I started a TikTok account to vlog my daily life with my boyfriend. Unexpectedly, a few of my videos went completely viral, and I became a well-known “couple goals” influencer across the internet. Later, to fulfill a request from my followers, I decided to do a live stream of me surprising my boyfriend for his birthday. When the apartment door opened, out walked a beautiful woman wrapped only in a towel. Her slender, pale fingers hooked the takeout bag I was holding, without even glancing at my face. “The delivery is here. Why are you still standing there?” 01 In the fraction of a second I stood there stunned, the woman firmly slammed the door shut in my face. The live chat was filled with so many expletives that the auto-mod filtered it down to a wall of asterisks and emojis. “Did my eyes just deceive me?!” “How is there a woman?! I’m ***!” “To be precise, it’s a woman who just got out of the shower. This is absolutely *** insane!” The sheer magnitude of the shock left my brain buzzing. I looked up and double-checked the apartment number. The next second, I raised my fist and smashed the decorative wreath hanging on the door. “Who is it?” A familiar male voice approached the door from the inside. Moments later, the door swung inward, revealing a face I knew all too well. The man’s hair was dripping wet. He was shirtless, with only a towel wrapped around his waist. I stared in utter disappointment at Mason, standing inside the doorway. He looked like a deer caught in headlights. When he finally snapped out of it, he lunged to grab the deadbolt. But before he could even make his next move, I had already kicked the door hard. “You really are a toad chasing a swan—ugly as sin but playing the field like a pro. I spent hours making this birthday surprise, and you pull this crap on me?” “Chloe, listen, I can explain.” “Explain what? Do you think I’m blind? If I came a minute later, would I have caught you trying to make the next generation?” My gaze swept past Mason, landing on the gift bag sitting on the entryway table. Inside was the result of my entire morning’s work. The more I thought about it, the angrier I got. I shoved past him and aggressively ripped open the bag. Mason followed right behind me, still trying to make excuses. I simply picked up the cake and slammed it directly onto his head like a basketball dunk. “I made this cake from scratch! If I’d known, I wouldn’t even feed it to a pig, let alone you!” 02 “Babe, what’s going on?” A soft, breathy female voice drifted from the bedroom. The apartment instantly went dead silent. Mason avoided my eyes, looking completely humiliated. I let out a cold laugh. Holding the remains of the cake, I kicked the bedroom door open. The curvaceous woman from earlier, wearing nothing but a towel, was lying on the bed. A black silk blindfold covered her eyes, making it impossible for her to see who had just walked in. She changed her voice into a sickly-sweet, high-pitched whine: “Come here, babe.” I slammed the rest of the cake right into her face: “Your daddy’s here!” “Ahhh!” She shrieked, but because her hands were tied to the bedposts, she could only writhe helplessly. “Who the hell are you?!” “Guess who?” I said as I pressed the cake board down harder, not wanting to waste a single drop of frosting. “Chloe, you’re dead! Let me go right now! Babe was right, you’re nothing but a psycho bitch. This is a nightmare!” I burst out laughing, my laughter growing louder and more exaggerated by the second. “Trash belongs in the dumpster! You two are playing house now, but you’ll be pushing daisies tomorrow!” “Babe, help me!” the woman whimpered softly. I looked back and glared at Mason standing in the doorway. He was gripping the doorframe so hard his knuckles were white, trembling all over. Hmph. Useless. I pinched the woman’s chin and shoved another glob of frosting into her mouth. “Your ‘babe’ is currently having a seizure at the door. He can’t even save himself, let alone you. Forget it.” The woman continued to sob quietly, twisting her slender waist. “Babe…” “Are you a chicken laying an egg? Cluck, cluck, cluck? You’re still doing that fake baby voice now? You can’t even cry normally!” Mason couldn’t watch anymore. “Stop it, Chloe. Mia is just a fragile girl. She can’t handle you beating and cursing at her like this.” 03 “Let’s get one thing straight. I haven’t laid a hand on her. You know I’m a straight shooter. I don’t use my mouth to talk shit.” I got off the bed, grabbed Mason’s expensive suit jacket hanging nearby, and wiped my hands aggressively on it. He winced, sucking in a breath of air. “Chloe, that jacket cost a fortune…” “Is it worth more than your coffin?” I sneered. I bought this entire closet full of clothes for him, and now he’s acting like he’s the one who paid for it. As I turned to leave, I looked at the woman flopping like a dying fish on the bed and smiled coldly. “Sister, get your facts straight. This guy might look the part, but he’s just a deadbeat loser who lives off women. You won’t get a dime out of him.” “Honestly, I could kick you both out right now, seeing as I pay the rent for this place—but considering you’re a girl and probably embarrassed, I’ll give you some time to pack.” “What do you mean?” Mason chased after me, asking. I grabbed my phone. “It’s 4:00 PM right now. I’m giving you half a day to move out. Otherwise, I’m calling a moving company to come tomorrow morning and literally throw you out on the street.” With that, I slammed the door and left. My TikTok Live was an absolute madhouse. I had casually tossed my phone aside earlier to make it easier to deal with the “trash,” but the audio was still broadcasting loud and clear. The moment I got physical, I knew everyone watching would think I was a violent, crazy bitch. But I couldn’t just swallow that disrespect. Mason was my first love. He chased me for six months before I agreed to date him. I never really believed in love, but for him, I slowly let my guard down and started believing in romance. And this is what he repays me with? Not putting them both in the hospital was me showing restraint out of respect for our shared college history! Besides, I started this TikTok account to vlog our relationship. Now that I don’t have a boyfriend, there’s nothing left to vlog. I picked up my phone, feeling defeated, planning to announce that I was deleting the account. But to my surprise, the vibe in the live chat was completely different from what I expected. 04 “Chloe is a total badass!” “That cheater is disgusting! If Chloe hadn’t lied about going on a business trip, who knows how long it would have taken to catch him!” “How does he still have the nerve to play the ‘devoted boyfriend’ card? Does he have no shame?” “Side note—did anyone else notice that Chloe’s insults flowed like a rap verse?” “Yes, yes, yes! She didn’t even stutter! I was amazed!” “…” The more I read, the quieter I got. Is the internet always this unhinged? They were even treating my comment section like a serialized novel: “You have to post updates! I’m living on your profile for the next few days!” After recovering from the shock, I took a deep breath and steadied my voice. “I apologize for making a scene in front of everyone. There won’t be any updates on this situation.” “I don’t like lingering on toxic people. From now on, I won’t have anything to do with Mason. If you want to unfollow, please feel free.” After saying that, I ended the live stream. I assumed that most of my followers only subscribed for the cute couple content, so I figured they’d be gone by tomorrow. But I didn’t know who recorded the live stream and posted it online. Now, a ton of people were sharing it like crazy, including several major drama channels on YouTube and TikTok. …I went even more viral. …I gained over a hundred thousand new followers. Mason and that woman, Mia, were getting absolutely roasted by the internet. Unable to handle the mental breakdown from the cyberbullying, he bombarded me with texts, called me, and even DMed me on Xbox Live begging for a truce, but I ignored all of it. Finally, clearly desperate, he used someone else’s phone to call me. As soon as the call connected, he roared: “Chloe, fine! Since you don’t care about our history at all, I’m not holding back either!” 05 After dropping that threat, Mason went completely radio silent, like he had dropped off the face of the earth. I didn’t take his threat seriously at all. But that night, several major drama channels simultaneously posted an “exclusive.” They claimed the live-streamed cheating scandal was all my evil scheme. The reason was simple. “Chloe and Mason’s relationship broke down a long time ago. Mason wanted an amicable breakup, but Chloe wanted to keep milking the ‘couple goals’ clout.” “To keep her followers, Chloe orchestrated this whole drama.” “She’s using the internet as a weapon! Don’t let her manipulate you!” Hilarious. I cursed Mason eight hundred times in my head. Classic journalism major—he really knows how to spin a narrative. But he forgot one thing: I, Chloe, am not someone who takes shit lying down. I used my main account to repost the drama channel’s article, slapped a question mark on it, and went straight for the jugular in the comments. “When did our relationship break down? Are you psychic? Do you sleep under my bed?” “And me milking the clout? If you watched the live stream, you wouldn’t be saying that, would you?” “Defending a cheater? Does your sympathy only apply to bottom-feeders?” It didn’t take long for the drama channel to reply with a string of ellipses. The internet bystanders were buzzing again. “I’ve always hated these drama channels! Well said!” “LMAO, I thought the people running these drama accounts were bots. Turns out they actually reply.” “Mason really wasted his money on this PR stunt. It didn’t do shit.” 06 Annoyed by Mason’s pathetic tactics, I tossed and turned all night, unable to sleep. I felt like, for a long time, dating him had been like carrying around a trash bag with a hole in it. The bag smelled like garbage every now and then, but I got so used to it that I didn’t even notice. Until one day, I accidentally ripped the hole wider, and the stench hit me square in the face. Only then did I realize that a bag holding garbage is just garbage itself. I actually dated a piece of garbage. Thinking about this, a knot formed in my chest. Since I couldn’t sleep anyway, I went ahead and booked a deep-cleaning service for 7:00 AM the next morning. The next day, I met the cleaning crew on time and led them to the apartment. I stuck my key in the lock, turned it twice, but the door wouldn’t open. Seriously? He hasn’t left yet? The twelve-hour deadline was long gone. Is he waiting for me to call the coroner to pack up his body? Since the door wouldn’t open, I led the cleaning crew around to the window outside the master bedroom. Unfortunately for them, the sounds of a “morning workout” were drifting out of the open window. The cleaning crew exchanged awkward glances. “Uh…” I told them to stand back and tried to push the window open. I didn’t expect that idiot Mason to actually leave it unlocked. A woman’s scream erupted from the room: “Ah! Babe, she’s back!” Mason looked over, and upon realizing it was me, immediately yanked the blanket up. “Chloe, are you a psychopath?!” I sneered, picked up the power washer the crew had brought, and started blasting water into the room like a maniac. “Stop sleeping in the bed I bought! Get the hell out!” 07 After kicking out the pathetic, soaking-wet Mason and Mia, I had the cleaning crew scrub the apartment from top to bottom. Then, I contacted the landlord to terminate the lease. Everything happened so fast that I hadn’t even had time to unmatch with Mason on Tinder or block his number. Now was the perfect time to send him the bill. “I signed a 3-month lease for this place. I lived here for less than 10 days, so let’s round that up to half a month. Please reimburse me for two and a half months of rent.” Mason: “?” “Is my request unreasonable?” When I hit send, a red exclamation point appeared next to my message. Mason actually blocked me first. Did he think I was out of options just because he blocked me? Initially, I only wanted two and a half months’ rent. Now, he was going to have to pay me back for utilities too. But before I could contact him again, he actually had the audacity to send me a cease and desist letter. The lawyer who called me sounded very stern: “Ms. Chloe, correct? My client, Mr. Mason, has retained me to recover half of the earnings from your joint social media account.” “Joint account?” “Yes, the account you used to document your daily relationship.” I felt physically sick. “How does he have the nerve to ask for that?” From filming to editing, I ran that account entirely by myself. Every time I needed him to appear on camera, I had to buy him gifts and take him out to dinner. “But your account documents your daily relationship. Could you, Ms. Chloe, have a relationship all by yourself?” “Not only can I have a relationship all by myself, but I can also undergo mitosis and reproduce asexually.” “…” The lawyer fell silent for a moment. “Since you are speaking nonsense, refusing to listen to reason, and insisting on having your way, then wait to receive a summons from the court.” I sneered. Are you trying to scare me with legal jargon? “What’s your last name?” I asked the lawyer. “My last name is Davis.” “Listen to me, Davis—” I briefly summarized the entire situation, then warned him, “Mason doesn’t have a single honest bone in his body. Don’t let him drag you down with him.” Before he could respond, I added, “And from what I know, lawyers only get more cases if they have a high win rate, right?” “Yes, and?” “And so I’m laying it out for you right now. With the evidence I currently have, if this actually goes to trial, you won’t have a single chance of winning.” I said coldly. “A person shouldn’t try to make dirty money. If you dare to defend a cheater, I’ll make sure your reputation is ruined, and you’ll go from a hotshot lawyer to an ambulance chaser.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “421717”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

My sister’s luck defied the heavens, while I was the ultimate magnet for disaster. Later, I found out she was bound to a “Lucky Star System.” She could designate one person to suffer extreme misfortune, and in return, she would absorb all their good luck. And I was the unlucky soul she had designated. But then, I bound to a System of my own. My System only had one function: to rewrite. So, my sister remained lucky, but the people who suffered the misfortune became our dad, our mom, our brother, and her boyfriend… She successfully became a walking curse, equally despised by everyone who once adored her. 1 While I was lying in a coma in a hospital bed, a System found me. It told me it wanted to show me something. That was when I saw my sister’s Lucky Star System. Her System allowed her to select a target. It would siphon that person’s luck and transfer it to her. The chosen target would suffer horrific misfortune. Tragically, I was the unlucky bastard my sister had selected. The reason I was currently in a coma from a car crash was that my sister and I had been competing for the same acting role. The director had narrowed the female lead down to the two of us. Because I got into a car accident and fell into a coma, the role effortlessly fell into my sister’s hands. The System told me that over the past fourteen years, my sister had siphoned over 90,000 luck points from me. My luck was dangerously low, which was why this accident had nearly killed me. My mind reeled. Fourteen years! No wonder. Before we were ten, my sister and I were both perfectly ordinary kids. But after she turned ten, it was like she unlocked a cheat code for life. She would step outside and find cash on the sidewalk, win the lottery, dive into a river and find a solid gold bracelet, or open a random oyster and find a flawless pearl. Meanwhile, my life became a series of disasters. I’d miss a step on the stairs, faint every other day, and even manage to break my leg just walking on a flat surface. I was an honor roll student, yet on the day I was supposed to give a speech on stage, a stray basketball smashed into my face, leaving me covered in blood. In the end, she stepped in as my replacement, delivered my speech, and received a standing ovation. A wealthy benefactor in the audience even offered her a scholarship, landing her on the school’s Wall of Honor. I always thought I was just born unlucky. Turns out, she was doing it to me on purpose! The System spoke: “Host, if you bind with me, I can overwrite your name in the Lucky Star System and replace it with someone else’s. Will you bind with me?” I remained silent. The Lucky Star System had to siphon my luck to make my sister fortunate. It taught me a fundamental truth: energy is conserved. For someone to suddenly become incredibly lucky, someone else must suddenly become incredibly unlucky. If this System wanted to help me, it definitely wanted something in return. I asked calmly, “What do you want from me?” The System replied, “I want the things you no longer need: your familial love, your friendships, your romantic love. To you, these emotions are useless now, aren’t they?” I lowered my eyes. It was true; those things were utterly useless to me now. I bound with the System. The moment it merged with me, the world suddenly felt profoundly different. I could see the System’s interface, and I could clearly sense the Lucky Star System attached to my sister. She had just returned from meeting the director. She looked at me with a face full of fabricated guilt, but she couldn’t hide the triumphant gleam in her eyes. “Chloe, I’m so sorry. Because you couldn’t make it, Director Ford ultimately chose me for the lead role.” “It’s her own fault for being unlucky. It has nothing to do with you. If it wasn’t for you, she wouldn’t even be able to pay her medical bills,” my brother, Liam, said coldly, crossing his arms, his face showing undisguised irritation. Over the years, because of my frequent hospitalizations, my family had grown deeply resentful of me. My parents had complained to my face more than once, calling me a karmic debt they were forced to pay. Even though we were twins, my sister was healthy and vibrant, while I seemed stunted, constantly finding ways to land myself in the hospital. Their initial sympathy for me gradually turned into exhaustion, and finally, into numb disgust, leaving me to fend for myself. I understood all of it. That’s why I was always so incredibly careful. I avoided dangerous places, walked as if I were navigating a minefield, gripped the handrail tightly when going down stairs, looked both ways obsessively before crossing the street, ate on time, and slept on time. Everything I did was just to stay alive. I even declined my senior class trip to Europe. Even though I wanted to go more than anything. Even though I knew it might be my last chance to interact with the boy I had a crush on. I was terrified of having an accident on the road and causing my family more trouble, so I stayed home. And all of it was caused by Mia. Yet now, she was parading around as my savior… She expected me to be eternally grateful to her, completely ignoring the fact that I wouldn’t have suffered any of this—that I could have lived a normal, healthy life—if it weren’t for her. I said coldly, “Mia, you got the lead role today, and I got into a car accident. Last time you won the lottery, I broke my leg. The time before that, when you were exceptionally admitted to Juilliard, I had a severe allergic reaction that landed me in the ER. And the time before that…” Mia interrupted me frantically, her voice turning shrill. “Chloe, what are you trying to say?!” “I’m saying it very clearly, Mia. To me, you are a walking curse. You stole my luck, and that’s why I’m so miserable…” Smack! A heavy slap landed squarely on my face. Liam pulled his hand back, staring down at me with freezing, arrogant eyes. “Apologize to Mia. If it weren’t for her, no one would be paying your medical bills. Do you have any idea how much Mom and Dad have spent on you since we were kids…” His mouth kept moving, but I couldn’t hear what he was saying. My ears were ringing, my face was burning with pain, and all the blood rushed to my head. I ripped the IV needle out of the back of my hand, grabbed the heavy metal IV pole without a second thought, and swung it wildly at Liam. The pole smashed into Liam’s head. Blood immediately started pouring down his face. He stared at me in shock, raising his arms to block the blows in a daze. But I kept hitting him like a maniac. “Do you think I wanted to be unlucky?! Do you think I intentionally drained Mom and Dad’s money?! Do you think I failed my exams on purpose?! What gives you the right to think I’m lying?! What gives you the right to hit me?!” Mia let out a piercing scream. “Ah! Stop hitting him! Somebody help!” I spun around and slapped her across the face, my sharp nails leaving a distinct, bloody scratch across her cheek. Then I swung the pole hard against her arm. “Since I can’t go, none of us are going! No one is stepping over my dead body to get to the top!” Mia let out an earth-shattering shriek, clutching her arm and collapsing to the floor. Liam exploded in rage, lunging forward to wrestle the pole away from me. I was completely unhinged. I grabbed a glass water pitcher and hurled it at his face. Dozens of people rushed into the room. Men shouting and cursing, women screaming and crying, the chaotic sounds of people yelling and pulling at each other filled the air. Eventually, I was pinned to the bed by several nurses, while Liam was dragged out of the room. He glared at me with pure hatred, screaming at the top of his lungs. “Chloe, I will never forgive you for this!” What a coincidence. Neither will I. 2 I was given a sedative and fell into a groggy sleep, only to be violently shaken awake. My mother stared at me, her face contorted with fury. “Are you insane?! You cracked your brother’s head open and broke your sister’s arm! Are you trying to kill us?! Why don’t you just die?!” My heart ached for a split second, but the feeling quickly went numb. My mother wishing I was dead—that was probably her lifelong dream. She had never said it out loud before, but today, in a fit of rage, she finally spat it out. She paused for a second, perhaps regretting how cruel her words sounded, but soon she was crying harder than I ever had, breaking down into loud, hysterical sobs, tears and snot streaming down her face. What was she crying for? Probably cursing her fate. God had given her a healthy, obedient son and daughter. Why did He have to burden her with a sickly, broken child too? Her life was miserable because of me. But what did I do wrong? I laughed. I laughed so hard that tears uncontrollably rolled down my cheeks. “Mom, I’ll say it again. Mia set me up. She stole my luck. One day, when all of you become just as unlucky as I am, you’ll finally understand what I’ve been through.” “Bullshit! What kind of crazy talk is that?! Luck isn’t something you can just steal! If your mental health is failing, go see a psychiatrist. Stop spewing garbage.” My father glared at me, his eyes wide with anger, his tone absolute. He was dressed in sharp, new clothes, looking like a man of status. After Mia won the lottery, she gave our parents hundreds of thousands of dollars and kept a few million for herself. My father was incredibly proud of her and refused to tolerate anyone speaking ill of her. I scoffed lightly. “Fine, pretend I’m crazy then. Insane people don’t go to jail for murder, right?” My dark, menacing gaze swept past Liam’s pale, livid face and landed on Mia, who was crying softly with her arm in a sling. Mia was terrified. In her mind, she was frantically harassing the Lucky Star System. “What the hell is going on?! Why is she acting like a psycho today?!” The Lucky Star System replied coldly, “I warned you before. You can’t keep shearing the same sheep. Chloe’s luck value has hit rock bottom. It’s completely normal for her to get suspicious. Can’t you switch to another target?” “I won’t switch! She scratched my face and broke my arm! Why should I switch?!” “If you keep going, she might actually die.” “Then what am I supposed to do?! Your target replacement requires a high intimacy value! If I don’t use her, do you expect me to use Mom, Dad, Liam, or my boyfriend?! They treat me so well, how could I bear to use them?” I finally understood. The Lucky Star System was a cruel game. It forced Mia to rank the most important people in her life, and I was dead last on that list. That was why she didn’t feel an ounce of guilt when she sacrificed me. I looked at Mia. “Mia, have I been bad to you? Whenever Mom and Dad punished you, I stood in front to protect you. When you stained Liam’s favorite pencil case, I washed it clean for you. When you were bullied at school, I fought back for you. When you fell into the river, I risked my life to pull you out. How have I ever wronged you? How could you do this to me?!” Mia’s face went chalk white. She stuttered, “You… you did help me a lot, but I don’t know what you’re talking about.” “Enough! Chloe, you’re acting like a rabid dog right now, biting anyone in sight! You’re just jealous of Mia. I honestly wish Mia was my only sister. I wish you had never been born.” Liam’s handsome face twisted with a vicious sneer. He spoke through gritted teeth, clearly despising me to his core. He seemed to realize he had gone too far and glanced at our parents. But though they looked uncomfortable, neither of them contradicted him. He breathed a sigh of relief, staring at me with icy eyes, and said flatly, “Let’s sever ties. From now on, you have absolutely nothing to do with our family.” My gaze swept over each of their faces. They all had different expressions, but by some unspoken agreement, no one voiced an objection. I lowered my eyes to hide the glimmer of tears and said one word, very, very softly. “Fine.” 3 What does it feel like to be completely disowned by your entire family at 22? It’s hard to explain. A mix of disappointment, regret, relief, loneliness, and a profound resignation to the unpredictability of fate. After that, no one ever came to visit or take care of me. The hospital nurses took pity on me and handled my meals. I politely thanked them. One of them hesitated before finally letting out a long sigh. “Family feuds don’t last forever. Don’t overthink it. Just focus on recovering and living a good life.” I smiled and thanked her, but didn’t know what to say. Luck stealing, Systems—these things were too supernatural. Even if I explained, no one would believe me. No wonder Mia spent all day muttering to her System. Because Mia was injured, Director Ford couldn’t wait and needed to start filming immediately. She begged and pleaded with the director, but she couldn’t change the outcome. She was kicked out of the project. Hearing the news, I was absolutely thrilled. Everything she gained by stepping on me, she was going to lose. However, Director Ford was the first major director I had ever been in contact with, and I didn’t want to give up easily. Plus, I truly loved the character. So, I stayed up all night analyzing the original novel, wrote down my character insights, filmed a short makeup transformation video on my phone, and attached a long letter detailing my understanding of the role. I sent it all to the director. The message was sent, but it sank like a stone in the ocean. Although disappointed, I didn’t let it weigh on me. The road of life is full of obstacles; this was just one of them. I cooperated with my treatment, focused on healing, and finally, I was ready to be discharged. On the day I was discharged, I gave the hospital nurses a custom silk banner: To the Angels Who Fed Me, I Will Never Forget Your Kindness. The nurses burst out laughing and took photos with me. They uploaded a short video, and that very night, it went viral. Countless people praised the loving nurses, while the rest flooded the comments asking who I was. [You have three minutes. I need this girl’s contact info.] [It’s over for me. I just got diagnosed with a terminal illness where I only fall for pretty faces. The only cure is for this sister to cuddle me. Please, sister, cure me.] [She’s so beautiful, how could she get sick? Let the sickness torture me instead!] [I’m really good at feeding people, I swear.] [My boss asked me why I was zoning out. I showed him this video. Now my boss is asking which hospital he needs to go to in order to meet a girl this gorgeous.] The internet was buzzing. Riding the wave, I created an account and posted exactly one video: the makeup transformation I had sent to Director Ford. There was nothing else on the profile. Yet, the power of the internet was terrifyingly immense. In a very short time, I amassed hundreds of thousands of followers. That transformation video received endless praise. [Oh my god, who is she cosplaying? Oh wait, it’s her own original look!] [Someone ask my mom how much dowry she needs. I’m going to stop eating and drinking to save up right now.] [Director Nolan Ford, come look! Isn’t this the female lead you’ve been looking for?] [Sister perfectly fulfills my fantasy of the character Gu Qingyin. If only Hollywood’s makeup departments were this creative.] The public had been suffering from Hollywood’s generic styling for too long. No matter the show, it was always the same straight eyebrows, the same semi-permanent makeup. One actor could star in ten different shows and look exactly the same in all of them. So, when a slightly unique makeup transformation that perfectly hit the public’s aesthetic dropped, it rapidly conquered the internet. See? The audience is actually so easy to please! Unfortunately, this was a truth the industry executives just didn’t understand. The next day, I drove out to Sedona, Arizona, to visit a famous spiritual retreat and buy a protective crystal amulet. The System kept nagging in my ear, telling me the amulet was useless. Of course I knew it was useless. It was just a prop. I didn’t want Mia to get suspicious when she realized her Lucky Star System wasn’t working on me anymore. I’d rather she blame a crystal amulet than suspect I had a System of my own. As I drove back from Sedona, the System informed me that Mia couldn’t sit still anymore. Seeing me blow up online with a single video infuriated her. She tried to copy me and posted a video of her own, but it sank like a stone. Aside from a few likes, it was completely ignored. Frustrated, she demanded the Lucky Star System find an opportunity to fast-track her into Hollywood. The System suggested she attend an exclusive industry dinner party, where she could borrow some “good luck” and likely run into a powerful benefactor. Mia agreed. She dressed herself to look pure and beautiful, exuding elegance, and headed to the dinner party. And finally, I was able to see the user interface of the Lucky Star System. Under the “Siphon Target” field, my name was still clearly typed out. Seeing it with my own eyes, I thought I would be heartbroken. But I wasn’t. My heart was surprisingly calm. The System told me I could overwrite my name. “You can replace your name with your parents, your brother, or Mia’s boyfriend. The intimacy value between them and Mia is high enough.” Liam’s cold, arrogant face flashed through my mind. Without hesitation, I erased my name from the “Siphon Target” field and typed in Liam. I really wanted to see if he could still smile at Mia when extreme misfortune rained down on his head. That night, Mia attended the dinner party and “accidentally” crossed paths with the low-profile Golden Boy of Hollywood, Chase Carrington. Chase rarely made public appearances. He was only there because he was passing through on a business trip, and his friends hosted a welcome dinner for him, inviting a few beautiful women to liven things up. None of the women there recognized him. He watched the flock of socialites with a hint of disgust in his eyes. Until Mia walked in. She was as clear as a beam of light, shining straight into Chase’s heart. She sat there quietly and nervously, as obedient as a little rabbit. She looked around with wide, curious eyes, like an innocent elf who had stumbled into the mortal realm. Her out-of-place innocence piqued Chase’s interest and sparked jealousy among the other women. Someone “accidentally” spilled a glass of water on her arm. She let out a delicate, suppressed gasp of pain. That single gasp stole Chase’s soul. He smiled, amused, and personally grabbed a napkin to wipe her arm… Meanwhile, on the other side of the city, Liam was out shopping with his girlfriend. His girlfriend linked her arm through his, smiling sweetly. She stood on her tiptoes to pat his head, cooing sympathetically. At that exact moment, a massive commercial billboard above their heads came loose… 4 The falling billboard was accompanied by the howling wind and the screams of onlookers. By the time Liam noticed, it was too late. He violently shoved his girlfriend out of the way, taking the full impact of the billboard on his shoulders. He was crushed to the pavement, coughing up a mouthful of blood… I saw the aftermath on the news. The photo of Liam looked horrific. His head and face were covered in blood, and he lay pinned on the ground, all four limbs trapped. It looked like a tragic scene from a blockbuster movie. I chuckled. I felt a twinge of vindication. The dignity that was slapped out of me by Liam seemed to have been reclaimed just a little. In the comments, countless people praised Liam as an incredible man, sacrificing himself at the critical moment to push his girlfriend to safety. [Cupid, are you listening? Note to self: find me a man like this.] [In my next life, I absolutely must date someone like him.] [Another day of envying someone else’s love story.] [Other people’s romance makes me cry tears of joy; my romance makes me regret my life choices. o(╥﹏╥)o] [Look at her boyfriend, then look at my husband. If disaster struck, he’d probably shove me in front of it to save himself.] [The sugar content here is too high, are you trying to give me diabetes? ┭┮﹏┭┮] [Came here furious about the accident, leaving stuffed with dog food. Praying for the handsome guy’s recovery and wishing the beautiful girl a happy marriage.] Heh! I tossed my phone aside, not wanting to read anymore. I didn’t want to see Liam being praised. To me, he would always be an abuser. Right then, the System notified me. Mia had succeeded. She successfully hooked Chase, the Hollywood Golden Boy. When Chase was wiping her arm, she had “accidentally” let out another soft gasp of pain. That voice was so delicate and naturally pure that it made Chase—a notorious audiophile—pause. Mia then whispered, “I’m sorry, I wasn’t saying you were too rough. I just fractured my arm a while ago, and it barely just healed…” Chase’s interest was piqued. He leaned in to listen. And so, in Mia’s story, I became the psycho, jealous older sister who couldn’t stand seeing her succeed. When I saw she was favored by a famous director, I broke her arm in a fit of rage, causing her to lose the acting opportunity. She claimed the only reason she was at the dinner party today was because she heard she might meet some directors here. Chase rolled his eyes at his friends, though he didn’t make any immediate promises. He exchanged contact info with Mia, offered to drive her home, and they chatted the whole way. After dropping her off, he stood outside the house for a moment, a meaningful smile playing on his lips. Shortly after returning home, Mia rushed back out in a panic. In her frantic state, Mia didn’t notice Chase was still there. She hailed a cab, and Chase followed her, arriving at the hospital one after the other. At the hospital, he watched Mia collapse over Liam’s body, sobbing hysterically. “How could this happen? Liam, how are you doing?!” Chase’s heart finally softened. He texted Mia, telling her he happened to know a director and asked if she had time to go meet him together. Mia didn’t have time to look at the message. She was currently screaming at the System in her head. “System! What the hell is going on?! Why does the ‘Siphon Target’ say my brother’s name?! Wasn’t it supposed to be Chloe?!” The System let out a piercing screech. “Impossible! How could this happen?!” It tinkered frantically for a few moments until the target name finally changed back to Chloe. It breathed a sigh of relief. “Fixed it!” Mia was furious. “What good is fixing it now?! The damage is already done! My brother got crushed! The one hurt is my brother, not that bitch Chloe! Why do you always glitch at the worst possible moments?!” The System was rendered speechless. It let Mia vent her anger before quietly saying one thing: “Does it matter who got unlucky? Either way, you achieved your goal.” Mia froze, suddenly remembering something. She quickly pulled out her phone and saw Chase’s message. She smiled, then started crying again. Her manic switching between sobbing and laughing was terrifying. The System was utterly baffled. Mia cried and scolded it: “No wonder they say AI can never replace humans. You’re just a heartless machine. You’ll never understand human emotions in a million years.” The System was unfazed. “True. Because I don’t understand them, I can collect them. Otherwise, they would be as useless to me as they are to you.” Mia was left speechless, so angry she refused to speak to the System for three days. Perhaps out of guilt, she stayed by Liam’s side constantly, waiting on him hand and foot. Liam’s collarbone was fractured, and he suffered multiple abrasions all over his body. He was wrapped up like a ridiculous mummy, unable to even use the bathroom by himself. Every day was a struggle between his dignity and agonizing pain. The System told me that because Chase Carrington possessed a massive amount of luck and was a crucial benefactor for Mia, the price Liam had to pay was exceptionally severe. I fell silent, an uncontrollable chill spreading through my body. I put on another layer of clothing just to stop shivering. When Mia bound the System, she was young and didn’t have such massive ambitions, so the bad luck I suffered wasn’t lethal. But things were different now. Mia’s ambitions were colossal. The person whose luck was being siphoned would have to pay a catastrophic price. I just didn’t know if my dad, my mom, and my brother would be able to withstand those prices. 5 Three days later, Mia went with Chase to meet the director. Not long after, that director announced the cast list for the highly anticipated fantasy drama, Echoes of the Fae. Mia’s name was prominently displayed. Although she wasn’t the female lead, she played the lead’s best friend—a crucial supporting role. She shared the screen with the protagonist constantly and would ultimately die sacrificing herself to save the lead. It was an incredibly endearing, tear-jerking role. Chase had treated Mia very well. He picked a role for her that wouldn’t saddle her with the stigma of being an “industry plant,” but the character itself was extremely beloved by audiences. Once the show aired, she was guaranteed to gain a massive fanbase. Following the official announcement, Mia’s follower count skyrocketed. She posted a beautifully polished selfie on Instagram, and it quickly sparked heated discussions. [Ah! Does anyone else think she shares a face with that girl who went viral for the hospital video?] [There are subtle differences, but the overall bone structure is so similar!] In the comments, people started connecting the dots, realizing we were sisters. Mia was busy managing her PR, having her team suppress any comments mentioning me. She didn’t want to draw attention to me, but I certainly wanted to draw attention to her. So, I methodically released a short video I had prepared. With the help of my System, I compiled a chronological timeline detailing every major event where Mia experienced sudden extreme luck while I suffered extreme misfortune, dating back to our childhood. [Age 10: She found a hundred-dollar bill; I fell into a mud pit.] [Age 11: She helped our dad buy a winning lottery ticket; I was knocked unconscious by a cyclist.] [Age 12: She replaced me to give the honor student speech; I was smashed in the face with a basketball and covered in blood.] [Age 13: She went swimming and found a solid gold bracelet but got a cramp; I saved her but she nearly choked me to death in the water.] [Age 14…] [Age 24: She was cast as the lead by a famous director; I ended up hospitalized from a car crash.] [Age 24: She was officially announced as a supporting actress by a famous director. So, who’s the unlucky one this time?] [Stay tuned…] At first glance, these events just seemed like a diary of bad luck. But when there are too many coincidences, even Sherlock Holmes would have to say, “The game is afoot.” I knew people’s curiosity would be piqued. Sure enough, the passionate fans who had previously demanded we take a DNA test felt their appetite for gossip ignite the moment they saw this video. [I smell drama.] [Isn’t this literally the plot of a web novel? Two sisters: one with heaven-defying luck, the other a magnet for disaster. In the end, they tear each other apart fighting over a man.] [Got my popcorn ready. Please continue…] [Is this throwing shade at Mia? What’s their relationship? Are they sisters?] There were too many comments to read. I locked my phone, turned around, and headed to the hospital. In the hospital room, Liam was wincing and groaning in pain. I watched quietly for a while, waiting until the nurse finished changing his dressings before walking in. Seeing me, he looked like he was facing a mortal enemy. “What are you doing here?” The corners of my lips curled up. “I just wanted to share the good news. Mia was just officially cast in a highly anticipated drama.” “What are you trying to say?” It took his brain a second to process, and his face quickly turned cold. “You just can’t stand seeing Mia succeed. She earned that role through her own hard work, unlike you. You have no talent, so you just resort to superstition.” She relied on her talent? That was the joke of the year. I couldn’t help but laugh. “The day you got crushed by the billboard was the exact same day Mia won the approval of Hollywood’s Golden Boy, Chase Carrington. She catapulted to the top, clinging to him. Tell me, is that talent? Liam, do you actually believe that?” His eyes darted away. It was clear he also found it unbelievable, but he had no counterargument. He just yelled with a cold face. “Get out. I don’t want to look at you.” “Chloe, who told you to come here?” My mom walked in carrying a lunchbox, followed by Liam’s girlfriend. In front of an outsider, my mom didn’t physically attack me, but the murderous intent in her eyes was unmistakable. She glared at me, gritting her teeth. “Get out. You are not welcome here ever again.” Even though my heart felt like it was bleeding, I managed to keep the smile on my face. I said flatly, “Understood. From now on, when you guys can’t handle things anymore, don’t think of me either. I only came today to watch the freak show.” “Get out!” Liam was getting too agitated, so his girlfriend quickly pulled me outside. Outside the room, she looked at me, her tone turning icy. “I don’t know what happened between you all, but your brother is a good person. You shouldn’t come here and upset him.” “You should break up with my brother as soon as possible,” I replied. “Getting close to him will only bring you misfortune.” “You are truly hopeless!” Frustrated, she stomped away. I scoffed and left the hospital. My stomach growled. I checked my pocket and pulled out a ten-dollar bill. My bank account balance was barely over thirty dollars. The System sighed. “I haven’t seen a human this broke in a long time.” Thanks. I felt so attacked. I opened my phone and checked the various gig groups I was in. I was in countless groups—for background extras, print modeling, commercial gigs, and more. Because of my hospital stay, I had lost too much time. My top priority was finding a quick gig to feed myself.

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Hailed as a “Genius Bomb Technician,” I accidentally stumbled onto the set of a live-streamed reality show and was mocked by various celebrities for supposedly being desperate for fame. I offered a shy, toothy smile: “Should I leave then?” “Doesn’t matter to me. The bomb will explode anyway.” Heavily armed tactical units rushed in frantically: “Priority one: Protect the nation’s top bomb disposal expert!” 01 I stared deadpan at the man in front of me: “Is it fried?” He furrowed his brow: “It’s fried, it’s fried!” In my earpiece, the desperate, cracking voice of Captain David Miller from the SWAT team rang out: “My dearest princess!” “I am begging you!” “Before a mission, can you please stop eating fried chicken?! It’s bad luck!” The owner of the fried chicken stand right across the street happened to hand me a fresh, piping hot, mouth-watering order. I couldn’t help but take a deep breath: Ah! The smell of happiness! I stuffed my mouth full of steaming fried chicken and seriously rebutted David: “We must fight superstition and believe in science!” “Look at you. Every time you’re on PTO, you get called in for a Level 1 emergency.” “I haven’t even complained about you being bad luck, why are you complaining about the fried chicken?” “Besides, if I die a heroic death out there, at least I’ll have a chicken to keep me company, right?” David said, exasperated: “If you die a heroic death, I’m going down with you.” “Isn’t having me keep you company on the way to hell enough?” Tears of emotion welled up in my eyes: “Thank you~ I choose the chicken.” David: “…” As the nation’s best bomb technician, dubbed the “Genius Girl,” the fact that I have to eat a serving of fried chicken before and after every mission is widely known throughout the precinct. I practically single-handedly kept the fried chicken joint downstairs in business. Everyone says: “There’s no bomb Chloe Quinn can’t defuse, and no fried chicken she can’t finish.” 02 David and I are a “golden duo” of extreme contrasts. I’m always goofing off but consistently save the day at the last second. David is serious and by-the-book, the poster boy for a good cop, but complications constantly arise around him; even bad luck tries to avoid him. As for this time, David was urgently called back from his PTO yet again. An anonymous tip reported a bomb planted at 109 North Temple Street. Upon receiving the message, I vaulted out of my chair and commanded: “David, go get the car!” “Pick me up in front of the fried chicken place downstairs!” Before David could even express his exasperation, I had already expertly vanished from his sight. After all, getting the fried chicken required a quality check. I absolutely could not delay the mission. 03 By the time we arrived at the scene, the evacuation was already complete. I listened to a colleague brief me on the situation while putting on my bomb suit. David reached for a bomb suit to go with me, but I stopped him. I waved the file in my hand: “The explosive payload is over 250 grams of TNT.” “According to protocol, only one person approaches.” David frowned, clearly uneasy. But I had already finished putting on the suit and was walking toward the bomb with my tool kit. The bomb was placed in a dumpster that even stray dogs avoided. A food waste dumpster, to be exact. Before I even got close, I could feel the fried chicken doing flips in my stomach. Suppressing my nausea, I found the bomb beneath a pile of rotten eggs and decaying cabbage leaves. The moment I saw the device, my pupils contracted. David’s anxious voice crackled in the earpiece: “What’s wrong? How long until detonation?” I steadied my nerves and replied: “Half an hour.” Before David could breathe a sigh of relief, my next sentence almost sent him to the afterlife: “But the bomb has a dual-trigger mechanism.” “It can be detonated remotely.” Not only did David gasp, but the expressions of everyone on scene turned grave. A remote detonator meant the bomb-maker could blow me sky-high at any given second. And I had absolutely no chance of survival. 04 David suggested over the earpiece that I pull back first, allowing multiple teams to assess before deciding on a course of action. But I had already started dismantling it. Every minute the bomb existed was a minute of danger. David was furious, but he didn’t dare say anything, afraid of breaking my concentration. I focused entirely on the bomb, making non-stop calculations and judgments. Beads of sweat rolled down my forehead, but I had no time to wipe them. Soon, only the last wire remained. I exhaled a breath: “David, do you prefer red or blue?” David tried to maintain his composure through deep breathing, with… limited success: “I pre… I prefer your grandmother’s second uncle!” “Hurry up and cut it!” “The suspect could detonate it any second!” I kept my tone light: “My grandmother’s second uncle just celebrated his 80th birthday this year.” “But age is just a number~” Before David could say anything else, my hand moved like lightning, snip, and I cut the blue wire. David let out a sharp gasp of “Hah,” and then time seemed to freeze for everyone on scene. The countdown timer froze at and stopped ticking down. Everyone breathed a collective sigh of relief, and David wiped his face: “Next time you’re going to cut the last wire, could you give a little warning?!” “My hair almost fell out from the stress!” 05 My job was done, and the follow-up investigation was primarily David’s responsibility. But a lingering doubt hovered in everyone’s minds: Who exactly planted the bomb? If they set up a remote detonator, why did they allow me to defuse it? What was their goal? David arranged for someone to take me back to the precinct, and, following tradition, I went downstairs to buy fried chicken. The owner of the fried chicken stand was running around frantically. Seeing me, he smiled: “Off work?” “Wait a sec, I have it ready for you, frying it right now!” The owner was frying chicken with one hand and answering the phone with the other: “Right away, right away!” “There are no delivery drivers picking up orders in this area, my hands are tied!” “We’ll get your food to you as soon as possible.” I took the fried chicken the owner handed me, raised an eyebrow, and smiled: “Business is good, huh.” The owner sighed helplessly: “Ugh, nowadays there are so many delivery orders, but no one to deliver them. If we’re not careful, we might get a bad review.” I thought for a moment: “Boss, I just got off work. How about I deliver it for you?” The owner was both surprised and delighted: “Oh my! That would be a huge help!” I took the packaged delivery order and checked the address: It wasn’t far. A well-known entertainment and live-streaming company downtown. 06 I reached my destination smoothly. As soon as the elevator doors opened, a shrill female voice rang out: “Fine, so I couldn’t eat!” “But I can’t even get a nap without this noise?!” “What am I paying you people for?!” “You’re all fired!” Another voice chimed in: “Serena, the live stream is about to start.” The legendary Serena strutted past me, smelling like expensive perfume, her face twisted in a sour scowl. I have a sensitive nose, and I couldn’t help but cover my mouth and sneeze, “Achoo!” Serena immediately shot me a look of disgust: “Gross!” Me: ??? At this moment, I also recognized her. She was a recently popular rising starlet, known for her “spoiled, diva princess” persona. Have to say, she was playing the role perfectly. She immediately noticed the delivery bag in my hand: “Oh, so you’re the delivery driver?” “No wonder you’re a loser, delivering food so slowly!” “This is all you’ll ever be good for!” “Assistant, give the restaurant and the driver a one-star review!” After saying that, she sashayed away, with someone beside her carrying a prop case she needed for the live stream. The assistant took the bag from me with a bitter expression and whispered: “Don’t worry, I won’t leave a bad review.” “You should get going.” I was too lazy to say anything, shrugged, and prepared to leave. Just as I turned around, I heard the assistant complaining to someone else: “I don’t know where that alarm clock sound came from, it was so loud.” “It ruined Serena’s nap, and we got yelled at because of it.” My feet stopped instantly, and I turned back to ask: “What kind of alarm clock sound?” The assistant thought for a moment and answered seriously: “It was like a tick, tick, tick sound, very loud.” “It felt like it was coming from Serena’s prop case.” I frowned, a sliver of suspicion forming in my mind. It took me only one second to make a decision. I turned on my heel and walked toward the studio. 07 The live stream had already started in the studio, and the tool case was sitting in a corner. I tried to walk over as quietly as possible to avoid interrupting the broadcast. To my utter surprise, before my hand even touched the case, Serena’s voice rang out abruptly: “Hey! You delivery driver!” “What are you doing? Stealing?!” “Do you have no professional ethics?!” I… When you’re talking, do you even consider that you’re on a live broadcast? Which one of us lacks professional ethics? But the eyes of everyone in the room were already fixed on me, and even the camera swung my way. The live chat started scrolling rapidly: [What’s going on? Who is this?] [Did the producers plant a random person? She’s actually pretty cute!] [Look, Serena looks like she’s about to lose her mind.] Indeed, Serena had a mocking look on her face, ranting aggressively: “She’s just a delivery driver!” “I bet she has ulterior motives!” “She thinks sneaking in here will let her leech off my fame?” “Is she that desperate to be famous?!” Another actress beside her chimed in: “Yeah, little girl, you can’t just get famous just because you have a pretty face.” Seeing someone taking her side, Serena grew even bolder: “I’m famous for a reason, because I’m unique!” I nodded in agreement: “Unique? You are uniquely obnoxious.” The live chat was instantly flooded with a screen full of [LMAOOOOO]: [LMAO this girl is so funny, I’m dying!] [Serena is definitely being a bit too aggressive.] [But it is true that this woman barged into the live stream first, she’s definitely in the wrong here!] Serena had completely lost her mind and started calling for security to throw me out. I ignored the security guard walking toward me and instead quickly opened the tool case. A bomb suddenly appeared right before my eyes. At the same time, the heavy doors to the studio slammed shut and locked, seemingly out of nowhere. Everyone was trapped inside the room. 08 As everyone’s eyes landed on the bomb, the room instantly descended into chaos. Serena screamed hysterically: “Why is there a bomb?!” “Get me out of here!” The security guard pounded frantically on the heavy doors, but it was useless. The cameraman had long abandoned the camera and pulled out his phone to call 911. The live chat was also in an uproar: [A bomb?! Real or fake?] [Doesn’t look fake, look at how crazy everyone is acting.] [Call the police, hurry!] [That girl who stumbled into the stream is so calm?] I raised my voice and shouted: “Everyone, stay where you are!” “Avoid a stampede caused by panic!” The room went instantly quiet, and everyone looked at me. After a long pause, Serena sneered: “Who do you think you are?!” “What gives you the right to order us around?” “Do you really think you’re some kind of savior?” I reached into my pocket, pulled out my badge, flashed it, raised an eyebrow, and smiled: “Well… why wouldn’t I be?” 09 The room was dead silent. The live chat reacted faster than the people on set. [What’s happening? Is the girl a cop?] [Wow! Thank God for her!] [Otherwise, if the bomb went off, they’d be done for!] [Exactly, and Serena is still being relentless.] [Is she openly insulting a public official?!] The veteran director in charge of the set rushed over in a flash, grasping my hand tightly: “Officer! Thank God you’re here! I was terrified!” “What would we do without you?!” The old director had a grip like a vice. I tried to pull my hand away a few times, but failed. I had no choice but to speak up: “I know you’re anxious, but you need to calm down.” “Have everyone move to the other side of the room, and find me a tool kit.” Serena said sarcastically: “Do you even know what you’re doing? Don’t mess with it if you don’t!” “Our lives are worth much more than a lowly cop like you.” “Just a beat cop, stop trying to show off!” “We need an expert for this!” Now, I really didn’t get it. How could anyone be more obnoxious than that jinx, David? I narrowed my eyes, sized her up, then offered a shy, toothy smile: “Should I leave then?” “Doesn’t matter to me. The bomb will explode anyway.” “And did you forget that this is still being live-streamed?” “Watch out, or you’ll ruin your precious image!” Only then did Serena realize that the cameras were still rolling, and her every word and action had been exposed to the audience. Netizens were already furious: [What does she mean, her life is more valuable? Are other people’s lives worthless?] [In her eyes, we’re all just ants!] [Unfollowing immediately!] While we were talking, my colleagues who had received the 911 call arrived. David, the “Jinx Pro Max,” shouted through the heavy doors: “Can anyone inside hear me?” “Can someone give me a brief description of the situation inside?” I walked over to the door and cleared my throat: “The explosive payload is over 500 grams of TNT.” “It’s still a dual-trigger mechanism, timer and remote.” “I have reason to believe this was made by the same person as the previous bomb.” “The countdown has 1 hour left. We have enough time.” “My recommendation is to set up electronic signal jammers first, then breach the door and evacuate the civilians.” The people in the room stared at me dumbfounded, seemingly unable to understand how I knew so much. After a long pause, David’s voice, laced with denial, came from outside: “My ears have been acting up lately.” “Everyone sounds like Chloe.” I was furious: “David, you jinx! Stop talking nonsense!” “Move your ass!” David was stunned: “Chloe?! Explain yourself! Why are you in there?!” I covered my face, feeling powerless: “You might not believe this if I tell you.” “I was delivering food…” David’s ghostly voice echoed: “Is the precinct holding back your salary, or is your expert stipend not enough for you…” At this moment, the tech team arrived, preparing to set up the signal jammers to prevent the suspect from detonating the bomb remotely. However, a sudden change occurred. Just a moment before the signal jammer was activated, the bomb’s countdown suddenly began ticking down at three times its normal speed. In the blink of an eye, only 40 minutes remained. A terrible premonition washed over me: “Quick, tell the tech team to stop the jamming!” David hastily complied. Instantly, the countdown speed returned to normal. I exhaled a breath, my eyes sweeping over the security cameras around the room: “David, the bomber is warning us.” “No signal jamming, no breaching the door.” “Otherwise, I’m afraid they’ll just detonate the bomb directly.”

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In my past life, my mother was moved by her own self-righteous love. During my SATs, she slipped an “encouraging” note into my pencil case, causing me to be disqualified for cheating. It wasn’t until right before I died that I found out the whole thing was my cousin’s idea. Reborn, I swore to change my destiny and never repeat the same mistakes. They all said my cousin was just “playing a joke” on me. Well, I’m going to return those jokes to them, one by one. What’s wrong? Why aren’t any of you laughing now? 1 When my husband cheated on me and beat me, I begged my mother for support. Instead, she said, “It’s because you’re useless. You can’t even keep your own man.” “So he cheats on me and abuses me, and it’s somehow my fault?” She continued, “Well… you can only blame yourself for being a bad judge of character.” I finally snapped. “You were the one who forced me to marry him!” My mother looked at me in absolute shock. “If you didn’t want to get married, could I have forced you? Everything was your own choice. Don’t blame your failed life on me.” For a moment, I was speechless. She knew better than anyone exactly when my life started to derail. That year, I was a guaranteed lock for the Ivy League. But during the first section of the SATs, I found a piece of paper in my pencil case that didn’t belong to me. I forced myself to stay calm and waited until the exam was over to open it. Inside was a single line written in my mother’s handwriting: “Honey, pay close attention to the details.” She had never cared about my grades before. She didn’t care about my life at school, dedicating all her love and attention to my cousin, Savannah. Yet, she chose the most critical exam of my life to pull a stunt like this. I thought I had dodged a bullet. But after all the subjects were completed, someone reported me. After an investigation, I was ruled guilty of cheating, and all my scores were canceled. I checked the answer keys online afterward. My raw score was high enough to get me into the top-tier university of my dreams. But everything was destroyed because of her self-indulgent “encouragement.” Because of a cheating violation, I lost the chance to retake the exams. I was forced to hustle in the real world with only a high school diploma, hitting a brick wall at every turn. My cheating scandal became their favorite dinnertime gossip. I could never escape it; it defined me in their eyes for years. After my father passed away, my mother guilt-tripped me relentlessly, weaponizing my duty as a daughter until I gave in and married the man she picked out for me: Travis. And yet, she claimed this was all my choice? When Travis hit me, she urged me to keep the peace, telling me not to make a mountain out of a molehill, completely ignoring the bruises on my body. Once, when I fled back to my childhood home, she actually welcomed Travis inside with a massive smile, cooked his favorite meal, and urged us to make up quickly. When I discovered his affairs and demanded a divorce, her only response was to blame me for failing to keep a man happy. My heart completely died. I stopped expecting any support from her. But right before I packed my bags to leave, I overheard her on the phone with Savannah. “Do you think Avery will really hate me?” my mom asked. “Why would she? You caused her SAT scores to be canceled back then, and she forgave you for that, didn’t she? This is exactly the same,” Savannah replied. My mother’s voice trembled slightly. “I caused it? But you were the one who told me to do it! You reported her! And you were the one who introduced Travis to her!” Savannah feigned surprise. “But Auntie, didn’t you ask me how to keep her from moving far away for college? I was just making a joke.” It was only then that I realized my entire life wasn’t destroyed by bad luck or fate. It was orchestrated by them. I drove away in a daze, completely hollowed out, and got into a fatal car crash. When I opened my eyes again, I was back in my senior year of high school. Maybe even God couldn’t stand watching my pathetic, laughable life anymore. Reborn, I swore to never repeat the same mistakes. 2 I had forgotten a lot of the minor details, but the events that ruined my life were burned into my memory. You could say the tragedy of my high school years started exactly here. When Hunter blocked my path in the hallway, I secretly thought to myself, Here we go. With an arrogant, rebellious smirk, he pointed at me like he was granting me a royal favor. “Hey. You’re not bad. Wanna go out with me?” My vow to never repeat my mistakes starts right now. Gasps and whispers erupted from the students around us. In the crowd, I locked eyes with Savannah. She was too young back then; she didn’t know how to hide the look in her eyes. A look of pure, gloating schadenfreude. I looked up at Hunter and smiled brightly. “Sure.” He didn’t get the “flattered and overwhelmed” reaction he expected. He was taken aback, but quickly recovered. He laughed exaggeratedly, looking me up and down with utter disdain. “Actually, looking at you again, you’re not that pretty. And your personality is boring. Let’s break up.” The crowd immediately understood. This was all just a “joke.” The envious looks from the girls instantly morphed into mockery, laughing at me for not knowing my place and thinking I actually had a shot with a rich kid like Hunter. But my reaction still didn’t give them the satisfaction they wanted. I kept my bright smile. “Sure.” My tone didn’t even shift. Looking at me, it seemed like I genuinely didn’t care. Savannah walked over, linking her arm through mine, pretending to be worried. “Avery, you don’t have to act like this. I know you’re hurting. After all, you’ve had a crush on him for…” The moment those words left her mouth, everyone was convinced I was just saving face and dying inside. I brushed her hand off and waved at Brody, who was standing in the crowd. “A bet’s a bet. Three thousand bucks, please.” Everyone in the hallway froze, including Savannah. She couldn’t figure out how the humiliation trap she orchestrated had suddenly flipped. Brody came from old money; three grand was nothing to him. “I don’t have cash on me. I’ll Venmo you later.” Then he turned to Hunter. “Did you team up with her to scam me? You just cost me three grand. You’re paying for the pool tables today.” 3 Hunter finally realized what was happening and glared at me furiously. “You played me?” I shrugged. “Don’t look at me like that. Weren’t you using me for a bet too? Consider this a win-win.” Yes, Hunter’s public confession was nothing but a cruel bet. He bet that I wouldn’t reject him. In my past life, my rejection severely bruised his fragile ego. Afterward, he started aggressively and publicly pursuing me. From start to finish, he only cared about his own amusement, completely ignoring how his actions affected me. He brought me endless, suffocating trouble. Not to mention his army of fan-girls, who thought I was playing hard to get and relentlessly bullied me. I had begged my mother for help, but Savannah got to her first. Savannah convinced her that I was being indecent and trying to seduce boys at school. My mother called me shameless and said that instead of going to college, I should just find a man to marry early. But thinking back on it now, what did any of that have to do with me? It was a completely unprovoked disaster. I stepped closer to Hunter and whispered. “I didn’t want to do this, but you came after me first. I was just acting in self-defense. “You’re not going to be a sore loser and send people to mess with me, are you?” I knew that by saying it out loud, regardless of what he originally planned, his pride wouldn’t let him stoop that low now. Enduring his furious, fiery glare, I casually started digging a pit for Savannah. “Just a little secret between us—someone tipped me off today just to watch you make a fool of yourself. Instead of glaring at me, you should probably figure out who suggested you use me for your bet, and who secretly leaked the plan so I could use you as a pawn.” Exactly. If I hadn’t known about the bet, how could I have prepared so perfectly to publicly embarrass him? Seeing the realization dawn on his face, I smiled with deep satisfaction. Savannah. In our past life, you orchestrated this entire nightmare from the shadows and then faded into the background, keeping your hands perfectly clean. When I finally found out the truth and told my mother, she brushed it off with a casual, “It was just a joke.” My suffering, my misery, my ruined life—all dismissed as a “joke.” A joke? Savannah, let’s see if you’re still laughing in this lifetime. 4 When Savannah came looking for me later, I was memorizing SAT vocabulary. In my past life, after my college dreams were destroyed, I threw all these books away. If I had known I’d get a second chance, I would have studied them religiously every single day. She stormed into my room and violently swept everything off my desk, scattering my books across the floor. “Avery! What the hell did you say to Hunter?! Why did he come to me threatening to make my life a living hell?!” My parents rushed into the room right behind her. My mother looked at me, her eyes full of disappointment. “Avery, how could you team up with outsiders to bully your own cousin?” When I suffered, it was just my cousin playing a joke. When she suffers, it’s me teaming up with outsiders to bully her. I looked at the mess on the floor, my heart completely at peace. I had long since accepted the fact that I would never be the favorite. I calmly told them the truth. I just received a tip-off and flipped the script when I was being mocked. “It was just a harmless joke. Did you really need to be so cruel to your own family?” my dad said. A joke. Do I look like I’m laughing? I feigned perfect innocence. “What does this have to do with Savannah? I only told Hunter that I was grateful someone gave me a heads-up so we were even. I didn’t say anything else! “Were your friends just playing a joke on you, Savannah, but you misunderstood?” They were left speechless. Savannah stamped her foot in frustration and stormed out. Before my parents left the room, I asked if they could install a lock on my door. They refused. My room used to have a lock, but they took it off years ago. In this house, I wasn’t even allowed to close my bedroom door all the way. They could barge in whenever they wanted, without knocking, treating my personal space like a public hallway. That was also why I never kept a diary. Rather than treating me like their child, it felt more like I was their property. I didn’t need to have my own thoughts or opinions; I just needed to obey. That was why, when I expressed my desire to go to an out-of-state university in my past life, my mother was willing to destroy my future just to keep me chained to her side. I won’t let them have their way this time. 5 In my past life, I had always suspected Savannah was behind the bullying I endured. Even though I was the innocent victim, those girls treated me like a thorn in their side, targeting me relentlessly. My desk would constantly be covered in ink, chalk dust, and sticky, dried soda. If I handed in an assignment, it would invariably be returned to me defaced with vile, disgusting insults. Or… just like what was happening right now. Written in bold letters across the classroom whiteboard were phrases like: “Avery is a slut,” “Shameless whore,” and “Cheap trash.” When I walked into the classroom, some students looked worried, while others wore expressions of eager anticipation, waiting for the drama. But to everyone’s surprise, I didn’t furiously demand to know who did it, nor did I panic and try to erase the words. I simply walked to my seat, sat down, and calmly opened my textbook to read. As the digital clock above the whiteboard ticked closer to the start of homeroom, some students started shifting uneasily in their seats. They exchanged nervous glances. Finally, one guy stood up and grabbed the eraser. I smiled. “Tyler, you’re not on whiteboard duty today. Why are you erasing that?” He looked flustered. “Leaving these words up here… it’s not good, right?” I kept smiling, but my voice dropped several degrees, loud enough for the entire room to hear. “There’s nothing wrong with it. Leave it up. Or… did you write it?” He hastily denied it. “If you didn’t write it, why are you erasing it? Nobody touches that board! Whoever erases it, I’ll assume is the culprit.” He was stunned into silence and awkwardly shuffled back to his seat. The unspoken rule of high school bullying is that these petty, malicious acts must be done secretly. You can’t let a teacher catch you red-handed. Even if they do catch you, you have to be able to play it off as “just messing around.” But this was clearly crossing a massive line. The homeroom teacher could walk in at any second. Maybe this minute, maybe the next. Finally, someone couldn’t sit still anymore. She marched to the front and wiped the board completely clean. It was Tyler’s crush, Blair. She looked incredibly plain—average looks, average grades, average family background. Savannah looked down on her, but Blair was more than happy to act as Savannah’s loyal lapdog, doing her dirty work. Too bad for her, they wouldn’t even be speaking to each other by the time graduation rolled around. I walked straight up to her. “Blair, did you do this?” Her eyes darted away, but she forced herself to act tough. “So what if I did? You messed with Hunter. Do you really have zero self-awareness?” She was trying to use Hunter’s reputation to scare me into backing down. I smiled, grabbed her by the collar, and dragged her forcefully down the hall, kicking the door to Hunter’s classroom wide open. Savannah was in there too. Naturally, Hunter hadn’t arrived for homeroom yet, but that didn’t matter. Even though the room fell dead silent the moment I kicked the door open, I still slammed my hand onto the teacher’s podium. “Hey, Class 4! Your boy Hunter lost a bet and is too much of a coward to own it, so he sends girls to do his dirty work. Do me a favor and pass a message to him. “If you can’t handle losing, don’t play the game. Pathetic loser.” 6 I went viral. Literally. It got so bad the homeroom teacher hauled me into his office. Both of our parents were called in. Tyler’s mother was a very plain-looking woman, likely a stay-at-home mom, and she looked incredibly nervous. My parents couldn’t make it right away; they said they’d be there later. In front of the teacher and his mother, Tyler’s story did a complete 180. “I was just playing a joke with a classmate. You’re completely overreacting,” he mumbled, looking down like he was the one being victimized. His mother nodded vigorously. “Yes, Mr. Davis. Our boy is usually so well-behaved. This must be a huge misunderstanding.” The teacher looked at me. “Students should be kind to one another. We can’t have this kind of intense hostility. How about you both apologize, write a reflection essay, read it at the assembly next week, and we just put this behind us?” Everyone loves “jokes,” huh? Why is your sense of humor so twisted? I let out a cold, sarcastic chuckle. “Sure. Tyler, why don’t you repeat the exact ‘joke’ you wrote on the board to your mom right now? If you do, I’ll let it go.” He snapped his head up, glaring at me with venomous eyes. My voice was dead calm. “There are some jokes that, if you wouldn’t say them to your own mother, you shouldn’t say them to another girl. Since you think it was just a joke, who’s going to say it now? You, or me?” He stammered, unable to form a single word. He wouldn’t say it, so I did. I repeated the vile words written on the whiteboard, syllable by syllable. His mother finally realized what her “well-behaved” angel had been up to. She was shaking with rage. Right then, I gave him an out. “I know this wasn’t originally your idea. Did someone else tell you to do it? Who was it? Tell me, and I won’t hold you responsible.” Just as he hesitated, about to spit out the name, a knock came at the door. “Reporting.” Hunter called out and walked in without waiting for the teacher to say ‘come in.’ I don’t know how long he’d been listening, but he spoke immediately. “Don’t bother. I know who it is.” He walked up to Tyler, looking down at him. “Savannah, right?” He looked at me, rolling his eyes. “I, Hunter, am not a sore loser. I’ve already told everyone: from now on, absolutely no one is allowed to give you a hard time.” Hunter was arrogant and proud. Dragging him into this mess had actually paid off. At this point, I didn’t care about their petty high school drama, but… Flies aren’t deadly, but they are incredibly disgusting. They knew how to use others’ influence to bully me, and now I knew how to do the same. Sharpening the axe won’t delay the woodcutting. From now on, I wouldn’t have to waste my study time dealing with this garbage. Just as I was thinking this, a man burst into the office and slapped me hard across the face. “You ungrateful wretch! Teaming up with outsiders to spread vicious rumors about your own cousin! How did I raise a daughter like you? Apologize to her right now!” My mother didn’t stop him. She just told the teacher that I was completely out of line and that they would teach me a strict lesson. It seems the news of what Savannah did had been broadcasted by Hunter. My nose burned. A trail of blood ran down my lip, and the metallic taste of copper filled my throat. I sneered internally, feeling a wave of deep sorrow: I really wanted to know, how the hell did I end up as your daughter? 7 Everyone in the room was stunned. The sudden, brutal escalation of violence was completely unexpected. I was the calmest person in the room. I pulled a tissue from my pocket, pinched my bleeding nose, and looked at the teacher. “Can I still apply for campus housing?” I lowered my eyelashes. “Staying at home makes it very difficult for me to study.” As for the reason why, everyone in the room now had a crystal-clear picture. Having a toxic family like this was terrifying. The homeroom teacher stammered. Everything had happened so fast, he hadn’t even had a chance to try and smooth things over. “What do you mean?! Do we starve you? Do we not buy you clothes? You frame your cousin, and now you’re playing the victim?!” He raised his hand to hit me across the back, but shockingly, Hunter stepped in and blocked his arm. I hadn’t even said a word, but Hunter apparently understood everything. “You’re a teenager messing around with sketchy people! Raising a dog is better than raising you; at least a dog wags its tail! You only embarrass me in public! You’re not going to school for the next two days, you’re coming home with me right now!” He reached out to drag me away. The homeroom teacher finally snapped out of it, standing up and blocking his path. Tyler’s mother also quickly pulled me aside. “Mr. Miller, I think you’re misunderstanding the situation. You weren’t called here today because Avery did something wrong. And we don’t tolerate hitting children here.” Hunter wasn’t intimidated by my dad in the slightest. He stepped forward, his tall frame forcing my dad to take a subconscious half-step back. “The other day, I was just playing a joke on your daughter. My bad. “As for Savannah, I’m the one who leaked that information. It has nothing to do with Avery. But it wasn’t a rumor; it’s the truth. If you have a problem with it, take it up with me. Bullying your own kid just proves you’re a coward.” Tyler’s mom instinctively patted my shoulder, trying to comfort me. In her arms, I actually felt a shred of warmth. Meanwhile, my own biological mother was only worried that this arrogant, hot-headed student might actually throw a punch at her husband. Even if I had genuinely been beaten, she would have just stood on the sidelines urging me to quickly admit I was wrong. I had told myself I had accepted not being loved by them. Yet, being held by a total stranger, my heart trembled, and I was on the verge of tears.

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After my childhood sweetheart and I plunged into yet another cold war, I didn’t try to coax him out of it like I usually did. My friends tried to advise me. “He’s just awkward. He says things he doesn’t mean.” “A complicated guy like him just needs a patient partner to understand him.” But I was truly exhausted, and I didn’t want to lower my head anymore. The years of cold wars, arguments, and his constant emotional evasion had worn me down to the point where I couldn’t tell anymore—was it just his personality, or did he simply not love me? So, when he threatened me with a breakup once again. I said, “Okay. Let’s break up.” 01 Hearing me say that, Nolan visibly froze. But I kept my head down, my voice steady as I continued. “I’ll pack my things and move out as soon as possible. “We can forget about the furniture we bought together; you can keep it all. “As for the clothes you left at my place, please come get them when you can. Or I can box them up and ship them to you…” In the quiet room, only my voice echoed. The dark cloud on Nolan’s face slowly shifted into a blank, icy mask. He suddenly cut me off. “What about Waffles? How are we splitting him?” Waffles was a stray cat I had found at the entrance of our apartment complex. I took him in and paid for all his food and vet bills. But he never really warmed up to me. Eight times out of ten, he wouldn’t let me hold him, and he had even scratched my wrist a few times. Nolan, on the other hand, was indifferent to the cat and barely looked at him. Yet Waffles would actively rub against his legs, meowing and begging for his attention. “You can keep him, too.” I exhaled a heavy breath. No matter how much you love something, being treated with such blatant favoritism will eventually chill your heart. “Clara.” Nolan’s voice was tight with suppressed anger. “You’re the one who missed Valentine’s Day, and now you’re the one throwing a tantrum?” But wasn’t Nolan the one who brought up breaking up first? Perhaps he forgot. After all, “breaking up” was his favorite phrase. Because he knew the threat worked on me, it became his weapon of choice. “I told you, my flight was delayed. That’s why I got back late.” Nolan just sneered. “Excuses. Why couldn’t you book an earlier flight?” For this business trip, I had worked fourteen-hour days back-to-back to compress my schedule, just so I could make the flight back that very day. But Nolan wouldn’t listen. He would just find a hundred other reasons to blame me. So I fell silent. A deep, overwhelming sense of powerlessness washed over me. Nolan took a few steps toward the door, then turned back, his tone freezing. “Until you realize what you did wrong, I’m not coming back.” I said, “We are already broken up.” But it was as if Nolan didn’t even hear me. He tilted his head and continued on his own track. “I’m giving you one last chance. I’m not just mad that you were late.” This was the first time he had ever said something like that. Usually, he would just slam the door and leave. Though his tone was still rigid and unforgiving. “Think about it. Then come find me and apologize.” 02 I sat on the sofa for a long time. Finally, I dragged my exhausted body up and cleaned the living room. I fished the gift out of the trash can. It was a gift I had spent hours searching for during my trip abroad, carefully handpicked from dozens of stores. But the recipient hadn’t even given it a second glance. He didn’t cherish it. So, just like the mess scattered across the floor, it was worthless. After cleaning the living room, I went to the bedroom to pack. This was Nolan’s apartment. Every corner of the place held traces of my existence. The mugs we picked out together, the throw blankets, the matching dinnerware… I only packed a few pieces of clothing, grabbed my suitcase, and walked out. As I reached the front door, a yellow blur suddenly dashed out. As if trying to stop me, Waffles lay flat right in the middle of the living room, refusing to move. His big, round eyes stared intensely at me. When I first found him, he was dirty, skinny, and malnourished. Now, his fur was fluffy and shiny. He looked incredibly lovable. I crouched down. Uncharacteristically, Waffles didn’t reject my touch. I rubbed his head. “I’m leaving. He’ll take good care of you from now on.” Waffles should be happy with this outcome. After all, he always preferred Nolan. Unlike me, who could never seem to win his affection. I gently pried his claws off my pant leg. Ignoring his distressed meows, I grabbed my suitcase and left. 03 Just as I walked out of the apartment complex, I received a phone call. It was from one of Nolan’s friends, Mason. His tone was accusatory. “Clara, why are you and Nolan fighting again? He’s at my bar drinking himself half to death, and no one can stop him. “Get over here and take him home. He’s going to wreck my place.” I felt a wave of exhaustion. “I don’t even know why he’s mad. He flipped a table the second he walked through the door.” There was a pause on the other end of the line, followed by a surprised tone. “You don’t know? He found out you had dinner with another guy, and the guy even drove you back to your hotel. Nolan is jealous.” I explained, “That was a client. We only had dinner for business, and he drove me because it was pouring rain and I couldn’t get an Uber.” So that was why Nolan was actually angry. Nolan had always been like this. If I spoke a few extra words to another man, he would get jealous and throw a fit. I knew it was because he loved me and was possessive of me. But right now, I just felt tired. “I could have explained all of that. What I don’t understand is…” I spoke softly into the phone. “Why would he rather complain to all of you than just ask me?” I had once asked my best friend what she did when she and her boyfriend fought. She thought about it and said, “It depends on who is in the wrong. We wait until we both calm down, and then we talk it out.” But Nolan wouldn’t do that. He kept everything bottled up. I never knew why he was angry. I always had to guess, or go ask his friends. I couldn’t understand why he refused to communicate with me. I also couldn’t understand why he preferred pouring his heart out to his friends rather than just asking me for the truth. Later, I learned a term for it: Emotionally constipated. Nolan was the most emotionally constipated and avoidant person I had ever met. He was sensitive and unpredictable. He only knew how to retreat, hide, and test my boundaries with cold, hurtful words. Everyone says avoidant people aren’t fit for relationships. But I didn’t believe them. I threw myself at him with everything I had. But now, I was lost. If a relationship requires one person to do all the initiating, all the compromising, and all the guessing… Can it really last? 04 I moved into my own apartment. But we still had to see each other at work. We both worked at the same aerospace research facility, just in different departments. During a project handover, I saw a young woman following close behind Nolan. She had a fresh, innocent vibe. She was a new researcher who had joined this year, named Lily. When Nolan saw me, his eyes instantly lit up. But I didn’t look at him. I just calmly went through the handover protocols. Instantly, the warmth vanished from Nolan’s face, replaced by a chilling coldness. He stared straight ahead and brushed past me without a single word. I heard Lily gossiping curiously with a coworker. “Why does Mr. Pierce have such a huge scar on his arm? It scared me the first time I saw it.” Someone answered her. “You’re new, so you don’t know. Mr. Pierce and Clara from the neighboring department are the facility’s golden couple. “He got that scar during an earthquake drill in college when he protected Clara from falling debris. I heard that because of that scar, he failed the physical to become an Air Force pilot. So he changed his major and eventually came to our research facility instead.” Lily’s eyes filled with envy. “That is so moving. They really are a golden couple.” The gossip ignited the romantic imaginations of everyone around. From Nolan giving up his dream for me, to him applying to the research facility just to be with me. Everyone praised Nolan’s deep devotion and expressed their envy toward me. In their eyes, our recent cold war was just a lovers’ spat. “I bet my money Clara will be the first to apologize again.” “Last time she bought us all Starbucks. What will it be this time? I’m craving cupcakes.” “I disagree, that’s cheating! When has Clara not been the first to cave? If you bet that Mr. Pierce apologizes first, then I’ll take that bet.” I stood in the corner, listening to their laughter in silence. But this time, they were all wrong. “Nolan and I have broken up. Please don’t bring this up again.” My announcement killed the conversation instantly. Everyone exchanged awkward glances and quickly dispersed. The truth was, our relationship was nowhere near as perfect as outsiders thought. The endless cold wars and arguments… Had long since covered our relationship in invisible, irreparable cracks. I really wanted to know. When I stopped trying to fix it, when I stopped trying to save us… Nolan, would you even notice? Would you try to win me back? This time, would you be the one to apologize first? 05 For an entire month. Nolan and I treated each other like strangers. It was a battle of wills, and neither of us was willing to bow our heads. Meanwhile, Lily and Nolan were getting closer. They ate lunch together and left work together. Even during the weekend company retreat, Nolan chose her as his hiking partner. Lily, however, seemed hesitant. “Is this okay? What about Clara?” Nolan’s tone was icy. “Didn’t we break up? Why should I care what she does?” He didn’t lower his voice; everyone around could hear him. “Besides, she loves having dinner with other men. I’m sure she can find someone to hike with her.” Instantly, the way people looked at me changed. Whispers broke out. “Nolan is such a great boyfriend and she didn’t cherish him. She was out flirting with other guys? No wonder he dumped her.” The gossiping crowd only dispersed when I walked closer. Halfway up the mountain, Lily twisted her ankle. Without a word, Nolan crouched down and offered her his back, carrying her up the trail. Lily sounded guilty. “I’m so sorry, Mr. Pierce. I’m going to make us finish last.” Nolan comforted her gently. “It’s fine. We’re just here to relax. The ranking doesn’t matter.” I was trailing far behind them. There was an odd number of people on this trip, and everyone had already paired up. I didn’t want to third-wheel, so I hiked alone. I was never very athletic, and by now, I was panting heavily. Ahead of me, the atmosphere between the two of them was harmonious. I even heard someone praising Nolan for being such a dependable gentleman. 06 Nolan was indeed a very dependable man. He was polite and chivalrous to everyone—except me. In college, he was our class president. During that earthquake drill… Everyone rushed out of the building. He was the only one who ran back in, finding me—who had sprained my ankle a few days prior—and carrying me out on his back. The whole school talked about it, and everyone envied my luck. But at the time, Nolan was actually scolding me. “Do you know how much of a burden you are? If your ankle is sprained, why did you even come to class? “Because of you, our class is going to finish dead last in the drill. “Clara, you literally ruin everything you touch.” I actually wanted to tell him that I had already gotten permission from the professor to skip the drill. But listening to his harsh words, I didn’t want to argue and make him angrier. Later, his friends told me Nolan just had a sharp tongue but a soft heart. He was worried about my ankle and wanted me to rest at home. Afterward, he even sought out a specialist to get me the best physical therapy patches. “He makes fifty bucks a day at his campus job, but one of those patches costs forty. He didn’t even hesitate and bought you a two-week supply.” My best friend was so jealous. “He’s just awkward, but he truly loves you. That ‘tsundere’ personality is so romantic.” But now, watching Nolan comfort Lily… I realized he wasn’t incapable of being gentle. He just refused to be gentle with me. I could only feel his love through the words and actions relayed by other people. I never felt it directly from his attitude toward me. He was always snapping at me, giving me the cold shoulder. Calling me stupid, calling me careless. Cutting up a scarf someone else gifted me, smashing a Nintendo Switch a coworker lent me. I convinced myself he was just jealous, that he just cared too much. And so, after being pushed away time and time again, after being stonewalled time and time again… I would gaslight myself, then force myself to be enthusiastic, apologizing and compromising tirelessly. But… enthusiasm needs to be reciprocated. In this relationship, I wasn’t bulletproof. I felt wronged and heartbroken, too. The way an avoidant person acts is so painfully similar to someone who just doesn’t love you. I had been hurting for so long that I could no longer tell the difference. Was Nolan truly just emotionally constipated, or did he simply not love me anymore? 07 And so, I stopped walking and withdrew from the retreat. I texted my supervisor, saying I wasn’t feeling well. After going home, I boxed up the rest of the things Nolan had left at my place. I included all the gifts he had given me over the years. I called a courier and shipped them all to his apartment. After everything was done, I sat on the sofa in a daze for a while. Then I picked up my phone and sent Nolan a text. Just three simple words. 【Let’s break up.】 Last time, I was just saying it out of anger, still harboring the fantasy that he would come back and apologize. But this time, it was real. I really, truly wanted to end it. 08 The message didn’t go through. I had forgotten. Nolan had blocked my number again. He always did this. The moment a cold war started, he severed all lines of communication. I pursed my lips and asked his friend to pass on the message. In the past, I used to complain about Nolan using his friends as messengers. I didn’t expect that now, I would need to do the same. While sending the text, I accidentally tapped on his friend’s Instagram profile. The newest post was a group photo taken at the beach. Right in the center of the photo were Nolan and Lily. Lily was smiling brightly, her arm resting on Nolan’s back. Nolan also looked completely relaxed. The post date was from a week ago. Right in the middle of our cold war. I stared at it for a long time, then double-tapped to like it. In the past, Nolan was always busy with his research. He used to say that traveling was an economic lie, a trap of consumerism. “The places you want to go are just the scenery the locals are already sick of looking at.” I accommodated him, so we never really traveled anywhere. But now, I suddenly wanted to go somewhere. Perhaps I had also become the scenery Nolan was sick of looking at. So when a younger, prettier girl appeared… He picked a fight and started a cold war. Some people say love is being cold to everyone else but gentle to you. Nolan was the exact opposite. He gave Lily gentle encouragement, but only gave me cold, harsh words. It was my own fault for being oblivious and not seeing the annoyance in his eyes. 09 I took my paid time off and booked a flight to Sedona, Arizona. The scenery there was beautiful, and the food was amazing. While chatting with an elderly local woman, I asked if she ever got tired of living there her whole life. The old woman chuckled. “This is my home. Seeing my home become more beautiful over the years, I only feel pride. How could I ever get tired of it?” She said she loved Sedona, loved her hometown. I had a sudden realization. People can look at the same scenery forever. As long as there is love, there is no boredom. I didn’t expect to receive a call from Nolan on my third day there. I didn’t know when he had unblocked me. His tone was stiff. “Waffles ran out of food. I don’t know which brand to buy.” I told him the brand, then added: “You can just use Google Image Search on your phone. You don’t need to ask me.” Nolan dodged the suggestion. “I threw the bag away.” He asked again. “Waffles broke his scratching post. What should I do?” “Buy a new one.” “Waffles went out to the patio and rolled in the mud.” “Take him to the groomer for a bath.” … Nolan asked a dozen questions, and I answered them all one by one. Then, we both fell silent. I waited a moment. When he didn’t say anything else, I said: “I’m hanging up. You can Google how to take care of a cat. Don’t ask me anymore.” There was a long silence on the other end. Just before I hung up… Nolan finally spoke. “Waffles misses you. Can you come back and see him?” I didn’t really believe that. Because of our research, Nolan and I often had to travel for work. Every time Nolan came home, Waffles would wait by the door. When he saw Nolan, he would run up, meowing happily. But not for me. I always had to go find him. I missed him when I was away, but Waffles still didn’t care for me. He hid from me. Only with the temptation of cat treats would he reluctantly let me hold him. He never missed me before. Why would he now? I refused. “No. He’s your cat now. It’s not appropriate for me to go see him.” After hanging up, I let out a long breath. I didn’t understand the point of Nolan’s call. Did he really have questions, or did he just find Waffles to be a nuisance? It made sense. He was always so disciplined, calm, and meticulous. Taking care of a living creature was too difficult and messy for him. I tossed and turned until the early hours of the morning. I picked up my phone and typed a text. 【If you think Waffles is too much trouble, you can give him back to me.】 I was afraid Nolan would lose his patience and mistreat Waffles. If he really got annoyed, what if he abandoned him? It was better if I kept him, even if Waffles didn’t like me. I would take responsibility and ensure he had a good life. It was 3 AM, but I didn’t expect an instant reply. 【You want Waffles? Even if it means leaving me, you want to take him?】 Before I could respond, another message came through. 【Then what about me?】 But the very next second, the message was unsent. I wondered if I was seeing things. A moment later, Nolan sent another text. 【Send me your location. I’m bringing Waffles to you.】 10 Inside a local coffee shop in Sedona. Nolan walked in carrying a cat carrier. He looked travel-worn, with faint dark circles under his eyes. I didn’t expect him to arrive so quickly. Calculating the time, he must have booked the earliest flight right after sending that text. As soon as Waffles saw me, he struggled wildly. The moment he was let out, he immediately darted to my feet and crouched down. He rarely treated me the same way he treated Nolan. He meowed at me affectionately, but this time, I only opened the carrier. I didn’t reach out to pick him up. I still had three or four fresh scratch marks on my arm from him. The scars hadn’t faded, and my heartbreak was just as real. After receiving Waffles, I prepared to leave. But Nolan stopped me. He pressed his lips tightly together. “Someone told me. That guy you met on your business trip was just a client. It was my fault for not getting the facts straight and losing my temper at you. “And that Instagram post you liked… my friends took me to the beach to clear my head. We just happened to run into Lily, so we all took a group photo together.” I stopped and listened quietly to what he had to say. He probably thought I broke up with him because I misunderstood his relationship with Lily. But I hadn’t. Even before Lily appeared… Our relationship was already unsustainable. After several attempts, Nolan finally forced the words out. “I’m sorry. The fight last time was my fault.” After he said it, his entire face flushed red. His neck was stiff, and he wouldn’t even meet my eyes. He looked as if he were enduring a massive humiliation. So I asked him, “Nolan, is apologizing to me really that shameful of a thing for you?” Why was it so hard for Nolan to speak, so humiliating? If apologizing felt like a humiliation to him. If yielding meant admitting defeat… Then what about me, the one who always chose to apologize first and yield first? What did that make me? Nolan’s eyes welled with tears. “I thought you knew I was just acting out. Since that day, I’ve been waiting to make up with you. I didn’t want to break up. I just wanted you to coax me.” His fingers trembled as he pulled a small velvet box from his pocket. “I got you a gift, too. It’s that necklace you’ve been wanting.” Nolan’s voice choked up. “Why do you get to just say ‘we’re broken up’ and actually mean it, without any hesitation? “Seven years together, and you walk away so easily. But you only want Waffles, not me.” I felt exhausted. I couldn’t explain it to him in a way he would understand. He thought my breakup text was just an angry threat because that’s exactly what he would do. But when you say hurtful things enough times, they become reality. I said, “I’m not breaking up with you because of anyone else. It’s because of your personality. “You constantly refuse to communicate, you’re hopelessly avoidant, and you always run away from our problems.” Nolan clenched his fists. He turned the blame on me. “In the end, those are all just excuses. It’s just because you don’t love me enough. “You want to give up on me. You want to give up on us.” Nolan repeated it, emphasizing every word, his eyes bloodshot. “Clara, you just don’t love me enough.” Seven years of chasing him. Seven years of taking the initiative. And in the end, my reward was the accusation that I “didn’t love him enough.” I asked him, “What about you? Have you ever made a single change because you loved me?” I knew he was avoidant. I knew he was sensitive. I knew he was deeply insecure. So I was always incredibly careful to protect his feelings. I never dared to threaten a breakup in anger. Because I knew that once those words were spoken… With Nolan’s pride, he would never bow his head, and we would be over for good. But he could act as recklessly as he wanted, knowing I would always cave. I always tried so hard to be the patient lover who could never be chased away. But loving someone like this was just too exhausting. I took a hundred steps toward Nolan, but he felt that even turning around to look at me was too humiliating. And so, in the end, my love was ground down to nothing. Bearing the guilt of “not loving him enough,” I simply didn’t want to hold on anymore. We both ended up battered and bruised. The person who loves you the most knows exactly what words will cut you the deepest. So I fired back at Nolan, enunciating every word clearly. “Nolan, no one can tolerate you. “And no one will ever love you like I did. You don’t deserve to be loved by anyone.” 11 After the trip, I applied for a transfer. I moved to our research facility in Austin, Texas. The equipment there was more advanced, providing me with better career opportunities. Before I left, Lily approached me hesitantly. “Clara, I’m so sorry. I really just happened to run into Mr. Pierce at the beach that time. He was in a really bad mood, which is why he went there to clear his head.” I glanced at her, then looked back down at my boxes. “You don’t need to apologize to me. Nolan is the one who owes you an apology.” The girl was young; she hadn’t realized how obvious the adoration in her eyes was. And Nolan getting close to her was definitely intentional. Nolan was a germaphobe, both physically and emotionally. I never doubted his loyalty and faithfulness. I knew he just wanted to make me jealous, to force me to go to him. It was the only tactic he dared to use. During our previous cold wars, I had also tried to make him jealous. I had hoped against hope that it would make him feel a sense of crisis and stop taking his anger out on me. But it didn’t. Nolan threw all my belongings out the door. He completely ignored me and even made his friends block my number. That was when I realized those tactics didn’t work on him. If I took one step back, he would retreat a hundred steps. Our relationship could only survive if one person clung to it desperately, refusing to let go. And that person was always me.

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I was known as the “airhead eye candy” of the entertainment industry. Because I admitted in an interview that I had never taken the SATs, netizens had been mocking me for years. In contrast, the “genius straight-A student” actress, Chloe, had a much better public image, and her fans constantly used me as a stepping stone to praise her. Until one day, a renowned physics professor at MIT posted on Facebook: [The two best students both went into acting! Not a single one is doing experiments! Angry.] That night, it trended. In an interview the next day, Chloe complained playfully: “Professor, I need my dignity too! My acting won’t delay my experiments!” I pondered this bitterly. I was in the physics department at MIT, and I didn’t think I had ever seen her there. 01 After finishing a day’s shoot, I happily sat in the chauffeured van heading back to the hotel, scrolling through my feed. The very first post was from Professor Davis. [The two best students both went into acting! Not a single one is doing experiments! Angry.] Feeling a bit guilty, I rubbed my nose and replied with an emoji of a little penguin falling over. A moment later, Caleb also saw the post. He replied to me with the exact same penguin emoji. I rolled my eyes in annoyance. Caleb and I were both admitted to MIT through the National Physics Olympiad. From the state training camp, we had noticed each other, constantly competing neck-and-neck until the very end. Since we won gold medals in our junior year and secured early admission, we had nothing to do, so Caleb and I participated in quite a few physics events together. Entering MIT, we were under the same professor, so we were decent friends. Later, he discovered a passion for music, and I discovered a passion for acting. We both used our summer breaks to pursue these side hustles. However, our status in the entertainment industry was worlds apart. He was a genius, chart-topping pop star, while I was an infamous, poorly-educated actress known for scandals. Half a year ago, I don’t know what got into him, but he suddenly insisted on breaking into acting, and insisted on co-starring with me. “I don’t care, you’re my junior, you have to guide me!” Caleb argued unreasonably. “I’m your senior!” I was exasperated. Back in the Physics Olympiad, I was clearly the national champion! “Also, with my scandalous reputation and terrible public image, acting with me will get you dragged!” Caleb frowned: “Why didn’t you ever clarify the thing about you not taking the SATs?” I shrugged: “The agency won’t let me. They insisted I’m suited for the ‘beautiful airhead with a scandalous reputation’ route.” “But luckily, my contract is almost up, and I don’t plan on renewing. I feel like the entertainment industry just isn’t for me,” I whispered. “Besides, if I keep delaying my thesis, old Davis is going to lose his mind!!” 02 Early the next morning, still half-asleep in the van on my way to an interview, my young assistant suddenly turned around anxiously: “Aria, look at the trending topics!! We’re doomed, we’re doomed, boo-hoo-hoo!” Filled with question marks, I opened Twitter and found Chloe’s name glaringly occupying the top spots. #MITPhysicsDepartmentChloe #GeniusStraightAGirlFromOlympiad #ChloeRevealsAnotherHiddenIdentity #MITProfessor:TheBestStudentsWentIntoActing[Crying] #ChloeIsAwesome After reading through the gossip, I finally understood what was going on. Last night, someone anonymously took a screenshot of Professor Davis’s Facebook post and uploaded it online. [The two best students both went into acting! Not a single one is doing experiments! Angry.] The person who took the screenshot probably didn’t have me as a friend, so underneath, they could only see Caleb’s comment with the falling penguin emoji. Professor Davis’s humorous tone created a stark contrast with his status as an MIT physics professor. Combined with Caleb’s massive fanbase, it went semi-viral last night and hit the trending topics. Many gossip accounts even made compilation videos. [The sharp-tongued pop star facing others: Roasting heaven, earth, and the air itself.] [The sharp-tongued pop star facing his teacher: Falling penguin emoji.] The comments section was filled with amusement. But many people were also confused. Because in the entertainment industry, the public only knew Caleb as an MIT physics student. But Professor Davis said “two best students,” so who was the other actor? A little while later, perhaps by coincidence, Chloe posted a tweet. “Although Caleb and I are working hard at acting, it always feels like we’re neglecting our true calling and getting caught by the teacher…” The accompanying photo was a pouty selfie of her on set, with a corner of a physics journal visible on the table. The whole internet instantly boiled over. [So it’s Chloe!!] [Oh my god, is this a public admission?!] [My Chloe is so amazing!] [I knew my Chloe was awesome, but I didn’t know she was THIS awesome!] [How can there be a girl who is both beautiful and a STEM genius? Boo-hoo, I’m bowing down to Chloe!] Me: ? First of all, when did I get a new junior? My assistant in the front seat was still wailing: “Boo-hoo-hoo Aria, she’s definitely going to use you as a stepping stone in today’s interview again! Why are our rivals so strong, boo-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo!” Chloe was a famous straight-A student in the industry. Because our acting styles were similar, we were always being compared academically. Although my acting and looks were slightly superior, in terms of academics, my fans were incredibly frustrated. Because I had admitted myself that I “didn’t take the SATs,” making me a famous airhead and an uneducated celebrity. “Aria is stupid, but truly beautiful” was the netizens’ evaluation of me. I could only shake my head and sigh deeply. I had been praised as a physics prodigy since childhood. Except for the state training camp where I basically tied with Caleb, I had always been number one. Compared to my brain, my looks were barely worth mentioning. Being evaluated as “stupid but beautiful” was definitely a first. 03 When I arrived at the interview, as someone hired merely to be a foil for Chloe, I naturally wasn’t considered important and was seated in a corner. After the live broadcast started, the host predictably brought up last night’s trending topic first. “Chloe, what do you think about Professor Davis’s Facebook post last night?” the beautiful host asked with a smile. Chloe puffed her cheeks, a look of bashful annoyance on her face. “How did that get so popular? I need my dignity too! “I’ll balance my time between acting and research. They won’t interfere with each other!” The live chat exploded instantly, scrolling by rapidly. [Boo-hoo-hoo, I knew it! Our Chloe is literally the protagonist of a novel, oh my god!] [I knew she was an NPC!] [So the pampered junior of the MIT physics department is Chloe!] Me: ? First, I am the senior. Second, I am the senior. Lastly, although the gender ratio in the physics department is skewed, just looking at Professor Davis’s students, besides me, there are two other girls. It’s not exaggerated to the point where there’s only one girl in the whole department, adored by everyone, right? What kind of ridiculous, pampered-wife trope is this? But some people in the chat noticed my expression was off. [What’s with Aria’s expression? Jealous of our Chloe?] [I think it’s normal. A person who didn’t even take the SATs, seeing Chloe being so amazing, is just green with envy!] [Why did this show even invite Aria? To be Chloe’s foil? I feel like she might be a bit embarrassed.] [So gross, can’t stand seeing others succeed. Her jealousy is too obvious.] [Why doesn’t Aria go be jealous of Caleb? She just can’t stand women being better than her, such a pick-me!] If I could post memes right now, I really wanted to post that one of the speechless foreign kid. Crazy, everyone’s gone crazy. [I heard a goddess from the MIT physics department got in by winning first place in the National Physics Olympiad! Could it be Chloe?!] [First in the nation!! Oh my god, Chloe, you are my god!!] [Chloe, how many more surprises do you have that I don’t know about!] The sharp-eyed host caught this comment: “Chloe, I saw someone in the chat saying you were first in the Physics Olympiad?! Is that true?!” Chloe smiled shyly, her eyes full of indifference: “Past honors aren’t that important to me anymore. Next, I’m going to focus on honing my acting skills.” [Chloe is awesome!] [The light skiff has passed ten thousand mountains!!] At this moment, for some unknown reason, other comments started popping up amidst the overwhelming praise for Chloe. [Does anyone else think Chloe and Caleb are a perfect match? I heard Caleb was second in the Olympiad that year!] [Soft, innocent genius girl x rebellious, sharp-tongued pop star, I’m shipping them so hard!!] [Boo-hoo-hoo, I’m raising the flag for the C-C ship!! C-C is real!] [Could it be Caleb had a crush on our Chloe, and purposefully dropped points so she could be first, boo-hoo-hoo!] [Oh my god! Loving you so much he lets you shine brighter, what kind of novel plot is this!] Chloe also saw this comment. She thought for a moment and said: “It does seem like Caleb has always been a bit better than me… I don’t know why in the end…” She didn’t finish her sentence. The chat went crazy; the shippers were losing their minds. [Caleb, you massive simp!] [Caleb: If wifey is happy, I’m happy!] [You two need to get married immediately, I’ve already thought of the baby names!] [Yes, yes, yes, Chloe just stand there, I’ll bring the courthouse to you!] At the same time, trending topics related to this interview also climbed up. #ChloeFirstInOlympiad #C-CShip #SimpCaleb #CalebDroppingPoints 04 Meanwhile, looking at these disgraceful things, I was utterly exasperated. This world is a giant, absurd romance novel. Everyone is acting crazy. I don’t know if Chloe even participated in the Olympiad. But I earned my first place with my own blood, sweat, and tears. My hard-won achievements were erased by Chloe in a few sentences, turning them into something Caleb “gave” to me. I ground my teeth in anger. Soon enough, the host finally remembered there was someone else sitting nearby and wanted to utilize my role as the foil. So she asked: “Aria, what do you think about people comparing you to Chloe?” I was already furious, and this host was digging a hole for me. So annoying. If you mess with me, you’re asking for trouble. Thinking about the agency’s astronomical breach-of-contract fee, I forced a fake smile: “She’s amazing, I can’t compare to her.” But I wouldn’t make it too troublesome. You picked the wrong soft target. It’s fine. She was talking about herself anyway, not me, right? If others get mad, I won’t. Getting mad only hurts myself, and no one will suffer for me. [Wait, who is this chick shading?] [Ugh, stupid and mean pick-me girl, please get lost!] [Don’t be too harsh on Aria. What, does she have to bow down to show sincerity?] [The host had malicious intentions. What’s wrong with Aria answering like that? I feel like being used as a foil would be very upsetting for her!] Seeing someone finally speaking up for me, I almost cried tears of gratitude. I don’t look for trouble, but I’m also afraid of it. If you bully me, I’ll just swallow my pride and endure it. I can’t afford thirty million dollars in breach of contract. I can still distinguish between a moment’s satisfaction and a lifetime of debt. [Holy crap, look quickly!! Caleb posted a tweet!] [Holy crap! I’m shipping them so hard, boo-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo!] [For you, I’m willing to concede defeat!] [Lost the exam, won the romance!!] I quickly opened Twitter. Caleb had only posted a few words. [Inferior skills, I willingly concede.] And a direct message Caleb sent me. [You’re just going to let her spout nonsense?! I’m crashing that interview program. If you won’t clarify, I will.] My pupils dilated, and I quickly typed: [Wait, wait, wait, don’t come bro, I have to pay a penalty if I break character!!! Bro, I’m begging you!] [Too late, I’m here.] As this message came through, the female host’s voice, trembling with excitement, announced: “Mr. Caleb Vance has crashed our interview!!! Please welcome Mr. Vance!” My face went ashen. When I become homeless later, which bridge should I sleep under? 05 A man wearing a trench coat, taking off his sunglasses, his silver hair striking and vibrant. The live chat experienced a one-second void, then exploded in growth. [Ahhhhh, Caleb, mommy loves you!!] [So handsome, so handsome, boo-hoo-hoo, licking the screen!] [Songwriting, looks, intelligence—he maxed out all his stats! God, I’m never calling you God again! You really treat me like a joke!] [Everyone knows Caleb never does interviews. Is he here for the interview Chloe is on? Right? Right?] [Love makes people dizzy, hahaha!] Caleb naturally sat on the sofa next to me. He gave a slight nod to the host, his hazel eyes sparkling. “May I have a mic?” His clear, lazy voice was like a little hook. Even the host, who had seen it all, couldn’t help but feel a bit nervous. “Of course you can!” Her cheeks flushed slightly. Caleb was simply too unfair! I was incredibly annoyed. This guy really couldn’t stop flirting, regardless of the occasion. As if feeling my gaze, Caleb blinked his fox-like eyes at me innocently and shrugged, as if saying: Is it my fault I’m too charming? I was even more annoyed and secretly rolled my eyes at him. I knew this guy was stubborn as a mule; ten horses couldn’t drag him back once he made up his mind. I had given up resisting. Sure enough, taking the mic, he slowly began: “Everyone knows I never do interviews. “I’m here today because of Ms. Chloe.” The C-C shippers went crazy. [Ahhhhh, it’s official, it’s official!] [Boo-hoo-hoo, this is too sweet!] [Wait, did anyone notice Aria and Caleb making eye contact just now…? I feel like things aren’t that simple!] [Vomit, pick-me girl get lost! You can be anything, but you choose to be the other woman!] [C-C is real! Brainless fan of a certain someone, get out of here, you’re not welcome!] [Hilarious. Caleb is from the MIT physics department. Would he ignore the national champion for that uneducated dropout? Stop joking!] I didn’t care about the chat’s evaluation anymore. My debt-ridden future was a much bigger concern. I sat sorrowfully on the sofa, looking at the smiling Caleb, and couldn’t help but shiver. Before he single-handedly drove the arrangers and sound engineers to tears, he had this exact same expression. I silently lit a candle for Chloe. Caleb slowly said: “How did I get a new junior without knowing about it?” 06 Hearing this, the chat instantly went quiet. Everyone was stunned. I secretly tore open a small bun, making a tiny noise. Everyone on set turned to look at me simultaneously. “You guys continue, you guys continue…” I awkwardly put the small bun back on the table. I hadn’t eaten breakfast, and my stomach was aching from hunger. I finally thought everyone’s attention was diverted, but I got caught trying to sneak a bite. I could cry. Caleb looked at my frustrated expression and almost laughed. He fished a row of chocolate out of his pocket and tossed it to me. As I caught his offering, I was almost moved to tears. It was my favorite brand! And such a big row! Good junior, you are forgiven for one second. Happily breaking off a piece to eat, I saw Caleb continue his verbal assault, completely unaffected. “Is spreading rumors fun? Ms. Chloe. You implying to everyone that I gave up first place for you, you’ve got some nerve.” “I’m sorry, the national champion that year was Aria Thorne. Who are you?” Chloe clenched her hands, her face turning green and red with embarrassment. But hearing Caleb’s last sentence, she was so shocked she forgot to move. How could that useless, non-SAT-taking Aria Thorne be the real national champion?! 07 The live chat experienced another brief vacuum, then erupted like a geyser. [Holy crap, did I hear that right?! The national champion is Aria Thorne?! What kind of earth-shattering gossip is this?] [Aria Thorne?!?! How is that possible!] [Just a bystander, just want to ask if Chloe’s face hurts? …] [This Caleb guy is savage. He starts spreading rumors when our Chloe rejects him?!] [I’ve been wanting to say Caleb doesn’t deserve our Chloe…] [Wait, do people actually believe that dropout Aria Thorne took first place?! You guys are too funny!] Caleb didn’t even glance at the large screen, seemingly uncaring about public opinion. He kept his smiling demeanor, continuing to utter shocking words. “On the way here, I specifically looked it up. I was curious where Ms. Chloe got the confidence to spread such rumors. Upon checking, you really are a student of Professor Davis. “Relying on your community college teacher’s connections to get listed under Professor Davis, do you really think you’re a big shot?” The perfect mask on Chloe’s face finally shattered. Her community college teacher was a junior colleague of Professor Davis. She had spent a lot of money to get her name listed under him, just to build a persona and attract fans. She never expected to hit a brick wall. “Senior, did Aria say something to you? She definitely isn’t the national champion. Were you tricked by her…” Chloe’s eyes were slightly red, like a bullied little bunny. Unfortunately, Caleb was entirely unmoved. He smiled and said: “Who is your senior? Get lost.” Then he looked at the large screen: “Regarding whether Aria Thorne is the national champion, let my senior explain it herself.” Caleb’s words mercilessly dragged Chloe’s face through the mud. That “senior” indirectly confirmed a fact everyone was unwilling to believe. I, who had always been considered an uneducated dropout, was the person Caleb willingly called “senior.” [Huh? No? Huh? Aria Thorne? National champion?! Am I crazy or is the world crazy?] [Caleb is awesome. I always thought Chloe was an eyesore, so manipulative!] [Holy crap, so Aria is the real genius…] [Bowing down to the boss. I used to think Aria had nothing going for her besides her looks. Now I realize her looks are her least significant advantage…] [Oh my god, is Aria a ninja? She was just shaded by Chloe, the fake champion, and didn’t say a single word…] [Above commenter, Aria did speak. She said she couldn’t compare to Chloe…] The live chat was in an uproar, while on the surface I was calm, internally I was dumbfounded. I had known Caleb for five years. To get him to call me “senior,” I had tried coaxing and tricking him, but he never said it once. I never expected, never expected, to earn that “senior” so easily today. While I was thinking, Caleb looked at me and whispered: “The penalty fee, I paid it. You, explain.” Hearing those words, I froze instantly. Despite my poker face, internally I was streaming tears. Is this my junior? No, this is my sugar daddy. Fighting the weakness in my legs, I nodded seriously. I looked at Caleb, feeling like I was reading a clickbait headline, like “With One Sentence, He Saved a Fallen Girl’s Rest of Her Life”… I shivered, quickly shaking the bizarre thoughts out of my head, but also realizing an undeniable fact. My breach-of-contract fee was in the eight figures, and Caleb paid it just like that. Tears of jealousy and resentment flowed from the corner of my mouth. 08 Finally calming down, as I took the microphone, all eyes converged on me. I knew why Caleb was here today. He wanted to clear his name, my name, and the reputation of the Physics Olympiad. So I began: “I don’t know how Ms. Chloe got her first place, but my first place was earned by me. “During my junior year, I flew back and forth across the country for exams, countless flights. “The practice papers I did could pile up into a mountain; the pen refills I emptied filled an entire drawer. “I did experiments late into the night countless times, walking home under the dim light of streetlamps.” Speaking of this, I remembered those exhausting but fulfilling days. A good brain is certainly important, but day-after-day perseverance is equally indispensable. Every person sitting in the finals took it as solemnly as a war. Because behind this exam were crossed-out scratch papers, long formulas, late-night desk lamps, and moments woven with tears and smiles. “How could I playfully give away first place after pouring in so much blood, sweat, and tears?” “This is an insult to me, an insult to Caleb, and an insult to thousands of Olympiad students,” I said with resounding force. [Fellow Olympiad student in tears, boo-hoo-hoo!] [Chemistry Olympiad student wants to cry too. Before, I thought Caleb really gave up first place to Chloe on purpose, and I felt a bit sad.] [It feels like a sense of powerlessness when hard work is trampled on. Thank goodness it’s fake.] I ignored the chat’s reaction and continued: “Today, I also want to announce one more thing. “As of today, Aria Thorne is retiring from the entertainment industry.” 09 Twitter had almost never been as lively as today, with plot twists one after another. Bright red “HOT” tags hung next to the top trends on Twitter. #RealVsFakeGenius #AriaThorneNationalChampion #AriaThorneRetires #CalebVanceSlamsChloe Of course, there were some strange things mixed in. For example, the fifth trending topic, “Coconut Tree Ship.” After the interview, I rode in Caleb’s car home. Seeing this bizarre title, I curiously clicked on it. As a result, a familiar gossip account voice was accidentally played out loud by me, echoing in the enclosed car space. “The Coconut Tree Ship is so sweet! Caleb broke his rule and went on an interview show just to help Aria clarify things. He was so worried about her when she got in trouble. They are junior and senior under the same professor…” “Uh…” I was a bit speechless and pulled Caleb over. “These gossip accounts are too good at catching wind and shadows…” “Mhm.” Caleb’s expression was indifferent. As he spoke, he secretly turned off his phone screen. If I had looked closer, I would have noticed the tips of his ears were slightly red. And on the dimmed screen was the message he had sent to his studio: [Buy trending topics for my ship with Aria Thorne.]

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In my past life, my mother was moved by her own self-righteous love. During my SATs, she slipped an “encouraging” note into my pencil case, causing me to be disqualified for cheating. It wasn’t until right before I died that I found out the whole thing was my cousin’s idea. Reborn, I swore to change my destiny and never repeat the same mistakes. They all said my cousin was just “playing a joke” on me. Well, I’m going to return those jokes to them, one by one. What’s wrong? Why aren’t any of you laughing now? 1 When my husband cheated on me and beat me, I begged my mother for support. Instead, she said, “It’s because you’re useless. You can’t even keep your own man.” “So he cheats on me and abuses me, and it’s somehow my fault?” She continued, “Well… you can only blame yourself for being a bad judge of character.” I finally snapped. “You were the one who forced me to marry him!” My mother looked at me in absolute shock. “If you didn’t want to get married, could I have forced you? Everything was your own choice. Don’t blame your failed life on me.” For a moment, I was speechless. She knew better than anyone exactly when my life started to derail. That year, I was a guaranteed lock for an Ivy League university. But during the first section of the SATs, I found a piece of paper in my pencil case that didn’t belong to me. I forced myself to stay calm and waited until the exam was over to open it. Inside was a single line written in my mother’s handwriting: “Honey, pay close attention to the details.” She had never cared about my grades before. She didn’t care about my life at school, dedicating all her love and attention to my cousin, Savannah. Yet, she chose the most critical exam of my life to pull a stunt like this. I thought I had dodged a bullet. But after all the subjects were completed, someone reported me. After an investigation, I was ruled guilty of cheating, and all my scores were canceled. I checked the answer keys online afterward. My raw score was high enough to get me into the top-tier university of my dreams. But everything was destroyed because of her self-indulgent “encouragement.” Because of a cheating violation, I lost the chance to retake the exams. I was forced to hustle in the real world with only a high school diploma, hitting a brick wall at every turn. My cheating scandal became their favorite dinnertime gossip. I could never escape it; it defined me in their eyes for years. After my father passed away, my mother guilt-tripped me relentlessly, weaponizing my duty as a daughter until I gave in and married the man she picked out for me: Travis. And yet, she claimed this was all my choice? When Travis hit me, she urged me to keep the peace, telling me not to make a mountain out of a molehill, completely ignoring the bruises on my body. Once, when I fled back to my childhood home, she actually welcomed Travis inside with a massive smile, cooked his favorite meal, and urged us to make up quickly. When I discovered his affairs and demanded a divorce, her only response was to blame me for failing to keep a man happy. My heart completely died. I stopped expecting any support from her. But right before I packed my bags to leave, I overheard her on the phone with Savannah. “Do you think Avery will really hate me?” my mom asked. “Why would she? You caused her SAT scores to be canceled back then, and she forgave you for that, didn’t she? This is exactly the same,” Savannah replied. My mother’s voice trembled slightly. “I caused it? But you were the one who told me to do it! You reported her! And you were the one who introduced Travis to her!” Savannah feigned surprise. “But Auntie, didn’t you ask me how to keep her from moving far away for college? I was just making a joke.” It was only then that I realized my entire life wasn’t destroyed by bad luck or fate. It was orchestrated by them. I drove away in a daze, completely hollowed out, and got into a fatal car crash. When I opened my eyes again, I was back in my senior year of high school. Maybe even God couldn’t stand watching my pathetic, laughable life anymore. Reborn, I swore to never repeat the same mistakes. 2 I had forgotten a lot of the minor details, but the events that ruined my life were burned into my memory. You could say the tragedy of my high school years started exactly here. When Hunter blocked my path in the hallway, I secretly thought to myself, Here we go. With an arrogant, rebellious smirk, he pointed at me like he was granting me a royal favor. “Hey. You’re not bad. Wanna go out with me?” My vow to never repeat my mistakes starts right now. Gasps and whispers erupted from the students around us. In the crowd, I locked eyes with Savannah. She was too young back then; she didn’t know how to hide the look in her eyes. A look of pure, gloating schadenfreude. I looked up at Hunter and smiled brightly. “Sure.” He didn’t get the “flattered and overwhelmed” reaction he expected. He was taken aback, but quickly recovered. He laughed exaggeratedly, looking me up and down with utter disdain. “Actually, looking at you again, you’re not that pretty. And your personality is boring. Let’s break up.” The crowd immediately understood. This was all just a “joke.” The envious looks from the girls instantly morphed into mockery, laughing at me for not knowing my place and thinking I actually had a shot with a rich kid like Hunter. But my reaction still didn’t give them the satisfaction they wanted. I kept my bright smile. “Sure.” My tone didn’t even shift. Looking at me, it seemed like I genuinely didn’t care. Savannah walked over, linking her arm through mine, pretending to be worried. “Avery, you don’t have to act like this. I know you’re hurting. After all, you’ve had a crush on him for…” The moment those words left her mouth, everyone was convinced I was just saving face and dying inside. I brushed her hand off and waved at Brody, who was standing in the crowd. “A bet’s a bet. Three thousand bucks, please.” Everyone in the hallway froze, including Savannah. She couldn’t figure out how the humiliation trap she orchestrated had suddenly flipped. Brody came from old money; three grand was nothing to him. “I don’t have cash on me. I’ll Venmo you later.” Then he turned to Hunter. “Did you team up with her to scam me? You just cost me three grand. You’re paying for the pool tables today.” 3 Hunter finally realized what was happening and glared at me furiously. “You played me?” I shrugged. “Don’t look at me like that. Weren’t you using me for a bet too? Consider this a win-win.” Yes, Hunter’s public confession was nothing but a cruel bet. He bet that I wouldn’t reject him. In my past life, my rejection severely bruised his fragile ego. Afterward, he started aggressively and publicly pursuing me. From start to finish, he only cared about his own amusement, completely ignoring how his actions affected me. He brought me endless, suffocating trouble. Not to mention his army of fan-girls, who thought I was playing hard to get and relentlessly bullied me. I had begged my mother for help, but Savannah got to her first. Savannah convinced her that I was being indecent and trying to seduce boys at school. My mother called me shameless and said that instead of going to college, I should just find a man to marry early. But thinking back on it now, what did any of that have to do with me? It was a completely unprovoked disaster. I stepped closer to Hunter and whispered. “I didn’t want to do this, but you came after me first. I was just acting in self-defense. “You’re not going to be a sore loser and send people to mess with me, are you?” I knew that by saying it out loud, regardless of what he originally planned, his pride wouldn’t let him stoop that low now. Enduring his furious, fiery glare, I casually started digging a pit for Savannah. “Just a little secret between us—someone tipped me off today just to watch you make a fool of yourself. Instead of glaring at me, you should probably figure out who suggested you use me for your bet, and who secretly leaked the plan so I could use you as a pawn.” Exactly. If I hadn’t known about the bet, how could I have prepared so perfectly to publicly embarrass him? Seeing the realization dawn on his face, I smiled with deep satisfaction. Savannah. In our past life, you orchestrated this entire nightmare from the shadows and then faded into the background, keeping your hands perfectly clean. When I finally found out the truth and told my mother, she brushed it off with a casual, “It was just a joke.” My suffering, my misery, my ruined life—all dismissed as a “joke.” A joke? Savannah, let’s see if you’re still laughing in this lifetime. 4 When Savannah came looking for me later, I was memorizing SAT vocabulary. In my past life, after my college dreams were destroyed, I threw all these books away. If I had known I’d get a second chance, I would have studied them religiously every single day. She stormed into my room and violently swept everything off my desk, scattering my books across the floor. “Avery! What the hell did you say to Hunter?! Why did he come to me threatening to make my life a living hell?!” My parents rushed into the room right behind her. My mother looked at me, her eyes full of disappointment. “Avery, how could you team up with outsiders to bully your own cousin?” When I suffered, it was just my cousin playing a joke. When she suffers, it’s me teaming up with outsiders to bully her. I looked at the mess on the floor, my heart completely at peace. I had long since accepted the fact that I would never be the favorite. I calmly told them the truth. I just received a tip-off and flipped the script when I was being mocked. “It was just a harmless joke. Did you really need to be so cruel to your own family?” my dad said. A joke. Do I look like I’m laughing? I feigned perfect innocence. “What does this have to do with Savannah? I only told Hunter that I was grateful someone gave me a heads-up so we were even. I didn’t say anything else! “Were your friends just playing a joke on you, Savannah, but you misunderstood?” They were left speechless. Savannah stamped her foot in frustration and stormed out. Before my parents left the room, I asked if they could install a lock on my door. They refused. My room used to have a lock, but they took it off years ago. In this house, I wasn’t even allowed to close my bedroom door all the way. They could barge in whenever they wanted, without knocking, treating my personal space like a public hallway. That was also why I never kept a diary. Rather than treating me like their child, it felt more like I was their property. I didn’t need to have my own thoughts or opinions; I just needed to obey. That was why, when I expressed my desire to go to an out-of-state university in my past life, my mother was willing to destroy my future just to keep me chained to her side. I won’t let them have their way this time. 5 In my past life, I had always suspected Savannah was behind the bullying I endured. Even though I was the innocent victim, those girls treated me like a thorn in their side, targeting me relentlessly. My desk would constantly be covered in ink, chalk dust, and sticky, dried soda. If I handed in an assignment, it would invariably be returned to me defaced with vile, disgusting insults. Or… just like what was happening right now. Written in bold letters across the classroom whiteboard were phrases like: “Avery is a slut,” “Shameless whore,” and “Cheap trash.” When I walked into the classroom, some students looked worried, while others wore expressions of eager anticipation, waiting for the drama. But to everyone’s surprise, I didn’t furiously demand to know who did it, nor did I panic and try to erase the words. I simply walked to my seat, sat down, and calmly opened my textbook to read. As the digital clock above the whiteboard ticked closer to the start of homeroom, some students started shifting uneasily in their seats. They exchanged nervous glances. Finally, one guy stood up and grabbed the eraser. I smiled. “Tyler, you’re not on whiteboard duty today. Why are you erasing that?” He looked flustered. “Leaving these words up here… it’s not good, right?” I kept smiling, but my voice dropped several degrees, loud enough for the entire room to hear. “There’s nothing wrong with it. Leave it up. Or… did you write it?” He hastily denied it. “If you didn’t write it, why are you erasing it? Nobody touches that board! Whoever erases it, I’ll assume is the culprit.” He was stunned into silence and awkwardly shuffled back to his seat. The unspoken rule of high school bullying is that these petty, malicious acts must be done secretly. You can’t let a teacher catch you red-handed. Even if they do catch you, you have to be able to play it off as “just messing around.” But this was clearly crossing a massive line. The homeroom teacher could walk in at any second. Maybe this minute, maybe the next. Finally, someone couldn’t sit still anymore. She marched to the front and wiped the board completely clean. It was Tyler’s crush, Blair. She looked incredibly plain—average looks, average grades, average family background. Savannah looked down on her, but Blair was more than happy to act as Savannah’s loyal lapdog, doing her dirty work. Too bad for her, they wouldn’t even be speaking to each other by the time graduation rolled around. I walked straight up to her. “Blair, did you do this?” Her eyes darted away, but she forced herself to act tough. “So what if I did? You messed with Hunter. Do you really have zero self-awareness?” She was trying to use Hunter’s reputation to scare me into backing down. I smiled, grabbed her by the collar, and dragged her forcefully down the hall, kicking the door to Hunter’s classroom wide open. Savannah was in there too. Naturally, Hunter hadn’t arrived for homeroom yet, but that didn’t matter. Even though the room fell dead silent the moment I kicked the door open, I still slammed my hand onto the teacher’s podium. “Hey, Class 4! Your boy Hunter lost a bet and is too much of a coward to own it, so he sends girls to do his dirty work. Do me a favor and pass a message to him. “If you can’t handle losing, don’t play the game. Pathetic loser.” 6 I went viral. Literally. It got so bad the homeroom teacher hauled me into his office. Both of our parents were called in. Tyler’s mother was a very plain-looking woman, likely a stay-at-home mom, and she looked incredibly nervous. My parents couldn’t make it right away; they said they’d be there later. In front of the teacher and his mother, Tyler’s story did a complete 180. “I was just playing a joke with a classmate. You’re completely overreacting,” he mumbled, looking down like he was the one being victimized. His mother nodded vigorously. “Yes, Mr. Davis. Our boy is usually so well-behaved. This must be a huge misunderstanding.” The teacher looked at me. “Students should be kind to one another. We can’t have this kind of intense hostility. How about you both apologize, write a reflection essay, read it at the assembly next week, and we just put this behind us?” Everyone loves “jokes,” huh? Why is your sense of humor so twisted? I let out a cold, sarcastic chuckle. “Sure. Tyler, why don’t you repeat the exact ‘joke’ you wrote on the board to your mom right now? If you do, I’ll let it go.” He snapped his head up, glaring at me with venomous eyes. My voice was dead calm. “There are some jokes that, if you wouldn’t say them to your own mother, you shouldn’t say them to another girl. Since you think it was just a joke, who’s going to say it now? You, or me?” He stammered, unable to form a single word. He wouldn’t say it, so I did. I repeated the vile words written on the whiteboard, syllable by syllable. His mother finally realized what her “well-behaved” angel had been up to. She was shaking with rage. Right then, I gave him an out. “I know this wasn’t originally your idea. Did someone else tell you to do it? Who was it? Tell me, and I won’t hold you responsible.” Just as he hesitated, about to spit out the name, a knock came at the door. “Reporting.” Hunter called out and walked in without waiting for the teacher to say ‘come in.’ I don’t know how long he’d been listening, but he spoke immediately. “Don’t bother. I know who it is.” He walked up to Tyler, looking down at him. “Savannah, right?” He looked at me, rolling his eyes. “I, Hunter, am not a sore loser. I’ve already told everyone: from now on, absolutely no one is allowed to give you a hard time.” Hunter was arrogant and proud. Dragging him into this mess had actually paid off. At this point, I didn’t care about their petty high school drama, but… Flies aren’t deadly, but they are incredibly disgusting. They knew how to use others’ influence to bully me, and now I knew how to do the same. Sharpening the axe won’t delay the woodcutting. From now on, I wouldn’t have to waste my study time dealing with this garbage. Just as I was thinking this, a man burst into the office and slapped me hard across the face. “You ungrateful wretch! Teaming up with outsiders to spread vicious rumors about your own cousin! How did I raise a daughter like you? Apologize to her right now!” My mother didn’t stop him. She just told the teacher that I was completely out of line and that they would teach me a strict lesson. It seems the news of what Savannah did had been broadcasted by Hunter. My nose burned. A trail of blood ran down my lip, and the metallic taste of copper filled my throat. I sneered internally, feeling a wave of deep sorrow: I really wanted to know, how the hell did I end up as your daughter?

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On a reality TV trivia show, my boyfriend cruised through the competition, reaching the finals. During a commercial break interview, the host asked if he had a girlfriend. “The moment I saw her, I even had our future kids’ names picked out. Now, I’m just waiting for her answer.” In that highly anticipated moment, the production team had prepared a “surprise” for him. His childhood sweetheart, who had gone abroad to study, floated onto the stage like a fairy. She shyly said, “My answer is… I do.” Under the bright studio lights, I saw Ethan’s panicked eyes searching the vast audience until they locked onto mine. Meanwhile, I, his actual girlfriend, calmly started a live stream outside the studio. “Taking suggestions for my ex-boyfriend’s baby names. If I pick yours, I’ll send you an $800 cash prize.” 1 One hour earlier. At the filming of the Ultimate Brainpower reality show. My boyfriend, Ethan, had crushed the competition, making it all the way to the finals. With his high IQ and incredibly handsome, clean-cut looks, it was almost a given that he would win. As there was only one final question left in the championship round, the production team suddenly built up the suspense and cut to a commercial break. They started interviewing Ethan. He smiled softly at the camera and said he was waiting for someone’s answer. This sparked a flurry of speculation among the audience about whether he was going to reveal his girlfriend. This was a classic reality TV trope: right before announcing the winner, throw in a tear-jerking moment to generate buzz and trending topics. Watching the broadcast monitor in the waiting area, my best friend, who came with me, nudged my arm playfully. “Tsk, tsk. He’s already got the kids’ names picked out? Is Ethan planning to go public with you? He’s barely famous and he’s already revealing his relationship. He must really be afraid of losing you.” I smiled but didn’t say anything as the makeup artist worked on me. “No way, girl! Are you Ethan’s girlfriend? Omg, can you get me an autograph later? My little niece is obsessed with him!” the makeup artist said, her eyes sparkling. I replied calmly, “No problem. I’ve got you covered.” Ethan probably didn’t know I was here. Otherwise, with his shy personality, how would he dare confess his love on national television? If an acquaintance on the production team hadn’t contacted me saying they wanted to give Ethan a surprise, I wouldn’t have just shown up out of the blue. 2 While we were in the makeup room, a large group of people suddenly walked in. In the center of the entourage was a woman with long, wavy hair, wearing a long white sweater. Because she was surrounded by assistants, I couldn’t see her face clearly. An assistant beside her scanned the room, her eyes landing on us. She strutted over arrogantly and knocked on our makeup table. “Our Chloe doesn’t like having outsiders around when she’s getting her makeup done. Unessential personnel, please clear out.” My makeup artist gave an awkward smile and curled her lip. She expertly grabbed her makeup bag and pulled us into a corner, muttering softly: “Sorry, ladies, let’s just stay out of their way. I bet that’s the guest idol the production team brought in for the finale. No need to start a fight. They’re all like this.” My best friend clenched her fists in anger. “But we were here first! Do celebrities just get to steal people’s spots?” I pulled my friend back and smiled. “It doesn’t matter. We’re just borrowing the makeup room anyway.” After quickly finishing my makeup, I was instructed to wait backstage. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed the idol in the white sweater from the makeup room was also standing in the holding area next to me. I figured this was just the general waiting area, so I paid her no mind and calmly kept my distance. Suddenly, she turned her head and looked me up and down. With a laugh, she said, “So you’re the champion’s girlfriend?” I looked at her. Her makeup was flawless, but even the heavy foundation couldn’t hide the surgical enhancements on her nose and lips. She had probably gotten a rhinoplasty and a lip lift. It seemed her makeup artist wasn’t that great after all. I replied with polite distance: “He’s not the champion yet.” The idol scoffed and said with confident ease: “He will definitely be the champion. Ethan has that kind of capability.” I looked at her in surprise, not knowing where she got that confidence. Was she also a fan of Ethan? 3 The show progressed with tension and excitement. Finally, Ethan answered the last question correctly. The other contestants were slower than him. The entire audience stood up, and cheers echoed through the studio. I watched Ethan stand up from his seat. His tall, lean figure looked even more striking under the spotlight. The corners of his mouth lifted into a faint smile. He was flawless from every angle. He was born for the stage. My heart was pounding. Even though we had been dating for five years, I still couldn’t suppress my excitement in that moment. And right at that moment, the host suddenly smiled mysteriously. He announced that a special guest had been invited to share in Ethan’s championship moment. Ethan looked momentarily stunned. “Who?” The host deliberately built the suspense: “The person who has been waiting five years for your answer, of course!” I nervously tugged at my clothes, ready to go on stage. But in the next second, the host suddenly looked toward our direction. “Please welcome the member of the idol group T-16, and the girlfriend of our champion Ethan—Chloe!” I froze on the spot, doubting my own ears. Did the host mix up the guest star’s name with mine? But the idol in the white sweater beside me suddenly reached out, pushed me aside, and flashed me a triumphant smile. Then, she said to the nearby crew member: “Keep the unessential personnel out of the way backstage.” She then confidently walked onto the stage. While Ethan was still in shock, she stepped forward and threw herself into his arms, looking down shyly. “I’m sorry to make you wait so long. The answer is… I do.” 4 On the stage. A handsome man, a beautiful woman, a heartfelt confession. It was picture-perfect. Confetti and streamers rained down on the stage. I stood frozen in place. It took me a long time to react. The acquaintance from the production team jogged over nervously, apologizing profusely. “I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry, Maya. I just found out too! Chloe is a newly debuted, highly popular idol. The producers said having her appear would definitely get us trending and bring traffic to the show. But I don’t know how they gave Chloe the title of Ethan’s girlfriend. There must have been a mix-up!” I had already recovered from the shock. I turned to look at the person apologizing to me. “Is that all? Didn’t you guys also investigate and find out that Chloe is Ethan’s ex-girlfriend?” I had never met Chloe. But I knew about her from Ethan. Six years ago, she went abroad to become a trainee. Afraid of jeopardizing her career, she dumped Ethan without a second thought. Now that Ethan is famous, she’s back to ride his coattails? Thinking about what Chloe said to me backstage before going on… she clearly knew who I was and said it on purpose. The production team member looked embarrassed. I didn’t say much more, just looked at Ethan on stage. I saw the sheer panic on his face. He reached out, seemingly trying to push her away. But Chloe cleverly let go first. He immediately grabbed his microphone, looking frantic. “You guys…” But his microphone was cut off the very next second. I watched this unfold, then withdrew my gaze. I didn’t say much, just calmly told the crew member next to me: “I will definitely pursue what you did today to the very end. Whether it was Chloe’s idea or a deliberate move by the production team, get ready for a letter from my lawyer.” I turned to leave the studio. A voice from the production team yelled angrily behind me: “You’re just a minor influencer! Who do you think you are? You can’t sue us! Ethan knew about the production team’s arrangement all along! He approved it himself. Of course, whoever he says is his girlfriend, is his girlfriend!” “Oh? Is that so?” Ethan approved it? Hmm, very good. Then I’ll deal with both of them. 5 I twitched the corner of my mouth, not bothering to acknowledge them. I grabbed my best friend, who was still in a state of shock, and walked right out of the studio. My friend trailed behind me, and once she processed what had happened, she was furious. “Are we just going to leave like this? What’s the meaning of this, treating us like monkeys? The production team clearly invited us!” I didn’t say a word, my head bowed in deep thought. My friend couldn’t help but step in front of me to stop me. “What are you thinking? We should rush onto the stage and clear things up! You are Ethan’s actual girlfriend. That confession was definitely meant for you, and it got hijacked by that idol! Ugh, so shameless.” I stopped and looked back at my friend. “Rush onto the stage to do what? Wait for them to cut our mics, create a broadcasting incident, let the rumors fly, and let the production team reap all the benefits?” My friend calmed down, and after a while, she said indignantly: “So we’re just going to take it? They invited us and then pulled this crap! And what the hell is Ethan doing? Why didn’t he explain things!” I shook my head and laughed. “Do you think your best friend is that easy to bully? Letting people step all over us?” “Although I don’t know if Ethan knew about this, rushing the stage is clearly not the best way to handle it.” My friend’s eyes lit up. “Do you have another idea?” By this time, my friend and I had already left the TV station. I thought for a moment and pulled out my phone. I dialed Ethan’s number. I figured he must be off the stage by now. As expected, the call went unanswered. His phone was probably left backstage while he was on the show. But that was fine. Not being able to contact him didn’t mean I couldn’t do anything. I suddenly asked, “Don’t we have a live stream tonight?” I’m a beauty influencer. I’ve gained a sizable following through makeup tutorials, with over two million followers on YouTube. My friend is my assistant; I’m the face, and she runs the account. The account isn’t huge, but it’s big enough to handle this situation. My friend was stunned for a moment, then quickly caught on. “Yes, we’re supposed to do a sponsored live stream at 8 PM. But didn’t you delay it because you were going on the show? Are you planning to clear things up on the live stream?” I told my friend to keep a close eye on Twitter’s trending topics. This championship was broadcast live. I imagined Ethan’s and Chloe’s fans were probably going crazy. My friend, having worked with me for years, understood my plan. Not only did she keep an eye on the trending topics, but she also asked some contacts to dig into Chloe’s background. Soon, my friend angrily shoved her phone in my face. Sure enough, the incident was already trending on Twitter. #GeniusStudentVSBeautifulIdol #WhatAGodTierShip Someone had posted a clip from the show. The comments underneath were flooded with netizens. “Ahhh, what is this god-tier visual pairing! I’m shipping it!” “Omg, a confession five years in the making. Ethan is so handsome. I already know this is going to trend!” “I’ve been stalking his Twitter, and he’s always showing off his girlfriend, but never showed her face. I didn’t expect him to make it official on a show.” “Boo-hoo, am I the only one heartbroken? The idol I just started stanning is already taken! Ugh, but they’re still so cute together.” “Sister, why are you dating right after debut? Isn’t focusing on your career better? I’m a career stan!” “What does the person above mean? Are you saying our Ethan isn’t good enough?” I calmly scanned these comments. My friend looked at me with concern. “Don’t be mad, this is definitely a trending topic bought by Chloe’s team, just to create hype! These netizens are being duped! I’ll go buy a trending topic right now to clarify that you are the real girlfriend! Let’s see if she still has the nerve to show her face!” “Don’t do anything yet. Let’s wait and see if there are any other trending topics,” I replied calmly. “Wait? What are we waiting for?” 6 I didn’t say much more. I took out my phone, logged into my account, and opened the live stream interface. Probably because of the promotional posts over the past two days, as soon as I went live, five or six thousand people flooded into the stream. Seeing the growing number of viewers, I quickly pulled out my makeup bag and started removing my makeup bit by bit. “Welcome to the stream, babes! Today, I’m going to show you how to do a ‘tea-tearing’ (anti-mean girl) makeup look.” The chat started scrolling rapidly. [Ahhh, you’re finally live! So excited!] [What’s a ‘tea-tearing’ look?] [You’re removing your makeup now, are you out somewhere? The background doesn’t look like your usual setup.] [Yeah! Looking at the background, it looks like the Cube TV building! Were you invited to record a show?] [Good eye, commenter above! I just googled it, and the logo in the back is definitely Cube TV. I think today is the ‘Ultimate Brainpower’ finale!] [Did you go to see Ethan’s live show too? Did you see our guy officially announce his relationship? Boo-hoo.] I scanned the screen and said calmly: “I came here today for a show, but there was a slight hiccup. However, I have a question for you guys. I want your suggestions for baby names for my ex-boyfriend. If I pick yours, I’ll send you an $800 cash prize.” The chat exploded instantly. [What baby names? Are you having a baby?] [Are the people above blind? She said naming her ex-boyfriend’s baby. Wait, ex-boyfriend?! When did you even get a boyfriend? Breaking up and naming a baby what the hell!] [I’m going crazy!] [Class rep here! Did anyone notice an issue? Maya is at Cube TV, and today Ethan and Chloe just made their relationship official. I remember Ethan’s confession: ‘The moment I saw her, I even had our future kids’ names picked out.’ Could Maya’s ex-boyfriend be Ethan?! Holy shit! What a massive piece of gossip!] [The commenter above discovered the truth!] [Damn, is Chloe the other woman? Is this the main chick tearing down the side chick? Maya, give us the scoop!] [Seeking confirmation! Is Ethan your ex-boyfriend?!] [+1] [+1] Because of this, the live stream completely blew up! Some nosy people posted about it on Twitter. Not long after, Chloe’s fans caught the scent and swarmed over. In an instant, a hundred thousand people flooded the stream! [Chloe fans checking in! Our fairy Chloe shines alone, no one else should try to leech off her fame!] [What D-list influencer is trying to leech off our Chloe? Get lost!] [Twitter army reporting for duty! What’s this influencer’s name? Maya? What the hell, trying to leech off Chloe? Ethan already officially acknowledged her! What ‘ex-girlfriend’ nonsense!] [Just looked at this minor influencer’s content, hahaha, so dead. Is leeching off fame the norm in this circle?] My friend stamped her feet in frustration beside me. I remained calm, didn’t say a word, and continued slowly removing my makeup and applying foundation. Right at that moment, a FaceTime call from Ethan came through. I answered it, unhurriedly turned on the speaker, and placed the phone to the side. I continued the live stream. 7 Ethan’s familiar voice came through. “Baby, I was wrong! Can I be saved if I kneel on a washboard?” “I don’t know what’s going on, but I’m innocent! Don’t associate me with whatever that was! You’re the only one I’ve ever wanted to go public with! That Chloe thing was orchestrated by the production team. I’ve already fallen out with them, and I’m contacting my lawyer to sue the show and Chloe right now.” “Baby, please say something. Where are you? I searched the whole station but couldn’t find you.” I let him talk enough. I coughed twice and calmly picked up the phone. “Ethan, I’m live streaming.” Ethan froze on the other end of the video call. I expected him to be angry. But he quickly recovered. “Is it your main account? Wait for me! Wait, can I say hi to the fans on the stream first?” “I don’t think anyone wants to see you right now, myself included.” With that, I hung up the FaceTime call. The entire live chat was filled with question marks. [????] [Was that Ethan’s voice just now? So sweet, so soft!] [I want to see Ethan! We want to see him!] [Ahhh, it really was Ethan’s voice! It’s real!] [What the hell is going on! I’m so confused, there’s too much tea to spill! Where’s the class rep, give us a summary quickly!] [Isn’t it obvious? The one leeching off fame isn’t Maya, it’s your disgraced idol! Shamelessly stealing someone else’s boyfriend!] [Exactly, it’s hilarious. Your idol is the one leeching off anything she can. The man himself just debunked it live.] [To the brainless fans above, is Maya your own mother? Defending her so fiercely. Just because she says it’s Ethan means it’s Ethan? Maybe she hired a voice actor. If you have the guts, let Ethan debunk it himself on the live stream.] [Ethan is probably with our fairy right now. How could he appear in this D-list influencer’s live stream? Hilarious.] Opinions were divided in the live chat. Especially Chloe’s fans, who started spamming heavily. My friend stared at me worriedly and told me to mute the mic for a second. “What do we do now? These people don’t believe it at all. Should we ask Ethan to post a clarification tweet?” “No rush, the situation isn’t clear yet.” My hands didn’t stop; I diligently recorded my makeup tutorial. My friend watched the live chat excitedly beside me. “We have almost three hundred thousand viewers now. Should we start selling products?” “Go for it.” “What should we sell?” “Tea eggs and green tea, buy one get one free.” “Pfft…” My friend gave me a thumbs up. The links were quickly posted. As expected, Chloe’s fans in the live chat started their cynical remarks again. [This minor influencer’s true motive is finally revealed. Leeching off fame just to sell products. We’ve already gone to find our fairy Chloe. Just wait for the lawyer’s letter! Best to get her canceled!] Despite the insults, the two items went out of stock in less than a minute. There were also quite a few donations floating on the screen. My friend had been keeping an eye on Twitter. Now she grabbed my phone and muted the live stream. Then she cursed angrily. “That stupid green tea Chloe just posted a tweet, look at this! Damn it, saying we’re the ones staging a collision. Who’s the one staging a collision? She has no shame.” I took the phone and saw a tweet Chloe posted a minute ago. “At an important moment in my life, I didn’t expect someone to try to leech off my fame. All I can say is, whatever makes you happy.” It had only been a minute or so. It already had thousands of retweets, and the comments were full of hate directed at me. Most of them were saying I was calculating and shameless for leeching off her fame. I let out a cold laugh. These people are really interesting. While I was looking at Twitter, the live chat suddenly started flashing with a screen full of “Dream Castles.” 50 of them in a row. If I remember correctly, one of those costs about $400. That’s $20,000 spent in one breath. In an instant, all the comments in the live chat were drowned out by this massive display of wealth. And the account ID of the person sending the gifts: Maya’s Ethan. 8 “Baby, don’t be mad. I’ll give you all my appearance fees from the show, including the secret stash I hid! Please don’t be angry!” This comment flooded the entire live chat, making it hard for anyone not to see it. The chat went absolutely berserk. Some people said I staged it, but the man himself was debunking it live. Soon, a fan realized what was happening. [Ahhhh, it really is Ethan! I followed the account, and it’s Ethan’s verified main account!] [An online confession! That thing on the show was a script, right? This is Ethan’s true wife. I can finally ship them!] [I’m even more confused. What the hell is going on? Who is the real girlfriend? I want to cry.] I saw that public opinion had fermented enough. And a certain someone’s attitude towards admitting their mistake was also very proactive. So I said goodbye to the viewers in the live stream and closed it. As expected, after our series of maneuvers. The top five trending topics on Twitter were all about #Ethan, #Chloe, and #Maya. And very quickly. Ethan also pinned a tweet. It only had one sentence. “The person I confessed to on the show is my girlfriend, Maya. As for why Chloe appeared, I don’t know, it was arranged by the production team. I explained this on stage, but my mic was cut. I hope the production team and Chloe’s studio apologize to my girlfriend, otherwise I will screenshot and save all the attacks my girlfriend suffered as evidence for a lawsuit.” Then underneath, he attached a photo of him and me together. My friend observed all the trending news. Her mouth hung open. “Holy crap, how did you know Ethan would cooperate with you? It was actually the production team causing trouble! I knew your simp Ethan wouldn’t have the guts to do something like that!” “Standard operation. His popularity isn’t something just anyone can leech off of, especially random nobodies.” I told my friend to pack up our things. We’re going home now. “Aren’t we waiting for Ethan to come out of the TV station so we can leave together?” I glanced at the TV station. I said slowly: “If he could have come out, he would have found us by now. He’s probably being blocked by someone. It’s fine, old flames catching up. We’ll just go back and wait for him.” Before I got in the car, I suddenly remembered. “What was the total sales amount in the live stream today? Deduct the merchants’ cost price, our slot fees and commissions, and the donations from the live stream, and donate everything to children in mountainous areas.” “Got it! Don’t worry, the tea eggs and green tea were from merchants I contacted urgently, the fees aren’t high, but we sold a lot. Once the revenue comes in, I’ll donate it all for you!” 9 Not long after we got home. The trending topics had completely blown up. More and more topics emerged. #Chloe’sDownfall #CalculatingProductionTeam: Let the Real Girlfriend Watch from the Audience While Promoting a Newcomer on Stage #Chloe’sCancellationLive #CalculateChloe’sPsychologicalTrauma After I took off my makeup, I put on a face mask. Not long after, the door was opened. Ethan rushed into the house, darting around frantically. Seeing me lying on the sofa. He finally breathed a sigh of relief. “Ba…” “Change your shoes.” I didn’t even lift my head. Ethan instantly swallowed his words, changed his shoes, and then walked over slowly. He was still carrying a durian in his hand. “Baby, I was wrong. I’ve already bought a durian. I’ll crack it open right now, you eat the durian, and I’ll kneel on the shell. Can we call it even on this?” I sat up with the face mask on. I stared at him expressionlessly. “You’re quite self-aware, but what exactly did you do wrong?” He pinched his ear, looking at me pitifully, his nose red with anxiety. “I really don’t know what the production team was doing, and I don’t know why they sought out Chloe, or even invited you to the venue. But don’t worry, I’ve already handled it. I’m suing both the production team and Chloe! No one can bully our baby!” I sighed and peeled off the mask. “I’m not talking about that. I understand the situation. I just want to ask what you were thinking? Confessing to me on a show? Did you take the wrong meds?” Seeing that I didn’t look angry. Ethan instantly bounded over with a cheeky grin. He rubbed against me with his fluffy head. “That’s because you kept refusing my proposals. I had no choice but to resort to this.” “Oh, so you wanted to use public pressure to force my hand?” “Of course not! How could I do that? I was just… just too nervous. Plus, the production team said the interview had to be heartfelt, preferably a deep confession or something.” “Haha, alright. What about Chloe? Aren’t you going to explain?” As soon as I finished speaking, I saw Ethan frown in disgust. Then he said: “There’s nothing to say about her. She’s so fake.” According to Ethan’s own account. The moment he realized the person on stage was Chloe, he pushed her away immediately. He wanted to explain, but his microphone was cut off by the production team. He rushed off the stage to find me. But he was stopped by Chloe and the production crew. The production team explained that it was for the show’s effect. And Chloe even stated that she only accepted the production team’s invitation to perform, and this was just a prank. But he didn’t accept this kind of uncommunicated prank. So he didn’t say a single word to Chloe the whole time. “That’s it? Nothing else?” “What else could there be? I’m definitely innocent. You have to believe me. If you’re still not satisfied, I can only apologize with my life!” “That’s not necessary. I’m just curious about one thing: why would Chloe do this?” Ethan let out a scoff. “Why? For the hype, of course. It’s her usual tactic.” “Hearing your tone, it seems you have some complaints? Mind telling me about this ex of yours?” I asked tentatively. It would be a lie to say I wasn’t angry. No girlfriend doesn’t care about her boyfriend’s ex. Especially since Ethan and I have been dating for five years. We just met each other’s parents not long ago. We’re at that critical stage of preparing for marriage. I have to do a background check in advance. Ethan took a slow, deep breath. “That’s a long story.” “Then make it short. Summarize it in 100 words.” Ethan’s face turned red for a long time. “Can we not talk about this today?” “Sure.” That night. Ethan slept on the sofa.

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1 I spent two grueling months on an overseas business trip, moving mountains to secure a massive partnership that would save my girlfriend’s company from bankruptcy. When I finally landed, exhausted but thrilled, I called her to share the good news. She told me not to bother showing up to the celebration gala. “You need to let Felix take the credit for this.” “He’s new to the company and needs to build authority before I promote him to General Manager. He needs this win more than you do.” Her tone was so casual, so completely entitled, that I literally couldn’t believe my ears. It wasn’t until the fire alarms violently blared at the gala, right as I reached out to grab Christine’s hand to guide her to safety, that the truth really sank in. She completely bypassed me, grabbing Felix’s hand instead, and sprinted toward the emergency exit without a single backward glance. At that exact moment, my heart turned to ash. I turned around and silently accepted the olive branch from her biggest corporate rival. … “Victor, are you out of your mind? You seriously came to ruin Felix’s night? Why couldn’t you just stay home? What is your problem!” Christine was furious when she saw me at the venue. She grabbed my arm and dragged me into a deserted corner of the banquet hall. “Can you just drop it? If you hadn’t stubbornly hoarded the project I specifically assigned to Felix, the company would have recovered months ago. Why did you have to drag it out!” I stared at her, letting out a cold, bitter laugh. “I busted my ass negotiating this deal. I was just about to sign the final contract, and you want Felix to just waltz in and take the credit? On what grounds?” “The kid doesn’t even know the difference between the printer and the paper shredder in his own office. What makes you think he can handle a project of this magnitude?” For the past two months, I had practically killed myself for Christine’s company. I hadn’t slept a full night in weeks. I was drowning in endless meetings, staying up until dawn writing proposals, and practically begging investors for capital. I poured my literal blood, sweat, and tears into landing this multi-million dollar contract. Footsteps approached. Felix strolled over with a glass of red wine in his hand, a painfully fake, apologetic smile plastered across his face. “Victor, thank you so much for handling the overseas grunt work for me.” “Don’t worry, I’ll take over hosting the executives and finalizing the paperwork. You can finally rest.” Before I could even open my mouth, Christine chimed in with a sneer. “Why are you being so polite to him? He’s completely rigid and unimaginative. You have way more vision than he does, so obviously you’ll manage this project better.” Felix sighed softly. “Please don’t be mad at Christine, Victor. She’s just worried about my lack of experience.” “I’m getting promoted to General Manager soon, and I really need a flagship project to prove myself.” Christine looked at him, her eyes practically melting with affection. “Felix, why are you apologizing to him? Paving the way for your success is his privilege!” “Please don’t say that, Christine. You’ll upset him,” Felix replied weakly, playing the role of the innocent peacemaker to perfection. But the moment Christine looked away, he shot me a smug, incredibly punchy smirk. My chest felt suffocatingly tight. A wave of profound exhaustion washed over me. While I was halfway across the world sacrificing my health to keep her business afloat, she hadn’t bothered to call me once. Not a single text to ask if I was okay. Felix had just graduated college, yet Christine instantly made him her personal executive assistant. And now, the moment I returned, she was pushing him into the General Manager seat. He had only been at the company for three months! “It’s time for the opening speech. Ignore him, let’s go.” Up on the stage, Christine cheerfully popped a bottle of champagne. Felix pulled her into his arms, intimately brushing a stray drop of liquor from her bangs. The surrounding colleagues whispered with unmistakable envy. “No way. Did the new manager just kiss the CEO?” “So they really are dating? I thought the kid was just bragging.” “Obviously they are. Look at the way she stares at him. She’s completely hooked.” Listening to the office gossip, I thought about the four years Christine and I had been together. She absolutely refused to make our relationship public. She claimed office romances created a toxic environment, insisting that as the boss, she had to set a professional standard. She never let me ride in her car. Yet she personally chauffeured Felix to and from work every single day. She demanded we pretend to be distant colleagues during business hours. Yet she allowed Felix to take naps in the private bedroom attached to her office. If Felix so much as sneezed during a board meeting, she would instantly pause the presentation and escort him out to rest. We had explosive fights over this exact double standard. “You have a filthy mind, Victor! You see dirt wherever you look!” “Why are you so insecure? Felix is just like a little brother to me. You’re a grown man in his thirties, why are you picking fights with a kid!” Christine always resorted to the silent treatment, and I was always the one who surrendered, apologizing just to keep the peace. If this were the old me, I would have stormed the stage and knocked Felix’s teeth down his throat. But tonight, I was just completely drained. Before I could even turn to leave, a piercing fire alarm suddenly shattered the atmosphere. 2 Thick, black smoke billowed from the back of the hall, rapidly swallowing the ceiling. Panic erupted. The crowd devolved into a screaming, shoving stampede. Instinct took over. I lunged forward, desperately reaching out for Christine. “Christine, stay behind me! I’ll get you out!” Before my hand could even brush hers, a violent force slammed into my back. Someone intentionally shoved me hard into the chaotic crowd. Caught entirely off guard, I crashed face-first onto the hard marble floor. A sickening crunch echoed through the noise. White-hot agony flared in my ankle. Seconds later, a heavy boot viciously stomped down on my calf. The force was entirely deliberate, calculated to shatter bone. Cold sweat instantly drenched my clothes. I lost all sensation in the lower half of my body. Through the suffocating smoke and trampling feet, I caught a glimpse of Felix. His eyes were narrowed into dark, malicious slits, a sadistic smirk twisting the corners of his mouth. Then, his expression completely morphed. “Christine, my chest hurts so much! I can’t breathe… I can’t walk… please, you need to help Victor get up…” Felix began to violently tremble, forcing out a pained gasp as he leaned heavily against the wall. “Felix, what’s wrong? You’re terrifying me!” Seeing him collapse, Christine forcefully slapped my reaching hand away. She threw her arms around Felix, her voice cracking with sheer panic. “Is it another panic attack? Look at me, can you hold on?” Blood rushed to my head. “He’s faking it! How can you not see through such a pathetic act?” “Victor, you are unbelievable! You’re seriously jealous right now? People are fighting for their lives!” Seeing Felix grow seemingly paler by the second, Christine’s eyes filled with frantic tears. “Felix is having a medical emergency. I’m getting him out of here right now!” Her words literally froze the blood in my veins. “I think my leg is broken. I can’t stand up. You’re leaving me here to die for him?” “I already called emergency services. The firefighters will be here any second.” Christine grabbed Felix’s arm, completely abandoning me, and rushed toward the illuminated exit sign. “You’re not going to die waiting a few minutes. Just stay where you are!” The acrid smoke ruthlessly choked the air out of the room. Every breath felt like inhaling shards of glass. Combined with my severe sleep deprivation from the business trip, my vision began to rapidly blur. I used the absolute last ounce of my strength to plead with her. “Please. I’m begging you. Don’t leave me.” As they brushed past me, Christine didn’t even spare me a single glance. That was the moment I finally understood. I occupied absolutely zero space in her heart. That was the moment my love for her permanently died. When I finally regained consciousness, my right leg was encased in a heavy plaster cast, elevated at the end of a hospital bed. “Victor, you’re awake! Do you need a doctor?” Harper, a colleague from the marketing department, hovered over me with genuine concern. I had passed out from severe smoke inhalation. Harper explained that she found me unconscious on the floor and physically dragged me out of the burning building. I thanked her softly, promising to treat her to a nice dinner once I was discharged. The local news was playing on the small TV in the corner. The fire was caused by a catastrophic grease fire in the kitchen. Thankfully, there were no fatal casualties. Once Harper left the room, I picked up my phone and dialed a number. “Mr. Harrison. I’ve thought it over, and I’d like to accept your offer. I’m ready to join your firm next week.” A boisterous laugh boomed through the speaker. “Victor! You finally came to your senses! A man needs to prioritize his empire. I promise you’ll get the absolute best compensation package our overseas branch has to offer. But what about your fiancée? You said you couldn’t bear to leave her behind…” “It doesn’t matter anymore. That part of my life is over,” I replied blankly. Mr. Harrison was sharp enough not to pry. A few minutes later, the digital employment contract landed in my inbox. The moment I signed my name, I mindlessly opened my social media feed. The first post was a brand new update from Felix. “Feeling under the weather, but my favorite person made me hot soup. Feeling completely spoiled and loved.” The attached photo was taken from behind. It showed Christine wearing a cute apron, diligently stirring a pot on the stove. This time, I didn’t feel a trace of anger. I just tapped the like button. In our four years together, Christine had never once cooked a meal for me. When I was bedridden with a severe fever, she couldn’t even be bothered to order me a delivery meal. I always justified it by telling myself she simply didn’t know her way around a kitchen. I remembered one scorching summer day, feeling incredibly bad for how stressed she was at work. I woke up at dawn, bought the freshest ingredients from the market, and spent hours cooking her a meticulously balanced lunch. Sweating profusely under the blinding sun, I proudly delivered the food to her office. Instead of gratitude, I walked in to find her aggressively flirting with Felix. “Christine, I really want hot pot for lunch today.” “Patience, little boy. I’ll take you out in a minute.” She laughed, playfully tracing the outline of his abs through his shirt. But the second she noticed me standing in the doorway, her smile vanished into a dark scowl. “Victor, I specifically told you not to bother me during business hours unless it’s an absolute emergency!” Sensing the tension, Felix casually walked over and slung an arm over my shoulder. “Want to come with us, Victor? Too bad we only made a reservation for two.” I just let out a cold laugh, set the lunchbox on her desk, and walked out. Later that evening, I found out they took the chicken soup I spent hours brewing and dumped it in the alley to feed the stray cats. The morning after my hospital admission, the attending doctor informed me I could be discharged the following day. My phone suddenly buzzed violently on the nightstand. It was Christine. “Victor, where the hell are you playing hide and seek?” “We are officially signing the contract today. Why aren’t you at the office backing Felix up? Stop throwing a tantrum!” I answered completely truthfully. “I’m in the hospital. I barely survived that fire.” Christine scoffed loudly through the speaker. “How long are you going to keep up this pathetic act? The firefighters arrived immediately. You are perfectly fine.” “I already called around. The emergency responders didn’t see you, and the staff said you walked out of the building on your own.” “Yesterday you fake a broken leg, today you fake a hospital stay. Felix is generous enough to forgive your jealousy, so I’m giving you exactly ten minutes to drag yourself back to the office.” I slowly peeled a tangerine my hospital roommate had given me. “Felix is such a charismatic prodigy, isn’t he? You trust him enough to hand him my project, so I’m sure he can handle a simple signature.” “The foreign investors specifically requested you to be present! You need to get here right now! If you ruin this deal, don’t bother coming back to work ever again!” I popped a slice of the tangerine into my mouth. “As you wish. Consider this my official resignation.” 3 Ignoring Christine’s furious screaming on the other end, I calmly hung up the phone. After my discharge, I took a cab straight to the apartment. I systematically packed up my life. Standing at the doorway with my suitcase, I took one final look at the place I had called home for four years. Christine and I grew up together. We were childhood sweethearts. Our parents had even jokingly arranged our marriage when we were toddlers. Everything changed when her father passed away in a sudden accident. Her extended family circled like vultures, eagerly waiting to carve up the company and steal her inheritance. She called me every single night, crying hysterically, terrified she was going to lose everything her father built. So the second I graduated, I sacrificed my own career plans and joined Mercer Enterprises to protect her. Those were the golden days of our romance. She used to write me passionate love letters on pink stationary, fearlessly declaring her devotion. She meticulously documented our dates, crafting beautiful scrapbooks filled with movie tickets and polaroids. We took pottery classes together, proudly displaying our slightly lopsided mugs on the living room shelf as symbols of our future. The shift happened two years ago. The company launched a charity initiative, and Christine ended up sponsoring a struggling college student. Felix. From that moment on, the warmth in our relationship rapidly evaporated. When I tried to communicate my frustrations, she ruthlessly shut me down. She complained that I worked too much, that I was boring, that I acted like a joyless old man. But back then, her company was still surrounded by corporate sharks. I couldn’t afford to take a single day off if I wanted to keep her safe. Then came the nights she simply didn’t come home. Felix took her to underground clubs to dance until dawn. He took her riding on his motorcycle at terrifying speeds through the mountain passes. They camped under the stars, completely isolated from the rest of the world. Three months ago, Christine officially hired him as her personal assistant, showering him with inappropriate perks. Whenever I was exhausted and just wanted to hold her, she would physically shove me away, yet she happily offered to massage Felix’s shoulders when he complained about typing. I once asked if we could adopt a puppy to build a life together. She aggressively refused, calling it a filthy burden. A week later, she and Felix joyfully sponsored an entire shelter of stray animals. She completely “forgot” our anniversary this year, but spent weeks planning a wildly expensive, romantic surprise party for Felix’s birthday. Thinking back on it all, I couldn’t help but laugh at my own stupidity. I pulled out my phone and booked the earliest flight back to my hometown. I planned to spend a week with my parents before flying overseas to start my new life. Suddenly, my phone rang. It was Christine. “My mom wants to see you. She misses you and wants you to come over for dinner tonight.” “And remember, keep your mouth shut. Don’t even think about running to her with your pathetic little complaints.” I agreed to go. Eleanor, Christine’s mother, had always treated me like her own son. It was the perfect opportunity to officially end the engagement face-to-face. I arrived early and helped Eleanor in the kitchen, chatting easily as we prepped the vegetables. I was just trying to find the right moment to break the news when the front doorbell chimed. Christine walked in. And trailing right behind her, acting entirely at home, was Felix. I wasn’t surprised in the slightest. “Mom, this is my friend Felix. He just got off work, so I brought him over for a bite,” Christine announced. She shot me a disgustingly hostile glare, then marched into the living room without another word. I didn’t even acknowledge her existence. Desperate to score points with the matriarch, Felix bounded into the kitchen, loudly offering his assistance. Eleanor ignored him, raising her voice to scold her daughter in the other room. “Why are you giving Victor attitude the second you walk through the door? Did you two fight again? He just got back from a brutal business trip. You should be taking care of him! He’s been working himself to the bone for our family!” “And what about the engagement banquet next week? Have you finalized the guest list and the catering? We absolutely cannot delay it again.” The banquet was originally supposed to fall on our four-year anniversary, but Christine abandoned the planning midway through because she was too busy organizing Felix’s birthday bash. I pressed my lips together, quietly grateful we never actually sent out the invitations. When dinner was finally ready, I prepared to step out and drop the bomb. Suddenly, Felix blocked my path. His face twisted into a vicious, unrecognizable sneer. “Don’t get cocky, Victor. She is never going to marry you. The one who isn’t loved is the actual homewrecker here!” Before I could process his words, he grabbed a heavy ceramic bowl filled with boiling hot soup and ruthlessly dumped it entirely over his own head. “I only have Christine! No one is going to take her away from me! Let’s see whose side she takes when she sees what you just did to me!” The heavy bowl hit the floor, shattering into a hundred pieces with a deafening crash. The noise instantly brought the women running. I leaned against the counter, crossing my arms, a cold smile playing on my lips. I didn’t even try to defend myself. “Felix! Oh my god, what happened!” Christine charged into the kitchen in a blind panic. She violently shoved me out of the way, her hands frantically hovering over the red, blistering burns forming on Felix’s forehead. “Victor said I was garbage… he said I didn’t deserve to be here… and he said he’d beat me every time he saw my face…” Felix sobbed, tears streaming down his face as he trembled violently. Christine turned to me, her eyes practically blazing with homicidal rage. She pointed a shaking finger right at my nose. “Are you completely psychotic? Did you come here specifically to torture him? What did he ever do to you! Get on your knees and apologize to him right now, or I swear to God I will never forgive you!” Eleanor rushed forward, desperately trying to deescalate the situation, yanking on Christine’s sleeve to make her stop shouting. I just laughed. I looked directly at Felix, who was still weeping crocodile tears. “You can keep the project. And you can keep Christine. I don’t want either of them anymore.” Christine froze. The rage slowly drained from her face, replaced by total disbelief. “What the hell does that mean?” She quickly regained her haughty composure, crossing her arms. “I’m warning you, Victor. If you keep pushing this tantrum, there will be no going back.” “Take a good look in the mirror. Who else is going to want a useless freeloader like you? If you have any dignity left, you have exactly sixty seconds to apologize and take it back.” When I graduated, I turned down massive offers from elite tech firms and gave up a brilliant future to be her loyal servant. And this was my reward. I had spent four years nurturing a viper. “It means exactly what I said. We are broken up.” “You two truly deserve each other.” I turned to Eleanor, pulling a sleek black audio recorder from my pocket and pressing it gently into her hands. “Eleanor, please cancel the banquet. I won’t be staying for dinner tonight. Thank you for everything.”

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1 “Gas stations dilute their fuel with water all the time. If we pour some of our drinking water into the tank, it will definitely stretch our mileage.” Frank’s voice buzzed in my ear like a persistent mosquito. I pinched my own cheek hard. Pain flared instantly. I was reborn. “Oliver, please don’t be so stubborn. Just listen to the group. This might actually be the only way we get out of these badlands alive,” Frank said, looking at me with wide, timid eyes as if I were a monster about to devour him. Valerie and the rest of the sponsored students were staring me down. I knew this scene perfectly. If I dared to reject Frank’s brilliant suggestion, they would swarm me with righteous indignation. I had already lived through this nightmare once. I offered a bright, entirely hollow smile. “Frank is so smart to come up with such a brilliant idea.” “Go ahead. Pour it in. The car will definitely run so much faster with water in the tank.” … Standing nearby, Valerie offered a rare, relieved smile. “Glad to see you’re finally learning to read the room,” she murmured. I had absolutely no desire to argue with them. My mind was already racing, calculating my own escape route out of this barren wasteland. There were eleven of us in total, split across three off-road vehicles. Originally, Valerie and I were supposed to share a car. But Frank had relentlessly whined until she agreed to ride with him, leaving me driving entirely alone. In my past life, my SUV had the most gas left. Desperate to give the group a chance at survival, I had surrendered all my supplies to them and driven out into the endless desert alone to find a rescue team. In this life, I couldn’t care less if these idiots dug their own graves. As long as I got out alive, nothing else mattered. Drawing on my memories, I knew civilization was about sixty miles west. My gas tank could take me forty-five miles. Thanks to years of extreme sports training, my stamina was peak. I could easily hike the remaining fifteen miles before nightfall, and I had plenty of water in my trunk to survive the trek. With a solid plan in place, the tension bled out of my shoulders. Just to be safe, I popped the trunk and retrieved a heavy, tactical luxury watch. It was a birthday gift from her. In my previous life, she had found this exact watch in the bloody dirt where the wolves had torn me apart. She had completely broken down, slapping her own face in hysterical grief, blaming herself for never telling me it had a built-in military-grade GPS beacon. All I had to do was press a button, and she could have found me anywhere on earth. The corners of my lips curled up. With a few quick presses, I activated the satellite signal. This time, I prayed she would find me. Catching the glint of the expensive metal on my wrist, a flash of ugly jealousy crossed Frank’s eyes. “Oliver, don’t you have a few cases of bottled water in your trunk? Bring them out for us.” My stomach dropped. They wanted to use my drinking water to ruin the cars? 2 “I have four cases in my trunk. Why should I give them to you?” I challenged. Frank crossed his arms, his posture dripping with unearned entitlement. “Oliver, we are stranded in the desert. Water is an incredibly precious resource. You can’t just hoard it all for yourself.” I let out a harsh laugh. Not ten minutes ago, he had used a full bottle of water just to wash his face. Now suddenly he cared about conservation? Valerie stepped forward, fixing me with a cold stare. “Bring it out.” Her tone left zero room for argument. I took a slow breath, forcing down the boiling rage in my chest, and tried one last time to appeal to logic. “I bought that water with my own money.” “Are you seriously keeping score at a time like this?” Frank interrupted, puffing out his chest like a brave martyr. “We have to stay united when we’re in danger. If everyone acted as selfishly as you, how would we ever survive this trip?” Right on cue, the rest of the sponsored students turned their disgusted glares on me. “You can’t drink a whole case by yourself anyway. Hand it over so we can ration it.” “Bring the water out, Oliver! Don’t make us take it by force.” “Rich kids are all the same. Self-centered and useless. You don’t have a fraction of Frank’s maturity.” Self-centered? If my family hadn’t set up the Sinclair Foundation to pay for their tuition, every single one of these ingrates would be breaking their backs on a construction site right now. They wouldn’t have college degrees, and they certainly wouldn’t be guaranteed cushy corporate jobs at my family’s company after graduation. Suddenly, I understood exactly why my parents had insisted I take this road trip with them. Extreme situations strip away the polite masks people wear. This trip was my parents’ final character test for their prospective employees. When I didn’t move, they swarmed the back of my SUV and started dragging the heavy cases of water out. I lunged forward to stop them, but three guys immediately tackled me, pinning me hard against the scorching dirt. I watched, completely helpless, as they unscrewed the caps and poured pristine drinking water directly into the gas tanks. Without water, driving under this blistering sun would guarantee severe dehydration and heatstroke. “Give that back.” I gritted my teeth, struggling to push myself off the ground. Frank seized the opportunity. He scooped up a handful of loose, gritty sand and shoved it violently into my mouth. “Shut up!” he snarled, his voice dropping its innocent act. “Say one more word and I’ll fill your stomach with dirt.” I gagged violently, coughing as the coarse sand scraped down my throat and filled my nasal passages. Tears and mucus streamed down my face. I was completely humiliated, pinned to the earth like an animal. Seeing me so pathetic, the sponsored students erupted into cruel laughter. “Is this really the great heir to the Sinclair fortune? He looks like a stray dog! Hilarious!” I clamped my jaw shut, forced myself up to my knees, and swung my arm back, aiming a brutal slap right at Frank’s smug face. Before my hand could connect, someone gripped my wrist like a vice. While I was restrained, Frank instantly recovered and slapped me across the cheek with all his strength. A sharp crack echoed in the dry air. Valerie froze, dropping my wrist in shock. I slumped back into the dirt, my face burning with a fiery, stinging pain. Frank immediately cowered behind Valerie, his eyes wide with manufactured terror. “I’m so sorry, Oliver! You tried to hit me first! It was just self-defense!” Valerie extended a hand toward me, her face twisting with deep disappointment. “Get up. Stop embarrassing yourself.” I blinked back the moisture in my eyes, tilting my head up to look her dead in the face. “Valerie, we’re done. We are breaking up.” “Frank was just reacting to your violence. He didn’t mean to hit you that hard. Why are you throwing another tantrum?” Valerie shielded Frank with her body, glaring at me warily as if I were a predator about to snap her fragile little flower in half. A suffocating wave of exhaustion washed over me. Throwing a tantrum? From the day we started dating, anytime I didn’t blindly agree with her, I was “throwing a tantrum.” When I chose not to attend the same mediocre university as her, I was throwing a tantrum. When I opted to study abroad for a semester, I was throwing a tantrum. Whenever Frank shed a single crocodile tear, I was throwing a tantrum. “Valerie, we are fundamentally different people. Ending this is the best thing for both of us.” Time had completely eroded the girl I used to love. When I was twelve, I sneaked out to a cheap street food stall and saw Valerie huddled in a greasy corner, scrubbing dishes until her hands were raw. Her eyes had tracked the passing students in their neat uniforms with such desperate longing. 3 My heart had broken for her. I begged my father to sponsor her education. Valerie didn’t waste the opportunity. She studied relentlessly, earning a spot at my elite high school. During our freshman assembly, a massive lighting rig snapped and plummeted toward the stage. She threw herself over me, taking the impact. She suffered a severe concussion and spent a month in the hospital. With blood pouring into her eyes, she had smiled and whispered, “Don’t be afraid. I’ll protect you.” After that, it was only natural that we became a couple. But I didn’t know exactly when her eyes started drifting toward Frank. Like her, he was a charity case. His pathetic, helpless demeanor constantly triggered her savior complex. She wanted to coddle him, to protect him, until eventually her entire heart shifted in his direction. I stumbled to my feet, snatched my keys from Frank’s loose grip, and threw myself into the driver’s seat of my SUV. The moment the engine roared to life, a heavy weight lifted off my chest. I was finally leaving this nightmare. But as I threw the car into drive, Valerie boldly stepped directly in front of my bumper. I slammed the brakes, my forehead smashing violently against the steering wheel. A flicker of genuine concern crossed her eyes as she softened her tone. “Stop being dramatic. It’s suicide to drive out there alone.” Frank hurried over, wrapping an arm around Valerie’s shoulder while shooting me a triumphant smirk. “Oliver, stop acting like a spoiled brat. You have the most fuel. If you drive off and waste it, what are we supposed to do?” His words rallied the crowd instantly. “Exactly! We have to stick together to be safe.” “Let’s siphon the gas out of his tank. That way we have a better chance!” I let out a cold, sharp laugh. “This is my car. Why the hell would I give you my gas?” Not only was it my car, but the other two vehicles technically belonged to me as well. One of the guys stepped up, his face red with anger. “We are trying to survive a crisis here! Why are you still obsessing over what belongs to who?” I rolled my eyes. “Both of your cars are packed full. If you take my SUV, where exactly am I supposed to sit? Are you giving up your seat for me?” The guy instantly shut his mouth. Frank tilted his head, acting as if a brilliant idea had just struck him. “Oliver, don’t you love driving convertibles? You can just sit on the roof! You’ll get all the fresh air you want.” The group eagerly latched onto the absurd cruelty of the idea. “Yeah, the roof is perfect! Doesn’t he love freedom? Let him feel the breeze.” “Don’t worry, we have cargo ropes in the trunk. We’ll strap you down tight so you don’t fall off.” “This is an extreme sport money can’t even buy. The great Mr. Sinclair will have a great story to brag about at his country club.” Valerie let out a heavy sigh. Just as I thought she was going to shut down this psychotic proposal, her next words plunged me into an ice bath. “You do love extreme sports. Your stamina is better than anyone else’s here. You’ll survive on the roof.” Having already lost all hope in her, I didn’t bother arguing. I stomped on the gas pedal. “He’s making a run for it! Grab him!” Frank shrieked. The entire group swarmed the vehicle. Someone yanked the driver’s door open, and multiple hands dragged me violently out of the cabin. I thrashed wildly, kicking and swinging to break their grip. “Ah!” Frank let out a sharp cry, clutching his chest and dropping into a crouch, his face contorted in agony. “Oliver, why did you kick me?” Valerie violently shoved me away and dropped to her knees, pulling him into her arms. I froze for a second, my instinct to defend myself kicking in. “I didn’t even touch him.” Frank buried his face in Valerie’s shoulder, looking up at me with trembling fear. “Oliver, I’m sorry I got in your way. Please don’t hit me again. It hurts so much.” Hearing this, Valerie’s brow furrowed. She glared at me, her voice absolute ice. “Apologize to him!” “I didn’t do anything wrong! Why should I apologize?” The crowd immediately drowned me out. “You were thrashing around like a maniac, of course you hit him.” “Frank is too pure to lie about something like this. Apologize right now!” 4 Sweat beaded on Frank’s forehead, his breathing shallow and erratic. “Sand got into my wound.” He lifted his forearm, presenting a microscopic scratch to Valerie like it was a fatal injury. Valerie glared at me with pure venom. “Oliver Sinclair! Look at what you’ve done.” A mocking smile touched my lips. “If you waited five more minutes, that scratch would have healed completely.” Frank forced a weak, brave smile, his tone dripping with fake humility. “Oliver, you don’t have to apologize. But could I borrow your sun-proof jacket? I just need something to block the wind and the sand. My arm is burning.” The jacket I was wearing was woven from a proprietary, breathable material. My mother had commissioned a luxury designer to custom-make it for me. It blocked UV rays, repelled water, and cut the wind completely. You couldn’t buy it in stores. I rejected him without a second thought. “I’m highly allergic to UV exposure. Find something else.” Frank let out a pathetic, dramatic groan. “Never mind then. My life obviously isn’t worth as much as the young master’s delicate skin.” Valerie’s face turned to stone. “UV allergy? That’s just a pathetic excuse because you’re terrified of getting a tan.” “I am going to count to three. Take it off yourself.” “One. Two.” She didn’t even wait for three. Her patience vanished. She lunged forward, grabbed the collar of the jacket, and violently stripped it off my body. Underneath, I was only wearing a thin tank top. The moment my bare skin met the brutal, relentless sun, it began to flush an angry red. The stinging pain was immediate. Valerie gently draped the custom jacket over Frank’s shoulders, softly blowing the dust away from his microscopic scratch. Looking at them made my stomach churn with physical disgust. I turned on my heel and marched back toward the SUV. Just as my hand touched the door handle, Valerie grabbed my wrist. “It’s just a jacket! Why are you throwing another tantrum!” Those words were the spark that finally incinerated the last shred of my restraint. I swung my free hand and slapped her across the face with everything I had. “I never throw tantrums. I just throw hands!” A bright red handprint instantly bloomed across her cheek. Frank shrieked. “Are you insane? You hit her!” Valerie pressed her tongue against the inside of her cheek, her expression darkening into something truly terrifying. “You make a mistake, and you refuse to repent. It seems you really need to be taught a lesson, Oliver.” My stomach dropped. A primal alarm bell rang in my head. “Since you refused to sit on the roof, you can stay behind the car.” My eyes widened in horror. “Valerie, you are completely psychotic!” Before I could run, two of the heaviest guys in the group tackled me to the dirt. They bound my wrists tightly with heavy nylon rope. They secured the other end to the SUV’s rear towing hook. “When you realize you’re wrong, we’ll untie you,” Valerie said coldly. With that final sentence, she climbed into the driver’s seat. The engine roared. The car lurched forward, yanking my arms tight. I had to sprint just to keep my footing. The SUV accelerated. My legs couldn’t keep up. I stumbled, hitting the asphalt hard, and the car continued to drag me. The rough, sun-baked gravel shredded my exposed skin. Hot blood began to stream down my arms and chest. Panic seized me completely. I screamed at the top of my lungs. “Stop! Please, stop the car!” The muffled sound of laughter and upbeat pop music drifted back from the open windows. No one was listening. No one cared. The SUV swerved sharply to avoid a pothole. My body whipped sideways, and my head slammed brutally into a jagged rock. A blinding flash of white light exploded behind my eyes. Warm blood poured down my forehead, blinding me. True, unfiltered terror flooded my veins. Survival instinct overrode any lingering pride. “I’m sorry! I was wrong! Please!” I begged into the roaring wind. But the engine noise drowned out my pleas. The car showed zero signs of slowing down. I was actually going to die out here. My consciousness began to fracture. As the darkness crept in, I hallucinated the rhythmic thumping of helicopter rotors closing in on me. A woman’s voice cut through the chaos, frantic and furious. “Cut him loose right now!” Up ahead, thick black smoke began to pour from the hoods of the two lead vehicles. The convoy screeched to a halt. Someone inside yelled in panic. “We have a problem! The engine is dead!”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “421708”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel