I stood in my own living room, watching my wife hold another man’s baby, while my son, Theo, called a complete stranger “Daddy.” Nobody knew that I had only gone out to take out the trash, got dragged onto a spaceship by aliens, and spent what felt like sixteen minutes there. But when I came back, six years had passed on Earth. When Catherine saw me, she looked like she had seen a ghost. Then, she put her hands on her hips and tried to kick me out. “George, do you have any conscience left?” she shrieked. “You vanished for six years without a single word! Now that I’ve finally rebuilt my life and started a new family, you come back to ruin it?” “Theo doesn’t even remember you. This house has nothing to do with you anymore. Get the hell out!” I didn’t say a word. I just raised my hand, showing her the glowing dark stone resting in my palm. It was an Obsidian Wishing Stone, given to me by the aliens to make up for their “time-dilation error.” It had the power to grant wishes. I looked at the lovey-dovey couple in front of me, and then at Theo, who was hiding timidly behind the man. Calmly, I made my wish in my heart: I want everything I lost back, with interest.

Three hours. That was all it took for me to figure out what had happened during the sixteen minutes I was gone. The disgust on Catherine’s face hadn’t even faded yet when I asked the question burning in my chest. “I was only gone for sixteen minutes. How do you already have a new family?” “Sixteen minutes?” Catherine grabbed my arm and dragged me over to the calendar on the wall. “Open your eyes and look! It’s 2032. You weren’t gone for sixteen minutes. You were gone for six freaking years!” My head spun. Only then did I understand what the aliens meant when they said “everything will have changed.” But Catherine didn’t give me a second to process. She pointed at the man next to her. “This is my husband, Donald.” Then she pointed to the baby girl in his arms. “And this is my seven-year-old daughter.” “During the six years you were gone, I married the love of my life and had a beautiful daughter. This is the life I always wanted.” Her cold eyes made my heart ache. This woman had once sworn to love me forever. Yet now, she didn’t have a single word of concern for me. She just wanted me to know she had married her “true love” the moment I disappeared. And the funniest part? The kid was already almost seven. The math didn’t even add up. I took a deep breath to swallow the bitterness in my throat. “Since you have a new family now, then give me back my house.” Catherine blinked, and then she let out a mocking laugh. “Your house? What house do you have?” Her snide look pissed me off. “Theo is my son. And this house was bought by my dad. How is this not my house?” Catherine pulled a death certificate out of the drawer and threw it in my face. “Look closely, George. You were declared dead six years ago.” “For the past six years, Donald has been the one taking care of our son. In Theo’s heart, Donald is his only dad…” “That’s impossible!” I snapped, cutting her off. “Theo was eight when I left! I homeschooled him, tutored him, and took care of him every single day for eight years!” “When he had pneumonia, I stayed up for three days straight in the hospital room holding his hand. I am his father!” “I don’t have a father who abandons his family for another woman!” Suddenly, a small figure rushed over and shoved me hard. I lost my balance and fell to the floor. It was Theo. He glared at me with pure hatred. “You ran away with some side-chick and left us. You should have died out there! How dare you show your face here again?” Looking at the boy who looked seventy percent like me, my hands shook as I reached out to touch his arm. “Theo, I didn’t abandon you. I was taken by aliens. It was a mistake.” Theo slapped my hand away. “Aliens? Do you think I’m three years old?” He turned to Donald. “Donald told me everything.” “You’re just a serial cheater. We still have the photos of you with those other women. Someone like you doesn’t deserve to be my dad!” “Photos? What photos?”

I looked at Theo in sheer disbelief. Catherine smirked, pulling out a stack of photos and holding them in front of my face. “These are photos of you grinding on girls at a nightclub. Do you have no shame?” “And this one is even worse. Walking down a hotel hallway half-naked with a stripper. If that’s not cheating, what is?” Slap! I didn’t hesitate. I slapped Catherine right across the face. “These photos are so poorly Photoshopped. How could you use these fake pictures to poison Theo’s mind against me?” Catherine clearly didn’t expect me to hit her. She stared at me, completely stunned. Theo screamed and threw himself at me, kicking and punching. “You bad man! Don’t you dare touch my mom!” I knelt down, grabbed Theo by his shoulders, and said in a deep, serious voice, “Theo, I am telling you the truth.” “I was taken by aliens for sixteen minutes, but six years passed here. I never left you.” I checked my watch and quickly pulled out the Obsidian Wishing Stone. “Look, the aliens gave me this. In two hours, everyone who harmed me will get their karma.” Theo looked at the stone with disgust and kicked it out of my hand. “Donald was right. You’re not just a cheating scumbag, you’re a psycho.” He turned to Donald. “Daddy, you’re the best doctor in the city. Give him some medicine. Better yet, poison him so he leaves us alone!” Hearing Theo’s words made my entire body go numb. This was the child I had poured my heart and soul into raising for eight years. And now, he wanted me dead. I closed my eyes, forcing down the overwhelming pain. “Theo, I loved you for eight years. Do you really believe a man you’ve known for six years over your own father?” “Yes,” Theo said without a second of hesitation. “I believe him. And he is the only father I will ever have.” My throat tightened. Theo didn’t even want to look at me anymore. He grabbed Donald’s hand. “Daddy, I’ve cut ties with this man. He’s not my dad anymore.” Donald smiled triumphantly. “Go upstairs first, buddy. I’ll have a quick word with him and make sure he never bothers our family again.” I watched Theo walk upstairs. Once the boy was out of sight, Donald stepped right up to me. Before I could even react, he slammed a syringe into my shoulder. A sharp, stinging pain instantly spread through my veins. Donald’s smirk widened. “Does it hurt, George?” “That’s just a little taste of what happens when you try to take my woman and my son.” He grabbed me by my hair and slammed my face onto the dining table. “You lost a long time ago, George. Even before you went missing, Catherine was already pregnant with my baby.” “As for your precious Theo? The only reason he’s still alive is because his grandfather left him a huge trust fund.” Donald sneered. “Since I couldn’t kill the brat without losing the money, I had to play the good dad.” “I bought him every toy he wanted, just to make him forget how good you were to him.” “I even told him bedtime stories every night. But in those stories, you were the villain who abandoned him.” “Right now, you’re worse than trash to him.” Rage boiled in my blood. I forced myself up, spun around, and landed a hard punch right on Donald’s jaw. “You son of a bitch! I’ll make sure you rot in hell!”

Donald stumbled back a few steps. Instantly, Catherine rushed over. She kicked me hard in the shin. “George, you bastard!” “I actually felt bad for you because of our eight years together. I was going to ask Donald to let you stay here as a live-in housekeeper and my secret side-piece! How dare you lay a hand on him?” She pinned me against the floor. “Apologize to Donald right now! If you behave, you can still live here, be close to me, and see Theo!” Her words made me want to throw up. I spat on the floor. “In your dreams! I’m not serving either of you. I’m throwing you both out of my house!” “Your house?” Catherine’s eyes turned malicious. She grabbed my collar and shoved me against the wall. “Those photos might be fake, but I didn’t just show them to Theo. I showed them to your dad, too.” A cold smile crept onto her lips. “Do you want to know how your dad reacted?” Without waiting for me to answer, she continued, “Your dad said he didn’t have a son so shameless. He said Donald and I were saints for taking care of Theo. So, he left all his money and this house to us in his will.” “You’re lying! My dad would never believe your garbage!” I roared. “Of course he wouldn’t believe it easily. But I had a great accomplice.” Catherine looked at Donald lovingly. “After you went missing, your dad got paralyzed from a stroke. Donald got hired as his personal doctor.” “He spent two long years playing the perfect, caring doctor to win the old man’s trust.” She laughed. “And I did my part, too. At night, Donald and I were hooking up in your bed. During the day, I was the grieving, perfect daughter-in-law.” “We worked like a charm. Thanks to our hard work, your dad finally believed you were a cheating scumbag who ran away. He cried as he signed the company and this house over to me.” I glared at her with pure hatred. “Catherine, karma is going to get you.” Catherine was one of the first students my father had sponsored through his charity foundation. Before my dad paid her tuition, Catherine had to work as a dishwasher at our family restaurant, eating leftovers from customers. Once, she fainted from malnutrition. My dad saw her, felt sorry for her, and started paying for her college. After graduation, she literally begged my dad for a job, saying she wanted to work for free to pay back his kindness. My dad thought she was a grateful, sweet girl. He mentored her and introduced her to me. How could she be such a monster? Donald grabbed my chin, forcing me to look him in the eye. “George, only fools believe in karma.” “Catherine and I were tired of being poor. We started planning this ten years ago just to get rich.” “Ten years?!” I gasped. “So her working at the restaurant, begging for the job, marrying me… it was all a setup?” “Duh!” Donald raised his chin proudly. “Your dad was our golden goose. Working for free was just the hook. Marrying you was our ticket to the wealthy life.” He shoved me back. “Watching Catherine walk down the aisle to you in that white dress… I hated you so much.” “But to make it up to me, Catherine gave me your wedding ring. She even let me prescribe her some ‘special meds’ when she was pregnant with Theo.” “So that’s why she was constantly bleeding and almost died during labor?” My eyes widened in horror. Donald laughed coldly. “Too bad she was tough. She survived.” Catherine looked a little guilty for a split second. “I did care about you and your dad at first, George. But you guys were always so guarded. You wouldn’t hand over the company to me early. I had no choice!” I looked at my watch. Another hour had passed. I stared at them. Keep talking. Keep bragging about your secrets. I want to see how painful it is when your karma hits you a hundred times harder. “Now you know everything, George. But what can you do about it?” “We have the legally binding will. And Theo only loves me,” Donald taunted. “You were only special because of your daddy’s money. In the end, you still lost to me…” Before he could finish his sentence, his face suddenly went pale. He grabbed my wrist, checking my pulse. A second later, his brow furrowed. “Your… your body…”

Donald examined me closely, and a dark, vicious look crossed his eyes. “Catherine, his physical condition is exactly the same as it was six years ago. If six years really passed, his body shouldn’t be like this.” Catherine’s face fell. She glared at me. “What kind of game are you playing, George?” She balled her fists and punched me hard in the chest. “And here I was feeling guilty, trying to offer you a place to stay! You made up this ridiculous lie to trick us!” I gritted my teeth through the pain. “It’s the truth. I was only gone for sixteen minutes.” “Sixteen minutes!” Catherine laughed hysterically. “Do you think the whole world is stupid?” She raised her hand to hit me again, but Donald stopped her. “Wait, Catherine. Didn’t George say he was abducted by aliens?” “Let’s prove he’s a liar and have him committed to a psych ward forever.” Catherine grabbed my arm and dragged me up. “Fine. You want to play the alien card? Let’s get you tested.” They threw me into the back of their car and drove straight to the hospital where Donald worked. They dumped me onto a bed in a private room. A second later, a nurse stuck a needle into my arm, pumping a cold fluid into my veins. Donald whispered in Catherine’s ear, “I already spoke to the lab director. He’s going to write up a fake report saying George is severely schizophrenic. The asylum transport is already on the way.” I clenched my fists. Catherine grabbed me by the collar and dragged me off the bed, holding her phone camera right in my face. “Alright, cheater. Tell the camera. Where did you run off to with your little mistress six years ago? Why are you back now pretending to be a victim?” Her eyes were filled with venom. “Do you know how worried I was when you first disappeared?” “I was so stressed that I ignored Donald for days…” Donald’s voice coldly cut her off. “And because of that stress, she had a miscarriage. We lost our second baby.” Catherine went quiet for a second, her gaze turning even colder. “You owe me for the last six years, George. Today, you pay.” I stared at her. “Catherine, I am telling the truth. You can’t do this to me.” “Are you scared now?” Catherine mocked. “Can’t keep up with your own lie?” “Instead of waiting for the psych evaluation, I think I’ll just make sure you shut up permanently.” She grabbed a sedative syringe from Donald and stabbed it into my arm. I stumbled back, hitting the wall. The drug worked fast. My vision started to blur. Donald chuckled. “Don’t worry, George. It’s my own special mix. It hurts like hell, but it gets the job done.” As I slid down the wall, the Obsidian Wishing Stone fell out of my pocket. I stared at it and whispered, “Make them feel a hundred times the pain they caused me.” Right then, a nurse ran into the room, panting. “Dr. Carter! The lab results are back. His physical indicators are completely normal. The psychological evaluation is perfectly fine, too!” “What… what did you say?” Catherine’s hands shook as she grabbed the report from the nurse. “Does this mean… George was telling the truth?” Donald’s eyes widened in horror. “The aliens… the wishing stone… it’s all real? We…” Before he could finish, Catherine’s phone rang loudly. She picked it up, and her assistant’s panicked scream echoed through the room. “Ms. Catherine! Oh my god, the company is crashing!”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “434479”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster

My roommate was an extreme eco-warrior. During a brutal 104°F heatwave, she locked the AC remote in her drawer. “We are supposed to sweat in the summer anyway. Just bear with it. Think of it as your contribution to saving Mother Earth.” That night, there wasn’t a single breeze coming through the window. Our dorm room felt exactly like an active pizza oven. My head was spinning from the suffocating heat, and sweat was dripping off me in sheets. When I tried to find the key to the drawer, she climbed onto a chair and used scissors to snip the AC’s power cord right in half. “Can’t you see Mother Nature is throwing up a fever? You selfish brat, all you care about is producing greenhouse gases.” In my past life, this was the exact night that kicked off a massive wave of cyberbullying against me at school. Everyone called me a spoiled, privileged princess who had zero empathy for the planet. They praised her as a hero with a noble mission. Ultimately, the extreme heat triggered my myocardial ischemia, sending me into cardiogenic shock. While I was dying, she cried on a TikTok Live, telling her followers that I only collapsed because I ate too much “processed industrial junk food” and had a weak body. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the very first day of the semester. She was currently shoving the AC remote into her drawer. Her eyes were red as she looked at me and said, “Norah, being a little warm isn’t going to kill you.” Without a word, I grabbed my phone and my medical records, and walked straight to the housing office. “Mrs. Taylor, I need to apply for an emergency transfer to a single room.”

If she wanted to play a martyr, she could do it alone. I actually valued my life. Mrs. Taylor, the housing coordinator, looked up from her desk. Her freshman registration list was only half-finished. “Norah? You just checked in today and you’re already asking for a single room?” I placed my official medical documents on her desk. “Mrs. Taylor, I have a severe history of myocardial ischemia. Extreme heat can easily trigger a life-threatening cardiogenic shock for me.” “Right now, my roommate, Sienna Vance, has locked up the AC remote and is refusing to let us use any electricity, including personal fans.” The office went dead silent for a second. The student assistant sorting papers next to her stopped, wiped a thick bead of sweat from his forehead, and looked up in disbelief. “It’s literally 104 degrees outside today. She’s not letting you use the AC?” Mrs. Taylor frowned. “Norah, dorm conflicts should be resolved through communication first. The paperwork for a single room transfer takes time. It can’t be approved today.” Suddenly, a soft, pitiful, trembling voice came from the doorway. “Mrs. Taylor, this isn’t a conflict. This is a spiritual journey.” Sienna was standing by the door, clutching our dorm’s AC remote tightly to her chest. She was wearing a faded, oversized linen dress. Her forehead was covered in sweat, and her eyes were so red she looked like she had just been terribly bullied. “Mrs. Taylor, she wants to drain the very blood of our planet.” The assistant’s hand froze halfway through wiping his forehead. Mrs. Taylor looked at the plastic remote in Sienna’s hands. “Why do you have the AC remote?” Sienna immediately hugged the remote tighter, as if it were some sacred relic. “This machine is evil. Every breath of artificial cold air it spits out is a loan taken against the lifespan of our mountains and rivers.” “Mother Nature is crying in pain.” As she spoke, tears began to stream down her face. “I know everyone thinks I’m crazy. But I just want this world to stop being poisoned by modern industrial civilization.” By now, a few other freshmen had gathered in the hallway, whispering. “I mean, she’s a bit extreme, but her heart is in the right place, right?” someone muttered. Others started looking at me with judging eyes. That familiar, suffocating pressure tightened around my chest. It was exactly like my past life. The moment Sienna started crying and brought out her grand, dramatic speeches about saving the planet, everyone automatically assumed she was the victim. When I said my heart couldn’t take the heat, they called me dramatic. When I said she unplugged the fans, they said natural air was healthier anyway. When I complained that she turned our room into a sauna, they said she was just deeply compassionate. Even when I was finally lying in an ICU bed, hooked up to a ventilator and unable to speak, people on the school forum were still debating if I “lacked social responsibility.” This time, I didn’t bother explaining myself to the crowd. I kept my eyes on Mrs. Taylor. “Mrs. Taylor, I’m not here to judge her beliefs.” “I am simply requesting to not live with her.” Sienna’s sobbing paused for a fraction of a second. She looked up, her sweat and tears sticking her eyelashes together. “Norah, are you really that addicted to material comfort?” I replied flatly, “I have a heart condition.” Looking deeply hurt by my “ignorance,” she took a step back, her face full of disappointment. “But children in underdeveloped countries live without electricity every single day, and they survive. Why can’t you?” I flipped my medical report open and pointed directly at the doctor’s warning: Avoid extreme heat and high-stress situations. “Because I want to live.” The office fell completely silent. Mrs. Taylor stared at my medical records. Her brow furrowed, and her expression turned incredibly serious. “A single room request requires us to verify vacancy, and it has to go through both the department head and housing logistics.” Sienna immediately sniffled and took a step forward. “Mrs. Taylor, there’s no need to make a big deal out of this.” “I will do my best to guide Norah with love. I want to help her experience the joy of detoxing through natural sweat. Mother Nature will heal her heart.” I looked at her. “I don’t need Mother Nature to heal me.” “And I don’t need your guidance.”

The single room wasn’t approved on the spot. Mrs. Taylor said she had to call housing services to check for empty beds and submit a formal request to the dean. Hearing that the administration was getting involved, Sienna’s tears fell even faster. “Please don’t escalate this to the dean. They’ll just think I’m causing trouble again.” A student in the hallway chimed in, feeling sorry for her. “Mrs. Taylor, maybe they should just go back and talk it out?” “Yeah, the semester just started. Moving out on day one looks bad on their record.” “Exactly. Just bear with it for a couple of days, communication is key.” Mrs. Taylor looked at me. It wasn’t a look of favoritism—it was sheer helplessness. The university administration moved like a turtle, but peer pressure and moral high grounds traveled at the speed of light. Sienna knew exactly how to play this. Clutching the remote, she kept her voice just soft enough to sound fragile, but loud enough for everyone in the hallway to hear. “Norah, I just want you to let go of your greedy consumerism.” “The glaciers are melting. Polar bears don’t even have ice to stand on anymore.” “If we can’t even handle a little heat, how much longer does Earth have left?” In my past life, this was the exact moment I backed down. I had thought to myself that since it was only the first day of college, I shouldn’t make enemies. So, I followed her back to the dorm. That night, she locked away the remote, unplugged the fans, and told us to “listen to the beautiful hum of the summer cicadas.” I was trapped in that suffocating room until 4:00 AM. My heart was pounding like crazy, and my breathing sounded like a broken bellows. When I crawled to grab my emergency heart medication, she snatched it away, crying that “pharmaceuticals are toxic chemicals” that would ruin my “natural bodily magnetic field.” I ended up on the floor, gasping for air, clawing at the bedpost as my vision went black, until I finally lost consciousness. In this life, I took out my phone, laid it on the desk, and hit record. “Mrs. Taylor, I’m happy to follow the official housing protocol.” “But until my single room is approved, I will not be sleeping in that dorm. If the university cannot provide a temporary bed, I want a written statement from your office.” “A statement confirming that I have submitted proof of a severe heart condition, and that my current assigned dorm has an active hazard where a student is forcibly cutting off electricity and refusing to allow cooling.” The office went dead silent again. Sienna stopped crying. The way she looked at me now was no longer pitiful—she looked at me like I was an irredeemable sinner. Mrs. Taylor remained silent for a few seconds before picking up her desk phone and dialing the resident advisor line. “Hi, is this the RA for Hall B, Room 503? Please send someone up to check on that room immediately.” “A student reported that their roommate is refusing to let them use the AC or fans.” She listened to the person on the other end, her expression hardening. “Yes, I am serious. One of the residents has a severe heart condition and cannot be exposed to extreme heat.” Sienna suddenly lunged toward me. “Why do you have to blow everything out of proportion?!” Her voice wasn’t loud, but it was dripping with self-righteous anger. “We could have finished this beautiful spiritual journey together!” Outside the door, several students had already raised their phones, recording us. I took a giant step back. “Get away from me. The smell of your sweat is making me nauseous.” Sienna bit her lip, tears instantly spilling over. “This is the scent of nature! How could you insult me like that?” Crying hysterically, she turned and ran out of the office, heading back to the dorm. Mrs. Taylor closed her eyes, grabbed her keys from the desk, and sighed. “Let’s go. Room 503.” When we arrived at Room 503, the door was slightly ajar. From inside, we could hear our other roommate, Chloe, sobbing hysterically. Mrs. Taylor pushed the door open. A wave of suffocating, sweltering heat hit us in the face, carrying a strange, sour, rotting stench. Sienna was standing right beneath the AC outlet, holding a pair of heavy-duty kitchen scissors. On the floor lay the severed end of the AC’s thick white power cord. She held her head high, looking like a martyr standing before a firing squad. “Since a locked remote wasn’t enough to stop your greed, I have permanently freed us from this path of sin.” Chloe was sitting on the floor, crying, clutching a small, unplugged portable insulin fridge in her arms. Inside the plastic case, several expensive vials of imported insulin had already turned cloudy and ruined from the heat. Chloe was shaking with pure rage, pointing a finger at Sienna. “Are you insane?! You unplugged my mini-fridge! That was my entire semester’s supply of insulin!” Sienna looked at the ruined medicine on the floor, her face filled with mock pity. “Chloe, such expensive medicine is a luxury of capitalism.” “Elderly people in remote villages fight through illnesses using only their inner strength. Material goods do not bring true health. Why don’t you try letting your own body fight the disease naturally?” Chloe’s face drained of all color. “I have Type 1 Diabetes! I will literally die without insulin!” Sienna sighed, shaking her head. “That’s only because you are too dependent on modern medicine. Mother Nature will give us—” “Screw your nature!” Chloe scrambled up from the floor, grabbed a heavy textbook from her desk, and hurled it straight at Sienna’s head. Sienna shrieked, ducking quickly behind Mrs. Taylor. “Mrs. Taylor! She’s attacking me! The synthetic toxins in her body have driven her mad!”

The hall RA and the campus maintenance worker arrived shortly after. The moment they stepped into 503, the oppressive heat forced them back a step. It was 2:00 PM. The temperature outside was a scorching 104°F. The dorm windows were wide open, letting the hot, heavy summer air rush inside. Worse, the dorm floor was completely soaked with puddles of water. The extreme heat combined with the standing water turned the room into a giant steam room. It was so humid and sticky that it was hard to breathe. The RA’s face turned pale. “Why is there water all over the floor? Did a pipe burst?” Sienna peeked out from behind Mrs. Taylor, looking entirely innocent. “No, I brought that water from the campus lake.” “I read online that splashing water on the floor cools down a room through evaporation. It’s an ancient, eco-friendly cooling method. Plus, natural lake water carries spiritual energy.” The maintenance worker stared at the smelly, murky lake water on the floor, trying his best not to scream. “Kid, ancient climates were different, and this is a closed dorm building!” “Throwing stagnant water on the floor in this heat will only skyrocket the humidity! Anyone staying in here is going to get heatstroke!” Sienna pouted. “Don’t let modern science blind you. Traditional human wisdom is never wrong.” Some students watching in the hallway gasped, while others looked at her determined face and began whispering. “I mean, it’s dumb… but she really did it to try and cool them down.” “She’s just not very smart, but her heart is in the right place.” “Yeah, she had good intentions.” Just then, our fourth roommate, Ashley, walked in from the balcony. Her neck was already covered in a bright red heat rash, and she looked completely drained. She glanced at the ruined insulin on the floor, then at the sweating Sienna, and sighed. “Chloe, Norah, just drop it.” “Sienna just moved here from a small, rural town. Maybe she doesn’t know any better. She’s just trying to help us connect with nature. She was literally sweating bullets earlier writing eco-friendly quotes by hand.” “Let’s just take a step back. Think of it as doing a good deed. We can survive a few hot days.” Here it was again. Good intentions. In my past life, this simple phrase—good intentions—was the shield that excused all the deadly harm she caused. Sienna’s eyes immediately filled with tears of gratitude as she looked at Ashley. “Ashley, thank you for understanding me. I just want to save everyone from the trap of consumerism.” I stared coldly at Ashley. “She cut the AC cord, ruined Chloe’s life-saving medicine, and tried to lock me—a heart patient—in a 104-degree steam room.” “And you call that good intentions?” Ashley shrunk back under my gaze, her voice dropping. “Well… she’s already crying. Do you have to push her to the edge?” Before I could reply, Sienna took a sudden step forward, pulled a dirty cloth pouch from her pocket, and carefully opened it. Inside was a small pile of crumpled, dirty bills and coins. “Chloe, Norah, I know you both come from privilege.” “This is $30 I made from recycling soda cans. I’m paying you back. Go buy some organic popsicles to cool down, just please stop hating me.” She held out the crumpled money with both hands, tears streaming down her face. With her faded dress and desperate posture, it looked exactly like I was some wealthy bully tormenting her. The whispers in the hallway shifted instantly. “Oh my god, she’s offering her recycling money. Is she serious?” “It’s just a little heat. College girls these days are so fragile.” “They need to learn to forgive.” Chloe stared at the thirty dollars, her body shaking with rage. Tears welled up in her eyes, but the heavy judgment from the crowd kept her from speaking a single word. Mrs. Taylor raised her voice, telling the crowd to disperse, before turning a cold look on Sienna. “Sienna Vance, destroying university property and ruining another student’s expensive medication cannot be resolved with thirty dollars. Come to my office. Now.” Sienna clutched the crumpled money to her chest like a martyr carrying her cross, looking back at me with a mix of pity and creepy fanaticism as she followed Mrs. Taylor out.

As expected, by that evening, the incident exploded on the university’s anonymous forum, Fizz. A post titled “Pure-hearted girl tries to save energy for the planet, gets bullied by wealthy roommates” was pinned right at the top. The post featured three photos. The first was Sienna, drenched in sweat, writing environmental quotes under a dim desk lamp. The second was a candid shot of her crying in the hallway, holding her crumpled thirty dollars. The third was of me, standing by with my arms crossed, looking cold and aloof—the perfect image of an arrogant, evil roommate. The caption was highly manipulative: “What is wrong with this world? Someone tries to protect the Earth through natural living, only to be forced to her knees to pay money by her spoiled roommates who can’t live without AC. Do poor people with beliefs not deserve to go to college?” The comment section was a toxic wasteland. “The girl with her arms crossed looks like a total bitch.” “It’s just AC. I grew up without it and I’m fine. Kids today are brainwashed by capitalism.” “I feel so bad for the eco-girl. Seeing her hold that money made me tear up.” “Expose the spoiled roommates! Avoid them at all costs!” When Ashley showed me her phone, her expression was incredibly awkward. “Norah, look… things are getting out of hand. Why don’t you and Chloe just forgive her? Post a public statement on Fizz, otherwise how are we going to face people in class?” Looking at the cropped, out-of-context photo, my chest tightened, and my heart rate began to spike erratically. In my past life, I was cyberbullied exactly like this. I had posted my medical reports, the cut AC cord, and Chloe’s ruined insulin. But nobody cared. They only wanted to remember Sienna’s sweating, innocent-looking face. They only wanted to believe in their perfect, impoverished saint. I took a deep breath and pushed the phone away. “She is the one lying online. Why should I be the one to apologize and forgive her?” Mrs. Taylor had set up a temporary bed for me in the RA’s first-floor duty office. “Maintenance will fix the AC cord tomorrow. You sleep here tonight. There’s a fan. Tomorrow morning, I’ll push the dean for your single room.” The office only had an old ceiling fan that squeaked loudly, blowing warm air around, but it was a million times better than the artificial lake sauna upstairs. At 2:00 AM, just as I was drifting off, a pungent, artificial floral scent hit my nose. It smelled like the cheapest, lowest-grade incense sticks from a dollar store, mixed with heavy, suffocating smoke. I began to cough violently. My heart rate instantly surged to 120 beats per minute, and my lungs screamed for oxygen. I struggled to open my eyes. Through the dim light from the hallway, I saw Sienna standing right by my bed. She was holding a metal tray with seven or eight cheap incense sticks burning at once, releasing thick clouds of blackish smoke. She was actively waving the smoke directly into my face. “What… what are you doing?!” I gasped, clutching my chest as I scrambled back. Sienna looked down at me with a terrifyingly gentle smile. “Norah, Ashley told me your heart was acting up. Your heart is beating fast because your mind is full of modern anxiety and greed.” “This is meditation incense. Breathe it in. This raw, natural smoke will quiet your mind, and your heart condition will heal itself.” The thick smoke rapidly filled the tiny, unventilated room. The 104-degree heat, combined with the toxic chemical fragrance and severe lack of oxygen, felt like a physical hand squeezing my heart. “Get… get out…” I reached out, trying to knock the tray from her hands. Sienna grabbed my wrist with shocking strength. Her eyes were wide and manic. “Norah, don’t reject nature’s gift! Breathe deep! Purge the industrial toxins from your body!” My vision began to blur, and a tearing pain ripped through my chest. A second before I completely lost consciousness, my fingers brushed against my phone on the pillow. With my very last bit of strength, I pressed the emergency SOS button. As the metal tray clattered loudly to the floor, I collapsed onto the bed. The last thing I heard was Sienna’s horrified, self-righteous shriek. “Norah! Why would you rather faint than accept Mother Nature’s blessing?!”

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During the Super Bowl final, my husband, Marcus, suddenly suggested we make a bet. Watching the game reach its halftime mark, he said casually, “If the Eagles win, we get a divorce. What do you say?” The Eagles were leading by a landslide. They were bound to take home the championship ring tonight. I stared blankly at the TV screen, my mind drifting back to an Instagram post I had seen just this afternoon, uploaded by Marcus’s secretary, Hailey. [Mr. Marcus said that if the Eagles win tonight, he will finally take our relationship public. Perfect timing, because I have a little surprise waiting for him too! ] The “surprise” Hailey mentioned was a photo of a positive pregnancy test showing she was two months along. Remembering the sweet, pampering messages Marcus had left under her post to make her happy, I felt an overwhelming sense of exhaustion. With only one minute left on the clock before the game ended, I spoke in a quiet voice. “Okay. I’ll take that bet.” The game ended. Around us, the screams and cheers of our friends watching the game were deafening. Only Marcus and I sat in a silence that felt completely out of place. Marcus froze, looking at me in surprise. I looked at the final score on the screen. Then, I said softly, “You won.” He was always going to win this bet. I didn’t want to fight it anymore. “Marcus, I agree to the divorce.” In our five-year marriage war, he had finally won. On the drive back, Hailey sent Marcus a Snapchat voice note, her voice bubbling with excitement. “Marcus! The Eagles actually won! Does this mean we can finally tell everyone about us?” The voice note played out loud by accident. Every single word fell clearly into my ears. Marcus instinctively glanced at me through the rearview mirror. But he only saw me staring out the window, completely expressionless. He cleared his throat. “It was just a random bet before the game started. I was just trying to make her happy.” “But…” Marcus paused, his tone turning somewhat indifferent. “Since I’ve been with her for so long, I guess it really is time to marry her.” I gave a quiet “Hmm.” “Have your lawyer draft the papers.” Seemingly not expecting me to agree so easily, Marcus was slightly taken aback. Then he said, “There’s no need to rush it like this.” I met his gaze calmly. “We wouldn’t want to delay your big announcement. It’s better to sign the papers as soon as possible.” “After all, she’s been waiting quite eagerly.” I wasn’t lying. Hailey had been with him for three years, but she had never gotten the chance to show him off publicly. As long as Marcus and I were married, he couldn’t bear to let Hailey be labeled a homewrecker. Marcus stared at my face, trying to read my expression. But I was too exhausted. I just closed my eyes. I didn’t want to say another word. As we neared the house, Marcus suddenly said, “The power went out at Hailey’s place. She’s terrified of the dark. I need to go over and keep her company.” “Okay, just drop me off at the next intersection,” I said, not even looking at him. I was already too used to this. Marcus hesitated. Only after I stepped out of the car did he say, “I might not come back tonight.” I nodded, my face completely calm. “Okay.” After Marcus’s car drove away, I stood on the sidewalk for a while. My phone buzzed. It was a Snapchat message from my best friend, Amber. [Did you and Marcus leave early? I can’t find you guys at the party.] Marcus had hesitated for a long time about coming to this game tonight. Maybe out of guilt, or maybe remorse, he had still ended up coming with me. I replied to Amber. [Yeah, we’re getting a divorce.] Amber replied instantly. [Because of Hailey? Why won’t that girl just disappear?] [She’s just a secretary! Has Marcus lost his mind?] Maybe he had. I didn’t know when things had started to change between Marcus and me. When did it begin? Probably when his work got “too busy,” and we talked less and less. He stopped sharing the funny little details of his day with me. His replies to my messages took longer and longer. Strangely, the thought of divorce didn’t make me sad. Instead, I felt a weight lifting off my shoulders. We had known each other for eight years and been married for five. This marriage, which had kept me awake for countless painful nights, was finally coming to an end. Just then, a voice note from Marcus came through. “Go to bed early.” Marcus always had this habit of slapping me first and then giving me a sweet treat. I was used to this way of living, too. Back home, I collapsed onto the couch, feeling drained. I stared numbly at the empty house. I don’t know how much time passed before my phone lit up again. It was a notification for an Instagram update from Hailey. I clicked on it. It was her relationship “hard launch” post. [Congrats to the Eagles for winning the championship! Mr. Marcus won his bet. Family of three, finally together! ] The photo showed two hands overlapping on top of a pregnancy report. My hand automatically drifted to my own stomach. My own medical report from yesterday’s checkup was still sitting in my purse. Four weeks pregnant. It was my second pregnancy. I lowered my eyes, exited Hailey’s post, and pulled up my lawyer’s contact details. [Please draft the divorce agreement for me as quickly as possible.]

Marcus didn’t come home for three consecutive days. Hailey posted on her Instagram constantly. It didn’t look like she was sharing her life; it felt like she was specifically targeting me. Amber was absolutely furious after seeing Hailey’s posts. Her voice over the phone was shaking with anger on my behalf. “Who does this Hailey think she is? She’s literally just a side chick! Why is she acting so proud?” “Is Marcus blind? What does she have that you don’t?” I had asked myself that question many times. Was Marcus bad to me? No. He remembered all my preferences, my birthday, and every single anniversary. When I was sick, he would stay up all night taking care of me. If I casually mentioned wanting to go on a trip, he would drop everything to go with me. Whatever I wanted, he gave me. Could I say he never loved me? No, I couldn’t. I had seen the way his eyes used to light up whenever he looked at me. I took a sip of water and looked out the window. “Who knows? But it doesn’t matter anymore.” The divorce papers were ready. I was just waiting for Marcus to come back and sign them. I smiled to comfort Amber. “Alright, let’s just enjoy our dinner. Don’t let them ruin your mood.” When I texted Marcus, it was Hailey who picked up the FaceTime call. She had a sweet, mocking smile on her face. “Chloe, Marcus is making a prenatal meal for me right now. I’ll let him know you called when he’s done~” A prenatal meal? Marcus used to nag me about being too skinny and not eating right. To make sure I got enough nutrition, he used to cook almost every single meal for me himself. But after he met Hailey, he never had the heart for it again. His mind and eyes were now completely filled with Hailey. Before I could even reply, Hailey sent me a photo. It was a shot of Marcus from behind, wearing an apron and working busy in the kitchen. “Chloe, Marcus is really stretched thin right now.” “I told him what you said, and he knows about it now~” Marcus came back very late that night. Seeing me sitting on the couch, his hand paused as he took off his coat. “Why aren’t you asleep yet?” He acted as if nothing had happened. His tone was warm and familiar. “It’s really late.” My voice was flat. “I was waiting for you.” Marcus walked over, and I pushed the signed divorce papers toward him. “I’ve already signed. Since you cheated, we aren’t splitting the assets 50/50. I’ve had all our marital property calculated, including the money you spent on Hailey. I get seventy percent, you get thirty.” Marcus frowned. “Chloe, aren’t you being a bit too greedy?” Greedy? I actually felt it wasn’t enough. I didn’t want to argue with him. “You cheated. Me taking this much is only fair.” After a long silence, Marcus was the first to look away. He sat down, grabbed a pen, and signed his name on the papers. I took my copy immediately. Marcus opened his mouth to say something. But I turned around and walked upstairs without looking back. Halfway up the stairs, I stopped. I turned around to remind him, “We need to file this at the family court tomorrow morning.” “After all, there is still a thirty-day waiting period.” Marcus frowned deeply. He opened his mouth. “Are you really in that much of a rush?” I finished his sentence for him. “The sooner we file, the sooner your child stops being an illegitimate kid.” “Isn’t that what you want?”

Marcus froze. Seeing how calm I was, he hesitated before speaking. “You know about the baby?” Marcus let out a breath and tried to explain: “I only found out today what Hailey meant by her ‘surprise’.” “I honestly didn’t expect her to be pregnant.” There was nothing left to explain. I ignored him and was about to continue upstairs. Suddenly, a wave of intense nausea hit my throat. I covered my mouth and rushed into the bathroom. Marcus followed me in, looking frantic. He knelt down beside me, rubbing my back. “Why are you throwing up so badly?” I wiped my mouth and flushed the toilet. “Do we need to go to the hospital?” Marcus asked. I didn’t look at him. “No.” He hesitated for a moment. “If you’re not feeling well, we can put off the divorce for a bit.” I took a large step past him and walked out. “There’s no need to delay.” Back in my room, I pulled that crumpled pregnancy report from my purse. Two months ago, Marcus had come home drunk and slept with me, whispering Hailey’s name. I hadn’t expected to get pregnant from that. I paused, balled up the report, and threw it into the trash can. The next morning at nine, Marcus and I met outside the family court. After filing the papers, we had to wait out the thirty-day waiting period before we could officially get our divorce certificate. “I can drive you back,” Marcus said. I had taken an Uber here this morning. A bad car accident years ago had left me with severe trauma, and I hadn’t driven since. Just as he finished speaking, his phone rang. It was Hailey. I kept my head down, opening my Uber app. “Hailey, what’s wrong?” Marcus kept his voice low. But Hailey’s voice was loud enough to leak through the receiver. “Marcus, how did it go with Chloe?” Marcus told her about the thirty-day waiting period. Hailey giggled. “Okay, are you coming over later? The baby and I really miss you.” Marcus glanced at me. He hesitated, but that hesitation only lasted three seconds before he agreed. “Okay.” Marcus could never say no to Hailey. If Hailey wanted to see him, he would go. Hanging up, Marcus looked at me with some embarrassment. “About Hailey…” I cut him off, not even raising my head from my phone. “Don’t worry about it. Go to her.” My Uber had just arrived. I didn’t look back at Marcus as I opened the door and got into the car. On my way home, Amber sent me a link to a social media post. I clicked on it and realized it was Hailey’s. Amber’s voice notes were practically vibrating with rage. “Chloe, this Hailey is absolutely shameless! What does she mean by ‘there was no love left in your marriage’? What does she mean by ‘the one who isn’t loved is the real homewrecker’? Does she have no shame?” “I tried to call her out in the comments, but she blocked me.” “And Marcus, that spineless jerk…” Amber was truly hurting for me. By the end of her voice note, her voice was cracking. I comforted her before clicking back to read the post. The comment section was already flooded with thousands of replies. I saw the thread where Amber had argued with Hailey. Many internet users were dragging Hailey in the replies. As I scrolled down, I saw Marcus’s account had left a comment: [Our marriage was already broken, and we are currently in the middle of divorce proceedings. My girlfriend is not a homewrecker.] I stared at that sentence for a very long time. I couldn’t help but laugh out loud. What a beautifully worded statement. Suddenly, I remembered the promise Marcus made the day he proposed. He had held up three fingers, looking up at me with tears in his eyes. In front of all our friends, he swore, “If I, Marcus, ever do anything to hurt Chloe, may God strike me down on the spot.” Back then, I never believed Marcus could ever betray me. The moment he slipped the engagement ring onto my finger, his eyes were red as he kissed the back of my hand. “You’ve finally gone from my girlfriend to my fiancée. My heart can finally rest easy.” Unfortunately, his promises were worthless. Changing my status from girlfriend to fiancée, and then to legal wife, didn’t protect me at all. He had still betrayed me. I gave Marcus’s comment a “like” and closed the app. Once I got home, I started packing my things. Marcus had designed this house himself, but I had handpicked all the furniture. I had too many things, and they ended up filling three large suitcases. I didn’t know when Marcus had come back home. Passing by the master bedroom, he stopped. His brows knitted together. “You’re moving out right now?” I lifted my suitcase, not sparing him a glance. “This house belongs to you. If I don’t move out, how is she supposed to move in?” “I never planned on having Hailey move in here,” Marcus said. “She’s perfectly fine living at her place. You don’t have to rush to move out.” “Chloe, you don’t need to throw a tantrum like this. You agreed to the divorce too.” My hands paused. I wanted to laugh. He had already won the bet he was destined to win, so why was he still acting like this? Marcus had wanted this divorce for a long time; I was the one who had been holding on too tightly. But seeing his protective attitude toward Hailey made me realize how tired I was. I was so tired that letting go actually felt like a relief. I looked at Marcus. “I’m not throwing a tantrum.” “I’m just making room for her.” Marcus remained silent, his mind seemingly elsewhere. Suddenly, he asked me: “Chloe, don’t you find this exhausting?”

He pinched the bridge of his nose. “We lost that spark we had when we were dating a long time ago. I’m used to having you around, but I can’t find that excitement anymore.” “With Hailey, I actually feel like I’m in a relationship again.” “Every day, you do the exact same things. Your whole life just revolves around me.” “Don’t you get sick of it?” He closed his eyes. “Chloe, I got tired of this kind of life a long time ago.” I stared at Marcus. Suddenly, I couldn’t find any words to say. I had imagined many reasons, but I never expected that Marcus was simply “bored” of our life. He was used to my presence, yet I could no longer stir any feelings in him. With one casual sentence, he had completely shattered everything we had built. I suddenly laughed. “You’re right. It is pretty exhausting.” Marcus was silent for a moment. “Divorce is the best outcome for both of us.” Marcus walked back to his room. I sat on the bed, staring into space for a long time. The next morning, I hired movers to take my luggage away. Just as I reached the door, Marcus called out to me. His tone sounded relieved. “If you ever need help with anything in the future, feel free to ask.” I didn’t reply and walked straight out. On the very night I moved out, Hailey moved in. She even posted a status on Snapchat. It was just a simple “New home! ” caption alongside a photo of her suitcases. Just a day ago, Marcus had said he wouldn’t let Hailey move in. The second I left, he couldn’t wait to bring her over. Hailey even sent me a provocative text message. “Chloe, Marcus said that since I’m pregnant, I should live with him so he can take better care of me. Otherwise, if something bad happens like when you were pregnant, it would be awful.” “Since you and Marcus are getting divorced anyway, you won’t mind, right?” My hand instinctively moved to my stomach. In our third year of marriage, I had gotten pregnant. Later, when I went to Marcus’s office, I walked in on him kissing Hailey. Because of the shock, I tripped, fell, and suffered a miscarriage. Marcus never mentioned Hailey after that incident, and he spent two weeks taking care of me. I lowered my eyes and typed back: [Does being a homewrecker make you feel that proud?] Five minutes later, Marcus called. “Hailey is just childish. You don’t need to take her words to heart, and there’s no need to argue with her.” “About her moving in… I thought about it. She’s a pregnant girl living alone, which isn’t safe, so I brought her here to take care of her.” I laughed. Hearing my laugh, Marcus went silent. “Don’t worry, I won’t lower myself to her level. She’s just a child, so take good care of her. Also, you don’t need to explain anything to me. We are divorced.” Without giving Marcus a chance to speak, I hung up. My hand rested on my stomach. Without any hesitation, I opened my phone and booked an appointment for an abortion. The day the waiting period ended, Marcus and I finalized our divorce. Walking out of the courthouse, Marcus called my name. I didn’t answer, nor did I stop my pace. I got straight into my Uber and left. As soon as Marcus got home, he received a text message from an unknown number. He frowned as he opened and zoomed in on the picture. When he saw the words clearly, his entire body went rigid.

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For the entire year after our daughter was born, my husband slept in the guest room. For our baby’s safety, I installed a 24-hour security camera in the master bedroom. One night, while my husband was in the shower, his phone kept buzzing on the nightstand with Snapchat notifications. I had never once snooped through his phone. But in that exact moment, possessed by some strange instinct, I picked it up. In his chat history, he sent a short clip from our bedroom security camera and a message to the same contact almost every single night after midnight. “Look, I didn’t touch her tonight.” “Don’t worry. I feel sick to my stomach just looking at her. Nothing is going to happen between us.” In those videos, there was me, in the middle of the night, hair messy, holding our crying baby and pacing back and forth in the dark bedroom. There was me, weeping with guilt and exhaustion because our baby was sick. There was even footage of me, half-dressed, breastfeeding in the dark. All of my late-night breakdowns, my loneliness, and my struggles were captured in high definition by that camera. The camera I bought solely to keep our daughter safe. In that moment, it became a double-edged sword piercing through my heart. It was a loyalty test my husband handed to another woman.

I had never checked Ethan’s phone before, so he naturally didn’t have the habit of deleting his chat history. I scrolled up, watching the timeline of their romance unfold. It started with: “Great job on today’s pitch. Get some rest.” Then it became: “What are you up to? I can’t really sleep.” Then came the confession: “From now on, you have a boyfriend.” And after that, it was video after video of me looking exhausted in the middle of the night, followed by Ethan’s reassuring promises. “Don’t worry, I’m sleeping in the study room. I didn’t touch her.” My hands shook so violently that I could barely hold the phone. So this was what it felt like to spy on your husband’s love story with another woman. The sound of running water in the bathroom stopped. I marked the messages as “unread” to hide my tracks, and calmly placed the phone back exactly where it had been. Ethan walked over to me, drying his wet hair with a towel. “Why are you still sitting in the living room? Not tired today, Chloe?” I looked up at him. From eighteen to twenty-eight, a whole decade. I had loved this man for ten years. Seeing that I didn’t answer, Ethan set his towel down and sat beside me. “Why do you look so pale?” “Are you feeling sick? Do you want to go to the clinic?” I took a deep breath. “Ethan, sleep in the master bedroom tonight.” Ethan had to work. After our daughter was born, to make sure he got enough rest, I was the one who suggested he move into the guest room. He was reluctant at first, but over time, we both got used to sleeping apart. This was the first time I had asked him to move back. Ethan froze, seemingly caught off guard by my request. “Why… why the sudden change?” His evasiveness made my heart sink a little further. Perhaps worried that I would get upset, Ethan softened his voice. “Chloe, you know the company is launching a major project right now. I’ve been exhausted lately.” “Plus, I have to work late on my laptop at night sometimes. You’re already drained from taking care of the baby, and Lily is still so small.” “I’m just afraid I’ll wake you guys up and ruin your sleep.” The warmth in Ethan’s eyes was so thick it could almost overflow, and every word he said sounded like it was purely for the sake of me and our daughter. It was the exact same caring husband I had known for the past ten years. If I hadn’t just seen his Snapchat logs, I would have believed every single word.

But now, I just wanted to scream in his face. Really? Is that really what you think? But it wasn’t the right time yet. I forced a smile. “Whatever you think is best.” The moment those words left my mouth, Ethan visibly relaxed. He stood up. “Alright, Chloe. I still have some emails to reply to. I’ll head to the study.” “Get some rest. It’s getting late.” I nodded and didn’t say another word. Only when the study door closed and he completely disappeared from my sight did my tensed shoulders drop. Huge tears splashed down my face. Ethan. Our daughter is only one year old. How could you bear to destroy this family? The next morning, Ethan left for work as usual. After I finished Lily’s morning feeding, I finally started to wash up and look at myself in the mirror. The woman in the glass still had the same face, but her eyes had lost their spark, worn down by the endless cycle of motherhood. Not only that. As a breastfeeding mom, I had barely stepped out of the house over the past year. I lived in baggy pajamas, spent my days makeup-free, and devoted every second of my life to our daughter. Like a flash of lightning, a phrase from Ethan’s chat history echoed in my mind. “I feel sick to my stomach just looking at her.” My chest tightened. I walked into the walk-in closet and sat down at the vanity. I hadn’t put on makeup in over a year. My hands were a bit clumsy, but the muscle memory was still there. Soon, the tired face in the mirror became radiant and striking. I wasn’t trying to prove anything to anyone. But if a woman sacrifices her life to build a home and raise a child, that sacrifice should never become a man’s cheap gossip. And it should never be the weapon a husband uses to humiliate his wife. After putting on a nice dress and doing my makeup, I dressed Lily up and called our driver. “Leo, can you come pick me up?” “I want to drop by Ethan’s office.” Before heading over, I bought boxes of pastries and a tray of iced lattes from Starbucks. Ethan and I had co-founded this design firm right after college. Many of the senior employees still remembered me. But after the company got on the right track and I got pregnant, I gradually stepped back from operations, leaving Ethan in full control. The moment I stepped inside, the receptionist recognized me instantly. “Chloe! What brings you here today?” “Oh my god, is this your daughter? She is absolutely adorable!” I smiled and asked Leo to bring in the drinks and pastries. “Go ahead and share these with everyone. You guys have been working so hard, take a quick coffee break.” The moment I walked into the open office area, the team gathered around me. “Chloe! We missed you so much!” “You always know how to treat us. I desperately needed a sugar rush today.” Inside his private office, Ethan heard the commotion. The second he opened his door, he saw me standing in the center of the crowd, holding our baby. I didn’t miss the flash of pure amazement in his eyes when he looked at my makeup and outfit. He walked over quickly and wrapped a possessive arm around my waist. “What are you doing here today, babe?” Several senior staff members gave us knowing smiles, turning to explain to the newer hires who didn’t know me. “You guys don’t know? This is our co-founder. She used to run the creative department here.” “Look at them. Don’t Chloe and Ethan look perfect together? And their daughter is so beautiful. Ethan really won at life.”

“Seriously, how does Chloe still look like a college student after having a baby? Her figure is perfect, and her skin is glowing. I’m so jealous.” I smiled and chatted with them, but my eyes were casually scanning the room. Feeling the arm around my waist loosen slightly, I followed Ethan’s gaze and landed on a young girl in the crowd who was forcing a smile. She had fair skin and a delicate, pretty face. An employee handed her a coffee. “Here, Maya, grab one. This is a treat from Chloe.” “By the way, you’ve been here less than a year so you haven’t met Chloe yet. This is our boss’s wife. Isn’t she gorgeous?” A flicker of humiliation crossed Maya’s eyes, but she forced herself to nod. I turned to look at Ethan beside me. He was still smiling, but the anxiety in his eyes was painfully obvious. We had been together for ten years. How could I not read him? I smiled at the team. “Alright guys, I just wanted to drop by and say hi.” “I’m going to take the baby home now so you all can get back to work.” Ethan walked me to the elevator and waved with a warm smile. Only when the elevator doors fully closed did his face disappear from my sight. The elevator went down to the first floor. The doors opened and closed, but I didn’t step out. I took a deep breath, and pressed the button for the 18th floor—where Ethan’s office was. The moment the elevator doors slid open again, I saw Ethan anxiously pulling Maya into the stairwell. Nobody noticed me. I softened my steps and crept toward the stairwell door. Ethan had Maya pressed against the wall. The usually calm, successful CEO was now in a complete panic. “Maya, please don’t get the wrong idea. I swear I had no idea she was coming today.” “Please don’t shut me out, okay? I’m literally losing my mind here.” The girl kept her head down. I couldn’t see her face, but I could see her tears splashing onto the floor. Ethan took a deep breath, looking completely helpless as he pulled her into his arms, whispering sweet nothings to comfort her. Listening to his soothing words, for some bizarre reason, I actually wanted to laugh. But as I smiled, hot tears slipped down my face. I knew Ethan. He was the kind of person who could never let a misunderstanding drag on to the next day. In the past, whenever I was upset, he wouldn’t care if I was yelling at him; he would immediately do whatever it took to make things right. “Chloe, my sweet Chloe, you know me.” “Please don’t ignore me. If you don’t talk to me, I won’t be able to sleep tonight.” I had anticipated this exact scene back in his office, which was why I had come right back up. But even though I was mentally prepared, seeing it with my own eyes made my heart sink into a dark abyss. I wiped the tears from my face, held my daughter tighter, and walked back into the elevator. After getting home and putting Lily to sleep, I sat frozen on the balcony sofa, watching the sky fade into darkness. When Ethan finally got home, I was still sitting in the exact same spot, motionless. Ethan walked over, knelt in front of me, and looked up at my face. “What’s wrong? Why haven’t you changed out of your nice clothes yet?” I blinked, finally focusing my eyes on him. After a long silence, I stood up and walked toward the closet. “It’s been so long since I put on makeup and wore a nice dress. I guess I was just reluctant to let it go.” Reluctant to let go of my daughter’s father, reluctant to let go of this home. Ethan didn’t catch the double meaning in my words. He chuckled, walked up behind me, and wrapped his arms around me. “My Chloe looks beautiful in anything.”

He leaned down, trying to find my lips. That movement instantly brought back the scene in the stairwell. I turned my head slightly, dodging his kiss. “I’m really tired today.” Ethan froze. I was the one who asked him to sleep in the master bedroom yesterday, and now I was rejecting him. But I had no energy left to deal with his emotions. I grabbed my pajamas and went straight into the bathroom. After showering, I walked out and saw Ethan sitting on the sofa, working on his laptop. I walked over to him. “Tomorrow is Friday. Let’s go to your parents’ place for dinner.” “They must miss the baby.” Ethan was focused on his screen and didn’t even look up. “Yeah, we should definitely visit. Wait for me at home tomorrow, I’ll leave work early to pick you guys up.” “Chloe, you always handle everything so well. I’m so lucky to have you.” I didn’t reply. I turned and walked into the master bedroom. A second before closing the door, I took one last, long look at Ethan. The man I had loved for ten years. Ethan. This is the last day. The next afternoon, before five o’clock, Ethan and I arrived at his parents’ house. Perhaps because Ethan had called them in advance, the delicious aroma of home-cooked food was already wafting from the kitchen. My mother-in-law happily took Lily from my arms. “You guys haven’t visited in two weeks! I missed Lily so much.” “If you hadn’t come this weekend, your father and I were about to drive over to your place.” I smiled and walked into the living room with Ethan. My father-in-law poked his head out from the kitchen. “Chloe, sit down! Dinner is almost ready.” “I made your favorite roasted salmon today. You have to eat a lot!” Seeing how warm they were, I could barely hold back my tears. Ethan and I met at our freshman orientation week. It was love at first sight for him, and he pursued me relentlessly. On the day he confessed his feelings to me under the sunset by the campus soccer field, I revealed my deepest scar to someone for the first time. “I’m an orphan, Ethan. I don’t have parents. I grew up in a foster home, and I’m only in college because of student loans.” “Don’t waste your time on me. A lot of families would mind my background.” Poverty and being an orphan were the heavy burdens of my eighteen-year-old self. I thought he would be scared away. Instead, his eyes filled with pure tenderness, and he stumbled over his words. “I like you. What does your family background have to do with us?” “And don’t worry about my parents. They’ve always wanted a daughter. They are the sweetest people ever, I promise. No pressure.” “Chloe, I just need to know one thing right now. Do you like me?” The eighteen-year-old boy’s face was flushed, filled with anticipation and shyness. As if under a spell, I nodded. And Ethan hadn’t lied to me. His parents were indeed the best people. Over the years, they never once looked down on me for being an orphan. They never took advantage of the fact that I didn’t have a family to back me up. They treated me like their own daughter and spoiled their granddaughter. But now. This family was about to fall apart. My mother-in-law was the first to notice something was off with my expression. While playing with Lily in her lap, she asked as if it were just a casual thought: “Are you two still sleeping in separate rooms?” I didn’t expect her to bring this up, and I froze. Ethan stammered, unable to find an answer.

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On the eve of my wedding, I caught my fiancé, Caleb, and my bridesmaid, Serena, tearing each other’s clothes off. The two of them didn’t even look guilty. Caleb looked me straight in the eye and said, “I don’t love you, Lyra. I only proposed to get my hands on your father’s throne as the leader of the Goldvein Pack.” I ripped up our marriage contract on the spot and told them both to get the hell out of my sight. As soon as the sun rose, I packed my bags. I swore I would never set foot in the Bramblefall Pack’s territory again. But just as my convoy crossed the border, we were blocked. Kian, the Alpha of the Ashford Pack, was standing right in the middle of the road with his men. This was the Wolf King—notorious for being cold, ruthless, and completely uninterested in women. He looked at me, his deep voice sending shivers down my spine. “Lyra, I’ve loved you from afar for years. I don’t want to take advantage of your pain, but I want to give you a marriage with dignity and all the respect you deserve. Marry me. Be the Luna of the Ashford Pack.” Heartbroken and exhausted, I nodded. Our alliance shook the entire North American werewolf community. Everyone said we were a match made in heaven. Kian was incredibly attentive. He gave me everything I could ever ask for. But after three years of marriage, I still wasn’t pregnant. Kian told me that because of his powerful Alpha lineage, conceiving was naturally difficult. He told me not to rush. To have a baby of our own, I drank bitter herbal medicine every single day for three years. Even when I was throwing up so hard I could barely stand, I never complained. Finally, in our third year, I got a positive pregnancy test. The whole pack celebrated. Kian treated me like I was made of glass. I genuinely thought I had stepped out of the shadows of my past and found real happiness. Until my eighth month of pregnancy. I went to the clinic for a routine checkup and overheard Kian talking to the doctor in the private consulting room. “Alpha Kian, the fetus is developing perfectly. The due date is in two weeks.” “But I still don’t understand… Luna Lyra is your true mate. Why did you insist on transferring your and Serena’s embryo into her womb?”

Kian’s voice was completely nonchalant. “Serena is just a low-ranking Omega. Her status is too low. A child born from her would never be respected enough to inherit my title as Alpha.” “Only by carrying the baby in Lyra’s womb can this child secure the inheritance.” “This way, Serena will be taken care of for the rest of her life.” I leaned against the freezing wall, all the strength draining from my legs. It was all an act. Three years of devotion, three years of sweet words… all a trap. A sick, twisted trap. Hearing footsteps approaching, I scrambled into the nearby emergency stairwell. Pressing my back against the cold concrete, I covered my mouth to muffle my sobs. Only after the hallway fell completely silent did I drag my numb body downstairs. The lobby was bustling with pack members. I stood there, my eyes burning with unshed tears. It didn’t take long for Kian to find me. He rushed over, his face pale with anxiety and concern. “Lyra! Why did you come down by yourself? I told you to wait for me in the room while I talked to the doctor.” “You weren’t answering your phone. You scared me to death.” He leaned down and kissed my forehead gently, his eyes filled with warmth. It was the exact same loving gaze he had given me for three years. But looking at his face now only made me feel icy cold. “I was looking for the restroom and got lost,” I said quietly, my voice surprisingly steady. Kian chuckled, tapping my nose playfully. “My little directionally-challenged Luna. What am I going to do with you?” Once we got into the car, he buckled my seatbelt and brought something up, trying to sound casual. “By the way, Serena’s birthday party is in a few days. The pack elders and our allies will all be there. What happened back then was years ago, and she’s just doing administrative work for the pack now. So…” “Sure, I’ll go,” I replied calmly. “I didn’t make a scene years ago, and I won’t start now. Don’t worry.” Kian visibly relaxed, a bright smile spreading across his face. “I knew my wife was the most reasonable woman. I’m so lucky to have you.” I turned my head to look out the window, watching the trees blur past to hide the coldness in my eyes. Right. Reasonable. He only married me because I was “sensible” enough to quietly carry his and his mistress’s baby, didn’t he? For the past three years, every time I choked down that bitter medicine, he would hold me tightly and say it was okay if we didn’t have kids. But then, he would “accidentally” mention how cute other Alphas’ pups were. Every single word was designed to make me willingly suffer for him. Late that night, after Kian fell asleep, I took his phone and crept into the study. The passcode was Serena’s birthday. The wallpaper was a photo of Serena in a white dress standing under a cherry blossom tree. I opened his photo gallery. It was packed with photos of her, taking up almost his entire storage. The very top photo was a group shot from years ago when I first introduced Serena to Caleb and Kian. I remembered Kian looking annoyed back then, complaining about taking “useless group photos.” But now, both Caleb and I had been cropped out of the picture. Only Kian and Serena remained. It was the same for all the other photos. Even the photos Serena posted on Instagram with Caleb—Caleb’s face was cropped out, leaving only her smiling face. Pack ribbon-cuttings, charity galas, and private dinners I had never heard about. In every single photo, his eyes were locked onto Serena with a tenderness that made my stomach turn. With shaking fingers, I opened their Snapchat history. He replied to her messages instantly. Always. He sent her huge sums of money on Venmo—all ending in the digits of her birthday. Even the dates of our pack’s business contracts were aligned with her birthday. And our wedding day… it was on Serena’s birthday. I had asked him back then if we could change the date. He told me the elders had calculated it to be the most auspicious day for the pack, telling me not to overthink it. There was no auspicious day. Even though I was the one wearing the white dress, he had made her the true main character of our wedding.

In our three years of marriage, he never allowed me to call him during work hours. Once, when I had severe abdominal pain during my early pregnancy, I called him in a panic. He blew up at me, calling me immature and accusing me of ruining a major business merger. I felt incredibly hurt, but I forced myself to be understanding because of his heavy responsibilities. Now I realized it wasn’t about the business. It was just me. I was never the one who mattered. I let out a bitter laugh and closed the phone. I dialed the private number of Chloe, my best friend and the chief physician of the Goldvein Pack. “Chloe, arrange a procedure for me. I want to terminate the pregnancy in three days.” Three days. That was enough time to say goodbye to this lie. I set a countdown timer on my phone as a silent reminder. Returning to the bedroom, I stared at Kian’s handsome face as he slept peacefully. The cruel truth replayed in my mind like a horror movie. Tears soaked my pillow. I didn’t sleep a wink. The next morning, I sat at the dining table, waiting for him. He came downstairs with his usual warm smile. “Why are you up so early, babe? Pregnant women need their sleep.” I smiled and said nothing. Just then, my phone buzzed. He caught a glimpse of the word “Doctor” on the lock screen and frowned. “A message from the clinic? Is something wrong with the baby?” I turned off the screen and acted natural. “Nothing. Just spam. Data leaks are getting out of hand these days.” “Didn’t you say the mining investors are coming today? Hurry up and eat so you won’t be late.” He wrapped his arms around me from behind, resting his chin on my shoulder. “I must have saved a kingdom in my past life to end up with a wife as perfect as you.” I forced a smile that didn’t reach my eyes. “Wait until our anniversary, babe. I have a huge surprise for you.” “Great. I can’t wait.” He really went all out just to make sure I delivered his and Serena’s baby. But this marriage of lies was about to end. As soon as Kian left, I drove straight to the Pack Elders’ Council. The Elder in charge of marital contracts stood up immediately to greet me. When I told him I wanted to dissolve the marriage, his jaw dropped. He kept asking for the reason, asking how much territory and assets I wanted to claim in the divorce. “I don’t want a single dime,” I said calmly. “Just sign the papers. Effective immediately.” Under the Elder’s shocked gaze, I took the printed divorce agreement and left. On my way back, I stopped by Kian’s office building. Before I even reached the entrance, I heard the receptionists gossiping in the lobby. “Is that girl really the Alpha’s first love? She’s stunning. Better looking than most influencers.” “You have no idea. All the limited-edition jewelry and furs our pack imports are named after her. Last month, she casually mentioned she liked that million-dollar moonstone necklace, and the Alpha bought it at the auction without blinking.” “No wonder we keep renewing our unprofitable partnership with the Bramblefall Pack. It’s just so the Alpha can see his dream girl more often.” I didn’t stop. I walked straight up to the penthouse suite. The office door wasn’t fully closed. The muffled, heavy breathing coming from inside made me freeze. Peering through the gap, what I saw made my stomach heave. Clothes were scattered all over the floor. Serena was sitting on Kian’s mahogany desk, her pale legs wrapped tightly around his waist. “Kian, you’re the only one who truly cares about me. You knew carrying a baby would ruin my body, so you made Lyra do it for me. If I had to rely on Caleb, I don’t know how I’d survive.” Her voice was dripping with sweet triumph. Kian kissed her neck, gasping, “Does Caleb treat you well? Has he been hurting you?” “Oh, he’s obsessed with me. He gives me whatever I want. He just bought me that private island estate last week.” Kian’s voice carried a hint of bitterness. “As long as he treats you well, I can bear it.” Serena snuggled closer into his chest, her voice softening. “Kian, you’re so good to me. Since I can’t marry you, this is the only way I can repay you…”

Before she could finish, Kian pressed his lips hard against hers. I had never seen this side of Kian. With me, he was always disciplined, distant, and composed. But here, he was desperate, wild, and out of control. The disgusting scene made me want to throw up. I turned around and walked out of the building. Back at the villa, I ripped down every single wedding photo from the walls, smashed the frames, and threw them into the fireplace, watching them burn to ash. Kian didn’t come home that night. Serena posted a new update on her Instagram. Against a background of expensive silver fireworks, a pile of limited-edition designer bags and jewelry was on display. The caption read: [Someone decided to celebrate my birthday early. Just the two of us.] In the corner of the photo, a silver cufflink in the shape of a wolf’s head was visible. It was a custom-made coming-of-age gift I had personally designed for Kian. I let out a cold laugh and liked the post. Then, I turned off my phone and went back to packing my bags. The next morning, Kian finally called to explain. “Lyra, there was an emergency at the mine yesterday. I was working until 3:00 AM. It was too late, and I didn’t want to wake you, so I slept at the office.” “Yeah, it’s fine. Work comes first.” He let out a sigh of relief. “You’re the best, babe. I’ll have my driver pick you up for the birthday party tonight. Make sure to dress up beautifully.” After hanging up, I stood in front of the mirror. Looking at my exhausted face and my heavily swollen belly that could no longer fit into any elegant dress, I laughed at myself. Dress up? For what? No matter what I wore, I could never compete with the girl in his heart. That evening, the driver dropped me off at the birthday gala. Serena stood in the center of the crowd, her curves hugged by a stunning silver-white gown, surrounded by the luxury jewelry Kian had bought her. The moment I walked in wearing a loose, plain maternity dress, the surrounding wolves threw throwing-shade looks at me. Kian frowned, a flash of annoyance in his eyes. “Why did you wear that? I told you to dress up.” “None of my dresses fit anymore,” I said flatly. His expression softened slightly, but he quickly turned back to network with the Alphas of other packs. Serena walked over with a fake, sweet smile, grabbing my arm and offering to take me to the second-floor VIP lounge to rest. The moment the door closed, her fake smile vanished. She looked me up and down like I was a piece of trash. “Lyra, look at you. Pregnancy really ruined you, didn’t it?” “But I bet you didn’t know… the baby in your belly actually belongs to me.” “Kian couldn’t bear to see me suffer through pregnancy. He wanted our child to inherit the Ashford Pack legitimately, so he used you, the precious daughter of the Goldvein Pack, as a incubator.” “You should really thank me. If I hadn’t given you this chance, you wouldn’t even be the Luna of this pack. He wouldn’t even look at you!” I shook with anger. A sharp, stabbing pain shot through my abdomen, and my face went completely pale. A malicious glint flashed in her eyes. She grabbed a glass of red wine from the table and splashed it all over her own dress. Then, she let out a piercing scream. The door was kicked open. Kian rushed in and immediately pulled Serena into his arms. He glared at me, his eyes blazing with fury. “Lyra! What the hell are you doing?” “Serena was nice enough to bring you up here to rest, and you throw wine at her? You said you let go of the past, so why are you acting like a psycho now?” Serena whimpered in his arms, covering her face. “Kian, don’t blame Lyra… I just wanted to clear the air. I joked about wanting to be the baby’s godmother…” “But she… forget it. It was my fault for what happened with Caleb years ago. Just let this be my apology to her.” Kian’s face was terrifyingly dark. “Lyra, apologize to Serena. Right now.” I looked him dead in the eye. “Apologize? Shouldn’t the two of you be apologizing to me instead?”

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On our wedding day, the man made love to me three times in the backseat of the car. I lay there, weak and boneless, watching his back disappear through the entrance of the private club, my heart still sweet with happiness. Then I picked up the cuff link he had accidentally left behind and followed him inside. Before I reached the private room, I froze. My own breathless moans echoed from behind the door. “Julian, who would’ve thought Aria, the quiet little sweetheart, is such a wildcat in bed?” I stood rooted outside as the man who had whispered, *”A little louder,”* barely half an hour earlier lounged lazily against the sofa. “She really is,” Julian replied coolly. Someone turned to the man sitting beside him with a grin. “Hunter, making Julian pretend to be you and string Aria along for two whole years… that’s a hell of a move.” “And when she finds out even the marriage certificate is fake…” “…do you think she’ll lose her mind on the spot?” The blood drained from my face in an instant.

Aria’s POV On the day of our wedding, he took me three times in the back of the limousine. I was so thoroughly overwhelmed, crying and whispering between soft gasps, “Please, Julian… baby, stop.” Only then did he smile with deep satisfaction, kissing the tears from my swollen eyes. I lay slumped across the leather backseat, my body completely drained of strength, aching in every joint. Julian casually adjusted his designer suit, leaning down to plant a soft, lingering kiss on my lips. “I have a private celebration with the guys. Go home and get some rest first, okay?” I nodded weakly. I hated going to his parties anyway. His friends always looked at me with this strange, knowing smirk that made my skin crawl. I watched his tall, elegant figure disappear into the exclusive VIP club entrance, a sweet, warm flutter rising in my chest. For two years, from the moment our families set us up on that first date to our courtship and today’s wedding, he had spoiled me to the bone. Even though in the bedroom, he was always so insatiable, completely ignoring my pleas for mercy. My cheeks flushed at the memory. But I had to admit, he was incredibly skilled. He had endless stamina and a taste for variety. Over the past two years, he had introduced me to so many wild places and positions. He also loved recording videos. At first, I hated it. Every time he lifted his iPhone, I would turn my face away in sheer embarrassment. But he would hold me tight, whispering in his deep, husky voice, “When I’m away on business trips, I need to see you, Aria. Please?” And my heart would melt. I was always willing to make compromises for the man I knew as Hunter Vance. As the car door shut, I leaned back to rest. That was when I noticed the custom diamond cufflinks I had gifted him lying forgotten on the adjacent seat. Suppressing the ache in my lower body, I gathered my strength, grabbed the cufflinks, and headed into the club to return them to him. The VIP lounge door was left slightly ajar. Just as I reached out to push it open, a sharp, ragged gasp echoed from inside. I froze instantly. That was my voice. That was the sound I had made in the back of the limo just half an hour ago! “Jesus, Julian! Aria always acts like such an innocent, quiet girl in public. Who knew she was such a wild little slut in bed?” “Right? Listen to her moan. Damn, that’s hot!” “Come on, Julian, you’ve got a whole archive of these on your Snapchat, don’t you? AirPlay it! Let us all have a listen!” The room erupted into loud, malicious laughter. It felt as though a bucket of icy water had been dumped over my head. Every drop of blood drained from my face. Shocked, I peered through the crack at the man sitting in the center of the velvet sofa. Julian Carter?! Why were they calling him Julian? His name was supposed to be Hunter Vance! The man leaned back lazily, swirling a glass of whiskey, a cruel, mocking smirk playing on his lips as he tapped his phone screen. My voice was blaring right from his speakers. “She is quite wild,” he murmured indifferently, taking a slow sip. I could barely believe my eyes. Just thirty minutes ago, this exact man had held me in his arms, whispering, “Louder, baby, I love it when you scream my name.” The crowd laughed louder, turning to the cold, silent man sitting right next to him. “Hunter, you have got to admit, having Julian swap identities with you to play Aria for two whole years, that is the most genius scheme ever.” “Man, when she finds out her husband isn’t just a fake, but that fake marriage certificate you guys printed is a total sham, do you think she will lose her mind on the spot?” My brain exploded. A loud buzzing filled my ears, and my body broke into a cold sweat. I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t think. Wasn’t my husband’s name Hunter Vance? Then who was the man they were addressing as “Hunter”? If that man was the real Hunter Vance… then who on earth had I been sleeping with for the past two years? What did they mean by “swap identities”? What did they mean by “fake marriage certificate”?! I stared, paralyzed, at the stranger sitting next to Julian. He had a cold, chiseled profile, and right beneath his ear was a very distinct, bow-shaped birthmark. In his hand, he was casually spinning a pink candy-shaped hair tie. My pupils dilated in absolute horror. I knew that birthmark. Twenty years ago, when I was still a little girl in the orphanage, there was an older boy named Seven who protected me. He had that exact birthmark. And that hair tie… it was mine. It was the parting gift I had given Seven the day his wealthy biological parents came to take him away. So… Hunter Vance was Seven?!

Aria’s POV The pieces of the puzzle began to violently crash together in my mind. Those men just said Hunter had Julian impersonate him. I remembered that on “Hunter’s” phone, there was always a pinned contact named Julian. So… The man I had actually married, the man who went to family matchmaking dinners, who courted me, who lived with me, was Julian Carter. He had used Hunter’s name to deceive me from day one. Hunter’s cold, mocking voice cut through my chaotic thoughts. “Just wait until Chloe’s birthday party. Julian, we’ll project Aria’s finest videos on the grand screen. I want the entire high society of New York to see what Christian King’s precious little sister really is behind closed doors.” “Let’s see if Christian still dares to look down on us.” “We are going to make sure Chloe gets her sweet revenge.” “Though,” Hunter turned to Julian, “Julian, man, thanks for putting up with this for so long.” Julian locked his phone with a click. “It was nothing.” “Chloe loved Christian so much back in college, but that arrogant bastard rejected her in front of the whole school, making her a laughingstock, and then had his military buddies humiliate her family. We had to settle this score for her.” The blood in my veins turned to solid ice. I clutched the door frame, gasping for air, my knees trembling so violently I could barely stand. The man who had shared my bed, comforted me when I was sick, and held me through the night for two long years… was a lie. His name was Julian Carter. When he kissed my eyes during our most intimate moments and whispered, “I love you more than life itself, Aria,” it was a lie. When he drove across New York in the dead of a winter blizzard just to bring me my favorite warm chestnut cake, it was a lie. The perfect husband, the perfect lover, the perfect romance… it was a meticulously crafted trap. But how? His eyes had been so warm. His passion had felt so incredibly real. How could anyone fake that for two years? I didn’t want to believe it. “Hey Julian, don’t keep them all to yourself! You only let us hear the audio. Let us see some of the videos too! You took tons of them, didn’t you?” “Yeah, Aria’s got a killer body. Let us appreciate it too!” Julian declined instantly, his voice sharp. “You’ll see them at the birthday gala. On the big screen. It’ll be much clearer then.” The group burst into another round of crude laughter. “Man, I can’t wait for Chloe’s gala in two weeks! Not only do we get to strip Aria of her innocent little mask, but we get to see the look on Christian’s face!” “Exactly! I’ve been waiting to see Christian King fall from his high horse. Every time my dad meets him at charity events, he comes home and lectures me, comparing me to him. It’s disgusting!” “Hey, after you guys are done playing with her, pass her over to us. Aria always acts so pure and untouchable, but she sounds like an absolute siren in bed. That kind of contrast must be insane to play with.” Hunter let out a disdainful chuckle. “You guys aren’t worried about getting dirty?” The vulgar jokes continued to pile up, suffocating me. Tears streamed down my cheeks, hot and bitter. I tightly pressed my hands over my mouth, desperate to stifle my sobs. My parents were national heroes, scientists who sacrificed their lives in a laboratory accident when I was very young. I grew up in an orphanage. Back then, when the older kids bullied me, Seven was the one who stood in front of me, taking the hits. When his parents found him, he held my pink hair tie tightly and promised, “Candy, I will come back for you when we grow up.” I still kept the wooden toy block he gave me in my most treasured jewelry box. Through all the hardships of my life, the memory of Seven had been my anchor, my hope. But I never could have imagined that when I finally met him again after twenty years, he would be the monster pushing me straight into hell. I kept screaming inside my head, This isn’t real. It can’t be. Julian’s voice cut through the noise, silencing the room. “That’s enough. Don’t bring up sharing her again.” “Why, Julian? Don’t tell me you’ve actually caught feelings for her?” Julian swirled his drink, his voice devoid of any emotion. “She’s just a toy. Why would I care about a toy?” “After the birthday gala, both she and Christian will never be able to hold their heads up in New York again.”

Aria’s POV I stumbled out of the club like a ghost. It was the dead of winter, and large snowflakes began to drift down from the dark sky, landing on my bare shoulders. Yet, I felt absolutely nothing. My body was numb; my entire world had shattered into a million sharp pieces. I was adopted by the King family. Christian was my foster parents’ only biological son, and he was my older brother. He had loved and protected me since we were kids. When I first arrived at the King estate, I was terrified, too scared to eat or play. My foster parents were renowned research scientists, practically living in their laboratories. It was Christian who took my hand, fed me, played with me, and introduced me proudly to everyone as his little sister. Chloe Albright was my high school classmate. She had been obsessed with Christian for as long as I could remember. At first, Chloe tried to get close to me just to grab Christian’s attention. But during our high school graduation prom, Chloe publicly confessed her love to Christian in front of the entire class. Christian rejected her flatly, and she was utterly humiliated. From that day on, Chloe became my worst nightmare. She put laxatives in my water bottle, making me a laughingstock at school. She stuffed dead rats into my locker to terrify me. She cornered me in the girls’ restroom, slapping my face, pulling my hair, and forcing me to drink dirty water from the floor. By then, Christian was already away at military academy. I didn’t want to worry my foster parents, so I endured it all in silence, never saying a word. But my silence only made Chloe more vicious. For five years, all through high school, Chloe bullied me mercilessly until I finally left for college in another city. I thought my nightmare was over. I had no idea I had never escaped. Two years ago, my foster father arranged a setup for me with the son of an old family friend from overseas. Hunter Vance. Or rather, Julian Carter pretending to be Hunter. On our first date, Julian was quiet but incredibly attentive. He asked about my food preferences and listened to my thoughts with absolute focus. Ever since Christian joined the special forces, no one had looked after me like that. Julian was different. When I was sick, he would show up at my apartment with medicine immediately, staying by my side all night. When I worked late at the news agency, he would wait downstairs in his car, sending me a text: “Here to take you home, sweetheart.” For two years, he treated me like royalty, placing me on a pedestal. I thought I had finally found the man I would spend the rest of my life with. But now, I knew it was all a staged performance. “Julian, you’ve got serious patience, acting the devoted husband for two whole years.” “It’s just acting. I tell her what to do, and she does it. Very obedient.” Their mocking words echoed in my head like a death knell. I clutched my chest, unable to draw in a single breath. I didn’t even know who to hate more. My legal fiancé, the real Hunter Vance, had never even shown his face to me. And the man I had slept next to for two years, I only just learned his real name today. No wonder Julian hated it when I called him “Hunter” in bed. Every time I cried out “Hunter” in his arms, he would grip me harder, pushing deeper, forcing me to call him “baby” or “Julian” before he would let me go. I staggered into a quiet bar down the street, ordering shot after shot, pouring the burning liquid down my throat. My mind became hazy, but the agonizing pain in my heart only grew sharper. Hours later, I stumbled back to the empty villa we called home. I dug out our marriage certificate from the safe, my hands trembling as I inspected it. The paper was cheap, the seal imitation. It was such a lazy forgery. But of course. If the man was fake, how could the marriage certificate be real? Everything was a lie. My tears soaked the fake document, smudging the names written on it. Suddenly, my phone rang. It was Helen, my foster mother. I respected my foster parents deeply, though we had grown distant over the years due to their endless research projects. “Mom,” I whispered, forcing down the sob in my throat. “Aria, sweetheart, how are you?” Helen’s voice was naturally quiet, but warm. “I’m doing great, Mom. Don’t worry about me.” I wiped my tears quickly. “How are you and Dad?” “We are doing well,” Helen said, her tone softening. “Aria, your father and I have made a decision. We’re getting older, and I’m retiring next month. We want to move abroad to Australia and live a quiet life by the coast.” “That’s wonderful, Mom! When are you leaving? I’ll come to the airport to see you off.” I fully supported them. They had given their lives to science; they deserved peace. “Aria, we want you to come with us. Your news agency has an international bureau in Sydney. You can request a transfer.” She paused. “Talk it over with Hunter. You two can come together. You have no other family left in New York besides us, and we don’t feel comfortable leaving you behind.” Hunter? My foster mother had no idea that the “Hunter Vance” they had introduced to me was currently plotting to destroy their son and daughter. If this were yesterday, I would have refused. I would have insisted on staying in New York with Julian. But now, there was absolutely nothing left for me here. “Okay, Mom. Let’s go together.” “Really?” Helen sounded overjoyed. “Wonderful! We’ll handle your visa and transfer paperwork. We leave in two weeks.” I hung up the phone and looked around the grand villa. This was supposed to be our marital home. I had designed every corner of it myself. I had handpicked every piece of furniture, every plate, and every curtain. I thought I was building a sanctuary of love. Instead, I had built a beautiful stage for my own execution.

Aria’s POV After hanging up, I collapsed onto the bed. Having spent hours wandering in the freezing snow, my body began to shake uncontrollably, and my forehead burned with a raging fever. I didn’t even have the energy to reach for a blanket. I drifted into a dark, heavy sleep. I don’t know how much time passed before I heard the click of the front door. Heavy footsteps approached, and my bedroom door was thrown open. “Aria, why are you still in bed at this hour?” Julian didn’t even notice my flushed, feverish face. He grabbed my arm and pulled me out of bed. “Chloe is back. Get up and come greet her.” I stumbled, nearly falling over as he dragged me into the living room. The sight before me instantly cleared my hazy mind. Standing in our living room were Chloe Albright and Hunter Vance. “Chloe heard we got married and flew back from London just to congratulate us,” Julian said, his voice softening unconsciously as he looked at Chloe. “And this is Chloe’s fiancé… Julian Carter.” I looked at the man introduced as “Julian Carter,” who was actually the real Hunter Vance, and quickly looked away. Hunter’s icy gaze swept over me with utter disdain, but when he turned to Chloe, his expression melted into pure tenderness. I clenched my fists. After all these years, Chloe was standing in my house, while I was shivering with a high fever, looking pathetic and weak. “Aria, long time no see.” Chloe stepped forward, wrapping her arm around mine with fake intimacy. She leaned in, whispering in my ear, “Still as pathetic as ever, I see. You look like a stray dog no one wants.” I yanked my arm back and took a step away, my eyes filled with defensive anger. Julian’s brow furrowed, clearly displeased by my reaction. Chloe let out a soft, delicate cough, looking incredibly frail. “The flight was so cold, and my stomach is acting up. Julian, could you ask your maid to make me some hot oatmeal?” “Aria, go make it,” Julian ordered immediately. “Aria’s cooking is great, Chloe. You’re in for a treat.” I stared at Julian. “I have a fever. I’m sick.” Julian’s face darkened instantly, his eyebrows knitting into a tight scowl. “Stop throwimg a tantrum. Chloe flew all this way for us. You didn’t even go to the airport, and now you won’t even make her a simple bowl of oatmeal?” Of course. In Julian’s eyes, because Chloe was here, my sickness was just a dramatic act. I let out a bitter, silent laugh. My body was entirely drained of strength. I didn’t want to waste my breath arguing with them, so I turned and walked into the kitchen. When the first bowl of oatmeal was served, Chloe took a bite and frowned. “It’s too salty.” I took a deep breath, took it back to the kitchen, and remade it. The second time, she said it was too bland. The third time, she complained about the texture. By the fifth time, Chloe walked into the kitchen alone, shutting the door behind her. “So, you know now, don’t you? About Hunter and Julian swapping places to play you like a fool?” Chloe smirked, her eyes gleaming with malice. “Then you must also know that Hunter is your precious ‘Seven’ from the orphanage, right?” She leaned closer, her voice dripping with venom. “He promised to protect you forever, yet he doesn’t even recognize your face now.” I kept my head down, ignoring her, but my hands began to tremble violently. “Want to know a secret? He thinks I am Candy. He’s been treating me like a queen all these years because of it.” Chloe’s laughter grew wilder. “I wonder… if Christian finds out his beloved little sister has been shared by two men for two years, will he lose his mind? Will he break his precious military codes and rush back to save you?” Before the words fully left her mouth, Chloe suddenly threw herself backward. She grabbed the pot of boiling oatmeal and poured it over her own hand. The skin of her wrist turned instantly raw and red. “Ahhh!” she screamed. The two men burst into the kitchen. Hunter rushed forward, catching Chloe in his arms, inspecting her hand with intense panic. “What happened? Chloe, are you okay?” He whipped his head around, glaring at me with murderous eyes. “I didn’t know Julian’s wife could be so vicious.” Julian’s face was even darker. Whether it was anger or jealousy over Hunter holding Chloe, his eyes were filled with disgust as he looked at me. “Aria, you and your brother bullied Chloe back in school, and she never held a grudge.” “I can’t believe that after all these years, you’re still this cruel!” Julian’s voice was freezing. “Go out to the terrace. Stand in the snow until you learn how to apologize.” I stared at him, my last shred of hope dying. “I didn’t push her.” “I have a fever. My knees can’t take the cold. You know this, Julian.” Julian knew about the chronic joint damage in my knees. He used to protect them carefully, never letting me get cold. For a second, Julian’s eyes flickered with hesitation. Even Hunter’s brow furrowed slightly when he heard about my knees. But Chloe chose that moment to whimper softly, “Julian, please, it’s fine. Aria clearly doesn’t want me here. I should just leave.” “Julian!” Hunter barked, warning his friend. Julian’s expression turned completely cold. “Take her coat. Put her out on the terrace.” Two burly bodyguards stepped forward. Without a word, they stripped off my heavy coat and dragged me toward the glass doors, shoving me out onto the freezing, snow-covered terrace.

Aria’s POV The snow was still falling heavily. Standing on the freezing stone floor in nothing but my thin indoor clothes, the cold bit into my bones, and my knees began to ache with a blinding, white-hot agony. When we were kids at the orphanage, Seven had fallen through thin ice into a freezing pond. I had jumped in without a second thought, dragging him out with all my might. Since then, I had suffered from chronic joint pain. Seven knew how much I feared the cold. Back then, he would wrap his oversized coat around me. “Candy, as long as I’m here, I’ll never let you freeze.” I also remembered Julian holding me on winter nights, whispering, “My sweet girl is so sensitive to the cold. I’ll never let you freeze.” Yet now, they had pushed me into the freezing winter night themselves. While they sat inside the warm, heated living room, whispering comforting words to Chloe. My heart died completely. The last spark of warmth in my soul was extinguished. I don’t know how long I stood there before my legs finally gave out, and I collapsed into the snow. When I opened my eyes again, I was lying in a hospital bed. The doctor looked at me with deep sympathy. “The chronic damage in your knees is severe. If you don’t take care of them, you might lose the ability to walk properly.” I nodded silently. The door opened, and Julian walked in, his face filled with worry and regret. Seeing him, the doctor scolded, “Are you her husband? How could you let her get this cold? Her joints cannot take this kind of trauma!” Julian looked incredibly guilty. He sat on the edge of the bed, pulling me into his arms and kissing my lips softly. “I’m so sorry, Aria. I didn’t mean to leave you out there for so long. It’s just… Chloe was in so much pain, and we had to rush her to the ER, so I…” I closed my eyes, refusing to look at him. So he simply forgot about me. Julian squeezed my hand. “You guys were classmates. Let bygones be bygones. You’re my wife now. You need to be magnanimous and kind, not petty and resentful.” My eyes remained dead and hollow. On the day I was discharged, Julian drove me home, only for us to find Chloe already settled in our villa. She was wearing my silk pajamas and my slippers, lounging on our sofa like she owned the place. I froze at the entrance. How could he? How dared he let Chloe move into our home? But Julian acted as if it were completely normal. “Aria, the Albright family has gone bankrupt, and Chloe has nowhere to go. Staying at a hotel is so lonely, so I invited them to stay with us for a while.” Hunter walked down the stairs, casting a cold, indifferent glance at me. “Is Julian’s wife really that fragile? A little cold and she ends up in the hospital?” Julian explained, “Aria has a chronic knee injury from childhood. She fell into freezing water and is extremely sensitive to the cold.” Hunter’s eyes flickered. He seemed about to ask something. But Chloe quickly interrupted, “I’m tired, Hunter. Let’s go rest.” Hunter’s expression softened. “Go on up, Chloe.” They walked up the stairs together, hand in hand. I watched them disappear around the corner of the hallway, listening to their bedroom door click shut. Forcing down the agony in my chest, I walked silently back to my own room. Julian saw the way I looked at Hunter. His face darkened, and he followed me into the bedroom, locking the door. He crawled onto the bed, pinning me down and biting my earlobe with a possessive grip. “Aria, your man is right here. Stop staring at another man’s fiancé, understand?” Anger flared in my chest. I wanted to scream the truth in his face, to tear off his mask of lies. But I forced myself to hold back. I had more important things to do. “I understand,” I whispered. Seeing my obedience, Julian’s mood seemed to improve. He stroked my hair. “We are married now, Aria. You need to drop your bad habits. Just be a good, obedient girl, okay?” I lowered my eyes, hiding the utter disgust in them. His hands began to slide under my clothes. “Aria…” My body went stiff as a board, a wave of nausea washing over me. “I’m on my period. It’s not convenient.” Julian frowned slightly, but eventually let go of me. “Fine. Just let me hold you.” Before long, the sound of his steady, heavy breathing filled the room. I opened my eyes, waiting until I was absolutely sure he was asleep before gently slipping his phone from the nightstand. I had never looked at his phone before, and I didn’t know his passcode. I tried my birthday. Error. I tried his birthday. Error. Finally, I typed in Chloe’s birthday. The screen unlocked.

Aria’s POV I let out a cold, silent laugh. Opening his photo album, I selected the hundreds of private videos and photos of me, hit delete, and permanently cleared the trash folder. Once it was done, I finally breathed a long sigh of relief. Next, I opened his Snapchat and found their private group chat with his wealthy friends. I scrolled up through the chat history. For two years, they had been mocking me behind my back. “Julian, Aria looks so pure and untouchable. How did you get her into bed so fast?” “Just a few sweet words and some flowers, and she lays down and does whatever I want.” I clenched my teeth, scrolling further. “Julian, make sure you don’t accidentally get her pregnant. You’ll never get rid of her then.” “I’d never let her carry my child. She isn’t worthy.” Every sweet memory, every gentle promise, and every midnight whisper shattered into worthless, ugly shards of glass. But the text that truly chilled me to my core was from Hunter: “Once you’re done playing with her, destroy her. If she tries to cling to you, I don’t mind disposing of her myself.” The boy who had promised to protect me at all costs now wanted to strip me of my dignity and throw me to the wolves. I was completely, utterly done. I exited the group chat and opened Julian’s direct messages with Chloe. “Chloe, Aria was begging me not to go on the business trip today. I told her I had an urgent board meeting.” “Thanks for putting up with her, Julian. Once the truth is out, you won’t have to deal with her disgusting presence anymore.” I scrolled up. On my birthday last year, Julian told me he had an emergency meeting in Chicago and left after giving me a cheap brooch. In reality, he had flown to Miami to spend the weekend on a yacht with Chloe. And when my grandmother passed away. I had called him dozens of times, crying, but he kept saying he was stuck in crucial negotiations in London. According to their chat logs, he was actually spending Christmas with Chloe in Paris. Not a single tear fell from my eyes. I put the phone back exactly where it was and stared at Julian’s sleeping face. This face, which I had loved with every fiber of my being, now filled me with nothing but absolute disgust. I never wanted to look at it again. The next morning, I was choked awake by thick smoke. I ran to the window and saw Chloe in the backyard, burning something in a metal bin. Once I realized what she was burning, my heart stopped, and I ran downstairs. “Stop it! Stop!” I screamed, rushing at her to grab the items from her hands. “Give them back to me!” It was a stack of old polaroids. They were the only photos I had left of my biological parents. Most of them had already been turned to ash inside the fire bin. Only a few remained in her hands. Chloe giggled, stepping back. “Give them back? Sure. If you give me the wooden block.” So that was why she had moved in. She wanted the wooden toy block Seven had given me, the ultimate proof of identity. “I lost that block years ago! Give me the photos!” “Lost? Oh, what a shame!” Chloe threw the remaining photos directly into the roaring flames. “You better hope you really lost it.” I ignored the heat, reaching my hands directly into the fire to pull out the burning photos. Chloe whispered maliciously, “Because even if you find it, Hunter will only believe you stole it from me!” Just then, the sound of a car arriving echoed from the driveway. Seeing this, Chloe quickly scratched her own wrist against the metal bin, then pretended to struggle with me over the fire. “What are you doing?!” Julian and Hunter rushed into the backyard, immediately pulling Chloe away from the fire. “It’s my fault… I thought they were just old, useless papers, so I wanted to clean up. I didn’t know they were Aria’s things…” Chloe sobbed hysterically. She wasn’t burned at all, but the scratches on her wrist looked red and dramatic. Hunter’s face darkened as he inspected her wrist. “Did she do this to you?” I was on my knees, frantically pulling the last half-burnt photo out of the ash, my hands covered in painful, blistering burns. I couldn’t care less about their drama. Furious, Hunter kicked me hard in the shoulder, knocking me flat onto the frozen grass. My blisters popped, and blood began to seep through the dirt. Julian stared at my bleeding hands, his brow furrowing slightly, but seeing Chloe crying so pitifully, he snapped, “Aria, Chloe didn’t do it on purpose, and she tried to help you save them! How could you put your hands on her!” I screamed through my tears, “She did it on purpose! Those were the only photos of my parents!” Hunter remained completely unmoved. “A dead person’s photo isn’t more important than a living person’s well-being. I can’t believe Christian’s sister is such a classless bitch.” Julian felt humiliated in front of Hunter. “Guards! Lock her in her room. She is not allowed to leave this house without my permission!” With that, the two men rushed Chloe inside to treat her scratches. I clutched the half-destroyed photo with my bleeding, raw hands, letting out a shattered laugh that turned into a quiet, painful sob. It was fine. In just a few days, everything would be over. And I would make sure every single one of them paid the price. I dragged myself back to my room and began to pack. The clothes Julian had bought me. I took scissors and cut them into shreds, hanging them back in the closet. The jewelry he gave me. I smashed them with a hammer, placing them back in their velvet boxes. The watches, cufflinks, and ties I had gifted him. I destroyed them all and put them back in his drawer. Our framed photos were torn into tiny pieces and left in a neat pile on his desk. The villa still looked beautiful and warm on the outside. But on the inside, it was already a graveyard.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “434474”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster

My EMT license was pending renewal. According to the regulations, I wasn’t allowed to perform any medical rescues off-duty during this transition period. But that day, in our neighborhood park, my neighbor’s toddler was choking on a whole grape. His little face turned from bright red to deep purple, and his cries completely cut off. How could I care about regulations at a moment like that? I rushed over and used the Heimlich maneuver, dragging the boy back from the brink of death. I thought I had saved a life. Instead, he immediately reported me to the board for “unlicensed and unauthorized practice.” The EMS Association fined me two thousand dollars. My company fired me, and I was blacklisted across the industry. But Richard didn’t stop there. He showed up at my doorstep with a bunch of fake medical reports, demanding fifty thousand dollars. “Who knows if those rough chest thrusts damaged my son’s internal organs? I’m just protecting my legal rights. Is there a problem with that?” Two weeks later, his son had a severe febrile seizure in the middle of the night. The boy was shaking violently, barely breathing, on the verge of death. Richard fell to his knees outside my apartment, banging his head against my door, begging me to just take one look at his son. I leaned against the doorframe, pulled out my phone, and calmly dialed 91

Then, looking down at him, I whispered: “I’m sorry, Richard. My license still hasn’t come through. If I accidentally hurt your precious golden boy, I definitely can’t afford another fifty-thousand-dollar lawsuit.” 1 “Ethan, don’t you dare talk to me about saving my son’s life! Your EMT license was expired, yet you still dared to touch him. That’s practicing medicine without a license!” I stood in the community association’s meeting room, my head spinning. Standing across from me was my neighbor, Richard Miller. He was holding his two-year-old son, Leo—the same boy who had almost choked to death on a grape in the park yesterday afternoon. Richard’s finger was practically poking my nose. “Richard, yesterday in the park, your son’s face was literally purple! You were on your knees, crying and grabbing my leg, begging me to save him!” I forced down the white-hot anger flaring in my chest and tried to reason with him. “I did it to save his life. It was an absolute emergency. I didn’t have time to think about paperwork!” “Cut the crap!” Richard raised his voice, his booming shout rattling the window panes. “You run safety training classes. Without an active license, you’re a rogue operator! Who knows if your technique was even correct?” He took a step back with a look of pure disgust, shielding his child. “What if you broke my son’s ribs? What if you damaged his internal organs? Don’t you know how fragile a toddler’s bones are?” My fists clenched so hard my knuckles popped. “You are twisting the truth! I pass my examinations every single year. It’s just that this year’s physical license is still processing in the state database!” Next to us, Mr. Vance, a representative from the EMS Licensing Board, cleared his throat and slammed a formal disciplinary letter onto the table. “Ethan, regardless of your intentions, the fact remains that your license was inactive at the time of the incident.” Mr. Vance spoke with a cold, bureaucratic tone. “According to board regulations, performing professional emergency procedures without an active license is a severe violation. You are hereby fined two thousand dollars, and a disciplinary notice will be sent to all industry employers.” I turned to Mr. Vance, unable to believe what I was hearing. “Mr. Vance, he wasn’t my patient! This was a Good Samaritan act in a public park!” “That doesn’t matter. You are a trained professional, which means you are held to professional standards,” Mr. Vance interrupted coldly. “You used professional techniques yesterday. That makes it a professional act. No active license means a violation. Period.” Richard raised his chin triumphantly, letting out a nasty sneer. “Hear that? Even the board says you’re wrong! I’m just looking out for public safety and following the rules. Am I wrong?” My wife, Chloe, who had been standing silently behind me, suddenly tugged hard on my sleeve. “Ethan, just apologize to him.” I spun around, staring at her in shock. “Chloe, what did you just say?” Chloe frowned, her face full of impatience as she whispered harshly. “You knew your license was pending! Why did you have to play the hero? That two thousand dollars was supposed to go toward our car payment this month!” My heart went cold. “I saved his son’s life, and you want me to apologize?” “Richard is just being a protective father. Is it a crime for a dad to be cautious?” Chloe shoved me behind her and turned to Richard with a desperate, fake smile. “Richard, I am so incredibly sorry. Ethan was just acting on impulse. Please don’t hold it against him.” Richard rolled his eyes, letting out a self-righteous snort. “Chloe, I’m only letting this go because we’re neighbors. Otherwise, I’d take my son for a full-body CT scan, and you’d be footing the bill!” “Of course, of course. Thank you so much for being so understanding,” Chloe nodded repeatedly, her voice dripping with gratitude. Staring at Chloe’s submissive face, she felt like a complete stranger. “I am not apologizing, and I am not paying that fine.” I shook off Chloe’s hand and glared at Mr. Vance. “You are rewarding a parasite.” Mr. Vance pointed a finger at me. “Ethan, with that attitude, your paramedic credentials will be permanently revoked. You will never work in this field again!” Chloe panicked and shoved me hard. “Ethan, have you lost your mind? Are you trying to ruin this family?” I stumbled back from her shove, hitting the water cooler. My back flared with pain. Richard held his child, watching me with a smug, victorious grin. “Ethan, I suggest you pay the fine quickly. I already posted the details in the neighborhood Snapchat group. Everyone knows you’re an unlicensed, dangerous fraud now.” I gritted my teeth, looking him dead in the eye. “Richard, aren’t you afraid of karma?” “Karma? I follow scientific parenting and legal regulations. What do I have to fear?” Richard let out a cold laugh, turned, and walked out. At the door, he threw one last comment over his shoulder. “Keep away from my son from now on. Who knows what kind of bacteria you’re carrying.” 2 The moment we got home, Chloe slammed the front door so hard the walls shook. “Ethan, did you skip your meds today? Would it kill you to just swallow your pride?” Chloe ripped off her coat, pointing a finger directly at my face. “Two thousand dollars! That’s almost my entire monthly paycheck! And you just threw it away to play the damn hero!” Looking at her throwing a tantrum, I felt a deep, bitter irony. “That was a child’s life! If I hadn’t stepped in, that boy would be dead!” “If he died, it would have been Richard’s own fault for not watching him! What does that have to do with you?” Chloe ran her hands through her hair in sheer frustration, pacing up and down the living room. “Now look at us! The entire neighborhood thinks you’re some unlicensed psycho. I’m embarrassed to even step outside!” I ignored her, pulled out my phone, and opened Snapchat. The neighborhood group chat was already blowing up. Richard had posted a massive, text-heavy story with a sensational headline: *WARNING! An unlicensed, rogue EMT is lurking in our neighborhood, using violent ‘rescues’ to assault children!* In the post, he vividly described how I had “ripped” his son from his arms and “brutally assaulted” the boy under the guise of the Heimlich maneuver. He even hinted that I had staged the choking incident in the park to drum up business for my private safety training courses. The neighbors were quickly jumping on the bandwagon. *”Oh my god, that’s terrifying. How did someone like this get hired in our community?”* *”I support Richard! We need to ban these unlicensed frauds!”* *”I heard the licensing board fined him two thousand dollars. He must have done something truly sick.”* Reading these venomous comments, my hands and feet went numb. Just yesterday afternoon, the reality was entirely different. Yesterday, I was walking my five-year-old Golden Retriever, Buddy, in the park. Suddenly, I heard blood-curdling screams from a nearby lawn. I ran over and saw Richard kneeling on the grass, holding his two-year-old son. The boy’s face was a dark, suffocating purple. His little hands were clawing at the air, his lips turning black, and not a single sound could escape his throat. An empty plastic container of grapes lay open on the grass next to them. An obvious airway obstruction. Without a second thought, I tied Buddy’s leash to a nearby tree and rushed over. I grabbed the boy from Richard’s trembling hands and positioned him. I wrapped my arms around him from behind, made a fist with one hand, placed the thumb side against the boy’s abdomen—just above his belly button—and cupped my fist with my other hand. I delivered quick, upward thrusts. One, two, three, four, five. *Cough!* With a weak, desperate cry, a whole grape flew out of the boy’s mouth, rolling onto the grass. The color slowly returned to the child’s face as he gasped greedily for air. Richard had collapsed onto the grass, clutching my legs, weeping hysterically. “Ethan, you’re a saint! You’re my son’s savior! I owe you everything!” Yet, in less than twenty-four hours, the “saint” had become a violent child abuser. “What are you looking at? Haven’t you embarrassed us enough?” Chloe snatched the phone out of my hand and threw it onto the sofa. “I just went down to the garage. Someone slashed my car tires!” She pointed out the window, her eyes bloodshot with rage. “It was definitely someone from the neighborhood! And it’s all because of you!” I looked at her coldly. “So?” “So you are going to apologize to Richard right now! Buy some expensive gift baskets, go to his house, and beg him to take down that post!” Chloe ordered, her voice shrill. “Why should I? I did nothing wrong.” “Nothing wrong? Being unlicensed is wrong!” Chloe stepped closer, her teeth clenched. “Ethan, let me make this clear. If you don’t apologize tomorrow, we are done!” I looked at the woman I had shared a bed with for three years. “Fine. Then we’re done.” 3 The next morning, the moment I arrived at the safety training center, I felt the suffocating atmosphere. Jenna at the front desk avoided my gaze, and several of my colleagues were whispering in a corner. Before I could even sit down at my desk, the owner’s office door flew open. Richard walked out, accompanied by three wealthy-looking young fathers, looking incredibly aggressive. “Everyone, look closely! This is your ‘star instructor’!” Richard held up an enlarged printout of the board’s disciplinary notice against me. “He doesn’t even have an active license, yet he’s out there violently compressing toddlers’ stomachs!” My colleagues immediately started whispering and pointing at me. Our boss, Mr. Peterson, followed behind them, sweating profusely and trying to pacify them. “Mr. Miller, please calm down. I assure you our center will handle this matter with the utmost severity.” “Severity? You’re keeping a dangerous fraud on your payroll?” one of the wealthy fathers sneered. “We paid premium tuition for our corporate safety training. If you’re going to let an unlicensed criminal teach us, we want a full refund immediately, and we will report you to the Better Business Bureau!” I walked over and snatched the printout from Richard’s hand. “Richard, have you had enough?” I stared into his eyes, my voice like ice. “I will say this one last time. You were on your knees begging me to save your son.” “Bullshit!” Richard yelled back, stepping into my space. “I was in shock! If I knew you were an unlicensed hack, I would have waited for the ambulance rather than let your filthy hands touch my boy!” He spun back to Mr. Peterson, demanding: “Mr. Peterson, if you don’t fire him today, I will make this local news. I’ll make sure your center goes bankrupt!” Mr. Peterson wiped the sweat from his forehead and looked at me, his eyes cold. “Ethan, go to HR, collect your final paycheck, and don’t bother coming in tomorrow.” I froze. “Mr. Peterson, I’ve worked here for four years. I’ve trained thousands of students without a single complaint. You’re firing me over this ridiculous, manufactured drama?” “Ethan, the company has to look at the bigger picture,” Mr. Peterson replied, avoiding my eyes. “The fact is, your license was inactive, and you were fined. We cannot let your personal mistakes ruin our brand’s reputation.” “Hear that? Now pack your shit and get out!” Richard mocked, letting out a loud laugh. Looking at Mr. Peterson’s indifferent face, I realized any further explanation was pointless. “Fine. I’m leaving.” I packed my personal belongings into a cardboard box and walked out of the building. The cold autumn wind hit my face like tiny knives. I walked aimlessly around the city for two hours before dragging my exhausted body back to the apartment. I pushed the door open. The apartment was dead quiet. Usually, the moment I unlocked the door, Buddy, my five-year-old Golden Retriever, would run over, wagging his tail and leaning against my leg. Not today. “Buddy?” I set the box down and searched the living room and bedroom. Nothing. His bed was gone. His leash was gone. Even his food bowl was missing. Just then, the front door opened, and Chloe walked in carrying takeout. Seeing me, she startled. “Why are you home so early?” I stared at her. “Chloe, where is my dog?” Chloe avoided my eyes, putting the takeout on the table. She spoke in a casual, uncaring tone. “Oh. I gave him away.” “You did WHAT?!” I rushed over and grabbed her arm. Chloe shook me off impatiently. “I dropped him off at the county animal shelter. He’s not going to die.” My chest tightened painfully. “Are you insane? Buddy has been pampered his whole life. You threw him into a high-kill shelter?” “What choice did I have?!” Chloe suddenly screamed back. “Richard posted in the neighborhood group that dogs carry rabies and bacteria that could infect his recovery! He said the dog’s dander was a health hazard to his traumatized child!” She glared at me, completely self-righteous. “The HOA came knocking on our door this morning, demanding we remove the dog immediately! Should I have waited for them to fine us or break our door down?” “You actually believed Richard’s lies? Who the hell is he to dictate our lives?!” I turned and bolted for the door. “Ethan, stop throwing a tantrum!” Chloe grabbed my arm. “He’s just a stupid dog! Once this drama blows over, I’ll buy you a new one!” “Let go of me!” I snarled, ripping my arm away. 4 I searched the county animal shelter for three agonizing hours. The sky was pitch black, and the wind was freezing. The shelter volunteer told me they did receive a Golden Retriever matching Buddy’s description earlier that day. However, because they were short on cages, they tied him up in the yard temporarily, and he had managed to break his leash and escape. I searched the surrounding fields and woods, calling his name until my throat was raw. I couldn’t find Buddy. All I found in the brush was a piece of his torn, bloody leash. Clutching that torn leash, I felt an empty, hollow ache in my chest. Buddy was my dog before I even met Chloe. He had stayed by my side through my darkest, loneliest nights. And now, because of a malicious neighbor’s lie and a cowardly woman’s betrayal, his life was on the line. I stood up, wiped my face, and took a cab back to our neighborhood. As I crossed the courtyard, Richard suddenly stepped out from the shadows. He was holding a medical report, blocking my path. Several neighbors who were out walking their dogs immediately gathered around. “Ethan! Perfect timing!” Richard slammed the medical report against my chest. “My son has been complaining of stomach pain all day. The doctor said he has suspected internal bruising!” He pointed his finger at my chest, his face contorted in anger. “Your violent, amateur chest thrusts did this! You weren’t saving him; you were assaulting him!” I looked at the report. It was utterly ridiculous. “The Heimlich maneuver naturally causes abdominal soreness. That is a standard, non-life-threatening side effect. Compared to him suffocating to death, a little soreness is nothing!” “Soreness? My son never complained of stomach pain before you touched him!” Richard bellowed, ensuring the crowd heard every word. “Let me tell you something, Ethan. I’ve already consulted a lawyer. You are going to pay us fifty thousand dollars for his ongoing medical bills and emotional trauma!” He stepped closer, a cruel smirk on his face. “If you don’t pay, I’ll show up at your wife’s office tomorrow with giant protest signs. I’ll make sure she gets fired, and you both become social pariahs!” Chloe, who had just come down to look for me, heard his threat. Her face drained of all color. She rushed over, grabbing my arm and pulling me down. “Richard, we are so sorry! It’s all our fault!” Chloe’s voice was shaking with pure terror. “Please don’t come to my office. I beg you. We will pay. We will get you the money!” I shook her off with a violent jerk. Chloe stumbled back, then turned on me, screaming: “Ethan! Would it kill you to just bow your head? Are you trying to destroy my life?!” I froze. I slowly turned my head and looked at Chloe’s twisted, cowardly face. To protect her own reputation and job, she didn’t hesitate to throw me under the bus. I stood up straight and looked at her. “Fifty thousand dollars? In your dreams.” I turned to Richard, my voice incredibly calm. “Go ahead and sue me. Let’s see what a judge has to say.” Without another word, I turned and walked away. Chloe screamed my name in rage behind me, but I didn’t even look back.

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The moment I pushed the door open, coming home early from my business trip, my blood ran cold. Chloe, my precious wife whom I wouldn’t even let lift a finger around the house, was leaning cozily in the arms of Austin—the executive assistant I had personally promoted. She was running her fingers down his face, her voice sickeningly sweet. “Austin, babe, as soon as I transfer all of Ethan’s assets under my name, I’ll divorce him. Then we can finally be together in the open.” Austin, the guy I built up from nothing, had teary eyes. He squeezed her hand, looking the picture of guilt. “But Chloe, Ethan has been so good to me. He trusts me. How can I take his wife away from him?” Chloe let out a scoff, her voice dripping with sheer disdain. “What is he? He’s nothing but a glorified cash machine who only knows how to work.” I stood in the shadows of the foyer, watching this absurd, sickening scene. My hands clenched into tight fists. That young man wearing the limited-edition designer suit I bought, with his hair perfectly gelled, was Austin. A year ago, he was begging for an internship at the lobby of my company, clutching his resume, saying he didn’t even need a salary just for a learning opportunity. I appreciated his drive, broke the rules to hire him, and personally mentored him on major projects. And this was how he repaid me? Sleeping with my wife, living in my house, and scheming to swallow the inheritance my parents left me? Clap. Clap. Clap. I sneered and clapped my hands as I walked out of the shadows. “What a touching love story. Truly beautiful.” Hearing my voice, Chloe gasped, leaping off the sofa like she had been shocked. Austin turned pale instantly, frantically letting go of her hand. “Ethan… babe, why are you back early?” Chloe stammered, panic flashing through her eyes, though she quickly tried to play it cool. I walked toward them step by step, my gaze landing on the familiar diamond ring on her finger. That was a family heirloom. My mother gave it to me on her deathbed, wishing for me to put it on the finger of the future Mrs. Miller. “Chloe, you’re using my mother’s heirloom ring to profess your love to a boy toy. Who gave you the audacity?” I spat out every word through clenched teeth. Chloe froze, but instinctively stepped in front of Austin to shield him. “Ethan, don’t be so dramatic! What boy toy? Austin actually understands me way better than you ever did!” She lifted her chin, acting completely righteous. “Besides, you’re the only son of the Miller family, and yet we’ve been married for three years and I haven’t even gotten pregnant! What right do you have to blame me?” I laughed out of sheer anger at her shamelessness. “I didn’t get you pregnant?” I stared at her coldly. “Chloe, did you forget that I’m the one who picks up your medical reports every year? Do you really want me to describe your medical condition in front of a third party?” That was Chloe’s biggest insecurity. The truth hit her like a slap, and her face flushed crimson. “Ethan! Stop using that to control me! We are married. Your money is my money! My name is on the deed of this house too!” She pointed at Austin and yelled, “I’m telling you, I want to be with Austin! He doesn’t care if I can have kids. We care about real love! If you’re a real man, just let us go and sign the divorce!” Austin stepped forward too, looking me straight in the eye. “Ethan, Chloe is right. I don’t care about what society thinks. You’re so successful, you can find any woman you want. Why hold onto a woman who doesn’t love you?” Looking at his smug, righteous face, I lost all control of my anger. I grabbed a bottle of Romanee-Conti worth twenty thousand dollars from the bar cart and threw the wine right at their faces! Splash! The dark red liquid drenched them completely. Austin’s expensive, custom-tailored suit was instantly ruined. Chloe shrieked, taking several steps back in sheer humiliation. “Let you go?” I pointed directly at the front door and roared: “Take off that ring, pack your things, and get the hell out of my house with this parasite!”

“Ethan! Have you lost your mind!” Chloe wiped the wine from her face, screaming at me in a rage. She frantically grabbed some tissues to wipe Austin’s suit. Looking at his ruined clothes, her eyes welled with tears of anger. “Do you have any idea how much this suit cost? I bought this for Austin’s birthday! How dare you ruin it!” Austin patted her hand, his voice calm but laced with calculated hurt. “It’s fine, Chloe. Ethan is just angry. I understand.” Hearing this, Chloe’s fury reached a boiling point. She marched right up to me, shoving her finger in my face. “Ethan, you cold-blooded monster! What else do you know besides work? Have you ever actually cared about me? Have you ever given me romance? Austin is a hundred times the man you are!” I stared at her coldly, not backing down an inch. “So your idea of romance, Chloe, is using my money to treat another man to candlelight dinners?” Chloe choked on her words, unable to counter. She gritted her teeth, grabbed Austin’s hand, and headed for the door. “Let’s go, Austin! Don’t waste your breath on this lunatic! Tomorrow I’m getting a lawyer. I’m going to make him spit out half of his fortune!” Before slamming the door, she turned back to glare at me with venom. “Just you wait, Ethan! When you’re old, lonely, and miserable, you’ll regret this day!” The front door slammed shut with a deafening bang. Standing in the messy living room, I took a deep breath to suppress my boiling anger. I pulled out my phone and called my private banker. “Cancel all secondary credit cards under Chloe Miller’s name immediately. Freeze all our joint accounts. Starting right now, she doesn’t get a single penny without my authorization.” After hanging up, I called my company’s CFO. “Lock down every single expense report Chloe submitted over the past three years. First thing tomorrow morning, I want a third-party auditing team to do a full investigation.” After setting everything in motion, I sat on the sofa, closed my eyes, and massaged my temples. Chloe, did you really think my money was that easy to steal? Since you want to play dirty, don’t blame me for ruining you. The next morning, during a board meeting, my phone vibrated like crazy. It was Chloe. The moment I picked up, her screeching voice echoed through the speaker. “Ethan! You bastard! Why did you freeze my cards!” In the background, I could hear the polite but awkward voice of a luxury store sales associate: “Ma’am, do you still want these three limited-edition bags? If the cards aren’t going through, we have to release them to our other VIP customers…” I leaned back in my leather chair, casually spinning my pen. “What’s wrong? Can’t afford your bags anymore?” I sneered. “Chloe, did you forget that all those cards are linked to my account? When I’m happy to spoil you, you’re Mrs. Miller. When I’m not, you’re nothing but a broke nobody who can’t even afford a purse.” “You!” Chloe’s voice shook with rage. “Ethan, don’t push me! Do you really want to burn all our bridges!” “You burned them first.” My eyes turned cold. “Chloe, I’m giving you until the end of the day to return that ring. It belonged to my mother, and you don’t deserve to wear it.” With that, I hung up and immediately blocked her number.

In the afternoon, just as I pulled up to my villa, I saw a battered, rusty pickup truck parked right at my gate. The doors opened, and a burly, middle-aged man in a cheap floral shirt and a younger guy with bleached yellow hair and face piercings climbed down. They were hauling dirty duffel bags and looking around my property with greedy eyes. “Holy crap! So this is the mansion my girl lives in! Damn, it’s huge!” The older man shouted in a loud, boisterous voice, slapping his thigh in excitement. The yellow-haired kid’s eyes lit up too. Hanging a cigarette from his lip, he smirked, “Dad, Austin really scored a rich sugar mommy this time! We’re going to live like kings!” I frowned and walked up to them. “Who are you? What are you doing on my property?” The older man sized me up, rolling his eyes. “Who are you? This is my daughter-in-law Chloe’s house! My son Austin is her absolute favorite. He’s going to run this place now!” So, these were Austin’s trashy family members. I scoffed. “Chloe’s house? You’ve got it wrong. This house belongs to the Millers. And your freeloading son was kicked out yesterday.” “Bullshit!” The yellow-haired kid spat his cigarette onto my driveway, pointing his finger at my nose. “Chloe said half of this place is hers! Who the hell are you to kick my brother out?” Just then, Chloe’s car pulled up, with Austin in the passenger seat. Seeing me, Chloe looked slightly uncomfortable, but she quickly squared her shoulders and got out. “So what if you froze my cards, Ethan? I still own half of this house. I have every right to let Austin and his family move in!” She pointed at me and turned to Austin’s dad. “Gary, this is my useless husband. Ignore him. Just take your bags inside!” Gary instantly put his hands on his hips and spat on the ground near my shoes. “Ha! So you’re the pathetic loser who couldn’t even keep his woman! No wonder Chloe chose my Austin! Let me tell you, my son is the master of this house now. This place belongs to him!” With that, he gestured to the yellow-haired kid, Tyler, to push past me. I blocked the entrance, staring them down with a deadly gaze. “Take one step inside this house, and you will regret it.” My aura was so intense that Gary and Tyler froze, instinctively backing up a step. Chloe, feeling embarrassed in front of Austin’s family, flew into a rage. She rushed forward to shove me out of the way. “Get out of the way, Ethan! This is my house, and I’ll let whoever I want live here!” She pushed me hard, but I didn’t push back. I simply stepped aside, making her lose her balance and stumble. Austin took this chance to lead his father and brother past me, walking right into my house. “Woah! This couch is so soft! Look at the size of this TV!” The moment Tyler walked in, he dragged his mud-stained boots all over my expensive Persian rug and crashed onto my million-dollar Italian leather sofa. Gary looked around like a stray dog entering a palace. Finally, his eyes locked onto the master suite downstairs—the room where my late parents used to sleep. “Oh, this room is huge! It has the best view too! Austin, I’m taking this room. Once I’m settled, I can help you guys watch the kids!” He picked up his smelly, greasy duffel bag and marched toward the master suite. “Stop right there!” I roared, rushing over to block the door. “That was my parents’ room. Nobody goes in there.” Since my parents passed away, I had kept that room exactly the same. I cleaned it myself every day and never allowed anyone to desecrate it. Gary sneered at me, talking in a mockingly loud voice. “Dead people’s room? What a waste of space! It’s bad luck anyway. Let me sleep in there to clear out the bad vibes!” “I’m going to say this one last time. Get the hell out of my house.” My voice was like ice. Chloe walked over, pulling at my sleeve impatiently. “Ethan, stop being dramatic! It’s just a room for dead people. Gary came all this way to support us. What’s wrong with letting him have a nice room? Don’t be so cheap!” I violently ripped my arm away and slammed my fist into the drywall next to her, leaving a deep dent. Chloe shrieked and jumped back, terrified. “Chloe, take one more step, and I won’t be responsible for what happens to you.” I stared into her eyes, speaking slowly and deliberately. She was completely terrified by my dark expression, her lips trembling, not daring to say another word.

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My mother-in-law, Elizabeth, spent three years turning me into the perfect obedient trophy wife of a wealthy family. I thought she despised me — until she personally dragged me to a high-end restaurant to catch my husband in the act. She didn’t scream or make a scene like some unhinged woman on the street. Instead, right in front of the other woman, she made one phone call and cut off every card my husband had. She pulled me behind her, her eyes cold as a blade: “The heir I spent three years grooming with my own hands was not meant to be disrespected by trash like you.” I thought my mother-in-law was my salvation — my ally, the one who would pull me out of the quicksand of my marriage. But years later, when I held complete control of the entire corporation, the woman who had disappeared for so long called me out of nowhere — and revealed a truth that sent ice down my spine. “Evelyn, hold those tears back. Crying is the most useless thing in this world.” Outside the private dining room of an upscale French restaurant, Elizabeth shot me a cold glance. She wore a perfectly tailored dark gray couture suit, a flawless luxury watch on her wrist, and carried herself with an authority that was almost suffocating. I bit down hard on my lip, my whole body trembling. Just on the other side of that door, my husband William was having dinner with a young, beautiful girl. Her name was Daisy — a new intern at his company. Half an hour ago, Elizabeth had suddenly pulled me out of the house without a word of explanation and brought me straight here. Through the gap in the door, I watched with my own eyes as William cut a piece of steak and fed it into Daisy’s mouth, his gaze so tender it could melt. That tenderness. He hadn’t shown it to me in a very long time. “Mom…” My voice came out hoarse, my mind completely blank. Bang! Elizabeth ignored me and kicked the door open. The crash startled everyone inside. William spun around, and the moment he saw us, his knife and fork clattered onto his plate and the color drained from his face. “Mom? Evelyn? What are you two doing here…” Daisy looked just as stunned, shrinking into her chair like a frightened rabbit, her eyes going red almost instantly. Elizabeth didn’t shout. She didn’t lunge forward. She walked in on her heels, one deliberate step at a time, and stood over the table, looking down at William. “The Wellington here is excellent. Too bad you don’t deserve it.” Her tone was flat, but it carried a chill that cut to the bone. She took out her phone, dialed a number, and put it on speaker. “Alfred, cancel every supplementary card under William’s name and freeze his personal accounts. Also, notify Legal — pull his signing authority on the North District project. Effective immediately.” The voice on the other end confirmed without hesitation. William shot to his feet, panic breaking through. “Mom! What are you doing? If you have something to say, we can talk at home — don’t do this here—” “Home?” Elizabeth let out a short, cold laugh. Her gaze swept across Daisy’s face like a blade. “Do you still have a home? I spent three years personally grooming a daughter-in-law to help protect this family’s legacy — not so you could go out and embarrass me with something like this.” Daisy flinched as if she’d been struck, tears spilling down her cheeks. “Ma’am, you’ve got it wrong, Mr. Sterling and I are just—” “Shut up.” Elizabeth didn’t even look at her. “Who do you think you are, speaking to me like that? Go handle your resignation tomorrow and get out of the company. Otherwise, I’ll make sure you can’t find work in this city — not even waiting tables.” With that, Elizabeth turned and grabbed my wrist, her grip startlingly strong. “Did you see enough?” She held my gaze, each word deliberate. “That is the man you’ve devoted yourself to for three years. Let’s go.” I followed her out of the restaurant like a puppet on a string.

Back at the sprawling, hollow villa, I collapsed onto the couch, my mind flooded with images of William and Daisy together. William was a self-made star in the business world — he’d founded Sterling Group in his early thirties and built it into a billion-dollar empire. I, on the other hand, came from an ordinary family. When I married him, everyone said I’d won the lottery. After the wedding, Elizabeth ordered me to quit my job. “A Sterling wife has no business working outside or putting herself on display. Your job is to take care of Will and take care of this home.” From that point on, she scheduled every hour of my life. She had me up at six every morning to make breakfast and iron clothes. Mornings were for cleaning the house and accompanying her to the salon. Afternoons were filled with etiquette lessons and wine tastings, or playing hostess at her social gatherings. And every evening, I had to come up with new, elaborate nutritious meals. Elizabeth had severe OCD and mysophobia. Not a single hair could be on the carpet. Every cup handle had to face the exact same angle. One small mistake, and she’d tear me apart with her cold, cutting remarks. “You can’t even mop a floor properly. What’s the point of Will bringing you home?” “This soup tastes like plain water. Are you trying to starve us?” I swallowed my grievances every time. Whenever I poured my heart out to William, he’d hold me gently and speak to me in that soft, soothing voice of his. “Eve, my mom raised me on her own. It wasn’t easy. She’s got a difficult personality — just be patient with her. You’re the only one I care about.” “Baby, you work so hard at home. Once things settle down at work, I’ll take you to the Maldives.” His tenderness was the only comfort I had in that cold, hollow mansion. I believed we were in love. I believed that if I endured enough, I would eventually earn this family’s acceptance. But now I understood. William’s tenderness was a lie. So was his “busy schedule.” He was out there cutting steak for another woman, while I sat alone at home, drowning in endless loneliness. “Done crying?” Elizabeth had changed into a loungewear set at some point. She walked toward me, a glass of red wine in hand. I looked up. My eyes were so swollen they felt like they were about to burst. “Elizabeth, why did Will—” “Because men are dogs at their core.” Elizabeth cut me off, her voice flat and cold. “Feed them a five-star meal every day, and they’ll still go sniffing around for street food. You think waiting on him hand and foot would make him grateful? Wrong. It just makes him think it’s your job. Like you’re some soulless housekeeper with no life of your own.” Her words hit like a blade straight to the chest. “So what am I supposed to do? Get a divorce?” My voice was shaking. “Divorce?” Elizabeth let out a cold laugh and looked down at me. “You walk out with nothing, and that little home-wrecker moves right into your house, spends your husband’s money, and sleeps in your bed. Is that really what you want?” I clenched my fist so hard my nails dug into my palm. It stung. No. Absolutely not. I gave three years of my life to this marriage. Why should I be the one to step aside and make room for someone else? “Then get up!” Elizabeth snapped. “Tears won’t give a man a conscience. In this world, the only thing that can protect you is the leverage you hold in your own hands.” She walked to the liquor cabinet and pulled out a document, slapping it down on the coffee table. “This is a share transfer agreement for five percent of Sterling Group. Sign it, and starting tomorrow, you come to the company with me.” I stared at it, stunned. “Are you… what is this?” “I’m not doing this for you. I’m doing this for the family’s interests.” Elizabeth’s gaze was sharp. “William has completely lost his mind. I’m not going to stand by and watch him let some woman destroy this company. I need you to pull him away from her — and then crush him under your heel.” I stared at the document, my heart pounding. Then, without warning, a violent wave of nausea surged up from my stomach. I clapped a hand over my mouth and bolted to the bathroom, retching over the sink. Elizabeth followed. She leaned against the doorframe, her eyes dropping to my stomach. “How many days late is your period?” My whole body went still. I counted the days. A week. I was a week late. “Go check.” She held out a pregnancy test. Five minutes later, I was sitting on the bathroom floor, staring at two bright red lines, sobbing so hard I could barely breathe. On the night my marriage fell apart, I found out I was pregnant. Elizabeth stepped in and looked at the test. Her face was unreadable. “Good,” she said simply. “Now you have the strongest leverage of all.”

From that day on, Elizabeth put me through what could only be described as boot camp. She stopped asking me to do any housework. Three housekeepers were hired to take care of the estate. My entire daily schedule was restructured. Six in the morning — morning runs with her. “Your body is your most important asset. You’re carrying two lives now. Take care of yourself.” In the mornings, she brought in a top-tier financial advisor and a business mentor to teach me how to read financial reports and analyze market trends. “You have to keep control of the money yourself. If you can’t even read a balance sheet, how are you going to hold your own against William?” Afternoons were packed with intensive courses — etiquette, negotiation tactics, and psychology. “Wipe that pitiful look off your face. Straighten your back, lift your chin. You are a co-ruler of this family, not William’s accessory.” In the evenings, she would personally walk me through Sterling Group’s recent operations, breaking down every decision William had made. I was like a dried-out sponge, soaking up everything desperately. I stopped crying, because Elizabeth was right — tears solved nothing. And William? After that night at the restaurant, he completely fell apart. His cards were frozen, his signing authority stripped, and at the company, Elizabeth had him boxed in at every turn. He came crawling to me for peace. He started coming home on time every day, buying me designer bags, jewelry, even dropping to his knees begging for forgiveness. “Eve, I was wrong. I swear, things with Daisy are completely over. That day, I only took her to dinner because I felt sorry for her…” I sat on the sofa, watching him sob and break down, and felt absolutely nothing. If this had been before, I would have caved immediately. But now, all I felt was a deep, nauseating disgust. “William, do you think that just because I’m pregnant, I can’t leave you?” I stared at him, my voice ice-cold. He froze for a moment, his eyes shifting away. “Eve, how can you say that? I genuinely love you. I love our baby…” “Save it.” I stood up and looked down at him. “Starting today, we sleep in separate rooms. You’d better pray you don’t make any mistakes at the company — because if your mother can freeze your cards, I can have you thrown out of Sterling Group entirely.” William stared up at me, like he was looking at a stranger. He probably never imagined it — that the wife who had once bent to his every wish could turn into someone like this. Elizabeth watched it all unfold, a faint, cold smile tugging at the corner of her lips. She began lifting me up in every public setting she could. She brought me to top-tier business dinners, introducing me to the heavyweights of the industry. “This is my daughter-in-law, Evelyn Woods. Going forward, she will be taking full charge of several of Sterling Group’s investment projects.” At first, the looks people gave me were dismissive — they assumed I was just some trophy wife who’d secured her position by getting pregnant. But after a few exchanges, they realized I could negotiate entirely in English without missing a beat, and I could pinpoint the weak spots in any deal with precision. My reputation began to spread through the circles. I was no longer Mrs. Sterling. I was Ms. Woods. The way William looked at me shifted — from guilt, to shock, and finally to a deep, uneasy mix of wariness and flattery. He was beginning to see it. The business empire he was so proud of was slowly being carved away, piece by piece, by me and Elizabeth. He started working overtime to prove himself, desperate to win me back. He took over every chore around the house, fussed over my every need, and if I so much as furrowed my brow, he’d spend the next half hour on edge. But I knew the truth. He wasn’t afraid of losing me. He was afraid of losing his position. “That’s how men are. The more you give in to them, the less they value you. Leave them out in the cold, and suddenly they’re begging.” Elizabeth said, cradling her coffee, watching William wash my car in the driveway, her tone laced with mockery. I looked at her, and something complicated stirred inside me. “Why are you helping me like this?” I couldn’t stop myself from asking. Elizabeth was quiet for a moment, her gaze drifting somewhere far away. “Because I don’t want you to end up walking the same road I did.” Her voice dropped. “William’s father was exactly the same. I built this company with him from nothing, side by side. And on the day it went public, he walked in with his mistress right in front of me.”

I stared at her, stunned. I had never known — that someone as formidable as Elizabeth had once carried a humiliation like that. “I didn’t cry. I didn’t make a scene. I spent five years methodically stripping him of every decision-making power he had, and in the end, I pushed him out of the company completely.” Elizabeth turned to look at me, her eyes sharp as a blade. “Eve, remember this — marriage is a game. There’s no such thing as both sides winning. Either you win, or you lose. Never put your faith in a man’s conscience.” Daisy hadn’t given up. A woman who had spent her life using men as shortcuts — how could she ever let go of a tree that had been feeding her so steadily? When William cut off her money, she found other ways to harass him. When he stopped answering her calls, she kept dialing from different numbers. And then, one Saturday afternoon, a call came through on the house landline. At the time, Elizabeth was in the living room having tea, and I was going over documents for an acquisition deal. William had just come downstairs. The butler answered the phone, then paused. “Ma’am, it’s a call for Mr. Sterling.” William’s expression shifted instantly. He crossed the room in a few quick strides, reaching for the phone to hang up. But I was faster. I walked over and hit the speakerphone button. “Will! Why are you ignoring me? I’m pregnant!” Daisy’s sharp, wailing voice echoed through the spacious living room like a bomb going off, sucking all the air out of the space in an instant. The color drained from William’s face. His knees buckled, and he nearly collapsed to the floor. “What the hell are you talking about?! We’ve been over for a long time!” he screamed at the phone, his voice shaking. “I’m not making this up! I’m two months along! Will, you can’t just abandon me — you told me you’d divorce that frump of yours and marry me…” I listened calmly. Strangely, I didn’t feel even a flicker of anger. Just a hollow kind of amusement. I glanced over at Elizabeth. She set down her teacup, rose slowly and deliberately, and walked over to William. Crack. A sharp, vicious slap landed across William’s face. He stumbled from the force of it, blood immediately trickling from the corner of his mouth. “You disgusting piece of trash.” Elizabeth’s eyes were ice cold. “You’ve dragged this family’s name through the mud.” “Mom, I didn’t know — I swear I didn’t know she was pregnant…” William pressed a hand to his face, his words tumbling out in a panicked mess. “You didn’t know?” Elizabeth let out a cold laugh. “You couldn’t keep yourself in check, so now you deal with the consequences. Call the lawyers. Now. I want the remaining thirty percent of Sterling Group transferred entirely into Eve’s name.” William’s head snapped up, his eyes wide with horror. “Mom! Are you out of your mind?! That’s the backbone of the company! If you give it all to her, what does that leave me?” “It leaves you nothing — because that’s what you are.” Elizabeth jabbed a finger at him. “Starting today, you’re just a salaried employee. Eve is Sterling Group’s majority shareholder. And if you don’t like it, get out of this house right now. Go find your little mistress and figure it out on your own.” William completely fell apart. He knew Elizabeth never made empty threats. He dropped to his knees in front of me with a thud, wrapping his arms around my legs and holding on for dear life. “Eve. Honey. Please. Talk to my mom for me. I can’t lose the company — I can’t. I will never acknowledge that child, I swear. I’ll make her get rid of it right now. The only child I’ll ever claim is the one you’re carrying.” Watching him grovel like that made my stomach turn. I shook him off with a firm kick and looked down at him. “William, you’re pathetic.” I turned toward the phone. “Did you hear that, Daisy? He wants you to terminate the pregnancy. If you want money, take him to court. Though I’ll warn you — there’s nothing left in his name.” Then I pulled the phone cord out of the wall. That afternoon, the lawyers arrived. William signed the share transfer agreement with red-rimmed eyes and trembling hands. From that moment on, I was the true power behind Sterling Group. And William became just another salaried employee working under me.

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Three years ago, for the sake of my fiancé Jason Grayson’s bright future, I willingly took the blame for a hit-and-run and went to prison. On the day I was sentenced, he sobbed uncontrollably through the iron bars, swearing that when I got out, he would give me the most magnificent wedding and lay everything he had at my feet. Three years later, I was released early for good behavior. I was overjoyed, wanting to surprise him—only to see on the city’s largest LED screen that he was hosting a live stream with millions of viewers. In the stream, he was tenderly pushing a wheelchair carrying my “sickly” younger sister, Amy Lowe, announcing their engagement to the whole world. I let out a cold laugh, hailed a taxi, and headed straight for that glittering live event. 0″Let’s give a round of applause to Mr. Jason Grayson and Ms. Amy Lowe! Mr. Grayson’s devotion to Ms. Lowe is truly a model of modern romance!” The host’s passionate voice traveled clearly through the heavy doors of the hotel ballroom. I stood outside, glancing down at my faded old clothes, then at the dazzling light spilling through the crack in the door. A bitter, ironic smile tugged at my lips. I pushed open the heavy doors. Before me was a scene of suffocating luxury. Streaming equipment from top influencers was set up all over the venue, with countless cameras aimed at the center of the stage. Jason Grayson stood there in a tailored suit, tall and handsome, wearing that gentle smile I once knew so well. He leaned slightly forward, his hands on the handles of a wheelchair. In it sat my sister Amy, dressed in a pure white gown, her delicate makeup designed to look fragile and ill. “Jason, thank you for taking care of me all these years,” Amy said, her eyes reddening, her voice so frail it seemed a gust of wind could knock her over. “If it weren’t for you, I might not have made it. My sister… if she knew how happy we are now, I’m sure she’d be happy for us too.” “Don’t mention her. Today is our day.” A flicker of barely concealed disgust passed through Jason’s eyes, then he gently slid a diamond ring the size of a pigeon egg onto Amy’s finger. “Amy, I’ll spend the rest of my life making up for all the suffering you’ve endured.” On the big screen, comments scrolled wildly. The whole internet was weeping over this perfect, fairy-tale romance. I took a deep breath and stepped forward, walking into that light that didn’t belong to me. The click of my heels echoed across the marble floor. At first, no one noticed this uninvited guest. Not until I reached the edge of the stage and, from a stunned crew member, took a spare microphone. Screech— A sharp feedback screech cut through the room, drowning out the soft background music. Dead silence. Every camera, every pair of eyes, locked onto me at once. Jason and Amy’s smiles froze on their faces, as if struck by lightning. The color drained from them, leaving them pale as paper. “Mr. Grayson, Ms. Lowe. Quite the performance.” I gripped the microphone, stepped up onto the stage, and walked right up to them, my eyes cutting into Jason’s hypocritical face like knives. “Anyone would think I’d died in there.” “Amanda?! How… how are you out?!” Jason was the first to react. He instinctively shielded Amy behind him, his handsome face twisting with fear and rage. “Security! Where the hell is security?! Get this crazy woman out of here! Cut the stream! Now!” I watched the panic in his eyes, and it felt incredibly satisfying. Crazy woman? Yeah, in their eyes, I went to prison for him, and seeing this, I was supposed to throw a tantrum like a hysterical mess. But I wouldn’t. I turned to the camera, flashing a brilliant smile, my voice steady and clear: “Hello, everyone watching online, and all the media friends here. My name is Amanda Lowe. I’m the former girlfriend of this deeply devoted Mr. Jason Grayson. And I’m also the ex-convict who took the blame for his hit-and-run three years ago—and was just released from prison.” The ballroom erupted like a bomb had gone off. “Oh my god! She took the blame?!” “What did she just say? Jason Grayson was the one who did the hit-and-run?!” “This is huge! Record it! Hurry!” The security guards froze, unsure what to do. “Sis…” Amy finally snapped out of it. She struggled to stand halfway from her wheelchair, then collapsed back into it weakly, tears streaming down her face like broken beads. “Sis, please don’t say that! I know you hate me for taking Jason, but… but you were the one driving that night! Don’t destroy everything Jason has built just because you’re jealous!” She looked so pitiful, sobbing like that, that it stirred a protective instinct in many of the onlookers. My mother, Karen Shaw, rushed out from somewhere, grabbing my arm with nails digging into my flesh. Through gritted teeth, she hissed at me: “You ungrateful child! You had to show up now of all times?! Your sister is sick—she can’t handle this stress! Are you trying to kill her? Get out of here right now!” I turned to look at my biological mother. Her eyes held only tenderness for her younger daughter—and disgust for her elder one. I yanked my arm free, so hard she stumbled back several steps. “Don’t touch me. You make me sick.” I looked at her coldly, then turned back to Jason, raising the mic to my lips, mimicking the tone he’d used with me three years ago in that visitation room: “Jason, what are you so nervous about? Three years ago, you said to me through that glass—’Amanda, trust me, wait for me.’ So now I’m waiting. And what do I find? You using the money from selling my freedom to marry my sister?” Jason’s body went rigid. Sweat beaded on his forehead. “Amanda, what the hell do you want?!” he hissed, voice low enough for only the three of us to hear. “Is it money? I’ll give it to you! Ten million—is that enough? Take it and get out of the country. Forever.” “Ten million?” I laughed, the sound carrying through the microphone. “Grayson, do you think three years of my life—and an innocent person’s life—is worth ten million?” I stepped back, facing the flashing cameras, and dropped the biggest bomb of the night: “Since my sister says I’m jealous, as her older sister, I should give her an engagement gift. Here it is—the original footage from the dashcam from that accident three years ago, the one you two tried so hard to destroy. Jason, guess what’s on it?” Jason’s pupils shrank. He looked like he’d been plunged into freezing water. The bomb had detonated. I didn’t give them a chance to respond. I tossed the microphone to the floor with a harsh thud. And with everyone’s shocked, curious, and frantic eyes on me, I straightened my back, walked out of the ballroom like a victorious queen, and never looked back. Behind me was utter chaos—and Jason’s furious roar. 0

The night air hit me as soon as I stepped out of the hotel. Only then did I realize my back was soaked through. The rush of revenge faded like the tide, replaced by a deep exhaustion and wariness. I knew that once my words spread online, Jason would come after me like a rabid dog. I had to disappear. Now. I hurried into a dead-end alley with no cameras and was about to pull out my SIM card when my phone screen lit up. A text from an unknown number. Just one line: “The dashcam footage you mentioned—is it the original copy?” My heart sank. My blood ran cold. The only people who knew about that dashcam, aside from me and Jason, were a few of his trusted people from back then. Jason wouldn’t text me like this—he’d just send men to grab me. So who was this? They were in the shadows. I was in the open. Not only did they know I had leverage, but they were even questioning whether I’d been bluffing on that live stream. The word “original” hit me right where it hurt. I didn’t reply. I shut off the phone, yanked out the SIM card, snapped it in half, and flushed it down a sewer grate. I couldn’t go home—that place belongs to Karen and Amy now. I didn’t reach out to any old friends either. I knew Jason’s methods too well. I couldn’t drag anyone else into this. With the little cash I had left, I found a small motel on the outskirts that didn’t require ID, then bought a cheap burner phone and an untraceable prepaid SIM from a used electronics shop. By the time I was done, it was late at night. The room was small and damp, smelling of mold. I sat on the stiff mattress and stared at the neon lights blinking outside the window, my eyes cold and empty. Less than half an hour after I turned on the new phone, it rang. I looked at the unknown number flashing on the screen, let out a cold laugh, and answered. “Amanda, where the hell are you hiding?!” Jason’s voice on the other end was hoarse and distorted with rage and fear. He had already tracked down my new number that fast. I clearly underestimated his reach in this city. “Mr. Grayson, in such a hurry to find me—are you inviting me to your wedding?” I leaned against the wall, my tone light as if we were talking about the weather. “Cut the crap!” Jason was breathing heavily. “Let’s talk. Name your price. How much do you want for the footage? Houses, cars, cash—just name it. But don’t make me do this the hard way. You know what I’m capable of.” “The hard way?” I scoffed. “Like what you did to my brakes three years ago?” Silence. Dead silence on the other end. “Listen to me, Jason.” I dropped the smile, my voice cold as a blade dipped in ice. “Three years ago, you tricked me into taking the fall, promising to take care of my mom and sister. Now, I want the penthouse downtown—the one worth eighty million. By noon tomorrow, I want to see the deed transferred to my name. One dollar short, one minute late, and you’ll be dealing with the police.” “Eighty million?! Amanda, you’re insane! That’s extortion!” Jason completely lost it. With his company’s current cash flow, pulling out eighty million in a single day would be like ripping out his spine.. That was exactly what I wanted—to make him hurt, to make him panic, to make him lose his cool. “Then don’t pay. We’ll see each other in court.” Without another word, I hung up and blocked the number. I could picture him smashing up his office in helpless rage. But this was far from over. I put down the phone. The mysterious text message came back to mind. Then my phone buzzed again. Same unknown number. This time, they were calling. I took a deep breath and answered. “Miss Amanda Lowe, hello.” A low, raspy male voice came through—weary, but sharp. “I’m Leo Meyers. My father was the truck driver killed in that accident three years ago. I think we need to meet.” My eyes went wide. Leo Meyers. The boy who’d stared at me in that courtroom with bloodshot eyes, wanting to tear me apart. 0

Leo’s words hit me like lightning, cutting through the fog. If it was him, it all made sense. He had every motive to investigate the truth, and every reason to hate Jason to the core. “When and where,” I asked with no hesitation. “Tomorrow, 8 a.m. The abandoned auto shop garage south of the city.” I couldn’t sleep all night after I hung up. The next morning, I arrived at that desolate, rusting garage on the south side. The air stank of oil and rust. Leo stepped out from behind a beat-up van. Three years had aged him—stubble, weary lines—but his eyes were as sharp as a hawk’s. He looked at me, his gaze complicated—hatred, yes, but also a trace of curiosity. “Ms. Lowe. Brave of you to come alone,” he said flatly. “You reached out to me. That means you’ve found something. My enemy’s enemy is my friend. Why wouldn’t I come?” I held his gaze without flinching. Leo paused, then pulled a thick stack of papers from his worn backpack and tossed them onto a rusted oil drum. “See for yourself.” I stepped forward and opened the files. After just a few pages, my hands began to tremble uncontrollably. Financial statements. Money trails. A few shady double contracts. “My dad wasn’t just a truck driver,” Leo’s voice echoed through the empty garage, heavy with suppressed rage. “He was an early logistics contractor for Jason’s company. He stumbled onto evidence that Jason was using shell companies to launder money—massive commercial fraud. My dad was an honest man. He was going to report it. And on his way to the police station—that ‘accident’ happened.” My mind went blank. Commercial fraud? Money laundering? Murder?! I stared at those documents. The cold numbers and signatures slithered like vipers. So that wasn’t just a hit-and-run. Jason wasn’t just afraid of jail—he was covering up a premeditated murder. And I, like a complete fool, had taken the fall and even felt grateful to him. A wave of nausea and dread shot up from my feet. “Jason cleaned up the scene well. Cameras were broken and no witnesses,” Leo continued, his voice cracking, eyes bloodshot. “You took the blame. He played the victim’s family and gave me a settlement check like he was being generous. Amanda, do you realize you helped a killer escape justice?” “I didn’t know…” I whispered, my nails digging into my palms so hard they drew blood. “I really didn’t know…” “Now you do.” Leo took a breath, steadying himself. “I’ve been digging for three years. These documents prove financial crimes, but they’re not enough for a murder conviction. But your dashcam footage can change that. If it proves he was driving, proves he hit my father on purpose—then he’s done for.” I looked at Leo, the same fire igniting in my eyes. “Okay. I’ll work with you.” I said each word deliberately. “We’ll make him pay.” After I left Leo, I didn’t go back to the motel. My prison-honed instincts told me I was being followed. I deliberately took a winding route through a residential area, and sure enough, spotted two shady men in black trailing me. Jason was faster than I’d expected. Using my knowledge of the area, I lost them and immediately contacted Leo. He picked me up and took me to a basement apartment he’d rented on the outskirts. “You’re safe here for now.” Leo handed me a bottle of water. “What’s your next move?” I turned on my phone. Online, the tide of public opinion had already flipped completely. Jason’s PR team had moved fast. They’d not only buried the buzz from my live stream, but they’d turned it against me. The top trending post was a video of Amy crying in a hospital bed. Pale and fragile, she said: “My sister was under a lot of stress in prison, her mental health has been unstable. She just loves Jason too much. I don’t blame her—I just hope she gets the help she needs…” Then came my mother Karen’s interview. She wept on camera: “My eldest daughter has always been extreme and violent. I failed to raise her right. I’m so sorry she did this to her sister and brother-in-law…” They’d painted me as a lovesick, mentally unstable lunatic. The comments poured in—thousands of people cursing me. Someone even doxxed me, vowing to take matters into their own hands. “Those animals!” Leo slammed the table. I stared at my mother’s hypocritical face on the screen, and felt nothing. Shockingly calm. When you’re past the point of caring, nothing hurts anymore. “Let them talk.” I turned off my phone, a cold smile curling at my lips. “The higher they climb, the harder they fall. Leo, I need a micro camera and a drone. Tomorrow, I’m sending Jason a special gift.” I used the burner number to text Jason: “Tomorrow 3 p.m. Abandoned chemical plant, west side. Bring five million in cash. Come alone. Otherwise, the dashcam footage goes to every police department in the city.” 0

The abandoned chemical plant on the west side was overgrown and crumbling. I arrived at 2 p.m. I hid the micro camera on a rusted iron shelf on the second floor, with a clear view of the entire open area below. Leo was parked in a car a few miles away, piloting the drone as it circled above the plant, monitoring every movement in the area in real time. So we have a Plan B stand by. At exactly 3 p.m., a black Maybach pulled up in a cloud of dust. The door opened and Jason Grayson stepped out, carrying a silver briefcase. He wore a black trench coat, his eyes dark and predatory. I stood in the shadows on the second floor, watching him coldly. “Amanda! I’m here! Get out here!” His voice echoed through the empty building. I walked down the rusted iron stairs, step by step. The clang of my heels on the metal was sharp and unnerving in the silence. “Mr. Grayson, punctual as always.” I stopped about fifteen feet away. Jason’s eyes were fixed on me, burning with murderous intent. He threw the briefcase on the ground—thud—and flipped it open. Stacks of cash. “Five million. Every dollar.” He ground out the words. “Now give me the footage. Take the money and disappear.” I stared at that suitcase of cash and suddenly started laughing, so hard tears nearly came. “Five million? Jason, are you tipping a waitress?” I stopped laughing, my eyes cutting like blades. “All that money you laundered through shell companies, the life you took to cover it up—that’s worth five million to you?” Jason’s face went pale, his pupils contracting. “What… what the hell are you talking about!” “Am I talking nonsense? Was Leo’s father’s death really an accident?” I stepped closer. “You were afraid he’d report you, so you ran him down on purpose. Then you used my feelings for you to make me take the blame. Jason, you’re a monster.” “Shut up!” Jason, cornered, finally dropped all pretense. He raised his hand and four burly men with iron pipes rushed in from outside, surrounding me. “Amanda, you had your chance! Did you really think I’d come alone?” Jason’s face twisted into a manic grin. “Since you know too much, go keep that dead truck driver company! Beat her—leave her breathing, and find that footage!” The four men closed in. Then, at that exact moment, the factory doors were shoved open again. “Stop! Jason, no!” Amy was in her wheelchair, pushed by my mother Karen, both of them rushing in with panic written all over their faces. “Amy? Mom? What are you two doing here?!” Jason froze. Amy threw herself at Jason, gripping his arm desperately: “Jason, you can’t kill anyone! My sister just made a mistake—please let her go!” Karen rushed forward too, jabbing her finger in my face. “You jinx! Are you really going to drag this whole family down with you?! Just give him what he wants and walk away! If you want to destroy yourself, don’t you dare take us with you!” I stared at the scene unfolding in front of me and felt nothing but a hollow, bitter amusement. How did they know to come here? The answer was obvious — either Amy had been following Jason, or Jason had brought them here on purpose. Amy was putting on a show. In front of Jason, she played the role of the gentle, caring angel. But underneath it all, she couldn’t wait to see me gone. And my mother — she had always been Amy’s most loyal accomplice. “Family?” I laughed coldly and stepped back. From my pocket, I pulled out a black USB drive and held it high. All eyes locked onto that tiny device. Jason’s eyes lit up with greed. “You want it?” I looked at them, a wild smile on my lips. “Amanda, don’t do anything stupid! Give it to me!” Jason lunged forward. “Stay back!” I shouted. Then, in front of all of them, I smashed that USB drive onto the ground. Crack! The USB drive exploded into pieces. I lifted my foot and ground every last fragment into dust with my stiletto heel. Dead silence fell over the room. Jason froze. Amy froze. Karen froze. A few seconds passed, Jason burst into manic laughter: “Hahaha! Amanda, you stupid bitch! You just destroyed your only evidence! Now what are you going to threaten me with?!” He raised his hand and barked at his men: “Grab her! I’ll make her wish she was dead!” I watched his smug, ugly face, completely calm. And then I gave him a look of pure pity. “Jason, do you really think three years in prison rotted my brain?” I smiled, speaking slowly and clearly: “Did you really think I’d carry the original on me? It was a throwaway drive with a couple of pop songs on it.” Jason’s laughter died in his throat. His face went rigid. “Ten minutes ago, the real dashcam footage—along with all the evidence of your financial crimes—was personally handed over to the detectives at the Economic Crimes Division and the Criminal Investigation Division by my partner.”

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