To cover the astronomical medical bills, I married Finn Waterford as a stand-in bride — the billionaire everyone said had less than three months to live. On our wedding night, he sat in his wheelchair, coughing up blood, yet he pinned me down on the bed like a madman. His cold fingers dug into my waist, and by the time he was done with me, I was barely alive. The next day, they quietly shipped him abroad for treatment — and he was never heard from again. Everyone said I was about to inherit a fortune worth hundreds of billions and planned to keeping a Boy toy. Then, ten months later, I gave birth in the villa’s bathtub — to a creature whose lower half was a ghostly blue fish tail. I hadn’t even figured out what to do with this monster when the villa’s front door swung open. The man who was supposed to be dying on foreign soil walked in, trailing the chill of the deep sea, and stood right in front of me. Midnight. The villa’s heated rooftop pool. I was soaking wet, my face pale as a ghost, floating in the water with a newborn clutched tightly to my chest. No — not a newborn. Beneath the rippling surface, a fish tail covered in deep blue scales shimmered with an eerie glow, coiling gently around my thigh. Ice-cold. Slick. This was my own flesh and blood. Ten months in my womb, and this is what came out. Just a few hours ago, I had been writhing in agony on the bathroom floor, biting down on a towel as I gave birth to him alone. No doctor. No nurse. Because I couldn’t let anyone see this monster. I had assumed Finn was on his way dying. All I had to do was give birth to the Waterford heir, collect the rest of my payment, and use it to save my sister. But instead, I had given birth to a monster. My mind was spinning as I tried to figure out how to secretly smuggle this tailed freak out of here when — CLICK. Every blinding light around the pool snapped on at once. I squeezed my eyes shut against the glare and instinctively pressed the baby deeper under the water. My oversized silk nightgown spread out across the surface, barely concealing the blue tail beneath. “Well, darling. Fancy finding you here — swimming at midnight.” A low, hoarse voice cut through the empty air around the pool, laced with a bone-chilling cold. My whole body went rigid. My blood ran cold. Finn. He was seated in a wheelchair, being pushed by several bodyguards dressed in black. He had lost so much weight he was nearly unrecognizable — his already sharp features now looked even more severe and menacing. The collar of his black shirt hung open, his collarbone pale and completely bloodless. Wasn’t he supposed to be in the ICU overseas?! “F… Finn. When did you come back?” My teeth were chattering, my body instinctively backing away. The little monster beneath the water seemed to sense my fear. It squirmed restlessly, its ice-cold tail fin brushing against the sensitive skin of my calf, sending a shudder through me. Finn’s gaze was like two surgical scalpels — fixed on me, unblinking. My wet silk nightgown clung to every curve of my body. But he wasn’t looking at that. His eyes were locked on the bulge I was clutching tightly to my chest. “Get out of the water,” he ordered. His voice was quiet, but it carried a weight that left no room for argument. “I… I’m not wearing anything underneath, and the water’s warm. Let me stay in a little longer.” I scrambled for excuses, my heart pounding so hard it felt like it might burst. Finn suddenly smiled. It was the kind of smile that made my skin crawl. He raised his hand and snapped his long, pale fingers. The bodyguards moved immediately. Ignoring my screams, they jumped into the pool, grabbed me by both arms, and hauled me out of the water by force. SPLASH. Water flew everywhere. I fought desperately to keep the baby wrapped inside my skirt as I was dragged out and dumped at the foot of Finn’s wheelchair, soaking wet and gasping. Finn leaned down. His ice-cold fingers closed around my jaw and forced my head up. His face was inches from mine. Close enough that I could smell him — something sharp and strange, like deep-sea kelp and blood mixed together. He drew a slow breath in, his nose nearly grazing my neck. “Why do you smell so strongly of… the sea?” His voice dropped to a murmur, but his eyes shifted in an instant — dark and dangerous. I was trembling so hard I could barely hold on. And that was when the little monster in my arms let out a tiny, weak whimper. Finn’s gaze dropped — straight to the bundle I was desperately pressing against my skirt.

“What is that?” Finn’s fingers slid down from my jaw to my neckline and stopped there. That icy touch crept across my skin like a snake. “It’s… it’s nothing! A stray cat!” I clutched the bundle tighter, my fingernails digging into my own flesh. If he found out it was a mermaid, he would cut us both to pieces and feed us to the dogs. Finn let out a cold laugh. Then, in one sharp motion, he grabbed my nightgown and tore it open. RIIIP — The sound of the fabric shredding cut through the silence around the empty pool. I squeezed my eyes shut in despair, bracing for the storm. But the thunderous rage I’d been expecting never came. Dead silence. Trembling, I forced my eyes open — and froze. The creature in my arms — the one that had just moments ago had a dark blue fish tail — had transformed into a perfectly normal baby. Chubby little legs, soft rosy skin, like something carved from jade. He was sucking on his own fingers, staring up at Finn with wide, innocent dark eyes. Where was the tail?! My mind went completely blank. Finn stared at the baby, his expression unreadable. He reached out — his hand so pale you could trace the blue veins beneath the skin — and roughly pinched the baby’s leg. The baby yelped in pain and burst into tears. “Finn, what the hell are you doing!” I don’t know where I found the strength, but I shoved his hand away and pulled the baby tight against my chest, glaring at him with red-rimmed eyes. This was my flesh and blood. Even if he was some kind of monster, I wasn’t going to let anyone treat him badly. Finn stumbled from my shove and broke into a violent coughing fit. It sounded like it was tearing him apart from the inside. His bodyguard rushed to hand him a handkerchief, and the white fabric instantly bloomed with a vivid splash of red. He wiped the corner of his mouth with bloodied fingers, eyes fixed on me, a cruel smile pulling at his lips. “Lyra Oceanus, you’d better pray this child is actually mine.” Then he had someone wheel him away, without looking back once. I didn’t move until his silhouette disappeared completely. Then all the strength drained from my body and I crumpled to the floor. I looked down at the baby in my arms. The moment Finn left, faint blue scales shimmered across the baby’s soft legs — then sank back beneath the skin just as quickly. He… could disguise himself as a human? I swallowed hard, staring at this impossible little life in my arms, and felt a wild idea take hold. The Waterford family was a man-eating hell, and Finn was an unpredictable, dangerous man. I couldn’t leave the baby here. I had to take him and run — even if it meant selling every piece of jewelry I owned, even if it meant fleeing to the ends of the earth. Three days later, using a routine medical check-up as cover, I shook off my bodyguard and took the baby to a hidden underground black market. Not to sell him — to buy two smuggling tickets out of the country. The contact was a one-eyed man. When I slid the emerald necklace across to him — worth millions — his one good eye lit up. “Mrs. Waterford, smuggling is rough business.” He leered at me. “You really think that you can handle it?” I kept my expression cold. “Save it. I need to leave tonight.” That’s when something started thrashing violently inside the custom insulated carrier strapped to my chest. Then water began seeping through the bag — soaking through the fabric and dripping down my clothes. “What do you have in there?” The one-eyed man’s face changed. He reached out to grab it. “Don’t—” I wasn’t fast enough. A burst of force ripped the zipper clean open. A dark blue fish tail whipped out and smacked the one-eyed man straight across the face. SMACK. He let out a howl and flew backward into a table, blood streaming from his nose. The entire black market erupted into chaos. “A mon…monster — it’s a mermaid!” someone shrieked. My skin crawled with dread. I shoved the baby back into the bag and ran. The little one seemed to know he’d caused trouble. Guilty little gurgles came from inside the bag. And as if answering him, every water pipe in the black market burst at once — high-pressure jets spraying everywhere, cutting off anyone trying to chase me. I used the chaos to escape, ducking into a dead-end alley. I slumped against the wall, gasping for breath, and pulled the bag open to check. The little troublemaker was looking up at me with clear blue eyes, tiny fist clutching the hem of my shirt, rubbing against it like he was trying to win me over. My heart melted completely. “You little menace,” I laughed softly and kissed his forehead. “From now on, your name is Nova Waterford.” Chapter 3### The escape plan had failed. I had no choice but to drag myself back to the Waterford estate. The moment I stepped through the front door, I felt it — something was wrong. The living room was lined with bodyguards. Finn sat on the sofa, idly turning a sharp Swiss Army knife over in his fingers. And standing beside him was a woman in a white coat — a striking figure with sharp, arrogant eyes. Dr. Catherine Lockhart. Finn’s chief personal physician. And, according to rumor, the only woman Finn had ever trusted. “Where were you?” Finn didn’t even glance up. His voice was ice cold. “I… I’m going to buy something for the baby.” I instinctively pulled my bag tighter against my chest. Catherine clicked her heels across the floor and stopped in front of me, staring down at me with cold authority. “Mrs. Waterford, you’re well aware of Mr. Waterford’s condition. To ensure the purity of the Waterford family bloodline, we need to run a full genetic test on the child.” A genetic test? That would blow Nova’s cover — his mermaid identity would be exposed! “No!” I shrieked like a mother hen shielding her chick. “He’s still so small — drawing blood will hurt him! I have a paternity test report!” I frantically dug through my bag and pulled out the fake report I’d paid a doctor a fortune to forge, thrusting it toward Finn. “Finn, look — this is really your child.” Finn took the report. His long fingers moved slowly across the surface of the paper. Then, without warning, he seized my wrist and yanked hard. I gasped as I stumbled forward and fell against his chest. Ravaged by illness as he was, his strength was staggering. He wrapped one arm around my waist and picked up the lighter from the table with his other hand — click — a flame. The pale blue fire licked at the paternity test report and turned it to ash in seconds. “You think I’d trust a piece of paper?” His lips were at my ear, his voice low and rough, carrying the weight of something dangerous. The temperature of his body was unsettlingly cold — nothing like a living person’s warmth. His nose grazed the side of my neck, like a predator catching the scent of its prey. “Lyra, you’re hiding something.” He parted his lips and let his cold teeth graze my earlobe, sending a shiver straight through me. “I’m going to peel back every layer, one by one, until I see it all.” Catherine watched from the side, a flicker of jealousy and venom crossing her face before she masked it. “Mr. Waterford, since your wife won’t cooperate, we’ll have to take more forceful measures.” Catherine waved her hand. Several bodyguards stepped forward immediately, pinning me down on the sofa and tearing Nova from my arms. “No! Give him back to me!” I thrashed wildly, my nails raking deep red lines across the backs of the bodyguards’ hands. Catherine picked up a large syringe and walked toward Nova with a cold smirk. Nova had been placed on the glass coffee table. He seemed to sense the danger — his little face flushed deep red, and faint blue light began flickering across his pale little legs. He was going to transform! If he transformed now, it was over! “Finn! Tell them to stop! That is your own son!” I screamed until my voice broke, tears blurring everything in front of me. Finn watched with icy detachment. Those dark eyes held not a single trace of human emotion. Just as Catherine’s needle was about to pierce Nova’s thigh — Bang! Every floor-to-ceiling window in the villa exploded without warning. Chapter 4 A violent wall of wind and rain burst into the living room. Catherine was knocked off her feet by the force of it, the syringe shattering as it hit the floor. Nova seized the moment — he rolled across the coffee table, launched himself into the air, and landed perfectly inside my open neckline, pressing himself flat against my skin and trembling. I clapped my hand over my chest and held him close. “What the hell is going on?!” Catherine scrambled to her feet and screamed. The color had drained completely from Finn’s face the moment the glass shattered. He shot to his feet, and the body that had seemed so frail just moments ago suddenly radiated a terrifying, crushing pressure. He stared hard at the black sky beyond the broken windows, a faint golden glint flickering deep in his eyes. “Get out.” Finn said, cold and flat. “Mr. Waterford…” Catherine wasn’t ready to give up. “I said get out!” Finn snapped his head around, his gaze murderous. Catherine went white with fright and scrambled out of the living room with the bodyguards stumbling behind her. The vast living room fell silent — just me and Finn. The howling wind sent the crystal chandelier swaying above us. Finn walked toward me, step by step. With every step he took, I felt the air around me drop a few degrees colder. He stopped in front of me, looking down, his gaze settling on my chest where it visibly bulged. “Take him out.” His voice left no room for argument. “No…” I shook my head frantically, tears mixing with rain and running into my mouth — bitter and cold. Finn didn’t waste words. He reached directly into my neckline. His cold fingers met the warmth of my skin, and I flinched. He found Nova immediately and pulled him out. Nova left my body with a sharp, piercing shriek. That sound was nothing a human baby could ever make — shrill enough to cut straight through the soul. With that cry, Nova’s legs transformed completely into a deep-blue fish tail, thrashing wildly in Finn’s hands. It was over. Everything was over. I squeezed my eyes shut in despair, bracing for Finn’s fury. But a long moment passed, and Finn said nothing. I opened my eyes — and saw something I would never forget for the rest of my life. Finn was staring fixedly at Nova’s blue tail. Those eyes of his, once pitch-black, had shifted into something unnatural: slitted pupils, radiating an eerie, commanding golden light. And on his neck — once pale and smooth — several scales had surfaced. Deep blue. Identical to Nova’s. “You…” I pointed at him in horror, unable to form a single complete sentence. Finn’s head snapped up. Those golden slit-pupils locked onto me. He suddenly dropped Nova and grabbed my throat, slamming me hard against the wall. “You saw it.” His voice had turned impossibly hoarse, carrying a metallic quality that was anything but human. He leaned in close and opened his mouth — and I saw that his teeth, once perfectly straight, had become sharp and jagged, like a shark’s. “Lyra. You know my secret now.” A slow, dangerous smile. “What do you think I’m going to do to you?” His ice-cold lips pressed against my neck. The razor-sharp tips of his teeth grazed lightly over my carotid artery. My whole body went limp with terror. My mind went completely blank. This cold-blooded, all-powerful billionaire who dominated the entire business world — he was a monster too? “What… what are you…” I whispered, trembling. Finn laughed, low and quiet, the vibration rolling through his chest and into me. “What am I?” He grabbed his shirt and tore it open. Across his chest, his abdomen, and downward past his waist — deep-blue scales were spreading wildly, and his legs were visibly, horrifyingly shifting shape. “I am the nightmare of the deep sea.” His gaze met mine. “And I am your… husband.” He crushed his mouth against mine — ice-cold, domineering, overwhelmingly possessive, as if he meant to devour my very soul.

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On a night of torrential rain, I fled barefoot from the hell of Southeast Asia back to my home, my soles streaming with blood all the way. I endured three years in a water dungeon, with blood drawn and medicines tested on me every single day. All ten of my fingernails were pulled out completely. I’d thought that what awaited me would be the heartfelt compassion of my loved ones. My husband handed me the organ-donation agreement, and my older brother coldly accused me of bringing this on myself. “Lily has kidney failure, and your tissue match is perfect.” “It was I who sold you to the human trafficker—you should have repaid her.” It turns out that the man I’d loved for ten years—and the brother I’d trusted for twenty—was the one who had pushed me into the abyss. They’re going to harvest my kidneys and extract my bone marrow to nourish a foster daughter who has usurped the rightful heir’s place. On the operating table, restraints are fastened around my limbs, and the anesthetic needle is about to pierce my skin. I grabbed the scalpel and plunged it fiercely into my own kidney. Six months later, I transformed into Roxana Vance, the president of a multinational corporation, and made a powerful comeback alongside Valerius City’s top-tier tycoon. However, the once-arrogant scumbag and my so-called “brother” have gone completely crazy.

“Sign it.” Alistair Montgomery sat on the leather sofa and casually tossed me an organ donation agreement without even lifting a glance. He was idly fiddling with a custom-made lighter, his voice colder than the torrential rain outside. “Lily’s kidney failure has worsened, and your tissue match is a perfect fit.” I was soaked to the bone and collapsed onto the ground like a ragdoll. I stared in disbelief at the man before me—the one I’d loved for ten years. “I just escaped from the scamming district…” My voice is hoarse, and it feels like I’ve swallowed a blade in my throat. “I was locked in a water dungeon by them for three whole years, with blood being drawn from me and drugs being tested on me every single day.” I raised my hands, trembling. All ten fingernails were forcibly torn off, leaving behind only deformed growths of flesh now. “You don’t ask me how I’ve been these past three years—instead, as soon as we meet, you’re already asking for my kidney?” Victor Sterling, sitting on the other side, let out a cold laugh. He is my blood-related older brother. Yet right now, he’s looking at me with the same gaze one would give to trash. “Sloane, stop playing the poor victim.” “If it hadn’t been for your jealousy of Lily and your insistence on running away from home, how could you have been abducted by human traffickers?” “You’re only getting what you deserve.” I jerked my head up and stared at him intently. “Did I run away from home?” “Three years ago that night, it was Lily who sent me a message saying she’d gotten lost at the dock and asked me to pick her up!” “When I got there, several men knocked me unconscious and took me aboard the boat!” Alistair finally raised his head. He looked at me, his eyes devoid of any trace of emotion. “It was me who sent your location to those people.” Boom— It was as if a thunderbolt had exploded in my mind. I stared at him blankly, thinking I must have misheard. “What did you say?” Alistair stood up, walked over to me, and looked down at me from above. “Lily has been in poor health since childhood, and she needs a healthy donor.” “Now that you’ve held the position of the Sterling family’s young heiress for so many years, it’s about time you repaid her.” “I’m sending you away to let you experience a bit of hardship out there—so you’ll learn to behave yourself.” Victor tapped the ash off his cigarette casually, his tone light and nonchalant. “I personally went to the police station to close your missing-persons case.” “Outwardly, we’re claiming that you stole money from the family and ran away with a strange man.” “This way, the reputations of the Sterling family and the Montgomery family won’t be tarnished.” My heart felt as if it had been brutally crushed by an invisible giant hand. The pain is so intense that I can’t breathe. Three years. More than a thousand days and nights. In that dark, sunless dungeon, I was treated like an animal. Relying on my longing for them, I’ve struggled time and again to snatch myself back from the clutches of death. I thought they must be frantically looking for me. Result. The very people who pushed me into hell with their own hands are my beloved husband and my closest brother. “Why…” I was lying on the floor, tears mixed with blood splattering onto the carpet. “Lily is just an adopted daughter! I’m your real younger sister!” I screamed hysterically at Victor. Victor’s face darkened, and he suddenly strode over, kicking me hard in the solar plexus. “Shut up!” “Although Lily is an adopted daughter, she’s kinder and more sensible than you!” “Besides causing trouble, what else can you do?” I was kicked so hard that I flew backward and crashed into the coffee table. My throat went sweet, and I spat out a large mouthful of fresh blood. Alistair frowned, as if he were annoyed that I’d stained the carpet. “Don’t waste your time talking to her.” “Sign the document, and we’ll schedule the surgery for tomorrow.” “Besides the kidney, Lily also needs your bone marrow.” “Since your life is so tough, just donate some bone marrow and have a kidney removed—you won’t die.” I clutched my chest and let out a bitter laugh. I’m laughing so hard my eyes are watering. “What if I don’t sign?” Alistair looked at me coldly. “Not signing?” “Then I’ll just send you back to the high seas.” “I heard the black market over there is very interested in organs from young women like you.” “By then, it won’t be as simple as just removing a kidney.” My heart is completely dead. This is the man I’ve loved for ten years. This is the older brother I’ve been calling for twenty years. I bit my teeth and pulled myself up from the ground. “Okay, I’ll sign.” I picked up the pen and made a heavy mark on the agreement. Not a signature. Instead, it tore through the entire sheet of paper. “I’d rather die than give my organs to that bitch!” Alistair was furious. “Lock her in the basement!” “Starve her for three days, and I’ll see if she signs!”

There is no light in the basement. Only bone-chilling cold and a musty smell. I huddled in the corner, trembling all over. My stomach feels like it’s on fire. The wound on my body reopened due to the earlier tugging, and blood was seeping out. I don’t know how much time had passed. The iron door creaked open with a “creak.” A beam of light shone in. Lilith Sterling wore an immaculate haute couture dress and stepped in crystal shoes, looking like a noble princess. She walked up to me and looked down at me from above. “Sloane, it’s been three years—how could you have turned into such a ghostly mess?” She covered her mouth and let out a soft giggle. I stared at her intently. The one she’s wearing around her neck is an heirloom my mother left me—a priceless pink diamond necklace. “Give it back to me…” I struggled to lunge forward. The bodyguard behind Lilith kicked me hard, sending me flying onto the ground. The leather shoes stepped heavily on my face. “Don’t touch me—you stink so bad.” Lilith stepped back two paces in disgust. “Sloane, you still don’t know, do you?” “These past three years, Alistair has been so kind to me.” “He transferred all the shares that originally belonged to you into my name.” “Victor also handed over the reins of the Sterling family to me.” “You’re nothing now.” I bit down hard, and tasted the metallic flavor of blood in my mouth. “You’re not sick at all!” “You’ve been faking illness to fool them!” Lilith crouched down, leaned close to my ear, and lowered her voice. “Yeah, I’m not sick.” “My kidneys are in great shape, and my bone marrow is also very healthy.” “But I just want yours.” “Why is it that you were born an heiress of the Sterling family, while I’m just an unwanted orphan?” “Why is it that you get to marry Alistair, while I’m stuck calling him ‘brother’?” “I’m going to take everything from you, bit by bit.” “Including your organs.” She laughed like a demon. “Did you know? The night you were sold to the high seas, Alistair was spending my birthday with me.” “He personally put this necklace around my neck.” “He said, Only I am worthy of something this beautiful.” My heart suddenly felt a sharp pain. The pain was so intense that I almost fainted. “You crazy person…” Lilith stood up and smoothed out the hem of her dress. Suddenly, she let out a gasp and fell backward all at once. Fell heavily to the ground. “Ah! That hurts!” The basement door was pushed open again. Alistair and Victor burst in. Seeing Lilith lying on the ground, both of them turned pale with shock. “Lily!” Alistair pulled her into his arms in one swift motion, his face full of concern. Lilith’s eyes were red and swollen, and tears were dripping down her cheeks one after another. “Alistair, don’t blame Sloane.” “She just pushed me because she hated me so much.” “I’m fine, cough…” She coughed weakly twice, and a trace of blood unexpectedly seeped from the corner of her mouth. Victor’s eyes were about to burst with rage. He rushed over, grabbed my hair in one hand, and dragged me off the ground. “Sloane! You’re asking for it!” “Slap!” A heavy slap landed on my face. My ears are ringing, and my vision keeps going dark. “Lily kindly came to see you, and yet you dare lay a hand on her!” “Do you really think I wouldn’t dare to kill you?!” I hung my head weakly, lacking even the strength to offer an explanation. What’s the point of explanation? They believe only in Lilith. Alistair held Lilith in his arms, his gaze cold as he looked at me. “Since you’re feeling so energetic, there’s no need to wait.” “Let’s do the surgery tonight.” I suddenly raised my head. “I didn’t sign it! You’re breaking the law!” Alistair let out a cold laugh. “In River City, I am the law.” “Take her to the hospital!” Several bodyguards rushed forward, roughly grabbed me, and started dragging me out. I fought desperately, but it was completely useless. I was dragged out of the Montgomery family mansion like a dying dog. 3 Private Hospital. Top-floor Operating Room. I was forced into a hospital gown and pinned down on the freezing surgical table. The blinding surgical lights beat down on my face, leaving me unable to open my eyes. Thick leather restraints bound my hands and feet tightly in place. I was nothing but meat on a chopping block, at their mercy. Beyond the glass window, Alistair and Victor stood shoulder to shoulder. They stared at me with expressionless faces, as if I were nothing more than a lifeless object. Lilith lay on another surgical table nearby. Through the curtain, I could hear her frail voice. “Alistair, I’m scared…” Alistair’s voice came through the intercom, dripping with a tenderness that could melt ice. “Don’t be afraid. Just sleep, and it will all be over.” “When you wake up, everything will be better.” It was that exact same tenderness he had once shown me. Now, it was a blade driven straight into my heart. The lead surgeon approached, wearing a mask. In his hand was a syringe filled with a clear liquid. “Mrs. Montgomery, relax,” he said coldly, aiming the needle at my vein. I stared at the sharp tip of the needle. Flashes of the past three years on the high seas flooded my mind. I saw Alistair’s indifferent face, Victor’s disgusted gaze and Lilith’s triumphant smirk. No. I couldn’t let them have their way. Even in death, I would never give my organs to that vicious woman! A surge of inexplicable strength exploded from within my body. I twisted my wrists with every ounce of power I had left. The rough restraints tore through my flesh. The blood that spilled out acted as a lubricant. Click. The restraint on my right hand gave way. A fraction of a second before the doctor’s needle could pierce my skin, I yanked my hand free and violently overturned the surgical tray beside me. Metal instruments scattered across the floor. I snatched up a sharp scalpel. The doctor panicked, stumbling backward. “What are you doing?!” Outside the glass, Alistair and Victor’s expressions instantly changed. “Sloane! Put the knife down!” Alistair roared, pounding frantically against the glass. Clutching the scalpel, I slowly sat up. My left hand was still bound, but I didn’t care. I turned my head and stared dead through the glass at them. A tragic, bloody smile curved my lips. “You want my kidney, don’t you?” “You want my bone marrow?” “Here. I’ll give it to you.” Without hesitation, I raised the scalpel, aimed it at my right flank, and drove it down with all my might! Squish— The sickening sound of flesh being pierced echoed with terrifying clarity in the silent operating room. Blood gushed instantly, soaking the white bedsheets crimson. “Ahh!” Lilith shrieked in terror from the next table. Outside the glass, Alistair and Victor’s eyes widened in absolute horror. “Sloane! You’re insane!” Alistair screamed, smashing his fists against the glass. I didn’t stop. I pulled the blade out and plunged it back in. Once. Twice. Three times. With every ounce of strength I possessed, I completely destroyed the kidney they so desperately coveted. Agony sent violent spasms through my entire body. Yet, I felt an overwhelming sense of euphoria. “I’d rather destroy it… than give it to that bitch…” Through my fading vision, I saw Alistair burst into the operating room. I saw the sheer panic on his face as he desperately tried to press against my wound. Blood sprayed through his fingers, staining his pristine white shirt crimson. “Doctor! Save her! Do something!” he bellowed at the paralyzed medical staff. Victor rushed in right behind him. Seeing the bed drenched in blood, his legs gave out, and he collapsed to the floor. “Sloane…” He reached out with trembling hands, too terrified to even touch me. Using the very last thread of my strength, I shoved Alistair’s hand away. “Don’t touch me… You’re filthy…” “Alistair… Victor…” “I curse you…” “In this life and the next… may you never find peace in death…” My vision began to blur. The voices around me faded into the distance. On the heart monitor, the undulating line slowly flattened out. Beeeeeeeeep— The piercing, continuous tone filled the room. I closed my eyes. Finally, I was free. 4 Beep… Beep… Beep… The rhythmic sound of medical monitors echoed in my ears. My eyes snapped open. I gasped for air, my chest heaving. Staring up at me was an unfamiliar ceiling. A luxurious crystal chandelier cast a soft, warm glow. There were no blinding surgical lights, no suffocating stench of disinfectant. Instead, the air was filled with the faint, calming scent of agarwood. “Awake?” A deep, icy male voice drifted from the floor-to-ceiling window. I turned my head. A man in a black silk shirt stood there. He was tall and imposing, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist. As he turned around, a sharply chiseled face came into view. His features were strikingly handsome, and his eyes were as piercing as an eagle’s. He exuded an overwhelming aura of absolute authority. “Who are you?” I shrank back in alarm, pulling at the wound on my waist. A sharp pain made me suck in a breath. “Don’t move.” The man took long strides toward me and pressed down on my shoulder. “I snatched your life back from the God of Death. Don’t cheapen it.” “My name is Julian.” Julian? The untouchable, ruthless crown prince of River City? Rumor had it he was as unpredictable as he was ruthless, ruling both the underworld and the legitimate business world. “You saved me?” I looked at him, my eyes guarded. “Why?” I couldn’t believe a man of his stature would waste his mercy on a worthless, discarded wife. Julian pulled up a chair and sat down, crossing his long legs. His posture was languid, yet it carried an unquestionable authority. “The lead surgeon was my man. ” “He injected you with a death-mimicking drug and fooled Alistair and Victor.” In their eyes, you are nothing but a pile of ashes now.” I froze. I was dead? The realization sent a wave of euphoric joy crashing through my heart. I was finally free of those two demons! “As for why I saved you…” Julian pulled a yellowed photograph from his pocket and handed it to me. On it was a young girl with a radiant, flower-like smile. “Her name was Zoe. My younger sister. ” “Two years ago, she was tricked onto that cruise ship on the high seas. ” “When those people were about to beat her to death, you took the blow for her.” “Although she eventually passed away from her illness, I, Julian, have remembered this debt.” I stared at the girl in the photo. My memories slowly began to resurface. The little girl in the lower deck, crying and calling for her brother… She was Julian’s sister. “I’ve looked into your past.” Julian’s eyes turned ice-cold, and the temperature around him seemed to drop several degrees. “Alistair and Victor drove you to the brink of death for a fake. ” “Do you want revenge?” Revenge? Those word was like a spark, instantly igniting the rage I had suppressed for years. I touched the thick bandages on my waist. I thought of the torment I had endured for three years, and the cruel expressions on their faces when they forced me to donate my organs. My gaze turned vicious. “Yes. I want it more than anything!” I want to strip them of everything and make them wish they were dead!” Julian’s lips curved into a satisfied, dangerously wicked smile. “Good. ” “From today onward, Sloane is dead. ” “You are Roxana Vance, the Executive President of Vance Group North America.” “I will give you the best resources and the most powerful backing.” “I will let you stand before them with your head held high, and collect every ounce of what they owe you, with interest!” The following six months were a hellish rebirth. Julian arranged the most elite medical team to reconstruct my broken body. My fingernails grew back. Though scarred, they were no longer deformed. The wound on my waist healed into a hideous, yet proud medal of honor. During the day, I learned corporate warfare and the art of manipulation from Julian. At night, I drenched the gym in sweat, practicing combat and self-defense. I shed Sloane’s weakness and naivety, transforming into the cold-blooded and decisive Roxana. The woman in the mirror had a sleek, shoulder-length bob. Her eyes were ice-cold, her lips a fiery red. The girl who had once endured endless humiliation was gone forever. “Ready?” Julian stood behind me, looking at my reflection in the mirror. I curved my lips, a bloodthirsty glint flashing in my eyes. “Of course. It’s about time the game began.”

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Six months after my husband, Caleb Frost, received his kidney transplant, his first love, Scarlett, had been the one taking care of him. She had even specially procured a custom herbal remedy for him. The broth was garishly bright in color and carried a pungent, acrid stench. “Caleb, this is a secret formula I begged someone for. It’s the best for restoring your vitality,” she cooed softly, blowing on the spoon to cool it before bringing it to his lips, her posture the picture of docile submission. I reached out to stop him, but Caleb swatted my hand away with a harsh sweep, sending me crashing to the floor. “Stop making a scene.” His eyes were heavy with disgust. Right in front of me, he drank the entire bowl down. Watching the two of them nestled together, I wiped the trail of blood from the back of my hand and smiled faintly. “Caleb,” I whispered, my voice soft as silk, “you absolutely must… live a long, long life.” “Caleb, drink it while it’s hot. I spent a full eight hours making this for you.” Scarlett smiled brightly, holding a delicate white porcelain bowl as she stood in the backstage lounge of the Frost Group’s tenth anniversary gala. The bowl held a dark brown broth, giving off a strange, sweet-metallic smell. Caleb sat on the leather couch, his eyes warm and soft. “Scarlett, you didn’t have to go through all this trouble. You just got back—you shouldn’t be wearing yourself out for me.” He reached out to take the bowl. Bang! I shoved the lounge door open. My heels clicked sharply against the marble floor. The air in the room went dead still. I strode across the room, grabbed the porcelain bowl straight out of Scarlett’s hands, and slammed it down hard on the coffee table. Broth splashed everywhere. A few dark drops landed on my white couture gown, like dried bloodstains. “Victoria! What is wrong with you!” Caleb shot to his feet, face ashen. The warmth in his eyes vanished, replaced instantly by cold contempt. I stared him down. “Caleb, your kidney transplant was less than six months ago! The doctors told you over and over—don’t consume anything from an unknown source. Are you trying to get yourself killed?” “Unknown source?” Caleb let out a short, cold laugh. “Scarlett is my chief assistant. More than that, she’s my… close friend. The soup she makes is a hundred times better than anything you’ve ever put on the table—and you’re barely a wife in the first place.” Scarlett went pale. She shrank behind Caleb like a frightened deer. “Victoria, please don’t be angry. This is all my fault… I just felt bad seeing Caleb work so hard every day. With his kidney condition, I wanted to help, so I tracked down a secret recipe…” Her eyes welled up, her voice thick with hurt. “If you don’t want me to make it anymore, I won’t. Just please, don’t fight with Caleb because of me.” What a performance. I looked at her coldly. “Scarlett, drop the act. You know exactly what you put in that soup.” “That is enough!” Caleb pulled Scarlett into his arms and spun toward me, furious. “Victoria, do you have some kind of paranoia? Scarlett did something kind, and you have to make it this ugly? Look at yourself right now. Is this how the wife of the Frost family is supposed to act?” I watched him hold Scarlett close, and something invisible wrapped around my chest and squeezed until I couldn’t breathe. Me? Making a scene? Six months ago, when his kidneys failed and his life hung by a thread—who was the one standing outside that operating room, hands shaking so badly she could barely sign the critical condition forms? Who was the one who slipped into the room next door, climbed onto a surgical table, and let them cut a kidney out of her own body so he could live? Me! Victoria! But when he woke up, the first face he saw was Scarlett’s—his first love, who had rushed back from overseas. All it took was a few of her tears, and she became everything to him. And I became the villain standing in the way of their great love story. “You want to drink it? Fine.” I laughed, past caring now, and pointed at the bowl. “Get your will in order first. Sign your Frost Group shares over to me—then drink as much as you want. I won’t stop you from killing yourself.” Smack. A hard slap cracked across my face. My head snapped to the side. My ears rang. I tasted blood. Caleb pointed toward the door, his eyes as cold as if he were looking at an enemy. “Victoria. Get out! Stop making a scene.” I pressed my hand to my burning cheek and slowly turned to look at the man I had loved for ten years. Ten years. From college sweethearts on campus, to building a company from nothing side by side, to standing together as the president and first lady of Frost Group. I had been with him through the hardest years of his life. I had given him a piece of my own body. And now, for a woman who had walked away from him five years ago, he had hit me. “Caleb, stop it…” Scarlett grabbed Caleb’s sleeve, her voice dripping with false concern. “Victoria just cares about you.” “She cares about me?” Caleb spat through clenched teeth. “She can’t wait for me to drop dead so she can get her hands on everything in Frost Group.” I stood there watching them, and suddenly the whole thing struck me as absurd. I laughed. “Fine, Caleb. Remember what you just said.” I didn’t look at either of them again. I turned and walked out of the lounge. Out in the hallway, a handful of executives and assistants were craning their necks, peering in our direction. The moment they saw me, they dropped their eyes and pretended nothing had happened. But I knew. By tomorrow, the whole company would be talking — the CEO’s wife got slapped in front of everyone, and the mistress had officially won. I straightened my spine, held my head up, and walked out of the banquet hall one deliberate step at a time, heels clicking against the floor. The night air outside was brutal. It hit my face like a blade. I pulled open the car door, dropped into the driver’s seat, and gripped the steering wheel with both hands. My knuckles turned white. The scar along my right side had started to ache again — that dull, familiar throb. It was the mark left by the kidney surgery. A scar that would never fully go away. I took a slow, deep breath and forced the tightness in my chest back down. Victoria, don’t you dare cry. He’s not worth a single tear. I pulled out a tissue and dabbed the corners of my eyes. Then my gaze drifted down to my dress — a few small brown splatters on the hem. That strange smell hit me again. Sweet and metallic at the same time. Something was wrong. That was not the smell of ordinary broth.

Downtown General Hospital. Laboratory. Julian stood in his white coat, brow furrowed, staring at the tissue I’d handed him. He was my senior in college, and the youngest attending physician this hospital had ever had. Six months ago, he was the one who performed the kidney transplant surgery — the one between me and Caleb. “What happened to your face?” His eyes went straight to the swelling on my cheek. “Got bit by a dog,” I said flatly. “Julian, can you run a test on whatever’s on this tissue?” He studied me for a long moment, then didn’t ask anything more. He took the tissue and disappeared into the lab. Waiting is always its own kind of torture. I sat on a bench in the hallway, and my mind kept replaying it — Caleb’s hand, swinging toward my face. For Scarlett. No hesitation in his eyes. No guilt. Just cold, bone-deep contempt. Why? Even if he didn’t love me anymore. Even if Scarlett was the only one who mattered to him. That didn’t explain this level of hatred. Unless… Scarlett had told him something. Two hours later, Julian came back out holding a report. His expression was grim. More than grim — there was something almost like shock on his face. “Vicky.” His voice was careful. “I need you to tell me the truth. Where did this come from?” “Caleb’s assistant made him a batch of broth.” My stomach dropped. “Why? Is it poisoned?” Julian exhaled slowly and handed me the report. “Not ordinary poison. The broth contains a high concentration of Ghost Poppy extract — and a rare neurotoxin.” “Ghost Poppy?” I blinked. “It’s a controlled substance.” His voice dropped low. “It doesn’t just cause addiction — severe psychological dependency. But what makes it truly dangerous is what happens when it’s combined with that neurotoxin. Together, they produce a slow, targeted destruction effect on transplanted organs.” My entire body went cold. The blood in my veins felt like it had stopped moving. “What does that mean?” “It means this substance mimics transplant rejection. It attacks the new kidney inside Caleb’s body — slowly, piece by piece. Within six months, his kidney function will fail completely.” Julian looked at me, and his eyes were filled with something that looked like dread. “Victoria, whoever did this isn’t just trying to control him. They want him dead. And it’s almost impossible to trace — even at autopsy, it would look like natural post-operative rejection.” “This is a perfect murder.” My mind went completely blank. Murder. Scarlett wanted to kill Caleb? Why?She’d been saying she loved him since the moment she came back. She’d barely been off the plane before she was by his side. If Caleb died, what would she gain? “Victoria, this is serious.” Julian’s voice cut through the silence. “We have to go to the police. Right now.” “No.” I snapped back to the present and grabbed his arm. “We can’t.” “Why not? His life is in danger!” “Because I have no proof.” I said through gritted teeth. “The residue on that tissue isn’t nearly enough to prove Scarlett did anything. She could just turn around and claim I planted it to frame her. Caleb is completely wrapped around her finger right now — he’ll never believe me.” What mattered more was figuring out why Scarlett was doing this. What was she hiding? “Julian, please keep this between us for now. Don’t tell anyone.” I looked at him, pleading. Julian let out a sigh and wrapped his hand around mine. “Okay. I promise. But Victoria — you have to protect yourself. That woman is far more dangerous than you think.” By the time I left the hospital, it was deep into the night. I came home to an empty villa. The living room was dark. Caleb hadn’t come home. Since Scarlett came back, he’d been staying out more and more often. I walked over to the bar cart, poured myself a glass of whiskey, and downed it in one go. The burn traced down my throat and into my stomach — and somehow, it cleared my head like nothing else could. Scarlett. You set up this whole game. Fine. Let’s play. I picked up my phone and dialed a number. “Hey, Jack. I need you to look into someone.” Jack was the best private investigator in the business. As long as the money was right, there wasn’t a secret he couldn’t dig up. “Victoria. Go ahead.” “Scarlett — personal assistant to the president of Frost Group. I want everything on her from the past five years abroad. Phone records, bank statements, and… every single person she’s had contact with since coming back.”

I hung up and stood at the floor-to-ceiling windows, staring out at the city lights below. Caleb. You think you’ve found true love. But you just walked straight into a trap with no way out. And when it all falls apart, I’ll be the one left to deal with what’s left of you. The next morning, I did what I always did. Full makeup. A sharp, well-fitted blazer. I walked through the doors of Frost Group like I owned the place — because I did. As co-founder, I held thirty percent of the company’s shares. Outside of Caleb, I was the largest shareholder. Over the past two years, I’d stepped back from management to care for Caleb while he was sick. Now it was time to take back what was mine. I stepped off the elevator and immediately spotted Scarlett standing outside my office, directing a group of workers moving furniture around. “Careful with that — Caleb had that Italian leather sofa custom-ordered from overseas. Don’t scratch it.” She was in a Chanel couture dress, tossing orders around like she ran the place. When she saw me coming, she blinked — then broke into a slow, taunting smile. “Oh, Victoria! I didn’t expect to see you here. Didn’t Caleb tell you? He gave me this office.” Around us, employees stopped what they were doing, all ears. I said nothing. I walked straight up to her. Crack. I raised my hand and slapped her — hard. Every bit of strength I had behind it. Scarlett let out a sharp cry and hit the floor, one hand pressed to her cheek, staring up at me in disbelief. “You — you actually hit me?!” “Yeah, I hit you. What, did I need to make an appointment first?” I looked down at her, eyes cold as stone. “Scarlett, who exactly do you think you are? You slept your way into this company, and now you’re moving into my office?” “Victoria! What the hell do you think you’re doing?!” The voice came from behind me. Caleb came storming over, shoved me aside, and reached down to pull Scarlett up off the floor. “Scarlett, are you okay?” Scarlett sank into him, tears already streaming down her face. “Caleb, I just wanted to help take some of the workload off you… Is Victoria trying to push me out? Does she just — can’t stand having me here?” Caleb looked at Scarlett’s red, swollen cheek, his face tight. Then he turned on me, eyes blazing. “Victoria, are you done?! Scarlett is the new Project Director — this office is hers. She earned it!” “Project Director?” I let out a cold laugh. “Caleb, have you completely lost your mind? She has a background in art. What does she know about project management? What is this company to you — a playground for your little affair?” “Frost Group is my company. I’ll appoint whoever I want as director!” Caleb shot back without mercy. “Is that so?” I met his gaze head-on, unwavering. “Caleb, don’t forget — I hold thirty percent of the shares. Without my signature, none of your major personnel appointments are valid.” Caleb’s expression shifted. It seemed like he’d only just remembered that I wasn’t just his wife. I was a shareholder who could stand against him at the board table. “Victoria, do you have to fight me on everything?” he said through gritted teeth, his voice low. “I’m not the one picking a fight. You pushed me here.” My voice was cold. “You have ten minutes to throw her things out. If you don’t, we’ll settle this at tomorrow’s board meeting.” With that, I pushed open the door, walked into the office, and shut it behind me. Hard. From the other side of the door came the sound of Caleb cursing in frustration — and Scarlett’s soft, aggrieved sobbing. I settled into the wide office chair, took in the familiar surroundings, and felt the corner of my mouth pull into a cool smile. This is only the beginning, Caleb. Every single thing you two owe me — I’m going to collect it back, with interest. Over the next few days, I moved through the company like a blade, restructuring personnel. Every person Caleb had promoted — all of Scarlett’s allies — were either demoted or let go. Caleb was so furious he smashed a glass in his office. But there was nothing he could do to stop me. Because every decision I made was fully compliant with the company’s bylaws. There wasn’t a single thing to challenge. As for Scarlett — she stopped provoking me so openly. She went quiet. More restrained. She leaned into the perfect victim act, spending her days finding new ways to bring Caleb homemade soups.

I knew she was speeding up the poisoning. But I didn’t stop her. What I wanted was to catch her in the act. Three days later, Jack’s report landed in my inbox. I opened the file — dozens of pages long — and with every page I turned, something cold settled deeper into my chest. The five years Scarlett spent abroad had nothing to do with studying art. She’d sunk into gambling. Racked up a mountain of debt to loan sharks. And gotten hooked on drugs. She came back home to find herself a cash cow. And Caleb was the target she’d chosen. But the part that hit me hardest was the last section of the report. Six months ago — the very night Scarlett came back — a hit-and-run had occurred. The victim was a sanitation worker. He didn’t survive. Jack had managed to track down deleted security footage from a stretch of road near the scene through various channels. The footage was blurry, but clear enough. The car that struck the man was Caleb’s black Maybach. And the person who stepped out of the driver’s side was Scarlett. She looked around in a panic. Then she walked to the passenger side, dragged an unconscious Caleb into the driver’s seat. After that, she called a cab and left. When I reached that part, the blood in my veins went still. What a setup. No wonder Caleb did everything she said. No wonder he turned so cold toward me so suddenly. Scarlett hadn’t just been controlling his body with poison. She’d been holding this death over his head like a knife — using that night to keep him completely in her grip. Caleb believed he’d killed someone drunk behind the wheel. And Scarlett had covered it up for him, made herself his only lifeline. Caught between fear and guilt, he had no choice but to let her pull his strings like a dog on a leash. I closed my laptop and leaned back in my chair, letting out a long, slow breath. Caleb. You were sharp your whole life, and you let one woman bring you down. You threw the wife who saved you under your feet for her. Are you satisfied now? Once I had the evidence, I didn’t move immediately to expose Scarlett. Because it still wasn’t enough. A hit-and-run charge would put her away for a few years at most. That was letting her off too easy. I wanted her — and Caleb — to feel what it was like to fall from the top of the world straight into hell. I began quietly selling off my shares in Frost Group, moving the funds into an offshore shell company I’d registered in advance. At the same time, I had Jack keep watching Scarlett — especially any contact between her and the mystery person supplying the poison. Sure enough, Jack soon confirmed that Scarlett had been meeting regularly with a black market doctor named Frank. The Ghost Poppy extract. Frank was her source. I went to see Frank myself. In front of one million dollars in cash and a recording of Frank practicing medicine without a license, he didn’t hesitate for a second. He sold Scarlett out without blinking. “Victoria, what do you need me to do?” Frank stared at the cash on the table, eyes practically glowing. “Keep supplying her,” I said coldly. “But increase the dosage. I want Caleb’s rejection response to hit early.” Since Caleb loved Scarlett’s soup so much, I’d make sure he got his fill. I wanted him to feel it firsthand — what it was like to be slowly poisoned, drop by drop, by the woman he loved most. Frank swallowed hard and nodded repeatedly. “Understood. Understood.” When I got home, Caleb was sitting in the living room — which was rare. His face was even paler than it had been a few days ago, his eyes shot through with red, his whole body radiating a restless, frantic energy. The moment he saw me walk in, he shot to his feet. “Victoria, what the hell are you trying to do? Why do you keep going after Scarlett at the company?” I slipped on my house shoes and glanced at him without much interest. “Going after her? Caleb, I think you’ve got it wrong. I’m just doing my job as a shareholder — cleaning out the dead weight.” “Bullshit!” Caleb roared. “You’re jealous! You’re jealous that I love her and not you!” I looked at his face — twisted with rage and the early signs of the toxin working through him — and felt nothing. “You’re right. I am jealous.” I stepped closer and looked him straight in the eyes. “I’m jealous that she got you to drink that poisoned soup without a second thought. I’m jealous that she has you so far gone you’d throw your own life away for her.” Caleb froze. His eyes shifted, just slightly. “What are you talking about? What poison?” “Deep down, you already know.” I let out a cold laugh. “Caleb — lately, have you been feeling it? Aching in your lower back, lying awake at night, maybe even seeing things that aren’t there?” Caleb’s pupils snapped tight. Sweat broke out across his forehead. “You… how do you know that?” “Because it’s what you deserve.” I leaned close to his ear and said it slowly, one word at a time. “Caleb, enjoy every bit of love Scarlett has to give. I promise — this is only the beginning.” Then I pushed past him and walked straight upstairs. Behind me, I heard him smashing things. I knew what that meant. The toxin had started to take hold.

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A devastating fire left me in a coma from severe oxygen deprivation. When I woke up, my vision was badly damaged — and i had retrograde amnesia. Back home, a handsome, gentle man took my hand and told me he was my fiancé. That we have been together for three years. Wedding photos covered the walls. A thick journal full of love letters sat on my nightstand. Even my parents sang his praises — almost desperately so. I almost believed him. I almost convinced myself I’d simply forgotten the true love of my life. Then one night, I was feeling my way down the hallway to the bathroom when I reached out toward the full-length mirror — And felt another pair of hands pressing back from the other side of the glass. 0I walked home with bandages over my eyes and a white cane tapping the ground ahead of me — back to the place I hadn’t seen in six months. Six months ago, a fire tore through my apartment building. It didn’t just destroy my studio. It burned away the last three years of my meories. Severe carbon monoxide poisoning, the doctors said. It caused retrograde amnesia and damaged my optic nerves. Right now, My vision is so limited that I can barely see anything beyond a blurry shape half a meter away. The whole world looks like a frosted window — everything reduced to heavy, shapeless smears. I pushed open the front door. A familiar scent of sandalwood hit me immediately. I took a slow, deep breath. Some of the tension in my shoulders eased. At least that hadn’t changed. “Claire, slow down — there’s a step right here.” A low, gentle voice sounded close to my ear. Then a pair of large, warm hands settled steadily at my waist. My body went rigid. I instinctively pulled back. “What’s wrong?” A carefully measured note of hurt crept into his voice. “Still not get used to me touching you?” I bit my lip. I didn’t know what to say. His name was Sebastian. My parents had introduced him as my fiancé. They said we’d been together for three years, that we’d been planning to get our marriage certificate next month. But I had twenty-six years of memories — the ones before the fire, at least — and in every single one of them, I had been completely, firmly, anti-marriage. I remembered screaming at my parents over it, remembered packing my bags and moving out on my own just to get away from the constant pressure to settle down. So how did I suddenly have a fiancé I’d been with for three years? “Sebastian, Claire just got out of the hospital — her mind is still foggy. Please be patient with her.” My mother’s voice drifted in from the living room, carrying a strange, careful quality. Like she was walking on eggshells. “Don’t worry mom.” Sebastian let out a soft laugh and gently took the white cane from my hand. “I’ll take good care of her.” He guided me inside with one arm loosely around me, then eased me down onto the couch. “Mom — where’s Dad?” I looked around, seeing nothing but a few vague blobs of color. “Your father is… he’s resting in the bedroom. He hasn’t been feeling well lately. Gets tired easily.” Her voice sounded dry. Tight. There was a faint tremor underneath it. A soft clack — the sound of glass meeting a hard surface. “Mom, you filled it too high.” Sebastian’s voice stayed warm, but I caught the sharp way my mother sucked in her breath. “Sorry, sorry — I’ll get you another one.” She hurried away, footsteps quick and uneven. I sat on the couch and felt the wrongness settle deeper into my chest. My mother had always been a strong woman. Demanding, critical, hard to please. Every friend I’d ever brought home had fallen short of her standards. So why was she acting like this around a man who was supposedly about to become her son-in-law? Why did she seem almost afraid of him? “Claire. Here.” Sebastian pressed a glass of water into my hand. His fingers brushed slowly across my knuckles — deliberately, I thought. My skin crawled. “Thank you.” I lowered my head and drank, using it as an excuse to hide my face. “The doctors said your vision will come back gradually. Don’t be scared.” He sat down beside me, close enough that I could feel the warmth of his breath near my ear. “Until then, I’ll be your eyes.” I didn’t answer. I just held the glass tighter. The doctors had said that. My optic nerve damage was temporary — once the pressure from the swelling went down, my sight would return. What I hadn’t told anyone was that since yesterday, the blur had already started to lift. I could almost make out Sebastian’s face now. The shapes were sharpening into features. It was a strikingly handsome face. And it was completely, utterly, a face I didn’t recognize. 0

Dinner was eaten in near silence. The only sounds were the faint clinks of forks and bowls. “Claire, have some ribs. The rib steak used to be your favorite — whenever I made it.” I poked at the piece of meat with my fork. My stomach turned for no reason I could name. “I… I don’t really want anything too heavy,” I said, trying to deflect. “Be good. You’re too thin — you need to eat.” His voice was still soft, but there was something underneath it that left no room for refusal. I instinctively glanced toward my parents, hoping one of them would bail me out. But they both kept their heads down, mechanically picking at their spaghetti, not to look at me even once. “Mom, Dad — why aren’t you having any?” I asked carefully. My father’s hand jerked. His fork clattered against the table with a sharp ring. “His hand slipped.” My mother quickly picked it up, her voice stretched tight as a bowstring. “We’re eating. We’re eating.” The unease inside me kept growing. After dinner, Sebastian walked me back to my room. “I’ve been cleaning it every day,” he said, pushing the door open and turning on the light. “Everything’s exactly the way you left it.” I squinted, letting my eyes adjust to the brightness. The layout was the same — that much I could tell. But the smell was wrong. It wasn’t the fir-wood perfume I always wore. It was something faint and foreign, like medical disinfectant mixed with some kind of chemical. “What’s wrong?” He noticed me hesitate. “Nothing. Just tired.” “Get some rest, then. I’m right next door — call me if you need anything.” He pressed a cold kiss to my forehead, turned, and pulled the door shut behind him. Click. The sound of the lock catching. I stood there, cold all the way through. He had locked my door from the outside. 0

I sat in the dark for a long time. What kind of normal fiancé locks his sick girlfriend in her room? I felt my way to the door, grabbed the handle, and twisted it hard. It didn’t move. I pressed my ear against the wood. Outside was completely silent. Not a sound. And then I heard it — a faint, dry rustling. It wasn’t coming from beyond the door. It was coming from… inside the wall. Like something crawling through the space between the walls. Like fingernails dragging slowly across concrete. I stumbled backward in fright, my back hitting the wardrobe. The sound lasted maybe ten seconds. Then it stopped. I stood there heaving, cold sweat soaking through my shirt. Mice？ It’s just mice. This house is old — of course there are mice. I kept telling myself that. I felt my way to the bed, climbed in, and pulled the covers over my head. That night, I barely slept. My dreams were full of fire — everywhere — and a man I couldn’t quite see, standing in the middle of the flames, staring straight at me. “Claire… you can’t run from me…” I woke up screaming, drenched. It was already light outside. A knock at the door. “Claire? You up? I’m coming in.” The lock clicked. Sebastian stepped inside. He walked in with a tray of breakfast, a flawless smile on his face. “Slept well?” he asked. “Pretty well,” I said. I pushed the fear down and kept my voice casual. “Sebastian — did you… hear anything last night?” His hand paused over the soup bowl. “what was that?” “Like — mice in the walls, maybe.” He smiled and handed me the bowl. “Old house. Bound to happen. I’ll buy some mouse poison today. Eat up — I want to show you something after.” 0

After breakfast, Sebastian set a thick metal tin in front of me. “You’ve been questioning what’s between us,” he said. “So — here. This is proof of everything.” I pried the lid open. Inside was a stack of photographs and several thick notebooks. “That’s from our trip to Hawaii,” he said quietly, pointing to each one. “That’s our one-year anniversary. And that one… that’s the day we tried on wedding dress.” I held a photo close to my face. My vision was still blurry, but I could make out the shapes clearly enough. It was me. Me and a man. We were hugging on a beach, kissing in a restaurant, laughing together in a bridal boutique. The girl in the photos was smiling — genuinely, warmly. There was no trace of anything forced. “And this.” He flipped open a notebook. “This is your love diary. You always said you had a bad memory, so you wanted to write down every day we spent together — something to read back when we’re old.” I ran my fingers over the handwriting on the cover. It really did look like mine. Even the way I connect the letters in certain words — exactly the same. Inside, the diary recorded everything in detail. How we met. How we got to know each other. How we fell in love. April 5, 2023. It rained today. He waited for me outside the office building with an umbrella. His shoes were completely soaked. In that moment, I suddenly thought — maybe getting married wouldn’t be so bad. August 10, 2024. He proposed. I cried like an idiot. I finally have a home. Every single line was full of love. I stared at all this “ironclad evidence,” and my temples began to pound. Had I really been wrong about him? Had I really forgotten my own fiancé — the man I deeply loved — just because of the fire? “Claire, don’t force yourself to remember.” Sebastian pulled me into a hug, his voice soft with concern. “It’s okay that you forgot. We can start over. As long as you’re still by my side.” His arms were warm. But I felt no sense of safety in them at all.

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At the grand finale of the National Young Architects Championship, I was just one step away from winning a hundred-thousand-dollar cash prize and a junior partner offer at Aura Architects, the top firm in the country. But my own sister, Chloe, didn’t just stomp on the physical model I spent three months building—she also grabbed the microphone and joked in front of all the judges that my blueprints were entirely AI-generated. I was disqualified on the spot, my reputation completely ruined. Yet my parents defended her: “Chloe was just playing a harmless joke. Why the long face? She’s marrying into the billionaire Vance family next month to become a wealthy socialite. Don’t bring your bad luck around her!” Watching my sister stroke her flat stomach, bragging to the billionaire heir about carrying his child, I let out a cold laugh. Oh, so she likes jokes? Fine. I wonder how my soon-to-be brother-in-law will react when he hears about her “ultimate joke”—the one where she secretly gave birth to a bastard in a shady back-alley clinic years ago, and had to have her entire uterus removed? **Chapter 1** “Crash!” A loud shatter, followed by the agonizing sound of acrylic breaking, echoed through the dead-silent finals hall. My mind went completely blank as I stared at the absolute mess on the floor. That was my “Future City” miniature model. I had spent ninety grueling days and nights hand-polishing and assembling it. My hands were covered in dozens of cuts from the utility knife, and I had even fainted twice in the studio from sheer exhaustion. This was the grand finale of the National Young Architects Championship. If I won first place, I wouldn’t just get a hundred-thousand-dollar seed fund—I would also get a direct, lifetime partner track offer at Aura Architects. It was my only ticket to changing my destiny. But now, it was nothing but a pile of crushed plastic. “Oh my gosh!” The culprit—my own sister, Chloe—covered her mouth, taking an exaggerated step backward. She was wearing a flashy, haute couture Chanel suit, balancing on four-inch red-bottom heels. The tips of her shoes were still stained with the synthetic turf from my model. “Summer, I am so sorry! The carpet was just too slippery, and I tripped.” Chloe blinked her eyes, heavy with thick fake eyelashes. There wasn’t a hint of regret on her face. Instead, she let out a giggling snort. “But honestly, your design was all about ‘Deconstructivism’ anyway, right? Now that it’s broken into pieces, doesn’t it fit the theme even better? Hahaha!” My body trembled violently. I glared at her, my eyes bloodshot. “Chloe, you did that on purpose!” Before I went on stage, she had insisted on tagging along to the backstage waiting area, claiming she wanted to “cheer me on.” I had guarded against everything, but I couldn’t guard against her suddenly “tripping” right into the staff as they were moving my model. “Why are you so sensitive? Can’t you take a joke?” Chloe rolled her eyes and smirked. “It’s just a cheap plastic toy. Worst case, I’ll have Ethan buy you ten more!” At the judges’ table, the five industry titans were already frowning. The head judge—the legendary architect and founder of Aura Architects, Arthur Sterling—tapped his microphone, his face grim. “Summer Campbell, your model is ruined. How do you plan to proceed with the light and shadow demonstration? This is a critical failure!” I took a deep breath, forcing my tears back, and quickly walked to the front of the stage to bow. “Mr. Sterling, judges, although the model is destroyed, my core data and 3D renderings are still loaded on the big screen. Please give me ten minutes. I can still present the perfect proposal!” Arthur’s expression softened slightly, and he nodded. “Very well. You may begin…” “Wait a minute!” Chloe suddenly rushed onto the stage like a gust of wind, snatching the backup microphone right out of the host’s hand. The crowd gasped. I looked at her in horror. “Chloe, what are you doing? Put the mic down!” Chloe completely ignored me. She waved cheerfully to the judges and the audience of hundreds. “Hello, esteemed judges! I’m Summer’s older sister. You know, you don’t actually have to feel bad about that model breaking. Because it doesn’t matter at all!” She cleared her throat and spoke in a highly mocking, playful tone. “My sister is just obsessed with her ego. To be honest, she didn’t even draw these blueprints herself! She just spent a couple of bucks on some cheap new AI software, typed in a few keywords, and boom—generated the whole thing in ten minutes!” Boom! The entire hall erupted instantly. “AI-generated? That’s a massive violation!” “Plagiarism! Fraud! Has the bar for this competition dropped this low?” “I knew it. How could an undergraduate student design something so mature? It’s just cheap tech tricks!” The waves of murmurs from the crowd washed over me like a tsunami. I lunged forward like crazy to grab the microphone from Chloe’s hand, screaming at the top of my lungs, “You’re lying! I built this block by block! I have every single process draft and revision history on my laptop! Why are you doing this to me?!” Chloe dodged me gracefully, giggling into the microphone. “Oh look, she’s getting defensive! See how mad she is?” “I was just trying to break the ice with a joke, guys. Don’t be so serious!” “But seriously, Summer, wasn’t your ex-boyfriend an AI graphic designer? You two just broke up last month. You know exactly where these blueprints came from, don’t you? Haha, just kidding, just kidding!” She kept calling it a “joke,” yet she managed to plaster the dirt of “ex-boyfriend ghostwriting” and “AI generation” firmly onto my name. In the architectural world, originality is the absolute baseline. Once you are tainted with the suspicion of AI fraud, even if you clear your name later, no prestigious firm will ever hire you. Arthur Sterling’s face was now as dark as a thundercloud. He slammed my portfolio onto the table and stood up in anger. “Enough! This is a prestigious national championship, not a stage for you sisters to put on a comedy show!” “Summer Campbell, your actions are not only a disgrace to this competition, but an insult to architecture itself! You are officially disqualified! Security, escort them out!” I fell to my knees on the stage, reaching out desperately toward Arthur. “Mr. Sterling, I didn’t do it! I swear I didn’t! I can do a live demonstration of my modeling right now. Please, just look at my drafts…” Two burly security guards rushed onto the stage, grabbing me by my arms and dragging me out like a stray dog. I struggled, crying and screaming, my fingernails scraping bloody marks against the wooden stage. Meanwhile, Chloe stood to the side, casually smoothing out her Chanel jacket, and threw a playful smirk at my retreating figure. “Geez, so dramatic. It was just a joke. Is it really worth crying over?” **Chapter 2** I was thrown straight out of the theater’s back exit by security. The early winter rain poured down on my face, freezing me to the bone. I sat in the rain like a maniac for half an hour until a black Maybach pulled up in front of me. The window rolled down, revealing my parents’ faces, both twisted with impatience. “Haven’t you embarrassed us enough? Get in the car, now!” my father, Richard, roared. I stiffly climbed into the backseat. The moment the door slammed shut, my mother, Eleanor, slapped me hard across the face. “Smack!” My vision went blurry, and I immediately tasted blood in my mouth. “You worthless brat! Can you do anything other than humiliate us in public?” Eleanor pointed her finger at my nose, screaming, “Your sister went all the way there just to support you, and you had to scream on stage like a rabid dog! What were you trying to do? Make the Vance family think we have no class?!” I held my burning cheek, staring at them in disbelief. “I humiliated you? Do you even know what Chloe did? She smashed my model and lied to the judges that I cheated! She ruined my entire life!” I screamed hysterically. Chloe, sitting in the passenger seat, was touched up her lipstick in the mirror. Hearing my words, she scoffed. “Summer, stop being so dramatic. It was just a joke. Who knew that old man Sterling would be so uptight? He can’t even take a joke.” “Besides, even if you won first place in that stupid contest, so what? A hundred thousand dollars? That’s not even enough for Ethan to buy me a decent handbag. What’s the point of a girl drawing blueprints on construction sites all day? You should be like me—find a rich man to marry. That’s real success.” Trembling with rage, I pointed at her and spat, “Cut the crap! You call that a joke? You’re just jealous of me! You’ve hated seeing me succeed since we were kids!” “Smack!” Another slap landed. This time, it was from my father. “Show some respect! How dare you speak to your sister like that!” Richard glared at me. “Your sister is marrying into the Vance family next month. She is carrying the next Vance heir in her womb right now! That’s a multi-billion-dollar empire! Who do you think you are to lecture her?” I froze. The Vance family? The heir? Chloe and Ethan just got engaged last month, and she’s already pregnant? Chloe proudly stroked her flat stomach, turning around to give me a smug smirk. “Hear that? I’m the golden child of the Vance family now. Ethan’s mom took me for an ultrasound yesterday. The doctor said it’s one hundred percent a boy.” “Summer, you’re destined to eat dirt on construction sites. Make sure you show up as my bridesmaid for my royal wedding next month. It’ll be a good chance for you to see what high society actually looks like.” Looking at the three absurd people in front of me, I felt an overwhelming wave of disgust. It had always been like this since we were kids. Because I was the younger girl, and because I didn’t know how to act cute and manipulate them like Chloe did, I was invisible in this house. When Chloe stole my toys, my parents said, “You’re the younger sister, you have to share.” When Chloe tore up my college acceptance letter, my parents said, “She was just playing a joke on you. Just retake the SATs next year.” Now, she had ruined the most important competition of my life and destroyed my career, and my parents still thought it was just a “harmless joke.” All because she had hooked Ethan Vance and become the cash cow that would bring endless wealth to the Campbell family. “By the way,” Eleanor suddenly remembered, looking at me coldly. “Since your little competition is a bust, stop renting that downtown loft. Terminate the lease and move back to our old apartment.” I snapped my head up. “Why? I pay for that rent with my own hard-earned money!” “Your sister is getting married next month, and the Vance family is giving us a five-million-dollar pre-wedding fund. We Campbells can’t look too poor,” Eleanor said, completely devoid of shame. “Your loft is in a prime location. I want your father to put a down payment on it, put it under Chloe’s name, and present it as her bridal asset. Clear out your junk quickly so we don’t waste time.” They wanted to crush my dreams, ruin my future, and now take away my last safe haven just to beef up Chloe’s dowry? I looked at Eleanor’s greedy face, then at Chloe’s smug, self-satisfied grin. The suffocating rage in my chest suddenly, strangely, went quiet. I lowered my gaze, hiding the icy coldness in my eyes. “Sure,” I said softly. “I’ll pack.” Chloe sneered, “At least you know your place.” So, you like jokes, Chloe? Since you love them so much. I’m going to prepare one for you. A joke that will make sure you never smile again for the rest of your life. **Chapter 3** For the next two weeks, the Campbell house was filled with joy. Everyone revolved around Chloe’s pregnancy. Ethan Vance was a notoriously wealthy playboy in the city, and the Vance family was incredibly traditional, putting extreme value on family lineage and the bride’s “purity.” To maintain her “pure, innocent angel” persona, Chloe never even raised her voice in front of Ethan, branding herself as a sweet, untouched girl who had never even been in a serious relationship. And Ethan totally fell for it, spoiling her rotten. This weekend, Ethan and his mother, Victoria Vance, came over to the Campbell house to discuss the wedding details. I was forced by Eleanor to stay in the kitchen, slicing fruit and serving them like a maid. Victoria’s elegant, snobbish voice drifted in from the living room. “Eleanor, I must say, the more I see Chloe, the more I adore her. She’s so pure and clean, unlike those wild girls out there. When the Vance family chooses a bride, we don’t care about her family fortune. We care about her upbringing and character.” Eleanor’s smile was so wide it almost reached her ears. “Oh, Mrs. Vance, you don’t have to worry about that. Our Chloe has always been a good girl. She’s never even held another boy’s hand. Getting pregnant with Ethan’s baby is a blessing from heaven!” Ethan held Chloe’s hand, his eyes filled with devotion. “Mom, Chloe is not only innocent, she’s also incredibly kind. When her sister failed her competition the other day, Chloe went all the way to the venue just to comfort her.” Chloe lowered her head shyly, leaning against Ethan’s shoulder. “Ethan, don’t say that. Summer is my sister. It’s only right that I look out for her.” Listening from the kitchen, I almost threw up my breakfast. Look out for me? By stomping on my model and lying about me cheating? Is that her version of looking out for me? I walked out with the fruit platter and slammed it onto the coffee table. “Ethan, my sister is indeed very… innocent.” I looked at him, a meaningful smile playing on my lips. “So innocent that I doubt she even knows how babies are made.” The air in the living room froze instantly. Chloe’s face visibly stiffened, but she quickly masked it with a wounded look. “Summer, are you still mad about my joke from the other day? I really didn’t mean any harm…” Her eyes welled up, tears spilling right on cue. Ethan immediately pulled her into his arms, glaring at me like a defensive beast. “Summer! If you’re mad, take it out on me! Don’t bring your petty passive-aggressiveness to your sister! She’s pregnant, she can’t handle stress!” Victoria Vance also frowned, her eyes flashing with deep disapproval. “Eleanor, it seems your younger daughter’s manners leave much to be desired.” Eleanor turned pale. She rushed over, pinched my arm hard, and hissed under her breath, “You stupid brat, shut your mouth! Apologize to your sister right now!” I coldly shook off her hand. “Apologize? For what?” I stared directly at Chloe’s fake face and said, word for word, “I’m just reminding my sister to take good care of her body. After all… her body is exceptionally precious.” Chloe’s pupils shrunk instantly. Her fingers dug deep into the couch cushion, her knuckles turning white. Yet she forced a shaky laugh. “S-Summer, what are you talking about? My health is perfectly fine.” “Is it?” I smiled, saying nothing more as I turned and walked back to my room. The moment the door closed, I pulled out my phone and dialed a number from a remote southern town. The phone rang for a long time before a rough, heavily accented voice of a middle-aged woman answered. “Hello? Who is this?” I took a deep breath and whispered, “Mildred Hicks. It’s me, Summer Campbell.” The other end went dead silent, followed by the frantic sound of a chair scraping against the floor. “You—you have the wrong number! I don’t know any Summer!” She panicked, trying to hang up. “Don’t hang up!” I said coldly. “Five years ago, Chloe Campbell gave birth to a baby boy in your town’s underground clinic. Because of severe hemorrhaging, she had to have her entire uterus removed. She sold that baby to you, her distant aunt, for ten thousand dollars, didn’t she?” “Clatter.” The sound of a phone dropping to the floor echoed from the speaker. I curled my lips into a savage smile. Oh, Chloe. Did you really think you cleaned up your mess so perfectly? Did you really think that lying to our parents about doing a “study abroad program,” while actually hiding in a rural town to give birth to some rich sugar daddy’s bastard, was foolproof? If I hadn’t accidentally found the wire transfer receipts and the bloody medical records hidden under your bed years ago, I might have actually believed you were a “pure, pregnant virgin” today. A woman without a uterus… how exactly are you pregnant? With your web of lies? “Mildred,” I spoke into the phone again, my voice dripping with devilish temptation. “Bring the boy to the city. If you show up at Chloe’s wedding and do what I say, I’ll give you a hundred thousand dollars.”

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On my wedding night, my mother-in-law, Evelyn, lined up a row of brass cremation urns and creepy old family portraits right in our bedroom. “Our ancestors will be watching you two make love tonight. They will bless me with a grandson soon!” she declared. My chest tightened with anger. I pointed at the door. “Are you insane? Get those things out of here right now!” “Are you out of your mind? Who puts dead people’s ashes in a bedroom? It’s terrifying!” My husband, Brandon, remained dead silent. Evelyn, however, puffed out her chest. “Let’s see who dares to move them! Moving them is disrespecting our bloodline!” Anger rushed to my head. I got out of bed and began putting on my clothes. “If you won’t take them out, I’m leaving.” The next second, Evelyn grabbed a pair of scissors from the vanity table. With a sharp *snip*, she cut my driver’s license and passport in half. She let out a cold laugh. “Don’t forget, Chloe, you moved twelve hundred miles away from home to be here. In this town, you do as I say!” “Without your ID and passport, you can’t even book a flight or rent a car. You’re trapped. Do you really think your family can save you from all the way across the country?” Evelyn slammed me back onto the bed. Just then, a pregnant woman walked out of the guest room. “You think it’s crazy? Look at Tiffany. Under the blessing of our ancestors, she got pregnant with Brandon’s baby after just one night!” “In this house, you’re nothing but a glorified placeholder. If you don’t get pregnant soon, I’ll have my son divorce you and throw you out!” I was about to explode. I turned to Brandon and demanded a divorce right then and there. But Evelyn only laughed harder. “This apartment is provided by Brandon’s company. If you divorce him, you’ll be kicked out onto the streets! Let’s see who wants a divorced, homeless woman in a town where she knows nobody!” I let out a cold, bitter laugh. I pulled out my phone and dialed the HR department of our company’s branch office. “Fire Brandon immediately and reclaim this apartment.” They thought they could lock me down because I was far from home. What they didn’t know was that I had just been transferred here as the new General Manager.

I had just completed my onboarding paperwork today and hadn’t had the chance to tell Brandon yet. I never expected that on our very first night as newlyweds, this family would show their true, ugly colors. They thought I was isolated, so they tried to break me. The moment I hung up the phone, Evelyn snatched it from my hand and smashed it onto the floor. It shattered into pieces. She smirked, looking down at me. “Oh, trying to call someone to back you up? Nobody can help you now!” “Your family is thousands of miles away. You don’t know a soul here. Who’s going to save you?” “Since you’re just a placeholder, you better serve your husband, respect me, and do as you’re told. If you behave, I’ll feed you. If you don’t, I’ll kick you out right now!” I stared at her in shock. I had never met anyone so shamelessly evil in my entire life! Before I could fire back, Brandon grabbed my wrist. “Chloe, my mom is doing this for your own good.” “You don’t have any relatives here. A wife should follow her husband. Now that you’re part of our family, you need to learn our rules.” “Besides, you lost your job when you moved here, while I just got promoted to Department Manager. What right do you have to talk back to my mother?” I stared at him, utterly dumbfounded. My teeth grinded in pure fury. So, they thought they could control me with these twisted rules just because they thought I was unemployed. Before the wedding, I told Brandon I had applied for a transfer to the local branch. I told him if the transfer failed, I would resign and find another job using my years of experience. But the truth was, the branch office was desperate for a General Manager, and my transfer was approved. I became the official General Manager today. And it was my approval that promoted Brandon to Department Manager this morning. I couldn’t believe I had promoted a backstabbing snake who turned on me the second he got a taste of power. I glared at Brandon. “Do you really think your mother is right?” “This is my first day in this house, and you guys treat me like this? And you see no problem with it?” “And who the hell is this pregnant woman? Don’t tell me she’s carrying your child!” Brandon lowered his head, avoiding my eyes. Evelyn stepped in, pointing her finger at my face. “You little bitch, how dare you question my son? So what if she’s carrying his baby?” “You’ve been dating him for three years, and your belly is still flat. Who knows if you’re barren? If I don’t find someone else for my son, our family line will end!” Brandon muttered under his breath, “You’re the one who couldn’t get pregnant. Anyway, you’ve moved all the way here. Leaving won’t be that easy.” His words made me see his true colors. After three years of dating, he turned out to be a spineless coward. My heart went completely cold. The anger in my chest was roaring. Without another word, I put on my shoes and walked toward the door. I was done with this family. Brandon grabbed my arm. “It’s late. Where are you going? Are you seriously throwing a tantrum and running away over such a small thing?” Evelyn threw her head back and sneered. “Let her go, Brandon! I want to see where a broke stranger can go in this town!” Brandon let go of my arm. He stood beside his mother, watching me leave with cold, indifferent eyes. “Don’t you dare come back crying! Once you walk out that door, I won’t let you back in, even if you beg on your knees!” The door slammed shut behind me. I turned and walked away into the dark night.

“Beep. Incorrect PIN…” The card reader beeped after my third failed attempt. I stared at my credit card in confusion. The PIN was correct. Why wasn’t it working? “I’m sorry, ma’am. All your cards are showing incorrect PINs. And since you don’t have a physical ID, we cannot check you in,” the hotel receptionist said, handing the cards back to me. I was completely lost. “That’s impossible. How can none of these cards work?” Evelyn had smashed my phone and destroyed my ID. Now, even my bank cards were useless. While I was trying to figure out what to do, Evelyn and Brandon walked into the hotel lobby. “See? I told you she’d be here!” Evelyn gloated. “Having trouble checking in, aren’t we?” “Let me tell you the truth. My son gave me all your card details and PINs a long time ago. I changed them all. You can’t use a single dollar now.” “You’ll have to wait until the bank opens tomorrow to reset them. I told you, I’ll make sure you sleep on the streets tonight!” Evelyn smirked at me, her eyes filled with malicious triumph. “But, if you get down on your knees right now, beg for my forgiveness, and promise to obey me from now on, I might let you come home.” Brandon stepped up and gave me a look. “Chloe, just apologize. Why do you have to be so stubborn? Is it that hard to just listen to my mom?” “The hotels around here require IDs. You have no money, no phone, no ID, and you don’t know anyone. You really are going to sleep on the street!” “This isn’t a big city. There are plenty of creeps and drunkards out there at night. If something happens to you…” I glared at him so fiercely that he took two steps back, hiding behind his mother. Ever since I graduated, I had fought my way up from the bottom to the executive level. No one had ever managed to manipulate me, let alone using such disgusting, lowlife tactics. I met Brandon when he visited our headquarters for a business trip. It was almost love at first sight. During our three years together, I fell for his gentle, caring personality. As a career-focused woman, I was drawn to his warmth. Eventually, I made the huge decision to relocate to his hometown to start a family with him. I never expected that this gentle man was actually a spineless, pathetic mama’s boy! They wanted to break me? In their dreams. I turned to the receptionist. “Call the police, please.” “This woman stole my phone, destroyed my ID, and illegally accessed my bank accounts. Let’s see who the police will take away tonight!” A few minutes later, two officers walked into the lobby. Before I could speak, Evelyn rushed forward and grabbed one of the officers’ hands. “Marcus, thank God you’re here!” “It’s my ungrateful daughter-in-law. She ran away in the middle of the night and even dared to call the police on us. You need to talk some sense into her!”

The officer walked over to me, looking me up and down. “You called?” I nodded, shocked to realize the officer was Evelyn’s nephew. “Yes, I did. My mother-in-law destroyed my phone, cut up my ID, and locked me out of my bank accounts…” Before I could finish, Officer Marcus raised his hand to stop me. “You’re her son’s legal wife, correct?” “Since you are, this is a domestic dispute. It’s not that I don’t want to help, but we don’t interfere in family matters.” “Resolve this among yourselves. Don’t waste police resources. We’re leaving.” The officers turned to leave. I tried to stop them, but Evelyn grabbed my arm with a vicious grip. “Still want to run? Let me tell you something, city girl. In a small town, it’s all about connections!” “You can scream all you want, but you can’t touch a single hair on my head. Booking me? You’re dreaming! Hahaha!” Brandon sneered. “Stop fighting it, Chloe. Half the town is related to my parents.” “You have to play by our rules here, or you won’t survive.” “Even if you go to the bank or the DMV tomorrow, my mom can easily block you.” “With just one phone call from her, you won’t get anything done. Just listen to me. Kneel down, apologize to my mom, and we can put this behind us.” He pushed down on my shoulders, trying to force me to my knees. I raised my hand and slapped him hard across the face. “So you guys are the local bullies, huh? You thought you could control me because I’m alone here!” Evelyn burst into laughter. “Exactly! What are you going to do about it?” “Try us if you don’t believe it. Let’s see when you can get a new ID. Without money and documents, where can you go?” “Earlier, a simple apology would have been enough. But now, you have to kneel and bow a hundred times before I let you back into my house!” A hundred times? The old woman had completely lost her mind. I stared at her, my eyes burning with rage. I wanted to tear her apart. But HR had informed me that the termination process and house reclamation couldn’t be executed until office hours tomorrow morning. I forced down my anger. “I’ll apologize, but I won’t kneel.” Brandon begged his mother on my behalf, and she finally agreed. “Fine. Since you’re new to the family and don’t know any better, a simple apology will do for now. But do it again, and I won’t be so easy on you.” I squeezed out a half-hearted apology, and Evelyn immediately beamed with pride. A next time? There wouldn’t be a next time. Tomorrow morning, I would make this entire family pay! When we got back to the apartment, I found not only Tiffany but also two strange men sitting in our living room. I gasped. Evelyn rolled her eyes. “Those are Brandon’s cousins. They’re staying over. If you don’t like it, go sleep on the couch!” The two shirtless men slowly put on their shirts. I rushed to the bedroom drawer to check my belongings. The drawer was empty. My wedding jewelry and the cash gifts from my parents were gone.

“Who stole my money? I put everything right here! Where is it?” I searched frantically, but Evelyn shrugged indifferently. “Stole? What a nasty word to use! I put the jewelry away for safekeeping, and I used the cash to pay off their debts.” “You’re rich anyway. A little cash shouldn’t matter to you. Stop screaming and go to bed.” My heart pounded furiously. The rage inside me was about to burn the house down. I snapped. “If that’s not stealing, what is? That is my money! Who gave you the right to take it?” “And you two, get the hell out of here! This is my place! You have no right to stay here!” Evelyn lost her temper and slapped me across the face. “Shut up!” “You don’t call the shots in this house! I’ll give that money to whoever I want!” Brandon chimed in. “Yeah, Chloe. I’m a department manager now. My salary has doubled. I’ll pay you back later. Stop making a scene.” I touched my swollen cheek. Tears of anger and regret streamed down my face. I hated myself for being so blind! How could I have married into such a family? I should have listened to my parents and never moved here! I sat on the couch all night, waiting for morning to come so the company could throw them out. At 8:00 AM, my laptop buzzed with an email from HR. [The termination letter for Brandon has been drafted. The legal team and the moving crew are on their way to reclaim the property.] As I felt a wave of relief, a strange, savory aroma wafted from the kitchen. Evelyn walked out holding a bowl of soup, a creepy smile on her face. “Drink up. It’s good for you.” I took a sip. It tasted rich and savory. “What kind of soup is this?” Evelyn chuckled. “It’s Buster. Do you like it? It’s a special small-town recipe. No gamey smell at all!” I froze. Buster was my twelve-year-old golden retriever. With everything that happened last night, I hadn’t realized Buster was missing. Evelyn blocked me as I tried to stand up. “Don’t bother looking. He’s right there in your bowl.” “Why keep a dog anyway? It’s better to focus on getting pregnant and raising Brandon’s child!” I stared at her, my mind going blank. Then, without a second thought, I slapped Evelyn as hard as I could, sending her crashing to the floor. “You psycho! You absolute monster! Buster was with me for twelve years! He was harmless, and you slaughtered him!” “You guys are sick! Eating a dog? Are you even human?” Evelyn screamed from the floor. Brandon rushed over and punched me in the face. “Is it really that big of a deal? He was just a dumb animal!” Blood trickled from the corner of my mouth. Tears poured down my face like a broken dam. “This is madness! How dare you hit my mother! Call the police! Put this crazy bitch in jail!” Evelyn and the two cousins found some rope and tied me up while Brandon called the police. I struggled with everything I had. “Let me go! You psychos! You’re going to pay for this!” A moment later, the doorbell rang. Evelyn smirked. “They’re here already. You’re going to jail, you miserable bitch!” Evelyn swung the door open, but standing there wasn’t Officer Marcus. It was the company’s HR manager, several corporate security guards, and two real state police officers. My secretary, Amber, pushed past Evelyn and immediately untied me. “Are you guys insane? How dare you put your hands on our General Manager!” The HR manager stepped forward and handed Brandon the termination letter. “Brandon, you are officially fired. We are here to reclaim this corporate-owned apartment.”

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The contractions felt like a rusty saw dragging back and forth across my lower abdomen. Every breath I took tasted of thick, metallic blood. I was lying in the delivery room of Vance Private Hospital. Cold sweat had long soaked through my thin hospital gown. Outside the door, I heard the nurses whispering in hushed tones. “The guy in the VIP suite is out of his mind. He’s actually forcing his wife, who’s in active labor, to hold it in.” “Hold it in? How do you even do that?” “By injecting a massive dose of contraction inhibitors. Apparently, his childhood sweetheart is getting an MRI, her claustrophobia kicked in, and she’s crying and screaming for him to be there.” “Is he insane? His wife is about to give birth! Forcing her to delay labor could kill both mother and child!” “Shh, keep your voice down. He’s Luke Carter, the youngest Vice President of our hospital. Word is he’s also the CEO’s son-in-law. We can’t afford to mess with him.” The nurses’ footsteps faded into the distance. I stared at the harsh, white fluorescent lights on the ceiling, my vision blurring. Luke Carter. My husband. Just three hours ago, he was kissing my forehead at home. He had pressed his ear to my belly, his voice so gentle it could melt. “Thank you, sweetheart. I’ll be right by your side at the hospital today to welcome our baby.” Now, he was keeping another woman company during an MRI. To soothe her petty claustrophobia, he had ordered the staff to pump me with inhibitors. To force me to hold it in. The door creaked open. A nurse walked in carrying a medical tray. It was Nora, the head nurse whom Luke had personally promoted. Usually, when she saw me, she was all smiles, calling me “Mrs. Carter” with dripping sweetness. Now, she wouldn’t even look me in the eye. Her face was masked in cold, professional indifference. “Mrs. Carter, Dr. Carter ordered this. Your contraction frequency is too high. We need to administer the inhibitor immediately.” She practicedly picked up the syringe. She flicked it to release the air bubbles. A few drops of clear liquid splashed onto the back of my hand. It felt bone-chillingly cold. “I’m not taking that,” I said. I bit my lower lip so hard I tasted copper. Nora frowned, her tone dripping with impatience. “You don’t have a choice. Lily is throwing a massive fit in the MRI room, and Dr. Carter can’t leave her side.” “If you give birth now, there won’t be an attending OB-GYN to deliver your baby.” “Holding it in is best for both you and the child.” Without waiting for my consent, she grabbed my wrist. She violently tied a tourniquet around it. The needle hovered inches from my vein. *Hold it in.* What a sick joke. High-dose contraction inhibitors are lethal for a woman in active labor. It forces the uterus to stop contracting. It suffocates the fetus inside. It can even trigger a massive, fatal postpartum hemorrhage. Luke was a top OB-GYN specialist. He knew the consequences of this injection better than anyone. Yet, he still gave the order. Just because his childhood friend was scared of a machine. He wanted me, his pregnant wife, to force our baby back into my womb. I stared at the sharp needle. Luke’s past vows flashed through my mind. Three years ago, he was just a broke resident who couldn’t even afford rent. I had hidden my status as the heiress of the Vance Group and married him without a second thought. To protect his fragile, pathetic ego, I didn’t even make our relationship public at my family’s hospital. I lived in a cramped basement with him, eating instant noodles. I watched him climb from a lowly resident to the Vice President. I thought I had married for love. It turned out I had just married a joke. “Get away from me,” I growled. I yanked my hand back. The needle scraped across my skin, leaving a long, bleeding scratch. Nora gasped, dropping the syringe to the floor. “Are you crazy?!” I threw off the blanket. I stepped barefoot onto the freezing cold tiles. A mixture of amniotic fluid and blood ran down my thighs. Every step felt like walking on broken glass. “I said, I’m not taking it.” I gripped the edge of the bed, forcing my spine straight. “Tell Luke to drag his ass over here and face me.” Nora sneered, her eyes full of contempt. “Who do you think you are? Dr. Carter is the CEO’s son-in-law, and Lily is his childhood sweetheart.” “You think you can just order him around?” *The CEO’s son-in-law.* Yes, he was riding on the glory my father gave him, playing god in this hospital. And now, he was using my father’s power to trample on my life. I forced myself to calm down. I took a deep breath, riding out another wave of agony. “Fine. If he won’t come,” I said, wiping the blood from my lip, “I’ll go find him.” I pushed past Nora and stumbled out of the delivery room. The cold draft in the hallway hit me, clearing my head. I needed to ask him. I needed to ask the man who held me every night and whispered sweet nothings into my ear… What kind of monster was he?

The hallway felt endless. The fluorescent lights were blindingly white. I leaned against the cold wall, dragging myself forward inch by inch. Contractions came faster and harder now. It felt like an invisible hand was tearing my insides apart. I grit my teeth, refusing to make a sound. Amniotic fluid kept dripping down my legs. I left a horrifying trail of wet stains on the tiles. At the end of the hall was the hospital’s most luxurious VIP suite. The door was half-open. The warmth drifting out carried a faint scent of expensive French perfume. Luke had personally imported it from France, claiming it was for soothing anxiety. He had never let me use it, saying it wasn’t good for pregnant women. As it turned out, he was saving it for his “childhood friend.” I stopped ten paces away. Through the crack in the door, I saw them. Luke was in his crisp white lab coat, his back to me. Holding onto him, dressed in silk hospital pajamas, was Lily Brooks. I knew that name all too well. Luke had a contact named “Lily” saved on his SnapChat. He told me she was just a poor college student he was sponsoring, someone who saw him as an older brother. I had once offered to meet her. Luke declined, claiming she was too self-conscious and shy around strangers. Now I realized she wasn’t shy. She was just terrified that I, his legal wife, would ruin her game. “Luke, the MRI was so scary. It was so dark inside. I thought I’d never make it out,” Lily whimpered, her voice dripping with helpless tears. Luke leaned down. He wiped her tears with incredible tenderness. That was the gentle touch he used to reserve only for when I was sick. “Shh, you’re fine now. Haven’t I been right here with you?” His deep voice was laced with infinite patience. Lily snuggled deeper into his chest. “But what about your wife? You’re staying with me and forcing her to delay her labor. Will she be okay?” She looked up at him, her tone full of fake worry. But her eyes danced with triumph. Luke let out a soft chuckle. To my ears, that laugh sounded like a poisoned blade. “She’s just a gold-digging housewife. She won’t die.” “Even if something happens, we can just throw some money at it.” *A gold-digging housewife.* *Throw some money at it.* I stood there, shivering violently. My fingernails dug so deep into my palms that they drew blood, but I felt nothing. This was the man I had loved for three years. The man who once walked through a torrential downpour across three neighborhoods just to buy me a strawberry cake from Amazon. The man who stayed up all night massaging my swollen legs when my morning sickness was unbearable. Now, my life was nothing but trash to him. Just a bargaining chip to please another woman. Lily’s sharp eyes caught me standing outside. She didn’t panic. Instead, her lips curled into a mocking smirk. She reached up and gently stroked Luke’s face. Her sleeve slid down. Revealing an exquisite emerald bracelet on her wrist. An imperial green emerald of the highest quality. That was my mother’s heirloom. Last month, Luke told me the clasp was loose and offered to take it for servicing. And then, he put it on this woman’s wrist. “Luke, that pregnant lady is staring at us. It’s kind of creepy,” Lily whimpered, pretending to be scared. Luke didn’t even turn around. “Ignore those lowlifes.” He wrapped an arm around her shoulder. “Come on, let’s get some lobster rolls downtown. Isn’t that your favorite?” He guided her toward the private elevator inside the suite. The entire time, he didn’t spare me a single glance. The elevator doors slowly slid shut. Cutting off the sight of their intertwined bodies. I leaned against the icy wall, gasping for air. My eyes burned. But I didn’t cry. I closed my eyes, forcing the hot tears back. When I opened them again, there was only bone-chilling cold. Luke Carter. Since you love playing games so much. I’ll play a big one with you. Let’s see how long a pathetic social climber like you can stay on top.

The contractions eased up slightly. I didn’t go back to the delivery room. Instead, I pushed open the door and walked into the VIP suite. The room was empty now. The air smelled of a faint, sickening rose perfume. I looked around. Imported Italian leather sofas. My favorite brand of scented candles on the nightstand. Even the landscape painting on the wall was the exact one I had wanted at an auction, which Luke had talked me out of buying because it was “too expensive and impractical.” He didn’t think it was too expensive. He just didn’t think I was worth it. I walked over to the sofa, wanting to sit down and catch my breath. Suddenly, voices drifted from the adjoining dressing room. It was Lily. She hadn’t left. She had only put on a show in front of Luke to get him to go downstairs first. “Don’t worry, I have Luke wrapped around my finger,” Lily’s voice rang out, no longer sweet and helpless, but sharp and venomous. “The claustrophobia? Totally faked. I just wanted to see who mattered more to him—me, or that fat housewife who’s about to pop.” She laughed wickedly. The sound sliced through my heart like a blade. “And guess what? He literally ordered the nurses to pump her with inhibitors to force her to hold the baby in.” The person on the other end of the line said something. Lily sneered. “So what if she’s his wife? Luke already transferred the Hilltop Villa to my name.” “Once she gives birth today, he’s going to commit her to a mental asylum under the guise of postpartum depression.” *The Hilltop Villa.* That was the surprise I had prepared for our third anniversary. I had personally visited construction sites, picked out every tile, and selected every chair. I even filled the garden with his favorite sunflowers. I had lied and told him I rented it, just to protect his pride. At the time, his eyes had welled with tears as he held me, calling me the best wife in the world. And behind my back, he handed the house that held all my love over to his mistress. My breathing grew ragged. But what she said next made my blood run cold. “And here’s the best part,” Lily whispered, her tone laced with malicious excitement. “Luke said the kid in her belly is the perfect backup blood bank.” “Once the baby is born, we’ll take it away. It’ll be my personal supply to treat my illness.” *Backup blood bank.* Those words exploded in my brain like a bomb. I had an incredibly rare blood type—Rh-negative. When I first got pregnant, Luke had insisted on encrypting my medical files. He claimed he was protecting me from malicious people who might exploit it. As it turned out, the malicious person was him. Every night, he would press his face to my belly, gently reading stories to our unborn child. He bought all sorts of classical music, claiming he wanted to nurture our baby’s artistic soul. He wasn’t anticipating a new life. He was cultivating a living blood bank! A wave of nausea hit me, and I nearly threw up. I kicked the dressing room door open with a loud slam. Lily gasped, spinning around in terror. When she saw it was me, she froze, then her brow furrowed in anger. “Who the hell are you? Who let you in here? Get out!” She hung up her FaceTime call and marched over to me, chin held high. I didn’t say a word. My eyes were locked onto the emerald bracelet on her wrist. “Are you deaf? I said get out!” Seeing me ignore her, Lily reached out to shove me. I stepped aside. Raising my hand, I slapped her across the face with everything I had. *SMACK!* The crisp sound echoed through the room. Lily’s head snapped to the side. She clutched her cheek, staring at me with wide, disbelieving eyes. “You dared to slap me? Do you know who I am?!” I curled my lips into a cold, mocking smile. “You’re nothing. You don’t deserve to know who I am.” Furious, Lily grabbed a glass cup from the table and threw it at me. “I’m Luke’s woman! He’s about to inherit Vance Private Hospital! I can make him ruin your life in a second!” The glass shattered against the wall, sending shards flying. I didn’t flinch. “Inherit Vance Private Hospital?” I laughed, as if hearing the funniest joke in the world. “A gold-digging piece of trash like him actually thinks he can dream that big?” Lily froze. She clearly hadn’t expected a random pregnant woman to speak of Luke this way. “What nonsense are you talking about?!” I took a step closer, my gaze like a knife. “The deed to the Hilltop Villa is under the name Hazel Vance. Did you really think he could transfer it to you?” Lily’s face turned pale. “How… how do you know Hazel Vance?” Hazel Vance. The heiress of the Vance Group. The public knew the name, but few had ever seen my face. To hide the fact that he had married into my family, Luke had told everyone that Hazel Vance was constantly recovering in an overseas sanatorium. I watched the panic rise in Lily’s eyes, my hatred growing exponentially. “Not only do I know Hazel Vance,” I whispered, every word sharp as ice, “but I also know that the bracelet on your wrist belongs to a dead woman.”

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Three years into being Lucas’s secret lover, I got pregnant. That night, I braved the pouring rain to surprise him at the bar where he was partying. Instead, I heard him and his twin brother laughing inside the VIP room. “If Scarlett found out on her birthday that she had been sleeping with random guys for three years like a cheap whore, would she lose her mind on the spot?” “More than that. I will use her ‘cheating’ as an excuse to demand Alexander demote her to a low-ranking Omega. She has only herself to blame for bullying Chloe.” So three years of sweet romance was nothing but a revenge trap Lucas set for Chloe. Even every intimate moment was just a calculated identity swap between the twins. But they had no idea. Chloe was the real bully. A year later, when I became the mate of Alpha Ethan, they begged for my forgiveness on their knees. I only smiled. “Too late. I have been reborn. And you will burn in hell forever.” Scarlett POV The day my pregnancy test came back positive, I braved a massive storm to go to the bar where Lucas was partying. Outside the VIP room, I took a towel from the waiter, wiped my soaking wet hair, and waited to surprise him when the party ended. Through the slightly open door, a laughing male voice drifted out. “Lucas, your birthday party with Scarlett is in a week. Got the surprise ready?” “Of course,” Lucas’s cold, deep voice was laced with alcohol. “I’ll give her a night she’ll never forget.” My hand froze on the towel. I couldn’t help but smile. In our three years together, even though he hadn’t marked me yet, he had treated me like a princess, spoiling me to my bones. “If Scarlett finds out I’ve been pretending to be you and sleeping with her all this time, will she go completely insane?” “I bet that stupid girl would never guess in a million years that Lucas has an identical twin brother, Liam!” “Isn’t she always so high and mighty? If she finds out she’s been shared by you two for three years, I can’t wait to see the look on her face.” The malicious laughter made me freeze on the spot. I couldn’t believe my ears. I took a step forward, peering through the crack of the door. In the next second, I saw a man sitting next to Lucas who looked exactly like him. From his face to his hair, even the tiny mole under his eye was identical! The man smirked, leaning back lazily on the couch. “She brought this on herself for bullying Chloe. Chloe is Lucas’s sweetheart. To punish Scarlett and drag her down to hell at her peak, Lucas really put in the work.” His friends, who were usually so nice to me, chimed in with sneers. “Liam, you’re the one who worked hard. You did all the heavy lifting in bed these past few years!” “Man, if I looked like Lucas, I’d have taken a turn too!” “Right? Scarlett has the face and the body. If she goes crazy after the birthday party, why don’t you pass her down to us?” “Lucas came up with this plan for Chloe and acted for three years without even touching Scarlett himself. What a loyal man!” Lucas. Liam. Chloe. My head spun, my blood freezing in my veins. I couldn’t breathe. My body trembled uncontrollably, tears spilling from my eyes. The love I thought was heaven was actually a sick trap. A trap designed to avenge Chloe, the real bully. I remembered waking up from nightmares of Chloe’s torment, and Lucas holding me, whispering that I didn’t need to be afraid. I remembered telling him about my past trauma, and him soothing me over and over. He even had the pack healer brew special ointment to fade my scars. I couldn’t believe it. I didn’t want to. Those moments of love felt so real. How could they be a lie? The voices inside the room continued. “Chloe is coming back soon. Lucas, you won’t have to keep slipping out every week anymore!” “After three years of playing role-play, I can finally be myself! Every time Lucas was out of town, I was the one comforting Scarlett.” Liam sneered. “Your voices are different. She never noticed?” Liam scoffed. “That dumb bitch? I kept my voice low and told her my throat was sore. Every single time, she’d fuss over me and wake up at dawn to brew me soup!” Another burst of roaring laughter. Lucas cut them off. “Enough. Once the party is over, I’ll apply to Alpha Alexander to have her demoted to a low-ranking Omega and assign her to the hardest labor. But you guys better behave yourselves until then.” “Lucas, you’re not getting soft on her, are you?” My heart squeezed. I held my breath, staring intently at the handsome man. After two seconds, he let out a cold snort. “Are you kidding me?” “What about Liam? You’ve been sleeping with her for three years. Didn’t catch feelings?” Lucas turned to Liam. Liam shook his head violently. “Three years? I got sick of her a long time ago. Lucas, why don’t you take a turn?” Lucas sneered. “No thanks. Too dirty.” “Alright, anyway, she’s still a pack member. Alexander hates seeing pack members mistreated.” “Let’s drop it. I need you guys to help me prep.” “In a week, right after we expose her, I’m going to propose to Chloe!”

Scarlett POV I didn’t even know how I left the bar. Heavy rain beat down on my body, but I didn’t care. Only the words from the VIP room echoed in my mind over and over. Chloe. Just the thought of that name made my entire body shake. I didn’t understand. She had already left to study abroad. Why wouldn’t she let me go? Why was she so obsessed with destroying me? Just because someone once said I was prettier than her, Chloe and her friends cornered me and used every cruel method to torture me. Because I refused to apologize to her, I lived in hell for the next three years. She beat me and poured silver powder into my open wounds to prevent them from healing. She even arranged for rich pack guys to pursue me, plotting to capture naked photos of me just to watch me fall. Chloe never succeeded. Even after she left the pack, she hadn’t managed to break me completely. But back then, my body was covered in scars, and I was getting weaker by the day. That was when Lucas appeared. He was the brother of Alpha Alexander and the captain of the Ironroot Pack’s elite guard. He looked at me with kind eyes, took the time to understand my struggles, and listened to my needs. Knowing my parents were dead and that I lived with my grandmother, he never looked down on me. Instead, he did everything he could to help. He would sit and eat dinner with me after work, gently patting my head. “Scarlett, you’ve had it rough. You’re doing amazing.” Once, Grandma Ruth fell ill while I was at the other side of the territory caring for the pack pups. Lucas happened to pass by, found her, and rushed her to the healer. When I hurried back, he smiled and comforted me. “Grandma is fine, don’t worry. Don’t push yourself too hard.” At that moment, a voice in my heart told me: “He’s the one. Trust him. No matter the ending, cherish the present.” Later, I became his secret lover, a role I played for three years. I thought he loved me. He was always so clean-cut, and there were never any other women around him. But now, Liam’s mocking laughter played in my head. “She’s so stupid. How could she think an Alpha’s brother would actually fall for a wolf-less reject? Just a little acting and basic care, and she was completely touched.” “So stupid. Three years and she never noticed.” “So stupid, still thinking Lucas is devoted to her.” “So stupid, so stupid, so stupid…” I collapsed in the rain, my tears mixing with the downpour. I was so stupid. I was… so damn stupid. I threw my head back and laughed maniacally, letting the freezing rain pelt my face. Right then, someone mind-linked me. It was Sarah. Luna Signe had established a system where the pack took care of the elderly wolfs in a nursing facility. After Ruth got sick three years ago, she moved into the pack facility. Sarah was one of the caregivers there. “Scarlett, come quick! Ruth is dying!” My head buzzed. My mind went blank, and my limbs went completely numb. By pure instinct, I scrambled up from the ground and rushed to the road to hail a car. But every car sped past, honking loudly. If only I could shift, none of this would have happened. My wolf whimpered inside me. I shook my head in agony. “No, it’s my fault. If I had been stronger and hadn’t sealed your power for fear of being kicked out, we wouldn’t be here.” I wasn’t actually born without a wolf. I was an Alpha’s daughter. I was terrified that if I revealed my true power, Alpha Alexander of the Ironroot Pack would see me as a threat and exile me. No Alpha would tolerate an outsider who was stronger than them. They would see it as a threat and eliminate it at all costs. So, I sealed my own wolf and quietly endured Chloe’s bullying. But now, I regretted it. Submitting didn’t bring peace. It didn’t even let me see my grandmother one last time. Just as I was about to run all the way back to the Packhouse, a black SUV pulled over. A stern-looking man asked where I was going. Disregarding my safety, I jumped in. By the time I reached the pack nursing home, the healer had already issued a critical notice. “The Moon Goddess is calling her. Spend these last moments with her.” I fell to my knees, taking Ruth’s trembling, cold hand. Ruth forced a smile. “Scarlett… don’t cry… I’m sorry, I couldn’t make it to your birthday…” I shook my head violently. I couldn’t speak, only let out choked, agonizing sobs. Ruth’s eyes strained to look around. “Where’s Lucas… I want to see him…” “Okay.” I tried to mind-link Lucas, but I couldn’t reach him. I pulled out my phone and dialed his number over and over. Each call went straight to voicemail. I desperately typed out messages. “Lucas, Grandma is in heart failure. She’s running out of time. Please come, she wants to see you one last time.” “Lucas, Ruth is waiting for you. Just for a minute, can you please come?” “Lucas, I’m begging you…” My trembling fingers flew across the screen, my tears splashing onto the glass. At this moment, the lies and deception didn’t matter. As long as Lucas came to let Grandma pass in peace, nothing else mattered. But there was no reply. I stopped texting, forced the best smile I could, and squeezed Grandma’s hand to comfort her. “Grandma, Lucas is caught up with some pack business, but don’t worry, we are doing great…” “Grandma, I’m going to be very happy… You don’t have to worry about me…” Ruth’s grip suddenly tightened. She stared at me. “Scarlett… live well… be happy…” “Don’t be sad. I am just… returning to the Moon Goddess.” Her hand went limp. The final look in her eyes was filled with worry. I stared at my empty palm, then collapsed to the floor, crying my heart out. That night, I handled Ruth’s funeral arrangements alone. Lucas never replied. While waiting, I unblocked Chloe on Snapchat and checked her story. “I planned to come back early to surprise him, but I was the one who got surprised instead!” The photo was at the airport. Lucas was holding a huge bouquet of flowers, smiling warmly with gentle eyes. There was another photo of the two of them. She was smiling sweetly, and Lucas was looking at her sideways, his eyes filled with absolute adoration. My heart died completely. I locked my screen. The next day at noon, I returned to my apartment holding Ruth’s ashes. Two things happened. First, I fell down the stairs due to exhaustion and dizziness. I lost the baby. Second, I decided to leave the pack. I submitted my request to Luna Signe. Wolf packs have strict rules. Leaving or joining requires official approval. Because my grandmother belonged to the Ironroot Pack, I had never sworn personal allegiance to Alpha Alexander. Now that Ruth had returned to the Moon Goddess, it was time for me to leave. Luna Signe looked at me in shock. “Isn’t Lucas throwing you a birthday party? Why are you suddenly leaving?” I was quiet for a second. “The party is canceled. I need to leave, as soon as possible.” Signe sighed. “Is it because of your grandmother? I’m so sorry, sweetie. She was a gentle and kind lady. We will all miss her.” “Thank you, Luna Signe. I appreciate everything you and Alpha Alexander did for me.” “Alright, since you’ve made up your mind. But please wait one week. We need Alexander’s signature, and he’ll be back then.” I nodded, understanding. One week. That would be the exact day of the birthday party Lucas planned for me. I wouldn’t just leave that day. I was going to leave them a massive present they would never forget.

Scarlett POV Since I knew I was never coming back, I decided to bury Ruth. I bought a small pendant, placed a lock of Ruth’s hair and a pinch of her ashes inside, and buried the rest in the pack cemetery. Kneeling before her gravestone, I clutched the pendant. “Grandma, don’t worry. I am going to do what I want now. I’ll protect myself.” It was evening when I returned to my apartment. As soon as I walked in, I heard laughter. Ruth and I didn’t live in the main Packhouse. We lived in a small, quiet cottage further away. It was usually very silent. As I walked in, confused, Lucas spotted me. He quickly walked over and pulled me inside. “Come, let me introduce you to some friends.” A man and a woman stood up from the couch. They turned to look at me, their eyes gleaming with mockery. It was Chloe and Liam. My body began to shake slightly. It was a physical reaction from years of Chloe’s bullying. But that didn’t mean I was afraid of her. Lucas smiled. “Chloe is my childhood friend, and Liam is my twin brother. They just got back, right in time for your birthday party.” Chloe waved at me, smiling sweetly. “Scarlett and I already know each other. From the training grounds.” With that, she rushed over and grabbed my arm, whispering in my ear. “Right, Scarlett?” Flashbacks of my torment flooded my mind. Every time she finished beating me, she would whisper those exact words. “Just a little girl-talk, right, Scarlett?” Instinctively, I flinched and shoved Chloe away. Chloe fell to the floor, looking completely victimized. “Scarlett, do you still hate me? I just wanted to get along with you.” The twins’ expressions instantly darkened. Lucas rushed to pull Chloe up, his eyes glaring at me. Liam frowned. “Lucas, is your lover always this arrogant?” Lucas shielded Chloe behind his back, his voice cold and furious. “Scarlett, apologize!” I looked at the three of them, my fists clenching at my sides. Thinking about what I had heard at the bar, my heart felt like it was being ripped out. I silently turned to leave. But after two steps, Lucas grabbed my wrist tightly, pulling me back so hard I stumbled. I looked up into his eyes, which were burning with anger. “Who said you could leave?” Liam said coldly, “An Alpha’s family values rules, Lucas. Your girl needs to learn some discipline.” “You’re right.” Lucas’s eyes were icy. “Scarlett, as my girlfriend, you must watch your behavior. You need to reflect on what you did today.” With that, he dragged me down to the basement. Before I could react, he slammed the heavy wooden door shut. The door sealed shut, blocking out all light. I was surrounded by old boxes and pitch-black darkness. Panic seized me. I began to breathe heavily, frantically pounding on the door. But no matter how hard I screamed, there was no response. I spiraled into terror. The day my parents died in battle, they had hidden me in a dark basement. No sound, no light, for three whole days. Until the rescue team finally found me. Since then, I had a severe phobia of dark, enclosed spaces. After coming to the Ironroot Pack, Chloe had locked me in an abandoned warehouse once. I had a mental breakdown, and my wolf almost killed her. Fortunately, I snapped out of it in time. Chloe never told anyone about the incident because she was terrified Alpha Alexander would find out she was bullying pack members. But it only made her hate me more, and her methods became even more vicious. For the past few years, even while living with Lucas, I always slept with the lights on. Lucas was annoyed at first, but after hearing about my trauma, he held me close. “It’s okay, baby. We’ll always keep the lights on. Don’t be scared.” He had trouble sleeping at first, tossing and turning, but whenever I suggested turning the lights off, he refused. “Scarlett, don’t force yourself. I can adapt.” He knew. They both knew. Yet, they still chose to punish me this way, all because I pushed Chloe. My heart ached with a dull, throbbing pain. I curled into a corner, wrapping my arms around my shaking body. Right. The warmth of the past was all an act. They were just playing their parts.

Scarlett POV Two days later, Lucas opened the door, a pleasant smile on his face. “Chloe doesn’t hold a grudge against you anymore. Go get cleaned up, we’re going to try on dresses.” I couldn’t fight him, so I let him drag me to the bridal boutique. As soon as we got out of the car, I saw Chloe and Liam waiting inside. Chloe ran up to me enthusiastically. “Scarlett, you’re here! Let me help you pick out the perfect dress today!” She smiled, waiting for me to lose my temper. I didn’t show any fear or disgust. I just said blankly, “Thanks. Sorry for the trouble.” Chloe’s face stiffened for a fraction of a second, but she quickly put her smile back on. She linked her arms with Lucas and Liam, saying meaningfully, “Let’s try them on together. Oh, Scarlett, I forgot to tell you. I found my mate.” I smiled. “Congratulations.” The light in Chloe’s eyes darkened instantly. Next, whenever I looked at a dress for more than two seconds, Chloe would immediately call the assistant over and try it on first. Every time she stepped out, she would hold Lucas’s hand. “Lucas, what do you think? Do I look pretty?” And Lucas would stare at her like she was the only woman in the world, showering her with compliments. Liam hovered around Chloe too, ignoring me completely. The boutique assistant cooed, “Oh, you’re so lucky, miss…” Chloe gasped, turning to look at me as I stood there like an outsider. “Oh, I’m so sorry, Scarlett! You’re the birthday girl, you should go first.” She playfully punched Lucas’s chest. “Lucas, what’s wrong with you? How could you ignore your own girlfriend?” The assistants looked awkward, while Liam let out a mocking chuckle. Only then did Lucas look at me. “See anything you like?” I pointed to a random dress and went into the fitting room. When I came out, the three of them were gone. The assistant looked at me with pity. “Ma’am, Miss Chloe said she wanted to look at jewelry, and the gentlemen went with her. You…” “It’s fine.” I took off the dress, handed it back, and walked out. Soon, Chloe posted a new Snapchat story. It was a photo of a stunning diamond ring: “The ring Lucas bought for me at the auction.” I glanced at it, locked my screen, and went back to packing my things. Aside from my clothes and basic essentials, I threw away or destroyed everything I had ever given Lucas. As for the things he bought me, I didn’t touch a single one. Just as I hid my suitcase in the closet, Lucas walked in holding a blue velvet box. “This is for you. I got it at the auction.” I recognized it. It was the free gift that came with Chloe’s ring. I took it and set it aside. My cold reaction made him frown. He looked around and noticed the matching couple’s mugs I used to treasure sitting in the trash can. He raised an eyebrow. “Why did you throw the mugs away? Are you mad?” I pressed my lips together. “No.” Lucas assumed he was right. “Is it because of the boutique? Chloe is just my childhood friend. I haven’t seen her in years, so I was just paying a bit more attention to her.” He wrapped his arms around me. “There’s no need to be jealous. If there was anything between us, we would’ve been together years ago, right? Scarlett, you’re my girl. Don’t you know how much I love you?” Hearing those words, a sharp pain pierced my heart. Lucas stroked my hair. “I’m sorry, Scarlett. I let you feel left out.” My fingers trembled. I clenched my fists so hard my nails dug into my palms. In that split second, I wanted to scream at him. I wanted to ask him if any of it was real. Did he ever have a single ounce of genuine feelings for me over the past three years? But I swallowed the words down. Lucas’s phone rang. He answered it quickly. “Chloe… I’m on my way…” He hung up and rubbed my head. “I have some things to take care of. Get some rest. You’re going to be the most beautiful girl at the party in a few days.” With that, he rushed out. I sat on the bed, forcing my tears back. Two hours later, I finished showering and got into bed. As I was drifting off, the bedroom door suddenly opened. Lucas, who was supposed to be at the party with Chloe, walked in. Reeking of alcohol, he ripped off his shirt, tossed back my blanket, and climbed over me. The moment our skin met, my sleepiness vanished. I realized with terrifying clarity: The man on top of me was Liam.

Scarlett POV I used every ounce of my strength to push him off and scrambled to the headboard. Liam frowned at me, then smirked. “Still mad?” He rubbed his temples, his gestures and voice identical to Lucas’s. If I hadn’t heard Lucas say he was saving himself for Chloe, I would have never been able to tell them apart. He leaned in again, trapping me against the headboard, our noses almost touching. “I explained it to you today. If I loved her, I wouldn’t be with you.” Liam leaned in to kiss me. My eyes widened. I jerked my head back to avoid him and dry-heaved. My stomach retched violently. I pushed him away and ran into the bathroom. Liam watched me, his eyes flickering with confusion. Inside the bathroom, I slid down the wall and curled up on the cold floor. Outside, Liam’s voice suddenly rang out. “Did you guys hear that? She’s dry-heaving. Do you think she’s pregnant?” An uproar of shocked voices came through the phone line. One of their friends yelled, “Liam, don’t take this too far! What if she stalks you when the truth comes out?” My spine went stiff. Cold sweat broke out across my skin. I realized Liam’s phone had been on a call this whole time. Chloe’s voice came through next. “Lucas, Liam, aren’t you guys being too mean?” “Mean?” Lucas’s voice was freezing. “She bullied you for so long. This is what she deserves.” Chloe sounded worried. “What if Scarlett really is pregnant?” After a brief silence, the twins spoke in unison. “Impossible!” Lucas’s voice sounded incredibly cruel over the phone. “Even if she is, I won’t let her keep it. Right, Liam?” Liam swallowed hard. “Of… Of course.” In the next second, I threw open the bathroom door and stared at him. He quickly ended the call and walked over. “What’s wrong, Scarlett? Why do you look so pale? Are you sick? Are you… pregnant?” I stared at him, forcing a cold smile. “No. I think I just ate too much for dinner.” The next morning, I went to a hospital in a nearby human town for a check-up. If I used the pack healer, they would immediately notify Luna Signe. It was noon by the time I came out of the clinic. Lucas called me. I gave him a random address, lying that I was out buying some groceries. Soon, his SUV pulled up. He got out and guided me to the passenger seat. “Let’s go grab some lunch.” The drive was silent. Lucas had a constant smirk on his face. The music playing in his car was Chloe’s favorite song, the one I hated the most. When we arrived at the restaurant, Chloe and Liam were already waiting. Chloe pointed to a cake on the table. “Scarlett, I was out of line yesterday. I waited in line for hours to buy this cake to make it up to you. You have to try it.” During lunch, Chloe kept bringing up their childhood. “Lucas and Liam always spoiled me. When we played house, they would literally fight over who got to be my groom!” “Once, I got stuck in a tree, and Lucas lay on the ground to be my cushion.” “And during training, they both got severely injured trying to protect me. They were bedridden for weeks.” Lucas and Liam laughed along, chatting happily, while I remained completely silent. Suddenly, Chloe looked at me. “Scarlett, why are you so quiet? Are you still mad at me?” “I know we had some misunderstandings in the past, but I really want us to be best friends now.” Chloe raised her wine glass, smirking at me. I didn’t move, nor did I look at her. In the next second, I clutched my chest, gasping desperately for air. Red, angry hives broke out across my arms. I struggled to reach for my bag. “What’s happening?!” Lucas bolted upright. I struggled to unzip my bag. Chloe must have poisoned my drink. Because of my past trauma, I always kept an epinephrine auto-injector in my bag for emergencies. My fingers finally wrapped around the injector. But then, Chloe’s weak voice whimpered. “Lucas… I feel so sick…” She clutched her chest, her face pale as she collapsed backward.

Scarlett POV “Chloe!” Liam caught her just in time. “Lucas, I think Chloe was poisoned too!” Lucas froze on his way to me. His expression turned dark, and he lunged toward me. I had just pulled out my epinephrine injector, ready to stab my thigh. Suddenly, a violent force gripped my wrist, wrenching the injector from my hand. I looked up in utter disbelief, meeting Lucas’s icy glare. “You poisoned Chloe! Give her the medicine first!” He turned and ran toward Chloe, feeding her the medicine without a second thought. Sensing my gaze, Liam said coldly, “You have a stronger build, you can hold on for a bit. Chloe is fragile, she needs it more.” After giving her the medicine, Lucas scooped Chloe up and rushed out of the restaurant. Liam ran after them. “Lucas, I’ll get the car!” I collapsed to the floor, staring at their retreating figures. Not once did they look back. As my consciousness faded, I saw the waiter rushing over. “Ma’am! Ma’am! Are you okay?” I was unconscious for an entire day. When I woke up, Lucas was sitting by my bed. He held my hand, his voice filled with concern. “Scarlett, you’re finally awake. Do you feel sick anywhere?” I pulled my hand away and closed my eyes. Lucas didn’t get angry. He brushed a strand of hair from my forehead. “Scarlett, I know you’re mad at me. But Chloe’s father is Alexander’s top Beta. We couldn’t let anything happen to her right in front of us.” “I had no choice. We’re going to be family soon, we need to understand each other.” “Scarlett, you know you’re the one I love, right?” Liam appeared at the doorway. “Yeah, Lucas had no choice. We have to look at the bigger picture.” “As family, you just have to make some sacrifices.” My hands clenched under the blanket. Looking at the two men, I let out a mental scoff. To keep up the lie, they really spared no effort. I didn’t want to argue. I closed my eyes again. “I want to rest.” Only when their footsteps faded did I open my eyes, pull out my phone, and make a call. “Hi, is this the TikTok livestream agency? I’d like to book a team for an event…” After hanging up, I instinctively reached for the pendant around my neck. It was gone! Ruth’s ashes and hair were inside that pendant! Panic seized me. I scrambled out of bed, searching every corner of the room. Just as I was about to go ask the nurses, my phone buzzed. Chloe sent me a photo. It was my pendant! “If you want your necklace back, come to my room right now. Otherwise, I’ll flush the contents down the toilet.” Pure rage blinded me. I bolted out of my room and ran toward Chloe’s VIP suite. Inside, Chloe was standing by the window. The necklace was dangling from her finger, swinging over the ledge, ten stories up. “Chloe, give it back!” Chloe smirked. “Did you see my Instagram story? Wow, I thought you were so proud. But to stay with Lucas, you are willing to swallow anything.” I stared at the swinging necklace, my nails drawing blood from my palms. “Give it back to me.” Chloe dangled it further out. “If you want it, kneel down and apologize to me. Admit you are a cheap, pathetic bitch.” “Never!”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “430687”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster

On my roommate Daisy’s birthday, she did something unbelievable. She didn’t just bring a creepy older man back to the tiny studio we shared. She actually tried to force me to watch a sex tape of the two of them. And to make matters worse, that disgusting old man didn’t just want Daisy—he had his creepy eyes on me, too. When I rejected his advances, Daisy went on TikTok and started spreading rumors that I was trying to steal her man. Honestly, it’s hilarious. What exactly am I supposed to be jealous of? His short height? His empty bank account? Or his musty old-man smell? With graduation behind us, we both decided to take a gap semester to prep for our upcoming SAT retakes. To save money, Daisy and I rented a tiny studio apartment near our prep center. It didn’t take long for me to notice Daisy acting strange. Almost every other day, she was downstairs by the apartment gate, cuddling and acting all touchy-feely with this creepy, older guy. When I finally asked her about him, her face flushed bright red, and she sheepishly admitted they were dating. Before I could even offer a polite, “Oh, nice,” Daisy cut in eagerly. “Chloe, today is my birthday. Can I bring Gary up to our room tonight? Just for a little bit?” “He’ll just sit with me for a few minutes. We’ll just talk, I swear. I just want him to spend my birthday with me.” Our rented studio was microscopic. There was literally only one bed and a single desk chair. If Gary came in, I would literally die of awkwardness. I’d be forced to sit right there on the same bed while they flirted. Without a second thought, I shook my head. “No. Absolutely not.” Daisy’s face immediately fell, and she snapped. “Chloe, don’t be so selfish! I pay half the rent here. Why can’t my boyfriend come in?” “Are you just jealous because I actually have a boyfriend and you don’t?” Realizing there was no arguing with her logic, I just shrugged and went cold. “I said no. I don’t want a strange man in our room. What are you going to do about it? Kill me?” Seeing that I wouldn’t budge, Daisy stomped out, slamming the door behind her. That evening, I was sitting in the evening prep class at our SAT center. To my horror, Daisy actually dragged Gary into the classroom to sit with her. They sat just diagonally in front of me. If I didn’t know any better, I would have sworn Gary was her dad coming to check on her grades. Every time I looked up at the whiteboard, my eyes would catch the two of them shamelessly making out. It got worse as the class went on. They were making so much noise. Everyone in the room was visibly uncomfortable, but because of basic social boundaries, no one said anything. Seeing that no one was stopping them, Gary got even bolder, sliding his hands all over her. The forty-five-minute lecture felt longer than my entire life. When we got back to the apartment that night, Daisy proudly showed off a set of sexy lingerie Gary had bought her. Honestly, it was so skimpy it barely qualified as clothing. My gut told me this Gary guy was bad news. Trying to be a good friend, I delicately tried to warn her. “Daisy, think about it. Why do you think guys his age don’t date women their own age? It’s because women his age are too smart to fall for his BS. They only target younger, naive girls because they’re easy to manipulate. Older guys who are still single and acting like this are usually walking red flags.” Daisy rolled her eyes so hard I thought they’d get stuck. “You’re just sour because you can’t get a guy. I like older men. He’s mature, stable, and has life experience. Boys our age can’t even compare.” Well, I tried. If she wanted to ignore good advice, that was her problem. That night, I had a horrible nightmare. I dreamed Gary snuck into our room. He pinned Daisy against the wall, groaning. In my dream, Daisy giggled. “Stop it, Chloe is right there.” Gary gave a wicked smirk. “Who cares? She’s fast asleep.” … The next morning, I gasped and sat bolt upright in bed, heart pounding. My eyes widened in pure horror. There, lying on the floor right next to my bed, were Daisy and Gary. I stared, praying it was just a hallucination. I pinched my thigh hard. It hurt. It wasn’t a dream. Daisy had actually let Gary sneak into our room while I was asleep! They had actually… right next to me while I was sleeping. At that moment, I wanted to crawl into a hole and die.

I pretended to still be asleep until Gary finally left. The moment the door clicked shut, Daisy shook me awake, practically bursting with excitement to show me a video she had recorded of them last night on her Snapchat. I glanced at the screen for two seconds and felt like I needed to wash my eyes with bleach. I immediately started packing my bags, trying my absolute best not to scream at her. “Daisy, pay me your half of the deposit. I’m moving out. You and that old creep can have this place.” “No! You can’t leave!” Daisy grabbed my arm tightly. “Who’s going to keep me on track with studying if you leave? I still want to get into a good college!” “Chloe, we’re best friends. How can you be so selfish? You’re only thinking about yourself, not me!” I let out a cold laugh. “Do you honestly care about college?” Daisy begged and pleaded, swearing up and down that she would never, ever let Gary inside our room again. She even wrote out a signed promise on a piece of paper. Since our landlord wouldn’t refund my deposit anyway, and I couldn’t find another cheap place close to the prep center, I decided to tolerate her one last time. I needed to focus on my exams. For the next few weeks, Daisy kept her word. Gary didn’t come back inside. However, to stay close to her, Gary rented a tiny room right across the hall from us. The walls in this building were paper-thin. Almost every night, I could hear disgusting, muffled noises coming from across the hall. A week later, Daisy got a frantic call from her parents. Her grandfather back in rural Oregon was terminally ill, and she needed to catch the next flight home to say goodbye. Crying hysterically, she packed her bags and left for the airport. With Daisy gone, my life became incredibly peaceful. Except for the fact that Gary was still living across the hall. We kept bumping into each other in the corridor. On Saturday, we didn’t have prep classes. I slept in from afternoon until evening, and around 8 PM, I decided to head downstairs to grab some takeout. The moment I stepped out of my door, I ran right into Gary. Unlike his usual creepy silence, Gary actually smiled and initiated a conversation. “Hey, Chloe, right? Daisy mentioned your name. Where are you going so late?” “It’s pretty dangerous for a pretty girl to be out alone at night. How about I walk with you and keep you safe?” “I don’t mean anything by it. You’re Daisy’s best friend, so naturally, I care about your safety.” Though Gary tried to look like a harmless, nice guy, every time I looked at his face, I pictured him and Daisy from that horrific night. It made my stomach churn. I shook my head, keeping my voice polite but cold. “No, thank you. I’m meeting a friend.” Gary’s eyes narrowed slightly, but he kept that greasy smile on his face. “Alright then, go have fun with your friend.” “But hey, you’ll probably want something to drink while you’re out. I just bought two cold coffees from the convenience store. Here, take one.” “Don’t be shy. You help Daisy study all the time. Think of it as me thanking you on her behalf.” Before I could protest, Gary shoved a canned coffee into my hands and walked away. Not wanting to cause a scene, I held onto it. Once I got downstairs, I grabbed a bowl of noodles and headed straight back to my room. Remembering how creepy he was, there was no way in hell I was drinking anything he gave me. I tossed the can onto my desk. As I ate my noodles, I opened TikTok and started scrolling. The algorithm popped up a “People You May Know” profile. The username was @Romeo_Dream. Curiosity got the better of me. I tapped on the profile. He had just posted a new video an hour ago. The caption read: What should I do when I’m in love with two girls at the same time? I’m losing sleep over this.

In the comment section, a user had commented: Nothing to lose sleep over. Just pick the one who fits your needs better. The creator (@Romeo_Dream) replied: One is my girlfriend, sweet and pure like a white lily. The other is her roommate—hot, wild, and gorgeous like a red rose. Every time I see her, my heart races. Honestly, compared to my girlfriend, I feel like the roommate and I are a match made in heaven. She’s about 5’7″, and I’m 5’5″. I’m seven years older than her, a hard-working construction guy making $3,500 a month. That’s more than enough to provide for her. How do I win over this red rose? Any tips? I almost choked on my noodles. Making $3,500 a month and he’s already trying to cheat? The audacity. Thankfully, the internet comments were brutal. Are you seriously choosing? What do these girls see in you? Your height? Your empty wallet? Or your musty old-man smell? Desire is human nature, but self-control is class. You have a girlfriend and you’re drooling over her roommate? You’re like a stray dog in heat. Cheap and pathetic. Any college guy she finds will be ten times better than you. Stop dreaming, you ugly troll. Reading these comments made me feel incredibly satisfied. But then, a user named @Alpha_Mindset left a comment: If you want to get her, you need to create “accidents.” Find a way to get her pregnant. Once she’s carrying your kid, her parents will beg you to marry her. You won’t even have to buy an engagement ring or pay for a wedding. I couldn’t believe how sick and twisted some people could be. A mob of angry users started replying and bashing @Alpha_Mindset, but he didn’t care. He just kept egging the creator on to take action. I didn’t even need to click his profile to know exactly what kind of bitter, lonely incel he was. But my satisfaction turned to absolute horror when I saw the creator’s reply. @Alpha_Mindset, I like how you think. Actually, I cornered her outside her door tonight. She looked so flustered and excited when she saw me, though she tried to play hard to get. I grabbed the chance to give her a coffee spiked with a little “special ingredient.” Once she drinks it, she’ll be carrying my baby in no time. My heart stopped. I checked the creator’s location. It was in my exact neighborhood. Connecting all the dots… as much as I didn’t want to believe it, @Romeo_Dream was definitely Gary! My hands started shaking. What “special ingredient” did he put in there? I stared at the coffee can on my desk. Upon closer inspection, the tab had been slightly tampered with. Realizing what it was, I grabbed the can and threw it across the room. It slammed into the far wall. I ran to the bathroom and scrubbed my hands with soap and sanitizer about ten times, my skin turning bright red. This was disgusting! My first instinct was to add his Snapchat and scream at him, but then I stopped. A delusional, narcissistic creep like Gary… if I provoked him, there was no telling what extreme things he might do. With Daisy gone, I was completely alone in this apartment. It was dangerous. I lost my appetite completely. I kept refreshing the comments, my chest tight with anxiety. The internet was still ripping Gary to shreds. You have nothing, yet you don’t appreciate what you have. Let your girlfriend go, she deserves better. This is disgusting. The roommate hit the absolute worst luck running into you. Did you skip biology class? You think drinking something gets a girl pregnant? Do you think her stomach connects to her uterus? Lmao, his IQ perfectly matches his creepy face. But then, a new comment from @Alpha_Mindset made my blood run cold. Hey idiot, whatever you put in her drink won’t get her pregnant. It’ll just digest in her stomach. If you want to lock her down, just break into her room tonight while it’s dark. Take her virginity. Girls never forget their first. Once the deed is done, she’s yours. She won’t have a choice. How could anyone be this evil? This @Alpha_Mindset guy didn’t even know me, yet he was actively plotting to ruin my life. A second later, Gary liked the comment and replied with three rose emojis. Panic seized me. A lunatic like Gary might actually try it. I had rented this place because it was right next to the public library, which made studying convenient. But now, staying here was a literal threat to my life. I grabbed my phone and charger, deciding to head back to my dorm on campus tonight. I’d have a friend come back with me tomorrow to pack my things. I walked to the door and slowly turned the deadbolt. BANG! BANG! BANG! The door suddenly shook violently. From the other side, Gary’s muffled, greasy voice echoed through the wood. “Chloe? Are you in there? I see the light under your door. Open up, I need to talk to you about something.”

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On the day Ethan got his big break with a job in the city, he did something he’d never done before. He bought me a massive bag of imported chocolates. It must have cost him at least fifty dollars. Before the chocolate could even melt in my mouth, Ethan looked at me with a serious face. “Only one a day, Lola. By the time you finish them, Serena and I will be back to get you.” Terrified, I spat the chocolate out and grabbed his arm, begging him not to leave me behind. Ethan frowned, his eyes filled with pain. He whispered that his savings were only enough to get one person settled in the city. Serena was an orphan. He couldn’t let her feel abandoned again. Ethan gently stroked my hair and made a promise. “One year, Lola. I swear I’ll come back, take you to the city, and get you the best doctors.” But after they left, the whole town started whispering. They said Ethan took Serena to the city to live the high life, and that he had abandoned his useless, dumb sister for good. I didn’t believe them. I sat by the dusty road entrance every single day, waiting. The local creeps in town started teasing me. They said if I agreed to marry one of them, Ethan would definitely come back to attend my wedding. When I screamed and said no, they beat me. I dragged myself home, bruised and crying. The pain was so bad that I couldn’t help but eat three chocolates at once. I just wanted Ethan to come back faster. If he was here, he would protect me and punish them. Then, Chloe noticed my belly was growing bigger day by day. She gently touched my swollen stomach, her eyes filled with horror. “Lola… you’re pregnant. Who did this to you?” My head throbbed with a blinding pain. I couldn’t find the words to explain. Chloe held me tight and sobbed for hours. When Ethan finally got the news through a letter, his only reply was cold: “If anyone in town is willing to take responsibility, just let Lola marry him.” But I was already the town’s joke, despised and tormented. I couldn’t survive the brutal labor, and I died giving birth in a cold, dark room.

When I opened my eyes again, I was still standing by the dusty road entrance, waiting for Ethan and Serena just like I did every day. The only difference was that those creeps didn’t bother me anymore. They didn’t even look at me. It was only when they gathered near the old gas station to smoke that I could hear their muffled laughter, and it sounded like they were talking about me. I drifted closer to listen. “Lola was crazy, sure, but she was easily the prettiest girl in this godforsaken town.” “Lucky for us she was slow. Otherwise, her brother would’ve taken her to the city long ago.” “Yeah, and thank god Ethan wasn’t here. She ended up dying in Luke’s house anyway.” “As long as we keep our mouths shut, nobody can pin it on us.” They rambled on, using words too complicated for my mind. But I understood one thing clearly. They said Ethan left me behind because he thought I was stupid. I puffed out my cheeks and yelled at them angrily: “Ethan never thought I was stupid! He told me so!” “Just you wait! When Ethan comes back, I’m going to tell him everything! He will make you pay!” When evening came, I walked past the desolate cemetery on the hill. I saw Chloe holding my old mason jar, looking busy. She took the remaining chocolates from the jar and placed them gently, one by one, on a small dirt mound next to my parents’ tombstones. She even hammered a small wooden cross into the dirt, carefully carving the name: Lola Carter. I sat next to her and giggled. “Chloe is the smartest and prettiest girl ever. Your handwriting is so beautiful.” “Now that my name is on it, no one will steal my chocolates, right?” Chloe didn’t answer me. She turned around and slowly poured a handful of greyish-white ashes into the empty mason jar. She begged Ned, a townsperson who was heading to the city for business, to deliver the jar to Ethan no matter what. My eyes went wide with excitement. “You’re going to see Ethan? Can I come this time?” Chloe still didn’t look at me. But at least she didn’t stop me. “Since you’re quiet, I’ll take that as a yes!” I was thrilled. I skipped along behind Ned all the way to the city. Ned shoved the mason jar into Ethan’s hands, muttered “I’m so sorry for your loss,” and hurried away. Ethan held the familiar jar, standing on the bustling city street, looking completely lost. I happily threw myself at him for a hug, but my body passed right through him. Serena, looking elegant and stylish, walked out of their apartment and asked softly: “What is it, Ethan?” Ethan frowned, staring at the jar in his hands. “Isn’t this Lola’s jar?” “That guy just told me he was sorry for my loss and ran off. Did something happen to Lola?” Since moving to the city, Serena had painted her nails a beautiful bright red, and she wore shiny silver bracelets on her wrists. She looked so pretty. She giggled and took the jar from his hands. “Ethan, you know how Lola is.” “She probably ate all the chocolates and begged Ned to bring her precious jar to you, just to trick you into buying her more.” “You can’t keep spoiling her like this.” “Besides, she’s about to be a mother. Too much sugar isn’t good for the baby.” Hearing her words, tears welled up in my eyes. I pointed at my flat stomach and screamed: “Ethan, I didn’t! I saved the chocolates because I was scared you’d be mad! I put them back!” “And the baby is gone, Ethan… eating candy won’t hurt anymore…” “I just missed you and Serena. I just wanted to see you.” But Ethan didn’t look at me. He couldn’t hear a thing. He seemed to notice something and said, “The jar feels a bit heavy. Is there something inside?” In fact, Serena had already opened the jar when Ethan wasn’t looking and saw the letter tucked inside. She shook her head smoothly. “Nothing. Just some dirt. You know how she likes to collect random things.” With that, she walked over to the corner of the yard and poured the grey ashes onto the soil beneath a tree, using it as fertilizer. The grey dust instantly buried the letter deep underground. Ethan sighed, looking a bit guilty. “Do you think I was too hasty in letting Lola get married?” Serena took Ethan’s hand, her voice sweet and reassuring. “Ethan, Lola had to grow up eventually. You couldn’t protect her forever.” “Now that the knot is tied, making a scene will only ruin her reputation.” “Isn’t it better for her to be married to a normal man than to live alone?” “Besides, Lola’s mind is… confused. It’s only natural she made a mistake and got pregnant without knowing any better.” “The list of names in that old rumors letter was just gossip. There’s no proof those men actually did anything. Why overthink it?” “If I hadn’t stopped you last time, the whole town would know she got pregnant out of wedlock. That would have truly ruined her life.” Ethan was silenced by her logic. He finally nodded, letting out a long breath. “If I hadn’t given her the wrong medication when we were kids, her brain wouldn’t have burned up like that. She wouldn’t be this way.” “I’m just… terrified of her being hurt.” Just then, a middle-aged man walked into the yard, looking cheerful. “Ethan! The factory approved your family leave!” “Hurry up and head back. Go bring your sister to the city for her medical checkup.”

I followed Ethan all the way back to our small town. Those same creeps were still hanging out near the old gas station. I pointed at them and yelled to Ethan: “They hit me! Ethan, they hit me!” Sure enough, when those guys saw Ethan, they looked terrified and tried to scatter. But Ethan blocked their path. Instead of pulling out his fists, he reached into his bag and pulled out several family-sized bags of expensive chocolates. “Lola’s wedding was rushed, and I couldn’t make it back in time to help,” Ethan said, a polite smile on his face. “I heard you all helped out at my brother-in-law’s place on the wedding day. Thank you for your hard work.” “Take these. Consider it a thank-you gift from me.” He began handing out the chocolates to them one by one. My eyes turned red with anger. I tried to knock the chocolates out of his hands, but my fingers just passed through the air. Serena also smiled and helped hand them out. When only a few chocolates were left, Ethan gently stopped her. He whispered to Serena, “Lola loves these. Let’s save the rest to satisfy her sweet tooth.” But I didn’t want any chocolates. I pointed at those ugly faces, crying out my pain: “Luke slapped me and tied me up with ropes!” “Zach and Wes stuffed rags in my mouth so I couldn’t scream! They beat me every time I cried!” “They said if I didn’t want to marry Luke, they would beat me until I did…” “Ethan, why aren’t you protecting me anymore?” I sobbed, staring at him, but he still wouldn’t look at me. I was so frustrated that I scratched my arms, leaving deep red marks. In the past, if Ethan saw me scratch myself, he would cry from heartbreak. But now, he didn’t even turn his head. Behind us, the creeps burst into mocking laughter. Wes, the leader, smirked and called out: “Ethan, you’ve got some real patience. We respect that.” Ethan frowned, not quite catching the sarcasm in his tone. Before he could ask, Serena pushed him toward our old house. Wes popped a chocolate into his mouth and stared at Ethan’s back, muttering: “Does Ethan really not know the crazy girl is dead?” One of his lackeys sneered. “Didn’t Chloe send him a letter?” “He’s probably just a coward. He sees there are more of us and doesn’t dare to start a fight.” “Or maybe he wanted that useless sister dead anyway. She was just a burden.” “Look at that gorgeous girl Serena next to him. They aren’t even blood-related. If you were him, wouldn’t you prefer her?” Hearing their words, I forgot how to cry. So… Ethan was tired of me. I followed him home quietly, keeping my distance. When we pushed the door open, the house was a complete mess. The chicken coop was empty, with only a few feathers scattered on the ground. Ethan sighed. “Lola really didn’t listen to a word I said.” But I did listen… I took care of the five chickens Ethan left behind, feeding them three times a day. They grew into big, fat hens and laid so many eggs. But Luke said that since he married me, everything in the house belonged to him. He said if I didn’t let him take them, he would burn our house down. Before Mom died, she told me this house had to be kept for Ethan’s future wedding. I didn’t dare let him burn it. So I just huddled in the corner, watching Luke strip the house bare, not even daring to make a sound. “Ethan… you guys are back?” Chloe stood at the gate, her face deadly pale. Ethan hid his disappointment and forced a smile. “Chloe, is Lola at her husband’s place?” “Could you call her back for me? Tell her I’m not mad at her anymore. She doesn’t need to hide.” Chloe gripped the doorframe so hard her knuckles turned white. Her voice trembled violently. “Ethan… did Ned not give you the mason jar?” “Lola… she died weeks ago.”

“Chloe, Lola was slow, but how can you make up a sick joke like this?” Serena interrupted, her face tight. Before Chloe could speak, Serena stepped forward, forced a stack of bills into Chloe’s hand, and whispered sharply: “If Lola doesn’t want to come back tonight, that’s fine.” “Take this money and give it to your father. Ask him to help us organize a town barbecue tomorrow.” “Since Lola got married, we should at least throw a nice reception for the town to make things right.” Chloe opened her mouth, but looking at the money, she swallowed her words, gripped the bills, and walked away in silence. The next day, Chloe’s family arrived. When they saw the backyard decorated with bright red roses and ribbons, they froze in shock. Chloe’s father spoke with a stutter, his voice shaking with anger: “Ethan… is this party really for Lola?” Ethan, busy hanging up a red banner, smiled and nodded. “Yes. I wasn’t here when she got married, and I’ve felt terrible about it.” “Lola has her… issues. As her family, we should pay for this reception to show our appreciation to her husband’s family. It’s the right thing to do.” Before he could finish, Chloe’s father began to tremble with rage. He threw the money hard onto the ground and turned on his heel. At the gate, he spat out bitterly: “Everyone in this town knows why Lola ended up the way she did.” “You went to the city and lost your damn mind, didn’t you? Helping the Millers throw a party after what they did? You’re going to burn in hell, Ethan Carter!” With that, Chloe’s family stormed off. Serena chased after them, grabbing Chloe’s arm, demanding an explanation. Chloe pointed toward the cemetery on the hill, tears streaming down her face. “Lola is dead! Luke Miller tortured her to death! Both she and the baby are buried in the dirt right now!” “You didn’t come back to protect her, you pushed her into that hellhole instead!” “And now that she’s gone, you’re helping the Millers celebrate? What kind of sick brother are you?!” Serena stumbled back into the yard, her face white. Ethan was busy washing the grill. He muttered angrily, “I don’t know what’s wrong with that family. If they don’t want the money, we’ll find someone else to cater!” Serena opened her mouth, trembling, but before she could speak, a loud commotion came from the front gate. It was a sound I knew all too well. “It’s the bad guys from the gas station! They’re here to steal our things again!” I hid behind Ethan, but he stood up with a warm smile to welcome them. The man leading them was Luke Miller. With the other creeps cheering him on, Luke walked up to Ethan, acting meek, and muttered, “Long time no see.” Ethan looked past him, searching for me. When he saw no one, disappointment flashed in his eyes. “Is Lola still mad at me for coming back late? Is she refusing to see me?” Realizing Ethan was completely in the dark, Luke’s attitude changed instantly. Seeing more townspeople gathering, he pulled Serena out of the yard. Scared he would hurt her, I quickly followed them. Once out of Ethan’s sight, Luke sneered and shoved his hand out. “Where is the monthly cash you promised?” “Pay up, or I’ll tell Ethan that you are my biological sister, Serena Miller. Let’s see if he still keeps you in his fancy city apartment after that!” I froze. Serena’s real brother… was Luke, the monster who tormented me. Serena slapped his hand away in disgust. “You have the nerve to ask for money?” “Lola died weeks ago! How dare you keep that from me!” Luke scratched his head, looking bored. “You told me to marry her and keep her locked up in this town so she couldn’t go to the city. You didn’t say I couldn’t touch her.” “Besides, she was weak. She died during labor after just a few times. Who knows whose bastard she was carrying anyway?” Serena’s body shook with pure rage. She slapped him hard across the face. “She was pregnant, you idiot! How could you treat her like that?!” Enraged, Luke grabbed Serena by the throat, pinning her against the wall. “Other women survive pregnancy just fine! She was just fragile! She deserved to die!” “And who cares about the baby? They were both useless baggage!” I screamed at him, begging him to let her go, but it was useless. Nobody could hear me. Luke growled a threat, telling Serena she had to pay him before she left for the city, or he would expose her. Just then, Ethan’s cold voice rang out from behind them: “Luke… what the hell are you talking about?”

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