I secretly loved Ethan for ten years. For five years, I was his substitute wife. In that fire, I lost hearing in my left ear and covered my back with scars to save his life. But he believed Cherry saved him. He said I stole someone else’s credit. He said I disgusted him. Then he brought her to our bed. Told me to buy the condoms. Inside the bedroom, Ethan’s stifled, wild groans mixed with Cherry’s shaking moans. Outside, I clutched the condoms, my knuckles white, the wounds on my back reopening. Can’t I just give up? The day I signed the divorce papers, I booked a one-way ticket to an island. My left ear is deaf. I’ll listen to the waves with my right. He doesn’t love me. Fine. I just want to be Summer Lynn again. Summer Lynn POV “Miss Lynn, you have severe hearing loss in your left ear.” The doctor handed me a report, his tone heavy. “Five years ago, you inhaled toxic smoke in the fire. It damaged your auditory nerve. Over the years, you’ve also had severe chronic depression. Your immune system has collapsed. Now even your right ear is starting to fail.” I sat in the chair without a sound. The doctor thought I didn’t understand, so he repeated himself. “If you don’t adjust your emotional state, your right ear will be affected too.” I looked at the diagnosis report. After a few seconds, I folded the thin sheet of paper neatly and placed it in my bag. “I understand. Thank you, doctor.” I stood up and left the consultation room. Outside in the corridor, a rainstorm had begun. I couldn’t help but think of that fire from five years ago. Ethan’s villa had caught fire. His leg was crushed, and he was trapped in the second-floor bedroom. I was the one who rushed in through the high heat. When the beam collapsed, I threw myself over Ethan and shielded him with everything I had. My back was severely injured, and my left ear was damaged by the toxic smoke. It kept bleeding. I dragged the unconscious Ethan out of the fire, then fell into a severe coma myself. But after I spent three days and nights being resuscitated in the ICU and finally woke up, everything had changed. That hospital was a private facility the Harrington family had invested in. Ethan’s mother, who had always despised me, suppressed my true medical report. Sitting by Ethan’s hospital bed was Cherry Collins. In Cherry’s hand, she clutched a watch she’d brought out from the fire. Cherry Collins was Ethan’s first love, the one who held his heart. Five years ago, Cherry, as Ethan’s girlfriend, had secretly left to study abroad on the night of their engagement, turning the Harrington family into a laughingstock. The Harrington family urgently needed a replacement to complete the engagement. I, who had secretly loved Ethan for ten years, stepped forward and willingly became the substitute for this marriage. That day, Ethan expressionlessly slid the diamond ring originally custom-made for Cherry onto my ring finger. From that moment on, I was nothing but a substitute. And when that fire happened, Cherry had just returned to the country. Ethan’s mother told Ethan that Cherry had rushed into the fire to save him, while I had only run in afterward to steal the credit. Ethan believed her. He was convinced that Cherry had risked her life to rush into the fire and save him. I dragged my still-bleeding back to explain, but all I got in return was Ethan’s extremely disgusted look and one cold sentence: “Summer, to make me love you, you’d even steal a life-saving deed? You truly disgust me.” After that, I never brought it up again. I took out my phone to call a car. A sedan suddenly screeched to a stop in front of me. The window rolled down. Ethan sat in the driver’s seat. He frowned slightly, his gaze resting on my rain-soaked shoulders, his tone cold. “Get in.” Ethan spoke. “Stop making a scene. If you get sick, I’ll have to arrange for someone to take care of you.” My hand holding the phone paused. I raised my head and looked past Ethan to see Cherry sitting in the passenger seat. Cherry didn’t turn around. She just leaned slightly to the side. If this were before, I would have stared hard at the passenger seat position, yanked open the car door, and demanded an explanation from Ethan about why he said he’d be at a company meeting but drove the car here instead. I would have asked, red-eyed and stubborn, for an explanation. Ethan was used to my questioning. But this time, I just glanced once, then calmly withdrew my gaze. “No need.” I stood on the steps, my tone devoid of emotion. “The hospital is full of germs. I’m afraid of infecting you both.” Ethan’s hand on the steering wheel paused slightly. “Ethan.” Cherry spoke softly. “Is Summer upset because I’m sitting here? Maybe I should get out. I can just take a cab back.” “Stay seated.” Ethan interrupted Cherry, his gaze still on me. “Summer, don’t test my patience. Are you sure you want to stand here in the rain?” “I called a car. It’ll be here soon,” I replied. Ethan looked at me, then finally let out a cold laugh. “Fine.” The window rolled up. The sedan merged back into traffic and quickly disappeared into the curtain of rain. I hadn’t called a car. I opened the umbrella in my bag and walked into the rain. I returned to the villa. It was already seven in the evening. I closed my dripping umbrella and walked straight into the kitchen. I walked to the counter and pulled open the bottom drawer. Inside was a very thick notebook. Opening the cover, it was filled with my notes. Five years ago, Ethan was admitted to the ICU because of a stomach hemorrhage. After that, I visited every hospital in the city and wrote down these precautions. For the past five years, I’d followed this notebook and made nutritious meals for Ethan every day. My hands still bore two permanent scars from burns. And Ethan’s evaluation of the nutritious meals was usually just a cold “just leave it on the table,” or he simply wouldn’t come home. I flipped through two pages. The paper made a dry rustling sound. Then I closed the notebook and threw it into the nearby trash can. I looked at my left ring finger. This ring was personally designed by Ethan for Cherry back then. The ring size was also made to Cherry’s measurements. So the ring was a bit tight on my finger. Every time I accidentally bumped it, the band would dig hard into my knuckle. But I never complained of pain. I insisted on wearing this ring for five years.

Summer Lynn POV The knuckle of my ring finger had long since developed a ring of stubborn dead skin from being squeezed. I squeezed out a large blob of hand soap and spread it on my ring finger. I gripped the wedding ring with my right hand and pulled hard outward. The stinging pain of broken skin came. The metal scraped against my knuckle. The ring gradually left my finger. The moment the ring came off my finger, I stood by the sink for a long time. I dried my hands, then walked out of the bathroom. I lifted the covers and lay down. I closed my eyes. My right ear listened to the sound of rain outside the window. My left ear existed in absolute, dead silence. I should have gone to the living room to turn on a dim lamp, then stayed up all night waiting for Ethan to come home. But tonight. I didn’t turn on a light for him. I didn’t wait anymore either. The next morning when I came downstairs, Ethan and Cherry were already sitting in the dining room. Cherry picked up a bowl of hot milk and walked over. “Summer, you got caught in the rain last night. Drink some hot milk while it’s warm.” I didn’t speak. I pulled out a chair and sat down. I hadn’t slept all night. My stomach sent a wave of pain through me. I picked up the hot milk and took a sip. After just a few seconds, my face instantly changed. There was peanut powder in the milk. I had an extremely severe peanut allergy. Ethan knew this. If I touched even a little bit, I would have an allergic reaction, triggering acute asthma or even shock. My airway felt like it was being squeezed shut by an invisible hand. I covered my throat, desperately gasping for air, but couldn’t draw in a single breath. I fell from the chair in agony, my face quickly turning purple. “Ah!” At the same moment, a cry rang out from the kitchen. “Ethan, it hurts… I cut my finger.” Cherry held up her finger with a small trace of blood, her eyes red. Ethan, who had been watching the morning news, heard the sound and immediately stood up, striding toward the kitchen. I collapsed on the floor, my vision starting to blur. I used every ounce of strength to crawl toward the table. In the drawer there was my epinephrine emergency pen. My fingertips finally touched the edge of the table. Just as I was about to pull open the drawer, Ethan rushed past. Bang! To get to Cherry faster, he kicked the trash can beside the table. It knocked away the emergency kit I’d barely managed to reach. The medicine vial rolled to the deepest part under the sofa. I desperately reached out my hand and grabbed Ethan’s pant leg, making agonized sounds in my throat. Ethan looked down. He looked at me but didn’t stop. Instead, he shook off my hand. “Summer, can you stop making a scene?” Ethan’s tone was filled with undisguised disgust. “Cherry cut her finger. She faints at the sight of blood. I have to take her to the hospital right away!” He walked straight over, picked up Cherry, and strode quickly toward the door. At the doorway, he coldly threw out a sentence: “Call yourself a car to the hospital!” The door closed. I lay on the cold floor. My vision was already going black from lack of oxygen. I bit down hard and dragged my heavy body inch by inch toward the sofa. My nails scraped across the floor with a harsh sound, drawing out threads of blood. Finally, I touched the emergency pen. With trembling hands, I removed the safety cap, aimed it at the outside of my thigh, and stabbed it hard into my muscle! Along with the intense pain of the thick, long needle piercing in, the medication was rapidly pushed into my body. Ten minutes later, my airway slowly opened. I lay on the floor, gulping in air. I had almost died here just now. I’d always thought that the person I’d saved with my life all those years ago would also save me when I was in danger. But only at this moment did I finally understand. In Ethan’s eyes, my life wasn’t worth even a bit of broken skin on Cherry. I should give up.

Summer Lynn POV I lay on the cold floor for an entire night. Until dawn broke, Ethan hadn’t returned. He hadn’t called even once. I propped up my numb body and slowly climbed up from the floor. I opened my computer, printed out a divorce agreement, and dialed a number I’d never actively called in five years. “If you’re calling to say that Ethan is with Cherry again, don’t bother. I told you long ago. You’re just a substitute.” “Now that Cherry is back, Ethan doesn’t need a wife with no social standing like you.” Over these five years, Ethan’s mother had never hidden her disgust for me. Every time Ethan brought Cherry to public events, she either permitted it or even supported it, trying to force me to leave on my own. My voice was calm. “I agree to the divorce, and I’ll leave here forever, but I need you to help me with something.” The person on the other end was clearly stunned, then said, “As long as you’re willing to leave Ethan, I’ll agree to any condition you want. How much money do you want?” “I don’t want a single penny.” I looked at the agreement I’d just signed beside me. “I just need you to use the Harrington family’s connections to quietly finalize the divorce within a month. And… erase all my information. Ethan can’t find out.” Ethan’s mother laughed. “Fine. In thirty days, I’ll have someone deliver your new identity to you.” After doing all this, I found a number in my contacts. This number belonged to a gallery director. Five years ago, I’d had the chance to have my own art exhibition. But to take care of Ethan, I put down my paintbrush and picked up cooking instead. “Marcus, that beach house you mentioned. Is it still available?” “Of course! Finally ready to paint again?” “Yes.” I replied. “I want to rent that house.” I wasn’t going to be Mrs. Harrington anymore. After hanging up, I booked a one-way ticket for thirty days from now. I was going to that island where no one knew me, to become Summer Lynn again. That evening, Ethan came back alone. He walked into the living room and saw me sitting quietly on the sofa reading. I didn’t rush up to him with hot milk like before. I didn’t even lift my head. Ethan asked coldly, “Did the family doctor come treat you this morning? Stop eating random things from now on.” I turned a page in my book, my tone calm. “It’s fine. I won’t die.” “There’s a charity auction gala tomorrow. Come with me. Don’t you always want me to introduce you to the public?” My gaze moved from the book. I was about to refuse when Ethan’s phone suddenly rang. Cherry’s delicate crying voice came from the other end. “Ethan, can you take me to tomorrow’s auction? I just got back to the country. I don’t know anyone. I’m so scared to go alone…” Ethan glanced at me. I remained sitting quietly, as if I hadn’t heard the phone conversation at all. He suddenly blurted out, “Okay, I’ll pick you up tomorrow.” After hanging up, Ethan looked at me. “You don’t need to go to tomorrow’s gala. Rest at home. I’ll take you to another gala in a few days.” If this were before, I would have demanded through red eyes why he was going back on his word. But today, I looked at him and gently closed the book in my hands. “Okay.” I nodded, no unwillingness in my tone. “I understand.” Ethan looked at me. He suddenly yanked off his tie, turned around, and strode upstairs. What he didn’t know was that the moment he turned to go upstairs, I took out my phone. On the phone screen was a ticketing message from the airline. “You have successfully booked a one-way ticket to Hawaii departing in thirty days.” Ethan’s mother had also sent a message: “The divorce has entered the process. It will take thirty days. In thirty days, I hope you keep your promise.” I replied, “Thank you.” Then I opened my calendar and silently began counting down.

Summer Lynn POV The next day, Ethan took Cherry to the charity gala as expected. When he returned, he even tossed me a gift box. “Auction item from last night’s gala. For you.” I sat on the sofa, my gaze falling on that gift box. I didn’t take it. I didn’t open it either. “Do you need me to open it for you?” Ethan’s brow furrowed slightly. He walked over and opened the gift box clasp with one hand. Inside lay a dazzling diamond necklace. “I saw Cherry really liked the main piece from this collection, so I bought it for her. This starry one is the secondary piece. It happens to suit you.” My fingertips curled slightly under my sleeves. What he gave Cherry was the main necklace worth tens of millions. What he gave me, his wife, was just a secondary gift piece. If this were before, I would have asked him through red eyes, “Ethan, in your heart, will I always only get the things she doesn’t want?” I would have been too upset to sleep, while he would only think I was making a fuss and habitually use money to wipe away my tears. But tonight, I just felt like my heart had been injected with anesthesia. Even the pain had become dull. I looked at the necklace reflecting cold light and pulled at the corners of my dry lips slightly. “Thank you.” My voice was as light as a feather landing on the ground. “The necklace is beautiful. I really like it.” Ethan’s movements paused. I didn’t look at the necklace anymore. My gaze returned to the book in my hands. “Summer, stop making a scene.” His voice deepened, carrying suppressed displeasure. “I’m very tired today. I don’t have time to humor you.” “I’m not making a scene.” I turned a page in my book, my tone as calm as stagnant water. Ethan stared at me for a while, then let out a cold laugh, turned around, and strode toward the second-floor study. Bang! The study door slammed shut. I didn’t try to keep him. I looked at the glittering necklace on the table. What flashed through my mind was a scene from ten years ago. That year I was only sixteen, hiding in a corner of the Harrington family villa, watching that handsome young man. I’d secretly loved him for a full ten years. When his fiancée ran away from the wedding, I was willing to wear an ill-fitting wedding dress and shield him from all the embarrassment. On our wedding day, I naively thought that as long as I was obedient enough and understanding enough, someday I could make him love me. Even though he put a ring that didn’t fit my finger onto my hand, even though he wouldn’t spare me a glance, I still felt that at least I was standing beside him. But that fire not only took away my hearing. It also completely burned away my love for him. For Cherry’s sake, he didn’t even care about my life. Once a person wakes up, they understand everything. For the next two weeks, I silently erased all traces of myself. I listed designer bags and clothes on secondhand websites at low prices, keeping only a few of the most ordinary clothes. In the huge master bedroom, the traces of my presence grew fainter and fainter. That afternoon, the villa’s doorbell suddenly rang. Cherry walked in. I walked out of the storage room holding a wooden paint box covered in thick dust. I looked up and saw Cherry. Around Cherry’s neck, she was conspicuously wearing that dazzling main diamond necklace. That huge central diamond rested perfectly on her delicate collarbone, so bright it hurt the eyes. “Summer, you’re home.” Cherry walked into the living room, deliberately tucking her hair behind her ear to fully expose the necklace to my view. “A few days ago at the auction, Ethan insisted on buying me this jewelry set. I said it was too expensive and I couldn’t accept it, but he wouldn’t listen. He even put it on me himself.” Cherry smiled happily. “He said this necklace had a secondary gift piece that he brought home for you. Did you see it?” My fingers holding the paint box tightened slightly. I listened to Cherry’s boastful words and looked at that necklace, but my eyes didn’t show even a ripple of emotion. I pointed at the box. “If you like it, take that along with you.”

Summer Lynn POV Cherry froze in place. After all, my reaction carried an uncomfortable sense of dismissal. Cherry bit her lip unwillingly. Her gaze shifted and landed on the old paint box I was holding. “Summer, what are you packing up?” Cherry walked forward, pretending to be curious as she reached out to touch the box. “Don’t touch it.” My voice turned slightly cold. I instinctively stepped back. This was the last memento my mother left me before she died. It was also what I planned to take to the island. My hope for starting a new life. Cherry didn’t pull her hand back. Instead, she twisted her wrist hard, using my own backward movement as cover. Crash! A dull, heavy sound. The heavy wooden box slipped from my hands and fell hard onto the marble floor. The wooden box shattered instantly. The paint tubes I’d treasured for years broke into pieces, paint splashing out everywhere, staining the expensive carpet and splattering onto my clean pant legs. I stood frozen, staring at the broken wooden box, my brain blank for a moment. “Oh no!” But Cherry cried out first. She quickly stepped back two paces, her eyes instantly reddening like a startled deer. At the same moment, the second-floor study door was pushed open forcefully. Hearing the commotion, Ethan quickly came downstairs. “What happened?” He glanced at the paint all over the floor, his brow knitting tightly. Cherry immediately grabbed Ethan’s sleeve with red eyes, her voice choking with tears. “Ethan, I just wanted to help Summer with something… Summer might still be mad at me. She threw the box down and almost hit my foot…” Ethan’s gaze followed Cherry’s pointing finger and landed on me. He looked at the mess on the floor, then at my face. “Summer, what exactly are you trying to do?” Ethan’s tone was ice-cold, with undisguised disgust. “They’re just some paint tubes. Do you really need to make such a scene?” These paints were my mother’s favorites when she was alive. Five years ago, to take care of Ethan who had a stomach hemorrhage from inhaling smoke, I gave up my own art exhibition. Now, the items I treasured most from my mother had been smashed to pieces by Cherry’s own hands, yet he directly pinned all the blame on me. I slowly raised my head and looked at Ethan. “You think this is just some paint?” My voice was very light, but carried a kind of deathly stillness that made people’s hearts skip. “What else?” Ethan looked at me coldly, pulling out a checkbook from his suit pocket. “How much money do you need? A hundred thousand or two hundred thousand? I’ll write you a check.” I looked at him for a few seconds. Looking at this man whose life I’d saved with my own, even at the cost of my left ear’s hearing. I suddenly found it absurd. I nodded. I didn’t reach for that check. I turned around and looked at the servant standing timidly to the side. “Sweep all this garbage into the trash.” Ethan’s hand holding the check froze in midair. “Summer…” Ethan frowned. He seemed like he wanted to say something to make me stay. I had already turned and gone upstairs. In this house, there was nothing left worth looking at even once more. Back in the bedroom, I closed the door and leaned weakly against it. I closed my eyes and bit down hard on my lower lip until I tasted a hint of sweet, bloody iron, finally forcing down the sourness in my throat that nearly tore me apart. I took out my phone and opened the calendar. Only seven days left until my flight departed. After heavily crossing off today’s date, I took a deep breath. Very soon, I could be completely free.

Summer Lynn POV I moved out of the master bedroom and into a guest room. I no longer asked Ethan what time he’d be home. Even when Cherry occasionally walked around the living room wearing Ethan’s shirt, I just ignored it. This complete indifference seemed to provoke Ethan. One evening, Ethan pushed open the guest room door. I was sitting by the window reading. Hearing the sound, I didn’t even lift an eyelid. Ethan walked over and placed an invitation on the small table in front of me. His tone was cold. “My friends are having a party tonight to celebrate Cherry’s gallery securing a location. Come with me.” My gaze finally moved from the book pages and landed on that invitation. For five years, Ethan had never brought me to meet his friends. His friends looked down on me as a substitute, and he never felt it necessary to have me attend. But today, he wanted to bring me along. “I’m not going.” My voice held no emotion. Ethan’s brow furrowed almost imperceptibly. He looked at me, his eyes gradually growing cold. “Summer, stop making a scene.” His voice was heavy. “You need to attend the party tonight.” He still wanted to control me like before. Over these five years, whenever he used this tone, no matter how wronged I felt, I would immediately comply, afraid of making him unhappy. I looked at him for a few seconds. I didn’t have the energy to endure his cold violence anymore. “Fine.” I stood up. I casually grabbed a high-necked long-sleeved shirt and put it on, covering the hideous burn scars on my back. Half an hour later, I arrived at the private room. Ethan pushed open the door and led me inside. The lively conversation in the room instantly went quiet for a moment. In the center of the sofa, Cherry wore a beautiful white dress, surrounded by several friends chatting. Seeing me, Cherry’s smile stiffened for a moment, then she happily came forward. “Summer, you came.” A flash of mockery crossed Cherry’s eyes as she deliberately stood at Ethan’s side. I paid no attention and walked straight to the most secluded corner of the room to sit down. Ethan was pulled to sit in the center of the crowd. Cherry naturally sat close beside him. During the meal, everyone gathered around Cherry. A few deliberately lowered mocking remarks occasionally drifted over from the sofa area, carrying undisguised malice. “Cherry and Ethan really look like the perfect married couple. Some people use dirty tricks to become substitutes, but they still can’t compare to Cherry.” I sat quietly in the corner, as if all of this had nothing to do with me. The music in the room was very loud. I was sitting on his left side. My left ear had complete nerve death from that fire five years ago. I couldn’t hear anything from it. In such a noisy environment, sounds coming from my left were, to me, an area of complete dead silence. In the corner, I kept my head down looking at my phone, motionless. For some reason, the people in the room gradually stopped talking. The atmosphere became awkward. Suddenly, Ethan strode over and pulled me up from the sofa. “I’m talking to you. Can’t you hear me?” Ethan looked at me, his tone carrying displeasure and coldness. I was caught off guard and stumbled from being pulled. I was forced to raise my head and meet Ethan’s ice-cold eyes. If this were before, I would have desperately explained. I would have told him through red eyes that I really couldn’t hear. But now, I looked at him and calmly spoke. “Yes.” I looked into his eyes, my voice devoid of any emotion. “I can’t hear.” Ethan froze for an instant. Then his eyes turned completely cold. “Stop acting in front of me.” He released my hand. I rubbed my aching wrist where he’d gripped it, turned around without hesitation, and walked straight out of the private room. I didn’t want to stay in this place anymore.

Summer Lynn POV I walked out of the private room. The air in the corridor was cold and cutting. I rubbed my painfully squeezed wrist and didn’t wait for Ethan. I walked straight toward the club’s exclusive elevator. I had just pressed the down button when the elevator doors opened. Just as I was about to step in, urgent footsteps sounded behind me. Ethan strode over with a dark expression, Cherry following closely beside him with reddened eyes. The three of us, one after another, walked into the narrow elevator car. The elevator doors slowly closed and began descending smoothly. Cherry seemed like she wanted to say something to break the awkward silence, but after glancing at Ethan’s grim profile, she swallowed her words. Just as the elevator numbers hit the twentieth floor, a violent explosion shook the building. BOOM. The entire structure shuddered. The lights in the car instantly went out completely. The overhead ventilation fan made a piercing shriek before stopping entirely. Immediately after came a terrifying sensation of extreme weightlessness that made hearts leap into throats. The elevator was out of control. The entire car, in complete darkness, plummeted downward at a horrifying speed! “AH” Cherry let out a piercing scream. I was thrown against the elevator wall by the sudden jolt. The pain made my vision go black. In the darkness, weightless and disoriented, survival instinct took over. I reached out, trying to grab anything to steady myself. I grabbed the nearest thing. The hem of Ethan’s suit jacket. After dropping for more than ten floors, the elevator’s emergency safety clamps finally locked onto the tracks with a death grip. The car was like it had hit an invisible wall, abruptly suspended in midair. The massive recoil force threw us all heavily to the floor. In the pitch darkness, I could only hear heavy breathing. Above our heads came the sound of metal scraping as steel cables snapped. The car swayed precariously in midair.”Ethan…” Cherry curled up in Ethan’s arms, crying uncontrollably. I leaned against the cold metal corner of the elevator car. My right ear was filled with Cherry’s crying and the terrifying sound of steel cables about to snap. My left ear existed in absolute, dead silence. This extreme sense of being torn between half noise and half silence instantly pulled me back to that fire from five years ago. In the old villa five years ago, after the flames died down, it was this same suffocating darkness. The collapsed beam pressed on my back. I had shielded Ethan beneath me. I waited for rescue in that narrow, scorching, suffocating rubble. Since then, I’d developed severe claustrophobia. Whenever night fell, whenever I was in an enclosed space, I would uncontrollably tremble all over, break into cold sweats, even have difficulty breathing. So for these five years, in the villa’s living room, a lamp was always left on for me. At this moment, the claustrophobia was completely triggered in the darkness. My whole body began trembling. Cold sweat instantly soaked through my back. I opened my mouth, desperately trying to draw in the thin oxygen in the elevator car. I don’t know how much time passed. Suddenly, the roar of an electric saw cutting through metal came from the elevator ceiling. The top panel was forcibly pried open, creating an extremely narrow gap. A beam of blinding flashlight pierced down through the gap, cutting through the darkness inside the car. A rough rescue rope was thrown in. “Listen!” The rescue personnel shouted with all their might from above. “All the load-bearing cables have snapped! The opening is too narrow. We can only pull one person up at a time! Quickly put the safety harness on yourselves!” Suddenly, the elevator dropped sharply downward. Ethan didn’t hesitate at all. He grabbed the rope and without a second thought secured it around Cherry, locking the safety clasp tight. Then he forcefully lifted Cherry upward. “Pull her up! Hurry!” Ethan roared toward the opening at the top. The people above began pulling. Cherry’s body was gradually hauled out of the car bit by bit. Ethan kept his head tilted back, his hands constantly supporting Cherry’s waist until he confirmed she was completely safe. Only then did he turn his head. In the faint remaining light of the flashlight, he looked toward me curled up in the corner. “Summer, wait another ten minutes. They’ll lower a second rope right away.” Ethan showed not a trace of guilt toward me. “Cherry developed severe claustrophobia from the fire scene years ago. She can’t stay in the dark. I have to send her up first.” I leaned against the cold elevator wall. The flashlight’s beam shone on my face, illuminating the absurdity and desolation in my heart. The person who risked her life to shield him in that burning villa back then. It was clearly me. The one who truly developed claustrophobia. It was me! But Ethan had believed Cherry’s lies. I lowered my head. In the residual light of the flashlight, I looked at my own hand. From extreme fear and the instinct to survive, from the moment we started falling, I had been desperately clutching the hem of Ethan’s suit jacket. My knuckles had turned white from excessive force. Even my fingernails had drawn blood. I looked at that wrinkled corner of fabric I’d been gripping, and suddenly felt that my persistence over these five years was nothing but a joke. What exactly was I clinging to? Why did I love a man who didn’t even care about my life? Why did I continue to maintain a marriage built on lies and humiliation? The elevator shook violently again. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Then I gradually loosened my fingers. I released that corner of fabric I’d been desperately clutching.

Summer Lynn POV “Summer?” Ethan spoke in the darkness, a trace of panic in his voice. “Say something.” No response came from the corner. “Summer! Don’t play dead on me right now!” He took a step toward me, undisguised irritation in his tone. “Cherry has claustrophobia. What’s wrong with me letting her go up first? Your turn is coming right away. Why do you still have to make me angry?” “I’m not playing dead.” Finally, my voice came from the darkness. Calm, weak, yet carrying a frightening emptiness. “I just think,” I leaned against the cold iron wall, slowly closing my eyes, “if this steel cable snaps right now, at least I’ll have given you back the life I owe you.” Ethan fell silent for a moment. “What are you talking about?!” He suddenly reached out his hand and grabbed my shoulder hard in the darkness. “Are you insane?!” My entire body was trembling violently. My clothes were completely soaked with cold sweat. My body temperature had dropped to a terrifying level. Ethan must have noticed my abnormality. After all, he’d never seen me like this before. Even five years ago after that fire, when I woke up in the ICU and he accused me, I’d only bitten my lip hard, my face pale. I’d never been like this. As if I were an empty shell that could shatter at any moment. “We’re pulling you up right now!” The rescue personnel’s shout came from above again. Immediately after, a second rope was thrown down. When I left the elevator, the lights outside were so bright I couldn’t open my eyes. I was pulled out of the elevator shaft. My legs went weak and I sat directly on the corridor floor. Medical personnel immediately surrounded me. On the other side of the corridor, Cherry was throwing herself into Ethan’s arms, crying pitifully, clutching his clothes and refusing to let go. “Ethan, I thought I’d never see you again…” Medical personnel were taking my blood pressure. My face was deathly pale, but I didn’t glance at Ethan even once. “Sir, this lady has an extremely rapid heart rate with mild shock symptoms. She needs to be taken to the hospital for observation immediately.” The emergency doctor turned to shout at Ethan. Ethan’s brow furrowed. He was about to push Cherry away and come over. But Cherry suddenly hugged his waist tightly, her body trembling violently. “Ethan, I feel so dizzy… I can’t breathe…” Cherry closed her eyes and fainted directly in Ethan’s arms. “Cherry!” Ethan’s face changed dramatically. He scooped up the pretending Cherry, turned around, and rushed toward another ambulance parked outside the club entrance. I sat on the ground, watching Ethan’s back as he ran wildly holding Cherry. When facing danger, he chose someone else. After the danger passed, he still chose someone else without hesitation. The doctor beside me urged anxiously, “Miss, where is your family? Have him accompany you in this ambulance!” “I don’t have any family.” I withdrew my gaze, my voice calm. “I’ll go by myself.” I pushed away the nurse’s outstretched hand, supported myself against the wall, slowly stood up, and walked onto the ambulance alone. In the emergency room at the hospital. After finishing my IV drip, it was already late at night. I didn’t notify anyone. I removed the needle myself, took a cab, and returned to the villa. The villa was still pitch dark. Ethan would definitely spend tonight at the hospital watching over his Cherry. I didn’t turn on the lights. I opened my computer and logged into my personal bank account. I returned all the money Ethan had transferred to me over these five years. A full five million dollars was transferred back to Ethan’s private account. In the refund note, there was only one simple sentence: “We have no relationship from now on.” After finishing all this, I closed the computer and walked to the bed. I took out my phone. The screen lit up, reflecting my pale face. I opened my calendar and glanced at the date. I calmly turned off my phone, lay down on the cold bed, and closed my eyes. I didn’t suffer from insomnia. The next day, as soon as dawn broke, I got up to pack my luggage. After packing, I placed the already-printed divorce agreement on the table. I removed my wedding ring and gently pressed it on the signature line of the agreement. I dragged my suitcase and walked out of the villa. The cold early autumn wind hit my face, blowing away the last trace of the oppressive atmosphere from this house that clung to me. A taxi I’d reserved was already waiting outside the door. The driver got out and helped me put my suitcase in the trunk. The car slowly started up, heading toward the airport. I turned off my phone and wearily closed my eyes. “Please drive faster.”

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In the fourth year of our arranged marriage, Nathaniel still loved that fragile human, Sophia, his fated mate. Even though I was his wife now, it didn’t matter. After Sophia got injured, he even wanted to drain half his blood for her. Alpha blood had strong healing powers. It could prevent scars from forming on her wounds. Sophia shattered the keepsake my grandmother left me. Yet he grabbed me by the throat and forced me to apologize to Sophia. To make him happy, I chose to break the mate bond and leave on my own. Two months later, he found me in Paris and begged me to come back to him. But he didn’t know. I had found my fated mate. Amelia Johnson POV On the phone, Moore, my father’s beta, had a calm and professional voice. “Amelia, Alpha Silas has carefully considered your proposal. He admits that Nathaniel has done far too much for that human, things a qualified alpha heir shouldn’t do. Therefore, the cooperation with Moonclaw Pack can be terminated. You can leave Moonclaw Pack after that ridiculous marriage contract expires and go anywhere you want.” His voice paused, taking on a hint of amusement. “If the money isn’t enough, you’ll have to talk to your father yourself.” “Thank you for your help, Moore.” I hung up and looked at the enormous photo hanging in the center of the living room wall. In the picture, I wore a formal dress, standing beside Nathaniel. That was the only time in my life I dared to stand so brazenly close to Nathaniel. Yet his expression was so cold. Love or the lack of it needed no words. It hung there, naked and obvious. “It’s finally going to end.” I sighed. Four years ago, my father sent me to Moonclaw Pack for an arranged marriage when I was twenty-two and still hadn’t found my fated mate. After arriving, I learned that Nathaniel had already found his fated mate. It’s just that his fated mate was human, a human that Nathaniel’s father, Alpha William, refused to accept. So Alpha William ordered him to give up that human and be with me. On my wedding night, there was no tenderness, only Nathaniel’s cold, cutting words and a ridiculous marriage contract. “Amelia, remember your place. This is just an arranged marriage between us. And this arrangement only lasts four years. During these four years, do what you’re supposed to do and don’t fantasize about anything that doesn’t belong to you. After four years, give up your position to its rightful owner.” Back then, I naively thought that four years would be enough to warm a block of ice. I thought we could become mates who loved each other. But four years passed, and I finally understood: some ice would never melt for me. A soft sound at the door interrupted my thoughts. Nathaniel was home. His tall figure brought a sharp chill as he stepped inside. I took a deep breath and went to meet him. I took his coat and hung it up. I knelt down in front of him, opened the shoe cabinet, and took out a pair of soft house slippers. I had practiced this routine for four years. Nathaniel had long grown accustomed to it all. He loosened his tie and tossed it carelessly on the shoe cabinet: “Next month is the pack’s full moon festival. Don’t forget to attend.” My movements as I changed his shoes froze for a moment. I shook my head gently: “I’ll probably be busy that day. I won’t go.” After that day, I would no longer be Nathaniel’s mate. But I couldn’t bring myself to say those words. Hearing this, Nathaniel’s brows furrowed immediately. “What are you throwing a tantrum about now?” His voice was full of impatience. “Because I’ve been spending more time with Sophia lately? Amelia, I warned you on the first day of our marriage. Don’t fantasize about things that don’t belong to you. And put away that pathetic victim act. It only disgusts me.” I was simply preparing to disappear completely from his world after the contract expired, to never be an eyesore again. Yet he thought I was protesting his kindness toward Sophia in this way. I opened my mouth but ultimately said nothing. Nathaniel’s phone rang. He glanced at the caller ID, and his expression instantly softened. A tenderness he had never shown me. Sophia’s crying came through the receiver. Nathaniel asked nervously and gently: “Sophia? What’s wrong? Don’t cry, take your time.” Sophia on the other end seemed to be saying something intermittently. Nathaniel kept comforting her: “Don’t be afraid, I’m here. Where are you now? Okay, I’ll be right there!” He hung up and didn’t even glance at me still kneeling on the floor. He grabbed his car keys and rushed outside. He moved so urgently that his shoulder slammed hard into me. I was already off-balance, and this powerful impact sent my body stumbling backward uncontrollably. My forehead struck hard against the sharp corner of the door frame. Searing pain exploded from my temple, and stars burst before my eyes. But Nathaniel’s figure had already disappeared outside the door. He rushed into the cold night without even a backward glance. The huge house instantly fell silent. I supported myself against the wall and slowly stood up. The pain at my temple made me dizzy. I walked to the mirror in the entryway and looked at the pale-faced woman in the reflection. I wore a blue floral dress, looking docile and harmless. But I wasn’t always like this. I was my father’s favorite child, inheriting his combat talents. I could shift at sixteen and beat down those guys who drooled after me. I never imagined becoming someone’s mate, bearing his children, managing a household. For four years, I had disguised myself as a weak, unthreatening woman. All to win Nathaniel’s love. It was laughable, but I had to do it to maintain the alliance between our packs. I was an alpha’s daughter. This was my duty. At least it would all end soon. It wasn’t until late at night that my phone rang. It was Nathaniel. I answered. His voice came through, completely flat: “Come to the hospital.” I instinctively asked: “What happened? Are you hurt?” “Come and you’ll see.” The call was mercilessly disconnected, leaving only the cold dial tone. Without thinking, I grabbed a coat and rushed out. The night wind was freezing. I drove at top speed all the way. What could have happened? Was it an accident with Sophia? Or was it him? I arrived at the hospital as fast as I could. From a distance, I immediately saw Nathaniel in the hospital room, holding the crying Sophia and comforting her. They were embracing tightly. The scene felt so ironic, as if I, who had rushed here, was the third party.

Amelia Johnson POV The air in the corridor felt especially cold because of the disinfectant smell. I stood there, feeling like all the blood in my body had been frozen by this chill. I watched the two people embracing tightly in the distance. Nathaniel lowered his head, softly comforting Sophia who was crying in his arms. The lines of his profile were as gentle as if he were a different person. That was the tenderness I hadn’t earned even after four years. I could barely breathe. It took me a long time to move my stiffened legs again, walking toward them step by step. Nathaniel heard the sound and looked up. The moment he saw me, the tenderness that flashed in his eyes quickly faded, replaced again by that familiar coldness. “What happened?” I forced myself to speak. Nathaniel looked at me with those terrifyingly calm eyes and spoke slowly: “Sophia had an accident. The wound is long, and she’s lost a lot of blood.” I instinctively asked: “What?” “She needs a blood transfusion.” Nathaniel looked at me as if stating a fact as mundane as the weather, completely unrelated to her: “My blood can not only save her but also prevent the wound from scarring.” “You want to give her your blood?!” Alpha blood did indeed have powerful healing abilities. But that didn’t mean it should be used at times like this, especially not for the reason of preventing a human from having scars. This was absurd. He would go this far for Sophia? “I didn’t call you here for your opinion.” Nathaniel coldly interrupted me. “Just to inform you.” “Nathaniel, you can’t do this!” I stepped forward, my voice trembling with urgency. “Losing a large amount of blood is dangerous even for you. This is too risky!” “Dangerous?” A mocking smile curved Nathaniel’s lips. “That’s none of your concern. My decisions aren’t for you to question.” “I’m your mate!” The words burst out, carrying a desperation I hadn’t even noticed in myself. “Mate?” The mockery in his eyes deepened. “Remember your place, Amelia. You’re just a conveniently suitable arranged marriage partner when I needed one. Now, move aside.” I see. So my only value as his mate was to be a silent background prop when told he’d decided to risk himself for another woman. How ironic. “Fine.” I stepped back, feeling all the strength drain from my body. Nathaniel released Sophia and helped her sit in a nearby chair. He comforted her with gentle words, then turned and strode toward the treatment room. Just as the door was about to close, I called out: “Nathaniel!” He stopped and turned to look at me without emotion. For a moment, I wanted to ask him: In these four years, did you ever care for me, even for a second? But meeting those cold eyes, I knew the answer would only disappoint me more. In the end, I only said: “Be safe.” His gaze seemed to flicker slightly, but he said nothing in the end. He turned and went to give blood without hesitation. I finally understood completely. His love for Sophia was profound enough that he would give his precious blood for her. And my four years of devotion and waiting were nothing but a joke. In the corridor, I sat on the cold bench. Sophia walked out of the hospital room, wiped away her tears, sat down beside me, and spoke in a gentle tone: “I’m sorry for troubling Nathaniel again because of me. You know, when I first learned about you, I was really angry. But he said you were just a tool he used to deal with Alpha William. With you around, Alpha William wouldn’t make things difficult for me, and I could have more freedom.” I knew what this meant. Alpha William was an extremely strict werewolf alpha. He didn’t allow any female werewolves to leave the pack, or even go to bars alone. He was even stricter with Nathaniel’s mate. He forbade me from leaving the pack, required me to wait at home when Nathaniel returned, demanded I personally take care of all of Nathaniel’s needs. So Nathaniel knew this life was restrictive, but he didn’t care about me, so he couldn’t see my pain. “You know what? One year, he secretly flew to Paris just because I casually mentioned I liked a certain vintage pendant that was about to be released.” Sophia smiled and continued to provoke me. “But I was still angry at the time, so I threw the jewelry box right back at him.” I remembered that pendant. When Nathaniel returned from Paris that time, he casually tossed an exquisite velvet box to me, his tone indifferent: “Someone gave it to me. I don’t like it. You deal with it.” I was so happy when I opened it and saw the necklace. I thought it was the first and only gift he’d ever given me. I treasured it at the bottom of my jewelry box, never daring to wear it, often taking it out and looking at it for hours. It turned out that what I treasured was just the garbage Sophia had disdainfully thrown away. “And another time,” Sophia’s voice drifted over leisurely, “I was in a bad mood late at night and posted something really sad on social media. Guess what? He actually flew to New York overnight to be with me. Even though I didn’t want to see him, he stood in the rain all night.” I remembered that time. When Nathaniel came back from his business trip, he was soaking wet and pressed me hard beneath him, taking me fiercely. I naively thought at the time that it was proof of his longing for me after our separation, a breakthrough in our relationship. It turned out that wasn’t love at all, much less genuine feeling. It was just him venting all his unfulfilled desire for another woman on me, a substitute he could use whenever he wanted. “These four years,” Sophia’s voice was full of pride, “I ignored him, wanted him to give up, but Nathaniel pursued relentlessly. Every day he had someone send me a bouquet of lisianthus.” The flower language of lisianthus is unchanging love, eternal waiting. I felt dizzy and disoriented. He didn’t like having any plants in the house. He said he was allergic, so I, who had always loved fresh flowers, hadn’t bought a single one in four years. Yet he easily ordered flowers for someone else for four entire years. I was a complete fool. Four years of arranged marriage, an elaborately planned deception. “I’m leaving.” I didn’t want to hear her continue. I stood up and pushed through the hospital doors, finally breaking into a run. I was afraid that one second later, I would completely drown in this four-year-long fantasy.

Amelia Johnson POV After escaping from the hospital, I locked myself in the villa for three whole days. So the pendant I had carefully treasured was someone else’s discarded garbage. So what I thought was passion was just a tool for venting. So my joyful late-night companionship was just witnessing a prolonged confession. Four years, one thousand four hundred and sixty days: I had become a complete substitute, a shadow. Not even a shadow, just an insignificant background prop in his love story. On the fourth day, Beta Henry knocked on my door: “Amelia, Alpha William wants you and sir to remember to attend the gathering tonight.” I didn’t refuse. This was Moonclaw Pack’s rule: a monthly banquet, rain or shine. I spent a long time using thick concealer to hide the exhaustion and pallor on my face. I changed into a proper long dress and played the role of Nathaniel’s gentle and virtuous mate once again. This would be the last time. In the evening, Nathaniel came home, his face slightly paler than usual but still upright. Seeing me, he only nodded faintly as a greeting, then went straight upstairs to change. From beginning to end, he didn’t ask why I had suddenly left that day or how I’d been these past few days. As if I were just a prop needed to attend the banquet together. The pack’s council hall was built large and usually served the function of hosting banquets as well. The huge dining table was filled with pack members, but the atmosphere was as oppressive as always. No one dared to make noise around the stern and rigid Alpha William. Nathaniel’s father, Alpha William, sat at the head of the table. Halfway through the meal, an elder spoke up with concern: “Nathaniel, you and Amelia have been together for four years. Why hasn’t she gotten pregnant yet?” At these words, everyone’s gaze focused on my flat abdomen. Oh no. Nathaniel put down his utensils and wiped the corner of his mouth with a napkin, his tone indifferent: “No rush.” These three casual words instantly ignited Alpha William’s fury. He slammed his fork heavily on the table. “No rush?!” William glared at him. “You’re already thirty years old. How much longer do you want to wait? Amelia, as Nathaniel’s mate, don’t you have any sense of responsibility?!” The attack instantly turned toward me. I put down my fork, stood up, and bowed my head slightly: “Dad, it’s my fault.” “Of course it’s your fault!” William’s voice grew even harsher. His sharp gaze cut into me like a knife. “I heard that a few days ago, Nathaniel gave a lot of blood for that human woman! Alpha blood is so precious and powerful. How can it be casually given to others, especially to a fragile human?! You’re his mate and you were there. Why didn’t you stop him from doing something so dangerous and reckless?!” “Dad, this was my own decision.” Nathaniel frowned and spoke up. “You shut up!” William scolded. “You don’t get to speak here! Amelia, you’ve been married to Nathaniel for four years without bearing an heir for the pack. Now you can’t even take care of Nathaniel’s health, letting him deplete himself for some damned human! You’re failing completely as a mate!” Yes, this was another reason I decided not to continue the marriage arrangement. This Alpha William was even more domineering and tyrannical than a king. Especially, he hated all women. That included me, of course. He believed women should stay obediently at home, locked up in chains, only needed to bear children. So his mate, that brave Luna, tried to resist and ultimately chose suicide. The death of his fated mate only intensified this tyrant’s obsession. In these four years, I had endured too many such insults. I hadn’t planned to respond. But William gestured to a nearby servant. The servant immediately brought over a bowl of dark, bitter-smelling medicine. “This is medicine I specially had the healer prepare for you. It will help you get pregnant. Drink it!” William commanded. I looked at the bowl of medicine, my stomach churning. For the first time, I chose to resist. “Dad, I’m sorry. I won’t drink this medicine.” Everyone was shocked, including Nathaniel, who looked at me with surprise. William’s face turned ashen. He pointed at my nose and roared: “You dare defy me! Are you challenging Moonclaw Pack’s rules? Guards!” Two tall guards immediately stepped forward. “Take her to the yard! Give her ten lashes with the silver whip!” I didn’t resist, letting the guards drag me out. From beginning to end, Nathaniel just sat there, watching coldly. He didn’t even say a word in my defense, only looking away the moment I was taken out. As if what was about to happen in the yard had nothing to do with him. The late autumn night was bitterly cold. William was always strict. He had established many rules. This wasn’t my first time being punished, but it would be my last. Wounds left by silver weapons were difficult to heal. The cold penetrated through the wounds into my bones, making me shiver all over, yet I also felt a burning pain spreading. Through the study window, I could clearly see Nathaniel’s silhouette. He didn’t come out. He sat on the study sofa, holding his phone and making a call. I couldn’t see his expression, but I could imagine that the person on the other end must be Sophia. Time passed minute by minute. The intense pain and cold from my back gradually blurred my consciousness. After the whipping ended, I felt my body growing colder and heavier, and the scene before my eyes began to spin. In the second before I completely lost consciousness, I saw Nathaniel in the study finally hang up the phone, stand up, and draw the curtains. He completely shut out my last shred of hope. So he simply didn’t care. Everything went black. Then nothing.

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After discovering my CEO husband can’t let go of his divorced single-mother ex, I started teaching our son to call him “uncle.” When our son had a fever and his ex called him away in the middle of the night, I touched our son’s burning forehead and had him say “goodbye, uncle.” When he promised to attend our son’s parent-teacher conference but his ex called crying about how her son had no father to accompany him, my husband left without a second thought. I didn’t even look up. I handed our son my phone and had him send the teacher an excuse email on behalf of “uncle.” Every time, our son hesitated for so long. Until later, when my husband finally realized what he owed us. He took the initiative to suggest we take family photos together. At the entrance of the photo studio, the ex called again, sobbing on the phone: “Evan, can you come pick up Tanner from kindergarten right now? The other kids are making fun of him for not having a dad…” Reluctance flashed across my husband’s face. He was about to crouch down and explain to our son. This time, without any prompting from me, our son waved him away. “It’s okay, uncle. You go be with your other kid. Mom and I are enough for a family photo.”

The moment our son said those words, both Evan Harrison and I froze. During the 28 days since I discovered Evan’s heart wasn’t with our family anymore, every time he abandoned me and our son because of Vivian White, I would have our son call him “uncle.” To remind both myself and our son not to be hurt by someone who wasn’t worth it. But our son didn’t see it that way. He was only seven years old, at the age when he needed his father most. Every time I asked him to say “uncle,” he would hesitate for a long time before quietly calling out the word. But today, he said it on his own. He said it smoothly and naturally, as if he’d rehearsed the word countless times in his heart. Seeing us both stunned, our son took my hand and said to Evan: “Uncle, you go ahead.” Then he looked at me. “Mom, let’s go. We’re going to be late for our appointment.” He pulled me along, step by step toward the photo studio. The family photo session was something Evan had suggested to make up for missing our son’s school event. Our son had been looking forward to it for half a month. I stiffly followed him, my heart feeling like it was being crushed by a stone, the suffocating pressure making me want to cry. I discovered Evan’s affair by accident. He went to celebrate Vivian’s child’s birthday, and when he came back, he forgot about the tickets in his pocket. Three tickets to Universal Studios. For our son’s sixth birthday, he wished for the whole family to go to Universal Studios together to see his favorite Minions. Evan thought it was childish and rejected the idea without hesitation. A few days later, though, he went with Vivian’s child. I found Vivian’s Instagram post on Evan’s phone. [The most magical place should be visited with the best dad.] The photo showed Evan and Vivian holding a child—a picture of the three of them together. Vivian was his first love, divorced with a child. That night, we had our most explosive fight. I insisted on divorce and taking our child with me. Evan accused me of being unreasonable. He asked how I could bear to let our child grow up without a father. He swore to God that he only felt sympathy for Vivian. Looking at our son’s obviously frightened face, I bit my lip until it nearly bled. I knew that if I forced our son to leave with me, he would never forget Evan. But I also knew that if it happened once, it would happen a second time, a third time. I didn’t want my child to suffer because of his so-called sympathy. So I chose another approach—I tricked Evan into signing divorce papers. Thirty days until the divorce became official. During those 30 days, if Evan came to his senses, I would pretend nothing had happened for our son’s sake. If not, I would spend those 30 days doing everything I could to help our son become “desensitized.” Today was day 28. Our son had called Evan “uncle” on his own. I felt our son’s slightly trembling body, but I wasn’t happy. It felt like a thousand needles piercing my heart. As we crossed the street, Evan finally snapped out of it. He took a few steps after us, wanting to ask our son what was going on, when Vivian called again, still with that delicate sobbing voice: “Evan, where are you? Tanner keeps crying and saying he wants his daddy. I can’t calm him down.” Evan’s steps halted. He stared at our backs, phone in hand, and replied: “Okay, I know. I’ll be right there.” After hanging up, he sent me a text saying “Let’s talk tonight,” then turned and left without hesitation. The roar of a car engine started up, then faded into the distance. Our son stopped walking and buried himself in my arms, his tears soaking my clothes. “Mom.” “Can we not have Dad anymore?”

We didn’t take the photos. I took our son straight home. I started packing. While I was booking plane tickets back to my hometown, Vivian sent me a video. The setting was another well-known photo studio in the city. Vivian and Evan were wearing matching outfits, holding a child around five years old, posing for the camera. At the end of the video, Vivian taunted me as usual. “It’s just a family photo. Evan and I can take one anytime.” If this had been before, seeing Vivian’s provocation, I definitely would have snapped back immediately. But now, watching our son carefully organizing his toys, I only had one thought: how pointless. I exited the chat and booked two tickets to Seattle for the day after tomorrow. Just after I paid, Evan came home, carrying a strawberry cake. Both our son and I stared in surprise. In the past, he hated strawberry cake the most. Because of this, even though our son inherited my crazy love for strawberries, he would only choose Evan’s favorite matcha mousse for his birthday. But today, why did he suddenly bring home a strawberry cake? Our son and I looked at each other, both finding it unbelievable. Evan slowly walked in and saw the open luggage. His expression changed slightly. “Tanner was crying so hard, I stayed with him a bit longer. On my way back, I remembered you both love strawberry cake, so I bought one.” “Why are you packing? Are you going on a trip?” I shook my head, then nodded. “I guess so.” With only two days left until the divorce became official, I didn’t want any unexpected complications. Hearing my words, Evan seemed to breathe a sigh of relief before continuing: “The photo studio called me and said you didn’t show up. I rescheduled. How about tomorrow?” “I absolutely won’t bail this time.” He crouched in front of our son and said it very seriously. Our son paused while organizing his toys, looked at him, then at me. As if he was torn, or as if he didn’t dare believe anymore. I noticed our son wavering, and my heart softened. “Okay.” It was only going to be the last time anyway. After I agreed, our son’s eyes immediately lit up. He grabbed his toys and ran into his room. After he left, I continued packing. Evan came over to me. He struggled before speaking: “By the way, about our son calling me uncle today…”

My heart skipped a beat. I looked up at him. Evan crouched down, placing the strawberry cake beside me. His voice was helpless but affectionate: “Zoe, I know what you’re thinking. You think I’m too nice to Vivian and that I’ve been neglecting you and our son.” “But I swear, I only feel sympathy for Vivian. She’s a single mom—I just don’t want her to suffer too much.” He took my hand and placed it solemnly over his heart. “Give me a little more time. I promise I’ll handle things with Vivian and her son properly. I won’t let you and our son be wronged.” I stared at him blankly. I could barely remember the last time he looked at me so seriously. Maybe it was at our wedding. In the pristine chapel, he held my hand and vowed to treat me well for the rest of his life. Or maybe it was the day our son was born. In the hospital delivery room, he carefully held our son in his arms and trembled as he kissed my forehead. Then he said: “Zoe, I will never let you or our son suffer any injustice.” Thinking about those past moments, I was silent for a long time. Finally, I decided to tell him about the divorce. “Evan, actually…” “Oh, where did you put that limited-edition LEGO set I bought for our son last time? Is it in the study cabinet? Vivian says Tanner’s really into LEGO lately. I’ll take it over for him to play with for a few days.” After speaking, Evan went to the study, found the LEGO set, grabbed his car keys, and hurried out the door. “Bang”—the door closed. Evan’s figure disappeared. I stared quietly at the door for a long time. Then I finished the sentence I hadn’t completed. “Actually, our son and I don’t need you anymore.” Only two days left until we left.

At midnight, after finally finishing all the packing, I lay exhausted in bed. My phone lit up. It was a message from Evan. [Tanner really loved the LEGO. I spent the whole evening helping him build it. Vivian specifically asked me to thank you.] At midnight, my husband was thanking me on behalf of another woman. I pulled at the corner of my mouth, too speechless to even laugh. But I was too tired to be angry. The outcome was already decided anyway. I opened the chat and casually replied: [No need to thank me. I didn’t give it to her.] [Also, that LEGO was our son’s favorite birthday present. He’s been waiting for you to have time to build it with him.] After sending that message, I turned off my phone and closed my eyes to sleep. I didn’t care about Evan on the other end, whose expression changed when he saw the message. The next morning at eight, Evan came home unusually early. He took off his coat as he entered and saw several neatly arranged suitcases in the living room. He froze in place. “Do you need to pack this much for a trip?” Without even putting down his coat, he walked to the bedroom with visible panic and asked me. I was helping our son get dressed and didn’t look back. “We’re going far.” Upon hearing this, he immediately looked at our son. Only after receiving a confirming nod did his expression relax. Then he put his coat aside and took out three Universal Studios tickets. “Haven’t you been upset that I didn’t take our son to Universal Studios?” “I bought tickets for today. The three of us can go together.” He displayed the tickets in front of me and our son like he was showing off, his face full of indulgence. For a moment, I wondered if I’d misheard something. It had been almost a month since that incident, and he was only thinking of it now? But then I thought of the string of unread messages on my phone when I woke up this morning, and I suddenly understood. So it was compensation. I didn’t say anything and continued focusing on dressing our son. But our son was incredibly excited, his eyes blinking as he stared at me. “Mom, I want to go!” My eyes curved into a smile. Before I could speak, I heard Evan stammer: “But if you want to go, there’s one condition. Vivian found out we’re taking family photos today, and she’s worried Tanner will be upset if he hears about it, so… the family photo thing… let’s do it another time.” As he said this, his expression was full of guilt. Our son froze. The smile in his eyes visibly receded bit by bit. “I see…” He slowly lowered his head and said nothing more. His eyes turned red. But Evan didn’t notice. He continued: “It’s just this one small request from Vivian. I thought about it, and it shouldn’t be a big deal.” “We’re just postponing the photos this time. There’s always next time.” “Leo, what do you say?” He didn’t know that our son and I would be leaving tomorrow. This was his last chance. But neither our son nor I said anything. We just nodded silently. “Fine.” “Okay.” Evan breathed a sigh of relief, his face visibly showing a smile, as if a weight had been lifted. “Then I’ll tell Vivian right now. Three o’clock this afternoon, meet at Universal Studios.” After speaking, he got up to leave. When he reached the door, he turned around. “Honey, Leo, you’re both so wonderful.” Our son and I didn’t say anything. After he left, our son jumped down from the bed and took out a backpack he’d prepared from the closet. “Mom, I don’t want to see uncle anymore. Can we leave early?”

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In my fifth year with Luca Greene, his book became a hit. I thought I’d finally weathered the storm and could enter marriage with him. But the night before we were supposed to register our marriage, Luca confessed to me. “The prototype for this book is my first love, Zoe.” “I didn’t want her to suffer with me, so I convinced her to study abroad. Then I felt lonely and chose you as a substitute since you looked eighty percent like her.” My hand froze while ironing a shirt. I looked at Luca in disbelief, my voice trembling. “Why are you telling me this now?” Luca smiled, acting like nothing was wrong. “I’ve treated you well these past years. Zoe is different—she’s suffered so much abroad.” “As compensation and to make up for her regrets, I registered our marriage with her yesterday. But don’t worry, I’ll definitely marry you in a year.” Luca spoke seriously, but he’d forgotten—I have a thing about cleanliness. In life, and in relationships too. I couldn’t snap out of it for a long time. I didn’t even notice when my arm got burned and the skin peeled off. Instead, Luca frowned, pulled me to sit on the sofa, and applied medicine to my wound. His tone was full of concern, as if the conversation we’d just had was an illusion. “How can you be so careless? You burned yourself just ironing a shirt.” I’d gotten hurt often over these five years. Luca had done this many times. Each time, my heart would warm. But this time, I couldn’t help wanting to cry. I clenched my teeth to keep the tears from falling, but my voice still carried a sob. “Luca, doesn’t it disgust you to spend five years facing a fake?” Luca’s face darkened. “Riley, don’t talk about yourself like that.” He was too calm. I couldn’t hold back and threw the medicine box, screaming. “Isn’t it you who made me like this?!” My chest heaved continuously. Luca sighed, picked up the scattered medicine from the floor, and spoke softly. “I know this is hard for you to accept right now, but we’ve been together for five years. There’s no need to deny everything over this little thing.” As he spoke, Luca patted my head. I felt dazed, as if transported back to the day he confessed to me. Back then, my mom had been hospitalized with a heart attack. To make money, I went to work selling drinks at a bar. Once, by accident, I spilled drinks all over the floor and dirtied a customer’s shoes. The people with him started jeering. “Those shoes cost a million. Is the pretty lady going to pay up, or sleep with our buddy William for a few nights?” “I recommend the latter—better deal, haha!” “Right, William’s not bad-looking either.” I backed away in fear. That’s when Luca appeared. Seeing me, he froze for a moment, then helped me out. “Didn’t you say we were celebrating my birthday? Let’s go inside. Stop giving the poor girl a hard time.” He was William’s childhood friend. Even though he’d broken ties with the Greene family to pursue his writing dream, no one dared say anything. The group left. Soon after, someone brought me a Band-Aid. It was arranged by Luca. After that, I kept running into Luca at the bar. He’d keep an eye on where I was, have his friends buy drinks from me. Even when customers took their frustrations out on me, he’d shield me with his body. He got a broken rib protecting me. I cried my eyes out. “Why are you so good to me? How am I supposed to repay you?!” Luca tucked my tear-soaked hair behind my ear and said with a smile. “If you don’t know how to repay me, how about you give yourself to me?” I stood there stunned. Luca’s expression turned serious. “Riley, I’m being serious.” “Will you be my girlfriend?” It would be a lie to say I wasn’t moved. So much so that all these years, I’d thought Luca was heaven’s gift to me. I never imagined it was all a scam from the very beginning. Tears spilled from the corners of my eyes against my will. I turned my head away, refusing to look at him, but my voice was exceptionally firm. “Luca, let’s break up.”

The moment the words left my mouth, Luca’s phone rang. He glanced at it, his tone casual, as if he didn’t care at all. “I’ll just assume you’re upset and saying things you don’t mean. As long as you behave this year, you’ll get everything that’s supposed to be yours.” “I’m going to Zoe’s welcome back party first. Stay home and think it over.” The instant the door closed, my emotions collapsed. I smashed the only photo of Luca and me together. My suddenly bright phone screen caught my attention. It was a link from my best friend. Luca’s book had become popular, and he’d been exposed to the public along with it. These past few days, she’d sent me plenty of videos related to Luca. But this time, seeing the text she sent, I froze for a long moment. \[Your early photos with Luca have been dug up.\] In truth, Luca had never publicly acknowledged my existence. Every time I brought it up, Luca would use the excuse that he didn’t want his private life to receive too much attention. So I’d followed Luca for five years without any recognition or status. Even though I already had a suspicion in my heart, when I clicked the link, my heart felt like it had been pricked by a needle. In the link was a screenshot from a five-year-old street view map. The subjects in the image were Luca and “me.” Same height, similar build from behind. If I hadn’t learned the truth about being a substitute today. I might have thought I’d lost a chunk of my memory. But Luca would never crouch down to tie my shoelaces. In the five years we’d been together, Luca and I had done everything couples do. Everything except him bending down to tie my shoes. I couldn’t count how many times I’d wanted Luca to help me tie them. But every single time, it ended in vain. Even when my stomach hurt so badly my face turned pale, Luca remained unmoved by my request to tie my shoes. What I got was impatience. “I don’t like tying people’s shoelaces. Can you stop forcing me?” I remember that day—I cried like a child. Later, Luca coaxed me for a long time. I thought I’d forgotten. I didn’t expect that three years later, this memory would still be so clear. So clear that seeing this scene made my eyes involuntarily sting with tears. So it wasn’t that he didn’t like it—it was just that the person wasn’t me.

I don’t know how long I stared at that photo. Long enough that Luca came in with a “drunk” Zoe Adams, and only then did I snap back to reality. Seeing I was still awake, Luca paused, then explained. “Zoe got drunk. She lives alone with no one to take care of her.” I should have cried. I should have made a scene. But I knew clearly it wouldn’t help. Luca didn’t love me. With that thought, I stepped aside to let Luca pass. Luca raised his eyebrows in surprise. “Good that you’ve thought it through. I haven’t treated you badly.” “Besides, without me, you can’t afford your mom’s medical bills at all.” I didn’t respond, just let Luca carry Zoe upstairs and completely ignored the provocative look Zoe shot me. But when I returned to the bedroom and saw the pajamas Zoe was wearing, I lost all reason. I rushed forward, trying to pull the clothes off her. The moment I touched Zoe, she screamed, “Ah! You’re hurting me!” The next second, Luca emerged from the bathroom and shoved me away. The force was too strong. I crashed into the corner of a table. In my ear was Luca’s interrogation. “Riley, have you lost your mind?” I shakily got up, for once talking back. “Shouldn’t that question be directed at you?” “You know perfectly well this pajama set was handmade by my mom. She’s being kept alive by medical equipment right now. How could you let another woman wear it?!” Luca’s movements froze, as if he’d finally realized. But he didn’t back down. He shielded Zoe behind him and said in a deep voice, “Even so, you shouldn’t have gotten physical! Apologize to Zoe!” My voice choked. “She’s the one who did wrong. Why should I apologize?” Luca laughed coldly. “Fine. Keep acting tough if you’ve got the guts. Just don’t regret it!” With that, he turned to look at Zoe, his voice carrying a tenderness he’d never shown me. “Change back into your own clothes. I’ll take you to the hospital.” Zoe nodded, giving me a provocative look before leaving. I hadn’t wanted to cry. But the contrast was too great. The grievance pressed down on me until I couldn’t breathe. Blood from the wound on my forehead slid down my cheek. My phone lit up with a familiar message. —\[My promise to repay you still stands. As long as you’re willing, I’ll marry you.\] I’d refused countless times before, but I didn’t want to wait for Luca anymore. I’d waited five years for him. How many five-year spans does a person get in one lifetime? I finally made up my mind to reply. —\[I’ll marry you. Start preparing.\]

But I never imagined Luca’s punishment would come so quickly. The next day when I went downstairs, I was tied to a chair by two bodyguards. Placed in front of me were countless bottles of alcohol. My heart tightened as I looked at Luca sitting on the sofa. “What are you doing?” Luca smiled and pointed at Zoe nearby. “I told you—if you’ve got the guts, keep acting tough.” The punishment for not apologizing. Realizing this, my mind exploded with a roar, as if something had detonated inside. I shook my head frantically. “Luca, you can’t do this to me. I can’t drink alcohol!” Hesitation flashed in Luca’s eyes. Zoe saw it. She looked at Luca with reddened eyes. “If she doesn’t want to apologize, forget it. I’m fine.” Luca frowned slightly. “I promised I wouldn’t let you suffer any grievances.” With that, Luca looked at me again. He smiled. “Didn’t you used to sell drinks at a bar? How could you not be able to drink?” “Since you won’t apologize, you’ll just have to take your punishment.” My heart went cold. It seemed Luca had truly forgotten—my stomach was ruined from drinking for him. Back then, the Greene family sent people to the bar to make things difficult for him. Knowing he was allergic to alcohol, they still made him drink ten bottles of liquor before he could leave. I drank bottle after bottle for him. By the end, I lost consciousness and was rushed to the hospital. When I woke up, Luca was keeping watch beside me. He held my hand, saying sorry over and over. “The doctor said your stomach can never handle alcohol again. Let’s quit this job, okay?” “From now on, I’ll support you and take good care of your stomach.” Luca spoke with such devotion. I was happy he could keep doing what he loved. Time passed. It had only been four years, and Luca had forgotten. I suddenly felt sorry for my past self. The bodyguard’s action of forcing alcohol down my throat pulled me back to the present. I struggled, but no matter how much I resisted, the alcohol still went down my throat. It made me cough violently. Luca’s hands, hanging at his sides, clenched tight. He reminded me, “As long as you apologize to Zoe, I’m not unwilling to let you off.”

I didn’t back down. I forced myself to speak. “What did I do wrong?” “You’re the one who’s wrong! You two are wrong!” Seeing I still wouldn’t give in, Luca waved his hand to continue. The alcohol entered my stomach, bringing a burning pain. I bit down hard, refusing to make a sound. But the next second, my phone rang. It was the caregiver calling. The caregiver never called me without reason. Every time, it was because my mom had been sent into the operating room. At this thought, panic seized me. I sobbed and shouted, “Luca, I apologize! I was wrong!” “I was wrong. I’ll never lay a hand on Zoe again. Let me go.” Luca looked somewhat surprised, but he still sneered. “Riley, an apology needs sincerity. I’m not the one you should be apologizing to.” The bodyguard perceptively released me. I couldn’t care about anything else. I dropped to my knees and slid toward Zoe. With a look of surprise on her face, I bowed my head repeatedly. “Zoe, I was wrong. I shouldn’t have laid hands on you.” “I’m begging for your forgiveness. I’m sorry, I’m sorry…” I prostrated myself again and again, but Luca never relented. “I told you—as long as you behave, I’ll give you whatever you want.” “I’ll let it go this time. Be good from now on.” But I couldn’t care about Luca. I pushed him away and stumbled outside. Luca chased after me, his voice panicked. “Riley, where are you going?!” I didn’t respond. I flagged down a car and headed to the hospital. The whole way, I kept praying. I reached the operating room just as the doors opened. The doctor looked at me and shook his head, giving a different result for the first time. “I’m sorry. We did everything we could.” I collapsed to the floor, my mind buzzing. Luca, who’d chased after me, also heard those words. His face instantly turned deathly pale. Realizing what he’d just done, Luca panicked. He stepped forward, wanting to say something. A fist suddenly came down. “Get away from her! Don’t touch her!”

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I hid the pregnancy test — two clear lines — inside a cake, planning to surprise Ethan on his birthday. Then he suddenly said, “I slept with Natalie.” He pointed at the hot soup I’d just made, his smile cruel: “Last week she fed me from this same bowl. Her tongue was so skilled, I couldn’t hold back. So I fucked her.” Betrayed. Again. I stood there frozen, too numb with pain to make a sound. Ethan just smiled brighter: “I finally understand Lucas now. Natalie really does know how to please a man better than you.” Lucas was my ex-boyfriend. Natalie was my former stepsister. Five years ago, those two drove me to attempt suicide with photos of them in bed together. When I’d lost all hope, Ethan appeared and saved me. But now, he’d betrayed me for the same person. I’d been secretly making prenatal supplements for him, lying that it was just health tonic. He never called me out on it. I thought he didn’t know. After a long silence, I finally found my voice, trembling: “Why?” Why betray me and still let me make medicine for him every day? Ethan looked at me and suddenly laughed loudly: “Claire, you lost.” He pulled out his phone and put it on speaker. Natalie’s voice poured out, sickeningly sweet: “Ethan, did it work?” “It worked. You guessed right — she only asked why.” Ethan leaned back on the sofa, the exact same posture Lucas used five years ago. “Natalie and I made a bet about how you’d react. She bet you’d slap me. I bet you’d just cry.” He paused, smug and vicious: “I won.” Natalie laughed on the other end: “Five years later, and she still just asks ‘why’ when someone fucks her husband.” In a daze, I was back five years ago. That year I came home early to surprise Lucas on his birthday. I pushed open the door to find Natalie straddling Lucas. They didn’t even bother to cover up. Seeing me, Natalie panicked for just a moment. Lucas leaned against the headboard and lit a cigarette: “Claire’s home early. Your sister Natalie just turned eighteen, so I’m breaking her in for you.” I grabbed the vase from the table to throw it, but my wrist went limp like the bones had been pulled out. The vase slipped and shattered at my feet. I only asked why. Natalie shoved her phone in my face. It was full of photos of her and Lucas — the earliest one dated three months before Lucas and I got together. “Claire, you’re the one who stole someone else’s boyfriend.” That night, Natalie sent the photos to all my classmates. My phone rang all night with messages full of abuse. I turned it off and stood on the rooftop until dawn. The next day, Ethan grabbed my hand. The day after that, he was drenched in sweat, like he’d run a long way. He said, don’t die for people who aren’t worth it. Come with me. So I went with him. But five years later, today, the person who pulled me down from that rooftop had personally pushed me back up there. “Alright Natalie, stop provoking her. See you tonight.” Ethan hung up. He grabbed his car keys and headed for the door. As he passed the coffee table, his steps slowed for half a beat. But only half a beat. “I’m picking up Natalie. Move your stuff to the guest room. You don’t have a place here anymore.” The door closed. In the living room, the cake read “Happy 30th Birthday” in frosting I’d spent two hours piping. Next to it, a blue gift box held the photo of the pregnancy test. Two lines. I’d planned to wait until after he blew out the candles to tell him we were having a baby. That baby was four weeks old.

After Ethan left, I stared at the cake for a long time. Then I started packing. ID card, prenatal checkup report, my mother’s photo. I shoved them into my bag, my hands shaking so badly it took three tries to zip it closed. Ethan came back faster than I expected. He looked at the bag in my hand and sneered: “Running away? Where would you even go?” “Divorce.” I used all my strength to say that word. He didn’t answer, just walked over and pulled the bag from my hands. When he found the prenatal report, his hand paused for a moment. Very brief, so brief it seemed like I’d imagined it. Then he threw the bag on the floor. “Divorce?” He looked down at me like he’d heard a joke. “Claire, if you’d chosen me first, I probably would have treasured you for life.” His tone was flat, like he was talking about someone else. “But who did you choose? You chose Lucas.” “When you were with him, you could kneel in the rain all night. You could fight and make up laughing the next day.” “What about with me?” “You speak quietly, walk around me carefully, don’t even dare make prenatal supplements in front of me.” “Claire, who are you living with? You’re living with a stranger.” “You think that’s love?” Ethan lowered his head, almost touching my face: “That’s charity.” “Was saving me charity too?” I raised my head. “Five years ago you grabbed me on that rooftop and said you’d be good to me forever. Was that pity too?” His expression flickered, then hardened. “Yes. That was pity.” He stepped back, his eyes full of gloom. “The pot you used to make prenatal supplements — it’s the same one you used to make soup for Lucas. You forgot, didn’t you? Natalie remembers.” That was the only thing my mother left behind. When I moved, I only brought that pot. I used it for Lucas because it was all I had. I used it for Ethan for the same reason. “It’s not the same… that was my mom’s…” “Enough.” Ethan pulled open the front door. Outside, a storm was starting. He grabbed my arm and pushed me out. As I passed the shoe cabinet, my shin hit the corner and I bent over in pain. “Ethan, I’m pregnant.” The moment those words left my mouth, his hand did pause for a moment. One second. Then the door closed behind me. I pounded on the door a few times. No one answered. I heard the lock turn from inside. My phone buzzed. All my bank accounts were frozen. Outside the door was the yard. Rain pounded against my body, soaking through my pajamas until they stuck to my skin. I don’t know how long it was before a cramping pain shot through my lower abdomen. A dark stain spread across my pajama pants. I couldn’t lose this baby. I bent over, supporting myself against the wall, moving step by step back toward the door. The spare key under the flowerpot should still be there.

When I pushed open the door, the entryway light was on. From the yard to the door was only twenty steps. It took me ten minutes. With every step, the blood between my legs increased. As I crouched down to reach for the spare key, my vision went dark. A pair of red-soled high heels appeared on the ground, pointed toward the door. In the living room, Natalie was wearing my pajamas, sitting cross-legged next to Ethan. On the coffee table sat half a glass of red wine and a pregnancy test broken in two. The two lines were still clearly visible. The cake I’d made was half-eaten, the fork still stuck in it. The candles were broken, thrown in the ashtray. The family photo on the cabinet was face down, the frame turned over. Natalie saw me come in and laughed behind her hand: “Claire’s back? I thought you’d left. Ethan said you’re really good at running away.” I ignored her, my gaze fixed on the broken pregnancy test. I’d hidden that in a secret compartment in the closet. Natalie followed my line of sight and tilted her head: “Oh that? I accidentally broke it when I was changing clothes.” She turned to Ethan, eyes wide: “Ethan, Claire’s not really pregnant, is she?” Ethan leaned back on the sofa, not looking at me. Frosting from the cake was smeared at the corner of his mouth. “I told you not to touch her things.” His tone didn’t sound protective, more annoyed. “It doesn’t matter if she is.” Natalie smiled and rubbed her flat stomach. “The only children in this house will be mine and Ethan’s anyway.” She stood up and walked toward me, stopping half a step away, looking down at my legs. The dark stain spreading across my pants had been scattered by the rain, but the traces were clear. “Claire, you’re bleeding.” Her voice was soft. I bent over and retched violently. Nothing came out except acid and bitterness — the taste of prenatal medicine. Natalie stepped back, her face wrinkled with disgust. There was a sound from the sofa. Ethan stood up and took half a step toward me. Then stopped. Natalie grabbed his arm: “Ethan, she’s so filthy.” Ethan looked down at me, his lips moved, but no sound came out. I knelt on the floor and wiped my mouth. As I stood up, he spoke. “You think we’re disgusting?” His voice was cold. “Then tonight you can listen carefully to who’s really disgusting.” He pulled Natalie toward the stairs. As they passed, Natalie stepped on the broken pregnancy test. As she went upstairs, she laughed: “Ethan, let’s sleep in her bed tonight, okay?” Ethan didn’t refuse. The master bedroom door closed. I knelt in the living room, vomit in front of me, rain and blood on my body, the pregnancy test crushed to pieces before me. The first laugh came from upstairs. Then footsteps. Ethan came back downstairs and grabbed me by the collar, hauling me up. “Since you like kneeling so much, come kneel and listen upstairs.”

As Ethan dragged me upstairs, my knees knocked against every step with a sound. Passing the master bedroom, his steps paused. Then he kicked open the storage room door next to it and shoved me inside. “Ethan –” I reached out to stop him. The door closed. The lock turned. The storage room was small, filled with a few dusty cardboard boxes and a folding chair. No light. The only source was a half-open window in the corner, moonlight streaming in, illuminating floating dust. Through the wall, Natalie’s voice came first: “Ethan, is she right next door?” Ethan’s voice came through muffled: “Don’t worry about her.” Natalie laughed: “Good. Let her listen carefully to who really knows how to please you.” I hit the wall a few times. Next door went quiet for a second or two. Then Natalie laughed: “Ethan, Claire’s keeping time for us.” I covered my ears. But the sounds still leaked through. Laughter, gasping, the dull sound of the bed frame being pressed. Ethan’s hands that once put fever patches on me were now touching someone else through the wall. He who once told me “don’t die for people who aren’t worth it” was now calling another woman’s name. The cramping in my lower abdomen grew stronger with each wave. I curled up in the corner, hand pressed to my stomach, the sticky area under my clothes still spreading. I searched my pockets and only found a crumpled prenatal report. Ethan had pulled it from my bag and thrown it on the ground. I’d picked it up again when I left. I couldn’t make out the words in the darkness. But that line — “intrauterine early pregnancy, approximately four weeks” — I’d already memorized. Four weeks. That’s when the heart just starts to beat. Next door went quiet for a while. Then Natalie’s voice came lazily, like she was deliberately speaking for me to hear: “Ethan, after this is over, should I have your baby?” “Mm.” “Let’s clean out that storage room next door for a nursery.” “Okay.” “What about Claire?” “She can stay if she wants. If she can’t take it, she can leave on her own.” Natalie laughed: “You’re so good to me, Ethan.” Next door went silent again. I released my hand. My fingertips were covered in sweat. My lower abdomen didn’t hurt as much anymore. Looking down at the dark stain on my pants, I couldn’t tell if it was red or black in the moonlight, but the area had grown larger than before. The baby might already be gone. I turned my head toward the window. It was raining outside, hitting the windowsill, a few drops splashing in and landing on the back of my hand. Cold. Just as cold as standing on that rooftop five years ago. That time Ethan had grabbed my hand. I looked at the tightly closed door. No footsteps behind it. No one was coming. I braced myself against the wall and stood up, something warm trickling down my knee. Three floors outside the window. Not very high. But enough. I climbed onto the windowsill. Rain hit my face. Next door came Natalie’s blurred sleep talk, Ethan’s even breathing coming through the wall. They were both asleep. I could sleep forever too…

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As I neared my due date, my husband suddenly knelt down beside my hospital bed: “Evelyn, I’ve told you three lies. I need to come clean.” Cold sweat poured down my face from the pain, and I gripped the sheets tightly: “Wait until after I give birth!” But he continued regardless: “I’m sorry. When we did IVF, I switched your eggs with my first love’s. She has a heart condition and pregnancy would be too risky for her, so I had to borrow your womb.” The pain was so intense I couldn’t speak. He stared at me, completely indifferent to the possibility that I might have an emotional breakdown or even die from complications. Then he begged with fake sincerity: “For the sake of our three years of marriage, you’ll risk your life to deliver this baby, right?” Meeting his calculating, triumphant gaze. I laughed: “That’s it?” My relaxed response stunned Nathan Cooper. He clearly hadn’t expected me to remain so calm after learning the child in my belly was the bastard of his mistress. He froze for a few seconds, then quickly put on a pained expression. “Evelyn, I know you must be devastated right now. But the baby’s about to be born. You wouldn’t have the heart to end a little life, would you?” A cold smile tugged at my lips. “Nathan Cooper, why did you choose this exact moment to tell me?” I watched his face gradually pale, my voice growing icier. “Because you know very well that inducing labor now would be a life-threatening risk for both me and the baby.” “That’s why you dare to tell me the truth so brazenly.” “This isn’t a confession. You’re threatening me!” Nathan’s thoughts exposed, panic flashed in his eyes. But more than that, he was furious with embarrassment. “Evelyn Hart, how can you be so cold-blooded and selfish? Giving birth is giving birth, regardless of whose child it is!” “I’m giving you a chance to experience motherhood!” “Not only are you ungrateful, but you’re nitpicking about everything. This is completely unreasonable!” Fury turned to laughter. I gathered all my strength and slapped him across the face. Nathan’s face whipped to the side, five bright red fingerprints appearing on his cheek. The sudden emotional surge caused sharp, stabbing pain in my abdomen. Cold sweat instantly soaked through my back. I pressed the call button at the bedside through gritted teeth. “Get Diana Monroe here now. She’s my attending physician!” Diana Monroe was the head obstetrician. She was also the impoverished student I’d sponsored for ten years. Even my parents treated her like a daughter. “My stomach hurts so much. Diana, give me an epidural…” The pain made it nearly impossible to form complete sentences. Diana rushed in wearing her white coat. But her gaze immediately landed on Nathan’s swollen cheek, and her expression turned cold: “Evelyn, you shouldn’t have hit him!” The pain made my vision darken. I almost thought I was hallucinating. “He already confessed everything to you, what more do you want? All you ever do is focus on the company. You’ve never fulfilled your responsibilities as a wife.” She got more worked up as she continued. “Evelyn, you’ve had everything since birth. Now you won’t even help a poor woman with a heart condition fulfill her dream of becoming a mother? Are you really that unwilling? When did you become such a selfish, heartless woman?” “Now Nathan has gone through so much trouble to let you experience the joy of motherhood, and you respond with such jealousy.” I watched her defend Nathan and suddenly understood. “So, the Hart family sponsored you for ten years. This is how you repay me? By being a mistress and stealing my husband?”

Diana’s expression changed. “Diana is not that kind of person!” Nathan pulled Diana protectively behind him, as if afraid I, a woman in labor, might lunge at her. He bellowed with his neck stretched out. “That’s right! This is the second secret I need to tell you. My first love is Diana!” I coldly glanced at their tightly clasped hands. The timid little girl from back then now wore delicate makeup and carried a designer bag worth hundreds of thousands. She had completely transformed. “When you were fifteen, walking barefoot in the snow picking through trash, I took off my brand-new limited edition sneakers and gave them to you. I brought you back to the Hart house.” “Later, when you got into medical school, the Hart family paid for all eight years of tuition and living expenses.” “After graduation, you said you wanted to work at this hospital. I personally spoke to the director and got you fast-tracked through the interview. You became the youngest attending physician at this hospital.” “Our whole family treated you so well. Is this how you repay us?” I looked down at Nathan like I was watching a clown. “If you wanted a man like Nathan, you could have just told me. I would have given him to you directly.” Diana bit her lower lip, her eyes flickering. But Nathan completely lost it. “There it is again! That condescending attitude! Acting like you’re above everyone, like nothing matters to you!” “Do you know that’s what I hate most about you!” He began venting his rage frantically: “Do you know why I chose Diana over you?” “Because she understands me. She knows how hard I worked to climb from being a poor kid to my position as a manager today! She cares about me and admires me!” “But in your eyes and your family’s eyes, my achievements are just a joke, aren’t they?” “My monthly salary is fifty thousand dollars, but that’s not even enough to cover the pocket money your parents give you for buying handbags! A single painting you casually bid on at auction costs more than several years of my hard work!” “You spend money like water, buying useless luxury goods. Look at Diana—she’s so thrifty and frugal. She’s the kind of good woman who can share hardships with me!” He spoke as if every word was torn from his bleeding heart, as if he were the victim who had been wronged and looked down upon. Diana’s eyes reddened as she spoke pitifully. “Evelyn, I’m sorry. Nathan and I grew up in the same village. We knew each other before you did. When you think about it, I’m not the third party.” The implication was that I was the one who had interfered with their true love. “Are you done?” I spoke calmly. Turning to my secretary, I issued clear instructions. “First, notify HR to fire Nathan Cooper and Diana Monroe immediately.” “Second, notify the hospital director to come and replace the attending physician immediately.” This top-tier private maternity hospital was a property under Hart Group. The Hart family held one hundred percent of the shares. Here, I had absolute authority. Secretary Klein stood in place and didn’t immediately execute the order as usual. He stammered and lowered his head. “Miss Hart… you, you no longer have that authority.”

I frowned slightly. Nathan couldn’t hide the smile on his face. He pulled out a document triumphantly. “Evelyn, you forgot—you already ‘voluntarily’ transferred the company to me.” It was the latest Hart Group personnel change notice, written clearly: “I, Evelyn Hart, due to personal health reasons, voluntarily resign from my position as heir to the company and all board positions, and unconditionally gift all shares and assets under my name to my husband, Mr. Nathan Cooper.” At the signature line was my own handwriting. I suddenly remembered. Three days ago, Nathan had come to me with a document, excitedly telling me. He’d pulled strings to secure a spot at the most prestigious postpartum care center in the city. The environment and services were top-notch—all I needed to do was sign the confirmation in person. At the time, I was irritable from late-pregnancy pelvic pain and signed that thick stack of documents without looking carefully. Turns out, this Property Transfer and Gift Agreement had been hidden among those postpartum center admission forms. All the shares, properties, and funds under my name had been transferred to Nathan in that moment. He turned around with the bearing of someone in power. “Secretary Klein, since Miss Hart is no longer in control of the company.” “As the new director of Hart Group, I officially appoint Ms. Diana Monroe as the new director of this hospital. Draft an appointment notice immediately.” Undisguised ecstasy appeared on Diana’s face. “Thank you, honey.” Klein looked at me helplessly. Just then, a figure hurried down the corridor—Director Wilson, who should have been in his office. He was drenched in sweat, looking panicked. “Miss Hart, we have an emergency!” “An elderly couple who suffered a serious car accident was sent to the ER. The entire car was totaled. When they arrived, they were barely recognizable, with multiple organ ruptures!” “The traffic police confirmed the license plate number.” “It’s V08801!” My heart seized. That was my parents’ exclusive vehicle. Director Wilson’s voice trembled: “The victims lost too much blood. We urgently need to request blood of the same type from the military blood bank! But activating the emergency rescue helicopter requires… requires board-level approval!” I immediately caught the key point. “When were they brought in?” “It was… around 10 AM yesterday morning.” Yesterday morning at 10 AM. It had been a full twenty-four hours. My gaze was sharp as a knife: “The first rule of employee orientation: memorize all license plate numbers and personnel names under the Hart family to ensure immediate rescue operations can begin!” “Twenty-four hours have passed. Why didn’t anyone report this to me?” Director Wilson instinctively looked at Nathan before stammering: “The hospital has already issued three critical condition notices.” “Mr. Cooper said you were about to give birth and shouldn’t be disturbed with such matters.” I turned my head. My gaze stabbed into Nathan like a knife. This was the third catastrophic wrong Nathan had to confess to me. He didn’t just want my child and my assets. He wanted my parents’ lives. “Yes, I admit it.” Meeting my icy gaze, Nathan not only showed no guilt but smiled. “Evelyn, I was doing this for your own good. Look, you’re about to give birth. How could I dare upset you with bad news? What if your emotions affected the baby?” “So you just watched them die?” My voice was hoarse. “Nathan Cooper, you want to wipe out my entire family.”

Seeing that I’d laid it all out, Nathan stopped pretending. “So what if I do?” “I’m now the new director of the company with absolute decision-making power.” He turned to Director Wilson, his tone horrifyingly cold. “I refuse to approve the use of the rescue helicopter.” “There’s no need to waste the company’s precious medical resources on two old people with one foot in the grave.” He looked down at me, his eyes full of vengeful pleasure. “All these years I’ve been like a slave in your Hart family, suffering endless humiliation. I put up with your spoiled princess temper.” “But those two old fools were always guarding against me. Even though you’re their only daughter, they refused to hand over the company and made me some bullshit manager!” “They thought they were so high and mighty, but deep down they just looked down on someone from the bottom like me!” He grew more excited, his face twisted. “But now, isn’t their precious daughter being played by me? Their lives are in my hands too!” “I want to see if you, with your untouchable heiress act, can really stay this calm!” Diana also stepped forward, her face full of malice. “Why should you be born into wealth and luxury? Nathan and I had to endure poverty from childhood? This society is so unfair! But it doesn’t matter—now Nathan has corrected God’s mistake.” She smugly touched her flat stomach. “I can’t be the heir to a fortune. But I can spend the rest of my life as a wealthy wife. From now on, everything you enjoyed will be mine!” Nathan pulled out a document—a Waiver of Parental Rights Agreement. He shoved a pen into my hand. “Sign it.” “Then cooperate with Diana and deliver this baby safely.” “For the sake of our three years of marriage, I’m still willing to pay for that top postpartum care center.” “At least you won’t end up on the streets right after giving birth.” All the nurses and doctors in the hallway looked at me with sympathy. My baby had been switched, my family fortune had been hollowed out, and now even my parents’ lives were in danger. I must be completely broken, ready to kneel and beg them. But I just smiled. “That’s it?” Nathan’s first reaction was to turn to Diana: “Can a mentally unstable pregnant woman still give birth?” Diana frowned too: “If we have to, we’ll do a forced C-section. If she dies, she can only blame her bad luck.” They thought I’d been driven insane. I watched them sing their duet and smiled. “Do you think I’m completely powerless now?” Diana raised an eyebrow mockingly: “Evelyn Hart, stop posturing. You’re facing death and still talking tough!” My gaze was piercing: “I was going to keep it from you forever, but since you’ve confessed everything, I’ll return the favor with three confessions of my own. This is the first!” Before I finished speaking, a man entered holding a document folder. The man handed the documents to me respectfully: “Miss Hart, here are the rush amniocentesis results you requested.” “DNA paternity test shows 99.9% similarity. There is a clear biological mother-child relationship between the fetus and Evelyn Hart!” “Impossible!” Nathan snatched the report, staring at it with wide eyes. Diana leaned over too, the color draining completely from her face. “How is this possible? Nathan, you said…” Nathan screamed hysterically, “When we did IVF, I personally bribed the lab staff! I watched them replace your eggs with Diana’s with my own eyes! How can this child be yours!” Nathan stood frozen as if struck by lightning. I watched his breakdown and dropped another bombshell. “Not only did I use my own eggs, I didn’t even use your sperm.” “What?!”

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There’s a rule in my hometown village: if you’re not married by 33, you have to accept blind dates arranged by the village chief. Otherwise, misfortune will strike. When I told my boyfriend Ethan about this, he let out a cold laugh. “What century is this? Your village is still so backward and superstitious? Clara, I will marry you, but you can’t use such a cheap excuse to pressure me.” “I was actually planning to propose to you, but since you’re lying to pressure me, let’s just cool off for a while!” As he spoke, he pulled out a ring and handed it to his assistant, Lily. The wedding ring I’d waited so many years for—he casually gave it to someone else. I was stunned for a moment. Ethan walked out of my office with a swagger, a victorious smile curling at the corners of his mouth. Lily awkwardly handed the ring to me. I looked at the ring’s size, then slipped it onto Lily’s finger: “He bought it for you in the first place, didn’t he? Look, it’s a perfect fit.” “Tell Ethan that he and I are over.”

That evening when Ethan got off work, I was packing my things. Seeing the two large suitcases in front of me, he paused mid-step. “Why did you come home early today without waiting for me?” Here we go again. He always had this ability to just turn the page on his own. Then I was supposed to take the out he offered me and step down gracefully. And pretend nothing happened while we played the part of a loving couple. But now I didn’t want to pretend anymore. “Didn’t your assistant tell you? We’re done.” His brow immediately furrowed, like I’d touched a sore spot. “I’m trying to have a decent conversation with you, and you just have to be passive-aggressive, don’t you?” “Lily grew up with you. You were the one who brought her to the company in the first place. What are you being so dramatic about now?” He was right. I was indeed the one who brought Lily to the company. She and I grew up in the same village. The village chief told us to look out for each other away from home. So when she graduated from college and couldn’t find a job, I proactively brought her to our company. She was obedient and sensible, and I was happy to mentor her. Until I noticed her gazes at Ethan growing increasingly tender. I was very familiar with that look. Ethan had been a big shot back in school. I’d seen countless girls look at him that way. But Ethan’s eyes had never lingered on them for even a moment. So I dismissed it as a young girl’s crush and didn’t make an issue of it. But she kept making more and more mistakes at the company. I casually criticized her a few times. She didn’t talk back, just stood there crying while being reprimanded. But Ethan wasn’t having it. For the first time, he yelled at me in front of the entire company. “She’s just a young girl. A few words would’ve been enough, wouldn’t it?” “Who do you think you are, pulling rank on your own sister like this?” I laughed bitterly, but I wouldn’t back down. “Do you have any idea how many messes our colleagues have had to clean up because of her mistakes?” He waved his hand dismissively. “In that case, let Lily be my personal assistant!” He looked around at the colleagues watching the drama unfold. “From now on, if anyone has complaints, come straight to me! Stop gossiping behind people’s backs!” “If you can handle the work, stay! If you can’t, get out!” He strode ahead with large steps, like he’d won a battle. Lily followed behind him, her back radiating worship for Ethan. … I looked up. Ethan was looking down at me from above. I didn’t know when it started, but he began making everything about winning or losing with me, always needing to come out on top. He was no longer the man who told me in our rental apartment: “You’re the only person I’ll ever lose to in this life.” I glanced at my phone. The ticket confirmation was still on the screen. I’d be going home soon. I didn’t feel like arguing with him. “You’re right. I was being dramatic.” “It won’t happen again.” Seeing my reaction, his expression showed a moment of confusion. I figured he must have been prepared for me to act like before—to demand to know when he’d actually marry me, to question him about his unclear relationship with Lily, but he never expected me to look so defeated. After a few seconds of silence, he dropped a “whatever” and left. He didn’t come home all night.

The next morning I went to the office as usual. I could do without Ethan, but Era Media had all my blood, sweat, and tears poured into it. Even if I left, I needed to arrange the company’s affairs properly. Besides, I could still collect steady dividends every year. I was calculating who to promote to replace me on the front lines so I could provide remote guidance, when Sales Manager Amy stood at the elevator entrance looking completely defeated. She was a company veteran who’d been with me through countless deals large and small. I’d never seen her so crushed. “Miss Clara, last night we sent the quote to Mr. Ethan. Assistant Lily said he was asleep and that she’d handle it.” “But she accidentally sent our bottom-line pricing sheet to the client as well.” “Now the client is demanding we cut our price by 20%, but our profit margin is only 30%.” Her voice choked up. “This is a project we’ve been working on for half a year. If we proceed now, we’ll lose money. If we don’t, we’ll lose this client completely.” I nodded while pushing open Ethan’s office door. Lily was lying on her side on the sofa bed. Ethan was spoon-feeding her water. This sofa bed was from back when we first started the business, when Ethan bought it to force me to rest. He said: “My office is your exclusive rest area.” So even when the company moved later and we bought our own property and renovated, I still moved this sofa bed along with us. Now another woman was lying on the sofa bed, and he was carefully watching over her. Just like we used to be. My chest tightened, but strangely, it didn’t hurt anymore. Seeing me, Lily immediately sat up. “Clara, don’t misunderstand. I fainted from guilt, so Ethan was just giving me sugar water.” I remembered that the first time she met Ethan, she called him her sister’s boyfriend. I didn’t know when that had changed. I ignored her and went straight to slap the report on Ethan’s desk. “At the client’s current asking price, if we want to secure the project, we’ll lose $120,000.” I glanced at the two of them. “Which of you is going to cover it?” Lily’s eyes immediately reddened. “It’s all my fault. I should have woken Ethan up. I just felt bad that he was so tired.” “I’ll go find Mr. Li right now. I’ll beg him!” Ethan frowned tightly at the document and didn’t stop her. Amy and I stood there with no intention of stopping her either. She found herself in an awkward position, frozen in place. I crossed my arms and looked at her. “Lily, crying or begging doesn’t work in business!” She threw off the cashmere blanket, but after just two steps she collapsed to the floor. It was such a clumsy performance that I felt arguing with this kind of person was beneath me. But Ethan, the supposed business genius, believed it. He helped Lily up and carefully settled her on the sofa. “Clara, you’re always so aggressive.” “Does everyone in the world have to revolve around you?” I freed one hand to tap on the desk. “Don’t give me this irrelevant nonsense. $120,000. What are you going to do about it?” His eyes were bloodshot. “If taking this project means losing money, then we just won’t do it!” I let out a cold laugh. “Do you remember how much we drank, how many all-nighters we pulled to win this client in the first place?” “Besides, this isn’t the only project we have with them! If we drop this, how many times $120,000 will we lose?” “Ethan, did a dog eat your brain?” He glanced at me impatiently, muttering “so petty,” Then he pulled out his bank card and threw it in my face. “It’s just $120,000. I’ll cover it for her. Happy now?”

My face stung, but I was strangely calm. The poor boy who once thought $10 burgers were too expensive could now throw around $120,000 without blinking. He’d forgotten how many people’s livelihoods were in our hands. It wasn’t just about the money. Or maybe he knew, but just didn’t care anymore. Since he didn’t care about $120,000, what about a hundred times $120,000? I was curious whether he’d be so indifferent then. I met my best friend Sophia for afternoon tea. She hadn’t even finished cursing out Ethan when I received a message from Amy. “Miss Clara, please come back to the office right away!” As soon as I reached my office door, I saw Lily directing people to move my desk. All the contracts and documents were scattered on the floor. This was what I’d built bit by bit over all these years. What gave her the right? “Put everything down right now!” I took three steps in two strides and slapped Lily across the face. “Who gave you permission to touch my things?” Lily covered her face, but her eyes were defiant. “Ethan said you lost a major deal and don’t deserve this position anymore. He told you to work from a cubicle in the main area.” Probably having heard the news, Ethan came over too. Seeing the mess everywhere, his eyes flickered. “Lily, I told you to notify her. Who told you to touch her things?” Lily lowered her hand, revealing the handprint on her face, looking pitifully at Ethan. He softened immediately. “Clara, the decision was mine. If you want to take it out on someone, take it out on me.” “But rules are rules. Lily sent the bottom-line pricing sheet, yes, but it was your subordinate who submitted it to her. You bear direct responsibility.” He sighed and placed both hands on my shoulders. “I saw you bought a plane ticket.” “But I don’t have time to go back with you.” “Why don’t you take this opportunity to go home for a few days and rest, okay?” I shook off his hands. “Who said I wanted you to come? I’m going home to—” He scoffed: “To go on blind dates and get married?” “Drop the threats. Lily told me there’s no such rule in your village about having to get married at 30.” Lily also said: “Clara, don’t blame me for telling Ethan. I just couldn’t bear to see him deceived by you anymore.” I calmly looked her over. Designer suit, Chanel earrings, LV bag. Completely inconsistent with her current salary, and worlds apart from when I first met her. Back then she was still grateful to me for funding her tuition. Her first outfit for college was one I bought her. Her first bank card was one I helped her open. Her first time at a buffet was when I took her. She said she’d repay me once she graduated. And now, she leaned against my boyfriend, wearing things my boyfriend bought her, then said she felt bad that my boyfriend was being deceived by me. Even if I didn’t care about my own dignity, I wasn’t going to give them any more face. I pulled out a stack of A4 papers from my bag. In front of all my colleagues, I read aloud: “Three months ago, my boyfriend took you to a hotel. The room and contraceptives totaled $5,800.” “Two months ago, he bought you a limited edition bag worth $10,200.” “One week ago, he bought you a ring worth $126,000.” … “So tell me, who exactly is deceiving whom?”

Colleagues were whispering among themselves. Some even showed looks of disdain. Ethan’s face alternated between pale and flushed. I directed people to help me put everything back in place. Even when Ethan tried to stop them, no one listened to him. Amy was especially sarcastic: “Miss Clara, let me get some disinfectant to clean your office. It reeks of mistress in here!” She sprayed alcohol all over them. In the end, Ethan could only angrily repeat “Good! Good for you all!” Before leaving with Lily. As soon as I finished tidying up and sat down, I received a call from the village chief. “Clara, are you sure you’re coming home?” “If you’re sure, I’ll have the Sullivan boy pick you up at the train station.” I smiled for the first time in a while. “I’ve already bought my ticket, but don’t tell Grandma yet. I want to surprise her!” The village chief’s tone became cheerful too. He said “wonderful” several times before hanging up. Our village really didn’t have a rule about getting married at 30, but my grandma was 80. She couldn’t wait any longer. Ever since Ethan and I had our falling out, they became more and more brazen at the company. As if they finally didn’t have to hide from me anymore, or as if they wanted to make me angry. They were together every day, when Ethan attended events, Lily was always his female companion. She even acted like the boss’s wife at the company, ordering colleagues around. Just waiting for me to leave so she could take my place. Amy couldn’t stand them and complained to me several times. I patted her shoulder. “Stay steady. Let her be arrogant.” When Lily provoked me for the fifth time and I still didn’t take the bait, she finally couldn’t keep up the act anymore. She burst into my office without knocking. “Ethan doesn’t want you anymore. Why are you still clinging here refusing to leave?” I casually adjusted the latest designer suit she was wearing. Opening my mouth casually: “Men, well, their love follows their money.” “You know that, right? I own 49% of this company’s shares. What about you?” “Want to make a bet with me? If he’s willing to give you 10%, I’ll give up my shares and pack up and leave.” “If he’s not willing, you leave. Do you dare?” Her face turned white. But in the end she nodded: “Fine! You better not regret it!” A few days later, Lily came to my office with Ethan. She slammed an equity transfer agreement on my desk. Looking at the second clause stating a transfer of 15% shares to her, I laughed out loud. “Clara, stop pretending to be calm. Hurry up and pack your things and get out!” Ethan glanced at me somewhat uncomfortably. “Clara, don’t blame me for helping her. It’s just a bet. Consider it a consolation prize for the girl.” He changed his tone. “But we’re businesspeople who value credibility. Even personal bets require honoring the terms.” “But don’t worry, even though you’re giving up your shares, I’ll still marry you. You’ll be Mrs. Parker from now on.” “Your monthly allowance will only increase, not decrease.” “As for Lily, I won’t let her appear in front of you anymore or challenge your position as Mrs. Parker.” I never expected that after all these years, he hadn’t improved in other areas, but had learned to enjoy having multiple women. “Ethan, you’ve really got it all figured out. I should give up my dividend shares to go home and be a full-time housewife?” “I’m telling you, I’m not interested!” Lily pulled out a recording of me clearly saying I’d honor the bet and give up my shares. Then she handed me a voluntary share renunciation agreement. Amy’s eyes reddened as she tried to snatch it. I stopped her. Then I picked up the pen and signed. Lily’s face flushed with excitement. Though Ethan’s eyes flashed with complexity, it was ultimately replaced by smugness. I put down the pen and asked: “Is that enough?” Ethan nodded and announced to everyone: “From now on, Lily is my business partner. She’ll take over Clara’s position.” Some people felt threatened, but others started sucking up to her already. “We’ll definitely follow Miss Lily’s instructions from now on.” “What are you waiting for? Hurry up and move Miss Clara’s things out to make room for Miss Lily!” The thermos Ethan bought me was knocked to the floor, getting dented. The blanket I knitted myself fell on the floor and was stepped on several times. Even the orchid I raised had its branches broken off. But I didn’t stop them or get angry. I just remembered the day we first moved in, when he spun me around in circles. “Clara, we did it! This is our business empire!” My vision blurred for a moment, then cleared. I quietly watched the place I’d worked so hard for all these years being emptied bit by bit. Until the nameplate changed from “Miss Clara’s Office” to “Miss Lily’s Office.” Only then did I turn around and walk straight to Ethan’s office. I sat in his chair. I said: “Ethan, you’re fired now.”

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I was eight months pregnant when my billionaire husband Tobias was caught cheating at a hotel. The news was everywhere. Everyone felt sorry for me. There were a hundred thousand comments online calling him a scumbag. Tobias didn’t care at all. He casually transferred a hundred million dollars to me and apologized: “Sorry, things got a bit out of hand this time.” I felt a bit embarrassed to accept it, since the baby in my belly wasn’t even his. I forced down the anxiety in my chest and waved my hands frantically. “No, no need…” Tobias ignored me. His gaze locked onto my belly. His indifferent eyes became complicated. This was the first time since I got pregnant that he’d looked at my belly this seriously. He reached out his hand. His palm slowly moved toward me. His long, distinct fingers spread slightly open, as if wanting to cover my belly. His movement suddenly froze, then he forcibly pulled it back. His eyes returned to their cold detachment. “Take it.” His tone wasn’t heavy, but left no room for argument. After one phone call, my phone chimed with a text notification. I didn’t dare look, but I knew a hundred million had arrived. In that moment, my heart raced wildly. Tobias ignored me and sat down on the sofa. He casually pulled out his phone and scrolled through it, letting out a scoff. “CEO of Blackwood Group cheats during wife’s pregnancy, spotted at hotel with influencer late at night.” “Insider reveals mistress has moved into private villa while legal wife stays home alone in tears.” “Eight months pregnant in exchange for Tobias’s cold face, Mrs. Blackwood mocked as the most miserable trophy wife in history, netizens furious: He doesn’t deserve to be a father, much less a human being.” “Elliott, you’ve become the object of everyone’s sympathy online.” My face instantly burned with heat. “It’s my fault, it’s all my fault…” His gaze paused, but he said nothing. I lowered my head, not daring to look at him. “I shouldn’t have taken the place of the person you love most. You and I… we were just an accident. You can’t be with the person you like, and you’re being cursed at by people online. I’m truly sorry.” My voice grew smaller and smaller. “You can divorce me whenever you want. I don’t mind.” Tobias looked at me with surprise, a smile curling at the corner of his mouth. “What, now that you’ve got money, you dare to mention divorce?” I was rendered speechless, my face flushing bright red. Because he was right. The child wasn’t his, and I’d gotten a huge sum of money. Running away with the money, or him kicking me out—either was my best option. If he discovered the child wasn’t his, I didn’t even know how I’d die. Tobias stood up and glanced down at me condescendingly. “We’ll talk after the birth.” With those words, he left.

After dismissing two attentive servants, I couldn’t help but feel mentally exhausted. I looked down at my big belly. Hatred suddenly bloomed in my eyes. When you have a passionate romance with a man, and then he sleeps with you. The next day, he disappears without a trace. When you investigate, you discover even his name was fake. How could you not hate such a man? And I had encountered exactly that kind of man. He was the biological father of the child in my belly. What’s even more tragic is that my fate was full of unexpected turns. That day, abandoned and crying my heart out on the street, a car pulled up smoothly beside me. Then I was violently dragged into the car by a drunk Tobias. His eyes were bloodshot as he violated me while hysterically cursing and screaming at his parents. “Why don’t you two like Alice? Why? “Fine, fine, fine. You insist I have a child? Then I’ll find a woman to have one with, so you’ll have nothing to say.” This Alice was the kept woman he had now, the woman he loved most, the woman his parents looked down upon. I think he deliberately orchestrated this scandal. He deliberately let his parents know that the woman they despised was still with him. His purpose was obvious—still to anger his parents. And I was just a tool. I was terrified, helpless, struggling. Fortunately, at the last moment, he passed out drunk on top of me. We didn’t actually have sex. The next day, Tobias dragged me straight to city hall. “Since what was supposed to happen already happened, let’s register our marriage.” That’s when I understood—he thought he’d actually done it with me the night before. In front of this domineering man, I had no choice. Thinking of my ex’s disappearance filled me with even more hatred. I just broke down completely and, in a fit of anger, registered the marriage with him. But right after registering, I regretted it. Tobias’s parents—my wealthy in-laws—showed me no kindness. Tobias didn’t defend me either, just sneered. After marriage, he ignored me completely. We never even shared a bed. But what no one expected was that I got pregnant. My in-laws never came to see me. They seemed very busy, flying all over the country, constantly out of sight. Tobias stared at my belly in silence, his expression inscrutable, finally swallowing this unexpected development through gritted teeth. Only I was crying inside, because this child wasn’t his. In Tobias’s house, aborting it had become impossible. But when the truth came out, what would become of me and the child? I wanted to escape, but servants and bodyguards watched me twenty-four hours a day. Even if I ran away, with the Blackwood family’s power, catching me would be child’s play. Now, the news media was making a huge fuss denouncing Tobias, while doing everything to defend and beautify me. Unsurprisingly, it was all the work of Blackwood Group’s rivals. But all of this made me even more anxious. From my time in contact with Tobias, he was clearly a pathological violent maniac. When he lost control of his emotions, servants and bodyguards alike would suffer for no reason. Broken heads and broken limbs were commonplace. Afterward, he could settle everything with money. If he found out the child in my belly wasn’t his, my fate was easy to imagine. So, even though I now had a hundred million in my account. All I could think was: “What do I do?”

A week before delivery, my body became so heavy I could barely get out of bed. I was admitted to the Blackwood family’s private hospital. That afternoon, the hospital room door opened. It wasn’t a nurse who entered, but a beautiful stranger. She wore exquisite makeup and walked to my bedside in high heels. The moment our eyes met, I knew who she was. She was Alice. Her gaze remained fixed on my belly, her eyes glowing. No jealousy, not even hostility—like she was looking at a rare treasure. Her stare made my skin crawl. “Elliott.” She opened with a smile. “That hundred million Tobias transferred to you earlier—you received it, right? That hundred million was my idea. I told him to give it to you.” I couldn’t help but look surprised. Seeing my expression, her red lips curved upward. “You must be wondering why I’d have him transfer money to my rival?” She lowered her head, her gaze returning to my belly, a trace of bitterness at the corner of her mouth. “Because there are some things I can’t do.” “Do you know why the Blackwood family won’t let me in?” I shook my head. “I can’t have children…” When Alice said this, her knuckles had already turned white from clenching. “I see…” I murmured. She took a deep breath, her composure returning. “So, you just need to give birth to the child, then leave on your own. The child will be raised by Tobias and me from now on.” “Not only that, I’ll have Tobias give you another hundred million as compensation. That way, you’ll have the money to go far away and live the life you want. “And I’ll have solved the problem of not being able to have children. With Tobias ensuring the bloodline continues, I can marry him legitimately, and his parents won’t have much to object to. “We never thought of this solution before. Your appearance, for me, was unexpected but also a pleasant surprise.” She spread her hands with a bright smile. “Everyone wins. You’re happy, I’m happy, everyone’s happy.” What she said was indeed very logical. From a rational standpoint, this was the perfect solution. She got the child and marriage, Tobias preserved his bloodline and could answer to his family while also getting love, and I walked away with two hundred million. But… for me, an indescribable sense of humiliation pierced my heart like a needle. I carried the baby for ten months, enduring pain and nausea for so long. In the end, I was just a tool for bearing someone else’s child. The child was in my belly, but never belonged to me. And besides, this child… I lowered my head, not daring to let her see my expression. This child wasn’t even Tobias’s. So, facing her questioning gaze, I could only respond with silence. Gradually, displeasure flickered across her brow. In her eyes, I probably seemed rather ungrateful. “Ding…” Her phone rang with an incoming message. Alice glanced down at it, her expression changing slightly, and immediately stood up. “I should go. Think it over carefully. After all, you know in your heart that Tobias doesn’t care about you. Staying in the Blackwood family is meaningless for you.” The door closed softly. I slumped back against the headboard, my eyes full of confusion.

Not long after, footsteps sounded in the corridor, and the hospital room door opened again. Two familiar yet strange faces appeared in my line of sight—my long-absent in-laws. The couple who controlled a trillion-dollar empire, Anthony and Lester Blackwood. They looked travel-worn at the moment, their brows carrying some indissoluble worry, lacking their usual grace and presence. Behind them followed the expressionless Tobias. That’s when I understood why Alice left so quickly. The two people who hated her most had appeared. “Elliott, you’ve worked hard.” Lester walked to the bedside and gently touched my belly. Her voice was flat—not warm, but not cold either. “You’re a hero to the Blackwood family. Your father and I will stay here and wait for the child to be born.” Anthony nodded, saying a few platitudes like “rest well” and “safe delivery for mother and child.” I nodded obediently in response, stealing a glance at Tobias. The entire time, Tobias’s expression remained unchanged. I don’t know why, but the relationship between these three family members always gave me a strange feeling. In the end, I had no way to break this deadlock. The day of delivery still came. Everything went smoothly. I gave birth to a son. Tobias held the child, sitting by the bed with a slight curve to his lips. His eyes held no tenderness or fatherly love, only a kind of satisfaction. I understood—his thinking was the same as Alice’s. My child was the perfect chess piece to facilitate his being with Alice. Next would come the day he kicked me out and took the child. Facing this inevitable outcome, I felt only an indescribable sense of powerlessness. Looking at the son I’d carried for ten months, my eyes couldn’t help but redden. Forget it, forget it. This was fate. At least for my son, as long as he grew up safely in the Blackwood family, his future would be brilliantly bright. I had to admit, deep down I’d accepted Alice’s suggestion. I leave, the child stays—it’s best for everyone.

Lester took the child and told me I’d worked hard. Anthony also showed a rare smile, walking with his hands behind his back to Tobias’s side, looking down at the child. The atmosphere actually felt somewhat harmonious. Everyone was satisfied, until Anthony spoke. “Now that the child is born.” He turned to look at Tobias. “According to Blackwood family tradition, you and the child should verify the DNA.” The air instantly froze. The smile on Tobias’s face stiffened. He slowly raised his head, fury surging in his eyes, though he said nothing. In my view, he’d never doubted it. That drunken night—he thought it was real. In his eyes, a woman like me picked up from the street getting pregnant with his child was luck and an honor. Tobias nodded and spoke, “Alright, arrange it quickly.” No one noticed me. No one saw that the moment Anthony mentioned DNA, I felt like a bucket of ice water had been poured over me from head to toe. I had no strength left in my body. Soon, a man in a white coat pushed the door open and began taking samples. I stared intently at his every move. No… no… no… I was screaming frantically in my mind. My tears almost instantly welled up. “Elliott, why are you crying?” Lester glanced at me. “It’s just sampling. It won’t hurt the child. Don’t worry.” She thought I was just worried about the child. She didn’t think much of it. No one did. Only I knew I was afraid—afraid to my very bones. The sampling ended. The doctor left the room with the samples. The moment the door closed, I felt like I’d heard my death sentence. For the next stretch of time, I lay in the hospital bed like I was paralyzed, my mind completely blank. Like a death row prisoner at the execution ground, neck on the chopping block, just waiting for that final blow to fall. I don’t know how much time passed before that door finally opened again. The doctor who took the samples came in holding a report, his expression very grim. Everyone’s faces changed at the sight. He glanced at Tobias, then finally spoke carefully. “According to the DNA comparison results… the paternal relationship between Mr. Blackwood and the child cannot be established. The two are not biological father and son.”

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On our wedding anniversary trip, my wife Russell’s sponsored student Leonardo insisted on catching a ride home in my car. My car was small, the distance was far, and I had a lot of luggage—there was no way I could take him, so I politely declined. That evening when my wife came home, she was silent for a long time. “He ended up walking home along the highway. His feet were torn to shreds.” I was confused. “Couldn’t he have just called a cab?” She nodded gently and poured me a glass of water as usual. I drank it and fell into a deep sleep. When I woke up again, I was standing on the highway under the scorching sun. Russell was intimately leaning on Leonardo’s shoulder, holding up her phone to livestream with a cold laugh. “Didn’t you say transportation was convenient? Try walking back yourself.” The livestream was on, and viewers were all betting on how far I could walk. I faced the camera and licked my cracked lips. “Had enough? If you’ve had enough, come back and pick me up.”

Heat waves shimmered off the asphalt road. Russell and Leonardo, sitting in the back seat of the Rolls-Royce, were doubled over with laughter. She held up her phone with the camera pointed at me. Comments flew densely across the livestream. “Look at Mr. James, so stubborn,” Russell’s voice was full of amusement. “Even now he still expects someone to come pick him up.” Leonardo cooperatively stuck his head out with a sympathetic expression. “Russell, maybe we should let James get in the car. In this heat, walking back could kill someone.” “Don’t rush.” Russell put her arm around his shoulder and turned to glare at me viciously. “James, I’m giving you two choices. Either apologize to Leonardo, or walk the full fifty miles.” “The highway is straight. Just follow it and you’ll get there.” The comments went even more insane. “Serves him right! When he refused to let him catch a ride, why didn’t he think about how hard it would be for him?” “Just because he’s Miss Russell’s husband, does that make him so great? Bullying people because he has some money?” “This kind of gold digger needs to be taught a lesson. I support Miss Russell!” “Look at how pathetic he looks. So satisfying.” “Walk fifty miles? He won’t make it. He’ll collapse after two.” I stood under the scorching sun. My clothes were already soaked through, and my lips had cracked in several places. Leonardo looked at me, his eyes slightly reddening as he put on a sympathetic expression. He grabbed Russell’s arm, deliberately lowering his voice. “Russell, forget it. My family was never well-off to begin with. My life is cheap—not precious like James’s. Walking a few miles is no big deal.” “James must have his reasons for not letting me catch a ride. Don’t make things difficult for him.” As he spoke, he shot me a triumphant glance from the corner of his eye. My head buzzed. Before our anniversary, Leonardo had asked to catch a ride home with me. My car was packed full of luggage—there really wasn’t room for another adult. I politely told him that calling a cab would be very convenient. I even felt a bit bad about it and specially transferred him money for the ride. Now it had turned into me bullying him, looking down on him and refusing to let him ride. “Leonardo, you’re just too kind-hearted.” Russell’s voice was ice cold. She tightened her grip on Leonardo’s arm, her gaze piercing straight at me. “You’re too easy to bully. When he used his position as my husband to make things difficult for you, he should have known this day would come.” I stared at her. This was the woman I’d loved for six years. To marry her, I’d given up SUN, the company I’d founded myself. I thought it was worth it. The first year of our marriage, our relationship was good. The second year, she started sponsoring Leonardo. The third year, after Leonardo graduated from college, she let him join the company and work as her assistant. I didn’t think much of it. Just a student from a poor background who was grateful and wanted to repay the favor by working at the company—perfectly reasonable. But gradually, things changed. Once during a company basketball game, he deliberately stepped under me while defending. When I landed, I twisted my ankle. The pain made me push him. He fell to the ground on purpose, scraping his elbow slightly. In front of hundreds of company employees, Russell sternly berated me for not knowing my own strength. That night when we got home, she didn’t speak to me for three days. Later, this kind of thing happened more and more often. Leonardo took credit for my proposal at a project meeting, presenting it as his own work. When I called him out on the spot, he just lowered his head without saying anything, putting on a fake wounded act. Russell said I was petty and couldn’t tolerate others. When Leonardo worked late, she said I, as the president and her husband, didn’t know how to be considerate of subordinates and dumped all the work on him. On Leonardo’s birthday, when I transferred him money, she said I was being perfunctory and insincere toward subordinates. Once he deliberately spilled coffee on a contract I’d just signed. I cursed at him, and he kept silent. Without even asking what happened, Russell immediately decided I had a bad temper and was bullying an honest person. At first I thought I wasn’t doing well enough, so I was careful about everything. But no matter what I did, she could always find fault. Until today, standing on the highway in hundred-and-forty-degree heat, watching my own wife lean intimately on Leonardo’s shoulder while livestreaming my misery—only then did I finally see clearly. It wasn’t that I wasn’t doing well enough. I was just in the way.

I pulled my gaze away from Russell, licked my cracked lips, and spoke to the phone camera pointed at me. My voice was hoarse but steady. “Had enough? If you’ve had enough, come back and pick me up.” The comments paused for a second, then exploded. “Is he crazy?” “Still talking tough in this condition?” Russell laughed out loud, her laughter filled with contempt and impatience. She let go of Leonardo and leaned out of the car, looking me up and down. “Still talking tough?” “I’d like to see how long you can keep that up.” She looked back at the bodyguard. “Let the hunting dogs out of the car. Mr. James is walking too slowly. Let the dogs help speed him up.” Leonardo frowned in the car, putting on a worried expression. “Russell, don’t do this. You’ll scare James.” Russell patted his hand, her tone gentle. “Don’t worry, they’re on leashes. They won’t kill him.” The car door opened, and two hunting dogs lunged at me. All my blood froze in an instant. Even though I’m a man, I’ve been afraid of dogs since childhood. Russell actually liked dogs, but after marrying me, she never kept any. She even took detours around people walking dogs, afraid I’d see them. Now she was personally releasing dogs to chase me. The two hunting dogs rushed to my feet. Without time to think, I took off running. The asphalt had been baked by the sun until it was like a red-hot iron plate. After running about fifty feet, my shoes came off, and my soles immediately blistered. Behind me, the excited barking of the two dogs grew closer and closer. “Holy shit, he’s running so fast!” “At that speed, he could medal at the Olympics, right?” “Mr. James has been hiding his skills. Usually looks so refined, but when he runs he’s faster than the dogs.” “Dying laughing, even the dogs can’t catch him.” “Well, he is Miss Russell’s husband. He works out every day—of course he’s in good shape.” The comments flew by so fast I couldn’t read them clearly, but I could imagine Russell’s expression seeing them. She leaned out of the car, the smile on her face frozen. Leonardo leaned close to Russell’s ear, his tone carrying just the right amount of concern. “Russell, James is running so fast. Even I can’t keep up with him.” Russell said nothing, squinting her eyes at me. I’d already run nearly half a mile. The blisters on my feet had all burst, and each step felt like stepping on knife blades. The dogs behind me were still chasing, but their speed had clearly slowed. The bodyguard was pulling on the chains to control the distance. Leonardo leaned halfway out the car window and shouted at me. “James, just apologize! Russell won’t make things difficult for you!” I clenched my teeth and ignored him. His tone darkened, then switched back to that aggrieved tone. “James, I’m just a kid from a poor family. My life is cheap—I deserve to walk those roads. But don’t do this to yourself.” As Leonardo said this, his voice trembled and his eyes reddened, looking like he was thinking of me. Russell pulled him back into his seat and patted his shoulder, her tone impossibly gentle. “Leonardo, you’re just too kind, taking all the blame on yourself.” At some point, the road surface had become covered with sharp-edged gravel. The moment I stepped on it, blood seeped from the soles of my feet. The dogs behind me grew even more excited smelling the blood, barking wildly as they lunged forward. The bodyguard could barely hold the chains. I stumbled forward. The gravel embedded in my wounds, each step like walking on broken glass. The blood flowed more and more, my footprints growing deeper and deeper. The livestream comments became even more frenzied. “Place your bets! I bet he can run another mile.” “I bet a quarter mile. Look at him—he’s about to collapse any second.” “Half a mile, no more than that.” “Two miles. I bet he can hold out for two more miles.” The comments started displaying odds as someone opened a betting pool on how far I could run. The numbers grew larger and larger as more and more people watched. Russell looked at the betting amounts on her phone screen, the corners of her mouth curling up slightly. She was very satisfied with this effect. She turned to glance at me, her gaze devoid of any warmth. “I want you to know in front of the entire country what happens when you cross Leonardo.” Leonardo stuck his head out the car window, staring at me, his tone still feigning concern. “James, stop being stubborn. It’s just an apology, isn’t it?” “My life is cheap—I can handle you kneeling to me.” “I won’t kneel!” Leonardo’s smile froze for a moment, then he put on that innocent expression again. He turned to look at Russell, his eyes reddening again. “Russell, look at James. He still won’t forgive me.” My vision grew more and more blurred. My body had reached its limit from blood loss.

When I collapsed, I heard exclamations in the comment section. “He’s down!” “Not even two miles. I won!” Leonardo stuck his head out the car window, looked at me for a second, then his tone suddenly took on a deliberately panicked quality. “Russell, I think James passed out from heatstroke!” Russell frowned, her tone indifferent. “Really passed out?” “Really!” Leonardo’s voice was urgent. “Russell, I heard that people with heatstroke need to be doused with cold water immediately, or it could be life-threatening!” Russell looked at him, her gaze so tender it could drip water. “Leonardo, you’re just too kind. After how he treated you, you’re still thinking about him.” Leonardo frowned, his voice deliberately low. “No matter what, he’s still James. I can’t just watch him die.” Russell patted his shoulder and turned to the bodyguard. “Go get the high-pressure water gun from the trunk.” The high-pressure water gun was connected to the vehicle’s water tank. Russell personally gripped the water gun. Leonardo stood beside her, and together they aimed at me. “Ready?” Russell’s tone was relaxed, like she was playing some kind of game. Leonardo nodded lightly. “Russell, don’t turn the pressure up too high. I’m afraid James won’t be able to take it.” “You’re too soft-hearted.” Russell shook her head with a smile. “For heatstroke you need cold water. Low pressure won’t work.” The moment the water jet shot out, my whole body bounced up from the ground. This wasn’t cooling down—this was being hit by a truck. The high-pressure water jet slammed into my body, hitting my wounds directly. The pain was so intense I couldn’t even scream, could only open my mouth in silent convulsions. Water rushed into my nostrils and mouth, choking me until my lungs felt like they would explode. I was sent rolling across the ground by the force. The back of my head hit the asphalt, and everything went black. The water jet chased me, sweeping back and forth. Russell was laughing. Leonardo beside her was shouting, “James, don’t move around, the more you move the more it hurts.” His voice was still so considerate. The comments went even more insane. Some cheered, some said it was too much, but most were just watching the spectacle. “This is way more exciting than just apologizing.” “Miss Russell really knows how to have fun.” “That water pressure has to be over two hundred pounds, right?” “Leonardo is so kind. Even at a time like this, he’s still thinking about saving someone.” The water stopped. I lay on the ground, shaking all over. My wounds had been blasted until they turned white at the edges. Blood and water mixed together, spreading beneath me. My soaked clothes stuck to my body. I couldn’t tell what was water and what was blood. Russell crouched down. A bodyguard grabbed my hair and yanked my face up. “James, have you thought it over?” Blood frothed from my mouth. I couldn’t speak. She gently stroked my hair, her tone like coaxing a child. “It’s just an apology. Is it worth torturing yourself like this? Apologize to Leonardo and I’ll take you to the hospital right away.” Leonardo stuck his head out behind her, looking at me with a nervous expression. “James, stop making Russell angry. Just say you’re sorry. I won’t hold it against you.” He moved closer, lowering his voice so only the three of us could hear. “James, just admit you were wrong. My life is cheap anyway. You can even kowtow to me—I won’t think it’s humiliating. You’re the one suffering by being stubborn like this.” I looked at his face, so close. That face wore an expression of utmost concern, his brows tightly furrowed as if he was worried sick about me. I gathered the bloody water in my mouth and spat it forcefully at his face. The bloody water splattered all over his face. Leonardo grunted, staggering back two steps, frantically wiping his face and smearing blood streaks all over it. Russell slapped me hard across the face. I staggered to one side, my face burning, my head ringing. “You don’t know what’s good for you!” The bodyguard held me down. She crouched down, her voice dropping to an icy whisper. “Still daring to bully Leonardo in this condition? Do you think I won’t kill you?” Leonardo grabbed her arm from the side, his voice tight. “Russell, forget it. James didn’t mean it. He must be feeling too terrible to act like this…” Russell pulled Leonardo behind her with one hand, pointing straight at me. “Since you’re so ungrateful, then don’t blame me.”

Russell took out a wooden box from the car and waved it in front of me. It was my grandmother’s urn. My blood froze in an instant. “You…” Russell smiled. Her smile was as gentle as on our wedding day. “Didn’t you say your grandmother loved you most when she was alive? Do you think if she knew her ashes were scattered on the highway, she’d be angry enough to come back to life?” Leonardo stood beside her, his tone light and airy. “Russell, don’t. At least she was an elderly person.” Russell ignored him and held the urn high, pointing it at the livestream camera. “Everyone, want to watch me scatter ashes live? Fifty cents per person. Crowdfunding. When it hits a thousand, I’ll scatter them.” The livestream completely exploded. “Holy shit, Miss Russell is serious!” “Fifty cents? I’ll give five hundred!” “Quick! I want to see!” “This is too exciting.” “Already donated! Miss Russell, scatter them quick!” The comments flew so fast the screen lagged. Leonardo pulled at the corner of his mouth, his voice neither loud nor soft. “James is usually so filial. I bet he’ll kneel and beg Russell now.” Russell glanced at him and nodded. She turned to look at me, her hand already reaching into the urn. “James, if you kneel now, there’s still time.” My voice was hoarse, my whole body trembling. “Russell, that’s my grandmother! You can’t!” “Why can’t I?” She tilted her head to look at me, her tone flippant. “You won’t even kowtow. I’m giving you motivation, and you’re still not happy about it?” I clenched my fists, my eyes reddening as I stared at the urn. “Russell, don’t touch my grandmother.” Leonardo crouched down and tilted his head to look at me, his face full of false sympathy. “James, stop being stubborn. It’s just kneeling, isn’t it? You don’t want her to die without peace, do you?” He leaned closer, lowering his voice. “Kneel. I’ll put something down for you. It won’t hurt.” I stared at the urn in Russell’s hand, my lips trembling, unable to speak. Russell raised the urn higher, her hand already grasping a handful. “Three, two, one…” She flung it outward. The instant the ashes flew out, suddenly a hand steadily caught the falling ash. Most of the ash that leaked through Russell’s fingers was caught. Russell’s smile froze on her face. Leonardo stepped back. She didn’t have time to curse. Because overhead, three helicopters were slowly descending.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “394563”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster

My boyfriend sent my roommate a selfie. He didn’t know that her laptop was hooked up to the big screen in the college auditorium. The entire audience got a front-row seat to the photo. My classmates told me they’d stick by my side and help me put on the ultimate revenge show. 01 For tonight’s campus talent show, I was on music duty, but my laptop suddenly died. In a panic, I sprinted back to the dorm, grabbed my roommate’s MacBook, and made a mad dash back to the auditorium. Because I had helped this roommate submit assignments before, I knew her password. Once I logged in, I saw her Mac Messages app was still open. The host was supposed to go on stage in one minute. She was giving me desperate looks, so in my frantic rush, I quickly connected the projector and loaded up the slides. Just as everything was ready and I was about to close out my roommate’s messages, a new text popped up. The sender was Carter Hayes, my boyfriend. My hand trembled, and muscle memory made me click the chat window. “When are you getting here? I’m itching to see you.” Our college wasn’t massive; everyone pretty much knew everyone. At that exact moment, the chat box was projected clearly onto the giant screen. The previously noisy, buzzing auditorium instantly went dead silent. The host stood frozen on the sidelines, completely forgetting to walk on stage. My roommate’s reply synced to the big screen in real-time. “I’ll be there soon, what’s the rush?” “I’m dying to see you, babe.” “Chloe won’t find out, right?” “Nah, she’s got her drama club performance tonight.” The entire audience turned to look at me with overwhelming pity. Pretty much everyone knew me. They knew I was Chloe, the unlucky girlfriend in question. Immediately, the laptop chimed again. Carter sent a photo. In the picture, he looked like he had just stepped out of the shower. His hair was still dripping wet, and he was flexing in the mirror with a smarmy “I know you can’t resist this” smirk on his face. On the massive projector screen, every single detail was blown up for the world to see. How should I put it… the audience’s gaze somehow grew even more pitiful. I stood completely still, a tidal wave of shock and rage rising higher and higher in my chest. Carter and I had been dating for a long time. Just last week, I went to his house for dinner and met his parents. His parents owned a small local business. To my face, they kept praising me for being smart and capable. But when his mom pulled Carter into the kitchen to whisper, I overheard her. “This Chloe girl is too ambitious. She’s got a stubborn streak. Might be hard to keep her in line later on.” It wasn’t until Carter mentioned that my family was going to buy us a house in cash that his mom’s tone finally softened: “Well, that’s good then. Just make sure your name gets put on the deed. And remember, the man is the head of the household. You have to make sure you keep her on a tight leash.” That conversation had been a thorn in my side ever since it happened. I had planned to sit down and have a serious talk with Carter about it, but I never expected he’d already be actively looking for his next target. The host standing off to the side was Zoey Miller, my absolute best friend. After a moment of silence, Zoey walked out onto the stage. She tossed her cue cards aside and brought the microphone to her lips: “First of all, thank you all for coming. “Tonight’s event was supposed to be a play carefully put together by our drama club. But given the… technical difficulties we just witnessed, I’m afraid the show can’t go on as planned.” A collective sigh of disappointment rippled through the crowd, though everyone clearly understood why. “However,” Zoey announced loudly, “we’ve just discovered that real life is way more dramatic than any script. Since you’re all here for a show, why don’t we play one out in reality?” The room was quiet for a split second before erupting into wild applause and whistles. This auditorium full of theater kids was absolutely thrilled by Zoey’s proposal. “Don’t worry, Chloe!” “We’ll help you get payback!” “Let’s play this cheating trash and his side piece!” I looked out at the crowd, the warmth in my chest evaporating the chill of betrayal. With so many people standing by my side, I realized I had nothing to be afraid of. 02 My roommate had a thing for Carter. I had sensed it for a long time. Whenever Carter and I went for a walk, we’d magically bump into her. She was always twisting her ankle or feeling faint, begging Carter to walk her to the campus clinic. Back then, Carter barely gave her the time of day. It was obvious he genuinely wasn’t interested. So why the sudden switch to acting like her absolute lapdog? My gut told me there was more to this story. I shared my suspicions with Zoey. By now, Zoey had fully embraced her role as the executive director of this revenge plot, and she immediately started giving out orders. The vanguard consisted of Carter’s three roommates. They were dispatched to gather intel. The three frat guys coordinated perfectly and quickly got results. They noticed that Fall Campus Recruiting was right around the corner, and Carter hadn’t sent out a single resume. So, two of the guys played bad cop. They relentlessly mocked Carter, saying he only ever passed his classes because his girlfriend did his homework, and since he didn’t actually know anything, he probably gave up on job hunting altogether. The third guy played good cop. When Carter was fuming mad, he dragged him out to a college bar for some beers. A few drinks in, Carter took the bait. Tipsy and visibly smug, he leaned in and bragged to his roommate: “Do you know who Mia Evans is? She’s the daughter of the CEO of Apex Innovations!” Mia Evans is my roommate. We happen to share the same last name. The roommate immediately reported this intel back to base. When Zoey and I heard the news, we looked at each other in dead silence. After a long pause, Zoey patted me heavily on the shoulder: “Chloe, Chloe, Chloe… How many times have I told you? Being low-key is fine, but being too low-key is a problem.” “Look at this! Mia isn’t just trying to steal your boyfriend, she’s trying to steal your dad!” Zoey grabbed her phone, ready to figure out a plan to publicly clarify that I was the actual daughter of the Apex Innovations CEO. I thought about it for a second, then reached out and pressed my hand over hers. “Don’t,” I said quietly. “If Mia wants to play the rich heiress so badly, let’s play along. Let’s let her really enjoy the fantasy.” Zoey froze, then caught my drift, a wicked grin spreading across her face. “Damn, Chloe. You’re evil. I love it.” 03 Mia had been practically invisible for her first three years of college, but lately, she had become the hottest commodity on campus. Guys were showing up early to lecture halls just to save her a seat, hoping to chat her up between classes. Guys were sliding into her DMs, asking if she wanted to catch a movie, offering to buy the tickets in advance. She started receiving a steady stream of little gifts: anonymous flowers, surprise coffees, expensive snacks. Mia’s ego went straight to her head. She walked into the dorm carrying a massive pile of imported snacks, dropping loud hints: “Ugh, I don’t even know who keeps sending me all this. It’s so annoying, I’m going to get so fat if I eat all this.” One of our other roommates chimed in: “You can share with us! We can all get fat together.” “Oh no, I couldn’t possibly do that,” Mia flatly refused. “These are heartfelt gifts from those sweet boys. If I gave them to someone else, it would break their hearts.” I rolled my eyes so hard internally I practically saw my own brain. Back when Carter was pursuing me, he’d buy me fruit and pastries. Every single time, Mia would insist on “sharing the wealth” and snatch away a huge portion. Funny how she lacked all that empathy back then. Maybe sensing my coldness, Mia deliberately provoked me: “Sigh, Valentine’s Day is coming up. I have no idea how many gifts I’m going to get. I finally understand what a ‘sweet burden’ really is.” “Unlike some people. Even with a boyfriend, they probably won’t get a single thing.” She was clearly banking on the fact that Carter wouldn’t buy me anything, so she was preemptively rubbing it in my face. Normally, I would have clapped back immediately. But for the sake of the upcoming show, I instantly contorted my face into a look of deep, wounded insecurity. “Y-you don’t know what you’re talking about,” I defended Carter with a pale, shaky voice. “Carter was just really stressed with midterms before, so he forgot. He’ll definitely get me something this year.” Mia laughed out loud. “Oh, really?” She was fully expecting to watch me humiliate myself. But to her shock, on Valentine’s Day, Carter actually did give me a gift. And it was way more expensive than anything he’d ever bought me. When I walked back into the dorm wearing the necklace Carter gave me, Mia’s face cycled through shades of red, white, and green. I let out a soft, internal scoff. Mia still didn’t understand men. Or at least, she didn’t understand Carter. She thought that just because they had hooked up, Carter had already chosen her over me. But Carter was far more calculating than Mia realized. Yes, Mia was supposedly the daughter of the Apex Tech CEO, but she hadn’t actually done anything concrete for his career yet. Meanwhile, I was his long-term girlfriend, practically a fiancée, and the actual local girl whose family promised to buy him a house in cash. It made no sense for him to drop me just yet. And because he felt guilty for cheating, even though he skipped gifts in the past, he made damn sure to buy me one this year. I never liked showing off my relationship, but for the sake of dramatic effect, I immediately touched the pendant, putting on my best “I’m the luckiest girl in the world” face, and gushed to the room: “I only mentioned this necklace in passing once, and Carter actually remembered!” “He went to three different mall boutiques just to find it.” My other roommates were absolute Oscar-worthy actors. Every single one of them plastered a look of pure envy on their faces. “Wow, I saw that on TikTok! It’s this year’s exclusive Valentine’s edition, right?” “That’s so expensive! But our Chloe deserves the best.” The roommate assigned to play the “mean girl” stepped up on cue. She shot a sideways glance in Mia’s direction and said snarkily: “Unlike some people, who just get bought off with cheap grocery store candy and a bag of chips.” Mia completely lost her mind. Honestly, a gift is about the thought, regardless of the price tag. But that was a concept Mia’s vanity could never grasp. Deeply stung, she practically tore the dorm door off its hinges as she stormed out. My roommates and I exchanged a look. I casually tossed Carter’s expensive necklace onto my desk, pulled out my phone, and texted Zoey: “Mia just bailed. Knowing her, she’s headed straight to Carter.” Zoey replied instantly: “Copy that!” In the ‘Revenge Alliance’ group chat, Director Zoey pinned an announcement: “Who shares a lecture with Carter right now?” Soon, the boots on the ground reported back with live intel— Carter was sitting in a lecture hall. Mia was spamming his phone with back-to-back calls. Visibly annoyed, Carter slipped out the back door and met Mia in the woods behind the science building. The very first words out of Mia’s mouth were: “Break up with Chloe.” Carter looked frustrated. “Babe, didn’t I tell you? We have to take this slow…” He had probably used that excuse a dozen times by now. Mia cut him off impatiently: “No more taking it slow. Do it tomorrow!” Carter wasn’t happy. He considered himself a big man on campus—handsome, smooth-talking, always popular with the ladies. No girl had ever ordered him around so aggressively. “Mia, you’re crossing a line,” Carter frowned. Of course, Mia wasn’t listening. She had been jealous of me for way too long. The second she thought she had the upper hand, it was ruined by Carter’s Valentine’s gift to me. This was the absolute peak of her humiliation. She had already taken the first step of lying about her identity. Now, we were guiding her right into taking the second step. And exactly as predicted, she took it. “Carter, if you don’t break up with Chloe immediately, I won’t lift a finger to help you during campus recruiting.” Carter’s eyes lit up instantly. He grabbed Mia’s hands: “You agreed to help me? You’ll talk to Mr. Evans and get me straight into the core engineering team?” Mia nodded haughtily. “Obviously. He’s my dad. It’s literally just one sentence from me.” Carter was so thrilled he picked Mia up and spun her around in circles: “Thank you, Mia. Thank you so much.” Listening to the live-streamed audio, a mocking smile crept onto my face. Thank her while you can, Carter. Because soon enough, you’ll be thanking her whole damn family. 04 The next day, Carter came over to dump me. His roommates texted our group chat, letting us know he had left the building. Zoey immediately whipped out a sliced onion and shoved it near my eyes. I was furious. “You don’t trust my crying skills?!” Zoey patted my back. “I trust you, I trust you! You’re the star of the drama club! The problem is Carter is such an idiot, I’m terrified you’ll start laughing in his face…” That made me even madder. “That still means you don’t trust my acting!!” Mid-argument, a knock sounded at the door. I opened it. Carter stood there. “Chloe.” He wore a perfectly calculated look of regret. “I’m here to break up with you.” I snapped into character in less than a second, my face falling into a mask of pure, devastated disbelief. “What? What are you saying?” Behind Carter, Zoey and my roommates were silently giving my performance a standing ovation. “I thought about it a lot, and I just don’t think we’re a good match.” I played the desperate, clinging girlfriend: “Why? We literally just met each other’s parents…” “My family doesn’t think we’re a good fit either.” Carter let out a heavy, solemn sigh. What a textbook manipulator—even while dumping me, he left a breadcrumb. “I still love you, Chloe. But I’m afraid we just don’t have a future. If we don’t end it now, it’ll only hurt more later. So I’d rather be the bad guy and do it today.” You are the bad guy, you pretentious prick. I sobbed and pleaded a bit more. Carter’s heart remained made of stone, so I finally, agonizingly, agreed. I thought he was going to leave, but then he said: “Since that’s settled, I’m going to take back the things I left with you.” He picked up the expensive necklace from my desk and asked: “Where’s the rest of it?” Oh my god. I practically barked out a laugh. This was the first time in my life I’d seen someone refer to gifts they gave as “things I left with you.” Zoey, predicting I might break character, lunged forward and grabbed my face. Her hands still had onion juice on them. The tears started flowing instantly. “Are you really not going to leave me with a single memory of us?” I wept. Seeing me cry so tragically must have softened his ego a little bit. “You can keep this one.” He picked through the pile of gifts and placed something in my hand. I looked down and almost broke character again. It was a cheap, scribbled Christmas card he gave me freshman year. Taking back the expensive jewelry and leaving me his worthless autograph? How generous. Zoey, seeing my mouth twitching into a smile, viciously wiped my face with the onion again. When Carter looked back at me, I was clutching his freshman year Christmas card, tears streaming down my face, sobbing uncontrollably. He definitely walked away thinking: Wow, this girl is so deeply in love with me. Meanwhile, I was thinking: Wow, this onion is incredibly spicy. 05 The second Carter’s footsteps faded, my roommates started tearing him apart. The group chat was blowing up with people raging on my behalf. One roommate argued that I shouldn’t have let him take the gifts back so easily. I couldn’t care less. All the gifts he ever gave me added up to barely a thousand bucks. What I saved was the million-dollar cash payment my family would have blown on his future house. Besides, I had a feeling the upcoming acts of this play would be more than enough to cover the price of admission. After dumping me, Carter’s relationship with Mia didn’t go as smoothly as he planned. Riding the high of having a roster of campus orbiters, Mia started playing hard to get. She dropped hints that she had plenty of options now and didn’t necessarily need Carter. Furious, Carter stormed back to his dorm, grabbed his roommate Liam by the collar, and screamed: “Did you leak Mia’s real identity?! Where else would all these guys be coming from?!” Liam obviously knew the exact truth, but his acting chops were top-tier. He stared back at Carter with wide, innocent eyes. “I didn’t say a damn thing! Think about it man, the source of the rumor is Mia herself. She probably told all those guys to flex on everyone!” Carter had no way to verify it, and he was terrified that pushing Liam too hard would cause him to blab to the whole campus. He just gritted his teeth: “Just keep your mouth shut.” At this point, Carter was already harboring some resentment toward Mia, feeling like she was stringing him along. But since he’d already burned the bridge with me, he swallowed his pride and resorted to aggressively sucking up to her. Carter clearly studied the rom-com male lead playbook. He brought her coffee in the morning, carried her bags in the evening, and even pulled the classic move of giving her a piggyback ride over a puddle on a rainy day. Watching this unfold with the Revenge Alliance chat, we all marveled at how deeply Carter had deluded himself into thinking he was the star of a movie. I have to admit, his handsome face was a pretty good smokescreen. After weeks of relentless rom-com stunts, Mia finally agreed to make it official. They posted a massive photo dump on Instagram to soft-launch the relationship. In every picture, Carter was smiling like he’d won the lottery. He absolutely believed his life as a wealthy, pampered son-in-law was just beginning, and every step from here on out would be bathed in gold. You’re overthinking it, Carter. Right here? This is your peak. Next up, you’re going to find out exactly how deep of a hole you’ve dug for yourself. 06 Carter submitted his resume to Apex Innovations. His interview was scheduled for a week later. That week was the absolute highlight of Mia’s life. Not only was Carter at her beck and call, but our dorm roommates—having “heard” she was the Apex heiress—seemingly betrayed me and flocked to her side. In the past, Mia’s hygiene was terrible. She’d constantly make excuses to skip chore duty, and our Neat-Freak roommate would always tear into her. But now? Neat-Freak completely ignored the mountain of Amazon boxes and takeout bags piling up on Mia’s desk. She even cooed softly: “Mia is a high-class girl. How could she possibly concern herself with trivial things like taking out the trash? Just leave it there.” In the past, Mia slept through lectures, skipped homework, and tried to get our Valedictorian roommate to help her cheat on finals. The Valedictorian used to roll her eyes and look at Mia with blatant disgust. But now? Valedictorian pulled a full 180. She practically bowed to Mia, saying: “Us try-hard scholarship kids only know how to read books. One day, we’ll all just be working for you anyway.” (In the group chat, Neat-Freak told Valedictorian she was overacting and sounded entirely too sarcastic). In the past, Mia loved playing the fragile damsel in distress. Our D1 Athlete roommate couldn’t stand it, constantly telling her to hit the gym instead of trying to fit into that toxic, stick-thin influencer vibe. But now? Athlete praised Mia’s looks daily, insisting that an heiress like Mia was supposed to be pale and fragile, and that’s exactly why boys loved her. Mia was still the exact same Mia. Not a single one of her flaws had changed. Yet, entirely because of her supposed “Dad,” everyone around her completely changed their attitude, treating her like absolute royalty. Shortcuts like that can make anyone lose their mind. Mia completely lost herself. Drowning in endless flattery, she fully sank into the role. Subconsciously, she genuinely started believing she was the daughter of the Apex Tech CEO. This delusion bled into her relationship with Carter. When he nervously asked her if he was guaranteed to pass the interview, Mia boldly declared: “My dad owns the company. You just go in there and say you’re my boyfriend. Who would dare reject you?” Carter was so ecstatic he picked her up and spun her around three times. The day of the Apex Innovations interview finally arrived. Zoey and I got there early and slipped into the building’s security room. Zoey aimed her phone at the CCTV monitors, live-streaming the feed to the group chat. Wearing a crisp, tailored suit and clutching his resume, Carter strutted up to the front desk like he owned the place. While he was signing in, a group of executives walked out from the hallway. Leading the pack was CEO Evans. He was heading out to a meeting. For context, I hadn’t formally introduced Carter to my parents yet. My dad didn’t know him from Adam. But Carter had definitely stalked the company’s website and recognized CEO Evans’s photo. Believing he was finally meeting his future father-in-law, Carter puffed out his chest, desperate to flex his “insider status.” He practically leaped forward and loudly announced: “Good morning, Uncle!” He was so loud that everyone in the lobby turned to look. Seeing the audience, Carter puffed up even more. By pure coincidence, the HR Recruiter scheduled to interview him walked out at that exact moment. Eager to show the HR rep that he had serious connections, Carter smoothly asked CEO Evans: “I hope you’ve been doing well, Uncle. We were thinking about getting together for dinner next week.” CEO Evans: “?” Carter, assuming my dad’s stunned silence was just him rushing to his meeting, quickly played the understanding son-in-law: “I see you’re busy, Uncle. We’ll chat later.” Carter gave a suave smile and turned to head toward the interview rooms. The HR Recruiter, sensing something bizarre, hurried over to my dad: “That’s the intern candidate I’m about to interview. Do you know him, sir?” CEO Evans looked baffled. “Never seen him in my life.” The Recruiter tried to jog his memory: “Based on the way he called you ‘Uncle,’ could he be Chloe’s boyfriend?” “Impossible,” CEO Evans stated flatly. “Chloe just went through a breakup.” Relieved, the HR Recruiter decided to do things strictly by the book. She would evaluate Carter based entirely on his actual merits. Walking into the conference room, the HR rep began the interview. After a few standard behavioral questions, she pivoted to the technical portion. “What is the difference between a mutex and a semaphore?” “Can you explain multi-threading programming?” “Suppose you have a single-threaded standard C application that keeps crashing, but it never crashes in the exact same place. What do you think could be causing this?” Guys, if Carter knew the answers to any of these, would he be spending all his energy trying to marry into a trust fund? So, after ten agonizingly awkward minutes of dead silence, Carter raised his hand, stopping the HR rep from asking the next question. He gestured confidently: “I think you need to take another look at my resume.” The HR rep was entirely confused. “I already reviewed your resume when you applied online.” Giving her a highly suggestive wink, Carter pushed his freshly printed physical resume across the table. “I highly suggest you look at it again.” The HR rep must have been questioning her reality, wondering what massive secret was hiding in this kid’s painfully mediocre resume. But given his immense confidence, she opened the folder. Page one: normal. “Look at page two,” Carter smiled knowingly. The HR rep flipped to the second page. In the security room, Zoey and I let out a scream of laughter. For his second page, Carter had printed out a massive, full-color selfie of him and Mia cuddling. The HR rep stared at the giant, glossy faces of these two college kids, then slowly looked up at Carter. Carter flashed her a blinding, “Now you get it” smile. I am absolutely certain that in her entire professional career, this HR rep had never encountered something so profoundly unhinged. She sat in absolute silence for two full minutes. Finally, maintaining peak professionalism, she told Carter: “I think we can conclude the interview here.” The HR rep just wanted to get this insane person out of her building. But Carter, convinced that the HR rep had finally understood his VIP status and was “fast-tracking” him, stood up and excitedly shook her hand. “Excellent. I look forward to receiving my offer letter. Oh, by the way, the standard entry-level package is around $100k, right? Since it’s me, is there any way we can make a special exception and bump that up?” This time, the HR rep was silent for five full minutes. Zoey and I were laughing so hard in the security room we couldn’t breathe. When we finally left the security room, we bumped right into Carter in the lobby. Carter looked us up and down, a smug smirk twisting his lips. “Here for an interview?” Zoey had been laughing so hard that she hadn’t managed to reset her facial expressions yet. The look on her face screamed ‘I am looking at a clinically insane person’. Carter noticed. His smile dropped into a cold sneer. “You’d better watch your tone with me. Because whether you get hired here or not is entirely up to me.” Zoey scoffed, “Aren’t you just here for an interview too?” Carter sneered, “Do I look like I’m in the same league as you?” He slung his backpack over his shoulder and strutted out the glass doors. Zoey and I watched him leave, sharing a knowing look. Well, the setup was done. It was about time for the climax.

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