When my senses returned, I found myself lying on the hard-as-a-board bed of my college dorm room. The scene before me was so familiar it was chilling—Stella stood in the middle of the room, her eyes red, clutching a white shirt that had been stained a garish pink. This moment was an exact replica of the morning that had altered the course of my life. In my past life, I impulsively stood up for her, and in doing so, declared war on my entire class. On graduation day, while everyone else was huddled together taking photos, I was the only one dragging my suitcase out of the campus gates alone. Stella stood in the center of the crowd, her eyes shimmering with tears as she looked at me. Her lips moved, but in the end, she said nothing. Later, in a cramped rental apartment, I chose to end my life with charcoal poisoning. My suicide note was a single sentence: The biggest regret of this life was fighting so many battles for Stella. Now, reborn, all I want is to stay out of it. I silently fumbled under my pillow for my earbuds and put them in, cranking the volume to maximum. This time, her problems were her own to solve. 1 When I opened my eyes, the light in the dorm room was identical to how it was in my past life. Stella stood in the center of the room, her eyes red, biting her lower lip, her hands wringing that pink-stained white shirt. Jenna was sitting on her bed, scrolling through her phone. Beth was at the vanity, meticulously drawing her eyebrows. No one was looking at Stella. I had been through this scene once before. In my past life, this was the moment I leaped out of bed and pointed a finger at Jenna, screaming, “Why would you wash a red shirt with Stella’s white one?” Jenna and I screamed at each other for half an hour while Beth fanned the flames from the side. Through it all, Stella never said a word, just stood there with her red-rimmed eyes. Later, the story spread through the entire class. The version that reached my ears was: Zoe got into a huge fight with her whole dorm for Stella’s sake. Poor Stella, having such an explosive roommate. If Stella wasn’t so sweet, they would have probably come to blows. I confronted Stella about it. With tears in her eyes, she said, “I never said any of that. They’re just spreading rumors.” Then she turned around and told Jenna, “I wasn’t actually mad. It’s just that Zoe is so impulsive. I couldn’t stop her.” That was the first time I learned that some people aren’t incapable of fighting. They just don’t have to fight for themselves. “Zoe.” Stella’s voice was a thin, fragile thread, as if she had suffered a terrible injustice. She saw that I was awake. “Look at my shirt…” As she spoke, her gaze drifted toward Jenna’s bunk before quickly snapping back to my face. I knew that look all too well—a mix of hurt, hope, and a certainty that said, You’ll help me, won’t you? In my past life, every time she gave me that look, I would leap out of bed, ready for battle. I glanced at her. I pulled my earbuds from under the pillow and stuck them in my ears. I turned the volume all the way up. Stella froze. She clearly hadn’t expected this reaction. In our previous life, I was already in Jenna’s face by now. She just stood there, clutching the pink shirt, her mouth opening and closing like a fish stranded on the shore. The look in her eyes changed. It shifted from certainty to confusion, and from confusion to unease. Jenna looked up from her phone, her eyes darting from me to Stella. Beth’s eyebrow pencil paused mid-air. The dorm was silent for three seconds. “Stella, what happened to your shirt?” Jenna asked, frowning. Stella’s eyes grew even redder. “I… it’s nothing.” She lowered her head, her voice a mosquito’s buzz. “I probably just put it in the wrong place by accident. It’s fine, it’s just a shirt.” She folded the shirt neatly and put it away in her locker. Her movements were light, slow. Every detail screamed: I’m enduring this. I’ve been wronged, but I won’t say a word. In my past life, it was this exact performance that sent me into a rage. I thought she was too soft, too easy to bully. I believed I had to be her champion. It was only much later that I found out Jenna hadn’t stained the shirt at all. Stella had soaked her own red socks with the white shirt, then deliberately slipped it into Jenna’s laundry pile. Jenna was notoriously careless and never sorted her clothes. Stella had observed her for a whole week, waiting for the perfect opportunity. 2 Before my rebirth, Stella and I were roommates for four years. The first year, I fought with Jenna for her. The second year, I fought with the girls in the room next door for her. The third year, I fought with our academic advisor for her. By the fourth year, none of the girls in our class would speak to me. Stella was the only one who was still willing to be my friend. I was incredibly grateful. I got drunk on graduation day and cried in her arms, sobbing, “Stella, you’re the only friend I made in all four years of college.” She cried too, saying, “Zoe, you’re my best friend, too.” After graduation, we rented an apartment together. When she brought her boyfriend over, I moved out to sleep on the living room sofa. When she said money was tight, I covered her share of the rent for three months. When she complained about work stress, I stayed up until 3 a.m. doing her overtime projects. Then one day, I came home from work early and heard her on the balcony, talking on the phone. “Oh, it’s fine. Zoe’s just impulsive and has a temper, but she’s really good to me. Yeah, she’s just a simpleton. I just have to say a few soft words and she’ll do anything for me. The rent? She’s paid my share for three months. I haven’t paid her back yet. No rush, she’d never ask for it.” Her tone was light, tinged with a little laugh. Like she was talking about a well-trained pet. I stood in the living room for a long time. When she finished her call and saw me, she flinched, then put on that familiar, slightly wounded expression. “Zoe? What are you doing home? I thought you were working late today.” “It got canceled,” I said. She just said, “Oh,” and didn’t ask how long I’d been standing there. She probably figured it didn’t matter even if I had heard. After all, I was just that foolish. Later, I became more and more marginalized at work. The overtime I did for her was all credited to her name. She was promoted to manager. I was laid off. I laid in our rental, not leaving the apartment for a month. Stella moved out. She said the commute to her office was too far. As she was leaving, she stood at the door, her eyes red. “Zoe, take care of yourself.” The door closed. I lay back down on the bed and never got up again. My suicide note was a single sentence: The biggest regret of my life was fighting so many battles for Stella. 3 In the first week of my new life, I didn’t stand up for Stella once. She and Jenna argued over the air conditioner temperature. After a few sharp words, Stella came to me, eyes red, wanting me to mediate. She looked at me with that familiar, wounded expression, like a small animal caught in the rain, waiting for someone to offer it an umbrella. I said, “You two should work it out. I’m fine with whatever temperature you decide on.” She was taken aback, clearly not expecting me to say that. The hurt in her eyes froze for a second, then melted into confusion. In my past life, I would have already been confronting Jenna. That night, for the first time, Stella didn’t sigh dramatically after the lights went out. She was probably still processing it. The next day at noon, I was coming back from the cafeteria and heard Stella on the phone in the stairwell. “Mom, I’m fine… It’s just, my roommate seems to be in a bad mood lately. Maybe I did something wrong. It’s okay, I’ll figure it out. Yeah, don’t worry about me.” Her voice was full of manufactured fragility, the ends of her words trembling slightly. After she hung up, she leaned against the wall, her eyes red. When she saw me coming up the stairs, she hastily wiped her eyes and forced a smile. “Zoe, you’re back from lunch?” “Yeah.” “What did they have at the cafeteria today?” “Sweet and sour pork, scrambled eggs with tomato.” “Oh.” She paused. “I haven’t eaten yet.” Before, I would have said, “I’ll go with you.” This time, I just nodded, walked past her, and went back to the dorm. She stood in the hallway for a long time. On the third day, the RA posted the new cleaning schedule in the group chat. Stella was assigned the Wednesday morning shift, 5:30 to 7:00 a.m., responsible for the entire floor’s common areas. It was the worst shift—you had to wake up before dawn, take out all the trash, and mop the entire floor. In the past, whenever the schedule came out, Stella would always get the worst shifts and she’d never say a word. I was always the one who would @ the RA in the group chat, demanding, “Why does Stella always get stuck with the hardest shift?” Then the RA and I would argue, Jenna and Beth would watch for entertainment, and Stella would stay silent. Afterward, she would message me privately: Zoe, it’s really okay. I don’t mind waking up early. You’re putting me in a difficult position. This time, the schedule came out again. Stella sat on her bed looking at her phone. After a moment, she let out a soft sigh. She put her phone down and looked at me. Her eyes held that familiar look of expectation, waiting for me to solve her problem. Her eyes were slightly red, her lips pressed together. “Zoe, did you see the cleaning schedule?” “I saw it.” “I got the Wednesday morning shift.” She paused. “The trash cans are always overflowing at that time. I don’t think I can carry them by myself.” “Then you should talk to the RA,” I said, turning a page in my book. “Ask him to reassign it, or schedule two people for that shift.” Her expression stiffened. A crack appeared in her hopeful gaze. “But… the RA isn’t very easy to talk to. I’m afraid he’ll think I’m being dramatic.” “Then wake up early. It’s only 5:30.” She didn’t say anything else. The hope in her eyes died completely. That night, after lights out, I heard her tossing and turning in the bunk across from me. At 5:00 a.m. on Wednesday, her alarm went off. Stella fumbled in the dark to get up, dress, and tiptoe out of the room. When I got up at 7:30, she was already back, sitting on the edge of her bed. Her hair was damp from a shower. Her eyes were red. I couldn’t tell if it was from exhaustion or from crying. Jenna glanced at her. “All done?” “Yeah.” Stella managed a smile. “It wasn’t as bad as I thought.” Jenna just grunted and went back to her phone. Stella looked at me. Her expression was different now. It was no longer hurt or expectant. It was something more complex—as if she was asking, Why have you changed? while also trying to confirm something. I didn’t meet her gaze. She lowered her head, clutching her towel in her hands for a long, long time. 4 Over the course of a week, the way Stella looked at me grew stranger. She started to test me. “Zoe, have you been in a bad mood lately?” “Nope.” “Then… do you have a problem with me or something?” “Nope.” “Then why are you…” She bit her lip, that familiar wounded look returning to her eyes. “You weren’t like this before.” I looked up at her. Her eyes were red again, the same practiced, hurt redness I’d seen a thousand times. In my past life, that look would have been enough to make me soften, to make me rush out and solve all her problems. “Like what before?” I asked. She hesitated. “You know… you would help me.” “Help you with what?” “Help me with…” Her voice trailed off, her gaze flickering. “Never mind. It’s nothing.” She turned away, her shoulders slumping slightly, as if she was trying to hide her tears. In my past life, I would have chased after her, apologizing. “I’m sorry, Stella, I’ve just been in a weird mood. Don’t be mad.” Then she would have wiped her tears and said, “It’s okay, Zoe, I know you didn’t mean it.” And everything would have gone back to normal. This time, I didn’t move. She reached the door, her hand on the knob, her steps slowing to a crawl. I kept reading my book. Finally, she couldn’t take it anymore and glanced back at me. The hurt in her eyes was gone. In its place was an expression I had never seen on her face before. Calculation. She had realized her victim act no longer worked on me, and she was reassessing the situation. 5 The second week, Stella changed her strategy. She stopped playing the victim in front of me and started “casually” bringing me up in front of our other roommates. Beth was the one who relayed this to me. The best thing about Beth was her gossipy nature; she’d spread anyone’s dirt, completely impartially. “Zoe, did you do something to Stella?” Beth asked, painting her nails. “She’s been sighing all over the dorm for days, acting like we’re all bullying her.” “No.” “Then what’s her deal?” “Ask her.” Beth rolled her eyes. “No way. The second I ask, she’ll get all teary-eyed and make me look like the bad guy. Forget it.” I didn’t say anything. It was just like in my past life. Stella never spoke ill of anyone. She just sighed, got red-rimmed eyes, bit her lip, and said, “It must be something I did.” And everyone would assume someone was picking on her. And the “bully” was usually whoever was closest to her at the time. First, it was Jenna. Then me. Then Megan from the room next door. Then our advisor, Mr. Davis. The people around her were constantly changing. Only she remained the eternal “good person being bullied.” That afternoon, Stella took a call in the dorm. It was the class president, asking why she hadn’t submitted the PowerPoint for their group project. Stella’s voice was a delicate whisper. “I… I sent it to the group chat yesterday. Maybe you didn’t see it. It’s okay, I’ll send it again.” She hung up and sighed. Then, her gaze shifted to me. That look—wounded, hesitant, waiting for me to ask, “What’s wrong?” In my past life, I would have already been by her side, asking. Then I would have heard her denials of “it’s nothing, it’s nothing,” and then I would have gone to confront the class president myself. I sat on my bed reading, not even looking up. She waited a few seconds. Seeing no reaction, she put her phone down and sighed again. This time, a little louder. I still didn’t look up. Her expression darkened. She looked away and didn’t sigh again. 6 The third week, an opportunity presented itself. Stella got into a conflict with Megan from next door over a hairdryer. It was simple: Stella’s hairdryer broke, so she borrowed Megan’s. When she returned it, it was broken. Megan said Stella broke it. Stella said it was already broken when she borrowed it. The two of them stood in the hallway, facing off. Megan was loud, firing off words like a machine gun. “It was working perfectly fine when I lent it to you, and now it’s broken! Are you telling me you didn’t do it?” Stella’s eyes were red, her voice a thin thread. “I really didn’t… It wasn’t blowing any air when I tried to use it. I thought you’d let me use a broken one, so I was too scared to say anything…” Her voice got smaller and smaller as she looked down at the floor. A small crowd had gathered in the hallway. People were whispering, judging Megan with their eyes. Stella tilted her head slightly, her gaze cutting through the crowd and landing on me. I knew that look all too well. It was a look of hurt, a plea for help, a certainty that said, You’ll speak up for me. She was waiting for me. Waiting for me to charge out and defend her, just like I had in my past life. And I did charge out in my past life. I pointed at Megan and said, “How much is a stupid hairdryer? I’ll pay for it. Stop bullying people.” And just like that, Megan and I became enemies. Stella walked away unscathed, without ever saying to Megan, “That’s not what happened.” I met her gaze and smiled faintly. Then I walked over. Stella’s eyes lit up. The certainty in them swelled into a look of triumph: I knew you’d still help me. I walked right past her and stopped in front of Megan. Stella’s expression froze. “Megan, when did you buy that hairdryer?” Megan blinked. “Last month.” “Do you have the receipt?” “Yeah, why?” “If you have the receipt and it’s still under warranty, you can get it fixed for free. Are you sure it was working before you lent it to Stella?” “I’m positive. I used it this morning.” “Then it broke while Stella had it.” I turned to Stella. “Stella, you should take it to get repaired. It’s free if it’s under warranty. If it’s not, and it costs money, you and Megan can split it. After all, it was working when you borrowed it.” The hallway fell silent. The expression on Stella’s face was cemented in place. She had probably imagined a hundred ways I might defend her, but this was not one of them. Her eyes shifted from delight to shock, and from shock to fury. The tears welling up were no longer from hurt, but from rage. She finally realized I wasn’t going to be her shield anymore. She bit her lip and took the hairdryer from Megan. “Fine. I’ll get it fixed.” Her voice was thin and choked with tears. But this time, no one stepped forward to defend her. The crowd dispersed. Stella stood alone in the hallway, clutching the hairdryer. As I walked past her, she spoke. “Zoe.” “Yeah.” “Why did you change?” “Change how?” “You weren’t like this before. You would have helped me.” I stopped and looked at her. “You wouldn’t have let me down before, either,” I said. Her pupils constricted. The anger in her eyes cracked, revealing what was underneath. Fear. I said nothing more and walked back into our room.

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1 I returned from a business trip a day early. The fingerprint lock on my own villa had been replaced. After I rang the doorbell, a strange man in my husband’s pajamas opened it. He looked at me with disgust and called me trash, telling me not to dirty his new carpet. Our housekeeper, Brenda, rushed out and pushed me onto the porch. With a fake smile, she said her son and his fiancée were visiting and asked me to stay at a motel instead. She even offered to deduct the days from her salary as a “favor.” I laughed bitterly. “I pay you to work for me, and you act like the lady of the manor?” Seeing I wouldn’t comply, Brenda’s face hardened. She went back inside and loudly called me a crazy beggar, then slammed the door in my face. I heard her son laughing inside, complaining about security. Furious, I stood outside my own home. For three years, my busy job and my husband Marcus’s classified military service kept me away. I’d hired Brenda to make life easier. Now, I realized I’d been nurturing a viper. Without another word, I took out my phone and dialed Marcus’s secure line. … The sound of howling wind crackled on the other end of the line before I heard his voice. “Josie?” he asked, his tone instantly sharp with concern. “Why are you calling this number? What’s wrong?” I fought to keep my voice steady. “Honey, the housekeeper has taken over the house. She changed the locks and locked me out.” The wind on his end seemed to pause for a heartbeat. Then, Marcus’s voice returned, colder than ice. “We’re just wrapping up a mission here. I can be there in ninety minutes, tops. Call the police. And stay safe.” I swallowed my rage. “Okay. You be safe, too.” After hanging up, I dialed 911. “Hello, I’m at Willow Creek Estates, Villa A. Someone has broken into my home and is illegally occupying my property. Please send officers immediately.” Once I was off the phone, I instinctively walked toward the driveway. What I saw sent a fresh wave of fire through my veins. My Porsche Cayenne, worth over a quarter of a million dollars, was parked there. And tied to the hood was a ridiculously huge, tacky red bow. Brenda wasn’t just using my house—she was giving away my assets as a wedding gift for her son. I was constantly flying for business, and Marcus was a ghost, home only a few days a year. I’d hired Brenda through a reputable agency to look after the empty villa, paying her a very generous salary. In all this time, I had never brought Marcus here, nor did I talk about him much. Brenda had tried to pry a few times, but I couldn’t be bothered to explain, simply saying I lived alone. I never thought my privacy would give her the audacity to stage this cuckoo’s nest takeover. Less than five minutes later, two community security guards pulled up in a patrol cart. “What’s going on? Who’s causing a disturbance at a resident’s home?” The head of security, a man named Frank, hopped out. He froze when he saw me. “Mrs. Scott? What are you doing out here? We got a call about a disturbance.” I pointed at the locked door. “Frank, my fingerprint lock has been changed. The people inside won’t let me in.” Frank’s expression turned grim. He marched to the door and pounded on it. “This is community security! Open the door immediately!” The door creaked open, and Brenda’s face appeared. She didn’t even flinch at the sight of the guards. Instead, she started shrieking, “What’s with all the banging! If you break it, can you afford to replace it?” Frank’s face was stony. “Brenda! Mrs. Scott is the legal owner of this villa. What right does a housekeeper have to change the locks? Step aside, now!” Brenda rolled her eyes so hard I thought they’d get stuck. “Owner? Frank, are you blind?” she spat. “This house is mine now! Who the hell is Josephine Scott? She’s just a bankrupt tramp!” Frank actually laughed. “Brenda, have you lost your mind? The property records in our system clearly list Mrs. Scott as the owner. Stop this nonsense!” “Who’s talking nonsense!” Brenda sneered, pulling a crumpled piece of paper from her pocket and shoving it into Frank’s chest. “Read it and weep! This is a property transfer agreement! Josephine’s company went bust, she’s drowning in debt, and she sold the house to me!” My eyes narrowed. I snatched the so-called agreement from Frank’s hand. One glance was all it took for the icy rage in my heart to boil over. The paper was a crudely printed set of transfer terms, but at the bottom, there it was: my authentic signature and my personal seal. It all clicked into place. Over the past three years, to make things convenient while I was away, I had left Brenda a few blank, signed, and sealed power of attorney forms for any urgent property matters. I never imagined that my trust would become her tool for forgery and theft. I stared at her, my voice dangerously low. “Brenda, do you have any idea what the prison sentence is for forgery and fraud? You’ll be rotting in a cell for the rest of your life.” The mention of prison made her flinch, but she quickly recovered, puffing out her chest. “Don’t you try to scare an honest woman! You’re just a jinx, a broke widow trying to shake us down! I’m telling you, today my son is meeting his fiancée Tiffany’s parents. Don’t you dare bring your bad luck here. Get lost!” Just as she finished, her son, Rick, swaggered out, still wearing Marcus’s pajamas. On his arm was a young woman in a strikingly familiar Chanel dress. And slung over her shoulder was my limited-edition Hermès Birkin bag, the one I kept in the display case by the entrance. She rolled her eyes. “Ricky, baby, why is this crazy woman still here? What kind of security does this fancy neighborhood have, letting beggars in?” Rick patted her hand. “Don’t worry, Tiff. This woman used to employ my mom. Then her husband kicked the bucket and her business went belly-up. The shock must’ve fried her brain. My mom’s got a soft heart, so she throws her some scraps now and then. Looks like she’s having an episode today and won’t leave.” Tiffany’s parents, who were standing behind them, exchanged looks of dawning comprehension. Her father, a portly man, cleared his throat officiously. “Ah, so she’s mentally ill. Rick, your family is just too kind. People like that belong in an asylum.” Her mother chimed in, “Exactly. This villa is lovely, great location and all, but having a lunatic camped out on the doorstep… What would our friends and family think? It’s just not a good look.” Brenda scurried over to them, her face beaming. “You’re absolutely right! I’ll have security get rid of her right now!” She turned to Frank and barked, “Frank! What are you and your boys waiting for? Can’t you see this lunatic is bothering us homeowners? Throw her out!” Frank was so angry his face turned purple. He tightened his grip on his baton. “Brenda, you’ve gone too far. We know exactly who the owner is. You think some fake paper is enough to steal a multi-million dollar estate? The law isn’t a joke!” Rick sneered and stepped forward, jabbing a finger in Frank’s face. “You’re just a mall cop, so who do you think you’re kidding? My mom says this house is hers, so it’s hers! You say one more word, and I’ll have the management company fire your ass tomorrow!” I couldn’t help but let out a cold laugh at Rick’s pathetic, triumphant face. “Fire him? Rick, do you even know how much the annual HOA fees are for this place?” He stiffened, then blustered, “Like I care about a few bucks? I drive a Porsche, you idiot!” He proudly pointed at the Cayenne with the big red bow. My gaze turned colder. “That’s my car.” That set Tiffany off. She let go of Rick’s arm and stormed up to me, her finger in my face. “Have you no shame, you psycho? Now Rick’s car is yours too? Why don’t you just say you own the whole neighborhood! Look at you, in your cheap clothes. You’re not wearing fifty bucks worth of fabric, and you dare to pretend you’re rich? I’m warning you, get out of here!” As she shrieked, she gave me a hard shove. I was already exhausted from days of travel. The violent push sent me stumbling backward, my spine slamming hard against the doorframe. A sharp pain shot through me. Frank rushed to steady me. “Hey! What are you doing? You can’t just assault people!” Tiffany tossed her head back defiantly. “So what if I hit her? A broke, crazy widow shows up at my new home causing trouble. I should have done more than just push her!” Brenda clapped her hands in approval. “That’s right, Tiffany! You’ve got to show trash like this who’s boss! Rick, go get that golf club. If she doesn’t leave, we’ll break her legs!” I pushed myself upright, waving Frank away. My eyes, cold as ice, scanned the pathetic circus of clowns before me. “Good,” I said softly. “Excellent. Breaking and entering, forgery, grand theft auto, larceny… and now you can add assault and battery to the list. None of you are going anywhere today.” Just then, the wail of sirens grew closer, and a police car screeched to a halt. Four officers got out. “Who called the police?” I stepped forward. “I did, Officer.” The moment Brenda saw the police, she transformed into a victim. She slapped her thigh and began to wail, tears streaming down her face. “Officers! Thank God you’re here! You have to help us poor, honest folk!” She pointed a trembling finger at me. “This crazy woman, she used to be my boss. But her husband died, her company went bankrupt, and she’s drowning in debt! She sold me this house, and now she’s going back on her word, trying to claim it’s still hers!” Rick quickly handed the forged agreement to the lead officer. “Officer, look, this is the property transfer agreement she signed herself. It’s all there in black and white!” The officer took the paper, his brow furrowing as he read it. He turned to me. “Ma’am, is the signature and seal on this document yours?” I met his gaze without flinching. “The signature and seal are mine. The content of the agreement is a forgery. She used a blank power of attorney form I left with her and printed this herself.” Brenda jumped up and down. “You’re lying! Who in their right mind would leave a blank, signed form with their housekeeper? You’re just jealous because my son found a beautiful fiancée and you want to ruin our happiness and steal the house back!” Tiffany’s parents added their voices to the chorus. “Officer, we saw it with our own eyes! This woman was acting completely unhinged. She’s clearly not stable. You should arrest her!” The officer’s face was grim. He looked at me. “Ma’am, your word against theirs isn’t enough. Can you provide a deed, or any other documents proving you own this house?” I felt my pockets, then remembered. The copies were in the car, and Rick had the keys. “My documents are in the car. They took my keys.” I gestured to the Cayenne in the driveway. Rick immediately clutched his pocket. “Don’t listen to her lies! This car is mine! The registration is in my name!” I froze. How could the registration be in his name? Looking at Brenda’s smug, fearless expression, I understood everything. In these three years, she hadn’t just learned my schedule; she had been systematically plotting this takeover, laying the groundwork piece by piece. I gave her one last, cold look before pulling out my phone and calling my assistant, Lynn. “Bring the original deed for the Willow Creek villa, and the purchase invoice and all the paperwork for the Cayenne. Get here now.” Hanging up, I turned back to the police. “Officer, my assistant is on her way with the original documents. In the meantime, you can check the registration information with the community management office. It will prove who I am.” Frank immediately spoke up. “That’s right, Officer! I can vouch for her. Mrs. Scott is the sole owner of this villa. It’s all on record in the community’s system!” The officer nodded and sent one of his colleagues to verify the information. Seeing this, a flash of panic crossed Brenda’s eyes. She tugged on Rick’s sleeve. He got the message. His eyes darted around, then fixed on my neck. He suddenly shouted, “Officer! She’s not just a con artist, she’s a thief!” His shout drew everyone’s attention. He pointed at me. “That necklace she’s wearing! I bought that for Tiffany as an engagement gift! I left it on the living room table yesterday, and today it was gone. She must have stolen it!” All eyes snapped to my neck. Hanging there was a simple black cord. At its end rested a single, smooth, brass bullet casing. It wasn’t just a trinket. It was the casing from a bullet that had nearly killed Marcus during a mission on the border years ago. He’d pulled it from his own body armor. He had personally polished it until it was smooth, engraving our initials inside. It was my good luck charm, my talisman. It had no monetary value, but to me, it was more precious than this multi-million dollar estate. When Tiffany heard it was supposedly her engagement gift, her eyes lit up. Forgetting the police were even there, she lunged at me like a feral animal, her hands grabbing for the necklace. “You shameless thief! You dare steal my engagement present? Give it back!” Panic seized me. I clutched the bullet casing to my chest, yelling, “Get off me! Don’t touch it!” Her sharp nails dug into my neck, leaving long, burning scratches. When she couldn’t pry my hands away, she opened her mouth and sank her teeth into the back of my hand. A searing pain shot through me, and my grip loosened involuntarily. Tiffany seized her chance and yanked with all her might. Snap. The cord broke. The bullet casing fell to the ground, bouncing twice on the stone walkway. Tiffany looked down and saw it was just an old piece of brass. Her face twisted in disgust. “What is this piece of junk?” she shrieked. “Ricky, baby, you told me you were getting me a ten-carat diamond! What is this garbage?” Complaining loudly, she lifted her high-heeled shoe and brought it down hard on the small casing, grinding it into the stone. “Don’t you touch that!” I screamed, a primal fury erupting from deep within me. I shoved Tiffany with all my strength, scrambling for the bullet casing on the ground. She stumbled back with a shriek and fell to the ground. Rick saw this and roared, “You hit my fiancée? You’re dead!” He lunged forward and kicked me, hard, in the shoulder. I collapsed, a sharp, cracking pain exploding from my joint. The police surged forward, slamming Rick against the wall. “Stop! Assaulting someone in front of a police officer? Have you lost your mind?” Rick struggled, still shouting, “You saw it! She hit my fiancée first! She’s a thief and she’s violent! Arrest her! She should be locked up!” Brenda threw herself to the ground, wailing and flailing. “Oh, the injustice! Stealing our house, our car, and now beating people up! Officers, you have to arrest this psycho! My son was just defending his fiancée!” Tiffany’s parents rushed to help their daughter up, pointing at me and screaming, “You lunatic! If our daughter is hurt, we’ll sue you for everything you have!” Slowly, I pushed myself up from the ground, my hand clenched tightly around the bullet casing. The brass was tough, but the heel of her shoe had gouged deep scratches across its surface. The initials Marcus had carved were half-obliterated. My entire body was trembling. My eyes were bloodshot with rage. These people. They occupied my home, drove my car, stole my bag, and now, they had tried to destroy the one thing I held most sacred. I lifted my head, my gaze locking onto Rick and Tiffany. “You,” I said, my voice shaking with a cold, terrifying calm, “are going to pay.” Rick just sneered. “Yeah? You and what army? You’re a broke widow, you think you’re so tough? I could kill you right now and no one would care!” Tiffany smirked from the ground. “That’s right! I stepped on your stupid trash, so what? What are you gonna do about it? Sue me?” And then, a deafening roar tore through the sky. Three sleek, black combat helicopters sliced through the air, circling low over the estate. The powerful downdraft from their rotors whipped the trees in the yard into a frenzy. Following them, a convoy of eight black, armored SUVs came screaming down the road, moving with a brutal, unstoppable force.

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1 When I drew my last breath on that icy street corner, the infected sores on my body were still oozing. People crossed the road to avoid me, whispering that I was cursed, that anyone who came near would suffer. After a contaminated needle pricked me in the ER, not a single colleague stepped in to help. I was left to rot. It all traced back to Dylan. Because of him, the Chief took away my surgical scrubs and handed me a mop, demoting me to biohazard waste duty. “Carter can no longer practice medicine,” Dylan announced to the entire floor the next day. “If he stays, he’ll bring down the hospital with malpractice lawsuits.” Everyone accepted his words as truth—everyone but me. Right after we arrived for a team retreat, news broke that a charter bus had lost its brakes and plunged off a bridge. We had switched vehicles at the last minute because Dylan had screamed a warning that boarding that bus would mean certain death. Soon, more of his “prophecies” came true. A senior doctor was stabbed by a grieving relative. An elderly patient died overnight, exactly as Dylan had foretold. The Chief had ignored Dylan’s warning that night, fighting to save the old man. Dylan simply pointed at the bleeding patient in trauma and stated calmly that he would be dead within twenty-four hours. Back then, the staff just laughed. No one took the new intern seriously when he claimed he could see people’s death countdowns. Then I opened my eyes. I was back in the trauma bay, on the very day Dylan first said he could see the reaper’s clock. The bitter resentment of my miserable death burned hot in my chest. “Hurry! Patient’s vitals are bottoming out!” A chorus of frantic voices snapped me out of my daze. An elderly mechanic, whose leg had been horribly crushed in a piece of heavy machinery, was being wheeled into the resuscitation room. “Prep for immediate surgery!” Chief Harris seamlessly snapped on his gloves, barking orders with practiced precision. The chaotic tension of the ER and the sight of the old man going into shock forced me to blink hard. What was happening? Why was I here? Wasn’t I dead? I looked down at my gloved hands, a violent tremor wracking my body. I had actually been reborn. “Don’t bother saving him, Chief. That old guy is checking out today regardless.” Before I could even process the miracle of my second chance, a cold, indifferent voice echoed through the room. Dylan, our newest intern, stood in the corner with his arms crossed. It was the exact same script, delivered with the exact same arrogant smirk. Chief Harris furrowed his brow, shooting the kid a lethal glare. “Is that how a doctor speaks? Dylan, I do not care what kind of psychic parlor tricks you think you have. This patient still has a pulse, and we do not give up!” Clearly, the rumors of Dylan’s supposed “death countdown” vision had already reached the Chief’s ears. With the Chief setting the tone, the rest of the medical staff chimed in with their own disgust. “Seriously. You just got out of med school and you are peddling this voodoo garbage? We are medical professionals!” “How are you ever going to make it in this field? We rely on evidence-based medicine, not crystal balls!” Dylan proudly lifted his chin, his tone dripping with absolute certainty. “Suit yourselves. Do not say I didn’t warn you when it all turns out to be a waste of time.” “Enough! Prep the OR now!” the Chief snapped, cutting off the intern’s nonsense. At that moment, Christina snapped on her sterile gloves and stepped forward. “Chief, why don’t we let Ben take the lead on this? He specializes in lower extremity amputations. He literally wrote his thesis on it.” The Chief nodded in agreement. I glanced over at Ben, who was already scrubbing in, and a chilling memory flooded my mind. In my previous life, Ben performed this exact surgery. The old man died anyway. The family blamed Ben, jumping him in the parking lot and slashing his hands. His surgical career was permanently destroyed, leaving his family destitute. I was given a second chance for a reason. I couldn’t let history repeat itself. “Chief!” I spoke up, stepping into the light. “Let me take the lead on this. I covered this extensively during my fellowship, and I have successfully led three similar procedures this year. I’ve got this.” Instantly, every eye in the room shifted to me. Christina furrowed her brow, glancing nervously at the fading patient. “Carter, stop messing around! You do not have the seniority for a procedure this delicate!” Christina was my girlfriend. With her leading the charge against me, the rest of the room naturally doubted my abilities too. Chief Harris and Ben both tried to talk me down, reminding me that a man’s life wasn’t a training exercise. But I had stood right beside Ben as his assistant in my past life. I knew exactly which ruptured artery was going to cause the fatal complication. Right now, there was absolutely no one in this hospital more equipped to handle this surgery than me. Dylan looked me up and down, letting out a mocking scoff. “Doesn’t matter who holds the scalpel. He isn’t living past midnight.” I ignored his smug face, pulling rank and addressing him directly. “Is this why you went to medical school? To stand in the corner and watch people die? Dylan, with an attitude like that, you will never be a real doctor.” A flash of genuine anger crossed Dylan’s face, but he quickly masked it. After putting the intern in his place, I stood my ground. Chief Harris studied my face for a long, heavy moment before finally relenting. “Alright, Carter. Do everything you can.” With the Chief’s blessing, the rest of the team had no choice but to fall in line. Once we got into the procedure, however, something felt off. The catastrophic vascular rupture that killed the man in my past life simply never happened. The amputation went incredibly smoothly, and within hours, his vitals had stabilized perfectly. Based on every medical metric available to us, the old man was completely out of the woods. I fell deep into thought, the reality of my past life’s outcome feeling more bizarre by the minute. When we emerged from the grueling surgery, word of our success had already spread. A few nurses openly mocked Dylan in the breakroom. “Oh, look out, here comes the grim reaper! Hey kid, maybe watch a little less sci-fi and read a few more textbooks.” Dylan clenched his fists, his face tight and pale. He didn’t say a word, just packed his bag and clocked out early. The shift ended peacefully, and I finally let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding. Christina was working the night shift, so I felt comfortable heading home to sleep. The next morning, I walked into the department to find my colleagues staring at me with absolute horror. “Carter, it’s a disaster. That old man with the amputation died last night!” “What?! How is that even possible!” I grabbed my coworker by the shoulders, my mind reeling. “We ran every post-op check! He was perfectly stable when we closed him up. How did he die?” My colleague was completely ashen. He took a shaky breath before answering. “They are saying it was a sudden, massive post-op infection. By the time Dr. Christina got to his room, he was barely breathing. The coroner picked up the body at four in the morning. He is probably already cremated by now.” My grip on his shoulders loosened. All the strength drained from my legs. What was going on? Why did he still die? Dylan stepped out of the shadows, his voice dripping with venomous sarcasm. “You told me I would never be a good doctor, Carter. You were dead wrong. I am going to be a brilliant doctor precisely because I know exactly who can be saved and who is already a lost cause.” His gloating made my blood boil. I pulled out my phone and dialed Christina’s number immediately. “What happened to that old man last night? Why was his body processed so incredibly fast? The Chief and I didn’t even get to review the chart!” Christina’s tone was eerily smooth, almost detached. “Carter, you need to calm down. You guys haven’t seen what Dylan can do. I get why you’re skeptical, but I believe him. He said the guy wouldn’t make it, and look what happened. The infection took him.” I felt a vein throb in my forehead. “You actually buy into this psychic garbage? Christina, you went to an Ivy League med school! Are you seriously throwing your entire medical education out the window for some parlor trick?” Before I could finish, a chaotic uproar erupted from the waiting room. “You owe us an explanation right now! My father was perfectly fine yesterday! How the hell does he just drop dead in the middle of the night!” “Is this hospital even licensed? You butchered my father!” The old man’s family had arrived, and they were out for blood. A cold spike of terror hit my chest. Remembering the flashing steel of the knife from my past life, I instinctively took a few steps back. I looked down at my phone. Christina had already hung up on me. But to my utter shock, the violent brawl never materialized. The family was loud and profane, cursing our incompetence, but nobody pulled a weapon. Nobody swung a fist. They had clearly coordinated their story beforehand. They only wanted one thing, a massive cash settlement from the hospital. The crisis was resolved with suspicious ease, leaving me entirely perplexed. No one in the department blamed me. The surgery’s success was thoroughly documented. The death was completely out of my hands, chalked up to terrible luck and a freak infection. The family had only come to collect a check. With the terrifying ordeal officially swept under the rug, Chief Harris let out a massive sigh of relief. He called a quick meeting. “We have powered through some brutal surgical rotations these past two months. Everyone is exhausted. I am requesting a budget from the board to take our entire department on a weekend camping retreat. What do you say?” The room instantly lit up. Death was a daily reality in the ER. While we respected life and fought for it, we couldn’t let every tragedy drag us into depression. “I looked up two different charter bus companies for the trip. Which one do you guys prefer?” The Chief held up his phone, showing us the options. I leaned in and felt a cold sweat break out on my neck. It was the exact same two buses from my past life. One blue, one green. I instinctively shot a glance at Dylan. He looked completely unbothered. In my previous life, we let the Chief choose. He picked the blue bus. Dylan instantly screamed that the blue bus would crash. Spooked, we switched to the green bus. And sure enough, the blue bus ended up at the bottom of a ravine. My mind raced. This time, I spoke up first, intentionally choosing the green one. “Let’s go with the green one, Chief. It looks like it has a lot more legroom.” Most of the staff favored the blue one for its larger panoramic windows, but since I voiced a preference, nobody really cared enough to argue. “Green it is, then,” the Chief finalized. The second the word left his mouth, Dylan’s head snapped up. His face twisted into a mask of pure, exaggerated horror. “Do not get on the green bus! We will all die!” His sudden scream made half the room jump out of their skin. Given how eerily accurate he had been about the old man just yesterday, seeing him look this genuinely terrified struck a nerve with several nurses. But a dark suspicion was already blooming in my mind. Last time, the Chief picked blue, and Dylan said blue was doomed. This time, I bypassed his trap and picked green, and now suddenly the green one was a death trap. Before I could call him out, Chief Harris shut him down. “Dylan, we talked about this yesterday! We are medical professionals. We do not entertain superstition!” The Chief’s firm reprimand helped ground the room. The others quickly chimed in. “Yeah, Dylan. You are new, so maybe you don’t get it. Post-op infections like that old man’s are rare, but they happen. It’s science, not fate.” “The Chief is booking top-tier corporate transit companies. Nothing is going to happen. Just relax.” Some tried to reassure him, while others were simply annoyed by his constant doom-mongering. “Do you ever stop with this creepy act? We are trying to plan a nice weekend away, and you are acting like a horror movie villain. Drop it.” One particularly blunt resident took a direct shot at Dylan’s competence. “If you have enough free time to curse your coworkers, maybe you should hit the textbooks. You hovered around the OR all day yesterday and couldn’t even hand over a clamp correctly.” Seeing the entire room united against him, Dylan sneered defensively. “Fine! Since you all worship Carter so much, take his stupid green bus! I don’t care if you live or die. I try to save your lives, and you treat me like garbage!” His dramatic outburst cast an awkward silence over the room. When it came down to a matter of life and death, even a completely irrational warning was enough to make people hesitate. Switching to the blue bus was effortless, and it had bigger windows anyway. Sensing the tension, Christina stepped in with her perfect diplomatic smile. “Okay, let’s everyone take a breath. Honestly, why don’t we just book the blue one? If there is even a fraction of a chance the green one is unsafe, why risk it? Let’s just consider it good luck. It’s practically the same price anyway.” She handed them the perfect out. The staff eagerly nodded, agreeing to switch to the blue bus. I stared at Christina, my eyes burning with a cold, analytical scrutiny. Feeling my gaze, Christina’s eyes darted away defensively before she forced a sweet, reassuring smile, acting as if she were just trying to smooth over the argument we had on the phone earlier. With Christina leading the pivot, the rest of the room finalized the blue bus. I crossed my arms and stood my ground. “If none of you are taking it, then I will pay for the green bus myself. I want to see exactly how this thing is supposed to kill me. I do not believe in ghost stories.” “Carter! Stop being so stubborn!” Christina frowned, looking deeply concerned. “I know you are still mad at me about the patient protocols last night, but this is not the time to throw a tantrum.” The other doctors quickly piled on. “Yeah, man. Just ride with us. What if something actually happens?” But my mind was made up. My voice was pure ice. “I appreciate the concern. But I am riding that green bus.” Seeing that I was entirely immune to his manipulation, Dylan’s face darkened into a nasty scowl. “Fine, Carter. If you want to play tough guy, I will start making arrangements to collect your corpse.” My temples throbbed with white-hot rage. I pointed directly at the door. “You do not need to worry about my corpse. Have you rounded on your patients today? Have you updated yesterday’s charts? You have zero medical skills and spend all day wishing death on your superiors. Get back to work!” Dylan gritted his teeth, his face flushed with humiliation, and stormed out of the room. The hatred in his eyes when he glared at me at the end of the shift was unmistakable. I didn’t care. I had zero interest in making peace with a psychopath. The next morning, I walked straight to the parking lot and stood beside the massive green charter bus. A group of my colleagues stood by the blue bus across the lot, watching me with nervous, pitying expressions. I gave them a casual wave. “Ready to hit the road, Mr. Carter?” the driver asked cheerfully, jingling his keys. “Hold on a second,” I stopped him. “When was the last time this rig was thoroughly inspected? The mountain roads are steep today. I want a full mechanical check before we roll.” “Oh, you don’t need to worry about that, sir. We inspect the fleet after every run. I checked her out myself yesterday afternoon.” The driver waved off my concern, clearly annoyed by the delay. But I did not budge. “Check it again. Under the chassis. Right now, or I cancel the booking and demand a refund.” Muttering under his breath about paranoid city folks, the driver grabbed a flashlight and slid under the front axle. “Man, I’m telling you, I know my own truck, this is a waste of… Holy shit!” Hearing his panicked shout, I dropped my bag and ducked under the bus. When I saw what he was holding, my entire body began to shake. The sheer, blinding fury almost tore its way out of my chest. Meanwhile, up at the scenic mountain campground, my colleagues were descending into a panic. “Chief, it’s going straight to voicemail!” “He isn’t answering texts either. Chief, do you think something actually happened to Carter on that road?” Chief Harris paced near the picnic tables, his brow deeply furrowed. He looked over at Christina. “Christina, can you reach him?” Christina paused, a perfect look of distressed girlfriend painting her face. “I can’t get through either. Carter is just too damn stubborn! He never listens to anyone.” Dylan let out a sharp, arrogant laugh. “You guys can stop calling. You’ll probably see the news report on your feeds in an hour. Just keep refreshing Twitter.” That was a bridge too far for one of the senior nurses. “What the hell is wrong with you? Carter is strict, but he is a brilliant surgeon who looks out for us! Why are you sitting there actively praying for him to be dead?!” Dylan instantly shrank back, plastering on a pathetic, victimized expression. Christina immediately stepped between them. “Hey, back off! This isn’t Dylan’s fault. Carter made his own choices. If he had just listened to us instead of letting his ego drive, we wouldn’t be standing here worried sick!” Watching her defend him with such righteous indignation, anyone would think she and Dylan were the couple. I stood quietly behind a cluster of pine trees, taking in the entire sickening performance. A cold laugh escaped my lips. “Alright, that is enough!” the Chief bellowed. “Our priority is finding Carter! Stop bickering!” Thanks to the Chief, a full-blown screaming match was narrowly avoided. Dylan, however, remained incredibly smug. “Maybe your golden boy is already wrapped around a tree! Why are you all still defending a dead man?” “Who’s dead?” I stepped out from behind the tree line, cutting him off mid-sentence. “Carter!” The relief that washed over the crowd was palpable. Dylan’s eyes nearly bulged out of his skull. Pure, unadulterated panic flashed across his face before he forced it into a mask of exaggerated confusion. “Y-your death countdown! It’s gone!” I walked right up to him, a mocking smile on my lips. “Yeah. I guess I beat the grim reaper.” As I spoke, I tossed the object in my hand right at his feet.

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For the few days I was giving my older brother the silent treatment, a petty kind of rage simmered in my chest. To get back at him, I secretly made a burner account to mess with him online. Riding on my deep understanding of how guys operate, I easily finessed a ridiculous amount of money out of him. The second the funds cleared, I blocked him across all platforms and deleted the account without a single ounce of guilt. The very next morning, my brother was grinning in the living room like an absolute idiot. He proudly announced that his sworn enemy, Sebastian, had just been played by a gold digger. The girl took the money and vanished, and Sebastian was currently turning the internet upside down trying to hunt her down. My brother practically choked on his own laughter, gleefully adding that Sebastian was a notoriously vindictive guy who held massive grudges, meaning this poor girl was completely screwed. I had originally planned to confess my prank to my brother right then and there. Hearing those words, my entire body went ice cold, freezing me to the floor. 1 Seeing my face turn the color of printer paper, Connor assumed I was still holding onto our previous argument. He immediately softened his tone to coax me. “Still mad at your big bro, kiddo? Look, I swear on my life I will never use your expensive face wipes to clean my sneakers ever again, okay?” My lips literally trembled. I could barely form a cohesive sentence. “That girl who took the money, do you know what her username was?” “No clue about her real name. Her handle was something weird though, like Hot Sprite or Warm Fanta.” It was Hot Cocoa. I mentally filled in the blank, completely dead inside. Connor finally caught onto my weird vibe. He narrowed his eyes at me. “Riley, since when do you care so much about Sebastian’s love life?” I bit my lower lip, guilt eating me alive as I forced out a smile that definitely looked more like a grimace. “I am just so happy for you.” Connor beamed, aggressively ruffling my hair. “Glad to see you still have a heart and finally forgave me. Oh right, didn’t you text me earlier saying you had a huge announcement? What’s up?” “Nothing major. Just that Mrs. Higgins’ toy poodle downstairs finally hooked up with the golden retriever next door.” Connor looked utterly blank. “That is your huge announcement?” “Yep. That is it.” “Something is off.” Connor squinted, giving me a full ocular pat down. “You are definitely hiding something. Spit it out. Did you break one of my limited edition gaming figures?” “You are literally so annoying, Connor!” I yelled to cover up my massive guilt and bolted back to my bedroom like my life depended on it. Locking the door behind me, my hands shook as I opened my messages and pulled up the chat log I had already dumped into the blocked folder. Back when I was plotting my revenge against Connor, I knew adding him directly would be way too obvious. I went through hell to track down his gaming ID instead. I started by playing dumb in the lobbies, letting him carry me in matches until we got close enough to exchange numbers. When I saw the profile did not match Connor’s usual aesthetic, my smooth brain thought he was just using a secret account to hide his online dating habits from our parents. Who could have predicted that I had the wrong gaming ID from the very beginning. Honestly, looking back now, Sebastian dropped plenty of clues. Those pictures he posted that were meant only for my eyes. The unbuttoned dress shirts, the razor sharp abs playing peekaboo, and those notorious grey sweatpants that left absolutely nothing to the imagination. That heavily sculpted chest belonged to an entirely different species than my brother’s string bean physique. But I was blinded by my own petty revenge. I convinced myself my brother was stealing pictures of internet models to catfish girls online. So I happily fed into his ego with the most pathetic hype messages. [Oh my god, your body is insane! Send more, I am obsessed!] But that was not even the worst part. The worst part was how greedy I got. I really should have realized it sooner. Connor was the cheapest guy on the planet. He would not even buy me a dollar soda at the gas station. How could he suddenly have endless cash to throw at me? [Babe, this dress is so pretty.] [Send the link.] [Out getting a fancy dinner with the girls today!] The guy did not even blink before sending a massive transfer. [Put the dinner on me. Buy yourselves some iced coffees with the change.] [Do you think this gold necklace looks good on me?] That text was accompanied by a dozen carefully angled pictures of my collarbones, making absolutely sure my face was entirely out of frame. [It looks perfect. You look perfect in everything.] Another giant deposit hit my bank app, the string of zeros literally making me dizzy. By the end of it, the guy on the other end of the screen had turned into a soulless ATM machine. [Today is our fifteen day anniversary. That is exactly 21,900 minutes together.] [Transfer received: 21,900] As the amounts grew more and more unhinged, I started having nightmares that Connor was secretly selling his organs on the black market to fund this. I panicked and decided to pull the plug on the whole prank. Who could have possibly known that the guy I was treating like an absolute sugar daddy was not even related to me! This was supposed to be a petty sibling rivalry. A little pouting, a little begging, and it would be water under the bridge. Now it had escalated into a full blown federal felony. That night, I tossed and turned in my dorm bed until the sheets were twisted into ropes. When I finally managed to close my eyes, the nightmares hit. A damp, dimly lit basement. Sebastian had me tied to a metal chair, a terrifying smirk playing on his lips as he stepped closer. The suffocating pressure radiating off him was unbearable. I shrunk back like a terrified little quail, sobbing uncontrollably. “I confess! I did it all! I killed the dinosaurs, I punched the hole in the ozone layer, I sank the Titanic! Please just let me get a burger!” 2 I dragged myself to my 8 AM lecture the next day with massive dark circles under my eyes. The second class ended, my best friend Hailey dragged me kicking and screaming to the campus basketball courts. Just as we reached the sidelines, a perfect three pointer swished through the net. Game over. Hailey flushed red, practically sprinting over to hand Connor a bottle of water. “It is okay, you played amazing! Your footwork was so good today.” Connor glared viciously at the opposing team. “Sebastian is a piece of trash! He gets his heart broken by some online scammer and decides to take it out on me! They were already up by twenty points, but he just had to sink that last buzzer beater to show off. Arrogant jerk.” Hearing the name Sebastian made my actual scalp go numb. Following Connor’s furious gaze, I shakily looked toward the other side of the court. It was a literal wall of tall, athletic guys with broad shoulders and narrow waists. The sheer amount of testosterone over there made my head spin. “Which one is Sebastian?” I asked in a whisper. Connor let out a bitter scoff. “The ugliest one over there. Stop looking, you will burn your eyes out.” He suddenly turned to Hailey. “Hey, you have something stuck to your eyelid.” Before Hailey could even process what was happening, Connor’s completely dense brain commanded his hand to reach out and violently rip off her fake eyelash. Hailey stood there in absolute stunned silence. Right at that horrible moment, the winning team started strolling over toward us. “Wow, still crying over that internet girl, Seb?” “I am telling you, people who catfish for money should be tossed in a cell and forgotten about.” Connor, incapable of keeping his mouth shut, immediately fired back with maximum sarcasm. “Well if it isn’t our resident Romeo. Word on the street is you got played so hard you don’t even have a shirt left on your back.” Sebastian cast a lazy, indifferent glance our way. His eyes were as cold and deep as a frozen lake. He had a strong brow bone, deep set eyes, and lashes so impossibly long they cast shadows on his cheekbones. His skin was pale, his nose straight, and his thin lips were pressed into a tight line. He radiated this untouchable, icy perfection. “Ugly as sin, right?” Connor leaned in and whispered loudly in my ear. This time, even Hailey could not bring herself to agree with him. When Sebastian’s gaze briefly swept over me, my heart stopped. I scrambled to hide behind Connor’s broad back, praying the concrete would open up and swallow me whole. “Sore loser,” one of Sebastian’s teammates fired back. “Who are you calling a loser? Step up right now, one on one!” Connor’s temper ignited instantly. “Let’s go! Whoever loses is buying the whole court drinks!” The two of them shoved each other all the way back onto the court. Hailey, terrified Connor was going to get into a fistfight, hurried after them. By the time I realized what was happening, the sidelines were completely empty. It was just me. And Sebastian. “You are Connor’s sister?” His voice was cold, drifting down from above me. “Um. Yeah.” I did not dare lift my head. “What is your name?” The guy was relentless. His gaze slowly dropped, finally locking onto the shiny gold necklace resting against my collarbone. His eyes darkened with something completely unreadable. But my chin was practically glued to my chest. All I could think about was mapping out an escape route. I missed the shift in his expression entirely. “Um. My brother told me not to talk to bad boys.” That was an actual quote from Connor. Even though Sebastian’s hair was just a shade lighter than pure black, maybe a dark chestnut in the sun, it was enough for Connor to label him a delinquent. The second the words left my mouth, I spun around and bolted. My heart hammered against my ribs so hard I thought it might shatter them. I ran until my lungs burned. Leaning against a brick wall, gasping for air, the sheer panic finally set in. With shaking fingers, I pulled Sebastian out of my blocked contacts and typed a desperate message. [Please do not call the cops. I am begging you. I will pay you back every single cent.] The reply came through in a millisecond. [Where are you? Let’s meet.] I almost dropped my phone in a puddle. [We broke up. There is no need to see each other in person. I told you I am going to pay you back. Give me ten days. I will sell everything I own if I have to.] Sebastian: [Do you honestly think I care about the money?] [What was the reason for the breakup?] I held my phone, staring blankly at the screen. I racked my brain trying to come up with a single flaw a wealthy, gorgeous guy like Sebastian might have. I came up completely empty and had to pull the craziest excuse out of thin air. [Look, I am just a little messed up in the head. I only like toxic guys who treat me like garbage. You were way too nice to me. You were too clingy. I hate it. It lacks a challenge.] The moment I hit send, I wanted to slap myself across the face. While I was waiting in agonizing suspense, a totally random message popped up on my screen. [Are you close with Connor?] Seeing that name, my hand violently twitched. The phone slipped through my fingers and smacked hard against the pavement. 3 The moment I picked my phone back up, my hands were shaking like leaves in a hurricane. Those words flashed on the cracked screen like a death sentence. [Are you close with Connor?] A thousand different ways to die flashed through my mind. Confess that I am his sister? Absolutely not. That was basically a suicide mission. Sebastian would multiply his hatred for Connor and dump it all directly onto me. If that happened, paying him back would be the least of my worries. I would be lucky to keep all my limbs attached. Tell him we barely know each other? Then why was I standing right next to him at the basketball court? In a moment of pure, desperate genius, my fingers flew across the keyboard. [Close? Oh we are close all right! Connor is an absolute scumbag! He played me, broke my heart, and borrowed a ton of money he never paid back. I want to ruin his life!] As long as I stood on the same side of the battlefield as Sebastian, we were basically brothers in arms! After sending the text, I held my breath, staring unblinkingly at the screen. After what felt like a literal century, the phone buzzed. Sebastian: [Oh? The enemy of my enemy is my friend.] I let out a massive breath. I was just about to send a cute meme to seal the deal when another text popped up. [Since you hate him so much, meet me at the campus track tomorrow at 8 AM. We can discuss how to destroy him together.] [If you do not show up, I am going to the police.] I stared at the little red notification bubble, my vision going dark. This was not a strategy meeting. This was a trap. Early the next morning, I arrived fully geared up. Sunglasses, a medical face mask, a baseball cap pulled low, and a massive black hoodie that Connor would never catch dead on me. I looked exactly like a bank robber preparing for a heist. I crept toward the edge of the track and spotted Sebastian instantly. It was impossible to miss him. Even wearing a basic white T shirt and dark sweatpants, he stood in the morning mist looking like a glowing deity. Every single girl jogging past him physically slowed down, their eyes practically glued to his face. I took a deep breath, hyped myself up, and dragged my feet over to him. “Hey. Morning.” I lowered my voice, trying to fake a raspy, smoker tone. Sebastian turned around. His eyes slowly scanned my ridiculous outfit, an eyebrow ticking up. “Are you planning a burglary?” I forced a dry laugh. “Just avoiding the sun. Skincare is a priority, you know.” He ignored my awful excuse. Long, elegant fingers casually spun a plastic water bottle as he spoke with a lazy drawl. “When are you paying me back?” I knew it! I immediately slapped on an expression of pure agony. “Look man, you know my situation. That jerk Connor ruined my life and drained my bank account. Things are really tight right now. But I swear, the second I get a paycheck, it goes straight to you! Can you just give me a few days of grace?” Sebastian looked at me with a half smile that sent a shiver straight down my spine. He suddenly took a step forward. I panicked and stepped back, my spine hitting the freezing metal of the chain link fence. He planted one hand on the fence right next to my head, leaning in close. The crisp, clean scent of mint and pine instantly wrapped around me. “I can give you a grace period.” His voice was low, carrying a dangerous, careless edge. “But I do not take bad deals. Until your debt is cleared, you work for me to cover the interest.” I swallowed hard. “Work doing what?” “You are on call. You fetch my coffee, you hold my bags, and…” He paused, his gaze dropping to the tiny sliver of my eyes visible above the mask. “You help me put on a show.” “A show?” I was completely lost. “Connor played you, right? Well, he has been a thorn in my side for a long time.” Sebastian’s lips curved into a smirk that screamed pure villainy. “Be my girlfriend. We are going to make him lose his mind.” I stared at him. Dude, what is wrong with your brain? If I actually started dating him, Connor might lose his mind, but I would literally lose my life! “Look, I do not think that is a good idea.” I weakly tried to fight back. “I mean, I hate Connor, but I am still healing from my last traumatic relationship…” “Three thousand.” Sebastian dropped the number casually. “What?” “Three thousand dollars knocked off your debt for every day you play the part.” My spine instantly snapped perfectly straight. I spoke with absolute righteous conviction. “Deal! When do I clock in? Does my current uniform meet the company standards, boss?” Are you kidding me? In the face of that kind of money, my dignity meant nothing. Connor meant nothing. If Sebastian paid enough, I would personally wrap Connor in bubble wrap and ship him overseas. A flash of amusement danced in Sebastian’s eyes. He reached out and smoothly pulled my sunglasses off my face. The sudden morning glare made me squint. “No hiding when you are with me.” He hooked the glasses onto the collar of his own shirt. “And change that embarrassing screen name.” I nodded like an obedient puppy. “Yes boss. Whatever you say boss.” Just like that, I became Sebastian’s contract girlfriend and full time maid.

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After wrapping up my third back to back surgery, I was just about to peel off my scrubs and catch my breath. Right then, the ER doors burst open with a car crash victim. The weirdest part was that he looked perfectly fine on the outside, but he was frantically chugging water like he had been stranded in a desert. Years of clinical experience screamed a warning in my head. I made the call instantly. “Massive internal bleeding. Prep the OR for emergency surgery right now!” The nurses were just about to transfer him to a gurney when his wife, Brenda, rushed forward with a piercing shriek. “Do not touch him! I just checked ChatCure!” she screamed, her voice echoing off the tile walls. “The app said drinking a five dollar electrolyte beverage will perfectly balance his osmotic pressure! He does not need your knives!” I swallowed the spike of frustration rising in my throat and tried to explain calmly. “Ma’am, your husband took a massive blunt force impact. His internal organs are severely ruptured. Drinking water will not fix this. He is bleeding out internally and needs immediate surgical intervention.” Brenda’s pitch somehow got even higher. “ChatCure warned me about people like you! It said money grubbing quacks at these fancy hospitals love to exaggerate symptoms just to drain our bank accounts. It was totally right!” A wave of absolute exhaustion washed over me. For context, we were the top trauma center in the state, and I was a nationally recognized chief of surgery. … “If your stupid app is so brilliant, why did you even bring him to a hospital?! If we wait any longer, your husband is going to lose consciousness from blood loss!” Brenda rolled her eyes completely. She wound up her hand and delivered a massive, echoing smack right onto her husband’s back. She giggled like a maniac. “See? He is perfectly fine! You greedy hacks just want to line your pockets. I hope you rot in hell!” I clearly saw her husband flinch, his brows knotting in sheer agony. All the color drained from his face, and his breathing grew dangerously shallow. I immediately snapped at the nurses. “Get her away from him! Get him to the OR now! That second impact just accelerated the bleeding. We are out of time!” Brenda leaped forward, spreading her arms like a mother hen protecting her chick, completely blocking the gurney. “Stay the hell away from him, you butchers! You are not getting a single red cent out of me today!” A man’s life was on the line. I had to swallow my pride and try again. “Your husband was literally hit by a speeding vehicle! Do you honestly think a sports drink is going to cure him?” “The only reason he looks awake right now is because his body is pumping adrenaline to cope with the massive internal trauma!” Brenda sneered, entirely unconvinced. She pulled out her phone, tapped the screen, and the cheerful, robotic voice of ChatCure chimed through the crowded lobby. “If you are still energetic after being hit by a car, I have the best news for you! Wow, your husband must be incredibly lucky. He is completely unharmed from the impact!” My entire medical team stared at her in utter disbelief. Holding her phone up like a trophy, Brenda looked at us with a smug, victorious grin. “Do not try to feed me your medical garbage. ChatCure said he is lucky!” She even patted her chest in relief. “Thank God I checked the app. Otherwise, all my hard earned money would have been flushed down the toilet at this scam of a clinic.” Her eyes narrowed into a nasty glare. “If you rotten scammers try to force him into surgery, I will literally chain myself to the front doors and sue you into the ground!” The nurses and I exchanged helpless glances. But a split second later, the patient slumped completely out of his wheelchair, sliding into a lifeless heap on the linoleum floor. His eyelids fluttered, barely able to stay open. My medical oath compelled me to keep trying. “Ma’am, I understand you are worried about the cost. But emergency surgeries are covered by your insurance. It will barely cost you anything out of pocket!” “If we delay this any further, he is going to die right here on the floor!” Behind me, half the nurses rushed to lift the man onto the stretcher, while another handed Brenda a consent form. “Please sign this right now. Insurance covers it. You will not go bankrupt over this!” Brenda completely ignored the clipboard. Instead, she lunged forward, violently swatting the nurse’s hand away, and threw her entire body weight onto her dying husband to pin him down. Her face twisted into something purely demonic. “ChatCure told me insurance does not cover traffic accidents! This surgery is going to cost a fortune! You are all in such a rush to cut him open because you want to steal his kidneys and sell them on the black market!” She gathered spit in her mouth and spat directly at my shoes. “You soulless vultures! Harvesting organs from innocent people! May God strike you down where you stand!” Terrified that forcefully removing her might injure the patient further, the nurses froze, looking at me with desperate eyes. I summoned every last ounce of patience in my soul. “Ma’am, please step aside. Just let me do a proper physical exam. That is all.” Brenda eyed me up and down with deep suspicion. “Does a physical exam mean he has to take his clothes off?” Before I could even process the bizarre question, a stinging slap landed squarely across my cheek. “You shameless tramp! You do not just want my money, you want to seduce my husband!” 2 “No wonder you are so desperate to drag my perfectly healthy man into a private room. You just want to feel him up!” The hospital lobby was packed. I could feel the burning gaze of a hundred bystanders drilling into me. My cheek throbbed with white hot pain. My professional instincts kicked in. I opened my mouth to deescalate the situation, but a nurse suddenly shrieked. “Dr. Carter! His pupils are dilating! He is completely unresponsive! If we do not operate this exact second, we are going to lose him!” Brenda glanced back at her husband. He was sprawled on the floor, his skin the color of wet cement. She turned back to us and loudly boasted. “ChatCure is never wrong! He just needs to sleep off the water he drank and he will be right as rain.” My patience completely snapped. I roared at the top of my lungs. “He is in a coma! Do you honestly think he is taking a nap?!” “If you want your husband dead, you never should have brought him here! But since he is in my hospital, it is my job to keep him breathing!” I violently shoved Brenda out of the way and barked orders at my team. “Get him into OR three! Prep for immediate incision!” I shot Brenda a gaze so cold it could freeze boiling water. “If you do not want to be a widow by dinner, sign the damn papers!” The patient was entirely gone by now. Due to the massive hemorrhage, a faint, terrifying shadow of death had already settled over his pale features. Instead of listening, Brenda whipped out her phone, started a live broadcast, and began screaming to her followers. “Hey guys, help me! This black market hospital is trying to steal my husband’s organs! Someone call the cops!” “My husband is not even sick! ChatCure said his osmotic pressure is just unbalanced and he needs a sports drink. But this crazy doctor is forcing him under the knife!” The medical staff stood frozen in the absolute chaos. My temple throbbed violently. I repeated myself for what felt like the hundredth time. “Ma’am, he was struck by a vehicle. His internal organs are shattered. The only reason he was thirsty was because his body was desperately trying to replace the blood he was bleeding into his own abdomen!” Brenda’s voice was shrill enough to shatter glass. “If his organs are broken, how could he be sleeping so peacefully? Who are you trying to fool? You just want to rip his kidneys out for a quick payday!” She escalated her madness, physically blocking another patient who was being wheeled toward the surgical wing. “Do not go in there! This hospital is a slaughterhouse! That female doctor is a shameless butcher! Turn around before they carve you up!” The patient on the gurney was a kidney transplant recipient who had waited over a year for a donor match. His daughter fiercely shoved Brenda aside. “Get out of the way, you crazy hag! Go to a psych ward! If you delay my mother’s transplant, I will end you!” Brenda stood up, dusted herself off, and spat on the floor. “I am trying to save her life! When she wakes up completely hollowed out, do not come crying to me!” My face darkened, my tone dropping to a dangerous register. “Disrupting a hospital and spreading malicious slander is a felony. Keep this up and you will be spending the night in a jail cell.” Brenda shoved her phone camera right into my face. “Look at this, guys! This place wants to harvest his organs and now they are threatening to lock me up!” My brain was buzzing with pure rage. The nurses were too terrified of a lawsuit to move. The live chat on her screen was flooded with horrible comments. [It is the twenty first century and hospitals are still harvesting organs? This is insane!] [Forcing healthy people into surgery? The economy must be so bad that doctors are scamming patients. Name and shame this place!] [Wait, am I the only one who notices the guy on the floor is vomiting blood?] It was not just the internet. A nurse saw it too, pointing at the patient with a trembling finger. “Dr. Carter… he is bleeding from his eyes and ears!” 3 My entire demeanor shifted instantly. I rushed forward and hoisted the dying man onto a stretcher myself. “Call the OR! Tell them to scrub in immediately! We are cutting in three minutes!” Brenda tried her usual trick to grab my hair. My eyes were bloodshot as I roared right in her face. “If you want him to live, shut your mouth and sit down!” Brenda’s face contorted with pure, murderous hatred. “You filthy tramp! Let go of my husband! If he is missing a single hair on his head, I will destroy your life.” I radiated absolute ice. “Call security. Pin her to the wall if you have to. Do not let her take a single step into the surgical wing.” Standing under the bright surgical lights, my palms were slick with sweat. As a medical professional who lived and breathed the Hippocratic Oath, I could not stand by and watch a life extinguish just because of sheer human stupidity. But before the scalpel could even touch skin, a massive, violent crash echoed from the hallway outside. The upbeat, robotic voice of ChatCure pierced through the heavy metal doors. [If you suspect illegal organ harvesting, you have the right to force your way into the operating room! You can also use heavy objects around you. For example, smash their CT scanner! A human kidney is worth way more than a single medical machine!] My hand violently jerked. I almost dropped the scalpel. “Get security to guard the radiology wing! Do not let that lunatic near the expensive equipment!” But before the call could even go through, Brenda had already charged down the hall, grabbed a heavy metal chair, and smashed our brand new CT scanner into a pile of sparking glass and plastic. “You black hearted scammers! I will show you! If you do not let my Gary out right now, I will smash this entire hospital to the ground! Let us see you scam people then!” The entire hospital erupted into chaos. Nurses frantically dialed the police. Brenda used the distraction to sprint back to the OR, pounding her fists against the heavy doors like a battering ram. “We are refusing surgery! Release my husband immediately or I am calling the FBI!” Working three straight days on zero sleep, combined with the deafening banging on the door, made it impossible to focus on a delicate procedure. I let out a defeated breath. “Just let her in.” The second Brenda burst through the doors and saw her husband’s bare chest prepped for surgery, she raised her hand to slap me again, absolutely fuming. “You absolute slut! I knew you just wanted to get him naked!” “If I do not report you to the medical board today, my name is not Brenda!” I caught her wrist mid air, my grip like an iron vice. My voice was deadly calm. “You maliciously destroyed millions of dollars in hospital property. You physically prevented doctors from saving your comatose, bleeding husband. You are going to regret this for the rest of your life.” 4 Brenda ripped her hand away and unleashed a flurry of violent slaps directly onto her husband’s face, slapping him so hard that the sheer shock actually jolted him into a brief, agonizing state of consciousness. “What coma?! He was just taking a nap! Look, he is wide awake now!” “And stop lying about blood loss! Do you think smearing some cheap ketchup on him gives you the legal right to harvest his liver?!” Director Davis came sprinting down the hallway, his face purple with stress. He glared at me. “What is going on here?! Is this a hospital or a circus? The family might be stressed, but you are a senior attending! You should know better!” Having reprimanded me, he turned to Brenda, his eyes narrowing into a sharp glare. “I understand emotions are running high. But assaulting my staff and destroying a three million dollar diagnostic machine crosses the line. The hospital will be pressing full criminal charges.” The Director’s voice was literally shaking. That scanner was imported straight from Germany just last week. It was brand new! Hearing the words “three million,” Brenda immediately screeched at the top of her lungs. “Three million dollars?! You are openly robbing people! ChatCure clearly told me that stupid machine is only worth a hundred grand!” She glared at me, her chest puffed out with absolute self righteousness. “If your corrupt doctor had not tried to kidnap my husband to steal his organs, I never would have had to break anything!” “Blame yourselves! You greedy capitalist pigs are making dirty money off innocent people!” I took a deep breath, fighting the urge to throw my scalpel across the room. “Brenda, I have told you five separate times. Your husband’s internal organs are severely lacerated. If he wants to see tomorrow, he needs to be on this table right now!” Brenda’s eyebrows shot up into her hairline. “ChatCure said he does not need surgery! You are the only one demanding it! Are you claiming you are smarter than the most advanced AI on the planet?” She looked me up and down, her eyes swimming with pure disgust. “Tramps like you probably slept your way to a medical license! Who in their right mind would trust you?” Director Davis’s face turned completely black. At that exact moment, Gary, who had just been violently slapped awake, let out a wet gasp. His head rolled back, and he crashed onto the hard tile floor, his body curling into a tight, agonizing ball. Brenda kicked him hard in the ribs, her face twisted in utter annoyance. “You lazy bum! Watch where you sleep! Get up, we are going home!” Without another word, she hauled his limp, heavy body onto her back. My eyelids twitched violently at the horrific sight, but I bit my tongue. She looked back at us like a queen granting clemency. “My husband is tired. I will generously let your scam of a hospital off the hook today. But this disgusting doctor was incredibly rude, tried to extort us, and sexually harassed my husband! You better fire her immediately!” The Director was about to absolutely explode, but I held up a hand to stop him. I looked straight at Brenda. “As of this moment, I am voluntarily stepping down from all duties pending an internal investigation.” “But as a medical professional, I am giving you one final warning. Your husband is not tired. He is actively dying.” Brenda flashed a smug, victorious smile. “You ignorant hack. ChatCure already diagnosed him. His fatigue is just shock from the accident. A little sugar water and he will be perfectly fine!” She paraded out of the ER like she had just won the lottery. Director Davis wanted to chase her down for the damages, but I stopped him. “If we demand the money now, she will twist the narrative. She will claim we tried to harvest his organs, deliberately provoked her, and scammed her.” “We have to wait until she admits it herself. We wait until she admits his organs were ruptured by the crash, that our diagnosis was flawless, and that she was the one who caused this.” Sure enough, first thing the very next morning, Brenda burst through the clinic doors, cutting the entire line. She loudly demanded that I, and only I, perform surgery on her husband, whose body was already stiff with rigor mortis. I let out a dark, mocking chuckle. “Did ChatCure not tell you to just give him an electrolyte drink? I am a surgeon. I do not do beverage therapy.” Brenda’s voice cracked with desperate sobs. “After we got home last night, he stopped breathing! I dragged him to three different emergency rooms. They all said his internal organs ruptured from the crash!” All of her arrogant, untouchable attitude from yesterday had completely evaporated. She dropped to her knees, begging. “They all told me you are the only one skilled enough to fix this! Please, I am begging you! Save my Gary!” I glanced down at the patient, who had been completely devoid of life for hours, and offered a freezing smile. “I am so sorry. But ChatCure specifically stated that suspended doctors are strictly forbidden from performing operations.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “433747”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

Sharon, my husband’s mother, had always looked down on me, despising me for being poor and unsophisticated, unworthy of her son. I thought that if I just worked hard enough, I could eventually earn her approval. Until I returned from a business trip to find my house had been completely emptied by Sharon. My home had been sold by my husband, Ethan. Just as I was sinking into despair, I received a call from my dad: “Sweetheart, I’ve got amazing news—your mom and I won the $300 million lottery!” I hung up the phone and suddenly laughed. I couldn’t wait to see Ethan’s expression when he realized that for a few hundred thousand dollars, he’d thrown away a wife worth hundreds of millions. The metal wheels of the high-speed train scraped against the tracks, emitting a long, reassuring rumble. I dragged my 24-inch suitcase and stood at the familiar door of my home. After half a month of intense business travel, every part of my body screamed with exhaustion. But thinking of Ethan, who always smiled so warmly, a wave of comfort rose in my heart. The commission I’d earned from this project was substantial—enough for us to pay off a full year of mortgage ahead of schedule. I’d even used my project bonus to buy him that watch he’d been talking about for so long. Imagining his delighted expression when he saw the gift, all my exhaustion from the journey melted away. I took out my key, ready to give him a surprise hug. I inserted the key into the lock. It wouldn’t turn. Metal scraped against metal with an incompatible, grating sound. I froze. What’s going on? I tried again, applying more force. The lock cylinder didn’t budge. A faint unease crept up from my heart like a vine. I pulled out my phone and called Ethan. “Hello, the number you have dialed is currently on another call. Please try again later.” The cold mechanical female voice repeated over and over. On another call? At this hour, he should be home playing video games. I called Sharon. “Hello, the number you have dialed is currently switched off.” The unease instantly magnified, like ink dropped into clear water, rapidly staining my entire heart black. I leaned against the cold security door, my fingers trembling through my contacts. Finally, I found the locksmith’s number. Half an hour later, a middle-aged man in blue overalls appeared before me. “The lock’s been changed,” the master said after examining the lock cylinder, his tone certain. “You must’ve pissed someone off. Whoever did this was pretty ruthless.” My heart sank sharply. Amid the piercing sound of the electric drill, the door I’d walked through every day finally cracked open. I handed over three hundred dollars, forgot to even say thank you, and impatiently pushed the door open. Empty. Everything was empty. No familiar sofa, no TV cabinet we’d picked out together, no dining table I’d wiped clean every day. Only a few lonely cardboard boxes sat in the center of the living room, filled with worthless odds and ends. Sunlight streamed through the curtainless windows, casting large swaths of dust particles on the floor. This didn’t look like a home—it looked like an abandoned warehouse. I rushed into the bedroom. Empty. Our king-size bed had vanished, along with the jewelry box I’d kept in the nightstand. The closet stood wide open, containing only a few old clothes I’d changed out of before my trip, thrown carelessly in the corner like rags. I frantically dialed Ethan’s number, again and again. Always that same message: “currently on another call.” I’d been blocked. This realization poured over me like a bucket of ice water from head to toe. I tried calling Sharon again. Switched off. No. Impossible. They couldn’t have just left like this. There must be some misunderstanding. I collapsed onto the cold floor, my body trembling uncontrollably. Just then, Mrs. Walker from across the hall opened her door and poked her head out. “Oh my, Emily’s back?” Her face wore a complex expression mixing sympathy and gossip. “You’re finally home! Your husband and his mom moved out a week ago.” “Moved out?” My voice was as dry as sandpaper. “Yeah, they were all cheerful about it. Said your husband made it big somewhere and was taking his mom to live the good life in another city!” Mrs. Walker’s voice continued. “I asked why you weren’t with them, and he said you were busy with work, that he’d go ahead and get everything set up, then come back for you later. You’re so lucky, Emily, finding such a successful husband.” Live the good life. Made it big. Each word was like a knife, stabbing viciously into my chest. I finally understood. This wasn’t a misunderstanding. This was a premeditated abandonment. I’d given everything to this family. To save money for the mortgage, I hadn’t bought myself a single new piece of clothing in three years. To care for his demanding mother, I’d learned to cook her favorite dishes. I’d handled all the housework, getting up early and staying up late, serving him and Sharon like they were royalty. I thought my devotion would earn their genuine care. Turns out, in their eyes, I was just trash they could discard at any moment. All my social media accounts, every way to contact them—deleted completely. I was like someone who’d appeared out of thin air and disappeared the same way. They’d erased every trace of my existence. The sky gradually darkened. Cold darkness swallowed the entire room, and swallowed me too. “Knock, knock, knock.” A knocking sound. I numbly lifted my head to see two people in security uniforms standing at the door. “Excuse me, we received a complaint from the property owner about a suspicious person staying here for an extended period.” One of the young security guards looked at me warily. “This is my home,” I spoke, my voice hoarse beyond recognition. “Your home? This house was sold a week ago. The new owner asked us to watch the property and not let anyone in.” The older security guard sized me up, his eyes full of suspicion. “Please leave immediately.” They “escorted” me out of the place I’d once called home, one on each side. The wheels of my suitcase rolled across the concrete, making hollow, grating sounds. I stood at the entrance to the residential complex, watching the coming and going of vehicles and pedestrians, feeling humiliated and wretched for the first time. I’d become a joke. A homeless joke.

The city’s neon lights stung my eyes. I dragged my suitcase, wandering the streets like a ghost. My phone battery was down to five percent. I didn’t dare tell my parents. They were both honest, hardworking people who’d scrimped and saved their whole lives. I didn’t want them worrying about me. I walked into a 24-hour fast food restaurant and found a seat in the farthest corner. The place reeked of fried chicken and burgers, greasy enough to turn my stomach. I laid my head on the cold table, looking at the high-rises outside the window. Every window glowed with warm light. Behind those lights were complete families. And I had been abandoned by mine. Tears fell without warning, drop by drop hitting the tabletop, spreading into small wet spots. I bit my lip hard, not letting myself cry out loud. My phone vibrated once in my pocket, its faint glow a final struggle. It was my dad calling. I took a deep breath, using every ounce of strength to suppress the sob in my throat, and pressed answer. “Hello, Dad.” “Sweetheart!” On the other end, my dad’s voice was unusually excited and trembling. “I’ve got amazing news! Incredible news!” I listened numbly. What good news could compare to the catastrophe I was experiencing? “The lottery ticket your mom and I bought—we won! We hit the jackpot!” My brain went completely blank, like someone had hit me hard with a sledgehammer. “How… how much?” “Three hundred million!” My dad’s voice cracked with excitement. “That’s right, $300 million! Sweetheart!” I gripped the phone, feeling like I was dreaming. Auditory hallucination. I must be so desperate I was hearing things. “Dad, don’t joke around.” “Who’s joking with you! It’s already on the news—we’re the anonymous lottery winners from our city! The money’s already in our account! I just transferred a million to you. Use it for now! Sweetheart, come home right away! Our family needs to celebrate properly! Dad’s going to buy you a mansion and a sports car! From now on, no one will ever bully you again!” No one will ever bully you again. Those words were like a key, instantly opening the floodgates of my emotions. I hung up and opened my mobile banking app. A new transfer record appeared prominently on the screen. Amount received: One million dollars. That long string of zeros glowed with blinding light in the dim fast food restaurant. Tears surged out again, blurring my vision. But this time, it wasn’t because of despair and humiliation. I wiped away my tears, stood up, and dragged my suitcase out of the fast food restaurant. Across the street stood a magnificent five-star hotel. I walked in. “Hello, I’d like to book a presidential suite.” The receptionist’s professional smile froze for a moment, then returned to normal. I swiped my card, took the room key, and walked into the elevator. The room was on the top floor. Beyond the huge floor-to-ceiling windows lay the glittering night view of the entire city. I stood before the window, looking down at the endless stream of traffic below. They flowed like golden rivers, rushing ceaselessly. Ethan. Sharon. You abandoned me for a few hundred thousand dollars. You thought you’d kicked me into hell. Little did you know, you’d personally delivered me to heaven. I suddenly laughed. In this brilliant night scene, my laughter sounded especially clear. The laughter carried tears, carried hate, and even more, an unprecedented resolve. The flames of revenge burned fiercely in my chest. The game was only just beginning.

I slept in the soft bed until I woke naturally. Sunlight poured through the floor-to-ceiling windows, filling the entire room with warmth and brightness. I ordered the hotel’s most expensive room service. Exquisite silver tableware, fresh ingredients—everything proclaimed the taste of money. After breakfast, I walked into the bathroom and looked at myself in the mirror—haggard, with dull eyes. This face was written all over with pleasing others and humility. It was time to say goodbye to the old Emily. I took a taxi to the city’s most upscale luxury shopping mall. This was a paradise for the rich, and a place where I’d once needed courage just to step inside. I walked into a top luxury brand store. “Welcome.” The sales associate wore a standard smile, but when her eyes swept over my faded T-shirt, a flash of contempt crossed them. I ignored her. I walked straight to a row of new season items, pointing at a sleek black dress. “This one, and this one, and this one—wrap up everything I point to.” My voice wasn’t loud, but it was clear enough. The sales associate froze, seemingly not processing this. “Miss, are you… sure?” Her tone carried doubt. I pulled a black card from my wallet and gently placed it on the glass counter. “Do I look like I’m joking?” When the sales associate saw that unlimited black card, her expression changed instantly. The contempt and doubt vanished without a trace, replaced by extreme deference and flattery. “Yes, yes, please wait a moment. I’ll wrap these up right away!” Her waist bent almost ninety degrees. Over the next few hours, I became the queen of the entire mall. Without batting an eye, I bought all the designer clothes, bags, and jewelry I’d once been reluctant to buy or even look at. The sales associates who’d once treated me with indifference now followed behind me, competing to introduce products, their faces full of ingratiating smiles. For the first time, I clearly felt the power that money brings. It could make proud heads bow, could make hypocritical faces seem sincere. After my shopping spree, I went to the city’s top styling salon. “Cut it off,” I told the style director, pointing at my long hair I’d kept for years. In the crisp sound of scissors, all that past docility and humility, along with those split ends, were cut away and scattered on the floor. An hour later, a brand new me appeared in the mirror. Sharp, stylish shoulder-length hair, exquisite yet cool makeup, eyes that no longer held any trace of timidity—only calm and detachment. Strange, yet familiar. This was the real me. Leaving the salon, I went straight to the Porsche dealership. “I want that red 911. Full payment.” The sales manager almost thought he’d misheard, but after confirming my bank account balance, he immediately processed everything with the most enthusiastic service. Driving the brand new red sports car, I returned to my parents’ home. They’d already moved to a high-end gated community in the suburbs. When I appeared before them in the car, my mom’s tears immediately flowed. She rushed over and hugged me tightly, her palm repeatedly stroking my short hair. “My poor daughter, from now on Mom will never let you suffer again.” My dad stood to the side, his eyes red, repeatedly saying, “It’s good you’re back, it’s good you’re back.” Seeing their heartbroken yet relieved expressions, the emotions I’d been holding in all day finally threatened to break through. In front of family, I could always let down all my defenses. That evening, our family seriously discussed the future. We established a family trust fund, with me in full management. My parents knew nothing about business. They just wanted to live peacefully. And I had to use this money to build an impregnable fortress for our family. Never again would anyone have the chance to hurt us. Outside, the night was deep. Inside the villa, lights blazed. A new era for Emily was beginning.

To handle some old documents and certificates, I drove that flashy red Porsche back to the city center. I parked the car in front of a coffee shop I used to frequent. I was about to get out when the corner of my eye caught a familiar figure. Sharon. She sat by the window in the coffee shop, across from a bejeweled rich lady. Even through the glass, I could see her smug, animated expression. “Oh, you have no idea—my Ethan is so successful now!” Her voice was shrill, piercing through the glass and faintly reaching my ears. “He sold that tiny apartment and brought me to the big city to enjoy life! He says he’s going to buy me a big mansion! There was even some rich girl chasing after him recently, driving a BMW, from a family that owns a company!” The rich lady elegantly sipped her coffee, but her eyes held disdain. “Is that so? Well, congratulations then.” Her tone was perfunctory at best. I watched Sharon’s face flush red from bragging, the corner of my mouth curling into a cold smile. I pushed open the car door, put on my sunglasses, and stepped out. The red sports car, combined with my haute couture outfit, instantly attracted everyone’s attention. I could feel almost every gaze in the coffee shop focusing on me. Including, of course, Sharon’s. I walked into the coffee shop in my high heels, heading straight inside. Sharon’s gaze was like poisoned nails, pinning onto me. Those eyes were full of jealousy and contempt, as if looking at a gold-digging vixen. She hadn’t recognized me yet. Makes sense—in her mind, her daughter-in-law Emily was always disheveled, always in cheap T-shirts and jeans. How could she possibly be this woman with a commanding presence? I walked to the counter, my voice just loud enough for everyone in the coffee shop to hear. “One cup of Kopi Luwak, please.” As I ordered, I deliberately raised my wrist and adjusted my cuff. The diamond-encrusted watch worth a million dollars refracted dazzling light under the lamps. I heard a faint gasp from behind me. I turned around with my coffee, ready to find a seat. My gaze swept across Sharon’s face, seemingly by accident. In that moment, her pupils contracted sharply. The smugness and boasting on her face instantly froze, replaced by extreme shock and disbelief. She’d recognized me. Her mouth dropped open, jaw nearly hitting the floor, and the coffee cup in her hand trembled, spilling brown liquid all over her knockoff designer outfit. Everyone around her cast strange looks her way. The rich lady frowned and quietly shifted away from her. And I just gave her a light glance. Like looking at a complete stranger. My eyes held no hate, no resentment, not even a ripple. Just pure indifference. In her shocked, dazed, humiliated gaze, I elegantly turned and walked out of the coffee shop. Getting into the sports car, I saw through the rearview mirror her stumbling out of the coffee shop, staring blankly at the direction my car disappeared. I knew that from today on, her peaceful “good days” were over. A good show was about to begin.

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When I was hemorrhaging in the ICU, Wallace was in my exclusive hospital room with his first love Aurora, having sex. I posted the photos the nurse took of the lingerie scattered all over the floor and used condoms in the patient group chat. “Mr. Wallace, please have your first love clean up the filth on the floor.” But unexpectedly, Wallace called me. Aurora’s moans came through the phone: “Wallace… don’t bite there… let’s go to the bathroom.” In the background was Wallace’s indulgent whisper: “She’s dying anyway, what’s there to be afraid of?” Aurora continued showing off to me over the phone: “Wallace said that after you die, I’ll be his wife.” They thought I was just a nobody orphan with no background, kept alive by the Wallace family. I pulled out the IV from my hand and pressed the red call button by the bed. “Revoke all exclusive authorizations for Number One from Wallace Group Pharmaceuticals.” The cold liquid stopped flowing into my veins. The call button by the bed emitted a piercing sound. The door opened. It wasn’t a nurse who entered, but a man in a black suit with a solemn expression. “Miss Prescott.” He bowed slightly. It was my most capable assistant, Reece. “Execute Plan B.” My voice was weak from blood loss, but every word was crystal clear. “Immediately. Right now.” Reece nodded without a moment’s hesitation. He took out his phone and dialed a number. “It’s me, Reece. Activate highest authority. Terminate all exclusive cooperation authorizations for the ‘Number One’ project with Wallace Group Pharmaceuticals immediately.” “Yes, all of them.” There seemed to be some hesitation on the other end. Reece’s tone was absolute. “This is Miss Prescott’s final decision.” After hanging up, he looked at me with a trace of concern in his eyes. “The Chairman…” “I am the Chairman.” I closed my eyes. Exhaustion washed over me like a tide. My phone vibrated wildly on the nightstand by the bed. It was Wallace. I didn’t answer. Soon, a text message popped up. “Prescott, what tricks are you playing now? Don’t think you can get my attention this way.” “Let me tell you, it won’t work. Behave yourself and wait for me to come back.” I looked at those lines and laughed. The laughter tugged at my abdominal wound. A sharp pain shot through me. The nurse, Martha, rushed in. Seeing the needle mark on my hand bleeding, she turned pale with fright. “Miss Prescott! Why did you pull out the IV yourself! This is too dangerous!” She fumbled to apply pressure to stop the bleeding. “Martha, thank you for the photos.” She froze, then lowered her head. “I… I just couldn’t stand it…” “You did very well.” I had her hand me my phone. I opened the patient group chat. Aurora was still jumping around causing trouble. She posted a selfie. The background was my exclusive hospital room. She was wearing Wallace’s white shirt, with glaring red marks on her collarbone. “Oh my, some people’s hospital rooms are just so big, like a presidential suite. It’s really comfortable living here.” “What a shame, the person’s almost done for. What a waste.” I typed expressionlessly. “Miss Aurora, what do you think? Will Wallace Group Pharmaceuticals’ stock price hit the limit down tomorrow?” Aurora replied instantly. “You psycho, are you cursing the Wallace family to go bankrupt? Wallace won’t let you get away with this!” I ignored her. Less than ten minutes later, the hospital room door was violently slammed open. Wallace and Aurora barged in one after the other. Wallace’s face was full of rage, like an enraged lion. “Prescott! What the fuck did you say to Reece!” He rushed to my bedside and grabbed my wrist. “Who the hell do you think you are? A dying orphan, and you actually think you’re somebody?” Aurora clung to his arm, looking at me triumphantly. “Prescott, stop making trouble. Wallace’s family gave you this life. How can you repay kindness with ingratitude?” “Hurry up and apologize to Wallace. Help him calm down.” I looked at them and found it utterly ridiculous. My life was given by the Wallace family? “Wallace, didn’t your company’s legal department notify you?” “The ownership of ‘Number One’ was never with Wallace Group.” Wallace’s expression changed instantly. The rage in his eyes faded, replaced by suspicion and uncertainty as he looked at me. “What do you mean?” Reece walked in from outside at just the right moment, holding a document in his hand. He handed the document to Wallace, his voice cold as ice. “Mr. Wallace, this is a copy of the authorization termination agreement.” “From now on, Wallace Group Pharmaceuticals has no right to produce or sell any products related to ‘Number One.’” “In addition, given that Wallace Group breached the contract first, we will seek compensation of fifty percent of the profits from the past three years.” Wallace snatched the document and flipped through it quickly. His hands began to tremble. His face turned from red to white, then from white to blue. “Impossible… this is absolutely impossible!” “The patent holder is clearly an overseas company. How could you possibly…” He suddenly looked up at me, his eyes full of disbelief. Aurora panicked too. She shook Wallace’s arm. “Wallace, she’s bluffing, right? How could an orphan like her have this much power?” I gently pulled my hand free from Wallace’s grasp. “Forgot to tell you. That overseas company is mine.”

Wallace looked as if all his strength had been drained. He staggered back a step. He stared at me intently, as if seeing me for the first time. “You… you’ve been lying to me all along?” I curved my lips slightly, finding this question incredibly stupid. “You’re just dumb.” “You assumed I was that little dog from the orphanage you picked up, who could only wag her tail and beg from you.” Aurora shrieked. “You bitch! You schemed against our Wallace!” She lunged at me with teeth and claws bared. Reece stepped forward and blocked me like a wall. “Miss Aurora, please show some self-respect.” Wallace grabbed Aurora. His voice was hoarse. “Prescott, let’s talk.” “I have nothing to talk about with you.” I lay back down and pulled the blanket over myself. “Reece, show them out.” “Prescott!” Wallace shouted unwillingly. “Do you have to be this ruthless? Three years of feelings, you don’t care about them at all?” Feelings? I almost laughed out loud. Was it the feelings he had while messing around with his first love in my hospital room when I was in critical surgery? Or the feelings when he said “she’s dying anyway, so what if she sees”? “Wallace, are you worthy of talking about feelings?” I threw off the blanket, sat up, and looked directly into his eyes. “Get out.” “Or I’ll have security throw you out.” Wallace’s fists clenched so hard they crackled. Aurora behind him was still fanning the flames. “Wallace, don’t beg her! She’s just an ungrateful bitch! Let’s go! Let’s see how she survives without the Wallace family!” Wallace’s rationality seemed to be ignited by this sentence. He took a deep breath, his eyes turning vicious again. “Fine, Prescott, very good.” “You think pulling one drug can bring down the Wallace family?” “Let me tell you, you’re digging your own grave!” He dragged the still-cursing Aurora out and slammed the door. The world was finally quiet. Reece poured me a glass of warm water. “Miss, the Wallace Group won’t let this go easily.” “I know.” I took a sip of water to moisten my dry throat. “Let them make a fuss. The bigger the better.” The Wallace family’s foundation was Wallace Group Pharmaceuticals. And Wallace Group Pharmaceuticals’ glory over the past three years was almost entirely due to “Number One,” this miracle drug. “Number One” was my life’s work. It was the result I achieved through countless days and nights of using my own body for clinical trials. It could effectively suppress organ failure caused by a rare genetic defect in my body, and could also treat various cardiovascular terminal illnesses on the market. Back then, when my condition flared up and I was on the verge of death, it was Wallace’s father, Thompson, who found me. He promised to give me the best medical resources and let me recover in peace. The condition was that I had to grant exclusive production and sales rights for “Number One” to Wallace Group Pharmaceuticals. I agreed. Because at that time, I really did need a stable environment. And also because Wallace’s meticulous care for me made me have illusions. I thought I had found someone I could entrust my life to. I thought the love he spoke of was real. Looking back now, from beginning to end, it was all an elaborate scam. What they valued was never me as a person, but “Number One” in my hands. They kept me confined in this top-tier exclusive hospital room, claiming it was care when it was actually surveillance. Making me think I couldn’t survive without them. How ridiculous. My phone rang again. This time it was Thompson. I answered. An steady voice tinged with anger came through. “Miss Prescott, Wallace is young and doesn’t understand. Why bother arguing with him?” “For the sake of us taking care of you for three years, making this big won’t benefit anyone.” My tone was flat. “Mr. Thompson, I’m just taking back what belongs to me.” “As for the debt of care, the profits ‘Number One’ has brought to Wallace Group over these years should have repaid it long ago, right?” Thompson was silent for a moment. “Prescott, what exactly do you want?” “Very simple.” “Wallace, with that woman, come before me and kneel to apologize.” “Otherwise, I’ll see you in court.” With that, I hung up directly. I knew Thompson wouldn’t agree. Wallace was his proudest son, the heir to Wallace Group. How could he possibly let his son kneel before me, this “orphan”? I just wanted them to recognize a fact. That the current me had the qualification to make them kneel.

The next day, Wallace Group Pharmaceuticals’ stock price hit the limit down as soon as the market opened. The news that “Wallace Group’s core drug patent authorization was terminated” spread like a virus throughout the entire financial circle. Media calls nearly blew up Reece’s phone. I lay peacefully in my hospital bed, looking at the news on the tablet Reece handed me. Each headline was more sensational than the last. 《Business Empire Collapses Overnight? Wallace Group Pharmaceuticals Suffers Fatal Blow!》 《Who Is the Mysterious Patent Holder? Wallace Family Heir May Be Biggest Loser!》 I even saw photos of Aurora surrounded by reporters at the hospital entrance, her face ashen. So satisfying. At noon, Reece brought lunch. It was my favorite dishes, light and delicate. “Miss, the hospital has been taken care of.” “From today on, your security level will be raised to the highest. No one can approach this room without permission.” I nodded. “Any movement from the Wallace family?” “Thompson called an emergency board meeting to try to stabilize the stock price, but with little effect.” “Wallace… he seems to have been grounded by Thompson.” I scooped up a spoonful of porridge and drank it slowly. “He won’t stay quiet.” Given Wallace’s personality, he would never sit still. Sure enough, that afternoon, there was a commotion outside my hospital room. It was Aurora. She was blocked outside by two tall security guards, crying and shouting hysterically. “Prescott! You vicious woman! Come out!” “You’ve harmed Wallace so badly, what are your intentions!” “You think you’ve won? Let me tell you, Wallace said even if he dies, he won’t be with a malicious woman like you!” I pressed the intercom by my bed. My voice came through the speaker outside the door. “Miss Aurora, this is a hospital. Please keep quiet.” “Otherwise, I’ll call the police for harassing a patient.” Aurora’s crying stopped for a moment, then became even shriller. “Call the police? Fine! Go ahead! Let everyone see your true colors!” “You ungrateful thing! Without the Wallace family, you’d be dead already!” I turned off the intercom, not wanting to hear her noise anymore. Reece frowned. “Do you need me to drive her away?” “No need.” I shook my head. “Let her make a scene. The more vicious she is, the more the Wallace family loses face.” I wanted everyone to see that the future mistress of the Wallace family was such a vulgar shrew. Aurora made a scene outside for nearly an hour until her voice went hoarse, then she was forcibly dragged away by security. The world returned to peace. But this peace didn’t last long. That evening, Thompson came in person. He looked even older than his voice sounded on the phone, his temples already graying. He carried a fruit basket, with a tired smile on his face. “Miss Prescott, about what happened during the day, that was my failure to discipline properly. I embarrassed you.” I said nothing, just looked at him. “I’ve had Wallace reflect at home. When he comes to his senses, I’ll definitely have him come apologize to you personally.” He placed the fruit basket on the table, his posture very humble. “Miss Prescott, we’ve cooperated for three years, very happily.” “‘Number One’ is your life’s work and Wallace Group’s future. Neither of us can do without the other.” “What do you say, can we sit down and renegotiate the terms of cooperation?” I finally spoke. “My terms were stated yesterday.” The smile on Thompson’s face froze. “Prescott, leave some room for maneuver. It’ll be easier to meet again in the future.” “You’re still young. The road ahead is long. There’s no need to be so ruthless.” “Are you threatening me, Mr. Thompson?” I met his gaze without flinching. “The thing I fear least is threats.” Thompson’s expression completely darkened. “You really think the Wallace family is made of clay?” “Without ‘Number One’, Wallace Group will indeed be severely damaged, but it won’t collapse.” “And you, Prescott, believe it or not, I have a hundred ways to make sure you never leave this hospital.” The air in the room instantly dropped to freezing point. Reece unconsciously moved a step closer to me. But I smiled. “Mr. Thompson, you’re welcome to try.” “Let’s see if you can make me unable to leave this hospital first, or if I can get your Wallace Group delisted from the stock exchange first.” Thompson’s pupils constricted sharply. He probably didn’t expect me to dare speak to him this way. We faced off for a long time. Finally, he took a deep breath and turned to leave. “You’ll regret this.” He left that sentence behind and walked away without looking back. I knew the real war had only just begun.

Thompson’s methods were more direct and more despicable than I had imagined. Early the next morning, my attending physician came to talk to me. He looked troubled, his words evasive. “Miss Prescott, regarding your condition… we may need to conduct a comprehensive reassessment.” “As you know, your genetic defect is very rare. Our hospital’s current medical capabilities may be… somewhat inadequate.” I looked at him without saying a word. This Dr. Brown had been in charge of my treatment for three years. He was a skilled physician with good medical ethics. I knew that every word he was saying now was not his true intention. “So?” I asked. “So… we recommend you transfer to a specialized research institution abroad for treatment.” “Of course, this is just a suggestion. The final decision is still yours.” He didn’t dare look me in the eye. After speaking, he left hurriedly. Reece’s expression was very ugly. “Miss Prescott, this is Thompson working behind the scenes.” “He wants to cut off your treatment and force you to submit.” I sneered. “He thinks my life is still in his hands.” “How naive.” I picked up my phone and dialed a number. The call was answered quickly. An elderly but gentle voice came through. “Prescott, what made you think to call me?” “Professor Pierre, I’d like to ask you for a favor.” Professor Pierre on the other end was a giant in the domestic genetics field and also my mentor. Back then, when I entered his program with my ailing body, he was the one who, against all opposition, gave me the opportunity to continue my research. The development of “Number One” was inseparable from his guidance and help. I briefly explained the current situation. After hearing it, Professor Pierre was furious. “Outrageous! Thompson is treating human life with contempt!” “Prescott, don’t worry. I’ll handle this!” “I’ll contact the leadership at the Health Department immediately. I’d like to see who dares to touch my student!” After hanging up, a weight lifted from my heart. With Professor Pierre stepping in, it would be basically impossible for Thompson to pressure me through the medical system. But things didn’t end there. That afternoon, a large amount of dirt about me suddenly exploded online. It said I had a chaotic private life, that I rose to power through improper relationships, and stole core secrets from Wallace Group Pharmaceuticals. It also said I was ungrateful, that after Wallace, the Wallace family heir, gave everything for me, I ruthlessly abandoned him. The posts attached many so-called “evidence.” There were photos of me entering and leaving high-end clubs, “intimate photos” of me with different men. There was even a forged medical report saying I had a terminal illness and didn’t have long to live, which is why my temperament changed drastically and I was taking revenge on society. These posts were reposted by countless netizens, instantly igniting public opinion. My name, for the first time, topped the trending searches in such a disgraceful way. The comments section was full of abuse and curses directed at me. “So she’s a scheming bitch. And I actually felt sorry for her.” “Wallace is so pitiful. He really met the wrong person.” “This kind of woman should go to hell!” Aurora also jumped out and posted a suggestive tweet. “Good and evil will be rewarded. Heaven’s way is cyclical. If you don’t believe, look up. Who has heaven spared?” She portrayed herself as a victim who was wronged by a mistress but remained tolerant and kind, gaining massive sympathy. Her fans flooded my Twitter and turned the comments section into a trash dump. Reece was so angry his face turned iron blue. “Miss, this must be the Wallace family! So shameless!” “I’ll contact the PR team immediately to handle it.” “No need.” I stopped him. “Let them curse. The uglier the better.” “The Wallace family is desperate now. The more they do this, the more it proves they’re out of options.” I looked at those vicious comments with complete inner calm. Over these years, the life-and-death trials I’d experienced were far more brutal than these rumors. They couldn’t hurt me. I was just waiting for an opportunity. An opportunity to ensure the Wallace family would never rise again.

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On the day of the World Pairs Piano Competition finals, my wife Billson disappeared. I frantically called her 33 times, only to turn around and see her standing on stage with her ex, Claude. Because of this, I lost my eligibility to compete. Watching the two of them take first place and stand on the winner’s podium, I silently turned and left. Just as I reached the door, Billson’s call came through. “I won first place. Don’t forget to come to the celebration party.” I didn’t answer. I silently hung up. That evening, Claude posted on Ins. In the video, Claude had his arm around Billson’s shoulder as they accepted everyone’s cheers. The smiles on their faces were blindingly painful to watch. I liked the post and commented. [Congratulations, tonight’s spotlight is all yours!] Before long, Billson called, her voice carrying a note of apology. “Don’t be mad. I’ve always remembered your mom’s wish. We still have next time.” I hung up directly, my hand trembling as I pulled a piece of paper from my pocket. It was my mother’s critical condition notice! There would be no next time!

I rushed to the hospital but didn’t make it in time to see my mother one last time. My mother’s greatest wish had been to see Billson and me win the World Pairs Piano Competition championship. Mother left with regret. I knelt before her, tears streaming silently down my face. The next day, Kristian came to the hospital and helped me prepare my mother’s body. She was my mother’s student, and we’d known each other since childhood. “Where’s Billson? Why didn’t she come?” I pressed my lips together tightly, not knowing what to say. Kristian frowned. “Didn’t you tell her?” I shook my head. I had called Billson last night. “What is it? I’m still busy here. We’ll talk when I get back.” Before I could speak, she hung up. When I called again, her phone was already off. Seeing my silence, Kristian grew anxious. “What’s going on? Tell me. She’s your wife. How can she not come to the funeral?” I smiled bitterly! Last night Claude had updated his Twitter. To celebrate their victory, the two of them had already gone on a trip out of town. “I’ll call her.” I stopped Kristian as she pulled out her phone, my expression calm. “It’s fine if she doesn’t come.” “How is that fine? She’s the teacher’s daughter-in-law!” Kristian was quite agitated, trying to break free from my grip to make the call. I stopped her again, my tone firm. “It really is fine if she doesn’t come.” In the week after my mother’s death, Billson didn’t call once. Kristian rushed around helping me handle my mother’s funeral arrangements. From notifying friends and relatives to contacting the crematorium, to keeping vigil at night. Kristian stayed by my side the entire time. Claude’s Twitter updated daily. He and Billson had gone to the beach. The two of them laughed and played in the water, huddled together watching sunrises and sunsets. I liked every single tweet. At night, Billson would message me with explanations. [We’re just hanging out together.] [Besides us, there are other people too.] [Don’t overthink it. Take good care of Mom at home and practice your piano. When I get back, we’ll win the championship together next time.] My replies were always simple. [Mm!] [Okay!] [Got it!] On the day of my mother’s funeral, Billson called. “I’m back. Aren’t you happy? Come pick me up at the airport.” “I’m at the cemetery!” In my heart, I hoped she would ask, would show concern. But she just said “Oh.” “Then I’ll wait for you at the airport. Don’t take too long.” The call was disconnected. I laughed at myself. Just moments ago, I had actually been hoping! What a joke! Kristian asked me, “What’s wrong?” “Billson’s back. She wants me to pick her up at the airport.” Kristian urged me, “Then go quickly. If you hurry, you might still make it back for the teacher’s funeral.” I smiled and shook my head. “No rush!” I proceeded with my mother’s funeral step by step, everything ending in an orderly fashion. I saw off Kristian and all the friends and relatives one by one. Billson called again, her voice tinged with impatience and complaint. “Why aren’t you here yet? How much longer are you going to make me wait?” “Almost there!” I drove to the airport. The whole way, Billson kept calling to rush me. When she saw me, she pointed at me accusingly. “I called you first thing this morning. Why did you take until now to come?” I didn’t respond. I didn’t even get out of the car. My tone was flat as I asked. “Can we go now?” “What’s the rush!” Billson glared at me, then turned and hurried back into the airport.

Before long, she came out supporting Claude. “The air conditioning on the plane was too cold. He gave me his clothes to wear and caught a cold himself.” Though Billson was explaining to me, her eyes never left Claude for a moment, filled with concern and heartache. “Oh!” I replied casually. Claude smiled at me. “Guy, thanks for the trouble!” Before I could speak, Billson said tenderly, “Don’t talk when you’re sick. It’s no trouble for him to drive here and pick us up.” I smiled at that. Right. Claude got sick for her sake, while I merely drove here to pick them up. Of course I couldn’t compare. Billson helped Claude into the back seat, gently letting Claude rest his head on her shoulder. I stared in a daze. Once, she had said my shoulder was only for her to lean on, and her shoulder was only for me. But now, she was letting Claude lean on her shoulder. Seeing I hadn’t moved, Billson said impatiently. “What are you spacing out for? Drive!” I turned my head and silently started the car. “Drive faster. Take Claude home first. He has a cold and can’t be delayed.” “Okay!” I responded. The entire way, Billson and I didn’t exchange another word. She kept thoughtfully changing positions to let Claude rest more comfortably. Through the rearview mirror, I saw her wanting to say something several times. I knew what she wanted to say. Nothing more than telling me not to mind, that Claude was sick now and needed tolerance and understanding. Actually, she didn’t need to say it. I didn’t mind at all! “Darling, my head is so dizzy. I feel terrible!” Claude hugged Billson’s waist, burying his head in her chest. Billson glanced at me in panic, then reached out to straighten Claude up. “You don’t have a fever, do you? Let me check.” She pressed her hand to Claude’s forehead and sighed in relief. “No fever. It must be because the car’s going too fast.” “Guy, slow down. Claude isn’t feeling well.” I glanced at the speedometer showing barely 40 mph and laughed quietly. “What are you laughing at? Claude is already sick, and you’re gloating.” Billson glared at me disapprovingly, her perfectly made-up eyebrows raised as if I’d committed some heinous crime. “I wouldn’t say gloating. I just find it funny that a grown man with a little cold is acting like he has a terminal illness.” “You’re the one with a terminal illness. If you can’t speak properly, shut your mouth.” I tugged at the corner of my mouth as the car entered the residential complex where Claude lived. Before I’d even parked properly, Billson opened the door and helped Claude out. I followed behind them. Billson skillfully pulled out a key from her bag. Just as she opened the door, she seemed to remember I was behind her and turned to explain. “Because I often come here to rehearse piano pieces, Claude gave me this key for convenience.” I smiled in response. “No need to explain. I understand!” Billson frowned at that, seeming to sense something was off about me today. “You today…” Before she could finish asking, Claude suddenly broke into violent coughing. Billson immediately panicked, unable to ask me further, and quickly helped Claude inside. “I’ll get you some water!” Billson helped Claude sit on the sofa, then rushed around getting water and fetching a towel. “How are you feeling? Any better? What would you like to eat?” Claude smiled weakly. “Much better. I don’t have an appetite right now. I just want some borscht.” Billson turned to look at me. “You heard him? Go make it!”

I couldn’t believe it! “You want me to make it?” “Obviously. There are only three of us here. I need to take care of him. If you don’t make it, who will?” My brow trembled as I struggled to suppress the collapse inside me, feeling my heart slowly shatter. “Hurry up!” Billson urged impatiently. I took a deep breath and rubbed my stinging eyes. “Just order delivery.” That sentence was like poking a hornet’s nest. Billson snapped. “What do you mean? I’m asking you to make one bowl of borscht, and you’re acting all wronged about it!” “Alright, alright, don’t be angry!” Claude grabbed Billson’s hand. “Since Guy doesn’t want to make it, let’s not force him.” “After all, I’m nothing to him. He has no obligation to take care of me.” Billson suddenly stepped forward and forcefully pulled me into the kitchen. “It’s just one bowl of soup. How much time could it possibly take? Now, immediately, right this instant, make it.” This was like the final straw that broke the camel’s back. My heart completely shattered. I couldn’t help thinking of my mother. I clenched my fists. Billson froze for a moment, then released my hand in disgust. “Fine, fine. You can leave. I don’t need you to make it anymore.” I felt waves of suffocation as I dragged my feet toward the exit. “Guy seems a bit off. His face is completely pale.” “I’m fine. I can’t let myself affect your relationship.” Billson laughed coldly. “Don’t mind him. He’s just faking it. I’ll order you delivery.” I dragged myself into the car, as if all my strength had been drained, gasping for breath. In that moment, I didn’t want anything except to be with my mother. I drove to the cemetery. Kristian stood before my mother’s grave. Seeing me, she rushed over to support me. “Why do you look so terrible? Are you sick?” I shook my head, my voice hoarse. “Why are you here?” “My heart wasn’t at peace. I came to keep the teacher company.” I fell silent. Kristian and I stayed with my mother all afternoon. The cemetery lights came on. Kristian said, “Let’s go. Get something to eat.” “Mm!” At the restaurant, we ran into Billson and Claude. “Guy, you rushed off just to meet her?” Billson’s face darkened as she pointed at Kristian and questioned me. Before I could speak, Kristian explained. “You’ve misunderstood. Guy and I ran into each other at the cemetery.” Billson laughed coldly. “Having a date at the cemetery—how discreet. No wonder I never noticed.” “Tell me, how long have you two been sneaking around together?”

My expression turned ugly. “Billson, what nonsense are you spouting?” Kristian’s face also darkened. “Miss Billson, please speak respectfully. I went to the cemetery to keep the teacher company.” Billson froze for a moment, then trembled with rage. “His mom is fine in the hospital, and to cover up your affair with Guy, you’re actually cursing her.” “You were the teacher’s student. She practically treated you like her own daughter. Do you have any humanity left?” “And you, Guy!” Billson looked at me furiously. “She’s cursing your mom right here, and you’re not saying a word!” I painfully turned my head away. Kristian said coldly, “Miss Billson, you have no right whatsoever to criticize Guy or me.” “The teacher passed away a week ago, and you never showed up once from beginning to end.” “The heartless one is you!” Billson’s face suddenly turned deathly pale. “That’s impossible!” “Guy, tell me what she’s saying isn’t true.” “Billson, calm down.” Claude held Billson and turned to question me. “Guy, something as major as your mother’s death—how could you not tell Billson?” Billson seemed to find an excuse and immediately followed up with her own question. “Right, why didn’t you tell me?” I answered coldly, “I wanted to tell you too, but did you give me a chance to speak?” Kristian took my hand, offering me comfort. “Guy, let’s go! Billson, if you have any heart left, go pay respects at the teacher’s grave.” “Don’t you dare leave!” Billson broke away from Claude to block me. Claude was pulled off balance, his wrist hitting the corner of the table. He cried out in pain. But this time Billson ignored him, spreading her arms to block my path. I sighed helplessly and said to Kristian. “You leave first. Wait for me outside.” Kristian nodded and said to Billson in a cool voice. “The teacher is gone. You have no standing to blame anyone.” Billson didn’t respond. She just looked at me. After Kristian left, I asked calmly, “What else do you want to say?” Billson was very agitated. “Why didn’t you tell me? Mom passed away? What right did you have not to tell me?” “Everyone knew except me. How do you expect people to look at me?” So she only cared about how others saw her. I laughed at myself inwardly. “Don’t worry. I already explained for you. No one will look at you with judgmental eyes.” “From now on, you’ll still be the pairs piano champion in everyone’s eyes. The center of attention!” Hearing this, Billson’s body swayed, and she collapsed weakly to the floor. “No, that’s not it. That’s not what I wanted.” “You should have told me. You should have told me.” She repeated it over and over, tears streaming from her eyes. It was the first time I’d seen her so fragile. But I felt no sympathy! Because my heart was already dead! It could no longer feel pain! Billson looked up at me, tears ruining her makeup. “What day did Mom pass?” I looked at her, my eyes devoid of emotion. “The same day you and Claude won the championship.” “Mom left with regret. You know what her wish was. We were just one step away from achieving it, but that day I called you over and over.” “What I got instead was you and Claude standing on that podium.” Billson frantically pulled out her phone, fumbling through her call history, finally seeing the dozens of missed calls from a week ago. “After Mom passed, I called you right away, but you were only focused on celebrating your victory with Claude.” “An entire week. If you’d shown even the slightest concern for Mom, you wouldn’t have ignored it completely.”

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Ever since I heard that anonymous recording of his tender whispers to his first love, the wolf inside me finally went quiet. Even when his discarded jacket reeked of another she-wolf’s scent, I stopped questioning him. He explained irritably that taking care of his first love was just his duty, and I only responded faintly: “I believe you.” On our fourth anniversary, one tearful call from his first love made him abandon me without hesitation. When he used caring for his first love as an excuse once again, I had already accepted the offer to become Chief She-Wolf Trainer and completely disappeared from his territory. Months later, he barged into my training camp out of control, eyes red as he begged: “Alison, come home with me. It’s you I truly love.” I looked at him and smiled calmly. “Ethan, this time, I don’t love you anymore.” Alison POV Ever since I received that mysterious anonymous recording that night, the wolf inside me finally went quiet. For the past four years, as Luna of the Blood Moon Pack, I had devoted myself wholeheartedly to supporting Alpha Ethan. When he led the pack on territory patrols until dawn, there was always a light I left on for him at the Packhouse. When he fought rogues at the border for days and nights, I no longer mind-linked him to ask if he was tired. Even when his discarded jacket occasionally carried the sickeningly sweet scent of another she-wolf, I stopped questioning it. Today, having just finished high-intensity she-wolf tactical training, I struggled alone to the pack hospital due to a severe shoulder tear. The doctor asked me softly: “Luna, should I notify Alpha Ethan?” I forced myself to stay alert and said calmly, “No need.” The doctor looked down to fill out the form, then suddenly glanced at me again with hesitation in his eyes: “But… Alpha happens to be at the hospital tonight. He’s upstairs.” Hearing that Ethan was at the hospital, the wolf inside me instinctively flinched, worrying whether he was injured. But the nurse’s next words dismissed that thought. “Miss Olivia isn’t feeling well today, so Alpha Ethan has been upstairs with her the whole time…” I understood. “It’s fine, I can manage alone.” I closed my eyes, forcefully suppressing the restlessness of the mate bond inside me. “No need to disturb him.” Half an hour later, the hospital room door was pushed open abruptly. Ethan walked quickly to my bedside, his brows furrowed, and habitually pressed the back of his hand against my forehead. “Why didn’t you tell me you were injured during training?” His palm was warm, and he still carried that familiar scent. In the past, even with just minor scratches, this scent alone was enough to soothe my restless wolf. But I turned my head away, avoiding his touch. “Just a tear, nothing serious. Just needs bandaging.” Ethan’s hand froze in mid-air. He seemed to sense something and was about to speak when whispered conversations from the hallway interrupted him. The gossip from outside carried clearly into the room. “The Alpha is so attentive to that Miss Olivia in the VIP room… It’s just ordinary nervous exhaustion, yet he comes every day and stays half the night. He even postponed the pack’s regular meetings.” “What do you know? Olivia is the former Beta’s daughter, noble bloodline. I heard if the old Alpha hadn’t forcibly separated them back then and made Alpha marry the current Luna instead, Olivia would already be our Luna.” “No wonder Alpha treats her so specially. Alpha just went up to see her again, right?” The voices faded with the footsteps, leaving an awkward silence. Ethan’s expression changed. He instinctively looked at me, panic flashing in his eyes. “Alison, don’t pay attention to that idle gossip.” He rushed to explain. “Olivia’s father sacrificed himself to protect the pack, and she and I already severed our mate bond long ago. She’s all alone now. As the pack’s Alpha, I’m just looking after her a bit more.” “Mm.” I acknowledged without saying more. This reaction made Ethan inexplicably irritated, and his Alpha aura began to leak out uncontrollably. “You don’t believe me?” “I believe you.” I turned to look at him, my eyes completely calm. “You’ve always been a responsible Alpha. Caring for the former Beta’s orphaned daughter is your duty.” Ethan froze, suddenly unable to speak. In the past, every time he made excuses to accompany Olivia, the wolf inside me would become restless. He always grew tired of my insecurity and would say impatiently: “Olivia and I are ancient history. I’m only caring for her out of duty now. Can you not be so sensitive?” Now I finally gave him what he wanted—no more sensitivity, no more questions, even actively withdrawing my possessiveness. His brows furrowed tighter. Just as he was about to speak, a soft thud came from outside the door. Olivia stood there gripping the doorframe, her face deathly pale. “Ethan…” She bit her lip, her voice weak, tears pooling in her eyes. “I heard that Alison was hospitalized too…” “Why did you get out of bed?” Almost instinctively, Ethan rushed over to support her, his tone mixing reproach with concern. “Didn’t the doctor tell you that your body is too weak and you must rest in bed?” Olivia leaned weakly against him, her gaze moving past his shoulder to look at me timidly. “I was worried about Alison… so I wanted to come see her. After all, if you hadn’t been helping me handle my father’s funeral arrangements, you wouldn’t have neglected Luna…” Ethan sighed helplessly and scooped Olivia up without hesitation. He turned back to look at me, saying hurriedly: “Alison, I’ll take her back to her room first and come right back to stay with you. We’ll go home together in a bit.” His figure carrying Olivia quickly disappeared. I looked down at my half-bandaged arm, and that recording played again in my mind. It was Ethan’s voice, deep and tender. He said: “Staying by your side feels like going back to the past.” In that moment, I finally woke from my dream. He had never truly let go of his first love. These four years had been nothing but my one-sided devotion. I endured the sharp pain from the mate bond tugging at my heart, took a deep breath, picked up my phone, and opened that unread email. I typed my reply: [I accept the invitation to officially become the Chief She-Wolf Trainer of Zephyr Moon Pack.] Click. Send.

Alison POV After treating the wounds on my arm, I left the pack hospital as dawn was breaking. Last night, Ethan never returned. I refused the doctor’s suggestion to stay for observation and walked alone back to the Packhouse. Suddenly, I remembered many years ago, the first time I met Ethan. Back then, the Silver Moon Pack’s border was under vicious attack by rogues. As a vanguard warrior, I fought in blood-soaked mud. Just as three crazed rogues surrounded me and my strength was nearly exhausted, a massive black wolf descended from above and instantly snapped the enemy’s neck. After the battle ended, Ethan stood before me. He reeked of blood. He extended both hands to me as I sat slumped against a tree. “You’re outstanding.” His eyes held undisguised admiration. “Seems the Silver Moon Pack has trained a remarkable warrior.” The first time I saw him, I remembered his low, slightly hoarse voice and those golden eyes. Our second meeting was at the negotiating table for an alliance marriage. To strengthen the pack, the old Alpha of Blood Moon Pack—Ethan’s father—chose me, a female warrior who had distinguished herself on the battlefield, as the marriage partner. I later learned the old Alpha used iron-fisted tactics, even forcing Ethan to sever his mate bond with his first love, Olivia. After the meeting ended, I found Ethan alone on the terrace, taking in the breeze. I didn’t want to force anyone, so I approached him proactively. “If you’re being forced to accept this, I can refuse the old Alpha.” I looked at him seriously. Ethan turned his head slightly, the emotions in his eyes unfathomable. After a moment, he chuckled softly and reached out to smooth my wind-tousled hair. “Why refuse? Alison, you’re a wonderful she-wolf.” He paused, his tone carrying a casual certainty. “Besides, your wolf likes me, doesn’t she?” I did like him. That time fighting side by side on the battlefield, his powerful, cold figure had already left an impression in my heart. So I always thought that as long as I devoted all my loyalty and worked wholeheartedly to help him manage pack affairs, someday I could exchange sincerity for sincerity. In fact, these four years, in outsiders’ eyes, Ethan was quite a competent husband. He would tenderly comfort me during my heat, remember all my preferences, and absolutely defend my dignity as Luna before the council of elders. He prepared thoughtful, appropriate gifts for every anniversary. The she-wolves in the pack always envied me, saying I had an Alpha like Ethan who was emotionally stable and considerate. I once thought I had truly entered his heart. Until a month ago, when Olivia returned to the pack. As the former Beta’s daughter, her father’s death became Olivia’s legitimate reason to return. She called Ethan crying and seeking comfort. That day was our fourth anniversary dinner. After taking the call, Ethan didn’t even explain to me before hurrying away. From then on, everything changed. He came home to the Packhouse later and later, always carrying another she-wolf’s scent. Even in the middle of the night, as long as Olivia made an excuse about being sad from dreaming of her deceased father, Ethan would hastily grab a jacket and leave me to rush to her place. Because of Olivia, we began fighting frequently. I felt insecure and pathetic. I despised myself for this irrational jealousy, yet couldn’t help asking him with red eyes again and again: “After all these years, is she the only one you truly care about in your heart?” And he grew increasingly impatient, blaming me for being sensitive and paranoid, saying coldly: “Her father died fighting for the pack. I care for her only as compensation to the former Beta. Alison, when did you become so unreasonable?” I also doubted myself—was I really being too sensitive and paranoid? Until that night, when my phone received an anonymous email containing only a short audio clip. The moment I played it, Ethan’s familiar voice filled the quiet room. In that instant, the string that had been taut in my mind for four years finally snapped. This time I didn’t throw a tantrum or cry my heart out. A warrior’s instincts made me unusually calm in this extreme pain. I looked at my pale face in the mirror. Yes, when disappointment accumulates enough, it’s time to leave.

Alison POV When I returned to the Packhouse, the sky had fully brightened. The house was quiet, just like every night when I came home alone. Suddenly, the phone in my pocket vibrated. “Is this Alison?” A capable voice came through. “I’m the Beta of Zephyr Moon Pack. Regarding your application to serve as Chief She-Wolf Trainer at Zephyr Moon Pack, we need final confirmation. Have you truly thought this through? It means you’ll be leaving your pack for an extended period.” I lowered my eyes and gripped the phone tightly. “I’ve thought it through.” “Good. We’ll arrange the other matters on our end. The departure date is set for the fifth of next month. Is that acceptable on your end?” The fifth of next month—half a month from now. I took a deep breath, my tone calm: “No problem.” After ending the call, I looked around the master bedroom. This home was something I had built up piece by piece. When I first moved in four years ago, there was only cold black, white, and gray—a frigid atmosphere. I spent so much effort changing the curtain colors, filling the balcony with greenery, and filling the corners with gifts Ethan had punctually given for each anniversary. I once thought that with enough care, this place would eventually become my true home. We would raise children here together and lead the pack to prosperity. But now, soon I would be leaving this place forever. I dragged out an old suitcase. Inside were my old training daggers, protective gear, and combat uniforms. Halfway through packing, the bedroom door suddenly opened. Ethan stood in the doorway. He saw the open suitcase on the carpet and froze, surprise flashing in his eyes. “What are you… doing?” I paused while stroking the dagger, then tossed it into the case without looking up. “Nothing much. Just felt there was too much clutter in the room. Haven’t cleaned in a while. Getting rid of things I don’t use anymore or don’t need. Throwing out what should be thrown out.” Just as he was about to ask more, his phone rang. It was that special ringtone set exclusively for Olivia. Ethan’s expression changed. He instinctively glanced at me, then took his phone to the balcony to answer. “…Yeah, just got back to the Packhouse. What’s wrong?” I continued organizing my gear with my head down, pretending not to hear anything. From the balcony, Ethan’s lowered voice drifted intermittently on the wind into my sensitive wolf ears. “Headache again?… Don’t worry, I’ll come check on you right away… Okay, lie down and don’t move.” After hanging up, Ethan returned to the bedroom, his expression somewhat complex. I had already finished cleaning the last tactical vest and was carefully folding it into the case. I looked up and asked him with a smile, “What happened? Is something wrong with Olivia?” “It’s Olivia…” Ethan hesitated, his eyes flickering. “She says she has a sudden severe headache… Her father is gone, and there’s no one to properly care for her. I need to go check on her.” I looked at this man before me and suddenly found my four years quite laughable. Four years—countless times trusting each other with life and death on the battlefield—and in the end, it couldn’t compare to his first love saying “I have a headache.” I nodded. “Then go quickly. A headache is no small matter.” Ethan froze: “Alison, I…” “Go on.” I zipped up the suitcase. “Olivia needs you most right now. Don’t keep her waiting.” If this were the old me, the me before hearing that recording, my wolf would have been roaring with rage inside. I definitely would have asked him with red-rimmed eyes: “Didn’t you just come back from the hospital? There are so many excellent doctors at the pack hospital. Do you really need to go?” But now, I just smiled and even considerately reminded him not to keep another woman waiting. Ethan stared at me for several seconds. “I’ll be back as soon as possible.” He suppressed the strange panic in his heart. “Let’s have lunch together at noon, okay? We’ll go to that new restaurant you’ve been wanting to try.” I smiled noncommittally. “Sure. But if you get delayed there, it’s fine. Don’t worry about me. I’ll take care of myself.” Ethan opened his mouth, seeming to want to say something, but ultimately said nothing and turned to leave the bedroom hurriedly. I stood there, listening to the sound of the SUV engine gradually fade into the distance. Then I turned around and continued methodically packing my luggage.

Alison POV Late at night, Ethan didn’t return to the Packhouse. My phone screen lit up—a text from him. [Olivia’s still not feeling well… I might be back late. Eat without me. Don’t wait.] I stared at that text, my finger hovering over the screen for a few seconds. The air still seemed to carry the scent from his hastily departed jacket. I turned off the screen without replying. The day Olivia was discharged from the hospital happened to be my birthday. But Ethan had obviously forgotten completely. A few days ago, he had proactively mentioned his plans for that day. “Olivia just lost her father and has been very depressed lately. I want to throw a welcome-back party for her. Consider it appeasing the former Beta family’s influence and cheering her up.” At the time, I was standing in the closet, inventorying tactical equipment needed for the new pack—silver daggers and several advanced combat manuals. Hearing his words, I didn’t look up: “Sure, do you need me to help organize it?” Ethan paused. He had expected me to feel hurt by his excessive attention to Olivia, as I would have before. “You don’t mind?” he asked tentatively, his brow slightly furrowed. My excessive calmness made him anxious. “Mind what?” I looked up at him calmly. “Comforting a pack member who lost a loved one is an Alpha’s responsibility. Besides, Olivia really has had it rough—her father just passed, and she’s been badly hurt herself.” He looked at me deeply and ultimately didn’t ask for my help, instead personally taking charge of the entire party. … On the evening of the party, almost everyone who attended had grown up with Ethan and Olivia. As Ethan’s nominal Luna, I naturally had to attend. The atmosphere grew lively as the alcohol flowed. “I’m saying,” a tipsy wolf stood up, “Olivia was our pack’s recognized Luna back in the day! Now that she’s back in the pack, shouldn’t she drink with the Alpha?” Instantly, whistles and low howls erupted around the long table. Ethan’s brow furrowed immediately, and he instinctively released a hint of Alpha pressure: “Enough. Alison is right here.” “Luna doesn’t mind, right?” Another she-wolf friendly with Olivia spoke up, emboldened by alcohol, her eyes carrying hidden provocation. “Our Luna is a first-rate warrior who’s been on the battlefield. She’s the most generous! Right?” All eyes, including Ethan’s, instantly focused on me. I leaned back in my chair, feeling the faint stabbing pain from the mate bond, but I only smiled faintly and pushed my wine glass away. “Go ahead and drink. I don’t mind.” My tone was so light it lacked even a ripple. Amid the cheering, Ethan and Olivia raised their glasses. They stood very close—close enough for their scents to completely mingle. Olivia’s cheeks flushed with excitement, her eyes sparkling as she gazed at Ethan. But Ethan’s expression showed a hint of stiffness. His gaze didn’t rest on Olivia but instead drifted involuntarily past their crossed arms toward me. I instinctively turned away, no longer watching him. After finishing his drink and setting down the glass, Ethan’s first reaction was to stride over to me. “Alison…” Ethan approached me, lowering his voice with a hint of panic. “Just now… they just drank too much. Don’t…” “It’s fine, I understand.” I cut him off, my gaze drifting toward Olivia, the center of attention in the crowd. “Look, tonight Olivia looks just like…” I paused, raising a faint smile, “like a true Luna.” Ethan was instantly speechless. He stared hard into my eyes, as if trying to find something, but he found nothing. Halfway through the party, I got up to use the restroom. Coming out of the restroom, I ran into Olivia in the hallway. “Luna Alison.” Olivia called out to me, her face showing perfectly calibrated regret. “Earlier… I’m really sorry. Everyone just drank too much and was fooling around. Please don’t take it to heart. Don’t let me affect your relationship with Ethan.” I stopped and turned to look at her: “Why would I take it to heart?” Olivia was stumped by my response. After a pause, she bit her lip and said: “I mean… Ethan and I really are just friends now. Don’t misunderstand…” “I haven’t misunderstood.” I smiled, my gaze calmly sweeping over her. “You’re friends, first loves, mates who were forcibly separated. I know all of it.” With that, I turned to leave. “Wait!” Olivia suddenly raised her voice. I stopped in place without turning around. “Do you know he has a hidden photo album on his phone? The password is my birthday. It contains all our past memories, including the night we almost completed the Mark.” Olivia’s voice carried a hint of smugness. “Alison, you only became bound to him through mate bond because of an arranged marriage. You’ve been with him for four whole years. Has his wolf truly submitted to you even once? Now that I’m back—” My body stiffened. That recording echoed in my mind again—”Staying by your side feels like going back to the past…” But I didn’t turn around. “So what?” “So…” Olivia walked up to me in her heels, her eyes challenging as they fixed on me. “So he never forgot me. These four years, you’ve been nothing but my replacement.”

Alison POV I looked at Olivia standing before me with reddened eyes and couldn’t help but laugh softly. “Olivia, at this point, there’s no need to provoke me.” I looked down at her. “If you want him, bare your claws and fight for him. No need to come here specifically to show off how special you are to him.” Ignoring Olivia’s unpleasant expression, I turned and walked away without looking back. When I returned to the party, Ethan was frowning, looking for me. “Where did you go? You were gone so long.” “I ran into Olivia in the hallway. We chatted for a bit.” I calmly sat down on the sofa and took a sip from my wine glass. Ethan’s aura wavered slightly, his brow furrowing deeper: “What did you talk about?” “Nothing much.” I rotated the glass in my hand and looked up at him with a smile. “She just told me you have a hidden photo album on your phone, and the password is her birthday.” The moment the words fell, an unnatural look flashed through Ethan’s eyes. “Alison, let me explain…” “No need to explain.” I cut him off, my tone completely flat. “That’s your privacy. I respect it.” Ethan stared at me hard, his chest heaving violently. If this were before, my she-wolf would have already flown into a rage. “Alison, something is really wrong with you.” Ethan grabbed his jacket from the chair back and strode over to grip my wrist. “Come on, we’re going home to talk properly!” “Tonight’s party isn’t over yet…” “Let’s go!” He pulled me up without room for argument, mind-linking a few words to the Beta before leading me out of the private room. Just as we got in the car, someone knocked on the window. Ethan lowered the window. Olivia stood in the night wind, looking pitiful. She bit her pale lip, her voice weak: “Ethan, everyone’s left and I didn’t bring a driver. Could you give me a ride home? It’s on the way.” Before Ethan could speak, I had already silently opened the back door. Olivia froze. She had obviously prepared a belly full of sympathy-seeking words, but now they were all stuck in her throat. Throughout the drive, Olivia kept talking softly, reminiscing about her and Ethan’s past moments in the pack. Ethan responded once or twice, but his grip on the steering wheel tightened, and he remained mostly silent. “Sometimes I really regret it. If only I hadn’t compromised and left the pack…” Olivia murmured sadly. “It’s all in the past.” Ethan cut her off in a low voice. The car fell into brief silence. Suddenly, a car shot out from a side road. “Watch out!” Accompanied by the piercing screech of brakes, Ethan yanked the steering wheel. The car completely lost control and crashed hard toward the roadside barrier. In the massive inertia, I clearly saw Ethan instinctively reach out to protect Olivia beside him. “Crash—!” And I was violently thrown forward, my forehead slamming hard into the metal frame of the front seat. Warm liquid flowed down from my temple. “Alison!” Ethan turned to see my blood-covered face and instantly paled. “Are you okay?!” I casually wiped away the blood obscuring my eyes with the back of my hand. The wound was slowly heating as my werewolf healing kicked in, but the temperature in my heart had dropped to freezing. “I’m fine… Take Olivia first.” “You’re bleeding and you still…” Ethan wanted to push open the door to check on me. “I said I’m fine. I’ll take a cab to the hospital myself.” I looked at him coldly. “Olivia got scared. Take her home to rest quickly. Don’t forget, she can’t do without you right now.” With that, I didn’t give him any chance to argue. I pushed open the car door, hailed a passing taxi, and left the scene without looking back. … By the time I finished treating my wound at the hospital and returned to the Packhouse, it was already late at night. I leaned back on the bedroom sofa with my eyes closed, mentally calculating the itinerary for going to Zephyr Moon Pack. “Bang!” The bedroom door was pushed open violently. Ethan strode in with a chill in the air and crouched before me. “Why did you leave alone? Do you know how worried I was?” His eyes were bloodshot. I slowly opened my eyes and looked at this face I had loved for four years. “Weren’t you supposed to take care of Olivia? She’s emotionally unstable. She needs you more right now.””Alison!” Ethan finally lost his patience. He gripped my hand tightly. “What’s going on with you lately? Is it because Olivia came back and the wolf inside you is jealous? I told you, she and I…” “I know.” I calmly withdrew my hand, cutting off his defense. “I believe you two are finished. You instinctively protected her because you feel responsible for the former Beta’s orphaned daughter. I understand all of it.” “Then why are you…” “Ethan,” I looked at him and suddenly smiled, “do you remember how in the past, whenever you got close to Olivia, my wolf would go wild uncontrollably? I got angry when you spent time with her, and you always said I was too sensitive, too immature, that I wasn’t like a proper Luna.” Ethan froze in place, his pupils contracting sharply. “Now I’ve learned to be mature. I’ve controlled my wolf. I’m not angry anymore.” I shrugged indifferently, watching his face gradually lose color. “Isn’t this what you always wanted?”

Alison POV I stood up, my tone calm: “I’m not feeling well. I’m going to bed.” As I turned, Ethan suddenly reached out and gripped my wrist. “Alison, you’re not thinking of leaving me, are you?” I hadn’t expected his intuition to be so sharp. Since he’d already sensed it, I’d planned to just be honest and dissolve the mate bond with dignity. However, Ethan stepped forward, his gaze locking onto mine intensely: “We’ve been bonded as mates for four years. The entire pack is used to you as their Luna, and I’m used to having you by my side. You won’t leave me, right?” So it turned out his anxiety about my leaving was only because he was “used to” my presence, used to having a tool who could help him manage pack affairs. We’d been together all these years, but he’d never once said the word “love” to me. Thinking about it now, maybe he never mentioned “love” because there was someone else he truly loved in his heart. And for me, I was just a habit. I pulled my lips into a smile, restraining the emotions in my eyes: “You’re right.” I was indeed used to his presence too. It’s just that this kind of habit—I figured if I could just endure through it, I could eventually break it. Perhaps my recent “excessive calmness” had made Ethan uneasy. He simply pushed all his territory patrol duties to the Beta and took several days off specifically to stay at the Packhouse with me. He personally cooked my favorite foods and even accompanied me during training in the backyard. Everything seemed to return to when we first married and fought rogues side by side. But some things had fundamentally changed forever. Within a few days, Olivia’s call came. When her special ringtone sounded in the living room, I was on the balcony trimming a precious moonlight herb. I heard Ethan answer, his voice unconsciously softening: “Olivia?” My hand paused, scissors frozen in mid-air. After a few low murmurs, Ethan hung up and walked toward me: “Alison, there’s a pack alliance reception tomorrow. Olivia said her father just passed away, and as the former Beta’s daughter, she’ll be looked down on if she attends that kind of event alone… She hopes I can accompany her.” Before I could speak, Ethan gripped my shoulder, his eyes seemingly candid: “I already agreed. But I hope you can come with me tomorrow.” I looked into his eyes, understanding his subtext—he acknowledged my position as Luna, but he equally couldn’t refuse any of Olivia’s requests. I set down the scissors, my voice completely flat: “Sure, I haven’t been out in a long time anyway.” The next day, when Ethan and I arrived at the reception, an elaborately dressed Olivia was already waiting at the banquet hall entrance. “Ethan! You’re here!” She hurried forward, completely ignoring my existence, very naturally reaching out to link her arm through Ethan’s. Ethan’s body stiffened slightly, his peripheral vision instinctively glancing toward me. I didn’t even spare them an extra glance and stepped into the banquet hall first. Behind me came Olivia’s soft murmuring: “The setup for this reception is the same as always. Ethan, do you remember when Alpha training camp ended that year, we were also here…” The hall was brilliantly lit. I was too lazy to listen to them reminisce about their past romance and walked alone to the exhibition area to browse. “Watch out—!” The moment the cry rang out, the sharp sound of snapping steel cables came from overhead. I jerked my head up to see the crystal chandelier above lose its balance and topple toward our location. Everything happened too fast. Without any hesitation, without even glancing back at me, Ethan lunged toward Olivia on the right, holding her tightly in his arms as they rolled together toward the safe area nearby. And I only had time to raise my arms to protect my head and face. “Crash—!” The enormous shattering sound was deafening. The falling crystal shards viciously sliced through my left shoulder, bringing sharp, piercing pain. I staggered backward, my foot caught by a broken cable, and my entire body pitched backward. The back of my head slammed hard against the edge of the marble display platform. Blood immediately gushed out, quickly soaking through the fabric of my dress. I lay on the cold floor, ears ringing, vision beginning to blur. I used the last of my strength to turn my head. Ethan was helping Olivia to her feet. His back had been cut by shards and was bleeding, but he seemed completely unaware, first looking down to cup Olivia’s face and check her condition. “Olivia! Are you okay? Are you hurt? Where are you injured?” His voice carried a panic and fear I’d never heard in four years. Even when we’d been surrounded by dozens of rogues on the battlefield years ago, he’d never shown such an out-of-control expression. Olivia leaned against him, her face pale, tears pooling in her eyes as she gently shook her head. I quietly watched this scene. As I thought—he truly still loved Olivia.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “391349”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster

I’d been secretly dating Nathan for five years. In our fifth year together, he publicly announced his engagement. But his fiancée wasn’t me. On TV, he was on one knee, proposing to his first love with a diamond ring. In the real world, I stood up from the cake I’d made for our fifth anniversary. I calmly dialed my grandfather’s number. “Grandfather, I accept the arranged marriage to the Foster family.” Five years as a substitute. It was time to end it. This time, I would be the one marrying someone else. Lily’s POV In the fifth year of my secret relationship with Nathan, the billionaire heir, he publicly announced his engagement. The fiancée wasn’t me. I sat in a dim private room, staring at the melted remains of our fifth anniversary cake. On the wall screen, a charity gala played live. Nathan Sterling had hidden me away for five years. He refused to even hold my hand in public. Now he was gently placing a five-million-dollar diamond tiara on Susan’s head. “Welcome back, my princess.” His voice came through the microphone, deep and tender. Then the camera panned to the audience below, accidentally picking up his friends’ teasing voices. “Nathan, the love of your life is finally back. What about that woman you’ve been keeping at home? After five years, you two should break up, right?” My entire body went rigid, as if someone had dumped a bucket of ice water over me. Even breathing hurt. Through the screen, I couldn’t see Nathan’s expression clearly, but I heard his casual laugh perfectly. “She’s just a little toy. I’ll write her a check later and be done with it. Don’t mention this in front of Susan. She’s soft-hearted and can’t handle hearing about these things.” Five years. We’d been together for five years. He pampered me, spoiled me, bought me the most expensive bags, let me live in the best house. But he never introduced me to anyone. At first, he’d hold me and coax me. “Lily, just wait a little longer. The Sterling family’s situation is unstable right now. I’m afraid making us public would put you in danger.” Later, I gave up my position as the family heir and became his company’s chief designer. Then he said, “Office romances attract too much gossip. I don’t want to put you through that.” I bought every excuse. I buried my pride and ambition. I became the understanding, obedient woman behind him. Invisible. But now, I’d heard it with my own ears. The reason he wouldn’t make us public wasn’t to protect me at all. It was simply because he didn’t love me. It was because from the very beginning, I’d been nothing more than a substitute for Susan! I stared at the screen showing the two of them embracing, my eyes burning red. After a long moment, I let out a soft, self-mocking laugh. I was laughing at my own stupidity, my own foolishness. I was laughing at how these five years of my youth had become a pathetic joke. Just then, my phone on the table rang abruptly. It was my grandfather calling. “Lily, the Foster boy has returned to the country. Have you thought about the arranged marriage? You haven’t come home for five years because of that Nathan, but he hasn’t even given you a proper status! I know Damien Foster well. He’s an excellent young man…” My grandfather tried to persuade me as always, but this time, before he could finish, I cut him off calmly. “Grandfather, I accept the marriage.” The other end of the line went dead silent. After a long pause, my grandfather asked in disbelief.”Really?” “Really.” I looked at the screen where Nathan was kissing Susan’s cheek, my voice completely devoid of emotion. “When I come back, I’m staying in New York. I’m never leaving again.” After hanging up, I threw the carefully prepared gift box from the table into the trash and walked out of the private room. I’d just finished taking down the fifth anniversary decorations when the front door swung open. Nathan walked in, carrying the faint scent of rose perfume. Susan’s favorite. He saw me on the sofa, walked over, and casually handed me a luxury jewelry box. His tone was gentle, like nothing had happened. “The company was too busy today. I couldn’t be with you. You saw the news? It’s just for show, to build momentum for a collaboration between our companies. We’re just acting. I’m not going to marry Susan.” My gaze met his deep eyes, but he felt like a complete stranger. I already knew the truth, so naturally I knew how fake his affection was in this moment. I didn’t take the jewelry box. I simply nodded calmly. “I understand.” Whether he married Susan or not, I didn’t care anymore. After all, I was going to marry someone else.

Lily’s POV Nathan probably hadn’t expected me to be so calm. After all, I was so calm that I didn’t even question him once. He pulled me into his arms, his large hand caressing my waist. He lowered his head, trying to find my lips. “Lily, you’re not angry?” “Didn’t you say it was fake? Why would I be angry?” I turned my head, avoiding his kiss, and used the momentum to slip out of his embrace. “I’m not feeling well today. I’m going to bed early.” Nathan’s hand froze in mid-air. He watched my retreating figure without any trace of reluctance, his brows furrowing slightly. But in the end, he didn’t press the issue. “Alright. Rest well then.” The next morning, when I woke up, the space beside me was already empty. I didn’t pay it any mind. After washing up, I took a cab to the office myself. When I arrived, I didn’t go to the design department. Instead, I went straight to HR and got a resignation form. After filling it out, I tucked the resignation form into a stack of design drafts that needed signing, went upstairs, and pushed open the CEO’s office door. My steps faltered slightly when I saw the scene before me. Nathan, who was always cold and decisive in front of others, was now half-kneeling on the floor with an ice pack in his hand, carefully tending to the ankle of Susan, who sat on the sofa. “Why wear such high heels? You don’t need to look perfect for me. I just want you to be comfortable.” His voice was so gentle it could drip honey. Hearing the sound, they both turned around. When they saw it was me, Nathan’s expression instantly shifted. He unconsciously stood up and cleared his throat to mask his embarrassment. Before he could speak, Susan on the sofa frowned, her voice coquettish yet condescending. “Nathan, how can your director have such poor manners? She didn’t even knock before entering.” I opened my mouth, finding it somewhat laughable. Not knocking was a privilege Nathan had once given me. He’d said his office was always open to me. But now, this privilege had become a crime in front of his true love. I turned to look at Nathan. His gaze shifted away, not daring to meet my eyes. He just said coldly.”What is it?” “Mr. Sterling, there are some documents that need your signature.” I walked forward and handed him the papers. Nathan took them, looking through them as he signed his name. When he got to the last page, I held my breath slightly. It was my resignation form. “Ah!” Just as Nathan’s gaze was about to fall on that page, Susan suddenly cried out. The coffee cup in front of her tipped over, the scalding liquid splashing onto the back of her hand. It instantly turned red. Nathan’s expression changed dramatically. He couldn’t care less about the documents in his hand. He hastily signed the last page, threw down the pen, scooped Susan up in his arms, and rushed out the door. “Hold on, I’ll take you to the hospital right away!” Watching their figures disappear beyond the door, I stood there, my heart completely calm. I pulled out the signed resignation form, carefully tucked it away, and headed to HR. “Since Mr. Sterling approved it, you can resign once the one-month handover process is complete.” The HR manager looked at the signature and stamped it. I nodded. When I returned to the design department, the group chat on my phone was already exploding. “Mr. Sterling is so good to Miss Susan! She just got scalded a little and he literally carried her out!” “I heard Miss Susan is entering the jewelry business. Mr. Sterling is planning to put her in full charge of our core project next quarter.” “Now that’s true love. Our company is about to have a first lady.” Looking at the messages in the group, I turned off my phone screen. Nathan really did love Susan. As soon as she returned to the country, he couldn’t wait to lay everything at her feet. And as for me, the substitute. It was finally time to exit the stage.

Lily’s POV During lunch break, just as I was about to go downstairs to eat, my colleagues gathered around me. “Lily, I heard you submitted your resignation? Why? You’re a key member of our department!” I smiled, not hiding anything.”I’m going home to get married.” “Married?! So sudden? Who are you marrying? We never heard you had a boyfriend!” “Congratulations! You have to invite us to your wedding!” I smiled and agreed. After work that evening, I’d just walked out of the company building when a familiar black Maybach stopped in front of me. The window rolled down, revealing Nathan’s handsome but somewhat gloomy face. “Get in.” I didn’t move, acting as if I hadn’t seen him, and walked straight toward the curb to hail a cab. Nathan’s expression darkened. He pushed open the car door, strode over, grabbed my wrist, and half-forced me into the passenger seat. “Lily, have you made enough of a scene?” After the door locked, Nathan’s voice, suppressing his anger, echoed in the cramped car. “I told you Susan and I are just acting. Why were you throwing a tantrum in the office today? Who was that for?” I stared straight ahead, my tone flat without any fluctuation.”I didn’t throw a tantrum.” “Then why’d you resign?” Nathan rubbed his forehead, his voice softening. “Lily, Susan just came back. She needs to make a name for herself. That jewelry exhibition next quarter is her big chance. I need you to help her. Stick it out, and I’ll take you to Iceland for the Northern Lights. Deal?” I turned my head to look at this face I’d loved for five years, and suddenly felt somewhat nauseous. He wanted me, the substitute, to work for the woman he truly loved? “Nathan, you already signed the resignation form.” A mocking smile appeared at the corner of my mouth. “Also, I’m not throwing a tantrum. I really am going home to get married.” Nathan froze for a moment, then burst out laughing as if he’d heard a joke. “Married? To who? That distant arranged marriage partner of yours?” He grabbed my chin, his eyes confident and contemptuous. “Lily, don’t use such clumsy excuses to test my limits. You can’t leave me.” He was too confident. So confident he didn’t believe I would actually leave him. I slapped his hand away and didn’t bother explaining further. The next day, to punish my “disobedience,” Nathan issued a CEO directive requiring me to serve as Susan’s personal assistant and accompany her to a snowy mountain to shoot a jewelry promotional video. The snowy mountain was below freezing, with biting winds. Susan sat in a windproof tent wearing a thick down jacket, drinking hot coffee. Meanwhile, I was required to take off my coat and stand in the snow wearing only a thin sweater, holding a heavy reflector for Susan. “Miss Lily, hold it higher. The lighting isn’t right.” Susan held her coffee, smiling innocently. My hands were already frozen red and stiff, almost losing all feeling. Nathan stood not far away, watching this scene with slightly furrowed brows, but he said nothing. He just walked over, draped his coat over Susan’s shoulders, and asked if she was cold. I watched them embrace in the snow. The cold wind cut into my bones, but it wasn’t even one ten-thousandth as cold as my heart. I gritted my teeth and held the reflector until the shoot was over. “Nathan, Lily looks really cold.” Susan leaned against Nathan and spoke mockingly. Nathan walked over. Looking at my purple lips, a trace of reluctance flashed in his eyes, but his tone remained firm.”Have you realized your mistake? Just withdraw your resignation and you can continue as my chief designer.” I lifted my head and looked at him, my frozen lips pulling into a cold arc. “Mr. Sterling, there are twenty-eight days left in the handover period.”

Lily’s POV On the second day of the mountain shoot, Susan’s harassment escalated. In the break room, Susan’s gaze suddenly landed on the vintage pocket watch hanging around my neck. It was the only memento from my late father. I never took it off. “Miss Lily, that pocket watch of yours has quite a vintage feel. Let me borrow it as a prop for the shoot.” Without waiting for permission, Susan reached out to grab it. My expression changed drastically. I quickly stepped back, protecting the watch.”No. This is my father’s memento. I can’t lend it.” “So what if it’s a memento? Nathan put me in charge of the entire project. You’re about to resign anyway. You still won’t cooperate with me?” Susan’s face darkened, and she came forward to snatch it forcefully. During our struggle, the watch’s chain snapped with a “crack.” Susan held the watch, a malicious smile curling at her lips. Then she let go. The watch fell onto the hard rocks. The glass face shattered instantly, gears scattering across the ground. My mind went blank. I stared at the broken watch on the ground, all the blood in my body seeming to freeze. The next second, I raised my hand and slapped Susan hard across the face. “Smack!” The crisp sound of the slap echoed through the break room. Susan clutched her face, screaming in disbelief.”You dare hit me?!” Hearing the commotion, Nathan rushed in. Seeing the red handprint on Susan’s face, his expression instantly turned dark as a storm cloud. “Lily, have you lost your mind?!” He shoved me hard. Already weak, I was thrown backward by his force, falling heavily onto the rocky ground covered in debris. My palm scraped across a sharp stone, immediately opening a long gash. Blood poured out, staining the white snow red. But Nathan didn’t even glance at me. He just anxiously pulled Susan into his arms. “Nathan, I just wanted to borrow her watch as a prop. Not only did she refuse, she hit me…” Susan leaned against him, crying pitifully. Nathan glared at me on the ground, his eyes cold and cutting.”It’s just a broken watch! It’s not even worth anything! I’ll compensate you one million dollars! How dare you hit someone? Apologize to Susan right now!” A broken watch? I sat collapsed on the ground, watching my blood drip into the snow, suddenly finding it all absurdly laughable. He knew perfectly well it was the last keepsake my father had left me. Once, when I accidentally lost this watch, he frantically mobilized everyone to find it. When it was recovered, he held me, heartbroken, and said.”Lily’s things are my life.” But now, when my life had been shattered, he called it just a broken watch. I didn’t cry. I didn’t apologize. I just silently knelt on the ground, using my bleeding hand to pick up the shattered gears and glass pieces one by one, clutching them tightly in my palm. The sharp glass cut into my palm, but I seemed to feel no pain. Nathan didn’t look at me. He carried Susan and left. I took leave and went to the hospital alone to bandage my wound. Coming out of the hospital, I received a call from my good friend Sophia. Sophia was Nathan’s younger sister and the only person who knew about our relationship. At the café, Sophia looked at my bandaged hand, her eyes immediately reddening. “Lily, did my brother bully you again? Since Susan came back, he’s been completely bewitched!” I calmly stirred my coffee, saying softly.”Sophia, I’m getting married.” Sophia froze, then tears spilled from her eyes.”Married? To my brother? Is he finally willing to make your relationship public?” “Not him.” I shook my head. “It’s the arranged marriage from my family. I’m going home.” Sophia stared at me blankly, then suddenly threw her arms around me, sobbing uncontrollably.”Good! My brother is trash. He doesn’t deserve you! Lily, you have to be happy…” Suddenly, someone appeared beside us. It was Nathan. He frowned slightly.”Sophia, why are you crying?” Sophia looked up, glaring at him with red eyes.”Lily is going back to New York to get married, why shouldn’t I cry?!”

Lily’s POV Hearing Sophia’s words, Nathan’s steps halted abruptly, his expression instantly darkening. He stared at me intently, his voice seeming to squeeze through clenched teeth.”Say that again. What are you planning to do?” “I’m getting married.” I met his gaze without backing down. “Mr. Sterling, if you have time, you’re welcome to attend my wedding.” Nathan laughed coldly in anger, stepped forward, and grabbed my wrist, using so much force it felt like he might crush my bones. “Lily, to force me to make us public, you’d even tell such lies? You think a random excuse will make me give in?” Ignoring Sophia’s attempts to stop him, he forcibly dragged me out of the café and shoved me into his car. The car doors locked. Nathan pressed me against the seat back, his eyes fierce yet with a trace of imperceptible panic. “I told you, Susan and I are just acting! What exactly are you making a fuss about? I’ll get the best craftsman to fix that watch for you. Stop using marriage to challenge my limits!” Looking at his enraged appearance, I just felt pathetic. “Nathan, does acting require you to treasure her like that? Does acting require you to push me into the snow for her sake?” My voice was very quiet. He was speechless. After a long while, he irritably loosened his tie.”She just returned to the country. She’s emotionally unstable. I’m just taking extra care of her. You used to be so understanding. Why have you become so annoying?” “Yes, I was too understanding before.” I laughed self-mockingly. “So now, I don’t want to be understanding anymore. I really am getting married. My fiancé is Damien Foster.” At the name Damien Foster, Nathan’s eyes narrowed. The Fosters were New York’s most elite family. And Damien Foster was famously unapproachable in their circle. “At least find a believable lie.” Nathan sneered, not believing me at all. “Just stay home and reflect these next few days. When you realize your mistake, then you can come back to the office.” He slammed the door and left, leaving me alone in the villa. That evening, I sat on the sofa. My phone kept receiving photos from my grandfather. Wedding dresses and wedding venues. “Lily, Damien says you can choose any wedding venue. Which one do you like?” I carefully looked through the photos and selected the simplest wedding dress. Nathan came out after showering. Seeing me focused on my phone screen, he walked over and glanced at it. His expression immediately turned livid. “Still acting?” He snatched my phone away. Seeing the wedding dress photos on the screen, he roared.”Lily, are you determined to make me angry?” I didn’t try to grab the phone back. I just looked at him calmly.”Nathan, you already signed the resignation form. And I’m not throwing a tantrum. I really am going home to get married.” Nathan stared blankly for a moment, then burst out laughing as if he’d heard a joke. “Married? To who? That distant arranged marriage partner?” He grabbed my chin, his eyes confident and contemptuous. “Lily, don’t use such pathetic excuses to test my limits. You can’t leave me.” He was too confident. So confident he didn’t believe I would actually leave. I knocked his hand away and didn’t explain further. The next morning, I received a string of numbers from my grandfather. “Lily, this is Damien’s private number. You young people should chat and develop your relationship.” I saved the number to my contacts. When entering the label, I paused, then typed in a name. “Future Husband.” Since I’d decided to marry, I would completely sever all ties with the past.

Lily’s POV With half a month left in the handover period, the company held a team-building event to celebrate the launch of a new project. I didn’t want to go, but as the soon-to-depart chief designer, my colleagues enthusiastically invited me, so I agreed. It was supposed to be just a design department dinner, but when I arrived at the private room, I discovered that Nathan had brought Susan along. “Nathan said everyone has been working hard, so he specially brought me to show appreciation.” Susan held Nathan’s arm, completely acting like the lady of the house. The atmosphere in the room instantly became somewhat awkward. Everyone knew Nathan and I used to be close. Now that Nathan had a girlfriend, no one dared say a word. Halfway through the dinner, someone suggested playing “Truth or Dare” to liven things up. In the first round, the bottle landed in front of Nathan. Given his position, no one dared make too outrageous demands. Someone said.”Mr. Sterling, choose Dare! Show everyone the first photo in your phone’s gallery!” Nathan didn’t refuse. He took out his phone and opened the gallery. On the projection screen, a solo photo of Susan at the snowy mountain appeared. In the photo, she was smiling happily, the shooting angle full of affection. “Wow! Mr. Sterling and Miss Susan have such a great relationship!” “This is truly enviable love!” Amid everyone’s praise, Susan shyly leaned on Nathan’s shoulder. Nathan’s gaze, however, passed over the crowd and landed directly on me in the corner. He expected to see jealousy and heartbreak on my face. But I just gave him a cold glance, then lowered my head to drink my juice, never making eye contact with him again. Suddenly, I received a text from Nathan. “Just acting. Don’t take it seriously.” I looked at the message on the screen, a mocking smile appearing at the corner of my lips. I flipped the phone face-down on the table. In the second round, the bottle stopped squarely in front of me. “Miss Lily, what do you choose?” “Dare.” I said lightly. My colleagues exchanged glances, then boldly said.”Then please call the first contact in your phone, and put it on speaker!” I didn’t hesitate. I picked up my phone and opened my contacts. On the big screen, the first name at the top of my contact list was clearly displayed. “Future Husband.” The room instantly fell silent. Everyone’s eyes secretly glanced toward Nathan. Nathan’s expression darkened the moment he saw the screen. He stared at me intently, both hands clenched into fists, veins bulging on the backs of his hands. The phone rang twice before it picked up. A deep, magnetic voice came through the speaker, with a hint of authority. “Lily?” My heart skipped. I answered softly. “It’s me.” “Calling this late? You miss me?” There was a faint, almost hidden warmth in his voice. Everyone in the room gasped. Nathan shot up, his chair scraping the floor with a screech. His eyes were bloodshot as he stared at me, like he wanted to tear me apart. “Ridiculous!” He spat the word, kicked the chair aside, and stormed out, dragging Susan along. And that was how the party ended. I hung up, said goodbye to my colleagues, and walked out alone. Just as I reached the intersection, a black Maybach stopped in front of me. The door opened, a hand reached out, and I was pulled inside.

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