I was a flight attendant. My husband was a titan of industry—successful, brilliant, and completely indifferent to me. Every month, he would book a seat on my specific route. Every time, he was accompanied by a different, glamorous woman. I watched from the galley, my heart splintering into a thousand pieces, but I bore it all in silence. The last time it happened, just as the wheels were about to touch the tarmac, I leaned over. I bent down close to his ear and whispered. “Liam, I’m agreeing to the divorce. I’m off tomorrow. Let’s go to the lawyer and sign the papers.” 1 The plane glided steadily through the clouds at thirty thousand feet. I was in the galley checking the meal counts when Sarah, the purser, walked back. I straightened my uniform. “Yes, Sarah?” She glanced at the checklist in my hand. “You have the seniority to move up to First Class service. Why haven’t you applied for the promotion?” “I don’t think I’m ready yet,” I said softly. “I still have a lot to learn.” “Humility is a virtue, Maya, but too much of it is self-sabotage. Heat the meals.” Sarah handed me the list and headed back to the front. My gaze drifted toward the passenger in Seat 1A. No one on this crew knew that the most prestigious Black Card holder in First Class was my husband, Liam Sterling. And next to him sat a stunning woman in a designer suit. That was why I stayed in the back. I couldn’t bring myself to kneel beside my own husband and his date, offering a perfect, practiced smile while serving them champagne. Even though we’d been married for a year, we had never actually been husband and wife. Not in any way that mattered. 2 I was a gift from Liam’s grandfather. My grandfather and his had been brothers-in-arms decades ago. On our wedding night, Liam had unbuttoned half his shirt before stopping. He walked out to the balcony to smoke. Halfway through his cigarette, he turned around. “I have plenty of houses,” he said coldly. “I won’t be coming back here every night. You do whatever it is you do.” He was a man of his word. He showed up at our penthouse maybe once a month. Later, when the tabloids started picking up rumors of him with various models and socialites, I hadn’t even had the chance to call and ask him about it before his office rang me. “If you want a divorce,” he said over the phone, “I’ll sign whenever you’re ready.” The words hit like a physical weight, leaving me breathless. That day, I only nodded. “I understand.” A few weeks later, he came home. “Still haven’t filed?” In that moment, I realized how desperately he wanted out. I went to bed early that night, refusing to engage. No one knew that my pillow was damp with tears. No one knew that I had been in love with him for seven years. We had met once, long before the marriage. But he had forgotten me entirely. 3 “Good afternoon, here is your grilled chicken. Please enjoy.” After finishing the meal service, I pushed the cart through the Business Class cabin. Liam was working on his laptop. The woman beside him was draped in a vibrant silk scarf, staring out the window at the ocean of clouds. Sarah went over and knelt beside him. “Sir, would you like to change into slippers? I can help you with your shoes.” “I can do it myself,” Liam replied, his tone polite but distant. “Ma’am, let me help you with your shoes.” The woman turned back. “Thank you.” For a split second, Liam looked up. Our eyes collided. I looked away instantly, pulling the cart faster as I retreated down the aisle. Two hours later, we touched down at LAX. “Thank you for flying with us. Goodbye.” After the passengers deplaned, I saw the woman hook her arm through his. The California wind caught her hair, making it wave like seaweed. 4 “Still staring? Everyone’s already on the shuttle.” I turned around to see my coworkers grabbing their bags. “Sorry, Sarah.” “You like him, don’t you?” I shook my head immediately. “No.” She patted my shoulder and smiled. “Don’t skip the next promotion cycle.” 5 Liam actually came home that night. I hadn’t expected him. I was sitting on the sofa with my hair half-dry, mindlessly watching TV. He was tall and imposing; the room always felt smaller when he walked in. I wanted to ask him about the flight, but the image of him with that woman flashed through my mind, and the words died in my throat. He sat on the other sofa, taking a work call. I could smell the faint scent of whiskey on him. I grabbed a bag of chips and started eating them, one by one, staring at the screen. “Early meeting tomorrow at nine.” He hung up and looked at me. I looked back. “Nothing to ask?” I shook my head. I set the chips down and went to the bathroom. In the mirror, my face looked pale and still. When I came out, he was on the balcony. A few seconds later, the glow from his phone vanished. He turned around, a lingering smile on his lips that vanished the moment he saw me. I stood there in silence. His happiness, it seemed, had nothing to do with me. 6 He slept in the guest room. I woke up early to head to the airport. He was up, too. In the elevator, we stood on opposite sides. When we hit the lobby, I stepped out. He kept going down to the garage. The weather was horrific that day. Mid-flight, we hit extreme turbulence. The plane dropped several times, and for a moment, the cabin was filled with the sound of screaming. After we landed safely, the crew huddled together, some of us crying from the adrenaline. The flight made national news. Standing in the terminal, watching the crowds, I checked my phone. Not a single call. Not a single text. My terror, it seemed, had nothing to do with him either. 7 I saw him again a month later. It was a cross-country flight from New York to San Francisco. The weather was perfect that day. Bright sunlight, smooth air. He was with the same woman again. She had very pale skin. Midway through the flight, she drifted off to sleep, her head resting on his shoulder. It happened to be a holiday. International Women’s Day. The airline had prepared roses for the passengers. “Ladies and gentlemen, in honor of Women’s Day, the airline has a rose for every female passenger on board. We wish you a journey of courage and grace.” “Happy holiday!” “Thank you, that’s so sweet.” “I didn’t get any flowers today, I can’t believe I got one on a plane!” “Happy holiday to you too, dear.” After I finished handing out the flowers, I looked toward First Class. Sarah was handing a rose to the woman sitting next to Liam. “Happy holiday. Would you like me to set this on your tray table?” “That would be lovely.” 8 I went back to the galley, washed the trays, and sat down at my jumpseat. I stared out the window at the clouds. I felt a strange sense of peace, even through the ache. The clouds began to part. I flexed my cold fingers. I looked up. Some people simply aren’t meant for you. Let go. Let him walk away. “Ladies and gentlemen, we will be landing at SFO in approximately thirty minutes… we hope to see you on your next journey.” As the plane began its descent, I stood up. I walked to his seat. I leaned in and spoke softly. “Liam, I’m agreeing to the divorce. I’m off tomorrow. Let’s go get it done.” 9 After my shift, I dragged a large suitcase into the penthouse. I pressed my thumb to the scanner and the door clicked open. To my surprise, he was already home. Was it because of the divorce? Did the thought of being free finally make him want to come back to this “stifling” house? I wheeled my suitcase inside. I started a pot of rice in the kitchen and then went to the bedroom to pack. He stood in the doorway for a long time. “Don’t pack,” he said. “The house is yours.” I froze. Then I turned around and shook my head. “You bought this place before we were married. I didn’t put a cent into it. I don’t want it.” I went back to packing. He stood there a moment longer, then walked away. I was glad he left. I folded my clothes, packed my toiletries, and cleared my shelves. It felt like I had been a long-term guest here. Now, the reservation was over. I didn’t feel like the lady of the house. I felt small, pathetic, and useless. 10 I hadn’t expected him to stay for dinner. I hadn’t gone grocery shopping. There was no point in cooking elaborate meals to try and “win his heart” anymore. Once the rice was done, I went to the deli downstairs and bought a few pre-made salads and cold cuts. “Dinner’s ready.” He set his book down by the window and came to the table. He looked surprised by the spread. “I didn’t think you’d be here, and I assumed we were just meeting at the lawyer’s office tomorrow. I didn’t shop. This will have to do,” I said, taking a bite of plain rice. Liam, who was usually incredibly picky, actually sat down. We ate in total silence. “Where did you get the salads?” he asked midway through. “They’re actually not bad.” He finished his bowl. 11 After dinner, I washed the dishes and scrubbed the kitchen one last time. He sat on the balcony, his hands resting on the arms of the chair. He seemed lost in thought. I didn’t know him at all. He was a CEO; I was just a flight attendant. Our worlds had no natural overlap. But seven years ago, he had been a flash of light in my life, and I’d never been able to get him out of my heart. The universe had been kind enough—or cruel enough—to put us together despite the gap in our status. But we were strangers, and we had squandered that mercy. He deserved someone better. If people were pearls, I was the one that had lost its luster standing next to him. After finishing the bedroom, I showered and packed my final bathroom essentials. He took several calls on the balcony. Occasionally, I felt his gaze on me. 12 I taped up the boxes of my things in the living room. Everything else was staying. I sat on the sofa for a moment to catch my breath. He walked in. He had long legs and a presence that commanded the room even when he was just walking. “I’m sorry about the last two years,” he said. “Take this card.” He slid a Black Card across the table. “The PIN is your birthday.” I looked at him. He actually knew my birthday? He probably had to look it up to set the code. “I don’t need it. My salary is enough to support myself. Keep the card.” He sat on the sofa. I didn’t take the card, and he didn’t take it back. “Can I ask you something?” I asked. “Anything.” “Will you get married again? Will you have a big wedding?” On our wedding day, we’d just signed the papers and had a quiet dinner with the family. It was as simple as a business transaction. If he married again, I assumed it would be for the woman he actually loved. He’d give her the grand ceremony, the witnesses, the joy. “Don’t overthink it. Get some sleep.” He agreed to let me ask, but he didn’t answer. He got up and went to the bedroom. I sat there for a while, then went to the guest room to sleep.

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My boyfriend accidentally mirrored his chats to the TV. “She’s great. Very suitable for marriage.” “No need to buy her gifts, no need to coax her, and no need to pay a bridal price.” “Even without love, I can still have a good life.” 1. “How about we go to Napa Valley? I saw this incredibly beautiful bed and breakfast online.” I enthusiastically pulled up the itinerary I had spent hours putting together. Before I could even hand my phone to Declan, he had already pushed my arm away. His handsome face was completely emotionless. No impatience, but no interest either. Just like always. As calm as a pool of dead water. “You book it. I don’t really care. I’m going to the restroom.” Declan stood up and left. I sheepishly pulled my phone back. He was great in every way. Good-looking, good temper, good job, and he treated me well enough. It was just that his personality was a bit too cold. At such a young age, he acted like a monk with no earthly desires. We had been together for so long, and I had never seen him lose his temper. Of course, I had never seen him laugh out loud either. He was a stereotypical, stoic straight man! I grumbled internally for a moment. Somehow, the B&B that looked so beautiful a minute ago now just seemed ordinary. Feeling disheartened, I put my phone down and lay on the couch, glancing at the TV. The TV was playing an American drama that Declan really liked. He had even paid for a pirated resource online to watch it. The male lead was in the middle of a monologue when the screen suddenly switched, and an iMessage window popped up. “Dec, I heard you’re getting engaged next month? That’s awesome, man. Why didn’t you tell the boys?” I recognized that avatar. Was that Declan’s college roommate, Carter? 2. My curiosity was piqued. In all the years we had been together, I had never looked at Declan’s phone. On one hand, Declan was a very disciplined person. He lived a simple life, had a clean social circle, and I trusted him. On the other hand, he was very protective of his privacy and boundaries. He deeply resented the idea of partners checking each other’s phones. But this time, he was the one who accidentally mirrored his screen. Of course I was going to take a good look. Declan was getting engaged, and he hadn’t even told a single friend? I rolled my eyes. That was so like him. Declan: “Nothing to talk about. Just an engagement.” Carter: “Same girl, right? Still Audrey?” Declan: “Yeah.” Carter: “Figured. Aside from her, who else could tolerate your personality?” “Audrey really puts up with a lot!” I nodded in deep agreement. Having a block of wood for a boyfriend—someone who understood nothing about romance or taking care of people… These past few years really hadn’t been easy. Carter: “I remember when you two got together, it was just so you could get over Lily. But Audrey’s temper is 100 times better than Lily’s.” “Audrey’s temper is seriously amazing.” “That time it was her birthday, and you couldn’t leave your raid group. She waited at the restaurant alone for two hours and didn’t even get mad.” “Back when you dated Lily, you were always 20 minutes early. If you were even one minute late, Lily would throw a massive tantrum.” 3. Lily? Declan’s ex-girlfriend, Lily? I stared blankly at the TV, my mind completely empty. She and Declan went to high school together and started dating their freshman year. Declan and I were college classmates, but I remembered they broke up during the first semester of our freshman year. Declan was devastated at the time. He got blackout drunk at a restaurant and threw up all over me as I was walking by. That was how we met, but we didn’t really start talking until we joined the same club our sophomore year. What Carter was saying… He had been broken up for over a year and still wasn’t over it, so he used me as a rebound to heal his broken heart? And the birthday incident was even more absurd. Declan didn’t even explain himself at the time. He just said he had something extremely important to do. He had been preparing for it for months and absolutely couldn’t leave. Declan loved writing. At the time, he was constantly submitting to a magazine, but kept getting rejected. I knew he had been working on one novel for a year. So when he was late, I naturally assumed it was something related to his career. I never expected it was because he was doing a video game raid… Hahahaha, yeah, some game raids do take months to prepare for. He didn’t lie to me. I let out a dry laugh. Laughing until the tears started falling. Carter’s words were truly enlightening. So Declan was the kind of person who showed up early for dates? All these years, because his job was “busy,” our dates always consisted of me waiting for him. 20 minutes, 40 minutes, an hour. I got so used to waiting that eventually, I started intentionally arriving half an hour late. 4. Declan: “She has a good temper. Very suitable for marriage.” Carter: “I’ll agree with that. When we were young, I envied the passionate, fiery love you and Lily had. But now that we’re older, I realize that being with a gentle, generous girl like Audrey, someone who doesn’t nitpick over everything, is so much easier.” I rubbed my eyes. Declan was finally complimenting me. But why were my tears flowing even harder? Declan was a very reserved and traditional person. He rarely expressed affirmation or love toward me. If I asked him if I was pretty or if my outfit looked good, his answer was always a flat “It’s fine.” In our seven years together, he had never even said “I love you.” Whenever I asked, he would change the subject, saying that real men didn’t hang romantic words on their lips, that it was boring. So the “boring” Declan actually had a passionate, fiery love once upon a time? Passionate and fiery. Passionate and fiery… Tears blurred my vision. I wiped them away fiercely, lifting my head to keep reading the screen. Carter: “Since you’re getting married, treat her well from now on.” “The guys and I had a bet going on when you’d finally drive Audrey away.” Declan: “Relax, she won’t leave.” 5. Declan sure was confident. Where did that confidence come from? That confidence… I suppose I gave it to him. Late for dates? It’s fine, I understand, it’s just work. Forgot my birthday? It’s okay, people make mistakes. Never celebrated any other holidays. I wanted to respect his preferences. If he didn’t like celebrating, I could just celebrate by myself. So for every Valentine’s Day and Christmas, I would buy myself a bouquet of flowers and go out for a nice meal. “You can like rituals, but you can’t force someone else to have rituals.” “It’s not wrong that you like celebrating holidays, and it’s not wrong that I hate them. We should understand and respect each other.” After Declan seriously said these things to me, he refused to celebrate any holidays with me, except for my birthday. Carter: “You and Audrey are from the same city, right? I remember engagement customs there are super complicated.” “You have to prepare return gifts, the engagement ring, the formal wear, and book a banquet for a dozen tables. Have you got all that sorted?” Declan: “I don’t need to manage that. She’ll handle it.” Carter: “Damn, you’re a lucky guy! You literally don’t have to lift a finger!” I smiled bitterly. Carter was absolutely right. When it came to the engagement, it really felt like I was the only one organizing everything. After seven years of dating, my parents said I wasn’t getting any younger and needed to start planning for marriage and kids. So I had my parents call Declan’s parents. Their attitude was the same as Declan’s. You pick the date, you book the restaurant. When the time comes, we will definitely show up. 6. Carter: “Oh right, I heard the bridal prices in your area are super high, like tens of thousands of dollars. How much did Audrey’s family ask for?” Declan: “Her family didn’t bring it up. What era are we in? That’s just outdated patriarchal nonsense.” Carter: “…So if her family doesn’t ask, your family just isn’t giving one?” “Wow! Does Audrey have any sisters? Can you introduce me to one?” Declan: “Boring.” I pulled out a tissue to dry my tears and took a large gulp of water. I had cried so hard my throat was a little hoarse. The “clear and detached” Declan had the same bad habit as every other man: once he went to the bathroom, he wouldn’t come out for half an hour. Regarding the engagement, Declan’s family hadn’t said a word. The implication was that I should arrange everything, and they would just show up to eat. I booked the banquet. I picked the return gifts. I even bought the suit Declan was going to wear to the dinner. Whenever I asked Declan for his opinion, it was always the same. “You decide. Whatever you like is fine. I don’t care.” Thinking back on it now, was it that he didn’t care about these things, or did he not care about me? Carter: “Oh, I almost forgot the main thing. Lily is getting married. She sent us all invitations.” “She said she deleted your contact info back then, so she asked me for your number. I figure she’ll be sending you an invite soon.” 7. The TV audio continued playing. Declan exited the chat, and the sound of the toilet flushing echoed from the bathroom. I half-lowered my head, pretending to look at my phone, not saying a word. Declan walked out of the bathroom expressionless, seemingly completely unaware that I had just read his entire conversation. He sat silently beside me, not even glancing my way. Naturally, he didn’t notice my swollen eyes and red nose. Ring, ring~ His phone rang. I caught a glimpse; it was an unknown number. Declan answered the phone, his voice trembling slightly: “Hello, speaking.” “Yeah, congratulations.” “Okay, I’ll be there on time.” Was that Lily’s call? A chilling wave spread from my heart to my fingertips. I knew Declan too well. In all our years together, the last time I saw him this nervous was when he received a call from his company’s CEO. At the time, he was competing with someone else for a VP position. He had prepared for a whole year for that role. Declan hung up the phone. His expression was calm, but his hand gripped the phone with immense force. He squeezed so hard the veins on the back of his hand bulged, a glaring sight. “Audrey.” Declan softened his tone. “Last time you showed me a few suits, I didn’t look closely. Send me the links.” I snapped my head up, staring at him dead in the eye. 8. Declan was startled by my red, swollen eyes. For once, his voice carried a trace of warmth: “What’s wrong? Your eyes are as red as a rabbit’s. Was the TV show that moving?” “You, always so sentimental.” He patted my head affectionately. In the past, I would have thrown myself into his arms and acted cute. Now, I merely shifted my body slightly, dodging his outstretched hand. A flash of displeasure appeared in Declan’s eyes. “Come here.” He patted the sofa. Declan had grown up as the “golden child”—good-looking, good grades. The teacher’s pet, the students’ role model, his parents’ pride. These experiences forged a personality where his word was law. Furthermore, influenced by his father, he possessed a heavy dose of toxic masculinity. My personality was gentle, and I rarely went against his wishes. But this time, I was holding onto a breath of suffocating anger. I absolutely did not want to entertain him. Seeing that I wasn’t moving, Declan got angry. He stood up, walked back to the bedroom, and slammed the door hard. The old me would have been incredibly anxious, rushing to comfort and appease him. The current me just sat blankly on the sofa, beginning to recall our seven years together. As a man, Declan was undeniably attractive. He had a handsome face and kept himself in perfect shape. He was a man who held himself to incredibly high standards. No smoking, no drinking, early to bed, early to rise, exercising every day. He worked hard, was highly ambitious, disciplined, and smart. 9. But if Declan didn’t treat me well, what did all his good qualities have to do with me? I lowered my head, seriously contemplating our relationship for the first time. I liked him. The first time I saw him, I couldn’t help but fall for him. Declan was my first boyfriend. First time holding hands, first time hugging, first kiss. The most beautiful, youthful years of my life were entirely spent walking by his side. He was so perfect. So perfect that when I was with him, I always carried a trace of an inferiority complex. It was this insecurity that made me retreat step by step, erasing my temper, leading to my current situation. Seven years of living together—to me, he was unforgettable. But to him, I was merely… suitable for marriage. Soon, Declan walked back out with a dark expression. “Remember to send me the suit links.” I actually laughed. He hadn’t even spared a glance at the suit he was supposed to wear for our engagement. But now that he was attending his ex-girlfriend’s wedding, he suddenly knew how to shop for clothes. “I don’t have them. I deleted them.” Declan shot me a look of pure astonishment, finally noticing my abnormal behavior. “What’s going on? Throwing a tantrum?” “Things not going well at work?” “If work isn’t going well, don’t take it out on me. We’re all adults here; process your external emotions outside.” “I don’t want to be your punching bag. You need to do some self-reflection.” Declan poured himself a glass of water and retreated to the bedroom. From today onward, we officially entered a cold war. 10. I never expected that Lily’s fiancé would turn out to be my coworker. My coworker sent me a digital invitation. I stared at the photo on it for a long time. It really is a small world… Lily’s wedding was on the weekend. Declan finally ended our cold war and spoke to me first thing in the morning. “Give me a thousand dollars.” Since graduating, Declan had proactively handed his salary card over to me. He said that a family could only maintain maximum stability if the woman managed the finances. Declan… he had genuinely intended to marry me. I pulled out a thousand dollars in cash from the drawer and handed it to him. Then, I watched coldly as he washed his hair, shaved, and meticulously styled himself. “I rarely see you dressed up this formally. Going to the office today?” Declan paused while polishing his shoes. “Yeah, I have a business meeting. It’s very important.” “I’m leaving now. I won’t be back for lunch or dinner.” I took a deep breath, sat in front of the mirror, and applied a stunningly vibrant, striking makeup look. Declan, see you at the wedding. The wedding was very modest. The groom’s family was from a rural town, and the reception was held in a massive tent set up in their community hall. This was my first time visiting Charlie’s hometown, which surprised me. Because Charlie usually spent money like water and paid a lot of attention to his appearance, I had always assumed he was a trust fund kid. Rural banquets were always livelier than city ones—aunts and uncles everywhere, eating, checking out the bride, asking for wedding favors. Lily was wearing a very fitted mermaid wedding dress, revealing her proud curves and a large expanse of pale, delicate skin. 11. I mingled in the crowd of onlookers and quickly spotted Declan. He was walking slowly but firmly toward Lily, step by step. His expression was sacred and solemn, like a devout believer on a pilgrimage. Seeing Declan, Lily also grew emotional, her eyes quickly turning red. Declan handed Lily a thick red envelope. “Long time no see. Happy wedding.” Lily bit her lip, looking at Declan with a complex expression. She seemed very happy, yet tinged with a bit of sadness. “Long time no see, Dec.” Soon, other guests began arriving. Declan stepped aside, staring intently at Lily, savoring every passing second. He looked so focused and serious, as if after today, he would never see this person again. How hilarious. If he just looked around, he would realize I was standing very close to him. “This Charlie’s wife doesn’t look like a decent woman at all. Showing so much skin, who is she trying to show off for?” “Ugh, exactly. With so many people around, showing half her chest. I’m too embarrassed to even look at her.” “People from the big city are so open. I heard they’re only getting married because she’s pregnant. Otherwise, the Smith family would never accept this daughter-in-law!” It seemed I was standing entirely among the groom’s rural relatives. In just a few minutes, my ears were filled with gossip. Um, at the time, I heard Lily was the one who dumped Declan, complaining he was cheap and unromantic. But it seemed her new in-laws were a tough crowd to deal with… I quickly found my seat and sat down. How ridiculous. Before, I was constantly fantasizing in my head about what I should say to Declan if he saw me. I didn’t expect that to be a total non-issue. He was completely lost in his own world, completely devastated. He didn’t even react when his friends called him while standing right next to him, let alone spot me in a bustling crowd. 12. The banquet soon began. I saw more expressions on Declan’s face for the first time than I had in our seven years together. In just a few short minutes. Loss, sorrow, nostalgia, joy, confusion, bitterness, regret… Looking at Declan now, I suddenly understood. He never loved me. That was why he never got angry, never argued, never got jealous. I thought he was easygoing, aloof, and stoic. The reality was simply because he didn’t love me. Because he didn’t love me, he didn’t want to spend time with me. Because he didn’t care, he had no emotional fluctuations regarding me. Because he was indifferent, everything had to be done his way. The moment I realized this, beneath the heartbreak, I mostly felt a wave of relief. Like a prisoner awaiting sentencing, finally hearing the final verdict. “Oh my god, Audrey, why are you crying?” “Hahaha, were you moved? There’s no need, absolutely no need. Don’t you know what kind of person Charlie is? The way he spends money… I heard to pursue this current wife, he maxed out over a dozen credit cards. I bet he’s close to a hundred grand in debt right now.” “Dating was romantic. Five-star hotels, global travel, designer bags.” “But after they’re married, the girl is probably going to have to help him pay off his debts.” “Cough, cough~” I choked on my own saliva, shocked as I listened to my coworkers start loudly gossiping about Charlie.

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In the fourth year of our marriage, both Arthur and I had affairs. He kept a young college student on the side, treating her like a precious treasure. Behind his back, I kept a pure, sweet college boy to relive the passion of my youth. I originally thought he had long since grown tired of our messy, exhausting marriage. But to my surprise, the day he discovered my betrayal, he acted like a madman, desperately demanding that we both return to our marriage. 1 Arthur slept in the study again tonight. When I went in to bring him some coffee, I happened to catch him working on documents while on the phone with his young mistress. His phone, placed next to his laptop, was on speaker. The girl’s voice was sweet but laced with a bit of bratty entitlement: “Why aren’t you answering my video calls? Are you with that old woman and afraid I’ll see?” Arthur coaxed her with a good temper: “What are you talking about? I’m looking at a contract. I’ll FaceTime you when I’m done. Be a good girl.” The girl was relentless: “Arthur Sterling, don’t forget what you promised me. You won’t touch her ever again.” “I know, you little jealous thing. “I’ve been sleeping in the study lately, you know that.” Hearing his unconsciously softened tone, I felt a momentary daze. Once, when I threw little tantrums, he used to lower his pride and coax me just like that. After all this time, he was still the same Arthur—once he liked someone, he would spoil them unconditionally. It was just that the object of his affection had changed to someone else. A girl as young as I was back then. 2 Arthur’s smile froze on his face the moment he saw me. Perhaps afraid I would say something harsh to his little girl, he quickly hung up the phone, frowned, and scolded: “Why didn’t you knock?” I slammed the mug down on the table with a loud clack. “Your coffee. Maria has an upset stomach, so she asked me to bring it up. “And, I did knock. You were just too absorbed in your little romance to hear it.” Arthur tugged at his shirt collar and leaned back against his chair. The expression on his face relaxed. “Sorry, my fault. “Chloe has been a little fussy the last two days. I was just dealing with her.” The moment he mentioned Chloe Davis, the corners of his mouth unconsciously turned up, and even his voice lightened considerably. 3 Ever since I caught him cheating, Arthur stopped hiding his affection for Chloe. I had cried, made scenes, and even threatened suicide to make him cut ties with her. The result? He just watched me coldly, calling me a lunatic. Thinking back on it now, I definitely looked like a lunatic. It took me a very long time to detach myself from the trauma of that heartbreak. Even if it wasn’t agonizing, I was definitely left covered in scars. After calming down, I considered divorce. But that thought was quickly swallowed by resentment. Yes, resentment. I had been with Arthur from the very beginning when we had nothing, all the way to his current success. How could I possibly just step aside and let them have their happy ending? Moreover, from what I knew, Arthur was working on a massive project. Once completed, his assets would at least double. If I was going to divorce him, I would wait until the project was over. I didn’t care about the man anymore, but there was no reason to let a cheating bastard mess with my money. I don’t claim to be a saint. When I loved him, I gave him my all, but since he betrayed me, I had to find a way to maximize my own interests. Treating Arthur as a money-making tool made this marriage much more bearable. 4 A close friend had warned me before: never feel sorry for a man, and never try to save money for a man. Because the money you save will eventually be spent by another woman. At the time, I laughed and told her she was overthinking it. Now, it seems her words were absolute wisdom. I, who used to be frugal and calculated every penny, started spending lavishly. If Arthur could use our joint marital assets to keep a college student, why couldn’t I? So, using the money Arthur earned, I comfortably became the sugar mama to a very handsome male college student. I have to admit, having a ridiculously good-looking, fit, and clingy “puppy dog” sweetly calling me “older sister” was quite enjoyable. Thinking about this, I had no desire to stay and watch his performance of deep devotion to Chloe. These past two days, it wasn’t just his little girl making a fuss; my little puppy dog was also getting pretty jealous. 5 Back in my bedroom with the door locked, I video-called Leo Vance. Soon, a stunningly handsome face appeared on the screen. He was wearing white earbuds. He must have just taken a shower; his hair was still damp. He had a beautiful, sun-kissed complexion and perfectly sculpted muscles. He looked like an intoxicating male siren. I swallowed hard. “Pan down, let me see those abs.” Leo shyly lowered his head, his earlobe, visible on the edge of the screen, turning a soft pink. So incredibly innocent. But he obediently moved the phone further away. “There are people in the dorm,” he whispered. Even his voice was so husky it gave me goosebumps. I chuckled darkly, acting like a total creep: “Doesn’t that make it more exciting!” Leo’s earlobe turned even redder, the color spreading down his neck. Afraid I would say something even more inappropriate, he quickly changed the subject: “Sister, a girl has been hitting on me the last couple of days. She looks a bit like you.” 6 Given Leo’s looks, it was obvious he had a lot of girls chasing him. But this was the first time he had mentioned it to me. I suddenly remembered Chloe calling me an “old woman.” An inexplicable wave of irritation hit me. A six-year age gap… to Leo, I suppose I was a bit old. “So… do you like her too? If so, I’ll let you go.” He clearly hadn’t expected me to say that, and he panicked. “That’s not what I meant.” He waved his hands frantically, explaining: “My roommates told me I needed to let you know how high in demand I am, so you’d feel a sense of crisis. “I don’t want freedom. I just want you to care about me a little more. “Sister, I only like you.” He spoke with such urgent sincerity, as if he was genuinely terrified I didn’t want him anymore. I sighed. We originally started this as a mutually beneficial arrangement. The worst-case scenario was one of us actually catching feelings. “Leo, I like you a lot too. But the gap between us is too big. It won’t lead anywhere. “You should find a girl your own age and have a normal, healthy relationship. “Let’s just end it here.” Just as I finished speaking, a frantic knocking came from the door. Through the wood, Arthur’s voice sounded furious. “Maya, who are you talking to?” 7 I quickly hung up the video call. The project Arthur was working on was in its final stages. I had endured for over half a year; I didn’t want any complications at the very end. I opened the door and looked up at him. “What, you managed to coax your mistress? Does she know you ran over here in the middle of the night to bang on my door?” Arthur frowned, his face dark. He lowered his voice and asked again, “Who was it?” I rolled my eyes and couldn’t help but curse: “None of your damn business.” “Maya, are you seeing someone behind my back?!” Looking at his tightly clenched hands, the knuckles white from the strain, I found it hilarious. He was having an affair so blatantly, acting like he wished the whole world knew he was cheating on me. And now, he couldn’t handle a tiny hint of suspicion? “In what capacity are you asking me?” I crossed my arms and leaned against the doorframe. “As my cheating husband, or as Chloe’s boyfriend? “Is it that people who are dirty themselves think everything else is dirty too?” Arthur glared at me, his eyes looking like they wanted to slice me into pieces. He held out his hand. “Give me your phone.” I couldn’t be bothered with him. I stepped back into my room and slammed the door right in his face. 8 Arthur went crazy, pounding on the door relentlessly. Annoyed, I texted Chloe directly. [Your man is banging on my door right now. He probably wants to spend the night with me. Should I go open the door?] A few minutes later, it was finally quiet. I let out a long breath, tossed my phone aside, and collapsed onto the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. My phone kept buzzing with notifications. I didn’t know if it was Leo or Chloe, or maybe both of them frantically messaging me. Regardless of who it was, I didn’t want to look at it right now. It was so annoying. 9 When I woke up the next day, Arthur had already left for the office. Maria brought out breakfast, hesitated for a moment, and asked: “Ma’am, did you and Mr. Sterling have a fight? He didn’t look very happy today.” Maria was great, but a bit old-fashioned. I had told her many times to just use our first names, but she insisted. She said she couldn’t break the rules. Eventually, I just let her be. I picked up an egg, tapped it twice on the table, and shrugged indifferently. “He probably had a fight with the girl he keeps on the side.” Chloe had been acting quite entitled lately, spoiled by Arthur’s indulgence. Arthur probably didn’t have a good time last night. Maria’s expression changed a few times: “Ma’am, you can’t just let Mr. Sterling continue like this. You’ve been married for so many years, it’s time you had a child. “Maybe with a child, he’ll come back to you.” Trying to use a child to tie down a man who has already checked out… how pathetic do you have to be to resort to that? I shook my head. “That’s not fair to the child. Besides, I don’t want to win him back.” When threatening suicide didn’t make him change his mind, I had already decided I didn’t want this man anymore. 10 When the company got on track, I stepped down from the General Manager position and opened my own studio. I focused on jewelry design, which I loved, and I had achieved some minor success over the past two years. I had just parked my car in the studio’s underground garage when Leo appeared out of nowhere. His eyes were red, and his upper eyelids were still swollen. “Sister…” He called out to me, his voice noticeably hoarse. He looked at me with pitiful eyes, like an abandoned puppy. “What are you doing here?” I asked. “You didn’t reply to my messages, and I didn’t dare call you. I could only wait for you here.” He took a few steps forward and carefully tugged at my sleeve. “Don’t push me away. If I did something wrong, you can tell me. I’ll change.” 11 I started feeling irritated again, an irritation mixed with a heartache I couldn’t ignore. “Leo, think clearly. Our relationship is toxic. “If we separate, we can’t even use the word ‘breakup,’ it’s just ‘termination.’ Do you understand?” The color drained from Leo’s face. He lowered his head, refusing to speak, his hand still stubbornly clutching my cuff. Holding on very, very tightly. I took a deep breath, ultimately giving in to my softer side. “Leo, find a girl your own age and love her properly. “Go have a healthy relationship, one that can be out in the open.” Leo sniffled and rejected my suggestion without a second of hesitation. “I only want you.” We went back and forth in the underground garage for a long time, but in the end, I couldn’t dissuade him. Whatever. He’s still young. Give him time, and he’ll eventually get tired of me. Just like Arthur—he used to love me so much he would have jumped in a river for me, and now hasn’t he moved on to someone else? 12 After sketching designs all morning, I stretched and decided to take a break. As soon as I opened my phone, I saw that Chloe had sent me a barrage of messages. This mistress was getting increasingly arrogant. At first, when she added me as a friend, she didn’t even dare say who she was. She only dared to subtly show off her relationship on her Instagram stories. Now, she had the nerve to provoke me directly. She sent two photos. In one, she was wearing a very expensive necklace, smiling brightly. In the other, it was also a necklace, a very beautiful design, just noticeably less extravagant than the first one. But I recognized it instantly. It was the exact one I had loved a few years ago but couldn’t afford. That year, Arthur and I were preparing for our wedding, and he took me to pick out jewelry. I fell in love with that necklace at first sight. But at the time, our business was just getting off the ground, and we couldn’t support such a high expense. He held my hand, his eyes red from holding back tears. He said: “Honey, I’m sorry I can’t give you what you want. “In the future, I will definitely make a lot of money. When the time comes, I’ll buy out an entire mall’s worth of jewelry for you.” Later, he did make a lot of money, enough to buy dozens, even hundreds of malls. It’s just that he forgot his promise to me. 13 Below the photos were a few lines of text. [Arthur bought me two necklaces to make me happy. But I don’t really like the second one.] [I thought about gifting it to you, Sister, but I was afraid you wouldn’t like it either. But Arthur told me you actually liked this design a few years ago.] [So I told him to bring it back for you tonight. I hope you don’t mind, Sister.] This two-faced, competitive, ‘pick-me’ attitude was truly disgusting. I didn’t hold back. [My mother only had one child. Stop with the ‘Sister’ nonsense, it’s pathetic.] [From now on, just call me Mrs. Sterling.] Maybe the words ‘Mrs. Sterling’ hurt her fragile ego. She didn’t reply, but a moment later, Arthur called. “What did you say to her now? “Can you stop causing drama and leave her alone? I bought you a gift.” I cursed again: “Fuck your drama! Get lost!” Then I hung up without hesitation. I think I might have developed a phobia of massive idiots. 14 I sat in my chair, fuming, feeling increasingly disgusted the more I thought about it. I picked up my phone again, took screenshots of my conversation with Chloe, and sent them to Arthur. Even though I had already decided to divorce him once the project was over, I needed him to see clearly what kind of trash he had fallen for. Running over to lecture me? Telling me I provoked her? If you make me uncomfortable, I won’t let anyone else have a good day either. [Open your damn eyes and look closely! Who provoked who first?!] [Are you trying to tell me the gift you prepared for me is the necklace your little mistress rejected? Don’t fucking disgust me! I don’t want it!] Without waiting for his reply, I swiftly blocked him on every single platform. Rather than letting them drain me, it’s better to act crazy and drain them. It felt fucking great! 15 Arthur tried calling me from several different numbers, but I blocked them all. It started drizzling in the evening. When I got home, Arthur was sitting stiffly on the sofa. On his white collar, a smeared lipstick stain was glaringly obvious. On the table in front of him sat a beautifully wrapped gift box. Seeing me enter, he stood up and held the box out to me. “Listen to my explanation. “I specifically bought this for you. I didn’t know Chloe would sneakily try it on. And I didn’t know she would say those things to you.” I took it, turned around, and tossed it into the nearby trash can. “I find things she’s touched filthy. “Including you.” Arthur’s face darkened. He gritted his teeth and glared at me fiercely: “Maya, don’t push it.” “I’m pushing it? “Do I need to remind you of everything you’ve done?” He froze, shifting his angry gaze away from me, his hands clenching into fists and then slowly releasing. He didn’t argue back, nor could he. 16 I couldn’t be bothered to continue arguing with him. I bypassed him and went straight to my bedroom. Afraid Arthur would hear, after showering, I didn’t video-call Leo; instead, I texted him. We were in the middle of a lively conversation when there was a knock on the door. Arthur stood in the doorway, dripping wet. He awkwardly shoved a gift box into my hands again. “I just went out and bought a new one. “She hasn’t touched this one. It’s not dirty.” He wet his lips and continued: “I remember you really liked it before. I just couldn’t afford it back then. I…” I cut him off: “Oh, sorry. I don’t like it anymore.” Arthur frowned, looking confused: “Why?” I sneered: “People’s feelings change, let alone a piece of jewelry that’s out of style. “Stop bothering me from now on.” I slammed the door in his face again. 17 Because he got caught in the rain, Arthur developed a fever. He’s always been incredibly fussy when he’s sick. Maria made him various nutritious meals, but he refused to eat a single bite, only demanding the pork and century egg congee I used to make. Back when we were just starting the business, maybe because he was stressed and overworked, Arthur got sick a lot. Every time he got sick, I would make him pork and century egg congee. After he finished eating, he would rest his head on my shoulder, hugging me and acting like a baby. “Wifey, why are you so good to me? You’re the best wife in the whole world!” We had no money back then, living in a tiny, cramped apartment. But every day was so happy. But later, I don’t know how things changed. Do men really turn bad once they get money? Maria looked at me, clearly conflicted. “Ma’am, maybe you could make him some congee? He’s not eating anything, his body won’t be able to handle it.” I nodded. True, if he stays sick, wouldn’t his project get delayed? I opened the chat with Chloe again. [Your man is sick, come take care of him.] 18 Seeing Chloe at the house, Arthur’s fever-flushed face looked even worse. He coughed and asked darkly: “Why did you come to my house?” Not expecting him to say that, Chloe was stunned for a moment, forcefully suppressing her rising temper. She lowered her head, looking pitiful. “I heard you were sick, so I came to take care of you.” Arthur glanced at me, and seeing my amused expression, suddenly became very impatient. He aggressively started kicking her out: “I don’t need you here, go back.” Chloe had been treated like a precious jewel by him all this time; there was no way she could handle this kind of attitude from him now. She turned and ran out crying. She ran very slowly, though, probably expecting Arthur to chase after her and comfort her. But Arthur stood ramrod straight in place, not moving an inch. I clicked my tongue, secretly mocking them. Just the day before yesterday they were so lovey-dovey and sweet. Is he bored of her already today? “I know, you little jealous thing~” Yuck~ Disgusting! 19 Chloe felt wronged at Arthur’s place, so she decided to take her anger out on me. [What did you say to Arthur! He’s never treated me like this before!] I thought about it. [Maybe because I took screenshots of our conversation and sent them to him?] [Oh, he also said the necklace was meant for me, and you secretly tried it on yourself.] I guess that was the only thing I did. Chloe must have been furious; she started aggressively cursing me out: [You bitch!] [Filthy slut! Serves you right Arthur doesn’t want you!] [You’re old, go find a nursing home and rot there, stop making a fool of yourself!] I calmly took a screenshot and replied: [Wow~ So vulgar~] [Aren’t you afraid I’ll send these screenshots to that blind, idiotic asshole?] As soon as the message sent, she started frantically unsending her messages one by one. Too late, honey~ I unblocked Arthur, sent the screenshots, and blocked him again. Before blocking him, I didn’t forget to curse him out thoroughly. Equally destroying both the scumbag and the bitch. It felt so fucking good! 20 Before, I had never thought about causing trouble for Chloe. Even when I tried to use suicide to save this severely damaged marriage, I never said a single bad word about her. I always believed that flies don’t bite seamless eggs. The main reason for cheating is the man’s lack of commitment. But the more I acted this way, the more she thought I was a pushover. She provoked me over and over again. She even blatantly attacked me to my face a few times. I slashed my wrists and lay in the hospital, and she came to see me. She pressed her hand on my bandaged wrist, her face full of sympathy: “Arthur is so cruel to you, Sister. You’re in this state and he doesn’t even feel bad. “If I even get a tiny scrape, he gets anxious for half the day.” She brought her friends to my studio and judged my work. Several of them laughed loudly, making reckless comments. They said someone would have to have terrible taste to like the ugly things I designed. If I kept tolerating this, Notre Dame would invite me to ring their bells.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “436713”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

When I was finally rescued after fifteen years of being trafficked, I discovered I was the long-lost true heiress of a top-tier billionaire family. My mother was incredibly emotional as she came to take me home. But I caught her secretly exchanging glances with my brother. And my brother, tightly holding the hand of their timid, “pure-hearted” fake heiress daughter, looked at me with open hostility. I smiled. I am a demon raised in a land that eats people and spits out their bones. By bringing me back, they’ve just invited the devil through the front door. 1. When my mother, Sylvia Sterling, arrived, a female police officer was holding me in her arms, comforting me. My body was shaking violently. Every inch of skin exposed outside the blanket was covered in dark purple and sickening green bruises. According to the officer, I was the true heiress of the Sterling family, a top-tier billionaire dynasty in New York. Coming home this time meant my suffering was finally over. From now on, no one would ever be able to bully me again. When Sylvia first saw me, she looked genuinely heartbroken. She crouched down to my eye level, her hands trembling as she touched my head. “Are you… are you Avery Sterling?” I couldn’t blame her for not recognizing me. I was incredibly ugly right now. And she was incredibly beautiful. Even in her mid-forties, she was impeccably maintained. Her face was exquisite, her aura gentle and elegant, and she even smelled of expensive perfume. This was the mother I had no memory of. I stared at her blankly, my eyes clear and pitiful. After a long moment, I hesitantly nodded. The police officer chimed in appropriately, “Little Avery has suffered unimaginable abuse out there. When we found her, she had two snakes wrapped around her neck, and those animals had stripped her naked and hung her…” At those words, Sylvia uncontrollably pulled me into a tight embrace, her voice trembling. “My poor baby, you’ve suffered so much. It’s okay now that you’re back. I will never let anyone bully you again.” Naturally, I didn’t believe a word she said. Because I saw her subtly exchange a look with the boy standing behind her when she walked in. That boy was also beautiful, dressed in immaculate, expensive clothes. With his left hand, he was holding a soft, delicate-looking girl. Both of them were glaring at me with raw hostility. As if my return was something filthy and disgusting. I buried my face into Sylvia’s neck, letting a massive, chilling smile spread across my face. 2. After I went missing at age five, the Sterling family adopted a girl and named her Chloe Sterling. I also had a twin brother named Carter. But in this moment, Carter looked like a pristine, arrogant little prince, while I looked like I had lost half my life. I actually quite liked him. If my long-lost, dear brother Carter hadn’t looked at me with such disdain and spoken so cruelly, I really could have liked him. “Mom, she’s too dirty. Shouldn’t we send her to get washed up first? The carpets at home are imported from France.” Sylvia shot Carter a reproachful look and told him not to say such things. The only thing she didn’t do was deny it. She didn’t say I wasn’t dirty. Chloe tugged at Carter’s hand. “Brother, you shouldn’t say that. It will make my sister sad.” Carter scoffed. “Just telling the truth.” I twitched the corner of my mouth, looking at Chloe’s feigned kindness and the smugness she couldn’t quite hide. This kind of trick… Was way too amateur. I grabbed Sylvia’s hand, nuzzling against her palm, and said devoutly, “I’m sorry, Mom. I didn’t want to be so dirty either.” No one knew how I had survived countless days and nights in that unimaginably brutal hellhole. Only absolute submission, combined with a fast, precise, and ruthless understanding of the human heart, gave you a slight chance to live like a human being. Those who have never been to hell have no idea what a demon even looks like. A single tear slipped from the corner of my eye, landing perfectly in Sylvia’s palm. Sylvia’s heart instantly ached. She hugged me tightly and scolded Carter, “This is your sister! How can you speak like that?” Carter glared at me, but he stopped his cruel remarks. Chloe was different. Her entire demeanor screamed that she felt threatened, and she stared at me intently. I didn’t care. As if suddenly remembering something, I asked out of the blue, “By the way, which orphanage was Chloe adopted from?” Sylvia was caught off guard. “After you went missing, we found her passed out under our car.” Oh. I see. 3. Chloe really was wicked. On my very first day back, she couldn’t wait to burst into my room to mark her territory. “Avery, in the fifteen years you were gone, I have completely secured the love of Mom, Dad, and Carter! Right now, you are the extra one here!” She was haughty and arrogant. I just casually sipped my tea. “Oh.” Apparently, this was top-tier Darjeeling tea, but to me, it tasted no different from the stagnant water in the dungeon. Seeing that I was completely unfazed, Chloe grew furious. She grabbed a heavy bedside lamp and swung it at my head. More than a decade of living as a spoiled rich girl had made her reckless and entitled. I let out a soft chuckle and didn’t fight back. Not only did I not fight back, but I also went with her momentum, slamming my own head into the wall to finish the job. Under her utterly bewildered gaze, I began to scream bloody murder. When Sylvia and Carter rushed into the room, this is what they saw: The room was a mess. Blood was pouring from a gash on my head. Aside from the screaming, I wasn’t even crying; I was just trembling violently in sheer terror. And Chloe was completely frozen in shock. When she finally snapped out of it, she started screaming too. “No! I didn’t do anything! She clearly could have dodged it! I just threw the lamp, she was the one who went crazy and slammed her own head into the wall…” But I acted so terrified that I shrank into the corner. Like a dog that had suffered massive trauma. Sylvia hesitated for a moment, but ultimately decided to pick me up and treat my wound. While comforting me, she shot a look of deep disappointment at Chloe. “Chloe, she is your older sister. Why would she… slam her own head into the wall? And the wound is so severe.” I smiled with deep satisfaction. Carter looked at me with fury. He stubbornly grabbed Chloe’s hand. “I can’t believe my sister, who’s been missing for so many years, turned out to be this kind of person. This is truly vicious. Anyway, I don’t believe Chloe would ever do something like this.” With that, he pulled Chloe away without looking back. Sylvia applied iodine to my wound, speaking softly. “Chloe has always been a filial, obedient, and kind child. We adopted her, we watched her grow up clearly and plainly. She is your sister too…” I cut her off. “You don’t believe me, do you?” She froze. I said, “Because she grew up right under your nose, you trust her. But I wanted to grow up by your and Dad’s side too…” She panicked. “No, Avery, that’s not what I meant…” Seeing her panic made me very happy. But I still deliberately pushed her out of the room, acting heartbroken, saying I wanted to be alone. I didn’t care in the slightest whether they genuinely liked me or not. My only target in coming back was Chloe. After all, if it weren’t for this “good sister” of mine, I wouldn’t have been trafficked overseas. Chloe, you personally sent me into a monster’s den. Tell me, how are you going to handle a demon’s revenge? 4. After that night, out of guilt, Sylvia constantly bought me piles and piles of clothes. Whatever toys or luxuries Chloe had, I got exactly the same. It seemed she wanted to aggressively compensate for the fifteen years of love I had missed. Probably having been warned, Carter didn’t bother me, avoiding me entirely. He just went out drinking with his rich frat-boy friends, publicly declaring that in his heart, Chloe was the only sister he would ever have. I didn’t care. I just focused on my skincare routine and meticulously nursing my body back to health. That place was so bloody and brutal that the doctors said even if I fully healed, I would be left with many savage, permanent scars. I didn’t care. I simply bided my time, waiting for the right moment to strike at Chloe. But what I didn’t expect… Was that Chloe was so ruthless to herself. She left behind a dramatic suicide note: “You all think I hurt my sister, none of you believe me! But I really didn’t do it! I truly love my Dad, Mom, and Carter so much. Please don’t stop loving me just because my sister is back…” That night, she locked herself in the bathroom crying and attempted suicide. Luckily, the maid found her in time, and she was rushed to the hospital and revived. I heard her blood dyed the entire bathroom floor red. Carter, eyes bloodshot, charged at me like a madman and slapped me hard across the face. “You bitch! This is all your fault! You framed Chloe! If it weren’t for you, why would she feel so wronged that she tried to kill herself?! If anything happens to my sister, I’ll make you pay with your life!” Why didn’t she die? I ground my teeth, which were aching from the slap. Sylvia also clearly stopped believing me. The way she looked at me was full of disappointment. “Avery, haven’t we been good enough to you? When you came back to the Sterling family, we welcomed you so warmly and wanted to make up for everything. I never imagined your heart could be so vicious. Did staying in that place for too long corrupt you?” Chloe lay in her hospital bed, staring at me provocatively and weakly, like a proud peacock. Her eyes clearly said: Avery, do you see? While you were gone, all your love became mine. I remembered when I was five years old, the first time I met Chloe. I was wearing a princess dress, feeling superior as my mom carried me out of a boutique. Chloe was covered in dirt, staring at me from a dark alley corner. My mom didn’t like me playing with “those kinds of people.” So I distracted my mom, clutching my pocket money, wanting to give it to Chloe. But I never expected that this one “saintly” act would result in me being trafficked for fifteen years. And Chloe, the cuckoo in the nest, got to enjoy everything that belonged to me. She was a demon too. I smiled and said earnestly, “It won’t happen again. I’m sorry.” Sylvia sighed, pulled me into a hug, and said earnestly, “You and your sister are both pieces of my heart. I hope you two can get along from now on.” I nodded obediently. That very afternoon, I went to a seafood market and bought a large bag of live eels. I was going to dump them into Chloe’s bathtub. Doesn’t she like committing suicide in the bathtub? Chloe was terrified out of her mind. Screaming bloody murder, she scrambled out of the bathroom stark naked and threw herself into Carter’s arms. Carter, while enjoying the view, didn’t forget to yell at me, “Avery, are you insane?!” I blinked innocently. Chloe was trembling uncontrollably, sobbing hysterically. “My sister put snakes in my bathtub…” Hearing the commotion, Sylvia rushed over and slapped me without hesitation. “You truly have no upbringing! What you’re doing is illegal! Who gave you the right to do this? Did your very soul rot away in that pile of corpses?!” Her eyes were filled with profound disappointment. I looked at her and said, “They aren’t snakes.” How could they be snakes? You can’t just buy live snakes at a fresh seafood market. Even I understood that basic fact. But Chloe had jumped up, snatched the bag of eels from my hands, dumped them into the bathroom herself, and tried to lock me inside to “dance with the snakes.” I was stronger than her. She failed to lock the door, which is why she started screaming so loudly. My dear mother and dear brother, why don’t you actually look inside the bathroom first? But Sylvia refused to listen, turning her head to softly coax and comfort Chloe. I stepped forward, slapped Chloe hard across the face, and then, remembering the slap Carter gave me at the hospital, I slapped Chloe again. Everyone froze, including Chloe. Her face visibly swelled up in seconds. After surviving out there all these years, my strength and angle were perfect. I hit much harder and better than a soft guy like Carter. It must have hurt like hell. I bared my teeth and grinned. Chloe burst into a loud wail. Her eyes clearly held deep hatred for me, but since Carter and Sylvia were there, she didn’t dare say a word. She just shrank weakly into Carter’s embrace. Sylvia’s face was livid. “You’re crazy! You’re a lunatic!” She grabbed me by the collar. “I’m sending you to the police station! I’ll let the cops teach you how to be a decent human being!” I didn’t resist. I even voluntarily got into the car. Before getting in, I looked back at Carter. “By the way, she’s stark naked. Even though I never went to school, I know men and women should keep their distance. You two aren’t trying to—” I grinned and spat out two words that made Carter’s face turn purple with rage. Sylvia almost slapped me again. Sylvia meant what she said. She dragged me into the precinct, declaring I had thrown snakes into her daughter’s bathtub and demanded to press charges. The female officer who had brought me back last time saw me and looked surprised. “Why are you here?” I pressed my lips together and didn’t say a word. The officer looked at Sylvia with sudden realization and explained, “I’m sorry, ma’am, but throwing snakes does not constitute a crime. Especially between sisters, the victim would have to come to the station to press charges herself. And even then, we could at most mediate. We can’t do anything more.” Sylvia was furious. “Is this how you do your jobs?!” The officer looked at me, choosing her words carefully. “Is there a misunderstanding? When I brought this little one back, she was very well-behaved.” Ultimately, Sylvia angrily abandoned me at the station and left by herself. The officer spoke to me gently, “What’s wrong? Are you not getting along with your family?” I stubbornly shook my head. The officer had been very good to me. When I was rescued, my body wouldn’t stop shaking. She was the one who took off her police jacket and wrapped it around me. She was the one who noticed the obscure injuries on my feet and told me: “Sweetheart, you’re back now. You have to live a good life. All those things in the past are over. You have family, you will have friends, and you have a brand-new future.” A future? Did I really possess such a thing? Back then, looking at her confident smile, I actually felt a spark of hope. I thought maybe, just maybe, there was a tiny chance my family wouldn’t despise me for what I had become. But it was only a tiny chance. I didn’t want the officer to know I was miserable. Her eyes reddened, and she softly hummed an “Mhm.” Then she looked at me, a bit puzzled. “Did you not tell them that it was because of your help that we dismantled the trafficking ring?” I shook my head. “The reward money hasn’t come through yet. I can’t tell them.” She laughed, and I smiled too. 5. Nobody came to pick me up, but I knew how to call an Uber. Relying on my excellent memory, I made it home smoothly. Carter was in the living room. Seeing me walk in, he gave me a nasty look, his tone aggressive. “Chloe and I are not blood-related. I love her, and I’m going to marry her. I hope you keep your filthy mouth shut from now on.” He thought for a moment, then added, “Chloe cried for a long time because of you.” His eyes seemed full of reproach. I sneered. “I don’t see her crying to death, do I?” I expected Carter to start screaming at me again, but surprisingly, he just looked at me hesitantly. When I grew impatient and started walking upstairs, Carter called out to me. “Hey. I know they were eels in the bathtub. I went and looked. Why didn’t you say anything?” I stopped, turning around with an amused smile. “What would happen if I did?” Carter thought about it and said awkwardly, “Chloe and I have lived together for fifteen years. I can’t live without her. She is so kind-hearted. She must have just been terrified, which is why she didn’t look closely to see if they were eels or…” “That’s exactly why I didn’t say anything.” I rolled my eyes and turned to leave without looking back. This was also the reason why I didn’t immediately tell Sylvia that the daughter she had raised for fifteen years was the primary culprit who caused our separation. From the moment I saw Carter carefully holding her hand at the police station, I knew. I was very good at avoiding and reducing meaningless arguments. Carter choked on his words, staring at me without saying another sentence. I didn’t shy away; I just let him look. When I was captive, I was locked in a cage, being a perfectly “good” girl while enduring the stares of countless men. Why would I be afraid of him? Chloe came skipping down the stairs, her eyes still red like a rabbit’s. She shot me a hostile glare, then linked her arm through Carter’s. Hearing the commotion, Sylvia came downstairs. Seeing me, she made no effort to hide her displeasure. “If you do something this outrageous again, I won’t just drop you at the police station.” Alright. I nodded, acting very obedient to show I understood. Perhaps my attitude was acceptable, because Sylvia’s voice softened a few degrees. “I know you’re rotten to the core, but people can change. Take some time to get your GED, or find an entry-level position at your father’s company. We don’t raise freeloaders in the Sterling family. Your brother and sister will both be entering management after they graduate.” She looked at me with mockery, as if she felt I had struck the lottery. I chuckled softly. I didn’t tell her that even in that hellhole where I was just struggling to survive, I never forgot to study. Because my mom once told me that kids who study hard are good kids. I thought that when I came back, my mom wouldn’t despise me if I knew nothing. Whatever. Chloe spoke up smugly, “Mom, my sister came back and we haven’t even had a welcome-home party for her. Shouldn’t we throw a banquet for her, at least to officially announce her identity to everyone?” Sylvia looked slightly repulsed. I knew Sylvia felt I was an embarrassment. A person with my background wasn’t fit for high society. I also knew exactly what Chloe was scheming. She just wanted everyone to see how ignorant and vulgar I was compared to her, the refined heiress of so many years. She wanted everyone to formally compare us, to make everyone think I was worthless. In the short time I had been back, she blindly convinced herself that if we stood side-by-side, she would easily outshine me. Unable to resist Chloe’s relentless whining and acting cute, Sylvia reluctantly agreed. I had no say in the matter throughout the entire conversation. Look, how hilarious. It was supposedly a banquet for me, the main character, yet the decision-making power rested entirely with Chloe. I chuckled softly and didn’t object. A hearty laugh came from behind me. I turned around, and the moment I saw him, I knew it was my father, Richard Sterling. He wore a tailored suit but exuded a bloated, greasy aura of wealth. He looked me up and down, his eyes filled with satisfaction and approval. Because of long-term starvation and malnutrition, my arms and legs were incredibly thin. Even though my body was covered in scars and bruises, it was easy to see that my natural skin tone was pale and delicate. With a little nourishment, I would definitely be a beauty. After all, even when I was covered in filth, many men looked at me with sheer, greedy lust. He said, “Pick a good date for the banquet. I’ll attend personally and introduce you to everyone.” His eyes crinkled into a smile. Makes sense. For an illiterate billionaire’s daughter who happens to be pretty, her only practical use was an arranged marriage. I smiled innocently. “Okay!” Even Sylvia looked at me with pity, but she didn’t stop him. I lowered my head, hiding the look in my eyes. 6. Perhaps because I was about to have “utility value” at the banquet, Sylvia took very good care of me in the following weeks. She hired top international doctors to treat me quickly. The doctor said, “The young lady’s body has suffered severe, chronic depletion. I can only do my best to rehabilitate her.” For a whole month, neither Chloe nor Carter appeared in front of me. I recovered very well during this time, actively undergoing treatment. The only thing was a long, prominent scar on my back that couldn’t be completely erased. Sylvia felt a bit of pity, but also a bit of resignation. “With your personality, you definitely suffered a lot of bullying out there.” What she didn’t know was, if it wasn’t for this personality, I would be dead. The banquet arrived as scheduled. I wore an expensive gown. Carter appeared in front of me for the first time in a month. His face softened a bit as he said, “You can take my arm, if you feel awkward.” I gave a fake smile. “No thanks, I’m fine on my own.” Chloe was thrilled. While Sylvia wasn’t looking, she deliberately leaned close to my ear. “I heard that all those men are in their fifties. Sister, you better choose carefully. Oh, by the way, I also heard a few of them are so twisted they’ve already had several wives die on them.” She sighed in mock pity. “But for you, this is already a great destination. After all… I highly doubt you came back from that place ‘clean.’” I looked at her expressionlessly. “What is your point?” She hissed viciously, “Your dad, mom, and brother are all mine. Can’t you see that yet? If you know what’s good for you, pack up and get out.” Oh. I overestimated Chloe. She kept playing the same old, repetitive games. Once at the banquet, I realized Chloe hadn’t exaggerated. Richard enthusiastically led one pot-bellied, middle-aged man after another in front of me, introducing them with great patience. “Avery, this is the Chairman of Wang Corp, in real estate.” “This is the young master of the Liu family. Although they aren’t top-tier billionaires, every single one of them is a promising rising star…” Meanwhile, Chloe stood among her group of socialite friends, watching the show, giggling and pointing at my every expression. I just nodded blankly, showing no favor toward any man, nor putting up any resistance. All the men flattered me and tried to make conversation, but faced with my awkward, introverted silence, they could only laugh uncomfortably. After a while, Richard grew exhausted. He couldn’t help but reprimand me a bit: “Can’t you give me some face? You’re acting like a block of wood. Nobody likes a girl who acts like this.” I looked him straight in the eye. “I don’t know how.” He froze. It was true. I had never attended a banquet, and I had never faced so many people at once. How could I know how to act? When I was little, I was Richard’s precious jewel. My memory of this father stopped at him putting me on his shoulders and lifting me high in the air. He said he could pluck the stars from the sky for me. But now, I was just the ladder he was using to reach for more stars. After fifteen years, I had absolutely no familial love for him left in my eyes. I sighed inwardly. Richard seemed to want to say something, but Carter stepped forward in time, grabbing my hand. “I’ll take her to rest on the side for a bit. Even I can’t handle this much networking.” Seeing us acting like supportive siblings, Richard’s expression softened for a moment, and he reluctantly nodded. Once we walked away, I pulled my hand out of Carter’s. He said, “Why aren’t you thanking me?” I walked over to a chair and sat down, casually grabbing a bottle of cider and taking small sips. “Does an unsolicited intervention count as help?” Call me heartless, call me whatever you want. After all— If I were to feel grateful to him now, wouldn’t my next actions be biting the hand that feeds me?

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When my billionaire parents and the fake heiress came to visit me in the hospital one last time, I finally gave up completely. “System, let the cancer cells spread. I want to detach from this body.” As my soul floated out, I heard them talking. “If Serena hadn’t told us, I wouldn’t even have known our biological daughter was faking an illness just to get our attention! So uncultured and pathetic.” “Let’s cut contact with her for a few months to teach her a lesson. Maybe then she’ll learn to be obedient.” Obedient? But I’m dead. 1 “Sister, do you like it? Then you can have it.” “Everything in this house is supposed to be yours anyway. I’m just grateful Mom and Dad are letting me stay.” “As long as you like it, Sister, I’ll give you anything.” Serena Miller’s beautiful face wore a faint smile, her eyes slightly red, as she offered me a diamond watch. Watching her theatrical performance, I couldn’t help but roll my eyes. If I hadn’t awakened, I would have fallen for her trap again. It was only after I awakened that I realized I was the cannon fodder supporting character in a “True and Fake Heiress” novel. Serena, the fake heiress, was the female lead. I was her foil. We were switched at birth. She grew up surrounded by luxury and wealth in the Miller family. I was thrown into a remote countryside, surviving like a stray dog. Not long ago, the Miller family found me and brought me back. I was dark and scrawny, my hair was dry and yellow, and my face and hands were rough like an old woman’s. My biological father said I had “no table manners and no proper posture,” and my academic grades were even more unwatchable. Meanwhile, their adopted daughter, Serena, was beautiful, elegant, played the piano, spoke foreign languages, and excelled academically. Comparing the two of us, my biological parents really couldn’t bring themselves to love me. Even the name they gave me was lazy: Maya Miller. 2 Right now, the diamond watch Serena wanted to give me was the limited-edition reward her mother had given her for placing third in her class on the practice exams. I, on the other hand, got no reward because I bombed the test. I just glanced at the watch twice, and Serena asked if it was pretty. I casually said yes, and the very next day she was trying to give it to me. But this was actually a trap she set. According to the plot, I was supposed to happily accept the watch. Then, the watch would suddenly snap into several pieces in my hands. She would cry and say that if I didn’t like it, I didn’t have to accept it, but why did I have to destroy it? This was a custom piece her mother had ordered way in advance, a treasure she protected with her life, and I had ruined it. This manipulative speech would successfully make my mother despise me even more. Fearing I would harm Serena again, she would banish me to the servants’ quarters in the back. “Serena, if it was given to you, keep it. It’s your reward! Maya, if you like it, I’ll naturally buy you one when you get good grades. In this house, no matter who it is, rewards and punishments are clearly separated.” Hearing Serena’s “magnanimous” words, Mrs. Miller felt a pang of sympathy and spoke up, frowning. Serena acted even more considerate and humble: “As long as Sister is happy, I don’t need a reward. Sister, take this watch.” Saying that, she forcefully tried to shove the watch into my hands. I stepped back several paces: “I don’t want it, use it yourself.” I sneered inwardly: [Give it to me? You’ve already smashed the watch band and barely pieced it back together just to force it on me. The moment I touch it, the watch will shatter into pieces, and then you’ll frame me for being malicious.] [If I touch it, even if I had a hundred mouths, I wouldn’t be able to explain myself.] Ever since I returned, Serena had been especially keen on setting traps for me, desperate for the family to despise me and kick me out as soon as possible. At first, I tried hard to explain. But as soon as she cried, the family took her side. No one listened to a word I said. So now, I couldn’t even be bothered to explain. I knew Mrs. Miller wouldn’t believe me anyway. I no longer cared about parental love or family affection. I planned to avoid the female lead as much as possible, save up some money, and leave the Miller family the moment I turned eighteen. It wasn’t that far away anyway. 3 Seeing that I didn’t fall for it, Serena froze. After all, I had been naive and easy to trap since I came back. She tried to insist, but Mrs. Miller suddenly reached out and grabbed the watch. “Mom—” Serena didn’t even have time to snatch it back. Mrs. Miller took the watch in her hand and gave it a slight twist. Snap. The watch broke into several pieces, two of them falling to the floor. One look and it was obvious someone had intentionally broken it. Mrs. Miller froze. I was also taken aback: [What’s going on? This isn’t following the plot.] [Could it be that Mrs. Miller has awakened too? Does she know Serena intentionally broke the watch to frame me, so she could drive me out to the servants’ quarters, making it easier for her to torment me?] Serena’s face went completely pale. Because the watch band was extremely sturdy; it couldn’t have shattered into pieces with just a gentle twist. But she reacted quickly, putting on a face of complete ignorance: “How did this happen? This watch was perfectly fine when Mom gave it to me yesterday, right—” She turned to look at me, her face turning terrified: “Maya, what did you do in my room early this morning? It was you, wasn’t it—” “Enough!” Mrs. Miller sternly cut her off. Serena, who had never been scolded by Mrs. Miller before, was stunned. But what followed shocked her even more. Mrs. Miller called the butler over and ordered him to pack Serena’s luggage and move her to an empty room in the servants’ quarters in the back. The butler and Serena were both dumbfounded. Then, Mrs. Miller looked at me, her expression somewhat unnatural: “Maya, you move into Serena’s old room. I’ll have someone replace everything in there with things you like.” Serena’s room was right next to the master bedroom, decorated lavishly and dreamily. Even the bed alone was worth the price of a normal person’s house. I was also a bit stunned, couldn’t help but think: [Could it be that Mrs. Miller really has awakened? Then she should know who her precious adopted daughter’s biological mother is—] At that moment, Serena’s agitated questioning interrupted my thoughts. Hearing that she was being sent to the servants’ quarters, Serena panicked, asking pitifully: “Mom, did I do something wrong?” Mrs. Miller sneered: “The custom gift I got you, if you didn’t like it, you didn’t have to accept it. Why did you have to destroy it?” “I really didn’t expect that while I treated you as my biological daughter, your heart was so dark.” “Since you despise me as a mother, go live in the servants’ quarters and stay far away from me, so you don’t offend my eyes!” “Butler, hurry up and move her!” “Yes, ma’am!” The butler was startled, not daring to hesitate any longer, and led the staff to start moving her things. I felt a rush of secret satisfaction; thankfully I hadn’t taken that watch. Serena: “…” Serena burst into panicked tears, trying hard to make excuses: “It’s not like that, I really didn’t break it. I treasured it so much, how could I bear to ruin it…” Just then, the eldest son of the Miller family, Arthur Miller, arrived. Serena immediately ran to him, throwing herself into his arms: “Arthur, help me, help me explain to Mom. Mom told me to give my room to Maya and wants me to live in the servants’ quarters. I’m willing to give it to her, but I don’t want to live in the servants’ quarters, I’m scared, boohoo~” Arthur doted on this sister the most. Seeing her crying her eyes out, he immediately hugged her. He turned to look at me, scolding me without a second thought: “Maya, if you’re not satisfied with your room, just say so. We’ll change it for you. Whatever you need, we’ll buy it. Why did you have to steal Serena’s room?” I hadn’t even spoken yet. Mrs. Miller anxiously shouted at him: “Get out of here, stop sticking your nose where it doesn’t belong, and get back to work!” Serena hugged Arthur’s neck, pressing her whole chest tightly against him, crying even more pitifully: “Arthur, boohoo~” Arthur naturally hugged her back: “Mom, are you confused? Serena grew up in our family. She’s pure and kind-hearted by nature, and doesn’t like to fight with others. How can you bear to let her be wronged? Butler, stop moving!” I scoffed inwardly: [Tsk tsk, what a fiercely protective brother. I hope in a few days, on the night of her eighteenth birthday, after she drugs you and climbs into your bed, you’ll still think she’s pure and kind-hearted by nature?] [But he probably won’t even live to see that day, because his health is already terrible right now. He suffers from insomnia every night, and has heart palpitations and headaches during the day, but never takes the time to go to the hospital.] [By that day, when he’s drugged with those powerful aphrodisiacs and tormented by Serena all night, a perfectly capable young man will be turned into a drooling idiot at the sight of a woman.] Smack. The other half of the watch slipped from Mrs. Miller’s hand and fell to the floor. And Arthur, who was always stubbornly protective of Serena, actually had a stiff expression as he reached out and pushed away his precious sister. [Looking at the timeline, the tumor in Arthur’s brain is probably about to turn malignant, right? I should tell him to get a checkup at the hospital.] [Forget it, last time I just handed him a bowl of soup, and he told me to mind my own business, not to be overly affectionate, and not to fight over everything. If I try to advise him now, he’ll probably think I’m just jealous of his dear sister again.] Serena never expected to be pushed away by the brother who loved her the most. Caught off guard, she almost face-planted onto the floor. After steadying herself, she moved towards Arthur again. But Arthur took two sudden steps back. He suddenly looked at me, his expression complex. After a long while, his voice sounded uncertain as he said: “Sorry, I have something to do. I need to go out for a bit.” He left in a hurry. “Arthur!” Serena cried out tragically. But Arthur didn’t even look back. Serena’s expression shattered. 4 Serena didn’t go live in the servants’ quarters. She packed a simple, small bag. She only packed a few changes of clothes. She intended to move out of this house. She bowed deeply to Mrs. Miller, tears falling like pearls, her voice hoarse: “Thank you for taking care of me all these years. I’m leaving. When I graduate, I’ll work hard to earn money and repay your kindness in raising me.” Mrs. Miller frowned: “You made a mistake, I scolded you, and you’re feeling wronged? Is this you threatening to run away from home?” Serena cried and shook her head: “I’m not throwing a tantrum, I genuinely want to leave. Maya has suffered a lot outside these past few years, so please dote on her. You don’t need me anymore.” “Eleanor, there was a shipment of fresh fruit at Tim’s today. I picked out a few for you, come have a taste.” Bursting in like a whirlwind was Mrs. Miller’s best friend, Brenda Davis. Eleanor was Mrs. Miller’s name. She was always overbearing, so she had very few friends. Brenda was the only one who accommodated her in everything. Because of this, the two were very close. Seeing Brenda, the cold Mrs. Miller’s expression softened a bit: “Thank you.” I laughed inwardly: [What’s there to thank her for? She’s buying you fruit with your own money.] [You loaded her membership card with ten thousand, and eight thousand of it was spent by Brenda.] Mrs. Miller’s face, which had just relaxed, froze again. Brenda, oblivious to this, ran over to comfort Serena: “Oh my, what’s going on? Who upset our Princess Serena? Your pretty little face is all smeared with tears like a messy kitten.” Serena held her bag, crying even harder: “Aunt Brenda, boohoo, I’m moving out. I’ll come visit you when I have time.” Brenda looked surprised: “What happened?” Serena: “The watch Mom gave me broke. I don’t know how it broke, but it made Mom mad, and Maya felt wronged, so it’s best if I move out.” Brenda laughed it off: “Is that all? Serena, just apologize and it’ll be fine. You’re so pretty, if you go out there alone you’ll be kidnapped by traffickers. Your parents and brother would be heartbroken. Right, Eleanor? You wouldn’t bear to let this beautiful girl wander the streets alone, would you?” [Hmph, with her biological mother right here, how could Serena ever wander the streets? The luxury condo you borrowed from Eleanor, the princess room you meticulously decorated, wasn’t that all prepared for Serena?] As soon as I finished my internal rant, Mrs. Miller suddenly asked: “What did you say?” Her eyes were wide open, her voice trembling slightly. Seeing her staring at me, I was taken aback and shook my head: “Nothing, I didn’t say anything.” I continued complaining in my head: [It’s a pity we can’t choose our origins. Otherwise, I definitely wouldn’t have chosen to be born into the Miller family.] [Eleanor is blind, completely oblivious to the fact that Brenda swapped their two daughters.] [While I was in the countryside fighting dogs for food, my own biological mother was raising someone else’s daughter like a princess, and even letting her leech off the Miller family, paying for all her food, clothes, housing, and expenses.] [Later, when Serena turned the Miller family upside down and seized all their assets, she moved Brenda into the Miller family’s mansion. Do you remember what Brenda did to Eleanor?] [She called Eleanor a moron and an idiot, saying Eleanor must be blind to fall so low. She even said she never treated Eleanor as a best friend, but rather as a servant, and that now she was the master.] [When Mr. Miller fell ill, Eleanor went to Brenda to borrow money. As a result, Brenda forced Eleanor to kneel and lick her shoes clean.] [Even though Brenda and her daughter are barely human, specializing in inhumane acts, and Serena never said a word even when she knew about her true parentage early on. Even if I told Eleanor these things, she probably wouldn’t believe me. Better not be overly affectionate again. I’ll just watch how things unfold for them. Anyway, I must get out of this house as soon as possible.] [Speaking of which, this isn’t my home at all. I’m just a pitiful ghost temporarily lodging here. No one considers me family anyway.] At this time, Brenda pushed Serena in front of Mrs. Miller: “Eleanor, it’s not a big deal. Why kick the child out? Everyone envies you for having such a daughter—beautiful, smart, and elegant. You couldn’t find another like her in all of New York. If she runs out and something happens, wouldn’t you cry yourself to death?” Brenda urged Serena: “Go on, apologize to your mom.” Serena looked softly at Mrs. Miller: “Mom—” Before she could say another word, Mrs. Miller abruptly interrupted her: “Serena, since you want to leave, then move out.” Both Serena and Brenda were dumbfounded. Mrs. Miller stepped aside to make a phone call, then took my hand: “Come with Mom to the hospital to see your brother.” I was confused and bewildered. This was the first time she had held my hand, and the first time she used the words “Mom” and “Brother” in front of me. I was led away by her in a daze. Mrs. Miller drove, and I sat in the passenger seat. She fastened my seatbelt for me with unprecedented gentleness. As we drove out of the garage, Brenda pulled a sobbing, stumbling Serena to block the car: “Eleanor, is Arthur at the hospital? What’s wrong with him? Serena is very worried about her brother too. Let us ride with you—” Mrs. Miller locked the car doors immediately and said coldly: “No need. Arthur isn’t her biological brother, so there’s no need for her concern.” With that, she maneuvered the car around the stunned Brenda and Serena, hit the gas, and sped away. In the rearview mirror, Serena’s cries grew even louder. 5 Arthur said he wasn’t feeling well and went to the hospital for a checkup, where they found a tumor. Thankfully, it was caught early and wasn’t a major issue. After surgery, he would be fine. We had just arrived when Serena and Brenda followed right behind us. “Arthur, are you okay?” Serena’s eyes were red and swollen again, her face full of concern. She handed an exquisitely packaged bag to Arthur and said considerately: “This is lotus dew from Shangji, your favorite, Arthur. It’s still hot. Drink some, and you’ll get better faster.” Hearing “lotus dew,” I instinctively glanced at the packaging box a few more times: [The drug Serena slipped to Arthur on his birthday was mixed into this lotus dew. Turns out it’s his favorite. No wonder he was completely oblivious to being drugged.] [With a fake sister this attentive, it’s no surprise Arthur likes her.] [Too bad this affection won’t last. Later, when Arthur turns into a fool, his dear fake sister will immediately send him to a mental asylum with the worst conditions.] [He tried everything to make a phone call to her, but this fake sister found it annoying and had the asylum orderlies electrocute him to death with stun batons.] Crash. The lotus dew fell to the floor, splashing milky liquid everywhere. It turned out that when Serena handed it to Arthur, he outright refused it. Because he pushed it away too fast, the lotus dew fell to the ground. Not only did he refuse it, but he also looked terrified, backing up continuously on his hospital bed. If there wasn’t a wall behind him, he would have retreated even further. Serena froze, tears “whooshing” out again, looking on the verge of a breakdown: “Arthur, am I a ghost? Why are you hiding so far away from me?” Arthur had a “you’re scarier than a ghost” expression and said coldly: “Leave. I’m fine. I don’t need your concern.” Serena looked pitifully at Mrs. Miller again. Mrs. Miller looked away and also said coldly: “Hurry up and leave.” Serena was even more heartbroken. “Then get some rest, Arthur.” Brenda gave Mrs. Miller and Arthur a deep look and pulled Serena away. As she passed by me, Serena glared coldly and drove me away: “My brother needs to rest, and he doesn’t want to be disturbed. Stop being so full of yourself and lingering around here. Get out.” Just as she finished trying to kick me out. Arthur called out: “Maya, you don’t need to go.” I originally didn’t want to stay, but with Serena right there, I intentionally stayed and smiled slightly at her: “He insists on me disturbing him.” Serena: “…” Serena’s face turned green with anger. 6 After Brenda pulled Serena away. Arthur grabbed a carton of milk from the bedside table—delivered by his assistant—opened it, and handed it to me, saying somewhat unnaturally: “Maya, want to drink this?” I refused without a second thought: “No thanks.” [What are you pretending for? Eleanor already knows you find me annoying and hate me, so what’s the point of playing the loving sibling act in front of her? Besides, she hates me to death herself; why would she care how you look at me?] Arthur froze, his face inexplicably turning red, looking guilty. And Mrs. Miller’s eyes inexplicably turned red too. She took my hand and choked back a sob: “I’m sorry, Maya. Since you came back, Mom hasn’t properly cared for you…” Arthur suddenly apologized to me as well: “Maya, it’s my fault too. I don’t even know what you like to eat. Tell me, and I’ll buy it all for you from now on.” His eyes were also red: “Maya, I don’t hate you. We’re biological siblings. You’re my biological sister.” He deliberately emphasized the words “biological sister,” as if afraid I wouldn’t believe him. Me: “?” This drastically different attitude before and after made me suspect they had both been possessed. I gave an awkward smile and played along: “Haha, right, we’re siblings.” [Whatever, I’m only staying for a few days anyway. Once I turn eighteen, I’ll have saved up some money. Then I’ll move out and stop hoping for some supposed blood relation.] I didn’t say anything overly harsh. For some reason, Mrs. Miller and Arthur looked even sadder and more guilty. 7 Serena actually started trying hard. She didn’t return to the Miller family for several days in a row. Without her causing trouble at home. My treatment in this house instantly skyrocketed. The biggest room was now mine. Every day, the chefs prepared food tailored to my preferences. A Rolls-Royce with a starlight headliner was assigned to pick me up and drop me off. Seniors barely had any days off, let alone time to go shopping, yet Mrs. Miller bought me heaps of clothes, shoes, and bags. Mrs. Miller gave me a card, and Arthur gave me a card too. They both said it was my allowance. I checked; both cards had over a million dollars each. And they both said they would transfer money to the cards every month, telling me to spend it freely. Actually, when they brought me back, they didn’t give me any pocket money. Like Serena, they probably felt that since we were kids, giving us large sums without restriction wasn’t a good idea, so they never gave me such huge amounts before. Earlier, when I first returned, seeing my poor grades, my parents originally planned to hire private tutors for me. But Serena volunteered to tutor me. Mom and Dad were very pleased and agreed. But when she tutored me, she intentionally threw in foreign languages that I couldn’t understand at all. Naturally, I didn’t improve one bit. Serena would then show my tests, covered in red ‘X’s, to our parents, smiling helplessly and saying I gave her headaches. Her expression practically etched the words “naturally stupid” on my forehead. My parents probably assumed my academics were beyond saving. After that, they never mentioned hiring tutors for me again, only asking Serena to continue paying closer attention to my studies. But these past few days, Mrs. Miller hired several private tutors for me in a row, all of them top-tier professors. Before, problems that sounded like gibberish to me became understandable once these professors broke them down into simple terms. Although the Miller family was treating me very well right now, I still didn’t dare let my guard down. I studied desperately with the professors while continuing my master plan to save money. Except for essential expenses, I didn’t dare spend a single extra penny of the money the Miller family gave me, carefully saving it all. 8 Serena returned a week later. Brought back by Mr. Miller, Richard Miller. He had returned from a business trip and, because he hadn’t eaten for a day and a night, he went to a restaurant near the airport with his trusted assistant to eat. There, he ran into Serena and brought her back. Serena was still wearing the same outfit she had worn when she left. She had dark circles under her eyes, and her complexion was sallow. Her hands were covered in band-aids. Mr. Miller held Serena’s hand tightly, his heart clearly aching for her. As soon as he got back, he confronted Mrs. Miller, demanding to know why she let a high school senior move out alone over such a trivial matter. He angrily accused Mrs. Miller: “Do you have any idea what she was doing out there? She was washing dishes in a restaurant! Going to school during the day, washing dishes at night, and washing dishes on holidays too! If I hadn’t run into her, her whole life would have been ruined by your hands!” Surprisingly, Mrs. Miller didn’t feel sorry for the miserable-looking Serena. Instead, she asked skeptically: “What a coincidence? Out of all the restaurants, she happened to be washing dishes at the exact one you went to eat at after your business trip?” [Is it really a coincidence? They planned it all out beforehand.] [Brenda and her husband, Kevin Davis, are relying on this daughter to leach off the Miller family. How could they let her suffer?] Kevin Davis was Mr. Miller’s trusted assistant, and also Brenda’s husband—Serena’s biological father. [Looking at Serena’s dark circles, she probably went through several palettes of eyeshadow.] [Tsk, and her hands. To play the victim, how many band-aids did she waste?] I was just complaining internally when Mrs. Miller suddenly picked up a pot of tea and splashed it right at Serena’s face and hands. Splash. The makeup on Serena’s face was ruined. Serena screamed, raising her hands to cover her face. Because she had applied it so thickly, the eyeshadow started running down. And the band-aids on her hands, soaked through, fell off. Revealing smooth, completely unblemished fingers underneath. The air instantly went dead silent. Mrs. Miller sneered: “Act! Keep acting! I’m the one who failed as a mother. I meticulously raised you for eighteen years, only to raise a deceitful liar!” Mr. Miller was stunned. Serena, completely caught off guard, was also dumbfounded. I was in awe of Mrs. Miller. She actually recognized that Serena’s “pitiful look” was just makeup. 9 Mr. Miller stared at Serena in disbelief, speaking with disappointment: “So, you even lied to me? The dark circles, the band-aids on your hands—it was all an act?” Seeing she had been exposed, Serena dropped to her knees with a thud: “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, Dad. I didn’t mean it. Mom was very angry with me, and I was afraid… I was afraid you guys really didn’t want me anymore. Dad, you love me the most, you definitely won’t stay mad at me, right?” [What Dad? She already reunited with her biological parents five years ago. She intentionally kept it from you because you’re rich and she wanted to use you as an ATM.] [I also don’t know why Richard Miller chose Kevin Davis as his confidant. Kevin is even more disgusting than his wife, Brenda. He secretly runs a small company, embezzles company funds to gamble, and loses millions in a single game. And that’s not even the worst of it.] [He also uses his position as the CEO’s confidant to hook up with countless mistresses at the company. The employees below hate him to the core. With him causing so much trouble, Richard Miller is completely clueless. Truly impressive.] [No wonder the company was later seized by Serena and her biological father, Kevin. At his age, Richard is too easy to fool.] “What?” Just as I was ranting, Mr. Miller suddenly seemed unwell. His face and lips turned pale, and he collapsed onto the sofa. Mrs. Miller quickly had someone call the family doctor. When the doctor arrived, the examination revealed a blood pressure issue. They gave Mr. Miller some blood pressure medication. Once he stabilized, Mr. Miller stared at me for a long time, his eyes full of complex emotions. [Why is he staring at me like that? Does he still think I’m bullying his precious adopted daughter?] Mr. Miller’s expression froze. Serena tried to move closer to Mr. Miller again. But he pushed her away. He slowly stood up, looked at me, and spoke with unprecedented gentleness: “Maya, there’s no school today. Do you want to come play at Dad’s company?” Before I could answer, Serena eagerly interrupted: “Dad, I want to go! I’ll go with you right now.” There was an unspoken rule in the Miller family: if the children were chosen by the head of the family to be taken to the company, it meant they were intentionally being groomed to pave the way for their future entry into the business. And Serena had been waiting for this day. She thought she would only have a chance after she officially turned eighteen. She didn’t expect the opportunity to present itself now, and she was eager to seize it. However, Mr. Miller ruthlessly rejected her: “You don’t need to.” He turned back to me, his expression softening: “Maya, can you accompany Dad to the company? Think of it as an internship. Dad will pay you an hourly wage, is that okay?” I couldn’t figure out what he was up to, but hearing I could earn money, I agreed. “Dad!” Serena’s face contorted with anger, her voice trembling. “How could you treat me like this too? Are you trying to force me to die? Boohoo~” [You won’t die. Your biological parents are waiting right outside the mansion.] As soon as I finished my internal commentary, Mrs. Miller, who had regained her composure, picked up her phone, dialed a number, and said coldly: “Brenda, come pick up your goddaughter.” Brenda had become Mrs. Miller’s best friend in order to stay close to Serena, and had even acknowledged Serena as her goddaughter. Brenda quickly ran in, out of breath. Seeing Serena’s ruined makeup and the removed band-aids, she tried to smooth things over: “Eleanor, is Mr. Miller home too? You all know? Well, I couldn’t bear to let the child wander outside, so I let her stay at my place for a few days. She cried every day because she missed you all.” “I couldn’t stand it anymore, so I came up with this bad idea. Don’t blame her. If you want to blame someone, blame me, okay?” “You see, you guys were such a happy, perfect family before. You were the envy of everyone. Now you’re arguing like this. Aren’t you just letting people laugh at you for no reason?” After Brenda finished, she glared at me, her eyes filled with such resentment that they almost shot daggers: “Maya, you caused all this, didn’t you? You intentionally drove a wedge between Serena and her parents, trying to drive Serena out?” I scoffed in anger: “Are you crazy? What does this have to do with me?” Brenda’s voice grew louder: “Heh, look at your manners. Is that how you talk to your elders? Country bumpkins truly can’t present themselves in public! Do you think you can win just by being loud and throwing tantrums?” “Let me tell you, Serena is the meticulously groomed heiress of this family. You have no grades, no grace, you can’t compare to her in any way. Just because you’re lazy, you stir up trouble in the Miller family, driving a wedge between Serena and the family. You’ve completely disgraced the Miller family—” Before she could finish her sentence. Smack! Mrs. Miller slapped her hard across the face. Mrs. Miller trembled with anger: “Who do you think you are? What gives you the right to dictate matters in my family? Get the hell out!” “Eleanor, you hit me?” Brenda stared at Mrs. Miller in disbelief, clutching her cheek as tears welled up. “I hit you! If you say one more word about my daughter, I’ll hit you again!” Mrs. Miller roared even louder, “Get out!” 10 Since the day Mr. Miller took the initiative to bring me to the company. Except for my class hours, whenever I had free time, he would continue to take me to the company. The salary he paid me was very high. I didn’t have to do anything difficult, he just introduced me to some uncles and aunts in the company. They were all veteran shareholders and executives of the company. During this time, he suddenly broke from the plot and uncovered all of Kevin’s illicit activities in the company. He implemented sweeping reforms, making Kevin pay the price for his actions. The price was spending the rest of his life working behind bars. Every employee in the company who had been oppressed by Kevin rejoiced. Watching the changes in each member of the Miller family, I realized that all the plotlines were being rewritten by them one by one.

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I sent a text to my online boyfriend: “Off work yet, hubby?” He replied instantly: “Not yet. Give me a minute, be good.” But can someone please tell me… Why is it that the exact message I sent to my online boyfriend… Is the exact same message the mega-star Silas Young just answered on his livestream? I stared at the #1 trending video, my hands shaking. I silently shared it with him, adding a single question mark: “?”. Silas replied quickly: “Sorry, forgot to turn off message notifications.” 1 “Let’s break up. We’re not right for each other.” I held the phone to my ear, looking at the keys to the brand-new Porsche I had just picked up, feeling like a bucket of ice water had been poured over my head. Today was my two-year anniversary with Julian. I had planned to come clean today and tell him the truth: I was actually a trust-fund kid. And as an anniversary gift, I was going to give him the Porsche he had always dreamed of. Who could have guessed he would dump me instead? “Why?” Julian sneered. “You spend every day obsessing over celebrities. Your Instagram and TikTok are full of Silas Young. And you’re asking me why? Are you my girlfriend, or Silas Young’s?” I tried to argue: “That’s just because Silas had a new movie coming out recently…” Julian cut me off: “I only started gaming in the first place because of you. Now, I’m a top-200 streamer on the whole platform. And you? How long has it been since you played a game with me?” A wave of guilt washed over me. “I’m sorry.” “Don’t bother.” Julian continued, “We’re seniors in college now. You’re an adult. Stop obsessing over celebrities all day and put some effort into your own future.” With that, he hung up. I stared at my phone, unable to articulate the bitterness in my mouth. Is it that I don’t want to put in effort? It’s that I literally don’t need to put in effort! 2 That night, I started doing some soul-searching. Have I really been neglecting Julian too much lately? But… he was the one who was always busy with streaming and his career. If he hadn’t been too busy to spend time with me, I wouldn’t have gotten bored enough to start obsessing over a celebrity. Last month, he even forgot my birthday. I waited at his apartment all night. The next day, he came back with his clothes all wrinkled, acting cute and saying he had a company dinner. He claimed there were a lot of big shots there, and to secure more resources, he drank too much and ended up sleeping in his boss’s office. I was originally angry, but seeing the dark circles under his eyes, I felt bad for him. In high school, because my family was so wealthy, I was used by my best friend. Since college, I’ve always kept a very low profile. After getting together with Julian, knowing he came from an ordinary background, I never told him about my true financial situation to protect his ego. But I couldn’t bear to see him working so hard anymore. Secretly tipping him in his livestream wasn’t enough. So, I ordered the Porsche he had always wanted, planning to come clean on our anniversary, beg for his forgiveness, and give him a huge surprise. When my best friend, Chloe, found out, she mocked me: “Even the most tragic heroines in history would call you pathetic. He makes a bunch of money and buys you a $300 bag, and you turn around and drop $150,000 on a car!” “He’s just being frugal!” I defended him. “He’s wearing a $1,500 Balenciaga jacket.” “He finally made some money, of course he wants to treat himself a little!” Chloe just sneered: “Heh.” I had never experienced much hardship growing up. My biggest setback was in high school, hearing the friend I had practically subsidized talking trash about me behind my back. This led to a situation where I was great at everything… except that I was hopelessly, tragically romantic. That night, I decided to make one last struggle to apologize and get back together with Julian. But before I could send the message, a push notification from the streaming app popped up. “J-God confesses his love live.” ? Who? The J-God I’m thinking of? Who is he confessing to? Me? With trembling hands, I opened Julian’s stream. I watched as the guy who had just dumped me that morning stared earnestly into the camera: “Serena, I like you. Will you be my girlfriend?” My brain buzzed. The live chat was scrolling at light speed, filled with two distinct voices. The first was cheering for this Serena to say yes. The second was exposing Serena’s identity. She was the owner of Julian’s streaming agency. The very same boss whose office he claimed to have slept in last month. Wow. I laughed out of sheer anger. Dumping me in the morning, confessing to someone else at night. This seamless transition speed was faster than a bullet train. 3 Chloe was absolutely furious. “We cannot let him get away with this!” “We definitely won’t.” I might be a hopeless romantic who tends to assume the best in people, but that didn’t mean I was a pushover. If he wanted to make me suffer, he needed to make sure I was actually the suffering type. Back then, Julian only started gaming to pursue me, to have a common interest. But the fact that he got a little famous was also, ironically, because of me. My gaming skills were maxed out. I was a god-tier Akali player in League of Legends, capable of diving into a team fight and getting a Pentakill. After I reached the Challenger tier with Akali on my main account, I used his account to climb the ranks, pushing it to Challenger as well. The game automatically saved the highlight reels. He edited those clips and posted them on TikTok, and unexpectedly, they went viral. From then on, he started streaming, but he never played Akali again. Was it because he didn’t want to? No, it was because he couldn’t. His Akali was thoroughly average, completely incomparable to my mechanics. There were loud doubts at first, but he excused it by saying he wouldn’t play champions he had already taken to Challenger again, and that his game sense and macro play were actually quite good. Plus, he had a handsome face. As time passed, those doubting voices faded away. I was a bit uncomfortable at the time, but Julian had said, “My grades aren’t great. If I wait until graduation, who knows how long it’ll take before I can give you a stable life? Right now, the streaming income is pretty good…” He then bought me a $300 bag. A bag our housekeeper wouldn’t even carry. But I, like a tragic romantic idiot, took that $300 bag and forgave the world. Chloe asked me, “What’s your plan?” “My plan?” I let out a short laugh. “To send him out to eat dirt.” That night, I recorded an Akali gameplay video. The zigzag movement pattern was identical to the viral video Julian had posted back then. Originally, this was an alt account with only a handful of followers; nobody paid attention to it. But I had way too much money. I bought some traffic, and “accidentally” bought my way to the #1 trending spot. The top comment was from Chloe. “This movement looks exactly like J-God’s famous highlight reel.” I replied, deliberately stirring the pot: “How do you know his famous highlight reel was actually played by him?” Julian called me that very night. “Audrey, what exactly are you trying to do?” 4 He actually had the nerve to call me? “Julian, don’t you think you owe me an explanation?” “I thought we had already made things very clear.” “Clear?” I scoffed. “You cheated, and then blamed the breakup on me to make me feel guilty. I’ve never been slapped in the face like this.” Julian’s laugh was even more obvious than mine: “Who do you think you are? Audrey, considering we used to be together, I didn’t want to make this ugly. Name your price.” Name a price? Julian was actually asking me to name a price? That sentence jolted me completely awake. Suddenly, everything I had done over the past few days felt absurd and meaningless. I had actually liked a piece of trash like him, and wasted so much time on him. I must have been truly blind. “If I name a price, I’m afraid you won’t be able to afford it!” “Take your filthy money to the grave with you, and never show your face in front of me again!” With that, I hung up directly. Online, I stopped paying for traffic. The topic was clearly suppressed, and the heat died down. The public outcry receded like the tide, gradually disappearing without a trace. After deleting a few posts trying to dox me, Chloe asked what my next move was. I just said I didn’t want to waste another minute on that scumbag. I thought the situation would blow over, but unexpectedly, in the middle of the night, the topic’s popularity suddenly surged again. The reason? The mega-star Silas Young had liked my post. He unliked it half an hour later and posted a half-hearted explanation: “Finger slipped.” To be acknowledged by your own idol in such a way… I was probably the first. The internet was filled with “Hahahaha,” calling Silas cute and happily eating popcorn. But Julian was instantly thrust back into the eye of the storm. The whole internet was saying Julian was a liar, making a huge fuss, demanding he play Akali live to prove his innocence. The next day, I went back to campus to meet with my advisor. As I was walking out, a white BMW blocked my path at the school gates. 5 A slender woman stepped out of the car, looking around thirty years old. She had a great figure, but her makeup was so thick you couldn’t tell what she actually looked like, and her perfume was strong enough to knock someone over. She stood in front of me, looked me up and down, and acted incredibly haughty. “Let me introduce myself. I am Serena Vance.” I hadn’t seen this kind of dramatic scene before, so I froze for a moment. My stunned silence translated as fear in her eyes. She grew even more confident, her tone dripping with contempt: “Julian is a top streamer heavily promoted by our agency, and now, he’s also Serena Vance’s boyfriend. Name a price. How much will it take for you to come forward and clear this up?” I snapped back to reality, feeling it was utterly unbelievable: “Clear what up? What I posted was the truth!” “The truth isn’t that important. Little girl, listen to some advice from an older sister: know when to quit while you’re ahead! You haven’t entered the real world yet; you don’t know how hard it is to make money. The price I can offer you right now is more than you’d make working for ten years without eating or drinking. How about it? Do we have a deal?” “Know when to quit?” I sneered. “Calling me ‘little girl’—you sure didn’t have a problem getting your hands on a ‘little boy.’ You want me to help you clear his name? Keep dreaming!” Serena’s face instantly turned ice cold. “Audrey, is it? You just wait! I’ll make sure you can’t survive in this city!” With that, she brushed past my shoulder, knocking me off balance, turned, got into her car, and sped away. My hand gripping my textbook trembled with anger. A circle of students had gathered to watch the drama, pointing and whispering at me. “What happened?” “Looks like a wife catching a mistress…” I roared: “Mistress my ass! Are you blind?!” The person who just spoke was startled by my sudden outburst, and they hurried away, whispering. I’ve been pampered my whole life. When have I ever suffered this kind of humiliation? Make me unable to survive? Let’s see who fails to survive first. I pulled out my phone and called my brother. “Connor, I want to acquire a streaming agency.” “Well, look who finally called me.” Connor chuckled. “Sure, not just one. You can acquire ten if you want.” 6 My brother moved fast. In less than a month, the contract was placed in black and white right in front of me. The streaming agency Julian was signed to wasn’t very large; he was their star gaming streamer. Looking at the few pages of the contract and their small company’s annual financial report, I truly didn’t understand where Serena got the confidence to challenge me. My brother tapped the contract with his finger: “What’s the plan next? Want your big brother to take you for a spin around your new company?” “It’s not time yet,” I said. “We’re not going to find them. I’m going to make them come begging to me.” Connor rubbed my head: “You really are pissed off.” Damn right I was. I almost died of anger. My brother had recently taken over the family business and was very busy. He didn’t stay long before leaving. I was going to implement the next step of my plan. First, I screenshotted my chat history with Julian, including the times I bought him gifts and my transfer receipts. Although I pretended to be poor, the amounts weren’t large, but they were consistent. And his replies… were few. The further down I scrolled, the more I realized that the signs of his infidelity had been there all along. For the past few months, I had been the one initiating conversations, and his replies weren’t just impatient, they were incredibly perfunctory. I had been so blinded by love that I didn’t even recognize his cold violence. After saving the chat logs, I prepared to open the game and record another Akali gameplay. Last time, some people doubted if I was really the one playing. This time, I was going to use three camera angles and record a full, unedited version. Before I could open the game, a message notification popped up. It was from someone I hadn’t contacted in years. S-Boy: “Quite the drama.” I replied: “Here to laugh at me?” “How could I? I told you long ago that guy was no good.” Seeing that sentence, my eyes inexplicably teared up. 7 I met S-Boy through gaming. Two years ago, I had a lot of free time in college. Aside from classes, I barely participated in any extracurriculars, using all my time to climb the ranks. After my main assassin reached the top tier, I couldn’t resist trying the support role, so I picked a healing champion. Although I usually played damage dealers, I had good game sense and knew champion skills well, so playing support wasn’t hard for me. But the ADC on my team was terribly incompetent. Their pacing and mechanics were a total mess. Before reaching level four, they had already been ganked and killed twice. I couldn’t save them before I hit level four either, and the gold gap widened instantly. Before I could say anything, the ADC spoke up first. ADC: “A girl?” “Only knows how to play support? Getting carried up the ranks, right?” “So annoying getting girls in my games.” He was incredibly toxic, and my anger flared up immediately. “With a 0/2/0 score right at the start, you have the nerve to talk trash?” “What’s wrong with being a girl? Sprinkle some birdseed on the screen and a chicken pecking at it would play better than you.” “Even the grim reaper can’t save a ghost rushing to die. Forgot what kind of trash you are, huh, you little punk?” ADC: “Heh.” Then followed a string of asterisk symbols, and he was finally muted by the system. The ADC eventually gave up and went AFK in the base. I was about to say something else when the Jungler spoke up: “Support, come follow me.” I was stunned: “But you’re playing a stealth assassin.” The assassin’s most crucial skill was invisibility. I wasn’t as good at support as I was at jungle, and I was worried a misstep would reveal his position. “It’s fine,” the assassin used voice chat this time. His voice was young and pleasant: “The enemy team comp can’t handle the late game.” I glanced at the enemy team, realized he was right, and followed right behind the assassin, helping him check vision in the jungle and shielding him during team fights. The assassin’s ID: S-Boy Invincible. Facts proved he really was somewhat invincible. When the game ended, the assassin dealt 50% of the team’s total damage, hard-carrying that toxic ADC to victory. I added him as a friend and thanked him. S-Boy Invincible: “You’re welcome. Just helping out against injustice.” I had a sudden idea: “Wanna climb the ranks together? I’m a Jungle god, my Akali is slick.” S-Boy waited a while before replying: “Challenger Jungler? Impressive.” Me: “Just love the feeling of carrying.” I said, inviting S-Boy into a lobby. Then, remembering something, I asked: “But do you main Jungle? Will I be stealing your role?” This time S-Boy used voice chat again. His tone had a hint of arrogant cockiness typical of young boys: “Nope. I play everything.” 8 After that day, I added S-Boy on WeChat. He never posted anything personal on his moments, just shared various indie songs. During that time, we played games together almost every day. 1v1s to practice new champions, sending each other skins; later, we occasionally shared life updates and sent each other gossip threads. S-Boy had a nice voice, was patient and sunny. He sounded very young, but whether it was in the game or talking, you could tell he was quite mature. Once, during my period, S-Boy invited me to play, but I wasn’t online. Knowing I wasn’t feeling well, he directly asked for my address and ordered me brown sugar ginger tea and some warm, nourishing soup. My roommate, Candy, saw me smiling dreamily and knocked me on the head: “You’re in love! Why are you smiling so creepily?” I argued: “How is it creepy!” Candy looked at the table full of food: “Who ordered it? Must be that guy you game with every day, right?” I didn’t deny it. Candy was incredulous: “Are you crazy! Giving out your address and contact info so easily? Across an internet cable, do you really know what kind of person he is? What if he’s a creep?” “He doesn’t seem like a creep…” “How doesn’t he? Because he’s good at games?” Her words left me speechless and suddenly brought me back to reality. Yeah, I didn’t even know S-Boy’s real name. What kind of person was he in real life? He sounded young—was he a college student too? Candy sighed: “Audrey, no matter what, he’s a person behind a screen. It’s hard to say what he’s really like. Look at all those stories online… Ugh, stop burying yourself in games all day! Return to the real world! Tomorrow, your big sister is taking you to watch a basketball game.” I hesitated for a moment, then nodded: “Okay.” It was at that basketball game that I saw Julian for the first time. Before the game, Candy took me over to say hi, and his eyes kept darting my way. Until the game ended, he sank the final three-pointer, the crowd erupted in cheers, and he instinctively looked toward my side of the court. 9 After that day, Julian launched a fierce pursuit of me. Every morning, he delivered breakfast to the girls’ dorm, saved seats for us in class. He practically bribed my entire dorm room. Candy dramatically lifted my bed curtain to investigate: “How are things with Julian?” I lay there and casually replied: “Nothing much.” Candy: “Comrade, you still need to work harder.” Candy added: “But I’ve noticed you haven’t been gaming much these past few days.” I sighed. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to play, it was that S-Boy hadn’t been around lately. I had gotten used to climbing the ranks with him during this period. When he wasn’t there, my designated gaming time felt empty. Playing alone felt surprisingly boring, and I was momentarily lost, not knowing what to do. I stared at my chat log with S-Boy. We used to chat every day, but this time, it stopped last night. I asked him if he wanted to play, and he said he was too busy with work lately and apologized. So he was already working… “Damn it!” My roommate, Fish, cursed from the bunk below. “Silas Young actually got hurt!” “Who?” Candy popped her head out. “That actor who’s really popular right now?” “Yeah,” Fish said. “Too many action scenes, he injured his leg. Waaaah, he was hospitalized yesterday, and fans have been hounding the studio all day until they released a statement. My poor baby, Mommy’s heart aches.” Candy rolled her eyes at Fish’s maternal fandom terminology. It went in one ear and out the other for me; I didn’t take it to heart. Right at that moment, Julian suddenly sent me a WeChat message: “Wanna play a game together?” I glanced at the inactive chat with S-Boy and replied: “Sure.”

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While scrolling through Twitter late one night, I stumbled across a girl’s post gushing about her sweet love story with her boyfriend. But as I read it, something felt terribly wrong. The guy she was describing in the post… why did he sound exactly like my boyfriend?! 01 Late at night, while scrolling through a popular relationship confession account on Twitter, I saw a girl’s submission about her romance. The post was dripping with sickeningly sweet details. She bragged about how her boyfriend, despite being broke, was incredibly considerate. He would rub her stomach when she had cramps, remember every single anniversary and holiday, and constantly cook different meals for her… The comments below were a chorus of people whining about how single they were, complaining about getting hit in the face with this “cold, hard dog food” (PDA). As I read, the corners of my mouth couldn’t help but curve up. Because my boyfriend, Ethan, was exactly like that. Even though he didn’t have much money, he was incredibly honest, kind, and driven. And he treated me incredibly well. But as I kept reading, a chilling sense of wrongness crept over me. Not only did the guy in the post share an uncanny personality resemblance with Ethan, but his height, weight, age, zodiac sign, and even his hometown were exactly the same. This was way too much of a coincidence, wasn’t it?! I turned my head to look at Ethan sleeping next to me, my heart sinking like a stone. It’s impossible, I comforted myself. Ethan would never cheat on me. But for some inexplicable reason, my chest tightened with panic. If I didn’t investigate this tonight, there was no way I was going to sleep. I carefully reached over and took Ethan’s phone. He never hid his passcode from me; he always let me look whenever I wanted. It was the same this time. I scoured every single app and couldn’t find a single suspicious thing. I let out a sigh of relief, silently cursing myself for being paranoid. How could there possibly be such a coincidence? Just as I was about to put the phone down and go back to sleep, I suddenly remembered that Ethan had borrowed my car yesterday. When I asked him why, he said he had to go to the office for some overtime… Driven by a ghost of a suspicion, I slipped out of bed, went to the bathroom, and pulled up the dashcam app on my phone. I never checked my dashcam footage. But the moment I opened the log, my heart stopped. All the previous footage had been completely wiped clean. The only recordings left were from yesterday. Only Ethan had access to my phone. If the footage was wiped, he was the only one who could have done it. But why would he need to delete the recordings?! I took a deep breath and opened the only remaining footage from yesterday. He had been exhausted today and passed out the second his head hit the pillow. He probably just hadn’t had the chance to delete today’s footage yet. I clicked on yesterday’s date. The fluorescent light in the bathroom was so bright it made my head spin. I stood there in dead silence, watching the progress bar slowly move forward. After a short while, the car pulled into a residential complex I didn’t recognize. Then, the car parked in front of an apartment building, and the sound of the car door shutting echoed through the speaker. No one spoke in the car, but almost immediately, the unmistakable sound of kissing filled the audio. Then, a woman laughed coquettishly and said: “When are you going to get the rest of the money?” I froze. That voice was so familiar. Wasn’t that my coworker, Rachel? Why was she in my car? Ethan’s voice rang out next: “Soon! I just hit her up for another $15,000 yesterday. Combined with the $10,000 from before, we’ve already got half of it. “I’ll make up another excuse in a few days. I’ll tell her the business went under and I lost everything, and ask her to give me more… Who knows, maybe your future husband can squeeze enough out of her to buy you a house too!” Ethan slapped Rachel affectionately, judging by the sound, and laughed: “We’ll buy you that house in Oakwood Estates you love so much!” Rachel scoffed playfully. “She’s so stupid and so obsessed with you, of course she’ll give it to you! “Chloe has the best background in our entire company. I heard her uncle is the director of the City Planning Bureau. You better not let this catch slip away!” Rachel’s tone then softened completely: “Hubby, you’ve really suffered for us. If my parents weren’t demanding a $50,000 dowry for my brother, you wouldn’t have had to go seduce her…” Ethan chuckled. “She just got lucky being born into money, right? What does a woman need all that cash for anyway? She might as well let us spend it! “I heard her dad is planning to buy her a house soon. God knows how much dirty money that old bastard has embezzled. When the time comes, I’ll convince her to put my name on the deed, and then it’ll all belong to us!” I was paralyzed. I stood rooted to the spot, staring blankly at my phone screen. Rachel was a coworker at my company. When I first joined, she found out I was single and very enthusiastically introduced Ethan to me. And I fell for him at first sight. We got together very quickly. My hands were trembling so violently I could barely hold the phone. A freezing chill swept through my entire body. Ethan and Rachel’s voices echoed in my head like a demonic chant. It turned out that beneath the skin of the honest, driven, and considerate man I thought I knew lay an entirely different, monstrous face. My supposed “love at first sight” was nothing more than a calculated approach designed to steal my family’s wealth. Ethan only got together with me to scam me out of my money, all to satisfy the exorbitant dowry Rachel’s family was demanding for her brother. This was absolute, complete bullshit! I collapsed onto the bathroom tiles, covering my burning, stinging eyes. Tears of pure, unadulterated humiliation streamed down my face. Ethan and I were already talking about marriage. I genuinely thought he was a gift from God, a man perfectly tailored for me. My parents had already started preparing my wedding fund. They were very satisfied with Ethan and planned to give me a $30,000 cash gift and buy him a car. But now… I stared at the ceiling, my brain a chaotic, spiraling mess. Just as I was paralyzed with shock and betrayal, the faint sound of footsteps came from outside the door. Ethan was up. I instantly swiped away the app and stood up to splash cold water on my face. Ethan pushed the door open, wrapping his arms around me from behind, his voice dripping with gentle concern. “Why are you up washing your face in the middle of the night?” I stared at him intently through the mirror. I used to think heaven had taken pity on me, sending me such a perfect man. I never imagined it was all an elaborate, malicious scam. These two disgusting grifters had set this vicious trap just to drain my bank accounts! And Rachel had the sheer, unmitigated audacity to go brag about it on Twitter! The handsome face I once thought was flawless now looked twisted and repulsive. I clenched my fists, a venomous hatred blooming in my chest. These two pieces of trash. I was going to make them pay for this! … “What’s wrong?” Ethan noticed my expression change, his face immediately shifting to concern. He pressed the back of his hand against my forehead, looking incredibly worried: “Do you have a fever?” It took every ounce of strength in my body to suppress the urge to turn around and slap the life out of him. I forced a strained smile. “I’m fine. It’s just too hot, I was sweating and felt gross.” “Let me feel, are you really that sweaty?” Ethan laughed, slipping his hand under my shirt. This absolute animal! Trying to steal my money and use my body! I gritted my teeth so hard my jaw ached. I grabbed his hand, brushing him off dismissively: “I don’t feel well.” “…Okay then,” he muttered, clearly disappointed. He pulled me out of the bathroom and back into bed. Ethan lay next to me and was asleep again in minutes. I, however, stared at the pitch-black ceiling, fury boiling in my veins. I wasn’t going to let them get away with this! 02 First thing the next morning, I requested a few days off work and stayed home specifically to investigate Rachel. Sure enough, after a few hours of digging, I finally found her Twitter account. Besides retweeting giveaways, her entire feed was dedicated to showing off her relationship. The timeline spanned years, proving they had been together for at least three years. Almost all the photos were of her and Ethan. Many of them were taken in hotel rooms. At a glance, I could tell they were cheap, rundown motels—worse than a Motel 6. Both Rachel and Ethan came from rural, struggling families. At first, I actually felt bad for Rachel. Whenever I bought something nice, I’d buy two and give her one. I even let her carpool with me on the way home from work. But my kindness had fed a monster! She actually set her sights on my family’s assets! The whole picture was crystal clear now. I took screenshots of every single tweet and saved them all to a hidden folder. I lay on my bed, my mind racing with plans. I wasn’t going to just let this go. Since they had the guts to target me, they had to pay the price! They want money, right? I’m going to make them vomit up every single cent they have! … According to their conversation on the dashcam, Ethan was going to ask me for money for the third time very soon. Before this, he always claimed he was starting a business. To support him, I gave him all my savings. I even stopped driving my car. Afraid he was working too hard running around for his “business,” I gave him my keys and started taking the subway to work. But while he claimed to be out hustling for his startup, he was actually driving my car to take Rachel out on dates! Rachel even had the shameless audacity to post pictures of my car on her Twitter, acting like it was hers! I suppressed the fury threatening to consume me and waited for Ethan to make his move. Sure enough, two days later, Ethan started acting dejected, moping around in front of me. He wouldn’t say anything first. He just kept sighing heavily in my presence, waiting for me to ask. I watched his performance with cold, detached eyes. After a while, he clearly started getting impatient, and his sighs grew louder and more dramatic. “What’s wrong?” I asked, pasting a look of deep concern on my face, deciding to play along with his little act. Ethan glanced at me, pretending to hesitate, before continuing his performance: “Forget it, it’s nothing.” I gave him an out: “What is it? Just tell me!” “Sigh. I wasn’t going to tell you, but a large shipment of my inventory got held up at customs. I don’t have the cash to order new stock right now. If this keeps up, I’m afraid my company is going to go under!” I sneered internally. Company? I had already run a background check. There was absolutely no company registered under his name. He didn’t even know how to lie properly. Blinded by love, I used to actually believe this garbage and transferred money to him time and time again. I feigned distress: “But I don’t have any money left either. That $15,000 I gave you last time was everything I had left…” I watched Ethan’s expression out of the corner of my eye. His face tightened slightly, but he quickly adjusted and nodded: “I know. As a man, I shouldn’t be asking you for money anyway. “I was just venting…” If this were any normal day, I would have already been frantically trying to find a solution for him. But today, I acted like I didn’t hear a thing and completely ignored his bait. Ethan watched me for a moment. When I didn’t take the bait, he pulled a makeup gift set out of a shopping bag and handed it to me. “Tomorrow’s Valentine’s Day! An early gift for you!” I took the set. One glance was all I needed to know it was a cheap counterfeit. Ethan had given me counterfeits before, but he always claimed he bought them through a personal shopper. I used to think he had just been scammed and felt too bad to tell him the truth. Thinking back on it now, he just didn’t want to spend money on me. He bought fakes on purpose! Tomorrow was Valentine’s Day. He was definitely planning to go out on a date with Rachel. I thought about it and decided to just hand him the perfect opportunity. “Thank you, baby. But it sucks that I have to go out of town on a business trip tomorrow and the day after. I won’t be able to spend it with you…” Ethan froze, quickly putting on a disappointed face: “Ah, that long… I’m going to miss my wife so much. Can you try to get out of it?” I looked him dead in the eyes and smiled: “Then should I just call in sick?” Ethan choked, his expression turning incredibly unnatural: “I was just kidding. Work comes first. I’ll just have to endure it.” My stomach churned with disgust, but I played the charade to the end: “I’ll be back the night after tomorrow. You have to come pick me up from the airport.” … That afternoon, I pretended to pack my bags. While Ethan was out of the apartment, I installed several hidden pinhole cameras around the place. To save money, Ethan would never pay for a hotel room. I bet he would use my “business trip” as the perfect excuse to bring Rachel back to my apartment. I grabbed my suitcase and went back to my parents’ house. I pulled out my phone and kept an eye on the dashcam feed. These two disgusting grifters definitely wouldn’t be able to wait until tomorrow. Sure enough, as soon as evening hit, the dashcam feed came alive. The car pulled into Rachel’s rundown, older apartment complex. When she got in the car, Ethan seemed to pull something out and hand it to her. “Wifey, early Happy Valentine’s Day!” Rachel let out a gasp: “La Mer?! This is super expensive! I saw Chloe using this at the office.” Then she playfully slapped him: “So what did you get her? La Mer too?” Ethan chuckled smugly. “Are you kidding? I got her a counterfeit set I bought off some guy on Facebook for a hundred bucks. That dumb bitch can’t even tell the difference.” Hearing that, a violent tremor wracked my heart. I had been using La Mer since high school. How could I possibly not know the difference between the real thing and a cheap fake? I only pretended to be thrilled because I knew Ethan’s financial situation was tough, and I wanted to protect his fragile ego. I never expected my genuine compassion to be so thoroughly trampled on by him. Rachel’s laugh was laced with pure malice: “Who knows, maybe the stuff she used before was fake too. I hope her face rots off!” … Exactly as I predicted, Ethan drove the car back to my apartment building. The moment Rachel walked through the door, she made a beeline for my vanity, opening every single one of my skincare products. “I heard this one is super expensive. Like three hundred dollars a bottle!” She aggressively scooped a massive glob out of my face cream jar and smeared it on her face: “She won’t notice I used it, right?” Ethan hugged her from behind, completely indulgent: “It’s fine. If she notices, I’ll just say I used it.” I felt a surge of pure rage shoot from the soles of my feet straight to the top of my skull! No wonder my skincare products were running out so insanely fast! Every time I asked Ethan, he claimed he was just curious and tried some. It turned out Rachel had been using them! I was so incredibly disgusted I sprinted to the bathroom and scrubbed my face raw. While I was washing my face, Rachel had put on one of my dresses and was posing in front of the mirror, wearing one of my designer bags. “Hubby, this bag is gorgeous. When are you going to buy me one?” Ethan’s face stiffened awkwardly: “That one’s pretty expensive… like four thousand dollars…” Rachel stroked my bag, her face twisted with greedy longing, begging him: “All my coworkers have bags like this. I’m the only one carrying a fake every day. They all look down on me…” She was talking absolute, unfiltered bullshit. Our office was so insanely busy everyone was running around like headless chickens. Who the hell had the time to care what kind of bag she was carrying? I often went to work carrying a canvas tote bag, and literally no one ever said a word. Hearing this, Ethan looked deeply conflicted. After a long while, he gritted his teeth and said: “If you like it, just take it. “She has so many bags, she probably won’t even remember. If she does notice it’s missing, I’ll just say I accidentally ruined it and threw it away.” Rachel’s eyes lit up. She leaned over and planted a massive kiss on Ethan’s cheek. “Hubby, you’re the best!” … Watching from the other side of the screen, I was so furious I wanted to crawl through the phone and stab these two scumbags to death! Using my skincare, stealing my bags. How fucking cheap can you get?! I took a deep breath, forcing my rage down as I watched them aggressively making out and rolling around on my bed. My dad had bought me that bed. The mattress alone cost over three thousand dollars. The silk sheets they were ruining cost eight hundred. I was extremely particular about my bedding. It had cost me almost an entire month’s salary at the time. And now, these two pieces of human garbage were rolling around on my expensive silk sheets, making nauseating, grotesque sounds. Ten minutes later, Rachel lay on Ethan’s arm, cuddling him and talking. “My parents said we need to get the dowry money together ASAP. My brother is waiting on it so he can marry his girlfriend.” Ethan rubbed his temples, sounding exhausted: “I know, but we need money, and that bitch refuses to give me any more. “Fuck, rich people are the worst. They all deserve to die!” Rachel traced circles on his chest, whispering poison: “Just PUA her! (Pick-Up Artist/Gaslight her) “Pick apart all her flaws, make her feel like she’s not good enough for you, and she’ll naturally want to please you. “Haven’t you seen the news? Girls who get PUA’d are willing to die for their men.” A flash of venomous malice crossed Rachel’s face: “What right does she have to live such a good life? Just because she was born lucky?” Ethan fell deep in thought, playing with Rachel’s hair. “I’ll give it a try.” A freezing chill ran down my spine. I had truly believed I was treating Ethan with my whole heart, and I had always looked out for Rachel at work. I never imagined that some people are born as parasitic, man-eating wolves, lurking in the gutters, waiting to tear the flesh off anyone who walks by. My fingernails dug deep into my palms. Shaking, I saved the video files and backed them up to my laptop. Ethan. Rachel. I am going to make absolutely sure every single drop of your malice blows up right in your own faces! 04 The next day, I packed my bags and went back to the apartment. The very first thing I did was take all my skincare products and bedding and throw them straight into the dumpster. Even though it hurt to lose the money, the thought of them being contaminated by Rachel was too disgusting. I physically couldn’t bring myself to use them anymore. After cleaning the apartment, I sat in the living room and waited for Ethan to get home. At 6 PM sharp, Ethan walked through the door. Seeing the apartment looking different, he looked surprised: “What put you in the mood to clean?” I brushed it off: “It felt a little dirty.” Ethan nodded, a bright smile plastered on his face as he walked over to hug me: “I missed you so much! Let me hold you!” I stiffened as he wrapped his arms around me. Ethan paused for a microsecond, then said casually: “Chloe, did you gain weight?” I sneered internally. Here we go. “Really?” Ethan, following Rachel’s script, started picking me apart: “Yeah, you definitely look a little thicker than before. You’re getting a muffin top.” I gripped the armrest tightly and looked up at him: “So, do you want to break up with me?” Ethan’s expression froze, but he quickly recovered: “How could I? I’m the only one who wouldn’t be disgusted by you. Why would I break up with my wife? “Speaking of which, wifey, do you have any more cash? Can you think of a way to help me cover this week? Ten grand is all I need!” He sat down next to me, wrapping his arm around my waist, coaxing me: “Once I make it big, I’ll buy my wife a massive mansion. How does that sound?” He rested his head on my shoulder, looking incredibly pitiful: “I started this company right out of college. I’m just short this little bit of cash… Wifey, I really don’t want to give up on years of hard work!” I looked conflicted. I hesitated for a long time before saying: “Baby, I really am completely broke. I gave you everything I saved.” Ethan looked noticeably impatient, but he suppressed his frustration: “What about your parents? Your family has money, just ask your parents for a loan.” If this were the past, Ethan would never be this aggressively impatient. He would constantly hint at me, but he would never explicitly ask. It seems Rachel’s family was putting severe pressure on them for the dowry. “My dad’s company just had a massive shipment delayed. He’s really tight on cash too…” I turned my head, looking at Ethan hesitantly: “But…” “But what?” Ethan sat up straight instantly. I bit my lip and said: “But I heard my dad say he has a connection to get two cheap luxury villas. “He said someone foreclosed on them or something. It’s guaranteed to be a massive profit, but my family just doesn’t have that kind of liquid cash right now. “If we could just buy them and flip them immediately, we could easily make a million or two in profit.” Hearing this, Ethan’s eyes instantly lit up with a greedy fire. But then he remembered I just said I didn’t have any money, and his expression deflated. “Is there no other way?” I shook my head: “My family really can’t pull the cash together. You know how I am with you. If I had it, of course I’d give it to you. “Sigh, this deal would make us two million overnight. It’s such a shame…” Two million. To Ethan, this was a life-changing amount of money. There was no way he was going to let this go. Sure enough, Ethan hesitated for a moment before asking: “How much are you short?” I controlled my tone carefully: “Those villas are worth at least six million on the market. My dad has about five million tied up in receivables he can pull together, so we’re just short about a million.” I looked down, my expression totally defeated: “I originally thought if I bought the house, I’d put your name on the deed. The timing for this is just terrible!” I used to be entirely open and honest with Ethan. When he needed money, I never hesitated to give it to him. Because I never really valued money that much. I always put love and relationships first. My friends called me a hopeless romantic and an idiot, but I didn’t care. Looking back, I truly was an absolute, naive idiot. Ethan didn’t suspect a thing. He looked down, calculating rapidly: “Baby, I still think this opportunity is too rare. Flipping it for two million in profit… “Two million! Think of how many designer bags that could buy you!” I leaned against him and sighed heavily. “I know. But what can we do?” Ethan thought for a moment before saying: “Let me figure something out! I’ll help you scrape together that million!” I kept my head down, the corners of my mouth curving into a sharp, cruel smile. “Okay, hubby. I’m counting on you.” 05 Ethan left the apartment immediately after dropping that promise. A guy like him shouldn’t have believed me so easily. But he knew my family was wealthy, and my uncle was the director of the City Planning Bureau. He truly believed my family had elite connections. Combined with the fact that I had never hesitated to hand him cash before, he had absolutely no reason to doubt I was lying. But where the hell was he going to get a million dollars? Even subtracting the twenty-odd thousand I had given him before, the remaining amount was not a small number. Would he ask Rachel? Or would he go back to his parents, who had broken their backs farming their whole lives? I sat on the sofa, filing my nails, meticulously planning my next move. Rachel and Ethan. I wasn’t going to let either of them off the hook. For greedy, money-obsessed parasites like them, money was the only thing they truly cared about. How could I force them to vomit up every single cent they had? … Ethan came back half an hour later. He looked at me, his expression much less frantic than before. “Chloe, that villa you mentioned… is it legit?” He quickly explained: “I don’t mean anything by it, I’m just afraid your dad might get scammed.” I knew exactly what had happened. He had definitely stepped outside to call Rachel. Rachel was suspicious of what I had said. Ethan continued: “Where is the villa anyway? Can we go take a look?” I nodded easily. “Sure. It’s right off Ocean Drive. Oakwood Estates. You know it, right?” Ethan’s expression froze for a microsecond, then the corners of his mouth uncontrollably curled upwards into a massive grin. “What?” I smiled at him. “You know the place?” Ethan quickly suppressed his smile, trying to act casual: “No, just heard people talk about it. They’re single-family homes, right? “Those are super expensive. Probably three hundred a square foot. A three-thousand-square-foot house would be pushing a million… “If we can snag it for six hundred thousand and flip it for a million…” He couldn’t help but ramble on, his eyes growing brighter and brighter. He was clearly already fantasizing about the luxurious life he and Rachel would live in that villa. It seems Ethan’s feelings for Rachel were genuine. Rachel said she loved Oakwood Estates, and Ethan had actually done the research. However, with their salaries, they could never afford a place like that in this lifetime. I looked at Ethan’s excited face and sneered internally. Be happy now. Your agony is coming. … I don’t know what Rachel said to Ethan, but despite his verbal promises, he never actually transferred the money to me. To completely eliminate their suspicions, I took him for a drive around Oakwood Estates the next afternoon. “That’s the one.” I pointed to a house and told him: “My dad said the owner’s cash flow dried up and he desperately needs money. This house was signed over to my dad’s contact as collateral. “Honestly, a normal sale would be fine, but there aren’t many buyers who can drop that kind of cash upfront. Plus, my dad had inventory tied up with that guy, so he asked my dad if he wanted it.” “Oh.” Ethan’s eyes were glued to the house. He walked around the perimeter, his hands behind his back, examining every detail with extreme focus. That night, Ethan came back very late. He claimed he was working overtime, but I had already listened to his entire conversation with Rachel on the dashcam. “…I asked around. The property management confirmed the owner is a businessman. Someone in retail furniture, I think.” Rachel’s voice could barely hide her excitement. “Did she really say that? Her dad can get Oakwood Estates for six hundred grand?” “Yeah. We’re just short a hundred grand now. I told her I’d get it together.” Rachel was silent for a moment before saying: “I still have fifteen thousand here…” “Fifteen thousand?” Ethan sounded confused: “Didn’t I give you twenty-five thousand?” Rachel’s voice faltered, suddenly lacking confidence: “…My brother wanted to buy a car a little while ago. My mom borrowed ten thousand from me.” “Rachel! That was the money I saved for the dowry! What are we going to do about the fifty thousand your parents are demanding?!” Ethan was panicking. Rachel quickly tried to soothe him: “My mom said she’ll pay it back. Don’t worry. Besides, once we get the house, are we really going to care about ten grand?” Ethan took a few heavy breaths, forcing himself to calm down: “We only have fifteen thousand left now. How are we supposed to buy the house?!” Rachel’s tone softened: “I’ll figure something out. I’ve saved a few thousand over the last two years. We’ll just have to go back and beg my parents for a little more.” “Are we asking your family, or mine?!” “My mom saved thirty thousand for my brother’s future wife’s dowry… Let me think. If we’re flipping this house in two months tops, we should be able to make it work!” Rachel pondered for a moment: “And there’s the money for the car they haven’t bought yet. That’s another twenty thousand… “What about your family, hubby? Can your family chip in a little more?” Ethan snapped irritably: “You know exactly how much my family has. I’ve drained them dry over the years. The most I can do is make my mom sell her land. That might get us another ten grand!” Rachel cooed gently: “If she sells it, she sells it. Once you get the house, Mom won’t ever have to farm again, right?” Ethan fell into a heavy silence. The atmosphere between them grew incredibly tense. When Ethan dropped Rachel off that day, neither of them said a single word. I rubbed my phone, calculating my next move. Sure enough, it didn’t take long for Ethan to transfer all the money to me. Exactly one hundred thousand dollars. Nothing more, nothing less. I have no idea how Rachel convinced his parents. A family that basically sold their daughter to pay for their son’s dowry actually coughed up the cash. But for a family like hers, that money was likely their entire life savings. When he sent me the transfer, Ethan looked exhausted. He had deep, dark bags under his eyes. I leaned in close, my voice soft: “What’s wrong?” Ethan shook his head, forcing a strained smile: “It’s nothing, baby. When is the house going to close?” I pretended to think for a moment: “Two months, max. Hubby, do you think we should flip the house or keep it for ourselves? “If we keep it, I’ll put the deed entirely in your name, okay?” Ethan froze. I watched as sheer, uncontainable ecstasy erupted across his face. He quickly turned his head, covering my hand: “…Whatever you want. I don’t care about the house. I’m just afraid that if I don’t have anything, your parents will look down on me when I go ask for your hand in marriage.” “How could they?” I hugged him tightly, whispering, “So, Hubby, since you gave me this hundred grand, should I write you an IOU? I feel like we should keep things clear.” Ethan was terrified I would keep things clear. He knew that if I wrote an IOU, there was no way I’d put his name on the deed. He quickly panicked: “No need! My money is my wife’s money. Why are you trying to draw lines between us?” I looked up at him and asked: “Hubby, you’re amazing. Where did you get a hundred thousand dollars? “Did you borrow it? Who do you know that’s close enough to just loan you that much cash? We should go visit them and say thank you.” Ethan looked completely flustered. “No, no one lent me the money. It’s… it’s from my parents selling their land… Look, just don’t worry about it, your husband’s got it handled!” “Oh,” I nodded, hugging him closer. “Hubby, you gave me all this money and don’t even want me to pay you back. You’re the best.” Ethan was riding a tiger and couldn’t get off. He forced a smile: “Of course. What’s mine is yours. It’s what I should do…” I hugged him tight. In a spot where he couldn’t see, I pulled out my phone and hit “Stop” on the voice recorder. Everything I needed, I now had.

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Late one night, doubled over in agonizing stomach pain, I begged Liam to take me to the hospital. He told me to just endure it. “Chloe’s neighborhood lost power. She’s terrified being alone with the kid. I’m going to go check on them first.” He didn’t come home that night. The next morning, Chloe sent me a photo. In it, Liam was wearing a goofy SpongeBob apron, holding a spatula with a look of fond helplessness on his face. Chloe captioned it: [Liam is going to be such a good dad someday!] I, who had just lost my baby, was lying in a hospital bed. I replied: [He’s all yours!] 1 Valentine’s Day fell on a Saturday this year. Not celebrating felt like a disservice to ourselves. “Let’s catch a movie first, then grab dinner. What are you in the mood for? How about that new seafood buffet?” I was excitedly planning our evening. Liam, however, looked conflicted. “What’s wrong?” I asked. “Chloe said Lily wants to go to the adventure park tomorrow. They’re having some themed event, and Chloe’s worried she can’t keep an eye on the kid by herself.” “Can’t she ask her parents to help? Or a friend? Does it have to be you?” I felt a surge of suffocating irritation building in my chest, and I couldn’t hold it back. Liam sighed. “Her parents are older, they don’t have the energy. Plus, tomorrow is Valentine’s Day, and a Saturday. Her friends all have their own plans.” “You realize it’s Valentine’s Day too, right?” Everyone else has plans, but you don’t? Liam frowned, his voice rising. “What’s the point of being petty over a kid? Does she even know what Valentine’s Day is?” My expression turned cold. I stood up, ready to leave. Liam panicked. He grabbed my arm. “Maya, please, stop making a scene. I don’t have a choice. You know I can’t say no when Chloe asks.” I felt exhausted to my core. “When does this end?” “When Lily is a little older, and Chloe has fully adapted. It’ll get better!” He said it with absolutely no conviction. I didn’t even know where to begin arguing. I could only compromise, again. “Forget it. We just won’t celebrate!” 2 On Valentine’s Day, my husband spent it with someone else. I couldn’t be angry, I couldn’t complain, I even had to send him off with a smile. They had a fantastic time, and even ate at the seafood buffet I had wanted to try. Meanwhile, I was stuck at home eating instant ramen. A fiery anger ignited in my chest. Without a second thought, I ordered the designer bag I had been eyeing for months but couldn’t bring myself to buy. I swiped Liam’s credit card. Not long after, Liam called. His voice held a hint of amusement. “Not mad anymore?” I said stiffly, “I was never mad to begin with.” “Right, right, my sweet girl is the most understanding. What did you have for lunch?” I looked at the ramen container and was about to answer. Chloe’s voice filtered through the phone. “Liam, my arms are dead. Carry Lily for a bit. You little chunk, did you gain weight again?” “Hmph, mommy is mean! Daddy, carry me!” That single word, “Daddy,” made my brain explode with a deafening ringing. “Liam…” “Maya, I gotta go, we’ll talk when I get back!” The line went dead. My heart twisted into a painful knot. Without thinking, I hit redial. No answer. I hung up and called again. Still no answer. On the fourth try, Chloe answered. “Maya? Is something wrong?” “Where is Liam? Put him on the phone!” Ignoring the icy tone in my voice, she continued gently, “Liam took Lily on the zipline. He can’t take the call right now. Is it urgent? I’ll tell him when they’re done!” Conversations like this always made me feel a bizarre sense of role reversal. It was as if she were Liam’s wife, and I was just an oblivious outsider intruding on their day. Chloe went on, “Don’t worry, Liam is doing great. We’re having a wonderful time. I’ll send you some pictures in a bit. It’s a holiday, you should experience it too…” Before she could finish, I hung up. I was afraid if I listened for another second, I would start screaming curses. 3 The Chloe I saw today felt like a complete stranger. Yet, from the moment this whole thing started until now, it had only been a year. How quickly things change. How entirely the world can flip upside down! Chloe’s late husband was named Mark. He and Liam grew up together. A year ago, he passed away. It was incredibly sudden, with zero warning signs. That day, like any other, Mark and Liam went to play basketball after work. Liam, remembering he promised to bring me my favorite roast duck, left early. Mark stayed, still full of energy. But just half an hour after Liam left, Mark suffered a fatal heart attack. This plunged Liam into a state of extreme guilt and self-loathing. “Just half a minute. If I had just stayed and fought for him for half a minute, maybe he wouldn’t have died!” Liam was a doctor. He believed he could have saved Mark. But he had chosen to leave early that day. The agony practically drowned him. I honestly couldn’t bear to see him like that. So, when Chloe didn’t know what to do about a clogged sink, I agreed to let Liam go help her. That was the first time. It was the third month after Mark’s death. 4 Chloe was true to her word. She sent me a zipped file of dozens of photos. Photos of Liam carrying Lily, holding Lily’s hand, peeling shrimp for Lily. In the pictures, Liam’s face was soft. His eyes were full of indulgence and adoration when he looked at Lily. I zoomed in on one specific photo. It was one of the few where Chloe was actually in the frame. She and Liam flanked Lily. All three wore blissful smiles. It didn’t look out of place at all. They truly looked like a family of three! Liam didn’t get home until 10 PM. Looking exhausted, he walked in and immediately said, “I’m so tired! Lily has endless energy. I’m wiped out, and she was still bouncing off the walls. Don’t let the fact that she’s a little girl fool you, she’s as wild as any boy! Oh, right, something hilarious happened today…” Liam eagerly recounted every moment with Lily, acting exactly like a proud father eager to show off his daughter. I just watched him in silence. After receiving no response for a long while, Liam finally realized something was wrong. “What is it? Are you angry?” I asked him, “Don’t you have anything else to say to me?” Liam frowned, his deep exhaustion unable to mask his irritation. If he had a thought bubble, it would probably say: What is it now? “If you have something to say, just say it!” My already sour mood darkened further. “Liam, why is Lily calling you ‘Daddy’?” Liam rubbed his temples in frustration. “She misses her dad. She asked if she could call me ‘Daddy’ just for today. Tell me, how was I supposed to say no to that?” No explanation. No comfort. No guilt. He threw the problem back at me, just like he had so many times before. Liam and I ended the night in a fight. I banished him to the guest bedroom. Halfway through the night, he tried to come in to talk, but I refused. Eventually, he lost his temper, his face turning cold as he turned and went back to the guest room. 5 When Mark was alive, he worshipped Chloe. Everyone knew he was entirely devoted to his wife. After they had their daughter, he became a doting father as well. Of course, Chloe had the capital to be spoiled. She was stunningly beautiful and highly educated. To be with Mark, she gave up a very promising career to become a stay-at-home mom. Mark used to say, “I have to spend the rest of my life making this up to her!” He meant it, and he did it. Just like that, he pampered Chloe until she was essentially helpless. Chloe didn’t know how to pay the utility bills. Liam taught her. But she complained, “It’s too complicated!” Liam sighed in resignation. “Fine, I’ll pay them for you from now on!” Chloe couldn’t cook, and once almost burned her kitchen down. Liam had to drop everything at work and rush over. Later, he started ordering takeout for her. “Can’t she order it herself?” “It takes two seconds. It’s not a big deal!” When a lightbulb burned out, Chloe had no idea what to do. “She can hire a handyman.” “She’s a single mother living alone. It’s not safe to let a strange man into the house.” Once, Liam and I were making out on the couch. Things were getting heated, and Chloe called. “Lily is throwing up! What do I do? Liam, please help me!” Without a second thought, Liam threw his clothes on and rushed out, not even taking a second to pull a blanket over me. Later, I found out Chloe had fed Lily incredibly spicy noodles. The young child was in so much pain she ended up in the ER. Chloe couldn’t handle taking her child out alone, whether it was for a fun outing or a hospital visit. Liam was always on call. He took on Mark’s responsibilities. This seemed to bring him a sense of peace. I knew he was trying to make amends. But his process of making amends was becoming increasingly agonizing for me. I felt like I was reaching my absolute limit. 6 I was going to sit down and talk to Liam. But when I woke up, he was already gone. Breakfast was on the table, packed neatly in a thermos. There was oatmeal, steamed buns, and eggs. Next to it was a sticky note: [Maya, I’m sorry. I was in a bad mood yesterday and shouldn’t have spoken to you like that. I know you’ve always been understanding and indulgent with me. Can you please give me a little more time?] After a long silence, I quietly ate the breakfast. Liam really was incredibly busy. When I called his phone, a nurse answered. She told me Liam had gone into surgery. He had one operation in the morning and two in the afternoon. There was zero chance he was getting off work on time. Since I wasn’t busy today, I decided to cook some food and bring it to him. It had been a long time since I brought Liam lunch. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to, but the conflicts between us had been piling up recently. When I arrived at his department, I said hello to the nurses. They stared at me with wide eyes, practically stuttering when they spoke. At first, I didn’t think much of it, but when I pushed open the door to Liam’s office, I finally understood. Turns out, they thought I was there to catch him in an affair. Inside, Chloe had her shoes off and was curled up in Liam’s desk chair. She was playing a game on her phone, with Liam’s coat draped over her legs. A small cake sat on the desk, half-eaten. How did I feel? Not really surprised, nor particularly shocked. Just… a heavy, sinking feeling in my chest that kept dropping lower and lower. “Maya, you’re here! Have a seat, make yourself at home. Want some cake? Liam bought it for me. He was worried I’d be hungry!” 7 “Chloe has been in a bad place lately. She gets caught up in her own head when she’s alone at home. She just wanted someone to keep her company while she ate. I couldn’t say no!” This was the explanation I got after waiting for an hour. I felt like I was losing sight of where Liam’s boundaries were. “Today you bring her to your office. Tomorrow, are you going to bring her to our house? The day after that, should we just give her half our bed?” Liam frowned deeply. “What nonsense are you spewing?” I sighed. Sometimes, the misery we endure is entirely self-inflicted. “This morning, you asked if I could give you a little more time. My answer is: Absolutely not!” With that, I stood up to leave. Liam grabbed my arm. “What do you mean?” “Liam, either you cut Chloe out of our lives, or I cut you out of mine. You choose!” His eyes blazed, glaring at me intensely. “Are you really forcing me to choose?” I gritted my teeth. “I’m forcing you? When you said you wanted to give them twenty thousand dollars, I agreed without blinking. Over the past six months, because of Chloe, I’ve basically been living a widow’s marriage. What more do you want from me? “Liam, I’ve endured enough. It’s time for you to make a choice!” “I don’t understand!” Liam growled. “Mark is gone. I just want to help him. Why is that so intolerable for you? Chloe and I have a completely platonic relationship. Why do you have to blow everything out of proportion?” I looked at Liam with pure disappointment. I never knew he could play dumb so flawlessly. “Let go of me!” Liam’s face was cold, and his grip on my arm tightened. A wave of nausea washed over me. “I said let go!” During my struggle, I finally turned my head and threw up. Liam frantically held me. “What’s wrong? Are you not feeling well?” I gasped for air, struggling through the discomfort, and said venomously, “I feel fine. It’s just the things coming out of your mouth that make me sick!” Liam’s hands tightened abruptly, gripping my shoulders until they ached. 8 Liam and I fell into a cold war. But he did seem to change. He continued to leave early and come home late. I didn’t know what he was doing at the hospital, but at home, at least, he didn’t run out in the middle of the night anymore, and there wasn’t a constant stream of phone calls. But I didn’t feel any better. It felt like a stone was pressing on my chest. Sometimes, it was so heavy I couldn’t even catch my breath. I didn’t know what was wrong with me. I never considered myself an overly sensitive person. If I was, I wouldn’t have indulged Liam time and time again. But Chloe had actually managed to push me to this breaking point. She definitely had a talent for it. One day, I was lying in bed, feeling overwhelmingly irritated. In a half-asleep haze, the bedroom door opened, and Liam walked in. A moment later, the mattress dipped beside me, and Liam wrapped his arms around me over the blanket. I opened my eyes. He buried his face in my back. Muffled, he said, “Stop being mad at me. I’ll change!” He promised he wouldn’t let Chloe come to his office anymore. He wouldn’t order food for her anymore. He wouldn’t go to her house alone anymore. If he absolutely had to go, he’d take me with him. He promised he would make Chloe fade out of our lives. So, when Chloe called again, saying a pipe had burst in her apartment and she didn’t know what to do, I went with Liam. Chloe answered the door quickly. She was soaking wet, wearing a fire-engine red silk slip dress. It clung to her body, making the outline of her chest painfully obvious. Before I could even react, she wrapped her arms around herself and started screaming. As if I were the strange man she needed to protect herself from. My face went cold. I grabbed Liam’s hand, turned, and walked away. “How many times has this happened?” “What do you mean?” “Her appearing half-naked in front of you. How many times has this happened?” Liam went silent. “I was just going over to help. Why do you have to make it sound so dirty?” So I’m the dirty one now. “Liam, let’s get a divorce!” “What?” “I suddenly realize you’re a little dirty. And I don’t even know when you got dirty. It’s too disgusting!” 9 Liam didn’t go back upstairs, but he did call building maintenance. See? It’s that easy! We drove home in silence. Liam said, “Maya, let’s talk!” I shook my head. I was too tired. A bone-deep exhaustion was washing over me. “Tomorrow!” I slept fitfully that night. In the middle of the night, I was awakened by a sharp, piercing pain in my stomach. It hurt so much. The pain had me breaking out in a cold sweat. “Liam. Liam!” I murmured his name, not even sure if I was saying it loud enough. Just then, Liam pushed the bedroom door open and walked in. Through the intense pain, I didn’t notice that Liam was already fully dressed. I grabbed his hand. “Liam, my stomach hurts. Take me to the hospital!” But Liam cut me off. “Your stomach hurts? Maya, just endure it for a bit. I’ll take you when I get back! Chloe’s neighborhood lost power. Lily is crying hysterically. She might be having a panic attack. I have to go check on them!” “Liam, take me to the hospital!” At that moment, I had no idea how serious my condition was. I just knew instinctively that I had to get to a hospital. But Liam pushed my hand away. “Be reasonable. Lily is Mark’s only child left in this world. Do you really have to compete with her?” With that, he left without looking back. He ignored my ghost-white face. He ignored my pleading. My heart plummeted into the abyss. “Ah!” I cried out in agony. I threw back the blanket. A pool of bright red. In the end, I called an Uber. The driver and his wife, ignoring the fact that I was staining their car seats, rushed me to the hospital. I miscarried. My first child, coming into existence silently, leaving silently. I asked the doctor why. The doctor comforted me. “This is your body making a decision for you. You aren’t in the right condition to carry a child right now. Your body is protecting you!” Oh. So that was it. The only one who could truly protect me… was me. I drifted in and out of a feverish sleep. Waking up occasionally, I mindlessly sent a text back to Chloe. When I opened my eyes again, Liam was standing by my bed. He looked haggard, his eyes bloodshot. I wasn’t surprised he was there. This was his hospital. Plenty of doctors knew me. Someone was bound to tell him. Liam grabbed my hand, trembling. “Maya, it’s okay. We can have another baby!” I coldly pulled my hand away. “Liam, let’s get a divorce!” His face twitched. “Maya, it’s my fault. I was wrong. I didn’t know. I didn’t know it was that serious. Maya, I’m begging you, give me one more chance!” “Liam, let’s get a divorce!” Liam refused to agree to the divorce. After I was discharged, he brought me home. He took meticulous care of me, even using his annual leave to do so. I calmly accepted his care. It was his child I lost. This was his obligation. Plus, he was a doctor. He knew exactly how to nurse someone back to health. It was during this recovery period that I discovered Liam actually knew how to cook. But he didn’t learn for me. And the first time he cooked wasn’t for me, either. He talked to me a lot. He begged for my forgiveness. He said he would change. He said he would never help Chloe again. He said he wanted to spend the rest of his life with me. But I had completely extinguished that fire. Human nature is funny. We refuse to admit defeat until the final straw crushes us. Why, when I clearly knew he would be like this, didn’t I leave earlier? Because there were feelings! How could I willingly walk away before those feelings were ground down to absolutely nothing? Now, there was nothing left. The only thing I had to say to Liam was: “Let’s get a divorce!” He was devastated. He was in agony. He was out of options. That was when Chloe came looking for me. She said she wanted to talk. So, taking advantage of the time Liam was out grocery shopping, I invited her into the apartment. Chloe had always been beautiful. A tweed designer dress, perfectly styled hair, immaculate makeup, even a fresh manicure. She said, “I’m so sorry you lost your baby!” I burst out laughing. “If you really mean that, I should probably call the cops!” Chloe’s face stiffened. “Just say what you came to say. You don’t have much time.” After a long silence, Chloe spoke. “Let me have Liam. I can’t survive without him. I’m not like you. You have a career, you’re capable. But I’ve lost touch with the professional world. I have a child. Only Liam can take care of us!” Honestly, I didn’t understand Chloe. She graduated from a top university. She used to work for a Fortune 500 company. Why had she reduced herself to a clinging vine? Of course, that wasn’t my problem. I looked her up and down. “I’ve already asked Liam for a divorce. He’s the one refusing. It seems if you want to attach yourself to him, you’ll have to try a little harder.” Chloe left. When Liam returned, I brought up the divorce again. He looked at me silently, pretending he didn’t hear a word. He turned and went into the kitchen. 10 Divorce isn’t an easy process. If we couldn’t reach a settlement, I’d have to file a lawsuit. But lawsuits are a hassle. Time-consuming, exhausting. Might as well wait for a third party to intervene. Thinking like this, I stopped rushing. Liam must have felt pushed to the brink. He, who had been guarding me 24/7, asked me for a day off. “Matt is having a housewarming party. He invited us. Do you want to go?” I turned the page of my book. “No!” “Then I’ll just go grab a bite and come right back!” “Mhm!” And I went back to my book. But after I finished the page, the man standing nearby still hadn’t moved. I looked up, confused. “Is there something else?” Liam looked pale. He forced a smile and shook his head. “Do you want anything to eat? I’ll bring it back for you!” “No need!” “Then I’m leaving. I’ll be back soon!” Once he left the apartment, I put the book down. I closed my eyes, exhausted, and sighed. I knew what Liam had been waiting for. He wanted me to nag him a little, to tell him what I used to tell him: don’t drink, drive carefully, come home early. But he hadn’t noticed that, after the countless times he left early and came home late for Chloe, I had stopped saying those things. At the time, it wasn’t that I was so ready to let go. Mostly, it was out of spite. If I don’t reach out to you, will you reach out to me? If I don’t call you, do you know I’m angry? If I act like I’m magnanimous and understanding, do you know I want you to see how petty I’m actually feeling? I would say, “It’s fine, go ahead!” Hoping he would say, “Never mind, I’ll stay home with you!” But Liam never gave me what I wanted, not even once. Disappointment. Sadness. Suffocation! He held my hand and walked forward, but his eyes were drawn to something else. I let go of his hand, trying to get his attention, but he didn’t even look back once. I watched him walk further and further away, disappearing into the crowd. Finally, having amassed enough disappointment, I turned to leave. Only then did he suddenly turn around and start looking for me. What is this called? A timing error in love? Am I sad? Very sad! But more than that, I feel a profound sense of loss! Liam came back very late. I heard him open the door, and I heard the door to the guest room open and close. I thought he had gone to his room. I went out to get a glass of water. But I saw Liam sitting quietly on the sofa. I froze. He looked up at me, immediately hiding the vulnerability on his face. He smiled and asked, “What is it? Are you hungry?” I said, “Thirsty!” I opened the fridge, about to grab a water, but Liam stood up. “Don’t drink cold water. I’ll boil some!” “Don’t bother!” “It’s okay. Very quick. Two minutes.” “No need!” “Really, it’s fine. Just wait…” “Liam!” I stopped him. “I’m not drinking it!” With that, I turned to go back to my room. Liam stumbled toward me, bumping into the table with a muffled groan. He grabbed my hand. “Maya, I don’t understand. Why did things get to this point?” Liam smelled strongly of alcohol. His voice was hoarse, his hands trembling. “Maya, am I really that unforgivable?” My nose stung. I looked up and sighed. “On the day… I miscarried. When you were at Chloe’s, making breakfast for her and Lily, Chloe told you that you’d be a great dad someday. Do you know what I was thinking in that moment? “I felt a wave of relief. Thank god I lost the baby!” A sob escaped Liam’s throat. Since the miscarriage, I had never talked to Liam about the baby. There was no way to talk about it. It was gone before we even knew it existed. Maybe it just felt we weren’t fit to be parents! “Liam, have you ever thought about what would have happened if I hadn’t lost the baby?” Liam remained silent. I continued, “I probably would have forgiven you. You didn’t commit a cardinal sin. You didn’t actively pursue another woman. Even though you cared for her, at the end of the day, you were just ‘helping out.’ Especially since we had a child on the way. I would have convinced myself that things would get better. “And that would have been the beginning of a bottomless abyss!” “No, it wouldn’t! No! We would have had a great life! A happy, beautiful life! It’s all my fault. It’s my mistake. Maya, it’s all my fault! I failed you, I failed the baby. It’s all my fault!” Liam insisted stubbornly. “Liam, if our baby had been born, and Chloe’s child and our child got sick at the exact same time, who would you take to the hospital first?” “I would definitely…” Liam desperately wanted to give me an answer. I cut him off. “You would take Chloe’s child. Because she doesn’t know how to do anything. She doesn’t know where to register, she doesn’t know where the pharmacy is. A hospital would confuse her completely. At first, you might feel guilty towards your own child, but you’d think, ‘This is my child. I have my whole life to make it up to them.’ “And slowly, even that initial guilt would fade. Everything would become an expected obligation. “You have a father. She doesn’t. Why can’t you just yield to her? “She’s already so pitiful. How can you compete with her? “You’re already so happy. Why do you have to be so selfish?” A child with a father would end up feeling like they didn’t have one at all. Just like me. I had a husband, but it felt like I didn’t. “I wouldn’t. How could I ever do that?” Liam shook his head helplessly, his words pale and hollow. I looked at him. “You wouldn’t? Then why have you constantly treated me exactly like that?” Liam looked completely defeated. “I’ll change. Maya, I’ll change!” I nodded. “I believe you. But I don’t dare take that bet!” How long would the memory of a miscarried child keep him on the straight and narrow? A month? Two months? A year? Half a year? He definitely would change. If he didn’t, he wouldn’t even be human. But Chloe is still there. Her child is still there. All the core issues are still there. Could he really harden his heart, ignore them completely, and never ask about them again? When that day comes, it’ll just be the start of another cycle! Compared to a sudden, miraculous epiphany, I’m much more confident he’d just repeat the same mistakes.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “436708”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

In the fifth year of our marriage, I asked Liam for a divorce. The reason was that I found potato chip crumbs in his passenger seat. And he had never, ever allowed me to eat in his car. He looked at me with sheer disdain. “Just because of this?” This time, I didn’t back down and apologize like I usually did. I just looked at him, completely serious. “Yes. Just because of this.” 1 At the car wash, the attendant frowned and asked me: “Ma’am, there are snack crumbs deep in the passenger seat crevices. Do you want to add a premium interior detailing?” I froze, instinctively refuting, “That’s impossible.” Liam couldn’t stand anyone eating in his car. We’d argued about it several times. How could there be snack crumbs in his car? The attendant pointed. I leaned into the car, and there they were—bright yellow potato chip crumbs scattered in the corner of the passenger seat. They even had seasoning powder on them. … When I drove back, I sat in the underground garage for a long time. Finally, I pulled the memory card from the dashcam. After clicking through, I quickly found the recording from yesterday afternoon after work. After a brief silence, there was the sound of a car door closing, followed by a familiar, cheerful female voice: “You’re right on time today!” The voice was sweet, carrying the distinct softness of a young girl. But my heart instantly went ice cold. Liam sounded upbeat: “How’d you get out so early? Didn’t your supervisor say anything?” Maya laughed: “They all know about my relationship with you. Who would dare stop me?” If a mature woman like me said that, it would sound manipulative and vain. But coming from a young girl fresh out of college, it just sounded bold and somewhat endearing. Sure enough, Liam let out a soft chuckle and didn’t say anything else. I suddenly remembered when we first got married. I was still working at his company. Once, I ran into him in the hallway and wanted to say hi, but he walked right past me like I was a stranger. When I brought it up at home, he just frowned: “I don’t want people at the company knowing about our relationship. What would they say about me? That I’m mixing personal and professional business by bringing my wife in?” After that, his parents pressured me to stay home and take care of his daily life, so I just quit and became a housewife. It turned out, it wasn’t that he minded people knowing his relationship status. He just minded people knowing his relationship with me. A rustling sound of a snack bag tearing pulled me back to reality. Maya was munching loudly on potato chips. Liam didn’t say a word. “Oops,” Maya said. “I dropped crumbs on the seat. Sorry.” “It’s fine.” Liam sounded completely unbothered. “I’ll just get it washed later.” He paused, then added, “Don’t eat too much junk food. I’m taking you to a nice French place in a bit.” There wasn’t much after that. In the dim garage, I sat in the car in utter silence. I tried to stop myself from dwelling on the past, but I couldn’t help remembering a morning two years ago. I was rushing to work, hadn’t eaten breakfast, and brought a breakfast sandwich into his car. He yelled at me to get out: “Get out! Don’t eat in my car!” I frantically explained: “I won’t drop crumbs, and it doesn’t smell.” But he just gave me a look of absolute disgust, stepped on the gas, and sped off. Leaving me standing alone in the garage holding my sandwich. It was raining that day, and I couldn’t get an Uber. The heel of my shoe broke while I was running. By the time I got to work, I was a soaking, pathetic mess, and my manager chewed me out. I already had low blood sugar, and without breakfast, I nearly blacked out standing there. I only made it through because a coworker slipped me a packet of crackers. But now, he allowed someone to eat in his car. It turned out his principles weren’t unbreakable. He just hadn’t met the “special” person to break them for yet. I closed my eyes for a long time, then pulled the divorce papers from my purse. I had printed this agreement six months ago, but I could never find the right moment to bring it out. Honestly, it was because I couldn’t bear to let go. I had loved him for so long. He had consumed my entire youth. From the first day I liked him, I waited. I waited for him to see me. Then I waited as he fell in love with the campus queen. He got together with her. His mother disapproved of their relationship, and they broke up. Devastated and under family pressure, he haphazardly chose to be with me. But after waiting all these years, I never waited long enough for him to love me. Actually, the first time I saw Maya, my woman’s intuition set off alarm bells. She looked so much like Liam’s first love. Bright features, passionate personality, fiery and cute. I noticed his gaze linger on her during the interview, and then he approved her resume. Even though her degree didn’t match the company’s requirements at all. The first real red flag was a phone call from Maya. They were talking about business, but an intern directly calling the CEO was highly unusual. We were having dinner, and Liam suddenly put down his fork and scrambled to answer the phone. His voice was tight, almost nervous: “Don’t worry, I’ll call your department head in a bit. He won’t blame you.” After hanging up, he stared into space for a moment, the corners of his mouth uncontrollably curling up. That night, he was in such a good mood he even hummed a song in the shower. While I felt like I had plunged into an icy abyss. At first, Liam probably didn’t intend to cross any lines. They didn’t interact much, and their calls were strictly professional. But you can’t hide a crush. Even if you cover your mouth, it slips out through your eyes. He started coming home later and later, spending whole nights texting on his phone, acting like a lovestruck teenager. No matter how much I cried or argued, he always shut me down with one sentence: “If you can’t handle it, we can get a divorce.” And then I would back down. Looking back, what defeated me wasn’t him, but my own love. But now, I didn’t want to love him anymore. Divorcing over a few potato chip crumbs sounds ridiculous. But it was the final straw that broke the camel’s back. 2 When I handed Liam the divorce papers, he was typing on his laptop. He took them impatiently and tossed them aside. “What’s this? You want to buy a house again? “I’ve told you a million times, the housing market right now—” I cut him off: “It’s a divorce agreement. You should read it. “There are some asset division details I want to discuss.” Liam froze, then casually picked up the document, flipped through it, and sneered: “Claire, since when did you learn how to throw tantrums like this? “I provide for you, give you a great life, and now I have to play along in your little melodrama?” I looked at him calmly. “If you don’t have dementia, you’d remember I had a great job. You and your parents forced me to quit to take care of you. “Right now, a live-in housekeeper in this city costs at least $8,000 a month. That’s more than enough to support myself. You aren’t ‘providing’ for me; I’m taking care of you. Don’t act like you’re some savior.” Liam looked up in surprise. He clearly didn’t expect me to talk to him like this. Then, flustered and angry, he slammed the papers down: “What the hell has gotten into you?!” I said calmly, “I saw the potato chip crumbs in your passenger seat.” Liam furrowed his brow: “Just because of that?!” I nodded. “Yes, just because of that. “It doesn’t matter if you refuse. I’ll just file a contested divorce. Once this blows up, it won’t look good for you.” Liam stared at me dead in the eye. After a long moment, he snatched the papers back, signed his name furiously, and threw them at me. He sneered: “Are you happy now?! “Claire, let me tell you, don’t come crying back begging me like you used to.” He added disdainfully, “Like a dog.” My heart instantly cramped with pain. In the past, whenever I reached my breaking point and brought up divorce, I was always the one who surrendered and shamelessly begged for reconciliation. He knew exactly where my weak spots were. And he knew exactly how to hurt me. But not anymore. I grabbed my coat. “Let’s go. We can submit the paperwork today.” Liam didn’t mock me this time. His expression gradually turned serious. He stood up and stared at me: “Claire, are you serious? “You realize the house you live in, the car you drive, your entire quality of life is because of me. “Think carefully. Without me, you are nothing.” I glanced at him. “Stop stalling. The courthouse closes at five. If we wait any longer, we won’t make it.” “Fine!” Liam frowned. “Claire, don’t regret this.” … Filing for divorce was much more complicated than getting married. There was a mandatory thirty-day waiting period. When we walked out, Liam didn’t even look at me. He just got in his car and drove off, leaving me standing alone in front of the courthouse. I took an Uber back to pack my things. Under his livid glare, I only packed some clothes and left. Over the years, most of the things I bought were for him. Now I realized how little I actually owned. One large suitcase was enough for everything. Since I didn’t have time to rent an apartment, I checked into a hotel. Lying on the hotel bed, I finally realized that leaving Liam wasn’t as hard as I thought. Before, I didn’t dare to imagine leaving him. I thought I would die of heartbreak. But now, it didn’t hurt as much as I imagined. Instead, I felt a sense of liberation, as if a massive boulder had finally been lifted off my chest. Perhaps I never loved him as much as I thought I did. I was just used to loving him, completely unaware that in this messy, chaotic marriage, my love had been drained away bit by bit. 3 The next day, I wanted to sleep in and enjoy my hard-earned relaxation. But I was woken up bright and early by a phone call. I groggily grabbed my phone and saw it was Susan, Liam’s mother. I answered, and her voice immediately rang out: “Sorry to bother you, Claire.” Before I could respond, she fired off like a machine gun: “Make sure you remind Liam that it’s his uncle’s birthday next Wednesday. Don’t let him forget to come home. “Oh right, make sure you don’t drink. You’ll need to drive him back.” I rubbed my temples. “Susan, why don’t you just call Liam directly?” She said naturally, “Oh, I didn’t want to wake him. He works so hard every day. It’s not like you, just relaxing at home—” This was her favorite line. In her eyes, Liam sitting in an office all day was exhausting. Me staying home cooking, doing laundry, cleaning, and taking care of all his meals was “relaxing.” When she told me to quit my job, she made it sound so nice, saying we’d hire a maid. But the moment I quit, Liam told me he didn’t like strangers in the house and told me to do it myself since I had so much free time. I gripped the phone tightly, forcing down my anger: “Sorry, Susan, but you might not know. “Liam and I are getting a divorce.” I hung up before she could start screaming on the other end. But my peace didn’t last until evening before Liam called. I answered. His voice revealed no emotion: “Come home for a bit. My parents are here.” I knew it. Given his mother’s personality, she was definitely coming to lecture me. I bluntly refused: “Handle your own family issues. I’m an outsider now. I’m not getting involved.” “Your parents are here too.” He hung up. Looking at the dark screen, I sighed. Since things had escalated, I couldn’t hide from it. Fine. There were things I had wanted to say for a long time anyway. … When I got to the house, Susan took one look at me and smiled: “You’re back? “Oh, it’s normal for young couples to fight. Claire was probably just bored at home and wanted some fresh air. “But Claire, fighting every now and then is fine, but Liam has to work to support the family. Plus, your parents are getting older. Making them fly all the way out here is just too much hassle, isn’t it?” I frowned slightly. This was what Susan loved to do. She always spoke politely on the surface, but she was a wolf in sheep’s clothing, hiding needles in her words. Liam sat on the sofa, acting like he hadn’t heard a thing. Just like always. I pushed down the disappointment in my heart, mocking myself: What did you expect? Did you think he’d stand up for you? How could he? Susan was incredibly controlling. She thought Liam’s first love was too headstrong, so she threatened suicide to force them apart. Then she picked me—my parents were professors, I had a good background, and a soft personality. I still remember when we got married. She gave me a long lecture on how I needed to properly serve Liam. She talked about how hard it was for him to work, completely ignoring the fact that I had left my hometown and moved to a city where I knew absolutely no one, just to be with him. Later on, she visited frequently. I always thought it was weird how much she hated seeing Liam and me be affectionate. We actually had a good period right after we got married. Liam seemed to want to make it work, and we planned a honeymoon to Tahiti. When she found out, she insisted on coming with us. We didn’t want to bring her, but she started crying whenever Liam was around, making him feel guilty. We had no choice but to agree. Those days should have been the happiest of my life, but I still hate thinking about them. It was a complete disaster. She felt I should be Liam’s servant, that I didn’t need romance, just needed to take care of his basic needs. And the worst part was that she would smile at me while secretly tormenting me. For example, I hated celery. I thought it tasted weird, so I never cooked it. But she said she wanted to cook so I could rest, and then made celery for every single meal. When I said I didn’t like it, she’d act incredibly guilty and say she was getting old and forgot. Then she would smilingly put celery on my plate: “Claire, just try it. It’s not like the celery outside, it’s really good.” It made me sick, but refusing felt wrong. I secretly complained to Liam a few times, but he just impatiently said: “My mom is cooking for you at her age, and instead of being grateful, you complain? Claire, do you think you’re being reasonable?!” Or during the peak of summer, when Liam went to work, she would hide the AC remote so I couldn’t turn it on. The moment Liam got home, the remote magically reappeared. I told her multiple times not to touch my underwear, that I’d wash it myself. But whenever I put it in the laundry basket, she’d immediately toss it in the washing machine with dirty socks. But Liam’s clothes were always washed separately. She never mixed his with socks. They weren’t massive issues, but they piled up and slowly suffocated me. I became increasingly depressed. Liam noticed, but when he was a kid, his town flooded. His mom carried him on her shoulders so he could survive. She almost drowned and was left with lifelong joint pain that flared up every rainy day. Liam always felt he owed her his life, so he could never criticize her. So he just avoided it. He’d make excuses to work overtime or just sit in his car in the garage, running away from the conflict. That was when the last trace of warmth between us vanished. Our relationship got worse and worse until it was unfixable. This time, I wasn’t going to swallow my anger. I looked straight at his mother: “You called my parents here, what does that have to do with me?” She froze: “Claire, you—” I took a step forward: “And stop talking about Liam ‘supporting the family.’ I had a great job. He asked me to quit and join his company because he needed an accountant he could trust. “When the company stabilized, you two tossed me aside and made me quit to take care of him? “Forget the fact that I was making over a hundred grand a year. Do you know how much it costs to hire a private chef and a maid in this city? How is he ‘supporting’ me? “You make it sound like if I don’t marry him, he’ll just stop working.” Liam stood up: “Claire, how are you speaking to my mom?!” My anger exploded. I marched right up to him and yelled: “That’s YOUR mom, not MY mom! Cut the crap!! “She didn’t give birth to me, and she never raised me! I only called her ‘Mom’ out of respect for you. Now I’m divorcing you, I don’t need to play nice!” Liam frowned and tried to speak, but I cut him off: “Now you know how to raise your voice at me?! Where were you when your mom forced me to eat celery?! “Where were you when she turned off the AC in the middle of summer to torture me?! “Where were you when she forced herself on our honeymoon?! “You useless coward, you just hid in the garage and didn’t say a damn word! “Liam, how do you have the nerve to say that to me? What kind of a man are you?!” I screamed and yelled, unleashing years of suppressed grievances. By the end, my eyes were bloodshot, my rationality had burned away, and I felt almost manic! Everyone was stunned! Liam’s eyes widened, all his words caught in his throat. After a moment, his expression grew complex. I don’t know if it was an illusion, but I thought I saw a flash of… guilt in his eyes. My dad’s face was livid with anger, while my mom hugged me and started crying. “Oh, sweetheart—” she sobbed. I buried my face in her shoulder and wept silently. I finally realized who I had wronged the most. It was my parents, who had disapproved of Liam but gave in because of my stubbornness. And myself, who had suffered so much! “Look at this girl, crying over such trivial things.” Susan quickly recovered, plastering on a fake smile: “We’re all family here. I see you have a lot of resentment toward me. “Maybe I’m just getting old and my memory isn’t what it used to be. But Claire, I’ve always treated you like my own daughter—” She could fool the old, hopelessly romantic version of me, but my mom, at her age, just turned her head and spat: “I’m not dead yet, she doesn’t need you to be her mother!” Susan looked embarrassed: “Mrs. Bennett, what are you saying? The kids are young and don’t know any better, why are you joining in on the drama?” My mom sneered, grabbing my arm: “Before, you cried and begged to marry him. We couldn’t stop you. Now that you’re finally awake, that’s all that matters. “Let’s go, Mom is taking you home!” The three of us turned to leave. Liam hurried over to block us: “Mr. and Mrs. Bennett, Claire is just misunderstanding things today. Please don’t—” My dad shoved his arm away and said coldly: “I didn’t approve when she wanted to marry you, but she loved you, so we had no choice. “We didn’t ask for a dowry, didn’t ask for a house or a car, and even gave her a wedding gift of fifty grand, just so your family would treat her well. “What did you promise me back then?!” Liam was speechless under my dad’s interrogation. My dad suppressed his fury: “You said you’d treat her well. And look at this now!” My dad was usually a jovial man, always greeting Liam warmly. Even when Liam skipped holiday visits, my dad didn’t mind, telling me not to argue with Liam because he was busy with his career. This was the first time I had ever seen him so stern. Liam stepped back in shame: “Dad, I—” “Don’t call me Dad, I don’t have a son like you!” Susan tried to speak again, but my mom turned around fiercely: “Get out of the way! “Before I slap you!” My mom was the gentlest woman, always speaking softly. This was the first time I realized how fiercely she could protect her child. I didn’t end up going back to my home state right away. Mainly because there was still the mandatory 30-day waiting period, and I needed to handle the asset division. My parents had to get back to work, so they left me some money and flew back, reminding me: “Don’t let them bully you. Take this month to relax. If anything happens, call us immediately.” That night, lying in the hotel bed, I had my first good night’s sleep in years. In the fourth year of our marriage, whether tortured by his mother or his relationship with Maya, I developed severe insomnia. I would lie awake all night, staring at the ceiling until dawn. For a while, I didn’t want to do anything. I just felt exhausted and thought life was pointless. I went to the hospital and was diagnosed with moderate depression. The medication didn’t help much. I still couldn’t sleep. But now, I closed my eyes and felt completely relieved. I could finally have sweet dreams again. 4 I started sending out resumes and looking for jobs. Even though my parents told me they’d support me and I should take a longer break, I didn’t want to be disconnected from society anymore. Actually, I graduated from a better university than Liam. Back then, I had job offers from the Big Four accounting firms. But not long after I started, Liam asked me to quit. His accountant had left, and he needed someone he trusted to take over immediately. Later, when they found a suitable replacement, he told me to quit again. So for these past few years, I was just a housewife. Sometimes, seeing my college classmates’ posts on social media—working on Wall Street, starting their own businesses, or finding great jobs back in their hometowns—I felt incredibly inadequate. It felt like I was the only one who had nothing to show for the years except a messy, failed marriage. Thankfully, I was still young. I could start over. … When I got back to the hotel that night, I got a notification on my phone. It was the smart doorbell camera from the house, notifying me someone was at the door. I was about to swipe it away, but my finger accidentally clicked on it. In the video, Liam and Maya were walking in together. I froze and didn’t close the feed. I had barely moved out, and he couldn’t wait to bring her home. Makes sense. He probably couldn’t wait. He was probably thrilled that I asked for a divorce. Liam looked drunk, his eyes half-closed as he stumbled. Maya struggled to hold him up and help him onto the sofa. Then she poured him a glass of water. Liam took a sip and spat it right out, frowning: “Cold water? “Where’s my hangover soup?!” Maya said helplessly: “What hangover soup? I don’t know how to make that. Just drink some water for now.” Liam threw the glass on the floor and stumbled to his feet. Maya smirked and tried to lead him toward the bedroom. Absolutely disgusting. Thinking about them doing that on the bed I used to sleep in made me nauseous. But surprisingly, a minute later, Liam ran out of the bedroom with his shirt unbuttoned. Maya, wearing only a tiny camisole, chased after him and tried to grab him. He violently shook her off and slurred: “You’re not my wife, you’re not!—” Maya bit her lip: “I’m Maya. Aren’t you divorcing your wife?” “No I’m not!” Liam waved his arms, mumbling incoherently: “I’m not divorced, I’m not divorcing her! “You’re not my wife, who are you? Get out!—” Maya, furious and humiliated, hurriedly put her clothes back on and stormed out, slamming the door. Liam tripped and fell onto the floor, groaning in pain: “Claire, I fell.” The living room was dead silent. He muttered again: “Claire, my head hurts. Come rub it for me.” No response. He just lay there pathetically and fell asleep on the living room floor. I put my phone down, not knowing how to feel. Before the divorce, I thought Liam would immediately get together with Maya. I thought he really liked her. Liam was a man with strict principles. At least, toward me. He wouldn’t let me tell the company about us. He wouldn’t let me eat in his car. He had so many rules for me. But all those rules went out the window for Maya. He had no principles when it came to her. I hated him so much back then. If I hadn’t seen his blatant favoritism toward her, I wouldn’t have felt so pitiful. And pathetic. I sneered. He only wanted me back so I could serve him. Every time he came home drunk, I would make him soup, rub his temples until he fell asleep, and prepare a light, soothing breakfast the next morning. He was probably so used to being taken care of. At 2 AM, I woke up thirsty. After getting some water, I couldn’t fall back asleep. I opened the camera feed again. Liam was awake. In the pitch-black night, he sat alone on the sofa, staring blankly into space. I didn’t know what he was thinking. He seemed to have sobered up a bit. After a long while, he clutched his stomach and rasped: “Claire, my stomach hurts. Where’s my stomach medicine?” A few days ago, Liam had been drinking too much at business dinners and ruined his stomach. Even though I had helped him nurse it back to health over the years, it still hurt whenever he drank. I used to sort his medications into boxes, labeling them with sticky notes detailing the dosage and expiration dates. He had taken that medicine so many times, yet he still didn’t know where it was kept. The camera had two-way audio, but I didn’t say a word. I just watched coldly. Liam hunched over and yelled: “Claire, Claire!—” His only answer was the ticking of the grandfather clock in the night. So he painfully stood up and started rummaging for the medicine. He tore through the neatly organized cabinets, throwing things on the floor. When he checked under the TV stand, he finally found the medicine box I had prepared. He picked it up but didn’t take any pills. He just stared blankly at the sticky note on top. Even with my eyes closed, I could remember exactly what it said. “Prescription antacid chewables. 1-2 tablets, 3 times a day. Take 1-2 hours after meals or before bed.” I had written that stroke by stroke. I had been so full of naive, foolish love, thinking that sincerity would be met with sincerity. Only at the end did I realize that my desperate devotion was nothing but worthless trash in his eyes. Something to be kicked aside at will. Liam was still crouching there, staring dead at the medicine box, completely motionless. After an unknown amount of time, he slowly buried his face in his knees and remained silent. He didn’t take the medicine that night. Instead, he smoked alone in the living room. He just sat there in silence all night.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “436707”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

At a college reunion, Caleb Thorne’s ex-girlfriend “accidentally” spilled red wine all over my new dress. She panicked, apologizing profusely: “I’m so sorry, I’ll pay for it.” “My wife’s dress is a vintage collector’s item from last year’s auction. The hammer price was one million dollars.” Caleb smiled, his reply light and airy. 1 Serena immediately collapsed onto the floor, her face draining of all color. “Holy shit, a million dollars for a dress. Mr. Thorne is a baller. I bet some people are regretting their life choices right now.” “Didn’t she marry some rich kid back then? Does she really not have a million bucks?” “More like a broke kid. Honestly, she probably couldn’t scrape that together even if she sold herself.” The crowd erupted into exaggerated, cruel laughter. I looked at her with complicated feelings—the ex who had abandoned Caleb all those years ago. She happened to look up, and our eyes met. Her eyes were a swirling mess of profound humiliation and bitter resentment. Just moments ago, in the restroom, she had cornered me. With a slow, arrogant smirk, she said: “Believe it or not, if I wanted to, I could snap my fingers and he’d come crawling back to me like an obedient dog.” And now, just to get close to Caleb, she intentionally spilled wine on me, creating this exact scenario. Honestly, I wasn’t surprised by her behavior. After all, Caleb was currently the darling of financial magazines, a tech billionaire with a net worth in the ten figures. If Serena hadn’t married someone else back then, she would be Mrs. Thorne today. It was just that her words in the restroom made me feel a little defensive on Caleb’s behalf. Caleb took off his suit jacket and draped it over my shoulders. He looked down at Serena, his gaze cold and imposing. “If you’re having financial difficulties, perhaps you could ask your imprisoned ex-husband for a loan.” She clenched her fists, her lips trembling with stubborn pride. “I’ll pay you back.” Caleb just laughed. “Don’t make promises you can’t keep.” “Serena, you really haven’t changed a bit.” His tone was completely indifferent, yet it made me feel strangely disoriented. I had been with Caleb since he had nothing. I had fought by his side as he built his empire from the ground up. I had seen him at his absolute lowest, and I had seen him at his most triumphant. But I had never seen him act like this—humiliating a woman so viciously, so publicly. As a result, the crowd’s laughter grew even louder and more unrestrained. I was the only one who noticed that, although he appeared to be mocking her, his eyes never actually left her face. 2 In the five years we’d been together, Caleb rarely spoke about his past. That was, until a month ago. We went back to his hometown to retrieve some things, and I accidentally found a worn-out wallet in his closet. Inside was a photo of a woman. She had a bright, beautiful smile. Caleb was usually so composed, but that day, he zoned out for a long time. A deep, melancholic shadow settled in his eyes. I fought back the sour feeling in my chest and asked, trying to sound casual, “Your ex?” “Yeah.” I watched him tear the photo to pieces, his face completely blank, and throw it into the trash can. A cold, irritable feeling spread through my chest. I left immediately. That was our first cold war in five years. That night, after I showered, Caleb hugged me from behind and sighed softly. “Back when I was just starting the company and things were at their absolute worst, she took our core technology and defected to a rival company. She ended up becoming the owner’s wife.” “On the day of her wedding, my mother went to find her and got into a car accident on the way. She barely survived. The very next day, Serena left the country with her new husband.” “Chloe, I truly hated her back then.” … I stared silently at his calm expression in the bathroom mirror. What Caleb didn’t know was that later that day, I had gone back to the room. I saw him digging through the trash can, picking out the torn pieces of Serena’s photo. His eyes were red as he meticulously, painstakingly glued them back together. 3 The reunion was winding down. Someone suddenly yelled out: “We’re all old classmates! We should help each other out in times of need. Why don’t we start a GoFundMe for Serena!” The moment those words hung in the air, Serena’s face changed completely. She looked up at Caleb with a helpless, desperate gaze. And the hand Caleb had wrapped around mine suddenly tightened, squeezing so hard it felt like he might crush my fingers. “Caleb…” It wasn’t until I gasped out his name that he snapped back to reality and let go of my hand. I looked at the deep red marks left on my skin, feeling like I had just been plunged into a freezing lake. A chill spread through my entire body. The guy who started the commotion laughed, sneaking glances at Caleb’s reaction. Seeing that Caleb had no intention of stopping him, he quickly started the “bidding.” “Five bucks!” “Come on, this is the former campus queen we’re talking about! The dream girl of half the guys here! Be a little more generous! I pledge twenty!” … One by one, people started throwing out numbers. The atmosphere became raucous and chaotic. It was as if they were treating Serena like an item up for auction, or a piece of meat on a chopping block. Serena’s face was as pale as paper, her eyes red and swollen, but she didn’t say a single word. Caleb stared silently at her dead, defeated expression. By the end, when the crowd jokingly handed Serena the hundred-odd dollars in loose change they had “raised,” she just stared blankly and said, “Thank you.” The crowd was in disbelief. “She actually took it?” “Hahaha. From the proud, untouchable goddess to acting like a literal beggar.” Serena ignored them completely. Holding the crumpled bills in her hands, she walked up to Caleb. Her posture was so low she was practically groveling in the dust. “Here is a hundred dollars. Mr. Thorne, could you please give me a little more time for the rest?” Her humble, broken demeanor was a stark contrast to the radiant, proud girl I had seen in the photograph. A sudden, heavy silence fell over the crowd. People exchanged awkward glances. “…Did we take that a little too far?” “She is still a woman, after all…” Caleb didn’t speak. He just kept staring at her. My chest suddenly ached with a dull, throbbing pain. It was so easy to see through the coldness in his eyes to the underlying frustration. He wanted Serena to fall into the mud; he wanted to trample her dignity underfoot. But when the moment actually arrived, when she lost her pride and accepted the charity with such numb resignation, it made him uncomfortable. Was it discomfort, or was it heartache? 4 In that brief moment of distraction, someone suddenly screamed at us in horror: “Watch out! The chandelier is falling!” I instinctively looked up. The massive chandelier above us was swaying precariously, looking like it would detach at any second. —And the three of us were standing directly underneath it. “Caleb—” I reached out to grab him, but before I could, I saw Caleb lunge toward Serena, shielding her body with his as they dove out of the way. My brain went numb with a deafening ringing sound. Then, someone grabbed my wrist and yanked me hard. I stumbled and fell in the opposite direction. A split second later, the chandelier crashed to the floor with a terrifying explosion of sound. Shards of glass and crystal sprayed everywhere. A sharp, blunt pain shot up my lower leg. A thin, deep gash had been sliced into the skin near my ankle by a flying shard, and blood was seeping out. But I felt like I couldn’t even process the pain. I just sat on the floor, staring blankly at the two people holding each other a few feet away. Whispers erupted all around us. The moonlight filtering through the windows, combined with the subtle, knowing glances of the crowd, washed over me like a freezing frost. It wasn’t until the man who saved me asked with concern, “Mrs. Thorne, are you alright?” I saw Caleb’s body violently stiffen. He shoved Serena away instantly and rushed over to me, grabbing my ankle to carefully inspect the wound. His deep voice was laced with intense remorse and apology. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t know you were right behind me.” Serena walked over as well. Her voice was very soft, carrying a strange, complex emotion. “Thank you for saving me just now.” Caleb didn’t acknowledge her. He just stared at me intently. “Chloe, I really didn’t know you were under the chandelier too.” I silently pulled my leg out of his grasp. Caleb watched me for a moment, then simply scooped me up into his arms and started walking toward the exit. I struggled slightly, but his grip on my waist was ironclad. His voice was terrifyingly low. “Don’t move.” “Caleb…” Serena chased after us. Caleb’s face was stone cold, his tone indicating he had no desire to speak with her any further. “Three months. The one million must be wired to my wife’s account.” But Serena suddenly smiled. She shot me a provocative look. “Thank you for the extension. I will make sure to pay you back within the designated timeframe.” 5 As soon as we got home, Caleb semi-forcibly cleaned and bandaged my wound. Then, he locked the bedroom door, cupped my jaw, and kissed me. The resentment that had been building up in my chest all night suddenly exploded. I fought with everything I had to push him away. “Cancel the wedding next Saturday. We’re breaking up.” Caleb restrained me with one hand. “Why?” My mind was flooded with what his old classmates had whispered after the accident: “You know what they say. When disaster strikes, your first reaction is always the most honest. Caleb chose to save Serena first. Does it really need to be spelled out any clearer?” Exactly. The coldness and cruel words were just revenge. The instinctive, protective dive was subconscious love. It felt like a thousand needles were piercing my heart, a dense, suffocating pain spreading through my veins. I asked Caleb, “You still love her, don’t you?” “You chose to save her first. Because compared to me, you care about her more.” “I saw it last time. I saw you meticulously glue her photo back together.” “Since you never forgot her, why did you even bother getting together with me?” “I didn’t.” He stared at me, his brows slightly furrowed, his tone absolute. “She betrayed me back then, and my mother’s mental decline was indirectly her fault. I have hated her every single second of every day since.” “The moment the accident happened, whether it was her standing next to me, or any other classmate, my instinct would have been to save them.” “Hating her is one thing; a life-or-death situation is another.” “But I truly didn’t know you were behind me. If I had known, I never would have let you get hurt.” “I gave her a three-month extension because I saw someone pull out their phone and start recording.” “As for the photo… the doctor called me that day and said revisiting past memories might stimulate my mother’s brain activity. I wanted to use that photo to try and help her.” Caleb took my hands. “Chloe, you know me, don’t you?” When I didn’t say anything, he let out a helpless sigh and slowly kissed me. “Chloe, the person I love now is you.” His tone was so candid, hiding absolutely nothing. “Don’t ever say things like ‘breaking up’ out of anger again, Chloe. It hurts me too.” In the dim light, Caleb was wearing a tailored black shirt. A few buttons were undone, revealing a glimpse of his collarbone. His eyes were pitch black, without a trace of distraction. He gently rubbed my flushed earlobe and asked in a low voice, “Can we?” The AC in the room was set very low, but I was sweating profusely. The atmosphere was perfect. Bang. The bedroom door was suddenly shoved open. “Caleb…” A gasp cut through the air, yanking me out of my hazy, confused thoughts. I instinctively looked over. Serena stood in the doorway, her face pale as a ghost, staring blankly at us. I sat up almost immediately, scrambling to pull the blanket over my body, feeling deeply ashamed. It was absurd. I was Caleb’s fiancée, yet under Serena’s accusing stare, I felt like the other woman caught in an affair. 6 When we were all fully dressed and standing in the living room, Caleb glared at Serena. “What are you doing here?” Serena stared back at him, biting her lip, her eyes filled with intense disbelief and hurt: “I walked into the wrong room. I’m sorry.” “Get out,” he ordered coldly. Mia, Caleb’s younger sister, rushed over and pulled Serena behind her, shielding her. “Caleb, I brought Serena here. There are people harassing her at her apartment for debts. I was afraid she wasn’t safe, so I brought her here to stay for a while.” Caleb’s face turned icy. “Mia, do you have any idea what you’re doing?” Mia’s eyes darted away defensively. “This is my home too. Do I not even have the right to take in a friend?” “Serena, don’t worry. Starting today, you’re staying here. Nobody can kick you out.” “In my heart, you’re my only sister-in-law.” Saying that, she shot me a defiant, challenging look. I found the whole situation laughable. The frustration that had been building inside me flared up again. I ignored her entirely and looked directly at Serena. “You’re afraid of debt collectors showing up at your door, but did you forget you owe me a million dollars too?” “Or did you come here today specifically to pay me back?” I pulled up the QR code on my banking app. “Alright then. Pay up right now.” “That’s enough.” Mia swatted my hand away. My phone hit the floor with a loud crack. Mia turned to Caleb, her expression complicated. “Caleb, I know you hate Serena, but there’s a reason for everything.” “Do you even know what happened back then—” Serena, as if finally snapping out of a daze, violently grabbed Mia’s arm. Her eyes were red and pleading. “Don’t say it.” For a moment, no one spoke. Until Caleb suddenly broke the silence. “Back then, what?” 7 But before Mia could say anything, Serena suddenly fainted. “Caleb! Serena’s hypoglycemia is acting up. Just let her stay here tonight.” I couldn’t read Caleb’s expression. He just frowned. He didn’t agree, but he didn’t refuse either. In the end, I just gave a self-deprecating laugh, turned around, and walked away. Half an hour later, Caleb finally came back to the bedroom. He grabbed my hand as I packed my suitcase. “What are you doing?” “Since there’s a new lady of the house here, I’m making room.” “Chloe, I explained this. Serena and I are absolutely impossible—” I cut him off. “But you wavered just now, didn’t you?” “If she really had a compelling reason back then, can you guarantee you won’t be affected by her?” Caleb, however, remained firm. “Even if she had a reason, her abandoning me for someone else is a fact. My mother becoming like this because of her is a fact.” “The damage is already done. She has no right to beg for my forgiveness.” “Serena just woke up. I told her she has to leave first thing tomorrow morning. Mia, too.” “This is our home. If she can’t accept you as her sister-in-law, she can pack up and leave with Serena.” “I’m sorry, honey.” Caleb knelt down. His slightly cool fingertips gently, tenderly wiped away my tears. “Making you sad and insecure… that’s my fault.” … In the middle of the night, I was startled awake by a clap of thunder. I groggily rolled over and realized the spot next to me was empty. Caleb was gone. I practically searched the entire house but couldn’t find him. I called him several times, but he didn’t answer. The rain was pouring down outside. I sat on the sofa like an idiot, staring blankly ahead. Suddenly, I remembered one place I hadn’t checked. I ran to the guest room where Serena was staying. From inside, I could hear a woman’s faint, muffled groans. My brain exploded. I shakily tried the handle, only to find the door was locked from the outside. “My brother and Serena are in there.” “I slipped them both something in their drinks, and I locked the door.” Mia padded over in her slippers. “They missed out on so many years. I’m just trying to secure my brother’s happiness and correct a terrible mistake.” My blood boiled instantly. “Mia, if anything actually happens in there, I will call the cops.” I frantically searched for the spare key and finally heard a click. The moment the door opened, my heart was lodged in my throat. 8 I didn’t know whether to be relieved or devastated. The scene before me wasn’t the graphic nightmare I had imagined— Serena was curled up under the covers, one wrist tied to the headboard with a sheet. Her face was flushed dark red, her hair completely disheveled. “Caleb, you… you don’t have to save me. I know you haven’t forgiven me yet. I don’t want you to do something you’ll regret.” She looked like she was in excruciating agony. Her tearful expression was undeniably pitiful, inspiring a strong urge to protect her. Caleb stood with his back to the door, rigid and straight beside the bed. I couldn’t see his face. “Caleb.” When he heard my voice and turned around, he froze for a second. I ran to his side and saw that he was fully dressed and seemed completely normal. Trembling, I asked, “Are you okay?” Caleb shook his head. As if remembering something, he stared at me, earnestly trying to explain: “Mia tricked me into coming in here, and then locked me in with Serena. But I didn’t drink the spiked wine. Nothing happened between us.” So, Serena was the only one who had been drugged. My mind was a chaotic mess. Just as I was about to speak, someone grabbed my arm violently. “This is all your fault. If it wasn’t for you, they would have made up a long time ago—” Mia lunged at me, trying to hit me. I had reached my absolute limit. I backhanded her hard across the face. “Are you out of your damn mind?” Mia looked at me in disbelief and immediately turned to Caleb to complain. “Caleb, she hit me! I’m your biological sister!” Seeing that Caleb only stared at her coldly, a flash of panic crossed Mia’s eyes. “Chloe, my brother doesn’t even love you! How can you be so shameless, clinging to him and refusing to let go?!” I laughed out of sheer fury. “You drugged your own brother and the ex-girlfriend who almost killed your mother, locked them in a room together, and you think I’m the shameless one?” Mia’s eyes darted nervously. “Serena didn’t mean to do that! She…” “Enough.” Caleb suddenly spoke. His expression and tone were absolute ice. “No matter what her reason is, I never want to hear it.” Mia went pale. “Caleb, you’re going to regret this.” Caleb remained unmoved. “Chloe and I are getting married next Saturday. It would be best if you didn’t attend. You are not welcome.” Finally, an ambulance came and took Serena away. As she was leaving, she said in a very quiet voice, “Caleb, whether you believe it or not, I never wanted to hurt you back then.” Caleb held my hand. His face showed not a single trace of emotion. 9 I told Caleb I needed more time to think about the wedding. He didn’t refuse forcefully. He just looked at me earnestly and said, “Chloe, no matter what happens, promise me you’ll never leave me.” I muted everyone’s messages and went on a solo trip to clear my head. I never expected a sudden earthquake to strike the area. And I certainly never expected Caleb to ignore the danger of aftershocks and rush all the way there to find me. I wasn’t really hurt, but he was. A falling sign hit his arm, and he needed six stitches. Seeing me on the verge of tears, he endured the pain and tried to comfort me. “Good thing it was my arm. If it hit my face, I wouldn’t look as handsome on our wedding day.” He said it like a joke, but his expression when mentioning the wedding was incredibly serious and resolute. I looked at him for a long time, then took a deep breath. “Then you better heal fast, or you’ll be wearing a sling on our wedding day.” He froze. His eyes lit up. The light in them was entirely for me. “Okay.” … As the wedding date approached, I was overwhelmed with preparations. On the day I went to try on my dress, Serena called me. “I knew Mia spiked the drink that night. I drank it on purpose.” She went on a long rant, finally threatening that if I didn’t give Caleb back to her, she would kill herself. I honestly thought she was clinically insane. I replied coldly, “Then go die.” After that, she never called me again. Until the day of the wedding, someone sent me an anonymous text: “Care to make a bet? You won’t get married today.” The confident tone felt like a simple statement of fact. It was obvious it was from Serena. An inexplicable wave of irritation washed over me. It wasn’t just because of the text. It was because I realized Caleb was acting very strange today. “…Groom, do you take this woman?” When the officiant asked for the fourth time, I saw Caleb finally snap out of his distracted daze. After another blank silence, he muttered softly, “I do.” I felt a little dizzy. Was he regretting this? Caleb’s phone suddenly rang, loud and intrusive. His expression shifted slightly. He seemed to know who it was, but he didn’t answer. The phone kept ringing relentlessly. He finally just turned it off. The wedding proceeded to the montage of our sweet memories. But the photos and music we had prepared inexplicably vanished, and a familiar face suddenly filled the giant screen. Mia. A sudden, terrible premonition hit me. The next second, Mia’s panicked voice echoed through the entire venue. “Caleb, Serena is missing.” The crowd gasped in shock. “Who’s Serena?” “Ugh, Mr. Thorne’s ex-girlfriend.” I saw Caleb visibly freeze. Mia seemed to be walking and running at the same time, her voice slightly breathless. “Earlier today, she was acting really weird. She said she had to get your wedding present ready, and then she just vanished.” “Caleb, I know I promised Serena I wouldn’t tell, but I really can’t keep it a secret anymore today.” “You weren’t answering your phone, so this was the only way I could let you know the truth.” Caleb stopped breathing, his expression growing tense. “She never betrayed you. She didn’t steal the core technology; another employee in your company did. She deliberately took the blame for it.” “Because—” “Serena was diagnosed with leukemia back then.” Caleb stood paralyzed, glued to the floor. “Her ex-husband threatened her. If she didn’t marry him, he was going to completely destroy your company.” “She didn’t live in luxury for those five years. She was abroad getting treatment the entire time.” Caleb looked like he’d been struck by lightning. His face was a portrait of pure, unadulterated shock. “Caleb, she really sacrificed so much for you. That venomous snake Chloe is completely unworthy of you.” “Do you know what she said to Serena?” A burst of static, and Mia hit play on a voice recorder. My cold, malicious voice echoed from the speakers— “Then go die.” Caleb snapped his head around and stared at me. He had never looked at me with such sharp, suspicious, accusing eyes. “I see Serena.” “She’s… on the roof.” “Caleb…” Mia’s voice trembled. “She’s going to jump!” Caleb looked like he could barely stand. “Caleb, that audio recording—” I grabbed his arm, desperately trying to explain myself. Caleb violently shoved me off. I stumbled, completely caught off guard, and crashed heavily onto the floor. “Caleb…” He only looked back at me once. His eyes were a chaotic mess of emotions. Then, without a second glance, he walked away. Ignoring the pitying, mocking stares of everyone in the room, I stood up, gathered my massive dress, and chased after him. A muffled clap of thunder rolled across the sky. The bright, sunny day had suddenly turned into a torrential downpour. I stumbled and slipped, following Caleb all the way to the roof of the hotel. Just in time to see him and Serena locked in a desperate struggle. In the pouring rain, Serena kept fighting to break free, while Caleb, his eyes bloodshot, hugged her fiercely from behind. They were both soaking wet. “Aren’t you supposed to be getting married?! Why did you come find me?!” “In your heart, I’m just a gold-digging villain!” “Caleb, since you hate me so much, I’ll just die right here in front of you—” Before she could finish screaming, Caleb forcefully spun her around, buried one hand in her hair, and kissed her with crushing intensity.

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