was just trying to care about you, yet you deliberately pushed him down.” “If anything happens to Jasper, I will never forgive you.”

If I didn’t look so horrifying right now, Raymond would probably punish me by locking me in my room or cutting off my allowance for weeks, like he used to.. Raymond clearly knew I’d been kidnapped and sold to the mountains, where I was tormented for ten years. After returning, I’d always been careful and cautious, never once blaming him for not watching over me back then. Yet now he called me vicious? In the end, Raymond left with Jasper, not even sparing a glance at me lying on the ground barely alive. The angina and the pain of electrode patches piercing my chest seemed to pale in comparison to the pain in my heart. I was Raymond’s biological son. Before being kidnapped, I too had been his little prince, held in the palm of his hand. Until I returned after ten years of being kidnapped, only to find a strange boy in the house who also called Raymond “Raymond.” The gentle father in my memory seemed to have changed overnight. He was still as attentive as before, wishing he could pluck the moon from the sky for his son — except the person in his heart wasn’t me, but Jasper. Blood had already blurred my vision when a sudden angina attack jolted me awake. I hadn’t gotten my heart transplant yet. How could I just die like this? I drifted in and out of consciousness in the basement, unable to tell day from night. After recovering a bit of strength, I forced myself to crawl to the iron door and kept banging on it. “Save me… is anyone there?” “It hurts so much… let me out…” The rough iron door cut my hands, but I could no longer feel the pain. Finally, after I no longer had the strength to lift my hand, I heard footsteps outside. I grasped at this lifeline and called for help again. “Save me…” But hearing my plea, the maid outside snorted coldly. “Stop shouting. If you disturb Mr. Blackwood and Jasper, you’ll really suffer!” “A poor kid thinking he can fight Jasper for a heart? So what if you’re the real son? In Mr. Blackwood’s heart, Jasper is the Blackwood heir. Don’t even think about replacing him.” Because of Raymond’s differential treatment, even the household maids could humiliate me at will. I was a year older than Jasper,” calling me Owen to my face and “poor boy” behind my back. I swallowed these humiliations and forced myself to speak. “My heart hurts terribly. I already feel like I’m suffocating. If this continues, I’ll die.” “Let me out now… If something happens to me, Walter won’t let you get away with it!” Though the maid was snobbish, she understood I still mattered to Walter. If I died in the basement, Walter would definitely seek justice for me. After thinking it over, the maid decided to call Raymond. “Sir, Owen says he’s having a heart attack and is about to die. Should we let him out?” Raymond sounded puzzled. “He was fine when we left. How could he be dying now?” After a pause, Raymond said hesitantly, “Why don’t you open the door and check the situation inside…” I thought I heard hope, but Jasper interrupted Raymond with certainty in his voice. “I specifically consulted foreign specialists about using electrode patches to strengthen the heart. There definitely won’t be any problems. Raymond, if you don’t trust me, do you not trust the specialists either?” Hearing Jasper’s slightly displeased tone, Raymond panicked and quickly reassured him that he believed him. The call continued. When speaking to me, Raymond’s voice returned to its usual coldness. “Owen, you’d better behave yourself!” “He’s just trying to trick you into letting him out so he can go to the hospital and steal Jasper’s heart source. I already said I’d find him another heart. Can’t he wait even that long?” “Besides, I’m already strengthening his heart using the method the specialist recommended. What more does he want? Don’t pay any attention to him. If he wants to make noise, let him.”

With that, Raymond hung up mercilessly. The maid also left, not forgetting to spit before she went. My world became quiet again. All I could hear was my own irregular heartbeat. Everything before my eyes was pitch black. I felt my consciousness growing hazier. Was I going to die like this? I didn’t dare close my eyes, afraid that once I did, they would never open again. But I didn’t want to die. Sustained by a single thread of willpower, I actually managed to hold on until the basement door made sounds again. “Is anyone there… is someone outside?” “Help… please save me…” The person outside seemed to hear my plea for help and yanked off the rusty lock hanging on the basement door. By the faint light, I recognized him as Mr. Carter, a manager from the Blackwood company. Mr. Carter was frightened by the smell of blood in the basement and staggered back several steps. “Mr. Carter… it’s me…” I forced myself to get up, but collapsed heavily just as I reached the door. Mr. Carter quickly caught me and asked what had happened. I no longer had the strength to speak. I could only clench my teeth to keep from passing out. Mr. Carter quickly pulled out his phone and called Raymond. “Mr. Blackwood, Owen seems to be injured. You should come back right away!” Raymond on the other end of the line immediately panicked. “What? Jasper just said he wanted something to eat and asked me to buy it for him. How could something happen to him the moment I left? Where is he now?” Hearing Raymond’s anxious voice, Mr. Carter explained. “I’m not talking about Jasper. I’m talking about Owen, your biological son you just found.” Raymond on the other end paused. After confirming that Mr. Carter had come to the house to deliver documents and heard my cries for help, he laughed contemptuously. “This kid’s getting bolder and bolder. Lies just roll off his tongue now.” “Mr. Carter, just leave the documents and go. Owen is perfectly safe in the basement. You don’t need to worry about him.” Though Raymond’s dismissive tone confused Mr. Carter, before leaving, he still called 911 for me. I was in so much pain I nearly died. Through the haze, I seemed to see people lifting me into an ambulance. But when I woke up again, I didn’t receive the rescue I’d imagined. Instead, the pain in my chest grew even worse. “Ah…” I couldn’t help but cry out in pain. Only then did I notice a nurse beside me. “Please save me… it hurts so much…” “If this continues, I’ll really die…” Though anxious, the nurse said hesitantly, “I’m really sorry, sir. Right now, all the cardiology doctors in our hospital have been assigned to perform a heart transplant surgery. They really can’t spare anyone. Can you wait a bit longer?” My heart instantly turned cold. I was in too much pain to speak. I could only tightly grip the nurse’s hand, eyes red, begging her for help. The nurse seemed to take pity on me. After hesitating, she comforted me. “How about this — I’ll go ask the patient’s family in the operating room if they’re willing to spare a doctor to treat you, okay?” I nodded desperately, hoping fate would favor me just once. The patient’s family member the nurse mentioned seemed to be right next door. I could clearly hear their conversation. “Mr. Blackwood, another heart disease patient was just brought to our hospital. He looks very serious. Could you spare a doctor to treat him?” “There’s another heart patient? This condition can’t be delayed. Send two doctors over.”

The nurse thanked him, and the man even asked a few questions about my condition. This Mr. Blackwood was truly kind-hearted. Willing to help even a complete stranger. But how could someone so kind bear to let his own biological son suffer? I recognized Mr. Blackwood’s voice — it was Raymond. That meant the person he was mobilizing the entire hospital’s medical staff to save must be Jasper. I clenched my jaw, not letting my tears fall. I should never have hoped for this fatherly love. Still, with Raymond’s authorization, I was quickly wheeled into a room adjacent to Jasper’s. I heard the doctor making final pre-surgery confirmations with Raymond. “Mr. Blackwood, this heart source was originally for Owen. Are you certain you want to transfer it to Jasper?” “Certain.” Raymond’s answer was decisive. I should have expected this outcome. Without a heart source, the doctor could only give me painkillers to temporarily stabilize my condition, but this would only accelerate my heart failure. I endured the pain and grabbed the doctor’s coat. “My body can’t take any more painkillers… Please save me. I can’t hold on…” Facing my plea, the doctor only said helplessly, “These are all Mr. Blackwood’s arrangements.” “Right now, all cardiac medications must be used for Mr. Blackwood’s son first. Just wait a bit longer, or if you offend Mr. Blackwood, you might not even get painkillers.” Though my heart turned to ice, I knew my priority was staying alive. I bit through my tongue. The sharp pain jolted me awake. “Raymond! Save me!” Hearing my heart-wrenching screams, the doctor only sighed. “No matter who you call now, it’s useless. Who told you not to have a father like Mr. Blackwood?” “Your timing coming to the hospital was really bad. Mr. Blackwood’s son just happens to be having surgery today. To avoid any accidents, Mr. Blackwood requisitioned all the doctors and medications.” “But don’t worry. Once Mr. Blackwood’s son’s surgery is done, you’ll be able to get medication.” … I didn’t catch the rest of what the doctor said, only that he was describing what great fatherly love Raymond had. Ironically, I, his biological son, couldn’t receive even a fraction of that love. Meanwhile, surgery had already begun on the other side of the ward. Afraid Jasper would be scared, Raymond kept encouraging him. When rejection occurred during the surgery, Raymond nearly cried. “Don’t be afraid, Jasper. I’m right outside with you.” “After your surgery, I will take you on a world tour and transfer all the company assets to your name.” And just on the other side of the wall, with the painkillers taking effect, I could only lie on the cold hospital bed. I couldn’t speak. I could only stare at the ceiling, feeling my life slowly slipping away. “Heart transplant complete. The surgery was a complete success!” The moment the doctor announced Jasper’s successful surgery, my life also reached its end. I felt my body becoming light, actually floating into Jasper’s operating room. I saw Raymond crying tears of joy, carefully holding Jasper. “Good son, the surgery was successful. I am so happy.” Everyone around praised the deep father-son bond between Raymond and Jasper, but no one knew. In a dark corner, Raymond’s biological son had taken his last breath. Afterward, I watched Raymond take Jasper to Europe. They ate together, took photos, celebrating Jasper’s new life. But I could only silently say in my heart. Raymond, we’ll never see each other again… It wasn’t until two months later, when Raymond came home and saw my empty room, that he remembered me and ordered someone to rush me to the hospital. The maid spoke hesitantly. “Owen… he’s already dead in the basement.”

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The night before my SAT, I got the call to collect my father’s body from prison. But my mom found me first. She wanted Dad to take the fall for her first love, Ethan Shaw, for a second time. “Where’s your father? Ethan accidentally caused a patient’s death during surgery. Tell him to go to prison for Ethan again. These two times will make up for that slap your father gave Ethan.” “After this, I’ll come back to the family and stay with you two.” I clutched Dad’s urn in my arms, my head down, mumbling in a daze. “Dad’s dead.” But Mom just scoffed and immediately had her people lock me in the sauna room. The temperature in the sauna shot up rapidly from 113 degrees to 212 degrees Fahrenheit. Mom sent voice messages to Dad’s chat, threatening him. [Xavier! You’ve got some nerve teaching our son to lie to me!] [Let’s see what kind of game you’re playing! If you don’t want Connor to get hurt, you better show yourself right now!] My whole body turned bright red from the burns. I desperately pounded on the door, trying to explain and call for help. But Mom was too busy comforting her frightened first love to pay me any attention. Severely dehydrated, I suddenly laughed bitterly. Mom, Dad and I are using our two lives to atone for your beloved first love. Is that enough?

Every time my hands struck the iron door, a layer of skin peeled off. Blood beads sizzled out, and my throat felt like it was on fire. But I still clung to what little strength I had left, constantly begging for help. “Dad really died in prison!” “He’s already been tortured to death by you! Are you going to force me to death today too?” Tears streamed down my face uncontrollably. Extreme dehydration made my throat so hoarse it was bleeding. Mom ignored me, just nodding angrily. She gritted her teeth and yelled at Dad’s chat window. “Fine! Real nice, Xavier!” “Look what you’ve taught our child! Making him lie and say you’re dead, and now teaching him to say such unlucky things about himself!” She threw her phone down in frustration. Hearing my constant cries for help only made her angrier. She yelled at me impatiently. “Stop pretending! The heating system in there is broken! The temperature can’t even be adjusted—you learned this act from your father!” “I’m only doing this to force your dad out!” In her rage, Mom’s whole face turned purple. At that moment, Ethan Shaw timidly stepped forward and patted her back to calm her down. “Vanessa, forget it. Don’t make Xavier go to prison for me. He must still resent me from last time. I don’t want to come between you.” Mom’s anger immediately dissipated. She turned and gently patted his back, soothing him. “It’s not your fault. Xavier has a dirty mind and is suspicious of our relationship.” “You’re different from Xavier. He’s already been in once, so going through more hardship won’t matter.” “Besides, I’ve already made arrangements at the prison. He’s living quite comfortably in there.” Nearly every inch of my skin was burned, and breathing became more and more difficult. But after hearing Mom’s words, I laughed coldly, laughing until tears fell. Making arrangements meant having people beat Dad to death? When I went to collect the body, Dad’s entire body was covered in fresh wounds mixed with old scars and blood. Several of his bones had been pulled out. He couldn’t even… close his eyes! He died with his eyes open, and even after death, Mom still insulted him! Thinking of Dad, my sobbing grew louder uncontrollably. Mom clicked her tongue impatiently. “It’s all my fault for spoiling them both.” “Xavier’s sulking and won’t show up, and Connor’s fighting with me too. The sauna room is just a bit dark, that’s all. No need to be so dramatic and cry.” I froze in place again. She said… she spoiled us? Spoiling us meant making Dad go to prison for her first love? Spoiling us meant leaving me alone in the villa without checking on me for three years? During those three years, she seemed to have forgotten she had a son. She didn’t send money and couldn’t be reached. My tuition and living expenses all came from going to class during the day and delivering food at night. I counted down the days on my fingers. I kept telling myself that once Dad got out of prison, once I got into college, everything would be better. But what I waited for was the news of Dad being beaten to death. What I waited for was Mom willing to sacrifice her own son’s life for her first love again!

My eyelids grew heavier and heavier, and the skin on my lips crackled and burst. I unconsciously licked the blood flowing from my lips. So thirsty, so hot, and my body hurt so much. In my fading consciousness, I suddenly heard Dad calling my name. “Connor! Dad’s begging you to hold on! Dad’s begging you to call for help and not give up on yourself!” “Stay alive!” I jerked my eyes open, gasping for air. Dad was right. I shouldn’t give up on myself. I worked so hard studying for three years, wasn’t it all for tomorrow’s SAT? Getting into NYU was my dream, and Dad’s too! I found strength from somewhere and crawled back up to pound on the door. “Mom, I… I’m begging you to let me out first, okay?” “If, if you let me out, I’ll take you to find Dad.” I tried hard to suppress my trembling voice and soften my tone as much as possible. After hearing this, Mom seemed quite satisfied with my response. Her expression softened considerably. She waved to the bodyguard. “Open the do—” But before she could finish, Ethan Shaw grabbed her arm and interrupted. “Vanessa, it’s so late. Don’t make things hard for the kid.” “He has his test tomorrow. Going back and forth would take several hours. Let him get a good night’s sleep first.” Reminded by him, Mom suddenly realized and immediately stopped the bodyguard. “Connor, your Uncle Ethan is right. The temperature control in there is perfect for sleeping anyway.” “Get a good night’s sleep first. Tomorrow morning I’ll have the bodyguard wake you up, then we’ll find your dad and send you to take the test.” After arranging everything, Mom left with Ethan Shaw. No matter how much I cried and begged for help, no one answered. But I kept pounding on the door. Only one thought filled my mind. Stay alive. I don’t know how long passed before there was finally sound outside. “Quiet!” It was the bodyguard Mom left for me. Annoyed by the noise, he barked at me. Then I heard the sound of someone unlocking the door! My heart leaped with joy. But the hope that just ignited was completely extinguished the next moment! The bodyguard wrapped duct tape tightly around my mouth and restrained my hands. He impatiently closed the door again. “Just sleep when she tells you to sleep. Ms. Turner is your real mother—she’s not going to hurt you! You’re so damn noisy!” I whimpered, unable to make any sound. The dark, scorching space was filled with despair. The blood blisters on my body burst one after another, especially crisp in this deathly silent night. Just then, my phone rang. I fumbled with my bound hands, struggling with all my might to grab my phone and answer the call. It was Dad’s good friend, Lucas Smith. The moment I learned what happened to Dad, I called him for help. “Connor, I’ve already had your dad cremated. I’ll give you the ashes.” “Connor, where are you now? Hello? Connor, are you listening?” He got more and more anxious. I gasped heavily, struggling to speak. “I… Mom locked me… in the sauna room.” “I think… I… I can’t hold on much longer…” Lucas cried out, cursing Mom non-stop. He kept calling my name, telling me to stay conscious. I tried hard to nod, but my ears were ringing and I couldn’t hear anything anymore. In my fading consciousness, I seemed to see Dad coming to take me away.

A pair of hands suddenly pulled me out. I spun around and found that my body didn’t hurt at all, and there were no wounds. At that moment, I was actually in Lucas’s car. He was driving at breakneck speed, staring straight ahead, tears streaming down his face. I knew he was grieving for Dad. “Lucas…” I reached out to wipe his tears, but my hand passed straight through Lucas’s face. Staring at my transparent body, I finally realized. I was already dead. By the time I came to my senses, Lucas’s car had already stopped at the Turner family villa. He kicked the door open and shouted frantically. “Vanessa Turner! Come out!” “Where did you lock Connor? He’s barely hanging on—let him out now!” Thinking of my state during the phone call, Lucas’s voice trembled uncontrollably. He didn’t dare think any further. Mom casually came out of her room, her nightgown buttons fastened wrong. “Lucas? Did Connor send you? Didn’t I tell him he just needs to sleep and I’ll send him to the test at dawn?” “That place is just a bit quiet in the suburbs. He’s as dramatic as his father.” Lucas closed his eyes, forcing himself to stay calm. “The sauna room at 170-180 degrees isn’t a joke.” “You already got Xavier killed in prison. If you have any humanity left, don’t let both father and son die at your hands!” After Lucas finished speaking, the entire villa fell into dead silence. Mom stood frozen in place. After a long while, she laughed coldly. “I knew Connor couldn’t fool me alone, so he brought you in on it too?” “It’s just two or three years in prison. Does he need to be so dramatic? He’ll still be my husband when he gets out anyway.” As she spoke, she glanced at the urn Lucas was holding and scoffed. “Pretending to be dead with words didn’t fool me, so now you’re bringing out ashes?” Lucas stared at my mom, almost laughing from anger. Just as he was about to yell, Ethan Shaw suddenly came out of the room and screamed, cutting him off. “Ah!” “Vanessa!” He held his head, hiding behind Mom, pointing a shaking finger at Dad’s urn. “That box is full of something dirty. I saw it. It’s so scary. Did Xavier send someone to get revenge on me?” He looked so frightened and pitiful that Mom’s heart ached. She immediately pointed to the bodyguard. “Throw that filthy thing out!” I panicked instantly, floating in the air and instinctively wrapping my transparent body tightly around Dad’s ashes. But it was useless… Lucas looked incredulous, shouting his explanation. “These really are Xavier’s ashes!!” He also held Dad’s urn even tighter. The approaching bodyguards were desperately kicked to the ground by him. Ethan Shaw trembled all over behind Mom. Feeling sorry for him, she completely lost her patience. She strode forward, her face dark. “I really underestimated Xavier—getting you all to lie and make me feel sorry for him, and now you dare use this kind of filthy thing to scare Ethan!” “I won’t let him have his way!” With that, she waved to the bodyguard and had them restrain Lucas. She personally seized the urn. I floated in the air, spinning around anxiously. Again and again I reached out trying to grab the urn, but each time my hands passed uselessly through Mom’s body. She walked up to the faucet in just a few steps. Splash! In seconds, Dad’s ashes were flushed down the drain. I stared at the rushing water from the faucet, frozen in place. Gone, all gone! She didn’t even leave Dad his ashes! I had no heart anymore, so why did my chest still hurt so much?

Lucas’s eyes were bloodshot. Under the bodyguards’ restraint, he struggled, punching and kicking at the air. He’d almost gone mad. “Vanessa Turner! You’ll die a terrible death! Xavier suffered enough because of you—why won’t you leave him alone even after he’s dead?” Mom carefully wiped the water from her hands and said coldly. “Don’t try to scare me with talk of death. I didn’t believe it at first, and I believe it even less now.” “Go back and tell Xavier that no matter what, he must go take the fall for Ethan again.” “If he keeps making trouble, after Connor finishes his SAT, I’ll never let him see Connor again.” Lucas’s pupils constricted. Things happened so suddenly just now. He’d actually forgotten to go save Connor! He knew that given Vanessa’s crazed state, she’d never tell him where Connor was. He couldn’t protect Xavier’s ashes. Connor was the last thing Xavier left in this world! So Lucas practically crawled out, immediately driving to search the entire city for me. Finally, after increasing manpower, he located the sauna room where I was just as dawn was breaking. He collapsed on his knees in front of the iron door, picking up a rock and smashing it against the lock over and over. “Connor! Connor! Can you hear Lucas? Please answer me! I’m begging you!” I floated in the air, softly responding to Lucas, but he couldn’t hear me. He cried so hard his whole body shook. In desperation, he saw Mom driving up. Mom’s eyes still held sleepy haze. Seeing Lucas, she was first startled, then scoffed. “So you really found the place.” Lucas couldn’t care about anything else. He screamed at Mom. “Open it! Connor’s barely alive in there!” But his hands kept working on the lock. Mom clicked her tongue in annoyance, looked at her watch, then strode forward, grabbed Lucas by the collar, and threw him to the ground. “Quiet! It’s not time yet! Waking Connor up this early—are you deliberately trying to make him perform badly on his SAT?” “Let him sleep a while longer!” Lucas froze in place, absolutely incredulous. His hand shook as he pointed at the sauna room. “The heat is unbearable even from outside—you locked him in there to sleep?” “Open the door!” Mom laughed angrily. “This sauna room is mine. The heating system is broken. Don’t you think I’d know what temperature it is?” “I’m his real mother. How could I actually hurt him? Not like Xavier with his lies and shameless tactics.” Lucas didn’t have time to argue with her. He just closed his eyes, gritted his teeth, and said word by word. “Open! The! Door!” Seeing Lucas’s man-eating glare, Mom licked her lips, smiled knowingly, and nodded. “Fine!” “If Connor does poorly on his SAT, it’s all your fault!” With that, she waved to the bodyguard behind her to signal him to open the door. The next moment, the prison called again. “Is this Xavier’s wife? We finally reached you. He died tragically in custody and we need a family member to come sign an acknowledgment form again.” At the same time, the sauna room door clicked open.

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